Her gaze flicked to him and back to Godrick. Zach saw a blur and then there was another cry from the audience. Ginger glanced behind her. Darius had somehow circled around them.
“Darius, you leave her alone. This thing is between us.”
The other wolf lifted his upper lip, showing a bit more of his teeth. Cameron stepped toward Ginger to get her out of the way, but right when he did, Darius lunged at Ginger. He landed on top of her, while she struggled to keep him off her throat. Zach grabbed Darius around the waist and tried to pull him off, but he sunk his jaws into Ginger’s shoulder. A loud crunch echoed. Her scream followed. Darius’s claws shredded her skin and tore away her blouse. The sweet scent of blood drenched the air along with the aroma of gingerbread. Zach tried wrenching on the werewolf, but it only made their mate scream more. Cameron tackled Darius from the side and they both went sprawling. Darius growled, but he was on top of him, and this time Cameron had changed into the beast man form. In that guise, he was stronger than Darius. Darius wiggled out from underneath him and slipped from his grip. He dodged the werewolf’s grip until Cameron grabbed him and threw Darius to the ground. They wrestled for a few moments. Then Cameron swiped across Darius’s stomach, staining the ground red. He still struggled to get back at him, but Cameron took one more rake with his claws and off came Darius’s head. The other werewolf went still.
Zach pulled off his shirt and pressed it to Ginger’s wounds. There was a lot of blood and her already pale skin was growing paler. Worry seared his soul. He did not dare move her. The blood was soaking through his shirt. The bite marks and the scratches were deep.
“Are you okay?” Zach asked.
She smiled, but he saw her pain. Normally, if a person was bitten by a wolf they would turn, but he was not sure about her. They had to survive first and even if she was a magnificent gingerbread woman underneath all of the human flesh, he did not know what that would mean. If she survived, would she turn into a rabid wolf/cookie woman with some human skin and some fur? He shook his head and tried to focus.
“It hurts more than normal. It’s been a long time since I’ve been hurt this bad. I’m not sure…” Ginger tried to take in another breath, but began to convulse. Blood bubbled from her lips and dribbled down her ashen chin.
“Can you help her?” Cameron asked Godrick, who had joined them on the other side.
Zach stared at the wizard; the wounds on his neck had already begun to heal. “I-I don’t know. She’s started to become human from meeting you so I’m not sure how much of the damage can be repaired by her normal regiment of flesh and blood.”
“You have to save her,” Zach whispered.
Godrick pulled a knife from his belt and unsheathed it. “Give me your hands.”
Zach hesitated.
“Quickly. I don’t want to lose her again. And I’m sure you don’t want to be cursed for another five hundred years or so until she can be reborn.”
They handed him their hands. In one sudden slice, he opened their hands so that their blood flowed over Ginger’s wounds. Zach’s was over the wound in her shoulder and Cameron’s was positioned over one of her claw marks. As their blood hit her flesh, it was absorbed into her skin. The wounds started to close. Her color was slowly returning and her breathing had evened out. Godrick cut them again to get more blood. Zach would have gladly given all he had so that she would live. There was nothing he would not do for his mate.
Slowly, Ginger opened her eyes. When she did, her green eyes had a tinge of red. Had she taken in some of the werewolf? There was only one way to find out and that would be at the next full moon.
“She’ll be okay from here. I advise you to take her home and make sure she rests. When she’s better you can come back and we can talk. Actually, it would behoove the three of you to spend as much time as possible together over the next seventy-two hours. In that time, you’ll notice the curse fading away.”
“What about me?” Ginger asked the wizard in a soft whisper.
He looked at her with a father’s love. “You will find yourself not so much a cookie, but more of a human. The more time you spend with them, the quicker it will change you. That’s what love does. It changes you. When you feel up to it, we can work on getting along. I want to know more about you.”
Ginger leaned against Zach. He wrapped his arm around her protectively, loving how well they fit together. Cameron came to her other side and helped her up as well. They both held her between them. They were never going to let her go again. He would take the time they had been given and use it wisely. He had not forgotten the night they had spent together, before she had run off. He hoped it could be that way again. It made him tingle inside just at the thought of what they could do when she was completely healed.
“I’ll come back. I promise,” Ginger replied to Godrick.
“Good. Boys, you take good care of her and when you return we can talk more about your reinsertion into the pack.”
Cameron nodded. “Thank you, Godrick.”
Their master did not say anything to them, but addressed the crowd. “All right, people. There’s nothing else to see. Someone get rid of Darius and have a good time at the party.”
Ginger leaned her head on Cameron’s shoulder and then on Zach’s. A sense of calm went through him and he knew everything was going to be okay.
Chapter Nine
Ginger opened her eyes. It took her a moment to orient herself to her surroundings. It finally sunk in that she was with Zach and Cameron, at their place. The events of the night before flashed through her mind. She never thought she would be with two men who loved and cared about her. She never thought such a thing would happen for her. After all the years of hating her existence and despising the one who made her, Godrick had asked for forgiveness and wanted to mend the rift between them. After her mates had brought her back to their house, she had climbed into bed and let sleep take her away.
Now her whole body ached from the trauma it had undergone the night before. She rolled out of bed and remembered they had stripped off her clothes and had pulled one of the men’s shirts on her. Ginger pressed the cloth to her nose and smelled Cameron, but when she sniffed the pillow, she smelled Zach. She stretched and glanced around the room. Clothes were scattered on the floor. Pictures were slightly askew on the wall. Ginger caught the fragrance of coffee and grease. Her stomach grumbled and she did not feel the same hunger that she normally felt when she wanted to eat someone. Instead, it was the pleasant hunger of just being hungry. She stared at the image in the mirror and lifted her shirt to see if there was any damage or any scars. There was nothing. When she poked at where the wounds had been, the skin felt softer than when she was normally hurt, like the hard cookie inside of her was no longer there.
Ginger ran her fingers through her locks and decided she was decent enough to see what was cooking. The nutty fragrance of the coffee led her into the kitchen. There she found Cameron in front of the stove, spatula in hand, tending to a frying pan that had several pork chops in it and another that had a few strips of bacon. The sound of her stomach gurgling alerted him to her presence.
“Morning, gorgeous.” He smiled.
“Hardly.” She giggled. “I still have to take a shower before I look decent.”
Cameron abandoned his post at the stove and pulled her close with one hand and stole a kiss. The salty flavor of bacon clung to his lips, but she did not care. It was nice to fit against his body and to know how much he cared and that he had fought for her.
“Should I even ask what you’re going to be doing with that spatula?” Zach asked.
Ginger snorted and broke the kiss because she nearly choked on more laughter. Cameron dropped the utensil on the stove and scowled at the other man.
“Sorry, guys, I’m not into using kitchen appliances. I draw my line there.”
“Really? You have a line? I guess we have to figure out how far we can go to get you there.” Zach slipped his hands over her ass and squeezed the mounds
before kissing her fully on the lips, engulfing her mouth, and slipping his tongue along her bottom lip.
Ginger’s legs turned to jelly. Again, it still blew her mind that there was someone who could be with her and she did not want to eat them. His firm grip held her up until Cameron began clearing his throat behind them to get their attention. Her cheeks warmed and she pulled her shirt down and distanced herself from Zach until she could think clearly again.
“You’re worse than me, bro. Trying to take advantage of our lovely lady.”
She shook her head. “Both of you have the privilege of taking advantage of me, and I promise I won’t leave this time. But first, I’m starving.”
Cameron smiled. “Good, because I wasn’t sure what you liked so I made a lot.” He pulled the frying pans off the stove and then opened the oven where he had a stack of waffles and brought them over to the table. Zach pulled out a chair for her and her mates sat beside her. She waited for them to take what they wanted, but they were waiting for her. After an awkward moment, she speared a pork chop and grabbed a couple of waffles. Zach handed her the maple syrup and the plate of bacon. She took a slice and drizzled the syrup over the waffles. Her stomach gurgled with happiness of the meal. The waffles were fluffy and the pork chops melted in her mouth. After a couple of bites, she glanced at the two men and they were each focused on their meals. The strained silence between them was something she should have expected considering they did not know one another very well. It was going to be interesting to get to know their likes and dislikes, figuring out what they enjoyed and how she would mesh with their lives. Godrick wanted to get to know her more and also wanted to show her magic. She was not sure how that would work out, because there was also the bakery and her promise to look after Christian. Now that she was becoming human, her lifespan was shortened, but that did not frighten her. It brought peace knowing she would never have to hurt anyone again. When she looked at the two men at the table, her heart swelled with happiness. They were hers.
“How is it?” Cameron asked.
“Great. Everything is wonderful.”
“I wasn’t sure what you liked so I think I over did it with the pork chops. Wolves love meat and have a voracious appetite. I hope you don’t think we’re trying to make you fat or something.”
Ginger laughed. “That was the last thing that crossed my mind. Normally, I’m not a breakfast kinda girl, but this was great. I probably won’t eat for a week.”
“Oh, please don’t say that,” Zach said before tearing a hunk of pork from the bone.
“I was kidding. Being what I am or was…I could eat anything I wanted. And there were times I could eat a horse. Actually, I think I tried that once, but it did no good. Found that out the hard way.”
“You name it and I can make it. Cooking is something of a pastime I’ve taken up with all the long years we’ve had. What about you? Any hobbies?” Cameron asked.
She stabbed at her waffle and ate another piece. “I’ve always looked out for Christian’s family since they took me in. I’ve traveled. I collect coins from different parts of the world. I normally loathe holidays, except Halloween. I’ve freaked a few people out over the years by not eating and being myself. It’s kinda fun handing out candy and they think I’m some kind of zombie. I don’t know… I also read a lot. I spent the entire 1800s trying to figure out needlepoint, but it wasn’t my cup of tea. I hate ovens. I…”
“But you work in a bakery,” Zach blurted out.
Ginger shrugged. “Yeah, but I don’t do any of the baking. You would hate ovens too if you came into being and found yourself surrounded by fire and could feel the heat of the flames burning your fingers and toes. Whenever I get a mani/pedi you can see the burnt edges through the nail polish. Something in the chemicals of the nail polish allows it to happen.” She shivered when she thought about waking up in the oven.
Cameron squeezed her hand. “You don’t have to ever worry about that again. Zach and I can handle the cooking. Or however our arrangement works out.”
“Thanks, guys. Breakfast was yummy. We’ll figure this all out. Do you mind if I use the shower?” Ginger stood up from the table.
“I’ll show you where it is,” her mates said in unison.
Ginger shook her head in amusement. The earnestness in their tone only told her one thing. “So which one of you is going to scrub my back?”
They both opened their mouths to say something when she put her hands over their lips. “I hope you have a shower big enough for the three of us.”
Zach nodded. Cameron’s eyes betrayed his desire.
“Right this way,” Cameron directed.
Ginger followed behind them and into a large bathroom that was easily the size of one of their bedrooms. “I guess you guys enjoy your bathroom space.”
“You could say that. This is the master bath connecting both master bedrooms. There’s a regular bathroom downstairs and a half bath in the basement. We have a rec room down there,” Zach explained.
“Really? What other things do you have that you haven’t shown me?” Ginger inquired.
She noticed a large bathtub in one corner of the room and an enormous shower in the other. The more she examined the bathroom she realized it could be closed off into two separate bathrooms as there were two sinks and two toilets on opposite sides. There were three doors, one from either bedroom and the other led into the hallway. Cameron opened the glass door of the shower that took up a quarter of the bathroom. Inside the shower was a long bench where you could sit.
“It doubles as a sauna too,” Zach pointed out.
She nodded. “Nice. I could get used to that. So are you going to show me how to use all the equipment?” Ginger started unbuttoning her shirt, turning to Zach and showing him a little skin. His eyes widened when her fingers trailed over the top of her breasts. She grinned and then focused on Cameron. Ginger unbuttoned the rest of her shirt and let it hang open. The other man’s mouth dropped and he reached for her. Ginger darted out of his grasp, slipped the shirt off completely, and stepped out of her panties. From there she hopped into the shower. They lunged for the door, but she grabbed it first and held it closed. Both men growled at her and tugged on the door. With their combined strength, it was hard to keep it closed.
“Ginger, not fair,” Cameron said through the glass.
She smiled. “Can’t we have a little fun?”
Zach pulled on the handle hard enough that it slipped from her hands and she stumbled back a couple of steps until the hard seat of the bench hit the back of her legs and she sat down. Zach leaned over her and trapped her between his knees. He placed his hands on the tile walls, pinning her between his arms. “That was a very naughty thing you did.”
She walked her fingers up his chest. “You like naughty, right?”
He nodded and pulled off his shirt. “Yeah. We both do.”
She rubbed her foot along his leg and inner thigh. “Then you need to take these jeans off and get naked.” Ginger stared at Cameron and beckoned him in. “You gonna strip and come in here too?”
“Oh, hell yeah!” Cameron began to disrobe. Zach stepped out and finished undressing. Ginger glanced at her mates and felt a stab of desire hit her right in her gingerbread heart. She licked her lips, anticipating what was going to happen between all three of them. Zach turned the water on and then Cameron stepped in.
“I am going to fuck you so hard,” Zach’s seductive voice whispered next to her ear. His lips settled on her throat. She squirmed when he trailed his tongue along the curve of her shoulder.
Her gaze met Cameron, who stared at them with a deep hunger of his own. Zach slowly worked his lips lower. The heat of his body kept her warm. The spray from the shower misted over her flesh and trickled down her face. Zach was taking the brunt of the hot water. Seeing the glistening water sliding down his flesh made her want to get wet with him. She placed her hand on his cheek. His hand slid along her inner thigh. Cameron waited patiently for her to invite him. A
smile turned up her lips. Ginger spread her legs and watched Cameron’s expression. He licked his lips and she saw the color darken his cheeks. She grasped Zach’s hand and brought it to her already wet folds. He found her clit and began to press upon it. Her head fell back against the shower wall. Zach slowly worked her clit in circles. Her voice left her throat in a loud moan. Ginger reached out to Cameron, hoping he would join them. Zach moved to her side letting the shower spray hit her full on.
Cameron knelt on the floor, and stretched until he pressed his mouth to hers. She flicked her tongue over his lips and deepened the kiss. Zach took one of her nipples in his mouth and sucked on it. He slipped his fingers inside of her, hitting her G-spot. At once, she broke Cameron’s hold on her mouth and groaned.
“More, Zach. Please.”
“Whatever you want.” He bit down on her breast.
Her heart slammed into her chest. The water trickling over her body warmed her even more. Her whole body quaked when she came from the manipulations on her clit. Cameron took her other breast in his mouth. His tongue encircled her pert bud. Her stomach trembled from another rising orgasm that tumbled through her. Ginger pressed her eyes closed. All she wanted to do was linger in this particular moment without the world intruding on them. Zach kissed the side of her neck and worked her faster, until the orgasm faded away. Cameron sucked on her breast until she reached down and captured his cock.
“Ginger, I need to be inside of you.” Cameron slid his fingers along her thigh. She squirmed because she needed that too.
“I want both of you.”
Ginger Bites Page 9