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Mostyn tried to process it all. “So, anyone who wants in is accepted?”
“Well, we do run a background check. That’s Bray’s department. And Palani vets everyone as well, and he’s an excellent judge of character. And if he misses something, Lidon picks up on it. He used to be a cop, so he’s got some good instincts. And there’s his power, of course.”
Mostyn swallowed. “You mean that what I’m feeling, that slight buzz, is his power?”
Kean cocked his head. “You can feel it?”
Mostyn nodded. “It’s like a low-voltage electric current. It doesn’t bother me, but I’m very aware of it.”
“Interesting. Well, it’s that power that has allowed him to shift.”
Mostyn froze. He must’ve misunderstood. Kean couldn’t mean actual shifting. As in shifting into a wolf. Right? No one had shifted in decades. “S-shift?”
“Yes, shift. Into his wolf form. We all can. Well, not all of us, but those who are in a relationship with our fated mates.”
Mostyn’s head dizzied. “I need to sit down for a moment.”
He didn’t wait but sank to the ground, plopping down on his butt in the grass. Kean lowered himself next to him, patting his shoulder. “I know it can be overwhelming. I’m s—”
“You can shift into a wolf,” Mostyn interrupted him, far more interested in details than apologies.
“Yes.”
“For real.”
“Not something I would ever joke about.”
No, he wouldn’t, but Mostyn couldn’t wrap his head around it. “Can I see? I mean, can you do it just like that?”
“I could, but it’s not considerate. Shifting has an effect on the rest of the pack, so we only do it when needed or with a forewarning. But I’m sure we’ll have a pack meeting sometime soon where you’ll be able to see for yourself.”
He would be able to see wolves. Real, actual wolves. Like his ancestors had been, in stories that had always sounded more like myths and fairy tales than history to him. “I can’t wait.”
“It’s pretty damn epic, not gonna lie.”
“So if I stay, would I be able to shift? Oh, wait, you said only those who are with their fated mates, right?”
Kean nodded. “Yeah, you’d have to find your mates.”
“Mates, plural? There are no couples here, only triads?”
“Triads and the foursome Lidon is in.”
Okay then. Mostyn hadn’t been in a hurry to settle down, and he sure as fuck had never considered more than one partner, but if that was what was considered the norm here, he could adapt. Especially if it meant he’d be able to shift. Small price to pay. “And how does that work exactly, finding out who your mates are?”
Kean grinned. “You seem remarkably okay with that part.”
Mostyn shrugged. “I like sex. A lot. So the idea of having two partners isn’t exactly a hardship.”
“That’s good. You’ll find that most people in the pack like sex…including public sex.”
Mostyn’s mouth dropped open. “What exactly does that mean?”
“It means that on any given day, you could run the risk of interrupting some people in their sexual activities, especially in Jawon’s House. That’s what we call the main house, where Lidon lives with his men, as well as Grayson and his boys. They just had a baby boy yesterday, Kateb. For a little while, I stayed there with my mates, but that got a bit too crowded, so we moved into our own cottage right next door.”
“You’re saying your brother-in-law fucks his men in public?”
“Yup, and it’s not just him. Grayson does the same, and if needed, he’ll punish in public too. Lars, one of his mates, can be a handful, and Grayson will spank him if needed.”
