Stealing Joy

by Lulu M. Sylvian

Eventually, Jade joined Yuki and me and we watched a movie.

  Nurse Tracey and Brooks came in. She changed my bandages, declared my right foot wasn’t showing signs of getting worse, but it wasn’t looking any better. It would take a few days. I had a lot of damage to heal, and then this slight infection wasn’t helping any. She gave me another bag of antibiotics.

  Brooks did his best imitation of a rug. He left when she did.

  Mom brought me a sandwich for lunch and made Yuki and Jade leave me alone so I could take a nap. By then, Doggo was back and had set up camp in my room.

  After my nap, Mom let the FBI agents come in. Apparently, she made them wait while I slept. Of everyone in the place, from the big men to the wolves, I honestly think they were more afraid of my mother than anyone else.

  There hadn’t been any more activity on the credit card. But they didn’t have confirmation that he wasn’t in the area.

  “Is there any way he knows I’m alive? I mean, if Doggo and Gage hadn’t have found me, I would be dead out there somewhere. He can’t know if I survived can he?”

  Jones sighed. “If he started calling the hospitals, they may have released information. We have no way of knowing.”

  I threw my hands up in the air. “Holy Hecate, how many hospitals can there be out here?”

  All I really knew was I was in the small town of Wet Waterfalls, a place I’d never heard of before that happened to have a county hospital. I didn’t know how far away the next county with a hospital was.

  “If he started calling around, who knows. He could call around a bigger town to see if anyone was brought in.”

  “In other words, you have no idea if he is in this town, or cruising down the highway back to where ever he was headed when he backtracked.”

  “Boise. He was going home to Boise,” Smith said flatly.

  “How do you know Boise is home?” I asked. Doggo had jumped into the bed at some point. I dug my fingers into the fur at his neck.

  My stomach hurt. I really didn’t want to hear what they were about to tell me.

  “All of the victims were discovered in Boise. Four of them were Boise natives. We think he was taking you back there.”

  I nodded. I didn’t want to know this.

  By the time our conversation was over, I wasn’t feeling well. The energy of the place vibrated through me and I had this odd sense of foreboding creeping up the backs of my arms. The FBI left me with a cold sense of dread. I couldn’t shake the heebie-jeebies.

  I was curled around Doggo when Gage came in carrying my dinner. I guess I’d spend a good part of the day distracted and dozing because he was home and out of uniform. I shifted to get a good look at him. He was so gorgeous. His dark hair was clean-cut short, but he had a curl right over his forehead. If he let his hair grow, it would be messy and curly. I wonder if he was the type who would grow his hair out a little if I asked. Then again, he probably had to have a certain look for the job.

  Bummer.

  Tight jeans hugged his butt, and he had a great butt. Not me just liking his body parts because I liked him, and making excuses for thinking a little flat ass was cute, but an actual the-man-worked-out-and-did-squats kind of an ass. I let out a little laugh. The top three buttons of his chambray shirt were undone, and chest hair was visible. He also had the sleeves rolled up showing off his forearms. Was he dressing sexy on purpose?

  He placed the tray he carried down and rushed to my side to help me into a sitting position. Extra pillows and warm arms made me feel better. I tried to smile at him, but he wouldn’t look me in the face. Was he shy and as nervous as I was?

  “Gage?”

  He brought over the bed tray and placed it on my lap. Tonight there was a single rose lying across the tray. I picked it up and smelled it. It was lovely. I felt a sizzle of nervous energy in my middle. I didn’t know if I’d be able to eat.

  “Sunset is early. I wanted to let you know how I feel.”

  I turned my head to look at him and his lips were on mine. I melted into him. Our lips moved over each other. He pulled my lower lip in between his teeth. I moaned, and it might have been out loud. I reached up to wrap my arm around his neck and I hit the tray.

  The clatter of dishes pulled him out of the kiss. “Careful, you don’t want to spill.”

  I didn’t care about spilling. I wanted to kiss him more. But he was gone from my side. He was across the room and by the door.

  “Remember how I feel about you, no matter what happens tonight.” He left, closing the door behind him. He looked hurt. I was so confused.

  What did sunset have to do with anything? Why was I getting my dinner so early? And why had he left me? I thought he was planning on seducing me tonight. I thought that’s what the rose was all about, and that kiss.

  Doggo made a loud whiney yawn from the floor. I looked over at him, concerned. He sounded like he was in pain. He stretched out with paws extended in front of him. I had two thoughts at the same time—the first was holy crap, he really was a big animal and the second being, that’s why that position in yoga is called the downward dog.

  He made another almost pained sound, his fur shimmered. I rubbed my eyes because he was glitching, in and out of focus. Sometimes crying messed with my clarity of vision, and that’s what was happening. I thought.

  I didn’t gasp. There wasn’t enough time for me to make a sound.

  Energy crackled and sparked like a Tesla coil. Lightning extended from Doggo’s fingers. Whoa, what? Fingers, hands, arms. The change rolled over him, up his arms, over his head, down his back.

  He groaned with discomfort as the sparks ran over his skin.

  Gage had been worried about spilling from a little kiss. Clearly, he overestimated my ability to keep calm in the wake of this. The tray went sideways and my dinner went in two directions. I was barely aware of it. Lying fully extended on my floor was a huge man. A huge naked man. Okay, he was face down, but those buns were cloth free. Waves of dark hair, sun bleached at the ends covered his shoulders. His skin was warm and golden. No tan lines, I mean the buns were as dark as his shoulders.

  His skin rippled like silk over hard muscles.

  He made more noises that weren’t quite pain. He stretched out to his full length and then spasmed into a curled up ball. He growled and stood up, shaking his hair out.

  His golden gaze pierced me in place. I wanted to scramble away from him. I wanted to scream. I wanted to roll over and wake up from this freak show of a dream. But I couldn’t move. It didn’t matter that my leg was getting uncomfortably wet from my spilled water, or that a glob of Jell-O wobbled next to my knee, or that mayo and mustard from my sandwich were smeared over the blankets. Nothing matter beyond those eyes.

  He shook his head at me. There was so much to take in, his smile, the mischievous twitch to his lips, those lips, and so much hair. Glorious hair. Wide shoulders roped with thick muscles. At first, I thought the faded old tattoo on his pec and shoulder was a bruise, but then I realized it was a random pattern of some ethnic origin. It looked Aztec, Mayan maybe?

  His face was beautiful, exotic. Native something. I don’t know. I didn’t really care.

  My mouth went dry. “Doggo?”

  This creature tossed back his head and let out a howling laugh.

  I laughed nervously with him. Holy Hecate in a hellish hand-basket, he was a god.

  Of course—Max. Now I got it. I think.

  I squeaked. I couldn’t make words.

  He closed the space between us and wrapped a hand around my neck.

  He whispered my name and then he was kissing me. All ten of my toes curled—even the missing one. His lips moved over mine like a starving man getting mana for life. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled his head closer. His tongue didn’t bother to lick, it plunged and I sucked him in.

  The blankets I was mildly worried about earlier were ripped from the bed, and Max was over me. His legs straddled mine, and he continued to kiss me as if I were air. I knew he was ev
erything I could ever need or want at that moment.

  I had no idea how long he kissed me like that, but at some point, I thought my lips should be sore from this workout, but they weren’t and I wanted more.

  He broke the kiss and shifted positions so that I was sitting in his lap.

  I stroked his face and gazed at his beauty. “Max?”

  He sucked a finger into his mouth and I felt the pull lower in my body.

  “I thought I lost Doggo to Yuki. Why are you here?” Apparently, even though I wanted to ignore what Gage had been hinting at, I accepted that Max became a man on the new moon. “How long do I have you for?”

  “I’ve got three days, and then we have to wait another month.”

  “That kind of sucks. But why aren’t you with Yuki?”

  He laughed at me. “Yuki is delight. She has the innocent joy of a child. You know that. I don’t have sex with children.”

  “I know, but you have been by her side since she arrived. And she’s not a child, she’s twenty-five. I was at her birthday party.”

  “The same magic that infuses you with love and joy, is in her tenfold. Even if I misinterpreted her magic, she wouldn’t.” He shook his head. “Besides, we are pack, we are yours. She is not pack.”

  “Oh, is this that whole ‘I’m gonna pee on that and make it mine’ thing?” I asked.

  He looked at me like I was crazy. “Bailey, I admit I have to live with a strange furry situation, but that doesn’t mean I’m into kink. I’m not going to pee on you, and I don’t want you to pee on me. No golden showers, please.”

  “Ew, no.” I laughed, and he kissed me.

  Kissing him from this new angle was magic since he had to lift his face to mine. I felt like I had the power.

  His hands ran over the skin on my back and ass. I still wore a hospital gown; so essentially, I was almost as naked as he was.

  I held his face to mine, playing with the heavy scruff that grew along his jawline.

  I know I made noises as his lips devoured down my neck and onto my shoulder. He grunted as he ripped the snaps apart along my left shoulder. The gown dropped exposing one breast. He made another guttural sound and his lips trailed scorching hot kisses down until he sucked in my nipple.

  He had to hold me in place, I tried to levitate out of bed as he teased and licked, and activated every freaking nerve ending in my body.

  I cried out and instantly realized what I was doing. I should’ve been doing this with Gage. No wonder he had been so sad. Had he known? I pushed Max away.

  He looked up at me and saw the tears of guilt stain my face. He was gentle as he wiped them away with his thumbs. His fingers were rough.

  “Do you want this?”

  I nodded, I did, but… “I want Gage.”

  “Call him,” Max directed.

  I started to open my mouth the shout out Gage’s name. He would never hear me from my room. The lodge was huge, and who knew where he would be.

  Max stopped my shout with a finger across my lips. “Here.” He tapped my temple. “The way I can talk into your head, call him. Tell him we need him.”

  I sniffed, and closed my eyes, focusing on the words in my head. Gage, I need you. We need you. Please, Gage. I love you.

  I can’t imagine what he had to think when he burst through my door. I was half naked, a breast hanging out and sitting with my legs wrapped around a very naked Max.

  My stomach clenched as if I had been punched. I bit back more tears.

  “I’m so—”

  Gage slowly shook his head and I stopped talking. His eyes glowed with an intensity I hadn’t seen before. He closed the door behind him and in the thick silence in the room; I heard the snick of the lock.

  I was terrified. Gage was going to start yelling, or worse he was going to charge and attack.

  Max reached out to him.

  Gage stepped forward and took the other man’s hand, letting Max pull him into our embrace.

  I died. This was a death dream, this couldn’t be real. Reality wasn’t ever this sexy.

  I couldn’t breathe as Max kept pulling Gage in and they kissed. And they didn’t simply kiss. They kissed each other with ferocity and passion. I knew because they each had kissed me like that. Fuck.

  If I hadn’t been turned on and in need of man’s skin on me before, I certainly was now. I buried my hand into Max’s hair and held on as he attacked Gage’s mouth. I ran my other hand over Gage, touching his neck, shoulders, back, arms. I held them and they worked each other’s mouths in a way that made my lips jealous.

  Max reached up and ripped the snaps from my other shoulder. My hospital gown dropped between us. Their kiss broke. I made some low guttural sound as if I was the one who was no longer being kissed.

  “Bailey, you have to say yes, or this stops right here, right now.” Gage looked at me with those eyes and I was definitely dead. Was he giving me permission to be with Max?

  “I get both of you?” I couldn’t believe what was happening.

  “We are pack. We are yours.” It sounded like a chant when they both said it.

  “Fuck yeah.” I wanted them to be perfectly clear, I was all in.

  Max grabbed my hips adjusted me. Holy Hecate! I have never felt anything as magical as that man entering my body.

  His mouth sucked in my breast. Gage wrapped an arm around me and grabbed on to my other breast and then before I could scream out in ecstasy his mouth descended on mine, and I was kissing him with as much need and want as I witnessed in their kiss seconds before.

  Finally enough mouths, enough hands were on me. I had never had a three-way before, and I swear, I don’t think I could ever go back to one-on-one sex again. All of my nerve endings had the attention they needed to be worked into a frenzy. My position lent to an awkward lack of leverage, but Max’s hands on my hips took care of that. He growled and shook his head. I had to clasp a hand to his head to hold him still and not pull my breast off.

  Gage pulled away from our kiss and smiled at me. He licked his lower lip and stepped back. He began taking off his clothes. Max pulled my arm over so that I faced him fully and he increased his speed. I thought I was going to explode when he pulled me off him.

  “Knees,” he directed. He was a man of very few words.

  I shifted and got my knees under me. Gage ran a warm hand across my ass and back as I scooted my knees to the edge of the bed. I melted. Max pulled me in for a kiss. I swear calling what he did to my mouth a kiss seemed like calling New York City a little town.

  Max lifted his mouth away from me and I continued kissing down his neck to his chest. I licked the sweat from between his pecs. He tasted like salt and sweat and heaven.

  Gage pressed his hips to my ass and I lifted my hips back.

  He hissed and muttered. He stepped back. I focused on Max until I felt fingers spread wide rake down my hips in a nastily familiar sensation.

  I froze. I had a hard time finding my breath.

  “Oh God, Bailey. I’m sorry. We can stop.” Gage sounded hurt.

  “No!” The sound ripped from my throat.

  “I shouldn’t have traced the bruises.”

  “Touch me,” I ordered. “Touch me in any other way. I need you to erase him. Erase the memories, erase the sensations. Replace the memory with something I want, Gage. Replace them with you. Please.” I didn’t want to cry. I didn’t want to give Gordon the power to ruin this.

  “I’ll give you new memories.” Gage’s voice was low and so damned hot.

  I gasped as he ran his manhood across my delicate flesh.

  “Yes.” I backed my hips up as far as I could.

  I returned to kissing Max’s abs. Man, I could file my nails on this man, but his skin was soft to the touch and it covered the most amazing physique of rock hard everything. I’d say muscles, but the erection I sucked into my mouth felt more like it came complete with a baculum and was not only engorged with blood.

  I cried out around the skin I sucked on as Gage di
d the unexpected. Instead of sinking into me and ramming me against Max, he sucked me into his mouth and used his tongue to toy with my clit. I couldn’t breathe. It was all too much. And I wanted all of it and more.

  I spit out Max and all his glorious length so I could suck in air. I whimpered, “In me, in me, let me come around you.”

  I cried as Gage slid into me and began pounding. I lowered my head onto Max’s lap and held on to his erection for dear life. I guess I squeezed and moved just right. I felt him thicken and pulse. He let out a gasp as I felt warmth spill over my hand. I couldn’t enjoy it as much, as making a man come typically delights me, because I seized up and couldn’t move as my own orgasm exploded through my body. I guess we all came at the same time in some miracle of sexual prowess and magic. Gage roared and thrust hard against me.

  We froze, pressed into each other until our muscles could work again. I let go of Max and tried to roll. My IV line got caught on something, and I felt trapped. Gage extricated himself and managed to get me free. He lifted me into his arms. We gazed into each other’s eyes and I felt all my nerves begin to twist and twitch again. He lowered me to the bed, and Max demanded my attention. He rolled over me and kneed my legs apart.

  I didn’t expect him to be able to penetrate, after all, he had released all over my arm. Typically, that meant the guy had to recharge. Clearly, Max was not typical. He slid into me for a second time and I closed my eyes. This was all so weird. I held Gage’s hand as Max took his pleasure with me under him. I took my pleasure as well, because damn that man could fuck, make love. I don’t know. I wanted him. My body needed him, but until an hour ago, he was a wolf. Did I have an emotional attachment? Physical? Hell, yes. And maybe I’d fall in love after all of this, after all, no one had ever worked my body so beautifully as these two men were.

  The kiss I got was beautiful. Gage. I could tell from the angle the lips were at. How could I not love the man loving my body? Could I be in love with more than one man at once?

  Hell, these two didn’t seem to have a problem sharing me. They tagged teamed pretty damned well. I didn’t want to think about how many times they had done this before. These talents had to have been refined somewhere.