by Becca Van
“Are you okay, baby?” Declan asked, bringing her out of her introspection.
Emmy nodded as she licked her dry lips. When she noticed Declan staring at her mouth, she ducked her head and tried to hide her blush. She peeked up at him from beneath her lowered lashes when she heard him sniffing, and the heat in her cheeks grew warmer when he stared at her with hungry green eyes. She shivered in reaction and squeezed her legs together when her clit pulsed to life, again. Emmy knew she was in big trouble then. She’d never reacted to anyone with wet dripping arousal before. Not even her duplicitous ex, Steven.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, get a room would ya,” Karter snarled. “You four are putting off enough pheromones to blow up the whole town.”
Emmy’s cheeks felt as if they were on fire. She was mortified that Karter knew she was lusting after Declan, Brooks, and Jett. Brooks and Jett were at the other end of the bar serving the three huge men, but their gazes kept moving back to her as if they couldn’t help themselves. She knew just how they felt.
Nonetheless, she was mortified that Karter could smell her desire, and she had to blink rapidly to dispel the embarrassed tears stinging them.
Emmy didn’t know if she blinked or was too lost in her humiliation to see Declan move, but the next thing she knew was that he’d grabbed hold of Karter’s shirt and dragged him across the mahogany bar surface.
She froze with fear when Karter growled at Declan, and when she saw claws sprout from the end of the man’s fingers she began to shake. He sounded just like an angry wolf, which shouldn’t be surprising since Zayn had already proven he could turn into a wolf.
“That’s enough.” Declan shook Karter, but the other man hardly moved. He was as big as Declan was. “You need to fucking apologize to my mate.”
“I fucking don’t,” Karter snarled.
“She’s human, you ass-wipe. She has no idea about what we can do.”
“Fuck you, Declan.” Karter swiped his claws over Declan’s hand, and Emmy screamed when she saw his skin rip open and blood started flowing from the wounds.
Jett and Brooks rushed over, but before they could do anything the three huge men on her side of the bar at the other end, shoved to their feet, heedless of the stools they knocked over, and rushed toward her.
Emmy slid from the stool, surprised her shaking legs were able to support her weight, and started backing away from the melee, but the three big men moved faster than she’d ever seen someone move before. In the next instant, she was surrounded by their big bodies with no way out. A loud roar had her startling so hard her feet left the floor, and when she landed she stumbled into the man standing in front of her. The guy standing behind her gripped her elbow to steady her, and while she was thankful for the help, she was too scared to look at him.
“Stop,” the big dude in front of her shouted and she was surprised when everything went quiet, with the exception of some rustling. Someone at the back of the room snorted, but there was no other sound. “Karter, Declan is right. You disrespected his mate and need to apologize.”
“What the hell is going on?” Another man roared his question from near the entrance.
Emmy wondered if he was a lion shifter. He’d sounded just like an angry lion even while asking his question. After taking a few deep calming breaths, relieved her breathing regulated somewhat and her racing heart slowed some, Emmy finally found the gumption to peek through the small gap between the huge men.
She frowned when she recognized the man who’d served her in the diner the previous day. Now that she studied him closer, she could see some leonine in his handsome face. His eyes were a light brown color, almost an amber hue, and they were tilted up like some felines would. His hair was also a russet shade which she could imagine forming into a mane, if he shifted into his animal form.
“Karter was mouthing off again,” the man in front of her answered, and she blushed when he went on to explain what had happened.
Emmy groaned softly with embarrassment and closed her eyes. Obviously, the men in this town didn’t believe in such things like privacy. She wondered if they were always so blatant. She hated that they could all smell her arousal, but there was nothing she could do about that. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own since the moment she’d met Declan, Brooks, and Jett.
Maybe it was time to move on.
She canted her head when she heard soft talking, but they were too quiet for her to be able to hear. It felt as if she’d been standing with her impromptu guard for fifteen to twenty minutes, but she was sure it hadn’t been that long.
All of a sudden her bodyguards were gone. Emmy blinked and glanced toward where they’d been sitting before, and sure enough, they’d already righted their stools and had planted their asses on their seats, once more.
“Emmy, my name is Tatum King. I’m like the…mayor and law in Ambrose. If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Emmy gulped, nodded, and tried to smile. She wasn’t sure she pulled it off when she saw Tatum’s lips twitch. After taking another deep breath, her brain kicked into gear and so did her good manners. “I’m pleased to meet you, Tatum, and thanks for the offer.” She held her hand out and tried not to gasp when the rough skin of his palm brushed against hers. His hand felt like they had calluses, and she wondered if the slight anomaly was because he was an animal shifter.
Tatum nodded, released her hand, and turned toward the bar. Emmy was surprised to see that Declan was still holding on to Karter’s shirt. But what surprised her more was seeing Karter with his head bowed as if he was submitting.
“Karter, get over here now.”
Declan released Karter’s shirt and stepped back. Karter shoulder-checked Declan as he walked past, and while Declan growled at him, he didn’t move to retaliate. Karter stormed around the end of the bar and stomped his way over to Tatum.
“Yes, my king.”
The way Karter addressed Tatum with such deference made Emmy think she’d been right in her guess of Tatum’s shifter animal. He had to be a lion.
“You will apologize to Emmy.”
Karter nodded, cleared his throat, and shifted from foot to foot.
“Now!” Tatum roared.
Emmy flinched. Definitely a lion.
Karter moved closer. It took all of Emmy’s self-control to remain still and not back away like she wanted to, but when Karter went down to his knees in front of her, she couldn’t help but gape at the man.
“Emmy, I’m sorry for embarrassing you. Please, accept my apology?”
Emmy cleared her throat and nodded. “Apology accepted.”
Karter gave her a chagrined look as he rose to his feet. When he glanced at Tatum and saw the man was scowling at him, he lifted his chin and bared his throat. In that moment Emmy realized that even though all these men were dominant alphas, Tatum was the leader. Tatum nodded at Karter and pointed toward the hotel entrance. Karter spun on his heel and hurried away.
With so much aggressive testosterone about, it was a wonder they hadn’t killed each other.
When Tatum turned his speculative gaze her way, Emmy held her breath. She lowered her eyes to the floor when she saw him sniffing the air.
Would she ever get used to these people, these shifters, being able to smell her arousal? She didn’t need to think about the answer at all. No. Emmy hated that her body’s responses were out of the bag, so to speak. That meant that Declan, Brooks, and Jett had been able to smell her pussy every time she got wet. In fact, she’d been continuously aroused since she’d first met them.
Dang shifter noses.
Tatum clearing his throat garnered her attention. “You don’t have to worry about any of the men in this town hurting you, Emmy. If they so much as laid a finger on you, your mates would tear them apart and I would help. You’re safe here, honey. Okay?”
“Thank you.”
Tatum shook his head. “It should be us thanking you.”
Emmy quirked a brow in query.
&
nbsp; Tatum moved closer, leaned down, and whispered in her ear. “You’ve made Declan, Brooks, and Jett very happy men. None of us thought we’d ever get the chance to meet our mates. You need to decide what you’re going to do soon, little human. The longer you are here without mating, the more aggressive the other males will get. Your pheromones are…tantalizingly sweet.” Tatum kissed her cheek and then straightened. He didn’t say another word, nor did he look back as he walked away.
Emmy’s heart clutched with nervous shock.
Although she was very attracted to the polar bear shifters, she wasn’t sure about being their mate. She had no idea what was entailed or how it would affect all their lives. Would they have to bite her like the romance novels she’d read said? Would their bites change her into a polar bear shifter as well? Would she end up having to shave more often because she sprouted fur?
There were so many questions she didn’t know the answer to. The main one being, how the hell one woman could be the mate of three men? Another question she had no answer for was, what the hell was she supposed to do to earn a living? As far as she’d seen so far, this town was run by all the men.
When she realized she was still standing in the middle of the room, she glanced about to find everyone was watching her. Emmy straightened her shoulders and walked toward the bar. Jett and Brooks were serving more customers, but they kept looking her way. Declan, who’d had his back to her, turned to face her. She gasped when she saw the bloody rag in his hand and castigated herself for her inattentiveness. How the hell could she have forgotten that he’d been hurt?
“Are you okay?” Emmy asked.
She gaped when he held up his hand. His skin had already healed. There were only pink scars left, and even as she watched they became fainter and fainter.
“I’m fine, baby. We heal fast.”
“So I see,” Emmy rasped out. She turned toward the three big men who’d protected her when the shit was going down. Instead of yelling across the room like she was going to, Emmy stood once more and slowly walked toward them.
The guy who’d stood in front of her met her gaze as she stopped a yard or so from him. “Thank you for…protecting me.”
“You’re welcome, Emmy. I’m Broden Higgins, and these are my brothers, Airen and Archer.”
“Pleased to meet you all.”
“Hi, Emmy.” Airen smiled.
Archer nodded and winked.
“Are you all bear shifters?” Emmy covered her mouth and took a step back. She couldn’t believe she’d just blurted that out.
Broden chuckled. “We are.”
“Are you polar bears?”
Archer chuckled as he shook his head. “We’re Kodiak bears.”
Broden rose and Emmy looked up at him. He was so dang tall she got a crick in her neck. He and his brothers had to be close to seven feet tall, and they had muscles on muscles. And while they were hot eye candy, they did nothing for her. All the men she’d seen so far were handsome, but she only ever responded to Jett, Declan, and Brooks.
“Here, take a seat,” Broden said as he grabbed another stool and dragged it closer.
Emmy smiled her thanks and sat. She really liked the Kodiak bears. They’d shown her nothing but kindness, and she had a feeling that if she decided to stick around they would become great friends.
“Do you want a drink, love?” Jett asked.
“Can I have a bottle of water please?”
“Coming right up.” Jett winked as he turned away.
“Is Tatum a lion shifter?” Emmy asked quietly, hoping the other patrons didn’t hear her.
“Yes, as are his brothers, Rex and Shaffer,” Airen replied.
“How did you all end up here, living in Ambrose?”
Jett handed her the bottle of water. She dug into her jeans for some cash, but when she noticed Jett scowling at her, she realized he was pissed. “I’m not a freeloader. I’m used to paying my way.”
“There is no way I’m letting you pay for anything in this hotel,” Jett said emphatically.
“But I—”
Brooks came to stand beside Jett and crossed his arms over his chest. The resolute look in his eyes had Emmy backing down. She wasn’t about to argue with them in front of their customers, but when she was alone with them, later, she was going to tell them how things were going to be.
Especially if she was going to live here.
When she realized where her thoughts were taking her, she knew she’d already made her decision on a subconscious level.
She didn’t want to leave Ambrose, Brooks, Jett, and Declan. The thought of moving on and never seeing them again almost brought her to her knees.
Emmy was going to stay.
She just hoped that her spontaneity didn’t end up leaving her broken-hearted.
Chapter Eight
Jett had barely taken his eyes off of Emmy since the moment she’d come downstairs. When Declan and Karter had been going at it, his first instinct had been to protect her, but he’d held his ground. If—and that was a huge if—she decided to stay and be their mate, she needed to know what she would be up against. All the men living in Ambrose got into spats now and again, and while there wasn’t always blood spilled, it was just their way of letting off some steam.
When Karter had snarled about Emmy and Declan getting a room, he’d almost felt sorry for the wolf shifter. Their mate was emitting some powerful aphrodisiacal pheromones, and he had no doubt that he and his friends were doing the same. Although he was sure that it was more difficult on him, Brooks, and Declan. His polar bear wouldn’t settle down and hadn’t stopped snarling, moaning, and pacing. His bear wanted his mate and he wanted her now.
Jett had been surprised when the Kodiaks had surrounded her to keep her safe, and while he was thankful, he was also a little jealous. He hadn’t stopped sniffing the air, but the only time Emmy’s arousal grew more pungent was when she was looking at him, Declan, or Brooks. That fact had been enough to appease the big green-eyed monster that had reared its ugly head.
Now, she was sitting with the other bears asking them questions and chatting as if they were the best of buddies. He liked that she didn’t have a problem talking to the other shifters and hoped that as she got to know everyone, she’d eventually decide to stay.
Jett couldn’t believe how kind and courteous Tatum had been to Emmy. Usually the king was one of the most antisocial of them all. The only time the alpha lion shifter was civil was whenever there were humans about. And that was nearly never.
Maybe having that tour group using the hotel as a base for the explorations of the region was a blessing. Tatum was going to have to keep his anger and dominance under control. Nevertheless, he was mighty glad their king had gone to bat for them even if that had been more of an amazement at how gentle he’d been with Emmy.
When he’d seen her standing all alone in the middle of the room with a frown on her face, he’d realized she was thinking over what Tatum had told her. Declan and Brooks had noticed as well, but none of them had made a move toward her.
Emmy was an independent, smart, sexy woman who knew her own mind. Nothing he and his friends said was going to make a difference with whatever choice she made. Jett just hoped that her decision was in their favor.
Broden cleared his throat. “To answer your earlier question on how we all ended up in Ambrose, we pooled the money we earned while fighting for our country and bought the place.”
“Thank you all so much for your service,” Emmy said, meeting all three of the Kodiaks’ gazes before glancing at everyone else in the room.
All the other shifters acknowledged Emmy’s courtesy by raising their drinks or nodding before going back to their conversations.
“You bought a whole town.”
“We did,” Archer replied.
“We gave the government an incentive to sell it to us though,” Airen said.
“Did you blackmail them?” All the blood drained from Emmy’s face as she whispered her question.
Broden threw his head back and laughed. His deep loud voice had the hanging pendant lights in the middle of the room swaying back and forth.
Archer chuckled as he shook his head. “Nothing so nefarious, sweetheart. We told the officials we’d patrol this section of the USA-Canadian border for any illegals.”
“Oh.” Emmy winced and screwed up her nose. “Sorry, I didn’t mean any offense.”
“None taken,” Broden replied.
“So, you all work for the border patrol?”
“We don’t get paid for keeping this part of the border safe,” Airen explained.
“You don’t?” Emmy frowned.
“No,” Broden replied. “We got this town for a steal, but the conditions were that we keep any illegal immigrants out of Ambrose and the surrounding county.”
“That makes sense, I guess. You don’t like being around people, humans either?” she asked.
“Most of the time, no, but there are always exceptions,” Airen answered.
When Emmy nodded and glanced away, Jett realized she had no idea the Kodiaks were complimenting her, but she was smart and it wouldn’t take her long to figure it out.
“Jett, I feel guilty just sitting here doing nothing while you’re all working. Is there something I can do to help out?”
Declan and Brooks came to stand beside him, and Jett hoped the more dominant Declan didn’t fuck things up by being too dictatorial. “You need to rest, Emmy. You still have dark marks under your eyes.”
“You’ve been working and running for so long, darlin’. Why not take a few days to rest?” Brooks nudged Declan with his elbow.
“I feel fine,” Emmy said. “I had the best night’s sleep last night.”
“Brooks is right, love,” Jett said. “Just sit back and relax for a couple of days. If you still want to help out after that, then we’ll find you something to do.”
Emmy nodded in acceptance, but Jett could see the frustration in her eyes. He’d love to have her working by his side if that’s what she wanted, but he could tell she was already beginning to fade.