by Ann Gimpel
“Really?” Noreen’s voice came out as a squeak as she sat down.
“Really.” Les dished up the soup Karl had made and carried it to the table. Even though he was used to Karl’s cooking, it smelled wonderful, no doubt due to the infusion of ingredients from Jed. “We’ve had a whole lot of years to imagine what it would be like if we had a mate.”
“But you can’t be much past thirty-five.” Noreen reached for the soup tureen and set it next to waiting bowls.
Les and Karl exchanged glances; Karl put a plate of sliced bread on the table, and Les returned to the kitchen to get a platter of succulent-looking meat and an open bottle of wine. “Alice didn’t actually tell you everything,” Les said. “Shifters live long lives.”
Her eyes narrowed. “How long?”
Here we go. Les sucked in a breath. Lying at this point wasn’t permitted. The prospective mate needed to know everything. “I’m close to six hundred.”
“And I’ve got fifty years on him,” Karl said. “But you’ll live longer too. Not quite as long as we do, but the mate bond will lengthen your life.”
“Really?” Noreen had a stunned look on her face. “Guess Alice only hit the high points. Are Jed and Bron and Terin that old too?”
Les let his fisted hands relax by his sides. This was going better than he’d hoped. At least she hadn’t jumped up and run out of the cabin. “Jed’s a few hundred years older than Karl and I. I’m not sure about Terin or Bron.”
“Could I have some of that wine?” Noreen pointed, still looking shell-shocked.
Karl ran into Les when they both made a dive for the bottle. “Sorry.” Les smiled sheepishly and filled the glass in front of her with claret-colored liquid. “Guess we’re so anxious to make a good impression, we’re acting like a couple of buffoons.”
She lifted her glass; her gaze traveled from him to Karl and back. “Aren’t the two of you going to sit?”
Les scrambled into his seat; so did Karl. The last thing Les felt like doing was eating, but he decided wine wasn’t a bad idea. Maybe it would settle the hard-on he’d had ever since Noreen had driven into their yard.
“Before you take a drink,” Noreen said, “I’d like to propose a toast.”
Les winced. He or Karl should have done that. The first meal with a prospective mate was nothing shy of a momentous occasion. “Of course.” He lifted his glass and looked expectantly at her.
“Nothing heavy.” She still looked nervous, but managed a smile. “Here’s to getting to know one another.”
They clinked glasses and drank. Les gazed around the table that could accommodate half a dozen and imagined finally filling their home with children. He reined his thoughts in. “Do you have everything you need?” he asked Noreen.
“I’m not sure,” blue eyes twinkled at him and Karl, “but it’s starting to look that way.”
Karl ladled the vegetable soup he’d made into bowls. “None of us are probably very hungry,” he said, “but how about if you tell us about you, and then we can do the same.”
“My story won’t take very long.” Noreen spooned soup into her mouth. “I lost my entire family in the flu epidemic of 1918. Got sent to an orphanage from there. I finished school, went to work, and then a couple of years ago I got mixed up with a cult, which is why I have some familiarity with, er, different lifestyles…”
Chapter 5
Noreen didn’t know how long they talked, but the food left on the table had long since grown cold when conversation finally thinned. She gazed fondly at the men sitting near her. In the hours they’d shared food and drink, her heart had warmed to both of them. Les and Karl were good men. Even more, they were kind and compassionate but willing to stand and fight for their beliefs and the freedom of their kind.
Born in the fourteen hundreds, they’d become fast friends in the Black Forest in Germany where they’d roamed as wolves and young men. Both were descended from Hohenzollern bloodlines, and their kin had originally ruled Prussia, Germany, and Romania. Somewhere around the early eighteen hundreds, the Catholic Swabian branch and the Protestant Franconian branch of the Hohenzollern family had finally agreed on one thing: shifters were demon spawn. At that point, Les and Karl had set sail for the new world, along with many other shifters.
They’d had one mate, Breta, but she died in childbirth in 1699 and the babe along with her. Apparently a major vessel in her heart ruptured while she was in labor, and all the shifter magic in the world couldn’t save her. Both men were devastated and too dispirited to even consider mating again anytime soon. Noreen saw tears glisten in Karl’s eyes when he told her about their first mate. Though she’d been gone for over two hundred years, it was clear he still missed her. And reproached himself for her death.
“You’ve been quiet for a while.” Karl poured the last of the second bottle of wine into her glass.
“I was thinking about Breta.” Noreen looked into Karl’s hypnotic dark eyes and thought she could see his pain. “I’m so sorry for your loss, but you really shouldn’t blame yourself. These things happen even today with all the modern medical interventions we have.”
“I’ve told him that for a long time,” Les said quietly.
Karl nodded. “We’ve mourned Breta long enough. She wouldn’t have wanted us to be alone for a year, let alone two hundred.”
“It’s not that we were averse to finding a new mate,” Les said.
“It’s just once we started looking,” Karl cut in, “we never found anyone who clicked with our mate bond.”
“Are eligible women that rare then?” She looked from one man to the other.
“Much more than they used to be,” Karl said. “Having to hide out from Hunters hasn’t helped us much. I’m sure they hope we’ll all die out, and then they will have done their job for God and country.” His words dripped bitterness. He shook his head. “Sorry, I hate those bastards, and sometimes it just sort of bleeds out of me. But they don’t have any place here in this room tonight with us.”
“No,” Les concurred. “They don’t.” He got up, closed the distance between himself and Noreen, and knelt by her chair. “You’ve heard all about Karl and me. You see the life we lead. It’s not fancy, especially compared with the castles and servants we had in the old world, but we have everything we need—except you. If you found it too isolating out here and living in town was important, we’d figure something out. Maybe have two houses. Though we live simply, money’s not a problem.”
Karl knelt by her other side and took one of her hands. His dark eyes were serious. “Yes, there’s not much more talking to be done. Les always tells me I’m too forward, but will you have us, Noreen?”
“We’d love and cherish you,” Les murmured.
“You’d never want for a thing,” Karl said.
Noreen looked from one set of eyes to the other. Both men’s hearts were in their faces. She believed them. More, she wanted them as passionately as they wanted her. She twined a hand in Les’ tawny hair and squeezed Karl’s hand. “Yes,” she murmured, and then said it more clearly. “Yes, I accept the mate bond. Right now I’m feeling like the luckiest woman alive.”
“We’ll make sure that never changes.” Karl lifted her hand to his lips. Les snatched her other hand from his hair and did the same.
“Er,” heat suffused her face. “I suppose I ought to tell you I’m still a virgin.”
Les stopped kissing the back of her hand. “We knew that, darling. It doesn’t matter. In fact, we’re delighted that we’ll be your first lovers.”
She cocked her head to one side. What the men were doing to her hands was incredibly erotic. “How did you know? Is it a scent thing?”
“Um-hum.” Karl lifted his head and murmured. He exchanged glances with Les. “Where?”
Les brushed his thumb over her lips and got to his feet. “We’ll need a bigger bed. For now, maybe we could put your mattress on the floor next to mine.”
Karl laid his cheek next to Noreen’s and planted
a string of nibbling kisses down her ear. “Hey there, bud.” Les hooked an arm beneath Karl’s. “We’ll have lots of time for that. Help me move the mattress.”
“Oh, sure. Right.” Karl’s breath came fast.
Noreen sensed his arousal and it fueled hers. “Um, maybe I’ll get the table cleared while the two of you are—”
“Not on your life, darling,” Les said as he and Karl headed for a curtained off alcove toward the rear of the cabin.
“We’ll take care of everything. You just sit,” Karl seconded.
“Now that’s just plain silly. You’re treating me as if I were an invalid.” Noreen rose. “I’ll,” her gaze swept the cabin, “heat water in that big kettle on the woodstove. That way we can all clean up a bit before, well…” Noreen knew she had to be blushing. The temperature in the small space felt as if it had just risen twenty degrees. She fanned herself with both hands.
“Grand idea.” Les grabbed one end of a mattress. He and Karl moved it toward a closed door that presumably led to the bedroom.
Grateful to have something to do—and glad it didn’t require much thought because she was so aroused her brain felt like yesterday’s oatmeal—Noreen walked to the woodstove, opened the firebox door, and fed some chunks of wood through it. Her swollen labia pressed against one another; scenes of Les and Karl naked danced before her eyes. She couldn’t wait to run her hands over their hard-muscled bodies and kiss and taste them.
She’d just pumped one last container of water at the sink and carried it to the kettle when the men emerged from the bedroom. Noreen dipped a hand into the kettle. “Not quite yet,” she said, “but soon.”
“We can hurry that along.” Les hastened to her side, placed fingers in the kettle, and hummed a few notes. “There. Perfect bathing temperature.”
She quirked a brow. “Magic?”
He grinned. “What else? This is a magical household, and tonight is a magical night. We’ve waited a long time for you.”
“Well, I’m just glad some other gal didn’t ace me out because I like it here.” She grinned back. “Help me understand about the water. If you did something and it’s hot enough now, won’t the fire make it too hot to use soon?”
“No.” Karl started pulling the few pins left in her hair out. Blonde strands settled around her body; she brushed them away from her face. “Shifter magic is good for lots of things. Keeping water warm is one of the lesser spells.”
“You said I’d get some of your magic. Will I be able to—?”
Les caressed the side of her face. “It’s different for every mate. We won’t know until after the mating ritual is complete.”
“You tell us how you’d like to do this,” Karl said. “Les and I talked it over while we made up our bed and decided you needed to set the pace.”
She inhaled a little, hiccupy breath. “If we’re going to bathe, we have to get out of these clothes.” Her blush deepened and she rolled her eyes. “Christ! I sound brain-damaged. And like a nervous bride.”
“No you don’t.” Les’ tone was soothing. “You’re still a maid, and you’re anxious about what’s going to happen. It’s understandable. Would you like us to help you undress? We can do as much or as little as you’d like, including giving you a spot of privacy to bathe.”
A streak of lechery smote her. When she met his gaze, she was certain she had a wanton gleam in her eyes. “How about if I get to watch you first? Or,” she squared her shoulders and faced both men, “how about if I undress you?”
Where did I learn to be so bold? Noreen dropped her gaze. Her tongue felt thick and stupid when she said, “I, uh, I’m sorry. I have no idea where that came from.”
“You have nothing to apologize for.” Karl’s rich laughter filled the cabin. “Come here, darling. You can start with me. It would be an honor for you to undress me.”
“Come on.” Les took her hand and led her the few steps to Karl. Noreen’s hands shook as she raised them and began on the buttons of Karl’s shirt. He’d taken off his sweater during dinner. She pushed the flannel material off his shoulders and gasped when his perfectly formed torso came into view. A dusting of black hair coated the bronze skin of an otherwise smooth chest. Slabs of muscle descended into the waistband of his trousers. The front was belled out by an obvious erection.
Noreen’s mouth was dry; all the moisture in her body had headed south. Her clit and labia were puffy and aching, and she was so hot she thought she might come with no additional stimulation at all. She reached for the fastenings of his trousers when a low, keening moan sounded. It took a moment for her to realize the noise had come from her. Les’ arms reached around her from behind. He laid a hand over one of her breasts and dropped the other to the vee between her legs. Noreen pressed into him.
“That’s right, sweetheart.” Les’ voice was raspy with need. “Unbutton him and I’ll just rub you a little. We have all night, and we’ll all think better after we’ve come a time or two.”
Noreen undid Karl’s trousers. His cock sprang into her hands. It was hot, hard, and so thick she needed both hands to span it. Karl groaned and thrust himself into her grip. Les rubbed her clit through her skirts. In moments, Noreen felt an orgasm spool deep in her belly. She milked Karl’s cock harder and harder as a climax ripped through her.
A hand settled over hers, and she realized Karl was helping her, showing her what he needed. A few more strokes and he shrieked some words in German as hot semen spattered her hands. When his cock stopped jumping and spurting, she tilted her head and he kissed her, long and slow. His tongue slid into her mouth; she welcomed the taste and feel of him.
Les kept on rubbing her nipple and clit. His mouth worked its way up her neck. She felt his erection press against her buttocks. Karl raised his lips from hers. “Turn around, darling,” he urged. “Les needs you too.”
Noreen turned in Les’ arms and started on his shirt. “Never mind that part,” Les murmured and moved her hands to his pants. She cupped the outline of his cock through them and then worked the button and zipper loose.
She could feel him but not see him. His cock felt even thicker than Karl’s. Noreen sank to her knees so she could take a look. Proud and hard, Les’ penis rose from a mat of tawny hair. It was a little shorter than Karl’s, but indeed, thicker. Noreen bent toward him and licked experimentally at the smooth glans. His cock twitched in her fingers. He laid a hand on either side of her head and guided her to him. She took his shaft into her mouth, thrilled by the way it stretched her.
Karl sat next to her and twirled her nipples before sinking one hand between her legs. He worked his way beneath her skirts, and the skin-to-skin contact nearly undid her. Noreen sucked harder. Les’ cock got even bigger and firmer in her mouth. Riding on instinct, she reached around him, grasped his ass, and pulled him as close as she could. Her teeth grazed the sides of his dick. With an inchoate moan, he drove himself harder and faster into her mouth.
Noreen knew what came next. She’d never actually swallowed come, but she’d always wanted to. When he tried to pull away, she gripped his buttocks and held fast. His cock geysered into her mouth. Feeling it jump and spurt gave her the most amazing feeling of power, plus it made her hotter than hell.
Karl’s fingers still worked her. As soon as Les was done coming, Karl pushed her gently backward onto the floor, pulled her skirts and panties out of the way, and replaced his fingers with his mouth. The sensation of him sucking her sensitive nub was so unexpected and intense, she shrieked her delight as another climax roared through her.
Once her spasms subsided, Karl raised his head. “Think two will hold you so we can get through that bath before all the water evaporates?”
Noreen giggled. This having two men all to herself might be much better than anything she’d ever dreamed about. Alice had three. For a moment, she wondered how that worked but then batted it aside. It didn’t matter what Alice had. She didn’t want Jed or Terin or Bron. She was right where she belonged, with her mates, Les
and Karl.
“Yes.” Noreen struggled to sit and found herself boosted to her feet by four helping hands. “Two orgasms will do it, but only for now, mind you.”
“Whew.” A brilliant smile lit Les’ Greek god features. “Because we’ve just been getting warmed up.”
Karl patted his still half-hard cock. “There’s a lot more where this came from. Hey! You still have most of your clothes on.”
“Yeah.” Les unwrapped the cloak she’d never removed. “How’d that happen?”
“It happened,” she said, trying to mimic a patronizing tone of voice and failing utterly, “because the two of you let me undress you first and we got…sidetracked.”
Karl snorted. “Sidetracked, eh?”
“We’ll show you sidetracked.” Les pulled her dark blue sweater over her head and unhooked her plain, white bra.
Karl whistled. “Beautiful,” he breathed. “Just beautiful. Gorgeous tits.”
“I agree. We’re very lucky men.” Les cupped her breasts in his hands and bent to kiss one, but only for a moment. “Most blondes have washed out nipples, but yours are the color of ripe strawberries.”
“You can kiss them some more.” She made a grab for him, but he went to work on the snap and zipper holding her navy blue wool skirt in place.
“No more kisses for the moment,” Karl said. “We heated that water and by God, we’re going to use it. Maybe now I’ll be able to get Les to clean up more often.”
“Speak for yourself.” Les tugged and her skirt slithered to the floor. Noreen gave a little shove, and her soaked cotton panties followed it.
She spread her arms wide. “All ready.” She started for the steaming kettle.
“Hold it right there.” Les hurried in front of her, snagged a towel from a drawer, and dipped it into the hot water. He wrung it out and turned so he could run it down her body. The warm terrycloth felt wonderful. Noreen inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. She felt two cloths stroking her. When she opened her eyes, both men were washing her.