by Cara Adams
“Would you really prefer just a burger, or can we take you into the mall and you can choose where you’d like to eat?” asked Xola.
“I wouldn’t mind walking through the mall, but I won’t buy anything,” said Esther.
That seemed fair. She was agreeing to their plan, but holding her ground on not wanting them to buy her anything more than a meal. Their Esther was an independent woman and he liked that. He much preferred Esther to some clinging vine who’d expect him to do everything for her.
They tucked their woman between them, and then walked slowly around the mall. Kairu’s chief entertainment was watching her as she looked at everything. When they’d been right around, Xola stopped and asked, “So, where would you like to eat?”
She looked hesitant and almost as if she was going to change her mind, then pulled herself to stand tall before saying, “Can we eat at one of these tables here, but choose things from different places?”
“Of course,” said Xola at the same time as he answered, “Sure. What would you like?”
She chose a Thai fish cake from one restaurant, a Caesar salad from another, and a lime ice cream from a third.
“What about a drink? Lime soda like you had last night? It’ll match your ice cream,” he asked.
“Yes, please. I do love lime and it’s been so long since I’ve had soda two days in a row.
“Is lime your favorite color as well as your favorite flavor?” asked Xola.
“I like bright fluorescent colors, especially lime, but I also like dark bottle-green as a color, and peppermint and spearmint flavors, too. But overall I guess you could say I’m a green kind of person. What about you two?”
All through the meal they talked about colors, flavors and their wider interests. Kairu hadn’t been so relaxed and happy for as long as he could remember. She fit them both so perfectly. Everything about her attracted him. He wasn’t so naïve as to think she was perfect, but he did believe she was right for him. For them.
After they’d eaten, Xola went and bought them coffee and they sat and sipped for another half hour, before Kairu reluctantly got to his feet, hoping like hell Xola had a plan for the rest of the day because all he could think of was enticing her into their bed and teaching her all about loving two men.
* * * *
Back at the women’s barracks, Esther showered and changed into clean underwear and a clean shirt. She’d agreed to let the men cook her dinner, and she was almost certain they planned to finish the night in bed together. What she didn’t know was whether or not she’d agree to that plan. She certainly wasn’t going to marry anyone she hadn’t been to bed with. She’d heard far too many stories about men who’d seemed wonderful partners and yet turned out to be totally selfish in bed, rolling over and going to sleep without worrying about the woman’s satisfaction.
But this was very soon. It was only her first full day in the community and she’d never even met the men until yesterday. Yet, why wait? She really was attracted to both these men and liked everything she’d seen of them so far.
Yes or no? Esther couldn’t decide.
“You’re looking very thoughtful.” Dera dropped onto the couch beside Esther, her short black curls bouncing as she landed on the soft cushions.
“Xola and Kairu are going to cook dinner for me tonight.”
Dera grinned. “And you’re wondering if you want to be dessert.”
“Yeah, more or less.”
“Do you like them?”
“That’s the problem. I do like them, but after one day how can I be sure going to bed with them isn’t a terrible mistake?”
“Why would it be a terrible mistake? They aren’t expecting us to be virgins. If the first pair of men turns out to be not such a good idea there’s plenty more to choose from. If you don’t spend time with them, you’ll never get to know them at all.”
“Yes, I know all that, but it just seems too rushed to jump into bed with them already.”
Dera stared at her. “So how long do you think you should wait? That old saying about never letting a man get past second base on a first date doesn’t really apply to us. We’re not teenagers and we’ve already agreed that we’ll marry some of them.”
Esther had a happy thought. “They took me out on the quad bikes this morning, so I guess technically this’ll be the second date.”
“Ha! Well, there’s your answer.”
Esther still felt a little ambivalent, but agreed it was definitely a second date or even a third if she counted lunch as separate from the bike ride. She didn’t want the men to think she was a slut, but she really didn’t want them dating any other woman either.
No men were allowed inside the women’s barracks, so instead of waiting for Xola and Kairu to knock on the door, Esther walked outside. She stood in the open area and looked around the farm. All the buildings were well maintained, the people were well fed, polite, and friendly, and the other women she’d arrived with were starting to become her friends. Yes, she was happy here. It had the potential to be a wonderful new life for her.
Xola waved at her from the other side of the square. “I hope you’re hungry. We’ve prepared one of our favorite meals for you.”
Esther was surprised to find she was indeed hungry again. “I shouldn’t be after that wonderful lunch we ate, but I am.”
“Did you have enough to eat before you came here?” Xola asked her.
“There were never leftovers and nothing was thrown away, but we managed to eat quite cheaply by only buying the vegetables and fruits that are in season and by eating a lot of pasta and rice.”
“I understand. Here, you might get tired of eating cabbage.”
“It’s supposed to help prevent people developing cancer so I can deal with that.”
While they were talking, Xola had taken her down a side street with a dozen houses scattered on large allotments. The one he stopped at had bright red shutters and flowers in the front yard.
“When Kairu and I decided to share a woman we also decided to stay in this house, which belonged to my family. Some of the furniture is mine and the rest is from Kairu’s family, but you can change anything you want. It’ll be your home and you can repaint it, buy all new furnishings, rip out walls and redesign it, anything you like.”
That was a huge mandate, freedom to completely renovate their home. Esther struggled to get to grips with such an enormous trust being placed in her. However, all she said was, “Only if I chose to marry you. I’ve made no such commitment as yet.”
“That’s true, but you know we both want you.” Xola held open the door for her and pointed down a hallway.
Esther could smell a rich beef, onions, and chili aroma that made her mouth water even before she entered a spacious, light room at the back of the house. Huge sliding windows opened out onto a deck and the room seemed a combination of kitchen, dining, and casual relaxation area.
“This room is amazing. The yellow paint on that feature wall gives the entire area a bright, happy feel. The food smells pretty amazing as well,” she said.
“Wait until you taste it. It’s my pièce de résistance, and is absolutely guaranteed to bring gustatory honors heaping upon my humble head,” said Kairu, with a melodramatic bow perfectly matching his melodramatic words.
“Don’t forget to mention that I chopped the peppers and tomatoes. And I set the table,” added Xola.
Esther couldn’t help but laugh. She liked this lighthearted, fun side of the men, and she was impressed by both the design of this room and their abilities at cooking. Or maybe that was just at Kairu’s meal skills.
The lighthearted banter continued through the meal, with all of them laughing a lot, and Esther feeling very much at home, and part of the family. Which, she thought, was likely exactly the atmosphere that they’d been aiming for. But in the back of her mind was still the thought that they might think she was cheap and a tart if she agreed to go to bed with them, but might give up on her and look for another woman if she d
idn’t.
As the meal drew to a close and they’d finished their coffee, Esther knew she’d run out of time to make a decision.
Xola took her hand and stroked his thumb over her knuckles. “We’d consider it a great privilege if you let us make love to you now.”
“If I say yes, what will you think of me in the morning?”
Xola looked puzzled. “Do you mean if you sleep with us will I not let you date another man? The rules are clear, Esther. It’s the woman’s choice about whom she dates. I would hope that after making love with us you would be even more drawn to us than you are now, but if you want to date another pair of werewolves that’s completely your decision. We have no right to prevent you.”
That was not at all what she meant. Esther tried again. “What do the people in Coopersville think about you bringing in an airplane full of women for your farm?”
“I don’t understand. What should they think? Coopersville isn’t a tiny town of two hundred people where everyone knows everything about what has happened going back for three generations. This is a town of a quarter million people. No one knows everyone. Hell, no one even knows ten percent of the people here,” said Kairu.
“But won’t they know about us women coming? Won’t they wonder why we’re here?” she asked.
“Why should they? I don’t understand your worries. The town has always been very supportive of our people. We’re the original founders of this town and our people are well integrated into the community,” said Xola.
Esther took a deep breath and opened herself to their ridicule. “I like you both a lot but I don’t really know you yet. I don’t want all the townspeople thinking I’m just a slut who arrived with a group of whores to service the men here.”
Chapter Three
Kairu’s heart was beating so fast he thought he might be ill. Everything he wanted for his future was sitting facing him at the table, and right now he was watching his dreams vanish in a puff of mist. “But that’s not the case at all. We want to mate you. We’ll be mated under werewolf law and you’ll also be married under American law if you want that. No one will be able to say anything,” said Kairu.
“I’m sure Cooper has circumvented that issue. This’s been such a huge project for us on the farm, that I can’t imagine he wouldn’t have already thought of this, and come up with a solution,” said Xola.
Kairu forced himself to breathe again. Of course. Cooper was a hell of a smart man. There was no way he’d risk all his plans coming to nothing because of some prejudice against the women. “As shape-shifters, we’re used to avoiding prejudice to keep our status secret. You were all brought here as brides. Cooper will have thought of the need to protect your reputations,” he agreed with Xola.
Kairu stared at Esther. Did she believe him? Her eyes were still dark and her shoulders were tense. Ah, fuck! Did she trust them or not?
“Mr. Cooper is like the CEO of the farm, isn’t he? A sort of combination of managing director and mayor to all the people who live here?” Esther asked a bit hesitantly, Kairu thought.
“That’s quite a good explanation for his job. In a werewolf pack the man in charge is called the Alpha. Many packs don’t use his name. He’s just called the Alpha. Originally the Alpha was the best fighter, the strongest werewolf, the one able to provide for all the others in his pack. These days providing for the pack is a lot more complicated than fighting off interlopers and catching a fish for dinner. So, yes, he’s still a strong personality, but one who is a capable manager who provides for his people that way,” said Xola.
“Kairu, you said he had a secretary. Would I be able to talk to her, do you think?”
“Him. Okapi. Why would you want to talk to Okapi?” asked Kairu. He was now totally confused. He could tell from her thoughtful gaze that she was following her own mental pathway in a logical manner, but he was fucked if he could figure out where she was going.
“To ask him what the people of Coopersville have been told about an airplane load of women arriving here. Who—and what—they think we are.”
“I don’t understand why it’s so important to you, but of course we can take you to Okapi,” Xola said.
Kairu was feeling more and more tense by the minute. Did this mean she wasn’t going to stay with them tonight? That nothing could happen until she’d talked to Okapi? Well, he hoped like hell the man was going to answer his cell phone because they’d be tracking him down right now in that case, no matter where he was or what he was doing.
“Do you want me to call him right now?” asked Xola, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket.
Esther sighed and seemed to sink into her chair. “No, I guess not. That’s not very fair, is it? Me dragging him away from his Saturday night, just to answer a question that’s important to me, but likely the answer isn’t going to change anything anyway. There’s nothing I can do about it if the townspeople think I’m a not-nice person, is there? I agreed to come here with my eyes wide open and I will fulfill my side of the contract. I don’t suppose it matters what the local inhabitants think of me. I can stay on the farm if I don’t like it.”
“If it’ll help you relax and be happy, let Xola call him. We want you to be at peace here. This’s your home now.”
She smiled at them both but her eyes were still dark. Then she shrugged her shoulders and flipped her hair back off her face. “No, it’s okay. I’m being overly precious. I would like to know, but in the end, it isn’t going to change anything. I chose to come here and I will choose to stay. I suppose it’s just a stupid, childish thing that I want people to think the best about me.”
“It’s not childish at all. Everyone wants to be liked,” said Kairu.
“I’m sure Cooper has thought about that and has a solution in place. Cooper’s Farm has a high status in the community. I’ll talk to Okapi first thing Monday morning and then call you with the meeting times to check they’re suitable. What’s the number of your cell phone?” asked Xola.
Esther shook her head. “I’ll meet you outside the office building at your break time or lunchtime, and you can tell me then. What time would suit you?”
“I don’t have any meetings Monday morning. How about ten thirty?”
“Thanks.”
For a moment Kairu felt jealous that Xola would see her and talk to her while he was at work, but he tamped his feelings down. Xola would never try to cheat on him. Xola was very much the Dom and would never take advantage of circumstances when Kairu wasn’t available.
“So what does that mean for now? Do we have to wait until Monday or will you stay with us tonight?” asked Xola.
Kairu wanted to take her in his arms and beg her to stay. He wanted to kiss her lips and hold her body hard against his, grinding his aching dick into her slender form. But he didn’t dare even breathe heavily. Her reply had to be given of her own free will and in no way would he jeopardize her potential response.
As he’d noticed her do once before, Esther straightened her body and looked them both directly in the face. “Yes. All right. I’ll sleep with you tonight, but I’m not making a commitment to you. This is simply about the three of us finishing a very pleasant day in bed together. Afterward, I’ll go back to the women’s quarters for the rest of the night.”
“You could stay with us,” pleaded Kairu, hoping he would sound inviting, not like he was trying to pressure her into something she didn’t want to do.
“No. You both have things to do tomorrow and I need to start thinking about finding a job myself.”
Xola stood up. “Let us show you the master bedroom. We bought a new bed and repainted the walls, but we didn’t want to buy new drapes or a new rug for the floor until we’d found our woman. This room will be the heart of the home and it has to suit your personality.”
“Besides, we couldn’t agree on the flooring. Xola wanted to keep the polished wood and I thought a thick-pile carpet would be nice in here, especially in winter,” added Kairu.
They led Esth
er into the room. Kairu wondered what she’d think of it. They’d bought the biggest bed they could find, but the room was spacious and the closet extended the full height of the room right up to the ceiling, so there was more than enough storage space and plenty of free space around the bed.
Apart from that they’d left the walls cream and simply put a fresh coat of paint on them. He supposed the drapes were a bit drab. They were a sort of pinkish purple which seemed a girly enough color though. He turned to face her and wondered what she thought. And was she really going to let them both fuck her now?
* * * *
Esther liked this house. The rooms were expansive, the color scheme attractive, and she knew she’d be very happy here. But that wasn’t the point. The point was maintaining her personal integrity. She might be reduced to becoming a mail-order bride for a werewolf pack, but she was still a person. Not to mention the absolute necessity of choosing the correct pair of men so the three of them would be happy and able to build a viable future together. Despite her conversation earlier with Dera, she’d still been half planning to leave straight after the meal, but when the time came, she didn’t want to go home. She wanted to stay here and be made love to by these two big, handsome men.
I’ll never know if we’re compatible if I don’t go to bed with them. But is that really the truth? Am I just scared of no one else wanting me? Will I miss out on finding the real two men I should marry because these ones so clearly want me and I’m being sidetracked by them?
Ugh. It was all too hard. They were attractive and caring and had made it crystal clear they wanted her. The least she could do was give them the opportunity to demonstrate to her how they’d treat her in the future. Besides, no one had made love to her in so long she’d almost forgotten what being kissed and held in a man’s arms felt like. She was a passionate person, and longed for a man who would love her and whom she could love in return. Surely two men would be twice the fun.