by Diane Leyne
Before she could answer, there was the sound of a growl filling the room.
She looked up and saw Gabe in wolf-dog form in her room. She wondered how long he’d been watching. He looked at his brother, and there was some kind of unspoken communication between them. Then Bart laughed.
“But I guess you’ll have to wait for that pleasure. In the meantime, I’ve got an ass to spank.” And then his hand came down hard on her ass. Smack. Smack. Smack. It hurt, yet when he paused between slaps to massage her butt, the heat spread and transformed and the ache return to her clit. What were these men doing to her? She was insatiable around them and getting pleasure in ways she’d never imagined.
Slap, slap, slap. She counted in her head and finally after number ten, he moved her off his lap and positioned her on her hands and knees. Then he pushed into her from behind, burying himself to the hilt inside her in a single stroke. He paused before setting up a punishing pace. She could feel the sting each time his pelvis ground against her poor red ass, but that didn’t stop her climax from roaring through her the minute he reached for her clit and gave it a squeeze. She dropped her head down, her hands not able to support herself anymore, her ass still in the air as he continued to pound into her before her finally achieved his own release and came deep inside her.
She was so exhausted that she barely noticed him pulling out of her, and then Nick cleaned her up before they helped her under the covers and tucked her in.
They took turns kissing her cheek and then left her with the reminder that they’d see her at Lupo’s the following night and not to be late. When they left, Gabe hopped up on the bed and settled in beside her on top of the covers.
Chapter Ten
Sam work up feeling the heavy weight beside her. She reached out without looking and was shocked for a moment to encounter fur. Right. Gabe in doggy form. She was pretty sure he’d shifted back to human for part of the night, but because there was no way he could explain why he was in her bedroom, he’d had to make sure he was in dog form in the morning.
Idly she wondered when they were planning on telling her they were shifters. It had to be just a matter of time. They couldn’t expect to all have an affair with her and not tell her, could they? Sooner or later the truth would have to come out. And like any normal woman, the longer they kept the secret, the madder she’d be.
Tonight was the first night of the full moon, and the moon was sacred to the wolf-shifters. Is that what they were waiting for?
She looked down at Gabe. He’d made quick use of that doggy door. And he was definitely the one in charge, the alpha. When Bart had talked about her ass last night, Gabe had clearly told him no. She wondered, if it wasn’t for that, would he have stayed hidden? Maybe she shouldn’t have had the door fixed, but something told her that Gabe wouldn’t have let a little thing like a locked door get in his way.
She stared at him assessingly. After her lunch with Ginger and Penelope, she’d had second thoughts about paying him back, but after his interruption last night, maybe it was time to take charge and show him that she wasn’t the pushover he thought she was.
She got out of bed and stretched, twisting her naked body back and forth so that her breasts bounced. Then she walked naked across the room to the bathroom and into the shower. She left the door open so he could watch her soap herself up and touch herself everywhere. She could see the almost human frustration in his expression and had to turn away so he wouldn’t see her grin. He had no idea what was coming.
* * * *
Gabe watched Samantha in the shower, desperately wishing he could just shift and join her, but he figured she’d scream the house down if he showed up naked in her bathroom, and she’d scream louder if she saw him shifting. He wondered if he should just leave and get some clothes and then come back and fuck her brains out. Forget waiting for Lupo’s. He wanted her now. He found himself howling in frustration, literally, as his inner and outer wolves took over.
He was stronger than that, he told himself. He had promised himself he would give her a chance to get to know him and his brothers, but with tonight being the first night of the full moon, he could feel the need to mate her surging through him.
But it was more than that. This time he’d spent with her, he’d seen her kindness and her sweetness. He’d watched her struggle with her writing and then her joy when the words began to flow. And he’d watched her with his brothers, one part of him seething with jealousy because he couldn’t join them and the other proud as anything of the fact that this amazing woman seemed to be able to handle whatever any of them demanded from her.
She was truly exceptional. If she’d been of the wolf blood, he’d be making plans for the mating ceremony tonight, but she was human, and they had to go slowly. It would kill him, but they’d take their time and get her used to the idea of being with the five of them, and at the right time, they’d explain about being shifters and how she was mate to all of them and hopefully by the next full moon, she’d be ready to submit to the ceremony and become theirs permanently. On the other hand, if they bungled the reveal, she’d just go running out into the night and they’d never see her again. They had to make her fall in love with them so she wouldn’t leave. He sighed. It was quite likely that when she found out that he was Fido, he’d feel her wrath, because she currently wasn’t really fond of human Gabe. But at least she seemed to like doggy him.
Tonight at Lupo’s he planned to show her that human Gabe was, well, human, and not just a gruff asshole. It was like every time he was with her, he lost every ounce of charm her possessed and reverted to the primitive. Woman. Mine.
He watched her soaping herself in the shower and whined, and kept watching until he saw her coming out. Thank goodness that he could not get a boner while in this form. It would probably creep her out. He did, though, feel the desire and frustration, and she came out and gave him a big hug, her damp breasts pressing against his back as she kissed him on the cheek.
Quickly she got dressed in a pair of shorts and yet another of what seemed to be a wardrobe of tank tops in every color under the sun. Then she threw on a pair of track shoes and sat down at her dresser to brush her hair.
“Come here, boy,” she crooned. “Do you want me to brush you, too?”
She indicated that he should come to sit between her thighs, his back to her. She held him tightly between her thighs, and he could feel the warmth at her core pressing against his back, and he had to fight the urge to howl again.
The brushing actually felt pretty good. He could get used to this. He closed his eyes and leaned back. So when Sam placed a thick leather collar around his neck, he was taken by surprise and didn’t react until after she had it fastened and the leash attached.
“Well, pup,” she said. “Time to go walkies. I’m heading to town and I’d like some company, and you cannot run free in town. The dog catcher would lock you up.”
She set off down the stairs. Gabe had no choice but to follow. When they went outside, he tugged at the leash, but she had it wound around her hand and arm in such a way that he’d hurt her if he pulled too hard. As a result, he found himself bundled into her Corvette and headed to town.
Damn, he thought, looking around. This car is amazing. She’s done a great job with the restoration. He forced himself to sit still so his claws didn’t scratch the leather, but what he really wanted was for her to pull over so he could look under the hood, but that would have to wait. He looked at the dashboard clock. It was almost ten thirty, and he was hungry, but he was also sick of kibble. The sooner he confessed his secret to Sam, the better.
The ride ended up being kind of fun. He’d never been in a car in wolf-dog form. She’d left the window partially open, and he shoved his head through, enjoying the feeling of the wind ruffling his ears. He found himself actually howling with enjoyment. Maybe he’d be embarrassed when he changed back, but for now, he was going to enjoy himself.
Gabe found his good mood lasted all the way into town until he re
alized just where she was going. Then he started whining and trying to pull away, but she did that thing with the leash again, and he could see her wince when he tugged on the leash, so he ended up walking beside her, his inner human cringing with embarrassment, desperately hoping that no one he knew was in town at ten a.m. on a Saturday morning.
Fat chance, of course, especially when her first stop was McAllisters. He wanted to drop down through the floor as his brothers recognized him. He tried growling at them, but Samantha tugged his leash and his brothers just laughed harder.
Things went bad to worse when Nick excused himself to “take care of something in the back.” Gabe knew just what that “something” was. The bastard was calling people. At minimum, his other brothers would be hotfooting it over here. Worst case, it would be half the wolves in town.
When Nick came back, Samantha had let the leash play out a bit since they were inside. Gabe very deliberately walked over to his brother, who leaned down to patronizingly pat him on the heard, and raised his leg and peed on Nick’s foot.
“Bad, bad, Fido,” scolded Samantha, causing his brothers to get the giggles again.
“Fido?”
“I wasn’t feeling especially creative the first night he came to visit, and I haven’t bothered thinking of another name for him. He seems okay with it, aren’t you, boy?” She scratched him on the neck, and he leaned into her, his head against her breasts.
“Does he visit you a lot?”
“Almost every night. I’ve had to lay in a good supply of kibble. A big boy like him has a big appetite.”
“You feed him kibble?” asked Bart, his voice carefully neutral.
“Only the best, or at least that’s what the people at the pet store told me. And if he’s really good, I give him one of those rawhide bone thingies that are good for his teeth.” She smiled brightly. “Anyway, it’s been nice visiting, but Fido and I have some more stops to make.”
“Please, don’t go just yet,” begged Bart. “Just a few more minutes. Please.”
Just then, the door burst open, and Andy, Eddie, Ginger, and Penelope burst in. Bart took advantage of the distraction to take a photo of Gabe on the leash.
Gabe lunged snapping for the camera, but Bart was expecting it and moved out of his way, and Samantha yanked on the leash.
“Do that again, buster, and I’ll get you a harness and a muzzle. I bet you wouldn’t like that, would you?”
Gabe stared up at her, his eyes pleading. He would most definitely not like a muzzle, although the idea of her wearing a collar and a harness and maybe a gag definitely was going on his to-do list. He wanted to see her hot and horny and as helpless as he felt right now. He sat down and looked up in annoyance as his brothers laughed at him. At first he could see them try to hold it in, but first Bart and then Nick lost control, laughing so hard they had tears in their eyes. He dropped his head down onto his paws and whined. He wondered how much longer this humiliation would last.
Luckily, Samantha still had her errands and put an end to his brothers’ fun.
“Time to go, Fido.” He quickly got to his feet and followed her out the door, pausing only to left his leg again and pee on Bart’s leg this time. There were some advantages to being a wolf around humans.
She paused at the door. “Well, see you all tonight at Lupo’s. Ginger, do you want me to drive?”
“No, I’ll pick you up at eight.”
“Great. Anyway, see you all there. I’m off to the V-E-T. Someone has to get his shots and then chipped and snipped if you know what I mean. And I’ll have to ask about this new habit he’s developed of peeing on people. Bad dog.”
As she led him out of the store, Gabe found himself following automatically. He was still stuck on the word “vet.” Seriously, she was taking him to the vet. Holy crap. It had better be a vet who knew about shifters, or he was in real trouble. He forced himself to be calm. She’d announced her intention in front of his four brothers and two friends who were from shifter families. Surely one of them would come to his rescue? Worst case, he would shift at the vet’s. Hopefully he could do it when he was alone and then find some clothes, because the mayor being caught lurking naked in a vet’s office wouldn’t be very easy to explain.
* * * *
Samantha blithely led Gabe out the door but not before hearing the beginning of the hubbub happening back in the shop. Thank goodness Ginger and Penelope were there to stop Gabe’s brothers from coming to his rescue, at least right away. And she was pretty sure, based on her experiences with three brothers of her own, that when they understood what she was planning, his brothers would stand by and enjoy it.
She could see reluctance in every fiber of Gabe’s body, and he kept his head down and hugged close to her side as if he was hoping no one would notice him. Of course, his hope was in vain. It was a beautiful Saturday, and there were plenty of people outside. She cut right across the center of the square, heading to the vet’s office, and every time they passed someone she smelled wolf on, the head swivelled in shock and amusement. A few of the males even elicited growls from Gabe when they openly laughed at him.
Luckily, the vet’s office was just on the other side of the square. They walked into the waiting room, and there only seemed to be a few patients ahead of them. Sam tied Gabe to a chair while she did the paperwork. She’d made an appointment for one, and the vet was running early, so it was only a quarter to one when the very pretty young vet came out and called Sam’s name.
“Come on, boy,” she encouraged as Gabe pulled back on the leash. “Either you come with me voluntarily or we’ll have to give you a muscle relaxant or something.”
Gabe looked at her in astonishment.
“Look, Fido. You’ve been living in the woods for who knows how long, and you need to get a clean bill of health if you want to live with me. Either get examined and your shots or I am locking the doggy door and you are never coming into my home again. Understand?”
The entire waiting room was watching with interest as Gabe’s shoulders slumped, and he put his tail between his legs and slunk behind her as she followed the vet into the exam room and then hopped up on the table before lying down, panting, his head on his paws. Quickly, Samantha attached his leash to the metal frame that was in place to keep reluctant patients from running away. Gabe lifted his head and howled.
“Stop that. You will cooperate with the vet, and I’ll buy you a nice chew toy on the way home. Do you understand me?” Gabe lowered his head again.
“You look like you know what you are doing,” complimented the vet. “Lena Windsor.” She held her hand out.
“Samantha Anderson. I’ve heard about you from Ginger and Penelope.” She shook Lena’s hand. “Nice to meet you. I used to work in a vet’s office back home, when I was in high school. I was just supposed to do reception, but I ended up doing a lot with the animals. I always loved playing with the animals. Ginger and Pen tell me you are the best vet in town.”
“They exaggerate, but I like to think I have a talent. And I’ve heard about you, too, all about you.” She looked at Gabe assessingly. Clearly, Pen and Ginger had filled her in, and she was amused by the whole thing.
“Well, this is Fido, my wolf-dog. He’s sort of adopted me, and I kind of like having him around. I was thinking that since he’s been living wild, he could get the once-over from a vet.”
“He looks healthy enough.”
“I suppose he’s physically healthy enough, but in my opinion, his fur’s a bit mangy possibly from living rough. Maybe he just needs a good grooming. Just needs his shots, a microchip, a grooming, oh, and can you neuter him? I don’t want to be responsible for a bunch of homeless wolf-dogs running around. I imagine you’ll want to keep him overnight. I’ll call you tomorrow before I come for him.” She turned to leave.
“Wait!”
Sam looked at the warring expressions on Lena’s face. Amusement and concern fought, and it looked like amusement was winning. Lena’s back was to Gabe, so he cou
ldn’t see, and his expression was total outrage. He howled.
“Shush!” Sam walked over and looked at him sternly. “This is for your own good.” Sam looked down at the exam table. Earlier she’d noticed some cordless electric clippers. She picked them up. Impulsively, she ran them down the side of his head.
“He’s been looking kind of scruffy lately. Maybe you guys should clip him, too.” She clipped the other side of his head before Lena pulled them out of her hands.
“Why don’t you let us take care of this?”
“Maybe you are right. I was never any good at this.” She grinned and turned to Gabe. “I’ll see you tomorrow and not a minute sooner, Fido.
“Lena, if you are anywhere near Lupo’s tonight, come by and hang with me and Pen and Ginger. Should be a fun night.” She smiled innocently.
Lena’s gaze flickered toward Gabe before she answered, “I’m sure it will be. I’ll be there.”
Chapter Eleven
The three friends walked into Lupo’s right at eight. It was an old-fashioned roadhouse bar, with a vaguely western theme and a live house band. The place was packed when they arrived, but the crowd parted as the waitress lead them to a table for four that Ginger had reserved. Lena the vet was already there with a beer and a plate of nachos in front of her, and she was dressed like the other three, jeans and a tight, stomach-baring top.
Two good-looking men were sitting with her, but she made then get up when she spotted Sam and friends.
“These two ruffians own the bar and were just leaving. I told them tonight was girls’ night.”
“Will and Joe James. We own this place.” He held out his hand, but before Sam could shake it, Andy and Eddie pushed into the group, knocking Will aside before Sam could take his proffered hand. Will didn’t look offended. In fact, he looked amused. He and his brother were a bit older than Andy and Eddie, but they obviously knew each other well.
