Family Assumptions

Zayla

He gazes down at me as I stare up at his gorgeous features, transfixed and drinking him in.

He’s better by far than I ever could have imagined in my wildest fantasies.

Even though I already came tonight, I feel the familiar pressure building near my pussy.

I want to make that face contort in pleasure; I want his amazing lips to form my name as he thrusts his cock deep inside me.

I venture a gaze away from his face in search of a body and there definitely is a body. Chiseled and muscular as if forged by the gods themselves, he truly is perfect.

Wanting to feel his face for myself, I reach my hand toward him. Except my hand doesn’t move.

That’s odd. I try again, but I can’t move any part of my body—it’s like I’m paralyzed.

“Soren,” I try to call out, suddenly scared because when I look up at his face, it’s blurry. What was so clear to me seconds before is now just rippling and unclear, like a foggy mirror.

Only his eyes are still sharp and in focus, until they too wink out, one by one.

***

I open my eyes and scowl as the morning sun hits my face.

~It was a dream. Of course, it was a fucking dream.~

Wracking my brain for what was real about last night, I finally remember what actually happened.

After I masturbated, Soren climbed into my bed. That much is true.

Then we kissed. Just the memory of it sends a shiver down my spine.

But after that… I remember him slipping out of my room as I was drifting off to sleep, still invisible.

~Fuck.~

I dress quickly and stomp downstairs, just looking for somebody to pick a fight with.

Walking into the kitchen, I spot everyone except Paisley. My obviously angry mood has the twins sharing a look like “here we go again.”

…Whereas my mother has that look like she knows what’s going on.

“Morning.” My voice comes out grumpy and childish.

“Seems like someone’s still in their pissy-ass mood,” Draxel says while sipping his coffee. I just roll my eyes and ignore him.

“Oh leave her alone, Drax, you have no reason to even keep secrets from her! I don’t blame her for wanting to know what’s going on,” his mate Kimber says while nudging his shoulder.

“What is going on?” I ask, a little unsure.

“Nothing.”

Rolling my eyes again at him, I pour myself some coffee, barely noticing it out of the corner of my eye, but my father is eyeing me like a hawk.

Turning slightly to get a better look at him, I watch his eyes flashing between his and his wolf’s.

He’s so lost in analyzing me that when I turn fully and face him he doesn’t even react. His body just goes completely rigid.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I say. At my somewhat panicked question, everyone in the kitchen turns to look at Dad.

His eyes continue to flash in and out like his wolf is about to attack, but he’s holding him back.

“Zayn, what’s wrong?” Mom grabs him, trying to turn him to face her, but he just stays locked on me.

It takes a few minutes before he wins against his wolf, during which time my whole body is telling me to run. I’ve never seen him this on edge.

“Dad, are you okay?” I can’t help the panic in my voice. But he finally takes a deep breath before kissing my mother on the side of the head.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I begin to remake my coffee…that is, well, until my father finally speaks up.

“Zayla, what the fuck is that smell? And why is it mixed with arousal?”

His voice comes out calm, yet threatening. Like if I say the wrong thing he won’t hesitate to attack me, and that has me halting once more.

Moving my head to the side I begin to sniff myself, and that’s when I smell him.

Soren.

I was so tired after everything that happened last night that I didn’t shower.

And this morning, though I definitely didn’t forget the feeling of his hands on and in me, or the feeling of his fangs piercing my skin, I did however forget the smell change my body would make at the partial mark he had placed on my skin.

Instinctively my fingers brush against the sensitive skin, and even though I’m wearing a shirt that covers it, the sensation of Soren’s mark being touched sends sparks jolting through every nerve ending in my body.

The involuntary shiver earns a round of growls from the males standing around me. The twins, having abandoned their spots, walk toward me like I’m their new prey.

“Zayla, what the fuck did you do!?” Drayden grabs my shirt, yanking it off my shoulder, and ripping the neckline.

At the sight of the fresh mark, Drayden jolts back as though shocked. Grabbing my shirt, I try to quickly cover the mark, but it’s useless.

With my shirt officially ruined, and my mind in a jumbled mess about how to get out of this situation, I drop my head.

Not in shame over my mark—no, I’m fucking proud of it!

No. I drop my head because…

How do I tell my family that my mate only wants me when provoked?

How do I explain to them that I’m not blessed, like they were, with a mate who instantly wants me?

How do I explain my desperation for a man I haven’t even seen in person?

I honestly don’t have a fucking clue. I’m overwhelmed and at a constant loss as to what to do, and that is exactly why I can’t say anything to them.

And if their faces are anything to go by at this minute, then I know telling them will just make it worse.

“You let someone mark you?!” Draxel is the first one to speak. His voice is deadly, venom dripping from every word.

“Are you fucking stupid, Zayla?!” Drayden scoffs right after, effectively finishing Draxel’s sentence as always.

“Boys, leave us!” my mother’s voice rings out.

Lifting my head, I catch their disbelief, rolling their eyes at me in irritation before walking off. But not before I hear the tail end of their huffed conversation as they walk away with their mates on their arms.

“Her mate would be ashamed if he knew what she did!”

“Hell, I’m fucking ashamed.”

Although they have no idea the mark was indeed from my mate, it still stings to hear my older brothers thinking so poorly of me.

To be ashamed of me.

Being so blinded by a bite that they act like they haven’t known me my whole life.

Yeah, this fucking hurts.

“What’s going on, Zayla?” My mom’s voice pulls me out of the self-loathing spiral that the twins’ words sent me on.

Coughing to clear my throat, I focus on my parents. My mom’s face shows confusion and concerns, while my dad’s shows anger and a little bit of sadness.

“Does it even matter? The bond wasn’t completed, it’s going to fade,” I say sadly as my wolf whines at the thought.

It’s the only proof we even have a mate: she wears it with pride and happiness. The thought of losing that one and only symbol of his existence has us both cringing.

“Do you want it to fade?” My mom’s voice is more hopeful than I thought it would be, her knack for always seeing the positive shining through.

“No,” I sigh. Although I’m not ready, I’m willing to tell my parents about Soren.

“What about your mate?” My dad’s voice is clipped.

“What about him?” While my father makes it genderless, I make sure to enunciate that I know his sex.

“Do you even care about them? Imagine how they will feel if their mate has already mated with another! Honestly, Zayla, how could you? Have we taught you nothing?!”

His words become more bitter the more his mind reels.

“How are you so sure that my mate didn’t do this?” I try fucking hard, but I can’t keep the hurt from my voice.

“A mate would have to complete the bond! Your wolf wouldn’t be able to stop themselves!” And now we’re back to why I’m not telling them, because why would they ever fucking believe me?

“Maybe he isn’t a wolf! Did you ever think about that? No, right? Because the twins were lucky and their mates showed up right fucking away, so why the fuck not mine!”

I can’t stop my voice from coming out in a pained yell, tears sliding down my face.

“You and the twins can be ashamed of me all you fucking want! But you have no idea how I fucking feel! What I’m going through!

“And you can fuck the mate bond! You know, since it’s so important to you,” I spit out, wiping my eyes. I then run from the house, accidentally running into Paisley.

Grabbing hold of my arm, her eyes are so full of concern.

“Zay, what’s wrong?”