by Becca Van
“Okay. You have a deal. I will stay here, for now. But if you guys put one foot wrong or try to lay a hand on me without my permission, I will cut your balls off and shove them down your throat,” Talia stated resolutely.
“You won’t need to do that, darlin’. You get to make the first move,” Chris said with determination.
“Do you promise?” Talia asked, tears in her eyes as she looked at him.
“Yes, darlin’, I promise,” Chris replied.
Chris saw Talia’s shoulders sag as the tension in her muscles released for the first time. She looked so damn tired and lonely. He wanted to wrap her up and never let her go. She surprised him by moving toward him and giving him a hug.
“Thank you,” Talia whispered.
Chris watched as she straightened and turned to his brothers.
“Do you two promise as well?” Talia asked.
Chris had to bite his tongue as she stood with her hands on her hips and glared at Blayk and James. She was so full of passion and fire. He couldn’t wait to tap into that appetite and set her free. He knew her ex had never touched her heart or her desire. He couldn’t explain how he knew, but he just did.
“I promise, baby,” Blayk replied.
“I promise, sugar,” James stated.
“Okay then. I’m glad that’s settled,” Talia said.
She turned toward Chris and surprised him yet again. Talia climbed onto his lap and snuggled against him. She reminded him of a kitten with her spitting and claws, but when she was happy, she was content to curl up and cuddle. Chris wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in close to him. Her scent permeated his senses, and he inhaled deeply. His wolf had settled down and was waiting, ready to claim his mate, but willing to be patient for the moment. He only hoped his beast wouldn’t push too hard or become too impatient and take over. The shit would definitely hit the fan if he or his brothers claimed Talia before she was ready.
He was going to have to run every night and jack off, too, just to keep control over his animal. It would be worth it though. The thought of finally having her come to him and his brothers so they could claim her was a dream he’d had for many years. He wasn’t willing to shelve that dream now that they had finally found her.
Chris looked down when her heard Talia’s breathing change. She was sound asleep. She looked like an angel, with her long white-blonde hair flowing around her face and over her shoulders. Her light eyelashes were barely visible against her creamy skin. He knew then that no matter what she said, she already trusted them. If she didn’t she wouldn’t have let Blayk bring her home, and she wouldn’t be curled up on his lap. He studied the dark smudges beneath her eyes and felt his anger begin to boil again. The thought of her ex laying into her in front of his Alpha brother and no one helping her was too hard for him to comprehend. How anyone could treat any woman like that was just so alien to him, but the fact that she was his mate and had been seriously injured made his gut churn.
She was so tiny compared to him and his brothers, but he knew beneath the fragile exterior she had a core of steel. She wouldn’t have survived if she didn’t. He knew she was going to fit into the pack really easily. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she ended up being best friends with Michelle and Keira. He could just see the three of them keeping him, his brothers, and his cousins running around in circles after them. He smiled and closed his eyes, savoring the feel of his sleeping mate in his arms.
“She’s gorgeous, isn’t she,” Blayk said, using their mental link.
“Fuck yeah. I’m nearly too scared to touch her,” James stated.
“She might look fragile, but she is so strong inside. You saw the way she negotiated with us. Where those the actions of a delicate little rose?” Chris asked his brothers.
“No. She is strong and feisty and so fucking gorgeous. My cock is so hard I could pound nails,” Blayk stated.
“Yeah, I’m in the same boat, bro. Her scent just wraps around you and won’t let go. My wolf has been pacing since I caught her scent in the house,” James stated.
“Mine, too. Make sure you run in your wolf form every night and jack off if the desire gets too intense. We can’t let our beasts take control and claim her. We can’t betray her trust that way. She would run, and we’d never see her again,” Chris explained.
“Yeah, we know, Chris. In fact I think I’ll go for a run now,” Blayk said.
“I’m with you, man. Then I’m hitting the shower,” James said.
Chris closed his eyes as his brothers left their rooms. He was content to just sit where he was holding his woman curled up in his lap. He leaned his head back and listened to the beat of his heart. He was content and felt complete for the first time in a very long while, and he hadn’t even claimed her yet.
How long Chris just sat there holding Talia he had no idea. The time passed swiftly, and he could hear pack members coming and going. He decided he and his brothers were going to have to look into her ex and the pack he belonged to. He wanted to question Talia further about the pack she had been mixed up in, but he would wait until tomorrow. He didn’t want to disturb her from what was obviously much-needed rest. She had been on the road for a month, and she had only just gotten out of hospital when she’d left Idaho. No wonder she was so tired. God knew when she’d had her last decent meal.
He wanted to know everything about her. What her favorite color was, her favorite food, and where her family was. He wanted to know what her dreams had been as a child and what kind of future she dreamed of now. He craved that knowledge and could hardly wait to learn about her. But most of all he wanted to be able to love her. She had already entwined herself around his heart, and the thought of her leaving or getting hurt sent pain shooting into his chest. She was his mate, and there was no way in hell he or his brothers were going to screw this up. He planned to woo his way into her bed and her heart as soon as possible. Once he and his brothers claimed her, she was never leaving their sight. In fact she would be with one of them at all times. She needed protection, and if at all possible one of them would be with her around the clock.
Chris opened his eyes when she stirred in his arms and whimpered. Her breathing was fast and loud, and her eyelids twitched from the rapid movement of her eyeballs. She was dreaming, and from the look of the frown on her face and the small noises she was making, it wasn’t a pleasant dream. She flinched and cried out loudly. Her arms moved up, and it looked like she was trying to protect her face. He gently took hold of her arms and pulled them down. He didn’t want her hurting herself. She moved swiftly, catching him off guard, her feet kicking out, and he was thankful he wasn’t on the receiving end of that kick. He caught her around the waist as she sat up and screamed. The tortured sound was so full of pain that it tore at his heart and soul. He wrapped his other arm around the front of her chest, holding her flailing arms down so she couldn’t hurt herself, and began to speak to her.
“Talia, wake up. Come on, darlin’, you’re safe here. Wake up, Talia!”
Chris sighed with relief as she finally opened her eyes. She was still breathing heavily, but she was alert. His fury began to escalate again at the sight of terror and remembered pain in her eyes. Tears trailed down her cheeks and sparkled on her eyelashes. She looked up at him, and then she flung herself down, burying her face in his chest, and she sobbed her heart out. He held her and rocked her until the raging storm of emotions finally slowed and ceased.
“Do you want to talk about it, baby?” Chris asked gently, stroking a palm up and down her slim back.
“No.”
“Do you have nightmares often?”
“All the time,” Talia replied.
“Ah, baby. You’re safe here, I promise. No one can get to you. We will guard you with our lives,” Chris stated.
“But that’s just it,” Talia said as she pushed up straight again, looking into his eyes. “I don’t want anyone here getting hurt because of me. I think I should just go.”
“Talia, w
e have the best security money can buy. There are cameras and alarms with sensors all over this land and the house. No one can get in or out without somebody knowing about it. The monitors are manned all the time, and we are werewolves. You can’t be anywhere safer, baby. I’m not going to make you stay if you don’t want to. But just remember you are our mate, and if you leave so do we. We have been waiting to meet you for so long. We just can’t let you go without following you and fighting for you. Do you understand? We can’t give you up.”
“I don’t know what to think anymore. I am so tired and confused. I am as attracted to you and your brothers as you are to me, but I just—I need time,” Talia explained.
“We all understand that, baby, and we won’t force you, but you have to remember we are part animal. Our wolves are pushing at us to claim you. At the moment we are in control of our beasts, but our animal instincts are to bite you and make you ours. We don’t want to hold off our wolves forever. You need to think about what you want, and when you decide, let us know,” Chris said. “Now, I think it’s time you were in bed. You are totally exhausted.”
“Thanks, Chris. No one has ever held me and taken care of me the way you and your brothers have.”
“That’s only a taste of how we would look after you, baby. Imagine how much better it would be if we were mated,” Chris said as he helped Talia to her feet.
He led her over to the door and saw her to her room. She gave him a wistful smile and closed the door. He didn’t know how the hell he was going to survive the night, let alone days or weeks, waiting until she made her decision. But he hadn’t been joking. If Talia decided to leave, then he and his brothers would definitely follow.
Chapter Four
Talia lay in bed on her side, staring at the far wall. She was too scared to fall asleep. She knew the nightmare would come again, and she didn’t want her screaming to wake up the men sleeping in the other rooms. She turned over and stared through the dark, her eyes not really seeing the ceiling as she thought over what Chris and his brothers had told her. She knew the three men weren’t anything like her ex-husband and his pack. Until she lay down in the guest room’s big, lonely bed, she didn’t realize her actions had been so telling. She had instinctively trusted Chris, Blayk, and James Friess. Otherwise she wouldn’t have been in their home. She couldn’t believe how she had crawled onto Chris’s lap and fallen asleep. She had heard them all head to their own room’s hours earlier and knew it must be well into the early hours of the morning.
Talia sighed and threw the covers back. She was thirsty and needed a drink of water. She had seen the small kitchen through the open door on the other side of the living room. So she padded out of her room, making sure she didn’t make any noise, and headed to the kitchen. She flicked the light switch and searched for a glass. She had just finished drinking the water when Chris’s deep voice called her name from behind her. She squealed and jumped as she spun around, the now-empty glass clutched to her chest.
“Are you okay, darlin?” Chris asked.
“Shit, you scared ten years off my life,” Talia replied, looking at Chris as she sagged against the sink.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Can’t you sleep?”
“No,” Talia replied with a sigh.
“What’s going on?” Blayk asked as he entered the kitchen.
“Are you all right, sugar?” James asked as he, too, entered the small room.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you all.” Talia sighed again. Her eyes were glued to the three men standing before her in nothing but their formfitting boxer shorts. She slid her eyes over Chris’s large, muscular thighs, past the growing bulge at his crotch, up his washboard abs, large pecs, and shoulders, and to his face. She began to tremble with desire at the heat she saw in his eyes.
Talia slid her eyes over Blayk and James as well. They were all so muscular and sexy, yet all so different from each other. She bit the inside of her cheek as her eyes wandered back down to their crotches. The underwear they had on left nothing to the imagination. They were built like stallions. Her pussy clenched, and she felt her panties dampen as her juices leaked out. She knew she was breathing rapidly, but she couldn’t seem to control the responses of her own body. Her breath hitched in her throat as Chris stepped forward, until he was so close she could feel the heat emanating from his body. She tilted her neck back so she could see his eyes, and then she drowned in their depths.
Talia whimpered when she felt Chris’s hands on her waist as he picked her up in his strong arms. He carried her a couple of feet and placed her on the counter. She still had to look up, but at least her neck wasn’t as cricked as before. She held her breath as he slowly lowered his head to her, and then she moaned as his lips slid over hers. He was gentle with her, coaxing rather than demanding. He brushed his lips against hers, and then his tongue swept over her lower lip. She couldn’t stand it anymore. She had wanted each of these men since the moment she had met them, and she allowed herself the luxury of giving in to her desires, if only for just this moment. She opened her mouth and reached up gripping his hair in her hands, and pulled him in closer.
The first taste of him and Talia was lost. She knew she would never be able to get enough. He tasted of mint, man, and desire. His tongue slid along hers, and she responded, twirling her own around his. She felt him scoop her up into his arms, one muscular forearm beneath her ass supporting her weight as he devoured her mouth. He was aggressive yet gentle. He took what he wanted, yet coaxed a response from her. She was on fire and knew there was only one way to put out the flames. She whimpered into his mouth as he explored every part of her. He tickled the roof of her mouth with his tongue, over her teeth and along the inside of her cheeks. She wrapped her legs around him and clung, never wanting to let him go. She sobbed with frustration when he slowed the kiss and finally removed his lips from hers.
“We have to stop now, darlin’. If we don’t we are going to end up in bed with you,” Chris panted.
Talia was pleased that he was just as affected as she was from the carnal kiss and shifted her aching cunt against his stomach. The move slid the silk of her panties over her sensitive clit, and she knew she didn’t want this to end. Not now. Not yet. She wanted to feel what it was like to be loved by the three men claiming to be her mates. She knew she was probably playing with fire, but she needed their hands and mouths touching her so much that she threw caution to the wind.
“Take me to bed,” Talia whispered, looking into Chris’s eyes. His nostrils flared as he inhaled, and his pupils dilated. He was staring at her with such fire in the depths of his eyes that she felt singed by them.
“Talia, be very sure about this. If we take you to bed and love you, we will end up claiming you. Our beasts are going to take over while we are buried in that sweet body of yours,” Chris stated, his voice deeper than usual with desire.
Talia looked over Chris’s shoulder and saw Blayk and James staring at her with the same heated look as their brother. She wanted this. She wanted them to make love to her and claim her more than anything. She knew she couldn’t walk away from them. She realized then all her words of leaving had been full of false bravado. There was no way in hell she could walk away. Not now, when she finally had a chance at love and happiness. She returned her gaze to Chris’s and took a deep breath.
“Take me to bed,” Talia repeated.
There was no coaxing this time. Chris slanted his mouth over hers and kissed the breath right out of her. His tongue pushed into her mouth, between her lips, as his large hands clutched at the globes of her ass. She whimpered as he made love to her mouth, and then she was lying on her back, his large body over hers, covering her with gentle pressure. He withdrew his lips from hers and licked his way down over her jaw, and he nibbled his way over her neck.
Talia arched her hips up as he pushed her large T-shirt up her body, his hands sliding over the skin of her belly. He didn’t hesitate when he reached her breasts. He cupped her mo
und with his large hand and swept his thumb back and forth over the peak. She felt her breasts swell and her nipples pucker and harden, reaching out for more of the pleasurable sensations. She sobbed with frustration as he removed his hand and his body from over hers. She opened her eyes, and her pussy clenched, gushing more cream at the sight of Blayk and James standing at the end of the bed. They were totally naked, and they were fisting their large cocks, sliding their hands up and down the length of their shafts.
Chris reached for her with his large hands, helping her into a sitting position on the massive bed. He pulled her T-shirt up over her head and threw it aside. He hooked his thumbs into the waistband of her panties and pulled them down her legs and off her feet. She was totally nude, and she felt so small and feminine, but also powerful for the first time in her life. Chris got off the bed and held her eyes to his as he removed his boxer shorts. She couldn’t contain her gasp of awe at the sight of his large cock springing out from the nest of hair between his muscular thighs. The man was huge. Her cunt clenched, aching to be filled by him.
Talia mewled in the back of her throat as the three men moved together, as if by some unspoken command. They got on the bed with her, Blayk and James at her sides and Chris on the end of the bed near her feet. Chris reached for her ankles and smoothed his palms up and down her shins and calves, gently separating her legs, making room for himself to sit between her now-splayed thighs.
“You are so sexy, little darlin’. The sight of your sweet little bare pussy has my balls aching. I have to taste you, Talia. I can smell your sweet cream and I want that cream coating my tongue,” Chris said.