Page 40 of Accepted Bonds

I’d drank at least three sweet beers and some other mixed alcoholic drinks this evening and my lightheadedness, dulled senses, and affected coordination were all the evidence that I was lightly buzzed.After the swing dance with Levi, which made the world spin around me, I just wanted to get a couple of finger foods and return to sit with my mates.

Unfortunately, I was grabbing some mini quiches and sandwiches when I overheard a conversation that rubbed me the wrong way.

Three girls standing close by in a circle were talking about me and my relationship with Caden, Aiden, and Mateo in a demeaning tone.They implied that I was with them because my pack was trying to hook up with a high-status legacy pack.They also concluded that Aiden, Caden, and Mateo would dump me soon when they got tired of me.

Their words poked me in the heart because I was worried too.In the past few weeks, I had been worried that Caden, Aiden, and Mateo would realize that I wasn’t worth it and that they didn’t want to share anymore.

I even had a few nightmares where Mateo told me he wanted his own mate and didn’t want to continue sharing with three other people.Caden had been in the nightmare, telling me that he was the future Alpha of the Crawford Pack and he and Mateo could easily find a replacement for me whom they wouldn’t have to share with two other men.

I turned away from the girls because I didn’t want to make a scene.Unfortunately, what I saw and heard when I turned around made me see red.It was something I would have ignored if I wasn’t mildly intoxicated and hadn’t overheard the conversation between those girls.

A werewolf with one of the most beautiful faces I’d ever seen was standing opposite Levi with her fingers pressed over his chest.“You like that Woodburn girl, right?But she is with the Crawfords now, so why don’t we have fun together instead?”

Blood rushed to my head in anger as I stamped my way to them while Levi pulled the girl’s hand away and put some distance between them.

I pushed myself between them, looking down at the beautiful girl with flawless ivory-toned skin, almond-shaped hazel eyes, and full, pouty lips that gave her a tinge of seductive innocence.Her body was also the complete opposite of mine.She had at least E-cup-sized boobs, a tiny waist that was cinched into a belt, and legs that went on for miles.

Because the conversation I’d overheard irritated me and stirred up my insecurities that persistently told me that my novelty to my mates would eventually fade away, my wolf-half came out to play and I snarled at the gorgeous girl.“He!is!mine!Stay away!”

From the tiny corner of my brain that was still rational, I heard the music stop as the girl threw her hands up in frustration and started yelling.“Which one of them is yours then?!You’re sitting on the thighs of four of the most eligible bachelors at this party, sharing s’mores with them, dancing with them, and kissing them.They can’t all be yours, so which one of them is your mate?!”

I stood to my fullest height as she yelled at me and then yelled right back.“All of them are mine!All!And I’m not letting go of them, so you ...”I stopped to point at the girls I’d caught speaking by the dessert table.“All of you can stop expecting our relationship to end because this is just the start of it.”

The gorgeous girl gave me a fierce glare as someone’s chin was pressed atop my head and Caden’s lemon scent surrounded me.

“She’s right.”He said, “She’s our true mate and we’re hers.So every one of you can just stop making ridiculous speculations because we’re not going to break up.Our relationship has been set in stone since I placed a temporary mating mark on her nape the first time we met.”

I turned to glance at Caden in surprise as he waved a hand that got the DJ to continue playing the music.

“Come on, I think we’ve had enough fun.Let’s go,” Levi said, pulling me out of Caden’s embrace into his arms as we moved toward the jeep we’d come to the bonfire party together in.

No one said anything as Levi handed me a bottle of water and made me drink it.

Before I could apologize for my behavior after my dizziness faded, Aiden, who was seated in the driver’s seat, punched Caden, who was seated in the passenger’s seat, in the arm.“I can’t believe you put a temporary mating mark on her.”

I looked up and met Caden’s eyes as he turned to stare back at me.“Are you mad at me?”

I shook my head blankly.“No ...just surprised.Why don’t I know about it ...”

Caden tried and failed to hide his smug smirk.“I hid it in your nape, very close to your scalp.No one was likely to find it if they didn’t go searching for it.It was something I read about before.It’s not deep enough to be a complete mark, so the bond was not fully formed and we couldn’t enjoy telepathy or any of the other potential benefits of a full bond, but there was still a bond.And if I wanted to, I could find you using the mark for at least that first month until the mark faded.”

“That’s too underhanded, Caden.I never expected you to do such a thing.”Levi started reprimanding Caden.

“I’m sorry.I’m sorry.I could just feel how much she wanted to keep that night a one-time thing.And I knew what she was to me, but she didn’t seem to want to admit it, so ...”Caden’s reddened cheeks from being scolded by Levi almost made me chuckle until I heard Aiden’s words.

“No wonder she likes you the most ...”He said in a wispy voice.

“I don’t like anyone the most.”I refuted.

Before Aiden could say anything, Mateo grabbed my face and made me hold his gaze.“Something is wrong with you.You’re trying to hide it, but I can smell your fear sometimes.You’re worried about something in our relationship.It’s why you’ve been so weird about us and having sex.You even ...”

I covered his mouth, my frown deepening as I decided to be honest with them.“I’m worried, okay?I’m worried that you’ll get tired of me and that you’ll realize how annoying it is that all of you have to share me because of our true mate bond.”

“Aurora ...”Caden said, turning back to look at me.

“Let me finish.I’ve been having nightmares that you’ll all leave me after you figure out that I’m not worth it.All the other Fae Omegas?They’re special and they can do something that no one else can do.They’re stronger than me, smarter than me, prettier than me, too.My mom can heal anyone, even if they’re two seconds away from dying.My grandmother makes the coolest and most practical weapons and you should read my aunt Ciara’s biography or listen to everything Nina can do.They ...it makes sense that they have more than one mate but me ...I’m just ordinary.I’m not part of a prophecy to save the world, and my powers are more annoying than they’re useful.”

Levi cupped my face and looked into my eyes, his gaze unwavering.“You are special.Not because of any grand gestures or extraordinary talents, although you have many.It’s the little things, the way you empathize with people, your unwavering kindness and compassion even in the face of adversity, your commitment to improving yourself, how you make others feel heard and cherished, your laughter, your quirks, your vulnerabilities—they all make you unique, and that’s what makes you special.Even your dedication to training every morning is attractive to me.It’s not about being perfect.I don’t even want you to be perfect.”

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