Chapter Five

~Emma~

I woke sore in the most delicious way. Anthony and Donovan had claimed me last night. Mated me. I bore their bites on various parts of my body and had left my own marks on them, as well. They’d loved me into exhaustion. Every time I’d moved in the night, one of them had been there, sliding back between my thighs and taking me to heaven again. This morning, the only downside was that neither of them were still in bed with me. It was quiet, except in my head. Inside, there was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions and fears.

My brother, Jonathan, was dead. Murdered by our father. My brother, Sam, was missing, and no news was definitely not good news. My father had imprisoned me, tortured and beat me trying to get information on Sam. Information I didn’t have and wouldn’t have given him if I did. My mother had rescued me only to blow up the building where I’d been held. Most likely with her still in it. Hopefully, with my father still in it, too. I had a third brother I’d never known about. Neither Sam nor Jonathan had ever mentioned Cyan, either. I’d gone from an almost orphan to a wolf with an estranged brother and two mates. My life was changing at an accelerated pace, and if I let it, it would completely overwhelm me.

I pushed aside my tears and tried to focus on what I needed to do instead of how I felt. After our night of lovemaking, I definitely needed a shower. Then I needed to meet with Cyan and Bastion James to share what I could about who I was and why I was here. I didn’t know how to feel about a brother who’d never wanted to meet me. Or had he? Had my father or Mom kept him from us? She’d said she’d given Cyan up to save him.

When you get to the James Pack, ask for Cyan. Tell him what happened. Tell him Sam is missing. That Jonathan is dead. Tell him… Tell him I’m sorry. I should have done more. Should have been better. Tell him there was never a day I didn’t think of him, didn’t hope he was happy and thriving. Tell him I loved him with every beat of my heart.

I shook away those thoughts. I’d tell Cyan what Mom had shared and try to keep an open mind. I needed his help, the pack’s help, to find out for sure what had happened to my mother. To try to find Sam. I… I’d mated Anthony and Donovan. They were obviously members of the James Pack. As their mate, I was, too. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I’d been more wrapped up in what I was feeling when I’d awoken with them in bed beside me. Now, all I was doing was thinking.

Would they be faithful to me?

That question was a high priority for me. The males in my pack hadn’t been faithful to their mates. My father hadn’t been. Neither of my brothers had been mated. I had no clue about Cyan. I knew next to nothing about the James Pack other than Cyan was their beta and Bastion James and his pack were known to strike fear into the heart and soul of most wolves. I had no idea what I’d gotten myself into.

“Hey, love, how’re you feeling?”

I glanced up as Anthony walked in. He was just as gorgeous as I recalled. Thick, dark hair. Bright blue eyes. Tall and built to protect.

I narrowed my gaze at him. I bet women threw themselves at him all the time.

“What’s that look for?” he asked, sitting beside me on the bed and leaning in to kiss me softly on the lips.

Just that easily, I fell back under his spell, got lost in his kiss and the soft stroke of his fingers along my skin. I moaned as he took the kiss deeper, the sheet suddenly pooled in my lap as he pressed his bare chest to mine. My nipples tingled where they brushed against him, the hair on his chest stimulating them into hardened points.

“Damn, I want you,” he whispered, trailing his lips along my jaw then down my neck. Reluctantly, he pulled back, his gaze dipping to my breasts before he met my eyes again. “How are you feeling this morning?”

I couldn’t fight the urge to grab the sheet and pull it up, tucking it under my arms. While I’d been surrounded by promiscuous men and women in my father’s pack, I’d never been one to strip at the drop of a howl. I wasn’t insecure. It was the misogyny in the pack. My father had no respect for my mother or women, in general, and that mindset had carried over to the other males in the pack. I’d noted it, felt it, and wanted nothing to do with it. I’d stayed on the fringes as much as I could, mostly from self-preservation.

“Where did you go?” Anthony asked, cupping my chin and tilting my face toward his. He dropped another quick kiss on my lips.

“Where’s Donovan?” I asked instead of answering.

Anthony lifted a brow but went with my question. “He ducked out to pick up a few groceries. He’ll grab some breakfast on the way back, which should be soon. There’s coffee made.”

“I’d like to take a shower. Where did my clothes go?”

“They were bloody and ripped in spots. We tossed them out, but several of the women in our pack dropped off stuff until you can go shopping for new things. Wallace didn’t leave behind anything but you. I’d have gone to get stuff for you, but I didn’t want to presume what you’d like.”

“Thank you.”

“Why don’t I go make you a cup of coffee while you take a shower?” he offered.

“I’d like that.”

“I’ll lay some stuff on the bed for you to sort through. We’ll go shopping later, so you can grab what you want.”

“You don’t—”

“Shh,” he interrupted. “You’re our mate. We’ll take care of you. We want to take care of you.” He gave me another soft kiss. “Shower. Eat. Talk. When you’re ready, we’ll go over to Bas’ house, meet with him and Cyan. We can shift and go for a run from there. Your wolf is probably pressing to be free for a bit. Sound good?”

I nodded, and for some reason, a tear slipped down my cheek.

Anthony kissed it away. “We’ve got you, love. Donovan and I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re ours now. Just as we’re yours. From the first moment we saw you, we knew. You can trust us, Emma. We won’t let you down.”

“I sense that.” And I wanted to believe it, but it would take more than words. “I’ve had a lot happen recently. Most of it bad. I need to catch my breath. Get my feet underneath me. Breathe.”

“Take all the time you need,” he whispered.

He stood, scooping his arms under the sheets and lifting me.

“Anthony!” I cried. “I can walk.”

“I like carrying you.” He took me into the bathroom and sat me on my feet. He opened a cabinet and pulled out a big, fluffy towel, before turning and starting the shower. There were multiple showerheads, one of which looked like a rainfall. “Take your time. When you’re dressed, follow the hallway out to the main room. We’ll keep breakfast warm.”

“Thank you.”

He pulled me close, hugging me tightly.

“Anything for you,” he swore, and I knew he meant it. He gave me another searing kiss then slowly released me, turned, and exited the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

I didn’t rush, but I wasn’t lingering, either. At some point, I’d decided it was best to speak with Anthony and Donovan about everything first. They were my mates, and though I wasn’t sure how they defined that, I knew how I wanted to define it for me. I took the time to brush my teeth and braid my hair out of my face then rushed through dressing. No underwear, but there was a pair of joggers, a sports bra that was obviously new, and a T-shirt. There was even a pair of sneakers in my size. Fully dressed, I took a deep breath, shook out my hands, and collected my thoughts.

Be brave, Emma.

I followed my nose down the hallway to the main room. I’d barely entered before Donovan was there, tugging me to him. He nudged up my chin. I expected him to kiss me, but he merely stared at me as if he were drinking me in.

“What?” I finally asked.

“You’re breathtaking,” he murmured and gave me the kiss I’d been expecting from the start.

“Come eat,” Anthony called, and Donovan took my hand while he led me into the kitchen.

“Sit,” Donovan ordered, pointing to a stool pulled up to one side of the island in the center of the room. He turned and grabbed plates, putting one in front of me then one to each side of me.

“I forgot to ask how you take your coffee,” Anthony said, grabbing the carafe as he turned to smile at me. “Cream? Sugar? Donovan has some Italian sweet cream creamer.”

I glanced at Donovan with surprise, but he only shrugged.

“I have a sweet tooth,” he offered, handing me a fork before sitting on my left. His fingers grazed my thigh as he sat. “Though, I think I have a new favorite treat.”

Everything inside me heated. It was too easy to recall his mouth between my thighs.

“Eat before it gets cold,” Anthony said as he sat on my right.

I took a bite of my eggs then bounced my gaze back and forth between them. “What does being mated to me mean to you guys?”

“What?” Anthony asked.

“It means you belong to us, and we’ll kill anyone who tries to hurt you,” Donovan said calmly from my other side. “We’ll never again see you in the condition you arrived here in. Broken, bruised.”

“With shadows in your eyes,” Anthony added, and for the first time, I heard anger in his voice. “We’ll make sure the people responsible pay. Being our mate means we protect you. It means we’re here for you however you need us.”

“Whenever you need us,” Donovan added.

“Is there…” I had to stop and clear my throat. “Is there another woman in your life?”

“I don’t know how things are done in the pack where you were, but we won’t be sharing you with anyone but each other. You’re our mate. Only ours. There won’t be anyone in this relationship but the three of us,” Anthony answered.

I nodded. “Not everyone believes in fidelity.”

“Do you?” Donovan asked.

“Yes.” There wasn’t even a question in my mind as to if I could be faithful to them.

“So do we,” Anthony said then leaned in and kissed me. Donovan immediately turned my face toward him when the kiss broke. He pressed his lips to mine in a soft brush.

“Now, eat,” Anthony ordered. “Bastion and Cyan are already on their way here.”

He shrugged when I glanced up at him with surprise.

“They didn’t want to wait, and I wasn’t rushing you.”

“We’ll be with you,” Donovan reminded me.

I nodded, took a shaky breath, and started eating. Whatever the day held, I knew I’d need fuel.