Chapter 6

Elara POV

“You want me to what?!” I gape at my mates. Surely, I heard wrong. We are standing in their magnificent office, but the luxury of first edition books and stylish interior is lost on me.

“We have to sleep together tonight,” Kane repeats.

“Are you kidding me?” I throw my hands hopelessly in the air. “Is Alice going to be joining us?”

My mates stare at me with clenched jaws and crossed arms. They are like two copies in different colours. Black and white and sepia. Kane’s hair is black like the night, making his blue eyes more prominent. Axel has the same eyes, but his hair is a light brown. Dear goddess, they are sexy. I want nothing more than to sleep with them tonight – and every other night.

But not like this, not under these circumstances. Not while Alice is looming over us. No way I am going to submit to these drop-dead gorgeous men just to be tossed aside like dirty laundry when they have their way, and she becomes their mate.

“Elara,” Kane’s voice is low and dangerous.

And there it is - the Alpha voice.

“No,” I cut him off furiously. “You will not use your Alpha voice on me to get me into bed with you. Not happening. You can use that shit on Alice when you get the Elders to mate her to you, but not on me.”

Kane narrows his eyes, and Axel raises his eyebrows. I know I overstepped because nobody gets to talk to Alphas like this. It does not matter what your status is, but I do not care.

A movement at the door catches my eye, and I see Alice peeking around the corner into the study.

Conniving little bitch, I look at her and hold her gaze. Her curious expression shifts to anger, and her eyes darken as her wolf emerges to the surface.

Well, fuck her. If she wants to eavesdrop, let her. She can stand right beside Kane and Axel, but I will not be silenced.

“I’m not sleeping with you and look like a fool after you’ve hoisted me off and mated Alice,” I continue. “Not happening. I have more self-respect than that.”

“If we don’t complete the mating, then we will have broken our laws, and …”

“And if we break the law, it’ll make it harder for you to protect Alice,” I cut Kane off. “Yeah, I get it. But that’s your problem, not mine. I’m happy to sit around and not be mated.”

If I were not fighting for my dignity, I would have found Kane’s facial expressions amusing. The rage and power radiating off him were sexier than anything I have ever witnessed, and to my dismay, I feel my panties becoming damp.

My wolf is in heat in a big way for these two. I heard how people talked about being in heat, but I had no idea what they meant … until now. The lust and desire puddling inside me is all-consuming, and everything inside me is fighting the urge to drop to all fours and rub up against them.

Nope. I cannot allow that to happen. I refuse to be anyone’s sloppy seconds.

“Elara, please be reasonable.” Axel steps towards me. “You know as well as we do that there are certain … uh, expectations that must be met. For everyone’s sake, for the sake of the pack. I know it feels a bit awkward right now, but please trust us. It’ll be okay.”

“Trust you?” I laugh humorlessly. “After you ignored and humiliated me in front of everyone at the ceremony.”

“It’s not …”

“Oh, please,” I cut off Axel’s protest, rolling my eyes. “Don’t patronise me. Let me guess. You’ll be sure to make it really good for me. Give me an orgasm or two, and everything will be fine, right?”

“Axel,” Kane growls, and it is almost a cliché how much his chest is heaving in anger. “I swear to the goddess, …”

“Oh, now we’re swearing,” I sneer. “That’s …”

“Shut up!” Axel snaps, silencing all of us. “For fuck’s sake, just shut up.”

Axel POV

Elara and Kane stare at me in silence. Watching these two bicker back and forth became irksome, and I snapped.

“This argument isn’t helping,” I say firmly. “We all know the score. If Kane and I don’t mate with you tonight, we will fail to uphold the laws set forth by the Elders. The very same laws we threw in Anton’s face to stop another she-wolf from dying.”

“I’m not doing it,” Elara shrugs nonchalantly, but I do not miss the hesitation in her eyes.

“Then you’ll be re-mated,” I reply sternly. “And we would never receive another mate. Wolves who didn’t mate with their she-wolves were held in contempt. After all, if men and women were allowed to refuse a mating by not mating, the whole system would fall apart. Therefore, punishments had to be dealt out for those who didn’t comply.”

“You saw Anton’s demeanour tonight,” Kane adds. “He’s a bastard, and if you’re to be remated… well, let’s just say they’ll mate you to the worst pair they could find. Even worse than Greg and Luke.”

Elara pales and slumps into the nearest chair. I cannot help but feel sorry for her. Threatening any she-wolf with Greg and Luke would be terrifying.

Elara crosses her legs, and her scent hits me right between the eyes.

“Holy shit,” I mind-link Kane, looking at him. “She’s in heat.”

“Fuck me,” he replies. “No wonder I’m so horny.”