Peata [Eminence Shifters 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)
Page 14
“Just a little cold now, sugar,” Calder said. Peata groaned, burying her head in his neck. Max slowed his thrusts, allowing Calder to prepare her ass.
The bed dipped and Axel knelt by Peata’s head. Max reached up and lifted Peata’s chin, directing it to Axel’s offered cock. She didn’t hesitate. She licked the pre-cum from the tip and swallowed.
“You taste so sweet,” she mumbled, taking Axel’s cock in her mouth, and stroking his length with her hand.
Axel just closed his eyes and caressed down Peata’s back, growling his pleasure. Calder moved between Max’s legs and Max stilled his thrusts.
“Your ass is gripping me too tight, sugar. Breathe for me,” Calder moaned. When Max felt him begin to move, he counterthrust with Calder, filling their mate alternately.
Max knew he wouldn’t last, the tingling at the base of his spine spreading to his balls. She was close, her pussy walls quivering with her imminent release. Axel was now rocking into her mouth and his roar vibrated through the air as he came.
Calder was pumping faster and faster into Peata, Max matching him stroke for stroke. When Axel’s cock slipped from her mouth, she screamed his name. He came with her, his cock pulsing in violent spasms of release, his pleasure intense. Calder roared at the same time, the sound vibrating through the air. He held his mate tight until the pulsing of his cock finally stopped.
* * * *
Axel didn’t remember having fallen asleep. They had all collapsed after their lovemaking, limbs tangled, and all feeling completely satiated. But now the morning light was shining through the curtains.
Axel propped himself up on an elbow and surveyed the scene before him. Peata was lying with her head on Max’s chest, his arms holding her tight. Calder was spooned against her back, his arm thrown across her waist.
He was going to have to change his work situation. He would not spend a seven-night stint in the firehouse, waking up with a bunch of firemen, when Peata was home alone. Kissing his way up to the apex of Peata’s thighs, he felt her moan and shifted restlessly, the musky scent of her arousal filling the air. This was where he wanted to wake every morning for the rest of his life.
Chapter 28
Sitting on Max’s lap at breakfast, pleasantly sore from their morning lovemaking, Peata was considering the path her life would now take. She wanted to continue her cooking lessons with Melanie and learn how to care for the horses. She had felt relaxed and calm when she had been with the gentle Molly, and felt it may actually prove to be therapeutic. She was determined to overcome her fear of men and finally put her past behind her.
“I’m going to apply for a job as a trainer,” Axel said, breaking into Peata’s thoughts. “I want to work regular hours and be home every night.”
“I’m not going back at all,” Calder said bluntly. “Now that we’ve found our mate, she is my life.” He leaned in and kissed Peata on the lips.
“I actually tendered my resignation as chief this morning,” Max said, chuckling as he nuzzled Peata’s neck.
“You don’t have to change your jobs because of me. That’s too much. You’ll grow to resent me,” she exclaimed, fighting back tears.
“I had to resign soon, lover,” Max said. “The humans in town can’t turn a blind eye much longer. I have been chief for thirty-five years now and don’t look any older.”
“I will train for a few years then retire to the ranch. I didn’t know what living felt like until I met you, Peata. I can’t go back now. I want to be with you,” Axel said, his eyes shining with his love for her.
“I don’t deserve any of you, but I love you so much I’m going to keep you,” Peata said, throwing her arms around them all. “Thank you for finding me.”
Epilogue
Peata hung her head over the toilet bowl and threw up her morning coffee. She felt dreadful. She had cooked her men a beef casserole for dinner the night before and it looked as though she had gotten something terribly wrong. Neva had given her the recipe, saying it was foolproof. She obviously hadn’t reckoned on Peata’s disastrous culinary skills. As Peata retched again she thought of her men, and hoped their shifter genes protected them from food poisoning.
She had come to Melanie’s this morning for her cooking lesson. She had been coming twice a week for the last month and she loved it. The lessons had morphed into Melanie expanding her baking business. She now cooked a bigger range of products with Peata’s help. Peata’s cooking had improved to the point where Melanie was insisting they become partners.
As dry heaves wracked Peata’s body, she wondered if that offer should now be withdrawn, for the safety of the township.
The ground beneath her knees began to shake, and she wondered fleetingly if there was an earthquake. But then the door to the bathroom flew open and three worried men poured in.
“How are you, lover?” Max asked, his voice strained with concern. “Melanie called and told us to come over, and when we arrived we could hear you being sick.” Max sat on the floor and pulled her onto his lap.
Calder brought over a cool, wet cloth and, kneeling in front of her, wiped it over her clammy face. “You have us worried, sugar.”
“I think I may have poisoned us with my cooking last night,” Peata said, bowing her head with embarrassment.
Max kissed his mark on her neck, and despite wanting to throw up again, she shivered in response. “That feels so good, Max, but I don’t want to get sick on you. Please let me go.” Max growled loudly, his whole body vibrating. He held her tighter and nipped her lightly on the neck.
“Never letting you go, Peata, especially now,” he said with a growl.
“What the fuck, Max, your eyes have gone cat,” Axel said.
Peata turned in his lap, and saw his eyes were a glowing amber. His canines were also elongated. He was smiling widely at her.
“I’m sorry, Max, I’m trying to improve my cooking…” She gasped when he suddenly stood, keeping her firmly in his grasp.
“You are completely perfect as you are, lover, never change,” Max said. He kissed her and handed her to a surprised-looking Calder.
Calder hugged her to him and buried his face in her neck. She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt him go rigid beneath her. Axel came up behind her and buried his face into the side of her neck. Axel started to laugh.
“Fuck me,” he said, trying to talk through his laughter, “you didn’t poison us, honey.”
“I’m glad you are immune to my culinary disasters,” she said, feeling a little irritated now. She was relieved they weren’t sick, but didn’t think her bad cooking should be a source of amusement, especially as she was suffering.
Calder set her down on her feet in the center of a huddle formed by her three giant cats.
“Lover, your cooking is exceptional. You don’t have food poisoning,” Max said. “You are pregnant.”
Her head swiveled to look at each of them in turn. She couldn’t doubt their sincerity, or their happiness. They each wore identical expressions of bright amber eyes and mile-wide grins.
“But how,” she stammered.
“The usual way, sugar,” Calder said silkily. “When a mummy and a daddy love each other very much…” Peata smacked him lightly on the chest.
“Not that how. How do you know?” she asked softly, trying to absorb this information and work out how she felt about it.
“Your scent, it has changed quite markedly, and we recognize the difference,” Axel said. He lifted her so their faces were level, and kissed her lightly on the lips before setting her down again.
“Are you all as happy about this news as you look?” Their smiles were all the answer she needed.
“Are you happy, lover?” Max asked, kissing the top of her head and cupping her cheeks gently in his hands. She found that she was happy. She had always loved children. These men, their family, and their pride were a wonderful environment of love and support for her baby to grow up in. She felt truly blessed.
“About the baby
, yes, I find I’m actually thrilled,” she said smiling up at her men. “But I’m going to look huge when I walk down the aisle.”
“We can bring the wedding forward to the weekend. I don’t think you will be showing in three days’ time,” Calder said. He picked her up and swung her around in a tight circle in the confines of the bathroom.
She felt happiness and bile rise up in her chest in equal measure, and when Calder set her on her feet she dove for the toilet.
As she knelt and threw up again, with Max holding her hair, and Axel rubbing soothingly on her back, she heard Calder open the bathroom door and bellow.
“Melanie, can you arrange a wedding for Saturday?”
THE END
EMAIL: MALKIN.ASHLEY@YAHOO.COM.AU
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I live in Australia, in an area surrounded by the bush. I wake early and walk for an hour. It gives me time to think about the characters I am writing about and their interactions. I have on occasion been interrupted in my walks by a kangaroo—sounds like a joke, but they are abundant in the bush around my home.
I have been an avid reader since I was twelve years old. My first series of books were Nancy Drew, and they have left me with an enduring love for mystery and suspense novels. I do love romance, though, so I write what I would love to read, which will always have strong heroes and a happily ever after. What girl doesn't want that? My love of fantasy has let me explore the paranormal genre, and I love the way it lets me escape reality for a little while.
My hope is that people will enjoy reading my books as much as I have enjoyed writing them.
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