They shared a glance.

"We are both attracted to you Valeria," Devon said softly. "We want you to be our Alpha Female."

I blinked as his words slowly penetrated my mind. David leaned forward to take my hand. His eyes were focused on our joined hands when he spoke again.

"Being an Alpha female comes with a lot of responsibilities. We know that you'll be able to handle it, but you need some training before you can take the title."

"You can't shift." Devon leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs. "We won't always be around you to protect you from danger so you need to learn how to do that."

"You want me to be your mate?" I squeaked when I finally found my voice.

"Yes, doll, we want you to be our mate."

"Both of you?"

I blinked when Devon laughed. He sobered quickly and gave me a small smile. "Yes both of us," he said softly. "Both of us want you."

"I don't . . . how? What?" I fell silent and stared at them.

David's hold on my hand tightened. He shifted into a more comfortable position on the bed. "We lead two packs as one. There are a lot of members here—you haven't even met half of them yet—and one Alpha wouldn't be able to handle them all."

"Some of our people are having doubts about our ability to lead side by side. Most of them are waiting for a war to break out between the two packs when David and I disagree about something."

I nodded. "Alpha's are possessive and territorial."

"Yes." Devon nodded. "We grew up together so we learned to compromise and work together as a team. Most of the newer members are scared to settle down because they fear war as I said earlier. If we take an alpha female she would belong to both of us. That way the members will accept us as their leaders."

"So . . . I don't know what to say," I muttered.

"If we take you as our mate they will feel more at ease and a few more packs would accept us as an ally."

David shifted on the bed, which made my eyes snap back to his. "We want you to train. You need to learn how to fight. We'd feel better knowing you'll be able to defend yourself."

"I—" I swallowed, shaking my head. "I don't know a thing about leading a pack. I'm not good with crowds. I'm not even like you!"

Devon growled. "You are like us. You have some of our blood running through your veins. That's why David wanted Doc Ali to run some tests on you. We want to find out just how much Lycan blood you have inside you."

"Can I t-think about it?"

"There's really nothing to think about, little dove. We chose you and we're not going to give up until you agree." Devon stood and moved closer. He leaned down and pressed his lips against my forehead. "Get some sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."

David followed suit. I sighed when the door closed behind them. It was a lot to take in. They wanted me—a weak half-breed human—to be their mate. It would definitely lead to a disaster. Just thinking about facing a big crowd made my stomach turn. All eyes would be on me. I pulled a face as I switched off the light and snuggled down underneath the blanket.

Pulling the blanket up to my chin, I sighed. What would Aunt Geraldine say when I mate with not only one Alpha, but two? I smiled as I imagined her face.

She never expected me to get a mate. The smile quickly faded as fear filled me. They wanted me to learn how to fight. I've seen them fighting a few times when I stayed at the other packs. It was brutal. One hit from either one of them and it could break a bone or leave an ugly bruise. What if I agreed and they suddenly decided that I wasn't good enough anymore? Would they just throw me away?

I turned onto my back and stared up at the twinkling stars on the ceiling. It wouldn't be easy—they had told me so. People might not accept me as their Alpha Female. My eyes grew heavy. I had time to think about it.

They would take care of me.

***

Something soft brushed up the inside of my leg. I tried to squeeze my legs closed, but they wouldn't move. The cuffs around my ankles dug into my skin when I pulled on them. My hands were tied too and something covered my eyes. I could do nothing but feel and listen. A gasp fell from my lips when the movement moved to my sex, and then up across my stomach to my breasts. I squirmed and bit my bottom lip. It disappeared just as fast as it had trailed over my skin.

"Stay still, doll."

Another sound filled my ears. My body jerked and a cry of surprise left my lips when the tip of something vibrating was pressed against the most sensitive part of my body. Hands slid up my legs to the inside of my thighs. They were gripped firmly and spread wider. Cold leather brushed my skin and then wrapped around my thigh to tie me down. I couldn't move at all. I was at their mercy again.

"P-please," I gasped as the knot in my stomach started to tighten.

"Please what, pet?" David rasped.

I tilted my hips upwards which made him pull away. I was so close!

"I need—" I sucked in a sharp breath when the vibrating thing slipped lower and the tip entered my sex.

He didn't push it any deeper, but the vibrations changed from slow to fast. My body tensed, preparing for the pleasure that would send me over the edge, but like before, he pulled away.

I moaned in disappointment.

Two pairs of hands suddenly traced my body. Lips brushed my skin. Tears filled my eyes when I was hovering close to the edge again. I waited and waited. My stomach quivered. Their touch and soothing voices suddenly started to fade. I could feel them slipping away from me, farther and farther. The heat in my body died down until I was a shivering mess. My eyes fluttered open. I was no longer blindfolded or tied down. I glanced around the room. The place felt familiar.

I turned in a circle to take everything in. It was the room the Alpha at my old pack had given me when I moved out of Aunt Geraldine's house. The walls were still painted an ugly yellow. A bookshelf filled with different genres was pushed against the wall directly behind the door. I had my own small bathroom with a toilet and a shower.

My frown deepened as I turned to stare at the twin-sized bed. Something was peeking out from underneath the bed. I took a step forward and stepped in something wet and cold. My eyes darted down and horror filled me when I saw the pool of blood. I followed the trail of blood to a body. It was a man laying on his side and facing away from me. Blood soaked his clothes and skin. I held my breath as I walked around him to get a look at his face. My knees gave way beneath me when I recognized him.

His eyes were still open and he was staring right at me! A cry fell from my lips. "No, no, no!"

I reached out with shaky hands to touch him. He was probably still alive. I had to stop the bleeding and call for help. But when I pressed shaky fingers against his neck to feel for a pulse, there was none. He was dead.

***

My body jerked upright in the bed. Sweat coated my skin and silent tears streamed down my cheeks. Nausea made me stumble out of bed and towards the bathroom. I reached the toilet just in time to empty the contents of my stomach in it. The cool marble felt great against my feverish skin. I dry heaved for a few more minutes before wiping my mouth and then reaching up to flush the toilet. Stumbling to the sink, I splashed my face with water and used some mouthwash to rinse my mouth. The dream flashed through my mind as I exit the bathroom.

I just needed to make sure they were okay. It was easy to see in the dark. I shivered and wrapped my arms around my stomach. It was so cold. I pressed my palm against my forehead. My skin was burning up.

My stomach turned as I stopped outside Devon's bedroom door. I gripped the door handle firmly and twisted it before pushing it open. My eyes instantly darted to the big bed. Devon was fast asleep in the middle of the bed. Just to be sure, I moved further into the room. I paused next to the bed and stared down at him. He was sleeping on his back. His right arm was thrown out across the bed, and his left rested on his lower stomach. The sheets were pooled at his hips.

I sucked in a breath. His scent instantly filled my nostrils. Some of the unease inside me died down. I couldn't see if he was breathing, so I leaned down and pressed my palm against his chest. The warmth of his skin instantly spread up my arm.

Devon suddenly tensed. A gasp fell from my lips when his hand shot out and his fingers closed around my wrist. He growled low and tugged me closer. Within seconds I was pinned flat on my back with his big body covering half of mine. I blinked up at him.

Swallowing loudly, I reached up and pressed my hands against his chest. I liked touching his smooth skin. David had a little hair on his chest, but Devon had none.

"What are you doing out of bed, Val?"