Rise of the Alpha
Chapter 37

Magnolia

Mates! Oh, my Goddess. I have mates! All four of them belong to me and my wolf.

What the hell have I been doing? Why have I fought this? Crouched around me are four of my mates, but I can feel there are more, just not who they are. All I feel is an intense draw to them unlike anything I’ve felt before, but there is still an emptiness in my heart for the bonds I don’t know yet. Casting my gaze between them, their eyes are locked on me. Movement in my periphery catches my attention, and my wolf forces a growl so strong it comes right out of me for all to hear.

“Magnolia, it’s me, Brick. Your friend. Remember me. Umm, I see that you’re all okay, so I’m just going to be on my way.” He moves closer, holding his hands up in an ‘I give up’ fashion. His movement halts, but it isn’t my growl that stops him in mid-step. It’s the angered voices from the surrounding ones. “No worries, guys, and Wylla. I’m leaving, she’s all yours.” He slowly begins to back away from us.

“Brick, thank you for your help, but that might be the best choice. We’re good, and well, we just all want to be alone with our mate,” Wylla tells him before he turns and sprints away across the field. She turns back to me. “How are you, baby? Want to head back to our room where we can have some privacy and talk?”

Zeke is still squatted down in front of me, and he reaches out, taking my hand in his, and helps me stand. I stumble at first, but he saves me by wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling my body firmly against his chest. Bending his head down, he places a k**s on my forehead. “My mate. I’ve waited so long to say those words. Never did I think I would be lucky enough to have a mate as wonderful as you.” His sweet words cause a single tear to escape my eye and slide down my cheek.

“Come on, let’s get back to the room so we can sit and process everything and maybe have a stiff drink. Well, puppy, looks like you can give us the ol’ ‘I told you so,’ seeing how you were right about being her mate.” Wylla takes one of my hands in hers, tugs me from Zeke’s embrace, and starts pulling me across the field toward the dorms. “Hey, Fido, how about you, the wet noodle, and s*x god get all this shit cleaned up and meet us when you’re done?” She doesn’t even wait for a response, just keeps tugging me along.

A pang in my heart grows the further away from my mates I get. Reaching up, I claw at my chest over my heart. “Wylla, why is the pain in my heart growing?” It feels like a blade has been stuck right into my chest and is slowly being turned as it’s pushed deeper and deeper in.

“It’s okay, baby. The pain will go away once the others are with us,” she tells me, leaving me with even more f*****g questions. If that’s the case, why did we leave without them? Why is she wanting me to feel this pain?

“Then why did we leave them?” I need to know. Surely she can’t be so cruel to want me to feel this pain.

“Because I needed time to explain to you what you’re feeling without my brother mates hovering. Until the bond is completed, you’re going to feel this way anytime you’re away from them.”

Before she can say anymore, I cut her off speaking up, “But we did. That’s what we did tonight.”

She lets out a small chuckle that infuriates me. She is slowly moving down the list of my favorite people. Right now, Zeke is at the top.

She stops in her tracks, turning to look me in the eyes. “No, Magz, all we did was move the block, so you would know who your mates were. Until you physically complete the bond and mark each of us with your bite, you’ll feel how you are right now. To clarify, you have to do that with each of us. Once you complete the bond with one of us, it won’t hurt to be away from that person. I didn’t think you knew due to true mate bonds not being a thing with the Exodus pack, so I wanted to explain it to you in private.”

I just nod in understanding as we resume walking to the dorms. My body moves on autopilot as I try to process everything that’s happened and what Wylla has explained to me. The comfort of her hand in mine as she leads me to the dorm soothes my soul, which is screaming for me to turn around and claim my mates.

Once we’ve made it back into the room, Wylla leads me over to my bed, helping me to sit before kneeling down in front of me and removing my shoes. “You okay?” Two small words, but the meaning behind them is overpowering.

“Dealing. So much has happened. How do I handle it all? I’m so glad to know the four of you are my mates, but I still feel an emptiness. That there are some who are missing. Is that possible?”

“Yes. Until you have met all your mates, you will have a hole, so to say. It could literally be anyone. You could have met them before, but with the block, you wouldn’t have known. Now that it’s removed, if you come in contact with them again, you’ll know,” she explains to me as fear sets in about Max and Reid.

“The Alpha Heir?”

“Not your mate. If they were, then the spell was laced to show a projected image of them. Since there was no image, they are not your mates. Jeremiah, on the other hand, was not included, so we won’t know until you come in contact with him.” The door opening causes us both to look up as three of my bonds step into the room.

They each walk up to me, taking turns to place a k**s on my lips before finding somewhere to sit.

“Do you feel it? A bond to each other?” I ask curiously.

Zeke clears his throat before speaking, “I feel a closeness, more than I had before, to each of these guys, but not a s****l one. Let me make it very clear I have no desire to f**k any of them, but Wylla is different. I feel a connection, a pull to her, but it’s not as great as the one to you. I have the urge to be with her sexually, but again, not as strong as I do for you. How about the three of you?” I whip my head around to each of them, taking a moment to look them in the eyes as I wait for their answer.

Wylla is the next to speak up, “I have to admit, I feel the same as Zeke. I have a pull to them, but unlike him, I have a desire to be with all of them, but not as great as you. I have a suspicion the other two will have the same thing to say, which leads me to believe I was right in assuming you are the center of the bond.” Looking at Blaine and Jude, I see them nod in agreement.

“We need to find my other mates,” I announce boldly.

“Do you know how many more there are? Can you tell in some way? I know you could make out six, but it was unclear if there were more,” Blaine asks eagerly.

“No, I don’t know how many more, but it’s weird, after you explained about the whole bond thing to me, Wylla, it does feel like my heart knows them, that I’ve met them. But I do know that I want to complete the bond with the four of you. I want this, the bond, you.” Excitement and love cover all their faces. I know it’s weird to say that. We’ve only known each other for a few short weeks, but it’s what I feel.

“Oh, Magz, trust me, we all want to complete the bond with you as well. But you’re a virgin, and I think we need to take it slow. Your first time should be special and a one-on-one experience. Since the s*x god and I have already had some sexy time with you, I think it should be either Zeke or Blaine. Blaine has known you were his mate from first sight, and well, Zeke, he’s the gentle you need. It should be one or both of them if you want more than one. Even though I think you should pick just one of them with this being your first time.” Wylla stands from the floor in front of me and sits on the bed beside me, then leans in and whispers into my ear. “Now don’t think for a minute, my little wolf mate, that it means I don’t want you. I’d take you now in a heartbeat. I want nothing more than to bear your mark.”

A smile crosses my face as I look around at them all, feeling a little mischievous as I speak. “Okay then, well, who wants to take my virginity and bear my mate mark first?”

Everyone looks around, their gazes landing on Blaine and Zeke, who are staring at each other.

Blaine speaks up first, “Magnolia, there is nothing in the world I want more than to mate with you. To complete our bond and take your virginity. But this is your choice, and Zeke would be a perfect choice to bond with first.”

His words are so kind, but I know who I want.

“I want both of you. My first time should be with my mate who knew and fought for me even when I was in denial and the sweetest, most amazing man I’ve ever met.” I get up and move over to where they’re both sitting on Wylla’s bed. “I want to bond with the two of you tonight, let’s not wait any longer. This is what I want.”

“We are going to take that as our cue to give you some privacy. Me and Rainbow Sprite are going to head upstairs.” Jude tosses a wink, but I just shoo them away with my hands, eager to be with the two men left in the room.

Once we’re left alone in the room, I begin to remove my clothes until I’m standing before them nude and ready. “Shall we have some fun?” I seductively say to them, ready for what is to come.