I let myself remember that day for a moment. The nervousness when I got up to the mic. The way I sang with desperation, not really in hopes of a mate, but more in hopes of finally making my mother proud. And then, sadly, to my soul’s shattering disappointment, I didn't call anyone. The look on her face confirmed my fears. That I was worthless to her.
My emotions caught in my throat as I whispered, “I didn't call to anyone.” I took a beat before I looked up at them with watery eyes and laughed without any joy. “My mother didn't have any use for a princess that couldn’t continue her line with a siren royal child.”
I looked up, expecting pity or disgust, maybe even a little anger towards my mother, but all I saw was compassion and understanding. They looked at me like I was perfect, that nothing about what I said meant anything to them, and I didn't realize until this moment how much I needed that. How much I needed someone to see me, the real me, broken pieces and all, and say that it didn't matter. That they cared for me anyway.
It made me feel worse about one thing that I felt was an invasion of privacy that I needed to clear up with them now. “Before you say anything, I need to confess… I had files made up on each of you and read them a while ago.”
Each of them took it a little differently. Bricks and Duce, who already told me the main parts of their stories, didn't seem that affected, maybe a little embarrassed, but not really fazed. Then I had Gears, who shrugged. “Once I figured out that you were with the government, I figured you must’ve.”
Dino asked in a low, accusing voice, “So, did you scout us ahead of time? Like at the club that you met Bricks and Duce in?”
I shook my head. “No. In fact, you guys were not even on my radar until that night because you had a meeting with Killian.”
Their faces said that I had better start talking, so I rushed out, “Look. This all started because of me killing the head of the Rodriguez clan.”
“What?!” Dino’s head swiveled, and I felt the need to keep going before he went too far.
“Look, the government needed him out because he was trying to play the good guy with the humans when he was the main source of drugs in the United States. What we didn't know was that the rest of the family wasn't strong enough on their own and ended up being demolished.” I peeked at Dino, letting a small shred of sympathy shine in my eyes, but he wasn't having any of it.
“Good fucking riddance if you ask me.” He looked down at his hands. “If you read a file on me, then I'm guessing you know why I would hate my own family? Why I don't go by that name anymore?”
I nodded, sliding my hand across the table and laying it on top of his. He tried to pull away, but I wouldn't let him. “You're stronger than them. You always have been.” His eyes grew wide as he stopped trying to pull away and turned to me slowly. “I saw the life drain from his eyes and, in the end, he was nothing. He didn't have any fight in him. You are different. You are a survivor.”
“In fact, let me tell all of you this now. Nothing in your files made me fear you, dislike you or look down on you. The opposite, really. I saw your strength, your fight, and your survival. In this cruel world that only wants to prey on people, to exploit their weaknesses, and push out those that are different, you created a place for yourselves. It's not something to be sad over or pitied, it's something to cherish and protect.”
I let go of Dino’s hand, prepared to pull it back into my lap, but he turned his hand around and captured mine. Bringing my gaze up to his, I saw for the first time his amethyst-colored eyes glittered with an emotion other than anger and annoyance. “Try to sing. Try to compel me.”
When I looked at him like he was mad, he just smiled, the expression looking out of place on his hard face. “What?! Are you mad?”
He pulled my hand in more, pulling me almost across the table. “Sing for me. Try to get me to be that compliant little doll that you make others into. I want to prove to you once and for all that we are your mates because we all know you are ours.”
When I didn't say anything, I just looked into his face, searching for the trick, but there wasn't any. “Celine, we know you’re our mate. I can feel it. My wolf can feel it.” He tapped the center of his chest where his heart was. “I tried not to, I tried to push you away, but I couldn't. And now that we’re here,” he looked down at our joined hands, bent down, and kissed my knuckles as he flicked his eyes up and breathed against them, “I just want to stay by your side. All of us do.”
I looked up to see all of them nodding or smiling, all in agreement, and my heart swelled. They wanted me for me, broken pieces and all.
I turned to him again. “Look at me. Look in my eyes, and don't look away. It should only take a few seconds to set in.”
“But it won’t.” His surety fueled my own as I focused on him and sang.
I sang out like I did that day at the ceremony all those years ago. I sang with all my might, trying to prove them wrong. When his eyes never went lifeless, when his eyes stayed clear and true, I smiled a true smile. My heart stopped beating for a few seconds as it filled with the one emotion I thought wasn’t for me. Happiness.
I sprung up, grinning from ear to ear as I went to each of them, grabbing their faces and repeating the process. Each one of them continued to have clear eyes, eyes that shined up at me with love. My breath caught in my throat as water filled my eyes.
When I finally got to Rabid, he was smiling back, already turning towards me. Before I started, he said, “Your siren song does compel me, but it doesn't make me into some husk of a person, it calms me.” He slid his hands into mine. “Your siren song compels me to know that whatever state I'm in, I'm dealing with you, and the means I follow you. I follow what you want because you're my mate and deserve everything you want in this world.”
I moved into his lap, sitting down as I looked deep into his eyes and sang. He closed them for a second, just listening to my voice, before opening those honey brow pools, swirling with pride as his eyes never left mine. When I saw them stay clear, I couldn't help it anymore, and I surged forward, capturing his lips with mine.
His hands went straight for my ass, his fingers digging in like he couldn't get enough. A growl erupted from his lips, and I smiled, knowing that I had caused my wolf to get a little out of control. “Do you believe us now?”
I pushed my hands into his silky hair, gripping it tightly before yanking it back, exposing his vulnerable neck to me. I ran my lips against the curve; a whimper caught in his throat as I ran my teething against him. “Yes. I believe you, mate.” His hands gripped me hard when I bit down, showing him that I could handle his wolf side and embrace it.
His moan filled the room as the hardness between his thighs thickened, bulging out of his pants. I felt a set of hands circle behind me as lips touched the tip of my ear. “I think we need to take this somewhere a little more comfortable, don't you think, Cupcake?”
Rabid growled again, tightening his grip on me, but I started to hum a tune, and he loosened his grip. I turned my face upward, kissing my pretty boy's chin as I ground myself into Rabid.
Duce took his moment, yanked me away, and ran for his bedroom. “Now watch as the wolves come out to play, my dangerous mate.” I bounced as he ran, looking over his shoulder to see four sexy-as-sin mates barreling through the hallway with lust burning in their eyes.
“They're gaining on you.” I let Duce know, but he just laughed as he started to jog down the hallway. He pushed through his door and slammed it shut, locking it before he threw me onto the bed.
