When Hell Freezes Over [Werewolves and Wizards of West End 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Jane Jamison

  Even as she ran, she knew the answer. And she hated herself for it.

  “Shelby, stop.”

  As though she’d let Taylor order her around. “Go fuck yourself.”

  He caught her before she could make it into the bedroom, scooping her off her feet and continuing to move in the same direction. “We’re having this out. Now.”

  “Put me down, damn it.” She struggled against him, her fists beating his solid chest. Yet the more she struggled, the more anger turned into something else. Something heating her between her legs.

  “You’re going to listen.” Bryton bumped his shoulder against the bedroom door, flinging it open.

  “Damn straight you are,” added a stern-looking J.B.

  “Put me the hell—”

  Taylor dropped her on her feet before she finished her sentence.

  “—down.” She backed up, clenching her fists. She didn’t want to do any more magic against them, but she was damned if she’d let them stay.

  Against all logic, against everything she knew she should do, she couldn’t help but admit the truth. She not only wanted them to stay but to get closer. A lot closer.

  Hell’s bells.

  * * * *

  Taylor didn’t give a damn if she changed him into a fucking bullfrog and dropped him into the middle of a high school biology class. She was going to hear them out, one way or the other. He’d seen the look in her eyes and had known she didn’t understand what he was. “Are you going to hear us out?”

  “What’s there to say? I saw what you were.” She frowned. “You’re shifters.” Her gaze slid down him and back up. “At least two of you are. I don’t know what you are.”

  “I’m a hybrid. I’m part werewolf and part vampire.”

  She shook her head, denying his explanation. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

  “So that means I don’t exist? I am what I am, Shelby. Trust me.”

  How could anyone be so damn beautiful when they were so damn angry? Still, he sensed she wasn’t as angry as she’d been at outside the bar. The hurt he’d seen change into fury had begun coming back. But seeing her hurt was somehow worse than seeing her angry. Yeah, much worse.

  “You should’ve told me what you are.”

  He’d expected the accusation. Still it pained him to know she was right. “And if we had, would you have given us the time of day? We know how you feel about shifters.”

  “No. Maybe. I don’t know.” She clenched and unclenched her hands. Was that a sign that she was calming down or getting angry again? “It doesn’t matter now. I wasn’t given the chance to make that decision.”

  “You have the chance now,” added Bryton.

  J.B. remained silent, arms crossed as he studied her.

  “Reagan didn’t tell me, either. I trusted her, and she didn’t tell me.

  He wouldn’t let her get away with shifting the blame. “Reagan didn’t have the right to tell you about us. We didn’t say as much to her, but I think she knew we wanted to tell you.”

  “Then why didn’t you?” There was the hurt, out in the open. Her eyes glittered with unshed tears, her expression tightening.

  “Like I said, we knew you don’t like shifters. But don’t you see? All witches aren’t the same, are they?” When she didn’t answer, he kept going, encouraged by her lack of response. “And all shifters aren’t the same. Not even all hybrids are the same.”

  “You should’ve told me.” Her tone was soft, her gaze lowered.

  He used the chance to get close again. Taking her hands in his, he bent low, trying to get her to meet his gaze. When she finally did, he smiled, hoping she could see the apology in the gesture. “We should’ve told you, but we were afraid of losing you. Can you understand that?”

  She didn’t answer, but she was listening, and for now, it was enough.

  “Shelby, we’ve waited so long to find you. You’re the woman we want to share.” He glanced at J.B., wondering if he would object. “We want you as our woman, our mate, our lover.” He paused long enough to let his words sink in then added, “We want you to be the mother of our children.”

  He saw her quick inhale. Did she want children? Would she ever consider having children with shifters? With him?

  “You should’ve told me. I don’t know what else to say. I feel…betrayed.”

  “Yes, we should have told you. We were wrong, but we didn’t want to lose you even before you got to know us. But tell us this. Can you forgive us? Can we move on from here? Can you accept us knowing what we are?”

  He should’ve known touching her in such a tumultuous state would make her emotions run wild, allowing him to sense more than he normally would. The vampire side of him took over, reaching deep inside her, searching. J.B. had mentioned before that he felt as though she was hiding more than her identity as a witch. Bryton, too, had sensed sadness about her, a part of her that kept her from opening fully to them.

  “I don’t know.”

  Should he leave it alone for now? Or did he dare to dig deeper, forcing all her secrets into the open? If he did, would telling them allow her to accept them? Or would she reject them once and for all?

  “We swear we will never hurt you. Whatever happened in your past, whatever you were led to believe about not trusting werewolves is wrong as far. Don’t punish us for what other people have done.”

  The tears springing to her eyes nearly brought him to his knees.

  “Shelby, don’t cry.”

  She swallowed hard and thrust out her chin. “I’m not going to cry. This is all very hard for me. It’s so fast, and it shouldn’t be happening. Not only because you’re shifters but because—” She stopped then, her mouth becoming a thin line.

  “Because why? Tell us. Maybe we can help.”

  “Listen to him, baby.”

  J.B. started to move closer, but Taylor warned him back. He didn’t want them to overwhelm her.

  “No one can help me.” Her voice was weak, timid.

  “You can tell us anything, sugar.” Bryton had noticed Taylor’s warning and didn’t attempt to get any closer.

  “Please tell us what’s going on. Whatever it is, we’ll do our best to make things right.”

  Suddenly, she was angry again, yet he realized it was for an entirely different reason than before. “I told you. No one can help me. Please just stop.”

  “No. We won’t.” Taking her arms, he held her there, even as she tried to pull away. “Tell us, Shelby. We know it’s more than you being a witch and us being what we are. You have something inside you that’s tearing you apart. Tell us before it ruins any chance we have of being together.”

  He couldn’t have stopped J.B. and Bryton from moving closer then. Not when he knew how they were feeling. They encircled her, giving her their support in the only way they knew how.

  “Leave me alone.”

  “And I’m telling you no, we won’t.” He gave her a little shake, hoping to make her realize how serious he was. “We’re not giving up until we know. Tell us, Shelby. Now.” He wouldn’t probe her mind, but he did give her a gentle shove, urging her silently to tell them the truth.

  She closed her eyes and, at last, gave them an answer. “I’m dying.”

  * * * *

  Shelby couldn’t stand to see the pity she knew would be on their faces. She’d seen enough pity on the faces of her coven.

  “Look at me, Shelby.”

  Taylor was so forceful she couldn’t disobey him. Whether he alone was pushing her or he was using his vampire powers to compel her wasn’t certain. Yet it didn’t matter. She had no choice but to open her eyes.

  What she saw wasn’t pity. She saw concern, yes, but there was more in their eyes. A glint of hope.

  “Tell us why you think you’re dying.”

  “Why I think I’m dying? I know I’m dying.” Why were they putting her through this heartache? Wasn’t it enough to know she didn’t have a future with anyone, much less them?

  �
�How? What’s wrong?” J.B.’s dark gaze skimmed over her. “You look really healthy.”

  “You look terrific. Not like anyone who’s dying,” asserted Bryton.

  “It’s inside you, isn’t it?” asked Taylor.

  “Yes.” She tugged again, and this time he allowed her to pull away. Gathering the courage she needed, she told them her story. “Back in New York City, a dark wizard wanted my help in scamming a human. He could’ve done it easily without me, but he liked the idea of having a witch do his bidding. At any rate, once I found out what he was really up to, I refused.”

  “And he cursed you,” added Taylor, once again proving how perceptive he was.

  Yet wasn’t it easy enough to guess? Dark wizards didn’t like rejection of any kind. “Yes. He cursed me. Each day, my body attacks itself, like a cancer, eating a little more of my insides. I’m still able to do almost anything I want, but I can feel myself growing weaker. The magic I used on you earlier?”

  “As if we could forget. You pack one hell of a punch, baby.”

  She couldn’t return J.B.’s smile. “Usually, the power I used to do so wouldn’t have bothered me at all. But today? I can already feel it sapping my strength.”

  She could see she’d shaken them with her revelation. The sadness flooded them as they jerked back, almost as though they felt guilty.

  “It’s not your fault. I was the one who decided to use my powers.”

  Still, they didn’t seem as confident.

  “Can you understand now why I didn’t want to tell you? Or anyone else?”

  “So Reagan doesn’t know?” Bryton caressed her arm, comforting her.

  “No. And I don’t want her to know. Please. You have to keep my secret.”

  “We will, baby.” J.B. tucked his fingers under her chin. “Don’t worry about anything. We’ll figure this out. I swear we will.”

  She sucked in a hard breath. If only she could believe what he’d said. But how could they know? They were only comforting her. Yet she wanted their comfort. She needed their comfort.

  “Can’t you reverse it with a spell of your own? Or maybe another witch could do it?” Taylor’s face held all the hope she wished she could believe in. “We could ask Miranda.”

  “It wouldn’t do any good. No witch has the power of a dark wizard.”

  “What about another wizard?” offered J.B. as they started to brainstorm. The men talked to each other, leaving her out. They mentioned one name after another before Bryton finally included her again.

  “We’ll try our wizards on the island. They’ll beat this thing. We have to believe they can.”

  “And if they can’t, we’ll find one who can even if we have to go to the ends of the earth,” added Taylor.

  She nodded, wanting to give them hope, even when she had none. “You can ask. Tell them the dark wizard’s name was Morton Landow. I’m sure they’ll know of him.”

  Their expressions darkened.

  “Shit. Even I’ve heard of him. He’s supposed to be one of the most powerful wizards in the country.” J.B. shook off his dark countenance. “But we’ll ask. Maybe together they can break his curse.”

  “Maybe.” She moved away, needing to sit down on the edge of the bed. Yet she didn’t think it would be possible. What wizard would want to challenge Landow for a woman they didn’t know?

  “We could change you.”

  Had she heard J.B. correctly? “You want to change me into a werewolf?”

  “Or a werebird,” offered Bryton as he sat beside her.

  Taylor shrugged when she looked his way. “I’d offer, but honestly I’m not sure what would happen if I bit you. Would you change into a werewolf or a vampire? It could even be a hybrid. I have no idea.”

  “The healing power of being a shifter could cure you.”

  “I don’t know, Bryton. He’s a powerful wizard.”

  “But he put the curse on a witch,” argued Taylor. “A witch has powers, but a witch is still a human without the metabolism of a shifter. Becoming a shifter might be the answer.”

  “What do you say, baby?” J.B. searched her, urging her to say yes. “It’s not bad being a werewolf.”

  “But it’s even better being a werebird.” Bryton wasn’t about to be outdone. “We have healing powers, too.”

  “I only just learned that you’re shifters. And that you want me as your mate.” Her head spun. Was it because of them? She hoped it was at least partly true, yet she felt her strength and her power ebbing. “I was wrong about not trusting shifters. Reagan has shown me how good shifters can be and now you three, but to become a werewolf? I don’t know if I could. Would I lose my own magic? Or would I be a hybrid like Taylor?”

  J.B. looked to the other two and came up with a joint answer. “We don’t know. I’ve never heard of a witch-shifter. But it would be worth changing if it saved your life. You have to know it would.”

  Taylor leaned closer, amber flecks dotting his eyes. “We can’t lose you now that we’ve found you. We want you to love for the rest of our lives. Right, J.B.?”

  “Right. We want you for the rest of your life.”

  “Which might not be very long.” She slumped, suddenly needing their support not only emotionally but physically.

  “For however long we have, let’s make it the best we can.” Taylor tugged at the bottom of her shirt. “Let us show you what life with us would be like.”

  She met his gaze then met the gazes of the other two men. The craving was there, of course, but their love shown through even stronger. “Yes. Show me.”

  And they did.

  They were gentle, loving, respectful—at first. But lust, even when tempered with love, still has to have its way. Their caresses flowed over her, silently telling her how much she meant to them. Their words echoed those caresses, soft murmurs of need and commitment.

  She allowed them to undress her, removing one item of clothing after another. Although she tried to do the same for them, they eased her hands away, telling her they were in charge. She was there to enjoy.

  And to forget.

  She did her best to forget what might happen sooner than later. Instead, she concentrated on what they’d told her. Could she be their mate, if only for a short time? What if they changed her and it saved her life? She shoved away the last thought, unwilling to believe in a miracle.

  With a sigh, she lay back on top of the bed. Taylor’s shoulders pressed against her inner thighs as she spread her legs. A wild craving surged through her as a naked J.B., his body more spectacular than even her vivid imagination could have conjured, eased above her head and bent over her to cup her breast. His curved, purple-veined cock bobbed in front of her face, and she welcomed it into her mouth.

  His flavors were unimaginable. Tangy with a hint of something untamed, no doubt his shifter side adding to his taste. Fondling his balls, she slicked her tongue over the loose skin to take part of it with her teeth, just enough to have him sucking in a breath, his stomach muscles tightening.

  “Careful, baby.”

  She’d be careful, all right. She wouldn’t want to damage anything vital.

  Taylor, however, snatched her attention from J.B.’s cock by slipping two fingers into her pussy. She was the one to suck in a hard breath now. Taylor pumped his fingers in and out, making more juices flow. His thumb played havoc over her clit, rubbing hard then soft, bringing her to a fever pitch, only to stop right at the edge of a release. She squirmed, wanting to get away yet wanting never to leave, but he kept her firmly with him.

  “That’s it, pretty lady. Moan for us.”

  She’d been moaning without even realizing it. A whimper followed her next moan.

  “Easy, sugar. Don’t go losing it now.” Bryton slapped her butt cheek then added another spank to the other cheek. “Your ass is great. Round, yet firm.” He planted a kiss to her flesh that soon morphed into a nibble.

  Bite me.

  She barely kept the words back. But what kind of bite would she
want? A playful sex kind? Or one that could possibly save her life? Again, she wouldn’t let the thought take hold.

  Taylor lifted her legs, placing them over his shoulders. If she’d wanted to turn J.B.’s cock free, she would’ve looked down to see his face and the color of his eyes. Instead, she sucked in another breath when Taylor’s tongue swiped along the slit of her pussy.

  He attacked her, driving his tongue into her wet sheath as he replaced his thumb with his palm against her clit. She cried out, sending warm air along J.B.’s length and earned a pleased sigh from him. Taylor ate her, his tongue a frenzied lapping machine that drank up as much of her as he could. His panted breath, whenever he came up for air, beat against her, chilling the wetness. Just when she was certain he’d finished, he renewed his attack, using his tongue as a cock to fuck her.

  J.B. rocked his hips up and down, doing most of the work. He captured a nipple in his mouth and tortured it with tongue-lashings and nibbles much like Taylor’s. The downward thrusts of his cock grew stronger, deep-throating her until, at last, she had to put her hands on his thighs and push back, warning him to take it easy.

  Bryton pulled her ass cheeks apart and used his tongue to circle her dark hole. Fondling her butt, he swiped his tongue over and over then suddenly pushed it into her anus. She tensed, but the tension spread outward, enveloped into the primal sensations tingling every inch of her. When he began probing with his finger, he pushed on her, urging her to twist at the hips, putting her lower torso on her side.

  “Good, sugar. Just the way I want you.”

  Her body was on fire, caught between the kindling of their passion. She sucked harder on J.B.’s cock and tightened her pussy walls, tempting Taylor to give her his cock. He caught onto her message and lifted up, supporting her as he lowered one of her legs and lifted the other higher.

  “Whatever you want, pretty lady. I’m here to serve.”

  No doubt he’d meant it as a joke, but she had no time to laugh before he slammed his cock inside her pussy, driving her toward J.B.

  They surrounded her, not only with their bodies but with their love. For the first time in a long while, she felt alive and safe. For the first time in a long while, she forgot about the darkness eating away at her. The men were giving her their light, pushing the terrible curse to the back as they renewed her spirit.