Cursed Mate (Feral Shifters 3)

Kian closes his eyes, and his thumb rubs a lazy circle on my hip. “Half past two.”

Not as late as I thought when I woke up. I must have been sleeping like the dead. Not exactly the height of proper security, since someone could have come into the cabin and ax murdered me in that deep of a catatonic state.

That thought leads me to another. “Do you think we should have set our own guard? We all just crashed out. Maybe someone should be awake at all times to make sure none of Felicity’s wolves try anything.”

A low rumble rises from Kian’s chest, and he opens his eyes, narrowing his gaze on me. “I dare them to try. They’ll regret it if they do.”

I recognize the hard glint in his eyes and the hard set of his jaw. It’s the feral side of him surfacing—that stoic, angry edge to him I’ve come to know.

More than know, really. Understand.

Then Kian’s face softens, almost as if he’s recognized my thoughts without me having to say a word.

Shit. I didn't think I projected my emotions that much.

His hand goes still on my waist. “How’s Frost doing?”

“What do you mean?” I whisper, confused by the question. “You would know as well as I do. The four of us have been together twenty-four-seven for weeks.”

Kian’s lips quirk up on one side into a half-smile, barely visible in the shadows. “We’re close, Frost, Malix, and me. Like brothers. Maybe even deeper than that with everything we’ve been through together. But what Frost has with you is different. You unlock a part of him that no one else can.”

I go completely still, touched by his words. Frost has said something similar in the past, but hearing the same sentiment from Kian really drives home how true it is. Kian isn’t the kind of man to hype up someone else just for fun, and he’s certainly not going to tell me something that he doesn't truly believe.

“So,” Kian adds when I don’t respond, “I want to know, specifically, how do you think he’s doing?”

I take a breath and readjust my head on the pillow. “He’s okay. I think. He’s been through a lot, and now things are just different. I think, given time, he’ll figure it out. Find a new normal. I have faith in him.”

Kian studies me for a moment. Even in the shadowy room, I can still make out the play of emotions across his rugged face. I swear, it seems like he’s constantly at war with whatever emotions are vying for his attention.

Finally, he slides his palm over my elbow, then gently trails it up my bicep. “You’re good for him. You’re good for both of my brothers.”

His fingers halt on the sensitive skin of my neck, directly under my ear. Heat blooms outward from his touch, and my breath hitches.

“What about you?” I whisper. “Am I good for you?”

Something passes through his eyes, the gold rings around his irises glinting in the darkness. “Yeah. You’re good for me, too.”

We both move at the same time, meeting in the middle as our lips find each other in a kiss. Kian’s mouth dominates mine in the same way his body dominates mine during sex. He cups my face, using his thumbs to tilt my head back, to fully open me to his kiss. His tongue claims my mouth with the same confident power, but this kiss is more of a slow burn than a raging passion.

Desire stirs in my belly, but this time, it’s more than that. The kiss lingers for several long moments, both of us lost in each other, enjoying the simple act of exploring each other like this.

I think it’s the first time ever that Kian and I have kissed just for the sake of kissing—for all the other things a kiss can mean beyond the sexual aspect. Lying in his arms like this, kissing with no end in sight, makes me feel young and carefree. No expectations beyond this moment. This kiss.

Finally, Kian slows the movement of his lips, then gives me several small, lingering pecks before he breaks away from me. But he doesn’t release me. We gaze into each other’s eyes, and I’m sure he can feel the way my heart is racing.

There’s so much I want to say, but the words all get trapped in a jumble behind my lips.

Nearly every moment between me and Kian has been explosive. From the arguing and butting heads to the passionate sex to the weird way we always dance around each other, testing each other, trying to figure out where we fit and how.

There are so many unspoken words between us that it would be impossible for me to try to speak them into existence.

Not right now.

I just want to enjoy this moment.

So I nestle closer to him, tucking my head against his chest. His chin rests comfortably on the top of my head, and he curls his arm around my waist, sliding it comfortably between me and Frost. I can tell, somehow, that it isn’t meant to come between us, but for Kian to be able to have a connection with his brother too.

It’s a reminder how much he loves them both.

Maybe one day, he’ll love me too.

I sink into the soft, comforting sensation of being surrounded by these three men. Although they shouldn’t be my mates—and the situation there is as tangled and complex as a spider’s web—I still feel a deep, soul-level connection to them.

That strange remaining bond, which I still don’t quite understand, soothes me back to sleep.