by Helen Scott
“How are you doing?” I asked, fully expecting some kind of bullshit answer.
Blake surprised me though as he said, “It fucking hurts. I swear that asshole that bit me must’ve had something in his fucking drool that makes it hurt even more.” He shook his head and pulled his hand away from the small bandage we’d cobbled together over his wound. It was bleeding again, which may not have been a shock, considering the situation we were in, but it certainly wasn’t a good thing either. I knew the more he moved, the more he was pulling at his stitches, which meant it would take longer for his wounds to heal.
“Do you need to rest?”
He shook his head. “Let’s just get through this as quickly as we can.”
“I wish you would’ve considered staying back at the cave.” I exhaled sharply. I didn’t want to make Blake feel bad, but we all knew we could probably get this done faster if he’d stayed behind. I understood why we’d brought him with us as well though, the last thing I wanted was for him to be stuck alone in the woods if something happened to us. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that him being out here with us was going to make his injuries so much worse.
“I want to give this oracle a piece of my mind.” He sounded angry, but the wink he tossed my way let me know that he was just kidding. I was glad he let me know because with the strain on his face, the way his eyes were creased at the edges, and the firm set of his mouth, I wouldn’t have thought he was joking. Blake was serious at the best of times, but now he looked downright severe.
“Head’s up,” Roman whispered from in front of us.
Immediately I went on guard, and I knew Blake and Micah did as well. I peered around Roman’s side, trying to see what had prompted him to speak and fall back to walk beside Blake and me. Micah had done the same and was on Blake’s other side, protecting him, which I appreciated.
What I saw was a large break in the trees, as though someone had carved a path for a giant to walk through. Nothing was growing there except some scrubby grass, which was unusual. Even more unusual was the scent I caught on the light breeze that was ruffling my hair.
Coffee, freshly made, and male wolf.
I couldn’t help but want to shrink back, to disappear from sight. That wasn’t going to be an option though.
“That’s the edge of the Shadow Wolves territory,” Roman said.
“I thought we were already in their territory,” I murmured, confusion settling on my shoulders. Sometimes, it felt like there was a whole world out there that I knew nothing about because of how I’d grown up and the fact that I’d been living as a human in recent years.
“Think of that as a buffer zone, no man’s land if you will. Technically, it’s not their territory, but they consider anyone who steps on it a threat and monitor them until they leave. If they’re considered a threat, then they’re, uh, encouraged to leave earlier than they may have planned.”
“He doesn’t scent like an unfamiliar wolf,” I said quietly as I felt the air swirl around my nostrils. It was a new thing, this picking up on all the nuances and undertones in scents. Hell, picking up more than gasoline and oil was a big step for me. As we stood there, I couldn’t help but take another deep breath, cypress and bayberry filling my senses, with an overtone of slightly over brewed coffee.
I took a step forward without even realizing it, and it was only Roman’s hand on my arm that stopped me.
He gave me a questioning glance when I looked over at him. I pointedly moved my gaze to his hand and he released me, but the way his gaze shuttered and he turned away let me know that I’d hurt his feelings. I wanted to kick myself. I knew Roman was just trying to keep me safe, but I’d responded like an asshole. I knew I would have to apologize later, or at least explain myself.
I couldn’t help but look at the man pacing in front of the woods though. At first, I’d thought he was going somewhere, but now that we’d been still for a moment watching him, I could see that it was an anxious energy he was exuding. He was perfectly highlighted in the sunlight, so I knew he wasn’t trying to hide from anyone or trying to surprise anyone, since he wasn’t sticking to the shadows.
The early morning sun seemed to make his skin glow, the rich brown tones looking all the warmer for it. His canvas-like jacket and jeans looked much warmer than what I had on, and a small bit of jealousy rolled through me. He was just able to throw on whatever he wanted and come out here, where we’d had to huddle together to survive the cold temperatures of the night. None of us had showered, and I’d barely been able to brush my teeth with how little water we had at our disposal. I just wanted to go take a long, boiling hot shower and relax on a bed in my towel afterward for so long that I fell asleep.
I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts and realized that I’d been edging ever farther forward, like I was being drawn to him. Dread formed in my chest, sinking to my stomach and making me nauseous as I realized that I’d felt this way before.
Three times before, to be specific.
I groaned quietly as I tried to mentally examine what I was feeling and make sure before I told the guys, or worse, went and tried to talk to the man who was still pacing. If I hadn’t had that weird dream, then I might have been more unsure about my current situation, but somehow, maybe it was how real that dream had felt, I just knew that the feeling in my gut was real.
I turned to the three of them. “I’m going to go and talk to him.”
“What?” Micah asked, like he was sure he’d just heard me wrong.
“You can’t be serious!” Blake hissed.
Roman, on the other hand, just remained quiet and watchful.
“I am serious. You guys just wait here a moment. If he’s another mate, like I suspect he is, then he won’t hurt me. He won’t be able to.” I put all my metaphorical cards on the table and cringed as Micah and Blake just stared at me. Micah seemed to get over it the fastest, but then, he’d been around for me acquiring another mate before, while this was Blake’s first time. I wanted to say it would hopefully be their last, but if I really believed the dream I’d had, which sounded crazy even to me, then I had another mate to find after this one. What happened when I had all five, I wasn’t sure, but I was game to find out. It had to be better than being on the run, right?
“Go, create the bond,” Roman said, knowing full well that there was nothing on this green earth that could stop the bond from forming, that even if it didn’t form now, if they chased him off or something, we would find our way back to one another and the bond would form later.
I watched Roman for a moment and was wondering if he remembered the day he came into Clark’s Auto as vividly as I did. When we had a break, I’d have to ask him. I knew I remembered it as clearly as if it had only just happened—the feeling that had been pulling at me the whole time he was standing there, and how it took everything I had not to look him in the eye. Now I knew that was the mate bond, the same thing that was about to draw me from the tree line into the open.
“You can’t really know from here that that random guy is another mate, can you?” Blake asked.
“I’m as sure as I was with you, which is to say moderately so. That’s why you guys are my backup though, right?” I turned and grinned at Blake, who just looked exasperated.
The poor guy had been through a lot since we met, and I hated that more than I could express. He needed some reassurances, and I could understand that.
I moved until I was standing in front of him and breathed in his fiery, coppery scent. He was like home, just like Micah and Roman. I lifted my arms and laced my fingers behind his neck, going up on tiptoe just so I could be close to him as I said, “This won’t change anything between us. The fates have it in their minds to fuck with us, but all we can do is turn their games into something beautiful. They might have intended for me to flounder, for all of us to be at each other’s throats, or they might have known that we would find support and love within one another. You’re my mate, Blake, admittedly one of three, possibly four, b
ut that doesn’t change how I feel for you. The human heart, or the wolf heart for that matter, doesn’t have a max capacity for love. In my limited experience, the more love I put out, the more I get back. So I’m going to keep loving you with all my heart and hope that you love me just as much in return.”
Blake closed the distance between us, his gray-green eyes sparkling in the low light of the forest as his lips brushed against my own. I kissed him back with everything I had, trying to show him exactly what I meant.
“Can I get a kiss like that?” Micah teased as Blake and I pulled apart.
“You can, but later. I promise. I feel like a timer is about to go off, and if I don’t get to him before it does, then we’re all going to pay.” I was being honest, but I hadn’t intended to be quite such a downer. All the humor slipped from Micah’s face, and I watched as Roman’s expression became calculated. Whatever was going on, I was willing to bet that he was putting the pieces together just like I was trying to do.
I went and gave Micah and Roman a quick peck just so they weren’t left out, then I turned and strode out into no man’s land. Part of me waited for this to be some kind of trap, for the other shoe to drop, but nothing happened.
Finally, the man turned to start heading back in the direction he’d just come from, and he saw me. I saw his steps falter as we got closer to each other, and I knew with each step I took that I was right—he was my mate.
I had no idea who he was, which was why the idea of mates always scared me. I mean, what if I ended up mated to a serial killer or something? But now I had three amazing, definitely not serial killer mates, and I couldn’t be happier. Sure, our situation could be better, but I was beyond happy with them and thanked the fates every day for who they’d given me.
I just hoped this new guy fit in as well. I also hoped this feeling wasn’t wrong. If he wasn’t my mate, then I was going to be a sitting duck. Just being this exposed made me feel like there were eyes on me, even though I knew it was probably just my other mates. I hated it. It reminded me of when I’d been avoiding Jax in the city. Just leaving my apartment had made me terrified, even though I tried not to give in, tried not to let that fear govern my life.
The closer I got to the new man, the more I could see he was tall, muscular, but not overly so. The clothes under the baggy jacket were snug, showing off his flat stomach, and the jeans clung to powerful thighs. My mouth literally watered at the sight of him.
His dark, intense gaze was eating me up just as much as I was observing him, and when our eyes locked with each other’s, I felt the bond click into place.
Click is a very gentle way of describing it, since it felt more like a rush of emotion, like being caught in a tidal wave of lust, love, and anxiety, among other things. It was an intense assault on the mind and heart.
When it was done though, the bond was there, strong and true just like my others, though not quite unbreakable yet. From what I knew, it would stay that way until we consummated the bond.
Soon, we were close enough that we could talk without shouting, without raising our voices at all really, and I could see the wonder in his eyes as he said, “You’re my mate.”
“And you’re mine,” I replied. Knowing that we were mates was a lot to take in, but if I told him I had three other mates waiting in the trees, it might overwhelm him to the point of him shutting everything down.
“What now?” he asked, looking confused.
I wished I had a definite answer for him, but I didn’t. What happened next? Would he try and take me back to his pack? Or would he protect me like the others did?
8
Nina
“We need to get out of here,” my new mate said, sounding alarmed, as though he’d just remembered something. “They’re coming. If we stay here, we’re going to get caught.”
“You know who I am?” I asked, needing to be sure before I said the next part. After he nodded, I continued, “My other mates are in the trees back there. Which direction are your friends coming from?”
“The north most likely.” He nodded his head in the direction.
“Come with us,” I said, hoping like hell that I wouldn’t have another Blake situation on my hands. Just once, I wanted the mate bond to form as easily and drama free as it had with Roman, although I supposed he had hit me with a car, so the drama was still there, it was just different.
“I need to stay here. If I’m missing, they’ll know something happened. I already texted them to let them know I was waiting.”
“What’s your name?” I asked suddenly, needing to know at least that basic piece of information.
“Tate Roque.”
“Nina Matsen. Nice to meet you,” I said as I stuck my hand out.
He took it, and the charge that ran through me almost took me to my knees. From the way his eyes flared, I could tell that he felt it as well. My skin ached with the need to feel Tate touching me. A breath escaped my lips that sounded like a sigh, and a slow smile spread over his face, building into something stunning as his thumb ran in circles on the fleshy part of my hand between my forefinger and thumb. I’d never considered that an erogenous zone before, but he was quickly changing my mind. The flush of desire from the contact started in my core but seemed to spread through my entire body, radiating out through every limb all the way to my fingertips and toes.
The simple fact that Tate had yet to release my hand told me that he was struggling with the same need I was. The trouble was, if we gave in to it here and now, then we might not come up for air before his friends arrived.
“You’re so beautiful. They told me you were pretty, but that’s such an understatement.” His words pulled a grin from me, especially because he seemed unaware that he was saying them aloud.
“You’re not so bad yourself, handsome.” I winked at him and carefully extracted my hand, knowing that if we kept touching, we would lose the battle with our lust.
“Can’t you text them with an excuse and come with us?” I asked again. I knew I needed to leave if he wasn’t going to join us yet, but I couldn’t bring myself to step away from him. Everything in me seemed to be resisting, keeping my feet firmly planted in front of him.
He shook his head. “I’m not the kind of guy who would bail on a mission. If I leave, then they’ll track me because they’ll be worried about me.”
I sighed. Apparently, all my mates were dedicated people. Not that I was complaining really, but I just wanted us to be together without any stress. That was asking too much though.
“Go,” he said, nodding toward the tree line, in the exact direction of my other mates. I wondered if he could sense them now? We hadn’t exactly had a lot of time to sit down and figure out who could feel what and when.
I hesitated a moment more, my instincts telling me to do one thing and my mind telling me to do another.
“What the fuck is this?” a voice called out from behind me.
Tate’s eyes went wide with panic, and I knew it was too late for me to try and run, so I turned to face the oncoming storm. The men that were walking toward us scented of Jax’s pack, which was interesting since I barely got that from Tate at all. I wondered if it had to do with how frequently they were around him, or if it was more metaphysical and tied to how loyal they were to him. I didn’t need their scents to know that these men were loyal to Jaxt—the way they sneered at me told me everything I needed to know.
“How’d you catch the bitch? And without her little boy toys as well?” one of the men asked, the pitch of his voice grating on my nerves.
“Why are you looking at her like that?” another one demanded.
The third said, “She’s got you under her fucking spell. Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me that you don’t want to get your dick wet in our alpha’s bitch?”
“I’m no one’s bitch,” I snarled.
“Really? I thought you were letting anything with a cock between your legs. Maybe we should have a go first before we hand you over to Jax. We can just tell him th
at we caught you in bed with your mates.” The first one grabbed his crotch and humped his own hand as though that was going to get him anything.
“I’ll be your mate for a few minutes, bitch. Just spread those pretty legs of yours.” Idiot number three gestured like he was parting the Red Sea.
I’d hoped that for some reason, my mates wouldn’t be able to hear what was going on, that they wouldn’t freak out, but the snarling wolves that launched themselves from the trees and galloped toward us before launching themselves at Jax’s men told me they had. At first, I was concerned because there were only two of them, but then I realized that Blake had actually shown a little sense and stayed back. The last thing we needed was for him to tear the stitches we’d given him. By the time my mates got to them, my would-be attackers were ready though and hit them with full force, knocking them from the air so they thumped on the ground.
Tate had moved to stand in front of me, like he was going to protect me. I appreciated the gesture, but my guys needed just as much protection as I did. Okay, maybe a little less since they were in wolf form. No matter what happened, I knew Micah and Roman would do their best to protect me.
There were three guys though and only two of them. If Blake hadn’t been injured and had joined them, it might’ve been a fair fight, but as it was, we were evenly matched.
Guy number three was stalking toward me and Tate, while his buddies were tackling Micah and Roman, shifting as they did so for a wolf on wolf fight. I didn’t blame them. Fighting a wolf while being in your human form was frustrating and difficult in ways you didn’t expect. It was probably why guy number three stayed in human form as well, since neither Tate nor I had shifted. I was so thankful that they didn’t know I couldn’t shift. Small mercies and all that.
“You want to dip your wick, I’ll find you some willing bitches back on pack land, but this one is the spawn of Hel and is poison in your veins.”
“She’s my mate,” Tate snarled.
“That whore is no one’s mate. If I was Jax, I’d have had her put down long ago. She’s never caused anything but trouble.” Idiot number three was definitely bitter about something, I just had no idea what. It bothered me that he talked about me like he knew me though.
