63

An odd feeling of anticipation made me jittery, and I forced it out of the way as I softly stepped towards the door. The shirt fell to my knees, and before I opened the door I tied my long curls back, then as quickly and silently as I could I stepped out of the room.

I bound down the stairs, reaching the office room which was thankfully empty. I figured it must be his..

I searched for the second set of stairs, becoming afraid when I couldn't find them up and down the hallway. When I was about to give up, I turned the corner right into the stair case, running down the twists and turns until I found myself outside of the same hallway near the lounge room. Turning I peered into the room, relief filling me when I met eyes with Izzy.

" Izzy!" I cried, running into the room. I jumped on the couch beside her, letting her arms wrap me in the hug. My other arm grabbed a hold of Nora, who clung to me just as hard.

Izzy turned me around so I sat squished between Nora and her in the small love seat I was in earlier. Other girls sat around the room, four in the other larger love seat and five more sitting in the couch. A couple were still wearing their dresses from last night, while others were swimming in clothes that obviously weren't their own.

" They've been like this for the past hour." Izzy whispered in my ear, as I looked at the dozen men conversing outside the room. It looked to be a heated argument, before they began filling in the room with us. I watched as the last person entered, his head wet from the shower, along with the shine of his bare chest, lines of scars and muscle forming his upper body.

" Sir." One man stepped forward towards my man.

"Each of us have put our mark on the girls. "

" My wolf was out of control." A man stated.

My man nodded, clenching his jaw. " The North and Mid Castle have experienced this as well…"

The men began to converse again, their eyes wondering over us every few moments.

" Why the hell did they not inform us!" The blonde man with tattoos spoke, causing Danny beside me to freeze.

" Apparently they needed to keep it confidential. Whatever is going on…is still unknown." My man answered roughly, making the blonde back down. " How many girls?" A question was asked.

" North has eight, Mid has fourteen… " He answered. " We have twelve."

" Are they apart of the Cold Blooded Tribes?" Another man spoke. " Some tactic to get to us?"

" What the fuck kinda tactic makes my dick get hard every time I look at this girl." A man snarled

A snarl erupted and the room began to get louder with the sound of animals.

" All they got us to do is wanna fuck these girls." The blonde snarled, sitting back and folding his arms over his wide chest.

"Stop."

Everyone seemed to stop at the almost non existent soft sound of Nora's begging voice. She wiped her eyes, her hands shaking as she did so.

The blonde was the first to react, and stalked over towards Nora like he had done before. I curled into Izzy, squeezing the back of Nora's shirt as she triumphantly sat up , with her small frame trembling as he neared.

" What'd you say?" He snapped, leaning down to her level, as his eyes traveled across her face. He licked his lips, eyes filled with hungry as he leaned closer to her face.

Nora stared back at him, her pretty features strikingly beautiful at this moment.

" Lay off. " My man suddenly spoke to the blonde, his voice authoritative even though he barely rose his tone.

I watched the blonde stand up, and Nora had turned her head, letting it fall against the back of the couch. I saw the raw skin of a mark that was similar to my own.

That man was right…they marked us all.

" Get them showered and fed. I'll figure out what I can. " My man suddenly said. " Kale and Hart, you're with me. "

The rest of the girls were taken by the same men they were taken with last night, leaving only Nora and Izzy with me alone in the room. I watched as he left, giving me a once over before locking the double doors.

" Hart." Izzy whispered. " I never thought my mate would have such a lovely name."

"Mate?" I whispered. " Is that what they are…"

" You don't feel it?" Izzy looked at me. I finally got the chance to really take in her features. As Nora was petite and pale, Izzy had a more mature glow to her . She had darkened skin, like she worked in the sun a lot. Her body was toned athletically, and obviously her motherly nature made me quickly attach.

" They can't have mates…" I whispered, a feeling of sadness coming over me.

" What if that is changing… I mean I can't stop thinking about him.." Izzy looked visibly stressed. "When he bit me," She continued. " It was the best high I've ever felt."

I looked down at my hands, remembering my own moment with him. " I felt the same.."

" Nora..are you okay?" Izzy asked.

Nora looked at us, her fingers trailing the outline of her lips. " Before he marked me..He wouldn't stop kissing me. " She told us , her cheeks turning red. " I mean…he comes off so mean but every time he touched me he was gentle. "

" It's not what I expected…" I said. " I never thought last night I'd form his mark on me, then be bitten…. and to have the bite mark be so…"

" Erotic?" Izzy finished, a small smile on her big lips.

Silently I laughed, piercing my lips at her truthfulness.

" Izzy and I have been friends since diapers." Nora told me after we've been curled up on the couch for an hour. " We've been so excited for the ceremonies."

" My best friend Lucy met her mate , from the Bear tribe last year. " I told them. " It just made me even more excited to meet my mate."

We fell quiet, and didn't have another time to speak again as the doors open. The man, Hart and Kale stepped in first, telling Izzy and Nora to leave with them.

When they were both gone, he stepped in the room. He had put a shirt on, an identical black one like I was wearing. He leaned against the table behind him, crossing his thick arms across his chest. " What's your name?" He asked, his face not showing any emotion.

Nervously I shifted in my seat, aware that my legs were bare. " Um. " I gulped." It's Bonnie."

" What's yours?" I asked, standing up.