by Unknown
He rose but only slightly so he could nuzzle in her hair. A hand swung behind her and he pulled her loose hair before him and stared at it in amazement.
“Natural?” he asked. All she could do was nod. “Beautiful.”
Someone laughed and it didn’t come from Shane or Jessiah. That woke her up and an instant later she was on the other side of the room, using Alicia as a shield, a hand gripping either bicep.
“Hey!” Alicia complained. “Don’t put me in the middle of this.”
Perhaps any other time Micah may have felt sympathetic to her cause, but today was not the day. “Quiet. You put yourself in this position when you agreed to fake a disappearance. Now deal with the consequences.” She noted they were getting closer. Shane seemed to be enjoying this, he had a big sexy looking grin on his face. No, no, no. Not sexy. Devious. Yes that’s better.
“Don’t come any closer,” she said behind a head of Alicia’s corkscrew curls. She noticed Trey make a move to claim Alicia. Damn it! Micah bolted. One moment she was protecting herself with her best friend’s body, the next she was on the staircase to the left.
Both Shane and Jessiah’s brows rose. “Impressive,” Jessiah said. “But the only place to go from there now is up, and above you are two bedrooms. By all means select one and we’ll make good use of it,” he purred the last part. And didn’t her tiger and wolf agree and utter their acceptance.
They were closing in. But Micah was not going to be herded. As they reached the staircase she launched herself over the banister landing many feet away from them. Another raise of eye brows. And a gasp from behind her.
“Micah!!” Alicia yelled. “What has gotten into you? They’re your Mates not serial killers.”
Micah narrowed her eyes but refused to lose her focus. “Good question, but pointed at the wrong person. What has gotten into you?” Her eyes focused on Jessiah. “Or is the question who?”
She sensed a moment of hesitation from him. As quickly as it came, it vanished.
“Alicia, Trey, thank you for your assistance. I’m sure you’d like to be on your way now,” Jessiah’s voice was a soft, soothing purr.
Micah recognized the Compelling aspect of it, and her narrow eyes and pursed lips told Jessiah that.
Immediately Alicia and Trey were gathering their belongings, thanking them for their hospitality and saying their goodbyes. Leaving Micah alone with the two hottest male shifters on the planet.
God help her. She was in trouble.
Chapter 7
“Nice... trick,” Micah said, leaving out the parlor portion.
“I’m sure I do not know what you are referring too,” Jessiah replied.
“Of course not,” she muttered. They widened their positions, one to her left, the other her right. “I can do this longer than you can,” she told them. It was true. Thanks to her dual beasts she could tap into their energy if and when needed to support her. Let one rest while using the other. “How about you two stop stalking me and tell me what it is you want.”
“You,” Shane stated.
“Well that’s not going to happen,” her beasts chose that moment to roar their disagreement. “So now that that’s settled, I’ll be going.” She motioned towards the lift.
Suddenly Shane was next to it. His six foot five inch frame nearly blocking it from her visual. “Your beasts say otherwise. Don’t fight it. You won’t win. Fate has chosen, and no one can beat Fate.”
“Screw Fate. I hate her as much as she hates me,” Micah grumbled. “She was wrong before, ask your... brother? Cousin? Whoever.”
“I’m not Callum,” Shane said, his chocolate eyes soaking her in. Roaming over her body from head to toe and back again. She closed her eyes, at the sensations. It was like a lovers caress, warm jolts of electricity sparked every place his eyes landed. Her nipples puckered under his scrutiny. She suddenly felt as if she was naked and being assessed. Did he like what he saw? Were curvy females his thing?
No. They aren’t. She remembered the thin blond he was with at the club and her resolve hardened. He sensed the change in her emotions, so did Jessiah.
Warm hands encompassed her arms and pulled her into a chest-wall. Oh Jessiah was good. She hadn’t seen him move, he was just... there. And he was probing her mind again, testing her shield for weakness.
“Stop that,” she told him.
He wanted to ask, “Stop what?” But he knew she wasn’t dumb, she was intelligent and playing dumb wouldn’t help the situation. But damn if he didn’t want to break through her shield and find out what was holding her back.
“I can feel you trying to...” she paused. What phrase should she use? Penetrate? No too sexual. Slip in? Nope, same subject. Break through? Same subject with a virgin added into the mix. “Infiltrate,” yes that was a good one. “Ask me what you want to know and I’ll tell you. But you have to keep your distance.”
“Why is that?” Jessiah questioned.
“Because I can’t think clearly when you’re touching me. Good for you, not for me.”
Reluctantly he released her and nodded to the maroon velvet couch. She took a seat and both sat on either side of her. Their thighs crowding her in. “Hey, I said no touching.”
“Yes you did. We never agreed to that though,” Shane stated.
Their scents penetrated her senses, causing her to shiver, and warm with want. Her beasts were trying to rear their traitorous heads again. She growled, the sound her own voice, not either of theirs.
Shane lifted her hair to his nose and inhaled. Jessiah lowered his nose to her neck. Micah was sure if a picture was taken of the three of them it would be comical. Two large males with their noses in various parts of her upper body and her, trying to shrink into herself. Arms squished before her chest, hands clasped resting on her legs, thighs clenched trying to avoid touching their legs, and her eyes closed, mouth open, as she reveled in their soft caresses. Her body was at war with her mind, and sadly her mind was losing.
She began imagining Jessiah running his nose and lips from her neck to her collarbone, one hand running down her side to clasp a hip, the other running up her inner thigh. Shane on the other side of her, his lips by her ear, his tongue snaking out to taste her skin. His hand cupping a breast, kneading it, squeezing her nipple to the point just shy of too much pain. Or Jessiah thrusting deep, rough inside her, while Shane took her from behind.
She jumped up and away from them breathing hard from her mind running wild. “I will just stand thank you,” she said. Shane raised an eyebrow and then looked at Jessiah. “Ask away. Or better yet, if we’re done I will excuse myself.”
“Why are you afraid to give us a chance?” Jessiah went right to the heart of it.
Well she said if he asked she’d answer. “I don’t believe in love anymore. I don’t trust Fate, she mucked up royally twenty years ago with someone who looks a lot like you,” she nodded to Shane. “I’m the first shifter who had an Ever Mate cheat on her, in my own bed by the way, and claim another while still Mated. Still Marked. And I felt every feeling of pleasure, each caress, each thought, every emotion as he did that. I won’t go through that again. Not ever.” There she said it, and was adamant about it. Her beasts were simmering but she didn’t care.
“There’s more,” Jessiah said reading her like a book.
“That’s not enough?” Micah asked.
“It’s too much, but not the entirety.”
She crossed her arms over her chest hiking her breasts up in the process.
“I’m not Callum,” Shane said again.
“And I’m not Mating again. So why don’t we call it a day and...”
“I invoke the seven day Parley,” Jessiah cut her off.
Immediately Micah hung her head, her eyes clamped shut, arms dropped to her sides, and her hands fisted. Why couldn’t she be wrong for once? Well it was over now. She might as well drop to the floor and bare her belly. There was no frickin’ way she’d survive a seven day Parley, her beasts would see to th
at.
Sure, you may think of Pirates of the Caribbean and laugh at the word Parley, but a shifter Parley is no joke. It’s an ancient tradition that was practiced when one party claimed someone to be an Ever Mate and the other party denied it or wanted no part in it. It was a way to give Fate a chance to prove she was right and allow the denying party a chance to save face if it turned out that the claimant was correct. It was a way for a happily ever after. But it didn’t stop there. No, the parties participating were expected to live as if Mated in every way imaginable--every way imaginable--except for the Mate Mark. That part can only come when all involved accepted the claim and then participate in the Mating ritual.
What takes the cake is that once a Parley is invoked, ancient magic rises and decides to join the party. It acts as an overseer of sorts, making sure each party involved plays their part correctly, giving the tradition a fair chance, giving Fate the upper hand.
“God damn Fate,” Micah growled, again her voice, not her wolfs. If Fate were tangible Micah would become judge, jury, and executioner. Then a god to resurrect Fate and execute her again. Repeat process as necessary. It would take a while for Micah to become bored. “What did I do to piss you off?” She raised her head and gazed at Jessiah straight on. “Well played.”
“You are not surprised,” it was a statement not a question. “You expected it.” Again statement. Micah nodded slightly. “How much? What percentage did you think we’d call on the ancient tradition?”
She plopped onto a dark gold velvet chair, the air exiting her lungs in force. She pulled her car keys out of her pocket and tossed them between the two males. Shane caught it. “My bags are in the back.”
Jessiah couldn’t help the wide grin that spread across his face. Oh, yes. He liked his Mate very much.
Within ten minutes her bags were in the apartment and at the foot of the bed of the third floor bedroom. It was super late, and it seemed as if the instant the words left Jessiah’s mouth, Micah resigned to her fate, all the tension she felt fled, leaving her drained emotionally, physically, and mentally. She yearned for sleep. Needed it. She plopped onto the enormous bed and bent down to remove her shoes. But Jessiah was there already. He unlaced her boots and pulled them off, then slid off her socks. His hand cupped the heel of a foot and she jerked as a jolt of pure pleasure seemed to erupt from his fingertips.
She met his gaze and her breath hitched at what she recognized in his eyes. Desire, lust, determination, respect, and a deep want to care and provide for her. Her eyes seemed to be playing Ping-Pong as she looked from his left eye to his right. She couldn’t decide which color she loved the most, his eyes were mesmerizing. There was a strange feeling that ran through her. It wasn’t like most people said, they could get lost in those eyes. No. When she looked at Jessiah, she felt as if she was found.
What had it been? An hour... maybe?
He lowered his head and his lips grazed the top of her foot. He repeated the motion on the other foot and when he locked onto her eyes again what she saw in the depth of his soul shocked her.
Adoration.
Absolute esteem. Devotion.
It took a matter of seconds for her to locate the amount of times she saw that look on Cal’s face. It was the same number that Ian held--Zero. Never. Didn’t happen. And she was Mated to the male for nineteen years!
Yeah she was toast.
Jessiah raised off his knees slowly. On his way up he made sure his nose then lips grazed her cheek causing her to shudder at his brief, soft touch.
She scooted back in the middle of the bed until a pillow met her back. Then she plopped down and let out a soft sigh. The bed was unbelievably comfortable. Shane came in and locked onto her position. “Aren’t you going to change?” he asked with narrowed eyes.
“I’m good, thanks.” No way would Micah be sleeping like she usually did--naked. Nope, she was going to cling to the dwindling sensibility that she had at the moment. So she’d sleep in a pair of skinny jeans and a thin mock turtle neck. Even her bra would stay, though she was none-too-happy about that.
“Suit yourself,” Shane said as he pulled his T-shirt up and over his head.
“Oh lord,” she mumbled as her temperature rose by a minimum of one thousand degrees. Holy hell was he gorgeous. Golden skin covering layers of mounds of muscle. Shit. His hands went to the button on his jeans, then he was bending over as he pulled them down, and when he stood back up the sight made her breath hitch and her heart skip a few beats. Commando. Of course he’d go commando. And didn’t the thick, long erection jutting toward her make her mouth water. Damn he was larger than she thought he’d be. And his legs, hell, he was making it hard for her to decide on a favorite body part.
He lifted the covers and slipped in beside her as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She scooted a bit to the other side to put some sort of air between them. Then Jessiah was back and his shirt was off. He had a light grazing of hair that spanned his massive chest. Before she knew it he slid his pants down and came back up a moment later. Micah found herself relieved and disappointed at the same time. Jessiah was in a pair of black silk boxers, his erection evident--and as Shane’s larger than expected--but hidden away from her view. Hot damn. She was right about his legs. A massive amount of muscle. No other way to explain it.
He slipped beneath the covers on the other side of Micah and now she had nowhere to go. Either way Micah moved had her up against a sexy as sin aroused male either naked or just about. She was sure her heart never beat that fast in her entire life. She could feel herself beginning to perspire. Then Shane did what a bad boy would do and lifted the covers up and over his thighs giving her a nice view of his very big package and said, “Wanna get under the covers?”
God yes! “I’m good, thanks.” Please tell me my voice wasn’t as breathy as it sounded to me. She knew it had been but there was nothing she could do about that. They were doing this to her on purpose. They knew they were gorgeous looking males, but add to that fact, and yes it was fact, that they were her Mates (though she refused to voice that thought,) and they had her on the cusp of behaving like a depraved nympho!
Seven days, seven days, seven days. The countdown would be her mantra until it was over. She ran her hand over her forehead and blew out a breath of frustration.
“We’re right here if you want to relieve that... tension,” Shane said against her ear. She released a deep moan. “Sleep well my sweet.” He turned to his side and placed an arm over her waist. Even through her clothes she could feel him. All of him.
Jessiah turned toward her and said, “Night, love.” Then he nibbled on her ear lobe before placing a massive leg over hers leaving her between a Hummer and a Tank.
It was going to be a long night.
Seven days, seven days, seven days.
Chapter 8
I’m not sure I’ll make it through the night, Shane told Jessiah.
Jessiah expressed his agreement through their link. Micah was the epitome of sexy and no amount of thinking ugly thoughts helped his painful erection to lessen. He wanted her. Needed her, like twenty years ago. And Shane, hell it’s probably the first time since he was fourteen that the male had gone without sex for going on five days. Who’da thunk it?
Why’s it so hot in here? Jessiah asked. Yes his body was heated due to the female lying in the middle of them, but it was more than that.
I raised the temperature, figured she’d try to sleep in her clothes.
Jessiah stifled a laugh. Micah was still up, doing her best not to toss and turn out of sexual frustration, he could sense it. Feel it coming off her in waves. The increased heat would have her agitated in no time, and hopefully then she’d feel the need to remove a layer or two of her clothes. Then again maybe he shouldn’t hope that. If she did he just knew he’d be embarrassed when he spent himself from just the view of her luscious body.
Damn he had it bad.
She turned away from him grazing his erection and snuggling her ass agai
nst it in an attempt to get comfortable. Which just made him more uncomfortable. He wondered if she was doing this on purpose. He imagined she was and that she knew it would be worse on her Mates than it would be on herself.
Tricksy female.
Micah shifted again on a quiet sigh. Jessiah could feel her slipping into sleep. Her left arm went over his waist and Shane groaned as her ass settled in the nook between his lower abs and upper thighs making contact with his still erect penis.
Ok so now that she was sleeping maybe, maybe, she wasn’t doing it on purpose. Her heart rate slowed, and her body temperature dropped; her breath evened out.
Dare he speak normally? Jessiah wasn’t sure, there was something about this female that made him question her actions and intentions.
“This is the longest I’ve ever gone without sex and the most turned on I’ve ever been in my life,” Shane said, his voice soft. Jessiah grunted his agreement. “There’s something about her that...”
Not out loud. I agree there is something about her that seems... deeper than she appears. She could feel me trying to infiltrate her mind, and I believe she knows I’m responsible for Alicia’s actions. No normal shifter would be attuned to that. I cannot get a read on her mind at all.
Shane nodded mentally, understanding what Jess was trying to tell him. And he’d be right. There is no doubt in his mind that if Jess said she could sense his mind reaching into hers that she did, and sixty-nine years of being bonded to the male told him that his instincts were always right. Always. Time to search the database for one Micah Everheart.
Jessiah agreed wholeheartedly. The SIA may have some insight into their lovely Mate that can help them in more ways than one. Tomorrow they’d be goin’ fishing.
Micah was just about to slip into her REM sleep when some stupid song with the words: I’m a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world, broke the spell. Shane cursed to her left and grabbed his phone. The instant he picked up the phone she heard some female’s voice in hysterics calling to Shane. He left the room immediately but she heard the conversation and she wasn’t happy about it. He had just agreed to stop by her house and ‘walk the perimeter’.
