Lunar Mates Volume Two: Books 4-6
Page 18
Sighing, Aaron rose, propping himself up on one elbow and reaching with the other arm to tug her back down. Cooper watched, his mental shields mostly back in place. She got a sense of determined watchfulness from him and sensed a crouching beast just beyond her ability to fully see.
Fifteen
“Bet I can change your mind.”
A challenge, and being a female werewolf, there were no existing rules, were there? She wanted to get to know them, explore the sexuality that raged between the three of them. But outside of bed? It wasn’t happening, though damned if she could explain why that was so important to her. So much a part of her. Could it be a bloodline thing? The only person she could ask didn’t know she could shift and was male. He probably didn’t have answers either.
Her hands went to the marks on her neck. They tingled. As if they were alive, a living piece of Cooper and Aaron added to her flesh. Had she really thought she wanted a man of her own? She had no one to blame but herself. If they couldn’t or wouldn’t compromise on this, it was too late. It couldn’t be undone. Whether she liked them or not, loved them or hated them. And if she did love them… Oh, God. What if they never loved her back? What if it was only chemistry that held them to her? She’d never forgive them for it. Never forgive herself for letting them close enough to destroy the happiness of three people. All for what? Lust? The sexual urges she couldn’t indulge anywhere else?
While she thought, Cooper had gotten up and rushed through the shower. He came back to bed, shoved wet hair out of his eyes, and watched her as carefully as Aaron did on her other side. Delilah’s chest constricted as she returned his gaze. That quiet watchfulness, the air of command, made her toes curl and her heart thump. She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing she was in real trouble and it didn’t have anything to do with physical safety. It wasn’t a matter of could she love him—them—only of matter of how long it took and how hard she fell. The animal awareness that resided deep within her, that had kept her alone and independent and safe for years, clamored for escape.
“I don’t think I can do this,” she whispered in desperation. Desperate to flee. Desperate to avoid heartache.
“Yes you can.” Cooper growled, rolling over on top of her.
She was slick from the earlier orgasms, from Aaron’s come, and Cooper’s aggressive action only made her wetter. He entered her in one thrust, with no preamble, not bothering to see if she was ready to accept his body but seeming to understand it would welcome him anyway. She wanted to resist, but her body betrayed her. She felt Cooper’s desire for her to stay still, to accept him. Even if she’d found the will to push him away, his gaze held her in place. Dark and possessive, yet showing a vulnerability she’d never guessed him capable of. Something in her reached out, refusing to deny him whatever succor it was he sought.
“Mine,” he practically growled.
He leaned over to once again nibble at the spot on her neck he’d marked earlier, and her body was catapulted into another orgasm. She screamed at the intensity as he powered through the convulsions of her womb. It was as if her body had decided to force him over, too, and then wring every last drop from him. When he did come, it was with a low snarl, not the roar she expected.
“Mine,” he whispered again, withdrawing from her body and flopping to the bed beside her.
“Ours,” Aaron added not giving her any rest.
He rolled her over, pulled her hips up so she was on knees and elbows. He plunged into her mind at the same time he plunged into her body. She felt everything the wolf felt. The need to possess. The need to dominate. The need to protect. And she realized she might not be able to make herself leave, would never be able to protect her heart.
His fingers found her clit, alternating between soft strokes and hard pulls and then, unbelievably, she was coming again. When the trembles subsided, he released her, and she fell flat on her face against the mattress. Damn, the sex was so good it might kill them all. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so satiated. She was limp, muscles loose and pliant as she curled onto her side. She should have known one of them would blow it.
Aaron lightly stroked his fingers up her spine, making her shiver. “If you survived all these years, is there a living Regis out there?”
He sounded almost drowsy as he asked, like it was a casual musing but she knew better and couldn’t hide her reaction. She rolled to her back, slowly gathering herself, preparing the strike at the two people she should never have to consider enemies.
“I can’t answer that.”
“Can’t or won’t?” he asked harshly.
She closed her eyes a moment. Took a deep breath then looked at them again. “Assume for a moment there is a living Regis. Who has your first loyalty?”
“Why would you ask that? You do.” His confusion didn’t last long. “But we don’t have yours,” he said bitterly.
“Word is going to get out that I’m here. Which puts everyone around me, everyone who’s vulnerable, in more danger. I should really leave.” She went on before they could protest. “Imagine what the Society would do if they suspected there was a living king? Hell, what would the alphas do? What would Anthony do?”
“Jackson, Darius, Nolan…they’d support the king. Anthony…” He exchanged a look with Cooper that she didn’t need interpreted.
“You aren’t sure of Anthony,” she said softly. “And what about the other hunters? Will they follow their alphas or Anthony?”
“Fuck,” he muttered darkly. He looked at her with glowing eyes. Predatory eyes. “I understand you’ve had to be suspicious your whole life. That it’ll take time for you to trust us that much but if keeping this secret gets you hurt I’ll kill the bastard. I don’t care who or what he is.”
The threat actually reassured her, assuming he wasn’t going to push the issue, and smiling, she lay back.
“This isn’t amusing, mate.”
“No,” she said soberly. “It’s sweet. Suicidal and insane, but sweet that you’d try.”
He snorted derisively. “He can’t be that strong.”
“Do you think it’s coincidence that the first female shifter you’ve met is of the Regis line?” she asked softly.
He fell onto his back. “Fuck. How many are there?”
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. She knew of at least one but she’d be very surprised if there weren’t more. She didn’t tell him that. “I just never thought it was a coincidence.”
Cooper had been suspiciously quiet and she swore she could feel him thinking, but when she looked at him he just smiled. He stroked her cheek with the pads of his fingers.
“The patrols have been increased, alerts gone out, and for the rest of the day there’s no reason for any of us to leave the house,” he murmured. “I think of much more interesting things to do than speculate about people I’m not like to meet in the next twenty-four hours.”
He kissed her and she was in complete agreement. Let everything else wait.
Sixteen
The next morning Aaron dragged himself from the bed. He didn’t want to leave Delilah’s warmth but somewhere in the house his cell phone was ringing. Damn werewolf hearing anyway. He got up as quietly as possible, just shook his head at Cooper’s questioning look, and pulled on his jeans. He slipped out of the room without waking his mate. His exhausted mate. He winced. They might have tried to start out gentle but it sure as hell hadn’t ended up that way. After a day and night of two insatiable werewolves, it was a miracle she hadn’t run screaming from the house.
Not that they’d let her so it was good he had a call and probably something that would get him out of the house. He wasn’t happy there was so much he hadn’t known about her, so much she was still keeping secret. Logically he got it. He shuddered to think of the kind of life she must have had. Isolation and suspicion. Never being able to trust anyone. Which, he thought, was what fucking pissed him off the most. She could trust them. She didn’t and it was knife twisting his gut.
Downstairs he found the phone sitting on an end table in the living room. The window said he had voice mail and he swiped it open, pushing the icon that would play messages. One was from his younger brother saying something about his plane being early, but Aaron skipped over the rest of it. The other two were from Billy, demanding to know where the fuck his sorry ass was.
He arched his eyebrows, irritation subsiding into curiosity. It was unusual for their unflappable beta to lose his cool or his manners, especially when he knew Aaron was busy. Not to mention the holiday season. He reminded himself that Billy had once been a good friend, that they’d drifted apart over the years and it was Billy’s mate who brought Delilah to them. So maybe he could cut the werewolf a little slack.
He went back upstairs to finish dressing. He heard Cooper’s even breathing and knew he’d gone back to sleep wrapped around their mate, slipped into his old room to find clothes that hadn’t yet been moved. Clad in a sweatshirt and his spare boots in mere seconds, he was out the door, hurrying to get back to the big house and find out what the damned rush was.
***
An hour later, the phone woke Cooper. He would have ignored it but was afraid it would wake Delilah. Grumbling, he lurched from the bed and hurried to pick it up. He didn’t bother to look at the caller ID.
“What?”
“Nice to talk to you, too, brother.”
Cooper had to smile at Aidan’s smooth, slightly sarcastic voice. He glanced over his shoulder at Delilah who still lay in a deep sleep, and his grin broadened. He couldn’t wait until the day Aidan met his own mate. He had a feeling whoever she was would give him hell.
“It’s not really a great time for chatting, little brother.”
“Well, you’re stuck with me. I caught an earlier flight and no one else is answering their phone. So you won the lottery. You get to pick me up.”
He was not getting stuck with taxi duty, but he couldn’t leave his brother stranded either. Fuck.
“All right. Someone will be there as soon as I can round them up.”
He didn’t wait for a response, just hung up the phone and dialed. He growled his frustration when there was no answer from his fathers and called Aaron. He answered on the second ring.
“Hey.”
“Where the fuck did you run off to? Aidan is at the airport. One of us has to go get him.”
“Well, go.” His brother sounded distracted. His tone had a definite why the fuck are you bothering me with this edge.
Cooper actually took the phone away from his ear and stared at it a minute. Had Aaron finally snapped? “I don’t want to wake Delilah up and I’m not fucking leaving her alone. Can you get back to the house?”
He hated to admit even to himself why her comfort was so important to him. Because he knew he couldn’t live without her. Knew he already loved her. And he knew when she woke up, she’d still be thinking about leaving them. His hand itched to stroke her belly, but he held himself back, took a deep breath. Already her scent had altered, a sweetness added to the rich spice that had damn near driven them crazy earlier.
She was pregnant. He was pleased and disturbed. Thrilled that she carried their child, that there was one more tie between the three of them, but worried about how she’d react when she discovered their deception. They could prevent pregnancy the same way humans did. They’d just chosen not to. Not only that, being who and what she was put her in danger. He was sure she was safe in the pack but they couldn’t keep her prisoner.
Aaron sighed, and Cooper felt the same conflicted emotions from his brother. “Why can’t the dads go?”
“No answer.” He’d tried calling them first.
“You’re gonna have to take her with you then.”
There was a long pause while he thought it over. He really didn’t want to wake her up. They’d worn her to exhaustion the previous afternoon and then kept her up half the night. Then there were the babies to consider. Giving into temptation, he laid his palm over her stomach. He’d have to talk to Dad, find out if it was possible to be certain of pregnancy so early. He felt his wolf rise, a long satisfied stretch, and inhaled deeply. No. He was right. Her scent continued to alter, to grow sweeter, more alluring. If this was normal, he’d have to make sure she stayed pregnant.
“It worked,” he said, sharing the news with his brother in images, feelings. He heard Aaron take a ragged breath, felt his heart race.
“She needs her rest then.”
“She does.” But he couldn’t keep himself from leaning over her, nibbling her neck. She moaned in her sleep and rolled to her side, turning into his touch. He backed off, reluctant to rouse her.
“Go get Aidan. Lock the house, and let her sleep.”
Cooper’s wolf growled, reluctant to leave its mate unguarded.
“The roads are clear, Cooper. It shouldn’t take more than thirty minutes to get him. She knows not to leave house without us, and I’ll feel it if she needs me. I can be there in less than two minutes if I change. Hell, she’ll probably still be in bed when you get back.”
Cooper hated the suggestion but knew there was no good reason not to follow it. The house was less than half a mile from the alpha’s home. Everyone knew it and knew who the woman who lived in it belonged to them, but he was surprised at Aaron’s willingness to leave her alone. There was the rogue, but whoever he was, he’d never attacked during the day, and never a mate. He always went after werewolves. Not only that, the patrols this close to the alpha’s house had been tripled. Cooper wasn’t concerned for his safety or Aaron’s and knew Delilah would be safe. So why did he feel so uneasy about leaving her? Was it simply the fear she’d wake up and try to leave? Or something more?
“Fuck. I’d feel a lot better if you were here, or just went and picked him up yourself.”
He had a vision of Aaron gnashing his teeth, heard a door shut in the background and silence as Aaron moved into a room by himself.
“Look, Cooper. I know how you feel, but you know as well as I do that at some point we’re going to have to give her some freedom. A little bit of space. We can’t be with her 24/7.”
Like hell he couldn’t, but what the fuck was with his brother? He’d sensed Aaron’s frustration and simmering anger when he’d left. Cooper would have to figure that out later.
“And if you could, you’d drive her crazy. She’s not gonna put up with total control, and if you’re honest, you’ll admit you don’t want that anyway. She has to be here of her own free will. She has to trust us.”
Just like that, Aaron explained his turn around. Her trust could only be given, not demanded. But it rang wrong. Cooper sighed, already getting dressed. His brother was right on one point. He wanted—needed—Delilah to stay because she wanted to be with them, not because the bond forced it, and he wanted her secrets because she knew he’d keep them.
“Shit,” he muttered.
In his ear, Aaron laughed, but it was a distracted sound. He’d already moved on to pack business, assured Cooper would take care of family matters. He ended the call without saying goodbye, bent to drop a brief light kiss on her lips, and left the room. Downstairs, he locked all the windows and doors with a sense of unreality riding him hard. He’d grown up in the house but couldn’t remember a time the doors had ever been locked. The unease he’d felt earlier came bac
k when he walked outside. He stared at the house a few minutes before shaking it off and going to the truck. Aidan better appreciate this and keep his wiseass comments to himself.
Seventeen
Delilah sat on the porch, cradling a cup of hot chocolate between her hands, and laughed at the birds’ antics. She couldn’t identify them. Hawks, eagles, some kind of birds of prey at least. They were big and majestic and putting on an aerial show for her, chasing each other, swooping high in the air and then diving low enough to the ground to drag the edge of one wing through the snow. It had begun a game with them to see which could fling the most amount of the wet white stuff in his wake against his pursuer. Definitely not typical bird behavior.
She’d woken alone, had tried to call Gage and been sent to voice mail. She’d come outside for the relief, the solitude. She needed space to think about everything that had happened. Time to figure out how the hell to explain it to her cousin and king. She’d felt drawn outside and the birds had been waiting for her. As she watched them and relaxed, she became aware of the other animals in the area. Skittering along tree branches, hunched down under trees and bushes. It didn’t take long to realize they were drawn to her. It had happened before on a much smaller scale, but never with every animal she could sense in the area. Was it a new manifestation of her talent brought out by this place or had her bond with the twins strengthened her ability?
Suddenly silence fell and the birds went quiet, flying into the treetops. The chattering squirrels warned her someone approached down the path from the big house. Her heart leapt and she waited to see Cooper or Aaron come around the bend. She didn’t know how late she’d slept and had been surprised to wake up alone. She also couldn’t believe how badly she wanted to see them. Was that the bond speaking or something else?
She concealed her surprise when the figure came into view. Not her twins or anyone she knew, but he was definitely a werewolf. He had that combined animal-human vibe she hadn’t noticed before coming here, and he’d presumably come from Jackson’s. He walked into the yard and over to the porch. She repressed a shiver when he smiled at her. There was something about him that was off, made her instincts scream. Fuck. She should have known better than to relax her guard. Was he a pack member or a rogue who’d snuck through the patrols? Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen any patrols and she probably should have.