by T. Cobbin
“Thanks for the loan.” He motioned toward the cloth back on her shoulder.
She nodded curtly. It was nice to help someone, even if it was just a drying towel.
“Nice talking to ya. Maybe I’ll see you around,” he said.
“Yeah, maybe.” She smiled. “I’m heading north myself.”
“Hey, sweetpea, I wondered where you’d got to.” Brock swaggered into the unit like he owned the place.
He sniffed the air and stiffen, a frown forming on his handsome face. He was beside her in two long strides, his swagger forgotten. Did his eyes just flash orange?
Without saying another word, the man who’d been talking to her, dashed from the building.
“Do you frighten everyone who sees you?” she asked, chuckling.
“He shouldn’t have been near you.”
What the hell? “What?” she asked incredulously. “And why not?”
“Because,” he grumbled.
She waited for him to continue but wasn’t surprised when he didn’t. It would seem Brock’s stubborn streak was as long as hers. While she finished the dishes, he just leaned against the now empty sink the young lad had used, and crossed his ankles and stared at her.
“You are such a child at times. I can talk to whoever I please. That man was nice. I have gotten to know quite a few people over the years. Everyone has their own story.” She frowned. “Never once has anyone been anything but nice to me.”
“You didn’t know what he was.”
“Huh? Don’t you mean who?” she retorted.
Brock growled. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but instead he just carried on staring at her, his lips pressed tightly together.
She turned back to the sink. “Whatever,” she muttered. “Are you going to be like this all the time?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, his voice full of confusion.
“A dominating, overprotective arsehole.”
“Are you talking about Brock?” Cole’s cheerful voice asked.
She turned to see him walking toward her, a smile a mile wide on his face. She couldn’t help but mirror that grin. “Of course. Who else would I be talking about?”
“Oh, I could name a few people.” Cole winked at her.
Shaking her head, she washed the last pan. “Are you two finished…you know?” she asked, her cheeks heating up.
Cole leaned close to her back, his mouth a breath away from her ear. “For now, ’til we get you between us.”
Melanie cursed mentally, her body again fully aroused. Her nipples pressed against her t-shirt, and her panties grew damp. Images flooded her memory of the night she had spent with them.
“She likes that idea,” Brock whispered from the other side of her.
Frustrated, Melanie dried her hands and slapped the cloth in Cole’s hands. “You finish up. I’m going to bed. Alone.”
She walked out of the building, leaving two gorgeous and annoying men, who had turned her on again, chuckling.
Chapter 11
The next morning, while Melanie washed the breakfast dishes, the men dismantled the tent. She returned to the campsite to find three backpacks ready to go. It still surprised her just how fast Brock and Cole worked together. She also noticed the men seemed to be more alert. They kept looking around them as if expecting trouble. It looked like they were frequently sniffing the air too.
Brock, who had been quiet at breakfast, knelt beside her and helped put the few bits away. “Are we cool?” he asked. He looked as apologetic as he sounded.
“We’re cool. You didn’t wake up stuck to your sleeping bag, did you?” She’d thought about supergluing his arse to his sleeping bag several times throughout the night, but decided she had to be the grown-up. Plus, for some bizarre reason, she couldn’t bear to see him miserable, or spending hours struggling to get unstuck. “Are you going to tell me why you both seem to see danger around each corner?”
Quick as a flash he answered, “Because we’re protecting you.”
“And what are you…protecting me from? Big bad wolves or Red Riding Hood?”
He looked at her confused.
She pointed to the trees. “Woods, big bad wolf? You know, the fairy tale?”
He glanced toward the trees then back to her, still looking confused.
“There is nothing in those woods but squirrels and birds. In other words, there is nothing you need to protect me from,” she stated bluntly.
“You have no idea, sweetpea. There are more things than you know out there that can hurt you.”
Melanie was getting frustrated. “I have more of an idea what’s out there than you realize. What do I have to do, march into the woods and wait to see if any rabid squirrels decide to bite me, or see if the bogeyman wants me for brunch? I don’t need protecting, Brock. My life hasn’t been exactly rosy, and I’m still alive and living, all by myself.”
“Well, tough, because Cole and I are here anyway.”
“I thought you weren’t going to be an arsehole.” Melanie let out a growl and picked up her backpack. Slinging it over her shoulders, she began walking out of the camping ground. Why did the man always rile her?
* * * *
“What the hell did you do this time?” Cole grumbled. “At the rate she’s walking, she’s going to burn herself out.”
Brock blew out a breath. “I just wanted her to know we would protect her. She has no idea what’s out there.”
“Well, if you stop pissing her off, perhaps we could get to mating her, and telling her exactly what is out there.” Cole stomped off toward a marching Melanie in front of them.
Cole was right, but when Brock walked into the washing room last night and saw Melanie talking to the hyena shifter, his guard went up. Hyena shifters tended to be evil, robbing little bastards who took everything for themselves and left only pain and heartache behind them. They also tended to travel in packs.
This morning both he and Cole were eager to get out of the campsite. Even they could have trouble if a group of hyena shifters caught them. It wasn’t the fact they couldn’t protect Melanie from the shifters, the problem was doing it in such a way not to bring attention to themselves, or reveal their bears. They had been walking for two hours so far, and Melanie was still stomping. Boy, that woman could hold a grudge.
Gradually, it seemed Cole broke down her icy demeanor and she began to laugh, and their pace slowed. Shaking his head, Brock wondered why Cole hadn’t spoken to her earlier. To piss you off, his bear grumbled. Even he didn’t like the fact Brock had upset their mate again.
Yes, well, I don’t need reminding by you too, Brock moaned, making plans for later that involved showing Cole not to leave it as long next time. He’d suck his cock until he was ready to come, then press the large vein and make him wait. He’d wind him up over and over until finally he allowed his mate to come. Blue balls. Dammit, now he had a hard-on thinking about it. Picking up his pace a little, he walked aside both of his mates.
“Oh, come on, that didn’t happen.” Melanie chuckled.
“It so did!”
Melanie twisted her head to look at Brock, then she broke into an uncontrollable fit of giggles. Oh shit, what has Cole been telling her? Brock looked over at Cole; his lip was twitching and his eyes were full of mirth. Pursing his lips, Cole blew him a kiss. Brock smiled after glancing at Melanie. Seeing her laugh light up her face, he couldn’t be angry. By the way she was giggling, he had an idea which tale Cole had told her. Brock didn’t often get into trouble, but that time he had done it big.
It was just after meeting Cole, and they had been holidaying with Cole’s parents. Brock had been a bit over-bearing and pissed Cole off. Trying to lighten the mood, Brock suggested they go for a walk in the woods. Shifting into their bears, he and Cole had frolicked and played around before coming across a stream. There they had fished for a bit until Brock’s bear scented honey in the air. Following its scent, he spotted a hive hidden in a tree.
No matter
how much Brock tried to shift and stop his bear from making a huge mistake, it fought back, even to the point of becoming frantic. The sweet aroma was pulling him in, making him careless. Standing on its hind legs, he rocked the tree. But all that did was anger the bees. They began attacking, to the point where his bear couldn’t take the stings anymore. He ran for the river, diving into the freezing cold water, and gave into the shift, leaving Brock in his naked human form, standing in a river with a swarm of angry bees above his head. Cole, on the other hand, was still in his bear form, and he sat on the banks of the river, gruff sounds coming from him as it snickered away. Brock had not been amused.
Brock listened to Melanie chuckle as she walked. Hearing a few words like honey, woods, and river, Brock knew for certain that was the story Cole had told her. However, he wondered how Cole had told her that story without their bears being in it. Thinking about it, that would leave him sounding like an idiot. Looking at Melanie’s rosy cheeks as she chuckled, he didn’t care. She was happy, and that was all that mattered.
“I think we need to stop,” she said finally. “I need the bathroom, and I’m starving. We could get some fish and chips, or maybe we could stop at one of those tea shops we keep seeing along here. A nice cuppa with a fresh cream scone.” She hummed. “I think we could all use a drink. Maybe you can add honey in yours, Brock,” she said, breaking into another laugh.
Brock shook his head. He didn’t care if she joked about him. He loved seeing the mirth on her face and her eyes sparkling. “Har-de-har. I know, very funny. But I do like a little honey during the day,” he said seductively, then ran his tongue over his lips.
A lovely pink hue crept over Melanie’s cheeks as she watched him. He caught the slight perfume of her arousal in the air between them too, something he wanted so badly to taste again.
Seemingly pushing her thoughts aside, she motioned them forward. “Let’s go. I actually do need the bathroom and food.”
Half an hour later they sat in a quaint little tea shop, one that served tea out of china teapots and cups and saucers. Brock made a point of adding honey to his tea.
“So, how far do we have left to go?” Cole asked, watching what Brock was doing with a smirk.
Brock noticed the teacup that Cole was holding looked very tiny and dainty in his large mitts. He was also amused to see Cole’s pinky finger held up in the air as he sipped the liquid. Something to wind him up over later, he thought.
“We have about another hour or more. Why? Are you getting tired?” she challengingly asked.
“Oh no.” Cole shook his head. “I was just wondering. Whatever you walk, so can we.” A toothy grin appeared on his face.
They sat chatting about what they’d seen on the way and what was coming up. Melanie tucked the last bit of scone covered in jam and cream into her mouth and hummed. Brock’s cock swelled and strained against his shorts as visions once again bombarded his mind—Melanie’s lips surrounding his shaft as she sucked him deeply into his mouth, the vibration of her hum sliding along his cock down to his balls. If he didn’t get to bed this woman again soon, he was going to die of blue balls.
Squirming, he finished his tea, making sure his pinky wasn’t waving in the air. “Shall we make a move then?” he asked.
With nods from both of his mates, backpacks were picked up and the bill paid. The walk to the campsite was a lot more relaxing and friendlier between them all. Brock hung onto every word Melanie said, eager to learn as much about his little mate as he could.
“So, what about your parents?” Cole asked after telling her about his.
Melanie’s face darkened a touch. Uh-oh.
“My um…pare…birth…” She sighed, then straightened her shoulders as if to try to get her words out again. “The people who gave birth to me don’t deserve to be called parents,” she spat out. Taking a deep breath, she carried on. “I’ve been in care most of my life. My so-called father is in prison and will be there until the day he dies. Whereas the woman who gave birth to me, I have no idea where she is now, and I don’t want to know.”
“Ahh,” Cole said lightly. “That would explain why you have no family pictures in your house.”
“Oh, I have family,” she replied, smiling. “I have my friends. I believe that family isn’t just blood, it’s who you choose, the ones you love. The ones that love you back without condition. In other words, my friends are my family.”
If only she knew that she had a family now. One that contained two men who would love her until the day she died and beyond. Two men who would give her anything they could. She will know one day, his bear assured him. Brock hoped so. He also couldn’t wait to tell Melanie about Cole’s parents. Cole’s mother would definitely love this little female of theirs.
The light scent of hyena drifted on the wind, bringing Brock from his thoughts. Peering around, he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. At one point, he thought he could see movement out of the corner of his eye, but when he searched that area, there was nothing there. Paranoid maybe? There was one big fact Brock knew about hyena shifters—they loved to be detected. They liked witnessing fear in other shifters’ faces. Even two bear shifters like he and Cole could come up against trouble with a pack of them.
Whoever the scent belonged to must have moved on because his or her aroma slowly vanished. It worried Brock enough for him to remain alert. Seeing the hyena shifter with Melanie at the previous campsite had been a shock, however once he and Cole had patrolled around the place several times, they had come up with nothing. The shifter himself had disappeared too.
Brock didn’t mind this traveling and camping stuff, but he preferred being at Dragon’s Heart. He enjoyed being around people and noise rather than peace and quiet. With so many others being in one place, a hyena wouldn’t be seen dead there.
Just under two hours later, they reached the campsite outside Ramsgate. Brock was happy the mood between them all was better and more comfortable than when they’d set off that morning. Dropping his backpack onto the slot they were assigned for their tent for two nights, Brock stretched his muscles, enjoying the feel. It felt good to be so close to nature, but he wished he could be in his bear form. This site was surrounded by a thick array of woods. Looking around, he wondered if later he might take the chance.
“Why don’t you take a long shower and relax, sweetpea?” Brock asked, looking toward Melanie. “Cole and I can put the tent up.”
“Are you telling me I smell? Or perhaps I’m not able to put the tent up as well as you can?”
Brock could hear humor in her voice. He walked over to her, ducked his head a few inches from her neck, and animatedly sniffed. “You smell as sweet as honey,” he murmured and inhaled again. “And as for the tent, don’t worry about it, I’m sure you’ll get your chance to prove yourself.”
Standing straight, he fisted his hands at his side to stop himself from pulling her into him and having her head laying on his chest. He desperately wanted to kiss her plump lips until they were swollen and owned. Kiss mate, his bear growled.
Fuck it! He bent, unclenched his fists, and held her shoulders. Pulling her those few inches into him, he kissed her like there was no tomorrow. Satisfaction rolled through him when she responded, her small hands grabbing onto his biceps. Her tongue rolled with his in her mouth.
Finally, his lungs burning with the need for air, he pulled away. Fire burned in her eyes. She wanted him; he bet her sweet, honey filled pussy that she was wet and ready for the taking. With a blush and a raise of her lips, she picked up her backpack and headed for the shower block.
“Hot damn,” Cole exclaimed behind him. “She’s warming up to us.”
“Did you smell what I did earlier?” Brock asked without taking his eyes off Melanie.
“If you mean the hyena scent, sure. But it confused me a little, because those shifters aren’t known for hiding. By rights, they would have mobbed us, even if we were with a human.”
“Yeah, I felt the same. Left me feel
ing a little unsure as to what’s going on. That single shifter at Kingsdown was very weird, I’ve never heard of a single hyena shifter traveling alone.”
“Me either,” Brock admitted.
“You think it might have been him trailing us or something?”
“Not sure, but we need to be cautious. Let’s get this tent up before she returns. We have the day tomorrow to chill and learn more about our little mate.”
“Don’t you mean that we have a whole day to see if we can get her in the same sleeping bag?” Cole chuckled as he began to unpack his backpack.
“Perhaps a pub lunch,” Brock suggested, ignoring Cole’s comment.
Cole stopped what he was doing to stare at him.
“What?” Brock asked.
He knew damn well what Cole was thinking. Good Lord man, you’re thinking about something else besides fucking her? Cole smirked and carried on pulling tent poles out of a long green bag.
“I don’t think about sex all the time,” Brock grumbled.
“No, just seventy percent of the time,” Cole muttered low. With Brock’s shifter hearing, the comment was hard to miss.
Maybe he’s right.
Chapter 12
The showers were hot and refreshing. Melanie’s feet hurt like a bitch, and her muscles ached. She knew she’d overdone things. She reprimanded herself mentally, then she promised to take things a lot more carefully until she was used to walking so much again. It had been a good six months since she’d last hiked anywhere.
Dropping her sponge onto the tiled floor, she leaned her forehead against the cool tiles and allowed the water to flow over her tired body. Things this morning had started bumpy between she and Brock, but as the day progressed the mood had gotten better.
It was Cole who’d finally broken the ice. He’d told her a ridiculous story where a teenaged Brock had managed to get himself stung by bees trying to get honey from a hive. Each time she tried to visualize Brock as a skinny teenager with acne, she couldn’t do it. Instead, when she went over the tale in her head, the muscled, naked body of Brock climbed a tree then ended up running into the stream. She squirmed under the water, her body coming to life.