by Scarlet Day
Diego looked down at the maps for a few moments before pushing them away and leaning back in his chair. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as though he had a headache. Could vampires even get headaches? Finally, Diego let out a loud sigh and looked at Cash.
“She changed me in a way I can hardly comprehend and still don’t understand the implications of. When she first looked at me, I would swear she could see directly into my soul. From that moment, I’ve had an overwhelming urge to protect her. I’ve never felt anything like it. And when she touched me…” Diego’s voice broke off, and he shuddered.
Cash could not look away from Diego. He was held captive by the haunted, desperate look in Diego’s eyes.
“What? What happened when she touched you?”
Diego took another deep breath. “Tiberius turned me over nine hundred years ago. Since that day, my heart has been frozen, not beating, sitting like a stone in the center of my chest. Until today.”
Cash stared at Diego, his mind refusing to register what he thought he’d just been told. “Your heart…”
Diego nodded gravely. “Started beating again. The moment she touched me. It was as though a hot electrical charge shot through me and it…” He shook his head. “I still hardly believe it. And I certainly don’t understand it.”
Cash tried to pull his thoughts together. How could this be possible? Vampire’s hearts didn’t just start beating again, for heaven’s sake!
“That’s not all.”
Diego’s pronouncement brought a sense of dread to Cash. What else could there be?
“She can hear me.” Diego rubbed his hand across his face. “I’m psychic and empathic. It’s probably why Tiberius turned me in the first place. I can sense the thoughts of others, feel their emotions. I can even know people’s futures. Except Emma’s. I can’t see her future.”
Diego’s features strained in concentration but then fell in defeat. “I can’t see either of yours, either. It’s like I’m staring at a wall. I’ve never been able to see my own or other vampires’, but I’ve never had trouble with humans or shifters.”
Diego stood up and paced across the room. His confusion and frustration was evident, and it mounted by the second. “That’s not even all of it, though.”
He cast a bewildered gaze at Cash. “I’ve never encountered anyone, including Tiberius, who could hear or sense my thoughts. But Emma can. If I direct a thought at her…she can hear it.”
Cash felt as though a tight fist wrapped around his heart and squeezed. His whole chest felt constricted. Thoughts flooded his mind—thoughts he didn’t want to consider. But those same thoughts had been tickling his consciousness all day. They danced at the edges of his mind. He had not wanted to listen to them and had been pushing them away all day. But now…how could he deny what every instinct was telling him?
Emma’s body reacted to Diego’s touch much the way it reacted to his and Chase’s touch. She could hear Diego’s thoughts when he directed them specifically at her. And she’d had a profound effect on Diego—both emotionally and physically.
No, he could not deny this, even though he so badly wanted to be able to brush it aside and forget it. For Emma’s sake, he knew he couldn’t.
Cash had always refused to discuss his thoughts and fears about finding a mate with his brother, even though Chase occasionally tried to draw him into the discussion. The pain of losing their third brother, the youngest of the triplets, had cut too deep. Even after all these years, it still left a gaping hole in their souls.
Cash had never wanted to acknowledge his hopes and fears about finding their mate, much less discuss them. Hope that their future mate would someday fill the void left by the loss of their brother’s consciousness in the triplet bond. Fear that she would not.
But he had never contemplated—never even considered—the situation unfolding before him. How could he, when he had never heard of it happening before?
Emma was undoubtedly Cash and Chase’s mate. That much was certain. But a new certainty also crept into Cash’s consciousness. It was one he was reluctant to admit, and one that would have profound impacts on all of them.
“Diego, Chase and I are Emma’s mates. Our panthers recognized her the moment we saw her.”
Diego frowned, and Cash thought, for an instant, that he actually felt a stab of disappointment and pain coming from Diego.
“I guessed as much. I felt the possessiveness toward her from both of you.” Diego’s voice was low and sullen.
Cash nodded. “What you may not realize, Diego, is that her cat has chosen you as well.”
Chapter Fourteen
“I still think you’ve lost your mind.” A whole day had passed since Cash had declared that Diego was also supposed to be Emma’s mate, but Chase still couldn’t wrap his mind around the idea.
“Denying it won’t change it. And not accepting the fact of it will only make it harder on Emma.” Cash’s voice was calm, but Chase could feel the conflicted emotions rolling through his brother.
“You’re not happy about this, either. Don’t try to pretend with me.”
Cash shrugged. “Whether I’m happy about it or not isn’t going to change it. The real question is, will you accept it, brother?”
Chase had no answer to that. He didn’t want to accept it. Every fiber of his being wanted to argue against it. He would have been fully prepared, happy even, to share their mate with their lost brother. But to share her with a vampire? How could he possibly come to terms with that?
“It wasn’t supposed to be this way.” Chase knew he shouldn’t have said it, but the words came out anyway.
Cash swatted Chase on the side of his head and then turned to face him, his arms crossed across his chest. “Look, do I like this? No. But her cat chose us—all of us. So there must be a reason for it. And just because you and I don’t understand that reason doesn’t mean it’s not important.”
Chase studied his brother’s expression. He knew that look. It was the stubborn, older brother, alpha look that Cash had always gotten when he’d made up his mind about something and expected Chase to go along with it. Chase hated that look.
He gazed out over the white, sandy beach to the place where Emma skipped and danced in the surf, Diego dutifully keeping within a few feet of her. A reluctant smile came to his lips as he watched her. She had been playing like that for most of the day, occasionally swimming or strolling on the beach. She kicked at the water, splashing Diego, and laughed and ran when he tried to splash her back. She walked for a few feet and then knelt in the sand, studying shells that had washed up on the shore.
They had set off from Panther Key during the night after their supplies were loaded. Emma had slept on the couch most of the night. By the time they’d made it to the Bahamas, both the sun and Emma were up and she was begging them to stop at one of the many deserted strips of white sand dotting the turquoise water. Of course, they had been unable to deny her the enthusiastic request.
And that was the crux of it. Chase was fighting a losing battle, and he knew it. His cat would bend to her needs, whatever they might be. He knew his brother was already coming to terms with that fact. If Emma’s cat needed a third mate, both he and Cash knew they would have no choice but to accept it. But why the hell did it have to be a vampire?
Chase sighed. “Dammit.”
Cash chuckled and slapped him on the back before jogging across the beach toward Emma and Diego, leaving Chase standing alone.
Chase walked slowly across the beach, kicking sand with his bare feet as he went. He couldn’t believe it had come to this. One week ago he and Cash were carefree bachelors, albeit with some deeply-rooted, seldom-spoken-of emotional baggage. Now they were not only tied to one potentially super-powerful black panther, they were going to have to make room for a bloodsucking vampire, of all things!
A shiny glint in the sand caught Chase’s gaze. He bent down and scooped up a small piece of dark-blue sea glass. It had been tossed in the
sand and surf for who knows how many years, so that the once-sharp edges were worn smooth. He clutched it in his hand as he closed the distance to Emma, Cash, and Diego.
Emma jumped through the surf, laughing. “It’s about time you joined us!”
“I found something for you.” He held out his hand to her. “I thought you might like it.”
Emma approached him and looked down into his hand. She gasped. Very gently, she lifted the sea glass out of his palm and stared at it. When she finally looked up at Chase, there were tears in her eyes. She practically launched herself at Chase and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Thank you! Oh, my gosh, it’s beautiful!”
Chase laughed and put his arms around her, amazed that such a small thing would make her so happy. In an instant, he felt Emma’s exposed skin heat up under his touch. Considering she was only wearing a bikini, there was a lot of exposed skin. Emma dropped her arms and backed away, clutching the sea glass in her hand.
“Um. Wow. It’s really hot out here, isn’t it?” She turned around and ran into the water.
Chase watched her run back into the gentle surf, Diego staying close to her. Chase watched him hover around Emma, being diligent to make sure she didn’t wander away from him. He felt the smile return to his lips. He just couldn’t help himself. Watching Emma, seeing her happiness, wore away his selfishness and prejudice. Chase sighed and shook his head in defeat.
Dammit, dammit, dammit.
Chapter Fifteen
Emma scrambled out of the small dinghy back onto the Panther’s Pride, being careful not to drop her treasured piece of sea glass. The short ride back to the yacht seemed to take forever and was the most uncomfortable experience Emma could remember having in a very long time.
Ever since she’d hugged Chase for giving her the sea glass, her entire body had gone completely crazy. She had ignored the sensation for a while, hoping the setting sun and the evening’s breezes would cool the heat burning inside her. But it had only gotten worse as night descended. She half expected to burst into flames at any moment. She’d felt hot when she had touched the men before, but this was more intense. What the hell was going on?
A flash of inspiration hit her, and she headed into the cabin area, Diego right behind her. She yanked open the freezer door and grabbed an ice cube. Desperate for relief, she threw her head back and pressed the ice against her overheated skin. Ah, heaven!
She ran the blissfully cold cube down her neck and chest. It melted quickly and water ran down between her breasts. It felt great for a few seconds, but as soon as the ice melted her skin felt like fire again. She reached back into the freezer and grabbed another cube. As she pressed it against her blistering skin, she felt as though the hair on the back of her neck stood up.
She spun around and gasped. Diego, Cash, and Chase were all standing in the room, their wide eyes focused on the ice cube pressed to her skin. The sight of them all standing there, focused on her, sent even more heat exploding through her veins. Frustration and confusion boiled up inside of her, and she threw the rest of the ice cube into the sink.
“What the hell is wrong with me?”
Cash moved closer to her. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”
Emma scoffed. “Like hell there isn’t.”
“Let me rephrase that.” Cash’s rueful grin made Emma smile, in spite of the unbearable heat. “What you’re feeling is normal—for a female panther shifter.” He extended a hand out to her.
She was skeptical, but then again, what did she know about being a shifter? Zero. Absolutely zero. With a shrug and a heavy sigh, she took the hand he offered. The touch drove the heat inside her to a new level. Her blood might as well have been replaced by molten lava. She clenched her teeth and endured it while Cash led her to the couch.
“Emma, I know all of this has been overwhelming, but there are some details we haven’t told you yet.” Cash shot a look at Chase and Diego.
“Does it have to do with getting rid of this burning?” That was really the only thing she cared about at the moment.
Cash looked as though he were struggling to find just the right words. “Even though you haven’t shifted yet, your panther is a big part of you. Her instincts will guide you in certain aspects of your life. Once you shift, you’ll become much more aware of her. Right now, though, she is focused on only one thing, and the burning won’t stop until she’s satisfied.”
“Well, what does she want?” Emma would give the invisible cat anything she wanted if she’d just knock off the pyrotechnics raging inside her.
Cash wrapped both of Emma’s hands in his. The fire ratcheted up another notch, something Emma had though was impossible.
Cash looked at her with an intensity she hadn’t seen in his eyes before. “She wants her mates, Emma.”
Emma stared at him, unsure as to whether she had heard him correctly. “She wants…what?”
Chase had been sitting on the edge of the coffee table in front of the couch, but he got down on his knees in front of her. He put his hands on her knees. She looked down at her legs, half expecting them to erupt in flames.
Chase ran his hands from her knees down her calves, searing heat blooming along the way. “Your cat recognizes her mates, babe. It’s one of the most primal instincts your cat has, and it overrides everything else. Reason, logic, everything.”
Emma recalled what Abby had said to her mother about Brad and Bryce being her sons-in-law. She thought about Drake, Jake, and Blake hovering around Kate. So much other information had been coming at her then that she hadn’t really absorbed the full implications of what she had been seeing.
“Those little sluts! They spend the last decade practically living like nuns and then they go and get it on with more than one at a time? And they don’t even tell me?” She heard her voice rising higher and higher. She knew she was either bordering on hysteria or a massive attack of the giggles. She wasn’t sure which.
Diego chuckled next to her, and the giggles won. In spite of the continued burning and the news that her yet-to-be-seen cat had picked out mates without consulting her, Emma dissolved into a giggling fit. All of the anxiety of the last few days, the stress and uncertainty that her newfound identity had brought, flooded out of her as she giggled uncontrollably.
It took a few minutes to get herself under control. But as a new thought occurred to her, the giggles subsided. “Wait…Diego isn’t a shifter. Why would my panther choose him?”
She looked at Diego. He ran a finger down her cheek, and she instinctively tilted her face into his touch. A shudder shook her body. The heat she felt when he touched her was different from what she felt with Cash and Chase, but it was definitely there, tinged with the now-familiar electrical charge.
“We don’t know.” Cash drew her attention. “We’ve never heard of a shifter mating with a vampire before. But it’s clear she needs him for some reason. She wouldn’t have chosen him, otherwise.”
“So…all three of you?” Emma had never been a prude. Heck, compared to Abby and Kate she’d been downright wicked. But never in her wildest dreams had she imagined being in this situation. Okay, maybe her wildest dreams, but good grief! This was real!
She looked at the men around her. How the hell was she supposed to be with all three of them? But then, what if they had told her she would have to choose only one? What would her reaction have been?
She looked at Cash. His gaze was filled with warmth and concern. He tried to put on a carefree air, but there was an underlying depth and a great capacity for love in him. She could also detect an undercurrent of pain when she looked at him. He was a man in need of healing. She didn’t know from what, but she had an urge to help him find the relief he needed.
Her gaze turned to Chase, who wore a sheepish-looking smile. He had the ability to make her laugh. She knew he would always pick her up if she were down. He was lighthearted and fun to be around, but she felt the same twinge of hurt from him that she felt from Cash. Something terrible
had happened to these men. She couldn’t explain how she knew that, but she knew it was true.
Finally, her gaze rested on Diego. He was so unlike Cash and Chase, yet he seemed to fit, too. Her connection with him had been instant and unexplainable, but it had rocked her very soul.
If she’d been told she had to choose only one of these men, would she have been able to? She’d only known them since yesterday, yet she felt like she had known them forever. How was that possible? Obviously, there was a whole lot more to learn about this panther-instinct thing.
Cash reached over and tugged her hair out of her mouth. “Do you realize you chew on the end of this pink strand when you’re nervous?”
Chase snorted softly. “Or impatient?”
Diego chuckled. “Or deep in thought?”
Heat flooded her cheeks. Chewing on her hair had been a bad habit of hers for years. Her mother was constantly griping at her about how unsophisticated it looked. But Cash, Chase, and Diego didn’t seem irritated by it. They seemed amused. In fact, the way they were all looking at her indicated that they didn’t find it the least bit unattractive.
Their smoldering gazes sent renewed heat racing through her veins and exploding across her skin. The intensity of it put an end to any further discussion, at least for now. As she looked at the men, Emma felt a devilish grin slide across her face.
“Let’s do this.”
Chapter Sixteen
Diego was having a hard time keeping up. Yesterday morning he’d set off to kidnap Emma and deliver her to Tiberius, unaware of who—or what—she was. Tonight he was not only serving as her protector, he was about to tie himself to her permanently as her mate. He knew there would be no going back after this.
It wasn’t just that she needed him. Something within him had profoundly changed when he met Emma, and it wasn’t just a beating heart. In nine hundred years he hadn’t connected with anyone. Oh, he’d had sexual relations with plenty of women and even a few long-term friendships, but no one had ever forged the type of bond he already felt with Emma. It wasn’t just the psychic connection, either. He had no answer or name for what it was he felt.