Mates.
“They are devoted to her. Caleb and Dom will be by her side however she needs. And if this is how it had to happen … then it’s how it happened and you will not harm them.”
My pulse flickers. Harm them? But more than that, mates? Mates. The word resonates deeply.
It’s hard to weigh the truth in his statement. The moment I saw her tied to the bed with Caleb and Dom surrounding her, Devin snatched me away, leaving only a blip of an image rattling in my memory. I shake my head. She wouldn’t do that. There’s no way she would’ve wanted it.
“If she’d seen us earlier, do you think she would’ve realized what was going on between the two of us?” he asks as though he read my mind.
“If she walked in on us while I had you against the wall, would she have known how much you fucking loved it? How you wanted me to pin you down and hammer into your hot cunt to prove you belong to me?” My breathing hitches as his dirty words are whispered into my neck, just before he gives it a gentle kiss. The softness of his touch is at odds with his tone, but I cling to it.
“Look at me.” His command is softly spoken, nearly a whisper. I tilt my head as he removes his hold on me altogether and steps back. My body instantly misses his warmth, his touch. I want what he’s saying to be true. It means they didn’t hurt her. Please, God, I want that to be true.
“I want you to see.” It takes a moment for me to register his words and I have to blink away the hazy desire clouding my vision, my thoughts, my self-respect. I hate this. I hate this damned heat. I hate the effect he has on me. Anger rips through me. Devin pinches my chin, forcing my eyes to focus on his. I clench my teeth but stare back into his heated silver gaze.
His eyes search mine for a moment before he releases his hold. “Come with me.” He walks toward the door without waiting for my response, leaving me to watch his hulking frame take long, confident strides to the door before quietly opening it. My feet hesitantly follow without my conscious consent. I swallow thickly as I realize I’m not sure I want to see. As I come up behind him, he angles his body toward me and opens his arms for me to stand at his side. I glance up at his stern expression and question whether or not I want to be in his embrace. I’m not given the opportunity to deny him as my body continues to behave of its own accord, moving next to him. I close my eyes as his strong arm wraps around my body. His hand rests on my shoulder and his thumb kneads soothing circles into my tense muscles. He peers into the room with me. I close my eyes, reveling in his comforting touch. “Stay quiet, I don’t want to interfere. Do you understand?” I nod my head slightly and whisper yes before focusing my gaze on the sight of the three of them. My eyes slowly adjust to the darkened room, illuminated with only hints of daylight whispering through the curtains.
My body stiffens as I watch Dom wipe Lizzie’s lower half clean. Before getting off the bed, he places a small kiss on her inner thigh. Caleb is lying next to her on her left but leaning his massive chest over her small frame, loosening a knot on her wrist. He tosses the rope onto the floor and then massages her arm. She turns so her chest is beside his and he responds by pulling her small body against him. My breathing slows and I relax slightly into Devin’s hold.
Thump, thump, my heart pleads for this to unfold in a way that will make it all okay.
Dom walks to the other side, releasing her other wrist before climbing onto the bed to lay behind her, his chest to her back. He gently kisses her shoulder and runs his hand over a bruise on her hip. My lungs halt as I see the marks on her body. Her ankles are red and look raw. I shake my head and try to back away, but Devin holds me steady. “Just listen.”
“Please bring your wolf out. You’re hurt.” Dom’s whispered plea is almost too soft to hear. Wolf? My brow furrows in confusion. Before I can whisper that she’s not a wolf, she speaks.
“I can’t.” I hear Lizzie for the first time and naturally I try to step forward to call out her name, but Devin’s strong grip keeps me by his side. My instinct is to push him away so I can go to her, but he holds me in place.