Lucy’s POV
I never cared much for birthdays.
Maybe it was because being a werewolf made you only see them as milestones that one had to cross before attaining some level or maturity, or because celebrating them didn’t always bode well if you turned 18 and hadn’t been able to find your true mate by then. Like me.
However, despite my best efforts to not look forward to this one, my body couldn’t entirely settle once the clock struck 12 and showed me a new day.
I had been deemed fit to leave the care of the pack doctor a few days back, and I couldn’t have been happier about that development. My shoulder had been permanently scarred from the tissue damage caused by the wolfsbane which my werewolf blood couldn’t heal up. The doctor mentioned that it was likely that it would take a long while for my body to completely expunge the poison, because of how deep the wound has been. But it didn’t really bother me much because I could at least still ise the arm.
It would have been a waste to lose my arm over an ungrateful man.
Tessa was the best company I could have ever dreamed of having. Even as young as she was, she was very bright-likely the result of being exposed to certain things early on in life. Still, she retained the innocence of a child, ans I hoped she never lost that.
The morning of my birthday she woke me up by gently patting me on the face and hopping around like a bunny. Smiling, I got out of bed and went to fish for clothes to wear, before taking s bath. I took extra time in the bathroom to relax my stiff muscles and just ponder the little intricacies of life.
Turning 21 for some people could be considered blessing, but in my case, I wanted the day to pass by quickly. I had been seen as a late bloomer for most of my life, and thus, couldn’t find a mate when I first turned 18 three summers ago. The uncertainty of not knowing if this time I was finally going to find my mate and complete the cycle of my werewolf development was am ache I would be glad to be free of.
When I was done, I cleaned up Tessa as well, playing with her beautiful curls while she giggled richly in the tub.
I laughed, “Stay still, you little monster, or you’ll be dirty forever!”
“No!” she squealed, before throwing-or trying to throw-a ball of foam at me. “I want to be clean. I’ll stay still.”
“Good girl,” I said, carefully washing her all over with soap and a soft sponge.
Taking care of her reminded me a lot of my own childhood, when my mom would play with me while bathing me, and all the fairytales she told me about beautiful princesses and handsome princes.
Unfortunately, I had come to understand that fairytales weren’t real, and neither were handsome princes that were also immensely kind and honourable.
“The man from the other day fed me when you were in the hospital,” Tessa said abruptly, stopping me in my tracks.
I moved around the tub so I could look her in the eyes. “What man?”
“The nice one. That chased Mistress Dominik away,” she replied, clearly unaware of the effects that her words were having on me.
“Hmm. Well, that was nice of him,” I muttered. At least his hatred didn’t seem to exist when kids were involved. I had wanted to find out who had been feeding and taking care of Tessa while I was away, and now I had gotten my answer.
“He brought food and new clothes. He also sent a nice lady to come and take care of me so I didn’t get too lonely, ” she added with a smile on her face. “Her name was. . . something related to a flower.”
“Rosa,” I said quietly, pulling Tessa to her feet so I could dry her off. The young girl used the opportunity to wrap her arms around me and give me a brief hug. The contact was so shocking that I froze for a little while at first, before eventually returning the embrace.
We went to the main room area, where our clothes already waited on the bed neatly arranged. I secured the towel wrapped around my body and started to help Tessa put on her clothes, but she stepped back and shook her head.
“I can wear my own dresses,” she said with a smile. “I’m a big girl.”
“Uh-huh,” I replied, close to laughter myself. Something about the young girl made my insides swirl with joy, and I liked it.
She eventually agreed to let me help her wear her clothes. By the time we were done, she twirled around like a ballerina and looked down at the cute dress with dlower patterns. “I love this dress.”
“You should.” Immediately I got back from the hospital I had told Ahmad to help me get clothes for her, and while he initially didn’t appreciate the fact that I had basically adopted a child, he obliged.
Which reminded me: I had to make some enquiries regarding my finances since Daven was dead. I couldn’t keep having to ask him when I needed to make purchases.
I got dressed as well and prepared for yet another day of being able to do very little. I did the motions that the doctor had told me to perform every morning before I went out so that my arm could heal better and avoid becoming stiff. It still hurt, but not as bad as it had been.
–
Evening reached, and I was glad to have at least enjoyed a day with little events. Tessa and I had gone for a little walk earlier in the day to enjoy a little fresh air and stretch our legs. At one point hen we reached a lush garden, she had plucked a flower and handed it to me, calling it a birthday gift.
“I don’t have any money, I would have gotten you something bigger,” she had said, looking a little disappointed.
I had ruffled her hair with a laugh. “Don’t worry about that. This is just perfect.” I placed the flower behind my ear. “Thank you very much.”
After I tucked her into the bed we now shared, I slipped out of the room and headed for the balcony that had become my resting place when I needed to just admire the sky and clear my head.
As I approached the place, I started to hear voices, and quickly ducked behind a pillar. The voices got closer, and soon, I was able to place the voices to people.
I nearly groaned when I realised that the voices belonged to the triplets. I had been doing so well to avoid them since even though for some reason they had been trying to reach out to me. I still held it against them that they didn’t even care that I had svaed their brother’s life and still continued to mostly act like they couldn’t have cared less about my presence.
They stopped talking, and the hallway went completely silent. So silent that I could even hear the crickets outside. I didn’t know that it had gotten so late already.
Before I could spy to see where they had gone, someone snatched me out of my hiding spot. I flailed my arms about, trying to land a hit on whoever it was, but it just ended up being futile.
When I calmed down, I realised that it was just Shaun and his brothers, with him being the one who had grabbed me. Now, our bodies were connected, with the heat of his body pressing into me with full force.
I tried to speak, but my mind went blank-that same foggy feeling that had been plaguing me for a while since I had first crossed paths with the triplets.
“What . . . ?” I whispered to myself. “What is this?”
“Shit. You feel it too,” said Shaun, still refusing to let go of me.
And the worst thing? I didn’t want him to. It was like I was meant to be right there in his arms . . . drinking up his warmth amd breathing the same air.
He narrowed his eyes, before dipping his head into the crook of my neck and inhaling deeply. “Shit,” he cursed again, although it was muffled by my skin.
Ripples of crazy desire rushed through me like a tsunami, so powerful that I nearly dropped to my knees if not for Shaun supporting me with his strong grasp.
A torrent of emotions rushed though me, and it was like I had been living all my life under a shroud that had suddenly been lifted, and now all my senses were getting overwhelmed. I gasped loudly when Shaun’s hand slid down to the curve of my back, and then lower-like he was laying a claim on me.
I had no idea what was happening, but I didn’t want it to stop.
Seth and Scott lurched forward too, as though they had been waiting for permission to finally close in on me.
Seth stood behind me, pressing his front into my back so hard that I could feel the strength of his . . . desire. Scott took a different approach, running his hand down my arm and brushing his lips against my ear.
Common sense had all but left me, but a part of me kept nagging that this was all too sudden-especially for people that loved to act like I wasn’t worth anything. Now, they were all pressed against me, searching for something, and I didn’t have it in me to stop them.
I didn’t want to stop them . . . but why?
I latched on to a little bit of sanity. “What’s going on?” I asked, breathless and drunk with desire. Now, it occurred to me just how sinfully attractive they all were, and now they were giving me their full, undivided attention -something that a secret part of me had been craving.
The feelings inside of me swelled until I could hold on to myself no longer, and my whole body came apart even without any stimulation at all. A sharp moan escaped me so thick and heavy that I couldn’t hold it in, and the spot between my legs started to throb.
Shaun made an equally devastating sound, cursing over and over again under his breath in a way that sent delightful shivers up my spine.
As we all came down from whatever intoxication had captured us all, Scott was the one to speak first.
“You’re ours, mate.”