I chewed my cheek feeling horribly uncomfortable.
"You've lost your virginity."
"I was a virgin?" That did explain that first pain.
"You didn't know?" His brows shot up.
I paused.
"Of course, you didn't. You can't remember." He did that strange, kind, gesture in which he stroked my hair back from my face and tucked his palm against my cheek.
"We marked you, and the Mating Moon is done."
"I can't survive that every night." I whimpered.
“Every night!” His voice rose.
I shook my head.
“Vanna Rae...” He chuckled chidingly. “Neither could we. We’d all die in a puddle.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s the only night of the year we’re like that.”
"Then what would tonight be like?"
"Tonight, you recover. And however, many nights it takes. We've traumatized your body. You need to heal. We hunt for you, we tend you. Until you're whole again."
"And after that?"
"After that, we establish a routine of what will give you pleasure and not pain. How much you want and can receive in one night."
"And what if one of you wants more."
"We all will. Be fair and just in your decisions and don't favor one more than the others."
"What if a I favor you more."
"Then you decide if you want me to fight my brothers to relinquish their marks. Or they'll try to kill me when I least expect it."
"You love each other." I objected.
"More than breath. But we're still wolves. And you're our
mate. We'll fight to our death for our mate."
"It's not fair. Why must I decide who lives or dies."
"Because you're the only one that gets to." He said flatly.
It felt like an immense amount of pressure.
And I was exhausted.
His gaze changed to sympathy as he saw it on me. "You haven't slept at all."
I didn't have time to answer. I collapsed. But I never felt the ground.
Just his palm under my head and an arm over my back as he lifted me.
"You've got her?" Hunter called.
"Got her." He announced.
"How'd you find me?" I whispered weakly.
Having to know.
"I marked you first." He whispered near my ear. "I'll always sense your location."
I'll never get away from them. My heart throbbed heavily.
***
I awoke around noon to pounding on the door.
Racer answered it in only his breeches. Tossing it wide revealed the presence of the imposing young alpha in the doorway.
Draven. My heart dropped as I twisted to see him beneath the coverlet.
He's here because I tried to run.
"You." He pointed at me. Confirming my fear.
Vanquish and Hunter flanked Racer.
Draven eyed the three of them. "I heard we had a stray try to get away last night."
"We ran her down." Racer shrugged. "First time taken under a Mating Moon."
"She was afraid it'd be like that every night." Vanquish explained flatly.
Draven laughed uproariously. Peering between them to meet
my look. "Did you now?"
Feeling a fool, I gave a slight nod.
"Mine thought that too. Pour thing. I'll forgive you then." He said before his voice hardened to steel as he lifted a finger. "Once. But never again. You are mated to these men. You stay with them.
Do you understand me."
The fierce note in his voice was so commanding I didn't dare wonder what would happen to me if I failed to obey.
I sat up and nodded stiffly. Clinging to the blanket.
"Good. Now get up. Get dressed and get out here. For the Declarations."