by T. S. Ryder
He shifted as he threw himself into the car. His clothing shredded and his bear snarled a challenge. The man’s face morphed into pure terror, but that wasn’t going to save him. Noel pounced. His claws sunk into the metal of the door that was still slightly ajar and he bit down hard on it. He tore it back, his muscles bulging as he ripped the door clean off the car.
The man gave a strangled shout.
“Noel!” Diana cried from the other side of the car. “No!”
He hesitated for a split second. His bear snarled, wanting to drag the man out by his stupid face and crush him in his jaws, but he held himself back. Instead, he shifted back to his human form and grabbed the man by the arm. He yanked him from the car and tossed him away. The man hit the ground and rolled a few times before he came to a stop. His eyes widened as he looked up at Noel towering above him.
“Holy shit!” he cried.
Noel snarled. “What are you doing here?”
Behind him, Diana made a choking noise. He turned quickly to find her fighting with her seatbelt. Before he could go to help her, though, Ricky dashed from around the house. His eyes flickered from the car door to the man lying on the ground to Diana. He raced to the car and yanked open the door on her side.
“Get her inside,” Noel ordered.
“Don’t bark orders out at me,” Ricky snarled but picked Diana into his arms.
She kicked her feet. “Wait!”
Ricky paused. Noel grabbed the man by the collar and threw him over the hood of the car. “Hands out.” He glanced up at Diana. “Do you know this guy?”
Diana stared at the man with a look of horror and shock on her face. “Yeah. We dated like . . . three years ago. He got really possessive after I broke up with him, and I ended up getting a restraining order against him. He’s left me alone since then, but . . . ”
Noel patted the man down, looking for weapons. “Ricky, can you call Kurtis and get him to send some of the security officers over to get this creep in jail?”
“I’m not a creep,” the man protested weakly. “Oh, God! You’re animals. Actual animals. What have you done to my Diana?”
With his eyes, Noel told Ricky to get her into the house. Ricky carried her inside. Diana didn’t protest. Noel would have liked to have gone with them to make sure she was alright, but he was too busy making sure this guy didn’t move. A restraining order three years ago? Well, it seemed like they found her stalker . . . And he wasn’t letting the creep anywhere near Diana again.
The man stayed sprawled out on the roof of the car, not moving an inch. Noel stood over him, making sure of it. His fear was tangible, hanging in the air, and Noel only hoped that he didn’t embarrass himself by shitting his pants. He did hyperventilate, though, which made it hard for him to talk. That, in turn, made Noel less likely to tear out his throat.
Kurtis and the security team arrived only half an hour later with Bobby right behind them. Noel handed Diana’s ex off to the security officers and then the three of them rushed inside. Diana sat with Ricky and Ruby, who looked a bit bloody but no worse for wear.
“Are you okay?” Bobby’s gaze slid from Diana to Ruby and back to Diana.
“He clubbed me pretty good, but I’m healing.” Ruby put a hand to her head and winced. “Tyrell’s coming to take me to the hospital.”
Noel nodded. He was relieved to see her conscious, at least. The human must have caught her off-guard. He had to be stronger than he looked to get her down like that. Bobby silently moved to Ruby’s side and helped her to the bathroom to clean up her scalp. Kurtis moved in on Diana’s other side. Between Ricky and Kurtis, Diana looked so small. So fragile.
And Noel could have lost her.
Noel slowly moved to kneel before her. He took her hand in his, his heart still pounding. “Are you okay?”
Diana nodded. Then, her eyes filled with tears. She broke into sobs. He had no idea what to do. Both Ricky and Kurtis looked bewildered. Fortunately, Bobby came in moments later. He took Diana into his arms and she melted against him. He pulled her into his lap and whispered gently to her.
Noel checked on Ruby, then went upstairs to get dressed. When he came back down, Tyrell was helping Ruby out. In the living room, Diana was snuggled into Bobby’s arms. Kurtis leaned into them on one side and Ricky had his arms around her on the other.
Silently, Noel joined them to kneel on the floor. He buried his face into Diana’s stomach. He’d felt possessive when he’d had to share her with Ricky and Kurtis. As amazing as the sex had been, he’d wanted to kick them out of the room and have her all to himself. And forget about the condoms. He wanted to see her swell with his child. Not theirs.
But now, with the four of them all offering her comfort as she shook, he couldn’t help but think that this was how it was meant to be. All four of them united, even if they had different ways to go about being there for her.
We’ll have to renovate the attic, he thought suddenly, so that we have a bedroom for all of us.
***
Diana’s ex kept claiming he wasn’t stalking her, but when did anyone actually admit that they were a stalker? He kept claiming that he was coming to rescue her. Clearly, there was something wrong with him.
At least they had found him. Now, they didn’t have to worry about Diana’s safety. It hadn’t been the Alphabet Killer who was after her. He’d admitted to putting the dead dog in her apartment, thinking that it would scare her back into his arms, looking for comfort. Diana could once again move freely about on land or sea. And with the threat neutralized, she didn’t have any external reasons to stay. From that point forward, it wouldn’t be because she wanted protection. She was there because she wanted to be. Or else she would leave.
That thought was too terrible to think of.
So Noel didn’t think about it. For the next few days, he kept to routine, going out hunting and returning with little to show for it. On the fourth day, however, he found a sea lion pup washed on the shore of a nearby island. The small thing had had its fins bitten off by a shark that Noel saw still prowling the island.
The pup was alive, though, so he wrapped it up and made a beeline for home. It made pained noises, which was a good thing. It meant it was putting up a fight. It had stopped trying to bite him by the time he got back to the island, though, which was not a good sign. They had no animal rehab center, so he took it back to the house, where Diana gasped when she saw the pup.
“What happened to it?”
“It was attacked by a shark. If we’re lucky, I’ll be able to keep it alive.”
Diana’s eyes bled concern. “What can I do to help?”
Noel carried it up to his bedroom and placed it gently in the bathtub. He made a humming noise as he considered the tiny, pathetic creature. “Run into town and get some painkillers from the vet. That’s our first task. The shock of all this might still kill it.”
“Where’s the vet?”
“Two blocks west of Kurtis’ office. Turn left at the fabric store. It’s just a little way from the grocery store. I’ll call if I need anything else.”
Diana peered at the mangled pup, shuddered, and ran off. Shortly after she was gone, Noel heard footsteps on the stairs. He had managed to get the bleeding to stop and was washing the little thing down with warm water. Its head rested on the bottom of the tub.
Ruby appeared in his doorway a moment later. She looked over his head and frowned at the pup. “That’s a pretty gnarly sight.”
“The wounds were fresh,” he said. “No time for maggots to set it.”
Ruby hummed. “Seems cruel to keep it alive to suffer, Noel. That thing’s never going to survive on its own. Wouldn’t it be kinder to kill it now?”
Noel sighed. “Yes. It would be. That’s why I sent Diana for painkillers. Hopefully, we can keep it alive and somewhat comfortable for a while yet… If we can fatten it up a bit, we’ll be able to butcher it for the wedding feast rather than going out and killing a healthy animal.”
“I do
n’t know . . . ” Ruby shook her head. “I get where you’re coming from, but I wonder whether Diana would want that. Plus, it’s probably going to die anyway. Putting it through the pain of living like that doesn’t seem worth it. But you’re the alpha. I just hope that this is worth it in the end.”
Noel nodded grimly. He took no pleasure in seeing the poor thing suffer. They had no way to keep it alive until adulthood; no wildlife rehab. Put back in the wild, it would be lucky to drown or be eaten by a shark. The alternative would be starving to death.
By the time Diana came back, he had the pup lying quietly in the tub with a space heater running in the room so that it didn’t get too cold. After shoving the painkillers down the pup’s throat, he stroked its small head until he was certain that it was sleeping. Then he sat back and ran a hand through his hair.
“We can only wait and see what happens now,” he sighed.
Diana wrapped her arms around his chest and nuzzled into his neck. “You know what?”
“What?”
“I really like seeing this side of you . . . a nurturing side.” She kissed his collarbone, making him harden at once. He moaned as he turned. She straddled his lap, but when she went to kiss him, he pulled back.
“I don’t have any condoms with me,” he said reluctantly.
A grin spread across her face. “I didn’t think you did. You don’t need one. I’m staying on the island, Noel. You, Kurtis, Ricky, and Bobby will be my mates and I will be your queen.”
His breath caught in his throat. He could hardly believe what she was saying. He grinned, echoing hers. “Really?”
Diana thrust her hips at him, making him harden even further. “Really,” she breathed and then claimed him.
Chapter Eleven – Diana
Tonight was the night.
After the wedding at Bobby’s clan, Diana had pondered the situation with Bobby for a long time. There were two problems. One, whenever they were alone together, the sexual tension was enough to drive her mad. She wanted to climb him like a beanpole, and he wanted that, too. Two, they weren’t alone very often.
Well, that was going to change. She needed to get to know Bobby . . . in more ways than one. Since her first time alone with Noel, she’d had one or more of her alphas come to her room every single night. They made love quite often, but they also would just cuddle in bed and talk.
Diana glanced through the room at the lavender candles she had lit. She’d overheard Bobby telling Noel earlier that day that he loved the scent of lavender, so she had gone into town and picked up a bunch of them. She had also picked up a new nightie . . .
She threw a robe over the revealing garment and slipped out of the room. First, she went to Noel, whose eyes lit up when he saw her. She shook her head and his shoulders sagged.
“I’m having Bobby in my room tonight. I don’t want interruptions.” She put her hands on her hips when Noel opened his mouth. “No interruptions.”
He sighed. “Fine.”
Diana nodded in satisfaction, then went in search of Kurtis and Ricky. They were in the kitchen, the leftovers from supper sitting next to them as they had an arm-wrestling match. Their muscles bulged, and for a minute, Diana simply enjoyed the show. She was surprised at how well they got along when they weren’t looking for something to fight about. Kurtis strained so hard that his face was red. Ricky grunted, holding his arm steady. Diana had to giggle; it was clear Ricky wasn’t putting in as much effort as Kurtis.
As soon as he saw her though, Ricky slammed Kurtis’ hand down so hard that he winced.
“Hey!” Kurtis rubbed his elbow. “No need to be so rough.”
Ricky shrugged and turned to Diana with a grin. “What can we do for you?’
“I’m having Bobby tonight. If either of you interrupts, I’m kicking you out of the house.”
Kurtis grinned at her. “Seducing Bobby, huh? Good luck.”
Ricky just grunted.
“You won’t interrupt, will you?”
Both of them shook their heads.
“Thank you.”
Diana hurried back to her room. She got there just as Bobby was about to knock on the door. He held a bouquet of roses out to her, but she didn’t take them. Yet, at least. Instead, she gave him a dazzling smile and slipped into her room.
“Five minutes, then knock.”
Bobby chuckled but nodded. Diana gave him another smile as she closed the door. She took off the robe and tossed it into a dresser drawer before hurrying around and gathering up all the garbage, which she shoved into a can and then hid under her bed. Finally, she adjusted the two chairs at her small table so they were a little closer together and opened the wine bottle to let it breathe.
Once that was done, she stepped back to take a look at her work. No lights were on, so the room was lit only by the candles. They filled the room with a sweet perfume that complimented the cherry wine that she had had Kurtis bring from town earlier. The covers on her bed were turned down, just waiting for two people to slip between the silk sheets. And the board game she’d found two days ago lay on the table, ready to be played.
Bobby knocked on the door. Diana fluffed her hair and then turned on her sexy music playlist before she answered. Bobby’s eyes darkened with desire when he saw her standing there in a silk nightie with a neckline that plunged to her navel and a skirt that barely brushed the tops of her tights – long white stockings that clung with stretchy lace around her thigh. He took in her perfectly-applied makeup.
“Wow,” he murmured, looking at her again. A flush rose in his cheeks as he thrust the roses toward her. “These are for you.”
Diana accepted the roses with a grin. “Thank you.”
He nodded, his gaze running down her form once more. Diana took the opportunity to get a better look at him, too. He wore a fitted white shirt underneath a tightly buttoned vest in pale blue, which went really well with the red tie he wore with it. His slacks were tight, too.
“Come in,” she said.
Noel peered from his room, and at the end of the hallway, Ricky and Kurtis both poked their heads around the corner. Diana rolled her eyes at all of them as she closed the door.
“You look beautiful,” Bobby said as he turned to her. “I mean, you are beautiful.”
Diana couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you. I’ll just get these in water.”
An old bouquet that Kurtis had given her two weeks ago sat on her nightstand. She took it into the bathroom and emptied it into the tub. It was nearly dead, anyway. She arranged the roses for a moment, then set them on the nightstand.
She turned to Bobby and gave him a wide smile. “I got us a little game to play.” She led him over to the table and gestured. “So, we each have one piece and we roll the dice to move our character forward. Whatever color of the square we land on, we draw the color here.” She gestured to the board. “And we ask and answer the question on it. And then we pick one of these cards.” She pointed at another deck. “And we do whatever it says.”
Bobby laughed softly, brow furrowed. “Okay.”
“Well, we did want to get to know each other better. You go first.” She poured the wine and sat down.
Bobby took the dice, rolled them, and moved his character before drawing a card. “What is your biggest regret?”
Diana flinched. “Well, that’s not pulling any punches, is it?”
“Do we both answer?”
Diana nodded.
Bobby considered the card for a moment before he moved a little closer and took her hands in his. “My biggest regret is not working things out with my parents. I have a lot of . . . resentment regarding how they treated each other as I grew up. I never said anything to them about it, and now I wish I had. I know it would have led to hurt feelings, but I wish I could have told them how their fighting made me feel.”
“What happened to them?”
Bobby shook his head. “They went out in a storm. Never saw them again. I’m not the only one, either. A lot of the older g
eneration was lost in various storms until we got new boats. Noel’s father drowned at sea and so did Kurtis’ parents.”
Diana’s heart ached for them. She squeezed his hand and swallowed dryly. “My biggest regret . . . is not taking chances in my life. I had the opportunity to study in France on a scholarship and I turned it down. I had the chance to travel across the country and go to places like the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls. I always found an excuse not to.”
Bobby nodded in understanding. He drew an action card and his brows rose. “Did you set these up?”
“No. I didn’t even shuffle them. What does it say?”
“Allow your partner to remove an item of your clothing.”
“Oh!” Diana laughed as she reached for his vest. “Well, we have to do as the game says, right?”
Bobby watched her as she undid the buttons on his vest with dark eyes. A small smile flashed across his face. When the vest came off, she couldn’t help but place a teasing kiss on his neck. He moaned, his fingers tangling in her hair. The kissing ended up lasting longer than she had anticipated, but she pulled back before they lost all reason.
Her face red, she rolled her dice. “What is your favorite activity to do in your downtime? Easy. I love gardening.”
“Jewelry-making.”
“Really?” Diana’s brows rose.
Bobby laughed. “That surprises you? I love working with my hands. I have a small silver forge so that I can make the pendants and things myself. I also like glassblowing. Things that require delicate work.” He winked at her, making her heat up.
Part of her wanted to just ignore the game altogether, but the problem wasn’t sexual desire. She had to make sure that he knew that she wanted to get to know him, too. They had to learn more about each other. She made a note of his hobbies, to suggest that he show her how he worked at another time as she drew an action card.
As she read what it said, her face flared to fire. “Oh! Yeah, I think I should have sorted these.”
“What does it say?”
“Give your partner oral sex.”
Bobby’s eyes widened. He took a gulp of wine.