by Becca Van
“Hey, let me take those.” Tarik rushed over to Celeste who was taking another two jugs from the fridge to put on the tables.
“I can do it.” Celeste scowled at Tarik.
“You shouldn’t be lifting—”
“Are you shitting me?” Celeste dodged Tarik and continued as if he hadn’t tried to take the jugs from her. “The jugs aren’t heavy and I’m not an invalid.”
“I never said you were. I’m just trying to—”
“Tarik, give it up, son,” Talon said as he went to the oven with all the vegetables and began to take the trays out. “You’re going to get yourself in trouble if you try and coddle your mate.”
Celeste smirked and pointed at Talon. “What he said.”
Tammy was closing the now empty oven and turning it off when the hair on her nape stood on end. She inhaled without turning around but with the aroma of cooked food drifting in the air, she couldn’t scent who had just walked into the room. Nonetheless, she didn’t need to. She was so attuned to Phelan and Hopper, she was always aware of their presence.
“Come on in, guys,” Royal, her other dad said.
Tammy turned to see some of the construction workers entering the kitchen. Unsettling goose bumps raced over her skin when she saw Craig was with them and was eying her body up and down.
She moved toward the counter and started getting serving spoons, tongs, and other utensils needed and ignored everyone for as long as she could. Once she’d eaten her fill, Tammy planned on making her escape. She needed to be with Phelan and Hopper like she needed to breathe, but she also wasn’t sure she could be so close to them without jumping their bones.
The mating heat she’d been ignoring was roaring back to life and this time she had a feeling she wouldn’t be able to discount it any longer.
Her insides were so hot she was in pain.
Chapter Eleven
Craig couldn’t take his eyes off the small, gorgeous auburn-haired woman. Tammy was like no other woman he’d seen before. She didn’t seem to care about dressing up or wearing make-up, and though she was quiet, when she opened her mouth she was feisty. There was something appealing about her plain brown eyes, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. If the blonde hadn’t been married, he would have gone after her. She was more his usual style, but Tammy’s beauty was understated, and sometimes he’d swear he’d seen her eyes glowing. Although he knew that wasn’t possible and was probably a trick of the light, he couldn’t help the obsessive fascination for her.
A line formed at the counter and everyone served themselves food. Craig held back hoping to cajole Tammy into sitting with him and the guys, but when others started looking at him funny, he walked over to the table and sat down. When Tammy had her food, she turned to glance about for a seat. Craig had deliberately kept anyone else from sitting next to him, hoping she’d see the empty seat and sit beside him, but his hopes weren’t to be realized.
She barely glanced his way and as soon as their gazes met, she looked away quickly. He could tell she was aware of his scrutiny because her shoulders were all tense, and though she wouldn’t meet his gaze, he still held out hope that she would come sit next to him, but she didn’t.
She took a seat at the other table with her head lowered and began to eat. She was sitting between two other men and he caught them looking at her longingly. Anger surged through his blood. Tammy was supposed to be his, he just knew it.
Craig watched her throughout the meal, and though the men seated next to her tried to engage her in conversation, she ignored them or gave them one-word answers. Hope that she was his settled into his heart with a determined resolve he couldn’t and didn’t want to ignore.
Tammy ate quickly as if she didn’t want to be there any longer than necessary and Craig had a feeling it was because of him. She wanted to spend time alone with him and he was more than willing to comply. When she’d finished eating she stood, carried her plate and silverware to the kitchen, rinsed them, and put them in the dishwasher before hurrying away.
He cursed under his breath. Tammy had gone deeper into the house and not outside like he’d expected her to. He was frustrated but when he realized that he was in her parents’ home, he figured she didn’t want her folks to know they were about to hook up. Even thought she was of age, he knew women could be funny about such things.
Craig decided to keep an eye out for her and when she was alone, he’d make his move.
* * * *
Phelan had no idea how he’d just sat through a meal without making a scene. The mating heat was upon him with a vengeance and from the strong, sweet scent of musky desire emanating from his mate, she was feeling the effects, as well. Tammy had all but ignored him and Hopper throughout the meal, not looking at them and barely talking to them. He hadn’t been able to sit still. His insides were burning up and he was hard and aching for his mate. His sabear was huffing, moaning, clawing, and head butting his insides in a frantic effort to get out and stake his claim on Tammy, too.
If he hadn’t admired and respected his previous alphas and their mate, who also happened to be Tammy’s parents, he wouldn’t have bothered to sit through such a torturous meal. Phelan felt as if he was going insane, and from the way Hopper was fidgeting and shifting in his seat, he was feeling the same.
Phelan stared at the construction crew as they rose one by one, thanking Jenny, Talon, and Royal for their hospitality as they filed out. He glared at the foreman he’d caught staring at his mate throughout the meal, but either the idiot was oblivious to his keep off vibes, or he’d just chosen to ignore them.
Phelan was about to rise and go after Tammy, but his alpha Tarik and his second-in-command rose before he could.
Tarik cleared his throat. “I want to thank Mom for hosting another delicious meal. You’re an amazing cook and I love you heaps.”
“I love you, too, Tarik.” Jenny smiled.
“Thanks, Jenny. You’re an amazing woman.” Hodge grinned and winked.
“Hey, watch it.” Talon snarled but there was a gleam of amusement in his eyes.
“We have an announcement to make.” Tarik helped Celeste to her feet.
Phelan felt a pang of jealousy sear his heart. He didn’t need to be told that Celeste was pregnant. He’d smelled the change in her pheromones as soon as he’d entered the house, and from the way the other guys were grinning, they had, too.
“We’re going to have a cub.”
Phelan clapped and cheered along with the rest of the stealth, and though he was happy for the newly mated and married trio, he was also full of sadness. He wanted to have what they all did, but wasn’t sure his dream would ever come to fruition. Tammy was his and Hopper’s mate, but couldn’t seem to stand being in the same room as them. His shoulders slumped, and when he glanced at Hopper, he saw the sadness in his best friend’s gaze as he stared longingly at Tarik, Celeste, and Hodge.
He was hurt and angry and so fucking sad and lonely. His heart ached, his body was on fire, and there was nothing he could do about it. Or was there? Phelan was usually a take-charge kind of guy, but for some reason, he’d put his dominance on the backburner. He and Hopper had been tiptoeing around Tammy as if they were walking on eggshells, but that wasn’t him, or Hopper.
Determination and conviction coursed through his body and soul. He’d had enough of this pussy footing around. It was time to take charge and get what he wanted, what was fated. It was time to play his last hand in this game and he wasn’t leaving until he won. In fact, he wasn’t leaving at all.
The game was on and he was going to make sure he and Hopper had the winning hand.
Phelan rose and met Hopper’s gaze. His friend must have seen the determination set on his face because a slow smile spread across his lips as he stood. Hopper raised an eyebrow in query and Phelan nodded.
“Bout fucking time.”
“Yes. It is.” Phelan led the way out of the house toward their own home. They needed to prepare the bedroom so they could sta
ke their claim on their mate all over again, but this time they would claim her together.
* * * *
Tammy moaned as she curled into the fetal position on her bed. She was so hot inside she felt as if she was melting and yet she couldn’t stop shivering. She wished she could strip out of her clothes since they were rubbing against her too sensitive skin, but she didn’t want her dads walking into her room and seeing her naked, or anyone else for that matter. She was too embarrassed to face any of her family or the stealth again. Each and every one of them had given her surreptitious glances throughout the meal, and from the way they’d been sniffing the air, it wasn’t just Celeste pheromones, they’d been able to smell. The only consolation was that no one had said anything, not even her mates. They’d tried to engage her in conversation but she was so horny for them, she couldn’t concentrate, and though she must have answered them appropriately, she had no idea what they or she, herself, had said.
Tammy rolled over with a groan. She was so hot and restless, she couldn’t stay still, and she was so hungry for her mates, their touches, kisses, and caresses, her whole body was shaking. Her pussy was drenched, her clit was swollen and when she pressed a hand between her legs to try and relieve the ache, it only made it worse.
She gasped with mortification when her hand came away damp and when she lifted her leg and looked at the crotch of her jeans, she could see how wet she was. Tears formed and rolled down her face as humiliation washed over her as she wondered if she’d been that wet while eating her dinner. Had anyone seen the wetness on her jeans as she moved about?
She grabbed hold of the pillow beneath her head and lifted it over her face to stifle her sobs. Tammy was angry, hurting, and horny, and felt as if she was going out of her mind. She heard a soft scraping sound and then a cool breeze wafted over her skin, but she was too intent on crying and trying to keep the desirous famishment under wraps, even if she was failing miserably.
Tammy gasped when the pillow was snatched away from her face and opened her mouth to scream, but the sound was muffled when warm, firm, yet soft lips covered hers. Her fear dissipated and she moaned when Phelan’s tongue licked into her mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him when he lifted her into his arms.
She kissed him and kissed him like she was starving for his taste, because she was, and though she felt him moving, carrying her where she didn’t know, she didn’t protest. She didn’t know how he’d gotten into her room, but didn’t really care. All that mattered was that he was here and she was in his arms. Cool air brushed over her face and light seeped through her closed eyelids, but she didn’t open her eyes to see where he was taking her. She didn’t need to because she already knew. Phelan was taking her to his house where she belonged, and this time she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to leave again. She didn’t want to leave. Tammy wanted to spend the rest of her life, in his and Hopper’s arms, sandwiched between them in their bed. She just hoped that they wanted the same because she would be heartbroken if they didn’t.
Anger at how he and Hopper had treated her surged through her heart and soul but when Phelan’s tongue curled around hers and he sucked on the tip, all coherent thought fled. She sighed when she was lowered onto something soft, opening her eyes when Phelan released her lips. Before she could speak or move, a hand grasped each of her wrists and lifted them above her head. She blinked the passionate haze from her eyes to see Phelan and Hopper standing over her, one on each side of the big bed, in the room they’d first made love to her.
“No more fighting us, baby. This game we’ve been playing stops now.”
Tammy shook her head, unsure of what he meant. She hadn’t been playing any game and it hurt her to know he thought she had. “I don’t—”
Hopper pressed a finger to her lips. “The time for talking is over, sweetheart.”
Tammy gasped when Hopper trailed a finger down from her lips, over her chin, down her throat to the neckline of her shirt. He hooked a finger under the material and tugged, hard. The material ripped, the rending sound loud in the otherwise quiet room. A whimper escaped her lips when Phelan tugged at the button of her jeans and then lowered her zipper. She pulled against the hold on her wrists but they were so much stronger than she was and there was no escape. Not that she wanted to escape, but she wanted, needed to touch them so badly she was shaking.
“Hold onto her,” Phelan ordered just before he released her wrist. Tammy wasn’t fast enough to move, because Hopper straddled her stomach and held both her wrists pinned to the bed. He bent down and slanted his mouth over hers.
The fire inside burned hotter and brighter. Her legs moved restlessly until Phelan tugged at the waistband of her jeans. He pulled them and her panties down over her bare feet. Tammy had a fleeting thought of how grateful she was that Phelan didn’t have to stop to take her shoes and socks off, because she’d discarded them before she’d huddled on her bed.
“She’s so fucking wet.” Phelan groaned before shoving her jeans toward Hopper’s face. “Her jeans are soaked through.”
“Fuck!” Hopper rasped out and put his face against her jeans, inhaling deeply through his nose. “You’re ours, Tammy.” Hopper gazed intently into her eyes. “Say it, sweetheart.”
Tammy shook her head. She opened her mouth to speak but ended up moaning instead.
The mattress moved near her feet and though she couldn’t see him, she knew Phelan had gotten up off the bed. She was about to tell him to come back but swallowed her words when she heard the rustle of clothes. When he got back onto the bed and nudged her legs apart, Tammy spread them as far as she could and whimpered when his bare leg brushed against the inside of her thigh. She hadn’t noticed she’d closed her eyes until Hopper released one of her wrists before clasping her chin between his finger and thumb. “Look at me, Tams.”
Tammy met his gaze. “Tell me you’re ours, sweetheart, just like we’re yours.”
She swallowed around the lump in her throat and nodded. She couldn’t fight this anymore, didn’t want to. Phelan and Hopper had been hers for a long, long time and although they were the perfect trio and still had a lot to work out, she couldn’t keep away from them a minute longer. She might not like them very much right now, but she loved them with her whole heart, body and soul. Hopefully, when they completed the bond with her tonight, she’d be able to feel what they did and maybe, they’d be able to feel her emotions. If not, she wasn’t sure what she could do about it, but at least they’d be hers for all time.
Tammy closed her eyes when Phelan caressed up her inner thighs. The closer he got to her pussy the more excited she became. Her internal muscles clenched forcing a slew of cream to drip out of her entrance.
Hopper sighed gustily and moved off her. She opened her eyes again and met his gaze. “You can keep silent all you want, sweetheart, but before this night is over you’re going to admit that you’re ours.”
Tammy stopped breathing when Hopper tugged his shirt up over his head and dropped it onto the floor. She licked her lips as her gaze wandered over his broad shoulders, muscular pecs and ripped abs. Her heart flipped when he undid his jeans and she exhaled when he pushed them down over his hips and kicked them away. She stared at the angry looking reddish-purple head of his dick and unconsciously licked her lips again.
She glanced down her body when warm moist air brushed over her soaked folds and locked gazes with Phelan. He was lying on his belly between her splayed thighs and he was naked. She wanted to touch all that wondrous warm skin, but she wouldn’t be able to reach anything except his head and shoulders.
“You are our mate, Tamara Parks, and have been since the day you were born,” Phelan said in a firm yet raspy voice. “You agreed to mate with us and I’m not letting you walk away from us again. From now on you sleep here in this bed with us. You will share all your meals here with us, unless we’re working or we’re at your parent’s house. You belong here in this bed and in our house until we’re all six feet under. Is that
understood?”
Tammy nodded.
“Say it, baby. I, we need the words.”
“Yes.”
“Yes what?” Hopper asked as he got back up on the bed next to her.
“Yes, I’m yours and your mine.”
“For all time,” Phelan stated. “Repeat it.”
“For all time.”
“Thank fuck.” Phelan lowered his head and licked from her creamy hole up to her distended clit.
“Oh.” Tammy moaned and arched her hips up closer to Phelan’s mouth.
“You like that, sweetheart?” Hopper laved the tip of his tongue over first one nipple and then the other.
“Yes.” Tammy gasped and then whimpered when Hopper drew a nipple into his mouth and suckled on it firmly while he pinched and plucked at the other one. Hopper released her nipple and palmed her cheek, locking gazes with her. “We are going to claim you together, sweetheart. I hope you’re ready for that.”
“I am. Please?” A sob of pleasure erupted from her mouth when Phelan flicked the tip of his tongue over her engorged clit. She was so needy she couldn’t stay still and began to rock her hips, and though both of her mates were touching her, it still wasn’t enough.
Her legs quivered when Phelan pressed a finger into her pussy and she moaned when he started thrusting it in and out. When he added a second finger and stroked both in and out of her sheath she began to rock her hips faster. She groaned when he removed those fingers from her cunt and then gasped and froze when he rubbed over her anus.
Hopper was licking and nibbling up and down her neck, pausing over any spot that made her shiver and giving it more attention. He gently bit down on her earlobe and then sucked it onto his mouth, soothing the slight sting. He released her lobe and whispered against her ear causing her insides to tremble.