Chapter 16: Jane
Walk away? The idea was almost impossible for me to fathom. Perhaps it was the logical thing to do but these boys have already shown me that the world is a far different place than I imagined. It is full of wonder and awe, and if I keep playing it safe then I’ll never get to see any of its beauties.
“I’m not running,” I said, trying to keep my voice firm. “I want this just as much as you do.”
Landon placed his hand on my cheek. “You do realize —”
“That this will change my life? Yes.” I nodded, despite the lump forming at the back of my throat. “I understand. But I cannot go back to my boring old life, when I know there’s so much more for me to discover and if I’m going to see the world, then I want to see it with the two of you and no one else.” My pace quickened with every word I said, because I was pretty much giving in to the idea of ‘fate’ — something the old me would have laughed at. But how else was I to explain this crazy set of events and everything that has happened in such a short amount of time? Maybe its insane of me to think but I’ve been waiting my whole life to meet these men and I’ll be damned if I let them slip away.
“If this is your choice then we will be happy to oblige,” said Roman. “And make you our eternal mate.”
There was something about the way he said the word ‘eternal’ that sent a shiver through my spine. It was more than ‘death do us part.’ This was more than a commitment. This was irrevocable and there was no turning back. After all, it’s not like you can divorce yourself from being a werewolf. I couldn’t take this shapeshifting gig for a test drive and then return it later on. If I made this leap, I had to live with it.
“You’re having doubts,” Roman observed. “So, if you want us to wait…” As he spoke, he ran his fingertips along my still naked body. “…that’s okay. We’ll wait.” Somehow, his touch was softer than the bed of pelts lying beneath me.
“No,” I breathed. “There’s nothing for me to doubt. You two are the ones. It is not something I can explain but something I can feel and it is as palpable as anything in this room. This is not something I’ll ever regret.” I tried to convey my truth through my eyes, in case my words were not enough to convince the wolves but all of a sudden, there was a shift in the way they were looking at me.
I half expected them to pounce on me for a second round but instead I felt their lips trailing along the side of my neck. They moved in perfect sync, following some invisible path etched into my skin.
“What are you…?” I didn’t finish my question because altering the silence that surrounded us seemed wrong. So, I contented myself with being at their mercy. Whatever happened — happened.
They reached my collarbone and lingered there a moment. I really had no idea what they were doing but it sure felt good. There was a pulse underneath my skin and it quickened to an impossible rate as they neared my left breast.
Together, they rested their hands over my heart. At first, it seemed like nothing was happening but then I felt the heat. It was gradual but after a minute or two, it felt like I was burning up inside. I was sure my heart would melt into a puddle of cardiac tissue.
I squirmed and tried to tell them that something was wrong but I had been rendered mute by the alien sensation.
“Shh,” they cooed as one, whilst running their fingers through my hair. “Shh,” they said again and as if a switch had been flipped, I started to relax. They waited until all the tension had eased from my body. Only then did they make their next move.
My eyes were closed but I felt the sharpness of their teeth. With a pinch of pressure, they pierced through my skin.
I howled, not so much from the pain but from a wash of intensity that flowed through every fiber of my being. I felt possessed by an overload of energy that threatened to burst through the seams if I failed to do something about it.
Run! came an instinctual urge but it wasn’t a warning but a desire. I wanted to run all through the forest and feel the wind whipping against my skin. I needed the adrenaline of the chase. I needed to be set free!
The burning became euphoric and maybe that was worse. The pleasure surged and became alive inside my chest.
Another howl ripped through my throat but this time it was much deeper. It echoed through the den.
The men stopped and smiled. “Welcome,” they said. “You are now and forever a member of our pack.”
I brought my hand to where their lips had been and the skin was raised like that of scar tissue. I traced over it with my finger and felt a pattern I didn’t recognize.
“It is our crest,” said Landon. “It is a mark of our people and it is our hope that you wear it with pride and happiness.”
“So, this really happened…” I whispered. “I’m a member of your pack…”
“Yes. And our mate as well,” added Roman.
I held my head because I feared it would spin towards oblivion. Yet, my body had a strange sense of calm setting in, like I had finally made peace with myself. I was no longer a lost soul wandering through the world, wondering what was to come. I had a home and it was within the hearts of my mates.
“It is time,” said Roman.
“Time?” I repeated. “Time for what?”
“Your first transformation.”
My mouth became dry.