by J. Kearston
I lean forward to awkwardly kiss the back of his shoulder before getting out, taking a few deep breaths of the crisp night air. When I feel less like I’ll come across as someone on the run and more just a weary traveler, I stride across the parking lot and into the motel lobby.
It’s nicer than the one Ozzy and I stayed at on our way out of the city, but certainly nothing noteworthy. I’m actually a little hesitant if they’ll accept cash or demand a credit card for booking a room, and resign myself to the fact we might be sleeping in the truck tonight.
The man behind the counter looks up from his phone as I approach the desk and ask for a room. “A hundred twenty per night.”
I start pulling out cash when he confirms my fears and asks for my license and a credit card. Biting my lip, I take a gamble, trying to look pitiful yet understanding.
“They were all in my husband’s name. Sorry to bother you. Have a nice night.” I turn to leave without confrontation or pleading, praying it will be more effective.
When he groans, I have to quickly smother my smile and continue walking until he breaks. “You trash the room, my boss will have my hide. And it’ll be an extra thirty for putting my ass on the line.”
Thanking him profusely, I pay and take the key card, heading back outside. It’s an open air set up with concrete steps leading up to the second floor and a clear view of all of the doors on this side of the building. Luckily, we ended up with one around the back, but it’s still the second floor. Good to hear anyone coming, but bad for ushering in an ocelot unnoticed.
Ares pulls the truck as close as possible as we argue in a hush about the best way to get him in unnoticed. Finally, Cole grabs the throw blanket from the back that they insisted on bringing, still convinced I’m going to freeze to death if they aren’t careful.
“Come on, baby Ozzy. Looks like Rin ran out on her husband with her secret love child and boyfriend,” he decides, wrapping Osiris up like a toddler that passed out in the car and cradling him to his chest. “Such a good bo- OW!” He shakes out a finger, looking at me with wide eyes. “He bit me.”
I snicker while Ares rolls his eyes. “You three go first and I’ll hang back to make sure everything’s clear. If so, I’ll wait twenty minutes before following.”
With that decided, I grab my backpack and fall into step with Cole, hurrying up to our room. We just barely get the light on and shut the door before Ozzy is thrashing to get down, baring his teeth at Cole.
That’s not very nice.
“I’m not sure how best to describe it, love, but predators don’t much care for being in a vulnerable position like that. My instincts are on fire and it makes me feel less like me and more…”
Like a wild animal?
He purrs, but keeps the tone low enough no one will overhear. While we wait for Ares, I just end up pacing, unable to fully let my guard down.
“Why don’t you take a shower and start getting ready for bed?” Cole offers and I pause mid-step.
“How am I supposed to relax? What if he ran into trouble? What if we need to leave? Then I’m naked!” I throw my hands out in agitation, resuming my pacing. “Or if he needs us to come save him? I’m not just going to jump into the shower before things are settled.”
Cole smirks, grabbing my hand and tugging me into a tight embrace. He locks his fingers behind my back, preventing escape, and instead of feeling trapped, I start to calm down. He’s physically holding me together while I’m a scattered mess, and I’m incredibly grateful for this rather than a slap in the face for my borderline hysteria.
“No wonder you developed a pack link,” he states, and I’m sure my confusion is clear on my face. “You’re already part of the pride, beautiful, despite the fact none of us have actually claimed you.”
Things like that just make it hard to look him in the face, far too emotional when I’m already feeling frazzled. I lay my head on his shoulder and close my eyes, just soaking up his easy-going affection.
“What do you mean, claimed? You decided the first day like an obsessive stalker,” I tease in an effort to make light of the situation.
He kisses the top of my head. “Usually it’s just some kinky sex; some orgasms, a bite or three. We don’t do marriage like the humans do, it’s more permanent. And that means giving into our instincts to claim our mate as ours. It’s different between breeds, but the felines? We need to see that mark. It just appeases our baser instincts in a way that I can’t describe.”
One more quick kiss and he’s pulling away, walking towards the door. Ares strides through a second later with two more backpacks, tossing them on the floor by the bed that Ozzy is stretched out on.
“But make no mistake,” Ares states, crossing the room and crowding me, putting a hand on my hip and pulling me against him. “Even if that never happened, you’d still be ours, Rin. Being mates means so much more than sex; that’s just a perk.”
He kisses me quickly before striding away and I’m left a sexually confused mess. “I guess I can get that shower now,” I mumble, practically fleeing the room.
Under the hot spray of the shower, I finally start wading through the jumbled mess making it hard to think straight, let alone breathe. The link with Osiris was a shock to my system, taking any reservations and denial I was still clinging to about being their mate and blowing it to smithereens. But it also took away my only safe place.
I’m in their world, surrounded by people that don’t know or trust me. It’s only my connection to them that makes anyone even accept me being out here. I live in their house, eat their food, and survive off of their generosity. Now I can’t even call my head my own?
They’ve woven themselves so quickly and intrinsically into my life that I can’t even imagine them not being in it. It’s overwhelming and terrifying.
“Intense,” Ozzy cuts in, just further proving my point. “We’re just ‘all in’ sort of people, love. And I know that’s a huge shift from what you’re used to, but…do you actually hate it?”
I sigh, scrubbing my hair and closing my eyes. No. It just feels like I’m repeating the cycle in a different place. If I depend on you three for survival, how’s that any different than me mooching off of an inheritance? People change over time, so where does that leave me if you suddenly revoke your generosity? I’d be dependent on you three for everything. My life would be completely at your mercy and that’s what I’m struggling with the most, I think.
“So get a job, ‘ya lazy bum.” My eyes fly open as a surprised laugh slips from my lips unbidden. “Who said anything about a free ride? We take care of each other, so don’t think that means you get out of having to pull your own weight.”
Gods, I love you, I laugh, already feeling worlds better than when I walked in here. You always know how to make me feel better.
There’s a pause as I realize what unintentionally slipped out, but I don’t feel the need to call it back now that it’s out there. Osiris has been with me through the most traumatic time in my life; it’s natural that I’d cling to him like an emotional crutch.
To his credit, he plays it off flippantly instead of making it weird. “Of course you do, I’m amazing.” I scoff, finishing rinsing my hair out and grabbing a towel as he adds softer, “And you already know my stance on the matter. But something tells me you’re not quite ready to hear it yet.”
I’m already wrestling with things enough, so I don’t dispute the sentiment. I just can’t seem to let go of the fact that I’ve spent such a short amount of time around these men, yet at the same time, feel like I’ve known them forever. It goes against everything I was taught, that there’s no way you can feel this strongly for someone this quickly, that it’s just lust confused with insta-love. Still, despite logic telling me otherwise, it feels like so much more than something that can just be explained away. It’s like coming home after an eternity away, a yearning for something more when I didn’t even realize I wasn’t content until faced with the future they’re offering so freely.
Fuck, I should just go for it. What’s playing it safe ever done for me all of these years? Left me miserable and alone, agonizing over what people thought of me? I can be spontaneous. Hell, I celebrated my wedding night by being a coconspirator to his murder and leaving everything I knew behind. They might be from the wilds, but I have a little inside of me too.
I change into a tank top and pajama pants, since I’m not worried about the chill when surrounded by so much body heat. Cole and Ares are sprawled out on the bed watching TV. Both are in loose pajama pants, but Cole is still in a t-shirt, whereas Ares is bare chested. Every taut muscle is on display and I busy myself running a brush through my hair so I don’t make a fool of myself drooling over them.
“You and Ozzy have a nice shower?” Cole asks and I pause.
“What are you talking about?”
He huffs. “Just loves rubbing it in our faces.”
I suppress a smile, walking over to his half of the bed and gazing down at him. “Are you jealous?”
He looks to the side, not meeting my eye. “No. But I mean…he found you, brought you home. And you always look to him first when you’re uncomfortable. Only thing we had going for us is that he couldn’t actually have a conversation with you. Now the smooth talker is in your head too.”
I throw a leg over him, straddling his lap to his surprise. His hands instantly fall on my hips, but he barely breathes, like he’s afraid to move and spook me. It’s endearing to realize just how considerate he really is. Snuggly and affectionate, but still a gentleman.
“So, you’re jealous.” I nod, confirming it to myself. “And wondering what you bring to the table?” He gives a noncommittal shrug. “So, you’re already in my head then.” My hands settle on his stomach to stay upright and I have to bite my tongue not to start running them over all of the firm ridges. “Because all we were talking about in there was how I was feeling like a mooch and that I’m not half as great as the three of you make me out to be.”
“Of course you are,” Ares protests, rolling to his side to face us and resting his head on his hand.
“Maybe not right yet, but someday,” I vow. “Now that I have the freedom to start living for myself instead of someone else. And I don’t want to lose that, no matter what’s happening here.”
I roll my hips and Cole hisses in a breath. “And what is it that’s happening here?”
Moment of truth.
“I don’t think you’re crazy. About the mate thing, I mean. Consider me all in, but bear with me when I screw things up a time or twenty.” He practically purrs, arching his hips up into me.
“I’ll go jump in the shower and give you two some space,” Ares offers and my hand is moving before I consciously mean to.
My fingers curl around his wrist, and he raises an eyebrow at me in question. There’s a long beat of silence where I try to speak, but feel far too embarrassed to admit what I want.
“You’re going to have to tell him, love. He’s not going to assume what you want and gamble on being wrong,” Osiris tells me and I release a heavy breath, knowing he’s right, but wishing he could just read my mind and make all of this far less awkward.
“Stay?” My voice is hardly a whisper, but I have no doubt he heard me.
He doesn’t give me time to feel embarrassed, overruling it with his own hunger. His hand cups the side of my neck, thumb tilting my chin up as he presses his lips to mine. What starts as a sweet, firm kiss, quickly develops into so much more. All I feel is heat and carnal hunger, his or mine I can’t even tell anymore. So for once I quit trying to overanalyze everything and just live in the moment in a way I never have had the desire to do before.
Cole slips his hand inside the waistband of my pants, brushing his fingers over my already sensitive clit. My thighs clench, Ares’ free hand caressing my breast as Cole slides two fingers inside of me without preamble.
Ares swallows my gasp, pinching my nipple and eliciting another. They work seamlessly, and as strange as it is to think of them coordinating efforts silently, bra-freaking-vo.
We fumble our way through ripping my shirt off, casting it to the side before Cole flips us over. As Ares turns his attention to laving at my breasts, Cole plunders my mouth. There’s more hands than I can keep track of, but each one moves with practiced precision I refuse to feel self-conscious about. It’s not like this is my first time either, and fuck, as Ares rolls my nipple in his mouth while Cole strums my clit like a master musician? It’s hard to regret what led us here with the heat pooling between my legs.
I lift my hips as my pants are yanked off, Ares kissing a path down my stomach before flicking his tongue across my hypersensitive nerves. His palm splays across my stomach, pressing me back into the bed as he starts to devour me like a man starved.
“Get on your knees,” I breathlessly tell Cole, gently smacking his thigh and pushing up on my elbows despite Ares’ best efforts to keep me at his mercy.
“Beautiful, you don’t have to-“ He hisses in a sharp breath as I sit up more, hooking my finger in the waistband.
His cock springs free and I curl my fingers around the base, pumping once, then again as he groans. Licking the tip first, I wrap my lips around the head and take him as far as I can, using my hand over the rest of his length.
It’s an awkward position, even more so as Ares throws one of my legs over his shoulder to spread me wider, but the ecstasy teased just beyond my grasp helps to fuel my determination. I can’t lie here euphoric, taking orgasm after orgasm without putting in any effort.
Turns out, being in a pride is more work than they let on.
My thighs clench around Ares’ head and my breaths come quicker, working Cole’s cock faster as I chase my orgasm. At the sound of gagging I pause, because it sure as hell isn’t me. I’m taking this cock like a fucking champ, thank you very much and I just showered.
“Are you kidding me?” Ares growls, sending a shiver up my spine as his hot breath licks at my skin.
“I’m so sorry,” Ozzy gasps, retching again, and I pull off of Cole’s cock to look over Ares’ shoulder.
Osiris is dry heaving near the door and I start to sit up, panic setting in. That is, until a massive fucking hairball splats onto the cheap carpet and he turns his golden, pleading eyes in my direction.
“This doesn’t usually happen,” he apologizes, sounding panicked. “I’ve never been a cat this long. I didn’t mean to interrupt, just um, pretend I’m not here.”
Cole flops onto his back, throwing an arm over his face and groaning in exasperation. “Why did I miss you again?”
Ares hesitates, torn between wanting to get back to it and not knowing how to read a room. I slide my leg down, scooting back and mimicking Cole.
“I really thought three mates meant lots of sex. Didn’t account for the cock block, though.”
Ares huffs, adjusting himself before crawling up in the bed beside me. Still, he pulls me against him so I’m laying my head on his chest. “Fuck, what I wouldn’t give to go for a run right about now,” he mutters, adjusting me so I’m practically dry humping his side.
“No sane person wants to go for a run,” I object with a smile as Cole rolls over to fling Ares’ arm out of the way and stretches out against my back.
He pulled his pants back up, but I can still feel him pressed against my ass. To my mild disappointment, he doesn’t do a single thing despite the fact that I’m naked and pressed between them. He simply buries his face against my neck, inhaling deeply.
“I guess it’s a sign,” I mumble, getting cozy. There’s still an ache between my legs, but a bit of guilt is taking the edge off.
“That we shouldn’t make the mate thing official until after Osiris is back to normal. It’s not fair to rub it in his face.”
“Feel free to rub it on my face,” he mumbles and I let out a shocked laugh as he quickly recants, apologizing profusely. “Fuck, old habits die hard. Forgive me? Please?”
“Just get up here, you pervert,” I laugh, using my foot to pat the bed.
He leaps up gracefully, curling up on my legs like a weighted security blanket. And honestly? I can’t think of any better way to fall asleep than nestled between these three.
Fourteen
Cole
“It's like the sun is shining out of the rich humans' assholes,” I complain, looking around in disgust.
This town is still a couple levels below what the big cities are, so there aren’t the same security checkpoints to enter or leave the city. City humans are far too blatant in their disgust to allow us onto their streets without making ourselves known. I'm surprised we aren’t required to paint a red ‘S' on our shirts to declare us as savages to warn all the so called civilized snobs away.
“Not all rich here,” Rin counters, but she can’t hide her look of derision at the group of business men and women walking past the truck. “It’s still better than the penthouse district, at least. And it’s nice to have at least one more warm day before the year ends.”
Ares looks jittery, not that I blame him, but he tries to hide it. “At least we can walk around here with less issues. I know at least a handful of shifters moved out here a few years back, so it can’t be all bad.”
“Still, we should let Rin take point as much as possible. Even if it isn’t as bad here, we stand out. We don’t want people to remember our faces if we’re trying to abduct someone,” Ozzy points out and we all agree. “And,” he adds reluctantly, “I should stay in the truck or wherever we end up staying the night. Shifters may be more accepted here to a degree, but they don’t go strutting down Main street as beasts unless they’re looking for a fight.”
