AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Syler turned and smirked, the mischievous light in his eyes warming me from the inside and settling some of the nervous butterflies that had been flapping around in my stomach.
Motioning quicker than I could comprehend, he signed to me, answering my question.
Jolon helpfully supplied a translation, and once again, I moved learning sign language to the top of my to-do list. I wanted to be able to communicate with Syler without needing a middleman, though I was appreciative of Jolon stepping in to bridge the communication gap in the meantime.
“He definitely likes it, but he, like me, thinks it might ruffle too many feathers tonight.”
I pouted, but it was fake and left my lips quickly.
Sighing, I dropped my arms before flinging them out at my sides. “The truth is, I don’t want any more mates.”
Jolon crossed to me. “Trust me, baby, we think our pack is big enough too. But as mates that you added to your original group, it’s not very fair of me to be selfish. If you have other mates out there, we need to know.” He took my hands in his, kissing the back of my knuckles reverently. “It’s important that you have all your anchors. It will give us peace of mind.”
I pulled away and spun on my heel before my crestfallen expression gave me away. I’d hoped out of all my mates that Jolon would find a way to get me out of this. “Deep down I know you’re right,” I murmured under my breath. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
I strode to the closet and yanked it open, trying to find a replacement for the inappropriate hoodie. I could practically feel Jolon and Syler sharing a grin behind my back.
My fingers floated over the shirts hanging in a row until they grasped one in the middle and tugged it free from the hanger. It was gray and black lumberjack plaid with dark gray patches on the elbows. One sniff told me it belonged to Axel, though since this was technically his room, it only made sense. While the shirt was loose on my arms, it was soft on my skin, and I liked that I’d have one of my mates’ scents nearby when I was between sniffing men. Like coffee beans in a perfume shop, a cleansing fragrance to clear my nose.
Knotting the shirt under my breasts, I turned and let Jolon and Syler assess my look.
Syler nodded, his green eyes full of approval as he tucked his thumbs into the pockets of his dark wash jeans. The green t-shirt he wore outlined each defined muscle in his chest and deepened the green color in his hazel gaze. It was unfair to the other men I’d be forced to converse with this evening. Syler looked like sweet sin, and I was sure I’d be ogling him all night. Just one more consolation in a night I wasn’t looking forward to.
“You look incredible in everything you wear, and this is no exception.” Jolon smirked, stepping closer and pulling me into the hug I didn’t even realize I needed.
Muscles relaxing, I melted into him.
“You’re going to make it through this. I promise,” he murmured into my hair. I stayed in his arms until he sighed and pulled away. Intertwining our fingers together, he led me from the room, and we descended the stairs to meet up with the others.
“Beautiful as always.” Chayton beamed, holding out a cup of tea for me when I reached the kitchen.
“I’m not really in the mood for food, or drinks for that matter. Unless it’s alcoholic. A little booze might help get me through this.” It was a joke, but it held a sliver of truth.
“I could feel your nerves through our connection,” Chayton admitted, a sheepish smile pulling at his mouth. “I thought you might like some ginger tea. It’s known to settle stomachs. Thought it might help.”
I blew over the top and took a tentative sip, then took a bigger one before smiling at Chayton over the rim.
“You’re always so sweet. Thank you for thinking about me.”
“Like he thinks of anything else,” Kota teased, and it was good to see him join in our banter.
Axel snorted. “Like any of us think of anything else. That includes you, brother.”
“Sheisour mate.” Dason shook his head as he walked down the hall, coming from his bedroom, his voice, as much as his statement, shocking the hell out of me. “It’s only natural that she’s on all our minds.”
I blinked and then blinked again. Had he really just said I’d been on his mind? Dason couldn’t have surprised me more if he’d come out of his room wearing a clown suit with a giant red nose.
His fingers flew over the buttons on his shirt, fastening each one and covering up the glimpse of tan skin I caught below the crisp fabric. My fingers tightened on my mug as I watched, my mind spinning, my mouth speechless. The jacket he shrugged on looked like something out of a Ralph Lauren ad, stylish and modern. He looked good. Damn good.
You better wipe up your drool, I scolded myself, dipping my head and chugging more tea to distract the others from my perusal of the alpha, but somehow I knew they’d all caught me swooning over how handsome Dason was tonight.
Each one of them looked delicious in jeans and t-shirts of varying shades.
I set down my empty mug, realizing not even ginger tea could help settle me completely as I followed the guys to the door. Axel pulled me in for a quick, steadying kiss before grabbing his leather jacket and slipping out the door. I rarely saw him leave the house without it. At this point, it was almost a permanent part of his signature scent, a little leather at the tail end of all that forest and moss.
Outside, the cool night air soothed some of the tension rising within me until the screen door banged shut behind me with a finality I didn’t like, ratcheting up my anxiety.
Dason offered me his hand after jogging down the steps, and I took it, reveling in the rare contact.
