Page 122 of Drama Queen

Our fated mate.

Maddock sits next to her, while Kato kneels at her feet, her fingers threading through his hair. I see the moment she catches my scent because she stiffens, and then her eyes shoot straight to mine.

“Ares…” Her name is a whispered plea begging for forgiveness, wavering with emotion I long thought dead.

She whimpers in return, buckling my knees with the force of our connection, causing them to slam to the ground. Her lower lip trembles, unable to speak, even though she tries.

“K, give them a moment.” Knox’s voice mumbles, tightening the air around us.

Kato growls, glaring over his shoulder in warning as he moves from our mate’s lap, sending a silent message—do not fucking hurt her again. Her skin flushes as her chest heaves with heavy breaths. She’s absolutely stunning.

Eight

ARES

He’s here.

Hendrix.

His scent hits me suddenly, flaring up my spine like icy fire fingers, eliciting a shiver of excitement and pain. He’s just as beautiful as the last time I saw him, that night he rejected me.

A high-pitched noise hits my ears, and it takes a moment to realize it’s me keening. The whine is a mixture of incomprehensible emotions—relief that he’s here, pain from the rejection, sadness for all that we’ve lost, and anger. Anger at him for being vulnerable, at myself for running away, and most of all, anger at whoever did this to us.

My alphas all shift, wanting to forget their promise to give Hendrix and me a moment, wanting to comfort me. Kato growls softly, only stopping when Knox elbows him, muttering under his breath.

Hendrix’s face crumbles, his lower lip trembling like mine, but his teary eyes remain fixed, silently promising that he’ll never leave us again. He remains motionless, knees on the floor, waiting for my forgiveness before approaching.

Finally, I blink, showing acceptance, welcoming. We’ve all been suffering. Now is the time to stop. Reaching out, I bridge the gap we’ve all craved.

“Mate.”

His eyes slam closed with devastation but open with gratitude. “Ares,” he whispers again, slowly sliding closer, still on his knees. When he’s close enough, he drops to his hands, gripping my bare feet, kissing my toes. “My mate, I’m so sorry.” Each word is careful, laden with emotion, his human and wolf sides warring for dominance.

An uncontrollable sob rips from my throat as my fingers dig into his hair, pulling him to eye level. Heat cramps my stomach, reminding me we’re on a timeline, and if we’re going to do this, the air needs cleared quickly.

“I forgive you.”

A kaleidoscope of noises fills the air—cries from Hendrix and me as we cling to each other, a whoop from Knox in the background, a grunt of approval from Maddock. Kato is already dropping to his knees next to his brother.

His eyes dilated, lips murmuring ‘mate, mate, mate’ under his breath as he rubs his cheeks across my thighs. Hendrix ignores him, cupping my cheek as he leans in to brush our noses together.

“I love you,” he chokes, diving headfirst into our commitment. “I think I always have?—”

“Me too, mate. Me too.” Kato’s interruption hums softly as he somehow maneuvers his way between my legs, nuzzling the warmth between my thighs.

A moan of appreciation signals the start of our first heat, drawing my other mates forward.

Maddock reaches out his hand, silently offering guidance. The wolf and alpha in him drive his instincts to take, to claim, and I’m entirely open to it as I reach out.

“Evie’s napping now, but we’ll take care of her during your heat.”

“Oh!” Clarity dawns, and I corral the hussy between my legs. “Evie…” I turn back to Hendrix. “Do you want to meet your daughter?” The bond in my chest aches, signifying heightened emotions running through the four of my mates, but none so intensely as with Hendrix in this moment.

“Yes.” He squeezes my hand and tugs me towards the hall, as if he’s lived here for years and knows exactly where he’s going.

The door to Evie’s room opens slowly, trying not to wake her with the sound of five adults coming to admire her while she sleeps, but her little angel face keeps us all silent.

A smile tugs at my lips when I see she’s still in the clothes she ate in—strawberry stains everywhere. Thankfully, she’s mostly clean, so I remain quiet. They’ll get the hang of fatherhood, and the dull ache in my chest pounds harder at the thought. The first real moment of acceptance sparks to life, and I embrace it. No, Iloveit.

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