“No problem, I’ll be right back.” He winked and headed for the kitchen.
Tania smiled at Ethan. “Okay, you’ve asked me about my family and where I came from. Tell me about your family.”
He laughed. “I’m not sure that’s fair, considering you haven’t really told us anything, but I’m willing to go first as long as you know I’m gonna keep trying to find out more about you.”
She tried not to let his words make her nervous. He couldn’t make her tell him anything, and he couldn’t smell her deceit. One of the perks of her unusual heritage was the ability to mask her scent at all times. Most other shifters couldn’t even tell her breed.
“You’ve met what’s left of our family. There are only the three of us, with Remus being the oldest, me in the middle, and Latan the baby.”
She laughed. “He’s one big baby.”
“You have no idea,” he exclaimed. “Our mom died when I was six years old. She was shot by poachers in her wolf form.”
“Oh, my God! How awful for you. That almost never happens anymore, with the more stringent game laws.” She could feel the pain radiating from him as he thought about his mother, and she had an overwhelming urge to comfort him.
“Truthfully, I was so young I don’t remember her very well. It was always just my dad and the three of us.”
“He never took another mate?” she asked.
“No, I don’t think he ever even considered it. He was hopelessly in love with her. His life was spent raising us and teaching us the family business.”
“Construction, right?”
“Yeah, we own Wolf Construction. He made sure that all three of us were trained to handle some part of the company.”
“Where is he now?” she asked. For a moment, she thought she could see tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.
“He died a couple of years ago. He pushed himself until Latan finished business school and then helped him learn the management of the company for two years. When we finally all had productive positions in the company, he went to bed one night and died in his sleep. We all believe he died of loneliness, heartsick over losing his own true mate. He just hung on until he knew we would be okay.”
Latan returned, carrying a tray with three drinks. He carefully set them down and then discarded the tray onto a nearby empty table. He glanced over at Tania then back over to Ethan. “What the hell did you do, Ethan? I only left for ten minutes, and you’ve managed to put tears in her eyes!” Both Ethan and Tania laughed. “So,” Latan continued, “you seem reluctant to answer questions about where you’re from, so how about telling us where you went to college. We know you’ve got a teaching degree, so there must be some college stories in there somewhere.” He smiled at her engagingly.
Tania shook her head, unable to resist the charm of the two brothers. She took a deep breath and then stopped cold. She was clearly sensing their arousal now, much stronger than their distrust. It doesn’t matter. I can still tell they don’t really trust me. It’s not like our relationship can go anywhere. They’re both going to want to mate eventually, and I can’t be anybody’s mate. With regrets, she proceeded to put them at ease by telling them amusing stories about her years at UCLA.
* * * *
Mali parked his truck in front of the Takoda Bed & Breakfast, cut off the engine, and then turned to face the beautiful woman sitting beside him. He could smell equal amounts of arousal and apprehension coming from her, and it was driving him crazy. His cock strained against his jeans, while his wolf hovered just beneath the surface of his humanity. I’m a fool for spending so much time alone with her, knowing that Remus forbid me to mate with her yet. Silently, he reached over and unbuckled her seatbelt.
“Um, I had a great time, Mali. I really appreciate dinner and a chance to pick out the colors for the office.” She gave him a shy little smile and then yelped when he pulled her across the seat. “What are you doing?” she whispered. Her eyes got big as saucers when he easily lifted her onto his lap.
“I wanna kiss you, and I’m not doing it on somebody’s front porch.” He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply. “I didn’t figure you would be inviting me up to your room.” He touched his lips to her forehead and then trailed feather-light kisses against her skin down her cheek.
“I, um, I uh, couldn’t, I mean I, umph.” Melissa’s words cut off when Mali captured her lips with his. He licked across her bottom lip before sliding inside the silky warmth of her mouth. Mali could feel her hands fluttering against his shoulders, like she wasn’t sure where to put them, as his tongue flicked against her own. She opened her lips wider, mating her tongue against his. The taste of his mate was addictive and sweet as honey.
Mali cupped the back of her head to hold her in place while he deepened the kiss. His hand slid down her side to her bottom and hauled her closer to him, anchoring her against his throbbing erection. He felt her hands gripping his shoulders hard and then groaned when they slid into the long strands of his hair. After lifting away from the kiss, he buried his lips in the curve of her neck and had to fight to keep his canines from dropping. He nibbled on her ear before trailing kisses down the silky skin and then ran his lips along her jaw down to the hollow of her throat. His hand cupped her breast and squeezed gently as he ground his erection against her ass.
“Whoa!” Melissa pulled back abruptly, placed both hands against his chest, and pushed. “Slow down there, big guy.” Her cheeks were turning bright red, and she wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I’m a little too old to be making out in a car.”
“This is a truck,” he stated, deadpan.
She brought her gaze up to his, and if looks could kill, he would be lying dead on the seat. “Are you serious?” she asked.
Mali laughed. “At least I got you to look at me again.” He placed a quick kiss on her lips. “Sunshine, I’ll never do anything to embarrass you. That’s a promise.”
Melissa snorted. “Your promise might hold more water if your hand wasn’t still on my ass.”
He laid his forehead against hers and laughed softly, before squeezing the soft cheek of her butt in his hand. “Nobody can see my hand on your ass, so you shouldn’t be embarrassed by it.” He leaned back to stare into her eyes. “Besides, you might as well get used to my hands being on your body. As far as I’m concerned, soon there won’t be a part of you that doesn’t have my fingerprints all over it.” He gave her a wicked grin. “And I’m hoping to have your fingerprints all over me.”
She swallowed hard and squirmed around on his lap. “I really need to get in now, Mali. It’s getting kind of late, and that poor woman will be waiting up for me.”
Mali sighed and took her face between his hands. “Okay, this time, you win. I can’t promise I’ll let you win every time, though.” He kissed her gently and then lifted her off his lap and placed her back on the seat. “Wait here,” he ordered. Her eyes remained on him as he got out of the truck, ran around to her side, and then opened the door to help her out. Holding her hand, he walked her up to the porch. Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. “I’ll see you at the office tomorrow. I’ve really enjoyed spending this evening with you.”
Melissa grinned, stood on her tiptoes, and placed a quick kiss on his lips. “See ya tomorrow.” Before he could deepen the kiss, she’d pulled away, opened the door, and disappeared inside. He chuckled. You won’t get away so easily next time!
* * * *
Ethan glanced over at Latan as they walked Tania to her cabin. Their date had so many things go wrong it should be listed in the Disastrous Dates Hall of Fame. He couldn’t believe they hadn’t anticipated Linda’s reaction to them bringing a woman there. Hell, she’d been the reason he and Latan agreed to stick to strictly wolf shifters in the future. But even before her antics, he thought he’d sensed Tania pulling away from them. It was strange, but he couldn’t sense her emotions like he could other shifters, and nothing about her scent was recognizable. He’d always been able to scent the wolf in
the pack females.
Tania walked up onto the porch and turned and faced the two men. “Thank you for dinner. It was, um, interesting.” She laughed lightly.
Latan took a step up onto the porch and smiled down at her. “It’s still pretty early. Wouldn’t you like to just relax, and maybe sit around and talk?” He lowered his voice suggestively.
She looked down at Ethan and then back up at Latan. Sighing, she straightened her back. “Look, guys, you’re really sweet, and I’ve enjoyed our evening together, but I have to be honest with you.” For a moment, a look of pain seemed to cross her face, and then it was gone. “I don’t really see this relationship being able to go anywhere. Both of you are really great, but I don’t even plan on staying in this area. I didn’t sign a contract with the school board.”
“Why didn’t you?” Ethan asked.
She shrugged. “I didn’t wanna tie myself down unless I was sure.”
Ethan walked up onto the porch. “Sure about what, honey?”
Tania looked uncomfortable. “That I wanted to stay in this area. I’ve moved around a lot, trying different places out, trying to find one that felt like home.”
“And this isn’t it?” Latan asked with a touch of sadness in his voice.
She didn’t meet their eyes. “No, I don’t think so.” Backing toward the door, she gave them a small smile. “I’ll be leaving when this semester is over. I’m sorry, but I think it would be best to just cut things off before they go too far.” Opening the door, she stepped inside. “Goodnight!”
Ethan watched the door close and turned to look at Latan. “Could anything else possibly go wrong tonight?”
Latan shook his head. “She was jumpy all evening, bro, even before the problems at the diner.” He walked toward their parked car. “She’s hiding something, Ethan. I can feel it.”
“You can sense her feelings?” Ethan asked.
“No, I can’t, and that’s the problem. She shouldn’t be able to mask her feelings, and that has to mean she’s hiding something.”
Ethan joined his brother in the car. “Do you think Remus is right? You think she’s mixed up with Kaugh?”
“No, that’s the one thing I’m sure of. I don’t believe there’s anything evil about her, but I sense she’s sad and unhappy.”
Ethan was quiet for a few minutes while Latan drove them home. “So, what do we do now?” He looked at his brother, feeling a little uncomfortable. “I can’t just walk away, Latan. As strange as it may sound, I’ve got feelings for her. Feelings I’ve never had before.”
“Shit, we may have an even bigger problem then.”
“What are you talking about?”
Latan gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, bro, but I’ve got feelings for her, too.”
Ethan laughed. “Maddie always said that dating the same woman was gonna cause us big trouble someday.” He looked over at his brother. “Let’s go home and drink a couple of six packs of beer.”
Latan laughed. “How the hell will that help?”
“It won’t, but I’ll need that extra fortification to tell Maddie she was right!”
“Can’t beat that logic. Let’s go.”
* * * *
“Damn, Ethan, we would be laid out in a soft, comfortable bed with a naked Tania between us if we hadn’t screwed up tonight.” Latan put the beer can down on the porch and then leaned back in the rocker. “What color do you think her nipples are?” he asked, slurring his words just a little.
Ethan sighed. “You’re drunk, little brother.” They had gone through four beers a piece, but Latan had never been able to hold his liquor well.
“I’m not drunk enough. If I was, I wouldn’t have the hard-on from hell.” He got up and walked over to the table to grab another beer.
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough? We need to talk about how we’re gonna help Remus nail Kaugh.”
Latan looked at the beer in his hand and then sat it back down on the table. “You’re right, as usual,” he said, walking back to the rocker. He glared at Ethan. “I don’t care what Remus said. There’s no way that Tania’s involved in that sick bastard’s plans. I’m not gonna waste my time focusing on her.”
Ethan leaned his head back and gazed up at the stars. “We’re in agreement there. I don’t think Remus would feel that way if he spent a little time with her and got to know her better.”
“Holy shit!” Latan screamed.
Ethan jumped to his feet, ready to defend his brother, and then laughed when he got a good look at him. Tania’s cat had apparently sneaked up on Latan and jumped into his lap. He was staring down at the tiny ball of fur like it was something dropped straight from the depths of hell. Laughing, almost uncontrollably, Ethan returned to the porch swing.
“Get the hell off of me,” Latan cried. He roughly pushed the cat off his lap and onto the porch. Leaning over, he growled menacingly. Kit arched her back and hissed before running over and jumping into Ethan’s lap.
“Doesn’t seem like she’s any more fond of you than you are of her, bro,” Ethan said.
Latan stood up and walked over to his brother. He bent down close to the purring cat. “Aw, what’s the matter? Is da wittle pussy cat mad at me?” he crooned. He jumped back, nearly tripping on his own feet, when Kit raised one paw and swiped at his face with her claws extended. “Damn, that cat’s a menace.” He returned to the rocker. “Why does the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known need to have a furball living with her?”
Ethan laughed and ran his fingers through the silky, black hair. Kit was rubbing her head all over his arm, while flexing her claws in and out on his jean-clad legs. Her purring was rhythmic and soothing. “If you ever expect to get anywhere with Tania, you’re gonna have to develop some kind of friendly relationship with this cat.”
Latan snorted. “You develop a relationship with the furry, little beast, and I’ll work on figuring out a way to get back into Tania’s good graces.”
“I’ve got guards watching Kaugh’s office until morning, but I promised we would take over for them fairly early.” Ethan continued to rub Kit, occasionally scratching her behind the ears.
“Okay, but let’s change tactics a little. Remus concentrated his investigation on Kaugh himself, and he’s staying squeaky clean. I think it’s safe to assume he’s aware of being watched. We should take to the wooded area behind their office in our wolf forms and see what his associates are up to. The guys watching the office said that they’ve been checking out the countryside and even talking to a realtor. I wanna get really close and see what they’re up to.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Ethan agreed. He stood up and placed the cat on the porch. “We’d better turn in since we need to be up and out so early.” Using his foot, he gently pushed Kit toward the steps. “Go on home, kitty. It’s not safe for you to be running around these woods.”
“Oh, yeah,” Latan laughed, “run on home through the woods, kitty. Maybe something big and hairy will have you for a midnight snack!”
Ethan shook his head. “I think the odds of you ever finding out the color of Tania’s nipples are nonexistent!”
“Oh, man, if we just hadn’t screwed up and subjected her to Linda, I would be between those creamy thighs even as we speak!”
“Don’t say things like that,” Ethan growled. “Now I’m never gonna be able to get to sleep with the pictures running through my mind.” He continued to grumble under his breath as he made his way into the house.
* * * *
Latan looked over at his brother and growled. They’d been hiding in the trees behind Kaugh’s Main Street office for over five hours with absolutely nothing to show for it. When they relieved the night watch, Connor told them the three human associates of Kaugh’s had arrived an hour before they showed up. Since then, there hadn’t been any sign of life inside the building. Tired of communicating telepathically with Ethan, Latan changed back into his human form and waited for his brother to follow.
“W
hat’s the matter with you? Are you trying to get us caught?” Ethan growled.
“Give me a break. Even in human form, we’re more than adequately hidden here. I just couldn’t stand lying in the leaves any longer and not being able to talk.”
Ethan chuckled. “Your furry butt doesn’t like lying in the leaves, but you don’t mind your naked ass being attacked by mosquitoes? Bro, you are one sick puppy!”
“Very funny. I’ve been thinking.”
“Wait, I’ll alert the press,” Ethan joked.
Latan glared at his brother. “I’m trying to be serious here, asshole. I think we should talk to Remus about Tania.”
“What are we gonna tell him, because we really didn’t learn anything new last night.”
“We’re gonna tell him what our instincts are telling us, that she’s not guilty of anything. You and I both know he’s nervous of anybody new because of what happened to Maddie. He trusts us, and I think he’ll listen if we tell him that we trust her.”
“He’s not gonna settle for just our word.”
“Then we make him spend some time with her. He can ask all the questions he wants.” Latan gazed up into tree branches that were blowing slowly in the wind. “Man, I don’t wanna let her go. She makes me feel protective and possessive all at the same time. I want her like I’ve never wanted another woman before, and I can sense you feel the same.”
Ethan frowned and then sighed heavily. “Yeah, I know how you’re feeling. What the hell are we gonna do? It’s not like we can both mate her.” He laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. “It doesn’t even make any sense. She doesn’t smell like she’s my mate, but every feeling she brings out in me says she is.”
“Exactly,” Latan exclaimed. “Sometimes she doesn’t even smell like a shifter, and I’ve never thought she smelled like a wolf. Did Remus tell you what she is?”
Martine, Missy - Changing Their Wolfen Heritage [A Wolfen Heritage 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 7