“I don’t think she heard a word you said, brother,” Ethan chuckled, his dark eyes framed by thick lashes.
Kieran paused his attentions on my neck, his chuckle mixing with my frustrated groan. Oh, if only we never had to leave this place. I’d spend my days soaking up everything about Ethan and Kieran-what they loved, what they feared, their quirks and private thoughts. And our nights? They’d be dedicated to exploring each other in every way.
But life never paused for anyone.
“Hmm, I don’t like the sound of that,” I muttered, floating in the pool with my toes skimming the smooth surface. I wrapped my arms around Ethan’s neck, feeling Kieran move up behind me. “I think we should just get back to what we were doing. That, I’m sure, would end well.”
“Not to worry, we’ll get back to that after our talk,” Ethan smirked down at me, tapping my nose with a wet finger. His smirk vanished almost as quickly as it appeared, and I swallowed hard, sensing the seriousness in his tone. There had been far too much seriousness lately. “We’ve put off this conversation long enough.”
“The last thing we want is to rush you, and this isn’t how we envisioned it happening, but there are certain things that must be addressed before the High Table meeting,” Kieran murmured from behind me, his hands steadying me in the water. His grip kept me from bobbing on my tiptoes, anchoring me firmly. “Believe us, we don’t like being pushed into things. You deserve all the time in the world to understand what you’re stepping into. This world is still new to you, and you need to understand the full extent of what’s expected.”
“Having sex is just the first step in completing the mate-bond. Our scents merging signals to all unmated wolves that we’re taken,” Ethan continued, seamlessly picking up where Kieran left off, a testament to how closely connected they were. “Marking is the final piece. Typically, it’s straightforward with only two mates, but in our case, it’ll be a bit different.”
“Marking? Kat mentioned something about that,” I replied thoughtfully. “What exactly does it entail?”
I regretted not pressing Kat for more details. The twins’ nerves about this conversation only heightened my determination to reassure them of my commitment. They knew I was fully on board, but my unfamiliarity with their world concerned them.
“The two of us would bite you, usually on your neck. It’s a non-fatal wound that heals into a mark unique to each pair. You would do the same to us, leaving your own mark,” Kieran explained, tracing his fingers down my neck. When he reached a particular spot, a wave of pleasure shot through me, weakening my knees. His voice dropped to a husky murmur, “This spot is where I’d mark you-where everyone will see who you belong to.”
“I’d have to mark both of you too?” I asked tentatively, a mix of fear and curiosity swirling inside me. I was a werewolf now, like it or not, and these customs were becoming my own. I was done running from myself.
“The world already knows you’re ours, doll,” Ethan chuckled softly, brushing hair from my face with a gentle touch. “But yes, you would.”
His eyes softened unbearably under the moonlight, revealing the myriad of brown hues within.
“I don’t see why you were both so nervous to tell me,” I said with a small laugh. “I want to bind myself to both of you in every way possible.”
“We were nervous because there’s more to marking than we’ve discussed. It solidifies the bond between us, sweetheart. If you were to leave us or be killed, well, it wouldn’t be long before we followed,” Kieran murmured softly-a rare vulnerability for him. Kieran was the stoic one, keeping his emotions and thoughts tightly guarded behind dark, unreadable eyes. “You’d be able to directly connect with our minds, not just sense our emotions but experience them as we do.”
That prospect was daunting, but I knew without a doubt that my life wouldn’t be the same without the twins. Even if not physically fatal, losing them would leave a part of me withered and empty.
“It makes sense, in a way. You both hold a piece of my soul that I’ve been missing for so long,” I admitted. “Why would I want to continue a life without you, forever longing for what I’ve found with you? It’s not a life I’m willing to live.”
“So, the tables will turn,” I smirked, mustering a brave face. “Now you’ll know what I’m feeling, and you can read my thoughts-when I allow it.”
“I’m looking forward to knowing what goes on in that pretty little head of yours,” Ethan grinned, tracing his thumb along my lower lip.
My tongue darted out, grazing his finger, relishing the reaction it sparked. His eyes darkened, focusing on the movement with predatory intensity, and his emotions shifted like a switch had been flipped.
“I want to know what’s on your mind, both of you,” I countered with a smug grin. “All your secret thoughts, laid bare for me.”
“Nothing will be hidden from you, sweetheart,” Kieran chuckled, his fingers trailing down my spine with excruciating slowness. I could feel the tension in his body against my back, and a rush of pleasure tingled through me. Pressing back against him, I shivered when he growled in my ear, “But can you handle sharing your secrets with us? All those naughty thoughts of yours, on display.”
“It doesn’t sound so bad,” I managed to reply, my heart racing.
“We’re getting off track, brother,” Ethan gently scolded Kieran, though there was little bite in his reprimand.
“You’re right, as usual,” Kieran grumbled, making no move to distance himself from me.
“We want you to mark us, doll, but not without understanding fully what it entails,” Ethan continued, a small smile touching his rugged features. “We’ll mark you tomorrow night; there’s a good chance you’ll pass out. The physical pain won’t be much, but the emotional intensity… well, it can be overwhelming. With two marks, you might feel it twice as much.”
I would have once feared that pain, but that fear had long since passed. I’d endured so much pain at the hands of Darren and Lauren-both physical and emotional-that this kind of pain, for the twins, was worth it. I’d endure anything for them without losing the smile on my face.
“For you two, I can handle it,” I assured them softly, letting my sincerity flow into my voice. “I know what I’m getting into, and I’m already too far in to turn back. My life-it would never be the same without you two. I’d never be happy, forever restless and miserable. I’m tired of that. If being with you two means embracing danger and responsibility, then count me in for it all.”
Relief and happiness blossomed within them, sweetening the taste of victory in my own heart.
“Summon Silver, sweetheart. She’ll know what to do and guide you through the rest,” Kieran murmured in my ear, nudging me toward Ethan.
I complied, and I felt Silver’s immediate response. She was relieved and ecstatic; it was in her nature to mark and mate, to seal bonds and potentially bear pups. While I wasn’t quite ready for that step, it was something that could come with time.
“You’ll know where to bite,” Silver’s voice quivered with excitement. “Just a gentle nip, nothing serious.”
Ethan tilted his head as I drew closer. I steadied myself by placing my hands on his shoulders in the water. His skin carried a faint scent of chlorine, mixed with his own spicy musk.
His grip tightened on my arms, and I felt his Adam’s apple bob in his throat. My lips traced over his smooth skin, searching for the perfect spot for my mark.
Silver had been right; instinct guided me effortlessly. The junction where his neck met his shoulder was where I wanted my mark.
There was little reaction until my teeth finally broke through his skin, and warm blood filled my mouth. It wasn’t a pleasant taste, but this was different-it was Ethan’s blood, electrifying as if I’d touched a live wire.
Ethan gasped, his arms squeezing me against his chest, and I felt it-the final piece clicking into place. That long-lost fragment of my soul had finally found its home.
Previously, my ability to sense others’ emotions felt like eavesdropping, a one-way street. This-this was entirely different. No longer a voyeur, it was now an open channel between Ethan and me, a willingly shared connection.
Knowing when to stop, I withdrew my elongated teeth from his neck, licking away the blood droplets from his pale skin. The wound was already healing, and I could see the beginnings of my mark etching itself onto his flesh.
Ethan had been right about the overwhelming nature of the experience. Even before being fully marked, all I could think about were my mates-touching them, tasting them, surrendering myself to them until every part of me ached with longing.
Love, lust, desire, familiarity-they all battled for dominance in my mind until the urge to reach out to the twins became nearly unbearable. My fingers twitched, and my core throbbed, a sheen of sweat forming on my back.
I was spun around abruptly, disorienting me for a moment, until I met Kieran’s eager gaze. He was excited, a touch impatient, yearning to be claimed and marked by his mate.
“So, this is how we make you feel,” Ethan chuckled darkly, brushing hair from my neck and teasing his teeth against my skin. His voice dipped into something primal and raw. “We leave you flustered, overheated. How unbearable that must be.”
“Mark me, sweetheart,” Kieran murmured, as Ethan swiftly removed my bathing suit bottoms, which landed with a wet plop on the poolside. Ethan’s thumb brushed against my sensitive nerves, causing my entire body to tense. I couldn’t help but throw my head back and moan.
Kieran steadied me in the water, gripping my hips, as Ethan pressed against my entrance. Without hesitation, Ethan pushed inside, stretching me almost to the point of discomfort. But that twinge of pain gave way to an overwhelming feeling of fullness, of being claimed by one of the men I loved.
Ethan pinned us against the pool wall, sandwiching me between them. It was Kieran who kept me steady as Ethan thrust against me, moaning in ecstasy.
I wanted them both, filling me until the boundaries blurred, until I couldn’t distinguish where I ended and they began. In that moment, we were primal, animalistic-human desires intensified through the lens of our werewolf nature.
My teeth lengthened instinctively, and I sought the perfect spot on Kieran’s neck.
Kieran’s initial reaction wasn’t as visceral as Ethan’s, but even he succumbed to the rush of emotions flooding his system.
No longer an outsider, I was part of them, connected in ways deeper than physical. As my teeth pierced Kieran’s skin, his head fell back, mouth opening in a silent gasp. There was something profoundly beautiful about seeing these strong, formidable men vulnerable and unhinged beneath me.
His emotions surged within me, merging with my own.
“I love you, Kieran,” I transmitted through our Link, our minds entwined. “I love both of you so much.”