by Lori King
Cadence let out a sigh, and Whitney could have sworn she saw irritation flit through his dark eyes before he turned to respond. “Yes it is, but as you can see, just like everyone else I am subject to nature. Whitney is very clearly my mate, and apparently my cousin’s mate as well. I’ve never encountered a mating like this, so I’m not sure how we proceed.” His body was tight with tension as he braced himself in front of her Alpha and her brother.
Whitney couldn’t stop herself from reaching out to touch him. There was something inside of her that just needed to soothe him. She stroked her fingers over the column of his neck from behind, and flattened her hand against his back. The low rumble of approval and the press of his body backward against her palm confirmed that he took comfort in her touch and she nearly giggled with pleasure. Only her personal irritation at the odd urge of feminine flirtation stopped her.
“A mating like this? What do you mean?” Liam said sharply. He still looked ready to pounce on Cadence at any moment, and Whitney wanted to scream at him to back the fuck off.
“I’ve heard about ménage matings, but we haven’t experienced any in our pack. Have you experienced them before?”
Devin and the others in the room laughed loudly while Liam continued to give Cadence and Mateo the stink eye.
“Experienced it? Oh yeah, we’ve definitely experienced it,” Devin said. “Damon and I share our mate, Caroline, and our pack has one other triad that just mated. Two of our Betas found their mate and were married over the weekend. Rafe and Ryley are brothers as well.”
“Hmm…I would say there is something in the water in Kansas City, but I’ve heard that the Stone pack in Texas is having many of these plural relationships, too.”
Devin narrowed his light-green gaze and looked intrigued. “Really? I haven’t spoken to Lafayette in more than a year, so I had no idea. This is something fairly new to our pack as well. Damon and I were the first pair to find ourselves mated to the same woman.”
“Perhaps the ways of nature are not as permanent as you believe.”
Everyone startled when a musical voice fell over them, and they turned as a group to watch the Gray pack sage, Delaky, enter the room from the back. She was the one person who could sneak up on a werewolf. The only creature alive that seemed to move with absolute silence.
A tiny spit of a woman, Delaky was one of the most beautiful beings that Whitney had ever seen. She had always admired her long, white-blonde tresses that tumbled down her back well past her butt, and the way that her clear white skin glowed like moonlight on snow. If it weren’t for her unnervingly odd way of pinpointing a person’s thoughts, Whitney might have chosen to spend more time with her. But as it was, she had way too many things she preferred to keep private, so she avoided her at all costs.
Devin stepped forward and held his arm out, leading her toward the new threesome. “Delaky, this is Cadence and Mateo Diego. They are vying for the Alpha position in the Diego pack.”
“Welcome, son of the moon. I can see the journey has been arduous.”
Son of the moon? Whitney stared at Delaky blankly as Cadence reached a hand out to greet her. In true Delaky fashion, she turned it over and stared into his palm, tracing the line that life had carved into the skin. Cadence stood quietly, allowing the woman a moment to reflect. She smiled up at him and nodded. “Strong currents have aligned the moon with the sun nicely for you.”
“Thank you, grandmother. The road has been long, and I was looking forward to a long rest, however now…” His rich brown eyes darted back up to meet Whitney’s and again she struggled to breathe. There was a riot of emotions in his gaze, but desire burned deep, creating warmth in her chest that made her heart skip a beat.
“Yes, you have found your mate. Possibly a better path than the one you first started on, or perhaps an intersection in the path with two choices for the future?” Delaky turned to face Mateo without elaborating on her strange question. Her expression was serious, verging on harsh as she spoke to him. “The venom of a snake brought only pain into your soul, but scars can be healed, my child. Storms blow out like candles. Draw on the strength that is your gift, and then accept your failures. The broken can be mended.”
Mateo’s eyes widened and his fingers gripped Whitney’s shoulders tightly. Delaky hadn’t even looked at Mateo’s palm, but clearly she was seeing something in him and his future that no one else knew. Was she also seeing his past? Whitney was suddenly feeling claustrophobic between the two large men. Stepping out from between them, she felt Mateo stiffen at her withdrawal.
“I hate to end this chat, but I think I need a moment to myself.” She took another step away from the two strangers who made her blood boil without even trying. The sweet scent of her fear rose in the air around them. All this time she had been waiting for her perfect match, but never once did she consider that she might have two perfect halves. What would it mean for her plans for the future? How could she possibly mate with two complete strangers? Her wolf fought inside of her to get back to their side, but she continued to move away.
“Whitney—”
When Cadence would have moved toward her, Liam stepped between them. “No. She said she needed some space, and you’ll give it to her.”
Whitney didn’t wait to see the outcome of the pissing match between her brother and the two men her life was destined for. Instead she turned and ran up the stairs and down the hallway, shutting herself in the small study that Devin used for pack business. With her back pressed to the closed door, she let her trembling body slump to the floor as she gasped for breath. Her body ached to be with two people she had never even laid eyes on until today, but her brain was screaming at her to fight it.
She just didn’t know what to do.
This was so unlike her. She was known to have a well-laid path for her future. In fact, everyone teased her for being so meticulous about planning details that she sometimes felt she was unable to change her mind once a path was laid. Wasn’t this an epic curveball for fate to throw her way?
Her mind drifted to the contract she had just accepted. It was for a three-page photo spread, each page representing a different animal that resided in the area. Wolves, foxes, and hawks. Drawing deep breaths, she focused in on what she needed to do to fulfill the contract. She began laying out her plans for obtaining the perfect shots, and by the time she had plotted all three photo shoots, she had managed to calm herself back down. It was her way of finding her center. If she knew what was to come, she could plan for it and handle it. It was the unknown that scared her the most.
When a loud knock finally came, she felt better prepared to handle it, and she stood on steady legs and flung the door open to face her future.
Chapter 3
After Whitney darted away from them, Cadence struggled to bring his wolf back under control and face the others in the room. Every cell in his body was screaming at him to follow her and strip her naked so that he could sink his teeth and his cock into her lush body. He was stunned and elated to find out that his mate was a gorgeous woman with a strong backbone and a solid family. He couldn’t have picked a better match for his Alpha-bitch if he had been interviewing women beforehand. She was physical perfection to his eyes, and his wolf wholeheartedly agreed. Which was why the beast was butting against his chest and making him half insane with lust.
Liam’s protectiveness of her actually comforted his wolf some. That was the only reason he didn’t remove the man’s head when he stopped him from following her. He was right. This was probably extremely unsettling for her, and she needed a little time to absorb it. One look at his older cousin and Cadence knew that they were sharing the same thoughts. They would humor her family by giving her some space, and then as soon as everyone was reassured that they wanted nothing more than to make her happy, they’d track her down and focus on getting to know their little mate.
“I have to admit, Cadence. Although it crossed my mind that one or two of your pack might be a good match for some of our wom
en, I never anticipated that you would find your true mate here,” Devin said. The perplexed wrinkle in his brow tweaked at Cadence’s male pride.
“Am I not good enough for a Gray wolf?” he snapped, his wolf aching to burst forth. Between the mating lust and adrenaline, he was dangerously on edge.
A look of surprise crossed Devin’s face. “No, not at all. In fact, based on what I’ve just seen, I couldn’t have selected a better match for Whitney Gray. You’ll have to forgive us”—Devin gestured to Liam and the other Gray wolves behind him who all looked as edgy as Cadence felt—“for being so concerned. We only know of your father, and his behavior toward the women of the Gray pack wasn’t particularly good.”
Icy cold fear filled his stomach. What if Whitney pulled away from him for the same reason? It was possible that she was assuming he would be the same kind of man as his father was. The idea that anyone would see him in the same light as his miserable excuse for a parent set his teeth on edge.
Drawing himself up to his full six-foot-four-inch height and widening his stance, he prepared for the battle that his words might spark before he spoke. “I’ll only say this once to you and your pack. I am not my father. He was a bastard of epic proportions, and only his blood in my veins protected me from his viciousness. My family and the rest of the Diego wolves weren’t always so lucky.” Mateo placed one hand on his shoulder, and Cadence took a deep breath to soften his tone, drawing comfort and allowing the tension to seep out of his muscles via that physical link. Talking about his father was extremely difficult, and his cousin knew his pain firsthand. Once he felt like he had himself under control again, he continued. “Barton Diego may have been my father, but I believe he died the only way possible. His vile hatred of everything and everyone that he saw as a threat to his power was ultimately his downfall. I don’t begrudge you the vengeance you took, but I won’t stand by and be vilified for sharing his blood. Blood doesn’t account for a person’s worth in my eyes.”
There was utter silence after his speech, but he could feel Mateo’s bulk at his back. As always, his cousin was there bolstering his strength and ensuring his safety when his temper flared. If Cadence was the hurricane, then Mateo was the eye. Calm winds and steady seas in the midst of battering gales and flooding waves. Even though he was six years younger than his cousin, they shared a special bond. There wasn’t a time in his memory that they weren’t a unit, and as stunned as Cadence was at the idea that he would have to share a mate, he wouldn’t want it to be with anyone but Mateo.
Devin exchanged a look with his twin, and instantly Cadence knew that the two wolves were communicating in their minds. The idea that he and his cousin could possibly gain that ability after mating with Whitney sent the blood coursing through his veins and straight into his nut-sack. His cock and his wolf were in agreement that all that mattered for the time being was mating with the pretty little she-wolf. Knowing that he had to fight a battle to the death against three of his own pack-mates had been driving him insane for months, but suddenly he didn’t care about that as much as he cared about stripping Whitney Gray naked and worshiping her body with his tongue.
Meeting Damon’s eyes and then Devin’s, Cadence was relieved when the Alpha wolf smiled. “Welcome to the Gray pack den, Cadence Diego.”
Like a hole in a balloon, the tension just exhaled out of everyone in the room, and Cadence forced himself to greet each of the people there. Introducing Mateo as his Beta was probably a little bit presumptuous considering they hadn’t fought or won their battle yet, but he knew in his heart that it was only a matter of time. He had been preparing for the role of Diego pack Alpha since birth. It was his destiny.
* * * *
There was very little that scared Mateo Diego anymore. His own path through fire and smoke had scorched away any phobias he might have had as a young child. Most days he walked through the world without a care, but the moment he saw Whitney Gray rocked him to the core. He lusted after her with a need more powerful than any he had ever experienced. But his desire wasn’t just for the curvaceous form she possessed. It was also for the sparkle he saw in her sexy gray eyes, and the courage it took to step away to gather herself.
Self-doubt washed over him, and even though he knew that his sudden fear was illogical, it settled in his gut nonetheless. The ball of terror grew until he had to clench his fists to stop them from trembling.
No one noticed. Or if they did notice his odd response to his mate’s sudden case of the jitters and quick disappearance, they didn’t point it out. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure if it was meeting his mate or hearing Delaky’s words that left him rattled so badly.
In the twenty-five years that he had been without a father in his life, he had suffered through misery at the hands of his uncle Barton and his Beta Rolando. He had no adult allies besides his mother, and she was too weakened by the disappearance of his father, Erock, to be much help. It still curdled his gut to know that she hadn’t done anything to try and prevent the horrors he survived, and yet knew now that he was stronger in spite of them. He was a stronger Beta wolf than Rolando ever was, and though his memories were faded after this many years, he also knew in his heart that he was a better man than his father had been. Just the fact that Erock Diego had left his wife and two children, as well as his pack, behind without a second thought confirmed that. Forcing his own concerns out of his head, he focused in on the conversation happening around him just in time to sense Cadence losing control over his temper.
From his place two steps behind and to the right of his cousin, Mateo observed the emotional turbulence of the Gray pack. Six men had greeted the Diego party with their Alpha twins at the property line in the woods, but now it was as though all of the Diegos and the Grays stood as one facing off with him and Cadence for the right to pursue their mate. When had the mood shifted?
He couldn’t remember stepping onto the front porch, or even moving through the living room once the front door was open. All he was focused on at the time was reaching his mate. On some level he realized that Cadence was moving in tandem with him to her side, but until they had her sandwiched between them in the middle of a large group of strangers, it didn’t really click in his brain. He was going to be sharing Whitney with his cousin, like it or not. He had a pretty good feeling that he wouldn’t be able to shake his nerves until he had her in his arms again, but for the moment he needed to focus on the conversation at hand.
Just a touch and Cadence calmed down enough to suit him. Mateo nodded politely as he was introduced to the women of the Gray pack, but his brain and cock were pointing him in a different direction, seeking out comfort. Maybe they had scared her with their size? None of the Gray men were small, but standing next to one of the Diego wolves, they looked leaner and less hostile. How was he supposed to convince her that he was safe if she ran away from him?
It only took about twenty minutes before he’d had his fill of political posturing and sociable chatter. His balls were bluer than the winter waters of Lake Michigan, and his wolf was barely contained. One glance at Cadence and he knew that he wasn’t alone in his pain.
Speaking up for the first time since his mate ran for cover, he interrupted Damon in the midst of a story about how an outsider appeared on Gray pack land the week before. “I mean you no disrespect, Damon, but if I don’t find my mate and clear the air, I will go up like a match.”
Damon’s eyes widened, but his face lit up in a pleased grin. “That’s great! Well, no, I mean it’s not great that you’re uncomfortable, but it’s great that you’re feeling the mating lust for Whitney. I think she had given up hope that she might find her perfect mate.”
“Why do you say that?” Cadence shot Mateo a look that clearly told him to rein in his libido and be more amenable, but when Mateo responded with a growl, it seemed to genuinely shock him. “Never mind, hold that thought. We should be asking our questions of our new mate. Can we continue this conversation later?”
Devin rose from the overstuff
ed chair that he occupied and gestured. “By all means. Follow me.”
Up a set of stairs and down a hallway, Mateo could smell his mate’s sweet almond scent through the closed door in front of them, and he inhaled deeply, imprinting it on his brain.
“Whitney?” Devin called through the door. “I think you need to come out and talk with Cadence and Mateo. You can use this room, or you can take them to their cabin if you like, to get them settled in.”
The only sound was sniffling from beyond the door, and Mateo’s heart clenched. His woman was crying after meeting him? That couldn’t be a good sign. Devin turned and began walking back down the hallway, leaving them alone at the door.
“You’re not staying?” Cadence looked pleased and curious at the other man’s behavior.
Devin paused and smiled over his shoulder. “Something tells me that the two of you would rather die a painful death than hurt her right now. Besides, I’ve been through the mating lust, so I know what happens next. Just take care of her. She might be my cousin, but she’s like a sister to me.”
With that, the man disappeared back down the stairs. Mateo could hear the shout of indignation out of Liam at her being left alone with them, but he was distracted by the door opening in front of him. The light of the hallway spilled onto her, giving her a sweet golden halo in the shadows of the empty office.
Her cheeks were tear stained, but her eyes were clear and a small smile curved her sexy lips. “Hi.”
All of the air left his lungs, and he nearly dropped to his knees in front of her. She couldn’t know how that one little word affected him so deeply. It was acceptance and affirmation all rolled up into two letters and a smile.
“Hi, little flower, can we come in?” Ever the smooth talker, Cadence took the first step and reached his hand out to open the door wider.
She gave him pause when she shook her head no. “I don’t think it wise for us to…get acquainted here in my Alpha’s home. I would rather take you to your cabin so that we can talk in private. Is that all right?”
