Chapter 6
Gentry
We never had females in our home. As a general rule of thumb, we spent time with the pack females outside our den.
Now, Myla was there. Our mate.
It was surreal to walk through the back door and find her sitting in the kitchen while Theron cooked.
“Hi,” she said meekly.
“Hey.” I walked over to Theron and slid my hand down his back while keeping my eyes on Myla. “How was your day?”
Her eyes darted between us. “Great. The other Omegas came over, and we had a nice time.”
“Has Theron shown you around yet?”
“Uh, no.” I shot a glare at Theron, and Myla quickly came to his defense. “We got lost in conversation, and then he started cooking.” She shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. You can show me anytime.”
“Yeah, are you forgetting she lives here now?” Theron asked. “Don’t give me your little ginger scowl.”
I pointed my middle finger toward him, and Myla laughed.
We had all been a little nervous leaving Theron in charge of Myla on her first day. He wouldn’t be purposefully cruel, but we knew he was skeptical.
It wasn’t Myla he didn’t trust—it was the unsanctioned pack she came from.
Unsanctioned packs had caused a lot of discord over the years. The worst was when they snuck into Hidden Creek territory a month after Alpha Wynn overthrew his father. The pack was still getting used to the change in leadership and the new Alpha’s adjustments.
Our defenses were weak, and unsanctioned wolves—the New Vale pack—had taken advantage. The attack was brutal, and when it was over, we discovered it was only a distraction. They had taken a dozen of our females, including Theron’s sister.
I rounded the island and held out my arm. “Come on, I’ll show you around while Theron finishes up. Bowen and Silas should be home soon.”
Myla hesitated, then took my hand. “Sounds good.”
My wolf purred, and the sensation of her skin pressed to mine felt so good I wanted to join him.
I stole glances at her as we wound through the house. Golden curls cascaded down her back, and thick brown lashes brushed her rosy cheeks as she studied our den with wide chocolate eyes. The slight upturn of her nose, the little dimple on her chin . . . Goddess, she was more lovely than I ever could have imagined.
It was hard to believe that only a day ago, she was unconscious in a medical bay.
She had a healthy flush of color now, but as I cast an assessing sweep over her body, I noticed she was far too thin.
“Why did you—”
“Have you—”
We looked at each other and laughed as our words tangled together.
“You first,” she said.
“No, you first. I insist,” I countered.
The rosy blush staining her cheeks made her look younger—more innocent. “I mean . . . I was just wondering something.”
I gave her an encouraging nod.
“Theron gave me heat suppressants today. Why?”
I paused. “Did you not want them?” I asked carefully.
I was under the impression that she wasn’t ready to go through her heat cycle with us. Was I wrong?
“I did,” she said, her blush intensifying. “But I don’t understand why you guys gave them to me so easily. Don’t you want to mate me?”
I searched her eyes, trying to make sense of her question.
“Of course we want to mate you. Any red-blooded shifter male would want to after getting a whiff of your scent. However, our wants have nothing to do with yours. You may be our mate, but it’s still your body.”
Myla looked down, embarrassment, sadness, and shame bleeding into her scent.
I crooked a finger beneath her chin and raised her head. Our eyes clashed.
The rapid beat of her pulse fluttered against my finger.
“We will only take what is freely given,” I said, urging her to understand. “Nothing more.”
Her brows dipped, but her eyes glimmered with hope. “I believe you.”
I slipped my hand from her chin and showed her the rest of our den. When we reached the top floor, I pointed out our bedroom and private bathroom. There were five smaller rooms and another full-sized bathroom down the hall.
We used the smaller rooms as pseudo-closets, allowing us to keep the bedroom clutter-free.
“Wait . . . there’s only one bedroom?” Myla asked, alarmed. “Where did you guys sleep last night?”
“The entertainment room,” I said.
“Goddess, I’m so sorry.”
I shrugged. “We wanted to put you at ease. It’s not a big deal.”
“It is.” She swayed from side to side. “Umm . . . tonight, I think . . . I think I want you guys back in the bed.”
My eyes widened with disbelief. “The bed . . . with you. Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Yes, I’m sure. I don’t want anyone to be uncomfortable. It’s your den.”
“It’s our den. If you change your mind, just let me know.”
“Okay.”
Do not worry. If she feels anxious, we can relax her with our tongue. We’ll taste every inch of her until she can think of nothing else , my wolf growled salaciously.
Or we could stick to the plan and let her come to us , I replied.
I discreetly adjusted my hardening cock and directed her downstairs, showing her the entertainment room and gym.
“Whenever you’re ready, one of us will take you to the shops to get you clothing and the other items you need,” I said, leading her back to the kitchen.
Her eyes lit up at the mention of shopping. “Wait, like real stores? With inventory and people and choices ?”
I laughed at the bounce in her step. “Yes, exactly like that. You can even put in custom orders.”
She let out a little squeal. “I can’t wait!”
Myla’s happiness was like the first ray of sunshine after a storm. Her pleasure sent a streak of pride down my spine.
The open display of emotion was the first sign that she was becoming comfortable with us.
Confident that Myla knew her way around the den, I guided her back to the kitchen. Bowen and Silas sat at the table as Theron finished plating dinner.
Our bond thrummed as Bowen and Silas stared at her.
“Did something good happen?” Bowen asked.
Milan nodded as I took my seat. I couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t speak more than necessary when we asked a question.
She made no effort to join us. Instead, she remained by the wall.
“Aren’t you coming?” Silas asked.
Myla’s shoulders jolted. “Oh, right, sorry.” She rushed to the table and picked up a serving spoon. “What would you like on your plate?”
Bowen clenched his fork in his fist.
Silas put his hand over Myla’s. “We don’t want you to serve us. We want you to eat with us.”
She gave us a bashful look, and her cheeks turned red. “Right.”
Myla awkwardly settled between me and Silas.
The air in the room changed as apprehension and anger prowled through the bond like a living creature.
Theron cleared his throat, nudging Bowen with his shoulder. Bowen jumped into action, taking his portion and passing the serving plate.
“Is that what you did in your pack?” Bowen asked casually. “You were a server?”
“All the females were.” She grabbed the bowl Silas handed her and looked at me, checking to see if it was all right. I nodded, enraged by her hesitancy to eat.
“All of them? Were there so few females that they could all be on serving duty?” Theron took a sip of his water.
Myla passed the bowl to me, tucking an errant curl behind her ear. “No, there were quite a few, actually. But most were bedmates to the pack, which left the chores to the rest of us.”
Bedmates? “What exactly is a bedmate?” I asked, even though I had a strong suspicion.
Red crept down Myla’s neck, and she looked at her plate as she spoke. “Bedmates are . . . temporary companions for any of the males who hold rank in the pack. If they’re lucky, they become a permanent mate, but that’s pretty rare. Most males like to switch out bedmates every couple of weeks.”
The only sound in the room was the drizzle tapping against the windows.
Myla risked a glance around the table.
Theron’s jaw was locked tight, and his knuckles went pale with the force of his grip around his glass.
Bowen subtly took it from his hand and set it aside.
“The females do this for protection?” I asked.
“And privileges. Food, clothes, and fewer chores.”
“So it’s a caste system?” Silas said.
“Uh-huh,” she agreed. “Unprotected females are at the bottom, and those useful to the pack are at the top.”
We stewed over her words as we ate.
I hadn’t heard of a pack like that since the Black War.
“There is no system like that here,” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
Myla gave me a small smile. “I know. The other Omegas told me. They said everybody works here and receives equal treatment.”
“You sound like you don’t believe it,” Silas said.
“I do. It’s just . . . hard to wrap my head around.”
“We’ll make it easier for you then,” Theron said. “Come to the shop with me tomorrow. I’ll show you around during my break.”
Surprise flashed across her face, but she quickly replaced it with a pleasant expression. “Sounds like a plan.”