Page 27 of Marked By Feral Monsters
I snort, unable to hold in the laugh. West gently lifts me, cradling me in his arms. He's thoughtful, this one. He's not as quiet as Arlo, but he's deliberate with his words and actions, and always thinking ahead, for the group. One might think Knox was the leader of the pack because of his size, but my bet would be on West.
He carries me into the bathroom, to the shower. The water is warm, but not too hot. He rinses me off first before lathering soap, washing me completely.
It feels maddeningly good. Almost as good as the pleasure between my legs. And when his fingers work into my hair, my whole body shivers and I let out a low moan.
When we're done, he dries me off, then wraps me in a towel and carries me back into the bedroom, and sets me down on the edge of the bed. The other guys are missing, and the sheets have been changed.
This must be West's room. He pulls out a t-shirt, one that probably fits his tall frame perfectly, but is like a dress on me. Hetugs it over my head, and while I could help, I'm sort of obsessed with this level of care, so I let him do it. It feeds something inside me.
I really do feel different.
"What did… they bit me…" I croak, unsure how to ask the question, though my fingertips graze the bite marks. West kneels at my feet, looking up at me.
"You're our mate. Weres don't wait. I know you're human…" he lets out a puff of air. "We probably should have prepared you more. If you were a were, you'd automatically know. It would be instinctive. But when a were meets their mate, they don't waste a second longer than necessary to bond."
I hold up my hand to ease his worry. Although I might be human, I can feel the weight of it. I may not understand all the implications yet, but I get it.
"I can feel it, West. Them. You. All of this." I hold my hand over my heart. Knox and Arlo are there, somehow, a low thrum of stability inside me.
And West smiles. It's so beautiful, it takes my breath away. His cheeks blush lightly. I lean down, and he meets me halfway. We kiss, and it's soft, but just as passionate as the first.
When we pull apart, I ask, "Will you bite me too?"
He nods. "Yes. But your body needs rest right now. When you're ready, we'll do that again," he nods his head toward the bed, indicating the last hour's activities.
"Again?" I gulp.
"And again, and again," he winks.
"Oh, boy."
West laughs.
"Guys, come on, I'm staaaarving," Nico pops his head into the bedroom. He's showered, black hair dripping onto his clean white t-shirt. God, that man is sexy. "Unless," his eyes light up, brows bouncing, and he nods toward the bed.
I stand abruptly. "Nope! I need a break."
West laughs. Nico pouts, and somehow I end up in his arms as he guides me out of the bedroom.
We all sit around the kitchen table. They talk over each other, like I imagine they do every other night. They ask me questions, but can tell I'm too tired to really engage. We pass food, and Teddy and Nico chatter, making up most of the conversation. West listens, and chimes in periodically, usually to stop an argument. Knox grunts here and there, scowling, though I know he isn't actually mad. Arlo smiles softly, not saying a word. Gone is the feral beast who fucked me in the ass.
Like he could hear my thoughts, Arlo turns and we make eye contact. Something gold flashes behind his dark eyes. "The feral beast is not gone, darling. He's just resting. He'll come out to play when you're ready."
When Arlo and Knox bit me, something inside me changed. Something monstrous happened.
Life before now has been fraught with uncertainty. But I've never felt settled as I do right now. So wild, excited, connected. I look around the table at the faces of these men, these dangerous werewolves. These monsters.
My mates.
And I know, with every fiber of my being, once they're done claiming me, I'll never be the same.
I can't wait.
The Orc
Eden
Torn leaves, kicked-up dirt, and a broken tree branch litter the ground around the imprint. It's huge.
