by R. E. Butler
He opened the iron entirely and she saw four perfectly golden waffles. He fished them out with a fork and put two on each plate. She filled glasses with apple juice and sat across from him, taking a moment to inhale the sweet scent rising from the waffle. She cut off a corner and decided she needed just a little extra maple syrup. Once she’d drizzled some on top, she took another bite and groaned happily.
“Amazing, Brin. I think you could make these during the gathering,” she said. Buffet-style meals were served during the gathering, and Angel had anticipated helping Ally and her husbands cook for the crowd.
“I’ll make a batch to take over to them.”
“After flowers,” she said.
He grinned. “You bet.”
When breakfast was over and the dishes were done, her phone buzzed. It was Bliss.
“Hey, B,” she said.
“What’s the deal with you and Whisper? She called me all upset.”
“I don’t know why she’s upset, I’m the one who got ripped a new one because of my mates.”
“Their dad was a psycho.”
She bristled. “My mates are not their father, and I don’t appreciate what you’re saying about them.”
“Hey, that kind of crazy can be hereditary. How do you know what they’re really up to? What if they’re just using you to get close to her so they can take over where their dad left off?”
Angel was so shocked she couldn’t speak. She was simultaneously pissed and utterly destroyed by Bliss’s words. When she opened her mouth, all that came out was a pathetic squeak. Swallowing hard and brushing the tears from her cheeks, she finally found her voice. “They’re my mates, they’re not using me for anything, and they’re nothing like their father. How dare you even suggest that my mating happened under false pretenses!”
“Hey, hold on,” Bliss said. “I didn’t mean…”
“What? Didn’t mean to insult the three most important guys in the world to me? You just crossed a line, Bliss, and I won’t forget it.”
Ending the call, Angel dropped the phone and it clattered to the table. Brin put his arms around her as he slid into the seat next to hers. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured.
“Hold me tighter, Brin,” she said thickly. “Tighter.”
He squeezed her close, and she buried her face in his neck and cried. Best friends were supposed to be supportive of each other. Bliss had just taken Whisper’s side, and now Angel felt like she’d lost two friends in one fell swoop.
“Do you want me to get Ian and Quill?”
“No,” she said when she could finally talk. As bad as her conversations with Whisper had been, Bliss’s words had been worse.
He kissed the top of her head. “I overheard what she said. You know that my brothers and I adore you for you, because you’re our mate.”
“I know,” she said, rubbing at her wet cheeks. She reached for a napkin from the dispenser on the table and blew her nose. Giving him a watery smile, she said, “You didn’t know that I was her friend. I know there’s nothing between us but honesty.”
He hummed in his throat and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”
“I’m not feeling super strong right now.”
“But you are. And I’m humbled and honored to be your mate.”
“I’m glad you’re mine, Brin, and I’m yours.”
After composing herself, she said, “Let’s go to work. I feel like sitting around here is going to just make me focus on the bad stuff, and I don’t want to do that.”
“You got it, love.”
They picked up a basket and two pairs of scissors, chose a trail, and headed into the woods. As they walked side by side, she told him the types of flowers to look for – colorful ones that would dry well, and some white flowers that could be dyed or left white as accents.
By the time they reached the edge of the river, the basket was full and she’d put aside the thought of how badly she’d been hurt by Bliss’s call. She didn’t want to dwell on it, especially when she was with her mate. There would be time to deal with things later. As she stared across the river, she realized they were in the place where she’d met them for the first time. The camper no longer sat in the woods across the river; Quill had moved it to a storage barn in the campground, and promised to take her camping sometime if she wanted. She liked the idea of getting in the camper and going somewhere, and thought she’d like to give it a try sometime. The closest she’d ever come to camping was when she was a kid and her mom had set up a tent in the backyard and let her and a friend sleep outside. They’d stayed up all night telling scary stories to each other, giggling nervously at every sound, and she’d decided she never cared to go camping again. But with her mates, she knew there wouldn’t be any scary stories in the camper, just lots of love.
She set the basket down and glanced around. Brin was squatted at the river’s edge, skipping stones across the surface. He was so sexy. His t-shirt fit his body perfectly, the material tight against his muscles. He was lean and muscular, and knew just how to touch her to drive her wild.
He stood suddenly with a low growl, and she recognized it as the one that meant he was turned on. His eyes flashed to the amber of his beast, and she inhaled sharply. He’d smelled her and realized she was aroused. She loved how she didn’t even have to say anything to let him know that she wanted him. It was like having sexual ESP. Think sexy thoughts, and her mates would answer physically.
He moved to her, planting one hand on her back and drawing her against his erection. Cupping her face, he nipped her bottom lip. Brin was always so sweet with her, but this time, she saw something a little extra in his gaze: need. A fire swept through her, heating her blood and making her crave Brin’s touch.
He turned her around roughly and grasped her hands, laying them against the smooth bark of the tree in front of her. With a tug, he pulled her hips backward and she lowered her upper body until she was bent over, looking at the ground between her arms.
“Sexy little female. You smell like you’re thinking about fucking me.”
Angel swallowed audibly as arousal pulsed through her. “Yes,” she murmured.
He placed his hand over one of hers as he bent over, his other hand moving to the front of her shorts. “Or you’re thinking about me fucking you.”
The button of her shorts came undone, followed by the zipper. She whispered his name. He tugged the shorts roughly down her hips, and then curled his hand over her pussy, cupping it through the thin lace of her panties. She could feel how wet she was already. She didn’t understand how she could go from normal to horny in two seconds, but she had. Her body was primed even though he’d hardly touched her.
“Wet, love? Hot and needy, but just for me?”
She lifted her head and let out a moan as he rubbed his palm against her clit and pressed his fingers against her pussy.
He bit her earlobe and then licked the mark. “I never take you hard, do I?”
“No.”
“Always make you come on my tongue first, and then we fuck slow and long. Do you like that?”
“I love it.”
“Love me.”
“Yes.”
“Want me to fuck you slow and easy?”
“No.”
“How? Tell me how my sweetheart wants to be taken.”
Her heart was pounding and her arousal went even higher, like something alive and pulsing inside her. Wanting more. Wanting everything.
“Hard, Brin.” She looked at him, their gazes meeting as he continued to apply light pressure to her clit with the heel of his palm. “I want you to take me hard.”
“I will. When I’m ready.” He gave her wrist a little squeeze. “Keep your hands there.”
She nodded and dropped her head back down, watching as he gripped her panties and pulled them down to join her shorts around her ankles. Then he slid his hands up the outside of her legs, curled around her waist, and pushed her shirt up. Ca
tching her bra, he lifted it over her breasts, until she was nearly naked in front of him. She felt exposed, but still fully protected by her mate. They were playing right now, and she loved every second of it.
He palmed her breasts, rubbing and tugging on her nipples, and then pressed a kiss to the center of her back. She heard his zipper lower and the rustle of the jeans as he pushed them down his legs. She could see the fat head of his cock as he brought it between her legs and leisurely tapped the length against her pussy. He growled, sliding back and forth lightly.
“You’re so fucking wet.”
He pushed the head into her and stopped, and she wiggled her hips, wanting him to take her.
He chuckled and grasped her hips. “In a hurry to be fucked?”
She grinned. “Always.”
She bit her bottom lip as he pushed into her, slamming his full length into her pussy. He slid in fast, and she threw her head back with a gasp at the fullness. He curled his fingers into her flesh and began to fuck her with deep powerful strokes that lifted her onto her toes and made her push firmly against the tree. Letting go with one hand, he pushed on her shoulders, and she slowly walked her fingers down the tree. The angle of his entry into her pussy changed until he was rubbing her inner walls just right. It made her breath catch in her throat.
“Fuck, Brin!”
He pounded into her, his hands holding her hips so tightly she knew she’d have bruises, but she didn’t care. Her sweetest mate was possessing her body, using her to drive them both to the height of pleasure.
He moved faster, pistoning his hips so fast as he rubbed against that sensitive place again and again. Angel’s stomach clenched, and her pussy tightened. Heat stole over her. Her toes curled in her boots just seconds before she fell apart, the pleasure pouring over her as she was swept away into bliss. She cried out, writhing in his hold; vaguely, she heard him roar as he came, his cock thickening inside her as hot ropes of his come bathed her insides.
Her knees weakened, and in a heartbeat she was in his lap as he sat down, curled protectively in his arms and away from the ground. He smoothed the hair from her face and smiled tenderly as he kissed her. Her body still hummed as little waves of pleasure continued to roll through her. His come wet her thighs, and the sweet scent of them together teased her nose.
“I wasn’t too rough, love?” he murmured.
“Never. It was perfect.”
He rubbed his thumb on her bottom lip. “You’re perfect.”
“I think you’re biased.”
“Maybe,” he said with a grin. “But I’m also honest. And this was the hottest thing ever. My little sexy sweetheart just begging for cock.”
“Sexier than when we all mated together?” Angel shivered, thinking about all three of their cocks in her at the same time.
“That was so good, too, love, but this was just you and me, and I’ve never come so hard in my life.”
“It was amazing. Because you’re amazing.”
They kissed, holding each other until she felt like her bones had solidified again after melting from the intense climax. Then they righted their clothes and he picked up the basket of flowers.
“I think my brothers are going to want to take you flower-picking, too.”
She giggled. “I think so, too.”
He took her hand, and they walked back along the trail toward the cabin. Although it was tempting to just stay in the woods, she needed to get the flowers home so she could press them.
“I love this spot,” she said, looking over her shoulder. “It’s where I met you guys.”
“I love it too, and I especially love you. You’re more than I ever hoped to find in a mate. Beautiful, creative, and so sexy. I do have a request, though.”
“Oh?”
“Next time we go flower-picking, how about you wear a skirt and no panties?”
She laughed. “You got it.”
Chapter 12
Quill looked down at the glass case and the sparkling rings. They were going to propose to Angel on Saturday night, and he and his brothers had agreed to each get her a ring. When they got married the wedding band would be from all three of them, but he liked the idea of her having three engagement rings. Brin had been to the jewelry shop the day before, and Ian was with Quill looking at another case.
The jeweler set a few rings on a black velvet tray. Brin had chosen a ring that had a flower made of tiny diamonds, which hadn’t surprised him or Ian after they’d heard about the sexy time they’d had picking flowers.
Quill lifted a platinum ring. It had a single diamond in the center and two smaller diamonds on each side. He glanced at Ian, who was looking at a ring that had stones all around it, with metal swirled between them.
“I like this one,” he said.
Ian looked up and nodded. “That’s cool. I’m going with this one.”
Although Ian had offered to pay for all their rings from his fight winnings, Brin and Quill had wanted to buy their own rings. As their purchases were rung up, Quill unlocked his phone and looked at the to-do list that Brin had shared with them. It was Friday morning, and they’d taken off work in order to do the jewelry shopping. Richard had told them to say they were running errands for the campground so that Angel wouldn’t be suspicious.
“We need to get candles and pick up the groceries that he ordered,” Quill said.
“Sounds good.”
After they signed their receipts, they took the ring boxes, thanked the jewelers for their help, and left the store.
“Do you think she’ll want to get married in Beyton?”
“I doubt it, with things the way they are between her and her friends. I don’t think it would be a good idea to have a wedding in a place where some of the residents think we’re psychotic.”
“Well, Angel did say her life was here now, so I think she’d choose to get married at the campground. The lake would be a beautiful backdrop for a wedding.”
Ian nodded in agreement. “Whatever happens when we go to Beyton to meet her family, her parents are happy for us, and that’s enough. If her best friend can’t handle us in Angel’s life, that’s her issue, not ours.”
“I’m trying not to expect the worst, but a part of me always does.”
Ian sighed. “Me too.”
After picking up the groceries that Brin had ordered, they stopped at the main office of the campground and stowed the food in one of the commercial refrigerators. Brin was going to cook for their meal Saturday afternoon, all of Angel’s favorites: lasagna, roasted vegetables, sourdough bread, and chocolate cake. All he and Ian had to do was set up the table and chairs and keep Angel busy until dinnertime. Then they’d eat, propose, and spend the night seeing how many times she could moan in ecstasy.
He was betting a lot.
As they left the office, they saw Axtyn and Brierley. The big male had what looked like an axle on his shoulder, which he balanced with one hand, holding Brierley’s hand with the other. Ally and her husbands had offered the minotaur shifter a job at the campground, but he had admitted that he only knew how to fight and fix cars. That had prompted Troy to suggest that he repair and get ready a dozen four-by-fours that were in a storage barn on the property. At one time, the campground had offered four-wheeler tours, but they’d stopped doing them after things got busy at the camp and they’d been unable to keep up with the maintenance. Axtyn was teaching Brierley how to work on the vehicles, which Angel said made the owl shifter happy.
“How’s it going?” Quill asked.
“Good. How are you?” Brierley asked.
“Also good. When you get six of the four wheelers set up, we should all go out for a ride.”
Brierley’s eyes lit up. “That would be cool!”
Axtyn cleared his throat. “After you learn how to drive.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. With you as my teacher, I know I’ll be a fab driver in no time. I’ll be especially good if you reward me with sexy times.”
The big m
ale’s cheeks darkened in a blush, which made Ian stifle a smile. He clearly wasn’t used to outward displays of affection.
Brierley giggled. “Sorry, Axtyn.”
“It’s all right, my mate.”
“See ya,” Brierley said.
“It’s funny how life comes full circle sometimes,” Ian said as they walked away.
“Oh?” Quill asked.
“Yeah. Brierley became the mate of the male who took down the fight club. It’s incredible to think that without Angel deciding to bring Brierley up here, we might never have found our truemate, and neither would Brierley.”
“I thought we’d never see a silver lining from Dad’s behavior, but we sure are fortunate to have the life we have now.”
“I can’t wait until tomorrow,” Ian said.
Quill opened the door to the cabin. “You and me both, brother.”
* * *
Brin had never been so excited to make dinner in his life. He always loved to cook for his clan, but tonight they were asking Angel to marry them, and that meant it was one of the most important meals ever. He had no doubt she’d say yes, but he was still a little nervous. He wanted everything to be perfect. He bent over and peered in the oven at the lasagna. It was nearly finished, the sauce just starting to bubble up around the layers. Straightening, he looked at his phone and saw that Ian had texted. He and Quill had taken Angel out to run errands for the campground, so that Brin could get the meal cooked and over to the table and chairs he’d set up earlier.
On track to be back in thirty minutes, Ian said.
Brin answered that he’d received the message and everything was on time.
Fifteen minutes later, he loaded the lasagna, roasted vegetables, sourdough bread, and chocolate cake onto a rolling tray, which he covered with a large tablecloth. He’d done all the cooking in the main kitchen of the registration office, and didn’t have too far of a walk to get to the spot next to the river where they were going to eat. The trail was bumpy, so he took his time, ensuring that the meal made it safely to its destination.
He got another text from Ian that they were on their way to the river, and Brin finished getting everything ready. A bottle of chilled champagne sat in a bucket of ice, and the table, covered with a white tablecloth, had been set with china and flatware. As he lit the taper candles, he heard the sounds of footfalls drawing near. He straightened and stood next to the rolling tray to wait for Angel and his brothers.