by Jane Jamison
“Thank you. I’m so hungry I think my stomach’s shaking hands with my backbone.” She didn’t care that she might look unladylike and took a huge bite out of her cheeseburger.
Case took the bag from her and, after passing a sandwich to Ham, wolfed down a hamburger. He dug around in the bag again. “What? No fries or drinks?”
“Be happy I got you anything. Did you really think I could run up a mountain carrying three drinks?”
She took another big bite even while holding back a giggle. Food had never tasted so good. “So what now?”
“The police will arrive soon.” He tested the rope that held Gomez to the pickup. “I think we’re safe to go ahead and leave. I don’t want to get caught hanging around here. We’ve got a walk ahead of us to where Justin left our ride. It’s not that far, but it’s well hidden.”
“But who do they think turned them in?” She put her hand over her mouth and could hear her mother admonishing her about talking with her mouth full.
“It was an anonymous caller. One who happened onto the murder then overtook the killers.”
“Oh, how cool. Kind of like a superhero fighting for truth and justice.”
“Hell, babe. Don’t tell him that.” Ham swallowed the last of his food. “You’re going to give him a bigger head than he already has.”
Jamie beamed. “I like that. I’m a superhero.” He dodged Ham’s playful punch. “He’s also going to put in a backdated report saying that our rental pickup was stolen. As for us? Since they won’t find us back in Passion, we’ll be listed as missing. We’ll tie up the loose ends once we make it to Oregon.”
“But what about me?” Had she lost her identity? Would she become a missing person, too?
“I doubt they’ll tie you to us. But as soon as we can, we’ll have to figure out a way for you to contact your family and friends. Providing you want to stay with us.”
“And tell them what?”
“That’s up to you. Tell them you’re on a road trip with friends. I’m sure Shay and Tatum will back you up. Tell them you needed time for yourself. Tell them whatever you think they’ll believe. But again, that’s only if you want to go with us.”
The three of them studied her and waited for her answer. But she couldn’t answer. Not yet. Did that mean she’d never see her loved ones again? “So we can visit them? Please tell me you’re not saying I’m losing everything.”
“If that’s what you want.” Jamie took her hand. “We can visit as often as you like.”
“Stop.” Case held up his hand. “Do you hear that?”
Jamie and Ham answered at the same time as Maya. But her answer was different. She frowned at them then listened again. But she still didn’t hear anything.
“The police are on their way.” Case gathered the wrappings from their food and shoved them into the bag. “Time to go.”
* * * *
Maya didn’t know how much time had passed when Ham finally pulled the pickup that Justin had left them into the motel over the Texas state line. They’d traveled for hours, taking turns driving and sleeping, but they’d made good time. The sun was setting in the west, and she was more than ready for a hot shower.
During the trip, they’d talked about their dreams, their hopes for the future, and told stories about their pasts. She’d learned a lot about werewolves and their families, but she had a feeling it would take years to know it all. She couldn’t wait to begin.
But the mood in the car wasn’t completely light and carefree. The men talked about Justin and what a great friend he’d been. They worried about his wife and the two small sons he’d left behind and promised to check up on them once it was safe to do so.
When they were again in range of cell phone service, Jamie called several people, relaying the information about the cabin and the two groups of hunters that had tracked them. But how the hunters had learned about the shifters in Passion and then tracked them was a mystery to everyone. She could sense the nervousness between the men and heard the worried tones of those on the other ends of the conversations.
“Here we are. Let’s rest up for the night and then we can get into Forever tomorrow. I’ll call our cousins and let them know we’re headed home. And that we’re staying for good.” Ham slid out of the driver’s side and strode toward the office door.
Case pulled her out after him from the backseat. She stretched. “Dibs on the first shower.”
“Fine with me.” He snuggled her close then pulled away and waved a hand in front of his face. “Besides, you need it.”
“Hey! You don’t smell like tulips and roses either, dog man.”
He grabbed her, tickling her. “Dog man? Did you just call me dog man, woman?”
Jamie leaned against the pickup, a small smile on his face as he waited for Ham to return with the room key. Ham came back fast enough and held up the key. “Room 102 right here.”
She laughed, pulling out of Case’s arms to hurry into the motel room. It wasn’t much, but after spending so many hours in the pickup, it looked like luxury accommodations.
Jamie grabbed her then skimmed his palms along her arms. “Now that we’re sure the danger has passed, you’ve got your chance. You can stay or go. If you want to return to Passion, we’ll get you on the next bus. But we’re hoping you won’t leave. Not only because you’re the woman for us, but because Passion may not be safe for you any longer. At least not for a while. Do you want to come with us?”
“Tell me what it’s like.” She glanced at the others. “What does it mean to be your mate? You’re not expecting me to become some fifties kind of Stepford shifter wife, are you?”
“Hell, no.” Ham pulled her away from Jamie. “You’re your own person, and we’ll never ask you to change.”
“Not even into a werewolf if you don’t want to.”
Case touched her back, easing the tension there. Had he known it would?
“Then tell me what it means, Jamie?”
He took time to reflect on his answer before giving it. “Being a mate means that you put your mates before yourself, just as we would put you before us. We’ll treasure, honor, respect, and love you as we already do. And we’ll expect the same from you.”
“That’s the basics anyway.” Case’s hand slipped to the swell of her buttocks. “Forever is beautiful with everyone living together, helping each other. It’s small-town America done the shifter way.”
Ham took her hand and squeezed. Were they each vying to draw her attention away from the others? “It’s nothing much to look at, but the sunsets are amazing and the land stretches for miles.”
Jamie crossed his arms. “Let me say it plain out. As a werewolf female, you’ll have all three of us as your mates. We’ll take you, together, separately, as we’ve done. And like marriage everywhere else should be, we’ll stay loyal and faithful to you for the rest of our lives.”
Case rested his chin on her shoulder in a playful way then gazed up at her with big eyes, making her giggle. “You’ll love changing into wolf form. You’ll have more strength than you’d ever thought possible, you’ll run fast and jump high. You’ll see the world in a totally different way and see things you’ve never noticed before.”
“You make it sound wonderful.” She dragged in a breath, showing her nerves. “But is it? What about families? Kids? Do you even want children?”
Strange, but she’d never given having a family any thought. But now that she’d met the men she loved, she wanted children more than she could find words to say.
“Oh, yeah. We want kids, all right.”
The yearning in Jamie’s tone almost brought tears to her eyes.
“Lots of kids. We’d love to have boys that we can teach to run and hunt. To be strong men and even stronger werewolves. We want children with golden hair like you and dark skin like me. Wouldn’t that be something?” Ham dropped her hands but stayed in front of her, his dark eyes blazing with desire.
“And the girls will be as beautiful as their m
other,” added Case.
“But is it possible? I’ll have to change into a werewolf to have your children, right?”
Jamie shrugged. “I hear it’s easier to give birth if the woman is a werewolf, too, but I don’t know if that’s fact or fiction. I do know that both human and shifter women have given birth to the offspring of their werewolf mates.”
“We aren’t going to fool you, Maya.” Case checked with his brothers as though needing their approval. “Living the life of a werewolf has its drawbacks, too. Like shifter hunters. But that doesn’t happen much. In fact, I’ve seen more hunters in the past week than I have in a long time.”
“Let’s hope it’s not the start of something worse.” Jamie scowled. “But forget about them for now. What do you say? Are you willing to live with us? To become our mate for life?”
“Not yet.”
She could’ve knocked them over with a good stiff puff of air.
“What?” Case looked stricken. “Why not?”
She fisted her hands on her hips. “I’m not going anywhere until I hear what I need to hear.”
“And what’s that?” Jamie took a step closer, but she moved away from him and his brothers.
“I need to hear that you love me.”
“We told you we did,” argued Ham. “Didn’t we?”
“I want to hear it flat out. Just those three little words.” She needed for all of them to say it. After that, she’d tell them her decision.
“This is ridiculous.” Jamie pivoted away from her, and she heard something that was a cross between a growl and a curse word.
“No, man. What’s ridiculous is not saying them.” Ham grew even more serious than before. “Maya, I love you. With all my heart, soul, body, and mind, I love you.”
She swallowed, hoping to keep the tears at bay. Nodding as if he’d given her the answer to what he wanted for breakfast, she faced Case and waited.
He grinned and hooked his thumbs in his pockets. “I think I’ve already said this, but I’ll make sure by saying it again. What’s more, I’ll say it every day for the rest of our lives. I love you, babe.”
She’d never mooned over boys and dreamed of a big wedding. Had never hoped for a prince to come along and sweep her off her feet. But now she had three. Or at least, two so far. “Jamie?”
“You know how I feel.”
“Do I?” What was so hard in saying the words? “Maybe I forgot. Remind me.”
Irritation masked his face in a cloud. Then, without warning, he was in front of her and taking her by the back of her neck. “Look at me.”
She met his gaze and felt the heat inside him lash into her. Her body rippled with need, but all she could do was stand there and try to keep breathing.
“I. Love. You.” He kissed her, his desire a palpable thing as he hardened his kiss.
She kissed him back with everything she had. If actions really spoke louder than words, then he would hear her loud and clear.
He pulled her away, leaving her gasping for air. For more. For him.
“I haven’t heard you say anything.”
“Yeah. Jamie’s right.” Case’s grin widened.
“So you want me to say it, too, huh?”
She almost laughed as the three of them in unison arched an eyebrow and tilted their heads at her. “Fine. I guess it’s only fair. Case, Ham, and, yes, even you, Jamie. I love you.” She laughed at Jamie’s frown. “I love all of you, together and apart.”
“Good. I’m glad that’s settled.” Jamie moved away from her to the other side of the room. “Come here, woman.”
“Woman? Are you serious?”
Case and Ham moved to stand next to their brother.
“Oh, wow. You are.” As if she wasn’t already filled with happiness, a fresh burst of joy swept through her. She’d found her men and was going to their home with them. What more could she have asked for?
Yet instead of going to them as Jamie had ordered, Maya danced around the interior of their room. She spun around one more time then planted her feet. Giving them a sultry look, she tugged off her Passion T-shirt and tossed it into the air. She jiggled her breasts, for perhaps the first time ever loving their size, and laughed at their hot expressions.
Her men stood at the other side of the room, their faces filled with admiration and joy. “What are you guys looking at?” As if she didn’t know.
“The most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.” Ham’s tone was hushed, even reverent. He tugged his shirt off, exposing his ripped abdomen. His shoes and jeans got pushed to the wall. His cock was dark, erect, and glistening at the end.
Damn, but he’s hot. And he’s all mine.
“He’s right. I don’t know how we got so lucky.” Case took a step forward, unbuckling as he did.
Jamie put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Hold up.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “What’s wrong? Don’t you think I’m beautiful, too?”
“Of course I do. You’re hotter than hot.”
She opened her arms wide. “So what are we waiting for? Let’s consummate this marriage. Or mating. Or whatever it’s called.”
Case shucked off his clothes as fast as he could, taking a small tube out of his pocket and tossing it onto the nightstand before throwing his jeans to the side. His body was as solid as Ham’s with his erection pointing right at her.
“It’s a mating, but, if you like, we can have a wedding, too.” Ham tilted his head at Jamie. “I don’t know what his problem is.”
“I want to hear her say it.” He pulled off his shirt then stopped at the zipper of his jeans.
“Say what? Come and get me?” She dropped her arms then crossed them. “If it’ll get you in the sack, I’ll say whatever you want me to say.”
“I want to hear you say that you love us.”
“For real? Again?” She couldn’t help it. That was the last thing she’d expected him to ask her.
“Bro, you’re acting like such a girl.” Ham tried to go to her but stopped when Jamie scowled.
“So call me Nancy if you want.” Jamie ignored his brothers’ chuckles. “But I still want to hear her say it.”
Maybe it was the way he was asking, but, all at once, she grew shy about professing her love. “I already have.”
“So say it again.”
“Jamie, where is this coming from?” Case dragged a hand through his hair.
“Okay, fine. So here’s the thing.” She straightened to her full height. “I love you, Jamie Hunter. And I love you, Ham and Case. More than I ever thought possible.”
She crossed her arms. “There. How’s that? Have you heard me say it enough now?”
Jamie toed off his boots and dropped his jeans to the floor before striding to her and taking her into his arms. “No. I’ll never hear you say it enough. I want to hear you say it every day. And I love you, too.”
Ham and Case were beside them, caressing her, touching her.
“I love you, too, Maya Switt. And I want to show you just how much I love you.”
“But Ham doesn’t love you as much as I do,” added Case with a grin.
Jamie stroked her hair. “You’re our mate and we’re yours. Forever.” He pressed his lips to hers, picked her up to cradle her in his arms, then gently laid her down on the bed.
Her delight skyrocketed as Ham and Case joined them. They slid their hands over her as though she were a valuable treasure they’d only just discovered.
“You’re exactly what we wanted.” Jamie pressed his lips to her in a gentle kiss. “You’re a dream that I didn’t think could come true.”
Ham moved between her legs, spreading his fingers over the skin of her inner thigh. She opened her legs, and he slipped his fingers to the folds of her pussy. “I can’t say it any better than Jamie.”
Case cupped her breast and rubbed her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. “Ditto for me.”
She giggled, breaking the kiss. Jamie moved to her other nipple and swept his
tongue over her. Her giggles went away, replaced by a lust that consumed every part of her. She moaned and clasped his hair, keeping him at her breast.
With two men at her breasts and the third between her legs, her body burst into a fire that spread over her flesh. She was a woman, through and through, and they were proving that they knew what to do to give a woman everything she needed.
Jamie lashed his tongue over her tit then murmured soft words of endearment. She arched her back, encouraging him to put more of her breast in his mouth. Case tweaked her nipple, not roughly but enough to give her an added thrill. She jumped a little when he put his hand under her to play with her bottom.
She reached out to find Case’s erect and very large cock. Wrapping her fingers around it, she treated it as they treated her. With a gentle tug, she stroked him then found his balls to let them dance across her fingers. He pinched her a bit harder then brought his mouth to her tit. The two brothers licked and nibbled at her nipples.
“Let me see how pretty you are.” Ham pushed her legs wider then lay down between them. His fingers pushed apart her pussy lips, and his warm breath electrified her skin. The bond between them heightened in intensity.
Need soared through her as he touched her with the tip of his tongue. The brief sensation tickled her, but the tickle quickly changed to a more pleasurable feeling. She mewled as he pushed her legs over his shoulders.
“Oh.” The word came out soft and barely a whisper as Ham pulled her folds apart then flattened his mouth against her clit. But her moans that followed were anything but whisper soft. He drank her in, and the noise of his sucking and lapping grew louder each time he renewed his attack on her.
Jamie grumbled as Case pushed her to her side, but Ham shifted his position, never once losing contact with her pussy. Ham added his fingers to her, pumping them in and out in a slow, easy motion at first. But when she heard his groan, she knew it wouldn’t last. He finger-fucked her harder, faster, his control giving in to his need.
“Oh, wow.” Her mind whirled with the mix of thoughts and emotions.
The scents of her three men, so much the same yet with a dash of their own individual flare, were the sweetest, sexiest aromas she’d ever smelled. Ham shoved his fingers into her with even more force, and she cried out, throwing her head back.