by Eve Langlais
Nathan closed his eyes at the recrimination in her eyes, not directed at him but herself. “No, not you too. I did this. Me and my jealousy and my temper.”
The light tread of her steps approached as John’s heavy ones receded. The door clicked shut a moment before she clasped his bowed head to her body.
“Don’t beat yourself up over it. It’s happened. It’s over with. Let’s just move on.”
Nathan, for the first time since Dana had left him twelve years ago, felt tears moisten his eyes. She might be able to forgive me, but how do I forgive myself?
She tilted his head and forced him to look at her. He wanted to see hate in her expression, disdain for him, anything but the love that shone in her eyes. A love he didn’t deserve.
I need to get her to leave me alone before I fuck things up even worse. He also needed to leave the compound so that she could get a chance at the happiness she’d earned.
“I want to start afresh. Make things right.” She smiled at him and brushed her lips over his.
Nathan shuddered, pushing down the need to let himself take what she offered. “Listen, I’m still pretty wrung out from all the drinking and stuff. Not to mention, I reek. Why don’t you get Kody and John to take you to the movies while I catch a few more hours’ sleep? I’ll make dinner for when you guys get back.”
Her brow knitted in a frown as she stared at him. “Why do I get the feeling you’re hiding something from me?”
“I’m really tired,” he lied.
“Let me help you to bed then.” She tugged him up from the floor and walked him to his bed. He climbed in and let her tuck him in. Her hand smoothed his hair from his brow, and she leaned down to brush his lips.
“I love you, Nathan.”
“I love you, too,” he answered through a voice gone thick. He closed his eyes before she saw the dreaded tears.
She left, and Nathan lay there waiting. He dozed off for a while but woke when he heard the sounds of them leaving.
He wasted no time. He sprang out of bed. Regardless of what she and John said, he’d lost his right to stay.
His cell phone rang as he readied himself. What does the Lycan council want now? He answered, and his brows drew together at their message.
It looked as if he had one more task to do before he left Dana to live a life of happiness. Something to keep her safe.
Chapter Fifteen
Sitting in a dark movie theater with a mate on one side and a man she planned to mate with on the other proved interesting. Make that titillating.
Dana held the popcorn bucket on her lap, and every time they dug into the buttery box, she couldn’t help wishing their hands were diving for a different snack. The darkness thankfully hid her blushes, but it couldn’t stop her arousal.
John draped an arm over her shoulder and bent to whisper, “Are you okay?”
She turned toward him and leaned in close, but instead of speaking, she kissed him. His body went rigid for a moment before he kissed her back.
When she moaned against his mouth, frustrated that he wasn’t stripping her for more, he pulled back, his breathing ragged. “Behave. We’re in public.”
Dana made a face at him and slumped in her seat. A hand brushed her thigh from the other side, and she peered sideways to see Kody watching the screen as his hand flattened itself on her thigh then began sliding her skirt up.
She bit her lip but didn’t stop him, not with her core pulsing, aching for his touch. John leaned over her and removed the creeping hand. She made a frustrated sound. A part of her mind watched, appalled that she acted so wanton, but it didn’t stop the urges. Her usual control was being tested, not only by her body’s newfound needs but by her wolf, which clamored to mark the other she’d chosen. To claim my final mate.
She thrust her hand out and laid it on Kody’s thigh. Her fingers hadn’t crept far when she heard John sigh. “Come on. Time to go.”
“Yes, Father,” Kody replied as he covered her hand with his.
Dana giggled. She stood and followed John out of the dark movie theater, Kody right behind her.
When she stumbled, his hands caught her around the waist and pulled her back into him, close enough for her to notice how happy her closeness made him. She rubbed back against him, and Kody gripped her tighter.
John turned around. “Would you two stop screwing around?” he hissed, but she could hear the mirth in his tone. “Wait until we get out of the theater at least.”
Dana blushed at her she-wolf-in-heat behavior and, even worse, in front of John, the man she’d so recently taken to mate. But she couldn’t help herself. Her hormones raged out of control. Her wolf didn’t help matters with her pacing and yipping demands that she mark the blond one.
Kody curved his arm around her waist and swept her along to catch up to John, who hugged her other side. They made it outside and walked to the SUV.
Before John swung into the driver’s seat, he tugged Dana to him and lowered his head to capture her lips in a searing kiss. Dana’s knees buckled. “Get in the backseat with Kody,” he murmured.
“Why? I rode into town in the front seat.”
John kissed her again, his hands squeezing her buttocks. “Once we hit the woods, I’ll pull over so you can claim him.”
“But—”
“Dana, we can all feel it, the pull inside you, the need of your wolf to claim him. Let’s get it done before we get back to the house.”
“What about you?”
John gave her a crooked smile. “I’ll be watching to make sure the pup does it right.”
Instant moisture flooded her cleft, and she didn’t protest any further as they bundled her into the backseat. She expected to be embarrassed at the way they both assumed she wanted to make out with Kody in the backseat like a schoolgirl. Apparently they knew her better than she knew herself.
She ended up in his lap at the first touch of his lips on hers, the hard bulge of his cock under her bottom exciting her. Kody’s hands roved over her body as he kissed her, his tongue sliding sinuously between her lips to taste her. He drew her tongue into his mouth and sucked it, an erotic gesture that sent an electric bolt straight to her pussy. The scent of her arousal filled the vehicle.
Kody left her lips and leaned her back to duck his head so he could tug at a nipple protruding through the fabric of her dress. Her head lolled back, and she caught a glimpse of John in the rearview mirror. His eyes glowed, and his lips curved into a sexy smile. Whatever thought she’d had about it being weird to be watched vanished in that moment. Having an audience excited her, and while she didn’t know how to voice it aloud, her pussy creamed in response. If this is how I feel with John spying on me making out, then how would it feel if he decided to join in?
Kody distracted her with his hand sliding under her bunched-up skirt to press against her wet cleft.
“Find a spot,” Kody growled, confusing Dana until she realized he meant John, who veered the SUV off the road, heading into the trees for cover.
The passenger door opened, and John pulled her out. Dana regarded him with passion-glazed eyes.
She squeaked in surprise when Kody pressed in from behind, grinding his groin into her backside and pushing her into John. Pinned between them, Dana almost swooned.
“She’s wearing too much clothes,” Kody growled.
“Then we should fix that problem.” John took a step back and grabbed the hem of her dress. He lifted it off her in one fluid motion. Dana shivered more from what was to come than the cold.
John stripped off his shirt and tossed it to the side and unbuttoned his pants, letting his cock spring forth. When she reached out to touch him, he shook his head and stepped back. He gripped his cock and stroked it. “Kody first.”
Kody pressed up against her from behind, his clothes shed while she’d watched John strip. His cock, thick and hard, pressed against her, and she trembled.
“Bend over,” he ordered gruffly. “Show me that beautiful pussy of yours.�
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Oh God. His dirty words sent cream rushing to her cleft, but she did as asked and bent over. He ran a hand down the crevice of her ass, pulling the string of her thong aside to dip a finger into her sex.
Dana moaned. Hearing movement, she opened her eyes and saw John’s cock bob into view. He fisted it as he watched Kody fondle her from behind.
“She tastes like honey,” he advised.
“Mmm, and I love honey,” Kody drawled before placing his hot mouth on her.
Dana’s knees buckled, but hands—more than one set—caught her and held her up. Those hands roved across her body, dipping under to toy with her pebbled nipples. Kody flicked his tongue against her clit, making her gasp and shudder, the pleasure driving her wild.
He inserted one finger then two into her wet channel, pumping her with his digits. Dana couldn’t help herself. She came, her body shuddering at all the sensations.
But they weren’t done.
A cock probed her entrance, a big cock. Kody eased himself into her, his girth stretching her and triggering aftershocks that caused him to grunt.
“Damn she’s tight.” His naughty compliment made her sex clench further, and his fingers dug into her ass cheeks.
“Fuck her,” John whispered. “Give it to her hard.”
Dana keened, the knowledge that John watched Kody as he penetrated her a forbidden excitement that made the moment all the more erotic.
Kody pumped her, slowly, each thrust into her butting up against a sensitive spot inside that made her gasp and squeeze.
“I want to see her sucking your cock,” Kody grunted as he kept slapping into her flesh.
Dana opened her eyes as something came in contact with her mouth. John held his cock positioned in front of her. She’d never sucked a rod before, but she was game to try. She opened her mouth, and John slid it in.
At first, she wasn’t sure what to do. John thankfully pumped his shaft in and out of her mouth as she experimented running her tongue around it, something that made John hiss, “Yes, that’s it. Now suck on it.”
Dana did as told and suctioned him, finding a rhythm in his oral thrusts and an enjoyment in pleasuring him.
Kody thrust into her faster, his body slapping up against her ass. John matched his pace, and Dana just about lost her mind. An orgasm hovered just out of reach, and yet, while she sat close, she didn’t crest. Every time she’d come close to peaking, Kody would slow down and even withdraw his cock. It drove her nuts.
She sucked at John’s cock more frantically, trying to imbue her urgency, and John’s fingers threaded in her hair.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Fuck me, I’m gonna come.” John thrust himself deep into her mouth, and suddenly Dana had to swallow as a salty liquid filled her mouth. She kept pulling and sucking at John’s prick until, with a laugh, he pulled his cock free with a wet sound.
“Enough, you little minx. Hey, bro, let’s try that move we talked about.”
What? They discussed moves?
Callused hands bent her back upright, but Kody’s cock remained buried in her. She wondered how this would work as the new angle didn’t exactly give him the deep penetration she longed for.
John dropped to one knee and lifted her legs to pull them over his shoulders, putting his mouth straight in line with her clit.
Oh my fucking God. Dana screamed as they showed her just how well this new position worked. Kody clamped an arm around her waist and began bouncing her on his very thick cock as John flicked his tongue on her clit. Faster and faster they both moved, the full sensation in her pussy along with the intense pleasure on her clit bringing her to the edge of bliss and crossing it. Her orgasm hit her with the weight of a freight train, sending her body into convulsions, the fabulous, never-ending kind.
Caught up in her intense pleasure, she barely noticed it when Kody leaned forward and sank in his teeth into her shoulder as his hot juice jetted into her and marked her womb.
The frantic pumping slowed, and Dana retained enough of her wits to realize she had yet to mark Kody. Her body still quivered with aftershocks. Dana turned into Kody’s arms and looked up into his bright eyes.
With a smile, she growled, “Mine.” Then she sank her sharp incisors into his flesh as her wolf howled joyously in her mind.
The blood of her third mate hit her tongue, and she swallowed his coppery essence, closing the circle and binding him to her irrevocably. When she opened her eyes again and looked up at him, he gazed down at her with wonder in his eyes.
“I love you, Dana,” he whispered. “I will forever worship you and strive to make you the happiest woman alive.”
She hugged him tight as she kissed him. John pressed in against her back, and she leaned her head back to give him a kiss as well. She was now mated to three men, and she couldn’t be happier.
The future is looking bright, and what do you know? Two was better than one. Now, to make things up with Nathan because now I’ve got to know how it works with three.
Chapter Sixteen
Dana giggled quite a bit as they hunted for their clothes and brushed them off. Her cheeks heated a few times at her mates’ ribald remarks, but surprisingly, even now that the ardor had worn off, she didn’t regret a thing.
In the space of less than a week, she’d gone from hiding from a mating situation to becoming part of a polyamorous group with three men. Ain’t love grand?
They crowded back into the SUV with Dana sitting on Kody’s lap in the front seat and John holding her hand and driving with his free one. A need to remain close to them imbued her, especially as the sky darkened and they approached the compound.
Once again, she feared Nathan’s reaction, especially once he realized she’d marked Kody. I’ve got to stop letting my hormones make my decisions because, in truth, making things right with Nathan should have come before her frolic and claiming of Kody. But nestled in his arms, his lips brushing the top of her head, she couldn’t muster the strength to regret her choice.
They’re all mine now, and the sooner Nathan comes to grips with it, the happier we’ll all be. Besides, with John’s impromptu lesson, I now can suck cock. If that doesn’t make Nathan forgive me, then I don’t know what will.
They were buzzed into the compound by the pair of wolves on guard at the gate, and Dana became more tense the closer they came to home.
Kody squeezed her. “Don’t worry. We won’t let anything happen to you.”
Dana didn’t worry for herself. Who will protect Nathan from himself?
They pulled into the gravel drive, and a chill invaded her at the sight of the dark house. “Why are the lights off?” she whispered.
John frowned as he turned off the ignition. “Maybe he was more tired than he thought and is still sleeping.”
Dana wanted to believe him, but a sense of foreboding grew. Kody and John, as if sensing her dread, stuck close to her as they walked in. The house was shrouded in silence. Kody flicked on a switch and flooded the place with light.
“I’ll go check upstairs,” John announced.
“Maybe he’s outside getting wood,” Kody said, his own tone implying he didn’t believe it.
Dana wandered into the cold kitchen and knew Nathan was gone. Her stomach plummeted when she saw the white envelope with her name slashed in blue ink across it sitting on the counter. She grabbed it and smelled Nathan on the parchment.
She opened it with trembling hands, her vision blurring after the first sentence. Sobbing, she collapsed to the floor, her heart breaking.
Footsteps came running, and as Kody pulled her up into the shelter of his arms, John tugged the letter from her hands and read it aloud.
Dana,
I can never express how sorry I am for losing control like I did, but even worse, was your understanding. There is no excuse for my behavior. Jealousy has no place in a pack and even less place in a mated group. By my actions, I’ve proven myself unworthy. You deserve so much better. At least you’ll find that with John and Ko
dy. I felt through the bond that you marked Kody, and I wanted to say I’m glad. I don’t want you to ever be alone again or to live a life on the run.
I know you don’t have it in your heart to make me leave like I should for my actions. So, I’m going to leave of my own volition knowing it’s for the best, and in time, you will realize it too. As a parting gift and apology for my actions, I’ve gone to challenge the rogue who held you captive. It won’t erase what I’ve done to you, but I can at least give you peace of mind and a home you can live in without fear. I love you, Dana. Be happy.
Always yours, Nathan
“Stupid fucking idiot,” she cursed through her tears. “We have to go after him.”
“Of course we will,” Kody murmured, stroking her back as he held her shuddering body.
“We’ll go after him,” John corrected. “You will stay here where it’s safe.”
“No. This is my fault. I have to go. I have to make him see reason.”
John sighed. “I guess, short of handcuffing you to a bed, you aren’t going to listen, are you?”
Dana smiled at him tremulously. “If you ever want sex again, you’ll let me come with you.”
Kody gasped in mock horror. “Darling, that’s just cruel.”
“Fine. You can come with us, but you stay behind and keep out of trouble. We’ll do the fighting, and once we’re done, you get the job of telling Nathan’s he’s an idiot.”
And then once I’m done yelling at him for scaring me to death, I am going to strip him naked and prove how much he means to me.
Nathan dropped his duffel bag by the large oak in the clearing where, a lifetime ago, he’d made love to Dana. It seemed only fitting to him that he make his stand in the place where his life had changed and shaped him into the man who now needed to escape. The irony of the situation didn’t escape him. She ran because she didn’t want to be shared, and now it’s my turn to run because my jealousy couldn’t handle it.
But he wouldn’t leave until he could assure himself of her safety, and that meant clearing out the rogues. A part of him screamed at himself for stupidly coming to face them alone. How many times had he drummed into his pack the need to not leave the compound at night unless they were in large groups? What made him think he alone could handle the menace? Sure, he possessed more strength than his brothers of the fur, and he had the unique ability to half shift into a beast—an ability that only the ones with the most control could achieve--but still, he was only one wolf against who knew how many. Not exactly great odds. Of course, at this point, he also didn’t care if he lived or died.