by Daisy Dunn
Luke. He suddenly remembered his wounded brother. He sat up and looked over at him. Luke had already transformed back into himself and lay on the ground, naked. Levi ran to his side, becoming a man again once he reached Luke.
“Are you all right?”
Luke opened his eyes, tears matting his eyelashes together. “Levi, I don’t understand. I saw you go over the side. I thought you were dead.” He reached up and hugged Levi fiercely.
Luke finally let go and flopped back down. “Skye saved me. I think we’ve met our match with these women.”
“Yes, I think we have. Now if you’d please help me get this fucking blade out of my leg, I’d be a tad bit happier.”
“No, don’t take it out,” Skye cried out, turning to face the men. “You’ll bleed too much if you do.”
“We’re different from humans, Skye. We heal ten times faster. As soon as the blade is removed, the skin will seal up almost instantly. However, it’s going to be tender for a couple of days.”
Levi turned to face Luke. “Are you ready?”
“Do it already!”
Levi placed his hand on the handle of the blade and pulled it out in one quick yank. He threw it over the edge of the ridge, tossing it back to its owner. Luke growled in pain, pounding his fist on the ground beside him.
“Absolutely amazing. The skin closed up instantly,” Skye said, her voice filled with awe.
“How does it feel now?”
“It hurts, but I can feel an improvement already. Thank God the blade hadn’t been made out of silver.”
Levi nodded, relieved his brother hadn’t been mortally wounded.
Skye slowly stood up and looked at the two naked men before her. “So how are we going to get your bare asses out of here, and what are we going to do with Simon’s body?”
Chapter 9
The wooziness Ivy felt dissipated while they wandered through the thick woods. She noticed the fresh air helped to clear her mind from the fog the chloroform had left in its wake. Walking through the forest gave her a deep sense of comfort, as if the trees were embracing her and welcoming one of their own home.
“Do you want to continue, or do you need to sit down?” Flame took her arm and held on to it for support. Luke’s shoe dropped out of her arms and onto the forest floor. She bent down to pick it up and placed it on the pile of clothes and shoes she carried for the men.
“I’ll be fine. My head’s clearing. I’m going to try to talk to the earth to see if she can point me in the direction they went.” Ivy bent down to the ground and stationed her hands on the earth. She dug her fingertips into the soil, enjoying the intimate bond the earth had with her. She closed her eyes and focused on the direction nature urged her to go. “We need to head north.”
They turned from their westward direction and headed north. “You know, Flame, I’m feeling much better. I can take a bundle of clothes from you to carry.”
“Don’t be silly, Ivy. I’m fine with this stuff. You need to concentrate on where we’re going and enjoy the power surges you feel from the earth.”
“All right, but if you keep dropping them, I’m carrying them without argument from you.”
“Fine.”
A loud growl filled with pain and anger could be heard from a short distance away. The two women looked at each other, knowing the sound came from one of the werewolves. “My boys!” Ivy shouted, tears pooling in her eyes.
“Let’s move,” Flame commanded. They took off running as fast as they could toward the cry, which echoed over and over in Ivy’s mind.
Please, let them be all right. Ivy raced ahead of Flame, the earth pulling her north toward her lovers and Skye.
Within ten minutes, they arrived at the clearing. Luke lay on the ground, naked, with blood caked on his thigh. Oh God, Luke. She ran to his side and pressed his head to her breasts. “Are you all right? What happened?”
“I’m fine, Ivy. It’s a knife wound. It should heal practically overnight.”
“Oh, you poor thing.” She pulled away from him and began to plant kisses all over his face.
“I might need to be nursed back to health though,” Luke joked, grabbing Ivy and kissing her seductively back on the lips.
“Ahem!” Flame cleared her throat loud enough for Ivy to notice. “Here are your clothes and shoes. I suggest putting them on.”
Ivy looked up at Flame. Her face had a deep red blush as she dropped the brothers’ attire on the ground and turned her back on their nudity. “Don’t be embarrassed, Flame. It isn’t like you haven’t seen men naked before.”
“I choose not to dignify your comment with a response.”
Laughing, Levi stepped forward and began to put his clothes back on. He then gathered up Luke’s clothes and shoes and brought them closer to him. Ivy helped him dress, being extra careful sliding his pants up his legs.
“Where’s Simon?” Flame asked, the blush having finally disappeared from her cheeks.
Skye pointed to the edge of the ridge. Flame stepped up to the lip of the drop and looked over. Simon lay on the ground among the jagged rocks strewn about the floor of the ravine. His splattered body splayed out, misshapen from hitting the rocks below.
“What should we do?” Skye asked the group of new and old friends.
Silence met her question for a moment. “I think we need to dispose of the body,” Flame responded after careful consideration.
“I don’t think hiding his body would be right. Would it?” Ivy asked, confused about what to do.
“I have to agree with Flame on this one, Ivy.” Levi sat down next to her on the ground. “We need to make him disappear. He won’t be the last of his kind who’ll come around, but we can make the hunters work hard at finding out what happened to him. We’ll go back to the rental house, remove all of our fingerprints and any traces of us having been there. We can pack his belongings into his vehicle and push it off a cliff in a remote area. I’ll leave some money on the table for the landlord and a note saying he’s gone to Port Hardy, at the tip of Vancouver Island. I can only surmise he’s working his way up the island in search of werewolves. We’ve got to be in agreement about this. What does everyone think?”
“I’m in,” Luke and Skye chimed in together.
“Well, you already know I’m all for it,” Flame answered.
All gazes turned to Ivy. It doesn’t seem right, but Levi makes sense. “I’m not sure.”
Luke took her chin in his hand and turned her to face him. “We’ve been dealing with these type of men all of our lives. They are ruthless killers bent on eradicating werewolves. Even though you are not a werewolf, he would have killed you, too. They’re serial killers under the guise of hunting werewolves. They’re fanatics. Trust us with this, Ivy. It’s what we know. Flame and Skye know it, too.”
Luke let go of her chin, and she looked at her Elemental sisters. They nodded in agreement. “Okay, let’s do this. What’s the plan?”
“I guess we’ll need some rope to get down to Simon’s body and bring it up.” Levi stood up, dusting off his jeans.
“Or, we could incinerate him.” Skye pointed to Flame, who returned to the edge of the ridge and placed her hands together. Silence filled the air as they all watched Flame work her magic. A high-pitched hum rang in Ivy’s ears, growing louder as if someone turned the volume up a notch every two seconds. Flame’s hair crackled with static, parts of it standing on end. She finally released her hands and pointed them down at Simon. Blasts of fire shot from her fingertips and hit her intended target. Simon burned with a ferocious intensity.
After a moment, Ivy covered her nose, the smell of burning flesh permeating the air. Oh God, I feel like I’m going to be sick. The foulness affected everyone as all hands moved to cover their noses, with the exception of Flame. She continued her fire assault on Simon, incinerating his body to ashes, including his bones.
A short while later, Flame collapsed on the ground, with Levi catching her to make sure she didn’t fall over the
edge. “I need a moment to rest, and then I’ll be fine.” Flame rested her head against Levi’s chest, closing her eyes briefly, while he held her in his arms.
A burning fire churned within Ivy. Jealousy lashed out at her emotions momentarily, seeing Levi touch another woman. She couldn’t bear it. Disgusted with her mistrust, she shook her head to smarten up. She couldn’t believe how possessive she became over her man. My man, my mate.
Skye stood up, still clasping her nose, and looked over the edge at the remains of Simon’s body. “The outline of Simon’s ashes still resembles a body,” Skye said to no one in particular. She let go of her nose and waved her hands in the air briefly. A strong gust of wind blew through the ravine, scattering the ashes until no trace of Simon remained. Skye turned to the group and waved one hand in the air, causing a soft breeze to blow the horrible smell of death away from them. “Sorry, everyone, I didn’t think of blowing the odor away sooner. This nasty hangover is still doing a number on my senses.”
“Thanks, Skye. Why don’t you and Flame head home, and we’ll take care of the cleanup?” Ivy loved her friends dearly and appreciated everything they had done to save and protect her. Having no sisters or brothers of her own, she looked at her friends as true sisters.
“Ivy, we all made a pact to cover things up, and that’s exactly what we intend to do.” Flame lifted her head off Levi’s chest and gave Ivy a no-nonsense look.
“I’m with Flame, but damn, I’m going to need a day off tomorrow to really recuperate,” Skye agreed while she held her head in her hands.
“I think we should head back to the house while it’s still light out. Luke, do you think you can walk?” Ivy touched his face tenderly, feeling like the biggest hypocrite in the world. If she reacted the way she did to Levi holding Flame, then Levi must be hurting to see her touching Luke. God, this is so complicated. What did I get myself into?
“I can walk slowly. I think you’re right. We should get moving.” Luke pushed himself off the ground, wincing as he put his weight on his wounded leg. Ivy ran to Luke’s damaged side to try and take his weight on her body. It didn’t seem to work, as she stood a foot shorter than Luke.
“I’ll take him,” Levi offered, grabbing Luke’s arm off Ivy’s shoulder and taking her place. “You ladies lead the way, and we’ll follow. Is this okay, Luke?”
“I guess you’ll do, but I enjoyed holding on to Ivy better.”
Ivy smiled when she heard a low rumbling growl escape from Levi as the women walked ahead of the men, leading the way back to the house.
* * * *
Late in the evening, with the work at Simon’s rental house completed, Luke lay on his king-size bed, waiting for Ivy to return to his side. She showered with him, helped him wash his body, dried him off, and brought him to bed. She hadn’t stopped fussing over him since she found out he’d been wounded, and he loved every minute of her sweet attention.
When they’d rescued her from the house, he’d wanted to run to her side, untie her bonds, and scoop her up in his arms. Instead, he watched Levi run to her and comfort her, while he cased the room for Simon. The thought of losing Ivy to Levi hurt more than he could bear. He loved her deeply and knew she had to be his mate. He didn’t know what to do about the situation. He loved his brother and would be loyal to the end, but he knew Levi felt the same way about Ivy. However the situation turned out, it was guaranteed someone would be hurt.
Ivy stood in the doorway with a glass of water in one hand and a bottle of aspirin in the other. Her smile warmed his soul. She walked to the side of his bed and sat down next to him. “Would you like a pill or two for the pain?”
“Honestly, Ivy, I’m fine. It’s tender, not painful.”
“All right. I’ll leave these on your bedside table. If you need them, they’ll be there for you.” She placed the pill bottle and glass of water down, within Luke’s easy reach, and looked back at him. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“I can think of several things.” He grabbed her waist, lifted her easily over his body, and flipped her onto the bed. He rolled partway on top of her, his lips hovering over hers. He could hear the distant thrumming of her excited heart pulsing through her body. He took her mouth, claiming her and tasting all she had to offer.
Minutes went by, and he finally relinquished her lips, allowing her to catch her breath. She’s so fucking beautiful. He ran his fingertips down her soft cheek, her skin velvet to the touch. “Have you come to a decision, my love?”
“Well, ah, no…no, I haven’t. I’m sorry, Luke, but I love you both equally. I don’t know what to do. All I keep coming up with is leaving both of you, because I couldn’t bear to pick one over the other.” Tears welled up in her eyes.
He could feel her hurt and shared the same sentiment. He loved his brother deeply and didn’t want to hurt him either. He held her tight, wishing he had the answer for her but knowing he didn’t. His heart ached for her to be his, but at what cost? He couldn’t live with her distress. He realized the answer lay with him. He knew he’d have to leave her and his brother behind. I’ll leave them a note in the morning, giving them my blessing, pretending I never loved Ivy. Then they could live happily together. It’s going to kill me, but I can’t sit here and live with her sadness, knowing I can fix it.
He held on to her tightly, feeling it would be the last time he ever held her again. A tear rolled down his cheek, and he wiped it away causally, hoping she wouldn’t notice his grief.
He looked up and saw Levi standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, shaking his head. He knows what I’m planning. He always knows.
“I know what you’re thinking, and you’re not going anywhere, Luke.” Levi sounded pissed.
Ivy lifted her head and looked toward Levi. “What do you mean? Who’s leaving?”
“Luke’s planning on leaving. Am I right?”
Luke grimaced at Levi, his secret exposed. “Yes, you’re right.”
Ivy turned back to Luke. He could see fear and sadness in her eyes. “Why, Luke? Don’t you love me?”
“I do love you, which is why I have to leave.” It broke his heart to see tears forging a path down her cheeks.
“You’re not making any sense. If you love me, why would you run away from me?”
Damn you, Levi. You had to say something and ruin everything. He sighed, giving Levi a frustrated look. “I know it’s killing you to have to choose between us. We both love you, and you love us equally. I thought I’d step back and let you two be together. If I ran away, you would be furious at me, and then feel Levi’s the one for you.”
“You’re being absolutely ridiculous. I’m sorry I don’t know what to do, but I can’t help my heart and soul belonging to both of you. As much as it pains me to be torn in two, running away would only make things worse.”
Levi walked over to the bed and sat down, cradling Ivy in his arms. “What if you didn’t have to choose?”
“What do you mean?”
“What if I said you could have both of us?” He looked at Luke as if pleading for agreement. Luke knew what he meant instantly.
“It doesn’t seem fair to either one of you.”
“This is an unfair situation, as I’m positive fate is laughing at us right now.” Luke backed up his brother. “Ivy, choose both of us. We both feel you as our mate, and you do, too. Let’s not pussyfoot around this subject anymore. It looks like Levi and I are in agreement on this, how about you?”
“So, I want to be clear about this. You both want me to be your mate? No jealousy, no fighting, accepting the situation for what it is, and loving both of you equally?”
“Yes, I’ll do whatever it takes to be with you. I love my brother, and I never want to hurt him in any way, but I love you, too. This seems to be the only solution for all of us to find happiness.” Levi squeezed her tight, planting sweet kisses on her forehead.
“If Levi and you are all right with this, I can’t think of a better way to make us all hap
py. I love you, Ivy. Please say yes and be ours.”
“What about issues of jealousy, and whose bedroom will I sleep in?”
Luke smiled at his brother. Ivy brought new issues to their unbreakable bond, but he felt at peace with his twin brother’s suggestion. “I think we’ll have those moments from time to time, but we’ll work hard to keep those emotions in check. If I come home and you two are making love, instead of getting upset about it, I’ll join in. And as for sleeping arrangements, I think we should all sleep together, unless of course, you want space for yourself.”
“The same goes for me, Ivy. We’re all going to have to work together to make this relationship work, like any other couple. So, what do you think?” Levi asked as Luke held his breath, waiting for Ivy’s answer.
She lay between the men quietly. She looked at Levi and then at Luke. “This situation’s crazy. What will my friends think?”
“They’ll think you’re the luckiest woman in the world to have two men loving you so deeply.” Luke snuggled closer to Ivy, his erection growing.
“Yes, I’ll be your woman. I feel so relieved. Doesn’t this feel right?”
“Absolutely, Ivy. You feel right.” Levi inched closer to her side.
“Incredibly right.” Flanking her on the other side, Luke pushed his full erection against her thigh.
“There’s one thing left to do. We have to mark you as our mate,” Levi said.
“How do you mark me?”
“When we make love to you, we’ll both bite you. This will let other werewolves know you are taken. The marks heal up quickly, but our scent stays with you.” Luke noticed Levi also had a hard-on.
“You won’t turn into a werewolf, but you will receive some benefits such as increase in speed, agility, healing, hearing, and smell. Also, if you get pregnant, the baby will more than likely be a werewolf.”
Ivy kissed both men on the lips and said, “If the baby is anything like you two, I’d be thrilled. So, when do we start making love? I’m anxious to begin our new lives together.”
