Declarations

I awoke around noon to pounding on the door. My exhaustion was so bone deep, even my nightmares couldn’t find me.

Chase answered it in only his breeches. Tossing it wide open revealed the presence of our alpha in the doorway.

My heart dropped as I twisted to see him from beneath the bedding.

“You.” The alpha pointed at me, confirming my fear.

Victor and Huntley flanked Chase.

Our alpha eyed the three of them. “I heard we had a stray try to get away this morning.”

“We ran her down.” Chase shrugged. “First time taken under a Mating Moon.”

“She was afraid it’d be like that every night,” Victor explained flatly.

Our alpha laughed uproariously. Peering between them, he met my look. “Did you now?”

Feeling a fool, I gave a slight nod.

“Mine thought that too.”

~Laura did too?~

“Poor thing,” he shook his head. “I’ll forgive you then.”

His voice hardened to steel as he lifted a single 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.”

***

I’d always hoped to avoid Declarations.

Women were to be dragged into camp by their mates to reveal their mark to the pack. Declaring them possessed by the man that’d ‘tamed’ them.

~I hate that term.~

~Tamed. Like a house pet. ~I’d be damned if I were anyone’s house pet.

If these boys thought they’d won this game, they’d find themselves sorely mistaken. I stared at them as they faced me across the room. Chased closed the door.

~I’ve not forgotten how I controlled them with that pleasure. How vulnerable they were to me in that moment.~

If I was going to stay and be their mate, it’d be on my terms.

Victor had said that guidelines would be set.

~Yeah, well they’re going to be set by me.~ Determination set my jaw.

“What’s that look?” Chase asked Huntley.

“Intriguing,” Huntley answered. Realizing his brother thought he’d have an answer, he expostulated, “How the hell would I know! She always had the hood on.”

“She’s decided something.” Victor crossed his arms over his chest. “Something we’re not going to like.”

***

When the door to my hut was tossed open, I wore Huntley’s clean tunic. Belted at my waist, I turned it into a short dress. Long, silky, blonde hair draped down to my hips, swaying with each step I took.

I stepped out unashamed, bare feet hitting the dirt. My legs were exposed to the morning breeze. It felt remarkably refreshing.

They all wore their pants. Bare bronzed chests brushing my shoulders and back as they moved with me. Like a single unit, they shifted as I shifted. They seemed to know my movements before I did.

We walked to the center of camp where a crowd had gathered, positioned on logs.

~Primarily others that were marked or marked someone.~ Those that had not bred the night before were sulking elsewhere. Agonized from a night of unbearable frustration and pain.

~Now I understand why.~

Victor swept my hair aside to reveal his bite mark on the side of my neck.

I tilted my head to make it readily visible. A strange sense of pride washed over me despite the shame I’d expected. To belong to my mates, to be accepted in the pack…it touched something deep.

Alana stomped in frustration.

“No!” Katy whined, crossing her arms over her shoulders. Her eyes immediately skid mournfully to Huntley.

I could feel him grinning at her from behind me.

Chase was next, revealing his mark.

Then Huntley moved my shoulders, directing me to turn around and face him. He swept my hair over my shoulder and lifted it high along the back.

Alana and Katy were so mad they stalked from the camp huffing and grumbling.

“She is ours,” Huntley said.

“No one hurts her. No one touches her,” Victor added.

“No one bothers her!” Chase called after Katy and Alana. “Or we’ll make them pay.”

The collected pack applauded.

“And she stays with you,” our alpha added softly, giving me a long look.

“They are mine,” I said with a lifted chin. “And I ~will~ stay with them.”

~My males. On my terms. My pleasure for theirs, or I’d turn them on each other.~

They all knew, and they’d all agreed.

And somehow, I felt powerful. Proud.

These three gorgeous animals were mine. ~My mates…~

My wolf emitted a possessive growl.

A sound which was echoed by the three males surrounding me.

~All that’s left is to get revenge for my family.~