by Cara Adams
Her experiences here on the island had only given her a little taste of what BDSM might hold, but already Piper was pretty sure she was addicted. She knew it really was what she wanted in her life. She wouldn’t have minded having these three delicious men in her life either. All so very different, yet all so totally delicious.
Secure in Zac’s arms, she snuggled down on the makeshift bed. Eliot pressed up against her front and then Ryder pulled the blankets right over their heads. It didn’t block out Hurricane Nathan. The storm was far too loud for a mere blanket to make any difference. But it did make her smile. Ryder had effectively made them a little blanket cave inside a bigger genuine cave.
She was dreaming of somewhere she’d never been. It must have been one of those open-range zoos where the animals ran free and the people stayed inside their cars. There were three huge black cats racing up and down a pathway between trees. And yet she wasn’t in a car at all. She was leaning against a tree watching them. And they weren’t cats. They were much too big to be cats. They were wild panthers running through the bushes, leaping over rocks and fallen foliage, and playing. That was what they were doing. They were playing. She was just standing there watching them. Piper felt no fear or even concern. She knew she wasn’t in danger. It was just a dream after all.
Then her grandma said, “Trust the panthers, dear. They’re your future and they’ll always look after you.”
“How can a passel of wild animals look after me?”
Her grandmother didn’t reply, but Piper knew she was still there, smiling and happy. That was nice, but answers would have been better.
She became aware she was actually awake and stretched. She was warm and cozy under all the blankets and held close by these wonderful men. Piper listened carefully. Her grandma had gone and so had the hurricane. It was over.
She sat up and looked around the cave. The power had remained on here, which was interesting seeing the roof had blown off hours ago. But then the last man down the stairs might have turned the lights off up there because of the water. Or maybe the dungeon was on a different circuit or something. Electricity was a foreign land to her.
Now was her opportunity to get to know these three men a little better, though. They’d had their hands all over her naked body, but she’d not yet had the opportunity to explore their bodies. Of course, all four of them were fully dressed right now, but she could solve that problem quite easily.
Very gently she nudged Zac, who rolled onto his back. She pulled his sweater up as best she could and then wiggled the fabric of his T-shirt until it pulled out of the waistband of his jeans. Using both hands she pushed the T-shirt and his sweater higher. He grunted but didn’t open his eyes. She wondered if he was awake and letting her play or if he was the kind of person who wasn’t disturbed much by outside events.
Of course, all the men were likely quite tired after the busy and late night they’d all had. She rested her fingers against her cheek to check they weren’t too cold and then rubbed both hands, palm down, over Zac’s belly. The skin rippled lightly under her hands. If he’d still been asleep he was either awake now or close to it. She brushed her hands higher over his six-pack, loving the feel of the hard muscles under the soft skin, stroking each finger separately not just to tease him but also to learn the patterns and shapes of his bones and muscles.
“We should be doing that to you, not you to us,” Eliot mumbled from her other side.
“You already have. Now it’s my turn to explore. Just wait patiently for your turn.”
“If we’re all awake, we should be upstairs checking on the state of the cottage. The roof came off in the hurricane, remember,” Ryder grumbled.
Piper couldn’t help noticing that his mouth may have said one thing, but he hadn’t moved. That was a clear indication that he was prepared to wait for his turn to be touched. Likely it was all that dominance of being the eldest coming out again.
Once again she heard her grandmother’s voice in her head.
“I expect panthers are dominant as well. They’re wild cats, after all, dear.”
“Grandma! You shouldn’t be here when I’m— Well, right now is not a good time to talk to me. Wait? What did you say? These three men are panthers? Like I saw in my dream? You mean, they aren’t humans? Is that why you said they’d look after me?”
“You know I’ll always watch over you, dear. I love you. Although right now you’re not as sharp as I expected you to be. They’re panther shape-shifters. I thought you’d have worked that out for yourself already.”
“But—” Piper stopped. Her grandma was gone again. Under her fingers, which she had stilled as soon as her grandma had started talking to her, Zac’s flesh was as warm and enticing as ever. Could he really be a panther? Could all three of them be panthers? Were all the island people shape-shifters?
Piper tried to think. Had there been any clues of otherness about the men? Had she missed some key sign that would have told her? And what were they doing bringing human women here to fuck if they were shape-shifters. Shouldn’t they be bringing in other paranormal women instead? Or was her grandmother misled?
Piper sat back on her heels so she could see all three faces of the men simultaneously. “Why do you invite human women to the island for the Caves of Correction program? Why don’t you concentrate on inviting shape-shifter women? Panthers like yourselves?”
Three identical pairs of bright green eyes opened wide and stared at her. Eliot’s jaw dropped, and he closed it with an almost audible snap. Ryder frowned at her fiercely, and Zac looked quite adorably confused. It was clear both Zac and Eliot were waiting for Ryder to answer her. This was one time they clearly had no plans to usurp his position as the leader.
Piper waited, wondering if he’d lie to her or tell her she was crazy. Instead, he answered carefully. “What makes you think we’re panthers?”
“Grandma told me, but now I know I can see it myself. You all move very smoothly, rather like big cats.”
“That’s not a reason. Lots of people are well coordinated. We’re not all clumsy like Declan. He tripped over a rock and broke a foot and an arm. His mom had to take him to school in a wheelbarrow for weeks because he couldn’t use crutches,” Zac said.
“Nice deflection, Zac. Clever attempt to change the topic by introducing an irrelevancy. You get an A for effort and an F for lack of success. Ryder, I’m waiting for you to tell me the truth.”
“We’ve never lied to you,” Eliot said.
“I’m still waiting.”
Ryder sighed and sat up. His brothers copied him, and Piper had a moment of regret when Zac pulled his shirt and sweater down, covering up his delightful muscles again. However, she did need an explanation for this shape-shifter panther thing. She’d never met shifters before, as far as she knew, but five years of her grandma’s ghost appearing in her mind to chat with her had made her supremely aware that paranormal phenomena were everywhere.
“What’s your grandmother’s name? Why does she think we’re panthers?” Ryder asked.
“That’s two questions. If I answer them, both you have to answer my questions. And answer them truthfully.” Once again Piper watched their faces closely and then added, for Eliot’s sake, “Let me remind you that omission is the same as lying.”
“You drive a damn hard bargain,” Zac said.
But she thought he sounded happy enough about it. Maybe he’d wanted to tell her the truth. In just a few minutes she’d find out. She knew they’d give in and answer her.
Chapter Four
Ryder shook his head. “You’re a damn fascinating woman, Piper Boyle. I want to know about this grandmother of yours, but I’ll answer you first. Yes, you’re correct. We’re panther shape-shifters. Our ancestors came to this island to escape persecution. Shape-shifters are just the same as any other person. Most are good, but occasionally there’s a rotten apple in the barrel. Unfortunately there are always people who think every shape-shifter is evil and has to be destroyed. Know
ing our secret puts your life in danger. Otherwise, we’d have told you.”
“So tell us about your grandmother. Has she visited us here, or is she friends with some of our seniors on the mainland perhaps?” Zac asked.
Piper’s big blue eyes were sparkling with mischief. “I can believe in panther shape-shifters, so I hope you can believe in ghosts. Grandma has been dead for five years, but she talks to me often and shares my life. I saw you three running and playing along the tracks and through the bushes of the island in a dream, but I didn’t realize it was you three. Grandma told me who you were, and then I knew she was correct.”
“A ghost.” Ryder stared at Piper. Well that wasn’t what he’d expected her to say. He supposed he’d half expected to hear a story about little old ladies whispering secrets over coffee and cake.
But now he had a much bigger problem to solve. If Piper had turned out to be their mate, of course, they would have told her everything. But to open their minds and hearts up to her now, before she’d promised to join with them, was dangerous. Fuck, it wasn’t just before she’d promised to join with them. It was before they’d had the opportunity to do much with her at all. One night of ménage sex was scarcely a relationship, even if they had spent three full days in her company.
He looked at Zac, who nodded at him, and then at Eliot, who grinned. Okay, it seemed his brothers were prepared for him to keep talking.
Ryder couldn’t help being dominant. It was the panther in him but it was also his nature to take control and make everything right for everyone else. He knew sometimes it annoyed his brothers, but despite all of them being quite different, they were usually able to find solid middle ground where they could agree.
Like trying the hydroponic garden. They’d all been willing to set it up and see if it worked, which it had, better than either he or Zac had ever hoped and probably better than Eliot had expected, as well. Well, now it was apparently time to tell Piper about themselves.
“So our ancestors bought this island to escape persecution. They moved here, built their cottages over caves for protection, and we’ve lived here ever since. But all shifters worldwide tend to breed far more males than females, so we have to find a woman to be our wife. Our mate. Fortunately ménages are legal under shape-shifter law, and so are interspecies marriages.”
“Ménages as in brothers sharing a woman?”
“It’s usually brothers, but it might just be a couple of male friends who get on well,” Eliot said.
Ryder wasn’t sure what to say next. How much information was too much information? “Have you got any questions?”
“I expect I’ll have a hell of a lot of questions later, but apart from the whole fur, four legs, and a tail thing, how else are your people different from humans?”
“We aren’t different. That’s the whole point. The ability to shape-shift is a gene handed down from parent to child. Biting you won’t turn you into a panther any more than staying in a garage will turn you into a car.”
“Although when it comes time to mate our woman we do bite her. It doesn’t alter anything, but it’s part of the ceremony,” Zac added.
“Is a mating like a marriage?” Piper asked.
“Exactly. The words the Alpha says are basically the same as those in a standard wedding ceremony. Everyone promises to love and care for everyone else. But when we come to consummate the marriage it’s ménage sex with all the parties involved, and when we orgasm we bite our mate,” Ryder said.
“Until then we can’t make a woman pregnant. We can’t give her human diseases either. But after the mating we become fertile with our woman. The mating bond does that,” Eliot said.
“Okay. I understand. Can I see you in panther form? Can you change whenever you want to, or only sometimes?”
“That full moon story is bullshit. We can change as often as we want and stay in whatever form we want. It’s just that over many years the human form has become more practical for us. It’s much easier to catch fish with a boat and nets than with a paw and claws.” Ryder grinned at her, hoping to see her smile back at him and she did.
“Can we go outside now? Can I see you three as panthers? I want to see if you match the dream.”
Ryder shook his head. “We need to be very careful opening the door. We don’t know what might have happened to the cottage. My brothers and I will have to check the area is completely safe before you leave the dungeon.”
He couldn’t bear it if she got hurt. There could be all sorts of debris in the house, or wild animals might have come inside to shelter from the storm. Not that there were many wild animals on the island. It was too far from the mainland to attract animals that might swim short distances such as across a river.
“Oh fuck off, Ryder. There’s almost no wind to blow roofing around, and I’m smart enough not to trip over a fallen branch or something. I’ve been looking after myself in the wilds of the city for a hell of a long time. I’m very nearly thirty, not thirteen.”
Ryder heard Eliot’s muffled snort, and that, plus her smart-ass reply, only made him more determined to protect her. “You don’t know what might have happened out there.”
“But I will once we go look. Strop stressing unnecessarily. Do your thing about testing whether or not the door is holding back a flood and then let us all get out of here.”
She bounced back onto her heels, stood, stepped off the mattress, and grabbed her boots to put them on. He had a vague idea he’d suggested they all sleep fully clothed including their boots, but hers were beside the mattress, not on her feet. Maybe she’d taken them off again later.
Zac followed him up the stairs, and they both crouched at the top.
“The towels are damp, not really wet. That’s a good indicator there isn’t water against the door,” Zac said.
“But it’s not proof.” Ryder chewed his lip wondering about the best way to proceed. “Maybe if we take away each towel separately and check under it.”
Zac shrugged, and Ryder knew he didn’t think there was a problem, but the dungeon was completely dry and Ryder wanted it to stay that way. It was almost a miracle that the ceiling hadn’t collapsed here and flooded them as it was.
Very slowly they rolled the top towel up and moved it away both of them running their fingers along the floor and the door as they did so. They repeated the procedure with each towel, and only the bottom one was a wet and even it wasn’t saturated, just wet.
Ryder stood, unlocked the door, then crouched down again and opened it a mere crack. The bright light made him blink. Not only was it well after dawn, but the sun was also shining brightly, and without a roof, that would help dry out the floor, he supposed.
There was no puddle by the door although the floor was definitely wet, so he opened the door wider and then right up. Behind him Zac hung the towels over the stair handrail, and a few steps lower, Eliot stacked the bowls and pots they’d put there to catch water. Piper was standing right behind Eliot. Ryder sighed. He could tell he was wasting his breath expecting her to remain behind. But at least she had enough sense to let the men go first into any potential danger.
“No one step into the room until I’m sure the floor will hold my weight. The hurricane might have damaged the floorboards and the supports,” he ordered.
“It can’t be too bad, or there’d be wet patches on the dungeon ceiling,” Eliot said.
Ryder wanted to hit him. He needed Piper to stay back where he knew she’d be protected, and here was Eliot contradicting him. “Just do as I say,” he ordered. He was aware he sounded harsh, but fuck, Piper had to be kept safe. Nothing could harm her under his watch.
He stared at the floorboards near the door. They were wet, but there were no puddles. He crouched right down until he could scan the floor with his eyes level with it. He noticed no dips or buckling in the woodwork. That was reassuring. He stepped just a short distance into the room, where he was sure that if the floor gave way, he’d be able to launch himself back into safety. But the flo
or felt fine. Even the sound of his boots on it only sounded like someone had washed the floor a little too enthusiastically and left it wet.
Not at all as though a hurricane had just bucketed water down on it.
He tilted his head up to the ceiling. At the far end of the cottage, the one away from the front door, the roof was completely gone. There were still a few feet of roofing over the front door end of the room and maybe a single row of shingles on the side opposite him. He couldn’t properly see right over his head to know anything more than that the sun was shining on him and the roof wasn’t there. He needed to step farther into the room to check it properly.
He stomped one boot down on the floorboards, but there was no feeling of instability, so he took a few more paces into the room and stomped again. Ryder heaved a sigh of relief. This part of the floor appeared fine.
He turned and looked back at the where the roof ought to have been. The shingles on this side had completely vanished and the cornices with them. The top of the wall looked like a child had tried unsuccessfully to make a fringe with it, ending with bits and pieces of fabric hanging in strips in all directions. Ah well, likely the drywall would all need replacing anyway. Right now it more like wet wall than anything else, although to its credit, it was still standing.
Continuing to place his feet cautiously, yet firmly, he walked the width of the room, and then its length, and back again to the bathroom. Once again the roof was gone, and some of the tiles had smashed from the walls onto the floor. The grate of the drain was surrounded by a puddle with bits of drywall, roofing, leaves, and God only knew what. But the drain had done its job and the floor was basically free of water apart from immediately surrounding the grating. Even the tub was empty of water, although there was leaf and roof litter in it. He peered into the shower. Yes, there, too.