“Why me? What if you didn’t even like who I was? Can you get a new mate?” She wasn’t thinking of divorce. Hell, she didn’t dare hope for marriage, but this mate concept bothered her.
He glanced at Casius. “No to your second question. We’ve talked about this with other shifters. About why, after waiting eighty years, would you suddenly become our mate? I think that when we see a woman who we’re attracted to naturally and who has a pure soul, the stars, so to speak, align, and she becomes our mate. I’ve never known mates to ever separate.”
“Back up. You’ve waited eighty years?”
Hercules blew out a breath. “Have something to eat. I think this is going to take a while.”
* * * *
Even after an hour of explanations about longevity, fast healing, infusing panther blood into her veins, Tanya still didn’t have a good grasp of this shifter stuff.
She blew out a breath. “This is so amazing. Is there anything else I should know about?”
Hercules shrugged. “We spend a lot of our time fighting bad shifters.”
This was really getting out of control. “Who are bad shifters? Do they live in Delight?” That scared her perhaps more than the concept of shifting.
“Yes and no. Shifters exist around the world. Some are trying to save the planet, and others are trying to destroy it.”
“Kind of like some humans. Some are good while others are bad.”
Casius smiled. “Now you get it. We’re like the world police.”
“Was that what you were doing when you went out of town?”
“Yes, but we really shouldn’t be talking about it. Just like the FBI can’t tell you about their covert operations, you don’t need to know about ours. Hopefully, none of the ugliness will ever get near you.”
For now, she decided to accept what they said. They could shift. She’d seen it with her own eyes. They were strong. That could not be denied. She didn’t want to stab them with a knife as they suggested to prove how fast they healed. Some things were best left for discussion later.
“I’d like time to think.”
“Sure, babe.”
Both men pulled her to a stand and hugged her. They walked her to her bedroom and kissed her gently good-night.
Once she crawled into bed, without her men, her mood vacillated from wonderment to despair. She wanted to believe this fairy tale, but all her insecurities crested, and she ended up crying herself to sleep. By morning she had a stuffy nose and was feeling worse than ever. Here, she thought these two men were the ones for her. Or could they be?
“I knew it was too good to be true.”
One of them knocked on the bedroom door. “We made some breakfast. You have to eat.”
She was hungry, but she didn’t know how she’d react when she saw them again. Would she picture them as panthers and constantly be checking to see if their teeth had elongated or fur had grown on the back of their hands?
One more fear was what would she tell her friends? Well, ladies, I’m no longer seeing Hercules and Casius, two of the most amazing men in the world, because they can shift into panthers.
Maybe she should just get over it and enjoy them while she could. At least she could talk with Sasha. She knew all about the shifters.
Feeling a smidgen better with that thought, she went to the kitchen. As soon as she opened her bedroom door, the wonderful aroma of bacon, eggs, and coffee met her. She prayed they had some tea.
Casius was at the stove with a spatula in his hand stirring the scrambled eggs. She had to smile at the domestic scene.
“So you were telling the truth about loving to cook.”
He turned around and smiled. His dimpled cheeks made ripples of lust grab hold. This wasn’t good.
“Wait until you taste it. You can judge for yourself.”
Hercules waved two small, brown bags. “Christmas tea or lavender oolong?”
“You are creeping me out. How did you know those were my two favorite teas?” As soon as she’d asked the question, she figured it out. “Kendis told you.”
“Yup.”
“I’ll take the Christmas tea. They don’t have it for long.”
Once Hercules put the water on to boil, he faced her. “Just so you don’t feel alone in the world, besides Sasha, you can talk to Kendis, Julia Wilson, and Jen Anderson.”
She was friends with all of them. “Are you saying their men are shifters, too?”
“Yes.” He waved a hand.
Her mood lightened, knowing she wasn’t alone in the world, but she was a bit put off that her friends had kept that secret from her. “That’s good to know.” Now, however, that she was in the same position, she understood their hesitancy to announce to the world that shifters existed.
“I’m guessing that my lips need to be sealed regarding your talents?”
“’Fraid so, unless they already know.”
Casius placed the food on the table. “Let’s eat.”
They ate in silence probably because the men were unsure how she was handling the news.
Once she gobbled the tasty food on her plate and had her infusion of tea, she was feeling much better. “I hope we are still planning on going to the hot springs.” Since she’d been sniffling, they might figure she was coming down with a cold and needed the springs for medical purposes.
“You bet.” Hercules grinned.
The men picked up their plates and literally shoved the food into their mouths. Looking at their chipmunk cheeks made her laugh.
Casius swallowed and smiled. “Why don’t you get packed, and we’ll clean up.”
“You cooked. I can help clean.”
Hercules glanced at Casius then back at her and smiled. Her heart raced. So what if they had some hidden talent? Knowing there was a beast hidden inside them explained a lot about their intense sexual drive.
Soon the rental was cleaned and everything packed. While they had to be out by noon, they could use the hot springs all day. She did hope that if she got back to Delight before five, she’d have time to stop in the store to see Georgiana. The only bummer was that Tanya couldn’t share the revelation with her good friend.
When they arrived at the hot springs, they passed a lot of outdoor pools with steam coming off them. Several people were lounging in there. “We going in those?”
Hercules laughed. “It’s your choice, but it’s nice to be hot and cold at the same time. The indoor pools don’t have the same ambience.”
“Do you two experience the same level of cold and hot as we humans do?”
“We humans?” Even though he was driving he pinched his skin. “I’m human now.”
She took that to mean he experienced everything the same when in human form but didn’t mind the cold as much when in panther form. It made sense.
“Then I guess if you two can handle being outside, I can, too.”
He parked, and they went inside to pay and change. “We’ll meet you in the lobby. There are robes and towels in the changing room.”
“Okay.”
She had her suit in her hand. As she entered the changing room, three young women were in there giggling.
“I think Joe is hot,” said the petite blonde with obviously fake boobs.
“Joe’s okay. I’m liking Carlos. His abs are to die for.”
The brunette bent over and fluffed her tits. Not that Tanya was staring or anything, but the girl did have a perfect ass. She bet Casius would love to try her out.
Stop it. You are their mate.
The third girl finished putting on lipstick. “Let’s not keep the men waiting.” She tied her hair into a ponytail, grabbed a towel, and headed out. The others followed.
Tanya hoped that they were going to the indoor pool since they didn’t have robes.
Quickly, she changed, and as she checked her image in the mirror, she groaned. While her stomach was flat, her hips were too wide and her breasts way too heavy. “Ugh.”
After she donned the bathrobe and gathe
red a towel, she went to the lobby. Her men stood there in long board shorts looking impressive. The woman at the counter was staring at them.
Tanya pranced up to them and possessively wove her arm under each of theirs. “Let’s get some heat.”
When they stepped outside, she debated turning around.
“You cold, sugar?”
“Ah, yes.” Wasn’t he?
“You want hot, hotter, or hottest?”
“The middle one.”
Hercules pulled her robe off her and whistled. As she turned to the side to grab the robe back from him, Casius lifted her up and raced toward the hotter pool. She laughed at his antics. At least his chest provided some heat. She thought he’d stop when they got there, but instead he hurried down the steps and dunked her to her neck.
“That feels wonderful.”
Three different sets of giggles came from across the pool. Shit. It was the same three perfect girls. They were with three rather scrawny guys, so she could see why her girls wanted to ogle Hercules and Casius. Hercules stepped in and slid totally underwater.
When he surfaced, he looked over at the girls. While he turned back to her, her stomach had already flipped. Those were the type of women who belonged on these men’s arms. Fortunately, neither man seemed to notice them.
Casius pressed his chest to her back and pulled her close. “Close your eyes and relax. Feel the sun on your face and let your muscles go.”
For the first time in years, she did as he asked. This one time she decided to push aside her insecurities and pressure from work and enjoy herself. She wouldn’t think about her men living to four hundred or them going off to battle to fight those terrible tiger shifters or what she’d be like in, say, one hundred years. They claimed that with enough injections, she’d stay beautiful for years. Well, she didn’t want to stay like she was. She wanted to get better.
While the pool was divine, after thirty minutes, her skin pruned.
“You ready to go, babe? I’m betting you want to check in with Georgiana.”
Had she mentioned her plans or did he truly realize where her priorities lay? “I am.”
When they got out, steam poured off her body. Surprisingly she wasn’t cold even as she walked backed to the building. She quickly changed and stuffed her wet suit in the plastic bags provided by the hot springs spa.
The drive back to Delight was a little subdued. While she’d had a wonderful time, there seemed to be more questions left than answers. Talking with Georgiana would be tricky, and if she got Kendis’s opinion, Tanya was afraid her friend would paint a too rosy picture.
Damn. Just when she thought life was getting great.
Chapter Eleven
Tanya hugged the men good-bye and thanked them for the tenth time. They didn’t mention anything about when they would see her again, but she got the sense they wanted to give her time to come to grips with everything. It truly wasn’t an issue about them shifting. It was whether she was the right woman for them.
Once they left, she jumped in her car and drove back to her shop. She wanted to catch Georgiana before she left. Instead of parking in the back, she found a space right in front. It was a few minutes before five, and she spotted her friend inside.
She went in. “Hey! How did it go?”
Georgiana wasn’t smiling. “Why are you back? You should be with your men.” She covered her mouth. “Did something happen?”
Yes. I found out that panther shifters really existed. If she missed that whole concept, what other things was she totally unaware of? “Everything’s good. Sort of.”
Georgiana looked at the clock, which read 4:56 p.m. “How about we lock up a little early and head over to the Emporium? We can get something to drink, and you can tell me all about it.”
Since she wouldn’t mind getting Kendis’s opinion on a few details, she agreed. Of course, that would have to be out of Georgiana’s earshot. “It’ll be my treat though.”
“I’m good with that.”
As soon as Georgiana pulled on her coat, Tanya locked up. Their destination was only two blocks west so they walked.
Georgiana tugged on her arm. “How was the spa?”
“The spa was very nice, but the evening before was more amazing.” She told her about the slight delay due to the closing of the parkway, but once they got to the cabin, things went really well.
They entered the Drinking Emporium, and she noted half the tables were already full. Julia Watson was serving at the coffee bar, and Kendis was on her tea side. “Mind if we sit on Kendis’s half? There are fewer people.”
“Sure.”
Georgiana walked over to Julia to get her full-loaded coffee drink, and Tanya headed over to Kendis. No one was nearby. “I’ll have an orange amaretto hot tea.”
How did one begin to ask if what Hercules and Casius said was true about Jeremiah and Mario being shifters, too? It made sense in a way, as those two had worked at Panther Cove. Tanya always assumed the name was just a spoof on the people of Delight. Now she wasn’t so sure.
Since the tea only had to steep for ninety seconds, Kendis brought it right over. “So how’s it going with your two hunky security men?”
The last time they’d talked, or rather the last time they’d seen each other, was last week at the Christmas festival. “I think it’s going well.” Tanya looked around. “They told me something about their heritage.”
The quick downcast of Kendis’s gaze confirmed her suspicions.
“Oh, yeah. What was that?”
“That your men, as well as mine, are shifters.” She kept her voice to a whisper.
Her body froze for a moment. “You can’t tell anyone.”
For some reason the relief eased her mind. “I won’t.” She glanced over and saw Georgiana choosing a table on the tea side. “I’m not sure what I’m going to tell her. She doesn’t know about them.”
“Just be careful.”
“I will.” She picked up her hot cup and carefully walked it over to her.
Telling her friend everything but the shifter part was going to be hard.
* * * *
Hercules pulled in front of their house, and Casius couldn’t wait to get to the gym. He needed to punch something.
As soon as his brother cut the engine, he jumped out, and Hercules rushed after him. “It’s not your fault.”
That was easy for Herc to say since he wasn’t the one who lost control. He spun around. “Even after we explained things to her, didn’t you see her withdraw?”
Hercules opened the front door and went in. “She was scared, but she seemed to accept things after we explained them.”
His brother could be so dense. “She pretended to accept them. She never bought into the idea that we want her for who she is and not because some mythical trigger went off in our bodies pointing at her to be the one.”
“Then maybe we need to show her how much we appreciate her entrepreneurial spirit.”
There was a lot more to Tanya than her ability to run a store. “She’s resilient. Who else could go through the loss of her only parent at age twenty-two and come out on top?”
“Not anyone I know.”
Casius stabbed a hand over his head. “So what do we do?”
Hercules dumped their gear in the living room then headed into the kitchen. “Beats me. I think if we can get her to fall in love with us somehow, then we’ll be in good shape.”
“What do you think we’ve been trying to do, dumb-ass?”
Hercules shook his head. “We love the hot springs, so we took her there. We love the Christmas festival and bobbing for apples. What about her desires? Have we tried to think what Tanya wants to do?”
Fuck. Maybe they didn’t deserve her. He wracked his brain for something she’d like. “We need something other than sex. I think we all agree that even Tanya thinks we’re compatible.”
“True.”
Casius snapped his fingers. “Remember when you commented on those pictures in the
entranceway and she told you she took them?”
“They were awesome.”
“How about if I take her on a photo shoot?”
“You might be the artistic one of us two, but you don’t even know how to use a camera.” Hercules held up a finger. “Secondly, I hardly think she’ll want to take pictures of snow.”
That would be a problem. Then he smiled. “I got it. How about if we drive down to Charlotte? It doesn’t snow there very often. I bet she’d love the museums if the weather doesn’t cooperate.”
“I like it. It might be good for her to be just with one of us. Perhaps we’ve overwhelmed her. We are a little domineering.”
His brother was the master of understatement sometimes. “I’m going to see if any of the men have a camera I can borrow. How hard can it be?” He used to be pretty good with film cameras but lost interest once digitals came into play.
“You’ll have to tell me.”
Happy that he had at least one solution, he headed out to the gym. Inside, the place was packed with the men. Hunter and Derek were once again fencing. He just didn’t get why Derek didn’t try another sport. He was never going to beat his brother.
Bantum and Noble were lifting weights alongside William Hanson and Thad Elders, two of the new recruits. Well, they weren’t so new anymore. They’d proven themselves to be quite competent, but a month or two at Panther Cove made them the newcomers.
Before he approached any of the men and disturbed their workout, he decided to work out on the punching bag. He took off his jacket and tossed it over a chair. He should change, but he figured he wouldn’t be here long. As soon as the men finished their reps, he’d speak with them.
Sweat beaded on his forehead. Both Hunter and Derek approached. Hercules stopped and wiped his brow. He’d already briefed them on the debacle in Baltimore.
“We have a problem,” Hunter said.
Hercules’s gun soured. “What would that be?”
“About an hour ago, a school bus in Baltimore full of kindergarten kids blew up. Most were killed.”
His legs turned soft. He tried to read their minds, but apparently they were blocking the transmission. It was worse than he could imagine. “What are you telling me?”
Their Virgin Mate [Panther Cove 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 9