by Renee Rose
I flicked a gaze at Landry and Wade, and understood what he was saying. We had a lot to talk through, and John didn’t need to be around to hear it. Especially since the guys were naked, and them being naked led to—
I slipped the backpack from my shoulders and handed it to John. “I put the tag between his shoulder blades. It’s not deep. You should feel it.”
John nodded, gave Landry and Wade another glance, then took off.
“Randolph’s right. We need to talk, but while I don’t mind doing it naked, I want our woman naked too,” Landry said.
My cheeks heated at the thought of the three of us as we had been that first morning. But a mosquito tickled my neck, and I swatted it. Yeah, it might be fine, except I didn’t need bug bites on my ass. I had two wolf bites. That was enough.
“Follow us back to our truck?” Wade asked.
He wasn’t telling. He was giving me the option to tell them no, although I doubted they’d let me walk away. I didn’t want to. I wanted to be with them but, God, there was so much between us. I had to hope it was surmountable.
I nodded, and they shifted back. I stared and blinked, once, and then again, still surprised at what they could do. At what they were. This wasn’t a Twilight film, this was real life. Landry led the way back down the hill. Wade waited, watched, and I realized he was expecting me to follow. I did and he kept close behind, cutting between the pines. Sunlight dappled on their glossy fur. Me and my two wolves, with me in the center.
Right where I wanted to be.
24
WADE
I finished dressing, and walked over to Caitlyn by the back of the truck. No one came down this road—at least, not anyone outside of the Two Marks pack who wasn’t lost. I wasn’t worried about being caught out naked. It was more of a concern being in wolf form during daylight. But if Hollaroy had the tracking data, it was the remaining wolf Caitlyn had tagged that was in danger, not us.
We hadn’t tried to touch her yet. It was close to fucking impossible not to pull her into my arms and kiss the hell out of her. But my wolf and I would have to be content just having her close. Considering she hadn’t returned any of our texts or answered her phone, it was a blessing that she’d followed us back to the truck without protest.
Landry walked around and opened the tailgate of the truck, then sat on it. He hadn’t put his Stetson back on. His hair was uncombed and he hadn’t shaved this morning. He looked as rough as I felt.
“Caitlyn, I’m so sorry we didn’t have your back when Gib came by with that wolf,” he began. “It just… it took us by surprise. I felt responsible because I’m the guy who pulled the trigger on your tranq gun, and I was the one my brother left in charge while he was away. A wolf got killed on my watch. If that had been another shifter—”
“I know,” she cut in sharply. “How do you think I felt?” She wrapped her arms around her middle, and looked down at the ground, where she kicked a pebble with the toe of her hiking boot.
I couldn’t stop myself from reaching for her because she looked so fucking sad. And it had been all our fault. “Sugar, we’re so sorry. Can I hold you? Please?” I wrapped my arms around her from behind, not waiting for an answer. My wolf was instantly soothed at the feel of her, the way her scent filled my nose.
She stiffened at first, but then I realized it was because she was holding in a sob. Landry instantly hopped down and sandwiched her from the front. She pressed her face into his shoulder and let it go.
My wolf howled right along with her crying. No shifter liked to see his mate in tears. It ripped at our need to be the protector, but I had a feeling these tears were as much cathartic as anything else.
I stroked her sides and kissed along her neck as I murmured my apologies over and over. “I’m sorry, beautiful. We never meant to hurt you. That’s the last thing we’d ever want. We were just trying to balance our duty to the pack with our loyalty to you, and we made a mistake. We should have trusted you one hundred percent.”
Caitlyn gathered herself and lifted her head. Her face was red and splotchy, and a tear slid down her cheek. “Do you trust me now?”
Fuck, I hated hearing that waver in her voice.
“Yes,” Landry answered without hesitation, and at the same time, I answered, “Absolutely.”
She licked her lips and Landry swiped at her wet cheek with his thumb. “What about my research? Do you trust me to publish?”
Landry drew a breath, then nodded, glancing my way for confirmation. “We trust you.“
I dropped another kiss on her neck. “Yes.”
“You’re not going to try to convince me not to submit it?” I could hear the hurt in her voice.
Damn, we’d really done a number on her, and it killed me. All she knew now was that she had been on a mission for me to complete. My goal had nothing to do with her other than to end her research. The fact that that had only lasted about ten seconds after I first spoke to her was irrelevant.
“Never again,” I swore, and Landry echoed my words.
“Sugar.” I grasped her hips and gently rotated her to face me. It took a moment, but she lifted her head so her watery dark eyes met mine. “It’s true that I came to Granger originally on Gibs’s orders. He wanted me to look into your research to make sure it wasn’t the cause of the two dead wolves with trackers.”
She winced and I cupped her face, stroking my thumb over her cheek to soothe away her guilt. “Hey, the moment I met you at the bar, I knew you couldn’t be doing anything intentional to harm wolves. Even if you hadn’t turned out to be our mate, even if your scent hadn’t grabbed me by the balls the moment I caught it, I would’ve known by your passion and enthusiasm for your research subjects that you meant no harm.”
Vulnerability flickered across her face.
“I need you to know that seducing you was never part of my plan.”
She arched a brow.
“Not that plan,” I corrected. “It was never meant to manipulate you, or stop your research. I caught your scent, and I knew instantly you were ours. Not pleasuring you would’ve been an impossibility. That’s how it is for us.”
She searched my face, like she was trying to be sure of my words.
“I swear to you, Caitlyn Shriver,” I vowed. “Seeing to your pleasure, your protection, and your happiness is my sole purpose in life. Same with Landry. We fucked it up badly, but we’re going to make it up to you.”
Fresh tears glistened in her eyes.
I leaned forward, my lips almost brushing hers. “May I kiss you?”
She lifted her mouth to mine and I slanted my lips, just allowing myself a taste. “I’m sorry we hurt you. Will you please let us make it up to you?”
She pressed her hands against my chest, and I instantly gave her more space.
Fuck, had I messed it up some more?
“What does that mean, exactly?” She turned to look over her shoulder at Landry, her voice full of continued wariness. “What do you want from me?”
“We just need you, sugar.” Landry picked Caitlyn up by the waist and sat her on the tailgate. Her feet dangled well above the ground. He lifted her hand, and held it as if it was the most precious thing in the world. “We need to be close to you. If that means we have to take turns with one of us staying with you in Granger while the other works here for the rest of our lives, we’ll do it.”
I nodded my agreement, moving closer to take her other hand.
“You’d do that for me?” she asked. The surprise in her question cut deep.
“We’d do anything for you.”
A tear slipped down her cheek again. Fuck. We were so bad at this.
“You should be mad at me after what happened to White Paw,” she said.
“Caitlyn, it’s—”
She held up her hand. “You guys aren’t the only ones who messed up here. Dr. Andrews took my research and used it… God, it’s so awful. I didn’t know. I didn’t. But, I’ve been trying to make it right.”
I nodded. “We got Randolph’s text, that you intend to remove all the trackers.”
“Yes, it’s the only way to guarantee Hollaroy won’t use the data.”
I looked to Landry. “Hollaroy,” I said. I stalked over to a tree, punched it. My knuckles broke, then began to immediately heal. All Randolph had texted was that he was with our mate, they were heading to take a tracker out of the local wolf, and where to meet up with them. We knew from the college students that Andrews had sold the data to ranchers, but not that it was Hollaroy. The fucker.
Caitlyn gasped, but didn’t say anything for a moment. Then, “It’s going to take some time, but I’ll get the trackers out of the wolves.”
Landry shook his head. “Randolph will head that up. He’ll get shifters on it. You don’t have to worry about it any longer.”
Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “It was because of me. I need to see it through.”
“It wasn’t because of you. It was because of your asshole boss and Hollaroy. They’ll get what’s coming,” I vowed. Gib would take care of it by getting the pack to spread out and remove the trackers. It would happen faster when done by shifters.
“I sent my paper to the dean.” There was a note of challenge in her voice, like she was testing the vow we’d just made to her.
I froze, and looked to Landry. It was this moment where our bond was tested. She would never do anything to hurt the pack, and that meant including what she’d written. We had to trust that.
“I changed it. This week. I know you won’t believe me until you read it.” She glanced up at the canopy of pines over our heads. “When we get back to your place.”
I whipped my head up, and met her eyes.
“You want… you’ll stay with us?”
She licked her lips again, and I groaned. “If you’ll have me.”
Landry and I stepped closer, touching her. I set a hand on her thigh, gave it a squeeze. Landry stroked her hair back.
“We all messed up, didn’t we?” she asked.
I laughed, for the first time in days.
“We did. And we will again, I’m sure. Mates stick together, even if that means living apart during the week.”
She shook her head. “I’m done with Granger State. I mean… I have to finish teaching my summer class, and I’ll have to make changes for the dean on the paper, but I… well, my life isn’t there. It never was. I just didn’t know it until I met you two.”
Landry ran his fingers through his hair. “Say you’ll move to West Springs.”
“I am interested in Cord’s research,” she admitted, almost reluctantly, looking up at us through her dark lashes.
Landry’s face lit up with a grin, and I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “That’s great. I’m sure a salaried position could be arranged. There’s pack money that could be put toward it. No pressure, of course.”
“That sounds… wonderful, actually.” Her face shone with eagerness. “I belong here. Like you guys can scent your mate, I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be. With you.”
“That’s right, sugar,” Landry said.
“Fuck yes,” I replied at the same time.
She laughed.
My wolf practically leapt for joy.
Caitlyn’s smile grew wider. “Well, what are you waiting for?” She blinked back tears. “Take me home.”
25
CAITLYN
From the looks in their eyes, I didn’t think Wade and Landry would actually take me back to Wade’s house—our house—before they stripped me bare and had their way with me.
Landry had tossed me over his shoulder, carried me around to the passenger door and set me inside, forcing me into the middle as he slid in beside me. Wade climbed behind the wheel and took off without a word. The tires skidded on the dirt road, showing his eagerness.
They didn’t say anything during the ride, but Wade’s hand was on my thigh the entire time, and Landry took hold of my hand and didn’t let it go.
By the time Wade skidded to a stop in his driveway, the sexual tension in the cab was palpable. I wanted to climb them, strip them, kiss them, lick them, suck them. Whatever the verb was, I wanted to do it to and with Wade and Landry.
Landry tossed me over his shoulder again. It was possessive and bossy, but this time, I laughed. Because his legs were long, he ate up the distance to the porch and into the bedroom.
He dropped me on the big bed in the master. I bounced, and came up onto my knees.
“Clothes off,” Landry said as he stripped down, his gaze never leaving me.
I didn’t argue, only got to work. Wade came in right behind us and followed suit.
They were bare before I was and they climbed onto the mattress and helped me with what I had left. Socks, undies. Fabric ripped, seams tore.
I didn’t care.
“Three days apart,” Landry breathed as he ran his hands over my body. “Never again.”
“No.” I touched him in return.
“Mates can’t be apart like that, sugar.” Wade cupped my breasts from behind. “Our wolves can’t take it.”
I shook my head, angled it to the side for Landry to have more room as he kissed along my shoulder.
“I don’t have a wolf in me, but I can’t take it either. Is this real?” I breathed.
Landry grabbed me by the butt and lifted me up so I straddled his thighs. His dick nudged my belly, and I felt the smear of pre-cum from the tip.
“Yes. You're ours,” he breathed.
“You’re mine,” I replied.
With shaky fingers, he tipped my chin up and I met his dark gaze. “We never talked about birth control. We want pups, but I’m not ready to share you, sugar, not even with a pup.”
“I’m on the pill, but yeah, I’m not ready for kids… pups, yet.”
“Someday,” Wade vowed.
God, they wanted it all with me. It was real.
“Bare, then,” Landry said, rolling my hips into him.
I nodded, squirming. “Yes. Bare. Nothing between us.”
He lifted me up and notched the broad crown at my entrance, then lowered me down. I was wet. They didn’t test me to see, but I knew they could smell my arousal. I was dripping with it, which meant I slid right down onto him.
“Yes!” I cried, feeling full.
Wade’s hands came from behind and he tugged at my nipples, sucked at my neck.
I was right where I wanted to be. Between my men. With them. We were together. Nothing would tear us apart now.
LANDRY
Fuck, she felt incredible. I’d been aching to get in her again. Felt like I was dying without her. But it wasn’t just her pussy my wolf and I had craved. It had been the smart, gorgeous, sassy woman who’d captured our hearts.
She was driven to wolves somehow. It had been her goal and the focus of her life. She hadn’t understood it before, but now she did. Perhaps she’d been fated to be here in West Springs, but she was ours.
I thrust up, filling her again, feeling her walls ripple around me. She felt so good, her scent swirling around us. Consuming us.
It would always be like this. Too much. Too intense.
I wasn’t going to last. My cum had made my balls ache for days, and now that I was in her, there was nothing that could stop me from filling her up, getting my scent not only beneath her skin with my bite, but in her pussy, marking her as mine.
I reached between us and brushed her clit, which was hard and swollen. “Come with me, sugar,” I breathed.
Perhaps she was just as needy as I was, or she needed the command in my words to be set free.
She clamped down on me and screamed my name.
“Fuck yes,” I breathed, watching her come for as long as I could, then thrust deep and went blind with my own pleasure.
Spurts of cum shot from me, coated her, filled her. Overflowed.
Like my heart. It would always be too much. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
WADE
I watched our mate come as Landry fucked her. It was the most beautiful sight, something I’d never tire of seeing. Our female being satisfied between us.
I knew, though, that Landry couldn’t support her any longer. I scooped her up, and laid her out on the bed, her hair fanning out around her on the pillow. Fuck, she was beautiful. And all ours.
“Sugar.” I settled down on top of her. I was propped up on my forearms so as not to give her too much of my weight.
She blinked her eyes open and gave me a soft smile.
“More,” she murmured.
I grinned, then kissed her. She opened her thighs, allowed me to nestle my hips between them. I gave her what she wanted. More.
Between Landry’s cum and her juices, she was slippery as hell, and I filled her in one easy thrust.
Her back arched. Before I took her the way my wolf and I wanted, I stroked her hair, got her to meet my gaze. Hers was lust-filled and sated.
“We haven’t said the words, but we love you.”
Landry had recovered enough to settle beside us, his back propped up against the headboard to watch. “We sure as fuck do.”
She looked from him to me. “I… I love you, too.” She licked her lips, and I groaned. “Please,” she whimpered, rolling her hips into me.
“You’re everything,” I said, then thrust deep.
Fuck. Fuck. She was incredible. As I gave her the pleasure she craved, satisfying her with not one but two orgasms, I knew we were home.
I’d lived in this house my entire life. My parents and grandparents and generations before had lived and loved here. But I’d never understood truly what it could be like until now.
Until Caitlyn.
Until she tempted us, body and soul.
Epilogue
CAITLYN