by Jess Buffett
Reluctantly pulling back, he smiled at the dazed, lustful look in her gorgeous big brown eyes.
He trailed his thumb across her bottom lip, relishing the shiver that worked its way through her body. “Do you know how very tempting you are?”
Tessa blinked. “No I’m not. I’m plain.”
He chuckled. She was anything but plain, Sage could see the fire that burned in her eyes. “I’m afraid we’ll have to disagree.”
“Why?”
Sage cocked his head to the side. “Why do we have to disagree?”
“No.” Tessa shook her head, as if trying to gain her bearings. “No, why did you just kiss me?”
He studied her, his eyes taking in the clear confusion on her face. “You truly don’t see it, do you?”
“What?”
“There are many reasons why I just kissed you, Tessa. But the most important one...is because I wanted to.”
Tessa grinned. “So arrogant?”
“So honest.”
“And what if I hadn’t wanted to kiss you back?”
“Oh, that wouldn’t have happened.” He knew that for a fact. Even a human mate could still sense the pull. While his new brother-in-law, Evan, may have been able to fight his undeniable connection to Sage’s sister, Summer, he had still felt it. Thankfully the man had done the right thing and given in to what nature knew was a perfect fit.
Tessa seemed to consider him for a moment. “You seem so sure. Is it because you can smell my attraction to you?” she asked curiously. “Because you know, unlike shifters, humans are less likely to act on their baser instincts.”
His cock hardened at the blatant challenge he saw in her gaze. She was feisty.
“Maybe...but what is happening here is very different than two humans deciding they are attracted to one another.”
“Because you’re a tiger?”
Sage laughed lightly, deciding now was as good a time as any to drop the bombshell. “No, because you're my mate.”
Chapter Three
Tessa gaped at the Alpha. There was no way she had heard him correctly.
“I’m your...what?”
Sage opened his mouth, presumably to answer, when the ringing of his phone interrupted. She watched him fish around his pockets until he pulled the mobile out and stare down at the screen with a frown. “Sorry, I have to take this.”
Her shock grew as he moved back, answering the phone as he stood. “What happened?”
The hardness in his tone alerted her to the fact that something was obviously wrong.
“Shit. Are you sure? How long?” He waited a bit longer while the other person spoke. “Fine. No, stay there, I’m on my way.”
He hung up and turned to her. Tessa could see the man was torn. He obviously wanted to stay and finish their conversation, talk about his sudden statement, but there were other pressing matters.
“You need to go?”
“Yes, but…”
Tessa actually felt a little sorry for him.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she offered. And why the hell was she trying to reassure a man who had just dropped a mind-blowing revelation on her?
Sage still seemed to consider his choices, before he sighed. “Shit. I’m sorry, but this—”
“Is important. I can tell. Go, sort it out,” she ordered him. “But remember, you owe me some damn explanations after that.”
Sage’s grin was huge. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll come back when we’re done, in about an hour.”
With a quick, yet searing kiss to her lips that felt so natural it left her stunned, Sage exited her small little home, flipping the lock on his way out.
Tessa raised her fingers to her still tingling lips. “Damn.”
One thing she knew for sure was that she wasn’t going to be getting much sleep that night. The second, she was calling Ella and her friend was going to explain a few things she had obviously held out on. Tessa wasn’t an idiot, had read enough to roughly know what Sage meant by mate...now it was time to get some answers.
*****
The cool wind howled through the trees, the night even darker than before. Dark like his mood because Sage was furious. He had been pulled away from Tessa just as he had blurted out they were mates. And why the hell had he thought it such a good idea to spit that out at that moment, he had no idea. Well, that wasn’t true. Clearly he had turned into a hormonal teenager, thinking only with his cock. The confession had slipped from his tongue so easily. Dammit, he was an idiot.
“What’s got your panties in a bunch?” Chase snickered as they followed the tracks to where Dominic and Rourke were meeting them.
Sage scowled. “Maybe I’ve had enough of your sunny disposition.”
“What’s wrong, big brother? Your mate turn you down already?” He felt Chase’s eyes on him. “Oh crap, she didn’t, did she?”
“No,” he snapped more forcefully than he meant to. “I had just told her we were mates when Dominic rang and I had to leave.”
“Oh crap.” Chase whistled. “Why the hell did you tell her so soon?”
“I hadn’t planned on it.” He grimaced. “It just kind of happened.”
“And how’d it go?”
Sage ignored his brother amusement. “Surprisingly well...which is what worries me. Even if Ella had told her about mates, why is she being so calm about it all? And why was she so willing to let me off the hook to come and sort this out, before I properly explained?”
Chase shrugged. “Maybe you got lucky. You found yourself a level-headed mate. She had proven to be able to handle an enormous amount of stress and pressure.”
“Great,” he snorted. “That’s exactly how I wanted her to see our mating. As extra stress and pressure.”
“Dude, chill. Let’s just deal with whatever dumb and dumber have found and then you can have your freak out.”
Sage picked up a branch and pegged it at his younger brother. Damn smartarse.
“If you’re done trying to play fetch with our dear brother, you need to come and check this out,” Rourke called out to him.
Sage flipped him off. “I’m coming.”
All amusement fled him when he got a good look at what Rourke had been talking about. Tracks. Huge ones. “What the hell?”
“Our thoughts too.” Dominic broke through the tree line and joined them. “When we first saw them we thought maybe they belonged to someone from Aidan’s Pride, but seriously, look at the size of those things. None of Aidan’s men can shift into an animal big enough to leave those size tracks behind.”
“That we know of,” Chase muttered, echoing Sage’s thoughts. It had been proven just recently with Brad’s attack on Summer, which they knew very little about their neighboring Pride.
“We can’t take any chances. And frankly, if there is the possibility that Aidan has a shifter like that on his side...we need to know about it.” Sage peered out at the dark forest around them. Something, someone was out there. And whoever they were posed a threat. There was no way it was a coincidence the shifter had followed Sage and Chase’s direct path from early. The mysterious shifter had clearly been tracking them, but why? “Keep your eyes and ears peeled. Ask around, but try not to alert anyone. We don’t need more panic just yet. Surely whoever left those tracks will be easy to spot. Anyone new in town, I want to know about, got it?”
“Go it,” his brothers agreed in unison.
*****
Leontis Harper watched the newcomers glance around the surroundings one more time before they turned and left the way they came. The two men who had previously been there headed in the opposite direction, obviously not finished with their duties. He wanted to growl in frustration, but was afraid he would give his position away.
None of them looked like they were particularly in the mood for a discussion, and Leontis didn't want to start his introduction to the Pride by taking out their Alpha. Especially given how fine looking they were. All of them with chocolate brown hair, honey-brown eyes, the men oozed charm even as they
scowled. The muscular, strong bodies that went along with the packages wasn’t too bad either. Leontis allowed his gaze to travel down to the firm arse that was encased by tight denim. His lion perked up at the sight, purring.
He didn’t mean any harm, but he doubted they would let him explain given the amount of aggression that was pouring off them. Whoever this Aidan was, he had clearly pissed these shifters off.
Leontis had just arrived in town that afternoon, planning to hire a room while he went about trying to find out exactly where Tessa had gone. He had overheard her talk to someone about moving. When he had asked her about it, she had shut down and told him that it was over between them, that she had to move away with her siblings, and that she wouldn’t be coming back. He had tried to talk her out of it, or at least attempted to get her to hear him out, but she hadn’t. Before he knew it, Tessa was gone.
What the human hadn’t known was that she was his mate, and Leontis didn’t plan to give up on her without a fight. He had felt relatively secure when he found out she had moved to New Hope Valley. Home for many shifters, he figured there was no place he stood a better chance.
Until he arrived and caught whiff of a scent that both hardened his cock and shocked the hell out of him. Because it didn’t belong to Tessa.
Following the scent had led him to his current predicament. Leontis had done well to hide his scent when he realized someone had begun tracking him, something only his kind of shifter were capable of doing. However, now he faced the very real problem, convincing the men who were now searching for him that he meant no harm, because one of those four men...was his other mate.
When he knew he was free and clear, Leontis shifted his large lion form and made his way back down the hill to his jeep, hidden behind thick bushes. Shifting back to human, he wasted no time in bending down to retrieve his car key taped to the wheel. Unlocking the vehicle, he reached in for his clothes. Shivering the entire time, he cursed at himself.
“Not bloody bright, are you? Shifting in the middle of winter so you end up standing butt naked in the snow.”
Finally dressed, he climbed into the jeep and turn the motor over, sighing when the heat kicked in. Pulling out, he headed for the nearest motel, hoping one of them stayed opened late. Having been distracted by another mate’s scent, Leontis hadn’t bothered checking in anywhere, and the last thing he wanted to do was sleep in his car on a night like this.
As luck would have it, one motel had still been open, the bright neon sign like a beacon of hope for him. Finding a parking spot, he grabbed his duffel, locking the car behind him and heading to the main reception area.
A tiny bell chimed as he entered, drawing the attention of the petite little blonde behind the counter. He had to duck his head under the door frame to compensate for his height, not unusual. He was near seven feet tall, most doorways were too low for him. Hell, most everything was too short for him.
The young girl’s eyes widened as she got a good look at him. “C-can I h-help you?”
Leontis gave her a bright smile. “Yes, please. I know it’s late, but I only just got in and was hoping for a room.”
The girl, Rebecca, by the looks of the tag she wore, seemed to gain some of her composure. “Right, yes, of course. Let me just check for you.”
He waited patiently as Rebecca typed away at the keys.
“Here we go, room one-fifteen.” She blushed. “It has a king bed. I thought that might be more helpful given you're, ah…”
“Height,” he offered with a smile. “Thank you, that’s very kind of you.”
After being shown to his room, Leontis threw his bag on the bed, and stripped off his clothes as he made his way to the bathroom. With a flick of his wrist, he had the shower running and stepped in, relishing the heat of the spray on his cold skin. As more warmth spread over him, Leontis sighed.
Thoughts of his mates ran through his mind. His cock, which hadn’t gone down since scenting his mate, jerked, making itself known. Unable to resist, he lowered one of his hands to cup his erection, fingers wrapping around his member and pumping it slowly. He groaned as desire shot through him.
Both his mates were in this town, Tessa, and one of the four brothers.
The mere thought of having, claiming both of them, made him tugged harder, gasping as pleasure shot through his frame. Leaning against the tiled wall, Leontis gave into the fantasies that raced through his mind. He pictured his arms embracing Tessa, her body pressed against his as he made love to her mouth. He then felt his male mate, unseen since he didn’t know which one he was, cover him from behind, large, firm hands clamping down on him as his mate took pleasure from him.
Such little effort, such chaste thoughts given what he really wanted, yet it was all it took for Leontis to come, shouting out his release. Slumped against the wall, he shuddered.
So close, he was so close.
Now all he had to do was convince both of his mates that he meant no harm, and that they could make this work. No problem, right?
“Ah fuck.”
Chapter Four
Sage knocked on Tessa’s door, grimacing when he noted the time on his watch. It had taken them longer than he had hoped, and he prayed she hadn’t gone to sleep yet.
When the door pulled open, Tessa greeted him with a smile that both warmed his heart, and hardened his cock. He hadn’t even known that was possible.
“Hey.”
“Hey, come on in.”
There was something in her grin, some sort of knowledge that had him tilting his head.
“Do you know how much of an animal you look like when you do something like that?” she chuckled.
“I am an animal, sweetheart,” he all but growled as he moved closer to her.
Tessa laughed as she jumped out of the way. “I just made another hot chocolate. Maybe this time you can finish it.”
Sage followed her into the kitchen thinking it wasn’t the only thing he wanted to take a sip of. With an unknown shifter on his land, the Alpha in Sage was feeling extremely possessive. Of his land, his family...and now his mate. The fact Tessa was unclaimed didn’t help any. His ability to rein in his tiger was getting harder and he snarled.
Tessa spun around to gape at him. “Sage?”
“I can’t...I just…” He shook his head, trying to clear it. “You’re my mate, and…”
Dawning appeared on her face. “Ella said you might be like this.”
“Ella?”
“Yeah.” Tessa shrugged. “I figured I’d call and ask her a few questions about the whole mate thing. You know, from a female's perspective.”
A shudder rippled through him at the thought of Tessa being so eager to know that she called his sister. “Oh, and—”
“It was very...enlightening.” There was that grin again. The one that said she knew more than he thought. “She also said that if you returned without finding whoever had been trespassing on your land, that you might be, ah...a little distracted.”
He paused, not even having realized he had still been moving closer. “How did she know that someone was on our lands?”
“Your, mum. Apparently your brothers called your father, who told your mum, who then called Ella.” Tessa laughed. “You have a rather large family, Sage.”
Sage chuckled. Yes, he did.
Closing the distance between them, Sage couldn’t stop himself from pressing Tessa back into the kitchen bench.
“We really shouldn’t be doing this,” she sighed, leaning into him.
“Oh, why not?” He trailed his lips up her neck, enjoying the feel of her sweet skin beneath his lips as he glided his hands up her sides and then back down again.
“You make it hard to think when you do that,” she confessed as she tilted her head to the side, giving him more room for play.
He smiled into her skin as his hands moved to her back, pulling her closer, pressing her small breasts to his chest. What he wouldn’t give to have her naked while he explored every inch of her delectable
body.
“Do I?” he teased as he nipped her chin.
She shuddered and nodded as Sage grabbed a handful of red hair and gave it a light tug, his cock thickening when she moaned. The woman had no idea how much restraint he was using tonight—especially since he couldn’t find the trespasser. An overwhelming urge to claim her so everyone knew she belonged to him had him taking her lips in a controlled, tender kiss. She melted against him, surrendering into his arms as he took a chance and pressed his thigh between her legs.
Tessa gasped, breaking the kiss and staring up at him with her trusting brown eyes. “Sage, I—”
Sage stole her protest with a gentle nip to her lower lip. “We aren’t going to do anything, sweetheart. I just like feeling you against me.”
Which was true. With the children just down the hall, he wouldn’t risk embarrassing her like that. But God, how he wanted to do so much more. Tentatively, she snaked her arms around his neck, pulling closer.
“That’s my girl,” he said as he bent to kiss her neck.
His hands wandered down to her waist, gripping it as he pulled her even closer, knowing damn well what the friction would do to her. He was out to give her a pleasure he knew she had never experienced before. Sage was using any means necessary to remind her that she belonged to him.
Taking her lips again, Sage began a slow dance of pulling her up and down his thigh. He kept it pressed firmly between her legs as her arms tightened around him, her breath becoming ragged. He captured her moans as he swept his tongue into her warm, moist mouth. It was the sweetest sound he had ever heard. She didn’t hesitate, didn’t shy away from him as he pressed her harder into the bench, devouring her as he helped her ride the wave of sensual erotic pleasure.
“Sage,” Tessa said in a desperate tone. “What—”
“Relax, sweetheart.” Sage wrapped one arm around her body, holding her tight. The other he used to pull at her hair as she took over writhing against his leg. “That’s right, baby. Take what you need from me.”
Tessa arched her back, Sage holding on tighter as she splintered in his arms. He had never seen a more breathtaking sight in his life. She ground her pussy on this thigh, crying out his name as she came.