by Jane Jamison
But she has a secret.
For a moment, his smile faltered.
She hadn’t been thrown by seeing the choking boy. Something else had torn her apart. But what? They’d tried to push her into telling them, but he’d stopped, realizing she wasn’t ready.
He’d do some checking on his own and through pack members that had moved to Atlanta. Whatever he found out, he’d keep to himself. She was the one who would have to tell them.
When she did, they’d be there. No matter what her secret, no matter what had happened in her past, she was their mate. His smile grew again as he slid the brush over the horse and remembered the soft sounds of sex she’d made.
Yeah, no matter what, we’ll be there for her.
He looked at his brothers yet again. Soon, they’d have to tell her their secret. Would she be there for them once she knew what they were? Or would she run?
* * * *
Danny checked on his brothers as he stabbed a bale of hay with a pitchfork then sent it flying over the railing and into the stall. Since leaving Stella in the house, he’d been dying to talk about her. But his brothers seemed content on keeping silent, each of them deep in thought.
Stella had said she was their mate. Shouldn’t they be celebrating? Instead, there they were, rubbing down horses and tossing around hay.
His inner wolf growled, angry at them for insisting the chores be done. He was a man, yes, but he was a wolf, too. A wolf who wanted to take his mate by the hair, throw her to the floor, and fuck her until she screamed—again.
He smiled, remembering how she’d screamed earlier. After taking her on the counter, they’d moved into the living room. The couch had become their playground. He’d tasted her cream and then his cock had gotten a taste of her sweet pussy. He’d rammed into her over and over and she’d taken it in stride. Not many women had the stamina to handle a werewolf, but she did.
Yeah. She does.
Once again, he looked to Mike and Alex. Why weren’t they saying anything? Why wasn’t he?
A low growl escaped him. She was hiding something. Had someone done her wrong? Had she been hurt? Another growl rumbled out of him, causing Alex to look his way. He shrugged, stabbed another bale, and then tossed it into the next stall. Once Alex went back to polishing the leather saddle, he glanced at Mike.
No doubt Mike was wondering why she hadn’t been able to help the boy. Although Danny worried about her, he wasn’t too concerned about what had happened. She was all right now. Besides, he knew she’d tell them what was wrong in time. When she finally did, they’d make things right.
Whatever might be bothering her, they’d be there for her. All she had to do was tell them.
And all we have to do is tell her.
His happiness faded. Would she accept them for what they were?
* * * *
Alex was all too aware that Danny and Mike kept looking his way. And he was all too aware of why. They wanted someone to break the silence and talk about Stella.
Yet he liked the quiet. He liked thinking about her, making it seem as though she was his and his alone. Not that he wanted her for his own for a lifetime. He’d never do that to his brothers. Still, it gave him pleasure to revel in the memory of their time together.
They’d had her, first on the counter then in the living room. Her scent was still on his body and he dragged in the fragrance. His cock twitched remembering how she’d spread both her arms and legs wide. She was their vixen, their siren, their mate.
Thank God she finally came.
They’d longed for her, dreamed of her. If she hadn’t come along when she had, they might’ve gone in search of her.
Danny’s growls made him choke back a chuckle. As much as he wanted to forget about the chores and rush back to fuck her yet again, he had more patience. Besides, anticipation was part of the fun. Not that his wolf agreed. It clawed at him, urging him to cast aside his human thinking and do what came naturally.
Down, wolf. We have a lifetime with her.
The only possible dark side to their joy was the question of what had happened with the boy. She’d resisted telling them about her past. If Mike hadn’t called a stop to the questions, he would have. Pushing her would do no good. At least, not yet.
She’d tell them when she was ready. When she did, they’d be there for her, come what may. But they had their own secret and they needed to tell her before she found out another way.
He gestured to the other men. “Let’s get the horses outside and get this done.” He met their gazes. “Once we’re finished, we’ll tell her.”
* * * *
Stella leaned against the kitchen counter and watched the men as they worked outside the barn, washing a couple of horses, drying them, and then brushing them out. It was easy to see how much they loved the animals. Every touch was made with care, and from the way the horses’ ears were twitching, she could tell the men talked to the horses as though they were people.
I’m in love, all right.
She still tingled from their lovemaking. They’d sealed their commitment to each other. All that was left was for her to move into their home.
My home now.
Wow.
The sound of her cell phone ringing had her pushing away from the counter. She hadn’t spoken or even texted Krystal or Arizona lately. More than likely, it was one of them checking in.
She answered the call without checking the caller ID. “Hi.” The joy in her voice was unmistakable.
“Stella, it’s me.”
The familiar voice shot through her. “Maddie?”
“You know it’s me.”
“I don’t have anything to say to you.”
“Stella, come on. When are you going to give me a chance to explain?”
Anger spun through her. Old resentment rose once again. “What’s there to explain? You knew Bruce was cheating on me, and you kept it a secret. I’m your sister, but you kept quiet to keep him safe. What if I’d married him?”
She’d finally forgiven Bruce. Why was it so hard to do the same for her sister? They’d been close since childhood, not only sisters but best friends. Since she’d pushed her sister out of her life, she’d felt like a part of her was missing. She wanted to forgive her, but simply couldn’t. How could her sister, of all people, hurt her that way?
“But you didn’t marry him, and that’s because of me. I’m the one who made you look inside the cloakroom.”
True enough. Her sister hadn’t let her marry Bruce. Yet she’d taken so long to tell her, leaving it for the day of the wedding and minutes before the ceremony. Maddie could’ve spared her the embarrassment that had followed when she’d had to ask her friend Dani to tell all the guests that the wedding wasn’t going to happen.
“You should’ve told me sooner.” They’d been like two halves to one entire piece. She’d known everything about her sister. Or so she’d thought. “We even talked about eloping, and you never said a damn word. I could’ve hopped on a plane to Vegas and married that asshole. Instead, you waited.”
“I’m sorry. How many times do I have to apologize? What do I have to do, Stella? Promise you my first child? Give you my heart?”
I thought you’d already given me your heart just as I’d given you mine.
There was silence as neither one of them spoke. Finally, it was Maddie who broke the quiet. “You’re not mad about my waiting to tell you. You’re mad at the way I told you.”
“That and when you finally did. You had to know it would hurt me seeing them together. You had to have known, and yet you still did it.” Stella choked back the tears. “How could you let me find out that way?”
“I tried to tell you earlier, but every time I did, you stopped me. I got to thinking that you already knew but didn’t want to hear it. The wedding was my last chance to keep you from marrying him.”
And you tore my heart out when you did.
“I don’t want to talk.”
“No, wait, Stella. I have somethi
ng I need to tell you.”
Stella’s laugh sounded bitter. “Really? What other shit do you have to spring on me? That you’re really not my sister? That I’m adopted?” Her gaze jumped to the men.
“I know where you are.”
Shit.
Her first impulse was to ask how Maddie knew, but what did it matter? “Then you know I left Atlanta and I don’t want to be around you.”
The sound she heard next, one of an oh-so-familiar sniffle, clutched at her heart. Even now, she still loved her sister. But the way Maddie had shown her that Bruce was a cheater had been too mean, too heartless.
“This has to stop. We can’t go on like this. I’m your sister, damn it.”
Stella remained silent, unsure what to say. Too many emotions swirled inside her.
A heavy sigh came. “Sis, I’m coming to Fate.”
Stella gripped her phone tighter. “No. I don’t want you here.”
“I know, but I’m still coming. One way or another we’re going to get past this.”
She couldn’t answer, couldn’t find the right words.
“I love you, sis. I’ll see you soon.”
“No.” Had she said the word fast enough? Or had Maddie already hung up?
Her knees gave out as she plopped onto a chair. Maddie was her sister, and she loved her. Had, in fact, never stopped loving her. How could she when her sister was so much a part of her? Yet seeing Maddie would only remind her of that awful day.
The second worse day in her life. First the little girl, then Bruce. It had all been too much to handle. She put her face in her hands and fought back the tears.
Stay away, Maddie. Please, stay away.
“Darlin’, what’s wrong?”
She startled. She’d been deep in thought and hadn’t noticed that the men had come inside. They surrounded her, ready to protect her. Even then, she had to lower her gaze so they wouldn’t see her tears.
“What’s going on?” asked Alex.
“Come on into the living room,” ordered Danny. “You can tell us what went on.”
Talking about Maddie wouldn’t change anything. Yet she allowed Danny to take her into the other room. She didn’t, however, sit down. “Everything’s fine.”
“You don’t look like everything’s fine.” Mike remained standing, along with his brothers. “Tell us.”
“No. You tell me.”
They exchanged telling looks. Mike opened his mouth, no doubt ready to push her to open up, and then apparently changed his mind. “Fine. We’ll let it go again—for now—but you’re going to have to tell us soon enough.”
She nodded, admitting the truth as much as she could. “I will when I can.”
“Good enough,” added Alex, who shot Danny a stern warning to be quiet.
Although she’d been preoccupied before, still thrown by her sister’s call, she’d studied them enough to know when something was up. “You came inside for a reason, so tell me what that reason is.” She waited, certain they weren’t going to tell her. Why should they when she refused to give them answers? Was she sure she wanted to hear what they had to say?
“We haven’t told you about us yet.” Mike averted his gaze for a moment then brought it back to her, his head high, his chin jutted out. “We’re more than what you see.”
“What does that mean? Are you saying you’re better men than I already think you are?” She tried to smile to lighten the mood, but couldn’t.
Alex took off his hat and set it on the coffee table. “No. We’re different than what you think we are.”
“You’re not making any sense.” Were they trying to get rid of her? Had it been just fun for them and they were using this tactic to let her down easy? Yet it wasn’t easy at all.
“Have you noticed how people’s eyes around here are different sometimes?” asked Danny.
“Are you talking about the amber color?” Her nerves were getting raw. “I have. I meant to ask you about it, but something always kept coming up.” She studied their eyes and saw the bits of amber there. “So tell me. Why do your eyes do that weird thing?”
“It’s part of what we are.” Alex tapped his chest. “Inside.”
“Inside?” She shook her head, unsure if she wanted them to continue. Suddenly, things had grown far too serious.
“Darlin’, would you love us even if we were different sometimes?”
“Are you talking about more than your eye color? I’m not getting this.”
“Like if we had two personalities,” offered Danny. Alex and Mike shot him looks saying they didn’t like what he’d said.
“Do you mean you’re like Jekyll and Hyde? All three of you are?”
“Not that way.” Alex grew thoughtful, his expression mellowing. “More like we can change into animals. When the animals inside us get closer to the surface, closer to being set free, our eyes start getting flecks of amber in them.”
“That’s the reason your eyes change?” She started to laugh, but it was short-lived. “You can change into animals? Like how? Like when Count Dracula changes into a bat?”
“Not a bat.”
Mike was deadly serious. Serious enough that she couldn’t find any humor in what he’d said. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to get at. Will you just spit it out? You guys are starting to scare me.”
“Maybe it would be better if we showed you.” Alex started undoing his shirt.
“Um, Alex, I’ve already seen what you have to show me. Besides, this isn’t the time for that. I still don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me.”
“Sugar, do you know what werewolves are?”
She snorted her derision in a very unflattering way. “Sure I do, but what’s that got to do with you three?” She paused, waiting for them to start laughing. “Oh. Shit. Come on, Danny. Is this some kind of a joke? Very funny.”
Mike and Danny started taking off their shirts, too. Alex was already toeing off his boots.
“We’re werewolves, honey.”
“You’re werewolves.” She swallowed, suddenly finding what they were saying not funny at all. “Uh-huh. Riight. And I’m a witch.”
“We’re telling you the truth.” Alex let out a sigh. “I think we’d better show you. You won’t believe us until you see us.”
She got lost in Mike’s hard-packed chest and had to force her mind back on their silly conversation. “Show me what?”
“Our wolves,” answered Alex.
“Oh, of course. Your wolves. Because you’re werewolves.” She crossed her arms, getting annoyed. She needed time to think about Maddie, not to play silly games. “Sure. Why not? Show me your wolves.”
“We will, but only if you promise not to run, darlin’.”
“Why would I run, Mike? I’m not in any danger, am I?”
“Not in the least.” Alex shoved his jeans to the floor. “But what you’re going to see isn’t the easiest thing to handle. But know this. Even while we’re in our wolves’ bodies, we still know who you are. We won’t hurt you.”
“You won’t? So I don’t have to worry about you biting me?” She smiled. “Or licking me? Although I’d kind of go for a good licking right about now.”
“Damn it, mate. Listen to us.”
The intensity in Mike’s voice frightened her. “I wasn’t afraid until now.” Were they mentally unstable? Should she worry about her safety? Were they the men she’d come to trust?
“We won’t hurt you, honey. I swear it.”
“Then show me. If you really expect me to believe this bullshit story, then you’ll have to show me.” She was sure it was a joke. It had to be. They were good and sane men. Yet she couldn’t squash the tension setting up shop in her neck.
“And you won’t run?” asked Danny.
She made a cross over her chest. “Nope. I’ll stay put. I double-dog swear it. Oops. Should I have said dog?”
“Darlin’, we’re telling you the truth.”
Tiredness overwhelmed her. Wasn’t it
bad enough that Bruce had lied and cheated on her? Now the men she truly loved were playing some kind of stupid joke. “Look, guys, if you want me to leave, if this is your way of getting rid of me, just say so. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”
“We don’t want you to ever leave, honey. We want you to stay forever, to be our mate and to have our children.”
“Werewolf children, I suppose.”
“They could be. Or they could be human or hybrids.”
“You’re taking the joke too far, Mike. Let’s do something else, okay? I’m tired of this.”
“It’s not a joke.”
“Fine. Then just get on with showing me. I promise I’ll stay right where I am.”
“Just don’t run, darlin’.”
She nodded at Mike and watched as they continued to get undressed. Just as she was about to force a laugh and accuse them again of making a joke, their bodies began to blur. She blinked then rubbed her eyes. She had to be imagining things.
Her heart pounded as breathing became more difficult. What the hell?
She gaped as Mike’s head transformed, growing longer, narrower. Dark fur, the same color as his hair, spread over his face and his neck. But this wasn’t hair. This was fur.
A strangled sound came from him as his mouth elongated and pulled back to show terrifying fangs. His ears grew pointed, and claws replaced fingernails. His large body expanded, changing, getting even bigger, exposing more dark fur skimming along his flesh.
“Oh my God.” She stepped back as fear hit her.
She couldn’t say whether it was her promise to stay or because she couldn’t get her feet to move, but she didn’t move. The sight of them kept her there, transfixed in both horror and amazement.
Danny’s transformation sent his body into spasms. His handsome face, transformed into a wolf’s, snarled, his eyes filled with glowing amber and his jaws dripping saliva. Dark fur spread over his body.
Alex’s body jerked and shuddered as bones broke and reformed. A tail swished back and forth like the sword of a warrior ready to do battle. He lowered his head, his amber eyes fixed on her.
