Chapter 63: Chapter 62

Zane Dam mit, Lanie.

| almost stopped Xander from holding her back, but it was more important than ever that she stay close.

All we wanted to do was protect her, but she had to f ucking fight us every step of the v way.

She could never just accept that we wanted to be her mates and protect her like mates were supposed to.

“You chose Alice. You aren’t my mates.”

F uck. She'd heard me.

| needed to get my emotions under control, otherwise she’d know everything | was thinking.

“Not this s hit again, Lanie,” Xander snapped as he released her from his grip.

| stood abruptly. “Yeah, we're done talking about Alice.”

“But it's true,” she argued. “The only reason you feel so protective of me is because of my mating heat.

Aldon told me it’s especially powerful since I’m a hybrid.”

| turned away from Lanie, scrubbing a hand down my face.

Xander and | hadn't even had a proper chance to discuss that elephant in the room.

Our mate was a f ucking vampire.

And yet...I felt no different about her now than | did yesterday.

But | had a feeling she’d never believe that no matter how many times Xander and | reassured her.

“We're talking to you through mindspeak, Lanie,” Xander said, his frustration growing by the second.

| could feel it seeping in through my pores, making my fists clench at my sides.

Xander bent down so his face was level with Lanie’s, their lips inches apart.

| found myself moving closer again too, bending down so | was level with the both of them.

There was that invisible cord again, tightening around the three of us.

“Do you think THIS is because of your mating heat, too?” Xander asked, a wicked smile curling up on his lips. “Correct me if I'm wrong, but that makes no f ucking sense.”

Lanie turned her head away from Xander and her gaze locked on mine.

Her lips pursed in a tight line.

“For all we know, it’s some weird vampire talent | have,” she said aloud. “You didn’t claim me. It can’t be the mate bond.”

“Or,” | said, not tearing my gaze away from hers. “Is it that our bond is so strong, so fated, that we didn’t need to claim you like we would another she-wolf?”

Her stony expression faltered.

She wanted to believe me so badly, but something was still holding her back.

“We're not st pid, Lanie,” Xander said. “If we wanted to take the easy way out, we could’ve stuck with Alice. We could’ve brought her to our bed while we locked you away in your quarters, out of sight, out of mind.”

Xander and | both stood slowly, each holding out a hand to Lanie.

“But that’s the thing,” Xander purred, “You never leave our mind.”

Lanie took our hands and stood up, the blanket falling to the ground.

There was so little fabric between us and that perfect porcelain skin of hers.

“Look Lanie,” Xander said, drawing her closer. “This is new territory for all of us. Arguing about what exactly our connection is or what it means. ..it’s pointless!”

Xander took a step toward Lanie, so she was now squeezed between us, our bodies touching in a dozen places.

“But you know what isn’t pointless?” | asked, wrapping my hand around the back of her neck and pulling her face to mine. “This.”

| kissed her deeply, fiercely, our tongues meeting in an intricate dance.

“The way | feel about you isn’t pointless,” | said when | finally pulled away “How hard | am for you...” | ran my hand up the inside of her thigh, then swiped a finger through her slick folds. “And how wet you are for us...”

Lanie’s eyes fluttered closed and her sweet scent thickened the air like a raincloud.

“But...” she whispered. “What if it isn’t real?”

| grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled hard, sending the buttons flying.

She gasped when my hands found her breasts, while Xander gripped her hips from behind.

“What if we prove that it is?”