by Ruby Madden
“There being two of them explains a lot of what our bears were feeling. One minute I was dying to get to her, and the next, it didn’t seem so, uh, urgent.” Ryker listened as Ryland tried to explain the roller coaster they’d been on for the last few months.
“You mean you were a horn dog.” Quinn was determined to get in his jabs while he could. His brothers had given him hell for his missteps with Paige. Payback was sweet, he thought with a huge grin on his face.
“Shut up.”
Ryker launched a pillow at his head and he barely managed to catch it before it slammed into his face. Not that it would have hurt. Well, maybe it would have since Ryker had put the strength of his bear behind the throw.
Jason and Molly’s husband, Kevin, laughed. They remembered the time when they had courted their mates. Horn dog was a nice way of saying how they’d felt and what they’d wanted to do with their women.
Ryker’s bear suddenly stilled, the same way it used to do when he and his team were behind enemy lines.
Danger.
He opened his eyes and he saw his father lean forward. His face held the same expression it had when they were teens and they were about to get a serious talking-to.
“So, what exactly do you know about your mates, boys?”
Ryland sat up straight and the twins reminded Quinn of a pair of bookends made of stone.
“Dad—” He jumped in to protect his younger brothers, the same way he had when they were younger. Seeing the unnatural stillness crossing Ryker’s face, he wondered if it was his dad he should be prepared to defend. When he started to say something lest their father overstepped his parental boundary, Ryker held up his hand.
“We know they are our mates. Mates that will be respected in this family.” Ryker’s bear roared just a little as he spoke. Quinn and the rest of the men knew the tight rope he was balancing on. He still wanted to show his father respect, while leaving no doubt that his mate was now the most important thing in the world.
“But you do sense it, don’t you?”
Ryker and Ryland exchanged one of those damn communication things that drove the rest of the Blackwood family crazy. “We know they’re hiding something.”
“Maybe it would help, if I contacted the Council.”
Again, a silent exchange between the brothers.
Bruce Blackwood leaned back in his chair and the tension level in the room dropped. The elder Blackwood was satisfied that his sons were committed to their mates. Now, the family needed to know how best to protect them.
Before they could answer Abigail stormed across the floor from the kitchen, Emma hard on her heels. “You don’t need to call the Council. We’re leaving.” Everyone could tell that she was spitting mad, and on the verge of crying. The same expression was on Emma’s face. Neither sister looked at the twins as they hurried to the front door.
All the males had jumped to their feet as soon as Abigail came storming through. Quinn, Jason, and Kevin had moved to block the door and the twins had lunged off the couch to stop the women. They’d managed to grab the back of their shirts and were struggling to subdue the snarling cat shifters when Rebecca Blackwood’s voice sounded from edge of the room.
It should have been comical—six, full-grown male bear shifters frozen where they stood at the sound of this woman’s voice. “Bruce Emmett Blackwood, what have you done?”
“Stop it.” Ryker’s arms clamped around Abigail to hold her still. Ryland had Emma in a similar hold.
“Emma, Abby, please, don’t leave. My husband—”
“Can apologize for himself.”
The cat shifters tensed as the large bear lumbered their way. They felt Ryland and Ryker fight their instinct to shove them behind their backs. It said a lot for the respect and love they had for their father when they didn’t.
“Daughters, I only meant, perhaps we can call the Council and they can help us help you. Because you are in trouble, aren’t you?”
Emma didn’t have to look at Abigail to know her eyes would also be filled with tears.
“Come, sit back down.”
The twins waited until everyone had taken a seat before picking their mates up and striding to the large couch. They sat down, the cat shifters in their laps.
Abigail was still trying to put up a struggle which earned her a sharp slap on her thigh and a low chuff from Ryker.
Abigail looked at Emma and she could tell her twin was trying very hard not to grin. “He just slapped me, why don’t you protect me now?” she grumbled.
Emma’s eyebrow rose as if to say, do you really want me to? Then she looked at Abigail, silently asking for permission to speak. Why, Abby didn’t know. She learned long ago that she couldn’t stop Emma when she’d made up her mind to do something. Emma’s stubbornness had resulted in more than a few scraps and scrambles as they were growing up. Plus, she’d been insisting that Abigail tell her mates—or mate—about the trouble following them from the beginning.
She gestured with her hand. “Go ahead, tell them everything. You would with or without my permission.”
“They are our mates, Abby. They need to know.”
Ryker glared at his mate. “Yes, we do. It is time to stop having secrets from us.”
Abigail tried to cross her arms, but Ryker grabbed the hand she’d been waving and brought it to his mouth for a quick kiss. And bite.
Well, hell, she thought as her pussy twinged. He could turn her on even when she was pissed at him. “Whatever.”
Ryland laughed, earning himself a glare from his mother and his sisters. “What? She sounded just like Paige. It’s cute.”
“We’re kind of on the run.”
Emma’s statement immediately caused an uproar. It was amazing how much noise nine bears and one pregnant human could make.
“You better be explaining yourself damn fast, mate.” Ryland’s change from easy and laid-back to outright scary was fascinating, Emma thought as he glared down at her. Ryker’s hard edge of danger and dominance now radiated from her mate. His eyes swirled with golden fire. If she didn’t know better she’d think he had a little dragon blood in him, because he looked angry enough to spit fire.
Before she could continue with their story, Deb asked, “Why don’t you contact your pride leader?”
“Well, that’s—”
Emma interrupted Abigail. “We aren’t exactly part of a pride anymore. When our mother died, they made it clear that our father wasn’t welcome anymore. He’s a full human.” Emma knew that was stretching the truth. A lot. She didn’t reveal their mother had died at the hands of the Panthera’s henchmen. True, the evil lion king—damn, that sounded like something out of a cartoon—sure as hell didn’t want their father around anymore, but not because he was human. Because he stood in the man’s way of getting Emma. And Abigail. They’d ever spoken of it, but they knew the Panthera wanted both of the Sorenson sisters.
“That doesn’t explain why you’re on the run, Emma.” This from Quinn.
“Our father was attacked in the last town we lived in. He made us leave before he could travel.”
“Were you hurt?” This from Paige, who was also sitting in her mate’s lap, his hand spread protectively over the swell of her stomach.
“No, but our father was beaten badly. They ambushed him on his way home from work.”
“Who?” This was from Ryker, his voice hoarse with anger.
Dang, Emma thought, these bears were intense. She knew better than to look at Abigail. The Panthera’s henchman had beaten their father until he couldn’t walk. It had been a beating with a message—give up your daughters if you want to live.
“Where’s your father now?” Emma was grateful for the interruption by Kevin. Abigail had always warned her she was horrible at lying. The only advantage of not having a scent was it couldn’t give away her emotions. Like deceit.
Or love, she thought. Did Ryland realize how much she already loved him?
<
br /> The sisters shared another long look and the sound of Deb’s soft laughter erupted in the room.
“Deb—” Jason cautioned his wife, unsure what she’d suddenly found funny.
She brushed him off with a stare only a wife would give her husband and waved her hand between the two couples. “Don’t you see? They do that same twin thing that Ryland and Ryker do.”
“What’s so funny about that?” Quinn threw her a puzzled look.
“Because,” she paused for effect. “It’s going to drive Ryland and Ryker batshit crazy, just like it does us.”
“Watch your language,” Rebecca scolded her daughter. “There are little ears everywhere.” The children were in the next room. When Emma and Abigail had run from the kitchen Molly had corralled the children in the den and popped in a Disney movie. She couldn’t, however, hold back her own grin. The twins were about to get back a little of their own medicine.
“Back to the question at hand. Why was he attacked?” This from Ryland.
Abigail shrugged her shoulder. “Because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time?”
“No,” Ryker said, tugging at Abby’s chin until she met his stare. “There’s more to this than that or you wouldn’t have run.”
She let out a small sigh. There was only so much she could tell him. Despite what Emma might think, this was not their mates’ fight.
They’d learned to stick as close to the truth as they could. “We think it was the local pride. They, um, made some overtures toward us”
“Fuck.”
Ryker’s curse didn’t earn him a reprimand from his mother. Female shifters were to be honored and cherished above all else. Not forced to mate with any male who happened to want them.
Emma leaned into her mate, sinking into his warmth. She hadn’t planned on telling them everything. It had never been a part of her master plan to keep her sister safe. She’d figured it wouldn’t matter who or what was after her. They’d keep Abby safe no matter what. Abigail had sacrificed so much for her already. She’d given up her life to make sure Emma stayed safe. She would do anything to repay her, even sacrifice her own happiness. Looking up at Ryland’s face, she wondered if she had the strength and the courage to walk away from him if it turned out she must.
“So why did you come to Atlanta?”
Abigail provided the answers again. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had to make a hasty exit. Lion prides tolerate unmated females only so long. And they rarely accept human males.”
“So you’re doing this for your father? Moving from place to place?” Paige was frowning as she asked.
“Yes.” Emma spoke before Abby could answer. It was a part of the reason.
“But why Atlanta?” Ryker was a persistent bear, Emma had to give him that.
Abby continued with her explanation of how they had landed in Atlanta. “We plan ahead, deciding on a meeting place long before it’s necessary. We pick a town and a construction business. Dad worked construction back in—”
“Before he married our mother.” Emma was quick to break in. The Blackwoods couldn’t know where they’d come from or where the Panthera was located.
“Well, I say it’s fate,” Ryland’s voice broke into the telling silence. “You come to Atlanta and the construction business your father picks is ours, Blackwood Brothers Construction. A business that just happens to be owned by your mates.”
“How many times has this happened?” Ryker studied his mate. Her face was drawn and he could tell her mind was swamped with memories. He didn’t know much about the inner workings of prides, but he knew how vulnerable female shifters could be in certain situations. Despite them being older, the Blackwood brothers had protected their two sisters fiercely until they had found their mates. Ryker’s bear stilled inside when Abigail didn’t answer. He squeezed her tightly, trying to convey to her that everything was alright. That she and her sister could trust him and Ryland to protect them no matter what.
Ryland felt Emma take a deep breath and he braced himself. He knew he was so not going to like what his mate was about to say.
“Since our mother died, we’ve moved five times.”
CHAPTER TEN
After their announcement, the brothers didn’t even look at each other to do the silent communication. They rose from the couch and slung their respective mates over their shoulder and left their parents’ house without a backward glance
No one protested the caveman behavior. It was the first rule shifters learned—don’t come between mates.
Once at Ryker’s, they repeated the move and entered the house with their mates hanging upside down, snarling and pounding on their backs. Ryker jogged up the stairs, heading toward the master bedroom.
Ryland strode to the guest bedroom—his bedroom really—at the back of the house. When Ryker had built his home, he’d added a bedroom and bath just for Ryland. It was great having his own place in the city, but sometimes he just needed to be close to his twin. He threw Emma down on the king bed.
“It’s time the two of you stopped hiding things from us.” He toed off his shoes and reached behind his head to yank his cotton t-shirt over his head.
Emma worried her lower lip. All the way to Ryker’s she’d felt the anger and disappointment radiating from her mate. She wondered just how far you could push a bear shifter and still remain in one piece. She watched as he stripped. Was he going to fuck the truth out of her? She clenched her thighs together, wondering how long she could hold out if that’s what he had planned. She remembered the feel of him, hot and heavy inside her, bringing her to the peak of pleasure again and again before pushing her over the edge.
His jeans rode low on his hips, the thick slop of his lower obliques, or Apollo’s belt, revealed to Emma’s hungry eyes. She licked her lips, thinking how much she wanted to run her tongue over each curve and dip until she found her way to the hard bulge outlined against the soft denim of his jeans.
“Emma.” Ryland’s growl brought her eyes back to his face. He was still angry.
“We’re not hiding anything.” She couldn’t cross her fingers. Maybe just wishing she could would make her lie null and void.
If she’d just met him, she’d think for dang sure he was a wolf by the smile that crossed his face. It made her tremble with excitement and just a touch of fear. It was wicked. Wickedly sexy and determined.
“Oh, yes you are, baby, and now it’s just a matter of time which one of you will give up the information first.” His hand found the button of his jeans and the sound of his zipper being lowered filled the room. Emma licked her lips again. She was ready to tell him anything if he’d let her have a taste of him.
When he didn’t remove his jeans a snarl rose from the back of her throat. Her cat wanted him. A large hand pushed against her chest and she fell on her back. Within minutes, her ballet flats were off and he was working her pants down her hips. A strong tug and they were gone. “Up.” He manhandled her into a sitting position and her shirt joined her pants on the floor.
Ryland had been raised by a brown bear and had two older sisters. He appreciated strong women. Sometimes. This wasn’t one of those times. “Tell me what the hell is going on, Emma, before I put you over my knee and spank you.”
Her eyes narrowed at his empty threat. Well, mostly empty. He would spank her jiggly ass if she didn’t tell him what was going on. She just didn’t know he’d kiss it and make it better afterwards.
Ryland was unprepared for the jagged edge of desire that tore through him as he watched her teeth worry her bottom lip. He wanted, badly, to kiss her. To take her in his arms and tell her everything would be alright. That nothing would ever frighten or hurt her again.
It took far more effort than it should have to resist her.
Then don’t. His bear was ready to taste their mate.
And so was the man.
Ryland captured her mouth with his, thrusting his tongue inside until he felt her cat
ch fire. “Tell me, baby.” He pulled back, hoping she would trust him enough to tell him. When she remained silent, a frustrated roar rose in Ryland’s chest and he couldn’t control it. “You’re my fucking mate, Emma. I will lay down my life for you.”
“Then you’re crazy,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. “I’m not worth the trouble.”
“Emma.”
“I can’t, Ryland. I just can’t.” She shook her head again and pulled his head down to hers. Full, ripe lips closed over his, cutting off his protest. For one second he resisted. He knew whatever she was hiding was dangerous and had the potential to harm her.
But she wasn’t ready to trust him yet. He needed to show her he would always be there. He needed to tell her he loved her, wanted her. Forever. Knowing she wasn’t ready to believe the words, he decided to tell her another way. With his body.
Ryland’s bear clawed at his chest, needing to acknowledge the cat as his. The man pushed the animal back, needing to connect to the woman first. He knew their animals would bond no matter what. It was the way of shifters. The human part of his mate would be harder to win over. He still felt the fear in her. The need to withhold a part of herself. He was not conflicted. His mouth was hot with desire, with a hunger, pure and unfettered, uncomplicated and sincere.
Just like their animals.
Ryland slid her lower, keeping his mouth on hers, devouring her with his touch. Emma kissed him with her eyes opened, unwilling to miss one precious second of their time together. There was something on his face that hadn’t been there before. Something dark, frightening, and exciting all at once.
Emma was aware of feeling things on several different levels. A part of herself twisted with worry over the Panthera. The other allowed her to relinquish all connection with the night. With her twin. With everything that could possibly drag her back from the edge. The edge of falling into her mate. Like a drug, the man’s essence flooded her. Her body craved him. Ached for him.
