Shifters of Shadow Falls Collection (Books 1-3) by Crystal L. Shaw Page B

shit.”  I practically spit the words out.  He doesn’t flinch at my tone.  He’s used to my bitter bullshit.  He runs his hands through his hair in exasperation.
    “We should tell her we’re her mates.”  I just barely resist the urge to knock him the fuck out.  I’m worried about healing our mate and he’s worried about fucking her.  I grit my teeth, but manage a response.
    “Do you see the way she looks at me?”  He ignores my words like the stubborn asshole he is.
    “Let’s just do it.”  I shake my head.  “It’ll be like ripping off a Band-Aid.” 
    I narrow my eyes and practically sneer at him.  “I can feel her hate and fear radiating off of her and you expect me to tell her she’s my mate.”
    “ Our mate!”  He’s out of his fucking mind.  “If we don’t then what’s going to happen when her heat hits?  Huh?”  I can’t look at him so I just stare at the wall.  “What about three days from now, when the full moon comes and we have to claim her?” 
    “ Have to claim her?  We don’t have to claim her.”
    He looks at me like I kicked his puppy, “You don’t want her?”  There’s shock and disbelief in his voice, but also overwhelming sadness.  I just stare at him.  What the fuck gave him that idea?  “How can you not want our mate?” 
    “Of course I want our mate!”  He nods his head and breathes deep with relief even though my words came out as a hateful growl.  He really is out of his fucking mind if he thinks she’s going to let us claim her.  My hard words come out easy.  “We can wait till the next moon.  Or however fucking long it takes.”
    “I’m not fucking waiting.  And I’m not risking her heat coming on and it fucking us over like it fucked over Alpha.” 
    I finally meet his eyes.  “How is he?”  I heard him and Lev earlier, but tuned them out to give my mate all my attention.  I thought I heard Lizie saying something in between sobs, but all I could understand was “Ari.”  She loves her alpha and it breaks my heart that she has so much love for her, but only hate and fear for me.
    “Not looking too good.  She ran from him.”
    “What the fuck?”
    “Yeah, I know right?  When he caught up to her, she knocked him in the jaw trying to get away.”
    My eyes widen in shock.  The admiration in Caleb’s voice is comical.  No one’s gotten a hit on the alpha in years.  Of course his own mate, a human mate, would get the best of him.  It almost makes me smile.  Almost.   But I don’t fucking smile.  So both of our mates have a bit of a violent streak?  I can’t help the fact that the alpha’s mate hitting him makes me feel a little better about my own mate beating the shit out of me. 
    “But she reacts to him.”  I saw her melt into him at the offering.  She was petrified for Lizie, but perfectly fine in his embrace. 
    “Yeah and then her heat hit and it freaked her the fuck out.”
    “Why?”  I don’t understand how wanting her mate’s touch could possibly hurt their relationship.
    “According to Lev, abducting them, not telling them why and then fucking them is not a good idea.  And judging by how pissed off Devin is, I’m going to have to agree.”
    A grimace spreads across my face, “you make it sound way worse than it is.”
    He raises his brows in question, “not really.  Anyway, she rejected him after they bonded.”
    Oh shit.  I’m sure Devin’s hurting after that.  “But she’s his mate.”
    “He hasn’t told her yet and that’s why I wanna tell Liz.”
    “It’s Lizie.”  I narrow my eyes as jealousy creeps up on me.  Shit, I don’t even like him saying her name.  How the hell am I going to be able to share her as a mate?
    “First of all, we need to tell her so he can tell Ariana.  He’s waiting to tell her cause he wants to make sure Liz’ll be alright first.  He’s waiting for us to be ready.  I know he’s sacrificed for the pack before, but we’re also hurting