And she’s working a job that could kill her from one minute to the next.
How could anyone blame him for being so tense? He was losing his mind imagining her hurt. Imagining losing her.
After a quiet moment, Samuel spoke. "Bullshit. We’re all in love with her, and I’m pretty sure she’s in love with us too. The problem is that we have to convince her of it.”
Ben chucked his bare turkey leg in the trash can by their bed, which Ethan tried not to find absolutely disgusting. “Hate to say it, but without a love potion, or a cage, I don’t think we’re going to be able to convince her to take a chance on us.”
Which is exactly the problem.
“And once she gets rid of us as partners, we won’t even have the chance to slowly earn her trust,” Samuel closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “And after tonight, when we fucked up so badly, I think we actually ruined the little bit of a relationship we’d had with her.”
“You’re the elegant talker,” Ben said. “Why didn’t you clarify all that respect talk?”
Samuel opened his eyes. “I wasn’t sure what was worse. For her to know that we respect her and think she’s a capable Protector, but that we love her, or for her to believe we don’t see her as an equal.”
“I’m pretty sure she would have dumped our asses either way,” Ben said. Any trace of humor was gone from his voice.
Ethan’s shoulders sagged. He’s right. At least for tonight, I don’t see how we can fix this. Might as well get some sleep and think about it in the morning..
He dropped his towel and walked past his phone. It beeped again and Cassandra’s name flashed on his screen. His inner wolf sat up. What the devil?
She’d never texted him so late at night. Is something wrong? The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.
Striding over, he unplugged it from the charger and saw several unread messages. Shit.
* * *
You awake?
* * *
I think we need to talk.
* * *
I care about the three of you. More than I’ve ever cared about any men before. But what happens when you’re gone?
* * *
His fingers shook as he texted back.
* * *
What makes you think we’re going anywhere? We… care about you too.
* * *
He sent the message and waited, his stomach twisting.
“You okay?” Samuel asked.
He looked up slowly. “It's Cassandra.”
Both his pack brothers were beside him in an instant, scanning over the messages already exchanged.
“You should have told her we love her, and that she’s our mate, not just a quick lay,” Samuel said, frowning.
“Hell no, play it cool!” Ben exclaimed.
His phone beeped.
* * *
I can’t be broken again. I just can’t be. I won’t survive it.
* * *
Ethan looked down at the phone. Should I play it cool? Or tell her how we feel?
* * *
We won’t break you. I give you my word. We can go slow. We can just date and get to know each other.
* * *
Clicking send, he held his breath. Had he made the right choice?
His palms grew sweaty. He could sense the tension from his pack brothers filling the air. It wasn’t just their hearts on the line. It was their entire futures. Their wolves had chosen her as their mate. They’d chosen her as their mate. If they lost her—his phone beeped again.
* * *
I don’t want to take things slow. I want you to come here and fuck me.
Can you handle that?
* * *
Ethan stared at the screen in shock. Is this a joke?
“Tell her yes!” Ben shouted. “What the fuck are you waiting for?”
He started to type, but Samuel wrapped his hand around the phone. “This isn’t like her. Is it possible she’s drunk?”
His heart sank. That made a hell of a lot more sense than if she’d suddenly decided she wanted them.
Another text message appeared on the screen.
* * *
I’m at that new club Secret Desire. Waiting for all of you.
* * *
He realized he was panting—fucking panting—and his hands shook as he texted her back.
* * *
Are you drunk?
* * *
Not drunk. I just need you. I need to finally be with you.
* * *
A growl tore from his throat. Throwing his phone on his bed, he pulled on a pair of jeans. He cursed when he realized he’d forgotten his underwear, stripped them back off, and then he fell over while pulling them on.
Get it together, Ethan!
Near him, Ben and Samuel were dressing like madmen. None of them spoke. But none of them had to. This was all they’d ever wanted, and they weren’t going to fuck it up by not acting quickly enough.
Samuel was suddenly standing by the door, keys in hand. “Whether she’s drunk, needs us to take her home, or actually wants us, we all need to be ready. Understand?”
“Got it, Captain,” Ben replied, saluting obnoxiously.
Another text came in. Ethan grabbed his phone and opened the message, hands shaking.
* * *
I’m in Room Two in the back. I’m going to do things to the three of you that you’ve never imagined.
* * *
Just hold on, he responded. We're on our way.
Chapter Seven
The three shifters raced the five blocks to the club. Ethan's mind spun in chaos the entire time. He knew little about Secret Desire, only that it was a club for humans and paranormal creatures. Hopefully, Cassandra was safe inside.
When they reached the club, they ignored the line stretching around the block and made a beeline for the front door. He flashed his badge and the bouncers let them in. Normally, he wasn’t one to abuse his power, but if Cassandra was in trouble…
Inside, he grabbed a waitress’s arm.
“Where’s Room Two?” he shouted over the pounding noise.
She shot him a dirty glance and pointed in one direction.
He ignored the drunk partygoers, moving aside a woman who plastered herself against him with a tiny growl. We need to reach her. Now.
A little old witch, however, refused to leave their path. “You can’t go back there unless you buy a drink first,” she insisted, shoving a tray of shots toward them.
Growling, he crowded her space, trying to force himself through without hurting the tiny woman. “We’re on duty.”
She rolled her eyes. “Right. You can buy it or get out, puppy, but either way, I’m not backing down.”
“Just pay her!” Ben shouted.
Samuel handed her some bills, and the three of them frowned when they picked up the pale green shots.
“To Cassandra!” Ben said, raising his glass.
They all did the same, then slammed the drinks, before setting the empty glasses back on the tray.
The shot left a crisp, clean, salty taste on his tongue like a drink he’d begrudgingly tasted while waiting to pick his sister up from a spa. But then when it hit his stomach, it started to bubble and pop in a way that left him completely unsettled.
“Anyone else feel—“ Samuel began, then pressed his fist against his mouth.
“Like someone’s farting in your stomach?” Ben asked.
The witch grinned. “Be nice to her, wolves, she needs good men. Not just good dicks.”
Ethan frowned. “How do you—?”
But then he was distracted by the strange sensations in his body. The warm beverage settled in his belly, the odd taste of salt lingered on his lips, and then the warmth moved downward.
His cock rose painfully, hardening and hardening until his jeans felt as if they might rip. The hair stood up on his arms and shoulders, and he could feel his wolf rise almost to the surface.
“What the hell was that?”
he shouted over the music, his voice holding a growl he couldn’t control.
Her grin widened. “To make sure you can take her over and over again.”
“Wh—“ he began, but she slipped away into the crowd.
“Your dicks are hard as fuck? Right?” Ben asked, adjusting the front of his pants.
Samuel nodded, looking embarrassed.
“Okay good, just checking.”
Ethan looked down and cursed. Like we fucking needed to have less control.
They kept walking, but this time his brothers walked shoulder-to-shoulder, and a path opened up in front of them as the other customers moved out of their way.
“So the plan is to go in there with raging boners?” Ben shouted.
“Got a better idea?” Ethan asked, gritting his teeth.
Ben and Samuel remained silent beside him. So, I guess we better hope we aren’t about to seriously embarrass ourselves.
His wolf urged him forward, to the dark hallway the waitress had indicated. His keen sense of smell helped him track her faint scent down the hallway to the room second from the end. Other noises came to him. Noises of pleasure, and maybe of pain.
What the hell is this place?
When they reached Room Two, it was locked, so Ethan pushed a button on the side like a doorbell.
Cassandra’s voice came to him through a speaker on the wall, “Boys?”
“Yeah,” his voice was husky, filled with excitement.
I’m going to kill her if this is a joke.
The door slid open to reveal a dimly lit room where all the surfaces were covered in plush scarlet-and-gold pillows. A massive four-poster bed filled the center of the room. Empty.
“Cassandra?”
He saw a motion out of the corner of his eye, and turned to see her reclined in a chair in the corner, watching him. God, he wanted her, and from the look in her eyes, she wanted them just as much.
She rose slowly, the hard points of her nipples clearly visible.
The smell of her arousal perfumed the air, even from this distance and he inhaled deeply.
“You—called?”
A sensual smile curved her lips, and then she sauntered slowly toward them. His gaze pinned her, transfixed by her every movement, by the way her jeans hugged her every curve.
When she stopped in front of him, his pulse filled his ears. His cock twitched, straining uncomfortably against his zipper. He wanted to adjust himself, but his hands stayed frozen at his sides.
Her gaze left his eyes and traveled down to the clear evidence of his arousal. “I’m guessing you read my texts and decided you liked what you saw?”
He swallowed, trying to keep his wolf at bay. “Do you blame me…?” His words were almost a groan.
Then, she turned to Ben and Samuel, her gaze sliding over their hard dicks. “I’m guessing the three of you really liked what you read?”
His pack brothers nodded, jaws slack.
Her smile widened as she reached out, hooking one finger into the band of Ethan’s jeans, and the other finger in Ben’s jeans, pulling them closer. “So…” her voice trailed off suggestively.
Has the room gotten hotter? “Is this a joke, Cassandra? Are you drunk?”
She leaned closer, pressing her body against Ethan’s in a way that had his head spinning. Her soft, incredible lips brushed his throat. “I’ve only had one drink.”
“You sure?” Samuel asked, his voice low and intense.
She grinned. “Absolutely.”
Ethan swallowed. I can’t believe this is happening. He was almost afraid to touch her, afraid to break the spell, to make her remember that he was the jerk she worked with. “Good.”
“You sure?” She trailed her lips up, and nibbled softly at his earlobe, “Because if I was drunk, you could explain this away. But I’m sober, so this means something. Does that scare you?”
“Shit, no,” he murmured, sinking his fingers into the flesh of his thighs and feeling his nails sharpen.
“Good,” she whispered, her breath warm against his ear. “Because listen up, boys. Tonight I plan to do things to the three of you…things that are finally going to take this ache away. The ache I get every time I look at you.”
A fine tremor went through his body and he could feel the hairs on every inch of his skin rise. My wolf is awake. He wasn’t sure he could hold it back now, even if he wanted to. She’s the one for me. I’ve known it for a long time, but does she know it?
Then, she released his jeans. Her hands reached out, tracing Ben’s and Samuel’s cocks through their jeans. Samuel moved closer to her, and she stroked him harder.
They’re about to completely lose their shit.
He struggled to speak through his arousal. “You know how wolves work?”
“Work?” she asked, sounding breathless. “I imagine not much different than human men.”
God, she’s hot. But she needs to know. And we need to be sure before we let her destroy us.
“I—mean, we care about you. This will be more than sex for us.”
Her lips curled into a sexy smile. “Good.” One of her hands moved to the hem of his shirt.
Tell her. Now!
He caught her wrists. “I mean…once we take you, once we cum inside of you…you’re ours. Forever.”
The air changed. He sensed the tension in his pack brothers. This tiny human woman had the power to destroy them now. She knew what she meant to them. They could never take the admission back.
No matter if she changed her mind now.
“Forever.” She leaned in closer, the tips of her breasts brushing against the hands that held her. “I thought that only happened with your mates.”
He held her gaze. “Exactly.”
You’re ours. But we can’t have you tonight and then see you with another male. We know it. Our wolves know it.
She arched a brow. “You sure?”
“Our wolves are never wrong.”
He held his breath, watching her as she nibbled her lip in a way that had his blood racing.
“Okay then. Let's do this."
A shudder ran through his body, and he dropped his grip on her wrists. His wolf clawed beneath his skin, desperate to take her. Show some control, damn it. Don’t scare her.
“Lift your arms,” she whispered.
He obeyed, his gaze seeking hers. She stripped the shirt from him and let it drop to the floor. Her breath caught as she stepped back, her gaze running slowly over him, then their eyes met. “You’re without a doubt the hottest man I’ve ever seen.”
Then, her mouth twisted into a little smile. “Now, you two.”
Ben and Samuel struggled out of their shirts and stood before her. All three of them were holding their breath, waiting to see what she would do.
Her gaze racked over them. “I stand corrected. The three of you together are a work of art. Now, where to start…”
She moved to Samuel. He held himself stiffly. Slowly, she reached out and ran her hands down his chest, tracing the lines of his muscles. When she eased onto her knees, she leaned up, her mouth inches from his straining cock. Her tongue shot out, licking the tip through his pants.
“Fuck,” Samuel muttered.
She laughed, a husky delicious laugh. Standing, she moved away from him, then stopped in front of Ben and raised a brow.
He fumbled with the zipper of his pants, pulled his jeans off, and stood before her in nothing but his boxers.
“Nice,” she whispered, moving closer. Wrapping her hands around Ben's cock, she stood up onto her tiptoes and kissed him.
He remained still for a blink of an eye before his hands dug into the back of her hair, and he pulled her closer. His mouth met hers over and over again, their tongues battling for control, as her hands pumped him harder and harder.
Then, suddenly, she sprung back from him.
Ben growled, the yellow bleeding into his eyes.
“Not—yet,” she panted.
When she moved back to
Ethan, Ben reached for her. Ethan grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the aroused wolf. The two shifters glared at each for one long second.
Ben took a deep breath and the yellow in his eyes paled as he gained control once more.
Cassandra drew Ethan's attention back to her as her hands touched his chest, sliding down, covering every inch of his skin.
He gasped. Her soft fingers were…intoxicating. Magical. Awakening every nerve in his body.
She explored the muscles on his shoulders, arms, chest, and stomach and he clenched his fists. He was sure he was drawing blood. His canines lengthened. If only she knew what she was doing…
She obviously didn’t as she continued to torture him, touching every inch of him. Slowly. Drawing out his desire. Building his need. When she finally reached for the button on his jeans, every nerve was screaming for her.
She’s finally going to be ours.
She flicked his button open and then drew down his zipper. “Wow…” she whispered, just before she trailed her fingertips along the length of his cock.
His sack tightened, and he took a step away from her, gasping for breath. Does she know how close I was to coming right there?
Her heated gaze told him she did. “Follow me, boys.” She turned and strode to the bed. As she moved, she pulled her shirt off. Then undid her jeans and dropped them too.
They didn’t wait, but followed her, their wolves single-minded now, sniffing the air as they shed the remainder of their clothes.
She paused at the edge of the bed and turned, wearing nothing but a black lacy bra and underwear. Both were see-through.
He couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. She’s the sexiest woman that’s ever lived.
Her gaze held his. “Show me what it means to be your mate.”
Falling for Shifters: A Limited Edition Autumn Shifters Collection Page 4