Chapter 39

JAX

"So that's why she wanted us to come this weekend." I say, shaking my head. My mom may seem innocent and airheaded like that, but she's very smart. Dad warned us never to underestimate her.

"If the whole pack is going to be there I imagine if Nic..."

"She'll be there. I saw her earlier with Mark." Asher cuts Knox off before he finishes his sentence.

"And?" I ask him eager to know how it went.

"And nothing. She understands, she knew it could happen and I warned her not to expect anything serious between us."

I nod, but our younger brother starts laughing. "I didn't know you could be so naive big brother."

"What do you mean?" Ash asks him, crossing his arms.

"You think a girl who doesn't expect anything harasses the brothers of the one she's dating to find out why she hasn't heard from them?" He asks him, raising his hands in the air. "I say you'd better hope Isabella doesn't talk to any girl you ever..."

This time it's me who's laughing. "Well, you're in a bad way, having fucked half the pack."

"Oh, shut up!" He shouts at me.

"Shut up, both of you, or they'll end up hearing us." Asher runs his hands through his hair. "Everything's going to be okay. There's three of us so one of us always has to stay with her."

It's pretty simple to always stay with her, I guess that's part of the perk of sharing your mate with your two brothers.

"Are you ready?" Mom asks us, shouting from the bay window.

The three of us exchange a look, as if to seal what we've just been talking about, and head for the house to join Mom and Isabella.

ISABELLA

We're all walking together towards the lake, and the further we go, the more we come across people heading in the same direction. As I look down the forest path, I realize that I've done the right thing by opting for tennis shoes. Jax has his arm on my shoulders and every now and then he whispers in my ear how anxious he is to make the trip in the opposite direction and get home. I can't help but giggle at every hint. Knox catches up and walks to my left.

"If you want to go home at some point you let us know, okay?" He says seriously.

"What's the matter with you two already wanting to go home when we haven't even arrived yet?"

Before either of them can answer, we're interrupted by Frankie coming to meet us. She greets Maggie before approaching me.

"Hi Zaza, it's good to see you again. But disappointed to hear from my Leonard that you were taken by Asher."

"News travels fast." Maggie told her with a smirk. "But your dear Leo left out one important piece of information because Zaza is not only my Asher's mate but the mate of my three boys."

"All three?" Frankie asks open-mouthed. And I nod to confirm what Maggie has just said. "Well girl you're going to make some enemies because those three were coveted."

"I don't doubt it for a second." I tell her with a smile.

I suspect those three gorgeous men must have had the girls at their feet, I mean you'd have to be blind not to see it. But the way he treats me, I trust them and from everything explained to me about the bond I don't doubt them.

Asher has been by my side all evening, introducing me to Alpha Mark and his wife...well, mate Maya. Frankie introduced me to his daughter Mikaila, who is the sister of Leonard or Leo, the tall blond I met the night before at the Black Enterprise party. While Jax and Knox chat with some friends of theirs they'd introduced me to earlier, Asher goes off to get me a drink and I find myself alone facing the lake. With the moon shining high in the sky, the view is magnificent and some even take a dip. I approach the pontoon and sit down on the edge.

"It's peaceful out here, isn't it?" A female voice asks me.

I turn around and a tall blonde in mini shorts and a strappy top sits down next to me. Fucking werewolf genes make them all hot here. Alex would go crazy.

"Yes, indeed."

"Nicole." She says, holding out her hand. "I'm Alpha Mark's sister."

"Isabella." I reply, shaking her hand.

"I know who you are... just like everyone else." She snorts. "I can't believe these three are the same mate, and that she's a human... what's more." I frown, not knowing what she's getting at. I turn around to see if I can find any of the boys, but I don't see any. "To think that only a few weeks ago I thought it would be me in your place. Well, not with the three of them, but with Ash. You know he ghosted me as soon as he met you? I tried to contact his two brothers and not one of them gave me an explanation."

"Well I'm not sure it's me you should be having this discussion with," I tell her as I stand up.

"Reject him... please." She says as she stands up. "You'll still have Jax and Knox that's enough but leave Asher to me."

"Excuse me?!" I ask her shocked. This must be a hidden camera she's not asking me what I think she's asking me.

"He's the heir to the last King... and I know him well enough to know he wants the throne and will do anything to get it. A vulgar... human cannot be Queen. Besides, you can imagine what that means. Your children could potentially be human. That would be the end... goodbye succession."

I shake my head as I walk away, but she grabs my arm. "At least think about it. Don't let him mark you or you'll regret it." She tells me menacingly before slipping away.