“What did you need to think about?” Danel asked.
She sighed and pushed her fingers through her hair as she walked away.
“Macy…” Sorin chided.
“It’s embarrassing.”
“Turning into a Snow Leopard isn’t?”
He had a point, though she doubted it was embarrassing. “I was considering my place in this relationship. You two love each other so much—it’s obvious. I don’t want to be a third wheel.”
“Baby,” Danel exclaimed. He pulled her to the edge of the bed and sat, tugging her to take the place beside him. Sorin stood in front of them. “You’ve heard us talk. Sorin is my male mate. We’ve never found a suitable female—until you. It’s not one or the other. Yes, we love each other; we’ve been together since we were sixteen, but we’ll love you just as much.”
“How can you know that?”
The side of Sorin’s mouth lifted. “A snow leopard knows. We can scent our mates a mile away. Why do you think I was stalking you that day? I knew. You’re our one.”
“You just have to give us a chance,” Danel added.
“My whole life is out there,” she whispered. She didn’t want to say no to them, but she couldn’t ignore the obstacles.
“Sweetness,” Sorin said, his tone placating—she’d smack him for that later. “We don’t spend all our lives on the mountain. You don’t have to give up everything. You’re just…moving to the country, so to speak. You can go see people when you want to, you can visit relatives, shop in big malls. But most of the time you’d be here with us. We can promise more excitement than the big city. And before you say it…telecommute. You can work from here.”
“You have all the answers, don’t you?”
“I’m the leader of Tavian Leap. I have all the answers but one.”
“What’s that?”
Danel lifted her hand and kissed her palm. “Will you give us a chance? That’s the one question.”
Epilogue
Wildflowers bloomed on the mountainside as spring made itself known. Still bundled in a warm jacket, Macy sat beside a small, icy stream and thought of the day she’d said yes to her men. That was almost six months ago, and every day since, they’d proved that she made the correct decision. Whether in bed, in their home, or around the village she was their mate—their well-loved mate. She never questioned that they adored her. And she loved them, too. More and more every hour.
“You’re going to be late.”
Macy fell onto her back, stretching and looked up at Marta, who stood a few feet away. “Do you think they’ll shift and come get me?”
“Probably, and let me tell you, getting dragged across this ground isn’t nearly as pleasant as getting hauled across the snow.”
No one would ever let her forget that. “It wasn’t pleasant.”
“My point.”
“Okay, fine. I don’t want to needlessly upset them anyway.” She grinned, feeling happiness clear to her toes. “I’m getting married today!” she exclaimed.
“I know,” Marta laughed. She and Macy had become close friends over the past months, and Marta liked to tease her incessantly, which was fine because Macy gave as good as she got. The two of them had gone to New York to find Macy’s dress and she couldn’t wait for her guys to see it.
“Mom, are you guys coming or what?” Luka called, disgruntled at having to be on guard duty when he wanted to be with Mattie.
“We’re on our way,” Marta replied calmly. “Remember this next time you and Mattie want to run around taunting wolves. There are consequences. You could have gotten your alphas’ mate killed. Now, you have to guard her.”
Luka sighed in the disgusted way only teenagers mastered well. “Fine. Can we go?”
“Of course,” Macy replied. “I have to marry your butt-ugly uncle and his friend. They were out hunting last night and I missed them.”
“Gross,” Luka muttered. Marta smacked his shoulder while Macy laughed.
* * * *
An hour later, Macy stood in a grotto formed by stone and curving tree branches, and watched as Sorin and Danel prowled toward her in leopard form. Benches to either side of them were filled with their people.
She turned to face the minister as her men stopped on either side of her. Energy crackled over her as they shifted, each tall and regal in their black tuxedos with tails and white tie. They each took one of her hands and kissed her fingers.
“We’ve come to claim this woman,” they announced.
“And do you accept them?” the minister asked her. Marta had explained that most of the ceremony fell on Macy’s shoulders, so Macy was ready.
“I do. I commit to be their mate, to respect their roles as alphas to our people and to keep the leap’s secret to my death. I will love and cherish them always.”
Danel squeezed her fingers as she sniffled, and Sorin kissed her hand again.
“Will you love, cherish and protect your mate and any children you might beget?”
“We will,” they replied.
“Your right hands.”
All three extended their arms, and the minister moved them so they were joined, Danel’s on the bottom, Macy’s in the center, and Sorin, their leader’s on the top. The man bound them with a gold cord, whispering an incantation in Nepalese. Macy gasped as the same energy she felt when her men shifted shot over her. It lingered, tingling over her skin until the cord was removed and Sorin then Danel kissed her.
Ignoring their guests, they led her to the house. Macy guessed that was tradition since revelry erupted behind them. She didn’t care that she was missing the party. She hadn’t been with Sorin and Danel for two weeks as they’d observed a traditional sexual fast before the wedding. It had been hell, needing them but unable to have them, but she’d passed the test—they all had—and she was grateful to stand in their arms now.
Danel stood behind her while Sorin kissed her. He deftly unbuttoned her while Sorin’s drugging essence made her lightheaded. “I love you,” Sorin whispered against her lips.
“I love you,” she replied. He pushed her dress from her shoulders while Danel kissed his way down her spine.
“I love you,” Danel vowed with every touch of his mouth.
“I love you,” she promised.
The dress dropped to the floor, leaving her in only her garters, stockings and silk panties, all as virginal white as her wedding dress was.
“Beautiful,” Sorin breathed. “Are you ready to be truly ours forever?”
“Yes,” she replied.
Together, the men led her to the bed. While she didn’t quite understand, they tied her outstretched arms to the bedposts then left the bed.
“Forever,” Sorin vowed then suddenly shifted.
Danel placed his hand over his heart, his gray eyes holding hers. “Forever,” he said, his gaze never leaving her as he too shifted. They both leapt to the bed and the mattress groaned beneath their weights. Macy watched them, trying not to be scared.
Sorin watched her, his green eyes holding concern she couldn’t decipher. He nodded slightly then suddenly, both leopards dipped their heads to her shoulders. Macy cried out as teeth sank into her skin. Pain sizzled through her. She arched, her fingers fisting as she refused to scream.
In moments, it was over. Sandpapery tongues frantically cleansed the bites then both men shifted.
“It’s part of the ceremony,” Danel explained quickly. “No one’s allowed to tell.”
“It’s the final test,” Sorin added. He kissed her shoulder then they both released her hands. Bemused, Macy looked at the bites, expecting angry wounds. Instead of red, bleeding bites, gray rosettes colored each of her shoulders.
Her lips moved soundlessly as she tried to process, but like so many things the past months, what was just was.
She smiled slowly as the most important thing sank in. She was theirs. For always. She reached for them, needing the consummation that would seal the marriage in her head—they had their way;
she had hers.
Sorin growled as he rolled her beneath him. “Please tell me no more condoms.”
“If you stop to grab one, I’ll…I’ll…go find new mates,” she threatened.
“No, you wouldn’t,” Danel laughed, nipping one of her nipples just the way she liked. The pleasure-pain tightened the peak beneath his mouth, making it impossible for her to form a coherent retort. Instead, she moaned as Sorin sank into her, stretching her pussy with his wide cock. He rolled, bringing her over him.
Beside them, Danel fumbled with lube then crawled behind her. He kissed the small of her back while Sorin thrust in and out of her. When she expected Danel to press his cock to her ass, he surprised her.
“Relax,” Sorin urged. He stilled as Danel’s cock slid against his, working its way inside her already stuffed pussy. They were all breathing heavily when he’d pushed as deep as she could take him. The three of them were one.
And as Sorin and Danel started to move, Macy watched Sorin. “Forever,” he mouthed.
This was her husband. She looked over her shoulder and Danel kissed her. This was her husband, too. Her protectors, her lovers, her men, her shifting snows. No one had ever been luckier, and as the three of them spiraled into release, she was sure, no one had ever been happier or as much in love as she was right now.
And she’d only had to climb a mountain to get there.
About the Author
When it comes to books and movies, Brynn has one rule: there must be a happy ending. After that one requirement, anything goes. And it just might in her books.
She lives in Michigan with her husband and two children, who love her despite her occasional threats to smite them. They humor her and let her think she's a goddess...as long as she provides homemade chocolate chip cookies on a regular basis. Brynn has conducted workshops at several writers’ conferences around the country and enjoys mentoring and meeting new people.
According to Brynn, her writing success can be attributed to an eclectic collection of music, her local road construction crews, a trusty notebook, and of course, her husband, Mr. Inspiration, who puts up with a lot in the name of research.
Brynn loves to talk to her readers and can be found at www.brynnpaulin.com.
The Phases Series
Now Available from Resplendence Publishing
Taken by the Pack by Cheryl Dragon
Phases: Book One
Danny loves Alaska, but it doesn’t seem to love him back. The full Wolf Moon sparkles over Fairbanks, but he’s alone for those long nights. He wants to come out of the closet and date, but his frail family might implode. All he wants is the right man in his bed.
Brandon and Justin are lovers and wolf shifters native to Alaska. They’re out to protect their way of life, and sometimes that means extreme measures. When Danny’s brother proposes aerial wolf hunting, Danny enters their sights. Danny was the closet case in high school, and now, he’ll be their sex toy. The shifter pair is ready to do whatever it takes to stop the hunting and maybe add a sexy human man to their pack.
Coyote Savage by Kris Norris
Phases: Book Two
February's full moon is rising, only this year, it's bringing a new brand of hunger...
For coyote shifters Caden and Talon Brady, the upcoming hunger moon has ignited a different kind of appetite. They've been waiting several years for a chance to court their intended mate, and now that she's finally in their sights, they'll stop at nothing to win her over. But when local livestock start disappearing, their coyote refuge is put in the hot seat, and more than just their way of life is suddenly in jeopardy.
Sheriff Rebecca Savage never planned on returning to Beckit Falls, or for falling for two handsome men. But fate seems to have different plans for her. Unfortunately not all of them are sexy and look fantastic in jeans. The local mayor is trying to run the Brady boys and their coyote refuge out of town. Nothing seems to make sense, but when she starts digging deeper, a new danger rises with the full moon—one that just might get them all killed.
Unchaste by Mia Watts
Phases: Book Three
The mystical Portal of the Gods transports Flynn Chula, shifter and descendant of the Cahokia Indians, six hundred years in the past. Right into a tribal feud between Amaro and Koda, warriors of the empire. While Flynn finds his new circumstances impossible, Amaro and Koda know exactly what to do. Their culture dictates that shifters have to be tested, proving their place among the people--as priests. Only one high priest can rule the empire at a time, but the current apprentice reigns with blood sacrifice and fear.
As the sexual preparations begin, Koda and Amaro do their duty to rid him of any possible heterosexual leanings...by giving themselves to him wholly. Flynn, who's never wanted a woman in his life, can't believe his luck. Two hunky men can't get enough of him, and their eager to learn all the tricks.
When the blood priest discovers the plot to overthrow him, will Flynn, Koda, and Amaro escape alive, or will more than blood be lost on the altar?
Awakening Delilah by Abigail Barnette
Phases: Book Four
When Delilah Lewis moved from Atlanta to Gwinn Close, a sanctuary for shifters in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, she knew there would be an adjustment period. She just never thought getting shot at by poachers would be a part of that adjustment. When two sexy shifters come to her rescue, things get even more complicated. Delilah is a good girl, with a good-girl upbringing, and both men make her want to be very bad...
Miguel and Darius are in a committed relationship, but once they meet Delilah, they want more.While Delilah wonders if Gwinn Close is right for her, Miguel and Darius do everything they can to convince her to stay. But secrets from their past threaten a future with the woman they both crave. And while she struggles to let go of her boring former life, both men work to bring out the wild animal in her...
Horny, Hard and Hare-y by Mia Watts
Phases: Book Five
It's time for the annual race, and tortoise shifter, Duncan, is finally going to catch some tail—hare shifter tail, otherwise known as Charlie. With Gibbs, their owl shifter friend, keeping an eye out overhead, they're off and running. But Charlie is as spontaneously careless as the fairytale hare and finds himself caught by local DNR officer, Ben.
The full moon is rising, and if Charlie stays collared through the Hare Moon, he'll remain an animal forever. It's up to Duncan and Gibbs to free him before time is up. But in telling their secret, will they lose Ben forever? It's a foursome waiting to happen, where Ben reconnects with a mysterious lover, and the tortoise finally catches his hare.
Summer Surrender by Bronwyn Green
Phases: Book Six
Hollis Chambers came to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to teach summer school at a small rural high school. She’d planned on hanging out on the shores of Lake Superior, taking walks in the woods and studying the wildlife. She never imagined that she’d meet one man, let alone two, to have a hot summer fling with.
Lynx shifters Daniel Cichosz and Josiah Wilder know a good thing when they see it and they’re fairly certain that the gorgeous, full-figured substitute teacher is just who they’ve been looking for. Hollis surrenders to their seduction, but how will she feel about being mated to shifters, particularly when Daniel’s brother is added to the mix?
Snared by Kris Norris
Phases: Book Seven
July’s Thunder Moon is holding true to its name. But will the rash of lightning reveal more than just the landscape?
Veterinarian and bobcat shifter, Tayen Locke, has devoted her life to saving animals, but a rise in poaching has spurred her down another path. She’s been spending her free time in her animal form, searching the nearby forest for illegal traps. She’s well aware of the risks—she just never thought she’d end up snared by her potential mates.
Rangers Quinn Harrington and Rogan James know exactly what they want…they just don’t know how to convince Tayen it’s her. Ever since they moved to town two years
ago, they’ve had their sights set on the sexy vet, who for the last six months has turned down every offer they’ve made. Though they know she’s interested, they’re losing hope she’ll ever change her mind.
But an unexpected storm changes the nature of the game. It seems Tayen’s been keeping a secret, and now that the cat’s out of the bag, literally, there’s no where left for Tayen to run—except straight into their arms.
Striped by Abigail Barnette
Phases: Book Eight
Sean has never put down roots and he's not sure he wants to, especially in a place like Gwinn Close, where everyone seems so happy and well-adjusted. When Jason and Mitchell offer to help tame his tiger impulses with discipline and a firm hand, Sean isn't sure he can submit sexually without losing himself completely. But how can he resist their offer when giving in feels so good?
Harvest’s Pride by Brynn Paulin
Phases: Book Nine
Hanna Herst joins rock band Harvest’s tour under the guise of doing an interview on the lead men, Kaz and Myan Ruslan, but in reality, she’s searching for her sister who disappeared from their crew. Little does she know, the disappearance and the interview are only a cover to get Hanna within Kaz and Myan’s circle.
Kaz and Myan know Hanna is their mate. They’ve spent the last year maneuvering her into their camp and she’s arrived just in time for the Harvest moon, the time when shifters in their pride must claim their mates. Now, all that remains is to convince her that she’s theirs—now and forever.
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