Prowling Their Mate

by Tamsin Baker

  “Shouldn’t have said that? Shouldn’t have said what? What the hell is going on?”

  Laura was really screeching now, and seemed to be hyperventilating as her breath wheezed in and out.

  Tyler was doing nothing to calm her, and I really didn’t like the noise.

  I strode forward and grabbed her arms, silencing her with my mouth. She gasped and went rigid for a moment, then moaned and sank into my embrace, making my body come alive.

  Her taste exploded through my senses, the perfect combination of sweetness and lust. I needed her in every way there was.

  Her hands slid under my shirt and stroked my skin. My lion leapt inside me, then settled down to purr. She pulled away a little to whisper against my lips. “Why do I want you like this?”

  I couldn’t speak, couldn’t tell her that this was Fate. That she’d always feel this way, and that I wanted her more than any woman I’d ever known.

  So I tried to tell her in a way that didn’t include words, and moved my hands down to her ass and gave it a good squeeze.

  Lust tightened my groin and made my cock throb.

  Fuck, why do I like that so much?

  “Brandon? Tyler?” our mother’s voice called out to us. She was close by and looking for us.

  Damn.

  I reluctantly broke our kiss and stepped away from Laura, which was nearly painful. I hated the loss of warmth when her hands weren’t against my skin any longer.

  “Here you boys are.”

  Our mother stood in the door way to the barn, her lovely, wide smile on full display as she looked between the three of us.

  She gestured to our mate. “Laura. Come with me and meet some of the family.”

  Laura glanced up at me, her green eyes worried and open.

  I nodded to her and she seemed to slump. She better not expect me to protect her from my mom. That was never going to happen.

  To be honest, I wasn’t even sure it was possible.

  Laura moved up next to our mother, her lovely cotton dress clinging to her curves. That ass called out to me and said, bend me over and fuck me, please.

  I shook my head and growled in impatience. When would we be able to claim her?

  Mom took Laura’s arm and looked back over her shoulder at us. “Come on, boys. I think Laura needs to meet some of your cousins.”

  I groaned and shared a mutually aggravated look with my twin. Our courtship of Laura had been completely taken over.

  LAURA.

  Rosalie took my hand and led me into a pack of men, all related somehow to the two that had kissed me. I glanced around at the group of massive males who were staring at me and heat filled my cheeks.

  Why were they all looking at me like that?

  “Laura, this is Jack and Scott. Another perfect pair like my boys.”

  Two pairs of intense eyes swung my way and I tried to take a step back on pure instinct. Only Rosalie’s arm in mine stopped me.

  The men before me were magnificent, the same way a pair of tigers at the zoo were beautiful.

  They were older than Tyler and Brandon, probably mid to late forties, but their aura was unmistakable. Virile, strong, protective males.

  Hang on, what had Rosalie said?

  “Perfect pair? Sorry, what does that mean?”

  Rosalie smiled at me and squeezed my arm tightly, as though to prevent me from going anywhere.

  “In our family, some of the men are born as a set of fraternal twins, and we call them perfect pairs.”

  I glanced at Jack and Scott again and began to see the similarities to my guys.

  One was blond, though he was greying now, blue-eyed, extremely muscular, and tall. The other had brown hair shot through with white, brown eyes like Tyler, and was shorter but still fit and lithe.

  “You mean because of being complete opposites in looks?” I asked and Rosalie nodded.

  “Yes, but it’s more than that. Their personalities are opposite, yet completely complimentary too. One will be more intelligent, the other physically stronger. One will be more protective, and the other will be the more affectionate. Think of it as having everything you could ask for in a man split into two, so that you don’t miss out on anything.”

  I looked over the men again and watched the way their mouths turned down in disapproval.

  Was their disapproval on account of what Rosalie was saying? Because they weren’t correcting her.

  Tyler and Brandon had moved closer again, and I giggled a little to see the similarities in the two sets of twins.

  “Wow, you guys have strong genes.”

  The men shuffled their feet and looked anywhere but at me.

  Hmm, they did say the truth hurt, but why would such a compliment be a bad thing? They were beautiful, all of them.

  “Am I missing something?” I asked the group as a whole.

  Scott, the bigger twin, looked at me and answered my question.

  “Rosalie left off the most important thing about perfect pairs. The damn curse.”

  Rosalie tsked loudly and held tight to my arm. I was going to have bruises tomorrow if the woman kept that up.

  “It’s not a curse, Scott! Just because you two followed your gonads rather than tradition, does not mean it’s a curse. She’s still out there, but you have to find her.”

  Both men rolled their eyes and a rather stunning adolescent female ran up and grabbed onto Scott’s arm.

  “Dad, we need you for a minute.”

  Scott smiled apologetically and bobbed his head. “Nice to meet you.”

  Jack saluted and headed off as well, following the girl who was sprinting off toward the side of the house.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, confused by the multitude of emotions radiating around me.

  The men had seemed possessive, jealous even, and sad. I turned toward my guys for more details.

  Brandon and Tyler looked at each other for a moment before Tyler stepped forward. “Perfect pairs only have one mate. A woman they share, who is made only for them.”

  When he paused for breath, I gasped, pain pressing down on my chest. He couldn’t be serious.

  Tyler continued. “But Scott and Jack chose not to do that. They both married and had kids with women who make them miserable. And we...” he paused again, looking back at Brandon before continuing, “are not going to make the same mistake.”

  They thought I was this... one woman. No!

  “Are you telling me that you expect me to... do what, exactly?”

  I shook my head and blinked several times. I couldn’t be listening to this, or understanding it correctly. “You two can’t both want me!”

  But nothing else made sense. Not the feelings... not the kiss...

  My voice had risen in both tone and pitch, and for the first time in my life, I was feeling hysterical. They had to be kidding.

  “Of course, we do.” Tyler’s tone was smooth and placating, so I began to laugh. Then I snorted and giggled. Very elegant.

  I pried myself away from Rosalie’s death grip and staggered toward the house. I felt both woozy and numb. I couldn’t stand up straight.

  Renee came toward me, grabbing my hand and gently maneuvering me so that I ended up sitting with her on a comfortable wicker sofa on the porch.

  The woman was awesome.

  “Can you believe...” I wheezed, grabbing Renee’s hand, once again feeling intoxicated. Maybe there was something in the air out here.

  “What?” Renee asked, sounding excited and interested.

  “Your brothers say they both want me. This has to be some sort of cruel joke... It’s not possible.”

  What was it? Make fun of the fat sister week?

  The thought sobered me pretty quickly.

  Renee smiled gently, like one would when explaining something to a child. “Why would it be a joke? You’re beautiful and kind, and if that magnificent aura you give off is anything to go by, you’ll be a great mate.”

  Oh my God! They’re all crazy!


  I pushed myself away from the strange redhead and stood up. My legs were shaky, but I didn’t need a lot of strength to make it to the car.

  I was leaving.

  “Last night Brandon took my sister home to fuck!” I practically yelled at Renee. “Do you know what my sister looks like? She’s a blonde version of you! As if men like Brandon and Tyler would ever want someone like me. This is just... ridiculous!”

  I could feel Tyler and Brandon nearby but couldn’t bring myself to focus on them. “She’s a size four, and wouldn’t know one end of a horse from the other! Isn’t that what men like? Dumb and easy to get into bed? Because I can tell you—that’s not me!”

  A muffled laugh sounded behind me and I finally faced the two men who had both kissed me mere moments ago.

  I was blinded my anger and disgust, mostly at myself, but I leveled my gaze at them instead. “You two will never convince me that you want me—not me as I am. Big, loud, opinionated, and I’m certainly not going to fall meekly into some...some...” I struggled to find the word as polygamy didn’t usually work this way. “Weird ménage relationship!”

  Both men opened their mouths to speak and I ran away.

  I managed to get through the house, but the front path seemed much longer the second time around, and my heart was thumping as I hurried along the road to my car.

  One of them would follow me, I was sure of it. I had to hurry.

  “Laura, wait!”

  Brandon. Shit. Tyler would have been easier.

  I fumbled with my keys and opened the car door just as Brandon caught up with me.

  “Don’t you dare touch me!” I shouted, and put a hand up in the air like a stop sign.

  He halted in his tracks, backed up, and came around my car, talking over the roof to me. “I’m sorry we laid all that on you at once. We didn’t mean to scare you off.”

  Hot tears pricked my eyes to see the big, macho jerk looking sorry.

  “What do you mean?” I demanded, blinking rapidly to dispel the hot tears swimming in my eyes. This wasn’t fair.

  “Look, I didn’t believe the legends either, but...”

  “But, what?” I looked at him, watching the fidgety restlessness in his hands as they moved from his hips to the car and back again.

  “You’re special.”

  I rolled my eyes and huffed. I’d heard those lines before, and not once had they been anything more than empty words. “I don’t believe that. Not after last night. You’ll never convince me that you could be attracted to me after I know you tried to hook up with someone like my sister.”

  Brandon clenched his jaw and his blue eyes pinned me with that intense stare of his. “Your sister is a good time. Not the kind of woman you take home to your mother, and I bet that you’ve never dated a man like me either, so does that mean you can’t find me attractive? Would want to take me to your bed?”

  I glared at him for a moment, angry at Brandon for summing up my sister so easily. Our parents were dead, and I saw Belle as a reflection of me now.

  The problem was though, despite the anger, Brandon was right about Belle. And about me. I’d always been the marrying kind. I just hadn’t found a man who wanted to take me to the altar.

  I finally glanced away from him and shrugged my shoulder. He had a point, but I was not going to admit it. “I don’t know enough about you to judge.”

  When I risked a glance back at him, Brandon had tilted his head and was smiling at me. His cheekiness and confidence were obvious in every line on his face. “I’m a builder by trade. I love my family, but they say I’ve an abrasive personality. I know I can be arrogant and I’m so honest, I’ve been told I’m cruel. I find it really hard to lie. I weigh about a hundred and twenty kilos and the last time I checked, I only have about four percent body fat. Sound like any guy you’ve dated before? Am I your... type?”

  My breath hitched in my throat as my eyes fell to Brandon’s massive biceps, and the way his shirt clung to his thick chest. I’d slipped my hands onto his belly while we’d kissed, and I’d felt nothing but rock-hard abs and hot, smooth skin.

  I had to be honest. “No, you’re not like any of the men I’ve dated.”

  “So, should I conclude that I’m not your type? And that you’d never go for a guy like me?”

  I looked down at my hands and shook my head. I wasn’t going to lie about that, and he made a good point. Maybe it was possible to like something you’d never tried before?

  I twisted my keys in my hand and shuffled my feet. I really wanted to go home. I could feel the walls around my composure crashing down and if I wasn’t careful, I’d start crying soon.

  Brandon spoke softly this time. “I know you need to go, Laura, but I can hear how fast and hard your heart is beating.”

  What? How could he know that?

  Brandon continued, “I know you feel this too—this strange connection we share. So, please... think about it. We’ll be home all day tomorrow if you would like come by for a beer or something?”

  I nodded without meaning to. I already knew where he lived. I lifted my head and said, “I’ll think about it.”

  He gave me another beautiful smile that was so radiant it made my knees tremble. I fell into my car and turned the key in the ignition. What the hell am I doing?

  I waved to the big Viking as I drove off, my heartbeat still thudding like the traitor it was in my ears.

  Chapter Five

  Tyler

  I lifted the glass pitcher with trembling hands and poured water into three glasses before I returned it to the table. I was slightly disappointed with how nervous I was as I looked out the window for the twenty-seventh time.

  It was past noon now, close to one-thirty.

  Shit!

  How long did we have to wait?

  “Do you think she’ll come?” I called out to my brother again.

  Brandon groaned and stalked over to me. “Yes.” He clipped me on the back of my head, hard, and pain spread through my skull.

  “Ow!” I turned and snarled at my brother, who was way too calm for a time like this. “Don’t you care at all?”

  A sound outside caught my attention and I jumped to my feet, my heart thumping against my rib cage. This was it.

  “You need to calm the fuck down.” Brandon glared at me and headed off toward the front door.

  A knock sounded and I jumped.

  Oh, shit! She’s here.

  “Hey.” Brandon’s drawled tone made me roll my eyes. My brother was going to screw this up. I just knew it.

  I’d have to balance out Brandon’s idiotic behavior even more than normal.

  “Hey, back,” Laura responded, her husky voice almost flirty in its response.

  Hmmm... Okay, Brandon. Good job. I underestimated you again.

  Footsteps sounded along the parquet floor, and I suppressed the shiver that ran down my spine when Laura stepped into the kitchen. Her green eyes sparkled with good health, though she was dressed not to impress, which was strange. Was she hiding her beautiful body for some reason?

  She wore a loose, plain white t-shirt, and long khaki cargos. Her skin glowed, yet there was no makeup on her face, eyes, or lips.

  “Hi.” She smiled at me and placed a bottle of red wine on the counter in front of me. “Thanks for the invitation.”

  I grinned back at her and nodded my head, not quite sure how to speak at the moment. Action was probably better. I walked across to the overhead kitchen cabinets and pulled out two crystal wine glasses.

  “You want one, Brandon?” I knew the answer, but I didn’t want to appear rude by not offering a drink to my beer-drinking brother.

  “Me?” Brandon barked out a laugh and headed over to the fridge, pulled out a beer and popped the top with fluid, practiced ease.

  I shook my head, but at the same time as I cringed at my brother’s behavior, I loved the fact that Brandon was the most authentic person I knew. He wouldn’t alter himself to fit in or impress, for anyone.

&n
bsp; I opened the bottle of wine and poured two glasses quickly.

  “Thanks for coming over.” I handed Laura her drink and indicated where we should sit.

  She looked delicious, but was playing down her sensual body as much as possible. It was funny, really, that she thought by wearing loose, plain clothing, I wouldn’t desire her. She underestimated my imagination... and my memory.

  “I’m not really sure why I’m here,” Laura muttered as she sat down on one of the armchairs opposite me.

  I sat on the couch and Brandon prowled forward and fell into the armchair closest to Laura.

  I responded to her rhetorical statement. “Because you want to know why you feel the way you do.”

  Her eyes connected directly with mine, and the green seemed to swirl in their depths. “And how exactly do I feel, Tyler?” She placed her wine down on the coffee table and crossed her arms over her impressive chest.

  Ah...crap.

  I swallowed and thought quickly. How to handle this exactly? I’d done nothing but think about this moment since Brandon told me what had been said yesterday, but now that I was faced with Laura’s pouting lips, I didn’t want to talk. I wanted to dive over the table and kiss her senseless.

  I swallowed down the need and focused on seducing her, wooing her.

  “Your heart races when we’re around. You’re attracted to both of us, despite how different we look, and you feel safe in our presence.”

  Laura’s mouth dropped open and her arms fell so that her hands ended up in her lap.

  Yep. Honesty is the way to go.

  I waited, my eyes glued to Laura’s gorgeous lips as she finally closed her mouth. Then she wet them.

  The sight of her pink tongue sneaking out to run along her full bottom lip made my blood flow directly to my cock.

  “How...” She cleared her throat and her gaze darted to Brandon, before coming back to me. “How do you know that?”

  I grinned, thanking my mother for all the stories she’d told us over the years. “It’s described in the legends... but it’s also how we feel. Both Brandon and I are attracted to you to an almost painful level, and when you’re touching us, we get a sense of both peace and fire. Like coming home, but being passionately swept up in a storm at the same time.”