Chapter 36

Anila POV

There were a lot of things in life I didn’t expect. I never expected to break free from the prison my stepmother kept me in. I never expected to be part of this supernatural community. I certainly never expected to find my fated mate, not to mention have three of them, maybe four.

But most of all, I did not expect an eighty-year-old lady to recommend a smut to me.

Yes, a smut.

I can’t stop the heat from warming my cheeks as I read this… deliciously naughty story about the moon queen and her five mates. I’m not sure if she grabbed the wrong book, or wanted me to read this filthy book just to… what? Prepare me for the future? Or just to get me all antsy with no release?

Even so, I enjoyed the read.

I spent most of the early morning reading while the sun started to rise, and curfew was in effect.

While most of it was sexual in context, there were bits of information that did come in handy. Such as how she managed to have five loves, and none of them felt excluded, or jealous.

I’m already on a bad start in that area, Zach and Xaden hated each other, and with me in the mix, it just made the tension worse. Regardless, it had some tips that… maybe? I could utilize it later.

We’ll see.

Right now, the book was incredible, and I was lost in the story. That was until I glanced at my clock and noticed it was already noon. Crap. My first course starts tonight, and I didn’t want to be a zombie learning about werebears.

Tucking the book underneath my mattress, a habit of mine since living with my stepmother, whenever I read something I wanted to be kept private and turned off my lamp before snuggling deep into my blankets.

Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

Touching. There was so much touching and so much heat. But not an overwhelming heat that made it difficult to breathe, a heat that caressed me like the warm sunlight on a chilly day. There were hands on my face, and my shoulders, feeling along my back and stomach before trailing down to my ass, and thighs.

Some are familiar, like Xaden’s hands. His lithe fingers and soft palm massaging my breast are as familiar to me as his breath.

The others, however, are not.

One set was rough and calloused. With thick meaty fingers and the weight to their touch, it forced me to focus on it, the most. The other set was similar to Xaden’s, only a bit rougher, and hotter than his.

When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by men.

Xaden had my head in his lap, touching my face his thumb tracing my cheekbones, before pressing against my lips before he leaned forward and stole one. Harley was to my left, his hands roaming my body earnestly, undisturbed by any of the audience around him—Zach between my legs, Damien standing behind him, eyes on me, and a figure concealed in shadows, watching as I am felt up by so many.

My heart exploded in my chest as a nervous anxiety pulled my skin taut. I grasp onto Xaden, wanting only to see him, to feel him, to be touched by him. I’m not ready for this. I’m not ready for all these hands, all this attention that was being poured into me like I was a queen.

I fidgeted uncomfortably, trying to squirm away but all three only growled at me, the slightest movement causing their eyes to flash with desire and hunger as their hands feel me more. Zach trails his lips down my thighs to my knees, before peeling my legs apart to look at me with earnestness.

I try to close them, to will my body to listen and to get the heck out of there, but nothing happens. In fact, despite the nervousness crawling along my skin like a trillion little ants, desire and arousal bloomed from between my legs, spreading throughout my body like it was poison.

My mind wasn’t ready for this, my heart a scared little bird strapped in a bird cage at the very idea of being with so many, but my body craved it. It drank in every fervent touch, every heady breath that escaped their parted lips as their touches became needy.

A moan escaped my lips, spurning Zach further as his face dipped closer to my moist center, twitching beneath his heated gaze as he licked his lips. Xaden’s arms encircle my shoulders, peppering soft kisses along my neck and face.

My eyes flick to his, wild and panicked, gauging his reaction. He’ll save me. He’ll pull me free from this situation and consume me all by himself, just like I want him to.

Only, he doesn’t.

His eyes are glassy and glowing, the yellow rings of his wolf permeating the green of his irises as a low rumble vibrated in his chest—a purr so similar to when he had been connected to me physically.

It was a sign that he wasn’t here.

That he couldn’t see anything except my soft, supple skin. Can’t do anything except touch, kiss, and lick every part he has access to. My breath hitched when Harley’s mouth descends onto my nipple, sucking it between his lips with enough force that I squirm and writhe trying to get away from him.

But my body bowed towards him, another sound slipping past my lips as his large hand palms my breast, flicking my nipple to its peak before working his tongue around my breast.

How did I get here? Why am I here?

These questions swirled in my head, dancing in the misty fog of lust as my body was spurned further and further towards the peak of bliss fast approaching. When my eyes met Harley’s, I sucked in a breath at the scarlet rings consuming his honey eyes.

He wasn’t here, either.

When I found Zach, his nose descending towards my core, tongue ready to taste, I found that his eyes were yellow, too. All the signs I needed that they were not in control—their beasts were.

When my eyes landed on Damien, he was closer. He looked normal, just as he would any other day, only there was more emotion on his face now, than I had ever seen before.

The sheen glazing his eyes told me he was just as turned on by this as my body was—as I was, even if my heart and mind were panicking. His jaw ticked, and his teeth ground together as he watched Zach’s head finally dig into my core like it were a mango.

The sensation of his tongue across my clit is a searing burst of pleasure, making my vision shake as my head lulls back into Xaden’s lap, who descended onto my lips and claimed them for his own. I could feel Harley’s lips working my breast, and Zach tasting my core.

I found myself bucking my hips, grinding into Zach’s face, and trying to bring myself to that sweet release as his tongue worked such magic.

The trembling of my body told me the truth I didn’t want to hear.

I wanted this. I loved this. I wanted all of them, all the time. Maybe that’s selfish, but it was the truth. I needed them like I needed air to breathe. I felt complete with all these men. They were my men. My mates.

Just as badly as I wanted Xaden to steal me away and ravish me for hours, I wanted to be dominated and destroyed by all three of them. No. All four of them. Maybe even five. I needed Damien here too and whoever was hiding in the shadows.

It felt foreign and strange to have these desires vibrating so strongly within me, especially when I had no experience outside of Xaden. But it felt like my very soul was reaching for them, beckoning them to come closer; to take me as theirs.

The shadow in the distance shifts their feet, their eyes on me the entire time—I could feel them just like I could feel Harley’s hot touches, Zach's greedy tongue, and Xaden's delicious kisses.

Just as my legs clench around Zach’s head, pleasure undulating in my body like fireworks, a vicious sound rings—

I sit up straight in bed, breath heavy, sweat clinging to my clothes and hair as I look around frantically in my empty room. I touched my chest, chasing away the phantom touches that seemed to linger as I struggled to get my bearings.

*What was that? *

My fingers splayed into my hair as I took several deep breaths trying desperately to calm my rapidly beating heart.

What the fuck was that?

My hands tremble as I shut off my screeching alarm, bewildered by my surroundings just as much as I was bewildered by my own dream.

It took me a long time, too long, to finally push those thoughts out of my head enough to get my night started.