I blinked, staring at the five men surrounding me on the bed. My heart thudded so hard it felt like it could crack my ribs. Cristof leaned close, his eyes dark with desire and something softer I couldn’t name, Cole’s arms were draped possessively around my waist, Geri’s hand pressed against mine like it anchored him to me, and Radolf and Cloud… their expressions were impossibly tender, yet there was fire hidden behind the calm.
I couldn’t help the question that spilled from me, trembling despite my resolve. “Why… why are all of you acting like I belong to each of you?”
Cristof, as always, was first. His fingers cupped my face, thumbs brushing my cheeks softly. “Because you do,” he murmured. His voice was low, rasped with emotion. “You’re a Luna, Bam. A strong Luna like you… it’s never about belonging to just one man. Not when your strength… your life… demands more than one.”
I swallowed hard, my pulse racing. His words made sense in some twisted way, but my heart still wobbled under the weight of it. I wanted to scream, to cry, to run away, yet something deeper kept me rooted.
Cole leaned behind me, his chest pressing into my back, arms slipping around my waist. His warmth made the tension in my shoulders melt into a complicated mix of fear and comfort. “You don’t understand,” he whispered into my ear. “If only one of us tried to handle all your power, it would destroy you-or turn us into shadows of ourselves. You need balance, Bam. Balance from all of us… from everyone who loves you.”
I shivered, feeling the press of his lips along my shoulder as he spoke. My thoughts stuttered, my mind trying to process all of this at once. Five men, all saying the same thing, all claiming the same truth: I was theirs.
Geri scoffed, though he didn’t hide his fingers from my hand. “Don’t think of it like sharing,” he said, though his smirk faltered when his thumb traced the line of my palm. “This isn’t about taking. It’s about protecting. Being here. A Luna like you… one with your strength, with your mark, needs more than one mate. One could never keep you grounded, let alone safe.”
I swallowed again, my throat dry, my chest tightening. Cloud stepped closer, eyes soft but intense, and I felt my pulse trip. “I… I noticed you from the beginning,” he said quietly. His words were tremulous, sincere. “Ever since I was a child, I… I felt a connection. Even when I tried to ignore it, it wouldn’t let me. You chose your path, Bam, but my heart… it never forgot you.”
Radolf nodded beside him, jaw tight, eyes glinting. “You saved me once, back when I was trapped in the human world. You… you don’t remember it, but I never forgot.” His gaze locked on mine, unwavering. “You were my light when I had nothing. And I-I… I’ve waited for you ever since.”
I felt my chest constrict. Five men. Five declarations. Five confessions. And all of them were mine, somehow, and somehow… I was theirs. My heartbeat surged, and the world shrank to the space they occupied around me.
I whispered, almost inaudibly, “And… you’re all okay with this? All of you being… my mates?”
Cristof leaned his forehead against mine, smirk tugging at his lips despite the dark intensity in his eyes. “I don’t like it,” he admitted. “I don’t like sharing you. But I love you too much to let logic get in the way. I can’t have it all… but I can have you.”
Cole’s lips brushed my neck as he spoke softly. “You deserve love from every angle, Bam. We’re not fighting for possession. We’re anchors… to your power, to your life, to you.”
Geri’s fingers tightened around mine, and I finally noticed his eyes glimmering with something rare-vulnerability. “I hate that I have to share you,” he said quietly, voice low and tense. “It feels… like I’m losing. But not having you at all… that’s worse than anything.”
Radolf and Cloud exchanged glances, and I realized they had been holding back, waiting for me to understand, waiting for me to accept it. “We… we just want to be here,” Cloud admitted, voice barely above a whisper. “To protect you. To love you. If nothing else, we can be the arms that hold you when life tries to rip you apart.”
Radolf nodded. “I don’t need the rest of the world, Bam. I only need you.”
And then, slowly, I understood. My power didn’t come from choosing one of them. It came from being loved by all of them-and daring to love them back. My mates weren’t just men; they were anchors, shields, and pieces of the puzzle that made me whole. Each of them balanced the others, and together… we were unstoppable.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, finally letting myself speak, voice trembling. “So… it’s okay for me to be… with all of you?”
Cristof’s grin softened into something dangerously warm. “It’s more than okay. It’s necessary. You’re the strongest Luna I’ve ever known. And a strong Luna… deserves all the protection and love she can get. From all of us.”
Cole pressed a lingering kiss to my shoulder, sending shivers down my spine. “It’s not just about protection. It’s about being wanted… and we all want you, Bam. Every single one of us.”
Geri’s hand squeezed mine, and for the first time, I saw him as more than a high school playboy. He was serious, deadly serious, and devoted. “You’ve always been My Luna, Bam,” he said quietly, “even when you didn’t notice. Even when I was just the guy you thought didn’t care. But I did. I do.”
Radolf and Cloud echoed the sentiment, their voices overlapping softly. “Always.” “Forever.”
And in that moment, I realized I had five mates. Five anchors for my soul. And maybe, just maybe, it was okay for me to let them love me-fully, completely.
I leaned back against them, breathing in the warmth of their presence. Their hands caressed me, kissed me, marked me as theirs, not with chains or force, but with love, with care, with something I couldn’t put into words. It was chaotic. Overwhelming. Terrifying. But it was mine.
“We… we’ll spend the night together,” Cristof murmured, his voice low, almost reverent.
“Yes,” I whispered, and it wasn’t fear. It was certainty. “All of you. Together.”