PROTECT AND FUR

STORY EXCERPT

Officer Craig Walker sat in his patrol car enjoying the warm summer sun against his face. Moving to Ecstasy Lake was one of the smartest things he’d ever done, even if it hadn’t felt that way in the beginning. Closing his eyes, he listened to the sound of an SUV heading toward him. He knew whose vehicle it was by the revving engine. He could also tell that the feisty driver was about to reach warp speed at the rate she was accelerating.

Brenna Roberts knew he parked at the top of the hill before the “Welcome to Ecstasy” sign. Everyone in town knew he parked there which meant only one thing. She wanted his attention, and today she was going to get it. He was tired of waiting.

He’d done his best to keep his distance from her until his best friend, Aiden O’Reilly, had made his way to Ecstasy Lake because he thought it’d been the right thing to do. Aiden had met her first, but prior commitments had prevented him from claiming her that fateful night. Aiden had asked Craig to watch out for her until he could wrap up the undercover mission he was on. Never had Craig expected to discover that Brenna was his Mate as well, and staying away from her for these past months had done a number on his patience. The SUV crested the hill and Brenna flew past him with a wave, consisting of one finger.

“That’s it, you little hellion. You and I are going to have a chat.” He flipped on his lights and siren and pulled out behind her vehicle.

Brenna delayed pulling over and then watched him through the side view mirror with an arched eyebrow as he walked up to her window. He was tempted to think that she wasn’t happy he’d pulled her over, but she had to know he wouldn’t let her get away with racing down the roads at that speed.

“Exactly what can I help you with, Officer Walker?”

Her impatient and snotty tone awoke the Alpha inside him and made his fingers itch to smack some respect into her ass. The creature he kept confined inside him fought against the barriers he kept between them. Brenna had a knack for chipping away at his control every time he got near her. “License and registration, please.”

“Why? You know who I am, and you know this is my vehicle.”

“License and registration now, please.” He kept all emotion out of his voice as he spoke. He didn’t want her thinking that she was in control of this situation, because she wasn’t. The woman had yanked his tail one too many times, and he wanted to yank back.

“Fine.” She reached over and pulled her purse into her lap and started emptying it all on the passenger seat before handing him a small folder. He retreated from her for a moment, to sit in his cruiser and let her stew. He needed the time to lock down his emotions and shore up his defenses against the creature inside him. The animal wanted out, but there was no way he would allow that evil creature to touch her. She was his, and it’d known it from the moment he first caught her scent.

If he were an intelligent man, he would’ve packed up, requested another transfer, and gotten the hell away from there. But he promised Aiden he’d watch out for her and keep her safe, which included curbing her affinity for speeding. Aiden was a bigger mess than him, and they had no business fucking with her life.

Sitting outside of her home like some stalker was more than a little strange, and staking out his Mate was new to him. He would’ve rather crawled into her bed and protected her properly. He’d been pissed off about the entire situation until he discovered what she was. He couldn’t accept the dark side of himself, so how could he expect her to? He’d done a damn good job keeping his distance while keeping an eye on her, until the day Jessica Bennett was kidnapped and hurt.

That day was forever burned into his memory, the moment that he had gotten within arm’s length of his Mate. And what had she said to him as she was dealing with a traumatized patient? “Who the fuck are you? Get the fuck out.”

His cock stirred at the memory. Damn, he always did have a soft spot for a strong woman. He was a selfish bastard because he knew he wouldn’t give her up to anyone else after that.

ADULT EXCERPT

Aiden stroked his hand down her thigh and around the back of her knee. “Craig, hold her for me please?”

“My pleasure.” Craig’s grin turned sensual and his eyes darkened as he wrapped his hand around the back of her knee and lifted her leg up.

“What are you doing?” Brenna tried to set her leg down, but he wouldn’t loosen his grip.

“Are you feeling a little exposed, Brenna?” Aiden’s voice rumbled from between her legs. She felt his breath on her damp pussy and quivered in anticipation. She was feeling exposed in more ways than one. Her emotions lay bare for them. She turned her face from him, closed her eyes, and leaned her head back against Craig’s shoulder, but a sharp slap to her ass made them fly open.

“Keep them open, Brenna. Watch.”

At the same moment, Aiden glided his fingers between her legs and boldly stroked her pussy.

“Oh, god.” Her voice quivered, but Aiden didn’t seem to be hear her. He explored her cunt with fascination and pressed his fingers into her dripping entrance. He rubbed her internal walls, testing pressure points until she was gasping and her legs started to shake. He looked up and sucked his fingers into his mouth, then closed his eyes and moaned. He sounded feral and needy. Watching him lick her essence from his fingers was the most decadent vision she’d ever witnessed.

“Told you she tasted like vanilla cream.” Craig’s voice rumbled behind her, but she didn’t look back this time. Aiden met her gaze as he moved closer and flicked his tongue out against her clit. The touch hit her like a lightning bolt and she jumped. A resounding chuckle floated past her ear. “Pace yourself, Brenna. This isn’t a race. We’re planning on taking our time”—Craig’s words brushed against her ear—“and savoring every inch of you.”

Aiden grinned and then cupped her ass, pulling her closer to his face. He teased her with little flicks of his tongue. She pressed back against Craig, watching Aiden enjoy her pussy while Craig’s large hand was spread out over her abdomen. He slid his hand up to cup her breast, kissed her shoulders and back of her neck, but never lost the firm grip he had on her leg.

Aiden shifted himself closer and plunged a finger inside her as he sucked her clit into his mouth and flicked it rapidly with his tongue. “Oh, fuck.” She went up on her tiptoes, trying to get away from the intense feeling but craving it at the same time. The intense pleasure washed over her and she closed her eyes, getting lost in it.

“Oh, yeah, he’s got you now.” Craig’s words added an intoxicating layer to what was happening to her. She gripped Aiden’s hair with one hand and clenched Craig’s hip with the other. Her hips swirled against Aiden’s mouth. “Come hard for me, Brenna. I want all that delicious cream to coat you, because as soon as Aiden is done, I’m going to drive my cock deep inside you.”

Aiden pressed another finger into her as he plunged them in and out of her pussy, stretching her muscles, but she knew she would still feel the burn from Craig’s cock. She wanted them both and envisioned sucking on Aiden’s cock much the way he was doing to her cunt.

She moaned and wriggled in their arms, reaching for the orgasm that insisted on hanging just out of reach. Another sharp slap to her ass, and she cried out, loving the heat it created. “Come on, Brenna, come for us.” Another slap threw her to the edge, but it was the vibrations of Aiden growling against her pussy yanked her over.

“Oh yes, more…god.” Arching her body, she felt like every muscle seized at the same time. The intensity was a hot rush of pleasure making every muscle relax in its wake. Both men stroked and petted her as she felt herself lowered to the floor.

* * * *

Craig thought his cock was going to explode, he was so hard. Feeling Brenna come apart in his arms while Aiden feasted on her pussy was one of the most erotic things he’d ever seen. He knew she’d been struggling with past memories, but he didn’t care about that right now. Whatever happened in their pasts could stay the fuck there. He wanted this more than anything in his entire life. This was his chance at a happiness he’d been denied over and over as a child.

Brenna accepted him as he was and didn’t demand more than he could give. How could he not love her? Fuck. The realization made his hands shake and rocked him to the core. He would do anything to make her happy. She was his Mate, his everything, and he didn’t want to expose her to his past. Why add to the crap she was dealing with? He knew it was only a matter of time before she discovered—He shoved that thought away for now.

He and Aiden gently lowered her boneless body to the floor, but as soon as she was free to move she attacked Aiden. Watching her voraciously kiss Aiden, Craig waited to see if he’d feel jealous, but he didn’t. Her happiness was more important, and he was a patient man. He shucked his pants and tossed them to the side. When she parted from Aiden, she launched herself at him. Good thing he was already on his knees, because tasting Brenna’s pussy on her own lips would’ve dropped him. She wrapped her delicate hand around the top of his cock, teasing the head. He quickly gripped the base and squeezed tight. Having her fingers on him threw him to the limit of his endurance faster than he’d ever imagined. He almost came in her silky hand like an oversexed teenager.

She bit down on his pectoral muscle. The sharp nip from her teeth made his cock throb. She flicked the mark with her tongue, licking away the sting. Sweet, delicious arousal seasoned the air, and he could almost taste her against the back of his throat. She reminded him of brandy-soaked peaches over ice cream.

He gathered her up close to him and wrapped his hands over her ass and fit her perfectly against his groin. He rolled his hips and rubbed the length of his cock up against her cunt.

SURROUNDED BY FUR

STORY EXCERPT

River dreamt of bears, not surprising given the circumstances, but instead of being terrified, anxiety-driven memories, her dreams were filled with soft cuddles and gentle kisses. She remembered the feel of Boyd’s lips on hers, so silky smooth, and Gavin coming so close to touching her but pulling away playfully. She wondered, if she’d touched him, would he have kissed her? She stood in front of an open window looking out and seeing herself in Hugh’s arms. He held her as carefully as he had baby Emily. Instead of silly faces and baby talk, he looked at her as if he loved her, stroking her cheek with one finger. She looked so small in his embrace, curled up against his chest.

The sound of metal hitting the floor rocked River out of her dream. Was that a gunshot? She sat up and looked around, trying to make out what was going on around her. She heard a noise but couldn’t tell where it came from. Getting yanked out of such a deep sleep played havoc with her thoughts, and she had trouble discerning what was real and what was still dream. A thick blanket lay pooled in her lap. It must’ve been on top of her while she slept.

But I didn’t get a blanket…oh, no.

With her heart beating wildly in her chest, she leaned down, snagged her tennis shoes off the floor, and slipped her feet in them as she scanned the room. Any movement and she was running hell bent for leather in the opposite direction. To hell with any kind of subterfuge. She should’ve known better than to try to be sneaky. She sucked at it, which was why she always chose the hide-in-plain-view tactic.

Leaving the blanket behind, she tiptoed across the dais and down the two stairs to the floor. So far there wasn’t a single movement to alert her to anyone’s presence. The single light was still on, and the machinery hummed along as it did before. The only sign she hadn’t been alone was the blanket on her, but who would cover her and then leave her alone?

Not about to stick around and find out who might have found her, she made her way out the back hallway to the door. She slowly turned the handle and pushed, but the door didn’t budge. She put her weight against it, but there wasn’t a single millimeter of give to it. She looked out the glass and noticed something big had been braced against it. She was trying to figure out what the hell it was when it shifted and a beige-colored muzzle came into view. Holy shit! A fucking grizzly was stopping her from opening the door.

She turned around and ran for all she was worth. She made it two whole steps when she slammed into an incredibly broad chest. Big arms wrapped around her and hauled her up against a muscular form. She looked up expecting to see teeth, but instead Hugh smiled down at her. “Hello, River.” He stroked one finger down her cheek and jaw until it ended at her chin. He kept it there, not allowing her to look down. “Breaking and entering is a new one for you, isn’t it?”

“I might have entered, but I didn’t break anything that wasn’t already open.”

“No, you’re right, and considering how deep you were asleep I’d say you haven’t slept well in a while.”

“So,” she snapped and wriggled, trying to gain her freedom, which she knew was going to be impossible. Didn’t stop her from trying anyway.

Hugh tightened his grip on her, enough to restrict her movements but not hurt her. “River, stop it and talk to me.”

She could feel herself starting to panic. He must have sensed it because his grip loosened a touch but the intensity in his gaze never wavered. Where Boyd made her think of cuddling and she dreamed of petting Gavin, Hugh’s dominate nature tempted her to push her own boundaries. His eyes were black in the dim light but she could read his intentions as if he’d said them out loud. “Let me go.”

“Never.” He tilted his head and kissed her.

ADULT EXCERPT

The moment his heavy, hot hand came down on her ass cheek, she stilled. The shock of pain rushed through her system followed by warmth filling her pussy. Hugh smacked her ass again and then again.

Boyd leaned close and kissed her jaw. “Still want me to tell him to stop, River?”

Hugh smacked her ass and then ran his hand lightly over the skin. She felt more stroking along her legs and feet. She clenched as the sensation ran over the back of her knees. The strokes dipped down almost between her legs, but then his hand lifted away. She moaned at the denied stroke. A couple of chuckles drew her attention and sparked her temper, but before she could say anything Boyd kissed her again.

His satiny lips stroked over hers. He cupped the back of her head with one hand and kept the grip on her wrists with the other. His tongue invaded her mouth, plundering and making her want more but denying her. He pulled back slightly and pressed kisses to her ear, where he bit lightly on her lobe. “Tell me no, River. Say no and this all stops. Keep fighting this, I dare you.”

“Bite me,” River snapped automatically and heard another round of low chuckles. The sounds danced over her skin, raising all the tiny hairs.

“That’s not polite, River.” Hugh growled behind her, and his hand came down on her ass again, making her jump. She wouldn’t have described them as hits, more like taps, but they stung, and the heat built up and up until she was lifting her ass to meet his hand.

“That’s right,” Boyd whispered in her ear. “We can make you feel so good if you let us.” She felt Boyd run his hand down her neck and then over her collarbone, teasing the skin along the V-neck of her T-shirt.

The sensation of so many hands on her at once was overwhelming and exquisite at the same time. The intensity frightened her, but she craved it. Overwhelmed by the contradictions, she fought the strength of what was building inside her.

Hugh slapped her ass hard. The tips of his fingers smacked her pussy lips, and she began to tremble. She felt her legs being drawn open and fought against him. She wanted more, needed something she’d never found before, but the intensity of it frightened her. Denial was her only defense right now.

“That’s it, little kit. Make them earn it.” Boyd continued his encouragement in her ear. A dark voice fed a need she didn’t know lived inside her. “Don’t give in easily. Make those two work for it.”

Another smack to her ass made her skin burn. A rough hand caressed her fiery skin, soothing it before dipping down and stroking the outer lips of her pussy. She could feel her body shaking, reaching for something as she felt her cream being spread all over her pussy.

“She’s so wet,” Gavin growled. A large hand grabbed her ass cheeks and spread them apart, exposing her completely to the men behind her.

“Beautiful,” Hugh breathed, and she felt a wet finger circle her back opening.

River wrapped one arm around Boyd’s shoulders, her face buried in his neck, holding to her only anchor in this tumultuous storm of emotions. “I can’t, too much.”

“Yes, you will.”

“Let go, we’ll keep you safe.”

Hugh’s voice was a sharp demand whereas Boyd’s was a caress against her senses. She felt her body being stroked and explored. One of them painted a streak of cream down her leg and then followed it with his tongue. Fingers circled around the entrance to her pussy, keeping her balanced on a precipice.

“Both Gavin and Hugh can’t get enough of touching you. You like having four hands playing with your body and spanking your ass.” Boyd ran his tongue along the outer edge of her ear. “When they’re done, I’m going to get my face right up against that luscious pussy of yours and lick up all the delicious honey I can smell you spilling right now.”

Never had anyone ever done that to her. The amount of trust to allow someone so close to her pussy was something River had never been able to give anyone. Her experience with sex was contained to quick, fumbling fucks in the backseat of a car or at concerts. Emotionless, commitment-free events never satisfied her. This time she couldn’t separate her emotions if she wanted to. She felt more connected to these three men than she had anyone else in her lifetime. She trusted them already and that sent a bolt of shock through her muddled senses.

“When they make you come, kit”—Boyd’s voice was low and rumbled against her skin—“I want you to come hard for me, because when I get my mouth on you and taste all your creamy honey you’re going to scream again.”

SEDUCING THEIR WAYFARING SOULS

STORY EXCERPT

“Shhhhh.” Lars rubbed her back between her shoulder blades and rocked her gently. It was a natural response to her pain and tears and he prayed he was helping her. “This is a normal reaction to stress. You both are fine, and after a good meal and a solid sleep I bet you feel like a thousand bucks in the morning.”

That made her cry even harder and Lars tried to figure out what he’d said wrong. “Would a million bucks be better?”

Tara coughed and laughed slightly although there was no real humour in it. “I’d settle for a hundred.” She wiped her face with the back of her hands and sniffed.

“Don’t worry. We’re going to take care of the two of you.” He reached over to the desk and handed her a box of tissues.

“Why would you do that?”

Lars looked at the tissues and back at her. “Because your face is all wet and you might want to blow your nose?”

She laughed again and this time it sounded a bit more real. “No, why do you all want to take care of us? Everyone has been so incredibly kind.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Ecstasy Lake is a special place. We like to take care of each other.” He pulled a tissue from the box and lifted her chin and wiped the wash of tears from her cheeks. “I don’t like seeing you crying.”

“Why? You don’t even know me.”

How could he explain to her what he feared to admit to himself? Seeing her cry felt like acid dripping on his soul. He wondered what kind of life she’d had up to this point. What would make her so suspicious of a person offering basic human kindness?

“I can’t seem to stop.” She sniffed and her eyes welled up again. This time, she grabbed another tissue and turned her back to him as she blew her nose. Lars reached his hand out to stroke her hair but pulled it back before she noticed. She was trouble, and he was sunk.

He’d put a lot of effort into not allowing his emotions to get the better of him when it came to women. He couldn’t allow himself to love again, and he didn’t want any female to develop feelings for him he would never be able to return. But Tara was different. Something about her drew him in. She awoke things inside of him he hadn’t felt in a century. His first thought was to pat her shoulder and get far away from her, but his feet were rooted to the ground. When he saw the tremors wrack her shoulders again, he moved closer to her and pulled her into his arms.

She wrapped her arms around his waist. Her small hands felt like brands pressed at his lower back, her cheek against his chest over his heartbeat. He felt her tears soak through the front of his T-shirt and seep directly into his heart. She smelled like lush tropical flowers first thing in the morning. He could almost imagine that her skin would feel like silk under his fingertips and fought the urge to find out. This was the last thing I expected when I woke up this morning.

She was the perfect height. Her head fit perfectly under his chin as he rubbed her back, trying to soothe her. It felt like every muscle in her body was knotted up and that couldn’t be good for her. She needed to be tucked into a large bed and surrounded by men who loved her. Where did that come from? “Did you know crying is good for you?” He needed to distract himself from the runaway train his thoughts had turned into.

“Really, says who?” She sniffed and wiped her fingers under her eyes but wouldn’t look up at him.

“It’s true.” He pulled another tissue from the box and handed it to her. “They’ve done studies about how tears cleanse toxins out of your body and release positive hormones into your system.”

“Yeah, well, all I have is a headache and I feel like I got hit by a truck.” She straightened and put some distance between them. “I’m sorry for blubbering all over you.”

“It’s all right.” He ran his fingers along the side of her face and tucked some wayward hair behind her ear. She reminded him of a pixie with her short, tousled hair and big eyes. She blinked up at him and he forgot what made him want to keep some distance between them. His heart pounded against his ribs and that possessive sense washed over him again. He wanted to keep her safe for the rest of their lives.

He closed the space between them, thankful she didn’t retreat. Could she be caught in the same spell? This had to be some sort of magic. A small tear escaped the corner of her eye and slipped over her cheek. He brushed it away with his thumb, but left his hand cupping her cheek. Her lashes drifted down and she turned her face into his touch.

A kiss. One kiss was all he wanted and then he would walk away from her, far away from her. She was a single mother and he had no right to even think of inserting himself into her life. He couldn’t survive the heartbreak again when she grew older and he didn’t. To watch a child grow and be denied the right to claim him as his own. He couldn’t do that again.

One kiss. He leaned down and pressed his lips against the corner of her eye, and then the other, kissing away her tears. He brushed the corner of her mouth next, teasing them both, enjoying the hunger building up in his body. With one hand cupping her face, he pressed against her lower back with his other one, feeling the fine tremble along her skin. His cock thickened and bucked behind his leather pants. A taste. One taste and then he would let her go.

ADULT EXCERPT

She wrapped one hand back around Cris’s neck and with the other she gripped Lars’s hair as he worshiped her breasts and stroked her pussy under the water. She arched her hips and widened her stance, silently begging one of them to fill her. When Lars snaked a finger back and impaled her, she would’ve come except he held his finger motionless inside her. “No.” She arched her hips and tried to force him to move. “Fuck me.”

Cris rubbed his hard cock against her back. “How would you like me to shove my cock up your pussy and Lars will push his deep into your ass? Would you like that, Tara?”

“Yes, now. Do it now.” Her body arched, reaching for the pinnacle the two of them were holding her back from.

“We have to get you ready for that,” he whispered against her ear. Lars added a second finger to her pussy and stroked her twice before stilling his fingers again. She panted and moaned, getting desperate for relief. She felt something press against her anus and then slip past the opening.

She gasped and clenched against the intrusion. Cris made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl against her temple. “Fuck, she’s going to be tight.”

Lars groaned at her breast and sucked harder on her nipple, sending another shock wave of pleasure washing over her. A finger swirled around her clit, distracting her from the one trying to penetrate her ass. A dark pleasure rocked through her when Cris pulled out his finger and then pushed in again, this time gaining more depth. Images of her being suspended between the two of them as their cocks replaced their fingers invaded her thoughts. It was strange but felt so incredibly good at the same time. She hooked her leg around one of Lars’s in an attempt to gain some purchase and take control of the rhythm, but neither man let her get away with it.

Lars nipped at her breast and she tightened her grip on his hair. That only spurred him on and he flexed his fingers deep in her pussy and stroked upward. Her breath caught with the intensity of it. He finger fucked her pussy as Cris did the same for her ass and all she could do was hold on to both of them and try to stay upright. Even that failed when Cris pushed a second finger into her anus and Lars pinched her clit as he pushed a third finger inside of her.

Tara felt like her body exploded into a thousand sparking shards, and her screams echoed off the walls around them.

Tara felt herself being moved through the water but felt too boneless to care or even try to help. A strong arm snaked under her legs and around her back, and then she was pulled against a hard chest. She rested her cheek against the muscle and listened to the rapid beat of the heart underneath which made her smile. Lars.

“Min blomst.” His voice rumbled deep in his chest and she could feel his cock hard and pulsing against her thigh. “Are you all right?”

“I feel like I’m floating.”

“Good.”

There was a splash to the right of them. She turned and Cris waded forward holding a bottle of Gatorade. “I want you to drink some.” He passed it to her. She took a long swallow which helped refresh her slightly. There was something so unique and special about the time spent with Lars and Cris that she honestly couldn’t recall ever feeling that mellow. She took another sip before passing it back to Cris.

Cris placed it on the ledge to the side of them and then ran his hand along her hip. His hand felt cool after holding on to the bottle and she suspected that was the point when her nipples tightened up again.

She wrapped her fingers around Lars’s generous cock as she grasped Cris’s thickness with her other hand. Both men groaned as she stroked them, making her feel brazen and empowered. It surprised her how much her own arousal grew watching each man accept her ministrations.

Cris’s gaze caught hers and even she could read the hunger in his eyes. Her body reacted and her pussy clenched with the silent request. The moment she nodded he hopped up onto the ledge. There must’ve been a step up under the water because she didn’t think anyone could humanly move that fast and high. Not worried about it, she watched as Cris grabbed a towel and dried off his cock and then rolled a condom over it. Lars twirled his fingers over her pussy and breasts and she continued to stroke his cock.

When Cris got back in the water and sat down on the ledge next to her, Lars passed her over. He moved a few feet away, one hand resting back against the ledge. The other was under the water stroking his own cock if the flexing of his muscle was any indication.

“Lars is going to watch me fuck you this time, Tara.” His aggressive words sent a thrill of excitement rushing through her, flooding her pussy with moisture. He grasped her hips and pulled her onto his lap again, pushing deep inside of her with a single stroke. He felt huge from this angle and Lars never took his eyes off of her. His arm continued to move as he jerked his cock.

“Ride him,” Lars ordered.

CHASING PEACE, LOVE & FUR

STORY EXCERPT

“You’re smiling again.” Georges tilted his bottle and took a deep swallow of the cold brew.

“So are you,” he replied. They’d both been sporting stupid grins ever since Clara got out of that piece of shit car of hers. He distinctly remembered the heady scent of her arousal in the hallway as he showed her upstairs. It had taken every ounce of his control to stand next to a bed with her and not toss her down on it and ravish her.

“I’m not certain if I’m in shock or can’t believe that she is really here. If our wayward brother hadn’t wandered off earlier we could have been seducing her right now.

“There is more to it than simply waiting for Nouel to be here. I don’t want to pursue her until we know for certain that she is his Mate as well.

Georges shrugged his shoulders. “She isn’t going to be going anywhere anytime soon.”

“Oh, shit, Georges. Please don’t tell me you fucked with her car. I thought we learned our lesson with Tara.” Cris had called in a favour when Tara came to town and they’d lied to her about the condition of her vehicle in order to stop her from leaving. When the truth came out, she’d been furious and rightfully so.

“No, not really…maybe a little bit.” Georges picked at the label on his beer bottle. “The timing belt was slipping a bit and it looked like she picked up a nail somewhere because one of her tires had a slow leak. I just helped both of them along.”

“Why the hell would you do that?”

“Because, I didn’t really disagree with what we did to help Cris and Lars keep Tara in town. I don’t want Clara to leave without getting a chance to change her mind.

“And when she finds out?”

“She won’t. These were problems that would have happened anyways. I just exaggerated the problems a little more. It would have been worse if these things had happened to her when she was out in the middle of nowhere.”

“She’s a bear, Georges. I don’t think she has to worry too much about much when it comes to threats. Bears are tough fuckers, look at the McNamaras.”

“Okay, you have a point but what about her scent. There is something wrong there. I don’t know what it is but I can’t let her leave.”

“Let who leave?” Nouel asked as he slid the patio door open. A rush of snow billowed in around him.

“Don’t let the snow in, asshole. You’ll fuck up the floor.”

Luc had to hide his grin. Georges was very particular about his kitchen, and the hardwood floor was one of his favourite aspects of the room. He’d done the work himself and took great pride in it. Nouel rolled his eyes as he caught the towels their brother threw at him.

“What were you two talking about?” He sniffed and looked around. “And what is that delicious smell? I didn’t know you started baking.”

Luc relaxed and took another swallow of the cold beer in his hand. His baby brother’s reaction couldn’t be any more perfect. “That’s our Mate you’re picking up in the air.”

Nouel’s jaw dropped but he recovered quickly. “Where is she?”

“Upstairs in bed,” Luc answered. Nouel immediately headed for the hallway. “But it’s not that simple, Nouel. If it was, don’t you think we’d be up there already?”

Nouel paused in the doorway to the hall, staring at the staircase upstairs. “What’s the problem?”

“There’s something off about her and we aren’t sure what it is. We’re both certain she’s our Mate and by your reaction I would imagine she’s yours as well, but it’s like she has no idea who we are to her.”

“She’s a bear,” Georges offered. “She loved my honey buns.”

“Please tell me there are some left.” Luc almost laughed at the pleading look on their younger brother. “Besides that sounds almost racist. I love your buns and I’m not a bear.”

“Perv.” Georges pointed his beer bottle at the kitchen counter.

“Don’t be an ass.” Nouel followed Georges’s directions to the glass lid that rested on the display plate. He brought the entire plate over to the table. Grabbing one, he stuck it in his mouth and took a bite before taking a coffee mug out of the cupboard. “Isn’t their sense of smell supposed to be the best of all the shifters?”

“Yes, which is what makes this even more confusing. She should have known we were Mates the moment she got out of her car, but nothing.” That fact is what irritated Luc. He didn’t like not understanding what a problem was. How was he supposed to fix what he didn’t know was broken.

“Okay, none of this makes any sense.” Nouel made a cup from the single-mug brewer and then carried his coffee over to the table. Turning his chair around, he straddled it and leaned his forearms against the kitchen table as he reached for another honey bun. “How do you know she’s a bear?”

“Because there is nothing wrong with my nose. Also, I phoned Gordon to ask his opinion. He received a phone call from her father last week requesting permission for her to pass through the area.

“Something about that bothered me, too.” Georges leaned back in his chair as he spoke. “She said that she’d escaped, but escaped from what? If her father was calling to ask permission for her to be here, then shouldn’t we assume that he isn’t the problem?”

“I don’t think we can assume anything. There is more to her story then simply her ability to change shape. Gordon said that he’d been assured she would only be in town for less than twenty-four hours.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I told him that was unlikely because she was our Mate, and we planned to do what we could to convince her to stay.”

“If she’s upstairs, how did you convince her?”

“Georges fucked with her car.”

Nouel looked at them both as if they’d gone insane. “Didn’t you tell me less than six months ago that you would never do that because of how guilty you both felt last time?” 

“It’s different this time.”

“How’s that?”

“This time it’sour Mate. I don’t feel the least bit guilty doing what I had to, to make certain we get the opportunity to figure out what is going on with her.”

ADULT EXCERPT

“Do you feel exposed, Clara?” Luc whispered against her temple. “You’re completely bared to us, helpless while we do anything we want. Do you want to fight back? Hurt us?”

“No!” She opened her eyes and looked at him. The question managed to snap her out of her high-speed chase for an orgasm. “I’d never hurt you.”

“Of course you wouldn’t, because you know deep down that even now when you are completely helpless and vulnerable, we’d protect you with our lives.” He claimed her mouth again, nibbling on her lips as Georges pressed kisses against her neck and shoulder.

She didn’t have time to think about what he said too much because Nouel pressed his mouth against her pussy at that moment, licking and sucking on her sensitive skin. The intense erotic sensations bombarded her. Wet and hot, her body shook, craving more. Nouel wouldn’t let her move more than a few inches and Luc’s tight grip on her wrists denied her the pleasure of touching them. Georges held her torso down as he played with her breasts, tracing his tongue along her rib cage. She’d never felt so helpless and empowered in her entire life as her body clenched and rocked against the men holding her.

Her orgasm rocked her body, seemingly out of nowhere, sucking her down into its white-hot clutches. It pulsed through her body from her clit out to her limbs as she arched up against the hands restraining her. Murmurs of encouragement whispered through her mind as she floated in the weightlessness of her pleasure, feeling as if she were suspended in some in-between state.

“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.” It was the awe in Luc’s voice that tugged her back. Cupping her jaw with both hands, he pressed little kisses against her face. “I want to see you do that again.”

“I can’t.” Clara felt boneless and would have laughed at Luc if she’d had the energy.

“Yes, you will.” Nouel shifted between her legs and she realized that her feet were pressing against the bed and he wasn’t holding her there any longer. He rose up between her legs and she felt his large cock pressing at her entrance. “We’re making you ours forevermore.”

Her heart skipped a beat as her body fired back to life. Feeling his hot and incredibly hard cock teasing her had her longing for more as she reached up for him. “Yes.”

He dipped his head and pressed his lips against hers, kissing her hard and deep. She could taste her musky, tangy flavour on his lips, something she never thought would arouse her but it did. Nouel pushed the crown of his cock into her, stretching her internal muscles with his presence, but she was so wet he didn’t have any trouble surging into her, encasing his entire length inside of her with one shocking stroke. Her body burned as it grew accustomed to his size, but instead of it feeling like a deterrent she wanted more.

“Fuck, yes. Fuck, you’re tight.” He gritted between clenched teeth as he rolled over so she rose over him. She settled down on him and felt his cock press deeper inside of her, reaching places she’d never been touched before meeting them. Nouel lifted his hands from where she had them braced on his chest and urged her forward with his fingers. “Come here and kiss me, Mate.”

She bent forward and his cock shifted, stretching and pressing her inner walls. He pressed playful little kisses against his lips, making them both laugh. A cold dribble slid down the crack of her ass, making her gasp. “That’s cold.”

A low chuckle from Georges had her looking over her shoulder and arching an eyebrow at him. “You did that on purpose.”

“Just getting your attention.” He winked at her as she felt him circle her rear entrance with a finger. A shudder danced along her spine at the elicit feeling that created. She’d never considered that area being as sensitive to touch until now. It felt like there were a thousand live wires attached directly to her clit.

“Now that you have it what are you going to do?”

He smirked at her and then pressed a thick finger into her ass. “I’m planning to get you slippery and stretched and then push my cock deep into your ass. Then I’m going to fuck your ass as Nouel fucks your pussy.”

“Oh.” It was the best she could come up with at that moment. Her breath had seized in her throat and her heart began to pound even harder. Anticipation or nerves, she wasn’t certain, but she couldn’t imagine allowing anyone but these men to claim her like this. Georges’s blunt honesty was enough to make her come right then and there. Georges always seemed so laidback and calm. He was the nurturing one who wanted to make certain she was comfortable, but she’d noticed that he had a dark streak she hadn’t expected. As she looked up at him in astonishment, he pushed a second finger into her.

He kept his gaze locked on hers the entire time. There was something darkly erotic about staring at him as he pushed his fingers into her back entrance.  “Breathe through it, Clara, god you are going to be so tight around my cock.”

She clenched against the burn, then took a deep breath and relaxed into the sensation.

“That’s a good girl.” This time when he pressed another finger into her, she relaxed and let the erotic burn wash over her. Georges pumped his fingers in and out a few times and she gripped the sheets on either side of Nouel’s head, arching her back and lifting her ass to his touch.