“Melanie told us to come,” Jason said, shouldering past him to kneel by Bethany. “It’s all right, sweetheart. Take some deep breaths and try to relax.”
“We should have told her,” Michael said. “I just didn’t want to ruin her night out.”
“Hindsight is twenty-twenty,” Samson said. “We meant well. Let’s see if we can salvage the evening.”
Michael left to get some bottled water, and by the time he’d returned, Jason had Bethany at the sink washing her face. She looked very pale, but she’d stopped being ill.
Samson sat on one of the courtesy chairs in the corner of the restroom, and Jason guided Bethany over to sit on his lap.
“Talk to us, kitten. What can we do?”
She sagged into his embrace. She felt chilled and was shivering. He held her close, tucking her head under his chin.
“Was it the drug lord? Did he kill that doctor?”
Michael squatted down in front of her, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. “It’s not your fault, darlin’. This man is after you for his own sick purpose.”
“You didn’t ask for any of this,” Jason added, putting the bottled water in Bethany’s hands and encouraging her to drink some.
“I understand that, but I still feel responsible,” she said. “He was a nice man.”
Samson held her tighter as the shock wore off. “Are you feeling well enough to leave? I imagine there’s a queue by now.”
“We better, before Hunter and Dane have to arrest you guys for lewd behavior.” Samson was pleased she sounded a little better, and held her as he stood to leave the restroom.
“I can walk now, Samson.”
He kissed her flushed cheek and didn’t break stride as they left to join their friends once more.
* * * *
Jason kissed his mark on Bethany’s neck as they drove back home after their night out. She squirmed deliciously in his lap, making his cock hard in an instant.
Their night had been subdued after Bethany had discovered the full extent of Cristian Renta’s determination to find her, but she’d recovered from the shock. She understood that she’d done nothing to initiate the chain of events that had led to the doctor’s death. She was just sad that he’d been killed so needlessly. They’d decided not to add to her distress by telling her the details of his death.
Bethany had made plans to commence her cooking lessons with Melanie and Peata the next day. This meant an early-morning trip to their Alpha’s, so they’d left the bar relatively early.
“If you don’t stop rubbing that fine ass over my cock, I won’t be held responsible for my actions,” Jason said, nibbling lower to the curve of her shoulder.
She turned in his arms and straddled his lap. “I need you to be irresponsible.” She bit down hard on his lower lip, drawing blood. She lapped gently at the small drop of blood and purred.
The vibration resonated in his bones and heated his blood. His cock jerked in his jeans and his heart hammered against his ribs.
Moving his hand between her legs, he cupped her pussy and found it wet with her cream. The scent of her arousal thickened in the cab of the truck, causing him and his brothers to moan.
Lowering his head, he kissed her. It was a passionate joining of mouths, their tongues twining around each other’s, their teeth clashing.
He moved his hand further under her tiny dress to her hip, and tore apart her panties before moving back to the moist cleft of her sex. Parting her folds, he thrust two of his fingers deep into her pussy.
She moaned into his mouth, sucking on his tongue. She ground her hips onto his pumping fingers as he followed the tempo of her need.
When he broke away at last from her lips, his breath was sawing out of him. “Do you want me to make you come like this, or do you want my cock inside you?”
“I want your cock, Jason,” she said on a sigh.
“Jesus,” Samson said, his voice strained. “You are so sexy, Bethany. I’m going to make you pay for this torture, though.”
“You better be ready for both of us when we get home, darlin’,” Michael said. “We’re going to make you pay, and it will feel so good.”
Jason’s growl was feral as his cat joined him in its desperate need for his mate. He couldn’t believe the frenzied desire he felt. He needed this woman more than he needed air. How could he have ever pushed her away?
Sliding her off his lap and along the seat of the truck, he undid his jeans and pushed them down to free his aching cock.
Lying over her, he nudged the entrance to her sex with the head of his cock. She thrust her hips up to meet him, seating the head of his cock in her pussy.
“Jason.” The word sounded like both a plea and a demand as it fell from her lips.
He thrust deep, his balls slapping her ass and his groin grinding against her clit. Leaning down, he found his mark and sucked it into his mouth. He pounded into her and she thrust up to meet him on every stroke, their movements wild and frantic.
She was clinging to him, her nails digging into his flesh through his shirt, her breathing rapid and shallow. He could feel her core begin to quiver around his thrusting cock. He sucked harder on her neck and let his sharp canines sink into the delicate flesh.
Her release rocked through her and triggered his own. Tensing above her, he roared as his hot seed bathed her clenching sheath. He continued to thrust gently until her orgasm ended.
They clung to each other, their breathing ragged and their skin damp. “Mmmm, you taste good,” he said, licking the last of the blood from her neck and sealing the wound. He’d never imagined he could ever feel this happy and in love.
He would have to talk to his brothers first, but they were going to marry this wonderful woman.
Chapter 24
As Bethany stood under the shower, her body still hummed from the pleasure her men had given her. Even in her wildest dreams, she’d never imagined sex would be this good.
Her tender pussy gave a throb as she remembered how Michael and Samson had taken her together last night. They’d only made it as far as the porch before they’d had her between them.
This morning had been a slower loving, but the pleasure had been just as immense. She could see herself come to crave them all filling her at once, connecting them all both physically and emotionally.
She swallowed and centered her thoughts on her upcoming cooking lesson. If she continued her carnal reminiscences, her men would be in the shower with her, and she’d be late.
Dressing in jeans and a T-shirt, she followed the aroma of coffee and pancakes to the kitchen.
She sat down on Samson’s lap and took his mug of coffee from his hand. “What?” she said when he raised an eyebrow at her. “You would have only picked me up and put me here anyway.”
“True, kitten,” he said, taking his coffee back from her. A wide smile spread over his ruggedly handsome face. “I love you very much, but not enough to give you my coffee.”
Michael gave her a fresh mug of coffee and a smoldering kiss. “I think he loves me the most,” she teased.
She felt so happy with her life right now, despite the threats hanging over her. In the span of just a few days, she’d found not only the loves of her life, but her place in the world. She had a home, a family and friends, things she never dreamed she’d ever have.
She tried not to dwell on the sadness she felt for Doctor Jenkins’s family. She just hoped that when her men caught the man responsible, they’d find a small measure of comfort.
Michael drove her to Melanie’s. Jason was attending his clinic in town and Samson was scheduled to patrol. She worried for his safety, but wanted the men chasing her to be caught.
“Samson is a soldier, darlin’,” Michael said. “I can feel your fear.” He reached across the cab of the truck to take her hand.
“I’m sorry I’ve brought this trouble to Eminence.”
“I’m not. I hate to think what would have happened to you if Samson hadn’t found you when h
e did.” He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it.
She shuddered. He was right. Where would she have been now, if Samson hadn’t rescued her that night?
When they arrived at Melanie’s, they found her and Peata setting up for the day’s baking. Michael kissed her cheek and left the kitchen with Dane. “If we stay, she’ll put us to work,” she heard Dane murmur.
The morning went quickly, and soon it was past lunchtime. She had assumed she’d just be watching them, but they’d put her straight to work. She admired the triple-chocolate muffins she’d made as she put them in a box for transport to town.
“They’re perfect, Bethany,” Peata said. “You’re such a quick learner.”
“You’re both good teachers,” she said, giving them both a hug. “Thank you for letting me help.”
“No thanks needed,” Melanie said, packing the last of the pies she’d made into boxes. “We got all this done much quicker with your help. How about we have lunch in town when we drop these off?”
The word “lunch” worked some sort of magic, with Dane and Michael appearing from thin air. With their help, they were on the road in just a few minutes.
Bethany rode with Melanie and Dane. She wanted to carry the boxes into the diner and cafe. Melanie was looking tired after cooking all morning. Michael was driving Peata home, as she had begun to suffer from the effects of her morning sickness again. He was going to meet them in town for a late lunch.
Bethany carried the last of the boxes into the cafe, and chatted to the owners as she helped them put the boxes away. Everyone she’d met had been really nice.
Exiting the cafe, she scanned the street for Dane’s truck. It had been parked right outside, but she couldn’t see it anywhere on the street now. She felt unease creep up her spine. Dane and Melanie would not leave her alone.
She heard the sound of swearing, right before a bloody hand wrapped around her.
* * * *
Samson had picked up the unfamiliar scent of bear on the outskirts of town while he was doing his patrol. It was not unheard of for bears to venture this close to town, but this was not a native bear. It was a shifter.
He was running back to his truck so he could shift before following the trail into town, when he heard Cooper’s furious voice in his mind. Members of a pride could communicate with each other telepathically when shifted. It enhanced their defensive and offensive capabilities immensely.
“Someone has taken Melanie. She’s in the truck with him now. She is unharmed, but he has a gun. He wants Bethany and believes Melanie is taking him to her. They will be leaving the north end of town any moment.”
“I’ll be there in under a minute,” Samson said. “Tell her to slow down as she passes the church.” He channeled his fear for his mate into speed and rage.
The church was on a quiet stretch of road, nestled amongst the surrounding forest. They were unlikely to be observed there, so he could shift back when it became necessary.
“You are the closest, Samson,” Finn said. “Do whatever you deem necessary to free Melanie. Dane says he is a bear shifter. He therefore falls under the auspices of my law.”
The stupid fuck was a shifter, and he’d taken the Alpha’s pregnant mate hostage. Killing him would be a kindness compared to what Finn would do, if he happened to still be breathing when the Alpha arrived.
“I have Bethany,” Dane said. “She’s unharmed. Stinking coward just walked up and cold-cocked me.”
Even with the confirmation that Bethany was safe with Dane, Samson was no less enraged. The man had planned on harming his mate, and had taken Melanie hostage for that purpose. He would see him dead for that.
Samson reached the trees by the church grounds in time to see Dane’s truck approach. As Melanie slowed, he ran straight in front of the truck.
She swerved to miss him and slammed on the brakes. The truck skidded through a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn before stopping on the other side of the road.
Samson leapt to the passenger door and shifted without pausing. He ripped the door off its hinges with one hand and reached in with his other to grasp the man inside by the throat and haul him from the truck.
Dropping the door, Samson plucked the gun from the man’s unresisting hand. Samson estimated it had taken him less than two seconds to disarm him.
Ignoring the gurgling sounds coming from the man hanging by the throat in his fist, he looked over at Melanie. “Are you unharmed?” he said, searching her small frame for any signs of injury.
“I’m fine, Samson. Thank you,” she said, her voice a little tremulous. “He said he could scent Bethany in the truck. Who is he?”
“A dead man,” Samson said, turning his gaze once more on the man dangling from his fist. He wanted answers before the man died. Now that Melanie was safe, he felt his boiling anger slow to a simmer. His cat, however, was howling for blood.
He was small for a bear shifter. “Runt of the litter, were we?” he asked, his voice sounding more like a garbled growl. His canines were long, extending past his upper lip as he smiled at the sniveling bear.
The man was blue in the face. His claws were extended and had ripped deep tracks in Samson’s forearm that dripped a steady stream of blood onto the road. The adrenaline coursing through Samson’s veins had made the pain negligible.
“This isn’t going to get me my answers, now, is it?” The man stopped tearing at Samson’s arm and opened his mouth in a useless attempt to speak. Samson loosened his grip a little, allowing the man to suck in a rasping breath of air. He didn’t want him to die too soon.
“Being a stranger hereabouts, you were probably unaware that the young woman you just held at gunpoint was the Alpha’s mate.” He enjoyed the look of terror sweeping over the man’s face. “His pregnant mate.”
His look of terror turned to abject horror. “I”—he gasped out of his constricted throat—“didn’t know,” he managed at last.
“Well then, I’m sure that will make all the difference when he arrives in a few minutes. Won’t it?”
Samson threw the man down onto the blacktop, crushing his foot down on his chest to prevent him from moving or shifting.
“I didn’t hurt her,” he gasped. “I wouldn’t have hurt her.” His damaged throat was making his voice hoarse, but as a shifter, he would be healing already. Samson would have his answers before then.
“He said he was going to ‘do’ me,” Melanie said, “after he had finished playing with, and I quote, ‘the little broken pussy.’ He thought his pun was hilarious. I nearly threw up on him.” Melanie’s cheeks were flushed and her pale green eyes were bright with unshed tears. “Bastard.”
“You did well, Melanie. Your quick thinking led him away from Bethany. Thank you.” Samson looked at the woman who held the hearts of their Alpha and his brothers and saw the strength and courage in her tiny frame.
The man under his foot began to struggle. Samson increased the pressure on the man’s rib cage, hearing a few snaps over his screams of pain.
“The Alpha will be most interested to hear that bit of information,” Samson said calmly, oblivious to the screaming.
“I may be kind and kill you before the Alpha arrives. But that depends on how forthcoming you are with your answers.” He released some weight from the man’s chest, and the screams quieted to moans.
“We don’t have long now. So tell me who you are?”
“Stuart Gibson. I’m a nurse.” His voice was whisper-soft, his teeth gritted, his breathing shallow in his broken ribcage.
Samson now had all the information he needed. So this was the abusive nurse who’d terrorized the patients at the East Hills Center. He remembered how enraged he’d felt when Bethany had told him of the man’s abuse of patients, and of her personally. He’d wanted nothing more than to tear the man’s throat out. And here he was.
“Finn and Hunter are here,” Melanie said. “I can see the truck now.”
Finn was out of the truck and pulling Melanie into
his arms before Hunter had pulled to a complete stop. “Are you well, sweetness?” he said, pressing his face into her neck. Samson looked away and gave them all privacy as Finn and Hunter assured themselves of Melanie’s well-being.
“Did you find out who he is?” Hunter asked a few minutes later.
Samson simply looked at him.
“Okay, stupid question. Who is he?” Hunter said.
“The nurse from Claremont, and it turns out he’s a shifter.”
Hunter looked down at the man who was now gasping softly as he struggled to free himself from Samson’s foot. His eyes filled with amber light. “A coward who preys on people unable to defend themselves.”
“Hunter, would you please take Melanie to Jason? He is with Dane and Bethany at his clinic in town,” Finn said. He walked over with Melanie still clinging to him.
“Thank you, Samson. The fact that you have rescued my mate makes me a little more accepting of the fact you are naked in her presence.” Melanie stifled a giggle as Finn transferred her to Hunter’s waiting arms.
Samson had been in such a deadly mood that it hadn’t even occurred to him. Not that he’d had an opportunity to dress.
Hunter carried her to their truck, kissing her deeply the whole way there. He threw Samson some sweatpants from the back. Shifters always kept a supply of clothes on hand in case of emergencies. Shifting while clothed shredded everything they happened to still be wearing.
Seeing Hunter’s happiness at being reunited with his mate had Samson yearning to see Bethany again. “May I go to my mate?” Samson said coldly.
Looking into the brightly glowing eyes of his enraged Alpha, he knew he’d made the right decision. Finn lifted his chin in acknowledgement.
Samson removed his foot from the bear’s shattered chest, unmoved by the man’s rasping pleas for Samson to kill him.
Finn reached down with one hand to lift the whimpering man into the air. Finn’s claws had erupted from the ends of his fingers and they dug deeply into Stuart’s throat and neck. The blood flowed in rivulets down his throat, coloring his shirt scarlet.
Bethany [Eminence Shifters 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 13
