Page 33 of Mated to the Pride

“We already know.”

I looked sideways, tugged as if strung by Stone’s simple announcement.

My jaw dropped open a little, and I turned between all four of them. Brow creased and heart hammering, I tried to grapple with the truth of that. How could they know? I’d only just found out myself. Even if yesterday evening felt like a long time ago now, it was really only a couple of hours. Unless they’d gone searching thoroughly through my room, they shouldn’t know — and I couldn’t imagine any of these respectful, kind men doingthat, not even while I was missing.

“Jess, it’s okay,” said Blake. “Let’s just put that out there right away. We’re not mad; we’re not hurt. We’re not jealous. We tell each other everything.”

I tried to process what he was saying to me. They weren’tjealous? That wasn’t something you’d say about a pregnancy. So what exactly where they talking about?

My brow furrowed, and Blake found my eyes as he pressed on.

“I think there are a couple of things we ought to tell you, too.”

Hale

This was not the ideal way for us to have this conversation, but we had no other option. After all our concern about her physical health, it seemed that maybe pure guilt had been harming her the whole time. It hurt to know that she’d been unkind to herself about this — that we could have alleviated the pain at any time with a dose of truth, if only we’d known about it.

Well. Better late than never.

Her eyes slipped from each of us to the next, trying to read the situation. I moved around from behind the couch to sit next to her, leaving room for Preston and Blake.

“You thought something bad was happening, being with the four of us?” I suggested.

She nodded, eyes cast down.

“You felt drawn in and you couldn’t help it, even though it doesn’t make sense? Like you need us just as bad as we need you?”

She turned to face me. Eyes creased with confusion and surprise, her eyes bored into mine, lips thin and unsure. “Yeah,” she admitted, in a half-whisper. “Exactly that.”

“Well,” I said. “We’re the same, Jess. Pulled to you. Wanting you.”

“Since the start?”

I glanced at Stone, passing the baton to him.

“We weren’t looking for someone to make us feel like this,” he said. “If that’s what you’re asking. We really did need your help. It just happened that we met you, and… yeah, for me? I felt that right from the start.”

Their eyes locked. Hearing Stone speak his truth, specifically and openly, made me feel a twist of approval and happiness in my stomach. He was an asset to our pride, much as we liked to tease each other. In this moment, I couldn’t have respected him more. I could see the weight he was lifting away from Jess’ shoulders, bit by bit.

“And you always knew?” she pressed, voice still stumbling. “About… when… I spent time with each of you? You’re not mad?”

“No,” Preston confirmed. “Not at all. We knew, and we never minded. It’s not supposed to be that way between us.”

“Meant to be…?”

This was a lot for anybody to take in, but I was impressed with how Jess was handling it. Though I could see a storm of questions in her eyes, she wasn’t freaking out. She wasn’t falling to pieces. She was just holding on for more understanding, eager to understand.

“We mean that literally,” Blake clarified. “See, this is part of what we wanted to tell you, Jessica. I’m sorry we couldn’t before, but… I’m sure you’ll understand why it had to be a secret.”

She blinked. She took a deep breath, and Blake took the opportunity to carry on.

“We are shifters,” he said, in as plain a tone as he could manage. “Lion shifters.”

Now it was our turn to inhale. I looked away, sure she would prefer not to spend these few seconds being stared at. It was a lot to come to terms with, even without four pairs of eyes on you.

“Wait,” she said, after a pause. “What?”

“That’s why we’re here,” Blake continued, even and steady. “That’s the special something we have that no other group can provide.”

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