by Michelle Fox
I waited until he took his hand away. “Yes… I want to stay.”
“You don’t know how happy that makes us, Red. Later today we’ll take you out to the clearing. There’s a place where I’m pretty sure you can make a call.”
“Okay. Alright. I’ll tell her I met you…both of you…that right there should keep her occupied with questions for about a week or so.”
The guys laughed, and I joined them. It felt good to laugh. It felt right.
“After that…I’ll think of something.”
Chapter Eight
I had thought of something to tell Maggie. I told her about Jericho and Colt, and meeting them in the springs, and after many prying questions from her, gave her a play-by-play of exactly what happened in the springs, minus the near-death-experience, and of course, no mention of what I had become. She seemed particularly interested in the graphic details of my threesome, and asked me a torrent of questions, giggling after I answered each one. The battery on my phone was almost dead before I got around to telling her that I was staying…that I had planned to move into a cottage with my two lovers.
“You’re not coming back? Ever? That’s crazy!”
“I really don’t know, Maggie. All I know is that, somehow, this feels right. I can’t leave them. I feel alive when I’m here, like I’ve never felt before. I have never been so at home, as crazy as it sounds.” I looked out past the edge of the clearing, down toward the river, and beyond. “It’s so beautiful here, Maggie. So peaceful.”
“Are you happy, Rish?”
“Happier than I have ever been.”
“Then do what you need to do. I’ll be here, always…I love you.”
“I love you, too…”
The battery went dead, and I shoved it in my pocket. There’d be a time when I was in town, or somewhere there was a signal, and I’d call her back. We’d figure it out. We always did. It wasn’t goodbye, that was for certain.
I turned back to the cabin. There were lights on downstairs, voices, scents. I closed my eyes and breathed in all of it. I was exactly where I belonged.
* * *
It was a little before dawn a few days later, and I’d crawled into bed in Jericho’s room. It had taken me a little while to adjust to sleeping in a different bed every night, never quite sure who was going to show up. Most often than not it was all of us piled into one of the guy’s beds. But I kind of liked the big communal feel of sharing beds and men. I was rarely alone at night. We are a nocturnal race, us shifters, and being up till dawn became the norm. I still wrote best in the middle of the night, and the guys were used to prowling around in the darkness. All in all, our lives meshed together pretty seamlessly.
“Well, we aim to please. You know that. If there’s anything else…”
I was pillowed on Jericho’s shoulder. Colt was still downstairs, closing up the cabin, locking the doors and windows, closing out the day. I was drowsy, but not really ready to fall asleep. Something stirred inside me, a lazy tendril of desire uncurling in my stomach, a flutter of arousal. I didn’t think I’d ever get tired of this feeling, of the anticipation of being with Jericho and Colt.
Some of it was the human side of me, the desire to love and be loved—lust and desire, the same feelings I’d had in other relationships. It was familiar, if not multiplied times two. I knew, more or less, what to expect. The progression felt pretty standard. After all, it had been the way I’d acted in relationships since my first kiss with Stevie Smith in grade school.
But overriding all that was the wolf in me, and that part was growing stronger by the day. The feelings I had for Colt and Jericho were nothing short of all-consuming, powerful—primal. To say that I would kill for them would be an understatement. I would fight for them, tooth and nail, heart and soul, just like I knew they would for me.
So add that level of commitment to our love life, and the result was way beyond simple multiplication. I knew the little tendrils of desire curling through me now were going to explode into a white-hot fire, a desire to take and be taken, to mate with Jericho and Colt over and over. To be consumed by my wolves. To be consumed by love.
“Hey, you still awake?” Jericho prodded me, not entirely too gently, poking my shoulder. “You want the bed to yourself?” He started to sit up, but I rolled onto him, my breasts pressed against his chest. The sheet was caught between us, but it didn’t do much to conceal Jericho’s erection. I wiggled my hips, loving the feel of it
“Like hell.” I smiled down into his face. Even in the soft light of the lamp the details of his face stood out. The blood of his clan was so clear in him, so strong. A wave of sadness washed over me. He was the last of his clan, like Colt was the last of his. I was the only link now, between extinction for either clan.
“Stop thinking about it. It’s fine. Really.” His voice softened as he reached up to brush back a strand of hair. “You can’t change how things are right this very minute. Give it time.”
I touched his cheek, ran my finger down the bridge of his nose. “I know. I’m just…impatient.”
“You know we live longer than humans, right? Unless someone like Weatherly comes along again. Otherwise, we’ve got time. Lots of time.”
“Time for what?”
I glanced over my shoulder. Colt stood in the doorway, stark naked. I’d gotten used to that right away. It was one of the perks of living with guys who had no inhibitions, and who were used to shifting at the drop of a hat. I still got dressed more often than not. As far as for me shifting…
“Time for her to save us, save our clans.”
Colt crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “You’re not ready yet, anyway, Red. You know that.” He leaned down and kissed the back of my head. “You’ve been a shifter for less than a month. It takes time to sink into this life, to let your body go through all the changes.”
He tugged at the sheet, the part that covered my ass. “Besides, you haven’t shifted yet. We’re not sure…” He leaned over, kissing my shoulder, his hand moving to the small of my back.
“Not sure…of what…” I tried to sit up, but Jericho wrapped his arms around my shoulders. Colt had a way of distracting me from pretty much everything.
“Not sure if you’re able to yet. We’ve had this conversation before.”
“Yeah. I know. I need to shift…” They were right. I did need to shift, or at least try. I’d been, well, hesitant. I’d watched Colt and Jericho, but most of those times had been under less than ideal circumstances. In fact, some of those times had been downright scary. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go through that whole drama—and frankly, what looked like trauma—with my body. But I was supposed to think about it…or something…
“But not right now. Right now…” As usual, Colt read my mind. He slid his hand down over my ass, fingers probing between my legs. I arched under his touch, my legs sliding down over Jericho’s thighs. Jericho responded instantly, hips flexing upward, prodding me with his cock. Not to cross my shifters, but I was practically purring under Colt’s touch.
“Right now you need to stop worrying, okay? It’s just going to distract you from what’s really important.”
“And what’s that?” I wiggled again, and Jericho twitched the sheet out from between us. It was, as always, glorious to feel his skin against mine. He was hot, as always. It still amazed me how warm both of these guys were. I imagined us in winter, snuggled between them, toasty warm without even needing blankets.
“What’s important is us…this…” Colt’s fingers slipped lower, playing over my swollen folds. “No pun intended, but I get the feeling…” His fingers pushed further. “This is something you’re looking forward to, just as much as we are.”
“Yeah, well, I am.” I drew in a sharp breath as Colt probed, one finger sliding down, rubbing my clit. I made a little yelping sound, a new sound that had started cropping up in my symphony of noises during sex. I assumed it was part of my new identity. In response he thrust harder, the palm of his h
and cupping me, his thumb pressing into the cleft of my ass. I arched further, loving the touch of him, the proprietary way he touched me.
While Colt was doing a great job of taking my breath away, beneath me Jericho was making inroads in making a frontal attack, his cock sliding against my inner thigh.
“You two going to fight over who gets there first?” I pushed up against Jericho’s chest, letting my knees slide apart on the bed. There was always a hint of competition between the guys, subtle, never interfering, mostly good-natured. I’d long gotten over worrying they’d come to blows over me. But the game was still there, the hint of it adding a little spice to the whole thing.
“I think I won this time.” Colt curled his fingers inside me, finding that magic spot that drove me wild. My body jerked and I gasped as a primal rush of arousal speared me. Not that I wanted to, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to this, the intensity, how everything seemed heightened, my senses sharpened, every sensation taken to the max.
“I think not.” Jericho flexed his hips quickly upward, almost flipping me off his body. Behind me Colt laughed, his fingers slipping out of me. Jericho grabbed my hips, getting me back into position, the head of his cock taking the place of Colt’s fingers.
“Always a pleasure, Red.” Jericho’s entry into me was exquisite. He had a way of taking me that was slow and languorous, but edged with something raw that sent a thrill through me like no one ever had. It wasn’t exactly fear. I knew in every cell in my being that this man would never hurt me, would fight for me like I would for him. But still…
Colt was moving behind me, the bed dipping and shifting. He reached out, grabbing my hips, pulling me up and down. I sat back, Jericho’s cock sliding further into me, my thighs tensing against his hips. Colt moved his hands up my torso, reaching up to cup my breasts. I leaned against him, his broad chest pressing against my back. He nuzzled my neck for a minute, his breath hot, his scent washing over me. I never realized how good men could smell until I got mixed up with these two. I closed my eyes and inhaled, and something coiled inside me, like a spring that got wound tighter. And when that spring sprung, all hell was likely to break loose, in a strictly sexual sense.
But until then, until I couldn’t stand it anymore and came so hard I thought I’d break apart, yeah, this was exactly where I wanted to be.
Jericho ran his hands up my thighs, fingers playing over my skin. He moved them higher, until his hands reached the apex of my thighs, until his thumbs reached that certain spot between my legs. He spread the edges of my swollen folds, one thumb circling over my clit. I jerked again, but there was nowhere for me to go. I was held fast against Colt.
He tightened his hands on my breasts, moving from caressing through fondling to frankly mauling me. I bit my lip, looking down at his hands, dark against my oh-so-pale skin, loving the contrast. Behind me was the unmistakable thrust of Colt’s erection moving against my ass. For a moment he rubbed against me, hot and hard. Then he shifted, his cock sliding against the cleft of my ass. This was still uncharted territory for me, and as close as we’d come on several occasions, we hadn’t explored this, um…area yet.
“Like the view?” Jericho grinned up at me.
“I like the view very much.” I reached up, covering Colt’s big hands with my much smaller ones. “Do you like the view?”
“Very much. From here, you look sexy beyond all belief. Good enough to eat…if I didn’t have my cock in that lovely…”
“Okay. Okay. I get the picture.” I’d never be able to match these guys for braggadocio, or for a slightly dirty way of looking at the world. I loved it, but it made me blush. Like now.
“I love that color on you, Red. You look pretty in pink.”
I felt myself going six shades pinker. “You can stop now.”
The guys had an instinct for knowing what to say to get under my skin. I think it was a form of foreplay.
“Go easy on her, Jericho. You know when she comes, she flushes all over. Not just her face.” Colt took one hand away from my breast, turning my face to his. “Right? You could light up the night.”
Before I could say anything he claimed my mouth in a messy kiss. I twisted in his grip, wanting more of him. I got it, as he thrust his tongue between my lips, and the kiss went from messy to wet, and over-the-top sexy. It was the kind of kiss I’d always dreamed of having, but never got. Now, with Colt, and Jericho, kisses were wild and passionate, and sometimes very messy, in the best possible way.
Beneath me Jericho’s movements were getting just a little bit out of control, a little bit erratic. It meant he was close, or he was teasing me…again. Or trying to get my attention. I broke away from Colt, looking down at Jericho. Colt teased his fingers along my jaw, the other hand still occupied with my breast. He’d begun rolling my hard nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Little jolts ricocheted through me, sharp and penetrating, contrasting with the heat building lower down.
“Colt, want a turn?”
“Hey, I’m not a video game controller you pass back and forth.”
But Jericho was already sitting up. Colt let me go with a little push as Jericho pulled me toward him. I wrapped my legs around his waist, throwing my arms around his neck. We were face to face, our noses almost touching.
“You’re a hell of a lot more fun than video games. Besides, I outgrew those a long time ago. I like grown up games now.”
He kissed me, something between rough and gentle, that strange combination that always took me by surprise, threw me a little off guard, and back to day one. And I always hesitated, the tiniest bit hesitant how to react. I mean, I reacted to the kiss. My body reacted, melting into Jericho like I always did. But I never knew if I should go aggressive, or play up the gentle. So I just let him lead the way.
This kiss was anything but gentle. He grabbed the back of my head, pulling me into the kiss. It deepened. Impulsively I pulled his lower lip into my mouth, sucking briefly. And then I did it. I bit Jericho’s lip.
He growled, but didn’t pull away. I did, tugging his lower lip with my teeth. I opened my eyes to see him looking at me from beneath hooded eyes. I bit down just a little harder, and his eyes widened just a bit. Then I chickened out and let go. Jericho reached up, rubbing his lip.
“You’re getting better. You still pull your punches though.” He gave me a lopsided grin. “You’re a wolf now, Red. You can act like one.”
Colt’s breath was hot against my ear, his hands moving up my back, thumbs working into the hair at the nape of my neck. “So can I.”
Before I had a chance to think of a comeback, Colt grabbed me from behind. With a surprised yelp I let go of Jericho. Colt was quick, far quicker than I was. I found myself on my knees, practically falling onto my face. Colt was already pressed against my ass, his cock sliding between my legs. My body was still humming from Jericho’s attention to that part of my anatomy. Then Colt was there, sliding into me. It was different; he was different.
I managed to push up, against the pressure of Colt pushing me forward with each thrust. It was a struggle, but I finally got up on my hands. I was panting, from exertion, from arousal. From the desire to want to turn and snap at Colt, to taste him, like I had Jericho.
I shook my head, blinking in surprise. Something wasn’t right. Or maybe something really was right.
“Jericho…” My voice sounded harsh, choked. “Jericho, something’s happening.”
I saw panic in his eyes, and then he was leaning over, pushing back the hair from my face. Then I was moving, lunging forward on the bed, fingers gripping the sheets. Colt was beside me, trying to stroke my hair. But I shook him off.
“This is it, right? It’s happening…but why? I don’t want it…”
A force like nothing I’d ever felt before shook me. And I mean shook. All I wanted was to curl into a fetal position, to hold myself from splintering into a million shards. It was like every cell in my body was set on some high pitch vibrate mode. I closed my eyes, gritted my t
eeth, and tried to hold on.
“I guess this means you’re ready.” There was a mixture of apprehension and excitement in Colt’s voice. I forced myself to look at him.
“I am not. I am not ready. This isn’t…I don’t want…” Whatever the hell I wanted to say got lost in the growl that tore from my throat. My voice rose to an almost-howl, then cracked, turning into a guttural moan.
“This hurts.” I was sweating now, my body running hot, very hot. I uncurled myself, rolling over onto my back. The room spun around me, and for a horrible minute I thought I was going to be sick.
“Fuck this hurts…is it always like this?”
Colt loomed up next to me. Everything was distorted and I blinked, trying to make him come into focus. He knelt beside the bed.
“Yeah. It does, at first. It gets easier. But we’ll get you through this, and from then on, it’ll be a breeze.”
I blew out a breath. A breeze, right. My body felt like it was going through a meat grinder, my mind being blown to pieces. There was no way they knew what I was going through. I was alone in this.
Alone…
I jerked my head around. “Wait. You’ll be there, right? I can’t do this alone.” I shot a look at Colt, then to Jericho, standing behind him. “You’ll be there?”
“We will, Red. Right beside you. But…” I got that grin from Colt, the crooked one, the one that drove me insane sometimes.
“But what?” I gasped out what I was pretty sure were going to be my last human words for now. Maybe forever.
“Well, we can’t talk as wolves. And we don’t know if you’ll be able to…communicate as a wolf.”
I gave up trying to understand him, and gave in to the pain. Another blast of whatever the hell this was tore through me, and I knew this was it. My arms were in agony, felt like they were being stretched, bent backward, and torn out of my sockets. I screamed.
“Jericho, we need to get her outside. She can’t stay in here.”
“She can’t walk downstairs. I’ll carry her.”