by Tortuga, BA
“Are you going to take him away?” It was a fair question, right? She’d tried to walk off and let them be. It would be cruel to do this and leave her somewhere on the road.
“From you? No.” Mesa stroked her skin, back and forth. “From California? Yeah.”
“I live in California.” The touch was easy, good, and she couldn’t tense.
“You have lived there.”
She just didn’t understand how he could be so calm. “Yeah, and I had a job there. A house. I can’t believe I just walked away from it all. What was I thinking? In this economy? Just walking away?”
A hint of panic hit her, square in the belly.
Kody frowned, fingers searching for her.
“Shh.” This time it was Mesa comforting Kody.
“Mates.” Kody relaxed, smiling gently.
“He’s happy with you.” It hurt to admit, but it was true.
“He loves you.” Mesa sighed. “You have to understand, honey. He needs us both.”
“I’m trying to, really. I mean, I’m trying not to be a harpy.” She didn’t want to be a bitch.
“I know.” He poked her wrist. “I know that.”
She leaned up onto one elbow, looked over at Mesa. “So, what are you suggesting, honestly?”
“That we’re mates. The three of us.” Mesa sat up, one hand on Kody’s back.
“But… that’s not legal.”
“Uh-huh. Where we’re going it doesn’t matter.” Mesa winked, the expression unexpectedly charming, boyish. “And no, it’s not Utah.”
“I have to figure out what I’m doing with my life. Get a job. Sell the house. Apologize to Becky for yelling at her.” God, his eyes fascinated her, his sounds, and she caught herself leaning toward him. He rewarded her with a touch, the hand not on Kody coming up to her arm.
“Oh.” The word just breathed out of her.
“Mmm.” Mesa smiled. “You’re warm.”
“I can’t think when you two touch me. I thought it was just Kody.”
“Has he always had that effect on you?”
“Yes.” She actually laughed, happiness bubbling up inside her. “He read my palm at a faire. Literally grabbed my hand while I was shopping for a toe ring, and dragged me over to this weird little tent of his. It was purple and had the phases of the moon painted on it in glittery paint—so cheesy. I never would have gone in, but…his eyes were so pretty, and he smelled like Heaven, and we ended up in the back of some weird old tent in about ten minutes. It was the strangest thing in my life.” Until a couple of days ago.
Mesa’s dark eyes were glowing like embers, and she knew, suddenly, without question, that he was erect, hard. “He’s a force of nature.”
“He is. He gets under my skin.”
“Yeah. I get that.” His fingers were sliding up her arm now, moving toward her nipple.
“I bet. Have you been looking for him long?”
“I think we should talk about you and me.” Mesa gave her a predatory grin. That smile made her want to howl at the moon. Where the hell did that come from?
“You and me?”
“Yep. You and me, Sam.”
“Is there a you and me?” That was a stupid question, but it had to be asked.
“There is.” He pressed his fingers to her skin, and her nipples hardened.
Sammy licked her lips. “And…and what do we need to talk about?”
“We don’t really have to talk about it as long as you’re willing to explore it.” Mesa sounded very interested in exploring.
She slipped over, ending in Mesa’s lap. “This is probably a bad idea.”
“I think it’s a great idea, honey.” He pushed her back a little, so she rested against Kody.
When she touched Kody, a rush of pure joy hit her, made her moan. “Oh. Oh, God. Do you feel that?”
“I do. Trust me, honey.”
“I do. I shouldn’t, but I do.” She arched, touching them both.
“Good.” He kissed her then, hard and deep.
She found herself panting, breathing hard, suddenly overwhelmed, the room spinning as Kody’s arms wrapped around her.
“Shh.” Kody looked so much better, at least when he got right up and stared into her eyes. “It’s okay.”
“Kody…” Something was happening to her.
“I know. I know, love. Just go with it.”
Go with it? It was like staring into an abyss. “I’m scared. Kody. I don’t…” This sound came out of her, deep and raw. Her skin didn’t fit.
“We’ll help you.” Mesa’s words almost made no sense, but she managed to understand them.
Kody’s hands were on her back, moving in long, slow strokes that felt so good. She pushed into the touch, whining softly, trying to ease the deep hurt inside her. Mesa nuzzled her cheeks, her nose, sharing his breath with her.
Scared. She was…she panted as their hands soothed her, scratching her belly, her ears, grooming her. Welcoming her.
Oh, better.
She breathed them in, her ears popping a little, making room in her head for all the things her senses were telling her.
She rolled up, tongue lolling, and she stretched lazily, the scent of her mates heavy on the air. They moved next to her, vocalizing, their bodies firm and good. Her nose rubbed into Mesa’s ruff, then groomed one soft muzzle, then the other. Her boys.
They licked at her whiskers, loving her so well. Mesa was proud, strong, fierce. Kody was pure love.
They played idly, rolling over each other on the mattress. She spent a long time gnawing on Kody’s tail, her paws batting playfully at Mesa. Good. They were good. Kody’s eyes were bright and happy, and his ears were up, his tail wagging. No more worries. She pounced him happily, biting one ear, shaking him a little bit. No more scaring them.
Kody chuffed, dancing back. Mesa dove in front, mock protecting. She rumbled, sizing Mesa up, admiring his strength, his tail. Then she pounced, trying to take him down. They rolled, all but falling off the bed. Mesa caught her at the last moment, pulling her back with his teeth on her neck.
She yelped, paws scrabbling, her ruff puffing up.
Kody gnawed her ear, distracting her with his little sounds. Such a puppy.
She chuffed softly, then butted Mesa with her head. Mesa woofed before grooming her for a few moments.
The touches made her eyelids heavy, made her curl up happily and sigh.
Kody snuggled up next to her, heavy head on her rump. Mesa curled around them, and this she understood. This was easy.
She rested her chin on Mesa’s paw, sighed, then chased her mates into sleep.
Chapter Ten
Mesa finished packing everything in the truck before going back to the hotel room where Kody and Sammy were curled around one another. Naked as jaybirds. He stared at them for a few moments, then nodded, satisfied.
He flipped the blankets up around them and picked them up as-is.
Sammy squealed, flailing, but his Kody never even woke up.
“Hush. Just hold on to Kody.” They needed to rest. He needed to get home.
“I’m naked.”
Kody wrapped around her, murmuring softly, trusting him, totally.
“Good thing you’re not driving.” The need to get back to his pack was riding him hard. He didn’t have time for any more coddling. He had to deal with his new responsibilities and with the possibility of hostile action from that damned Wyoming pack. He needed to find out who’d killed Ben. Damned politics.
“Where are we going?”
He put them in the back of the king cab, pushed them in and closed the door.
“Home.” He hopped in the driver’s seat before she could get the idea to run.
“You’re taking me home?” She relaxed. “Cool. Are all the clothes in the back?”
“They are.” He’d thought about tossing them all.
“When you stop, I’ll need some.”
“Sure.” He could do that. When they got home.
Sammy nodded, then started combing her fingers through Kody’s hair, untangling it. “I had the weirdest dreams during our nap.”
“Did you?” He got them on the road, anticipating getting off the highways onto the byways.
“I did. I dreamed I was a dog.”
“A dog!” He laughed. “That’s aiming low. How about a wolf?”
She chuckled. “I blame you and Kody for putting that nonsense in my head.”
“Uh-huh. We’re bad that way.” He was picturing a were-poodle, all fluffy hair and pink ribbons. Barking in French.
“So why werewolves?”
“Why?” He glanced at her in the rear view. “Because that’s what we are.”
“I mean, why pick wolves. I mean, with you I can see it, but Kody? Not wolfy. Wolvish? Canine?”
“Lupine. Kody is just a Beta, is all.” She still didn’t believe it. She was humoring him.
“A Beta? You mean… for sex, right?”
“Absolutely.” Among other things.
“I… I’m not exactly sure of the appropriate response to that, especially after we’ve all… you know.”
“I’m not sure there is one.” He grinned wider. Lord, this was fun. It took his mind off all the bullshit waiting for him at home.
“Still, I guess the whole changing during the full moon, silver bullet thing is less confining than staying inside during the day and avoiding Italian food.”
It took him a second to follow along, but he cracked up when he got it. “We can change at will, silly girl.”
“Can you? So the moon thing’s just a…myth?”
He hooted. “I wish. The moon thing is no question. The wolf has to show. Surely, you noticed Kody left every full moon. Every one.”
She blinked up at him. “I thought…”
Oh, he had to hear this. “You thought what?”
“My period. I thought maybe he was embarrassed or he couldn’t do his psychic thing when I was bleeding. Those are my heavy days.”
Oh. Oh, that was fabulous. She wanted so badly for everything to fit her worldview.
When he didn’t say anything, she continued, “You said you were a sheriff. You have a lot of hair, for law enforcement.” She kept smoothing Kody’s hair, humming to him.
“I said I was something like a sheriff.”
“Oh. I’m something like a glorified bank teller.” She met his eyes in the rear view mirror, smiled sheepishly. “Was, I guess. I will be again. Hopefully…”
“Yeah? You handle a lot of money going back and forth?” He knew what she did. Her skills would actually come in handy with the pack. He loved how smart she was, how sharp.
“I do. I make things work, deal with situations. It’s stressful, but Kody and I decided not to have kids and…well, now it doesn’t matter. I think he’s going to go with you.”
“You think? He loves you, honey. I think he can work this out.” It was important that she remember that.
“Yeah, but…” She sighed. “Sometimes that’s not the answer. I can’t even be mad at him.”
“You shouldn’t be, you know. He did really good to find you.” Mesa wasn’t teasing this time. Kody had done amazing. She was strong, hardheaded. She would find her feet and be his equal.
“He did. I mean, I tell people I found him, because I was the one not home. He read my palm, I think I told you that.”
“What did he tell you?” There. That was a turnoff he could take and get them off the highway.
“That the moon brought us together. That I had a wild side that I had buried. That one day I would have a huge family to care for.” She chuckled softly. “Two out of three isn’t bad.”
“You never know, honey.” She had no idea. None.
“Hey, it’s better, huh? It would be difficult to explain you to a kid.”
“Actually, in this situation, children are way more understanding.” Wolf kids were pretty easy. She would give him beautiful children—fierce and strong—and Kody would blossom now, having both his mates, his Alphas. A family to love, a Clan to care for.
“Yeah. They still believe in magic, though. Then they have to deal with the real world.” She sighed, softly. “Unless they’re Kody.”
Mesa nodded. “Kody sort of floats above.”
Her eyes met his in the mirror. “Yes. Yes, exactly. It’s like, remembering when you believed in Santa, being with him.”
“It is.” That was the perfect description. Kody was still childlike without being childish.
She sighed softly, leaned down to kiss Kody’s cheek. “I’m going to miss you, you big dork.”
Kody snorted, shifted. “Don’ be silly, Sammy. Not going anywhere. Let me sleep, huh?”
Mesa chuffed. Kody was so good at getting to the heart of things. Kody turned over, snuggling into her belly with a happy little sound.
Mesa could see Sammy smile, shake her head in the rear view mirror.
Kody would make it all work. Mesa just needed to get them home.
“I… It’s beautiful out here. I wish I could stay longer, look around. I was considering moving up to the mountains, just for a little while.”
“Oh, I’d love to show you everything. See you explore.” She would love it once she let her wolf out. Of course, she’d miss some of the more modern conveniences at first.
“I can’t. I was brokering a deal, and there are probably ten thousand things to deal with, especially since I just walked away. I don’t even want to imagine the awful emails I’m getting.” He thought she seemed pleased with herself, though, to have left it behind.
“What kind of deal?” He’d talked more in the last few days than he had in years maybe.
“There was a business trying to buy out another business, but they want the buildings, the equipment, everything. I was making it work, but…”
“Sounds like a big deal.” She could be such an Alpha.
“They sure think so.” Her laughter was soft, sexual. Sweet. “Not that it’s any of my business now, but…I can’t believe I was so mad I just quit. That’s so not like me.”
Mesa found himself smiling along with it, his bones feeling easier, his skin fitting better.
“How did you meet Kody?” she asked.
“We grew up together.” He couldn’t remember not knowing Kody. Kody was made for him, to stand with him.
“Did you go to school together? Kody didn’t bring any pictures or anything. Hell, all he had with him when he came to me was a little Honda, that tent, a chest of books, and an old boom box with John Denver and Gordon Lightfoot CDs.”
Mesa cracked up. “I swear to God, if I had to hear ‘Sunshine’ one more time…”
“Yes, but did you know he has an unnatural Peter Frampton obsession?”
“Yeah. Yeah, we’ve known each other since we were wee.” He’d loved Kody all his life.
“That’s neat. What was his favorite subject in school?”
“Kody?” He thought about what Kody liked, thought what he’d been best at. They had a relatively loose education structure. “He loved anything that required reading.”
“Yeah? What about you?”
Mesa laughed. He’d resisted anything with rules, back in the day. “You could say I was more physical. I also like social science.”
“My degree is in environmental science, believe it or not.”
“No shit?” Wow. He’d never have guessed that. “Not animal husbandry?” Man, he cracked himself up.
“Animal husbandry? I. No. No, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cow up close.” She laughed, though, didn’t she? At his joke.
“Well, keep watching out the window, huh? You might see some.”
“How long will it take?”
“Hmm? To see cows?” He was running things over in his head, how long it would take to get home, who he needed to see first. What he needed to do.
“No. Until I’m home.” She stretched, giving him a great view of her breasts.
“Oh.” No running off the roads. �
�You might want to take a nap.”
“No. I’ve slept more in the last day or two. Besides, don’t you want company?”
“I don’t mind.” Mesa was surprised to find that he didn’t, actually.
“Oh. Okay.” She leaned back, pushing down in the seat a bit.
“No, I mean I don’t mind the company.” He smiled back at her again. “I just didn’t want you to get bored.”
“Mesa, I’m naked in the mountains with my husband’s lover who plays werewolf role-playing games and makes me a little stupid.” Those bright green eyes met his in the mirror. “Boredom isn’t going to be a factor.”
That tickled him, and he laughed long and hard, hoping he wouldn’t tear up so badly he couldn’t see the road.
“God, I need a long, hot bath when I get home. I’m a little ripe.”
“You smell wonderful.” The whole cab of the truck smelled like the three of them. Sex.
She flushed, his words making her pleased. He could smell that too. She was marked with his scent—inside and out.
“We’ll grab a bath, though, all of us. That will make Kody happy.” Kody loved the water.
“Kody loves the water.” Her words made him smile, nod, the connection between them getting stronger every minute.
He had a terrible urge to make them both happy. God, he wanted to keep them safe and with him.
Kody hummed, stretched, a wave of gentle peace hitting him in the chest. That felt damned good. He could tell she felt it, too. One of her hands reached out, fingers carefully petting his hair.
Mesa hummed. Oh, God. She’d touched him voluntarily. “That feels good.”
“It does. It’s so thick.” She petted him, the caress going straight to his balls.
“Yeah. I’m a hairy monkey man.”
Her giggle was young, and Mesa could see her, in his mind’s eye, blossoming, happy. “Now, now. Don’t start adding animals on me.”
“No? You don’t want us swinging from trees?” It felt good to tease.
“Ooo. Ook. Eee.” Oh, God. That was adorable. Look at her smile.
His Kody had done such a good job. He just had to get her home. To their home.
To their bed.
To their pack.
That would give him the space, and the help, he needed to make this transition perfect. The entire family would be eager to meet her. He sure as hell hoped that Grandma Minnie had some advice on how to convince her werewolves were real.
