“Esme, look at me.” Luke’s face was serious. “No one in this pack has any interest in making your life anything but perfect, and we certainly don’t want to make it harder by giving the idiots with cameras who exploit you to make a living more ammunition.” He lowered his voice. “You’re my good girl, and maybe I’ll share you with the pack. But you’re no one else’s.”

I was pretty sure my whole body turned pink with pleasure.

Everyone was in the kitchen, and the smell of Italian made my mouth water. Ben was at the stove minding a boiling pot of water, and Rylan was with him stirring sauce. The oven was on, too. “Is that garlic bread?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Kade, take over for a second,” Ben said, grinning at me. No one batted an eye that I was naked, in a robe, and in Luke’s arms. “Can I borrow her for a minute?”

Luke passed me over and I squeaked. “I can use my own legs.”

“You can,” Ben said, sitting with me at the table. “But I don’t find it necessary at the moment. Now, this isn’t my heat gift, but it’s something you and I both need.”

“Oh?”

From behind me, he pulled a cupcake out of nowhere. “As far as I remember, you still haven’t had your cupcake.”

My eyes went wide. “No, I never got one.”

Maneuvering me so he could use both arms, he peeled the paper off. “Open.”

“Ben, you don’t have to feed me the cupcake.”

“Oh, I think I do.” His voice was a low purr.

I opened my mouth and took a giant bite of the cupcake in his hand and moaned. He was right, something about finally getting the hit of both cake and sugar after wanting it for days was so fucking satisfying.

“That’s really good.”

“Bet your ass they are.” He fed me another bite, and the lust in his eyes was enough to send me into a second heat. He kissed me on the last bite, stealing some of the frosting with his tongue. One hand cradled my face, keeping me where he could kiss me, and I faded into the true scent of vanilla.

“There are more, right?” I asked when he released me.

“Yes.”

Avery pointed at the two of us. “But maybe some real food first, considering we’re all running on fumes?”

He had a point, but damn if I didn’t want another cupcake.

“You need your strength,” Avery said, looking pointedly at me. “For tomorrow.”

“What’s happening tomorrow?”

Rylan turned. “Shopping. This time for your room.”

My mouth popped open. “You guys don’t have, like, an air mattress or something?”

They all burst out laughing, and Ben started purring, nuzzling into my hair. “Our Omega isn’t going to sleep on an air mattress.”