Page 39 of Unforgivable

She giggles at my horrible joke, but soon I can feel her body go lax in sleep.

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I roll out of bed an hour later, leaving a sleeping Lyri tucked securely under her usual mound of blankets. She's always cold, it seems.

I trudge out to the kitchen, adjusting my morning hard-on as I go. Sleeping next to Lyri is like the sweetest torture imaginable. After yesterday it's kind of a miracle that I didn't have a wet dream like a fifteen-year-old pup.

"How's she?" grunts Rhet as he stomps into the kitchen and blearily starts the coffee maker.

"Nightmare. About getting caught with us having sex, of all things."

He gets the mugs ready, pouring cream and sugar into them. "Do you think she and Daan were having an affair for a while?" he asks me under his breath.

I shrug. I wondered the same thing, myself. I wouldn't blame a male for being entranced with Lyri. Hell, she's got all three of us tied up in knots, and she's not even putting any effort into seducing us.

"Does it matter?" I ask. I've never liked the highest-ranks of the RustClaw, even if I'm born pack. Maybe, it's because I'm born pack. Alpha Jax's dad, Alpha Macon, was a good alpha, and Jax is OK, but his luna, Jessi, isn't my favorite she-wolf. Probably because my mom doesn't like her. Mom says that Jessi was always stuck-up, right from the first moment she stepped on RustClaw land. Daan always struck me the same way. He's younger than I am, so I wasn't in school or training with him, but he has a clique. It's immature for the alphason to be like that, just like a bunch of juveniles.

"If she had an affair with him, then who's fault is it, really? His or hers? She doesn't have a mate hanging around," I add.

We both go silent after I fuck up and bring that up. It's a fear we all have. What if Lyri's mate comes around and wants her despite her nulla venia status? Will we just have to hand her over to him?

"If her mate wants her, then she'll go with him," Rhet says quietly and firmly. It's like this male can read my mind.

I slam the skillet down too hard. "Must be nice to have one of those, right?" I snap.

He just sips his coffee. He's used to my rage. I hate being MateLess. I hate even thinking about mates.

"It'll work out, Ezra. If not with Lyri, then maybe another female-"

"I don't want another female. We already have one. Fix your own damn breakfast," I snarl, my wolf bristling. I start to leave the kitchen.

Rhet grabs my shoulder. "Lyri will be hungry when she wakes up."

Just like that, I turn back to the stove. She's got me whipped, that little she-wolf.

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Lyri

I shove my cocoon of blankets to the floor. I like to huddle into them, even when I'm fast asleep. My she-wolf is denning herself, hiding away for protection, so when I'm most vulnerable, her insecurities prey on us.

I was never like that before... before the rejection. I used to sleep sprawled out, with nothing covering me. After that night three months ago, I've become worse, hiding away from the moon and the males. As if a pile of cloth can protect me.

I glance over at the cot. It's empty and looks like it wasn't slept in at all. I chew on my lip and carefully swing my legs over the edge of the bed. They feel weak, but there's no pain. My shift must have strengthened my she-wolf and accelerated my healing.

Did Ezra sleep in this bed with me all night?

Suspicious, I sniff the pillows. They scent just as strongly as the sunshine male as they do me. Huh. I just wish that his presence was enough to chase away my nightmares.

Sighing, I stand, achingly slowly. Energy pulsates under my skin. It's an itch that I can't scratch. My she-wolf has instinctively begun her interest in these males that surround us. They are not her mate, but they are strong, potent males. Her instinct to breed is overriding the caution that I feel.

I have to give them props. Last night they took care of me without seeking their own pleasure. I just have to wait and see if that continues.

I heave a deep breath and straighten up. My hip twinges, but I'm OK. I take a shuffling step towards the bathroom, then another. My goal right now is to be able to pee without one of the males helping me. I can't have sex with them if I can't even pee on my own.

I make it to the bathroom and smile to myself. Rhet has installed a handicap bar across the toilet wall, so it's relatively easy to sit. They've thought of everything, these males. The toilet seat is one of those cushioned, elevated ones, so my sad half-fall, half-sit, isn't too far.

I pee with relief. Even the toilet paper is soft. It's the kind that has aloe in it, and I would bet money that the males don't use this kind for themselves.

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