The Mating Game

by Melissa Snark

  Red fur erupted from her skin and her teeth elongated to sharp points. Sinew pushed and pulled, bones cracked and then reformed. Her face grew to a muzzle, her ears to points high atop her head, and she dropped to all fours, losing the ability to stand upright as her arms became legs.

  Beside her, Zach also succumbed to the moon’s call. A ferocious howl rose from him as he underwent the transformation. As a wolf, he had thick dark gray guard fur that lay atop a white undercoat. Like most males, he weighed twice what she did.

  From the dense forest, other wolves joined their chorus, blending their voices as each and every member howled with joy and exuberance. Praise for the night. Wolf song.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Is this it?” Theresa asked early the next morning, staring at the white one-story house with a manicured front lawn and towering pine trees along the property line.

  “This is it.” Zach parked his sports car along the curb in front of Robert Blane’s sprawling ranch-style house. He shut off the engine and pocketed the keys.

  Taking a breath, Theresa climbed from the vehicle and waited on the sidewalk while Zach circled around to join her. The sun had risen hours before and bright morning light illuminated the landscape. Theresa had arranged for her mother to drop Isabel at school and pick her up afterward.

  She took a second to indulge her curiosity, studying the slate paver walkway that led up to his front porch. Robert’s black SUV was parked in the driveway. A garden gnome peeked out from beneath a juniper bush. She attempted to envision the polished attorney standing in line at the hardware store with the gnome statue in his cart and suffered an epic failure of imagination.

  Her reflections took a somewhat morose turn. Zach and Robert were polar opposites. Even the men’s choices of private residence mirrored their respective relationships to the pack. Zach lived on the side of a mountain and chose to remain on the periphery of their social group. In contrast, Robert dwelled at the center of town and occupied a central role in their small community.

  Zach stepped onto the sidewalk and faced her with his arms held loosely at his sides. During the drive over, they had reached an agreement. Accord resonated between them, a single harmonious note, reinforcing their unity.

  “You ready?” Zach asked, watching her with perceptive blue eyes.

  Theresa inhaled and nodded. She met his gaze and her resolve solidified. She had doubts but their answer seemed to offer the violence-free solution.

  “Yeah, I’m ready.”

  Zach took her hand and led her toward the house, past the waist-high gate, and up the slate paver walkway to the front porch.

  “Here goes nothing.” Before she could change her mind, Theresa stabbed at the doorbell. She glanced over at Zach, mustering a smile for his benefit.

  Zach’s lips twisted to a wry smile. His hand tightened on her elbow, expressing nonverbal support, and their auras meshed, presenting an integrated front. “Hang tight, love. Worst case scenario, he calls us crazy and kicks us out.”

  “I’m not sure that’s the worst case,” Theresa said, giving her dry lips a nervous wetting with the tip of her tongue. She heard footsteps approaching the door, and then the sound of the locks being undone.

  The front door swung open to reveal Robert clad in a pair of skin tight black leather pants and a white muscle shirt. A gold hoop earring hung from his right earlobe, giving him a rakish air, further reinforced when his white teeth flashed in a bold grin.

  Robert’s thick brow gave an inquisitive lift. “You look like two foxes in the hen house. What’s up? Or should I be afraid to ask?”

  “Robert, can we come in? We have a proposal for you.” Theresa stepped toward him, allowing her newfound ability as the Heart to unfurl, and took his hand. Her power flowed, uniting the three of them, evoking the pack bond. With practice, it became easier to do so.

  “She means that more literally than you’d think, Robbie.” Zach delivered the dry statement with perfect poise. His blue eyes never lost their gleam.

  Robert laughed and opened the door wider. “Come in.”

  Their host escorted them to a room best characterized as a man cave—large screen television attached to the wall, surround-sound speakers, black leather furniture, and a bar.

  “Bottled water?” Robert asked, tugging open the fridge.

  Theresa shook her head. “No, thanks.”

  “I’ll take one.” Zach extended his hand and Robert passed him a bottle.

  Theresa settled on a couch and Zach sat beside her so their thighs pressed together. Robert chose the chair opposite them. The Beta wolf sipped his water and faced them with cool intensity. Silence reigned for a long moment.

  Zach’s hand gave her knee an encouraging pat and his power flowed across her skin, lending his support. Theresa sucked down a deep breath, gathered her courage, and looked Robert straight in the eyes.

  “We want you to enter into the mate bond with us,” she said, bolstering the magic she used to unite with her fellow wolves.

  Robert rocked back and a surprised huff escaped him. His jaw dropped and hung, and then snapped shut with the audible clash of teeth. He stared at the two of them for a minute, studying their faces in turn, perhaps attempting to discern if it was supposed to be a joke. The atmosphere grew brittle and charged but pack unity held.

  “You’re not kidding,” Robert said at long last in a voice rife with disbelief.

  “No, we’re not,” Theresa replied.

  “Mate bonds between multiple partners are uncommon,” Robert said, playing the devil’s advocate.

  “But not unheard of,” Zach said, tone reasonable. “We’d be breaking with cultural taboo but not in a severe manner. Besides, as the pack’s dominant wolves, who’s to tell us we can’t do whatever the hell we want?”

  Robert set the water bottle down on the side table. He sat back and folded his hands, elbows resting on his knees. His brown eyes narrowed and his face acquired the shrewd calculation that made him a deadly opponent in the courtroom. “I presume it would be a strictly platonic arrangement?”

  Theresa blushed so that her face and throat burned.

  “Beyond whatever physical intimacy is necessary to seal the mate bond.” Zach flashed a wolfish smile. “No offense, buddy, but you’re not really my type.”

  Robert’s dark eyes flashed. “None taken. I prefer my men more submissive and prettier than your ugly mug.”

  As always, Theresa envied Zach’s ability to defuse awkward situations with humor. A flush warmed her face but she did her best to dispel her embarrassment and adopt his easy going attitude. She touched his knee, an intimate caress, allowing her fingers to linger along the inside of his leg. “I think you’re damn handsome—not ugly at all.”

  He glanced sideways with a sly smile. “Thank you, pet.”

  Robert directed a skeptical stare toward Zach. “Do you honestly believe you could overcome your possessive instincts and share Theresa with me for even one night?”

  Zach remained silent for a time, considering, before he replied. “Yeah, I do. So long as there’s no doubt that, she’s mine for the rest of our lives. Theresa is my soul mate.”

  Tears welled in her eyes and her throat seized so that it hurt to breathe. She swallowed with difficulty and glanced at her lover with a watery smile, unable to express the overwhelming ache in her chest. Her heart beat for him. Only for him.

  “What makes you think you can curtail your innate aggression toward a competitor?”

  Theresa huffed. “I think I can manage the two of you,” she said quickly. A second later, she realized how imperious the boast sounded and flushed.

  Robert glanced at her, at first startled, but then with chagrined respect. “Look who’s Alpha now.”

  Zach laughed so hard his sides shook. “We’ve created a monster.”

  Theresa stifled a giggle, which escaped sounding strangled. “This would solve all of our problems,” she said, addressing Robert. “If I can present you to Adam as my m
ate, then he’ll have no choice but to honor the conditions he set and hand over leadership without bloodshed.”

  “There’s no guarantee that bastard will behave in an honorable fashion,” Robert said. “Intolerance and hatred are powerful motivators. I wouldn’t put it past him to try and renege.”

  “I wouldn’t either,” Zach said with a cold viciousness that sent chills down Theresa’s spine. “If he does, then we’ll force him to step down. He can’t fight both of us and expect to live.”

  Robert nodded his agreement. “I’ve been holding off challenging him because I don’t want to traumatize the pack, but I’d love to kill that bastard.”

  Theresa winced. “It won’t come to that. His enforcers wouldn’t permit it.”

  Zach snorted. “Love, you have so much more faith in people than I do.”

  “Not faith,” Theresa said. “I believe that people will always act in their best interests. If the enforcers are perceived to be corrupt, then they stand to lose their position when Adam is ousted. His departure is inevitable—by his own words, he and Becky want to leave. If we do this right, it should be painful for him, but easy for us.”

  “Presuming this works,” Robert said, looking toward Zach. “You’re content serving as my second?”

  “Beta is plenty of responsibility for me. Anything else would cut into my writing and family time,” Zach said, easy and honest in his demeanor. “Frankly, I don’t want to be Alpha. The hours suck and the pay is terrible.”

  Robert’s mouth twisted into a sad smile. “I can’t name a single thing I want more.”

  “It’s yours,” Zach said.

  “Robert.” Theresa leaned forward to catch his attention.

  He looked at her, brow raised in silent query.

  “If we do this, I want to be sure there would be no misunderstandings or regrets,” she said. “A mate bond is forever. It means—”

  “That I can’t ever offer my heart and soul to another lover,” Robert said, making it perfectly clear that he understood the implications. He exhaled long and slow, sighing as he breathed out. “And I’m okay with that. Odds are against me ever taking a mate anyway.”

  Said aloud, it sounded so cold. So cruel. So lonely. Bisexual wolves, especially dominant members of the pack, guarded their secret closely or risked being ostracized or even killed.

  Theresa blinked back tears, hurting for him. Outwardly, Robert Blane had everything going for him—intelligence, physique, looks, a successful career, and financial prosperity. She had thought him self-contained and autonomous before, but never so isolated.

  Robert focused on her with clear eyes that seemed to burn holes deep into her soul. She squirmed beneath that gaze, nervous about what he might see in her. “What about children?” he asked with the air of a seasoned negotiator getting down to the nitty-gritty.

  Theresa traded a glance with Zach. He tipped his head toward her and remained silent. Theresa turned back to Robert. “Obviously, my offspring will be your potential successors,” she said. “Including Isabel. I won’t have her dismissed or overlooked because her father is a low-ranked jerk.”

  Robert chuckled. “Fair enough.”

  “I’m in heat so there’s a good possibility that I’ll conceive when we consummate the mate bond.” Her own bluntness caused Theresa’s cheeks to heat, but she refused to look down or hide behind her hair as she would have once done. “Whether the child is yours or Zach’s, I expect both of you to treat it the same. No favoritism.”

  Robert tilted his head to the side and regarded her with an unwavering stare. “This is likely the only opportunity I’ll have to sire a child, so I’m grateful,” he said in a quiet voice, demonstrating vulnerability that was at odds with his typical macho demeanor.

  Theresa’s throat tightened and she hurt for him. The poor man had already sacrificed so much for the good of Iron Stone’s wolves, and he would give even more, forever forgoing the opportunity to offer his heart and soul to his true love—should they ever meet. Her compassion spread through the pack bond, drawing both males into sync with her. The overwhelming ocean of grief threatened to drown her.

  “Bloody hell. Enough with the chick flick already,” Zach gritted out with frustration and stood. His powerful aura, threaded with resolution, created a rude splash like cold water across the face. “Are we in agreement?”

  Robert’s glance flickered toward Zach. A brief smile tugged at the black man’s lips. “We’re in agreement.”

  Theresa grinned at Zach to avoid looking directly at Robert. The reality of the situation crashed over her, igniting the heat in her wolf and causing her core to spasm. Erotic anticipation fed her excitement and she felt her pussy getting wet. She intended to enter into a lifelong commitment with not one but two stunning men. Afterward, she would have sex with both of them to seal the mate bond. Her arousal spread as a fever across her skin. She breathed faster, causing her bosom to heave beneath her thin cotton shirt. Moisture trickled along the inside of her thigh, and her perspiration had nothing to do with the temperature of the room.

  Awkward silence fell around the room for a full minute as they regarded one another. Possibility danced through Theresa’s mind in a stream of sensual visions, some quite graphic, others lurid, all intensely carnal. Without thought, she surged to her feet and moved away from Zach.

  Robert stood also and shifted to the right until they were the same distance apart. As three points of a triangle, they faced one another. Theresa had once heard something about tripods being extremely stable—she wondered if it were true.

  The air vibrated with tension. Breathe in, breathe out…

  “Zach, Robert,” Theresa said, voice tenuous at first but gaining strength. “My heart beats for you—with you—and from this moment forward, we shall hunt and fight as one in the face of all adversity. Our hearts are one.”

  The sacred words of the oath of the mating invoked potent magic. She looked to her right, passing the torch to Robert.

  “Theresa, Zach. My heart beats for you—with you—and from this moment forward, we shall hunt and fight as one in the face of all adversity. Our hearts are one.”

  They both looked to Zach.

  He cleared his throat, offered a toothy grin, and adopted a practiced stage pose. “I never know what to say at these things, but I’d like to thank you both for coming—”

  A throw pillow smacked against his raised arm and tumbled to the floor. Theresa reached for another. Her throat rumbled with a growl of warning. “Zachary Hunter.”

  Zach’s laughter died away, but his aura still sang with humor. “Theresa, Rob. My heart beats for you—with you—and from this moment forward, we shall hunt and fight as one in the face of all adversity. Our hearts are one.”

  In the physical world, nothing at all remarkable happened.

  But in the spiritual… Lightning flashed. Thunder crashed. A momentous earthquake rolled the ground beneath their feet. Three souls became one, meshed into a single unit lacking harmony and concordance, but as a whole they were stronger than any one individual.

  Gradually, the fireworks faded but the mate bond remained, tying the three of them together. Inseparable. Till death. The connection manifested as an indestructible platinum thread, stretching between them to form a triangle.

  Tension buzzed in the air, causing her skin to itch, the urge to squirm grew overpowering. She licked dry lips and inhaled deeply, scenting the perfume of pheromones heavy in the room. The allure of her own arousal filled her nostrils, robust with her fertility and readiness to mate.

  Both men kept their gazes glued to her, the brush of their auras an electrifying static dancing across her body, as stimulating as the delicate brush of a feather. She huffed, concentrating on the males, and drank in the odor of their lust and aggression, thick and musky.

  Primal need spiked her abdomen, causing her stomach muscles to contract, and her core to clench in anticipation. Heat and wetness pooled between her thighs. As much as it embarrassed her,
she owned her desire, aware that with just a little more confidence, she would come to celebrate it.

  “You initiate, Theresa,” Robert said in a gruff voice.

  Her gaze darted between Robert and Zachary, appraising each male in turn. They were both big, buff, delicious…and hers. Zach had the most sensual lips and hands she’d ever seen on any man. Robert radiated easy power, born of a combination of sheer willpower and physical prowess. She barely knew where to start or how.

  The men watched her with hunger in their eyes, rampant bulges straining the front of their pants. She smelled their excitement, an intoxicating aroma, and their auras meshed in a seductive net about her. Yet, they remained still, waiting on her to make the first move.

  Uncertainty spiraled through her mind. On the one hand, it felt right and natural to go to Zach first, but she worried that doing so would send the wrong message. If Robert felt shunned or excluded, this whole thing might fall apart.

  Zach saved her. He cocked his head and flashed an arrogant grin. “Go on, love. I’ll watch and wait for my turn.”

  She flushed but turned toward Robert. Dilated pupils eclipsed his irises. He held his muscular frame tense, poised for action, the stance of a true predator. Her nervous tongue darted across her lips and his eyes followed the tiny movement.

  ****

  The flesh along the backs of Robert’s arms rippled and his canine teeth elongated so the tips cut into the insides of his mouth. Adrenaline surged through his body until he felt ready to jump out of his skin, muscles bunched to the tightness of coiled springs. His wolf surfaced, threatening his already shaky self-control, requiring all of his discipline to remain human and wait until Theresa approached him.

  She wore her thick hair long and loose so the midnight silk formed a curtain of curls about her shoulders. The V-neckline of her top plunged toward generous cleavage, revealing tawny skin dusted with a light sheen of perspiration. Her hourglass figure suggested fertility. Motherhood. Her waist formed a gentle indentation and then her hips flared. The glove-like fit of her jeans molded about a curvaceous ass that just begged for a man’s hands to cover and squeeze. He studied her womanly form with open admiration. She embodied the virtues of strength, pride, and nurturing that the pack needed to heal and flourish. She was an ideal Alpha female.