The Cambion's Hoard
Chapter 52-Rose

The light in the room slowly brightened. I hadn't realized there were so many layers. Henson rubbed my arm, his fingers gliding roughly against the skin. I could tell he was nervous, more than ever before. One, his touch shook as he ran his fingers back and forth. Two, the bond vibrated with it.

I’d felt a connection with him from the start. I wouldn't have called it a bond. What I was feeling now was a bond. It harmonized with Biggs's and mine: two cords in the song. One had more bass than the other. Or rather, a hammer and chisel. I didn't want to lose what I was feeling.

Yet, Biggs and I couldn't stay stitched forever. I couldn't have them both this way. I was only feeling this because Biggs was stitched to me. His soul was holding mine. It allowed me to feel Henson.

Holding Biggs made it easier to hold them. Henson and Thatcher. Being able to feel them both at all times. It made me sad because I couldn't feel Biggs. It was like being so close only to be so far away. Or maybe I couldn’t feed him because of the exhaustion.

"Rose?" Henson squeezed my arm gently.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking about this tethering." I rubbed my chest like I could feel him in me. Only I couldn't feel him.

Henson took my hand into his, guiding it to his lips. "He's with you. Patti wouldn't lie."

"I can't feel him." My words keened.

"Can you give us a minute?" Henson addressed the nurse. I'd forgotten she was still in the room.

"Of course." Her shoes squeaked against the laminated floors.

Henson wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tight. "Rose, honey. I was thinking about it. Maybe you can’t feel him because he is surrounding you. The air around you smells like him, but you don't taste like him. We can sense each other. Well, I thought I could feel you, but I am feeling an echo of you.

"Think of it like this, Biggs is hugging you. He has you enveloped in his arms. If Thatcher or I were to try or hug you, we'd hug Biggs instead. We're smelling him and sensing his more powerful bond. You can't feel me because we have a Biggs buffer. But when you're with Thatcher, Biggs isn't in the mix. So your bond with him is strong enough to feel through Biggs's hug. Because your love for him exists outside of Biggs."

My brow furrowed. "I have love for you outside of Biggs."

"I didn't say you didn’t. Biggs is a powerful being. He can be hard to surpass. He did snag two mates." He kissed my temple.

"So what I'm feeling is Biggs wrapped around me instead of inside?"

"I think that's what it is. Biggs protects you even while you try to protect him."

I huffed. "Stubborn ass."

He lifted my face, tilting my chin up. "I am happy I figured this out. It feels right when I say it. Biggs has always had a strange dominance about him. Even when he's taking it, it was always on his terms. He initiated. Now, when it comes to you, he's only going to share you with me when he wants to share you. I get to be there to aid him in pleasuring you. If he doesn't want me to fuck you where it counts. He's not going to let me."

I shuddered, and not from the cool air. Henson was right. Biggs controlled him in a very subtle way. One I realized I liked watching.

He kissed me; I swayed slightly. "Don't get me wrong, Rosie. He submits to you."

"No, he doesn't."

He let me go entirely too soon. "I'm going to get the nurse."

"You're going to explain what you mean." I pulled my hands into my lap.

"Rose. You know what I'm talking about." He opened the door. His voice muffled for a moment.

The door closed again. "You have been swaying that man from day one."

"He's more dominant a man than I've met.”Except for my father. But when they had explained how they met Linus had caved to her. Linus saw her as a more powerful creature.

"What's going on in that pretty little head now?"

"When we met...he saw me as more powerful?"

Henson let out a little snort. "Not at that time but he did see you as more dominant. There was one thing that tipped me off to it, though, you wouldn't have seen that." He sat next to me on the bed. "When I asked you if you’d seen us. You didn't answer and his body tensed. You weren't only ignoring my question, but you hadn't watched him. He wasn't used to women ignoring him. While he didn't fuck any of them, he did command their attention. Then you asked about Wallace! He was so jealous. Jealous of a fucking house gremlin. Still is."

My laugh was soft. "Wallace is a better cuddler."

"Debatable." Henson squeezed my hand. "I'm serious Rose, every interaction he has, yielded to you or something about you."

"I yield to him when we fuck. I submit."

His rough laughter caught me off guard. "Oh, honey. He takes his cues from you. I've been watching the two of you. I promise. Biggs takes his cues from YOU. He commands you because you want to submit at that moment. He's not controlling you because you submit. He's controlling you because it's what he does with me."

Henson hugged me against him. His touch was warm and comforting.

The door opened again. "How about we finish getting those bandages off?"

"Yes, please." I pulled out of Hen's grasp and sat up. I already had enough to think about and now this.

Why weren't things easy