by Jane Jamison
“Do you want to ride in the truck or on the ATV?” asked Clint. He gestured toward the ATV and smiled, his choice obvious.
“I’m not sure I could stay on the ATV, so I’ll take the truck.” She doubted her still-trembling arms could hold onto him tight enough to keep her from falling off.
“Good answer, baby.” Trey slipped his arm around her waist. “Come on. Let’s get you back home, mate.”
As good as the term sounded, she couldn’t let him assume her answer. “I haven’t decided what I’m going to do.”
Yes, I have.
“That’s okay. You will.”
She didn’t bother arguing.
* * * *
“Why did you bring that thing along?” Monica stared at Bruce. “Where did you get it?”
“From their gun cabinet. Do you really think they live in the mountains without owning a gun?” He shifted the rifle on his back. “Took me a while to find bullets, though. Maybe I’ll get lucky and bag a deer today.”
“Like hell you will.” She trudged on, disliking having the rifle near her. “I can’t believe the guys let you borrow it.”
“Hey, they told us to make ourselves at home.”
She couldn’t believe what he’d done. “So you took it without asking them?”
“They won’t mind. They won’t even know I borrowed it. Unless you tell them.”
“Damn it, Bruce. You shouldn’t have done that.”
He didn’t seem fazed. “It’s already done. There’s no use in arguing about it now.”
He was right about that. They could either cut their hike short or wait and tell the guys the first chance she got. “Fine, but either you tell them or I will.”
They walked on for a while, irritation tense between them. She would’ve kept the silence going if she’d had it her way.
“We’ve stayed long enough, Mon. It’s time to leave.” Bruce slung the rifle over his shoulder as they walked down the trail. They’d gone farther from the house than she would’ve liked, but she’d promised Bruce she’d spend the day doing whatever he wanted to do. What else could she do after asking him to stay two more days—and nights—at the men’s house?
Oh, and the nights. They had to wait until Bruce finally went to bed, but then they’d meet in the large bedroom they’d given her. Their lovemaking—because there really was no other way to describe it now—had grown steadily hotter each night. She’d started looking forward to the nights, spending her days around the men as much as she could. Today, however, they’d had to beg off, needing to attend to business matters.
“I know I’ve asked a lot from you, but I really don’t want to leave yet. If you don’t want to stay, I’ll understand.”
Bruce wasn’t a fool. He had to know what was going on under his nose. At times, she felt as though he was more of a brother or even a father figure than her friend.
“We both need to get back to our jobs. Hell, I’m surprised Hank hasn’t already fired both of us.”
Frankly, she was, too, but staying with the men, learning everything she could about dragons and what it would be like to be a mate, was more important than any job. She wasn’t sure how they’d managed it, but they’d already paid off her mother’s medical bills. They didn’t want money to be a part of her decision to be their mate. Her mother had called, stunned at the generous gift “an anonymous donor made.” For the first time in a long time, her mother had sounded relieved and relaxed.
“I know. You should go back.”
“And leave you here with three men? Not a chance.”
Was he being a good friend, or was there more to it? She’d seen how he’d looked at the men whenever they showed the slightest bit of affection toward her. They’d tried to keep things platonic around Bruce, but their yearning for each other sometimes made that impossible.
“What’s going on? Hell, we haven’t even gone to the cliff in two days. If you’re not looking for the shimmers or the fucking dragon any longer, then why are we still here?”
She had to tell him a reason before he got any more frustrated. Before he lost his job. If she had to lie to get him to leave, then that was what she’d have to do. “You were right. The shimmers and the dragon? I must’ve hallucinated both of them.”
“Bullshit. Don’t lie to me. I can tell when you’re lying. What’s going on? Why are suddenly changing your story?”
He’d always been able to tell when she wasn’t telling the truth. “You need to go home, Bruce. You can take my car, but I’m going to stay.”
He pulled up short, causing her to turn back toward him. “Stay? For how much longer? Another night? Two?”
“A lot longer than that.” She drew in a slow breath. “Maybe forever.”
His mouth fell open. “Forever? What the hell, Mon?”
“I’m sorry, Bruce. I should’ve told you earlier, but I wasn’t sure myself until just right now. I’ve fallen in love with them.” It felt wrong to tell him before she told the men, but the truth had to come out. Only the truth would get him to leave.
“With all three of them? Three men at the same time?” He couldn’t have said it any plainer than the expression on his face did. The idea of her loving three men disgusted him.
“Yes, at the same time. I know it’s unconventional.”
“It’s fucking insane.” His face became a mask of contempt. “And disgusting. You can’t do this, Mon. You’re better than that.”
“They’re great guys, and I love them.” She no longer cared if she hurt his feelings. “Besides, what I do with my life is my decision, not yours.”
“And your mother? What do you think she’s going to say?”
She hated him for bringing her mother into the argument. “You know what? Before her cancer, she might’ve been as scandalized as you are. But cheating death taught her a lesson, and I learned it, too. It doesn’t matter where or with whom you find love. Even if it’s with three men at the same time.” Or three dragons. “The love is all that matters. She’ll understand and be supportive of my decision. I just wish you were.”
At first, she saw only astonishment on his face. Then came such a profound look of disappointment that it tore at her heart. Anger, however, pushed the disappointment away fast enough.
“You’re out of your mind. First, the thing with the dragons and now you think you’re in love with three strangers? Damn it, Mon, tell me you’re kidding. Either that or I really will doubt your sanity.”
“I’m not kidding.” She understood he was hurt, but treating her rudely wouldn’t help. “I know it sounds crazy—” She laughed. “It seems like everything I say nowadays sounds crazy. But it’s how I feel. I’ve got to find out where this could lead.”
“You’re making a huge mistake. One I’m not going to let you make.”
She’d tried to let him down easy, understanding how he felt about her, but there was only so much she could stand. “You don’t have a say in the matter, Bruce.”
He changed, his demeanor morphing from anger to appeasement. “Please, think about what you’re doing. Think about your mom. Hell, think about me.” He took her by the arms, the rifle on his back shifting from one side to the other. His eyes pleaded with her. “I love you, Mon. I’m the one you should stay with. Come back home with me. Give me a chance to show you how much I care.”
She tugged her arms from his hold. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you before now, but I guess I hoped you’d figure it out. Bruce, I don’t think of you that way. You’re more like a brother.”
He stepped back as though she’d physically struck him. “You don’t know what you’re doing. Give me a chance,” he repeated.
“I know exactly what I’m doing. You’re just going to have to accept my decision.”
“No, I don’t.” Suddenly, he pulled the rifle off his back, lifted it, and pointed it at her.
“What are you doing?” she whispered, too stunned to speak any louder. Was he so angry that he’d hurt her?
“Don’t move.”
/>
The retort of the rifle blasted her ears. Letting out a scream, she closed her eyes and dropped to the ground, sure she’d feel pain ripping into her.
Chapter Nine
Monica froze, keeping her eyes closed. Where was the pain? Slowly, she opened her eyes to find Bruce rushing past her then scrambled to her feet and whirled around.
He stopped at the edge of the forest, searching the area. “Damn it. I missed him.”
Why would she have ever thought her friend would ever harm her? He was hurt and angry, but she should’ve known better. Yet when she’d seen the barrel of the rifle pointed at her, she’d thought for certain she’d be dead in the next second.
“Missed who?”
His eyes were wild when he turned toward her. “The bear. You didn’t see him?”
Now that she was beginning to calm down, she remembered hearing a growl. At the time, she’d been too focused on Bruce to think anything of it. “A bear?” She tried to see into the shadows of the thick forest.
Bruce stalked back to her. “I can’t believe you didn’t hear him. He was a huge black bear with this jagged scar across his face. I don’t know what riled him up, but he was coming straight at you.”
Fear, albeit belated, washed through her, rocking her on her feet. “At me?”
“Yeah. If I hadn’t shot him, he would’ve gotten you.”
She’d almost been attacked by a bear. Clutching him for support, she looked into his eyes. “I can’t believe it. You saved my life.”
“I did.” He puffed up, sticking out his chest. “I’m just sorry I missed him. At least I think I did. Still, he let out one hell of a howl when he took off. You didn’t hear that?”
“No. Maybe the sound of the gun covered his growl.”
“I still can’t believe I didn’t hit him.” Bruce pulled her hand off him and strode back to the edge of the woods. “I would’ve sworn I had him in my sights.”
“Does it matter now?”
He searched more, bending over to examine the area. Squatting, he touched his fingers to the ground. When he straightened up, he faced her again, this time with a big smile. He lifted his hand, his fingertips darkened with what had to be blood. “Hell, yeah. I hit him, all right.”
“But you didn’t kill him.”
“No, I don’t think so, but I still saved your pretty ass.”
Was he annoyed that she wasn’t calling him a hero? “I know, and I can’t thank you enough, but now there’s an injured bear running around the woods. We should contact the park rangers and let them know.”
“We can’t do that.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t have a hunting permit.”
“I really don’t think it’ll matter. You weren’t hunting. Instead, you saved my life.”
His smile grew bigger, obviously happy that she was, once again, acknowledging that he’d saved her. “Okay. Yeah. We should probably tell them about the bear.”
She reached for her cell phone then realized she’d left it on the front hall table. “I’ll call them when we get back to the house.” She pivoted on her heel, eager to get to safety. Once she’d alerted park authorities, she’d tell the men not only about the wounded bear but about her decision. She picked up the pace, eager to see them.
* * * *
“I’m glad you’re back.” Monica couldn’t stop grinning. The men had finally returned home. She was ready to tell them she’d become their mate. She didn’t, however, plan on Bruce coming into the living room a minute after they did.
“Did she tell you about the bear? And that I saved her life?”
“What happened? Are you all right?” asked Trey. He started toward her.
“Yes.” She gave a slight shake of her head, barely noticeable, warning him not to come any closer. “Bruce shot a black bear.”
“With what gun?”
Bruce reached for the rifle he’d leaned against the nearby hutch. “With this one.”
“So you took one of our rifles without asking?”
It was obvious from Bruce’s scowl that he didn’t like the idea of getting caught “borrowing” their gun, yet he wasn’t going to let that ruin his story. “I borrowed your rifle to take on our hike, and it’s a damn good thing I did.”
This isn’t going the way I’d hoped it would go.
Instead of telling them that she loved them and wanted to be their mate, she had to deal with her friend first. “I’m sorry he took the rifle without asking, but he’s right. If he hadn’t had it with him, I’d have gotten mauled by the bear.”
“Shit.” Vince turned to Bruce. “Considering what happened, I’m glad you took the rifle. Did you kill it?”
Bruce’s smile faded. “No, but I wounded it. I couldn’t get a clear shot with Mon in between us. Damn thing looked like he’d been around a long time. He has a jagged scar cutting across his face. If anyone finds him, I’m claiming the hide.”
“Fuck. Now there’s a wounded bear out there.” Clint picked up the nearby landline. “We’ve got to let the rangers know.”
“Don’t bother. I called the park authorities as soon as we got back.”
He replaced the phone. “Good. They’ll handle it. Until they do, you need to stay near home. We wouldn’t want our mate getting hurt.”
“Your what? Your mate?” Bruce gaped at Trey as though he’d lost his mind. “What the hell are they talking about, Mon?”
She hadn’t wanted to talk about their relationship in front of Bruce, but now that Clint had let it slip, she had no choice. “I need to tell you something.”
“About what?” He raked his gaze back and forth between all of them. “What the hell’s going on?”
“Bruce, calm down. I told you what I wanted to do while we were hiking, remember?” She didn’t want to blurt out her decision with him around.
“You really are out of your mind. I can’t believe you’re going through with it. You’re fucking crazy.”
“Watch your mouth, man, or I’ll watch it for you,” warned Vince.
She had to stop things before they got out of control. “Bruce, please. I promise we’ll talk about everything. Just not right now.”
“No, Mon. I can’t let you do this.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “I can’t and I won’t.”
She lowered her tone, desperately needing him to calm down. “Please, Bruce. Let’s do this later.”
“So you told him about us?” asked Clint, his joy already showing in his big smile.
“This is bullshit, Mon.”
“Please, Bruce, stop. Let’s take this discussion upstairs, okay?”
Before she could leave with Bruce, Trey held her back. “Here, take this back.” Trey pulled the memory card from her camera out of his pocket. “We talked about it and decided we can’t ask you to give up your dream, no matter what it might mean for us. Whether or not you become our mate, we trust you to keep us safe. Just as we promise to keep you safe from now on. Even if you don’t stay with us, even if you turn us down, all you ever have to do is call and we’ll be there.”
“Like you were when you paid off my mother’s bills? I can’t tell you how grateful I am. Somehow, some way, I’ll find a way to pay you back.”
“No way. We don’t want repayment, and we won’t take it. As far as we’re concerned, we’re glad we could help out.”
She accepted the card, yet she no longer wanted it. She’d find another way to launch her photography career. “I’ll be sure to delete everything.”
“Damn it, Mon, what have you done? What’s going on? They paid your mom’s medical bills? And what’s on the card?” asked Bruce. He paced to the other side of the room only to pivot around and pace back. “None of this is making any sense.” He let out a string of curses. “What the fuck is going on here?”
“I told you. We’ll talk about it upstairs.”
“The fuck we will. I’m done with all this shit. We’re getting our bags and getting out of here.” He grabbed her arm a
nd tugged her toward the staircase.
Three low growls erupted, turning Bruce’s attention toward the men. She yanked her arm free then shook her head at the men, silently begging them to stay out of it.
“I told you, Bruce.” Her attention was on the three men she loved. Bruce could do as he liked. “I’m going to be their life partner.”
“He said mate.” The hurt she’d seen in Bruce’s face was gone. Now only anger remained. “That’s like calling you some kind of animal. Like they’re wolves and you’re their bitch.”
“I’m warning you again. Watch what you say, man.” Vince, Clint, and Trey stepped closer to Bruce. Their faces hardened, and their bodies stiffened, men ready to protect what they treasured.
“It’s just a word, Bruce. Partner, wife, mate. A rose by any other name and all that.” Whether it was the way she’d wanted to tell them or not, it was the way it was. She put herself between the men and her friend. “I’ve decided to be your mate.”
The men pulled them between them, her friend forgotten in their joy.
“You’re sure?” asked Trey.
“Don’t ask her that, man,” added Clint.
“He’s right. She said yes. Don’t give her chance to change her mind.” Vince skimmed his fingers into her hair. “You’ve made us three very happy men.”
Sudden tears blurred her vision. “I can’t tell you how happy I am. I knew there was a part of me missing, and I thought it was my career. Now I know I was wrong. What was missing was you. All three of you.”
“You’re all fucking crazy.”
A waft of regret sifted through her. “Stop, Bruce. Please, go home. Take my car and leave.”
Maybe it was because he’d pointed the gun at her earlier. Or maybe she simply couldn’t believe her friend would ever harm her. Whatever the reason, when Bruce grabbed the rifle and lifted it to his shoulder, she wasn’t afraid. “Put the gun down.”
“Get away from them, Mon. I don’t know how, but they had to have done something to you.” He swallowed hard. “You need help. Shimmers, dragons, and now this? You’re going with me. I swear I’ll get you the best help I can find.”