4. Cherry #2
He shrugs. “I don’t know. After my parents died, it didn’t feel like my pack anymore.
When I met Bain on the edge of Westgrove territory, we just clicked.
I somehow knew he was supposed to be a part of my family.
The same happened with Gage and then the twins.
When Kane questioned us living together, which is unusual, I told him they were part of my personal pack, the Silverstorm Pack. ”
“Is that your last name?” I ask for clarity, and he nods.
“Yes. Kane didn’t like it, especially because he and my father were half-brothers, so they had different last names. But I told him we would help as enforcers, and I think he was just so happy to not have to give up Westgrove to me that he allowed it.”
“So this pack is unusual. Other packs aren’t like this?”
“None that we know of,” Gage confirms.
I consider that for a moment and wonder if they will ever want to bring anyone else into our pack. “What if—” I cut myself off, unsure I can actually ask the question.
“Go on,” Maddox says, rubbing my thigh gently. “You can ask us anything.”
“What if you grow tired of me? How am I supposed to satisfy five giant alphas?”
Maddox doesn’t answer straight away as he glances at the others, and I have a feeling they’re talking through the pack bond.
“I’m assuming you have heard of fated mates before?” Maddox asks me gently, and I nod.
“My parents were fated mates,” I tell him.
“The Moon Goddess made us mates. She knows what we need and what we can handle. So, if she paired the five of us with you, it means she knows that you need us and we need you. You are literally fated to be a perfect match for us.”
I squeeze my legs together as a pulse of desire suddenly starts to coil in my belly. All this talk of them handling and taking care of me has my mind reeling with explicit images.
Maddox’s nostrils flare, and I can see his wolf starting to push forward.
“Sorry!” I squeak as I try to pull the shirt lower on my legs to cover my scent.
“Never apologize for being aroused,” Hunter says. When I look at him, I can see heat in his gaze.
“I’m a virgin," I blurt out, for some reason thinking this is the perfect time to admit that.
Chase laughs as he reaches up with his free hand to run the back of his finger down my heated cheek. “Fuck. I love how you say everything out loud.”
“I just… I thought you should know.”
“Thank you for telling us,” Maddox says, seemingly undisturbed by my outburst. “Does that mean you haven’t done anything intimate before?” I shake my head.
“How about a kiss?” Chase asks, his eyes dropping to my mouth.
I look at Maddox. “You kissed me yesterday. That was my first.”
He smirks. “That barely counts.”
“Oh? Is there another way to do it?”
Hunter and Chase laugh as my eyes bounce between them. “What did I say?”
“Maybe you need to show her,” Gage suggests. Maddox moves closer, and I inhale sharply when he reaches his free hand up to cup my face and tilts it up.
“Would you like that, little mate?” he asks softly as he moves in close, his lips hovering an inch above mine. “Would you like me to show you what a real kiss feels like?”
“Yes, please,” I whisper before holding my breath, nerves and excitement battling within me.
His lips ghost over mine, and I close my eyes, my hands reaching up to touch his chest. Then he presses in, firmer this time, and I melt into it. He’s right, this is better than the kiss he gave me yesterday.
Then his lips start to move. When I feel his tongue touch my lips, I gasp and he surges in. My back arches, and Gage’s hands tightly grip my waist, keeping me in place as I wrap an arm around Maddox’s neck with the need to get closer to him.
I had no idea kissing could feel this good.
My body starts to heat, and a pleasant ache spreads between my legs, silently begging him to move closer and complete the bond.
When, after several minutes of kissing me, he hasn’t touched me anywhere else, even though I crave it, I beg, “I need more, Maddox. I want to complete the mate bond with you.”
He pulls back, looking at me in surprise as his eyes bounce between mine. He licks his lips and swallows before sitting back, his hands moving to my leg as he explains, “We can’t do that yet.”
“Why not?” I pout.
“You could shift back at any second. It’s not safe. I’ll need to knot you to complete the bond, and we can’t risk you shifting.”
“Knot me?” I ask in confusion. “What’s that?”
Maddox glances at Gage, who answers for him.
“When alphas have sex with their mate, they can produce a large knot at the base of their penis,” Gage explains. “It’s designed to lock inside their mate to keep them close and make sure the bond is complete.”
My eyes widen at the explanation. I’d already gotten a glimpse of his size. They’re saying part of it would get even bigger and has to go inside me?
Maddox smiles and nods. “That’s another reason we need to wait. You’ve barely spent any time in your adult body.”
“I’m not a child,” I say in defense as he squeezes my leg.
“I know, sweetheart.”
“We should get going soon. The plane will be expecting us,” Gage says, and I glance over my shoulder at him.
“We never asked if you’re okay coming with us,” Maddox says. “You told me you didn’t have any family, so we hoped, especially now we know you're our mate, that you want to stay with us?”
“I go where she goes,” Bain says, narrowing his eyes on Maddox, which makes me laugh for some reason.
“You’re funny,” I tell him, which makes Hunter and Chase laugh.
“I’m just stating a fact.”
I smile at him, then look at Maddox before speaking. “Thank you for giving me the choice. Seriously, I’m not sure if you realize how important that is to me after all this time.” I turn to Bain before continuing. “And I feel the same way as you do. Where you five go, I go.”
He squeezes my leg and gives me a pleased, satisfied look that sends a pulse of desire between my legs. I press them together, but I see Bain’s nostrils flare, and that satisfied look only intensifies.
“Any other questions before we leave?” Maddox asks, distracting Bain and me from our stare-off.
“Yeah. When do I get to kiss the rest of you?”