Cassadee Sings the Blues [Grey River 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Maia Dylan

  “—if there is one thing that the past couple of months have shown us, it’s that the strongest relationships can be forged in the hottest of fires. Just look at Ty, Trent, and Faith? And hell, Lucy, Cody, and Brendan, have their Binding Ceremony in ten days. Both of those relationships had their own hills and valleys to traverse to get to where they are now.”

  “Not to mention the fact that Jonah Parks is still out there in all his craziness and is coming for Faith at some stage,” AJ added with a grimace.

  Cassadee had heard all about Parks and his cult. She just wished she could be part of the lynch mob when the man eventually decided to make his move.

  “All that needs to happen over the next while is to get to know each other. Obviously we have some bridges to rebuild with you that we hope you will give us the chance to do so.” Sam reached over and placed his hand on hers. “We recognize you as our fated one. We don’t know why it was delayed, or even if, as a shifter, you recognize us as yours, but you are it for us. We were drawn so strongly to you from the first moment we met you, and at least for us that feeling is getting stronger the more we get to know you.”

  Cassadee snorted a laugh. “Yeah, right! It’s an incredible turn-on to find out that your fated mate is from a fucked-up family that experimented on her and her brother since birth, that she’s a mountain lion shifter who should be queen of her pride but would rather make drinks behind a bar and maybe sing a little for fun, and that she’s scarred so badly that she has no feeling left in the scar tissue in some places. Yeah! I can see how all of that would make your heart sing!”

  Sam and AJ both tensed.

  “Cassadee, you are our mate.” AJ stressed the word mate. “We have been feeling some pretty strong emotions toward you even before the Quickening hit us. We will protect you and see to every need you may have. You are fucking perfect as far as we are concerned. You endured all of that shit your father threw at you and survived. You talked about not wanting to take your rightful place in your pride because you are happy making drinks behind a bar, and all I hope is that you mean our bar and that we might be a part of making you feel happy. Damn, baby, that makes me want to leap up and turn fucking cartwheels!”

  AJ grinned at her, and she couldn’t help grinning back.

  “As for the scars”—Sam tilted his head to bring her attention to his own—“I don’t think or care about my own. Hell, they don’t make or shape me as the man I am or want to become for you. Yeah, you have scars, and it makes my heart ache that you were hurt and we weren’t there to help you, but they certainly do nothing to detract from how fucking hot you are! So yeah, you make my heart sing. More than you could ever know.”

  Cassadee felt something slide into place inside her. It wasn’t their bond, she wasn’t quite ready to go down that route yet. But it was as if at some point during that day, her heart had cracked. A small fissure that had perhaps had the potential to tear it asunder completely if left alone, but these two men had effectively come for her and made it whole again. They had stood up for her when their alpha accused her of doing something detrimental to pack and directly against them in particular. Then they gave her all the power to make or break their relationship. Heady stuff, that, really.

  “I’m not sure if I will ever see myself that same way,” Cassadee said softly, looking between the brothers memorizing the way they looked in that moment. “But I can handle hearing that you do. If you think we can take it slow, and let things build between us before talking any further about matings, or bonds, or fated ones, then I think perhaps we might have something beautiful between us come out of this.”

  “We can totally do that.” AJ’s eyes sparkled with hope.

  “Absolutely! You won’t regret this, Cassie. Not for a moment. Why don’t we get you settled into your room upstairs and you can get some rest. We have some stuff we need to do for the Binding Ceremony so can keep out of your hair while you rest.” Sam stood and walked around to help her up.

  She ached, which meant she was exhausted. She would need to take some supplements and potentially book in for a top up soon. “Okay, that sounds good.” Cassadee gave them both a small smile. Then her eyes widened in surprise when first Sam, and then AJ pressed a soft kiss against her lips, leaving them tingling. Then, all three of them walked up the stairs grinning like idiots, Cassadee thinking that perhaps it wouldn’t take too long to build something between them at all.

  Chapter 5

  It was taking forever! Cassadee was fairly certain she was going to be the first woman in the history of the world to spontaneously combust from sexual frustration. Jesus Christ, when she had suggested that they take things slow, she didn’t think they would turn into fucking molasses for Christ’s sake.

  Probably the most frustrating part of it all was that it was her idea! Entirely because of her stupid and impulsive directive, they take things slow. Now she would very much like to move fast, as in really fast, as in straight up the stairs to their place and into the master bedroom they had insisted she take with the custom-built bathroom, which was larger than her whole apartment, and the huge bed that was more than big enough for three and had been the location of a whole slew of wet dreams for her over the past three nights.

  After that first night she had started back in her usual shift behind the bar. Sam and AJ were still on medical leave, so they were around all day. They would take turns working beside her and used the time to talk with her, telling her all about them and learning as much about her as she was willing to share. They had talked about that conversation that had gone so horribly wrong, and they had apologized together and individually on more than one occasion.

  It had gotten to the point where she was threatening grievous bodily harm whenever they started to get a serious look on their face. She knew she had forgiven them. After all there were things said on both sides that shouldn’t have been, but she had still not reconstructed their bond.

  She knew they were aware the mating bond from them to her had been severed, but she hadn’t raised the subject of reconnecting it. They probably thought it was because she had not forgiven them for the way they had spoken to her, but she knew the real reason. Until she was able to eliminate Bryan and her father and any threat to them or the pack from her pride because of her, she wanted to make sure they had a way out.

  She loved getting to know them, learning that they were as individual as they were the same. Sam was the older brother, and he took that title very seriously. Family was the most important thing to him, and even though he didn’t talk about the night of the fire, she knew from AJ that he had stayed when AJ had told him to run, and he had been hurt ensuring that AJ stayed completely secured under the fire cover. He also had a wicked sense of humor and would use any excuse to touch her. Well, to be fair that was true of both men, and she was starting to not only get used to it but also beginning to crave it.

  AJ was the more relaxed of the two but was still very family oriented. He was fiercely loyal, which she had seen firsthand for herself on more than one occasion. If you were lucky enough to count him as a friend, then he stuck by you through thick and thin and would no doubt step in front of a moving bullet for anyone he cared for. He was a huge flirt, and she spent a lot of time just laughing and blushing at the outrageous comments he would make.

  On more than one occasion she had caught them openly staring at her ass. If she was bent over filling the drinks fridge then they were suddenly right there. Even if she was just walking across the dance floor she could feel their eyes on her. Damn, just knowing that they couldn’t take their eyes off of her made her hot!

  She couldn’t remember the last time she had slept the night through without waking up, moaning her pleasure to her lonely room, her empty pussy clenching in release. They had her so triggered to go off like a rocket at any given moment that it was embarrassing. But what made it even more embarrassing was the fact that they knew it! They could smell her arousal every time she creamed her panties. And that happened j
ust about every damn time she was anywhere near them.

  The only thing that kept her from just throwing one or both of them on the bed and ravaging them was the fact that she knew that they were just as affected by her! They walked around with hard-ons at half-mast most of the time, and she took every opportunity to ensure it hit full mast as quickly as possible. As soon as their eyes started to flash blue and their breathing sped up she knew she had succeeded. It had become a game of sorts.

  But now three days on and she was getting a little desperate! Today was the day of Lucy, Cody, and Brendan’s Binding Ceremony, and she was in an SUV with AJ and Sam’s mom and dads heading into the forest. The boys had stayed out in the forest with the mated males of the pack and the intended grooms. Because they had been asked to stand for Cody and Brendan, they had been allowed to be there as well. It was the beginning of the Binding Ceremony and involved running in the forest in wolf form and ceremonial blessings of the Binding Circle where the ceremony was to take place.

  Cassadee had seen what was packed in the coolers and placed in the back of the SUV’s that made their way into the forest with them and knew that there would be food and drinks galore, so as ceremonial as it no doubt was, it was also a bachelor party to celebrate their last night as unmated wolf shifters. This was new for Cassadee because for her pride, mating was about as ceremonial as a one-night stand! Nothing traditional, no creating a firm foundation on which to build an everlasting love, just a sniff, yep you smell good to me, a bite and Bob’s your uncle, you were claimed.

  Cassadee and Faith had celebrated with Lucy at the Country Blue. There seemed to be more than one group of Sam and AJ’s friends surrounding their table snarling and growling at any man stupid enough to walk look or breathe in their direction. Obviously under strict orders from no doubt six seriously dominant wolf shifters currently partying in the forest. The night had been fun, filled with cocktails and more laugher than any of them had ever had before. Cassadee had loved listening to the band and, at one point, got up to dance to one of her favorite tunes.

  She was dancing and singing along with the band and in her own world entirely when someone suddenly slid two hands around her waist. Then she was pulled back into the hard chest of the man behind her. He was trying to walk her into the shadows at the side of the stage, whispering obscene suggestions in her ear. Cassadee could smell the alcohol on his breath and—ewww!—his hard-on was pressed into lower back.

  Throwing her elbow back, she caught him on the nose. Blood began to pour and she heard, “Som ob a Bith!” from the idiot as he cupped his hands to the injury. He had obviously not had any training because he left himself completely open for what came next. She brought her booted foot down hard on his instep, spun and kneed him in the groin, took a step back, and knocked him on his ass with a roundhouse kick to the jaw. He didn’t get up—well, until the bouncers came and took him away or more correctly dragged him out back, smacking him against as many objects as possible.

  When she had turned to go back to the table she burst out laughing at what she saw. It was as if the team from the firehouse, Faith, and Lucy had all been frozen on their way to protect and defend her. What made it all the more comical was the fact that all of their jaws were on the ground. She was still giggling when they managed to close their mouths and applaud her moves!

  “Holy shit kicker! I can’t belief you just did that, you moved so damn fast you were like a blur,” Faith yelled excitedly and started throwing her hands around in what she probably considered proper karate chopping technique. “You were like a kung fu master or a ninja assassin striking with deadly accuracy!” She threw her arms around Cassadee and laughed. “Fucking awesome! And you’re my friend!” Cassadee returned the hug, then hugged Lucy and sat back down. The rest of the night was uneventful and no one else bothered her or her friends. Funny that.

  The truck turning into a car park pulled her from last night’s memories, and she followed the Carters down a well-worn forest path. Their mom was so excited and chattered a mile a minute. Cassadee was wondering about what the boys would think of her outfit. She had never worn anything but jeans and a T-shirt around them, but for the Binding Ceremony Faith had talked her into buying a sundress for the occasion. It was a beautiful blue that made her eyes look even bluer. It had spaghetti straps and hugged tight over her breasts and down to her hips where it flared out, cinched with a matching belt, then dropped to just above her knees. She wore a darker blue bolero shawl that kept the chill away and hid her scars. Not that she minded them, but not everyone knew her story, and she didn’t want people paying attention to them and not what was taking place.

  She had known that they would need to walk a ways through the forest, so she left the pretty heels that went with the dress in the car and wore cowboy boots with it instead. Faith had helped her to do her makeup, and Cassadee was amazed by the result. Her skin looked flawless, her lips a dusty pink, and the shading she had done around her eyes, “smoky” Faith had called it, made them look huge!

  “Right, here we are then!”

  Mrs. Carter wrapped her arm around her back and shuffled her forward and into a wide clearing. They were close to the river and she could hear the water bubbling almost joyfully over the stones. Looking around she saw that there was in fact a stone circle in the middle of the clearing. And standing in the middle of it were the alpha pair, the binding pair, and her mates.

  They hadn’t spotted her yet and were too busy talking, laughing, and no doubt trying to calm down Brendan, who looked very impatient. Then they suddenly froze and spun quickly in her direction. Cassadee knew that no matter what happened in her life from that moment on, she would never forget the looks on their faces. Their eyes darkened as they swept her from head to toe, causing her body to clench and soften for them. Sam mouthed a curse word that was easily to lip-read from where she stood, and AJ just blew her a kiss.

  In that moment they both told her in their own way that they liked what they saw. She did, too. These men were hotness personified in worn jeans and T-shirts, but put them in dark jeans, cowboy boots, white shirts, and suit jackets and they were panty melting. Cassadee didn’t know if you could actually melt a pair of panties, but there was so much heat coming out of her pussy right now that she wouldn’t be at all surprised! She sent them a bold smile, one that screamed that she was all about them and getting naked as soon as possible. Both men cursed and advanced in her direction, only to be stopped by Brendan and Cody, who grinned like madmen and said something that had them growling.

  The clearing filled with pack members, and all were in place. Everyone stood around waiting on the female member of the fated triad to arrive. As was tradition, Lucy walked in by herself. Straight down the middle of the clearing walking surely and steadily toward her mates. She was wearing a beautiful white sundress that showed off the color of her skin, with intricate lace detailing on the bodice, no shoes, just a delicate ankle chain with two wolf charms on it. She carried a bunch of wild flowers that matched the crown she had woven into her dark hair. She was simply breathtaking.

  Lucy’s mates had been struck dumb basically as soon as they had seen her. Cassadee teared up at the emotion of the moment, and she could see the love they had for Lucy clear on their face. When Lucy joined them within the circle she stood so that they effectively formed a circle. Then Ty began.

  “Grey River, you are called her to witness the Binding of these three people. This woman, Lucy Blake has been chosen by the fates as the one true mate in truth, blood, and right for our two pack brothers Cody and Brendan Anderson. Do you stand in witness of this?”

  The entire crowd murmured, “We do.”

  “Who has been chosen by these brothers to stand for them in this Binding Circle today?” Ty called.

  “We have.” Sam and AJ stepped forward and removed what looked like ropes of silk from their pockets. They used one to tie Lucy’s right hand to Cody’s left and then her left to Brendan’s right. They used an intricate patter
n to weave the binding together over the three.

  “Brendan, do you take this woman as your mate in truth, your mate for life and bind yourself to her?” Ty called out and placed his hand on the ropes that bound him to Lucy.

  “Lucy, you are the other half of my heart. I cannot imagine how I managed to live without you for as long as I did. Your beauty and strength astound me more and more each day. I love you, kitten, always and forever. I bind myself to you.” Brendan’s voice rang clear the love there for all to hear.

  Ty pulled on the chord and it tightened until their hands were clasped and then turned to Cody “Cody, do you take this woman as your mate in truth, your mate for life and bind yourself to her?” Ty called out again, placing his hand on the ropes.

  “Pet, you hold my heart in your hands. My happiness, joy, and world are all tied up in you. I will walk with you through this life wherever you wish us to go, and if you need me to I will carry you through it as well. I love you, Lucy, always and forever. I bind myself to you.” Cody’s voice was just as strong and clear as Brendan’s, and as soon as the rope was tightened and his hand clasped hers he sighed in happiness.

  “Lucy, the decision is yours, the fates have determined you belong with these men, do you now accept them as yours?” Ty looked at Lucy, his gaze warm.

  With a huge grin on her face that hadn’t slipped since she stepped into that clearing, she turned first to Brendan. “Brendan, you are my rock. I have leaned on you and been lifted by you emotionally, spiritually and lovingly more times than I can count. I love you, Brendan, always and forever. I bind myself to you.”

  Brendan stood strong and tall, paying no attention to the tear that had just rolled down his face.

  She turned to Cody, who stood with tears in his eyes that were positively bursting with adoration for the slip of a woman who stood beside him. “Cody, you are my salvation. You ground me when I need to be grounded and you lift me when I need to fly. You know what I’m thinking or about to say most of the time before I do! I love you, Cody, always and forever. I bind myself to you.”