Chapter 254: Feeling the Presence

Words : 1112 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

Evaline: The warmth of the fire flickered across the room, but it was nothing compared to the heat blooming in my chest when Oscar’s lips met mine. I moaned into his mouth before I even realized it, the sound swallowed up by his slow, consuming kiss. My off-shoulder woolen top left my skin bare for Draven’s feathery touch, and I shivered when his lips ghosted over my exposed shoulder, brushing so lightly that it felt like silk gliding across my skin. By the time Oscar pulled away, I was gasping for air, my pulse drumming against my ears. His gaze lingered on me, dark and molten, as if he was memorizing every flush and every breath I took. Dinner had been a blur this evening. I couldn’t even remember what I had eaten - only the way both my mates’ eyes had followed me like shadows, their touches lingering longer than necessary, their teasing almost unbearable. I had planned to talk to them - about River, about the fact that he was also my mate. I needed to tell them before it became a bigger problem. But the moment we left the dining room and made our way upstairs, it felt less like I was leading them to my room and more like they were silently herding me there. Now, here we were - me, seated in the middle of the big couch in front of the fireplace, Oscar to my left and Draven to my right. The glow of the fire painted their faces in amber and gold, shadows moving over their sharp features like they had been carved for moments like this. I was still catching my breath when Draven finally spoke. "River and Kieran are away for the night. Perfect for me and Oscar to spend it with you without worries." His lips curled into a smirk. "Besides, it’s the last day of the year. Barely two hours left before midnight." "Considering it’s council’s New Year party," Oscar added. "They won’t be back before morning." This was my chance to speak. I straightened a little, inhaling, ready to tell them exactly what I had been holding back for days... But the only sound that escaped my mouth was a sharp, startled gasp when Oscar leaned in without warning and pressed an open-mouthed kiss against the side of my neck. My fingers clutched the couch cushions as his warm lips trailed downward, mapping the curve of my skin until he reached the crook of my neck. He lingered there, the press of his mouth deepening, making heat and tingles explode down my spine. I arched toward him helplessly, my head tilting back. For a few seconds, I forgot everything - River, my plans, even the fact that Draven was sitting right there. All I could focus on was the way Oscar’s mouth pulled sweet, shivery sensations from every nerve in my body. "That again," Draven’s voice cut in, low and filled with something far heavier than amusement. "Do that again. I want to capture her." My head turned toward him, brows drawn in confusion, but before I could even ask what he meant, Oscar was already repeating his path... soft kisses down the side of my neck, a slow pause at the crook, and then the deliberate pull of his lips against my skin. Another wave of those sweet tingles rushed over me, my hands instinctively clutching at his shirt. When I opened my eyes again, Draven was holding out his phone to Oscar, his expression unreadable but his eyes glinting with heat. Oscar took it, glanced down at the screen... and I caught the shift in his gaze, the way it darkened in a way that made my pulse trip. "What?" I breathed. Without a word, he moved the phone so I could see, while he spoke to Draven, "Share that with me." The picture on the screen made me go still. It was me... but not the me I was used to seeing in mirrors. My head was tilted back, lips parted, eyes fluttered shut, with Oscar’s mouth at my neck. My skin was glowing in the firelight, and the expression on my face... it was raw, vulnerable, almost dream-soft. I looked... ethereal. I barely had time to process it before Draven took the phone from my hand, setting it aside. The next moment, his lips were at the other side of my neck, his touch firmer than Oscar’s. And his mouth drew a gasp from me all over again. By the time he trailed his kisses down to my shoulder, my breaths were uneven, the air in my lungs refusing to stay steady. But then... I froze. Not because of them, but because of the sudden, faint, strange sensation low in my abdomen. My palm pressed over my belly without thought. Both Oscar and Draven went still instantly, straightening. "What happened?" Draven asked, his tone sharp with concern. "I... I just felt something," I whispered, still stunned. Oscar’s gaze dropped to where my hand was resting, and his eyes widened slightly. "You mean... the baby?" I nodded slowly. "It wasn’t... movement, exactly. But there was something. Just for a second." He exchanged a look with Draven, and without asking, both of them moved their hands to my belly, pushing mine gently aside. We waited in silence, the only sound the crackle of the fire. Then, both of them stiffened. Their eyes met, widening with something almost reverent. "You feel that?" Oscar murmured. Draven nodded once. "Presence." My brows drew together. "Presence?" Oscar looked up at me. "You know that werewolves can sense their pup’s presence in their mate’s womb. Right? We are sensing it too. It’s... like a bond that’s pulsing back." For a moment, none of us spoke. I just sat there, watching them both touch my stomach like they were afraid I would vanish if they looked away. Then Draven’s lips quirked in a teasing smirk. "Maybe the pup’s just reacting to their mom’s... reactions." His tone held unmistakable amusement. I felt heat rush to my cheeks instantly. He leaned toward me again, eyes glinting with that playful danger he wore so well, but this time I pressed a hand to his chest, stopping him before he could kiss me. "No," I said, shaking my head even as my heart pounded. "I need to talk to you both." It didn’t matter that the fire was warm, or that their touches had my body betraying me at every turn. I couldn’t keep avoiding this conversation, not with everything hanging over us like a blade waiting to fall. They needed to know before it’s too late!

Chapter 254: Feeling the Presence

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