I threw back my head and let out a loud laugh, all the anxiety of my early conversation rolling out of me.
“I’m old?” I said, reaching out and squeezing her arm. “Then what does that make you? Your birthday is a whole three months before mine.”
“That means I’m still only thirty-one,” Amber said with a wink, “not thirty-two like someone else I could mention. Do you want something to drink?”
“Yes,” I said, “thank god we are both old enough to drink now.”
Amber walked into the kitchen, I heard the sound of a door being opened and closed.
“Not that that ever stopped us,” she called out to me. Ice clinked in a glass and she walked back into the living room, smiling wickedly. “Amaretto sour.”
I took the glass, throwing a grateful smile her way. “This always got us into trouble, but I still love it.”
“Dark, sweet, and dangerous,” Amber agreed, “how I like my men.”
We laughed and took a sip. There was a moment of comfortable silence before Amber said, “So, when did you get back?
“Just an hour ago.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “Did you tell anyone you would be back?”
I looked into the bottom of my drink. “No, you’re the only person I talked to at all here. After mom and dad passed, I just didn’t feel like I needed to keep up ties with anyone.”
“Roman always asked me if I heard from you,” She said, her hazel eyes, the same color as mine, flashed. “He is a good man, Roman. Hunter too. That one never asked me straight out if I had heard from you, but he would keep me in conversation until I brought you up.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “Did you always bring me up?”
She closed her eyes and took a long drink before replying. “I always give a good boy what he wants.” Then she smiled wickedly before saying, “if they work for it.”
I blanched, did she mean what I thought she meant? Amber broke into peals of laughter.
“Don’t look so freaked out!” She said between laughs. “It was nothing like that, god, I didn’t sleep with them.”
I let relief wash over me. I wasn’t sure why I had such a visceral reaction to my cousin sleeping with Roman or Hunter, but I was so glad it hadn’t happened.
“I didn’t think you had,” I said, anyway, not wanting to reveal my cards.
“Sure,” said Amber. “And I’ll let you know that they didn’t sleep with anyone else from the pack after you left.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” she continued, “there were offers, of course, but they always said no. That doesn’t mean they didn’t go into town for a roll in the snow over the years, but only with human women. They never had a shifter. Never even entertained the idea of choosing another mate. Though I’m sure the time will come…”
She trailed off and looked at me. “Or will it?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know yet.”
“But that’s why you’re back?”
I grinned, despite myself. “That’s why I’m back.”
Amber smiled, “Well, looking how sexy you do, with your sultry shape, you shouldn’t have any trouble seducing your way back into their good graces.”
I smoothed down my top, watching it pull tight over my cleavage. A few years ago, I wouldn’t have thought I was that capable of seducing anyone. But I had learned to love my voluptuous body in South Dakota, thick thighs, large bust, curvy hips and all. After all, I saw the way Roman looked at me earlier, and the way Hunter had looked at me back when… I shook my head.
“I’m not here to seduce them, Amber. I mean,” I let out a small giggle, “I am a little. But I am mostly here to see if we can rebuild the bond that I abandoned. We must have been paired together for a reason.”
Amber stretched, revealing the slight curve of her belly as her shirt rode up.
“Didn’t you tell me you were seeing some guy in Rapid City?” She asked, brushing some golden curls behind her ear. I knew she was not as nonchalant as she seemed.
“I was,” I said, “and now I’m not.”
“Okay, okay,” said Amber. “I get the picture. But you could have at least given the guy to me?”
I smiled at my cousin. Amber’s future mate had died when she was twenty. There was a hunting accident. He was shot by a human. That was eight years ago, but Amber remained single.
“There’s online dating,” I said, laughing as she pulled a face.
“And wade through all those creeps?” She stuck out her tongue. “I’d rather try to win back the broken hearts of my almost lovers.”
“Don’t say that!” I said. “You make me sound crazy.”
“You are a little crazy,” said Amber, “but that’s why everyone loves you.”
Chapter Two
I ran up the hillside, slipping a little on the grass. There was a frost last night, and the moisture still hung slick to each blade. I was late, shit, it was already five after nine. This was not a good way to show Hunter and Roman that I meant to be there third, supportive, honest, and reliable. I could not even be sure that they would be awaiting me at the top of the hill. Shit.
I tripped and plodded through the trees, briefly entertaining shifting and running as my wolf ran to meet them. I dismissed the idea quickly, not yet confident enough to bare my naked self before them. I bared my teeth and continued my hike, my calves burning with every slip.
At a quarter after nine, I burst into the clearing. The top of the bluff overlooked Moon Lake, an almost perfectly round body of water. I took a few deep breaths, taking in the light dusting of frost still clinging to the pine needles and the frothy waves on the water below. About twenty paces ahead of me, near the bluff’s edge, Hunter and Roman were whispering, heads close together. They stopped when they saw me.
“Good morning!” I chirped, trying to hide the growing anxiety in my belly. It felt like my wolf was tearing apart a paper bag. I pulled my sweater a little tighter, hoping that some added warmth might calm me down. The eyes of the men never left my body.
“We thought you weren’t coming back,” said Hunter, eyes narrowing in a smirk that was a little too serious. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”
“I’m gone for ten years and you forget I’m a notorious latester?” I shoot back, trying to match his joking-but-not tone. “For shame.”
Hunter rolled his eyes a little, but I saw a small smile escape before he pushed it down with a, “And what do you call disappearing for ten years?”
“Tardiness,” said Roman.
That quip brought out a genuine bark of laughter from Hunter and an eyebrow-raise-eye-twinkle combo from Roman. I flushed with pleasure as I smiled back. It was nice, talking with these idiots here, at our place.
The mood shifted, some tension leaving the air as we partially resumed our roles from the past. Hunter and I were always throwing jabs at each other, trying to shoot the other in the foot with a particularly vicious remark or volleying back and forth with puns. Roman was always close behind, saving his witty remarks for a last minute deadpan delivery.
But just as I expected Hunter to throw a roguish grin at me and say something devastatingly witty, his face fell.
“You’re here to beg our forgiveness, I guess,” he said, staring me down. My heart beat quickly in my chest.
“I do not beg,” I shot back, “unless I’m naked and on my back.”
Hunter’s face flushed and he darted his gaze away. I smirked, brushing a piece of my hair triumphantly over my shoulder. Boys were too easy.
“I am here,” I continued, “to fall back in love with you.”
“Who is to say we haven’t found someone else?” asked Hunter. “A new third?”
I paused, not wanting to sound too cocky. There couldn’t be someone else, could there? Could they have replaced me?
“There is no one else,” said Roman.
Hunter glared and turned towards the lake, putting his back to me and his companion
. His shoulders pulled tight and I heard him let out a small snarl. I redirected my gaze at Roman, startled to find his golden eyes focused on my own. I caught my breath.
“There was never anyone else,” Roman said, staring right at me.
His eyes were kind, as open and sweet as they were the day the three of us found out we would all be bound together. I let my eyes wander down the angled lines of his face, his long neck, his broad chest, to the bulge in his pants. I wondered if he was compassionate in bed, too.
There was a small smile on his face when I looked back up to his eyes. Shit. He saw me looking.
I cleared my throat, “There was never anyone else for me either.” No, really. Not in the way that Hunter and Roman had been my balance. My discipline and my kindness.
“Your trip was a bust then?” Hunter said, his back still to me. “You failed at finding someone better for you?”
I furrowed my brows, taking a step towards Hunter. “That’s not why I left.”
“Of course that’s why you left,” Hunter said, turning back around to face me. His features were pulled tight. I could feel my wolf pressing against my soul, dying to take the reigns. Who did he think he was? He didn’t know anything.
“I left because I was scared!” I said, trying to control my volume and my temper. “I was scared because I was a twenty-year-old kid who was looking at a future as the leader of our entire community.”
“We were all kids,” said Roman.
“I know,” I snapped back. Hurt flashed in Roman’s eyes and Hunter took a protective step towards him. I took a breath.
“I know,” I tried again. “We were all kids. But Roman, you are so kind. So willing to go above and beyond for everyone in the pack.” I closed the distance between us and placed my hand on his arm. I could feel the heat radiating off his skin in this misty morning. He was so solid. I flushed, thinking about how hot he would be without the shirt on. But now was not the time.
“There was never a doubt in my mind,” I continued, “that you would be the perfect for me. And Hunter,” I kept my hand on Roman’s arm but met Hunter’s eyes, “you were always so dedicated. So strong and diligent. I respected you so much. I wanted to be your mate.”
I sighed, taking back my hand and pulling my arms tightly across my chest. “I never wanted to be bound to a mate at such a young age. Then, when there were two of your, the pressure was too much to handle. When I was twenty, all of a sudden my future seemed so close, and I wanted to try new things. I was scared. So I left.”
“You’re not scared now?” Roman asked.
“I am scared,” I said, “but I realize now what blessings come with two mates. We balance each other in a way that pairs don’t understand. We are each other’s support system..”
Roman nodded and opened his mouth, but Hunter cut him off.
“You expect us to just take you back?” he snorted. “Leave for ten years, come back, apologize, and we forgive you?”
“I…” I hadn’t actually considered this part yet. It was one thing to win back Roman and Hunter. It was certainly another to win back the pack.
“I didn’t think so,” said Hunter.
“I asked the elders,” Roman said, glancing over at Hunter. “I asked them if there would be a way to win back the trust of our people.”
He did? I looked up at Roman. What a kind, gentle man.
“Is there?” I asked.
He nodded slowly, choosing his words carefully. “Tasha, you need to prove that you will not run again.” He held his gaze with Hunter. “We need to prove that we are committed to you and that we trust you not to run.”
“You can’t be serious,” said Hunter.
“What?” I said, suddenly nervous.
“It’s nothing bad,” said Roman. “We would just need to imprint on each other so we are bound by body and soul for the rest of our lives.”
My whole body froze. Imprint on Hunter and Roman? After all this time? Could I commit to being their mate for the rest of my life? Could I trust them to commit to me? I was suddenly having trouble breathing. I pressed a hand to my chest and took a step away from Roman who looked at me with concern.
“You have to be kidding,” Hunter snapped, clenching his fists in frustration. “Not bad? We don’t even know her anymore.”
“I don’t know you either,” I said, rubbing at my collarbone. My clothes felt too tight. I wanted to scream, shift into my wolf, and bolt through the woods.
“Please calm down,” Roman said. His voice rang out with wisdom and authority he had not had when we were younger. It made me want to trust him. Breathing deeply, I tried to bring myself down and into a calm place. I saw Hunter shake out his fists, but his stance stayed rigid.
“No one is going to be forced to mate for life,” said Roman. “I certainly am not going to commit to anyone I don’t know and love. I am, however, willing to try.” He smiled at me, a soft smile completely opposite of Hunter’s roguish grin. I felt my chest warm, he was lovely.
“I want to try,” I said. I had to, after coming all this way. After regretting my decision every day after I left, but too afraid to show my face back here. I had to try to fall in love with my childhood friends. I had to see if they would fall in love with me. I looked at Hunter, whose face still bore a grimace. That might be more trying, if I was being honest.
Roman and I both waited for Hunter to say something. Hunter looked back and forth between our faces. After a few minutes, he threw back his head, letting out a loud growl.
“Fine! I will try.”
Abruptly, Hunter shifted into his wolf. I bit my lip. The strong, sleek look of the black wolf had not changed. For a moment his ice-blue eyes were locked with mine, then he snarled half-heartedly and took off into the forest.
“Well,” I said, looking back to Roman, “at least he didn’t try to maul me.”
Roman leaned down to pick up Hunter’s discarded clothes. I couldn’t help but take a peek at his ass. Round and tight, defined in spite of his loose jeans. My wolf clawed lightly at my surface. Falling in love might not be so bad if I got to take a bite out of the luscious hunk of man meat.
“Not yet,” said Roman, standing up with a knowing smile. “If you’re lucky, maybe we both will later.”
A light flush came over my face. Had he caught me staring? But Roman’s face remained innocent with only a hint of a smile dusting his lips.
“Err, good,” I said. Oh, I could be so clever.
Roman and I walked back through the forest. He was so tall now that he had to move a few branches out of his way. It was so different being with a man who was bigger than me. When I was a girl, I had been taller than most of the people in my class. I was certainly wider than everyone too. It had been hard, but I had grown into my frame. Now I loved my hourglass shape, the way my breasts and hips had a womanly look to them. I needed someone who loved my voluptuous femininity as much as I did. If I was lucky, from the few times I had caught Roman looking at me, the boys would find that appealing.
“I was thinking,” said Roman.
“Dangerous,” I replied, “that leads to doing. Doing can be bad.”
Roman smiled, “I hope this thinking leads to doing.”
He had to be flirting with me.
“And what dangerous thoughts were you thinking?”
“If you want to,” Roman said, “you could move into our house. You can’t stay with Amber for too much longer without an invitation, and we need to get to know you.”
I was surprised. “Is Hunter okay with this?”
Roman shrugged. “Honestly? No, not yet. I haven’t brought it up. But he will be.”
I raised an eyebrow, skeptical.
Roman shoved me, playfully, as though to say “don’t give me that look”. “He has to be, anyway. It’s my house too.”
“Would I have my own room?” I asked.
Roman nodded, “For as long as you wanted.”
I thought for a moment. Amber would get sick of me in
a few days, that was certain. I couldn’t really afford to stay in a hotel and drive two hours every day. It would also keep me in close contact with Hunter and Roman. But would it be uncomfortable?
“Sure,” I said, “I will stay with you.”
Roman smiled and pulled me against his chest. His arms were solid and strong against me. I had never been enveloped by a man like this before. It felt like coming home to fresh baked cookies, or putting your toes in warm sand on the first warm day of summer.
“I was hoping you would agree.”
Roman took my hand, tentatively at first. I linked my fingers with his, marveling at the massive size of his hands.
“I am so happy you came back,” he said.
A loon called from the lake. I looked over my shoulder to the endless blue in the distance, peering out through the interlocking branches of the trees.
“Me too,” I said.
I could fall in love with him.
Chapter Three
“I really don’t have enough stuff to need help,” I said, shouldering my duffle bag. Amber insisted on helping me move into Hunter and Roman’s house. I only had a couple bags and some linens. I’d expected to be in town for a while, but I didn’t have much to being with. I left all my furniture in South Dakota, anyway, so I didn’t need anyone for heavy hauling.
“I know,” said Amber, “I just wanted to see how angry Hunter is with you moving in.”
I rolled my eyes. “Nice, thanks for that.”
Amber laughed, following me up the stairs to their door.
“You know how much he hates having visitors. I’ve never seen him have a houseguest for more than a night!”
“I’m buoyed by your confidence.”
I reached up to knock on the door when it swung open. I was face-to-face with Hunter’s chest.
“Oh!” I said, shocked. “Hello!”
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