Chapter 4 Mates

~Xyana~

Slowly, consciousness comes to me in painful waves. My body feels heavy like it's been weighed down by thick rocks, and my mind is foggy, struggling to piece together the last thing I remember.

My eyelids feel like they're glued shut by an external force, causing me to force it open. The first thing I see is a high, vaulted ceiling made of dark wood.

I try to sit up, but a sharp pain shoots through my ribs, forcing me back down. A gentle hand presses against my shoulder, and I turn to see a man with kind eyes and a stethoscope around his neck. A doctor, I presume.

"You have to take it easy," he says softly. "Your body is still recovering." He places two fingers on my wrist to get my pulse reading. "What's your name?"

"Xyana." I reply.

"You're welcome to Gurreo-Valley pack, Xyana." He offers that comforting smile one can easily find amongst health workers in hospitals. "Do you recall how you got here?" He adds.

Firstly, this man said that I'm at the Gurreo-Valley pack. Goddess! Is this fair or worse than the Crimson pack? In reply to the doctor's question, I shake my head.

"What do you remember?" He asks me.

I shake my head again and lie easily. "Nothing."

I hope I look convincing enough. Everyone says the coming war will be triggered either by the Crimson werewolf pack or the Gurreo-Valley werewolf pack.

The two werewolf packs have been on each other's necks for the longest time. Yet none of them have actually won over the other.

The Crimson pack is rumored to be ruled by a cursed heartless Alpha who encourages the slave-trade menace ravaging werewolf communities in this age and time, while the Gurreo-Valley pack is ruled by a beastly Alpha and his brothers. It was once rumored that the Alpha and his brothers have a den of lions where they dump disrespectful servants to die

None of the rumors have been confirmed to be true, but many smaller werewolf packs are already pledging their loyalty and joining forces with either of the pack while waiting for the brewing war to commence.

I don't even know who the bigger monster is among the leaders of these packs. But I'm certain that I don't want to be here.

"It might take a while for her memories to come back. She remembers her name at least. That's a good sign." The Doctor announces, forcing me to look towards the direction of his gaze.

My eyes rest on four men standing close to the entrance of the room. Their eyes are fixed on me and they're all strikingly handsome, each with his own unique presence.

Dread overtakes me instantly. I watch the doctor pack up his equipment and promise to check up on me every day. As he walks out of the room, one of the men steps forward.

He looks so perfect that I want to gush over him. His beauty and presence can be felt even from miles away. He continues towards me, staring at me dreamingly that I'm uncomfortable.

When he's almost beside me, he voices out, "Mate."

'Great, now some fool is claiming you for himself. From Luna to whore. How the mighty has fallen. Even your father will be so embarrassed.' Juno, my wolf says, stabbing me with her painful words.

But before I can process what's happening, one of the men cuts in. "She is not your fucking mate, Dion!".

He's a big guy, with muscles that will make one wish to lay on his chest for as long as possible. His blue eyes hold mine, and I feel like he's seeing straight through me.

"He is not your mate." He says, directing his words at me.

I flinch at his tone, but before I can respond, Dion interrupts, still insisting on his words. His green eyes are focused on my face when he says, "Xyana is my mate, Declan. I can feel the mate bond My wolf can feel hers, faintly."

"Can you feel his wolf?" A third voice sounded in the room.

The owner steps forward. He's a solid man, like the solid heart of a tree cut down and set at the bottom for all the heat of the rest to be built upon. And he's the tallest of the three, with a great muscular build and a jawline that can cut glass.

His grey eyes hold me down in an intense, almost predatory gaze that makes my heart race. He smirks, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Can you feel his wolf, Xyana?" He asks again.

I shake my head, still not speaking because I'm not sure of the words to use.

"Why?" Mr. Solid-man asks, but I keep mute.

"I don't understand," Dion begins, "I'm very certain you're my mate."

"Same as me," Declan says, shocking us all.

Mr. Solid-man smirks and comes to stand beside me. "Xyana." He calls and I answer. "Can you feel my wolf?" I open my mouth and shut it again. "Answer me." He urges.

His command makes me feel utterly powerless and I'm forced to answer him, truthfully.

"No."

"Why? Why can't you feel my wolf? Do you feel her wolf, Declan?" He asks.

Declan shakes his head. "Barely. But I can feel the mate bond."

"I'm confused, why would she feel your wolf, Clifton?" Dion asks the solid man.

"Because she's my mate."

The room falls silent, with the actual meaning of his words hanging heavily in the air. My heart skips a beat, and I feel Juno laugh mockingly.

Dion lets out a humorless chuckle. "You're both delusional." He says. "She's clearly mine. So the both of you should stop."

The tension in the room grows so big as the three of them stands in a tense circle, their eyes locked on each other, their fists clenched at their sides.

"Stop it, now!" Another voice cuts in and the three men freeze, turning to look at the owner of the voice. "This is neither the time nor place for this. She's injured and needs rest. You can settle your differences later."

When I turn to the owner of the voice, I remember him instantly. After the incident in the woods, I woke up briefly in his arms. He told me I was safe and that he saved me from the bad guys. His assurance was all I needed to fall back into unconsciousness.

His dark eyes lock onto mine, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe. He is a hot piece of a man.

"Stay out of this, Gaston," Clifton, the solid-man snaps. "This doesn't concern you."

"It does, especially when you're causing a scene in my pack house," Gaston retorts, his eyes flashing with a warning.

Juno is mocking me with heart-wrenching laughter, and I'm overwhelmed by not just the fact that these men are arguing because of me, but also because my wolf is making a mockery of my predicament.

"The three of you should leave." Gaston commands.

For a moment, it seems like the three men are about to argue or disobey his command because none of them moved a limb. But then, one by one, they turn and storm out of the room, each slamming the door behind them with unnecessary force. The silence that follows is deafening.

Gaston sighs, running a hand through his hair. He looks at me and says quietly, "I'm sorry about that, they're just... All of this is a lot right now. I can assure you that my brothers are very accommodating and playful. And their existence is part of the reason this pack is still standing."

'His brothers?'

So does that make him the Alpha of this pack and those men his brothers that are rumored to be as powerful as their Alpha?

Wait, he is the Alpha? If that is the case, then this is worse than I'd thought. I need to escape this place.

"Why can't they feel your wolf, though?" Gaston suddenly asks.

I shake my head, "all of this is so sudden and..."

"That's understandable." He interrupts, "It's been heard that one is mated to twins, triplets, quadruplets, but never singletons that are brothers by blood. So this might be hard on your wolf, I can understand that."

Juno hisses, 'Why don't you tell him you're still mated to a real man, an Alpha from an honorable pack.' She sighs. 'Pathetic'

I nod at Gaston's words, not trusting myself to speak. My mind is spinning, trying to make sense of everything that is happening.

Three men... three mates? How is any of this possible? And why can't I feel the mate bond?

Gaston steps closer, his eyes softening as he looks down at me. "Rest now," he says gently. "One of the maids will come later to move you up to a room. We'll figure out the rest later."

I close my eyes, exhaustion washing over me. But just as I'm about to drift off, a thought occurs to me; what if I don't get to feel their mate bond? Does that mean they will reject me and send me away?

If they do, where will I go? I don't even feel strong enough to stand on my own two feet. That only means that I'm healing slowly, too slowly.

'Juno isn't helping me heal.'

There's only one thing to do; pretend that I'm finally certain the three men are my mates. That would give me enough time to heal. Then I'll escape before they find out my lie.

'Aside from being worthless to our mate because you are a weakling, you want to add pretense to your portfolio too? Bravo!' Juno mocks me as I shut my eyes, wishing not to exist in this world anymore.