Her Mates

19

Morning light filtered through the heavy curtains, casting a soft golden glow over the room. My body felt deliciously sore in a way I had never experienced before. Heat still lingered on my skin, a reminder of last night's intimacy. My thoughts flickered back to the way they had touched me—so reverently, so possessively. A deep warmth bloomed in my chest, and I curled deeper into the sheets, inhaling the scent of my mates that still clung to the fabric.

A slow, lazy hand trailed down my back, drawing a shiver from me. I recognized the touch immediately.

"Morning, little wildcat," Hunter murmured against my ear, his voice still husky with sleep.

I hummed in response, feeling another presence shift beside me. Damon's hand, broad and warm, traced gentle circles on my hip. "How do you feel?" His voice held something deeper than just casual curiosity—concern, devotion.

I turned my head, meeting his dark gaze. "Better than I expected." My lips curled into a small, teasing smile. "Though I might need help walking today."

Hunter chuckled lowly, pressing a kiss to the back of my neck. "That was kind of the goal, sweetheart."

A pillow smacked him in the face before I could respond. I turned my head to see Emilia standing at the foot of the bed, arms crossed, an amused but exasperated look on her face.

"You idiots didn't think about the fact that she has school today?"

Oh. Shit.

Damon groaned, rubbing a hand down his face. "She can skip—"

"No, she can't." Emilia shot him a glare before her bright green eyes softened on me. "Come on, firefly. Let's get you cleaned up before you make us all late."

Firefly. My heart did a little flip at the nickname, and I found myself smiling. I let her pull me out of the warmth of the bed, only for my knees to nearly buckle the moment I stood.

Damon caught me effortlessly, smirking. "Told you."

I groaned. "Shut up."

Emilia rolled her eyes but helped me to the bathroom, where she started the shower for me. The rest of the morning was a blur of getting dressed, being teased mercilessly, and nearly getting dragged back into bed by a very persistent Hunter. Eventually, I made it out of the house, slightly disheveled but otherwise intact.

School was supposed to be normal. It wasn't.

The moment I stepped into the hallway, I knew something was off. Whispers followed me—more than usual. I ignored them at first, making my way to my locker, but then I saw Claire's expression as she rushed up to me.

"Maeve, you need to see this."

She thrust her phone into my hand. My stomach dropped.

There, on the screen, was a picture of me leaving the pack house this morning. My hair was a mess, my clothes slightly wrinkled, and the worst part? The caption beneath it.

How many mates does it take to satisfy Maeve?

My heart pounded. The comments beneath the post were worse—insults, assumptions, crude jokes.

I sucked in a breath, my vision tunneling.

"Who the fuck posted this?" I gritted out.

"Does it matter?" Benjy had appeared beside me, looking furious. "We need to get this taken down."

But before we could do anything, I felt a shift in the air. A presence—no, two.

Juri and Zac.

They weren't supposed to be at school today, but here they were, storming down the hall like they were about to commit murder.

Oh, this was not going to end well.