Tempted: A Cowboy Shifter Romance (Two Marks Book 2)

by Renee Rose

  “That’s why your cabin is on Landry’s land,” she said, putting it together.

  Wade nodded. “Right. It’s not really Landry’s, except that his bloodline is alpha. His brother rules the pack.”

  Caitlyn’s eyes lit with excitement now. She stood and turned. “May I see your wolf again? Now that I’m not so freaked out?”

  Wade shifted to wolf form, and to ensure one of us was in human form with her while she assimilated, I changed back to answer questions.

  Caitlyn walked to the bed and stroked Wade’s ears and neck. When he rolled to his back, she laughed and rubbed his belly. “Incredible. You’re so beautiful. This… it’s just amazing. I still can’t believe it.”

  I wrapped my arm around her from behind. “It’s real, sugar.”

  “So…” She leaned back against me and tipped her head to see my face. “Is the two-on-one thing related to being wolves? I mean, I don’t know any canis lupus variety that mates in pairs, but—”

  “Yes,” I interrupted. “Most wolf shifter species mate singly—one male for one female for life. But our particular family line mates in pairs. Probably some evolutionary advantage when there weren’t enough females around, we surmise.”

  “But you don’t still need to, right? I mean… is it a biological urge? To, um, mate two to one?”

  “Yes,” I said simply. We were getting close to the part we needed her to hear. That she was our mate. The only female we’d ever touch, now that we’d scented her. The one we needed to mark with our teeth to claim as ours forever.

  But I didn’t want to go too fast. Better to let her ask questions and arrive on her own time.

  “That’s why you share? Because… um,” she bit her lower lip, considering, “is it better when you’re together? Even though you don’t get each other off? Or…”

  “Exactly,” I replied. “It’s better when we’re together. And with you.” So much for letting her arrive there on her own.

  Her eyes rounded. She blinked at me. “Me? As in a woman, or me as in me?”

  “You,” I said. “You’re our mate—we know by your scent. You smell incredible to us. That’s why Wade waited to have sex with you until I could meet you, too. He knew you were the one.”

  “The one?” she cocked her head. “That doesn’t sound like science.”

  “It is,” I insisted. “Biology. There’s a perfect match for every pair. You’re ours. Meaning we want to mark you as our female, with our wolf teeth, and our dicks.”

  14

  CAITLYN

  Okay, I’d freaked. Not run away screaming naked into the wilderness, but I’d had a little meltdown. After Landry said wolf teeth, I grabbed my clothes and scrambled into them, minus my panties. They’d been tossed somewhere in our haste to get naked earlier, and I hadn’t wanted to go scrounge for them.

  It wasn’t the fact that the two men I’d been falling for had switched from huge, naked men to wolves and then back. It had been that it hadn’t bothered me all that much. Or that they wanted to mark me with wolf teeth. Then he’d tossed in being marked by their dicks, too, and that had made me hot. Made me wet and eager for them all over again.

  That was why I had a little panic attack. Because I still wanted two men who switched from sexy men to furry wolves.

  They’d given me room, let me take time to process as the sun set. I’d returned inside after dark and they hadn’t said a word, only led me to bed and tucked me between them. They were gentle. Quiet. Cautious, even. As if they were afraid I truly might run away.

  It had been a consideration, because was I really safe? Would they hurt me? I knew they could but as their hands ran over me, not in a sexual way as much as one to perhaps soothe me, I knew they wouldn’t. They were keeping me where they knew I was safe. Where they could protect me from all things. If I needed them, they’d be right there.

  No, I was safe. And that had been my last thought before I’d fallen asleep.

  Now, I sat on the front porch steps and stared out into the wilderness that surrounded Wade’s house. The morning sun was warm on my face. It had rained overnight, and everything was bright and clean. A bird chirped in the distance.

  I felt their eyes on me. Even with the new day, they allowed me room, feeding me coffee and eggs without speaking of anything more than the weather.

  I wasn’t sure if it was because they worried I’d bolt, or just plain worried. Perhaps they were waiting to see if I had questions. I had too many to voice.

  They’d admitted to a lot, and I had to absorb it all.

  I’d always been drawn to wolves. It was why I’d studied biology in college then moved specifically into research of the species in grad school and for my dissertation. And now, as my job. I’d left Connecticut for Wyoming to be closer to them. To see them in the wild.

  Was that why I’d been drawn to Wade from the start? Why I’d taken him home with me after knowing him only a few minutes? Why I’d let both him and Landry touch me? Why I was falling for them?

  God, was I part wolf?

  I popped up from the wood step, and paced the grass in front of his house. I thought of my parents. They were so not wolves. They didn’t understand anything about me. My drive. My desires. My dreams. Why my work was what had me eager to get up in the morning. It fulfilled me, unlike the prep school job they were hoping I’d consider. I felt like they were matchmakers, putting me into a relationship that just wouldn’t work.

  Somehow, being with Landry and Wade did.

  Two men. God, two!

  I put my hand over my lips. Two wolves.

  The screen door slammed, and I turned. “Time to head into town,” Wade said, setting his Stetson on his head.

  Landry came down the steps, kissed the top of my head. They were dressed and were acting as if they hadn’t shifted into wild animals in Wade’s bedroom. “We’ve got someone for you to meet.”

  As Wade closed up the house, Landry took my hand and led me to the truck.

  “Dr. Cord McCaffrey is a friend of ours.”

  “Doctor? Like me?” I asked after I climbed up onto the bucket seat and Landry slid in beside me.

  “Seatbelt,” Landry said. I picked up the strap as he kept talking. “Medical doctor. His practice is in West Springs. He’s also a shifter.”

  After my belt clicked into place, I looked up at Landry. At the dark stubble on his jaw, the crinkles around his eyes. How was he a wolf?

  Wade climbed in behind the wheel and started the engine. “Doing okay, sugar?” His eyes raked over my face.

  I nodded. Okay was all I could be in this moment.

  “Is he a vet?” I asked. They laughed, and my cheeks went hot. “Sorry.”

  Wade took my hand and used the other to steer us down the mountain. “No worries. For someone who just learned about shifters, it’s a good question. He’s a medical doctor. He treats shifters and humans both. Mostly humans, because shifters don’t get sick, but he’s also interested in wolf shifter genetics.”

  “Why are you bringing me to him? I thought you said being a shifter wasn’t an infection. I’m not going to turn into a wolf, am I?”

  Landry set his hand on my thigh. “Easy, sugar. Breathe. When we first met, we told you we’d never hurt you, never let anyone harm you. Remember that?”

  I nodded, trying to keep calm.

  “That hasn’t changed. You won’t turn into a wolf. You can’t. You’re human. That’s not going to change. Our kind normally doesn’t pick a human to mate, but we’re certain you’re ours. Our noses don’t lie.”

  God, I felt so slow. I was still trying to catch up with all this. “So there’s some kind of pheromone that tells you who to mate? And you two are attracted to my scent?”

  “Yes.”

  “And why are we going to the doctor?”

  “Well, Wade mentioned something earlier that got me thinking. You’re a wolf biologist. Fate—biology—chose you to be our mate. Maybe because you’re supposed to be studying our genes. Shifter gene
s.”

  I stared at him. Wow. Shifter genes. I’d love to get some blood samples and take a look.

  “Cord is studying all the shifters in the Two Marks pack—”

  “Two Marks pack?” I asked.

  Landry gave my thigh a squeeze. “Right. Sorry. Shifters live in packs, just like ordinary wolves. As we said, the West land is for everyone in our group. Our pack. Our pack name is Two Marks.”

  “Because you mate in pairs,” I added, finally seeing.

  “Exactly.” Wade lifted our joined hands to his mouth so he could kiss my knuckles.

  “He’s studying our blood, our DNA, and comparing it to the shifter species that mate singly. Our particular species has a very limited population. Anyway, it’s not unlike what you’re doing in your studies,” Landry added. “I thought you might hit it off.”

  “And answer all those questions that are filling your head,” Wade added.

  Oh. I slumped back in the seat and decided to be quiet for the rest of the ride into town. My head was going to explode if I got any more overwhelmed.

  “I know you came here to get those trackers on more wolves,” Landry said. “I think you can understand now why we aren’t doing that.”

  I tipped my head to look at him. His dark eyes met mine. “I let you tag two, but no more. It went against everything in me to do it.”

  I saw the frown take over his face.

  “You did it for me?” I whispered.

  He nodded. “We couldn’t tell you about us, not then. It was a—”

  “Compromise,” Wade finished.

  “But now, you won’t have me tag more.” I wasn’t sure if I was upset or understanding. Maybe both. I’d fallen for two cowboy shifters. Two guys who had a direct impact on my paper. On my job. On my staying in Wyoming.

  “That’s why we’re meeting Cord. Maybe you can talk to him about your research. No pressure, it’s just an idea.”

  Ten minutes later, we parked on the Main Street of West Springs, the quaint town nestled in the mountains. A river ran through the valley that was partially fed by a deep spring. This was the reason the town was named as it was, and after Landry’s family for the rest.

  Hanging flower pots graced lamp posts at every block. Storefronts were welcoming to tourists and locals alike. It had a calm feel. Life here was simple, friendly.

  I liked it, even more so than Granger, which was only an hour away.

  Landry pointed through the windshield. “That’s his office, there. Next to the bakery.”

  Wade undid my seatbelt and climbed out. I followed Landry out the passenger side and he took my hand. A bell above the door chimed when we entered the small waiting area. It was empty, even the spot behind the desk.

  A man came down the hallway, which I assumed was where the exam rooms were.

  “Hi, Caitlyn, I’m Cord. Landry gave me a call and told me about you.”

  I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. “I admit, I don’t know all that much about you.”

  He cocked his head to the side, gave me an understanding smile. “Want a lollipop?”

  His question was a surprise and made me laugh. “Sure.”

  He went to the receptionist's desk and picked up a glass jar and held it out for me. I reached in, picking out a wrapped red one. Landry’s cell chimed. He pulled it from his pocket, read the display, an incoming text.

  He sighed, swore under his breath. “The ordering system at the distillery is down.”

  Wade swore too. “Text them back and say we’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  Then they looked to me. “Want to see the distillery?” Landry asked.

  “Caitlyn, you’re welcome to stay with me,” Cord offered. “I know your mates wanted me to share some of my research. These two can go save the world, and come back for you.”

  I could tell by the way Landry and Wade stood that they had to get to their jobs. They’d taken enough time off for me. Even though it was a Saturday, I had a feeling their roles kept them occupied no matter if it was the weekend.

  “It’s fine. Go,” I said.

  They stepped close, kissed me, then looked to Cord. Their gazes shifted to dark and broody, and I could have sworn I heard Landry growl. “Touch our mate, and you die,” Landry said, not quite light enough for it to sound like he was kidding.

  Cord raised his hands as if in a stick-up, but his smile remained. “She’s not mine,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I know it. My wolf knows it. She’s safe with me.” He lifted his nose in the air. “Even if she’s not marked.”

  They glanced between me and Cord, then nodded, although when they left me behind, they didn’t seem all that happy about it.

  “Wolves are possessive,” Cord said as we watched through the front window as they climbed into Wade’s truck. “I’m thrilled they found their mate. I mean, a human mate is unexpected, but any true mating is welcome.” He looked at me. “They’re good men, Caitlyn. I hope you’ll stick around.”

  I was struggling to keep up again. “True mating?”

  “Right.” He leaned back against the reception desk and folded his arms across his white lab coat. “Our species can mate and produce offspring with anyone—shifter or human, but only a true mate will instigate the biological urge to mark a female. That’s what we call a ‘true mate’.

  He tipped his head. “Let’s head back to my office. Bring your lollipop, and we can talk. I’ll answer any questions you have.”

  It was hard not to like Cord when he took that affable family doctor tone. I’d bet children loved coming to see him. Especially with the bowl of lollipops at the front desk.

  “I want to know what being marked means.” I made air quotes with my fingers as I followed him.

  He went around his desk in a small, tidy office. He pointed to a seat across from him and I sat. The room wasn’t any different than any other doctor’s office, not that I had any idea what it would look like otherwise. Pictures of wolves on the walls? Wolf print paintings from little kids? Little… pups?

  Yeah, I had a lot of questions. To busy myself, I pulled the wrapper off the lollipop and dropped it in the trash.

  “Marked is when a male—or, in our species’ case, two males—claim their female. The urge is only triggered when a wolf finds his true mate, which causes his canines to descend, coated with a special serum. He then bites his mate during lovemaking, embedding the serum, which carries his scent, permanently into her flesh.”

  I winced. That didn’t sound particularly appealing.

  “A female shifter would instantly heal from such a marking.” He tipped his head to the side and considered me. “A human female is another story. It could be dangerous if they hit a major artery, or if it got infected while healing.”

  “Wait, so the purpose is to mark her? Why? To keep other males away?”

  Cord grinned. “Yes. Other shifters can smell that she belongs to someone. Is claimed.”

  “So you knew Wade and Landry hadn’t marked me yet—by my scent?”

  His gaze dropped to my neck again for a moment. “Right.”

  “Is it like the shifter equivalent of getting married?”

  He set his hands on his desk, shrugged. He was a handsome man. Rugged and big, as if it was in the DNA of the Two Marks pack for the males to be supersized. There was an intelligence behind his eyes too. He wasn’t as… wild as Landry or Wade, maybe because he’d had to go somewhere for college and medical school. Residency.

  If I wasn’t already into Landry and Wade, I’d have set my sights on Cord. But now, he didn’t do anything for me.

  “Marriages can end,” he said. “Divorce happens all the time. Wolves mate for life. Especially the Two Marks variety. Wade and Landry knew you by your scent. Their wolves recognized that you were the one, and they had the urge to mark you as their mate. They didn’t need to date you, to get to know you like humans do. One deep breath, and you belonged to them. You just didn’t know it.”

  I blushed, remembering how ea
sily I’d taken Wade back to my apartment.

  “Could I have been drawn to them as well? Maybe not by scent, but… attraction?”

  He gave me a reassuring smile, then leaned back in his chair. “Sure. As a human, it probably scared you, the intensity between the three of you?”

  I glanced away. “Definitely. And the fact that I was drawn to two men. I’m not… I’ve never—”

  “There is no shame in a Two Marks triad. You have human values attached to what is considered an appropriate relationship. If you let those go, you can see that what you share with Landry and Wade is real.”

  It certainly felt real. More real than anything in my life had ever felt. “I almost wonder… if this is why I’ve always been obsessed with wolves.”

  Cord tilted his head and shrugged. His white shirt didn’t hide the way his muscles flexed when he did that. I wondered if he had a mate, because I had no doubt she was a happy woman. “Could be. I’m a man of science, but most shifters would call a true match the intervention of Fate.”

  I could only nod. “So they want to bite me?”

  “Oh yes,” he said right away. “Since they first caught your scent. They’ve held off so far, but their wolves will be getting frantic. Especially if they’ve touched you sexually.”

  I blushed so red, he laughed. “I’m here to answer questions if you have them, but your mates can and will ease your mind. The reason why they brought you here wasn’t for a doctor’s consult about a mating bite, but—besides being shocked by the existence of shifters and maybe wanting answers from someone with a scientific background like yours—because of our shared research interest.”

  “Oh?”

  “They said you’re a wolf biologist? I understand you’re comparing the genes of native and transplanted wolves.”

  “Yes.” I was surprised to hear that he knew the particulars of my research. A surge of gratitude shot through me. Landry or Wade had to have told him what I’m studying. Which meant they’d actually paid attention. They understood what I was working on, unlike most people in my life, including my parents. Even if what I was studying was… them.