by Becca Van
Another tall, dark-haired man rose and walked over to her. The cocky, infectious grin he bestowed on her wasn’t one she could ignore, and was contagious so she found herself smiling back at him. He held his hand out to her and gave her a cheeky wink before saying, “I’m Joe Reynolds, second-in-charge of our little community. If you need anything and can’t find Blue, come and find me.”
Melanie shook his hand and nodded. “Thank you, Joe.”
Just as she felt as if she was going to fit in with these people, a low, rumbling growl from one of the men sitting at the massive dining table ramped up her anxiety again, but when two more men joined in making the same animalistic sounds, she tugged her hand from Joe’s and took a step back.
All three men spoke at the same time, and although their speech was garbled, she heard what each men said clearly, even though they’d said the one word simultaneously.
“Mine!”
Joe and Blue must have seen how wary she was feeling, or maybe her retreat had clued them in to how uncomfortable she was, because they looked at each other and then stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the three intense men. She drew in a ragged breath and exhaled slowly now that she couldn’t see them and they couldn’t see her. She had no idea who those men were or what had set them off, but they had been looking at her as if they were starving and she was on the menu.
“Knock it off,” Blue commanded in a deep, emphatic voice that sent shivers dancing up and down her spine.
The way that order had come out left her in no doubt as to who was in charge of this little community, but for some reason, she felt safe and knew that Blue and Joe wouldn’t let anyone hurt her.
A light touch on her shoulder had her startling and spinning around to see who was behind her, and she sighed with relief when she saw a blonde woman a few inches taller than herself. And from the roundness of her belly, Melanie could guess that she was looking at Jenny, Blue and Joe’s pregnant wife.
“You’re Melanie?” the woman asked.
Melanie swallowed nervously and nodded.
“I am so pleased to meet you, Melanie. I’m Jenny Reynolds. Welcome to the pa— community. Don’t worry about those Neanderthals. They just can’t help acting like animals sometimes.” Jenny shoved her way between Joe and Blue, and although Melanie could no longer see her face, the woman’s body language spoke volumes. She’d placed her hands on her hips and lifted her head, and to Mel’s surprise, the noises dissipated.
Melanie moved closer to the trio, and when she peered through a small gap, she was astonished to see that everyone at the table had lowered their heads as if in supplication. That was the weirdest reaction she’d ever seen, but when one of the men who’d been staring and growling at her glanced up, she saw his eyes change from blue to a glowing yellow colour.
But that wasn’t the only strange thing to occur. When she glanced at each of the men who’d growled and snarled “mine,” her body reacted in a way it never had before.
Her breasts seemed to become fuller, her areolae contracted and puckered, her nipples hardened, and her pussy moistened and softened. Her heart rate sped up, as did her breathing, and her imagination began to take hold.
The three guys were the sexiest men she’d ever seen, and although they were strangers, she had the wildest urge to lick them all over. But that wasn’t all. She could imagine their hands caressing all over her body and them making love to her.
Melanie began to wonder what the hell she’d gotten herself into and what the hell was wrong with her. She’d never reacted that way to any man in her life and couldn’t work out why she would do so now.
There was more going on here than met the eye, and she was determined to find out what it was.
Chapter Two
Johnny’s wolf had been going insane as soon as he caught the scent of the small female, and although his animal had wanted to get free and mark his mate, he’d fought his inner beast until he’d gained a semblance of control. But when first Blue and then Joe had touched her, his wolf hadn’t stopped clawing at his insides, and he hadn’t been able to stop his animal from making a verbal claim.
He hadn’t really been surprised when his brothers, Kris and Jules, had claimed her, too. The three of them had always been more than brothers since almost from the moment they’d been born, and they did everything together, even sharing a woman a time or two.
It was really hard to sit still while Jenny began to assert her dominance over them, but she was the Alpha female, and what she or Blue and Joe said was not to be ignored.
“What is wrong with you three?” Jenny raised her chin in challenge, and even though he hated backing down, there was no way in hell he was going to defy her. “That is no way to treat a woman. Now I think you should all apologise. You frightened her.”
Johnny felt bad for scaring his mate, but his wolf had gotten away from him for a moment. But he knew if he and his brothers were to have any chance of getting to know her then apologising would be a step in the right direction. He slowly pushed his chair back and stood up. Kris and Jules followed suit, and as he moved toward Jenny, she, Blue, and Joe moved aside.
His breath caught in his throat at his second glimpse of his mate. She was the most beautiful and sexily feminine female he’d ever seen. She wasn’t a classic beauty, but she was very pretty in that “girl next door” way, with her shoulder-length dark brown wavy hair and gorgeous hazel eyes. The closer he got to her, the harder it was to control his wolf, but he pushed his animal back down hard, gaining dominance over his beast.
He stopped a couple of feet in front of her and inhaled deeply. She smelled so sweet he could just imagine what she tasted like, and when saliva pooled in his mouth, he swallowed so he could speak to her without choking.
“My name is Johnny Reynolds. I’m sorry for growling and scaring you. I would never do anything to harm you. In fact, I would give my life to protect you.” Johnny raised his hand, offering to shake hers, and waited with bated breath for her to accept his apology.
She frowned and shifted from foot to foot for a moment, and when he caught the musky scent of her desire, his wolf nearly howled with joy. Johnny gritted his teeth and once more pushed his wolf down hard. When she finally raised her arm and her small soft hand clasped his, he once more had to struggle with his wolf. He felt really big and clumsy standing in front of her, but he was also excited and horny.
“Apology accepted.”
Her voice was light yet husky and sent a shiver down his body straight to his cock and balls. If Kris hadn’t cleared his throat and clasped his shoulder, Johnny didn’t know if he would have been able to release her and step back.
Kris took his place and held his hand out to her. “I’m Kris Reynolds, and I would also like to apologise for scaring you. I would never intentionally hurt you or frighten any woman.”
“Thank you.”
Johnny saw Kris tremble slightly, but it was such an infinitesimal movement their mate didn’t notice, but when he saw Kris’s eyes begin to change colour, he punched him on the arm.
Kris growled at him with annoyance, but when he saw their mate take a step back, he sighed with resignation. They had startled her again, and Johnny knew that it would be best to set her straight from the start, but first Jules needed to apologise.
“Melanie?” Jules called tentatively.
Melanie turned to look at him, and Johnny smiled when he saw her pupils dilate farther, and the scent of her arousal grew stronger. There was so much they needed to explain to her, and although he was trepidatious about how she was going to react, their mate needed to know the truth so they could move forward. He hoped that Jenny would be a calming influence as well as an informative one when they began to explain about werewolves and the pack. But what scared the shit out of him was that their mate could turn tail and run.
A werewolf had only one true mate, and if she rejected them, they would never find another woman to complete them.
“I’m sorry for scarin
g you,” Jules said as he clasped Melanie’s hand. “We would never hurt you. We have so much to explain.”
Melanie frowned, glancing from Jules to Kris and Johnny before meeting Jules’s gaze again.
“Like what?” she asked and pulled her hand from Jules’s.
“Why don’t I show you to the cottage we’ve allocated you?” Jenny asked, stepping up next to Melanie. “I’m sure you’re tired after driving such a long way and would love to get settled in.”
Johnny had to use all of his control to stand still and not follow his mate and Jenny as they walked away. When the women were no longer in sight, he let out the breath he hadn’t known he was holding until that moment and met Kris’s and Jules’s gazes.
“Sit,” Blue ordered, breaking into their thoughts and pointing toward the large table.
Johnny and his brothers complied with their Alpha’s command and waited for him to speak.
“You’re going to have to tell her what we are as soon as possible,” Blue said. “She noticed the glow in Kris’s eyes. If you need me, Joe, and Jenny to be present we will be, but I think it would be best if just Jenny was there when you all tell her.”
Joe cleared his throat, drawing their attention. “Whatever you do, don’t let your wolves take over. If you become too aggressive, you’ll only scare her away. And don’t tell her everything at once. You need to give her time to process the information bit by bit.”
“Joe’s right. You all heard and saw the hell we went through when Jenny saw me shift without me being aware of her presence. She was so damn scared and hysterical I thought she was going to run away screaming or pass out.” Blue paused to draw in a deep breath before continuing on. “I don’t think you’ll have the problems we did because, if I know my mate, and I do very well, she’s going to lay the groundwork for you.”
“What?” Johnny asked with a frown.
“Jenny is probably already filling her in on what we are, and you should be thankful to your Alpha female for that,” Joe said emphatically.
“Jenny would never do anything to jeopardise your chance with your woman, but if you think about it for a moment, you will realise it’s for the better that our secret comes from her first. Females are much more compassionate than a normal human male is, let alone a wolf. Plus, she’s been where Melanie is right now, so she will understand how your mate feels and what questions will need to be answered before they’re even asked.”
“Our Alpha is right,” Jules said with a sigh. “We need to give Melanie and Jenny some time alone. I know it goes against everything our animals want, but if we want a relationship with our mate to work, she’s going to need time to digest the fact that werewolves are real and that we’re her mates.”
* * * *
“Here we are.” Jenny led the way up the porch steps onto the small, covered veranda and opened the front door. “I hope you like it.”
Mel followed Jenny into a modern cabin and was surprised by the open space. From the outside, it had looked deceptively small, and although it wasn’t large, it was more than enough room for her. In fact it would have been big enough to house another two people as well.
“This is amazing,” Melanie said as she took in the large chaise lounge, the big flat screen TV on the wall, and the entertainment unit with a stereo in it.
“There are only two bedrooms, but since you’re here alone for the moment, I figured it would be big enough for you.”
“What do you mean by that?” Mel asked. She’d walked down the small hallway to peer in the bedrooms and chose which one she would sleep in but was a little worried over Jenny’s last statement. She glanced at the bedroom one last time and turned around to head back to Jenny, who was still standing in the lounge room.
“Why don’t I put the kettle on and make us a cup of coffee or tea and then we can talk?”
“I need to get my car from outside your house so I can bring my things in.”
“Don’t worry about that right now. If you give me your keys when I leave, I’ll have some of the guys bring your car over and unload your car for you.”
Mel nodded and followed Jenny into the kitchen. It wasn’t a big kitchen, but it was modern with all the latest appliances and had plenty of cupboard space.
“The kitchen is fully stocked with cutlery, plates, cups, pots and pans, and the freezer, fridge, and pantry are full of food.”
“Wow, I didn’t expect that. Thank you.”
Jenny had already filled the coffee pot and was in the process of getting cups from the cupboard. When she had everything ready, she turned to face Melanie with a smile on her face. “It’s the least I can do after you’ve come all the way out here to the middle of nowhere to help out.”
Mel shrugged and smiled back. “I know Blue only hired me because you’re pregnant and suffering from a lot of morning sickness, but you all actually were the ones who did me a favour. I’d just been let go from my last job because the owner sold up and the new owners closed the restaurant down to refurbish it. Plus, I was eager for a change, and when I saw the advert for this job, I just felt it was meant to be.”
“Take a seat.” Jenny gestured to the table as she brought the coffee pot over plus her own cup of herbal tea. “I love coffee, and I miss it so much.”
“Oh, sorry. Why didn’t you say something? I like tea and would have saved you the torture of smelling it.”
“Oh no.” Jenny grinned. “You aren’t taking that away from me. You know it’s really weird. The nausea I’m dealing with can be set off by smells I’ve always loved. The first trimester I couldn’t stand the smell of coffee, but now that I’m close to the third trimester, I want to smell it all the time. Right now I can’t stand the scent of blood or cooking meat. Blue and Joe have been great and cooking it outside on the barbecue, but there are only so many ways a man can cook on hotplates.”
“I hear you. Don’t worry if you have the right equipment. I can cook a roast on a barbie.” Melanie poured coffee into her mug and took a sip. She sighed with bliss as the strong brew hit her tastebuds. “You make the best coffee.”
“I think it’s the blend and has nothing to do with how I make it, but thanks.” Jenny sipped her tea.
“Shayne said I would only be cooking for twenty people, but from the houses I saw out behind yours, there are way more than that many who live here. I don’t mind cooking for more people. I know I was only a sous chef, but I’m capable of cooking for fifty or more. If you’d allow it, I can see if you have anyone with cooking skills who is willing to help me.”
“I’ll ask around, but we never expected you to cook for everyone. Of course since Blue and Joe are the leaders, and there are always issues to be dealt with, we almost always have people over at dinnertime. The most you will ever need to cook for will be about twenty.”
Melanie nodded. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Why are you all out here? Why not in a city somewhere or a small town? It’s like you’ve created you own little town.”
“We have,” Jenny said. “Do you have an open mind, Melanie?”
“Call me Mel, all my friends do. I’d like to think I do. Why?”
“Have you ever thought that the stories about mythological creatures could be true?”
“Well, sure, as a kid I did.” Mel frowned, and although she wasn’t sure why Jenny had asked that question, she could tell by the expression on her face there was more to come.
“What about werewolves? Have you ever wondered if they truly exist?”
“Uh…um…” All of a sudden she remembered the growling sounds Johnny, Kris, and Jules had made, and the yellowy glow in Kris’s eyes flashed through her mind. Her heart flipped and began to race, and her breathing became shallower and faster. Was Jenny trying to tell her that they were all werewolves? No, surely she was just yanking her chain.
“If I told you that shifters were real, would you believe me, or would you think that I’m insane?”
Melan
ie’s mouth gaped open when Jenny’s eyes changed from a normal blue colour to a mix of the same and a slightly tinged glowing yellow. And she knew, in that instant, that werewolves were real and that maybe Jenny was one of them.
The cup slipped from her hand, spilling warm coffee all over the table and onto her. Before she could grab it, the cup fell to the floor and broke into pieces. Melanie jumped to her feet and hurried to the sink for a cloth. She walked back to the table and wiped the spilled coffee up, ignoring Jenny as she moved around the kitchen. Normally Mel was a face-things-head-on kind of girl, but she needed time to get her head around what she thought Jenny was trying to tell her.
Is she really trying to tell me that she, as well as everybody else in this weird, little, segregated community in the middle of nowhere, is a werewolf?
Once she was finished wiping up the table, Mel bent down and began to gather up the broken ceramic pieces from the smashed mug.
“Be careful you don’t cut yourself,” Jenny said in a quiet voice and then passed down some paper towel so Melanie could wipe up the coffee puddle from the floor.
When she had the spill cleaned up and the broken cup picked up, she stood up and faced Jenny. The woman had wiped all expression from her face, and her eyes were back to their normal blue colour.
“The bin’s in the cupboard beneath the sink.”
Mel gulped audibly, nodded, and walked toward the sink. She found the bin, dropped the sodden paper towel into it, and then dumped the broken cup in as well. When she looked down to brush the small chips of ceramic from the palm of her hand, she saw a small cut and tiny amount of blood. It didn’t hurt, and the cut wasn’t deep, but she didn’t want to get blood on anything, so she washed her hands at the sink, tore off more paper towel, and dried her hands.
“I can smell blood. Did you cut yourself?” Jenny asked from behind her.
Mel looked at the other woman over her shoulder and saw that Jenny was right behind her. When she met her gaze and watched as the blood drained from Jenny’s face, she became concerned. “Are you all right? You don’t look so hot.”