When Lark tells Remedy no, that she doesn’t want to be a part of what she is asking, the guys and I exchange a look of concern.

Shit.

“You have to,” she says, standing. “I mean, Harlow and I are counting on you–”

“I don’t owe you anything,” Lark says. She stands and walks to the kitchen. Remedy follows close behind, clearly pissed. She was expecting Lark to be one thing and she certainly isn’t.

Though she be but small, she is fierce.

“Just give me a sec, okay?” Lark says, raising her hands to let Remedy know she means it.

Here is the thing about Lark that no one else in this room can really grasp: she had the love of a mother for her entire life.

After spending a few minutes talking to the wolf shifters, it’s obvious they never did. Neither did Remedy, nor we hawks. Lark is singular in that.

“Can I get you some pizza, dove?” I ask her. She’s facing the kitchen sink, looking out the window. I run a hand over her back, wanting to ease the pain.

“Sure, I should eat. But first, can you make the wolves leave?”

I wrap my arms around her waist, kissing her neck, inhaling her sweet scent and wrapping myself up in her hidden strength. “I love you, Lark,” I tell her. “Maybe the timing is off. God knows you’ve had a hell of a day. But I do.”

She turns around, facing me. My cock is fucking hard and I know she feels it.

“I love you too, Sawyer.”

Her eyes are cast down, and I lift her chin, needing to see her. “You do?” I ask.

She nods. “Yes, I do. Now, will you please tell those wild animals to leave so my hawks can put me to bed?”

My lips turn up. “Your hawks?”

She licks her lips. “Yes. My hawks.”

* * *

Not much later, the wolves are gone. They are seriously pissed, but Lark was done with them for today. Everything they said may have been true, but Lark can’t deal with that tonight.

Not after the day she has had.

Arrow puts on another record, this one an old Etta James record. The lyrics, At last, my love has come along. My lonely days are over. And life is like a song, float through the house.

North locks the door. Vaughn lights candles and Brecken turns off the lights. Someone finds old quilts in a closet and moves the coffee table, spreading them out on the floor.

Pillows pile around the blankets, soft and thick, and we create the perfect place for Lark to rest. Here there is room for us all.

“Come,” I whisper, taking her hand and leading her to the living room.

When she sees what we’ve made for her, she blinks back tears. “You made a nest,” she whispers.

“Yes,” I say, “a nest for our little bird.”

“Not just for me,” she says. “For all of us.” Then she lifts the hem of her shirt and pulls it off. She slips off her pants, leaving on only her bra and panties. “You won’t let me sleep here all alone, will you?”

I raise an eyebrow, knowing the guys and I are done telling Lark what she can and can’t do. This is her home, her night, her life.

If she wants us naked in her nest, then we will oblige.

I strip quickly, to nothing but my boxers. Stepping toward her, she raises a finger, shakes her head.

“No entrance to this love nest unless you’re naked.”

“Those are the rules?” I ask, a grin spreading across my face.

“I’ve always lived by rules,” she says. “Without my mother here to make them up for me, I guess I’ll have to make up some of my own.”

“And us being naked is one of them?” North asks with a smile.

She shrugs, then reaches behind herself and unhooks her bra. “Yep. That’s rule number one.”

“I feel like you’re making up the rules on the spot,” Brecken jokes, taking off his own clothes.

Lark tosses her bra to the floor, so she and her perfect breasts are exposed in all their glory.

“Regardless, I have more rules,” she says. “Are you ready for them?”

We nod, taking off our boxers and stepping toward her.

“No jealousy,” she says. “Between any of us. No judgment. No secrets.” She pauses, hands on the waistband of her panties. “And I need you to all accept one thing.”

“What?” Arrow asks, listening carefully.

“My love.”

I smile, my heart fucking growing ten times in size. It’s what I dreamed to hear, what I hoped. I want Lark to feel all the love we can possibly bestow. I know I told her I loved her, but I know it is how all of us feel. When we flew together tonight, it was clear.

All for one. One for all.

“You mean it?” Brecken asks.

She nods. “With all my heart.”

“And you’re not just saying it because you want us to fuck you?” North asks.

“That might be a part of it,” she says with a slight smile.

“Well good, because I love you too, Lark,” Brecken says, walking toward her, naked. He steps into the nest and wraps his arms around her. “I love you so damn much.”

“And it’s not just because I look sexy with wings?” she asks.

He shakes his head. “Nope,” he laughs. “It’s because you have such a nice tail.”

Their shoulders shake as they laugh, and then he steps away, which means something, considering it’s Brecken. He’s taking all of her but he’s willing to share.

North moves to the nest and lifts her chin with his finger, looking into her eyes. “I love you, Lark, and I can’t believe I ever thought we stood a chance of denying ourselves one another.”

He kisses her passionately. Her body melts against his chest as their mouths open in a deep and heartfelt kiss.

I swear to God, everyone’s cocks are growing hard watching her stand here, naked and bare, heart open and willingly offering it to us.

Arrow walks to her, lacing his fingers with hers. Their foreheads press together, and the moment feels intimate and I feel honored to be standing here, sharing it with them.

“I know today was the lowest of lows,” he tells her. “And our love will never replace the love of your mother, but I hope it can be a salve on your broken heart.”

He kisses her then, so softly it’s as if it barely happens, yet the commitment wrapped around them is intense and real. “I love you, Lark,” he says.

“I love you, too,” she whispers.

Then Vaughn clears his throat. “Uh,” he starts, and then runs a hand through his hair. “Lark, uh, you know I’m bad with speeches.”

“I don’t need a speech,” she tells him. “I just need you.”

“Good,” he tells her, stepping toward her, and picking her up off the ground. “Because you’re all I need too.”

He kisses her, and her legs wrap around his torso, and her ass looks so fucking good like that. I can’t help but run a hand up and down my shaft, my growing cock alive with desire.

“I love you, Lark,” Vaughn tells her, setting her down on the floor once more.

“I love you more,” she tells him. She licks her lips, looking at us all, greedily, with hunger. With want.

“I know this day has been so long, but please,” she says. “Don’t make me beg for what I need.”

My arms reach around her, guiding her to the blankets beneath us, then running my hands all over her perfect body, needing to press myself into her warm and wanting pussy.

I try and steady my breath as I take her in, with her hawks around her, in this nest, our love for her so real, so deep, so true.

“I love you,” I say again as her hand wraps around my cock, knowing what I need.

Her. Now. Forever.

Always.

Gaia brought us to her, but love is keeping us together.