Rise to Embrace [Rise of the Changelings, Book 3] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove)

by Lynn Hagen

He just bet they were.

  Pulling the papers from the first package, Brooke scanned over them to find that Garrett owned some land in South Dakota. Once this war was over, Brooke was going to make sure that land went to the werecoyotes who had suffered under the man’s ruling.

  He set that envelope aside and then pulled the papers from the next one. Brooke had to read it twice to make sure he was seeing what he was reading. There was no other way to interpret the papers other than blackmail. Garrett was blackmailing a man named Sasha Monroe. If the wereleopard didn’t hand over Enrique Marcelo’s account information and financial portfolio, the shit was going to hit the fan. Enrique Fernando Marcelo’s birth certificate was among the papers in Brooke’s hand. He wasn’t sure of the significance though. The papers stated that if Sasha didn’t come through for him, then Garrett would let the changeling world know Sasha was a half breed. According to the papers, the ancient laws state that no half breed shall hold title as alpha, own property in the territory where their pack resides, or become anything other than a juvenile. They shall not mate and reproduce more half breeds, nor shall they be included in any reindeer games.

  Okay, so Brooke made the last part up because the ancient law was stupid as fuck to him, but apparently being a mutt in the changeling world was a very bad thing.

  Brooke tucked those papers away. He was pretty sure Rick would love to have them. He wasn’t sure why Rick’s birth certificate was so damn important, but that wasn’t any of Brooke’s business.

  The next envelope was what Brooke had been searching for. He read over the papers and then tucked them away, heading for the door. They had a lead, and if they were lucky, Kell would still be in the orphanage located in Indiana.

  He hurried from Garrett’s and glanced around. He hadn’t a clue which loft was Willow’s. Brooke hadn’t thought to ask.

  When he saw two men quietly heading up a staircase, Brooke had his gun out, aiming at the one about to walk through the door. His instincts told him they were after Willow and Deluca, and Brooke was fucking tired of the woman he had fallen in love with being threatened.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Willow swatted Deluca’s wandering hands away as she tried to stuff an extra pair of jeans into the backpack. The bag was already filled to capacity, but if she could only take a few outfits, then she was going to stuff as many clothes as she could into the lone bag. “I have to pack, Deluca,” she reminded him as his hands were back on her hips.

  Deluca’s hands slid up her body and cupped Willow’s breasts, eliciting a moan from her. She really was trying to be a good girl, but Deluca was making it very hard. It seemed her body couldn’t resist the touch of her mate. The bond she felt between the three of them was only growing stronger, and Willow had to admit, feeling Deluca’s hands on her was very distracting. She leaned her back into his chest, feeling his warm wall of male flesh. She let her head rest on his shoulder as his fingers played at her nipples through the thin cotton shirt she had changed into.

  “You are one gorgeous woman when you give yourself to me. If I didn’t think Brooke would kill us for disobeying, I would suck the cream from your pussy right now.”

  Willow’s pussy pulsed at the idea. “God, Deluca, you can’t say things like that.”

  A deep chuckle vibrated through Willow, making her juices flow from between her legs. She knew they needed to get going, but hell if her body wasn’t begging for Deluca to take her. The thought of having Deluca between her legs, licking her to orgasm, made her damn near explode.

  “Why, does the image turn you on just as much as it’s turning me on?” he asked as he pressed further into Willow, letting her feel his steel shaft digging her in her backside. She remembered Deluca’s cock very vividly, and her mouth watered for another taste.

  “Yes,” Willow admitted. “And we are supposed to be getting some of my clothes, not having sex.”

  Willow didn’t stop Deluca’s hand from unsnapping her jeans and sliding down between the folds of her pussy. She wasn’t crazy, after all. In fact, she spread her legs wider as Deluca bent her over the small kitchen chair and pulled her pants down her legs. “You got dressed way too fast, sweetheart.”

  Willow’s legs trembled as Deluca knelt behind her and used his tongue to circle around her pussy. He licked at her juices until Willow was a quivering mess, barely able to stand on her own. She knew better than to scream her pleasure. There was no telling if they were alone in the compound or not, but hell if she wasn’t whimpering loud as fuck.

  “That’s right, sweetheart,” Deluca said as his tongue played at her swollen nub. “Whimper what I’m doing to you.”

  Willow’s hands curled into fists as she fought the scream when Deluca speared one lone finger into her ass and another finger into her pussy. He moved until he was between her body and the chair and began to suck her clit until Willow’s orgasm took her under and made her cry out.

  “Fuck me, Deluca. Please,” Willow begged. Brooke was just going to have to be pissed because Willow wanted nothing more than to feel his hard cock in her pussy, fucking her until she forgot her own name.

  Deluca was on his feet and releasing his hard erection as Willow pushed her ass back toward him.

  “Hang on, sweetheart.” Deluca grabbed her hips and sank his cock deep inside of her pussy. They both moaned and then he was fucking her in earnest. “If we had more time, I would slow down. But we don’t, so this is going to be quick and hard.”

  Willow was all for quick and hard. Her body felt like it was on fire. She couldn’t seem to get enough of Deluca’s hard thrusts inside her cunt. She yelped when he smacked her ass.

  “You like that, don’t you?”

  Willow blushed, but nodded. Never before had she been spanked on her bottom, and feeling Deluca’s hand on her ass was surprisingly erotic. It was just as sensual as when Brooke had spanked her pussy. She wanted to feel it again. But instead, he gripped her hips tightly as he thrust so fast that Willow was ready to fall over the edge of ecstasy one more time.

  “God, baby, I love all of your curves. They are turning me on just looking at them.” Deluca gave a full, hard thrust and then continued his quick assault. The fire was building, and Willow was teetering on the edge when Deluca began to grunt and moan his release. He reached around and began to play at her clit, sending Willow into another orgasm as Deluca picked up his pace, giving her what she was begging for. Her pussy clenched and the wetness of her juices began to slide down her thighs. Deluca pounded his hard cock into her cunt, making Willow bite her bottom lip to stop her shouts.

  He leaned into her back, laying tiny kisses on her skin. Willow was exhausted. All she wanted to do was lie down now.

  They both jumped when a gunshot was heard right outside the door. Deluca pulled his softening cock free and then Willow began to quickly dress. Deluca had her behind him in a blink of an eye, his gun drawn and aiming at the door. Willow held her breath, waiting, watching.

  “I smell two werecoyotes.” Willow hissed the words into Deluca’s ear. “And if I don’t get away from the scent of blood, I’m going to shift.”

  “Hang on, baby. Try your best to remain human. We don’t need you attacking the person on the other side.”

  Willow fought her baser instinct to hunt that which bled. The scent was infiltrating her lungs and trying to make her shift. There was another gunshot, and then Brooke was yelling that it was all clear.

  Grabbing the backpack, Willow hurried from her loft and tried to get away from the smell of blood as quickly as she could. Deluca was right behind her, helping her get past the fallen bodies and down the steps. Willow hadn’t even looked to see who the two dead men were. She just ran until Brooke had her in his arms, pulling her toward the woods. “What kept you two?”

  “Deluca,” Willow said as they raced back toward the way they came. Although a car had taken Willow out of here when she was hauled to the detention center, it was very tricky terrain. Unless those traveling it knew what they were
doing and where they were going, they would get stuck. Deluca and Brooke hadn’t wanted to waste precious time, so they had decided to foot it.

  Now she was wishing they had a quicker way out, especially when she looked back and saw two more men coming after them. “I don’t recognize them,” she said as Brooke pulled her along.

  She was racing through the forest, ducking when she heard a gunshot. Deluca turned, fired, and then spun around, running alongside them.

  “Who do you think they are?” Willow asked.

  “I don’t know, sugar, and I’m not sticking around to find out.”

  Willow had hated the idea of her peanut and Trisha leaving her. The thought had placed a heavy weight in her stomach. But now she was so damn thankful they weren’t here right now. Just the thought of one of them getting hurt or killed made ice slide through her veins. She wanted to be with them, but knew now that Deluca and Brooke had made the right call.

  Brooke guided her through the rough terrain and let her hand go when Willow jumped down a small embankment. She may not be used to running for her life or getting shot at, but Willow knew how to navigate her way through the forest. She was changeling, after all.

  “We lost them,” Deluca said as he jumped down and landed beside her.

  “Then they were human, because there would be no way we would lose a changeling.”

  “Then let’s take advantage of our situation and get out of here,” Brooke said as they began to run once more.

  Okay, so she could navigate her way around the forest. That didn’t mean she wasn’t bone weary by the time they reached the Humvee. Willow wasn’t used to running such long distances. Garrett had kept her in the compound, not allowing her to go for runs like the other werecoyotes had been allowed. Maybe he had been afraid she would never return.

  That wasn’t going to happen. As much as Willow had wanted to get away from the man, he alone knew where her son was. That, and the fact that Peanut and Trisha were still in the compound had nipped any thoughts of leaving in the bud.

  “Didn’t I tell you not to have sex?” Brooke yelled at Deluca. “What if I hadn’t seen them? What if they had snuck up on you while you had your cock buried inside Willow? You have to think.”

  Deluca didn’t say a word as he climbed into the Humvee. Willow kept quiet as well as she got into the backseat, tossing her backpack beside her. Brooke was pissed. She could not only see it on his tightly clenched jaw, but she could scent the anger coming off of him. Of course, the yelling was a big clue.

  “Look,” Brooke said with a sigh as he pulled away, “you have to be more careful of our girl. I want to fuck her constantly as well, but we have to remember her safety comes first.”

  Willow blushed as she sank lower in her seat. She wasn’t sure if Brooke was still reprimanding Deluca or not, so she was staying out of it. Willow wasn’t crazy enough to get between two dominant males when they looked like they were pissed.

  “Did you find what you were looking for?” Deluca asked, and Willow could hear the pout in the man’s voice. It sounded funny coming from a grown man, but she knew Deluca was sulking.

  “Yeah,” he said as he handed a few envelopes to Deluca. Willow sat forward, peering around the seat. “It seems Garrett put him in an orphanage.”

  “Really?” Willow was happy she knew where her son was and ready to kill Garrett at the same time. She became a little lighter at heart knowing that she was going to see her son soon. She missed Kell so badly that she wanted to cry at the thought of holding him in her arms again. “Where is the orphanage located?”

  “Indiana,” Brooke replied. “Now sit back and buckle up, sugar.”

  Willow wanted to argue with Brooke. She was too excited to sit back. In fact, she wanted to shout for them to step on it. But she knew Brooke was right. If they encountered another chase, it wouldn’t do her any good to get thrown through the front windshield.

  But that didn’t stop her heart from beating wildly. She had known Kell a few short minutes before he was taken away. It hurt Willow’s heart to know she couldn’t even tell the two men what Kell looked like. All she remembered was a tiny birthmark on his right shoulder that resembled a bird in flight. It wasn’t much to go on. She swore to herself that once she had him back in her arms, she was never letting him out of her sight.

  It killed her to know she had missed the first six months of his life, but Willow planned on making up for that. She just wasn’t sure where they would go. Being on the run wasn’t something she wanted for Kell. It wasn’t something she wanted for Peanut or Trisha either. All Willow wanted was to settle down and enjoy a life with the people she cared about the most.

  “What happens when I get Kell back?” she asked. Willow wasn’t talking to anyone in particular. She was asking herself more than Brooke or Deluca.

  “We find someplace safe to settle down,” Brooke replied.

  “But what about the war? It isn’t going to just go away. We won’t be safe until it ends, if it ends.” And that worried her more than she cared to think about. What if the war lasted for years? Willow wanted a home where her children could run around the yard, playing and having no worries about any militant forces trying to take them away. She had read about places in small towns where there were small country homes, a nice community, and Sunday picnics where everyone came and brought something to eat. They were called potlucks, if she remembered correctly.

  It would be a dream come true if Willow could live a life like that. She would love to have Brooke and Deluca by her side. Of course, the neighbors would probably give them strange looks at first, but she was pretty sure they would grow to love her men as Willow was doing. Her feelings for these two brave soldiers were growing deeper than she ever expected, and Willow couldn’t fathom a life without them.

  “We’ll figure that out when the time comes, sweetheart,” Deluca answered. “Right now I want to focus on finding Kell.”

  She was amazed at the resolve these two had for finding her son. It wasn’t their responsibility, or even either of their child, yet they were just as determined as she was to get him back.

  Could it be that easy? Could these two accept Kell, Peanut, and Trisha as their own? Were they ready to have an instant family? Willow wanted to know but was afraid to ask. She didn’t want her dreams shattered if either of their answers was no.

  “Are you going back to helping Rick once we get Kell from the orphanage?” Willow fished around. She didn’t want to come right out and ask them, but she didn’t want to wait until they dropped her off somewhere and went their separate ways.

  It was true that she had mated both men, but mating someone didn’t automatically make them fall in love. They had a war to fight, and it wouldn’t be fair of her to ask them to sit idly by while others placed their lives in danger.

  But thinking about Brooke or Deluca in danger only made Willow want to beg them to stay with her. She was being selfish, and she knew it. She didn’t want to take a chance at losing either man.

  “Only if he needs us, sugar. Until Rick calls us, we are going to find somewhere secure to stay and help out the local changelings.”

  That surprised Willow. She had expected them to run off back to Rick. She wouldn’t have blamed them, although it was the last thing she wanted them to do. “Do you know where?”

  Deluca shook his head. “No, but once we have Kell, we’ll go get Trisha and Peanut. I’ll call Rick and find out where we are needed. He’ll understand that we don’t want our family in danger.”

  Willow’s breath froze in her lungs as she looked from Brooke to Deluca, hope rising up inside of her. “Your family?”

  “That would be you and the kids, sweetheart,” Deluca answered. “Do you think we would take you and not Kell, Peanut, and Trisha?”

  “I wasn’t sure what to think,” she answered honestly. “Everything has happened so fast, and we really haven’t had time to talk about anything other than the war.”

  Deluca’s brows bounced up and d
own playfully as he gave Willow an impish smile. “You’re stuck with us, sweetheart. The moment you gave yourself to me and Brooke, you became ours. So don’t try backing out now.”

  Willow smiled and then a laugh began to build. There was no way she was backing out of this. Deluca and Brooke were offering her a life she had only dreamed of. It may not be the small-town fantasy she had in mind, but as long as she had these two men and her kids, she knew she could just about survive anything.

  Chapter Fifteen

  They had arrived in Indiana and found the orphanage. Deluca wasn’t sure what was going on, but the nun who had greeted them when they came through the door was being very evasive. They had explained, twice, what had happened to Kell and why he was there, but she wouldn’t look them in the eye and her attention kept wandering off to her right.

  Something was up. He could feel it in his bones. Every red flag in his mind was waving frantically back and forth as he tried to catch the nun’s eyes.

  “I’m sorry, but unless you have a birth certificate stating that he is your son, there is nothing I can do about it.” That was the third time she had said that. Deluca was starting to wonder if that was all that she was programmed to say. She was human. He had no doubt about that, but his instincts were screaming for him to interrogate her.

  He just had a slight problem laying into a nun. That went against everything he had been taught growing up. Brooke’s family had instilled values and honor in him, and Deluca just couldn’t bring himself to browbeat her.

  “If you tell me that one more time, I swear I’m going to throttle you.”

  Deluca beamed with pride. Apparently Willow had no problem whatsoever.

  “You hide behind your habit and preach to us about needing paperwork. What paperwork did you receive when my kidnapped son was given to you? I can show you who I am. Can you show me the legitimate paperwork where I signed him over?” Willow was working herself up. If Deluca didn’t calm her down, they were going to get more than they bargained for.