- My Torments
Lia
In the morning, I groaned, tempted to pull the covers over my eyes, but I realized that I needed to get to school. We were getting to the point where graduation was just around the corner. Hard to believe that I would be a high school graduate who would be going on to college. I was excited to study teaching in college because teaching was always something I had wanted to do.
Instructing students and trying to get them to where they needed to be something I always wanted. This was just the next step in the plan I had worked out in my head. The he part of my plan that wasn’t something I expected was to be mated to the four guys who I used to call my torments.
Even now I was still shocked, but the events of the weekend sent me reeling. What was I going do now that I had to see them after sharing moments with every single one? We all had an enjoyable time during our separate events, talking and just forging a new bond.
My phone buzzed while I was in the middle of getting dressed. Sighing, I grabbed my phone and saw it was Simone.
She was my ride this morning but she wasn’t contacting me to ask me if I was ready. Simone was trying to what was happening to me and the guys I was now calling y mates.
Hey, how was your weekend? -S
Honestly? Interesting. I spent it with Jesse, Colby, Rain, and Matt. -L
Oh? That sounds like a lot. How did it go? -S
It surprised me. I saw sides of them I wasn’t expecting. -L
Really? Like what? -S
Jesse has this way of making everyone feel like they belong. It’s effortless for him. -L
That doesn’t surprise me. He’s always been good at reading people. -S
find out
True, but it hit differently seeing him in action. Then there’s Colby–he’s such an outgoing and free person most of the time, but when things got serious, he stepped up. -L
Colby stepped up. That is surprising -S
I know, right? And Rain… was great too. -1.
I can see that. Rain always struck me as silly but great type S
Exactly. And Matt… I always thought he was all structured and control, but he has this softer side. He’s so thoughtful when it matters. -L
Whoa. Sounds like you’re seeing them in a whole new light–S
I am. It’s making me think about them differently. Like, I get why they are the way they are now. -L
That’s a good thing, though, right?-S
Yeah, I think so. It’s just a lot to process. -1.
Sounds like you’re making real connections with them. -5
I guess I am. And it’s… nice. -L
+25 BONUS
16 My Tomments
So, does this mean you have accepted the four of them as your mates? – S
I don’t know if I would go that far. – L
Well, the sooner you accept it the better it will be for you. S
I know, Simone. – L
Well, I’ll pick you up in a bit for school. Thank god we’re almost graduating, right? S
I know, right? – L
I got off the phone with Simone, trying to hurry up and finish getting ready. Honestly, it was a relief to get back to school. It was the only place I didn’t have to be around my new four future mates. Not that I wasn’t adjusting to living with them but I needed to be on my right now.
A person could only spend so much time in the bedroom!
When Michael first invited them to leave us I was against it right away because I couldn’t imagine sharing the one space that was sometimes free of them with these four! But the truth was I was starting to adjust to having them
around.
It was a relief that my brother was still with me. Yes, he had spent the weekend with his mate but knowing that he was always there for me was a relief. I was using my brother as a bit of a buffer. The guys probably were, too. This just made it easier for us to make these adjustments to a tricky situation.
When Simone texted me to say she was here, I grabbed my bag and headed outside. The guys were already gone, having headed to college. At least they were finally stopping with their hovering over me and being clingy.
The first few days they were doing this, which was exhausting. It was nice to be able to get to school and get something of a break.
“Hey girl,” Simone greeted, giving me a grin. “How are you doing?”
“I’m doing”
She laughed. “I’m glad that you five haven’t killed each other.”
“Hey, my brother lives there too!”
“Yeah, but he’s going to move out one day to go live with his mate. You know this is going to happen one day soon”
“What?” I whispered “Did he say something to you?”
“What? No! Michael and I barely talk anyway. If he did say something like that to me then I would tell you that, you know that right?”
I sighed softly. “Yes I do but don’t do that again. You scared the crap out of me when you said that.” “Trust ine, I don’t know anything about your brother leaving. My bet is he isn’t going to leave anytime soon. He wants to stay there with you and his friends to make sure that you all get along. At least that’s how I see it.”
“I hope so,” I murmured, leaning back in the seat. “Not having Michael there would be very strange for me.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about it. Let’s just focus on the fact that we’ll be graduating soon!”
I smiled. “I know, right? It’s terrifying but exciting at the same time.”
“It’s supposed to be,” Simone said, laughing,
My Tormenta
I didn’t know about that.
25 BONUS
School had finally moved on past the gossip about me and my new mates. I was grateful for that because I was sick of everyone staring and looking at me. Someone else had a coming–of–age ceremony and they were matched with three people! There weren’t as many people as 1 was matched to, but still.
“There has to be something in the water,” Simone whispered as the latest gossip spread around school.
I sighed softly. “I’m just glad they aren’t talking about me anymore so let me be happy about that.”
“Hey, I never said you couldn’t be happy about it so calm down,” Simone teased.
“Simone, how are you adjusting to your mates? I realized I haven’t asked and I feel bad about that.”
“You have a lot to think about, Lia so I’m not mad at you or anything.”
Simone was seriously the best friend anyone could ever have. How did I get so lucky with her? I smiled weakly, linking my arm to hers.
“Thanks for saying that, Simone. I just wish I could snap my fingers and everything would be all right.‘
“You need to just take your time with this. There are going to be five people in this mating group. Five personalities butting heads so it’s going to be a lot.”
W
I paled. “But they are friends and haven’t fought with each other.”
“So? They just haven’t fought with each other yet. They are territorial werewolves and are going to fight with each other eventually, I think you should prepare yourself for that.”
This was something I hadn’t thought about at all. What Simone was saying was true, but I didn’t want to think about it because this was going to add more stress to my life.
What
“What am I going to do?”
“Well, you said it hasn’t happened yet so just focus on that fact. Once it happens then you need to try to deal with It. I’ll help you when that happens.”
I paled further. “How are you going to help?”
“We’ll figure it out.”
It was difficult to pay attention in class and allow myself to focus on school because my mind kept drifting to issues I might have with my mates. What if they did start fighting with each other? The four of them have been great friends for years.
To think that I could ruin over a decade–long friendship. It would not be something I could deal with without extreme amounts of guilt.
Sighing to myself, I chose to eat lunch outside. Simone joined me after a while, but the two of us didn’t speak. Instead, we just sat there and ate our lunch quietly.
There was a lot on my mind so Simone understood why I didn’t want to talk right now.
It should’ve been expected. Why did I not think it was going ot happen sooner or later? I think for the past few weeks I’ve been in survival; mode since the coming–of–age ceremony. All that mattered was trying to get through one day after the next.
Yet I had to move past that mindset. My future mating group depended on it.
