Rise to Embrace [Rise of the Changelings, Book 3] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove)

by Lynn Hagen

  It seemed natural to share her with his best friend. He knew Deluca would protect her just as fiercely as Brooke planned on doing. Too bad there was a fucking war going on because Brooke wanted nothing more than to take her home and spend countless hours giving this woman the love and pleasure she deserved.

  Never before had Brooke considered settling down, but Willow was bringing that desire to the forefront. He didn’t know her, but he was pretty damn sure she was the perfect one for the two men. Hell, he was even entertaining the thought of the three of them starting a family together. He knew his feelings had to be strong to even consider something as sacred as family with this woman, but Brooke also believed in love at first sight. Call him old-fashioned, but he believed in a lot of the romantic notions that seemed to have died away in modern times.

  “It’ll just take a minute,” he replied as he placed a gentle hand on her elbow, trying to steer her away from Trisha. She hesitated and then set the cloth down.

  “Keep working,” she instructed Trisha. “I’ll be right back.”

  Trisha nodded, but Brooke could tell the teenager was curious to know what was going on. He had to be careful. Brooke didn’t want to do anything that could be misconstrued in any way. He didn’t need Trisha going back to Garrett and telling him anything. Brooke moved her to the other side of the room, keeping his voice low. He knew changelings had exceptional hearing, but Brooke knew how to speak so low that only Willow would hear him. He also possessed the talent of reading lips. He had perfected that talent over the years and could “listen” to an entire conversation without the people talking even suspecting he knew what they were saying.

  And what made Deluca and Brooke a force to be reckoned with was the fact that Deluca possessed those same talents.

  His best friend stayed where he was at, talking to Benito and Miguel, but Brooke knew the man was watching their lips. It would look too suspicious if both of them cornered Willow.

  His hand lingered on her elbow, and Willow didn’t pull back. As much as he hated releasing her, he knew that he had to. Trisha was watching them as well. He couldn’t allow the teenager to know his interests in the curvaceous beauty. “Do you know anything about what is going on?”

  Her eyes snapped up to him, and Brooke could see the truth in those green depths. She knew something. He wasn’t sure what it was, but there was no way she could tell him she didn’t know anything. Her eyes told it all.

  “I can’t,” she whispered.

  Brooke moved his body so that he blocked Trisha from seeing Willow, but still allowed Deluca to read their lips. “You know what Garrett is doing is wrong. We are not the enemy here. If it’s protection you need, you have it.” Asking the woman to trust total strangers was a long shot, but Brooke had to let her know that she wasn’t alone in all of this. If he had his way, she would never be alone again.

  “It doesn’t matter what I think,” she replied as she glanced at the other people in the room. “Besides, I don’t even know any of you.” She turned her eyes back toward him. “For all I know, your group is wanted for countless murders just as the news reports claim.”

  “Sugar, I can guarantee we had nothing to do with those murders.” Brooke had to stop himself from reaching up and tracing her high cheekbones with his thumbs. He wanted to touch her, to see if her skin was as soft as it looked. She had a small patch of freckles dancing over her nose, and Brooke wanted to inspect the rest of her voluptuous body to see if she had any more. Her nostrils flared, and Brooke knew she could scent his arousal. There was nothing he could do about his scent. Nothing short of death could stop him from being affected by her feminine aroma and her closeness.

  “I can’t make that same guarantee,” she stated. “The only thing I’m sure of is that I have to prepare dinner.” She moved to walk away, but Brooke blocked her from leaving.

  “If Garrett is setting us up, then he is condemning innocent men to death.” Brooke let the steel conviction of his words radiate in his eyes. He had to make her see that he was telling the truth. “You’re changeling. My scent should tell you if I’m lying or telling the truth.”

  She shook her head, her fiery red strands moving across her shoulders. Damn, Brooke had never fought so hard in his life not to touch a woman. She was temptation incarnate.

  “I can’t scent anything right now but your…” Willow’s eyes lowered, and her cheeks turned a lovely shade of red. Brooke knew exactly what she smelled.

  “My desire,” he said with a simmering heat to his voice. “You’re damn right I want you. Any man in his right mind would want a woman as beautiful as you.”

  Her eyes snapped up to him and the blush deepened. “Most men want a woman with fewer curves.”

  “Most men are idiots then,” he replied without hesitation. “Because, darling, you are everything I ever desired in a woman.”

  Her eyes sparkled with merriment as a small smile tilted her full lips. God, she was even more beautiful when she smiled. Brooke suddenly wanted to hear her laugh. He was betting the sound was just as beautiful as the woman.

  “You know all the right words to get a woman to do what you want, don’t you?”

  Brooke was getting harder. “I know all the right words to tell you because they are the truth.”

  “Willow?” Trisha called from across the room.

  The light teasing in Willow’s eyes died. Her features grew serious as she glanced toward the kitchen. “I have to get back over there.”

  Brooke didn’t want her to leave his side. He liked teasing her and he wanted to see a full smile on her face. But he knew they were treading on dangerous grounds. “Think about what I said to you, Willow. Deluca and I will protect you. I promise that you will be safe.”

  Her eyes wandered over to Deluca. The man gave a tight nod in their direction, confirming Brooke’s promise.

  “I’m Brooke,” he added, feeling a need to let her know his name.

  “I have to get back over there,” she repeated as she hurried away. Brooke stood there for a moment, his erection slowly easing. Once he was back in full control, he joined Deluca.

  “I didn’t think she would trust us,” Deluca said. “We’re strangers.”

  That may be true, but Brooke planned on changing that. And if the shit hit the fan, Willow was coming with them whether she knew it or not. There was no way he was leaving her behind. She feared the alpha, and Brooke wasn’t leaving their woman behind, especially with someone she was terrified of.

  Chapter Six

  Willow was a bit startled when the female werewolf walked over and grabbed the tray in Willow’s hands, giving her a pleasant smile. Willow hadn’t expected that.

  “I just thought you could use the help.”

  “Yes, of course.” Willow released the tray she had been holding and turned to grab the other one. “Thank you.”

  Willow couldn’t get the promise out of her head. Brooke had told her he and Deluca would protect her and keep her safe. Why would he do that? They didn’t even know her. Why would they care what happened to her?

  “I’m Isabelle,” the female said politely, pulling Willow from thought.

  “Willow,” she replied. “And this is Trisha.”

  Trisha smiled at Isabelle. Even though the alpha had filled her head with lies about the werewolf breed, Trisha was civil. If everyone believed rumors, then Willow knew these people thought the werecoyotes were untrustworthy and deceitful. Aside from the alpha, Willow thought her breed of changeling was kind, but fierce. They were like any other breed. All they wanted was to protect those they loved and live a happy life.

  That thought only reminded her of Harmony. Willow missed her niece desperately. She wanted to demand that Garrett bring her little peanut back to her, but Willow wasn’t foolish enough to demand anything from their alpha. She tried demanding something from him once before, something that was the most important thing in her life, and had learned that Garrett had no heart.

  Garrett may have the young
ones fooled, and he may even have some of the other pack members believing he was only looking out for their best interest, but Willow knew the man for what he was.

  “Can you grab a tray?” Willow asked Trisha as she glanced over toward the two humans who were making her forget she shouldn’t be interested in them.

  “Sure.”

  Garrett was as treacherous as they came. There was no doubt the man was plotting a way to make a profit off of this group of highly sought werewolves. Knowing how he was only made her want to warn Brooke and Deluca, but Willow couldn’t take that chance.

  Too much was at stake for her to be killed.

  Willow knew she had to walk a tight line. If Garrett even suspected her of lusting after the two humans, or even conspiring with them, he would have her killed. She should have told Brooke no when he asked to speak to her. Willow shouldn’t have talked with him privately. It only made her look guilty of plotting against her pack.

  As she set the bowl of stew down in front of the man she knew to be Isabelle’s mate, Willow caught her gasp. This man was not a werewolf changeling. His scent told her he was indeed changeling, but there was something more there, a hidden scent just below the surface and very faint.

  Wererat and werecougar. What an odd combination. But there was a third scent, something with a different flavor than changeling.

  “Are you done prying into my DNA?” the man asked.

  Willow quickly looked away and then moved on to the next gentleman. Lusting after Brooke and Deluca had occupied her thoughts to the point that she hadn’t noticed there was more than werewolves here. The large man in front of her with midnight black hair and big blue eyes was a jaguar changeling. He gave her a polite smile as he took the bowl from her.

  “Thanks.”

  She nodded and then found herself standing in front of Deluca. She hadn’t spoken to him yet, and as he fixed his light-grey eyes on Willow, she felt her womb contract and her breasts tighten. He stood, taking the bowl from her. Her breath hitched slightly when his fingers grazed hers. Deluca maintained constant eye contact as she stood there feeling her pulse begin to pick up and her pussy clench at the sight of the strong and powerful male standing before her.

  “Thank you, Willow.” He drew her name out like a sweet seduction. Her body was betraying her, the same way it had betrayed her when Brooke had her sheltered in the corner. His eyes traced her lips, and her entire body became taut with the caress. At least, that was what it felt like to her.

  Brooke’s warning of Garrett killing innocent men wouldn’t stop bugging her. Willow had been seconds away from telling Brooke to run, to get out of here before Garrett betrayed them. She didn’t know what the alpha was up to, but she had heard him talking with his beta, Orlando, and knew they were up to no good. She wanted to tell Brooke that something was going on, but she didn’t know any of the men here. If she warned them and they betrayed her trust, she was as good as dead.

  “It smells delicious,” Brooke said as he reached onto her tray and took the last bowl, his body so close to hers she could feel the heat coming off of him and soaking into her. All of a sudden it was too hot in here. The room didn’t have enough air. She made the mistake of licking her dry lips. It was a mistake because both men watched the act intently, both of their eyes heating with desire. She could scent it. And because they were standing so close to her, she was drowning in the spicy masculine aroma of both males.

  She couldn’t move.

  Willow couldn’t break the spell these two men had woven around her.

  “Thank you, Trisha.”

  Her attention was no longer on the two men in front of her when she heard the juvenile’s name spoken. Willow cleared her throat and turned, even though the act itself was the most difficult thing she ever had to do. She couldn’t allow Trisha to see how these men were affecting her.

  Trisha was only fourteen. Thank goodness she wasn’t aware of what arousal smelled like yet or Willow would be in danger. That didn’t mean the young girl couldn’t scent it. There was no way all three of their desires weren’t overpowering. It just meant Trisha hadn’t learned what the scent was just yet.

  But she would. She was blossoming into a beautiful young woman, and before long, the juvenile would know exactly what the scent was when all the young changelings began to take interest in her.

  The thought made Willow want to growl. Okay, so she was a little overprotective of the young girl. Trisha had been coming around Willow since she was five. Just as Harmony, Trisha was being raised by her aunt. It was a precarious situation. Trisha’s aunt was left with the burden—as Sarah constantly reminded everyone. She no more wanted to be a guardian than Trisha wanted her to be her caretaker. Sarah was never around, always chasing down one male werecoyote or another, leaving the rest of the pack to raise the young girl.

  Willow had tried her best to be there for Trisha. She guided the young girl and helped her when she needed it. But Trisha was still young and thought Garrett’s hands were clean. As hard as Willow tried to keep Trisha sheltered, she wished she could just tell her how the man truly was.

  But even if she decided to lay bare what the man was like, Willow knew there were some secrets she could never whisper, some truths she could never tell. Her womb clenched at the thought, and she quickly buried it before it brought her to her knees.

  Trisha hadn’t asked what Willow and Brooke had talked about, but she could tell the young werecoyote was dying to ask. As much as Willow loved Trisha, the juvenile saw Garrett as a strong leader who could do no harm. Trisha didn’t know about deception and deceit, lies and betrayals. She was too young to know the lines adults crossed for purely selfish reasons. No, Willow had to watch what was said and done around the teenager who still wore rose-colored glasses that were fixed firmly to her eyes.

  Willow walked quickly back over to the kitchen, trying to rein in her out-of-control desires.

  “Alpha Garrett asked me to babysit Harmony tonight. Does that mean you will be staying here?” Trisha asked as she set her tray down. Isabelle had already brought her tray back and was now sitting next to her mate as he fed her from his bowl. Willow’s heart tightened at the sight. She dreamed of having a man like that, someone who looked at her like she was their entire universe. She watched the two, feeling so damn envious.

  She glanced over at Deluca and Brooke and saw them gazing her way. Willow quickly turned back around. She grabbed the cloth and began to wipe the counter down. “I wasn’t told to stay here, but if he wants you to babysit, then I guess this is where I’ll be.”

  The alpha was keeping her from her niece. Willow saw the act for what it was. He knew she didn’t like Trisha to be at home because Sarah wouldn’t be there. So why would she want Harmony there? Garrett knew this. He knew how everyone viewed the reckless aunt. Yet he was allowing a fourteen-year-old to care for a three-year-old overnight, alone.

  Willow hated the idea of not being home and keeping Harmony safe herself.

  “I’m done here so I’ll go pick little Peanut up from Alpha Garrett’s home.” Trisha leaned forward and kissed Willow on her cheek. “Be careful,” she whispered before she left the aerial loft.

  Willow stayed in the kitchen for as long as she could. There was no one she had to watch out for. Although these people were strangers to her, Willow knew they would not be running to Garrett to tell the alpha if Deluca and Brooke boxed her in once more.

  She cleaned everything she could, twice, and then folded the cloth up and set it aside. Willow knew all eyes would be on her as she crossed the room, but she had to gain a little privacy. Knowing the two men were constantly watching her was fraying her nerves.

  Quickly walking to the bedroom, Willow blew out a slow breath when she was finally alone. But even in the quietness of the room, her thoughts were on the two men on the other side of the wall.

  They were like night and day in appearance. Brooke was well toned, his muscles defined nicely from what she could see. He was fit, sculpted, and g
orgeous. His amethyst eyes drew her in and had held her captive. She wanted to run her fingers over his short, black hair just to feel the thick strands under her fingertips. He was about four inches taller than her and smelled so masculine that her thighs tightened at the remembered scent.

  Deluca was another story. The muscles rippling under his shirt seemed to stretch the fabric and show off the power he possessed. He was a lot broader than Brooke and an inch taller than his friend. His light-grey eyes were just as stunning as Brooke’s lavender ones, and he wore the same styled short hair, only his was a sandy blond.

  They were both so damn tempting that Willow wanted to whimper. Her fingers had tingled to touch Brooke’s handsome face and see if the hair that shadowed his jaw was as soft as it looked.

  But she knew that no matter how much she wanted the two men, it wasn’t going to happen. They were prisoners here, and Harmony was being kept from her. The odds of this going anywhere were stacking up, and Willow knew she needed to forget about any desires she had.

  Her pack would kill her if they knew just how much she wanted those two men. It didn’t matter to her that they were human. In Willow’s eyes, a person should be judged by his or her character, not their species.

  “I wanted to thank you for dinner.”

  Willow’s heart jolted in her chest when Deluca appeared in the doorway. Gods, he had scared her.

  He frowned. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “I’m fine,” she quickly replied. “You’re welcome for dinner.” She stood in the middle of the room, hoping he went away and praying he stayed. She was conflicted as hell. Deluca scanned the room with his eyes and then walked closer to her. Willow’s coyote lifted its head and watched the man closely as his presence seemed to suck all the oxygen from the room. Even though he wasn’t changeling, Deluca was a powerful male. She wanted nothing more than to give in to her desire to touch the man, but knew where that would lead.