The Alpha Trio’s Human Mate

Chapter Eight

"We give thanks to the Sun for its light, that gives everything on this planet life. We give thanks to Mother Nature for the privilege of surviving the disease that has decimated our human brothers and sisters. Because she saw fit to give us this privilege, it is our duty to help repopulate the Earth. That is why we celebrate the Solar holidays--the solstices and equinoxes. Part of your job as a cadet and eventually a member of our militia is to protect...but we also have a responsibility when we are young and fertile to propogate," Commander Jacobs' voice boomed through the audio system in the atrium. It was still decorated for Solstice, with blue and silver adorning everything, and glittering lights. The entirety of the Academy's student body sat on long benches facing the stairs in the atrium, where Commaner Jacobs was speaking. The entire stairway was lined with flickering candles, to "set the mood", I assumed.

"I'm going to turn the mic over to Sister Renzema, our spiritual advisor, to speak more on our connection to the Earth and to the higher powers that may be." I watched as Commander Jacobs handed over her microphone to a beautiful woman in a white robe. The wolves didn't pray, necessarily, but it was hard to be part animal and not give some credence to the wonders of nature. Their powers waxed and waned with the lunar cycles, and while they certainly weren't doing blood sacrifices every month or worshipping a holy book, they did engage in rituals that honored the gifts that nature bestowed upon them.

Such as this one. My cheeks heated as I listened to Sister Renzema tell some old werewolf mythologies about cycles--but especially cycles that were linked to fertility and rebirth. Wolves weren't forced by any means to have children, but they took the responsibility to their community very seriously, and the mythologies were all related to the bad things that happen when living creatures ignore their nature. Perhaps humans had angered nature with their industrialization, destructive nature, and abuse of the Earth's resources. And that's why nature had unleashed a virus on us. The Berserkers wanted a lot of things, but what it boiled down to: a brighter future. And without a growing population that was kind to the Earth, and wouldn't repeat humanity's mistakes, that wouldn't be possible.

I looked beside me at the three men who wanted to claim me as theirs. Each of them returned my gaze with a smile, flickering candlelight and a dim glow from the string lights playing over their handsome features. I couldn't help but think--was I fighting my nature? My body's instinct was to take all three of them to bed, and I felt it constantly. I wasn't a wolf, so it wasn't possible that I was feeling a mating instinct, not in the way that they did. But I was a human, and I wasn't immune to the allure of being with three attractive men, who had expressed in no uncertain terms that they wanted me.

Had it only been three days since I'd first met them? Yes. But every small touch, every filthy or flirty word, every heated gaze...it aroused me. I wouldn't be promiscuous to give into those feelings--wolves held mate bonds in high regards, and usually mates took each other to bed immediately, overcome with lust. No one judged them--they expected it. Just because I was a human, didn't mean I couldn't enjoy the perks of our mutual attraction. But I didn't want to confuse things. I wanted to get to know them better before I gave into temptation, and brought myself one step closer to them physically.

So I declined the aphrodisiac that was offered to everyone on their way out of the atrium. There were many "events" across the campus to bring male and female wolves together--classrooms set up as lounges, with dirty games, mood lighting, and drinks. It was an opportunity for everyone who wasn't already mated to meet others, and find a partner (or two) to spend the night with, to share in mutual pleasure until the sun came up, or the aphrodisiac wore off--whichever came first. It was pointless for me to participate in the fertility ritual, even if I wanted to, as humans and wolves were incompatible for reproduction. I would not be able to have children until I was turned.

"Since you've declined to participate in physical activity," Kai leaned down beside me, whispering in my ear. A chill shot down my spine at the sensation of his lips brushing across my hairline. "We thought that we could take a walk, and check out the festivities."

We had just exited the atrium, and I whipped around, cheeks burning, looking at all three of them. Oh, god, I thought, squeezing my thighs together, and preparing to find a way out of their suggested activity. But then I remembered my earlier thought--it was natural. It was okay to have fun and to flirt--even if it would end there. Maybe we could go play a dirty game, drink a little, and at the very least, I could get to know them better. It was three more nights of this for the entire campus--I may as well have some fun with it.

"Okay," I smirked at them. "We can go play a game of strip poker or whatever. But no touching." A thrill shot through me, and I nibbled my bottom lip. I was such a tease, but...it was fun. After being thrown away like leftover food by Jackson, I could use a little fun. A little excitement.

---

"Straight flush," I laid down my cards, my face contorted into a s**t eating grin. They were losing--badly.

"You're cheating," Lynx growled at me from a piece of lounge furniture, his amber eyes boiling. So far, I'd learned that he was a sore loser.

"Just because I won, doesn't mean I was cheating. Kai's been cheating and he's lost three games in a row," I shot a look at Kai, who only grinned in response.

"I don't think being bad at shuffling cards is cheating," he shrugged, his navy blue gaze fixed on me hungrily. I sipped on a cranberry vodka mule, and I almost snorted when Zeph said, "I think you're just bad at cheating. If you'd stop trying, you'd probably shuffle them better, to be honest."

"Pay up, boys. So far I've taken your socks, shoes, belts...time for shirts off," I looked at them cheekily. The tingle that danced across my skin in response to the sight before me ended at my n*****s, which pebbled and tightened in response. I gulped.

Jackson was hot, but he wasn't an Alpha like these three. They were so much taller, more muscular, more powerful. Kai was thick--his waist wasn't lean and tapered, but solid. He was simply a wall of tattooed muscle. Lynx was slimmer, muscles more lean and defined. And Zeph--the harsh V that tapered, cutting below his waistband...I had to tear my eyes away. I couldn't help but eye the upper part of his torso, where a long, slashing scar marred his skin. It cut from his collarbone, across his chest, and ended at his opposite ribs. My heart clenched, and I wondered who had hurt him like that.

"You enjoying the view?" Zeph asked, and I pulled my eyes away from his body, embarassed.

"How would you feel if I was enjoying it?" I raised an eyebrow, and tucked my hair behind my ear. After Kai's insistence that my ears were cute, I'd thrown the insecurity to the wind, and no longer tried to keep them covered around them.

Before Zeph could answer, I was interrupted by a voice behind me.

"Playing strip poker, are we?" Penelope. I turned, and sure enough, there was my ex-boyfriend and his mate, who'd made their way into the lounge that we'd claimed as ours.

"Yes, though I'm not sure why you're interested in what we're doing." I grimaced up at her, turning further in my chair. Anger flared in her eyes, and I looked to Jackson next to her, giving him a look of annoyance. Nothing passed between us aside from a flicker of recognition.

"We were checking out the festivities, and we saw you over here. I came to apologize," Penelope sneered, putting on a fake smile.

"Oh?" I raised a brow in response.

"Who is this, Emmarie?" Kai's voice was suddenly beside me. He'd gotten up from his seat, and made his way to my side, placing a hand on my shoulder protectively. His ocean scent washed over me, and for some reason, I didn't shy away from his touch this time. I took a swig from my drink, and propped my wrist on the back of my chair, dangling the plastic cup. I swirled the ice around, watching the cubes melt and water down my drink.

"My ex-boyfriend and his mate, who he left me for," I made eye contact with Jackson. I heard something akin to snarls behind me, and I fought a smile. Possessive Alpha men, I thought, mentally shaking my head. Kai's hand tightened on my shoulder.

"Not sure why you'd let someone like Emmarie go, but thank you," Kai taunted him. "She wouldn't be ours if someone else had claimed her first." I opened my mouth to protest him calling me theirs, but I was cut off when Penelope shifted forward, bumping into my drink, nearly spilling it.

"Hey! Watch it. You almost spilled my drink," I looked up into her beady eyes, raising my voice.

"Oops," she said, insincerely, cutting off Kai and Jackson's conversation. "I didn't come over here for men to have a pissing match over you," she said gruffly, and I could tell that the thought of Jackson fighting over me upset her. "I just wanted to apologize for the way I treated you during our initiate exams. I was rude, and jealous. I didn't realize you were a w***e for three other men already. I've got nothing to be worried about with Jackson. You're evidently very busy."

I didn't have to say a word in my own defense. Zeph and Lynx were beside Kai and I in an instant, threatening all kinds of violence. I chugged my drink, watching with amusement. Three unbelievably hot, shirtless Alphas towered over Jackson by at least six inches. Lynx grabbed both of their shirt collars, not giving a s**t that Penelope was a female, and he leaned down, looking them in the eyes. He wanted them to take his threats very seriously.

"Now leave. If I hear a bad word about our mate out of either of your mouths ever again, I will make sure you never speak again. Don't look at her, don't think about her, don't breathe the same air as her, or you'll regret it." He released them both with a push, and, proving that there was at least one brain cell between them, they did as Lynx said, and left. Penelope's sly grin as she walked away was unsettling, but I shook it off, trying to return to the lighthearted mood we were just in.

"Now, where were we?" I said, looking at the three of them before me, and I stopped breathing. The scent of all of them together--ocean, cedar and musk, spice and smoke...it was intoxicating. The light in the lounge flickered on the vast expanses of bare skin covering hard muscle. Pure male rage burned in all of their eyes, possessive and wanton.

"You asked me how I would feel if you were enjoying the view," Zeph squatted down, coming to his knees on the floor in front of me, and meeting my eyes. My breath hitched. "I would feel frustrated, because I would smell how much you're enjoying it," his hazel eyes glanced down, gesturing between my thighs, "and not be able to have you." Oh. My stomach clenched, and heat tickled my spine. Zeph leaned in closer, and I didn't stop him.