Hard and Easy [High-Country Shifters 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Melody Snow Monroe

  “Hello, there. Who are you?” He tried to keep his voice as unthreatening as possible.

  She clasped her hands behind her back. “I’m Frania.”

  He didn’t want to scare her, so he kept his distance. “Can we help you?” Maybe she was lost.

  She shook her head. “My history teacher, Ms. Madra, told us about these drawings, but then she had to stop. I’m studying them.”

  The name, Frania, finally sunk in. Her father had been the one to attack Madra. “Does your father know you’re here?”

  Her eyes widened. “No! He can’t find out either.” She moved toward him. “You won’t tell him, will you?”

  “No.”

  Larek stepped forward. “This is the first time we’ve been here. Maybe you can show us what you know.”

  “Really?”

  Frania’s enthusiasm spurred an idea. “Yes. Do you mind looking around for a bit? I need to discuss something with Larek.”

  “Okay.” She bounded to the far wall, slipped off her backpack, and extracted a tablet.

  He pulled his friend aside. “I think Madra should be here.”

  Larek’s chin jutted inward. “Why?”

  He wrapped an arm around his friend’s shoulder. “You and I both know that Madra won’t be happy until she finds a way to teach the kids the truth.”

  “I agree, but she hasn’t bought into her true calling yet. She doesn’t think it’s worth her losing her job over, and that’s the problem.” He glanced over at Frania. “What are you thinking?”

  Brin couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “What if she could find another way to accomplish her goals?”

  “How?”

  “What if we bring her out here and let her and Frania explore together? Madra will soon realize what she’s given up.”

  “You sly dog, you.”

  “Equally importantly, I bet this will motivate her to come up with a way to solve the problem herself.”

  Larek punched him in the arm. “How about I go get her? I know our date isn’t until tonight, but maybe she’ll be willing to join us sooner.”

  He glanced to the side to make sure the young girl was out of earshot. “Why don’t you pick up some other goodies just in case Frania isn’t planning to stay long?”

  “You are one devious bastard.” He nodded to the little girl. “Keep her occupied. I won’t be long.”

  “Be fast.”

  “By the way, I volunteered to get Madra only because I fear you might get too tired running.”

  “Smart-ass.” Now more than ever, he needed to work on staying in shape.

  In a flash Larek was gone. Brin’s cock twitched as he thought about the joy this weekend would hold.

  “Hey, Frania?”

  She spun around. “Yes?”

  “Guess who’s coming here?”

  * * * *

  Racing as fast as he could, Larek reached the opening to the underground in less than fifteen minutes. He probably should have called Madra to make sure she was home, but she had claimed she spent most of her weekends doing schoolwork at home.

  Just when he needed to be somewhere, the tram took forever to arrive. Once he hopped on, all of the cars were packed with people, and he was forced to stand in the back. This was one time he wished no one needed to get anywhere. His luck, the whole city seemed to be using public transportation.

  Madra’s place was one of the last ones, so his impatience built with each stop. When the tram got to her station, he exited and jogged to her house. As soon as she answered, he blew out a breath.

  “Larek! What are you doing here? Is something wrong?”

  All week they’d tried to find even a few minutes to meet, but between his job and her school commitments, the first time they were able to. “No.” He stepped inside. “I know we said Brin and I would pick you up at seven, but something came up. Are you free to go on an adventure?”

  Her eyes shone. “Right now?” A giggle escaped.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m not really dressed.”

  He figured she’d say that. “You look lovely the way you are.” While the skirt had a few holes around the hem, and a button was missing on her shirt, she looked perfect to him.

  “I don’t need to change?”

  “If you want to, but in a second.” He grabbed her hand. “I’ve been waiting all week to do this, and I can’t wait any longer.”

  He spun her around and pressed her back to the wall. The moment his lips touched hers, his need exploded and painfully tightened his balls. When Madra wrapped her arms around his neck, he wanted to sink his cock in her so bad he was almost willing to make Brin wait.

  Ever since he’d watched the joy on her face when Brin made love to her, Larek hadn’t been able to concentrate. For Madra’s sake, he pulled away. “If I don’t stop now, we’ll spend the next hour in the bedroom, and Brin is waiting for us.” And Frania.

  Her breaths came out in short pants. “I agree.”

  “Maybe you should put on some pants and some sturdy shoes. We’re going aboveground.”

  She jumped up and down. “Really? After the week I’ve had, I need some sunshine. I’ll be right back.” She practically ran back to her room.

  True to her word, she returned less than five minutes later.

  He took hold of her hand. “I thought we could stop at the grocery and pick up some stuff for a picnic. Would you like that?” Should they get some privacy, he bet she’d be up for spreading out on the blanket and having a good time.

  “Sounds divine.”

  “Do you a backpack we can use to carry the supplies and perhaps a spare blanket?”

  “I do.” She disappeared and brought back a bag with the school emblem and a blanket.

  “Perfect.”

  Chapter Seven

  Madra had no idea where Larek was taking her, but she loved being outside, so where they went really didn’t matter. The fact she could spend more time with the men made it that much nicer.

  “Now will you tell me our secret destination?” She looped an arm around his.

  “Brin’s waiting for us in the cave.”

  She couldn’t come up with any good reason. She slowed. “Why?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back there. It was too easy to get swept up in the history again.

  “The cave is important to you, and Brin and I want to be part of your life.”

  His explanation made sense, and it thrilled her that they would take time out of their busy schedule to try to connect with her. “Did I tell you that you are a very sweet man?”

  He puffed out his chest. “I’m not sweet. I’m a tough, powerful shifter!”

  She laughed. They’d been walking for about fifteen minutes when she spotted the shortcut. “It’s faster if we take this path.”

  “Great.”

  As soon as they came to the cave, memories of the excavation filled her. The whole discovery process had been so wonderful.

  “Hello!” Larek shouted their arrival as they neared to the entrance.

  Frania came running out of the cave. “Ms. Madra! You came.”

  Her pulse spiked at the surprise appearance. She glanced at Larek. “You knew she was here?”

  He held up his hands. “Yes, but we didn’t bring her. We were examining the walls when she stopped by.”

  Determined to find out what her student was doing here, she waited to ask until they went inside. She spotted Brin and excitement raced through her, but she needed to speak with Frania first. “Not that I’m not delighted, but what are you doing here?”

  The young girl stood taller. “I never was interested in history until you told us about the cave drawings. Since you can’t teach about it anymore, I wanted to see the drawings for myself.”

  “Really?” A rush of endorphins spiked through her blood. She’d never taught a student with such initiative. “I’m so pleased.” To think Frania had showed little interest in any of her schoolwork until she’d proposed this new story.

&
nbsp; Frania grabbed her hand. “Come look at this. I think I figured something out.”

  She glanced at Brin and Larek, who were grinning. Apparently, they didn’t mind if she spent a few minutes helping her student.

  While Madra and Lara had been over every inch of this cave, maybe they’d overlooked something. The drawings were primitive, and sometimes what objects might have existed a few thousand years ago didn’t exist today. What they thought was maybe an ax could have been something entirely different.

  Frania pointed to a warrior with a sword. “If they could shift into wolves, why did they need weapons?”

  Madra chuckled. “That’s an excellent question, but I think that he might be a she, and women didn’t shift and still don’t.”

  Her mouth pinched. “You think women fought?”

  “If the lions did indeed invade their idyllic society, I bet every able-bodied person would have fought.”

  “That’s sad. I don’t know why they couldn’t have coexisted.” She pointed to another picture. “From the amount of food on the table, the wolves ate well.”

  “I agree. I’m not sure if we’ll ever understand where the lions came from or why they decided to control Anterra.”

  “Could they have come from Earth?”

  The question stunned her. Neither she nor Lara posed the question. Anterra was a large enough planet, and they’d figured the lions had come from a different part of Anterra. “It’s possible. Earth has lions, but not lion shifters, or so we’re led to believe.” A cool breeze prickled her skin. “Though I guess anything is possible.”

  Stomping feet at the entrance made her turn. “Frania!”

  “Skelak.” The young girl stepped behind Madra. “He’s going to kill me.”

  * * * *

  Every hair on Brin’s body stood on end, and he nearly lost control and shifted. Frania’s dad moved toward the girl, but Brin was just fast enough to put himself between the two. “Your daughter’s being well supervised.”

  “Supervised? Is that what you call it? I call it filling my daughter’s head with total nonsense.”

  The man tried to move around him, but Brin blocked his path. “She’s excited about learning. What’s wrong with that? Don’t you think she’s old enough to decide for herself what seems right and what is total nonsense? Surely you’ve raised her well enough.”

  The man’s gaze shifted right then left. He must realize that he wouldn’t look good no matter which answer he chose. When the man’s fists unclenched, Brin considered it a small victory and stepped away.

  “Come on, Frania. Let’s go home.”

  The girl looked up at Madra, almost waiting for her to save her. If Brin thought the man would harm his daughter, he would have escorted her home. Her dad dropped his head and wrapped an arm around his daughter’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, Daddy.”

  He waited for them to get out of earshot. “Well, that wasn’t much fun, was it?”

  Madra’s gaze darted to the entrance. “Can’t the dad see how much his daughter has changed? She always acted lifeless in school. I wish he could see who his daughter is on the inside.”

  He wished the same for Madra. When she was with Frania, her passion flared. It was almost as if all obstacles in life had disappeared.

  Larek drew the blanket out of Madra’s school backpack and spread it on the ground. “I for one am starving. Anyone care to join me?”

  Madra’s smile lit up his body.

  Larek passed out three bottles of water and held his up in a toast. “I have to say, this cave is amazing. I can see it would take months to decipher everything. Kudos to you and Lara.”

  “It was Lara who discovered the cave. I just helped catalogue what she found.” She unscrewed the top and drank from the bottle. “It is exciting, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.” Brin leaned closer. “Makes you want to tell the world about it.”

  “It does.”

  “You’ll figure something out.”

  Her smile dimmed a little. “I wish.”

  Larek pulled out three different kinds of cheese, a container of cut fruit, and some bread from his favorite bakery. For the next few minutes they dug in. It was almost as if the thrill of discovery made them more hungry. However, no amount of food was going to satisfy him. He wanted Madra.

  “Is there a way to turn off the automatic sensors?” He glanced up at the ceiling.

  She finished chewing a piece of cheese. “Why?”

  “It’ll be more romantic with the lights off. The sunlight should be enough for us to see what we need to do.”

  Her eyes sparkled, and then she laughed. “I see.” She got up and went to the far end of the cave that he hadn’t explored.

  She waved her hand and the lights dimmed. “Does that work for you?”

  She could have turned them off, but the low setting was nice. “Perfect.”

  Madra returned to the blanket and continued eating. He couldn’t help but notice how her lips would pucker when she sucked the juice from the northal fruit. Picturing what those tangy lips could do to him, his cock hardened.

  She’s killing me here. Larek’s plea almost made him laugh.

  Finish eating.

  Larek wrapped the leftovers in a napkin. “I’m finished. Ah, that was great.” He stretched out, propping his head on his hand.

  Madra glanced from one to the other and smiled. “Are either of you interested in dessert?”

  “What did you bring?”

  His pulse raced as he awaited her response. She slowly put what was left of the food back in the containers. Larek slipped the boxes from her hands and stowed them back in the pack. Once the blanket was free of clutter, she, too, stretched out. “Me.”

  “My favorite kind.”

  His fingers itched to get her out of her clothes. Since he’d had the pleasure of her pussy last time, it was Larek’s turn to sink his cock into her. Brin would have to be content to stretch out her delicious ass and then have her suck on him. Just thinking about what was to come made his balls tighten.

  Larek slid behind her and cupped her breasts over the thin top. Her moan came out loud and caused a deep ache in his groin. She shifted her weight back toward Larek. He loved how her ample hips accentuated her waist, but it might be her full, lush breasts that took his breath away. In a way, he was glad she liked to keep them covered. If she walked around bare chested, half the men of Anterra would be pounding at her door.

  Unbutton her blouse and let me see her.

  Larek obeyed, and as soon as he lifted one side, he crawled toward her and captured a nipple in his mouth. The first taste made his belly coil. He might pride himself on having control, but with Madra, he was lost.

  She reached out and grabbed his cock through the loincloth. As much as he wanted her hands on him, if he didn’t take charge right now, she’d be sorry.

  He pulled away. “Larek. Put her on her back and hold her hands. This little minx needs to learn she only gets to touch us when we say so.”

  Her pouty mouth formed a perfect O. “That’s not fair.”

  He grinned. “Trust me when I say I am doing this for your own good.” To prove to her that her one touch nearly made him burst, he undid the loincloth and tossed it to the side. “See how hard and red my cock is? You made him that way.”

  She struggled a little in Larek’s grasp. “Will you let me lick him?”

  That got a chuckle out of him. “How will that help the cause? I’ll tell you what. When Larek is fucking you, I’ll be begging you to suck on me.”

  She smiled. “I can’t wait.”

  “Good. Larek is going to make sure you behave yourself while I eat my dessert first.”

  Her hips wiggled as if she couldn’t wait to have his tongue on her. That made him want her even more.

  As much as he yearned to feast on her tits, her arousal was driving him crazy. Though he hadn’t been with her for a whole week, he wanted to make this experience even better for her tha
n the last time. He hoped that was possible. “These pants have to go.” Skirts were so much nicer as he could reach up her legs and cup her pussy.

  He hooked his thumbs in the waistband and pulled them lower. The sensuous way the material rode her curves caused his balls to ache further. “Lift up.”

  She obeyed, and only then did he realize her shoes were in the way. It was as if he’d forgotten how to undress a beautiful woman. As soon as he slipped off her boots, he finished taking off her pants. Keeping his gaze on her plain white panties, he crawled up on his elbows and nudged open her thighs.

  “These are so restrictive.”

  “Yes.” She closed her eyes as if she wanted to imagine him pulling them off.

  She didn’t have to wait long. With one tug, he discarded them. His heady inhale excited every inch of his body. The beast within vibrated, and his need to conquer her came on strong.

  He truly wanted to take his time, but his desperation was too great. It was hard enough to watch Larek stroke the sensitive part of her arm with one hand while he twisted the fine strands of her hair with the other. When he bent over and kissed her, her moan made him want to be the one to cause her to lose control.

  Opening her pussy lips, he made tiny flicks with his tongue, lapping up her juices. She bucked and he increased his speed. She broke off the kiss with Larek and gulped in air.

  “That feels too good.”

  He hoped she was talking about what he was doing, and as much as he loved playing with her pussy and driving her wild, his fingers itched to play with her tits. Since one of Larek’s hands would be busy holding her down, Brin didn’t feel guilty reaching up and twirling her nipple right and left. From the way her stomach fluttered, she liked what he was doing. He pinched the tip and she yelped.

  “Did that hurt?” She’d told him she liked a bit of pain.

  “Only at first. Do it again.”

  Oh, how he loved a woman who enjoyed making love. His cock was throbbing so hard, he wasn’t sure he’d last long enough to stretch out her ass.