“We’re here for you, Sweet Honey,” Talon added.
As I stared between two faces that were unearthly in their beauty, an urgency to claim them swept through me. I started to walk, and they caught up in a single stride. We had quite a few blocks to reach the city, and at first we were alone in our little bubble.
When we reached downtown the sound of chatter and vehicles was joined by the scent of city living. It wasn’t a bad scent—a mix of gasoline, food and shifters—but it also wasn’t the more natural scents of the outer regions. Talon’s hands grew tense around mine, and I wondered how his first immersive experience in the cities would go. Almost instantly his beast started to rumble, and that drew the attention of those around us, who immediately backed away.
“You two are the biggest predators they’ve ever had in their orbit,” I reminded him. “It’s not a weakness for them to back away… it’s smart. Survival instincts and all that. The city living didn’t remove that.”
Talon’s lips settled into flat lines; his eyes were almost as flat. He was so calm and gentle with me that it was easy to forget the lethal, dangerous assassin he’d been for almost two decades.
“I don’t care about their weaknesses. I just don’t like the way they’re looking at you,” he said, not bothering to keep his tone down.
I tugged him to a stop, and Slade paused with us, wearing an expression that lingered between amusement and annoyance. “They’re just curious,” I said, and Talon focused on me long enough to stop terrifying the locals with his dark glare. “We’re a powerful pack, and I’ve been mostly kept hidden. I’m sure rumors have been raging around since the attack on the compound too.”
Shifters had died during that attack.
Marcus had died. He was a shifter I cared about, and my heart ached at what Cora, Warrick, Richard and Sierra were going through.
It hurt this morning when they turned me away, but I knew they were grieving. I’d keep showing up, in whatever way they allowed me.
Talon’s expression softened; I doubted he’d missed my pulse of grief. “Okay, mate,” he murmured. “I trust your judgement here. They’re not weak, they’re wary. And they’re not trying to steal what’s mine, they’re curious about our power.”
Slade huffed, and I had no idea how he made one noise sound so satisfied. “They know better than to even get close to me.”
I nodded. “That’s also why they’re looking—Slade doesn’t touch. Anyone. Ever. And here we are, just casually holding hands.”
Slade dragged me closer, leaning down as he said, “Mine. My fucking mate.Mine.”
The smile that ripped across my face felt unhinged. “Yes, caveshifter. I am yours. As I am Talon’s. You’re all good boys, sharing as well as you do.”
Slade’s lips twitched, though his jaw remained rigid. “There’s only one good boy in this fucking pack, and it’s not either of us. You have no idea what you’re stepping into with us, Snow. But it’s too late to back out now.”
This wasn’t the first warning he’d issued me, and just like with all the others, whatever flicker of concern I should feel was crushed under my excitement. “I was born to handle you,” I said with a shrug. “Literally, according to fate. And more than happy to take the job.”
He mumbled something that sounded a lot like “We’ll see,”but he got us moving again before I could ask him to repeat himself.
Lots of shifters bowed as we crossed their path, with even more fearfully side-eyeing Talon. He continued to stare at them like they were bugs and he was the exterminator sent to delete them from this world. It was amusing to see them turn other alphas into stumbling, fearful messes.
More annoying were the females who didn’t appear to care howscary my dragons were. Alpha, beta, and delta ladies turneddrooling over theminto a competitive sport, and then it was my turn to rumble and glare. Which unfortunately did not have the same effect as the dragons.
When a leggy blonde got a little too close to Talon’s side, his teeth clanked together with a snap and she scurried away. My beast and I preened in satisfaction, thankful that none of my pack ever made me question their feelings. They were as obsessed with me as I was with them, and if that wasn’t your quintet, you needed to send them back.
Once Talon was done taking in the shifter city, he returned to watching me, the burn of his gaze scorching. He lifted my hand, and when he pressed his lips to the top of my knuckle, I felt that touch in the deepest recesses of myself.
“You are glorious,” he said, still not bothering to keep his voice down. “There’s not a shifter alive who could compare to you. I always knew it, but today has only reiterated the point. You, Emmeline Anders, are incomparable.”
Goddess.My lower lip trembled but I kept it together. “I feel the same about you,” I managed to say, wanting him to feel as loved as I did. Neither of us grew up with love, so it was a much bigger deal for us. “I feel it for all of my alphas.”
Talon tugged me close enough to kiss, and Slade blocked us with his wide shoulders, so others couldn’t be part of the moment. “Let’s go,” I whispered against Talon’s lips. “I’m ready to seal this bond.Please.”
It was thepleasethat had their energy igniting. They moved much faster through the streets, all but carrying me between them. Shifters scurried out of our way, but I barely saw them as I anticipated what would come next.
The final strands of our quintet were about to be sealed. I would finally claim all of my alphas.
I’d never been more ready.
CHAPTER 5
SLADE
