“Talk to me.” She hoped if they continued to talk, it would take her mind off her own role in everything. If only she had listened to them… If only she hadn’t left the condo that morning…
“You’re tired, baby. You need to sleep,” Logan said.
She shook her head. “No. Please. Go on. Finish. I’ve never even seen this Mike Darsky guy in my life. Why did he want to kill me?”
“He didn’t,” Logan continued. “At least we don’t think that was his intention. Trace found an envelope with a note in it on his desk in his office. Most likely he’d written the note and planned the kidnapping before the fire started. The handwriting on the message matched the two you received last week at the house also. And he left another note in your car, probably before he kidnapped you. I’m sure it was meant for us to find.”
Sawyer tucked his arm across her belly tighter and hugged her against his side. “According to Darsky, he was trying to protect you.” Sawyer chuckled.
“What?” Amanda turned her head to face him. She couldn’t imagine how that made sense.
Logan continued. “Roger was growing restless, increasingly so after Jackson Wolf’s visit to his site. Even though Wolf didn’t specifically point out he knew Roger was over-logging, Roger was paranoid anyway. Mike Darsky worked for Roger. He has for several years. He’s sort of a consultant, and more of a private investigator gone bad. He’s also a shifter.
“His job was to protect Roger’s interests. Roger knew Mike was a shifter and used him to identify me and everyone else when we showed up in wolf form at his logging site. Mike was paid a hefty fee for his services. Says Roger got carried away and wouldn’t pull out when Mike started badgering him to do so. Roger had been out of control this week.”
“So Mike thought it would be best to kill me himself?” Amanda wasn’t following.
Sawyer shook his head. “Not his intention, apparently. His plan was to hide you in the shed, keep you drugged so you couldn’t communicate with us, and send a warning message to Logan and me to stand down. They only needed a few more days to finish clearing the land.”
Logan took over again. “Mike intended to take off with his cut when the job was done and leave the country, knowing you would eventually wake up when he stopped drugging you, and then you would be able to communicate with us to get freed.”
“So, no one set the fire?” Amanda pushed herself higher up the pillows so she was halfway sitting. She’d stopped shivering finally.
Sawyer shook his head. “Nope. Coincidence. Looks like a camper started it with embers from a fire they never should have started in the first place.”
Logan grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss her knuckles. “If it weren’t for the spirits hovering around that site and luring us back there several times, several men could have lost their lives. That fire was right above them. Roger Barkley was greedy enough to have continued working until it was too late. The logging site might not have been on our radar so quickly two weeks ago.”
Amanda licked her lips. “And I would have died if you hadn’t taken me up there and left a trail of red rope for me to descend.” Her voice trailed off. She pursed her lips and shuddered to consider the possibilities.
“It’s over now.” Sawyer leaned down to kiss her forehead. “You’re safe. We all are.”
“I didn’t take you seriously.” Tears escaped her eyes to trail down her cheeks. She reached with her free hand to swipe them away. “I could have died.” She choked on her words. “There were things I didn’t tell you.”
“Like what?” Sawyer asked.
“That day of the second interview, when you were waiting outside for me…” She took a breath. “I saw a kid in the stairwell. He warned me to back off because the members of his church would do anything to stop me from taking that job.”
Logan nodded. “That was Caleb Parker. He’s in one of Dr. Burnhart’s anthropology classes. His parents go to that church. The older members, including the pastor, have been using him as a pawn.”
She nodded. “I also saw a spirit in the stairwell, after Caleb left.”
“You saw a spirit at the college?” Sawyer asked.
“Yes. I know. It was stupid. I’m sorry. I just—”
Logan put a finger over her lips. “It’s over now. You’re right. You should have told us. But we understand why you wanted to hold on to your independence. I would be furious if someone told me not to leave the house indefinitely.”
“Is it over?”
Sawyer kissed her forehead. “What do you mean?”
“Sounds like there are about three groups of people who would still like to chase me out of town.”
Sawyer smiled. “And they will not succeed. We’ll be diligent. I don’t honestly believe the people from the church or Pete Sandhouse and his groupies intend to kill anyone. I think they’re just bigots. Nevertheless, we will be careful.”
She rolled her eyes. “Not gonna let me go to work on Monday morning, are you?” She glanced back and forth between her men, her eyes growing heavy.
“Of course we are,” Sawyer said. “We just need to put some safety measures in place.”
“I would never tell you not to do your job,” Logan continued. “And this research is important to our two counties. It’s a valid point that until we can all learn to live and work together, we’re doomed.”
Sawyer stroked a hand down her temple. “Go to sleep, hon. You’re so exhausted you can’t keep your eyes open.”
“You won’t move…” she muttered.
“Never,” they both responded at the same time.
Epilogue
Six months later…
Amanda stood at the door to her new home and held it open while every female member of the family arrived and busied themselves putting together a wide spread of snacks that appeared to be more like a meal.
Girl time. The men had been ejected, and the women were planning to spend the entire evening chatting over food and beverages. Even the babies had been left at home with their fathers.
The last six months had been a whirlwind of activity, getting acclimated to her new job and helping Logan and Sawyer finish the plans for this house and building it. She still couldn’t believe they’d managed to do it in such a short time, working throughout the winter in between storms.
It was amazing and far bigger than anything she ever would have imagined living in prior to meeting them.
She smiled as she watched Mimi take a seat next on the couch. The older woman looked exactly like her daughter, Joyce, sitting across from her on the love seat, her legs curled under her. The third woman to take on the family characteristics, Melinda, wandered in next to set a bowl of chips on the coffee table. She had to push several other dips and drinks around in order to squeeze her addition into the mix.
Amanda knew all three of them had powers that were unexplainable to the general public. Even Laurie, who took a seat with Joyce, her mother, was growing into the same abilities, and she was a half sibling.
Rebecca handed Amanda a pink, fruity-looking drink. “Made it myself, so it’s up to human consumption.” She winked at Amanda. “These wolves can hold more liquor than us. Don’t take beverages from them if you want to find yourself sober at the end of the evening.” She giggled.
The front door opened and Sharon came in with her mother, Carlie Masters. Sharon was the youngest of the Masters siblings, and the only girl. It was understood she was destined to mate with Cooper, Sawyer’s younger brother, who had yet to make an appearance in the state of Montana for that very reason.
“Welcome.” Laurie rushed forward to take a platter from Carlie. “Come on in.”
Sharon looked exhausted when she plopped into a chair and rolled her shoulders.
Melinda smiled at her. “What have you been doing? You look like you haven’t slept in weeks.”
Sharon glared at her. “Do you have any idea what it’s like? Knowing he’s out there and too stubborn to face me? What am I, a le
per?” She tipped her head back and then righted herself again. “I can’t sleep anymore.”
Amanda wandered closer. “Isn’t that a sign he’s coming soon? I mean, I had trouble sleeping for about a month before I met Logan and Sawyer, and then I found out they did too. Do you dream about him?”
Sharon shook her head. “No. No dreams, but you might have a point about the sleeping.”
Mimi spoke next. “It’s not unheard of. Sometimes mates get restless right before they meet.”
The front door opened again, and Amanda turned around to find her sister, Mary, and Jazmine coming in with more food. There would be enough for an army at this rate.
After a round of hellos, everyone started filling plates, grabbing drinks, and taking seats in the great room. Rebecca carried in her blender full of whatever pink concoction she’d made and poured a glass for Mary and another for Jazmine, giving them the same speech about not drinking what the wolves offered.
Mary looked around. She’d been to the house a few times near the completion but not since Amanda moved in last week. “I can’t believe how fast you got organized. It looks amazing, Amanda.”
“Thanks. I didn’t do most of it. I’ll admit Sawyer is the heavy mover. I’ve been putting in a lot of hours at work.” Amanda loved the living space. The entire back of the great room was a wall of windows that let in enough light to keep the room cheery even on a dreary day. The carpet was a mixture of browns that were warm and inviting, with the darkest brown matching the suede furniture arranged around the giant square coffee table currently laden with food.
The kitchen was open and attached on one end. A lot of the design had been borrowed from the other three houses already built on various sections of the enormous shared property. Sawyer had done such an amazing job designing it that Logan and Amanda had held up their hands in surrender when he introduced them to the plans.
Logan teased Sawyer about any tiny detail that wasn’t perfect and would for the rest of their lives since Sawyer started building before consulting either of them, or even meeting them.
The noise level in the room rose with each passing minute as everyone chatted over each other in what seemed like ten different conversations. Amanda smiled as she strolled back into the kitchen to refill her drink.
After an entire childhood with a stifling mother who frowned at her and her sister every chance she got and kept their home quiet and restrained, having an enormous family in which everyone obviously loved each other was a godsend.
Sharon came up to Amanda and leaned over the island. “How are you doing? Settling in? I know we’re an overwhelming group.”
Amanda leaned across from her on the other side of the island. “It’s amazing. I’m so lucky, I have to pinch myself every day. But how are you doing? Want me to have Sawyer call Cooper again and yell at him?”
Sharon giggled. “No. Let him be. He’ll come when he’s ready. I’ll live.”
“I’m surprised he’s being so stubborn, especially since he knows he doesn’t have to share you with another man.” Amanda still wondered what it meant that the men in the Masters family all mated in threes and the women did not. Weird.
Sharon shrugged. “True, but on the flip side, it’s relaxing in a way, knowing who he is. At least I don’t spend my days scenting out every place I enter, wondering if ‘he’s’ in there.”
A knock sounded at the door, and before Amanda righted herself to head toward it, Jazmine stood from where she sat on a love seat with Mary. “It’s my brother. Forgot to tell you, Amanda. I told Jackson he could stop by and pick up some papers from me.” She climbed over Mary and headed toward the door, talking over her shoulder. “Saves him having to come all the way into Cambridge from Sojourn.”
Amanda hadn’t met Jackson Wolf. She remembered he was the safety manager from the logging association who found Roger Barkley to be cutting down more than his share, but she hadn’t crossed paths with him. She wanted to thank him for his help.
She headed to the front door as Jazmine opened it and ushered Jackson inside. “Come on in. I’ll grab those papers from my purse.” Jaz turned toward the kitchen.
Amanda held out her hand. “Hi. I’m Amanda Williams. I owe you a thank you for helping save my life last year at the logging site.”
Jackson Wolf was tall, over six feet, and muscular. His dark hair was thick and short. His skin was tan, and when he smiled at her, a dimple popped up on both cheeks. “Don’t be ridiculous. I get no credit for any part in that insanity. But I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Here you go.” Jazmine had returned to hand her brother a stack of papers.
“Thanks.” He turned toward Amanda again. “And nice meeting you. Sorry to interrupt girls’ night.” He nodded at Amanda, waved toward the rest of the room, and then ducked back out the door, probably hoping to escape the house full of women as quickly as possible.
Amanda turned around and found Sharon lowering herself into a kitchen chair. Her face was totally white, and she looked like she was going to faint.
A hush fell over the room.
Amanda glanced around, noticing everyone was staring at Sharon. “What’d I miss?”
Melinda hurried past Amanda toward Sharon, wrapped her arms around Sharon’s shoulders, and pulled her in to hug her against her chest. “Cooper Hamilton is not her mate.”
“How do you know that?” Amanda had never been more confused, and that was saying something since she’d been nothing but disoriented since she met this rowdy group.
“Because Jackson Wolf is.”
»»•««
Six hours later, Amanda crawled into bed exhausted and still confused. “Explain this to me again,” she asked Logan and Sawyer.
Sawyer’s forehead had been scrunched since he’d returned to the house two hours before. “I don’t think there are words.”
Logan looked about the same. “Yeah. I’m shocked. Every single one of us Masters is mated to a Bartel-Hamilton and then Sharon finds out she belongs to a Native American human?”
“At least she knows, right?” Amanda asked, tucking herself against Logan’s side and wrapping her arm across his chest. “Maybe that’s why Cooper hasn’t found the need to visit. It wasn’t about him.”
“It would seem you’re right.” Sawyer spooned her from behind and wrapped his arm around her middle so his hand landed on hers over Logan. “It’s shocking is all.” He kissed her shoulder. “Tell me why you’re wearing this tank top?”
She rolled her eyes against Logan’s chest. “Because we’re having a discussion, and I find it difficult to speak to either of you and be heard when I’m naked.”
Logan chuckled, the vibrations shaking her cheek. “Well, let’s stop talking about my sister and her human mate and make better use of our time.” He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her over the top of his body so she straddled his torso.
Two seconds later Sawyer tugged her shirt over her head and tossed it.
Logan cupped her breasts, his thumbs flicking over her nipples until she was instantly completely aroused.
After six months, she was surprised at how often and how quickly she still went from zero to needy. Every day. At least once. Usually several times with one or both of them. And she wasn’t sorry.
Logan inhaled deeply. “You’re ovulating,” he groaned.
“Can we—” Sawyer began.
“No. We cannot,” Amanda interrupted. “I’m taking my cues from Melinda. I want to enjoy you both for a while longer first. Rebecca looks like she hasn’t eaten or slept most days, and Laurie is hardly better off with just one baby.
“Plus, I’m working full time. And I love my job. So, no. Suit up or don’t enter.” At first the men had pulled out when she was ovulating, but she’d put an end to that fast. It wasn’t effective enough in her opinion.
Sawyer tapped one of her legs, and when she lifted it, he eased her panties down and tugged them over her thighs, knees, and heels until they were gone. She felt like she
was playing Twister to get them off. He leaned across the bed and grabbed a condom from the nightstand to set it on Logan’s chest. Next he grabbed the lube and set it somewhere out of sight at his side.
Logan groaned again. “Hate those things.”
Amanda met his gaze. It was hard to concentrate on this serious subject with his hands still molding her breasts. “Don’t look at me like that,” she muttered.
She tipped her head back, her eyes fluttering as Sawyer wrapped a hand around her from behind and instantly found her clit. “You’re so sexy when your body is flushed and you can’t control your hands anymore.”
She glanced at her palms where they lay flattened against Logan’s chest. Sawyer was right. She had no ability to function when they had four hands on her. “Sorry,” she whispered, trying to lift one hand with every intention of stroking it up Logan’s chest.
“Don’t be.” Sawyer set his free hand on top of hers, kissed her ear, and drew circles around her clit. “I said it was sexy. I meant it.”
Logan released one breast to grab the condom off his chest. He tore it open with his teeth and tugged the rubber from the wrapper.
Sawyer eased his hands around to Amanda’s hips and lifted her a few inches to scoot her backward until Logan’s cock sprang free in front of her pussy.
Seconds later, Logan had the condom in place, and Sawyer lifted her by the hips again to line her up with Logan’s length. As he lowered her onto his cock, she moaned. Still so tight. So perfect.
Sawyer pressed her gently between her shoulder blades to ease her over Logan’s chest, forcing her to move her hands to Logan’s shoulders.
The instant Sawyer teased the entrance to her rear hole with one lubed finger, she closed her eyes and arched her chest forward.
So good.
Every.
Single.
Time.
It always felt like it was the first time. And she was the luckiest woman alive. She easily relaxed her tight muscles as Sawyer pressed one finger into her and then two. He scissored them while Logan held her waist, his thumbs stroking the sides of her breasts where they hung above him. “Let him in, baby.”
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