by Eve Langlais
A smile crossed her lips. “Naomi’s situation is not the first I’ve encountered. My aunt Belinda actually had three mates. My great grandma Josephine had a pair. You could say it kind of runs in the family. And while my mom used to cover my ears whenever my aunt decided to relate some particularly racy exploit, great grandma was very prim and proper despite her ménage marriage. My great grandpas each had their own rooms and from what I understood, took turns. Heck, they even had a calendar with a schedule, which I’ll admit I didn’t clue in to for years.”
“That’s fucked up.”
“Maybe to some people, but it worked for them. And it could work for us. I would never make you do something you’re not comfortable with. If having you means only enjoying hot one-on-one sex with screaming orgasms, then I think I can manage.” She grinned at him. “Don’t you know? I’d do just about anything to have you as my mate?”
“Don’t remind me. I still shudder at the smell of watermelon bubblegum.”
She thumped a fist on thigh. “Jerk. Now is not the time to discuss how you crushed my childhood dreams.”
“And what are your adult ones?” he asked, grabbing her pummeling fist and enveloping it in his hand.
She stilled. “My fantasy, which I’ll admit has recently been upgraded, involves being mated to two wonderful, yet different men, who worship the ground I walk on, and do totally wicked things to my body.”
“What if I wanted to do nice things?”
“As long as you use your tongue and cock, I think I can manage.”
“Francine, that is vulgar.”
“Oh don’t be such a prude. Don’t forget, I used to spy on you when you were younger and you’ve said way worse than that.”
“You are so asking for a spanking,” he growled.
“Why Mitchell, I never knew you were into kink,” she replied, batting her eyes lashes.
He groaned and covered his face with his hands, muttering, “Why me?”
She giggled. “Oh admit it. Life with me would definitely never bore you.”
“No, but I can see sore knuckles and broken noses in my future if you insist on claiming that cat.”
“You’ll heal. Besides, think of the fun you’ll have when I kiss your booboo’s better.”
“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”
Tapping her chin, she pretended to think. “Yes, yes I do. But you,” she said, fixing him with a stare, “have every excuse not to.”
“Fine. Let’s say I, um, did claim you. And the seducer did too. You really think we could make it work?” he asked, skepticism in his tone. “I don’t know if I could keep myself from killing the cat if I saw him touching you.”
“Which is why we could do it just like my great grandma did. Okay, that sounds so wrong and is not the mental image I want right now.”
Mitchell chuckled. “What, you don’t like thinking of your great grandpa chasing your squealing great grandma around the kitchen while your other grandpa watches, waiting his turn?”
A moue of distaste crossed her face. “It excites me as much as I’m sure the thought of your father doing your mother on the dining room table does.”
“They’ve never done that,” he adamantly replied.
She arched a brow. “Oh really? Tell that to the ass marks Naomi had to polish off the surface wearing rubber gloves.”
He blanched and she grinned triumphantly.
“Can we change the subject?”
“Sure. I believe we were talking about coming up with a schedule so that I could have both you and Alejandro in my life.”
“If I choose to mark you. I’m still on the fence.”
She jabbed her elbow in his gut and he grunted. “Stop lying or I’ll tell your mama and she’ll get the soap.”
“You really are annoying sometimes,” he grumbled.
“It’s part of my charm. Admit it. You enjoy it.”
“Will not.”
“Liar. Do you prefer Ivory or Irish Spring?”
“Fine. Fine. It’s kind of enjoyable. Happy now?”
“Yes, I am,” she said, beaming at him. “So, what do you think of my idea?”
“This is the most fucked up conversation ever. I assume you mean your suggestion of taking turns being with you? You’d go for that?”
“If it meant having you as well as Alejandro, then yes. I can compromise. I want you, Mitchell. I’ve wanted you for a long time. I never imagined, though, I’d have to share you, especially with another man.”
“Okay that sounds gross when you put it that way.”
She laughed. “You know what I mean. But it does depend on you. Alejandro will claim me when he returns.”
“If he returns.”
“When he returns,” she restated. “I guess the only question left is, will you claim me too?”
“I-” He paused. His brow knitted in confusion while his eyes spoke of longing. As for his cock. Oh yes, definite tenting action.
“You can say it,” she coaxed. “I won’t bite-hard-until you do.”
“I-”
A shriek sounded. “Naomi!” they both exclaimed, him with a note of relief. Mitchell helped her up and supported her as they made their way out of the bedroom to the living room where Naomi paced, ranting at the top of her lungs.
“Unfucking believable. How fucking dare she? That ho! That bloody, dirty skank. I’m going to rip-Oh, hey there, Francine. What are you doing up? You’re supposed to be in bed.”
Her possessed friend pasted a fake smile meant to look reassuring on her face, but rage glistened in her eyes. Francine, plopping onto the couch, careful not to lean back, would have none of it. “What’s got your panties in a twist?”
“I’m not wearing any. So nothing.”
“Eeew!” Mitchell exclaimed.
“Oh shut it, crotch sniffer,” his sister snarled. “No one’s talking to you.”
“Naomi, be nice!” Javier said in a firm tone. “It’s not his fault you’re upset. And besides, you know he’s going to go ballistic when he finds out. Won’t that be fun?”
“Find out what?” Mitchell asked, sitting on the arm of the couch beside Francine.
“That fucking skanky ho with the slutty-” Javier put his hand over Naomi’s mouth, silencing her, not quite managing to hide the wince when she bit him.
Ethan shook his head. “She’s a little upset.”
“Do you think?” Francine drawled, wondering what had Naomi in such a tizzy. Probably some groupie hitting on one of her mates again. This far in her pregnancy, with her hormones running wild, it didn’t take much for Naomi’s jealous green monster to come out swinging.
Javier, though, shot her theory to hell with his next words. “The hunter who shot Mitchell wasn’t the person who shot Francine.”
Ballistic didn’t even come close to describing Mitchell when he found out who had. Francine quite enjoyed seeing him all riled up. It pleased her inner bitch even more. However, the method of discovery, AKA her trashed apartment, pissed her right off. Someone’s head is going to roll.
Chapter Ten
Irritated and longing to go home, the new home he’d discovered in Francine’s arms, made Alejandro impatient. For the last two days, he’d followed the hunter’s sloppy trail. First missing him by minutes at the scuzzy motel he’d checked out of, the location courtesy of a receipt he’d found snagged on a branch in the tree the bastard perched in. The female clerk at least-after a little persuasion, AKA a smile from him-divulged not only the truck’s plate number for his prey but also the make and color of it, which as it turned out, Javier had if he’d bothered asking before running off. What a surprise, the hunter drove a big ass, red pickup truck. Stupid redneck. Most people thought hillbillies and rednecks were an American phenomena. He had news for them, Canada had its fair share of crass, belligerent types who shot anything that moved. But, even he had to admit, their daughters were raunchy in bed.
Stereotypes aside, he jumped on the highway, the clerk
having mentioned the man said he was heading home to deal with his daughter. On his bike, it was a simple matter to weave in and out of traffic, slowing down before overpasses to avoid the inevitable radar traps. Late afternoon, he caught up to his prey on the highway. He felt like thanking the bastard for owning such a distinctive red pickup truck with the redneck sticker that read “Keep Honking Asshole, I’m Loading My Gun.” He meant to follow the vehicle until it stopped for either fuel, food, or sleep, but his fucking bike began to wobble, forcing him to pull off and deal with a flat fucking tire. Lucky for him, the tow truck driver knew a place to fix him up and get back on the road, but he lost two precious hours. Even worse, he’d lost the redneck he chased. Thus far, the stupid human traveled in a straight line, keeping his trek to the highway that led back to his home town. Alejandro decided he’d have to trust the idiot would keep on his path, meaning he’d rendezvous with him in the morning on his home turf.
Tired, wind beaten, and with a cold rain starting to fall, he decided rather than risk road rash, he would pull into a motel off the highway. And then he finally got a stroke of luck, seeing a big, honking red truck in the parking lot.
Thank you, Lady Luck, for that one.
Sniffing around the vehicle, he made sure of his quarry first, scenting the lingering traces of bear, a hunter’s perfume, and the familiar tang of the daughter, whose feminine scent was the last he’d inhaled before meeting his Francine.
Kicking in the motel room door, he startled the balding fellow lounging on the bed watching television. With a curse, the tubby hunter rolled off the bed, scrambling for his jacket and withdrawing a gun. Like that would stop him.
Enraged, not at the temerity of the human, but what he’d done to his precious mate, Alejandro leapt across the room and knocked it from his grasp. Ramming his forearm against the human’s throat, he used this as leverage and shoved him into the wall. But that wasn’t enough. He lifted him until the hunter gurgled, his fingers clawing desperately at his arm.
Alejandro’s lips curled back over his teeth in a vicious snarl. “Fucking prick. Not so brave without your gun, are you? I can forgive you for shooting the wolf. I’ve had the urge myself. But shooting at a woman through her window in the back? For that, you die.”
The hunter’s head tried to shake in a puny attempt at denial. Curious as to what lame excuse the bastard thought to spout, Alejandro eased the pressure to let him speak his final words before he killed him.
“Not me,” croaked the sweating human.
A cold smile danced over his lips at the poor attempt at rebuttal. “Are you denying you shot the wolf and the redhead?”
“Shot the wolf, but I left right after. I didn’t shoot any redhead.”
Truth rang in the human’s words, and Alejandro frowned. Removing his arm, Alejandro let his prey drop. The man slumped to the floor, gasping and clutching his throat.
“Start from the beginning and tell me what you’ve done, starting with following me. You know what I am.”
He nodded his head. “I saw you in the woods behind my place. You’re not human.”
“No shit. So that gives you the right to follow me and threaten the lives of people I know and love?”
“You seduced my daughter,” the redneck replied in a blustery tone as he sat up.
“She’s twenty freakn’ five. She bloody well seduced me.”
The hunter turned beet red. “She’s still my little girl and it fucking burned me to know she’d slept with some animal.”
“So you tried to track me down.”
“I didn’t try, I did. I found out where you lived and I saw you leaving. I followed.”
“Pretty long fucking trip.”
“Yeah, well, I was kind of pissed.”
“And then?”
The human shrugged. “I saw you visiting that house with the pregnant gal. I watched for a few hours, but I needed some supplies and left for just a little bit. When I came back, you were gone. I almost went home that night, but I called my daughter and she was so pissed at me.”
“So you came back the next day?”
“Not right away. I almost went home. I drove around for a bit, but then my damned daughter called again PMSing so off I went back to watch for you. But you didn’t show up. I came better prepared that time, though, and found myself a spot in a tree, and then that fucking wolf showed up.”
“Okay, this story is getting long and tedious. You shot the wolf, ran away, and then found me the next morning, right?”
“No. When I was running away, I heard all the fucking animals coming, and I got in my fucking truck and left.”
“Not too far you didn’t because lo and behold, I caught up to you. Made a pit stop perhaps on your way home, maybe to shoot someone.”
“No. I went and got royally fucking drunk. After I slept it off, I called my daughter cell’s phone only to find out she’d gone to your fucking ranch to warn them I was hunting you and then couldn’t leave.”
“My family kept her prisoner?” The news surprised him.
The human crossed his arms and scowled. “Not according to her. Apparently, she didn’t want go. So I demanded to speak to someone there and your brother Ignacio came on the line and said they’d mated and that I’d better get my ass home if I wanted to see her again.”
“I see.” Alejandro mentally winced, wondering how Ignacio felt about Alejandro dipping his wick into his mate’s honey pot. Probably not too happy. It would make Christmas interesting for sure.
“After I hung up, I left for home. How could I not? Felicia means everything to me. And I can’t go around killing you and your buddies if she’s being held hostage.”
Alejandro dragged the man to his feet and hugged him.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Panic threaded his tone.
“Welcoming you to the family, of course,” Alejandro said, releasing him with a chuckle.
“What are you talking about?”
“Congratulations, your daughter is now married to an animal. My brother. And trust me, I’m a pussycat compared to him.”
“So you’re not going to kill me?”
“And have my brother hunt me down to please his mate? No. Besides, all you did was shoot a mangy dog. Can’t fault a man for that.” On the heels of his words, though, realization dawned just as his phone rang.
Answering Javier’s call, he blurted, “It wasn’t the hunter that shot Francine.” And he needed to get back ASAP to protect her from whoever still roamed at large.
“We know.”
“You do. Who is it? I’m going to kill the bastard.”
“It’s a she.”
“What?” Alejandro sat down hard as the hunter, and newest honorary family member, dashed to the bathroom and locked himself in.
“Chris went over to her place before lunch- ”
“And you’re just calling me now?” he yelled.
“We were busy. Now do you want to hear what happened or not?”
“Fine. But you have got to do something about your communication skills, brother, because this is twice now you’ve screwed me.”
“Yeah, I know. Trust me. I had to listen to an earful from my wife. Anyway, as I was saying, Chris went to get some stuff for her to wear and found Francine’s place trashed with the word ‘whore’ plastered all over the place.”
“Oh fuck. Which of my psycho ex-girlfriends did it?” he moaned, cradling his head in his hands.
“Not yours, Mitchell’s. Seems his ex, Jenny, wasn’t too happy he ditched her for Francine. She’s the one who shot her and trashed her apartment.”
Unfreakn’ believable. “And where is the crazy bitch now?”
“No one seems to know, but we’ve got the shifter authorities looking for her along with Naomi’s brothers.”
“What happens when we find her?”
A loud sigh was Javier’s answer.
“We can’t let her go free for this,” Alejandro growled. “She needs to be punished. She shot Fra
ncine. My mate.”
“Almost mate.”
“Don’t argue semantics with me. I want justice.”
“Something will be done, but you know they won’t put her to death. Especially with Francine recovered.”
“I’ve got an idea, why don’t we shoot her in the back, too? See how she likes it.” His sarcastic reply pleased his feral side, which demanded vengeance still for the wrong done to his woman.
“Now you sound like Naomi.”
“I knew I liked your wife. How’s Francine taking it?” Was she crying, terrified, angry…
“She’s still laughing her ass off.”
“What?”
“You have to see it to believe it. She’s pissed, don’t get me wrong, but she’s cracking jokes about it and giggling like she’s on drugs.”
He frowned. “What kind of jokes?”
Javier lowered his tone. “Um, well, the first thing she said when she heard who’d trashed her place was, ‘Anorexic slut was probably looking for cookies.’ So then Mitchell says, ‘Red, you do realize she’s the one who shot you?’ and do you know what your mentally unbalance woman said?”
“I’m afraid to ask,” Alejandro replied as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“She said, get this, ‘Hey, Naomi, you might have gotten shot at because someone wanted your men, but I got shot because I stole someone’s man. In your face!’ I think she’s still in shock.”
A chuckle, more of relief than humor, escaped him. “No, that sounds about right. Keep her out of trouble, would you? I’m on my way back. Oh, and that hunter I was chasing…”
“Yeah? Did you find him and take care of him?”
“Not exactly. He’s now family. His daughter is mated to Ignacio.”
“No fucking way! Damn. I’ll bet Mama’s pissed.”
Alejandro winced. Knowing how his Spanish mother felt about hunters, pissed probably didn’t even come close to describing her reaction.
They said good-bye and hung up. Pocketing his phone, Alejandro glanced around and noted the human still hid in the bathroom.
“I’m off now. Say hi to the family for me, would you?” he said loudly before exiting the motel. What a surprise, the hunter didn’t reply. Christmas would definitely be interesting. But he had other things on his mind.