Cam just grunted in response.
Ben handed me a new cup of coffee. As I reached out to take it, the sleeve of the horrid dress my mother had forced me to wear this morning shifted back, revealing the finger-shaped bruises left by Pack Madden. Before I could pull my sleeve down, a vicious growl erupted from Cam’s chest.
“How the fuck did you get those bruises?” he asked, gripping my wrist in a tender hold that didn’t match the rage in his voice.
I flinched at his anger, even though I knew it wasn’t aimed at me.
“It’s nothing,” I said, tugging my sleeve back down.
“It’s not nothing,” Cam said fiercely.
“Did one of your fathers do this?” Theo asked, his voice almost too calm.
“Oh no. Um, it was the other pack I interviewed with yesterday. I cut the interview short, and they tried to stop me from leaving.”
“What’s the pack’s name?” Theo asked, the rage in his scent betraying his tone.
“It’s just some bruises. It’s okay,” I said. My survival instinct was screaming at me—don’t make a big deal of it, downplay your needs, placate the alphas.
Cam shook beneath me, and Ben couldn’t tear his eyes away from my wrist.
“It’s our job to protect you. If someone hurts you, we need to know,” Cam said through gritted teeth.
The energy in the room crackled, the tension acting as a warning sign to my system. The warmth of their bodies, their touches, turned suffocating. I was too vulnerable here. I pushed myself out of Cam’s embrace—ignoring how his grunt of displeasure pulled at my heartstrings—and stood up.
I tugged the dress again, trying to ignore the way the fabric pinched my rolls of skin, and looked down at the three of them. Their scents were bitter with distress, but I couldn’t sense any anger. That gave me the confidence to take a deep breath and launch into the speech I had practiced all night.
“I know your alpha instincts are telling you to protect me, but you shouldn’t feel obligated. I know you don’t really want an omega and this was just a favor for Amirah. I really appreciate you doing the interview. You saved me from a really terrible pack. But I get it if you don’t really want me here. If you let me stay, I promise I’ll be really quiet and not bother you. I can also clean and do other things around the house.” My words came faster, a far cry from the measured, collected way I had delivered them in my mirror.
The three alphas froze. The silence stretched on uncomfortably. Cam broke it with a growl.
“You’re our mate,” he said, his voice deep and rough. “We’ll do anything for you and want you here more than anything. I’m so fucking grateful we were asked to do the interview because I would murder any other pack that got close to you.”
My eyes had been fixated on the patterned rug under my feet, but at his words, they shot up, meeting his gaze. My heart pounded a million beats a minute, and a delicious warmth ran through me, hopefulness that what he was saying was true. But then, an icy wave of disbelief covered it.They’re messing with you, getting your hopes up so they can betray you.
“Mates?” I croaked out. “What are you talking about?”
“You don’t feel it?” Ben asked gently. “We knew from the moment you walked in the room that you were ours.”
Theo nodded his agreement. Hazy numbness was washing over my body and my legs trembled. I clenched my hands again, pressing my fingernails into my palms just tofeelsomething. I had always dreamed of finding my fated mates, always hoped that someday someone would want me,loveme. This was too good to be true. Life had taught me that good things would always be ripped from me.
Theo reached out and unfurled my fists, soothing the crescent-shaped marks I’d pressed into my hands.
“But I thought that never happened. Aren’t fated mates a myth?” I whispered.
“The Designation Government has made it seem that way,” Theo said gently, “but we know quite a few packs that bonded with their mate. We think it’s more common than the government wants us to believe because they can be more in control of who matches with a pack.”
“But how do you know? You could be wrong. You don’t even know me,” I said, my words coming out high-pitched and strangled.
“None of us have any doubts,” Ben said. “Your scent does things to me I’ve never felt before. I already know you’re so kind, strong, and precious. You already feel like the center of our pack.”
Ben gently caressed the bruised spot on my wrist before dropping his hand again. He looked so genuine, so hopeful. What if… what if this was real? But then, why didn’t I feel it? A heaviness settled in my stomach. Maybe my parents had been right all along. I was defective. I couldn’t even tell if these alphas were my mates.
“Then why don’t I feel the same thing?” I asked, panicked.
Ben let out a distressed noise.
“We think there’s a good chance that being on suppressants might temporarily suppress your omega from recognizing us as mates,” Theo said, continuing to rub my hand soothingly.
