Jade [Eminence Shifters 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Ashley Malkin

  Asher ran back toward her, his expression tense. “He’s fine, Jade. He’s at the jail questioning one of Beau’s friends.”

  “A fat, ugly one, apparently,” Troy said, disgust making his lip curl.

  “Harry. I only ever heard them call him Harry.” Jade shuddered and sagged back against Wes’s warm body. She looked around the room. The white walls and shelves were all too familiar. Jason’s house.

  “Are you all okay? We were in an accident.” Her head pounded and her body ached. She felt like she’d been hit by a bus.

  “It wasn’t a bus,” Troy said.

  “It was a truck,” Wes finished. “Beau rammed us with his truck.”

  She really looked at them all then. Asher and Wes looked fine, spattered with dried blood, but intact. Troy was lying on a bed, as she was, the bed pushed next to hers.

  “Troy?”

  “We heal real quick, honey. My legs got a little squashed, but I’ll be fully healed in another couple of hours.”

  She felt sick. Troy was hurt because of her.

  “I’m hurt because that wolf and his friends were crazy assholes. You did nothing to me, Jade.”

  Jade groaned. “How am I supposed to talk to Amber and keep all your shifter secrets when I continue to speak my every thought out loud?” she whispered.

  Asher moved Troy’s bed aside and leaned in to press his lips gently to hers. “I think it’s just a mate thing. You’ll be fine when you’re talking with your sister.”

  “But I can’t tell her, can I?”

  “No, honey,” Wes said. “It’s too dangerous for us.”

  “And for her,” Troy added. “If another shifter found out she knew, they may feel they need to silence her.”

  Jade shuddered, as she heard her sister become increasingly agitated. “Please. I already know that bastard hurt her. I need to see for myself that she’s okay. I’ve been going crazy.”

  “Do you think you can sit up?” Asher asked, his smile not reaching his eyes as they moved over her face.

  “Do I look that bad?”

  “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on,” Asher said, his eyes shining with love now. “I’m just furious that he managed to hurt you again. We were supposed to be protecting you.”

  “Now him, I like,” Amber said. “He’s a keeper.”

  Asher winked at her as he stepped away from the bed. Amber’s hand flew to her mouth, her eyes filling, then overflowing with tears. “Jade.”

  “Amber.” Wes helped her to sit up and Jade held out her arms. Her muscles ached a little, but she considered herself lucky nothing seemed to be broken.

  Amber flew to her side and Jade leaned on her older sister. It felt so good to hold her. To have her here after everything she’d been through. She started to cry, and before she knew it she was sobbing. All the fear and pain suddenly too much to bear. Amber held her tight and sobbed along with her.

  By the time they’d both stopped crying they were alone in the room. Amber was sitting beside her on the bed and they dried each other’s tears with Jade’s white hospital gown.

  “This is lovely, by the way,” Amber said, tugging on the sleeve of the gown.

  “You’re here,” Jade said.

  “Of course I am. Do you think I’d stay away after what you told me that prick had done to you?” Amber shook her head. “I can’t believe I didn’t come sooner. I rang you every day and got no answer. I should have got on a plane and come to you. I’m so sorry, Jade.”

  Jade shuddered as she remembered the calls. She’d desperately wanted Amber to hear her cries, but she couldn’t.

  “If you’d have come, then he’d have had both of us,” Jade said. “I couldn’t have lived with that.”

  Growls sounded from outside the room. “Does the doctor have a dog?” Amber looked toward the doorway as if she expected one to walk in.

  “Can we come in now?” Asher said, poking his head around the doorway. “We won’t drown in all the snot?”

  Jade laughed as her men all came back into the room. They stood awkwardly at the end of the bed, looking from her to Amber.

  If they believed she was going to behave differently around her family, then they were in for a shock.

  She swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her men were predictable in their reaction and she smiled as Asher got to her first and swept her into his arms.

  “Where do you think you’re going, little Jade?” Asher asked, his voice deep as his chest vibrated with his growl.

  “I don’t think Doc will want you up yet,” Wes said, pressing close and moving her hair off her face.

  My hair. “I must look a mess.” Jade reached up to feel her hair only to find the stiff cotton of a bandage. “Ouch.”

  “Careful, honey,” Troy said. He was standing beside Wes and he leaned in to kiss her bandaged head. “I better get Doc to come see you. He will want to look at you now you’ve woken up.”

  “Troy,” Jade said, catching up his hand and tugging on it. She didn’t move him, but he took the hint and leaned down.

  She wrapped her arm around his neck and smashed her lips to his. His gasp of surprise left his mouth open and she took the opportunity to sweep her tongue into his mouth, moaning as his taste made her crave more.

  She wanted to taste all of them. Why isn’t Barrett here, too? Dammit, I need him.

  Amber coughed loudly. “Ah, I think I saw Jason. The, um, doctor. I’ll just go and tell him you’re awake, and feeling much better.”

  Jade smiled as Troy’s cheeks grew pink. He was adorable.

  “You’re adorable,” Asher said. “Sit back down before you fall, Troy. I’ll put Jade on your lap so you both stay in bed.”

  He kissed her, deep and slow. The gown was open at the back and Asher took full advantage of that fact. His hands roamed over her bare skin to squeeze her ass. She was feeling an ache of a totally different kind now.

  Asher broke the kiss and placed her between Troy’s legs. Jade saw Troy’s jeans were torn and covered in blood.

  “Has Jason looked at your legs?”

  “Apparently Barrett’s a doctor now, so Troy allowed him to pull the three-foot-long copper pipe from his legs,” Jason said acerbically.

  He smiled kindly at Jade as he shined a light in her eyes, but Jade was a little scared of him. He was a huge guy, and he was obviously furious with Troy.

  “Any blurred vision or nausea?”

  Jade just shook her head. It seemed to make her brain hurt, so she stopped.

  “A headache?”

  “Yes.”

  “That will probably last for a day or two,” Jason said. Then he sighed, his shoulders relaxing. “I’m sorry for being angry. I don’t like my patients doing stupid things that make my job harder.”

  Jade could understand that. She elbowed Troy in the stomach. “You’ll let Jason fix you, not Barrett, if you ever get hurt again. Or I’ll be angry.”

  Troy kissed the top of her head. “Sorry, Doc.”

  “I’ll let you visit with your sister,” Jason said.

  He stepped aside and motioned Amber forward,

  “Amber, let me introduce you to three of my men.”

  Jade had already told her sister she was involved with four men, and to her credit, she was being open and friendly. Jade would need to talk with Amber about the best way to broach the subject with their mom and stepfather. They were not likely to be as accepting as Amber.

  “Barrett!” Troy held her in place as she nearly threw herself off the bed and ran to him. He stepped hesitantly into the room, his gaze sweeping warily to Amber.

  “You’re awake, darlin’. I mean, Jade. No one called and told me,” Barrett said, sending a glare at his brothers.

  “I just woke up,” Jade said, reaching for his hand.

  Jade closed her eyes and shivered as Barrett wrapped his hand over hers. It felt like too long since she’d seen him, felt his skin on hers, and she felt starved for him.

  “W
e have company, Jade,” Barrett whispered softly. His breath making goose bumps run over the skin of her neck. “Otherwise, I’d be buried deep inside you right now.”

  She moaned as he nipped her earlobe. She turned her head in search of his lips. He was there, his blue eyes twinkling with amber lights, his pine and musk scent surrounding her. Their kiss was long and impassioned. She felt his need for her pulse through their joined lips and it eased the ache inside her to know he was feeling equally desperate for her.

  “I think I’ll stay in town at a motel,” Amber said, coughing loudly. “I don’t think I want to be anywhere close when you guys get near a bed.”

  Jade felt her cheeks flame in a blush as Barrett nipped her bottom lip gently before pulling away. She wasn’t sorry Amber had witnessed her kissing Barrett. She wasn’t going to hide her love and desire for her men. She was only embarrassed she’d forgotten Amber was there. And that they weren’t in their own home.

  “That’s really not…” Asher’s words were then drowned out by a loud growl.

  Barrett turned to face the doorway, Asher and Wes moving quickly to stand beside him. Troy tugged her a little closer to his body.

  “Was that Mason?” Jade was sure she’d seen the man who’d come from Duckwater standing in the doorway, but Barrett had blocked her view. “Has Harry escaped?” Jade began to shake.

  “What’s wrong, Mason?” Barrett said slowly. Jade saw him incline his head to Amber, who had moved back to stand behind Asher. Her eyes were wide with fear.

  “Jade’s sister, Amber, has surprised us all by flying in from New York. She, understandably, wanted to check on her sister after her ordeal in Duckwater.”

  “Amber.” Jade heard Mason say, his voice resembling the rumble of distant thunder.

  “Oh my God, Jade,” Amber said, she reached for Jade’s hand, her body trembling. “Do you know that man? There’s something…I think I saw.” Amber swallowed and peeked around Asher again.

  “His eyes. I thought his eyes were glowing.”

  * * * *

  Barrett volunteered to drive Amber to Margie and Brett’s. He’d assured Jade that Amber would be safe there, despite her fears over Mason being a guest there as well. Barrett had smelled the mating musk pouring off the coyote. Amber was safer right now than she’d ever been in her entire life.

  Asher was currently driving Jade, Troy, and Wes home and Barrett was anxious to get Amber and Mason to his parents’ house. Only then would he be free to go home and spend the night holding his mate.

  Amber was quiet for the ten-minute drive, answering questions politely while her gaze slid regularly to Mason. There was no doubt she was feeling the attraction garnered by the mating bond. Barrett quickly introduced Amber to his parents, reassuring them the danger was now over and Jade, along with all their sons, were fine.

  Quickly saying his farewells he raced down the front steps toward his truck. It had been too long since he’d held his little mate in his arms and he wanted to rectify that situation as soon as possible. Mason was leaning on the driver’s door when he got there.

  Barrett looked back toward the house to check there weren’t two of him. “Haven’t I already said good night to you?” Barrett said, feeling slightly ridiculous.

  “I need your advice,” Mason said, his eyebrows furrowing slightly in an unusual display of emotion.

  “You don’t know how to claim a mate?”

  “Don’t be an asshole, Barrett.” Mason ran his hand through his long dark hair. “I never imagined my mate would be human.” He looked longingly at a light that flicked on in one of the upstairs bedrooms. “And neither did my three brothers.”

  Barrett was still laughing when he pulled up to his new home ten minutes later. His laughter died when he realized he was eventually going to have to tell Jade her sister was a mate to four coyotes. “Shit.”

  He ran through the house, following the scent of Jade’s arousal, and a trail of his brothers’ clothes. Jade looked like a goddess as she lay on top of Wes, his cock thrusting into her pussy as she sucked on Troy’s erection. Troy was lying beside Jade’s head, his body elevated on several pillows, his injured legs obviously not healed sufficiently to support his weight.

  “I could get used to coming home to this, darlin’. Are you feeling well enough for me to make love to you as well?” Barrett would die if she said no. His cock was hard and aching as it leaked pre-cum onto his borrowed sweats. But he’d die before he’d hurt his mate, so he’d needed to make sure she was up to this.

  “You look so fucking sexy, Jade. Fate was feeling particularly generous when she gifted us with you.” Jade released Troy’s cock to look over at him, her smile making his heart swell.

  “Barrett, I need you so badly. Please.”

  “Our mate has missed you,” Asher said, throwing a towel at his head as he stepped from the bathroom, his body still sparkling with water.

  Barrett quickly cleaned the blood and sweat from his body and joined his family. Asher was circling three fingers in Jade’s ass, his fingers and her hole slick with lube.

  Troy was lost in his pleasure, his movements jerky as he called Jade’s name and came. Barrett kissed Jade’s shoulder as he took the tube of lubricant from Asher and coated his dick liberally.

  “Swallow him down, Jade. It feels amazing when you do that to our cocks.” Barrett whispered encouragement in her ear. Her face grew flushed as she did as he’d said. Troy continued to moan as he pulled his sensitive cock from her lips.

  “You are so perfect, Jade,” Troy said. He pulled her hair from her face and kissed over his mark on her neck.

  “Your pussy is squeezing me so tight,” Wes said. “I won’t last, Jade.”

  “Barrett,” Jade cried, reaching behind to grasp his leg.

  “I’m here, Jade,” Barrett said. He positioned himself at Jade’s stretched ass, his cat growling as he stretched over her and they touched at last. “I’ve missed you, mate. So much.”

  Barrett pushed into Jade, his moan of pleasure echoed by her as their bodies joined. He kissed her throat and nibbled along his mark as she pushed back against him, burying him as deep as he could go.

  His cock twitched, the slide and rub so exquisite that he felt the thrill of their connection in every cell. Wes stiffened and came, his orgasm igniting Jade’s. Her ass clamped tight around him and the rhythmic clenching of her pussy massaged him to his own release.

  They all held Jade as she continued to climax. Barrett and Wes stroked into her until her shudders ceased. She sagged onto Wes, the bandage on her head dislodging. Barrett was pleased that whatever injury she’d sustained was no longer bleeding. He’d never been more thankful for shifter healing.

  “I love you so much, Jade,” Barrett said. Kissing her neck and shoulders tenderly. His mate was safe, and she was theirs.

  “I’ll shower our mate,” Asher said, his smile altogether too wicked for any of them to believe his motives were pure.

  “I could use a shower,” Jade said. Her lips met Asher’s as he carried her into the bathroom, her moans making his softening cock instantly hard again.

  “I’ll get clean sheets,” Wes said. “Jade will rest more comfortably on clean sheets.”

  “I don’t think we’re going to be doing much resting,” Troy said. Barrett helped Troy to stand and Troy squatted a couple of times experimentally. “All better. Thanks, Dr. Barrett. You do good work.”

  Wes laughed too loudly, giving Barrett the impression he was missing something. Jade’s scream of pleasure pushed that thought from his mind and he hurried to help Wes get the bed made.

  Epilogue

  Jade felt like she’d known these people for years, not weeks. The whole pride had come to the Alpha’s home for a Christmas Eve dinner. The food had been delicious and the people were extraordinary. Jade couldn’t remember a time she’d felt happier.

  “Thank you for a lovely meal,” Jade said.

  “Thank you for bringing the Christmas cake,” Melanie
said. “We’ve got to make them next year. They’ll sell really well.”

  Bethany and Morgan both nodded, their mouths full of Jade’s cake. Jade had quickly been recruited into the baking business Melanie had started when she’d first moved to Eminence. Like Jade, the other women had joined Melanie in her venture as they’d each found their way to Eminence.

  Jade had learned so much in the two mornings a week they gathered in Melanie’s kitchen, and most of what she’d learned had nothing to do with cooking. The time they spent together was more about sharing their experiences, than baking, which was just fine with Jade, because the women were all incredibly special. There had been tears as they’d talked of past horrors, and laughter as they talked about their lives now.

  They had more in common than just being women. They were humans who’d discovered the reality of a supernatural world. Discovering the existence of shifters and living in a ménage relationship was something none of them had ever imagined, and the common ground made them all feel like sisters to Jade. She felt as close to them as she did to Amber, despite knowing them such a short time.

  “Are you sure you won’t eat something else, honey?” Wes asked, concern lacing his softly spoken words.

  Jade snuggled deeper against Asher’s warm body. She’d quickly become accustomed to never sitting on a chair. With four mates, it seemed she always had a lap to sit on. Looking around the table at her new family, she saw that only one woman was seated on a chair. Her sister Amber.

  “I’m full, thank you, Wes.” Jade actually felt a little queasy, but didn’t want to share that with her men. They’d have poor Jason leaving his meal to examine her.

  “Good luck trying to get her to eat more,” Amber answered for her. “I’ve been fighting that battle for years.” Amber’s voice sounded flat, her usual smile missing from her pretty face. It hadn’t escaped Jade’s notice that Amber had eaten nothing. She’d just pushed the food around her plate.

  “Amber is right,” Barrett said. “You’re still far too thin.”

  “I’ll clear the dishes,” Amber said, standing to stack up some empty plates and carrying them from the dining room. Several of the men rose and did the same. Jade hated seeing Amber looking so miserable.