by Becca Van
He smoothed the hair back from her face and kissed her forehead. “You aren’t a mess, baby. From what Brooks just explained, what you’re feeling is natural. I’m sorry for being an ass before, mate. Let me ask you a question.”
“Okay,” she whispered as she stared up into his eyes.
“If we were married and I needed money for something, would you give it to me if I couldn’t afford to get it?”
“Yes!”
“Then why won’t you let us buy you the things you need? We’re rich, Dusty. We won the lottery with the other shifters in town. There is no way we could spend all the cash we have in a single lifetime.”
“You’re rich?” she whispered her question.
“Yes. Does that make a difference to you?”
“No. I don’t give a shit about how much money you have,” Dusty snarled.
A slow smile spread over his lips, and his eyes heated with desire. She gasped when she felt his hard dick throbbing under her ass and drew in a deep breath. That was a mistake, because his wintery-pine scent assailed her nostrils, heating her body further. All she wanted was to grab hold of her mates, lead them back the bedroom, and make love with them, but then she remembered how they’d ignored her heartfelt declaration and her lust cooled somewhat as the pain in her chest intensified.
How the hell could she live with her men if they didn’t return her feelings?
Chapter Fourteen
Airen felt a little better after Brooks and Emmy had come over to explain why they were all feeling so turbulent, and as much as he and his Kodiak were itching to complete the mating bond, Dusty needed time to recover from their love making.
When he heard her say that she loved him and his brothers, his heart and soul had been so full of joy he was sure they were going to soar from his body. He’d been about to reply when he’d scented the other shifter and his mate, so he had decided to wait for a better time before declaring his love.
He, his brothers, and Dusty were now in the clinic. Airen, Broden, and Archer were putting the delivered supplies away, and their woman was going over the books to make sure everything was right.
While he’d been in his bedroom getting dressed, Airen had sent a text to a friend he’d met in the military who’d changed careers to teaching after retiring from service. He was eager for a response and hoped that Dusty would be able to get her accountancy degree. He wished he’d kept his mouth shut and found out what he needed to know before getting her hopes up. If for some reason she couldn’t sit the final exam, she was going to be devastated. He never wanted to see her looking sad and dejected. Airen wanted to see her happy nearly all the time.
“That’s the last of it,” Broden said as he straightened from his bent over position and stretched.
“We need to take Dusty out for a romantic dinner,” Airen said.
“Did you read my mind?” Archer asked with a grin.
Broden chuckled. “Looks like we’re all on the same page.”
“The pub is a better setting than the diner,” Archer said.
“I agree.” Airen nodded as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed. “Hey Declan, I’d like to book a table for four tonight, say for seven.”
“Since when do you book tables?” Declan asked.
“Since we have a mate to wine and dine,” Airen replied.
“What did you do?” Declan sighed.
“Nothing. We just want to add a little romance to our mate’s life. Haven’t you done that for Emmy?”
“Shit! No, but we should have. I’ll have to discuss it with Brooks and Jett. I’ve reserved your table. Do you want anything special to eat?”
“No,” Airen answered, “but if you could have some candles on the table, that would be great.”
“I’ll send Emmy to the store to get some,” Declan said. “See you all at seven.”
“Bye,” Airen disconnected the call.
Archer glanced toward where Dusty was working at the computer. “I’m going to sneak out the back and head to the store, too. You two need to keep our mate occupied so she doesn’t see me leave. I’ll be back once I have everything set up at home.”
“Make sure you get some of those nice smelling bath salts and oils,” Broden said. “I want our mate nice and relaxed for tonight.”
“Already planned to.” Archer grinned and hurried down the hall toward the back door.
Airen heard the door close with a slight snick.
* * * *
They’d all been working at the clinic since well before lunchtime. Because it was still snowing, Archer had gone to the diner to order lunch and had brought it back to the clinic. He was a little worried that Dusty wasn’t eating that much. He’d thought her appetite would have increased after the initial mating had taken place. He hoped she’d eat more once the bond was finalized.
Archer had a bad feeling in his gut and was worried about Dusty. Even though she’d spent all day working, she’d been too quiet. He and his brothers had tried to draw her into their conversations throughout the day, but she’d only responded when necessary. A few times, he’d felt an ache in his chest and had tried to rub the pain away. The third time he’d felt it, he’d realized it wasn’t his pain he was feeling. He’d asked his brothers what was wrong, but they’d both looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. Then he’d tried to convince himself he’d imagined it, but he knew he hadn’t.
An hour later, he’d twigged that he was feeling Dusty’s pain. He’d asked her if she was all right, and she stared him straight in the eye and said yes. However, when she’d quickly lowered her gaze back to the computer monitor, he knew she was lying, and he suspected he knew the reason why.
He hated that she was hurting and had wanted to go down on bended knee, tell her how much he loved her, and ask her to marry him, but the clinic wasn’t the most romantic of places.
Tonight, after dinner when they arrived back home, he would reveal to his mate what was in his heart.
Dusty was his air, light, and joy. Hopefully, she would never feel such pain again.
* * * *
Dusty had struggled to keep an emotional distance as she worked in the clinic today. She’d been aware of the worried glances Broden, Archer, and Airen had given her, but she’d stubbornly kept her gaze fixed on the computer monitor.
The bookkeeping was a mess, and she was glad to have something to occupy her mind. If she hadn’t, she wasn’t sure she would have survived the day without bursting into tears, but she wasn’t sure how much more she could take.
Thankfully, the guys were busy putting the supplies away and had left her alone for the last few hours. If it hadn’t been snowing, she might well have walked out the door without a backward glance. The more she thought about it, the more tempted she was to head on over to the pub and book one of the rooms until the bus arrived in Ambrose in a few days. However, that wasn’t an option, either. The other shifters would probably call and let her mates know where she was as soon as she walked in the pub door.
The only way she was going to be able to hide from them was to talk to Emmy secretly. She sighed with despondent resignation. That wouldn’t work. They had amazing senses and would have no trouble sniffing her out.
“Time to head home, baby,” Broden said as he walked closer to the desk she was sitting at. “You’ve been sitting there for way too long. You have to be stiff and sore.”
Dusty nodded. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep the pain and sadness in her heart from her tone if she verbalized. After saving her work, she shut the computer down and grabbed her purse, then walked over to Broden.
Airen and Archer hurried toward the door and out of the clinic. Broden threaded his fingers with hers, and even though she tried to stop her breath from hitching, she couldn’t. She was aware of Broden’s gaze on her, but she studiously kept her eyes lowered and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. If she could make it through tonight and wait until they’d all fallen asleep, she might be able
to get out of the house without them being aware of it.
And where are you going to go? There’s nowhere you can run to or hide where they wouldn’t find you.
Sometimes, Dusty hated her inner voice.
“You okay, sweetness?” Archer asked.
She blinked her vision back into focus and was surprised to find that she was already in the truck, and they were heading back to the house. She’d been so lost in thought, she been on autopilot. “I’m fine,” she answered hoarsely, and then turned to peer out the passenger window.
Even if she did leave her mates, she would probably end up dying of hypothermia. The snow hadn’t let up since the previous evening, and as much as she hated to admit it, her guys were right. She needed weather appropriate clothing. Dusty slumped in her seat and watched the scenery go by without taking anything in.
Moments later, Airen pulled the truck up close to the front porch and everyone got out. When Archer slung an arm around her shoulders and guided her over the icy, snow-covered pavement, tears threatened again. She blinked rapidly and drew in a few deep breaths to get her sadness under control.
A shiver of need and because of the temperature change wracked her spine as she stepped into the entrance. Dusty barely glanced her mates’ way as she headed toward her bedroom. She pushed the door closed behind her and inhaled deeply as she fought back the tears, but quickly turned when she heard the door hit something.
Broden, Archer, and Airen walked into the room, all looking at her with worried frowns on their faces.
“What’s going on, mate?” Broden asked.
“Nothing.” She shrugged and glanced away.
“That was a bald-faced lie,” Archer snarled as he moved closer to her. “Do you think we don’t know something’s bothering you? You’ve hardly spoken two words all day.”
“Plus, we can feel some of your emotions through the link every now and then,” Airen said as he and his brothers moved to stand in front of her.
“We aren’t leaving until you tell us what’s wrong,” Broden stated emphatically.
“Look, I just needed some time to process everything that’s happened. It was too fast.”
Archer cupped her face between his hands and stared deeply into her eyes. “That might be so, but that’s not what’s bothering you. Tell me the fucking truth.”
The tears that had been threatening on and off all day finally made a show, and while she tried to keep them at bay, she couldn’t. They welled and rolled down her face.
“You’re killing me here, sweetness. I, we, can see and feel your sadness. We won’t be able to fix the problem if you don’t let us know what we’ve done wrong.”
Dusty’s heart felt as if it broke into smaller pieces when she saw pain mirrored in Archer’s blue eyes. When she glanced at Broden and then Airen, she could see they were hurting, too. She didn’t want them to feel pain because of her. They couldn’t help it if they didn’t love her in return. Nonetheless, she didn’t want them to worry even if she was feeling as if they rejected her. “You don’t love me.”
“What?” All three of her mates roared the question simultaneously.
“Why the fuck would you say that, let alone think it?” Broden asked angrily.
Dusty sniffed as the tears trailed down her cheeks faster, and she stepped away from them. She couldn’t stand Archer touching her when she felt as if she was splintering into a million pieces. “Because when I blurted out I loved you all, none of you said anything.” She waved her hands into the air with frustration, and when the tears flowed faster, she turned her back to them.
She felt their heat before one of them swept her off her feet. She sucked in a breath and sobbed into Broden’s chest. Dusty had never felt so much pain her life. Even her brother beating her didn’t compare to the agony in her heart.
She had no idea how long she cried, but she was very aware of Airen, Archer, and Broden caressing their hands over her arms, back, hair, and head. Finally, her tears slowed until she hiccupped a few times as she gasped in air.
“Look at me, baby,” Broden ordered.
She wiped her face with the back of her hands, sniffed again, and lifted her gaze to his.
“I hope you don’t think I’m lying or saying this just because I think it’s what you want to hear, but I love you, mate. More than I ever thought I could. I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you in the back corner hiding in the shadows.”
The pain in her heart slowly ebbed and hope replaced it.
Archer grasped her chin between his finger and thumb and turning her gaze toward him. “I love you so fucking much, Dusty. You’ve filled my heart and soul with so much happiness, so much lightness. I’d be lost without you, sweetness.”
Her heart warmed and filled until she felt as if it was overflowing.
Archer released her chin when Airen tapped him on the shoulder. She looked at Airen when he laced his fingers with hers and squeezed her hand. “I didn’t say anything this morning because, at first, I was in shock. I was so fucking happy and choked up to hear how much you cared for us, I couldn’t speak. When I had the wherewithal to respond, Brooks and Emmy arrived. I wanted to tell you how I felt so badly, but I wanted it to be a private moment just between us. Now, I wished I’d just blurted out how I felt regardless of who was around.” Airen lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. “I love you, Dusty Cutter. You’re every breath I take. You mean absolutely everything to me.”
This time when the tears came they were tears of joy. She’d heard the sincerity in each of their voices when her mates had told her they loved her. She swiped the tears from her face with her free hand and met each of their gazes. “I love you all, too. So damn much.”
Broden cupped her cheek and lifted her face toward him as he bent toward her. She sighed with joy as he pressed his lips against hers and kissed her lightly, yet she felt that kiss shoot into her very being. Broden sat with her over his thighs while he continued to kiss her. Passion flared and heated her blood. She shifted on his lap, clasped the back of his neck, and tried to deepen the kiss, but he thwarted her efforts.
“As much as I want to kiss you until we’re both panting for breath, we need to get ready.” Broden rested his forehead against hers.
“Ready for what?” she asked.
“We’ve booked a table at the pub.” Archer rubbed a hand up and down her back.
“We had a romantic dinner planned.” Airen cleared his throat. “After dinner, we were going to bring you back here and tell and show you how much we love you.”
“I’m sorry.” Dusty frowned.
“What for?” Archer asked.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, baby. You’ve got to stop apologizing,” Broden said.
“But I’ve ruined your plans.”
“No, you haven’t, honey,” Airen said.
“Airen’s right,” Archer said. “We can still go the pub for a romantic meal.”
“Do you mind if we don’t?” Dusty asked. “I can cook. It’s so cold, and I just want to stay home with my mates.”
Broden smiled and nodded. “Why don’t you go and take a bath?” He helped her to her feet. “And you won’t be cooking.”
“But—”
Airen placed a finger over her lips. “No buts, honey.”
Broden lifted her from his lap and stood. “Your bath is waiting for you, mate. Go and have a nice long soak. When you’re done, come on out to the kitchen.”
If she hadn’t seen the twinkle of excitement in her mates’ eyes, she might have started asking questions, but she kept her mouth shut. She’d already ruined their initial plans and didn’t want to put her foot in it by wrecking whatever it was they were planning now. Dusty nodded and turned toward the bathroom. When she glanced back over her shoulder, Broden, Archer, and Airen had already left the room.
She gasped when she saw the steaming tub and inhaled the fragrant steam. One of her men had to have snuck home to do this for her. There were rose petal f
loating on the top of the water, and candles were strategically placed around the edge of the bath. The scent wafting to her nose was one of her favorites. Vanilla and honeysuckle. She smiled as she remembered her men telling her she smelled like honeyed-hazelnuts. Would soaking in the perfumed oils make her smell even nicer? She sure hoped so.
Dusty had plans for tonight, and she wasn’t going to let anything stop her from getting what she craved, what she burned for. Now that she knew Archer, Airen, and Broden loved her, she wanted to cement the mating bond with them. She was going to get all three of her mates to make love with her and claim her all over again.
She shivered as she stripped off, and then climbed into the hot water with a sigh of decadence. The residual tension in her muscles eased, and the warm water dissipated the tenderness in her pussy. She smiled gratefully when she saw a box of bath salts at the other end of the tub.
Her men really did love her. They wouldn’t be worried about her if they didn’t.
Happiness and love filled her heart and soul. She wanted to rush through her bath and tell her guys to forget about dinner. The only appetite she needed appeased was her craving for her men.
Heat coursed through her blood. Her breasts swelled, and her nipples hardened into throbbing peaks. Her pussy moistened and clenched, and her clit swelled and began to ache.
Food was the last on her list of priorities, but she couldn’t upset her men’s plans again. She’d ride out the hours until it was time to head to bed, but there was no way in hell she was going to sleep.
Sleep was the last thing on her mind.
Chapter Fifteen
As soon as Broden had finished his shower and dressed, he called the hotel and ordered four meals to be delivered to his house, along with dessert. He and his brothers rushed around the kitchen setting out the silverware, along with wine glasses, candles, and flowers.
When everything was ready, he stepped back and perused the romantic setting.