by Jane Jamison
The rest of her breath blew out of her. She had to drag in more to be able to talk. “Um, here? In the bar? Everyone knows we’re back here.”
“And they know why,” added Brandon.
“They do?” Yet the idea didn’t bother her. In fact, it turned her on even more.
“Easy, darlin’, they only know that we want you.” A mischievous sparkle in Braxton’s eyes had her trembling more. “Not that we’d like to lay you on top of this table and fuck you until you scream.”
“Sure they do,” argued Brandon.
She should get out while she could, but her legs wouldn’t obey her. Besides, shoving past them would be impossible. “You guys are coming on hard.”
“Like I said, we want you.”
Suddenly, Shane’s mouth was on hers, demanding her lips part to give way to his tongue. She moaned and kissed him back, allowing his tongue entry. The other two men shifted as Shane picked her up and planted her butt on the green of the table. His hands found their way to her ass and squeezed. What else could she do but wrap her legs around his hard, trunk-like thighs?
She tasted his flavors, noting the difference there. Leaning backward, she let him support her, even as she gripped her hand around the back of his neck, keeping the kiss going.
The faint sound of a growl came to her, but she wouldn’t push him away. When Shane pulled away—or, rather, was yanked away—he, too, let out a grumbling growl.
Just like wolves.
The thought, however, didn’t last. It couldn’t with her emotions running wild.
“We all get a taste of her.” Brandon cupped her face and brought her mouth to his.
His kiss was as urgent and needy as Shane’s, similar in some respects yet with his own unique flavor. Musky yet sweet. Tangy yet with a definite edge. She gripped his shoulders and held on as much to keep him with her as to bring him closer.
The shaking of the pool table had her gasping and pulling away from Brandon. Arms came around her just as Braxton knelt behind her.
“You jumped on top of the table?”
“Let’s hope it holds me.” He took her by the chin and turned her face toward him. “Kiss me, darlin’.”
She did, as passionately as she’d kissed his brothers. Their tongues played together as he slipped his hand beneath her shirt and then the thin material of her bra. She arched her back, moaning, telling him to go further.
Logic was no longer hers to possess. Instead, her craving for him, for them, overwhelmed it. She longed to feel their hands on her skin, longed to hear their muttered words of lust, longed to feel the slide of their tongues into private places.
“Close the door,” ordered Shane.
She heard the door close and knew what it meant. If she was going to stop them, it was now or never.
Never.
The rumblings of more growls echoed around her as Braxton pulled her into the middle of the table and sent balls flying. She grasped for them as they did her, pulling at her clothing as she pulled at theirs.
Her top was gone before she could get Braxton’s shirt unbuttoned.
Her bra was ripped away.
Her shoes were jerked off and quickly followed by her jeans.
Her panties ripped apart, the final victim to their busy hands.
Lying on her back, she moaned, needy, urgent as they disrobed. They were magnificent, rare specimens of men that usually lived only in a woman’s dreams. Muscles layered on muscles, rippling as they removed their shirts, then their belts, and finally their jeans. Boots had long since been discarded. They knelt beside her, their amber eyes blazing with lust.
“Look at the eyes, Maddie.”
No, she wouldn’t believe such nonsense. How could any men who loved like them be animals? Yet they each had an animalistic quality that made her mouth water. What woman wouldn’t want a man that was strong and hungry as a wolf? What woman didn’t want a beast in bed and a gentle man out of it? She’d dreamed of having such a man, someone who would protect her even when she didn’t need him to. Here was not only one man but three.
“I started this.” Shane, his cock primed and ready, curved to perfection, grabbed her legs and yanked her toward him. He pulled her legs around his waist and positioned his cock at her entrance. “Fuck me, honey-bear.”
Her breasts jiggled as he plunged his cock inside her, going deeper than she would’ve thought possible. She reached out, needing something to hold. If not, she’d drag her fingernails across the velvety tabletop. Instead, she found Braxton’s and Brandon’s cocks and wrapped her hand around them. They were huge, almost too large for her to hold. Precum seeped from the tips of them as she began stroking them.
Shane filled her more than she could imagine her vaginal walls giving way. Friction burned brightly, pushing its way into the fire that had already taken hold of her pussy. She cried out then found Brandon’s hand over her mouth.
“Hush, sweet thang. We wouldn’t want anyone trying to rescue you.”
As if she needed rescuing. She licked the palm of his hand. Bringing his hand to his mouth, he licked the place where she had licked.
Braxton covered her hand with his, helping her pump his cock slowly, deliberately. “That’s it, darlin’. Just keep on keepin’ on.”
She worked their cocks as hard as she could, sometimes squeezing too hard, yet they did nothing more than to give her a meaningful look. Shane’s hips smacked against her inner thighs, the sound adding to the huhs of her panted breaths. As he pounded into her, her body moved up and down over the smooth surface.
“Here, darlin’.” Braxton eased her hand from his cock and bent over, putting his cock within inches of her mouth.
She drew him in, loving the sweet taste of his precum, and cupped his balls. They were soft yet firm as she moved her fingers, letting them play against his balls.
“Since you got her sweet mouth…” Brandon eased his hands under her. “Get on your side, Maddie. I’ve got to have more than your hand.”
They shifted position. Shane lifted one leg around his hip then pressed his cock to her entrance and shoved it back inside her. She cried out again as the enormity of his cock set up the delicious friction again. His ribbed abdomen tightened with his thrusts. His strong shoulders led to his muscled arms. She whimpered as another shot of lust seared through her.
Brandon slipped one then two fingers into her dark hole. “This won’t hurt much. Soon enough, it’ll feel good. Damn good.” He worked her tight rings, forcing them to ease their tension. Then he put his cock to her anus and gently eased it inside her.
For a moment, she forgot to breathe. For a moment, fear stared to take hold. Soon enough, however, the fear gave way as a slight pain struck her then changed, morphing into a pleasure she’d rarely experienced.
“That’s it, sweet thang. Easy does it.”
“Easy does it here, too,” added Braxton. “Don’t use your teeth.”
She sucked harder on his cock, hollowing her cheeks to put more pressure on his cock. His hips worked back and forth, doing more of the work for her.
She was crazy to have sex with them. After all, she didn’t know them. Yet a part of her argued that she knew them better than she’d ever know anyone. Morals, logic, plain old common sense was suspended, giving way to a primal urge she hadn’t known existed. They’d said they’d wanted her as their mate, and somehow, she knew it was true. More, she wanted to be their mate.
The sounds of their lovemaking seemed loud yet amazing to her ears. If anyone had walked in at that moment, she wouldn’t have cared. She was giving herself to these men, men she barely knew yet yearned to know. If it took the rest of her life, if she had to promise to become their mate, she’d do it, willingly, gladly.
Shane heralded his release with a tensing of his body. His eyes blazed amber as he stilled then plunged his cock into her one last time. She felt the growl that rumbled out of him against the insides of her thighs and even inside her pussy. He pulled out a second before he release
d his seed, shooting it onto her belly.
As though seeing his brother’s orgasm, Brandon dug his fingers into her butt cheeks and gave an agonizing sound. Pain hit her as his sharp fingernails stabbed into her flesh. She cried, turning loose of Braxton’s cock to twist toward Brandon.
He must’ve seen her pain. As soon as he did, he jerked his hands away then gripped his cock and pulled it out. Warm seed erupted onto her lower back as his body jerked out its climax.
“Shit.” Braxton fell back and rolled away, doing his best to cover his release. But it was like a man trying to stop the powerful surge of a firehose.
She lay on top of the table after all the men had moved away. The chill from the air conditioning vent above her cooled her skin, but another kind of chill started growing.
What the hell did I just do?
Embarrassment hit her hard. She’d acted like a slut. Yet although she’d had the thought, no regret came. Refusing to stay embarrassed, she sat up, catching a towel as Shane handed it to her. Slowly, deliberately, she wiped their cream from her body.
She’d wanted them, plain and simple, and had run with the emotion. To deny that would be a lie to herself and to them.
“Honey-bear, don’t go thinking bad about yourself.” Shane handed her shirt to her. “We sure as hell don’t.”
“No shit. This—you’re—the best thing that’s ever happened to us,” added Braxton.
“They’re right.” Brandon pulled on his shirt. “And we meant what we said. We want you as our mate.”
She tugged on the rest of her clothes, her mind running a mile a minute. “We all sound crazy, you know. We don’t know each other. People don’t do this kind of thing.”
“They do around here.” Shane helped her off the table. “Around here, this is the norm.”
“Right.” She’d always had a tendency to talk before thinking, and it was no exception now. “I guess it’s too bad we didn’t do it doggy-style, huh? You know, considering you are what you are.” She grinned, expecting them to shoot her astonished looks. Instead, they seemed more irritated than surprised.
“We know your sister told you.”
Her grin died at Brandon’s serious expression. “You do? And?”
“And what?” Braxton shrugged. “It is what it is. Hell, we are what we are.”
She started to laugh, but the sound never made it to her lips. “You are what you are?” Her gaze jumped from one man to the next. “Come on. Are you in on the joke? She said you’re werewolves. In fact, according to my sister, most of the people in Fate are werewolves. Or werecats or some other kind of supernatural creature.”
“We’re not creatures.” Shane jerked on his shirt and shot her a glare. “We’re men who happen to be shifters.”
Had Stella set up an elaborate joke? But why? To make her look like an idiot? Was she trying to pay her back for telling her about her fiancé? Yet she’d said she’d forgiven her. “You’re werewolves. And you think I’m going to fall for such a stupid joke?”
“It’s no joke.” A muscle twitched in Brandon’s jaw. “It wasn’t her place to tell you. Your mates—we—were supposed to tell you.”
“Stop it. It’s not funny any longer. Not that it ever was.”
“We understand that it’s a hard thing to believe, but it’s true.” Braxton glanced at his brothers. “She’s going to have to see it to believe it.” He began taking off his clothes after having just put them back on. Shane and Brandon started disrobing, too.
“What’s going on? Why are you getting undressed?” She backed away, putting herself between them and the door. Had she been wrong about them? Or had she gone crazy without even realizing she was troubled?
“Try to stay calm, darlin’. Getting freaked out won’t help.”
“We’re going to show you. Just remember that we won’t hurt you even as wolves,” added Shane.
“This is going too far, guys.” Her throat closed up, real fear beginning to take hold. “Stop it.”
“Nope. We have to do this, Maddie.” Brandon shoved his jeans to the floor. “Try to stay calm. We won’t hurt you.”
She would’ve sworn then that she had gone insane. How else could she explain what she was seeing? Their bodies blurred, the sound of bones breaking as their handsome male bodies reformed into different shapes and angles. Fur replaced skin as fangs sprang from their mouths.
By the time they drop to all fours, dark brown wolves that were larger than any wolf she’d ever seen, she was certain she’d lost her mind.
Wolves. They changed into wolves.
Panic set in, propelling her to take action. Grabbing a cue stick off the rack on the wall, she swung it like a sword, wielding it in front of her to keep them at bay. The wolf that had been Shane hunkered down on his front paws and growled. Was he ready to skulk away or was he preparing to jump at her?
They won’t hurt me. Bullshit.
Backing up, she reached behind her and found the door. The wolves inched closer but kept enough distance from her that she couldn’t hit them. Turning the doorknob, she yanked it open and then flung the stick at them. Dashing out of the room, she ran as fast as she could. Growls echoed behind her.
Everyone in the front of the bar stared as she rushed past them. Amber eyes glowed at her, putting more speed into her run. A moment before her hands slammed against the front door, she heard the unmistakable howl of a wolf.
Chapter Six
After shifting back to his human form but retaining some of his wolf’s speed and power, Brandon jerked on his jeans and led the chase through the Wolf’s Den then out the door. They had to catch up with her and stop her before she got into her car. Shane and Braxton ran beside him.
He saw her, relief flashing through him as she fumbled through her purse, searching for her car keys. He completed the transformation, wiping away his fangs and the amber in his eyes, while only a few feet away. His brothers finished shifting right after him.
“Maddie, stop.” He hadn’t meant it to sound like an order, but it did.
She whirled around and fell against the car. “Get away from me.”
“Darlin’, it’s okay. We won’t hurt you.”
Her eyes were wild as she shook her head. “Don’t come near me.”
“We had to show you.” Should they have waited? Or found another way to make her believe them? They’d done what most shifters did to make a human believe. They’d shown her.
“It’s a trick, an elaborate joke. You and my sister have concocted this whole thing.”
“Sweet thang, don’t you believe your own eyes? No magician could’ve done what we did.”
She bit her lower lip, her struggle to come to terms with what she’d seen marring her beautiful face. “You’re werewolves.”
“But we won’t hurt you. I swear we won’t.” How could he convince her?
“You growled at me.”
Never mind that it had been Shane who had done the growling. “You were going to hit us with a cue stick. I was trying to tell you not to do that.” He smiled, hoping she was calming down. “I bet you’d be hell in a sword fight.”
“You’re really werewolves. Men who can change into wolves.”
Shane answered, “Yeah, we are. But we’re still men. Men who want you as their mate.”
Her lips, so pink, so perfect parted in a silent oh. “That’s why you call it a mate. Like a mate to a wolf.”
“That’s right. You’ll be our mate and our lover.” Brandon dared to go further. “And the mother of our children. And part of our pack, the Shadow Ridge Pack.”
She pressed a palm to her throat. “Are you going to bite me and change me?”
“Not unless you want us to. It’ll be your decision.” He stepped closer then held up in his hands when she startled. “This is all a lot to take in. Give it a day or so, okay? Just don’t go running away.” And for hell’s sake, don’t leave town.
“You’ll follow me if I do, won’t you?”
He wouldn�
��t lie to her. Not now, not ever. “Yeah, we will. Once a werewolf finds his mate, he does everything he can to make her his.”
“Not that we’ll force you on that part, either,” added Shane as he gave Brandon a hard look.
“Right.” He fought his wolf’s urge to take over and claim her no matter what she wanted. What could he say to make her stay? “Take some time to let think about it. Talk to Stella, too.”
“I can’t believe this. I don’t know what to think.” She rummaged through her purse again, her hands shaking as her gaze darted back and forth, from them to her purse and back again. At last, she found her keys. “Just leave me alone.”
He promised all he could. “Whatever you want. For now.”
Pulling open her car door, she flung herself behind the wheel and slammed the door. The automatic locks clicked into place.
“Maddie, talk to your sister. Ask her what it’s like.” Stella had told her too soon, forcing them to tell Maddie before she was ready. But now, Stella might be able to help them. If Maddie wouldn’t listen to them, maybe she’d listen to her sister.
Without indicating that she’d heard, Maddie started the engine. If she hadn’t calmed down at least a little, he wouldn’t have let her go. Driving in an agitated state could get her and others on the road hurt. Wishing she could’ve calmed down even more, he watched her car kick up dirt as she drove out of the parking lot.
* * * *
Maddie paced in front of Stella’s bedroom. If she’d had the nerve to pound on her sister’s door the night before, she would have. But as she’d lifted her hand to do exactly that, she’d heard sounds coming from within—sounds that were far too close to growls to ignore. Instead, she’d backed off and spent most of the night pacing the floor in her own bedroom until, exhausted, she’d fallen into bed in the early morning hours.
The men she was attracted to in a wild way, in a way that drew her like a moth to a flame, were werewolves. Still, even after seeing them change, she found it difficult to believe.
I made love to werewolves.