Something told me his method was going to be hell.
An hour later,we had five bear shifters, a kitsune, and Emily crammed into an oversized booth in Cub Lake’s only seedy bar. Artie’s mate was the only person who wasn’t smashed up against anyone. That was purely because of Art’s possessiveness, and the guys’ loyalty to their mates.
I was sitting on the end, growling and shaking my head. “I’m not fucking doing it.”
“There’s no other option,” Hudson said firmly. “If you try to kiss someone else while you’re mated, your bear will take over. Right, Eric?” He looked at one of the shifters I barely recognized.
“Right,” Eric said with a grimace.
Something told me he’d learned from experience.
Hudson had driven with us while Reed, his best friend, had picked up two other guys I’d met a handful of times.
“Am I allowed to ask how you figured that out?” Emily checked. “Because that’s kind of sketchy.”
“No.” Eric flashed her a glare.
“His mate ditched his ass after the clan paid her for letting him knock her up. He tried to take another woman home to ease the pain. Ended up shifting. Barely stopped himself from tearing the other chick apart. Which is why we’re here,” Eric’s friend Austin explained, gesturing to the backup Hudson had arranged.
“We’re married now,” Eric growled. “I won her over.”
“Your mate?” Emily checked.
“Obviously.”
“Easy.” Reed elbowed Eric. “We don’t need to start a fight with the kitsune.”
Eric grunted in agreement, and everyone looked at me again.
“No,” I said flatly. “It’s not happening.”
Kissing someone other than Madison sounded so fucking unappealing, I didn’t have words to describe it. It was just wrong.
“Here.” Hudson got up and crossed the room, leaning against the bar while he talked to the woman behind it. Rose, maybe? I vaguely recognized her. She was at least a year or two younger than me.
She laughed at something Hudson said, and nodded. He came back to the booth and gestured toward her. “Rosie already heard about the situation. She’s friends with Madison, and dating Greg.”
I had no idea who Greg was.
“One of the kitsunes,” he explained.
I didn’t see why that mattered.
“She agreed to a friendly, meaningless kiss, with the rest of us hovering behind you just in case your bear attacks her to get back at you for trying to betray your mate,” Hudson finished.
“I said no.”
“Look, man.” Reed leaned over the table, his forearms resting on the scratched surface. “If you really claimed Madison, she’s it for you. Even if she mates with the fox. She’ll be making the vow to him, so you won’t be able to have her. Even if you both want that.”
I snarled at the thought, fighting to stop myself from shifting.
“If they go through with the ceremony and the vows don’t actually work, the alpha is going to lose his mind and kill someone. Probably her,” Artie said bluntly.
“Just the thought of kissing someone else makesmewant to kill something,” I snapped.
“Here’s a thought.” Hudson held up a finger, catching everyone’s attention. “Ifwedon’t know how valid your claim is, the alpha won’t either.”
My eyes were narrow as I waited for him to get to his point.
