Prowling Their Mate

by Tamsin Baker

  These women had shared the same things with Brandon and Tyler as I had? Impossible.

  “No. I make love to them.”

  The woman began to laugh, a cackling, evil sort of sound. “You’re kidding, right? Those boys fuck anything with tits and a cunt. They may talk sweet, but they don’t even remember your name when they’re fucking you all night long.”

  The girls around me continued to laugh with cruel intent and I was back in high school again. The butt of everyone’s jokes.

  I was going to be sick.

  Visions of my men doing those things to me flashed before my eyes.

  Heat bloomed in my cheeks and I gripped the bar so I didn’t topple off my seat.

  Another woman came along and the dark one grabbed her.

  “This is Tyler’s new chick.”

  The new one, who had beautiful eyes, smirked at her. “Lucky bitch. Enjoy him while you can. He has the most talented tongue. I’ve tried to get back in with him for another go, but he likes new flesh.”

  The beautiful eyes looked me up and down, showing her true colors as the ugliness surged, transforming her once-pretty face. “And there’s plenty of you to go around, so you might last longer than us.”

  I was really going to be sick now. My stomach surged and I jumped up. “I have to go.”

  I pushed through the group of women, their laughter following me as I made my way to the bathroom. I burst into the dirty little room and locked myself in a stall, shaking uncontrollably as hot tears rolled down my face.

  How many historical romance novels had I read that professed that the best men to love were reformed rakes?

  A bad boy who turned good just for you?

  It so wasn’t true. Damn it. Loving men like that hurt.

  The sobbing started and I covered my mouth with my hand, rocking back and forth. I couldn’t compete with women like that! I didn’t want to. How could I ever believe that they’d stay with me, if those were the sort of women they liked.

  I unrolled some toilet paper and wiped at my face, memories of our times together flashing in my mind like some sort of porn movie. I’d believed them when they’d said I was special.

  But I wasn’t.

  I was just one of the many women they’d fucked and the first they’d tried sharing.

  How many women had they licked?

  How many vaginas had those cocks been in?

  I’d sucked them and loved every minute of it. How could I make love to them now that I knew what sort of men they were?

  Whores. Both of them.

  I took a deep, shuddering breath as a group of girls burst into the bathroom. I needed to get home—now, where I could be alone. I stood up on shaky legs, making sure my breathing was at least a little regular, then I stepped out into the room.

  The women all stared at me, one little redhead stepping close. “You okay?”

  I nodded, walking to the mirror and inspecting the damage. Crap. Thank God I didn’t wear much makeup.

  I turned to the woman who’d showed me some empathy. “I need to get out of here, but don’t have my car. Are there any taxi’s out front?”

  The redhead lay a gentle hand on my arm. “No, I’d call an Uber if you have an account.”

  “Oh yeah.” My sister had set that up on my phone ages ago, I’d just never used it. “I don’t usually...”

  The red head took my phone, tapped a few buttons and smiled.

  “They’re only a few minutes away, so when you go out of here, just turn left and follow the hallway. It’ll take you right to the front where the Uber will be waiting.”

  “Thank you so much.” I checked my pockets. I still had my cell phone and money. Perfect.

  I was so done living in this fantasy world. Better to get out now before I got my heart totally shattered.

  “Thanks.” I nodded at the one kind woman I’d met tonight and ducked out the door.

  Unfortunately, I ran straight into a gorgeous, skinny, platinum-blonde.

  “Look who we have here. You’re Laura, aren’t you?”

  I nodded, defeated. What more could be said tonight?

  “Well, I’m Simone.”

  The woman placed her hand on her hip, the tone of her voice making it clear that she thought she was important.

  “Yeah, so?”

  Simone glared at me, fire spitting out of her ugly aura. “You know Brandon left you to come to me last night?”

  What?!

  White noise filled my head as the breath froze in my lungs. “What are you talking about?”

  The blonde tossed her glistening long hair over her shoulder. “Brandon was in my bed last night. I know you think you have them all to yourself, but you don’t. They’ll always find a way to get what they need, and you obviously can’t give it to them.”

  Pain shot through my chest. A piercing, crippling sensation that had me staggering back and fumbling along the wall toward the back door.

  This wasn’t be happening.

  I should have listened to my inner voice when it had told me this was all too good to be true.

  My phone was vibrating in my pocket, and it made me move faster. My men were too smooth-tongued to trust them to tell the truth.

  I fell out the back door and into the cold night air. A white Uber waited by the curb and I stumbled toward it. I yanked open the door and told the man my address.

  My swollen eyelids slid down over my painfully gritty eyes and I wrapped my arms around my shaking body.

  I felt cold, empty, and disgusting. Had I left a part of my soul back in that club?

  As the silence fell on me like a brick wall, I knew I’d have to face the truth. I’d already fallen in love with Tyler and Brandon, and without them I’d live my life with half my soul missing.

  TYLER

  I walked to the back of the darkened bar again and looked over to where Renee stood by the bar. She lifted her arms in a confused shrug and I closed my eyes briefly.

  What the hell had happened?

  One minute I’d been drinking beer with some buddies and the next thing I knew our woman was missing. I made my way back to Renee in time to meet up with Brandon, who’d been doing another lap outside.

  “One of the bouncers said she left in about half an hour ago.”

  “What?” I couldn’t believe it. “Why would she do that?”

  I turned to my sister. “Nae, what did you say to her?”

  Renee held up her hands and stepped back as though she’d been struck. “Nothing, I swear. Although, I probably shouldn’t have left her alone for so long. I did see a couple of women talking to her, but I didn’t think much of it.”

  I shuddered as an ex of mine walked past and gave me fluttery eyes.

  I looked away with a grimace. “Did we do something totally moronic bringing her here?” I asked Brandon, a feeling of cold dread slithering up his spine and circling his chest.

  “I’m gonna call her again.”

  “No. You’ve already called her ten times.” I thought quickly. What to do?

  “Let’s drive over to her place. If the lights are on, we’ll bang on the door, and if they’re not, we’ll go back in the morning.”

  Brandon grunted his agreement and we headed toward the door.

  Twenty minutes later, we were sitting in the car outside Laura’s house, staring at the bricks and mortar.

  “No lights on. I’ll call her again.”

  I let Brandon do whatever he wanted, but I knew she wouldn’t pick up the phone. Something was wrong.

  “Pick up, pick up, pick up,” Brandon chanted, tapping his foot on the floorboard of the car.

  I shook my head and turned the car back on. “Let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a very long, interesting day.”

  We drove home in silence, my head buzzing with recriminations while my heart sank lower and further into my chest.

  What if we’d lost her forever?

  I wouldn’t be able to live.

  I didn’t
want to.

  Chapter Twelve

  Laura

  Someone was pounding on my front door, and my cell phone was vibrating its little heart away on the coffee table. It was barely eight a.m. and I didn’t need three guesses to know who was behind both.

  I closed my eyes and picked up the remote control to turn on the TV. Loud.

  “Laura, we know you’re in there. Please open the door and tell us what’s wrong. Did something happen last night?”

  Tyler’s voice was calm, but I could hear the strain behind it.

  “Go away!” I shouted through my front door before whispering, “Please, just leave me alone.”

  I didn’t want to do this.

  Bang, bang, bang. A bigger fist this time.

  “Laura!”

  I shivered at the growl behind Brandon’s words. I half expected him to ram the door in, which I wouldn’t deny he probably had the strength to do. Squeezing my eyes shut, I realized I was going to have to let them in before they did some damage to either themselves or the door.

  I didn’t want to, but at least we could have it out once and for all.

  I stalked to the front door, took a deep breath, and wrenched it open.

  On my doorstep stood my two powerful men, my night and day, the moon and the stars of my world... and at least one was a bloody cheating bastard.

  “I have nothing to say to either of you. We’re done, and I don’t want to see you again.”

  Brandon’s eyes grew impossibly wide and Tyler actually put a hand over his heart as though I’d shot him with a bullet to the heart.

  I tapped my foot, then threw my hands in the air. They looked pathetic standing out there. “Fine, come in!”

  I stomped into my living area and stood in the middle of what had previously always felt like a cozy room, but now felt like a tin can.

  I crossed my arms over my chest and waited.

  The men walked in and Tyler came at me first, his gentle eyes pleading with me. “Sweetheart, I don’t know what’s going on. We were at the bar having a great time and you disappeared. We’ve been calling you all night.”

  I knew that. They’d left dozens of messages that I’d snuck peeks at through my long night alone. I’d ended up switching my cell off and sobbing through the remaining hours of darkness. “I know, and I’m sorry I ran out on you, but I couldn’t cope with that... black hole of sluttiness.”

  Brandon leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms.

  Tyler walked closer. “Was it because we left you alone, beautiful girl? Brandon and I shouldn’t have taken you to a place like that. You’re better than that.”

  I laughed—what else could I do? But even to my own ears the sound was bitter and almost cruel. “Yeah, I am way better than that. But for future reference, it’s never a good move to take your girlfriend out, then abandon her—but that’s not the point. Get out, both of you.”

  I pointed at the front door and glared at my men, the men I loved with all my heart, the men I thought would always protect me, care for me, and love me. Where had they been last night when I was attacked by all those bitchy women?

  “Laura, I don’t know what’s happened.” Tyler, my beautiful, sweet man stepped forward again so that he was within arm’s reach.

  I backed up three feet.

  “Ask your brother.” I threw a dirty look at Brandon and watched as shock registered on his handsome face.

  “Me? What’d I do?”

  I groaned. “I know you were with Simone Friday night. She told me. I heard nothing but stories about you guys al-l night. The women you’ve slept with, the legions of broken hearts you’ve left behind.”

  Brandon growled a little, the sound causing the hairs on my arms to stand up. “What? Simone? I was not with her.”

  “Then where were you?” I shot back. “You didn’t get home until three a.m.” I remembered because I’d woken up when he’d slid back into bed and I’d looked at the clock.

  “I was running. I shifted after dinner and needed to get out.”

  Really? That’s the best excuse you can come up with?

  “Bullshit. You’ve fought this three-way mating thing from the start. I know you don’t really want me, or the commitment I need.”

  Brandon began to shake his head, hissing angrily as he paced my wooden floors.

  I waited for him to correct my arrogant presumption, but he didn’t.

  I knew it.

  “And you!” I rounded on Tyler. “Every woman in that bar knew what you were like in bed, especially how much you love to lick pussy! Oh my God, if I had to hear once more how amazing your tongue is... Did you leave a single ass unturned, or were you trying to break some sort of record?”

  Tyler’s mouth fell open and gaped like a fish.

  Didn’t these idiots have any idea what women were like?

  Could they even comprehend what it felt like for me? To know that my men had groped a hundred women the same way they’d touched me.

  It made me feel dirty, common, and completely unloved.

  “Like I said, get out!”

  “Laura, you’ve got it all wrong.”

  Me? Me!!!

  Heat and pain exploded inside my head as angry tears gathered and slid down my face. “Get out! Get out! Get out!”

  I marched over to the front door and threw it open. My heart was hammering in my chest and I was struggling to breathe.

  The men finally moved, dragging their feet like school boys who didn’t want to go. Tyler looked hurt and lost, while Brandon was making wild cat noises and prancing like he was near a female in heat.

  As soon as they’d both stepped over my threshold once again, I slammed the door and slid home the bolt, collapsing on the floor in massive, heartbreaking sobs.

  Didn’t they understand?

  What had I done wrong to deserve such treatment?

  And after Brandon had promised me—promised—that I was enough.

  I wrapped my arms around my knees and tucked myself into a ball.

  I had no fight left in me, and the misery consumed me. Hot, salty tears rolled down my face, choking me and making me gasp and wheeze.

  I would never get over this. I could never make love to them the same way as before. Not now.

  How could I kiss their lips, feel their hands against me, take them inside my body and my heart, knowing that none of it was special to them.

  I stayed on the floor until my ass was numb and I was utterly exhausted, then I rolled onto my side and fell asleep.

  It was Sunday, my one day off each week. Belle had stayed over at a friend’s house and I had no responsibilities for a few hours.

  There was no need to get up.

  BRANDON

  “Brandon, I swear to God... if you’ve screwed this up for us...”

  “That fucking bitch lied!” I roared at Tyler as we ran to his car and threw open the door. That stupid, lying skank Simone!

  I could feel my mountain lion rising like a flood. Heat prickled my skin and my eyes shifted so that my sight was clearer and more distinct than a human’s would be.

  I pressed down into my gut with my diaphragm and exhaled. I didn’t know if I could hold my shifter back, but I had to try.

  “Shi...t!” I roared. We weren’t in a safe place. And it was hunting season. I didn’t even know the quickest way to the mountains from here.

  “Brandon. Look at me, brother.”

  I forced my gaze back to Tyler, who was staring hard. It gave me something to focus on while I pushed my animal down, holding on to my humanity by the proverbial skin of my teeth.

  “We can fix this. I know we can. You weren’t really with Simone Friday night, were you?”

  I growled and shook my head, panting and pacing alongside the car.

  “No, of course not! I tossed her aside months ago. Fucking her was like screwing a cadaver.”

  I shuddered as my mind conjured up memories of Simone. Like most of my lovers, she expected me to do everything.
As a general rule, I didn’t mind since I loved sex, but she gave nothing back. I got sick of it months before I’d even met Laura. I’d even found it hard work keeping my cock stiff when she did nothing but lie there and use me like a dildo with hands.

  Not that I’d ever admitted that to anyone.

  “Then why did she say you were?” Tyler asked quietly.

  I took a deep, calming breath and let it out slowly, not sure how or why the woman would do such a thing. Jealousy, probably. Spite. Who the fuck knew why women did what they did?

  “Because she’s a bitch.”

  Tyler frowned, obviously not happy with that answer.

  “I don’t have a better answer for you, Ty. Simone has nothing to gain from breaking us all up.”

  Tyler’s eyes went wide and his face turned a sickly pale grey. “Hang on. Did Laura just break up with us?”

  I growled. “Yeah. She did.”

  Tyler wheezed next to him. “Wait. I...she can’t do that.”

  I agreed, she couldn’t. We were meant to be together. Sure, I’d fought it a bit. Who wouldn’t when he was losing his carefree lifestyle basically overnight? But that didn’t mean I didn’t want her. Red flushes of pain crashed over me in waves.

  I stopped pacing and stared at the house, where I could still hear sniffling noises coming through the door. She was crying, the silly woman.

  “What the fuck do we do? We can’t leave her like that.”

  I pointed toward the house, glaring hard. I didn’t want to go in and deal with her tears, they’d break my heart. But this was worse—feeling impotent and lost.

  Tyler looked back over his shoulder, then opened the car door.

  “We’ll make it worse, Brandon. We’re in way above our head here.”

  My baby brother slid into the car and I followed suit, a massive pain in my chest blossoming over the anger and hurt consuming me.

  I couldn’t breathe right.

  “Let’s go.” Tyler’s voice was firm and authoritative, which was perfect because I could not have found my way out of a paper bag at the moment.

  “Where are we going?” I asked as Tyler pulled the car onto the road and headed out of Hinton.