If it was his mate alone, it wouldn’t even be a problem. He would have sunk his teeth into her the moment he saw her. But he had to deal with Logan. His brother had always been too nice for his own good. Logan probably hadn’t even made a move while they were out driving. Tate was worried the pair would get home and Logan will have made zero progress. It would be just like him to try to win over their mate slowly.
Tate blew out the candles in the great room and got ready to go outside again. Even though he’d just done it twenty earlier, the pavement looked like he hadn’t even touched it. The wind had picked up, and it was blowing the snow back onto the sidewalk as fast as he could remove it. It was making his job a lot harder. All the better for keeping him calm. Finally, he managed to get it cleared enough and was going inside when Logan and Maya got home.
“Thanks for starting the snow,” Logan said. He stomped his boots on the porch and came inside. “It’s really coming down out there.”
“Still no power?” Maya asked from behind him. She kicked the snow off her boots before coming inside too.
Tate shook his head. “No power. But I have all the blinds open and I put some candles out. I bet we won’t even need the candles now that it’s a little brighter out here.”
“Have you checked on everyone?” Logan asked. “It’s been hours with no heat. I don’t know if they all have firewood.”
Tate nodded. “I’ve done a check and the fire department came by and had wood for everyone. We should all be good. I haven’t even needed to start a fire, though.”
Maya slipped her coat off and hung it up. Tate finally got a good look at her body, and his leopard was very appreciative. She was short, but she was curvy, with a large chest and a big butt. He tried to catch Logan’s eye, but his brother was staring at their tiny mate. Tate knew what he had to be thinking. Their mate didn’t just have the most beautiful face, she also had a perfect body.
“What are we doing to do now?” she asked.
“We could play some games,” Logan suggested, still staring.
For someone so concerned about “creeping” their mate out, he wasn’t being too subtle. Tate gave him a slight nudge. If he wasn’t allowed to bite their mate, then Logan couldn’t stare like a horny teenager, even though he wanted Maya as much as Tate did. Incredibly, there was the distinct smell of lust coming off Maya too. Tate couldn’t be sure if he was just imagining it or if she really did want them too.
Maybe Logan had been right. Maybe he’d been able to seduce her out on the road. The thought of being able to take their mate made Tate instantly hard. He needed to talk to Logan to see where they stood. He wanted to know exactly what kind of games Logan had in mind. Tate could think of some very fun game to pass the time with the power off.
“Games? So you two are done with the storm?” he asked, trying to catch Logan’s eye.
Not turning from Maya, Logan answered, “Yeah. It looks like the thunder and lightning is done. I got some great pictures and video though.”
“That’s good. Maybe we should move to the great room?” Tate suggested. “It’s pretty cold right here.”
Tate led them to the great room. He was wrong about not needing candles anymore. While it had seemed bright outside, there wasn’t enough light inside to do anything. At least not anything requiring clothes. The games he was thinking of didn’t need lights and they were sure to generate a lot of heat. He couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to have their mate between the two of them finally.
“Maya’s going to be staying with us a little longer,” Logan said as he lit some candles along the mantel.
“Really?” Tate leaned back on the sofa and smiled at her. “Any reason? I thought you’d hightail it out of here once your job was done.”
She smiled at him shyly. “I don’t think it would be smart to drive right now. It’s way too dangerous with the snow coming down so heavy. We could barely get traction in the truck. My little car wouldn’t have a chance.”
“How long are you going to stay?” Tate asked.
Maya shrugged. “Maybe until after Christmas. I’m not sure, though.”
“If you’re going to stay, we need to give you the grand tour,” Tate said.
“Good idea! I can’t believe we forgot to show you around,” Logan said.
“We were in a rush before,” Maya said. “But I would love a tour. This place is pretty adorable.”
“This is the great room.” Logan pointed to the corner where their tree stood. “Normally, that would be lit all day.”
“And the presents are empty,” Tate said. He walked over, picked one up, and threw it to Maya. “These are for show. The real ones are at our parents.”
Maya shook the box and laughed. “Why even have them?”
“It looks nicer for people to see a tree with lots of presents,” Tate explained.
“You know where the kitchen is,” Logan said. “That’s pretty much it downstairs. I’ll show you the bathroom as we go to the stairway.
The three got up and went to the stairs. Logan pointed out the bathroom in between the kitchen and great room. They went upstairs and they showed her the two other rooms and the bathroom that went with them.
Tate pointed to the stairs. “Our bedrooms are up there.”
“We converted the attic to two rooms after buying the place,” Logan said.
“It’s two bedrooms right now but it could be one big bedroom and a sitting room too,” Tate said.
“What will you do when you have a family?” Maya asked.
“We’ll buy a house once we have kids,” Logan said.
Maya nodded and licked her lips looking at the stairway. She wanted them. It wasn’t just in Tate’s head. From the way Logan was acting, he didn’t think his brother had even told her about the mate thing yet. Tate licked his lips as he thought about kissing Maya. Would she be angry? Just because she thought they were hot didn’t mean she’d be down for a threesome with two shifters.
“Logan, could you help me bring in some more wood?” Tate asked his brother.
Logan’s eyes flicked from Maya to Tate. “Sure.”
“That’s the whole place. You can head back to the great room. We’ll be back in a flash,” Tate told Maya.
They went to the back room to get ready to go outside. Logan pulled on his boots, but he didn’t bother to put on his coat before stepping outside. Tate had no choice but to follow quickly.
“Slow down!” he called to his brother.
“I want to get back inside.”
“What did you guys talk about out there? Have you told her she’s our mate?”
“No. Of course not.” Logan ran his hands through his dark hair. “She’s driving me crazy. You have to be able to smell her.”
Tate nodded. “She wants us. I think we should take her. Today. When are we going to get a better chance than this?”
“We can’t do that.” Logan sounded doubtful.
“Yes, we can,” Tate urged, seeing that his brother was starting to agree with his approach. “What if we could get her to agree to being marked?”
Logan looked toward the house. “I don’t think she’d go for that.”
“But how can we be sure if we don’t try? I think we can convince her to at least mate with us. Once we’ve taken her, I think she’ll start to understand what’s going on.”
“But how do we convince her?”
Tate breathed out a puff of white. “Just follow my lead.”
They each took an armful of wood and brought it to the great room. Maya startled when they came in. She crossed and uncrossed her legs, leaned back and then leaned forward. Finally, she settled with her legs uncrossed and her hands in her lap. She was nervous. It was very cute, and Tate couldn’t help but chuckle.
“How are your parents?” she asked as they put down the wood.
“They’re fine,” Tate said. “They made it home in one piece and Mom’s been playing in the snow.”
“Driving Dad nut
s, of course,” Logan laughed.
“Do you like being out in the snow?” Maya asked.
“We’re all snow leopards,” Tate said. “We’re all great in the snow, but no one more so than my mom. I can take it or leave it, but my animal loves it.”
“Snow leopards.” She licked her lips. “You’re both the same thing? Are your animals identical?”
“We aren’t identical,” Logan said.
“But it’s close enough,” Tate said. “The differences are so small you can’t even notice unless you know us very well.”
“What are they?” Maya leaned forward, curious.
“Logan is a little taller,” Tate said. “Only a quarter inch. And our ears are different.”
“Your ears?” Maya wrinkled her nose and laughed. She looked from one to the other. “I can’t see any difference.”
Tate sat on one side of her and motioned for Logan to sit on the other. He pushed his hair back. “See how my ear has a little shell shape on the inside?”
Maya’s hand brushed the top of his ear. He heard her breathing quicken. He would have bet his life that she was starting to get wet. She was feeling the attraction too.
“I see,” she said quietly.
Tate turned to look her in the eye. “Now look at Logan’s and see if you can spot the difference.”
He put his hand on her leg as she turned to study Logan’s ears. She pushed Logan’s hair away from his ear and Tate squeezed her leg, smiling when she bit her lip. They were really getting to her. He just had to seal the deal. She was going to be theirs very soon. Tate couldn’t believe his luck. He only had to hold his animal in check a few moments longer.
“I see it. The inside of his ear has one less wrinkle than yours. It’s barely even noticeable.”
“It doesn’t really matter,” Tate said. “Logan and I are very close. Yes, we have our disagreements but we like to share. We share everything. Have you ever heard of a mating triad?”
Maya turned to him. “Yes, I have. It’s when two shifters take one mate. It isn’t very common.”
Tate nodded. “That’s right. Logan and I are a pair looking to complete our triad.”
“Oh…that’s interesting.”
“Interesting.” Tate moved his hand from her thigh to the side of her face. “What would you think about completing our triad?”
Maya laughed nervously. “What?”
“Logan and I want you to complete our triad. You’re our mate.”
“No.” Maya giggled again. “I can’t be your mate. I just met you.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Logan said, staring at her intensely. “I knew it as soon as I smelled your scent.”
She looked at Logan. “How can that be?”
“It just is,” Logan said. “Every shifter has a soulmate and you’re ours.”
“We would be honored if you would let us show you what it means to be our mate,” Tate said softly.
Chapter Five
Maya couldn’t breathe. Mate? To both of them? She had been hoping to have a little fun with Logan, or maybe Tate, but not both of them. Certainly not forever—she knew this kind of fun had an expiration date. They had to be joking. Or maybe they thought that was what she wanted to hear before she’d sleep with them.
Tate leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Logan put his hand on her thigh, close to her crotch.
Maya pulled back. “I’d like to be with you, but you don’t need to say I’m your mate. It’s okay. I want to be with you too.”
Tate kissed her again. “I don’t think you understand…but you will. I’ve heard that it can take humans longer to feel it.”
She shook her head. “No. I’m not your mate.”
“Why don’t we have some fun and then see how you feel?” Tate ran his hand through her hair.
“Sure.” She wasn’t leading them on. She wasn’t going to feel anything. This was just fun.
She took off Tate’s shirt to get the party started. Then she turned to Logan and took his off too. She’d never been with two men before, and she wasn’t sure exactly what was going to happen or how it would all work. She didn’t want to mess this up and make one of them feel bad.
She didn’t have anything to worry about. As soon as she began to show interest, the twins took charge. They took off her pants and shirt, then began kissing her all over.
“You’re so beautiful,” Tate said as he kissed her legs.
Logan was kissing her neck and taking off her bra. As soon as her breast spilled out, he kissed down to her chest. At the same time, Tate kissed up her legs as he pulled her panties down.
She was completely naked and trembling as the twins devoured her. Logan reached her breasts and began to nuzzle each of them. He squeezed one while sucking the nipple into his mouth, and Maya moaned.
Tate licked her slit and then reached two fingers up to spread her sex. He sucked at her clit as one finger danced around her opening. She couldn’t believe how wet she was. It was hard to concentrate as they worked on her. Logan massaged and sucked her breast as Tate eased a finger into her dripping channel.
Maya could feel the pleasure building. Her entire body tensed as she began to buck forward and press herself into Tate’s mouth. He licked harder and added another finger. Maya stopped breathing as all the tension focused between her legs before exploding throughout her body. She shook as she came hard.
“I think you’re ready,” Tate said.
“You sure you want to do this?” Logan asked.
Maya nodded. She most certainly did, and she couldn’t stop now. She wanted them both so badly.
Tate pulled her until she was standing. “Turn around,” he ordered. He moved her until she was standing in front of his brother, who had taken off his pants, then pushed her head down.
Logan’s erection was large and slightly intimating. She’d never been with someone so big. She felt Tate nudging at her opening; he pressed into her slowly as she lowered her mouth to Logan’s cock. She gasped as Tate filled her completely, and it took a moment before she could relax. She moved her mouth all the way down Logan’s length and back up again. Slowly, she relaxed her throat completely until she could take him all the way into her mouth.
At the same time, Tate moved behind her. He growled as he slowly took her. His fingers dug into her hips and held her in place as he claimed her. She moaned around Logan’s cock as Tate hit the special spot deep inside her. Logan thrust up and gripped her shoulder tightly as she worked her mouth around him.
Logan growled, “God, you’re good.”
“You do feel good,” Tate said, and quickened his pace.
Maya felt the pleasure building again. Her sex squeezed tight around Tate as she came again.
Logan thrust up into her mouth again as she moaned, then moved his hand from her shoulder to the back of her head and held her in place as he came with a ferocious growl. Tate pulled her back onto his cock roughly and she felt him fill her with his seed as he came too.
Maya was exhausted but very happy. Smiling, she fell to her knees as Tate let go of her hip.
Logan laughed and pushed her hair off her sweaty face. “Was it good?”
She nodded. “Very good.”
She felt different. Kneeling between the twins, she’d felt like something had shifted inside of her. Now, she had a wild urge for them to bite her. That was crazy. She didn’t know where the thought had come from, but even in her afterglow, it was pervasive. It had to be because of what they had said about her being their mate. It was messing with her mind.
She needed to get out of there. When she was with Logan in the truck, going outside had helped. Maya got up and put on her clothes.
“What are you doing?” Tate asked.
“I need to get some fresh air.” She went to the kitchen to get her coat on. Logan and Tate were hot on her heels.
“What’s wrong?” Logan asked.
Both men were naked and wore identical worried expressions.
“
I just need some air,” Maya said pulling on her boots.
“Look you don’t have to go out there,” Tate said. “Forget what I said about you being our mate.”
“It’s fine. I’m just going to take a walk,” she said. She had her coat on and it was zipped. She went out the backdoor before the twins could stop her. As soon as the cold and wind hit her, Maya calmed down. She took in a deep breath of cold air and stretched her hands toward the sky.
She couldn’t be their mate. It was impossible. They had only just met. The sex was great and they were both nice men but that was all. Why had they said she was their mate? They could all be inside warming each other up. But no, they had to make it weird.
And why did she want them to bite her? She wondered if it was a shifter thing. She remembered hearing about how shifters had to mark their mates. It couldn’t be that. She couldn’t want to be marked. That would make her stay in Emerald permanent. If they marked her, that was it. She was their mate. Or at least, no other shifter would try to make a move on her again. She wasn’t clear on the whole thing.
Maya started walking. She didn’t know where she was going but it wouldn’t be far. It had only been a few hours since they’d come home and the snow was already covering the sidewalk again. Tate would have to come and clear them again. She would tell him when she got back to the Inn. She pulled her scarf tighter around her face and pulled up her coat hood. The wind was whipping the snow in her face furiously.
She walked down the block and halfway down the next before she realized how silly she was being. She would rather sit in awkward silence with the twins than stay out in this mess. She turned around to make her way back and was surprised to see two sets of yellow eyes watching her from the snow.
Two white leopards with black spots lay in the snow. Maya looked from one to the other. Tate said they weren’t identical but she couldn’t tell them apart. One of the leopards stood up and walked over to her. She didn’t know if she should pet it or if that kind of thing wasn’t allowed. The leopard bumped her with its head much like a house cat would. She took that as a sign that she could pet the animal.
She ran her gloved hand down its flank and back up to its head. The big cat purred and nuzzled Maya’s side again. The other leopard came over slowly and nuzzled her too. If anyone was looking out of their windows, they would be in for a very wild scene. Maya couldn’t believe she was petting a snow leopard in the middle of a blizzard. Oh, and she’d just slept with the two of them. And they thought she was their mate. It was by far the strangest day of her entire life.
Shifter Wonderland: Twelve BBW Paranormal Holiday Shape Shifter Romances Page 34