Page 92 of Wolf Claimed
No, not just his pack.Herpack. The concept hadn’t really sunk in before that moment. These three shifters were her pack. And she was theirs.
Tiernan drew the sheets over them and wrapped an arm around her to keep her from leaving. His insecurity remained, which is why she didn’t try to get up, even to shut the curtains. They’d been open that entire time, and she hadn’t noticed. It was as if she had blinders on when she was with her men. She trusted them to take care of her. That alone was an odd sensation. She hadn’t been able to trust anyone since her mom.
“Rafe?” she asked as he opened the door, still naked.
“Perimeter,” he said, then shifted and shot through the door. Tiernan rose to shut the door, but he didn’t close the blinds.
She sighed and let go of her worries as Tiernan slid in behind her again. Rafe was checking the area, ensuring no threats existed nearby. He’d chosen a rundown motel for that same reason, knowing few people would stay there when there were better motels just a few miles away.
Alyssa stared out the window at the sliver of the moon peeking from behind the clouds. Inside, that slight thread of determination that seemed ever-present within her since she blood-bonded Maddox came alive. She wondered if she’d ever see him again.
Tiernan’s hand caressed her arm before settling on her hip. “You’re still thinking of Maddox, aren’t you?”
“Does that bother you?”
“Not so much anymore. It’s hard getting used to the idea of sharing you, but it seems right too. I just know you’re mine, Alyssa.”
“And Rafe’s and Maddox’s too.”
“Them too,” he agreed, with a slight chuckle, as if he had finally accepted the situation. “I never thought I’d be able to share a female, especially one I’d blood-bonded. But I realize that you need them, perhaps more than me.”
She turned to face him. “Don’t you ever think that! You’re irreplaceable to me.” She kissed his chest and then leaned her cheek against him. “It’s not a competition, Tiernan. You’re all so different, and I love each of you for who you are.”
“That’s why I don’t mind sharing you. That and the fact that Rafe and Maddox are good for you. I see how you light up around them. And I have to admit, I worry less knowing if something happens to me, you’ll still have them to protect you.”
“Nothing will happen to you. To any of you. As Rafe said, we’ll figure this out. Which reminds me, Maddox said to ask you about the White Wolves near Devil’s Peak, Colorado. His pack, I presume.”
“Yes.”
“What did he want me to know?”
“I’m not sure exactly, but I can tell you about his pack. They’re mean sons-of-bitches. Ruthless cut-throats, not shifters you want to fool with.”
“That doesn’t sound like Maddox.”
“I’m guessing it’s his way of saying he’ll survive whatever Gallagher has in store for him. Don’t underestimate Maddox, Alyssa. He’ll fight, crawl, and claw his way to get back to you.”
“He said he wouldn’t return. I think that’s his way of protecting me.”
“He will fight to return to you.”
“How can you be so sure?” she asked.
“I’ve seen how he looks at you. And there’s the blood-bond that formed between you two. It’s strong.”
“You know?”
“The moment you blood-bonded him, I could feel it. It was just a brief moment, a fleeting sense, but I’m sure I felt Maddox the way I should feel you.” Tiernan grinned.
“That makes you happy?”
“It means a bond exists between us.”
“But I don’t feel a bond with you, not like this bond I feel with Maddox.”
“I can’t explain it. I’ve never heard of a female blood-bonding two males at once. I truly thought there was no bond between us until you blood-bonded Maddox. It’s like you’re a conduit tying us together even though I can’t feel you directly.”
As she snuggled into him, Alyssa wondered if he’d truly felt a bond through her to Maddox, or if it was wishful thinking. Tiernan seemed desperate to share this bond with her. She hoped it did exist. For his sake, and because it would tie them together.
