be ashamed of it.
There was nothing wrong with having five mates. There was no shame for loving them all. Instead, this had become my strength. These guys reminded me that I was more than my age, more than simply a mother, and so much more than someone to do the tasks they didn't want. With them, I was a partner, someone to be respected, and the most beautiful woman in the world. The more I tried to give, the more they gave back, and it was the fantasy I'd never quite been able to put into words.
But when Trent pulled his lips from mine to gasp for breath, still working me so hard, my eyes flicked open. I felt every muscle in his body moving. I heard the soft moans of Pax's appreciation. I could taste my lover's kisses on my tongue, but my eyes saw only stars. So many pinpricks of light shining above, and it was the last thing I needed.
I turned Trent's face toward me, our eyes meeting in the darkness, and I breathed, "Mine."
His breath caught, his hips thrust into me hard, and together, we both went over the edge. My back arched as the pleasure took over, but he was right there to hold me, pressing his face against the side of my neck as he rode me through it, driving me just a little higher, and then finally groaning as he could take no more.
As the breath rushed out of his lungs, Trent whispered, "I love you too, Elena. Only you."
CHAPTER 43
* * *
Late Saturday night, I got a short text from Pax that simply said, "Done." He didn't need to explain. I knew exactly what he meant. It seemed my betas had managed to declare their love to our mate, and Elena returned it. I tossed my phone away with a relieved sigh and finally managed to find sleep.
The next morning, however, I started making plans. I'd never hidden my end goals from the guys, but I still checked to make sure they hadn't changed their minds. When Trent and Pax finally made it home around noon, we all got to hear about their catastrophic attempt at a date, but they both agreed that, if anything, it simply convinced them even more.
So, this was a go. Lane, of course, was thrilled with the idea. So much so that he was the one who asked Gabby to find a subtle reason to sneak over to our house. The little brat replied that it would be easy, since her mom had just laid down for a nap. He still made her promise to leave a note on the fridge in case she woke up. Not a text, though. We didn't need to risk waking her.
Less than ten minutes later, Gabby was tapping at the front door. Seth hurried to let her in. The rest of us moved into place, leaving the main chair in the living room open for her. When Seth led Gabby back, the girl eyed us with well-warranted suspicion.
"What's going on?" she asked. "This all feels very 'Mission Impossible.'"
"Sit," I told her, gesturing to the chair I usually used.
She did, and Seth moved to the floor in front of the TV. Her eyes jumped to him, aware that she'd just been given pride of place. It seemed that my little protégé had some very good instincts when it came to understanding wolf dynamics. Then again, it was part of what made her such a good alpha. She didn't just understand our ways, but also the other shifters.
"Am I in trouble?" she asked. "Ian, I promise I haven't done anything. I mean, I had no clue that Theo and Nik were, you know..."
"This is not about that," I assured her. "But, Gabby? We do have a little problem, and it's something we need your help with."
"Ok?"
I glanced back at the guys, and they all nodded, giving me the go ahead. Yet when I turned back to Gabby, my insides twisted and my fingers tingled. Nerves, I knew, but it wasn't a feeling I was used to. Still, this could be the most important moment of my life.
So I blew out a breath and just said, "We need to know how you feel about your mother getting married again."
Her eyes narrowed. "I dunno, Ian... Kinda depends on who she'd be marrying." And her lips tensed as she fought a smile.
"Us," I admitted. "Gabby, we want your permission to ask Elena to marry us."
And the