“Thalia,” Micah started, pushing himself to the edge of the bed as I hurried to grab my clothes.
“I have to go after him,” I said, pulling my underwear on in a panic, not knowing what I would even say. Would he ever look at me again? Would he ever talk to me? Or had I just fuckedeverything up?
This was a mistake.
What had he meant by that? Was it a mistake because we’d pushed things too far too fast—before we were ready? Or was it a mistake because...
“Thalia,” Micah said, as I pulled a shirt over my head, not bothering to put a bra on. He grabbed my hands, halting me from doing anything else.
“I need to talk to him,” I said, tears rolling down my cheeks.
“I know,” he said, pulling me into his arms. “Give him some time to process his feelings.”
I froze and pulled away to look up at him, brows furrowing.
“I know,” he said, his eyes soft despite the knowing light there.
“You know?” I echoed, my breath catching. My heart plummeted.
“I know he’s your mate,” he finally said, cupping my cheeks before pressing his forehead against mine. “I’ve known for years.”
I blinked, mouth opening and closing as panic tore through me. What did he think? What would he do? If he knew what I’d suspected for a long time, how could he pull Barrett into our bed?
“Why would you do this, then, if you knew?” I demanded, pulling away from him. Sadness touched at his features as he drew a deep breath, but I didn’t give him the chance. “What if he never talks to us again? What if he—” I drew short shaky breaths. “Dammit, Micah.”
“I wanted to see if he’d give into his feelings. I had to know if he would ever acknowledge it.” He let out a sigh and ran his hand over his face. “Yes, it was stupid of me, but I’ve been trying to get you two to see the possibilities for a while.”
I blinked, trying to make sense of what he was saying. “What are you talking about?”
He tentatively reached out to take my hand, and I let him, unable to pull away, too afraid to lose them both in this mess. “If you could have him, would you want him?”
“I...” What was he asking of me? “But we’re?—”
Micah pulled me closer and leaned his forehead against mine, his eyes lighting up with such intensity that I couldn’t pull away. “No matter what you say, it will never change the way I feel for you. It won’t change us.”
My gaze swept between his eyes, trying to read whatever thoughts lingered behind them. “I don’t understand.”
He huffed a weak laugh, and one corner of his lips kicked up into a half smile. “There is no reality in which I would deny you the chance to be with your mate.”
“But you... I—” I shook my head. “I love you. I don’t want?—”
“And nothing would ever change the fact that I love you, that I am yours. I will still be yours, just as he could be.”
I blinked, my mind latching onto his words. “Both of you?”
He nodded. “We would not be the first relationship formed of more than two souls.”
My eyes drifted to the door where Barrett had disappeared through.
Micah hooked my chin and drew my attention back to him. “If this is what you want, I will do everything in my power to make it so.”
My lips parted, the hope swelling in my chest, the fear dragging it back down into my gut like an anchor of dread. What if Barrett rejected it all? What if Barrett rejected me? What if I’d lost him for good this time?
Micah kissed me tenderly and pulled me into a hug. “He’s patrolling tonight. I’ll take over the shift and talk to him, see where his head is at. I’ll fix this, I swear.”
54
BARRETT
