“I’m sorry.” The apology shot out of her mouth. She couldn’t believe how long she slept. It had to be because she knew she was safe. But it wasn’t fair of her to put Gavin out like that.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, River, and I certainly enjoyed having you curled up next to me all day.” Gavin sauntered into the room and flopped down on one of the overstuffed chairs. He scratched his chest and yawned again. “I feel like I slept all winter.”
She laughed and yawned again herself in reaction to his. “You’re better than an electrical blanket. I don’t know the last time I slept that long in one go.”
Gavin grinned and stretched out, growling low in his chest. She remembered what all that hair felt like under her fingertips. Tickling the pads of her fingers as she’d traced the way it narrowed down like an arrow to his cock. Only now it disappeared below the waist of his jeans.
“He’s showing off for you,” Hugh whispered behind her ear. “You made quite an impression on my youngest brother. I bet it took everything he had not to wrap his hands over your breasts while you slept.” Her nipples tingled at the memory of his hands on them. Hugh was still a mystery to her. “But he was a complete gentleman.”
“Would you be?” The question shot out of her mouth before she completed the thought. So far, Hugh hadn’t done anything but order her around, and she was starting to wonder if he was even interested in her.
“River, when I touch you, you’ll be wide awake, completely sentient, and begging me for it.” His voice dropped slightly at the end of the sentence, and she felt the words vibrate against her clit.
She looked up, caught by the intensity in his gaze. He had the darkest eyes and longest eyelashes she’d ever seen on a man. They would’ve looked feminine if not for the hard angles to his face and the enormity of his size. Her pussy creamed, and she licked her dry lips.
“You ready to beg already, River?” His tone sounded like a dare, and she felt her defenses slam into place.
“I don’t beg.” Oh, yes, I would, and that scares the hell out of me.
“Good. Don’t give in too easily, River.” Hugh’s hand roamed over her hip and over one cheek of her ass. His thumb traced the cleft in her ass through her pants, and she remembered Boyd doing the same thing earlier today.
He smacked her ass, snapping her out of the daze she had slipped into. “Let’s get you fed. The washroom is down the hall to the left, if you need it. I have to check on my sauce.”
Hugh helped her to her feet, and River glanced over at Gavin, who was stretched out in the chair, grinning at her. The urge to crawl up in his lap tickled her senses, but Mother Nature decided to make her own demands. She made her way to the bathroom. She hid in there for a few minutes after using it, to gather her thoughts.
She needed to assess the situation rationally. There was a Keeper from the compound out there looking for her. She knew it, and he knew where she lived. He might not have gone in the house, but she knew her property like the back of her hand, and he’d marked his territory all over the place.
It was obvious to her that Lars was the target the other morning. She hadn’t covered her tracks well enough when she went over there. If she stayed here then Hugh, Boyd, and Gavin might as well have targets on their backs. She couldn’t risk it. The mental image of any of them being hurt tore at her heart like a freezing-cold pain stabbing her in the chest. If she didn’t know better, she would’ve thought that she might be having a heart attack.
Her hands shook as she turned on the water and splashed some on her face. She looked at her reflection and could see the woman hiding behind the mask. She was sure to pack her makeup and almost went out to get it. She had discovered over the years that she could hide behind the look she created. It was her armor, and she felt defenseless without it. Sitting down with the McNamera brothers like this suddenly felt so intimidating. She could’ve used the boost to her ego.
River quickly washed up and zipped her sweater up to her neck. There was a large skull that decorated the front of it. Perhaps that would draw their attention away from her. She finger-combed her hair out and pulled it into a braid behind each ear. That at least would control the thick mass and make her look more pulled together and less “I slept the day away.” In the arms of a guy I gave a blow job to while his brother fucked me and their brother watched.
She rubbed her temples and shook her head. It felt like her life had taken a sudden turn down a rabbit hole. What happened to the peaceful existence she had last week? Taking a deep breath, she headed down the hallway. Planting a smile on her face, she tried to ignore the unstable fear that pounded against her senses. There was so much she needed to plan for. At least they were nice enough to pack for her already. Now as long as she wasn’t followed here then she might have a chance to get away and keep them safe at the same time.
All three of them turned and looked at her when she walked into the room. Apprehension washed over her, making her stop in the doorway. “I’ve been thinking…”
Boyd leaned back against the kitchen counter, arched an eyebrow, and crossed his arms over his chest. Gavin frowned and took a deep breath as if he were getting ready to argue with her. Hugh carried a massive bowl of spaghetti to the table. “Sit down, River. We can talk while we eat.”
“Um, okay.” She reacted to the tone in his voice before she processed the words. That was disconcerting, but she decided not to let it bother her. Hugh pulled a chair out, and she sat down in it before she remembered what she wanted to say. “I know you’re trying to protect me, and that’s very kind, but I think it would be better if I deal with this myself.”
“River, would it not make more sense to share whatever is bothering you?” Gavin asked as he put a third piece of garlic bread on the side of her plate.
“No, not at all.” Placing her hand on Boyd’s, she shook her head before he dropped another pile of noodles on her plate. “I’m less than half your size. I have enough, thank you.”
Boyd nodded and put it back in the bowl. “We’ll save some for you in case you get hungry later.” The brothers had filled her plate with an obscene amount of food before passing around the dishes and filling their own plates.
“I have to work in the morning, and everyone in town knows me and will watch out for me. You three have enough to deal with. You don’t need to bother with my shit.”
“Three,” Hugh said calmly as he twirled his fork in his noodles.
River met his gaze and glared at him as he placed his food in his mouth. It all smelled so incredible, and she was starving, but she wasn’t going to touch a bit of it until she came to an understanding with Hugh.
“I didn’t lie, Hugh, and hell is going to freeze over before you touch my ass again.”
Chapter Ten
Hugh’s eyes darkened until they were almost completely black. “Eat your damn dinner, River.”
She wanted to argue, but the sight of him starting to lose control frightened her. “I’m sorry, Hugh. I’m not trying to be rude, but the three of you are making way too many concessions for me.”
Hugh’s eyes returned to a closer semblance of normal. “Accepted, but let us worry about concessions.” He pointed at her fork with his own. “Now eat before it’s cold.”
River would’ve argued more, but her stomach took that opportunity to growl again. She really was hungry. and the moment that delicious sauce passed her lips she lost all interest in arguing. The food was delicious, and she discovered she was much hungrier than she originally thought.
The tension in the air dissipated, and the three of them fell into a casual conversation about the town. River filled them in on some of the folklore of the area. They’d heard of Blavet but didn’t really know much about him. She had a great time telling them stories, and by the time dinner was done, she was stuffed full and had hardly eaten half of what they put on her plate.
Since Hugh cooked, Boyd and Gavin cleared the table. River offered to help, but Hugh lifted her feet up into his lap.
; “Oh, I’m so full. I might need another nap.” She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her tummy. “That really was good.”
“Good. Now, about work tomorrow.” He rubbed her shin. “One of us will drive you there in the morning. As long as you promise to stay inside and away from the windows. You can tell us when your shift is over, and we’ll be there to pick you up again.”
“That’s crazy. I might as well stay at the clinic. Brenna has a spare bedroom.”
“River, you’ll be staying here, or you won’t be leaving at all.”
That sounded much too much like being imprisoned. “You’re not my jailer, Hugh, and I’ll leave whenever the fuck I want to.”
River heard the soft “oh, shit” from the kitchen, a split second before Hugh lunged to his feet and tugged her to hers. “Come with me,” he snapped and manacled her wrists together in one hand. “You and I are going to come to an understanding.”
“What understanding?” River tugged at her wrists as he pulled her down the hallway.
She looked back toward the kitchen, but Hugh pulled her through a doorway. “Don’t look to them for help. They wouldn’t dare interrupt me right now.”
“Why? Because you’re obviously their Alpha?”
“No.” He spun around and pushed his face very close to hers. “They know you want this as much as I do.”
“Want what?”
Her world spun and tilted and she found herself over Hugh’s solid thighs. She really started to fight then, throwing herself in every direction trying to break the hold he had on her. He kept her wrists trapped together against her back, restricting her movements. She could feel his arm lying across her lower back. Her shirt had ridden up so his fingers lay against her skin.
Her stretchy yoga pants offered no resistance when he yanked them down over her hips. The chilly air in the room against the warm cheeks of her ass sent goose bumps over her skin. According to Boyd’s earlier comment, Hugh thought he was going to smack her ass thirty times. Fuck that.
Determined not to make it easy for him, she tried to kick Hugh in the head as he pulled her pants off her ankles.
“Stop it, River.”
Smack.
His hand came down on her ass, but it wasn’t so hard she couldn’t withstand it. What frightened her more was her body’s immediate reaction. She was already getting wet at the prospect of feeling his hand on her bare skin again, but she wanted more than to be something they passed around…like a breeder.
“I’m not your fuck toy!” He’s not going to win.
Smack, smack.
She bit off another curse by clenching her teeth against each other and pulled harder against his hold. Her shoulders were starting to ache, but she didn’t care. She would get off him if she had to dislocate her own joints to do it. Before yesterday, she never would’ve imagined how intimate a spanking could be. Now she knew, and it terrified her how fast she was dropping her shields around them.
Smack, smack, smack!
His hand came down hard on her ass fast, and she yipped at the pain now. He hadn’t spanked her this hard for breaking into the brewery, but she’d pushed him this time. She tried to throw herself from side to side, but he wrapped his arm over her hips and anchored her.
Smack!
The moment she stopped moving he got her again. Her ass burned, and her thoughts were spinning. She didn’t know how to react to what was happening. Each strike set her nerves aflame and made her body hum. She was soaking the leg of Hugh’s pants with her juices at the same time as a part of her wanted to beat against his chest and scream at him for making her feel this way.
“Let me go!” She realized she wasn’t going to win. He was too big, too strong.
Smack!
“I don’t understand why you’re doing this!”
“You need to realize you’re not here because we need someone to fuck.”
Smack!
“You’re not here because we have nothing better to do.”
Smack!
“You’re not here because of any other silly notion that comes into your head.”
Smack!
“Then why am I here?” she hollered at him. Her ass burned hot and each smack made her wetter, but she didn’t understand what was going on. She wanted to tell him everything, give him all the pain and fear she carted around and let him take care of it.
“Because you’re meant to be with us.”
Smack!
His soft words went right to her heart, making River’s eyes burn with tears. She dropped her head before he saw them. As much as she wished it to be true, it couldn’t be. She was created to be a breeder for her species. No one knew about that program, and she was one of the few who got away. If she hadn’t been found, then maybe…but she had been, and staying with these men could mean their death.
“No.” She shook her head.
Smack!
A tear streaked down the edge of her nose, and she watched in horror as it perched on the tip. Control, she had to keep herself controlled.
Smack, smack, smack…It felt as though Hugh’s hand rained down on her ass. The smacks came fast and furious, but instead of agonizing pain her entire body felt energized and alive. Really alive, as if she was experiencing the world herself instead of hiding behind what everyone believed her to be.
Another tear fell and landed on Hugh’s foot. Her ass felt like it was on fire, and she lost the fingertip grip on her emotions. Tears rushed forward, streaming down her nose as she hiccupped. She slumped over Hugh’s legs, not caring anymore. He can do whatever he wants.
“Shhh, okay. You’re safe here, River.” Hugh let go of her arms and lifted her up off his legs, moving her like she was a delicate porcelain doll. He shuffled back farther onto his bed and stretched out, bringing her with him. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close to his body and held her tight. She cried years of pent-up fear and terror at what her future might hold. Through it all he stroked her hair and rubbed her back. She gripped handfuls of his shirt and clung to him, feeling so fragile she was afraid she might crumble if left to stand on her own.
She felt the bed dip behind her and something cool gently smeared on one cheek of her ass, making her jump. “It’ll make it feel better,” Gavin crooned. “You’re healing already but this will give you a bit more relief.”
“Thank you.” She hiccupped against Hugh’s shirt and felt Gavin press a kiss to the back of her head.
A blanket was laid across her and tucked in. Boyd kissed her head, but before she could say anything he left the room, too.
“River, talk to me.” Hugh’s voice was soft in the quiet of the room. She lay there and listened to the sound of Boyd and Gavin moving around the house, but no one was talking.
She shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t like to think about it. Because if I tell anyone, it puts them in danger, and I can’t save them from this. There’s only one of me and so many of them.”
Hugh stroked her back and moved his leg so it pressed up between hers. Her body came back to life in a rush. “Sweetheart, there isn’t anything that we couldn’t protect you from.”
“I’m a breeder.”
* * * *
Hugh felt as if the air had been sucked out of the room. When Gavin told him about what she had said when she was half asleep, he didn’t believe it. He had heard rumblings about breeders. They were shifters bred to produce the purest of the species, ensuring they never went extinct. Long before the humans clued in, shifters realized that creatures were disappearing off this earth. A group that would eventually evolve into the Guardians came up with an idea to make certain this never happened in the shifters’ world. Recent medical tests had proven that improbable. The coding in DNA that differentiated the species was similar to those of eye and hair color. There was no chance of any one shifter species disappearing from the face of the earth. Some species’ genes were recessive, but as a whole they would stil
l be around.
There were always rumors that the breeding program still existed, but he’d never given it much thought until now.
She was right. Having a breeder there with them meant she could be tagged for death if they got her pregnant. Her desperate need to hide and the bear sneaking around her home meant one glaring possibility. “They know you’re here.”
“I don’t know. There’s a Keeper here, but if he had told anyone, more would’ve arrived by now. This man isn’t sure I am who I say I am, and I don’t know what he’s playing at.”
She looked up at him for the first time and he was struck by the vulnerability in her eyes. He was really looking at his Mate without her trying to hide behind anything. He wanted to shift right now and go out and tear apart the man who had her running in fear.
“Do you realize that we think you’re incredibly brave?” He ran his fingers over the delicate skin of her cheeks and the gentle swell of her lower lip. She was theirs to protect and love and, the Fates willing, she would carry their child one day and no fucking scientist was going to have a say in that.
“Oh, right. Sure,” she muttered, rolling her eyes and wiping the damp residue from her face.
Hugh could hear his brothers’ restless movements along the hallway. They were listening in but realized that they couldn’t overwhelm her right now.
“River, we understand what it takes to up and leave a situation you don’t want to be in. The fact you have managed to elude the Guardians for this long is nothing short of amazing. It takes a lot of inner strength and courage to reinvent yourself and have the life you want to have.”
“We had help.”
“How many you got away?”
“There were three of us, me, Feather, and Stone. There were others, but they didn’t want to go. I guess they were happy there, but we wanted to have a life and not be controlled.”
Another tear escaped and he brushed it away with his thumb. “Why did you leave them?”
“We needed to separate. We’d been stuck together our entire lives and were supposed to breed a new generation of foxes.”
Surrounded By Fur [3xtasy Lake 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 9
