“I was beginning to think you three were fooling around, but seeing how gussied up you are Karley, I know better,” Marge chuckled. I offered her a small smile, shrugging slightly.
“It’s a beautiful dress. You look much more comfortable in it too,” Cole’s mother smiled.
I bit my lower lip, unsure of what to make of the women. While they seemed polite on the surface, they also took little digs at me, as if they really didn’t like me and were just putting on a show for their sons. Shane squeezed my hand and led me to a chair planked by two more empty ones.
“How long have you known our boys?” Shane’s mother asked.
“About two and a half months.” My reply was soft, hesitant. I didn’t know how they would take anything.
Their mothers frowned. “Don’t you think you’re moving mighty quick?” Cole’s mother arched a perfectly groomed brow.
“Carol!” Jose’s tone held warning.
I sat frozen, scared as an abandoned pup. It didn’t matter that Shane and Cole were glaring darts at their mothers; it didn’t matter that their fathers were coming to my defense. I didn’t want to fight, to be the reason for a family fall out. I knew how precious family was, regardless of how annoying they could be. What I wouldn’t give to have my sisters back, pestering me every day about something new. I knew Cole and Shane cared about me, but I would never force them to choose me over their mother. I understood how close the bond between mother and child is, after all, I had it at one time with my own until- I stopped myself, refusing to make the situation any worse by bringing up the past.
Carol shrugged indifferently. “What do your parents think about all this?” Her question was pointed. The men nearly jumped down the woman’s throat, but she didn’t budge.
I sighed, knowing I would have to tell them at some point. I looked down at the silverware, wrapped in a linen napkin. “My father killed my mother and sisters and now he’s in jail. Regardless, I don’t think he would care one way or another if he could still take his anger out on me.” The table fell silent.
Shane grabbed my arm, pulling me up and into his embrace. “We’re leaving. I refuse to let her be put through hell because you two are bent on-“ He huffed, his body shaking beneath his fury. I swallowed hard, trying to slip away. Fear gathered in the pit of my stomach. My father did the exact same thing when he got angry. His muscles would begin to shake right before he lashed out.
“Let me go.” I heard the panic in my own voice.
Breathing became harder, the air suddenly thinner. I pushed his chest, forcing him to either restrain me or set me free. The second he released me, I grabbed the back of the chair. My chest felt like it was collapsing in on itself, my lungs refusing to expand. I scrubbed my hand over my face, shaking my head slightly, as if I could clear the fog. Everything began to distance as I wheezed minimal gasps of oxygen.
“Shit. She’s havin’ a panic attack,” Shane cursed.
“See what you’ve fucking done,” Cole said. I felt him come up behind me. He immediately began to rub gentle circles on my back, murmuring for me to take deep breaths and relax my body. “We’re right here. You’re okay, sweetie. No one is going to hurt you, I swear.”
I closed my eyes, fighting the urge my body had to shut down, to black out. Slowly, my lungs began to respond, allowing me to breathe deeper. I leaned back into Cole, sinking into his arms than slid around me, keeping me upright.
“Get her a glass of water,” Shane barked. I heard footsteps nearly jogging away from the table.
My eyes fluttered open. I blushed, regretting ever coming, as I found nearly the entire restaurant staring at me.
“Mind your own damn business,” Peter yelled, sending most of those prying back to their own business. I winced at the authority in his voice.
“It’s okay, sweetie.” Cole turned me around and hugged me to his chest.
Tears pricked my eyes. I felt my body begin to quake. This is what usually happened when I came spiraling back down from an episode. I fought to hold back the tears, but couldn’t. “Can you take me home?” My voice was barely above a shattered whisper.
“Of course.” He kissed my temple. “Come on.”
“I’m coming with you.” Shane tried to disentangle me from Cole, but I flinched away from him. It was instinctive. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, but couldn’t separate him from my father minutes ago. I saw the pain and sadness cross his face; he quickly tucked it away though. “You know what, you just take her.” I knew he had to see the apology in my face as tears streamed down my cheeks, but refused to acknowledge it. He handed Cole my purse, quickly turning his back and yanking out a chair. I jumped when he the chair scraped the wood floor.
“Let’s go, sweetie,” Cole said, leading me away.
Chapter 21
Shane
Damn it! I let my temper get the best of me and scared the shit out of her. I knew about her father; I knew men shook with rage before they released it on the closest victim. I’d scared the livin’ daylights out of her, and that’s the last fuckin’ thing I wanted to do.
I lifted my head, glarin’ darts at my mother and Cole’s. “I hope you’re both happy. You’ve damn near run her off all because you two can’t shove your egos for two minutes.”
“Darn it! Don’t you know how guilty I feel right now, son? I didn’t know the poor girl was damaged.” She at least had the decency to look apologetic.
“Really, Shane. We’re sorry. We’ll apologize to her too,” Carol offered.
“What on God’s green earth would possess you two to act like such bitches?” I pressed, anger still rollin’ off of me.
“Son.” My father gave me a warning. I didn’t care though. They were my parents, but I didn’t have to answer to them anymore, especially when they’d just ruined the best thing that’s ever happened to me. “You two owe Karley a bit more than a damn apology. You made the girl confess her biggest nightmare to you so you could gloat. I’m ashamed, Marge. She didn’t deserve that,” he added.
We were interrupted by the server finally returnin’ with a glass of ice water. I narrowed my eyes on the pixie. “Where the hell were you five minutes ago?” I bit out.
She flushed. “I… I’m sorry. We were out of ice.” She clutched tightly to her order pad.
“Leave it, Shane,” Peter growled.
“Are you, uh, ready to order, yet?” She fidgeted, standing off to the side and away from the tension of the table.
“Give us five,” I said dismissively. She scurried off without another word.
I turned back to my family and Cole’s. Since our mothers were best friends, we often seemed like one big family rather than two. “I’m just as angry with myself as I am y’all. I knew what her triggers were, but I fuckin’ pushed it anyways nearly cuffin’ her to me while my body shook bullets at y’all.”
“You can’t change it, Shane. You can only try to fix it. All of us can only try to fix it,” Jose stated.
“I’m ashamed. I feel so bad for the poor girl. She got it from every angle, and she could be the biggest bitch on the planet, but she didn’t deserve that,” Cole’s sister, Anna, interjected.
“Yea. She seems nice enough; definitely didn’t deserve that shit load,” Bobby agreed.
I looked at my brother. It was the first time he’d ever spoken against our mother. He was usually agreeable, passive as a pussy when it came to her. He didn’t snub her for her actions, though she did a lot of things that could be arguably inappropriate. It meant he liked Karley. Bobby looked directly at me and nodded once, lettin’ me know that he was backin’ me this time.
I pursed my lips, considering the entire situation. If I lost the only woman I’ve ever loved because of this, I didn’t think I could recover. The way I was tethered to her, the way my panther purred the second she walked into the room, as if she was the only one who could tame it, warmed me. I knew her heart beat a mile away in a crowded room; her scent lured me to her, made me want to ravish her, rub my no
se in every crease in her soft skin. Despite buryin’ my cock inside her several times, I was never close enough to her. I couldn’t get enough of her, and the feeling wasn’t easing the more time I spent with her, rather intensifyin’.
“I can’t sit here. I’ve gotta go. Y’all enjoy dinner.” I threw down two hundred dollars and walked out. I heard Bobby easily catchin’ up with me, keys jangling in his hand.
“Want me to drop you off at her place?” he offered, coming up to my side.
I stopped, turnin’ towards him. I stuffed my hands in my pocket, forcing myself to remain still. “Mom really fucked up this time, but so did I.” I knew he saw the flicker of emotion that crossed my face before I hid it beneath my veil.
He nodded. “Doesn’t mean you can’t say sorry.”
I looked up at the clear night. The moon was absent from the sky, reminiscent of Karley. “I’d appreciate a ride,” I conceded.
Ten minutes later I was at Karley’s front door. I strained my ears, listenin’ beyond the thick walls to her steadily beating heart; her breathin’ was a relaxed rhythm as was Cole’s. I lifted my hand, gentle against the door. I heard the creak of a mattress followed by footsteps padding towards the door. Cole opened the door, a frown set firmly on his face. We stared at each other a long minute, the truth of my mistake between us, before he stepped back enough for me to get past him.
“How is she?” I asked, takin’ in the dark apartment.
“You can relax. She’s sleeping,” he said. I nodded. He shut and locked the door. “What’d she say?”
“She feels bad, thinks she ruined the night.”
“The night was already ruined,” I bit out, anger unfurling at the reminder. I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to forgive my mother.
“She feels guilty for reacting the way she did to you. She wouldn’t elaborate, but hinted that her father used to do the same before he would lash out.”
“I was afraid of that.” I frowned.
Cole came closer, peering at me with intent. Whatever he was about to say would be serious. I braced myself.
“Listen, Shane. We’re supposed to protect her, and we did a shitty job of it today. In fact, I’m sure we hurt her a bit too by not shielding her. Even worse, we’re lying to her. We still haven’t told her that we’re moving by December and it’s already November. What if she decides to stay? What if she doesn’t trust us enough to protect her in a new city, especially after tonight; to provide for her and take care of her? If I lose her, you might as well dump me into the ocean.” Cole’s muscles were stiff, his jaw clenching. Beyond his tough exterior, I saw the sadness wavering in his eyes. He was scared; we both were scared.
We’d heard the stories of those who found their true mates; the fierce bond that broke the shifter should it be severed. I couldn’t see either of us survivin’ if we lost her.
“We’ll just have to make sure she doesn’t walk away. We’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to her. I’ll do whatever it takes to make her happy,” I drawled, already settin’ my mind to it.
We heard Karley shuffle in the bed. We exchanged a quick nod. It was the hand shake that said we’d work together on this. I followed him to her room.
Chapter 22
I opened my eyes, surprised to find myself alone in bed. Cole had been amazing, stroking me lightly, kissing me randomly, ensuring that I knew he was right there and wasn’t going to leave me. I looked at my window; only darkness seeped through the blinds letting me know I hadn’t slept all night.
Shadows from the opposite side of the room had me turning towards the door. Cole stood in the entrance, Shane hanging behind him, as if he was afraid to overwhelm me. My heart broke at the sadness in his eyes, the lonely distance he was forcing between us in an attempt to shield me. I sat up, sliding off the bed and made my way towards him. Cole moved so I could reach Shane.
I threw my arms around him. At first he was hard and stiff before relaxing into me. He’d never squeezed me so tight before. I heard him sigh into me as he tucked his face into my hair. He inhaled my scent, sending shivers down my spine.
“I’m sorry, darlin’. For them and me.”
I pulled back, looking into his eyes, a ring of doubt present in their glow. “Are they mad?” I asked, biting my lower lip.
He ground his teeth, his lips pursing. “Don’t worry about them,” he retorted.
I couldn’t not worry, but I knew not to push the subject for now. “Sorry for reacting the way I did. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
His pressed his lips to mine; there was a fierceness, a roughness to his touch. It wasn’t urgent, more like he couldn’t get enough of me; like he wished he could devour me.
I leaned into him, parting my lips welcomingly. One hand slid into my strands, cupping the back of my neck as he gently tugged my hair; it sent a flood of warmth to my center. His other hand firmly pressed my lower back into his burgeoning erection. I scraped my nails over his chest, chuckling when I heard him purr and growl at the same time.
His breathing was labored when he pressed his forehead to mine, breaking the kiss; his breath fell heavily over my lips. “Let me make it up to you, darlin’.”
“You already did earlier,” I replied, kissing his jaw, his five o’clock shadow scratched my skin.
I felt a second pair of arms snake around my waist. “You can let me make it up to you,” Cole offered, kissing the side of my neck tantalizingly. His hands slowly ascended to press over my breasts; slowly his hands kneaded the tender cups.
Before I could answer, Shane was lifting my dress off, baring my black lace boy shorts beneath. He kissed my mound beneath the sheer fabric, and continued lifting until it was over my head and lying in a heap on the floor.
“Hey, that’s my only black dress.” There wasn’t much argument in my voice.
“We’ll buy you another one,” Cole said.
“Apparently you both will be buying me a new outfit every time I see you,” I smirked.
“Works for me.” Shane smiled, wagging his brows before he ripped my bra off. “Just add it to the list.”
I gasped at the sound of the shredding fabric. I knew they didn’t care about money, but I did. “I wasn’t serious. You shouldn’t waste money on clothes I already have. Just take an extra minute to remove it properly.” I frowned, somewhat pouting.
Shane chuckled. “Whatever you say, darlin’.” His mouth connected with my breast, sucking the nipple between his teeth, lighting scraping the growing point.
Cole worked the other tip, my body instantly warming beneath their touch. My breathing grew harsh when he reached down between my legs, spreading my lips and running his fingers down my center. A whimper escaped as I leaned back into his chest and thrust my hips into his hand.
“You’re ready for me,” Cole growled.
Shane released me as Cole gathered me into his arms and carried me to my bed. He stationed me in the center, leaving me to strip himself. Shane removed his clothes just as quickly behind Cole, clothes strewn about the room. I swallowed the lump in my throat; Cole had never looked so predatory. I never felt like dinner to him, but that’s the look he gave me.
I pulled my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms beneath my thighs. He climbed on the bed and came right for me. Within seconds my wrists were being secured above my head by Shane as Cole worked his way between my thighs.
“You’re going to pay for that move, sweetie.” His eyes narrowed in a challenge.
I did the worst thing someone could do; I poked the animal. I stuck my tongue out at him, throwing my chin up defiantly. His snicker was reminiscent of a villain, sending goose bumps along my flesh.
His hands slid around my waist, with a fast jerk, he’d lifted my ass into the air and my pussy to his mouth. I softly screamed, caught off guard by his haste. I wasn’t given a chance to catch my breath or prepare before his tongue licked a path from my back to my front. I’d never experienced such an erotic move. Heat flooded my inner walls, my c
lit tightening beneath him. His eyes soaked up my every reaction; he’d locked our gazes and wasn’t releasing me until I caved.
Shane, always on Cole’s side, gripped my hands together with one of his, while the other teased my nipples. Cole slid his tongue inside me right as Shane pinched my pert point. I groaned, slouching into their moves. Cole chuckled victoriously; I couldn’t be mad though, my body was being tickled with pleasure. His mouth sucked my clit as his tongue flicked the sensitive bud. A strangled moan escaped as Shane attacked my other nipple with his mouth, much the same as Cole did my pussy.
My muscles, once relaxing, were beginning to coil beneath the mounting pressure. I felt two fingers penetrate me. The moment Cole curled the tip, Shane switched sides, sending me over the edge. I cried out as they increased the pressure of their mouths, pushing me further than I’d gone before. I nearly screamed as another orgasm rocked me on the back of the first, my muscles flexing, my womb knotting as my stomach twirled. My breaths were ragged gasps as I threw my head back, tingles running over my skin. Their names were a mangled whisper.
“Come here,” Shane said, yanking me to him. His lips fell on my temple, my cheek, my jaw, until he finally captured my mouth. He didn’t linger, allowing me to catch my breath. “You up to try something?”
I furrowed my brow, looking between the two of them. Cole sat at the foot of the bed, his lips pursed, red and swollen. “Uh, sure.” It came down to trust, and I trusted them with my body. They’d seen that I experienced the utmost pleasure so far.
Shane turned to Cole and nodded once. My heart, already pounding from my climax, sprinted into overdrive. They made me nervous; my stomach twisted around butterflies that fluttered within. Cole left the room.
“Don’t look so scared, darlin’. We promise to take care of ya.” Shane ran his hand along my cheek. I blushed as I leaned into his caress.
“I know.” It didn’t help me relax though.
Karley's Surrender Page 12