by Jane Jamison
The more she heard, the more bewildered she became. “More supernaturals? Are you saying there are other monsters there?”
She sensed the change in the men’s mood. Had she said something wrong? They acted as though she’d insulted them.
“Shatland has a couple of fairies as well as a succubus and a few shifters like werebears and werecats.”
“Holy hell.” She wasn’t sure what to ask next. “Werebears and werecats. What about the usual one you see in movies? Are there werewolves in Shatland?”
She laughed, amazed at the conversation. Earlier she’d thought their ability to tame a horse incredible. Next to vampires, fairies, and shifters, talking to a horse was no big deal.
Again, the men checked with each other before answering. “Yeah. Shatland has a few werewolves. But trust me, you have nothing to worry about. Especially from the werewolves.”
“How about a drink, Celia?” Steve stood and walked over to the wet bar, lifted a tequila bottle, and waited for her to answer.
“Right now a drink sounds great.”
Steve poured a stiff one for her as well as his friends. She took the drink and stared into the clear liquid. “What about Forever? Did you say there are supernatural creatures in Forever?”
Their silence answered her question. “Holy hell.”
“Don’t be afraid, baby. You’re safe with us.”
Her gaze darted to each man. Thank goodness I have them.
Steve lifted his glass into the air, and Celia and the other men did the same. “Here’s to finding out that the world around you is varied, with lots of different beings.”
She let the men chug their drinks then lifted her hand in a new toast. “Here’s to finding out that you’re surrounded by things that go bump in the night.”
* * * *
“Wow. She’s only had a couple of drinks, but it seems to be hitting her really hard.” Steve cringed as Celia spun around in a circle, spilling the tequila on the hardwood floor. “Do you think maybe the vampire’s bite’s affecting her?”
Trent shrugged. “Beats me. I guess it could be. The bite probably weakened her and lowered her ability to handle liquor.”
“We need to get some food down her then take her to bed.”
“Good idea, Steve. You feed her, and I’ll take her to bed.”
Steve shot his friend a knowing look. “Not on your life. We’re not taking advantage of her when she’s spooked. She’s a strong person, but between getting attacked by a vampire then finding out more supernaturals exist, she’s had enough to deal with today.”
“Did you call Sandy and let her know she’s okay and staying with us?”
“Aiden did. But you know how the gossip flies from one town to the next. Sandy had already heard about the rogue vamp. She said his name’s Rollingsford, and he’s from a rich family back in Boston.”
Steve growled and wrapped his arm around Celia to steady her. “What’s he doing out here?”
Trent moved closer to her just in case. “What else? His family wanted to dump him on their country relatives in Shatland. Come here, baby. Let’s get you some food and into bed for the night.”
Celia fell into Trent’s arms and reached up to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. “I love you, Trent. And Stevie and Aiden, too.”
Trent picked her up like a baby and carried her to the stairs. “We love you, too. Just remember that tomorrow, okay?”
Aiden called out to them, “I’ll clean up down here while you guys get her into bed. No fooling around while she’s in that condition.”
“Will do.” Steve followed Trent up the staircase and into the master bedroom.
The men had never used the master bedroom, preferring to keep it until their mate showed up. Then, like most werewolves and their mates, she’d sleep in the master bedroom and her mates would visit her whenever they could. The fact that most werewolves ended up sleeping all in one enormous bed was an understanding in the community.
“Should we undress her?”
Steve could see the glint in Trent’s eyes and knew he wanted to get her naked just like he did. But they both knew better. Trent just wanted him to say the words. “Naw. I’m sure she’d be more comfortable without her clothes on, but she might not like the idea of us removing them. Pull the covers farther down the bed for me.”
Trent reached over, grabbed the bedspread and sheet, and yanked them to the end of the bed. “Damn it. That’s what I figured. But her shoes don’t count, so I’ll take them off.”
Steve lowered her to the bed and rested her head gently on the pillow. Her eyes were closed, and she was snoring softly while a little drool crawled out the side of her mouth. Nonetheless, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. His chest swelled with pride as he brushed the hair away from her face.
“She had a rough day, and tomorrow morning’s not going to be much better.”
Trent nodded. “Yep. Do you think she’ll remember what we told her about the supernatural beings around here?”
Steve tugged the covers over her body. “I’m more worried about what she’ll remember we didn’t tell her.”
“About us being werewolves.”
They left with Steve leading the way. “Yeah. Something tells me she’s not going to let us forget about lying to her.”
“We didn’t lie. We just didn’t tell her about us.”
“It’s a lie by omission, and women don’t like it when men leave details out. If you don’t know that, Trent, you’ve got a lot to learn about women.”
* * * *
Celia’s head felt like a million not-so-tiny drummers were beating bongo drums from one side of her head to the other. The first time she tried to sit up resulted in a quick reversal back to the pillow. She groaned and placed her palm to her forehead.
“Oh, my poor head.”
Moonlight peeked through the drapes on the windows. Her second attempt at sitting up put the world into a spin, but she toughed it out and waited until the room around her came back into clear and stable focus. Easing the covers off, she ran a hand over her mouth to wipe away the grime covering the corners of her mouth then pushed her legs over the side of the bed.
“Please, God, if you’ll just take away the pain I swear I’ll go to church five times a week for as long as I live.”
After sitting for a few more minutes, she regained her resolve and her strength and slid herself off the bed and onto the floor. She shuffled over to the bathroom door and pushed it wide. The lights were dimmed, and a fresh towel that had to be twice her height rested on the edge of the tub. Clean clothes were folded and waiting. The large whirlpool tub was pristine white, and she could almost hear it calling her name. A hot bath would help soothe her aching head as well as her stiff body. She twisted the knobs and adjusted the water temperature somewhere between hot and hotter.
“Maybe I should ask them first if I could take a bath.” She didn’t want to assume that she had the run of the men’s home. Instead, she used a washcloth to wipe away the grime. Walking more securely now, she went back into the bedroom and headed for the door. Hurrying down the staircase, she hoped the men were still up. If the position of the moon was any indication, it was well past midnight.
A growl brought her to a standstill. Did they have a dog? And from the sounds, it was a really big dog. She waited to hear another growl and got it. In fact, it sounded like there was more than one dog growling. She listened again, intent on determining where they dogs were.
Another growl, louder than the first, made her jump into action. Tiptoeing to the front of the house, she snuck into the living room and peered outside from behind the plantation shutters. What she saw sent a shock of pain splitting into her head.
Holy hell. Three huge wolves stood on the front porch, their heads lifted toward the moon. She inhaled and drew back from the window. Was she was hallucinating?
The low rumble of another growl brought her back to the window. Her heart pounded, not in fear but in excitement
as she watched them. Two were magnificent black wolves, their shiny coats glistening in the moonlight. The other one was not as large, and its coat was a dark yellow, the color reminding her of Steve’s hair.
Steve’s hair? Where did that thought come from?
She squinted and studied them. Two dark-colored wolves and one dark-blond wolf. Standing on the porch of the home of two dark-haired men and one blond man. Could it be?
If vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural beings existed in Shatland, then why not werewolves in Forever? She couldn’t take her eyes off them. Her breathing quickened as she fought to understand what her eyes were telling her was true. They were bigger than a regular wolf could ever be and had glowing amber eyes. Hadn’t she seen amber in her men’s eyes?
She pressed her back against the wall. Shutting her eyes, she tried to picture her men, their bodies changing like the men in werewolf movies did. Their bones would break and reform while fur quickly replaced skin. The animal would emerge from the man.
But the animal underneath the man couldn’t take away his humanity, could it? Like the werewolf men of the movies, were her loving, caring men still there underneath the fangs and claws?
How many books had she read about a werewolf and the woman who loved him in spite of his inner beast? How many movies proclaimed a woman’s devotion to her werewolf lover? Could she be in the same situation? If so, could she stand to live with not just one, but three werewolves?
She opened her eyes and glanced around the room. Photographs of Aiden, Trent and Steve dotted the walls. Their handsome faces smiled back at her as though urging her to accept them no matter what they were.
Were these the men who wanted her? Had she fallen for real, live werewolves? And yet, weren’t they the same men who had asked her to stay with them and promised to protect her? If they were truly beasts, wouldn’t they have hurt her by now?
She bit her bottom lip and searched her feelings. Almost as though they were standing in front of her, she could see Trent’s sparkling eyes, Steve’s quick grin, and Aiden’s serious expression. She’d only known them a few short days, but she’d known from the beginning that they had a special connection. Even with Aiden, wonderful, bullheaded Aiden, she’d felt a bond that couldn’t be broken.
What was she going to do? Stay and accept these men who were werewolves? Or leave and try to forget she’d ever met them? She shook her head, denying the second option. Werewolves or not, they were the men she wanted to spend her life with.
“Wow. I’m in love with werewolves.” She took another look at them, but now she noted the way they moved with an intelligence no animal could possess. They interacted with each other much the same way that they did as humans. Surely that meant the human side was in control even when their bodies had changed.
Yet shouldn’t she be afraid? Shouldn’t she want to run away? Wouldn’t any sane woman get the hell out of town and as far away as she could from monsters?
No. They aren’t monsters. They’re my men, and I want them no matter what their secret is. Hell, maybe even because of their secret.
One of the black werewolves bumped into the golden one. Just as Trent had often done to Steve. Then that meant the larger black werewolf was Aiden. It figured that Aiden would be larger and less playful than the other two. She smiled, proud of her powers of deduction. Proud of how beautiful and special her lovers were. Excitement surged through her.
What had they told her? That she had nothing to fear from werewolves?
She watched them pad off the porch and into the yard. If she didn’t have to be afraid of werewolves, then why not let them know she was awake and watching?
She stepped away from the window and headed for the front door. Was she making a mistake? A touch of fear spiked through her, making her think twice about opening the door.
She closed her eyes and pictured the men as humans. Her strong, caring handsome men who had offered her a new home and a new life.
She flung open the front door and raised a hand. “Aiden? Steve? Trent?” But the wolves were already down the road leading away from the house. All at once, the wolf in the lead darted to the right and led the others under the fence and into the pasture. She watched them until she couldn’t make out their forms any longer.
“That’s okay. I’ll just have to wait until they come back.” Her hands shook so she clasped them together. She could use the time to help her get ready for their return.
She spun around and hurried into the house. Waving off the idea of taking the stairs again, she shuffled into the living room and collapsed on the sectional couch.
Her mind raced with questions and ideas. What would it be like living with three werewolves? She’d been fascinated about living with three men, but how much more complicated would it be to live with men who could change into wolves? Was this the thing she’d sensed they were keeping from her? Should she confront them or let them tell her in their own way?
She pulled the afghan over her body. However it happened, she vowed to confront them tomorrow.
* * * *
“Should we wake her up?”
“But why did she sleep downstairs?”
“Maybe she woke up in the middle of the night and wanted some food?”
“You don’t think she saw anything, do you?”
Celia heard the men’s voices, but her mind had a difficult time finding its way out of the fog and telling her eyes to open. She moaned, managed to get her hand to work, and reached out. Someone took her hand and squeezed it.
“Hey, sleepyhead. Wouldn’t you have been better off in bed than on this old couch?”
Her eyes finally listened to the command coming from her brain and opened wide. Steve sat on the edge of the couch while Trent stood behind the couch and Aiden watched, arms crossed, from the doorway leading to the foyer.
“Do you feel like sitting up? Trent, get her some water.”
She tried to smile at Steve, but her mouth seemed caked with grime. Steve helped her out by taking a tissue and wiping her mouth for her. She did manage a smile then and even eased into a sitting position. Her mouth, however, was clogged, making her feel like she had a furry substance that stuck to the roof. Trent returned with a glass filled with ice and water. Gratefully, she took the drink and sipped, letting the refreshing liquid cool her throat and reenergize her body.
“How are you feeling?” Aiden uncrossed his arms and strode toward her.
“I’m okay.”
“Are you sure? Why did you sleep down here?” Steve slid next to her. “Why didn’t you wake us up? We could’ve made you something to eat.”
“From the looks of the kitchen, I don’t think she ate anything.” Trent settled onto the arm of the couch.
“No. I didn’t eat. Although right now I wouldn’t refuse a burned piece of toast. That’s how starved I am.” Her stomach growled right on cue.
“Come on. We were just about to fix breakfast when we walked in and found you.” Aiden strode toward the kitchen.
“You mean when you walked in after running around as werewolves?”
Aiden eased around slowly while Trent and Steve exchanged worried glances. Trent cleared his throat. “What are you talking about? I hope we didn’t frighten you by telling you about the supernaturals in Shatland. Did you have a nightmare?”
“Yeah. You probably had a nightmare.” Steve gave her a comforting pat, but his eyes still showed his nervousness.
“No. I’m talking about seeing you on the front porch in your wolf forms. I’m talking about standing on the porch and watching you run out into the pasture.” She crossed her arms and looked each man in the eye. “Is this the part you left out last night? You know. The part about you being werewolves? I guess Shatland’s not the only place where supernatural beings live.”
She was amazed that she sounded so calm. Almost as though she were discussing the weather or the fact that they never picked up after themselves. So much had changed since she’d first come to Forever,
including herself.
Aiden took a seat across from the couch and rested his elbows on his knees as he leaned toward her. “You don’t seem afraid.”
“I know I should be. Any sane woman would be. Imagine, spending the night in a house where three werewolves live. But I’m not. Not last night—at least not much. But I’m not afraid now.” She snuggled closer to Steve. “In fact, once I had time to get used to it, seeing you in your werewolf forms was the most exciting thing I’ve ever experienced.”
She’d surprised them almost as much as she’d surprised herself. They remained quiet for a minute, letting her reaction set in.
“Can you change right now? Even without the moon being out?”
Trent answered, “The moon’s never really gone, you know. It’s not like it disappears from the sky. It’s just over us for a while.”
She laughed, knowing he didn’t mean to insult her intelligence. “I know. But do you have to see it to change? Or does it have to be a full moon? Was there a full moon last night?”
Aiden lifted his head to the ceiling and let out a howl that sounded just like any other human trying to howl like a real wolf. He chuckled at her frown. “The full moon thing is a myth. We can change anytime we want to.”
“Then change. Right now, right here.”
Steve leaned away from her. “Now?”
“Why not?”
Trent shrugged. “Yeah. Why not? If she wants to see us in our werewolf bodies, then why not show her?”
“It’s as good a time as any I guess.” Aiden stood and started unbuttoning his shirt.
“Wait.”
Aiden stopped, his dark eyes flecked with amber. “Why? Did you change your mind?”
“You said that I had nothing to fear from werewolves. Is that really true? If you change now, am I in danger? Would your animal side attack me?”
Aiden undid another button. “No. We told you the truth. Although our wolf side comes to the forefront, we’re still who we are underneath the fur and the animal instincts. We can still recognize who you are and won’t hurt you.”