by Maia Dylan
Hunter grinned as he sat back in his chair, taking a swig of beer from the long neck he held in his hand. “Yeah, but Faith made me promise I wouldn’t let you do that, and she is one Alpha female I am not willing to risk the wrath of!”
Tomas could understand that, too. Faith was an amazing woman. Her relationship with her mates had had a rocky start. They had experienced the Quickening with her as soon as they met, but the brothers decided to wait to move on that until Faith was older. They never got the chance, though, because some asshole kidnapped her and made it look like she’d simply left. They found her two years later being held captive in some kind of commune, and she had survived the horrors of that captivity for two years.
Tomas heard the women in the room next door come through into the kitchen. All four of them were smiling with eyes that still swam with tears, but they all looked happy. Pepper seemed to glow with happiness, and the serene look on her face had his chest hurting.
Xanthe went straight to her mates, but Melaina moved to stand in front of him and looked down with a strange expression. “What?” he couldn’t help but ask.
“You really are a nice guy, aren’t you, sweet cheeks?” Melaina said with a grin.
A silence fell over the room for a split second before his brother and the two lion shifters risked popping something important they laughed so hard. “Fuck.”
“Sw-sweet cheeks?” Dane laughed, wiping tears from his face when he was able to do more than point and laugh. “What the hell? You get a new nickname and not tell the rest of the team?”
“Shut the hell up,” Tomas murmured, cursing the sweep of heat he could feel in his face. Melaina had called him that the day they escaped Aristos’s compound.
Melaina reached down and cupped his face in her hands, staring intently at him. “Pepper told us what you said to her. The fact that you will protect, cherish, and love her with everything within you is something I have come to expect from the Grey River pack and their Enforcers. But it is rare that a man as dominant as you has the balls to say it out loud.” She pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, and he had to fight the urge to squirm. “Well done, sweet cheeks.”
The air in the room seemed to grow dense. Almost as if Ty were here and doing his damn dominance thing. But this pressure came with the distinct sweet and spicy scent he now dreamed about on a daily basis.
“Pepper,” he said quietly as Melaina stepped back, a knowing smile on her face. “Come here to me, niña. It has been too long since I held you.” He knew she wasn’t happy about Melaina’s kiss, but he wasn’t sure if she would be able to find the courage to step forward and actually move in his direction. He was pleasantly surprised when she not only came forward, but also allowed him to pull her onto his lap.
He smiled when she placed her hands on his face, exactly where Melaina had, then pressed her own lips to his cheek.
“I don’t have cooties you know,” Melaina said dryly, and the others laughed, but Tomas didn’t move. That had been the first time their mate had made a move to touch him, let alone kiss him. He would treasure that moment forever. Diego stepped forward and placed his hands on Pepper’s shoulders, and Tomas felt the wave of contented satisfaction when she turned her head to press a kiss on the back of his brother’s hand.
At the sound of another car pulling to a hard stop outside the house, they all paused. The sound of four car doors slamming signaled the arrival of Melaina and Parris’s mates.
“Oh dear.” Melaina winced and turned with a sigh to face the door. “Kyle and Grant are not exactly pleased with me.” She turned to look over her shoulder at Pepper. “I may have told a little white lie.”
“A little white lie!” Kyle Snow roared as he opened the door and stepped into the kitchen, his brother, Grant, just behind him, and Parris’s mates, Rhys and Jase Wilson, moved around them both to get to their mate. “You had us believing you were at Xanthe’s for dinner and were simply going to crash there. You freakin’ closed our bond off a little so we couldn’t get wind of this little rescue you had planned. That’s more than a damn white lie, blue eyes.”
Melaina moved gracefully across the floor until she stood between her men, a hand on each of their chests. “Yes, I did. But I was so worried about Pepper that I had to come. I also know that you two met with Ty, and he told you to give them time. I was too worried to wait. I had to come. I was so worried I couldn’t eat, and I couldn’t sleep. I was hurting.”
Tomas grinned as the two large Grey River wolves folded like a house of cards beneath her feminine manipulation. “Damn it, Mel,” Grant said gently as he pulled her closer between him and Kyle. “Why didn’t you tell us? We would have come with you, and to hell with Ty.”
Tomas saw Xanthe rolling her eyes at her sister’s delicate sniff. Kyle and Grant pressed closer to her, and Tomas heard Melaina’s happy sigh.
Kyle growled low in his chest. “This ain’t over, blue eyes. Grant and I are on to your manipulation, and there will be consequences. Private ones.”
Tomas and the others laughed at Melaina’s fake frustrated pout, but if you asked Tomas, she didn’t look at all upset by those impending consequences.
“What about you two?” Diego asked with a nod in Jase and Rhys’s direction. “What did Parris tell you?”
Jase grinned from his place on the couch, their mate settled snuggly across his and Rhys’s lap. “She told us that Xanthe, Melaina, and she had found out from Cassadee that the three of you were holed up near Ouachita national park on the Arkansas side and the three of them were going to come get Pepper.”
“Damn, and you were okay with that?” Hunter asked.
Rhys nodded. “Yep, she kept her bond to us completely open. We knew exactly where she was at all times.”
“We only came with Kyle and Grant to keep them calm and tried to ensure that they kept within reach of the speed limit,” Jase added. “Wouldn’t look too good if the deputy and one of Grey River’s finest first responders both lost their licenses.”
“So, what’s next then?” Pepper asked quietly.
Tomas turned to look at his mate, stunned yet again by her beauty and the fact that Fates had deemed him worthy of such a woman. “We go home, niña.”
Chapter Nine
“Is she resting easy?” Tomas asked as he joined Diego in the corridor of their house, looking through the open door of the master bedroom.
Diego nodded, never taking his eyes of their mate. “She hasn’t stirred at all.” At first Diego had been a little panicked that perhaps their mate was sick, but as he watched her, he realized that she was simply exhausted. It had been a long trip from Arkansas to Grey River, and she had insisted on staying awake the entire journey.
“At least she’s sleeping comfortably, and not curled up in a tight ball,” Tomas said quietly.
“She feels safe here,” Diego said confidently.
When they had pulled into Grey River the night before, Melaina and Parris had both insisted that Pepper go with them and stay in the apartment above Xanthe’s store. “It makes sense, Pepper,” Melaina had argued when they had all pulled over at the garage in town, saying good night before going their separate ways. “You were staying at the apartment before you got hurt, and it’s been fixed up since, well, Jase threw a man through the wall of the bedroom. All your stuff is still there.”
Diego had to bite back his growl of disapproval at that idea. The thought of not being close to their mate where he could assure himself that she was safe was almost too much to bear. If Pepper needed them to step back and leave her for the moment, then he and Tomas would of course do it, but they would spend the night in wolf form pacing the perimeter around the store, nonetheless.
Pepper turned and leveled her gaze on him and Tomas. “Is that what you want me to do?”
Tomas growled, his eyes flickering the artic blue of their kind. “What we want don’t count for shit in this situation, niña. It is all about you. What do you want?”
Diego watched as Pepper
swallowed hard. “I want to feel safe.”
Diego wanted to leap forward and pull her into his arms, a feeling he knew his brother shared, but they held their ground at the uncertainty they heard in her voice. After a moment’s silence, Pepper took a deep breath and turned to look at Melaina and Parris, who watched the three of them intently.
“You both know that I don’t sleep well.” Diego’s wolf snarled at how withdrawn their mate’s voice sounded. “All those years I never slept the entire night through, even when the two of you would promise to watch over me. Last night was the first night the nightmares were held a bay enough for me to sleep, and it was because Tomas and Diego slept beside me.”
Melaina smiled as she walked to Pepper and hugged her tight. “Then that is where you should sleep, little sister.” Melaina looked up at him and Diego over her shoulder. “Thank you.”
Diego frowned. “What for?”
“For bringing our sister back to us, and for not letting her go.” Melaina released their mate and moved back to allow Parris and then Xanthe to take her place. “But most of all for making her feel safe.”
“Do you think we’ll wake her up if we climb in beside her?” Tomas said, bringing him out of his thoughts.
“Maybe,” Diego whispered. “Perhaps we should grab some pillows and sleep on the floor.”
“Or you could both just get in the damn bed,” Pepper’s sleepy voice sounded in his head. It was the first time his mate had spoken to him along their link. Mates who were connected in truth and in blood could speak to each other along the bond that bound them, and it filled his heart to have that with Pepper.
“Yes, ma’am,” Diego sent back with a grin.
He and Tomas stripped off to their boxers as quickly as possible and slid in beside their mate, both of them moving until she was pressed between them. Pepper sighed in contentment as he pulled her tighter into his chest and Tomas snuggled into her back.
Pepper was quiet for so long Diego thought that perhaps she had fallen asleep and was surprised when she suddenly whispered “thank you” down their link.
“For what, niña?”
“For making me feel safe,” she said on a sigh, and his heart swelled within him. In that moment, he made a promise to himself. He would live his life for this woman. Hell, he would give his life for his woman. She would never have a moment of fear where she felt unsafe. He met his brother’s gaze over their mate and saw the same promise in his expression.
* * * *
Tomas woke with a groan, his entire body on fire. Never before had he felt so aroused. His eyes flew open, and even in the muted light that broke through the bedroom curtains, he could make out his mate clearly. She sat between him and Diego, facing them, and she had one hand wrapped around their cocks. Tomas groaned again when she added a twist at the end of her stroke, something that had him lifting his hips toward his mate in a silent plea.
“Fuck!” Diego growled from beside him, and Tomas would have echoed the curse had he had any air left.
Tomas concentrated on his mate. If she showed any signs of hesitation or if he sensed she was touching them out of some strange sense of obligation, he would put a stop to this immediately. Despite the case of blue balls he knew he would be facing. But all he saw was curiosity and wonder. And if he wasn’t mistaken, there was a healthy dose of arousal in her expression.
“Damn, what I wouldn’t give to know what you are thinking,” he gritted out as Pepper continued her slow strokes. When her gaze met his, he held it, waiting.
Pepper bit her lip for a moment before she smiled sweetly, tilting her head to the side to stare down at him. “I’m thinking that I like the dreams the two of you have. They are a lot more interesting than mine.”
Diego laughed, sounding a little breathless, not that Tomas could blame him. “You have filled my dreams in the most erotic and beautiful way from the day we met, cariño. The feel of your hands on me is like nothing I have ever experienced.”
“For me, too,” Tomas murmured as he pushed his hips forward a couple of times in sync with her strokes. “Perhaps the only thing that might eclipse this would be if you were to allow us to touch you in the same way.” He watched desire flare in his mate’s brilliant green eyes. “Do you want that, Pepper? Would you like for Diego and me to touch you?”
Pepper’s gaze flicked between him and Diego, and he had to bite back a growl when she slipped her tongue out between her full lips to moisten sweep across her bottom lip. A few moments, an hour, a lifetime passed before she nodded.
“The words, niña,” Diego growled. “We need the words, my love.”
Pepper took a deep breath before she exhaled it slowly. “Yes. I want to feel your hands on me. I want that more than anything.”
Tomas sat up, reaching out to cup her face in her hands and pulled her closer to him, her gaze never leaving his. “And it is our job to make sure you get everything you want.” Then, with that, he took her mouth the way he’d always dreamed of. He licked into her mouth, not allowing her a moment to think about her actions, but rather to feel and react to his possession.
Tomas tilted her head a little farther so he could deepen the kiss, and then he swallowed her moan. He poured as much of himself as he could into the kiss. Since the moment he’d woken with her tiny hand wrapped around his cock, he had been seconds from exploding. She had a tentative touch, but still managed to drive his arousal to epic proportions. He wanted to drive her to the same heights as fast as he could.
He pulled back so he could look into her eyes. “Lie back, love. I want to show you how a man worships his woman. I ache to love on you and feel you tremble as you come.”
Pepper shivered at his words, but his beautifully brave mate moved to follow his instructions. When she was laid out beside them, he ran a hand down her arm, reveling in the goosebumps the move brought to her skin.
“So responsive.” He quickly moved to kneel between her legs. “You are temptation personified, and the moment you learn the power you have over Diego and me, any chance of either of us maintaining control of our relationship will be lost.”
Tomas leaned in, gripped the sides of her sensible white panties, and tore them apart, making sure not to cause Pepper any discomfort. He groaned in need as he dropped forward, sliding his hands down her waist to grip her hips.
“Look at you,” he whispered. “So beautiful, so perfect.” He dropped onto his stomach, gently pushing her thighs farther apart, leaving her bare to his gaze. “So ours.” Her pussy was pink, glistening with the desire that perfumed the surrounding air, and he was drawn to her, helpless to resist her allure. He leaned down and placed his mouth completely over her, sweeping the flat of his tongue until he reached her clit.
“Tomas!” The sound of Pepper’s voice calling out his name as she arched off the bed and the exotic taste of her sparked a fire within that had him attacking her with his mouth, thrusting his tongue as deep into her as he could, only to pull back as she shuddered to flick the pointed tip against her clit. It didn’t take long to have her quivering beneath his touch, whimpering as he drove her closer and closer to the orgasm that was building within her.
He looked up to watch her and groaned when her gaze locked with his. Diego had pulled her to sit up slightly and was sitting behind her, supporting her against his chest. Somewhere along the line, he had bared her completely, but Tomas had been so lost in her body, he hadn’t even been aware of it. But the sight of her lying naked, spread between him and Diego, her face ablaze with desire and her eyes remained on his as he pleasured her with his mouth was intoxicating. Tomas doubled his efforts, sliding his middle finger deep within her as his mouth continued its sensual assault. With a cry, his mate reached down to thread her fingers in his hair, and as he watched her eyes began to slide close as her body tightened in preparation.
“Don’t you close your eyes, Pepper,” he ordered along their bond, loving that she responded instantly by opening her eyes. “You don’t keep this from me. I
will feel your body quiver on my tongue as you come, I will take every fucking drop of cream your body releases, and you will know that it was me that brought you that pleasure. You will come for me, and you will scream my name. Come for me, cariño, come for me now!”
As if that were all she was waiting for, Pepper inhaled sharply and then screamed as her release swept over her. Her body shook as he felt her pussy convulse against his mouth, releasing a sweet cream that he took without spilling a drop. He stayed with her as she rode the waves of pleasure and didn’t stop until she fell limp. He pushed up slightly to crawl up her body, dropping kisses on her skin as he went. When he was close enough, he leaned in to kiss her, thrusting his tongue deep into her mouth, knowing that she would taste her own release.
“I want you,” he groaned against her mouth. With one last sweep of his tongue, he pulled back to press his forehead against hers. “I want to fuck you so damn badly, I ache. But it has to be what you want, too.”
Pepper was already reaching for him before he’d even finished speaking. She reached up to cup his face, and he drowned in the intensity of her expression. “I want it, too,” she said in a quiet yet firm voice. “I want to know what it is like to have you”—she turned to look up and over her shoulder at Diego—“and then you. I am the mate of two dominant wolves, and I want to know what it is to be loved by you both.”
“Then that is what you get,” Tomas promised as he shuffled closer to her, spreading her legs and lifting them to lay them over his spread thighs. In this position, he could watch as he took his mate for the first time, but could also use his hands against her to make sure she felt nothing but pleasure in this her first time. But this position also left her draped beautifully against his brother as he sat cradling her against his chest. It felt right that he was a part of this moment, too. Pepper had begun her journey home, and tonight they would show her that home was not just Grey River, or whatever house she chose to live in, but two wolf shifters who adored everything about her. They were her home just as she was their future.
