Tasting All My Mates by Alexis Dee

"I don't know how that will save me." I wasn't very comfortable letting everyone bite me. He wanted it done by tonight, so I might wait a few days
after I think through the idea. That was too soon. Not to mention, I was already looking for ways to reject Zander and not feel weak, and here was
Thiago suggesting I should let them all mark me.
"It is the only way to protect you. If too many mates have marked you, you will be able to fight through the monster's compulsion. Think about it this
way: he somehow marks you and tries to control you. You will still have a part of you that will listen to your mates." He sounded very serious about
his plan.
"I can always break his compulsion. Jessica did and listened to you." I recalled how easy it was for Thiago to make her believe he was the monster.
She even shut down the mind-link for him.
"Actually, that’s what she made us think." The revelation from Thiago left me gasping.
"What do you mean by that?" I inquired since now that the monster would be preparing to attack me, I needed to get as much information as I could.
"Enya! Just trust me, okay?" Thiago kept the truth to himself for now and asked me to follow his lead. "Would you let us mark you?" he asked.
I saw the look on his face. He wasn’t very happy about the whole marking thing; it seemed. He was just doing it to make sure I remained safe.
I answered, "I would," just because I wanted him to know I trusted him. And I will follow his lead without asking any more questions.
"Thank you. Tonight! We will perform the marking. I will gather the others around and make sure things go smoothly," he
promised before heading out of the room.
I was certain there was something going on in his head. Maynard was gone for hours and didn't even show up for the night.
Christina tried reaching out to him, but his cellphone was off. I received a text from Thiago saying that we needed to go into the
woods. I walked all the way to the road, and Thiago guided me from there.
"I didn't know we were having a ritual." I laughed nervously. I was pretending to be cool, but my heart was pounding hard thinking
about getting marked by my mates.
"You guys are not planning on sacrificing me, right?" I continued to talk, following him into the woods.
"I will sacrifice myself first before anybody thinks of sacrificing you, so don't worry," he casually said, and that kept his posture
straight. I got butterflies flying across my stomach until I saw the open ground he had taken me to.

The moon was directly above our heads, and the tall trees in the surrounding area were creating a scary ambiance. I saw Lazio
sitting on a rock and waiting for us.
"Hey." I awkwardly waved my hand at Lazio. There had been so much going on the past few days that I just wanted to take a rest
from the arguments and not recall every little thing. Our major focus needs to be on catching that monster now.
"Zander will be here in some time," Lazio announced while getting on his feet, "But I need to ask, didn't you hate Zander?" He
then let out a scoff to taunt Thiago.
"It doesn't matter who I hate. The only thing that matters right now is Enya's safety," Thiago, without indulging in the argument,
responded calmly.
"Or is it just because you are scared I will have her for myself?" That cheeky smile from Lazio made me roll my eyes at him.
Lately, he had been acting so different from his usual self that I was beginning to realize how they were not ready to share their
mate. It was also sad because when I was with Thiago, Lazio kept hinting that I should accept all my mates and have a
relationship with them until I accepted him, and then he changed the rules.
"What are you on about, son?" Thiago shrugged his shoulders casually, looking exhausted from having this conversation with
Lazio.
"As if you don't know. You think I was behind the idea of Enya accepting Zander? You blame me for ruining your relationship, so
now you want to do the same." Lazio continued to make no sense. He was assuming everything without acknowledging that we
had a monster running around and killing she-wolves.
"I am going to head back to the academy now," I muttered, and got their attention on me.
"Why, you cannot see me talking badly to Thiago?" Lazio asked me with teary eyes. The fact that he was truly believing his own nonsense was
upsetting.
"No! because I don't want you to mark me." I raised my voice once he had pissed me off enough. A she-wolf died, and I am the possible next victim,
and he is arguing with Thiago over some petty delusions.
"You don—," Before Lazio could confirm it with me, I answered him.
"No! I don't want you to mark me. You are already going nuts. I don’t know how you will act around me after you mark me." I wasn't going to let him
question my character one more time. He looked hurt, but at least he was giving me the look that yelled he acknowledges he messed up by running

his mouth nonstop.
"I was just hurt." His tone and demeanor changed, but honestly, he had ruined my mood. I wasn't comfortable getting marked by him now.
"I just need to go back," I whispered.
"I can still mark you." Thiago’s words stopped me in my tracks. I turned around to him and watched him play in the grass with his shoes, his face
buried. He then only raised his eyebrows and later his eyes to stare at me.
I almost lost my breath right then and there.
"May I?" he then asked, blinking slowly and staring at my neck.