by Kim Fox
Layla looked at Stetson and smiled wide. “I’m actually here for the free booze.”
Stetson glanced up at the sun. “It’s only noon. It’s a little early for drinking.”
Did he just tell the time with the sun? What century am I in?
“Yeah, but I almost died today so I’m making an exception.”
“Oh,” Stetson said with a shrug of his shoulders. He turned back to his dishes without even asking her what happened, as if nearly dying was a common occurrence around here.
Forget what century, what planet am I on?
“Here you go,” Karl said, rushing over with a can of beer in one hand and a bottle of white wine in the other. Slate was right behind him with a bottle of Vodka and a bottle of red.
“Which one do you want?” Slate asked, looking hopeful that she was going to pick one of his.
“I’ll take it all,” she said, licking her lips. “Just dump it all in a big bucket.”
She laughed as they placed the bottles and can on the counter and fought over a bucket that was hanging out beside a tree. “Take it easy, boys,” she said, grabbing the can of beer. “I’ll just take this. It is only noon after all.” She looked up at the sun and squinted. “Actually, it’s quarter after twelve from the looks of it.”
They guided her towards the stone firepit that had a whole bunch of comfy Adirondack chairs laying around it. The fire was barely smoking, the logs black and crumbling into ashes. It was a little too hot for a fire anyway. She sat down in a chair and took a delicious sip of the cold beer while the boys sat on either side of her.
She looked at them a little closer now that she was sitting down comfortably with a drink.
Their jaws were rugged and chiseled, with their wickedly sensual mouths each curled up in a grin. They had big, athletic bodies with broad, powerful chests, and arms that looked like they were carved out of granite. So what the hell were they talking to her for? She had been deemed unattractive by Owen earlier that very morning.
They must not get a lot of women around here.
But there was a woman in the barn, with what looked like another insanely hot guy. Is this some kind of hunk farm? Maybe they grow hot guys out here.
“So,” she asked, looking from twin to twin. “What exactly do you guys do when you’re not imitating paper airplanes and flying off cliffs?”
“We live on this ranch,” Karl said. “We just moved in a few weeks ago.”
“So, you guys are like cowboys?” she asked. Layla loved cowboys.
“Not really,” Slate said. “We’re in charge of the business development of the ranch.”
“Oooooh,” Layla said with a grin. “Sounds fancy.”
“What do you do, Layla?” Karl asked.
She took a deep breath. Nothing right now. “I’m a wedding planner,” she said. She had a busy summer planning weddings but now that the summer rush was over, things were a bit more relaxed. She actually didn’t have any bookings for a while.
“Are you married?” Slate asked. Both of the boys leaned forward, waiting with interest at her answer. She had to hide her smile.
“Not at the moment,” she said. They both broke into a smile at her answer. Are these guys for real?
“That’s cool,” Karl said, trying to sound casual but she could tell by the way that he was drumming his foot against the ground that he was excited. “Do you have, like a boyfriend?”
“Nope,” she said coldly. Fuck you, Owen.
They glanced at each other and grinned. These guys are for real. Then that means I desperately need a shower.
“Can I ask you guys for a favor?” she asked as she finished her beer.
“Do you want another one?” Slate asked, jumping to the edge of his seat and looking like he was ready to sprint to the fridge.
“Well, yes,” she said, “but that wasn’t my favor. I’d love to take a shower. That bitch of a cliff made me break a sweat.”
Karl jumped up first and grabbed her arm. “You can use mine,” he said, smiling at her and then glaring at his brother.
“Thanks,” she said. Slate looked like someone had just told him that he only had a week left to live. “You can still get me a beer.” His face exploded into a smile and he ran to the fridge. I like these guys.
Luckily, Layla had some clothes in the car. She always kept a bag of spare clothes in her trunk ever since the mustard incident. She got them out of her trunk while Karl waited behind her like an excited puppy.
“Alright, Karl,” she said. “Which one of these cabins is yours?”
Slate was pissed. How could she be naked in Karl’s cabin? I called dibs on her.
At least his twin wasn’t in there with Layla. He was right at his side while they both anxiously awaited her return.
“Who’s the chick?” Royal asked as he walked over with Camilla.
“The love of my life,” Karl said, clasping his hands together against his chest.
“Shut up,” Slate said, slapping his brother’s arm. “I called dibs on her.”
Karl didn’t look too impressed. “But she’s in my shower. Naked.”
“Where did she come from?” Camilla asked, looking at the closed door of Karl’s cabin.
Slate and Karl told them how they had saved her and by the time they had finished the story, Karl’s door opened and she walked out looking fucking spectacular. Her beautiful, dark brown hair was dried and falling on her shoulders in rolling waves, and she was wearing fresh clothes that were making Slate breathless. Her jeans were nice and snug on her thick thighs and the blue top that she was wearing made her breasts look mouthwateringly good.
Both of the twins jumped up as she approached.
“Hi,” she said, looking at Royal and Camilla. “I’m Layla Winters.”
Royal and Camilla shook her hand and introduced themselves as well.
“Are you a wingsuit flyer too?” Camilla asked Layla.
“Me?” she answered with a laugh. Slate’s mouth moistened as he watched Layla’s soft pink lips move. They looked so juicy and succulent and his inner bear rumbled as he thought about what it would feel like to kiss them.
Layla was still chuckling. “The only way that I would wear a wingsuit is if I was dressed up as Big Bird for Halloween.”
Camilla and Royal both laughed. Slate felt a fluttering in his chest at seeing her getting along with his friends. It had only been a few hours, and Karl kept getting in the way, but Slate could tell that she could be the one. There was just something about her, something that he couldn’t put his finger on, but deep down he just knew. And so did his bear. Slate’s brown bear had been fixated on her all day, urging Slate to step forward and claim her.
“Well, it’s nice to have another female around here,” Camilla said with a smile. “There’s so much testosterone floating around here that sometimes I’m afraid my body will absorb it and I’ll grow a mustache.”
“You’d still look beautiful with a mustache,” Royal said, wrapping his arms around his woman and kissing her temple.
Camilla rolled her eyes playfully. “What a charmer,” she said with a laugh. She looked back to Layla and smiled. “Are you going to join us for dinner?”
Slate and Karl both perked up, waiting with interest for her answer.
“I don’t know,” she said, looking around. “I wasn’t invited.”
“She’s staying,” Slate said, stepping forward. “Right, Layla?”
Layla smiled. “Right.” She leaned in close to Camilla and spoke low, but Slate could hear every word with his enhanced shifter hearing. “I don’t have my makeup bag. Can I borrow some foundation?” she asked in a whisper. “I’ll be your best friend.”
“Come,” Camilla said, grabbing her hand and pulling her away to her and Royal’s cabin. “I have drawers and drawers of makeup and perfume. You can use whatever you like.”
Slate and Karl watched with held breaths as she walked to the cabin and finally disappeared inside.
Royal was
grinning. “I’m glad that you two settled and finally agreed to share a mate. Your bears will be happy.”
“We didn’t settle anything,” Slate said with irritation. Just because every other set of shifter twins shared mates, didn’t mean that he had to. He would love to share a mate with Karl but he knew what would eventually happen.
And Slate was never going to let that happen.
Karl stepped forward with his nostrils flaring and his hands clenched into fists. “What is your problem?” he snapped. “You’re trying to fight fate.”
“Fate?” Slate said with a huff. “Please. Do you still believe in Santa Claus too?”
“She likes both of us,” Karl said, getting in Slate’s face. “You’re going to fuck it up and ruin it for everyone. Why can’t you just accept the truth of the triad?” Karl looked pissed. Slate knew that look. He had seen it a lot over the years and he knew exactly what it meant: he was about to get punched.
“Boys,” Thorn shouted in a stern voice. Slate jumped. He hadn’t heard his alpha coming over.
The twins both stepped back from each other and lowered their head as the Thornado stormed over with Scrappy following him closely. “I can’t have you two fighting over a woman,” he said as he arrived.
“Why?” Royal asked with a chuckle. “They’re always fighting.”
“Not over mates,” Thorn said, staring each of them down, one at a time. Slate dropped his shoulders and took a deep breath. His alpha’s words always seized him to his core. He had a great respect for Thorn and would never do anything to let him down. The Thornado had laid his life on the line many times for his Squad and Slate hadn’t forgotten any of them. After Karl, Thorn was his favorite person on the planet.
“I want you boys to figure this out,” Thorn said with his hands on his hips. “I’ve seen shifter crews implode over stuff like this. We don’t fight over women in the Clawed Squad. Got it?”
“Yes,” they both answered at the same time.
“I mean it,” Thorn said with a no-fucking-around tone. “You either settle this, or she’s gone.”
five
“What bird do you hate the most?” Camilla asked as she stared Layla down.
“Will you leave her alone?” Slate complained. “These questions are ridiculous!”
“No, they’re not!” Camilla snapped back. “They’re genius. You just don’t get it.”
“You’re right,” Slate said, shaking his head. “I don’t get it. Royal? A little help.”
Royal lifted his hands in the air, showing his palms. “Don’t look at me, dude. I’m not getting involved.”
Layla just laughed. She was liking Camilla already. She could tell that they were going to be close friends.
The whole squad was sitting around a huge folding table eating a feast of turkey and all of the delicious fixings while the sun set behind the mountains casting a pink and purple fire across the sky. It was like Thanksgiving in the middle of the summer. If Layla kept eating like this every night she would grow to be enough woman for both of the twins.
“Please answer the question,” Camilla said in a serious tone. Karl opened his mouth to complain but Camilla put her hand out, shutting him up. “It’s important to know what kind of person she is.”
“And you’re going to find that out by asking her which bird she hates the most?” Slate asked, looking exasperated.
Camilla just rolled her eyes. “You have so much to learn, Slate.”
“I don’t mind,” Layla said, taking a sip of the fruity red wine to wash down the heavenly stuffing that she had just swallowed. “I hate penguins.”
The whole table gasped. “Penguins?” Kylee asked, looking horrified. “But they’re so cute.”
“No,” Layla said with a frown. “They suck. They suck so hard.”
“Interesting,” Camilla said, narrowing her eyes as she studied her. “Why?”
Layla cringed just thinking about it. “I went on a field trip to a bird sanctuary when I was in grade six and the worker pulled out a stupid penguin for us to see. I just wanted to pet it but the psycho bird bit my baby toe. It was bleeding everywhere.”
Thorn laughed. “So you hate all penguins?”
Layla crossed her arms and frowned. “Every single one of them.”
Camilla was nodding, looking like she was analyzing her answer closely. “Have you ever kissed anyone in a library?”
“Enough, Camilla,” Karl complained. “Even Kylee doesn’t ask so many questions when she interrogates someone and she’s the Sheriff.”
“I just have a few more questions,” Camilla said. “Then I’ll let you know if she passed or not.”
Layla didn’t mind. Camilla’s questions were fun to answer and she had a great story for this one. “I have kissed someone in a library,” she said. His name was Mike. Or Matt. Or maybe it was Chris.
She smiled as she saw both Slate and Karl’s face drop.
“I was looking for a book,” she said, flushing red at the memory, “when a guy came over and said, ‘I’m glad I brought my library card, because I’m checking you out.’ I thought that deserved a kiss.”
Camilla and Kylee both laughed as Karl frowned and Slate took on a sullen look.
“Last one,” Camilla said. “If you could replace your eyebrows with anything, what would it be?”
Layla giggled. The possibilities were endless, tiny umbrellas to keep the sun out of her eyes, big fluffy caterpillars, little windshield wipers to wipe the sweat off of her forehead. “It would have to be two licorice dispensers. One for everyday eating, and then a second one in case the first one breaks.”
“Ooooh,” Camilla said while nodding. “Good answer. Congratulations, you’ve passed.”
“It’s about time,” Karl said. “Can she eat now?”
Layla just laughed as she poured seconds onto her plate. The turkey was so juicy and the stuffing tasted even better than her grandma’s secret recipe. She was enjoying the food, the company, and the spectacular view. It was exactly what she needed to get her mind off of her shitty morning.
The twins were sitting across from her and they kept smiling at every two-second interval. They were so hot and Layla was finding it nice to feel sexy again after Owen’s cruel words.
The afternoon went well except for when Thorn nearly blew a fuse when Slate let it slip that Layla knew they were all shifters. She had managed to reassure Thorn that she had already known all about shifters and that their secret was safe with her. But the good looking alpha had been watching her closely ever since.
“Now it’s my turn to ask the questions,” Layla said with a mischievous grin. “We’re going to play a little game. You have to tell your most embarrassing story but you can only use three words to describe it.”
Stetson grinned as he rubbed his hands together. “I like this game!”
Layla laughed. “I’ll go first. Bride. Explosion. Mustard.” She cringed like she did every time that she thought of the mustard incident.
“What happened?” Kylee said as she laughed.
“Nope!” Layla said, shaking her finger. “The rule is you can’t explain it after. Three words only.”
“I’ll go,” Thorn said. “IKEA. Bear. Naked.”
They all laughed as they took turns going around the table. Kylee had a good one. “Boyfriend. Canoe. Diarrhea.”
They were nearly buckled over laughing at each one. Slate and Karl both looked at her with a pride in their eyes. She was having a blast and thrilled that her game was such a hit.
“Mine is a little gross,” Slate said. “Portapotty. Keys. Oops.”
“I can top that,” Karl said with a grin. “Roller coaster. Vomit. Exorcist.”
Slate nearly gagged. “Ugh. I remember that. I was picking puke out of my ears for days after that. Thanks again, Karl.”
Stetson was last. He chuckled as he tried to get the words out. “Interview. Growl. Police.”
“I don’t know,” Slate said, rubbing his chin. “I thi
nk you embarrass yourself more every day when you wear that pink apron.”
“Hey!” Kylee said with a frown. “I think that apron is sexy.”
“Me too!” Camilla said.
“Only a real man can wear pink,” Layla said, smiling at the enormous, grinning bear shifter.
The rest of the dinner was just as much fun with a ton of laughs, and twice Layla burst out laughing so hard that she spit wine onto her plate. Nobody seemed to care, they were all laughing just as hard.
They sat and talked until all that was left of the huge turkey was a skeleton, until the bright oranges, reds, pinks, and purples of the sunset faded to black, and until the wine bottles were empty and Layla’s head was starting to get a tad dizzy.
She helped clear the plates with her cheeks aching from smiling so much. This night was exactly what she had needed, and although it had been a rocky start, it was turning out to be one of the best days of her life.
“I can do the dishes, Stetson,” she said to the giant shifter at the sink. “It would be my pleasure.”
“I’m the alpha when it comes to the kitchen,” he said with a grin. “You want to step in, you’ll have to fight me for it.”
Layla glanced up at his massive arms and barrel chest and chuckled. “You’re lucky that I left my boxing gloves at home,” she said, backing away. “Another time.”
Camilla hooked her arm around hers and pulled her away. “These boys love to spoil us rotten,” she whispered with a giggle. “They never want us to help, so don’t go giving them any ideas.”
Layla grabbed a wine bottle off of the counter. “What about wine?” she asked, smiling wide. “Can we pour our own wine?”
Camilla grabbed two glasses off of the rack and placed them on the counter. “Only if you fill them up to the top.”
The two girls laughed, a little too drunk for a weekday, as Layla filled up the glasses.
“Cheers,” Camilla said, clinking the wine glasses together. “I can tell that you’re going to fit in just fine. I was so scared to meet the girl who would be able to handle both of the twins but I really like you.”
Layla’s eyes bulged for half a second. “Both of the twins?”
