Page 21 of The Alpha's Mates

Atlas’s jaw was hanging down as he stared at her. Calder was clenching his teeth, and I was sure I was doing the same as we all watched her. The noise she’d just made reminded me of thosefrom earlier when I’d been grinding my cock against her and sucking on her nipple.

My grandfathers all cleared their throats at the same time. Reese looked at them in confusion, but my cadre mates and I took the hint and dropped our gazes. I shifted in my chair, trying to ease the pressure of my throbbing dick. Letting her go after getting a taste of her was going to be pure fucking torment.

“Thank you, Dear,” Vera said, breaking the awkward silence. She gave me a sharp look, reminding me to behave. I was seconds away from acting like the beast she knew lurked within me. “I’ll be sure to pass it on to the other women. They’ll be thrilled you enjoyed it.”

I watched as she and my grams discussed the Moon Goddess. My appetite was gone. At least for the dinner sitting in front of me. My fingers drummed against the table as I studied my mate.

Grams had given her some clothes from one of the bigger beta females that lived in the village. The shirt was a bit small for her, and it left her belly bare, molding against her breasts. The pants were just as tight over her delectable ass. The black leather brought out the golden hue of her skin and I wanted to do nothing more than strip her out of those clothes.

As sexy as she was, our mate was intelligent as well. Smart, strong, protective, she embodied everything an alpha should, only she was wrapped up in this tempting, mouth-watering package. How was I supposed to resist her?

“Soren,” Atlas muttered from my left side. Calder was next to him and the fucker was grinning from ear to ear.

“What?” I realized everyone had fallen quiet and was staring at me.

“Any reason you’re growling?” Atlas asked.

Ignoring them, I motioned for Grams to continue talking while I pulled myself together.

“As I was saying,” Grams said with a look of amusement in my direction, “I read something quite interesting. In one of the old texts the Cirdan Pack loaned me, I found mention of a woman who lives nearby. No one knows her name and the few who tried to visit were quickly driven from her home. It's unusual for one of our kind to live alone, especially a female. To go unclaimed for decades… It might be worth checking out.”

“I’m amazed any of the plains wolves gave you their tomes,” Reese said, leaning forward. She had pushed her plate aside, finished with her meal, and now her breasts were resting on the table.

I rubbed my jaw, my beard scratching over my palm. This female was going to kill us all. Atlas was staring at the ceiling, clearly praying for patience. Calder was staring at her tits in a resigned manner.

Grams leaned around Seren and smacked Calder’s knuckles with her fork.

“Ow! What the-” He swallowed the rest of that statement under Gram’s glare. “Sorry,” he muttered.

Reese lifted her hand to her mouth and let out the most adorable laugh I’d ever heard. My head turned slowly to the right and I stared at her. This was the first time I’d heard her giggle. She sounded so happy and…free. If only I could make her understand that I could give that to her each day. Maybe then I could convince her to stay with us.

CHAPTER 11

Reese

My heart squeezed inside my chest. The three men who claimed to be my mates stood on their porch as the sun sank down below the trees. They were holding to their promise and letting me go.

Soren’s face was dark and grim. He looked like he wanted to throttle me. They made it very clear that they didn’t really want me to leave, and if I was being honest a part of me still wanted to stay. In fact, that part of me had grown as I spent the day with them.

That didn’t change the fact that I had responsibilities. People counting on me. I couldn’t let them down. I gave the guys a quick nod, turned, and walked away.

Even though I was used to nudity, I didn’t want to undress in front of them. Something told me that would be too much for any of us to take. I hurried past the rows of houses. Theirvillagers were nestled inside their homes, likely eating their own suppers before they wound down for bed.

As soon as I stepped into the shadow of the trees, I shed my borrowed clothing and tied the ends of the pants together so it could be carried. Shifting to fight Soren and his pack destroyed my other clothes. These would make due until I could find someone to make me some that fit better.

My wolf came forward, finally ready to obey me now that Soren had taken his command not to shift off her. My body bent and twisted, bones cracking, fur sprouting, as I changed. It all happened so fast there were only brief flashes of pain. They were forgotten as soon as the animal was loose. Turning my shaggy head back toward the village, I let out a long howl.

Those men had not only spared my life, but returned my freedom to me. That in itself gave me warm feelings toward them. Men who kept their promises were new for me. I had to admit, I liked it. It went a long way toward proving that there were still honorable shifters amongst us.

Still my heart cracked a little as I picked my bundle of clothing and shoes up into my maw and began to run. It shouldn’t have been possible for them to have woven themselves into the fabric of my being so quickly, but as I ate up the miles with my long strides, I knew it was true.

That was also proof of their words. Our Goddess still bestowed some form of mating bond upon us. It was weakening with every year that passed, according to Vera, but I knew without a doubt that it was the truth.

I ignored the pain splintering through my head as I ran from the males who I now acknowledged—if only internally—as my mates. My eyes darted from left to right, keeping an eye out for shifters and humans alike. Now that I was free from the safety of the village I had to be vigilant to attack again. Though it hadbeen refreshing to let down my guard for a short while, it was time to get back to my pack.

It took a few hours before I made it to the bog. My lip lifted in disgust, catching on my tooth as the stench filled my nostrils. My bones creaked—aching and throbbing—as I made my way through the tiny dry path that meandered through the bog.

Emma and I had searched this area for weeks after we’d gotten to the mountains. We’d made our friends trek through the foul smelling area as well, so they could learn the route we wanted them to take to safety should we be discovered.