by Rose, Dahlia
Dominic got up and held out his hand. “Needless to say, we can’t hash this out tonight and you said you were tired. How about you take a shower and get some sleep? We have a guestroom you can use. We can talk again in the morning.”
“This storm is not going to let up anytime soon,” Alex commented. “I heard on the weather radio that Tropical Storm Abigail plans to grace us with her presence tomorrow as well.”
“I love this weather,” she murmured and smiled. She closed her eyes so as to better hear the weather outside and Alex felt his chest tighten with a feeling he’d never felt before. Tempest was exquisite. “It relaxes me for some reason.”
“We’ll show you where you can get cleaned up. I can loan you a T-shirt to sleep in,” Dominic said.
Dominic led the way out the room. Without any power and without the light from the fireplace, it was pitch black in the house, but the two men knew the house like the back of their hand. Tempest was beside Dominic while Alex brought up the rear. Both men were hyperaware of her, her scent and the heat of her body. Dominic held her hand and she reached back to take Alex’s. It was a simple move, but one of trust, one that left Alex tongue-tied. Holy hell, we are in trouble, he thought after they left her at the bathroom with several lit candles for light and went into the master bedroom to talk.
“Do you believe everything she’s telling us?” Alex asked as he fished a battery-powered lantern out of the closet and turned it on.
“I’m thinking about not looking a gift horse in the mouth and accepting what literally landed on our doorstep,” Dominic answered mildly. He gazed at Alex. “How long have we talked about searching for a mate we could share? Hell, not in this backward ass town, but going out and actually searching for that someone?”
“I know.” Alex ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “I don’t want to get our hopes up and then she bails, you know? I don’t want to wake up one day and find her gone and we’re beaten down again.”
Dominic put his hand on Alex’s shoulder. “We’ve never been beaten down because we always get our asses back up. But this feels right, brohemoth. This is fated for us and only us.”
“Are you two taking about me?” Her voice, filled with humor, drifted from the bathroom across the hall. “Trying to figure out if you should keep me or send me away?”
“I don’t think we could ever do that,” Alex said ruefully. “See, right now, no foot-in-mouth.”
She walked into the room. Long silky legs and a bit of butt cheek peeked from under the T-shirt Dominic had given her to wear. She had to be at least five-six or seven. He reminded himself to thank his friend for not knowing how to work the washing machine and shrinking his clothes.
Tempest laughed huskily. “I see that. Now, where am I sleeping?”
“The room down the hall. We’ll take you—”
“Where do both of you sleep?” she asked, cutting Alex off.
“We both have rooms close by,” Dominic answered.
“And then who sleeps in here?” Tempest asked.
“No one—”
“It’s the room that you built in case you ever found the one,” she said knowingly. She knew because the room was beautiful but sensual. The bed was a black iron canopy draped with black sheers and lace, while the comforter and sheets were made of the finest Egyptian white cotton. Cream-colored couch and loveseat complimented the dark wine red walls and dark colors of the bed.
“Blast it, woman. You don’t let a man finish a sentence,” Alex growled.
“Yes, you’re right. It’s the room we had in mind for after we found a mate,” Dominic said quietly.
She walked past them, parted the black sheers and climbed onto the bed. At first glance, she had thought it was king-sized, but it was definitely larger. Maybe they had it custom made because it was huge. The men watched the curve of her ass as she crawled over the wide bed and lay in the middle. Seeing her there with her hair loose on the pillows left Alex with an ache so strong it reminded him how often he pushed back his need to be mated.
Tempest patted both sides of the bed. “We should sleep together to see if we fit. No hanky panky. Just sleep.”
“Aw, no hanky panky. I’m disappointed,” Dominic murmured.
“There will be time for that later, I promise you,” Alex growled. He found himself moving towards the bed as if some invisible cord pulled him towards her. Dominic followed and soon they were nestled together. Alex inhaled her scent and did it again and again, memorizing her. She took his hand and rested it against her hip. Tempest shifted and he felt Dominic’s hand next to his before she covered them both with her own. He growled and so did his brother not by blood but by a bond much closer. He could sense it in Dominic and felt it in himself too—a complete sense of peace being with that special someone. They fit together like three pieces in a perfect puzzle and Alex slept.
* * * *
Light poured through the open slot of the curtains covering the large picture window and Dominic turned his head slowly and instantly inhaled the feminine scent of Tempest. The night came back to him and he smiled. It was the first night he really slept and didn’t wake up at three in the morning to roam the house restlessly. The smell of her lingered on the sheets. He looked over and she and Alex were already up. The smell of coffee and bacon filtered through the air. And hot cakes? He sat up with a grin, knowing full well that Alex didn’t know how to make anything unless it was meat on a grill. Tempest had to be cooking in the kitchen. He climbed out of bed and went to the window, pulling the curtains aside. The sky was still thick with heavy clouds and rain was still coming down in a steady stream. If it kept up, the bayou would swell its banks and there would be flooding. It would’ve been a worry if they didn’t install culverts around the property for water drainage when they bought the old plantation.
Dominic didn’t even look for socks. He went into the master bathroom to clean up and slip on a pair of sweat pants. He pulled a shirt from a drawer in his bedroom and then decided against it. Both he and Alex rarely wore shirts. Half the time, clothes felt confining and it just being the two of them, there really was no need to cover up. They could do whatever they wanted. If Tempest was meant to be here, looking at their bare torsos wouldn’t be a problem. We’ll call it a first test, he thought with a small smile and headed downstairs. It seemed she passed with flying colors because Alex was already sitting at the table, bare-chested, wolfing down a stack of hotcakes. Satisfaction was written all over his face. Tempest turned from the stove, a smile on her face. In her hand she held a plate with bacon draining on paper towels.
“Good morning,” Tempest greeted him.
“It seems like you’ve been busy,” Dominic commented.
“I like to cook and Alex said you boys usually had cereal,” Tempest replied. “Since I prefer a full breakfast at home, I made enough for three.”
“Or an army.” Dominic sat down.
“Don’t knock it, man. These are awesome,” Alex said and cut into his stack again.
“At least you two are not squabbling,” Dominic said ruefully.
Tempest pulled out a chair and sat down before sliding a plate piled high with food towards him. “We’re getting to know each other. Now eat your breakfast.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Dominic gave a mock salute as Tempest turned to get her own plate.
They ate in silence for a while, but to Dominic it wasn’t uncomfortable in the least. It felt homey like they had done it many times over the years instead of just actually meeting last night.
“So how did two lone wolves become a pack?” Tempest asked. She snagged a slice of bacon from her plate and bit into it, watching them both. She had pulled her hair back into a ponytail and her face looked fresh and clean. Tempest was the kind of woman that didn’t need makeup. Her natural beauty shined through. Her cheeks always had a soft glow to them and her lips were a creamy red.
“You field this question,” Alex said to Dominic.
“I will; don’t let me i
nterrupt your meal.” Dominic rolled his eyes.
Alex pointed his fork at him. “You can make mac and cheese or put a frozen meal in the oven. I roast meat on the grill and heat up potatoes in a bag and vegetables from a can. For the last year we’ve been eating like kids in a lunch room. I’m going to enjoy this, so bite me.”
“We burn fuel quickly,” Dominic explained, “so we eat a lot of carbs and we met because we had no one else.”
“How so?” Tempest asked.
“We both grew up in foster care, though I was two towns over from where Alex grew up.” Dominic let the memories take him while he spoke. “I was in high school when I learned what I was. I was pretty good at sneaking out of the group home to go run in the woods of Tennessee—where we are originally from. One night while I was in my wolf form I saw this black wolf and we began to run together. We each thought we were running with a real wolf until he shifted to pet me and said, ‘Thanks, wolf, I hate running alone.’ When I shifted and surprised him, he cussed and next thing we knew, we were laughing like crazy people. For the first time, we felt relief in what we were and that we were not alone. From that point on, we have been best friends and inseparable.”
“What happened then?” Tempest leaned forward on her elbows, her plate now mostly empty.
“We ran away and joined the army together, served together, went to Iraq together and when our time was up, left together.” Dominic answered. “Bought this place and renovated it.”
“Haven’t you ever wondered about your family or if you have a pack somewhere in Tennessee?” she questioned.
“We’ve looked into packs. Actually found one or two, but it’s not for us.” Alex spoke up this time. “I’m not about to be led around by the nose by some guy who was born to be Alpha by blood. If he says cop a squat and lift my leg, I would have to do it. Nor do I want to challenge anyone for the Alpha seat and spend the rest of my life ripping into someone to prove my balls are bigger. I don’t want to be challenged by anyone for anything to gain a rung in the hierarchy ladder. We fought enough overseas and for the military. We just want to live in peace.”
“What he said.” Dominic took another bite of the breakfast she prepared and the flavors of warm butter and maple syrup filled his mouth. He closed his eyes and moaned. “Okay, I can eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Is there apple bit in these?”
“My momma’s secret recipe.” Tempest winked.
“It’s still raining cats and dogs out there,” Alex commented. “But I think I can get you home in the Land Rover.”
“Great. I need a couple of things, including my clothes.” Both men looked at her and Tempest frowned. “You thought after what I told you last night I was just going to go home and twiddle my thumbs?”
Dominic cleared his throat. “Honestly, we had no clue what would go on today. I half expected that you would be gone when we woke up.”
“Well, I’m not, and you’re eating my breakfast to prove it.” Tempest gave them both a long stare. “This weather is sticking around and today is Friday which starts the weekend. I’m going to grab some stuff and hang out here for the weekend. I don’t think any of us are going to be heading into town for the Saturday night stomp at Wallows.”
Wallows was a hole-in-the-wall bar that graced Cormina. It had bad food, bad service and it was a place where the usual low class hook up took place on the weekends.
“I’ve been in that place once and some large-chested redhead tried to hit on me at the bar. Then her really drunk boyfriend with a Union Jack tattoo on his arm tried to pick a fight,” Alex said.
“That would be Lorna-Sue Middleton and Bubba Ross, high school sweethearts who just happen to be my age,” Tempest explained with a laugh.
“If she’s your age, time has waged a hard war on her and won,” Alex laughed. “They are actually named Lorna-Sue and Bubba?”
“Yes and they were the bane of my existence in high school. I ended up leaving and getting my GED and heading off to college to get away from them,” she said. “He was one of the ones who tried to—”
“Rape you in the woods?” Dominic growled.
She nodded. “That sealed the deal for me to head off to college in Atlanta. Then my momma got sick and I came back. My dad passed soon after she did and I refused to let them run me away again, so I dug my heels in.”
Dominic looked down at his plate and ate what was left quietly. While Alex usually went off half-cocked in anger, he was also quiet and seemed to be contemplating something. There would be a reckoning for Bubba since no one in Cormina seemed to think Tempest deserved justice. He would make damn sure of that. Already, he felt a protective instinct towards her—a wolf’s instinct to care for and shelter his mate.
“I don’t want to overstay my welcome though. If I’m not what you care to have, I can go home, no harm, no foul.” Tempest shrugged. “At least you had a good breakfast out of it.”
“We’re bringing you back here. There’s no doubt about it. Right, Alex?” Dominic posed the question to his longtime friend.
“You won’t hear any opposition from me.” Alex cleared his throat. “Last night, as we slept together, I slept soundly and my wolf was contented and I wasn’t tempted to roam in the night.”
“We’re a pack. That’s why,” Tempest grinned. “I think I like the feeling of belonging to you.”
“You won’t belong to us until we consummate the relationship and mark you as ours,” Dominic said. The thought of taking her, and both of them having her made his cock harden. “But that happens when you say, and not before.”
“Oh, I know that, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t excite me thinking about it,” Tempest admitted.
“Have you ever had two men before, Tempest?” Alex asked.
She shook her head. “I’ve had sex before, when I lived away from Cormina. Not since I’ve been back home though. But, no, never two men at the same time. Have you both done…it…before?”
“Once, when we tried to join a pack. It was intense, but it didn’t feel right,” Dominic admitted. “We’ll be gentle with you.”
He saw an excited fire spark in her eyes. “I’m no shrinking flower, baby. When it happens, you don’t hold back with me.”
Alex gave a low growl and Dominic joined in. Desire was palpable in the air between all three of them. She was aroused; the men could scent her in the air, almost taste her.
“Take her home and let her get what she needs before we forget about breakfast and have a different kind of meal on the table,” Dominic practically growled.
Alex pushed away from the table and held out his hand to Tempest. “Let’s go, ma chérie and get you the things you need.”
“Okay, southern boy, don’t try to copy a bayou accent. It comes out all wrong.”
Tempest laughed. “My shoes are still damp. I’ll just leave your socks here instead of getting them all wet. I’ll grab a dry pair of sneakers at home.”
He watched them walk away before sliding a finger through the sticky syrup on his plate and sucking his finger clean. Dominic had walked into the kitchen earlier to see her standing by the stove wearing his T-shirt. Long chocolate legs were exposed to his gaze. Now, she was going to stay the weekend. The intent was for them to mate. Lord help them both if she walked away after, because, already, his wolf was ready to claim her. If he felt this way, Dominic was certain Alex did too. This new arrangement excited and worried him at the same time. He hoped it wasn’t too good to be true.
Chapter Three
The wind picked up again by the time they had come back to the house, which meant that they had to make a mad dash to the front door. She’d changed into jeans and a fitted T-shirt while she was home. Luckily, she had the common sense to grab an umbrella, which Alex held over their heads. But with the wind blowing in all directions, she still got damp on the way to the wide wrap-around patio of the plantation house. Unable to help herself, she laughed and spread her arms wide.
“I don’t know what you’
re so happy about. It was raining three days before the damn storm came to shore,” Alex grumbled.
“And it will rain three days more,” Tempest grinned up at him. “This is a healing rain for the land. The swap was dry and had too much algae on the surface of the water and it was killing the fish. The gators were getting restless. After this, you’ll see the blue herrings come back and start nesting. It will all balance back out.”
“You really love this place, don’t you?” Alex asked gently. “Even after all they have done to you here?”
Tempest nodded. “This place has nothing to do with the small-minded people who live here. Why did you come here?”