Climbing the Ladder

Climbing the Ladder A Shifting Elements Book

By BA Tortuga

Resplendence Publishing, LLC http://www.resplendencepublishing.com

Resplendence Publishing, LLC 2665 N Atlantic Avenue, #349 Daytona Beach, FL 32118 Climbing the Ladder Copyright © 2011 BA Tortuga Edited by Darlena Cunha and Liza Green Cover art by Les Byerley, www.les3photo8.com Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-416-1 Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Electronic Release: October 2011 This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

To the Central Texas Pack. Sit. Stay. Good dogs.

Chapter One

“Congratulations, Mesa.” Grandma Minnie smiled at him, clapping him on the shoulder. The other elders gathered around, offering happy noises and claps on the back. They were all very tickled for him, happy as pigs in shit. At least as happy as they could be, with Ben disappearing one afternoon a month ago with Susan, David slitting his wrists a week later, unable to do anything but cry their names. It had been Mesa who had found the two bodies, desiccated and still, their throats torn out. Ben had been a good Alpha, strong. Mesa couldn’t imagine what could do that sort of damage. Couldn’t imagine how to defend his Clan from it, either. “Such serious thoughts.” Granny winked at him, but her eyes were worried, too. Knowing. “Mesa! You did it!” One of the pack females—Alicia, he thought her name was—leapt at him. He tried to catch her, but after the last few days of visions and fur and fang, he didn’t have it in him, and she ended up slumped against his body. “You did it! We’re so proud, all of us. You can choose a woman now, move into the big house. You must be so excited!” She certainly was, eager and aroused, rubbing against him. “I guess.” Mesa didn’t particularly care. He was exhausted, his muscles shaking. He wanted a nap, a beer and a shower, and not in that order. Hell, he just wanted to go off and lick his wounds, which were pretty extensive, considering he’d just passed his Alpha trials. The trials were designed to test all of his abilities, physical and mental, and he was wiped out. He’d passed, though. One of the youngest tribe members to do it, too.

“You’re a full Alpha now, son.” Grandma Minnie hugged on him, her teeth dull and round from years of use. “I’m so proud.” “Thanks, Granny.” He loved the old lady. He really did. Too bad, she was squashing a six-inch gash on his shoulder. He was going to have to tell Canyon off for that one. The cut above his eye was his own fault. He’d fallen down like a cub at the end of the final run. “Well, boy, what are you going to do now?” Grandpa Moses asked, coming to peer into his face with those bluish cataract-filled eyes. The old man had never been his biggest supporter, but had cheered him on like a champ today. Even after all of Mesa’s trials, and all his bitching about wanting a bath, his thoughts went to Kody, just as he’d known they would, and Mesa squared his shoulders. He was sick to death of missing his best friend, and now that he had the resources of the entire pack behind him, he was ready to get his life back where he wanted it. “I’m going to clean up. Go tell Juniper I passed and tell Canyon I need to see him.” He grinned, making Grandma Minnie hoot when she saw his expression. “Then I’m going to go get my mate back.” **** “Hey, Sammy!” Becky waved at her from the patio of Tapatilia’s. “Margaritas are coming!” God, she did love a lunch date. “Excellent.” She slipped into the chair and put her bag down by her legs. She’d flown in to LAX midmorning and had headed into the office to check emails, all that garbage. Then she’d called home, made sure Kody was back from his weekend, and promised to bring some bubbly for some late afternoon nookie. “How’s the baby?” “With the nanny today, thank God. I needed my girl time. How’s business?” She shrugged. “It could be better. You know.” Becky nodded. Her husband was an investment guy and the recession had kicked the man’s butt there for a little while. “I do. How is Kody?” Even after two years, Becky’s nose still wrinkled when she asked about Sammy’s husband. The worst part was that it wasn’t just Becky. It was Becky, Meg, Ginny. Steph. All of them.

They just couldn’t see how amazing Kody was, how wanton, how he took care of her. “He’s great. He just got home from a gig in San Jose.” “How is the fortune telling business these days?” “It’s good.” She sighed, stared at the lunch menu. This wasn’t supposed to be nasty, damn it. This was supposed to be lunch. “I’m sorry, Sammy. That was mean. Kody’s a sweetheart, you know that.” “I do. I just wish you guys would give him a break.” Becky tossed her hair, the blonde highlights freshly done and perfect, making Sammy want to check her do. Kody liked it darker, though, more natural. He said the hair color smelled bad, even after a wash. “We try, Sammy, but, good God, you brought him home from a fair. He didn’t have a house!” No, but neither had she, once upon a time. None of these people knew about her upbringing, about the foster homes, the homelessness, the shame. Kody had –known—magically, wonderfully, absolutely. Kody had known and not cared. “Two years ago. You said your piece. You all told me what a big mistake I was making. Now he should have proven himself.” “I know, but…” She held one hand up, tired of the conversation. “Enough, okay? No buts. I love him. He loves me. We’re married.” And she’d never been so happy, so free. So loved for exactly who she was. She ordered a Cobb salad, texted Kody, then turned the conversation to something easier. “Are you going to host another Halloween party this year? We’re thinking about ordering Red Riding costumes, since we’ve got plenty of time.” She listened with half an ear, her mind already home with her lover, his hunger, his need. **** Potatoes. Tomatoes. Carrots. Celery. Onions. London broil. God, the stew smelled good. He’d made four loaves of bread—enough for the week’s lunches, plus three dinners, and one loaf for Sammy to take to the office for the potluck.

Now, apple crisp or a coconut cream pie? They both sounded good, and Sammy loved the coconut, but the apples were in season now. So yummy. And the cinnamon would make the house smell so good. So good. Cinnamon made Sammy snuggly. There was something very nice about snuggly Sammy. Hot. Spicy, like the cinnamon. Kody growled happily, peeling the apples and indulging in a little fantasy about Sammy’s hands. Kody loved Sammy’s hands. He got three apples peeled and was working on number four when something intruded on his fantasy, a scent that had his nose quivering. It was familiar… His nose twitched and he put the apple down, whining deep in his throat, following his nose. Yes. Familiar, but different. Full of strength. Weird. Fascinating. He headed toward the back door. The scent got stronger, and he identified it as male, musky, almost addictive. Kody pushed the hair out of his face, moved the curtain from the back door. The door popped open, all but knocking him down. It wasn’t Sammy. Not at all. “Hey, Kody. ‘Bout time I tracked you down.” He was dreaming. Dreaming. Not awake. Sound asleep. Not here. He was chasing the moon. Kody reached down, pinched his arm. Hard. “Still here.” His oldest friend and first love, Mesa McMullen, was standing right there. Huge and beautiful and dark and strong. Male. Fierce. Grinning at him like a monkey. Mesa. His Mesa. “You’re in Los Angeles.” “I am.” Mesa smiled, the expression pure wolf. “So are you.”

“Uh-huh.” His nostrils flared. “You smell different.” Even after three years, he remembered exactly how good Mesa smelled. “I passed, baby. My trials.” He could see Mesa’s hands flex, as if to keep from reaching for him. Or maybe preparing to. “Mesa…” Oh. Oh, lord and lady. His Alpha. “I’m so proud.” “Good. Come home with me.” “Oh.” He whined softly, his body going immediately, painfully hard and he took a step forward, wanting his mate more than almost anything. Almost. “I… But there’s Sammy.” “Sammy. Who the fuck is Sammy?” Mesa’s growl vibrated all the way down Kody’s spine, as if someone had hit a tuning fork against his bones. He held up his hand with the wedding ring. He hadn’t believed Mesa would come for him, had thought, when the moon led him down out of the mountains, that he would never be Clan again. He could almost hear Grandma Minnie’s laughter in his soul. “You—” Mesa blinked. “You’d never marry a man.” He chirruped softly, head tilting. “Why would I marry a man?” Mesa was his mate. When they bonded—if they bonded—it would be for life. “So, Sammy is a girl?” Mesa was starting to smile, a look Kody knew well. It was sex and need and pride and pleasure, all at once. Kody nodded. “Of course. My wife. She’s beautiful. Fierce.” “We’ll have to bring her with us.” “Oh.” He stepped forward, vibrating. Those words were his most hoped for wish, spoken aloud. “Yes. Yes, Mesa. Please.” Mesa closed the rest of the gap between them, hand behind Kody’s head to pull him up for a kiss. Broad and fierce, Mesa felt like heaven against him, growling, mouth hovering right above his lips. Kody sobbed in anticipation, hands spreading over Mesa’s chest. “Need you, baby. Waited so long.” Mesa kissed him, just like Kody wanted. Everything inside him howled. Mate. His Mate. His Alpha. His Mesa. They rubbed together, Mesa’s leg sliding between his and lifting. Ached. It ached so good. “Mate…”

Those big hands closed on his ass, squeezing, and his cock jumped, his need tripling, quadrupling. His fingers tangled in Mesa’s thick, black hair, holding them together. Mesa was going to devour him, just eat him alive. He’d missed this, the flavor of his best friend, for years. Now he could have it. He could have all he wanted. He heard a soft sound, then “Kody? Kody, what the hell?” Oh. Oops. Mesa lifted his head, teeth bared in a growl. “Who is this?” “My wife.”

Chapter Two

In all the scenarios Samantha had came up with for her homecoming this afternoon, walking in on her husband in a clench with another man hadn’t been on the list. At all. The champagne bottle fell to the floor and rolled. The two men, her Kody, someone she’d thought she knew, and some big, dark guy with a hefty snarl, stared at her. Like she’d interrupted or something. Like she should have politely waited outside her own house for them to finish. Okay. Okay. Okay. Focus. She needed to move. Bedroom. Pack a bag. Go. Call Becky. Buy tequila. Call a lawyer. It was good to have a plan, right? Right. She took off for her bedroom at a dead run. Which made it really odd that the boys got there before her. “Get out of my way.” “Sammy, honey.” Kody reached out for her, and she slapped his hand. Hard. “Don’t you fucking call me honey. You never get to call me honey again!” He didn’t even have the decency to ask his lover to leave while she explained to him how she was going to leave him. She could handle a lot, but not this. “She’s feisty.” The big guy had a rumbly voice and a callused hand. She felt it on her arm, fingers long enough to circle her arm completely.

“Don’t you touch me!” She spun around, decked the guy as hard as she could before fumbling for the doorknob. It would lock behind her once she was through. Kody put himself between her and the door, pleading with her with those big, blue eyes. “Honey, please.” “Don’t you call me honey. You…you cheater! You…And with a guy? Why didn’t you… You knew I was coming home.” So Kody must not have even cared… “I didn’t know Mesa was coming to find me.” Kody was still pleading, hand outstretched. “Oh.” It was like being hit with ice water, leaving her gasping for breath, it hurt so badly. “I want you out. Tomorrow.” She’d go to Maggie’s, spend the night. Becky had kids. Becky wouldn’t understand. Becky would bitch. Maggie would help her plan Kody’s homicide. “No. No, you don’t understand…” Kody looked frantic now. She got a tiny little nugget of satisfaction out of that. Maybe the big guy didn’t have the money she did. “You’re right, I don’t. I don’t understand any of this. I thought…” She thought that she was Kody’s love, Kody’s lady, and even though all of her friends had said she was a fool for taking up with a tarot-reading, festival-going psychic, she’d thought it was for real. She was going to be a laughingstock. Samantha looked at Kody, blinking hard, refusing to let him see her cry. “You have until close of business tomorrow to clear out of here. I never want to see you again.” “Stop it.” The big one’s voice snapped through the room, making her jump. “You need to calm the fuck down.” “Fuck you, asshole. You wanted him, take him.” Kody was staring at the guy now, not her. He was shaking hard. “Mesa. Make her understand.” That was it. She’d had enough. She was out of here. “Tomorrow, Kody. I’m serious.” All she needed was her purse and her keys. She was out of here. Except that the big asshole kept pushing, invading her space, until the only place she could go was her bedroom. Kody was moved neatly out of the way to give her access to that. She managed to grab the door, slam it, and lock it.

Then she stood there looking at the bed that was supposed to be where she and Kody were having wild, amazing sex. Maybe she should have offered them the bedroom. Assholes. Fucking assholes. She leaned against the door, closed her eyes. She needed to plan, needed to think. Needed to call her lawyer. One way or the other, if Kody thought he could have his cake and eat it, too, he was sadly mistaken. She could figure out what to do next, damn it. She was a smart dog. **** Mesa blinked, then rolled his head on his neck. What a cluster fuck. “How likely is she to climb out the window, baby?” “Out the window?” Kody looked completely destroyed, chewing his lips, hands scrubbing together. “Yeah. To get away.” He chose not to bark, moving close instead, sharing his scent with Kody. “She’s not. No, she’s going to take a bath.” Kody sniffed him, panting softly. “What am I going to do? I didn’t mean to hurt her. I didn’t.” “Shh.” He reached up and rubbed his thumb along Kody’s cheek, his palm curling along the pointy jaw. “I like her.” “She’s amazing.” Kody panted, leaned into his touch. “I hurt her, she’s crying.” “I know. I’m sorry.” Mesa wasn’t sorry. Not a bit. He’d found Kody, and in the meantime, Kody had found their third, the all-important person that they needed to be whole. It might have been nice if Kody had mentioned she was due home, but it was all doable. “You did good, Kody. You did. She’ll be ours.” His sweet Beta. If Mesa had known that Kody needed to leave the Clan to find their third, he wouldn’t have been so pissed. Mostly. “She doesn’t know about me, Mesa.” “What?” Now Mesa was blinking again, his mouth falling open. “How can she not know?” “I go out of town during the full moon. Run.” “No, I mean how can she not know about her?” Kody’s girl was one of them. A wolf. He could smell it. Shit, even if he couldn’t smell it, Kody wouldn’t have imprinted on her if she were human.

“She doesn’t change. It happens, yeah? To a lot of them?” Mesa thought of all of the pack history he’d had to learn in the last few months. “Yeah. I mean, solitary or halves, whatever. If they don’t get the right pheromones at the right time, that sort of thing. She will, though.” “You think so? She doesn’t know I do. Change.” “Obviously there’s a lot she doesn’t know.” He put his ear to the door to see if he could hear her. The water was running, her sobs sounding under it. The sound tugged at him, deep and low. He bit off a growl, wanting to go in there and comfort her. He couldn’t, but at least she wasn’t running. He put a hand on Kody’s shoulder. “Tell me about her.” The connection between them flared, the scent of his mate immediate and strong. Suddenly he could hear Kody inside him, the voice tiny and distant. Mate. “She’s a broker for a bank. Her favorite color is purple. She loves cinnamon and sweets and she tastes like nectarines and she’s got a little hot spot on her wrist.” Kody nuzzled him. “When I met her, she dyed her hair lighter; it’s prettier now.” “A bank? Really? And she likes citrus fruit?” Wow. She had really grown up mundane. “She loves to dance, her feet are ticklish, and she likes sex, a lot.” “Mmm. So do you.” He had to be careful. He could get distracted. He and Kody had been young, but they’d burned bright. Kody nodded, the whispered Mate echoing inside him again. “I missed you, baby. I was so mad that you left. Now I know why.” He’d been more than mad; he’d been crazy. He’d screamed and raved until Junie and Canyon had gone to the Alpha, who’d taken Mesa down, teeth hard on his throat, telling him to get over it. “I missed you. I had to go.” Of course, Kody had. The man could no more deny his instincts to complete them than he could stop breathing. Of course, it would have been much easier to find their third in the mountains than out here by the ocean. “I know. Now we have to make a plan. What will she do after she finishes crying?” They had to anticipate her. Otherwise, they could lose her and lose time. He had a pack to run. “Pack a bag and go to her friend’s. Maybe Becky, but probably Maggie. Maggie hates me. Hates men.” Kody vibrated, hand sliding on the locked door. “Sammy’s going to hate me, too.”

“No. She’ll think she does, but she doesn’t know the truth.” They were going to be so strong, so good together. Mesa felt it in his bones every second they were together. “I don’t know what to do. I was making supper…” “What were you making?” He knew what he wanted to do, but that would be counterproductive. If Sammy caught them again, it could be disastrous. “Stew. I made bread. Apple crisp.” Kody whined softly. “I hurt you, I hurt her.” “Shh.” He kissed Kody gently, vocalizing deep in his throat. “Go save dinner, baby.” “You taste like Pack.” Kody lapped his chin. “You taste like home. No matter where you hide.” He smiled down at his lover, knowing it was all going to be all right. Grandma Minnie had been right. It was time. He stroked through Kody’s thick shaggy hair, the gold strands tugging at his rough fingers. The petting made Kody smile, relax. Kody’d always been so easy. Up until the day he’d left. Then he’d been stubborn and sneaky and kind of a butthead. “Come to the kitchen?” “Sure.” He would hear the woman if she tried to leave. She was in no condition to be sneaky. Kody led him back to the kitchen, the space bright, light, and open. It was different from Mesa’s house, that was for sure. He had the Alpha house now, all heavy wood, meant to withstand teething pups and fighting males. Blizzards. “Such a nice place.” It was. He’d hate living there, with the smog and the traffic noise. “You hate it.” “I don’t hate it. I just couldn’t live here.” “Liar.” Kody chuffed softly. “How’s Grandma Minnie?” “She’s good. She was tickled that I passed the trials.” Minnie had beamed at him when he’d mentioned going to get Kody. “I am too. Excited. Proud.” Kody looked back toward the hall where their lady was hiding. “Don’t worry, baby. We’ll figure it out.” Kody nodded, head down as he cooked, but Mesa could tell the man didn’t believe it. Not yet.

“Baby. You trust me, right? You trust the way of the pack?” He knew that he did now. He believed. He’d been through the trials, which had tested him to the end of his endurance, even though he’d been born to become Alpha. “I trust you. I do. I just…” Kody was beginning to vibrate. “Do you want me to go get her, baby? I can. We can talk now. I just thought we’d give her time.” Mesa knew she’d have a rage all over them. “She’ll just scream. She wants me out.” Kody went over to the floor where the champagne bottle had fallen. “So what do you want, baby?” Mesa stopped Kody with a hand on one shoulder. “I want my mates.” Kody whined softly. “You’re both right here.” “I know. She just doesn’t know it.” Mesa stroked Kody’s hair, knowing it was his Beta’s way, to want to make things right. Kody’s eyes closed, the bottle falling from Kody’s fingers. Man, that champagne was skunked. “I thought you were gone forever.” “You left me.” The accusation was going to do nothing. He knew it, and he wanted to take it back right off. Kody stiffened, blue eyes going dull, and stepped away from him, putting the island between them. “I did.” “No.” He stalked Kody around the island. “No, don’t run from me. I’m sorry, baby. No snarling, I promise.” Kody backed away, shook his head. “You’re right. I left. I fuck up. You know that. So does Sammy now.” “No.” He put Command into his voice, not letting Kody get away. “You did everything right. I just didn’t know it.” Kody stopped, stared at him, the energy between them pure fire, the air alight. He smiled a little, bending down to kiss Kody on the mouth. Hard. Kody’s little howl echoed in his lips, Kody’s hands wrapping around his shoulders. Yes. Yes, that was what Kody needed. This was what he needed. Touching. Connection. Sweet Kody. His baby. Mate. There it was again. That whisper deep in the center of his head. Mesa’s body tightened, his whole self yearning for Kody. Kody stepped forward, groaning, growling.

“You motherfucker!” A glass broke against the counter next to them. “Cheater! You knew I was right HERE!” Another wine glass came flying, hitting Kody in the head and sending his lover stumbling back, hand to his face. “Sammy!” Mesa whirled, glad as hell that she’d come out, even though he knew it would be sticky. “You don’t understand.” A glass smacked him in the nose. Ow. Ow! He barked sharply, stumbled back, slamming into Kody as she drove them backward. “You BASTARD!” She was wild—long maple-colored hair flying everywhere, compact body filled with amazing curves. Mesa wanted to howl. Mesa growled, instead, this time out loud. “Stop.” “Fuck you.” She grabbed another plate, sent it flying. “Cheating pricks. Why didn’t you tell me you were gay? Bastard!” “I’m not!” Kody ducked around him, holding his hands out. “I married you; I love you.” “Liar!” God, she could shriek. She was amazing. Mesa was so hard he ached. There was nothing like a good snarl to make a wolf want to fuck. “No. No, I’m not lying.” “Stop!” Mesa roared it, putting every bit of Command he had behind it, and for a gratifying moment, everyone froze. Then one tear escaped, rolling down Samantha’s cheek, and she bolted, hair bouncing behind her. Shit. “I’m sorry, Kody.” “Oh…” Kody stood there, face quiet, still, almost deathly. “I’ll get her. Do you want me to get her?” “No. No. I. She’s right. I never told her about us, you.” “I—” Shit and shinola. He didn’t know what to do. “You should have. You should have told me.” She was back, standing by the door, car keys in hand, tiny white tennis shoes on her feet. “I’m not a bitch. If you needed a beard or somewhere to stay, I…I would have hated it, but it wouldn’t have been a lie.”

“You don’t know Kody if you can think that.” Mesa knew this had to be so hard. So hard. He hated it for all of them. “I don’t know him at all.” She looked so fucking sad, so lost, and he wanted to hold her, help her. Kody whimpered, the cut above his eye already healing. “I didn’t lie. I didn’t. I love you, Sammy.” “Don’t say that. You don’t get to say that to me, ever again.” “But it’s true.” Mesa moved fast, going to catch her before she could leave, and she whipped around, snarling. “Don’t touch me.” Kody whimpered, stepped closer. “You don’t understand, Sammy.” “You have to stay here and listen. I know you don’t want to.” Mesa needed her spirit, not her defeat. Her eyes flashed to his, and he wanted to howl with the pure rightness of it, of her. “You don’t get to tell me anything.” “Then listen to Kody.” He put his whole soul into it. “You called to me, I told you that. I told you I left home to find you. Mesa was my home.” Sammy snorted. “Great. So go home.” “No. Now you’re part of me. We’re three.” Kody was going to lose his shit. Mesa could tell. “I’m going to call the lawyer in the morning. It will be simple. There aren’t babies involved, thank God.” “No. No, but there can be now, Sammy. We’re all here.” Sammy looked like she was losing it, too, and Mesa did the only thing he could do. He leaped at her and took her neck in his hand, pressing at the nerve under her ear. She could sleep. Then they could all figure it out together.

Chapter Three

“Mesa? Mesa, she’s…” He reached out to touch her cheek. “She’s fine, baby. She’ll wake up rested.” “I’m sorry. I just… God, my head hurts.” Hurts didn’t even cover it. It was going to split open. Crack. Mesa frowned, reaching out to touch his cheek. “Hurts how? Do you have a lot of headaches?” “No. No, not usually.” He pushed into Mesa’s touch, a deep groan leaving him. His Alpha. His mate. Sound vibrated all through him. The pain eased right away. “This feels like more than stress.” One of Mesa’s arms wrapped around him, the other hand massaging his neck. “Alpha…” His knees buckled and he moved closer, rubbing against Mesa. Mesa was worried. Worried. Hungry. Wanting. Happy. He felt it. All of it, including Sammy’s sleeping confusion. Mesa licked his neck, tasting him. Loving on him. “Mesa.” Mate. Mate. Mate. “Yes, love.” He heard the echo in his head of the words spoken aloud. His eyes went wide and he moaned. Mesa? Could Mesa hear him? Love. Oh, God. He could hear Mesa. He nodded, eyes on Mesa’s. Yes. Yes. Love. Mesa smiled. “She’s definitely the one, baby.”

“I did okay?” He’d had to follow the Call. That was what his kind did, even if it was so hard and hurt the ones you loved. “You did amazing.” Mesa dropped a kiss on his mouth. “Proud of you.” Oh. Oh. Kody keened softly, an old tear in the center of his soul healing. Good. “That’s good. Now, go pack a bag for both of you. I need you to tell me where you go to run.” “Run? I go to the mountains. I love it there. Cold at night, but beautiful. It’s not the full moon, though.” “No.” Mesa hugged him before patting his ass. “We need to get her out of a defensible place, where there are no phones, no computers.” “Okay. Okay. She’s… not the outdoorsy type. My gear is in the garage.” Mesa grinned, and it was all wolf. “We don’t want her to be comfortable, baby. We want her to be off-balance.” “We’re going to help her, though, right? Bring her home with us?” She was demanding and fierce and wild, and he loved her desperately. He needed her like he needed air. “We are. We’d never leave her.” Mesa started systematically turning off electronics, some of which the man had probably never seen. Like the Xbox. Kody headed to the bedroom, packed clothes randomly, sniffing the air, the smell of Sammy and her hurt strong in here. He hurried through it, wanting to start new. Mesa gave him a few minutes, maybe more than a few. When Mesa came in, though, he was sitting on the bed holding his head. “Baby?” “Uh-huh.” He leaned Mesa was like a blanket of heat, of strength. So close. “We need to get you out of here, too. The more people you’re around, the worse it will be.” “It’s normal? To hurt like this?” He needed Mesa to tell him it was okay. “Grandma Minnie said when we found our third you would be wide open for a bit.” Mesa stroked his temples. “I never thought she would already be here.” Kody groaned at the touch, his hands reaching for Mesa’s belly. “Mmm.” Mesa sank down in front of him, almost as tall kneeling as Kody was sitting on the damned bed. Kody let his fingers explore, relearn, touch. Mesa was a furnace. There were

muscles there now that hadn’t been there when Kody left. Strong muscles made from hard work and maturity. It made his eyes roll, and he started panting. His cock was hard as diamonds, pushing at his pants. “Sweet. You smell so good, baby.” Mesa petted him through his clothes, stroking his chest and belly. “Want you. Is it bad? To want you while she’s in there?” He wanted to lick, suck, taste. “No, baby. It’s just instinct. We were meant for each other.” He had to chuckle. That was how Mesa had gotten him the very first time, explaining how their need to have sex was just a natural thing…How it was ridiculous to resist the urge to nuzzle in, take the fat cock inside him? How many times had they crept away, hiding from Granny’s gaze to learn each other, play? Cause trouble? His hands worked Mesa’s jeans open, the scent making him whimper. “Oh.” Mesa jerked against him, hands falling to his belt. “Need.” He slid down, body rubbing against Mesa’s legs. “Please.” “Anything you want.” Mesa’s cock was out in the open now, just as big and pretty as ever. Wet-tipped and red. “Please.” He leaned forward, tongue sliding over the slit. Oh. Oh. Bittersalt. Satin. Silk. His. He groaned and wrapped his lips around the thick head. Mesa jerked, pushing against him, into his mouth. It was like heaven. Yes. Yes, please. He pulled Mesa in deeper, swallowing, taking the heavy flesh in. One hand tangled in his hair, holding him there so Mesa could take his mouth. Kody leaned back and opened up, cock pushing into his throat, but it wasn’t that that made him shake. It was Mesa’s pleasure, slamming down his spine.

A low, growling moan was his only warning before Mesa came for him, just as if they were teenagers again. His eyes rolled up, his hands spreading over Mesa’s belly. Mate. “Mine. Oh, Kody. Missed you so bad.” Yours. He said it over and over in his head. He nuzzled, licking and lapping, groaning low. Mesa’s. Sammy’s. “Our girl.” “Yes.” Mesa opened Kody’s pants, slipping a hand around his cock. “Mesa.” He spread, arched up into the touch. Mesa had new calluses, new strength. New skill, too. He had no right to wonder who Mesa had been with, but he did. “Need you to come for me, baby.” Mesa’s thumb rubbed over the head of his cock, pressing a little, right into the slit. His teeth clacked together, Mesa’s words echoed by the need flooding him. “That’s it. Oh, fuck, look at you.” The orgasm left him clearer, steadier. Focused. His head eased off even more. Mesa smiled at him before kissing him hard, one more time. “You ready to get moving, baby?” “Yes. Yes. We should grab food, too. Blankets.” He grinned, moving through the room, grabbing their pillows. Her scent would help. Mesa zipped up and helped him gather. “Call her work and tell them she won’t be in tomorrow.” “I can do that. I’ll call her in for the week. That gives us to Monday.” Sammy would understand. It was biology. It was their biology. She might not have been raised a wolf, but she would get it. “Good deal. I’ll start packing the truck.” “You have a truck?” “I do.” Mesa grinned. “Nothing will fit in your Prius.” He chuffed softly, tickled that Mesa had paid attention, that Mesa needed to know things about him. “I know. Fucking hate that thing.” Hooting, Mesa grinned. “I bet you like her Cooper. It’s fast, at least.”

“She gets wet, driving fast.” He licked his lips. So much fun, having Mesa here to learn about her. They were going to have so much fun together. They would. “Mmm. I can’t wait to see that. Smell it.” Mesa’s growl was pure hunger. It made him glad to see that Mesa already wanted her. He growled happily. “She’s so soft inside, Mate. She bites, too.” That thought made him shivery. “Does she now?” Mesa paused for a moment, brown eyes going unfocused. He nodded, panted softly. “She’s fire, Mesa.” “I like the threat of getting burned.” He ran his nose along Mesa’s jaw. “Good. We should go. She’ll be scared, worried. Mad.” “Yes. Hopefully we have time to get her settled before she wakes up.” Kody nodded. “I want this to be easy. She isn’t like us, not yet.” “She will be.” God, Mesa was hot. All Alpha. He licked his lips, his wolf suddenly close, too close. Mesa stared at him, pupils dilating. “Don’t get me started.” “Won’t.” He shuddered, the urge to show his belly huge. “Soon, baby. We’ll run together. I promise.” Mesa gave him one more toothy kiss before zipping up and getting up to haul a load outside. He gathered four days worth of food, including the stew, the bread, and all the fixings. They would cook on the camp stove, easily. Sammy had never understood how he could do it, but it was a skill. Mesa filled the truck, then came back to the living room to get Sammy. He lifted her easily, cradling her against the wide chest. Her hair fell into her face and Kody reached out, finger jerking back as Mesa growled at him. “No. No, baby. I can’t—” Mesa took a deep breath. “We can’t all three touch yet.” “Oh. Oh, right. Soon. Tonight, yes? Soon?” Soon they would be together. All of them. “Yes. Soon. Now it would be trouble. We’ll put her in the back seat of the cab, huh?” “Yeah. Yeah. Let’s go. I’ll get the cooler and the food.” Excitement was nipping at his heels, chasing him.

He knew that Sammy would be a bear when she woke up, but they were going to fix it. It was going to be amazing. He could feel it.

Chapter Four

Her head hurt. Sammy moaned, shifted on the sheets. Her head hurt. She frowned, reached up for the clock to see what time it was, whether she had a few more hours of sleep before she had to get up and get ready for work. There was no clock. Hell, there was no bed. There was a squeaky air mattress. She sat up with a little cry, scrambling. “Kody?” “Sammy?” Kody came into the tent—she was in a tent—kneeling in front of her. “I’m right here.” “Kody, what the fuck? I had this terrible dream…” She pushed into his arms, crying a little, her head pounding. “You were cheating on me with this great big guy.” “No. No, I would never cheat on you, love.” She leaned into him, let his hands ease her, help. “I know. I was coming home to make love with you and—” She shook her head. “Why am I in a tent, Kody?” He sat in front of her, cross-legged, looking earnest. “Well, we needed to get out of the city.” “Why? Was there an earthquake?” “Something like that.” He smiled, the lines etched deep around his mouth and eyes easing a little. “I’m so glad you’re awake.” “Me too, I think.” She moved into his lap, cheek on his shoulder. “I’m not quite with it, yet.” “I know.” He put his arms around her, and her headache eased at his touch, at his nearness. He’d always been able to make it less crazy in her head. She sighed, eyes closing. Better.

“Mmm. Yes. Better.” She nodded. “You’re warm.” “You’re a little chilled. I should have brought more blankets.” He nuzzled her temple, sniffing her in that adorable way he had. “I’m okay.” There was something nagging at her, niggling at her, but this was easy, just to rest. “Good. I was worried.” He stroked her back, his voice a little buzz in her head. “Man, I must be trying to get a migraine. Is there any water?” “There is.” He reached behind them, pulling a bag of supplies close. “Thank you.” She drank deep, the water clearing her head, and she leaned in to kiss Kody. Their lips met and she stopped. Stilled. Something was weird. Off. Different. “Sammy?” He pulled back enough to meet her eyes. “What?” “Did you change soap? You smell… different. Not bad or anything. Just different.” “I—I think I’d better explain. You’re going to be mad all over again.” “Mad?” That niggling sensation hit her again. “I wasn’t dreaming, was I?” “You were if you thought I was cheating on you.” Kody got that stubborn look he did sometimes, the one that told her he was ready to split a hair with an axe. “You were kissing a man. Your lover.” The headache came back with a vengeance and she scooted away from him, memories flooding back. “I want my phone.” “We didn’t bring it. Mesa hasn’t been my lover since I left him, which was before I met you.” “So, what? You’re saying you weren’t getting off with him in our kitchen?” She hated playing games. “Well…” “Right.” She searched for her shoes, grabbed them. She’d find the car keys and just leave Mr. Cheating Asshole to starve. “That’s enough.” The big guy, the one Kody had called Mesa, ducked into the tent, blocking her only escape. He took up all the space and sucked up twice his allotment of air.

She refused to look at either one of them, refused to consider whatever horribleness they wanted to bring her out into the wilderness. Whatever they wanted, she’d fight them. And she wouldn’t be scared, damn it. Mesa squatted down behind Kody, hands on Kody’s shoulders, rubbing as if the big bastard had the right to. “We had to get you away from your house for your safety. I know you don’t believe it, but it’s true.” She arched one eyebrow. “My safety. From my dangerous house. I’ll take my chances, thanks, though.” They were going to do something to her. Something awful. Something like a chainsaw massacre. Could one dead banker constitute a massacre? The big guy sighed. “She’s snarky, huh?” “She’s scared.” Kody looked so worried. “I’m pissed off.” “So am I.” The Mesa guy shook his head. “Your parents should be ashamed.” Her eyes went wide. What unmitigated gall! “I’ll make sure to let them know.” She got her other shoe on, trying to gauge how to get out of here. “That was a stupid thing to say, Mesa. She doesn’t know.” Kody reached out, tried to touch her, and she backed away. “She was a foster. They left her.” “Left her? How?” Mesa started making this weird sound that made her shiver. It was like the growl of a big dog, the kind you only heard in TV sound effects. “How could they leave her?” “Kody!” That was almost the worst betrayal. She didn’t tell anyone about her past, about how no one before Kody had ever wanted her, permanently. None of her foster parents had even tried to adopt her. “I don’t know, Mesa. I never will.” Kody’s eyes looked weird, intense. “It had to be drastic. We don’t leave our own. The whole Clan had to be dying. Either that or the female was a runner, died giving birth.” Mesa stared right into her soul. “We don’t desert our own. Never have, never will.” “Never will what?” She was screaming, now, so hurt, so angry. “What is this bullshit about not leaving me? You already have!”

“No.” Kody shook his head, long hair like an amazing curtain around his shoulders. “I never will, no matter what anyone says—you, your friends. It doesn’t matter what they say.” “Is that what this is about? Did somebody mess with you?” She’d beat all those assholes who pretended to be her friends. “No. No, you just don’t understand.” “I don’t understand what? That I’m a stupid girl who listened to my crotch instead of my head? I know. They know. Everybody told me.” In fact, that information had been clearly passed to her when she’d told them she’d eloped. Kody looked so hurt. Like he had a right to be, in fact. It was maddening. “Look, you want Kody, right?” When Mesa nodded, she did too. “Good. Take him. I’ll go home. Simple as that. Have a nice life. Don’t call me.” “So you won’t even fight for him?” Mesa raised a brow. “You really care, huh?” She’d loved Kody more than she’d believed she could love anyone, not that that mattered right now. Kody bristled, bumping chests with the big guy. “Mesa, that’s enough. She’s the innocent one here.” She stood up, refusing to cry. “Get out of my way. I need to pee.” “I’ll take you.” Mesa glared at Kody, shook him a little. “There’s no guilty party here, baby. No one has done anything wrong.” “I will not go with you.” She was going to throw up, her head hurt so bad. “Get out of my way.” “No.” Kody moved, and Mesa touched her arm. “You’ll come with me.” She shook her head, a weird pressure inside her. “Don’t…” “Just breathe, Sam.” He met her eyes, his dark and serious, somehow mesmerizing. “Come with me.” “Kody?” “It’s okay. He’s not going to hurt you. I swear.” “My head hurts.” “I know.” “I’m just going to keep you safe, Sam. I promise. No one will hurt you.” Okay, she could see how this guy had convinced Kody to make with the kissing. He was convincing.

“I have to go.” Now. She was starting to get a little hysterical. “Come on.” Mesa pulled at her, took her outside. All she could hear in her head was, don’t run. How stupid. Of course she should run. She should. But she didn’t. She went behind a set of trees, peed, cried a little, thought very hard about throwing up. “No puking. Come on, Sam. Come talk to us.” “I just want to go home.” Have a glass of wine and a hard cry into her pillow. “Me, too.” He sounded so wry. “Okay. It’s a deal. You go, I’ll go.” She wanted to lick her wounds a little, in private. He laughed a little, and the sound shivered right down her spine. “Come on, Sam.” “Look, just be straight with me. Are you two planning on killing me or something?” “What?” He seemed genuinely surprised, actually stepping back a bit. “No. God, no. Kody is just freaked out, and you have no idea…” He ran a hand through his shock of dark hair. “No one is going to hurt you.” She didn’t think that last was true. She was pretty hurt already. “Okay.” Mesa moved closer, his hands on her shoulders. He kissed her forehead, his lips warm in the cool night air. It was like a jolt of electricity, straight down her spine. “You…” “Shh. There’s so much you have to learn, love. Just breathe, remember?” “You kissed me.” She blinked at him. “I did. I’d like to do it again, but Kody is waiting.” “You can’t kiss me. I’m married.” “So is Kody.” He squeezed her shoulders. “Back to the tent, Sam.” “No. No, I don’t want to. I need to go home.” Kody came out, sniffing as if he had a cold. Not that she cared. “Sammy? Please. Just listen?” She stepped away from both of them, that headache pounding on her. She didn’t let on, though. She crossed her arms and stared. “So? Talk.”

“Mesa and me, we grew up together in the Clan. We were pups together, in each other’s pockets. When I became an adult, I had to get away. I couldn’t stay there any more and just wait to…I don’t know. I just don’t, but the universe was calling to me, telling me to find you.” She arched an eyebrow, but Kody kept going. “No, really. And I did. I left. I came all the way here for you. Then Mesa passed the trials and now we’re together.” “Yes, I know. I saw.” She bit out the words. At his best, Kody didn’t make a lot of sense. Stressed out Kody was a blitherer. “No, honey. He means all of us together.” Mesa guided her back toward Kody. “Uh. No. I mean, here, now, yes, but only until I get in the car.” She was not staying. “We can’t go back to the house right now, Sammy. After we’re all together, you’ll need to run.” “Run? Kody, are you on drugs?” “No!” He blinked, then laughed a little. “I bet it would be easier to think I am.” “Well, given that my other options are insanity or…” She pursed her lips, stomped her foot. “Shit, Kody. I don’t even have an or.” “You’re gonna go insane once you figure out what he’s trying to tell you.” Mesa grinned. It was predatory at best. “So tell me for fuck’s sake! Just spit it out. Give me whatever fucking excuse you have and let me go home.” Samantha was done with Kody’s games. Mesa glanced at Kody, who moved closer. “You’re a werewolf.” Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. “Come again?” “You are. So is Kody.” “Okay.” Great. Psycho LARPers. This was what happened when you married a man you met at a Ren Faire. Mesa shook his head. “She doesn’t believe me. How bad is she gonna freak out?” “On a scale of one to ten?” Kody shrugged. “Seventy? Eighty?” “I’m leaving.” She didn’t even care at this point where she was going. Borneo had to be better than this. “No, you can’t.” Mesa was holding her again, her skin tingling where he touched. “Stop touching me!” She pulled out of his hand, ignoring the flash of pain the motion caused.

Kody caught her before she could run. “Sammy. I love you.” “Don’t. Don’t hurt me anymore, okay?” She wasn’t going to cry. She wasn’t. “I’m not trying to. I’m not. You have to hear this.” “What do you want? What do you want from me?” She was half a second away from total meltdown. “We want you, Sammy.” Kody smiled, like that made sense. What was this? Some weird-assed role-playing polygamous cult thing? Mesa chuffed softly. “You have to stop thinking, honey.” “I’m leaving.” She was done. Finished. “Kody.” Mesa grabbed her and held out a hand to Kody. Kody hurried toward him, and Sammy gasped, the urge to run so strong. “Don’t. Don’t do this. Please. Don’t do this.” She didn’t even know what she was asking for, why on earth she would be so scared. “Sammy, we have to. It will be easier, after.” Kody was looking at her, hands reaching for her, and she shouted, the pain in her head unbearable. There was this noise. This screaming, blinding, tearing noise in her mind. She sobbed, willing to do anything, anything for the agony to stop. Luckily for her, the world went dark and it did stop. **** “Shit.” Mesa caught Sam as she fell. “Do you think we ruined her?” That would suck. He’d never seen anyone have a convulsion like that. Kody looked up at him, eyes bright, shining, pure wolf. Mesa blinked. “So. Okay. Did we ruin you?” “No.” Kody panted a second. “I can hear you.” “Hear me?” Oh. Oh! God. That was… His body hardened. “Yes. Mate.” Kody’s growl was sexual, the way his mate leaned down and scented their female even better. She moaned, lips parted, eyelashes fluttering. “I—Kody.” Grandma Minnie had never warned him about this. The intense need to finish the deed. “Mate.” Need you. Kody’s words echoed, ringing inside him. “Yes.” His wolf rose to the surface, so close, so ready. They were both still touching Sammy, holding her between them.

Kody leaned down, nuzzling Sammy’s lips. “Ours.” “Ours.” Mesa pressed down, too, kissing them both. She tasted good. She tasted like his. He groaned, pushed into the kiss. He didn’t even know her, but he felt her all the way inside him. His. Kody had chosen her for his Alpha. Her hands reached up, wrapped around him and pulled him closer. Oh. Tent. He had to get them back to the tent before the animal inside took over. Yes. Kody agreed, licking at his ear, her jaw. Mates. Mesa dragged them both to the tent, needing to be in a den, to be safe before they exposed their tender parts. Her eyes were opening, staring, and Kody growled happily, nudging her tank top up, exposing two perfect breasts, with sweet, dark nipples that were hard, tight, begging to be sucked. “Kody?” “Yes. Yes, Mate. Me and Mesa.” God, she was absolutely stunning. Lovely. Mesa’s mouth was watering. “Mesa.” Her eyes met his, confused, hungry, glowing. “Yes, honey. Me and Kody and you. All here.” “I don’t…” She moaned, shivering in his arms. “I ache.” Kody moaned, reached for her breast, touched the taut nipple. “Better?” The pheromones were wild, pouring in the air, and she arched, her chest reaching up. “More.” Fuck, yes. Mesa leaned down, scented her, learning her smell, her heat. Kody’s body was on fire next to his, like a beacon, and Mesa put a hand on Kody’s back to steady himself. Kody growled and Sammy arched as the connection between them completed again. Fuck. Fuck, he was shaking, goose bumps rising on his skin, his body about to explode. Mesa moaned, pulling Kody down with him to the ground as Kody growled and tore at their clothes, giving all three of them skin. They wrapped around her, Kody’s hands dragging him close. Mesa’s skin tingled, and in his head could hear his wolf howling with triumph. Kody looked at him, eyes still feral, still glowing, still alight. Kiss her. God, Kody was in his head. Inside his fucking soul.

Mesa kissed Sammy, taking her mouth deep, loving the taste of her. Sammy’s eyes popped open, staring at him. So strong. She was so fucking brave. He put a hand behind her head. His fingers slid into her hair. Soft, heavy, thick—the scent of her filled the air. Then there was Kody. Kody, who was like spice. Cinnamon and cloves. Cinnamon and cloves on an octopus. Jesus, the man’s hands were everywhere, stripping them all down. Mesa laughed, the sound wild, fierce in the tiny tent. He kissed Kody then, needing the more familiar touch. The kiss echoed inside him, his cock aching, needing to be buried in someone. He touched Sammy, because he couldn’t not, his hand covering her breast, his fingers on her nipple. Connected. “What’s happening?” She moaned, her mouth on his jaw, tongue moving toward his ear. “Connecting. I’m right here, Sammy.” Kody moaned the words into his lips. “Right here.” Mesa wanted her to accept him, wanted her to need him, too. “I don’t understand.” Her hand was sliding down his belly, stroking him. Such good instincts. “Part of you does.” Her wolf was there, under the surface. Waiting. Kody nodded. “You’ll run with us. You’ll understand. After. This first. We have to.” The babble continued, even after Kody’s lips wrapped around one of Sammy’s nipples and started sucking. Her mouth opened on a moan, and Mesa took it again, kissing hard. She was all fire. She would challenge him, make him crazy, give him amazing babies. Her fingers tangled in his hair, tugging, keeping him close, her tongue warring with his. Mesa chuffed, so happy, deep in his bones. He started touching, his hands sliding down her back. Curvy and smooth, her hip fit perfectly in his hand. It was no wonder that Kody had chosen her, found her for them. Kody was so hot up against his side, that clever mouth working Sammy’s skin. Kody slid down, licking their skin as he went—Mesa’s ribs, Sammy’s waist. Mesa stroked Kody’s cheek, his lips moving down Sammy’s throat. When Kody’s hot lips wrapped around his fingers, sucking as if they were his cock, his body jerked, his cock pressing against Sammy’s belly. She was fine, beautiful, soft where he and Kody were hard.

Sammy arched, her hard, swollen nipples too close to his lips to ignore. Mesa leaned in, pulled one in, sucking firmly. Need slammed against him, made him pull harder. God, they made his head swim. Made him pant. Kody’s fingers wrapped around his cock, pulled him so that his prick slipped against wet, hot folds. Oh. Oh, fuck. He pushed a little, easing up. “I…” She blinked at him. “But I don’t know you. How can I want you?” “We’re together.” He smiled for her, pushing home. Oh. Oh, hot. Wet. Slick. His eyes rolled, and her soft little moan slid over his skin. “Sweet lady. Kody. So sweet.” “She’s perfect.” Kody pressed behind her, hands cupping her breasts, thumbs rubbing the nipples. “Oh, God. Mates.” Mesa felt her pleasure, felt the tight walls of her cunt squeeze his cock as Kody touched her. He put one hand on Kody’s body, needing all three of them grounded, right there. Then he started to move. He could hear Kody’s cry, echoing through him, inside him. Sammy’s head lifted, eyes huge. “What was that?” “That was us, honey. That was us. Our Kody is so fucking smart.” “Us? Oh…” Her words faded as Kody’s hand slipped between them, fingers moving to touch where they were connected, to work that little bundle of nerves that made a woman crazed. “Yeah.” Mesa’s head fell back, his hips rolling. He could just explode. Sammy wasn’t passive at all. She rode him as if he were a prize pony, body sliding on his cock, taking him deep, over and over. Mesa gritted his teeth, his hand groping down along Kody’s body. They needed to be together on this. “Mates.” Kody’s cock was wet-tipped, hot, sliding on his palm. “Your mates, baby.” This was the next step in his Alpha trials, and he figured he was passing with flying colors. “Yes.” Kody buried his face in the curve of Sammy’s neck, mouth open, teeth scraping her skin. He bit off a growl. Kody and Sammy had been together a while. He needed to let Kody have some ground. Some. Kody’s eyes met his, intense arousal hitting him square in the base of his spine. He jerked, pulling Kody to him for a toothy kiss. He could only give so much rope. “Oh, fuck. So hot.” Sammy cried out, arching above them, his cock almost slipping free.

Kody pushed her down, slamming them together, and he damned near lost it. Mates. His mates. Yours. Kody’s voice echoed inside his head. Mesa pulled Sammy down, adding his bite to the one Kody had almost left. Her flavor hit him like a drug, and he bit harder, her wild cry splitting the air. He moved faster and faster, pushing into her. His balls drew up, his cock aching. Kody moaned, rubbing against him, against her, the scent of need the only thing in the air. “Come on, baby. Come on.” “Yes. Us. All of us.” Kody’s growl split the air even as Sammy jerked, body rippling around him. Mesa howled when he came, his body trying to shift, trying to let the wolf claim what was his. Kody was shaking, face changing, muzzle growing. Yes. He howled again, pulling back, his hands still on their skin. Sammy was staring, looking between them, eyes wild and terrified. He held her, looking into her eyes, willing her to understand. Willing Kody to get into her head. A soft howl sounded, Sammy calling for help, and Kody came closer, singing to her, to him, calling to them. Mesa shuddered, trying to hold on long enough to help her. This was so not his strong suit. Kody was fully wolf now, licking her face, scenting her. Sammy was yelping, body fighting to change. “Come on.” He growled it more than said it, but there was Command in it, plain and simple. Sammy jerked away from them, hands curled into claws, screaming in terror as she changed. He barked out an order to Kody. They couldn’t lose her, even if she ran. They had to keep her with them. Kody circled her, lapping at her face as her muzzle grew. Their mate. Their girl. She was unbearably beautiful—gray and strong, small but muscled. Kody was more wolf now than Mesa had ever seen him be, pale and lean and lovely but so male, almost glowing with power, and it made him proud, all the way to the tip of his tail. Kody nosed their girl to her feet,

licking her chin, her face. Trembling and as shaky as a newborn, Sammy stood, panting furiously. Making soothing noises, Mesa licked her, too. He put a shoulder against her ribs, helping her get used to four legs. Mates. Sweet girl. We have you. She barked once, sharply, and Mesa wanted to howl with victory, so proud of his Kody that he couldn’t bear it. He nudged them out the flap of the tent, knowing she would run with them now, not away from them. As a wolf, at least. Sammy headed out, tentative, nostrils flaring. It had to be overwhelming. Mesa couldn’t remember not having his senses, his wolf. It was Kody that was murmuring, growling, singing, calling to him. To her. Rejoicing. His Kody was rejoicing. It made him bark his joy, to know that Kody was happy he was there, that he hadn’t ruined Kody’s life. Kody pounced him, licked his muzzle, then bounced back to Sammy, eager and playful. She growled, obviously surprised by Kody’s movement, teeth bared, backed away, so Kody dropped his head, submissive, that song sounding again. Mesa went to her, though, standing high above her shoulder as he forced her to stop, his teeth closing on the back of her neck. Her scream was wild, fierce, her teeth snapping at the air as she fought him. No. No, he was the Alpha. It had to work that way. He snapped at her, pushing her. He could hear Kody, trying to ease her, trying to help, but she struggled, shoulders heaving under him. Mesa got her to the ground, trying not to bite down too hard. He put his chest ridge on her, pressing. She went down, she had to, whining and barking the entire way. Kody danced, crooning softly, worried. There. There, now he could praise her, let her know how beautiful she was. He shook her ruff a tiny bit, making a play noise. Her scent filled his nose, rich and female. Right. She whimpered softly, her fear evident, but Kody relaxed and a sense of ease and well being poured over him. Licking her whiskers, he let her up. She just had to know the food chain. She scrambled away from him, from Kody, her hackles raised. Then her nostrils flared, her attention caught by something in the trees. Mesa tipped his head up, testing the air.

Squirrel. Such a good nose on his girl. How had she never known, or changed? Nudging her, he pushed her toward the scent. Hunt. They should hunt. She snapped at him, then sniffed, caught by her nose, heading straight for the trees. Kody chuffed, tongue lolling, before taking off after her. Mesa checked for danger before following. Kody didn’t interfere with the hunt, didn’t help, but Sammy didn’t need help. At all. She tracked the squirrels to the roots of the tree, paws scrabbling furiously. Kody nuzzled her, and Mesa could hear the words in his head. Yes. Good hunt. Sammy stopped, stared at Kody, then she nudged him with her head, rubbing him. Mesa pushed up, not between them, but imposing his presence. His sweet Beta backed away, but his girl, her eyes snapped, teeth bared. If he could have rolled his eyes, he would have. Damn it, why was this hard? He bit her ear, just hard enough to sting. Her yelp was furious, but it was Kody’s laughter he heard. He wanted to bite Kody, too, but for different reasons. Mesa whirled, running, calling for his mates. Kody nudged her, called to her, gave her that bushy tail to follow. He would hunt now, give Sammy something to see, something to understand. He’d share his kill with them. Maybe. If Kody would stop crashing through the damned leaves. Mesa dove to the right, pushing through underbrush. He startled out two birds and a rabbit. Kody went for the rabbit, but Sammy leapt, body twisting as her sharp teeth snapped down on a bird. Good girl. Good girl. She had to offer him some. He’d let Kody show her. She shook the bird hard, feathers flying. Kody came padding up with the rabbit in his jaws, offering it to him easily, tail wagging. Snapping it out of Kody’s jaws, he took his share, then gave it back. Good. Hot. Then Kody took the rabbit to Sammy, nudging it over to her. Sammy chirruped softly, backed away. Kody nudged the rabbit closer, vocalizing happily. Mesa willed her to cooperate. Come on, girl, you can do it. Her nose wrinkled, her head tilted, and she dropped the bird in front of Kody, who danced uncomfortably. He barked, issuing her an order. She met his eyes, challenging, and barked back.

Mesa let his lips slide back over his teeth, growling low. No more challenges. Not today. Kody rumbled softly, brought him the bird, took her the squirrel, waves of peace pouring from their Beta. That was his job, Mesa knew, but it still made him want to bite something. He snapped his teeth before tearing the bird in half. Kody watched them eat, dancing restlessly, paws bouncing on the dried leaves. He gave Kody the rest of the bird, licking the soft muzzle. Sweet boy. Kody ate happily, then came to him, grooming him, the song of praise and pleasure like a drug. Mesa could have curled up right there, nose to tail with his Beta, but Sammy was still staring, vibrating. So he called to her. She took a step forward, ears swiveling, nostrils flaring. She wanted to come, wanted to be praised and scented, made pack. Mesa called to her again, a song of happiness, of need. He let Kody call to her, too. Carefully, softly, she called back, coming closer, one step at a time. She was lovely—pale and well-formed, limber. Lovely. He stretched his neck out, blowing out a breath, letting her scent him. Feel him. She stretched out, hind quarters up, not bowing to him, but obviously intrigued, interested. He breathed out again, giving her something to sniff, a reason to come closer. Soon she was there, nose-to-nose with him, breathing him in, vocalizing her fear, her interest. So brave, so lovely. His Kody had done so well. Mesa slid forward one step, his muzzle sliding along hers. Soft. Sweet. She was still, shivering, sniffing hard, but Kody eased down beside them, watching and relaxed, and she let him scent her again. Mesa moved closer, just a tiny bit. She had to accept him, but he was willing to ease into it. Soft little sounds left her, his lady trying to communicate. She would learn. Her instincts were fantastic. Damned near perfect. Sammy began to relax, began to lean into him, panting, so he vocalized, low and easy, his tail thumping when she nuzzled him, took a deep breath. Better. Sweet lady. Kody rolled over, showed his white belly, paws in the air. Fucking A. Mesa showed her how to nuzzle, how to accept Kody’s gift. Sweet wolf. She buried her muzzle in Kody’s fur, breathing deep, posture relaxing even more. Mesa lay down with them, pushing in, protecting them from the undefended side of the clearing. That was his job. Kody rumbled happily, nose pushing into his fur as his mate breathed deep. Happiness poured over him.

They would rest. Help Sammy start to understand her wolf. And when they changed back, well, they would start arguing about going home. Mesa had no doubt that would be entertaining.

Chapter Five

Kody woke up to whimpers, his lady’s paws scrabbling at the leaves. Dreaming. She was dreaming. He crawled over, vocalizing, pouring himself into her dream, into her heart. My Lady. Her mind was dark, frightening, and her dream-self turned, snapping at him, and he bowed. She stopped moving, whining, staring at him with scared eyes. Her tail was curled over her back, not a happy thing, not a submissive one, either. Poor baby, so brave. He let himself be proud of her, let her feel it, let her hear him. Her head dipped, her sides heaving. Her dream self was trying to breathe. He stepped forward, admiring her pale fur, her long tail. She snapped at him again, but this time there was no heat behind it. He chuffed softly. Sammy. My beautiful girl. She whimpered, backed away from him, and a wave of betrayal poured from her, made him cry out, in both worlds. Mesa was up at that, hackles raised, growling and looking around the clearing, as he stood, shaken. Kody hadn’t betrayed her. He hadn’t. He loved her. He’d been waiting for Mesa, yes, but to share her, not to leave her. Sammy whined again, both in her sleep and as her dream-girl. She couldn’t believe him. He looked to Mesa, to Sammy, growling softly. Kody loved them both. Mesa sighed, coming to nuzzle his ear, one big paw landing on Sammy’s side. She yelped herself awake and scrambled to stand, hackles up for a second before she sniffed them both and relaxed. Better. So much better. Kody could feel her curiosity—her nose working overtime, her ears swiveling. That meant she didn’t remember her dream self. Thank goodness.

Of course, Sammy was probably going to try to kill him when she stopped being fuzzy. Hopefully Mesa would stop her. Mesa barked once, the sound very much like laughter. He might be thinking too loudly. Sammy paid little attention to them, nose to the ground, tracking. Mesa followed her, keeping back, but keeping her in sight. Sammy followed their back trail, heading straight to the camp, to their tent. So smart. So in touch with her instincts. His heart swelled a little. She headed inside the tent, curled up at the doorway, staring out at them. Kody wondered if she was going to try to defend that as her territory. Mesa wouldn’t like that. Right on cue, Mesa headed over and a low growl started, warning them. It never rose in volume, but the challenge was clear. He scrambled toward Mesa, intent on rescuing her. She was scared, out of her element. Mesa nipped at him, telling him to back off. He backed, yipping softly. Be nice, Mate. As long as they didn’t look at her, she didn’t growl. Mesa moved a step closer every few moments, those big paws almost at the floor of the tent. Sammy held the door of the tent, barring it. Still, her nose sniffed them, furiously. Mesa chuffed, the sound so like his human snort that Kody wanted to bat the air with his paws and laugh. He crept up, nuzzling Mesa’s ruff. Sammy was quiet until he shot her a look, then the low growl came again. Mesa shook his head, chest pushing out. Sammy whined softly, obviously unsure of what to do, so Kody vocalized softly, encouraging her to trust. She was trying. Her wolf told her to, even if the Sammy he knew wanted to run. She dropped her head to her paws, and she watched them. Mesa kept shifting, moving closer, moving to touch noses with her finally. Her tongue flicked out, tasting Mesa, the act pure instinct. Vibrating, Mesa jumped back and barked at her, tail waving. Inviting her to play. Her head tilted, and Kody chuffed as she blinked, intrigued. That’s it, love, come play. It had taken him weeks to teach her to loosen up, but once she had… Mesa bounced and barked, front paws digging in. Her hind end went up, wiggled. Yes. Kody danced. Yes!

They drew her out, step-by-step, Mesa woofing. Finally, she pounced Mesa’s head, bouncing away from the big Alpha, fearless. Mesa danced, smiling his lupine smile. She circled, nose wrinkling, tongue lolling, trying to get Mesa’s hindquarters. Kody watched, pacing back and forth, ready to step in if he needed to. Mesa teased her, let her believe she was going to get him, when the huge Alpha spun, pounced her. He didn’t take her down, though. Mesa stood on her shoulder a moment before tearing off in a circle. She barked, taking chase, and Kody had to follow. Had to. He barked happily, chasing Sammy’s butt. Sammy actually bounced for him, giving her tail a wag and a flounce. That was his girl. She panted and barked for him. Her pretty eyes danced. She looked so happy for a moment, so at ease. Mesa looked so tickled, so pleased. He was mock attacking Sammy. Kody found himself standing there, watching, vibrating and admiring them. They rolled, the two of them, Mesa coming out on top but jumping up right away. Sammy panted, crouched to leap again. Mesa’s tail wagged, a plume that was so tempting… Kody panted, then leapt, taking the temptation when Sammy didn’t, and Mesa barked happily, turning to bite at Kody’s neck playfully. The nip lit him up. His body ached in the best way; his entire soul was singing, glorying in his mates, and when Sammy bit the tip of his tail, it made him dance. He barked happily, pounced her, then ran from them both. They gave chase, Mesa snapping the tiniest bit at Sammy when she got ahead. Sammy growled softly, dug in and ran faster, her determination to lead flavoring the air itself. Kody turned back, not wanting to cause a fight. He would distract them. Sammy came barreling at him, legs scrambling as she tried to make them work, stop. He slid sideways when she hit him, his legs going out from under him. Mesa hit them next, rolling them to a stop. Their lady was yelping, barking. Bitching at them. The sound was so familiar, it made him huff with laughter. Mesa rumbled, the sound happy as could be. His. They were his.

Sammy licked Kody, then pushed him down, grooming him, her love for him glowing brightly. Kody pawed at Mesa, who came to nibble on his ruff. It didn’t take even a push before Sammy was cleaning Mesa’s muzzle and ears. Perfect. That made Mesa happy, too. Kody felt it. Sammy was wearing out, her body getting heavy against him. It had been a long couple of days. He started pushing her back toward the tent. At this stage she might wake up wolf, might wake up human. They needed her contained. She moved slowly, tongue dragging. Tired. She was so tired. It echoed inside his head. He barked, encouraging her. Come on, love. A few more steps. She made it to the tent, stumbling in before curling into a tiny ball. Mesa stopped to mark outside the tent before pushing Kody inside. Kody settled with a sigh, nose on Sammy’s flank. Pretty girl. Mesa curled around them, almost long enough to manage it. Then they slept **** Naked. She woke up naked. Naked and sore and having the weirdest dreams. She gathered her clothes up, determinedly not looking at Kody or his lover. Who were naked too. Naked and lying in front of the goddamned flap of the tent. She got her panties on, a pair of shorts, then a tank top. Okay. Okay, she could make it. She slipped around Kody, not even breathing. Mesa moved lightning fast, hand coming to grab her ankle. “No.” She yelped, jerking away. “Let me go!” “No. You have to stay and talk about this. Otherwise, you could get yourself hurt. You can’t just pretend this didn’t happen.” Kody woke up, reached for her hand. “Come on, huh? Sit a second?” “You explain, and then I’m going home, okay? I’m sore, and I need some time alone with a bathtub.”

Kody’s eyes looked so warm, and she just wanted to curl up with the boys and ignore all the rest of the world, ignore the voice inside her that whispered that something inside her had changed. “We can do that as long as you understand what’s going on.” Kody eased her down between them—between their naked bodies—one hand sliding along her thigh. She shivered, wiggled. “Stop that. Talk.” Mesa’s breath felt warm and good on the back of her neck. That just wasn’t right. “Mate, she smells like Heaven.” Kody chuckled. “I know.” “That’s enough. Don’t laugh at me.” “You’re not the same as you were a few days ago, honey.” “No.” She shook her head; she would not believe that. It was all some weird druginduced fucking dream. Possibly insanity. “You’re not the same, Kody.” “I am. You just didn’t know.” “Okay, so you’re queer, or bi. Whatever. But…I would have understood, man. I thought you loved me.” “I do.” There was unshakable faith there, in Kody’s voice. “I love you.” She shook her head. Psychics. She should have listened to Becky and all the girls when they told her she’d lost her fucking mind. How could she have believed in psychics, let alone all this? “He means he’s different in a completely unusual way, honey. Just like you are.” “What does that mean? Who the hell are you?” Besides tall and wild and shaggy and huge and incredibly motherfucking hot? “I’m Kody’s best friend from when we were kids. The one who played practical jokes on him when he was a teenager and helped him put Nair in his father’s shampoo bottle.” He looked her in the eye. “And his Alpha.” “Alpha?” Oh, for fuck’s sake. She was not going to have gone through all this for some fucking leather and paddle sex thing. “Well, I suppose I wish you the best.” Either that or boils. Big, nasty painful boils. “No, honey. I told you, we’re werewolves.” That patient tone made her want to beat him.

“Kody, werewolves are for teenage girls, fur fetishists, and movies. You know that.” “Thank God most people think that,” Mesa murmured. “I guess.” She refused to look at Mesa, focusing on Kody. “Look, I’ve really been as patient as I can. You have someone else. Great. I just want to go home and get on with my life.” The shame of being taken for an idiot had to fade eventually, right? Mesa growled. Actually growled, sounding like the vampires on “Buffy” always did. An answering sound—one like she wasn’t aware she could make, but fuck knew she’d never once been this angry before—rumbled in her chest. “Back the fuck off, asshole.” “No.” Mesa bumped against her, crowding her against Kody. “I don’t think so.” She braced herself and pushed back. “I said back the fuck OFF!” Nobody was going to fucking intimidate her. Nobody. Not here, where she didn’t even have a bra on. Mesa caught her, holding her when she would have struggled. “Stop. Come on, honey. Just stop.” “Don’t call me honey!” Jesus Christ, she was two seconds away from screaming at the top of her lungs and possibly just tearing Kody’s balls off. Kody caught her from behind, and a wave of calm settled over her. She knew it was unnatural, but that was okay. Kody’s fingers trailed through her hair. “There. There, Sammy. You’re okay.” She wasn’t okay. She wasn’t. But she wanted to believe she could be. The touches kept coming, distracting her, relaxing her. It was insane. “No. No, it’s natural. It’s okay.” Kody sounded like he was echoing inside her. “See? You just have to let it go.” Mesa nuzzled her neck. “You drugged me.” That was the only logical answer. “No.” Mesa hummed, the sound echoing in her skin. “You had to. I told you I’d let you go, Kody…” Kody kissed her ear, her jaw. “But you can’t.” “We need to be three.” Mesa kept snuggling her. “Three what? You’re pretending to be werewolves. I’m an investment banker. You’re bi men, I’m very into cocks and have boobs. We’re not a match.” “Yes.” Mesa bit her, making her shiver. “We are.” “You bit me.” She blinked, staring at Mesa.

“I did.” Mesa’s teeth slid over her skin. “I’m going to do it again and again. Kody was right, you taste sweet.” Her eyes felt like they were burning. “I just want to go home to take a bath.” Drink herself stupid. Mesa sighed. “Kody. Aren’t you supposed to have a mind-whammy now?” Kody chuckled softly. “She’s sitting here, isn’t she?” “Don’t laugh at me!” The tears were close, and they made her furious. “You cheat on me, drug me, kidnap me, and now you’re laughing at me?” Kody broke her fucking heart. “We didn’t fucking drug you!” Mesa bared his teeth. “We may have kidnapped you.” She lurched out of Kody’s arms, he elbow whacking his chin, and ran out the flap of the tent and into the darkness, her heart pounding hard. “What the fuck!” She heard the scrambling, Mesa cursing. She landed on her hands and knees, sobbing, shoulders heaving. Enough. She’d just had enough. “Sammy…” Kody’s hand was on her back, soft, warm. It made the rest of her skin feel so cold. It wasn’t Kody that picked her up, though. It wasn’t Kody that lifted her and held her. No, it was the big guy, cradling her against his chest. He made her warm all over. Kody kept touching her, though, petting her shoulder, her hair. He was whispering to her or something, his voice everywhere. She clung to Mesa’s shoulders, tears taking over. She sobbed until she couldn’t cry another tear. Mesa took her back into the tent, never letting her down, keeping her close. He was making different sounds from Kody, but she felt them all through her. “That’s it.” Mesa eased her down in the blankets. “That’s it.” Kody pressed next to her, Mesa over her. Everywhere. They were everywhere. She thought she should be scared, but she was too tired, too overwhelmed. “We won’t hurt you, Sammy.” Kody kissed her temple. “Never.” Mesa’s lips traced her face, low rumbles settling deep in her spine, in her core. She relaxed, eyes closing, the last tear tracks drying on her cheek. Kody pressed behind her, his body fitting hers like it always had. Perfectly.

“Such a good girl. So strong. So brave.” Kody’s words just came over and over. She wanted to rest. With them. She wanted to run. She didn’t know what to do. “Everything is weird. I have to be at work in a few hours.” Mesa’s hands were so big. “No. No, you have the week off.” “I do?” God, this was so confusing. “Kody called. We knew this would be hard.” Mesa stroked her hair. “What do you want me to do? Do you want my house?” “No. We want you to come home with us.” She tried to understand. “What?” Her mind felt fuzzy, her nose twitched, itched. Mesa huffed out a breath. “We want you with us.” “You don’t have to understand, honey. Not right now. You’ve had a big day. You played hard.” “Play?” Mesa’s lips brushed her jaw. “Yes. It was good to see.” She panted softly, soft sounds rumbling from her. “We like to play. Wolves.” Kody kept murmuring. “You said. I thought that people played vampires more. You don’t have the dice and stuff at home, though, not that I’ve seen.” “There’s a werewolf game, actually.” Mesa was grinning again. “Is there?” She wasn’t into that sort of thing, and Kody was stroking her hips. “Yeah. It’s so bad. Really cheesy.” Mesa was kissing her throat. “So…” She shivered, arched, her belly rubbing against Mesa’s muscle. “You shouldn’t do that. Kody, tell him.” “You’re good, honey. Follow your instincts.” “So pretty. Kody did so good.” “So good?” Kody pressed against her back, hot, solid, lean. “He did. He found you. Kept you safe.” “I found him. At a faire.” Kody couldn’t keep a rabbit safe. “Then you were so smart. So good.” Mesa praised her, nibbling her ear.

“It was love at first sight.” She didn’t want to think about that, about how it might not be true. She wanted to believe Kody had loved her, too. She just wasn’t thinking clearly at all, so tired. “It was. I wanted to howl to the moon how much I loved you.” Kody smiled gently. “I still do.” “You know you’re not really a werewolf, right? You’re not really insane?” Kody shook his head. “I might be a little crazy, but not about that.” “But werewolves aren’t real.” She loved him; she didn’t want him to be crazy, a liar. A cheater. “We’ll show you, honey.” Mesa stroked her hair some more. The touches made her eyes cross. Kody moaned. “That’s it, love. Our Alpha.” There was something about being here with them, like this. Something that did and didn’t make sense. It made her head hurt to think about it, too, to worry. She laid her head against Mesa’s shoulder and let Kody whisper to her. **** Mesa sighed when Sammy finally dropped off to sleep like a puppy in his arms. Finally. Wasn’t this supposed to be easier now that they were all together? Granny had told him things would be weird, but this was exhausting. Kody looked at him, eyes red-rimmed, put pleased, he thought. Mate. The touch to his mind was like a drug. Mesa reached out with his hands and opened up, letting Kody touch him all over. Love and need and happiness poured over him, Kody flooding him. He could see Samantha in his head, lovely and wild, beautiful. That was it. Better. He didn’t say anything aloud, afraid the sound would wake her. He liked her better like this. Kody pinched him. Hard. “She’s scared.” “Ow.” Like he didn’t know that. “How are you?” He got a smile, wide and feral. “You’re here.” “Mmm. I am. Did I tell you I missed you?” Seeing Kody in his wolf form had been exhilarating, taking him back to days when they had no idea about pack structure, and who was Alpha of Beta or needing a third. When they’d just been able to run.

“Yes.” Kody cuddled in, licked his lips. “Sammy was beautiful. So fine.” “She is.” She was strong, too. Wicked strong. “She let you hold her.” There was nothing but satisfaction in Kody’s eyes. “She has good instincts. She just needs to stop fighting.” And fighting, and fighting, and thinking, all the damned time. “She doesn’t believe.” Kody shrugged. “And she’s a scrapper.” “I know. I don’t know how to make her.” He’d never dealt with a wolf who wasn’t one from birth. “She has to. She’ll change now, whether she wants to or not, right?” “She will, yeah, but what if she can’t connect her wolf to her?” He had no idea if that could happen. “Then we all go insane, and someone else gets the Clan.” “Oh.” Mesa blinked. He’d have to work harder. Kody’s hands were everywhere, touching him, teasing him. Loving on him. “Love. Love you.” Mesa needed to say it. “Still? Even after everything?” “I never stopped.” That was so true. He’d hated Kody for maybe a week, but he’d loved him still. He felt Kody’s pleasure; it hit him like a runaway freight train, right in the balls. That made it all worthwhile. Just like he knew Sammy’s care and love would be good. Eventually. There would be Pack. Puppies. His Kody in the water, in the moonlight, in the mountains. Kody nodded, smiling, loving on him right there in his mind. Sammy murmured, reached for Mesa, pressed closer. Just like that. Mesa hummed, vocalizing low, giving her warmth and security. She relaxed, melted against him, and Kody moaned, curling in behind her. “She really does have good instincts.” He petted Kody’s hip. “She does. She’s a stunning woman.” Kody sighed. “When do we get to head home, do you think?” “Soon. She’s not going to go willingly any time in the near future, so we just have to take her.” “Do we just disappear? Go back and pack?” Kody met his eyes. “I’ll do whatever you ask, Mate.”

“I won’t ask you to do without anything that’s important to you, baby.” He wouldn’t. Mesa had never needed stuff, but he knew Kody had made a life. “There’s nothing that I need, but she’s…a girl.” And human. “Okay. We’ll get some stuff so she feels there’s something familiar.” Kody nodded. “Home.” That smile was angelic. “God, yes.” He was so ready to go home. Kody’s fingers trailed over his forehead, stroked his skin. Sleep. They needed to sleep. “Yeah.” He closed his eyes, his body relaxing down on the blankets. Love. The word echoed inside him, made him smile. Yeah. Love.

Chapter Six

Sammy woke up, and Kody and his lover were both asleep. Sound asleep and she hummed. That’s right. That’s right. Sound asleep. Resting. She knew what she needed to do. There was something wrong here, wrong with them— drugs, maybe, or some sexual thing she didn’t understand, but she had to run away. When she thought the words, Mesa growled, fingers wrapping around her ankle, and she made herself relax. Think about the moon, about sex, about sleeping. About being so tired. So very tired. So heavy. Mesa started snoring again, and she slipped to the backpacks. She knew Kody, knew he’d have rope. God, yes. She tied Mesa’s wrists first, whispering softly to them both about how tired they were, how sleepy. Comfortable. Tired. She didn’t have the slightest idea why it worked, but it did and she wasn’t going to complain about it. She was losing her mind, she’d let them touch her, she’d loved it. Loved it. She bound Kody’s arms next, her lover so easy, so trusting. She cried as she did it, mourning as quietly as she could. Tears fell on his skin, and he moaned in his sleep. “I loved you, Kody, so much. I really did. I…I always will.”

He shifted, long, blond eyelashes fluttering and she shook her head, resting one finger on his lips. “Shh. Shh. It’ll be okay now. I promise. It’ll be okay.” She’d take herself out of the equation, make things easier. Just run away. **** He woke up yelping, hands numb behind his back. Bound. He scrambled to his knees, crying out, the nerves in his head screaming. Mate. Mates! Kody thrashed, panicked, barking out his pain, his terror. “Kody. Kody, you have to calm down.” Mesa snarled at him, but the tone snapped him out of it a little. “She’s gone. I’m tied down! Tied down!” He face-planted on the floor of the tent, feeling rough bark under the nylon ripstop fabric. “I know, baby. I’ve been trying to wake you. I thought I’d lost you for a few.” Mesa was trying to soothe him, but he couldn’t make it stop. He cried out, the nerves in his head raw and screaming. “Shh. Baby. You have to breathe.” “Mates…” He couldn’t believe she’d left them. Sammy. She’d run away. “She doesn’t know.” It made him laugh a little hysterically, that Mesa was defending her. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could hear her, telling him it would be okay now. Like this pain could be okay. “I know.” He breathed hard, trying not to scream. “Can you untie me?” Please? Now? “I can if you can get around to my hands.” Mesa slid over to him. “Okay. Okay. She left, Mesa. She left me.” “She’s scared, Kody. She thinks you left her first. Scoot over.” He scooted, whimpering softly, the pain in his head easing when Mesa touched him. “That’s it, baby.” He could feel Mesa in his mind again, too. Thank God. “I’m sorry, Mate. I’m sorry.” He’d fucked up again, so bad.

“Shh. Hush, now.” He felt Mesa’s fingers against his hands, then his wrists. The ties were not as tight as he’d feared. He relaxed as Mesa worked at them, the panic easing a little. “Good. Almost there.” “Mesa. I’m sorry. You aren’t hurt?” Mesa didn’t feel hurt. He felt solid and capable, even tied up. “No. No, I was just sound asleep.” “Yeah. Yeah, me too. Sleeping so hard.” There had to be a reason they had both slept through her leaving. He just didn’t know what it was. He shivered, hands tugging at the ties again. Off. Off. He wanted them off. The sudden image of Mesa, turning Sammy over his knee and reddening her ass filled his mind and Kody relaxed, chuffed softly. “I will, too, you know.” The ties finally gave way. “Oh. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Mate.” He turned, needing to get his Alpha free. “You’re her Alpha.” “She’s going to fight me every step, baby.” Once Mesa’s hands came free, his Mate turned him and kissed his mouth. He groaned, pressed himself against Mesa. Hurt. He hurt. His head pounded. “We’ll get her back.” He saw them both in Mesa’s mind, looking like bloodhounds and chasing Sammy down. “Yeah. I bet she took your truck.” “Shit.” Mesa sat up with him, holding him close. When Mesa took him to the tent flap to look out, Mesa cursed again. Sure enough, the truck was gone, all of Mesa’s supplies left for them. Blankets, coolers, packs, all there. “Well, at least she didn’t want us to starve.” Mesa sighed. “We can call someone or we can go wolf.” “I’m sorry.” He pulled away, trying to think, to breathe. “Stop. This is just not a normal bonding, is all.” “Nothing about me has ever been normal, huh?” “No.” Mesa reached over to cup his cheek with one hand. “Thank God.” Kody’s eyes closed, his Alpha’s strength like a beacon. Better. Better.

“We’ll find her.” Mesa hummed low, making him vibrate. “I promise.” “We will. We have to.” He couldn’t not. “We do.” He could hear a bit of growl. “I am so kicking her ass.” He nodded. They needed her. She needed them, just as badly. She just didn’t know it yet. God, what if she changed when they weren’t there to help her? What if she hurt herself? Hurt somebody else? And her poor head had to be pounding. His sure was. Mesa touched his hair, petting him. “I know, baby. We need to get moving. We should eat.” “We’ll leave the things here and track her as wolves. Or do you want me to hike out and get someone to help us?” “We’ll go together. You know the area well enough for us to avoid anyone inconvenient.” “Together.” He nodded. Yes. Together. Okay. Together to find her. They would find her, make her understand, and take her home. Mesa didn’t doubt that, not at all. Kody could feel it, bone deep.

Chapter Seven

“Don’t fucking yell at me, Becky! I’m leaving!” “Leaving?” Had Becky’s voice always been so shrill, so awful, so fucking tinny over the phone line? “You can’t just leave! You have a job, a house, email!” “Watch me.” Sammy hated it here, she always had. She was heading north, she thought. To the mountains. She kept dreaming about mountains. She would be able to breathe there, without the smog, with the wide open around her. “You’re crazy. Come here. We’ll have a bottle of wine, make a plan.” She shook her head, the pressure at her temples almost unbearable. “I have to go. I’ll call a realtor, get the house on the market. I’ve already emailed my resignation. I have to get away from here.” “Did…did he threaten you, sweetie?” “Kody? My Kody? Are you stupid?” Mesa, on the other hand, Mesa could threaten. It could be hot, growly, shivery good. No. Stop it. Just stop. “I’m not the one who’s leaving everything she’s worked for because some circus freak seduced her!” “No, you’re not. But I am.” And Kody wasn’t a circus freak, damn it. Weird, sure. Psychic, if you believed him. “I’m leaving, Becky. I’m serious. I’ll have my phone, but I’m fucking out of here.”

Sammy hung up with Becky, turned off her phone, then got busy. She threw food away, pictures. Hired a moving service to come and store everything she owned in one of those weird pod deals. Then she packed her clothes and her toiletries, her hands shaking with the pain that rocked her head. It was amazing how a girl could completely disassemble her life in two and a half hours. Of course, it was two and a half hours she wasn’t sure she had. She’d wasted enough time; now she had to get out of here. Get her shit, her car, her laptop, and go. Far away. To San Jose. Or Reno. Somewhere. Maybe the Rockies. God, her head hurt. She grabbed her panties, dropping half of them. She would just go. She didn’t have to feel bad. Kody was the one who’d let her down. Kody had cheated. Kidnapped her. She grabbed her keys, took her passport and cash out of the safe. She had to move. It would be maybe a day before they could catch up. She’d left the big guy’s satellite phone. She left the truck in the garage; she’d take her car. She slipped on a pair of sneakers, stumbled into the bathroom to take a handful of Tylenol. She took them dry, listening to the sound of her own swallow. Her head was going to explode. “Why did you do this to me, Kody? Why did you have to use me?” The words tore out of her, followed by harsh sobs. She sank to the floor, her knees on the cold tile, her head against the base of the sink. Okay. Okay. Stand up. Get moving. The sound of the back door opening made her hiccup, her sobs ending as if they’d never been. Oh, God. Oh, God. She locked the bedroom door, as quietly as she could. She’d go out the window. The sound of something clicking on the floors made her shiver. It sounded like Jurassic Park, with the raptors. Out the window. She could do this. She opened the one by her dresser, grabbed her backpack, her bag. Something heavy hit the bedroom door, heavy enough that it popped open. Fuck! Fuck.

She scrambled, pulling herself up and almost out. The biggest wolf she’d ever seen was outside her window. Oh, God. A wolf. Her eyes rolled, her feet kicking. No. No way. Something touched her foot from inside, cold and wet. She squealed, the headache leaving her so fast that she went boneless. In fact, every bit of tension fled, replaced by a flood of love and pride. “Oh…Kody.” She shivered, moaned low. Yes. Yes, love. She heard it in her head, just as she had every day for the last two years. The tears came again, and she slumped, half in and half out the window. The wolf who had broken in her door came and sat next to her legs, leaning on them. Fuzzy. She’d lost her mind. Lost it. Completely. There was no way Kody was the wolf. No way. “I have to go. I don’t know what to do. Maybe I have a brain tumor. My Kody wouldn’t have cheated on me. Maybe it’s a brain tumor.” Kody nuzzled her. The big wolf jumped up against the side of the house and woofed. “Hush. Shoo. I’m crazy, don’t you get it? Eventually they’re going to send the men in the white coats.” It actually felt better, to just be crazy. Kody whined behind her, and she could swear the big wolf laughed, tongue lolling. She pushed herself back into the room, pushed away from the window, because she was getting light-headed. “I’m going to check myself into the hospital. If you’re Kody, and I’m hallucinating, make sure you bring my medical history. If you’re a wolf and not Kody, please don’t poop on the floor. I don’t know when I’ll be back.” There. That worked. She was doing really well, going to get her bag and all, when a naked man appeared inside her bedroom.

“I’m choosing to believe that you’re another figment of my imagination. I’m taking myself to the hospital.” “No, honey.” Mesa, because it was Kody’s lover, smiled. “You’re not crazy.” “It could be a brain tumor.” That would be okay, she guessed. “It could, I guess. Thing is, I’m not a figment.” She shook her head, her fingers moving through the soft, soft fur of her dear Kody. “You have to be.” God, he was built like an Adonis, and Sammy sort of wanted to rub all over him. “I’m not.” He moved closer, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Are…” Her eyes crossed, a wave of pure lust hitting her. “Not.” He rubbed her shoulder, his thumb massaging. “Uh…God, what’s happening to me?” “We told you. You just didn’t listen.” Mesa leaned down, kissing her lightly. Heat built inside her, and she moaned. Oh, God. Oh, God, she needed. Crazy. She was crazy. “Please, just listen to your body, honey.” She heard Kody’s voice, echoing inside her, encouraging her to step closer, touch. Feel. “The Tylenols are working. I had such a headache.” Her fingers slid up Mesa’s belly. “Mmm. Because you left us.” He touched her cheek, her mouth. “You kidnapped me. I’m going to take myself to the doctor.” Her tongue flicked out, tasted Mesa’s fingers. “Uh-huh. And say what? When he tries to take blood and you wolf out?” He licked his lips. “That’s a hallucination I have. I’ve always said Kody was like a beast in bed.” Kody was real again, even though he was naked, pressing against her hip. “He is. So are you.” Mesa grinned a little, his eyes sparkling. She shook her head, and Kody pushed her closer to Mesa, their bodies meeting full on. “This isn’t real.” “What’s real, then?” Mesa nuzzled under her ear, and her thighs tensed. “I…” Her chin lifted, and Kody tugged her scrunchie out of her hair. “Shh.” Kody kissed her neck. “Feel.”

“I…” Maybe one more time. Just once. Even if it was a hallucination. “Yes. Just feel.” Mesa kissed her again, lips on hers warm and firm. All her pain, all her worries—they all disappeared. Her lips parted, tongue sliding in to taste Mesa. He was hot. Almost peppery. Not like Kody, who tasted like cinnamon and cloves. Kody tugged at her tank top, pulled it up over her breasts so that she touched Mesa’s chest. She shivered, her nipples so hard. Mesa bent to lick at the top of one breast. A weird sound bubbled up out of her, a deep growling noise. He bit down a tiny bit, testing her skin. The sting made her shake, her fingers in Mesa’s heavy hair. “Please.” More. Harder. Now. He rubbed his cheek against her breast, his heavy beard stinging. He moaned for her, his lips sliding down to her nipple. She could feel Kody behind her, stripping away her shorts, but her focus was on Mesa, on the promise of that mouth. He licked her nipple, pushing it back and forth, before sucking it between his lips. “Yes.” She went up on tiptoe, her hips rocking as if they were fucking her. “Sweet lady.” His lips moved on her skin when he talked, which was…wow. “Please.” Kody chuffed softly and knelt, hands warm on her ankles as he pulled her shoes off. “We got you. Right, baby?” Mesa was talking to Kody with the baby. It was weirdly hot. “We do. Our lady. We’ll love you.” “You…” This didn’t make sense. “How did you get here so fast?” “We ran.” Mesa chuckled, which vibrated against her. “We didn’t have to use the road.” That didn’t make sense. It didn’t. Kody pushed between them, head pushing between her legs. “Hush, Sammy. It doesn’t have to make sense.” Then his tongue touched her folds, hot and slick, and she arched, pushing her nipple back into Mesa’s mouth. They were going to make her crazy, licking and sucking with perfect timing. She pulled the top off, the fabric offensive to her skin.

Her pulled-down underwear went next, the strings snapping under Kody’s fingers. Mesa murmured something that sounded like approval. Her head fell back, these weird sounds pouring out of her. She needed them. They took her to the bed, moving her between them, never letting her think too much. Kody slid behind her, cock hot on her thigh. It was Mesa who pushed against her, though, hands dragging over her skin. Mesa took her, his prick pushing inside her. Yes! It felt like she screamed it, but she didn’t, couldn’t, because she didn’t have any breath. Kody answered for her, though. “Yes. Yes. Mesa. Yes.” Kody rubbed against her from behind, his cock so hot against her, as hot as the one inside her. Mesa pushed, his hands on her ass, pulling. Kody’s fingers found her nipples, pinched them hard, and she howled. Mesa kissed her, then, his mouth taking hers. His tongue pushed inside, tasting her. That was when things sort of got…odd. They all started slamming together, biting and scratching, fucking. Rutting. Like animals. Kody was growling. Her Kody. She could feel his teeth on her shoulder, close to her neck, and then it was Mesa that growled, the sound vibrating through her. Mesa pulled her up, slamming into her, and his teeth found her skin, sinking in. He made her see stars. Sammy came hard, her entire body shaking with it, desperate for it. “That’s it.” The low, raspy words shivered through her, Mesa pushing deep for two, three more thrusts before he came. She felt Kody thrusting behind her, the motions of his hips restless as heat sprayed up her back. “Good, baby. So good.” She wasn’t sure if Mesa was talking to her or Kody. She was so tired, and she had to move. To get up. But they were warm. She could lay her head down and let Kody pet her, let Mesa kiss the sweat off her brow. Kody was whispering to her, telling her secrets that she couldn’t quite understand. She wasn’t sure she wanted to.

Chapter Eight

Mesa rolled his head on his neck. It had been a long day of driving. They’d gotten his truck back, and Kody had packed some random stuff—although, damn, that girl had gotten shit done in a couple of hours—and they’d hit the road. He’d called his brother, Canyon, when they stopped at their former campsite to pick up the gear. He’d had to charge the satellite phone, but it worked. “You on your way home?” Canyon had asked. “Yeah. Yeah, I got Kody.” Among other things. “You got anything new about the shit going down with the North Peak Clan?” Canyon was his second, his security advisor, and the biggest wolf in the pack who wasn’t Mesa. He was keeping an eye on a situation in a sister pack in Wyoming. There was something hinky there, something to do with Ben and Susan, how they’d been murdered. He knew it, like he knew his own name, but he’d be damned if he could prove a thing. Canyon had spent a shitload of time training with fellow Guardian, Granite, over there, had introduced the man to his fiancée, even, and Granite was getting worried about Markus, his Alpha. Just what he needed, a problem with an established Alpha just one territory over. The universe had a vicious sense of humor and having a war in his first year of being Alpha would surely amuse someone. “Heating up, maybe. Talked to Granite, there’s…shit, man. He’s saying they’re caging wolves over there, keeping them in cages. White wolves.” “Shit.” White wolves? Really? He’d heard the rumors of the Pair his whole life, they all had, but they were just stories for children, right? With his luck, they were a pair of albino wolves that Markus was trying to keep safe from predators. “I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

He’d hung up with Canyon, growly as all fuck, and he’d been driving forever. Sammy had slept, mostly. She’d been snuggled up in the back with Kody, who was drowsy and a little grumpy. They needed to get home, but he had to stop, so he started looking for a place, a campsite or a cabin. He wasn’t sure exactly what Kody was doing to her, how he kept her calm, but Mesa was incredibly grateful it was working. Hell, maybe Kody was telling her they were taking her to the hospital. Kody’s laughter chuffed softly in his mind. Butthead. Fuck, Kody was getting better at that. “Gonna have to stop, baby.” He said it softly, not wanting to wake Sammy. Kody nodded. “We need to eat. Sleep. Touch.” “Yeah.” Maybe pee in there somewhere. “I can keep her calm.” “Good.” He grinned in the rear view. “How are you holding up?” “Good.” Kody offered him a smile, a wink. “That’s what I want to hear, baby.” There. A sign advertised off-highway cabins. They had supplies—lots of them. Kody had had a well-stocked kitchen, and they’d stopped for the packs and tent as well. They could rest. Eat. Sleep. All Kody had to do was keep Sammy calm. Sammy had fallen deeply asleep after their little bout of mating frenzy and had been that way for hours. The quiet helped ease Mesa’s headache. He pulled into the campgrounds and went to pay, leaving Kody to hold Sammy. Then he got the supplies and filled the kitchen. “Okay, baby.” Kody scooped Sammy up, carrying her into the cabin, then standing there. “If you want me to cook, you’ll have to take her.” “I can do that.” He could, right? God, he was tired. “Sit, then.” Kody pushed him toward the sofa, put Sammy in his arms. Mesa sat, feeling useless as tits on a boar hog. He just didn’t know what else to do. His fingers moved over her body, loving on her. Her skin was so soft, so smooth. Fascinating. She was fascinating.

He dozed off, fingers wrapped around her soft breast, thumb idly rubbing her nipple through her top. Kody cooked bacon and eggs, waking them both up, plates in hand. “Oh, thank you, baby.” He smiled, foot reaching out, rubbing Kody’s leg. Sammy blinked, sat up. “That smells good. I…Where are we?” “Vacation. Eat, honey.” Kody handed plates over and headed back to the kitchen. “Okay.” She blinked some more, but she dutifully took the plate and ate eggs. Mesa tore into the bacon. God, he’d missed Kody’s cooking. The man was made for him. “He does a good job. He always does the eggs right.” “He does.” Look at her, picking up the non-verbals. “What…what do you do?” “I’m—” How did he describe it? “I guess you could say I’m the sheriff, honey.” “Oh. Okay.” She bumped his arm with hers. “I have to warn you. Kody doesn’t respond well to penal types.” “No?” He grinned. “I won’t put him in jail.” “Okay. He’s too pretty for jail.” She chuckled, pinked. “He is, huh?” He fed her a piece of bacon. “Yeah.” She opened up, so pretty. God, he wanted to eat her alive. Unable to resist the urge, he kissed the corner of her mouth once she chewed and swallowed. “I…” Her eyes cut to Kody, who smiled from the kitchen, bacon sandwich in his hand. “He might throw us in jail, huh?” Kody’s tease was gentle. Soft. Sweet. “I don’t want hurt you, Kody. I love you.” Her fingers twined with his, and he could see the worry in her eyes. So hard, to put away everything she’d known and learn to be Pack. “I know.” “We know, honey.” Mesa stroked her back. Kody nodded, his mate’s approval filling the entire cabin, and Sammy melted into Mesa’s touch. It felt good. So good. “This is very odd.” She turned her face up for another kiss, and he took it. She had to follow her instincts; the wolf needed its mate.

Mesa hummed, licking at her lower lip. Sweet. Her lips were sweet. He dove in, kissing her hard, moaning as she responded. Mesa was so damned happy that she was coming around, that somewhere in there she knew. He pushed her back, covering her, mouth on her throat. She tensed a little as if she might fight him, but then she let her nails dig into his shoulders. Good girl. He rewarded her with soft nuzzles, licks to her throat. She was soft. Smooth. As a wolf, her belly would be perfect. Mesa moved south, exploring her chest, the skin of her ribs, her belly with his tongue just as he had with his fingers. Beautiful. She was curvy but strong. He pushed her top up, nibbling, leaving tiny bites that made her jerk, murmur. She was holding him as if she was ready to let it all go. Like she was ready to be his. His lady. His queen. His. His teeth scraped over her hip. She moaned, and so did Kody. Mesa glanced up, meeting Kody’s eyes. Kody smiled at him, the look hungry, wolfish. His lover stayed away, though, let him firm their bond. Good man. Mesa would reward him soon. He licked down her lower belly, chin resting just above her curls. She smelled like heaven, like his, earthy and right, He rested his forehead on her stomach, breathed in deep. Delicious. He had to push the rest of her clothes out of the way, get her little yoga pants off so he could taste the rest of her. “Kody…you’re so far away.” Kody chuffed softly. “Sammy. I’m right here. Watching.” “S…such a boy.” “He’ll be with us again soon, honey.” Mesa kissed her belly. “Right now, look at me.” “This isn’t like me.” He bet she’d said exactly the same thing to Kody, the first time he’d loved her. “It is now.” He chuffed against her skin before dipping his head to nuzzle her curls. Sammy shifted, and her little gasp made him ache. Sweet lady. He licked, pressing down. Bright

and tart, the taste of her made him growl, tongue sliding over her clitoris, just teasing the little nub. The way she shifted, sliding against him, made him grunt. He wanted. “Use your fingers, too, mate. She loves that.” Kody’s voice was a deep growl. “Does she?” He smiled a little, then licked some more, teasing. Sammy’s fingers tangled in his hair. Mesa pushed a finger up along her folds, following the path of his tongue. Sammy arched up, demanding girl, sweet cunt slick and hot and wet for him. He licked, pressing his tongue against her clit as his finger slid inside her. God, she was perfect. “Please.” She rocked down, took his finger in, murmuring his name. His name. A surge of happy triumph swept through him, and he gave her another finger, his tongue pushing at her. Her clit was deliciously sensitive, each lick making her just that much wilder against him. She spread wide for him, letting him in, and he pushed against her, pushed her to fly. “Mate!” The word was barked out as she clenched around his fingers, her heels digging into his back. He chuffed, so proud of her, so proud of Kody, too. He pushed his fingers in and out of her, working her hard. She rode him desperately, her slick walls trembling around his fingers as he drove her wild. So good. He was already in love with her. She just needed to let go. She tugged at his hair. “Please. Please, in me. Hard. Mesa.” “Now. Yes.” He slid up her body and kissed her mouth, aching to be in her. Her hand was around his cock, guiding the tip into perfect fucking wet heat. Mesa pushed, slid inside her, his hands coming to rest on her hips. Good. So good. He growled happily, hips starting to move, push inside her. He held her, moving back and forth, his breath coming hard. She felt like heaven. His. His eyes rolled, and he saw Kody, watching, one hand moving on the long, hard cock. He nodded, wanting his sweet lover with them, but knowing he and Sammy had to do this one alone. Kody would get all the love he could bear soon. A wave of acceptance, love, lust, need—they hit him at once, making him howl, making Sammy jerk, her eyes huge.

He tried to keep her with him, tried to remember to touch her clit, to keep her going. He was going to come any second, though. She jerked, body clenched around him, her nails digging into his shoulders. “Sammy!” Mesa shot, his eyes wide open, staring into hers. He felt it, a click in his soul as she opened to him. His female. His lady. Their Queen. Thank God. His entire body knew it, and the last vestiges of his headache faded away. He slumped down on Sammy, breathing hard, her arms wrapping around him. Mesa nuzzled her throat, biting a tiny bit. His lady. His and Kody’s. He knew it, now, balls deep.

Chapter Nine

He watched the road move under them. They were going to stop again, he knew it. Mesa was tired and hungry; Sammy was restless, the wolf threatening. Kody was going to die. He hadn’t slept since they’d left LA, had focused all his energy, his power on what he was meant to do—strengthening the bond between his Alphas. He blinked hard, the shadows the clouds left behind looking like other wolves. Hunting wolves. Hunting them. Hunting his Alphas. “Do you want to stop for a bit, baby?” Mesa sounded far away. “Sure.” One more night, then a half day tomorrow. Then he was going to Granny’s and getting a hug, he hoped. A hug and a nap. “Are you gonna make it, baby? You look peaked.” Mesa’s worry was like a physical thing. “Uh-huh.” Calm. He was calm. Peaceful. La la la. “Okay. Okay, baby.” Mesa started looking for a place to pull off. The edges of his vision were silvery and sparkling. It was fascinating. “Kody?” Sammy’s fingers touched his cheek, stroked him. “Uh-huh?” “You okay?” She sounded worried. “Uh-huh.” “Kody, you’re crying.” She wiped his face, her fingers coming away wet. He was just so tired. “Shh. I’m okay.”

“I don’t think so.” He focused on calm. Peace. She was doing so good. “We’re stopping, honey.” Mesa said from the front. “We need to. He’s all gray.” “I’m fine.” Calm. Peaceful. “Kody!” Mesa’s sharp bark made him jump a little. “What?” Don’t yell. He was tired. “Kody, you have to stay with us, baby.” Stay with them. He loved them. Both. So much. “Kody?” His girl was crying, was scared. “Shh.” “I just need you to stay with us five more minutes.” Mesa pulled off the highway. “I’ll stay ‘wake ‘til get home.” “No.” Mesa sounded so sure. “No, you can rest soon. Sammy, make sure he stays awake, okay? The last thing I need is to run off the road because something happens with the bond.” “I will. Promise.” Kody rolled his eyes. They needed him awake. She needed him. “I know, baby.” Someone was humoring him. Kody growled softly, teeth bared. “Oh, now, don’t get all growly on me, baby.” “I think we should stop at the hospital, Mesa. His eyes are weird.” “We’ll take care of him, honey.” Mesa glanced back at them, frowning. The truck stopped and Mesa growled. “Keep him here, lady.” Sammy’s hands were on his face, so soft, so warm. “I’m worried about you, love.” “Shh. I’m fine. You’re fine.” They turned into somewhere blurry and parked. Mesa disappeared like smoke, but was back a few minutes later. “Come on, you two.” He told his legs to move him. He needed to feed his mates, get them to rest. Sammy got out of the truck, and Mesa picked Kody up. “Mesa…” The touch made him ache, made him hard.

“Yes, baby. Right here. I should have thought. Granny said you would be open.” He blinked, just a little dazed, a little lost. “Need to feed you both.” “Mmm. You need to rest. Lie down with us.” “Rest…” He couldn’t. He had to watch. Stay awake. Protect them while the bond formed. Had to. “Shh. Yes. Rest. She’s ours now.” Mesa laid him out on the bed. A hotel then. “I need to protect you.” “Just as we need to protect you.” Mesa stroked his hair. “Watch him, Sammy.” “We need to find a doctor…” Scared. His mate was scared. He turned toward her, rumbling softly. Love. Lady. “No.” Mesa said it firmly, touching them both. “No doctors.” Oh… Oh, better. He whimpered, eyes rolling. “Please.” He wasn’t even sure what he was asking for. “Shh. Love. I got you.” “Mesa…” “We’re good, baby. I’ll be right here.” “I have to stay awake…” “Not now.” Mesa settled next to him, Sammy on his other side. Warm. They were warm. They were warm and there with him, and his head was easing off. Oh. Oh, mates. Love. Love. **** “What’s wrong with him?” Sammy looked at Mesa, frowned over Kody’s sleeping body. He was feverish, not burning up, but too warm, and Mesa had insisted that they all get into the bed together, Kody snuggled between them, which couldn’t be healthy for him. “Hell, what’s wrong with me?” “Which one do you want me to answer first, honey?” That didn’t even need thought. “I need to know what’s wrong with Kody.” “He’s tired.” Mesa smiled over Kody’s head.

“That’s all? You swear? His eyes were weird.” Glowing, sort of. “I promise. We need to stay with him, touch him.” Mesa sounded so sure, and something inside her believed. “Touch him?” Her hands roved over Kody, touching the warm, smooth skin. “Yes. He’s been pouring everything into us.” Mesa kissed her fingers when they got close. “We need to focus on him now.” “Pouring. Mesa, I don’t understand.” She had spent the last few days in a daze. She didn’t understand anything about what was going on. Still. She loved Kody. She’d do anything for him. “I know, honey.” He reached across Kody to stroke her cheek. So good. That touch was so sweet. “You know Kody has special talents?” That she did know. She hadn’t believed in psychics until she met him, but her Kody had known her—bone-deep. He’d known about her past, about her soul. Her heart. She might have questioned it lately, but she’d known it all along. Sammy nodded. “He does. He’s amazing.” “Yeah. Well, he’s been using his talent a lot to help you and me get to know each other.” “I can believe that. I never just go on a road trip like this. Never.” And that didn’t even touch the fact that she’d let him make her come over and over. “No. Kody says you’re very driven.” He held her hand on top of Kody’s hip. “I just try to be my best. It’s not easy.” She’d been on her own a long, long time. “You promise he’s okay?” “I do.” Mesa really didn’t sound worried. Tired, yeah. “When are we going back? I have to start looking for a new job, start dealing with my shit again.” She knew the question was weird. She knew it, but she didn’t know why or how. “Let’s just do one day at a time, honey. Hell, one thing at a time, huh? What’s your favorite thing to eat?” “Steak. I love a good steak.” Just barely cooked on the outside. Kody was so good at those. “Mmm. I like lamb. Do you like lamb?” “Kody made that for me. I’d never really eaten it before him. Did you know that girls in LA are supposed to eat a lot of salads?” Something about Mesa made her ramble a little bit. “Kody thought that was silly. He cooked bacon and roast. And chicken. And pizza.” She

chuckled. This was not very lady-like. “I’m supposed to say watercress sandwiches and yogurt, aren’t I?” “Hell, no.” He laughed, too, stroking her hand. “You need to like meat. Makes you strong.” “I tried to be a vegetarian in college. I got really sick. I was surprised Kody wasn’t a vegetarian. I thought he would be.” “No. Not even Kody can get away with that.” Mesa chuckled some more. “Has he always been psychic?” Kody knew things—it was as if he could read her heart. Sometimes it had scared her, how much he knew. He’d never been able to answer questions about his talent, about when he’d known that was what he wanted to do with his life. “Yes. Though I didn’t know it until recently.” Mesa growled a little now. “There was a lot I didn’t know.” “How long has it been? Since you…broke up?” God, this was weird. “Long enough. Too long.” There was something in the way he squeezed her hand that told her he wasn’t giving Kody back. She sighed, her heart more than a little broken. “Long enough to let him get married to an idiot.” And that was the problem, wasn’t it? She was the rebound lover. She hadn’t even known there was a lover for Kody to be rebounding from, which was stupid, because the man was wild in bed. Amazing. Practiced. “You’re not an idiot, honey. I’m glad he found you.” Mesa didn’t sound like he was lying. Her fingers twined with his. “I’m laying here cradling my husband while I get to know his lover.” “I know.” Mesa made this rough but happy-sounding noise. “I guess it does seem weird to you, but to me it seems normal.” “How? How can this be normal?” She lowered her voice as soon as Kody frowned. “Oh, shh. Shh, love. I’m okay. We’re okay. Mesa and I are just talking.” “It’s normal for us. Why do we have to worry about anything else?” “I…” She didn’t know. “That sounded very much like Kody.” Mesa squeezed her hand again. “Good.”

“What’s your favorite food?” Her fingers moved over Mesa’s wrist, touching lightly. His heartbeat was strong, steady. Fascinating. “I love nachos. The kind with steak and lots of yellow cheese.” She chuckled. “Oh, you’d love the Mexican food in LA. There are amazing places to eat. What’s your favorite part? Sour cream and salsa?” Kody loved the guacamole best; he’d spent hours perfecting his own recipe and testing it out on her. “Yes. I love the chips, too, though.” “Boys and the salty.” Mesa’s laughter moved Kody against her. “Kody says you like sweet best. Chocolate or fruit?” “Chocolate.” Absolutely. “That’s bad for dogs.” She cracked up. “Kody’s always telling me that! He made tons of other desserts to tempt me—pies and puddings and crème brulee. None of them were chocolate. Although the cheesecake thing, yum.” This was making her hungry. “Mmm. I like that, too. With Irish cream.” Her stomach growled, and she blushed. “Irish cream? You’re not a beer man?” “Nope. I like sweet, too, I admit.” “Me too. I love the girly drinks, but that’s not in style right now.” Now it was cigar bars and scotch. “Yeah? What’s your favorite? Does Kody still like coffee liqueur?” “Strawberry margaritas, and I’ve never seen Kody drink liquor, ever. I sort of thought maybe he had an addiction problem.” One of Mesa’s eyebrows went up. “Yeah? Why is that?” She shrugged. “I guess because he didn’t drink at all. Smoke. Gamble. Nothing.” “Ah. No, I bet it’s because it impairs his senses.” Sometimes she thought it would be better to have impaired senses in LA. Everything there was overwhelming, heavy, hard or bright. “Are you going to take him away?” It was a fair question, right? She’d tried to walk off and let them be. It would be cruel to do this and leave her somewhere on the road. “From you? No.” Mesa stroked her skin, back and forth. “From California? Yeah.”

“I live in California.” The touch was easy, good, and she couldn’t tense. “You have lived there.” She just didn’t understand how he could be so calm. “Yeah, and I had a job there. A house. I can’t believe I just walked away from it all. What was I thinking? In this economy? Just walking away?” A hint of panic hit her, square in the belly. Kody frowned, fingers searching for her. “Shh.” This time it was Mesa comforting Kody. “Mates.” Kody relaxed, smiling gently. “He’s happy with you.” It hurt to admit, but it was true. “He loves you.” Mesa sighed. “You have to understand, honey. He needs us both.” “I’m trying to, really. I mean, I’m trying not to be a harpy.” She didn’t want to be a bitch. “I know.” He poked her wrist. “I know that.” She leaned up onto one elbow, looked over at Mesa. “So, what are you suggesting, honestly?” “That we’re mates. The three of us.” Mesa sat up, one hand on Kody’s back. “But… that’s not legal.” “Uh-huh. Where we’re going it doesn’t matter.” Mesa winked, the expression unexpectedly charming, boyish. “And no, it’s not Utah.” “I have to figure out what I’m doing with my life. Get a job. Sell the house. Apologize to Becky for yelling at her.” God, his eyes fascinated her, his sounds, and she caught herself leaning toward him. He rewarded her with a touch, the hand not on Kody coming up to her arm. “Oh.” The word just breathed out of her. “Mmm.” Mesa smiled. “You’re warm.” “I can’t think when you two touch me. I thought it was just Kody.” “Has he always had that effect on you?” “Yes.” She actually laughed, happiness bubbling up inside her. “He read my palm at a faire. Literally grabbed my hand while I was shopping for a toe ring, and dragged me over to this weird little tent of his. It was purple and had the phases of the moon painted on it in glittery paint—so cheesy. I never would have gone in, but…his eyes were so pretty, and he smelled like

Heaven, and we ended up in the back of some weird old tent in about ten minutes. It was the strangest thing in my life.” Until a couple of days ago. Mesa’s dark eyes were glowing like embers, and she knew, suddenly, without question, that he was erect, hard. “He’s a force of nature.” “He is. He gets under my skin.” “Yeah. I get that.” His fingers were sliding up her arm now, moving toward her nipple. “I bet. Have you been looking for him long?” “I think we should talk about you and me.” Mesa gave her a predatory grin. That smile made her want to howl at the moon. Where the hell did that come from? “You and me?” “Yep. You and me, Sam.” “Is there a you and me?” That was a stupid question, but it had to be asked. “There is.” He pressed his fingers to her skin, and her nipples hardened. Sammy licked her lips. “And…and what do we need to talk about?” “We don’t really have to talk about it as long as you’re willing to explore it.” Mesa sounded very interested in exploring. She slipped over, ending in Mesa’s lap. “This is probably a bad idea.” “I think it’s a great idea, honey.” He pushed her back a little, so she rested against Kody. When she touched Kody, a rush of pure joy hit her, made her moan. “Oh. Oh, God. Do you feel that?” “I do. Trust me, honey.” “I do. I shouldn’t, but I do.” She arched, touching them both. “Good.” He kissed her then, hard and deep. She found herself panting, breathing hard, suddenly overwhelmed, the room spinning as Kody’s arms wrapped around her. “Shh.” Kody looked so much better, at least when he got right up and stared into her eyes. “It’s okay.” “Kody…” Something was happening to her. “I know. I know, love. Just go with it.” Go with it? It was like staring into an abyss. “I’m scared. Kody. I don’t…” This sound came out of her, deep and raw. Her skin didn’t fit.

“We’ll help you.” Mesa’s words almost made no sense, but she managed to understand them. Kody’s hands were on her back, moving in long, slow strokes that felt so good. She pushed into the touch, whining softly, trying to ease the deep hurt inside her. Mesa nuzzled her cheeks, her nose, sharing his breath with her. Scared. She was…she panted as their hands soothed her, scratching her belly, her ears, grooming her. Welcoming her. Oh, better. She breathed them in, her ears popping a little, making room in her head for all the things her senses were telling her. She rolled up, tongue lolling, and she stretched lazily, the scent of her mates heavy on the air. They moved next to her, vocalizing, their bodies firm and good. Her nose rubbed into Mesa’s ruff, then groomed one soft muzzle, then the other. Her boys. They licked at her whiskers, loving her so well. Mesa was proud, strong, fierce. Kody was pure love. They played idly, rolling over each other on the mattress. She spent a long time gnawing on Kody’s tail, her paws batting playfully at Mesa. Good. They were good. Kody’s eyes were bright and happy, and his ears were up, his tail wagging. No more worries. She pounced him happily, biting one ear, shaking him a little bit. No more scaring them. Kody chuffed, dancing back. Mesa dove in front, mock protecting. She rumbled, sizing Mesa up, admiring his strength, his tail. Then she pounced, trying to take him down. They rolled, all but falling off the bed. Mesa caught her at the last moment, pulling her back with his teeth on her neck. She yelped, paws scrabbling, her ruff puffing up. Kody gnawed her ear, distracting her with his little sounds. Such a puppy. She chuffed softly, then butted Mesa with her head. Mesa woofed before grooming her for a few moments. The touches made her eyelids heavy, made her curl up happily and sigh. Kody snuggled up next to her, heavy head on her rump. Mesa curled around them, and this she understood. This was easy. She rested her chin on Mesa’s paw, sighed, then chased her mates into sleep.

Chapter Ten

Mesa finished packing everything in the truck before going back to the hotel room where Kody and Sammy were curled around one another. Naked as jaybirds. He stared at them for a few moments, then nodded, satisfied. He flipped the blankets up around them and picked them up as-is. Sammy squealed, flailing, but his Kody never even woke up. “Hush. Just hold on to Kody.” They needed to rest. He needed to get home. “I’m naked.” Kody wrapped around her, murmuring softly, trusting him, totally. “Good thing you’re not driving.” The need to get back to his pack was riding him hard. He didn’t have time for any more coddling. He had to deal with his new responsibilities and with the possibility of hostile action from that damned Wyoming pack. He needed to find out who’d killed Ben. Damned politics. “Where are we going?” He put them in the back of the king cab, pushed them in and closed the door. “Home.” He hopped in the driver’s seat before she could get the idea to run. “You’re taking me home?” She relaxed. “Cool. Are all the clothes in the back?” “They are.” He’d thought about tossing them all. “When you stop, I’ll need some.” “Sure.” He could do that. When they got home. Sammy nodded, then started combing her fingers through Kody’s hair, untangling it. “I had the weirdest dreams during our nap.”

“Did you?” He got them on the road, anticipating getting off the highways onto the byways. “I did. I dreamed I was a dog.” “A dog!” He laughed. “That’s aiming low. How about a wolf?” She chuckled. “I blame you and Kody for putting that nonsense in my head.” “Uh-huh. We’re bad that way.” He was picturing a were-poodle, all fluffy hair and pink ribbons. Barking in French. “So why werewolves?” “Why?” He glanced at her in the rear view. “Because that’s what we are.” “I mean, why pick wolves. I mean, with you I can see it, but Kody? Not wolfy. Wolvish? Canine?” “Lupine. Kody is just a Beta, is all.” She still didn’t believe it. She was humoring him. “A Beta? You mean… for sex, right?” “Absolutely.” Among other things. “I… I’m not exactly sure of the appropriate response to that, especially after we’ve all… you know.” “I’m not sure there is one.” He grinned wider. Lord, this was fun. It took his mind off all the bullshit waiting for him at home. “Still, I guess the whole changing during the full moon, silver bullet thing is less confining than staying inside during the day and avoiding Italian food.” It took him a second to follow along, but he cracked up when he got it. “We can change at will, silly girl.” “Can you? So the moon thing’s just a…myth?” He hooted. “I wish. The moon thing is no question. The wolf has to show. Surely, you noticed Kody left every full moon. Every one.” She blinked up at him. “I thought…” Oh, he had to hear this. “You thought what?” “My period. I thought maybe he was embarrassed or he couldn’t do his psychic thing when I was bleeding. Those are my heavy days.” Oh. Oh, that was fabulous. She wanted so badly for everything to fit her worldview.

When he didn’t say anything, she continued, “You said you were a sheriff. You have a lot of hair, for law enforcement.” She kept smoothing Kody’s hair, humming to him. “I said I was something like a sheriff.” “Oh. I’m something like a glorified bank teller.” She met his eyes in the rear view mirror, smiled sheepishly. “Was, I guess. I will be again. Hopefully…” “Yeah? You handle a lot of money going back and forth?” He knew what she did. Her skills would actually come in handy with the pack. He loved how smart she was, how sharp. “I do. I make things work, deal with situations. It’s stressful, but Kody and I decided not to have kids and…well, now it doesn’t matter. I think he’s going to go with you.” “You think? He loves you, honey. I think he can work this out.” It was important that she remember that. “Yeah, but…” She sighed. “Sometimes that’s not the answer. I can’t even be mad at him.” “You shouldn’t be, you know. He did really good to find you.” Mesa wasn’t teasing this time. Kody had done amazing. She was strong, hardheaded. She would find her feet and be his equal. “He did. I mean, I tell people I found him, because I was the one not home. He read my palm, I think I told you that.” “What did he tell you?” There. That was a turnoff he could take and get them off the highway. “That the moon brought us together. That I had a wild side that I had buried. That one day I would have a huge family to care for.” She chuckled softly. “Two out of three isn’t bad.” “You never know, honey.” She had no idea. None. “Hey, it’s better, huh? It would be difficult to explain you to a kid.” “Actually, in this situation, children are way more understanding.” Wolf kids were pretty easy. She would give him beautiful children—fierce and strong—and Kody would blossom now, having both his mates, his Alphas. A family to love, a Clan to care for. “Yeah. They still believe in magic, though. Then they have to deal with the real world.” She sighed, softly. “Unless they’re Kody.” Mesa nodded. “Kody sort of floats above.”

Her eyes met his in the mirror. “Yes. Yes, exactly. It’s like, remembering when you believed in Santa, being with him.” “It is.” That was the perfect description. Kody was still childlike without being childish. She sighed softly, leaned down to kiss Kody’s cheek. “I’m going to miss you, you big dork.” Kody snorted, shifted. “Don’ be silly, Sammy. Not going anywhere. Let me sleep, huh?” Mesa chuffed. Kody was so good at getting to the heart of things. Kody turned over, snuggling into her belly with a happy little sound. Mesa could see Sammy smile, shake her head in the rear view mirror. Kody would make it all work. Mesa just needed to get them home. “I… It’s beautiful out here. I wish I could stay longer, look around. I was considering moving up to the mountains, just for a little while.” “Oh, I’d love to show you everything. See you explore.” She would love it once she let her wolf out. Of course, she’d miss some of the more modern conveniences at first. “I can’t. I was brokering a deal, and there are probably ten thousand things to deal with, especially since I just walked away. I don’t even want to imagine the awful emails I’m getting.” He thought she seemed pleased with herself, though, to have left it behind. “What kind of deal?” He’d talked more in the last few days than he had in years maybe. “There was a business trying to buy out another business, but they want the buildings, the equipment, everything. I was making it work, but…” “Sounds like a big deal.” She could be such an Alpha. “They sure think so.” Her laughter was soft, sexual. Sweet. “Not that it’s any of my business now, but…I can’t believe I was so mad I just quit. That’s so not like me.” Mesa found himself smiling along with it, his bones feeling easier, his skin fitting better. “How did you meet Kody?” she asked. “We grew up together.” He couldn’t remember not knowing Kody. Kody was made for him, to stand with him. “Did you go to school together? Kody didn’t bring any pictures or anything. Hell, all he had with him when he came to me was a little Honda, that tent, a chest of books, and an old boom box with John Denver and Gordon Lightfoot CDs.” Mesa cracked up. “I swear to God, if I had to hear ‘Sunshine’ one more time…”

“Yes, but did you know he has an unnatural Peter Frampton obsession?” “Yeah. Yeah, we’ve known each other since we were wee.” He’d loved Kody all his life. “That’s neat. What was his favorite subject in school?” “Kody?” He thought about what Kody liked, thought what he’d been best at. They had a relatively loose education structure. “He loved anything that required reading.” “Yeah? What about you?” Mesa laughed. He’d resisted anything with rules, back in the day. “You could say I was more physical. I also like social science.” “My degree is in environmental science, believe it or not.” “No shit?” Wow. He’d never have guessed that. “Not animal husbandry?” Man, he cracked himself up. “Animal husbandry? I. No. No, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cow up close.” She laughed, though, didn’t she? At his joke. “Well, keep watching out the window, huh? You might see some.” “How long will it take?” “Hmm? To see cows?” He was running things over in his head, how long it would take to get home, who he needed to see first. What he needed to do. “No. Until I’m home.” She stretched, giving him a great view of her breasts. “Oh.” No running off the roads. “You might want to take a nap.” “No. I’ve slept more in the last day or two. Besides, don’t you want company?” “I don’t mind.” Mesa was surprised to find that he didn’t, actually. “Oh. Okay.” She leaned back, pushing down in the seat a bit. “No, I mean I don’t mind the company.” He smiled back at her again. “I just didn’t want you to get bored.” “Mesa, I’m naked in the mountains with my husband’s lover who plays werewolf roleplaying games and makes me a little stupid.” Those bright green eyes met his in the mirror. “Boredom isn’t going to be a factor.” That tickled him, and he laughed long and hard, hoping he wouldn’t tear up so badly he couldn’t see the road. “God, I need a long, hot bath when I get home. I’m a little ripe.” “You smell wonderful.” The whole cab of the truck smelled like the three of them. Sex.

She flushed, his words making her pleased. He could smell that too. She was marked with his scent—inside and out. “We’ll grab a bath, though, all of us. That will make Kody happy.” Kody loved the water. “Kody loves the water.” Her words made him smile, nod, the connection between them getting stronger every minute. He had a terrible urge to make them both happy. God, he wanted to keep them safe and with him. Kody hummed, stretched, a wave of gentle peace hitting him in the chest. That felt damned good. He could tell she felt it, too. One of her hands reached out, fingers carefully petting his hair. Mesa hummed. Oh, God. She’d touched him voluntarily. “That feels good.” “It does. It’s so thick.” She petted him, the caress going straight to his balls. “Yeah. I’m a hairy monkey man.” Her giggle was young, and Mesa could see her, in his mind’s eye, blossoming, happy. “Now, now. Don’t start adding animals on me.” “No? You don’t want us swinging from trees?” It felt good to tease. “Ooo. Ook. Eee.” Oh, God. That was adorable. Look at her smile. His Kody had done such a good job. He just had to get her home. To their home. To their bed. To their pack. That would give him the space, and the help, he needed to make this transition perfect. The entire family would be eager to meet her. He sure as hell hoped that Grandma Minnie had some advice on how to convince her werewolves were real. “Do you live close to your family?” “Yep. We’re a pretty close-knit bunch.” A pack. Her eyes met his, a sudden tension in the air that he didn’t understand. “Kody’s family, too?” “Yes.” How else could he describe it? Kody’s dam came to visit regularly. His sire had been at his trials, had come back for them. They’d taken his sister, Victoria, up deep into the mountains, looking for a more solitary place. Kody’s leaving had broken them all a little, left them lost and confused.

Of course, Kevin had believed his son was going to be Alpha one day, not the Clan Beta. “Oh.” Her hand fell away. “He said…well, I guess it’s best that they never met me. You know, if you just find a town with a car rental place, I’ll get myself home.” “No.” She had to quit fighting it. “There’s no reason to go out of your way.” Kody started to wake up. “It’s not out of my way. Trust me.” “I’m trying to make sense of all this.” Something was wrong; Mesa didn’t understand it, but he knew how hard she was trying to fit this whole thing into what she believed of the world. He knew it, but it didn’t change anything. They were mated. They bonded for life. “Don’t worry, honey. Even if it doesn’t make sense, it will work.” It had to. Kody hummed. “Please, Sammy. I promise you, you’re doing so well.” Her breath hitched, and Mesa could smell tears. “You said you were all alone, like me, Kody. When I told you about the foster homes and things, you said you understood. You have a family? A real family? You lied?” “No.” Kody rumbled. “I do understand. I understand about being an outsider. I had to leave everyone, everything I knew, but they’d turned from me before I ever left. They wanted me to be someone I’m not.” “He wasn’t lying.” Mesa thought that was important, too, that she knew Kody was the weird one, the odd man out. Kody slipped up, wrapped around her. “I left because I was different, because there was something missing. I walked away from my whole world to find you. Just you, Samantha.” The truth in Kody’s voice was undeniable. Absolute. Mesa heard Sam gasp, heard Kody’s soft rumble. “And now we’re all where we should be.” Almost, Home-home-home. “I’m pretty sure I’m out of my element here.” Kody murmured softly, obviously trying to comfort. “You’ll learn, honey.” “I have to get home and finish dealing with things, don’t I?” “Not yet. We have to see Mesa’s house.” Kody pushed that thought so hard Mesa could feel it. “Then I’ll help you deal with the house, everything else. It’s what I was born to do.” It made his right eye throb a bit. Lord. Kody was strong.

“Mesa’s…” “Yes, Sammy. We have to. Now. We need to go to Mesa’s house.” Kody slumped a little. “Shit.” He hoped to hell Kody hadn’t hurt himself. “Okay. Okay, if we need to, Kody.” Sammy held Kody, rocked him a little. That was perfect. That would keep her busy, caring for Kody. She had a strong instinct. “We need to. It’s important, lady. Very important. All our babies will be born there.” She chuckled. “Do you have a fever, honey?” “No.” Kody laughed. “At least I don’t think so.” “I’m never going to have babies. You know that.” Kody snorted. “Nonsense.” Mesa checked the mirror, just to make sure he didn’t need to cut this off. It was obviously a sore subject. How Kody could have explained that, in their particular bond, she wouldn’t catch pregnant without him, that Beta males couldn’t breed with Alphas, he didn’t know. He was fairly sure he didn’t want to know all the excuses Kody had used. Maybe she thought it was her and Kody had never told her otherwise. Man, was she in for a shock. “I think you need more sleep.” She brought Kody’s head down to her shoulder. “Mmm. Sleep.” Kody rumbled, sounding like a sleepy, well, wolf. It made Mesa happy. “I really think we should get him to a doctor. I have insurance on him.” “Do you?” He wondered how that had happened, too. It wasn’t like they couldn’t fake credentials. But it wasn’t easy. The physical, though… “It’s through the company. Automatic, when you get married. They can’t have cancelled it yet, right?” “Oh, right.” There was a lot even he didn’t know, Mesa guessed. “I’ll pay the deductible and everything. I care about him. Really.” “I can tell you do, honey. I wish you’d stop acting like you’re losing him. I keep telling you that you’re not.” He tried not to growl. “I just…things are not going the way I’d planned.” “Nothing ever does, Sam.” They sure weren’t going the way Mesa expected them to, but he couldn’t complain. He had his mates. “No. No, not since this psychic dude walked into my life. Nothing has been the same.” Kody chuckled, the sound lazy and sensual. It was hot, somehow.

Mesa heard Sammy give a soft laugh that increased to a happy cackle. “No tickling!” “No?” Kody made a chuffing sound, and Mesa shook his head. They were like kids. “No!” Her laughter rang out, and he heard their skin slapping together. “Don’t make me come back there, now.” If he’d had time, he would have. He’d stop right there on the side of the road and join them and slap and tickle until they all howled. “Threats. You can’t reach me.” Kody was pushing, testing Mesa playfully. “Not right at the moment, but I can change that fast.” Silly man. He felt the rush of air as Kody’s cheek slid against his, the caress so fast. “Promises, promises.” As Kody leaned back, he heard the whispered, “Missed you, so bad.” Oh, fuck, he needed to get home. He needed to get them to his den and love on them. Sammy was squealing now, laughing with abandon. Thank goodness for distraction. They might make it home after all.

Chapter Eleven

They drove up higher and higher, the scent of Pack growing stronger, and Kody breathed deeply. The cliffs framed the road as they climbed, the old-growth trees heavy. “Kody…” “Shh. It’s okay.” It was late, past late, heading toward very early, but he knew they were close, knew they’d be reaching the guardhouse soon. He could feel the waves of satisfaction coming from Mesa. The man was happy to be home. “We’re almost there, Sammy. Come here, hmm?” He grabbed the blanket, opened it. “Almost where? This isn’t California.” “No, we’re going to Mesa’s house, first, and there’s going to be a guardhouse.” Mesa wouldn’t want them to look at her naked. “A guardhouse? What’s being guarded?” “It’s like a wilderness preserve, honey.” Mesa sounded jazzed. “Oh, right. I remember. Can’t we stop so I can get dressed?” “It’s late and the road’s twisty. Just stay here with me.” She was clearly caught between curious and needing to follow her instincts, her body vibrating. “Kody won’t let anything happen.” Mesa knew him. “Nope.” He drew her in. “We’ll go to Mesa’s house, to his bed, and sleep for a few days. Eat. Rest.” Run. See Grandma Minnie.

“A few days…Kody, I have to get home.” “Shh. Not now.” “You’ll love it here. I promise.” Mesa smiled at them over one shoulder. “I…” Kody sighed, took her lips, kissed his lady hard. He was too tired to argue anymore and once Mesa was home, his Alpha could take care of things for a few, right? God, she was warm and soft against him. Mesa would be in his element once they hit the pack lands. He would know what to do. It amazed Kody a little, how much power Mesa lost in the city. Of course, he’d been more than a little crazy when his Sammy had found him. He owed her so much. He would love her forever. He poured that into their kiss, loving how she moaned for him. Her nails dug into the back of his neck, the feeling so familiar, so good. The truck slowed, the scent of home coming in the open windows. He pulled the blankets around them tighter, protecting their lady. They rolled to a stop, Mesa leaning out the window to murmur something. “Is everything okay?” She sounded worried. He smiled at her, kissed her nose. “Everything is fine.” That wasn’t even a slight lie. They were home. Everything would be right now. They didn’t stay long at the guardhouse, moving on slowly up the road. Mesa seemed to be checking on everything. His nose was twitching, a soft keening building in his chest. Home. Home. Home. “Kody?” Sammy’s hand touched his cheek. He smiled into her worried eyes. “Happy. We’re here.” Home. Home. Home. He could howl. Run. Pounce Mesa and chew on his ears. He’d never have to go to a state park to run with the moon again. Mesa glanced back at them and smiled. They drove right through the lands, around the main meeting hall, and toward the Alpha’s house. “This town is…tiny.” Sammy’s eyes were huge. “You don’t even have a grocery store, a gas station.”

“Nope.” Mesa sounded so satisfied that it made him smile. “Wow. This is…where you came from?” Kody nodded, pointing out a tiny cluster of houses. “Mine was in the back.” “Mine was over there.” Mesa waved a vague hand toward his family’s house. They had been far enough apart to get in trouble when they snuck out. “And now you’re in the back.” He leaned forward, touched Mesa’s shoulder. “So proud of you.” “Thanks, baby.” Mesa’s cheek rubbed the back of his hand. He rumbled softly at his beautiful Alpha. “I would have been here, but I was busy.” Finding their mate. He’d done that. Gone out of the mountains and to the ocean to find her. “I know. You did good.” They finally stopped at the Alpha house, around back so they had some privacy. The house was huge, old, a place big enough to house the entire pack in emergency, a place to raise a huge, happy family. “It’s really dark out here, Kody.” She actually sounded scared, and it made him think about how lost he’d been those first few months in the city, where there was never silence, never darkness. “The moon is lovely, though. Come on, Sammy. Let Mesa show us the house.” “I’ll carry you if you like.” Mesa chuckled. “I need my clothes. Shoes.” She sounded affronted, and her skin was covered in gooseflesh. Kody nodded to Mesa. There was no way she was going into a new house naked without help. Mesa nodded back and came around to open the door and haul Sammy out, blanket and all. He carried her, kicking and shrieking, all the way in. Kody chuffed, padding behind, sniffing hard. Home. Home. Home. The house smelled like Mesa. Oh, there were hints of previous occupants, and a tiny bit of Grandma Minnie and Junie, but it was Mesa that overwhelmed him. He stood there, in the doorway, trying to remember how to breathe, how to move. “Baby?” Mesa turned, still holding Sammy in his arms.

A century of memories and emotions hit him, square in the chest. He opened his mouth, took a step forward, and the world went black.

Chapter Twelve

“Kody!” She fought the arms holding her, a pure panic riding her spine. “We have to get him to a fucking hospital! He’s sick!” Sammy had had enough of this shit. Mesa could be some weird non-medical help cultist, but she was a modern girl, and God knew they were so far out in the boonies they’d have to drive hours for a real facility. “No, he’s overwhelmed.” Mesa let her slide to the floor, but shook her a little before letting her go. “You need to get clothes on before you go running around outside.” “Fuck the clothes. You’ve seen it all.” She snarled at him, ran to Kody, sitting on the cold floor and cradling his head. “I’m going to call 911, Kody. You’ll be okay.” Mesa might have snorted. She couldn’t tell exactly what the noise was, but it was derisive. “Jesus. I need my purse, my phone.” A sudden, sharp panic hit her. “Why the hell did I let you take me out to the middle of nowhere?” “Because you’re our mate.” His voice cracked like a whip. “You have to stop losing your shit.” “Don’t you fucking snap at me.” She kept Kody close, glaring at Mesa. “You think you can just come into my house, my marriage, and take everything over?” She’d been trying to be reasonable! “Yes!” He stormed over, getting in her space, pushing her away from Kody. “I’m the fucking Alpha!” She pushed him back, as hard as she could, actually moving him a little bit. “You’re a fucking ASSHOLE! This is the Twenty-First century! Grow some fucking sensitivity!”

“Fuck that. I tried it and you still don’t trust me.” He actually picked her up, getting his face right in hers, trying to intimidate her. “Trust you? You kidnapped me!” It was no fair. No fair at all. Her toes weren’t even touching the ground. He was a giant apeman. “Let me go!” “No.” He shook her again. She was going to get whiplash. He bared his teeth. “You need to listen.” “I’ve listened to the two of you enough!” She popped him right in the nose, as hard as she could, and it didn’t even faze him. “Kody is unconscious!” He roared, starting to shake her again, then all but dropped her when Kody groaned. She landed hard, tailbone slapping on the floor hard enough to make her eyes water. She crawled over, reaching for Kody, slapping Mesa’s hand out of the way as she fought to get her breath back. Mesa was on his knees next to her, though, looking as worried as she felt. As soon as both of them touched Kody, though, he woke up. “Mates.” Kody looked at them, eyes sparkling. “I’m on the floor.” Oh, thank God. “You are. I’m going to get you to a hospital, love. You’re sick. I’m taking you away from this big asshole.” “No, Sammy. It was just very big for a second.” “See?” Mesa growled and she turned on him, snarled low. “No, I don’t see, you fuck.” She framed Kody’s face with her hands. “There’s something wrong with you. You passed out. We have to go.” He sat up, hand sliding down her side. “Too much information, huh? Years of emotions in here, plus you, Mesa.” Maybe it was Kody who had the brain tumor. He sure was acting like he had some kind of pressure. “I know, baby. She won’t listen.” Mesa settled on the floor, pulling Kody up on his lap. “I won’t listen.” She sat there for a second, naked, cold, watching her nude husband on his lover’s lap. She was three days away from home, she hadn’t had a latte in longer than that, and she was probably blackballed from any decent job on the West Coast. Not only that, but she’d missed the season premiere of Glee. She stood up, grabbed the blanket, and headed out for the truck. Clothes and shoes. Then her phone.

“No.” The word came from right behind her, Mesa there before she could blink. She jumped. How did he do that? “Back off.” “I don’t think so.” He pulled her close, his chest against her breasts. “Leave me alone!” She tried to pull away, but his arms were like steel bands. “Stop it. Just stop.” When she tried to slap at him, he kissed her silly. His tongue pushed into her mouth, stealing her breath, her good sense. What the hell was wrong with her? She didn’t just…melt for men. Not for men not Kody, anyway. But this one was so raw, so fucking exciting. “Leave me alone.” The words would have been more impressive, if she hadn’t moaned them into Mesa’s lips. “Can’t.” He pulled her back into the house, kissing her again and again. He carried her deep into the house, then up a flight of stairs, into a huge bedroom with the biggest bed she’d ever seen. Kody groaned happily from behind them. “Home.” “Yes. Home.” Mesa put her on the bed, which she would have known was his even if he wasn’t there. She went to get up, but his huge hand landed in the center of her belly, other hand drawing Kody close. Kody went to him, looking oddly young and excited, and as soon as Mesa’s hand wrapped around Kody’s arm, a heat started inside her. Her nipples tightened up, her breath coming faster. When they both lay down with her, their bodies heavy next to hers, she cried out with pleasure. “Yes. Yes, see?” Kody moaned softly, lips parted. “Home. Oh, Mates. Home.” “Yes.” Mesa smiled for her, pulling off his clothes. He pulled Kody close for a kiss, too. Kody cried out when Mesa’s mouth touched his, long fingers grabbing Mesa’s hair. She gasped, eyes huge as she watched them. She. They. Beautiful and wild and so needy, they made her wet. Mesa seemed like he could eat Kody up, and she knew that kiss from both sides, knew how both of their mouths felt. Mesa pushed Kody over, body covering his, their hips slamming together. Sammy moaned, needing to touch too, her hands sliding over Mesa’s back.

Mesa arched into her touch, then pushed back down against Kody. She could feel their pleasure through her hand, white hot and desperate. “Mate. Please. Been so long since we’ve been here, home, together.” Kody was begging, words almost incoherent. “Kody.” Mesa moaned, biting at Kody’s shoulder, rubbing and pushing them all higher. “Yes…” Kody reached for Sammy, dragged her closer. She ached for…something. More. Them. They rocked together, all of them, Kody and Mesa just slamming against one another. Kody was making the wildest sounds, deep, hoarse. Hungry. Mesa smelled like sex, like need. It was stunning. “Fuck. Mate…” Kody’s eyes met hers, glowing. They were glowing. “Mine. My mates.” Mesa looked at her, his eyes all gold. Then he kissed her, too. She moaned and jerked forward, her lips parting as Mesa’s tongue fucked them. He wasn’t gentle; his mouth bruised hers. Kody pressed against her, his hand on her ass. Kody’s fingers dug in, dragged her closer, close enough that she was rubbing herself on Kody’s thigh. Mesa panted, licking her neck. His tongue felt rough, shivery good. She gasped, the touch wild, fierce, and she wanted to pull away, push closer. Kody laughed a little, tilting his head and letting Mesa bite him. That was almost hotter than Mesa kissing her. A sound left her, a deep growl. Her Kody. Mesa laughed, his eyes a little wild. Then he rolled them all, wallowing in them. Jesus, he was big. Kody didn’t look the least bit worried, either, his laughter ringing out. They all struggled a little, skin sliding on skin. She pushed up, slid over Mesa, teeth on his shoulder, on his nape. Mesa bucked, pushing her back, and turned like lightning. She found herself gasping, scrambling back a few feet. He lunged for her, pulling her up to kiss her again, his hands hard on her arms. Sammy couldn’t breathe, head spinning. Kody’s lips were on her spine, her ribs, her arm, soft and warm. Mesa overwhelmed her, his body strong and hot, the hair on his chest rubbing her nipples. She moaned, melted, opening to him, and she heard Kody’s whimper against her shoulder, his soft approval.

Mesa made a small sound, all male satisfaction. He eased her down, nosed her throat, her breast, her belly. Kody moaned and stretched out alongside her. They were making her crazy. God. Mesa’s mouth made her want to twist and push and beg. Kody’s hands encouraged her, spreading her thighs, stroking her hair. He was everywhere. They were everywhere. Mesa slid between her legs, nibbling at the inside of her thigh. Kody looked at her, smiled. “He’ll be yours, I’ll be yours. Both of yours.” “I don’t understand how to do it.” “Trust him.” “Trust Kody, too. He chose you for us.” “If you let us, we’ll make it easy.” Kody kissed her, the touch surprisingly gentle. Mesa nodded, licking her hip. “So easy.” “Just like that?” They were insane. So was she. How could she just accept this? “Just like that.” Kody moaned. “You smell so good. So good.” “Taste good, too.” Mesa nuzzled her other thigh. She moaned, laughed in spite of herself, and Kody swooped down and kissed Mesa hard. “Mmm.” Mesa’s big hand cupped Kody’s head, their bodies rubbing hard together. “So fine.” She watched, her men right there. Kody was hard, begging for touch, for Mesa, and it made her wet. Mesa glanced up at her. “Touch us, honey.” She sat up, reached for them, and they both groaned as her fingers slid over them. “That’s it.” Mesa pushed into her hand. “Hot.” She reached for Mesa’s cock, wrapped her fingers around the shaft, and Kody whimpered. “Oh.” Mesa’s head fell back, his hips punching up. Kody bent down, panting, and she watched herself, slowly feeding Mesa’s cock into that hungry mouth. “Oh, God. Yes. That’s hot.” Mesa shook, pushing just enough to slide all the way in. Her fingers moved to cup his balls, free hand on Kody’s hair. She had to feel them, had to know. They both groaned for her, Mesa’s balls heavy and full. Kody preened for her, rubbing.

Kody’s head started to bob, back muscles rippling, ass in the air like he was begging. He made her mouth water. “Touch him, honey. Let him know you’re here.” Mesa met her eyes, daring her. “I’m here.” Her hand slipped down, nails dragging enough to sting. “Right here, Kody.” She wasn’t sure what Kody did to Mesa’s cock, but the man jerked, bared his teeth, so she did it again. Mesa grunted and started rocking back and forth, muscles shifting smoothly under his skin, and she leaned forward, kissed Mesa’s chin, heavy stubble tickling her lips. Mesa caught her mouth, and the circle was complete again, the sensation jacking up a thousand times. She cried out, nails digging into Kody’s shoulder, like she was afraid she was going to fly apart. Kody jerked, and Mesa grunted, the big body shuddering. Kody spun, ass offered to Mesa, his mouth landing on her cunt as he shoved her down. Desperate, hungry, Kody licked her, tongue furious on her clit. Mesa growled, the sound raising the hair on her arms. Then he grabbed Kody’s hips and moved in. Kody moaned in response, hands sliding under her hips dragging her even closer to that mouth, and she couldn’t help her cries. “Yes. Yes. Kody…” Her hands found his shoulders, her nails scoring his skin. Sammy felt the impact when Mesa slid into Kody’s body. Mesa’s eyes met hers, glowing. They were glowing. “So beautiful…” She jerked as Kody’s lips wrapped around her clit, the suction almost sharp, leaving her breathless. “Mine.” He grinned wildly at her, reaching out to her, his other hand squeezing hard enough to leave bruises on Kody’s skin. “Please.” She nodded, cried out as she reached out too, needing them both, the pleasure growing, becoming a wild fire inside her. Kody gave her more, hands on her thighs, licking faster. Her fingers twined with Mesa’s, her other hand in Kody’s hair. “Mates!” They both made noises of agreement, Kody’s shaking her thighs. She arched as the desire grew too big to hold in, wave after wave of release making her scream. Mesa jerked, and Kody stilled, all of them coming together. Kody’s forehead landed on her belly, breath hitching. “Home…”

“Home.” Mesa laughed. “Thank God.” “Yes.” Kody pulled her into his arms, hardly moving as Mesa cleaned them all up. When Mesa got back into the bed, Sammy found herself caught between them, Mesa reaching for Kody around her. They cocooned her, lips moving across her skin. “Warm.” It was cold in the mountains, but this was perfect. “Ours.” Mesa growled it against her ear. The growl soothed her somehow, and she stretched, rubbed and found the spot where she was comfortable. Kody nodded. “Home. Rest. Tomorrow is coming.” “It always does.”

Chapter Thirteen

Kody woke up, happy and whole and settled in his bones. Home. They were home. He chuffed happily and rolled out of bed, padding across the cold floor and down the stairs. Clothes. Then breakfast. His mates would need breakfast. Bacon and eggs and biscuits and potatoes and coffee and juice. Someone was sitting on the front porch, visible from the big bay window, and he grabbed a quilt from the back of the sofa before going to see who’d come to welcome Mesa home. Mmm. The quilt smelled like all of them, the whole Clan, and he took a second to breathe deep, inhale them all in. He headed out, grinning widely when he saw the oldest of them all, rocking slowly, crochet hook a blur in her hand. “Granny.” Grandma Minnie grinned up at him, her face wrinkled like a carved apple. “Hello, Kody. Been gone a bit.” “I have. You were right. I had to follow my heart.” He curled the blanket around him, sat in a wooden chair across from her, unashamed of his nakedness. She’d told him how it was going to go, how he would have to find his own way. “I learned so much, saw so much. I missed you.” “I missed you, too. Is she the one?” “She is.” That was one of a handful of things he was one thousand percent sure of. He nodded, smiled. “You’ll like her. She’s special. Different.”

“She’s a city girl, hmm?” “Los Angeles. She doesn’t know.” He didn’t know how to explain it, either. How could she not know? “Huh. Well, she’ll have to know soon.” Granny didn’t seem worried. “I know. How do you make it real? Have you known another of us that didn’t change?” “I’ve seen a lot in my years.” That was a non-answer, but he knew better than to ask again. It would only lead to that lined face wrinkling up with disapproval. Those answers meant he was supposed to figure it out on his own. He looked at Granny, sighed. “Did I mess up? She’s our mate. I know this. Mesa knows. She changed for us. Ran. She’s so good, Granny.” “You did well, Kody. The pack needs new blood, and if she changed, all will be fine.” She touched his arm and a rush of pure relief eased him, made his eyes cross. Home. He was home. “I’m just…my head hurts, all the time, and I don’t want anyone to hate me, and I…” He looked at her. He was whining. He hated whining. “I missed you. All of you. I missed being home.” Walking down the mountain had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. Ever. He’d been a little crazy for a while. “Shh.” She stroked his arm, which made his head ease off immediately. “Granny.” He came over to her, laid his head in her lap, rested a second. She petted his hair, vocalizing low, telling him how happy the pack was that he was back. She was so good at this, so good at helping with transitions. Kody rested, his human skin falling away, his muzzle pushing into her lap. Home. Home. She chuffed, ruffling his fur, pulling the blanket up around them. She smelled so good. He sang to her—telling her about the ocean, about Sammy, about Mesa and how his Alphas had found him. She told him how Mesa had cleared the trials, how everyone had waited for Mesa to come back with him. About how they had believed in him, in his talent. Two Alphas, one Beta in every Clan, and he was theirs and they loved him. Needed him. The praise and peace went on and on, healing him.

He heard low chuffing, then Mesa’s hands on his ears, scratching. “He did good, huh?” Mesa hummed, rubbing, fingers really pushing. “He is amazing. How are you? It took you a long time.” “There was a little conflict.” Mesa sounded wry. “Isn’t there always? She’s here now. Kody’s here.” Granny kept smoothing his fur. “When do we get to meet her?” “Soon.” Shrugging, Mesa rubbed Kody’s chin. “I’m hoping she calms now that she’s here.” His tongue lolled. She would have to, wouldn’t she? Oh, that touch. That touch. Kody’s tail wagged, pounding with his joy. Mesa smiled, and Grandma Minnie snorted. “You two. Always such good boys.” He sniffed, smelling their lady, and he rolled up, vocalizing. She was awake, coming down the stairs. His beautiful girl. Mesa padded back into the house, and he heard a murmur of conversation. He headed in, eager to see his mates again. Sammy saw him, came to him with a squeal of happiness. Her hands felt so good. Kody stropped himself against her, rumbling happily. She was laughing, hands on him, loving on him. Oh, Sammy. He barked with joy. “He likes that.” Mesa kissed Sammy’s cheek. “I’ll just go see Grandma Minnie off.” “Can you bring me some clothes from the truck, please?” Kody’s girl looked at him, scratching his chin. “Sure.” Mesa gave Kody a wave before heading out, grabbing the car keys. “Look at you. Aren’t you beautiful? Where’s Kody? Did he let you in?” Kody laughed, tail thumping. Silly girl. “Look at you! So pretty.” She always had loved dogs. He licked her jaw, chuffing. Come. Come play. Come run. Sammy hugged his neck. It was so sweet of her. He licked her jaw, loving on her. Pretty girl. She smelled so good. She scratched his neck hard. Oh. Oh, there.

There. His back paw started to go. Bang. Bang bang bang. “You hit Kody’s kickspot, huh?” Mesa came back in, bags in hand. “I did!” She laughed. “You named your dog Kody? That’s mean!” Mesa stopped, stared at them. “Honey, that’s Kody.” Sammy’s hand slowed. “What?” “I told you. That’s Kody. Isn’t he a beautiful wolf?” “I. Yes. Yes. Where’s my Kody?” He chuffed softly, head butted his girl. Silly love. He was right here. “You mean the man?” Mesa rubbed Kody’s ears. “Hiding in here so he doesn’t have to talk.” “Would you stop it? Please? Is there a coffee maker here?” She grabbed clothes from Mesa, dragged them on, covering up her pretty curves. It sort of made him want to bite her. Just a little bit. “In the kitchen. I’ll show you.” They went to the kitchen, leaving Kody in the blessed quiet for a moment. He let the wolf go, let himself stretch, reach out to the sun before he shivered and grabbed the quilt again. It got chilly early up here. He headed into the kitchen, following their scents. “Is there coffee?” “Soon, baby.” Mesa winked at him. “There you are!” Sammy came to him, hugged him. He sighed softly, kissed her cheek. “He’s been here.” Mesa rolled his eyes. “Did you see the dog?” Kody chuckled. “I did.” Mesa snorted. “Who wants breakfast?” “I’ll make something wonderful. Is there bacon?” He headed to the fridge. “Does every home have electricity now?” “No.” He got a little grin. “Some of the families protested.” Sammy looked gray at that, her horror clear. “Why would you protest?” “Huh? Oh, tradition, you know. We’re supposed to live close to the land, blah-blah.”

“Oh. Wow. I need a certain amount of Starbucks and high-speed Internet.” Kody couldn’t help his wince as he grabbed the bacon, the bowl of eggs. “Maybe once or twice a year, huh?” “You have discipline. It’s been three days for me, and I’m ready for my real life.” She reached, patted Kody’s butt. “Do you want me to help?” “You can just explore the house.” How was he supposed to explain that this was home? Like permanently her home, now, with no malls or cars or cable TV? Mesa was staring at one of them, then the other, eyes glittering. “Are you okay, Kody?” She reached for his hand. “Look. I get it, okay? This is where you belong, and you’ll stay. You don’t have to be sad. I can tell; this is your home.” “It’s yours now, too.” Mesa snapped, starting to look a little grr. “I have a home, Mesa. I have to get a job, deal with selling my house. I have a car. A bank account, about fifty thousand emails to answer, and friends.” He found a pan. “Can’t you stay for a little while?” Mesa growled a little. “I’ll be back in a few.” He was caught between following Mesa, comforting Sammy, and just bashing his head against the wall. Sammy sighed, chewing on her bottom lip. “I make him mad a lot.” “Yes.” Sammy was an Alpha, too. That happened. Mesa wasn’t used to anyone challenging him. “Am I supposed to apologize?” Kody shook his head. “No. No, you… you’ve had a lot to adjust to.” Sammy laughed. “Like kidnapping.” “Yes. Like changing. Like the bond.” “Kody, what are you babbling about? I don’t understand!” “Yes, you do. You just don’t want to.” He put the pan down, looked at her. “I’m sorry, but you feel it. Us. The three of us. You’re a wolf. I’m a wolf. Mesa’s a wolf. We’re mates. Simple as that.” “Would you stop it?” “I can’t.” He touched her hair. He couldn’t. “Did you do it to me?” She sounded so young, so confused.

“No. You were born like this. You just needed the right pheromones to set you off. Remember your dreams?” She nodded. “I can’t live in the boonies, Kody.” “You can. You will. We’ll make it right. You belong with us.” The bond was set, true. There was nothing that could break it now but death. “It really was you, earlier. The wolf.” He nodded. “Really was.” Her pretty face went pale. “This is a lot, Kody. A hell of a lot to process.” “I know, and you’ve trusted us, so much. I’m so proud of you.” He kept petting, and she relaxed for him, breathed deep. “I trust you.” He nodded. “I know.” Even though he didn’t deserve it. Mesa came back in, putting a hand on the small of Kody’s back. He looked to Mesa, letting his mate know how sorry he was, to have made this so hard. She was trying, and he didn’t know how to make it better. Mesa smiled for him, shaking his head a little. “What does Grandma Minnie say? If it were easy it wouldn’t be worth much.” “She does.” He reached for Sammy, tugged her close. “I don’t regret it. You two are my world.” “Good.” Mesa grinned, got moving around to finish up breakfast, and she sat there watching, looking dazed. Kody kissed her quickly. “You’re made for this.” “Maybe not for life without Starbucks…” She gave him a wan smile. “We’ll get an espresso machine.” Mesa nodded decisively. “We have to run together, hunt.” She gave him a horrified look. “Hunt?” “You have to learn how.” Mesa gave her a serious look before dishing up bacon. “Kody…” “Shh. Of everything, that will be easy. I promise.” That was the truth. “Instinct takes over.” Sammy rolled her eyes, poured three mugs of coffee. “I don’t have a lot of that women’s intuition.”

Kody laughed. “You’re perfect. Strong, smart, and wild.” Sammy was a natural Alpha female. “Just follow us.” Mesa set out plates with a little ta-da gesture. “I’m starving.” She brought the coffees; Kody dished up eggs. “All this fresh air, huh?” Bumping hips with Sammy, Mesa moved past her to kiss Kody’s neck. “Maybe. It’s chilly up here. I think it’s all the sex.” Kody was busy lifting his chin, offering Mesa more. “That makes it chilly?” He got his kiss, Mesa murmuring against his lips. “No… I meant the hungry…” She moaned softly. “We should eat.” “Oh.” He and Mesa both chuckled. “That’s definitely the sex.” He winked at Mesa. “You should kiss her, too.” “Mmm.” Mesa gave his girl a kiss. Oh, that was lovely. Mesa had her head in one huge hand, cradling it, kissing Sammy like she was the only woman on Earth. Of course, to him she was now. She was his mate. Their mate. When Mesa lifted his head, Sammy was flushed, blinking slowly. Mesa licked her lower lip. “Hungry.” “Uh-huh.” Sammy blinked again. Kody chuffed softly, pushed the eggs across the table. They all sat together, and Kody felt at peace for the first time in days. “Good, this is good.” Sammy ate eagerly, and Kody dug in too. Better. Better. It was good. The hum behind his eyes eased off. Mesa cleaned his plate, then relaxed back. “Would you like to see the house? Explore?” He nodded, and Sammy chuckled. “It’s a huge place.” “It is!” Mesa sounded so tickled to show off their home. “Come on.” He grabbed Sammy’s hand and tugged, encouraging her to come along. Play. Look. Sammy followed, slowly enough to take everything in. There were six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a kitchen huge enough to feed the entire Clan in emergency. It was clean, simple, but homey. That hadn’t always been, Kody remembered.

Mesa had put his hand on it, his mark. This was where the Alpha ruled, the rock of all of them. It made him proud, made him ache with how good his mate was. Mesa turned and gave him a smile, one hand reaching out to him. “Mate.” He went easily, happily. “Mmm. I could hear you.” “Could you?” Really? “I could. Thank you, baby.” Mesa kissed him briefly. He beamed, bounced a bit. Oh. Oh, the bond was working, was solidifying. Kody looked at Sammy, admiring her. Loving her. Could she hear him, too? She was looking at an old sideboard, hands on the wood, and she looked over, frowned. “What did you say?” “He wasn’t talking, honey. Not really. I just heard how proud he was.” “Heard how…what?” He sent his pleasure, his pride, his love. Her cheeks flushed dark, and he knew she heard him. She might not want to admit they communicated that way, but he could tell she heard. It was so cool. She turned back to the sideboard, and Kody grinned at Mesa. “I like it. It’s a good home.” “Thanks. What do you think, Sammy?” “It’s lovely. So many rooms. What are they all for?” Kody chuffed. “Babies.” She looked surprised. “Mesa has kids?” “Not yet.” Kody looked at her, admiring her. He could see her, swollen and heavy with their babies. She shook her head, turning to look at a little shelf with odds and ends on it. Mostly from Mesa’s childhood. Poor love. She thought she couldn’t have children, but Kody knew better. Alphas mated together. Betas didn’t mate, never had. Granny said it was because the Lady Moon knew that there couldn’t be too many Betas in any Clan. Guardians, yes. Shamans, of course. But Betas, no. He didn’t mind. It was in his genes to support his Alphas, to make them better. He loved them. They loved him. Together they would help the Clan.

Mesa winked at her, full of love. Sammy looked up at Mesa, and that heavy head leaned forward, lips landing on hers, even as he reached for Kody. The kiss went on and on, Mesa tasting her like he couldn’t not, like she was as necessary as breathing. As soon as Kody touched them, a cry broke from Sammy, Mesa pulling Kody in to join them, one hard kiss following another. “We can’t answer all our problems with sex…” Sammy tugged his bottom lip with her teeth. Kody chuffed softly. “Making love.” “Why not?” Mesa had the shivery good growl on. “It works.” “Because… I…Stop touching; I can’t think.” Kody chuckled softly, bit the curve of her neck, knowing it would drive Mesa crazy. Mesa growled some more, nipping at him. That growl made him pant for it, and he bared his teeth, shook Sammy a little bit. Grunting, Mesa pushed in and nipped him again, this time on his lower lip. Oh, fuck, yes. He gave a soft, happy yelp. Sammy grunted, the sound somehow completely female, and pushed in to bite Kody, too. Her teeth dug into his skin, the sting wild, making him yelp again. Mesa started pushing them, moving them toward the back sun porch, toward the big bed back there. The pheromones were thick in the air, heavy. Wild. Kody wanted to howl. He did a little bit when Mesa pushed him and Sammy down on the bed. Such a smart Alpha, having more than one place to cuddle. “How many beds do you have?” “Hmm? Well, the house has, uh…” Mesa grinned, stopping to think. Sammy’s eyebrows lifted. “You have to think about it?” “We have guest rooms.” “So do I. Well, one. A room.” “Well, we have a few more people in during gatherings and stuff.” Mesa snorted. “We’re busy.” Kody nodded, grabbed the bottom of her t-shirt and tugged. “Beds are good. I like beds.” Mesa helped, pulling at clothes. “I do, too. Do you have something against beds, Sammy?”

“What? No. No, I mean…we keep falling into them…” Mesa gnawed on him a little, teeth on his shoulder, not even hard enough to sting. The caress made him hum, though, moan a little. Perfect. It was perfect. Sammy sighed, her lashes resting heavy on her cheeks. “Love you.” “Love you, sweet lady. Stay.” Stay with them. “Mmm.” She patted him on the shoulder opposite Mesa’s mouth, but never said another word. He rubbed his cheek against Mesa, moaned. Happy. He was happy here. Mesa rumbled happily. So was Mesa. So happy. Now they just had to convince their girl.

Chapter Fourteen

Sammy woke from crazy dreams of running and growling, and found herself naked and caught between Mesa and Kody. She slipped out of bed, started exploring. Her suitcase—haphazardly packed, but there— was in the front area, and there was a bathroom with a simple shower near a laundry room. There weren’t the basics in there, really—no toothbrushes, or hair gel—so she assumed it was a mudroom type thing. Whatever. There was a shower and there was hot water, and she smelled like what she’d imagine a whorehouse would smell like. She washed her hair, luxuriating in the heat. It was unnaturally cold up here. She put on a pair of jeans, tennis shoes, and the two warmest shirts she had, then she braided her hair back and headed outside. She wasn’t sure what she was going to find, but maybe she’d be able to get her phone out of the truck. God knew she needed to call Becky and tell her best friend… Something. The truck yielded nothing useful. No keys, no phone. No radio like they had in the Bandit movies. Damn. She headed down, arms wrapped around her belly. God, there were a lot of dogs around here. One came up to her, wagging, the wee fuzzy thing obviously a puppy. “Are you lost?” The wee thing barked and bounced, tail up and head down. Her laughter bubbled out of her, and she bent low, teasing one soft ear. The pup rolled and showed her a soft, soft belly, legs kicking.

“Oh, you’re so pretty.” She gave the puppy a long scratch, murmuring softly. “God, you’re beautiful.” “Her name’s Lisle.” Sammy looked up into warm, friendly dark eyes framed by heavy, heavy chestnut hair. The girl looked younger than her, but not by much. “Is she yours?” “Mine? Goddess, no. I’m not mated yet.” “Oh.” “I’m Juniper.” A brown, lean hand was offered over to her. “Samantha.” She shook hands, smiling a little. There was something so familiar about this girl, something about her eyes, maybe. “I’m so glad to meet you.” Juniper scooped the puppy up with one arm, hooked Sammy with the other one, and started moving them. “Are you hungry? Grandma Minnie’s cooking tonight.” “I—” Tonight? They must have slept for a while. Her stomach rumbled, and Sammy tried to remember when she’d eaten last. “I am.” “I bet. It’s been an odd few days for you, I imagine.” Juniper dropped the puppy off on one little porch. “Greta, I found your girl.” “Thank you, sweetie.” Greta waved from beyond a screened window, looking wild-haired and flannel-y. “How many… how many people live in town?” Juniper shrugged. “Not many. There’s fifty, maybe sixty of us. It depends on the babies.” “Oh.” That was…she couldn’t even contemplate a town that small. “Where did you live?” “Los Angeles.” “Oh, wow. That’s big.” Sammy smiled a little, shoving an errant strand of hair back. “It is. This is quiet.” “Sometimes, yes.” The houses seemed to be in little clusters—five or six at a time, with two or three bigger places scattered around. “The elders live there, in that house.” It was one of the bigger homes, well-maintained on the outside, one story. “Elders?” Was that a nice way to say nursing home?

Juniper nodded. “Grandma Minnie. Moses. Bruce. Rachel and Olivia, although Hank’s been gone for almost a week, and they’re fading. Rachel’s just waiting for Liv to stop breathing, you know?” Oh, God. How awful. “They were his sisters?” Juniper gave her a curious look. “No. No, Liv was Rachel and Hank’s Beta.” Sammy blinked. She still wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but she knew she didn’t want to think about old folks in a retirement village doing the nasty. “Oh.” “You know, like Kody is.” “She was a psychic?” They climbed the stairs, Juniper entering without knocking. “No. He’s a Beta. Every Alpha pair needs a Beta. It’s how we’re made. Granny? We’re here.” “Junie! Hi, honey.” This wizened old lady with fluffy hair came out. “You brought me a present!” “I did. This is Samantha.” The women stepped close together, cheeks rubbing once. “Samantha, this is Minnie.” She held on hand out. “Samantha Luna, Kody’s wife. I’m visiting from Los Angeles.” “Nice to meet you, honey.” The old lady said honey a lot like Mesa did, with a sort of casual possessiveness. Weird. “It’s lovely here.” Cold. Remote. A little scary. But still lovely. “Are you all settled in the big house?” Juniper seemed to bounce a bit. “Canyon and I moved him, put all the furniture up.” “Canyon?” “Our brother.” Juniper winked. “He’s way grumpier than Mesa.” “Oh. Oh, you’re Mesa’s sister? How neat.” How weird. “Yeah. He can be a butthead, but he’s a good leader.” “He’s like…a police officer, right?” The old lady chuckled. “He keeps the peace, yes.” “I work at a bank. Worked. Whatever.” She didn’t know what to say, so she went with the normal, trivial stuff. Except she didn’t have that job anymore. “Doing what?” Juniper went to the stove, lifting lids off pots.

“Loan management for corporations. Mortgages.” It sounded boring, and it was, but the money had been good at a time when people were losing their jobs. “Really?” The old lady’s eyes sharpened some. “That’s a neat skill.” “It’s a good job. I’ll have to get back soon.” She couldn’t go back to the bank, though. Hell, she wasn’t sure that she’d be able to go back to any city job. How had Kody managed it so well? “There is plenty for you to do here. Canyon has a computer, even. Would you reach the salt for me, honey?” Juniper pointed at a cabinet, and Sammy headed to open the door. The spices were organized, marked with big labels. She found the salt and handed it over. “What are you cooking?” “Lamb stew.” “Mmm. Granny stew.” Juniper winked at her. “You’ll love it.” “It smells delicious. Did…did you teach Kody to cook?” “Me and some of the others, yes. Kody is a dear boy. I’m fond.” Granny patted her shoulder with one gnarled hand, and something in the touch made her shoulders drop down from being up around her ears. “I am, too.” She had a thousand questions, but she didn’t know what to say. “Well, of course you are. Junie, get that bread for her to try?” “Sure, Granny.” It was weird, how Juniper looked like Mesa, now that she knew they were related. Juniper was tiny, comparatively. Mesa was a gorilla. The thought made her giggle, just a touch hysterically. A gorilla. Granny and Juniper gave her odd glances, but then Juniper handed her a piece of crusty bread with butter on it. “Thank you.” Her stomach growled audibly. “Sorry. Sorry. It smells so good.” “Well, eat up!” Granny pottered around. “I imagine Kody hasn’t figured out the kitchen yet.” “We all made breakfast, I guess. I…I don’t suppose so. It’s very different from ours. Mine. My kitchen back home. At the house I’m selling.” The bread was amazing, rich and chewy and sweet. “He’ll figure it out.” Juniper munched a piece of bread, too. “He’s so good at it.”

“So will you, honey. Don’t worry.” Minnie smiled at her, and it wasn’t weird; it was comforting. “Are you Mesa’s grandmother or Kody’s?” Juniper had called her Granny, so Sammy assumed that’s where the relationship was. “Biologically, somewhere, we’re all a little related, I think, but my daughter, Heather, is Mesa’s mother.” Granny started dishing out stew, handing her a bowl. “Kody’s grandparents were from the other side of the mountains.” “Kody never told me about his life before me.” Of course, she hadn’t shared about hers, either. Not details. They hadn’t cared. They’d been crazy and horny and in love. Besides, Kody knew her. “Kody lives very much in the now.” Granny’s fingers touched her wrist, calming her somehow. “He does. My friends said I was crazy to marry him.” The soup was so good. Thick and comforting and hot. “No. No, you were so smart.” Juniper sounded like it all made sense. Granny nodded. “Kody was brave, so brave, and now you’re home with Kody and Mesa.” Her hand was patted. “Where are your people from?” “I don’t know. I was a foster.” The words still hurt. “I was found as a baby on the West coast.” The other women glanced at each other, eyes wide, then gave her bright smiles. “Well, you’re home now.” She smiled too, then went back to eating. The soup was amazing, filling her up, warming her. She might even be able to think now. Amazing what a good meal could do for the soul. Two huge dogs came in, gray muzzled and slow, both rubbing against Juniper and Granny’s legs. Juniper jumped up, poured two bowls of soup and fed them. The dogs immediately set to, licking the soup with lusty slurps. Wow. The dogs ate as well as the people. Except Juniper was talking to them like they understood, which meant that those were…Right. Okay. That was…she needed to get going. She stood, took her bowl to the sink. “Thank you very much for the food. It was luscious.”

Two women were standing at the kitchen door when she turned around, both of them staring at her. She almost jumped back, but she held her ground instead, lifting her chin to stare back. “Is this Mesa’s mate, then?” One was a blonde, her bright green eyes flashing. “I’m Kody’s wife.” The other woman flipped a hand, tanned and rough from work. “Kody is Mesa’s Beta. You’re his mate.” She arched an eyebrow, something deep inside her growling and animalistic. “I’m Samantha. And you are?” The blonde smiled slowly. “Alicia.” The other woman looked more sincere, kinder somehow. “I’m Angie.” “Nice to meet you both.” Alicia had to be Mesa’s ex. Had to. Sammy could smell it. “Weird. You don’t seem like his type.” “I get that a lot.” That didn’t bother her. She’d gotten over not being the blonde California girl years ago. “I bet.” Alicia sneered, flipping her hair a little. It sort of reminded her of Becky. “That’s enough!” Granny’s voice snapped out like a bark. “Did I ask you girls in?” Angie looked at Granny, eyes downcast. “No, ma’am. I have your cornmeal and the books you ordered. Also, I wanted to meet Mesa’s mate.” “Well, you can come in.” Granny laughed, the sound merry. “Alicia, you can go unless you’re going to be nice.” “What? Do you need protection from Granny?” the girl snarled. “Out.” Juniper stepped up, lips pressed tight together. “Just get out, Leecy.” The woman made this sound, and Sammy stepped forward, put herself between tiny Juniper and Alicia. “I don’t think so, lady.” Those green eyes flashed with something ugly, and Alicia raised a hand, smacking Sammy across the face. Something inside Sammy snapped, and she stepped forward, sight going red. In one breath she was standing in Minnie’s kitchen, in the next she was throwing Alicia across the ground outside, snarling deeply. “Don’t touch me.”

Alicia rolled to her feet, and suddenly there were five or six more women about. Between them. “Alicia is going home,” Granny said from the porch. “You don’t deserve him, bitch,” Alicia spat. Sammy’s answer was another growl, this one a straight-forward threat. Alicia’s fists clenched, but she stepped back, her face twisted into an ugly grimace. Sammy didn’t look away, eyes fastened on Alicia’s. She was not taking this shit. Finally, when it seemed like the silence might break right down the middle, Alicia turned away and left. Sammy looked at the others, one at a time, and one at a time, they looked away, satisfying something deep inside her. Mesa’s deep chuckle hit her ears just about the time she was about to storm off. “Nice show, honey.” His hand slid around her waist, and he pulled her up against his chest before spinning her around. He kissed her. Right there in front of everyone. Like he had a right to. He was hard as a rock, cock pressed against her as he lifted her, held them together, and her rage turned to a wild jealousy. Someone trying to take what was hers? Fuck that. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she wanted to bite him, to show them all who he belonged to. He got her legs around his waist, growls growing between them. A soft laugh filled the air. “Take your mate home, Alpha. Every male in scenting distance is going to spend.” “Mmm. Mine.” Mesa nodded to whoever it was talking and started out the door, carrying her toward the Alpha house. “What the fuck is all this?” She was still grinding against him like a whore, like she needed him, which she didn’t damn it. “You’re my mate. You and Kody are mine, honey.” He bent to bite her neck just as they reached his porch. Electricity flooded her, and she almost came, just from the bite. “Am not! What have you done to me? I hit that woman; I’ve never hit anyone before!” “It’s your home now, Sammy.” He pulled back to stare at her, his gold eyes all but glowing, so bright. “Mine.”

“No.” Her growl came from deep in her belly, her pussy aching. “I’m taking Kody back to LA. This place is doing something to me.” “It is.” He laughed out loud, throwing his head back, his hips slamming against her pelvis. “Your wolf knows.” “I’m not playing!” No more games. She leaned in, teeth biting into Mesa’s throat. Hers. Mesa bucked, low growls coming up from under her teeth. He pushed through the front door and took her right to the couch in the living room, pressing down on top of her. His shoulders nearly blocked out the light, he was so damned big. “Let me up!” She was biting, fighting, as turned on as she’d ever been, body desperate for it. For him. For Mesa. “No.” He barked it at her, and she writhed under him, finally moving his big body with one hard push. They rolled onto the floor, Mesa landing beneath her. “Don’t you bark at me!” She tangled her fingers in his hair, going for his throat again. He grunted, his hips rocking, his cock like a brand beneath his jeans. He smacked her ass, hard, the sting making her gasp. His hand was big enough to cover a lot of ground. “Bastard!” Oh, fuck. She bit the curve of his shoulder, hard, shaking him a little. Mesa was on fire, his skin so hot he felt feverish against her lips. He squeezed her bottom with his huge hands, then smacked her again, making her clench her legs together around his hips. She grabbed his shirt, tore it open, buttons flying off as the fabric snarled apart. God, he smelled good. His hand landed again as she got her mouth on one of his tiny nipples, her teeth punishing him. He worked at her clothes, too, and suddenly there was nothing between her skin and his hands. When he slapped her this time, it stung so much that she howled. “Mesa! Please!” She was soaking wet, need wild inside her, and the rasp of his jeans against her cunt burned so good. “Tell me. You’re mine. Tell me, Mate.” “Fuck you, bastard.” Oh, God, he tasted so good. “Mine. Damn it, woman. Say it!” He slapped her ass again and again, his handprints overlapping until every inch of her skin tingled unbearably.

She threw her head back, howling as she rocked against him, trying to get off. One of his huge hands settled on her hip, stilling her, and she sobbed, desperate. “I need. Oh, fuck. Let me come.” “Not yet. Tell me.” He rolled her on her back, rising up to tear at his jeans, his cock springing out to push at her, just outside her entrance. “Tell me.” She groaned, body demanding, everything in her needing his touch, his prick. Their eyes locked, and all she could hear was his heartbeat, joined with hers, pounding in her ears. “Mesa. Mate.” Her chin lifted, her spine arching as she offered him her belly, her throat. “Yours. Please…” “Fuck. Fuck, yes.” He bit down, his touch bruising and perfect, and he pushed inside her, his cock spreading her wide. She burned, her entire body lit up for him. His hand was on her hip, dragging her up into him, onto him. He pushed her higher and higher, her body clenching around him, her well-spanked butt rubbing against the floor. It was maddening. His jeans burned her inner thighs, his strength slamming against her. His hands….they moved on her, one holding her hip, the other finding her breasts. He pulled at her nipples, the sting adding to her mounting pleasure. “Yes…” Her legs wrapped around him, pulled him in deeper, her eyes rolling as the shaft of his cock rubbed her clit. “Mesa.” “My mate. My lady. Finally.” He was fierce, his grin wild, his whole body straining for her. “Yes. Yes. Yours. I need. I need.” “Now.” Mesa bent to her throat and bit hard, his cock pushing in so deep she would feel him for days. Her orgasm rolled through her, just like he’d demanded, one wave after another, and all Sammy could do was hold on. Mesa cried out, the sound distant with the roaring in her ears, and came inside her, filling her deep with every thrust of his hips. She was soaring, heart fluttering in her chest, the rushing in her mind quiet now. Settled.

Mesa lay quiet atop her save for his harsh breathing. His lips pressed to the bruise at her throat, the one he’d left biting at her. She didn’t tense; she just moaned softly, stretched happily. Hers. “Yes.” That was Kody, standing at the doorway, beaming at them. “Yes.” She was going to hell or something. She’d just had sex with a man who was not her husband and he approved. Everything in her rebelled at that. Mesa rumbled softly, and the thought dissolved with a gentle pop. “Help me out, baby.” Mesa levered up, lifting her, letting Kody come and touch them both. Kody nuzzled them. “Bed. Napping. Then I’ll make something sweet before we have a long bath together.” “Mmm. Yes, please.” She kissed Kody’s lips, then Mesa scooped her off her feet. Mesa carried her to the big bedroom this time. Kody lay down with them, his front to her back. She stretched, yawned, and Mesa’s hand circled her, landed on Kody. All of them together. It was the perfect time for a nap.

Chapter Fifteen

The roast smelled perfect, and Kody frosted the cake while he waited for the rolls to finish. The coffee was going, the house was warm and solid, and Kody thought the snows would come soon. Not tonight, maybe not even this week, but soon. Mesa was out, dealing with Clan business, something with another clan bringing danger and poor, poor Ben, and Kody thought Sammy was upstairs, going through the clothes Mesa had sent for. His California girl was freezing, all the time. Something had clicked between Mesa and Sammy, and suddenly Mesa was bringing home a cappuccino machine, DVDs, novels. Kody thought the awkward wooing was delightful, and Sammy was responding beautifully, sleeping between them, curling close to Mesa on the sofa at night, taking long walks with Junie. She’d even changed once, deep in the night, all on her own. Oh, she still complained about the lack of Internet and the need for shoes, but Sammy was settling in. “What smells so good?” She came down wearing one of Mesa’s flannel shirts, hair up in a ponytail, and smelling fresh and right. “Roast. I made that casserole you like with the squash. Rolls.” “Yum.” She smiled. “Talked to Becky on the phone. She’s still being a bitch, but the service has the house packed up to ship to Missoula.” “Excellent. I told you I’d make that work. Mesa will love the raclette.” He held his arms out to her, and she came to him, hands petting his hair as she took a kiss. “Want to taste the frosting?” He asked the question against her mouth, smiling. “Mmhmm.” Her sweet tooth was legendary, at least to him.

He gave her a fingerful of frosting, watching her face. Her smiled widened, and there was no nose wrinkle. Perfect. She kissed him again, cuddling in, rubbing him lightly. “Mmm.” God, he loved her. He loved everything, from the crooked tooth that hid just behind her lower lip to the little scar under her eye from some kind of crazy test they’d done on her when she was a baby. “Is this her? She’s littler than I’d think.” Canyon’s voice boomed in the house, so much like Mesa’s. Sammy looked over, eyebrow raised. “Mesa’s twin?” Kody nodded. “Mesa’s twin. Canyon. He’s Mesa’s second, the Clan guardian.” She shook her head, and he hid a smile. She still thought any talk of the Clan sounded like a roleplaying game. She was learning, though. Canyon came over to sniff her hair, looming over them, looking so much like Mesa, but so different to him, too. “Nice.” “Back off, fuzzy.” Sammy growled at Canyon. “You don’t smell like him at all.” Kody chuffed softly, then launched himself into Canyon’s arms, squeezing tight. “Hey, pup.” Canyon squeezed him breathless, a happy growl coming from the wide chest. They rubbed their cheeks together, scenting each other. “I’ve missed you.” “Missed you, too. Been hunting. Running the perimeter. Haven’t had anyone to talk to about All my Children.” “Oh, my God. Where are you? I watched every day. Sammy teased me unmercifully.” “I’m halfway through this season.” They started chatting, and it was long minutes before they noticed Sammy staring at them. Hard. He looked back, and her nose twitched. “So, are you sleeping with him, too?” Canyon’s brows went up. “No.” Sammy growled softly. “Good. I’m not sharing.” “No?” Mesa came up behind her, arms sliding around her waist. “No.” Kody felt the wild rush of happy arousal pour from both of them. Tonight they’d play.

“Stop it, you three.” Canyon grunted, moving to smell the supper simmering on the stove. Kody headed to Mesa to get his kiss. “I made rolls.” “Did you?” Mesa pulled him up close with one arm, hip lifting against his. Kody got a kiss that curled his toes. “I love your rolls, if I remember right.” “You do.” He grinned. “Junie and Granny are coming for supper, too.” “Oh, good.” Mesa chuckled. “What I want for dessert will have to wait, though.” “Don’t be nasty, brother. You have company.” Canyon was laughing softly, watching them with fond approval. “Family.” Mesa scoffed, kissing Kody’s temple before moving on. “Come sit with me, man.” Kody pulled two beers from the fridge and poured a glass of wine for Sammy. He loved the kitchen. It wasn’t as fancy as his and Sammy’s had been, but it was huge and had great appliances. “Pour you one, too, love.” Sammy’s fingers trailed over his wrist. “Hmm? Oh, okay.” His cheeks heated. They were definitely going to play. He could have a drink or two here, where it was safe. Not like LA. “You three are going to have to deal with that. We’ve had two pregnancies since Samantha came.” Granny came in, and Kody leaned down to touch cheeks. “Get me a beer, sweet baby.” “Yes, ma’am.” He went to get another beer, wondering when Sammy would have babies. He could feel Granny’s laughter in his gut, and he grinned, bouncing on his toes. What? He wanted babies. “How many women are here?” “If you include us old folks and the babies, there are twenty-three females.” Granny smiled at Sammy. “Some are real bitches.” “Yeah. Tell me she’s not pregnant. I hit her.” “She’s not mated.” Canyon made a grumpy rumble noise. “Not for lack of trying.” “Alicia? Still?” That woman had been chasing Mesa for years. Granny snorted. “She’s stubborn.” “She was all up in Sammy’s face.” Juniper was the last one to arrive, coming to give him a pine-scented hug.

“I saw.” Mesa sounded like the worst kind of pervert, and Kody chuffed softly, tickled. “You’re not funny.” Sammy snapped her teeth at Mesa, which made Kody blush harder. Yum. Kody wriggled a little, told his cock to calm down. “Junie? You thirsty?” “I’d take some of that fizzy water.” Mesa had gotten one of those things that made carbonated water, too. You could add flavor to it and make it like soda, or just leave it plain. Kody thought maybe Canyon had ordered it online. “Absolutely”. His Clan. His family. Right here. They all settled, most everyone moving to the dining room, munching a little on some snacks he put out. He futzed with sausage balls, making sure there were chips for Mesa’s queso. Junie headed over to him, kissed his cheek. “Settling in?” He nodded, meeting her eyes for a second. She was like Granny—her heartbeat echoed in his brain. “We are. We’re home. It’s hard for her, a little.” A lot. She was trying, getting better every day, but it was tough. “She’s fierce. I like her.” Junie hugged him hard. “Good.” Kody thought both Sammy and Junie needed a friend. “The moon is coming, huh?” She flicked a little bit of frosting off the cake, licking her fingers. “It is.” He lowered his voice. “She still doesn’t believe.” “But you said she changed.” Junie pursed her lips. “The moon will convince her.” “It will. It’s her first.” Juniper’s eyes went wide. “Wow.” “Yeah.” Wow was right. He and Mesa were coming up with a plan to make sure she stayed safe. Canyon, too. That was Canyon’s superpower. “I’ll be there with you. Granny, too.” He nodded, then the people at the table cracked up, the house filling with laughter. That made him smile. He needed that. He needed the family to surround him. “Kody? You good?” Sammy wandered back in, an empty chip bowl in hand, eyes sharp on him. “I am.” His timer went off, and he got the rolls out. “Supper’s ready.”

Everyone started moving, getting dishes and wine and carrying the food. At one point, he looked over to see Mesa kiss Sammy, and when they all sat, his chair was between them, framed by them. Sammy put a hand on his thigh under the table, squeezing a little. She smiled when he glanced over. “Damn, Kody. You can still cook like nothing else.” Canyon grabbed the potatoes, growling happily. “Thanks.” The little spark of pride grew to a glow when Mesa hummed and rubbed his arm. They began to eat, Sammy watching everyone. “Where are your parents? I haven’t met any parents.” “Ours died a few years back.” Mesa shrugged, and Canyon and Junie stared at their plates. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” Kody hummed, passed the rolls. “We don’t outlive our mates, not for long. My people started a Clan beyond the peaks. You can’t have two sets of Alphas. It tears the Clan apart.” “That was a good thing in more ways than one.” Granny smiled at him gently. “We have to spread out, find new territory.” “I…” Sammy looked concerned. “Who owns the land here?” “The clan does, honey.” Mesa glanced at Canyon, who shrugged. “We all do, and yet none of us do.” “Is there a corporation set up, then?” Kody could see Sammy’s brain working hard. Mesa gave her a calculating look. “Let’s talk about it after supper.” Sammy looked at Mesa, and Kody almost spoke when she nodded. “Sure. Business is bad for digestion, and this all smells so good.” “That’s it.” They both got an approving look from Granny. Canyon snorted. “Maybe you two won’t tear each other’s throats out. That’s good.” Sammy looked at Canyon, scowling. “You know, fuzzy, I could just beat you.” The entire table cracked up. Sammy patted his leg, Mesa pressed a kiss to his cheek, and Kody thought he might just be in heaven.

The food disappeared, the cake and coffee going next. Everyone helped clean up, then they all went to the great room, Canyon yawning hugely, eyes glowing as his wolf came to the fore. Someone was ready for a nap. Heck, Canyon and Junie would end up curled up together in front of the fire. Sammy looked at Canyon, nose twitching, her worry warring with her curiosity. “It’s okay, honey.” Mesa touched her, and she calmed a little. It made Kody so happy to see it. “Mesa, his eyes…” she whispered. Mesa nodded. “Yours, too.” She blinked, backing up a step. Kody went to them, touching both of them, completing the circle. Canyon shifted, Juniper panting softly, close behind. He felt Sammy jerk, but she didn’t freak out. Mesa nuzzled her jaw, lips heading for her throat. He kissed her ear. Change, Mate. “Kody?” He nodded. She heard him. Come meet your Clan. His wolf was coming. Mesa kissed her, lips moving on hers, encouraging her that way, too. Someone turned the lights down—Granny he supposed—giving everyone privacy. Mesa drew her closer, Kody pressing in against her back. Gradually, she relaxed even more, her nose quivering. The rest of their extended family lay by the fire, nose to tail with one another. Kody shifted first, nose nudging her inner thighs, her hip. She cried out, nervous, but Mesa’s growl eased her, and soon she was right there, panting, beautiful. She shivered, then shook a little, her ruff standing up. Mesa changed quickly, his teeth closing on her neck. Everyone’s attention was on her, on Mesa, and Kody sent all of his pride, his love, his respect for them, hoping to calm Sammy. Whether it was him or Mesa or Sammy herself, their lady only stretched, tail wagging lazily before nudging Mesa’s muzzle, then licking Kody’s ears.

Mesa pushed them toward the pile of fur and teeth by the fire. Yes. It had been a long time, and winter was coming. Juniper gave Sammy her belly and Sammy nuzzled, then curled in. Kody flopped on top of Canyon, chuffing as his oldest friend rumbled. Home. Things were finally going like he’d hoped they would for all those years. He had a pack again. Now he just had to teach Sammy her role in it.

Chapter Sixteen

Mesa stood on the porch and watched the sky. The moon was coming; he could feel it pressing on him, calling to him. The moon was his friend, his longtime love, but she also brought out the crazy. He put his hands on his hips and scented the air for any problems, any challenges that might come tonight. It would be Sammy’s first full moon; her first change that they couldn’t control. Her introduction to the pack. She had to be strong and ready, and he knew she still really didn’t believe in her heart. She treated the change like a dream sequence. Kody came to him, rubbing against his hip, eyes wild. “Mate. The moon.” “I know.” He put an arm around Kody’s waist. “I can feel it.” He wondered how long it would be before Sammy joined them. “She’s bitey.” Kody lifted his chin, showing off a dark love bite. “I put her in the bathtub to soak.” “Mmm. I like bitey. Canyon says he’s ready to help us keep an eye on her.” He licked Kody’s bite mark, putting his stamp on it. “I…” Kody swayed close to him, growling softly. “Mesa. Mesa, I need…” Poor Kody had been ‘out of town’ for every full moon since he’d married Sammy. The man was incredibly horny right before. What a shame that no one had been the benefactor of that. Mesa was more than happy to help out one of his mates. He pulled Kody against his chest, taking a kiss. Kody groaned, climbing his body, fingers working his clothes open. Sinking down on the porch, Mesa eased Kody’s clothes off, too, knowing no one would be watching.

No one would dare. His Kody’s muscles were limned in the fading sunlight, belly tight, rippling, cock long and full and swollen with need. Mesa licked his lips, then nipped Kody’s mouth. Hard. The wild little yowl made him ache, made him chuff softly, so he did it again. He loved that noise, had missed it like a limb torn from his body. He pushed Kody down, covering him. Kody submitted beautifully—offering him belly and throat joyfully. Growling, Mesa bit down on the tender skin at Kody’s throat, licking at it to ease the sting. He started pushing between those widespread legs, feeling the heat of Kody’s cock against his. “Touch me. Please, Mesa. I’m burning.” “You are. So hot.” He rubbed back and forth, his hand sliding up under that tight ass. The muscles jerked and rippled for him, pretty ass hard as a rock. He could eat Kody up, just like the big bad wolf. Instead he pulled up to his knees and shifted Kody’s legs up over his shoulders. He wanted in. “Mesa!” Kody was right there, spread and stretched and so fine. “I’ve got you, baby. So good.” He stroked Kody’s prick a couple of times, gathering the moisture at the tip. Kody’s wild little sounds had him snapping at the air and watching the heavy ball sack draw up as he touched made Mesa happy, bone-deep. Kody’s pleasure washed over him in waves, the whispered “Mate” filling him. “Yes.” His mate. His Beta. He rubbed his damp fingertips against Kody’s hole, knowing he wouldn’t be able to wait much longer. He would remember the smile Kody offered him until the end of his days—whole, happy, settled in those flighty bones. Mesa pushed one finger inside Kody’s body, testing that tight warmth. Soon. Very soon. Just a little more open… “Please. Please…” Kody’s abs rippled, body arching, hole clenching around his fingers. Nodding, Mesa pulled back so he could position his cock where he needed it most. There. He pushed in, gritting his teeth against the pleasure. His Beta, his Kody, was suddenly right there, loud, sunk into his skin, and he howled, driving in deep. His body moved without any thought or intention, his hips sawing back and forth. Tight, hot, perfect, Kody held him, rocked with him.

The sun sank, and Kody’s motions got wilder, faster, his mate barely hanging on. Grunting, Mesa let his movements match Kody’s, desperate to come, but needing to hold on until Kody let go. Kody’s eyes glowed, rivaling the moon. Soon. Soon. Mesa could feel it in his bones. He reached between them, tugging at Kody’s cock. He needed that ripple around his prick. He got it, too, Kody barking, body milking him. Mesa howled, his head tipping back, his body shaking. He spent deep inside Kody, filling him up. Kody came with hard, jerking motions, calling for him, the pleasure huge, spunk spreading up along the lean chest. He leaned down, licked a line over the warm skin, feeling Kody’s heartbeat under his tongue as they relaxed. A cold nose on his bare ass made him jump, Sammy chuffing softly. Mesa fell back, laughing, his body letting the moon take him. His wolf came to the fore effortlessly. Kody was next, bounding up to head bump them, then down the stairs to howl, then back up. Mesa trotted down the stairs before stopping to stare back at Sammy. Pale and fine, Sammy was smaller than he would have expected, but quick, agile, moving toward the trees. He followed her, making sure she seemed confident and happy, watching her tail wave like a flag. The others came in slow waves, curious and happy, barking and yelping, meeting Sammy. There was Grandma Minnie, her gray muzzle pushing against Sammy’s, sharing scent. There was a tiny pod of females—three of them—posturing and watching, but Sammy ignored them, gently grooming Minnie, Junie, even Canyon. Such a lady, his mate. Her instincts were fucking amazing, and Mesa almost burst with pride. She moved through the Clan, acknowledging each and every wolf, up until she reached the posturing females, then she growled once, the sound a clear warning. They bristled at her, breaking off to form a circle, or a triangle he guessed, around her. Kody whined softly, but Sammy ignored him, sizing the trio up carefully, eyes sharp. The entire Clan watched—if Sammy was going to be the Alpha female, she had to pass her trials, too. Mesa thought, belatedly, that maybe he should have warned her.

Then again, maybe she did better when she just had to go on her gut. She went right for Alicia, taking the bitch down with one pull. Sammy held Alicia down until she submitted, then shook her once before backing off. The other two were cowed, one offering Sammy her belly. Sammy grunted before barking to him. Mesa came to praise her, licking her whiskers. He let the Clan see how proud he was of her, to stand with her. He loved her so much already. He praised Kody, too, for finding her. Kody preened, head tossing, tongue lolling. Canyon padded up, big head bowing to him and Sammy. That tongue lolled in lupine laughter, though. Kody chuffed and Canyon took him down, gently, teeth shaking Kody’s ruff. Kody kicked the air, barking happily. Silly thing. Sammy headed for the trees, her pale fur moving fast enough that it was a blur. Mesa put his nose to the ground and followed. She was hunting, so quick, so smart, and his. Her nose was to the ground, feet almost silent. Mesa hung back and watched. He would help if he needed to, but he wanted her to do it. There was a hare, a big one, and she flushed it out easily, driving it toward him. Mesa snapped it up, ignoring the cut-off squeal when it died. Then he offered it to Sammy. Sammy lapped his muzzle once, tore the beast open, and snapped up the heart, dropping it as his feet, then giving the liver to their Kody, who had finally caught up with them. Yes. He rumbled his approval, taking his due. The liver would make Kody strong. She was a good provider. Sammy snapped the rest up, eating almost daintily. Kody watched her, panting softly. They groomed each other for a few moments before Mesa tipped his head back to howl. Time to gather the pack again. Time to run together. Time to go. His Clan came, and they headed up, out, all of them together. Into the moon. **** Sammy woke up sore, stiff and headachy, and she stumbled toward to the bathroom, whining softly. God, this was like the worst hangover ever.

She leaned on the sink and hung her head, which was when she noticed the bruises. On her chest and belly, her throat. God. Then there was the bite mark on her breast. She must have had a ball. Too bad she didn’t really remember it. Sammy plopped into the tub, turned the water on, shivering against the cold. Wow. The hot water felt great, but she looked like she had leprosy or something. “Mmm. You look amazing.” A cup of coffee was sat on the edge of the tub, Kody’s long fingers wrapped around the handle. “Are you hungry, love?” She tried to smile at her lover. “I don’t know. Did you get the number on the truck that hit me?” “Mmmhmm. It was called Mesa number one. Want me to wash your back?” “God, yes.” She leaned forward, moaning as warm water poured down her spine. Kody grabbed the sponge and started in on scrubbing. It was as much a massage as a bath. He let the water out, refilled it, then started washing her hair, fingers digging in, rubbing, and she moaned, eyes crossing with it. “You’re so stiff, love.” “Feel hung over.” “We had a good run with the moon, huh?” Kody sounded so pleased. “It’s all very vague. Is it always like that, after?” “Sometimes.” Kody rubbed the kink out of her neck. “Some people are better at remembering. Mesa remembers everything.” “Oh…” She moaned, that touch so good, so sweet. “Do you? Remember?” “Some things. Some things seem more like watching a movie.” He pushed his thumbs into her muscles, melting her. “Kody…” She groaned as his hands worked their magic. “Don’t stop.” “No worries about that, love. I’m going to work all this out, and then I’ll make pancakes.” It was so good, so normal. Kody had always pampered her. “So good to me.” She thought she could hear his voice, inside her head, admiring her, telling her how lovely she was. “I like spoiling you a little. You work hard.” Somehow, Kody seemed to think her being some kind of Alpha was harder work than going to the bank every day.

“Me? I wander around here…” She had helped Minnie organize the Clan’s holdings into a more reasonable situation and dealt with the taxes, but… She didn’t even want to think about how different things were becoming. Hell, she’d put her house on the market, was having her things delivered and stored in Spokane. She’d just walked away from it all. All her friends. They probably thought she was out of her mind. Why wouldn’t they? Sometimes she thought maybe she had just passed on or gone crazy, except that Mesa and Kody made her feel so alive. “Maybe that part is dead, love. Maybe the real you was waiting to come home.” Kody’s touch was gentle, sweet. “I’m not sure how I feel about that, Kody.” She was better with it every day, but it was still bizarre. She was out in the middle of nowhere and loving it. “I know. It’s hard, huh? You didn’t grow up like us.” “No.” Do you think my birth parents knew? Got rid of me?” “I think something happened to them, love. That’s the only thing that would make them let you go.” Kody stroked her hair with one damp hand. She moaned softly. “You ease my soul. You always have.” “I love you.” He did. She felt it like a glow around her heart. “I know.” She stood up, let him wrap her in a towel. “Come snuggle a minute?” Pancakes could wait. “Always.” He put an arm around her, taking her back into the bedroom. Mesa was in the big bed, eyes warm, one arm holding the covers up for them. Kody helped her in, then wrapped around her. Mesa started making this noise—deep and low—that left her humming, melting into Kody’s arms. They were her life now. Deep down she knew it, even if her mind still tried to argue sometimes.

Chapter Seventeen

“Don’t you growl at me!” Sammy slammed her hand down on the table, the wood rattling. “You’ve been a bitch all fucking morning. What is your major malfunction?” Everybody else in this fucking place may shiver when Mesa snarled and growled, but she wasn’t going to. She’d been trying to help with this whole North Peak Clan situation. The Alpha there—Gareth or Jared, she wasn’t quite sure and was embarrassed to ask—had killed someone, was threatening to do something awful to someone else and Canyon was making noises about going up deep into the mountains to help, which apparently was a big deal because he was supposed to protect all the poor defenseless people who could turn into wolves and bite… Mesa growled louder. “My problem is that you don’t seem to see how serious a problem this is! Canyon is my second. What am I going to do if he has to leave to fix this?” She didn’t think Mesa was going to have a whole lot of say in that, really. Logic stated that if a crazy man next door was killing people, you had to do something about it because eventually he’d come to get you. Canyon was a smart dog; the man could deal. “You have me. You have Kody. Shit, there are a dozen fully-functional grown men out there. One of them can be puffy and tough. You don’t live in a frigging war-zone, Mesa.” The man was paranoid as hell. “He’s my fucking brother and there’s something out there killing our kind!” Mesa was the one slamming things now, and a pitcher sitting on the counter cracked right down the middle. “Very mature.” She rolled her eyes. “So, just admit you’ll miss him and move on. That’s totally understandable.” “Goddamn it, Sammy. This could be serious. A pack Alpha going crazy? Bad juju.” She nodded. “I get crazy. I grew up in Lala Land. That’s why Canyon is going, right?”

“Jesus, you just don’t get the whole pack thing, do you?” He snarled it at her, his eyes flashing. She stood up, ignoring Kody who was suddenly fluttering behind her. “You know what? I don’t. Weird, isn’t it? It’s almost like some asshole kidnapped me from my home in California and threw me into utter insanity and told me to fucking sink or swim!” Mesa started at her, his hands clenching and unclenching. “Well swim, then.” “Sammy. Mesa, please…” She rolled her eyes. “I’m going out for a walk. You two commiserate about how you ended up with a human and then fuck. I’ll be back tonight.” She’d heard the gossip, after all. How poor Kody had gotten trapped by her when he was weak, how Mesa was stuck with her now. Most of the time she could ignore it. Most of the time. She slammed out of the door, headed to Juniper’s little house. She loved Junie’s place—it was like what she’d imagine a fairy tale gnome’s would look like—filled with herbs and dusty books, shiny glass things and cushions on the floor. It always smelled like flowers and herbs, too. Much nicer than Canyon’s place, which smelled like hamburger. Although Canyon had Internet access and Hulu… She smiled a little, thinking of how she and Kody would curl up with the big guy and watch soaps. Canyon was an addict. Sammy knocked on Juniper’s door. “Hey, you. Wanna take a wander?” She pulled her coat closer around her. It was damned cold for her, being the California girl she was. Junie came to the door, smiling for her, hand reaching out to take hers. “Sure. I was about to go crazy in here anyway.” “You?” Juniper was the only person less attached to her body than Kody. She always seemed to be floating. “Let’s go.” Juniper was tiny, made her feel huge and a little ungainly, but she supposed that made sense. If she was really the Alpha. “So, what were you doing? Communing with spirits?” It sounded like more fun than fighting with Mesa. “I was grinding stuff, actually. Rose hips and shit.” “Rose hips?” They hooked arms, headed into the woods. “What are those?”

“The thingees leftover from the rose.” Junie laughed, bumping her with one hip, just like Mesa did sometimes. “Do you use them in perfume?” “Nope. In jelly.” She cracked up, both of them heading deeper. “So, tell me why Mesa’s losing his mind over this Canyon thing? Use small, non-wolfy words, please.” Junie glanced at her sideways, one eyebrow going up. Sometimes Junie thought she was dumb. She could tell. “Canyon is his second. It’s a delicate balance, keeping clans together.” “His second…so he’ll be Alpha if Mesa dies?” Just the thought made her a little sick. Juniper frowned. “No. No, his job is to protect the Aspen Brook Clan, generally, and specifically you and Mesa, Kody, and me.” She knew that Junie was being groomed for Minnie’s job—part witchcraft, part spiritual medium, not even Mesa could explain how Junie did what she did for the clan. “Man, that’s a pain in the butt, keeping Kody out of trouble. Then what does Mesa do?” “Everything.” Junie grinned. “He knows all the members of the clan and what they can contribute. He enforces the law, such as it is. He provides for all of us.” “And then you’re stuck with me.” Hooray. Sometimes Sammy just wanted to whack Kody in the head for choosing her and complicating so many lives. “What? Stuck with you? You’re going to be a great Alpha. You just have to learn some stuff.” “Like what? God, Junie, I’m so lost, and I keep trying to not freak out.” Sometimes she thought she’d be okay, but sometimes…she was so scared. “Like how when Mesa gets this growly he’s just freaking out, too. He’s scared. He hasn’t been this mean since Kody left.” Sammy sighed. “I won’t let anything happen to him. I won’t let anything happen to any of you.” This was her family. Hers, damn it. “I know that, silly.” Junie hugged her impulsively. “You and Mesa just need to get used to each other. It takes time. He loves you already.” She kissed Juniper’s cheek, grinned. “Love or hate, one, hmm?” “It’s close, just like they always say.” They walked for a bit, the silence comfortable if not comforting.

Something was bothering her, something itching between her shoulder blades. “What is it?” Junie glanced at her, that eyebrow going up again. “Something’s wrong.” A deep growl built inside her. Junie immediately started to scan the trees around them. They’d walked a good ways from the outskirts of town. “Run, Juniper.” She smelled something wrong, then something stung her neck and she reached for it, tearing the dart out. “Run!” Juniper yelped, spinning in a circle before falling to her knees. Too damned late. She bit the air, growling, the edges of the world going black. “You leave her alone!” “Don’t worry, Alpha bitch. You’re the one we want.” She saw the cloudy image of that Alicia woman’s face in her field of vision before a cloth covered her eyes. The blow that landed on the back of her head made the darkness behind her eyes red, for one, bright second, then it was gone.

Chapter Eighteen

“Kody? Baby?” Mesa was starting to worry about Sammy. He hadn’t thought she was that mad when she left. He’d figured she just needed to cool down, and he’d let her go because he’d needed that, too. God, his head hurt. It was getting on to dusk, though, and she wasn’t back. Kody wasn’t making supper either. Where the hell was everyone? He headed up the stairs; maybe Kody was napping, just hiding out an… Oof. He tripped on something halfway up the stairs and went down hard. When he righted himself he realized it was Kody he’d tripped over. Kody, who was out cold on the stairs, a dart sticking out of his neck. A tranquilizer dart. “Kody! Shit. Kody, wake up.” Nothing. Not a bit of response. Kody’s eyes were rolled back in his head, a hint of foam at the corner of his lips. He slapped that dear face hard before he even stopped to think, needing Kody to open his damned eyes. “Mesa! Mesa! Juniper’s missing.” Grandma Minnie’s voice was panicked. “Kody’s unconscious. Someone tranqed him. Fuck.” His head hurt so bad he thought it might kill him. “Where’s Samantha?” Grandma Minnie’s voice cut like a razor. “I don’t know! I was coming to ask Kody. She went for a walk.” He picked Kody up, heading downstairs instead of up on shaking legs. He needed to leave Kody with Granny and find Sammy and Junie.

“Kody?” Minnie came to him, hands on his head, eyes closed for a long, long minute and his mind cleared for a single blessed second. “Get Canyon.” Mesa ran. He ran as fast as his human legs could carry him, because he had to be able to talk to tell Canyon what the hell was going on. Canyon, bless him, was already halfway to him, eyes glowing hot in their sockets. “Mesa!” He grabbed Canyon to steady himself. “Sammy and Junie are gone. Kody’s out cold. I need you.” “Were they together?” Canyon drew him toward Juniper’s cabin, the door closed, no smoke coming from her fireplace. “I don’t know. Sammy went for a walk…” Mesa’s head throbbed, and he swallowed bile. “She was mad. We fought.” “She wouldn’t try to leave. Junie loves her, says she’s trying hard.” Canyon’s nose was working. “I can’t…” Mesa grunted, going to his knees. “Something is wrong, bro.” Canyon barked once, and Angie came running from the cabin next to Juniper’s. “Canyon?” “Get him home, get Jack and Rick guarding the door. Something’s happened to Sammy and Junie.” “What? What happened?” Mesa blinked at her, hurting so bad he couldn’t fucking focus. Shit, he felt drugged, almost. Canyon was the one that managed to answer. “They went for a walk, maybe? Shit, I don’t know. Kody’s out like a light, gone, you know.” “Fuck. I knew that she was trouble.” “She’s not trouble!” Mesa roared. His mate was so strong. “Shut up. Not her. Alicia.” Angie’s growl was deep. “She headed off into the woods earlier with a tranq gun. Said she was looking for that cougar that’s been working the territory. I should have known. She hasn’t been interested in hunting lately.” Angie’s eyes landed on him. “At least not hunting anything that isn’t the Alpha slot.” “Which way, Ang?” Canyon puffed up, the man impossibly huge.

“North, toward the cliff face. Watch your back. There’s no coming back from this. This is…bigger than Clan.” Mesa growled at her words, at the thought that Alicia might hurt his lady and his sister for something as ridiculous as a mating that wasn’t hers to desire, rage building in his chest. “I can come.” Canyon shook his head. “You’ll get in my fucking way. Stay here, see to Kody.” “Find them. Bring them home.” He snarled, and Canyon nodded, taking off like a shot. He let Angie help him up, feeling completely disoriented. Shit, some Alpha he was. “Come on, Mesa. Let’s go. Kody needs you.” The world was spinning wildly and he couldn’t make his legs work right. “I’m trying.” He didn’t growl at Angie. She was a good girl. “When you get Jack, help find Alicia.” “I will. As soon as you’re home.” Angie kept him moving. “I know, I know.” He felt useless. Something was happening to Sammy, something that had her confused and sick to her stomach. She was hurting, too, and trapped. Scared. Kody must be coming up out of it, right? God, he hurt. Damn it. He should be out there hunting her, but he had to protect Kody, too. If Alicia got to him, Mesa and Sammy would go down, too. MESA! The scream sent him to his knees again, Kody’s utter panic slamming into his brain, then disappearing. Angie dragged him the last ten feet to his house as he buckled, fiercely protecting her Alpha. He could only vaguely hear her shouting at him. He slumped down on Kody, breathing hard. “Kody.” He kissed Kody’s mouth, which was a little blue. “Baby.” Hurt. She’s hurt. Scared. Mesa. Mesa, please. He heard that. Inside his soul. “Canyon is finding her.” He had to stay with Kody, keep Kody grounded so they could find Sammy. Somehow that was important. Minnie’s hand combed through his hair. “He will. He will. Hold on, boys. You have to be strong for her.” He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, panting, holding Kody, when a banging came to the door.

“Mesa! Mesa, she attacked Juniper! That bitch killed Juniper!” Mesa raised his head, staring at the door. Where the fuck were Jack and Mike? It was Alicia, tearing her hair, screaming. There was no way. No way Sammy would hurt Junie. Sammy treated his baby sister with gentle hands. It was Kody that growled, though, eyes still rolled back, showing white, even as his teeth bared. An answering growl rose in his throat, and Mesa fought his wolf back as he pushed to his feet. “Where is she?” “She’s run. She must have bashed Juniper and ran. I found Juniper’s body in the woods; I came back to get you.” Minnie rumbled softly. “My girl isn’t dead.” Mesa made it to her, his hand on her throat. “Where is she?” “She ran, Alpha. I swear to you.” Kody’s voice was clear as a bell. Liar. Liar. Sammy loved them. “I know you’re lying.” He could hear Sammy in his mind, too, now. Screaming for them. His girl needed him. This piece of shit hurt his lady, his mate, and then his baby sister. He snarled, shook her harder. “Where is she?” Canyon’s voice sounded. “Granny! I have Junie. I need you.” Grandma Minnie moved faster than he would have thought she could. Mesa wanted to go to Canyon, but he had to deal with Alicia. “We have the Alpha bond. Me and Sammy and Kody. I know she’s out there. Where did you put her?” Kody was waking up, coming back to them. “She did this to us. Mesa. Mesa, please. I would be yours.” Kody stood on suddenly strong legs, flying at Alicia as he changed, fangs flashing. Mesa let Kody take her, but stopped those strong jaws from closing on Alicia’s throat. “You tell me where she is, or I will let him kill you. You have no idea what you’ve done.” She looked terrified, somehow, that gentle, loving Kody would attack, intend to kill her. That satisfied something deep in Mesa’s soul.

“She’s caged. She’s dying. She won’t live.” “You should have killed Kody, bitch, if you didn’t want the bond to hold.” Mesa shoved Kody aside and bared his teeth. He was through. “You’d better hope she lives. Canyon! Alicia is going to show us where she is. Her scent will be all over it.” “Mesa…” Junie’s voice was weak, her eyes unfocused, blood covering the dear face. “She loves you. She fought for me.” “I know, baby-girl.” He did. He spared a moment to kiss Junie’s nose, bending over her to praise. “You did good. I’ll find her.” Kody stood, barking. Now. Now, Mate. Now. Mesa let Canyon do the manhandling of Alicia. He let his wolf come, instead, scenting the ground. They had to backtrack the woman’s trail. As the wolf, he could sense Sammy, too, so clearly. She was furious, hurt, scared, but awake. Alive. And calling. He and Kody followed the call, not even scenting anymore. Instinct would lead them. Suddenly, Canyon was beside them, claws digging into the dirt as they climbed. His second had his back, would fight for him and his mates. Mate! Mate! Her yelps were in his ears this time, and Kody howled. She was close now. He could swear he could smell her. The cage was half crushed, Sammy slamming herself against the blood-stained bars, over and over. Mesa barked, but it was Kody who managed to change, naked and human, working at the lock with shaking fingers. As soon as he popped it, Sammy burst out, howling furiously, biting the air. Mesa went to her, pushing at her, licking her muzzle. She growled at him, panicked and scared, dancing, then he licked again. His lady. She came to him, then, calling out to him, to Kody. Mesa nuzzled her, vocalizing. She was so good, so pretty, so strong. Kody came to her, lapping the dried blood from her shoulder, behind her ears. Home. Kody growled softly. Home, Mesa.

Mesa nudged Sammy, hoping she could walk that far. Canyon fell in with them, right on his flank. Sammy made it farther than he’d expected, clearing the trees before she collapsed. Mesa had to fight with his wolf, who wanted to drag her. He summoned the human in him instead, standing to pick her up and carry her. His arms and legs shook with the effort. “Alicia?” Canyon barked, Jack and Rick at the door to his house, the screaming woman in their hands. “Get her out of here.” He carried Sammy into the house, where Minnie was waiting, frowning. “Grandma… I need help.” “You have it.” She looked Sammy over, shook her head. “Let’s get her cleaned up and dosed with something to ease her.” “Thanks.” He didn’t know where the man took Alicia, and he only cared in that he didn’t want the bitch around here. He would deal with her later. Mesa knew he couldn’t make it up the stairs. He got them to the downstairs room, eased her onto the bed. They curled around her, protecting her, and soon enough Granny was there, dosing Sammy with a tonic. Sammy growled softly, head tossing, but she took it. Good. Good. It calmed her almost immediately, enough that he and Kody could check for injuries. One of her shoulders was hot, swollen, the shape wrong, and there was a cut by her ear. Damn. Damn, the pack would have to see her soon, to know she was all right. Grandma Minnie started packing her shoulder, wrapping it, and once that was done, Sammy relaxed. Poor baby. He nuzzled her throat. Sammy nosed him. Home. Home. They were home. Safe. Together.

Chapter Nineteen

Sammy woke with a start, nose working furiously. The sun was pouring in the window, and she wasn’t in the cage. Bad cage. Bad. She was in bed. With her mates. Oh. She leaned, muzzle digging into Mesa’s ruff. Mesa rolled to one side, legs kicking out when he stretched. Such a beautiful wolf. She wagged once, tried to roll up to all fours, but her front leg screamed at her and she yelped, gnawing on the cloths wrapped around it. Kody nipped at her tail, stopping her. She stared at him, rumbling. It hurt. Kody nipped her again. Mesa chuffed, those pretty eyes glowing at her. Mate. She rubbed her muzzle on his, then her eyes went wide. Juniper. Juniper! Mate! A cage! That bitch had put her in a cage! Mesa licked her whiskers, and she could hear Kody’s voice in her head. Safe. Safe. She nudged Mesa, whining softly. She’d tried to get out, to come to them. Mesa stropped his cheek against hers, making these amazing noises. He knew. He was proud. Kody’s growls and chirrups joined Mesa’s, soothing her, easing her deep inside. Safe. That meant Juniper was safe, too. Poor Junie. Alicia wanted her mate, had been willing to kill Junie to have him. The door opened, the creak of hinges making them all look up. Grandma Minnie.

Sammy’s tail wagged, once, in greeting. “It’s me.” There was a scent of something…off. Mesa leaned up, rumbling, and Granny stroked his chin. “She left, Mesa. Alicia. She’s gone. We found footprints outside the window where she was kept; someone slipped Jack a drug. She’s gone east.” She could feel Mesa’s fury, then a wave of peace came from Kody, washing over all of them. “That’s right. Healing first, then we’ll find her.” Granny’s fingers came near her hurt shoulder and she rumbled softly. “I have to look.” She grumbled, but buried her face in Kody’s soft belly fur, let Minnie look. There was fire in her shoulder for a moment, then it went away. She heard Mesa growl, the sound unhappy, deep. Kody, though, he made soothing noises, panted a tiny bit. Her Kody. As she thought it, a wave of warmth hit her. Kody grunted, pushing up against her, warm and solid. My Kody. Her nose wrinkled as Minnie brought something vile smelling to her muzzle. Mesa made approving noises, though, pushing her to take what Minnie had brought. She drank it, shuddering through it. Nasty. Bad stuff. Kody laughed at her, tongue lolling. She snapped at him, lazily. Mesa bit her good shoulder, gently enough that she barely felt it. “You’re going to be fine, Samantha. Sleep now. Heal.” She could do that. She could sleep for a long while. She barely felt Minnie’s soft touch before she faded away.

Chapter Twenty

Kody cut the carrots and celery, the chicken breast. Soup. Soup would be good. Soup and bread. Lots of garlic. And cake. “She doesn’t have a cold, brother.” Juniper’s voice was soft, amused. “So? Chicken soup cures everything.” He grinned at her sideways. “Got you here.” “Was worried. Bad dreams.” Junie nuzzled him, clinging a little. “What about?” He hugged her tightly, pouring safe/happy/love thoughts into her little body. She slumped a little, started to cry. “Kody, she wanted to kill me.” “She’s crazy, you know? She’s gone, though.” “I know. How’s Sammy?” “She’s better. Her shoulder is bothering her, and she’s really mad.” His grin turned into a laugh. She wanted to hunt Alicia down. “She fought for me, brother. So fierce. I was so proud.” “I’m proud, too.” So was Mesa. Their Alpha was strutting these days. “Can I have supper here with you? Granny is busy.” “Of course you can.” Sammy came downstairs in one of Mesa’s shirts, blinking slowly. “Smells good. Where’s Mesa?” “He’s out with Canyon. He’ll be back in time for supper.” Kody reached out to Sammy, who came and hugged him and Junie both with one-armed hugs. “Of course you can eat here.” Sammy nodded at Junie. “Smells good, huh?” Juniper put one hand on Sammy’s forehead, whispering softly. Praying. “It does, Sammy.”

Sammy’s eyes crossed when she tried to see what Junie was doing. “Are you going mystical on me?” “Yep. You’re still a little fuzzy.” Sammy looked at her hands. “Am I?” Juniper chuckled, and Kody shook his head. “No, honey. You’re fine.” She was just a touch confused. Granny said it was the medicine. Kody leaned in for another kiss. “Chicken soup.” “Oh, I love your soup.” She kissed him again. “Mmm.” He loved her. He was so glad she was safe. “Should I go?” Juniper was laughing at him. “No. Dork.” He and Sammy were just loving on each other. Sammy was in no shape for anything gymnastic. Sammy’s soft laughter made him smile. “Who’s a dork?” Canyon came in and sniffed hard over the pot, Mesa following along. “Did I say I was feeding the whole family?” He winked, chuffed softly. The table was set for all of them. “No, but you’re making chicken soup.” Canyon hugged all of them, big and comforting. “I am. For all of us.” Mesa scooped Sammy up, careful of her shoulder, kissed her. “Is there bread?” “And cake. But the soup needs to simmer.” “Then we can all have a sit and wait for it, huh?” Mesa turned, Sammy still in his arms, and kissed Kody. Yes, mate. He thought the words, knew Mesa heard him. Mesa nodded, smiling against his lips, just a tiny, shared thing. Love. His eyes went wide. That was Sammy. Oh. He could hear her. Loud and clear. Sammy? She looked over at him, smiled. Love. Mesa grunted, the sound perfectly satisfied. My mates.

Sammy’s cheek rested on Mesa’s shoulder. Yes. Kody touched them, the world in place. Home.

Epilogue

The moon. The moon. She ran, howling, paws slamming into the leaves, the snow. Mesa ran with her, beside her, his pride in her strength as loud as anything she had ever heard. Kody was ahead, bouncing, playing, snapping at the snowflakes as they fell. Her silly boy was so happy these days, so perfectly balanced. It made her want to bite him in the best way. She leapt, nipping Kody’s tail, both of them rolling, tumbling into a pile of leaves, as Mesa barked at them, running in to gnaw on them a little here and there. She licked his muzzle, nuzzling Kody’s ruff. They’d hunted, ran, played. The dawn was coming. Mesa nipped at her throat, then Kody’s, before turning and running back toward their home. They all ran together, panting hard, calling the Clan home. One by one their wolves joined them, old and young, from big Canyon to tiny Junie. Sammy touched noses with each of them as they bowed to her, to Mesa. Her Clan. Her family. When the other wolves disappeared like smoke, and they had paid their respects to the elders, she and Mesa and Kody turned back to their house. They climbed the stairs together, all of them losing their fur, slowly, lazily. “I want a bath, boys.” “I like a bath.” Kody made the best bathwater combos, too. Oils and stuff.

They’d put a little fridge upstairs with milk and juice. It was decadent. Better than a convenience store, too. She grabbed a juice, passed it to Mesa, then gave Kody a milk. Mesa drank deep, Adam’s apple bobbing. He had a pretty throat. She leaned in, licking, lapping a little bit. Hers. An approving sound was all the warning she got before Mesa pulled her close, right up against his chest. His leg slid between hers, all but lifting her off the floor. She moaned, tongue fucking Mesa’s lips as she let her hips roll, let herself ride Mesa’s thigh. He dropped the juice on top of the fridge and lifted her under her butt, holding her there. His kisses were scalding, perfect. When Kody’s hands pushed between them, fingers finding her nipples and tugging them, she cried out into Mesa’s lips. Mesa panted, pushing his thigh against her, one hand on her ass, the other reaching for Kody. Kody moaned, tongue pushing into their kiss, and Sammy groaned, their desire crashing over her. They were a force of nature, one she’d been afraid she couldn’t measure up to. She knew better now. One of her hands found Kody’s hair, tugging a little bit, making it sting like he liked it. Kody bucked against his lovers, his breath hitching, his cock hard and long against her hip. “Mine.” She rubbed back along Kody’s prick. “Yes. Yours.” “Mine, too.” Mesa growled little, but the sound was pure sex, not a bit of real grr. She chuckled, nosing Kody’s throat playfully. “Nope. Not sharing. Too bad.” Mesa grunted, and they were all moving all of a sudden as he bore them toward the bed. Boom. “What about my shower?” She couldn’t stop laughing. Kody chuffed. “You shouldn’t tease the Alpha, lady.” “Did I pull the puppy’s tail?” She loved them, loved playing with them. “Make me bite you.” Mesa chuckled and nipped her shoulder, which had healed well. “Uh-huh. Harder.” She leaned, bit Mesa. “Yeah.” Mesa held her so close, hands hard on her skin, little bruises popping up. Kody was sliding down, his tongue on her, on Mesa, teasing them both. She could hear Mesa, out loud and in her head. Someone wanted that mouth bad.

Sammy pinched one of his nipples, tugged it hard. “My Beta.” Mesa bared his teeth. “Ours.” She growled low, cunt aching with her need. “Mine.” A low snarl was all the warning she got before she was on her back, Mesa on top of her. His cock pushed at her belly, his teeth stung her throat. “Stubborn woman.” “Yes.” She arched, heels digging into the mattress. Kody barked out a laugh, but he was right there, touching her, his fingers on her breasts. “She always this hot, baby? This hard to deal with?” Mesa’s eyes were laughing at her. Not as hard as Kody was, though. “Goddess, yes. All the time.” “Got to watch her.” Mesa kissed her until she couldn’t breathe. Sammy ended up clinging to Mesa’s shoulders, blinking as Kody’s mouth worked her breast. Mesa rubbed against her hip, her upper thigh. His cock felt like fire. “Boys…” Kody’s lips moved down her belly, his hand guiding Mesa’s cock into her. Bingo. She was flying all of a sudden, Mesa stretching her wide, Kody touching them where they came together. “Kody, love. Turn around.” She loved the flavor of Kody; he was sweet compared to Mesa. Kody made a low, happy noise and swung up so his cock was at her mouth. “Mmm. Yeah…” She took him in, hummed, licking at the silky flesh. Kody slid between her lips, his hands holding her hips now so Mesa could take her. Mesa felt huge, so hot, perfect inside her. She thought she heard them kissing, could feel their desire. They were giving her the most amazing pleasure, too, with just the right amount of friction. Kody’s fingers kept working her clit, tugging and rubbing, circling, and she cried out, her whole body caught up in it. This was better than the hunt, than the moon. Kody’s heat pushed into her lips, spreading her, opening her wide. They were all over her, all around her, not giving her a moment to breathe or think. Mesa’s fingers tugged her nipple, Kody flicked her clit, and she jerked, swallowing convulsively. Kody cried out, the sound a tiny bit muffled, which meant Mesa was doing something very naughty. Her fingers circled his balls, tugged carefully. She was all about naughtiness.

Mesa bucked inside her. “Christ. I felt that.” She tugged again, swallowed hard. Kody came for her, his cock jerking, hot and wet and perfect. She whimpered happily, tongue slapping his cock, adoring him, as best she could. Moving faster, Mesa pushed her higher and higher, and Kody tried to help. His fingers were a little clumsy. She threw her head back, Kody’s cock slipping from her lips. “More!” “More. Mine.” Mesa was moving faster, harder, his hips slapping hers. “Yes.” She cried out, arching as Kody moved, mouth dropping on her skin. “That’s it, baby. Let her know you’re with us.” She could see Mesa stroking Kody’s hair. “Always.” They were one heart. The Clan’s heart beat. “Oh, fuck.” Mesa lost all of his finesse, Kody’s mouth on both of them just making her Alpha mate crazy. She couldn’t hold on one second longer, head tossing as she screamed, came with every fiber of her being. Mesa shouted, his body bucking atop hers, his cock swelling impossibly inside her. God, he felt good. Their need went on and on, swirling around them, fading slowly into a long hum, a long, sweet growl. Mesa lowered down to rest against her, pulling Kody up to love on them. Kody cuddled, licking lazily. “I should shower.” Kody rumbled, kept her there. “Stay. Rest.” “Smell like us.” Mesa’s hand lay low on her belly, holding her in place as well. Kody nodded, humming softly, and she relaxed, visions of running, of the moon, of her mates in her heart. It was a good place to be. A very good place.

About the Author I enjoy indulging in the shallow side of life, with hobbies that include collecting margarita recipes, hot tub dips, and ogling hot guys at the beach. A connoisseur of the perverse and esoteric, my days are spent among dusty tomes of ancient knowledge, or, conversely, surfing porn sites in the name of research. Mixing the natural born southern propensity for sarcasm and the environmental western straight-shooting sensibility, I do my damnedest to produce mainstream fiction, literary erotica, and fine works of pure, unadulterated smut. With characters ranging from supernatural demons to modern-day cowboys, alternative illustrated men to Victorian dandies, the addiction to history and atmosphere is ever-present, and laced through with sensual pleasure. My latest projects include werewolves, rodeo cowboys, and fist-fighting rednecks.

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Out of Control by Emma Hillman Scared she'd always be too human for the five shape-shifting lions who wanted to claim her as a mate, Jade left the Pride who’d adopted her as soon as she turned eighteen. Now she's back, and only just realizing how much her departure affected them all. They're so intent on seducing her, she's having trouble resisting. One, maybe she could have, but five sexy men eager to claim her? Surrounded by men who won't take no for an answer, and with the future of the Pride in jeopardy, Jade needs to decide who she can trust…starting with herself.

Bride of the Wolf by Abigail Barnette Commanded to marry the son of Lord Canis, a powerful ally of her father and King Edward, Aurelia knows she is about to venture into a den of wolves. For the men who live at Blackens Gate are no ordinary men, able to change at will into enormous, bloodthirsty beasts…and as a mere human, Aurelia is a reviled outsider. When the wolves escorting his brother’s bride to Blackens Gate turn on her, Sir Raf Canis finds himself in the unlikely position of rescuer. After losing his leg—and his place in the pack—Raf refuses to bring himself further shame by failing to deliver the lovely Aureilia. But the innocent maiden proves to be a temptation even he cannot resist. Within the dark, dangerous forest, a love begins that neither can deny. To protect Aurelia, Raf must betray everything he has come to believe about his life among wolves, and risk death to save the only woman ever to touch his wounded soul.

Overlord’s Chosen by Bronwyn Green Dark Destinies Book One Elizabeth Louden has been chosen to provide Micah Bleddyn, the Overlord of Maelgwn, with an

heir. However, she’s not interested in the honor. In a land where only men are allowed to use magic, women found to possess supernatural abilities are punished—often by death. She knows it’s only a matter of time before her secret is revealed. Micah has no desire to rule his father’s empire, but after his older brother vanishes, he has no choice. Faced with invading forces, treachery among his own people, and now, a mate hell-bent on escape, he’s had enough. Realizing they have no allies but each other, Micah and Elizabeth reach a reluctant truce in their bid to stay alive and keep Maelgwn safe.

Reawakening by Charlotte Stein Forever Dead Series, Book One June has spent the last two years of her life trying to avoid death at the hands of murderous psychopaths and ravening zombies. So when Jamie turns up on the scene, careless, still whole and promising her safety on a little paradise island, she isn’t quite sure she can trust him. Especially when he tells her that it’s just him, and his equally big, burly, handsome friend Blake. But Jamie and Blake are even better than her wildest dreams—sweet and funny and charming. And worst of all: sexy as hell. Though they're trying to be gentlemanly with her, all she can think about is how much she wants to get tangled up in them, and forget the nightmare the world has become. She's waiting for her reawakening—back to life and happiness and love. And they seem like just the right sort of men to wake her—body and soul.

Infernal Devices by Abigail Barnette All Steamed Up: Book One The Two Aces. Victorian London’s most salacious secret, the club is a place where erotic fantasies are played out among clockwork automatons and aether powered machines. Where nothing is off limits and the pleasures are as wicked as the imagination will allow... Permilia Deering goes to The Two Aces looking for the sexual excitement that she knows she will not find with the man to whom she is affianced, notorious cold-fish Wallace Sterling. On her first visit to the club, she meets the Ace of Spades, a masked stranger who drives her to heights of passion she’s never dreamed possible—and makes her seriously reconsider becoming a mannerly society wife. When Wallace Sterling first glimpses his fiancée standing outside The Two Aces, he assumes she’s uncovered his secret identity—the Ace of Spades. But Permilia has no idea that her intended is living a double life, and Wallace worries that he’ll be out of the picture once she gets a taste of what the Ace of Spades can offer her...

Three Ways to Wicked by Melinda Barron Bestselling Author Krisily Carmichael needs a break from her life. Her horrid ex-boyfriend sold naked photos of her, and now she’s plastered all over the nation’s largest skin magazine. So when an advertisement for a rental cottage near Bath appears in her mailbox, she snatches up the offer. When she arrives at the remote English cottage, she finds a charming country home with a huge botanical garden…complete with four magical beings trapped inside. Victim of a wayward spell, the Sorcerer Uriel and his alchemist cousins, Bythos and Acolius, have spent centuries trapped inside their garden with an evil witch who wants their secrets. Krisily’s arrival sets off a string of events foretold to bring about the witch’s end. Unfortunately, they have to contend with the witch’s curse, which took one sense from each of the men. But the four of them find a way to communicate, and they come together in a blaze of passion that helps them to destroy the witch and meet their destiny.

Alpheli Solution by Anny Cook Bootcamp class seems to be the answer to her prayers. In her wildest dreams, she doesn’t consider meeting not just one, but two hunky vampires who take her—in the car, in the shower, in the living room, in the hot tub, in hand—as they teach her everything she’ll need to know about her new vampire life. For centuries, Pierre has loved and pursued Julian with no success. After a hostile takeover of Julian’s financial assets, Pierre is positive Julian will have nowhere else to turn. Julian, though, chooses to teach the Vampire Bootcamp class rather than surrender to Pierre on unequal terms. When one of Julian’s students approaches him for help identifying her sire, Julian is stunned that she is his alpheli—an extremely rare mate whose blood will allow him to subsist on real food. What will that mean to his love-hate relationship with Pierre? There are just one or two problems. Danamara is descended from Pierre’s bloodline. And she’s on someone’s hit list. Julian and Pierre find unexpected erotic rewards and eternal love when they join together in a brutal war to protect their alpheli’s life.

We Kill Dead Things by Sommer Marsden Zombie Exterminators Series, Book One Poppy thinks her life is weird working the food court at Parktowne mall, until in one brief moment of creeper killing, things change forever. Now she's a freelance zombie exterminator

along with her long lusted after co-worker Garrity (her not-so-secret crush), a somewhat lusted after bad boy Cahill, and pretty gay boy Noah. When the four are hired to do a ballsy zombie clean up at St. Peter's Hospital, Poppy finds out just what's more scary than creepers: The Evoluminaries, a zealot cult who think zombies are part of God's chosen, who happen to end up thinking Poppy might make a mighty good zombie incubator. She finds herself finally sleeping with Garrity, being hunted by a crazy preacher man and stumbling over the fact that Cahill and Noah have become lovers somewhere in the chaos. And that's all on the job. Just another day in the life when you kill dead things...

Oriana and the Three Werebears by Tia Fanning Oriana Ricci has taken over the family business—flying cargo and rich tourists around Alaska’s barely inhabited Kodiak Archipelago. When her plane malfunctions and she’s forced to make an emergency landing, she finds herself stranded in the middle of a National Wildlife Refuge. With no civilization for miles and no hope of rescue, she thinks all is lost… Until she stumbles upon the entrance to an underground bunker. Jack, Jordan, and Jonathan McMathan own and operate a secret intelligence firm contracted by the US Government. Hidden away in an old Cold War spy station located the middle of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, the brothers are not only able to do their top secret jobs safely without fear of discovery, but are better to protect their other, more personal secret: They have the ability to shift into Kodiak bears. Like a fairy tale gone bad, the brothers return home to find their lunch tasted—or eaten, their computer chairs adjusted—or broken, and a beautiful blonde sleeping in one of their beds. This situation poses a big problem for the brothers… Their location is now compromised. But more importantly, what are they to do with the lady?

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