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

by Suzette Rose Cauler

  “It was a beautiful joining,” she said when he released her mouth. “But I can’t wait until it’s over.”

  “Neither can I.” Levi stroked down the side of her face and neck, staring into her eyes so intently that Hope found it difficult to breathe. She was almost relieved when Adam walked over and cut in. The way Levi looked at her made her want to strip right there on the dance floor.

  Of course, dancing with Adam wasn’t any better. She was okay for all of about ten seconds, but when he started kissing her neck, she knew she was in trouble. “How long do we have to stay?”

  “Ready to go already?” Adam moved up to stroke her lips with his thumb and then deliver a long and lingering kiss.

  “Oh, yes. So ready.”

  “Me too.” He pulled her closer, and she could feel his erection press against her belly. “We only have to stay until your sister and her mates head to the hydan suite.”

  “That long?” It sounded ages away.

  “Don’t worry. It usually doesn’t take very long. Most of the guests will party for hours, but the moment your sister leaves, we’re taking you back to bed, where you belong.”

  After dancing to a few songs, Adam and Hope walked over to the bar to join Levi. Her mom seemed to be fitting right in. She was seated at a table with two younger men, and Hope wasn’t at all surprised to see her head out to the dance floor with one of them. Sarah was dancing, too, with Jackson’s father. Jackson and Wes stood along the edge of the dance floor, looking ready to pounce and snatch her back.

  “They don’t look so pleased,” she said to Levi, pointing toward Sarah’s mates.

  He nodded. “Wolf shifters are a possessive bunch. It’s customary to dance with others after the joining, though. You can expect us to look just like that when it’s our turn.”

  “You know you and Adam will never have a reason to be jealous, right?”

  Levi grabbed her chin and kissed her, and Adam handed her a drink. “Glad to hear it, but who says we need a reason?”

  Hope laughed. She hated to admit it, but the thought of them being jealous thrilled her just a little.

  As the afternoon turned to evening, Hope did get the chance to see their possessiveness in action. They shot almost every man who asked her to dance down. Only Luke, Mason, and their own father escaped their suspicious glares and not-so-subtle growls. She’d just finished dancing with Zion when she saw Sarah and her men waving in their general direction as they hurried from the room—finally.

  Levi met her on her way off the dance floor. “I asked Nikki’s mother-in-law to keep an eye on your mom and walk her back to her room when she’s ready. Let’s go home.”

  Hope scanned the crowd and saw Sandra happily chatting with Carolyn. Then she spotted Adam waiting for them. She wrapped her arms around Levi’s neck and caught his ear in her teeth. “Why are we still here?”

  Chapter 10

  “Alright. Good,” Nikki told the curvy brunette who’d introduced herself to Hope as Selina. “This time, when she lunges for you, step to the side and use your hand to push her. Remember, you don’t really need brute strength to execute this move. Use your opponent’s momentum against her.” Nikki smiled, obviously pleased with her student’s progress. “Okay, good. Now, do it again. Only this time, when your opponent loses her balance, shift immediately and take a fighting stance.”

  Sandra turned to Hope. “I’m surprised you’re not up there with them. You’ve always loved this sort of thing.”

  She glanced at her mother and then back to the action. “Nikki won’t train me until I’ve shifted for the first time. She says I’ll get hurt and Adam and Levi will kill her. Besides, a lot of it is training in wolf form. I can’t do any of that until I can actually shift.”

  “You sound frustrated.”

  “I guess I am. I thought it would happen within the first few days of the transition, but it’s been well over a week…and nothing.”

  “What do your men say about it?”

  “To be patient and it will happen. But I can see it in their eyes. They’re worried too. It shouldn’t take this long. Maybe I’m just defective.”

  “You’re about as perfect as they come.” Sandra patted her knee but kept her eyes on the action as Nikki and her friend Robyn wrestled for a weapon.

  Hope smiled. “You have to say that. You’re my mother.”

  “True, but I meant it anyway.”

  “You seem to be taking all of this in stride.” Hope thought she caught movement out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned toward the window, nothing was out of place.

  After the initial fainting episode and Sarah’s joining, Sandra had taken to River’s Bend. She and Carolyn behaved like long-lost friends, and Hope was pretty sure she’d found a playmate or two among the older, single shifters.

  Sandra shrugged and shook her long, curly hair. “What else am I going to do? My daughters have become something else altogether, and the oldest might have a litter of pups rather than just a baby. But she’s happy, and you’re happy, so why fight it? Besides, I get bored easily as I get older, and I can already predict that bored is the last thing I’ll be here.”

  “How long do you think you’ll stay?” Hope was committed to starting her new life in River’s Bend. The idea that her mother might be lonely back in Philadelphia without any family around was her only sore spot.

  “At least until Sarah gives birth and I get to hold my grandbabies. Probably a few weeks after. She’ll need help. But…”

  “But what?”

  “Who knows? Maybe I’ll relocate to Silver Spring at some point. With both of you here, there’s really nothing to keep me in Philly.”

  There it was again. Movement at the window.

  “What’s wrong?” Sandra asked.

  “I thought I saw someone out there.” She crossed the room to look out the window and the room full of women froze in place.

  Nikki was by her side in under a second. “Who was it?”

  “I’m not sure. I saw a shadow, but I don’t see anything now.”

  A knock on the door made them all jump. Robyn peered out the keyhole, then laughed. “It’s just Isabella. Come on in. You had us worried.”

  “Sorry I’m late. I had to wait for my brother to head out to patrol.”

  Nikki took her post again. “No worries. We were just getting started anyway. Stretch a bit, Isabella. Then jump in.”

  Hope was relieved it had only been Isabella. She didn’t want her new friends to get caught, especially since she hadn’t even had a chance to join in yet.

  * * * *

  “So?” Adam asked. “What are they up to in there?”

  Levi took a seat next to Adam on the lodge’s front stairs. “You’re never going to believe it, though we shouldn’t be surprised, since Nikki’s involved.” They always had a pretty good idea where Hope was, but for a couple of hours each day, she and her mother had been disappearing and coming back with the scent of multiple wolves clinging to their clothes.

  “Helping Nikki plan for the new medical building?”

  “Well, they’re using the location Nikki chose for that, but no, not even close.” Levi knew Adam would never guess, but he enjoyed keeping him in suspense anyway.

  “Okay, so what is it? Spit it out, Levi.” Adam stood up and stretched. He’d never had much patience for guessing games.

  “They’re training. For battle.”

  Adam sat back down—hard. “Hope? That’s too dangerous. She hasn’t transitioned yet.”

  “Do you think I would have just walked away if Hope had been in any danger? No, she and her mother are just watching, from what I can see. Besides, it looks like Nikki is leading it. She wouldn’t take that risk with our mate.” The first concern was that one of the shifters might play too rough and accidentally hurt Hope. And the other was that once she got hurt, pain or anger would cause her to shift for the first time and attack. Those born shifters transitioned for the first time as pups, but adult humans of
ten found it difficult to control their emotions during the first shift. Hope could hurt someone badly if she transitioned in the middle of sparring.

  Adam blew out a hard breath. “Who else is there for this…training?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I saw Nikki, Selina, Sarah, Kalli, Robyn, Alana, Skye, and Amber. Hope kept glancing toward the window as if she saw me, and when she decided to investigate, I took off.”

  “We should go back and break it up. Zion has never wanted women trained for fighting. And with Grey’s rep, I doubt he’s for it, either.”

  “We should.”

  “Shit, you don’t want to, do you?

  Levi stared down the path that led toward the medical-building-turned-training-center and shook his head. “Nope. I think our mate should learn how to fight, especially with Ulric out there.”

  “Me too. The women should know more than biting and scratching as a defense.” Adam shrugged. “So, we’ll pretend we know nothing and let them continue their secret meetings, but they have to be more careful. If we could figure this out, so can any of the other men.”

  “In all fairness, we’re probably the only men keeping such close tabs on them. And some of the women in there aren’t even mated.” The medicine cabin was down a path bordered on each side by trees, dense brush and a few vacant cabins. Not many clan members had a reason to go down there. Nikki was still in the early stages of planning the use of that building. After the claiming, they’d stopped having Hope guarded, but they still liked knowing where she was. Otherwise, they didn’t have a reason to venture down there either.

  “True, but they have fathers and brothers who might start paying attention. What’s Nikki thinking? If it’s that easy to just look in a window and see what they’re up to, she’s taking an unnecessary risk.”

  “Maybe we should gift the building some curtains—say we’re supporting Nikki’s project. If we sound patronizing enough, she’ll get pissed off rather than suspicious.”

  “Good thinking.” Adam got to his feet again, the matter settled. “And we’ll hint at planning to walk down there and take a look. Maybe that will give her the nudge to secure the place or even post a lookout.”

  Levi followed Adam’s gaze in the direction that led to the former border between Clan Raven and Clan Lycan. Since the two clans had merged, it was simply Clan Liekos property, but Luke and Mason had purchased a large area of land for themselves. They were building what everyone jokingly called Barbie’s Dream House there. Luke and Mason had become like brothers to him and Adam. They could keep this secret from everyone else, but not them.

  “Now for the hard part.” Adam jerked his head in that direction in the universal sign for “come on,” then bounded down the stairs. “Telling Luke and Mason.”

  Chapter 11

  “It’s been almost two weeks, and nothing…” Hope kicked at a pile of sticks, embarrassed to bring it up again, but she was worried, really worried. “There’s clearly something wrong with me.” She said it as a joke, but she was more upset than she would let on. She’d seen Jackie at a clan gathering a few days ago, and Jackie had explained that no shifter would be permitted to remain mated to a human. If she didn’t complete the transition, ties would have to be severed. Clan law didn’t recognize her as fully their mate while she remained human, so kicking her out of River’s Bend would be easy.

  Adam handed her his canteen of water. “What did I tell you?”

  “And what have I told you?” Levi asked, sitting next to her on the fallen log. “What did Sarah tell you, and Nikki?”

  “Not to worry about it. That it will happen in its own time, but still. I know it doesn’t take this long. I’ve already set a record for the woman longest in the transitional state. And before you tell me I’m worried over nothing, I know that’s not true. I know all about Grant’s mate and how she never finished the transition.”

  “Who told you that?” Levi asked.

  “Jackie, and I’m glad she did. At least now I know what will happen if I really am defective.”

  Adam kneeled in front of her, grasping her chin and tilting it up, forcing her to look at him when instinct told her to turn away so he wouldn’t see the anxiety in her eyes. “You will transition. You will. But don’t think for a second that we would ever let you go. You belong to us now, Hope. You’re not just a part of my life. You’re the most important part of it.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers in a possessive kiss.

  When Adam pulled back, Levi put an arm around her and pulled her closer, then lifted her chin to look her in the eyes. “Where you go, we go.” His kiss was softer but no less imbued with feeling, and Hope found herself pressing her thighs together in discomfort. Their touch never failed to arouse her, but they didn’t have time for that kind of pit stop.

  They were on their way to former Lycan territory to meet with some of the shifters who lived there, and she had begged them to take her along, even though they were going on foot and they were forced to carry her piggy-back much of the way. Her speed and stamina had increased greatly during the transitional period, but she still wasn’t as fast as them.

  “I’m sorry we have to keep stopping like this.” She shouldn’t have pressed to go along. She just so badly wanted to see the rest of River’s Bend, especially since she might not get to stay.

  Adam met her eyes and sighed. “I’m not. You’re our mate, not a burden. Not in any way. Why don’t you believe that?”

  The hell of it was that she did believe them. She didn’t think her men would allow clan law to tear them apart. They were bonded, as they so often told her, and they wouldn’t allow a separation. The problem was, if the clan forced her out, she’d be taking them away from the land and the people they loved so much. Adam and Levi loved River’s Bend, and they loved the Liekos Clan. Adam, in particular, lived and breathed it, and would become the alpha one day. She couldn’t take that from them—from him. That’s why she’d decided that if she didn’t make the transition, she’d leave, disappear before she was forced out.

  They’d look for her and grieve her loss. She knew that, but she hoped they’d eventually give up and lead a happy life without her. Of course, that plan had its flaws. Leaving them would feel like ripping her heart out with her own two hands. And though she envisioned them happy one day, she knew she’d never be complete without them again.

  Levi trailed a finger along the side of her neck. “Besides, it’s not your fault that we haven’t built roads this far in.”

  She shivered at his touch and looked up to meet Adam’s intense gaze. She heard his voice in her head, his thoughts reaching out to her. Now, his voice said and Levi’s echoed it. Here.

  There would definitely be a delay, because Hope couldn’t deny that she was in firm agreement. All she could think was Yes, please.

  * * * *

  “How much of a problem is it that you’re late?” Hope asked her men. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed as they made love to her on the forest floor, but the sun was starting to go down.

  Adam’s response was cut off by an ear-splitting howl followed by a chorus of them off in the distance. Immediately, her men went on high alert.

  Adam took her by the shoulders and gave her a quick kiss. “Stay with Levi. Wait right here.” He was shifting before she could open her mouth, tearing off into the woods in the direction of the howls.

  Hope turned to Levi, who looked as if he wanted to run off, too. “What? What is it?”

  More howls rent the air and Hope was overcome with a hunger, a need to run toward them, just as Adam had done. “Is he in danger? Should you go with him?”

  “No, our priority is keeping you safe.”

  And of course he has to, Hope thought, since I haven’t transitioned yet. I can’t even outrun any danger that might come this way. She knew Levi would lay down his life protecting her, but he shouldn’t have to. Another howl assaulted her ears, this one closer. She was sure it was Adam’s and again came the need to run to him,
to return his cry.

  “Is it a problem at the border?” Whenever Adam took off running, it was usually something that had to do with the border or a skirmish among the clan members.

  “Possibly.” Levi looked away when he answered, and Hope was sure he knew the answer and didn’t want to tell her. “Come here.” He led her back over to the fallen log they’d perched on before and pulled her onto his lap. “Whatever it is, it will be fine. Don’t worry.”

  But she did worry. The more she heard about Ulric and the closer she became to Adam and Levi, the more she worried that something would take them away from her. They were brave and strong, but what if this was some sort of ambush? Levi should be with Adam. They were stronger together.

  The anger welled up, causing her to push away from Levi and stand, pacing. If anything happened to Adam, it would be her fault. He should have Levi as backup, but he was stuck there guarding her. If only she hadn’t begged to come along. That was her fault, too. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she transition? She’d already met several shifters who’d once been human. Hell, her own sister was one of them.

  Levi reached for her. “Calm down, Hope.”

  She didn’t want to. Feeling angry rather than just sad and worried over her obvious defect felt good. She was tired of praying, hoping, and wondering if it would happen. The anger flared through her body and pushed all that anxiety away until there was nothing but a furious growl and a locking of muscle and bone. Its power threw her to the ground, and from what seemed like very far away, she heard Levi’s gasp. He gathered her into his arms, only to be thrown backward as her body lurched, writhed and shook.

  Bone and muscle moved, transformed, shifted. Hope accidentally bit her tongue and howled in agony at the pain, yet another thing to be angry about. It was only then that she recognized the sound of her own howl and the change in her vision. Every sight became clearer, brighter, even in the dimming sunlight. Every sound became sharper, more focused. And the smells, oh, the smells of her mate, water…the nearby river? Small, furry creatures, and smoke. She hadn’t noticed it before, but now its acrid smell irritated her nose. She looked to the sky and saw it, black and thick in the distance.