Martine, Missy - Changing Their Wolfen Heritage [A Wolfen Heritage 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Missy Martine

  “I feel trouble coming,” Remus exclaimed.

  “Remus, I just wanted to say it was a really nice party.”

  He turned around to see Mali standing in front of him. “Hey, Mali, we’re very glad you came. Michael told me that you and he worked things out well enough that you’re going to be working together on his house.”

  “Yeah, there are no hard feelings. I always knew they were mates, so I never really stood a chance anyway.” He laughed. “You ought to see the designs for their house. It’s even nicer than yours.”

  Remus’s mouth fell open in surprise. He didn’t think anything could be better than the house Michael designed for them. “That reminds me, I’m supposed to introduce you to Melissa so she knows who you are when you show up on Monday. Hold on a minute.” He walked off in search of Melissa, confident that Mali would wait for him. After a couple of minutes, he found her in the kitchen swapping stories about Michael with Maddie. “Melissa, would you come with me for just a minute? Michael wanted me to introduce you to Mali. He’ll be at the office first thing on Monday to start the remodeling for your apartment.”

  “Sure, Remus. Maddie, I’ll talk to you later. Maybe we can get together for lunch one day this week?” Melissa got up and joined Remus at the door.

  “That would be great, Melissa. I’ll give you a call,” Maddie replied.

  Remus walked with Melissa across the yard to where Mali was still standing. As they got near, he turned and faced them. “Melissa, this is Mali Wind River. He’s a contractor and will be at your office on Monday to remodel the space for your apartment.” He glanced at Mali and was surprised to see the man moving closer, obviously sniffing the air. “Mali, this is Melissa Rogers. She’s Michael’s business partner.”

  Mali walked closer and took the hand that Melissa offered. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Rogers.” As Remus watched, he pulled on Melissa’s hand, moving her closer to his body.

  “Uh, nice to meet you, too. Please, call me Melissa.” She seemed to be pulling back on her hand, attempting to free herself.

  Still holding on, Mali leaned forward and inhaled deeply. “You can call me Mali.”

  Alarmed when he heard a small growl, Remus stepped up and pulled Melissa’s hand from Mali’s, earning a look of gratitude from the woman. “Melissa, do you already know what you want done in your apartment?” Remus narrowed his eyes as he glared at Mali.

  “Oh, sure, it’s pretty simple. There’s not much work to be done.” Melissa seemed to be in a daze. “Well, I promised Maddie I’d come right back. Guess I’ll see you Monday.” Without waiting for an answer, she scurried off.

  Mali started after her, and Remus caught him by the arm. He stared at him hard when Mali let out an angry growl. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “She’s my mate!”

  Remus sighed. “Oh, shit! What next?”

  * * * *

  Latan approached the small teacher’s cabin with a plate of cake in his hand, excitement making him feel as if he were bursting at the seams. His brother, Ethan, walked beside him, probably driven by the same feelings of anticipation. The new teacher was beautiful, and he sure hoped she was interested in getting to know the two of them better.

  “Kitania is an unusual name. What do you think it means?” Ethan posed his question to Latan as they hurried toward the cabin.

  “Who cares? Let’s hope it means available!” Both brothers laughed.

  As they approached the porch, Latan looked over and saw a furry, black cat sitting in the window. He poked his brother in the side and nodded. “Take a look.” He pointed to the window. “She’s got a damn cat. I hate cats!”

  Ethan snickered. “Better not say that too loudly. The lady might take offense if you insult her pet.” He reached up and knocked at the door. As he watched, the cat scrambled out of the window and disappeared into the house. A minute later, the door opened just far enough for the new teacher to stick her head out.

  Latan stared at the beauty that opened the door. She was breathtaking, and his heart sped up when he realized she was dressed in just a robe. “Hi, Tania, I’m Latan, and this is my brother, Ethan. We’re the Alpha’s brothers.” He held out the plate. “We noticed you left without eating and thought you might like some of the wedding cake. We wanted to welcome you to the pack.”

  Tania reached for the plate and pulled it back inside the door. “Thank you, it was very thoughtful of you to bring it to me.”

  “No problem, we kind of hoped that you might want to get together.” Ethan smiled at her with his request.

  “What for?” she asked.

  Latan looked at Ethan in surprise. “Well, to get to know each other better. We could tell you all about the pack, show you around, or just sit and talk.” Latan was beginning to feel like things weren’t going to go their way today.

  Tania looked both men up and down and then smiled. “Not today, boys, maybe another time.” She closed the door, and they could hear the lock turning on the other side.

  Slowly, they walked away from the porch. For several minutes, they walked back toward their house in silence, and then Latan spoke up. “I’m in love. She’s perfect.”

  Ethan glanced at him. “I’m in love, too. What are we going to do about it? She feels different than the other women we date.”

  Latan stopped and stared at his brother for several minutes while he thought about the situation. “Yeah, she feels different, but does that really matter? We’ve always shared in the past. Why don’t we just share her now? Or are you thinking along the lines of a mate?”

  Ethan hesitated before he answered. “No, I’m not looking for a mate.”

  “So we share, like always?” Latan asked.

  Ethan thought for a moment and then smiled and held out his hand for his brother to shake. “We share!”

  Chapter 1

  Tania stared down at the plate of wedding cake and grinned. The Alpha’s brothers were really hot! She felt her body tingling in places that it hadn’t tingled in quite some time. Maybe she could have a little fun while she carried out her assignment. It had been a long time since she’d allowed herself to enjoy the company of a male. There was always a danger that a wolf could decide to mate her, and she’d always avoided that at all costs. She’d revealed her true, half-breed self only once to a potential mate, and it was a mistake she would never make again. But with the brothers, it wouldn’t be a problem. Wolves are very possessive of their mates, and they don’t share them with anyone. As long as the two men wanted to play together, she was safe as a newborn pup.

  Tania closed her eyes, imagining two strong, male bodies holding her tightly.

  Lips as soft as a whisper trailed down her neck, while a warm, wet tongue darted out to taste the skin they explored. Fingers glided softly over the aching tips of her breasts before returning to roll them gently back and forth. She could feel a second set of hands squeezing her ass cheeks before dipping between them to tease the tiny, hidden entrance to her body. A trail of hot, fiery warmth trailed from the back of her neck, straight down her spine. Lips closed around her nipple and began to suckle, while the heat along the skin of her back returned to her neck. She could feel the moist breath as he pressed his lips to her ear. “You’re ours, Tania!”

  Tania’s eyes popped open in shock. “Like hell, I’m yours!” She laughed at the absurdity of her daydream. As much fun as some really hot, kinky sex would be with a couple of good-looking wolves, she would never allow it to go any further than that. Besides, she already knew they were both only looking for a good-time girl. Very few people knew she had the ability to sense the emotions of others, no matter what their species. It had been vital to keep it a secret since her gift made it easier for her to accomplish the jobs the Council sent her on. The brothers had been very easy to read, which usually meant the subject wasn’t trying to hide anything.

  Tania took a deep breath and shook her head. “First things first.” She left the cake sitting on the kitchen cou
nter and went over to pick up the file on her current assignment. She cringed as she read over the material, wondering how she was going to be able to pull this off without getting caught. The Alpha, Remus, seemed pretty sharp, and it was going to be difficult to stay off his radar. Maybe spending time with his brothers could help her cause. She could use them to keep track of what their brother did or didn’t know.

  Tania frowned as a shiver ran over her, and the little hairs on the back of her neck stood up. For some reason, the idea of using the two men in such a way was extremely distasteful to her beast. She sighed and looked around the small cabin. “Okay, Kit, my little furball, you’re gonna have to help me out on this one. I’m gonna need you to do a little reconnaissance for me. I hope you’re up to the challenge because you’re gonna have to avoid the big, bad wolves while we’re here.”

  * * * *

  Latan looked around the Pack House meeting room as the Elders, and a few other wolves from the pack, gathered. Remus had called everyone together on this beautiful Sunday morning to discuss some problem the pack faced. Personally, he would prefer being curled up in his bed dreaming of the hot, new teacher. He snickered as he watched his brother Ethan slowly shuffle through the door. They had both been up pretty late last night, trying to come up with a foolproof plan for getting on the teacher’s good side.

  “Did they start without me?” Ethan mumbled as he took the seat next to Latan.

  “No, Remus is still talking to Vanard.” Vanard was the head Elder of their pack, and Latan had often wondered how Remus kept from killing him. The Alpha was the top ruler of any pack and always had the final word in any situation. Vanard had a tendency to forget who was in charge. Latan stared into his brother’s bloodshot eyes. “Man, you look like shit.”

  Ethan took a deep breath and then glared at his brother. “You’re no vision of beauty yourself this morning.” He rubbed a hand over his forehead. “Do you know what this meeting is supposed to be about?”

  “No, Remus hasn’t said anything.”

  Before Ethan could respond, Remus’s voice shot out over the room. “Okay, my fellow pack mates. We have a new threat to address.” He waited until every wolf in the room was silent before continuing. “Yesterday, Koril discovered that Dr. Constantine left a bunch of records in a safety deposit box at the bank. They’re now in the hands of Dr. Vincent Kaugh.”

  “What kind of records?” asked Taynor Wind River.

  “At this point, there’s no way to know for certain. We’re operating under the assumption that they’re records from his so-called medical research on shape-shifting wolves.” Remus took a deep breath as a fierce look came over his face. “He’s probably now in possession of all Constantine’s records on Maddie.” His voice was a mixture of pain and fury.

  “What do you think he’ll do with them, Remus?” Taynor’s voice carried a soft growl with his words. He was an extremely fierce wolf, despite being an investment counselor who handled all the pack’s finances.

  Remus walked over to the window. For a moment, he stood quietly, seemingly lost in thought. Then he turned and growled before answering. “I think he’ll try and continue Constantine’s work. Hell, he may even try and kidnap Maddie so he’ll have the same test subject.” He walked over and sat back down, then glanced down the table. “Koril, why don’t you fill them in on what you’ve learned about Kaugh?”

  Koril stood and bowed respectfully to Remus before he addressed the rest of the pack. He and Brenner handled all security matters for the Wind River Pack, and it would be dangerous to have him for an enemy. “Kaugh comes from Carsonville, California. He’s been involved in secret research for more than twenty years. The National Council believes the research involves shifters, possibly more than just wolves. He showed up here after he learned that Constantine had been killed.” Koril grimaced and shot an apologetic look toward Remus. “We were careless and didn’t find out about the dummy corporation that Constantine set up until it was too late to stop Kaugh from getting his hands on the safety deposit box. He just waltzed in with a key and took everything there.”

  “We don’t want to just go storming in to retrieve the files until we have more facts,” Remus said. “We need to know exactly what we’re dealing with and how many others might be involved. We don’t want any more scientists showing up after we take this man out.”

  “Right now, Kaugh has three associates with him,” Koril said. “Sean Cross, Marty Dyer, and Calvin Ames. None of these men are scientists or doctors, and they’re human. It’s pretty obvious that they’re his muscle.”

  “Alpha, what is it you want us to do?” asked Vanard.

  “Kaugh has rented a place on Main Street, just across from the building where Michael is setting up his office. I don’t think he would have gone to the trouble of renting space unless he was up to something.” Remus looked out at the members of his pack. “I want to keep him under surveillance until we figure out what he’s planning. I want to find out who else knows about his research and if there are any other test subjects that might need our help.” He got to his feet and took on the fierce aura of an Alpha. Shoulders back, canines extended, his inner power snaked through the room.

  As Latan watched his older brother, a movement to the right caught his attention, and he turned to look toward the windows. Down on his knees, Taynor was looking at something under the table.

  “I want help in guarding my mate twenty-four hours a day,” Remus cried out. “I won’t let anyone take her from me again.” He lowered his head in an unusual show of humility. “I need your help to protect her.” He raised his eyes, and they swept the room. “It’s vital that we keep her safe. She’s expecting our first pup.”

  As the room broke out in a round of congratulations, Latan watched Taynor crawl under the table. Intrigued, he stood and walked toward the older man. Suddenly, he stopped and watched, incredulous, as Taynor rose to his feet holding a small black cat by the scruff of its neck.

  “Well, lookey, lookey! I tink I see a puddy tat!” Taynor laughed, mimicking the line from a children’s television cartoon, as the cat hissed and thrashed about trying to free itself.

  Latan groaned. He’d always hated cats. “Looks to me like you found a snack, Taynor,” he encouraged, with an exaggerated wink.

  Vanard came rushing over. “No, for God’s sake, don’t hurt it. If I’m not mistaken, it belongs to our new teacher.”

  “Yeah,” Ethan agreed. “Latan and I saw it at her cabin yesterday when we took her some wedding cake.”

  Laughing, Latan walked over and bent down to stare into the eyes of the struggling cat. Pulling from deep inside himself, he let out a ferocious growl in an attempt to frighten the tiny animal into submission. He was surprised when the cat stopped struggling for a moment and seemed to focus its eyes back onto Latan’s own gaze. Without warning, the small ball of fur suddenly hissed and lashed out with its paw, claws extended. Latan jumped back, narrowly missing getting injured. Taynor laughed and then screeched as the cat swung those deadly weapons around, drawing them neatly across the wrist that held it prisoner. Latan saw the bright red stripes as Taynor quickly let go of the tiny beast, dropping it to the floor. Everyone laughed as the cat jumped up and fled through the open window.

  Latan grimaced, wondering how he was going to convince Tania to have a relationship with him and hide his hatred of her cat at the same time. He turned around to ask Ethan what he thought and came face to face with Vanard. For a moment, he could have sworn he saw relief on the pompous Elder’s face.

  * * * *

  Melissa glanced at the clock for the tenth time in the last half hour. She was waiting for Mali to arrive, and she’d never been more nervous in her life. Meeting him at Ariane and Michael’s wedding reception had been the highlight of her whole year. She could still feel the tingles from the electrical charge that had shot through her body when he’d taken her hand. She sighed as she pictured the handsome man in her mind. He was tall, well over six feet, towering over h
er five and a half foot frame. His large, muscular body had made her feel small and dainty even though she had what polite society called a plus size figure. His brown hair, lightly dusted with gray, fell just long enough to make a stubby ponytail at the base of his neck. Melissa shivered when she thought of his mesmerizing eyes. Brown, with tiny flecks of gold, they seemed to stare directly into her soul. They’d made her feel as if he wanted to consume her. She’d never had such an instant attraction to a man before, and she had an inexplicable feeling that he’d felt the same way. If it hadn’t been for Remus pulling her away from Mali’s grasp, she believed the handsome man would have taken her away from the party. Even more startling was the fact she would have gone with him willingly.

  The door opened suddenly, startling Melissa out of her thoughts. She glanced up, expecting to see Mali, and was surprised to see an attractive young woman. “Can I help you?” Dainty, with long auburn hair and bright green eyes, she was everything Melissa wished she could be, and wasn’t.

  “Hi, my name’s Tania. I’m the new teacher at the mountain school.”

  Melissa stood and walked over to offer her hand. “I’m Melissa. It’s nice to meet you. Um, the office is not really open for business yet. We’re just now getting settled in and unpacking.”

  Tania laughed. “Yes, I know. Actually, I’m here to help if I can.”

  “I, uh, don’t understand.” Melissa glanced at the clock again. She wanted to get this young woman out of the office before Mali arrived. She definitely didn’t want this kind of competition for his attention.

  “Sorry, I should have explained better.” Tania walked farther into the room and looked around. “My boss is a friend of Michael’s, and he thought that you might appreciate some help getting unpacked while Michael is on his honeymoon.” She laughed again and lowered her voice. “Actually, I think he’s trying to find things for me to do to justify paying me while school’s out. I don’t start classes for a couple of months, so I’m at loose ends.”