by Louisa Bacio
“When they get here, I want to talk with them,” Yas said, pointing his finger at her.
“Yes, sir.” If she could finesse it, she’d sneak out and face the consequences later.
When he stalked away, Tala mouthed, “I’m sorry” to her. The woman probably hadn’t run into his overprotective sibling persona. Maybe she was seeing a side of him she hadn’t before. Then again, as a little sister, she probably understood the situation only too well. Sugar enjoyed having an ally.
“Do you mind if I pack some picnic goodies for us?” Sugar asked.
“No problem. Don’t mind Mr. Grumpy. He’ll get over it,” Tala said, now that the coast was clear. “There are sandwich makings in the fridge. I always buy plenty, so use whatever you want.” She snapped her fingers. “I’ve got the perfect something for you to use upstairs. Be right back.”
In an hour, Sugar was meeting Derek and Tyler for a winter picnic. She shivered, but this time at the feelings she got simply thinking about the twins. Since she barely knew them, what attracted her to each brother? So taboo, going out with both of them. Maybe one would win out over the other, and she’d have a clear choice. The way things worked with her, there was no such luck. It was like her love-o-meter was broken. Derek might have captured her interest first, but Tyler could quickly outpace his brother.
Maybe if she’d realized there were two of them to start.
Carefully, she sliced the hoagie rolls in half and laid out all the ingredients. After heaping on sliced beef and Havarti, she spread mustard on one side of the bread and shook a bit of pepper onto it. From the fridge, she brought out some lettuce, rinsed it, and then patted the leaves dry before adding them to the sandwiches. She wrapped each one in foil to keep it fresh until time to eat.
“Here it is!” Tala placed a picnic basket with a blue-and-white checked lining on the counter.
“Oh, it’s perfect! Thank you.” She crossed the kitchen to hug the other woman. “You know I’ve never had a sister before, or even very many close friends. You’ve made me feel very comfortable.”
“We have something else in common then,” Tala said. “Neither did I, and we both love that stubborn brother of yours. Well, I haven’t quite seen him get all riled up like this over you.”
The last thing she wanted to do was add chaos to their lives. “You gotta understand something about Yas, though. After our dad died, he took over the protector responsibilities of the family. He wasn’t old enough, and Mom fought with him a lot, but especially with her working two jobs and me being me, he had his hands full.”
“Liked to test those waters a bit, did you?” Tala asked.
In her stare, Sugar felt the weight of secrets. “I did try to keep my private life, private,” she said. “But it’s a bit harder living in the same house with him as an adult.”
“I get it, I do. Just be careful. Both of us enjoy you being here, and neither one of us wants to see you get hurt.”
On that parting note, Tala turned the flame on her meal down to a simmer and went upstairs.
Sugar placed the sandwiches off to one side in the basket, making sure they didn’t get smashed. She added a bag of tortilla chips and some fresh salsa in a plastic container. The oversized basket looked downright empty still. What else could she add? Her gaze landed on the leftover chocolate cake. What would it taste like licked off Tyler’s full lips. She ran her tongue over hers at the thought. She sliced a wedge big enough for three and placed it inside another carrier. Frosting smeared across her thumb, and she stuck it in her mouth. Even better the next day.
With the meal packed, she only needed paper plates and utensils. The B&B business kept the kitchen stocked with all sorts of goodies.
Hopefully, the boys would bring a blanket.
***
Someone knocked on the door and Yas reached the front before Sugar. He grabbed the handle, edged her out of the way, and slipped outside.
“Both of you are here?” Yas’s voice traveled through the wood.
With all her might, Sugar tried opening the door, but the knob refused to even turn. He must have been holding onto it.
“Is he giving them the big brother warning?” Tala asked. She lifted the edge of the curtain and peered onto the porch. “Come over here and see.”
“Shhh! I can’t hear them.” The sound of their voices muffled to a rumble, and someone laughed.
From the side, she made out her dates’ profiles and a fine ass. Although she couldn’t tell whose. Yas pointed at one of them before gesturing wildly with both hands.
More laughter, and Sugar’s nerves cranked up full force. Was this a bonding thing? Pissing contest? She was the one they were coming to see. Time to get going.
At the sound of the door opening, both Tala and she pushed away from the window and stumbled to the couch. Sugar didn’t want to appear too anxious for the date.
“The boys have quite the adventure planned for you,” Yas said.
Grabbing her jacket from the back of the couch, Sugar stood. “I’m ready.” One look at her two escorts, both wearing black down jackets, faded jeans, and similar button-up shirts—except Derek donned black and Tyler was in white, of course—and her stomach tightened. Her being ready to face both of them together might be an overstatement.
Derek enveloped her in a hug once they got outside. “Good to see you again, except this time you have a lot more clothes on.”
“And I’m not as wet.”
“Yet,” he countered.
Ignoring the comment, she changed the subject. “Where are we headed?”
“This guy wants to show you some of our property,” Tyler explained. “We figured a short tour, picnic, and then maybe a run. Let me carry that for you.”
The perfect gentleman, Tyler slung the basket on the crook of one arm and offered his other elbow to her. Sugar slipped her hand onto it, and Derek maneuvered onto the other side. Well, if that’s how they wanted to play it, she was more than happy to hold onto two hunks at once.
They settled into a steady pace, heading away from the town, past a lumberyard, until the reached the base of the hills. One sign on the fence read Baker Estate and another warned Private Property. Derek unhooked the gate and pushed it open, gesturing for her to go through. A dog ran up and nuzzled her hand.
Scratching behind his ears, she cooed, “How’s that, pretty boy? What’s your name?” One of his ears perked forward at the high pitch of her voice, and he wagged his tail.
“Well look at that,” Tyler said. “Frankie doesn’t usually take to people so quickly. You must have a way with animals.”
“I mentioned liking them,” she said. Frankie flipped over onto his back, baring his belly, and she rubbed it.
“I know exactly how you feel, boy,” Derek said.
They all laughed at his comment, and it helped dispel some of the tension.
“Just because you like her, don’t go all lax on the job now,” Derek said. “You stay here. On guard.”
“Big meanie,” Sugar said.
“Score one for the other brother,” Tyler joked.
“We’ll see who racks up the points in a little bit of time,” Derek said. “Just a bit farther.”
A house was next on the property and then a small barn with silver silos behind it. Derek caught her staring at the big tanks.
“The distillery,” he said. “Our business isn’t huge, but our clientele is local.”
“I’d like to taste it sometime,” she said.
A chill in the air made her rub her arms. She usually didn’t get too cold. Being a Wolf, she tended to run hot-blooded. Once they shifted, the temperature would no longer be an issue.
“Well, that sometime will be tonight,” Derek said. “Although my wimp-ass brother probably won’t have any.”
“You don’t work on the product, do you, Tyler?”
“Not unless it’s an emergency and they need me,” he said. “In general, I don’t
drink a lot anyway. Plus, all of it tastes like gasoline to me, so I wouldn’t be the best tester of the product.”
“Wow, great recommendation of your family wares,” she said.
“As I said, there’s a reason why Derek runs the distillery and I still do odds-and-ends work. What are you planning on doing once you’re no longer a student?”
She contemplated what to tell them. That she didn’t care for her workload—a business major equaled double boring. Or maybe that she was thinking of changing to something dealing with the care of animals. She possessed a natural affinity. Why not tap into it?
Having to come up with a reason dissipated as she spotted a glow emanating from the path. Solar lights lined the walkway up ahead and opened into a circle with a plush blue blanket spread out in the middle. Colored pillows lay strewn across the center. Tyler set down the basket.
“Wow. It’s gorgeous,” she said. “How did you two have time to do all of this?”
“Well, it was a bitch getting those lights into the hard, semi-frozen ground,” Derek said.
“He’s strong. Don’t listen to his complaining,” Tyler countered.
The light dusting of snow illuminated the circle even more, casting an illusion of warmth.
Not sure what to say next, Sugar settled onto the blanket. While humans tended to stay indoors as much as possible during this time of year, she enjoyed communing with nature. Being with others who shared the same shifting abilities added another element. The cold didn’t bother them as much. If winter in Los Lobos was this beautiful, what would spring be like? She originally hadn’t planned on staying long enough to see the change in seasons, but maybe she could plan a return visit.
“Any requests on what you’d like to do first?” Tyler asked, settling next to her. “Are you hungry? Or, maybe you’d like to go for a run and explore the area a bit?”
“Really? Is that an option? We don’t have to wait for a special time or anything?”
Derek chuckled. “No ma’am. That’s the beauty about living out here in the boondocks, away from humanity. It’s the Black Hills Wolves who get the run of the land. Sure, we have a few enemies and have to watch out for camping expeditions, but, especially come winter season, a lot of that dies down.”
“Well hell, let’s go then.” Unlike her brother, who battled with his Wolf side and shifting abilities, Sugar possessed no problems with the transition. The only issue she had was environmental. Growing up outside the pack, and in the city, she’d had to hide her other side. To embrace it felt like an emancipation of her soul.
Shifting happened differently for each Wolf. Sugar didn’t need to remove her clothes before the transition. Whatever she was wearing disappeared when she left human form, and returned when she changed back. Pure magic. Seamlessly, and painlessly, her body morphed from that of her human shape to her Wolf. She flicked her long, white tail at the two males staring at her with their mouths open. She looked good in this form, and if they liked her as a woman, they wouldn’t be able to resist her as a Wolf.
“Yip. Yip. Yip.” She baited her dates into movement, trotting back and forth. Without knowing the lay of the land, she didn’t want to take off on her own. Until she got used to the geography, she was happy to follow. Derek turned next, shifting into a large black wolf. His eyes glowed amber, and he nuzzled her side. Within a few beats, Tyler changed into his Wolf form, and, surprisingly, his coat took on a lighter hue. Identical twins as humans and different in animal form? She never would have guessed. At least she’d be able to tell them apart easily.
Howling, Derek led their trio, cutting upward, chasing the shadows created by the moon. Tyler kept close to her hindquarters, protecting from behind. As the female between two men, the sense of protection was high. It was a nice feeling to have. Paws pounded against the chilled grasses, Sugar rejoiced in the scents of the wild. After a few minutes, she stopped to nose around the base of a tree. She smelled other Wolves who’d passed through.
The sweeter of the two brothers rubbed his side against hers. Even in Wolf form, she interpreted his grin of freedom. Turning back toward them, Derek barked a command and started climbing the hill. He obviously wanted to show her something.
The men flanked her, one on either side, and Sugar pushed, running harder, faster, her breath coming in short bursts. Her heart pounded, and the thrill of the hunt, the chase, and the run pumped through her body with sexual energy.
This moment. This feeling was exactly what she’d been missing in life. Sitting at a desk answering phones. That wasn’t living.
She was starting to believe she belonged with the pack.
Chapter Six
Being twins, it would follow that Tyler and he tended to like the same type of women. Sure, there were differences in personality. Ty tended to be shyer, while Derek went after what he wanted. While Derek lashed out first and asked questions later, Ty tended to take the safer route. A prime specimen like Sugar, who wasn’t from the town, easily attracted both of them. The question rather than who would get her first was, who would win her over?
Historically, some members in the pack shared mates. When there were not as many women to go around, compromises needed to be met. Seeing Sugar tonight, his Wolf insisted she was his. Maybe, though, she was theirs. Rather than an absolute must, Derek figured they both could add to the pleasure quotient for this gorgeous woman.
For a piece of her sweetness, he was willing to share. Now, if only Ty felt the same way. Or, then again, if Sugar did. There was a reason they were named the Black Hills Wolves, and he meant to show her one of the wonders—the hillside playgrounds. They crested the hill, and Tyler shifted into his human form with all of his clothes coming with him. The moon edged toward half and would hit full status on December twenty-fifth.
Next to him, Sugar changed, and he wished this time she’d appear naked. While he might have a dirty mind, his wishes didn’t always come true. She slipped her hand into his, and the heat increased his own. She gave it a gentle squeeze and let go.
Gazing at the night sky, she lifted her arms straight out and twirled. “Thanks for bringing me up here. It’s beautiful.”
“Yes, you are,” Tyler said, moving alongside her. As she wasn’t looking, he watched her, and, in his eyes, Derek saw all the longing and desire that he felt. Nope, he couldn’t cheat his brother out of the potential of this love. After all of these years of neither of them finding the one other they wanted to be with more than anyone else, of course it ended up being the same person.
Well, maybe this made things easier. It might have been hard if one of them bonded and left the other behind, alone. They were used to being together in almost everything. Tyler was so easygoing, he’d probably go along with anything Derek suggested. And his heart was so big, he’d sacrifice his feelings for someone else.
“Do you come up here often?” Sugar asked.
“Not as much as you would probably think. We both keep pretty busy. There’s not a whole lot of freedom to take off, but when the occasion comes up, I try not to let it slip by,” Derek said.
“If I lived here, I’d take advantage of the ability to shift every moment I got,” she said. A darkness fluttered across her features. “I can’t imagine how bad it must have been for my mom to leave this place and give it all up.”
Tyler slung his arm around Sugar’s shoulders, pulling her in close. “I’m sure she did what was best for the family, you and Yas. Leaving isn’t easy, and sometimes staying wasn’t either.”
“You can say that again,” she said. The woman of his dreams reached up and ran her fingers along his jawline, tracing the outline of his chin and traveling to his lips. Opening, he took her into his mouth, doing what came naturally, and sucked on her digits. As she pulled them out, he leaned toward her, placing his mouth on the sweet warmth of hers.
With their tongues, they said everything left unspoken. His soul and Wolf longed to mate with hers, and her kiss further fueled the passio
n. She moaned, drawing closer to his body, and together they turned inward until they pressed chest to chest, and pelvis to pelvis. Already on alert, his cock further hardened, pressing into her belly.
What would she say if she knew? One twin, not him, with a rich sexual history, and Tyler without any, a virgin? He knew how it all worked, and swore to worship her body to the best of his abilities and beyond, but his mastery came from adoration rather than experience.
Behind her, Derek moved into position, drawing close and moving her long, blonde hair aside. They made eye contact, and, in that moment, Tyler understood if possible, they’d both have her. Together in the womb, and through most of life, yes, they would share this mate. He nodded his assent, and Derek nibbled on the back of her neck.
“Oooh.” She jumped, breaking the seal of their kiss, and her heart rate picked up. She glanced behind to see the other brother. “Well, hello there. How do I rate two hot men?”
“Are you all right with this?” Derek asked, laying it out there. He reached around her body, cupping her breasts.
From his vantage point, Tyler saw her bite her lower lip. Was she weighing her options?
Derek scraped his teeth over her sensitive skin, and her eyes half-closed in pleasure. Tyler took his cue, grinding against her pelvis, and held onto her hips.
“Oh yes,” she said, her breath coming in shorter bursts. “Did you really expect me to turn down the opportunity?”
A low growl emanated from Derek, and he maneuvered her around to face him. “My turn to get a piece of that gorgeous mouth. If my estimate is correct, dear little brother there has had more of you lately than me, and that isn’t fair.”
She laughed, deep, and her ass rubbed against his crotch. He didn’t have much—or any—experience with women in the flesh, but he knew there was no way in hell he wanted to shoot a load in his jeans. He had enough experience delaying his own pleasure that he knew how to stretch out that moment. Instead, he focused on touching her, drawing out each sigh and moan, seeking more until the moment that between the two of them, they held her on the edge of coming.