Claiming Hope [Wolves of River's Bend 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Suzette Rose Cauler

Adam sat forward on the couch in just a pair of cutoff shorts, looking powerful and sexy as hell, yet nervous at the same time. He pinned her with another look that excited her fight-or-flight response. She wanted to either run like hell or strip and beg him to take her again.

  “Okay,” Adam began. “What we have to say is going to shock you, but all we ask is that you keep an open mind and hear us out before you say anything.”

  She cringed. “Oh, no. Please, please don’t tell me one of you is married. Or both of you?”

  Levi shook his head. “No. Nothing like that.”

  “Look. Just spit it out. All of this build up is making me nervous.”

  Adam cleared his throat. “Well, for starters, we want you in our bed every night, Hope. You’re our fated—our mate. This was never about a one-night stand for us.”

  “Alrighty then.” Hope stood up. She’d had enough, and this sounded like the beginning of some bad joke. She wasn’t at all interested in hearing the punch line. “Last night was…nice. And I appreciate everything you did for me. But I’ve got to go.”

  “Please, sit down, Hope,” Adam said.

  Despite the polite please, it sounded like a command and Hope’s knees bent of their own accord. She had to fight the impulse to obey him.

  “All I’m asking is that you hear us out.”

  “Um…No. I’m leaving. Give me a call, okay?” Hope had no intention of taking their calls, but she wanted to make her exit as politely as possible. She didn’t bother waiting for an answer and instead strode purposefully out of the room, swiping her car keys from the kitchen counter on her way to the door. They’d lost her at “fated mate.” She didn’t believe in fate, and that wording had thoroughly weirded her out.

  “Hope! Stop.” Adams voice, commanding as it was, brought her to a grinding halt, and she stopped and turned around, annoyed at both them and her ridiculous need to obey. They’d stood to follow her.

  “You have ten seconds to say whatever it is, and then I’m out of here. Just stop right there and tell me whatever it is that’s so important, or I’m gone.” In spite of herself, and as crazy as it was, she wanted to hear what was critical enough to cause such dramatic behavior.

  “We’re wolves, Hope. We’re wolf shifters,” Levi said.

  At first, Hope couldn’t move. All she could do was look from Levi’s face to Adam’s, shocked at how serious they looked. They weren’t playing some sick, stupid game. They believed they were wolves. The hysterical laughter threatened to bubble up again, but Hope squashed that shit back down and broke for the door, running for all she was worth from the madmen she’d willingly bedded last night.

  She made it to the door and wrenched it open, lunging through it, dropping her keys on the ground like some ditzy woman in a bad horror movie. They burst through the door after her, but when she glanced back at them, they’d slowed to a walk. She could feel their eyes on her as she dashed toward the car she no longer held the keys to and came to an abrupt halt, unsure what her next step should be. She wasn’t too keen on being chased through the woods, so as they walked toward her, she furiously searched the ground for a weapon.

  All she could find was a rusty old shovel. She made a dash for it, picking it up and brandishing it with what she hoped was a threatening posture. “Stay the hell back! I’m just going to get my keys and leave. We’ll forget this ever happened. I won’t say a word to anyone.”

  “Fuck,” Adam said to Levi. “She’s afraid of us.”

  The only saving grace was that they stopped moving toward her, so, keeping them in her line of vision, she arced a wide circle back toward the porch, climbed the stairs, and bent to retrieve her keys, all while keeping the shovel at the ready. She saw the men exchange a look, and just as her fingers grazed her keys, Adam changed right before her eyes.

  Levi looked at her with a mixture of trepidation and sympathy. “Proof, baby.”

  Hope screamed and dropped the shovel, barreling back into their house and locking the door behind her. She wasted no time in snatching up the phone she’d seen on the table in the kitchen, grabbing a large knife from the counter, and sprinting to barricade herself in the guestroom. She dialed 911 as soon as she was inside, fingers shaking and tears falling as her mind turned over and over what she’d just seen. In Adam’s place had stood a huge wolf with thick black fur, and some of the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. Blue, just like Adam’s.

  “911. What’s your emergency?”

  As was to be expected, the 911 operator didn’t believe a man had just turned into a huge black wolf with blue eyes, but she claimed a unit was on its way anyhow. Hope told her to send two. Then she dialed her sister.

  “Hello?” Sarah answered on the third ring, sounding altogether too normal for what was turning out to be a nightmarish morning.

  Hope could barely force the words out. “I called the police. You won’t believe what just happened. I have to get out of here.” She twisted her free hand in her hair, which was still tangled from last night’s fucking. “Oh shit, Sarah. He…he turned into a wolf!”

  Silence. Of course Sarah would think she was crazy, just like that 911 operator had. Hell, Hope would think she was crazy, too, if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes. Even now, she questioned her sanity just a little.

  “Sarah! Did you hear me? I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. He said he was…and of course, I didn’t believe him. I had to get out of there before he broke out a gag or knives…or…or…something. But I dropped the key. And I couldn’t…I couldn’t, and then he, Adam, he just disappeared. I swear I didn’t even blink or look away, he just turned. He turned into a goddamn giant wolf!”

  “Okay, honey. Slow down. It’s all going to be okay. Just try to calm down.”

  “Calm down? Didn’t you hear what I said? He turned into a fucking wolf!” She’d always hated it when Sarah took that patronizing tone with her. “I’m not some little kid who dropped her ice cream cone. There’s some crazy shit happening out here.”

  “I believe you. Really, I do. Just sit tight. Are you still at their house?”

  “Yes! I’m locked in the bathroom. I dropped my keys like some too-easy slasher movie victim.”

  “Alright then, sweetie. Just sit tight. I’m coming to get you.”

  “No!” Hope practically screamed into the phone. “You can’t. I…I mean, I called the police, and I don’t want you getting hurt. What if it…that thing…gets away?”

  “You called the police?” Sarah sounded incredulous. “And they actually believed you?”

  “Well, no. The operator was skeptical, but she’s sending someone anyway. What else could I do? Wait for them to attack me?”

  Sarah sighed. Clearly she didn’t believe Hope either, despite what she’d said. “Okay, stay where you are and don’t do anything. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

  Hope heard the click as Sarah hung up and sat with the phone in hand, unable to move or think. Adam’s change just kept replaying in her head. One second he was a man, and the next, he was a wolf. And Sarah had been so calm on the phone, as if Hope had merely told her Adam was getting a haircut. Maybe I am losing it.

  She crawled over to the window and cautiously pulled herself up to peek out. She didn’t see Adam or Levi, but what she did see was a full-on nude woman walking along a path, just beyond a line of trees. The woman had short, curly red hair and a leisurely look about her, as if walking naked in broad daylight was the most normal thing in the world to do.

  Hope was wondering if her day could get any freakier when a wolf howled somewhere in the distance, sending a chill of dread through her body. The woman stopped in her tracks, obviously responding to the same ominous sound. Then, just as Hope was opening the window, planning to offer the woman refuge or at least tell her to run like hell, the woman’s whole body shifted and changed. Naked lady went from redhead to silvery-grey wolf and immediately issued an answering howl. That’s when Hope fainted.

  * * * *

  Levi shook h
is head. He could kick himself, or at least Adam, over the way this whole thing had gone down. They were supposed to let her rest after her ordeal and tell her the truth about them in the morning. They’d planned to calmly show her that they were telling the truth and then claim her.

  None of that had happened as it should have. Adam hadn’t been able to resist taking her, and once Levi had realized what was happening, her scent had driven him to take her, too. Levi was glad, at least, that they hadn’t claimed her. Claiming her without full disclosure of what she was getting into would have gone against their laws. They could bed anyone they wanted to, but humans were to be told before the claiming happened. As off-the-chain as their lovemaking had been, it was a wonder it hadn’t happened anyway in the heat of the moment. He’d been sorely tempted.

  Six wolves came running at Adam’s call. Nikki, their sister, Luke, Amber, Mikayla, Tyler and Liam had apparently been in the area. They shifted to hear what Adam had to say, and Levi tossed them some blankets they kept in a nearby chest. It was no big deal to see other wolves naked in their human form, but he didn’t want to risk Hope looking out the window and seeing a group of naked people just standing around. Who knew what she was thinking in there as it was? He didn’t want to make it any worse.

  “What’s going on, big brother?” Nikki asked as Adam, once again in human form, came walking over in the shorts he’d hastily donned. Clearly, he shared Levi’s concerns about giving Hope the wrong impression.

  Luke, one of Nikki’s mates, put his arm around her, pulling her tightly against him. “Yeah, you’ve interrupted our morning…walk,” he said, winking, then nuzzled Nikki’s neck. It was obvious that a walk was the last thing on their minds.

  “Seriously? Dude, that’s my sister.” Levi liked Luke and was coming to think of him as a brother, but he wasn’t too keen to hear about their antics. Nikki would always be the little sister he was driven to protect.

  “Sorry, man.”

  Levi doubted that was true. Luke looked anything but inclined to stop.

  Adam met Levi’s gaze and shrugged. The mated often had a hard time keeping their hands off each other. “We don’t have time to explain. We just need you to clear out and stay out of this area for a while. Spread the word, okay? Until I give the call, stay away.”

  Amber fiddled with her hair, a shocking shade of red that played up her green eyes. If Hope happened to look out a window, she’d see that hair from a mile away. “Why? What’s up?”

  Levi glanced back at the house, looking for any signs Hope was watching. She’d locked them out and they hadn’t tried to get back in yet, except for testing the door. “We’ll explain tonight, at the gathering. Just do us a favor and go now.”

  “I get it,” Liam said, punching Adam in the shoulder. “You’ve got a girl in there. A human, right?”

  “Really?” Nikki looked shocked. “I’ve never known either of you to bring a human home before.”

  It was true. Both he and Adam had been with human women before, separately and together, but they’d never brought any home. It was too risky.

  “I love you, Nikki, but go. Now. Please!” Levi knew the curiosity would eat at his little sister, but she’d just have to wait. He and Adam had their hands full with figuring out how to get back inside to Hope and comfort her without scaring her any more than they already had. Kicking the door in would only make things worse.

  The group gave a few winks and made some good-natured jokes, but they didn’t drag their feet too much about leaving. Just as they’d cleared the area, though, a police car showed up, lights flashing but siren off in a silent approach. Levi growled in frustration. All he wanted to do was get back to Hope, and the police would delay things considerably.

  * * * *

  When Hope came to and sat up, it took her a minute to figure out where she was. She was lying on the floor and her arm hurt. When she heard pounding in the distance, she realized where she was and remembered what had happened all over again. The thought of first Adam and then that redhead turning into wolves made her feel woozy all over again, and she was glad she was sitting down.

  She wondered how long she’d been out and thought, with some annoyance, that the police sure were taking their sweet time getting there. Cautiously, she crawled over to the door and put her ear to it to listen for any sound in the rest of the house. Nothing. Briefly, she considered opening the door just a crack to see if she was still alone, but dismissed that as stupid. Wasn’t that how the girl always gave herself away in the movies? No, she’d just wait.

  After what seemed like forever, she finally heard some sign of activity. “Hope! Hope Davis!” she could hear someone calling. Was it Adam or Levi? She couldn’t tell at that distance. Then, she heard a splintering crack that had her shrinking back toward the window. When the voice called out again, “Police!” she sighed with relief. The cavalry had arrived.

  She scrambled back to the door again as the voice shouted, “Police! Where are you?” What she saw as she cracked the door and peeked out almost made her faint again, this time with relief. Not one but two policemen had come to her rescue.

  She burst out the door, not bothering to wait for them to ask what the trouble was. “Did you see them? Did you see the wolves?”

  The police officers exchanged a glance. “We saw Adam and Levi Black. The Black brothers own this property. As for wolves…”

  Having had some time to think it over, Hope decided to tread carefully. Maybe she shouldn’t tell them the men had turned into wolves, not if she expected them to believe her. She didn’t want to spend the next few days in a mental hospital. “Did you arrest them? They…know about the wolves.”

  “Arrest them for…?” the tall policeman on the left asked. He had dark, curly hair and blue eyes, like Adam’s, and his badge said Cade Michaels.

  “They…the wolves…I couldn’t leave.” Now that her rescuers had arrived, she didn’t know what to say. They hadn’t forcibly detained her, so what could she say?

  “Look, Miss Davis,” said Officer Aaron Grant, a ginger, “we know about the wolves. Why don’t you follow us, and we’ll talk about it? Don’t worry, we won’t allow anyone to hurt you.”

  She nodded. It would be good to get out of that house and one step closer to putting distance between Adam and Levi and her layover in Crazy Town. Following the officers into the hallway and back to the kitchen, she was confronted with the Black brothers, as the officer had called them, and their worried expressions. Her immediate instinct was to bolt straight for the door, but she fought to stay calm.

  The look in Adam’s blue eyes made her shiver as he watched her approach. “It’s okay, Hope. We’re so sorry we scared you.”

  “We never wanted that.” Levi pulled out a chair for her at the table.

  Hope couldn’t speak. She averted her eyes because even her shock and fear weren’t enough to completely overrule the tingles of excitement she felt at just being near them. She kept walking, wondering why the officers had stopped there, but intending to get out of the house before she asked any questions.

  One of the officers cleared his throat behind her. “Miss Davis. Please have a seat, so we can talk this out.”

  Was it okay to say “Hell no!” to a police officer? She was dangerously close to not only telling him that but also telling him off. Weren’t they supposed to protect and serve? She failed to see how or why a sit-down should be part of that equation.

  “We believe you about the wolf.”

  Hope turned to stare at him, mouth gaping open. He believed she’d seen wolves, or what she’d foolishly blurted to the 911 operator, that she’d seen humans turn into them?

  “And so do I,” Sarah added.

  Hope hadn’t even realized Sarah was there. She hadn’t heard any other doors opening, and it was as if she popped up out of nowhere. It seemed that some things never changed. Sarah had always had impeccable timing.

  * * * *

  Sometime later, Hope sat holding her sister’s hand
and trying to wrap her mind around what she’d been told. “Is the whole police department made up of wolves?”

  “No,” Officer Michaels replied. “But many of us are. Silver Spring is a small town. The dispatcher you spoke with is human, and when we heard what this was about, we knew one of us had to take it, you know, for secrecy’s sake.”

  “But it was okay for you to show yourself to me? You’re allowed to do that?” Hope looked to Adam for answers. Levi claimed to be a wolf, too, but she’d only seen Adam…transform. Maybe they were all crazy, her included.

  “The night we met you, we recognized you as our mate. You had to know the truth, before we could claim you.” Adam reached across the table to cover her hand with his.

  Hope’s first instinct was to snatch her hand back, but at the same time, she craved the warmth and support his touch provided. Heck, if she was losing her mind, allowing such a simple connection wouldn’t make much of a difference.

  “Claim me? What does that mean?” She looked from Adam to Levi.

  It was Levi who answered. “It means we have to mark you to finish what we started and keep you as our mate. It makes it official. Then, if you want it later, we would have a ceremony, a lot like a human wedding, called a joining.”

  Hope didn’t like the sound of being marked or claimed. She’d just met these men, wolves, whatever they were. Even if she did feel incredibly drawn to them, even if the thought of joining with them, as Levi called it, excited her just a little, she couldn’t be anyone’s mate. She wasn’t ready to risk her heart like that, not yet. Still, she couldn’t help her curiosity. “Does that hurt? Being claimed?”

  Sarah surprised her by chiming in to answer that question herself. “Not the way it’s usually done. When it happens, your mind is sort of on…er…other things. But look, you know what a baby I am about pain…” She grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled it to the side, revealing a small mark, not even a scar, just a faint sliver, really. “If I can handle it, you know it’s not that bad.”