by Em Ashcroft
Nathan nodded. “They’re still working on it, but they’re a long way off. That way bonded trios can live apart, or a married couple can take the donation in a glass tube.” He shook his head. “Want to know something? I’d fight against that. For centuries, we’ve lived like this. I don’t think it would be good for us to do it. Besides, we’d be taking on another race’s morals and perceptions. The human race. Why should we do that? Why shouldn’t we celebrate what we are?”
“With you there, bro.” Vaughn lifted his hand but dropped it on the back of the sofa, almost as if he wanted to high-five or fist bump with Nathan. That wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“Have you ever been in a threesome?” he wanted to know.
“Yeah, sure. Not always two men and a woman. But I wanted to know. It’s fun. Somehow I don’t think being with a breedmate is the same thing.”
“No,” Nathan agreed thoughtfully. He’d tried it, too, but not since his college days. “I’m not sure my parents would have approved.”
“Mine wanted me to. Toward the end, they wanted me to mate with every damn female they could find. They wanted me bonded and at home. When I refused, they turned on me. Of course, my parents were exceptions.”
“Yeah. That must have been tough.” An understatement, but Vaughn wouldn’t want that kind of sympathy, he was sure. “Did they deliberately go feral?”
“I think so.” Although Vaughn shrugged carelessly, Nathan saw the hurt the man covered as if he didn’t care. It wasn’t much, just enough to remind Nathan how fortunate he was. His parents hadn’t retired from Goldclaw society. Plenty of the older ones retired to smaller houses, or to live by the coast, and plenty lived as humans. It was their way, especially when they didn’t live in a shape-shifter community. Nathan would never do that. He could never imagine it happening, but this was a different time, a different age.
“You could have come to a community.”
Vaughn shook his head. “As the cub of two ferals, I might not have been welcome. I chose to make my own way, and I found my family.”
He had. He went into the army.
“That must have been hard, hiding your true nature.”
Vaughn snorted. “The people I was closest to knew. They just didn’t tell. But yeah, it taught me that trustworthy people did exist.” He grunted. “That was a lesson I needed.”
The men exchanged a look that needed no telepathy. In that, they agreed. The world was a fucking confusing place. “I can promise you that I’ll never betray you,” Nathan said. “Besides, we’re about to go deep and get personal telepathically. We can’t hold off.”
Vaughn nodded. “If we become a breeding trio, that’s inevitable. But then, nobody said life would be easy, did they?”
Chapter Five
All Trinity’s instincts told her to scurry back to her cave and hide away, but she couldn’t do that. Her cave—her little apartment—was banned to her. She couldn’t go near it.
Vaughn, Nathan, and Chris had cooked up a complicated scheme where Trinity appeared to go home but actually didn’t. She agreed because she could do nothing else. She hated that the men were having to do this, but she wasn’t stupid enough to ignore the necessity of it. Chris engaged the services of a slender youth of about her height who happened to be a tiger shape-shifter. He wore nondescript jeans and her jacket and hurried inside her house. While there, he would ensure it was secure and slip out later.
Not at all reassured, but nervously anticipating what she would find, she went into Nathan’s house wearing a police jacket. As soon as she stepped over the threshold, the door was slammed behind her and she was in Nathan’s arms. His mouth came down on hers, and she tasted his need. It mingled with hers.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” he said, his lips a breath from hers.
“Why?”
“I couldn’t feel you.” He’d never sounded so panicked before.
She stared up at him and watched his eyes dilate, making them dark pools of concern. “I didn’t know you could do that.”
“Since we bonded, I can’t help it.”
“Chris shielded me, just in case Driscoll had developed more than human skills.” Certain humans could learn a little telepathy, if they had the initial gift. Usually they could not initiate, only reply.
“I hadn’t thought of that.”
“I had,” Vaughn said, his voice deep and mildly amused. “I told him not to worry.”
She turned her head to see him sprawled over one of the big chairs. “Why didn’t you tell him Chris could do that?”
Vaughn raised a dark brow and spread his hands. “Why would he believe me? He barely knows me.”
“And yet, we’re bound together,” she pointed out acidly.
“And you saved my life,” he agreed.
Night was falling, turning the world dusky, the large living space intimately dim. In a fluid movement, Vaughn rose from the sofa and walked toward her. For a minute Trinity thought he was going to take her in his arms, as Nathan had, but he stood a mere foot from her, caressing her with his gaze.
“Hungry?” he said.
“It turns out that Vaughn can cook,” Nathan said. “At least that’s what he claims.”
“Good, because I’m not too good in the kitchen.” She glanced at Nathan. “Not as good as you. There’s a few things I can do, and I stick to those.”
“Shh,” he said. “I’ve given him free rein. We’ll see how he does.”
“I’ve had worse tests. I did BUDs training once.” BUDs was the incredibly difficult fast course potential navy SEALs were put through before graduating.
She frowned. “I thought you said you joined the army.”
Vaughn grinned and touched his forehead in a mock salute. “You’re right. I did the training anyway, not officially but part of a job. It’s complicated. But being a panther didn’t help me much underwater. That’s why I didn’t join the navy. My cat would’ve gone berserk. I became a ranger instead.”
“Wow.”
He shook his head. “I might have been hiding my shape-shifter nature, but it didn’t stop me from using it. I was fine, honey. Just fine.” He added a southern drawl to his voice as he turned and sauntered to the kitchen.
Would it always be like this? Instinctively she turned to Nathan, who shook his head. “I’m as lost as you, sweetheart. I have no idea where we go from here. Shall we carry on and see?”
“Ah, maybe.”
Reaching out, Nathan snapped on a light, the spotlight by the front door. As they walked through to the sofa Vaughn had just vacated, lights came on, warming to a soft glow.
Trinity flinched and ducked behind Nathan’s broad back as lights gleamed over the gravel and lawns surrounding the house. Nathan chuckled and reached for her.
“One-way windows, remember? They’re all activated. Vaughn advised me not to close the drapes. We can see out, but nobody can see in, even if they press their noses against the glass. And the glass is bulletproof, too. We’re in a fortress here. Safe, sweetheart.” He drew her close and touched his lips to her forehead. “You’re the most precious thing in my life. Do you think I’d risk that?”
His words sent far too tender feelings through her. She couldn’t relax too much, not with Driscoll on the horizon. She glanced out the window, but only a rabbit scuttled across the lawn. “Thanks,” she mumbled.
“Hey.” He tilted her chin up, making her meet his eyes. As always, when she saw those soft, blue orbs, she melted inside. He smiled. “That’s better. I’ll take care of you. Nothing is more important.” He eased her down onto the soft leather sofa and sat next to her, drawing her into his arms. “Nothing,” he repeated. “Believe it if you believe nothing else. I won’t take chances with you. You mean too much. And Vaughn feels the same.”
“What do you mean?” Startled, she pressed her hand against his chest.
He put his hand over hers, and his heartbeat thudded against her palm. A reassuringly regular, powerful throb, it sent a pulse throug
h her farther down her body. He always did that. Even after a vigorous bout of sex, she was always aware of him, always ready for him. It had worried her at first. She’d never been that insatiable before. She thought she’d gotten used to it, but maybe she never would. Would that happen with Vaughn? She had to think about it, about the possibility of letting him into their relationship.
“I mean Vaughn cares for you, too.”
“Don’t you mind?”
“Why should I mind someone else caring for you?”
“What about everything else?”
“Ah, yes.” He kissed her, as if he couldn’t bear not to do it any longer. But he kept it soft and sweet, drawing back with a smile afterward. “We don’t want him walking into the middle of a fuckfest, do we?”
She laughed but felt the awkwardness of the situation. “I guess not.”
“It’ll get easier, sweetheart. Vaughn and I have been talking. We didn’t have much time, we only arrived an hour before you, but we’ve had time for a few words. We agreed to take it one step at a time. We’ll cope with the current situation, and then we’ll see.”
“The situation with Driscoll?”
“Yeah, that. He’s my breed partner, your breedmate, and there’s no coming back from that. We have to stay close, so that’s a problem. We can’t go far from each other for a while until the bond settles. That’s why so many trios have extended honeymoons. The bond eases after a while, or the trio learns how to manage. It’s a new thing for us all. You and me, working at the same hospital, we’ll be fine. But—” Abruptly he broke off, biting his lower lip as if stopping himself talking.
“So the plan is partly to ease the bond. He’s going to be with me in the ER for his sake as much as mine.”
“Yeah, I know, but for fuck’s sake don’t tell him you’ve realized it. He’s a protector. Baby, it’s going to be hard on him, learning how to depend on other people. Strangers. He was telling me he left the army because he lost his unit. As in, they died. They had an assignment in a trouble spot, and the helo was shot down.” He snuggled her closer when she shuddered.
Vaughn had lost his first family, and then he’d lost his second. She knew what it felt like to lose everybody you cared for and to suddenly find yourself alone in the world. Vaughn had gone through that twice, and he could still smile. That, as much as anything else he’d done, spoke to incredible courage. Imperceptibly a link formed, a bridge between Vaughn and herself, one that had nothing to do with the bond she shared with Nathan.
“Is it always like this? Is it this complicated?”
“Hmm? You’re asking the wrong person, sweetheart. I don’t have the faintest idea. We’ll learn together.” He nuzzled close to her ear. “If you want to try anything with him, that’s fine by me. But if anybody else so much as touches you, I’ll kill them. Clear?”
For a moment she couldn’t say anything. He meant it? Both parts? “You were never that possessive before. What about Vaughn?”
A gleam flickered against the light, and his claws shot out. The gleam disappeared. He quickly sheathed them once more. “That was before I arrived in your life. But if I’d seen you with him, we’d have exchanged words. Probably more than words.”
She believed him.
“But you don’t mind me touching him?”
He sighed, the hot breath gusting by her ear. “I don’t know. That’s the honest truth. I know what I’m supposed to do and feel, but that’s for breed partners who’ve spent a long time together.” He paused, and his voice lowered even more, to a barely-there murmur. “But the thought of watching you and him—it’s killing me. I want to see it. I fantasize about it. But I don’t know if I can stand it.” He leaned back so she could see his face and the sincerity in his blue eyes. “Does that make sense?”
“No and yes.” She felt equally conflicted. While she’d been with Nathan, she’d admired other men. She wasn’t a saint, and she was surrounded by prime specimens of manhood. But she’d never wanted any of them as much as she wanted Nathan. He was her man, and after he’d given himself to her and he’ offered to share his life with her, she couldn’t imagine wanting anybody else. Until Vaughn had lurched into their lives.
“We saved him by bonding with him.” She repeated it for herself more than anybody else.
“And don’t think I’m not grateful,” Vaughn said, sauntering into the room. “Come and eat. By the way, gratitude won’t stop me doing what I have to. And no, I don’t mean…” He paused as if searching for the right word. “Intimacy,” he settled on at last. “That’s between us. But if either of you get in the way of my job, I’ll go through you.”
He added the last in a half-hearted manner, as if reminding himself. But it didn’t ring true. Breed partners, breedmates, were bonded as one. What applied outside the bond didn’t apply in it. They’d all have to get used to that.
Vaughn was right. He could cook. His cooking was different from Nathan. Where Nathan was all chef-like precision and careful arrangements, Vaughn was about throwing as much flavor into a dish as he could. He served it in a rustic style. He’d found Nathan’s white pottery plates and dishes and made good use of them. The pasta dish he’d made was supplemented with fresh bread, which he served in a heap of fragrant, crusty loaves in the center of the table. He’d put the pasta into broad white dishes.
Trinity took a mouthful and rolled her eyes. “Oh my God, this is delicious,” she said when she’d cleared her mouth. She reached for the bread. “How lucky am I to have two men who cook so well as breed partners?”
Vaughn and Nathan exchanged a meaningful look. “You get more benefits than that, honey,” Vaughn said. “If you want them.” He glanced at Nathan but didn’t pursue the matter any further. Instead, he scooped a spoonful of pasta, which he’d laced with finely chopped beef and a variety of vegetables. It was all cooked to perfection and garnished with a tomato sauce. There was nothing innovative in his meal, just perfectly done.
“Where did you learn to cook like this?” Nathan said suspiciously.
“It was a matter of having to.” Vaughn shrugged and reached for his second piece of bread. “I would have made it garlic bread, but I don’t know what plans you have for the rest of the evening.”
Nathan’s head went up, and he shot Vaughn a glare, but like his breed partner, he didn’t take it further. Garlic was not a good accompaniment to fucking. That was what Vaughn had meant. He left that in no doubt.
“I thought we might relax and watch a movie,” Nathan said blandly. He got up from the table, returning in a couple of minutes with a bottle of wine. “Chianti?”
The robust Italian red went well with the meal. It was a good choice. Trinity wasn’t on duty in the morning, and in any case, their share of a bottle of wine would have worn off by the morning. Nathan mentioned that he was on call. “I don’t expect anything, though. I only have routine procedures on my OR schedule.”
“If you do, you’re on your own,” Vaughn said. “Just let me know. We can’t live Trinity alone, so I’ll stay here with her.”
“Sure thing.” Nathan spooned up another mouthful and finished it with a sip of the wine. “Will you be okay on your own?”
“In this fortress?” Vaughn gave a laugh. “I’ve managed worse.” His gaze rested on Trinity, making a shiver run down her spine. His eyes dilated slightly and then went back to normal.
When she turned her attention to Nathan, he was watching them but with a thoughtful look in his brown eyes. Not anger.
She took a sip of wine. “I’ve been thinking,” she said. “I know we were going to announce our engagement, but I’m really not sure this is the time.” Lifting her eyes, she met Nathan’s gaze. She could read no expression there. He looked like he did before an operation—clear of emotion, ready to work.
“I mean I know we’ve agreed to keep it secret until this crisis is over.” She put her glass down, afraid she’d reveal her emotions by allowing the surface of the wine to tremble. “When it’s over, maybe I s
hould go home for a while. Just to allow you two to get to know one another.”
“No,” Nathan said flatly. To her shock, so did Vaughn.
She plowed on. “I know becoming a breed partner this late in life is hard. It must be. All the breed partners I’ve met have known one another forever. They met well before they were twenty.” Afraid that if she stopped, the men wouldn’t let her speak again, she kept going. “You’ve both got a lot of adjustments to make. Your telepathy will deepen, and you’ll have to get intimate in a way you haven’t before, not with anyone.” Had Vaughn just suppressed a laugh? That grunt certainly sounded like it. “I mean, you’re both loners, and now you’ll have to let somebody else into your life.”
Nathan opened his mouth, but Vaughn got there first. “We don’t have to talk about that now, surely. Besides, it’s something you and Nathan need to sort out. I’m here for the time being, and until we catch the bastard stalking you. No argument about that.”
Nathan closed his mouth with a snap.
Vaughn went on, his tone easy. “I propose that we do something non-threatening tonight. Take it easy. Maybe watch a movie, like Nathan suggested. Chat, get to know each other, that kind of thing.” He shot Nathan a warning look.
What the fuck was going on here? It was almost as if the men were conspiring against her. She’d thought Nathan would appreciate some breathing space. After they caught Driscoll, she planned to go back to her own place. She wouldn’t let the engagement become public and maybe not even tell people she and Nathan were an item. Because, soon, they might not be.
Trinity refused to let anyone humiliate her again. However well-meaning they were, she wouldn’t take those looks of pity from anyone. She didn’t deserve them, and she didn’t fucking need them. She’d always been her own woman, made temporary friends, never let herself depend on anyone. It was a shame she’d let herself forget that this time. Maybe they should just forget the whole thing.
