Page 31 of Sinful Mates

I crawled off my mate’s laps, stretching my legs in a v over Alaric’s thighs. “Can we talk first?” Wariness pricked on the bond at my serious tone.

This was the first time I had all my mates assembled since rescuing Mia. Things needed to be said. The air cleared. We couldn’t keep playing happy family and pretend nothing happened. That I didn’t betray their trust again.

Unease wiped away the lust in Slade’s eyes as he climbed off the sofa. “I’ll get us a whisky, boys.” He retreated to the minibar, returning with an amber bottle, four stacked glasses, and a lemonade for Alaric. Tawny liquid trickled as he poured us all a double shot.

Apprehensive about the outcome of this discussion, I twisted my glass, admiring the depth and color, warm like Castor’s eyes. Macallan burned a trail down my throat, leaving a nervous warmth in my chest. Whisky courage.

My pulse tapped an uncertain beat. “I can’t keep playing happy family without addressing the elephant in the room.” Moisture evaporated from my throat, and I swallowed hard. “I know I dropped a bomb on you all at our last church meeting. I wasn’t upfront with you all about having a child, and I want to apologize for not sharing this sooner.”

Fuck, this was hard. They all waited for me to continue. Slade, Castor, and Alaric expectant. Zethan’s warm gaze brushed my skin, encouraging me on.

“Slade, I know you love children and want some of your own, and I didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t want you to look at me differently for abandoning my daughter.” Regret wrapped around my heart and squeezed.

Volatility burned in his eyes at being betrayed a second time.

“Please know I would have told you eventually. It was just too painful for me to open up.”

Discontent shredding the bond burned through me. I crawled out of my skin with need for them to touch and reassure me. Alaric got in first, comforting me with back and forth sweeps of my lower back.

Slade fastened his grip on my ankles and massaged, somewhat reassuring me all was not lost. “I sensed a tragedy every time you mentioned your ex.” He growled the last two words. “To be honest, I suspected something else.”

“Me, too.” Castor rubbed at his chest as if he had heartburn.

Alaric swirled his lemonade can. “Tell us everything from the start.”

A fair request and one I obliged, slowly and with the boost of another drink and Zethan propping my strength with his firm gaze. Everything worked its way free. My reasons for leaving the Wolves behind. Jimmy’s tragic end, leaving me pregnant. Wanting to protect Mia from that life. Ending up with her being caught up in it. To the dire ultimatum.

I spent the last five years caring for others, and now I wanted to care for my child, and I feared I might lose another piece of me as a sacrifice. “She’s the broken piece of me that I can’t lose again.” My stomach dropped at the thought of how her future might turn out otherwise.

Heartache snuffed out some of my mettle.

“I’m not putting her back in the system. In the ER, I nursed one too many children abused in foster homes, orphanages, and by their parents.”

Castor scraped the back of his neck as if he’d heard these stories before.

The low ache in my stomach vanished with Zethan’s pulse of hope down the bond. I felt his gaze, his warmth, his presence throughout me.

Not so for my three other mates. Turmoil and reluctance twisted the bond, a combination of mine and theirs.

My gaze cut to them, one by one. “She’s not your child, and I know I ask a lot for you to assume a fatherly role. It’s fucking unfair of me to when you had no prior warning of this.” My eyes burned and I lost my battle with tears. “I’ll respect your decision if you don’t want anything to do with this. All I ask is that you don’t give up on us.” Each word burned like swallowing coal.

Slade’s eyes darkened with shadows and fire. Distrustful. Cautious. Loyalty to me wavering. “Don’t cry, sugar, or I’ll lose my shit and this city will be rubble.” I sniffed at his classic reply.

Alaric’s soothing brushes of my back ceased as he fought to console me with his demons resurfacing to meet mine. My broken man feared he might do the same to Mia.

Castor rubbed at his thigh, sipping at his whisky, regarding me with scrutiny, as if imagining the new direction his life just took. Hesitance looped his bond. Past trauma resurfacing from his nasty breakup with his ex. Fuck, my omission hurt him all over again.

Zethan nodded at me to go on. Solid. Unbreakable.

The bravery that brought me to this discussion went up in smoke at their stares, sharp like the tips of knives to my neck. “Our relationship has been rocky from the start. I concealed my true identity. I saved my brother and brought hell to you all.” Their silence pressed on my chest, and I wasn’t sure if I could go on.

Zethan’s steadfast strength expanded in my blood. My champion. My loyal love. Courage blossomed in me like the first bud of spring.

Cold fire burned in my chest. “I’ve been a traitorous mate, but I swear to you all this is the last secret.” My broken whispers trailed off at the icicle piercing my heart.

Cautious fire licking at Slade’s bond snuffed out and he thoughtfully scratched his beard. The pause was the longest and most excruciating wait. Irritation traced his expression. “This better be the last fucking secret, Nurse A, or I’m done.”

Darkness was his companion since the day the rival club stole his mother from him. Set raised his weapon to break others. Declare war on the wicked. Enemies closed in on Slade from every direction and my ruthless mate needed to surround himself with people he trusted.

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