by Milly Taiden
Troy gulped down the soda. “Trust me, she has one. They all have something they like to buy. Shoes, clothes, bags, hats, books, trinkets, et cetera. I don’t know why, but they love to buy stuff.”
Riel doubted all women had that. Sam didn’t seem like the type to spend mindless hours shopping. But if she did like shopping, he had more than enough space in his house for all the shoes she wanted to buy.
Troy dumped the empty soda can in the recycling bin. “I’m going to check on the teens around the area. You have fun with the little ones. Don’t think I don’t know you love being surrounded by babies. I’ve never met a man that liked kids as much as you.”
“Don’t hate. You’re just jealous because they like me better.” Riel laughed and pushed his friend out the front door. So what if he liked kids. Until he had some of his own, he could enjoy Shane and Selena.
“I’m not jealous.” Troy flushed.
Ry laughed. “Oh, I know what this is about. You’re embarrassed aren’t you?”
“You’re crazy. Didn’t you just ask for my help?”
“Hang on a second.” He studied Troy’s features. Color rose to the other man’s face. “Is this still over her first turn?”
Troy folded his arms over his chest, glaring at Ry. “She bit me!”
Ry couldn’t stop the laughter as he remembered the episode. “You should’ve stayed out of the yard.”
“You were there.” Troy’s voice rivaled that of a petulant child. “She didn’t bite you.”
Ry shrugged. “Chase warned everyone to stay out of his yard.”
“But you got to be there.”
Riel remembered how Chase had dragged Sophia out of the house to the yard to get her to finally embrace the two animals she had inside. She had been scared to shift, unsure of how painful it would feel. The alpha had sent everyone away from his house, and only Julia and Riel remained. Sophia had ordered Riel to “keep his ass put” when he was about to leave, and Chase had allowed it.
It had been a thing of beauty. Chase had instructed her the entire time to close her eyes and see her wolf, to touch it and allow it to roam free. She’d torn through the dress as the shift took over. It had been the fastest shift he’d ever seen, almost as if her wolf had been dying to get out. Moments later she was a petite gray wolf. She took off on a run instantly. Chase tore through his clothes and let his wolf chase after his mate. It was a while before they returned from their run in the attached forest. At the time, Ry had been sitting in the yard with the kids, and Troy showed up.
“You were tossing her baby in the air. Shane was screaming.”
Troy scowled, unfolded his arms, and fisted his hands to his sides. “He was squealing in joy, Ry. I wasn’t hurting him.”
That was true, but the big, golden lioness that leapt out of the forest and went for Troy’s ass hadn’t been interested in the baby’s screams being of joy. Her mother instincts took over in Sophia’s cat, and she rushed to her cub’s rescue.
“Chase stopped her.” Riel grinned. It always made him chuckle to remember the momentary growling struggle between the alpha wolf and his feline mate.
Troy’s flush turned a deeper shade of red. “She still bit my ass.”
“Next time, stay out of the yard when Chase orders it.”
“I’m going to check on the teens around here, before she decides to bite my ass again when she arrives.”
Riel stood by the door, laughing and watching Troy cross the street to his own house. A large hybrid SUV he recognized as Sophia’s turned into his driveway. He ran down to her car and opened the backdoor to pull out Selena.
The little girl squealed and started chanting, “My Ry Ry.”
“That’s right princess. I’m all yours.” He grinned and hugged the girl’s little body tight. Her short brown curls had escaped her pigtails. Her gray eyes twinkled with mirth.
Holding the little girl in his arms, he went around the car and allowed Sophia to give him a kiss on the cheek. She was losing weight. Her cheekbones were more prominent than before. Shadows marred her eyes. “Are you OK? You look exhausted.”
She grinned and strolled into his house. They headed straight for the backyard where he always had a playpen for the kids. Sophia placed Shane in the portable playpen and took a seat on a lounger right next to it.
“I’m fine. Nothing a few months of sleep won’t cure. I guess I’ll have to hire a nanny in order to get some rest with this pregnancy.”
Riel had been bouncing Selena on his lap and stopped. He grinned and stood to give her a hug. “Congratulations. I am guessing Chase is going to turn into an even bigger paranoid papa?”
Sophia laughed and sat back down. “You have no idea. He’s already told me I need to let him know if I feel sick at any point. He’s promised to get a nurse from the pack clinic to take care of me. He doesn’t seem to understand that all I need is some sleep.”
Riel studied her face. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. I know my news is wonderful, but that’s not why I came to see you.” Excitement sounded in her words. The way she said that made him a little worried.
“OK. What do you need?”
“Actually, it’s what you need. You need help. I’m here to offer it.”
He groaned. He hoped she wasn’t going where he thought. “What? What help?”
Sophia chuckled when he attempted a pout. Selena, noticing his pout, grabbed hold of his bottom lip and pulled. “Come on, Ry. You told me about Samira remember? I know she’s back. So I have an idea.”
Uh-oh. Sophia looked like she was going to make it her business to get Riel and Sam together.
He kissed Selena’s neck, and the little girl giggled. She smacked his cheeks with her chubby hands.
Riel was afraid to ask but had to know. “Sophia I am the sexiest man in this town, I don’t need help.” He sighed when she raised one perfectly arched brow. “OK, fine. What’s your idea?”
“A barbeque.” She grinned. “It’s really easy. We’ll have a huge barbeque, and you’ll bring her with you, and she’ll see how awesome you are with the kids. Trust me, that is a major wow factor with women.”
Riel wondered if Julia would show up later on with her own ideas on how to get him and Sam together. Sophia glanced at the house across the yard. Sam’s gaze was fixed on him and Selena. There was softness in her eyes and a wistful smile on her face.
“Then again we might not need to do anything after all.” Sophia stood and headed toward Sam’s yard.
His Alpha’s mate introduced herself to Sam.
“Hi. I’m Sophia Blackburn. Would you like to join us? I promise not to bite, although I can’t guarantee my kids won’t. They’re still going through the wanting-to-gnaw-at-everything-they-see phase.”
Sam shook Sophia’s hand. Indecision rushed across her face. When Selena blew bubbles, Sam nodded and quickly made her way toward his yard. As she neared, she caught sight of Shane and squealed. Complete adoration covered her face.
“They’re twins! What a handsome little boy. They are so cute.” Sam turned to Sophia. “May I hold him?”
Sophia grinned and sat next to the playpen. “Knock yourself out. As much as I want to hold them both all day, my arms get kind of tired. He’s Shane, and the little princess in Ry’s arms is Selena.”
Sam picked up Shane, and the little boy stared at her for a long moment.
“Hi, Shane. I’m Samira. Can you say Sam?” She was staring at the child, fascinated. “You are the cutest little boy I have ever seen.” Shane appeared instantly won over, because he grabbed handfuls of her hair and pulled her head down. Then he sniffed her cheek and said “Sam.”
Riel pictured Sam with their own children. She cooed and bounced Shane.
Sophia sniffed. She raised her brows and glanced pointedly at Riel. He had no idea what she scented. Her sense of smell had developed into a lethal weapon since she’d gotten pregnant the first time around.
“Sam, what do you do?” Sophia asked.
Riel could see the wheels turning in her head. Sophia’s scientific mind was a dangerous thing.
Sam sat on a lounger and bounced Shane on her lap. She caressed the little boy’s face with so much affection one would think it was her child. “I’m a teacher.”
“And I understand you were volunteering?”
Sam glanced at Sophia, who was smiling at Shane’s antics; the boy was tugging on Sam’s hair. “I met Ginny, and she loved speaking highly of you.”
Sam nodded. “Yes. I was in Brazil this past year and in Somalia before that. I’m back now.”
“To stay, I presume?”
“Yes. I… It’s time to be home.” She sighed.
“So tell me about Brazil. It sounds exotic.” Sophia asked with enough enthusiasm that Sam wouldn’t know she was being interviewed. Only Riel could see right through what she was doing.
“Not really. I taught kids and adults in the Amazon. In fact, the most interesting thing that happened while I was down there was me getting bitten by a stray wolf.”
“What?” Sophia and Riel yelled at once.
Riel glanced down at Selena. She pouted, her eyes filling with tears. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Sam continued to grin at Shane and answered. “Oh, it was nothing. I got all kinds of tests and vaccinations. Let’s just say there’s not a single bug inside my body that could have resisted all the medication I was given.”
Sophia glanced at him. She bit her lip and widened her eyes to give him a silent signal. He knew exactly what she was wondering. Was that a regular wolf or a wolf-shifter? Her blood would need to be tested. A lump formed in his throat. She didn’t appear to be sick or going through the change. That pacified him somewhat.
Sophia continued her inquisition. “Sam, do you have any shifters in your family?”
Riel wondered why she asked that question. Sam and her relatives were human. She scented human to him. He continued to watch Sam rock Shane in her arms. The little boy’s head drooped to her shoulder, and his eyes closed.
Sam’s voice was soft when she replied. “No. None that I’ve ever heard of. In fact, I understand my mom was friends with some, and that made her the black sheep of the family.”
Sophia sniffed delicately. “You’re sure? Maybe they missed someone.”
Sam shook her head. “No, I would know. Ginny wouldn’t have kept that kind of information from me. She was always very open about our family and the type of people we had as a part of it. She always said we had some rude excuses for adults, but never mentioned any shifters.”
Riel ate up the scene of Sam holding little Shane and smiling down at him. She nuzzled the little boy’s soft curls and sniffed. A smile curled her lips. Every possessive cell in his body roared. He wanted to take her to bed and fill her with his seed until she carried his own children. Heat traveled across the space between them. It ran down his body and made him desperate to have her.
Chapter Four
Sam was in love. Shane was the cutest little boy she’d ever encountered, and she’d encountered many a cute baby. Selena could be a duplicate for a little doll. Sam’s hormones were going crazy with both babies in sight. The famous biological clock she’d always heard of was making its presence known big time. It was avidly hammering the point that she was of an age where she could bear children. Hell, it was pretty much smacking her upside the head and telling her to get a move on. Her gaze strayed back to Sophia Blackburn. The Black Meadows Alpha’s mate. Shifter.
When she’d first seen her in Riel’s yard, a stab of jealousy had hit her. She almost ran over to the other woman to demand she state her business with Ry. Her heart flipped with emotions she had never gotten this early in any relationship, especially not after one day. It was unreal and completely insane. And yet it felt perfectly normal. But then she’d seen Riel holding the little girl, and she’d gotten all kinds of visions of him with their baby. The man gave her one amazing orgasm, and here she was ready to marry him and have his kids. It was a good thing he couldn’t look inside her head, or he’d be running a million miles in the other direction.
Smiling at the baby, she thought of how badly she’d been feeling the need for her own family. She glanced up at Riel, and her heart constricted. He was smiling at her with so much warmth, she wanted tear off his clothes then and there and beg him to make her his. Sophia’s voice broke through her vision.
“I should get going before Chase starts calling me and asking if I’m feeling fine.” Sophia jiggled Selena from Riel then turned to Sam. “Would you mind just walking him to the car with me? I hate to move them when they’re asleep just to go from hand to hand.”
“Of course.” Sam followed behind Sophia and Riel into the front yard. She laid the sleeping boy in his car seat. Too tempted to hold back she gave him a kiss on the forehead. Then she ran a finger down his chunky cheek. Her heart melted when the baby cooed in his sleep.
She stepped back and found Riel and Sophia staring at her. Sophia had that motherly pride look, the one that said she knew her children were beautiful and wanted the world to see them. Meanwhile Riel’s was so possessive, warmth settled on Sam’s cheeks, and fire coursed through her blood.
Once Sophia was gone, she and Riel walked back into his house. They stopped at the kitchen, and he offered her a drink.
He rummaged through the fridge. She stood there, drinking in the vision of his muscular body, flexing with every move he made, taunting her to touch him. He was so hot. Electric currents darted down her veins and settled in her pussy. She opened her mouth to take a much-needed breath, but a soft moan escaped. She gulped, widening her eyes.
Riel slammed the fridge shut and spun toward her in light speed. His nose flared, and he inhaled deep. His eyes turned a molten gold again. She now knew it meant he was aroused. Moisture gathered between her thighs and dripped to her panties.
“Sam.” The gravelly rumble made her nipples ache.
She took a shallow breath. Her gaze roamed his face, down his body, and then slowly back up to his flared nostrils. He stepped closer, and she whimpered. Oh lord. What the hell was wrong with her? Every hormone in her system begged for him. Wanted him. Needed him.
“Riel, I…”
Her throat went dry. He stalked toward her, watching her with enough possession to make the hairs on her arms stand on end. He focused on her mouth. She swiped her tongue over her dry lips, and his eyes darkened, the specks of amber turning brighter by the second.
He stopped in front of her, wrapped his hands around her waist, and hauled her into him. She sniffed at his neck and flicked her tongue over his throat. The burst of untamable flavor made her moan. He tasted of wilderness, raw animal lust, and of some elusive musky flavor that made her pussy throb. Her panties soaked with her wet heat. She’d never been so ready to drop all her inhibitions for a man before. She lifted her face to his, and their mouths met in a frantic mating. He didn’t as much kiss as he possessed. He conquered her with his tongue, rubbing the inside of her mouth with enough passion she thought she’d burst into flames.
The world shifted, and she was scooped up into his arms. As he walked up the stairs with her in his arms, she ran her hands into his short brown hair. She kissed his throat, licking at the pulse beating erratically under her tongue. She grazed her blunt teeth over his neck and nipped at the warm flesh. He groaned and dropped her on the bed.
“Tell me now if you don’t want this.” He gave her a heated look.
She got on her knees on the bed. Lust shot through her. He clenched his jaw. Gripping the sides of her tank top, she lifted it above her head and flung it at him after she took it off. His gaze darted to her satin-covered breasts. She moved a hand to the hook on her back and unclasped her bra, all the while watching his eyes sparkle like liquid gold. He was seeking her consent even when he was clearly having a hard time holding himself back from pouncing on her. The thought of him fucking her wildly made her pussy flutter again. She licked her lips and moved
her hands to her shorts.
“Stop.” The growl was almost unintelligible.
She knew what he needed. “Please, Riel.”
“Tell me.” His voice made the fire in her blood blaze.
“I want you, Ry. Now. Right now.” Flames licked at her skin.
“You’re sure?”
What happened to the man offering her all kinds of orgasms just that morning? “I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you right now.”
She panted while he ripped off his clothes in hurried movements. The sound of tearing cloth enhanced her arousal, thickening her blood in her veins. There was her wild man.
He marched to the bed, his powerful legs flexing with each step. His cock stood proud, pointing up to his belly button. Oxygen levels depleted in her lungs the longer she stared at his thick shaft. Pre-cum oozed from his slit, sliding down the sides of his long length. Passion overran every other thought in her brain. She needed him. Their lips met in a desperate kiss, and she whimpered in joy. She splayed her hands over the warm, muscled flesh of his chest. Her pussy throbbed and begged to come.
He cupped her breasts and squeezed the aching mounds. Rolling the twin tips between his fingers, he brought her to the edge of sanity. He nibbled her neck, her lips, and traveled down until he latched on to a nipple.
Her breath caught, and she saw stars. He slid his hands down her body, to her shorts, and shoved them down her legs, while flicking his tongue over one swollen nipple. She moaned. Every touch was a silken caress on her heated skin. He detached from her nipple and pushed her to lie back on the pillows on the bed. The shorts came off, along with her panties.
He sat on his heels, his gaze dark, piercing, and possessive. Her breath reeled. She lay there, completely naked and spread-eagle, uncaring how she looked. Desire and arousal shut down any wariness within her. Only thoughts of him filling her until the ache inside her womb ceased swarmed her. She breathed shallow gulps of air, fighting to clear the haze of lust overpowering her mind. Small flames kissed every place his gaze touched on her body.
