“Maybe I’ve seen too much blood and death to believe any longer.” Turi had to loosen his grip on the banister, or leave grooves from his fingers in the handcrafted wood.
“I think it might have something to do with that beautiful blonde that just strolled into our lives.”
Turi wanted to beat the smirk right off Trey’s face, but he was partially right. “All this danger was fun when we had nothing to worry about, but now all of us except Theodore are mated. If something happened to us, we’d leave behind a widow.”
“That’s the risk we all take, including the tigers.” Trey set his beer aside. “Think of the good we’ve done and the lives we’ve saved. That’s what should keep us getting up each morning to fight another day.”
“Don’t forget the lives we’ve lost. The innocents we were too late to save.”
“Turi, why are we having this conversation? You and I both know that little woman in the house is going to keep us fighting. If we don’t then how will we keep her safe? We have to eliminate Randolph and deal with the other rogues.”
“After Randolph there will be another one. It will never end. Our battle for freedom from the shadows has only just begun, and I’m already tired.”
“Tired is one thing, but what you’re not doing is giving up. She’s depending on us and I don’t care if you hate me, we’re not letting her down.”
The unusual authority in Trey’s voice had Turi turning to him in surprise. “I don’t hate you.”
“You just wish I was more like you.”
“Sometimes, but when you were with Ivy I realized there was so much more to you. You comforted her while I was being an ass.” He dragged his hand through his hair. “Maybe we’re two sides of the same coin. You show the fun and softer side that I keep hidden, while I’m the one always worried about the next threat and I’m always business.”
“Have you considered that might be the reason you doubt all of this now?” When Turi didn’t answer, Trey added, “Don’t worry, Ivy and I will help you let your wild side loose.”
“Dad won’t know what to do if I start acting like you,” Turi teased. “Speaking of Dad, we’ll have to tell him, but no one else can know about Ivy’s heritage. I’m sure the sleuth will handle it better than I did, but we need to keep it as quiet as we can. Anyone else who might know is a risk to us and in danger themselves.”
“I think the immediate family has a right to know. Taber, Thorben, Tad, and Theodore are out there risking their lives every day to make this world better for all of us. We’re key players when it comes to taking down Randolph. They need to know the whole story.”
“We’d be putting them in more danger.”
“They’re already in danger. So they should know so they can act accordingly. Mom should know too.”
Turi relented with a nod. “We’ll tell them in the morning, let them enjoy the party tonight.”
“Don’t you think Ty must know?”
“I don’t know, but we’re going to find out just how much he does.” Turi grabbed the beer bottle he’d set aside earlier and polished off the last gulp. “You did well tonight with Tad and Aunt Bev.”
“Thanks.” Trey gave Turi one of his trademark grins, sending a twinkle to his eyes. “They’ve got to work out their problems eventually.”
“There’s no problem except Tad’s guilt. Aunt Bev doesn’t hold what happened with Rosemarie against him. But after the crap with John going with Travis the night he was killed, it did bring up some of the old emotions. Aunt Bev was worried she had lost her only living child that night. Now if only we could get Tad to give up the ghost.”
“Maybe mating will help.”
“If anyone can do it, then Courtney and Milo can. We should get some sleep, tomorrow I want to put together a plan to keep Ivy safe and see what we can do to find her brother.” Turi stepped away from the banister and looked at his brother. The resentment of always having to deal with sleuth business while Trey did his own thing was nearly gone. Maybe the mating was going to fix things completely between them.
I can only hope.
Chapter Nine
Ivy woke with fear icing her veins. Something had hauled her out of a deep sleep. She glanced around the dark room and found nothing. Too terrified to move, she lay there listening, waiting for something or someone to attack. Convinced Randolph or his men had come back for her, she couldn’t breathe.
Scooting up in bed, she pressed her back against the beautifully carved wood headboard and wished for some of Chad’s courage. He wouldn’t stay in bed scared of whatever went bump in the night; he’d face it head-on, even if it meant his death.
“At least then I’ll die on my own terms and with courage.” She could hear his voice in her head as if he was right beside her, repeating the line he had told her numerous times.
Chad might have jumped out of bed, ready to take on whatever was waiting, but he had two key things she didn’t—the ability to shift and a gun. She glanced to the nightstand checking for anything she could use as a weapon. Her gaze quickly passed over the alarm clock, her cell phone, and finally settled on the only thing she could use: the lamp. It wasn’t much against a shifter, but it was all she had.
Her fingers wrapped around the base of the lamp and a sense of freedom poured through her. She’d used the lamp to stand her ground, and as long as she didn’t beg at the end, she would die with a little dignity.
“Ivy…” A deep voice whispered from the hallway.
Was it Trey or Turi? She could feel them nearby, but without the mating complete, she couldn’t tell where they were except in the house. She almost replied, but she feared it was someone else and her throat went dry.
A dominating figured stepped into the door frame, filling it almost completely. “Are you okay?”
With the compassion in his voice and the spicy aroma of his beast drifting toward her, she recognized him even though she couldn’t see his face across the dark room. “Trey!” She dropped the lamp and reached out to him.
“Angel, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her.
“It’s not you, I’m jumpy.” She whispered against his chest, her hands sliding up his back, pulling him closer.
“You’re safe here.” He massaged her back in small circles, soothing her. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Where’s Turi?” Before she’d fallen asleep, she had learned it was Turi’s house and that Trey lived next door. Yet it was Trey who came to her in the middle of the night.
“He’s down talking to Dad and my brothers.” She pulled back from him, the fear returning. “Shhh, angel. Everything is fine. I know you’re concerned with anyone knowing your heritage…”
“Please, if you tell anyone it will put all of us in danger.” Her heart pounded as a cold sweat crawled along her spine.
He rubbed his hand along her back, but his attempt to soothe her wasn’t working; the fear wouldn’t be pushed aside so easily.
“My brothers and I have been on the front lines of this war against the rogues, we’ll be up against Randolph and his men, and they need to know everything that could play into the fight. Going in unprepared could get any of us killed. If he knows about you, then he’ll try to use it to his advantage, but if they already know your heritage Randolph no longer has the upper hand.”
“But if he doesn’t know and this spreads…”
“It will go no further than those who can help. They’re going to find out if Ty knows.”
She pulled out of his embrace. “I told you only Chad and Mason knows.”
“As Queen of the Tigers, Tabitha is able to access information without being told. She’s connected to any clan who has vowed their loyalty. It’s possible she could have felt it through Mason’s connection to her. If not, there is also the book.”
“Book?”
“It’s a magical book that has been handed down through her family for generations. It has been her step-by-step guide, and
has helped whenever she needed it. They knew Alaskan Tigers’ Lieutenant Raja had to find his mate before things could be set into motion, and they even knew who it would be. The book gave them all the information.”
“So they might know.” She pulled her legs up against her chest. “This is all getting so out of hand. It was supposed to be kept quiet, only Chad and Mason would ever know. I had mixed feelings about even telling my mate, if I even found one. When I found you and Turi I knew the truth had to be told. I never expected so many people to find out.”
“It’s overwhelming now, but we’re going to see that everything works out. Randolph will be no threat to you, I promise.”
“How much danger will everyone else be in though?”
“No more than they have been.” Tentatively he reached out to her and placed his hand on her knee. “Don’t worry, nothing’s going to happen to us. We’re trained to deal with this type of situation from an early age. Everything is going to be fine and we’re going to make sure you’re safe.”
She laid her hand over his, interlocking their fingers. “How’s Turi handing things?”
“You mean having to share his new mate with his idiot brother or the news of her heritage?”
“Everything, and you’re not the idiot brother. The two of you just have different personalities. There’s nothing wrong with that. Actually, I think it’s pretty amazing you’re not carbon copies of each other.”
“He’s fine. After you fell asleep, we had the first civil conversation we had in a long time. There’s no denying the mating desire so we’ll have to work out our issues. Hopefully in time he’ll trust me.” He squeezed her hand. “I’m really not as bad as he makes me out to be.”
“I never thought you were.” She reached out with her free hand and cupped his cheek, feeling the stubble along his jawline before caressing down to his chin with her thumb.
“When I’m needed I’ve always been there. Never once have I skirted my duties.”
“You’re too defensive.” She continued to caress his face, her thoughts turning to how his lips would feel against hers. “I can feel you within me, unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. You’re playful and full of life, but you’d never ignore a call from anyone in need.”
He tipped his head and kissed her palm. “That scares you, doesn’t it?”
“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t. However, I wouldn’t change this mating either. It sounds strange but I can feel the type of person you are and I’m glad you’re my mate.” She paused, enjoying his warm breath against her hand. “It’s the same with Turi. I can feel him within me, the strong, business side, always in control, and the same desire courses through me for him. I think we’ve been mated together because we’re each part of what the other needs, like three parts of a whole. When we come together we’ll make an unstoppable team.”
“I don’t like the sound of unstoppable, it implies we’ll be in a lot of danger. You’re human and I want you safe…no danger for you.” He kissed the curve of her hand again, this time drawing a fingertip within his mouth and gently sucking it.
“Human, yes…but I do have some shifter blood running within me. Not that it matters, we’re living in a dangerous time. There’s nothing we can do about that. Instead we just have to protect each other and cherish each day.” She leaned forward, advancing on him, until her face was hovering next to his. Her fear had been replaced with a different feeling—but it was just as intense. “Let’s cherish this moment.”
Chapter Ten
With increasing ardor, Ivy pressed her lips to Trey’s. Diving her tongue between his lips, she was met with the spiciness of cinnamon and honey. The taste of him drew her in, wanting more until she was straddling his waist. Her tongue danced around his until she sucked his bottom lip between her teeth, and nipped gently.
“I want you.”
“Turi…” Hesitation and need edged his mumbling, while his hands slid under her tank top.
“He’ll come to us.” She wasn’t sure how she knew it, but she could feel him. In her mind, she could see him at a table with some of the men from the party; they were in a kitchen she didn’t recognize. Midsentence he glanced up as if he was seeing her. The confusion knitted his brow before he made his excuses.
“We should wait,” Trey whispered as he kissed along the nape of her neck.
“He’s coming.”
“How do you know?”
“I can see him in my mind. He was with men—your brothers I think—but he left and is coming to us. He’s coming up the hill now.” She tugged his shirt over his head and quickly returned to sliding her fingers along the contours of his chest. “Don’t stop.”
“You couldn’t shut me down with a bunch of angry bears.” He pulled the tank top over her head and tossed it to the floor, revealing her naked breasts. The cool air swooshed over her, and her nipples hardened into little buds. He shot her a smirk and lowered his head to claim one of her nipples. Sucking it between his lips, he let his teeth graze over it.
The passion running through her veins had taken control, forcing her to speed the pace. She wanted him. Needed was a better way to describe the desire tearing through her. It didn’t give her a moment to think this would cement the mating, become the foundation of their life together. Nor did it allow her to pause and wait for Turi, who should be there with them as their mating was taken to the next level.
She pulled the zipper of his jeans down and slipped her hand between the rough material and warm skin. His already growing shaft met her hand, and she wrapped her fingers around it. “Looks like someone’s ready.” Teasingly she drew her nails down the length. Her body craved his touch, to feel his hands running over her skin.
“I’ll always be ready for you.” He kissed a path down her neck, letting his warm breath caress her skin. Sensations collided and threatened to overwhelm her when he teased her nipples.
“You two couldn’t wait until after I met with the family?” Turi bitched as he stepped into the bedroom.
Trey let her nipple slip from his lips, his mouth hovering just over it. “You didn’t have to come. I wouldn’t have complained about having her all to myself.”
“The way she called to me, I couldn’t deny it. How did you do that?” Turi came to stand next to the bed.
“I don’t know, it just happened.” She reached out. “Join us.”
Turi pulled off his shirt and tossed it at the edge of the huge bed. “Do you like what you see?” He teased when her gaze traveled over his chest.
“Oh yes!” She nodded, wanting to run her hands over his chest. Where Trey was toned, Turi was beyond that; his body was carved out of stone, every muscle well defined. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on either of the brothers, making her feel little self-conscious. “Come to me.”
He unzipped his jeans and let them fall to the floor, his rock hard shaft straining against the thin material of his boxers, which he promptly tugged off. With a heated gaze, he joined them on the bed, nestling himself on the opposite side of Ivy. With torturous slowness, he slid an arm around her waist just above the waistband of her shorts. “I felt that moment of doubt, but there’s no need for it. You’re gorgeous.” He claimed her mouth.
She moaned around Turi’s unrelenting kiss, while Trey skimmed her shorts down her legs. He was taking his time, as if unwrapping a present. “We want you naked.”
Turi broke the kiss and nodded in agreement. “Always naked.”
“I’m not sure about always, after all there’s life outside the bedroom.” She teased before giving a playful tug to Trey’s jeans. “Off with these.”
He slipped out of them, discarding his boxers while he was at it. “Is this better, angel?”
“Much.” She leaned her head back against the pillow and looked from Turi to Trey. “How will this work?”
The men exchanged a glance before Trey asked. “Are you a…”
“Virgin?” When he nodded, she continued. “No. I had a relationship with another
human but it was unsatisfying, and there were too many secrets I had to keep from him. It didn’t work. I only asked because I’ve never done it with two…” She stopped, unable to finish the sentence.
“Let us do all the work,” Turi whispered, his mouth on her earlobe, gently tugging it with his teeth.
“Claim me.” She reached out, her hand landing firmly on Turi’s chest, until he lowered closer into her. His shaft pressed tight against her thigh. They had her captive between their bodies, making her feel safe and wanted. In that moment all her fears were gone.
Turi’s fingers slid between her legs and teased her bundle of nerves, dragging pleasure from her in hard, hot waves. Trey’s fingers caressed along the curve of her hip, his mouth on hers, devouring her. She moaned around his unrelenting kiss, her fingers reaching up to cup the back of his head, keeping him here. While Turi’s fingers thrust into her as his thumb continued to wring more pleasure from her core. It took everything in her not to break away from Trey’s lips and scream as desire rushed forward with her release on its heels.
“Not yet,” Turi whispered, withdrawing his fingers.
Trey’s teeth grazed her lower lip and he pulled back enough to let her cries of frustration escape. His fingers caressed every inch of her body, sending moans of ecstasy from her lips. For such a big man, he was incredibly tender, as though trying to memorize every curve of her body with his hands and mouth.
Heat soared through her blood, impatient and demanding. It had been too long since she had been intimate with another, and she wanted them hard and fast. “I need one of you inside me. Now!”
Turi fingers gently eased her legs open farther, giving him just enough room to position himself between them. He slipped on top of her, his bulky frame hovering above her as he stared down at her, desire burning in his eyes. His shaft teased along her entrance without entering as he watched her.
“Turi!” She reached up and grabbed his hips, determined to have him within her.
Bearing Secrets Page 5
