by Faye Avalon
Nathan scratched his chin. “Seth swore that something seemed off.”
Seth owned several hotels throughout Cornwall. He was, like Tynan and Nathan, a first son, which meant he held warrior status and was a member of the Council of Principals.
“I put a high-grade tracker in the system,” Tynan said, sipping his beer. “If some asshole tries to hack into it again, I’ll be the first to know.”
“That’s good.” Nathan leaned back in his chair, his muscled bulk making it creak. “Sometimes it pays to be paranoid.”
“Maybe we should tell Caleb.”
Nathan shrugged. “No point making a big deal of it until we’re sure it is a big deal. In case you hadn’t noticed, our newly mated leader has other priorities on his mind right now.”
“He won’t appreciate us keeping him out of the loop.”
Nathan laughed. “My friend. You need to get laid. Get yourself out from behind a desk long enough to remind you of the distracting qualities of a warm, willing female.”
Tynan scowled, still simmering from the thought of his friend banging Naomi. “I do okay in that area.”
“Just doing okay doesn’t cut it when we’re talking pussy.” Nathan sipped his beer, watching Tynan over the rim of his glass. “It’s been a while since you and me went on the prowl together. How about tonight? Find ourselves a couple of eager females, maybe even do a threesome if the pickings are slim.”
Tynan took a swig of his beer, swallowing down the venom rising in his throat. That Nathan didn’t take his sexual dalliances too seriously made Tynan’s protective instinct flare. He hated the idea of Naomi being used that way. It didn’t matter that she told him it suited her just fine. It wasn’t right.
“Hey.” Nathan laughed and put down his glass. “Remember that time you, me and Caleb hit that bar in London? Shit. That was one crazy night.”
“As if I’d ever forget.” Reminding himself that Naomi’s sex life was none of his business, Tynan allowed himself to enjoy the memory of good times with his closest friends. He kicked back in his chair. “Those females didn’t know what the hell was going on.”
“Check that. But they all left with a smile on their face.”
“Yeah. They did that. Even though we all had to slow things down while Cal went out in search of more condoms.”
Nathan threw his head back and laughed hard. “Thank the gods for twenty-four-hour shopping.”
Tynan hugged his beer. Despite a promise to himself, he couldn’t resist asking the question that burned in his gut. “So, you and Naomi? Anything I should know?”
Nathan’s eyes sobered and narrowed, but he kept them on Tynan. “We’ve got a casual thing going. Suits us both.” He tapped the fingers of one hand on the table. “Problem?”
Tynan lifted a shoulder, trying to ignore the pounding between his ears. He wasn’t sure about mentioning Naomi’s escape from the hotel last night, but since they’d both confirmed their relationship was casual, there seemed no real reason to keep his mouth zipped. “Met her last night coming out of the hotel. Drove her home.”
“She couldn’t drive herself?”
“She’d been drinking.” Again, Tynan let beer slide down his tight throat. “From what I could gather, she didn’t plan on staying any longer than necessary. All but flew across the reception hall to make her escape.”
Nathan’s brows drew together in a scowl. “What the hell happened?”
“Said her evening hadn’t gone as planned. Had her damn dress half undone.”
“Shit.” Nathan scrubbed his hand over his head. “I told her it was a damn fool idea. Woman won’t listen to sense.”
“What was a damn fool idea?” When Nathan grimaced, Tynan barely resisted reaching across the table and grabbing a handful of his friend’s shirtfront. “I swear if you try to stall me, I’m in the mood to take a fucking swing at you right here.”
“She’s got this thing in her head. Ever since Talia… You know, when she was with Joshua? Then Caleb came on the scene…”
“Yeah, I know what happened. How does that affect Naomi?”
“Wants to try it. The whole threesome thing. With humans.”
What? Tynan wondered if Nathan could have floored him any more right then. Naomi wanted to try a ménage?
Anger flared, burning his chest. He wasn’t sure if it was the thought of another man’s—men’s—hands on her, and, fuck, he had enough trouble knowing Nathan had been there. Or if it was because she’d pushed him back when all he’d done was kiss her. Damn it to hell. She wouldn’t give him the time of day, yet she’d hook up with Nathan for a quick fuck and go cruising for humans to indulge in some triple action?
“Crazy female needs her head examined.” Tynan muttered it almost to himself, but Nathan heard it. Shifters had sharper sensory abilities than the average human. “And why the hell does she want humans?”
Nathan shrugged. “Damned if I know. I told her if that’s what she really wanted, I’d arrange it. But she’s got this whole thing going about making her own choices, her own decisions.” Nathan held Tynan’s gaze. “Is she okay?”
Catching his friend’s meaning, Tynan nodded. “They didn’t hurt her. Although I’m betting they did something she didn’t like, or else why did she come flying out of there like that? Shit. If I’d known, I would have torn their fucking throats out.”
“You still got access to the guest log?”
Tynan was already thinking along those lines. “Yeah. In case something happens with the security system, remember?”
“Then why don’t we take a ride on over there? See if Seth’s had any more of those feelings. We could check out a couple of rooms while we’re there, just to make sure there are no bugs planted. Put Seth’s mind at ease.”
Tynan returned his friend’s grin. “You read my mind.”
* * * * *
“Blood pressure’s normal.” Naomi slid on surgical gloves. “Why don’t you hop on up, and we’ll check everything else is in good working order.”
Talia McLeod laughed, shaking her blonde hair as she hiked up onto the examination table. “Caleb would probably be the best one to ask about that. Seeing as he’s barely let me out of bed since the ceremony.”
Naomi smiled, pulling the privacy screen around her friend so that she could get undressed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man move as fast as Caleb did once your divorce from Joshua came through.”
Talia had been married to Caleb’s half brother when she and Caleb met. They had a ménage arrangement going until Caleb and Talia fell in love, and Joshua left to work overseas. They’d had a lot of problems in the early days when it was the three of them, and Talia had often confided in Naomi. But the seed had been planted, and the inclination to try a threesome for herself had steadily grown, culminating in her disastrous attempt to assuage her curiosity the night before.
The rustle behind the screen signaled Talia had hopped up onto the examination bench. “Ready.”
Naomi pulled back the screen and moved to the end. “This will be a bit cold…”
“Yeah. I know the score.” Talia jerked regardless, then settled. “I’m sorry I never came to you for Pap tests before, but it was better I saw a doctor a few towns away. I couldn’t chance Joshua finding out I was taking birth control pills. He was desperate for me to provide him with an heir.”
Naomi’s stomach did a freefall. “Did he ever find out you were taking them?”
“No. Caleb knew, but he didn’t let on. Caleb always said it suited him that I was taking them. That way, when I stopped, he’d be the one to make me pregnant.”
“Bloody alpha males,” Naomi huffed. “All they think about is heirs. They think they own us and our bodies.”
She knew she was being unfair. It was a male shifter’s duty to procreate as soon as they mated and marked a female as theirs. It was
in their DNA to produce, to perpetuate the species. They lived under the constant specter that their kind would die out. It had already happened to some packs that inhabited the vast northern territories.
Naomi didn’t have it in her power to do anything about that, not that she was about to dwell on it. She’d learned to make it enough that she helped maintain the health, and fertility, of the other women in her pack.
It had to be enough.
Which was one reason she preferred sex with humans. Shifter males not only wanted to knock you up at the earliest opportunity, but they had this sense of ownership innate in them. Pretty soon they thought you belonged to them. Then they’d mark you, control you.
It wasn’t going to happen to her.
She noticed the intimate marking on Talia’s labia. Her friend had told her that she’d refused to be marked by Joshua, and it had caused all sorts of problems in her relationship with him, but once she had fallen in love with Caleb, refusing was no longer an option. She’d wanted to be marked by Caleb, had wanted to belong to him. And have him belong to her.
It seemed to work for them, but it wasn’t something Naomi ever intended having for herself. At least that was a choice. One of her own making. So many other choices had been ripped from her. But she’d dealt with them, had forged a worthwhile life for herself.
“All done.” Smiling, Naomi snapped off the gloves. “I’ll leave you to get dressed. Take a seat when you’re ready.”
Naomi dropped the gloves in the bin, washed her hands and went outside. She walked to the reception desk, where one of the practice nurses was peering at the computer screen with a puzzled look on her face.
“Something wrong?”
The nurse glanced up. “System’s on a go-slow. I keep getting this fuzzy screen and then all the data flashes. It’s all out of sequence. Think I’ll close it down and try again.”
“Good idea. Did the vaccine come in for the winter flu jabs?”
“Yes. I’ve stored it away. Oh, and Mr. Lox just canceled. Said his leg is much better and he wouldn’t need the appointment after all.”
“Okay. I’ll pop by tomorrow morning anyway, just to check on him. I’m going to finish up here and then take off for the evening. Don’t hesitate—”
“To call if we need you.”
Naomi gave a wry smile. “The curse of being predictable.”
Back in her surgery, Naomi found Talia checking her phone. “What are we like? Two bloody workaholics.”
Talia shook her head. “No rest, and all that. Missing tourist.” Her job as reporter on the local newspaper kept her busy, especially this time of year when darkness fell fast over the moor, often taking the intrepid winter campers by surprise.
“Do you have to go in?” Naomi asked. “I was hoping we could grab a drink. My last appointment just canceled.”
“That’d be good. They’re only keeping me up to speed. Debbie’s handling the preliminaries.”
“I’ll finish up here. Mind waiting?”
“Fine by me. I’ll just sit here and watch you work.”
Naomi picked up her prescription pad. “I’ll give you an ongoing prescription until your next checkup’s due. If you notice anything unusual…spotting, discharge…that kind of thing, come back in and I’ll check you over.”
“Great. Thanks.” Talia folded the prescription and popped it into her bag. “Do you know, you’re the only one who doesn’t keep asking me when Caleb and I are planning to start our family. And you’re my doctor.”
“That’s your business. Although, pack members can be forgiven for asking, seeing as you’re our leader’s wife. People think producing heirs is your primary function now. Well, that, and keeping a smile on the face of our leader.”
Talia’s smile was sly and not a little smug. “One out of two achieved, then.”
A sudden pang of deep regret that she would never find herself in Talia’s shoes hit Naomi full center. It happened like that sometimes. She’d learned to navigate the pain by focusing on what she had. Which was so much. Her grandfather, her friends, her career. The freedom, finally, to make her own choices, her own decisions. It should be enough for any woman. She’d make sure it was enough for her.
She plastered on a smile. “If you’re going to brag all evening, I’m going to retract my drink invite.”
Part of her wanted to do that anyway. Despite her mental pep talk, the mention of producing heirs had suddenly dampened Naomi’s mood to socialize.
Not that Talia seemed to notice. “Why don’t we discuss your love life for a change?”
Naomi kept the smile in place. “That’ll take all of two minutes. Actually, even that’s stretching it a bit. How long does it take to say, zilch, nada, nothing doing?”
“Maybe you should think about rectifying that. Do you still have that thing going with Nathan?”
Naomi slipped her work coat off the hook, unable to regret confiding in her friend, but wondering if maybe it would have been best keeping it to herself. “We scratch each other’s itch from time to time.”
“You don’t feel anything for him?”
Naomi pursed her lips as if thinking it through. The expectation on Talia’s face called for at least the pretense of consideration. “He’s a friend,” she said, deciding the truth was always best. “He’s also extremely good in bed. Two pretty good reasons to have sex with the man.”
She thought back to the previous evening and her lucky escape from the clutches of those two Neanderthals.
“You don’t want anything else?”
“No.” Because Talia’s reporter instincts were sharper than any other human she’d known, heightened even further after mating with a shifter, Naomi quickly glossed over her sharp response. “Shifter males like to push their weight around too much. While Nathan is no exception, he doesn’t want or expect anything but casual sex. Suits me, and him, just fine.”
“But you must want to settle down sometime. Build a home with someone. Start a family.”
She tempered her response this time, taking steady breaths to relax her squeezing heart. “Not in the cards for me. It’s not what I want.” It was not what any of the males around here would want either. Not if they knew the truth about her. None of them would come within spitting distance. Especially not Tynan. “All I want is to be a good doctor. My career’s important to me.”
“My career’s important to me too. Caleb eventually came to understand that.”
“Only because you can twist him around your little finger.”
“That’s a work in progress. He’s still the most arrogant, overbearing and…” she gave a long heartfelt sigh, “…incredibly sexy man I’ve ever known.”
Naomi smiled, thinking how pertinent that description was when applied to Tynan. Because the whole conversation was making her feel wretched and despondent, she shrugged into her coat, reminding herself that at some stage she’d need to get her best coat back from the hotel.
“Come on,” she said, hooking her arm through Talia’s. “That drink is calling my name.”
Chapter Three
“Two goons were sniffing around Naomi last night.”
While Tynan waited for his leader to digest the information, he hoped his own anger would abate and allow him to start thinking straight again. He and Nathan had initially agreed to avoid telling Caleb about their concerns, deciding to wait until they had more concrete information. But that was before they had spoken with the desk clerk at Seth’s hotel.
Now, standing with Nathan in Caleb’s office while they apprised their leader of the situation, Tynan knew they’d made the right decision.
“What do you mean?” Caleb asked stiffly, his large frame looming over his desk. “Sniffing around her?”
Naomi wouldn’t appreciate having her business discussed and dissected, but there was really no choice. And what they discu
ssed would go no further than this room. Trust didn’t come stronger than the kind shared by the three of them.
“She hooked up with them last night,” Tynan explained, sinking down into a chair when fresh fear for what might have happened to her rushed through him again. “Humans. Ran into her hurrying out of Seth’s place like the devil was on her tail.”
“What happened?”
“Hard to say. She’s as tight-lipped as hell. Kept insisting she could handle herself.”
Thinking back to his conversation with Naomi, Tynan couldn’t stop the way his heart thumped. He’d bet she wouldn’t have given the same response had it been Nathan or Caleb there last night instead of him, and he tried to tamp down the irrational fear that it was because she viewed him as less than a man because of his accident. That was his shit to deal with.
While he was a first born, a member of the Council of Principals, he was no longer a warrior. He wasn’t included when and if the first-born sons were called away to defend and protect other shifters, other packs. Damn it, he hadn’t been there when Caleb had led the warriors to defend a pack in South America overrun by radicals. He hadn’t been there to help when Caleb had been taken prisoner and held for almost a year and nobody knew if he was dead or alive.
Okay, his technical skills had helped Caleb find his way back, and he’d been instrumental in helping Caleb discover that his half brother, Joshua, had been behind his kidnapping, but that didn’t alleviate the longing that crawled in his gut, the desperation that clenched at his chest, to serve his pack in the way that was his birthright.
The knowledge lay in his stomach like a heavy stone, a constant companion that refused to budge.
“You find out who they are?”
“Checking it out,” Nathan replied while Tynan battled with his maudlin thoughts. “Businessmen, according to the clerk that checked them in.”
Right then, Tynan didn’t give a flying fuck what they did for a living. All that concerned him was the other information the clerk had offered. “Bastards questioned the clerk when they checked out this morning. Tried to find out who Naomi was.”
