by Moira Rogers
Even with Connor absent, the kitchen and attached dining room bustled with activity. Lucas was already seated at the head of the table, a full plate and steaming cup of coffee in front of him. Mac and Jud were still working busily as they heaped the table with endless platters of food.
Ashley moved to help them, but Blake steered her toward the chair at the foot of the table and pulled it out for her. "Coffee, tea, or juice?"
"Juice. Orange, please." She fixed Lucas with an arch look. "I thought I wasn't a guest."
"You're not." He grinned. "Neither am I."
Jud set a plate in front of her with a flourish. "It's your first day. But if it makes you feel better, you can help Mac and Blake with the dishes."
He'd made her a crepe, filled with warm apples and cream cheese, garnished with whipped cream. She cut into it, and the filling oozed out onto the plate with a rush of cinnamon-scented steam. "You're a dangerous man, Jud."
"I'm a dangerous wolf," he corrected with a wink. "Big and bad."
"He's bad, all right." Blake delivered Ashley's orange juice and took the seat next to her. He dragged a plate toward him and filled half of it with bacon. "Where's my fancy fruit breakfast?"
"Ask again after you've finished your pig."
Blake grinned and reached for the sausage.
Mac grunted as he took the seat opposite Blake's. "Jud thinks he can butter Ashley up with a gourmet breakfast and she'll swoon."
She chewed and swallowed her first bite of apple-filled heaven. "Would it be shallow of me to admit it's working?"
"Depends." Blake gave her a look, one that prickled up her spine and lifted the hair at the back of her neck in sudden, primal awareness. "Wanna come watch me chop wood after breakfast?"
Her imagination conjured the vision all too easily. Blake, stripped to the waist, his skin glinting in the sunlight as he lifted an ax, every muscle moving in perfect concert.
Blake smiled. "Is that a yes?"
Arrogant bastard. Ashley shook her head, but she couldn't help her lips curving into an answering smile. So she changed the subject. "You said you'd never seen a healthy mated pair," she pointed out. "Does that mean you've seen unhealthy ones?"
Lucas paused with his coffee cup almost to his lips. "Your girl knows which hard questions to ask."
Blake's smile faded. He finished his bacon and washed it down with half a cup of coffee before shrugging one big shoulder. "The wolf chooses. Some people aren't in touch with their inner natures, and so they don't like the choice."
For a moment, she let herself imagine being mated to someone she disliked. Being trapped in a whole new way, only this time by her own body rather than four walls or chains. "Oh."
"Hey." Blake slid his hand over hers. "You're learning to listen to your wolf. She'll learn to listen to you, too."
Lucas cleared his throat. "Blake has an overly simplistic view of these things sometimes. I think it's fair to say that mating is as complicated a dance as any other situation involving strong feelings."
"Too complicated for an empty stomach." Jud returned to the table with a huge platter of scrambled eggs. "Shifting forms burns a lot of energy. You need to keep up your strength."
It wasn't the only way she'd been burning energy. Her cheeks warmed as she realized the only man in the room who hadn't seen her naked yet was Lucas--and part of her couldn't help but wonder why. Her parents had spoken about their lives as wolves only rarely, but Ashley had learned enough to know that alphas were entitled to the first and the best.
By right of power, Lucas should have already claimed her.
Whatever held him back, he had to have his reasons. Ashley distracted herself by asking questions. "I know your story, Lucas, and a little of Blake's. What about everyone else?"
Jud glanced at Mac, who was still shoveling food into his mouth, before taking a seat next to him. "I belonged to a different pack back east. We were losing territory to the humans bit by bit, until the pack couldn't afford to hold on to what we had." His lips twisted into a dark frown. "The alpha sold our land to a developer."
It wasn't exactly the bloody, confrontational end she expected. "So you left?"
"I had to. I didn't have a home anymore, but I wasn't comfortable with the humans, either." He heaped food on his plate and shot her a teasing smile. "So I became a thief. It was easier back then, before all the electronic security."
She almost choked on an apple. "You what?"
"I stole things." His grin was dangerous. Wicked. "Mostly from humans who had more than they needed. Like the ones who stole our territory."
Wicked, that was a good description of Jud. But he had a way of making his misbehavior sound rakish and endearing rather than obnoxious. "You're bad."
"I know, but I make up for it in so many other ways."
Blake grunted.
His chair skidded back an inch as Mac kicked it under the table. "Don't be such a jealous asshole."
Glaring, Blake scooted his chair back to the table and reached for the eggs. "Lucas is the one who found us all. Gave us something to do instead of wandering. Something to focus on."
"Which we all needed." Mac refilled Ashley's juice glass. "Though some of us were worse off than others."
"Like you?" she asked softly.
He went still, but only for a fraction of a second. "Yeah, like me."
The words were final, unyielding, and Blake's demeanor changed in a heartbeat, from irritated to protective. "We were all fucked up in our own ways. Hell, they had to teach me how to talk to humans."
"We try," Jud drawled. "You're a work in progress."
They all cared about each other so much. It was obvious, almost tangible, as she sat, looking around the table at them. The only question was whether her presence would upset the delicate balance they'd all struck.
Chapter Four
Jud had spent more than one evening in the hand-carved chairs in front of Blake's fireplace. Sometimes drinking, sometimes talking, sometimes sitting or reading in silence, but always comfortably companionable and relaxed.
Tonight he was waiting for Ashley, and they both knew it.
To Blake's credit, he took the invasion of his territory with good humor. Good for him, anyway. A grunt and a jerk of his head was practically an engraved invitation, so Jud sank into his usual spot and opened a bottle of whiskey. "How long has she been asleep?"
"A couple of hours." Blake retrieved two glasses from his desk in the corner. "Lucas took her on a tour of the property, and I think the last few days finally caught up with her. She was sleeping hard when I looked."
Possibly a hint that Jud was waiting around for nothing. He couldn't tell if Blake believed it himself, because there was no just sleeping when it came to the mating heat. The chances were good Ashley would be wandering the halls soon enough, and Blake was probably eager to have a potential rival gone.
Guilt rose hard on the heels of that thought. Blake wasn't prone to human games of manipulation. If he said the girl was sleeping soundly, he believed it. And if he wanted Jud out of his room, he'd toss him out by the scruff of his neck.
No, Jud was the sneaky asshole here, and he had a feeling they both knew that, too. Especially when, halfway through their second drink, the floorboards creaked in the next room.
Blake knocked back the rest of his liquor and held out a hand for Jud's glass. "If you wanna stay, there's one rule."
Intrigued, Jud finished his drink. "And that is?"
"No competitive bullshit." Blake curled his fingers over Jud's when he reached for the glass, gripping both hard. "Her parents fucked her instincts up. She's still half-convinced that wanting all of us makes her bad. So if you're not staying just to get her off, you need to get the fuck out."
Just the chance to touch her would be reward enough--a female wolf, a heavenly creature who didn't need the tight edge of his control because she was strong enough to take him. Getting her off would be a bonus.
And he'd seen the gleam of curiosity in th
ose big eyes. She wanted more. Darker. They'd all have to trust that her wolf would understand who could give that to her--and who should. "It's all about her."
"Good." Blake released him and carried both glasses back to his desk as Ashley appeared in the open doorway.
She stood there, her skin flushed and her hair disheveled. The lacy strap of her nightgown hung off one shoulder, and her breasts pressed against the bodice with every shuddering breath.
Blake held out a hand. "Come here, sweetheart."
She didn't move. "I was asleep," she panted, "and when I woke up I was alone."
Jud started to rise, but power washed through the room. Not a deliberate rush, like Lucas could unleash, but wild and insistent. "You aren't alone now," Blake rumbled, stalking to the door. "And we won't leave you alone at night again."
Ashley almost fell into his arms, moaning when Blake hauled her to his chest. He kicked the door shut and turned, a silent command in his eyes.
Jud would have gone to her either way, but it was better like this. Him and Blake, working together instead of competing, hunting the same prey. Her relief, her pleasure.
Her submission.
Her skin was hot when Jud reached them. He slid his hands down her bare arms before gathering her nightgown in his hands. "You're too warm for this, aren't you?"
Her head fell back, her hair brushing his hands, as the silky fabric moved over her skin. "Not warm. Hot."
The soft, plump curves of her ass rubbed against him, and he fought a shudder. Arousal hit him fast and hard, along with the image of bending her over the bed with that ass in the air. Blake went so easy with her, he'd probably only given her a few love taps. Nothing rough enough to satisfy that hunger Jud could sense inside her.
Jud could help with that.
He dragged the nightgown higher, up over her head, and cast it toward the bed. Blake's hands fell to her breasts at once, lifting and squeezing, and those were beautiful, too. Full and heavy, lush.
Jud gathered her hair into his hand and lifted it off the back of her neck. It was a vulnerable spot, charged with danger, and he loved the way she shuddered when he brushed his lips there. "What are we going to do to her, Blake?"
Blake thumbed one tight nipple, driving another noise from her. "Whatever she wants. I've been teaching her to use her dirty words and ask."
"You like to tease me," she accused, the sharp bite of the words gentled by her breathy arousal. "All of you."
"We like to wind you up." Jud scraped his teeth over her skin. "Rile your wolf."
Ashley shivered. "It's a test, isn't it? No--" She turned in their arms and fixed that burning stare on Jud. "A dance, just like Lucas said."
"A dance," he agreed. "Or sometimes..." He caught her nipple and pinched tight, and she rewarded him with a low, tortured groan. "A hunt."
"Because--" Her voice cracked, and she licked her lips. "Because it's a drive, like hunger or thirst. Mating."
A drive none of them could deny, not with Ashley rubbing against them, warm and eager and ready. Fucking human women was enjoyable. With the right one, it could even be exquisite. But there was always a part of him that never engaged, a part he hadn't realized was even there until he sank into Ashley for the first time.
He swept his fingers down the front of her body. No panties to interrupt his exploration, just smooth, feverish skin and the intoxicating wetness his fingers encountered when he reached her pussy.
She closed her eyes with another gasp and leaned back against Blake as he splayed his hand across her belly. Her hand immediately covered his, their fingers twining together.
Jud opened his mouth to suggest moving to the bed, but bit his tongue. Blake had his face buried in her hair and his free hand placed possessively across her throat.
Letting Jud into his room must have been hard enough. For all of Blake's noble intentions, no doubt he'd balk at extending that tolerance to his bed. Especially if Jud made the first move.
It's all about her.
He could work with that.
Jud slid his fingers higher, ghosting his fingertips over her clit. Light and glancing, just enough to make her hips jolt. "You never answered Blake. What do you want?"
Her eyes drifted open. They sparked with heat--and a growing awareness. "Blake likes words, but there are different kinds. There's begging..." She licked her lips again. "And there's demanding."
Oh, yes. She was strong, and she needed to test herself. Jud could work with that, too. "Haven't you figured it out yet, honey? It's all the same to Blake."
Blake hummed his agreement against her cheek. "I'll give you what you need, either way."
"Then it doesn't matter what I say." She rocked her hips teasingly.
"Of course it does." Jud shifted his hand and worked one finger into the clenching heat of her body. His cock strained against his pants, as eager as he was to be back inside her. "You make your demands, and we'll make you beg for it."
She reached out and rubbed the back of her hand over his bulging fly. Hard.
Pleasure spiked so fast he couldn't choke back his growl. And Blake, the bastard, laughed. "You want his cock, sweetheart? Tell him where."
"Just proving a point." She turned again, facing Blake, and tugged at his belt. "I'm tired of telling. I feel like taking."
Blake's gaze clashed with Jud's. No hesitation there. If Ashley wanted to seize control, Blake would let her--and crush anyone who tried to stop her.
Even Jud.
Chapter Five
Power rushed through Ashley's veins, drowning out all but the worst of the hunger pulsing in her body. She'd had enough of waiting for them to give her what she needed. She was ready to claim it for herself.
Oh, they couched it all in pretty enough words--tell me, they whispered. What do you want? But none of this was about something as weak as wanting, and she'd finally tasted the real reason they asked her the same thing, over and over.
Blake's belt clicked, and the leather slid through the loops with a hiss. "You tell me," she said boldly. "What do you want?"
His breath hissed out, and his gaze locked on her mouth. "That's a dangerous question."
"Yes?" He was hard beneath the denim, so hard that a light tug on the buttons popped his jeans open. "You don't seem to think it's dangerous to ask me."
Fabric rustled behind her, and then Jud was at her back, his skin cool compared to her own. He grasped her hips and ground his erection against her ass, sending another hot bolt shivering up her spine. "Because we have far dirtier minds, honey."
"For now," Blake added, lifting a hand to trace her lips. "You're just scratching the surface of all the ways there are to fuck."
"Then it's a silly question." She licked his fingers and stifled a moan at the lust that flared in his eyes. "What about all the really good things I don't know enough to ask for yet?"
Blake took a step back, watching her as he stripped out of his clothes. The fire in the hearth painted his muscles in golden light and intriguing shadows, especially when he took another step back and she could see all of him--his broad shoulders, his strong body, and the impressive length of his cock.
"I want you on your knees," he said, sprawling into one of the chairs like a king on his throne. "I want you bound." He glanced at Jud again, some secret message passing between them that tightened Jud's fingers on her hip as Blake continued. "And I want you doing your best to suck me while you're riding Jud's tongue."
It didn't shock her. It excited her, and she dropped to the floor right there, then crawled toward the chair.
Jud followed her slowly, the rasp of his belt against his jeans its own quiet promise. "Put your arms behind your back."
She glanced over her shoulder to find him winding the leather around his hands with dedicated purpose. Another wave of arousal left her wet and fidgeting as she complied, resting both wrists on the curve of her ass.
Jud knelt behind her, so close she could feel him all along her skin. His breath tickled her sho
ulder as he adjusted her arms until one rested on top of the other, the fingers of each hand brushing the opposite elbow.
It pulled her shoulders back and thrust out her breasts, and Blake leaned forward to draw a teasing circle around one stiff nipple. "Is this what you imagined?"
She gave him the truth. "No. But I want it anyway. That's what I keep trying to tell you."
He licked the pad of his thumb and swiped it over her nipple. She arched closer, desperate for more, and his thumb and forefinger pinched together. Just a tug at first, then harder, nudging her toward the line between pleasure and pain. "You can't blame us for that, sweetheart. You're still too good to be true."
"I'm going to bite you every time you say that." She dipped her head, drawing her arms tighter behind her, and closed her teeth on the inside of his elbow.
"Put your mouth somewhere more interesting." Blake's hand shot out to catch the back of her head, pulling her forward until her cheek landed on his thigh. Jud's hands steadied her before he finished looping the belt around her arms. The leather cinched tight, trapping her between them.
It left her bent over, helpless. The position should have been awkward, but instead Ashley felt that power flood her again. She didn't have to be on her feet or in control to show them how good she could be.
She could do it just like this.
She stretched up, letting the very corner of her mouth graze Blake's cock as she moved. When she finally opened her mouth to lick him, she focused on his stomach, on the hard ridges of muscle rippling just beneath his rib cage.
He gripped the arms of the chair and growled a warning. "Ashley..."
"Keep teasing him," Jud said, ignoring Blake's snarl. He buckled the belt and smoothed his hands down to her ass. "I'm going to do so much worse to you."
She went on as if she hadn't heard him, but she couldn't stop herself from tilting her hips, arching up into Jud's touch.
The chair creaked under the force of Blake's grip. "Are you having fun?"
Fun, like they were having a picnic or playing badminton. Ashley smiled. "I'm getting there."