by Leah Brooke
Joe shook his head. “Yeah. What the hell was he thinking?”
“I doubt if he was thinking at all.” Leland lifted his head. “Hi, baby. Sorry it took so long, but I wasn’t about to try to climb this thing naked.
She swung her gaze to a spot several feet away where Joshua bent to place the man he’d been carrying, Thomas at his side, helping him set the man gently on the ground. “It’s not them.” She whipped her head around just in time to see Leland and Joe cresting the top.
Graham rubbed her back, blowing out a breath. “That’s the other man. Leland and Joe are coming up now.”
As they crested the top, their gazes swung to hers, their reassuring smiles falling when she starting crying in earnest.
“You’re alive! Thank God.” She raced toward them, swiping at her eyes as the tears kept falling. “I thought you were dead. I thought that he’d killed you. Oh, God. It’s all my fault. Let me see you. Are you hurt?”
She didn’t realize how hard she was shaking until she reached out a hand toward them. Wiping away more tears, she practically fell into Joe’s arms. “Oh, God. Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay.”
“Hey!” Joe hugged her close before gripping her arms to hold her slightly away from him, his eyes sharp on hers. “Don’t cry, baby. We’re fine. I promise.”
She reached for Leland, sliding her gaze to his, and once again struck by the love shining in his eyes. “If anything happened to you…”
Taking her hand in his, Leland pulled her close, his eyes flat and hard as he glanced over her shoulder to where Joshua and Thomas tended to the other man. “Nothing is going to happen to us, and I’m damned well going to make sure nothing happens to you.”
Joe took her hand in his. “Let’s get her up to the house. We have to call the authorities.”
Looking past him to the man on the ground, Glenna gulped. “Is he...?”
“Dead? Yes.” Joe pulled her with him as he started for the house, keeping his body between hers and the other man’s. Running a hand down her back, he wrinkled his nose. “He fell on the knife, but Leland and I are going to have to answer a lot of questions. We both shifted as we went over, but he didn’t. Do you want to tell me why you and the others smell like you’ve been in a whorehouse?”
Glenna shrugged, her stomach tight with knots as she listened to Leland bark out orders. “I thought it would work, but I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt. I thought if you talked to him…” She paused as Leland walked up beside her on the other side. “Graham and I were talking last night, and he happened to mention that the reason that man got away was because Leland heard me cry out in pain, so he raced back to me.”
Blowing out a breath, she stared at the ground, still shaking. “I felt guilty about it. I know that you’ve been looking for this guy for a long time, and I ruined your chance of getting the answers you needed.” Turning, she looked toward the man lying motionless on the ground. “Now, you’ll never have those answers.”
Joe turned her back to face forward. “We know more than we did before. There’s more of them. Of us. We know why they’re so angry. Now, we just have to find them. We’ll stay on alert.” With a sigh, he glanced at Leland. “With an Alpha like that, no wonder they’re so riled up. Hopefully, the others will listen to reason.”
His eyes narrowed. “Finding him wasn’t important enough to put yourself in danger.”
Glenna smiled, despite the fact that her stomach was still in knots. “I was never in any danger. Joshua, Graham, and Thomas were all there. He couldn’t smell them because I’d sprayed all of them with the same perfume.”
Leland grimaced. “Hell, it’s strong enough to block out everything else.”
“That was the point. I’d hoped if I stood out there long enough, he wouldn’t be able to resist.” Lifting her gaze to his, she sighed. “I think he was crazy. He said that he’d even killed people. Did you see that look in his eyes?” Shivering, she cuddled against Joe. “He wasn’t like that the last time. He was evil.”
Gripping her arm, Leland hurried his steps, holding on to her as they went up the stairs to the deck. “And he got close to you twice, my mate. That’s something that neither one of us can ignore.”
Pausing at the top, he turned, still gripping her arm. His eyes narrowed to slits, his features hard. “Because of you, we know that there are others, and we have to assume that they’re a danger as well. If you try anything like that again, I’m going to turn you over my knee and paddle your ass so hard you won’t be able to sit for a week. I give you a lot of leeway, my mate, but this is something I can’t allow.”
Pressing her hands to his chest, Glenna looked up at him. “I won’t do it again. I promise. It makes me sick that he died. I understand the danger now, and I promise, I won’t take any chances.”
Inclining his head, Leland eyed her speculatively. “Good. Then we understand each other. I won’t be disobeyed when it comes to the safety of anyone living here. Ever.” He turned to look at Joshua, who’d come up behind him. “I don’t know how you talked the others into doing something like that, but I’ll get to the bottom of it.”
Joshua’s brows went up, his features grim. “You told us not to do anything to upset her. She was upset about that asshole getting away because of her, and was determined to do it on her own. We made sure she was protected.” Shaking his head, he dropped into a seat on the deck. “I wouldn’t want to face either one of you or Fiona if something happened to her.” Meeting her eyes, he smiled faintly. “Besides, I like your mate.”
Joe nodded. “Then we owe you a debt we can never repay.”
The realization that she’d run into a wall with both of her lovers, a solid determination that she wouldn’t be able to circumvent, Glenna forced a smile. “I won’t do anything like that again. I promise.”
They’d been loving and patient with her, but they were still the Alphas and she’d reached a line with them that even she couldn’t cross.
Joe came up behind her, running a hand over her bottom. “You’d better not. The thought of losing you scares the hell out of me. Come on. I’ll make the call while you go take a shower. I want to smell you, not that God-awful perfume.”
Pausing, he groaned and hugged her close. “I love you too damned much. I’m afraid Leland and I are going to be very protective of you.”
“I know.” She pressed a kiss to his naked chest, loving the feel of him all around her. “As long as we’re together, nothing else matters.”
Walking arm and arm with him, they made their way inside where the rest of her new family waited.
Moving to the kitchen window, she looked out at the mountains, sighing as Leland’s arms came around her from behind.
“You okay, baby?”
Nodding, she blinked back tears and cuddled against him, still holding Joe’s hand. “Everything’s perfect.”
The mountains had always been special to her, but she’d never imagined how special they would be.
In their shadow, she’d found a love as grand and overwhelming as the mountains themselves.
Epilogue
Watching the sun disappear over the horizon, Glenna sighed as she leaned back against Leland. She ran her hands up and down his forearms as he almost absently massaged her breasts through her sweater, tilting her head to give him better access to nuzzle her neck. “That feels good.”
In the month since the episode by the ravine, things had finally begin to settle again, and she, Leland and Joe had become closer than ever.
“Hmm.” His hands tightened on her waist. “Yes, it does.”
Sitting on one of the new chaise lounges between Leland’s strong thighs, Glenna smiled and glanced over to where Joe fed their son from another lounge chair next to them. “Aren’t you glad I talked you into these chairs?”
“Hmm.” Leland’s touch became bolder, and hands sliding up her sweater, the almost complete darkness hiding them from view. “We never lounged before, so we didn’t need them.”
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Glad that the others had made themselves scarce, she folded her hands over his muscular forearms, her breath catching at the feel of his hands on her naked flesh. “What do you think of lounging now?” Her pulse tripped when he focused his attention on her nipples, making her glad that she’d decided not to wear a bra.
Touching his lips to the back of her neck, Leland chuckled softly, rolling her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. “I don’t know about lounging, but these chairs give me all sorts of ideas. I’ll bet Joe and I could take you together real easy in this chair.”
Her pulse leapt at the thought of it, her pussy and ass clenching in anticipation. “When the baby goes to sleep, why don’t we try it?”
Chuckling softly, Leland hugged her close. “You’re getting very brave, my mate.”
Turning in his arms, she snuggled against him, smiling as she watched Joe with their now-sleeping son. Keeping her voice low so as not to wake him, she arched into Leland’s touch. “I’m the mate of the two Alphas. I have to be brave. I can’t let the two of you overwhelm me, now can I?”
Leland’s brow went up in a way that always aroused her, a small mischievous smile playing at his lips. “That sounds very much like a challenge, honey.”
Working open the buttons at the front of his shirt, Glenna slid a hand inside to caress warm muscle, while her other hand slid down his body to cup the erection pressing at her hip. “Maybe.” Looking up at him through her lashes, she hid a smile when his eyes narrowed in warning. “What do you plan to do about it?”
From beside her, Joe chuckled. “I’m going to go put Jonas down for the night while you explain to our mate just what happens when someone challenges the Alphas. I think we wore him out.”
Leland laughed softly, reaching out to touch his son before Joe took him away. “He’s playful already. We’re going to have our hands full with him.”
Glenna smiled up at Joe as he bent with their son, kissing the baby’s soft hair. “I can’t believe how much he’s grown already.”
“He never stops eating.” Reaching down a hand to her breast, Joe smiled. “I’ll be right back. Go ahead and start without me. I’ll catch up.”
Watching them go, Glenna sighed. “Sometimes, I can’t believe all this is real.”
“Believe it.” Leland unfastened her jeans before turning her back to face him.
Lifting herself up as Leland’s thumbs caressed her nipples, Glenna slid her hands into his hair, delighted that there was enough light coming from the kitchen window to allow her to see the glitter of hunger in his eyes. “So, I believe you were going to explain to me what happens when someone challenges the Alphas.”
Leland pinched her nipple, his eyes flaring at her cry. “It has to be addressed immediately. They have to be shown who’s in charge.”
Biting her lip to hold back a moan as Leland lifted her light sweater out of the way, Glenna sucked in a breath at the cool air blowing on her breasts while his hot fingers teased her nipples. “Really? Who is in charge?”
“You’re a brat, my mate.” With a hand in her hair, he pulled her closer, all teasing gone from his voice. “I love you, Glenna.”
Lifting her face for his kiss, Glenna sighed. “I love you, too. So much that it’s ridiculous.”
“Then I’m afraid I’m just as ridiculous.”
Joe appeared again, sliding a hand over her hair as he bent to kiss her. “Let’s go upstairs, and we can show you just what the consequences are of daring us.”
Glenna looked from one to the other, smiling when they each took one of her hands. “I can’t wait.” Pausing, she looked from Joe’s gleaming eyes to Leland’s narrowed ones, her breath catching at the surge of love for both of them.
Joe frowned, his eyes searching. “Something wrong?”
Squeezing their hands, she continued up the stairs, anxious to play with her lovers. They had to be serious all day and had a lot of responsibility, and the times she could get them to relax and play a little had become precious to her. “Not a thing. Come on, pussycats. See if you can catch me.”
“Pussycats?” Joe’s growl of outrage thrilled her.
With a soft laugh at their curses, she raced the rest of the way up the stairs and into their bedroom, already stripping out of her clothes as they strolled in after her. Sizzles of awareness raced over her as they came into the room, her pleasure mounting when they closed and locked the door behind them and began ridding themselves of their own clothes.
Joe sat to take off his boots, his gaze raking over her nakedness before his eyes met hers again. “Looks like we’ve got you right where we want you.”
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she leaned back, bracing herself on her arms and arching her back to thrust her breasts higher. “I could say the same about you. I’ve learned a few things about dealing with the Alphas.”
Leland threw his shirt aside, revealing his massive chest. “Really? Tell us about it.”
Glenna grinned. “I’d rather show you.”
* * * *
A long time later, all three of them lay in a tangled heap, with Glenna sandwiched in the middle. Struggling to catch her breath, she wiped the sweat from her forehead. “Told you.” Turning to lie on her stomach, she smiled at each of them, delighted with the soft growling sounds coming from both of them. “I can make the Alphas purr.”
Joe lifted his head and looked over at Leland before meeting her gaze again. “I distinctly heard some really loud purring coming from you.”
Hiding a smile, she let her eyes close, loving the feel of their hands moving up and down her back.
Leland turned toward her, his cock pressing against her hip. “So did I.”
“Impossible.” Keeping her eyes closed, Glenna pressed her face against Joe’s chest to hide her smile. “You two must be imagining things. I don’t purr.”
Joe chuckled softly. “Another challenge?”
Glenna giggled. “Maybe. I wouldn’t want you to get bored with me.”
Wrapping his arm around her, Leland pulled her close, her back held solidly against his chest. “Not a chance in hell, my mate. You’ve brought this house back to life again. I don’t think I could stand any more excitement.”
“Poor kitty.” Flattening a hand on Joe’s chest, she smiled as he turned off the light. “Just think about how much excitement there’ll be when my sister comes back next month.
Leland groaned. “Hell, I don’t want to think about it. Go to sleep, my mate.”
With her head on Joe’s shoulder, the heat of his body warming the front of her body while Leland’s warmed the back, Glenna sighed, smiling when Joe took her hand in his and kissed the top of her head.
She couldn’t imagine a place she’d rather be.
* * * *
Holding her close, Leland felt her slump against him, and listened as her breathing evened out.
He smiled at how much his life had changed since he met her.
He had a mate. He had a son.
The love he’d never thought to have had become such an integral part of his life now, that he could no longer imagine a life without Glenna in it.
Warmed by the feel of her body pressed against his, and breathing in the scent of his woman, Leland thought about the others still out there, and promised himself they wouldn’t have the chance to get near his mate.
The pride of the pack would be kept close.
Pressing his lips to her hair, he closed his eyes and let himself drift, secure in the knowledge that his mate was safe and in his arms—right where she belonged.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When Leah’s not with family and friends, she’s busy writing, or plotting new stories.
For all titles by Leah Brooke, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/leah-brooke
Siren Publishing, Inc.
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