Chapter 4

Myla

My nose wrinkled as the fog cleared from my mind.

A light whirring noise and the steady hum of machines filled my ears. I stretched my aching fingers and paused. Fingers? When did I shift? I wiggled them again for confirmation.

There was no dirt or ice beneath me. I struggled to open my eyes. Harsh, unnatural light sliced through the darkness, and I flinched, groaning.

My sluggish memories returned.

The tree.

I was leaning against a tree, and now . . .

My fingers burrowed into soft cloth, and my breath caught in my lungs.

I’m on a bed!

I bolted upright and froze at the sight of four males staring back at me.

Their scents hit me like a freight train—bitter apple, caramel, ginger, and cloves. Distinct yet harmonious, they scraped against my skin, enthralling my senses as a flush of heat pulsed through my core.

My wolf pushed against my skin and preened at their attention. A wave of panic crashed over me.

She never liked anyone.

Crap.

I wanted to examine my surroundings, but I wasn’t stupid. You never looked away from a predator, and there were four of them here, staring at me with unwavering focus.

My trek through the snow must have affected my brain because instead of fear or anxiety, I felt settled—calm, even. The strange urge to trust them nettled my mind.

“Glad to see you’re awake. How are you feeling?” The Gamma with hair like liquid fire took careful steps toward me as if I were a skittish animal.

Huh. I guess I sort of was.

I gaped at him as he began to remove his shirt, revealing a body that shouldn’t have made me ache the way it did. His creamy, flawless skin was hard, rippling with sinewy muscle.

His bright blue eyes never left mine as he handed it to me. “In case you get tired of wearing bedsheets,” he said.

There was something soothing about his voice. It was gentle and masculine—safe.

I swallowed, wetting my dry throat, and took the top, trying not to look surprised at the gesture. “Thanks.”

The Blood Moon males never would have done such a thing. They reveled in my vulnerability and used it however they could.

I slipped the still-warm material over my head, ignoring the look of satisfaction in his eyes. The smell of lavender and cloves surrounded me, and I inhaled, unable to resist his scent.

My wolf hummed in appreciation, approving of the gorgeous male.

“Where am I?” I asked, looking from him to the massive males behind him.

All of them sat with supernatural stillness, but their expressions—ranging from curious to apathetic—couldn’t have been more different.

The one closest to me, a Beta, leaned forward, a smile on his full, sensual lips.

His skin was like polished mahogany, and the florescent bulbs overhead highlighted his strong nose and the square set of his jaw. Faint stubble gave him a rugged air, and his mismatched eyes—one the color of manuka honey and the other a torrent of green and gold—ate up my features.

“You’re in a medical building.” His voice was like a rough caress.

Okay, vague.

I raised an eyebrow. “A medical building where?”

“In Hidden Creek territory,” the third male, another Beta said, his gray-blue eyes dissecting my every movement. “I’m Silas.”

The flame-haired male waved and said, “I’m Gentry.”

Silas pointed to the male with mismatched eyes. “That’s Bowen, and that one,” he swept his hand toward the male sitting furthest away, “is Theron.”

An Alpha.

Theron’s gaze settled on me like a weight. Thick, dark hair fell to his broad shoulders, and his skin reminded me of warm cinnamon, but his eyes were like a starless night sky. His face was impassive yet devastatingly captivating.

“I’m Myla,” I murmured, turning back to Silas and taking in his long brown hair, dimpled chin, and butterscotch complexion.

Goddess, why were they all so . . . beautiful?

Well, as beautiful as four sinfully virile males could be.

“Nice to meet you, Myla,” Gentry said. He gestured toward the edge of the bed. “May I?”

It took me a moment to register what he meant. Was he asking me for permission to sit down?

I quickly blurted out, “Yeah, sure, go ahead.”

He sat by my knees, and my wolf practically purred.

“Bowen and Silas found you in the woods. Do you remember how you got there?” Gentry asked.

Self-preservation demanded I lie, but my wolf—and something I couldn’t quite identify—pushed me to tell the truth.

This was it. This was my chance to walk away from Blood Moon forever.

“I ran away from my pack.”

The males exchanged a look I couldn’t decipher.

“Why were you in our woods?” Bowen asked.

“When I left, one of the females from my pack told me to go east, so I went east. I wasn’t sure where I was heading. But then the snow got bad, and my wolf couldn’t find food or shelter, and then . . . well, you know the rest,” I said, shrugging.

“You said you ran away? Who are you running away from?” Theron asked, suspicion dripping from each word.

“I told you,” I said, resisting the urge to squirm in place. “I left my pack.”

My chest was tight, and my gaze fell to my hands. How much could I tell them?

Would they still help if they knew I was from an unsanctioned pack?

“And your pack is?” Theron pressed, earning a glare from Silas.

“It’s . . . um . . .” He quirked a brow, unimpressed with my stuttering. “They’re . . . unsanctioned. My pack is unsanctioned.”

“An unsanctioned pack with an Omega.” Bowen didn’t bother to hide his shock.

Tension filled the room, and unspoken questions flew through the air as the males looked at each other. Something about the shift in their features made me feel like they were silently conversing.

If they were a bonded unit, it was likely that they were.

Silas crouched. I jerked back when our gazes met, suddenly aware of how small I was in comparison to his bulk.

“Hey, easy,” he said softly. “You looked like you went somewhere just now.”

I flushed at the gentleness in his eyes.

“You know you’re safe here, right?”

When I didn’t answer, he placed his hand over mine, the heat from his body seeping into my bones.

“You’re safe. We won’t let anything happen to you.” Those thoughtful eyes burrowed into me as if he could see my thoughts.

I pulled my hand away. “How can you promise that? Why would you . . .”

Because I’m an Omega.

And I’m in heat.

My wolf growled in disagreement, but I ignored her. With our heat bearing down on us, she was too lost in the males’ pheromones to think clearly. She was more concerned with rubbing up against them than anything else.

Goddess, what was wrong with me?

“You’re our mate,” Bowen said. “There’s nothing we wouldn’t do to protect you.”

My mouth dropped.

Mate.

Mate, my wolf confirmed.

But that’s impossible.

“Bo!” Gentry chastised, hitting his chest. “You can’t just throw something like that at the girl.”

“What? It’s not like she can’t feel it.” Bowen paused and looked at me sheepishly. “You can feel it, can’t you?”

My heart sped up, thumping painfully in my chest. “I—I don’t . . . I’m not sure what I feel.”

The walls felt like they were closing in on me. The weight of their stares, their scents, the heat of their bodies—it was too much. My wolf butted against my skin, urging me to agree with the males, but my tongue was thick.

“It seems like your wolf’s given you an answer,” Theron said knowingly. “Do you think she’s lying to you?”

“No,” I replied.

I knew my wolf would never do such a thing. I trusted her implicitly but didn’t have faith in anything else. How could I know my reaction wasn’t a temporary response to my first heat? Perhaps I was feeling confusion in the face of biological necessity.

“Then why can’t you believe it? Or do you not want to?” he pressed, his eyes narrowing. “Maybe you don’t want to seem too eager for mates. Is that it? Would it ruin the image of the—”

“Enough!” Silas growled, turning his glare toward Theron. “That isn’t helpful right now.”

Theron looked as if he might argue, but Bowen placed a hand on his chest, and he reluctantly sat back.

Did he think I was a threat?

“This is a lot,” Silas said. His silky tone eased the knot of tension in my chest. “We’re all on edge with everything that’s happened. You don’t have to answer anything that makes you uncomfortable, okay?”

“All right,” I replied, wringing the thin sheet between my fingers.

“What’s important is that you rest and recover your strength. Can we agree to that for now?” Bowen asked.

What other choice did I have? “Yes.”

“Good, we’ll table this for now,” Gentry said. It was suddenly easier for me to breathe. “I’m sure you’re hungry. Let me get you something to eat.”

“What do you like?” Bowen asked, standing with Gentry.

Blinking at how quickly they let my noncommittal answer go, I said, “Anything’s fine.”

“Oh, come on, you have to have a preference, Myla. Really, we’ll get whatever you want.” A playful smile tugged at Bowen’s lips. “How about spaghetti tacos? Or milkshake fries? Fish sticks and peanut butter?”

I scrunched my nose but couldn’t hide my smile. “That sounds horrible.”

“Which one?”

“The fish sticks,” I replied.

He held up his hands. “Okay, no fish sticks. What about a burger? How does that sound?”

“That sounds great. Thanks, Bowen.”

His smile broadened when I used his name, and something shifted within me. His soft, open expression transformed him into someone warm and safe, putting me at ease. Sure, he thought I was his mate, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t a stranger. Why would he be so kind to me?

My wolf rubbed against my skin, letting her contentment spill over me until it melded with mine.

It was alluring, yet dangerous for someone like me to get attached so quickly.

Mate.

That’s what they said I was.

A myth they wanted me to confirm.

Even as I resisted the possibility, a part of me acknowledged the pull. The urge to trust them was overwhelming. It was as if some ancient part of my DNA knew these males.

I prayed they would be different from the pack I escaped.

And I hoped they never discovered I wasn’t worth the trouble.