Austin wrenched open the door to follow her, but she was halfway to the front door. “Damn it, Lacy!” She ran out the front door with her two boyfriends hurrying to catch her.
Austin looked at Rex who worked behind the bar putting glasses up on the shelves. “I’m going to talk to Cheryl. Lacy thinks we need to. She said Cheryl was looking dejected during lunch today. I think she’s out back feeding the cats. I’ll be back in a little while, hopefully with Cheryl.”
“I’ll join you as soon as these dishes are put up,” Rex said.
Austin glanced around the dining area. He noticed Troy and Doug were still enjoying their lunch. Shane had joined them since they’d started work on the shower. Austin headed for the back door. He didn’t have a clue how he was going to make Cheryl feel better about what they talked about last night.
He opened the back door and stepped outside onto the porch. He heard a woman’s scream. He stared in the direction it came from and saw Cheryl being hauled backward over the wood fence at the back of the yard. Terror struck his heart.
“Rex! He’s got Cheryl!” he yelled as he raced through the brush to reach her. “Cheryl!”
The hysterical laughter of a madman answered Austin.
He vaulted the fence. The crazy man moved farther away with lightning speed. The frenzied cries and angry yells of Cheryl told Austin she fought the man who dragged her kicking and screaming.
Austin had only a short distance more to reach her.
Suddenly, a gang of bruisers surrounded him. They charged. He went down under their weight, landing hard punches to as many as he could reach. He had to get to Cheryl. He delivered solid blows around him. “Rex!”
“Where are you?” Rex shouted.
“Get Cheryl!” Austin roared.
Chapter Fifteen
Rex pinpointed his friend’s location. It came from a swarm of hoodlums who groaned and yelled as they pummeled someone beneath them on the ground. Rex ran toward the sound of Austin’s voice. He couldn’t see Cheryl. She might be hidden by the wall of ruffians standing in a threatening group twenty yards away.
“Rex!” Cheryl screamed.
Now he knew she was held behind that wall of no good bastards. If he was going to be successful in freeing her, he had to free Austin first. It would take both of them to rescue her.
Rex pounded the bodies of the men on top of Austin. His anger brought on his wolf without him realizing it. He slashed at the arms and backs of the men beating Austin. At last they jumped quickly away from Austin. Rex could see that Austin wasn’t moving. He had to find Cheryl. He raced between the bloodied, fleeing scum, straight toward the sound of Cheryl’s battle cry. He leaped between the men, slammed into Cheryl’s captor with his shoulder and knocked him to the ground. Cheryl rolled out of the way. Rex slashed with his canines at her captor and drew blood. Fast as lightning Rex twisted in the air and closed his sharp wolfen teeth on the evil man’s throat. He barely heard Cheryl’s voice over the sound of his raging snarls.
“Austin!” she cried again, her voice tragic with her fear for him.
Rex’s only concern now to reach Cheryl and Austin, Rex released the ogre. With the taste of the monster’s blood in his mouth, Rex bounded to where he’d left Austin. Cheryl knelt at his side, her arms around him, her body sheltering him. Austin lay there unmoving, his body a bloody mess.
“Austin,” he rasped, his fear of losing his best friend bringing on the shift back to his human form. He howled in sorrow and abject fear and hurt at the possible loss of his friend. He dropped to his knees naked at Austin’s side and sheltered Austin and Cheryl as his heart ached with pain for his best friend. He feared Austin had been mortally injured. Together, he and Cheryl tried to bring him back to consciousness.
“Cheryl,” Rex cried. “We have to do something. I can’t lose my best friend.”
“I’m calling Mike. I’ve still got my cell.” She pulled it from the pocket of her slacks. “What’s his number?”
Rex told her the number and she punched it in. “I’m not going to lose one of the men I love.”
“Hello?” Mike said.
“Mike, there’s been a horrible fight and Austin is badly hurt. We’re behind the dance hall beyond the fence. Hurry!”
She ended the call. “He’s on his way, Rex. Austin! Don’t leave us!” she ordered. “I need you.”
“Why won’t he wake up?” Rex asked, his voice breaking.
“He has to be all right,” Cheryl said, sounding breathless.
“I’m going to carry him inside,” Rex said.
They gently turned Austin onto his back. Rex put one arm around his shoulders and the other arm under his legs, stood and lifted Austin. He started walking back to the dance hall.
“There’s a gate near the corner, if you would open it,” he asked Cheryl.
She hurried to the fence and opened the gate just as Mike ran from the back door toward them. He joined Rex and helped him carry Austin the remaining distance to the office.
Rex lowered Austin to the long sofa with Mike’s help. Cheryl brought towels from the kitchen to clean the blood away from Austin’s wounds.
Rex watched her care for Austin. She was all calm business. She worked to stop the bleeding of those cuts that still bled. With Rex’s help she washed all the dust and dirt off of Austin’s bare skin. Mike helped remove Austin’s clothing so Cheryl could wash away any remaining blood. They fixed an ice pack for the big lump on the back of his head. Cheryl covered Austin’s bare body with a thin blanket and she and Rex sat next to him to wait for him to regain consciousness.
“I think it would be best to get him to a hospital if he doesn’t wake up soon,” Mike suggested. “He may need to be x-rayed for injuries we can’t see.”
Rex looked at Cheryl and saw tears roll down her face. He covered the hand she had on Austin’s hand with his own. “He’ll be all right, hon. He’s tough I know he’ll come around soon.”
Cheryl slipped her other hand beneath Austin’s. She raised their hands up, Rex’s and Austin’s and hers, and pressed kisses over Austin and Rex’s hands. Her tears rolled down her cheeks and dropped onto Austin’s wrist until it was wet with her tears.
They heard a soft moan come from Austin.
“Austin,” Cheryl cried urgently. “Wake up!”
Austin groaned, sounding like he was protesting against becoming conscious. He blinked again and squinted at them, frowning. “What am I doing here? Cheryl! Are you all right?”
He started to sit up and dropped back, breathless and groaning.
“We’re all right, Austin, but you may have a concussion,” Cheryl said. “You have a big bump on the back of your head.”
Austin reached a hand to feel his head and winced.
“Cheryl took care of your other serious wounds,” Rex told him. “We cleaned you up pretty good. Those goons had you pinned under a mountain of gross bodies.”
“Can you sit up?” Mike asked.
“Of course I can sit up.” Austin used his hands and arms as leverage against the sofa and pushed himself to a sitting position.
“Are you dizzy?” Mike asked.
“Not now. I was a little when I first woke up,” Austin admitted.
“Maybe you’ll be lucky and won’t need to go to the emergency room,” Mike said.
“Where are my clothes?” Austin asked. “I’d like to dress and head home for a while.”
“I’ll give you a lift home as soon as I give everyone the rest of today off,” Rex said. “Cheryl and Mike, there’s clothing for him in the closet over there, if you’d help him dress. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“I can dress on my own,” Austin protested.
Mike looked at Cheryl and Rex. “I think he’ll be fine.” He grinned at them. “See you later.”
Mike left, and Cheryl helped Austin into some clean clothing while Rex finished closing up the dance hall for the day. It wasn’t long before the three of them headed home.
At
their house, Rex fixed them a light snack and set out cold sodas. None of them felt like eating much but the sodas were refreshing.
“I could use a shower,” Rex said. “Anyone else?”
“I need to wash off the dust, too,” Cheryl said, thinking it would help to wash away the feeling of that horrible man’s hands on her. “I’ll have to join you in your shower since the one off my bedroom is still under construction.”
“Shane should be finished in a week or so with your new shower,” Rex said.
“I’d like to join you two in the shower if that’s all right with both of you,” Austin said.
“Are you kidding?” Cheryl looked Austin up and down, smiling at him. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She caught a glimpse of Rex and Austin looking hopefully at each other as she led the way down the hall.
They all three headed for the bathroom off the bedroom that held the big four-poster bed.
Cheryl helped Austin remove his clothing and afterward removed her own.
Rex adjusted the shower heads and water pressure for a gentle flow which would protect their bruised bodies. He tested the temperature of the water until he pronounced it was the perfect temperature and it wouldn’t sting their cuts.
When Cheryl stepped into the shower it felt soothing beyond belief. Rex joined her on one side and Austin moved to her other side. The bandages they’d put on his worst cuts held.
Cheryl was relieved. She didn’t want to disturb those wounds.
They all washed off quickly with soap and finished rinsing off under the gentle water. Rex stepped out of the shower first and grabbed big, plush towels for each of them to use.
She dried off quickly, folded the towel and left it on the counter. Leaving the bathroom, she crossed to the bed and climbed into the middle of it. Austin and Rex joined her on each side. She held out a hand to each of them. They closed their big warm hands firmly around hers. It felt good and made her feel safe as she rested between them.
“Have you had time to decide how you feel about us being shape-shifters?” Rex asked.
Chapter Sixteen
“Yes, I have,” Cheryl answered. “I’ve thought about it and I saw how you shifted today. You were amazing to watch when you leaped onto that terrible man. However, I had already decided before that happened that I love you two very much. And I know that I want to always be with you, if you want to be with me.”
“Definitely,” Rex said, smiling at her.
“Always,” Austin said, his voice rough as he looked at her.
“In our pack, we have a marriage ceremony. Would you marry us?” Rex asked.
Austin watched her, his face serious and hopeful looking.
“Yes, I’ll be happy to marry you both,” she said and smiled at them as tears threatened to fill her eyes.
“Would you like to make love with us to celebrate, right now?” Austin asked.
She grinned at him. “Yes, right now. I’d love to make love with both of you.” She heard them release the breaths they’d been holding.
Austin pulled her closer. “Kiss me, babe.”
She rolled over toward Austin’s side as Rex released her other hand. She placed her hands on either side of Austin on the bedding. She smiled at him, thinking how much she loved him as she lowered her body and kissed his firm lips. He slipped one hand up her back to her nape and held her there while they kissed. When they broke the kiss, she moved down his body, brushing her lips over his nipples. She licked each one with the tip of her tongue. His deep breath told her he liked that. Rex caressed her hips, his warm palms gliding feather soft over her skin. She reached Austin’s rock-hard cock and smoothed her lips over the satiny skin from the dark rose-colored head to the paler base. She held his cock with her fingertips and lapped beneath the ridge around the head. Swirling her tongue around the head, she licked the bead of moisture on the top and delved into the little slit with the tip of her tongue. His long groan and straining muscles were a satisfying reward.
“Move between his legs, hon,” Rex said softly. “Spread your legs apart, Austin.” He did as Rex said and Cheryl carefully climbed between his legs and settled in a kneeling position between his thighs. On her knees, she stroked his straining cock with her fingertips. She noticed Rex move behind her. He cupped her back side.
“Take me in your mouth, babe,” Austin rasped, his voice low.
Cheryl slipped the head of his cock between her lips and slowly took him deeper into her mouth. She stroked his huge cock with her tongue and felt the heat of Rex’s back close behind her. She was already wet with her fluids pooling at the opening to her vagina. Rex pushed a long thick finger into her passage. She moaned low and deep in her throat as desire, need, and heat surged through her pussy. She licked Austin’s cock and took him deeper in her mouth.
A moan rose from Austin’s muscular chest. “God, your sweet mouth is killing me, babe.”
She smiled at that and gently squeezed his thick cock with her teeth. He trembled from his neck all the way to his legs. Rex pulled his finger from her passage and spread her fluid up and down her slit, between her folds and around her clit. Her hips jerked as he rubbed her sensitive flesh.
“Cup his balls, hon,” Rex directed. “Don’t let go of his cock.”
She did as he directed and reached one hand between Austin’s lightly furred thighs, beneath his tight sac, and bobbled his balls on her fingertips. She knew it wouldn’t take much for Austin to go over the edge and climax. Rex circled her little hole with his slickened fingers. She inhaled swiftly, breathing in Austin’s scent. Rex pushed a finger inside her tight hole. She couldn’t think of anything but the hot, pleasurable sensations Rex created in her swollen flesh as he slowly pushed his finger deeper inside her. She wanted to wiggle her hips and as she did so his finger created more heat. He wrapped his arm around her and held her snuggly against his heated body as he pulled his finger slowly out and pushed inside her tight ring with two fingers, at least it felt like two. He stretched her, his fingers delving deeper, ever so slowly.
“Keep holding onto Austin’s cock, hon.”
She licked Austin’s cock, swirling around it with her tongue, ever conscious of the full, slightly burning sensation as Rex stretched her tight hole wider with the length of his thick fingers. He removed his fingers. Rex positioned the head of his steel-hard cock at the entrance to her passage and pushed swiftly deep inside her. She groaned with the swelling heat in the flesh between her thighs and inside her vagina.
He pulled out and pounded back in over and over, forcing her body forward and causing her to take Austin’s engorged cock deeper. Austin climaxed with a deep groan, his hips bucking, pushing his cock along her tongue, and she swallowed his semen. Rex ground his cock in and out of her vagina and his hands gripped her hips, holding her steady. He moved one hand and his fingers stroked along her crack and into her tight hole. She felt incredibly full in her lower belly as she swallowed the last of Austin’s ejaculation.
That electric charge sparked through her as Austin took hold of her nipples and squeezed. Her hips bucked as her climax slammed into her. She felt Rex’s body tighten and heard the growl deep in his chest as he climaxed, his thick, hard cock pumping inside her passage, prolonging her orgasm, his semen spurting hard against the wall of her womb.
She moaned with the ecstasy Austin and Rex created in her. As their pulsing orgasms eased, she released Austin’s relaxed cock and looked at him with a knowing smile. Rex slid his cock from her slippery, wet passage, and slowly drew a line with his fingers along her folds as he pulled his fingers out of her tight ring. The sensation was pleasurable and she moaned again, her eyes closing briefly as little pulses titillated her.
“That was incredible, babe,” Austin said, his voice low and rough from his release.
“You’re amazing,” Rex said, his voice also rough. “Stay right there while I get a washcloth.”
He was back in a second and wiped her sensitive skin between her butt cheeks. Even th
at felt good. After he took the washcloth back to the bathroom, he returned and pulled her toward his lap. He kissed her neck beneath her ear and scooped her up in his strong arms.
She smiled at Rex and again at Austin. “You guys are equally amazing. Every time is more wonderful. You take me higher each time we make love.”
“Love you, babe,” Austin said, his eyes full of his warm feeling for her.
“Love you so much, hon,” Rex said.
She looked from Rex to Austin. “I don’t know what I’d do without both of you. I love you.”
Rex lowered her to the bed beside Austin and stretched out on her other side. “Let’s get some sleep.”
Chapter Seventeen
They were surrounded by wild trees and brush on top of the red rock promontory, which they’d just climbed to from the parking area just below the top surface. Austin and Rex had explained to her as they’d driven here that the flat area at the top was where they held their special celebrations such as marriages. The rocky hill was located just outside of town and could be seen from the surrounding countryside. It was solid sandstone. She’d noticed it before at sunset when it glowed bright reddish orange. Now the sun had set and the moon gave enough light for them to see their way up the path to the flat area where Mike waited for them. He stood in the center of the space. The small crowd of Alpha Protectors gathered around in a semicircle behind him.
The sweet fragrance of juniper trees came to her on a soft breeze. Cheryl hoped they didn’t require her to say anything long and complicated. She already had butterflies in her stomach. She feared freezing up again like she did at her previous job. She saw that Mike held a book titled, Alpha Protectors of Heat Springs.
The quiet of the gathering impressed her. This ceremony was obviously regarded with respect.
Mike nodded to all three of them and focused on Cheryl. She forced her hands to quit fidgeting with her blouse. She knew her outfit was just fine for their marriage ceremony. Austin and Rex assured her she wore the appropriate clothing. They were attired in casual clothing with cotton shirts and slacks.
Alpha Night [Alpha Protectors 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 11