Claimed by Two Alphas

Chapter 3

Suddenly, I feel vulnerable lying beneath him this way, my legs spread to accommodate his hips, with my short dress pulled up, leaving my ass almost bare. I squirm and move to get up, and he immediately drops to his side.

"Hey, don't be scared," he frowns at me.

"I'm not scared."

It's just that the idea of having s*x with him doesn't feel right, but I don't tell him that. "I just need to think about what you said, and you are distracting me." I wink at him, making him grin in return.

"Why do you need to think about it? We obviously want each other," he gestures at the boner visible through his jeans. "And we are destined to be together."

He is right. I do want him. I mean, my panties are soaked right now, and I've been in love with him forever. But something just doesn't feel right.

My mother's warnings cross my mind suddenly. Ever since Darius and I started dating, she pestered me not to have s*x before I could feel the mating bond settle. Something about risks and consequences I never cared to memorize.

"I don't know if I'm ready yet," I tell him, not daring to look at him.

"Babe, c'mon," he retorts, glancing pointedly at my crotch, indicating that he can scent my arousal.

Once again, I have to fight the urge to roll my eyes. "Don't be a jerk. You know I want you. I just..." I try to come up with the right way to say this. "I thought we agreed to wait until both of us can feel the bond."

"I know, but that was before." Darius sits up and takes both my hands in his. "Look, there's no doubt now. My wolf has named you its mate. I don't see the point in waiting. We are made for each other. Waiting eight months longer is just pointless."

His words make me uneasy, but I try not to let it show. So I try another route of reasoning. "You are right. But even if we mated now, it wouldn't be the real thing. Your claim on me won't be permanent. Not until I had my wolf."

"I know that. But I reckon we will be repeating it many times over before and after you shift—until it sticks," he responds smugly.

Again, he has a point. It doesn't really matter if we had s*x now or later. Once I have my wolf and recognize him as my true mate, the bond will snap into place, and we will just mate again to seal it.

But just as I was about to agree to give s*x a try, Darius added, "And I want to mark you, too."

I freeze. "What? Why?" Words slip from my lips before I manage to think them through. But the consequences of marking someone who isn't your true mate... I mean, that's not our story, but still.

Irritation flashes in his eyes, but he hides it quickly. "Look, Elara. My wolf is getting impatient. He knows you are his mate, and he wants to claim you right now. I can't reason with it. How do you expect me to tell him to wait for another eight months when he can feel you and smell you all the time?"

"But isn't mating enough? Why do you have to mark me, as well?"

Darius sighs as if I am being unreasonable, and it makes me grit my teeth. "Wolves are protective of their mates, you know that. And it's even more difficult for me to control that because I am an Alpha; my beast is stronger."

I bite my lip as I take his words in. Everything he says makes sense, but still...

Darius puts his hands gently on my cheeks and makes me look at him. "My wolf needs to mark you so it doesn't go ballistic whenever another male so much as glances in your direction. You are mine, Ellie. And I need everyone to know it."

He lowers his lips to meet mine and starts kissing me gently but with clear intent. A rush of warnings swarm my mind, but I drown them out. He pushes me gently onto the blanket, and I surrender myself to his skilled hands.

Darius is my mate, and I am safe with him. After all, everything will be fine. It has to be, right?