by Becca Van
Mel thought about what Jules had said so far and became a little indignant. “Are you saying it’s my fault you lost control?”
“Fuck no!” Jules replied instantly.
The door opened, and when Johnny and Kris entered, she couldn’t help but run her gaze up and down their tall, sexy bodies. When she saw their erections straining against their jeans, she swallowed nervously and more than a little audibly. She quickly averted her gaze until the other two men were sitting down on either side of their brother with the lower half of their bodies hidden from view.
She heard a loud sniff, and when she looked up, she met Johnny’s glowing, yellow, passion-filled eyes, but she was eternally grateful when he didn’t comment on whatever it was he smelled. Mel didn’t need to be told again that he and his brothers could smell her desire. Her face heated, and she hoped her cheeks weren’t as red as they felt.
She waved her hand, hoping to distract the men from the scent of her need, prompting them to continue.
“Within hours of meeting his true-bonded mate, a werewolf goes into the mating heat,” Kris began to explain.
“Of course the length of time differs from person to person since no two people or werewolves are the same,” Johnny continued.
“But werewolves aren’t the only ones to experience it.”
Mel had a bad feeling she knew what Jules was about to say next. She held her breath, uncrossed her arms, and wrung the dishcloth in her hands.
“Our mate also goes into heat.” Jules reached over and took the cloth from between her fingers. She nearly barked out a laugh when she saw how she’d mangled it, but if she gave in to her humour, she was worried she would become hysterical and never be able to stop once she started.
“How do you stop it?” she asked when she finally found her voice. Her mouth was so dry she could have downed a litre of water in one go, but she licked her lips instead.
“There is no way to stop it,” Kris stated quietly.
“Well, there is, but that means lots of sex and our wolves claiming you.” Johnny’s voice was deeper and more gravelly than normal.
A shiver worked its way up her spine and goose bumps washed over every inch of her skin. Her knees were trembling, and she was sure if she hadn’t been leaning against the counter she would have collapsed to the floor already.
“And if we just ignore it? Surely it will go away?”
Jules shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way, babe. The mating heat will only get worse the longer we ignore it.”
“Our wolves are going to become more aggressive with each day that passes,” Kris said. “Once mates have met, fate can’t be changed.”
“What do you mean by that? Surely we all have choices?”
“There’s always a choice, sweetheart.” Johnny rose from the stool and started pacing with agitation. He paused to meet her gaze. “You can walk away whenever you want to.”
“How am I supposed to do that?” Mel asked. “I’ve only just started. This is my first day for fuck’s sake. If I quit, I’m sure that Blue, Joe, and Jenny wouldn’t want to recommend me to work somewhere else.”
“Is that all you’re worried about?” Kris asked and raised his eyes to glare at Mel.
Mel wasn’t about to take his attitude lying down, so she glared right back. “No, that’s not all I’m worried about. I gave up everything to come out here to the back of beyond to work, and I’m not about to turn around and head back to a damn city just because…” She waved her hands because she’d lost her train of thought.
Kris had shifted forward in his seat and was now leaning against the counter. Johnny had moved closer to her while she hadn’t been looking and was now only about two steps away from her side. And Jules was resting his whole upper chest on the bench, his cheeks resting on his hands as he stared at her intently. How was a girl supposed to concentrate when three sexy, handsome, manly men were staring at her as if she was their first and last meal? Plus, the scent of them was floating right to her nose, and each time she breathed in, she copped a nose full of their amazing aromas.
Her skin had pebbled with goose bumps but not from cold. And although her flesh was so sensitive it felt as if it was crawling, but it wasn’t with repugnance. She wanted to scratch at her arms but feared if she did she would end up tearing her skin off. But mostly she just wanted them.
Was she being a fool to resist them? Was she only misleading herself by holding back?
Blue, Joe, and Jenny had told her that a werewolf fell almost instantly in love with their mate, but as far as she was concerned, not one of these men had shown her any loving overtures so far, and she didn’t mean the physical aspect of things.
They’d been pushy, shoving information down her throat, and although she suspected they’d had a hand in their leaders supplying her with the knowledge she needed about their kind, not once had any of them asked anything about her or her life.
Surely if they had feelings for her they would be plying her with questions and pumping her for answers.
No, holding back was the right thing to do for her. Mel wasn’t a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but she wasn’t willing to put her heart on the line or jump into bed just because they declared her theirs.
She wasn’t a slut and didn’t just jump into bed with anyone. Sure she was very, very attracted to the three men, but she wasn’t going to spread her legs after less than twenty-four hours.
Melanie needed to feel more than just lust. She needed to be connected to her bed partner or, in this case, future bed partners on an emotional level. Her heart needed to be in sync with her body, and until she felt they had feelings for her, she was going to hold out. She wasn’t naïve and knew that, in the end, she would end up in bed with the three men and mated to them, but she was going to make them work for her.
There was no way she was going to hand herself over to them on a silver platter.
Chapter Seven
Kris didn’t think he could stand being in her presence for much longer without doing something stupid. “If you’re worried about a reference, we can give you one, and I’m sure if we asked Blue and Jenny, they would, too.”
“I don’t want to move again. I like it here, and I like the people.” Mel shoved away from the counter, bent to peer in the cupboard beneath the sink, and when she came up with a new washcloth, she wet it, wrung it out, and then hurried over to the massive dining table and began wiping it down.
“Does that include us?” Jules asked the question rolling around in Kris’s mind.
When he heard her sigh, Kris pushed upright, spun the seat around and watched Mel’s arse wiggle as she cleaned the table. His wolf chuffed and howled at such a sexy sight, but Kris shoved his animal down hard. There was no way he was letting his beast take over and fuck up the way Jules had.
“It could,” Mel said as she walked back to the kitchen. “But you need to give me time. I don’t even know you. I have no idea what sort of men you are. For all I know you could be…”
“What?” Johnny snapped out when she didn’t continue and started scraping her teeth over her bottom lip.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I think it does.” Johnny stalked toward her but stopped when she held up her hands to ward him off.
“No it doesn’t,” Mel said with pique. “I am not going to finish what I was going to say because I don’t believe for one minute that any of you would hurt me. Now, I have a lot to do and would appreciate it if you would leave me alone so I can do what I was hired to.”
Kris knew it was time to retreat because Mel sounded as if she was at the end of her tether. Even her voice sounded weary and exasperated, and for that, he was sorry because he had a feeling that he and his brothers were the main contributors to her tiredness.
“Mel’s right.” Kris pushed to his feet, walked to the sliding glass door, and opened it. “We need to give her time to settle in and find her way.”
“Finally!” Mel’s voice drew his g
aze, and when Kris saw the smile gracing her lips, his heart flipped over and his hard dick twitched.
“Can we still get cooking lessons from you?” Jules asked in a petulant tone, and it took everything Kris had not to roll his eyes or burst out laughing.
“Yes, but give me a week or so. Okay? I’ll be more familiar with the kitchen.”
Jules nodded, pushed Kris aside, and stalked out the door.
“Do you want us to keep clear of the main house?” Johnny asked.
“What? Why would you ask me that?” Mel clenched her small hands into little fists. “This is your home. I’m not trying to keep you away from wherever you usually go or whatever you usually do. All I’m asking for is a bit of time.”
“So you won’t protest if we eat all our meals here?” Johnny nudged Kris from the doorway but didn’t step through it before hearing Melanie’s response.
“Of course not. Jeez, you’re making me out to be a dictator or something.”
Kris didn’t think they were supposed to hear that, but it was impossible to miss since they were werewolves.
“You could never be that, sexy girl.” Kris smiled, winked, and left before she could reply.
* * * *
The next week and a half seemed to drag by for Johnny and his brothers, but they were true to their word and gave Melanie the space she needed to settle in. If it wasn’t for the fact that they got to see her at each mealtime, he was sure he would have gone crazy by now.
Every time he smelled the light orange-scented body wash she used to bathe in and her own natural perfume, his wolf went crazy trying to get out. It was getting harder and harder to keep his animal under control, and he was seriously thinking about boycotting the main house.
The familiar saying of “absence makes the heart grow fonder” came to mind, but he wasn’t sure he would remain sane if he didn’t get his Melanie fix three times a day.
Surely she’d had enough time to settle in and come to terms with the fact that they were her mates.
He was currently on border patrol in the far north corner of pack land because there had been reports of strangers lurking about. Apparently the brumbies that ran free across the outback land of New South Wales were being captured and sold off. They were a protected species, and since they were close to where the wild horses liked to roam, Blue had been contacted by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy Department for help. That was why he, Kris, and Jules were currently wandering up and down the north and western sides of the Reynolds’ Pack perimeter.
Johnny had chosen to lope along in his wolf form, hoping that giving his animal a chance to run would help to settle him down some, but he suspected that neither he nor his beast would be calm until they were able to claim their mate.
“Do you think she’s warming up to us?” Kris asked as he trotted along behind him.
“I think she is,” Jules answered.
“I think so, too,” Johnny replied. “She smiles each time she see us, and although she doesn’t touch any of us, she seems so much more relaxed.”
“I don’t know how much longer I can go before I crack.” Kris stopped and sat on his furry butt. “The only reason I’ve been able to keep going is the delicious food she cooks for us and we get to see her for a short time three times a day. I haven’t slept for days. My wolf is constantly clawing at my guts and is nearly impossible to hold at bay.”
“We’re all having the same problem, Kris.” Johnny felt the ground beneath his paws vibrate, and when he lifted his nose to the air and sniffed, he caught the scent of wild equine, but that wasn’t the only thing he smelled. There was the presence of sweat and deodorant or aftershave on the breeze, too.
“Can you smell that?” Johnny asked.
Two low, rumbling growls were his answer.
“Jules, call in reinforcements. Kris and I will see if we can spot the humans.”
“I’ll skirt around from the west,” Kris said.
“I’ve just finished telling Joe about the brumbies and humans. He’s sending out Trent, Mick, and Shayne.” Jules moved up beside Johnny.
“Good.” Johnny nodded to Kris. “You come in from the southern side. I’m going to come in from the east.”
The three of them took off at the same time. Johnny skirted to the east. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do if he and his brothers caught up with whomever was after the protected brumbies, but he would figure that out when he found them. He just hoped they didn’t have guns. The gun laws in Australia were stringent, and he was glad about that, but that didn’t mean anyone intent on killing or hunting couldn’t get their hands on a weapon on the black market. What pissed him off the most though was that some arseholes were after the wild horses to begin with. The brumbies were a protected species and should be allowed to roam without fear of being hunted.
Johnny changed course when he saw the cloud of red dust in the air, but he tried to stay hidden in the sparse low shrubs so he didn’t end up getting shot. If he did end up with a bullet in him, it would hurt like hell, but thankfully, he would heal quickly. That is if the fuckers after those horses didn’t have silver bullets in the chambers, although he didn’t think they would since their species had been careful to keep their presence a secret.
Johnny felt the vibrations of thundering hooves rumbling under his paws and up through his body. When the first wild horse came into view, exhilaration washed through him at such a majestic sight. The herd wasn’t large—there were five mares, a couple of colts, and three fillies—but the stallion bringing up the rear was so fucking muscular with his black, tan, and beige coat glistening under the warm sun’s rays. The male whinnied and nipped at the heels of the slowest filly before tossing his head, his nostrils flaring as he drew in the scent of their hunters. His eyes widened and rolled as if with fear, but Johnny knew it wasn’t fear for himself but for his family.
As the stallion raced by, no more than twenty feet away from his crouched position, more vibrations rumbled under his feet. He sighed with relief when he realised the hunters were on horses and not on motorbikes or in four-wheel drives. Their mounts would have a hell of a time keeping up with the brumbies since they had heavy loads on their backs.
“Whoa,” a male voice called out.
Johnny peered out from behind the mulga bush, staring intently at the faces of the three men who had been chasing the horses.
“We’re never going to catch them this way, Fred. We going to need dirt bikes or four-wheel drives.”
“Maybe we should just quit,” the man with the blue shirt said.
“Why the fuck would we do that, dipshit?” Fred leaned to the side and spat on the ground.
“We’ve been after those fucking horses for over a week.” Dipshit shifted in his saddle as his mount grew skittish. Johnny had a feeling the horse had caught his scent, but when he realised he was down wind, he wondered if the animal smelled one of his brothers.
“We have an order to fill,” Fred said angrily. “We already have the down payment and spent it. We aren’t giving up until we have those fucking brumbies loaded onto the back of a truck.”
“If you hadn’t spent the fucking money, we could have given it back and walked away.” Blue Shirt adjusted his hold on the reins.
“Like you didn’t help me.” Fred scowled.
“There has to be an easier way to capture them.” Dipshit rubbed his chin. “We’re just wasting time running after them on horseback.”
“So what would you suggest?” Blue Shirt asked.
“We need to set up a corral to trap them in.” Dipshit pulled his Akubra from his head and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his arm.
“Yeah, right,” Fred muttered. “Like we know where they are headed and will be able to find them the next time we come looking.”
“We’ve found them every day we’ve looked,” Blue Shirt stated. “Dipshit’s right. We need to set up a trap.”
“Would you stop fucking calling me that?”
“Why? It
fits you so well.” Blue Shirt smirked.
“Fuck off, Ernie.” Dipshit gave Blue Shirt the finger.
“Shut up!” Fred scowled before turning his horse around. “Dip…Henry’s right. We need to set up a fenced-off area. Once we’ve done that, we can herd those brumbies into it.”
Now that Johnny knew the three hunters’ names, he would pass it on to Joe and Blue and they could let the police know. Hopefully these bastards would be incarcerated before they could harm the horses.
“Have either of you seen these bozos before?” Johnny asked his brothers.
“No, but now that I have, I won’t forget their faces,” Kris said.
“Neither will I,” Jules stated in a hard voice.
“We’ll need everyone in the pack to keep alert.” Johnny turned and headed for pack land. “Our patrols are going to be outside of our boundaries until these fuckers are caught.”
“Yeah.” Kris sighed.
“Let’s go. We have a mate to see.”
Johnny took off like a rocket, his brothers right behind him. He was eager to see Melanie again, and it didn’t matter that he’d only seen her at breakfast. He was glad he’d been able to let his wolf out for a run because his animal felt a little calmer than he had. Not much, but every little bit helped as far as he was concerned.
* * * *
Mel knew the instant they walked in the door. The fine hairs all over her body stood on end, and the heat and lust in her body went haywire. Every day the desire racing through her body grew more intense, and although she looked forward to seeing them at meal times, she didn’t know how much more of this lust she could endure.
She wanted to feel their hands and mouths all over her body, but more importantly, she wanted them to love her. They hadn’t had much of a chance to talk because, other than coming to the main house to eat, they seemed to avoid her.
That thought sent pain ripping into her chest, and she sucked in a deep breath. Her heart thundered against her sternum, and if she hadn’t bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood, she would have ended up moaning.
