FATED MATES

Chapter 14

A/N: This chapter went in a completely different direction than I was aiming for. It gets quite steamy in the end. So smut warning.

I wake up sprawled out on the couch. There's a warm body behind me, but I don't know who it is. I'm trapped between said body and the back of the couch, and I'm way too warm. I can feel the sweat in my hair. It's kind of gross. I attempt to turn over and try to get up, but the body apparently doesn't want me to move. The arm wrapped around me tightens against my body. I tap the arm.

"I need to get up. I'm too warm and I need to pee." I whisper to the back of the couch. I know whoever it is will hear me. The arm relents, and I turn, seeing Nev. His sleepy brown eyes regarding me with a soft expression.

"Go do what you need to do. I'll adjust the heat so it isn't so warm. We only had it up for you. We don't really need it." He tells me.

I squirm my way around him and go to the bathroom. Closing the door behind me, I lean against it for a second, and close my eyes. I feel a little overwhelmed by the entire day. I got to know them all a little better. I kissed all of them. Each of their kisses were just like their personalities. JJ was dominate, Nev was soft and leisurely, and Jamie was playful. I feel out of place in this world, but I want to be a part of it so badly. I feel like these men were sent into my life at just the right time.

I push myself off the door and do my business. I'm washing my hands when I see my reflection in the mirror. Red hair completely dishevelled, face flushed from being overheated. I turn the water to all the way cold. I cup my hands under the stream and splash across my face. The cold water feels really good on my hot skin. I repeat the action a couple of times until the redness goes away. I finger comb my hair, getting rid of the tangles. Satisfied I have fixed myself, I dry my hands on a nearby towel and leave the bathroom.

I pad back into the living room. Nev is still lying on the couch. He opens up his arms and I willingly lie down with him, snuggling into the warmth of his embrace. I rest my head on his chest, hearing the thump of his heart beat. I'm comforted by the steady rhythm.

"What time is it? I ask him, my voice still a little gruff with sleep. He lifts an arm and looks at his watch.

"A little after two." I move to get up, but he tightens his hold. "Where are you going?"

"I should go home. It's late."

"You could stay if you want to." I raise my head and look at him. His eyes are still sleepy, with a slight pleading look in them. "We could talk. Or sleep more." He squeezes me a little. I think about it for a minute.

Do I really want to go home? Not really. It seems so fast, but after spending the day with them, I don't really want to leave them. Ever. They've already wiggled their way into my heart. Every little look, innocent touch, the ways they take care of me, etched them into my very soul. It feels right.

"Okay, I'll stay." He lets out a big breath, like he had been nervous. "You were worried?" I ask him, bewildered.

"Skye," he begins, "in an extremely short amount of time, you have become our entire world. There isn't anything we wouldn't do for you." He leans forward and lays a soft kiss to my forehead. "Do you not feel it?"

"I do, but I'm just a human playing at something I don't know anything about."

"Stop right there. You are more than a mere human. You are the mate to three wolf shifters. That makes you more than just any old human. You aren't less than any of us, you are so much more. You are our future. Don't think it went unnoticed by any of us how you referred to yourself earlier in the evening. We kind of let it go, but I want to let you know that we don't like it when you demean yourself. I can kind of understand, given your history and previous relationship, but believe me when I tell you that you are so much more and deserve everything."