Page 133 of Burdened Bonds

I wakeup curled against Spencer Moreau’s warm body, morning light spilling across the bed. I glance around the room finding Pip laid out by my feet and my other mates sleeping in the room too; Renzo comatose on the floor, Stone and Tristan stretched out on chairs and Azlan leaning against the wall, eyes closed, arms folded against his chest.

I look at each one of them in turn, puzzled at how dramatically my feelings for these five men have changed over the course of the last few months. I’ve gone from hating nearly every single one of them, to emotions that are much softer, much deeper, much more complex. Maybe I don’t love every one of them, but I think I could. In fact, I can feel myself falling for them that little bit more each day and I certainly care about them.

Carefully, so as not to disturb the sleeping giant beside me, I roll up to sit. Pip, spotting I’m awake, comes crawling into my lap and I stroke his ears, kissing the top of his head and whispering how much I’ve missed him.

When I finally look up from our little love in, I find the five men in the room are all awake and watching me.

“Good morning,” I say, unashamedly. I may like these men, I may find them hot as hell, I may find it hard to keep my hands off them, but Pip will always, always come first. And that is something they are simply going to have to live with.

If, that is, we’re sticking together from now on. I frown. Are we? This is the first time we’ve all been in the same room together and haven’t either been fighting for our lives, or mortally wounded? We haven’t exactly had the chance to talk.

“So …” I say, chewing on the inside of my cheek with unease.

“So,” Stone says, leaning forward on his seat, “here we all are. Rhianna Blackwaters and her five fated mates.”

I swallow. When he puts it like that it sounds pretty intimidating.Five. Nine months ago, I’d never even had one boyfriend. Now I have five mates. And not just any old mates at that.

“But why?” I say. “Why me? Why you?”

“Because you’re special, Rhianna Blackwaters,” Azlan says with no trace of sarcasm or tease.

“Don’t tell me what I am, Azlan. I know who I am.”

I glance at Renzo and he tilts his head, curious. He has his theories as to who I am. But I don’t even know if that’s true. I do know who raised me. I do know the woman I am.

Maybe Renzo is right about my father. Maybe he’s not.Maybe my mom was some great seer, fought over by both sides. Maybe all I am is a girl brought up in hiding by her aunt out there in the wastelands.

Maybe I don’t care where I came from. I know who I am.

There are other questions I have now.

“What I don’t know is why fate has tied us together. The six of us. Why she’s determined that we should be together. Us?” I say, spreading my arms wide and looking at each one of my fated mates in turn, my bond tugging forcefully towards each one of them as I do.