On the other hand, I was also terrified of being hit. Women who voiced their opinions were usually hit in my pack.

  When no one said anything, I winced slightly and stepped away from Dakota. His eyes flickered down to me, his jaw clenching.

  He wouldn’t hurt me. I kept reminding myself of that as Dakota seemed to relax his entire frame. Was that because of my thoughts? Was that possible?

  I looked over at the others. Caedmon was staring at me, seemingly at a loss on how to handle this. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but then Julian chuckled softly.

  “You heard her!” He clapped and grabbed the plate of food we were sharing before nodding towards the living room area. Tore flashed me a small smirk and walked right between the two large and fairly angry men, gently grabbing my hand and leading me towards where Julian seemed to be settling in comfortably.

  I blinked, unable to process their reactions. No one seemed mad at me, and that was unsettling. I mean, it was a good thing! But… unsettling.

  I looked back to find both Caedmon and Dakota looking at me, making my cheeks flush as I curled against Tore, his head snapping back as he made a frustrated noise. Maybe if I ignored them they would stop staring at me? Honestly, though? I didn’t want them to ignore me. Like, at all.

  It was possible this was the most confused I’d ever been.

  “She doesn’t like fighting,” Julian called out, as if explaining it to them. I looked at him curiously, because he was right, but how did he know that?

  “Or yelling… or cursing,” Caedmon muttered, almost to himself. Dakota spared him another glance before seeming to deflate slightly.

  Did they think it was a bad thing that I didn’t like fighting? I shrunk slightly into myself as Tore suddenly pulled me onto his lap so that I was positioned against his chest, Julian sitting next to us. I swallowed nervously, offering them a small, shy smile, because while I was a bit distracted by the other two men, both of them had a very strong effect on me. Enough so that I was distracted and refocused on them instead of the other two.

  “Here.” Julian offered me another small bagel.

  I grabbed it easily and took a small bite, my voice a bit softer than before as I spoke to him. “These are really good.”

  “Bagel Bites,” Julian explained as Tore’s fingers gently brushed over my back. I had the urge to tug off my beanie and have him run his large fingers through my hair.

  But the more handsome men that showed up, the more nervous I became about how I looked. Did they think I was attractive? I’d never cared about that before… rather the opposite—I’d almost always wanted to avoid having men find me attractive.

  Before I could do something ridiculous like ask them what they thought about how I looked, I followed the path of the two figures joining us. Caedmon stretched out in a large armchair nearby, his green eyes following the bagel I brought to my lips before he made a soft noise, his gaze snapping to Dakota. The man had a dominance rolling off him that had my wolf watching him with excitement and a bit of an infatuation.

  This was possibly going to be a problem. No, seriously… I had no right to be so interested in men I barely knew. Which was why I was sitting in one of their laps as the other fed me bagels.

  Goddess, today was a very odd day.

  “I don’t understand how this is happening,” Dakota finally stated as I quietly ate another bagel. His large hand ran over his clean-cut jaw before he fixed me with a look, seeming more speculative now than before. Honestly, I liked the look he had on his face when I was pressed up against him far better.

  He continued. “Have you been on campus all semester?”

  At least I had an answer for him on this.

  “No.” I cleared my voice slightly. “I only arrived today, took the train up.”

  “From the city? By yourself?” Caedmon looked horrified as I blushed slightly.

  “I mean… how else would I get up here?”

  “No one could drive you?” He looked incensed as Tore pressed his forehead to my shoulder, muttering to himself in a different language.

  You know, despite how scary he seemed, Tore was actually a rather relaxed individual. At least from what I’d experienced so far. He seemed like a sort of teddy bear. I liked that about him, and I found myself sinking back into him further.

  My eyes widened only slightly, realizing that while he may have been relaxed, not all parts of him were. In fact, there was a rather hard part of him that was very excited, and I was going to do my best to ignore that for now. That wasn’t an easy task, though, considering how flushed it made me. I tried to not let the surge of desire that was forming make an appearance. I wasn’t good at hiding my feelings, and I knew wolves, at least fenrir wolves, could scent desire.

  “We have like maybe ten cars in our pack, total. My household doesn’t own one… they could have asked Alpha, I guess. He’s my uncle, sort of, but he also never offered.”

  “Your uncle is the Alpha of a pack and he didn’t send you up here with anyone?” Dakota’s lips pulled back slightly as if pissed.

  “Yes, adopted uncle, technically. I grew up in the Whitepaw Fenrir Pack.”

  When no one said anything, I blushed, feeling like they were all staring at me. “I don’t understand what’s with all the questions. Why is it a big deal?”

  “Calm down,” Tore demanded softly when Caedmon let out a small growl that had me freezing. I met his gaze, concerned he was mad at me, my pulse spiking in fear… only to find him staring down at the expensive shoes he wore, looking very tense.

  Dakota seemed to take the lead here, and Julian was by far the most relaxed. I couldn’t quite figure out how Tore or Caedmon fit into their dynamic, but I could see there was tension in the group, and I found myself wanting to resolve it.

  “So you just decided to apply? Are you transferring from another school?” Dakota asked, leaning forward, resting his forearms on his knees.

  “No.” I shook my head. “I didn’t plan on going to school. I didn’t apply. I just received a letter of acceptance with a full scholarship package less than three days ago.”

  That seemed to once again freeze the room. Dakota’s eyes flashed with something dark and concerned before fixing Julian with a look. “Clearly she was brought here for a reason. I just wonder if whoever it was knew or not.” Then, turning to me, he added, “Thank fuck you were on that train when Julian was coming back from the city.”

  “Knew what?” I asked, nervous to ask a question but also not wanting to be kept from understanding what was going on since it clearly involved me.

  “She doesn’t know,” Caedmon explained softly, tapping his foot as if trying to stop himself from saying something.

  “Know what?” I was tense, and Tore rolled his forehead against my shoulder, his arm wrapping around my waist as if worried I was going to try to move or get up. I didn’t think he realized how comfortable I was.

  “We need to explain,” Julian pointed out, handing me another bagel, and I couldn’t lie—while I was frustrated, I also found I was a bit more hungry than I realized. I offered him a small thankful smile as he winked at me. My cheeks flushed as everything inside of me tightened, and I looked away before I could let that grow.

  Plus, I very much still needed to know what they were talking about.

  “How much do you know about blood-bonded packs, Effie?” Dakota asked. I swallowed, trying to ignore the flash of heat that ran over my body at the way he said my name, while trying to form a serious sentence.

  “Honestly, I don’t exactly have a lot of knowledge about the supernatural community,” I hedged nervously, “so none on blood-bonded packs. I wasn’t exactly given a lot of liberties at home, and I was homeschooled, so I learned mostly about our pack and I guess the ‘normal’ school curriculum. When I asked about other types of wolves, no one would give me much information besides more about fenrir and then all the reasons bitten wolves were weak.” I ended in a frustrated noise at that nonsense. What would have been the harm in learning about other wolves?

  “Do you know about the other two wolf species?” Caedmon asked, looking suddenly nervous. I resisted the urge to move off Tore’s lap and go comfort him. The man had a very odd edge to him, one that I wanted to soothe. It was an unfamiliar feeling that almost verged on the line of protectiveness. Something that was laughable, considering my inability to protect even myself.

  “I know they exist, obviously, but I don’t even know what they are called.” I winced, feeling ignorant, and I intertwined my fingers nervously. “Probably seems pretty ridiculous, especially since I can tell you two aren’t fenrir or bitten wolves.”

  “Not ridiculous,” Caedmon immediately contradicted, my smile growing slightly as Dakota’s chest rumbled, bringing my gaze back to where he was staring at me. I got the feeling he didn’t like it when I didn’t look at him. He didn’t say so, but his gaze was demanding and almost willing me to hold it. Unlike Tore, his dominance didn’t have me wanting to submit or look away, it had me wanting to meet it. Fully. It was a very odd feeling, because I also wouldn’t have minded climbing on his lap and feeling his lips pressed against my neck. More specifically, my bite mark, something that I seemed to only be craving with these men.

  “Alright.” Dakota nodded. “We can cover more later. But easiest put, blood-bonded packs are specialty packs that some of the more connected families within our community choose to form in an attempted ‘alliance.’ They consist of alphas from the four different species, and they are set up to create harmony within the community. They can be found at most of the large supernatural universities throughout the world.”

  Ah. I tilted my head. “So you create a pack of all different types of wolves to make sure there is a reason for them to get along because of the relationship there? That makes sense.”

  In fact, it was actually really smart. If I had to base it off how fenrir wolves felt about bitten… well, then it made sense there would be issues. Although, Tore didn’t seem to feel that way towards me.

  Would he think it was weird that this was the longest someone had ever touched me in this soft or sweet of a way? I mean, I had barely been hugged before being around these men today. I guess I still had yet to get my first hug. Was that odd? Maybe that was normal if you didn’t have real parents. I saw a lot of moms and dads hug their children on television, but those were ‘bullshit fairytales,’ according to Gerald. I knew for a fact that most pack parents completely ignored their children, so he was probably right.

  “They also share a mate to ensure success. The theory is if there is a mate and pups that come from that, there would be less of a reason to break it up. Not all wolf species have ‘fated’ mates, per se, but when the blood bond is created, each wolf species brings something to the pack. There is also a mate bond created for the pack as a whole upon completion of the bonding ritual, resulting in us being assigned a ‘fated’ mate, so to speak. I have only talked to the other three bonded packs on campus, but it seems the process is much the same no matter where you come from.”

  All I could focus on was the word ‘mate.’ Did they have a mate? I didn’t like the concept of them having a mate at all. My heart tightened as my hand curled around the back of my neck, and my voice came out soft and unsure. “So… you guys will share a mate?”

  Before they could answer, I jumped slightly, Tore pushing up my sleeve and gently brushing his lips against my wrist where it was bruised. I turned and met his gaze, melting slightly, and bathing in the soft action. But that was before the word ‘mate’ sounded in my head again, reminding me of the other shoe that was about to drop.

  I’d heard it wasn’t uncommon for one woman to share male mates, but I had never personally seen it myself. The concept of mating had always been unappealing to me, so the notion of me worrying about their mate now was unsettling. I also didn’t know how to feel about the idea of them sharing one woman. Well, actually I hated that idea. Hated the idea of them being with someone that wasn’t… me?

  My wolf offered me an innocent look as if she didn’t know what was going on. That would make two of us. I didn’t even like the idea of mating, especially if it was like Gerald and Theresa’s relationship… so why was all of this catching my interest so much?

  “Yes,” Julian answered, his eyes sparking with something.

  My throat suddenly felt choked at an unnamed emotion washing over me. “So do you have one? A mate?”

  Please say no. I mean, I knew nothing could happen between us… well, I didn’t know that, but I assumed they wouldn’t be interested in someone like me. I also knew that any mate in their right mind who had four beautiful men like this wouldn’t want some girl hanging out in their lap. My eyes widened in concern at that, not wanting to cause problems.

  Not that any girl would be threatened by me, especially most stunning shifter women. I mean, I was small and sort of mousy with oversized secondhand clothes and a torn beanie on my head. I wasn’t exactly an ideal mate for anyone. So why did the concept of not being their mate make me so sad?

  Before they could answer, a bell rang as a light above flashed green, the doors staying closed despite me being able to sense someone waiting for them to open. Tore’s chest rumbled as he wrapped his arms around me tighter than before, keeping them at my waist instead of my ribs. Caedmon muttered a curse, standing up and jogging over towards the doors as both Julian and Dakota watched his actions.

  Caedmon pressed a panel, and the door opened to reveal someone new. The man was very clearly a fenrir wolf, based on the blast of energy I received, but unlike these men, I found myself feeling the normal caution and slight uncomfortable anxiety associated with the type of wolf and men in general. I curled back into Tore. Well, tried to, but the man literally lifted me off his lap as he positioned himself in front of me, his massive frame blocking me from the view of the other man.

  Did they not want to be seen with me? Why did that hurt so much?

  Julian murmured something to Tore as Dakota sat back, looking back at me while Tore kept his gaze forward on the newcomer. I knew that Dakota seemed relaxed, or was trying to portray that, but his wolf was circling mine through our tight connection, looking agitated as mine continued to just roll on her back like he was playing.

  What the heck was she doing? Honestly, she was a bit embarrassing. I was tempted to move from where I was behind Tore, but he seemed very tense and I didn’t want to upset him.

  “Hey buddy.” The man seemed friendly enough, his voice upbeat. “Here is your bag. Are you sure you didn’t need anything else? We can help move some shit down?”

  “Nah, not yet.” Caedmon’s voice was relaxed, but I could feel his energy. It was very much the opposite, currently.

  Was this man a threat? My brow dipped, wondering if I needed to protect them from him. That thought had me blinking in confusion… where were these odd thoughts coming from?

  Before the man could say anything else, my nose twitched as his scent finally reached me. It wasn’t a bad scent, but it was for sure not my favorite. I let out a small, sharp sneeze as the room went quiet. I looked up at Tore, who was watching me in concern, his thumb rubbing over my nose as I offered him a small smile… but then my smile dipped as I considered that he would be mad at me. I froze at that concept as he let out a soft rumble, kissing my forehead gently. My hand slid up his chest again, resting on his heart, a sense of connection surging through us.

  “Gentlemen,” the new man greeted the others before he hesitated. “I didn’t realize you guys had a guest over, are you meeting up with… people, now?”

  His question was innocent enough, but there was an edge of caution and confusion that made Tore’s eyes flash dark.

  “No.” Caedmon’s voice was smooth and dark.

  “Right.”

  In a quick movement I saw over Tore’s shoulder, the man stepped to the side, and his gaze met mine. His expression blanked before his face broke into a massive smile.

  “No fucking way,” he chuckled. “And here I thought you just got tired of us, Caedmon. You all found your fucking m—”

  “Don’t,” Caedmon grunted, shaking his head. The man frowned and looked at him before moving his eyes back over to me.

  “You have to stop looking at her, Aaren. It’s going to cause a fucking problem.” Dakota inhaled sharply as I watched the group of them with interest and confusion.

  Who had they found? They found me. But how did that affect what he was saying?

  “Of course. I’m going to go.” The man put up his hands and offered me a smile. “Wonderful to meet you, and once these assholes calm down, hopefully we can talk more—”

  “Now.” Julian’s voice was hard and cold, making me frown as I tried to peek over to see his expression. Tore pulled me against him, though, not allowing me to move. I ran my hand over his chest in a soothing motion, a near purr breaking from him.

  “Damn.” Aaren chuckled. “Alright, I’m going.”

  The elevator closed, and I stepped away from Tore and looked at all of them. My nose twitched as I frowned. “It smells like him in here now.”

  My words unintentionally lessened the tension as Caedmon chuckled. He dropped his bag on the floor before looking at Dakota, the two of them sharing a look I didn’t fully understand. The first ran a hand through his hair and let out an exhale, suddenly seeming a million miles away.

  “We need to get her settled. We can’t stay in this room all night,” Caedmon said as Dakota shook his head and looked up at me, his eyes warming.

  “Do you have your ID yet?”

  “Yes.” I nodded. “Well, a slip to go take a picture for it.”

  “We can pick up her real ID tomorrow. She still needs bedding for tonight,” Julian pointed out, pressing another mini pizza bagel to my lips. I made a surprised noise, taking a bite and letting out a soft sound at the taste. Julian’s eyes tracked the movement as he offered me a searing look that had my face turning pink again.

  I wasn’t imagining these looks, right? No one had ever looked at me like that… or if they had, I hadn’t liked it.

 

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