by Jenika Snow
Stop it, Dalia. That, of course, was easier said than done.
Alric kept his eyes on Dalia even after she turned and watched the snow fall. His cock was rock hard and his heart slammed against his chest. The expression she gave him, so innocent yet filled with heat and longing, drove him mad with lust. When he lifted his gaze to Sam he saw that he too was staring at Dalia’s profile. Flicking his gaze down to Sam’s crotch, he saw the stiff outline of his mate’s shaft pressed against the material of his pants. Sam turned his attention to him. He smiled devilishly. Oh yes, his lover was thinking the same thing. They both wanted Dalia so fiercely that they could have driven nails through steel with their cocks.
He knew he needed to keep his thoughts off these erotic things. They didn’t know how long the storm was supposed to continue, but Alric couldn’t stop thinking about what Sam had said. His mate was right—one of them needed to make the trek back to the pack and get help. Although he assured himself that he and Sam could protect Dalia, he wasn’t a fool. He didn’t know what to expect from this Braylock pack or even how many of them there were. He hated asking Dalia for any more details than were necessary, because he knew it upset her.
As if Dalia heard his thoughts, her voice filtered through the room like a beacon of light. “The storm seems fierce. I know you two mean well, but I honestly can’t stay here, not when they are searching for me.” She turned and stared at them and Alric could see tears glistening in her eyes. “They won’t stop until they have me again.”
Alric set his book aside and walked to where she sat. Alric knelt before her. He took her clasped hands in his and brought them to his lips. Her fingers were icy cold and a look of surprise and a touch of trepidation covered her face. Kissing the digits, he could feel his heart start to beat a fast rhythm. He knew what he was about to do was stupid, but there was a fire inside him every time he saw her, one that made his primal beast roar out. She was his mate, whether she knew it or not, and his wolf wanted her—desperately.
He rose up so he was face to face with her. Alric stared into her wide eyes and leaned in, slanting his head and pressing his lips against hers. The feeling of charged electricity travelled through him and he shook from the intensity of it. Dalia didn’t pull away, but she also didn’t kiss him back. Alric could sense her fear and worry, could smell her confusion and curiosity. What he could also smell was a potent aroma of female.
When he leant back and stared into her face, he watched as she licked her lips. It took all his strength to hold back his groan of desire. That one sight alone had his cock jerking in response. He had been hard before he had knelt before her, but now his shaft pounded insistently, demanding to be free and buried deep within her. She might be confused by what he was doing and what she was feeling, but she was primed. The smell of her sweet, wet pussy called to him and he could feel the tip of his shaft seep with his need.
When Alric stared at his other mate, he could see the desire clearly reflected in Samuel’s expression. He turned his attention back to Dalia and lifted his hand to cup her cheek. As he ran his thumb over the swell of her full bottom lip, he couldn’t help the need that arose inside him. The wolf in him wanted to claim its mate, wanted to mark her so every male would know that she was loved, protected and cherished. It was true, they had only met under unfortunate circumstances a short while ago, but Alric wanted this and so did both of his mates.
* * * *
Dalia felt the need to be with these two men rise up so strongly inside her that it felt as if she had lost her breath. Here she was, wondering about how she would make it through the next day, and Alric knelt before her, kissing and touching her. She knew he had seen her look at Sam several times, but she couldn’t help it. Her feelings didn’t seem logical, not even to her.
She was pregnant with another male’s child, albeit not by choice, but that didn’t matter. Protectively shielding her abdomen with her hands, she wondered how they could find her attractive. She knew she must seem run-down and tired. Although her belly wasn’t too large, there was still a small swelling that reminded them of that. Shifters, whether they were from the Luecross pack or her own, were notorious for their possessiveness and jealousy. Yet here was one Luecross male showing her kindness and affection, even desire. She stared into his eyes and could tell that he didn’t care about her background.
Dalia lifted her gaze when she saw movement and watched Sam put his book down and walk over to them. Her pulse quickened as she watched his massive body move stealthily towards her. Alric moved to the side but kept his hand on her cheek. The movement of his thumb along her bottom lip calmed her. When Sam knelt beside Alric, and they both stared at her, she finally found her voice.
“This isn’t right.” The words came out, but they were nothing more than a meagre whisper. Alric and Sam stared at each other and Dalia could see they communicated without speaking. After what seemed like forever, Alric turned back to her and cleared his throat before dropping his hand from her face.
“Dalia.” He placed both hands on her legs and the heavy weight went a long way in easing the troubled emotions she felt inside—these emotions that rumbled through her like a dark and impending storm grew each day she stayed with them. She shouldn’t have been so comfortable with these two strangers. All she could think about was their bodies covering hers, all three of them naked, hot and sweaty. Although she knew it wasn’t logical to have such ease around them, to feel like they would fight to the very end to protect her and her child. Never had she known the sensations of gentleness and compassion, and maybe because Sam and Alric gave them to her so freely, she couldn’t help but be drawn to them.
It sounded reasonable, but she knew deep down that there was something much bigger at work here, and she had the feeling that what Alric was about to say would make her suspicions reality.
“Dalia, what I have to say may come as a shock. As much as we have tried to tell ourselves it is best to keep this revelation a secret, deep in our hearts we know that it has to come to light.”
Sam placed his hand on hers and she glanced between the two of them. “Whatever you two have to say, please, just say it.” She didn’t like being kept on the proverbial edge, and she didn’t like the uneasiness that welled up inside her.
Alric took a deep breath and let it all out. “You are our mate, Dalia.”
She didn’t say anything after he had spoken, and knew that what Alric had said was monumental. Her brain refused to comprehend what it all meant.
“Mate?” She vaguely remembered the conversation she’d had with them about mates, but for the life of her she couldn’t make her brain work enough to bring up that memory.
“Yes, our mate, Dalia.” Sam smiled at her.
“You remember what we talked about? You remember when I said when a Luecross finds their mate it is for life? That when that person comes along it is like their other half has just fitted into the right puzzle slot?”
It all came back to her with such clarity that she drew in a sharp breath. “Impossible. You two are already mated.” Dalia looked between the two of them. “Would you please stop looking at each other like that! I feel like you two are in your own world.”
“Dalia, it isn’t uncommon for a Luecross to mate with more than one person. There are many Luecross in our community that have mated in a triad.”
Her head spun and a wave of nausea came over her. “This is all a bad dream.” She placed a hand on her head and closed her eyes. If this didn’t top the shit cake her life had become. “If you have forgotten, I’m pregnant with another male’s baby and he is out there searching for me.” When she opened her eyes she pulled back, seeing twin expressions of dark anger cover their faces.
“You are carrying another male’s baby because he raped you!” Alric’s voice rose.
Strength poured into her and straightened her shoulders and spoke. “That may be true, but this baby is mine, not Clay’s!” She hadn’t thought that at first. When she’d first found out she wa
s pregnant she had tried to kill herself. She wasn’t proud of it, but her desperation to escape had overridden her better judgement. Now, she couldn’t even imagine losing the child. She wanted nothing to do with Clay—in fact, she knew that as soon as he had the baby he would kill her. She had left him, embarrassed him in front of the entire pack, and for that he would not forgive her.
Oh, how she wanted to believe what these males told her. She wanted to trust her feelings and let them lead her to something happier, more pleasurable, but all she could think about were all the tricks Clay had played on her. He’d played with her emotions, with her body and with her mind. She told herself over and over again that Alric and Sam weren’t like that. They showed her how they were everything Clay wasn’t. She wanted to believe that she was the mate of these two extraordinary males, but fear held her back, like a chain around her body and heart.
She was drawn back into the present when Alric and Sam placed their hands on her rounded belly. Tears welled in her eyes, but she forced them back.
“You are our mate whether you accept it or not. It can’t be altered or changed, Dalia. It matters not that the child within your womb isn’t from mine or Sam’s body, it grows inside you and therefore it is ours.” Alric sounded determined and it was hard for her not to believe what he said.
“You think you stumbled upon us by chance?” Sam shook his head, “No, you were meant to be here. We were meant to find you and care for you and the baby. Please, Dalia, let us into your heart.”
“We know it’s hard to trust after what has happened to you, but we promise that we will do everything we can to make you whole again.” Alric rose on his knees and pressed his lips against hers. When he pulled back Sam was there to take his place.
“This is crazy. How can any of this be real?”
They both smiled at her.
“We both know how fast this may seem. Hell, just a short time ago it was only Sammy and me, but then you came along, like a beautiful angel dropped from the very heavens.”
Sam leaned in again and kissed her. He swept his tongue along the seam of her lips and she opened her mouth, a little shocked at how good it felt. His speared his hands into her hair and tilted her head to the side, deepening the kiss. Sam finally pulled back, but kept his hands in her hair.
“We promise to go slow.”
She turned her head to Alric when he spoke.
Sam moved out of the way and she closed her eyes in bliss. Alric slid his lips along the side of her neck. Tendrils of fire licked up her spine and she felt her nipples tighten in response. Her life had been one of pain and fear, but here she sat, her body wet and her heart filled with hope. Uttering an unintelligible sound, Dalia submitted to the two men in front of her, knowing that what was about to happen could very well be her destruction because her heart was already invested.
Chapter Seven
Alric helped Dalia to stand and lifted her into his arms. He strode to the couch. She wanted to tell him she could walk just fine, but she couldn’t help the feelings that washed through her at being so close to him, at knowing he held her body with such gentleness. Alric stayed in front of her once her feet touched the ground. The heat of Sam’s body seeped into her back. Dalia closed her eyes and absorbed the sensation.
It felt right to be with them, to let them care for her. Maybe it was wrong for her to feel these things, especially with her situation, but she couldn’t help it. The way Alric and Sam watched her had her breath catching in her throat. It was like they could see right into her very soul. Now, all those emotions that had built inside her and threatened to burst free made sense.
Here these two men, these two wolves, stood, offering her comfort and love because they said she was their mate. Could she believe such a thing, that she was handpicked by fate to be the mate of these Luecross males? Is this why she felt this way? Question after question bounced inside her head, but she just wanted to push them away and focus on what was about to happen.
Alric moved a step closer until his warm breath tickled her cheek. Dalia inhaled deeply, wanting to imprint that scent inside forever. She closed her eyes just as Sam ran his fingers along the back of her arms. Chills raced up and down her spine and her skin prickled with awareness. How could she not want to be with these two? How could she not want them inside her, moving as one, bringing her to what she knew would be exquisite pleasure?
When she opened her eyes, Sam’s hands had stopped on her hips. He pulled her back towards him and the stiff outline of his cock pressed against her ass. Her pussy became even more saturated and her clit throbbed. Dalia stared into Alric’s eyes and her heart stopped when he lowered his head. She knew what was about to happen, knew that as soon as his lips pressed against hers her strength would crumble and she would be at the mercy of their desires.
The feel of Sam’s lips on the back of her neck sent tingles throughout her whole body. She could have melted right then and there, just letting them do what they wanted to and enjoy the feeling of being loved by two males.
“I love the way you taste,” Sam said, his words muffled with desire. “Your smell is addictive. Like strawberries ripening under a summer’s sun.” He ran his tongue over the pulse point right below her ear and she shivered.
Before she could open her mouth to respond, Alric latched his mouth onto hers. He cupped each side of her face and tilted his head farther so the kiss deepened. She moaned into his mouth and pressed her ass back, loving how Sam’s hard cock twitched with need. Both males seemed to growl in approval, the sound so primal and demanding that she felt completely feminine in their embrace.
As one unit they moved back until she felt the warmth of the fire grow hotter and surround her. Alric broke the kiss and they both panted as they stared into each other’s eyes. She was turned around so quickly that her belly did a flip and her mind grew hazy. When she stared into Sam’s face she swore she saw a raging inferno behind it. He picked up where Alric had left off. Sam had a fierce passion that burnt within him and it left Dalia breathless with achy need.
When Alric stepped away, she shivered. She didn’t break the kiss with Sam, but there was a strong desire inside her to know where Alric was, to know why he’d left what they were doing.
“Focus on what’s happening right now, baby. Don’t worry about Alric. He’s coming right back,” Sam murmured against her lips.
Dalia melted into him and let herself feel what was happening between her and Sam. As they continued to kiss, Sam touched her all over. He seemed to touch every part of her, igniting a lust that she had never thought could exist. It was then, as she was wrapped up in the sensations and feeling what Sam conjured within her, that Alric slowly pulled her pants down.
She didn’t stiffen, didn’t even pull away from Sam. In fact, she opened her mouth wider and wrapped her arms around his neck. A deep groan sounded from the back of Sam’s throat and she felt a flare of satisfaction well inside her. Sam broke the kiss and Alric moved away from her. She suddenly felt so lost without the heat of their bodies cocooning her.
Alric took a step forward and ran his finger down the bridge of her nose. Dalia sighed in contentment. Even the simplest of touches from them seemed to awaken a deep need inside.
“You are so very beautiful, Dalia. Let us see what you look like. Let us revel in how gorgeous you are.”
She opened her eyes and stared into Alric’s. A hot stab of emotion pierced her heart. Nodding, she lifted her arms and Alric removed her shirt. She didn’t wear a bra, and when the slightly chilled air touched her bare breasts, she felt her nipples harden in response. Alric pushed her panties off her body and she thought she would orgasm right then. Just those little touches and her pussy cream slid down her inner thighs. Her nipples, rock hard, could have cut glass.
When she was completely nude, Alric stepped back and the two of them had their fill of running their gazes up and down her body. Her hands shook and her breathing grew erratic. Being scared was only a small sliver of how she felt. T
hey started undoing their shirts and pants and a wave of dizziness washed through her. Naked male bodies were something she was familiar with, given the fact that the pack she had grown up in didn’t much care for clothing and modesty. But staring at Sam and Alric, naked and impossibly hard in front of her, pushed away any notion of what she knew a male body should look like.
Powerful and rippling muscles lay just beneath the surface of golden skin. She knew that these two men could break their enemies in half with just a flick of their wrists. When she dipped her gaze to the monsters between their thighs, she knew her eyes had widened in response. The feel of their erections beneath their pants had led her to believe they were large, but seeing them had her speechless.
They were thick and long with bulbous heads an angry shade of red. Long, thick veins lined the smooth flesh and she was surprised when her mouth watered for a taste. Alric’s cock seemed longer, but Sam’s was thicker. She couldn’t help but imagine the two of them together intimately. She could see the image as clear as day—two sweaty male bodies pressed together, thrusting and moaning as they came in unison.
Oh God. Dalia was so ready for them.
“Come here, baby.” Sam’s voice was commanding.
Dalia stepped closer until she could feel their heat penetrating her pores. Sam wrapped his arms around her, bringing her flush with him so she felt every dip, hollow and outline of his impressive form. His cock nestled between her thighs, the base hitting her clit and causing her to bite her lip to stem off the groan of pleasure. She didn’t want foreplay. She didn’t want any more touches and kisses.
“I’m so ready. I want you both, now.” Neither of them responded to her comment. With Sam’s arms still around her waist, he walked them a step backward and eased her to the soft rug. When her back met the lushness, Dalia couldn’t help but feel slightly uncomfortable. She instinctively covered her breasts, but Sam and Alric were right there, gently coaxing her to let go and be free.