Leashed [Shifter Sanctuary 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Scarlet Day

  She heard an angry roar in the distance behind her, but she knew the boar wouldn’t be fast enough to catch her. Her cat screamed at her to ditch the snowmobile and shift, but this was a modern machine that could go much faster than she could ever run.

  Snow stung her face and exposed skin. Trees were nothing more than flashes of brown. She was practically driving blind, but she didn’t stop. The snowmobile hurtled down the slopes, the engine and the wind whistling in Laci’s ears the only sounds she could hear.

  On and on she sped, her heart seeming to race almost as fast as the machine she drove. She had no idea how much time passed. The snowfall didn’t let up. She had no way of knowing where she was or if she was even going in the right direction. She had one goal and it drove her on. She had to get back to Tucker and Colt.

  And then the ground beneath her fell away.

  The snowmobile hurtled over the ledge above a low cliff face. A dark wall of trees stood directly ahead. Laci threw herself sideways off the snowmobile as it hurtled into the trees and then crashed to the ground.

  Instinct caused her to shift in mid-air, her clothes shredding in the process. She didn’t know how far she fell, but it felt like forever. When she hit the ground the packed snow might as well have been concrete. She landed on her feet, her cat’s sense of balance having righted her before she landed. Blazing pain shot through her left shoulder and her left ankle. She struggled to her feet, but crumpled back to the ground, unable to support her weight with her injuries. She thought about shifting back, but she would be just as unable to walk in human form. And she’d be naked in freezing temperatures.

  She ground her teeth against the pain and looked around to assess her situation. The snowmobile was useless. Snow fell so hard she could barely see more than thirty feet in front of her. She studied the rock face behind her. It wasn’t much of a shelter, but it would at least block the biting wind.

  She couldn’t stand, so she dragged herself across the snow to the base of the outcrop. She pawed at the snow-covered ground to make an indentation. Then she dragged herself into the small depression, curled her legs up against her body and tucked her face into her fur. Her shoulder and ankle throbbed with almost unbearable pain, but she hoped the cold snow would help to numb her injuries.

  She hoped she’d gone far enough to discourage her kidnapper from looking for her. Maybe he would decide she wasn’t worth whatever he was getting paid. Hopefully, whoever hired him would decide there were easier mates to be found.

  And maybe Tucker and Colt would find her before she froze to death.

  Her heart ached thinking about the two men. Her men. The thought struck her as hard as the impact she’d suffered when she’d fallen. She almost couldn’t breathe.

  She’d found her men. Maybe the reason she’d never been able to settle for a mate was because she didn’t need one mate. She needed two.

  But she had no idea if Tucker and Colt felt the same way. They were happy to be in a Dom/sub arrangement with her, but what if that’s all they wanted?

  Exhaustion overwhelmed her as her thoughts descended into turmoil and the sharp pain from her injuries became a dull throb. She shivered against the cold and closed her eyes, blotting out the white landscape. The images of Colt and Tucker swam behind her closed eyelids. If she died out here, at least their faces would be the last things she would think of.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Is she ever going to wake up?”

  “Relax. She’ll come around when she’s ready.”

  The voices sounded as though they were coming from the opposite end of a very long tunnel. Laci groaned and pressed her face into the pillow.

  “Hey, she’s moving!”

  “Quiet, you idiot. You’ll wake her up.”

  “But it’s been two days! I think I’ll go crazy if this takes much longer.”

  The voices seemed determined to drag Laci out of the peaceful darkness. She sighed and rolled over on her back. With some hesitation, she cracked open one eye, not wanting to face any bright lights.

  The room was blissfully dim, so she cracked the other eye open as well. Two blurry shapes hovered over her.

  “Hey, Kitten. Welcome back.” Tucker’s voice was accompanied by fingers stroking her cheek.

  She closed her eyes again and inhaled deeply. The room held the deep musky scents of Tucker and Colt. She opened her eyes fully and stared up into the two faces she feared she might never see again.

  “You found me.” Relief and happiness flooded through her.

  Tucker chuckled. “You were easy to find. Your scent led us straight to you.

  Colt let out a snort. “Yeah, that and the trail of destruction you left in your wake.”

  Memories drifted back to Laci and a chill broke out across her skin. “Did you find him? The boar?”

  Tucker’s forehead creased and his lips pressed into a hard line. “We did. He was making a run for it over the range.”

  Laci gulped. “Did you–did you kill him?”

  Tucker rolled his eyes. “Colt tried.”

  Colt huffed. “And I would have, if you hadn’t pulled me off him. Besides, you didn’t go too easy on him, either.”

  One corner of Tucker’s mouth curved up. “He sure as hell won’t want to cross our paths again.”

  Laci pulled herself up and leaned back against the headboard and looked down at herself. “Hey, why am I naked?”

  Colt let out a short laugh. “Because you’re gorgeous that way, why else?”

  She rolled her eyes. Colt’s smile faded and he and Tucker exchanged dark looks, before Colt rested his palm against her cheek. “Lace, did he tell you why he took you?”

  Laci nodded and trembled, the awful truth of what could have happened settling over her. “He was hired by a lion shifter who wanted me for a mate.”

  Tucker sighed heavily. “There might be more to it than that. We’re not sure, but the boar gave us the name of the person who hired him—”

  “Not willingly.” Colt’s fingers brushed Laci’s cheek. “We had to pry it out of him.”

  “Good.” Laci felt a small amount of satisfaction. “I hope you left scars.”

  Colt grinned down at her. “Damn, you’re vicious.” His smiled widened and he wiggled his eyebrows at her. “I like that in a woman.”

  Tucker cleared his throat. “We think the person who hired the boar might be one of us. Either that, or there’s another lion shifter running around with the same name. But we though he was dead. Him, his younger sister, and his parents. They were all out on the run with the rest of the pride the night of the massacre.” The pain Laci had seen when he’d first told her about his pride’s tragic past flashed across his face.

  “What does it mean?”

  Tucker shook his head. “I don’t know. But I don’t want you to worry about it.”

  Laci thought it might be hard not to worry about it, but she didn’t voice those concerns. Tucker and Colt looked worried enough as it was. She looked around and realized for the first time that they were in Tucker’s dungeon room. “What are we doing down here?”

  Tucker exchanged a mysterious look with Colt and then stood up. He walked over to the bar, where he poured a tall glass of orange juice. “It was quiet. Besides, we didn’t want to take any chances that someone else would make a go for you, so this was the one place we could keep you secluded.”

  Laci’s mouth watered at the thought of the cold, sweet juice. Tucker returned to the bed, sitting down next to her, and then he handed the glass to her.

  Laci drank almost half the glass and then sighed with contentment. “Thanks. So, how long was I out?”

  “Two days.” Tucker glanced at Colt. “Matt said your injuries were healing well.”

  Laci frowned. “Matt? The club manager?”

  “He’s also our in-house doctor.” A dark and troubled shadow crossed Tucker’s face. “We thought we’d lost you, Laci. When we saw the snowmobile…”

  The memories of the crash f
lashed through Laci’s mind. She rolled her shoulder and then rotated her ankle. Shifters healed remarkably fast and she didn’t even feel any residual soreness. “Everything feels better.”

  Colt ran his fingers down her cheek. “You’re a fighter, Lace. And you healed quickly.”

  She glanced back and forth between Tucker and Colt. Both of them looked as though they wanted to say something, but they just sat there, looking nervous.

  Laci set the glass down on the bedside table, crossed her arms, and then gave them both a stern look. “Spill it.”

  Colt’s forehead creased into a worried expression and he glanced at Tucker. Laci’s insides tensed up. The guys were acting strange and it was putting her on edge.

  Finally, Tucker took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. “We’ve been talking to your brother.”

  Laci’s nerves ratcheted up another notch. “He’s still here?”

  Tucker nodded. “He cares about you. There’s no way he would have left with the shape you were in.”

  Laci studied them. “And? What are you not telling me?”

  Colt huffed. “And your brother is right, Lace. You need to be on a leash.”

  Laci bristled at Colt’s comment. “Excuse me?”

  Tucker smacked Colt’s shoulder with the back of his hand and shook his head. Then he turned to Laci with the most serious expression she’d ever seen him use. “What he’s trying to say is, you need to be mated.”

  Laci went into instant panic mode. “And is Austin still here?”

  “Yes, but—”

  Laci cut Colt off, her temper flaring. “Absolutely not! I don’t care what Price has talked you into, I will not mate with Austin!”

  Tucker shook his head. “Laci, you don’t understand—”

  “No, you don’t understand.” She poked Tucker in the chest with her finger, the heat of her anger melting away any thoughts she’d had of keeping the truth to herself. “I was almost handed over to a complete stranger. Or I could have died in that crash. Hell, I might have frozen to death out there.”

  “Not likely—”

  “Hush, I’m not done.” Colt’s mouth snapped shut at her bossy tone, and his eyebrows shot up. She glared to make sure he kept his mouth shut. “The point I’m trying to make is that I didn’t know if I’d ever see the two of you again. And that’s when I realized that I’ve fallen in love with you. With both of you.”

  Colt’s mouth fell open. Tucker’s lips turned up into a grin. “Good to know—”

  “I’m not done.” Laci needed to get all of it out, now that she’d started. “I know you probably don’t feel the same way and I’m okay with that. But I want to stay at Sanctuary. I want to stay your sub. You’ve made me see a part of myself I never knew existed and I don’t want to give that up. Even if I have to be more careful because of my damn pheromones. Just please don’t send me away to mate with Austin. Please.”

  A lump formed in her throat, preventing her from saying anything else, though she didn’t know what else was left to be said. Tears rose in her eyes and blurred her vision. The bed shifted and she felt, more than saw, Tucker rise from the bed. She wiped the tears from her eyes in time to see him remove something from the cabinet along the wall. He returned to the bed and placed a small, intricately carved wooden box in her lap. The top depicted two lions facing each other, their noses barely touching.

  Tucker climbed on the bed and sat facing her. He took her face in his hands and shook his head. “Silly girl. Do you really think we’d let you go?”

  Laci’s breath caught in her throat. “You mean I can stay? You’ll still let me be your sub?”

  Tucker’s eyes narrowed and he studied her for a moment. “If that’s what you want.” He glanced at Colt and one corner of his mouth twitched. “We’re just hoping that’s not all you want.” A full smile broke out across his face. “We still want you to be our sub—well, when you’re not taking a flogger to Colt, that is—but we’ve been talking about a different type of arrangement, as well.”

  Laci frowned and shook her head, confusion washing over her. “I don’t understand. What else is there?”

  Colt laughed and pushed her hair away from her forehead. “Are you sure you didn’t hit your head when you crashed? ‘Cause that was a proposal, kitten.”

  Laci’s mouth fell open. She looked back and forth between Colt and Tucker, trying to wrap her mind around the words she’d just heard.

  “A–a proposal? You mean—you want…” She couldn’t get the words out. Hell, she couldn’t even think the words.

  Tucker opened the wooden box. “This belonged to my parents. It’s been handed down in my family for generations.”

  Inside the box, a silver knife lay nestled against red velvet. The handle was inlaid with carved mother-of-pearl. The images on the hilt matched the lions that had been carved on the box.

  “That’s–that’s a–a—”

  “A mating knife.” Tucker lifted the knife out of its resting place and then reached for Laci’s hand.

  Shock rolled through Laci. Words wouldn’t come. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she fought them back. Tucker held out his hand to her. She looked down at his hand and then back up into his eyes, before extending her hand to him and placing it in his, with her palm up. Acceptance of what he was about to do settled over her. No, not acceptance. Anticipation.

  She expected to feel the sharp sting of a cut, but instead felt the cool handle of the knife as Tucker placed it in her hand. “I’m in love with you, too, Laci. I knew the moment I agreed to teach you about Domination and submission that I wasn’t going to be satisfied as just your Master.”

  Colt reached for her free hand and entwined his fingers with hers. “I think I fell for you the first night I flirted with you at the bar. I’d never felt worse in my life as I did when I thought you’d chosen Tucker and I’d lost my chance with you.” He stared into her eyes and she saw an echo of fear there. “But damn, Lace, when you were taken—” His voice broke off and he shook his head, unable to go on.

  Colt rolled off the bed, and then both he and Tucker began to undress, their eyes never leaving Laci. She gulped as they removed their shirts. Her cat growled and paced, anticipating what was to come. Laci licked her lips as their shirts dropped to the floor and their hands moved to their jeans. Her whole body trembled while they pushed their jeans over their hips and down their legs, their erect cocks telling her they were more than ready for the mating ritual.

  Her pussy clenched and she almost leapt off the bed toward them. She might have, if they hadn’t climbed right back on the bed and crawled toward her, stalking her like the lions they were.

  “Will you have us, Laci?” Tucker’s heated gaze bore into her. “Will you take us not just as your Masters, but as your mates?”

  Laci’s mind reeled and her heart swelled. She’d spent so much time rebelling against taking a mate, and she’d never imagined she’d end up with two. But she knew it was right. Everything about it felt right. She searched for the words she wanted to say, but then realized she didn’t need any words.

  She reached for Tucker’s hand. He didn’t hesitate, but placed his hand, palm up, in hers. She gripped the hilt of the knife and drew it across his palm, opening a thin red line in the flesh. She looked up into his eyes and saw the happiness she felt in her heart radiated back to her through his gaze.

  She turned to Colt, who extended his hand without needing to be asked. She exchanged a quick grin with him, before opening a cut across his palm. Then she handed the knife back to Tucker. He took it from her and she took a deep breath. Then she held out her right hand to him.

  The cut was quick. She didn’t even flinch as the silver blade sliced her palm. Tucker handed the knife to Colt, and Laci extended her left hand. Colt pressed the knife to her hand. She barely felt the cut, with so much adrenaline running through her veins.

  Tucker took the knife from Colt and then placed it on the bedside table, along with the box. Then he
turned back to Laci and extended his bloodied hand to her. Laci stared at the thin red line on his palm. She wanted this. In her heart, she knew she needed him.

  She placed her right hand in Tucker’s and their blood mingled together. Then she turned to Colt and held out her left hand to him. He clasped his cut hand in hers and then she closed her eyes.

  Warmth started in her hands and slowly spread up her arms. Soon, her whole body tingled with heat as the chemistry in her body changed to accept Colt and Tucker’s unique qualities. Her head spun and she leaned back against the headboard.

  Lips brushed against hers. She opened her eyes enough to see Colt staring at her with a look of awe on his face. “Thank you, Laci.” His voice was breathless, the chemistry change apparently affecting him as much as it was her. “Thank you for letting me be a part of this.”

  He pressed his lips to hers again, but this time he didn’t pull away. His tongue smoothed across her lips and she opened them for him. He deepened the kiss, plunging into her mouth and taking her breath away.

  As Colt plundered her mouth, fingers teased their way up her leg and across her thigh. She gasped when those fingers found their way to her pussy and delved inside, raking across her sensitive clit. Colt gave her no time to adjust to the new sensation, but kept up his relentless plunder of her mouth. When she thought she couldn’t take anymore, Colt broke the kiss and pulled back.

  Both men released her hands, the few drops of blood they’d exchanged all that was needed to complete the change.

  Tucker nuzzled her neck. “God, Laci, you smell amazing.” He took a deep breath against her skin. “Not like before, but better.”

  Laci knew her scent had changed to one that would now only attract two shifters—her mates. Her scent would alert any other lion shifter that she was marked and would bear the scent of her mates.