by Hazel Gower
“Jenika,” Angelica called desperately, but her friend didn’t seem to hear.
Draken grabbed Jenika’s wrist before she could pull back any further. “I assure you, my sweet, they are very real.”
“Ah, s-sure,” Jenika stuttered, having suddenly snapped out of her trance. She stepped back, tugging on her arm, frowning when Draken didn’t release her. Oh, this shit was going to go downhill quick. Owen had a funny feeling his mate was going to make him do something about it. “You really need to let go now.”
Before he could say or do anything however, his father interrupted. “So you’re telling us that Jenika is your mate now? After all your protesting about Angelica being your mate?”
The Vampire had the decency to look embarrassed, though he didn’t let go of Jenika. “I don’t know what else to say except the scent of Angelica now does nothing for me, however this one’s…”
“This one has a name and is getting seriously pissed off that people are talking about her like she isn’t even here.” Jenika glared daggers at Draken.
Owen chuckled, thinking how appropriate it would be if the two biggest pains in his arse turned out to be mates. Talk about karma. Now all he had to do was assure his mate that they could leave her best friend in the capable care of this leech. Yeah, that so wasn’t going to happen.
Damn.
****
Angelica stood there in shock, trying to work out what had happened. Last thing she knew, they were coming here to prove a Vampire wrong. She had convinced the boys to let Jenika come, though even now she didn’t fully understand why she had had this sudden need to have her friend with her. She had known the rules, and yet pressed to have Jenika come with them anyway. Now that she was here, it didn’t seem as desperate, and she sorely regretted it, especially with the way that Vampire was eyeballing her best friend. Words were thrown around by a few, but when she heard the word scent, it echoed through her mind. And then it hit her. “Oh crap.”
Owen peered down at her. “What is it, sweetheart?”
“That day that we met … I was wearing Jen’s jacket. It had gotten cold quickly and she had brought herself a new one, so she gave me the one she had been wearing.” Their eyes met, and she could tell he had guessed what she was thinking. “It was Jenika he was smelling all along.”
“Shit,” Owen muttered, casting a concerned glance at her friend. As much as Jenika annoyed them, and they joked about getting rid of her, Angelica knew her men still cared. Jenika did that to you. Rub you the wrong way continuously until eventually she grew on you. Owen looked over at Stephan, who had heard their conversation. “Damn, you know what this means.”
She saw Stephan frown. “What?”
Owen grimaced. “We’ll never get rid of her now.” Holding up his finger and thumb an inch apart, he said, “We were this close to having one of the leeches drain her, but now they won’t bloody touch her.”
“Owen!” Angelica glared at her mates.
God, they were terrible sometimes.
“Does someone want to tell me what is going on?” Jenika demanded.
Draken grinned. “It’s quite simple, my dear. You are my mate.”
“Say what now?” Jenika stared at Draken as if he had lost his mind, and Angelica didn’t blame her. Her friend was way out of her depth.
“Jenika, there is something I have to tell you,” Angelica said, worrying about how her friend was going to react to the news that humans weren’t the only species around. Something told her that Jenika wouldn’t handle it as well as she did, mating bond or not.
“Oh yeah?” Jenika raised a brow. “Does this have something to do with why the hot ones are always gay or crazy?”
“Well—wait, isn’t it gay or taken?”
“Not in my experience,” Jenika muttered. Angelica wasn’t sure if she wanted to know what that meant.
“Listen, there is a whole world you know nothing about. Now, this is going to sound crazy, but I need you to remember this is me telling you. Not the boys, not a stranger, but me, okay?” She needed to know that Jenika was really listening. When she received a hesitant nod, she continued. “Humans aren’t the only species that exist.”
Jenika let out a snort. “Oh come on.”
“Please, Jenika, listen,” Angelica pleaded.
Something in her voice must have tipped Jenika off, because the other woman immediately frowned, growing more serious. “What is it?”
“You are currently surrounded by a bunch of Shifters. Mostly panther, but a few others as well.” Angelica’s eyes slipped to Draken and grimaced. “Oh, and you have a Vampire holding your wrist, claiming to be your mate.”
“What the hell have they been telling you, hun? Better yet, what have they been giving you?” Jenika eyed her with concern.
Angelica sighed in resignation. “I get it. I had to see it for myself, too.”
She nodded to Owen and Stephan. Her mates knew exactly what she wanted, though they looked less than thrilled. Angelica couldn’t stop her eyes from roaming over their fine forms as they began to remove their clothing. The bunching of their muscles, the smooth, sleek skin that was being revealed … Angelica only realized she had drifted off into fantasy land when she heard Jenika chuckle uncomfortably.
“Ummm, okay, I really don’t need to see this.”
“Yes, you do,” she said, not exactly pleased that her friend was about to see her men’s goods.
Owen and Stephan began to shift even before their pants had dropped, and within seconds, two panthers appeared in their place. Angelica grinned. Her men were gorgeous in either form.
“What. The. Fuck?”
She drew her attention to an extremely stunned Jenika, who stood gaping at her men. “Jenika. Are you okay?”
Her friend had paled considerably, and Angelica was worried when Jenika didn’t respond. She had never known a moment where Jenika had been stunned into silence. Ever.
When Jenika finally made eye contact with her, it was only enough for Angelica to see her friend’s eyes roll back and Jenika’s body to slump. At least Draken had been there to catch her.
“Damn,” Stephan whistled, having shifted back.
Angelica threw a look at him over her shoulder. “Not helpful.”
The look he gave her made it clear he hadn’t intended it to be. Damn men.
****
Jenika had begun to stir in the car, and by the time they had gotten her back to their place, her friend was in full in question mode. How could they shift? Were they born that way? How long had she known? Did she having some freaking bonding thing with Stephan and Owen? Vampires were real? What else was real?
Angelica had stayed quiet with that last one, hoping to gain extra knowledge herself. Finding out Vampires were real had been an accident, and neither of her men were very forthcoming with information on the subject of other species.
“Seriously, could you give it a break for five seconds?” Owen muttered as they walked through their front door.
“Owen,” she sighed, a warning in her tone.
“What? She has been going since she woke up, sweetheart,” he whined, his baby blues twinkling with mirth. “I can’t take it anymore.”
“You’re right. Since she woke up after having passed out because she found out Shifters and Vampires are real,” Angelica reminded him. “And now she finds out she is mated to one. It’s a hell of a shock, guys. Give her a break.”
“Oh no.” Jenika shook her head vehemently. “I am no one’s mate.”
“Yes, you are,” Draken announced, joining them.
Jenika shrieked, and her mates snickered.
“Where the hell did you come from?”
“I followed you home. I wanted to make sure you were okay,” he stated.
Jenika blinked. “You followed me home? ‘Cause that’s not creepy or anything.”
“It is not creepy for one to care for their mate.” Draken raised an arrogant brow in indignation.
“I think we�
�ll agree to disagree,” Jenika said in her most condescending tone.
Angelica cringed. This was going from bad to worse.
“Listen. How about we all take a seat in the lounge room? Jenika has a ton of questions.” Groans met her statement, but she chose to ignore them. “And I think it would be a good idea for Draken to be here to answer any she may have about Vampires.”
Without giving anyone a chance to respond, she reached for her best friend, dragging the other woman in to the lounge room. Ordering her to sit, Angelica then turned to her mates. “Could you get everyone something to drink?”
Stephan visibly bristled. “Not everyone.”
His eyes narrowed in on a smirking Draken, and she wanted to slap herself. “Ah, yeah, no. Sorry, Draken.”
The Vampire waved her concern away. “Not to worry. I fed earlier.”
“Charming,” Jenika muttered beside her, folding her arms over her chest.
Draken’s grin grew impossibly wider. “Well, my dear. Now that I know the thought of me feeding from another upsets you so, I will gladly come to you for all my needs.”
Yeah, that was so not helpful.
Angelica was relieved that the rest of the night’s discussion seemed to run more smoothly. Still just as many vocal jabs from everyone, but however something about them seemed tamer. She also felt like she had learnt more than she had in the last few weeks. Her mates were more open to talking about their world, which felt like a huge step for her. They always spoke about her being everything to them, and wanting her to be a part of their world … yet she always felt like they were holding something back from her.
“One thing I don’t get—no wait, there is a lot I don’t get, but I’m focusing on this one. Why on earth would your elders live here?”
Jenika scrunched up her nose like the idea was completely ridiculous. Angelica had to agree with her friend. It was something she hadn’t thought to ask. Her immediate acceptance of all things paranormal shocked her a little. Since when did this weird and wacky stuff become … normal?
“Of course the Elders reside here. This is where the treaty was signed after all,” Draken stated simply.
Angelica stared at the Vampire and then her mates. Here in Mount View? Australia? How was that even possible?
Angelica opened her mouth to ask, but Jenika beat her. “But you said it was signed over 1000 years ago. Australia is only like 200 years old. You’re a bit off there. Getting senile in your old age?”
Her friend’s cocky attitude was in full mode, and Angelica cringed. Jenika wasn’t taking the news of being a fated mated too well. The other woman had always seemed to be the embodiment of a “free spirit”, so her response didn’t surprise Angelica. And Draken was doing himself no favors by acting as though Jenika should be grateful. Having your entire world turned upside down and thrust into chaos was not something one was normally grateful for. Jenika needed time.
Unfortunately, Draken had a way of putting his foot in his mouth. “No, the English have only been here for 200 years. Australia, and paranormals in general, are much older than that, little girl.”
Jenika’s face morphed, no longer sarcastic and humorous. Oh God, Angelica knew that look. There weren’t many things her best friend could do to scare her, but that expression was one of them.
“Little girl?” she asked, deceptively calm, which caused Angelica to be even more concerned.
Snickers echoed from either side of her, and she threw back her elbows, smiling at the grunts that responded. Her mates did not want to piss Jenika off, no matter how big or brave they thought they were.
Jenika stood and walked to the man who claimed to be her mate. Angelica couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He leant up against the side of the lounge, arrogant smirk on his lips like he owned the world … like he had no idea that her friend was about to hand him his arse. She almost found it hilarious. She felt sorry for the guy, but it was hilarious.
They all watched as Jenika moved closer. There was something seductive in the way she moved, which just confirmed her friend had something planned. A hand landed on Draken’s chest and slowly slid its way south.
Oh God, what is she doing?
When Jenika’s hand was close enough to cup Draken through his slacks, that was exactly what she did. The Vampire groaned even as Stephan and Owen turned away.
“Little, huh?” she asked, squeezing him tight.
Draken gasped. “What are you doing?”
Jenika gave a careless shrug. “Just checking.”
“What?”
“Well, you see, from my experience men who like to fling around words like ‘little’ are usually trying to draw attention away from other areas that may be on the smaller side.”
The way Draken frowned, glancing down to where her hand lay, before gaping up at Jenika again was comical.
He glared at Jenika. “And?”
So arrogant and cocky. It was like watching a train derail right in front of her.
Jenika let out a noncommittal sound. “I’ve felt bigger.”
Angelica tried to cover up her laughter as Jenika let go of him, spinning on her heel and dropping a kiss to her cheek.
“I think I’ve had enough excitement for one night. I’ll be over tomorrow, hun.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
As they left the room, it was to chuckled laughter coming from her mates and a snarl from Draken. Those men were hopeless.
Before Jenika could leave, she reached for her arm. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“It’s a lot to take in,” Jenika answered honestly. “But I think the real question you want to ask is, am I angry at you for keeping it from me … and the answer is no. We both know I would have said you were crazy. Besides, you would have told me in the end. No secrets between us.”
Angelica let out a relieved sigh. Her friend was right. She had been worried, but honestly hadn’t realized that until Jenika said something. “I’m glad we’re okay.”
“Always.” Jenika winked, before turning to walk to her car.
“You all right, cupcake?” Stephan murmured in her ear as his arms wrapped around her from behind.
“Yeah,” she sighed. “Yeah, I really am.”
Her brother knew, and now so did her best friend. She felt for the first time since this had all begun for her, that things would actually be okay.
Chapter Seven
Stephan woke up with a groan, the bright light of the morning sun shining unforgivingly through the curtains. He peered at the clock next to the bed. Seven-thirty. Damn. Turning to his side, he was met with a gorgeous sight. Angelica lay sprawled in her sleep, her succulent lips parted. He couldn’t contain his groan.
Angelica’s eyes blinked open, her gaze pinning him almost instantly. Knowledge of his desire for her burned, and a small smile played on the edges of her lips. It amazed him how easy things were between them, how easy it was to read her and be read by her.
“Like what you see?”
The words were teasing, yet he could see the same need in his mate. Would he ever get enough?
“I know I do,” Owen mumbled, still half asleep even as he beat Stephan to the punch, claiming her lips.
He wasn’t forgotten though. Angelica’s soft hand caressed him down his chest. A shudder rippled through his body as Owen backed off, and Stephan took his turn, pushing Angelica further into the bed. His stripped away the sheet, exposing her luscious body to them and cupped her breasts.
“So nice,” he said as he mouthed her breast. Angelica’s hand slid through his hair, grabbing the strands as he nipped and sucked one taut nipple into his mouth.
Owen leaned in, echoing his movements with the other breast. She whimpered and thrashed beneath them, crying out their names. God, he wanted to bury his cock deep inside of her.
Pleasure pooled at Stephan’s spine when he felt Angelica’s hand wrap around his cock. Stephan could already feel the beginning of his orgasm as he thrust his hips into Angelica’s
hand, which was pumping him furiously with short, even strokes. He covered her hand with his as Stephan rolled his hips backward and away.
“Not yet.” Stephan blew out a deep breath, bringing his body back under control.
Goddamn, he wanted the woman now.
Turning onto his back, Stephan grabbed a panting Angelica and draped her over his chest. “Time to ride me, cupcake.”
He brushed his knuckles over her cheek as she straddled his waist. Angelica was so damn stunning sitting on top of him, gazing down at Stephan heatedly, her eyes glittering with lust and love. The feel of her pleasure soaked him. She crushed her chest to his, her nipples feeling like cut diamonds as she slowly impaled her body on his cock. Reaching for her, Stephan slanted his open mouth across Angelica’s. Heat and womanly spice, the taste of her flooded his mouth.
“Oh, God,” Angelica moaned. Stephan looked to the side to see Owen behind her. He knew exactly what the man was doing.
“You take us so well, cupcake,” he crooned, trying to hold still as Owen prepared her.
Stephan reached behind Angelica with one arm, curved it around her neck, then turned and pulled her in close for a kiss filled with heat and intense passion. He wanted to distract her from what Owen was doing, to make her forget for the moment until there was nothing but pleasure between them. Stephan raised Angelica’s head, kissing each eyelid as he felt Owen begin to move behind them.
Angelica stiffened, but Stephan bit her shoulder with his blunt teeth, bringing her attention back to him.
“It’s always so intense,” she whispered to him.
“You were made for us,” Owen panted. His voice was a fierce whisper as he ran his hands over her sides, reached under, and cupped her breasts, palming them, massaging the large yet soft mounds.
Angelica’s fingernails dug into Stephan’s chest. He would take the pain, knowing the pleasure she was going to experience. Stephan began to move, grabbing her hips and thrusting up into her hot pussy as she moaned and tilted her head back. They set up a rhythm, their thrusts matching as Angelica fell apart between them. The pulse of pleasure was overtaking Stephan’s mind. It wrapped over the head of his erection like tiny fingers of paradise as Angelica’s body impaled his cock over and over again.
