by Becca Van
She met their gazes again, one after the other. “Did you all hear me? Did you all hear what I said?”
Jayson and Jenson nodded but remained sitting still as statues. She lifted her gaze to Jordan’s and frowned up at him. He cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her on the forehead. “We heard you, mate and while we would love nothing more than to lie you down, bare your body, and claim you, we’re not going to.”
Kenzie bit the inside of her lip as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts and tried to cover her gasp of pain by coughing.
“That’s why,” Jayson said in a hard voice. “You’re in pain and we aren’t about to add to it. You’ve been moving and crawling about the bed no doubt ignoring the ache in your ribs, in your body as you tried to convince us we were, are, valuable beings. I thank you for that, honey, because you have me, us believing. However, you are going to lie down and rest. There will be no love making or claiming until Broden gives you the all clear.”
“Damn, you’re bossy,” Kenzie muttered under her breath as she scowled at Jayson.
“Better get used to it, honey. You’ve agreed to be our mate and we aren’t about to let you change your mind.”
“Damn straight,” Jordan agreed.
“You’re stuck with us, sweetie. I hope you know what you in for. We aren’t biddable human men. We are used to getting our own way all the time. There’s no doubt we’re going to butt heads from time to time, but when it comes to your health, we’re not going to budge.”
Kenzie was pissed. They’d got her all hot and bothered, made her burn and ache, and after she’d practically bared her heart to them, they’d changed their minds. She knew why they had, and while she was grateful they were looking after her, she just couldn’t seem to get rid of the anger coursing through her blood. She didn’t regret telling them all how wonderful and commendable they all were, and she hadn’t lied, but she was hurting, in more ways than one.
She didn’t think about what she was doing as she slid sideways from Jordan’s lap and immediately regretted her spontaneous action. Pain ripped into her side. The agony was so sharp she couldn’t even draw a breath. Sweat formed on her brow, upper lip, and between her breasts, and dark spots flashed before her eyes.
“Fuck, baby, you shouldn’t have done that,” Jordan grasped her upper arms and gently eased her down onto the mattress. “Call Broden. Now!”
Kenzie wanted to tell them not to bother, but she couldn’t. The stabbing pain was so bad, she was in real trouble. When she was finally able to inhale, she hurt even worse and one of her lungs felt weird. She wondered if her broken ribs had moved and pierced the organ. The darkness before her eyes got thicker and wider until she wasn’t sure if she had her eyes opened or closed. Wooziness assailed her and when she tried to draw another breath into her lungs, the blackness reared up and enveloped her.
* * * *
Jayson nearly panicked when the scent of her blood grew stronger after Jordan helped Kenzie to lie down. Jenson was already on the phone to Broden and even though Jay wanted to pick his mate up, run to the truck, and drive her to the clinic, he was scared to move her.
He loved her so fucking much. If he and his brothers lost her now, after she’d accepted to be their mate, and they didn’t get the chance to claim her, he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t go insane. He wasn’t sure he’d survive if they lost her before they even had her.
“Broden and Dusty are on their way,” Jenson said after he disconnected the call. “He said to keep her warm and monitor her pulse.”
Jay climbed from the bed, and with Jordan’s help pulled the quilt up over Kenzie’s unconscious form. He sat next to her hip, rested the tips of his fingers on her pulse, and counted the beats. It was strong and regular, but he wouldn’t breathe easily until Broden had examined her and told him she was going to be all right. Thankfully, they didn’t live far from town and minutes later he heard Broden’s truck in the drive, then two doors slamming closed.
“What happened?” Broden asked as soon as he entered the bedroom.
Jenson explained how they been cuddling and talking and Kenzie moving wrong.
“Fuck!” Broden nudged Jayson out of the way and pulled the covers back. He sniffed the air with a frown and reached for the ties on Kenzie’s hospital gown.
Jordan growled at the Kodiak bear shifter.
“Stop it, Jordan,” Dusty ordered. “He doesn’t have designs on your woman. He’s trying to help her.” Dusty walked around the bed and pushed Jordan’s shoulder. Jordan moved aside with a huff and then Dusty unlaced the ties before pushing the material away from Kenzie’s side. “Oh God.” Dusty sobbed before covering her mouth with her hand. Her side was black and blue with blood just under the surface of her skin.
“Motherfucker!” Jordan snarled.
“Shit.” Jenson growled.
“Help her,” Jayson ordered.
“She has a punctured lung. The fastest way to help you mate is if you all give her the claiming bite. It’ll take weeks for her to heal if I have to operate.”
“They can’t do that, Broden.” Dusty rubbed a hand over her pregnant belly. “Kenzie has to be able to choose. If they take her choices away from her, she is going to be so hurt and angry. That’s no way to start a loving relationship.”
“She agreed to be our mate,” Jenson said as he moved closer to the bed. He cleared his throat and continued. “That’s what we were talking about when this happened.”
“Are you sure our claiming bite will be enough for her to heal?” Jay asked. “I thought we had to make love with her for everything to connect into place.”
Broden shook his head. “No, making love to your mate is to diminish the pain of the claiming bite. If she’s agreed, then you all need to bite her. Now!”
Dusty got off the bed and moved out of the way.
Jay, Jenson, and Jordan climbed up onto the mattress.
“Will we hurt her more if we lift her?” Jordan asked in a hoarse voice.
“Not if you’re careful,” Broden said as Jordan lifted Dusty into his arms. “We’ll wait in the living room. Call as soon as you’ve claimed your mate.”
Jenson helped Jordan lifted Kenzie into Jay’s lap, being gentle and careful of where they placed their hands. Once she was situated in Jay’s lap, he cradled her body against his, making sure she wasn’t going to move if she woke while they bit her.
Jay took a deep breath and nodded to his brothers. Jordan lowered the hospital gown from her shoulders exposing her soft, creamy skin and brushed her long, blonde hair away from her neck.
“Should we do this all at the same time?” Jenson asked uncertainly. “If so, one of us will need to bite her elsewhere.”
“What do you suggest, Broden?” Jordan asked.
“I’m not sure if it’ll make a difference, but if I was you, I’d do it together.”
“Just make sure you don’t mark her in a prominent place where everyone can see it,” Dusty said. “Although I’m sure Kenzie wouldn’t mind, but she’ll get some weird looks if humans see the bite marks on her skin.”
“Dusty’s right,” Jay said. “Who wants to bite the inside of her wrist?”
“I’ll do it,” Jenson said as he clasped Kenzie’s hand, lacing their fingers together.
“You ready?” Jay asked.
“Yes,” Jordan and Jenson answered simultaneously.
“On three,” Jordan said. “One, two, three.”
Jay’s panther leapt forward and since his canines had already elongated in preparation, he bit deeply into Kenzie’s right shoulder. Jordan bit into her left and Jenson her inner left wrist.
His dick, which had started to soften engorged with blood so fast and hard, he got light headed. He moaned as Kenzie’s blood flooded over his tongue, his taste buds and his cock twitched as it leaked pre-cum.
Kenzie whimpered but that was the only sound she made, and she didn’t move. He was glad she remained semi-unaware, because the last thing he wanted to have to do was
restrain her. Jenson and Jordan growled and yowled with joy, the sounds muffled against their mate’s skin. If he hadn’t still had his teeth buried in her flesh, he would have been roaring with triumphant joy, too.
Finally, his lengthened teeth retracted, and Jay purred as he bathed his mating mark with his tongue. He had no idea how quickly, their mate was going to heal, but he hoped, prayed that it would be fast. Now that they’d claimed her as his, his body was hankering to complete the bond by making love to his woman.
While she’d agreed to be their mate, he hoped that she wasn’t pissed for doing so without her awareness. He wasn’t sure he could stand to see horror or anger in her eyes even though she said she accepted them.
He wasn’t sure his heart, his soul, could take it.
Chapter Eight
Kenzie frowned as soon as she opened her eyes. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she felt different. She glanced to either side of her and sighed with disappointment when she realized she was in bed alone.
Her frown deepened as she tried to remember when she’d fallen asleep. She shook her head because she couldn’t. The last thing she could recall was trying to bolster Jayson, Jenson, and Jordan’s self-confidence in the way they perceived themselves.
She gasped when the recollection of agony stabbing into her ribs and insides had been so intense, she hadn’t even been able to breathe, but after that was a total blank.
She threw the covers aside and stared at the tank top and boy shorts she was wearing. One of her men must have gone out and bought her some clothes, because she hadn’t had anything other the clothes she’d been wearing and that dreaded hospital gown.
Kenzie stood and hurried toward the closed door off to the side of the room and gasped as she took in the huge bathroom. It had a granite countertop, four sinks, and a spa bath big enough to fit ten people. She turned toward the facilities and stared wide-eyed at the large open-style tiled shower and multiple showerheads. There was even a bench seat to rest on. She shook her head and continued to another closed door and opened it. She sighed with relief when she found the toilet. Her bladder was so full it was near to bursting.
After making use of the facilities she washed her hands. When she glanced up into the mirror she gaped at herself. The bruising and swelling was gone from her face. That was the moment she realized her ribs no longer hurt. She turned her side toward the mirror, lifted the hem of the tank top, and bared her side. There was nothing. Not a single mark, bruise, or mottled skin hue to be seen. She turned until her back was toward the mirror and lifted the tank higher and gazed over her shoulder.
Tears stung her eyes when she didn’t see any of those thin silvery lines that had been left on her back and thighs after her stepfather had taken his belt to her.
They were gone.
She dropped her shirt, turned once more, lifted a hand to push her hair back from her face, and stilled when she saw the bite mark on her inner wrist. Rotating her arm, she stared at the teeth marks embedded in her skin. She was about to remove her top to search the rest of her body, but she caught the marring in the crook of her neck and shoulders. A slow smile curved her lips up and she covered her mouth when she giggled. Her men had claimed her. Why they would do that while she was unconscious she didn’t know, but she was happy. She was theirs and they were hers. She belonged for the first time in her life.
Kenzie grabbed a new toothbrush from the cupboard, brushed her teeth and then hurried toward the shower. She had no idea what day it was or how long she’d been sleeping, but she needed to bathe. After taking a deep sniff, she didn’t think she smelled but she couldn’t remember how long it had been since she showered. She turned the water on, checked the temperature, removed her clothes, and stepped into the shower with a satisfied sigh.
She frowned when she felt nervous butterflies taking flight in her stomach, but couldn’t work out why she was feeling that way. With a mental shrug, she pushed the nervousness aside, washed her hair and body.
After wrapping a towel around herself, she dried her hair and then walked toward the bedroom. She stopped in the doorway when she saw all three of her guys were sitting on the bed waiting for her. A flush crept into her cheeks when she noticed they were eying her over with hungry intent, but when she shifted on her feet, they lifted their gazes to her face.
“There are clothes in the dresser, baby,” Jordan said, standing and walking toward it. He pulled drawers open and then beckoned her by crooking a finger. She moved toward him, peered into the drawers, and gasped. There were enough clothes in them to last her for at least a week, probably more.
“Thank you.” She looked into Jordan’s eyes, and frowned when he nodded and glanced away. She turned to glance at Jayson and Jenson. “Thank you for buying me some clothes.”
“You’re welcome,” Jayson replied.
“No problem.” Jenson shrugged.
She knew there was something wrong when none of them would hold her gaze, and while she wanted to ask them what was up, she was feeling vulnerable and nervous, so she decided to gather up something to wear. Once she’d picked out underwear, jeans, and a T-shirt, she hurried back into the bathroom to dress. By the time she was decent her gut was churning so much she felt ill. She placed a hand on her belly, hoping the roiling would settle down soon, and after sucking in a breath, headed into the bedroom again.
They were still sitting on the side of the bed and avoiding her gaze.
Kenzie moved further into the room, crossed her arms beneath her breasts and asked, “What’s going on?” Fear skittered up her spine when her imagination took over. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand and backed away. “They’re here, aren’t they? They’ve found me.”
“No, honey, they haven’t found you,” Jay replied as he stood. He took a step toward her and stopped.
She glanced at Jenson and Jordan as they both rose and came to stand on either side of Jay.
“Would one of you tell me what’s going on? The longer you delay spitting out whatever it is, the more scared I’m getting.”
“We claimed you,” Jordan stated.
“And?” Kenzie quirked an eyebrow.
“And?” Jay threw his hands into the air. “What do you mean, and? We claimed you while you were unconscious.”
“And?” She frowned.
“Sweetie, why aren’t you mad at us?” Jenson asked.
“Because I agreed and want to be your mate. I figure you had to have a very good reason to claim me while I was out of it.” She sighed with relief when her upset stomach eased. That was when she realized she hadn’t been the one feeling nervous or ill. That feeling had been coming from her mates…times three. No wonder she’d been feeling anxious and sick. They were scared she was going to be upset about being claimed while she’d been unaware.
Jay clasped her hand in his and tugged her against him. “We’ve been worried sick about you, honey. You punctured a lung and the only way to heal you without surgery and weeks of recovery was to claim you.”
“I did?” She drew back to gaze up into his eyes.
Jenson and Jordan caressed a hand up and down her back.
“You don’t remember being in pain?” Jordan asked.
“That’s not something I’m going to forget any time soon.”
“I’ll bet.” Jay rubbed at the back of his neck. “I can’t believe you’re not angry with us?”
“Why would I be, Jay? I’d already told you all I wanted to be your mate. I should be thanking you all for claiming me and speeding up my healing process. So, thank you. How long was I unconscious?”
“Three days,” Jenson answered in low raspy tone.
“Three days?”
Jay nodded.
“Actually, it was more like four days and three nights,” Jordan answered.
“I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for, baby?” Jordan clasped her shoulder and squeezed.
“For worrying you all.”
“You didn’t do
it on purpose, honey.” Jay stroked a finger down her cheek. “Let’s go and get something to eat. I know you’re starving because I can hear your belly grumbling.”
Kenzie nodded eagerly. It was funny because she hadn’t noticed how hungry she was until Jay mentioned it. Maybe her concern as well as feeling her mates’ turmoil had superseded her hunger issue.
They all walked to the kitchen. Jenson grabbed a jug of water from the fridge, poured her a glass, and handed it to her. She drained the contents quickly, quenching her thirst and nodded when Jenson lifted the jug in query. He poured her another drink and she sipped it.
“What can I do to help?” she asked as she watched her guys remove ingredients from the fridge.
“Nothing, baby,” Jordan said as he put the salad fixings on the counter. “We’ve already got a dish of lasagna and garlic bread cooking in the oven. All that’s left to make is the salad.”
Kenzie glanced over at the table. “At least let me set the table.”
“I’ll help you, sweetie.”
She didn’t have the heart to tell Jenson she was quite capable of setting a table by herself and any other number of chores, but she nodded instead. Even though she’d tried to alleviate her mates’ guilt, she wasn’t sure she’d achieved her goal. Every now and then her stomach would flutter, and her heart would clench.
Kenzie was full of determination, though. By the end of the night her men would no longer feel remorse, and she was going to be mated to them physically, as well. Already her body was preparing to make love with her mates. Her pussy was wet, her clit was throbbing, and her nipples were aching. If she hadn’t been so hungry for food, she would have stripped out of her clothes and laid herself out on the table for them to feast on.
Fifteen minutes later they were sitting at the table and eating the most amazing lasagna she’d ever tasted. She was so damn hungry she wanted to scarf the food down, but her momma had taught her manners, so she made herself eat with some decorum, even if she did eat faster than normal. “This is delicious.”