by Elle Boon
Raydon shuddered. “Are you a hummingbird then? I knew they liked sugar water, but humans?”
“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it,” she quipped, a grin teasing her lips.
He groaned. “You’re going to make me try it, aren’t you?”
“Let’s go, River, we must get our refreshments.” She laughed as she began skipping with River, actually attempting to skip beside her.
Raydon gave a shake of his head while he stood behind a couple of teen boys. They kept looking back at him, then forward. He knew what they saw and didn’t do anything to ease their fears. He and his twin both had dark hair and tattoos. They were what was called mirror twins, identical in every way, so when they went to get their first tattoo, they’d already agreed on what it would be. It had been a natural decision for him to get the same tattoo on his right side, while River got his on the left. From that point on, that was how they rolled, mirroring each other in most ways, but their personalities were very different. Even how they wore their jeans were somewhat mirrored. Although they were the same size, his wallet was attached to a chain that ran across his right hip and into his back right pocket. River was the opposite, going into his left. Little things like that, most wouldn’t notice, but he hoped Sky would pick up on.
He felt the two teens eyes on him again, his wolf, barely kept on a leash with Sky so close, wanted to growl at them. “What’s up, boys?” his voice came out a deep rumble.
Their eyes widened. “Is that your truck out there?”
Raydon gave a chuckle. “You into trucks?” he asked instead. No need to tell them the rig in question was his twins.
They nodded. “One day I’m gonna have a nice one like that. Well, maybe not as nice, but close,” he amended as his friend bumped his arm.
He answered a few questions about exhaust and engines, then the two boys bought tickets to the latest horror movie. He let an older couple go in front of him, pretending to answer a call. Although he liked the two boys, he didn’t want them changing their movie to his and interrupting date night with their mate. River and his damn fancy truck. If he’d went with a regular old jacked up monster truck like his, teen boys wouldn’t have such a hard on for it.
With his senses open, he scanned the crowd while he made his way toward the concession stand where he found his brother and Sky, both loaded down with a tray. “Here, let me carry that for you.”
“Oh, thank you. I’ll take the tickets and be the official giver of them.” She grinned, wiping her hands on her thighs.
His own lips turned up into a grin. “They’re in my pocket. Go ahead and reach in and grab ‘em. Be careful, they’re flat, not round,” he joked.
“Really, Rye, how old are you?” River asked, but a devious light entered his eyes. “Maybe you should check mine first, just to ensure we didn’t switch spots.”
Sky swatted his arm. “Hush, you were with me the entire time.” Her hand came up, pointer finger extended. “Which pocket?”
Raydon thought about lying and having her go for the wrong one but then figured that wouldn’t be right. He nodded downward and to the right, indicating his front right pocket. “In there, but seriously, the tickets are flat, you might have to...dig deep.” He winked.
“If something jerks while I’m in there, I’ll pinch it.”
He bent, placing his lips next to her ear. “I get even, baby, and I promise, I’ll do more than pinch, but you’ll like it.”
Sky’s face turned a becoming pink, but she pressed her fingers into his pocket, pulling the cardstock tickets out. He really wished he’d have shoved them a little deeper. If he’d have known the sweet fingers of his mate would be so close to his cock, he’d have shoved the papers all the way to the bottom and toward the middle of his jeans.
River snorted, making him look up. The mirrored look of need reflecting in his twin’s eyes let him know he wasn’t the only one in need of their mate. Slow and easy wins the race, they say. Damn, he really hated slow and easy, unless it was when he was making love to Sky, then he’d take it as slow as she wanted. Fuck, the thought of her naked and in bed between him and River had his cock surging to full staff, making it a tight fit in his jeans. Never would he have thought he’d be glad to have a bucket of popcorn, until that moment, hiding his obvious arousal.
“Oh good, the previews haven’t started. Want to sit in the front here, or way at the top in the back?” River asked.
Chapter Seven
Sky looked around the mostly empty theater, silently congratulating herself on the choice of movie. “Well, the most optimum place to make out is the very back, but the best viewing is right there.” She pointed to the middle where there was a bar in front of the seats, preventing anyone from sitting there, yet wasn’t in the very front at the bottom where it would be too close. Argh, she hated to be the one who chose. “How about rock paper scissors? If you win, it’s the back. If Raydon wins, it’s the front.”
Raydon looked at his hands filled with popcorn and her water, then back at her. “How about we sit right down here in the middle. If you have to go to the ladies’ room in the middle, you can wiggle through the bars here and one of us can maneuver out as well.”
She felt the slight tension ease out of her at his statement. “How’d I get so lucky?”
“We’re the lucky ones.” Raydon leaned in for a quick kiss. “Come on, let’s go take our seats before the lights go out.” He chuckled. “Too late. Hold on to me.”
Following Raydon, she kept one hand in his back pocket, so she wouldn’t lose her footing as the lights went out. Even though she could see as clearly as if it was daytime, it was still nice to have a connection with the two men.
As predicted, only a few others joined them in the theater, sitting far enough away Sky didn’t worry about being seen or overheard. “Thank you for...well everything. I’m still adjusting to the new me. I’m not sure what my wolf is going to be like the first time I shift.” That was a huge issue in her mind. The other voice she’d effectively blocked off, but now her wolf seemed silent as well. However, she felt her dragon, or Lula’s dragon part inside, yet she didn’t think she could shift into one, just felt the burning sensation.
River’s fingers tangled in hers, making her acutely aware she’d been plucking at her pants. “Your wolf is there, Sky, I can sense her. My wolf wants to run tonight. How about yours, Rye?”
Her eyes sought Raydon’s, looking to see if he too wanted to run with her, needing to see if it was a need or want, or if it was just him being nice. “You don’t have to lie. I mean I understand if you...” She stopped at the glare he wore.
“Hellmouth, first, I’ll pull you over my knee if you finish that sentence. If all I wanted to do was be nice to you, I wouldn’t have—we wouldn’t be here now. You’re our mate. We may not have marked you, or completed the bond, but you’re ours. We feel it just as our wolves feel it. Tell us you don’t feel it, and we’ll move back. It’ll be like ripping a part of our hearts out, but we’ll do it. The last thing either of us want is to rush you, or hurt you, but know this.” He gripped her chin in between his fingers. “Second, we’ll never stop wanting you or trying to get you to feel even a smidgen of what we feel for you. You’ve blocked a part of yourself off. For whatever your reasons, and we felt it like a slap. River nor I have pushed for answers, but we’ll be damned if we allow you to think we don’t want you any way we can have you.”
Hope swelled in her chest, making her wolf press forward. “Oh goddess, I’m sorry. I’m so fucked up. I do want you both, so much. I’m just...I want to be enough. I’ve never been enough for anyone, not even myself.” There, she’d said it. Being not good enough sucked. Knowing everyone who was supposed to love you thought you weren’t good enough, and told you on a regular basis, sucked. Hell, her parents would compare her to every other female in her age group, pointing out how much better they were than she was. If only she’d been a boy, or if only her twin...she cut the thought off in case it gave the other being
power.
“Kiss me and I’ll forgive you because you are more than enough for me and River. We’ll make for damn sure you know it everyday for the rest of our lives. However, there will be...what’s the word, River?” Raydon broke eye contact with her to look at River.
“You mean what’s the word for what’ll happen if she puts herself down?” At Raydon’s nod, River moved in closer to her back as he lifted the arm that separated their seats out of the way. “Well, baby, that word and action will be a punishment. One we’ll decide on as we go. So, that was your freebie. Next time, we’ll have to teach you the error of your ways.” His tongue licked the shell of her ear.
Sky shivered, a moan escaping. “Um, what?”
Raydon kept ahold of her face. “Depending on how bad the infraction will determine your punishment. Of course, you’ll enjoy them almost as much as we will. Afterward. Now, give me my kiss so we can watch the previews, they’re my favorite part of the movies.”
She was having a hard time wrapping her head around their words, but one thing she knew for sure, she wanted their punishments because she knew neither man would hurt her. Her tongue swiped over her bottom lip, making Raydon groan. “River’s holding me in place. I’m gonna need you to take that kiss.”
“We got ourselves a brat, brother.” Raydon didn’t give her a chance to comment, his mouth covering her own with a masterful kiss that stole her breath and her sense of time and place. Her eyes fell shut, the feel of fingers trailing along her ribs made her shiver. Goddess, she wanted them to touch her breasts, her pussy. All three at the same time. Her men seemed to know what she wanted without her saying a word. A set of hands curved around her breasts, plucking at her nipples while another trailed between her thighs. She was most definitely getting a wettie.
The sound of the movie coming on made her jerk backward, hitting River in the nose with the back of her head. “Oh no, I’m sorry. Are you alright?” she asked in a whisper, blinking her eyes, wondering if anyone noticed the three of them making out in the front row.
“I’m fine, love. My cock is hard as a rock and my ego is bruised, but I’m good. I love the feel of your breasts in my palms. I can’t wait to slide my cock between them,” he groaned.
“Sssh, stop that, or I’m going to come in my jeans like a little boy,” Raydon growled, shifting in his chair. He held the popcorn on his lap, the bucket half empty. “Shit, I’m going to go get this refilled before the movie starts.”
Sky shook her head. “No, you love the previews. I’ll go,” she offered.
River laughed. “I’ll go. I need to go to the little boys’ room anyhow. And no, I’m not gonna have a hand to dick moment, asshole.” He stood, grabbed the bucket from Raydon, then leaned down for a quick kiss. “You two behave while I’m gone.”
To say he was happy to see Sky’s gorgeous purple eyes shining with need as he walked away would be a total understatement. Knowing his twin was there to ensure she was taken care of was another reason he and his wolf were calm while he waited in line for a refill. A chuckle escaped him thinking of why they needed more popcorn before the movie even started.
“Piss off asshole. It’s not my fault our mate has me in knots and my dick jerked too hard inside my jeans it knocked the bucket onto the floor,” Raydon growled through their link.
“You’re doing that twin speak our mate told us not to do,” River replied, his eyes on the two boys in front of him, who seemed to be in a heated debate over which was better...Marvel or DC? Since their girl loved all things Deadpool and Iron Man in equal measures, he was team Marvel. Besides, they always had little clips at the endings whereas DC was hit and miss.
Raydon’s grunt came through their link loud and clear. “There’s something I wanted to check with you about. When she was relaxed, her walls were—I don’t know, less thick or high, whatever. My point is, there seemed to be another in there. It was like her, but not, then her walls came slamming back into place. Did you notice anything when you were kissing her?”
River moved forward, placing his empty bucket on the counter. “Refill please, and can I get some twizzlers?”
The young girl blushed, hurrying away to get the popcorn. “I didn’t notice, no. I was too busy getting lost in her sweet taste. Shit, do you think it was part of Lula?”
He could feel Raydon’s mental head shake before the negative answer came through. “Nah, this other was more like Sky, but not. Does that make sense?”
“One of us needs to be vigilant and stay aware when we’re with her. Hell, even when we’re not with her. Fuck, my wolf is going crazy wanting to complete the bond between the three of us. Whoever said patience is a virtue was a dumbass,” he swore.
River thanked the girl for the refill while pondering what his brother had said. They’d learned the hard way not to dismiss little things, especially if it came to Sky. No, there was no such thing as too small or out of this world to be dismissed.
A smile lit his face to find he hadn’t missed the beginning of the film, his eyes scanning the small groups of people. Before he made his way toward his seat, he paused when he neared a couple seated near the middle, his senses drawn to them as if alerted by something. He tilted his head to the side, trying to figure out where he’d seen the female before, his nose picking up her shifter scent. Her eyes met his, recognition in their dark brown gaze. She sat up a little taller, her head turned left as if she knew where Sky was. She gave him a little wave, one her partner couldn’t see, then settled back.
River went to his seat, determined to find out the name of the shifter girl. If she knew Sky, he’d know her as well.
“What’s put that ferocious look on your face?” Sky asked, holding out her arms for the popcorn, her tone light and teasing.
Shit, his poker face must be slipping. “Hey, why do you get the popcorn and not me? What if I wanted to hand feed you while watching the movie?”
Sky laughed. “First of all, if you like your fingers, you’ll give me my bucket, buddy. Second, nice try at evasion, but fail. Now, gimme, and answer the question.” She wiggled her fingers at him.
He didn’t and wouldn’t lie to their mate, unless it was for her safety. At the moment, the little she-wolf behind them didn’t appear to be a threat. Leaning closer so he could whisper into her ear, knowing Raydon would be able to hear, he explained the interaction. “Now don’t go and whip your head around,” he admonished, nibbling on her ear while his hand held her head in place when she tried to do just that.
“How am I to know if I know her or not?” She sounded all kinds of pissed, which made him hard. Fuck, everything made him hard when it came to Sky.
“Look into my mind and check out my memory. I tried to catalogue everything I could. If you know her, you should be able to tell from what I saw.” He hoped like hell he was strong enough to hold his wolf back when their mate entered his memories. It was one thing to share a link when speaking, but to allow another into your mind, allowing them access to something personal, was on a whole other level. A slight motion, almost as if he’d just been stroked with a feather across his brow was the only indication Sky was in his mind until her presence was recognized by his wolf. While many other shifters didn’t consider their wolves separate entities, he and Raydon always had a different connection with their wolves. He wasn’t sure if it was a twin thing or if the others just didn’t connect with their four-legged counterparts the same way they did. The wolf pressed closer to Sky’s incorporal being, his joy at having her so close had the beast almost rolling onto his back with his four paws in the air, ready to beg her to pat his belly. In a matter of seconds, his beast went from happy to alert. River watched Sky sift through the memory in question, her smile quick and easily registered with recognition. The name Joni popped into his conscious mind.
He connected with Raydon as soon as Sky entered his mind, wanting his twin to witness all that happened in case he missed anything. Now, with his wolf ready to attack Sky, yet whining as he recognized his mate,
River was worried. “Calm down and let’s try to figure out what the hell’s going on.”
“Joni’s here with Atlas?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Is that her name? I thought I recognized her. She came to check on you a couple times when you were out of it. Taryn said she was cool, so we didn’t stop her.” Raydon glanced over his shoulder, his body tensing.
“Atlas isn’t a wolf.”
River looked at his twin, his brows raising. “Yeah, I kinda gathered that myself. Niall aware there’s a bear shifter, maybe an entire clan in our territory?”
Sky sat the popcorn on the floor by her feet, placing a hand on each of their thighs. “Joni has a hard time with wolves. If she’s dating or whatever with that bear, then please leave her be. If there’s a clan of them, please, for me, be nice.”
River glared up at the dark ceiling just as the room went dark and the movie began. “Mate, you ask a lot. We can’t keep a thing like that from our alpha. We can, and we will speak to the bear in question first to see what’s what, but we will be contacting Niall directly afterward.”
She gave a slight squeeze to his leg. “Thank you. Let’s enjoy the movie. Afterward, I’d really like to enjoy you two.” Her hand trailed higher on his thigh, grazing his balls, then she released him to pick up the bucket of popcorn.
“Little tease, I hope you know you play with a wolf, you definitely will find out how big his...teeth are.”
Sky turned toward him, her purple eyes glowing. “I certainly hope so,” she whispered, her voice huskier than he’d ever heard before.
Raydon adjusted his dick, groaning at the constriction his jeans were giving him. Sheot, he was the one who might need to go to the public bathroom for a little relief. Hearing her whispered words nearly unmanned him. “Sky, Jeezus, girl, don’t fucking say shit like that and expect us not to toss you over our shoulder.”