Page 8 of The Wolves At My Sides

They were quiet for a moment but didn’t look away from each other. My wolf whined with envy. They were speaking over their mating link, and we couldn’t hear them. It wasn’t fair that they had a special, private way to talk, and I couldn’t talk to Irwin except out loud.

“Okay,” Marcus nodded to me.

I slid off the sofa and onto my knees. My wolf headbutted into my ribs. He wanted out, but I needed to be in control until we figured out exactly what was going on. Marcus turned to face me, and Irwin put a hand on either of our shoulders. His touch was soft and warm, and I wanted him to keep his hand there forever. Maybe I should’ve been afraid of Marcus. He wasn’t thrilled about the situation. If they knew I was coming, I figured Marcus hoped I’d never show up. Now here I was, on my knees in his office, trying to figure out where to sniff him. Where did pheromone blocker spray wear off the quickest?

I started with his shoulder – the one Irwin had laid his claiming bite on. I only smelled the sweet fruity spray. I tried the other and didn’t smell him either.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” I sat up on my heels.

“Sure,” Marcus said.

“Do you feel it too or is it just me and Irwin?” I asked him.

“I feel it too,” Marcus nodded, his voice deep and quiet as if he was admitting to a crime.

Irwin squeezed his shoulder. Knowing that he felt it too gave me courage. I leaned in again but didn’t go for his shoulders this time. It was the hollow of his throat that called to me. Irwin kept a hand on each of us as I leaned in, and the tip of my nose brushed against Marcus’s soft flesh. I breathed in desperately searching for a whiff of him to confirm what they said. My whole body froze, and my wolf stood up when his deep woodsy scent wrapped around me.

“ALPHA!”He cried out in my thoughts, and I nearly fell into Marcus.

He caught me before our heads clanked together. Our gazes met. His eyes were deep pools of conflicting emotions.

“See we don’t need Dara to prove anything. I don’t know that I want Dara here at all,” Irwin said.

“Huh?” Marcus blinked.

“Maybe I don’t want Dara here,” Irwin said again. “I like him and all, but Fen is ours, not his.”

“Well, he wouldn’t be coming here to steal him,” Marcus said, the barest trace of a chuckle tracing his words. “He didn’t steal you, did he?”

“Ummmm…. Unless you’re talking about literal kidnapping, I’m a person – I can’t be stolen,” I said.

“He’s not talking about kidnapping. Dara is the village healer,” Marcus said. “I want him to check your shoulders.”

“For what?” I blinked and then almost facepawed, because it was obvious.

There was only one thing to check my shoulders for. I glanced from Marcus to Irwin, who smelt more territorial than any other omega I ever met. Then taking a deep breath I pulled my shirt off over my head and balled it up in my fists. I shrugged my shoulders trying to not squirm too much as two sets of eyes raked over me.

Marcus opened his mouth to speak, but Irwin beat him to it. His fingers found both of my shoulders. I sat ram rod straight as his digits walked across my flesh giving me goosebumps. He found the glands – the one I knew of and the one I didn’t – at the same time. A shiver shimmied down my spine and I let out a long slow breath. So, they were telling the truth. My nose wasn’t lying to me either.

“MATES!”My wolf howled into my thoughts.

“You’re taking this all in easily,”I sighed.

“If the glands are there and the smell is there – it’s true. That much is simple,”he said, wagging his fluffy tail.

When Irwin’s hands disappeared, they were replaced by Marcus’s. He found them with a grave look on his face and nodded.

“You’re not happy about this,” I stated the obvious.

“It’s not that,” he said.

“What is it then?” I asked.

“He’s spent so much time preparing to not fight an Alpha that he’s a bit shocked,” Irwin said. “He mentally prepared for the opposite situation.”

“Do you want to fight me?” I arched a brow. “You don’t smell like you do.”

“I’m not a cave-wolf,” Irwin laughed and some of the tension fled Marcus’s broad shoulders.

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