“Twelve hours ago?” The woman seemed stunned. Where had she been? Had she not gotten that memo from all the other conversation?
He prepared Rebecca a cup of coffee, doctored it, and handed it to her as he spoke. “Yes, Grandma. Yesterday evening. And we’ve been busy dealing with Griffen’s injury and keeping our mate alive in the cold outdoors for the night. There hasn’t been time for anything else…like coffee.” He added that last bit as though it were an amendment that kept his sentence from sounding quite as suggestive as it did.
Notable was the fact he now referred to her directly as his mate also. Not just his, but the implication was that Griffen was included in the equation.
Mrs. Bartel stopped glaring daggers at Rebecca and turned toward Griffen. “Tell me about the spirit, son.”
Griffen stiffened. His gaze jerked to Miles.
Miles slumped down in the other armchair in the room and tipped his head to the ceiling. “You might as well tell her about your experience. She’s not leaving until she’s satisfied.”
“Young man,” his grandmother said, “I won’t be satisfied, and neither should you three, until this claiming is completed.”
“Well, Grandma,” he lifted his head to face her, “you want us to do that right here in front of you? Or wait until you finish hounding us and leave?”
She harrumphed and squirmed in her seat. “Don’t sass me, boy.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He grinned, the obvious love and devotion he normally experienced around her covering his face.
She turned back to Griffen. “Talk.”
“I’m not sure what to say. I only saw a shadow. I assumed something got between me and the sun, maybe a cloud in the way or something—until Miles suggested otherwise, and then it happened again this morning.”
“A shadow?” The old woman leaned forward, perching on the edge of her seat.
“Yes, as though the sun were blocked for a moment. I assumed it was a bear at first, but it seemed larger. And I didn’t see a physical presence. The sun draped around it from behind.”
“And you were at the summit?”
“Yes.”
“And again this morning?” Mimi asked.
Griffen nodded. “It seemed to hover over us as though trying to get our attention.”
She shook her head in dismay. “This is bad.”
“Why?” Griffen asked. He probably had no idea his fingers had worked their way around the edge of Rebecca’s pants and gripped the material above her ass.
“It’s a bad omen, I tell you.” She stood, set her coffee mug on the little table, and smoothed her thick blue dress. If Rebecca wasn’t mistaken, she’d probably sewn it herself. She lifted her long narrow finger and pointed at each of them once more in turn. “Mark my words, you finish this. And you do it now. Every second you hesitate angers the spirits more. You hear?”
“Yes, Grandma. I hear you.” Miles stepped forward and followed his grandmother to the door. The woman held her head high as she left without saying good-bye or glancing back.
Soon after Miles shut the door, Rebecca heard the engine of the woman’s car start, and then she pulled slowly out of the gravel driveway. “Um, forgive me, but what in the hell was that all about?”
Miles turned around and leaned against the door as though he were too exhausted to make his way across the room. He probably was. If he’d slept at all last night, she’d be surprised. Every time she woke up, she found him staring at her, his hand drawing circles on some section of her body.
The memory of the night, combined with her memory of the previous evening when Griffen had kissed her senseless and then stroked her cheek as she fell asleep, came crashing down around her in a rush. She jumped up from the couch, dislodging Griffen’s grip on her pants. “I really need to get home.” She didn’t care that no one had answered her previous question. She needed to escape.
“Love…” Miles groaned. “It doesn’t work like that.”
“He’s right, baby.” Griffen stood too. He reached for her, but she darted out of his grasp. She couldn’t think when either of them touched her.
Chapter Ten
Miles smiled as he stared at his flustered mate. He shouldn’t have, but he couldn’t help it. She was so damn cute. “Why don’t you go first in the shower? I’ll make breakfast. And then we’ll talk after we’re all clean and fed.”
Her shoulders slump. “I’m feeling railroaded.”
“I know, love. I’m sorry. I promise it will all make sense soon.”
“Why don’t I believe you?”
Miles stepped forward and reached for her hand. He waited for her while she stared at it for several heartbeats. Finally, she set hers in his, and he led her from the room, down the short hall, and into his bedroom.
It was a mess. He winced. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting company.”
“And I never said this was necessary.”
“It is, love.” He stepped over dirty clothes and pushed into the bathroom, which was thankfully not in as bad of shape. At least it was clean. He had a woman who came every week to ensure he didn’t live in a pigsty.
When he entered the bathroom, he grabbed a towel from the small closet and handed it to her. “Everything you need should be in there. Sorry, I don’t have anything girly, but we can fix that.”
“What? Now you’re going to run to the store?”
He chuckled. “No. Not now. Later.”
“How long do you think I’m staying here? Long enough to need multiple showers?” She narrowed her gaze and cocked one hip out.
“Perhaps,” he muttered. He really should keep his damn mouth shut and stop talking. Every time he opened it, he created new problems.
“Jesus, Miles. This is crazy.”
He turned toward her, took her hips in his palms, and inhaled deeply of her wonderful scent. “I know. Please. Shower. Eat. We’ll talk after.”
“Okay,” she mumbled, lowering her gaze.
He kissed the top of her head and then left her, shutting the door behind him.
The first thing he did when he heard the shower running was scurry around his bedroom picking up the litter of clothing and stashing it in the hamper in the corner. The next thing he did was strip the bed and put on fresh sheets. Thank God he had a king-sized bed. He was about to need it.
Finally, he popped back into the living room.
“She okay?” Griffen stood at the sliding glass door that led to the back yard.
“No.”
“Didn’t figure.”
“You want to use the guest bath while I start something to eat?”
“Sure.” Griffen turned around, but he made no move to leave the room. “We good?”
Miles met his gaze. “We have a choice?”
“Doesn’t seem like it, but it could be smoother.”
Miles smiled. “It’s not what I had in mind, but if I had to pick a man to share my mate with for life, I suppose I would have chosen you.” His words were heartfelt. He meant them.
Griffen met his smile. “Same to you.”
“Go shower. I’m sure we both stink.”
•●•
Rebecca was all thumbs in the shower. It took her forever to wash her hair, and thank God Miles had conditioner. She would have been a mess without it. She tried not to think while she bathed, but it was difficult to ignore the pile of questions she had. In addition, the room smelled of Miles. Hell, the whole house did. After all, it was his house.
And the scent was distracting.
She had no idea why, but she borrowed his razor and shaved. This also took forever because her hands wouldn’t stop shaking, and she didn’t want to cut herself.
When she finally emerged from the steamy shower, she felt almost human. Comical since she was the only human in the house. More questions without answers.
Everything in Miles’ bathroom seemed like normal human paraphernalia. Did wolf shifters spend most of their time behaving like normal humans? Did she know other
shifters and not realize it? Hell, were humans outnumbered?
Wrapped in the huge towel, she grabbed a comb from the counter and worked through her long hair. It would have to dry naturally, leaving her with a mess of curls hanging down her back to her butt.
Finally, she eased the door to the bathroom open. No one was in the bedroom. It was far tidier than when she’d come through it the first time, making her giggle. Even the bed was made. Did he think she was going to sleep in that bed? A shiver raced down her spine again. Sleep wasn’t what he probably had in mind. And thinking any further down that line would drive her insane, so she ignored the thought and went in search of something to wear.
There was no way she was going to put on anything she’d worn into the bathroom. She opened two drawers before she found T-shirts. She snagged the top one and tugged it over her head before losing the towel, which she draped over a chair.
She pulled her hair out of the neckline and glanced down. At least the shirt was long enough to cover her ass and provide her with some modesty. Hell, she’d seen both men naked. Who cared if her legs stuck out?
She took a deep breath and padded from the room.
The first thing she noticed was the smell of bacon. Her stomach growled.
Miles was leaning over the stove, laughing at something Griffen must have said. How close of friends were they?
They both stopped talking immediately as she entered the kitchen and turned to face her. Two sets of wide eyes scanned her from head to toe and back up. Both men were staggeringly sexy in nothing but a pair of low-hung jeans each. No shirts. Not even socks. Just yards of perfect muscular male chests. Both men had showered, and their hair was still damp.
Miles swallowed. “Turn around.”
She took a step back. What?
“Turn around, love.” His voice was gentler as he wiped his hands on a towel and turned off the burner. Wet curls hung to his shoulders. She stared at him for a moment, an urge to run her hands through his hair consuming her.
Finally, she did as he requested, angling so she faced the wall.
“God, almighty, a man could get lost in that hair.”
Ah, it was the hair he wanted to see. Of course. Duh.
She felt Griffen’s presence as he stepped closer, and then he reached out a hand and picked up a handful of curls. He lifted it to his nose and inhaled. Then he chuckled. “She smells like you now, asshole.”
Rebecca turned around, tugging her hair free of his clutches. “I didn’t exactly have a toiletry bag on me.”
Griffen ignored her and shuffled closer. He pulled her into his embrace. “Fuck breakfast.”
She leaned back, but the damage was done. Her nipples hardened the instant they hit his bare chest, only the thin cotton between her and heaven.
“Stop it, you two,” Miles admonished. He grabbed Griffen’s arm and jerked. “Sit down. Hands to yourself. Food.”
Rebecca couldn’t breathe in this kitchen when Griffen released her to pull out a chair at the head of the table. “Baby?”
She forced her legs forward, aware of every nuance in her body. Her thighs brushed against each other. Her pussy was soaked. As she sat in the chair and he pushed her to the table, she squeezed her legs together, her bare butt hitting the hard wood.
She tried to lean forward enough to keep the T-shirt from hugging her breasts. Suddenly, the idea of walking out into the kitchen wearing nothing but a plain white tee seemed a bad idea. To distract herself, she turned to Griffen. “How’s your leg?”
He wore jeans, so it couldn’t be too bad. She was surprised he’d want the denim touching the wound.
“It’s much better. I can hardly notice it now. Don’t worry.”
Miles dished up plates of food and set them on the table while Griffen took the seat to one side of her. Miles took the other side. “Eat first. None of us has eaten for a long time. I can’t imagine when we’re going to eat again. So, no one speaks. Just eat.”
His commandment was so peculiar, and hidden in there was the implication this day was about to get weirder.
Rebecca grabbed her fork and heeded his advice. He didn’t seem like a man to mince words, and there was no doubt she was starving. Everything smelled delicious. There was enough food for ten of them.
Or so she thought. As soon as they all started shoveling eggs, bacon, pancakes, and hash browns, she realized the two men flanking her had appetites to match their statures. She did her part too, and it didn’t take long before she sat back and took a deep breath. She downed the rest of her orange juice, relishing the taste of the tangy sweetness going down her throat.
Miles stood and grabbed several plates to clear the table. He dropped them unceremoniously in the sink with a clatter behind her and repeated the action. When he returned to sit in his seat, the table clear, he took a deep breath. “I’m sure you have a shit ton of questions, and we’ll answer all of them. It may take a while, but I swear we’ll get there.”
“Okay.”
Griffen reached across the wood surface of the table and took her hand. “You get that we’re wolf shifters.”
“Got that.”
“We have some unique attributes.”
“Figured that too.” She tried to smile, but didn’t quite make it.
Miles took her other hand and danced his fingers up her forearm. “Lord, this is complicated.”
Rebecca glanced down at the table where they both held her. How was this reasonable?
She understood they were both attracted to her. That was clear. But why weren’t they at each other, fighting for her affections? And then there was the next question—who would she choose? She’d ignored that niggling thought for longer than she should have.
It seemed like a contest had been going on for the last twelve hours that included both men exposing themselves and tempting her with their lips and teasing her with their touch. Did it all come down to this?
She broke the silence. “Are you about to tell me to choose between you two?” She glanced back and forth at them.
Both faces looked stunned, eyes wide, mouths open.
Miles spoke first. “No. Hell, no.” He shook his head.
She furrowed her brow. “You planning to flip a coin? Because this is about the strangest situation I’ve ever been in.” She pointedly ducked her chin to indicate where they both held her. Maybe they planned to start pulling and each take a half.
“Baby, it doesn’t work that way.” Griffen leaned in closer.
“Miles said that earlier. How, exactly, does it work?”
Miles stood so suddenly, his chair scraped across the hardwood floor and then fell over backward.
Before she knew what was happening, he pulled her chair out too, lifted her by the waist, and spun her around to set her on her ass on the edge of the table.
He took the seat she’d been in while Griffen scooted his around so they both faced her. Now they each held a leg.
“Guys…”
Griffen eased his hand up her shin, over her knee, and onto her thigh. “You don’t choose.”
His hand distracted her, making it difficult to think.
Miles ran his hand up her other leg. “There’ll be no choosing.”
Her head was spinning. She set her hands on the table on both sides to brace herself.
They each stroked a thigh, trailing higher every moment, pulling her legs apart as they inched upward.
Holy shit. Her ass was naked against the table, and now her pussy, soaking wet, was about to be exposed. She groaned as her legs shook with need. Some strange pull made her unable to stop this madness.
She wanted them. Both of them.
There. She admitted it. At least to herself.
If they both wanted to play, who was she to stop them?
“You belong to both of us, baby,” Griffen muttered.
Both…
Wait. Belong?
“What does that mean?” she moaned.
“You’re our mate, love. It’s unu
sual, but it happens.”
“What’s unusual?” His words swam inside her head, but they didn’t connect. Their distracting fingers drove her mad.
“For two wolves to mate with one woman,” Griffen clarified.
“Mate?” That word kept circulating. She tried to focus on their faces.
“Mate. Claim.” Miles shrugged. “Semantics. We both have to sleep with you to complete the process.”
“What process?” She sat upright and grabbed both their hands on her legs to halt their progress toward her pussy. This sounded important.
They took pity on her and eased back to about her knees. Her legs were stretched open too far, but at least one or two brain cells functioned.
Miles squeezed her knee. “When a wolf finds his mate, he just knows. It’s for life. We mate for life,” he clarified. “You might have sensed it when you met Griffen yesterday.”
She shook her head. Liar.
“When two wolves are mates, it’s easy. They both know it. They deal with it. It’s awkward when a wolf finds he is destined to a human. So many things to explain,” Griffen added.
“You should probably start that explaining then.” She squeezed her pussy, gripping at nothing. There was no denying her body was screaming at her to let them fuck her senseless, but she needed to grasp onto a thread of reality and listen to these two men at her knees.
“If it had just been the two of us, it would have been simpler. Marginally. But then Miles showed up, and… Well… It was clear immediately he was fated to claim you also.”
“What do you mean when you say claim? Are you talking about sex?”
Miles grinned. “Yes, but so much more. It’s permanent, love.”
“What’s permanent?” She felt stupid and a bit like a parrot.
“Once we both make love to you, the bond will be in place. Nothing can separate us,” Miles clarified.
“Ever?”
“Correct.” Griffen met her gaze. “It’s forever, baby.”
“Like a marriage.”
Miles shook his head. “Marriages are a dime a dozen. A mating between wolves and their partners, however many that is, cannot be broken.”
Rebecca's Wolves (Wolf Masters Book 6) Page 8
