Page 10 of Fearless as an Eagle

“Yeah, well, she’s a bitch. Can’t trust anything she says,” I retort, fully expecting the chorus of laughter that bursts from all three men.

“Is that so? What about this? Can you trustthis?” Mason challenges, his voice getting deep and husky as he steps closer to me, invading my space before grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me in for a kiss so fierce I have no option but to melt into him and take everything he gives me.

My hands fly to his chest and I feel my talons pushing against my fingertips, wanting to dig into his flesh. Kissing Mason is nothing like I expected. I thought he would be gentle and a little shy, instead; he kisses like a man possessed. Like he’s been waiting forthiskiss his entire life. Despite my attempt to cut my eagle off, I can feel her feathers flutter in the back of my mind as she chitters her approval, sending me new images of me with a naked Mason.

I break the kiss, and stare into his eyes, caught in his snare. My heart is beating so hard I swear he can feel it pounding against his chest. If I thought his kiss was fierce, it has nothing on the heated look he’s giving me.

“Can you trust that, Little Bird?” Mason rumbles, tightening his grip on my neck ever so slightly. It makes me weak in the knees and I have to fight myself from leaning into him even more.

“I...,” I stammer, trying to come up with a response. There has to be a reasonable explanation for the feelings that kiss gave me. My eagle shrills at me in annoyance.

“She must need more convincing. Don’t worry. I got this,” Riley chirps, pushing Mason out of the way and wrapping his arm around my back to stop me from stumbling with him.

I know I should see it coming, but somehow, I’m still surprised by the kiss. For once, they validate my preconceptions when Riley kisses meexactlyas I envisioned. He holds my face between his hands as he brushes his lips against mine, softly nipping at my bottom lip. His hands slide behind my head and tangle in my hair as he holds me still while he licks the seam of my lips before pressing inside. The way he twirls his tongue around mine is so different from Mason and Bennett's. Riley’s kiss is more playful. It doesn’t take long for my arms to betray me, wrapping around his neck as I give in to the feelings I’ve been suppressing ever since I first saw him in the woods.

Mason was right. I wouldn’t let myself see it. Wouldn’t let myself believe it could be true. I was so far in denial I didn’t recognize any of the signs. No doubt my eagle caught every one and just chose to be silent. Not that I blame her. If I would have known they were my mates when I met them, I probably would have done something stupid, like not bringing them back to my cabin. Letting them ride out the storm on their own. But since I didn’t see it until it was too late, apparently I had just enough time to start to fall for them, so when the shoe finally dropped I would be invested enough to not run.Quite a diabolical plan, Fate. Well done.

Riley pulls back with a huge smile on his face as he looks down at me. “Oh, yeah. She feels it,” he announces.

Scrunching my nose, I pull his hair, only for him to grip mine tighter and pull it in retaliation. I can’t stop myself from bending back with the movement, moaning at the sensation. Pain radiates through my head as my entire body shivers with pleasure. I want more. How can all three of them be so different, yet equally dominant at the same time? Just that one action and I turn into a pliant rag doll. He could do absolutely anything to me right now, and I’m sure I’d love it.

“Oh,fuck. You like that, baby girl? You like when I’m a little rough with you?” Riley groans.

I don’t know when my eyes closed, but I’m sure I didn’t tell them to. Hands encircle my waist and my head bumps into a hard chest. Someone molds themself to my back as they trail kisses up my neck. Riley follows their lead, kissing up the other side of my neck. There are hands and mouths all over me, and I feel like I’m going to combust. If I thought kissing any of these men separately was next level, kissing them all at the same time is out of this world.

My eyes have glued themselves shut, leaving me to wonder who is touching where. Since there’s no way I’m going to tell them apart, I allow myself to soak in their attention and justfeel. There’s no doubt left. I know with everything in me, they’re mine. I also know if any of them ever left me, my world would shatter. In less than twenty-four hours, these men have completely changed the course of my life.

Chapter 9

Riley

KissingMiaisbetterthan I even imagined. Having her pressed between me and my best friends… That’s a whole level of hot I never knew existed. But when her body suddenly tenses under my touch, I instantly back up. “What happened? Where’d you go?” I ask as I study her for signs she’s uncomfortable with our attention. Mason and Bennett stop their ministrations and their eyes flicker between us, no doubt wondering what’s going on, why I stopped.

Her eyes, which were closed in pleasure moments before, are now scrunched shut as if she’s hiding from something. It reminds me of when I was a kid. When I would hear strange noises late at night and get scared. I would squeeze my eyes shut, thinking for some stupid reason that if I couldn’t see the scarything,then I would be safe. I could trick my brain into believing there was nothing there to be afraid of. That’s what Mia looks like she’s doing, with her eyes closed and the rest of her body frozen in place. Something has her terrified and I want to know what it is.

“Mia, baby girl… You’re safe. Talk to me, sweetheart. What’s going on in that pretty head of yours? Don’t shut us out,” I plead with her.

She rubs her hand over her face, covering her eyes before she finally sighs and drops her arm. “I might believe you’re my mates. But it changes nothing. You’re Alex’s best friends, and I don’t want to mess up your friendship when this goes horribly wrong. Because it will. It’s inevitable.” Her shoulders fall and she looks like someone who’s finally accepted their fate, and not in the good way. “Besides… I d-don’t want a mate. Let alone three.”

My heart stops beating for a split second before it completely shatters in my chest.She doesn’t want a mate? She doesn’t wantme?

“You don’t have to worry about our relationship with Alex, trust me,” Mason tries to reason with her. “But before we get into that… What do you mean you don’t want a mate? Are you rejecting us?”

What the fuck? Don’t say that! Why would you even say that word like it’s an option? Don’t put ideas into her head!My bunny is thumping away in my head and my skin prickles with the need to shift.

“I-” Mia starts, but I quickly cut her off, not giving her the chance to say the words and destroy me.

“No. You’re not. You need time, that’s fine. We don’t need to rush into this. You canknowwe’re your mates without immediately sealing the bond. There’s no need to make hasty decisions that will change all of our lives.”

“Riley’s right. You don’t need to decide now,” Mason agrees. “It looks like we’re going to be here a while. Why don’t we spend this time getting to know each other? Maybe in a few days, you’ll feel differently.”

Mia looks between us, and I can tell she’s torn and my nonexistent heart aches for her. I don’t know what she sees when she looks at each of us as we hold our breath waiting for her answer, but eventually, she sighs and nods her head. “Okay. You make a good point. But that can’t happen again. I want to have a clear head and it’s impossible when you touch me like that. Imayhave some issues to work through, and it’s not fair to take that out on you. But in all fairness, this whole mate thing is a pretty big bomb to drop on an unsuspecting stranger.”

“Yeah, well, normally people are happy to meet their mates,” Bennett grumbles under his breath.

“Benn-” Mason and I scold him as one, but Mia interrupts this time.

“No. He’s right. I’m sorry. I’m sure you’ve all been waiting to find your mate, and you were probably ecstatic when you realized I was your mate. And here I am ruining what should be the happiest day of your lives.”

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