Page 73 of Marking Mia

Behind me, Kane is stretched out in what they keep calling my ‘nest.’ It’s just an obscenely large pit of cushions and blankets in the center of what seems to be a living room. His face is relaxed in sleep, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.Jace is sprawled nearby, one arm flung over his eyes, his chest rising and falling in deep slumber.

“I’m so sore,” I whisper to Finn, feeling heat rise to my cheeks at the admission. Between my legs feels tender and swollen, used in ways that my body isn’t accustomed to. The claiming marks on my neck and hip throb with a dull, pleasant ache that somehow connects directly to my core.

Finn’s thumb brushes across my cheek in an unexpectedly gentle gesture. “It’s to be expected. This is all new for you.” His eyes drift down to where Kane’s release is still sliding down my thighs. “A warm bath might help.”

My stomach chooses that moment to growl loudly, making Finn’s lips curl into a rare smile. His hand drops to my belly, rubbing gentle circles that send strange shivers through me. There’s something almost reverent in the way he touches me, as if he’s imagining something that isn’t there, like I’m pregnant or something.

The thought makes me shiver.

I glance around and spot my dress from last night, or what’s left of it, crumpled on the rug nearby. I grab it and hold it against my chest, not that it offers much coverage, torn as it is.

“Come,” Finn says, his hand settling at the small of my back as he guides me away from the nesting room and deeper into the house.

With every step, I discover more of a place I’ve never seen before. The house is rustic yet luxurious, featuring high wooden beams and large windows that showcase the surrounding forest. Tall pines stand outside, their branches filtering the morning light. There’s not another building in sight.

It looks like we’re in a forest of some sort.

“Where are we?” I ask, my voice still raspy from last night’s screaming. “We’re not in the city?”

“No,” Finn confirms as we walk down a hallway lined with what appear to be handmade wooden sculptures. “This is our second home. Pack territory, away from the city.”

I stop, forcing him to pause beside me. “Pack territory? So it’s true, then? Everything you said last night about being... werewolves?”

The word feels ridiculous coming out of my mouth, but after what I witnessed—the way their eyes glowed, the inhuman growls, the knots that swelled inside me—I can’t deny the evidence of my own experience.

“Yes,” Finn replies simply, without a hint of a joke or a lie in his eyes. “We wanted to mark you somewhere special on pack territory.”

I start walking again, processing this information.

“It’s beautiful,” I admit, then add with a touch of bitterness, “but you didn’t have to drug me to bring me here.”

“Would you have willingly walked into a strange nest and allowed three werewolves to bite you?”

I consider the question as we enter what must be the main bathroom, a space larger than my entire apartment with Justin. A massive stone tub sits beneath a window that overlooks a serene pond.

“Probably not,” I finally answer as Finn starts running water into the tub. “But still, you should have given me a choice.”

“We did,” he says, his back to me as he adjusts the temperature. “Your body made the choice for you. Your scent and your verbal responses told us everything we needed to know.” He turns to face me, his expression serious. “A soulmate recognizes her alphas, Mia. Even if her conscious mind doesn’t understand yet.”

“Is it true then?” I ask, watching the steam rise from the filling tub. “Are we really... bonded now?”

Finn approaches me slowly as if he fears I might bolt if hemoves too quickly. He takes the torn dress from my hands and tosses it aside, leaving me naked and vulnerable once more. His fingers trace the bite mark on my thigh- his mark sending a pulse of heat straight to my core.

“The bond is very real,” he says, his voice deepening. “Especially for werewolves. It would cause you immense emotional pain if you tried to leave now. Us too.”

I shiver despite the warmth of the bathroom. Just a week ago, I was trapped in a dead-end relationship with Justin, enduring his daily reminders that I was worthless and that no one else would ever want me. Now, I’m apparently bonded to three insanely hot men—werewolves—who can’t seem to keep their hands off me. It feels surreal, like a fantasy I would have been embarrassed to even dream about.

Finn helps me into the tub, and the warm water immediately soothes my aching muscles. To my surprise, he strips off his own clothes and joins me, his hard body sliding in behind mine.

It feels so natural to lean back against his chest, to let his strong arms encircle me.

The water rises around us, and I spread my legs slightly, allowing the warm liquid to soothe my tender pussy. I sigh with relief, letting my head fall back against Finn’s shoulder.

“Better?” he asks, his breath warm against my ear.

“Mmm,” I respond, too relaxed to form real words.

His hands begin to move over my skin, spreading soap in slow, circular motions across my shoulders, down my arms, and then to my breasts. I gasp as his callused palms cup their weight, his thumbs flicking across my nipples until they harden into stiff peaks.

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