He hated running like some common criminal, but it was a necessity. “Just long enough for me to plan my revenge,” he told himself. He was one of the oldest shifters living, and he didn’t get that old without learning a few things along the way and gaining a few contacts. As much as he hated humans, they were good for a few things. Since it seemed that all his shifter contacts were running scared, Edmund knew it was time to call in a few favors from the humans. Once he handled Mitch and his friends, he would deal with his contacts. The traitors were going to regret abandoning him.
Chapter 4
Ken gritted his teeth and gripped his fork tighter until all the blood left his knuckles and they turned white. He could feel the thin piece of metal bending in his hand, but couldn’t bring himself to care. The tight grip was the only way he could stop himself from reaching over and pulling Talia into his lap, but he didn’t think she would take too kindly to the manhandling and force-feeding once he had her there. She needed to eat. His mate was way too skinny to be healthy. Aside from loading her plate with food, which obviously didn’t work when she pushed everything to the side, Ken had no idea what to do to get her to eat.
“Maybe we should put some honey on it. She would eat then.”
Ken snorted at his bear’s comment. “Not everyone is like you,” he told his bear.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means, not everyone craves sugar and sweets like you. You better be lucky our shifter metabolism keeps us in great shape, because if not, we would weigh about a thousand pounds.” The lazy grizzly didn’t even bother to return a comment. He just grunted and Ken could picture him in his head getting ready for a nice long nap now that his hunger was sated for the morning.
Ken glanced over at Ryan. Food hadn’t been the only hunger taken care of that morning. He thought of himself taking Ryan from behind, hard and fast, no more than an hour before.
Ken had woken up surrounded by both his mate’s scents and it had made his cock as hard as steel. It was all he could do to get Ryan stretched and ready for him before he pounded his rock-hard dick deep inside him. He’d fought the urge to go next door and drag Talia out of bed to join them. He knew she needed time to accept the fact she had two new mates, but Ken’s patience was already wearing thin. Especially when the hair on the back of his neck had stood on end and he had smelled Talia’s lust coming through the bathroom door. Only trained discipline stopped him from turning to look at her and inviting her to join them. He knew she watched. He could even hear her stuttered breathing, letting him know she was affected by what she was seeing.
Knowing she was watching, Ken had forcefully slammed his cock in Ryan’s tight ass so Talia could see what she had coming when she mated them. He had heard the rapid beat of her heart and even heard her swallow when she gulped in air. He had grinned when he heard the bathroom door close and the shower come on, but Ken’s smile was short lived when Ryan’s tight hole clenched around his cock as he threw his head back and came. The strongest orgasm of Ken’s life then slammed into him. He’d clenched his teeth to keep from roaring as he came deep inside his mate.
“Damn, that was intense. Do you think she knew we knew she was watching?” Ryan had asked him once they both caught their breath.
Ken had shook his head. “I don’t think so. I don’t think we should let on that we know, though. She’s already running scared. There’s no need to add being embarrassed to the mix.” He agreed with his mate. Knowing Talia had watched them had been intense. He couldn’t imagine what sex would be like with her actually there and them being able to touch her.
A throat clearing brought his attention back to the breakfast table and had Ken opening his eyes to look across the table at Ryan. His mate just grinned and winked at him as if he had known what he was thinking. Ken only shrugged and returned Ryan’s grin.
Once breakfast was complete and the table was cleared, a look from Mitch told Ken they were about to have a serious discussion with Talia. He knew it needed to be done to keep her safe, but based on what Mitch had told them last night about her previous mate’s death and how Percival was involved, Ken knew what she was about to hear was going to devastate her.
Ben stood and pulled Nico up with him. “Come on, little man, my wolf wants to play.” Nico squealed, oblivious to the tension spiking in the room, when Ben threw him over his shoulder and held his hand out for Jacqueline to join him. Ken watched as a look of relief crossed Ben’s mate’s face before she grabbed his hand and followed him out of the room. Ken knew the fact that Edmund Percival was Jacqueline’s father was something she constantly felt guilty about, which was the reason Ben got her out of the room before the conversation started. Mitch would fill the wolf in on everything later.
“Okay, Talia,” Mitch started, jumping right in. “We brought you here for a reason rather than take Tessa to a shifter doctor to have the baby. There are things you need to know to keep you safe while you’re here with us.”
Ken watched Talia’s face as she listened to Mitch explain how he met Tessa and about the rogue situation. Her face paled when he explained about Percival and his plans, and Ken threw his arm over her shoulder to comfort her. He felt he had won his first victory in convincing her she belonged to him and Ryan when she didn’t pull away. Instead, she snuggled into his side like she was trying to burrow under his skin. Ken had a feeling she was so caught up in Mitch’s story that she didn’t realize what she was doing, but he didn’t care. He would take whatever he could get.
When Mitch got to Ben’s kidnapping and Jacqueline’s connection, Talia finally stopped him. “Wait”—she held up her hand—“you mean this psychotic man with a grudge against you guys is her father?” When Mitch only nodded, Talia continued. “I could only imagine what she’s going through. How could someone do that to a child?”
Talia wiped a stray tear from her cheek and Ken watched Mitch’s face soften before he continued. “I’m not telling you any of this to upset you, but you need to know if you stay here so you can be safe. Percival is still out there, and as you say, he has a grudge against us. We destroyed his plans with the help of his daughter. He isn’t just going to take that and go quietly. He’ll be out for revenge.”
Ken agreed with Mitch. They had taken everything from the man. The only thing Edmund Percival had left was revenge. He watched Talia as she processed everything Mitch had told her. He was grateful Mitch didn’t mention Percival’s involvement in her mate’s death. That was something he and Ken needed to tell her in private. He wanted to be able to hold her when the knowledge hit her.
“If you don’t feel safe staying after everything I just told you, I’ll understand.”
Ken felt himself bristle at Mitch’s statement. He could see Ryan stiffen out of the corner of his eye, but neither said anything. He wanted to grab Talia, run up to his room with her and Ryan, and cocoon all three of them under the covers until they could convince Talia that she belonged with them, but the decision had to be hers. He held his breath waiting for her answer.
Talia was quiet a long time before she sighed and finally answered. “As much as I wished I was back home in my bed curled around Tiny, no offence”—she held up her hand—“I agreed to do the job, and I never go back on my word.”
Ken wanted her there because she couldn’t stand the thought of being away from him and Ryan, but he would take her answer. That gave them time to wear her down.
Tessa stood and beamed at Talia. “I’m so glad you decided to stay.” She grabbed Talia’s hand and pulled her from her seat. “Let me show you the room we had set up for the birth. We tried to equip it as best we could, but you can tell us if there is anything we missed. Then maybe you can give me an exam and tell me when I can expect this little cub. My bladder and my back would greatly appreciate it. Not to mention my swollen ankles.”
Ken watched Mitch’s mate chatter as she waddled away, dragging his mate with her, and shook his head. He grinned when he turned back and saw Mitch staring in
horror at the cat Talia had left behind. Tiny stared right back at Mitch as if he dared him to say something about his looks. Mitch looked as if he was two seconds away from leaping on the table to get away from the cat. His hair stood on end and his fangs were bared.
“You don’t think it’s contagious, do you?” Mitch whispered as if he was trying not to make any sudden moves or noises.
Ken sighed. “You do know you’re going to have to get used to Tiny. Since Talia agreed to stay, that means he’s staying, too. He’s part of the package.”
Mitch visibly shuddered. “One body part falls off and I’m shooting the thing to put it out of its misery.” He didn’t wait for a response before leaping from his chair and dashing out of the room.
Ryan snickered. “I’ve never seen someone move so gracefully while running from the room.”
Ken’s laugh turned into a groan when Ryan dropped down onto his lap. He wrapped his arm around his mate and rubbed his nose against Ryan’s neck, taking in his scent. When he heard a stuttered purr sounding like a chainsaw trying to start and Ken a felt large body brush against his leg, he jumped up still holding Ryan in his arms. “Let’s go check on Talia.” He ignored his mate’s smirk as he quickly made his way out of the kitchen and headed for the stairs. He may have glanced over his shoulder a time or two to make sure Talia’s cat wasn’t following them, but Ken would never admit it.
* * * *
Talia was impressed by the room Enforcer Ericson and his mate had set up for the birth of their baby. From what she could tell just looking around the room, they had spared no expense getting the best equipment money could buy.
“I see you have an ultrasound machine. Would you like to get undressed and we can check out the baby?”
Tessa grinned and nodded as she immediately began taking her clothes off. Even though the woman didn’t seem too modest, Talia turned her back to give her some privacy. Tessa’s excitement was rubbing off on her and for the first time in what felt like forever, Talia felt something other than intense sadness. The sadness and depression were still there, but seeing Tessa’s joy at being able to see the life growing inside of her sparked something inside Talia.
Her thoughts immediately turned to the two men who had the potential to turn her world upside down. She could feel her own cheeks heating up as she blushed from the memory of them in bed together. She wanted to feel bad about spying on them doing something so intimate and private, but Talia couldn’t bring herself to feel guilty about what she had done.
She wondered what it would feel like being sandwiched between the two men. She knew from experience that shifters could be intense during sex. Would it be scary to have that much attention focused on me? Talia cursed for even thinking about herself with the two shifters claiming to be her mates. There was no way she was going to have sex with either one of them so the thought was pointless. Sex led to claiming and claiming led to heartbreak. There was no way Talia was going to let that happen a second time. She was barely surviving as it was. Another loss and there would be no way she would live through it. Talia rubbed her chest and tried to relieve the ache building there.
The crackle of paper brought her out of her thoughts and Talia turned to see Tessa struggling to climb onto the exam table. She rushed over and helped the woman get settled. “Would you like for your mate to be here when we do the ultrasound?”
“Yes, please. We want to know what we are having if possible. Can you do that? The baby can’t shift yet, right? There isn’t going to be a tiny lion inside me when we look, is there?”
The panic rising in Tessa’s voice almost had Talia smiling. She patted Tessa on the shoulder. “Calm down. Everything is going to be fine. Shifters don’t go through their first change until puberty, so when we look at the ultrasound, all we’re going to see is a beautiful baby with ten perfect fingers and ten perfect toes.”
Tessa blew out a breath. “You’re right. I’m just freaking out right now. I know I’ve already been through this with Nico, but having a shifter baby is completely new for me.”
Before Talia could respond, Enforcer Ericson came through the door. His grin fell when he saw the look on his mate’s face and he hurried to her side. The love and worry for his mate was shown clearly on his face as he huddled over her, whispering, and Talia turned before they could see the tears welling up in her eyes. She busied herself setting up the ultrasound machine and making sure she had everything she needed as she desperately gasped for breath. Talia felt like there was a ten-ton boulder pressing down on her chest, stealing her breath as misery swamped her. I can’t do this. I should have never left my bed. Would they be upset with me if I left even after I told them I don’t break my promises? Talia willed her feet to move toward the door, but she stood frozen in place. Her breathing was harsh even to her own ears and she knew the other two in the room could hear.
When Talia started seeing black spots in her vision, she knew exactly what was happening. Having had them often enough to recognize the symptoms, Talia knew she was having a panic attack and it was going to be a bad one. Enforcer Ericson was in front of her and she could see his mouth moving, but she couldn’t hear his words due to the ringing in her ears. Talia knew she was going to pass out and she was helpless to stop it. She hated panic attacks because she felt like her body was taking over and shutting her out. Talia felt like she was trapped inside her own head, calmly watching everything as her body did whatever it wanted to do.
When strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind, Talia was shocked to feel a sense of calm and peace wash over her. Her thundering heart immediately slowed down and her ragged breathing tapered off until she was finally able to take in a few deep breaths. She was amazed at how fast her body reacted to the person holding her. Normally she was down for days after an attack, but after only a few seconds, she felt like nothing had happened. If it wasn’t for the sweat and tears streaming down her face, Talia would have never known she was in the midst of a panic attack.
“Feeling better?” Ken’s voiced rumbled from behind her. He was molded to her back as he held her tight.
Talia closed her eyes and sank against the heat coming from his body as his thumb stroked against her belly, soothing her. When she nodded, she felt him lift her in his arms and carry her out of the room. She didn’t even bother to open her eyes to see where they were going because being in his arms just felt too wonderful. Talia sighed and rested her head against Ken’s chest, breathing in his scent. She was too tired to do anything else.
“What happened?”
Talia heard the concern in Ryan’s voice and felt her body relax even further when his scent mixed with Ken’s. If Talia ever had any doubts that the three of them were mates, her body’s reaction to them would have been all the sign she needed. Ken and Ryan’s combined scents increased when she felt herself being lowered onto a bed and Talia knew they had brought her to their room. There was no way she was going to complain when all she wanted to do was roll around in the bed until she was covered in both of their scents.
When she felt the bed dip down on both sides of her, Talia opened her eyes and watched as both of her mates climbed in bed with her. She wanted to protest when they wrapped around her on each side, but she kept quiet. Just for a little while she wanted to feel what it was like to be held again and not have to curl up in her bed alone. It felt like ages since she had felt a pair of strong arms wrapped around her in bed, and now she not only had Ken’s but Ryan’s as well.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Ken whispered.
Talia didn’t want to talk, but she found herself unable to deny Ken anything. “It just hurt too much.” She knew no other way of explaining it.
“What hurt too much?” Ryan asked from her other side.
Talia paused, trying to gather her thoughts. “Seeing them so happy and in love hurt. It’s like a physical pain in my chest that I can’t get rid of. All I can think of is how that used to be me.” She left off the part of how that would never be
her again. She didn’t think the two men comforting her wanted to hear how she was never going to mate with them. Talia knew she was being selfish and giving them false hope by being in their arms, but opening her heart again was something she vowed to never do again. If she didn’t open her heart, then she couldn’t be hurt any worse than she already was.
“Do you want to talk about him?”
Ryan’s question set off the beginning stages of her panic attack again. There was no way she could talk about Xander without falling apart.
“Shhh, it’s okay. You don’t have to talk about him.” Ryan rocked her as he tried to calm her down. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
Talia knew exactly what she wanted to do. She wanted the pain to go away. She wanted to get out of her own head even if it was only for a little while. She wanted to sleep while the real world continued on without her. It was how she had survived so far.
Now, being in the arms of two men who had the potential to crush her, all Talia wanted to do was curl up between them and snuggle. It had been three years since she lay in bed wrapped in the arms of another man and now she was surrounded by two of them. Talia couldn’t resist their warm body heat as her eyes slowly drifted shut and she felt her muscles relaxing. One time, she promised herself. She didn’t want to lead Ryan and Ken on and give them false hope so she would only allow herself one time to fall asleep in their arms. After she woke up, it would never happen again. Talia couldn’t allow herself to get used to having someone else in bed with her because after her job was over, she had all intentions of returning to her home alone.
Until the End of Time [Council Enforcers 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 4
