Loving the Tigers

by Tianna Xander

  “Where are you?” Zach moved through the candlelit room, Derek at his side. She wasn’t on the bed. There were only three other places she could be. Hiding under the bed, in the closet, or in the bathroom. He hoped she was in the latter rather than one of the former. He couldn’t wait to see her skin gleaming a dark bronze in the candlelight as the water droplets glistened on her flesh like diamonds.

  His cock throbbed behind his fly, tenting the slacks of the expensive tux he’d purchased less than three hours ago. He’d wanted to make her feel special. He’d needed to let her know what she meant to them, just how much they’d come to love her, because he knew her broken heart needed that proof, whether she knew it or not.

  A message written in lipstick on her vanity mirror read, take off your clothes and find the treasure.

  Neither of them wasted a moment ripping the clothes from their bodies. The heat of the candles and the scent of their mate drove the mating heat to heights it had never been before.

  She has to be in the bathtub, Derek said through their mind link. I hear water splashing.

  Zach’s skin burned with the need to feel his mate’s touch. His cock throbbed, growing larger than it ever had before until he felt as though the blood engorging it would burst through his skin.

  I think you’re right. He moved away from Derek and headed for the bathroom door. This was the night they would complete their triad bond.

  Every breath he took ratcheted his need higher and higher until there was no thought left in him but having his mate, possessing her and burying his cock so deep inside her they would become one being instead of two or three.

  The bathroom door stood slightly ajar. Steam from the bath concentrated her scent, held it hovering in the air. It surrounded them as they entered the room.

  Zach swallowed thickly at the sight of her sitting along the back wall of the garden tub, her legs spread, the glistening hair at the juncture of her thighs, beckoning him to go to her, to touch the wet, silky flesh of her waiting slit.

  She took a deep breath, drawing his attention to her full breasts and large, dark nipples that he couldn’t wait to taste. He loved to see their differences—how their lighter skin contrasted with her coffee and cream complexion.

  Kneeling, he reached out and cupped the generous weight of her breast, reveling in the contrast of his hand against her skin.

  Kelly leaned toward the wall and arched her back, closing her eyes. A moan escaped her full lips and his cock, already standing at attention jerked as he thought about how it would feel to have those luscious lips wrapped around his thick length as he drove deep into her beautiful mouth.

  “This is it, isn’t it?” She stared up at them, her expression filled with love and just a little trepidation. “Making love with you both won’t change things between us, will it? You’ll both still love me afterward, won’t you?”

  The uncertainty in her voice nearly brought Zach to his knees. “Is that what you think, baby?” he asked around the lump in his throat. “You’ve felt the heat. You at least have a good idea how we would feel without you in our lives. Do you really think our feelings for you could ever go away?” He brushed his thumb over her nipple and smiled at her sharp inhalation.

  “Our feelings will surely change once we have completed the bond, but they will never go away.” Derek stepped into the tub, lifted her and set her on his lap, his arms circling her, holding her close against his chest. “If anything, our coming together will make our feelings more intense than they already are. We’ll love you more, need you more, than we already do and let me tell you,” he said with a grin. “It’s already pretty intense. I can’t fathom what it will be like to love you more than I already do. A part of me thinks it’s not possible, yet I know it will happen.”

  She met their gazes and thrust her shoulders back. They groaned as her breasts lifted, her nipples bouncing as though begging to be sucked.

  “I love your courage to face this head on after so many rejections. Mostly, though, I love you because you are the one woman nature made for me, for us, and you have the courage to face your fears and accept us.” Derek leaned down and drew one of her dark cherry nipples into his mouth.

  “You humble us and make us question whether or not we are good enough for you, baby. Never question that you’re good enough for us. Never.”

  Zach stepped into the tub, lowered himself to his knees and slid his hands beneath her thighs. Lifting her, he buried his face between her lovely thighs and licked the line of her lower lips, his tongue delving between them, tasting her thick cream and circling her clit before sucking it into his mouth.

  Fingernails scraped his scalp as she thrust her fingers through his hair and held tight. Her low moans and cries of ecstasy drove him on as her hips bucked against him.

  He lifted his head after her body stiffened and she screamed into Derek’s mouth as he covered her lips with his.

  Her hair fell around her face in a riot of natural waves. She’d washed it earlier and hadn’t taken the time to straighten it. Sexy and disheveled, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

  Licking his lips, he gazed into her glazed eyes. “You taste delicious.” He smiled at her frown.

  “I most likely taste the same down there as any other woman.”

  “I will be the judge of that.” He met her stare. “You do not taste the same as every woman. I think I would know that more than you unless you’ve also experimented with women.”

  “Uh... no. I haven’t.” Her face darkened in a blush and he grinned as she lifted herself from Derek’s lap enough to lower herself back down on the other man’s cock. “What makes you think I swing that way?” She tilted her head and raised a brow. “Do I look as though I like women?” She bounced in Derek’s lap as though to emphasize how ridiculous the possibility seemed.

  Reaching up, she cupped her breasts, her fingers tugging her nipples as she lowered her lids, her expression one of complete abandon.

  Derek grasped her hips, using his strength to help her ride him faster and harder.

  “Oh, yes, baby.” She leaned back, her head resting against his shoulder as he thrust his hips against her. “Just like that.”

  Zach closed his eyes. He didn’t know if he could watch them without coming and making a fool of himself. He wanted in on the action. Hell, he needed in on that action.

  Standing, he leaned against the wall, his body pressing toward hers. His cock in one hand, he pressed it against her full lips with a groan. “Suck it. Please.” Hell, he wasn’t above begging if that’s what he needed to do to get her to take his length into the heat of her perfect mouth.

  Tipping her head back, she smirked up at him. Her eyes more brown than blue. She winked. “Can’t take the heat?”

  “No.” He groaned when she licked the head of his cock, her tongue circling the tip as though it were an all-day sucker. Hell, she could suck him all day long. He’d have no complaints. “I need to feel you. To fuck you.”

  Wrapping her fingers around the base of his cock, she took him into her mouth as deep as she could before pulling back. Her moans as Derek fucked into her pussy vibrated every inch of his cock as she took it into her mouth, and Zach closed his eyes, enjoying the accidental hummer.

  After a few moments, Derek stopped, his breath coming in great gusts as he swiped his arm over his face. “We need to change positions if we plan to complete the ritual tonight.”

  Reluctantly, Zach pulled away from Kelly, his cock slipping from her mouth with a lovely slurping sound he could very well get used to hearing.

  “Is that what you want, darlin’?” He cupped her chin, lifting her head to meet his gaze. “Are you ready for the complete bond, ready to become our mate in every sense of the word?”

  “Yes.” She nodded, her eyes never shifting to look away. She met his intense stare head on and nodded again. “I want to be your mate. I want to have the right to wake up with you every morning and go t
o bed with you every night. Mostly, I want to love you for the rest of my life.”

  “Then stand up and face Derek,” Zach said as he reached for the bottle of body oil she’d left on the side of the tub. They both stood, the water sluicing down over them as they moved into position.

  Derek lifted her off her feet and gently lowered her over his jutting erection. “Wrap your legs around my waist and take my cock deep inside you, baby.”

  Zach took a deep breath as he massaged the oil onto his cock. They would finally make Kelly their mate in every sense of the word.

  Gently, as though they had all the time in the world, he coated his fingers and worked some of the oil into her ass. He would give his life before he hurt her, even by accident.

  After he worked three fingers into her anus, he pulled out and placed the head of his cock at the tight hole. “Ready?” he asked, fully expecting her to tense, yet hoping she wouldn’t.

  “Ready,” she replied with a sharp nod just before she relaxed and went boneless in Derek’s arms.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Kelly kept her arms wrapped tightly around Derek’s neck as Zach pressed against her back hole. With slow precision, he leaned forward, the thick head of his cock forging its way past the tight ring of her anus.

  Taking long, deep breaths, she remained still as the feeling of fullness grew and he slid his oil-coated erection deeper and deeper into her until his pelvis finally rested against her ass.

  “Lean back, love.” Zach pulled her upper body from Derek’s embrace.

  Derek bent forward, his mouth catching her left nipple as she leaned back against Zach’s chest. She moaned as he flexed his hips, jamming his cock inside her.

  “I’ve never felt so full in my life.” She almost felt like a sausage, she felt so stuffed as they both thrust forward at the same time. It took a bit, but they managed to work out a rhythm that left her screaming as she came repeatedly. Over and over, her body shuddered as they held her sandwiched between them. Her mind shattered again and again as the orgasms overtook her.

  “Please!” she cried as they continued to ram into her. Their hands and mouths were everywhere—on her neck, suckling her ears and her breasts. When Zach reached around and thrust his hand between her legs and stroked her clit, she screamed.

  Every muscle tensed as she exploded around them. Her body quivered and shook as she came over and over again. She climaxed again, when they moved closer, pressing their bodies against hers. They both leaned forward, Zach nipping her right shoulder and Derek her left.

  Starbursts exploded behind her eyelids as they rode her through yet another orgasm. Derek bit his lip, drawing blood, just before he kissed her. She tasted the slight coppery tang again when Zach cupped her cheek and turned her head and pressed his lips against hers as they came inside her, filling her with the warmth of their seed and the unusual taste of their blood.

  Slowly, Zach pulled from her clasping flesh and sat in the cooling water.

  Derek followed suit as Kelly’s legs fell from around his waist. Weak as an infant, she rested her head on his shoulder as he gently lowered them both to the seat inside the tub.

  Zach flipped a switch and the tepid water swirled around them, soothing her aching muscles. The bubbles caressed her skin, like tiny fingers touching her in her most intimate of places.

  She wanted to sleep in their arms, but mostly, she wanted to feel their arms around her as she drifted off. She could do that here. She needed to wash before they took her to bed, but didn’t know if she had the courage to do so in front of them.

  Drowsy, she tried to smile when Derek kissed the top of her head, his hands sliding down her back to rest on the small of her back. Water splashed and the body wash bottle made a rude noise just before Zach pressed a wash cloth against her, cleaning her intimately with so much care, she didn’t think to be embarrassed. She could only feel loved as he slid the wet and soapy cloth over her pussy and anus.

  She took a deep breath when he stopped. Her world slowed its spinning until a sensation of soothing warmth settled over her. Closing her eyes, she relaxed against Derek for a moment and let herself enjoy the moment.

  “Are we mated, now?” Kelly hadn’t known she would ask the question until the words escaped her lips.

  “Yes.” Derek slid his hands up her back and back down to cup her buttocks. “Do you feel any differently?”

  “No.” She shook her head, her cheek rubbing against the smooth skin of his chest. “Should I?”

  Should she feel different? Her sugar hadn’t been high. She would have felt it if it had been. It usually made her tired and generally feel like crap.

  “I should test my sugar before I go to bed, though.” She’d missed testing it after dinner. “I can’t tell you how much I would love never having to give myself injections ever again.” She sighed against Derek’s chest. “I know I should get up and do it. I just don’t want to move.”

  “It’s okay, malysh.” Derek chuckled as he stood. “We should all go into the other room and go to bed.” He stood, still holding her in his arms. “Let us go test your sugar levels then go to bed.” His breath brushed her ear and she shivered.

  “What does malysh mean? You’ve never called me that, before.” She scowled up at him, resting her hands on his ribs. She’d pinch him good if she found out that was some derogatory term in another language.

  “It means baby,” Zach pressed a quick kiss to her shoulder. “I would call you kotik.” He smiled at her scowl. “That means pussycat.”

  “Oh.” Her face burned. Would she ever get used to their compliments and endearing names for her?

  When Derek set her on her feet, Zach grabbed a bath towel and quickly dried her off.

  Kelly could do nothing but stand swaying on her feet. “I’m so tired.” She frowned. “I’ll bet my blood sugar is out of this world,” she said with a sigh as Zach dropped the towel, bent and scooped her up in his arms. “Damn, and I’d hoped that I’d be like you, now.” She gave him a sleepy smile. “I think it’d be cool to shift shape into a tiger or something equally as awesome. Too bad it didn’t work.” A tear slid down her cheek. “Does that mean I’m not really your mate?” She swiped the moisture from her cheeks. “I don’t know what I’ll do if we can’t spend the rest of our lives together. I—I love you two so much. I don’t want to have to let you go.”

  She would if their happiness depended on it, but it would kill her.

  “Shh... kotik. There is nothing to fear.” Zach pressed a kiss to her temple as he carried her to the vanity and set her on the chair. “Now, test your blood so we can go to bed.” He winked. “I’m very tired and I would like nothing more than to hold you while I sleep.”

  Derek winced when she pierced her finger with the lancet. “I don’t know how you do that. Getting injured is one thing. Purposely poking holes in my body is something I could never do.”

  “Like I said. You’d do it if your life depended on it.” She glanced down at the tester and blinked. “It’s seventy-eight. My numbers haven’t been that low since I started testing.”

  Could she believe it worked—that she was one of them?

  She scratched her thighs and rubbed her back against the chair. “Why do I itch all over?” She narrowed her eyes and glared at her mates. “Do you two have fleas?”

  “Fleas?” Derek’s eyes widened. “I don’t have fleas!”

  “Then why do I itch like crazy?” She scratched her head. “And my gums ache.”

  Zach knelt before her and grinned. “I think your beast is about to make its first appearance.”

  “My... my beast?” Her gaze darted to Derek, then shifted back to Zach. “Do you mean—”

  Pain exploded in her head as her teeth grew, her incisors lengthened, her bones popped and cracked as they shifted. Her muscles shortened and grew thicker as fur sprouted over her body.

  So much for that wax I had the day before yesterday. She sighed as she s
tared at the black hair covering her body. She lifted her hand to see that it wasn’t her hand she stared at, but rather a large paw of a big cat, including the lethal claws she extended before retracting again. The black fur, with almost invisible darker stripes, took her by surprise.

  Both Derek and Zach smiled down at her as she sat on the floor next to the chair she’d somehow vacated during her change.

  Why do I feel like licking myself? She glanced down at the hairy leg where her arm should have been. Yuck! I’m covered with hair. I’m not licking hair. It’s just not happening.

  “Believe me. It’s happening,” Zach said with a chuckle.

  She glanced up at her two men and narrowed her eyes. You heard that? You never said you were telepathic.

  “We’re not, really.” Derek crossed his arms and met her accusing glare. “However, most shifters do have their own line of telepathic communication. You tapped into ours just now.”

  Did you know that I’d want to lick myself when you talked me into this? She shuddered at the thought.

  Zach shrugged while Derek looked away, his shoulders shaking. “Of course. Though, we never thought about it. You’re like us. Soon, the urge to groom yourself while in this form won’t seem so repugnant.” He knelt and scratched her behind the ears.

  Don’t count on it, white boy. She snorted. I’m never gonna get used to any part of this. She gave in to the urge to rub against them like the cat she had apparently become before pinning them both with a stare.

  “What?” they asked at the same time.

  It was fun while it lasted, now tell me how to change back.

  “We can’t.”

  What do you mean you can’t? I’m not staying like this forever... am I? She’d never thought of that. What if she could never become human again? I mean, doing it in cat form seems kind of kinky. I don’t think I can go quite that far.

  “Oh, you’ll change back eventually. The first shift is always rather random. When you’re more experienced, you’ll merely need to think of your other self and you’ll change. The first time is always unpredictable.” Derek moved to the bed and walked around it as though wanting to put distance between them.