Chapter 93

Anila’s POV

As soon as I felt Zach’s fangs dig into my soft flesh, it was like a wake-up call. But before I could react, I heard the deep throaty growl of a bear, and I knew Harley had just witnessed this. Zach quickly released me, blood dripping from his lips just as Harley attacked him.

A scream escaped my lips as I watched the two fall to the ground. Harley was in his bear form, but Zach shifted back into his wolf form almost immediately and the two began to fight.

My fingers shakily went to my neck, and I felt the spot that Zach marked.

He actually marked. After he said he wouldn’t do that.

I knew that I needed to get out of there. I didn’t stick around to see if the fighting continued; I trusted them to know when to stop. I was furious, and I was hurt, and I was scared. I was scared for Xaden, and I was scared for myself.

Zach marked me… without my permission.

Anger filled me at the very thought, but it was hard to maintain because my wolf was happy about this.

I found my clothes at the edge of the forest lines, and I quickly dressed, suddenly feeling extremely exposed. I had all these emotions running through me and I couldn’t tell if they were mine or my mates.

I ignored all the wandering looks as I walked down the streets of the pack, and then I made my way into the clinic. Xaden was exactly where I had left him, and my heart broke for him. The doctor was doing an examination, hardly paying me any attention as I sat back at the bedside. I knew I had dried blood on my neckline where Zach had marked me, but I really didn’t care. I bit my lower lip to keep myself from openly sobbing in front of these strangers.

I felt someone tapping my shoulder and I turned to see an older woman standing behind me. She had the same uniform as the other nurses, and she gave me a gentle smile as she presented a moist toilette. She must have seen the blood on my neck.

My cheeks flushed as I took it.

“Thank you,” I managed to choke out.

She nodded her head, compassion clear in her eyes.

“I don’t know your situation, but I can tell you have a genuine heart, and I am sorry for whatever you are going through,” she said sweetly. “To have all three of the strongest men that I know care for you as deeply as they so clearly do… you must be very special.”

I couldn’t help but smile at her words, though at this moment, I wasn’t feeling very special. I looked down at Xaden feeling my heart cracking just a little more.

“I feel so helpless right now,” I whispered, more tears welling up in my eyes. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do.”

“Do what your heart tells you,” she said simply, that soft smile never leaving her lips. “It will never steer you wrong.”

I looked back up at her and met her eyes.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

She nodded her head and then turned to walk away.

“Wait, what’s your name?” I asked before she could fully walk away.

She paused and glanced over her shoulder.

“Catherine,” she answered.

“I’m Anila,” I said.

She nodded and then continued to walk away. I held onto Xaden’s hands and right then and there I made a silent vow to do whatever it took to protect him.

At some point, I must have fallen asleep because I was being woken by Harley as he sat beside me. I lifted my head from where I had laid it on Xaden’s bed and peeked up at him. He gave me a soft smile and rubbed circles around my back to soothe me.

“What happened?” I asked, looking around the clinic. “Where’s Zach?”

“He’s cleaning up,” Harley said, looking almost embarrassed. “Things kind of got out of hand. I’m sorry, Anila. I shouldn’t have freaked out like that. But when I saw him force his mark on you…”

“It’s not your fault,” I said softly. “I shouldn’t have gone after him alone. I knew he was upset and unstable. I should have seen this coming.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” she said sharply. “What he did to you was wrong…”

I put my hand on Harley’s cheek and gave him a soft smile.

“But I’m okay,” I assured him. “It just kind of sucks that I no longer have control of the situation. It’s like I don’t have the choice anymore. It was taken from me.”

“Of course, you still have a choice, Anila,” he assured me. “You haven’t marked any of us back so we could still sever the ties between us if you choose to. That’s why none of us pressured you into it.”

“How would we do that?” I asked; the look of hurt in his eyes showed me that he didn’t like that question because it meant that I was thinking about it.

My wolf and bear stirred uncomfortably inside of me as well, also not liking this subject. It’s not that I wanted to sever the bond forming between any of us, but if things got to be too much, it might be my only option. I wasn’t even sure if Zach truly wanted me as a mate or if he marked me just to get a rise out of the rest of us.

I knew how much he loved his bachelor life.

“We would need a witch; there are a few in this pack that I could speak to,” he said, running his fingers through his hair. “I’m pretty well-known around here even though this isn’t my pack. I’ve been around long enough that people here respect me.”

“That’s good to know,” I told him, staring back down at Xaden.

“Would you like me to speak with one of them?” He asked.

I looked back at him.

“One of who?”

His brows pinched together.

“A witch. Did you want to start the process of severing the ties forming between us?”

I shook my head and put my hand on his.

“No,” I answered honestly. “It’s just nice to know that it’s an option if needed. But I don’t think it’ll be necessary.”

He nodded and then he bent to kiss me. His kisses were always so sweet and comforting, making my heart swell. They all made my heart swell in their own ways; even Zach if I were to be honest with myself.

I rested my head on his shoulder and took in his scent, basking in everything he had to offer me at this moment. Soon, the door opened, and Zach joined us. He looked just as embarrassed as Harley looked when he first joined me. This was a new look for Zach, and I didn’t particularly like it.

I gave him a wary look even though he was trying desperately to avoid my eyes. I wanted to talk about what had happened, but I knew now wasn’t the best time to do that.

Zach didn’t look like he wanted to speak about it either and he didn’t. We all sat together, silently watching Xaden. Zach in front of me, and Harley beside me. I wondered if Xaden knew that we were all with him; I wondered if he could feel our love and support.

Time seemed to be standing still and I wasn’t sure how long we had been sitting like that for. But as I thought about all the ways I could possibly help him, I started to get a little claustrophobic.

“I need to go for a walk,” I tell them, standing to my feet.

“It’s almost sunrise,” Harley says, watching me questionably as I stood up.

“I know,” I told him. “Which is why I’m going now and not later.”

“Do you want company?” Zach surprised me by asking. This was the first time he’s actually spoken to me since joining us. He was finally looking at me and I could see the confusion swirling around his eyes.

“No, I think I just want to be alone for a few minutes,” I told him honestly.

They both shared looks that I couldn’t quite read, and I wondered what transpired between them after I left them to fight in the woods.

“Okay, we will be here when you return,” Harley assured me.

I turned and left the clinic without another word. I walked right into the forest, not caring that I was alone in strange pack lands. I just needed to get some space and really put things into perspective. I was not sure what I was going to do or where I was going, but my body was pulling me in a certain direction, and I wanted to follow it.

My heart was thrumming against my chest, both my wolf and bear itching to get out and go for a run.

The outline of the sun was beginning to appear in the distance. It’s been a while since I sat and watched the sunrise. With these inverted days and nights, and the curfews in place, it was nearly impossible.

I leaned against a tree, taking in the beautiful scenery around me and feeling at peace. I closed my eyes and took in the incredible scents. This land smelled like my mates, and it was like a warm blanket that surrounded me. I loved everything about it.

The shuffling of leaves and bushes made my eyes pop open, and I looked wildly around for the intruder. My wolf and bear were both on high alert, channeling their inner powers to see better through the forest.

I let out a menacing growl of warning when I felt a new presence approaching.

“Down girl,” I heard a deep voice reply from nearby, making me spin around to face the stranger. “I’m not here to hurt you.”