Page 112 of Never Submit

There’s no way for me to learn all about how to be a shifter when this isn’t my place, and I grew up as a human. How am I going to fit in? And now it’s not just about letting down one pack; there are two involved. Two very different packs with very different men leading them.

What if we never have a life without the threat of Andras and the Blood Moon wolves looming over us?

Mathis cups my face between his hands, his callused thumbs brushing my cheekbones. His grip is unbreakable. “Breathe,” he orders. “Before you have a panic attack.”

I want to tell him I’ve never had a panic attack in my life, but the words are stuck and refuse to come out. It’s too hard to focus on my lungs, on the way they work, because oxygen just isn’t getting into my body. Black spots dance in front of my vision.

Relax, sweetheart, you’re okay, Mathis adds.

It’s a sweet moment, but a little weird without Noble there. Except he is there, in my head and in my heart, adding a steady and calming presence.

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Mathis says out loud, forcing me to look at him. “Everything is going to work out.”

How do I tell him there are too many loose ends? That there are threads dangling and no matter how hard I try for them, they are always just out of reach and I feel like I’ll never get anything resolved.

The people I care about in my life, the few of them I have, now have targets painted on their backs because of their association with me.

Andtwomates.

I’m not a born shifter, but somehow I have two men destined by fate to love me. To be there with me through life’s good points and challenges. What does it mean?

That line of thinking won’t lead me anywhere good, andthe old victim mentality is still there in the back of my head, the automatic pathway for my thoughts.I have to stop that.

Mathis adds his strength to mine, bolstering my resolve.

His heartbeat matches mine. Or maybe mine is struggling to match his, but eventually it slows down to a more normal pace. We inhale together, holding it in our lungs for the same count of time before exhaling.

His lips purse and he presses them to mine in an achingly sweet kiss. “There,” he murmurs. “You feel better?”

I smile against him.

A twig crunches behind us, but Mathis doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t turn away when Dax steps out from around a tree trunk. His lips part in a wide grin.

“I wanted to see you shift,” he says in an undertone, stalking closer. “I got to see something even more interesting. Amazing how different that jasmine scent is when you’re getting fucked, Red.”

Something inside of me comes alive, a feral piece I’m hardly able to name as I watch Dax slink forward. Every part of me wants him despite the soreness between my legs from Mathis.

He’s at home here in the dark woods. Something straight out of a fairytale designed to scare children. My very own big bad wolf. His golden hair is like a beacon, his eyes glowing, and his beard bristling.

“Did you like what you saw?” I ask Dax breathlessly.

“Little Red, youknowI liked it.”

And I love the way he calls me Red. Like it’s some kind of badge of honor that only I’ve earned. Especially since I’ve never been the nickname type. I want him. Even with my pussy still pulsing from Mathis, desire pools in my lower belly and between my legs.

The growl in Dax’s tone tells me everything I need to know about howhefeels. I glance at Mathis, expecting some kind of change on his face but there is nothing. Only a calm sort of acceptance of the situation.

I don’t mind.It’s not ideal, but it’s real.

His mood impacts mine and my heartbeat slows, going steady. Dax is his beta, but I’ve slept with him. Have they shared a woman before? Or is that another one of those things you just don’t do?

How can henotmind?

“She’s getting much better at the change,” Mathis tells Dax. “And like I said, Ren, the more you do it, the easier it will be, sweetheart.”

“Again. Do it again.” Dax is adamant.

There is something powerful in the way Dax talks. It’s on a different level from Mathis, even though Mathis is the alpha in this case. There’s still a ring of command in Dax’s tone I’m powerless to ignore.

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