Chapter 21: Zoey

"Absolutely, love. Hell, we've been fighting with our wolves since we met you."

"Fighting with them how, Jer?" 

"They want to mark you. All three. They're pushing us to claim you, love you, and mark you."

I blushed as I realized what he meant by claiming me. Jer grinned at me.

"But that's something that will only happen if and when you want us to. We all refuse to do anything you don't want. That's not who we are, and you're too precious to us for us to break your trust in us like that."

"Zoey, even if you never accept us like that, we will ALWAYS be there for you. We will always love you. That will never change." Ash took my hand gently.

I looked at them all wide-eyed. "You… you love me?"

Ash, Deke, and Jer all nodded at me. I felt Deke's voice rumble against my back.

"Yeah baby, we do. With everything we are. I know it's too soon for us to have told you but like I said before, we can't lie to you. I really hope we haven't scared you away from us." I felt his arms wrap around my waist. "Please give us a chance to show you how very special you are. How important you are to us. How much we love you. How much we all desire you. How much we need you."

I swallowed and closed my eyes and just breathed deep. With each breath I pulled in their scents. It was powerful and all male. It was everything I'd ever wanted. They loved me and they wanted me. Forever. They wanted me as their mate. I never thought I would ever have another mate, let alone three.

I opened my eyes and saw the love in their eyes. I gave them all a soft smile. "I'm not sure how to take all of this. I… I don't generally trust people, but you guys make it so easy. I won't lie, I'm scared to love anyone, to really let someone close after what's happened in my life ." I swallowed. "If I were to ever accept anyone as mates, it would be you three. No one else has ever or will ever make me feel this way. It's so overwhelming and it scares me how strong it is, but I do know I don't want to be anywhere else than right here with you. I know I want to see where this goes. And I want this to work."

The joy and relief that filled their faces made everything I've ever suffered worth it. Worth ending up here with them. I gave each of them a long kiss that left us all a little breathless.

"I don't want to change the mood, but you asked me about my past. It's only because I trust each of you that I can tell you this. I've never told anyone, not all of it. Hell, not even half of it. But can I get some liquid courage before I face this?"

Jer stood and went to the liquor cabinet that stood in the corner and poured three highball glasses with about three fingers of whiskey each.

"I think we're gonna need one too as I'm sure this is gonna piss us and our wolves off to no end. Do you drink whiskey, Zoe? Or do you want something else?"

I grinned at the new nickname. "Got any Jonny Walker Black? If not, then Jack or Jim Bean will do."

"Woman after my own heart." 

Jer poured another glass of whiskey and brought all four over. He handed one to me and to the other guys. I took a long sip and felt the burn and gave a small sigh of satisfaction. I saw them all staring at me.

"What? I like good whiskey. I don't get it very often, usually when there is a company party, and the companys' buying."

Ash gave me a smile. "Well, now you can have it anytime you want, my lovely mate."

Hearing him call me mate just made my heart soar. I gave a small laugh of shocked happiness. "I don't think I will ever get tired of hearing someone call me mate in any other tone than disgust. I never thought to have one, let alone one that actually wanted me."

"Well now you have three who love and want you."

I gave Ash a small smile and took another swallow. "You may want to bring the bottle, Jer. This story needs it." 

He nodded and got back up and brought the bottle over and set it next to my knee.

"Thanks." I blew out a breath and steeled myself. I hadn't thought of these things in years. I shuddered as I knew how dark my life was. 

"Take your time baby. We have all the time in the world, and no one will push you."

"I know Deke. That's just one of the many many things l love about you guys. Ok. Here goes." I took another sip. "Well, I told you about how my dad died in a pack war. My mother was never a caring woman, even before I was born. I still have no idea what Dad saw in her. I know they weren't true mates since she never gave a shit about him, not even after he died. My birth only seemed to make her harder. She hated me. I tied her down and made her feel old.

She was always one that put a lot of importance on appearance and status. I always felt my dad was just a stepping stone for her. She wanted the Alpha, but he already had a mate. Mysteriously after my dad died, the Alpha's mate died a few years later, poisoned by wolfsbane."

"Zoe? Why do you keep just saying Alpha? Weren't you allowed to call him by name?"

I shook my head. "No. It's not like your pack where you can call Asher by name, or even just Mr. Monroe. He was a very proud and arrogant man, and he reveled in being Alpha. He felt it was disrespectful if we called him anything else. We were disciplined harshly if we dared call him anything but Alpha, and the habit stuck."

Jer nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry for interrupting."

"No need to be sorry. I don't mind you asking if anything needs clarification. Where was I? Oh yeah, the Alpha's mate died. By then I was about five and once the Luna died my mother stopped having anything to do with me. Which was a blessing in disguise. Those first five years were miserable. She couldn't neglect me completely as an infant but as soon as I started to walk and talk, she made sure I knew I wasn't wanted. That I was nothing but a burden that she would have aborted if she could have. At the time I didn't know what aborted meant. It wasn't until I was around eight that I read what it meant. By then it didn't surprise me. 

Since my mother was an influential member of the pack and had made it very obvious that she didn't want me, the pack treated me the same way. No one was nice to me. If I was in the way I got kicked until I got out of the way. I learned to search through people's trash to find food, but sometimes people would chase me away from their trash. Everyone could see I was starving but no one would help me because no one cared. Somehow, I managed to survive. It was never easy and there were a few times I was really close to dying. But some good did come out of it. I learned to be self-sufficient and how to be adaptable."

The guys shifted and I could feel the tension in their bodies. I knew that if they were already getting riled up now, once I got towards the end of the story, they were gonna absolutely lose their damn minds.