by Fel Fern
“You can make this easy, or you can make this hard. Are you going to fight me like a rabid bitch, Rain, or are you going to behave?” Clay asked. “If you’re good, I might consider giving your brother and his cat a clean death.”
The hell I will. Rain decided she’d go out fighting, clawing at Clay and hoping to do some damage, when she caught the flash of gold in the dark, then a pair of green eyes. Tom. She knew Ed and Jake were close by. Trained predators, they didn’t make a single sound, but Clay was shifter, too. He must have sensed they weren’t alone, because his eyes narrowed.
“Who the fuck is there?” Clay demanded, pressing the tip of the tip to her chin. “Come out, or I shoot her, and she won’t heal from this I assure you.”
“No one’s there. No one knows we’re here,” Rain rasped. Clay slid his gaze to her for a fraction of a second. His momentary distraction was just what she needed. “I’ll be good, I promise. I won’t fight you as long as you shoot James clean.”
“You’ve finally learned to beg is what I’d like to say, but your act doesn’t fool me.” Clay pressed the barrel harder. “I’ll count to three. If you don’t come out, fucker, I’m going to blow her brains off.”
Pregnant silence.
“One.”
Rain held her breath. Tried to calm herself down.
“Two.”
A tail flicked under the dim lights, followed by a snarl. Clay lifted the pressure of the barrel, began to loosen his grip on her hair. Rain moved and used her good leg to knead him in the balls. Clay screeched in pain, dropping her and the gun in the process.
Rain winced, expecting to hit solid ground, but her blow was cushioned by something soft. Fur. Rain grasped a handful of spotted golden fur, felt a sandy tongue licking at her face, and saw golden eyes looking down at her with concern.
“Hey, Jake,” she whispered. He gently nudged her body away from the action and Rain grunted, dragging her body as far from Clay as she could. She saw Ed and Tom’s gold large forms stalking toward Clay.
“Fucking cats,” Clay hissed, eyeing his gun, and then deciding to fight fur with fur.
He shifted. Ed and Tom started running. Ed pounced first, claws and teeth ready just as Clay managed to shift halfway— stuck between wolf and man. They danced, a tangle of claws and teeth. Clay howled when Ed sunk his teeth into left clawed hand. Clay snapped his canines, aiming for Ed’s throat. Ed danced away gracefully, but before Clay could get to his feet or finish shifting, Tom landed on top of him, sinking his claws, teeth sinking into his throat.
Rain pulled Jake close to her. Understanding, Jake used his body to curl himself around her like a warm blanket, long tail swishing to and fro, not minding she held into him like a favorite stuffed toy— a charm against the darkness.
She watched Tom yank out Clay’s throat in one forceful jerk, breathing hard.
“It’s over, princess,” came Ed’s voice above her.
He must have shifted while she watched Tom. Sweat and flecks of blood covered him from head to toe. Looking down at Jake and her, he looked dangerous and powerful, but Rain also saw the sliver of fear there. Irrational fear Rain would somehow no longer want him after seeing this side of him and his brothers. A few words from her could do him irreparable damage.
Tom, Rain saw, had shifted back to human and began checking on James.
“You’re wasting time looking all macho like that. Give me a kiss and can you get my brother out so he can stop howling and see James?”
Ed let out a sigh of relief, and then bent over to kiss her. He tangled his fingers into her hair. “We’re going to have a talk, princess. About being reckless and running off on us.”
“Jesus. That’s the first thing you want to do? Reprimand me like some kid?” Ed moved his hand to the back of her neck and kissed her, hard and rough, leaving her breathless, before standing to let Sam out of his cage. A few seconds later, Rain’s bare skin no longer touched fur. A smile split her lips when Jake traced her arm lightly.
“Don’t I get a kiss, too?”
“If I kiss you, Tom would want one, too, and he might forget James,” Rain pointed out. Tom grumbled something beside James.
“Okay,” Jake kissed her on the forehead instead. “Let’s see your leg?”
“James. Oh God. How is he?” Sam asked, back to human form.
“He’s been shot bad,” Tom admitted. With Jake’s help, Rain managed to get herself near Sam and James.
“There’s no time to call a shifter doctor or take him anywhere,” Ed muttered, glancing over Tom’s shoulder. “Sam, you need to send him some of your life energy.”
“I don’t know how,” Sam babbled. He blinked when Rain reached over to grip his hand.
“You can do this, big bro. Ed can guide you, right?” Rain asked Ed. Ed nodded, and the confident look in his eyes reassured her.
“Sam, reach for your mate bonds, and then reach for James’s wolf,” Ed instructed. “Do you feel his life energy?”
Sam face’s paled. “It’s so faint.”
“Hold onto your bonds and don’t let go. Your sister’s right, Sam. You’re strong. You can save James.”
Rain watched the process with apprehension, grateful for Tom and Jake’s presence beside her. She didn’t know how much time had passed, but when the cavalry arrived— including Lars and Lil, the pard’s doctor, Sam continued pouring energy to James.
“Good work, Sam. Lil’s going to take over now, okay? You can let go.” Lars gently parted Sam from James and handed him over to another pard member. Certain Sam would be okay, Lars turned his attention to Rain, who began to doze off on Jake’s shoulder. The big biker’s gaze hovered on her leg, which Jake had bound with torn pieces of her shirt.
“I’ll tend to your leg in a bit, Rain,” Lil said.
“Sure. I don’t think it’s fatal,” Rain said, keeping her eye on her foster father.
Lars sniffed once, and then his eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. “What the fuck?”
“I can explain,” Rain said quickly.
“You can explain?” Lars thundered. “Get your fucking paws off my daughter, Jake, or I’ll tear you a new one.”
Jake began to pull away, but Rain gripped his arm. She sensed Ed and Tom hover protectively near them. Lars growled, catching sight of them. “Them, too?”
“After getting nearly killed, that’s the first thing you ask about?” Rain threw back, but Lars crossed his arms and continued to glare at her. “I don’t know why you’re so surprised. Leopards mate in threes remember?”
“Mate? But you— they’re fucking twice your age.”
“Lars, we aren’t joking around,” Ed said. He sounded strangely calm and confidant, intent on stating their claim in front of their king.
“I saw you three sharing a couple of women just last full moon. You expect me to believe you’re serious about my Rain? Do you three believe you deserve her?”
“My Rain?” Rain asked warily.
“Rain might be too good for us, but she’s ours now,” Jake said unhelpfully, nuzzling at her neck. Rain swallowed, patted his arm and thankfully, he pulled away.
“Over my dead body,” Lars hissed.
“You accepted James,” Rain reminded him.
Eventually. Rain didn’t add, because she recalled it hadn’t been that long ago Lars found out Sam moved in with James. It took Cas, Des, and the other pard members to stop him from turning Sam to pulp.
“James doesn’t screw around with other women, or men for that matter.”
“There will be no others. Rain’s the woman we’ve been waiting for all our lives,” Tom said firmly.
He gently ran his fingers to smoothen the tangles in Rain’s hair, before pressing his hand against her cheek. Rain leaned into his hand, closed her eyes, and sighed. She nearly forgotten Lars was there until he cursed under his breath.
Lars cracked his scarred knuckles in warning and gave each of them a measured look, including Rain, before finally speaking. “You
really want these three, Rain? Because you better not come crying to me later and telling me you’ve made a mistake.”
“You don’t understand, Lars.”
“Then explain. Help me understand.”
Rain considered Lars not resorting to violence a little victory. She looked her foster father in the eye and told him the truth. “What happened between the three of us isn’t spur of the moment, or fueled by crazed lust.”
“Christ. Don’t talk to me about lust, kid. In my mind, you’re still that girl who would shift and snuggle in our bed like a little gray ball of fur.”
Rain pressed her lips together. God. Seeing Lars all sentimental was not something she could handle, because she always saw him as strong. Unyielding.
“Let her speak.” Jake added a, “please.”
“Go on.”
“I watched Ed, Tom, and Jake from afar. Loved them from afar since my teens, and thought it would just be that. Puppy love. Until last night.”
A visible tick appeared on Lars’s left cheek. “Last night? What the fuck happened last night?”
“We didn’t fuck, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Lars growled, but eventually settled down. “Sometimes it’s easy to forget you’re all grown up and capable of making your own choices. Fine. But you three.” Lars jabbed a finger at Ed, Tom, and Jake. “If you hurt her, there won’t be a place left on earth you can hide in.”
To Rain’s surprise, Lars offered his hand.
“Hurting her is the last thing we would ever do,” Ed promised, firmly accepting Lars’ handshake. Rain didn’t see Lars’s fist blurring and smacking Ed over the left cheek. Ed grunted, but didn’t fight back.
“Needed to do that just once,” Lars told Rain when she glared at him. He looked at the brothers. “Take good care of my pup.”
After Lil was done treating James, she came to Rain’s side, skillfully extracted the bullet, and bandaged her leg up.
“No strenuous activities for the next few days,” Lil told the brothers in an authoritative voice.
“Why are you telling them and not me?” Rain demanded.
Lil gave her a cool look as she kept her equipment. “Because you won’t listen.”
Rain groaned. She let Jake help her up. He kissed her forehead.
“What was that for?” Rain yelped when he easily swept her from the ground and carried her out of the ratty basement. Outside a car borrowed from one of the pard members awaited them, along with some clothes they kept around for emergencies.
“For being brave,” Jake replied.
“Oh. Do I get a pat on the head and lollipop, too?” Rain asked, sarcastically. She became wary when Ed smirked at her.
“You want a lollipop, princess?”
“You think dirty,” Rain declared. Jake and Tom laughed.
Ed’s eyes only twinkled. “We’ll talk about that when you heal. Let’s get you home, babe.”
Rain tightened her arms around Jake’s neck, leaned against his chest, and sighed contently. They reached the car and Rain grudgingly let them pull a large shirt over her. Ed and Jake took the front, leaving Rain to snuggle in the backseat with Tom.
“You can use me as a pillow,” Tom murmured, combing his fingers through her hair. Even in the darkened interior of the car, Rain saw his expression softening, becoming tender. “How’s your leg?”
“That’s the third time you asked, and it’s fine.” Rain cuddled close to him, and fell asleep with her head on his lap minutes later. Home, Ed said. A future with the three men she loved.
Chapter Ten
A Week Later
Rain furrowed her brows. Her fingers hovered over her laptop keyboard before she reread the sentence of her current school paper. She reached out for her heavy textbook again when she halted, sniffing. The smell of burnt food reached her nose.
“Oh, shit, the chicken.” Rain bolted out of her seat from the dining room table and ran into the kitchen.
Gray smoke slithered out of the oven. Rain remembered to shove her hands into her mittens before pulling the tray out. She groaned. The blackened mass didn’t resemble a roast chicken one bit.
“Why do I bother?” Furious, Rain dumped the chicken into the garbage chute.
None of her mates asked her to do this. To cook dinner, but she volunteered, which made it a lot harder. Rain breathed in and out. She could do nothing about the chicken now, but there was still the soup and salad. Rain checked the pot on the cooker, not shocked her tomato soup looked like the most unappealing red slop she ever laid her eyes on.
“Well. Soup’s out, too.” Rain yanked the fridge door open, dismayed to find beers, a couple of eggs, old cheese, and more beers. She mentally put down grocery shopping on her to-do list. Maybe she could bug Ed again. Shopping for food with him was always fun, because he often growled at her and ask when she would be done. There was the bonus of wild sex after, too.
“Cheese omelets?” Seeing the mold on the cheese threw that option out. She fished out her phone from her jeans and quickly texted Jake for help. Ed and Tom were busy working on a new car at the garage and she remembered Jake telling her he would be getting off early from work.
Satisfied by Jake’s quick response, Rain poured herself a glass of wine, abandoned her paper, and settled herself on the couch. Jake found her there, with her feet propped up.
“Now that’s a lovely sight. With your apron you look like a young housewife waiting for her husband.” Jake pushed through the door, bags of take-out in both arms. Rain got off the couch and took some of the bags from him. She sniffed at the food. Her eyes widened.
“Smells good.”
“For my princess? Of course.”
“It’s for dinner.” Rain walked back to the kitchen with the bags. Jake winced, seeing the mess she made.
He wrinkled his nose. “What’s that burnt meat smell?”
“Extra blackened bird. Don’t worry, I’ll clean the mess up.”
“I’ll help you so we can save time.”
Once they finished cleaning the kitchen, Rain put her arms around his neck, tiptoed, and kissed him on the lips. Jake wrapped his arms firmly around her waist, expression turning intense. Sometimes the brothers shared her, but sometimes she had them alone.
Rain had no particular favorite combination. She loved being with each of them. Lindsay once asked her how she could love each of them equally, and Rain’s answer had been simple. Ed, Tom, Jake, and she wanted to enough, and possessed a big enough space in their hearts to love more.
“Thank you for coming through. How should I thank you?” Rain asked coyly.
“Calling me to come home with food, I wonder, was that a ploy to get me alone, princess?” Jake didn’t wait for her to reply. He caught her lips again, nipping at her bottom lip.
“Maybe?” Rain whispered, opening her lips to let his tongue in.
His hands moved to the curve of her ass, pulling her close to him. The crush of his body against hers, the bulge in his jeans rubbing against hers, made her entire skin flush with excitement. When Jake released her lips, she reached for the hem of his shirt at the same time he hooked his fingers into the belt loops of her shorts.
“While I love these shorts, they have to go,” Jake said, looking serious.
“You first.” Rain placed a hand between them. Jake let her pull off his shirt. He watched her hungrily as she palmed the planes of his chest, moving downward to undo the button of his jeans. Rain knelt, peeled them down together with his boxers, and Jake stepped out of them until he stood nude, cock standing at half-mast.
“Tough day at work, hon? Let this dutiful little house wife help you feel better,” Rain said teasingly.
She kept one hand over his balls, occasionally kneading, rubbing, while she flicked her tongue over the pre-cum gathered at his tip.
“Christ, Rain. Sometimes I still can’t believe you’re real.”
Rain paused from her task, and then tapped at the three sets of healed mate marks o
n her neck with two fingers of her free hand. “Sometimes I can’t believe it, too, but I touch these and they remind me I’m not dreaming.”
Jake pressed his lips together, saying nothing, but Rain heard all he wanted to say from his warm smile. She continued her work and felt him thicken under her attentions. Rain took her time lapping at him until he tugged at her hair.
“I don’t think I can last long, princess. You feel amazing.”
Rain took his length between her lips and began sheathing him, applying suction with every inch she covered. He groaned above her. Gasped on her third dive so Rain knew he was close. He began to pull away, but Rain swallowed every drop of his load.
“Feel better?” Rain asked. Jake helped her back to her feet and, without warning, swept her into his arms. “What are you doing?”
He kissed her on side of her jaw. “I’m returning the favor.”
Jake carried her to the living room and settled her on the couch. “Lift up your hands.”
Rain did. She giggled when Jake pulled her shirt off her like a child. He grew rougher when he reached her shorts and simply yanked them down her hips. Jake licked his lips when he noticed the black skimpy underwear she wore underneath.
“Clearly, you’ve been concocting evil plans, princess.” He crawled between her legs. Ran a possessive hand down her calf and ankle. “Planned on doing a little seduction tonight?”
“Guilty as charged.”
“You don’t need to put so much effort, since Ed and Tom are going to yank your underwear away once they scent your arousal. We might not even be able to make it to dinner.”
A flood of moisture crept between her legs. Jake always knew how to make her incredibly horny.
“Are you going to fuck me, or keep talking?”
Jake growled low in his throat. Ed or Tom would simply tear her poor underwear apart, but Jake gently slid the g-string off her hips and then lowered his head to her pussy. Jake flicked a curious tongue and traced the wetness gathered on one of her pussy lips. Rain trembled, but Jake kept her legs apart.
“So wet so soon, princess?”