Chapter Nineteen

Dinner the next day was more of the same. Laughter and good food with people I was becoming closer to every day.

Artemis caught me by the elbow before I could leave the dining hall. I honestly didn't know what to do now with them around. We hadn't made the claim of mates, at least, not out loud. I didn't want to come off as clingy, but they knew my trepidations and hesitations. I'd bared my soul to them on that balcony.

I was in a tangle of knots but, when his skin made contact with mine, all the knots unraveled and fell to the ground, swimming through the air like ribbons. "Kiki." My name falling from those beautiful full lips anchored me.

I'd taught myself through the years to isolate in times of distress. Lean on myself. Figure things out internally because the people around me either couldn't be trusted or were less than reliable. They made empty promises. Broke their word. Told lies and covered them up with more lies.

Leaning on others would be a learning curve for sure.

"Hey," I said, turning to face him.

Ian and Neo were with him. Neo spoke next after running his hand through his dark hair. "We were wondering if you'd like to go on a run with us. Our wolves want to meet yours."

I stiffened at the request. I wanted to. I did. My wolf certainly craved the time with their other halves.

But running with the opposite sex was usually set aside for mates. Or at least so I'd heard.

Again, I was so confused, but I would absolutely not be bringing up the subject first.

"Yes." The word came from my wolf. "Right now? Tonight?"

My stomach bundled up with nervous energy.

"Yeah," Ian laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Is that okay?"

"Sure."

Neo took my hand while we were in the elevator and pulled me closer. "Why are you afraid of us?" he asked, whispering in my ear.

"I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid of this. Of reading too much into it. Of having this mean something it doesn't and then…hurting. I'm so fucking tired of hurting, Neo."

There. No little lies covering up my pain. No half-truths to protect myself.

If they wanted me as a mate as I wanted them, then they needed to know all of me. Hell, I was still getting to know all of me.

We could all enjoy the bumpy ride together.

"Guys, stop," Neo called out before we reached the park where I'd run with my sisters. Artemis and Ian turned around to face us. Neo and I had trailed behind while he had our conversation. "We've made a mistake here."

"What?" Artemis asked, frantically looking around and then to me. He stomped over to me and cupped my face with his hand. "Kiki, what's wrong?"

Ian arrived at his side in seconds. He tangled his fingers with mine. "What's wrong?"

"We haven't been clear about our intentions with our girl, that's what," Neo stated. "She's afraid to run with us and then have her heart broken."

Artemis gasped. "Kiki?"

"I'm sorry," I said, stepping back to have some distance in case what I needed was more than they were ready to offer—or could ever offer. "I need words, guys. My wolf is going to be bonded to yours after this and if this thing between us isn't… I can't risk our hearts. Mine or hers."

Ian put his palms up, surrendering to my demands. I had no right to force this from them, but there was no way I could continue without knowing. "Kiki, you are our fated mate. We are all sure of it. Guys?"

Artemis and Neo nodded and then both declared the same mating claim because I needed words. Words out loud.

Gods, I was an erratic mess. Maybe there would be one day when I didn't need this constant coddling and reassurance, but today was not that day.

"I'm your mate? All three of you are mine?"

"Yes," Artemis said, opening up his arms. "We would never pursue anyone that wasn't our true mate, Kiki. You are it for us. I'm sorry we haven't been clear."

My shoulders slumped while I swayed a bit from relief. I walked over and succumbed to Artemis' embrace.

Neo cleared his throat. "Sweetheart, sometimes your males need to hear the words too. Men get their hearts broken too."

Tears ran down my cheeks, but they were happy ones. "You're right, Neo. You three are my mates." I made eye contact with each of them. Eye contact was so important to shifters. Smell was up there, but eye contact had all kinds of meanings. In this case, I wanted to pour the seriousness of my truth into that connection. "I'm not questioning this anymore. Please don't give me a reason to."

"We would never," Artemis said. "We're all learning here, but you belong to us, and we belong to you."

I shared kisses with each one and, eventually, we shifted. My mates' wolves were as stunning as they were. Artemis' wheat-colored with white paws. Neo's black with gray around the eyes. Ian's red like his hair but in opposition to him, his wolf was bold, playful. We ran together through the woods until the moon rose high in the sky. We lay together in a small clearing, each of my mates touching a part of me. Neo's nose nuzzled against my mouth.

My wolf had bonded with all three. My animal never questioned my mates or what we meant to each other. If I put my human emotions to the side and let her lead the way, things would be easier.

Ian was the first to shift, followed by the rest of us, but as I was about to pull on my jeans, goose bumps filled my skin. I was being watched. "What?" I said, not able to help the smile pulling at the corners of my mouth. I liked being watched by them. I could only hope they enjoyed the view.

My mates had no shirts on, and I was hit in the chest with how beautiful each of them was in his own way. Artemis took a slow step forward, his foot pressing into the grass slowly, like a predator stalks his prey. "Kitten, we want you to come home with us. To our suite."

Neo growled. "To our bed."