Justiss let out a yawn as he peered around his new suite of rooms. They were a blank canvas, but the bed was big enough. There was a decent sofa and a large screen TV. For the night, it would do, but he knew that would be another matter entirely for his mate.

He watched her study the room he’d scanned in less than five seconds, saw, and was amused by her dismay at the stark surroundings. She was definitely roughing it here. There was no other way to describe it.

She screamed ‘country club’, although he didn’t think she was the kind to enjoy that kind of venue, even if that was her place in the social strata.

No, there was definitely a question mark hovering over his mate, but he didn’t mind that. He quite liked puzzles. Probably a damn fine job because he had the feeling Toni was, in her own way, going to be one big riddle. The folk who seemed so all fired straight on the outside usually were the most complex.

As his mother had often said, ‘It was the quiet ones you had to watch out for.’

His lips twitched at the thought, and he was pleased to be thinking of his mother on a day like today, when his entire world was changing. It had been a long time since she’d graced his thoughts, but maybe it fit. She and his father had died when he was in his forties—younger than Graver was now—in a goddamn train accident, of all things. But she’d been like Toni, from a better walk of life than her mate, and used to the finer things in life.

Sadly, for Justiss’s father, he hadn’t been able to afford those kinds of luxuries. But his son could, and he intended for his mate to be content, no matter what it took or how much it cost. He’d beg, steal, and borrow to make her happy. She was his priority—a priority he’d been seeking out for his lifetime.

Now he had her, he sure as hell wasn’t going to fuck it up.

“It’s only for the times we stay at the clubhouse,” he murmured, intent on assuring Tonia that this really wasn’t a permanent solution for them. “We won’t be staying here all the time.”

“It’s not that bad,” Graver immediately chided, shooting them both a look.

“It’s just very minimal,” Toni replied then raised her hands to cover her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I don’t want you to think I’m a snooty bitch or anything. It’s just, this doesn’t seem very comfortable to me.”

Justiss smiled, amused by that even though he knew she’d meant it utterly earnestly. He truly understood the hashtag, #firstworldproblems now.

They had shelter, a place to sleep, and food for their bellies. Back when his folks had passed, he’d considered himself fortunate to have that. Now was not then, however, and his mate deserved her comfort. It would prick his pride if he couldn’t give her what she’d managed to provide for herself all these years without him and Graver, so he’d do his damnedest to get her everything she needed.

“It’s okay, Tonia,” he told her when her cheeks continued to burn hotly.

“No, it’s not,” she admitted with a sigh. “I know I must seem horrible. This is very pleasant,” she added, trying and failing to be positive.

“It doesn’t matter. Your comforts are your comforts. You work hard, and you deserve to be content with your surroundings. This is just until we can make alternative arrangements, okay?”

His words didn’t ease her anxiety though, and she plunked down on her bed with a groan.

Aaron stared at him with a questioning look, but Justiss was as lost as Graver. He tilted his head toward him, indicating he should try to figure out what was wrong. Aaron approached her with the caution of a man nearing a volcano close to eruption.

Hard-pressed not to smile, Justiss maintained his distance, watching Aaron and Tonia as they interacted on the bed. It surprised him when Aaron put an arm around her shoulder and she turned into his hold, resting her head against his throat and pressing her hand to his thigh. The move indicated an intimacy none of them had reached yet, and he was further surprised to realize that he wasn’t jealous.

Graver was an extension of himself; at least, that was how his bear felt. And the man? Well, he just wanted Tonia to be happy. If Aaron could achieve that, then it was all to the good. Jealousy seemed to have no place here, and he wasn’t about to quibble that.

“What’s wrong, sugar?” Aaron asked, his voice a gravelly rumble that had Toni nuzzling her forehead against his throat a little more. The gentle touch hit Justiss bang in the chest. It was a touch that spoke of long term intimacy, and both the bear and man craved that. They wanted her to belong to them as they belonged to her.

“I don’t know. I think I’m just overtired.” She knuckled her eyes and blinked blearily.

“Do you want a shower?”

She nodded.

“Well, you go clean up. I know this place might not be to your fancy, but it’s clean, and by being here, we could both shift. I know I feel better for it. Don’t you, Justiss?”

“I do. I’m tired and a little weary, but my bear is back on track. Like today never happened.”

She peered up at him. “You promise that?”

When he’d returned from the yard, she’d asked him how he was feeling and had made him promise it, too. So, he knew she had trust issues, as well as the naïve belief that promises meant something.

To himself, he vowed to maintain that naivety, to never break a promise to her. If that was all she needed to feel secure, then he’d feed that and never let her down.

“I swear it,” he told her easily. It was the truth. His blood still fizzed a little, and he figured it was wont to do that when a Goddess or Goddesses had been messing around with his body. It wasn’t in a bad way… more in a healing manner. He should ask Annette if she’d felt the same after Mars had saved her life.

At his words, she sagged a little with a relief that touched him, then murmured, “Yeah. I’m going to get a shower.” She propped herself up using Aaron’s leg for support then licked her lips. “I-I’m too tired for anything e-else.”

Justiss immediately wafted a hand in front of him in dismissal. “Sleep is all any of us want.”

She chuckled a little. “Well, that’s stretching the truth a bit, I think.”

He winked. “Wanting you is like breathing, Tonia. But we can control ourselves for a night or two, can’t we, Graver?”

Aaron placed his hand over hers. “Of course. We want you to be happy, Tonia.”

She smiled. “I feel that. And I feel happy.”

“Even though you don’t like your digs?”

Another chuckle escaped her. “Yeah. Even though I’m not keen on my accommodation. I’ve slept in worse, and you’re right, it’s clean, and not permanent.” With a yawn, she got to her feet, patted Aaron on the shoulder, and headed toward the bathroom with a sleepshirt the Prez’s mate had handed her for the night. Even though he was on the other side of the room, she made a point of coming to him and trailing her fingers over his arm before retreating to the shower.

Both men watched her departure then turned to look at each other the minute the door closed.

“How are you really feeling?”

“I wouldn’t lie to her, Graver,” Justiss murmured, a reprimand in his tone. “I meant it. I’m fine. Just tired.”

“Don’t you feel the bond?” He stretched out his legs then began to twitch his feet. “I can. It’s hard to ignore.”

“Of course, I can feel it. I have no doubt that she can too. But there’s no point in forcing it. She’s not ready. I don’t think she has much experience.”

“No, I agree.” Graver’s grin was slow and cheeky. “I’m kind of glad about that.”

Justiss snorted. “We’re men. Of course, we are. Kings of the double standard.” He yawned. “The bond is gonna burn us both before it does her,” he warned. “You might want to prepare yourself for that.”

“You were on a run when Annette and Mars came back to the clubhouse that first time, weren’t you?” Graver replied, grinning a tad smugly at him. “The bond will hit us all equally. I can feel it already, but I think the issue is that we’re all so goddamn tired, especially after tonight’s ordeal. We should feel it in the morning, and I hope we do. I want her safe, and I want her protected. That isn’t going to happen until she’s bound to us.” He shuddered. “I still can’t get over the fact that nurse injured herself with a piece of fucking paper. I want Toni safeguarded, especially with Moses roaming around. Mars didn’t say anything about the guys having found him or his cronies, so she’s in danger until we put an end to their shit.”

Justiss scraped a hand over his jaw as he contemplated Aaron’s words. As he pondered them, he trudged over to the bed, shucked off the towel both of them were using for decency’s sake in front of their new mate, and climbed under the covers.

The crisp sheets gave way to his form, clinging to him and immediately warming as his skin connected with the cotton. He grabbed a pillow, punched it with his fist, then hooked it between arm and shoulder as he rolled onto his side and got comfortable. The minute he was settled, he murmured, “We’ll bind her to us when she’s ready. Not a minute sooner.”

Graver hissed in a breath. “Don’t be so blasé about it, J. Jesus, she’s in danger all the time she’s here and not protected.”

“What would you have us do?” he asked, his tone drowsy. “Force her?” The question prompted him to snort at the ridiculousness of his words. “Look, we’re aware of the threat, and we defend and protect her from our enemies until she’s ready to accept us in more than just her mind, but her body and soul too.” With that, he let out a sigh. “Now, I’m going to sleep. It’s been an exhausting day.”

Before Graver could reply, he heard J snore. Exasperation flooded him, but he let it flow out as quickly as it flowed in. There was no point in being annoyed, no point in getting mad. Justiss always had been an intractable bastard, and it was something he was used to as a friend, but wasn’t so used to on an intimate setting. Time would change that, but at the moment, that didn’t help him, so he had to help himself.

He took a seat on the sofa, making sure his towel covered everything up. Before they’d returned to her after shifting, they’d showered and cleaned up. Both of them had blood where blood shouldn’t be and all kinds of crap dusting them up. They were ready for bed when Toni was ready, and when the bathroom door opened, he wished they were ready for more.

With a towel of her own tucked around her, she looked more diminutive than before, a pocket Goddess who scared him with how small she was when they were big guys. Her high cheekbones seemed all the higher thanks to the way she’d arranged her hair in a messy topknot that had tendrils floating free to cling to her still slightly damp shoulders and throat. Her caramel eyes were soft and sleepy, faint shadows hovering underneath them with her exhaustion.

Though he’d resigned himself to not starting the binding process tonight, that resignation was lightened by how tired she looked. He’d never have forced her, but he might have played dirty just as a means of making her safe. But she looked so tiny, so delicate, and this was his mate. His woman. His other half. She needed rest. Care. And as she was his, he was duty bound to give her what she needed.

“Did you forget the sleepshirt Annette gave you?” he asked softly, watching with a faint smile as she blinked blurry eyes at him. “You took it into the bathroom with you. Go and get changed, Toni. You’ll feel better when you’re not in that damp towel.”

She blinked again and then a tad robotically padded back into the bathroom, doing as he’d bid. He heard the sounds of fabric rubbing against fabric, then nothing else. He waited a few more minutes then stepped toward her, wondering why she hadn’t come out when she had to be covered up by now. What he saw damn near broke his heart. Head bowed, swaying a little on her feet, she looked like she was about to fall asleep standing up.

Before she had chance to do anything like protest, he swept her up into his arms and carried her back into the bedroom. She didn’t even yelp, just nuzzled into him, settling her head under his chin and sighing with a contentedness that made his heart beat faster. He felt like a shit having to put her down when she’d made herself so comfortable in less than thirty seconds, but he managed to lever up the sheet and duvet and slide her underneath. She rolled onto her side, her back to Justiss’s front and mumbled, “Come on, Aaron. Get into bed. It’s cold without you.”

At that, his fool heart about turned itself upside down in his chest.

It had been damn cold without her in his life, and now, he had a perpetual summer waiting for him.

As he slipped between the sheets and felt her curl into him, sliding a leg over his thighs to hook him close, he realized what he’d been missing all these years was something Justiss had had to live without for a helluva longer time than Graver had to.

Her.

But not anymore.

The thought filled him with an indescribable warmth, and Graver knew that if he’d been a cat shifter, right about now, he’d have been purring.