Free Their Runaway Mate by Selena Cross

“I wasn’t growling to scare you away. I wanted you to join us just as badly as Drew did. However, you have to understand Anna, when you do join Drew and me; it will not be some one-night stand or some meaningless tryst. When you join us, we will claim you thoroughly, body and soul, as our mate and no one will be able to break that bond.”
    Anna shivered at the hard look Carter gave her, as well as his words. He suddenly stood up and picked up his plate, taking it to the sink, where he left it before stalking toward the kitchen door.
    He reached the entrance to the kitchen and stopped just before exiting to turn and look at her. “This isn’t a game to us, Anna. We aren’t going to use you and then toss you away. You are our mate, the missing piece to our souls. When you finally give yourself to us, we will all become whole. I know you still don’t trust us and I may not know much about your life before you came here, but I know you’re probably not used to people wanting you just for you. Drew and I do, I just hope you figure that out.”
    A million arguments flew through Anna’s head, but Carter had already left the house before she had a chance to let them slip from her lips. As she sat there staring at the door Carter had just been standing in, she realized she was glad she didn’t have an opportunity to say them because she knew she’d regret them.
     
    *****
     
    Three days had passed since Carter’s speech in the kitchen and he’d managed to avoid her the entire time, she was becoming frustrated. If he really felt the way he said, why was he avoiding her?
    She sat at the dinner table, alone, sipping a glass of wine and ignoring her now cold meal. She didn’t really feel like eating, she hadn’t since the other day. What he said continued to run through her head and each time that little voice would argue his points. As each day passed though the voice became quieter and Anna started to become lonely not having Drew around and having Carter avoid her.
    She didn’t understand anything about what was going on, but she knew that she had formed very strong feelings for both men. She didn’t want to call it love for fear she would lose her heart to them if she did. It didn’t matter that she knew she already had.
    She wondered why she held back from them. They had been good to her so far and they stated they wanted her as their mate, which meant they wouldn’t shove her away once they had heirs. So why was she holding back? It was a better hand than life had dealt her so far, two rich, sexy, strong, and powerful men wanting her. So what was the problem? Well, for one, neither man was anywhere to be found.
    Just then Carter strolled into the room looking sexier than ever, or maybe that was the wine talking. He managed a small smile for her as he took a seat at the head of the table and Ella came in to serve him dinner, but he wouldn’t meet her eyes and Anna wondered if she had completely messed up this time.
    After a few tense moments, Ella left them and Carter began to eat, while Anna pushed her food around her plate and sipped more wine.
    “I don’t think it will do any good to keep stabbing it, love, it’s already dead.” Carter said, bringing her attention to the fact that she had been skewering her chicken continuously.
    Anna felt her cheeks flush and she reached for her wine glass again in order to cover up her embarrassment, but she still could hear Carter chuckling at her.
    “How have you been, Anna?” He stated so casually, as if he hadn’t been avoiding her the last few days.
    “Fine, thank you,” she choked out, not really wanting to talk to him at all, because she was just simmering from being ignored.
    He seemed to have noticed this because his next words were in apology. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been available to you in the last few days, Anna.”
    She looked at him with this declaration and saw the genuine remorse written all over his face.
    “I didn’t want to leave it