Dane (Rise of the Pride, Book 8)

by Theresa Hissong

  “What about me? I can’t mark her,” Cole countered.

  “She will mark you.” Dane frowned and ran his hand over his face. “Fuck, man. I don’t know how you would mark her. Being a human is tricky. I don’t know how to even answer that. I don’t even understand how she has two mates.”

  “If you mark her, others won’t touch her, right?” Cole asked.

  “Right,” Dane said as he nodded. Cole wanted nothing more than to be able to mark Olivia and clam her, too, but that would mean he had to be changed, as well.

  “Let’s talk to her tomorrow morning. I’m only human, but I feel something when we all touch, and I need to know that Liv is agreeable to it all. I won’t force her into anything she doesn’t want to do.”

  “Agreed.” Dane nodded, reaching out to shake Cole’s hand. When they touched, that weird electric pulse traveled up Cole’s arm. It was stronger than it’d had been in the past, but this time it wasn’t a shock to his system like it’d been when he first touched Liv. In fact, it felt right.

  Dane released him after a small smirk lifted the corner of his lip, flashing a bit of fang. He stopped just shy of reaching for the door. His hand froze in mid-air as if he was floored by a thought. “Do you feel the connection like I do when we touch?”

  “The electricity?” Cole asked, looking into the shifter’s icy blue eyes. There were amber specks in them, but they didn’t glow like usual. The overhead light highlighted Dane’s face as Cole leaned against the building, propping his foot against the wall, taking Dane’s original spot.

  “Yeah, the electricity,” Dane echoed, taking a step closer. Cole saw desire in the male’s eyes, and the action was welcomed. He wanted to reach out and touch Dane, but he didn’t.

  “You’re playing with fire, shifter,” Cole said, his voice dropping low.

  “I like the burn,” Dane warned. Cole felt his cock harden as the male moved closer. He wanted Dane with every ounce of desire in his body, but now was not the time to explore whatever was happening between them. One thing was for certain, he wanted Dane to touch him, again.

  “I have certain kinks and desires,” Dane began, casting his eyes to the ground. Cole immediately saw a hint of shame in the shifter’s eyes. He’d never known Dane to be apologetic for anything in his life. “It’s not normal in my society to be with more than one lover at a time.”

  “Dane,” Cole sighed. “This is who you are, and obviously, your gods want you to have everything you need in life. I think we were put in each other’s path for a reason.”

  “Not everyone gets me,” Dane said.

  “Touch me again,” Cole demanded, pausing until Dane lifted his hand. He didn’t hesitate when he placed his hand on the side of Cole’s neck.

  Tingles of awareness danced across Cole’s skin. That desire rolled deliciously in his gut, and when he looked up, Dane smiled. It was more than electricity. Whatever was happening between them was cosmic…epic even.

  “I get you,” Cole whispered, his eyes falling to Dane’s lips. “I’ve always gotten you, Dane. Whatever this is…we will be okay.”

  “I know,” Dane sighed and reached around him to open the door to the dorm. “Let’s rest and talk with Olivia tomorrow.”

  Once inside, they made their way to the bedroom. Both men stopped on the threshold of Dane’s room as the light from the hallway illumined the large bed against the wall. Olivia was curled up in the center, her long, blonde hair braided and pulled to one side. Her soft lips were barely parted and her breathing was even while she slept.

  “I’ll take the side closest to the door,” Dane whispered and removed his shirt. Cole mimicked his action and stripped down to his boxers.

  The sheets were cool to the touch as he carefully slid beneath the covers. Liv didn’t move as Dane took to the other side. Cole laid on his back and looked at the ceiling. He was exhausted, but his mind wouldn’t shut down. So much had happened over the last five days; his brother was kidnapped, Olivia was almost killed and had to be changed, and his former military buddies had been killed or gone missing.

  He froze when she mumbled in her sleep and rolled to her side, throwing her arm over his waist. She snuggled against him and rested her head on his chest. It felt right and perfect as his arm wrapped around her back. He rubbed his thumb over her shoulder and closed his eyes. At the moment, Dane and Liv were the only two constants in his life. He’d do anything to keep them safe.

  Landon was safe, but would suffer what had happened to him for the rest of his life. Cole hoped the scarring on his back wouldn’t break his younger brother’s spirit. He’d already been through so much in his life. Coming out to your parents, then having them disown you at an early age was disastrous.

  Landon had turned to drugs in his late teens and ran away from home while Cole was serving in the military. He wasn’t there for him, but when he’d returned home, Cole had done everything he could to make his brother’s life worthwhile. Thankfully, Landon had gotten clean and had enrolled in veterinary school. Now that he had his degree, the younger Bryant brother was in the process of opening up his own practice in town. Cole prayed this abduction hadn’t screwed up Landon’s will to better himself.

  He’d do whatever it took to make things right for everyone. He’d brought this evil down on Landon, Olivia, and the pride. It was time to stop the cartel, and he’d do it singlehandedly if it meant everyone he loved was safe.

  Landon adjusted the pillow keeping himself propped up. The burning pain from the wound to his back kept him from sleeping more than a few hours at a time. He’d watched as the nurse injected pain medicine into his IV, and sighed from the relief it gave him. His busted nose was killing him, and although he didn’t want the medicine, it helped kill the pain from his kidnapping. The nurse smiled warmly after she changed his bandages and left with a promise to let him sleep.

  The clock on the wall said it was nearing three in the morning. His brother had taken off a few hours prior to get some rest, but he left one of the pride members there to watch over him. The man’s name was Noah, and he was quite handsome. Even in Landon’s time of pain, he wasn’t oblivious to the dark-haired shifter who was in charge of his safety.

  He’d seen a few of them that evening as they came to the room when his brother arrived. They were all huge, rough looking men with well-worn jeans and tight cotton shirts. He was a little curious about Noah, though. Noah wore dress pants and a white dress shirt that was fitted perfectly to his broad shoulders and trim waistline. His dark-brown hair was styled to perfection, looking nothing like the others. He was clean shaven, and his icy blue eyes were soft. It was obvious the other Guardians were working men.

  Landon shook the image of the shifter from his mind. His brother had explained to him once that the pride was made up of some alpha male types, and to be honest, Landon was pretty certain none of them batted for his team. Still, he was fascinated by the shifter sitting in the chair by the door.

  As if Noah had heard his thoughts, the male’s eyes opened quickly and narrowed on him. Landon didn’t say anything, but kept eye contact. Noah’s gaze softened as he stood from the chair, stretching his long legs. “Can’t sleep?”

  “Not well, but the medicine is kicking in, finally,” Landon mumbled. His nose and ribs ached like crazy. Thankfully, his nose wasn’t bad enough to require surgery and would heal over time. The scarring on his back was another story. He’d have a fucking E carved into his skin forever; a reminder of the hell he’d been through at the hands of those monsters. “Still in pain though.”

  “Can I get the nurse for you?” Noah asked as he came to the side of the bed.

  “No.” Landon shook his head. “They can’t do anything else. I have to be patient while I heal.”

  “You really do need to rest,” Noah frowned.

  “I know,” Landon sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.

  Noah silently moved back to his chair and settled in. Landon’s eyes fluttered open from the movement. He forced hi
s eyes to stay open a little longer as Noah quieted. Once Noah was asleep, Landon closed his eyes and followed not too long afterward.

  Chapter Ten

  Olivia woke to the sound of thunder. A hard shiver rolled through her body as she squeezed her eyes closed and pulled at the covers. Warmth surrounded her, and she didn’t care to move. Storms always bothered her, but being in Dane’s bed made it a little bit easier.

  Missing them, she inhaled deep, hoping to memorize Dane’s scent again. What happened was quite different. Two distinct fragrances filled her senses, causing her eyes to pop wide open. The animal that lived inside her purred softly. Looking to her left, she found Cole fast asleep, his body facing hers. His eyes were closed and his hands were clasped beneath his cheek. He was beautiful in his slumber. So much so, she wanted to trace his jaw with her finger, but refrained. The last thing she wanted to do was wake him. He had to be exhausted.

  When she rolled to the other side, Dane was there, but he was awake. His blond hair was in disarray, but not messy. No, the curls were tossed in a sexy way that had her reaching out to push a strand behind his ear. When she touched him, he grabbed her wrist in a quick movement and pulled her tiny fingers to his lips. She didn’t even realize she’d almost exposed the damage. “Good morning.”

  “I’m sorry,” she blushed.

  “It’s okay.” He smiled softly. “I don’t care to have it touched.”

  “Are you ever going to tell me what happened?” she pressed, tucking her hands beneath her cheek in a similar pose to the other man in the bed.

  “Yes, but not right now,” he said. The tone of his voice told her his offer was final, and she’d respect that…for now. She wanted to know everything about him…everything about both of them. “I want to feed you.”

  “I didn’t hear you two come in,” she yawned, placing her hand over her growling stomach. “Why am I so hungry?”

  “You will be hungry a lot more now than when you were a human,” he offered and reached up to touch her cheek. She closed her eyes when a purr rumbled out of her chest. She didn’t want to break this connection by moving, but with Dane’s touch, the desire to wake Cole was at the forefront of her mind. Her mind and body craved the touch of both men. Embarrassment caused her cheeks to heat and she ducked her head to cover the blush.

  “I have a lot of questions,” she whispered, cringing when another rumble of thunder sounded outside.

  “You don’t like storms?”

  “No,” she scoffed. “I don’t.”

  “I think we can keep you safe.” He winked at her and lifted her chin with the back of his knuckle. “How are you feeling?”

  “Tired…hungry.” She blushed. “Horny.”

  “That’s your panther.” He smiled, looking over her shoulder. “Good morning.”

  Cole sighed heavily as Olivia felt the bed move behind her. Cole rolled over onto his back to stare at the ceiling as she sat up, resting her back on the headboard.

  “Morning,” he mumbled. Obviously, he wasn’t a morning person.

  Cole wasn’t wearing a shirt. In fact, neither of them were wearing a shirt, and her eyes roamed his chest, counting each and every dip and curve to his abs. His chest was tanned and smooth. She licked her lips and turned when she heard Dane’s panther rumble. His eyes flashed amber as he watched her staring at Cole.

  “I’m sorry,” she said as she blushed and kicked her legs out of the covers. “I need a moment.”

  Dane arranged himself, leaning against the headboard. He threw his arm over the top of his head and smiled wickedly at her as she stood at the end of the bed. Cole rolled to his side and propped himself up on his elbow. They’re both mine.

  Spinning on her heels, she grabbed a pair of shorts and stepped out of his room, thankful there were no other Guardians in the hallway. She found her way to the bathroom and took a moment to splash some water on her face after using the restroom.

  “Maybe I should splash cold water down my pants,” she mumbled as she dried her hands. These men were going to give her hormones a workout, and the panther inside sat up with interest at the thought. “Down, kitty.”

  It took her another minute or two to calm her raging need to tear off all her clothes and demand Cole and Dane make love to her. Oh, who was she kidding? She wanted them to fuck her, and she had this overwhelming urge to crawl back into that bed on all fours and beg one of them to mount her from behind.

  Evie and Hope weren’t kidding when they told her what to expect. She thought it was just a simple mating ritual, but now that she was getting her new life under control, she understood the incessant need to do things as the animal inside her craved.

  Fuck, she was hot…sweaty even. Maybe a shower would help? A cold shower would be even better. She slipped out of her clothes and turned on the water. She didn’t care that she didn’t have anything else to change into when she was done. The clothes she wore to bed were clean when she had put them on anyway.

  The cold spray was helpful, but it didn’t put out the heat. She used someone’s shampoo and conditioner she found sitting on a shelf in the corner, and scrubbed her body with a clean washcloth she found in a linen closet behind the door. Once she was done, Olivia stepped out and grabbed a clean towel for her hair and body. Her hairbrush was in her bag, so she finger combed her hair as best as she could before tossing the towels in a nearby laundry hamper and throwing her clothes back on.

  Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and made her way back to Dane’s room. When she entered, Dane was pulling a shirt over his head while Cole stood by the window with a cup of coffee in hand. He reached over to the side table and lifted another cup, offering it to her with a smile. “They had vanilla creamer.”

  “Ah, thanks,” she said and took the cup. The heat from the liquid only made the heat in her body all that more intense. Whatever was going on with her needed to stop. It was too damn soon to be jumping in the sack with them. They needed to talk.

  “Your panther is wanting to mate.” Dane inhaled as he walked around the bed, the color of his eyes flickering between amber and icy blue. He took her into his arms, and his touch was electric. “We need to talk about this. It’s important I explain everything to you and Cole about our world.”

  “I already know about the mating,” she admitted, taking a sip of coffee and backing away. As much as she wanted to test this mating thing with them, she knew they needed to take things slowly.

  “You do?” Cole asked as he came over to join them. He didn’t reach out for her, and she was thankful he gave her a little space. Touching them was too much for her aching body to handle.

  “Ah, yeah, Evie and Hope came by last night, and we talked a little.”

  “What did they say?” Cole pressed, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

  “Ahh, well, they told me about how we have to mark each other,” she said with a grin, pointing to her teeth. Dane’s upper lip lifted in a sexy smirk, and Cole nodded. “We have to have sex, too.”

  “That’s true,” Dane agreed, turning toward Cole. “We talked last night. We’ve both had ménage relations before. We need to know if you have.”

  “Ah, no.” She shook her head. “I’ve had a few boyfriends, but they weren’t into that.”

  “What about you, Liv?” Cole pressed. “Are you interested in trying?”

  “With you two, yes,” she answered. “I’ve had feelings for you both for some time, but I never wanted to string either one of you along. So, I kept my feelings to myself. I thought I was an idiot for thinking about being with you both.”

  “I don’t see a problem with it. Now that we’ve touched, there is nothing for you to worry about,” Dane spoke up, clearing his throat as Cole took a seat next to him on the bed. “Cole?”

  “I’ve been with more than one person before,” Cole announced. “Liv, you already know I have feelings for you.”

  “I do,” she said. “For a few days, I thought the kiss in the breakroom was my imagination.”r />
  “Oh, it happened,” he smirked, reaching out for her hand. He gave her a little tug until she landed on his lap. “It needs to happen again.”

  Cole cupped her face with both hands and pressed his lips to hers. The panther inside her prowled when his tongue snaked out and touched her bottom lip. She closed her eyes and let him inside. He was soft and gentle with his need.

  She barely noticed Dane standing from his spot. It wasn’t until Cole released her that Dane took her hand and pulled her to her feet. One arm wrapped around her waist as his hand tangled in the back of her hair. His kiss was more demanding, more…everything. Her canines grew in her mouth when her tongue was nicked on Dane’s. The taste of her own blood urged her on.

  “Oh, god,” she breathed as Dane released her long enough to pull her head to one side. Cole’s lips landed where Dane had exposed her neck.

  “Kiss her, Cole,” Dane ordered, spinning her around. She saw the flash of amber in his eyes a moment before Cole took control.

  If she thought the hot flash she’d had earlier was bad, this was a raging inferno. The ache between her legs made her whimper when Dane’s hands landed on her hips. She reached for one of his hands and pulled it to her breast. “Please…”

  “What do you want me to do to you?” Dane snarled in her ear. The beast inside her purred so loudly, Cole paused in his kiss to look into her eyes.

  “Mount me,” she whispered, and closed her eyes. The beast snarled with acceptance. “Both of you.”

  “You should be released sometime today,” the nurse announced with a bright smile as she entered Landon’s room. “The doctor will be by in about an hour to sign your discharge papers.”

  “Thank you,” he replied, looking at the Guardian, Noah, who was standing guard at his door. The friend of his brother had been there all night and into the morning, refusing to leave. He was adamant about keeping watch. Even with the police patrolling the hospital, everyone was on edge.