All the air left my lungs at the broken, hollow sound in his voice.
“She claimed you as well,” Noah said.
“No. It’s different for shifters. It’s not as simple as a tattoo or a little blood. She let me mark her, but...”
Realization had me pulling out of the arms of the two men at my side and going to my beautiful, tortured mate. “I never marked you.”
He flinched as I reached for him. “Just tell me why.”
“I didn’t know. I wasn’t taught...”
“You mean to tell me your father, yourgrandfathernever explained how it worked? I find that hard to believe. They had us paired up from the time we were kids.”
“Do you remember how I found out about my heat? My grandfather only spent time with me when it couldn’t be avoided. Family heart to hearts weren’t a thing for us. If he wasn’t belittling me or shaming me, he was ignoring me entirely. And my father was drunk off his ass ninety percent of the time. I had no one, Kingston. No one to talk me through all the things I needed to know about being a wolf, because they didn’t think it was worth it.” I shoved him, not enough that he moved, but enough to make a point. “Why didn’tyoutell me?”
Guilt swam in his eyes. “I couldn’t bring myself to beg you to want me again.”
I cupped his cheek. “Kingston. You can’t be afraid to tell me what you need. My shifter education is clearly lacking, so you’re going to have to help me fill in the blanks. I need all of you to help me. I can’t do any of this alone. We’re supposed to be a team, but I can’t be the partner you deserve if you don’t help me out.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “You deserve so much better than me.”
Stepping closer, I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him against my body, instantly feeling more at ease because I could hear his heart beating, steady and strong, beneath my ear.
“No. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Now how do I mark you? I’ll do it right here.”
A deep rumble came from Kingston, the vibration rolling right through me. “It’s not exactly something we should do in public. And you need to be able to shift, at least partially, to do it.”
Noah stepped forward. “I might know a way around that if you’re interested?”
Kingston gave him a wary nod, as if being vulnerable in front of my other two mates physically pained him.
“Go toIniquity. It will provide you with privacy and a safe space. Sunday can access her magic there. It will ensure you both have everything you need and make the moment truly memorable. Like it was for us.”
“Noah, that’s a wonderful idea.” Looking up at Kingston, I asked, “Will that work?” I hated not knowing if there was some special ceremony or circumstance that would be required. But I had to rely on my mate to teach me.
“Only if we can go right the hell now. I need this. I’m on edge and hungry for my mate.”
“You’re always hungry,” I teased.
“It's worse now that my wolf was freed after not shifting for so long.”
I smirked and rose up on my tiptoes to kiss him. “Then sneak me out of here so we can make sure you are sated.”
“I’ll give Lilith a call, let her know you’re coming.”
“Not yet, but we will be,” Kingston growled in my ear. “I fucking love you, Sunshine. I’m sorry I doubted you.”
“Me too. Those messages really got to me. I shouldn’t have believed they were you.”
“What did they say? Can I see them?”
I pulled out my phone and handed it to him. Expressions rapidly flitted across his face as he scrolled through the wall of text. Horror. Disgust. Fury. One right after the other.
“Sunshine...”
“It doesn’t matter. I love you. And after this, I hope we never have a reason to doubt each other ever again.”