by Becca Van
Before he even realized his animal had risen to the surface his lion struck, sinking his fangs into his mate’s shoulder right next to Tatum’s mating mark. Pixie shot straight back up into rapture, taking him with her once again.
The bright white stars, which had been exploding in front of his eyes, waned until he saw nothing but the inky blackness of space. He was deaf, mute, and blind to everything but his mate and the nirvana consuming him.
The bond snapped into place with a light click, and though he could feel his mate in his heart and soul, it was weak. However, he wasn’t worried. He and his brothers had all the time they needed to complete the bond with Pixie.
He shuddered one last time as her pussy twitched around his dick and drew the last of his seed from his balls. Shaffer purred with contented satisfaction and bathed his mating mark with his tongue after his fangs retracted.
He eased them both down to the mattress on their sides and cuddled with his mate while still intimately connected with her. He wanted to stay inside of her pussy for as long as he could. If he had his way he would make love with her every single day for the rest of his life. Nonetheless, he knew life and circumstances sometimes caused havoc and could ruin any well-laid plans. He gave a mental shrug. None of that really mattered. He was happy as long as he had Pixie by his side, metaphorically and literally.
She was going to need time to recover from making love and being claimed by the three of them. Nothing was more important than the wellbeing of their woman.
Her wants, needs, and happiness took precedence over theirs.
Shaffer figured if Pixie was happy, they would be, too.
He smiled and nuzzled her throat with his nose. He just hoped that he didn’t do anything to ever piss his mate off.
Chapter Fifteen
“Where the fuck are you?” Elwyn snarled into the phone. It had been three days since he and Emery had last spoken. He’d expected to hear from his brother the day before. He was getting antsy and was wondering if he should take some vacation time to help his sibling clean up the mess he’d created. It wasn’t that Elwyn didn’t trust Emery. Well, maybe that was a lie. When Emery got lost in one of his episodes, the shit was likely to hit the fan. What worried Elwyn the most was that if his brother got caught, he would be implicated, too.
If that happened, both of their lives would be over. There was no way he was letting his brother take him down with him.
“The fucking car broke down,” Emery snapped.
“Shit!” Elwyn sighed as he combed his fingers through his hair. “Where?”
“Glendive, Montana.”
“Are you shitting me?”
“Why would I?”
“Never mind,” Elwyn replied. “I can’t believe you’re only three hours from the target. How long before you can get back on the road?”
“Hard to say.” Emery sighed. “The mechanic is backlogged.”
“Fucking great.”
“There’s nothing I can do. I can’t hire a car because I’d have to sign my name. I can’t even buy a cheap vehicle.”
“Find somewhere to hole up,” Elwyn ordered. “I’ll organize some vacation time on my end and come to you.”
“What if someone sees us together, bro? If this bitch goes to the cops, you don’t want to be anywhere near me.”
“I’ll just have to take my chances. We can’t wait any longer, because as far as I know, she hasn’t been to the law yet.”
“Are you sure?”
“Would I have said it if I wasn’t?” Elwyn snapped.
“Calm down. I wasn’t questioning your abilities.”
“Yeah, right. Sorry.”
“You have to disguise yourself,” Emery said. “And for God’s sake, steal some number plates and exchange yours.”
“I wasn’t fucking born yesterday,” Elwyn said angrily. “I’ve already got a few sets to choose from.”
“How long before you get here?” Emery asked.
“Hopefully, no more than two days.”
“Just don’t break any speed limits or draw attention to yourself. And make sure you get in enough shut-eye so you don’t have a wreck.”
Elwyn shook his head but didn’t bother to respond to his brother’s orders. “I’ll sleep when I get to Glendive. After that we head to Ambrose and scope things out. Then we can make plans.”
“Okay, but hurry.”
“Why? What do you know?”
“Nothing,” Emery answered. “I’ve just got this feeling that time is running out.”
“Keep your shit together. I’ll be there soon.” Elwyn disconnected the call and then hurried out of the men’s room back through the bull pit and toward the front desk. Luckily for him, it was a quiet night which was unusual. Normally, there were people in and out of the precinct all night long. He just hoped that his vacation leave was signed off first thing in the morning. Once he got home from work, he’d shower, change, pack, and hit the road.
He was hoping to be in Glendive in less than forty-eight hours. He’d have to keep himself fueled up on caffeine to make the drive without needing sleep. When he met up with Emery he’d crash, and then he and his brother would be on their way to take that slut down.
Failing wasn’t an option.
* * * *
Pixie couldn’t stop smiling or remembering the evening when her mates had made love to her one after the other. She’d been working in the office since early this morning getting all the paperwork into piles, but every now and then she’d find herself staring into space as the memories of the night before came to the front of her mind.
She couldn’t believe how happy, light, and contented she felt and hoped that nothing would happen to mar her happiness. They’d all driven in together in Tatum’s truck, and after her guys had fixed her some breakfast and the prerequisite coffee, she’d headed to the office.
It was nice to hear her men’s deep rumbling voices as they worked to cook the food and serve the customers. Pixie had thought she’d be alone for the rest of her life, but now she had not one, not two, but three wonderful men in her life. And from what they’d told her they would never leave her or want her to leave them. There was so much to look forward to, but she couldn’t quite relax totally with the threat hanging over her head.
She gnawed on her lip and wondered if she’d done the right thing by running. She’d been terrified when she’d seen that police officer who was the spitting image of the man who’d murdered her best friend. Guilt assailed her when the image of Cheryl flashed across her mind, and she had to blink back the tears.
Pixie stared about the room and wondered if she had the right to be happy. Her best friend was dead and she’d done nothing. Now that she felt relatively safe, her brain began turning in circles. She should have gone to another police station and reported what she’d seen. If she had, the man who’d killed Cheryl might already be behind bars.
Was the cop brother in on it somehow? Had that asshole killed before and his brother covered up what he’d done?
So many things flashed through her mind, causing her gut to knot with anxiety. There was one thing she was certain about though. Now that she had her mates to lean on and protect her, she needed to contact the authorities. What if that bastard had killed other women and no one knew? For all she knew, he might be killing on a regular basis. The fucking doctor had to be stopped and she was a key witness.
Pixie shivered as trepidation raced up her spine. If she did contact the police, the prick would be able to find her. The only way she could keep hidden was if she sent the information into the authorities anonymously.
She hated being so indecisive, but since she had witnessed her friend’s death she’d been petrified. Pixie had no doubt that if that bastard knew where she was, her life would be in danger. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. He probably already knew she was in Ambrose since Broden had sent her bloodwork away to be tested.
She had this ominous feeling that time was counting down like
Tears welled and rolled down her face, but she quickly brushed them from her cheeks and took a deep breath. The last thing she needed was one of her mates seeing her bawling her eyes out, or feeling her anxiety. She hoped the bond wasn’t strong enough as yet for them to feel what she’d just been feeling, or if they did, that they were too busy cooking and serving to come and check on her.
She didn’t need Tatum, Rex, or Shaffer coddling her like she was a child. She was too independent for that. Pixie was an independent woman with her own mind and she detested being told what to do. There would be times where she and her mates would butt heads, and while they’d said they would never leave her, she couldn’t help worrying over that. She wasn’t blind to her own faults and often argued or got her back up even if she knew what was being said was true. She was stubborn to her own detriment sometimes. Okay, maybe that should be often, but she wasn’t about to change who and what she was. Not for anyone. Even her mates. She had very strong feelings for them already, but she was who she was, warts and all. She wouldn’t ask her men to change, so she didn’t expect them to try and change her.
Tatum was the most dictatorial of the three with Rex right on his heels. Shaffer seemed more laidback, but she knew he’d be in her face if he thought she was putting herself in danger.
They were probably going to argue often, but she hoped that the making up would be just as explosive. She couldn’t stand the thought of them turning their back on her. She sucked in a breath when her heart began to ache. “Shit! I care for them so much already. Maybe even love them.”
She glanced toward the door and hoped they hadn’t heard her muttering to herself. Heat suffused her cheeks when she remembered that shifters had phenomenal hearing. She shook her head. They couldn’t possibly have heard that. She’d barely heard it herself, and there was a lot of noisy chatter coming from the diner as well as the banging of pots and pans in the kitchen. Pixie sighed with relief. She wanted, needed to know how they felt about her before revealing what was in her own heart, but that wouldn’t be for a while yet, because she still wasn’t sure what her feelings were. Maybe in a month or six, she’d know her own mind and heart, but with the danger clouding around her, she wasn’t going to hold her breath. There was just too much turmoil going on in her mind, heart, and soul for her to be one hundred percent sure of her feelings, but she and her guys had the rest of their lives to figure it out.
Pixie pushed her introspection aside with a sigh, grabbed the stacks of receipts, invoices, and other paperwork, moved to the chair behind the desk, and fired up the computer. She had enough work to keep her going for at least a month, and if she was going to get everything done she didn’t have time to get lost in thought.
Once she had the correct program up on the screen, she lost herself in work.
* * * *
Tatum glanced at the clock in the kitchen and frowned. It was almost three o’clock in the afternoon, and he hadn’t seen Pixie since breakfast. He wondered if one of his brothers had served her lunch out in the diner without telling him. As soon as Rex entered the kitchen he asked, “Have you seen our mate at all since breakfast?”
“No.” Rex frowned.
Tatum crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. “She hasn’t come in here to get something to eat. Are you sure she hasn’t come out? Maybe Shaffer took her something while you were taking a bathroom break?”
“I didn’t,” Shaffer said as soon as he entered the room.
“Are you fucking telling me that she hasn’t had anything to eat or drink since six a.m.?”
“I guess,” Shaffer answered. “I’ll get something and take it—”
“No,” Tatum snapped. “You and Rex can deal with the kitchen and customers.” He grabbed a bowl of chicken and vegetable stew and then scooped two chicken dumplings from the top of the pot and put it on top. After grabbing the napkin-wrapped silverware and a cup of coffee, he stomped out of the kitchen and toward the office. He paused in the doorway and stared at his woman. His heart flipped with love and gratitude that he and his brothers had found her, even if she was the one who’d come to them. However, as much as he loved her, he wasn’t about to let her get away with not taking care of herself. If she hadn’t been recovering from surgery, he had a mind to put her over his lap and spank her sexy ass. He sighed with resignation because that would have to wait for another time.
Tatum inhaled her scent, and his cock went from flaccid to full attention at her enticing aroma. She was still in heat, and as much as he wanted to make love with and claim her with his brothers all at one time, they couldn’t unless she wanted to have cubs in the very near future. While he wasn’t averse to having a child, two, three, or more with his mate, he didn’t think she was ready for that type of responsibility yet. Plus, they’d only known each other for such a short time and been mated for even less.
He shifted on his feet, hoping she’d look up at him and meet his gaze, but she was so lost in what she was doing, she had no idea he was there. He loved that she was a hard worker and concentrated so intently that she blocked everything else out, but that was also dangerous. Until the asshole who was after her was locked up behind bars, or dead, she needed to be aware of her surroundings.
Tatum didn’t understand how she could be so tuned out but expected his alertness of his surroundings was because he was a shifter with enhanced senses. Pushing his thoughts aside, he brought his ire back to the surface and stomped over to the desk. He waited until she met his gaze before saying, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
She leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms beneath her breasts, frowning up at him. “What the fuck does it look like?”
“Don’t take that tone with me, mate.”
Pixie uncrossed her arms, placed her hands on the desk, and shoved quickly to her feet. The chair shot back on its wheels and slammed up against the wall behind her, which she ignored.
“You fucking started it.”
Tatum set the bowl of chicken stew and dumplings on the wood furniture and mirrored her pose until their faces were inches away. He had to swallow down the groan of desire building in his chest. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”
She glanced at the computer monitor and shrugged as she met his gaze again. “Nearly three.”
“And what did I tell you just before we all started working?”
Pixie straightened, crossed her arms again, and stared at him mutely. His ire and lust rose as he took her in. Her lips were pulled into a tight line and she was glaring daggers at him, but her nipples had hardened and were poking against her shirt. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly as if she was having trouble breathing. At first, he thought it was because she was angry with him, but when he pulled air in through his nose, he changed his mind. The fragrance of her musky desire was strong enough to make him leak pre-cum and go weak in the knees. If she didn’t need to eat, he would close the door and strip her down before burying his hard dick deep inside her wet cunt.
With a sigh of exasperation, he turned away and grabbed one of the other chairs. After carrying it to the desk, he set it down and sat. Tatum pointed at the bowl and silverware. “Eat!”
“I’m not a fucking dog to do tricks on your command.” Pixie glared at him, but he continued to stare back with resoluteness. She stomped her foot, turned away from him, and wheeled the chair back in place before sitting in it. She picked up the bowl and sniffed. Her belly grumbled and she licked her lips. After unwrapping the knife and fork, she scooped up some food on the fork and shoved it into her mouth. He shifted in his seat when she hummed her appreciation and then locked eyes with him again. “Did you make this?”
Tatum nodded.
“It’s delicious. Thanks.” Pixie sipped on her coffee and then ate more food.
Tatum followed her every movement until she sighed with repletion and set the still half full bowl aside. “You need to eat more, baby.”
She sighed and brushed the hair back from her face. “I’ve eaten more than enough, Tatum. I’m not as big as you, Rex, and Shaffer. If I ate what you lot did, I’d end up as big as a house.”
“No, you wouldn’t. You have a faster metabolism now that we’ve mated.”
Pixie shrugged. “I don’t care about that. I’m not about to scarf down more just to please you. I’d end up making myself sick.”
“Why didn’t you come out and get something to eat earlier?”
“Are we back to that?” She rolled her eyes. “You’re like a dog with a bone. Do you know that?”
Tatum couldn’t stay away from her anymore. She’d eaten and finished her coffee. He felt as if he didn’t touch her he was going to go insane. He rose and hurried to the door. After closing and locking it, he walked toward her and skirted the desk. She watched his approach with wide eyes and swallowed nervously. Her heart was beating a rapid tattoo in her chest, and her breathing escalated once more.
“What are you doing?” she asked in a slightly higher pitch than normal.
Tatum didn’t answer. Once he was at her side, he grasped the arms of the chair, tugged it away from the desk, and turned her to face him. He moved quickly, not wanting to give her a chance to protest or push him away. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her toward the other side of the room and sat on the small sofa with her in his lap.
He grasped her ponytail and tugged until she was looking into his eyes. “You are a stubborn little thing, aren’t you?”
Pixie shrugged. “You’re just as bad.”
“No, baby, you’re wrong. I don’t ignore my body’s needs. Yes, I’m stubborn and authoritative, but I also look after myself. Why don’t you?”
“Why don’t I look after you? Well, let’s see.”
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