Claiming What's Theirs

by Jenika Snow

  Chapter Thirteen

  “What. The. Fuck?” Deacon slammed the truck into park, but Thayer had already jumped out of the cab and taken off at a dead run to the garage. Deacon tore after his brother. He felt his animal clawing and roaring to be free. The sight of Jess on the ground with some male’s hands on her had his blood pounding. The smell of her blood filled the air, and he saw her split lip and the nasty bruise starting to form on the side of her face. He couldn’t stop it from happening. His bones broke, and his muscles contorted. He kept his eyes on Jessa as the shift took over him. Her eyes grew wide, and the tangy scent of her fear bathed the night.

  Thayer was still in human form, but Deacon could tell his brother was on the verge. The scent of fear rolling off the man when he got a look at him in his snow leopard form would have had him grinning, if he could have. He had a feeling the man trying to place claim on what was theirs was Paul. Deacon wanted blood, a lot of his fucking blood. Thayer reached them first and lunged at the man. Fists flew in a flurry of movement, and although he wanted in on the action, he knew he had to get Jessa away from the violence. He moved toward her, slow and steady, but her fear of him grew. She kept casting glances at Thayer. Deacon made a low sound in his throat, and she whimpered in response. He had meant to try to ease her, but he cursed himself for frightening her even more. She scrambled back and then turned and bolted.

  Fuck!

  He looked at Thayer, who continued to beating the shit out of the guy. Blood poured from his mouth and nose and mouth, and his eyes were rolling back in his head. Deacon could see the flash of white behind his brother’s eyes, and knew he was precariously close to shifting. At this point he didn’t give a shit if the Thayer tore the asshole limb-from-limb. What he was more concerned about was Jessa running into the woods.

  Deacon sprinted toward the tree-line. Lifting his head, he inhaled deeply, caught her scent, and took off in that direction.

  ****

  It felt like fire burned in Jessa’s lungs. She pumped her arms and legs as she ducked and dodged low hanging tree limbs. The snow was thick, and it was like making her way through mud, but she didn’t allow that to slow her down.

  Did she really see what she thought she saw? Shaking her head, she narrowly dodged a branch. She stumbled on the ground and clawed at the snow to right herself. She couldn’t hear anything aside from her beating heart and the air leaving her lungs. It sounded loud in the eerie darkness of the forest.

  Had that really been Deacon, as a leopard? God, she’d lost her freaking mind, but it had been real. She had seen his body contort from a man to an animal. Even though it sounded so absurd, she knew what she saw, and it had been horrifying. Even the low growl he had directed toward her had been so fearsome. One of the men she had grown to love was not really a man at all. And when she had looked at Thayer, who had been destroying Paul, she had seen the same supernatural flash of color that seemed to glow in his eyes. She didn’t believe in the paranormal, but she trusted her eyes and her instincts, and what she had seen had been something out of a nightmare.

  Her foot caught on a strip of ice, and she fell forward. Palms smacking on the hard, cold ground, she cried out. She froze when she heard the heavy panting of an animal very, very close, and directly behind her. She didn’t move, didn’t even breathe as she tried to make herself as small as possible. Praying had never been something she did, but she closed her eyes and prayed to whoever would listen to help her get out of this. Hot, humid breath was practically on her neck, and a small sound left her. She had always heard animals could sense fear, and if that was true then he had to be able to bathe in it. The fear of a bite from a beast that large had her whole body tense.

  With her eyes still closed she pictured Deacon shifting right in front of her eyes. His already big body had morphed into the biggest fucking cat she had ever seen. White fur so sleek and thick had rippled across once smooth, tanned flesh. Black spots popped out along the pristine fur, looking like spilled ink. His body had been huge, more like a small horse than a normal leopard. The sight of his teeth, so sharp they could easily rip her flesh from her bones, flashed through her mind. He was frightening and intense, and when he stalked toward her with his pale blue eyes, ones that she had looked into while he made love to her, she knew everything she had ever known about the world was false.

  The sound of purring had her opening her eyes and panting in fear. He was so close she could feel the intense body heat pouring off of him. The sound vibrated through her whole body, and the soft, coarse hair on his body brushed her cheek. Another sound left her, and she curled her hands into the snow. She opened her eyes and saw his massive body step into her line of sight. The wind stilled, the snow stopped falling, and her heart ceased beating. The blue eyes that stared back at her had dizziness washing through her.

  “No, this isn’t real.” She shook her head and blinked away her tears. “It can’t be.”

  The massive beast purred loudly, and she cried harder. He moved closer and butted his head gently against her shoulder. Her vision blurred from her tears, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of Deacon, or the leopard, or whatever the hell he was.

  “Deacon…” His came fell from her lips on a whisper, and the animal in front of her made a low sound in its throat. He suddenly dropped onto his belly, his long, thick front legs in front of him, and his paws bigger than any she had ever seen stretched out before him. He watched her, and the deep, rhythmic purring started again. He lowered his head to where her hand rested and licked the top. The feel of his tongue sliding across the top of her hand sent shivers through her. It was rough, like sandpaper, but the way he moved it over her skin was gentle. Her eyes drifted closed on their own accord, and then she felt the warm, wet, roughness of his tongue sliding up the side of her face.

  Her heart still beat frantically, but she felt warmth wash through her. Opening her eyes, she lifted her hand to his huge head. As if he sensed what she was going to do he lowered his head and rested it on the ground. Curling her fingers into her palm, she felt sweat start to bead on the underside of her hand as fear filled her veins. She wanted to run, far and wide, but she knew enough about wild animals that doing so would only set off their instinct to hunt. Her hand moved forward, as if her body wanted this even though she knew the danger. He moved his head closer to her until her fingers brushed along the back of his ear. The feel of the downy fur that covered him was a pleasant feeling, but inside she still screamed this was suicide on her part. A wild animal stood before her, a killer. But this was also Deacon, the man she had fallen in love with.

  “How is this even possible?” She talked to herself, but the animal whined low, and she snapped her eyes to his. The blue seemed to glow in the darkness, reminding her of some otherworldly creature. “Am I dreaming?” She could have laughed at herself for talking to him, but it was like her heart and brain were on autopilot and trying to make sense of what was going on because she had just seen the man she loved turn into a leopard.

  Moving her hand down his neck, she could feel the corded muscles beneath his fur. The black spots stood out against the white snow. His tail, thick and long, gently swayed back and forth. The sound of footfalls behind her had Deacon tensing and jumping up. He used his body to push her back until she was on her belly. Though his head was low, teeth bared, and low growls were coming from his chest, she realized he wasn’t about to kill her. He protected her. Lifting his head after a moment, he sniffed the air and straightened his body. He saw Thayer stepping through the brush and walking slowly toward them.

  “Jesus, Jessa. Are you okay, sweetheart?” The snow under Thayer’s boots sounded like glass breaking. Deacon’s lithe body moved to the side, but kept close enough to her that his body brushed along hers and his heat kept her warm from the frigid temperature. He dropped down on his haunches and looked at her with concern in his eyes.

  Blood covered his white shirt that peeked out from his coat, and she also noticed a smattering across his cheek. Han
d covering her mouth because she felt bile rise in her throat, she couldn’t believe the gentle giant that she loved as well looked the way he did. Blood was macabre on his cheek, and all she could think about was him launching himself at Paul like a beast consumed him. She swallowed at that thought.

  “Are y—” God, she couldn’t even say it. “Are you one also?” Snapping her eyes toward Deacon, she saw his piercing blue eyes locked on hers.

  “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you inside where it’s warm, and then we can talk about everything.” She let him help her stand, but as soon as she was on her feet she pushed away. They stood side-by-side, a man and an animal. Could Thayer shift into one of those … things as well?

  “You don’t have anything to fear from us. We would never hurt you, Jessa.” Thayer held his hand out for her to take. His voice coaxed her, like he saw her as some spooked critter scurrying around in the woods. She supposed, in a way, that was just what she was.

  All of this seemed ludicrous, but she knew they would never hurt her. Even if this whole situation didn’t make sense, it was real. Deacon was a damn animal shifter, and her proof stood right in front of her. “Did you kill Paul?” Everything around her stopped as she waited for Thayer’s answer. A low growl came from Deacon, and his ears flattened on his head. She took a step back.

  “Deacon, chill the fuck out. You’re scaring her.” Thayer breathed out roughly and looked back at her. Deacon made another whining noise and sat on his hind legs. “Jessa, please come back to the house with us. You’ll freeze to death out here.” Shaking her head, she took another step back.

  “I need to know what the hell is going on.”

  Deacon huffed out and stood on all fours. He slowly made his way back toward her, his eyes bright, and the sound of his purring loud. Jessa didn’t move as his body brushed against hers. He placed himself at her side and leaned into her. The animal beside her was so massive that his weight made her spread her legs wider so she didn’t fall. He moved beside her to keep her warm. A little bit of her fear left her at that realization.

  “No, Paul isn’t dead, but I was damn close to ending his miserable life.” Thayer’s eyes flicked over her face, and his jaw hardened.

  “What the hell is going on?” She whispered at the same time she looked down at Deacon. Lifting his massive head, he nuzzled his wet nose against her hand.

  “We wanted to ease you into this, to what we are.” Dropping his head, Thayer sighed. “We were born to a small community of shifters. It was all we knew for a long time. We didn’t have a loving family, as Deacon told you.” Pain filled his voice, and she wanted to go to him, but she stayed in place. She needed to hear what he had to say.

  “There is a lot more out there in this world than you would believe. Yes, I can shift into a snow leopard like Deacon, but, sweetheart, we would never hurt you.” He moved toward her until she could have reached her hand out and touched him. “You are the only thing that has ever meant anything to us. All I ask is that you trust us.” The vibration of Deacon purring beside her and of Thayer touching her cheek, had the emotions she felt for them rising to the surface. Her fear, anger, and frustration were buried under the weight of her love for them.

  “None of this makes sense, but I know I love you two, and I know you wouldn’t hurt me.” She leaned into Thayer’s touch and placed her hand atop Deacon’s head. “I’m ready to hear whatever you have to say, and keep my mind open.” Thayer pulled her into a tight hug, and she closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. The scent of him reminded her of their surroundings: fresh, clean, and uninhibited. A smile formed on her lips at the feel of a tongue licking every one of her fingers. This was either the most fucked-up dream she had ever had, or the world she thought she knew had just stepped into the realm of bizarre. They made their way back to the cabin in relative silence. The only sound that penetrated her thoughts was the sound of their feet moving over the ground.

  The property came into focus, and she saw Paul lying unconscious on the garage floor. His hands and feet were secured with zip ties, but she knew he wouldn’t have been able do any more damage because his face looked like ground hamburger. A shiver worked through her at the sight, and Thayer wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her away from the carnage.

  Once inside she kept her eyes on Deacon. He was still in his snow leopard form, and with the lights surrounding him, she couldn’t help but appreciate the beauty of him. All lean, hard muscle, monstrous fangs and claws, and a tail that looked dangerous enough to knock someone on their ass, made up only a part of this supernatural animal. Their eyes held, and she felt the hair on her arms start to rise with the increase of electricity in the air. The air became charged, and she gasped in awe and a little bit of fear as Deacon’s body started to contort back into his human form. Thayer stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close to his body.

  “It’s okay. This is our world, and who we are.” Letting his words sink in, she leaned into his embrace. “We want you with us, Jessa. That is all we have ever wanted.”

  Deacon stood in front of her, his nude, human body still as incredible as it had been every other time before. Thayer stepped away from her, and she sensed him moving into another room. Maybe to give them privacy? Licking her lips, she suddenly became so nervous. She should have been running in the other direction, but instead she found herself wanting to understand who and what they were. In the next instant he stood in front of her. She inhaled the woodsy scent that came off of him. All she could see was the animal that was part of him, lurking just below the surface.

  “I would never hurt you, baby.” He cupped each side of her face and lowered his head to hers. Their foreheads touched, and she breathed in the same air as he did.

  “I know that.” And she truly did, but how did someone accept something that seemed so unbelievable? To think there were people out there in the world that could shift into animals was so beyond her scope of imagination, but here she was, caught up in the lives of two men who meant more to her than anything else on earth. They had become her family when she had been alone in the world. Hurt and scared, they had taken her in and mended not only her life and health, but her heart as well. She could actually picture a life outside of the last five years.

  The life she now envisioned was filled with Thayer and Deacon.

  “I don’t know how our lives will be, or if I could fully understand what you two are, but I do know that I love you guys, and want to try.” Deacon snapped his head back as if she had slapped him. For several long minutes they did nothing but stare at each other. Jessa could still feel the electricity pulsing through the air.

  “God, Jessa.” Deacon closed his eyes, and when he opened them again she saw the white flash of primal color behind him. “You have no idea how happy that makes me to hear you say that.”

  “We love you, too, sweetheart, so much.” Thayer walked back into the living room and tossed a pair of sweats at Deacon. He grinned before slipping them on and wrapping his arms around her again.

  “Damn, this feels good.” Deacon murmured against her hair. The sound and feel of him inhaling deeply made her feel so comforted. “I love you so much, baby.”

  “Hey, let me have a turn with our girl.” Our girl. A teasing note laced Thayer’s voice. She was pulled from Deacon and pressed against the hard planes of Thayer’s chest. She was thankful that he had changed his shirt.

  Maybe this life wasn’t “normal”, but it sure as hell wasn’t fucked up like her past life had been. She could handle a couple of leopards as her men as long as Thayer and Deacon loved her in return.

  Yeah, she could handle whatever life threw at her, as long as she could walk side-by-side with these two men.

  Epilogue

  The following spring

  The sun shone high in the sky, the weather was perfect, and Jessa was scared out of her mind. She held the loose bouquet of wildflowers in her hand and stared at the archway Thayer had designed an
d Deacon had built. It overlooked a small meadow filled with purple, white, and yellow flowers. It had been months since the incident with Paul, and now he was spending years behind bars. The fact he tried to kidnap her, the evidence of his abuse that night, and her medical reports throughout the years had been enough to make sure he would never hurt anyone else..

  Rosie had ended up stepping forward and confessing that it had been she who answered the ad, but that if she had known Paul’s real motives she would have never been a part of it. She also admitted that her main goal behind contacting Paul was to get Jessa out of the picture because she had grown to care for Deacon. The ad had been misleading, but then again Paul was the master of manipulators. They hadn’t heard from Rosie since.

  After that night they had spoken long and hard about the whole shifting situation. Jessa didn’t know if she would ever be used the idea that they could turn into animals, even when they did do it in front of her. What she did know, without a doubt, was that the two men she was about to connect her life with loved her in return. After years of never finding her place in life, she finally felt like she belonged somewhere. Sure, it wasn’t the most conventional relationship, but what she had with Paul hadn’t been either. At least with Deacon and Thayer she knew there would never be pain. They always went above and beyond to make her comfortable, to make sure she knew just how precious she was to them. How could any woman turn away from that?

  The ceremony was small, with only the three of them and an official to make it legal. By law she could only marry one Uncia brother, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a ceremony where she promised herself for life to both of them.

  She smoothed her sweaty, shaky hands down the modest ivory gown she wore. The lace was thin yet form fitting, and when the wind picked up it caressed her body and had her remembering the nights they embraced her in their arms. Her heart stuttered to life as she watched her two men step in front of the archway. They wore dark slacks and white dress shirts. They looked relaxed and casual, but the heat she saw in their eyes was felt deep down inside of her. Yeah, this was right on every conceivable level.