Falke’s Peak pn-1

by Anna Leigh Keaton

  Utilities. Her car note.

  She unlocked her VW Beetle and slipped in on the driver’s side. Gripping the wheel, she closed her eyes a second and exhaled.

  Her job wasn’t all she’d hoped it could be, and it wasn’t enough to fulfill the aching void. What had she come back for? Her family? They weren’t here. After assuring themselves she was alive and had all her limbs, her parents had returned to Colorado.

  Her friends? Carrie was off on her honeymoon, and Lana was dating a physical therapist she’d met after the accident that kept her from going on the ski trip in the first place.

  Her neighbors—at least those to whose faces she could put a name—were nice enough. But they were busy with their own lives, so aside from the occasional wave and “How are you?” they offered little incentive to plant roots here.

  A horn honked, startling her from her thoughts and making her realize the light was green. She’d driven several blocks on autopilot. Stepping on the gas, Dakota tried to focus more on the traffic and less on why she kept dwelling on the possibility that a month ago she’d made the worst mistake of her life.

  Traffic. Stop lights. Neon signs. Before her vacation, she hadn’t thought much about the hustle and bustle of Vegas. It had just been life as usual, but now she’d experienced another side to life, another world that made the previously exciting city feel too busy, congested and garishly bright.

  She gripped the steering wheel tighter. “I made the right choice,” she said aloud, trying to convince herself that she believed the words.

  She didn’t belong with two men. Things like that just didn’t happen, and she mentally went through the plethora of reasons why for the umpteenth time since returning from Washington.

  How would she tell her parents? What kind of future could she have with two men—no, two brothers? Even considering it, she knew polygamy would be impossible. It went against societal conventions, against the law.

  Yet, their parents had found a way.

  They didn’t ask you to marry them, she reminded herself.

  No, no one had said anything about marriage or a lifelong commitment, but she’d still run. From commitment, from them, from the strong emotions they so easily ignited inside of her.

  She didn’t belong with Axel and Gunnar Falke.

  They were not human.

  No, that wasn’t true. They were more than human, shifters. Exotic, exciting, unbelievable men who’d asked her to stay, to give any potential future with them a chance, and she’d stupidly walked away.

  But it was for the best, wasn’t it?

  Then why do I feel…hollow? Why couldn’t she resume her life as usual? Why did something every single day remind her of what she’d given up?

  Her friend’s wedding had been the worst. A beautiful ceremony in a traditional church, as opposed to one of the abundantly available wedding chapels.

  The bride glowed with joy. Surrounded by family and friends, her groom had eyes only for her. While wedding guests laughed and ate and had a good time, Dakota didn’t miss the couple casting desirous glances toward each other—that shared understanding and need to get away and be alone. Shared looks similar to those exchanged in an isolated cabin, at a snow-covered trailhead and outside the lobby of a ski resort.

  Her mind occupied with what might’ve been, she arrived home with little memory of the actual trip that brought her there. After parking her car, she got out and checked her mailbox. As she thumbed through the junk mail, her frustration level grew.

  Scared. That’s what she’d been. She’d been too afraid to commit to them after just a few days together.

  They didn’t know her, not really. How could they? And she might’ve been privy to their greatest secret, but what more did she know about them?

  Not much, she decided.

  In her ground-floor apartment, Dakota tossed her keys and purse on the table, grabbed a bottled water from the fridge and dropped into her recliner to stare at the black TV screen.

  She hadn’t given herself a chance to learn more about them either. Whether it was because they could do things no normal humans could or the idea of having not one but two men interested in her—and willing to share—she didn’t know. Maybe it was both.

  Regardless, she’d run away from the opportunity to find out more about them. Denied herself the chance to see if a relationship could work.

  Of course, it was too soon to talk about love. She’d told them that, and now told herself every time they entered her thoughts. But she did care about them and wondered what they were doing now.

  Had they found someone else? They were big boys, grown men. They were fine. They’d probably forgotten all about her by now.

  She drank half the bottle of water and closed her eyes with a disgruntled sigh.

  “Get over it!” she snapped at herself. Move on.

  Her gaze landed on the new picture frame that sat atop her TV next to an older college graduation picture of her with her parents. The new frame held a montage of four pictures. One of her before a beautiful sunrise, another of a big elk and two more of her with Axel and Falke. She smiled at the shot of Falke licking her cheek, but the smile softened, faded, when she stared at the last shot. Two pairs of hazel eyes looked back at her—one in the face of a handsome man, the other in the face of a cougar. The camera had captured three happy faces, hers and theirs, in front of an idyllic backdrop of snow and nature. She wished she’d thought of taking a picture with the three of them while both men were in human form.

  She got up and went to the bedroom, took a long shower and prepared for bed. It was early, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t hungry, and she wasn’t in the mood for news or sitcoms or some stupid awards show.

  Flipping back the bed linens, she’d just begun to climb in when the doorbell rang.

  For a half second Dakota thought about ignoring it, but curiosity won out, so she threw on a silk wrap and headed to the door.

  The doorbell sounded again.

  “I’m coming. Just a minute.”

  Peeping through the eye-hole, she looked and saw no one.

  Ticked that it might be children playing pranks, she hollered, “Who is it?”

  Something scratched at the door.

  Oh, damn it. Someone better not have left a stray puppy or kitten on her doorstep. Her apartment didn’t allow pets, aside from the occasional goldfish.

  With a huff, she unlocked, opened the door, and gaped.

  A full-grown puma in a black leather collar sat outside her door, his long tail swishing lazily.

  Meow.

  She stared, afraid to blink, expecting her hallucination to vanish.

  “Can we come in?” Axel stepped into view.

  “Oh, my God!” She grabbed the cat by the collar, Axel by his shirt, and pulled them into the apartment.

  He laughed.

  “Are you crazy?” she asked Falke…Gunnar. It had to be Gunnar. “You could get yourself killed or wind up in some magician’s stage act. This is Vegas for crying out loud!”

  “We weren’t sure of the reception we’d get,” Axel said, “dropping in on you unexpectedly like this.”

  Telepathically, Gunnar added, We figured if at least one was a ‘pretty little pussy cat,’ you wouldn’t shut the door on us.

  She narrowed her gaze on him for using her own words against her, but damn it! He was a sight for sore eyes. They both were. How often had she dreamed of seeing them again? And here they were. She dropped to her knees and hugged the cat.

  “I would never shut the door in your faces.”

  He purred.

  “That’s a relief,” Axel said. “We apologize for disturbing your sleep.”

  She followed his glance down to her silk wrap, and then she fiddled with the lapels. “Oh, no, you didn’t…” She cast a look at the clock. “I mean, it’s not late. I wasn’t asleep, just…getting comfortable.” Alone on a Friday night. She fought a grimace at that thought and forced a smile. “I’m glad you stopped by.”
Ugh.

  She was rambling.

  Axel pulled off the small backpack he held over one shoulder and tossed it on the floor next to Gunnar.

  “Got a bathroom where he can change?”

  She glanced up at him, took his hand and climbed to her feet. “Sure. Down the hall…door on the right.”

  Her gaze held Axel’s.

  She wanted to hug him too, but hesitated. The cat bumped her hip as he passed, nudging her closer to his brother. Why did hugging a cougar seem safer than the man before her?

  Axel decided for her by pulling her into his arms.

  She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of his embrace, the renewed longings. He didn’t move, merely held her close, her head on his chest. “It’s good to see you again, Dakota.”

  “You too.” Her loneliness vanished, and she wanted to cry. He felt so…right. What had they done to her to make her want them so much?

  Reluctantly, she eased herself out of his arms. An awkward silence filled the space between them. “Can I get you something to drink?” She turned for her kitchen.

  “Sure.”

  She opened the refrigerator and grimaced at the realization that the options available were few. “I don’t have any alcohol. Would you like some milk, juice or bottled water?”

  “Water’s fine.” His answer came from the living room.

  She grabbed three just in case Gunnar wanted one and hurried back into the other room. Axel’s back was to her as he stood before the television.

  “Here you go.” Setting one on the coffee table, she held the other out until he turned and took it.

  “Thanks.” His expression had changed, become more open, even warmer, and…cocky?

  “So,” she began, “what are you guys doin’ here?”

  His lips curved into that devastating smile she loved. “Would you believe we were in the neighborhood?” His grin now was pure mischief, and she chuckled.

  “Oh, really?” She didn’t buy it for a minute. “I didn’t know Vegas was ‘in the neighborhood’ of the Wenatchee National Forest.”

  His shrug was nonchalant. “We took a detour.” He glanced back at her television, reached up to brush his fingertips along the edge of her new picture frame.

  “The photos turned out nice.”

  His remark caused a flash of heat to warm her cheeks. Self-conscious, she busied herself by opening her bottle of water. “Yeah, they did. It was a great vacation.” She took a sip and looked up again. “Are, uh, are you here on vacation?” Vegas was a favored destination for a lot of people, so it made sense.

  He set his bottled water down unopened. “Not exactly.”

  A door opened from down the hall and footsteps sounded on the Berber carpet.

  “So, what do you think?” Gunnar said with a grin as he returned to the room.

  She eyed him, dressed in form-hugging denims and snug muscle shirt. As sexy as ever. “You look…”

  Delectable. “Great, as always.”

  “Thanks.” He gave her a wink and added, “But I meant about being neighbors.”

  Axel coughed.

  Gunnar froze.

  “We hadn’t exactly gotten around to that bit of news, yet,” Axel muttered.

  “Oh. Umm…” Gunnar stuffed his fingers into his pockets. “Guess the cat’s out of the bag, so to speak?”

  Confused, she tried to fathom what they’d just said.

  Neighbors? “What’s wrong? Did something bad happen? I thought business was booming?”

  “It is.”

  “Oh.” She frowned. “Then why?”

  “We came here for you,” Gunnar said.

  Her eyes widened, her mind blank with shock.

  “Not that we’re stalking you or anything like that,” Axel rushed on to say. “I mean, we’re not just gonna show up on your doorstep expecting you to take us in or anything.”

  Gunnar took her hand. “What he means is we missed you, and we decided that if your life is here, then so is ours. We’re going to look for an apartment first thing in the morning, get some jobs and hopefully—if you’re agreeable—visit once in a while, maybe see if we can get to know each other better?”

  Her eyes watered, and she shook her head. No.

  They couldn’t do that. Why would they want to do that when they had an idyllic home back in Washington?

  Axel stepped up and clasped her other hand.

  “We’re not here to push you into anything.” He was so cautious with his words, his touch. So adorably careful that when he risked a small smile, she succumbed to the urge of returning it. “Maybe you could show us newcomers around the big city?”

  “No,” Dakota whispered, and they frowned. Both dropped her hands as she shook her head harder. A blink sent tears slithering down her cheeks. “No, you can’t—” Axel took a step back, and she grabbed for him, desperate to keep him close. “No, we can’t live here.”

  She knew what she had to do, what she wanted to do. They came for me.

  “What do you mean?” Gunnar asked, his tone one of disappointment and hurt. “We come all this way, and you won’t even give us a chance to see if we can—” She fisted his shirt, yanked him toward her and planted a kiss on his mouth. Her other hand never released Axel’s wrist. Not that he tried to pull away.

  Neither did Gunnar try to hug her or touch her in any way but for his lips against hers, his tongue responding to her foray. When she pulled back, she glanced at Axel who stood silent and reserved.

  She let go of his wrist to run her palm over his chest. Slowly, she fisted his shirt too. He didn’t budge except for a slight tick in his jaw.

  “I’ve missed you both too,” she said with more tears slipping free of her lashes. “You’ve no idea how much. I tried so hard to get on with my life here, but it’s not the same. It’ll never be the same, not since—” She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “You can’t move here, because I can’t live in Leavenworth without you.”

  Axel blinked. He raised his hand, hesitant and soft, to cup her face. His thumb brushed across her damp cheek. “You mean it? You’re moving?”

  “Well, not right this minute, but seeing you two again made me realize why I’ve been so lost and alone since my return. I don’t know how you two did it, or what I will tell my parents!” She gave an abrupt laugh and shook her head. “But I’ve been miserable here lately. I used to think the big city was exciting and offered the best chance at happiness, but I was so wrong.” Dakota released their shirts and slid her hands down their arms to hold hands with each of them.

  “Walking away from you guys was the stupidest thing I ever did in my life, and I have no excuse other than that I was scared.” Her breath hitched. She closed her eyes and whispered, “I’m still scared.”

  Axel pulled her into his arms. “God, honey, don’t fear us.”

  She clung to him, welcoming his warm embrace, and heard the soft thud of his heartbeat—a quiet reassurance that he was real. They’d come for her.

  After she turned them down and walked away, they’d come for her. The emotions boiling inside her threatened to overwhelm her, and she trembled.

  Another hand—Gunnar’s—stroked her back in a soothing manner.

  “I’m not afraid of you.” She pulled back to look Axel in the eye then turned to see Gunnar beside them.

  “Never like that. I mean, I’m just…I don’t know. It all happened so fast, and what I felt—what I feel now-it’s so strong that I’m not sure what to do. There’s two of you and only one of me. How can this happen? I’ve never fallen for anyone before, and now there’s two of you, and you both mean so much, and I was stupid for walking aw—”

  “Shh.” Axel cupped her face, his thumb over her lips.

  “I’m rambling,” she muttered.

  They smiled at her.

  “You’re adorable when you ramble, but I’ve waited weeks to do this.” Axel kissed her, soft at first, then firmer, and she responded with all of the emotion she’d kept bottled up th
e past month.

  Nothing else mattered anymore but his broad shoulders, strong arms and hot breath that bathed her neck as he trailed light, passionate kisses over her skin.

  “We’ll go slow,” he murmured between kisses.

  “Get to know each other.” Another kiss. “Likes, dislikes. We have plenty of—”

  “Axel?” Her voice was a breathless whisper.

  “Hmm?” A soft brush of his lips just under her ear.

  “Shut up and take me to bed.”

  He chuckled and swept her into his arms. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Before he headed down the hall, she reached out and snagged Gunnar’s hand, matched his grin with one of her own, and pulled him down the hall with them.

  “Last door on the right,” she said as Axel carried her to her bedroom.

  Her place was far from lavish. A simple queen-sized bed, two nightstands and a dresser. A hamper sat in the corner. When she saw the bed, she frowned.

  “It’s kind of small for us to sleep in.”

  “Who needs sleep?” Gunnar asked from beneath the shirt he was in the process of pulling off. Once free, he tossed it toward the hamper and began removing his jeans while he toed off his shoes.

  Axel set Dakota on her bare feet and tilted her face toward him with a fingertip under her chin.

  “He has a point,” she allowed with a cheeky smile.

  “I love you,” Axel said. “You didn’t want to hear that a month ago, and I understand that, but it’s true.”

  Damn these tears. Her heart hammered as she stared up at his sincere features, so open and vulnerable. And she knew she would never survive without them. Though she’d fought, tried to deny it, run from it, they’d opened her heart and crawled inside.

  Slowly, she cradled his face in her hands and admitted, “I love you too.” Up on tiptoes, she pressed her lips to Axel’s and began to pull his shirt from his pants.

  Axel deepened the kiss. His hands rested on her hips just inside her robe. Gunnar stepped up behind her and lightly slid that robe off her shoulders, pressing soft kisses at her nape.