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With my hands tucked inside the pockets of the leather jacket June loaned me, I stuck to the shadows and pockets of darkness as I walked to the meeting point. This all seemed like a tactical mission of some sort instead of a first date.
Then again, what did I expect?
“Karelis!” The whisper broke through my thoughts making me jump in place. I slapped my hand over my mouth in order not to scream. The next thing I heard was laughter. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t know you would scare so easily.”
They didn’t? Of course they didn’t. I had kept my previous life a secret. Sometimes, I held it so tight that it felt like a secret from myself. Something buried down deep, so far away that I could barely reach it. And then something like this happened and I stopped fooling myself. The Light Kingdom had scarred me in so many ways but no one else could see the wounds.
“Yeah. I’m a little jumpy,” I answered. “You know. Sneaking out like this.”
“Really?” Adan answered, stepping into the splice of moonlight. The gold specks in his eyes flared to life as he took me in. “You look beautiful, Karelis.”
He said my name, but I had a suspicion he wanted to call me something else.
Goddess, what I wouldn’t give to hear him call me mate. Mate and certainly mates, plural, wasn’t possible for me.
Remembering June’s words, a blossom of hope burned in my chest. What if the Light Kingdom and everything they drilled into me was wrong. What if there was a mate for me? What if I wasn’t so damaged after all?
“Thank you. You guys look great, too.” Both of them were dressed in jeans but while Adan wore a thick navy-blue sweater, Casimir had on a lighter-weight one with a brown leather jacket on top.
“We’ve really got to get going,” Cas mumbled, low enough for us to hear but no one else. He scanned the area around us as he held out his hand for me. “Let’s go. Blaze will be waiting.”
“Wait, what?” I asked but took his hand. We began a walk-sprint that made my calves burn a bit, reminding me of when I was on the run. Before I arrived at the Urban Academy and then here. “I’m so confused.”
We stopped at the edge of the clearing before taking a turn into the woods, a part of it that I’d never gone into. Adan went ahead a bit and reached through a tangle of bushes and turned his hand. There was a knob in there. I took note of the area in case I ever had to run for my life again.
“We all wanted to go out with you—take our girl on a date and since we have limited opportunities around here, we decided you wouldn’t mind sharing.” Cas’s deep, velvet voice bellowed inside my ear, sending a shot of lust to my core. “You don’t mind sharing us, do you, female?”
He placed a kiss right under my ear and growled a bit. I might’ve been a virgin, but I knew a possessive growl when I heard one.
“No,” I said, squaring off my shoulders as though self-confidence dwelled in me. I might have had a shred but not a lot. Still, these men made me feel as though I was a queen among thieves. “No, I don’t mind.”
Cas chuckled then took my hand as Adan pulled a door open. It creaked a bit from lack of use, or so I suspected. Inside was nothing but darkness, but Adan waved me in with a cheeky grin. “Come on, Karelis. We won’t let anything bite you.”
A thousand thoughts swirled through my head. This was wrong. We were going to get caught. I was going to get kicked out.
Then my wolves kicked in with their own plans.
Sol was eager for the affection and attention of “our mates” and so was Night. They were both pushing mating thoughts and commands at me so loudly it was hard to think clearly.
Cas still held my left hand, and Adan took my right while we walked through the dark tunnel. Thank goodness for shifter vision.
“Here we are,” they said in unison and then shared a chuckle. Both of their scents were overwhelming me so my own laughter came out after a longer-than-necessary pause.
“Where exactly are we?” I asked but quickly saw Blaze leaning against a car. “Oh.”
“Good evening, Karelis. Your chariot awaits,” Blaze said, and moved to open the passenger door. “You’re late, but so was I. I thought I was going to let you down, but it worked out in the end.”
“How in the hell did you guys pull this off?” I asked, sliding into the seat, trying and somewhat failing to maintain my modesty in this dress that June insisted on. It did look good on me, she was right, but it was more suited to a club than traipsing through tunnels.
“Details, Karelis. Minor details. We did what we had to in order to have a date. Besides, telling you would make you an accomplice.”
I put my hands up while Blaze came around the other side of the car. Cas and Adan climbed into the back. Once Blaze put the car in gear, the grip of my anxiety twisted in my stomach. “Where are we going?”
Adan put his hand on my shoulder and I swore my entire body flared to life. Goddess knew what would happen if he touched me somewhere else.
“We thought we would get you something to eat other than school food. Is that okay? You’re hungry, right?”
I scoffed. “I’m a shifter.” With two wolves. They didn’t get to know that part. Not now and maybe not ever. “I’m always hungry.”
