Page 85 of Choose the Bears

“Stay safe,” I told Daisy, something that earned me a nod from the publican. “Just stay safe.”

Chapter 45

Imogen

“He shifted for the first time at ten years old and killed the bastard.”

I could see it then, all too clearly, a boy with Asher’s blue eyes that was hovering in the place between child and man. Too tall and yet still with the spindly limbs of a kid, those same hands that picked up and threw Phil dripped with blood as he stood over the fallen form of some man.

“What did he do?” I rasped out. “Their foster father?”

“Well, that’s Ursula’s story?—”

“He raped me.” The woman herself came walking into the hallway, and the others all shifted nervously, to make small sounds of sympathy, to reach out and squeeze Ursula’s hand as she passed. She met the eyes of each woman, nodding in recognition, but it was me she was focussed on. She came to stand before me, crossing her arms, then thinking better of it.

“When they reported it in the news, it was called a ‘sexual relationship with a minor,’ but that wasn’t it. It was rape. I didn’t want that fuck within ten feet of me and there was certainly no relationship happening there. After my brother was finishedwith him, there was nothing of him left. Asher killed the man who hurt me because he saw me as his sister.”

She nodded slowly.

“If he was prepared to do that for me, imagine what he’d do to keep you safe as his fated mate.”

“We’re getting a little ahead of ourselves here,” Flo said. “Imogen hasn’t decided to accept the bond yet.”

“Yes, I have.” That came out way too fast, too eager, but I couldn’t seem to regret that. “I have. I’m going to accept the bond.”

“Good—” Ursula said with a grin.

“Before you know what that means?” Nat got to her feet. “Once you accept their bites, this is forever.”

“Bites…?” My brain raced, able to fill in the gaps through my reading. “They’re going to mark me as theirs by biting me on the neck?”

Nat pulled her collar away to reveal several neat scars, Ellie, Gail, Fern, Ingrid, all the women doing the same. For a second, there was a silent moment of solidarity amongst the group.

And I wanted to join them.

To count myself among their number. To be able to come here and advise other wild eyed women about what they were getting themselves into. I wanted to skip all of this and get straight to the good bit, because those moments had been few and far between. Instead, I sucked a breath in, then another.

“Yeah, I want that.”

Because I could see it in my mind’s eye, exactly how it was going to go. Not just Lucas, naked and splendid before me, but all three. Who wouldn’t want them pulling you down in between them? Who wouldn’t want their kisses raining over all parts of your body? And then right when you were sighing with pleasure, I could see it–sinking down on Kyle’s or Asher’s cock the moment their fangs snapped down, the pain making thepleasure all the sweeter. I’d ride one of them and then the next, letting them claim me in turn. Then I’d bite down with my own blunt teeth, marking them right back because I wanted every woman that looked at them to know that they were mine.

“She’s rushing things,” Flo muttered, but Gail just smiled.

“You know what you want, don’t you, sweetheart?” Her earth mother smile was exactly what I needed right now. “Something inside you knew this moment would happen, and it's been waiting, waiting for them to come along.”

I could only nod, something too big, too intense, rising in my throat. Swallowing wouldn’t dislodge it and I couldn’t confess it either, this overpowering need. To be loved, to be cared for, to finally put my bundle down and just surrender to something bigger than me. So a nod had to suffice.

“Did you have any questions or issues you’d like to discuss?” Fern asked, peering into my eyes.

“No.” I glanced from one woman to the next, seeing past their concern to something else I desired so very much. Security. “I know everyone’s concerned, but… This is what I want. It’s what I’ve always wanted, so you don’t need to worry about me changing my mind.”

That didn’t placate a bunch of the women here I could see, but they weren’t the ones who were important. Fern flushed prettily and Gail wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

“Well then, Fern and I, we organised a little get together, just in case you decided to accept the bond.”

“Little get together?”Asher snorted as we all walked into the backyard of a nice house situated in the inner city. “I’m fairly sure every member of Lucas’ and my family is here.”

And that should’ve been nerve wracking. The house looked like it should grace the cover of a glossy architecture magazine,and the garden was just stunning. The flower beds were filled with roses of every colour, the sweet perfume filling the air. However, it was the crowd that kind of intimidated me, each head turning around to take us in.

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