Page 5 of Claimed

My head whips around to the five men close by, watching me. Closer than usual. No. Not men.

Mates.

How could I forget what happened behind the waterfall? That was the single best moment of my life. For some reason, the Moon Goddess has given me five mates. And not just any mates, the five most perfect men in the entire world.

Maddox is standing the closest, and he’s staring at me with such intensity that my back legs grow weak. Knowing he’s my mate has me desperate to be close to him again, wishing we could complete the bond. With a sudden surge of determined strength, I run straight toward him.

He frowns but doesn’t move, other than to squat down and open his arms to me, making my heart leap in my chest. I barrel into him, letting him hug me tightly as he presses his cheek to my head.

“You’ve remembered,” he says with a sigh. I let out a small whine in answer as I try to press closer. “Mate,” he whispers, and I try to nod against his chest. “My beautiful little mate.”

When he pulls his head back to look at me, I realize the other four have moved in close. They are all looking at me with a longing I feel deep in my bones. It’s a need to connect, to touch them with my human hands, then to seal each bond, cementing them to me forever.

“We were wondering if you felt up for trying to shift again?”

I turn back to Maddox as I try to figure out what he means, then I remember I shifted. Twice. Is their touch really the antidote I need? Did that mean to stay human, all five of them would have to keep touching me?

Is that the worst thing in the world?

I dip my nose, and he smiles. “Let’s get you inside, shall we?”

He stands and I trot at his side toward the back door with the others surrounding us.

When we step into the living room, I start to feel nervous. I’ve been dying to shift and talk to them for so long. What do I tell them first? What do I ask?

Chase sits on the couch in only his boxers and makes grabby hands at me, so I jump up and sit sideways in his lap, leaning against his large chest. I tilt my head to look at him, and he smiles at me as his pink hair flops into his eye.

Bain sits in front of me on Chase’s right, and Gage sits on his other side, at my back. Maddox and Hunter sit on the coffee table directly in front of us.

“Okay, are you ready?” Maddox asks as Gage presses a hand to my back and Bain reaches out and grabs my front leg.

I nod, and Hunter reaches forward, placing a hand on my shoulder as I turn to watch Maddox, the final connection, reach out and place his palm on my back leg.

I gasp as my body shifts into my human form. Several sets of wide eyes stare at me in shock, then I squeal, yanking my arms and legs in as I turn to Chase to hide my nakedness. Immediately, I shift back to my wolf form and realize I’d pulled my arm out of Bain’s grasp.

I keep my forehead pressed to Chase’s chest in embarrassment over being naked, but also my reaction. They are my mates, and they’ve been naked around me dozens of times, even if I have made an effort to never look at them when they are like that.

Chase’s chest starts to move up and down, and it takes me a moment to realize he’s laughing.

“Don’t laugh at her!” Gage tells him.

“I’m not laughing at her. I’m laughing at the situation. How is it that none of us thought about the fact that we were about to have our naked mate in front of us for the first time?”

“Here,” Maddox says, and I turn to see what he’s doing. He pulls his T-shirt over his head and leans forward as he holds it above me. “Sit forward a little, sweetheart.” I pull my body away from Chase, and Maddox pulls the shirt over my head. Bain and Maddox proceed to pull it down over me, pulling my front legs through the sleeves. It’s huge on me, and I imagine it’ll be at least down to my thighs in human form.

“Did that tire you out?” Gage asks. “The shift?” I shake my head.

“Are you ready to try again?” Maddox asks, looking amused. I nod, and this time, they all reach out at once, the change happening faster than I expected.

I feel Chase’s hand move to pull the bottom of the shirt a little lower, and I turn my head to look at him.

“Thank you, Chase,” I tell him, my voice a little rough from not being used. He smiles at me. A huge, full-face covering smile, and I have the urge to touch it. Realizing that I finally can, I reach up with my hand that isn’t held in Bain’s and gently run my fingers along his jaw, through his stubble.

“Mate,” I whisper, feeling the need to say it out loud.

“Yes, that’s right. I’m your mate, pretty girl.”

He lets me explore, my hand moving up into his hair, desperate to confirm it’s as soft as it looks. And for anyone wondering, it is.