Latent Desires (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Rebecca Airies

  “Why are the foxes after her?” Logan glanced over at Shonna. He didn’t like any hint of danger near his mate.

  “She said a man broke into her house. She and Odin, her dog, took care of him and the police took him away. The two women Tony encountered in the store were related to him. She didn’t know if they would follow her.” Shonna glanced back at them.

  Logan frowned. He hadn’t heard of any break-ins. While he hadn’t been involved in police work for the last week, he heard the news from his friends and Jason. Because he had the fever, he couldn’t work with the public. The danger to citizens could be too great.

  “Are you sure? I haven’t heard anything about a whyr arrest.” Jason leaned forward.

  “It wouldn’t be in your department. Chloe lives outside of the city. She rents a house there so that Odin can have some room to run.” Shonna turned to face forward.

  “The county sheriff would have handled it.” That explained why they hadn’t known anything about it. Logan frowned as he suddenly realized she didn’t have to live outside the city. “There are houses in Casworth where her dog could have space to run.”

  “Not for humans to rent. If she’d been in a position to buy, maybe, but you know that houses with yards or land are given to whyr first.” Shonna shook her head.

  Logan didn’t quite buy that. He knew a few humans with bigger dogs that had homes with space for their animals.

  “What does she know about mates?” Jason asked.

  “We’ve talked to her about mates, but there are some specifics that we didn’t get into. We didn’t know if she’d find a mate here. She might have learned some listening to us talk.” Shonna waved her hand absently.

  “Well, at least she knows something.” Logan nodded. She’d probably been more worried about further attack by the foxes than the meeting with Tony. “Do you have any idea how she’ll react to being mated?”

  “No idea. She hasn’t shown any obvious interest in either marriage or mating, but she’s also been busy building a life here.” Shonna glanced back at him. “She’ll deal with the changes though.”

  * * * *

  Chloe woke to a pounding head. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to let light lance into her eyes. Fuck. She remembered what she’d planned to tell her friends. As it was, she didn’t remember if she’d gotten it all out. Everything after their arrival was a blur.

  The urge to pee drove her to open her eyes and move. She sat up, but squinted as the light sent pain stabbing through her. Damn, no more bourbon.

  A picture across the room caught her eyes. She didn’t recognize the image of birds flying across the blue sky. Her friends didn’t have anything like that on their walls. The strangeness distracted her, but only for a moment.

  She slid her legs to the right to get out of bed. Her thigh bumped into something. She glanced over and saw a big black-haired man sprawled on a mattress. Beyond him, she glimpsed a big television and a dark brown coffee table pushed up against the wall.

  She glanced to the left. Two men lay on the same mattress, a blond and another brunet. Dixie slept in a big leather chair. What the hell is this?

  Chloe lowered her eyes. She still wore last night’s dress. The men were dressed as well. With Dixie there, she was sure that nothing had been done to her. She just didn’t know why she was surrounded by men.

  Discomfort focused her attention. She crawled down the bed. When she neared the end, a hand closed around her ankle. She looked back and saw the man on her right gripped her foot.

  “I have to pee. Let me go. We can talk about why I woke up surrounded by strange men when I get back.” She scowled at him.

  “Down the hall and second door to the right.” He released her.

  She followed the directions, walking into the bathroom. The deep golden yellow on the walls offered welcoming warmth. After she finished, she washed her hands at the cream-colored sink. Now that the demanding urge was gone, questions began rioting through her mind. The only way to get those answers was to go back out there and ask.

  A knock on the door startled her. She pulled it open a crack. The big man who’d been on her right stood there, but he held out a toothbrush, sealed in its packaging. She reached out for it.

  “Toothpaste is in the medicine cabinet. Figured you might want to brush your teeth to get the hangover taste out of your mouth,” the man said.

  “Thank you.” She nodded and stepped back into the bathroom.

  She spent some time brushing her teeth. After she finished, she finger combed her hair. It didn’t make the ache in her head any better, but she felt more human and presentable.

  She walked out of the bathroom and found Dixie standing beside the big man. It wasn’t either of them that caught her eyes though. Odin sat beside Dixie.

  Chloe smiled at the sight of her dog. Her muscles relaxed, but she wondered about the dog’s behavior. Normally, he was very protective. Where had he been while she was tangled up with those big men?

  “Odin.” She held out her hand.

  Odin pranced over to her. His head butted against her hand. She scratched the fur between the big German shepherd’s ears. The simple act soothed her.

  “I think we have some talking to do.” Chloe took a deep breath and glanced from Dixie to the big man. “And maybe we can get some water and pain reliever for the headache pounding in my temples.”

  She recognized him as Dixie’s uncle. Her mind seemed to have returned to working order. One of the men who’d been on her left looked a lot like the man from the grocery store.

  “We can get that for you on the way back to the living room. And, yes, we have a lot to talk about.” Dixie nodded. “Tony’s already called the chief of police. He’ll be here shortly.”

  Chloe frowned. She felt as if she’d missed something in Dixie’s part of the conversation. Where the hell did the chief of police come into it? Why would he need to be here?

  “What does the chief of police have to do with any of this?” She glanced at Dixie.

  She guessed that Dixie planned on involving the police because of the two women in the store. Those women might want to hurt her, but they’d only followed her into a store to this point. One incident did not make stalking in anyone’s book.

  “Well, first, we have to make sure he’s informed about what those two women did and why in case they attack you in the future. It’s a pretty good bet they will come after you again.” Dixie put a hand on Chloe’s back and guided her down the hall. “Plus when Jason called John last night to learn a little more about what had happened at your house, he said he’d see what he could find and come over this morning after everyone woke up.”

  “Why the chief of police? Why not any policeman?” Chloe followed Dixie into the kitchen.

  “Both Logan and Jason are police officers. John Dark, the chief of police, is a friend of theirs,” Dixie said as if that explained everything.

  Dixie pulled a glass from the cabinet before she grabbed her purse off the counter. She began digging in her purse. With a triumphant grin, she pulled a bottle from the depths. Dixie walked over to Chloe as she popped the bottle’s top off. The bottle rattled as she shook two pills into Chloe’s hand.

  “I’ll fill this.” He took the glass and walked over to the sink. After the cup was full, he brought it to her.

  Chloe took the water. Her gaze met his. What was his name? He’d been introduced when she’d gone to help Dixie, but she couldn’t remember his name to save her life. With no ready answer, she swallowed the pills.

  “All right, I’m ready to learn what all of this is about.” She glanced over at Dixie.

  “Well, let’s go out to the living room. I think they’ve put everything back to normal now,” Dixie said.

  “That is one of my questions.” She glared at her friend.

  “What is one of your questions?” Dixie smiled and raised a brow.

  “Why did I wake up in the middle of a living room with three strange men? From what I’ve seen,
this place is big enough to have a freaking guest room.” She did not appreciate Dixie letting that happen.

  “Yeah, we’ll talk about that.” Dixie led the way into the living room. “Sit down on the couch.”

  Chloe didn’t know why Dixie wanted her on the couch. If it sped up the process, she’d sit there. She eased onto the seat. When she settled back against the cushions, the big man who’d followed her dropped down on one side of her. Another black-haired man sat on the other side. The man she now recognized from the supermarket perched on the end of the couch.

  “Dixie, I’m surrounded again, and I don’t know why I woke up with them. Or who two of them are.” She glared at Dixie.

  “Logan, Jason, and Tony.” Dixie pointed first to the man on her right, left, and then at the man on the end of the couch.

  “Tony introduced himself. He’s the one I could put a name to.” She gestured to Tony. She didn’t buy that this was somehow normal. “Tell me what this is about.”

  “These three men are your mates. Didn’t you figure that out from what Tony said at the store?” Dixie raised her eyebrows.

  “I didn’t have much time to think about it, because other things seemed far more pressing. Yes, I realized what offering the protection of his den meant. My thoughts centered on those fox women.” Chloe’s thoughts had focused more on immediate survival.

  A knock on the door stopped further discussion. Tony stood and walked out of the room. She watched until he was out of sight, but then turned back to Dixie.

  “I can understand why you worried more about them,” Logan said. “Did you not want whyr mates?”

  A rich musky smell surrounded her. She inhaled and frowned. Her body responded to the fragrance. Attraction and arousal began to rise to the forefront of her mind, pushing away thoughts and fears.

  Her breasts swelled, pressing against her bra, and her inner muscles clenched. What the… She looked at Logan sitting beside her. He wasn’t touching her. Well, they weren’t. Both he and Jason simply sat near her.

  “I hoped for a choice of who I became involved with and time to get to know them. Mates seemed so arbitrary and not always monogamous. I expected monogamous. I thought maybe a relationship with a wolf. They do couples. That would be familiar.” She’d known she could find a mate, but she’d focused on human relationships.

  “Mates are much more permanent than a human marriage. Don’t overthink this, Chloe. We’ve told you that most whyr marriages are extremely happy.” Dixie leaned forward.

  “If we could give you time, we would.” Logan’s hand covered hers.

  “But why can’t you? I’m not asking why you want me with you. I know that you hope to protect me. Is there more than that?” Chloe looked over at him. Why couldn’t there be some middle ground?

  She found him watching her. Under the intense stare, she shifted in her seat. The fabric brushed against her back and shoulders, making her more aware of her body and her clothing. She’d like to tear them off so she could press her body against theirs.

  Her eyes locked on his chest. She wished that green shirt was gone. Nervous energy and desire mixed within her. She flexed her fingers. The urge to touch made her palms itch.

  Her eyes widened. Something was wrong here. Normally, she didn’t think about stripping and humping practical strangers. Her teeth worried her lip, but the small pain didn’t detract from the thoughts of sex.

  “Logan’s in mating heat, Chloe.” Dixie shook her head. “Meeting you triggered the urge to complete the mating. Most of the time, it takes more than being close to the mate.”

  “He licked me.” She remembered the wet swipe of his tongue over her neck as he’d held her before they managed to urge him to walk. “What does mating heat entail?”

  “Why don’t we get back to that?” a male voice said from behind her.

  Chapter Four

  Who now? She turned her head. She glanced back and saw a man in a police uniform striding toward them. This must be the chief of police. She saw the word “Casworth” on the patch on his shirt. Tony came into the room and returned to his position at the end of the couch.

  The officer rounded the couch and came to stand across from her with the coffee table between them. She frowned.

  “Why do we need to change the subject?” She glanced up at him.

  “You had quite a few secrets, didn’t you? Who knew you were a latent?” His eyes turned to Dixie.

  “What?” Dixie’s eyes rounded.

  Chloe sighed and focused on her friend. “I couldn’t tell you or the others. It wasn’t about trust. You’d keep it secret if I asked, but I knew the law about it concerning whyr. You could get into trouble. I didn’t know if anything would come of that status. I decided not to say something unless it came up.”

  “That wouldn’t have mattered to me. When did this happen?” Dixie leaned forward.

  “In a bar fight while I was with the band. I played in a rock band before I came here.” She didn’t know why she was explaining to the men, but didn’t over analyze it. “Someone threw a bottle. I was cut and since a bunch of people came into the ER from that brawl, they didn’t know or care who took part in the fight. Everyone was tested and the results reported.”

  “And yet you came to a whyr-controlled town.” Chief Dark smiled. “And you have been here for a while. You must obey every traffic law, because traffic tickets get a quick check for humans.”

  “I haven’t had any problems with your traffic rules.” She shook her head. “I’m here because my friends are here. There’s no other place I have a connection with.”

  She had one problem with the rules in a whyr-run city—making sure she didn’t break them. It hadn’t been easy to work around the whyr law about latents. She lived outside of the city in order to remain clear of the requirement that latents live in a specific area within a whyr city.

  “No family?” Logan asked.

  “No, I was raised in the foster system since I was ten.” She shrugged.

  It wasn’t something that bothered her anymore. She’d had some problems earlier in life with it. There had been a time when she’d had a chip on her shoulder, angry that others had a mother and father while she didn’t. Eventually, she’d gotten on with her life and stopped dwelling on things she couldn’t change. Life and a little therapy helped with that.

  “You’re soon going to have more family than you know what to do with,” Dixie said with a smile.

  Chief Dark turned and took a seat in the armchair. “Now, let’s talk a little about the situation with the foxes. I’ve read the report you gave the police. Is there anything that you left out?”

  “Nothing was left out. I encountered Tunney when Dixie called for help and we took Logan to the ambulance at the bar. He showed up at my house later that night.” Chloe drew in a deep breath. She didn’t like the implication she had something to hide.

  “And the women?” the chief asked.

  “Tony talked to them. I didn’t realize that anyone would come after me until they showed up at the store. I’d worried that Tunney would be released on bond, but after they held him, I wasn’t concerned until those two women found me.” She shrugged.

  “With foxes, there wasn’t a chance that there wouldn’t be some form of trouble. Let’s get this report filled out and you can get back to the questions and the claiming.” The chief began working on the tablet.

  He took the report. At this point, they couldn’t do anything to the women, but the report would put the incident on record. They would be given a verbal warning to stay away from her. He left after she’d scrawled a signature on the tablet.

  “What does mating heat entail?” She was stuck on that.

  She also wanted to know why her body burned with hunger for theirs. The desire hadn’t faded. If anything, it had increased. She’d like to plaster herself to one of the big men next to her.

  “Logan’s pheromones are ramped up. They have been since the night he licked your neck. It’s why you’re
aroused,” Dixie said.

  Chloe’s mouth fell open. How did she… The answer popped into Chloe’s head before she asked. The intense whyr senses would pick up the lightest scent. Considering her arousal wasn’t light, all four of them would know. Freaky whyr senses.

  “Jason’s pheromones are as well to a lesser extent,” Tony said. “Dixie, you’ve reassured your friend. She won’t be able to hold back much longer.”

  “Don’t panic. This is not a human relationship. It’s biological. Try not to worry about what should be happening this soon.” Dixie walked over to stand in front of her. “Don’t worry about the numbers. You’ll develop a relationship with each of them.”

  Chloe couldn’t believe her friend said she wasn’t supposed to worry about the numbers. “There are freaking three of them.”

  “It might not be the one-on-one you expected, but it’s a committed relationship. More permanent than a human marriage.” Jason turned to face her. The spiky black hair drew her curiosity. Would it be stiff with gel or soft?

  His hand settled on her thigh. The heat of his palm seared through her fabric of her dress. She’d like to rip it off and feel his skin against hers. Her thighs clenched, trying to ease the ache in her clit. As hot as she felt, it wouldn’t take much to push her right over.

  “Chloe, I have to go, but we’ve talked about whyrs before. Bears always care for their mates. Do you remember what I said after that?” Dixie shook her head.

  Chloe did remember Dixie telling her that one girls’ night—Bears will do what their woman needs, even if it’s not what they want. Relief swept through her.

  “I remember.” She nodded to Dixie.

  “Dixie, what does she remember?” Tony looked at his niece. “You know Logan’s in mating heat, the—”

  “Tony, leave it. She knows the important part and can learn anything else as she goes.” Dixie smiled. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Dixie, if things don’t go the way you say, I’ll make you pay.” Chloe narrowed her eyes at her friend. With a lifetime relationship, she’d have years to get back at Dixie.