Cherry
Maddox is my mate.
Excitement and joy fill me as I cling to Bain.
Bain.
Is this the last time he’ll ever hold me? Will the twins no longer sleep beside me? Will I never get to cuddle with Gage again?
And why did I shift? How did I shift?
One moment, I was enjoying their touch, the next, I shifted.
Happiness and worry spiral inside me, causing me pain at the thought of losing my connection with any of them. I want Maddox to pull me into his arms right now, but I also don’t want to let go of Bain, afraid it will be the last time he ever holds me.
Bain bends forward, as if he’s been punched in the gut and releases a pained grunt. I dig my claws tighter into his shoulder and press my head against his neck, hoping that if I hold him tight enough, he won’t be able to let me go.
He stands back up, and I see the twins staring at me with worry and confusion.
“You’re not jealous,” Bain says, and it takes me a second to realize he’s talking to Maddox.
“Why would I be jealous?”
“Because I’m holding your mate.” My claws twitch at that word. That one simple word is so powerful. It has the ability to change everything.
Chase frowns as Maddox speaks. “You holding her… it feels the same as it did before. Maybe because you’re my pack mate?”
“Can we talk about the fact that she just shifted,” Chase says, reaching out to stroke my cheek. “How did that happen?”
I press my face into his hand, appreciating that he’s asking that important question.
“She seemed really relaxed, maybe that’s the key?” Hunter suggests as he strokes the back of my neck.
It’s quiet for a minute, and I hear the other two moving in the water behind me. “She’s been relaxed before,” Gage says thoughtfully as he touches my back. His fingers dig into my fur a little before I hear him gasp.
“It’s touch!” he says in excitement. “Have all five of us ever touched her at the same time before?”
“We must have,” Chase says as he frowns at me, trying to remember. I try to recall a time when they did, but at night, it’s normally only two or three of them lying with me. And when I was recovering from my regenerations, they were close, but not all of them were actually touching me.
“That’s crazy. That can’t be it,” Hunter says, shaking his head as he strokes my neck.
“There’s one way to find out,” Gage suggests as the twins look over my head at Maddox.
I can feel the tension surrounding us as Maddox moves closer. Chase’s eyes drop to mine just as I feel Maddox’s palm touch my back. The shift is instant and painless, just like last time, but the sensation still feels foreign, strange, as if I’ve forgotten what it feels like to shift.
My eyes close as I feel my arms and legs shift, and I wrap them around Bain, squeezing him as tight as I can. Each connection point where their five hands touch me feels warm.
Chase’s hand on my cheek shifts as his thumb strokes my skin gently, making my breath hitch as my eyes fly open, connecting with his gorgeous brown ones.
A jolt tears through me, making us both gasp.
Mate.
A strangled laugh escapes him, a mix of a cry and happiness as a huge smile splits his face.
“You’re mine,” he whispers, half in shock and half excited.
“Look at Hunter,” he tells me urgently, turning my face toward his twin.
And when my eyes connect with Hunter, that same mate bond clicks into place, making me whimper at its strength.
It doesn't hurt, but it’s like a small jolt of electricity firing through every cell of my body, leaving my body almost aching from the power of two mate bonds clicking in place so quickly.
“Mate,” Hunter whispers as he moves his hand to my face. Bain’s arms tighten around me, and I can feel his worry, because it’s mine as well. It doesn’t seem possible for Maddox, Chase, and Hunter to all be my mates. There’s no way all five of them could be mine, is there?
“Don’t let go!” Chase yells, using his free hand to hold Hunter’s against me.
“Let me see her,” Gage says, sounding desperate as his hand moves up my back and he steps around my side.
The twins shuffle to the side, careful not to stop touching me as I continue to stare into Hunter’s eyes, not believing it to be true, but praying it is.
His eyes move from my eyes to my nose to my cheeks as if he’s studying me.
I realize it’s the first time he’s seen my human face.
Do I feel like a stranger to him? Having the twins' eyes on me so intently makes me feel a little shy, and my cheeks start to heat.
“Red?” My gaze whips to the side, where Gage stares at me with wide eyes. The second they connect with mine, another whimper escapes me, and my back arches, both from the power overload and the relief.
“Mate,” he whispers, his face filling with a joy I’ve never seen on him before. “My beautiful mate.”
“Gorgeous,” Chase whispers as my eyes move back to him. The three sets of eyes on me, along with the new power from four mate bonds, is too much, and I duck my face into Bain’s neck, letting out a small whimper. Chase moves his hand around my head to the back of my shoulder, beneath my hair.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Hunter asks gently.
I cling to Bain a little harder, unable to pinpoint my rampant emotions. The bonds make my body feel extra sensitive and on edge. My mind bounces between happiness and fear.
Please, Goddess. Give me just one more.
I’ve never wanted anything so badly in my entire life.
I didn’t think it would be possible to be fated to more than one of them, and now that I know I have four, I’m dying for the last connection to be there.
The not knowing is clawing at my heart, but the fear of it not being there has me hiding my face even further against Bain’s neck.
“Red,” Maddox whispers from behind me as he strokes my lower back. “You need to look at Bain.” I shake my head and squeeze tighter.
“Sweetheart, you both need to know, and whatever happens, know we won’t keep you from each other, bond or not.”
My grip relaxes a fraction. If Bain isn’t my fated mate, the others would still let us be together? My heart lurches in my chest, filling with love for my alpha who cares so much for his packmate and me that he wouldn’t come between us.
Bain kisses the side of my head before whispering, “Nothing will keep us apart, angel. I promise.” I lick my lips and take a deep breath, knowing I have to get this over with, and that either way, we will work this out together.
“Come on now, let me see those beautiful eyes of yours,” Bain whispers.
Slowly, I pull away from his neck and lift my head.
His pale blue eyes meet mine, and I gasp, my body tensing as my final bond clicks into place. His hand moves up to cup my cheek as his eyes glaze over and he tries to blink back tears.
“Mine,” he whispers, his eyes darting all over my face. “My perfect little mate.”
“Pretty girl?” Chase whispers in question, making me glance at him over Bain’s shoulder. “What’s your name?”
The question is ridiculous. I’ve known them for almost six weeks, and they don’t even know my name.
I swallow, my throat dry, then open my mouth and whisper, “Cherry.” My voice comes out a little raspy and sounds foreign in my ears, but the smile that he gives me makes me forget all of that.
“Cherry,” he whispers. “It’s perfect.”
A pained grunt leaves me as my body starts to tingle, as if a low current of electricity is running under my skin.
“What’s wrong?” Maddox asks in concern as I press my face against Bain’s shoulder.
“Hurts,” I grit out as the pain starts to increase.
“What hurts?” Gage asks in alarm.
“Everything,” I whisper right before the pain grows so strong I fear I might be dying.
A burst of light suddenly explodes from me as I scream in pain. I glimpse everyone being thrown backward into the water and walls of the cave as Bain holds me tighter and yells, “I’ve got you!”
The pain is excruciating, different from anything I’ve ever felt before, as if my body isn’t made to hold the power of five mate bonds.
As it starts to fade, darkness presses in, and my body grows numb, and for the first time in over a decade, I fear that this death may be my last.
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