Wolves Gone Wild [Werewolves of Forever, Texas 12] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Jane Jamison

  In that one moment, he would’ve given up his ranch, his life, his world to join them.

  But he couldn’t risk giving her up.

  “Are you out of your minds?”

  Lance and Duncan squared off at him, placing their backs to Christy who scrambled to her feet then hid her body behind them.

  She was afraid of him. That tore at his heart, but he steeled himself against that agony. He had to save her. Had to save the connection if it was the last thing he did.

  Looking at Duncan’s and Lance’s expressions, it just might be.

  Their wolves were ready to fight. If they did, they’d all shift and she’d see what they were before they’d had time to prepare her. That alone would send her running. Never mind that the connection they shared could blow sky-high if he let them continue.

  “Christy, get your clothes on.”

  “Fuck off, Grant. You’re not in charge of her or us.”

  Duncan’s words were garbled by the fangs sprouting out of his gums. Grant doubted that she’d understood what he’d said.

  “She’s ours to claim. Either join us or leave,” added an equally garbled Lance.

  “I don’t understand what’s going on.” She peeked around Duncan’s shoulder. If she leaned much farther forward, she’d see that Duncan’s eyes had filled with amber.

  “Just trust me on this, Christy. Leave now. Get back to the ranch, take the pickup, and go back into town.”

  “But—”

  He let a part of his inner wolf rise. Enough that he knew the power of his tone would scare her into doing as he said. “Go!”

  She didn’t hesitate or question him again. Instead, she rushed past Duncan and Lance to her horse.

  He couldn’t help it. He was hanging on to the thin line that stood between his control and doing what his beast inside him wanted to do. Catching her arm, he pulled her to him and swore inwardly that he’d allowed himself to touch her.

  Her fragrance mixed with the heady scent of arousal made him dizzy. The heat from her body flowed over him, enveloping him in a wave of desire that threatened to do him in. He sucked in a hard breath, memorizing the way she smelled, and struggled to keep from forgetting his resolve and rutting her from behind. Still, she, hell, they deserved so much more than that. They deserved a lifetime together.

  “Christy.”

  She took it as a question even though he’d spoken her name out of an urgency to do so. “Yes?”

  The amber, burning as it started to creep into his eyes, spurred him on. He inclined his head and met her gaze. “Don’t look back.”

  He felt her confusion warp with fear as he turned her loose. She snatched up her clothes, then darted behind the nearest bush to dress.

  At least the Thorne cousins had enough sense to drop their gazes to the ground as she went by them. Their clenched fists and angry stances didn’t lessen. If she didn’t leave soon, she’d see their wolves come out. If that happened, there’d be no way to keep them off her.

  She was dressed and ready. “I’m not sure I know the way back.”

  “Let Star take the lead. She’ll get you there.” He dared to turn his attention away from the men to face her. Softening just enough that he hoped she’d see, he repeated his earlier command in a gentler voice. “Take the truck back to town.”

  She frowned, daring to pause, before she strode over to Star. To her credit, she got into the saddle with ease then waited again as though expecting him to tell her that it was all a mistake. When he didn’t, she turned Star around, gave her a couple of easy nudges, and put slack in the reins, telling Star to take charge.

  He was breathing hard by the time she was out of sight. The growls that came had him shifting before he could stop himself.

  It wasn’t the first time they’d fought, both in their wolf forms and human bodies. Yet he doubted that they’d ever fought as hard. His clothes shredded from his body as he landed on all four paws.

  * * * *

  They were exhausted, their anger and their animals’ power spent. They lay on the ground by the pond, naked after shifting back into their human forms, their wounds already healing.

  “We had to have her.” Lance didn’t know why he was explaining it to Grant. His friend had to feel the same way about her.

  “I know. But we can’t risk it.”

  Grant was right. Both he and Duncan knew it. But knowing didn’t mean they could stop the force of the amber moon on their libido. He’d known it would be bad, but he’d never expected to have so little control during the daytime.

  They stayed that way for several more minutes as their horses pawed the ground and drank from the pond.

  “What happened with the werebears?” Lance gave Grant a sideways glance. “Are Merle and Gabe getting what they deserve?”

  “They said they’d handle it.”

  Lance sat up, glaring at his friend. “That’s bullshit. What the fuck does that mean?”

  Grant wouldn’t look at him and he knew why. The meeting with the werebears hadn’t gone the way he’d wanted it to go. “We don’t want a war. If they’d done more to her, then it would’ve been different.”

  Duncan rose up, just as angry as he was. “And those two shit heads? They’re going to get away with it?”

  “Like I said. Merdon said he’d handle it and Jackson’s taking his word for it.”

  Like Jackson was to the werewolves of Forever, Merdon Cinat was to the werebears. He was their unofficial leader. Word had it that he was trustworthy and a standup kind of man. For a werebear.

  “And you? Do you believe him?”

  “I don’t have any reason not to.” Grant rose to his feet. “Give it time. If they don’t get what they deserve, then we’ll take care of it.”

  Lance knew there was no use arguing. Jackson and Grant had made their decision. “And you’re sure the werebears are going to stay away?”

  “They’ve been warned that she’s our mate. And that Forever is off limits until the amber moon has passed. Even the werebears who live in Forever are leaving town for the time being.”

  Lance let the discussion die and waited until it felt right to talk about what was really on his mind. “What do we do about tonight?”

  He wanted to find her, to give into the hunger churning inside him. The yearning to have her had been bad enough before he’d seen her naked with her legs parted, willing him to take her. But after that, he’d known he had to have her no matter what.

  “We stay away from her. We stick at the ranch and we don’t go into town.” Grant’s voice was haggard sounding, although he tried to make it seem like an easy thing to do.

  “And what if she needs us again? What if she runs into trouble?”

  “Jackson’s put some men—mated men—on the job. They’ll watch out for her. Trust me. Nobody’s going to get within ten feet of her.”

  “You already set this up with him?”

  “I did. But I’ll check on it when I go into town and get the pickup.”

  “Wait a sec.” Duncan’s growl was in his tone. “You get to see her and not us? That’s fucked up, man.”

  “No, I won’t. I’ll have Milly get the keys from her. Then I’ll check with Jackson and make sure he’s got men on it. I’ll be home well before the sun sets.”

  Lance nodded, uncaring that Grant was still not looking his way. “And how do you expect us to stay on the ranch once the moon rises? By asking us pretty please?”

  The absolute obsession for her was getting stronger by the second. By the time the moon rose at the height of its amber power, he’d have no resolve left to fight it.

  “Jackson and his brothers are coming over to take care of us.”

  Lance stood up. “What the fuck does that mean?”

  Grant growled, the hair rising on his arms. If needed, Lance knew his friend would shift and fight them again. “It means they’re going to chain us up in the cellar.”

  The prospect of getting chained up for the night was horrific. The l
ure of the amber moon and the fact that their mate was so close would tear them up inside. Getting free would consume them to the point that they might do anything, even tearing off an arm, to get to her.

  “I hope he’s got some heavy duty chains because the way I feel, nothing on earth is going to keep me from her.”

  * * * *

  Christy spied out of the bedroom window as she had the previous night. She still didn’t understand how she’d ended up at the pond with Lance and Duncan. Her mind had taken a vacation and let her body and her desire take over. Yet even after spending most of the day telling herself what a foolish thing she’d done, she couldn’t make herself regret it. If she had to do it all again, she’d change only two things. First, she wouldn’t let anything or anyone interrupt them. Second, she would’ve gotten Grant to jump into the mix, too.

  Her friend, Melody Westwill, picked up on the second ring. “Hey, girl, what’s going on? Where are you now, world traveler?”

  She and Melody had come together in high school and had continued their friendship after graduation. If anyone would understand, it was Melody.

  “I’m doing a road trip around the country, not the world.”

  “Whatever. So where are you? Please tell me it’s somewhere great, because, girl, nothing exciting is going on here.”

  Christy could hear the boredom in her friend’s voice. “Hey, I tried to get you to come with me.”

  “I know, I know. I’m a chicken and that’s all there is to it. So are you going to fill me in or what?”

  “I am in a very small Texas town by the name of Forever.”

  “What the hell for? You’re supposed to hit the major cities so I can live vicariously through all your adventures. A small town? Ugh. I want clubs, dancing, exotic men, everything a big city can give you.”

  She walked out of the bedroom and back into the living room. The small apartment was getting to her. Or was it just that she couldn’t stop thinking about the men? Where were they now? Did they want her as much as she did them? Her stomach felt like it held a basket of writhing snakes inside it, and her yearning for them was making them hiss and snap their deadly fangs.

  “I didn’t choose to come here. Sally broke down. But now, I’m kind of glad she did.” There was no kind of about it. She was thanking her lucky stars.

  “Ooh, that sounds juicy. Tell me everything and don’t you dare leave out any details.”

  “I met some…men.”

  “Some men? As in more than one?”

  “As in three.”

  “Holy hell. What does that even mean? You haven’t been abducted by slave traders, have you?”

  Melody always could make her laugh. “No, it’s even stranger than that. See, there’s this amber moon thing and…” Once she’d gotten started, she found she couldn’t stop. She told Melody everything, until at last, she came to their time at the pond.

  “I hope you don’t think I’ve turned into a skank or anything, but…”

  “Of course not. Christy, what’s going on?”

  She wasn’t sure how to explain it. As much as she’d gone over it in her head, it didn’t make sense. But to her gut? To an instinct that was buried deep inside her and trying to get out? It made all the sense in the world.

  “It’s these three men. I feel drawn to them. Compelled. Like I can’t breathe when I’m not with them. And then when two of them took me riding…Well, things got a little out-there.”

  The silence on the other end of the call worried her. Until Melody finally spoke again. “I’ve never heard you like this.”

  “That’s because I’ve never felt like this.”

  “It’s more than just sex, isn’t it? You sound like…”

  “Like what?” She knew the answer but needed to hear it spoken aloud.

  “You sound like you’re in love. With all three of them. Is that possible?”

  “In less than a weekend? No, of course not.”

  Melody’s laugh floated into the air. “Christy, we’ve known each other a long time, right?”

  “Right.”

  “Then you know I can always tell when you’re lying.”

  “You think I’m lying?”

  “Hell, you’re lying through your teeth big time. You’re in deep, up to your eyeballs in love.”

  It’s true. I do love them.

  “But I just met them.” It was a lame excuse.

  “Yeah, it’s fast. Still, it’s true. Remember, my parents fell in love at first sight and got married the next week.”

  “But there’s three of them.”

  “More the merrier, I’d say. So what are you going to do about it?”

  What could she do about it except get together with them and hope they felt the same way about her? She was about to tell Melody that when she heard the knock on the front door. “Hey, someone’s at the door. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “You’d better call me again real soon. Don’t you dare leave me hanging. Christy, I’m serious—”

  But she’d already ended the call and was rushing to the door. She could sense that irresistible tug coming from the other side. Her skin tingled and her body’s adrenaline kicked in. If she was right, she’d drag them inside the apartment and finish what they’d started at the pond.

  She swung the door open. “I’m so glad you came.” Her heart plummeted to her stomach.

  “Aw, now isn’t she the sweetest thing?” Milly stood in front of Grant.

  His gaze met hers before jerking away.

  “Hi, Milly. Grant.” She didn’t know what to think or how to act. “Would you like to come in?”

  “No, thanks. We’re just here to pick up the keys to the pickup.”

  What was with Grant? Why was he letting Milly do all the talking?

  “Oh. Sure.” She dug into her pocket and pulled out the keys. “Um, thanks for letting me borrow your truck, Grant.”

  He nodded, but still kept his gaze away from hers. What was with the silence? Should she take it as a sign that he wasn’t as interested as he’d seemed?

  Milly handed the keys to Grant. “Well, then, we’ll be on our way. I dropped off some more groceries earlier, but let me know if you need anything else, okay?”

  “Sure. Will do.” She tried to put a cheerful spin on things, but it felt like she was dying. Was he trying to avoid her by having Milly with him?

  Milly and Grant turned around to leave. She waited, urging Grant to turn back and say something, anything. When he stopped and faced her again, she took in a deep breath and held it. Milly hadn’t noticed Grant turn back and continued on her way toward the diner.

  “I just want to say I’m sorry for what went on by the pond.”

  His light brown eyes held all the power in the world. Power that could make her do anything he wanted.

  “I’m not.” She’d speak the truth. Come what may.

  He blinked, then tilted his head to the side. “You mean that?”

  “Yeah, I do. But I do regret one thing.”

  He looked disappointed. Almost hurt. “What’s that?”

  “I regret that you didn’t join us.”

  He took a couple of steps toward her, making the sizzle he always gave her warp into high speed. When he stopped, she wanted to yell at him to keep coming.

  “Christy, promise me you’ll stay inside tonight.”

  She wanted to promise, wanted to make him happy. Yet the flash of anger at him for not taking her into his arms wouldn’t allow it. Instead, she thrust out her chin in defiance. “I’ll do what I damn well please.”

  Taking one last look at him, she slammed the door. Tears coursed down her cheeks.

  If he really wanted me, nothing would’ve stopped him.

  * * * *

  Christy peered out the window again.

  Shit. I’m getting to be a reverse Peeping Tom.

  Although she’d seen nothing to compare to the events of the previous night, the town was noisier. Every now and then, she’d hear boisterous
laughter, shouts of rowdiness, or see people coming and going to Milly’s diner. She suspected the citizens were livelier than normal.

  “So this is what the amber moon does to people, huh?” She slipped on the sundress, having taken a cold shower after Grant had shown up and left. Cold showers may work for men, but it didn’t do anything to douse her growing need to find them and finish what they’d started.

  Her stomach growling was the perfect excuse to do what she’d wanted to do since Grant had gone. Snatching up the key to the apartment, she hurried toward the diner, checking the shadows in the alleyway.

  She came to a halt when she spotted a man on top of a Dumpster. Yet, unlike most of the men she’d watched from her window during the day, he was calm and composed. He sipped on a beer and tipped his hat to her.

  “Howdy, miss.”

  “Howdy yourself.” She inched her way past him, careful to keep him in sight.

  “Can I help you with anything?”

  “No. No, thank you.”

  “You going to the diner?”

  She wanted to believe that he was simply an inquisitive type, but her gut told her a different story. Although she didn’t get the same sense of danger she’d gotten with Merle and Gabe, she suspected that he wasn’t hanging out on top of a Dumpster for the fun of it.

  “How’d you know?”

  He smiled, showing bright teeth. Forever must have a damn good dentist. Everyone’s teeth looked so white and…sharp.

  “I heard your stomach growl.”

  Either he was guessing or he had phenomenal hearing. Right then, however, she didn’t care to find out which it was. “Oh. Well, good-bye.”

  “You take care, you hear? Things might get a little hairy tonight.” He laughed as though he’d told the best joke anyone had ever heard. “Hairy? Get it?”

  She didn’t bother saying she hadn’t. Instead, she picked up her pace and dashed around the corner and into Milly’s, ignoring the noise of revelers all around her.

  The diner was packed. She stopped, stunned at the number of people. Not only was every table and stool taken, but many people stood next to the bar, reaching past those seated there to grab from the bowl of nuts or take their drinks.