Page 55 of Claimed

He sighs, reaching out to gently grasp my chin and tilt my face up to him as he lowers his face to mine and kisses me. It’s brief, but it still sends butterflies chirping in my chest.

When he pulls back, I stare up at him, speechless, until he grasps me under my arms and lifts me off my feet. A squeak of surprise escapes me as he carries me into the room and sets me down in front of an amused Erica.

I place my hand on the window ledge for support, and he nods before moving back to lean against the doorway.

“One second, let me cast the spell for the silence bubble.” I watch in fascination as Erica holds her hands in front of her and starts to whisper a few words. Then she raises her hands over her head in a large arch, dropping them at her sides.

Then she gives me a big, friendly smile. “Much better. Now we can talk without them overhearing.” She gestures her thumb toward the door where Maddox and Zack are watching us.

“They can’t hear us?” I ask in surprise.

“Nope,” she says with a grin before leaning against the window frame. “Now, the first thing I have to ask you is, are you okay? Maddox or the others haven’t hurt you or aren’t holding you against your will or anything, are they?” she asks, sounding much more serious.

“What?” I gasp in shock. “No! Of course not! They’re my mates!”

She smiles again as if that was the answer she had hoped for. “So all five of them are your fated mates? I mean, you guys said as much last time, but I wasn’t sure.”

I open my mouth to respond then realize that maybe we weren’t supposed to tell anyone. My eyes flick to Maddox, but she rushes to reassure me, “Cherry, it’s okay. I have three mates, myself.”

I lick my lips, feeling a little nervous as I whisper, “Are you an omega?”

“Oh, thank the goddess, you found the book!” she says, looking relieved.

“In the library,” I confirm.

“Does what you read fit?” she asks, serious again. “Are you an omega?”

Admitting it makes me feel anxious, but I don’t feel any malice coming from Erica. I think she genuinely cares. And if she’s one, too, then she’s someone I want in my corner.

I nod my head. “I think so, yes.”

“Me, too,” she admits before glancing at her mate watching us. “As far as I know, you can’t have multiple mates without being an omega. Luckily, most people don’t seem to know that. The information might be sitting there in the library for anyone to read, but it doesn’t mean people are seeking a truth they don’t know they need.”

“Does it ever bother you?” I ask. “That we’re designed to be weaker and reliant on alphas?” It’s something that’s been nagging at me since Gage read that passage in the book. Not because I hate the label, but because it’s how I feel, and I’m strangely okay with it.

I want my mates to take care of me. I like knowing they’ll protect me.

“Look, that information was written a long time ago, in a time when women didn’t have jobs and were expected to sit at home and raise kids. And just because we need the protection of our alphas doesn’t mean we can’t be strong in our own right.”

“What do you mean?” I ask curiously.

“Well, take me for example. I’m better at casting certain kinds of spells than my mates, even if I couldn’t fight to save my life. And they are stronger for having me.”

“Stronger?” I ask, furrowing my eyebrows.

“Yeah, your mates must have felt it, right? The strength the bond brings?” I shake my head in confusion. Her eyes move to my neck, then her brow pinches. “Don’t wolves secure the mate bond with a bite?”

My hand flies to my neck, hot shame burning through me. It’s not like I haven’t told my mates my stance on completing the bond; it’s something I want more than anything. But apparently, they aren’t ready for it yet.

Remembering the way Maddox ignored the whole ‘love’ comment earlier, and his reluctance to bond, a knot of worry grows in my chest. I glance at him quickly before I ask her, “Is it possible for alphas to care for an omega without wanting to actually mate with her?”

Her frown only increases as she tries to understand my question. “Are you saying you haven’t completed the bond with any of your mates?” she asks in confusion. I shake my head. “Did you just meet or something? What’s wrong with them?”

“It’s a little complicated,” I tell her, not wanting her to think badly of them. “I’ve been stuck in my wolf form until, like, a few days ago.”

Her eyebrows disappear behind her bands as she swears. “No shit!”

“Yes, shit,” I say, nodding my head, and for some reason, that has her laughing loudly.