Tangled Hearts: A Menage Collection

by Various

  She opened her eyes and saw two dark, tousled heads leaning over her. And while the look in their eyes intrigued her, the fact that really gave her pause was that they considered her theirs. Their mate. But am I ready for that kind of commitment with not one but two guys I barely know?

  Confusion swirled through her mind, as did an odd sense of coming home because, regardless of her misgivings, she couldn’t deny the sense of belonging and connection that now imbued her. It gave her the courage to be naughty. “You know,” she said, sliding a hand down each of their muscled torsos. “I could have sworn you’d said that having wild monkey sex wasn’t needed to break the spell.”

  That made them laugh, deep masculine sounds that induced a shudder of pleasure.

  Derrick answered. “We were wrong. Delightfully so. Tell you what, from now on, no matter what ails us, we promise to try wild sex before anything else.”

  “Hmm,” she said, smiling back. “Well, in that case, I’ve got an ache that could really use some fixing.”

  And fix it they did, in a shower that left her clean even if the things they did to her were dirty.

  Once showered and fed—it turned out the boys could cook up a storm in the kitchen as well—Jenna sat in the living room. Mark stood shirtless and barefoot in front of her while Derrick paced.

  Derrick wore a serious mien. “Fun as last night and today have been, we need to take care of one last thing to make sure nothing mars our future.”

  “You mean letting the cops and everyone know you’re still alive?” Jenna asked.

  “No, that will come tomorrow or the next day. I mean Clarissa. She must be stopped before she retaliates, or does something worse.”

  Jenna wondered what could be worse than them getting stuck in limbo, and it wasn’t until she realized they were watching her with matching worried expressions that she caught on. “You think she’ll hurt me?”

  “Not if we can help it,” growled Derrick. And by growl, she meant growl, the sound more beast than man. Perhaps because he was no longer a man.

  One moment, the guy she’d made love to stood there, hot and hunky, and the next, his body exploded. That was the only word for it. The jeans he wore split and fluttered to the floor while his body contorted, reshaping with a grisly snap of limbs. Oh, and every inch of the taut skin she’d rubbed against? Yeah, it sprouted hair, or was the more correct term fur, because when all the screaming was done—by her--a large black wolf stood in his place.

  With wide eyes and a strangled voice, Jenna said, “What the fuck just happened?”

  Mark tossed her a puzzle look. “I thought you knew from reading the stories and seeing us in the dream.”

  “Knew what?”

  “We’re werewolves, Jenna.”

  “But—but, werewolves are a myth.”

  “Sorry to break it to you, but we are definitely not a myth.”

  “So you’re a wolf too?” It seemed so odd to say it aloud. Surreal.

  Instead of replying, Mark also changed.

  Jenna’s jaw dropped, and she swallowed hard. First, a haunted house with actual ghosts, now this? She couldn’t stem the fear. And who could blame her? How did one handle the fact the two men she’d tied herself to, and had sex with, weren’t human?

  “No. This isn’t real,” she blabbered, this newest change not sitting well with her at all.

  Together, the wolves approached her on four furry feet, bigger than any dogs she’d ever met. Scarier than the wolves she’d seen in the zoo. And with teeth big enough to tear her into tiny little pieces if they chose.

  With her heart racing, terror coursing through, Jenna backed up to the couch, practically climbing on top of it. When one of the giant beasts went to nose her, she flinched. She whimpered.

  She could have sworn something akin to sadness flashed in their eyes, but wolves didn’t have emotions. Did they?

  Slowly, they backed away and left the room.

  Jenna, however, couldn’t escape her thoughts. Oh my god, I’ve been claimed by werewolves.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The fear in Jenna’s eyes when they shifted brought an ache to Mark’s heart. He expected some level of shock. After all, werewolves and the whole shapeshifting bit wasn’t a common everyday occurrence. But her terror still stung. He had to reassure himself with the thought that everything had happened quickly. Given a bit of time, and reassurance they would never let her come to harm, Jenna would surely come around. She is our mate. She will accept us, both of our sides—eventually.

  In the meantime, they needed to ensure her safety—and indulge in some revenge. The witch who’d so foully cursed them had to die.

  Callous? Extreme? Hell yeah. Given the severity of her crime, death was the only fitting punishment. And with that goal in mind, he and Derrick went in pursuit of their quarry.

  Exhilaration filled him as he ran for the first time in years in his wolf form. A joyous howl warbled forth, a sound Derrick echoed, the ululating cry a warning and announcement to those also roaming the night, that they had returned.

  Their powerful legs pumped, padded soles finding purchase on the hard ground, a welcome ground after drifting for so long. The cool night air ruffled through their fur as they sped through the quickly falling gloom.

  For so long, he had been denied his connection to his beast. Joined together again, as if absence had made them stronger, he now thrummed with barely restrained energy. An energy augmented by the claiming of his mate. Our mate and future. A future they would now protect.

  Arriving in town, they slowed their pace and adopted a sneakier approach, slinking through the shadows and back alleys until they reached Clarissa’s shop. They hadn’t lied when they’d told Jenna that most of the townsfolk were special in some fashion. But the last thing they needed right now was a reunion with friends and family. Business, also known as revenge, came first.

  Shifting back to human form, Derrick shouldered the back door of the shop, the crack of splintering wood signaling their entrance into the place. It took but a moment to find the stairs leading up to Clarissa’s apartment. Stealth was no longer an option as the noise of their entrance would have warned her.

  A door barred their entry at the top. Mark quickly shifted on the landing and turned the doorknob. To his surprise, it turned with ease. She’d left it unlocked? A trap? Or arrogance? Either way, they entered with caution, splitting apart to search the rooms, but it didn’t take long for them to realize she was absent.

  A ball of dread settled in Mark’s stomach, a dread that practically screamed, “You fucked up.” They’d missed catching Clarissa, and he’d wager he knew where she’d gone. And like dumbasses, it never occurred to either of them. Which meant Jenna was alone and unprotected.

  It took Derrick only a second longer to orate the same conclusion. “Shit. We have to get back. Jenna’s in danger.”

  Every second now counted. Tick. Tock. With little care for noise, or even their own safety, they barreled down the stairs out of the shop, their bodies melting into their wolf shapes even as they flew out the door. Feet pounding, hearts racing, and the adrenaline pumping, they ran for the house as if their lives depended on it because, in a sense, it did. Without Jenna, their mate, their life would stretch bleakly. We can’t have just found freedom and happiness only to lose it because of our rashness.

  Panting and pushing themselves harder than they’d ever run before, they made the trip back in a record time.

  It still wasn’t quick enough.

  Chapter Twenty

  Back and forth, Jenna paced the living room, her emotions in turmoil over recent events. She still couldn’t wrap her mind around the reality of ghosts and other things that just shouldn’t exist. I can’t believe they’re werewolves. It was one thing to read the suspicions of their existence in a book. To secretly mock the gullible author and those who believe. Actually encountering it? Mind-blowing.

  The idea of magic and witches, ghosts created from curses, of men who could t
urn into beasts, it was almost too much for her poor logical brain to take. Then throw in the fact she had sex with a pair of wolfmen who thought they now owned her? What should I do now? She needed to come to a decision.

  Do I stay or go? If she left, she’d have to start over again, alone. Not a really big deal. It would suck. However, she’d done it before. But if she stayed … The guys expected her to live with them, as their mate. Not one of them, but both of them. In essence, she’d be married to two very virile men, men who happened to change into giant wolves, and she’d just bet they also howled at the moon. And do they track muddy paw prints in to the house. Will they smell of wet fur when it rains? Shed? She bit back a hysterical giggle as a host of questions rose, each sillier than the next.

  Let’s say she could accept the fact they went furry every so often. The whole living in an open threesome gave her pause. What will people think? Jenna had never thought of herself as someone who cared, and had they proposed a discreet or temporary situation, she probably wouldn’t have batted an eye, but forever? What if they had kids? Whose name would the kid have on his birth certificate? Would he or she call them both daddy? Would they get picked on because of their living arrangements? History seemed to indicate the town had accepted it in the past, but the world was a different place now. But then a scarier thought struck her. Oh god, if we have kids, will they be werewolves too?

  Jenna’s mind couldn’t help flashing to the two big wolves the boys had turned into. Vivid green eyes, thick dark fur, and really big fucking teeth. Could she handle a child of hers transitioning into a furball? Would she have to fear her own child?

  She knew so little. How many of her fears were based on ignorance instead of fact? Fact: the wolves hadn’t harmed her. On the contrary, she’d instead seen the hurt in their eyes when she’d cringed from them. So if she didn’t have to fear them eating her, then what truly frightened her?

  Nothing but the actual commitment itself. It seems too soon to make that kind of decision. I barely know them, and most of what I learned was in a dream, but I can’t deny how they make me feel. Wild and alive, cherished and beautiful. I’ve never believed in love at first sight, nor did I think it would happen with two men instead of one, but if I’m honest with myself, I have to admit I don’t want to leave. I want to be with them. I want to experience the love, both mental and physical, they’re offering.

  And there it was. Wolves or not, she wanted to stay, and as soon as they came back, she’d tell them—if it wasn’t too late. She settled herself in a chair to wait, only to realize she didn’t have the slightest clue when to expect their return. They’d fled to confront the witch, and for all she knew, they wouldn’t come back for hours—or ever.

  The doorbell rang, startling her from her thoughts.

  Could it be Clarissa? Doubtful. The guys had seemed pretty determined to take care of her, their solution something Jenna preferred not to think about. Then her brain kicked in. It’s Halloween. Shoot, I’ll bet it’s some trick-or-treaters, and I forgot to buy some candy.

  Grabbing her purse and searching for change to hand out, she went to answer the door. But it wasn’t a midget-sized ghoul or goblin at the door but a blonde witch who shoved her way in.

  “Clarissa, I guess I should have called you sooner. Big misunderstanding. I don’t need your help anymore,” stammered Jenna, dread forming an icy ball in her stomach. “Turns out it was just, um, pipes. Yeah, air in the pipes. No ghosts here.”

  A sneering Clarissa uttered an ugly laugh. “Oh please. I can already sense I’m too late. You somehow managed to free them.”

  Uh-oh. Jenna backed up, fear making her break out in a cold sweat. “I think you should leave. The guys will be back any second, and they won’t be happy to see you.”

  Clarissa rolled her eyes. “Now there’s an understatement. They want to kill me. I’d do the same in their place.”

  “You should leave then, before they get back.”

  “I don’t think so. I’ve got a better plan. You’re their mate, aren’t you?”

  “N-no,” Jenna stammered, not liking the calculating look in Clarissa’s eyes.

  A clucking tsk went with Clarissa’s shaking head. “Liar. It’s the only thing that makes sense. How else would you have broken my curse? Have you bonded with them yet?”

  “What?”

  “Don’t tell me you’re that dense. Did they bite you?”

  Jenna’s eyes widened. She knows what they are.

  A triumphant smile spread across Clarissa’s face. “Your expression says it all. Perfect. For me at any rate.”

  “I fail to see how that helps you.”

  “You will. You just won’t like it. You see, I thought putting them in limbo would make them bow to my will, but that failed miserably. But if I were to put their mate into limbo or threaten something equally horrible, what do you think? I’ll bet they’d do anything to keep you safe.”

  Maybe they would, if they were here. But they weren’t, and Jenna wasn’t so selfish as to want them to walk into the trap Clarissa planned. Surely she could think of a way to get out of this mess, or escape. It was, after all, just her and a crazy lady.

  While not an advocate of violence, Jenna wasn’t about to become a victim. She darted for the front door, only to hit the floor as Clarissa lunged in her direction and shot out a foot to trip her. Jenna rolled and popped to her feet and swung clumsily. Clarissa easily dodged the blow and laughed.

  “Oh, please. You’re just making this harder than it has to be.” She chanted something in a strange language, a guttural muttering that sent shivers racing up Jenna’s spine. A cold wind fluttered up out of nowhere.

  That can’t be good. Jenna prepared to throw herself at the witch again, ready to trample her in her quest for the door currently blocked by Clarissa’s frame. As if frozen, her limbs refused to comply. Yet that wasn’t as terrifying at the fact that her feet left the floor as she floated up.

  With a nasty chuckle, Clarissa strode into the living room, and Jenna bobbed along in the air behind her. “It won’t be long now,” said the witch.

  And it wasn’t. Within only a few seconds, a shaggy head poked through the archway.

  With bared teeth and a rumbling growl, the large wolf stepped into the room, closely followed by a second. They truly were huge and intimidating, but, with a different kind of terror now taking precedence, Jenna could better see them and appreciate their wild beauty. Even better, given the way they eyed Clarissa, the savage beasts weren’t here to eat her, but protect her.

  “Stop where you are,” ordered Clarissa. She grabbed a handful of Jenna’s hair and yanked, the stinging pain bringing tears to Jenna’s eyes. “It looks like we both have something the other wants. Now what do you say we do a trade? The girl’s life in exchange for your Lycan power.”

  With her head tilted back, Jenna couldn’t see, but she heard Derrick, who must have shifted because he spoke as a man instead of an animal. “Let Jenna go. It’s over, Clarissa. You would have been smarter to leave town than threaten our mate.”

  “In case you hadn’t noticed, I have the upper hand. Not you. Now, give me your word you’ll let me take your power, and I won’t be forced to hurt her.” Clarissa punctuated her threat with a hard yank. Jenna cried out and tried to move a hand, an arm, anything, but the damned bitch had her paralyzed.

  And that really pissed her off!

  Problem was, there wasn’t anything she could do about it. Nothing except pray.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  The bitch is insane. Incredulous, Derrick watched as Clarissa threatened his mate. She’d fooled them once, and they’d hesitated. It wouldn’t happen again. Not now. Clarissa might know about the magic inherent in him and Mark, a magic created by their Lycan heritage. However, he doubted he’d know about the other forces he could tap into. The mating bond did more than mark a relationship. It gave him access to extra powers, such as the ability to shield himself and his mate, create a bubble of sorts to prote
ct them from the magic Clarissa thought to use.

  But he needed to get closer to Jenna for it to work.

  With a snarl, Derrick leapt at the witch, focusing the power coiled within him around Jenna. Mark, in tune as usual to his thoughts, added his own mental weight to the equation, reinforcing the dome of protection.

  Clarissa dodged his attack but kept her grip on Jenna’s hair. His poor mate. While Jenna was unable to cry out, pain and fear showed clearly in her expression. Derrick swiped at Clarissa again and forced her to relinquish her grip.

  “Stupid dogs, I don’t need to be close to her to kill her,” Clarissa hissed. She held up a hand, and a ball of energy formed in it.

  Mark and Derrick stood before Jenna, focusing all their energy on the invisible wall before them.

  Clarissa never even suspected. And when she did, it was too late. She chanted the tail end of her spell and flung her hand. The fiery blue ball rocketed at them, probably deadly, but no match for a bonded triad. It hit the shield they’d created and bounced back—right into Clarissa.

  With a stream of ugly screams and curses, just like the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz, Clarissa melted into nothing.

  Silence fell as the vapor dissipated, and only the lingering scent of ozone and burnt hair remained.

  Derrick scooped a white-faced Jenna into his arms and, with Mark hot on his heels, trotted up the stairs. To his surprise, especially after all the evening’s shocks, Jenna’s arms wound around his neck tight, and she buried her face against his chest.

  “I’m sorry I freaked when I saw your wolf,” she whispered.

  She was sorry? How about him apologizing for not being there before she got such a fright from Clarissa? How about him and Mark not slapping her in the face with who they were and easing her into it? “I can’t blame you. We could have told you about it in a less shocking way.”