by Jane Jamison
When their bodies had finally stopped shuddering, he still held her. Their breathing slowed together, and as the last bit of her strength left her, she unlocked her ankles and let her legs fall to the floor. If he hadn’t held her up, she wouldn’t have been able to stay upright.
He leaned against her, his breath puffing against her shoulders. He pulled up her straps for her, then flattened his hands against the wall. The smile covering his face was almost heartbreaking.
Why didn’t he smile more often? She made a promise to herself to make him do exactly that.
She touched his cheek. “You didn’t say it. Not really.”
“Say what?”
“You didn’t tell me that I’m yours.” She touched the corner of his mouth. “And that you’re mine just like Declain is.” She wanted to hang on to him when he pulled away from her.
“I didn’t say it because I don’t know that I can.”
“I don’t understand. You admitted that you feel the connection.”
“I do.” He brushed a hair off her cheek. “But, Zoey, I’m human. I know male shifters who have mated with a human woman, but not the other way around. How can a shifter male share his mate with a human man? I’m not sure it’ll work. I’m not sure I can make it work.”
“So you’re ready to throw it away, to throw us away, without even giving it a chance?” Had she gone through so much, come so far, only to lose half of her dream?
He considered her words. “What if—and I’m only supposing right now—but what if I changed?”
She almost didn’t want to believe she’d heard him right. “You’d do that?” She hugged him then released him to search his face. Was he really thinking about going through the transformation?
“I’m not promising anything right now. But yeah, I might.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but yeah, maybe I will. For you and for us. If you’ll change me, that is. Will you do that?”
Shit. “I don’t know that I can.”
“What are you talking about? Why can’t you?” The old familiar scowl was back. “Or is it that you don’t want to?”
She placed her palms on his cheek. “Of course I want to. It’s just that I don’t know if I’m able. You see” —she ducked her head, embarrassment taking her— “I haven’t shifted yet. I’m not even sure I can. And if I can’t, then there’s no way I can change you.”
Zoey couldn’t look at Nolan. If he decided to change, she couldn’t promise that she’d be the one to do it. How many times had Rick told her that, as a half-werewolf, she couldn’t change? That she’d never be as good as a “real” werewolf because of it? At times, he’d laughed and told her that, even if she could go through the transformation, she shouldn’t. He’d said if she did, she wouldn’t look right. That she’d be a misfit, an aberration to all shifter kind.
“I don’t understand, Zoey. How old are you?”
He couldn’t have hit her any harder if he’d physically struck her. “I’m twenty-seven, and yeah, I know that’s old to have never shifted. Werewolves shift when they’re young, but I’m not a real werewolf.”
“Not a real werewolf?” He put his fingers under her chin, lifting her gaze to his. “Wow. I never thought I’d meet someone who was more messed up than me.”
The pain was too much. She tore away from him and rushed for the stairs. He caught her before she’d made it to the bottom step.
“Zoey, that didn’t come out the way I meant it. Listen to me.”
She met his gaze and put all the defiance she could muster into her glare. “Go on. Say whatever you want to.”
“Okay, then I’ll say this. Did someone tell you that crap? If so, they were lying.”
She dared to drop her guard. “How do you know?” The question came out in a whisper.
“I know because I know other half-werewolves who can change. We have a few in Forever.”
Her heart pounded as the possibility hit her. If others had changed, then she could change. It was possible.
“But then why haven’t I? It’s not like I haven’t tried.”
He looked almost as downfallen as she did. “Beats the hell out of me. What did Declain say?”
“I didn’t tell him. He was in his wolf form and wanted me to shift, but I didn’t. I couldn’t tell him why.” She skimmed her hand down his chest. “Will you tell him for me? Please. I don’t think I can do it, too.”
“I don’t know, Zoey. That’s something he should hear from you.”
She gazed up at him, pleading with him. “Please, Nolan.”
She knew he couldn’t refuse her. “Fine. I’ll tell him later on. But until then, I do know that it’s not something you can control. The other part-shifters I know changed whenever their body was ready. Who knows? Maybe you haven’t changed because you were waiting for us. Maybe if you’d already gone through the transformation you wouldn’t have felt an attraction with me.”
He was doing his best to make her feel better. She hung her head again. “That’s a load of horse shit and you know it.”
“Hey.” He lifted her chin, once again making her meet his gaze. “Either way, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m human.”
“I might as well be human, too.”
“That’s crap. Can you bring out your fangs? Can you smell better than I can?”
She nodded. It was true. As part-werewolf, she did have some powers without ever having changed. “Yeah. I can.”
“See? You’re not fully human and you can’t be. So let’s do this. Let’s not worry about you changing. Until you do, I’ll stick to being human. How’s that sound?”
“As long as you’ll still be my mate, I guess that’s okay.”
He laughed. “After what just happened, wild horses couldn’t drag me away.”
“Good. Then plan on taking a few wild rides with me.” She plastered on a smile, determined not to let him see the disappointment inside her. She wanted to go through the transformation even more now.
* * * *
“It’s about time ya’ll took me into town.” Zoey practically skipped as she took Nolan and Declain arm and arm. She couldn’t see enough of the festival. Tents were lined up on either side with the middle ground between the rows left open for the visitors to mill about. People laughed and talked around her, playing the carnival games and clustering into groups of friends.
She’d never been allowed to go to anything like it. The Clayton Pack had kept her restricted to the pack home as much as they could. She’d obeyed them until she’d finally started sneaking out to the foreclosed home to get away from Rick. Even then she’d been too afraid to do anything except hide until it was time to go back to the pack. She remembered Rick telling her that he didn’t want her seen in public. She was, as he’d put it, “not the image we want associated with our pack.” Instead, she’d stayed back with the elder members who couldn’t keep up with the younger werewolves.
“This isn’t exactly the town, but a lot of Forever will be here. Some of neighboring Shatland will show up, too, so watch out for vampires.”
Vampires? She should’ve been afraid, but even that couldn’t dampen her excitement. She’d never seen one.
Declain lifted his hand in greeting to a couple who continued to stare at them. “That’s Jason Dalton and Jane Jarrow. I’m not sure where her other mates are.”
She almost stumbled as she tried to crane her head around and get a better look at them. “Her other mates? Are they shifters, too?” She glanced at Nolan, hoping that her question hadn’t made him uncomfortable.
It had been two days since she’d had sex with Nolan in the hallway. Both men had come to her individually after that, but not together. She wasn’t sure why that was, but she thought it might be because Nolan was still anxious about sharing her with a werewolf. Did he expect them to shift right in the middle of sex? Whatever the reason, she was going to change that today.
Everything was looking up. Nolan had done as she’d ask
ed, telling Declain that she couldn’t shift. Declain had told her as he held her after making love that he’d already suspected as much and didn’t care. Since then, she’d felt lighter, freer, happier than ever before.
“Are there rides?”
Nolan grunted and pointed at a Ferris wheel. “Just that death trap.”
She tugged on his hand, trying to coax him toward the ride. “Ooh, let’s go. Come on, Nolan. It’ll be fun. I’ve never ridden one.”
“Uh-uh. No way in hell are you getting me up there.”
She stopped, realizing why he didn’t want to go. “Nolan Sawyer, are you afraid of heights?”
He pulled her against him and cupped his hand over her mouth. “Be quiet. Do you want to ruin my reputation as a badass?”
Declain snorted. “A badass? That’s a hoot.” He waved at a pretty teenager and the beautiful woman standing next to her. “That’s Stormy Stevens-Malone and her daughter, Jazz. Stormy mated the Malone men. Now that Stormy has seen us with you, the news that we’ve found our mate will be all over town by sunset.”
Their mate. Would she ever get tired of hearing those words? If only she could shove them straight down Rick’s throat.
The thought of her former pack leader sent chills down her spine. What was she thinking being out in the open? Rick could be anywhere, including at the festival. She put her body in between her men again.
“Which brings up the question.” Nolan slid his arm around her waist. “Are you going to hyphenate your last name once you’re officially our mate? That’s how it’s done around here.”
She couldn’t think about that. Instead, she scanned her surroundings, noting the people looking at her, but not worrying about them. Her gaze flicked from one person to the next. As if she’d sensed him without really trying, she found Rick standing by the edge of one of the food tents.
No!
He watched her, his mouth curving into a wicked smile. Pointing his finger at her, he sent her an undeniable message. She could almost hear it in her head.
I found you, bitch.
Chapter Eight
Zoey frantically searched for somewhere to hide.
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She ignored Declain’s concern, still scanning around her. Rick was too close for comfort and she had one of two options. Either she could tell the men about Rick and the pack, which she wasn’t sure she was ready to do, or she had to get away from Rick. Option two was by far the better choice. If she told them about Rick now, who knew what might happen? Until she learned more about Forever and its werewolf pack, then she couldn’t be sure that they wouldn’t force her to go with Rick. Her new life with Declain and Nolan was too fresh, too precious to risk just yet.
“Is that what I think it is?” She pointed at a small booth that was covered with a cloth drape. The word Foto was in red, comic-book lettering on the side.
“If you think it’s a photo booth, then you’re right.”
She shot Nolan a grin. “Come on. I’ve never been in one of those things. Let’s get some pictures made.”
“I don’t know about—”
But she wasn’t letting Nolan argue. Instead, she yanked on his arm, dragging him along with her. She’d known Declain would follow and he did.
“Zoey, aren’t we going about it in a roundabout way?”
Instead of heading directly for the booth, she’d veered off to the right and straight into the thickest part of the crowd. Suddenly, she wished Nolan and Declain were shorter so they wouldn’t tower above the rest of the people. Hopefully, Rick would still have a difficult time following them.
Pushing through the throng, she brought them out into the small open space in front of the booth. Without bothering to check to see if someone was already inside, she pulled the curtain aside and stepped in. It was a tight fit, but Declain and Nolan managed to get their massive bodies inside next to her.
“Not that I mind getting this up close and personal with you”—Declain hunched his shoulders forward, then eased onto one side of the small bench—“but don’t you think it’s too crowded in here?”
“Speak for yourself.” Nolan plopped onto the bench then pulled her onto his lap.
She sat down with a squeal, then remembered that she needed to be quiet. If Rick was anywhere around, he’d shift enough to bring out his sensitive hearing and find her. Hopefully, the mix of the men’s scents would overpower hers.
“Okay, then, like you said, let’s take some pictures.” Declain squeezed a quarter into the slot then hit the Start button. “Say sex, everyone.”
They posed, each saying sex then plastering on a cheesy grin. The light flashed, and they repositioned themselves to make funny faces. Several flashes later and they were laughing at the photos that had shot out of the dispenser.
“What do you say we make these pictures more interesting?” She hoped they hadn’t noticed that she’d whispered. She felt safe with them, but she couldn’t take any chances in case Rick was nearby. She had to keep them in the booth long enough for Rick to give up and search another part of the festival. Until then, she’d have to play it cool and not let her fear show.
The men glanced at each other, then answered at the same time. “Sure.”
She winked, then started unbuttoning her shirt. Nolan’s hand swept around her to cup her breast while Declain helped tug the material off her shoulders. She arched, pushing out her breasts, then tipped her head, and put on a sultry expression. Declain paid another quarter then everyone got into position again.
Right before each flash came, the men would move, playing with her tits and hamming it up for the camera. Nolan pushed her hair behind her ear and pinched her nipple between his fingers. Declain bent over as much as he could to take her other nipple in his mouth.
The heat that was always between them leapt to life, and she soon forgot that the camera was still taking photos. As hard as it was, pushing the worry about Rick finding them was easier as her need took over. But he was there, in the back of her mind, and she kept glancing at the door.
As afraid as she was of him, she wouldn’t let him ruin her time with her men. Whether he found her or not, whether this was the first of many more fun times or the last, she’d enjoy this time with them. Rick be damned.
She hitched the short skirt she’d worn up until they could see that she hadn’t worn any underwear.
“Holy shit. She came prepared. Good thing I have lots of change.” Declain shoved two quarters in the slot, buying even more time.
Declain stood up and undid his jeans, letting his erect cock spring free. He had to remain hunched over, but his position put his cock at the right height for her to draw it inside.
Nolan, however, used his place to his advantage. She lifted off his lap long enough for him to undo his jeans, then sat down. Leaning forward made it easier to suck on Declain’s cock as well as guide Nolan’s cock into her pussy. Nolan tugged her shirt off and let it fall to the ground.
She was no longer aware of the flashing light. Her focus was centered on pleasuring her men.
All at once, Nolan pulled her arms behind her and snapped a pair of handcuffs on her wrists.
“Where did you get those?” Declain’s question wasn’t a complaint by any means. “Did you remember to bring the key for them?”
“I have my sources. Plus, they’re trick ones. All she has to do is yank hard on them to get them to open.” Nolan leaned past her as Declain added yet more quarters to the machine. “Damn, but she’s hot.”
Declain whipped off his belt. “I want to see how she looks with this on.”
She stiffened as he looped it around her neck. Nolan thrust his hips upward, driving his cock farther into her pussy.
“Don’t worry, baby, I won’t tighten it. Maybe later I’ll find something better to use.”
They all turned toward the mirror. Her hair was mussed, giving her a tousled sexy appearance. The belt was draped loosely around her neck and dangling down bet
ween her breasts. Her arms were thrust behind her, and Nolan had his hands cupped over her breasts. The light flashed again.
“That’s going to be one hell of a picture.”
She kept her attention on the mirror. Nolan peeked over his shoulder. His eyes were glazed over, and his intense expression showed that he was trying to keep from coming.
“Back at it, baby.” Declain took hold of her hair and moved her head forward.
She took his cock into her mouth, but kept her focus on the mirror. Watching them turned her on even more.
Both men had their eyes closed. She didn’t bother telling them what they were missing. They’d see it all in the photos anyway. Too bad it wasn’t a video.
Nolan’s hands squeezed her breasts as the climax took him. She watched his face, loving the way he parted his mouth as he came. Warmth flooded inside her, then inched its way back down her inner thighs.
“I’ve got to have her.” Grabbing her, Declain picked her up off Nolan and sat down again. He brought her around to face him as he drove his cock deep inside her. Without the use of her hands, he had to keep her on top of him.
She missed watching him fuck her, but watching him as he followed her bouncing body in the mirror was almost as good.
Nolan leaned against the wall of the photo booth, his gaze on them as he rummaged in his pocket for more quarters.
She sensed more than felt Declain’s inner wolf rising to the surface. His eyes colored amber and fangs peeked over his lip. Her own wolf howled in response and she closed her eyes.
Please, let it happen.
Changing in the middle of having sex wasn’t a good idea, especially if that was what Nolan was worried about, but if it got her to finally change, then it would be worth it. She’d jump off Declain if she did.
Declain’s grounding out his orgasm in her ear came at the same moment that she felt her own release take her. She squeezed her legs, trying to hold on to him as his body shuddered, her own trembling coming in the wake of his. When at last their releases had calmed, she was satisfied, yet ready for more.