by Jane Jamison
She glanced at the girls, their faces filled with happiness, and wondered. If they found out, they’d understand. Or would they? Still, she couldn’t give up her relationships with her new girlfriends. She needed to have someone in her life. If not the love of a good man, then at least the love of good friends.
But nights were lonely and getting lonelier with each passing day. Tucking her chin down, she struggled to hold back a tear.
“Hey, good-lookin’, why do you seem so down?”
Heather almost spilled her drink at the sound of Garner’s baritone voice behind her. She looked up to find Betsy and Emeline doing their best not to grin. Slowly, she swiveled around on her stool.
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look it.”
Where did he get those silver-blue eyes? They were mesmerizing, eyes that latched onto her and dove down deep inside her to take hold of her emotions. If he’d ordered her to stand and strip down to her undies, she would’ve willingly done it.
“I don’t?”
“Nope. You sure don’t. Come with me. I’ll fix you up.”
Just as she’d hoped, he slipped his hand around hers and tugged her off her stool. Leading the way, he took her onto the dance floor.
He had her in the middle of the dancers before she could think to tell him she didn’t know how. “No, no, no. I can’t.”
“Why the hell not?”
They stood in the center of everything, his two hands capturing hers, his strange eyes locked to hers. At first, it felt as though the air had been sucked from the room. Her mind wouldn’t work right, overtaken by the pummeling of her emotions rushing outward from a core of lust.
“Heather, did you hear me? Why can’t you?”
Suddenly, she was aware of the others moving around her. Raven was smiling, her complete attention focused on her man. She and Garner were like a peaceful island amid a tumultuous ocean.
“Because I don’t know how to dance.”
“Of course you do. Everyone knows how to dance.”
“Not everyone. I don’t.” She felt conspicuous, as though all sets of eyes were on her. “Please, let me go back to the others.”
But he held on, keeping her hands securely in his. “No, Heather. You’re staying.”
He’d thrown her off guard, and she struggled to think of something, anything to say. The question was out of her mouth before she was aware of it. “Why are people’s teeth different? And their eyes. Sometimes I see amber in people’s eyes.”
He laughed, showing his own normal-looking teeth. “Why are we talking about eyes and teeth? Let’s dance.”
“No.” She tugged, trying to free her hands. “Please, Garner, I don’t want to.”
“Fine, we’ll get off the dance floor, but I’m not letting you get away.” Yet, instead of heading back to her friends, he pulled her in the other direction.
By the time they’d made it to the edge of the wooden floor, all hell had broken out.
Chapter Three
Sterling grabbed Heather’s hand, pulling her away from Garner. “I’ll take it from here.”
Garner scowled at him but didn’t argue. Instead, he ducked, narrowly escaping the blunt force of another man’s fist. “Hold up. Where are you taking her?”
Instead of answering, Sterling shoved a werecat away, the cat’s wild swing just missing Heather.
Damn cats.
It figured that a werecougar would’ve started the whole ruckus. Say one thing and a werecat would more than likely take it the wrong way. Touchy felines. They just didn’t have the sense of humor werewolves did.
Sterling led her through the battle, shielding her as much as he could from the flying beer bottles and the men and women charging into the fray. With his sensitive hearing, he could pick out Brogan’s growls and Garner’s shouts. Not that he was worried about them. They were used to fighting at the bar and could hold their own. As long as no one shifted all the way, everything would calm down soon enough.
Just don’t shift.
He sent the silent plea out to werewolves and werecats alike. A few vamps were there, including Evan Grange. They watched from the sidelines, their glittering eyes taking in the fun like spectators at a football game. The last thing any of them needed was for someone to change right in front of humans like Heather. Everyone understood that rule, but accidents sometimes happened, especially in the middle of a fight. Seeing people change into their animal forms before they could tell her what they were, before they could warn her in advance, wasn’t how they wanted her to find out.
By the time he had her safely against the wall, she was breathing hard. His gaze fell to her ample chest.
If only I had time…
Raven Reynolds, the woman the Hardwick brothers had set their sights on, was pushed to the wall by Dugan Hardwick. He wouldn’t worry about her. Not with her men in the bar. Although all the men in Fate would protect any woman no matter who her mates were, he wouldn’t step in unless needed.
Dugan kissed Raven hard. “Stay put. I’ll be right back.” He nodded at Sterling before darting away.
Damn it, Dugan. Stick with your woman.
His brothers arrived at his side just as he whirled around to keep two large werecats from falling against the women. The shifters started swinging, bringing them back into the fight.
As he landed a hard blow to the man’s midsection, he heard Raven and Heather say something about Emeline and Betsy. Were they actually cheering for Betsy? He continued to fight, his focus split between his attackers and the women. After knocking a werecat to the floor, he glanced back once and saw the women in a deep discussion.
What the hell can they be talking about during a fucking fight?
He slammed his fist into the face of a vampire, then spun back around just as his brothers knocked two other fighters backward.
“Are you two all right?” asked Brogan.
Sterling barely looked at Raven. How could he when Heather’s face was all pink and rosy? Would she have the same excited expression when he got between her legs? He’d just finished speaking when his brothers showed up behind him.
Raven gave Heather a hard look, as though prompting her to keep quiet. “We’re fine, Brogan.”
Did Raven know something about Heather? Or was it the other way around? “You’re Raven Reynolds, right? I’m Sterling Wilson, and these are my brothers Brogan and Garner. If you want, we can pull one of the Hardwick boys out of the fight.”
Sterling didn’t really want to waste time trying to find her men, but he had to ask. If she said yes, then he’d do his best to grab one of her men. But his main focus was on Heather.
“No thanks,” answered Raven.
Good.
Still, he felt responsible for the both the women. “You’d better stick here until it’s over.”
Raven, her wide stare sliding to something on the other side of the bar, had her own ideas. “I need to get out of here. You three take care of Heather. I’ll be all right.”
Raven was gone before he or Heather could stop her. Granted, he hadn’t tried that hard. He kept his eyes on Raven until she reached the doors then moved closer to Heather, pushing his brothers back.
Brogan’s low growl came close to his ear. He grinned, happy that he’d irritated his brother. He was close to Heather, and it was getting on his brothers’ nerves. The night was turning out to be a damn fine night.
A bottle smashed against the wall, too close to Heather’s head for comfort. Sterling took her hand and headed toward the long hallway leading to the restrooms and then out the back door. His brothers went into bodyguard mode, covering their rear as they followed them into the dimly lit hall.
“Where are you taking me?”
Sterling picked up the fragrant aroma of Heather’s breath with each word she spoke. “To safety.” She wasn’t trying to stop him, which encouraged him. His wolf, sensing she was near, rose to the surface, demanding to be let out, but he shoved it back into submission. At
least outwardly. Inside, however, the animal raged on, tearing at his gut. The primal lust-need for his woman pushed at the man to take her right there. If he listened to it, he’d throw her against the wall and rip off her clothes.
Why the hell not?
Fangs broke through, changing normal human teeth. It would only take a few quick tugs at her clothing and he’d have her naked. Once he got his hands and tongue on her, he’d have her squirming for him to fuck her.
Yet what Garner had said the other day came back to haunt him. “Do you want to take her caveman style?”
Hell yeah.
But he wouldn’t risk it. Or would he?
“Hold up,” ordered Brogan.
Bullshit.
Sterling kept going, heading for the back door.
“Damn it, Sterling,” barked Garner.
If his brothers thought they could order him around, they were fucking crazy. Especially when Garner wasn’t even a werewolf.
He shoved the door open and yanked Heather out along with him. The door slammed against Brogan, earning him a growled protest as his brother hit the door hard, sending it banging against the wall.
“Stop.” Heather jerked away, her breathing coming hard and fast. “I can’t leave my friends behind.”
He could’ve forced her to keep moving into the woods, but he realized the danger that might be hiding in the gloom of the trees. In the deep darkness, his animal would feel more at home and would push until he couldn’t resist the shift any longer. In the woods, he might lose control. As much as he hated to stop, he did, moving her back against the wall and out of the way, should anyone else escape out the rear door.
Keeping his wolf down, however, had taken a toll on his strength. He could no longer resist her completely. Once he flattened his hands against the brick wall and gazed into her eyes, he couldn’t resist her a moment longer. They’d already taken far too long to make their desires known, and he wasn’t about to let another minute pass. Especially not when right now was such a great opportunity to do what he’d been dying to do since the first time he’d laid eyes on her.
His mouth crushed against hers. He felt more than heard her gasp and then took in the breath she released. When she brought her hands up to his shoulders, probably to push him away, he took charge of them and rammed them against the wall above her head.
His wolf howled, the yearning to claim and mark his mate burning in his gut. The animal side of him was strong, weakening what little resolve the human part of him still held.
Leaning forward, he pushed his body against hers. She felt so right, a perfect fit, her breasts firm against his chest, her pelvis warm against his legs. His cock thickened straight and hard, faster than it ever had, becoming a solid rod against her soft stomach.
At first, he was prepared to make her his whether or not she wanted it. Then it hit him.
She’s not trying to get free.
Encouraged, he intensified the kiss. The taste of her was amazing, reminding him of the sweetness of honeysuckle with an extra edge to the flavor. Would the sweet cream between her legs taste as good? Probably better.
Brogan pulled on his arm. “Share, brother.”
Bullshit.
He shrugged Garner’s hand off his shoulder. His brothers hadn’t wanted to move too fast, so they could damn well wait.
Brogan’s low growl had her stiffening and easing back from their kiss. Sterling gripped her wrists, putting them together so he could use the other hand to cup her behind the neck. He wasn’t finished kissing her, and nothing Brogan could do would make him end it before he was ready.
“Don’t fuck this up,” warned Garner.
This time Heather struggled and got her hands free. She pushed him back, her eyes wild, her heavy breaths no longer a result of running down the hallway.
Sterling took in her plumped lips and again thought of her other lips. Keeping his eyes on hers, he reached out and jerked the button of her jeans open. Shock registered on her face, but she didn’t say or do anything to stop him from yanking the flaps wide, bringing the zipper down, then pushing her jeans lower.
Neither of his brothers voiced any objections. Yeah, as if they would.
Sterling gave her a wicked smile then dropped to his knees. Taking hold of her hips, he brought her forward and pressed his nose against her pink panties. He closed his eyes and drew in a long, slow breath.
I knew it. She smells sweeter than molasses.
Her soft moan floated on the air as he slipped a finger under the thin material. Warmth and wet covered his finger, and his cock jerked in response. His wolf, even wilder than before, howled.
Another moan had him glancing up. Brogan had his hand under her shirt and had captured her breast. He nibbled on her ear then slicked his tongue along the curve of it.
Garner kept his hand above her shirt, but he’d taken command of one of her hands and had placed it over the bulge in his jeans. Sterling’s own cock jerked again, demanding to be let out of the constraints of his jeans.
Instead, he put his nose back to the delectable fragrance. She’d grown so wet now that she made the tip of his nose damp. He moaned, the sound far too reminiscent of his wolf’s growl, then pushed his finger farther into the hot depth. She trembled as he found her hard little clit.
Yeah, that’s it. Tremble for me. Moan for me.
He refused to think that any of her soft moans were a result of his brothers’ work. Not yet anyway. There’d be time enough later to sit back and enjoy watching them pleasure her. Until then, as far as he was concerned, her moans were all because of him.
He slicked his tongue along the crease between her leg and mons and was rewarded yet again with a shudder that rippled along her body. Easing the panties aside, he took a moment to see how pretty her smooth mons was then flattened his tongue against her skin. Her jeans rested at the top of her legs, keeping her from spreading wider, but that was okay. For now anyway.
She pleased him when she thrust her hips toward him, silently asking him to do exactly the thing he wanted to do. “You’re mine,” he whispered and almost howled with joy.
Her hand found his hair and clutched a hunk of it, bringing him a stab of pain. But he didn’t mind. They were taking it easy for now, but she’d soon find out that werewolves liked a little pain with their pleasure.
Brogan pulled her bra down, exposing her breast. He shot Sterling a glittering amber look then bent his head and feasted on her nipple.
Garner leaned his shoulder against the bricks as she rubbed his cock, her hand sliding up and down his moistened length. His brother groaned, his hand enclosed over her breast.
Time to get that taste.
Tugging her panties aside until they were out of the way, he spread her pussy folds apart and pressed his mouth to her sweetness.
If there was anything that tasted better than her pussy juices, he sure as hell didn’t know what it was. She was sweet and tangy, the aroma of her fragrance filling his nostrils as he raked his tongue around her clit then thrust it into her sheath.
Her moans grew louder. The shudders raking her body grew faster. She was in the throes of passion as she gave herself over to them.
He drank from her, tightening his grip on her legs to keep her both upright and close to him. Adding teeth, he nibbled at her clit then tugged on her folds before diving into her pussy again. Her juices covered his mouth. He couldn’t get enough of her and lapped up as much as he could.
Suddenly, a crowd broke out of the building, slamming the door hard against the wall. She jolted and let out a cry.
“Stop.”
He wouldn’t listen to her. She didn’t really mean what she was saying. She couldn’t. If he didn’t get his cock inside her soon, he wasn’t sure he could keep his wolf in check.
The crowd, whoever they were, wasn’t leaving. Hating to do so, but needing to see, he pushed away from Heather.
Damn it.
He’d assumed the fight had been started by one of the werec
ats, but he could’ve been wrong. From the look of the werewolves gawking at them, Carl Garrett, primary alpha of the Garrett Pack, had probably had something to do with starting the ruckus. Like a lot of the Garrett pack, Carl would start a fight just for the fun of it.
Brogan turned, using his large body to block their view of Heather. Garner took to Brogan’s side, adding his body to shield her. As much as he hated to do it, Sterling stood up, gave her a longing look, then turned to face the other shifters. Behind them, she struggled to pull her clothes back into place.
“Get out of here, Carl.” Brogan’s voice held more than a hint of a growl.
“What for? Looks like you’ve found a play toy.” Carl, his black eyes holding bits of amber, pushed back his long black hair. “How about letting me and the boys play with her, too?”
Sterling’s wolf rose to the surface again. This time, he didn’t hold it back all the way. Fangs erupted from gums, replacing his human teeth. Fingernails morphed into claws. His wolf’s anger rose fast and hard. He was determined to protect their mate no matter what it took. Still, he kept his back to Heather, hiding what he was.
“Just leave, Carl. We don’t want any trouble.” As usual, Garner was the calm one.
Sterling respected his brother. As a werewolf, Sterling was ready and willing to fight another werewolf if he had to. But as a human, his brother wouldn’t have a chance. Still, they could always count on Garner having their backs.
“Yeah, we noticed you boys cleared out as soon as the fight started.” Boomer, an omega of the Garrett Pack, snorted but kept behind his alpha. “What’s wrong, boys? Lost your balls?”
“Get her out of here.” Brogan glanced at Sterling, shooting him a silent command to not argue.
Sterling knew he had to follow the order. Besides, Brogan was right. Following his brother’s order, he took hold of Heather’s arm, but she jerked it away.
