Chapter Fifteen

A knock at the door made Stevie jump a mile high and squeal. Once she started breathing again, she insisted on opening the door since I had only gotten out of the shower a few minutes before and was combing my hair out.

I walked from the bathroom until I was near my bed so I could see who it was. My heart skipped a few beats when I saw all three guys on the other side of the door. Stevie's fist propped up on her hip and I felt a shift in her mood.

She turned to me. "I'm your best friend now, right?"

"Yes," I answered with a giggle.

Their eyes were on me as I continued to comb out the tangles but as soon as Stevie turned, she had their full attention. I felt like a girl being picked up for the prom.

"You know she's been worried about you three ever since the manly, growly stunt in training this morning, right?"

I covered my face to hide what I knew was a furious blush. She didn't have to tell them everything I said. They all nodded.

"I shouldn't even let you see her after that stunt, and then you had the balls to walk away as thought she'd done something wrong? Who the fuck does that?"

Stevie had a mom voice. Don't mess with Stevie.

"Now, what are your intentions with my best friend tonight? It's late."

I snorted, not able to contain myself any longer. The guys' eyes were wide. Theron crossed his arms over his chest while Grim and Bodhi smirked. Theron shifted from one foot to the other. At least, I wasn't the only one squirming at the scene unfolding. "We came to take her somewhere to talk."

"And apologize?" Stevie put the other fist up on her hip. Two fists on hips. Damn.

"Of course, Stevie. We would never hurt her."

Stevie turned to assess my judgment of their answer. I nodded and she nodded back. "Okay. Take care of her."

I snorted. "No one asked me if I wanted to go."

The guys cracked up. Bodhi stepped forward, a bit into the room. "Minx, would you please go on a walk with us tonight, so we can talk? There are some things we would like to explain and apologize for our behavior earlier."

Stevie moved back and had released her firm posture. Her hands hung relaxed at her sides.

How could a girl say no to that. I wasn't even angry with them. Worried and concerned they blamed me for what happened, but not angry.

"I'll get some shoes." I put on some cozy slippers since the nights had grown colder then pulled up my hood to shield my still-wet hair from the wind, assuming they were going to lead me outside.

"They took me to a part of the building that led outside to the street. There was a small alcove with some seating. None of us spoke until we were sure we had privacy. A part of me wondered if they brought me here to break my heart, telling me that they'd had enough. That I wasn't good enough. They needed someone powerful—someone who could shift.

"None of that," Grim said, taking my hands in his. "I can scent your fear. You're not scared of us, are you?"

I shook my head. "Scared of what you're going to tell me."

Theron and Bodhi cursed. Grim sat on one of the stone benches and before I could sit next to him, Theron took the spot and pulled me onto his lap. I curled into him before second-guessing it. I'd had one-on-one interactions with Bodhi and Grim, but this was the first time being in Theron's arms. He tightened his hold and put his head on my shoulder. "I've been wanting to hold you close since the day I met you. Let me know if it's too much too soon."

I turned my head and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I could stay like this forever," I whispered back.

"Minx, we need to apologize to you. We were a bit embarrassed about the scene we made today during training," Bodhi put in.

"Tell me why," I responded. It was high time we cleared the air. "The teacher said something about males and their mates. Then you disappeared and I didn't see you for the rest of the day." I giggled. Theron kissed the side of my neck and inhaled deeply, almost derailing my entire train of thought. "I realized I'm so attracted to all of you and missed you, but I had no idea where your room was. Hell, I don't even have your phone numbers. I'm tired of being confused."

Grim blew a breath out and scrubbed his hand over his face. "Then let's get some things straight. When I saw Drew above you while you were on the ground, it was bad enough. My wolf wanted to claw out of me and get his hands off you. He was already upset that you were sparring with him." He held a hand up, stopping my comment. "I know you were only doing as the instructor told us, but he didn't like another male's hands on you in any capacity. Once Drew touched your hair, it was over. I couldn't have contained my wolf if I wanted to."

I should've been offended. They were being ridiculous. It wasn't like Drew and I were making out on the field.

Except I wasn't. Offended. Their protectiveness over me, their jealousy. Gods, I shouldn't have felt such satisfaction over their possessive nature, but I soaked it all up.

"Why did you run?" I asked.

Theron's turn. "We shouldn't have lost control of our wolves like that. We saw the look on your face after we made Drew leave…" He shook his head. "I thought you were scared of us. Scaring you is the last thing we ever want to do, Minx."

"I was scared," I admitted. "Not of your wolves but that I'd done something wrong."

"You did nothing wrong, baby." Bodhi crouched in front of me and took my hands in his. "Nothing. This was all on us. And we should've come to you right after. Instead, we hid like cowards, ashamed we made you fear us."

I nodded. We skated along most of the things I wanted to talk about, but there was another, the big one. "Why did the teacher say something about wolves and their mates? Stevie explained some things to me, but there are a thousand questions spinning in my head. End this confusion for me, please. I understand if I'm way off base, but am I your mate?"

I posed the question to all of them, facing the nervousness head-on. Even if their answer was no, it would be easier to handle than wondering all the time.

They all paused, so I pushed Theron's arms from my waist and began to get up. "It's okay. I understand. I'm not your mate, and now I know."

"Hold up a damned minute, female," Theron commanded, and I sat down immediately. He repositioned his arms around me. If they weren't my mates, I would be shattered. Wrecked. "You are ours," he growled, sending a wave of need through my body. "We knew the moment we saw you."

Grim reached for one of my hands, making Bodhi snarl a bit. "You are our mate, Minx. There's no doubt in our minds."

I turned to Bodhi, who nodded. "Remember I told you that I could feel your wolf was almost ready to show herself? No one other than your mates could feel that, Minx."

A fierce wind whipped up and pushed a chill through me, making me shudder. Theron kissed the side of my neck again. "We want to take you on a proper date tomorrow night. We can talk about everything. About mates. Answer any questions you have, but I won't let you go tonight until I know you aren't worried or thinking you might or might not be our mate. My wolf won't be content until he knows that our mate is okay."

I forced myself to inhale and exhale three times deeply, a way to slow my heart and my mind. "It's hard to believe but at least I know now. I've been dissecting everything in my head for days, wondering if it could be true."

"It's true, baby," Bodhi said. "Let's get you back to your room before Stevie skins us and makes our fur into a rug."

While we walked back, they each touched me in some way, keeping the contact.

I kissed Bodhi and Grim but when it was Theron's turn, he opted for a hug. He pressed his mouth against my ear. "Our first kiss will be a private one, okay. Believe me when I say that there's nothing else I'd rather do right now than to have those lips on mine. Sleep well, love."

Love?

My head was fuzzy by the time I got into the room. Stevie was in her bed, reading a book but she tossed it aside, staring at me. "Well?"

"They are my mates." I sighed, giggling. "I have mates."