by Scarlet Day
Kate’s cat leapt forward in her mind, and Kate could swear her growl sounded like a resounding yes. Kate looked up at Blake and then looked to Drake and Jake standing on either side of her. Their bodies were tense, as though they were wound tight but were holding themselves back until they had her answer.
Their eyes shone with such sincerity and hope that Kate felt her heart start to open for these men. She didn’t know them well, but they had already started to tear down the emotional walls she had built around herself. Taking a leap of faith, she reached one hand up and lightly traced Blake’s bottom lip.
“Yes, I trust you.” She looked Drake’s eyes and then Jake’s. “I trust all of you.”
Blake lowered his face to hers and claimed her lips with a slow, gentle kiss. His tongue brushed over her lips, and she parted them, allowing him to enter. Blake groaned as his tongue swept into her mouth, deepening the kiss and turning up the heat running through Kate’s veins. His tongue danced circles around hers, sliding and teasing. He tasted amazing, and Kate kissed him back with equal enthusiasm. She vaguely registered the sound of zippers and the feeling of clothing being removed, but the intensity of the kiss and her growing desire consumed her thoughts.
Fingers entwined into her hair, and hands caressed her body. Blake broke the kiss, but Drake immediately took his place. Kate relished the taste of him, so different from his brother and so deliciously Drake. She grew adventurous and let her tongue push into Drake’s mouth, wanting to taste more of him. She felt hands caressing her body, down her back and hips. She was beyond thought. Her body was practically on fire with her need, and her cat was demanding she make these men hers.
“Please.” Her strangled plea escaped her lips as Drake pulled back to look at her. “I need…I need…”
Jake moved around and kissed her temple, his hand cupping her ass. “We know, babe. We’ll take care of you.”
Kate looked at them, realizing they were all naked but not quite aware of how exactly that had happened. These men were magnificent. Drake and Jake had the same muscle tone and tanned torsos that Blake possessed. Kate’s gaze roamed over them, unable to stop exploring the contours of their bodies. She gasped when she saw their aroused shafts. The one time she’d had sex, she’d never actually looked at the guy she was with. She’d been only nineteen, and it had all been over in minutes. She had a feeling it would take a lot more than a few minutes to satisfy these men. That thought just made her blood and skin feel even hotter.
Drake took her hand and led her to the bed then climbed onto it and pulled her with him, leaving her legs dangling over the side. He lay beside her and began kissing her again, his tongue plunging into her mouth and driving her need higher. Jake lay on the other side of her and leaned down over her then cupped her breast and took a nipple into his mouth, sucking gently on it. The pull of his mouth was like an electric jolt straight to her clit, and she arched her back, pressing herself into him. Her whole body was overly sensitive, and she desperately needed more.
Kate felt hands on her thighs and looked down to where Blake had knelt on the floor between her dangling legs. She watched, fascinated, as Blake met her gaze and lowered his head close to her lower lips, inhaling deeply.
“Mmmm, sweetheart. You smell so good.” He held her gaze as he lowered his head the rest of the way and then licked her in one tortuously slow motion from her entrance to her clit. His tongue twirled around the sensitive nub, and she raised her hips completely off the bed, thrusting into his face. Blake chuckled as he moved one hand to her abdomen and held her down, which only increased her desire to push into his mouth. His tongue continued to lap at her folds and torment her clit. She felt Blake insert a finger into her and move it slowly in and out. She tried to thrust into his hand, but he held her firmly in place. She felt him add another finger, and she groaned with the pleasure of being filled as he scissored his fingers inside of her.
She threw her head back onto the bed, and Drake reclaimed her mouth, his tongue probing and sliding into her. Jake bit down lightly on her nipple and then laved his tongue across the sensitive flesh. It was too much, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Kate’s body had never been driven to these heights. She needed even more, and she needed it now.
She tore her mouth away from Drake. “More. Please, more!” She thought she would go insane with the need building in her.
“Look at me, Kate.” Blake had stood up, and the head of his cock was at her heated and slick entrance. She looked into Blake’s eyes and gasped as the honey-colored flecks glowed with golden light. He pushed into her slowly, stretching her walls and letting her grow accustomed to his size. He started to pull out, and she protested, startling herself as a ferocious growl tore from her throat. She didn’t know if she had actually made that sound or if it had been the cat in her mind, but Blake grinned and reversed his course, sliding back into her, deeper than before. He began to slowly thrust, in and out, sheathing himself farther inside of her each time. Finally, she felt completely filled as he seated himself fully inside her. He stopped moving, and she took a moment to get used to being filled, but the need was building, and she had to move. She raised her hips in impatience, wanting him to move against her. He gave her what she needed and began a steady rhythm, thrusting and withdrawing with increased speed.
Drake sucked a nipple into his mouth and teased it with his tongue while Jake laved her other breast with attention. She still needed more, but she wasn’t sure what. Just as she was about to cry out in frustration, Jake got on his knees next to her, and she turned her head to see his cock near her face. Her mouth watered, and she suddenly knew exactly what she wanted. She reached up to his rigid shaft and slid her fingers along its length, surprised at the velvety softness of the skin. Jake leaned in closer, and she guided the engorged head to her lips, and then she slowly licked the drop of liquid that had gathered at the slit. It was salty and savory, and Kate instinctively knew the taste was uniquely Jake. And she knew this was exactly what she needed.
She sucked Jake’s hard shaft into her mouth and twirled her tongue around the head, drawing out a low groan from him. Blake continued to thrust into her at a frenzied pace, and Drake lavished her breasts with his heated mouth. Kate felt her body tensing up into a tightly wound coil, ready to explode.
With another hard suck on Jake’s shaft, Kate wrapped her hand around the soft balls at the base of his cock. Jake jerked and thrust into her, shouting as he came hard in her mouth and spilled his seed over her tongue. She lapped the creamy liquid greedily, sucking and licking until she had all of it.
Blake withdrew almost completely from her and then reached down between their bodies, pinching her clit with his fingers as he thrust hard into her channel. Both she and Blake cried out in joint release as their orgasms hit them with a devastating force. Kate’s back arched, and she pressed herself harder against Blake, riding the wave of pleasure with him.
The men cradled her as she came down from pleasure she never even knew existed. Kate couldn’t remember ever feeling this satisfied. But as she lay there reveling in the release she had just experienced, she realized her cat was still pacing, and her body was starting to feel hot again.
“Um, guys?” She heard the alarm in her voice, and all three men turned to look at her with concern. “Why is it starting again?”
Drake brushed the hair out of her eyes and kissed her lightly on the nose. “Because your cat isn’t done yet.” She didn’t understand, and the confusion must have shown on her face. “She wants all of us, darlin’.”
As if confirming Drake’s words, Kate’s cat growled in agitation. Drake’s hand cupped her ass, and his fingers gently probed her crack. “Have you ever had a man here, Kate?” She tensed and shook her head, feeling momentary panic at the question. “It’s okay, darlin’, we’ll save that for another time. But I guarantee it won’t be long, and you’ll be begging for it.”
Kate didn’t know if she believed that, but she didn’t have time to think about it as Drak
e positioned himself between her legs and thrust into her channel. She cried out and arched into him then thrust her hips up to meet his. Blake kissed her long and deep while Jake caressed her body into a heated frenzy. Drake kept up a steady rhythm, giving her no mercy as he pounded into her. Kate’s cat purred in satisfaction, and she could feel herself hurtling toward another release. Drake thrust hard and ground his hips against hers, rubbing her clit and sending her spiraling out of control as her climax hit. Drake yelled his own release as Kate’s walls clenched around him.
Kate panted from the exertion and couldn’t understand how her body could still need more. Her release hadn’t sated her need. It had just fanned the flames and driven her heated blood to an even hotter level. Her cat was growing more impatient by the second, as if she sensed she was close to freedom. That was when it hit Kate. Her cat really was close to freedom. She only needed one more thing, and she would be able to escape the chains that had bound her for so long.
“Jake, I need you.” She heard the yearning and desperation in her own voice. Jake didn’t hesitate to give her what she needed, and he took Drake’s place, driving his hard cock into her. Both she and her cat growled their pleasure at the completeness that coursed through them. Jake plunged into her, in and out, taking her higher with every thrust. She was already so sensitive it only took a few thrusts to send her over the edge, and she came hard around his cock, milking another orgasm from him and screaming her pleasure while her cat purred in triumph. As she came down from her last climax, Kate finally felt her blood begin to cool.
Blake got off the bed and then picked Kate up, cradling her to his chest as he carried her into the big shower in the bathroom. Drake and Jake followed closely behind them, and Drake turned the water on and adjusted the temperature. Blake set her down on her feet, but her legs were too wobbly to hold her up. Blake sat down on the big seat in the corner and positioned Kate on the seat in front of him with her back leaning against his chest.
Drake and Jake began cleaning Kate as she sat leaning back against Blake’s chest. They lathered her legs and body with the sweet-smelling soap she had used earlier. Their touch was sensual and wonderful, but Kate’s body was finally sated for the moment, and the heat in her blood did not return. She was able to relax in Blake’s embrace and enjoy the attentions of these incredible men. Her cat purred in contentment, and Kate had to admit that she and the big cat were finally in complete agreement.
Chapter Six
Blake stood at the kitchen sink and watched as the storm raged outside. The rain and wind continued to beat relentlessly against the house, and many of the trees had been stripped completely of leaves. A few that he could see had even been snapped in half like twigs. As brutal as the hurricane was, it was nothing compared to the storm raging in his heart.
Jake finally found a television station that was getting a signal through, and Blake turned to watch the weather coverage. The eye of the storm still hadn’t reached them, which meant the worst part was still to come. Once the calmness of the eye passed, they would be at the mercy of the most dangerous part of the storm, where the highest winds would be. At the rate it was moving, it would be well into tomorrow before they would be able to get out of the house for any extended length of time. He wasn’t worried about the damage the hurricane would cause. They had been through worse. No, what he really worried about was the beautiful little cat currently snuggled up in his bed.
Drake emerged from Blake’s bedroom, and both Blake and Jake turned their attention to him. “She’s still out.”
Blake nodded at his brother, who went to sit in one of the leather chairs in the living room to watch the weather. He turned back to the window and thought about the last few hours. Their Kate had been amazing. She had taken everything the brothers had given her and then begged for more. She was everything they could have asked for in a mate. They could be happy with her. He still couldn’t believe his luck at having detected her scent while checking the perimeter of their property before the storm. Then again, maybe it hadn’t been luck. Blake had recognized the bear shifter as still immature, not yet ready to produce offspring. If he had taken her, he would have had his pleasure and left her unharmed, relatively speaking, but that wasn’t even the worst that could have happened to her.
It wasn’t even the other clans he knew were out there, waiting for their opportunity to claim her. He had known that would happen since his encounter with the bear shifter. He didn’t think the unknown loner would come back, but he knew there were other unscrupulous members of the other clans who would try to forcibly mate with Kate if they detected her scent. Their goal would not be to find their true mate, but only to use her to produce shifter offspring. They wouldn’t care that keeping Kate from her true mates would render her unable to shift and leave her cat trapped inside her. The thought disgusted Blake. He and his brothers would protect Kate with their lives to keep her from ever facing that horrible fate. He didn’t even want her to know of that danger. She had been through enough already. No, the thing that really worried Blake was the fact that Kate was Jesse’s daughter. If the wrong people ever found out the legendary bloodline survived, they would stop at nothing to prevent it from ever rising again. But he’d be damned if he’d let any of them touch a single hair on his Kate’s head.
An angry growl tore from Blake, and the glass of water he had been holding shattered in his hand. He looked down, surprised, since he hadn’t even remembered he had been holding a glass and certainly didn’t realize he was clenching it so tightly.
“You okay over there, brother?” Blake looked behind him to see Drake looking at him with arched eyebrows.
At least Drake showed some degree of concern. Jake just shook his head and rolled his eyes.
Blake let out a huff and turned his attention back to his hand. He turned the water on and rinsed the blood away. The glass had cut into his palm, but he was already healing. It was one of the benefits of being a shifter. They could heal from injuries quickly, although there were some things they couldn’t survive. Like Kate’s father.
He and his brothers had just been kids when Jesse had been killed, but he still remembered how devastated their dad had been. Jesse and their father had been like brothers. Blake couldn’t even imagine losing one of his own brothers. The way Jesse had been killed, added to the fact that it had been their father who had found his body, made the loss that much more horrible.
When Jesse had failed to show up a week after he had called to say he would be bringing his new love to meet them, their father had gone looking for him. He’d searched every road between their house and Jesse’s house. He had finally found Jesse’s motorcycle on a seldom-used back road, crashed into a ditch. Their father had followed Jesse’s scent from the ditch and through the densely forested woods. It had led him to a gruesome scene.
Jesse’s body had been stretched out in a small clearing, his chest ripped open. His heart was gone. His head, severed from his neck, had been impaled on a stick that had been forced into the ground like a spike. The message had been clear. Jesse’s bloodline had been cut, its very heart ripped from existence.
The knowledge of what Jesse’s murderers were capable of was putting every nerve Blake possessed on edge. He could sense his brothers felt it, too. It probably explained the mess the kitchen was in and the smell of food coming from the oven. Jake tended to cook when he was stressed. Drake got quiet. And Blake…he tended to break things. Noses, arms, a few ribs. Not his own, of course, and only if the person causing the stress really deserved it. Jesse’s murderers definitely deserved it. And more. And Blake knew Kate would be their next target if her heritage was discovered. They were going to have to see to it that no one found out Jesse was her father.
He couldn’t stand this any longer. Even though Kate was only in the next room, it was too far for him to be comfortable. He stalked out of the kitchen toward the closed bedroom door, ignoring the scowling looks of his brothers as he passed them. He knew they were only con
cerned that Kate be allowed to rest after everything she had been through. Blake had no intention of waking her, but he needed to have her in his arms.
He quietly opened the door and entered the bedroom, closing the door behind him just as silently. Without making a sound, he slipped into the bed and stretched out next to Kate then pulled her into his arms. She snuggled against his body, and he curved around her protectively. Thankfully, she didn’t wake up. His brothers would give him hell if she did.
He cradled her head in the crook of his arm and watched her sleep, her breathing deep and peaceful. He loved the feel of her pressed against him. She really was beautiful, though he had sensed the lack of confidence she seemed to have about herself. He would gladly spend the rest of his life showing her just how extraordinary she truly was. Her black hair fanned out across his arm and chest and shimmered in the soft light of the candle on the nightstand. She had a tanned olive complexion that set off her emerald-green eyes, though those eyes were currently hidden from his gaze. Her body was curvy in just the right places. He couldn’t wait to see her in her panther form. He was sure she would be magnificent.
Blake had never really known what it would feel like when, or if, he and his brothers ever found their mate. They had been prepared to live their lives without the companionship and love a mate would provide. But that was not their fate. All of their cats had reacted instantly with the same intense possessiveness toward Kate. It was what had drawn him to her in the woods. He and his brothers had spent their lives getting to know and trust their cats, so when their cats said this was their mate, their hearts were immediately won over. It was sort of love at first sight, panther style.
He knew it would be different, and harder, for Kate. Having never known her cat, or even known she was a shifter, meant that her head and her heart would have to learn to trust the cat’s instincts. Her cat would never lead her astray, and her ability to trust it would be crucial for what lay ahead.