ClaimMe

by Calista Fox

  The severity of the situation resonated deep within her. It only got worse.

  Instantly, Jude and Vincent became a tangled black-and-silver blur as they rolled around on the grassy ground, snarling and snapping at each other, occasionally making contact, which resulted in a whimper or a howl. Both sounds shredded Jane’s insides.

  Frightened for Jude, she took a step forward, but Cray was quick to move in front of her, blocking her path. Not that she couldn’t have easily cleared him by jumping over him. But she understood the gesture for what it was. The other two wolves allowed the alphas to fight, but when Jude took a vicious bite out of Vincent’s shoulder and the wolf cried out, his two pack members advanced on Jane and Cray. As though wanting to even the score or distract Jude.

  Jane’s fear escalated but she didn’t back down. She lowered into a crouch again, prepared to spring. In front of her, Cray growled at the wolves closing in. One drew up short but then they both continued their path toward Jane. She was torn between watching Jude and Vincent and being afraid of what might happen to her and Cray.

  With no warning whatsoever, Cray lunged forward, attacking one of the wolves. The other one rushed Jane. Vampire instincts took over. She leapt into the air, her body sailing forward and slamming into the wolf. Pain lanced through every inch of her, but only for a second. They fell to the ground, Jane on top of the enormous animal. One large paw swiped at her, the claws digging deep into her arm and drawing blood, causing her to cry out.

  Anger overrode agony though. In her fury, her hand closed over the wolf’s throat, then jerked back, taking a substantial amount of fur and flesh with her. The shifter made a bloodcurdling sound as its body convulsed. Jane shot to her feet, prepared to continue the battle. The wolf had no fight left in him. He rolled onto his side and wheezed his last breath.

  Her eyes snapped to Jude and Vincent, still tangled together, rolling on the ground because neither could gain leverage over the other. Her gaze moved to Cray just as his sharp teeth sank into the neck of his attacker. Cray’s head whipped from side to side, ripping the throat from the wolf.

  Relief flooded her veins as Cray trotted over to the twisted mess that was Jude and Vincent. But that relief was short-lived. Blood covered the grass where they fought and she could smell that most of it was Jude’s. Her insides seized up. She was about to join the fight when three more, very distinct, scents filled the small clearing.

  She froze in place, her anxiety rising.

  Cray’s head turned back to her. He watched as the three wolves entered the clearing, moving slowly, but stealthily. They surrounded Jane. When Cray gave a nod of his head toward them, she knew they belonged to Jude’s pack.

  The advantage seemed to give Jude extra momentum, because he got to his feet and circled the other injured wolf before diving toward the ground again and going straight for Vincent’s throat. The fight ended a second later and Jude was the victor.

  He shifted back to human form instantly. He dragged on his briefs and pants, then scooped up his shirt and rushed over to Jane. He wrapped the material around her bleeding arm, fear and concern stamped across his face.

  “I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “I self-heal too.” Regardless, her body shook at the thought of how close she’d come to losing her two imprinters. She threw her arms around Jude and pressed her trembling body to his. Cray shifted and dressed, then joined them. Jane released Jude so she could embrace Cray.

  “We’ll need to dispose of the bodies,” Jude said in a low tone.

  “We’ll take care of them.”

  A voice she didn’t recognize made Jane relinquish her hold on Cray and turn to the other wolves, who’d also changed back to human form, though they had no clothes on hand to cover themselves.

  Jude made the introductions. “This is Brant, Alex and Neil. My pack.”

  “Very nice to meet you,” Jane said as she stepped forward to shake their hands. “Jane Van Kamp.”

  “She’s with us now,” Cray said, a hint of male pride in his tone.

  “We saw you take down one of Vincent’s pack members,” Brant said. “Nice work.”

  “Thank you. I had a lot at stake.” She turned back to Jude and Cray. “That’s it then? No more danger?”

  Jude smiled at her. “No more danger.”

  She sighed in relief. Freedom from all constraints and vulnerabilities and internal yearnings was a damn fine thing.

  “Let’s go to Montana,” Cray said in a low voice.

  She could think of nothing she’d like better.

  Epilogue

  Several months later…

  Jane was wrong.

  There was one thing better than Montana.

  Though Cray’s ranch sat on nearly twenty acres of lush land and rolling hills, all dotted with tall pine trees and featuring two large ponds—and the house was more of a luxurious winter lodge than a rustic cabin—there was something more she fell in love with than the Big Sky and the fresh air and the wide-open spaces.

  Two very hot and hunky shapeshifters.

  Cray added another log to the fire blazing in the ginormous bedroom she now shared with him and Jude. She crossed from the dressing room Cray had designed for her by blowing out a wall to the bedroom next to the master suite and remodeling it to accommodate her extensive clothing and shoe collection.

  Both men had made concessions for her, actually. Jane had decided to continue working with Drake at Body Scenes. Because the club was only open once a month, she was able to do all of her invitation planning via the Internet in Montana. Then she spent a long weekend in Manhattan every month to manage the club when it was open. She’d found working was too important to her to give it up altogether. She also liked that she could spend some time with Drake and Shana as well as Finn and Yvette when she was in town. And because she’d taken on the invitation process, Drake and Shana were free to travel. They just made sure they were in town when Jane was, so they could all get together.

  All in all, it’d turned out to be a doable scenario and Jane felt she’d gained a vast amount, not lost anything.

  But while she enjoyed a weekend in the city from time to time, returning to Montana felt natural to her, even though both Jude and Cray traveled with her. There was just something intimate and cozy and seductive about being in their own space, just the three of them enjoying each others’ company.

  Approaching Cray now at the fireplace, she wrapped her arms around his waist as she stood behind him. She dropped a kiss on his bare shoulder blade and he covered her small hands with his larger, much warmer ones.

  “You’re happy here, right?” he asked in a low tone, as though he’d read her thoughts.

  “Deliriously.”

  “Good to know,” Jude added in his deep voice as he sauntered into the room. She looked at him over her shoulder, smiling at his devilish handsomeness as she still embraced her ruggedly gorgeous first imprinter.

  “I think we’ve finally found the right balance,” she said to both of them. “Now that Jude will share a bed with the two of us.” It’d taken a few days, in the beginning. But they’d found harmony amongst themselves.

  Jude let out a low grunt. “It’s not easy sharing you, Jane. But the alternative isn’t the least bit appealing.”

  She’d issued an ultimatum several nights after their arrival in Montana. If Jude wasn’t going to sleep with her and Cray in the splendidly huge bed in Cray’s master suite… Well. He could shift into a wolf and sleep on the floor. She’d taken her threat one step further by offering to install a doggie door for him. That had propelled him into action and he’d conceded as Cray had chuckled good-naturedly.

  Jude stripped off his shirt now and joined the two of them at the fireplace. “I thought we were having dinner in town this evening.”

  “Jane wanted to stay at the ranch. She’s making rack of lamb.”

  “Perfect. Except… You didn’t quite make it to the kitchen, did you?”

  The question was directed at Jane
. She grinned at him. “It’s chilly tonight. I needed a little extra warmth.”

  “Hmph.” He didn’t like leaving her alone with Cray, she knew. Jude had business to attend to in the city several days a week, as he’d taken it upon himself to manage some investments for the pack that enabled them to live in the country so they could take on their more natural forms on a whim without being hindered by city life and nosy humans.

  She admired Jude’s dedication to his pack and also his strong ties to his family. Though many of them had their own packs, they were all still very tight and frequently visited the ranch for formal dinners or casual afternoons. She enjoyed cooking for and entertaining everyone who showed up. Her self-imposed isolation had left her incredibly lonely over the decades, even with Drake’s companionship. So to be surrounded by new friends and family…that was almost as wonderful as being alone in Jude’s and Cray’s presence every night.

  Yes, she’d quickly acclimated to the more rustic lifestyle. She loved the vast, open land, the fresh air and the wildlife. She felt more comfortable here than she had anywhere else in the world since she’d become a vampire. There were no humans on the ranch whom she had to worry about hurting. She couldn’t injure Jude or Cray or the other pack members and she was finally able to relax and enjoy her immortality—as well as an eternity with her two lovers.

  To Jude, she said, “You simply must stop being so jealous. We made a deal. We’ll only be together when it’s the three of us, never just me and Cray or me and you. That’s how we agreed to keep both of your possessive tendencies under control.”

  “Still can’t say I like walking in on you naked…and Cray without his shirt on.”

  “We were expecting you, you dolt,” Cray said with a smirk that was damn sexy.

  Apparently, Jude couldn’t argue his point. In addition to them being able to smell his approach, he’d phoned ten minutes ago to say he was close by.

  Without another word, he unraveled Jane’s arms from Cray’s waist, took her hand and led her over to the bed. Cray discarded his jeans, boots and socks and sprawled out on the custom-made bed with her. Jude quickly divested himself of his clothing as well, and settled on the other side of her.

  Jane sighed contentedly and said, “I am one seriously lucky girl.”

  It was as though karma had lent a hand, rewarding her for being so conscientious about the human race and so respectful of human mortality. She’d never put great stock in what the universe might think about her sacrifices, her torment or her restraint, but it seemed as though the way she valued human life resulted in her newly found bliss. She might be a vampire, but she wasn’t evil. She wasn’t damned.

  In fact, she had everything a woman could ask for in life…and more. The absolute best part, however, was that she had all of this for an eternity. Not a short mortal life, but forever.

  She sighed dreamily as Cray gripped her hip and rolled her partially toward him. He kissed her in the slow, sexy way that made her feel as though warm molasses oozed down her spine. Her body responded instantly to his kiss, her insides blazing, her clit tingling and her pussy throbbing.

  She inched closer to him and pressed her bare chest to his. His hand on her hip slid down her thigh a ways and he lifted her leg to drape it over his own hips, spreading her legs wide. Behind her, Jude’s fingers brushed over her back and down her spine to her ass. He palmed a cheek and kneaded it with just the right amount of pressure as Cray continued to kiss her.

  Jude dropped light kisses on her shoulder. His hand on her ass shifted and he stroked the crevice between her cheeks, from the rim of her anus, over her labia, to her clit and back. Again and again, his touch becoming stronger and more purposeful as she writhed against Cray, his hard cock nestled against her belly.

  When Jude’s fingers targeted her clit, she broke her kiss with Cray and a sharp moan fell from her lips.

  “Oh that is so good,” she murmured.

  One of Cray’s large hands cupped her breast and squeezed it gently. Then his head dipped and his tongue curled around her tight nipple. He suckled the puckered peak as she wove her fingers through his silky hair. At the same time, two of Jude’s fingers penetrated her opening, pushing deep into her pussy.

  She moaned again, loving how aggressive he was. He didn’t hold back as he massaged her inner walls with quick, confident strokes.

  Adding to her pleasure were Cray’s fingertips pressed to her clit. He rubbed the sensitive bud while his tongue flicked back and forth across her nipple, driving her mad with desire and need.

  Turning her head to look at Jude over her shoulder, she found the raw intensity stamped across his dark features that always made her shudder with excitement. He kissed her hard, thrusting his tongue into her mouth the way he pushed his fingers deeper into her cunt. His kiss was a searing one, heightening her passion and making her squirm restlessly between two deliciously gorgeous and fantastically warm bodies.

  They both quickened their strokes on the sensitive parts of her body and Jane felt glorious sensations well within her.

  She dragged her mouth from Jude’s.

  “Oh yes,” she whispered against Cray’s soft hair, his mouth still on her breast. “Make me come.”

  Jude worked a third finger into her tight pussy and they pumped in and out of her a little harder, a little faster. Cray’s fingers on her clit picked up the pace as well as he sucked her nipple into his mouth.

  Jane let out a small cry as the erotic sensations collided and exploded. Before she’d come down from the high, Cray’s cock slid into her wet depths and Jude entered her from behind, while she still lay on her side between them. They moved in unison, pleasuring her, pleasuring themselves. Their hands and mouths roamed her body and their low groans mingled with her soft moans.

  It didn’t take long for all of them to succumb to the heat and passion that cloaked them and soon their lovemaking reached a fevered pitch. Jane came first, an unchecked cry of intense pleasure tearing from her mouth. Her orgasm sparked Cray’s and Jude’s and they both thrust deeply into her as their bodies convulsed all around her and they each called out her name.

  As her two lovers held her tight, Jane felt elation and everlasting love.

  Montana and her two imprinters had become home-sweet-home.

  About the Author

  Calista Fox in a multi-published, award-winning author of contemporary, suspense and paranormal erotic romances. She began her professional fiction-writing career in 2004, following a successful career in PR, where she specialized in writing speeches and Congressional testimonies. Her books have received rave reviews and she is also the recipient of a Reviewers Choice Award for Best Erotic Sci-Fi Novella.

  Calista is a member of Romance Writers of America and two of its Phoenix Chapters, Desert Rose and Valley of the Sun Romance Writers. She has served on the Board of Directors, been the newsletter director and chaired the annual Golden Quill Contest for the Desert Rose Chapter. She is also a member of Passionate Ink, RWA’s erotic romance chapter. In addition, Calista gives presentations and workshops on writing novellas.

  Calista attended college on a Journalism scholarship and has worked on newspapers as an editor and reporter. She holds degrees in General Studies and Communications. Calista lives in Arizona, but travels frequently to places like Mexico, Europe, San Diego and Washington, D.C. She has traveled the country by Lear Jet, always with her laptop in tow, and is a spa aficionado!

  Calista welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

  Tell Us What You Think

  We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email us at Comments@EllorasCave.com.

  Also by Calista Fox

  Backseat Mistress

  Body Scenes 1: Stroke Me

  Body Scenes 2: Melt Me

  Body Scenes 3: Seduce Me

  Devil’s Kitchen

  Devil in Texas

  Forever in Her Eyes
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br />   Jaden’s Wicked Witch

  Thunder and Lightning

  Until Jake

  Print books by Calista Fox

  Better with Age anthology

  Passionate Peridot anthology

  Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.

  www.ellorascave.com