Ariela’s hand went to her stomach. She held her breath, trying to decide if she felt different at all. Was she with child? Had she been able to conceive with Lane when her previous attempts with her other mates had failed?
“You’re pregnant, Ariela,” Lane said, turning to her with a broad grin. “I would’ve told you if these guys hadn’t burst in here and interrupted us.”
“I want to commend you on your security,” Jagger said, sarcasm thick in his lips. “They were sleeping quite soundly when we drove through your open gates.”
Lane frowned. “They’ll be dealt with.”
“The way you dealt with Ariela’s assailant? Do you even know who is responsible?”
“I could ask you the same thing, Jagger.”
“Do you mind?” He pointed at Lane’s hard cock.
Lane smirked. “Don’t worry, tiger. This bone isn’t for you.”
Chapter Eight
They somehow made it back upstairs without thrown punches. Ariela went to the bedroom for her clothes and discovered a walk-in closet filled with casual and evening wear. Lingerie drawers were packed with the finest silks and basic necessities.
In the near distance, she heard Lane offer her mates a drink. She returned her focus to the clothing there, gasping then as she spotted several racks of maternity clothing.
Did the clothing and most of Lane’s actions suggest he had been most concerned with making sure she conceived as soon as possible? Her heart clenched as she thumbed through one rack of dresses and pantsuits and then another. What kind of man went to this much trouble?
Sensing Sanchez behind her, she turned.
“You knew it was me.”
“Yes.”
“Before you turned, I mean. You knew it was me.”
“Yes, I knew.”
“It’s because you belong to him as much as you belong to us.”
“I think so.”
“There’s no reason for you to doubt that, Ariela. It is true. I’m not asking, but simply stating the obvious. You’re stronger. Your senses have improved. It’s because you are a langle’s mate.”
She nodded in agreement, unable to ignore the lust in his glassy blue eyes. “I haven’t been here long. I was going to call.”
“I believe that but I think it would’ve been considerate if you would’ve called to say you’re okay. Don’t you?” His gaze swept downward and he took a step forward. “You’re so beautiful, Ariela.” He brushed her hair out of her face. “And I forgive you.”
She jerked then. “There’s nothing to forgive.”
“That’s right,” he said, dipping his head for a kiss.
She turned her head and he snapped his kiss on her cheek. “You don’t understand. I can’t.”
“You can’t?” He cocked his head. “Am I missing something?”
“Apparently so.” She placed her palm to her stomach, aware of the sensations deep within her womb. “I’m with child now. I can feel it. It’s Lane’s.” For whatever reason, perhaps reasons she’d never be able to explain, she only wanted Lane touching her as a lover. She still loved her other three mates, but her passionate love was reserved for one being—Lane.
“Is there a problem here?” Lane rounded the corner then and stood at a distance watching them.
“No,” Ariela said, grabbing a mint green summer dress from a hanger in passing. “We were just talking.”
“Sanchez?”
“Tell Jagger and Leon I’ll wait on them outside.” Sanchez pushed by them.
She reached for Sanchez as he passed, but he dodged her fingers. “Sanchez, I don’t want to hurt you. Please don’t leave like this. Wait.”
He stopped right inside their bedroom. Turning his attention to their bed and the mess of tangled sheets, he said, “There’s no reason for me to wait, Ariela. I’ve seen everything I need to see here tonight.”
* * * *
An hour later they were on their way. Leon took the wheel because Jagger was in no shape to drive. He kept running his hand through his hair, cursing like it mattered, and biting back a few outright cries. “What is she thinking!”
“She isn’t,” Sanchez said. “He’s doing it for her.”
After Sanchez had excused himself, Lane, Jagger, and Leon had discussed Ariela’s abduction. They’d each asked her a series of questions and Leon was disturbed to learn she really didn’t have a lot of information for them.
“It bothers me that we don’t know who is behind this,” Leon said, refusing to let his mind wander. He could easily think about how Ariela had seemingly favored leaning toward Lane when they’d all been together. When she’d replenished their drinks, she’d placed her hand on Lane’s shoulder and he’d cupped her hand with his. Evidence suggested they were already this loving couple and very committed to one another.
Shaking off the thought he said, “We need more to go on and I was counting on Ariela to fill in the blanks. Clearly a langle is behind this and blocking me from seeing what I need to see.”
Jagger frowned. “Why would her captors put her through a lot of medical tests?”
“I’m not sure, but I think it has something to do with Lane. Perhaps there is something in Ariela’s genetic makeup to suggest she’s a langle’s mate or perhaps they really only cared about the likelihood of her ability to conceive.”
The tests, according to Ariela, suggested someone was most interested in her ability to reproduce. Lane came to mind.
“Would Livingston go as far as to stage this whole abduction?” Jagger asked.
“I thought of that too but she was in season the whole time. If she hadn’t been in her breeding period, Lane would’ve been my first choice but he’s too determined to have her pregnant with his cubs so he can have a family of his own.”
“I think that’s the only reason he wants Ariela,” Sanchez said.
Leon pulled over on the side of the road. “I want to show you fellas something.”
“What could you possibly show me that would make me feel any better right now?” Jagger stared straight ahead. “Did you see her back there? She didn’t kiss either of us goodbye. While we were talking about her abduction, she gave Lane these little winks. The entire time we were there, she acted like we were past lovers or maybe familiar friends, but nothing more. I’d like to see how she would’ve acted if I had given her that sort of treatment with Melinda in the room. Maybe I’ll test that.”
“I wouldn’t,” Leon advised. “You would be disappointed. Ariela and I hold the same position about Melinda. If you sleep with her, Jagger, you give her tremendous power. Sex is and always will be about power and Melinda’s lust for power is far more than her lust for you. If you think she wants to fuck you, you’re right but not in the traditional sense. She wants a more powerful position within the casino and if you’re in bed with her, she has it.”
“I don’t want Melinda,” he finally admitted. “But I would use her to make Ariela jealous.”
“It won’t work,” Leon said. “Now get out and let me show you something to ease your mind.”
“Not interested,” Jagger grumbled.
“Have it your way,” Leon said, turning to Sanchez. “The least you can do is get out and stand on the side of the road with me. That way I don’t look like a meth head if someone happens to pass by.”
Sanchez exited the vehicle. Leon looked at Jagger. “Roll down your window so there isn’t anything between you and the picture I paint for you.”
A few minutes later, Leon put his wizard talents to use. He threw his arms forward and a globule of air unfolded there on the desert’s sand. Next to the headlights and pavement, the incandescent bubble seemed brighter.
In the center of the scene, a large circular bed like those often found in themed romantic suites, rotated slowly. Ariela crouched on all fours and then crawled to Jagger.
Cupping his sac, Ariela bathed his cock with her tongue, staring up at him as if she adored h
im more in that moment than she ever had in the past. Leon glanced at Jagger and noticed he had decided to pay attention.
He leaned out of the vehicle, his frown turning into a smile. “Is this true? I mean is there anything to prevent this from happening?”
Leon laughed. “Have I ever lied to you?”
He wanted to show Jagger and Sanchez the whole picture so he kept his fingers and hands moving. He quickly ran through the scene in the themed room before he painted a picture closer to home.
Lane and Ariela were strolling through a hotel lobby holding hands with two little ones, beautiful children actually. Lane kissed Ariela’s cheek, waved to Sanchez, Leon, and Jagger, and then disappeared.
Ariela ran to them and jumped into Jagger’s arms. She kissed him passionately on the lips before sliding down his body like a seductress. She embraced Leon and gave Sanchez a sultry kiss too. Seconds later they entered a hotel suite, each of them stripping off at the door.
Leon lifted her to him. Plunging inside her walls, he held her against the wall and fucked her, the others looking on as if they were faulting him for his greed.
“Remember who’s drawing the illusions for us here,” Jagger said, seemingly jovial now.
“Tell me about it,” Sanchez grumbled.
“You’ll get yours,” Leon said, only he didn’t rush from the scene. His blessed cock thrummed in his slacks as he watched his illusion come alive. He pounded inside Ariela’s sweet pussy and for a second, the whole fantasy seemed real.
Convinced he could hear her sweet voice resonating in his ear, he moved on to the bedroom in the same scene. Jagger lifted her by the waist and lowered her to his cock, pulling her back against his chest as Leon and Sanchez aimed their cocks at her pussy and entered her together.
“This is better than an X-rated movie,” Sanchez said.
“Of course you would think so. You like being the star of the show,” Jagger said.
“I just like Ariela,” he admitted.
“I do too, Sanchez. I do too.”
Leon kept his focus and shifted through the scenes set to unfold in their lives. After they’d had a good view of several different positions in various settings, Leon turned to Jagger and said, “He’s not going to let us have her until he’s done with her. You can accept it or you don’t have to and then the idea of them being together will drive you crazy.”
“He doesn’t have to know,” Jagger said. “She can spend time with us and she doesn’t have to tell him.”
“And how would you keep him from finding out?” Leon asked. “She’s part of him now and our pride will be stronger because of her commitment to him and her commitment to mothering his children.”
“She won’t mother my children. Will she?” Jagger asked.
Leon bowed his head.
“Answer me, damn you.”
“Jagger, you answer me first. Do you want children? Do you want the responsibility that comes along with children? Do you want to end your workday early and go to their ballgames, attend PTA, commit to sleepovers, and all the things that dads do? Do you want to meet with teachers, help with homework, and give up your golf trips for vacations to theme parks?”
“Ariela wanted children.”
Sanchez shook his head. “I never thought she wanted children. She thought we did.”
“He’s right. She was trying to please us, you in particular, Jagger. She convinced herself she wouldn’t be complete without a family. Plus, I believe she thought it was the only way to grow a loyal pride. I saw something in the images here tonight that you may not have noticed. In one of the illusions, she handed her children over to Lane before meeting up with us.”
“Ariela will be a good mother,” Jagger said.
“She will be the kind of mother who believes in boarding schools,” Sanchez said, smiling.
Leon agreed with Sanchez there. “She will love her children with an unconditional love, but will she be eager to do the things that good mothers do? I don’t think so.”
Jagger frowned. “I saw fear in her eyes when Lane told her she was pregnant.”
“Absolutely. I noticed that too,” Leon said. “Ariela had a decision made for her.”
“You really don’t believe she wants to be a mother?”
“She doesn’t want to be a mother,” Leon said. “But I have every confidence she’ll commit herself to motherhood. Then, when the time is right, she’ll come home to us where she belongs.”
Chapter Nine
Six weeks later
“Hello? Oh hey, Jagger. Absolutely. Hang on. Yes. I’m doing well. Morning sickness is over.” She smiled at Lane. “I love you too. See you soon.” She handed the phone to Lane.
“Yes, Jagger. What can I do for you?”
“We have a lead on Ariela’s abduction. Looks like Leon’s hunch finally panned out. Can you come to the casino?”
“I can be there in a couple of hours. We’re just now having breakfast.”
“I’ll be here until one. No rush.”
“Meet in your office?”
“Sounds fine.”
“See you there,” Lane said, disconnecting the call and turning to Ariela. “Jagger says they have a lead.”
She blew out a quick breath, her voluptuous chest rising and falling. “I hope you can get to the bottom of this. I don’t want to bring our children into the world with danger at our backs.”
“There will always be dangers, Ariela, but our children will be langles. They’ll be strong and brave, able to protect themselves and those they care about.” He kissed her forehead and returned to his meal.
“So you and Jagger are on good terms now?”
“Why wouldn’t we be?” Lane was the lone survivor. He’d won the woman and she was pregnant with his child. Ariela had walked away from her mates relatively unaffected. Why wouldn’t he be optimistic about pretty much everything in his life?
“And you don’t have a problem with me seeing them?”
Lane paused, put down his fork, and chewed his omelet thoughtfully. After he washed down the bite with a gulp of orange juice, he said, “Define seeing them.”
Perhaps he’d started a premature celebration.
She draped her arms over his back and whispered at his ear. “I thought I’d invite them over for a quick fuck in the middle of the afternoon. What do you think about that?”
His cock twitched in his slacks as soon as she said the four-letter word he most enjoyed hearing her say. “I may spank you for that suggestion.”
“Promise?”
He scooted away from the table and patted his lap. “Why wait?”
She bent over and wiggled her bottom at him. He growled at the sight of her prissy little ass. Rubbing her butt, he pushed up her gown. Carefully, he caressed her round globes and whispered, “You’re gaining a little weight.”
“Thanks,” she drawled, jerking her clothes down and sliding away from his lap.
“I’m kidding.”
“You weren’t.”
“I was.” He took a sip of his juice and pushed his placemat aside. Patting the table, he said, “Tell you what, I’ll make it up to you. Come on up here and let me show you how a man most enjoys his breakfast.”
Ariela crossed her arms and said, “Not until you answer a question for me.”
“Careful. Remember we’ve talked about this. I’m not like those lovesick mates of yours down at Pride’s Casino.”
“Oh, I think you are,” she said, sitting on the table and mashing her foot against his crotch.
He moaned as his erection stretched with the pressure and she jerked, too, seemingly pleased to feel similar sensations in her pussy.
“Since you’re kind enough to mother my children, I’ll answer what I can for you. Hit me with your best shot.”
“Why didn’t you want us to form a circle of commitment? Jagger once said you told him that if a langle came along and he was my true mate, he wouldn
’t care or acknowledge a circle. He said you feared a formed circle could get us all killed. What did you mean?”
Lane took a deep breath. He’d dreaded the day when she’d ask such a question.
“Lane?” She pressed for information. “Why?”
“True mates exist out there for several langles. The challenge is finding them. Whichever langle finds and mates with their true mate first is indeed their true mate, but you were as much a Matheson match as you were a Livingston match. If you’d formed a circle of commitment with Jagger, Leon, and Sanchez and Shoc had tried to claim you, he might have killed one of your mates in order to get to you. In turn, it could’ve cost you your life.”
“Is that the only reason you didn’t want us to form a circle of commitment?”
He studied her a long time before he said, “I’ve known a lot of shifters who have formed those circles, Ariela. To my knowledge, there’s never been a single death within those circles of commitment.”
“We were aware of that when we formed the commitment.”
“So you understand if one of them die, they all die?”
“And I could too.”
He hesitated for a moment. “Yes, that’s true.”
She slid off the table and landed on his lap. “Well who would’ve thought?”
He pulled back and stared down the bridge of his nose. “What?”
“No wonder you’re so good to Jagger now.”
“I wouldn’t exactly say I’m good to Jagger.”
“You tolerate him then.”
“That’s more accurate.”
“It’s because you don’t want anything to happen to him.”
Lane’s nose twitched.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell him.”
“What could you possibly tell him?” Lane chuckled, dragging her legs over his.
“That you would die before you’d let anything happen to him.”
“Ariela.”
“Deny I’m right.”
“Let’s just assume we’ve already had this discussion and move on to the next topic on the table.”
Fortune Page 7