by Paige Taylor
I can feel my body being pulled towards the doors, reaching forward to open the doors, they are suddenly opened for me, the air leaving my lungs in a surprised gasp, my heart thumping hard in my chest. I drag my eyes up from the floor, and straight to the people standing on the other side of the door. Holy fuck knuckle. There, in front of me are two more drop-dead, gorgeous men. One looks similar to Marco, the other like a Norse God. My blatant perusal of the men in front of me distracts me momentarily from their own gaze, but once I meet their eyes, I know I’m definitely in trouble. Oh shit, neither of them look very happy to find me here. Before I can open my mouth to apologise, they both utter a single word.
“Mate.”
Oh fuck.
Chapter Four
Oh fuck, is on repeat in my brain like a broken record. Right in front of me are two of my mates, the third is standing right up against my back, possessively breathing down my neck. How in the hell did I end up with three, goddamn mates, two of which are related? And all in one day! Well, this just got a whole lot more complicated. It’s not that multiple mates are frowned upon or anything, just that it’s rare, and usually not Alphas sharing one female. Cause damn, I could feel the Alpha coming off all three testosterone- filled men right now. I take a second to really look over the men in front of me, the one I’m assuming is Marco’s cousin has eyes that are so dark they almost look black, that just seem to fit perfectly with his Mediterranean skin, that beautiful, olive complexion that covers his six-foot-two frame. My hands twitch with anticipation, wanting to run my fingers through his dark-chocolate hair, that’s short on the sides and slightly longer on the top and has been angled to the front in a soft wave. My eyes shift to the blond, Norse God who’s looking just as stunned as I probably am. My eyes trail down his body from head to toe, sweeping past the straight, golden-blond hair that is swept back stylishly just above his ears, his milky complexion, and crystal-blue eyes that look like they are piercing into my soul with every second I stand here staring. His right eyebrow has a scar running through it, dragging it towards the corner of his skull. A tall frame, packed with muscles, is stuffed into tight, dark-blue jeans, and plain white Henley shirt. Jesus, he could be a linebacker with his size. I realise I’ve just spent the last few minutes in dead silence, just checking out the two men in front of me, my mates. Shit, I really should have gotten that drink before. It’s with that thought that I turn around and walk back to the room with the fully-stocked bar. Not really caring if they follow, and without asking for permission, I walk behind the bar and grab the first bottle of amber liquid I can find. I slam it on the bench, grab four glasses from underneath the counter, line them up and fill up each glass with a generous amount. I look up to see all three men watching silently with frowns marring their handsome faces. I nod at the glasses as way of invitation to sit their ass down.
Before their asses can even touch the chair, I raise my glass in toast, and gulp down the alcohol. Yum, it’s scotch, smooth scotch, my favourite.
“So, this is somewhat of a clusterfuck. But, I’m Ava Pearce, nice to meet you both,” I say to the newcomers with a huff of a laugh as I refill my glass.
“I’m Dylan Andrews, Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, it’s nice to meet you Ava. I must say the circumstances are somewhat of a surprise. What are you doing here with my cousin?” the hot brunette answers in a voice so deep and smooth that it sends shivers down my spine.
“I’m Wade Chamberlain, Alpha of the Grey Timbers Pack. I have to agree, what are you doing here, Ava?” the blond linebacker asks, staring at me intently with a slight head tilt.
“Well, Mac is my mate, too,” I say simply and see their heads snap towards Marco.
“And, as for what I’m doing here, well that’s easy, we were coming to check with the Alpha that it was okay for me to be on Pack property,” I quickly add before anyone else can chime in.
Abruptly, Dylan stands and walks towards the front door, I lean over the bar to watch where he is going but get side tracked by the hottest ass I’ve ever seen on a man clad in jeans, watching each cheek rise and fall with every step. Seriously, how is it legal for guys to have an ass that tight and hot! My focus on his ass is interrupted by the slamming and locking of the heavy, front door. Dylan disappears around the corner, but I hear his heavy footsteps walk around the house before more doors slam, and locks engage.
“So, now that we have privacy, can someone explain to me the whole story? I’d like to understand how our mate ended up here?” Dylan’s voice says into the silence as his tall frame walks into the room
“Marco, do you wanna take this one?” I ask and busy myself pouring another round for everyone. I have a feeling we are all going to need it.
I lean back against the counter on the bar, and push myself up until I’m firmly seated on the cold wood, swinging my legs idly while waiting for Marco to start.
“As you know, Dyl, I was filling in for Stephan at the fights tonight. Well, imagine my surprise when I finished fixing up one of the female, wolf shifters, walked over to get a drink, and I felt a tap on the shoulder right before Ava, here, announces we’re mates,” he says with a pointed head nod in my direction before continuing.
“I had every intention of getting out of that death trap as soon as I got my shit together, except Ava had something more pressing to do than talk to her newly-found mate. She had the next fight card. Because, apparently, gentlemen, our lovely-looking mate is the current, female champion of the underground.” At that sentence, Wade and Dylan’s bodies tense up, they start to rise in their chairs, and I can most certainly feel the lecture coming on. Well, I’d rather postpone that shit if I can.
“Gentlemen, let’s just wait till Mac finishes his story, then you can scold me about life choices that have nothing to do with you,” I say with just a bit too much sarcasm in my tone. However, it seems to calm them down enough to let the story continue.
“Fine. But, Ava, we will be talking about this later,” Wade speaks up, my god, that man’s voice has some seriously sexy, whiskey undertones.
“Ava wouldn’t leave without finishing her fight, so I had to watch her get in that stupid cage and fight a lion shifter. Thankfully, it seems she can hold her own. Once we finished, I invited her back here so that we would have a private place to go over things, but bringing a lone wolf onto pack territory is just asking for trouble. So, here we are. To say I was not expecting to share my mate with the only other Alphas in a two hundred square mile radius is an understatement,” he says before taking a big gulp out of his glass.
All three men sit in silence, staring at their glasses, stewing over the information Marco has given them. I look around the room taking in the photos that are lining the walls surrounding the loungeroom. The framed photos range from professional photographer shots to selfies. The love and happiness radiating off the wall is practically tangible, the sense of family within this pack is beyond obvious.
“So, how is this going to work? With the three of you I mean? Do you even want a mate?” I ask trying to fill the silent gap with some of the never-ending questions running through my head. All of their eyes regain clarity, and they pull themselves back to the situation at hand when my voice breaks through their concentration.
“To answer your questions, Ava, I have no fucking idea,” Dylan answers, his tone softening to a near whisper. A sinking feeling of sadness washes over me at his statement.
“Yeah, I mean, I never thought I would ever find my mate, let alone be one of the few people that has multiple mates. It was always such an abstract thought for me. Over the last year or so my dominance has grown so much that most men couldn’t handle it even for short-term relationships. I just accepted that I was probably never going to have a family.” The sadness and loneliness tears at my heart, day by day, taking a little more of my sanity, drawing me further into myself to the point where I don’t know what it feels like to take comfort in other wolves. It’s always been easier to be alone because the fear of losing so
meone’s presence in my life overshadows every other thought.
“It never even occurred to me that I might have more than one mate, and for me to have not just one but three alpha men. . . Someone could strip me naked, wrap me in tinsel, and make me a Christmas ornament, and I would have been less surprised than I am right now. So, if you guys want to have a genuine go at this whole mate thing, then yeah, I’m in,” I say honestly. I feel the tension drop from my shoulders as soon as the words are out of my mouth. Tilting my head, I focus on the music coming from outside, letting my body pulse to the beat waiting for the three, dangerously sexy men in front of me make their decisions.
“I’m in; we’re all a bit stunned by the turn of events, but I’m not going to pass up the chance to have a family. I’m not going to give up my mate. If I have to share her with my best friends, then that’s what I’ll do,” Wade replies before anyone else. I’m surprised the blond Adonis was the first to respond, he’s been the most reserved so far. Then, his actual words pierce my mushed brain.
“Wait, did you say your best friends? You guys are best friends? But, you’re all Alphas how do your wolves not attack each other?” I ask, feeling a slight wave of panic rush through me from head to toe. If this goes to shit, not only could I potentially cause a problem between cousins, but also best friends! Fuck. Okay, Ava, get yourself together, mates are literally pre-destined parts of your soul reuniting. There is a very slim chance of this going down the toilet.
“We play poker, and Xbox, and we try to limit our time in each other’s land, meet on more neutral grounds. The little competitions seem to keep the wolves in us appeased without starting all out brawls, although, that does tend to happen on occasion,” Marco says simply, like it’s no big deal all these Alphas hang out together regularly like it’s fucking TGIF. Then again, it says a lot about their personalities that they have overcome some of their baser instincts to maintain their friendships.
“Well, now that that’s cleared up, Dylan and Marco, what are your thoughts on sharing little ol’ me. . . You know, the other half of your soul?” I ask with a hint of sarcasm. My emotions lock down, not wanting to let the hope that’s building within me free before they have had a chance to say how they feel.
“I’ve been committed to seeing this through with you since the minute I saw you in that sports bra and boy shorts, Ava, I’m not going anywhere,” Marco replies gently. Out of the corner of my eye I can see the stink eye the other guys give Marco at his comment on my clothing, his grin moving the corners of his lips up until I’m hit with a panty-melting smile.
“Fuck it. I’m willing to give this a try, too. We just need to figure out how we split the week between the three of us, to give you a chance to get to know us, and our packs. At the moment, I’m thinking tonight you spend the night and tomorrow day with Marco, like you had originally planned. Tomorrow night and the morning after you stay with me, because you’re already here, and the night after, you’re with Wade. From there, we can just continue rotating until we can figure out how we all fit,” he finishes like it’s a done plan, with no room to argue. I must admit it’s a solid plan, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to make a comment, I don’t like not having options.
“So, Dylan, you’re the planner of the group, huh?” I question casually. My eyes rolling when I hear a very hard and fast laugh from Wade.
“Ha! She got you in one, man!” he says while trying to contain the boisterous laugh escaping his throat.
“Oh, you can’t talk, Mr. Intense and broody,” I quip back to Wade, trying to stop the smile I know is breaking out across my face as his laugh dies down, his eyes still holding the humour he was feeling moments ago.
“Well, it seems our Little Ava has us pinned, already,” I know Dylan doesn’t know what those words do to me, but I can’t help the tremor of fear that makes my hands shake and my whole body tense in preparation to protect myself.
“Uh, about that, I’m asking nicely, but please never call me that again. That nickname just doesn’t sit well with me, okay?” I ask trying to keep the tremor out of my voice. I can’t give it away, I’ve kept this secret for ten months, now. I will not risk my Mate’s lives.
“Yeah sure, sweetheart, we won’t call you that,” Marco says, but before he can ask the question I know is on the tip of each man’s tongue, I try to direct the conversation away.
“So, what do we do now?” I ask, forcing my body to loosen and relax, attempting to even out my breathing.
“Well now, Babe, we address the fact that you fight in those underground fights. What the fuck’s up with that?” Wade asks with just a little bit of bite in that sexy tone of his. Well, I guess it’s better I get this over with now.
“What you and Dylan don’t know is that I work at a dojo, I’ve been a black belt in Karate and Jiu Jitsu for about three years now. Due to the nature of being a lone, female wolf you unfortunately get into some sticky situations that require you to use those skills outside of a gym.” I give them each a pointed look so that they understand the situation isn’t just something I can walk away from.
“At some point, I realised I rather enjoyed the fights I was getting in. Eventually, I ended up in the lovely state of Montana, and some of the sleazier people I’ve met along the way introduced me to the Pit. I started out like everyone else does, fighting to the top. Fortunately for me, the two black belts helped me significantly more than most people. I don’t even need to shift for most fights now, and I still win with minimal injuries to myself. That is how I ended up in the Pit,” I say proudly. My Wolf and I have come a very long way in three years, hell, in the last ten months in particular. I will not be ashamed of my accomplishments in those fights. No matter how much they don’t like it.
The silence stretches on for all of three seconds before the room explodes with the raised voices of all three men, the sounds intermingling in one, loud, deep symphony. Well, there goes my chance at understanding their concerns. I just continue sitting there, watching and tuning out the sound like I do in the fights. Watching all three of my Mates yell about my involvement in underground fights is quite funny, their faces all contorting with different emotions. They really are very attractive, even when they are pulling faces. Between Wade’s blond Adonis looks with the linebacker rig, and Dylan and Marco’s lean, but muscular, frames and Mediterranean features, I’ve really hit the jackpot of hot men. Damn, I cannot wait to see what’s underneath all those clothes.
“Now that you’ve all gotten that off your chest, would you like to calmly tell me how you feel?” I ask when the yelling stops, but the friction could be felt a mile away. Marco seems to be the peace keeper between them all, and his words only confirm that suspicion.
“It’s just that all three of us have had bad experiences with the Pit, and to know that our mate has been there for months, fighting in that shit hole while we were only a thirty-minute drive away, is making both my Wolf and myself very angry. No-one wants their mate to be in a fight, we’re biologically programmed to want to protect them, and you not only fight in the Pit, but are at the top of the Pit, it is a whole new level of anger-and-concern inducing news. I think I speak for everyone when I say we don’t want to see you in the Pit ever again,” Marco says as if he is trying to break some very stressful news to me. I throw my head back and start laughing, which just causes all of them to rear back in surprise. I continue to laugh, my whole body shaking with the intensity of the laugh, fluid leaking from my eyes.
“You think I didn’t expect you guys to try and convince me not to fight? Oh, I knew you would, but unfortunately, guys, I will not give up fighting. Period. That’s where I de-stress, where the whole world drops away. Plus, I have the championship in a months’ time. I will be competing. However, I know both sides of each of you seem to be against this idea, and I’m not a complete bitch. I don’t want to continuously put you through all that stress for the rest of our lives, so I’ll make you a deal. A deal I am comfortable making. I won’t go back t
o the Pit after the championship, if you three agree to fight with me on a regular basis or at least help set up some proper fights for me. Also, I will continue my work at the dojo. You all look to be in good shape, and I doubt your fighting skills are sub-par. See its’s a win-win,” I finish bluntly to the men who are currently staring at me with stunned expressions
“Fuck! I didn’t expect her to have this planned already! I can’t say no to her, I mean look at that face! It’s like a goddamn cherub, sitting there swinging her legs like she didn’t just put our world on its head,” Dylan complains before slumping in his chair and taking a long pull of his drink.
All of the men look at each other, nod once, and then turn to me.
“You have a deal, Babe,” Dylan states, holding his hand out for me to shake to seal the deal. Except the smooth talker turns my hand over as soon as I place it in his and brings my knuckles to his lips, brushing his lips over them, before releasing and stepping away.
Wade grabs my hand across the wooden bar counter before I can take it back to my side. He moves my palm up to the side of his face, and kisses my wrist with a whisper of his lips. I stand there a bit stunned, my entire hand tingling with the first touches of my two new mates. In that brief moment, I take a second to check that space inside my soul that was once connected to my pack, and instead of the glowing purple ball, there are three silver stars just starting to form. I snap back to reality where all three of those star-inducing men are staring at me, their gazes so intense that a blush starts to spread across my face.
“Well, now that that’s sorted, anyone want to go for a run? A Wolf run?” I ask in an attempt to just get everyone out of the room and away from the heavy thinking. Plus, it’s just an added bonus that I get to see their wolves, and just maybe what their naked bodies look like under the moonlight.