Chapter Seventeen

“Eli, wait.” Candy called out as she scrabbled to stand in front of Stolas. Looking at the man she had once thought herself to be in love with. The man that had been her closest friend for years now.



“Candy, what about Annie?” Eli asked, his voice rumbling and inhuman as he struggled to keep his wolf in check, his movements overly graceful as he prowled forward. She couldn’t help but shiver, even though Drake was the alpha of their pack. There was no denying that Eli was an alpha in his own right. Her wolf wanted her to roll onto her back, show the soft skin of her belly to him. Candy wouldn’t do that though, even as she tilted her head to the side in a subtle gesture.



“Eli-”



“What about Annie, Candy?” Eli said, cutting off Stolas from saying anything else.



“He’s my mate too.” Candy blurted out, feeling her cheeks heat up as her best friend came closer. Knowing that he could smell her arousal perfuming the air, mixed with Stolas’ desire.



Eli’s lips twitched in a smile that was more a bearing of teeth than an actual smile. “What did you do to her?” He asked as he locked eyes with the devil that stood behind Candy.



“What?” Stolas asked as he rested his hands on Candy’s arms. “I didn’t do anything to her, or Annie. I would never hurt either of them.”



“You kissing her mate would hurt her plenty.” Eli growled out, his voice getting louder at each word. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.



“Eli, I, we…” Candy said as she took a deep breath and stepped forward. “I didn’t mean to kiss him, but you don’t get to say anything about someone having more than one mate. I can smell Owen all over you.”



“It’s different.” Eli said as Candy moved closer to him, he watched her shrug Stolas hands away.



“Tell me how?” She growled, looking up at him as she gritted her teeth. “How is it any different? Because you’re a man?”



“Candy-”



“No, you don’t get to tell me what to do Eli. You’ve found your mate and so have I.” Candy said, pushing her hair out of her eyes as she glared up at him. Her feelings were hurt and she wanted to lash out at him, to make him hurt as he had made her hurt.



“Candy, it’s not like that, I just don’t trust him.”



“Good thing Stolas isn’t your mate then.” Candy said, standing her ground.



“What about Annie?” Stolas said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.



“I hadn’t planned on kissing Stolas, I wanted to talk to her about this first.” Candy said, placing her hands on her hips. She was already trying not to feel guilty about kissing Stolas, and she wasn’t going to let Eli make her feel worse.



“I’d suggest you do it soon, I won’t let you hurt her. She’s my family now.” Eli said, before glaring over at the demon. “You better not fuck this up.”



“I won’t, I’m drawn to both of them.” Stolas said he couldn’t describe how much he wanted to be with both women. Yes, he was drawn to Candy with an urge that borderlined on a primal need. With Annie, though, it was different. Like a slow simmering burn that would take them both up in flames if they weren’t careful.



He and Candy just had to help her heal first.



“I’ll talk with her tonight.” Candy said, looking back over her shoulder at Stolas “Stolas was just leaving.”



“I was?” He asked, then looked over at Eli with a frown. It seemed this wolf would be a problem for him, just as he was for Sam. “I was.”



“See he’s leaving,” Candy said. She watched Eli’s shoulders sag in relief then tense back up as she felt hands on her hips.



Stolas pulled her back against him, his warm breath fanning across her neck as he spoke, “I’ll be seeing you soon, my little wolf.”



Candy let out a shaking breath, cursing her body as she felt desire coil low in her stomach. The soft growl made her press her lips together. She didn’t look back at the sound of Stolas’ steps as he moved towards the window. Candy knew that she couldn’t. If she did, there was no way that she was going to able to keep herself from marking him.



Eli locked eyes with her, raising an eyebrow, “I think you’ve got a date to go get ready for. Now I’ll be avoiding Abby til you and Annie can talk.”



“Thanks Eli.” Candy said as she tucked her hands into her pockets. “I mean it, thank you for looking out for my mate. I promise I won’t hurt her though.”



“Good, I don’t think that she could take another blow.” Eli said as he moved to the couch and flopped down, pulling out his notepad as he did.



“I know, I won’t hurt her. Eli, she means the world to me.” Candy said, moving to sit across from him.



“I’m glad you’ve found your mate, I wish-” Eli shock his head, “I just wish things were easier for you, it’s going to behard having more than one mate.”



“Any tips?” Candy said, feeling somewhat back to normal with her friend.



“Just a few.”



***



Annie looked at herself in the mirror. She adjusted her shirt. Smoothing out the soft velvet fabric, as she fought down the urge not to pull her hair into a ponytail.



Abby had found her a top that made her feel pretty, and not just like an incubator. The knock on the door made her jump and she spun around. Her heart beating rapidly in her chest as she moved to the door, knowing that her mate was on the other side.



“Hi,” Candy said and Annie wanted to swoon, her mate’s black lace dress hugged her toned body showing off all of her curves. Curves that Annie could remember pressed against her body. Her eyes moved down to the heels that Annie had on, and she smiled at the paint job on them. A black wolf on one side and a white wolf on the other.



“It’s too much, isn’t it?” Candy asked as she clasped her hands in front of her waist, mentally cursing Eli and Dev. She wasn’t used to dressing like this. The dress was one that her mother had bought for her, a smile on her face as she had told her this would get her mates attention.



It seemed the woman was right, by the smell of Annie’s desire wafting around her.



“No, I mean. You look amazing.” Annie said, as she brought her hand up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.



“Thank you.” Candy said as she looked at her mate, taking in the black slim cut pants she wore and the maroon top. It was cinched under her breasts, making them look even bigger. Candy had never wanted to lose herself more in a person than she did right now.



“We should get going, I can’t wait to show you off.” Candy said, taking Annie’s hand in her own. Savoring the warmth against her palm as she watched a blush spread over her cheeks.



Candy pulled Annie into the hallway, towards the front door. She was nervous about borrowing one of the cars, granted Dev had said it was fine. Candy knew how he felt about his car, she just didn’t trust Eli’s van to make it.



Author's Note: Thank you guys for taking the time to read this ongoing book, as I've always done in the past, I'll be doing the same with this. I update one of my books Monday through Friday until it's done. That's what I'm doing with Her Fae Lovers, once it's complete I'll be updating this one Monday through Friday instead of once a week. So I just want to say thank you guys for your patience and thank you guys for reading and commenting, it really does mean so much to me XOXO