Chapter 7

Anila POV

Heat rushed to my cheeks.

“Do you normally talk about these things so openly?” I asked. “In front of everybody.”

Before he could respond, Harley’s voice stopped him.

“Look, I don’t want any part of whatever is going on,” he said, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground. He ran his hand across the back of his neck, and I saw that his face was flushed. “Xaden is my best friend and he’s an Alpha. I don’t want to compete for something I don’t fully understand. It’s all very confusing.”

Harley seemed to be the rational one of the group.

He was trying not to make eye contact with me, but it was a losing battle because once in a while, his honey-colored eyes would catch my wandering gaze and he’d hold it.

“Thank you, friend.” Xaden’s response was clipped, his eyes softened as he looked at Harley. The Werebear shifted uncomfortably, but he nodded in head in response to Xaden.

Zach, however, was acrimonious. “This is bullshit. I’m not backing down. Just because you met her first doesn’t mean you get rights. You can’t have everything.”

Xaden’s eyes narrowed, “I’m firstborn. It’s within my rights.”

I could see the envy racking Zach’s body as his eyes landed on me again. I fought the urge to go to him and console him. To touch his face and allow him to feel my warmth and the desires bubbling inside of me.

I had three mates; there was no denying that fact.

After my conversation with Xaden on the plane, I wasn’t sure how it was possible. But with the feeling I felt in my heart and stomach, I knew it was true.

My heart didn’t just want Xaden and my head was whirling with that fact.

This was a decision that I was going to have to make, and I wasn’t going to let any of them make this choice for me.

“You already took my position as Alpha, Xaden. Why do you want to take my mate, too?” Exhaustion, that’s all I heard from Zach’s words as he dropped his gaze to his feet, clenching his fists.

“Simple. It’s because you’re a mongrel, and don’t deserve such pleasure.” Xaden’s harsh words shocked me, pulling my gaze as a ping of anger stirred in my chest.

I saw the yellow radiating in Zach’s blue eyes like the sun rising over the ocean. His wolf was threatening to break the surface again.

“Don’t fucking call me that,” Zach growled.

Xaden tensed, his lips pulled back into a sneer as Harley took a step away from the two, the situation heating up quickly once again. I risked a glance at the bear shifter, but he kept his eyes trained on the two wolves that were beginning to grow more vicious by the second.

I’d be an idiot to get involved, especially when I don’t have all the pieces, but despite myself, I could feel the bond aching in my chest as I watched them glare at one another with such intense hatred.

This isn’t how they should be. They were brothers. They were my mates.

I didn’t want this.

“Enough, please,” I said quietly, tears quickly filling my eyes. “You guys are brothers and yet you act like enemies.”

My eyes rested on them both, but the anger written on their faces showed I did nothing but piss them off further.

“Half-brothers.” Xaden spat like it was a curse he had to deal with all his life. “He can only stay in My pack because my mother died.”

“My mom is our father's fated mate! While yours was only a chosen one,” Zach blurted out.

“No matter, fated or not, my mom is the first and only rightful Luna in MY pack.” Xaden settled his forest green eyes onto his brother. “While you and your mom can only come in second like the mistress she was.”

“Leave my mother out of this, shitbag.” Zach was working hard to control his anger; his eyes vibrated as he ran an anxious hand through his blonde hair. “It’s not my fault father couldn’t resist his fated mate. It was written in the stars long before your mother came into the picture.”

Looking at Xaden, his jaw was clenched, and I knew he was trying to control his emotions. But I knew Zach’s words hurt him. I could feel the pain through the mate bond.

I hated that the brothers were fighting over this; I hated that they were fighting over me.

I caught the sad expression on Principal Rapport and Harley’s faces, making me realize that this went beyond me. This went much deeper than I seemed to understand.

As Zach took an aggressive step closer to Xaden, I found myself moving before I could think.

“Stop it.”

My voice was painfully calm, enough to drag the arguing men’s heated gazes directly to me.

“You are fighting over things you can’t even control.” I mused, and Xaden opened his mouth to retort, but I held up my hand, silencing him. “I make these decisions. Not you. Not the moon goddess. Me.” My arms cross over my chest. “I have spent my entire life being controlled by someone else. Having my choices ripped away from me time and time again. I refuse to be a prisoner again. I get to choose. Me.” My finger points to Xaden, “Not you.” Then to Zach, “And not you.”

It was silent for a few seconds, the two half-brothers fumed before me but, thankfully, they kept their mouths shut.

Even Harley watched me in awe with his warm and inviting honey-colored eyes studying me like I was a rare gem.

“Impressive, Anila.” Principal Rapport stated casually as he leaned on his cane. “Then, how about you make your choice so we can move on with our night.”

I frowned at him, but his knowing smile told me he put me into this predicament on purpose. He knows I can talk the talk. Now he wanted to see if I could walk the walk.

“If I had to choose right now, it would be Xaden.” I gestured to Zach and Harley. “I’ve spent the most time with Xaden and I’ve gotten to know him a bit.”

I moved closer to the pair, hoping to alleviate some of the tension.

But that was a mistake.

Zach’s arm snaked around my waist, and he yanked me toward him, my back pressed tightly against his chest. Immediately my head is in a daze his scent penetrates my nose.

Rather than citrus and blackberries, Zach smells like grapefruit and oranges. Enticing, exciting, and absolutely delectable.

My head lulled into his shoulder, and I took a deep breath, his scent permeated my nose and sent waves of… something… down my body. Comfort and happiness entangled with a depraved desire.

He presses his nose into my neck, taking a breath.

He shuddered against me as he pulled his gaze back to his brother, arms around me possessively.

“How can she choose properly if she hasn’t been able to experience me yet, Brother?” His tone had something new in it, playful, flirtatious, and deadly. “And telling from her body language, I’d say she wants a little taste.”

I stiffened, but I was still unable to pull myself away from him.

There was a part of me that didn’t want to break free from his hold on me. A part of me wanted exactly what he was saying…. A taste.

I was entangled in a web that made no sense to me but kept me glued to him. My heart hammered against my chest.

My eyes held Xaden’s as his body tensed.

“You really are a fucking Mongrel,” Xaden’s words lashed out, filled with so much hatred it made me shudder.

Zach’s grip tightened.

“I’ll show you a mongrel,” He snarled, his lips grazing the sensitive spot where my neck met my collarbone, making me tremble and my knees weaken. His orange eyes flare as he holds his brother's gaze. “Don’t think you can take what’s mine so easily. I’ll mark her right now, and keep her from you forever.”