by Ever Coming
“I thought female hyenas were super picky, only wanting other hyenas.”
Shane hinted at what I was sure they both wanted to know. Would a hyena accept them, or were they wasting their time. Hyena females mated hyena males almost exclusively, but that was by tradition and not preference. Although, for some it was both. Not that most females were able to decide that for themselves like their male counterparts who weren’t facing pressure to mate hyenas the way females did. It didn’t help matters that female offspring were far less common. My cackle averaged about four male births to every female. Which, genetically, probably went back to evolution making sure we didn’t die out when hyenas were all about plundering. Now, however, it just meant repression for many.
“That would be the cackle only wanting their magical womb for procreating more hyenas. No, my hyena likes you just fine.” More than just fine. She was pushing me hard to stop this polite stuff and get naked already.
“The dog and the cats,” Noah mused.
“Technically hyenas are more closely related to felines than dogs. We just act like asshats as a species is all.”
“Here you go.” The innkeeper spoke the second she reached the threshold. I appreciated her respect of our privacy even if it was for show since the horse shifter could eavesdrop from three rooms away if she’d been so inclined. Horses were amazing like that.
“Three pot roast dinners.” She placed a heaping plate in front of each of us. “Are you sure I can’t bring you any wine? We have the human stuff if you want the taste without the punch.”
“Beautiful?” Shane deferred to me, not Noah. That had to mean something or not. Maybe it was just that I was the guest. Ohhhhh, this was getting far too complicated thanks to my desire to make it work, even given the fact it was doomed.
“A nice merlot—the human kind would be great.” Because the last thing any of us needed was second guessing if we were all onboard with anything we did or if it was the wine talking. At least, with human wine, there was no chance of any of us even getting buzzed.
“Very well.” She walked over to a door leading to what I assumed worked as her wine cellar. Given the age of the place it was probably an old root cellar. I kinda wanted to see it. Not enough to leave my enchanting company, but a little.
“This is delicious,” I offered. It said a lot about the deliciousness of the food when all three of us, surrounded by all the pheromones, were eating it in silence and enjoying it so thoroughly. “I wish I could cook like this.” Or at all.
“You don’t have to. Noah is a chef.” Shane had his mouth half full as he pointed his fork to his mate or not mate—future mate?
“I’m going to skip over the you-already-have-us-mated thing and go straight to the—a chef?”
He nodded in reply after taking another mouthful.
I turned to Noah. “Like gourmet or farm-to-table or steak house? Tell me all the things.”
“I own a little steak house near our home.” He said as if it were no big deal before taking another bite of baked potato.
“And, by little, he means there are not enough tables to prevent it from being reservation only, and at least two weeks ahead at that.”
That so didn’t sound little to me.
“His food is amazing. You’ll love it.” Once again, he acted as if we were a foregone conclusion. If only his dream memory had faces or, shit, even a gender would do about now.
“First date, Shane.” Noah stink-eyed him. “First date.”
“And she is planning on running, so I’d better make my intentions known.” He had to go be all honest and—right.
“It’d be nice if we discussed those intentions first, don’t you think?” I just sat back waiting to see how the two handled conflict because if I was reading correctly, they were about to have a fight. And while I was not all drama llama, this information could be valuable.
“And are you thinking any differently?” Shane challenged giving no doubt that when push came to shove, he was the alpha.
“No.” Noah put his fork down, looked at me and then back at Shane. “And, argg, why are you always right?”
“Because I’m the alpha,” he said smugly.
“And I’m right here,” I interjected, not because they needed me to but because they had already worked it out and without bleeding each other. If I ever questioned if they were hyenas, that would have settled it.
“It’s not like a triad can work if you feel left out.” Shane was right—again. I completely got Noah’s earlier argggg.
“Your odd logical logiciness has no place here, Mr. Alpha.” Except it totally did. A perfect place, as if he held things together even with his less than forceful demeanor.
“Really?” he challenged, and it very much was a challenge. Damn, that was hot.
“No, it totally does. And, for the record, had you not shown up on the worst night ever, I’d be thinking similar thoughts as to where this is going.” I was such a liar pants, they probably smelled my pants burning. I was thinking about it. Too much.
“Here you go,” The innkeeper called, once again from the door threshold, bottle of wine in hand, before scampering over like a child and not an elderly woman. I so needed to be like that at her age. “Would you like it to let it breathe, or should I just pour?
“Pouring is perfect, thank you.” Noah gave her a nod to my glass, which she picked up and filled before doing the same with each of theirs.
“Thank you, gentlemen. A week’s booking is nice during our slow time.”
They had been so sure of Gerri they’d booked an entire week, and I was ready to bail on them to get a head start on not being there because my mother was overbearing and I didn’t want to adult. Or break a contract and cause a war or, more likely, lose my trust fund, which I didn’t use anywhere anyway. I was an idiot.
“The establishment is perfection,” Noah regaled her. “Thank you so much. I have a feeling we may be adding a second room if you have one available.”
Shane winked at his comment. At least he was onboard. Was I as well?
“I do, but I also have a two-room suite. It would save you a bit of money, and you can have sleepover’s easier.” Oh yeah, she’d been listening. Not that it mattered. Had we wanted to ensure privacy, we’d have already shifted and been miles away, communicating via our minds and not our lips.
“We’ll take it,” I answered for Noah, and the innkeeper appeared unfazed that I’d taken over negotiations, probably because she was seeing green and not the jealousy kind. It was all about the Benjamins.
“Very well. I’ll make the arrangements.”
I downed my entire glass of wine as she left the room, to keep my mouth from saying something stupid. More stupid than just agreeing to spend the night with two men I’d only known for a nanosecond. I didn’t even know their ages for goodness’ sake.
“What?” I asked as their eyes widened as if I was doing something insane. It wasn’t shifter wine.
“Did you just agree not to run away tonight?”
“Maybe?” I shrugged, their gazes staying glued to me. “Yes. Yes. I did, but it is your fault for being hot and honest and alpha. Did I mention hot? And you over there—I turned to Noah—“are all hot and sweet and can cook a mean ass steak and smell like you need to be licked. So, it is all your fault. Both of you. Now, let’s eat our dinner before it gets cold.” I was babbling like a fool, but between the pheromones, my feelings, my hyena, and the entire course of events, it was the best I could do.
Chapter Four
After dinner, the innkeeper showed us to our rooms. I didn’t even go inside. We planned to run, first, and if I went in there, chances were strong I’d strip naked and beg them to take me. Fine, it wasn’t quite that bad, but close. I just dropped my bag at the door, and they took it inside as if understanding my need to not be there.
When they came out, they grabbed my hands. Noah intertwined our fingers, and Shane held on tightly as if he owned me. Both had me feeling squishy in t
he middle. The walk to the gazebo where the innkeeper told us we could leave our clothing was short. As a rule, shifters were down with being naked. It was, after all, significantly cheaper to shift naked than to constantly buy new clothing.
That said, I felt shy, a first for me.
“Is there a problem?” Noah’s hand settled on my shoulder.
“No,” I lied.
“No?” Shane quirked his eyebrow, calling my bluff.
“Maybe.” I looked down, not wanting to admit that me, plus-sized model of magazines and billboards, was nervous about—of all things—my body, the thing that made me my money. I knew I was hot, but hot to humans and having a shifter body were two different things. “It’s just we need to get naked.”
“Which is how it works, generally, yes.” Noah pointed out the obvious. Not helping.
“And you will see me.”
They both shrugged in confusion, their pants bulging. I was being beyond stupid, but a girl can’t help how she feels even when it is dumb. “All of me.”
“To be fair, I have seen most of you already, on the billboard selling those bathing suits.” Mr. Logical Shane was at it again.
“You saw that.”
He nodded before pointing to Shane, whose face had managed to turn just a wee bit rosy. “He jerked off to it.”
“What?” He could not have just said what I thought he had except he totally had. Where was a good lightning bolt to strike me dead when I needed it.
“What he said. And it was only once, and completely not my fault since you were so freaking hot.” Noah owned it, which was all kinds of badass. Misguided, but still.
“I was so freaking airbrushed.” And whatever else they did with their editing software. I was under no illusion I matched my pictures. Heck, they only known I looked familiar until I’d put two and two together for them.
“So, chicks?” Yeah, I had another Shane moment.
“Chicks?” Noah asked
“She’s asking about our preferences in the bedroom. Don’t play coy, Noah. It doesn’t suit you.” Except it kind of did. All things did.
“That.” I might as well just be blunt, since it worked for my hyena and so far seemed to work for me with the guys.
“We love and want each other. But we also have room in our heart to love a third,” Noah answered. Which so didn’t answer my question. I totally should’ve asked Shane instead of leaving it to whoever blurted out the answer first.
“A female?”
“Absolutely.” They chorused before peeling off their shirts like some kind of freaking out-of-the-water synchronized swimmers or some shit.
“He may have jerked off to the billboard, but he was only alone because I was the one driving at the time.”
And then I saw both of them in a car, cocks out, hands wrapped around them.
“In your car. You did that in your car. For everyone to see.” That was so going in my spank bank, or whatever they called the female equivalent nowadays.
“No one could see,” Noah rationalized. “I don’t think.” Or care, from the sound of it.
“You are certifiably crazy, I do believe.” Or hotter than freaking hell. Possibly both.
“And you are hot, so can we get to the shifting?” Shane. It was always Shane. “My tiger is clawing at me to meet your hyena or claim your sexy ass, and since you are so hell bent on running, I say let’s give him the first option before he get demandy and you find yourself with a mate.”
Always. Could it be a thing? Technically, what was the worst that could happen? A war, sure, but that was rare. Chances were, the hyena in question only wanted money or power, and if he depleted my trust fund, he’d have a ton of money, which could in turn give him a kind of power. Risking death to get a mate who you didn’t want would be completely stupid, but so would signing up for a mate you’d yet to meet, so there was that. I needed to stop having fantastical thoughts like claiming and such before I got my own life in order, or in orderish, at least.
“You haven’t claimed Noah, yet.” Deflect. Deflect. Deflect.
“Because I hadn’t found my third.” He unsnapped his pants before pushing them down, his cock springing free and bobbing up and down. So, yeah, I believed he liked girls, too. “Now, get naked already.”
“Yes, sir.”
I wanted to stand there and watch them finish their tortuous strip tease, but the realization hit quickly that once they got naked, they’d have nothing better to do than watch me, so instead I stripped as quickly as possible and shifted away, waiting for them to follow me down the gazebo steps and do the same, their animals most likely far too big for the little space.
I watched as they shifted into the two most magnificent tigers I’d ever seen, Shane just a hair taller than Noah, who was a bit wider. I was like a miniature poodle sitting next to them, which was nice since in my cackle I was one of the largest hyenas male or female. It was par for the course being the offspring of the alpha.
That’s better. I tested our connection.
You’re beautiful. They sent back in unison, sincerity flowing along with the words.
So are you. Both of you. Run? Because now that we were in this form, my hyena begged to know what they could do. She would never settle for a mate who couldn’t outrun or at least outmaneuver her. It was the reason no one in the cackle ever stood a chance. Only my father could outrun me. The rest never came close.
Together, or shall we hunt you?
It was as if Shane had read my every last fantasy and offered my hyena’s most prominent one to me on a platter. Once we mated—if we mated—he’d be able to read me like no one else, rather, they both would. But for now, it was enough he got me.
That. I vote that. Now, shift back to human, count to four hundred and then come and get me. If they agreed to give me ten seconds, I’d be lucky, but ask for the stars and all that jazz.
We will count to thirty. Run, Noah commanded as they shifted back.
While it would have been nice to just stand there and watch their sexiness, my hyena was all about the chase. Her optimism that they would succeed, resulting in her being pinned to the ground by at least one tiger, not impeding her desire to win. Crap, we forgot to set terms. Oh well. Anything goes, then. Winner take all. That was my favorite anyway.
The weather was on my side. Still air, no breeze. Solid, but not dry ground, and zero snow. My three biggest obstacles absent. Of course, being on unfamiliar territory wasn’t ideal but, at most, they’d been there a day, so not insurmountable by any means.
I took off at a dead run. I couldn’t keep it up forever, but tigers were sprinters, so getting a head start would help with the speed they most assuredly had on me by nature. Not to mention the speed afforded them given their alpha sexiness. No, I would not think about that now. I needed to get the heck outta Dodge.
It was quiet. To quiet. I wanted to slow down and take in the area, but my hyena wouldn’t let me, insisting I race on. This was her thing, so I let her, although my gut insisted I should scent for them and act accordingly. But we hurtled on until we reached a cliff. Flipping A. Of course there was a cliff, making our options far less optimal in that split second. Opting to run back before turning instead of running parallel to the cliff, we took off again.
We didn’t get far. Shane’s tiger pounced on me as Noah changed, standing there naked and distracting me.
Cheaterhead, I shouted in my mind at the now-human tiger who couldn’t hear a blasted thing, but his partner in crime sure as shit could.
He can’t hear you. He rolled me around, nudging my head, pressuring me to submit. Not gonna happen.
Point being? I managed to get him on his back, not my best move given his paws, but, shit, with his size ,a sneak attack was my only move.
Submit.
Never. I growled out, already willing, but it wasn’t going to happen until my hyena agreed. This was her territory, her game.
Do you want to come tonight?
And with that, the bitch
conceded, baring her neck before allowing me to take my human form. She was so freaking easy when it came to these men. Shit, so was I.
We shifted back, right where we were.
“You are both cheaterheads. You, Noah, with your sexy-ass nakedness and you, Shane, with your—promises of pleasure. I hate you both,” I growled out, wiping the dirt off my very naked ass.
“Your scent says otherwise.” Shane winked. Smug bastard. Correct, but smug.
“Because I’m a liar.” I just rolled my eyes. No sense denying what we could all scent.
“We get that,” Shane scoffed.
“Wanna run back and take care of that need?” Noah took his cock in his hand, stroking it twice, bringing back that image I’d had earlier of both the guys rubbing one out to my picture on a billboard. I was sick, but he knew that since he was using it to his full advantage, and it seemed to bother him not at all.
“More than freaking anything, but that doesn’t mean I’m not leaving in the morning.” I was more reminding future me than informing them. I had a feeling future me was going to be basking in afterglow and forgetting all about the obstacle in our way.
“Of course, it doesn’t,” Noah said as if my thought they’d do otherwise was ridiculous at best. “We’d never pressure you to stay.”
“Really?” I asked, skeptical due to the cues they’d been giving me all evening.
“Really,” he affirmed before both men changed, me following close behind.
We were only a half mile into our run when I heard Shane in my mind. We will just have to come with you.
That was either the best or the worst news ever. And I had one night to figure it out.
Chapter Five
We walked into the inn pretty much naked. All the lights were out and I hadn’t seen any indication there were other guests there tonight. Not an ideal business model, but nice for us.
Our room was, I didn’t even know what because the second we got in I became overwhelmed. Not by the guys, but by the expectations I’d inadvertently set upon myself. Our sexual tensions had been growing all night long. But what that would look like when we acted on it? I had not a clue. I was no scared virgin, but I might as well have been since this was the furthest outside my sexual comfort zone.