Page 41 of Fated to Them

I feel my blood pressure spike, black dots dancing before my vision, threatening to engulf me in darkness.

The wolf moves, nudging my hand with its nose, lifting it. My hand becomes frozen in the air as he rubs his face in my palm, purring softly. His fur is soft and thick and so dark it almost looks blue under the moon’s light.

“He won’t hurt you,” Cyrus says, looking down at me before kneeling.

He brushes the wolf’s fur again before reaching for my hand, and I pull it back before he grips it gently. Sparks move over my hand before he places it on the wolf’s neck, rubbing it up to his face.

“See? He won’t harm you. We won’t harm you,” Cyrus whispers.

I feel his fur, the wolf leaning into my touch, when I hear that horrid sound again, my eyes snapping shut and my teeth aching from the noise before I feel the wolf moving above me. Only when I open my eyes, Eli is staring down at me, my hand shaking as he grabs it, kissing my knuckles.

“I won’t hurt you, Addie. You are ours,” he says softly before kissing my lips, his hard body pressed to mine.

Yet I don’t respond, my entire body tense at what I have just witnessed. Maybe this is a dream. Yet it feels so real, and the sound of my pulse beating in my ear makes that not plausible.

“I want to go home,” I tell them. My voice sounds meek even to my own ears.

“We can’t let you do that. Not now that you know,” Eli whispers, pulling back.

“No, I won’t say anything. Just let me leave. You don’t have to kill me. I will forget it ever happened.”

Cyrus chuckles, making me look up at him. “I know you won’t tell, Addie, but it doesn’t change anything. We won’t be letting you go. You belong to us. That’s why Eli marked you. You were destined to be with us. Even if you don’t feel it now, you will.”

“What?” I ask, the only thing I can conjure up with my mind in shambles.

“We can explain, but please come inside. It is getting cold,” Eli says before I feel his weight lift off me as he stands, holding his hand out to me. I sit up, taking his hand, only to come face to face with his cock right in my face. I nearly choke on my own shock as I look away, swallowing it. It is huge, like intimidatingly so.

“You can look. When I shift, my clothes get destroyed, which is a shame. I only just bought those pants,” Eli says, still holding my hand as I look up at him.

He pulls me to my feet, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me against him. “You seem okay,” he says, staring at my face when I feel Cyrus’s hands on my shoulders.

“She is in shock. It won’t last long,” he whispers, and I jump when he kisses my neck.

“Come inside where it is warm. I will make you coffee, and we can talk,” Cyrus says behind me before Eli tugs on my hand. I follow them, my eyes darting to my car.

“Don’t even think about it. I have your keys,” Cyrus whispers, placing his hand on my lower back.

I walk to the steps, Eli’s grip on my hand tightening like he thinks I will run as soon as the door comes into view. That would be foolish, knowing Cyrus is directly behind me. Instead, I follow them inside. This house is much different from the one in Soya and reminds me of a log cabin, just a little bigger.

It has slate floors and exposed beams and a modern rustic feel, vastly different from how they present themselves in the office. I follow them into the kitchen, and Cyrus pulls out a stool.

“Sit,” he says, and I do, leaning on the black marble bench top. Cyrus busies himself making coffee, while I look around from my seated position.

“This place is different from your place in Soya,” I tell them.

“We prefer Soya, fewer people and further out,” Eli says. “We can’t let you leave, not now that you know what we are.”

“Why? Even if I did say anything, people would think I had lost the plot. I don’t even think my mother would believe this,” I tell him.

They say nothing but look at each other before Cyrus hands me a cup. I sniff it, and Cyrus raises an eyebrow at me.

“I didn’t poison it if that is what you’re wondering,” he says.

I shrug. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you did. I just watched him turn into a dog,” I tell him, and Eli growls. I roll my eyes, sipping the coffee.

“Werewolf,” Eli says.

“Same, slight difference. You got a tail and fur,” I tell him. He seems thoughtful for a second, and Cyrus chuckles.