Page 17 of My Pucking Mates
Did they even want to spend that much time with each other?
Are either of them jealous or upset that they have to share me?
Did they want pups?
If we had a family, would they be jealous over who fathered pups?
My worries began consuming me in a way I wasn’t used to. I’d never had a real family before. Therefore, I never had things like this to worry about. I hadn’t been sure I’d ever find my mate because I didn’t think I’d ever leave Khaos’ pack lands.
The onslaught of…well…everything was just so much sometimes, and I had no idea how Leera handled the mess that had recently become her life—her words, not mine.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Dolos asked softly, twirling a strand of my dark hair around his fingers. The way he looks at me will take some getting used to. He’s so soft and gentle with me. Like he too is afraid I might bolt, but he handles that worry differently than his brother.
I consider how to answer his question without word-vomiting the mess of my thoughts across our peaceful space. “I hadn’t realized how much there is to consider with our…particular mating situation.” I try to laugh it off, but I can hear the nerves in my voice, so I know they did too.
“What are your concerns?” Eris demands. Direct as always. A man of few words, and he doesn’t candy-coat anything. I mostlylove it. It’s refreshing for someone to be so honestly themselves. I realize I don’t think I would have liked the Eris that Leera met—the one that matched Dolos. I like this Eris. My Eris.
Sitting up on the bed and crossing my legs, I fiddle with the edge of the sheet crumpled beneath us. I make the decision to continue to let them in. We’re building this muddle on honesty and communication, so clamming up now wouldn’t be helpful. “Well…let’s start with living arrangements. I get that we’ll be staying here…for some time at least, but—”
“We were considering tearing down the walls between our rooms and moving the bathroom to create one large space,” Dolos jumps in to elaborate with that oversized smile on his face. “If that sounds like something you’d like.”
Nodding my head as I consider his words, that makes sense. I would definitely rather us be together. Once we’ve marked each other, I can’t imagine spending a night away from either of them. “So, this”—I wave my hands between the three of us—“doesn’t bother you? Having to share me?”
Eris barks a laugh that startles me at the abruptness of it. He calms me by rubbing soothing, and slightly arousing, circles on my hips. “The majority of women we gave any time to before we shared.”
I shouldn’t feel jealous over things that came before me—womenthat came before me—but I can’t help the itch of jealousy gnawing at my skin. The thought of them touching anyone else spreads through me, also irritating my wolf. The thought of them smiling at anyone else has my claws elongating and an unbidden growl leaving my lips.
“Easy, Precious. We are yours. Completely.” Eris strokes my cheek, one side of his lips tilting in an ornery grin. “Though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like you all jealous and worked up overit,” he finishes, lifting the other side of his lips into a full smile that steals the air from my lungs and deflates my rage.
With my main concerns thwarted, I return to my comfortable position between them, where I can touch them both. I can’t stop touching them. Staring at the ceiling as the sky outside shifts colors while the sun sinks and the moon rises, we continue just talking. Just being together.
I’d never before enjoyed any male’s presence the way I craved being around Eris and Dolos. I was bingeing myself on them with absolutely no desire to stop. I could listen to them talk forever, even after a full day’s worth.
We discussed music and movies and trashy TV shows. They told me stories about hockey, and I told them about Khaos as an Alpha.
They took turns telling me about missions they went on for the King’s army with my brother as their commander, while I told them about my adoptive family.
I asked about the things that made them happy and the things they still wanted to do. I told them about the things I still wanted to see and do—Leera had called it a bucket list when we had had a similar conversation.
I learned that Dolos’ favorite color is a dusty-turquoise, while Eris’ is a dark teal—again, the same but relatively opposite. Their favorite colors reminded me of a postcard I used to have, pulling me into my memories.
One of the women in our pack had decided to take a trip around the human realm, sending us postcards as she went—back when postcards were still a popular thing you didn’t have to explain to people.
My favorite was the one she sent back of an island in Hawaii. The waves of the water. The foliage in every shade of green. Itwas stunning, and a piece of my heart always dreamed of going there.
I told them all of this when they told me their favorite colors, letting my heart remember how I’d felt the first time I’d seen that postcard.
When they asked my favorite color in return, though…I wasn’t sure. I’d never really been asked that. There was never really room in my life for a lot of color...or people. So, I said the only thing I could think of. The color that now brought me the most happiness when I thought of it.
“Gray.” I had said, and their features softened. The colors of their eyes. The colors of their wolves. The colors of my mates.
18
“We have a surprise for you!” I hollered as soon as we returned home and walked through the elevator door.
It had taken an entire day of distracting Runa and organizing to make it happen, but now that it’s all ready to go, I am bursting at the seams with excitement. Eris is too; he just isn’t showing it.
Runa comes down the hallway wearing a suspicious smile. Her dark brown hair is tied in twin braids framing her perfect face, her bright green eyes blazing with curiosity. Leaning against the wall at the end of the hall, she crosses her arms over her chest, wearing only my white Predators T-shirt; the white a stark contrast to her dark golden skin.
