by Crymsyn Hart
Natalie clutched the bag and smelled it. Lavender, jasmine, sage, lemon and a bunch of other scents she wasn’t able to discern. She took the rug and handed it to her. “Can I buy this before I go?”
Scarlett took it from her, and she paid for it. “It’s one that Scott made.”
“Really? I didn’t realize.”
“There’s a lot to my brother. He’s good with his hands. Have a good time tonight.”
Natalie left the store and went back to the house where she spent the rest of the afternoon cooking. Toward the end of the afternoon, she carried in some wood and placed it in the large fireplace. She laid the rug over the couch and started the fire with some kindling. The house was getting cold and the wooden boards were chilly underneath her feet. The fireplace would warm the room nicely.
She’d already written Scott a check for the majority of his improvements and other repairs that had to be made around the house. She had agreed to most of them, but there were a few she would wait on. Her dining room table was in the other room, so she set the table and put a large candle in the middle of it.
Once seven rolled around, she was antsy to have Scott come over. Making sure everything was perfect first, she ventured upstairs after a few adjustments and changed quickly into a black dress and pulled her hair up into a clip so it was off her shoulders. Looking into the mirror, she didn’t mind that her scars were showing. She wasn’t ashamed of them because they reflected what she had been through and had survived. If I can survive Michael, then I can survive anything.
There was a knock on her front door. She raced downstairs to get it. Before she opened it, she smoothed her dress and made sure her hair was in place. Outside, Scott stood with a bouquet of flowers. He handed them to her. She brought them to her nose and inhaled the aroma. When she looked at them, she saw they were a mixture of roses and tulips. She hugged them to her chest and led him down the hall into the kitchen. Scott shut the door and followed her.
After putting the flowers in a vase on the table, she went back into the kitchen and started preparing for dinner. She pulled out a salad and the bowels, her tongs and the dressing to go on it. Her hands shook with every move she made.
“Hey, what has you so jumpy?” Scott placed his hand on hers.
She gave him an uneasy smile. “Nerves. Sorry.”
He took her hands and pulled her to him. She noticed he was dressed in a nice pair of jeans and a collared shirt. He ran his hands along her arms. “You have nothing to be nervous about.” He stepped in closer and lowered his lips to her. She was swept up in his kiss and began to relax in his arms. His warmth helped her remember he wasn’t going to hurt her. However, she didn’t know how Dustin was going to react when he saw them together.
The oven beeped, telling her dinner was done. Natalie separated from him and grabbed the oven mitts. She took out the chicken pie and set it on the stove.
After taking a moment to let it cool, she lifted it up and brought it into the dining room. Scott followed with the salad and the other implements to go with it. After he set it on the table, he began to laugh.
“What?”
“God, you bought that old rug?”
“I bought it at your sister’s shop. I thought it’d look nice in here.”
“You should put it on the floor and not on the back of the couch. It’s been collecting dust in her shop for years. I don’t think I’ve made a rug in almost five years.”
“Why not? It’s beautiful. You should make more.”
“I have more important things to do with my hands now than weaving rugs. I prefer carving. Maybe I can show you sometime. You might find it soothing.”
Natalie smiled. “Maybe. I hope you’re hungry.”
“I’m a wolf. I’m always hungry.”
They sat next to one another and began to eat. Natalie focused on her plate, not sure what to say to him. The intensity of the moment was growing on her. The silence loomed. She sensed that Scott wanted to say something, but he seemed to be waiting for her to make the first move.
She waited for Dustin to appear at any moment. She didn’t know what he would do. Maybe he would come out and say boo.
Maybe he would let out his crazy father. Maybe do something else. It was all too much for her to think about, and it put her on edge.
She picked at her food. Her stomach was in knots. When Scott dropped his fork, she jumped in her seat and felt that she nearly had to be scraped off of the ceiling. He glanced at her and laid a hand over hers.
“What’s the matter?”
“I think she’s waiting for me to show up and do something ghostly.”
Natalie glanced over. Dustin sat on the chair across from her and next to Scott. She took a sip of her water and coughed. She got up from the chair and stood with her hand against the wall. Before turning to the men at her table, she drew in a few draughts of air.
“Do you want something to eat, Dustin?”
“No. I’m good. Thank you though, darlin’. So we meet at last, man to man this time instead of wolf to wolf.”
Scott crossed his arms over his chest. “So it seems. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to have a pissing contest to see who wins.”
Dustin growled and bent a little over the table. “This is my house! I’ve been here for over a century. I saw her first. Smelled her first. Touched her first. By all rights, she’s mine.”
Scott leaned over the table a little bit more. “This might be your house, but the land was mine long before your family moved here and kicked my tribe out! You might have made love to her, but you haven’t bitten her and claimed her for your own. By all rights, she should be mine. She’s tied to the spirit people. To my people. Cherokee blood runs in her veins.”
Natalie covered her face with her hands. “Enough! I’m not some toy that can be tugged on to see who wins the right to play with it. I’m a human being. I might be connected to each of you, but that doesn’t mean I have to choose.
“Dustin, you wanted Scott here. Scott, wanted to meet him. I didn’t invite you over here to tear one another apart. I’ve dealt with enough controlling shit in my life. Now, excuse me! I’m going outside to get some air. Work this out.”
Natalie marched out of the living room and then outside. The cool air felt wonderful against her flushed skin. Everything in her knew that the confrontation was going to happen tonight. She was just waiting for it. It had built up and built up until she had the outburst. Off in the distance, she watched the spirit lights bob on the wind. The longer she watched them, the more she thought she heard the sounds of drums. They were soothing.
She began walking toward the sounds. It was past where the barn had once been. The closer she came, the brighter the lights got. The drumming grew louder. One of the spirit balls came toward her and hovered. She reached out for it, and it stayed within inches of her fingertips. After a moment of dancing around her, it elongated into the form of a wizened, ancient woman.
She was Native American and dressed in a deerskin dress. Other spirit balls gathered around her. Their forms shimmered. For a moment, they were human and then they transformed into wolves. She gasped. The old woman approached Natalie, and the wolves followed.
They surrounded her. The wise woman took one of her hands and motioned for the other. Natalie could feel the silky smoothness of them along with the warmth of her skin. She looked into her butterscotch colored eyes.
“The gift of the wolf is not a curse. The pain it brings reminds us of the hardships we have endured. The joy it brings lets us know the wonder of what life is. It brings us closer to the Creator. We are all part of nature. You must not fear the wolf. Your mates will do as you wish, but it is inevitable you will become as they.”
“But I’m not sure that’s what I want to be. I have a hard enough time just being me.”
“When the time is right, you will know when to accept the wolf. You will be the matriarch. We are happy to have you among the clan. Be kind to the others w
hen it is necessary and show no mercy when the time dictates. That is how the wolf rules. Never let it control you. If you do, you will end up like the dark spirits who wander the wood. We stand here and protect this site for our children and the rest of the tribe. The path you were set upon is here.”
Natalie wanted to talk more, but the woman shrunk away into a spirit ball and the others threw back their heads and howled. The song was eerie, but it made her want to go back inside and face the two men. She shouldn’t be mad at them. They were only reacting because they were coming together for the first time as men, and she was the center of their conflict.
Like the old shaman had said, she shouldn’t fear the wolf, and she ruled the roost. It was her house and they were going to listen to one another. The howling slowly stopped. When she looked around, she was alone in the field, but she could still feel the presence of those around her.
“Amazing.”
Natalie turned and saw Scott and Dustin standing behind her. They had their mouths open and were staring. She smiled. “I take it that was a good sign?”
It took him a moment to speak. His eyes were alight with excitement. “Yes. The ancestors never show themselves to anyone outside of the tribe. The woman has only ever come to me in dreams. Many of my tribe used to come here looking for answers. Hoping for a blessing from the past. They might get something, but hardly anything from her. She has given you advice and has welcomed you into the tribe. It must mean great things are coming.”
Natalie blushed, not sure what to make of his exclamation. It was obvious he was in awe. She was awestruck too. Especially when she was trying to remember the ways that her mother had taught her. It was all in the back of her memory, and the time had come to resurrect those lessons.
Seeing the two men before her, the wise woman’s words ran through her mind. I can handle this. I can handle them. She might not be ready to become a werewolf, but she was ready to show the two men that they were going to have to come to an understanding. I’m not going to be torn apart by them. She was going to temper their anger. Thinking of that, she remembered the sachet Scarlett had given to her was above the fireplace. This would be the chance she had to make her dream come true. That all three of them would be together. This was what was supposed to happen between them.
“Well that’s nice to know. I don’t know about you two, but I’m going inside. I’m getting cold.” She walked back toward the house and didn’t have to look behind her to know they were following. Natalie could feel them. That was a strange difference, but she felt a little more open to everything now. She walked into the kitchen and then stood before the large hearth. The men were a few steps behind her.
Acting fast, she poured a palm full of the herbs into her hand and threw them into the fire. She quickly placed the sachet back on the mantle. The instant smell of pine and sage filled the room along with some white smoke. It dissipated when a large gust came through the room. The screen door slammed.
“What’s that smell?” Dustin asked.
“Just some incense I bought the other day. Smells good, doesn’t it?”
“So did you guys work out your differences? Or are you still going to be arguing over me like a piece of meat?”
Both men glanced at one another. They looked down at their feet and then back at her. Scott’s muscles were bunched in his neck. Small lines had formed around Dustin’s eyes. Each of their mouths was set in grim lines. The tension between them wasn’t as bad as it was when Dustin first appeared.
“Look guys, I get that you want me. All three of us are connected. Dustin, you said you would consider sharing a bed with another man. Scott, what about you?” She traced her finger down the neckline of her dress. Their eyes followed it. Dustin licked his lips.
Scott said, “I would do anything to make you happy. I know Dustin is the other piece to you and me. Your dreams prove it. And so do my visions. I am not opposed to being in bed with another man.”
Biting her lip and reaching behind her, she unzipped her dress. Turning, Natalie walked toward the stairs. She slipped her shoes off at the bottom and then a few steps later, she slid her dress off her shoulders and let it fall onto the stairs.
The floorboards groaned below her. She peeked down. They were following. A smile turned up the corners of her lips. Getting to the top of her stairs, she took off her bra and dropped it to the floor. When she reached her bedroom, she slipped out of her panties and waited for them by the bed.
It took a moment, but they entered the room. Each had pieces of her clothing. They came in and set them down on the chair. She smiled and went to Scott first. She wrapped her arm around his neck and pressed herself against him. He drew in a long breath and looked into her eyes. He smelled like sage and pine. The scents enticed her. They reminded her of a deep forest. The perfume filled her nose and helped her relax.
“Do you desire me?” she asked.
His hand ran down the curve of her spine. “Yes,” he hissed. She pressed her mouth against his and swept her tongue over his lips. She ran her hand over his erection.
Dustin trailed his finger over the top of her shoulders. She turned to him too, feeling the coolness of his body. “We can come to an understanding.” She cupped his face and felt the stubble of his beard pressing against her palm. He caught her chin and kissed her deeply. Natalie stood on tiptoe to get to him better. Scott pressed against her so she could feel his need for her.
Scott slid his hands over her ass and clutched her buttocks. He nipped her throat. “I agree with Dustin. We don’t want to do anything that will jeopardize our relationship.”
“Well then, boys, I think we can work things out.” Natalie eased out from between the two of them and beckoned them to the bed.
Chapter Ten
“So how are we going to do this?” Scott asked.
Natalie looked between them. “I want both of you. No arguments.” She wrapped her arm around Scott’s neck and kissed his jaw while unzipping his pants. Tugging on his ear, she bit his throat until he growled. “I need both of you touching me while I fuck one of you and then the other.” She caressed his hard shaft and freed it from his boxers. His breathing increased. His hands roved across her stomach and cupped her breasts. She slipped her hand lower and squeezed his balls until he groaned.
“Fuck.”
“Exactly.”
“What about me?” Dustin whispered in her ear. He spun her around and she noticed he was already naked.
“What about you?” Natalie pinched one of his nipples.
“What if I want you riding me first?”
“Sorry. Woman’s prerogative. You’ve already had me.” She plunged her tongue into his mouth and squeezed his ass before pulling away, enticing a moan from his lips.
When she turned back around, Scott had completely undressed and stood before her. His chest was riddled with scars. His tanned skin glistened in the firelight. His muscled arms were large from all the construction work that he did. All man. Just the way I like them. She licked her lips and noticed the girth of his cock. It was bigger than any she’d had before. But she was always up for a challenge.
Natalie placed a hand on his chest and began tracing some of his scars. Most of them reminded her of claw marks. They were all old and smoothed over. She lowered her mouth to one of them and trailed her tongue over the lines, feeling the smooth skin. Scott’s fingers trailed over her back until she shivered.
The coldness of the air was starting to get to her. He was warm and she needed him. Their closeness made her wet, and the smoke from the herbs floated upstairs. It filled her nostrils and made her lightheaded. Natalie pressed against him and took his hand. Bringing it to her lips, her tongue wrapped around his finger. She slipped his middle finger between her lips and tasted him.
“You taste good. I need you, Scott. Make love to me.” She led him over to the bed. Scott said nothing when she pushed him down on the bed. Straddling him, she wove her fingers through his hair and kissed him gently. His h
ands rested on her hips. One roved across her belly and slid over her downy curls.
His thumb found her clit. Scott began to rub her slowly. His mouth found her nipple. He bit down on it and started to fondle her harder. Natalie cried out. Her hips rocked forward, feeling the hardness of his cock.
A gush of wetness dampened her pussy while the pleasure began to build inside of her. Scott bit down harder. She pushed his head against her breast and held him there. Dustin sat on the edge of the bed. He traced the curve of her shoulder. She felt his lips on the side of her neck. He clutched the curve of her ass. The sensations of each man touching her at the same time drove her wild. It was better than any daydream.
Scott looked up at her. His eyes turned golden. She loved the look of them against his copper skin. “God, you feel so good. So perfect.” He stroked her quicker. Natalie couldn’t contain the fervor any longer. She screamed. At that moment, she felt Scott slip his dick inside of her.
“I want you, Natalie. I want to make you mine,” he whispered against her ear.
“I’m already yours.” She drew him into her and began to ride him. Her cresting orgasm was going to come sooner than she thought. “Dustin.” She looked behind her and reached for him.
He slid his hand along her back. The instant contact made something in her click. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her with a hunger she hadn’t sensed the other night. “I love how you’re riding him. Makes me want to know what you can do to me.” He bit along her shoulder blade.
Natalie couldn’t contain the feelings rising in her anymore. When Dustin, cupped one of her breasts, she felt everything exploding inside of her. Scott rose up against her once more and rested his head on her chest, breathing heavily. Her cowboy planted kisses and nips along her flesh, keeping her aroused. Scott glanced up. She saw him through hooded eyes. Dustin began fondling her nipple harder and slid his other hand along the outside of her thigh. Scott’s fingers found her moist slit again. His thumb hit her clit, and she began to grind against him.
