Page 20 of Make Me

“Then we can circle back and find them.” Zack shrugged. “But I don’t think we should discount your lioness. We knew we wouldn’t be able to find the prisoners all at once, but if your lioness is feeling strongly about a particular direction, let’s listen to her.”

Cody nodded in agreement.

Bethany was stunned by their easy acceptance, but she guessed that made sense. Her mom would have asked her a thousand questions before eventually choosing the opposite of what Bethany suggested.

“Okay, let’s go that way then.”

She shifted back into her lioness and followed the trail towards the Elven Forest. As they traveled, the pull began to feel familiar. It felt almost like the mate pull she felt towards Zack and Cody, but that couldn’t be right. Multiple mates were rarer than intermixed matings, and Claire and Holly already had that covered in their friend group.

An hour later, they stopped for a late lunch. After they finished eating, Cody shifted into his wolf, and Bethany had to fight the urge to run her fingers through his fur. They walked for another twenty minutes before they entered a large clearing. Cody froze and let out a threatening growl. Zack and Bethany immediately dropped into fighting positions as Bethany’s lioness yowled inside of her. Something was in the trees watching them. Was it one of the escaped prisoners who had doubled back to set a trap?

Across the clearing, the branches in a tree rustled, then a dark shape dropped from the tree. A lithe black panther landed at the base of the tree. Its intelligent golden eyes locked onto their group. She didn’t remember a panther shifter being in Zack’s prisoner records. Cody let out a warning growl when the panther took a step closer. Bethany placed a hand on Cody’s back, and his wolf settled. She wasn’t sensing any animosity from the panther. In fact, her cat was yowling in her head to get closer to him.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Bethany asked.

The panther studied her for a few moments before shifting back. Zack inhaled quickly. Sharp ears stuck out from his black hair. He was an Elf and also a shifter? A hybrid? A linen shirt and pants, in an Elven style, lay loose on his lean frame. He watched their expressions curiously.

“Who are you?” Zack repeated Bethany’s question.

The panther finally answered, his voice gravelly like he didn’t use it often. “I’m Mylo.”

“Are you half Elf?” Zack asked, like he was unable to contain his curiosity.

If it were a different situation, Bethany would have been amused by Zack’s inquisitive mind. But she still wasn’t sure if the panther was dangerous or not. Her cat didn’t seem to think so.

Mylo nodded, his eyes dancing like the question amused him. He’d probably expected a different question, as had Cody, if the look his wolf gave Zack was anything to go by. Toan hadn’t mentioned anything to Claire about sending any assistance in tracking down any escaped shifters. Why was he so far from the Capitol?

Bethany asked. “Did Toan send you?”

Mylo shook his head, and Cody growled before shifting back. “Why were you watching us?” he growled low in his chest.

Mylo gestured at Bethany. “Mate.”

“What?” Cody and Zack said at the same time, spinning to look at Bethany.

Bethany’s eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hand. Mate? No, that was impossible. She already had a fated mate and another her lioness had chosen. She couldn’t have another mate. She couldn’t even have the first two.

“You are mates, too.” Mylo looked confused as he gestured from Cody to Bethany and Zack. “Why do you let them walk around unclaimed?”

“What?” It was Bethany’s turn now to stare at Cody with wide eyes. She was his mate. Zack was Cody’s mate? That couldn’t be possible, his wolf would have claimed them already.

Mylo looked at Bethany. “You don’t claim them either? Why?”

Bethany’s legs went weak when he gestured to Cody and Zack. What was happening?

Mylo looked confused by their reactions. “You are all mates. Do you not know this?”

When they stared at him blankly, he sighed and looked up at the trees. “Humans are confusing.” he whispered to the leaves.

Cody’s lips quirked, and Mylo caught it.

“I do not understand. She is your mate, correct?” He gestured between Bethany and Cody.

Cody’s hand went to his throat like something hurt him, but he nodded.

Bethany stared at him in shock. “Wait. What? But you never said anything… I thought wolves…” she stammered. He knew she was his mate?

“Oh, like how you said something?” Cody shot back at her, dragging his hands through his hair. That was fair, but how could he not say anything? His wolf…

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