Her Mates

13

The first thing I became aware of when I woke up was the pair of arms wrapped tightly around my waist. Not painful, not uncomfortable—just firm. Protective.

The second thing I realized? I was still in my mates' massive bedroom.

I barely dared to move, not wanting to wake anyone, but my bladder had other plans. After a quiet but intense battle with the limbs tangled around me, I managed to slip away and make it to the bathroom. Each step sent a dull ache through my body, a painful reminder of everything that had happened in the forest.

So, it hadn't been a dream.
That meant... another mate. Yay.

It wasn't that I didn't care about them—I did. But this was a lot. Overwhelming. Strange. No one else had this many mates. At least, not that I'd ever heard of. My friends would have mentioned if this were remotely normal.

After finishing up, I caught sight of myself in the mirror. I looked exhausted, confused, lost. And the worst part? Tears streaked down my face—but I hadn't even felt them fall.

A sudden growl from the bedroom snapped me out of my trance. Then another. And another. Within seconds, the entire room was vibrating with snarls and tension.

Oh, for fuck's sake.

I rushed back into the room to find absolute chaos. Juri, Zac, Emilia, Damon, Hunter, and—the stranger. Everyone was on edge, practically ready to tear each other apart.

"What the hell is going on?" My voice was sharper than usual, but I'd learned a thing or two about handling territorial werewolves. And apparently, vampires.

All eyes snapped to me. Juri moved toward me first, but the stranger let out a low, warning snarl. The others growled at him in response. Great. Exactly what I needed in the middle of the damn night.

"We panicked when we woke up and you weren't here," Juri admitted, his voice softer now.

I sighed. "I'm fine. See? Right here."

Juri inhaled, and his gaze darkened. "You cried."

It wasn't a question.

I hesitated, then nodded. There was no point in lying—it was obvious.

Zac exhaled heavily from the bed. "Yeah, we need to talk."

I didn't argue, just glanced at the stranger. He was already watching me, his reddish-brown—or maybe black?—eyes locked onto mine. The dim lighting made it hard to tell.

"I'm Maeve," I said finally. "And I'm guessing you're my mate. Just like them." I motioned toward my werewolf mates but kept my focus on him.

The stranger's expression softened just a fraction. "Nice to meet you. I'm Dorian. And... I'm truly sorry about our crash in the forest."

I huffed a quiet laugh. "I survived. No broken bones—well, nothing more than usual."

Dorian smiled at that. It was a nice smile, I had to admit. Warm, despite everything. But before I could say anything else, the wolves growled again.

"Guys," I groaned. "Can we talk without acting like someone's trying to steal your food? He's not about to run off with your steak."

Emilia chuckled. Dorian smirked. The others... well, they clearly didn't find me as funny.

I sighed, settling onto the floor. Dorian took the stool. The wolves? They all claimed our bed. Wait—our? When did I start calling it that?

I took a deep breath, staring at them all. "Okay, let me get this straight. I—a completely normal, human girl—am mated to five werewolves and one vampire?"

A series of nods.

"Great," I muttered. "My life is great. Just your average, simple, ordinary existence."

And then, I broke. Laughter bubbled up—hysterical, uncontrollable. My whole body shook as tears slipped down my face, but I couldn't stop laughing. It was too much. Too ridiculous.

The room stayed silent as I laughed like a lunatic.

"Oh, this is perfect," I gasped between breaths. "I wanted a normal life. A simple life. And what do I get? The best joke ever. Either I'm a fucking comedian, or my life is."

Still, silence. None of them seemed to have an answer—or wanted to interrupt whatever breakdown I was having.

I wiped my face, still chuckling darkly. Then, a thought struck me. A horrifying thought.

I slowly turned to Dorian.

"Please, please tell me you don't have more mates."

I didn't mean to sound ungrateful, but I was already at my limit.

Dorian's lips twitched in amusement. "No, it's only you."

Oh, thank God.

Hunter's voice was the next to break through the quiet. "Mae, you're not broken. And we will figure this out. You're right—this isn't normal. Alphas don't usually have this many mates, and neither do vampires. But it doesn't mean it's wrong. We'll find a way."

Something about his voice was grounding, soothing. My chaotic thoughts settled. Finally.

"Fine," I exhaled. "But I want answers. There has to be a reason for all of this."

Hunter nodded. "And we'll find it. Together."