I felt so tired, but sleep wouldn’t come.
It’s been four days since the attack. Today was just a little more exhausting than all the others.
It started like all the other days since we moved here. With my fighting lessons, then breakfast and then Wrin would come over to watch me while Devon and David went out doing whatever they did. Wrin had informed me that they were holding a funeral for all the members who we lost.
I stood by their side as the bodies were placed down in a clearing. Wood was packed neatly and they were set on fire. Wrin had explained that it was the way they said goodbye. They couldn’t risk their bodies being dug up again. By setting them on fire, they destroyed every chance of humans using them again. The smell of smoke and burning bodies had filled the air. Everyone was silent. It was like they had already cried themselves out days before, and they probably had.
I had cried silent tears when I saw them carrying little Abby’s body. She was carefully laid on top. It hit me then. What sick people killed little kids? She had done nothing wrong. We stood there until the cold had seeped through the thick layers of clothing I wore. David had escorted me home, but he left almost immediately, and then returned three hours later.
I sighed and turned onto my back.
Tomorrow was Christmas.
It would be the first time spending it with someone else. We wouldn’t really be celebrating, though. There were no decorations up. Not even a tree! We wouldn’t be exchanging presents either.
A sudden heaviness settled inside my stomach. I felt lonely, and sad. I actually missed home. That was something I couldn’t understand since I was never happy there. Aunt only visited me now and again and even then she usually criticised me. Maybe I felt this way because of losing Abby. I barely knew her but the few minutes I spend with her, I actually like her.
What if Abby were our child? I froze as the thought raced through my mind.
A family of my own. Two boys that looked like them, or maybe a little girl. The longing inside me intensified. I wanted a real family, and not just with anyone, I wanted one with David and Devon.
A family with at least three kids.
Being an only child sucked. I would make sure that they were accepted no matter what. They would be provided for when something happened to us. I blinked up at the ceiling, and then threw back the covers. Walking over to the end of the bed, I grabbed the dressing gown and pulled it on.
After tying the slash, I exit the room and walked down the hall. I paused when I heard low voices coming from the living room. My heartbeat increased as fear washed through me. That was until I recognized the deep voices.
My eyes widened when I stepped out of the hall and into the living room. A tall Christmas tree stood in the corner. Colourful lights flickered on and off. David sat on the couch, trying to wrap a medium-sized box in colourful paper. Devon was on his knees by the tree doing something.
“I still say we should do it the traditional way,” David muttered.
“You want her to freeze her ass of in traditional clothing?” Devon asked. “Or do you want other unmated males to lust after her sexy body?”
David growled. “Don’t.”
“We will still be having a feast with the pack, and we will still be marked in front of them. The only difference is the fact that Val will be dancing for our eyes only.”
“We should talk about the fluid sharing parts.”
“What’s to talk about?” Devon turned to face David. “She knows everything she needs to know.”
“Including the fact that she’d have to drink our blood as we drink hers?”
They did mention something about drinking blood, just not exactly how we’d be drinking it.
I moved into the shadows when Devon stood. He walked over to David and sank down on his knees in front of him. Grabbing another box and wrapping paper, he started wrapping the present. Curiosity was burning me alive. One step closer and I’d be able to see exactly what they were wrapping. I clenched my fists at my side and took a small step forward, but froze when Devon spoke up again.
“Are you sure we can do this?”
Was he already regretting choosing me as his mate?
“If we’re careful and make sure that she is ready, we’d all enjoy it,” David muttered.
“What if we hurt her?” His voice cracked slightly. “I don’t want to hurt her again, David.”
“You did just fine last night.”
“That was different,” Devon said softly. “This time we’d be taking her together.”
Together? My mind raced with different scenarios but not one explained how they would be taking me together. I frowned and wrapped my arms around my middle.
“You will enjoy it,” David told him with conviction. “Val will too.”
Devon held something out towards him. “Is that why you got her this?”
“Yes. Her ass needs to be stretched in order to take both of us.”
My ass? What the hell were they talking about? I moved closer and squinted to try and see what he held in his hand. It was big and had an odd shape.
“You can take her like that since you have more experience in this.” Devon dropped the thing back into the box and closed it. “I still don’t understand how this is going to feel good.”
David glanced up at his bent head. His lips twitched. “Do you want me to show you how good it feels?”
Devon dropped the scissors he was busy with as his head snapped up to stare at David. They silently stared at each other.
My skin pricked as the tension between them started to rise. My heartbeat increased as I waited for either of them to move. David leaned forward but that action seemed to snap Devon from whatever trance he was in.
He jumped to his feet and moved away from him, making David’s shoulders sagged. He cleared his throat and muttered something under his breath. Whatever he said made Devon laugh. Even as they moved on from whatever happened, I couldn’t stop seeing it over in my mind again. Were they attracted to each other?
I tried to figure out how I’d feel if that was the case. I’ve never heard of two male mates, but then again having two mates were also seemingly a myth. I studied them for a while longer. They were close friends. Wrin had said that they all grew up together it would make sense if they like each other than more as friends. I think it would be kind of hot too.
David glanced towards me. His eyes dropped to the table before snapping up to mine again almost immediately. He stood and grabbed at the things on the table to push it to the floor. I giggled as I moved towards him.
“No need to hide that. I’ve been watching the two of you for a while.”
Devon frowned down at me. “You’re suppose to be in bed.”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
I stepped around him and stared up at the tree. The ornaments were just as colourful as the lights. They were all different shapes and sizes. I stared at the angel at the top for a few more seconds before glancing down at the four wrapped presents. My eyes darted up to his in question.
“This was suppose to be a surprise for you,” David muttered. “Which you ruined by the way.”
I gave him a small smile and made my way over to him. Pressing a hand against his chest, I stood on tip toes and pressed a kiss against his chin. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “Forgive me.”
His lips twitched. I stepped away from him before he could tug me against his body. I glanced down at the half wrapped box on the coffee table and grabbed it before either of them could stop me. Moving away from them, I tugged on the wrapping paper to reveal the box underneath. My eyes widened as I read what the box contained. It was ripped from my grasp a second later. I glanced up at Devon.
“What is that?”
“Nothing.” Hiding the box behind his back, he slowly stepped backwards. “Go back to bed, little dove.”
My eyes darted over to the tree and then the presents underneath. Excitement rose inside me. What was hidden beneath that wrapping paper? I repeated their conversation in my mind as I tried to think of things they would get me. They were talking about my ass and stretching it.
“Val,” David groaned. “Go back to bed.”
I nibbled my lip as I glanced over at the clock. “Well technically, it’s already Christmas.”
The look on their faces made me laugh. I pointed over to the clock on the wall. Devon was the first one to glance at the clock. He muttered something under his breath and ran a hand down his face.
I smiled and slipped behind him to grab the box from his hands. Sinking down on the floor near the tree, I started opening it. Again it was ripped from my hands before I could get a good look at what was inside. I gasped, glancing up at him. Shaking his head, Devon handed the box over to David who placed it next to the couch.
My shoulders sagged.
I was about to stand up so I could head back to my room like they had ordered me to, when another smaller box was placed down in front of me. I reached out eagerly and started tearing the paper away from it. Once the paper was gone it revealed a black velvet box. I opened it with shaky hands and stared down at the necklace inside.
It was hard to keep the tears at bay. They slowly slid down my cheeks as I reached inside to pull it from the box. The sterling silver chain felt cool against my clammy skin. My fingers slid down to the charm at the end.
“Do you like it?” David asked, sounding a little uncertain.
I swallowed around the lump in my throat that suddenly made it too hard to speak. My eyes were glued to the pendant. Two wolves were howling at a full moon. Val was written on the moon in careful cursive letters. I had to blink a few times before I could read the words written on the back.
To our heart, and soul. The moon of our delight.
The date when we met was written underneath it. They hadn’t declared their undying love to me, but I felt it. The words on the back said it loud and clear. An arm wrapped around my shoulders second before a warm body pressed against my side.
“Val? Please say something,” Devon muttered against my ear.
“I—” I had to swallow again before I could a word out. “I love it.”
“Then why the tears?”
I sniffed and glanced up at David. “It just really means a lot to me. Thank you so much!”
I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. I pulled away and turned towards Devon to do the same. He took the necklace from me after breaking the kiss. David was suddenly there behind me to move the hair away from my neck. I stared up at him as he tied the necklace around my neck. The necklace rested just above the curve of my breasts. I glanced down at it before pressing my hand against it. Now they would always be close to my heart, no matter how far apart we were.
I wiped a tear that slowly trailed down my cheek. “I didn’t get you guys anything.”
“We got you and that’s all that matters,” David said against my hair.
I forced a smile onto my face as I glanced between them. “What else did you get me?”
Devon chuckled. “You might not like them as much.”
He sounded worried again. I didn’t miss the glance they shared before David reached for the other presents under the tree. He neatly stacked them onto the coffee table and took a seat next to me.
The first box was placed down directly in front of me. I forced my mind away from the necklace and concentrated on opening the next gift. The contents inside the box made colour flood my cheeks. Lacy underwear and a thin see-through gown. Devon closed the box again and David handed me another. This one held some perfume. The next box was a little bigger than the last two.
“This is what you’ll wear for the ceremony,” David said softly, fingering the material inside the box. “We were thinking of having it tomorrow.”
“You will be dancing for us at the cabin. Wrin had agreed to take over pack business until we return.”
“I thought you said that I would have to dance in front of everyone.”
David closed the box and placed it aside before turning towards me again. “It’s too cold for you to be wearing this little outside. You would freeze. We decided to make it a little different.”
“Different how?” I asked softly.
“We will be holding a feast for the pack and after that we will be marked. Once the marking is over, you will be escorted to the cabin by some of the elders. They will help you get ready and once you are, we will join you.”
“Do I have to go there with the elders?”
“We can only change the tradition so much, doll.”
I nodded. The idea of being alone with people who looked down at me was unnerving. They weren’t happy when they were informed of our mating but they said nothing. It was easy to tell by the way they looked at me when neither of them was there with me.
By this time tomorrow night we’d be fully mated. The thought excited and scared me. The box I had grabbed from Devon was suddenly placed down in front of me. I licked my lips and reached for it.
“It’s to stretch you open for us,” David said. “It will make it hurt less if we stretch you before we take you.”
He leaned forward and reached out to pull the smallest size out of the box. He held it up to me as he turned it around in his hands.
“Tomorrow morning before we leave, I’m going to put this inside you.”
“It’s too big,” I whispered,
“Do you trust me Val?” I nodded without hesitation. “Trust me to make you feel good.”
“Two women will stop by tomorrow morning while we attend some business, to teach you the dance. After that we will join the rest of the pack.”
I wanted to tell them that no one would be celebrating with us, but I kept my mouth shut. Tomorrow was our day. It was the next step into our future—a step closer to building our own family.
What Wrin said the other day flashed through my mind. Uncertainty filled me again. They would always place their pack first instead of their family.