“Oh, that’s so much better,” she hummed and started on her second one. She paused when she heard an audible giggle come from each of the young men. They relaxed in their poses and smiled. “Um, thank you for helping me find food.”
“That’s alright,” Taze replied. “We didn’t know you were staying here. You kind of threw us for a loop.”
“Yeah, Dane had to run out because they found Cole’s brother.” She frowned and wiped her hands on a napkin from the holder at the center of the table. She wanted nothing more than to be by Cole and Dane’s side, but it was safer for her to stay at the pride. She knew that. “I’m staying here until he gets back.”
“We were just about to go to work at the gate,” Taze continued. “You’ll have other Guardians showing up soon. Lucky, Diesel, and I were just about to leave.”
Diesel was the one with the buzz cut, and Lucky had the dirty-blond hair. She thought she’d met most of the Guardians, but these were new to her. Although they looked young, she had no way of telling their age. Maybe they’d never been into the bar because they weren’t twenty-one yet?
“Well, I’m going to eat and go to bed,” she explained as she picked up her last burger. “Thank you for this. You really didn’t have to go to all the trouble. You could’ve just showed me to the kitchen.”
“Ahh, no,” the one named Diesel chuckled. “Dane would kill us dead if we’d have let you fend for yourself.”
“Yeah, I’m not crossing that male…ever,” Lucky cringed. “Hey, look, we need to go. Do you have any questions before we leave?”
“No, I think I’m okay from here.” Olivia immediately liked them.
“If you hear males after we leave, it’ll be Storm, Kraven, and Malaki coming in from their shift.
“Okay, thank you,” she said with a smile.
“Guys, we need to go.” Taze frowned as he looked at his phone. “We are needed for a meeting before we go on duty.”
The males said their goodbyes, and Olivia waved them away after thanking them again. Apparently, Dane had a reputation around these younger Guardians. She knew he was an alpha male by the way he carried himself, but these men were terrified when she told them she was his mate.
Shaking off the thought of Dane, she finished eating and cleaned up her mess. The front door opened, and Evie and Hope walked in as if they were sneaking around. They looked to their right and smiled wide. “There you are!”
Olivia met them halfway, scooping them up into her arms. “I’m so glad you two are okay.”
“We are fine.” Hope smiled back at her. “How are you feeling?”
“Weird, tired.” She shrugged and led the two women over to the couches.
“From what I’ve seen with Nova and Mary Grace,” Evie began, “you’ll be tired for a few days. Your appetite will be kind of off the charts, too.” Both women laughed when Olivia rolled her eyes.
“I was hangry earlier,” she snickered. “I think I scared those young men.”
“They’re fairly new Guardians, and the older ones like Dane and Ranger have completely scared the shit out of them,” Hope chuckled. “They are afraid to sneeze wrong around anyone. Especially a mate.”
“That’s kind of mean.” Olivia snickered, imagining Dane getting angry with the young men. She already knew he took his job seriously, even if he did like to joke around sometimes with her and Cole when he was at the bar.
“Ah,” Evie shrugged, “it’s part of the growing up process around here. The older Guardians like to put the younger ones in their places. It’s kind of funny.”
“Do you have any questions about what’s going on with you now that you’ve been changed?” Hope asked, placing a hand on Olivia’s knee.
“I have a lot of questions,” she blushed. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to Dane. He had to run out as soon as I took Talon’s blood and shifted.”
“Have you guys finished the mating yet?” Evie grinned, but it died on her face when Olivia frowned. Mating?
“I take that as a negative,” Hope huffed. “I guess since it’s just us girls, we can talk real for a moment.”
“What do you mean by finishing the mating?”
“Ah, well,” Evie chuckled. “We find our mates by touch, but to solidify it, you have to mark your mate. Well, in this case…your mates.”
“Mark them how?” Olivia pressed. Her eyes widened when Hope and Evie pulled their hair off their left shoulders, revealing two scarred-over puncture marks. “They bite you?”
“Well, we bite them back,” Hope said, wagging her eyebrows.
“To complete the mating, your mate will mount you from behind and pull your back against his chest. He then sinks his canines into your neck and draws a little blood. You, in return, will bite him however you would like. We usually mimic their bite so it’s easily seen.”
“Wow,” Olivia whispered. “So, how will this work with Cole? He’s human.”
“Have you discussed changing him?” Evie asked.
“Ah, no,” Olivia replied, shaking her head. “The subject hasn’t been brought up between me and Cole. I’m not sure if Cole and Dane have discussed it. What if Cole wants to remain human?”
“He can still be marked if he’s human, but one would think he’d want to be like us.” Hope frowned. “But that’s up to Cole to decide.”
“So, I have to have sex with them to make this mating thing official?”
“If you want to stay mated to them, then yes,” Evie nodded. “Our magic is strange sometimes. Since Dane has touched you, it is fate that you two will be together forever. Since you touched Cole, the same applies.”
“How am I going to have two men in my life?” Olivia worried. “I’ve only had a few boyfriends in my life, and they were quite annoying after the first few months.”
“The gods have chosen Cole and Dane to be your forever mates,” Evie explained. “We believe that your mate is chosen for you when you are born. Once you find him, you learn to love them over time.”
“Yeah, it’s fated,” Hope added. “It wasn’t until after Ranger touched me that I knew I had actually loved him all along. How do you feel about Cole and Dane?”
Olivia thought about it for a moment. She’d never felt as close to two men as she did Dane and Cole. Did she love them? Yes, she did in a strange way. It was more than a simple friendship love, but not as strong as she’d think a married couple would care for each other.
“I love them both equally,” she admitted.
“The romantic love will come with time and a mating,” Evie blushed.
“I don’t even know how that’s going to work,” Olivia replied.
“I’m sure Dane will know what to do,” Evie struggled to say with a straight face. She jerked and giggled when Hope elbowed her in the side.
“What?” Olivia narrowed her eyes at the two women.
“Dane has, well, he’s always been a little kinky,” Hope replied, holding up her hands when Olivia growled low in her throat. Had Hope and Dane had a fling? “No! Eww! Don’t even think like that. Dane isn’t my type.”
“Then how do you know that about him?”
“Ah, well, I’ve heard the men talking,” Hope said. “He’s been in relationships with more than one person at a time. Like, they’ve had sex in groups.”
“Oh, my god,” Olivia blushed, feeling the heat rush to her cheeks. “I had a suspicion, but I had no idea it was true.”
“Talk to him,” Hope urged. “I’m sure things will work out for all three of you. Dane would never lie to you. He is one of the most honest men I have ever known.”
“I hope so.”
“Okay, can we talk about something else?” Evie shivered. “Dane is like a big brother to me, and I really don’t want any more details about his sex life.”
The three of them chuckled, and Olivia’s mind wandered off for a second as she thought about the three of them in one bed. Dane’s bed was big enough for all three of them, aaaaand she had to stop thinking about s
ex while the panthers were around. She’d made that mistake once.
“Has anyone heard about Landon?” Olivia sobered.
“No.” Evie shook her head. “I haven’t heard anything. Talon will come get you if it’s bad.”
“I guess we should get going.” Hope said as she looked at the clock on the wall. “We just wanted to check on you before we headed home to meet up with our mates.”
“I’m doing fine.” Olivia stood to hug the two women. “I’m just worried about them.”
“Dane will take care of them both,” Hope promised. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye.” Olivia waved as she closed the front door and headed upstairs.
By the time she reached Dane’s room, the food had hit her stomach and she yawned from the weariness she felt inside. Once she slid into the bed, she shot off a text to Dane, then laid the phone next to her head while she pulled the covers over her body. She wanted to be with him and Cole, but knew it was for the best if she stayed on the pride’s land. Olivia closed her eyes as exhaustion took over. Hopefully, tomorrow would come with better news and an end to the threat to Cole and his family.
Dane’s eyes glowed amber. His beast pushed at his skin to be released. As much as he wanted to let the animal inside him rule, he couldn’t because they were standing in the hallway of a fucking hospital.
“Cole, go into the room,” Dane ordered through gritted teeth when the two men ducked down the hallway they’d come from.
“They’re mine, Dane,” Cole argued as he started to reach into the waistband of his jeans. Dane already knew Cole would be armed. There wasn’t a day that went by at the bar that the bartender didn’t have some weapon within easy reach.
“You will have your day, but I need you to stay with your brother and let us find them. Keep your gun close. Noah will be guarding the door. If someone gets through, shoot them.” Cole pulled his shirt up a few inches to show Dane the Glock in its concealed holster. Dane nodded, taking off down the hallway. Cole let out a string of curse words, but they faded away as Dane went on the hunt for the man Cole recognized from the cartel.
Booth quickly caught up, and they stuck side by side as they walked toward the visitor’s breakroom by the elevator. It was the only place the men could’ve gone unless they had an elevator waiting on them.
Dane molded his body to the wall next to the door while Booth took the other side. Booth made a motion for Dane to bust through the door on the count of three. On his nod, the dark-haired male began the countdown.
3…2…1
With brute force, Dane kicked the door open and waited for the males to come into his line of sight. He tried to listen for sounds, but with his damaged ear, his sense of sound was limited. Booth placed a hand on his shoulder, urging him to step inside.
The room was tiny. There were two tables with four chairs each, and a vending machine for sodas against the far wall. No humans were inside, and Booth didn’t stop his search, turning on his heel and nudging Dane on his way out the door. The men were already gone.
Both men bared their fangs when they heard footsteps near the elevator, pulling them up short when the sheriff appeared, his hand on his gun. “What’s going on?”
“The cartel is in the hospital,” Dane replied. “Cole saw two of them in the hallway. They must’ve grabbed the elevator when we went after them.”
Sheriff Lynch used his cell phone to place a call. Since they were in Memphis and not Olive Branch, he had no access to his own officers. Garrett nodded while he kept eye contact with Dane.
“Let’s get you back to Landon’s room,” Garrett suggested. “Memphis PD is en route. They have one officer on the property, and he’s searching for them now.”
“I need to call Talon,” Dane said, removing his phone. He felt helpless.
The next hour and a half was spent giving information to the Memphis Police Department. Garrett stood by their side the entire time, and that made Dane a little more appreciative of the lawman. Dane and Cole gave descriptions of the two men, and the name of the one Cole recognized. After they were done, the nurse asked that they leave to give Landon some rest.
“I’ll stay here,” Noah offered, shaking both of their hands. “Go home to your mate. I’m sure she’s worried sick.”
Dane looked at his phone and noticed a missed text from her from about three hours ago. It was well after midnight, and he knew she’d be asleep. “We will be back tomorrow.”
Cole whispered something to his brother, and Landon nodded a moment before he closed his eyes. Noah grabbed the chair by the window and repositioned it by the door. The sheriff was already informing the nurses of the security precaution, and the police department was in talks with the hospital security. Landon was as safe as he could be for the night. Maybe tomorrow, he’d be well enough to move to the pride.
“I’m ready,” Cole said, his voice sounding tired and weary.
“Let’s get some rest,” Dane offered and held out his hand for the bartender to go ahead of him.
The drive home was silent. With each passing streetlight, Dane felt more and more helpless against this cartel. Cole didn’t deserve this, and neither did his brother. He would make it his life’s mission to bring these men to Cole’s feet so he could deal out the proper punishment.
“Fuck,” Cole barked from the passenger seat. His knuckles were white as he gripped his cell phone.
“What’s wrong?” Dane asked, going on alert.
“They’ve killed two of them,” Cole barked, slamming his fist into the dash of Dane’s truck. “Palmer and Moss were found a few hours ago, dead in their homes. Smith and Jones are missing.”
“I won’t let them get to you,” Dane promised as he pulled past the gate at the pride’s land. He heaved a sigh of relief as they entered the land, knowing everyone was safer behind the walls of his home.
“They’re coming for me, Dane.” Cole paused, shaking his head. The male looked out the window for several seconds before composing himself to continue. “If something happens to me, I need you to take care of Olivia.”
“You’re going to be fine, and we are both going to be here for her. Don’t even think about the alternative.”
Chapter Nine
Cole felt a connection with Dane’s promise. There was a thread of something magical weaving into his heart and mind when it came to the panther. He didn’t understand everything that went along with this mating thing, but he knew deep down, he wanted to explore the relationship between the three of them.
He’d had a few lovers, and even a ménage relationship with a male and female before he entered the military. They’d realized it wasn’t for them, and eventually broke it off without any hard feelings. The thought of another relationship didn’t scare him. In fact, there was something about this mating with Olivia and Dane that told Cole he was in for something he’d never experienced before. This wasn’t a bunch of horny twenty-year old kids hooking up for a hot night in the sack. This was something else, and as weird as it sounded, he believed the shifter’s word that their matings were for life.
“I’m sure she’s asleep,” Dane said as they approached the dorm. “We need to talk about this before we go inside.”
“Yeah,” Cole agreed. “I need to know what to expect.”
“At this point, I have no idea what to expect with our mating,” Dane confessed, turning to lean his back against the side of the dorm. Cole stuck his hands in his pockets and stared at his feet for several seconds. “I’m going to make sure that both of you are taken care of. I need you to be patient with both of us as we figure out how to mate between the three of us.”
“My only concern with this is Liv,” Cole said through clenched teeth. She was new to this lifestyle, and now she was a shifter. He was certain Olivia had to be confused and unsure with everything that had happened over the past few days.
“Are you going to be okay with this?” Dane asked, his voice turning more serious.
“I’ve been in
this type of relationship before.” Cole frowned, not understanding where Dane was going with his question.
“I’m talking about us both being a shifter…and you, a human,” Dane replied. “It can’t be easy on you right now.”
“I’m more understanding than most when it comes to your species, Dane,” Cole promised. “You have to remember, I have been around since you all came out of the closet, so to speak. I was there when Liberty and Nova were changed. Liberty is not only my boss, but my friend. She explained a lot to me after her mating to Talon.”
“Yeah, I forgot about that.” Dane smiled and shook his head. “She’s a good woman.”
“She is,” Cole agreed. “Now, I need to know what is going to happen with Liv.”
“We need to spend some time with her and let her know that we want to take this slow,” Dane informed him. “Usually, when we find our mates, we consummate the pairing immediately.”
“Immediately?” Cole asked, raising a brow.
“Yeah,” Dane chuckled. “Our beasts demand we mount our mate at first touch. I didn’t have that feeling because Olivia’s change overrode any desire to have sex with her while she was in pain.”
“How about now?” Cole felt a stirring of need deep in his stomach.
“I would gladly mount her if she was willing, and I will tell you this, since she’s been turned, I’m sure her beast is begging for sex,” Dane announced. “We are very sexual creatures.”
“Okay,” Cole drawled. “I had a feeling your kind did things differently, but I need to know how different it is from how humans have sex.”
“It is different in some ways. Same in others.” Dane smiled when Cole raised a curious brow, wanting him to continue and quit with the vague answers. “Well, we mount our mates from behind like we would in our animal form. The female submits to us by being on all fours and dropping her face to the ground or mattress. The males take her like that, and when the beast demands we mark her, we pull her up where her back is to our chest and we bite her on the neck. We then clean the wound with our partially shifted tongue. The saliva in our mouth will stop the bleeding, but it won’t heal the bite completely. It leaves a scar by morning, and the scar tells other males she is mated so they don’t touch them.”
Dane (Rise of the Pride, Book 8) Page 9
