Claimed by Her Panthers

by Hazel Gower

  Stephan wasn’t watching the movie, but he was enjoying the cuddle and relaxation time. His panther was purring, which was strange. He’d had a busy week, and being with Angelica always calmed him. Angelica always had a soothing effect on him, and Stephan could see she did the same to Owen, who at the moment had her feet on his lap massaging them.

  ****

  Twenty-one years old

  Owen wasn’t happy. He sat on the chair with his fist clenched as Angelica blew out the candle and kissed her boyfriend, Brad, Bret, or something that began with b, as they cheered around him, “Happy twenty-first, Angelica!”

  His mind flashed back to the day before. Yesterday had been her actual birthday, and he’d come around to celebrate with Joel, their aunts, uncles, and cousins. Angelica had come over and given him a hug and peck on the cheek, and his panther had screamed in his head. Mate. Mate her. She can be ours now. Mate her.

  Owen had been momentarily stunned. He had breathed in her fresh scent of mango and peaches. Mmm. She smelled like she always did, just better.

  “Owen, are you all right?” Angelica asked, interrupting his thoughts. She looked him over like she was scared of the answer he’d give her.

  “Sure, sweetheart, I was just woolgathering.”

  Her lips curled in the corner, and her eyes sparkled. “A sign of old age.”

  He gave her a mock growl, and she laughed.

  When Stephan cornered him an hour later, Owen wasn’t surprised. “We need to talk. I saw Angelica yesterday and was blindsided by something, but I didn’t know how to tell you. She’s my mate. It explains a lot, like why I could never say no to her and how I have always wanted to be there to keep her safe.”

  Owen snarled. “Angelica is my mate, too. I worked it out yesterday as well.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  Stephan sighed. “What are we going to do?”

  “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

  Chapter One

  Present Day

  Owen watched as his and his best friend Stephan’s mate, Angelica, ground herself on a dead man. Well at the moment he was breathing, but if he touched their mate one more time he would kill the sorry son of a bitch. Owen had had enough. He was sick of watching his mate carry on with one man or another and doing nothing about it.

  It’d been a year since he and Stephan had had it confirmed Angelica was their mate. At first they’d fought over who should claim her. Then when they figured they could share, they fought about what they should do and if they were going to do anything and if they did where they would live, and what Joel would say and do. They had bought a place at the base of the mountain and spent the last year doing it up. He and Stephan had moved in a couple of months ago and knew they were now ready to claim Angelica. They’d figure out everything else eventually, they hoped.

  “I don’t think we can keep scaring off all Angelica’s boyfriends, or potentials.”

  Owen gave Stephan a death glare. “My panther says differently. I say differently. She’s our mate. Angelica should be with us.”

  Stephan raked his fingers through his sleek back hair. “I know, but she has no idea what we are, let alone that she’s our mate. The council didn’t want her to know as Joel moved them from the mountain.”

  “I love Angelica. I want her with us, at our house, in our bed. I’m sick of sleeping alone.”

  Stephan moaned. “I know how you feel. I feel the same. But what do you think our reception will be when she finds out we followed her here? This is a better club than the biker bar she was in the other week.”

  Owen shrugged. “I’d like to say she’d be happy, but lately she’s been getting snappy with us. She bit my head off the other night when I answered her phone and told the guy on the other end that she was taken and to not call again.”

  Stephan grinned. “I say we mate Angelica tonight and tell her what we are. She can bite me anytime then. I can’t hold myself or my panther back any longer. I need Angelica to stay sane.”

  “I’m glad you said it first because I’ve been trying to not act like a prick and throw her over my shoulder and claim her without you.”

  Jenika, one of Angelica’s friends, pulled Angelica away to whisper something in her ear. Angelica laughed, and her lips turned up in a wicked grin. He and Stephan weren’t fans of Jenika. She was the wild one in the bunch, the one who just the other week had dragged their mate to a biker bar.

  Not liking the nod Angelica gave Jenika, Owen stood and walked from his hiding place to his mate.

  “Angelica, your cock blockers are here.”

  Stephan snarled, showing his sharp teeth to Jenika, who stared daggers at him and Stephan.

  Owen’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of his mate up close. She was gorgeous. Angelica wore a little black dress that fit every one of her curves on her very shapely body. Angelica had light olive skin, with freckles scattered over it, long flowing strawberry blonde hair that had a slight wave to it, a plump bottom lip, and a thin top one. Angelica was large were every man wanted her, breasts, thighs and arse. She had a small tummy and wide hips. Her head came just to his shoulder, and as Angelica looked up at him she narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips.

  “You do know that when my brother asked you two to look out for me, he didn’t mean for you two to follow me out on my girls’ night out? I’m not at the biker bar. I can look after myself,” Angelica yelled over the music. Jenika shook her head and strolled off.

  “What the hell are you wearing?” Owen couldn’t help the snarl in his voice.

  Angelica tapped her red stiletto heels, and if looks could kill he’d be dead.

  Stephan groaned. “Angelica, you just sealed your fate.”

  Angelica rolled her eyes. “Well hello to you, too. Why on earth are you two here? Don’t you have jobs? And what are you talking about?”

  Owen didn’t think. He grabbed Angelica by the waist, lifted her, and almost sprinted out of the club.

  “Put me down this instant, Owen. What the fuck do you think you are doing?” Angelica wiggled around in his arms and banged on his chest.

  Owen’s body came alive, burning with the need to claim her. They walked out of the club, and not one person tried to stop them. He didn’t know if Stephan’s fierce stare had anything to do with it, but he didn’t care.

  When the night air hit him and Angelica’s yells for help could be heard more clearly, he did the only thing he could think of. Owen took Angelica’s lips to his, stopping her tirade. Her fists stopped whacking him, and her legs stopped kicking him. She seemed stunned at first and didn’t respond. Then he moved his hands down and patted her arse. She gasped, and his tongue slipped in and sought hers. Slowly her hands slipped up his chest and came around his neck holding him closer to her.

  “That’s hot.” Stephan groaned. “I can smell our mate. She likes what you’re doing to her. Let’s get her home. I want a taste so bad.” Stephan’s words seeped through Owen’s lust-filled fog, and he reluctantly pulled away.

  “Come on, sweetheart. We’ll finish this at home.” He kept a hold of Angelica and walked to his car.

  Angelica stared up at him with passion filled eyes and a dazed look. “Um … why did you do that?”

  Owen winked down at her. “Why do you think I did that?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve known you two all my life. You two are like brothers to me.”

  Stephan moaned beside him. “We are not your brothers. We are not even related. I can promise you we have never seen you as a sister. Owen and I knew from the moment we met you that you were important to us, and we needed to protect and keep you safe, but we never once saw you as a sister.”

  “You’re mine, Angelica, ours.” Owen leaned down and kissed her furrowed brows.

  “Angelica, you are Owen’s and my mate. We aren’t waiting any longer to claim you.” Stephan grabbed Angelica from him as they reached his four wheel drive.

  Owen op
ened the back seat, and Stephan set Angelica in and did her seatbelt up. Stephan got in and sat next to her. Owen got into the front driver’s side, put his seatbelt on, and started the car and headed towards his and Stephan’s house at the foot of the mountain.

  ****

  Angelica sat in the back of Owen’s car, her mind ready to explode. What had gotten into Stephan and Owen? She’d known the two of them her whole life, and they’d never shown any interest in her other than a kind of brotherly love, or, well, at least that’s what she’d thought it was. They were her brother’s closest friends. Her brother who was on the first ever holiday she could remember him taking. Her older brother who had raised her.

  Was this all a joke? Had she slipped into an alternative reality? Trying not to be obvious she looked out the corner of her eye at Stephan. He didn’t seem any different from he always did. His black hair was slicked back, and his thick lips were curled up like he had a secret. His eyes were what captured her, and Angelica couldn’t stop the shiver that coursed through her body at his stare. Wow, had he always had those deep warm chocolate brown eyes? Turning her head slightly she chewed on her lip. Oh my. How had she never noticed Stephan’s body? Even clothed and sitting in the car she could see the clear outline of his muscular chest.

  Angelica closed her eyes. What was wrong with her? This was Stephan. The man she’d known all her life. She’d never been attracted to him before, so what was happening now? Stephan was old. Okay, he wasn’t that old, but she’d been brought up by her brother.

  “What’s going on? Where are you two taking me?” They weren’t anywhere near her house.

  Stephan reached for her hand and held it. “We’re taking you home.”

  She looked out the window, and Angelica could see the mountain pass up ahead. They were going in the wrong direction to her flat. “No, you’re not. I live in the opposite direction.”

  “We’re taking you to your new home,” Owen said.

  What were they going on about? Owen turned down a side street at the base of the mountain. It wound up for a good five minutes before he pulled down a driveway surrounded by thick bushes.

  “What are you two talking about?” Angelica started to get scared. Something was going on. When she was younger she’d been to Owen’s house, and he’d lived way up in the mountain and Stephan had lived not far from him. “Who lives here?”

  Owen pulled up out the front of a large house. It had windows all across its front and a real country house feel to it, like if you opened the windows and sliding doors the house would open to the outside. It had a blue color-bond roof and white trim. It was beautiful.

  Angelica’s car door opened, and Owen held his hand out for her. She let go of Stephan’s hand and folded her arms over her chest. “Are you going to answer my questions?”

  Neither man said anything. Owen stood there with his hand held out. Growling, she got out of the car, avoiding the hand Owen offered. Angelica could feel something wasn’t right. Her body was responding to men she’d never considered before, not to mention the two men she trusted had kidnapped her and weren’t answering her.

  “Stephan and I live here, and now so do you.”

  Owen pulled her close, and Angelica stared up at him ready to tear into him when his eyes caught her in their gaze and her breath caught. God, when had Owen’s eyes become so big? The baby blue was so intense, as he gazed down her with lust clear in them, that she shivered.

  Clearing her throat several times she croaked, “Um … no, I don’t. I don’t live here. You don’t get to tell me where I live.” Feeling her sanity coming back to her Angelica pushed on Owen’s solid muscular chest. He was big. He’d never seemed so big to her before. She ran her hands over his chest, and his baby blues flared with a desire that she could feel burning through the fabric of his clothes.

  Owen’s fingers traced her lips and stroked her cheek. “Sweetheart, you’re special to us. You always have been. I, we, need you.” Owen’s hand dropped, and his mouth replaced his fingers. His hands came around her waist, and he picked her up. They walked through the front door, which she realized Stephan must have opened, and down a hall. She closed her eyes as it got too hard to concentrate on her surroundings. Owen’s hands unclipped her shoes, and they fell to the floor. His hands then slid up her dress and cupped her bare arse.

  Angelica moaned as Owen’s fingers moved her j-string and probed her core. Opening her eyes as a soft mattress met her back, she stared up at Owen. He looked different. His eyes seemed to glow and change shape until she swore she looked at cat eyes. She must have drunk way too much. His eyes captured her, and she stared, helpless, until a naked Stephan pushed Owen away.

  Stephan’s mocha colored skin was so dark it almost looked black. His muscles bulged as he leaned over her. She glanced down his body and sighed. Stephan had the body every woman dreamed a man to have, all toned and tight. Holy shit, her gaze focused on the massive member pointing up towards her. Scared if she took her eyes off his dick it would snake itself up her leg she gasped, “That isn’t coming any closer to me. I don’t know what game you two are playing, but I’m telling you now that will not fit.”

  “I promise we’ll fit. You were made for me, for us.” Stephan’s fingers eased her dress strap down, then her bra. Angelica’s phone, cash, and ID, fell on the bed. He chuckled. “Good storage space is it, cupcake?” The name he’d called her all her life brought a grin to her face, and she tore her gaze from the huge member.

  “You can’t call me cupcake now that I’ve seen you naked.”

  “Why not?”

  Angelica shivered as his lips brushed feather light kisses over her neck and down her chest. Stephan lifted her up, and Angelica felt Owen’s hands ease down her dress and pull it off. Angelica tried to concentrate on her answer, but when fingers hooked under her j-string and pulled it down all she could mumble was, “because.”

  Stephan’s chuckle this time had her coming alive with a burning need she’d never felt so strongly before. Owen’s sank two fingers in her pussy and pumped them in and out of her. Owen’s other hand rubbed circles around her clit. Angelica’s brain became mush. All that she could think and feel was the blissful sensation of two sets of hands and one mouth.

  “Cupcake, do you want us to make you feel good?”

  “Yes.” She gripped Stephan’s hair holding him against her neck where his sucking and nips were helping to build to her impending explosion.

  “Stephan, I don’t think she wants you to talk. You want us to claim you, sweetheart, don’t you?” Owen’s fingers moved faster, and she knew she was so close.

  Angelica nodded. She wanted to feel this eruption she knew was close. “Yes, please. Please make me come.” Owen’s fingers left her core, and she cried, “Nooo. I need to come.” She tried to move her body up to rub on Stephan’s dick, but he moved away and pulled her hands from his head.

  “You’re going to come, cupcake, just around my cock.” Stephan pulled her to the edge of the bed, and he stood. The bed was the perfect height, she thought as she stared at the erection pointing at her. “I’ve dreamed of doing this, of claiming you. Of you spread out before me.”

  Angelica looked up at Stephan’s big brown eyes that were flashing bright and changing shape, until she gazed at cat eyes. Blinking she moved back only to be stopped by Owen at her back. Tipping her head back she saw Owen’s passion filled gaze.

  “Sweetheart, let us give you what your body craves.”

  Angelica’s body felt like it was on fire. She was coiled up so tight, and she needed to let herself go. She looked back at Stephan to see him lining his cock to her entrance and ever so slowly easing it in. Stephan was long, and when he was fully seated inside her she felt full.

  “Wrap your legs around me.”

  She did, and he slid out and thrust back in. A quiver went through her body, and she needed to hold onto something. Owen’s hands gripped hers, and she squeezed them tight, needing an anchor.

  Stephan’s
grunts were turning her on, and his hands held her arse. Angelica was going to come any second; she could feel it.

  Stephan let go of her arse, and his body came down on top of hers and his mouth nibbled on her ears. “I, Stephan Black, claim you, Angelica Deven, as my mate.”

  His head came down to her shoulder, and she felt long teeth scrape her skin. Stephan gave a powerful push inside her as she felt teeth sink into her. Angelica screamed as she came undone into a million pieces, and wave after wave of ecstasy settled over her. She could feel a pulling on her shoulder but didn’t have the energy to turn her head and look.

  Angelica moaned as Stephan left her. Owen lifted her up and placed her on his chest. His head came down, and his lips took hers. Her passion filled mind told her she couldn’t take anymore, but her body didn’t listen. It bloomed again at his touch.

  Angelica knew this time it would hardly take anything to get her body ready to explode. She felt so sensitive. Owen sat up, and his hands ran up and down her back before coming to rest on her waist.

  “Sweetheart, I’m through waiting. You’re mine, ours.” He lifted her up, and she slid down onto his thick cock. Owen stretched her, and she groaned at the pleasure. Where Stephan was long, Owen was fatter and thicker.

  Owen pumped his hips up and then out in an almost mindless frenzy. Angelica bounced on him, and her nipples brushed his chest sending tingles through her body. His lips trailed kisses down her neck, and he sucked on her, drawing out moans between pants. She dug her nails into his back because she was so close to coming again.

  His mouth nibbled at her ear, and he whispered, “I, Owen Slick, claim you, Angelica Deven, as my mate.” With a powerful forge up she felt long teeth scrape before they sank into the opposite shoulder from the one Stephan had bitten.