Page 44 of Claimed By the Feral Wolves

“We’re not trying to pry,” Ezra says smoothly. “But you know that this affects us, too.”

“And our arrangement,” Cayson clarifies, but this feels like it’s about more than just our arrangement.

When I don’t answer, Ezra gives me a look and presses on. “Are Xander and Maverick your mates?”

It’s the question that’s plaguing me. Some instinct inside of me feels connected to all four of these men, but if Xander and Maverick are my mates, does that mean Cayson and Ezra are too? And if all four of them are mates, what does that mean for my future? For my quiet cabin?

“I don’t know,” I say finally, falling into the other arm chair, putting my head in my hands.

My braid falls over my shoulder, and I have to take a deep breath. Since getting to The Selection, it feels like I spend most of my day deep breathing to try and avoid the overwhelming rush of emotions constantly plaguing me. Whether it’s helping or not, I’m not sure.

“You don’t know?” Cayson asks, his tone light and playful as always, but there’s something more serious beneath. “How can you not know?”

How does anyone know?This whole thing is so strange and so confusing.

“There’s no handbook,” I say, shaking my head and tugging on the end of my braid. I can feel both of their eyes on me like I’m a performer on stage. “It’s not like I have anything to compare this to—how are you supposed to know if someone is your mate if you’ve never had a mate before? It’s not like an illness, where you can diagnose the problem from the symptoms.”

“Sure,” Ezra says, “shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, flushed skin?—”

“—errant thoughts,” Cayson adds cheekily, raising his eyebrows at me suggestively.

I balk, laughing and putting my hands up so they can’t see the utter mortification on my face. “But those symptoms—minus the last one—are things that I’ve been experiencing since…since my brother. So how am I supposed to know if the feelings are from my connections with others, or just my standard neuroticism?”

“Easy,” Cayson says. “When you don’t want it to stop, it’s the first one.”

I flush again, but Ezra’s serious eyes are on me. Behind his eyes, he looks far older than his age. It’s like his soul knows more than he’s willing to let on, like he’s been through this before. He clears his throat and finally tears his eyes from me.

“How do you feel about the ferals?” Ezra asks. “Do they make your heart race, Faye?”

“I feel about them how I feel about the two of you,” I finally say, heart skipping a beat. It feels so vulnerable, sitting here in front of them, admitting that I feel something.

“Oh my gods, Faye,” Cayson says, his tone light but his eyes blown out, nearly black. “Do you have acrushon me?”

“On us,” Ezra clarifies, a little smile slipping over his face.

“Not a crush,” I laugh, reaching over and throwing a pillow at Cayson, who dodges the pillow easily, but forgets that his ball is in the air, so it bounces off the top of his head and ricochets toward Ezra, who catches it easily.

“Then what?” Ezra asks, turning his head, his eyes far too intent on me. “If not a crush, then what?”

It’s like he knows what I need to say, but I don’t know.What does he want me to say?I already told him the truth, I just don’t know. But there’s something between us that feels as powerful as the way I loved my brother, only different.

“Well,” I say, working the fabric of my skirt through my hands. Despite the fact that Maverick just pleased me—twice—my body is already wound up again, feeling tight and coiled,ready for someone to unwind me. “I don’t know. I feel it for all of you—you and Caysonandthe ferals.”

“Speaking of what you feel for the ferals,” Cayson says, flipping over the bed so he’s sitting right in front of me, his knees close to mine. “Does it have anything to do with the way you smell right now?”

I feel like sinking into the floor. “It all just… happened so fast.”

Cayson grins. “That’s how it usually goes.”

Unable to help myself, I start to pace. “It was so easy before the two of you. I just stayed away from anyone and everyone. I didn’t feel connected to other people, I was just safe. Alone. But now, it’s like you’ve opened a door inside of me, and Maverick and Xander just came waltzing through it.”

Ezra stands and moves into my path, stopping me. “I understand what that feels like.” Our eyes meet and hold.

Feeling uncomfortable, I say, “I really do appreciate all you’ve done for me. In pretending to be my mates, you’ve helped me a lot, and I know it hasn’t always been easy.”

Ezra smiles. “You’ve helped us too, in ways you can’t even imagine.”

Cayson stands and stops beside us. “We could certainly have found worse ways to spend this Selection.”

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