Mated to the Pride: A Military Shifter Reverse Harem Romance

by Jade Alters

  “We’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it,” said Blake. “If we all have to leave you alone, then no. We won’t go.”

  “But you-”

  “We exist,” Hale interrupted, “to take care of you and our family. That’s what we’re for now. Everything else is… peripheral.”

  “We’ll still need to pay bills,” I said, only half-teasing. “And won’t you get bored? My four big, strong men who fight extremism, forced to stay home with the kids.”

  “Forced?” said Stone, brows raised and mouth turned up in a wicked smile. “Are you kidding? It’s what I’ve always wanted.”

  “And me,” said Preston. “You have no idea how many times I’ve made mental bookmarks of things to share with my future children.”

  Hale shuffled back to lean against the couch, pointing at a nearby shelf. “That is a trophy from when I played soccer at high school, and you can bet your life I’m ready to become the most over-eager and competitive parent at my kid’s practice.”

  I turned to Blake, feeling the power of his silence. I needn’t have worried, though. His eyes were kind, and another rare smile had crept onto his face.

  “If I gave up my career, it wouldn’t be a day too soon,” he said. “I love the military, but I’ve given years of my life to it. I’d be happy coming off the front line to serve some other way. To stay at home. I could strategize, for one thing. I could train up recruits.”

  “God help those recruits,” teased Hale.

  I smiled, half entertained by their back-and-forth and half relieved. Evidently, every single one of the North men had thought about this before. It was reassuring to know that this had been a dream of theirs for a while — not something that was being thrust upon them by a roll of the dice and a random speight of fertility.

  Not for the first time, I felt strongly that it really didn’t matter who was the biological father of the child. All four of them would be strong and loving parents. All four of them were ready to take on the task. Whatever color we painted the nursery, and however long it took us to choose a name, this child was going to be one of the luckiest ever born. How many people could say they had two committed parents, let alone five?

  I stood from the couch, walking to look out of the window at the beautiful stretch of green land behind the house. I could imagine them all running out there as lions, our sweet cub trying their best to keep pace.

  Maybe a couple of our cubs. Only time would tell now.

  “Jessica?” Stone prompted, still standing by the couch. “Are you okay?”

  I smiled, leaning on the windowsill. I drew in a deep breath, absorbing the scent of home. Then I turned around, a warm and eager smile on my face.

  “Here, with the four of you? More than you could ever know.”

  Afterword

  A Final Note from Jade:

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  Also by Jade Alters

  Fated Shifter Mates :

  Mated to Team Shadow

  Mated to the Clan

  Mated to the Pack

  The Descendants :

  Shared by the Four

  Desired by Four

  Fate of Three

  In the Heat of the Pack :

  Protected by the Pack

  Claimed by the Pack