Page 19

Rachel

D errick and I stand in awkward silence for a minute after Liam storms out. My heart pounds in my ears, the slamming of the door echoing in my chest. I don’t realize I’m holding my breath until Bas’s door opens.

“Did I hear the door slam? What’s going on?” Bas asks as Lucas joins us, towel still slung over his shoulder.

“Where’s Liam?” Lucas asks, frowning “Was that him, slamming things? If he’s being an ass again I swear I’ll kill him.”

“Well, Emerald here got her last mate and then he ran.” D supplies causing me to hang my head.

“I thought that was my job,” I say with a self-deprecating chuckle. “I think I messed up big time, guys. I didn’t mean to force him into something he wasn’t ready for.”

The words taste bitter on my tongue and my chest burns as I remember the look of fear and dread on Liam’s face. Bas makes his way over to me and wraps me in a hug.

“He’ll be okay, Firefly. Just give him time to come around.”

My system calms a bit when I’m in his arms, I feel like I can breathe again after whatever that was. Pulling back, I run my eyes over him. He’s wearing grey sweats and a fitted white T-shirt with his hair still damp and damn does he look good.

I look around, appreciating my guys, and it only takes me a moment to realize I’ve missed some sort of grey sweatpants memo. Lucas and D are dressed almost identically to Bas and I have to swipe at my mouth to make sure I’m not drooling.

“Did you guys plan this?” I ask, gesturing to their outfits.

“Plan what, Moonbeam?” Lucas asks with a smirk, tossing his wet towel through his doorway to land in a heap on the floor of his room before he stalks closer to me.

“You did, didn’t you?” I gasp in mock outrage.

“Not sure what you mean. I just threw something on. I can take it off if that’d make you more comfortable,” Lucas offers, pulling his shirt up.

I have no doubt he would completely strip right now if I let him, so I hastily grab his arm, halting his movements. I’m hot enough with them all fully dressed. I don’t want to think about how turned on I’d be if they took it off!

“That’s ok! You can keep it on,” I all but shout as his warm laugh lights up his eyes.

“You sure, Firefly? I don’t mind walking around shirtless if it gets your eyes on me,” Bas chimes in unhelpfully.

“Hey! It’s my birthday! If she should be ogling anyone, it’s me ,” Lucas grumbles.

“She’s got your number on her back. I think you’ll live if she checks out her other mates.” Derrick rolls his eyes.

“So! What are we doing? Another movie?” I cut in.

It’s a heady feeling having these three men fight over me. Part of me is still terrified that they’ll decide they don’t want to share a mate and I’ll ruin their friendship and lose my mates in the process. But a small voice in my head, one that’s been getting louder with every interaction I have with them, tells me it won’t come to that. They were a pack before I came into the picture and besides Liam, they all seem happy to share a mate.

“Yes. And since it’s my birthday, I get to pick this time,” Lucas says, drawing me out of my thoughts.

“Oh, no,” I groan. “Is this when you get your revenge for me making you watch Shifter Season? ”

“You got him to watch Shifter Season ? I’ve been trying to get him to watch that with me for forever,” Bas huffs.

“Yeah, well, unlike you, her I can’t say no to,” Lucas shrugs, making me smile. “Come on, Moonbeam. You’re sitting with me.”

He reaches his hand out and I take it, stepping out of Bas’s arms and following Lucas to the couch. He sits in the corner and pulls me down beside him damn near in his lap. I’m not complaining though. I love when he touches me. I feel safe and protected when I’m in his arms. When I’m in any of their arms really.

Bas sits on my other side and I’m reminded of our first date. Except this time, instead of sitting behind me, Derrick is in the chair facing the door with his back to the kitchen. He catches me looking at him and winks at me. I snap my head towards the TV, quickly averting my gaze. I can’t miss his chuckle and my face flames hotter.

“I’ll get snacks,” he offers as Lucas fiddles with the remote looking for the movie he wants.

He comes back with a tray of assorted foods. There’s everything from chocolate covered almonds to cheese and cracker Combos and gummy worms. It’s like he somehow knew all of my favorite snacks. He even has cherry cola.

“Is this okay, Emerald? I’ll run to the store and get you something else if you prefer.”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Derrick look so uncertain. It’s kinda cute for the big tough guy to care so much about my liking the snacks he picked out.

“This is perfect. Thank you, Derrick,” I’m quick to assure him.

He sighs, setting the tray down on the table before retaking his seat just as Lucas hits play on the movie and the opening credits begin. Comic-book images flash across the screen and I internally groan.

Great. A superhero movie. He is getting even for the whole Shifter Season thing.

“This is my favorite movie,” Lucas announces as he sets the remote down. “My dad was always a huge comic book nerd. He’d read them to me and Liam as bedtime stories. I was only three when I saw my first superhero movie but this is the one that really started my love for superheroes.”

He’s so animated and all smiles as he tells me about the importance of this movie that I can’t even be mad that I’m stuck watching a superhero movie. His enthusiasm is contagious and I find myself actually looking forward to watching it. I still have no idea exactly which superhero this one is about until they show the red, white, and blue shield covered in frost.

When I look at Lucas his eyes are bright and he’s practically bouncing in his seat beside me.

“I love a good origin story and if you ask me, his is the best. He was just a poor skinny kid from the Bronx and he turned into the most loved hero in the world.”

His words hit me harder than I expect. Maybe, because they remind me of someone else, a girl who grew up being told she was nothing, only to discover she’s so much more. Smiling up at him, I snuggle into his side and settle in to watch the movie. As the movie starts, I can’t help but replay the interaction with Liam in my head over and over. I got so comfortable around my mates I completely forgot to put my gloves on before I left my room. Since I couldn’t go to the game, I wanted to show Lucas I was still supporting him from afar. I’ve become complacent over the last few days. Now that I know who my mates are, and had already mated most of them, I’ve been slowly changing my style, ditching the gloves while in my dorm was the first step. Tonight I went a step further, wearing a short sleeve jersey and jeans leaving my arms exposed for the first time ever. But I was so excited to see my birthday boy, I ran out of the dorm without changing. I don’t know how I could have been so stupid. And now I forced the bond on the one mate that doesn’t want me.

I know I shouldn’t be upset that he doesn’t want me. I never wanted any of my mates. But now that I have them, it feels like I would die without any of them. I’ve read stories about the unbearable pain of a shifter rejecting their mate. I always thought I would be strong enough to do it. Logically, that was the only thing I could do to prevent my father from doing worse if he ever found out I bonded with any of my mates. Now, the thought makes me want to puke. It’s like there’s an ice pick in my chest and it digs deeper and deeper with every second.

Lucas plays with my hair, drawing me from my thoughts of his brother. I tip my head back and meet his eyes. I gasp silently, not expecting the hunger I see in them. His hand in my hair moves up my neck as I stare into his crystal eyes until he cups the back of my head with his large palm. His eyes flick to my lips and my tongue slips out without thought. His eyes flare a second before he closes the gap between us and seals his lips to mine.

The world melts away as I lose myself in his kiss. The movie, my worries about his brother, everything ceases to exist as he consumes me. We’ve kissed before. But none of my previous kisses are anything like this. This is raw passion. I can feel his desire for me in every stroke of his tongue. In his tightening hold on my hair as he devours me. In the pounding of his heart that thumps to the rhythm of our shared yearning. This kiss is everything I want and am too afraid to take.

Like a terrified mouse running from a cat, I jerk away from the all consuming kiss. My heart threatens to burst from my chest as I attempt to catch my breath. I stare at Lucas wide-eyed before snapping my head back and forth feeling eyes on me. Of course, Derrick and Bas are both watching us.

What they must think of me.

“You’re nothing but a stupid slut with all those filthy tails. You’ll be lucky if any of your mates even want you after they find out you have four like a fucking whore.”

The memory slams into me like a fist. My father’s voice echoes in my mind, the cold sneer in his tone as sharp as the chill of the marble floors where I used to kneel at his feet. The phantom sting of his disapproval burns my skin, making me shrink even now.

“Hey. Where’d you go, Moonbeam? What’s wrong? Did I hurt you? I thought… It doesn’t matter. I’m so sorry, Rachel. I never meant to make you uncomfortable,” Lucas says.

He looks so tore up I have to reassure him he didn’t do anything wrong.

“You didn’t. I’m sorry, Lucas. I was as greedy for more of you as you were for me. I just got lost in my head. I’m not ready. I know we’ve kissed before but this was different. And Derrick and Bas are right there.” I bite my lip as I flick a glance to Derrick. He doesn’t look mad, but maybe he’s good at hiding it. “I-I know you guys have been accepting of the fact I have multiple mates, but I’m not a whore-”

“Rachel. We would never think that,” Derrick growls, interrupting my rambling.

“You might not, but my father does. And Liam does. That’s why he ran when I forced the bond on him.”

“I’m gonna kick his ass,” Derrick growls under his breath, and I wonder vaguely if he’s talking about Liam or my father.

“Oh, Moonbeam,” Lucas sighs. “That’s not why he ran at all, sweet girl.”

“It’s not?”

“No.” He smiles sadly and shakes his head.

“How do you know? You weren’t even there.”

“I know my brother. We just told him about your dad and his views on you having multiple mates on the bus. Then he went and added himself to your harem and he’s probably losing his shit thinking he’s put a bigger target on your back. Especially with that beautiful new mark he gave you.” He glances at my hand and the black wolf spanning the length of my forearm.

“Still gonna kick his ass,” Derrick grumbles, making me laugh.

It doesn’t take long for us all to settle back in and focus back on the movie and by the time the ending credits roll, I’m a converted fan and a little sad that it’s over.

“Alright. Pee break then we start the next one,” Lucas says, sitting me up before helping me stand.

I stretch my back before his words catch up to me. “The next one?”

“Oh, yeah. Every year for my birthday we have a movie marathon. We won’t be able to get through as many as we usually do thanks to the game today, but I think we can do one more. Unless you’re ready to go back to your dorm.”

“I’m not going back to my dorm, silly. I’m staying the night, remember?”

“Hmmm. I don’t know. Did we talk about that?”

“Well, I just thought-”

“I’m playing with you, Moonbeam. Of course I want you to stay the night. I always want you to stay the night.”

“You’re a jerk,” I huff as I head to the bathroom. When I get back, everyone gets resettled in their positions, and Lucas presses play on the next movie. I don’t make it all the way through the movie though and next thing I know I’m in Lucas’s arms being carried to his bedroom. When he places me in his bed and crawls in next to me wrapping his arms around me, I fall back into a blissful sleep.