“Do I?” There was no question. She had to have a piece of that.
He served her a healthy portion, and she took a bite. It was like heaven in her mouth. Almost as good as sex. She looked at Levi and then over at Adam. Well, that was overstating things a bit, but it was damned good. They just watched her eat it. “Aren’t you going to have any?”
“No, I’m not really into sweets,” Adam said, helping himself to more chicken.
Levi leaned back in his chair. “Me either. Besides, I’m just happy watching you enjoy it.”
Normally his comment would have made her feel self-conscious, but this time it just made her feel warm all over. She finished eating and put her fork down. “You know what I was wondering?”
“What?” they asked at the same time.
Her curiosity was getting the best of her. She’d drawn Adam in his wolf form from memory, and she knew she’d want to do the same for Levi. ”Would you shift for me, Levi?”
His eyes widened. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“I’m sorry. Is that rude to ask?”
“No, it’s not that. You were just so afraid last time.”
She glanced over at Adam. “I was completely in shock last time. I honestly thought I’d gone to bed with two mad men, who were planning to chop me up and serve me for dinner or something.”
Adam frowned. “Sorry we scared you. We had to tell you the truth, and shifting was the only way I could think of to get you to believe us.”
“It’s okay. I’m over the shock now.” She smiled at Adam. He’d done the right thing. There was no way she would have believed them otherwise. He put his hand over hers. “Good.”
Hope turned back to Levi. “I’m just curious, really. And I know you would never hurt me.” She’d just blurted that last part out, but it was true. Despite the short time since they'd met, she felt incredibly comfortable with them, like they would protect her with their lives. The only thing that made her uncomfortable was how much she wanted to climb them both just then. Like trees.
“Well, I don’t mind showing you,” Levi said. “But we’ll need to clear some room. We could go outside but…the neighbors. They’re human.”
“We can just move the couch and the coffee table,” Adam said. She nodded. “Okay.” Sarah wouldn’t mind, not with how hard she’d been pushing Hope to see them again. The two men pushed back from the table and moved the couch, the coffee table, and end tables to one side. “Ready?” Levi asked.
“Ready,” she answered.
“I have to take my clothes off first,” Levi said, already pulling the shirt over his head.
Damn. She’d forgotten about that. It would not be a good thing to see him naked again, not with the way her body tingled at a mere smile from one of them. But she was determined to see both wolves. “Okay.”
His hand went to the snap of his shorts, and her heart began to race. That was nothing compared to the heat that came to life between her legs when he took them off and she was confronted with his semi-erect cock. Fortunately, he didn’t stand there like that for long enough for her to lose her self-control. He grinned at her, and Adam put his arm around her shoulder. She blinked and Levi was no more. There, in Sarah’s living room, was a large black wolf, furry and lethal looking. She took an involuntary step back but then caught herself. This was what she’d wanted. And the wolf had Levi’s eyes.
Reminding herself how she’d felt just minutes ago, that these men would never hurt her, she looked the wolf over. His fur was black, like Adam’s had been, but he had a streak of grey between his eyes. He was huge, and everything about him screamed of strength and power. He sat back on his haunches and opened his mouth. She glimpsed sharp, white teeth, but then he let his tongue loll out of his mouth.
Hope laughed a little. With his tongue hanging out that way, he looked like a huge, dangerous, but friendly doggy. “Can I touch you?” She looked up at Adam. “Can I touch him?”
Adam looked down at her. “I’m sure he’d love that.”
She left the security of Adam’s embrace and walked over to Levi. She tentatively reached a hand out and he licked it. She jumped at first but then laughed, feeling bolder thanks to that playful act.
His fur was thick when she touched it. It had an odd quality to it. It was somehow rough yet smooth at the same time. The gray streak picked up again at his tail, which he wagged. “Does that usually happen? The wagging, I mean?” she asked Adam.
“Only when we’re excited or feeling playful.”
She stroked her hands down his back, circling him and picking up her tactile exploration of his body on the other side. She was in awe of him. Not only did wolf shifters exist, but she was touching one. Walking around in front of him, she stared into his eyes again, unable to keep herself from smiling. This was incredible. He was incredible. He licked her face and butted her with his head.
Damn if she didn’t want to hug the huge black wolf and bury her nose in his fur. What will happen now, she wondered? Would he just turn back? Did she want him to? Maybe she should ask Adam to change, so she could see him up close and touch him the way she had Levi.
A sound behind her distracted her from her thoughts, though, as Sarah opened the front door. Hope whirled around, prepared to explain, but it turned out she didn’t have to.
Sarah’s gasp was quickly followed by a smile. “So, I guess this means you’re having fun.”
* * * *
“You’re Hope, right? I’ve heard so much about you.” The waitress had a perky ponytail that bobbed when she talked, and she’d just said what Hope had heard more times than she could count over the last two days. Word got around fast in Silver Spring, and everyone who knew Adam and Levi also seemed to know about her. Hope had been embarrassed multiple times as everyone seemed to feel the need to comment.
“Oh, really?” Hope had no clue what to say to that. “Well, it’s nice to meet you…” She squinted at the name badge the waitress wore on her red-and-white-striped uniform. “It’s nice to meet you, Skye.”
“I’m so glad Adam and Levi found their mate. They’re such good guys. They deserve to be happy.”
“Um, they do seem very nice.” It was lame, but what else was she supposed to say? Telling the waitress she didn’t intend to be anyone’s mate seemed like too much information.
“They’ll make you happy. You’ll see. I’ve been with Axel for three years and I can’t imagine life without him. I’ll be back with your drinks in two shakes.”
The way so much of the town gushed over Adam and Levi, Hope half wondered if they’d been paid off to do so. They were eating at The Burger Joint because Adam and Levi owned the only other restaurant in town, and Hope wasn’t ready to see them yet. They’d haunted her dreams since she’d gone home with them, and each time she thought of them, her heart beat faster and her panties got wet. Even in the damned Burger Joint.
No sooner had the waitress bounced off than an immaculately dressed blonde walked over to their table. “Hi Sarah,” the blonde said, flashing a smile at her sister before turning to Hope. “And you must be the famous Hope.”
“That’s me, minus the famous part.”
“Are you kidding? The town’s all abuzz over you and the Black brothers.”
“Well…” It was the same discomfort, the same sense of not knowing what to say, just a different person this time.
“Hope, this is Jackie. She’s Adam’s and Levi’s cousin.”
Jackie shook Hope’s hand. “It’s lovely to meet you. They’re my favorite cousins, so, of course, I couldn’t wait to meet their mate.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” Like everyone else she’d met in this town, Jackie seemed nice and friendly, but the pressure was on. Everyone seemed to think her relationship with Adam and Levi was a done deal.
“Are you here for lunch, Jackie?” Sarah asked.
“No, hon. I came in just to meet your sister. All of Main Street is talking about her.”
Hope sighed. “Oh, th
at’s just great.”
“Not loving all the attention?” Jackie pulled out a chair and sat down as if she’d been invited, which immediately embarrassed Hope. She wasn’t usually so lacking in manners.
“It’s just that…I don’t know how to put this exactly, but I can’t be their mate.” Hope had stammered over telling the first person she’d met that she wasn’t staying, but she’d given up after that. That first person had been Mr. Goode, owner of the flower shop they’d gone to in search of joining-day flowers. When Hope told him she wasn’t the Black brothers’ mate, his face fell as if she’d kicked his puppy. At that point, she decided to keep it to herself. But Jackie was their family, and she probably shouldn’t let her come to the wrong conclusions. “I really like them, what I know of them at least, but we just met, and I can’t be anyone’s mate.”
Jackie’s eyes fell to her ring finger, where Hope had replaced her wedding ring. “Oh, are you already mated?”
Hope looked down at her hand self-consciously. “I’m divorced. It’s just that things are so different here, and I’m barely ready to date, let alone become someone’s mate. And then, to two men? That’s just not the norm where I come from.”
“Well, you’ll get to know them then. I haven’t felt the call yet, but from what I understand, the mate bond is practically impossible to resist.” She glanced around. “Good. There are only our kind here at the moment. So, here’s the thing, you should know that it’s the same for humans who are fated for shifters. Eventually, mates end up together.”
That was exactly what Hope was afraid of. “I don’t know what everyone around here has heard, and I’m not trying to be rude, just honest. I have absolutely no intention of staying here. I’m here for Sarah’s joining and then I am going home—unmated.”
“Hmmmm…That’s not what Nikki said. She’s been spreading the word that you’re a happy threesome. She even hinted that there would be little ones in the near future.”
“Nikki said that?” Hope was incredulous. She hadn’t talked with Nikki about Adam and Levi at all. Her emotions had been too raw. And little ones? That was so not going to happen.
Sarah looked skeptical. “I can’t believe Nikki would say all that.” She lifted her water glass to her lips. “Nikki’s not the gossiping type.”
“Neither am I,” Jackie said, pausing to stare at Sarah, who suddenly choked and sputtered over her water.
“Sorry. That went down the wrong way.” Sarah grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth. “It’s just that I have a hard time believing Nikki would spread rumors about her own brothers and their m—um, about them and Hope.”
“I would never want to say anything bad about Nikki. I love that girl, so let’s just leave it at that.”
Hope was still stunned. Little ones? She tried to shake that image off. “Would you like to join us for lunch?” At least she’d finally recovered her manners. Jackie seemed nice enough, but then, so had Nikki.
“Oh, you’re so sweet to ask, and I promise we’ll make time to have lunch soon. Maybe Thursday, okay? I’ve got to get back to work. It was so good to meet you.” Jackie whizzed away before Hope could so much as respond, leaving behind nothing but the scent of her perfume.
Sarah leaned back in her chair, fanning the air around her face. “God, I’m glad she’s gone. All that perfume she wears turns my stomach.”
“It didn’t bother me.”
“My nose. It’s extra sensitive since my…change.”
“Oh. Well, she seemed nice.”
“Hope, about Jackie. Don’t trust—”
“Okay, ladies, here are your burgers.” The peppy waitress had returned, still as bouncy as ever. “There’s ketchup on the table. Can I get you anything else?”
Hope looked at Sarah. “No, I think we’re good.”
“Okay, well, I’ll be back to check on you in a few minutes.” She bounced away again, apparently to spread her cheerfulness to other customers.
The bacon cheeseburger looked delicious, and Hope’s stomach rumbled at the smell of the beef fresh off the grill. She unscrewed the ketchup top and poured a liberal amount on her burger. “What were you saying?”
Sarah held up a hand in the universal signal for “wait a minute.” Her mouth was full. “Sorry, I’m starved.”
“I can see that.” Hope lifted an eyebrow at Sarah’s plate. Her sister’s appetite was much more intense than she remembered. “Half your burger’s already gone.”
“Well, that’s another side effect of the change. My metabolism has sped up like crazy and I’m constantly hungry.”
“I guess it’s good your metabolism is keeping pace. Otherwise, you’d be huge.”
“That’s not everything, though. I wanted to tell you someplace special, but I can’t wait any longer.” Sarah’s face lit up. “I think I might be pregnant.”
The shriek escaped Hope’s lips before she could stop it, and people turned to stare. She clamped one hand over her mouth, speaking through her fingers in an effort to keep from doing it again. “I’m so happy for you! I can’t believe it. I’m going to be an aunt!” She’d never gotten that happy ending with Brad, but her sister’s baby would be the next best thing.
“So, it’s okay that I told you? I mean, I would never want to hurt you, but you’re my sister and I really wanted to share this with you.”
“Are you kidding? I couldn’t be happier. What happened…well, it will always hurt, but that won’t ever stop me from being happy for you. And this means I get a baby to love, anyway.” Sarah teared up at Hope’s words, which immediately brought tears to Hope’s eyes as well. “Stop it! This is no time for tears. We’re happy, remember?”
Sarah smiled through her tears and nodded. “Okay, so it’s not definite yet, which means you can’t tell anyone. I’m testing pretty soon. Do. Not. Tell. Mom. I don’t want to get her hopes up.”
“I can keep a secret.” Hope got up and rounded the table to hug her sister. “I’m so, so very happy for you.” After sitting back down, taking a bite, and taking the time to savor the juiciness of her burger, she realized there was another subject to broach. “What about Mom? Does she know?”
“About the possibility of a baby? No. Just you, Jackson, and Wes so far.”
“No, about…you know.”
“Oh, no. Not that. She took the ‘two men’ thing so well, but telling her I was…um…furry at times? I wasn’t sure she was ready for that. But…I do want to tell her before the joining, and that’s where you come in.”
“Me?”
“That’s right. You’re going to help me tell her.”
Hope laughed. “No way. This is your secret. I want no part of it.”
“You owe me.”
“Is that so?”
“Sure is. If my baby sister would have visited before now, I wouldn’t be getting joined with a bun already in the oven. I’d already be happily joined to my mates.”
“No fair. I already feel guilty enough.” She did. She really did.
“Well, then, you’ll be a good baby sister and help me tell our mom without giving her a heart attack…or getting me committed to the nearest loony bin.”
“I guess I’ll help. It’s the least I can do for my new niece or nephew. Mom is going to spoil this baby so hard.” Despite the emotional blackmail, Hope couldn’t seem to stop grinning. This was just what she needed, some fantastically happy news for a change. She resumed eating her burger with gusto, already thinking of all the ways she’d spoil the baby herself.
A phone rang and Sarah put her burger down, grabbed her purse and began digging around for it. She glanced at the screen and put it to her ear. “Hello?”
Hope’s enjoyment of her lunch fizzled as she watched her sister’s robust color pale to sickly white. There was only one thing the look on her sister’s face could mean. Trouble.
* * * *
“I don’t understand why this is even such a big deal. I mean, how would they even find me? They don’t know my last name, and there ar
e plenty of other Hopes.”
When they’d learned the men who’d attacked Hope had been released by the corrupt Kensington law, he and Levi had contacted Sarah’s mates right away. Wes had called Sarah, and Adam had rushed right over to The Burger Joint to fill the women in and keep them safe.
Now, though, he found it hard to focus on her questions. She wore a pair of jeans and a simple blue T-shirt with some sort of cartoon character on it, but she might as well have been standing there in silk and lace. No matter what she wore, she looked like a gift he couldn’t wait to unwrap.
“Did you hear me, Adam?” She even made his name sound sexy.
“Yes, the thing is, these men are like us, which means they can track you if they have a reasonably good idea of where to look. And this is a small, friendly town. All they have to do is come asking about a newcomer, and someone is likely to say Sarah’s sister is visiting. Who knows what else they’ll let slip? And even if they didn’t get any further than that, there are only so many Sarahs in Silver Spring.”
“Are you sure they’re like you? If they were, wouldn’t they have changed during the fight?”
Adam shook his head. “Even the worst of us keeps the secret of our existence. They aren’t members of our clan, but if humans find out we exist, that could represent a huge problem for all of us. Scientists wanting to experiment on us, military coming to gun us down. Humans outnumber us by so much. It could lead to our extinction. Even our criminals know better than to shift in front of humans, unless they intend to kill them all.”
“Maybe I should just head back home after all, but that would hurt Sarah. She needs me here, with the joining and everything else she has going on.” Hope’s shoulders sagged. “I’m worried, Adam. I know Jackson and Wes wouldn’t let anything happen to Sarah, but these are the worst kind of men. If someone does connect me to her, they’re sneaky enough to find a way to get at her.”
Adam nodded, relieved she wasn’t going to put up a fight. He already knew she was stubborn, but this really wasn’t the time for that. “I’ve already talked to them. Levi is on his way to Sarah’s house to help them get what you’ll all need to stay in River’s Bend while we figure this out.”
Claiming Hope [Wolves of River's Bend 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 10