For Love of Grace [Werewolves Wanting Love 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Cara Adams

  They were using Jarin’s old white truck to get there, and he was outside his house, ready and waiting when Jarin arrived. He slung his backpack into the back of the truck and climbed in.

  “I wish she’d agreed to sleep on the rim last night. It was hardly worth going to bed anyway,” he grumbled.

  “I know. But I’m being good. Doing what she wants,” Jarin teased him.

  He laughed. “I went to bed early then lay awake for a couple of hours, but I guess I was resting.”

  It wasn’t far to the Patterson house, and Grace was standing out front, her backpack at her feet. Mark jumped out to lift her pack into the back of the truck while she climbed up into the cab and sat between him and Jarin. He liked that. That was how he envisioned them for the future. The three of them together like this.

  Well, originally he’d wanted her all to himself, but he’d known for a long time she wasn’t going to agree. Even though he knew Jarin wanted her, too, he found it impossible to hate the man who’d been his best friend for so many years. Sharing Grace was, in some ways, the best possible result in that they’d both get her instead of neither of them getting her.

  Well, that was the plan anyway. It still bothered him that she had gone to the mating parry. She must have been looking for something there, or someone, perhaps. Would she be happy with him and Jarin? Could they provide for all her needs? Fulfill her? At least she was giving them a chance. She’d agreed to let them share her hike with her. That had to be a good sign.

  Knowing her love for silence, Mark didn’t attempt to speak as they drove out through the desert to the Grand Canyon. It was still very dark, but as they arrived there were signs of the coming dawn. The sky was no longer uniformly black. When they spread out the blanket and turned the truck lights off, the stars were discernibly fading as the sky began to lighten.

  More than anything Mark longed to put his arm around Grace to hold her against him, but he forced himself to keep a few inches of space between them. Angering her now would be the worst possible thing to do.

  Jarin took the cooler out of the truck and handed each of them a champagne flute. As the sky gradually lightened farther he loosened the cork on the champagne, and when the sun finally rose into the sky he poured them each a glass of refreshing bubbles.

  “Happy new day,” Mark toasted them. He’d wanted to say something indicating this was the start of their time as a partnership, a ménage, a triad, but he was too unsure of Grace’s potential reaction to risk it. But in his heart that’s what this day symbolized. The day Grace became their woman.

  He and Jarin had rethought their plans about strawberries and chocolate, realizing they’d need a more filling meal before they began a really demanding hike. They smothered giant oatmeal cookies with yogurt first, and then dipped strawberries in chocolate.

  “That was delicious,” said Grace smiling and licking her fingers.

  “Chocolate is always perfect,” said Mark grinning at her, loving how happy she was.

  They packed away the remains of the meal and shrugged on their backpacks. Mark stared at Grace’s, hoping it wasn’t going to hurt her. It looked heavy. He wanted to offer to carry some of her water, which was the heaviest item they’d be bringing, but his own pack was so full there was no way he could help her just yet. But he’d watch her to make sure she wasn’t getting too tired. He didn’t want her to harm herself. He wanted these few days to lead to a new relationship between the three of them, one where they became a family.

  “I’ll lead,” said Jarin, walking to the rim.

  Grace’s head snapped up as she looked at Jarin.

  Oh, shit. He’s annoyed her already.

  Chapter Four

  Grace sighed. Jarin was taking over already. She knew he didn’t mean to imply that she couldn’t find her way down the track by herself, but that’s how it felt to her. Well, she’d agreed to spend this time with them both. It was going to be a test. She hadn’t encouraged any of the men at the mating party because they didn’t measure up to Jarin and Mark. Back then she’d thought she had to choose between Jarin and Mark and she couldn’t. Jarin aroused her senses far more than Mark, but he also aroused her anger all the time. The likely result of them moving in together would be her killing him and dumping his lifeless body in a ravine inside a week. Mark’s nature appealed to her much more. Now they’d decided to be together she was prepared to see if Mark’s more gentle personality could hold Jarin in check.

  So far the jury was out on a decision for that.

  The trail down into the canyon was a familiar one they’d all hiked many times before. This particular place was a favorite of the Vulture Valley townspeople and when school was on vacation the teenagers tended to spend a lot of time down here on the beach enjoying the cool water of the Colorado. It could be dangerous, and no sensible person would swim alone, but it was also magnificently beautiful.

  Grace would have been perfectly happy walking in silence, but when Jarin laughed and looked back at her as they rounded a tight curve in the trail and said, “Don’t step on your own heels!” she grinned at the memory.

  “Maybe I’ll step on your heels instead,” she replied.

  Behind her Mark snorted. “I can’t even remember who started that joke now, but I do recall that vulture kid who almost sent the whole lot of us tumbling down into the canyon like ninepins.”

  “It was a wolf, not a vulture,” argued Jarin.

  “Suuuuure it was.”

  “Watch the trail, and be careful boys,” said Grace in high-pitched mimicry of the past.

  The two men grumbled but their voices were full of humor and memories as they maintained a safe, yet steady pace. Summer vacations here in the desert had been a lot of fun when they were all growing up. Although she’d been four years younger than them it was such a small community most of the teenagers and young adults had hung out together.

  After they stopped talking, Grace breathed deeply, reveling in the peace and soft background noises of grasses and insects. When they reached the floor of the canyon they all stopped and removed their packs, stretching their muscles and resting. Grace drank some water while Jarin and Mark kneeled by the river, splashing the water over their faces and heads. Grace was wearing a soft, wide-brimmed hat. She didn’t really need it until summer, but it might be useful. She walked over to the water and held the hat under the flow then wrung it out and settled it back on her head. In midsummer, that was the best way of keeping cool. Today wasn’t likely to be that hot, but there was no need for her to risk overheating her body, or sunburn.

  She picked up her pack, settled it over her shoulders, and said, “Ready?” starting out upriver toward Red Canyon. For the next three hours they walked, climbing over rocks, walking on sand sometimes, and heading up a side canyon before making another turn into Red Canyon itself. Each time they stopped and rested the lead changed, but Grace made sure she was in front when they marched in the narrow opening of her favorite place on earth.

  It was the perfect time to see the canyon, midday. Now, with the sun almost directly overhead the rocks gleamed in reds and ochers, the colors strident in the bright light. Strangers who saw pictures of the desert often thought the rocks had been photoshopped, but here, at least, the colors were genuine.

  She climbed a large rock just inside the canyon entry and sat down. This place was amazing. No matter how long she looked at the rock formations she could always see more in them. More colors hidden in the striations, more intricate details in how the rocks had been weathered to their current shapes. Tiny plants, bravely growing up between the rocks to flower and bloom in soil-bearing cracks.

  After a while, Jarin started to pace around the area disturbing the silence. She supposed he was bored, but she really wanted to stay here longer. They’d walked six hours to see these rocks. She needed to absorb their energy, to fill her mind and soul with their everlasting beauty.

  “I want to stay here longer, but you can go on if you like. I’ll follow you la
ter and meet you at the ledge before dark.”

  “But we can’t just lave you here all alone,” Jarin objected.

  “Why not? No one else is going to drop by. It’s not exactly Main Street here.”

  “You’d prefer to be alone, wouldn’t you?” asked Mark.

  She nodded. He seemed to understand her.

  “We’ll wait for you at the ledge, but make sure you’re definitely there by dark. This is not a good pace to break an ankle,” said Mark.

  Grace kept her face bland but she noticed the puzzled look Jarin gave her, and the annoyed one he bestowed on Mark. Nevertheless he followed Mark up the canyon. Grace leaned back against the rock wall and relaxed. Mark seemed to know how she felt, and for now Jarin was prepared to cooperate. Maybe this hiking trip would work after all.

  It’s a test, she reminded herself. Then she leaned more comfortably against the wall of the canyon and gazed at the rocks some more.

  * * * *

  Jarin helped Mark collect wood for a campfire and set out their bedding on the ledge under an overhang. It wasn’t a cave but it was protected from above if it rained and here in the small side canyon the weather would stay mild overnight.

  He had to agree that this was a lovely place to be. It was far enough from the river to deter tourists and kids, yet a beautiful place and a great spot to camp. It was just that he didn’t like Grace being a half hour’s walk away and alone. It didn’t matter how many times he told himself that she was alone all day when she was at work, that still didn’t soothe him. Here she was under his care and that meant he needed to be with her.

  “If you can’t sit still walk farther up the canyon for an hour or so,” said Mark.

  “What?”

  “You’re pacing up and down. You might as well walk so go walk.”

  “I’ve walked enough today.” Jarin knew he sounded grumpy, but he was worrying about Grace.

  “Well, sit down then. Meditate. Take a nap.”

  “Bully.”

  Nevertheless he did sit down and broke up some bark and leaves for kindling, laying the fire ready to be lit. He found a couple of pieces of wood that would make great torches and prepared them. Then he found three long straight sticks for them to use to cook the hot dogs, and peeled them, adding the outer bark to the fire and laying the sticks on a rock. Having done all that he didn’t know what to do. Sighing, he decided maybe he’d better go for a walk. Likely Grace wouldn’t be back for hours yet.

  He shoved a bottle of water in the back pocket of his jeans and wandered farther up the canyon. It really was a pretty place. Likely Grace would want to walk here as well, later. He enjoyed hiking, and walking without a backpack was even better than carrying his things.

  Finally he turned around and headed back, going past where Mark still lay stretched out beside the unlit fire, and around a few turns in the canyon. He didn’t want Grace to think he was checking on her, but he wanted to see if she was coming their way yet.

  Sighing when there was no sign of her, he walked back to the campfire and lay down beside Mark.

  “When we get back I’m going to have to put some serious hours into my job. I haven’t been pulling my weight lately and my paycheck is going to demonstrate that,” said Mark.

  “How does that work? There’s no risk of you being terminated, is there?” asked Jarin, suddenly worried for his friend.

  “No, we’re all subcontractors. The company posts all the projects available on the message board and people choose what they want to do. As long as I do one a month, I’m safe. But I really need to do two a month to make a decent income, and from time to time I like to squeeze an extra one in as well, so five in two months. Right now I haven’t done one this month and need to get moving.”

  “But what if no one chooses a project? What happens then?”

  “That’s even better. If a project sits there for over a month and no one picks it up, they offer it at a ten percent loading. I always look at those ones first. Often they’re no more difficult than any other project so it makes sense for me to choose them.”

  “And here I thought bookkeeping was boring.”

  “Well, it is, but I’ve always found math very easy. I just couldn’t be bothered going to college and getting a commerce degree. This is much better. I live on my own ancestral lands, go running whenever I feel like it, and still make a living.”

  Jarin grunted. “I couldn’t live in a big city, not even in a bigger town. I’m pretty sure the Land Board think we’re Native Americans which is why they leave me alone. If they had any idea I just fly over the district in less than half an hour and then go home to write my reports, my paycheck would be slashed for sure.”

  Mark laughed. “Oh yeah. We’ve both got mighty fine lives.”

  “Our lives will be perfect once Grace agrees to be with us,” said Jarin. He was staring in the direction from which Grace would arrive. He wanted her so badly. He craved to touch her skin, her hair, her mouth.

  He jumped to his feet. “Let’s walk toward her.”

  “Okay.”

  * * * *

  Mark had to give credit to Jarin for leaving Grace alone to do her own thing. The grimaces on his face and his endless pacing more than demonstrated how hard it was for him, but he did it. Mark was just as tense but he was able to control it by lying back, closing his eyes, and picturing Grace. He spent the longest time focusing on each individual aspect of her beauty. Her shining gold hair, her sparkling brown eyes, her lithe, straight, slender body. Inch by inch, Mark worked his way down Grace’s delicious person, all the way down to her long, sexy toes.

  Every bit of the way he was hoping that tonight all her luscious flesh would be under his hands for him to touch and taste. He knew he was being hopeful. Hell, it’d been a big enough miracle when she’d let them come with her. But surely she would grant them a kiss and a cuddle. If he knew Jarin, the man would be desperate to raise the bar from a kiss to much more and Mark would support him all the way.

  Now, as they walked back to the head of the canyon, he longed to see her again. To match his mental images of her with the real thing. It was only now he noticed that the canyon sloped down to the opening. It wasn’t a huge slope but it was definitely there. And he’d be walking up it again soon. Oh, well.

  When they’d walked for maybe twenty minutes they stopped by mutual agreement without saying anything and sat on a large flat boulder. “No need to crowd her,” said Mark softly, well aware how sound could carry in the silence of the canyon.

  “I am trying not to be so in-her-face, but it’s hard,” said Jarin.

  That was a major admission from his friend. The man was an out and out Dom, who had to be in control all the time. “It’ll be worth it to win her,” said Mark.

  Jarin turned a huge grin on him, and Mark smiled back.

  “If—when we get married, we can live in my house. There’s plenty of room for us all. But Grace can keep her apartment and use it as her refuge and maybe even work from there, like it’s her office. That means she’ll be close to the old man but also not have to worry about us being noisy or whatever,” he said.

  “You’ve been doing some thinking and planning of your own, haven’t you?” asked Jarin.

  “Yes, I have. But everything will only happen if it’s what Grace wants.”

  “Absolutely.”

  They were silent for ten minutes, perhaps longer, then heard the crunching of boots on rocks. Mark hurried to the trail and there she was coming toward them, looking as beautiful as ever.

  “May we walk to the overhang with you?” asked Jarin.

  Mark hastily swallowed a laugh. Jarin really was trying hard.

  “Thanks. Have you had a good afternoon?”

  “I walked farther up the canyon. It’s really pretty and ends in a very steep rock wall. It’s been a while since I came here last. I’d forgotten that.”

  Mark nodded. He’d forgotten that as well.

  When they got back, Mark lit the fire and
they began cooking a meal, sitting around the cheerful blaze, sometimes talking, sometimes remaining in silence, just looking into the flames. Mark was happy to be quiet. Oh, not like Grace who seemed almost unable to function without silence at times, but he appreciated the lack of canned music. When he was alone in the truck he almost never switched the radio on. And home alone he only turned on the TV if he wanted to watch it, unlike many people who left it on from the moment they woke up until they fell asleep at night.

  The silence heightened the sexual tension as well. The more they simply rested around the fire, the more aware Mark became of how desperately he wanted Grace and of the suppressed tension rolling off Jarin’s body. The one person he wasn’t sure about was Grace. Would she let them hold her? Kiss her? Do far more than that?

  It was almost a relief when Jarin stretched out his hand to Grace and said, “Grace, you know both Mark and I want you very much. Would you please let us kiss you?”

  Mark stared at her, holding his breath. What would she reply? Please say yes.

  * * * *

  Grace had spent some of the time in the canyon thinking and her decision to the inevitable question had been yes. Yes, she would let them kiss her and see where it led. She had no doubt she’d have a mighty fine orgasm and some good loving. That had taken her less than five seconds to consider. The rest of the time had been spent working out what she’d do if she found she couldn’t live with the men and then was stuck in Vulture Valley with them forever.

  The only solution was to be brutally honest. She’d given them their chance. She would go into this experiment with a completely open mind. And if it was a failure she would tell them that and instruct them to leave her alone. Grace would hate to leave the valley after her grandfather had bought her a beautiful, wonderful, perfect little house of her own. But she wouldn’t stay and be harassed by Jarin and Mark no matter if that hurt her grandfather or not.