by Scarlet Day
Blake kissed the fingers of the hand he was holding. “As our connection grows, so will our ability to not only feel each other’s emotions but to also help each other control certain feelings.”
Kate felt herself relaxing. “That’s pretty amazing.” She looked out the window as the plane sped across the lake and then lifted into the air, skimming over the tops of the tall pine trees on the other side of the lake.
The damage from the storm was clearly evident from the air. Entire stands of trees were snapped in half with their broken tops all laying in the same direction. As they flew over the landscape, Kate saw buildings that had been destroyed and large pieces of debris strewn everywhere. Having grown up in Texas, Kate had seen the damage caused by tornadoes, but she had never seen anything on this type of scale. Tornadoes tended to cause a narrow path of destruction and sometimes even jumped over entire neighborhoods. This damage stretched across the horizon in both directions, leaving virtually nothing untouched. The power of the storm overwhelmed her.
She looked down at Jake on the floor of the plane. If only he would wake up so she could know for certain he was going to be okay. The guys hadn’t seemed concerned since Bryce had made his pronouncement about Jake’s state, but she wouldn’t be comfortable until she could talk to him, look into his eyes, and be wrapped in his strong arms.
Chapter Thirteen
“What the hell?” Jake brought his hand up to the back of his head, which felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to it. There was a large knot that hurt when he touched it. He slowly opened his eyes and winced at the bright light that assaulted him. When he was finally able to peel his eyelids open, he saw Kate’s beautiful and anxious face hovering above him.
“You’re awake!” Her excited yell made him wince again. “Oops, sorry!” Her whispered apology sounded much better to his ears.
“Could someone turn off whatever is making that awful racket?” Jake was pretty sure his head was in serious danger of exploding.
Blake leaned down and patted him on the arm. “Not unless you want us to drop out of the sky.”
“Oh. Guess you better leave it on then.” He opened his eyes again and looked at Kate, trying to drown out the maddening sound of what he now understood was the plane propeller.
Kate’s gaze raked over his face and body. “Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t hurt anywhere else, do you?”
Jake started to shake his head, but the motion didn’t agree with him, so he stopped. “No. Just the headache. What happened?”
Drake leaned over him and grinned. “The roof fell on you. Good thing you have a hard head.”
“Ha. Ha. So not funny right now.” Jake slowly sat up and then crawled over to the other vacant seat facing Kate. He pulled himself up into it and leaned his head against the headrest. His head was pounding, and he would have given just about anything for some aspirin. As if reading his mind, Blake reached behind his own seat and grabbed his backpack, producing a bottle of water and a small container of aspirin.
“I figured you might need this when you woke up.” He handed the items to Jake, who wasted no time in getting several of the aspirin down his throat.
“Thanks, brother. At least one of my siblings can show a little sympathy.” He shot a dirty look at Drake and then winked at Kate.
Jake kept his gaze on her. It was good to be awake and out of the house. He couldn’t remember anything about the roof collapsing. All he remembered was standing in his room and shoving things into his backpack and then—nothing. He could do without the headache, but that would pass soon enough.
He was looking forward to getting back on the ground where he could shift. Not only would it help his headache to go away faster, but he had also been dying to run with Kate. They would be able to run all they wanted once they got to their destination. Even though they maintained their thoughts and personalities when they were in their panther forms, their feline instincts and senses were their driving characteristics. Their emotions were much more raw and more animalistic, and it was a primal feeling. It was exhilarating, and Jake wanted to share the experience with his mate.
He continued to watch Kate, captivated by her emerald eyes as she stared back at him. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, and she seemed to be equally entranced with him, if her dilating pupils were any indication. Excitement ran through him at how much more open her thoughts were to him now and how easy it was to feel her mind. Her thoughts gradually transitioned from concern for his well-being to something else. Something a lot more pleasant.
Kate’s eyes took on a glazed look, and her skin flushed an enticing pink. Jake inhaled deeply, and he could smell the sweet aroma of her arousal permeating the cabin. Her honey-and-orange-blossom scent was like a beacon to him. He wanted to make love to her so badly he momentarily forgot that they were in an airplane and their cousins were onboard.
“Uh, guys?” Kate’s voice was strained, and her breathing was shallow.
“Oh, shit.” Blake’s outburst drew Jake’s attention. “This is what I was afraid of, Kate.”
“I’m…I just…” She looked down, and her shoulders slumped. “Sorry.”
Blake pulled her into his arms. “No, I’m sorry, sweetheart. That was stupid of me. This isn’t your fault. You’ve handled all of this so well. I just don’t want you to suffer.”
Jake watched with barely contained desire as Blake tilted Kate’s face up and kissed her gently. Jake felt Kate’s passion flare at the contact, and it fueled his own need.
“Hey, Blake! So not helping, brother.” Jake shook his head and realized the aspirin had taken some of the edge off his headache since the motion didn’t make him feel like his brain had just been scrambled.
“Do you think you guys can keep your pants on for a few more minutes?” The yelled question came from the cockpit. “We can only handle so many pheromones floating around in here before we go a little crazy.” Jake’s focus was still on Kate, and he saw her previously flushed face turn a bright red.
Jake heard chuckling coming from the seats backing up to his. “Oh, I don’t know. I don’t mind a little voyeurism.”
Blake’s warning growl only made his cousins laugh even harder. Jake reached around and smacked Chase hard on the back of his head, since he was the only one Jake could reach.
“Ouch! Hey!”
Jake chuckled, and the distraction was enough to break the sexual tension that had been building up, though Jake knew Kate’s mating fever would need to be sated soon. Kate turned and looked out the window. Jake could tell she was trying very hard not to look at him or his brothers, probably for fear she would lose control of the fragile thread of restraint she was holding on to. Jake settled back into his seat and kept watching her, unable to tear his gaze away from his new reason for living. He would just have to fantasize until they got on the ground.
“Soon, little kitten. Soon.”
Chapter Fourteen
Kate kept her eyes turned to the window, though she didn’t really see any of the landscape below her. Her hands were clenched tightly around the armrests of her seat in an effort to keep from launching herself at one of her men. Or all of them. Her pussy was throbbing so intensely she was almost past caring that the cousins were in the plane. She clenched her legs together, resisting the urge to squirm. She was convinced that if she so much as glanced at Drake, Blake, or Jake, she would lose her mind completely and make them take her right then and there, cousins be damned. Her blood felt as though it were boiling in her veins, and she wouldn’t have been surprised if there had been smoke rising from her skin. If she didn’t get off this plane soon, she was pretty sure she would spontaneously combust.
She tried to focus on the ground below, for no other reason than for some much-needed distraction from the maddening arousal. To her surprise, the land below them suddenly ended, replaced by water and dots of green islands scattered across the expanse. A lone highway linked some of the islands, but she could tell many would be unreachable, except
by boat. The color of the water ranged from light green to deep blue. The stunning beauty of the water and islands was enough to divert her attention from her frustrating condition, at least momentarily.
Blake leaned over and looked out her window. “Welcome to the Keys, sweetheart.”
“We’re going down there?” Her gaze stayed glued to the window, not just because it really was beautiful, but she still did not trust herself to look at him. Her control was too tenuous.
“To our island. Panther Key.”
Kate’s head spun, and she looked at Blake. She couldn’t help it. His pronouncement was too shocking. “You have an island?”
Blake grinned that damned sexy grin that drove her insane, and she had to tear her gaze away from him before she did something embarrassing. “Our family has an island. It’s been in our clan for generations.”
Kate turned her attention back to the window as the plane descended and skimmed over the water. Her anxiety returned at the idea of landing in the ocean, but it was tempered by her greater need to get on the ground so she could do something about her aching need and the burning heat raging through her veins. She never would have imagined that being aroused could be so damned uncomfortable. Blake had assured her this was not normal arousal and was only triggered because she had just found her true mates. She just hoped he was right.
She was so focused on maintaining control of her desires that she almost didn’t notice when the plane touched down, sending a spray of water past her window. The plane slowed and then glided, almost like a boat, toward one of the larger green islands that dotted the landscape. Brad steered the plane to a dock that jutted out from a small beach and brought the plane to a stop. Kate breathed a huge sigh of relief. Not only were they finally—and safely—on the ground, but now she could get off this plane and go somewhere private with her men.
Her heart sank, however, when the door was opened and she looked outside. A crowd of people were walking and running across the narrow beach to the dock to greet them. It looked as though it was going to be harder than she’d hoped to sneak away.
She unfastened her seat belt and stood up, but her legs were wobbly, and the plane was rocking slightly in the water. She started to stumble, but Blake’s strong arms wrapped around her and steadied her. She looked up into his eyes, and her breath caught in her throat. The golden specks in his eyes were glowing slightly, mesmerizing her with their beauty. Her arousal flared, and she felt Blake’s answering passion rise as well. Jake and Drake crowded around them, their own desires heightened.
“So not the time, guys. Your mom is watching.” Chase chuckled and shook his head as he grabbed some of the bags and exited the plane onto the dock.
Blake grinned down at Kate and kissed her lightly on the forehead. His lips were like a hot brand to her skin. Only the knowledge that his mother was watching them kept her from wrapping her arms around him and demanding that he move those lips a little farther down.
Blake chuckled, and Kate had the feeling he knew exactly what she was thinking. “Soon, sweetheart.” His whisper in her ear sent a shiver down her spine. Kate huffed in agitation. As far as she was concerned, soon was too damned long.
They emerged from the plane into a crowd of people who looked very eager to get a look at Kate. It didn’t take long to figure out which one was her guys’ mother, since a woman immediately separated herself from the group and quickly approached Kate. She looked to be in her early fifties, but she was strikingly beautiful, with long golden-blonde hair, elegant features, and deep chocolate-brown eyes. Kate was completely taken aback when the woman placed both hands on Kate’s shoulders, kissed her on both cheeks, then wrapped her arms around her in a warm hug.
“Welcome, daughter.” She pulled back but kept her hands on Kate’s arms. She flashed such a genuine and enthusiastic smile that Kate couldn’t help return. The woman laughed, and it sounded like tinkling bells to Kate’s ears. “I’m Beth. I know this is probably all overwhelming for you, dear, but it will get easier, I promise.”
“Mom, sorry we—” Blake never got to finish his sentence.
“Don’t you ‘Mom’ me!” The smile that had so welcomed Kate instantly disappeared and was replaced by the sternest scowl Kate had ever seen as Beth turned on her sons.
“The most important event of my sons’ lives and I don’t get a phone call, no e-mail…you couldn’t even text me! I have to find out about it from them!” Beth gestured toward the cousins, who were standing off to the side trying to look inconspicuous.
If it was possible for three huge muscular men to look sheepish, and then Blake, Drake, and Jake were prime examples. They stood on the dock shuffling their feet and looking down, mumbling apologies.
Beth let out a huff and wrapped one arm around Kate’s shoulders. She pointed a long finger at her sons. “You three had just better treat her right.” She turned her face to Kate again, and her features instantly transformed back to bright and happy. “She’s the daughter I’ve been waiting for, and she better be kept happy.”
“Speaking of keeping Kate happy, Mom…” Blake drew Beth and Kate’s attention. “She’s only been able to transform once and…”
Beth gasped and turned to Kate. “Oh, you poor girl. You must be practically out of your mind right now.” She turned to the cousins and motioned for them. “Get their luggage and take it to the house.” Beth then cast her gaze around to the rest of the welcome committee. “Reunion will have to wait, everyone. Let’s leave them alone for a while.” Several people smiled and waved as they turned and headed back up the beach.
Brad grabbed a couple of bags and started walking up the dock but turned around and yelled to Blake. “Take the west side of the island for your run. No one is over there today, and you’ll get a nice sunset.” He flashed a wicked grin and then turned around and headed toward the beach, along with Beth and the other cousins.
Kate was mortified at the thought that Brad knew what they would probably really be doing. Then again, everyone else probably knew as well. Kate could swear she felt herself blush all the way to her toes, but the thought of being alone with her men also caused another reaction. She heard someone inhale deeply behind her. A low purring caused her to spin around, and she found herself staring into Jake’s eyes. They were glowing slightly, and she recognized it as a sign of his intense arousal.
“Let’s run.”
Kate turned at Blake’s words and was stunned at the sight of him stripping his clothes off. She turned to Drake and saw he was doing the same, already having shed his shoes and shirt.
Jake began unbuttoning Kate’s shirt, and she pushed his hands away and jumped back. “We can’t undress here! We’ll be seen!”
Jake was undaunted. He chuckled and pulled her back toward him, resuming his work on her buttons. “For one thing, babe, you get used to nudity when you’re part of a shifter clan. But more importantly, our mother told everyone to give us some privacy. They wouldn’t dare spy on us right now, or she’ll have their heads.” He finished with her buttons and slipped the shirt off, leaning in to put his lips to her ear. “Besides, I need to run with you, my little kitten. I need you.”
Kate suddenly forgot they were standing outside on a dock. She couldn’t even remember what country she was in. All she could think of was getting naked. Now. Jake grinned, and his hands went to her shorts, where they made quick work of the zipper and had them sliding down her legs before she could even process what was happening. She turned toward the beach, knowing exactly what she wanted to do.
It was so much easier this time. Her cat had been waiting for the call and immediately reacted when Kate reached out for it. Without any effort, Kate leapt into the air and came down on all fours, instantly transformed into her panther. She turned her head to look behind her and saw her men in various states of undress, their mouths gaping open in awe. She twitched her tail at them and purred, which immediately got the reaction she was going for. The men scrambled to shed their remaining clothes, practic
ally tripping over each other to get everything off.
Satisfied she had sufficiently stirred them up, Kate launched herself up the beach and through the tree line. She wasn’t sure which way was west, but hopefully she had a better sense of direction as a panther than she did as a human. What she really wanted to do was get away from everyone else. Well, everyone other than the three cats chasing her.
She sped up and let her panther instincts guide her, enjoying the freedom of the run. Her feet—or paws, she realized—practically flew over the ground. She was aware of so many things at once. She could sense the birds and small animals in the trees and bushes. She could hear their twitters and the faint scurrying sounds as they scrambled through the brush. The breeze ruffled her fur, and she smelled the heady aromas of salt, fish, and earth. The ground felt soft under her paws, and she had no trouble leaping over fallen trees and maneuvering through the stands of palmetto and mangroves.
As she relished the freedom of the run, she became aware of a presence gaining on her, and she stretched out her senses, recognizing Jake by his scent and the feel of his mind. She saw a golden blur in the corner of her vision as he accelerated and ran beside her. His panther body was lithe and sinuous, and his fur shone in the dappled light filtering through the trees. She saw the sparkle in his eyes and felt the pure joy coming from him as they ran together. She could also feel Blake and Drake behind them, but she somehow sensed they were holding back and allowing her and Jake to take the lead.
They continued to run around the island, leaping and weaving as they hurled themselves along the ground. It was an exhilarating feeling to allow her cat to take control of her thoughts, her senses, and her instincts. There was freedom in it that Kate had never experienced. She felt in her soul that she’d been born to do this, to be this. Going back to the way she was before was unthinkable.
Being mated to three men was something that would have seemed outrageous and taboo a few days before, but her cat knew it was what she needed. The shifter world was completely foreign to Kate, and she was beginning to accept that she would have to trust her cat’s instincts. Plus, after watching Jake lie unconscious for so many hours, Kate couldn’t imagine being without any of them. She was reluctant to let her heart believe it would be forever, but she decided she would take happiness for now and for however long it was offered to her.