Mated by Destiny Bundle: The Complete Series: A BBW Wolf Shifter Threesome Paranormal Erotic Romance

by Muldoon, Roxxy

  “Absolutely not,” said Hunter.

  I fumed. “You can’t just make that call.”

  Hunter glowered at me, so much for trying not to anger him.

  “I think you have a point,” said Roman, choosing his words carefully, “but I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  I shrugged, “then I don’t think you’re going to make an accurate decision.”

  “The answer is no!” said Hunter.

  “How do you propose we address the issue,” said Roman, ignoring Hunter, “if we are too close to the problem?”

  I smiled, “We get some outside advice.”

  “Who did you have in mind?”

  Chapter Six

  Amber opened the door, an eyebrow cocked. She took in the three of us, standing at her doorstep in various states of disarray. She swept a discerning eye over our disheveled clothing and distressed looks. I was lucky the boys let me stop at home to dress quickly before coming over to my cousin’s.

  “Did you just have sex?” She asked, a mixture of teasing and genuine confusion.

  “Close,” I said, pushing past my cousin into her house, “we had a fight.”

  I could almost hear Hunter rolling his eyes at my comment. If he knew what was good for him, he would not say something smartass. Not after the argument we just had.

  “A fight?” asked Amber, moving over to allow my broad shouldered mates enter the home. “Did you come here to have make-up sex or something? Because you have to ask me first.”

  Roman shook his head, placing a hand lightly on her arm.

  “Nothing that exciting, I’m afraid,” he said. “We came here for some much-needed advice.”

  Hunter sighed, “Tasha won’t listen to us.”

  I turned around, hands on my hips, trying my best to use my size to look intimidating, not voluptuous. I wasn’t sure that could actually be accomplished, but I was going to try my best.

  “You’re upset that I won’t listen to you? You? You’re the fucking asshole who ran off to chase down our enemy singlehandedly without telling us.”

  “What?” said Amber.

  Hunter moved towards me. I could see the anger in his eyes. They burned hot, fiery coals ready to take me on if needed. He was simultaneously controlled and ready to go into a rage at any time. I was in love with the strength he had, part of that included the temper. And, if I was being honest, the temper was an attractive quality.

  “Are you kidding me?” Hunter snapped, his mouth inches away from mine. I flicked my eyes over his lips, trying not to become distracted.

  “I would never kid,” I replied, rolling my eyes and trying desperately to control my facial features. When we were younger, I could always enrage Hunter by acting cool and aloof. I wasn’t feeling mature enough to handle this like an adult, but I would win.

  Hunter let out a low growl and pushed closer to me.

  “You just said you wanted to take on Wesley by yourself! You want to talk to him. How do I know this all hasn’t been a lie? Are you just going to run back to him and take over the pack? How do we know if we can trust you?”

  I felt like he slapped me across the face.

  Amber held up her hands. “Calm down, everyone. I’ll go and make tea or something, that’s what people do when there is a problem, right? Tea?”

  “We don’t need tea!” I nearly shouted, my hands balled into fists on my hips, Hunter doing his best to tower over me.

  I can see the slight gleam of sweat on his upper lip and the muscles flexing hard in his arms. I hold his gaze, refusing to look away. There was a primal part of me that knew if I looked away first he would feel dominant. I wouldn’t let that happen, I would be the dominant one. My wolf hovered under the surface of my control.

  Roman placed his hand on my side, slipping his fingers over the curve of my waist. The sudden pressure of his fingers against my body brought back some of my control. My wolf still growled, but she backed off, wary, to the edges of my consciousness.

  “You’re both acting like children.” Roman’s voice came out in a slow growl, washing over us and bringing us back to our senses. Hunter stepped away from me, immediately breaking the tension between us with that motion. Amber looked relieved.

  She shut the door, finally accepting that we would be staying in her home for the time being. Her face was flushed from nerves, but the brightness had returned to her eyes. Amber was resilient, it ran in the family.

  “So,” she said, “if you don’t want tea you better be ready to spill the beans. Unless you want some liquid courage?”

  “It’s not even noon,” said Roman.

  “Beer,” Hunter and I said in unison.

  Amber laughed at our candor. Hunter glanced at me and cocked a crooked grin. I grinned back, a little sheepish. Of course Hunter would support my day drinking, what’s one beer on a day that might be your last?

  Amber left briefly, coming back with bottles. She placed two on the coffee table and gestured for Hunter and me to take a seat. We obliged.

  Roman shook his head no when he saw the third beer. “I can’t drink when I am nervous, it sets a bad precedent.”

  “This isn’t for you.” Amber expertly popped off the top and took a long swig of her drink. I couldn’t help but laugh. Neither could Roman.

  “The second I forget that the two of you are related the family resemblance is impossible to ignore.”

  “We get that a lot,” said Amber.

  I shifted on the couch, unsure whether I should keep my distance from Hunter or not, unsure I could keep my thigh from spilling over onto his. Hunter took initiative, answering my question for me as he draped an arm over the back of the couch and over my shoulders. Tension left my body.

  Roman perched on the armrest next to me, his arms crossed over his tight chest, lips pursed into a straight line.

  “Amber,” he said, his voice heavy with thought, “how do you feel about the pack going into battle tomorrow morning?”

  Amber mirrored his position, crossing her arms and leaning up against the wall.

  “Do you want my supportive answer,” she said, “or the truth?”

  ‘The truth,” said Roman.

  “I think it’s fucking stupid,” she said. “I am worried about the pack and I am worried about what will happen if we don’t win. Honestly, I am worried about what will happen if we do win.”

  My heart sank, heavy with guilt. “But you stood up for me in the pack meeting.”

  Amber nodded, serious, pensive. “I will support you in every way, we are family. But just because I believe going into battle is the best option doesn’t mean I am happy it has to happen this way.”

  “If there were a way to stop it,” I asked. Even I could hear the tightness in my voice. “Would you choose that option even if it might turn out to be more dangerous?”

  Amber looked at me, curiosity peering out at me from her big eyes.

  “That depends,” she said, “how sure are we that it would work?”

  “We can’t be sure,” said Roman.

  “It’s a 50/50 shot,” I said, speaking over him. Hunter and Roman both gave me a look that I ignored. This was not their decision to make, they could rule in on it, sure, but anything that directly affected me and my body was my choice alone.

  “50/50, huh?” said Amber, running her fingers through her hair, “odds that good, I’d take.”

  I flashed a triumphant smile at the men. They exchanged glances, unsettled and unsure.

  “Now,” said Amber, taking another swig from her beer, “can someone please tell me what the fuck is actually going on? You are in my house.”

  Hunter spoke up, “Tasha wants to take on Wesley by herself.”

  “I think it will work,” I said, “as long as I can get to him before his backup arrives. I want to talk to him, let him know that I have no feelings for him and see if I can convince him to leave.”

  “She already tried that,” said Hunter to Amber, “and it did not work.”

&nbs
p; I shook my head, “I just don’t think I did it properly the first time. I was nervous, I let him control the situation. And, if it doesn’t go right, I will challenge him.”

  Roman nodded, “One-on-one, the fight for the mate. It is too ingrained in shifter culture, I don’t think he will refuse. But it is rare that a female fights in her own place against her would be male suitor.”

  “It’s stupid,” said Hunter.

  “You did the same thing this morning,” I said, “but you didn’t talk to us about it.”

  “Which is worse,” said Roman.

  “Do you think you can beat him?” asked Amber.

  “I’m fast,” I said, “and I know how his body moves. And how he thinks. There is no one else in the pack who could even try to stand up to him and have the same advantages I do. I am the best option.”

  “We don’t want to endanger her,” said Hunter, “and we don’t want her to leave us again.”

  “You can’t really think that I would do that!” I snapped, “After all I’ve been through to try to come back to you and Roman? This isn’t some ploy to leave you and take the land.”

  “And if it were,” said Amber, “it would be the worst ploy I’ve ever seen. Arrive, convince the pack to go to battle, marry you and Roman, possibly die in a fight? Not very graceful.”

  Hunter shrugged and looked away. “I was concerned about the safety of the pack.” He looked up, meeting my eyes with such ferocity I had to look away. There was genuine fear there, mingled with the need to protect. “I had to keep my mates safe.”

  “You should have talked to us about it,” Roman snapped. Hunter and I turned to him, shocked and expectant. Normally, Roman was so in control of his emotions, he balanced us out. But now, seeing him lose his cool in front of Amber like that because Hunter was saying something he didn’t agree with, it was almost frightening.

  “Roman,” I started, slipping into the role of the balancing partner, the one who soothes and takes control. He did not let me finish.

  “Hunter,” Roman’s voice was hard, like dropping a bottle onto payment, unforgiving and sharp. “You left without discussing the repercussions of your actions with your mates and you expect us to treat you better than Tasha, whose sacrifice is being mulled over by the group. If that is not the most selfish thing you have ever heard you aren’t even old enough to be allowed to make your own decisions. You’re acting like a child.”

  The room was nearly silent, the only sounds were low growls coming from both Hunter and Roman. Amber slipped in to fill the silence.

  “If you can win,” she said, hesitating, “with odds of 50/50, I would do it.”

  Roman nods, “I agree.”

  “It’s settled then,” I said.

  “What the actual fuck?” said Hunter. “You are not going in there.”

  I placed my hand on his arm. “I know it’s scary, it’s absolutely terrifying, but I have to go and fight for us. I’ll come back.”

  “You might not,” said Hunter.

  “If she doesn’t try,” said Roman, “even more people might not come back.”

  Hunter stood, jostling my leg on the couch.

  “If you don’t respect my say in the matter,” he snarled, glaring at the three of us, “then I am not going through with this marriage.”

  “You can’t act like that just because we didn’t pick your option!” I said. “You had your say now-“

  “Good,” said Roman, “we probably won’t need to get married tonight anyway. Tasha is going to win and we will be just fine without you.”

  Hurt flashed over Hunter’s features for a split second. Then his face set hard, stony and cold. Without a word, he threw open Amber’s door and stalked out. I stood, turned, and glared at Roman who remained casually perched against the couch.

  “He’s gone!” I said.

  “Shhhh, sweetie,” said Amber, crossing her arms under her breasts to hide her nerves.

  “He left and we have no idea where he went!” I could feel the wolf pushing to the front of my mind, ready to take control at any moment. I struggled to keep control, I wanted to flail and stomp and scream, all things not in a wolf’s repertoire.

  “Tasha,” said Roman, “we need to focus on the problem in front of us.”

  “The problem is that Hunter might have gone to fight Wesley,” I said. “We have to make sure that he doesn’t get hurt, we have to go after him.”

  Roman shook his head, “No, we don’t, this is just how Hunter gets when he is upset. You would recognize that if you knew him for as long as I had.”

  I narrowed my eyes. Amber slipped into the kitchen with her beer, recognizing this was not the best time to be present to my temper.

  “I have known Hunter as long as you,” I said, “we grew up together.”

  Roman sighed heavily like he was carrying the weight of the world and just found out he wouldn’t be getting a break anytime soon. He glanced up. I noticed the bags under his eyes for the first time today. Stress was not a good look for my golden mate. If the circumstances were different, I would go to him, wrap him in my arms and convince him to get the rest he so clearly needed. But now, now was not the time. Now was a time for fighting, full of danger, life or death.

  “You know what I mean Tasha,” He breathed out. The words hung between us, fat and floating, I could almost see them.

  “Yes,” I said after a long moment, “I know what you mean. You mean when I ran out on you. The time I hurt you and Hunter so badly that you can’t get over it.”

  “It’s been three days, Tasha!” Roman said, exasperated.

  “You asked me to marry you,” I said.

  Roman shook his head and looked sad. “I have wanted to marry you since we were teenagers, and I loved you every day. Even when you were gone, but just because you wish you hadn’t hurt us doesn’t mean you didn’t. I forgive you, I really do, but there are some things that you will have to learn about Roman and I as time goes on. We aren’t the same, Tasha.”

  “I know that!” I said.

  “I don’t think you do,” said Roman.

  I sighed and walked to the door. “I am going to go after him, Roman. Something you need to learn about me is I will always fix my mistakes. No matter how long that takes.”

  He smiled at me, sad and weary, “And if you don’t find him?”

  I shrugged, trying to hide the shiver that went down my spine at my realization. “I will go and face Wesley.”

  Roman nodded. “So this is goodbye, then?”

  “For now.”

  He pushed up, limbs long and gangly in his tired state. He reminded me of when we first met, not so much sexy as kind, nerdy, with the promise of how attractive he would be when he grew into his height. My wolf, my mate, my destiny.

  He engulfed me, arms holding my body against his. I left him pull me to him, burying my face in his chest and curling my fingers in the shirt at his back. I did not want to think what would happen if I never made it back if I never found my way home to him. If Hunter and Roman were separated from me again, but this time forever.

  “I love you,” he said, voice gruff, “no matter what.”

  “No matter what,” I said, trying to cover the fear in my voice. “And I am going to marry you both the second I come back, win or lose.”

  “Win or lose,” Roman agreed.

  “I guess we are one of those couples who repeat everything the other one said,” I said, suppressing a giggle.”

  “One of those couples,” Roman said.

  He let out a small chuckle and my giggle bubbled up to meet it. I let the stress roll off my back, reveling in this brief moment of freedom before my nerves would be in complete control. Roman leaned down, still laughing, cupped my chin and kissed me lightly.

  “You’re going to kick his ass,” he said, eyes sparkling.

  “After I find Hunter,” I said.

  “Oh,” said Roman, his eyes still gleaming, “I meant Hunter. But I suppose you’ll give Wesley a run for hi
s money too.”

  Chapter Seven

  I moved slightly, pushing myself up on my tip-toes, planting my lips on his. He met my kiss, mouths moving together gently, then desperately. I tried to push everything I felt into our kiss, the longing, the worry, the sadness, my guilt, his forgiveness. I wanted to crawl into him, become one and go get Roman. To entangle the three of our hearts together, the three of our bodies together, so we were one fusion. One celebration of our love, impossible to separate our DNA, made of love and forgiveness.

  When we pulled away, I had to catch my breath. Hunter stared at me, his eyes piercing into my heart.

  “Come back to me,” he said.

  I cocked an eyebrow, “Oh, so you’re letting me go?”

  He smirked, running a tongue over his upper lip, tasting the last of me on his tongue. “You and I both know I never had a say in the matter.”

  “This is true,” I said, giving him a final squeeze before I let go, “but I’ll pretend to listen to your opinion when we are married.”

  “That’s all I ask,” said Hunter.

  He ran a hand through his hair and then said, “On second thought, that and keeping Roman off my back when I don’t do my dishes right away. He is way too much of a neat freak for me.”

  “I promise,” I said, kissing him again on the cheek.

  “I’m putting it in the vows,” said Hunter. “’I vow to back up Hunter when he and Roman have fights over the dishes.’”

  “Fine,” I said, “I’ll vow.”

  “You’ll be safe,” Hunter said, a statement instead of a question. Almost a command, be safe.

  “I’ll be safe,” I promised.

  “I love you,” he said.

  I said, “I have always loved you. Now get back in the house before Roman has a heart attack. I said I was going to find you and I already did. Don’t give him any more grief.”

  “I’ll go in the back door,” said Hunter, “give them both a little scare.”

  “I won’t tell anyone,” I said.

  Hunter sauntered away, throwing a wink over his shoulder as he disappeared behind the home. I waited until I heard the expletives come out of the abode before I turned my back, grabbed my car, and drove off for what might have been the last time.