by R. E. Butler
“Because we each have our own room, so you can pick which one you like the best and we’ll move into it,” Dylan said.
“Wait,” James said, joining them. “You should feel free to look at the empty rooms up on the third floor, too. If I remember correctly, two of them have attached bathrooms. I don’t think you want to be on the second floor with us and all the kids. I mean, unless you like not having any privacy or not sleeping in on the weekends.”
“Thanks, James,” Dylan said.
They climbed the stairs to the third floor, with Hunter carrying both of Cris’s bags.
“Do you have more than just the two bags?” Chase asked.
“Most of my stuff is still in my car. I had planned to get my own place as soon as I could. Not that Lily isn’t great, but in case you didn’t notice, the apartment was kind of small.”
“How did you become friends?” Dylan asked.
“In the summers, she vacationed with her family near where our pride’s territory is at the lake. I looked forward to seeing her every August. We wrote to each other during the year and became really close. When I graduated from high school, she said Cherie would let me stay with her and work at the diner, but I wanted to go to college. After I graduated, I got a job in Cranston and Lily’s brother, Lance, let me stay at his condo. His company transferred him recently and I couldn’t afford to sublet the place from him, so here I am.”
They stopped in the middle of the hallway, where their three bedrooms sat side by side. Across from them was the bathroom they shared.
Dylan’s room was first, and when Hunter opened the door, he was thankful he’d made his bed the previous morning. He wouldn’t want Cris to think she was mating with a slob.
They left her bags in the hallway and walked into the room. “All the rooms on this side face the street, which is wooded, but not as much as the backyard,” Chase said.
Cris looked at the bed for a long, quiet moment and then turned to face them. “How is this going to work?”
“Which part?” Hunter asked.
“The four of us living in one bedroom, sharing a bathroom. Sharing me.” Her cheeks turned scarlet, and all three of them hurried to her, laying their hands on her for comfort.
“We’ll make it work,” Chase said.
“Won’t you be jealous? Last night was amazing, but I don’t think I can have sex three times a night forever.”
Hunter growled softly and pulled her flush against him. “We don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to or aren’t comfortable with. Last night was amazing for us, too, sweetheart, but that was our first time – it was meant to be special. However the physical part of our relationship grows, it will be right for us.”
Dylan squeezed her shoulder gently. “No other pride members have more than three members in their mating group. Ours is unique even in our own pride, and that’s okay. If you’re worried about us being jealous, I think we probably will be at times, but that’s a natural thing we’ll deal with.”
She turned in Hunter’s arms until her back was against him and reached for his and Chase’s hands so they were all connected. “Just for the record, I want all of you, all the time, but a girl does need some sleep.”
Hunter nuzzled her throat and nipped at the place where he’d marked her. “Didn’t I tell you last night that even just being in the same bed with you while we sleep is enough?”
“You promise that you’ll talk to me if something is bothering any of you?” she asked, linking her fingers with Dylan’s.
All three promised. Dylan knew that the road wouldn’t be easy. Even males who shared their mate with just one male encountered jealousy issues. They were dealing with an entirely new situation. He thought figuring out a better work schedule would help them all. He didn’t want to be away from her all weekend long because he closed the bar on Friday and Saturday nights, and he was sure his cousins didn’t either.
“Let’s go look at the other rooms,” Chase suggested.
Just as he spoke Cris yawned, covering her mouth with her hand, her nose crinkling as she smiled sleepily.
“Then we can put our kitten to bed,” Hunter said.
“It’s not my fault there were these three amazing guys in bed with me last night who kept me up very, very late.”
After looking at Hunter’s and Chase’s rooms, which were very similar to Dylan’s, they ventured down to the end of the hallway where several of the rooms sat empty. “Who’s living up on this floor?” Cris asked.
“Holden and Jackson each have a room, and Wes, Ray, and Melody share a room, and then each of us have a room,” Dylan answered.
Cris peeked into one of two doors and said, “This one has a bathroom.” Dylan followed her into the bathroom, which was quite small, with only a toilet, pedestal sink, and small bathtub.
“If you like it, we can remodel it. It wouldn’t be hard to turn it into a shower and add some storage,” Hunter said from the doorway.
“We could also find a place to live in town. It’s not unheard of, you know.” Chase said.
“I thought all the lions lived in the boarding house,” Cris said as she touched the dusty counter and grimaced.
“Most of us do. Rhett and his human mate, Lisa, live on a farm in town, and on their property is a converted barn where Ethan, Eryx, and Callie live with their kids,” Chase answered.
Dylan followed Cris out of the bathroom and into the main room, which had old furniture covered with dust cloths and a thick layer of dust on everything. He suspected the room hadn’t been used in decades. Although larger than the other bedrooms and with the attached bathroom as a bonus, it was still just one room, and not a whole house.
He slipped his hand into Cris’s, and she looked up at him. “Maybe we need to talk about this some more.”
She opened her mouth to answer and yawned instead.
Hunter chuckled as he lifted her into his arms. She snuggled into him with a sleepy sounding purr. “How about that nap?”
“As long as you stay with me,” she said.
“Promise,” Hunter said.
Chapter 8
Cris woke up snuggled against Chase, who was on the Internet on a tablet. His arm, which was draped over her shoulder, tightened in a light hug, and he kissed the top of her head.
“You’re a comfortable pillow,” she said as she rolled off him and stretched. The bed, which was in Hunter’s room, was very relaxing. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to actually rest even though she’d been bone-deep tired, but once she’d found herself hugged between Chase and Dylan, and Hunter leaning against the headboard with an amused smile, she’d passed right out.
“Where is everyone?”
“Helping with dinner. Do you feel more rested?”
She sat up and rolled her neck. “Yes. I didn’t snore, did I? Sometimes if I’m really exhausted, I snore. Or talk in my sleep.”
He chuckled. “No, you didn’t snore.”
“What are you looking at online?” She leaned over and peeked at the screen, which showed a real estate website.
“While you were resting, we talked about scouting homes in the area.”
“I don’t want you guys to have to leave the pride because of me.”
He put the tablet down on the nightstand and sat up. “We’re not leaving the pride. Ashland has some homes for rent and sale. Plus, there are parcels of property we could buy, too. We’d still be in Ashland, and we’d still be part of the pride, but we’d have more room.”
“This house is enormous,” she pointed out.
“Yeah,” he said, nodding, “but there are a lot of people who live here. It’s crowded and noisy at times. Like if we wanted to go watch a movie, we’d have to see if someone is already watching a movie or using the gaming system. Then we’d have to make sure it was a family-friendly movie because of the kids, or wait until they went to bed.”
“You could put a television in the bedroom.”
“Sure, but then we’d end up st
uck in here all the time. I want a place where we can spread out a little.”
She thought back to her own home life. “In the pride, the haj’s house was central, and everyone lived nearby. All the ceremonies were done on land that was part of our home. My father would invite families to join us for a weekly meal.”
“See? It’s not that different. We could find a place in town, but still be part of the pride. Coming here to shift on the full moon, for ceremonies and get-togethers – but we’d be able to have our own space, too.” He leaned forward, his brown eyes dancing with heat. “Like, if sometime you want to let me get you naked on the couch, we can do that in our own place. Not here, though.”
She rolled her eyes in thought, and he snarled playfully and pushed her onto her back. Caging her with his arms, he kissed down her jaw until he reached her ear. “Okay, you’ve convinced me,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.
He chuckled as he kissed her ear. “Just mentioning getting naked on the couch was all it took? I’ll have to remember that.”
“Well, I’m not sure it will work for everything, but you make a very good case for a private home.”
He kissed down her neck, nibbling on her pulse with a purr rumbling in his chest. He tugged her collar aside to expose her shoulder, lowering his body over hers until she felt the comforting weight of him as he settled into the cradle of her hips.
She fisted his shirt and tugged, just as the bedroom door opened. He groaned and said, “Knew I should’ve locked the door.”
She peeked around him to see Hunter and Dylan as they entered the room.
“I would have,” Hunter said. He plopped down onto the bed, making both her and Chase bounce, and kissed her. “How do you feel, sweetheart?”
“Very good. Better, now that you’re all here.”
Dylan joined them on the bed. “We’ve got an hour until dinner, but we can go downstairs so you can meet those who weren’t here earlier. It’ll be a full house tonight.”
“Cris and I were just talking,” Chase said as he eased to her side, keeping his hand on her stomach.
“It didn’t look like you were talking,” Dylan said with a wink.
“We were. Earlier,” Chase said. “About getting a place of our own.”
“What do you think?” Hunter asked, looking at Cris. He propped his head on his upturned hand and smiled at her encouragingly.
“Well, I just got here, but already I can see the benefit of having a place that’s more private.” She cleared her throat. “And I heard that there might be some naked couch time, if we had a place of our own.”
All three of her mates purred at the same time. She laughed.
“That being said, I don’t think we need to rush, right? I’d like to get to know your pride.”
“They’re your pride now, too,” Chase said.
She’d never really thought about belonging to another group of shifters again. She’d figured when she found her mate, her dad would most likely kick her out of the pride, and she’d end up with just her mate and their children, like a mini pride. That the mountain lions were so willing to welcome her and allow her to join their group made her realize that her upbringing had been stricter than she’d ever really admitted. Her parents believed that the traditions of their pride were worth upholding no matter who was hurt in the process.
When they were ready to go downstairs to dinner, Cris said, “Don’t you guys need to go to work tonight? I thought you all worked late on Friday and Saturday nights.”
“I called Perry and told him that we were taking care of our mate,” Hunter said.
“You’re not going to lose your jobs, are you?”
“Hell, no,” Chase said. “Perry loves us. And we haven’t taken time off in ages. You’re a very good excuse to take a break.”
As they descended the stairs, the noise level grew, until it became almost deafening. The kitchen was packed with males, females, and children. She and her mates stopped at the kitchen entrance, and the whole group quieted.
James waved at them from behind the island, and she followed Hunter as he led her into the center of the large kitchen near the island. Chase and Dylan followed.
“Everyone,” James said, “this is Cristabel Hardison. She hails from Kentucky and happens to be the mate of these three lucky guys.”
There was a loud chorus of “welcome” from the group, and then they slowly made their way to her for introductions. She knew she’d never remember everyone’s name, but she did her best. The kids ranged in age from Jilly, who was the oldest at eighteen, to Cameron, who was one. Callie, who appeared to be several months pregnant, hugged Cris.
“We’re so glad you’re joining the pride!” she gushed. “I hear you’re working at the were-clinic.”
“I start Monday.”
“It will be nice to see a familiar face this summer.”
“Summer?” Cris asked.
“Elliot and Evan are starting preschool in the fall, and they’ll have to get an official checkup for the school.”
“Which is silly,” one of her husbands said as he lifted Cameron into his arms, “since shifters don’t get sick and don’t get human diseases.”
Callie rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry there isn’t a shifter-only preschool in Ashland. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about health forms. Since it’s not the case, we do what we must so our boys will get the best education.”
The male smiled sweetly at Callie and bent to kiss her cheek. “Whatever you want, sweetheart.”
James called everyone to the table. The main table was quite large and had sixteen chairs around it, and someone had added another long table with more chairs. It amazed her that everyone, kids included, was seated in the kitchen.
Cris sat between Hunter and Dylan, and Chase sat next to Dylan. Across the table was Samantha, who was mated to Aaron and Grant. Their five kids were seated at the other end of the table where all the kids were gathered.
James stood and lifted his glass. “First, I want to say that it warms my heart to see so many of our people finding their truemates and settling down. When Eryx and Ethan first mated Callie, I honestly believed it was a unique situation and wouldn’t be replicated. Now we can plainly see that our people were meant to find the mates of our hearts and start families. I happily welcome Cris to the pride.”
The pride lifted their glasses to her in cheers, and she touched the rim of her glass of iced tea to all of her mates.
“I told you they’d love you,” Hunter murmured into her ear. “You’re a mountain lion now, baby.”
“And I’ve never been happier.”
* * *
Cris buttoned her turquoise blouse as she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. The last thing she wanted to do was leave the bedroom and go to work, because her mates were so tempting, but she knew that it was a good idea for her to actually go to her job and earn money. Although they’d told her she didn’t need to work, because they all worked and wanted to take care of her, she wasn’t interested in putting her feet up and not being a contributing member of their family.
There was a soft knock on the door. “Come in,” she said, reaching for the hairbrush to run it through her hair a few more times.
Dylan opened the door and stepped inside, shutting it quietly. He wore what she’d come to think of as her mates’ uniform: jeans with the top button undone and no shirt. Her gaze dropped immediately to his abdomen. He had the sexiest happy trail she’d ever seen.
“I came to ask if you wanted me to drive you to work,” he said.
Her gaze snapped up to his face, and she blushed at his sexy grin. “You don’t have to.”
“I know,” he said, shrugging, “but I’d like to.”
“How would I get home? Your shift starts at two, and I don’t get off work until six.”
“Chase will pick you up.”
She put down the brush and turned to him. “I thought you guys all worked the same shifts?”
“We
did. Hunter called Perry while you were in the shower to discuss our shifts.”
“What did you do?”
“After I drop you off at the clinic, we’re going to meet with Perry to change our schedules. We’ll make it so that one of us is always home when you’re off work.”
Cris shook her head. Grabbing Dylan’s hand, she opened the bathroom door and walked across the hall to the bedroom, where she found Hunter and Chase getting dressed.
She shut the door and turned to them. “What’s going on? Why would you change your work schedules for me?”
Hunter’s brow rose. “Seriously? You’re our mate.”
“I know. And?”
“And our cats want to keep you safe,” Chase said.
“Safe from what? Your regular work schedules had you home during the week at eight or nine, and yeah you work late on the weekends and that would suck, but we’d have all day Sunday together.”
Dylan tugged on her hand and said, “Sit down, love.”
She sat on the bed and looked at them as they stood in front of her, their gazes full of concern and affection.
Chase cleared his throat. “It’s important to us that you’re safe. I know you feel like this is a safe place, and it is. Ashland is amazing. But like we explained before, some of the mates have been harmed, and we don’t want that to happen to you.”
“It’s not as if we’re asking you to stop working and stay here, locked in the room all day,” Dylan said. “We just want one of us to be here when you’re home. Aside from us wanting to take care of you, it’ll give us a chance to get to know you one-on-one.”
It was her turn to arch a brow. Chase chuckled. “Most human couples are home at the same time. The males and females eat dinner together, spend time getting to know each other. Why would we be any different?”
“I don’t know. I’m just surprised that you’re changing your lives around for me.”
“Why on earth would you be surprised by that?” Dylan asked. “You’re ours. If you worked at night, wouldn’t you want to change your schedule so you could be with us?”
