by Morgan Fox
“Have you had enough?” Dominic asked, watching his friend move to stand. When he noticed Reyes coming toward him again, he raised his hands, palms out. “Damn it, man, you must know I’m holding back. Please don’t make me fuck you up. You are my friend, and I know we can work this out without the use of our fists. Think about it before you do anything stupid.”
Reyes wiped the trickle of blood from his mouth and cheek, the wounds already healing. Shaking his head, Reyes said, “Just tell me why you did it. Why her?”
Dominic’s heart pounded like a drum in his chest, reminding him of the pain he’d felt at the hands of Megan Shaw a handful of years ago, the woman he thought would be his forever. That was until he fucked up and introduced her to his best friend.
“I’ve never talked about Megan to anyone. I’ve known her for a long time and…” He hesitated. The powerful emotions churned in his gut like acid. “She’s my mate, Reyes. I’ve known she was for years, but I lost her to Jonah when we were in college.”
Reyes’s posture slumped forward, and his eyes widened in disbelief. “What are you saying? You’ve mated with her before last night?” Dominic didn’t have the words to respond. “But you’re not together? How is that even possible? Why the hell didn’t you tell me when I was pouring my fucking soul out to you about her?”
“Those are all good damn questions, but the one thing I know about Megan is she doesn’t march to the same tune everyone else does…and she hates me with unbridled passion.”
“Well, duh, can you blame her? You’d have to be a moron not to notice how much she dislikes you.”
Dominic glared at his friend. “Thanks.”
Reyes shrugged as he settled against his truck and pressed his back against the passenger side door.
Dominic joined him. With a husky sigh, he said, “I’m sorry I ruined things for you and Megan.”
“Oh, you haven’t,” Reyes quickly corrected. His voice resonated with a hopeful cheer.
Bewildered, Dominic arched a dark brow. “I haven’t?”
Shaking his head, Reyes explained, “I spoke to Sebastian earlier this morning and told him about our situation. He gave me a few pointers on reeling in the good doctor.”
“Is it working?” His gut rolled and knotted with jealousy and emotions he’d bottled up for years at the thought of another one of his friends stealing Megan away from him. He clenched his fists at his sides as he compressed his jaw together, grinding his teeth.
“I’d say I’m faring well, considering.”
Holding back the need to pummel his friend into oblivion, he said, “Good.”
His cold gaze darted to meet his friend’s, and that was the moment he realized what he had to do. This time he wouldn’t back down. He wouldn’t give Megan up without a fight. Why it had taken so long for him to figure it out he had no idea.
“However, I hope you like competition.”
Reyes brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“You should know that I’ve decided not to give up my mate without a fight. I’m in the race to win and the prize is a delicious redhead that I’ve already had the pleasure of sampling and I know for a fact that she belongs to me.” Dominic grinned. “Good luck trying to steal my mate, old man. You’re going to need it.”
Within a blink of an eye, Reyes was all over Dominic, but this time he was ready. He only hoped he hadn’t fucked up his friendship with Reyes or destroyed any hope of making Megan want him for more than just a good romp in the sack.
* * * *
Megan gasped hard as she surveyed the swollen lips and puffy black eyes of both Dominic and Reyes. The two Goliaths appeared in the lab as if they just stepped out of a cage match with the world’s heavyweight title-holder and lost miserably. Her knowing eyes scanned over their bodies from head to toe, inspecting the damage, and even with the amount of physical injuries she could see, they didn’t appear affected by their wounds. A positive note, they hadn’t killed each other.
She shook her head, not bothering to question what had happened to them. She already knew. After sensing the alarming levels of male ego and the prodigious amounts of testosterone oozing out of their pores like sweat on a sweltering day, the reason behind their appearance was hard to miss.
Megan was no fool and realized that a girl should be thrilled to have two gorgeous, warrior-like men fighting over her, but she wasn’t. She didn’t want anyone fighting over her. Romance, especially the lycan bonding kind, was of no interest to her. Those were the yearnings of silly women who daydreamed too much about the happily ever after and didn’t spend enough time in reality.
If that were true, then why do I want to rush to them and tend to their wounds? Why do I want Reyes to kiss me again? Why do I want Dominic buried to the hilt inside my pussy as I climax?
Groaning inwardly, she forced out a heavy sigh. She had to stop herself from thinking about these things because everything about the situation was becoming more complicated with each passing moment. These two men were supposed to be her guardians, her protectors, and that was all. She couldn’t stop her heart and soul from wondering who the hell was going to save them from each other. Why she cared so much for their well-being she didn’t know, but she believed it had to do with the mating bond. What else could it be?
Right now, she couldn’t care about Dominic’s and Reyes’s primitive urges and alpha male desires. Shaking her head clear of her mates, she tried to focus on the work she had to do. She tried to keep her focus on the project that consisted of finding out how vampire DNA mixed and mingled with Mason Levi’s blood. Calling Sebastian had to be her first priority. Bringing him up to speed was as important as her research. He had to know what they were up against. An enemy of old was encroaching on their territory and learning who that vampire was couldn’t be more urgent.
Dominic and Reyes determinedly approached her, and she immediately placed her hand up, blocking their advancement. She shook her head in warning, making them halt their movements. Then she did her best to seem unaffected by their presences and turned, giving them both her back as she dug into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. The line rang only twice before Sebastian’s rough voice blasted through the receiver.
“Megan, please tell me you found something.”
Jumping right into business, she said, “Zane discovered an anomaly in Mason’s blood I thought you should know about immediately.” She didn’t hesitate to continue, something she knew Sebastian appreciated about her. “Mason’s blood contained traces of vampire DNA.”
“How is that even possible?” he gruffly asked, sounding impatient.
I wish I knew. “That’s a good question, one that both Zane and I are currently working on, but everything we’ve ever learned or studied has always told us that lycan and vampire DNA can never mix. So how it’s possible, we have no clear idea, but we have a theory.”
“And that would be?”
Her mind swelled with possibilities. “Because Mason was a hybrid, both wolf and panther, he was already unique to our kind. We think Mason may have been bitten by a vampire, and because he was a hybrid, his body possessed the ability to contain both strands without it killing him.” What if her theory was correct? What would that mean for the rest of the lycan population?
Sebastian’s strong, rough voice ripped her from her whirlwind of thoughts and theories. “Megan, give it to me straight. Do you believe that a vampire is the cause of the virus? Is that even possible?”
She sucked in a sharp breath and calmly explained, “At this point, your guess is as good as mine, but my gut tells me that the vampire DNA we found is no coincidence. If my theory is correct, once Mason was bitten by the vampire, his blood and DNA mutated, causing him to carry the virus. Mason’s hybrid status gave him the ability to host the virus as well as benefit from its aggressive but destructive properties.”
A long, exaggerated silence fell between them before Sebastian said, “Thank you, Megan. Please let me know if you discover anything els
e.”
“Of course,” Megan was quick to say, and then felt compelled to shift gears before he could hang up the phone. “Sebastian, how’s Brie?”
A warm burst of adoration and pride pulsed in his voice as he said, “She’s well, has a little morning sickness that seems to last all day, but knowing you, Dr. Shaw, I bet it’s more the psychic- or telepathic-related issues you’re driving at.”
He did know her well. Brie’s new supernatural abilities intrigued her like nothing else. Having been present when Brie used her powers to save Sebastian twisted Megan’s mind unlike anything she’d ever experienced. Observing the powerful connection they shared stirred something deep inside her. She couldn’t seem to shut off her scientific brain, nor her impending curiosity surrounding Sebastian’s mate.
“Yes, I am more concerned with her exhibiting any uncontrolled abilities.” There was a spark of joy in her voice as she spoke to her alpha. She cared for Sebastian like an older brother and felt the same sibling connection from him where she was concerned. If there was anyone she could trust, it was Sebastian and vice versa.
“Well, in that case, no more than usual. The lights in the house explode from time to time, and furniture moves as if the house was being shook by an earthquake.” He chuckled. “Just last night, Brie had the hiccups, and the bed began to bounce. Jonah and I both agreed that that was a most unusual experience to date. Once her hiccups stopped, so did the bouncing bed.”
She, too, giggled at the image of two giant men cringing like frightened children at the sudden earth-trembling vibrations of their bed because of their unborn child and supernatural mate. Megan knew they were going to have their hands full once their little bundle of magical joy was born.
Smiling, she told him, “Keep me posted on any changes and make sure she’s getting plenty of rest.”
Sebastian chuckled again. “Right, rest. You want to tell a woman planning her wedding to rest? I’ll do my best, Megan, and thanks for your concern.”
A strange sensation plummeted to the pit of her stomach. “That’s right. Your wedding is coming up soon,” she said, remembering that she’d received the official announcement just a few days ago.
“Yes, and between Brie’s morning sickness and Jonah’s nerves, I’m sure one of us is going to end up with puke on his jacket before we even get the chance to say our ‘I do’s’?”
“Is Jonah sick?” Her question shot out with more concern than she’d intended, and she prayed Sebastian and the others in the room hadn’t noticed. All had the lycan ability to hear her conversation.
“No, he just wants everything perfect and worries for Brie.” Sebastian sighed and then asked, “Megan, are you okay with this? I know you and Jonah had history, but—”
“I’m fine, Sebastian. There is no reason to worry about me. I’m very happy for Jonah. He is a good man and deserves the love that his mate so obviously wants to share with him.” She found herself smiling. “Honestly, I never thought he would settle down because he was such a free spirit.” That was one way to put it. Truthfully, Jonah had been a sex-crazed horndog, a trait she resembled and loved about him.
“I believe all of us are destined to find out mates, even if we don’t necessarily think we want to.” The wisdom in his voice relayed a message she had heard from him several times before, but never wanted to hear.
She knew where her alpha was going with this and didn’t want to go there with her newly assumed mates standing at her back, glaring at her with an intensity she could feel even without meeting their gazes. “If you need me, you know where to find me.”
“Take care, Megan,” he said. Then she heard the line disconnect. Sebastian had a way of knowing when it wasn’t a good time to pry, and she appreciated that very much.
Zane popped over to her side, pretending to show her a printout. He whispered into her ear, low enough so no one but she could hear. “Your non-mates are here, and they look really pissed off.”
“I don’t care,” she whispered back, her eyes rolling at his comment.
She really did care, and that was the part that sucked the most. Staring at the two giants, her skin suddenly felt warm. Her clothing squeezed over her flesh and bones. She could hardly breathe, when they looked at her like this, their darkening wolf eyes sparkling with wicked thoughts, their lips curled into soft smiles. She felt incredibly attracted and drawn to them.
She cleared her throat as her eyes drifted over their menacing and battered figures. “Should I even bother asking?”
“Reyes tripped and fell in front of a car, and I felt compelled to save him.” Dominic snickered and winked at her. Reyes popped him in the shoulder like a friend would do over a small prank.
She held their stare, curiosity funneling out at them. Shaking her head, she tsked under her tongue. “That’s too bad.”
They narrowed their eyes at her comment, and she knew she had baited them perfectly. “It’s too bad you didn’t just let the car hit you both. Now, I’m going to have to hire another driver to do it again.” She smiled, and the tickle of humor almost made the smile genuine.
Reyes didn’t seem to appreciate her humor as much as Dominic did, curling a delicious grin at her. She always believed Reyes to be more serious in nature and Dominic to be more the big goof. That was until it was time to be serious, and then Dominic was all mission focused.
“Did you two need something?” she asked, turning her back to them to glance into the microscope.
“Yes, we need to talk with you,” Reyes told her, a disturbing level of impatience abrading his voice.
She waved her hand dismissively to the side. “Sorry, guys, but I’ve got things to do and discussing”—she cast another glance over their tattered clothing and bruised faces—“whatever it is you wish to discuss with me will have to wait. I’m close to finding answers, and I think that is much more important than dealing with you.”
Dominic’s strong hands gripped her shoulders and turned her to face him. She found herself staring at the firm globes of his ass as he tossed her over his shoulder.
Zane jumped to render aid, but Reyes only growled at him in warning. “This is between us, boy. Don’t make this personal.”
“What are you doing, you big barbarian brute?” She pounded her fists against Dominic’s back, aiming for his kidneys. “Put me down or I’ll—”
Dominic swatted her ass hard. “You’ll what? Poke me with a needle? Do horrible experiments on me?” He spanked her again, but on the other cheek. “No, I don’t think so. I think you’re going to listen to what we have to say, and you’re going to like it.”
“No, I won’t,” she yelled, her legs thrashing in the air as he carried her toward her office.
“Oh, yes, you will, or I’ll keep paddling your cute little ass till it’s so red and raw tears of pain and pleasure leak from your eyes. I might even paddle your pussy and make you come so hard—”
“All right!” she hollered. “We can talk. Just shut up, Dominic.”
He spanked her again and then rubbed her ass to soothe the burning of his punishment. She hated that she liked the little teasings of pain he gave her. Her pussy pulsed with awareness and need. “That was for telling me to shut up. Be nice to me, Megan, or I’ll give you several more. Maybe I’ll even spank and lick that pretty pussy with my tongue. I bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you, doc?”
She pressed her teeth into her bottom lip and shivered as his words flowed through her body with desire and hunger. A pulsing need burned inside her. The close proximity of her mates had her body reacting, thriving with need, begging her to stop being so damn difficult.
She couldn’t. That would be leading them on, and she would never knowingly do that to them. Sex with them was one thing, but emotional commitment was out of the question.
Dominic placed her ass on the edge of her desk, and the moment he did, she tried to jump off, but he held her in place, his strong arms encasing her in a masculine cage.
Gripping her by her ar
ms, he ordered, “Stay.”
Reyes came up behind him, shifting to stand at her back. “Do you always have to use such brutal tactics with her, Dominic?”
“Funny, I was thinking the same thing,” she said angrily, smacking Dominic’s steel chest repeatedly with her hand. “What the hell is so important you couldn’t wait to discuss this with me when we got home?”
She sucked in a supercharged breath and hesitated, realizing what she’d just said. It wasn’t her home, or their home. It was just home, where all three of them dwelled. A real home meant something special to her, a place of peace and safety. Why had she not thought more clearly on her word usage? She hadn’t meant for that to slip, but it came out nonetheless, and glancing up at Dominic, she knew he’d caught it, too. The satisfaction she witnessed glimmering in his eyes had her wanting to slap the smugness right off his face.
Reyes chimed in from over her shoulder, his breath on her face. “We didn’t want to wait?” He paused then admitted, “I didn’t want to wait.”
“I can see that,” she retorted, twisting to glance at him over her shoulder. Her belly quivered as she caught sight of his alluring gaze, deep, dark blue eyes filled with so much primal hunger that her blood rushed through her veins. “Why now? What’s so important?”
“Megan,” Reyes started, “both Dominic and I believe—”
Patience was not one of Dominic’s strong attributes. “Spit it out, dude.” Groaning, he took matters into his own hands, “Reyes and I are your mates, and we both want you.”
Her eyes widened, and a wild, unbridled shiver charged through her body. They’d said the one thing she hoped never to hear. Her mates were preparing to claim her. She knew letting Dominic fuck her had been a huge mistake and allowing Reyes to kiss her was one of the dumbest things she’d ever done. Now they had proof that she belonged to them. The instinctive bonding was winning.