Her Mates

2

Even after Phil tried again to talk to Juri, nothing made him back away. My head was pressed to the side of his chest, my hair hanging heavily in my face, blocking my vision. I was still holding the shopping bags, which were getting unbearably heavy. But what truly unsettled me was the low, inhuman growling coming from him—deep, guttural, and unnerving. It sent a chill down my spine, and before I realized it, I had started trembling.

"You have to let go of her if you don't want to scare her off completely! You're clearly frightening her, Juri," Phil's voice was sharp, carrying an authority I wasn't used to hearing from him. The way he emphasized Juri's name made it clear that he wasn't joking.

I tried again, unsuccessfully, to free myself. Juri only tensed further, and I felt his head shift slightly, as if reacting to something behind him. Then came a deep, almost inhuman voice—low and edged with barely restrained fury.

"I am your Alpha. Don't you dare disregard my position, even if she is only human. You have no right to interfere, Beta."

His words were nearly drowned out by the growl that followed, but the title he used—Alpha—stood out like a glaring warning. Then, before I could react, he released me and lunged at Phil.

The next moments were a blur. One second, Juri was holding me, the next, he was tackling Phil to the ground. The two of them were fighting, full force, and I just stood there, frozen in shock. The shopping bags slipped from my hands, the contents spilling across the floor, but that was the last thing on my mind.

Juri clearly had the upper hand—he was stronger, taller, and knew exactly how to land his blows. Each hit was brutal, fueled by raw aggression.

"She belongs to me. Not to you, not to your mate. She. Is. Not. Your. Mate!"

Each word was punctuated with a violent strike to Phil's face. I wanted to move, to do something, but I was paralyzed with fear. Silent tears streamed down my face. The scene was too familiar—too much like the times my father had lashed out in anger.

And then, everything happened at once.

Casey suddenly appeared between them, her presence commanding enough to make Juri pause. More people arrived, moving swiftly. Two men rushed forward to pull Juri off Phil, who looked badly beaten. I barely registered the moment I was pulled into a hug by two people—one male, one female. It felt different from Juri's hold, but there was a strange familiarity in the warmth of it.

"Calm down, man. You scared her completely. Look at her," one of the newcomers said to Juri, his voice firm yet soothing. "She's our mate, and that was not the first impression you should've made."

Mate.

That word again.

Before I could even process it, Casey's voice cut through the chaos.

"Guys, you have to let her go. She doesn't know anything about our world."

"No, Casey. She's our mate, and we have to protect and comfort her," another voice answered—one I recognized immediately.

I turned sharply, my wide eyes locking onto him.

Zac.

The guy from the supermarket.

My heart pounded. How was he here? He was just at the store with me not long ago. Had he followed me? And where did the others come from?

Zac held my gaze just like he had before, something oddly calming in the way he looked at me. My trembling stopped. Slowly, the woman released me, followed by Zac, but the tension in the air remained thick.

"Who are you people? And why do you all feel the need to constantly hug me?" My voice wavered between confusion and frustration. "It's... inappropriate. We don't even know each other."

"It's okay, Maevy. Come with me, you can help me in the kitchen," Casey said, her tone gentle but insistent. She grabbed my wrist, picked up the groceries, and led me inside.

As we stepped away, I heard another irritated growl from outside, followed by a frustrated sigh.

What the hell was wrong with these people?

I had left my chaotic home life only to step into something even more insane. A group of people claiming I was theirs? It was unsettling.

"Maevy," Casey said softly as she started unpacking the groceries. "I know this is overwhelming, but listen to me—these people would never hurt you. Phil and I wouldn't let anything happen to you, either."

I didn't respond. My mind was spinning too fast to focus on her words.

"Is Phil okay?" I finally asked. "After what Juri did to him, shouldn't we be treating his injuries?"

Without waiting for an answer, I grabbed the first aid kit and a cold pack from the freezer and hurried back into the living room.

"Maeve, wait—" Casey started, but I was already gone.

As expected, everyone was still there. The woman from before was tending to Phil's wounds while the others stood nearby, deep in a conversation that immediately halted when I entered. They all turned toward me, their sharp eyes tracking my every move like predators scenting prey. It was unnerving.

Ignoring them, I rushed to Phil's side. He tried to sit up but winced, so I gently pushed him back down.

"I'm so sorry," I murmured. "Let me take care of you first. Just lie still—I'll put the ice pack on your chest. You got hit pretty badly."

I carefully pressed the cold pack against his bruises and began cleaning the cuts on his face. Phil tried to brush me off, insisting he was fine, but I refused to let him downplay it.

"You don't have to do this," he said tiredly.

"And yet, I do," I shot back. "You got hurt because of me. Juri only attacked you because you tried to help me."

Phil started to argue again, but one of the other guys nudged him, silently telling him to let it go. He sighed and relented.

Behind me, another growl rumbled through the room. I turned my head just enough to see Juri, along with the others, looking beyond irritated at how close I was to Phil.

"What is wrong with you guys?" I snapped. "We don't even know each other, and you're acting like I committed a crime by touching my brother-in-law! That's not normal!"

No one answered, but their tense expressions didn't ease.

Fed up, I stood and turned to leave.

"Wait!"

The woman who had hugged me earlier spoke for the first time, her voice smooth and captivating. It was so mesmerizing that, for a moment, I forgot my frustration.

"Yes?" I asked cautiously.

"Where exactly are you going?"

I blinked, shaking off whatever spell her voice had put me under.

"The kitchen."

With that, I left the room, feeling their gazes still lingering on me.

Back in the kitchen, Casey was stirring something on the stove. She watched me quietly as I grabbed a plate.

"Casey, can I take some casserole and salad?"

"Of course. Help yourself," she said easily. Then, after a pause, she added, "You know... you don't have to eat alone. If you change your mind, you're always welcome to join us."

I gave her a small nod but didn't answer.

I wasn't ready for that.

Instead, I grabbed my food and made my way upstairs to my room, determined to focus on my favorite TV show