by Marla Monroe
“I won’t turn into a wolf, and I won’t have puppies if I get pregnant.”
“You won’t,” Shade agreed.
“The other thing is that once the exchange has occurred, we’ll be able to feel each other,” Cain added.
“Like telepathy? We’ll be able to communicate in different rooms or across town?”
She sounded so excited at that idea Cain almost hated to tell her the truth. To see her eyes light up like that when she saw them would be the greatest pleasure in the world.
“No. Not exactly, precious. We’ll be able to feel each other in that if you’re sad or hurt, we’ll know it and will be able to find you pretty much anywhere you are. It helps us keep track of each other,” he explained.
“So no words, just feelings,” she verified.
“Right.”
“How can you essentially marry someone you don’t know or love?”
“Kay. The moment we scented you, our mate, we fell in love. We’ve been fighting our feelings since that first night, not wanting to claim you when there is so much that needs to be taken care of in the pack. We’ve just taken it over, and the last Alpha pair had made quite a mess of it,” Shade told her. “We would have taken you with us had we not been worried about the condition of the other wolves. Instead, we’ve only hurt ourselves and the good it would do the pack to have a complete Alpha ruling house.”
“Like between mates, the pack takes its cues from the ruling family. They’re affected by how we feel and act. Since finding you and putting off claiming you, our emotions have been all over the place and the pack has picked up on that,” Cain explained. He hoped she didn’t take it the wrong way. They weren’t blaming her at all. It was all on their shoulders.’
“We already had a mess to begin with and thought that if we could get things under better control, we could devote more time to allow you to get to know us before claiming you. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out like we’d hoped,” Shade said with a frown.
“Why? I mean, what changed your plans?” Kay asked.
Shade looked over at Cain. He could tell that whatever he was about to say might upset their mate even more. He wanted to tell him not to say anything, but they had to be honest with her or it would all blow up on them. She was entitled to know everything about the life she was about to enter. He nodded back at his bondmate.
“Kay. We’ve seen others of our kind spend time with their future mate without it being a problem as long as they completed the mating within a month or maybe six weeks. We thought it would be the same way with us, and we could spend that time letting you get to know us and to introduce you to our way of life and the pack.”
Cain watched Shade struggling to come up with the right words. Shade never struggled with what to say. He was the front man of their co-leadership. Cain handled security and the day to day operations while Shane took care of issues that arose. He had a better temperament for those things.
“I’m getting that you aren’t going to have time to spend with me like you planned,” Kay said with a soft voice.
Cain watched her face as she seemed to be trying to remain calm. He sensed her nervousness though she did well, hiding it. She just couldn’t control her heartbeat or the way the pulse at her neck fluttered like butterfly wings. He could even smell desperation on her skin, and it worried him.
“No, Kay. I’m afraid that because we are very strong Alpha wolfen, the mating heat is much stronger. We haven’t done more than briefly touch and it’s been riding us hard ever since. We thought we’d be okay and that you weren’t affected by it until Cain spent time with you today. You’re burning with it, darling. We can’t wait any longer to claim you. The pain you were in earlier is nothing compared to how bad it can get. As your mates, we can’t allow you to go through that again,” Shade told her.
To Cain’s surprise, the scared, anxious mate they’d been prepared to coax into the wolfen life disappeared in the blink of an eye. In her place was a wildcat whose perfectly painted nails and expertly styled hair made her anger seem almost a beautiful thing.
“Allow me! Are you crazy? You don’t allow me to do anything. I do what the hell I want when I want to do it. If you think that being mates gives you the right to jerk me around, you’ve got another thing coming. I don’t care if there are two of you. I won’t be coddled and shooed away when you get tired of me.” Kay’s eyes blazed like flashing emeralds, making her appear ethereal with her fiery red hair and pale skin.
Cain couldn’t stop the amusement from showing at the stunned expression of his bondmate. Shade appeared completely off-kilter. He didn’t know what to do with the hellion that would be their mate. Cain knew exactly what to do with her.
He carefully grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her. The struggle was almost nonexistent since he’d taken her by surprise. By the time she figured out what had happened, her body was already fully engaged in his embrace. The feel of her hands smoothing over his shoulders then her fingers needling their way to his scalp had his dick jerking in anticipation of more.
“Well done, Cain,” Shade said from behind Kay. “Well done.”
Chapter Eight
How could it feel so good to be in Cain’s arms? He wasn’t human. He changed into a wolf and was somehow a descendant of vampires. God! Vampires really existed.
I must be crazy to be kissing him. Hell. I’m insane because I like it! I like him and Shade. They’re all I’ve thought about for days now.
Kay couldn’t stop herself from pressing closer to him and scratching at his scalp. Every cell in her body ached to get closer, deeper inside of him. Or was she wanting him closer and deeper inside of her?
The press of another body at her back reminded her that Shade was there, as well. She curled one arm over her head to reach him and grasped his shoulder, connecting the three of them as they were meant to be. As Cain explored her mouth, claiming it for his own, Kay knew deep in her heart that they were right; she was their mate. She might not understand what all that meant, but there was no doubt that they belonged together.
Something inside of her clicked when the three of them touched. Shade’s lips against the bare skin of her shoulder as he kissed his way up her neck left a fiery streak of burning desire under her skin. God, she wanted them. She wanted to feel them inside of her, completing her.
When Cain slowly pulled back from their kiss, a niggling of worry hit her. What if she only felt this way because of their presence? What if they weren’t in the room with her? Would she feel the same way then that she felt now?
“Look at me, Kay,” Cain said.
When she looked up, all she saw was the man’s intense need for her. More than that, she saw love. How he could love her so quickly, Kay didn’t know, but he couldn’t fake that kind of emotion. It was so real there on his face she swore she could feel it pulsing around her.
“I love you, Kay. I love your quirky ways and how you smile and the world lights up around you. I love that you are part of my bond with Shade and how it grounds us. You are the most important thing in my life, princess, and I will do everything in my power to make you smile.”
Shade eased around in front of her next to Cain. He squeezed the other man’s shoulder and smiled down at her. It was the most beautiful thing in the world to see on his face. It changed everything about him. With that smile, the darkness that cloaked him faded away.
“I love you, Kay, mate of our hearts. You will be my prime focus for as long as I live. I will keep you safe and care for you above all others.” He looked over at Cain. “Even above my bondmate who can be an asshole at times.”
Kay had no choice at that. She burst into laughter and wrapped her arms around both men. They would be her world. Everything would be wonderful now. She just knew it. And then it hit her.
“Kay? What’s wrong, love?” Cain asked, bending down to catch her gaze.
She couldn’t look at him or Shade. How could she have forgotten? She wasn’t free to marry or mate o
r anything. The syndicate owned her. And what about the ladies at the club? If she wasn’t there to take care of them, they’d be misused and lost. Tears clouded her eyes before slipping quietly down her cheeks.
“Kay? Talk to us. What’s wrong? We can fix it. Whatever it is, you have to trust us to handle it.” Shade’s voice had grown husky.
She hated that already she would be a burden to them. She needed to walk away now before someone got hurt. It would tear her apart to know that it was her fault if something happened to them.
“I—I need to go home now.”
“Why? What’s wrong? Did we say or do something to upset you, precious?” Cain asked.
“No, no I just need to go now. I was being foolish. We can’t do this—become mates.” She tried to turn and walk off, but Shade stopped her.
“Wait, Kay. We deserve the truth if nothing else. We love you. That should mean something to you. Tell us why we aren’t good enough for you.” He said the last so softly it almost didn’t register.
“T—that’s not it. It’s me who’s not good enough for you. I can’t be your mate because I belong to someone else,” she said in a bitter voice. “Someone else owns me.”
“What?” Shade stepped back, and Kay caught the slow anger then devastation that poured over his face.
“No one can own you, Kay! We wouldn’t own you. We’d be a family. Why do you think someone else owns you? You’re a human being, not a possession,” Cain yelled.
His roar of anger was deafening. She heard echoes of howls throughout the house, and fear latched on to her spine. God! What had she done? She’d upset the Alphas of a group of wolves. How stupid was that?
I guess if they eat me, I won’t have to worry about paying those bastards back, will I?
She tried to take a step back from the two furious men who seemed to be shimmering in front of her. If they changed to their wolves, they’d probably tear her to shreds. So much for love and mating.
Kay took a chance and turned her back to them. Then with every shred of determination and strength she had, she slowly took one step after another toward the door leading out of the bedroom. She honestly didn’t think she’d make it farther than the door, but when she found herself at the foot of the stairs, her bravado failed her.
Standing between her and the way to the front door were at least twelve huge, angry-looking wolves. They weren’t as large as Cain, but when you were a wild animal with sharp teeth and claws, what did a few inches or pounds really matter? They stared at her, mouths opening and closing with saliva dripping. With no way around them, Kay gave up and sank to the last step in defeat. So be it.
A low whine from behind her didn’t even make her jump. All of the fight had gone out of her. She’d found someone to love, actually, two someones, but her past was standing in the way. Now she’d not only hurt them, but angered them so that they would end up killing her. Talk about a strange kind of love.
“Kay?” Cain’s voice startled her this time. She turned her head to find him crouched right behind her completely naked. “Please. Tell us who you think has control over you and why.”
The whine had come from the amazing black wolf next to Cain. His blue-black fur had a small white shape at the base of his spine near his tail. It was exactly like Cain’s only his had been black. The shock of seeing Shade so close without his teeth bared and wrapped around her throat had her frozen in place.
“Kay! Breathe, princess.” Cain started shaking her until she gasped in a desperate breath. “Tell us who has this hold on you.”
“M—my father gambled and owed this man who owns the casinos in St. Louis. When my father had a heart attack and died, I found out about the gambling. The man from the casino found me and showed me where my father had used me as collateral. He said I had to work at the club to pay back the debt.” Kay felt every drop of blood drain from her head. The humiliation of telling them was sucking what little self-esteem she had left right out of her body.
“It’s not a legal debt, Kay. You don’t have to work for him to pay anything off. Why didn’t you go to a lawyer?” Shade asked. Kay looked over at him in shock. When had he changed back? She hadn’t even noticed.
Looking around her, she realized all of the wolves were gone. The three of them were alone in the foyer at the bottom of the stairs.
“He told me if I tried to get out of paying what my father owed that he would kill me. He said he wouldn’t do it immediately, but wait until I thought I was safe and had something to lose. I didn’t know what to do.”
“Oh, darling, Kay. You don’t have to ever worry about him again. We’ll take care of him and you won’t have to worry that he’ll strike out at you sometime in the future. What is his name?” Shade asked.
“Tony Falcon,” she told him.
Neither man flinched at the name as everyone else she’d ever talked to had done. The police hadn’t even wanted to get involved with the man. Why weren’t they worried at least? Maybe it was because they didn’t know who he was. They were new in Hickory Hill and probably hadn’t heard of him. He owned most everything in the small towns in the area. Gambling was the perfect way to obtain property.
“He is a little man in our world, Kay. Forget about him. One word from us and he’ll lose his place in the food chain. Trust us,” Cain told her.
“What about the ladies? I manage them, and without me, they are abused. They need that job even though they don’t want it. I can’t abandon them.” She prayed they would know what to do about them, as well.
“How many do you have working there?” Shade asked.
“Eight and three housekeepers who clean up, then the security team,” she told them.
“They will be taken care of. We’ll work something out. Right now I’m sending Mike and Torin to make sure the ladies are safe. We’ll work everything out tomorrow, precious. Tonight, we complete our mating.” Shade bent over and picked her up in his arms.
“Whoa! You’ll drop me, Shade. Put me down.”
Cain chuckled behind her. “You keep forgetting that we aren’t human. We’re much stronger.”
* * * *
This time when she ended up on the massive bed, Kay wasn’t out of her head with the mating heat. But the second the two men crawled up from the foot of the bed to lie next to her, she began to heat up all over again. They were gorgeous. She ran her hands over their hips, stroking her fingers down their muscular thighs before reaching between their legs to wrap her fingers around their hard, thick cocks.
“Fuck, that feels good, Kay. Squeeze me tighter,” Shade demanded.
“Yeah, just like that.” Cain hissed out.
She pumped their shafts with long strokes, making sure to run the palm of her hand over the flared cockheads before tightening her grip to squeeze down again. It felt like holding a hard piece of steel covered in a velvet glove.
“Hell, stop, Kay. That feels too fucking good. I need to be inside of you. Will you let us in?” Shade asked.
“Yes.” She didn’t have to think for one second. She wanted them.
Both men moved too fast for her to see, covering her with their bodies while they each claimed a nipple with their hot mouths. All Kay could do was moan and take the pleasure they were giving her. Someone had a finger exploring her pussy. The tip tapped her clit then circled it before sliding down toward her slit.
The combined sensations of breast and pussy had her cunt clenching while she dripped with arousal. Foreplay had never been like this before. Her entire body was on fire and felt connected to her clit and nipples. Every cell vibrated with the need to be filled.
“Please! Don’t tease me. I need you.” She didn’t know who she was talking to, but as long as one of them answered by giving her some kind of relief, Kay didn’t care.
Cain growled with his teeth rasping over her breast. The vibrations tickled until he bit down a little harder, then they aroused. When he released her breast, Kay nearly sighed at the loss of his touch. It wasn’t long until h
e’d latched on to something a little lower, her clit.
“Yes! Oh, God, Cain. So good!” She was pretty sure she’d screamed when he first sucked it into his mouth and rested his pointy teeth on the little nub.
“Easy, Kay. We don’t want to hurt you, princess. We’ve got to make you ready for us,” Shade said.
The next thing she knew, Kay was turned to her belly with Cain still under her, giving her clit and pussy a thorough exploration. She felt odd laying there with her ass in the air while Cain sucked on her juices. Then her mind seized as Shade rubbed a greasy finger over her back entrance.
“Easy, Kay.” He pressed inward then out again. More of the lube dripped onto her ass. “I’m going to loosen your ass some so we don’t hurt you.”
Shade massaged the lube into her little hole then slowly pressed his finger into her until he was finally able to move the digit in and out of her ass. She relaxed when she realized there was no pain with the intrusion. More lube and a second finger joined the first. The burning started as he stretched her even more.
“Are you okay, Kay?” Cain asked, making her realize that the other man had stopped tormenting her pussy.
“It burns, but it’s okay,” she told him.
“I’ll help take your mind off of the discomfort then,” he said with a soft chuckle.
The next thing she knew, Cain was sucking on her clit with one finger stroking her pussy while Shade pumped two fingers in and out of her ass. The dual sensations had her ears ringing as she struggled to keep from hyperventilating.
“Oh, God! I’m so close. How can I come just from this?” Kay gasped as they both twisted their fingers inside of her.
“Take it, darling. Fly for us,” Shade told her.
The next thing she knew, Kay was doing just that. Her body seemed to explode from the inside out as waves of pleasure and something so close to pain she wasn’t sure what it was rolled over her. It seemed to go on and on as she floated on thin air.
Cain turned around beneath her and had her straddling his hips while he lay on his back. His big hands held her in place until she managed to pull off of him and take his thick dick deep into her pussy. She was so wet from her orgasm and his earlier attentions that she slid right down over his shaft, taking all of him inside of her.
