Jude’s fingers tightened on her ass, and Kranor pulled her hair taut on her scalp. She lifted her head at the exact moment Kranor sent a geyser into her mouth. She swallowed his creamy seed and let out a feral yell of her own as her climax rained down on her. Her pussy wouldn’t stop pulsing and her ass was exalting at the new experience.
“Sugar, you are so damned tight.” Each word came out as individual sentences as if he couldn’t speak them in a row.
He pounded into her one more time and jettisoned his hot cum into her ass. She felt so thoroughly loved, but she wasn’t able to comprehend what had really happened. How had she never known about this before?
Jude withdrew, and she dropped down onto the blanket. She was positive she’d never be able to move again. She thought it was Kranor who disappeared from the lean-to, but she didn’t have the strength to open her eyes. Minutes later one of them wiped her clean. Then they placed a clean sheet on top of her and she fell asleep right away.
When she awoke it was dark, but the glow of fire must have roused her. Her two men kept their voices low, but if they really didn’t want to disturb her, they could have communicated silently. Taryn said it took more effort to talk telepathically when they were in human form.
She pulled on her skirt and crawled out of from behind the lean-to. “Hi.”
“Sleep well?” Jude asked.
She glanced to the black sky that was dotted with bright twinkling stars and inhaled, enjoying the fresh scent of the pine mixed with the burnt smell of smoke and wood. “Yes, but I’m hungry.”
Jude handed her a paper bag. “Have a seat. There’s one sandwich left for you.”
The air on top of the mountain had gotten chilly. She sat close to the edge of the pit, loving how the fire nicely heated her except for her back. “I think I need to put on my shirt.”
Jude scooted over and pulled her between his legs. His chest made for the best blanket. “That good?”
“Fabulous.”
They said nothing while she ate. The peace surrounding them made her so relaxed. Thoughts of the future rattled in her head. “I had a fabulous time today. I wish I didn’t have to work so we could play every day like this.”
Jude tightened his hold. “Wouldn’t we all, but Kranor and I do need to work sometimes, too. Money comes in handy.”
She ran her hands over Jude’s strong fingers remembering how they’d excited her body a short while ago. She didn’t understand much about what they did, but their job had sounded important.
She wanted to ask where he saw the three of them in the coming months, but she didn’t want to spoil the mood. How long would they want to come to visit her when they had jobs to do? Asking Rein to work an extra shift and carry a heavier load so that she could be with her men wasn’t fair to her good friend either.
She leaned back her head and closed her eyes, breathing in Jude’s animal scent. She was falling in love and knew she’d never be able to stop.
Chapter Fourteen
For the last twenty days, she hadn’t seen her men, and her mind was beginning to imagine all sorts of horrible things. She was sure she’d have been able to sense if one of them had been injured, so why hadn’t they shown up? Had some patrolling lions prevented them from seeing her?
She almost dreaded working in the community garden because when they didn’t come, her depression worsened. Henla dragged herself back down the tunnel into her underground home after finishing her work outside. She knew they couldn’t come the first time she had garden duty because Kranor and Jude had some kind of meeting to go to, but why not the other times?
The fact they even went to meetings with other wolves surprised her given their last reception at the bar, but they said not all wolves were focused on destroying the lions and bears.
At least that restored some faith in the shifter world, but what about last week and this week? Something wasn’t right. Damn.
As she passed the store, Rein was stacking shoes on the shelves. Guilt assaulted her. She owed it to her friend to work more hours.
“Hey.”
Rein spun around and her quick smile disappeared. “No men?”
Another wave of angst struck her and she sat in one of the seats where people tried on shoes. “No.”
Rein slipped next to her. “Are you okay?”
No. “I’ll be fine. They can’t come every time. They have jobs and I have a job.”
Rein leaned back and smiled. “Why don’t you go over there and surprise them?”
“You been chewing ocana again?” By mistake Rein had once ingested the hallucinogen and had lost her mind for hours.
She laughed. “I can tell you love them. Do they know you want to be with them?”
“They read my mind. They have to know. Besides, I probably wouldn’t make it there alive if I did go.”
“Then ask your brothers to escort you.”
She rolled her eyes. “While they like both men a lot, I don’t think they want to lose yet another sister to a foreign place.”
Rein blew out a breath. “I see your point. You haven’t seen Sella, I take it?”
“We met right after her honeymoon, but that’s all. I know she’s having a great time with her men in Spirit.”
“And she has her two best friends with her, too.”
“I’d almost forgotten about Cavon and Malik. Damn. Hell, maybe the men and I should move over there.” Earth didn’t have the same kind of minerals as Anterra, which would make finding jobs hard.
Rein laughed. “No, sweetie. You’re an Anterran through and through. I doubt your mom would even let you go.”
That was the crux of the problem. She loved her parents and wanted to be near them. “I know.”
Her eyes brightened. “Why don’t they move closer to you?”
She’d thought of that, too. They could live on the edge of lion and wolf territory, but that would put them near the bears. “They have jobs.”
“Oh.”
Yeah, oh. Henla slapped her legs. “Why don’t I stay here and you take the evening off?”
She waved a hand. “I couldn’t do that.”
Henla could tell from the second of hesitation that she wanted to go. “I’m the boss and I say you need to go.”
Rein shot up and grinned. “Well, if you insist.” She gave Henla a hug. “It’ll all work out.”
Rein was the perennial optimist. “I hope so.”
As soon as her employee and friend disappeared into the crowd, she set about straightening the shoes on the rack. A few people stopped in, but in the following two hours, she only sold one pair of sandals. Maybe she needed to sell ones that weren’t made so well so they wouldn’t last.
Her back was to the entrance when she sensed him. She whipped around. “Elan.”
His grin looked predatory. “It’s so nice to finally find you working your own store.”
She swallowed her retort. The last thing she needed was for him to heap more guilt on her. “Come to buy some shoes?”
He advanced.
She retreated. He might have a fine profile, but his eyes were set too close together and his ugly personality made him, well, ugly. What had she ever seen in him? After the night at the party, she’d told him she never wanted to see him again. Some men just didn’t take the hint.
“No. I came to see you. I heard you were seeing some wolf shifters?” His lip curled and her stomach churned.
She straightened her shoulders and pulled the box in her hand closer to her chest. “It’s none of your business.” Maybe it hadn’t been smart for Kranor and Jude to have visited her parents. Everyone in Anterra would figure out what happened.
He inched forward and she looked behind him, hoping someone would come into the store so she could get away from him. He’d never hit her, but his glare made her skin feel dirty.
“It is if they’re still in the picture, though rumor has it they haven’t been coming around.”
Her heart dropped to her stomach. Who would h
ave mentioned anything? There weren’t many people who knew they’d gone to the swimming hole or gone camping. Realization hit. “Did you do something to them?”
He dropped his head back and barked out a laugh. “I’d never do anything to hurt you. Don’t you know I love you?”
His definition of love was rutting with her every chance he got. “You’re delusional. We’re finished. I thought I made myself clear.”
She must have been sending out a major distress signal because Rickter strode into the store. Her little brother loved trolling the mall.
“He giving you trouble?” The two of them had never gotten along.
Elan’s spine stiffened. “I was just going.” He leaned his head forward. “This isn’t finished.” He spun on his heels and walked out, not even glancing at Rickter.
Her brother rushed toward her. “Are you okay?”
“I am now. Thank you.”
“That guy gives me the creeps.”
“You and me both.” She wondered if her brother liked Kranor. He was only two when Kranor had been around.
“I’d keep an eye out for him.” Rickter looked back over his shoulder as if he expected to see Elan peering in.
He didn’t need to give her the warning. “I plan to, too, little brother.” A weapon wouldn’t do any good against the man, but maybe if she had a club handy it would make her feel better.
* * * *
As the days went by and she still didn’t see her men, Henla was beginning to wonder if they weren’t coming by because they realized that a long-term relationship just wasn’t feasible. It wasn’t like they could call her from wolf territory. Their systems didn’t mesh.
Maybe it was for the best. Every time she was with them, her love grew, and being separated from them was getting harder and harder.
Deep inside, she’d known it wasn’t going to work. Kranor lived alone far from town for a reason. In a way, she was surprised he even wanted Jude with him. Yet, when they were together, his caring and carefree nature emerged.
A smile lit her face remembering how charming he was with old man Almic. There had been a deep affection between those two that went back years. Sure, as kids they were troublemakers, but she always thought the old man was lonely. Perhaps their recent adventure had lightened his days.
She got off the tram and exited outside for her work in the garden. She promised herself that she’d focus on the crops and on weeding and not on wondering if today would be the day they came. Furthermore, she wouldn’t keep glancing at the woods every few seconds. Just in case they ever came, though, she’d stashed a backpack with some of her clothes. So far, it had sat in the storage box untouched.
After pulling out her tools, she got to work. She did love working in the garden as it gave her the chance to be outside. While most of the Anterran women seemed to like living underground, she thrived on fresh air.
With more vigor than she had felt in a while, she attacked the garden and pulled every damned weed she could get her hands on. Clawing the earth helped soothe her soul, and the rich scent of the fecund dirt calmed her.
When the sun reached its peak and began to drop lower in the sky, Henla sighed and put away her tools. In the last month, some of the men had erected a wire fence around the perimeter of the two-acre garden to prevent the small animals from feasting on the food.
She knew it wouldn’t keep out a shifter. If he wanted to get her, he’d stay in his human form, climb the fence, and then shift. After washing her hands, she scoured the forest perimeter. Her shoulders sagged when no one appeared. Right now what she needed was a boost from visiting with her nephew.
Taryn and Kellum’s tree house was only a short distance away, so she headed there. When she took the elevator to the top, she knocked and went in.
“Hello?”
Lara quietly closed the door in the hallway and jerked when she saw her. She came trotting out, looking as thin as when she first arrived in Anterra.
Her sister-in-law threw her arms around her. “What brings you here?” She grabbed her hand and led her over to the sofa. “Sit down. Can I get you something to drink?”
“I’d love a glass of water. I’ve been working in the garden.”
“I’m glad you stopped by.”
Once Lara handed her a glass, Henla could see how tired she looked. “How’s Tran?”
Lara beamed. “He’s fabulous. I’m the one who doesn’t get much sleep.” She pulled down her cheeks and exposed bloodshot eyes.
“Aren’t my brothers pulling their weight?”
“Oh, yes, but they’re busy.”
Henla leaned back. “Are you happy here? You seem a little lonely.”
Lara smiled, and the happy woman of old seemed to appear. “I’m too busy to be lonely, but I do miss my close friends. I’d grown fond of Sella, but now even she’s in Spirit. My good friend, Amy, is there, too.”
“Do you have any regrets being here?” While she wanted to know the answer, perhaps Lara’s insight could help her with her own dilemma.
“Never. The most important thing in life is being surrounded by love. Your brothers are amazing.”
“If you say so.” Taryn and Kellum both were highly principled men as were Kranor and Jude. “Do you leave the house much?”
She laughed. “Yes. Kellum loves baby duty. Taryn and I will go underground quite often. We stopped by the store about six weeks ago, but you weren’t there.”
“Back then, I was with Kranor and Jude every week, but not anymore.”
She leaned forward as if gossip was better than food. “Do tell.”
Henla needed someone objective to hear her side of the story, so she told her everything.
“I don’t see the problem then. Why don’t you move in with them?”
Jude had asked her, and she thought Kranor would be in favor of it, but she wasn’t sure she could take the isolation. “I think I’d be lonely, especially if the men went to work.”
“The wolves have stores, right? You could sell shoes like you do now.”
“I wouldn’t be welcome.”
Lara leaned back. “I see. I’m lucky I was accepted.”
“And that’s the problem. I wouldn’t be.”
“Ah.”
They spent another half hour talking. When Tran let out a wail, Lara jumped up. “Can I see him?”
“Of course.”
She followed Lara into Tran’s room. Her heart melted. “He’s precious!”
Lara picked up the wailing baby and he immediately quieted. “I think he just wanted some company.”
Henla’s body vibrated. “Someone’s home.”
They both exited the room with Lara carrying her son. “I bet you could tell Daddy was on his way inside.”
The baby said something garbled. Taryn was at the refrigerator searching for something. “Hey, big brother.”
He turned around and smiled. Now that he was home, it was time for her to depart. She hugged them both and kissed the baby good-bye.
“Don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t.”
Once she got down to the ground she headed for the underground. She hadn’t gone far when her body once again fluttered. Kranor popped his head out from behind a tree and spread his arms.
Joy slammed into her so hard she almost wasn’t able to move. “I can’t believe it.”
He had her in his arms seconds later and kissed her with such passion that her entire body tingled in anticipation of more to come.
“I didn’t think I’d see you.”
“I’m so sorry. Things have been hectic. Jude and I tried to come once, but it wasn’t safe.”
She didn’t sense his presence. “Where is Jude?”
“Back home. Listen, I know this might sound crazy, but we really want you to spend a few days with us at the house. There is so much we need to discuss.”
He might have said a few things after that, but she only replayed those first words in her head. His kisses set her body on fire
and she got lost in thought. Kranor’s enthusiasm was infectious. He grabbed her hand and led her toward the garden, which was the path to the woods that would lead them to their place.
They stopped once they got to the garden. “Do you need to let your parents know?”
“Yes.” She pulled out her phone and called them. Once more she dreamed of the day the lion and wolf technology meshed, so she could talk with her two lovers whenever she wanted.
“Henla?”
She told her mom about wanting to spend a few days with her men.
“I’m so glad they came.”
She was? Maybe she just wanted her to be happy. “Me, too.” As soon as she disconnected she called Rein to make sure she could open the store for the next few days. She had to hold the phone away from her ear at her friend’s squeals of joy. “Have fun being the boss lady for a few days.”
“You know I will. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”
Like she’d had sex with two men before. “Hugs.” She stuffed her phone in her pocket. “I have a backpack filled with some supplies in case you showed up.”
He grinned, and her heart fluttered. How could she not be with her men? It didn’t matter that they lived by themselves. She’d adapt.
She lifted the backpack and was about to slip it on her shoulders when Kranor placed it over his back. He tugged her tight, and they headed to his home.
She was content walking by his side. Listening to nature and smelling the wonderful scents made her feel alive.
“You miss us?” He looked down and smiled.
She rubbed her chin. “Hmm. I guess a little, but I’ve been so busy at the store and weeding the garden that you two really haven’t crossed my mind much.”
“That’s why we haven’t been by, either. We couldn’t remember your name a few times, but then Jude wrote it down.”
She loved when he teased her. Nonetheless, she punched him in the arm. He stilled and she went on high alert. They were still in lion territory, which wasn’t an altogether good thing.
Kranor moved her behind his back just as a lion shifter stepped out from behind a tree.
Enemies in Love [High-Country Shifters 4] Page 12
