Wolves Gone Wild [Werewolves of Forever, Texas 12] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Jane Jamison

  Christy pushed his arm away and kept on walking. She thought she’d prepared herself for what she’d find, but she was dead wrong. The second she laid eyes on the men, something inside her broke.

  Each of them wore chains strapped around their wrists with another chain hooked to the leather collars they wore. The chains were secured to large metal hooks that had been driven into the brick wall behind them. As soon as they saw her, they yanked on their chains so hard that brick dust fell to their feet.

  “What the hell is she doing here?”

  “She wanted this, Lance, so I’m giving her ten minutes. After that, I’ll check to see if she’s changed her mind. If she still wants to stay, then I’m not one to stand in her way. Something tells me she’s a lot like Emma in that regard.” Jackson jerked his head toward the stairs, motioning for his brothers to come with him. He and his brothers left.

  “We can’t have her here tonight. It’ll just make things worse.”

  Yet Duncan’s expression told a different story. He was thrilled to see her, the naked truth of his yearning etched in his features.

  “This is my decision. Jackson’s told me everything and I’m staying.” She hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. “If all this is real, if you’re werewolves and if I’m destined to be your mate, then I should be by your side.” Her gaze met Grant’s stark one. “I know you won’t hurt me. No matter how much you lose control.”

  “We’d never harm you, either as men or wolves. Not physically or any other way,” offered Lance. “But this amber moon thing is all new to us, too. We don’t know what might happen. We may not have the strength or the memory of you to stop.”

  “We don’t want to risk it,” added Duncan. “How much has Jackson told you?”

  The men leaned against the wall, their chains rattling in the stillness of the cellar.

  “I told you. Everything. I know what you are. In one way, it’s a relief. I’ve seen some pretty weird things since I came to Forever, and I was beginning to question my sanity. But when I saw you change…” She pulled an old rickety chair away from the opposite wall and sat down, fearful that what stamina she had left would fail her. “At least now I know it’s real.”

  “And the connection?” Duncan’s face was filled with worry, yet tinged with hope. “Do you feel it between us? Like right now?”

  “Yes. Or at least I’m guessing it’s what I’m feeling. I’ve never experienced anything like it. It’s terrifying yet amazing.” She searched for more ways to describe the indescribable feeling. “It’s like I’m burning up inside and having sex with you three is the only way to put out the fire.”

  And yet, that wasn’t quite all of it. “No, it’s more than sex. It’s a part of me, in every ounce of whatever makes me the person I am. It’s like arriving at a destination that I’ve been running to for my entire life. To say sex is what’s it’s all about is making it, this thing we share, dirty. But it’s not. It’s anything but that.”

  “She’s it, all right.” Lance grinned at her, reminding her of why she loved his face so much. “You’re our mate, but we know how hard, how scary it is for you. We’d never force you to stay, but right now, I’m not sure we could keep ourselves from doing exactly that.”

  “Leave now, Christy, while you can. It’ll break our hearts, but it’s what’s right for you,” added Duncan.

  The tension that had set up shop in her chest loosened the tiniest bit. “I understand. At least, I think I do. But there’s the problem. As much as you might want me to leave for my sake, I want to stay for yours.”

  She was ready to risk everything, her future and even her life for them. To leave them alone, chained in a cellar, was unimaginable.

  “I’m ready for tomorrow, although I’m not sure what being your mate really means.”

  Grant’s chains jangled as he dropped his arms and let the chains keep them over his head. “It means you’re the one and only woman we can ever love. It means you’re the woman we want to have children with. It means you’re the woman we want to grow old with and be buried side by side with.”

  His declaration was one of love, of commitment, of everything she’d ever dreamed of. “Why didn’t you tell me before now? I would’ve understood.” She hurt for them, for her, and for all that they might have lost.

  “We couldn’t. I saw how you looked at me out there.” Grant bowed his head. “You saw me as a monster. I knew it was possible that you might, and that’s why we couldn’t bring ourselves to tell you, to show you what we are.”

  “Is he right? Is that how you see us? As monsters?”

  She wanted to reach out and caress Duncan’s face, but Jackson had warned her to keep her distance. “At first, yes. You’re right. It would’ve scared the hell out of me. It’s still scary as hell. But I would’ve done my best to understand.”

  Lance’s moan cut her to the bone, urging her to try and ease his pain, if only a little. “But it isn’t any longer, Lance. Not now. Jackson helped me see the truth. Whatever happens when there’s a moon out doesn’t matter as long as you’re still the men I’ve come to care for.”

  “We don’t change with every full moon. That’s a myth. We can change whenever we want. And we can resist the shift, too. At least at any other time. But right now, while this moon’s out? It’s like it has power over us. Like we have no choice except to change.”

  “Shut up, Lance.”

  “What the hell, man? I’m only trying to make her understand. She needs to know all of it.”

  Grant stared at her as though trying to pull an answer to an unspoken question out of her with his hard gaze. “Say it again, Christy.”

  “Say what?” As if she didn’t know.

  “Say what you said before Lance rambled on. You said you care for us. Say it again.”

  “You did?” Lance leaned forward. “Yeah, say it again. I missed it the first time.”

  She laughed at him, loving his lighthearted manner even now. “Then maybe you should learn to listen better. Yeah, I do. In fact, I think I love you guys.”

  Grant’s face lit up. “Wait. You think you love us?”

  “Oh, mamma. Give you guys an inch and you want a mile. Okay, fine, I’ll say it. I’m sure I love you.”

  “Babe, if I could break free of these chains right now, I’ll prove to you how much I love you back.”

  “How much we love you back,” added Duncan with his dimples flashing.

  “Do me a favor, guys. Keep the chains on and prove it that way.” She had to admit that seeing them chained up gave them an added bit of sexiness. The last bits of her fear were giving way to the increasing pulse of need. Was it the way she’d always feel? Or was the amber moon influencing her even now?

  “I just hope we haven’t already blown it.”

  They all turned to Grant. “What do you mean?”

  “I know none of us ever actually made love to you. Or at least not all the way. Which means we haven’t really claimed you yet. With either our bodies or our bites.”

  She hated seeing the worry in his eyes again. Bites?

  “He thinks we may have done the same kind of damage to our connection by what we did do with you.”

  She shook her head at Lance. “No. I still feel it. Don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I do. The problem is, until morning comes, we won’t know if the connection between us, the lifelong bond we share, is what we’re feeling right now or just the effect of the amber moon at its most powerful.” Grant clenched his fists, the muscles working in his jaw.

  “Then we wait and find out.” She’d gone too far to back out now. “You’re going to bite me?”

  “If and when we get to claim you as our mate”—Lance glanced at his cousin and friend—“then we bite you. The bite serves two purposes. It’ll leave a scar to show that you’re ours.”

  “And the other purpose?”

  “If we use the claiming bite, then you’ll change into a werewolf, too.”

  “A werewolf?
Me? I haven’t even gotten used to the idea that you’re werewolves. Now I’m supposed to become one?”

  “Not if you don’t want to.” Duncan yanked on his chains as he turned away from gazing out at the dying sunlight. “You can remain human. It’s your choice, not ours.”

  “Christy, are you ready to leave?”

  She didn’t turn toward the sound of Jackson’s voice. She’d already made her decision. “I’m staying.”

  “No. It’s not safe.” Grant jerked on his chains. “We can’t guarantee that these will hold us. Or that we’ll stay in our right minds. Jackson brought us back once, but there’s no telling if we can come back again.”

  “It doesn’t matter. You won’t hurt me.” She cleared her throat and called out louder. “We’ll see you in the morning, Jackson.”

  She could sense his hesitation all the way from the top of the steps. At last, however, he gave in to her wishes. “Okay. I’ll be back. Take care of yourself.”

  “Don’t worry. I will.” She prayed she could. Or better yet, that she wouldn’t have to find out either way. She waited until she heard Jackson’s footsteps across the ceiling, then the slam of the front door.

  “Okay, guys, it’s just us.” She adopted a confidence she didn’t totally feel. “So tell me. What about children? If I stay, can I have children? Werewolves and a human? Is that even possible? And what if I don’t want any?”

  * * * *

  “You don’t fool me, Christy Smith. You want kids. I know you do.” Or at least, Lance hoped she did. She was their mate and she’d call the shots when it came to children. If she wanted them, they’d have as many as she’d allow. If not, then he’d learn to live with her choice.

  “You’re right. I do.”

  “How many?” asked Duncan.

  “Three or four, I guess.”

  Damn, but she was beautiful. Lance couldn’t believe their luck. Plus, she was brave and adventurous, not to mention sexy as hell. He’d give his life a thousand times over for her.

  “Just three or four? I was hoping for around ten.”

  He was kidding, but when her face turned white, he wondered if he’d gone too far. “Hey, three or four is good.”

  “Whew. I thought I was going to pass out.”

  Lance let the conversation continue between the others as he leaned against the wall and watched the way her mouth moved. Her eyes twinkled with happiness at one point but a sadness quickly followed that he wanted to erase forever. If they survived the night with their bond intact, he’d spend the rest of his life doing exactly that.

  Her expressions changed from ones filled with anxiety to ones showing curiosity and wonder as they talked about what it meant to be a werewolf. They answered most of her questions about becoming a mate and promised to enlist the aid of Milly or another female to answer any remaining questions. Her body language went from stiff, yet ready to run, to relaxed, and finally, she gave up the chair and sat on the floor in front of them as though they were all seated at the kitchen table talking about what every other couple in the world talked about.

  They spent more time talking about children, their families, her siblings, and how different Forever was to Greensburg where she’d grown up. They promised to take her back home and meet her family, and she swore that she’d love living on the ranch with them just as long as she was able to ride Star every day.

  If their hands and necks weren’t chained to the wall, the conversation would’ve been joyful. They’d come so far, so fast, and the end, one way or the other, was near.

  The gut-wrenching force struck Lance hard and fast, giving him only enough time to suck in a breath and clench his fists. “Oh, God. Christy, get out. Run.”

  Chapter Ten

  She was on her feet as fast as she could move. Lance’s face contorted and his pain showed in every line. His arms tensed, his muscles flexed as he yanked at the chains that bound him.

  “What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

  “It’s the moon.”

  She barely understood what Duncan said. Following where he was looking, she peered out the small window and saw the moon high in the sky. So much time had passed while they were talking that she hadn’t noticed the light growing dimmer. If the overhead bulb hanging from a cord hadn’t already been turned on, she might have noticed it sooner.

  The growls coming from the men had her turning back to them. A lump caught in her throat as their bodies began to blur. She blinked, then wiped her eyes, trying to see their images clearly.

  Grant’s head had transformed, growing longer, narrower. Dark fur spread over his face and his neck while his mouth elongated to show terrifying fangs. Human ears became more pointed and claws replaced fingernails. His clothes shredded away from the large body expanding, changing underneath them, exposing more dark fur gliding along his flesh.

  “Oh, my God.” She stepped back, putting distance between them but unable to run for the stairs.

  She couldn’t say whether it was her promise to stay and see them through the night, or the energy sparking between them growing even stronger that kept her there. They, the amber moon, or both held her as strongly as the chains held them.

  Duncan’s transformation whipped through him, jerking his body in spasms. He snarled, his eyes glowing amber, his jaws dripping saliva. The dimples in his cheeks disappeared under a layer of fur.

  Lance’s wolf form stood on its hind legs as he bit at the chains around his front paws. His tail swished back and forth like the sword of a warrior ready to do battle. A dark, diamond-shaped patch marked his forehead.

  Grant howled, putting his head back, his body fully changed into a huge dark werewolf. Then, with a great growl, he jerked on the chains binding his front legs and pulled.

  She gasped and swore later that her heart stopped as she watched the wolf that was Grant yank his chains out of the wall. He snarled and growled as the chain around his neck held him strangled, then with another snarl, he put his paws against the brick and pulled that chain free.

  Duncan and Lance, fully changed to wolves, roared at Grant as he fell onto all fours. They struggled against their chains, but so far their bindings held.

  Christy backed up as Grant padded toward her, the chains jangling with his movements. His head was down and his mouth drawn back into a snarl. His fur stood up on his haunches and his ears were laid back. He was in attack mode.

  She should’ve run, but it was too late. He’d moved between her and the stairs.

  “Grant. Stop.”

  His growl made her jump, but she gathered her courage around her. It was the only weapon she had.

  “Please, Grant. Listen to me. I know you understand me.” Her shoulders hit the wall behind her. She had to make him remember that it was her. He understood her. She had to believe that.

  He growled again, then tilted his head to the side, reminding her of the wolves that had saved her from Merle and Gabe. Her gaze jumped back to the diamond shape on Lance’s forehead.

  “It was you, wasn’t it? All of you. You were the ones who ran Merle and Gabe off.”

  Duncan had managed to break the chains that held his legs, but the neck chains on both of the Thorne men still remained strong.

  “Grant, I know you remember me. Think. It’s me, Christy. I’m your mate.” If he didn’t remember her, she was about to die.

  Grant’s growl was low and mean, without an ounce of mercy in it. He crept closer.

  It was all or nothing. She had to trust that he was still inside the huge animal. Reaching out, she closed her eyes and offered him her hand.

  When the pain of his jaws clamping down on her didn’t come, she dared to open her eyes. She widened them a second before he leapt and knocked her flat to the floor.

  She wanted to cry, her vision clouded with unshed tears. Terror froze her body, making her too terrified to try and fight him. He held her down and his paws were a crushing weight on her chest. Saliva dripped from his mouth to slide down the side of her neck. Gl
eaming amber eyes glared at her as he opened his mouth, preparing to drive his awful fangs deep into her flesh.

  Unable to watch the man she loved tear out her throat, she closed her eyes again. “It’s okay, Grant. I forgive you.”

  * * * *

  A war raged inside Grant’s mind. He fought against the swirl of images, trying to sort out which ones he trusted. This shift was different than any other one. When he changed, he was always able to access his human mind, his thoughts, his memories. But the power emanating from the moon sent crazy, wild ideas to him. Ideas that had nothing to do with his humanity. It urged him to take, to kill, to feed.

  The pulse of her blood in her neck beckoned to him. He could already taste the first squirt of warm liquid bursting into his mouth, then running down his throat. She would taste so good, so alive as her body twitched underneath his.

  And then she’d spoken. The other part of him, the side of him that was shouting for him to stop, begging his wolf to relent, tried to understand the words. He cocked his head to the side and clamped his jaws shut.

  “I love you, Grant.”

  Her voice was the meekest of whispers, and yet the words pounded into him with the force of a wrecking ball. He recognized the word love and its power swept over him.

  No! Stop!

  Somewhere deep inside him, his humanity fought back, demanding that his wolf submit. The man who ached for his woman was more powerful than any animal ever could be.

  I love her.

  That thought was all he needed to force the beast back into its cage. He shifted, pushing his wolf back into submission. She kept her eyes closed, and he would’ve sworn she wasn’t aware of the change. At least not until he moved his hands to rest at the side of her head.

  She opened her eyes and the tears he saw in them broke his heart. He’d come so close, too close, to killing the only woman he would ever love. And she’d stopped him with a whisper.

  “Christy.” As though the transformation still had its hold on him, he struggled to get the words out. “I’m so sorry.”