by Becca Van
“I’ll explain it all later, but she’s exhausted and I want to take her upstairs so she can sleep.”
“You’re going to have to tell her about us,” Jonah said. “She saw Jarrod move fast to save Rochelle.”
“Sorry.” Rochelle made a face and then turned into Jarrod’s arms.
“Don’t be sorry, mate. You can’t help that you’re a klutz.”
“Geez, thanks a lot.”
Carter and Crag nodded their heads to their Alphas and queen and then followed Blayk toward the medical clinic at the back of the house behind the staircase.
“Where are we going?”
Carter urged Tammy into the clinic and introduced her to Blayk. “I want you to let Blayk check out your injuries, baby. We need to make sure you don’t have any fractures.”
Tammy’s eyes misted up, and then she lowered her head. “Thank you, both of you, for taking such good care of me, but I don’t think this is necessary.”
Crag stepped forward and nudged her chin up. “It’s very necessary, Tammy. Let us take care of you. Okay?”
“Okay,” Tammy sighed.
“Come on through to the exam room, Tammy. I’ll need to take a couple of X-rays. Are you hurt anywhere else besides your face?”
“My ribs.”
“Do you want one of us to come in with you, darlin’?” Crag asked.
“No, but thanks for asking.”
Carter and Crag took a seat, waited for Tammy to come back out of the exam room, and discussed the best way to tell their mate what they were. Carter knew that if she freaked out he could call on any of the women to come help calm her down and explain things to her. The only way Carter could think to tell Tammy was to be direct and hope she didn’t laugh in their faces.
“Maybe we should just let her guide us in what we tell her. I think she’ll ask about the ménage relationships, but hopefully that will make her forget all about seeing Jarrod move so fast.”
“I don’t think she will,” Crag said. “We were both struggling to keep our wolves at bay at the club and our eyes were changing. I saw her looking at your eyes in the mirror behind the bar when you turned away.”
“Fuck. We may have really messed this up. It would be so much easier if our mate was a wolf, too.”
“Yes, it would, but she isn’t. We can’t keep this from her, Carter. The sooner she knows what we are, the sooner we can deal with any problems she might bring up.”
“I wanted to have more time with her before we had to tell her. We haven’t even been able to kiss her yet, let alone make love to her. If we had more of an emotional connection with her, then it would be so much easier to tell her.”
“You’re right, but there is nothing for it. We have to tell her, and it has to be tonight.”
Twenty minutes later, Tammy and Blayk came back out to the small waiting room. Crag and Carter stood up, walked over, and took her hands in theirs.
“How are you feeling, baby?”
“I’m okay. Nothing’s broken. Thank you, Blayk.”
“You’re welcome, Tammy. Make sure you put an ice pack on that cheek and eye.”
“Come on, darlin’, let’s go and get you settled.” Crag gave him a relieved look, and Carter knew his mate was just as thankful as he was that Tammy didn’t have any broken bones.
By the time they entered their suite of rooms, Tammy looked like she was struggling to keep her eyes open.
“Do you want a drink or anything to eat, Tammy?” Carter asked as he closed the door behind him.
“Coffee would be nice. You have a beautiful home.”
Carter cupped her uninjured cheek and smiled at her. “Take a seat, baby. I’ll bring your coffee in, in a couple of minutes. How do you like it?”
“White, no sugar, please.” Tammy sat down on the sofa with a sigh.
Crag followed him into the kitchen. “She’s knackered, the poor love.”
“What?” Carter was still having trouble understanding some of Crag’s Australian colloquial sayings.
“She’s tired.”
“Yes, she is.” Carter started the coffeepot and turned to face his mate. He reached out, tugged his lover into his arms, and leaned against him. “I think we should leave telling her about werewolves until tomorrow. She’s too tired to deal with any more tonight.”
“You’re right.” Crag kissed him lightly on the lips and then pulled away. Both of them heard Tammy coming in, and from the look on her face, she had seen them kissing.
“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll just go back out to the living room.”
“You’re not interrupting, darlin’. You can stay in here.” Crag moved around Carter and then walked over to Tammy. He cupped her face in his big hands, being careful not to touch the bruises, and then he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. “You’re gorgeous, Tammy.”
Tammy reached up, gripped Crag’s wrists, and gave him a puzzled look. Carter knew then that she was trying to work out if they were playing mind games with her. He decided it was time to come clean on at least one aspect of their lives. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“We’re not gay, baby. We’re…” Carter looked at Crag to help him out.
“We’re bisexual, Tammy, and we are both very attracted to you.”
“You are?”
“Yes, we are,” Carter replied.
“Oh, well…um…”
“Take a seat, baby, and I’ll bring the coffee over.” Carter turned back to the kitchen area.
Crag guided Tammy over to the table and, after seating her, sat down next to her. Carter sat on her other side after passing the coffee mugs out.
Tammy took a sip of her coffee and sighed then looked to him and Crag and back again with a look of confusion on her face.
“I can see you want to ask questions,” Carter said. “Go ahead, baby. You can ask us anything you like and we won’t be offended.”
“Did you say that Michelle and Rochelle had three husbands each?”
“Yes. The men in our family tend to be attracted to the same women, and if the women are agreeable, they all date her and eventually ma…marry her, too.”
“Like, wow. How does one woman keep up with more than one man?”
Crag shrugged. “I don’t really know, darlin’, but it seems to work out just fine. Nearly all those women downstairs have more than one ma…man. I have never seen such happy, contented women. They seem to glow under the attention of their husbands, and the women are all very much in love with their men.”
“Does it bother you that they are in polyandrous relationships?” Carter asked.
“No, not at all. I don’t care how other people live their lives. All that matters is that they love each other.”
Carter felt a little of the tension he hadn’t known he’d been carrying dissipate. One down and about a hundred other hurdles to get over.
“I have another question.”
“Okay.” Carter took a sip of his coffee and hoped Tammy hadn’t noticed that he’d become a little rigid again. Crag was gripping his cup so tight he hoped his mate didn’t shatter the mug.
“I don’t want to go home.”
Carter’s heart flipped in his chest with hope that Tammy would be willing to stay with them so that they could woo her into their beds and heart. Excitement rushed through his veins, and it took everything he had not to throw back his head and howl with joy. He was about to suggest she stay with them, but she began talking before he could.
“If you and Crag are willing, and I won’t be cramping your style, I was wondering if I could lease your spare bedroom from you. I would have to find a job and I would need to go back to Durango and pack my stuff, but I’m willing to pay you whatever you think is fair.” And then Tammy lowered her head and covered her face with her hands as if she was embarrassed.
Carter wasn’t about to let her feel bad for asking for what she wanted, especially when he and Crag wanted that more than she coul
d ever know.
“Please, just forget I ever asked that. Pretend you didn’t even hear me.” Her voice was muffled by her hands, and he could see that her face had turned red between her slightly parted fingers. “I’m not usually so forward, but I’m too scared to face my stepfather again. I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about, darlin’. And we can’t forget that you asked, Tammy.”
“Oh God.”
Crag reached over and gently pried her hands away from her pink face. Carter nearly cursed out loud when he saw the tears in her eyes. He’d had enough of this hedging, and his wolf was pushing to take control. If he allowed that to happen, then Tammy would likely be scared shitless. He bent forward, snagged an arm around her waist, and then pulled her onto his lap. At first she was tense, but then she relaxed and let her body rest against his. That action made him realize that even if her mind hadn’t caught up, her body certainly knew what it wanted. She trusted him not to hurt her, and very likely she trusted Crag just as much.
He knew she would be drawn to them because she was their mate, even if she didn’t know why.
“Tammy, we would love to have you share this suite with us, but there is no way we’re letting you lease that room.”
Her shoulders slumped and she looked down, and he realized that he was making a muck of things.
Crag moved from his seat and took the one Tammy had been sitting in. He reached out and nudged her chin up until she was looking at him. “What Carter is trying to say is that you can stay here as long as you like, but we won’t accept money from you.”
Carter smiled at Crag over Tammy’s head and nodded his appreciation for stepping in and setting the record straight. He was pleased when she shifted on his lap, sitting up a little straighter, and then she froze.
Tammy turned her head and met his gaze over her shoulder, and he mentally cursed when he knew she could feel his hard cock pressing into her lower back and buttocks. But then he realized it was the perfect opportunity to start being upfront with her.
“We are both very attracted to you, Tammy, and would like to have a relationship with you.” Carter held up a finger when she opened her mouth to speak, but she was also frowning so he decided she needed more time and information. “I haven’t finished, baby.”
He clasped her waist and nearly growled deep in his throat when his hands spanned her back and his fingers actually met. She was so fucking slim and delicate, he and Crag were going to have to make damn sure they curbed their strength around her in case they hurt her. Carter turned her on his lap so that she was sitting side on and could see both him and Crag without hurting or straining her neck. The last thing he ever wanted to do was cause her any pain.
“We won’t make any moves on you or pressure you. We’ll give you time to get used to the idea, but you also need to know that Crag and I are ma…are in a relationship, too.”
Crag took her hand and threaded his fingers with hers. “Does that bother you, darlin’? To know that Carter and I love each other?”
“No.” Tammy’s answer was breathy, and when Carter looked down at her body and saw her nipples harden, his wolf came to the surface.
He inhaled deeply, and the scent of forest, honeysuckle, and Tammy’s own sweet arousal had him struggling to push his beast back down. It seemed that the thought of them being together turned their little mate on. That was good as far as he was concerned, because if he had his way, Tammy would soon be in their bed and between them. Or maybe even underneath one of them while the other fucked the other’s ass.
Carter didn’t know what alerted her to his hunger, but she must have felt his muscles tense, or maybe she’d felt his cock jump, but she looked up into his eyes and then gasped.
“Control your wolf, Carter. You’re eyes are glowing,” Crag ordered, but Carter saw him inhale, too, and then he closed his eyes. He knew damn well that Crag had caught the scent of her wet pussy and was trying to hide the fact that he, too, was wrestling with his inner animal.
“H–How do you do that?”
“Do what?” Carter hedged, hoping she wouldn’t persist with her question and think that his eyes changing was because of the light. He should have known better.
“Your eyes changed color. They were a glowing golden color.”
“Shit. We are going to have to tell her,” Carter said to Crag.
“Looks like. Let’s just hope she doesn’t think we’re crazy or run away screaming.”
Carter firmed his hold around her waist so she couldn’t get away from him, but he made sure not to squeeze too hard and hurt her.
“Have you ever wondered if the legends about mythical creatures are true?” Carter asked.
Tammy frowned at him, and then the frown changed to a smile. “Like fairies and stuff?”
“Yes, sort of. More like werewolves,” Carter said.
He felt her tense for a moment, and then she relaxed again.
“Yes, actually I have. I read a lot and have often thought how wonderful it would be if the creatures I read about were true. It would be pretty arrogant of us as humans to think that we were the only species alive in the whole universe. I think there are beings living on other planets. I mean, all those reported sightings of aliens and UFOs have to have some credence to them. There is never any smoke without fire. Right?”
“We think so.” Crag stroked his thumb over the back of her hand. “And do you believe in werewolves?”
“I’d like to, but there has never been any evidence to the fact that they exist. Maybe they did once, but I’m not sure they do now. If they did, wouldn’t someone, like the media or scientists, have evidence and told us about them?”
“Not necessarily,” Carter said and took a deep, steadying breath before exhaling slowly. “Werewolves exist, Tammy.”
“They do? Wow, that is awesome, but how do you know?”
“We are werewolves, darlin’. In fact, everyone living here, except for most of the women, is a werewolf.” Crag’s thumb stilled, and Carter figured he was holding his breath and waiting for a reaction from their mate, just like he was.
“Uh…um…y–you’re…werewolves?” Tammy looked to Carter and Crag and then back again. “Are you sure?”
Carter knew then that the only way to convince her was for them to show her. She looked like she wanted to believe them but was frowning as if they were also a little crazy.
“Show her, Crag.”
Crag released her hand and then rose to his feet. Carter heard her swallow audibly when Crag pulled the shirt up over his head and dropped it on the chair he had been sitting on.
“W–What a–are you d–doing?” Tammy asked breathlessly.
“Don’t be frightened, baby. No one here would ever hurt you.” Carter glanced down at her chest and saw that her hard nipples were pushing against her shirt. When he inhaled deeply, he smelled the sweet scent of her desire and just a little nervousness beneath her musky arousal. At least she wasn’t scared out of her mind or trying to get away. Tammy shifted on his lap, and he realized she was getting turned-on at the sight of Crag’s body. He was, too, but he needed to keep his attention focused on his other mate right now.
“I’m going to show you that werewolves are real, darlin’.” Crag caressed a finger down her face, and then he stepped back.
Carter heard Tammy’s heart rate and breathing increase, but she just nodded her head and stared at Crag.
Crag reached for the waistband of his jeans, unbuttoned them, and then slowly lowered his zipper. His mate’s cock was rock hard and straining behind his jeans, and he had to be careful so he wouldn’t snag his erection in the metal teeth. Carter sighed and licked his lips when Crag pushed his jeans and underwear down over his hips.
Tammy drew in a ragged breath and held it when Crag stood before them completely naked. His massive cock was pointing right at them, and Carter wanted nothing more than to taste the glistening drop of fluid pooling in the tip, but this was about Tammy and he wasn’t goin
g to do anything to push her away. Until he and Crag had her in their bed between them, everything he and Crag did as lovers would be behind closed doors.
“Watch Crag carefully, baby. Don’t take your eyes off of him.”
Tammy gulped but kept her eyes riveted on Crag. The outline of his mate’s body began to shimmer, and then the sounds began. Crag went down to the floor on his hands and knees, and the muscles and bones beneath his skin rippled and moved as his body began to change from man to wolf.
Chapter Six
Tammy couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Everything happened so fast but also seemed to be happening in slow motion. Watching what was going on right in front of her eyes was surreal yet exciting. She had always wondered if there were magical beings living amongst them and had hoped that if that was the case, then one day she would be lucky enough to meet one of them. But now that she was being proven correct, she just couldn’t seem to get her mind to accept it.
She reached out and pinched her arm. The pain was enough to make her want to cry out, but she was so astounded by what she was seeing she’d lost her voice. The sounds of Crag’s body changing were loud, and she wondered if it hurt him. His face elongated until he had a snout and long teeth. By the time his body had finished converting and a massive dark brown wolf stood in front of her, she was nearly hyperventilating.
Crag tilted his head and whined, and then he took a step closer to her. When she didn’t move or protest, he took another and then another until he was standing so close she could feel his heated breath on her hands, which she was twisting in her lap.
She jumped when Carter gently pried her hands apart, and then he lifted one of them and placed it on the side of Crag’s neck. Tammy giggled nervously as Crag’s soft fur tickled her palm.
“You’re so soft,” Tammy whispered in awe. “I expected your fur to feel coarse and harsh.”
Crag opened his mouth, and his tongue flopped out to the side. To her it looked like he was smiling, as if he was enjoying her attention and touch.
“I can’t believe this is real,” Tammy whispered, and although she kept her hands moving on and in Crag’s fur, she turned to look at Carter. “I want to see you, too.”