Lords of the Were Read Online Free Page B

around her shoulder that was surprisingly comforting. She didn’t question his right to touch her so familiarly. Instead she snuggled into his warmth, needing his strength after this latest revelation. It had been a night of discovery, learning that things she’d always believed to be true were not.
    Betina sighed. “They didn’t know. Don’t be mad at them. If anyone should feel your anger and hurt, it’s me, but I made a promise to your mother and I followed her wishes.”
    Something Betina had said finally registered as odd in Allie’s mind and she raised confused eyes to her mentor. “You said my mother’s mates—plural—what in the world are you talking about? I was told my father died at the same time as my mother.”
    “That’s true. But your mother had two mates.” Betina looked up at Rafe as if asking for help in explaining and Allie raised her eyes to his as he squeezed her shoulders.
    “Your mother was mated to the ruling alpha twin pair before Tim and me. They were were cats named Jason and William. They were your sires and they died protecting you and your mother. When they died, Tim and I had to take control of the tribes before our time, but we managed to keep our people together. Your mother and her mates have been sorely missed.”
    Allie could hardly believe what they were saying. She had two fathers? It didn’t seem real, yet she’d met Tim and Rafe and they certainly were real enough. Could her mother have married two men? It was totally unconventional, but then her mother’s entire life was unconventional. Her belief system, her activities, her career—if you could call being a priestess a career in the traditional sense—her friends, and all the rest. Somehow it didn’t seem too farfetched to believe her mother might’ve had two men like Tim and Rafe as her life companions.
    “And they had brothers and sisters? I have aunts and uncles I’ve never met?”
    Betina nodded. “One aunt and one uncle still living. Another of your uncles died in the same attack, trying to defend your mother and fathers.
    His name was Peter and he was a bit older than your sires. Thomas was their younger brother and Jilly their younger sister. They both have cubs now with their mates, so you have a number of cousins too.”
    “Who can change into big cats?” Allie shook her head in wonder. She could hardly believe everything she’d seen and done this night, but somewhere inside her the pieces were falling into place, making her feel things were finally going right in her world.
    “Cougars,” Rafe clarified, stroking his arm away from her shoulders as he took her hand and started walking toward the house. “And they’re anxious to meet you.”
    But Allie stopped short, causing Betina and Rafe to stop also and look at her flushed face.
    “You mean to tell me all those people saw me naked?” Rafe laughed and even Betina laughed, but Allie was outraged. “Dammit, Betty! You told me we’d be all alone up there.”
    Betina grinned and tried to calm her protégé. “I didn’t know they’d all come to the ceremony. I wasn’t even sure Rafe and his twin would show up until the last minute.”
    “But you knew it was a possibility!”
    Betina held up her hands, palms outward. “You’re right and I’m sorry. I’ve sprung a lot on you tonight, but I honestly didn’t see any other way of breaking this all to you. Before the consecration, I don’t think you would have believed any of it, but now with the Lady’s power awakening within you, you’re more able to take it in and feel what is true and what is not.” Betina took Allie’s free hand in hers. “I will never mislead you again, Allesandra. This I promise you.”
    Allie felt somewhat mollified by Betina’s promise but still appalled to think all those people had seen her in her birthday suit. On her birthday.
    How appropriate. Allie’s face flamed even as Rafael cupped her hot cheek in his palm.
    “Don’t fret, Allie. Nudity is just