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I filter through all the information about shifters I learned from Serenity. I knew a little before she mated to a vampire, more than she did at the time. Her mate, Ryker, changed her and has been educating her on the world of the supernatural. Shifters were fast, healed themselves, and were very difficult to kill. They shed their human bodies whenever they wanted and turned into animals. When they meet their mate, they become possessive and determined. From what I learned, they won’t give up easily. They value the bond of mates and do not question the universe’s choice.
A typical woman would probably roll over and submit when faced with Kerian and River, intent on spending forever with her. I am not a usual woman. I swore to myself I would never marry. Spending time with a man is one thing; spending forever with him leads to assumptions. They would assume I grew up like most little girls, dreaming of a wedding and happily ever after, babies and forever.
My brother ruined my forever.
A knock on the door pulls me out of my slumped position. I bet it was Harmony, ready to convince me of her brother's attributes. Or maybe Serenity. News travels fast within this group.
I swing open the door, and my smile turns into a frown. Kerian stands on the porch, my car keys dangling from his fingers. He changed his grease-stained jeans into clean ones but no less worn.
“River just left,” I offer as a greeting.
“I know, I passed him. I brought you your car.” He jingles the keys at me.
“Thanks, I can write you a check, but depending on the total cost, the date you can cash it may be a few days away,” I say. I hold my hand out for the keys. He watches me thoughtfully and then drops them on my palm.
“No charge for the car,” he says seriously.
“I always pay my way. You have to give me a number.”
“How about you pay me back by going on a date with River and me?” he asks.
“A date?”
“Yeah, dinner, drinking, maybe some dancing,” he says sarcastically.
“I know what it means, asshole. I’m just surprised you want to date me. Is that the normal procedure for bonding with a mate?” I asked with narrowed eyes. Since I have avoided the world of the supernatural recently, and never wanted to be tied to a wolf, I foolishly imagined mates met, automatically fell deeply in love, and lived happily ever after—-nothing in between. I should know better since I witnessed Serenity falling in love with Ryker and all the shit they had to go through to be happy, but I thought surely that was a fluke.
“I have no idea,” he shakes his head, “but you seem to need it.”
“You know what I need?” I say in disbelief.
“Maybe,” he whispers. He steps close. “If we did it my way, I would have had you on all fours in my office, offering me your neck while I fuck you.”
His eyes turn dark as he lifts his hand and runs his finger across my chest, following the edge of my tank.
“My neck?” I say weakly. I lean into his touch without my brain's permission.
“My wolf wants to mark you just as much as I do. When we catch the scent of our mate, our mind is consumed by them. Nature demands we take them. The minute we meet, the bond starts to grow. We need each other. If you need us to act like we are human until you are comfortable, that’s what we will do.” He strokes my skin again before dropping his hand.
“We’ll get back to the neck thing later,” I mumble. “I don’t need you to act anyway. Does River want to go on a date, too?”
“Yes,” he answers quickly.
“How do you know?” I ask suspiciously.
“We are a package deal now. I bet he will do whatever he needs to to get close to you.”
“So, I should go on a date with two wolves to pay you back for my car?”
“No, you should agree because we are your mates and want to get to know you.” He steps close, the heat of his body reaching out to me. “We don’t always have to be all together. Sometimes I will take you out, spend time with you on my own. There will be other times River will want to have you all to himself. You have all the power. We hope to have separate meaningful relationships with you, as well as the three of us being a team. Ultimately, everything is your choice.”
“What if I only want one of you?” I ask, but I already can’t imagine picking one.
He clenches his jaw. “That would be difficult.” He looks to the side. “The other would have to let you go. I would rather you be happy than be forced to be with us.” He brings his eyes back to me. “Honestly, I believe the three of us are meant to be together. The bond inside my soul reassures me that this is right—you are ours.”
“What if you don’t like what you learn? Will you be able to break the mate bond?” I ask seriously, having to tip my head back. I doubt they would still want me.
“The bond cannot be broken. We have plenty of skeletons in our closet. You have nothing to worry about. You were made for us.” He circles my wrist with his fingers, resting it there. “What do you have to lose? Why don’t you take a chance?”
