Chapter 6

Thalia

“The marks.”

I whispered to myself, my fingers itching to reach and touch them. Fucking hell, it couldn’t be. No way I carry the marks of these men who might be beasts. Werewolves? Vampires? Which one could they even be? And since when did I start to believe that those things were real? No way.

“What are you guys? Werewolves? Vampires?”

I couldn’t help asking. They both looked at me and each other before Cross spoke.

“Wolves.”

I gasped and tried my best to stay put. Werewolves. I fucked two werewolves and now carry their marks. What the fuck did I get myself into? No, I refuse to believe it. There must be a mix-up somewhere, someone was playing tricks with me.

“Yes, Lia, we are wolves and you are my mate.”

Lucas told me.

“No, she is my mate. I am not about to do this with you.”

Cross fired at him and I watched as they both started going at each other while stood there, going over what they said multiple times, trying to make sure I didn’t hear wrongly. Mate?

“What are you guys even saying?”

I yelled out and got their attention on me. I didn’t want to panic but it was hard to stay calm after what I just found out. No, I must have heard them wrongly or they were just trying to stake a claim on me but what about the marks? The freaking marks.

“Honey, I know this is a lot to take on and I didn’t want you to find out this way, but yes, you are my mate.”

Cross explained in a very low and suggestive voice. My head was spinning and I felt hot even though there was air-con in the office. I swallowed to clear the lump that formed in my throat but that didn’t help my cause at all.

“You are wrong, she is my mate and not yours.”

My palms felt sweaty and my head felt like it was splitting in two. Did I really sleep with two werewolves? That’s fucking hard to believe because up until this moment, I never once thought that the rumors about shifters being among us were real.

I used to think that it was just another conspiracy story that people cook up just to get everyone scared or get people talking about it for likes and views. I have seen a lot of posts about it on the internet. Plenty of videos explaining and I ignore each time because it never got my interest and now? I might have met not just one but two and had steamy nights with them.

“No wonder they were so good in bed.”

My inner voice whispered over the roaring anxiety. I looked at both men and they were watching me. Cross looked like he wanted to say more. Lucas was clearly over everything. He looked pissed.

“You guys are joking, right? This mate thing is a joke, right?”

I let out. Hoping that they would laugh and tell me that they were joking and pulling my legs.

“It’s not a joke, Lia, you are my mate.”

“No, I am not!”

I yelled out, cutting off Lucas who looked shocked and kind of hurt by my words. I didn’t mean to make him sad but I refused to believe that my fate was tied to two men just because I slept with them. I have read a little about mating and I don’t like the idea at all.

Good thing I talked about having a boyfriend because now, I can tell both of them to fuck off without making it seem like I would get with anyone of them. Fuck, I really don’t want to do it. I had hoped that I would get a second chance with one or either of them on separate nights of course.

They did things to my body that no man had ever done before and I really wanted a repeat of that without the hustle of being mated to them, if that was even a real thing. I still want to believe that it isn’t but why would they both say shit like that and look so serious saying it?

“Calm down, you are over your head, right now.”

I told myself. I let out a deep sigh, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath before I opened them again.

“I don’t know what you both are playing at but I want you both to know one thing. I am not your mate or whatever you call it. What we had was a one-night stand and it ended the minute you left me at the hotel. Like I said, I have a boyfriend and I have no intention of breaking up with him.”

I told them firmly. I expected them to say something back to me but they both remained silent. I looked from one man to the next, waiting for them to speak but they both said nothing.

“Are you guys going to say something or do I take it that you both already heard me and are willing to forget what happened between us and we can all just be students and professors?”

I questioned them. As much as that’s not what I wanted, at least not until I got one or both of them inside me again but it was for the best. I fear Steve would be my getaway plan. I do feel bad for thinking about using him but at this rate, I am not in the best place to care about anyone’s feelings but mine.

“I haven’t agreed to something like that. I know you are overwhelmed but I refuse to act like I don’t know you. That I don’t know how you taste like, how you purr, whimper, and shudder beneath me.”

Heat rose inside me as Lucas said the words and gradually moved towards me. I stood rooted there.