by Marla Monroe
“How dat feel, ’tit monde?” Gaston asked her, kneeling next to where she leaned back against the tub.
“Good. What did you put into the water? It smells wonderful.”
“Old recipe from our Grand-mère Brasseux on our Mère’s side. It’s for healing and relaxation,” Gaston told her.
She looked over and noticed that Beau wasn’t there any longer. She looked back up at Gaston as he stood again. She expected him to leave her alone to relax, but instead of turning to walk out, he unfastened his jeans and started pushing them down from his waist.
“W–what are you doing?”
“Getting undressed, cher. I don’t want to try and peel off wet jeans later.” He gave her a slight smile that eased the normally guarded tightness to his face.
For an instant, she saw what he could look like if he smiled fully all the time. He was gorgeous, with his dark eyes and full lips. She felt mesmerized by the sight of him standing in front of her, completely at ease in his own skin. His taut, hard muscles beckoned to her to explore every ridge and curve. She quickly averted her gaze when he started down the steps of the tub. She still couldn’t believe she wasn’t freaking out that she was alone and naked with two men in the same house. This wasn’t her. She rarely even dated anymore, and she was calmly watching as Gaston joined her in the oversized tub.
“Turn around, cher, and lean back against me.” He sat down and pulled her so that she leaned back against his broad chest, the feel of his hard, thick cock caught between their bodies.
“Why do you think that I’m so important to you? You had never seen me before last night. It doesn’t make sense,” she said.
Gaston ran a cloth lightly over her arms. “We always know our mates by their scent. Yours called to us even before we saw you. I’m eternally grateful that Beau saw you in time to save you. We knew you were there but didn’t know where, and we were caught up in de battle. All we knew was to keep fighting and pray you be there when we could get away.”
“With so many fighting, how do you know who wins? How did you know to be there to fight in the first place?” she asked.
He rinsed her arms and shoulders off then started on her upper chest. The feel of his hands moving gently over her skin sent chills down her back. His hot breath fanned against her cheek as he slowly slid his hands down to her breasts. He didn’t play with her so much as caress her with the cloth. Her breath caught with each inhale as he slowly cleansed her with slow swipes.
“In a war, beb, no one wins. Sometimes the vampires claim victory, and sometimes the demons manage to push us all back. My pride fights only to keep the demons and dark magic from taking over the crescent city. We don care to rule. We only want to continue on as before.
“Why doesn’t the entire city know about the fights going on in the cemetery?” she asked.
“Because there is a dampening spell that circles the area so that no one can hear and humans are not supposed to be able to cross,” he said. “As to how we know?” She felt him shrug behind her. “We just know.”
Chapter Five
Gaston inhaled her scent as he held her in the tub. The gentle weight of her against his body had his dick diamond hard. The beast that was his cat urged him to claim what was his. He knew better, though. She wasn’t ready and still needed to heal before they took her to mate. His cat would just have to calm down.
She moved against him, making him grind his teeth in painful pleasure as she shifted against his cock. He could easily imagine her hot, plump ass in the air while he licked and nipped every inch of it before he sank his throbbing dick into her tight pussy.
From the moment he’d first smelled her sweet scent, Gaston had been hard for her. Not just sex, but the anticipation of finally claiming a mate to rule by his side. He would fill her with his seed and grow a family—a future. When the Leo Pair produced offspring, it ensured that the pride would be fertile as well. That was one reason he worried that his group would not accept her. They might not believe she would help ensure their fertility.
The fact that his younger brother by less than a full year would be his co-mate had always been a possibility, especially since he’d carried the sign, as well, but it hadn’t mattered till now. Now she was very real and here, and the possibility had changed to factuality.
Beau had left him to come to terms with sharing her. His brother knew how difficult it would be at first to conquer his panther’s natural instinct to claim their mate for his own. Gaston needed to calm his panther and remind it of their destiny.
He felt her sigh as he gently wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head. The soft strands beneath his chin tickled a bit where little wisps touched his cheek. He loved the color of it, light brown like a mink’s and just as soft.
“I’m going to turn into a prune if I stay in here much longer, Gaston.” Her sweet voice settled the cat.
He chuckled softly. “Oui, cher. Let’s get you out of here.”
Gaston slowly stood up from behind her, making sure her back rested against his legs until he could pick her up. Then he carried her up the steps and out of the tub before allowing her to stand on her own while he toweled her dry.
It still angered him that she’d protested her weight when Beau had carried her earlier. Since she didn’t say anything to him, he let it slide for now. He would not allow her to think such thoughts about her beautiful, luscious body. Their mate was what wet dreams were made of—all those amazing curves and an ass he couldn’t wait to bite into like a crisp, ripe peach.
“I’m going to change the dressings again, cher. I want to replace them with ones that will allow air circulation so they will remain dry and you will continue to heal quickly.” He lifted her back to the counter and proceeded to do just that.
“Are you hungry, ’tit monde?” he asked as he finished up with the bandages.
“A little. Um, I really need to check on my friends. Did my cell phone make it back with me?” she asked without looking up into his face.
“Oui. Beau left it along with your room key on the dresser. But, Shayla, you can’t tell anyone anything. We all must stay in secret, the stuff of dreams and nightmares,” he told her.
The worried expression that crossed her face told him she was still not so sure of their attachment. For the first time in his life that he could remember, Gaston felt the icy tendrils of fear seep into his bloodstream. If she refused them…non. He would not go there. She would not refuse them. He and his brother would make sure she had no reasons to do so. They were her mates, and it was their privilege to convince her she belonged with them.
“Let us find your cell so you may assure yourself that your friends are fine,” he told her as he helped her off the counter.
Once he’d wrapped a towel around her tender, naked flesh, Gaston led the way over to the dresser where Beau had left the key card, her cell phone, and the folded-up money from her pocket. She latched onto the phone like a lifeline and checked her messages. A soft sigh escaped, and her anxious features relaxed into a smile of relief as she frantically sent a text. He resisted the urge to snatch it from her hands to see what she had written but knew it would only alarm her and lessen their ability to convince her to stay.
“All done?” he asked instead.
“Yeah. My friend Dani had sent a text asking for everyone to check in. I told her I was fine but need some rest.” She held tightly to the phone with one hand and the towel wrapped around her with the other.
“As much as I like you in that towel, cher, it would be much easier for you to eat if you were dressed,” he said with a sigh. “Beau left your suitcase there on the bed.”
He watched as she turned and, seeing her things, smiled with what could only be relief. She crossed the room and pounced on the luggage, unzipping it and throwing it open. He watched with curiosity as she frantically searched through it until she found what she was looking for. Shayla lifted out a small wood box and gently set it on the bed beside the suitcase
. Then she pulled out underwear and clothes.
He noticed that she had selected another plain set of undergarments and wondered why someone as beautiful as his mate wouldn’t have sexy, colorful garments to entice a man. He’d have to find out because he and Beau would shower her with luxurious silks and satins to caress her soft skin. Even now he wanted to plant kisses all down her spine and sink his teeth into her sweetly rounded ass.
Knowing she would expect him to dress, as well, Gaston pulled on a pair of jeans and chose a loose-fitting white shirt as she dressed with her back turned to him. He grinned, knowing she thought to preserve some of her precious modesty. It was adorable and made her all the more intriguing to him. That shy quality was so refreshing after the way shifters had no compunction about getting undressed around each other. Often females would flaunt their bodies to attract a male. Shayla wasn’t beguiling in the least.
When she had finished dressing, Shayla turned around and closed the top of her suitcase, zipping it shut. Then she started to lift it from the bed.
“Saloperie! I’ll get it. You don need to lift anything, ’tit monde.” He took it from her and lowered it to the floor next to the bed.
“What does ’tit monde mean? You keep saying that, and it sounds bad,” she said with a frown.
“Non, cher. It is another term of endearment. It means little one. And you are our little one, so fragile and sweet,” he told her with a smile.
She shook her head with a disbelieving look in her eyes. “No one has ever referred to me as little or small or anything remotely like that. I’m not small. I’m big, almost fat, but thanks for not rubbing my nose in it.”
Fury engulfed him at her words. “Shayla. You’re beautiful. There isn’t a single thing I would want to change except that you fully heal. I love your curves. They are so different from the hard, muscular bodies of our females. I much prefer yours.”
Her mouth opened, but when nothing came out, it popped shut again. He could feel her anxiety and frustration, but she didn’t say anything more. In that instant, her stomach made itself known by advertising just how hungry she was.
He laughed when her eyes grew large and she grabbed her belly as if she could quiet it. If he lived a thousand years, Gaston would never tire of her strange idiosyncrasies. They were both unique and refreshing. As much as he wanted to pull her into his arms, he knew she needed to eat, and holding her close right now while she was still healing wasn’t a wise idea.
“Come, cher. We must feed you, no? Your stomach sounds like a hungry panther, which is always a bad thing.” He took her hand and was relieved when she didn’t pull it away.
Leading her toward the front of the house, Gaston noticed how she took it all in, turning her head this way and that in an effort to not miss anything. Why was their house so interesting to her? While large and functional, it had never been decorated other than the normal things all houses seemed to have.
When he steered her into the kitchen, she actually gasped and stopped dead still. Gaston had to swerve around her to keep from running into her.
“What is it, cher?” he asked, looking around to find what had startled her.
Beau stood at the stove cooking with two of his guards sitting at the large table sipping coffee. She wasn’t looking in their direction as if scared of them. She seemed to be staring at the kitchen area itself. It confused him. While nice with its sleek marble counters, glass cabinet doors, and all wood cabinets, it wasn’t unusual. It had recently been updated with new appliances, which were all a sleek black to match the countertops. The floor was real wood and appeared to be original with scuff marks and claw marks. Though it had been recently refinished, its age showed through.
“I–I’ve never seen such a nice kitchen outside of magazines or TV shows. It’s amazing.” Her sparkling brown eyes, so warm they could melt butter, held a certain amount of envy in them.
“I’m glad you like it, cher. Do you like to cook?” he asked, hoping to learn a little more about his new mate.
“I love to cook, but I’ve never had much of a kitchen to play in.”
Beau smiled over his shoulder at her. “Come, beb. You can finish the eggs while I check the bacon in the oven.”
Gaston reluctantly released her hand from when he’d taken it into his at her gasp when they’d walked into the kitchen. It was good that Beau included her in what he was doing since she said she loved to cook. Beau had done him a great service by allowing him time alone with their mate. He should return the favor and leave them to the cooking. Besides, he needed to talk to his guard and find Bernard, his enforcer and head of his guards, to find out what had happened after they’d left the cemetery. He prayed there had been no casualties or serious injuries while he’d been gone.
* * * *
Beau smiled down at Shayla as she finished the eggs. The bacon was ready, as well, so he transferred it to the platter and grabbed the plate of eggs out of Shayla’s hands to carry over to the table.
“I could have carried that, Beau. I’m not helpless,” she said, sounding annoyed.
“I know you’re not, but you are recovering from a gunshot wound and need to heal before you carry anything as heavy as these platters are.” He smiled at her to soften his words some.
“Fine,” she sighed, sounding put out. He just grinned.
“Have a seat, beb.” Beau nodded at the two guards. “Octave, Jules, this is Shayla, our mate. Shayla, these are two of our guards. They are good males and will be around a lot to help us protect you.”
“Look. I know you said I was your mate, Beau, but we really need to talk about this. And I don’t need guards or the two of you to keep me safe. I’ve been taking care of myself a long time now.” Her eyes flashed with irritation, and the set of her mouth in a tight line assured him she was serious.
“Don worry yourself about it, Shayla. We will talk more about it later. Right now you need to eat. Your body needs to replenish itself to help heal you.”
Beau felt her eyes on him as he filled her plate with a mountain of scrambled eggs followed by twin towers of bacon and a piece of toast. Then he set a glass of milk down in front of her.
“Would you like a coffee, cher?” he asked her.
“Um, no, but thanks. I don’t drink coffee.” She looked around at the other two men as they filled their plates as well.
“What is it?” he asked as she just stared at her plate. A thought struck him, horrifying him at the possibility.
“Please tell me you aren’t one of those vegetarians.”
She surprised him by bursting out laughing then covering her mouth as if afraid she might upset someone with her laughter.
“No. I’m not. I was just thinking and hoping my friends were really all right and eating breakfast together.” She cocked her head. “Is Gaston going to eat with us? Should we wait on him?”
Beau smiled. “You have a wonderful laugh, Shayla, and I’m sure your friends are fine. My brother will return soon, and he would be very disappointed if you don’t eat while it be hot, beb.”
She hesitated then finally dug in. Pleased that she would not argue, Beau settled down to eat, as well. It took a lot of concentration not to watch her instead of eating. He still couldn’t believe their good fortune in finding their mate. Not only that, but she was strong and caring. Why else would she have attacked the demon to protect him, a panther she thought was a wild animal? It truly amazed and awed him.
Not only had he and his brother feared never to find their mates or mate, but they had been very close to choosing females from their pride to settle down with. What a horrible mess that would have been!
Shaking his head at the thought, Beau looked up to catch Shayla watching him this time. She had a puzzled expression that seemed almost sad.
“What is it, beb?”
“I was just wondering why you seemed to be upset. Is there something you’re not telling me? Are all of my friends really okay?” she asked.
“Non, Shayla, I mean
they are fine as far as we know. There is nothing wrong. I was just thinking that we could have missed meeting you in the melee of the fight. Or worse,” he said. “You could have been mortally injured, and we would have lost you forever. Such thoughts scare me, though they are not important now.”
“I guess I’m still having trouble believing all of this. It is so surreal to me. Demons and vampires and werewolves. It’s just over the top.”
“Shifters, boo. We are shifters and definitely not wolves.” He tsked at her.
Her cheeks turned into a pink blossom of roses that gave her a healthy glow. He thought he’d probably fallen a little more in love with her in that moment. She was so beautiful and she didn’t even know it.
Gaston walked in, his face almost blank of all emotion. When his brother got that look, something was seriously wrong. He stiffened, waiting to hear what new problem they were going to have to deal with. He hoped and prayed it would not involve Shayla.
“Is something wrong, Gaston?” Shayla asked.
Her perception of Gaston’s mood was amazing. Normally others only saw him as the stern leader he had to be, but either she just hadn’t had time to get used to him or she was that intuitive.
He sighed and began filling his plate. “There is something going on among the others. I’m not sure what it is, but our guards are reporting that the vampire leader disappeared in the middle of the fight and did not return. There was also a distinct shift in power that no one can figure out. Something more was there last night that disturbed the normal balance of things.”
“The witches and Vodun are probably messing with the realms again. There’s no telling what they’ve brought over this time,” Beau huffed.
“No matter what it is, something is wrong and it worries me,” Gaston said.
Beau felt some of his brother’s unease as it bled over to him, but none of the others would feel it. If nothing else, Gaston was completely in control and powerful in his dominance. He could easily crush those around him but didn’t rule that way. He protected his cats and Beau comforted them, but they all knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that their LeRoy would die for them.
