Page 278 of Rage

“Wh—what?” I ask, my brows pinching together, my face certainly betraying my clear shock at this revelation.

Ewan rubs a hand over his face, scratching the stubble he has growing on his chin and cheeks. I’m not sure if he always has it or not, but he’s beautiful with it. “Can we go downstairs and make some coffee? You thrashed around a lot last night, and it took a bit for me to fall asleep once you settled down.”

“Oh—ummm—I’m so sorry. I did?—”

“Stop,” Ewan states, holding up a hand. “I’m not upset about it. I just have a lot to tell you, and it would be easier with coffee.”

Once we get downstairs and we each have a delightful vanilla latte in front of us, Ewan starts to unpack the reality of my future. And it’s bleak as fuck.

“Drake Bergman. That’s who you met at the bank, and that’s who is pretending to be Oliver. They were twins, and when the two of them sent their blood in, Drake was informed his onlymate had passed in a car accident the year prior. Instead of moving on from the tragedy, he got angry. And even angrier when his brother was told he had at least two mates. Florian and myself. That rage he felt grew more and more as the next few years passed and the three of us became closer, purchasing this house and moving in together, discussing how we could start a family. We had no idea there was another mate, that you even existed.”

“What happened?” I question.

Ewan swallows roughly. “I’m not entirely sure, but some altercation, and Drake killed Oliver before taking up as him.”

“He killed his own brother?” I ask, pausing with the coffee mug resting against my lower lip.

Ewan nods, and tears twinkle in the corner of his eyes.

“When? And what about Florian?”

“It was a year ago now. A little over that. It took some time before he was willing to let me be around other people, but Florian has a much shorter temper than me, and Drake has never trusted him.”

“Florian is alive?” I state, not positive how my body can handle more shock or information at this point.

He nods again.

“This… this is all so much. What does he want with me?”

Ewan’s face turns somber. “He wants children, and for some reason he won’t settle for another route. Drake knows that if I can get you to go into heat, you’ll be able to take a knot from any of us, and he fully plans for it to be him. It’s the only reason he’s kept Florian and me alive. He’s aware he may need both your mates for it to happen.”

Fucking hell.

My breathing becomes a bit more rapid, and Ewan immediately places his mug down, coming around the kitchen island to wrap his arms around me. No matter how muchthe Forresters fucked me up, Ewan’s touch feels immediately different. My heart rate regulates instantly, and when his breath tickles across my neck, my nipples peak and I feel a pulsing between my legs.

“Shit,” I breathe as Ewan drags his nose along my neck.

“Fuck,” he groans, pressing himself against my back. “This isn’t a good time for you to start.”

“Start what?” I ask, feeling his cock hardening against my ass.

“A heat. Have you had one yet? Usually wolves will go through them with their mates, but someone your age has typically had a few already.”

I shake my head. “I’m not a full wolf. I’m a mutt. I can’t shift, and I don’t have heats.”

Ewan’s hand travels to my waistband, but he pauses, waiting for confirmation. Aside from the one young wolf back in my old town who was willing to slum it with a mutt, I haven’t found anyone else willing. And despite still trying to process all the mind-bending information he just dropped on me, I lean my body into him, allowing Ewan to slip his fingers past my waistband.

They trail over my hip and dip lower, cupping over my pussy before he slips them between my legs. I suck in a breath, and Ewan groans again.

“Fuck, Ivy. You’re drenched in slick. You’re going through a heat soon, whether you like it or not.”

As much as I want him to continue, Ewan removes his hands and grabs both my coffee and his before heading back toward the stairs.

“Are you sure? I’ve never gone through one, even with the Forrester pack.”

“They weren’t your pack. They weren’t your mates. Your body knows you’re with us now, and we’re going to need to adapt.”

I follow behind him at a clipped pace, trying my best to ignore how painful the pulsing between my legs is getting.

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