by Ann Gimpel
“Yes, but you’re not alone anymore. In fact, you’ll never be alone again.” Jed beckoned to Terin and Bron. They formed a circle around her. At his nod, they spoke words in unison. “We love you. We will care for you and protect you so long as any of us shall live.”
He swatted her on the butt. “Now get going. It’ll be nearly dark before you and Bron get to your car.”
“I’ll just wait for you once she leaves.” Bron punched Jed’s arm lightly, then turned to Alice. “Ready?” She nodded. “Sure you don’t want me to carry your rucksack?”
“Don’t be absurd. Let’s go.”
He trotted alongside her as they headed down the trail. “Tell me about yourself.”
“Well, I’m a civil engineer. I work for a firm in the Orange County area designing roads and bridges.” She turned her head and glanced at him. “You?”
He snorted. “You told me what you do for a living, but that doesn’t say much about who you are. I’m an engineer, too, but a different variety. I work for Lockheed designing airplanes.”
“What about Terin? Are you two as old as Jed?”
Bron laughed. “Hey! Slow down with the questions until I’m done answering the ones on the table. Terin works with Jed. He’s a cameraman for Paramount. He’s a little older than Jed. Now me,” Bron winked at her, “I’m the baby of the group.”
“What exactly does that mean in years?”
“Not quite five hundred.”
Alice shook her head. This would all take a bit of time to get used to.
“Yes, it will.”
“Crap. You can read my thoughts, too.”
“Of course. As the mate bond grows and deepens, you’ll be able to see into our minds as well. Tell me about you,” he persisted. “What’s important to Alice?”
She thought about his question. “Work, family, the mountains. Doing the right thing and treating people kindly.” She shrugged. “It’s a hard question to answer.”
He smiled. “I think you did just fine.”
“What’s important to you?”
“Pack. It’s center of my world. Everything else comes and goes. Pack remains forever.”
The trail narrowed. He dropped behind her.
Chapter 8
Alice floated down the trail. Bron’s energy pulsed behind her, warming her. Her heart was so full, it made everything around her glow. Whatever she looked at, from Big Pine Creek canyon to a magpie that flew by, took on magical overtones. The world was multifaceted and brimming with wonder. She laughed because she felt so good. No matter how impossible it might seem to her engineer-trained mind, she’d found her true love on the mountain, with a bonus to boot.
She looked forward to getting to know Jed and Bron and Terin. Three very special men. It would be wonderful if the four of them could roam the Sierras, with her lovers free to shift to their wolf forms at will. She hadn’t really gotten a very good look at any of them shifted except Jed.
Alice grappled with new sensations deep inside, grateful Bron wasn’t talking with her. Since he was privy to her thoughts, he probably understood her need for quiet time. She felt the mate bond; it formed a glowing center somewhere near the bottom of her breastbone. Her mind felt different, too. More alive and vibrant. The prospect of learning to manipulate magic excited her. What a boon it would be at work if she could read people’s minds.
She crossed the South Fork trail junction. The trail had given way to a road half a mile back, but she hadn’t been sure it would be snow-free, so she’d left her car at the lodge. True to Jed’s prediction, light leached from the day. Still high from making love, she loped the rest of the way to Glacier Lodge with Bron right beside her. Alice couldn’t wait for the next time he, Jed, and Terin sank their cocks deep inside her. She shook her head in consternation. In some circles, they’d call me a whore. Better keep my mouth shut. She grinned. That would scarcely be a problem. A confirmed loner, she didn’t really have any friends.
I do now. Three of them, her inner voice crowed.
“That you do. Way more than friends, actually.” The road had widened as they neared the lodge; Bron walked by her side and draped an arm around her shoulder. He whistled. “Wow! Is that your car? I noticed it when we dragged Brent down here.”
“Yup.” Alice grinned and dug the keys out of her pants pocket. He pried them out of her hand and unlocked the door. She chucked her rucksack in the backseat, took a slug of water, and then patted her 1932 Ford V8 Cabriolet. “It was a splurge, but I don’t really have much else to spend my money on.”
He opened his arms. She stepped into them and hugged him back before turning her face up for a kiss. He teased her with his tongue before he closed his mouth over hers. He ran his hands down her back and pulled her tight against him. She felt his cock swell against her belly. Her heartbeat quickened.
He broke away from their kiss. “Yes, sweetling. I’d love to take you right here, but Jed says you need to leave.”
“You’re talking with him?”
“Uh-huh. Right now. He said to tell you we all love you.”
Heat rose to her face. “I can’t imagine my life without you—any of you. And I can hardly wait to see the three of you again.” He kissed the tip of her nose and let her go.
Alice slid into her car. She fiddled with the timing lever, throttle, and fuel mixture, pleased when the Ford started on her first try. That didn’t happen often. She gave the engine a chance to warm up. A few more adjustments and she waved to Bron before easing out of the parking lot and down the Glacier Lodge Road.
It took her over an hour to get to the north end of Bishop where the hospital was. Alice hoped they’d let her in. It was probably well past visiting hours, plus she was dirty and scrungy. She slammed her forehead against her hand. She had clothes in the trunk. She’d forgotten all about them. Alice headed for the far end of the parking lot and used the car to shield her while she changed into a black skirt, pressed white blouse, and black cardigan. She shoved her feet into low-heeled pumps without bothering with stockings.
She dug a hairbrush out of the glove box and went to work on her tangled locks. It took her about half an hour, but at least she felt presentable when she locked the Ford and strode toward the front doors of the hospital. As she’d expected, they were locked. She read a small placard and walked around the building to the emergency entrance.
“May I help you?” A nurse wearing a starched uniform and perky cap barred her way. Blonde curls peeked from under the brim of her cap. The nurse’s blue eyes didn’t look particularly friendly.
“I certainly hope so.” Alice smiled brightly. “A friend of mine had a climbing accident yesterday. I was told some men dropped him off here—”
“Oh, him.” The nurse rolled her eyes. “What a handful he’s been. Come with me.” She beckoned. “Maybe he’ll settle down if he sees someone he knows.”
Alice set her jaw. This wouldn’t be easy. She’d always been honest—with everyone. What came next would not only require her to lie, but that she do it convincingly.
“Let me out of here, goddammit,” a voice bellowed from nearby.
“Criminey, he’s at it again,” the nurse muttered. “Need to give him more sedative. Go on in.” She pointed at a door. “He’s strapped down. Can’t hurt you.”
Alice turned the knob and pushed the white door marked 1C open. Her eyes widened; her mouth fell open. It was all she could do not to clap a hand over her nose. The room stank of stale sweat and urine. Brent was indeed strapped down. His torso was wrapped in a straight jacket. His legs were bare with a leather shackle bucked around each ankle. “Holy shit,” she said and gasped.
It looked like he had a hard time focusing. Brent’s gaze finally settled on her. “Alice?” he croaked.
“Yes, it’s me.” Compassion flooded her. What had happened to him? This seemed much worse damage than a concussion would have caused. Brent might be a Hunter, but he’d been a good friend to her. She took a step closer to the bed.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she sputtered. Heat suffused her face. “You’re being vulgar. If you don’t stop immediately, I’m leaving.”
“No.” He yanked against the restraints. “Don’t leave. You have to tell them there’s nothing wrong with me. I’m not crazy. Alice.” A line of spittle dribbled from one corner of his mouth. “You have to tell them to let me go.”
Pity warred with disgust. This was a side of Brent she’d not only never seen, but never even imagined existed. “I’m not certain that’s safe. You’re sure not acting like yourself. Maybe when you hit your head—”
“I am too normal,” he shrieked. “I know what you did, you dirty little slut. You think I didn’t notice when you flashed your tits my way and rubbed up against me. All you women are the same. Bitches in heat. You’d do anything to get a cock inside you.” He jerked his head toward his crotch. “Well, hey, I have one, too. If you get me out of here, I’ll—”
“If you want me as a friend, you’ll stop right now.” Alice balled her hands into fists at her sides.
“Stop?” He laughed hysterically. “Why should I? You finally got laid. I can smell it all over you. How was it with all of them, huh? Did you come? Hah! I’ll bet you creamed your—”
Alice spun and shoved the door open. She choked back a sob and nearly ran headlong into the nurse. “Didn’t go well, huh?” The nurse eyed her.
Alice shook her head. The door snicked shut behind her. Her eyes flooded. “There’s something terribly wrong with him. He accused me of—Well, of horrible things. Things no well-bred person ever talks about out loud.” She wiped her streaming eyes.
“You fucking bitch,” sounded through the door. “Slut. Whore of Babylon.”
The nurse shoved her head through the door. “You stop that this instant. If you don’t, I’ll give you enough dope you won’t wake up till next week. Do I make myself clear?” She backed out of the room and blew out an exasperated breath. “Damned bastard wet himself again. At this rate, we should move him to the nursery.”
“Um, I’ll be leaving,” Alice murmured. “I guess it was a mistake for me to come here. It’s just we were mountain climbing together and I thought he’d need a ride back to Los Angeles. We only brought one car.”
The nurse laid a hand on her arm. “Don’t take this too hard, hon. Sometimes head injuries push ’em over the edge. Maybe they’re a little bit crazy to begin with. Who knows?”
“What are you going to do with him?”
“Doc’s thinking about sending him to one of the state mental hospitals. Given what just happened, I’d say it’s a done deal. You run along, hon. Try to forget all about this.” She stopped. “I hope he wasn’t a special fellow or anything.” Her eyes pinched with concern. She patted Alice’s arm.
“No. Nothing like that. We were just climbing buddies. I’m okay. It was just a shock to see him like that.”
“All right, hon. You take care now. I’m going to rustle up a few male orderlies to clean him up—again.”
Alice walked slowly to her car. She wished there were a way to talk with Jed and Bron and Terin. Brent had been an entirely different person: hostile and bitter. His sexual accusations still burned.
It’s the way the rest of the world would look at me, too—if they knew. Alice shook her head. What the world thought had never mattered much to her. Opinions be damned. My shifter mates mean everything to me. They’re worth risking public censure.
She sucked in a ragged breath and realized how tired she was. Alice nursed her engine to life and waited while it got warm enough to back the choke off.
Even though it wasn’t exactly in her budget, she decided to buy herself dinner and a motel room for the night. She was too exhausted to drive all the way back to southern California.
Chapter 9
Alice let herself into her modest house. She wandered to the kitchen to see what she could turn into supper. A week had passed with no sign of Jed. If it weren’t for the warmth of the mate bond deep inside her, she might have thought she’d imagined everything that happened at Lon Chaney’s cabin. Earlier that day, she’d called Paramount Studios to try to track Jed down. A friendly sounding secretary had said, “Mr. Starnes is still on vacation.” Alice hadn’t left a message. She didn’t even know Bron’s or Terin’s last names to start hunting for them.
“I’ll be damned if I’m going to chase them,” she muttered, but her heart and her body ached for her wolf shifters. She’d dreamed about them every night, awakening with damp thighs and a pounding heart.
Her phone rang. She listened for a moment to make certain it was her ring. She had an eight-party line. It was annoying because kids in the other households often listened in on the few conversations she had, but private telephone lines were exorbitantly expensive. She clumped into the hall and picked up the black receiver. “Hello.”
“Hi, sweetheart. Did you miss me?”
Her hand closed around the receiver. Relief swooshed through her. “Jed. Where on earth have you been?”
“I’ll take it that’s a yes. We’re close. Mind if we stop by?”
“How close? When?”
“Five minutes. We’re at the pay phone on the corner.”
The line went dead. Alice raced to the bathroom, pulled the pins out of her hair, and brushed it until it glowed. She heard footsteps on the porch stairs just about the time she set the brush down. Excitement thrumming through her, she loped into the front room and tugged the door open.
Jed, Terin, and Bron pushed inside. All three were grinning like court jesters. Someone kicked the door shut. Someone else pulled the curtains shut. Jed’s arms enfolded her. “I’ve missed you something fierce, sweetheart.” She clung to him, drinking in his feel and smell. He closed his mouth over hers. She opened herself to him and sucked hungrily on his tongue. Desire forked through her like a lightning bolt.
Bron tugged her out of Jed’s arms and kissed her thoroughly. She was just getting used to his mouth on hers when Terin spun her to face him and kissed her, too, sinking his tongue deep into her mouth. After an endless time, he released her. “Ah.” A smile lit his timeless features. “Much better. We’ve missed you.”
Alice glanced from one to the other. “I missed all of you, too. Where were you?”
“Making certain Brent ended up in the state hospital. He made some pretty ugly accusations about all of us,” Terin said.
“I’d left my name with the doctor,” Bron explained. “He called to see if I’d be willing to testify before a judge.”
“What’d you say?” Alice untangled herself from three sets of arms.
Bron shrugged. “I was under oath. I told the truth. That we’d found him unconscious and used horses to get him to our car.”
She almost hated to ask, but she wanted to know. “Um, how was he?”
“I don’t know. The court commitment process doesn’t work like that. I never saw him.”
Jed draped an arm around her, pulled her to him, and kissed her forehead. “How was he when you saw him?”
Alice shook her head. “Horrible. He was gross and disgusting and accused me of terrible things—”
“Ssssh.” Jed smoothed her hair out of her face; he took handfuls and pushed it over her shoulders. “It will be fine. I just thought we ought to lay low for a few days until this whole thing blew over. Brent will be in the mental hospital for years, if not forever. Once you go into those places, they never let you out.”
“Don’t feel too bad,” Terin said. “Hunters are all a little crazy. If they weren’t, they’d never fall for the whole chastity and obedience thing.”
“He probably lusted after you all along.” Jed quirked a brow. “When he figured out we’d had you in all th
e ways he wanted to, well, it probably finished the job that rock he landed on started.”
She nodded, feeling sad. “I wanted to talk with you that night I saw him in the hospital.”
“Maybe that’s the first thing I’ll teach you, then. How to reach me if I’m not right next to you.”
“First thing after the more important stuff.” Terin chortled.
Alice glanced around. “Maybe if we’re really quiet. Lots of people are sitting out in their yards this time of night.”
“The lady has a point.” Jed grinned. “We’ll be silent as church mice.” He pulled her into his arms. “And then we’ll all go out for an elaborate multicourse dinner to celebrate.”
“After that, you’ll come home with us.” Terin smiled broadly. “We have a big house with thick walls.”
“And an indoor pool to play in,” Bron added.
Alice’s eyes widened. “There probably won’t be time for me to see it tonight, but where do you live?”
“In the Hollywood Hills. You’ll love it.” Bron circled his arms around her from behind, sandwiching her between his body and Jed’s. Two cocks prodded her, one in front, one behind. Alice’s blood heated. Her nipples pebbled into points of sensation where they rubbed against Jed’s chest. She rocked her hips. A flood of desire slicked her thighs.
“Hey, found the bedroom,” Terin called softly. “This way.”
Jed’s eyes darkened with love and desire. She was coming to recognize that look. He let go of her. “Lead on. I can’t wait.”
Terin was already naked when Alice got there. His cock jutted upward, curved against his stomach. He patted it. “We’ve spent a lot of time this last week talking about you and jacking off. I’m ready for the real thing.”
Jed laughed. “Love your enthusiasm.”
“How about mine?” Bron’s clothes joined Terin’s in a heap on a chair.
“Gee,” Alice eyed both hard-ons, “I’m starting to feel overdressed here.” She reached for the buttons on the plain cotton blouse she’d worn to work, but Jed batted her hands away.
