Brother’s Best Friends Are My Mates novel Chapter 8

Lia

When I started to come too I realized there were multiple scents nearby but the scents were calming me down. The logical part of my brain was scared by this because these scents belonged to my brother’s four friends Colby, Rain, Matt, and Jesse. Usually, these scents made me tense up, wondering what torment they would inflict on me next.

But it was different now. It helped me feel at ease, making me get closer and closer to consciousness.

“Okay, I understand all of you are worried about your future mate but you need to give her some breathing room. Can you imagine how she is going to feel when she realizes there are five pairs of eyes on her?”

Five?

Slowly, I took in the scene before me. Standing near the door was my brother Michael who looked the most concerned I had ever seen him. Colby and Rain, the two jokesters, also looked concerned. They looked very serious, something I didn’t expect. Then I shifted my gaze to the other two. Matt refused to meet my gaze, a scowl on his face. Finally, someone who was acting on the outside what I felt on the inside. Beside him was Jesse. I tried not to shiver as my eyes locked with Jesse.

He was looking at me the most intensely out of all four of them. The possessiveness was radiating off him in waves, something I didn’t know how to wrap my mind around.

“How do you feel?” the nurse said gently.

She was beside me, checking my vitals. I was looking everywhere but in the direction of my… mates.

God, they were my mates. All four of them were going to be my mates shortly. I would have to find a way to build a life with everyone.

“I feel like I want to throw up.”

Michael cleared his throat. “Guys I know you want to make sure she is okay, but I need all of you to give my sister and me some breathing room, okay?”

“Come with me and I’ll try to explain the situation to all of you as well as how you can support your new mate.”

Matt was the first to leave with Rain and Colby following. Jesse was the one who stood firm, refusing to leave. “Jesse,” Michael hissed.

But Jesse ignored Michael, instead focusing on me.

“I want to talk to my brother. Alone.”

He nodded. “All right.”

The man turned around and left without a fuss. Michael rolled his eyes.

“He’s gonna be the most clingy of them all, Lia. Just watch.”

I shrugged, refusing to meet even my brother’s gaze. He sat beside me, playfully elbowing me in the side.

“Michael, try all you want but I am not going to find the silver lining in all of this.”

“I mean, I wasn’t going to suggest you find the silver lining in all of this. For you, I don’t think there is because you are very stressed given how things have been with my friends and you.”

This made me look up.

“And what is your point? I don’t need to hear the obvious, Michael.”

“I’m saying that it’s going to be an adjustment for everyone and so you know I’m on your side. Being an omega with four mates is not going to be easy. If any of them step over any of your boundaries let me know. I will teach them a lesson.”

I bit down on my bottom lip. “They will fight to protect their mate… meaning me.”

“Yes, but I don’t think you’ll let them get away with hurting me, and their number one concern is you so you’ll set them straight.”

“Michael, I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I just want to go home. Can you take me home?”

He nodded. “Of course.”

From the moment I stepped out of the nurse’s office with my brother, they were all walking towards me until I took a nervous step back.

“Are you okay?” Rain asked. “We heard you passed out.”

“Can you blame her?” Colby muttered.

Matt huffed. “I’m surprised you didn’t pass out Rain.”

“Hey just ask Colby! I accepted it right away, didn’t I?”

“He did, Matt.”

Jesse cleared his throat. “Unlike Matt who is still denying it. He won’t even look in Lia’s direction even after it’s obvious—” “Jesse, shut up.”

“-obvious that Lia is our fated mate.”

Matt stalked off. I felt slightly empty with him gone, a feeling I didn’t want to have. It was the bond talking, already growing despite my best efforts to pretend it didn’t exist.

My wolf nature was winning out, going back to its innate nature which was pure and animalistic. The thought of it sent a shiver down my spine.

“I’m going home. Michael is taking me.”

Michael forced a smile. “You guys are free to come with but let her rest.”

“The upstairs is off limits,” I announced, trying to sound more sure of myself.

The relationship I had with these men had shifted and I didn’t know how I was going to adjust to it.

I have no idea. They’re all acting… different now. Protective, almost sweet. It’s so confusing. – L

Sweet?! From those jerks? This is wild. – S

Tell me about it. I can’t decide if I’m furious or… something else. – L

This is going to get messy. And hilarious. – S

You’re not helping. – L

Oh, I am 100% here for this drama. – S

Sighing, I threw my phone onto the empty spot beside me and tried to wrap my mind around the entire day. My mates were my brother’s friends. If it had been one or maybe two of them I could conceivably try to accept it. But all four?

No, I don’t know how I was going to deal with that.

It scared me truthfully. I could feel changes inside me whenever I was around them. My body reacted, feeling calmed by their presence. How could I not when the omega in me was reacting to my alpha mates?

They were feeling the effects too until it hit me that up until two days ago, these guys were huge jerks to me!

I refused to leave my room until Michael asked me if I wanted dinner that night. Not wanting to eat in my room, I reluctantly went downstairs. The guys weren’t there but I could smell them.

“They’ll be back in the morning,” my brother told me.

I sighed. “You never spend this much time with your bonded!”

“I did in the beginning,” Michael reminded me. “Lia, in the beginning, everyone’s hormones are going crazy so you want to be around them as much as possible. After a few months, things start to even out.”

That was true. Michael did spend a lot of time with his bond in the beginning. Either she was here or he was with her.

But that was different. My situation was much worse because I had four mates!

“I hate this,” I whispered to Michael.

“I know, but I promise it will get better.”

He seemed convinced of it but I wasn’t.