Keeley's Opposition

Terra-form 3

Keeley's Opposition Keeley Pillar is on her way to a nightclub one moment and standing in a forest surrounded by massive trees the next. She finds herself slung over the shoulder of a large, handsome man as he runs through the forest with two lions chasing them. Bradford Baer, a bear shifter, and Liam and Lucius King, the two Alphas of the lion pride, have to convince Keeley to mate with them, but she refuses. The decision is taken out of their hands when Keeley's life hangs in the balance. They must claim her so she will survive. Their relationship goes from bad to worse, and Keeley is ostracized by the lion pride members. She ends up staying with her new friends April Waterson and Olivia Hammond in the Panther Clan house. Will her mates be able to convince Keeley she is loved and safe with them? Or will she hold a grudge? Note: There is no sexual relationship or touching for titillation between or among the men. Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Shape-shifter Length: 36,190 words

KEELEY’S OPPOSITION Terra-form 3

Becca Van

MENAGE EVERLASTING

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

KEELEY’S OPPOSITION Copyright © 2012 by Becca Van E-book ISBN: 1-61926-531-1 First E-book Publication: March 2012 Cover design by Les Byerley All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Keeley’s Opposition by Becca Van from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Becca Van’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Van’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION To Lena, Thanks so much for all your help, especially in my time of turmoil. You have gone above and beyond what was necessary and for that you have my undying gratitude.

KEELEY’S OPPOSITION Terra-form 3 BECCA VAN Copyright © 2012

Chapter One Keeley Pillar traversed the dark alley. The door to the nightclub was just ahead, and her work colleague, Giselle, would be just inside. But something felt wrong. Keeley looked back over her shoulder, trying to identify her sense of fear. No one was behind her. She was alone. So why did she feel so strange? Her vision diminished until she could see nothing at all, and then her body felt very heavy and almost disconnected from her mind. She felt like she was walking through thick quicksand. Every step was achieved only with great effort, so she stopped. When she thought she was about to pass out, her vision slowly began to return and her body finally felt as if it were cooperating with her brain’s commands. Keeley had just enough time to feel relieved before someone roared, “Mine!” She was in a forest surrounded by humungous trees. That was disorienting enough, since half a minute ago she was in an alley outside a nightclub, but she wasn’t alone anymore, either. Two people were staring her. One was a very large, very tall, handsome man, and the other was a petite dark-haired woman.

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Keeley swayed on her feet and stared back, too shocked to speak or move. The man raced toward her, picked her up in his arms, and slung her over his shoulder. Her breath whooshed from her lungs as her diaphragm connected with his hard muscles, and she used her hands to lever herself up against his broad, firm back. Keeley breathed deeply as the pressure to her lungs lessened. Using one hand, she swept her hair out of her face. They were traveling fast. For such a big man he had a lot of speed. They were still in the forest. She had never seen such giant trees or plants and wondered where in the hell she was. It looked like she was in a dense tropical rain forest, but like nothing she had ever laid eyes on before. She also wondered whose shoulder she was slung over. Feeling nervous, she looked back toward the place she had first arrived. How the hell did I get here? What if that’s the only way back home? She was about to ask to be released. Then she caught sight of two large lions emerging from the trees behind them. The lions began running after them. She gave a nervous twitter of laughter and thought she must be asleep. She had to be dreaming because there was no way this nightmare could be real. “Uh, excuse me. We are about to be dinner to two lions,” Keeley stated with a calmness she didn’t feel. “They will not harm you. None of the females on this plane are in danger from any of the males,” he answered. Females? Plane? She had plenty of questions, but as she eyed the lions, only one seemed relevant. “How can you know that? They’re wild animals for goodness’ sake.” “Well, not really. All the males on this plane can shift shape,” he answered. She noticed that he wasn’t even out of breath as he spoke, despite the fact that he was still running at top speed with her over his shoulder. She knew she was no lightweight and the fact that he carried her with ease caused her to shiver. “They are lions but they are also men. We have too few females on this realm of earth and we protect them for they are precious to us.”

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“What? What do you mean ‘this plane’?” “You are on Terra-form. We think we are part of your planet Earth, just in another reality. From what I have heard, the only difference is that we are shape-shifters here,” he explained. “We had no idea that there was another realm until two other females from your planet came here. We believe there is a door or portal of some sort that appears periodically.” “Yeah, uh huh, and my name is Alice,” Keeley muttered. Is the man insane? Who the hell believes in shape-shifters? “Alice is a very nice name,” he stated. “Oh, for crying out loud, that was just a figure of speech. My name is Keeley. Keeley Pillar.” “I am very pleased to meet you, Keeley,” he replied. The man stopped running and spun around, which of course sent Keeley’s equilibrium off kilter, and she had to close her eyes. Once the dizziness passed she pushed against the man’s shoulder and was surprised when he let her down to her feet. He amazed her again when he picked her up and placed her behind him and then used his body to shield her from the two lions. She was having none of that. If she was going to end up lion food, then she was going to face it head-on. She had never been a coward, and she wasn’t about to start being one now. She stepped to the side of the stranger in front of her, crossed her arms over her chest, and stared what she thought would be her death in the face. The lions had been running just behind them, but now they came to a halt a few feet away. Keeley watched with awed trepidation as the air around the two lions began to shimmer. She flinched and swallowed down bile at the cracking and popping sounds emanating from the lions as their bodies began to contort. Their muscles shifted, and the fur receded. Their claws shrank, and their toes lengthened into fingers. Her nausea began to give way to pure amazement. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Where the lions had been were now two blond-haired men standing before her, gloriously naked.

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One was taller and a couple of years older than the other. He had wavy blond hair down to his shoulders, blue eyes, and the most gorgeous body she had ever seen. His shoulders were broad and muscular, his pectoral muscles well developed. He had a light sprinkling of hair on his chest, and his torso tapered down to slim hips, a hugely erect cock, and the longest legs she had ever seen. Her eyes slid over to the man beside him. He wasn’t as tall and his hair was darker, but he had more chest hair and he was packed full of muscle. His thighs were nearly the size of tree trunks. Her eyes snapped back to his cock. It was wider than the other lion’s and a little shorter, but no less impressive. She let her sight wander up over his body, and she connected with his dark-blue eyes. Keeley actually took a step back as she caught the heat of his stare. He was looking at her as if he were a starving man. She bumped into a warm, solid wall and looked up into the brown eyes of the man who had been carrying her. He was drop-dead gorgeous but so different to the other two men. He was the tallest of them all and had the saddest brown eyes she had ever seen. His hair was a dark chocolate-brown color, and he had the physique of a bodybuilder. His muscles bulged beneath his skin, rippling with the slightest movement. Keeley took a step to the side, and when he didn’t stop her, she took another and another. She bumped into a hard tree trunk and leaned against it. “Would you mind telling me where I am?” Keeley asked. She watched warily as all three men moved in closer to her. She was surrounded, and if she’d wanted to escape, she couldn’t have. They stood no more than a yard away in a half circle around her. She glanced at each of them, but her eyes settled on the man who was at least half-dressed, the one who had been carrying her. He was wearing some sort of animal-skin pants and knee-high boots of the same material. “You are on Terra-form.”

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Whatever that means. She hadn’t finished processing his last explanation about what Terra-form was, so she moved on to her next question. “Who are you?” “I am Bradford Baer,” he answered. Keeley tried to keep her eyes on him, truly she did, but she just couldn’t seem to manage the feat. Her eyes shifted to the two naked men, and heat erupted in her cheeks when she perused their naked bodies. Her gaze got stuck on their hard, bobbing cocks. “I am Lucius King.” She snapped her eyes up to the man who had spoken. He grinned at her, and her cheeks heated even more. “This is my brother, Liam.” “How is any of this possible? You were a lion and now you’re a man,” Keeley said warily. She cursed the tremor she heard in her own voice. “We are shape-shifters, Keeley. Why do you not know this?” Lucius asked. Keeley didn’t answer. Bradford had told her the same thing only minutes ago, but she hadn’t believed him. She would have thought she was having a nervous breakdown, but these guys seemed just as crazy. She pinched herself hard on the arm. She yelped, and the pain brought tears to her eyes. Shit, she wasn’t dreaming at all. She was in a living nightmare. “I’m not from around here,” Keeley told Lucius. She managed to speak calmly, though inside she could feel hysteria rising. Bradford said, “I think you have traveled to this reality just like Olivia did.” “Who’s Olivia?” “You met Olivia, too?” Liam asked. “She is such an unusual female. She can get lost just by turning around.” “Yes, she did so all the time,” Bradford replied with a smile.

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“Who the hell is Olivia?” Keeley asked and noted the rising pitch of her voice. She took a deep breath, held it, and let it out slowly. It didn’t help one little bit. “Olivia is the dark-haired female who was with me when you arrived,” Bradford replied. Keeley opened her mouth to ask another question, but then she closed it again. She was worrying about the wrong things. Who cares who Olivia is? I just need to get out of here. “You know, I really should be going now,” she said. “If one of you could direct me so I can find my way out of here, I would really appreciate it.” “I do not know how you came to be here, little one, therefore I cannot help you. Besides, I would much rather take you to my home. You are my mate and I would like to join our bodies,” Bradford explained. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Is this guy for real? First he slung her over his shoulder and now he claimed she was his mate. He had to be a sandwich short of a picnic. Or maybe she really had fallen down that rabbit hole. The guy was hot and turned her on like no other man ever had. Even though she would have liked to jump his bones, she wasn’t going to. She had only just met him, therefore she didn’t know him and wasn’t about to wind up in his bed. She didn’t even want to contemplate what he meant by her being his mate. She opened her mouth to tell Bradford there would be no joining of bodies today, but didn’t get far. The naked Lucius and Liam roared with what sounded like fury. Keeley jumped and turned her gaze to them. She pressed her back harder against the tree trunk and shrank away from them. “She is our mate,” Liam roared, and he glared at Bradford. Bradford moved toward her and clasped her upper arm in his massive hand. Liam stepped to her other side and took her other arm. The two men stood glaring at each other, and Keeley felt the hair on

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her nape rise with panic. How the hell do I deal with three sexy, mucho, insane men who think I belong to them? “Would you two please release me?” she demanded and sighed with relief when they did. They kept glaring at each other, and she took the opportunity to skirt around the tree trunk. She glanced back over her shoulder, and when they didn’t even look at her, she began to walk and kept right on going. Keeley had been walking for five minutes, and even though she had no idea where she was heading or even where she had come from, she didn’t let that deter her until she heard footsteps racing after her. She picked up her pace and began to run like hell. She had never been much for running, and because the air was so hot, humid, and oppressive, she was tired and breathless within moments. But she pushed herself and kept on. She was brought to an abrupt halt only after a few more steps when two large hands grabbed her arms. She turned around, still gasping for breath, and looked up into Bradford’s soulful brown eyes and Liam’s dark-blue ones. “Why did you leave, Keeley?” Bradford asked. “Gee, I don’t know, maybe because I don’t belong here.” “But you do belong, Keeley. You are our mate,” Liam stated. “What the hell is a mate?” “A mate is a female who belongs by her man’s side for all time. She is to be loved and cared for, and eventually, if the Goddess blesses us, she will have our cubs,” Bradford explained. “What? You’re crazy,” Keeley replied with a snort and then laughed. She looked at Bradford and Liam, but they weren’t laughing. In fact they looked at her with concern. “We are not crazy, Keeley.” She looked over her shoulder to see Lucius standing behind her. Where the hell did he come from, and why didn’t I hear him? “Come, we will take you to our home. We will get you some nourishment and refreshments,” Lucius said and held his hand out toward her.

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Keeley hesitated as she decided what to do. She had nowhere else to go. She didn’t know where she was, how she got here, or if she could even get back. At the very least she had to figure out what was happening. There was no sense going hungry while she did. She reached out and placed her hand in his and let him lead her. It was very disconcerting to be walking beside a hot, horny man. If he indeed was a man. “Why aren’t you and your brother wearing any clothes?” Lucius looked down into her upturned face and gave her a wicked grin. “We were out for a run. We have no need for clothes in our lion form.” Bradford moved to her other side and clasped her free hand. She turned toward him and craned her neck so she could see his eyes. “Are you a lion, too?” “No, sweetness, I am a bear.” “Oh really, then I must be Goldilocks,” Keeley stated facetiously. “Your locks are not gold, little one, they are the color of fire and light combined,” Liam said from behind her. Keeley burst out laughing, and once she started she couldn’t stop. She didn’t even stop when Bradford scooped her up into his arms and carried her. By the time her hysteria had subsided her stomach was aching. “Where are we going again?” Keeley asked breathlessly. “Are you all right, Keeley?” Liam asked her. “Yes. Sorry about that. I just lost it for a moment.” “What did you lose, little one?” Lucius asked. “What? Oh, nothing. It was just a figure…Never mind.” “We are going to the home of Lucius and Liam. They are the Alphas of their pride. I have lived alone for too many years, and have wandered this forest in my bear form too long. My family is no longer alive and I have no wish to return to my home. My parents died of an unknown disease. My sister died birthing her first cub and her mate couldn’t go on without her,” Bradford explained.

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“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Keeley replied with heartfelt sincerity. Now she understood why Bradford had such pain and sadness in his eyes. She knew what it was like to lose loved ones. It was something one never truly got over. Keeley didn’t have any family left. She didn’t know who her father was, and her mother had succumbed to cancer when Keeley was eighteen years old. She had been on her own for the last five years. She had felt like a hole had been ripped in her heart when her mother had died, and she hadn’t felt complete since. She often wondered if that gaping hole would ever be filled. “I know how you feel. I lost my family, too. The pain diminishes with time but the hole left in the heart never seems to heal,” Keeley murmured. “No. Nothing seems to fill that emptiness,” Bradford stated and looked deeply into Keeley’s eyes. She felt so connected to him in that moment. She wanted to reach out and offer him comfort and have him hold her until the loneliness left, but instead she lowered her eyes to break the spell he had on her. Then she asked, “How long before we get to where we’re going?” “Our home is just around the bend, little one,” Lucius replied. He was true to his word. She gasped when she got her first glimpse of the mansion before her. It was four stories high and so big she was going to need a map to find her way around. It blended into the environment perfectly. The back of the building seemed to be a part of the rock wall behind it. It was surrounded by trees, and birds flitted in and out of the foliage. She sighed with relief when they entered the massive front doors. It was so much cooler inside, and she was grateful. She wasn’t dressed for the weather here. She had on her denim jeans and a longsleeved blouse, and her long hair was loose. Keeley felt perspiration drip down between her breasts and along her back. She wanted to strip off and get into a cool shower. She hoped they had modern conveniences here. Wherever “here” was.

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They had called this place Terra-form, but that didn’t help her any. Maybe she could ask to meet this Olivia. She wondered if she could enlighten her in any way. Well, until she got some answers, she was just going to go with the flow. What else could she do? They weren’t the only ones in the house. A few men stopped and stared at her as Bradford carried her down a long corridor. She was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable and decided she would rather not make a spectacle of herself. “Bradford, could you please put me down?” Bradford didn’t hesitate in doing as she asked. She had to bite her lip as she slid down the length of his body, and her pussy clenched and creamed. Her cheeks heated again when she spied Lucius and Liam staring at her hungrily. She lowered her eyes quickly and moved away from Bradford. What was it about these three men that turned her on? She had been in a slight state of arousal since the moment she had laid eyes on each of them. She knew she affected Lucius and Liam as well. They couldn’t hide since they were naked. She wondered if she affected Bradford that way, too. She looked up and saw him staring at her with fire in her eyes. His nostrils flared, and the muscles in his chest and arms tautened. Yep, it seemed she did, but why? Keeley lowered her eyes and took a deep breath as her pussy leaked more juices onto her panties. She lifted her head again when Liam spoke. “We will get dressed and then take you to the dining chamber. I will see about getting you some appropriate clothes.” “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” she asked. “Nothing is wrong with them, Keeley. I just thought you would be more comfortable, cooler, in the clothes our women wear.” “Oh, okay, thanks.” “Come, Keeley,” Lucius said and led the way. She followed along with Bradford and Liam at her sides. Lucius stopped outside a room with large double doors and swept them open

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with ease. Keeley gasped as she saw the size of the room. It was as big as a whole house. The floor was a light-blue color, and she wondered what it was made of. The walls were white, and there was a massive bed in the center of the room. She had never seen such a large bed in her life. The base looked to be made from stone, but the mattress, which was covered in a black quilt, looked comfortable. Bradford clasped her hand and pulled her over to a table with four chairs around it, near glass doors on the other side of the room. They were standing wide open, and she peeked out. She was amazed yet again. There was a massive swimming pool surrounded by paths and gardens. The water looked so cool and clear that she wanted to strip down and jump right in to cool off, but she sank down into a chair instead. “Keeley, we will some clothes for you soon, but for now we will take you to the dining chamber. Please, come with us,” Liam called. She was pleased to note that Lucius and Liam now had pants on. She rose to her feet with Bradford’s help and followed them out the door, intrigued to discover what they had in store for her next.

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Chapter Two “Are you hungry, little one?” Liam asked. “Yes, actually I am,” she replied. So was he. Liam wanted to pick her up and strip her naked and feast on her. He had been hard since the moment he had scented Keeley. When he had first laid eyes on her, he had wanted to tear Bradford apart and steal her away, but he hadn’t wanted to frighten his mate. He didn’t want to frighten her now, either, so he sighed and pushed his wayward thoughts aside. All things considered, she seemed to be taking her situation rather well. Apart from her hysterical bout of laughter back in the forest, she seemed to be accepting him, his brother, and Bradford without much fuss. That was more than he could have said for himself and Bradford half an hour ago. He had been so furious at the thought of this bear stealing his and Lucius’s mate. Then Keeley had slipped away from them, and as one they had realized that keeping her safe was more important than rivalry between shifter species. They could work together, but they still had a long way to go. They had to convince her she was their mate and meant to be by their side and in their bed. He was intoxicated by her scent, and his lion pushed at him to claim her. He could still subtly smell the cream between her thighs and wanted to strip her down and lap up her delicious juices. He knew Bradford was in the same predicament, if the bulge in the bear’s pants was any indication. He had been dumbfounded the first time he had seen Keeley slung over Bradford’s shoulder. She was the sexiest female he had ever laid eyes on, and even now it was impossible not to look at her as they

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walked. Her hair was long enough to reach her waist and had fire in it. It was a deep-red shade with tints of sunlight streaked throughout. Her skin was a pale, creamy white. Her eyes were angled at an exotic slant, the irises a deep moss green. She was so small compared to him, his brother, and Bradford, standing at around five foot nine inches. She had a body made for loving as far as he was concerned. She had full breasts, a small waist, and nice, wide hips. When she glanced at him, he made himself look away. He could feel her eyes on him as he led the way to the dining chamber, but he made himself focus on the task ahead. His little mate was going to cause a riot amongst the pride. They had so few women and so many men that he knew there was going to be trouble. He would introduce their mate and command his warriors to look after their Alpha female, but also to treat her with respect. His cousins Luther and Lark were going to be so jealous, and he prayed to the Goddess they wouldn’t be too put out that he and his brother had found their mate first. Liam, Lucius, Luther, and Lark had always competed in everything they did, including the rare female they had bedded. Luther and Lark had always tried to steal the women he and his brother were fucking. They had succeeded only the once, and the woman, Louisa, had dumped his cousins after she had sex with them. She’d then tried to get back into his and his brother’s bed. He and Lucius hadn’t been interested by then. Shit, she was going to cause trouble. Louisa was such a conceited bitch, and she was persistent enough to be a real pain in the ass. He sighed as he entered the dining chamber, and the noise of conversation waned until there was total silence. He didn’t have to look to know his pride members were all staring at his woman. He didn’t acknowledge any of his kin, but kept right on going until he stood at the head table. Liam glanced over at Keeley when she came to a standstill beside him, and he looked over her head to see his brother glaring at the occupants of the room. He looked at Keeley and noted her flushed cheeks and lowered head.

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“You will raise you head and be proud of who you are, Keeley,” Liam whispered from the side of his mouth. He knew she had heard him because she glowered at him from the corner of her eye, but she did not look up. He sighed again. It seemed his mate was on the shy side. He wanted to take her in his arms and whisper in her ear that she should be proud to be an Alpha female, but he knew she might not understand. And if she did, maybe she was just too shy and intimidated to look the members of his pride in the eye. It was time to take matters into his own hands. “You have followed my brother and I without question and I know you will continue to do so. The female next to me is Keeley Pillar and you will show her respect by treating her kindly and courteously. If I find out anyone has been disrespectful to her they will answer to me. Is that understood?” Liam was pleased when his pride answered in the affirmative. He gave the signal to the head cook to begin serving the food. He saw Keeley seated and noted the curious stares in his mate’s direction. She just kept her head lowered and would not look up. “You have nothing to worry about, sweetness. They will not do anything to hurt you,” Liam whispered. He was taken aback when she turned an angry glare his way. He had no idea what had pricked her ire, but he found out soon enough. “Why did you do that?” Keeley whispered furiously. “What did I do?” “You all but demanded your people to accept me. Why could you not have let me earn their respect on my own merit?” “You are angry because I—” “Yes,” Keeley interrupted. “I don’t need you to tell people to like me. I do not want false friendships only to have those so-called friends turn around and stab me in the back. You are such an arrogant ass.” Liam was at first too astounded to reply. Then his anger rose, and he stared into her eyes. He watched her breathing escalate, her pupils

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dilate, and her eyelids lower with desire. She licked her lips, and he could see her pulse beating rapidly at the base of her throat. She leaned toward him, and he got no further than reaching for her before she closed the distance and planted her lips on his. Liam was startled, but that was all the permission he needed. He lifted her from her seat onto his lap, lowered his head, and kissed her. His kiss started out hard and demanding, but it quickly turned carnal. He swept his tongue into her mouth and slid it along hers. He groaned at her heated response, and then he was lost. He was drowning in her taste and could not have stopped even if he had wanted to. He sighed into her mouth when her hands and arms wrapped around his neck and sank into his hair. “Liam, control yourself.” Lucius’s voice penetrated his desire, and then his brother slapped him on the shoulder. Liam took a last lick of her mouth and removed his lips from Keeley’s. He looked down into her passion-glazed eyes and had to dig his nails into his palm to physically restrain himself from carrying her from the room. He gently lifted her from his lap and placed her back into her seat. Her cheeks were even more flushed, and her lips were red and swollen, and still she kept her head lowered. He sighed and noted the platters of food sitting on the table. He ignored his nowsilent pride and began to fill his plate. **** Lucius was having a hell of a time trying to control his beast. He could smell Keeley’s arousal and wanted to sweep the table clear, strip her naked, and fuck her right there and then. He looked over at Bradford, who was sitting at his side, and saw he was in trouble as well. His new friend’s cheeks were flushed, and he gripped the edge of the table so hard his knuckles were white. “Liam, you have to control yourself. You have aroused our mate and we can smell the cream between her thighs. You have us fighting

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our beasts,” Lucius told his brother through their private telepathic link. “I know. I am sorry, brother, but I could not control myself. I have been hard since the first scent of her.” “And you think I haven’t? Do you want to scare her off with your aggression?” “You know I do not.” “Then get your beast under control. Even the bear is having trouble and you know how much less intense their species is compared to ours. We are going to have to figure a way to communicate with Bradford with our minds as well. We are all going to have to work together to get our mate to accept us in her heart and bed,” Lucius suggested. “I can already hear you,” Bradford replied. “How is that possible?” Lucius asked and stood up with his surprise. “I do not know,” Bradford answered. “Maybe it is because we are mates to the one woman. I have never been able to communicate with others beyond my own species.” “Already she is bringing us together and she doesn’t even know it. How are we going to get her to accept us?” Liam asked. “Why do you think she will not?” Bradford asked. “She has not done anything to indicate she will reject us and she even kissed you back.” “She was not happy with me when I told the pride to accept her instead of letting her earn their respect,” Lucius stated with a sigh. “She glared at me, and if you observe her body language, you will see she has crossed her arms defensively. Even now she is tapping her foot with either frustration or impatience.” He paused a moment. “Or maybe both.” “That may be, but she is also very aroused. Can you not see how she still squirms in her seat and smell her still-leaking pussy?” Bradford pointed out.

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Lucius nearly groaned out loud then, for Bradford was right. Keeley was indeed squirming and fidgeting in her seat. She was also shooting daggers at him with her eyes. He couldn’t help it. He knew it was the wrong thing to do, but he threw his head back and laughed. It was a full-bellied laugh which only seemed to make Keeley angrier. She glared at him and then pointedly tried to ignore him. They finished their meal, and Lucius was aware of Keeley looking at him, his brother, and Bradford constantly. It seemed their mate wasn’t as averse to them as she would like him to believe. Lucius helped Keeley from her chair, and instead of guiding her out the way they had come in, he led her toward the open doors heading to the pool and garden. He and Bradford both held her hands, and they stopped on the edge of the large swimming pool. He caught the look of longing which crossed Keeley’s face as she stared at the water, but she quickly schooled her features when she caught him looking at her. “You can swim if you wish to, sweetness,” Lucius said. “Oh, that would be so nice. But I don’t have a bathing suit.” “What is a bathing suit?” his brother asked. “You don’t know…What do you all swim in?” “Nothing,” Lucius replied and cursed his breathlessness. He wanted to see Keeley strip down and slip into the water. He wanted to see what she had hidden underneath her clothing. She was wearing long pants, black boots, and a long-sleeve shirt. Not that he couldn’t see the shape of her body beneath her clothes, but he craved the sight of her naked skin. “Oh,” she said, and then she got an impish gleam in her eye and smiled. Lucius was flabbergasted. He had expected Keeley to refuse and blush, but instead she began to unfasten her shirt. He drew in a gasp as the material parted and revealed the tops of her luscious breasts. He had to physically restrain his beast from leaping on her when he saw her pink-lace-covered chest. She was so lush and full. The creamy

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mounds were spilling up out of the restraining material. She gave him a shy smile and dropped her shirt to the ground. He waited with bated breath as she released the fastening on her pants, and then she sat on a stone bench to remove her boots and other feet coverings. She stood once more and pushed the material down over her hips and off her legs. Liam growled low in his chest, and Bradford gasped. Lucius’s breath stuttered in his throat as he let his eyes travel over his mate’s body. She was so perfect. Her skin was so creamy white and soft looking. He could see her ass cheeks, which were full and lush but muscular. Her waist was so small he knew he would easily span it with his large hands. She gave him a shy smile, giggled, took two quick steps, and launched herself into the water. Lucius groaned and adjusted his hard, aching cock, and then he began to strip off his clothes. Moments later he dove into the pool and surfaced beside Keeley. She laughed and splashed water into his face and moved away from him. It seemed their mate was in a playful mood. Who was he to deny her some fun?

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Chapter Three Keeley nearly burst out laughing when she saw the surprise flit across Lucius’s face. She had been dying to cool off ever since she had spotted that pool. She knew he had expected her to baulk at his suggestion and become all indignant, but she had called his bluff by stripping down to her underwear. It didn’t seem to matter to him, Liam, or Bradford that she was still partially covered. They had stared at her as if they wanted to eat her up, and she’d had to bite her tongue so she wouldn’t let on that she could see the heat in their eyes. She couldn’t believe or understand how these three men could turn her on with a glance. She was still wary of them since she didn’t know them, but she also wanted to jump their bones. She remembered the heated kiss she had shared with Liam, and her pussy clenched and leaked more cream onto her panties. She was thankful she was in the water, which would at least stop the three men from sniffing the air again. She had seen them smelling her. Their nostrils had flared, and then they had all looked at her as if they wanted to devour her. Keeley wondered why she was so accepting of the fact that they were shape-shifters. As soon as she asked herself the question, she realized that this didn’t feel real. The whole thing had a dreamlike quality. How else was she to explain being here when the last thing she remembered from her real life was going to meet Giselle at the club? It’s not real. The thought thrilled her. If this was a dream, she could do what she wanted. She was drawn to them and wanted them to touch, kiss, and love her. She had never felt anything like the way these men made her feel.

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Lucius surfaced beside her. She smiled and splashed water into his face, laughed at his bewildered expression, and then swam away. She heard two more splashes and knew Liam and Bradford were in the pool, too. She screeched when a hand wrapped around her ankle and began to reel her in. She turned over onto her back, and the laughter she had been about to release died a sudden death. Her breathing escalated and then whooshed from her lungs as she bumped into Lucius’s hard chest. Keeley looked up into his eyes and was consumed by sensation. He was staring at her with such fire that she couldn’t have looked away even if she had wanted to. He wrapped an arm about her waist and lightly gripped her hair with his free hand. He stared at her and then began to lower his head. She couldn’t seem to help herself. She melted at the first brush of his lips over hers. She sighed into his mouth when he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. She felt her heart clench, and she wanted to crawl into Lucius’s arms and stay there. She couldn’t get close enough to him, even though she tried. She lifted her arms and clutched at his broad shoulders, mewling with delight as his tongue tangled with hers. Her breasts swelled, her nipples ached, and her clit throbbed. She rubbed the peaks of her breasts on his chest and wrapped her legs around his waist. She was so lost in her passion she even forgot where she was. She moaned when another set of hands pulled her chest slightly away from Lucius and began to knead her breasts. Her moans grew to sobs that she released into Lucius’s mouth, then to outright cries as she arched her hips and her lace-covered pussy connected with hard male flesh. She pulled her mouth from Lucius’s and gulped in air. The male behind her moved up against her until his chest was touching her back. She opened her eyes and found herself looking into Liam’s hot stare. Her body softened even more. She rested her head back onto his chest and sighed. She turned her head when she saw movement to her right and gazed into Bradford’s soulful brown eyes. He leaned in and kissed

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her. She sank into his kiss and savored his taste. She opened up to him and kissed him back with equal fervor. She was vaguely aware of her bra being removed and shivered as her nipples connected with Lucius’s broad, hard chest. She lost herself in the taste of Bradford’s spicy, carnal desire. She mewled in protest when he removed his mouth from hers, and she kept her eyes on his as he slid a hand down her belly beneath the waistband of her panties. She loosed her legs from Lucius’s waist and moved her hips back to give Bradford better access to her. Keeley closed her eyes and gasped as his fingers slid through her hot folds and lightly touched her clit. She was so turned on that one touch was all it took. She screamed as her body erupted. Her pussy clenched and gushed, shaking as wave after wave of nirvana swept over her. By the time she came back to herself the three men had her out of the water on her back in the grass under a large tree. She was about to remind them they were outside where anyone could come upon them. But the protest died in her throat when Lucius ripped her panties from her body and dove between her thighs. She cried out as he licked her from ass to clit. His tongue delivered powerful licks, and her passion-soaked mind attributed that to him being a lion-shifter. That was her last rational thought for quite a while. Keeley keened when Lucius laved over her clit, and then she cried out when Bradford and Liam leaned over her to suckle on her nipples. She was mindless with need and wanted them to fuck her. She clutched at Bradford’s and Liam’s heads, holding them to her so they knew she wanted them to continue. She arched her hips up when she felt Lucius rim his finger around her cunt hole. She tried to wiggle her hips to get his digit inside her, but when she heard him chuckle, she knew he wouldn’t be directed. He obviously didn’t want her taking control of the situation. He licked over her clit faster and faster, and she gasped with frustration. She was so close again, and she wanted his finger inside

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her. She couldn’t contain the animalistic growl emitting from her mouth when he slowly began to penetrate her. She bucked again and then sighed as he pushed more of that digit inside her. She sobbed with frustration when Bradford lifted his head, and even though she tried to look at him, she couldn’t lift her passionweighted eyelids. She sighed into his mouth when he began to kiss her. She kissed him back with a ferocity that scared her, but she couldn’t seem to stop. She flinched when Lucius thrust his finger into her cunt and held her breath. The men touching her pulled away from and sat up to stare down at her. Keeley gasped when she saw they were all naked. How could she have missed that? Her gaze slid from one man to the other. Her eyes slid down to Bradford’s crotch, and she gasped. She had thought Liam and Lucius had big cocks, and they did, but Bradford’s was longer and wider. She tried to close her legs but was hampered because Lucius was still sitting between her splayed thighs. “Keeley, have you never had a man before?” Lucius asked. She felt her cheeks heat and lowered her eyelashes to conceal her vulnerability. She shook her head and kept her gaze down. “Look at me, Keeley,” Lucius said gently. She did and nibbled on her lower lip while she waited to see what he would say. “You are our mate, baby. We are glad you have had no man between your thighs. We want to make love with you, Keeley, but we also want to claim you. Will you allow us to do this?” Lucius asked. She stared at him. Something about this was wrong, she slowly realized. If this was a dream, it had been a very good one so far. But their expressions were so serious that she paused. “H–How do you claim me?” “We will need to mark you to claim you, sweetness,” Liam explained. “How do you mark me?” “We have to bite you to claim you as our mate,” Bradford said.

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“We need to join our bodies with you at the same time and mark you. It is what we must do to be connected with you in the way of our kind,” Lucius said. “What? What do you mean at the same time? How is that possible?” “Sweetness, for our claim to work we must join with you together. One of us will take your pretty little pussy, the other will take your ass, and the other your mouth,” Liam explained. “My ass? You have to be kidding, right?” “No, Keeley. We would never joke about something so serious. We need to join with you together. We have been negligent in explaining things to you. If you are not mated with us by the joining of our bodies and by us biting you with the claiming mark, other species of shape-shifters could claim you as their mate. We want to join with you and take care of you, honey. We want you to be by our sides for all time. Keeley, will you let us join and claim you?” Liam asked again. “I want to join my body with all of you, but I am not sure about this claiming. Does this mean we will be like, married?” Keeley asked. “Married? You will be our woman to love and have cubs with if that is your wish. You will be our mate whom we will join our bodies with often. The only woman we will want to join with,” Lucius stated. Keeley wanted to answer yes, but she hesitated. She didn’t know these men. Sure, they seemed to like her, and they definitely wanted her, but to let them claim her…She just wasn’t ready for that. “That sounds like married to me. I’m not ready to be married yet. I’ve only just met you. I’m sorry but I can’t do this. I need more time,” Keeley explained. She flinched when Lucius growled, rose to his feet, and began to pace. She wished she felt comfortable enough to tell them otherwise, but she was determined to stand her ground. “I’m sorry. I know that’s not the answer you want and I didn’t mean to lead you on. You three

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affect me like no one else I’ve ever met. Once you start kissing and touching me I can’t seem to think anymore. Is it possible for us to make love even though you can’t claim me?” “If we make love with you, we will want to bite you and claim you. We can control ourselves, so if you don’t wish us to mark you as ours, we will not do so. But if you are willing, our lovemaking will be so much more pleasurable. The choice is yours to make, Keeley. We will not touch you if you do not wish it, and I promise you, we will not claim you if you say you don’t want to be claimed,” Bradford stated. Keeley felt so torn. She wanted to make love to them, but she wanted to know them better before she did. She wanted to know what it meant to be claimed, too. She wasn’t ready to join her body with theirs just yet. She cringed when Lucius spun around to give her a heated stare, and then he took off running. From one step to the next he changed from man to beast, and his roar of frustration echoed in her ears. Liam rose from her side and changed before her. She flinched as his muscles contorted, his bones cracking and popping. He gave her one last look with his now-golden, glowing irises and leapt away. She looked up into Bradford’s soulful brown gaze. He didn’t say a word to her, but she made herself meet his stare. He got to his feet and began to change before her eyes. His body thickened even more, his muscles expanded, and darkbrown fur erupted over his skin. His body made the same cracking and popping sounds, and then he was a bear. His roar of frustration nearly deafened her, and then he began to walk away. He didn’t look back. She wished could turn into an animal and run, too. She was just that frustrated. She stood up, ran to the pool, and jumped in, heedless of the fact she was still naked. She swam until she was so exhausted she could barely move. She got out of the water and struggled into her clothes. She sat down on the stone bench, her shoulders slumped with

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dejection, and wondered what the hell she was doing here. Where is “here” anyway? How am I going to get home? She looked up when she heard a noise off to her side and gave a wan smile to the tall blonde-haired woman staring at her. She stopped smiling when she saw the fury in the woman’s eyes. She stood as the woman walked toward her. “You are so stupid for a female. You have just rejected your mates, for which I am eternally thankful. Liam and Lucius are mine and now they will seek out my bed again. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I don’t see what they see in you.” Keeley was hurt by the woman’s words, and pain lanced her heart. She sucked in a breath and released it. She tried to wipe all emotion from her face but knew she hadn’t succeeded when the woman smirked at her. “You are such an ugly bitch,” the woman continued. “They will never take to you like they do me. You are not even part of this world, you can’t change shape like we can, and your hair is so disgusting. Not like the golden manes our woman are graced with. Do you really think they will come back to you now that you have rejected them? You may as well leave now. Come, and I will show you the way.” She cried with pain when the female moved toward her, grabbed her wrists, and dug her nails into her skin. She looked down to see claws protruding from the tips of the female’s fingers, claws which were embedded in her forearm. Keeley jerked her arm free those nails sliced her skin open. She bit her lip against the pain. The she-bitch grabbed her again and pulled her through the garden to a gate standing open near the back. She shoved Keeley through and slammed the gate behind her. She heard the taunting laughter moving away from her. Even after the silence fell, Keeley didn’t want to go back inside. Why should she, when her men had left and the others seemed to hate her? She began walking along the track, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes, and not once did she look back.

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Keeley had no idea where she was going and didn’t care. Her arm hurt and blood dripped from the ragged tears the bitch had given her. She was hot, tired, and depressed. She wanted to lie down, curl up into a ball, and sleep, but she didn’t give in to her despondency. She jumped when she heard a loud roar and hoped she didn’t meet any other lions or bears. She began to laugh and couldn’t seem to stop. Keeley stumbled and fell to her knees on the moist ground. She clutched her stomach and laughed until the laughter turned to great, wracking sobs. She was so exhausted once the turmoil passed that she curled up at the base of a tree trunk and fell asleep. **** “Our mate does not want us. How are we to survive knowing she is there but will not accept us?” Liam asked his brother. Bradford wasn’t yet accustomed to sharing a telepathic link with the lions, but he was getting used to it. Even a day ago the idea of sharing a mate with a pair of lions would have made him balk. Now he only wished their mate would accept them. He tried to focus on the feel of the earth beneath his paws, the breath sawing in and out of his lungs as he ran. Running cleared his head. “That is not what she said, Liam,” Bradford told the lions. “Our Keeley was willing to join her body with our bodies, but without the mating mark. She didn’t refuse. She said she needed more time. We have to be patient and give her time to know us more. She has been here less than a full day and we are already asking her to mate with us. We all know it takes time to woo a mate, but it is different for Keeley. She is not of our species or even of our plane. She is in a strange place with people she does not know. Think of how she must feel. She is probably feeling alone, afraid, and very vulnerable. Give her time to get used to us and our ways and where she is.”

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Bradford felt proud of this insight, but Liam shook his head wearily. “You know how hard it is to control our beasts when we are around females, Bradford,” he said. “I didn’t think it would be so damn hard around our mate. I nearly lost control, for Goddess’s sake. I felt and smelled her fear. She is not going to want us to be around her anymore.” “Yes, you did scare her and so did I,” Bradford replied. “But she did not run as her instinct told her to. Deep down, Keeley trusts us and knows we won’t hurt her. She would never have let us touch her if she didn’t have feelings for us.” “She did do that, didn’t she?” Liam replied. Bradford slowed his pace. Liam and Lucius came to a halt midstride to each land gracefully on all four paws. A terrible feeling settled in Bradford’s heart, one which even the freedom of letting his bear run couldn’t dispel. “We may have hurt our mate badly by the way we have acted,” he said. “We left her when she was afraid and hurt. I think we should go back and talk to Keeley. She could take it into her head to leave.” The idea of Keeley leaving chilled him. Bradford hoped Keeley was still in Liam and Lucius’s bedchamber when they returned, but he didn’t want to wait another moment before he found out. He turned around and retraced his own tracks as fast as his bear would let him. He lost sight of the two lions and picked up his pace. As soon as he returned, he was going to take Keeley into his arms and hold her. He needed to offer her comfort and in turn savor the feel of her in his arms.

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Chapter Four Keeley came awake with a start. She scrambled to her feet when she saw two strange men standing over her. She backed away from them but only managed two steps before her back hit the tree. “Are you all right, little one?” one of them asked her. She nodded her head and tensed when the taller of the two moved toward her. “Don’t be afraid, we will not hurt you. You are wounded. We want to help you.” She didn’t respond, just stood staring at the strange men. She didn’t know them and was too wary to speak. “I am Cedric and this is my brother Hugh. We are of the panther clan. Our mate is Olivia, and if you will come with us, we will take you to our home and see that you are cared for.” Keeley took a step toward Cedric and then another. She felt more secure now that she knew these men had a mate. “How were you injured?” Hugh asked her. She didn’t answer but shrugged her shoulders instead. What did it matter now? She didn’t care. She just wanted to find a way to get back home. “Come and we will take you to our home,” Cedric reiterated. She followed. By the time she stepped into the foyer of their home a few minutes later, her arm was burning something fierce. She followed them into a large dining room which was filled with many people. Among them was the petite woman with a small baby bump she had seen standing beside Bradford when she first arrived on Terra-form. The woman rushed over to the men. Keeley turned away

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as they kissed and then turned back when she felt a hand on her other arm. “Hi, I’m Olivia. Are you okay, Keeley?” Keeley nodded and looked away when tears pricked her eyes. “Let me take you to our healers. Do you want to talk about what happened?” “No.” She wanted to talk about anything except that. “I saw you before,” Keeley said as she and Olivia left the dining room. “You were in the forest with…with someone else.” “So that was you,” Olivia replied. “Bradford swept you away so fast I wasn’t sure.” Keeley was afraid that Olivia would ask her what happened with Bradford, but she changed the subject. “That’s interesting,” Olivia said thoughtfully. “April was there with one of my mates when I came through to Terra-form. I was there today when the portal opened for you…I’m assuming you’re from Earth.” “Yes,” Keeley said, puzzled. “And I’m assuming Bradford is your mate? One of them, at least?” Keeley’s stomach twisted, but she answered, “Yes.” “That’s interesting,” Olivia said again. Before she could say anything more, they reached a door. Olivia opened it, and the two women stepped into a small but well-appointed clinic. Two men, who Olivia introduced as clan healers Reese and Ryol, immediately sprang to their feet and attended to the cuts on Keeley’s arm. In a matter of minutes, her wounds were cleaned and bandaged. “Are you hungry, Keeley?” Olivia asked. “No, but I am thirsty,” she replied. “Come on then and we’ll go back to the dining chamber.” “It’s the other way,” Keeley stated with a smile and Olivia rolled her eyes, but she also smiled back. “I have a terrible sense of direction, if you hadn’t gathered.”

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“I wouldn’t worry about it. You seem to get around fine,” Keeley replied. Olivia laughed and hooked her arm through Keeley’s. “I know we are going to be good friends.” Keeley hesitated when they were just inside the door to the dining chamber. A tall, handsome man walked up to Olivia, plucked her from her feet, and ravished her mouth. Keeley looked away and gazed around the room, then lowered her eyes when she saw everyone staring at her. She looked up when Olivia touched her arm. Olivia introduced her to Ben, her third mate. They were soon joined at the head table by April, a stunning blonde woman with a baby in her arms, and her mates, Gate, Saxon, and Ben.. No sooner had Olivia finished the introductions than a commotion in the hallway drew Keeley’s attention. She could hear roaring, snarling, and hissing and wondered what the hell was going on. Gage, Saxon, Ben, and Tony raced from the room, and men left their seats to block all the exits. She felt the blood drain from her face when she heard Liam’s voice. She jumped from her seat and ran. She tried to push her way through the barrier of men, but they wouldn’t let her. Then she heard Bradford snarl with fury, and she through a gap between bodies, she caught sight of April’s mates restraining him. She ducked her head, bent over, and pushed her way through the crowd. She stood up straight and glared at Gage, Saxon, and Tony. “Let Bradford go now and call the others off Liam and Lucius,” Keeley commanded. “They have barged into our home without being invited and they have fought with several of my warriors. Why the hell would I let them go?” Gage asked her. “Don’t you dare speak to my mate that way. If you do so again I will fucking rip you apart,” Liam snarled. “She’s your mate?” Gage asked, then roared with laughter.

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Keeley had no idea what was so funny, but was pleased when her men were released. Shit. Where did that come from? They’re not my men. Are they? “You may take your woman and leave. Next time you want to enter my house, wait for an invitation. Just remember the panther clan will always be rulers of Terra-form,” Gage snarled. “Gage, wait,” April interrupted. Keeley looked at April when she halted next to her. She listened intently as April whispered in her ear. “You can stay here if you don’t want to leave with your mates, Keeley. They will not be able to take you from our house as my men will not let them stay. You have a safe haven here if you ever need it. The panthers and lions may not always get along, but you can consider me a friend.” Keeley nodded to let April know she had heard her. Bradford walked toward her and picked up her injured arm. He lifted it to his nose and inhaled. He roared and then gathered her into his arms. Liam and Lucius moved to her side, and they mirrored Bradford’s actions. “That fucking she-bitch,” Liam roared. “I will tear her apart.” “No,” Keeley snapped. “No!” Lucius snarled. “Why would you protect the one that hurt you?” “She’s not worth it,” she replied with a shrug. She moved out of Bradford’s hold and stepped back. “Are you ready to come home with us, Keeley?” Bradford asked. She was conscious of their audience. The hostility between the lions and the panthers was almost tangible. She still needed to talk to her men, and she wasn’t ready to be claimed. But she wasn’t here to cause problems. And she was so happy to see them. “Of course, my mates,” Keeley said, and she crossed the space to them. Bradford and Lucius each took one of her hands and began to lead her away. “Don’t forget what I said, Keeley,” April called. “Thank you. I won’t,” she answered.

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She saw the hallway was lined with tall, muscular men, and they glared at her men. She didn’t like the way they hissed and snarled as they walked past, but she kept her mouth shut and her head held high. She didn’t glance left or right. She kept her head straight and hardly dared to breathe until she was outside once more. Keeley’s mates didn’t speak to her, but Lucius and Bradford didn’t release their hold on her hands either. She looked back and saw Liam staring, then felt his gaze burning a hole between her shoulder blades and tensed up even more. She stumbled over a tree root and gasped when Lucius swept her up into his arms. She closed her eyes and breathed in his masculine scent. Her pussy clenched and gushed, and she opened her eyes when she heard all three of her men growl. Lucius began to run, and she was surprised when she wasn’t jolted in his arms. She looked up at Bradford and then over Lucius’s shoulder to Liam. They were eating her with their eyes.

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Chapter Five Keeley was carried through the house and into the large bedroom. Lucius placed her on her feet and held her steady. When she gave him a nod he released her and stepped back. She heard the door slam closed and looked over at Bradford and Liam. They moved toward her with predatory grace, and she couldn’t stop from taking a step back. “Do not be afraid of us, Keeley. We would never hurt you,” Liam rumbled out. “Tell us what that she-bitch Louisa said and did to you,” Lucius stated gently. She took a breath and related what had happened. She took another step back when she saw fury in all three of the men’s eyes. “We are not angry with you, Keeley. We are, however, furious with her. She will be dealt with, honey.” “I told you not to bother,” Keeley said firmly. “And that’s not what we need to talk about.” She watched them look at each other. Bradford was the one who spoke first. “We shouldn’t have left you the way we did,” he said. Keeley was surprised by the emotion in his voice. “We never wanted anything to harm you.” “Including Louisa,” Lucius said darkly. “Including those panthers,” Liam added with a growl. “When you thought we were in danger from the panther Alphas, you pushed through a wall of warriors and demanded they release us,” Bradford said. His words sounded almost awed. “If you did not care

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for us, you would have not done so. We wish to show you that we care for you, too.” Keeley didn’t know how to answer that, but Liam prevented her from having to come up with an answer when he touched her shoulder. “Let us make love to you,” Liam said. “We don’t have to claim you yet—” “Unless you’ve changed your mind about the claiming?” Lucius suggested hopefully. Keeley hesitated but shook her head. “I want to know you better first.” “We understand, honey,” said Liam. “We want to know you, too. We want to know everything about you.” “Would you like to bathe, baby?” Bradford asked. “Yes, please,” she replied. “Come then, honey. Will you let us wash you?” Lucius asked. Keeley couldn’t have spoken even if she had tried. She didn’t answer but began to remove her clothes. Once she was naked she looked up to see her mates had also stripped. She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. They were absolutely magnificent. She had never seen more handsome, sexier men than the ones standing so proudly before her. “Yes,” she finally answered. She shrieked and clung to Liam as he scooped her up. He carried her across the room to a door she had noticed before and took in the large, white, pristine bathroom. The walls, floor, and ceiling were stark white. There was a massive shower recess big enough for six people, and off to the other side of the room was a large, black, square tub. Lucius carried her to the shower and stepped behind the half wall. There were six handheld shower heads spaced out around the back wall and sides. Liam lowered her legs so she could stand and reached behind her to turn the shower on. Keeley expected cold water to rain down over

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her and was surprised when warm water flowed instead. She closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and let the liquid soothe her. She whimpered and opened her eyes when hands began to caress her body. Liam stared at her as he washed her. Lucius and Bradford entered the shower, and then two more sets of hands ran over her body. Her breasts swelled, and her nipples elongated. Her womb contracted, and her pussy clenched as her juices began to flow once more. “Do you have any idea how sexy you are, sweetness?” Lucius rasped out. Keeley shook her head. She knew she wasn’t anything special, but if they wanted to think she was, who was she to deny them? She just couldn’t comprehend why these handsome, sexy men wanted her. She cried out when Bradford and Liam each pinched a nipple between their thumbs and fingers. Lucius slid his fingers into the slick folds of her pussy, and she sobbed. He flicked a finger over the sensitive nub at the top of her slit. She bucked in response. “Do you like me touching you, Keeley?” Lucius panted out. She couldn’t believe how turned on he was just from touching her. “Yes!” “I want to taste your cream, sweetness. Just stand still and let us pleasure you,” Lucius rasped out. She kept her eyes locked to his as he kneeled down before her. He moved in closer to her, then his tongue licked up and down between her folds. She cried out when he pushed his finger into her, and she clamped down on him instinctively. Her knees buckled, but Bradford and Liam caught her before she fell. Lucius withdrew his mouth and finger from her, and, all but sobbing with frustration, she reached out for him, but he evaded her hands. Liam turned off the shower and swept her up into his arms. She clung to his shoulders, her nails digging into his muscles with her desperate need. He carried her from the bathing room and into the bedchamber. He placed her in the center of the massive bed, heedless

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to the fact they were both dripping wet. He settled beside her, turned his head toward hers, and ravished her mouth. Liam kissed her as if there were no tomorrow. He thrust his tongue into her depths and slid it along hers. By the time he pulled back from her they were both breathing heavily. Keeley jerked when her legs were parted. She needed their touch so badly that her muscles were tense. She felt as if she were in danger of snapping in half. She cried out when a hot tongue licked the length of her pussy again. Her head thrashed back and forth on the pillow unstoppably. Lucius growled, and then her whole body bowed up until only her head, shoulders and feet were left on the bed. Lucius had pushed the entire length of his finger into her cunt while he was laving over her clit with that talented tongue of his. She screamed as her body exploded, her pussy clamping and releasing. Liquid flowed out of her, and two more pairs of hands clasped her torso and hips as the most rapturous waves of pleasurable sensation consumed her. She had stars before her eyes, even though her eyelids were closed! Her body flopped into laxness, and even though she was prepared to land on the soft mattress with a bounce or whoosh, it didn’t happen. The hands holding her steady lowered her body back to the bed gently. Keeley opened her eyes and saw Liam, Bradford, and Lucius looking at her with eyes that changed color rapidly from their natural shade to opaque, glowing gold. She wasn’t sure what to make of that, and if she’d had the energy she would have moved away. They must have seen her alarm because Bradford took her face between his massive hands and looked at her with concern. “You are so beautiful when you are being pleasured,” he said. “We would stay and continue, but—” She might have jumped right off the bed and bolted outside, except that she remembered she was naked. Then she saw two great lions bearing down on her, their eyes glowing as they pinned her with their stares. She scrambled to the center of the bed, but Bradford’s

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deep voice stopped her. It was more gravelly than normal, and she could hear the desperation in it. “We must let our beasts run free,” he told her. “It has been so hard not to claim you. Our beasts call for it.” She didn’t answer. She couldn’t at that moment. She kept her eyes on the two lions as they sniffed at her skin. She whimpered and closed her eyes. They won’t hurt me. She believed them when they told her that, but it didn’t keep the situation from feeling totally surreal. She shivered and opened her eyes to stare at the two massive lions. Their heads were level with her breasts when they stood at full height. They were magnificent, and when their beautiful eyes met hers, she shivered again. Then they both turned away from her and leaped out through the open doors. Bradford had opened the doors while Keeley sat entranced by Liam and Lucius. Now she looked to him in time to see Bradford’s eyes were still changing from brown to gold and she stepped backward, away from him as he walked to her. With each step, a little of the man disappeared and a little of the bear came out in its place. Even in his shifted form, he was massive. He stood before her, his dark nose sniffing at her. With a shaking hand, she touched his muzzle. Bradford closed his eyes in apparent pleasure, and then he walked out the glass doors without glancing back. Alone in the room, Keeley shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. She didn’t know what to think or feel. Her men were so powerful in their shifted form, so kind and loving in their human form. She was awed by them, and she thought she might even have feelings for them, but she didn’t know them. It was wrong for all of them for her to “marry” them before she did. After showering again, she wrapped herself in a large towel and crawled into bed. The sounds were foreign to her and sounded loud to her ears. She curled up into a ball, praying that sleep would come quickly and that her men would be beside her when she woke.

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**** Keeley heard a noise from across the room and knew someone had entered through the door. She huddled under the covers on the bed and stayed perfectly still. If it was her mates, she wasn’t sure whether she wanted them to know she was awake. Would they sleep in the same bed as her? She realized she wanted them to. She heard the door slam closed. The covers were ripped away from her. Keeley gasped, then shrieked with fright. The woman who had confronted her earlier in the day standing before her. The blonde had her hands on her hips, and her glaring eyes were a glowing gold color. “Get up, bitch. You don’t belong here. No one wants you here,” the female yelled. Keeley went to move away from her, but the woman clamped her hand over the bandage covering her healing wounds. She bit her tongue so she wouldn’t cry out with pain. She wasn’t about to give the bitch the satisfaction of knowing she had hurt her. Even if it earned her more pain, she’d had enough of this woman and her jealousy. Keeley twisted her arm and pushed down, breaking the hold the woman had on her. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” Keeley yelled and inwardly cringed at her profanity. She got to her feet successfully this time and backed away. “I am going to be the woman the two Alphas share and you are not going to be around to stop me,” the bitch snarled. Keeley raised her arms as the woman leapt toward her. She cried out when her claws slashed down her arms and into her stomach. White-hot, burning pain spread down her arms, and searing agony emanated through her whole torso. Keeley sank to her knees, her legs no longer able to hold her up. She had never felt such excruciating pain, and she drew her knees up into her body and wrapped her arms around her knees.

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She moaned and felt the sticky wetness of her own blood covering her skin and clothes. Lifting her head, she looked to the woman. Keeley braced herself for a new attack, but the woman was staring at her with horror. Then she spun on her heels and ran from the room. Keeley could feel her consciousness waning and knew she was dying. She whimpered as another wave of pain coursed throughout her body, and even though her eyes were open, she couldn’t see anything. Her eyesight was fading, the pain now was receding, and blessed numbness and cold seeped over her. She sank down into the darkness and pain-free world with a sigh.

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Chapter Six Liam scented the blood as soon as he reached the garden. The smell was so strong he wondered if one of his warriors had made a kill close by and then dragged the carcass back to the pride house. He sniffed the air and roared with fury when he identified the scent of his mate’s blood. He bounded through the gardens and into the bedchamber. His renewed roar was echoed by his brother, and moments later by Bradford. Liam pushed his lion back and changed so fast he felt pain for the first time since learning to shift in his adolescence. He knelt next to Keeley and picked her up, heedless of the blood still flowing from her wounds. He carried her to the bed and pulled forth a claw to slice her clothes from her body. He shredded the sheet beneath her and began to wrap her injuries, trying to stem the flow of her life-giving fluid. Lucius had no sooner entered the room than he left to go after Louisa. The female’s scent was all over the room. Bradford was at his side trying to help him with their mate. “Call your healers,” Bradford whispered, and Liam could hear the anguish in his voice. “I have already done so.” “Why would someone do this?” Bradford asked. “It was that she-bitch Louisa. I knew she was going to be trouble. If I had had any idea how much trouble, I would have banished her from the pride. Keeley is not going to want to stay with us if she survives her injuries. She will run from us. Fuck. How could I have been so stupid?” Liam asked. He felt pain pierce his heart at the thought of never being able to join with and claim his mate.

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Liam looked up as the doors to the bedchamber burst open. Lars the healer hurried over to the bed. Liam heard the man suck in a gasp of air, and then he got to work. Lars called for his brother, Loy, and they attended to Keeley. Liam couldn’t believe the damage Louisa had done to his mate. He wanted to track her down and rip her to shreds, but he couldn’t leave her side. Lucius slammed into the room and ran to the bed. He was too distressed to speak, but it was clear that he hadn’t managed to find Louisa. His brother’s eyes were flashing from his normal blue to gold and back again. “Lucius, get a hold of yourself. Keeley needs us to be calm. She is going to need us to help her heal,” Liam stated. “Alphas, you have not claimed your mate,” Lars said. “You need to begin the claiming process so she will have a chance of surviving her injuries. We have done all we can. We have cleaned and closed the wounds and placed a poultice over them. Now it is up to your mate and the Goddess to pull her through.” “Why are you telling us to claim our mate? We can’t claim our woman without her consent. She has not agreed,” Liam said. “We cannot join our bodies to hers if she is unconscious,” Lucius said. “And we cannot claim her without joining with her. What are you suggesting?” “That may be, Alpha, but your mate will heal faster and be stronger if you bite her. She is not of our species, this I know, but your saliva holds healing properties which will travel throughout your mate’s body to help her mend.” “How do you know this, Lars? We have never had a human female in our midst before,” Lucius asked. Liam saw Lars’s face flush with embarrassment, but he waited for the healer to speak. “I, um, found a strand of your mate’s hair in the entrance hall not long after you arrived with her. I have been studying her DNA and comparing it with our own. I cut the hair into small pieces and

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combined it with saliva and blood from my own body. The reactions were quite surprising and pleasing. It was not done for any nefarious reasons, my Alphas, but for situations just like this one. I am glad I did,” Lars stated. “Your bond will not be complete until you join your bodies, but the biting mark may save her life.” Loy packed up their supplies, and both men stood. “We will be back in approximately one hour,” Loy said. “That should give you time to discuss your options and to bite your mate if you decide to.” Liam waited until the two healers had left before he turned back to the bed. Keeley lay motionless in the center. She breathed steadily, but for how much longer would she sleep without their help? He lifted his gaze to Bradford and Lucius. “I know Lars would not steer us wrong,” Lucius said. I think we should bite Keeley. I know she wasn’t ready for us to claim her, but this is not the same thing. If we can save her and help her heal faster, I am all for it. What do you think?” “I say we mark Keeley and we do it now,” Bradford replied. “I agree,” Liam answered. “I do not think our Keeley would want to die. We will mark her, and when she awakes we will see if she wishes to complete the claiming. I don’t want to lose our mate when we have only just found her.” “Do we bite her all together, or do we do it separately?” Lucius queried. “I think we should do so together. I don’t know what will happen. But at least she will have all of our DNA in her system to help her heal,” Bradford stated. “Do not touch her wounds. Even though she is unconscious I would not like it if we were to cause her more pain,” Liam declared. “I will take the right side of her neck, Lucius, you take her left, and Bradford, you will have to bite into her chest or a limb.” Liam, his brother, and his new friend positioned themselves around their woman. They each licked over the place on her body they were to bite, disinfecting the area with their saliva.

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“On the count of three and we bite. One, two, three.” Liam bit down into Keeley’s skin at the place where her shoulder and neck met. The response was immediate. His muscles engorged with blood, and his cock hardened in his pants at the moment her blood touched his tongue. He felt as if a live wire were running through his system, into Keeley, and back again. Something intangible snapped into place, joining them together. He was more connected to his brother than he’d ever been before, too, and he also connected to Bradford. What awed him most, though, was the connection to his mate. He could feel a thread which led from his heart and soul back to her. But when he followed that thread, he found emptiness. His mate was not there. She was still unconscious, and he was afraid she would not come back to him. “Do you feel that?” Liam asked his brother and Bradford. “Yes. We are all connected through Keeley. Did you feel her through that link?” Lucius asked. “Yes and no. I sense her connecting the three of us, but when I followed the thread from me to her, there was nothing but emptiness and darkness,” Bradford explained. “Yes. That is what I detected as well. I think we should try and find her. If I go deeper into her and follow that link into her mind, I may be able to pull her out of her subconscious,” Liam suggested. “I think we should wait. We need to give her time so her body can process our saliva and DNA. She needs rest for now and we will keep vigil through the night. If there is no improvement with Keeley in the morning then we try to find where she is hiding in her mind,” Bradford said. “All right, I think we should sleep and wake in shifts. That way one of us watches her at all times. The healers will be back soon. Why don’t you and Bradford go and eat and I will eat after you have? Did you find Louisa, Lucius?” asked Liam.

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“No. She has left the pride house and I only tracked her so far. I had to see that Keeley was still alive for myself. I will find her and when I do she will be stripped of any privileges and locked in the dungeons,” Lucius growled out. “You are being very lenient for someone who nearly killed our mate. Give her to me and I will deal with her,” Bradford snarled. “We do not believe in killing anyone in our pride, Bradford. We deal with them by locking them up or banishing them from the pride,” Liam informed him. “That is not good enough. Look at our mate,” Bradford grumbled. “She is still covered with her own blood. Her face is so white and her lips are pale, she has deep claw wounds on her arms and in her stomach. She is in danger of losing her life, for Goddess’s sake. To be locked away is hard for your kind, but that punishment does not fit the crime.” “What would you have me do, Bradford?” Liam felt too worried about Keeley’s condition to argue right now. He stopped himself from snapping that a bear wouldn’t know anything about the workings of a lion pride. “Banish her,” Bradford said. “Do not allow her in the pride house or on the grounds again. Post more warriors around to keep her out and put the word out to the other shifters they are not to take her in. If she wants to behave like a wild animal then she should be treated like one.” Liam gazed at Bradford thoughtfully. The bear continued to earn his respect. “Okay, what you have suggested will be so. Lucius, organize for more warriors to be on watch. Make sure every man, woman, and child in this pride knows that Louisa is no longer part of our family,” Liam stated. He looked up when the doors the bedchamber opened and the healers entered. “Alphas, Loy and I are here to check on your mate,” Lars explained. “You have marked her. That is good.”

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Liam hoped that it did her some good. He was beside himself with anguish and worry over Keeley. She still hadn’t moved or shown any sign of consciousness. He watched Lars and Loy as they examined his mate and checked her wounds. The next words from Lars’s mouth eased the knot in his gut and chest a little. “Your DNA is working on your mate already. The wounds are beginning to heal. It may be a few days before your mate awakens. Her body has suffered a major trauma and is in a deep healing sleep. We will come to check on her periodically, but now it is up to Keeley and the Goddess if she is to survive. There is nothing more we can do but wait,” Lars explained. Liam waited until Lars and Loy had left again before he stripped off his clothes and got into the bed with his mate. He was careful not to touch any of her injuries. He knew he should probably let her sleep alone, but he needed to be beside her. He needed to feel her skin and warmth next to him. He looked up as his brother and new friend climbed into bed as well. He prayed to the Goddess of all creation their mate would live through the night. He knew if she did, then she would be on the road to recovering.

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Chapter Seven Keeley opened her eyes and stared at the high white ceiling. She felt so lethargic, and her whole body ached. She did not remember coming to bed but shoved that thought aside and tried to push herself into a sitting position. Pain permeated up her arms and through her stomach, and she collapsed back onto the bed. She gave a frustrated sigh and moved her limbs, trying to relieve the deep ache in them. She looked at the white bandages covering her arms and frowned with concentration, trying to remember what she had done to hurt herself. Memory slammed into her mind. Flashes ran through her brain as the images of being attacked assailed her. She whimpered with remembered fear and pain, her eyes closing as the fear clutched at her. “Keeley, are you all right?” She opened her eyes to see Liam, Lucius, and Bradford surrounding her. They were all in the bed with her and were looking at her with concern. “I don’t know,” she whispered. Her mouth was too dry and her voice husky from not having been used for a while. “I will get you some water,” Bradford informed her. He was back moments later and held a cup to her lips so she could sip the quenching liquid. “Who was that woman? Why did she try to kill me?” Keeley asked. “I am so sorry, little one. Had we known what she would do to you, we would never have left your side. That she-bitch Louisa has

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been banished from the pride and you will never have to see her again,” Liam explained. “She was jealous, wasn’t she?” “Yes, she was. No, don’t try and move, Keeley. You are still a long way off from recovery and you need to lie still so you can recuperate,” Lucius stated. “She tried to kill me,” she whispered and wondered why the woman had done such a horrific thing. “I really need to get up. I want to have a shower.” “You will have to wait until you have the all clear from our healers, Keeley. I do not want you hurting yourself or causing any unnecessary pain. You have been very ill, little one. It has been nearly two weeks since you were attacked,” Liam told her. “What? Oh my God,” she replied with confusion and bewilderment. How the hell could she have been sick for nearly two weeks and not know it? “You were severely injured, baby. We nearly lost you the first night after you were attacked,” Bradford informed her. “Shit. No wonder I feel like a wrung-out dishrag. I need to get up. How long before the healers get here?” “They are on their way even as we speak. They should be here any moment. I don’t want you getting out of bed, Keeley. You need to rest and regain your strength,” Liam said firmly. “Well, yes, I understand but nature calls and I can’t hold out forever,” Keeley replied. “I will carry you into the bathing chamber, little one. You are not to do any walking or moving on your own until the healers allow it,” Liam stated. Keeley clutched at his shoulders when he picked her up and carried her. When she was done, Bradford carried her back to the bedroom. He placed her on the bed and had just covered her naked body with a sheet when two men entered the room.

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“Ah, you are awake. This is good. You are a lot stronger than any of us thought. I am called Lars and this is my brother Loy. We are the healers of the pride and have been taking care of you.” “Just lie back and we will examine your injuries,” Loy said and then got to work. He examined her now-healed wounds extensively and she was glad he kept her attributes covered. He pronounced her fit and well, but she felt achy. She could see the pink scars on her stomach and arms, and she knew that the pain couldn’t be coming from her wounds. They looked as though they had been healed for months, yet Liam had said she’d been attacked two weeks ago. She asked whether she should be feeling any pain. Lars answered, “You will not feel your usual self for another couple of days. You have not eaten and even though we kept you hydrated as much as we could, you will still need to drink more. Your muscles have not moved much. That is why you will feel pain. You need to get up and move around more. The more you exercise the less pain you will feel and your strength will return.” “Thank you, both,” Keeley said and watched as the two healers left the room. “Okay, now that I have the all clear, I am going to get up and bathe.” “I will carry you, baby,” Bradford stated. “No, you will let me do this on my own. You heard what Lars said. The more I move around the better I will feel,” she said as she flung the covers back. She moved to the side of the bed, swung her legs over the edge, and stood. She closed her eyes as light-headedness assailed her, and she swayed on her feet. She didn’t protest when Bradford picked her up and carried her into the bathing room. He placed her on a bench near the large bathing pool, and saw a shower off to her right. She stood up and walked to the shower, slowly but surely. She washed her hair and body quickly as the little strength she’d had began to leave. She couldn’t believe how tired she was, and all she had done was shower. She placed her hands against the cool wall and

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leaned her forehead against it. Her legs shook, and her knees began to buckle. A large, muscular arm wrapped around her waist and another beneath her knees. She sighed and rested her head on Bradford’s shoulder as he carried her from the shower. He placed her gently onto a seat, and then he began to dry her. He was so gentle as he dried her hair and then the rest of her body. Once done he carried her back to the bed. He settled against the headboard and pulled her to sit between his thighs and began to comb out her hair. Keeley closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of being taken care of. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had fussed over her. She sighed when Bradford finished with her hair and pulled her back against his warm chest. She relaxed against him and groaned as he massaged her scalp with his fingertips. “Keeley, we have to talk to you,” Liam stated, and she opened her eyes to see him standing at the end of the bed. “You were dying, sweetheart. That she-bitch hurt you so badly you were hanging on to life only by a thread. The healers said the only way we could save you was to mark you.” “What do you mean?” Keeley whispered. “We had to bite you, baby. If we hadn’t you would have died,” Bradford explained. “Wait,” Keeley said. “You mean biting like claiming me?” The men shook their heads sorrowfully. “The claiming is incomplete,” Liam said. “We marked you with our bites, but we have not yet joined our bodies together. Only once we do will you truly be ours.” “I know we didn’t give you a choice, and for that I’m sorry,” Bradford said, “but we couldn’t do nothing. We would have lost you, Keeley. We couldn’t stand the thought of only just finding you and then losing you.” “If you want to leave us to stay with the panthers, we will let you go.” Lucius made a face as though the words themselves tasted bad, but Keeley believed him.

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Keeley felt flutters of excitement in her belly. She had felt hesitant about letting these three shifter men claim her, but she didn’t mind that they had acted without her knowledge. Something had changed between them, and some part of her wished that the claiming was complete. She wished she was theirs and that they were hers. She looked up to see Liam and Lucius watching her intently with worried expressions on their faces. She tilted her head back and looked up to find Bradford peering down at her. She smiled to him and then to Liam and Lucius. She took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I understand why you did what you did and I thank you. I didn’t want to die and I know I would have agreed with your decision if I had been awake. Thank you for saving my life,” Keeley stated with a voice full of emotion. “You’re not angry with us?” Lucius asked. “No. How can I be angry with you? If you hadn’t marked me I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you,” Keeley said and covered her mouth when she yawned. “Sorry.” “Don’t be sorry, baby. Why don’t you scoot down and go to sleep? You’ll need to rest frequently until you get your strength back,” Bradford said and moved out from behind her. Keeley slid down and placed her head on the soft pillow. Her eyes were too heavy to keep open anymore, so she didn’t even try. She smiled as each of her new mates kissed her on the cheek, forehead, and temple, and then was unconscious.

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Chapter Eight Keeley healed even more over the next week and a half. She was almost back to full strength, but her men were still treating her courteously. They touched her often, on the arms and back, and even kissed her, but they were driving her insane. They slept in the same bed with her every night, but they hadn’t made one sexual move toward her. She was going out of her mind with lust. They had each wormed their way into her heart with how gently they handled her. Each man treated her a little differently. Liam made his arrogant demands, commanding her to rest whenever he thought she was tired. Lucius was distant and solicitous, but she could still see the fire in his eyes when he looked at her. And Bradford was willing to get her anything and everything she desired, before she even knew what she wanted. If she even looked at the jug on the table across the room, he would fill a cup and hand her a drink. Every time they were near, they would touch and kiss her gently. She wanted to scream and demand they make love to her. As soon as they were in her vicinity, her breathing escalated, her breasts swelled, and her nipples hardened. Her pussy was always dripping wet, and she ached to be loved by them. She decided it was time to take matters into her own hands. The healers had given her a clean bill of health, and she was sick and tired of being an aching mass of unrequited desire. She sighed and finished dressing. She looked down at the short, black, leather-like skirt and midriff halter top. She felt too exposed. Her breasts were too large and her hips too wide. She wasn’t happy with the body she had, but since there was nothing she could do about

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it, she shrugged with resignation. At least her waist was smaller than her top and bottom. She sat on the side of the bed and pulled the ankle-length soft suede boots on. She was breaking out of this room for the first time since her mates had brought her here. She was curious about the house and the occupants and was determined to meet the members of the pride. Keeley held her breath and tried the door handle. She exhaled heavily when the door opened. Her mates had said they didn’t want her roaming about the place by herself, so she had expected the door to be locked. She had no idea why they’d said that, and every time she’d been about to ask, one of her men would begin talking about something else and she became distracted enough to forget her pending question. She looked left and right but didn’t see anyone traversing the long hallways. She stepped out of the room and began to walk. She didn’t hurry. She looked about her and noticed the many closed doors leading off the corridors. She was curious about what was behind them, but decided not to give in the urge to investigate. She didn’t want to be found snooping about in someone else’s bedroom. She was nearly to the end of the long hall when she became aware of many voices drifting toward her. She hesitated a moment, chewing on her bottom lip and deciding if she was brave enough to continue. Pushing her shoulders back and lifting her head, she moved toward the sound. Everyone was gathered in the dining chamber. When she reached the doorway to the massive room, she hesitated. Row upon row of men sat at the tables, eating. She moved farther into the room, and the noise of talking ceased. She felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. She was about to back from the room with an apology, but she stopped when Liam’s voice called to her from across the room. “Keeley, come here, sweetness.”

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Keeley looked and found Liam, Lucius, and Bradford on the far side of the room. She kept her gaze on Liam, aware of the many eyes upon her as she moved. Liam stood and walked toward her to meet her when she was no more than yards away from where he had been sitting. “We’ve been waiting for you, Keeley. I’m glad to see you have decided to venture out of our room today,” Liam whispered. She looked up at him with a confused frown, but didn’t ask the question which was on the tip of her tongue until she was seated between him and Bradford. “What do you mean you’ve been waiting for me? You told me not to go roaming around on my own.” “We knew eventually you would get sick of being in the same room day after day. We have just been waiting for you to feel well and brave enough to take that first step,” Liam stated. “You were testing me?” “No, baby. We were waiting for you to overcome your fear and for your health to return to normal,” Bradford informed her. “Humph. You could have explained. I had these visions of being dragged off by the hair away from the members of your pride.” Lucius, Liam, and Bradford burst out laughing. She frowned and glared at them with disgruntlement. “It’s not funny, you know. I wanted to get out of that room a week ago.” “You weren’t ready until today, honey,” Lucius said as he leaned toward her. “I would have been if I’d known the score,” she replied. She crossed her arms as she frowned at all three of them. “Would you like something to eat, baby?” Bradford asked from her left side. “Yes please. I’m starving.” Keeley watched as Bradford placed food on her plate from the platters on the table. She stopped him from adding more when she had

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enough on her plate for two meals. She dug into her food and ignored all the men staring at her. She was too hungry to care about what they thought of her. Her men filled their plates and began to eat, too. When her belly was satisfied she pushed her plate aside and looked about her. The room was so big and filled to capacity. There were only a handful of women in the room. “Where are all the women?” Keeley asked. “They are here already. We have very few females in the pride as you can see. Over the last four generations fewer females have been born into this pride. Our healers are trying to discover the reason for the depletion in the females of our species, but have not been able to ascertain the reason,” Liam explained. Keeley mulled that over. No wonder they had been so eager to claim her. But they hadn’t brought that up since telling her that they’d had to bite her while she was unconscious. Did they still want to finish mating with her? Lucius interrupted her thoughts. “Would you like to take a walk in the gardens?” he asked. “Yes, please. I’ve been cooped up inside for too long as it is,” she replied and took Lucius’s hand when he helped her up. Keeley walked with Lucius, Liam, and Bradford around the large landscaped gardens. They talked of inconsequential things such as the weather and the beautiful blooming flowers. By the time they were at the pool, Keeley’s body was one big yearning ache. She didn’t know how much longer she would be able to keep her hands off her mates. Their scent called to her, and their innocent touches aroused her. She was afraid she was turning into a slut, except she was only interested in these three. She couldn’t understand why these three men turned her on so much. She’d never been that interested in men before. She gritted her teeth as her pussy clamped and dripped more cream onto her thighs. Her head snapped up when she heard a low, rumbling growl at her side. She looked up at Lucius, and her breath caught in her throat. His

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irises were a golden glowing color, and she could see the heat in his eyes. “I can smell your cream, honey. You are in need. Will you let us put out the fire?” Keeley rubbed her thighs together and felt his heat. She nibbled on her lower lip and gave a slight nod of her head. She whimpered when Lucius cupped her chin in his hand, holding her head in place, he slowly lowered his lips to hers. She went up in flames. That was the only thought to pass through her mind, and then she drowned in sensation. Lucius started the kiss off slowly. When she began to respond he deepened it. He brushed his lips over hers again and again until fire was licking at her insides. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. She swallowed his growl. His arms wrapped around her waist, and he lifted her feet from the ground. He licked over her lips with his tongue and then swept it into her mouth. She cried out into his mouth as her blood heated and the flames consumed her. He devoured her mouth. She felt him slide his hands down over her hips, and then they gripped her ass. Keeley wrapped her legs around his waist. The short material of her skirt rode up to the tops of her legs. She had no panties on, so her wet, aching pussy connected with his warm, muscular stomach. She wiggled her hips and moaned as his slightly hairy abs and warm skin massaged her throbbing clit. She withdrew her mouth from his and tilted her head back. Keeley keened with pleasure as two more sets of hands touched her. Her halter top dropped from her body, and then her skirt followed. She was too far gone to even remember that they were out in the open where anyone could see them. She rocked her hips faster and sobbed when a hot, wet mouth closed over one of her aching nipples. She could feel her juices flowing from her cunt. Her cries were muffled as Bradford covered her mouth with his. Her womb was heavy, and her body was hot.

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Perspiration beaded over her skin, but she didn’t stop the movement of her hips. She could feel the most exquisite warmth permeating her body, and her muscles were taut with need. Her pussy clenched and released, begging to be filled, but the walls of her sheath were drawing tighter and tighter. She mewled and bucked as Liam and now Bradford sucked on her sensitive nipples. She threw her head back and screamed as her pussy walls clamped down hard. Cream flowed from her pussy as wave after wave of bliss swept over her. She rode out her orgasm, and only once her little death came to an end did she remember where they were. She hid her face, feeling shy. They could have been seen by anyone wandering the gardens. “We want to join our bodies with yours, honey. Will you let us make love to you?” Lucius asked, and Keeley could hear the near desperation in his voice. She remembered what they had told her. Making love with them would complete the claiming. She would be theirs after this. Since that was what she wanted most in the world right at that moment, she nodded in affirmation. She heard Lucius growl, and then they moved with speed. He carried her across the garden, and in moments they were all back in the large bedroom.

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Chapter Nine Lucius was having a hell of a time controlling his feline. The sight and scent of Keeley as she came apart in his arms was testing his strength of will. He placed her on the bed and stripped his pants off in record time. He was by her side in moments. His brother and Bradford entered the room, but he didn’t look at them. He stared into Keeley’s eyes and lowered his mouth to hers. He ravished her with all his pent-up desire, and when he pulled back so they could both gulp air into their lungs, he nibbled and licked his way down her neck. He stopped at her breasts and laved them each in turn until she writhed beneath him. He kissed down her torso and rimmed her navel with his tongue, then continued on down to the top of her pubic mound. He placed a kiss on her smooth skin, gently pried her thighs apart, and hunkered down between her legs. He breathed in her delectable, musky scent and lowered his head. He licked her from ass to clit and back again. He was vaguely aware of his brother and Bradford getting on the bed on either side of Keeley, but he paid them no attention. He was hell-bent on driving his mate wild, and then he was going to sink his aching cock into her warm, wet, tight depths. Lucius slid his tongue up between her dew-covered folds. Using the tip of his tongue, he laved over the sensitive flesh of her engorged clit. He took hold of her hips when she bucked up into him, and he held her still. He moved his hands beneath her ass and massaged the fleshy globes as he plied her bud with his tongue. Keeley cried out, and he opened his eyes to look up the length of her body.

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Liam and Bradford were each suckling at a nipple while he attended to her wet cunt. He could see her head thrashing back and forth on the pillow. Keeley had never looked so sexy. Her face flushed rosy pink with arousal as he and the others attended to and played with her body. Lucius closed his eyes again and flicked his tongue back and forth over Keeley’s clit. She sobbed, and he pulled his hands from beneath her ass. He rimmed a finger around and around her dripping-wet hole, and then he slowly pushed the tip into her cunt. He growled against her pussy as her muscles gripped the tip of his digit, trying to draw him farther into the wet depths. He thrust his finger into her body until he couldn’t go any farther and twisted it around inside her. He heard her cry out, and then he began to pump in and out of her pussy. She sucked and clamped on his flesh, and he couldn’t wait another second to feel her wet heat glove his hard, aching cock. He sat up between her thighs and moved in closer until his cock was touching her warm wetness. He slowly began to push into her pussy. He gripped her hips, closed his eyes, and groaned as her delicate, sopping flesh parted and enveloped the head of his cock. He opened his eyes again and held still as he stared at his mate. Her lids were closed, but her neck was arched and she was trying to push up against him. She obviously wanted more of him inside her. She was such a sexy, passionate woman, and he felt his heart clench at the thought of what she had been through. If it hadn’t been for their healers, Lucius knew this exquisite moment would not be taking place. He loved her more than he thought possible. He wanted to tell her of his feelings, but he was worried it was too soon for his mate to hear. He took a deep, calming breath and then eased another inch of his dick into her cunt. He held still once more, allowing his mate to adjust to his penetration. She was so hot and tight that his lion pushed at him from inside and demanded he fuck Keeley until they both reached

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orgasm. But he kept a tight rein on his control. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt his woman in any way. Lucius took his time, and even though Keeley tried to sheath him fully, he didn’t let her. A minute later, he felt his balls touch the skin of her ass. He knew they would all have to join with her at the same time for their mating bond to be complete. He nudged Liam and Bradford aside and lifted Keeley up so she was sitting on his lap. She sighed in concert with his groan. His cock pushed into her until he could feel her womb. He took a handful of her hair and tugged slightly. She was looking up at him through passion-glazed eyes. He lowered his head and covered her mouth with his own. He swept his tongue into her mouth and glided it along hers. She tasted so sweet that he knew he would never be able to get enough of her. He explored every inch of her depths and only relinquished her mouth when the need for oxygen compelled him. Bradford moved in behind her and took hold of her hips. Lucius watched her face and waited to see if she would baulk at what his friend was about to do. Her eyes widened before dropping to a passionate half-mast again. He was surprised when she didn’t protest. In fact she leaned against him, relaxed, and wrapped her arms around his chest. He groaned when her hot little tongue began to lick over one of his nipples. His muscles were so taut he was afraid he would snap in half. He closed his eyes and growled as she sucked and nibbled on his tiny, sensitive nub. And then she licked her way across his chest to his other nipple. She was driving him out of his mind. “Baby, you’re ready to take me. Let me know if I hurt you or it’s too much for you,” Bradford rasped out. Lucius cupped Keeley’s face and watched her intently as Bradford breached her ass for the first time. He saw her mouth tighten, but other than that she showed no discomfort. She was breathing heavily and gripping his biceps tightly, but she still looked totally relaxed. This woman who was their mate was so special and unbelievably

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trusting. Not once had she told them no since he had carried her into this room. “Use your muscles and push back against me, baby. Oh fuck yeah. Goddess, you feel so good, Keeley. You ass is clenching on me so tight,” Bradford rumbled in a deep voice. Lucius’s cock jerked, and he bit down on the inside of his cheek so he wouldn’t begin to thrust in and out of her wet heat uncontrollably. “I’m all the way in, Keeley. Turn your head. Liam has something for you,” Bradford said breathlessly. Keeley turned her head, putting Liam’s cock close to her face. When she licked her lips, Lucius gripped her hips tighter and groaned. Goddess, their woman was so sexy. Her pink tongue flicked out and swiped over the top of Liam’s hard dick. She closed her eyes and moaned as if she had just tasted ambrosia. She opened her lips and sucked his brother into her mouth. Liam growled and thrust his hips forward slightly. Keeley hummed around his brother’s cock, and she slurped as she tried to suck more of him into her moist cavern. He couldn’t stay still another moment. He drew his hips back and pushed in again. As he moved forward, Bradford withdrew his cock from Keeley’s ass. He and Bradford set a slow pace at first, giving Keeley time to adjust to them penetrating her body, and to get used to being fucked in two holes at once. And all the while she slid her mouth back and forth over Liam’s erection. He had never felt so complete as he did at this moment. He wanted Keeley to crawl into his body and stay there forever, and he wanted to do the same to her. He loved her so damn much, and his heart was so full he was in danger of making a fool of himself by crying. He had never felt such profound emotion before, and he didn’t know how to handle it. He closed his eyes so the others wouldn’t see the moisture gathering and concentrated on loving their mate. He opened his eyes once more when he was sure he was back in control and watched as Keeley loved his brother with her mouth.

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Liam looked at their woman, and Lucius noticed he also had moisture glistening in his eyes. Keeley looked up at his brother from beneath her eyelashes, and he could see tears gathering in her eyes as well. Lucius lost control then. He pumped his hips harder, faster, and deeper with every pass, and Bradford moved with him every step of the way. The sound of their flesh slapping against hers only drove his libido higher. The sobbing and mewling sounds Keeley made as she sucked his brother off drove him wild. Her pussy walls rippled around his cock, and she bathed him in more of her sweet, musky cream. Sweat dripped off him, but he didn’t care. His only thought was driving his mate over the edge into rapture before he lost himself in her body and shot his load too early. Already he could feel the familiar tingle at the base of his spine and knew he had to send her over into climax first. Lucius reached down between their bodies and sought out her clit with the tip of a finger. He rubbed and massaged faster and faster until he could hear her sobbing around his brother’s cock. Liam growled, and then the growl turned into a roar as his brother climaxed into their mate’s mouth. Lucius yelled as Keeley’s muscles clamped down onto his hard rod, and her body bathed his cock in her juices as it clenched and released along the length of his dick. The tingling spread around from his spine down to his balls, and they drew up close to his body. He held her hips and surged into her one last time. He froze. His cock jerked, and he shot load after load of semen into his mate’s body. He was vaguely aware of Bradford’s roar, and then the only sound in the room was their harsh, heavy breathing as they all came down slowly from their climactic high. Keeley slumped against him, and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her front to his. He loved her so damn much. He prayed to the Goddess that his mate would eventually be able to say those three words he so longed to hear. He felt her head flop down from his shoulder and lower onto his chest. He placed his arm behind her head to support her and tipped

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her chin up with his free hand. His little mate was dead to the world. It looked like they had worn her out totally. He felt a pang of guilt and hoped they hadn’t hurt her. Lucius looked up at Bradford as his bear friend moved away from Keeley, placing a gentle kiss on her shoulder. Liam lifted his head from the mattress and grinned when he saw that their mate was out cold. “Our mate is such a passionate, sexy woman. I can’t believe she passed out,” Liam said with a chuckle. “I’m worried we were too hard on her,” Lucius said as he lifted Keeley from his lap and placed her onto the bed. “She’s only just recovered from a very serious injury. I think we should have waited a bit longer before we made love to our mate.” “If she wasn’t ready she would have stopped us, Lucius. She would have still been hiding in our room. Keeley was more than ready to join with us, brother,” Liam said. “You know as well as I do that she had been trying to get us to make a move over the last week. She is fine, brother.” “I agree with Liam, Lucius. Keeley has done her damnedest to get us to make a move on her. She wouldn’t have been doing that if she wasn’t ready,” Bradford stated. Lucius pondered what had been said and went to the bathing room. He grabbed a washcloth, wet it, and went back to the bedchamber. He gently cleaned Keeley and dropped the cloth on the floor. He crawled into the bed beside her. Even though it was still only early in the day, he didn’t want to leave her and have her awaken alone. He pulled the covers up and drew her back into his arms. He sighed with contentment at having his mate, the love of his life, cradled into his body, her back to his front. He closed his eyes and just savored the feeling of his limbs wrapping around her. ****

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Keeley woke feeling relaxed and warm. She shifted and then stopped moving when her limbs touched firm muscles. She opened her eyes and turned her head. Her gaze connected with Lucius’s. She felt movement to her front and then looked up into Bradford’s smiling eyes. She sighed, stretched, and looked down the length of her body when her feet connected with another warm male body. She lifted her head and saw Liam. He reclined with his head resting on his hand, and he was watching her with a smile. “How are you feeling, Keeley?” Liam asked. “I’m fine.” “How about we go and bathe and then we can all go to the dining hall for some nourishment?” Lucius asked. “Okay.” Keeley accepted a helping hand from Bradford and got out of bed. She followed her mates into the bathing chamber and stepped into the running water. Lucius had the water temperature adjusted just right, and she relished the feel of the warm, scented water running over her head and body. She reached for the shower gel, but someone beat her to it. She looked up to see that Liam had the bottle of soap in his hand. “Let us wash you, sweetness. We like taking care of you,” he said, and then he poured some of the liquid onto a cloth. Keeley closed her eyes and sighed as he washed her from head to toe, including her hair. By the time he was done, she wanted to crawl back into bed with her men and while away the rest of the afternoon in passion. But her stomach had other ideas. It protested loudly, and she knew she needed to refuel before she did anything else. She was dried off without having to lift a finger, and Bradford and Lucius attended to her as if she were something precious. She felt her heart clench and knew she had very strong feelings for these three men, but she wasn’t ready to tell them how she felt yet. She wanted to be unequivocally sure before she said those three words to her men. She pushed her thoughts away, dressed, and followed them to the dining chamber.

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Chapter Ten Keeley felt the tension in the air as soon as she entered the room full of pride members. The noise diminished from a raucous level to a low murmur. She wanted to ask what was going on but didn’t want to be overheard. She looked up when she felt eyes on her and saw that every single male was looking at her as well as a few of the women. She gripped her hands together so hard her fingers began to ache. She wanted to turn around and leave, but she was hungry, and that need took precedence over her discomfiture. She turned her head to stare straight ahead with her shoulders back. She wasn’t about to lower her eyes or head and make the members of the pride think she didn’t have any backbone. She still felt uneasy, but she ignored that sensation and gave a small sigh of relief when she finally sat down at the table she knew was for her mates and now herself. The noise of chatter and utensils on plates picked up once more, and she slowly began to relax. “What was that about?” Keeley asked and turned to look at Liam. She was startled by the fierce frown on his face, but he quickly changed it to a smile for her benefit. “What do you mean?” “Why was everyone staring at me like I was something they stepped on?” “You’re imagining things, honey,” Liam replied. “I don’t think so. What is it—” “Baby, let me get your food,” Bradford interrupted. She looked up at Bradford and he gave her a slight smile, and then he began to heap food onto her plate.

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“Are you trying to feed me for a week?” she asked. She saw Bradford look down at her plate at the amount of food on it. He gave her a sheepish smile, swapped her plate with his own, and started over. She sighed when he placed the now-adequate amount of food in front of her. Keeley could still feel the eyes of the room’s occupants on her, but she ignored them and began to eat. She didn’t look up or talk to her mates as she ate. She was running scenarios through her head on why she seemed to be an object of curiosity as well as a target for angry scowls and glares. Once done, she pushed her plate aside and waited for her men to finish eating. She looked up at the people in the room every now and then and caught quite a few pride members giving her the evil eye. What the fuck? What have I done to these people? I’ve hardly been around any of the others enough to have upset anyone! She gripped her hands together beneath the table as two male pride members walked toward them. They totally ignored her and began to give Liam, Lucius, and Bradford reports on what had been happening as well as asking questions. She was too nervous to listen to what they had to say, and she was grateful when Lars the healer approached the table. To her surprise, he smiled at her and asked her how she was feeling. Keeley chatted with him for a few moments. He seemed genuinely interested that she was well, which was more than she could say for everyone else in the pride. So she asked, “Do you know why everybody’s giving me looks?” Lars looked uncomfortable. Keeley caught his glance toward her men, but they were still preoccupied with pride business. “Our Alphas are good leaders,” he said to her. “But these past few weeks have been difficult for them.” “Difficult how?” “Females rarely join us from outside the pride,” he said. “Especially not females from Earth. We have heard of these things

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among the panthers, of course, but we never expected someone like you to be here with us.” Keeley frowned to herself. Reading between the lines, she understood that she was causing trouble for her mates. While they’d been dutifully nursing her back to health, the pack had been in turmoil. “Should I be here?” she asked. Lars looked taken aback. “Well, of course! After all, your mates have claimed you.” For a moment, Keeley was reassured. “Yes,” she agreed. “And you felt the mating bond snap into place,” Lars went on. “That makes you as much a part of the pride as anyone else.” He smiled at her as he said this, and he even patted her hand. Keeley thanked him, but she felt stunned as he walked away from the table. What mating bond? She half wished she had asked him what that meant, except it would have given away that she hadn’t felt anything of the kind. Her thoughts spun. Is it because they waited so long to have sex with me after they bit me? Could it be something like that? What if I messed up the mating? What if I just don’t belong here? The eyes of the pack were still on her, and now she thought she understood some of their unfriendliness. But she had had enough of feeling like a bug under a microscope. She pushed her chair back, and even though she knew Liam, Lucius, and Bradford wanted to stop her, they were too occupied with their business. She found her way out a side door and took a deep, cleansing breath when she stepped outside into the gardens. She wandered around, sniffing the blooming flowers and the dank scent emitting from the surrounding forest. She eventually found the pool in the center of the gardens and sat beneath the shade of a tree on the stone bench. She stared at the water as she lost herself in thought.

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Keeley had no idea how long she sat there in contemplation, not that it really mattered, but she was brought out of her trance when she heard someone clear their throat. She looked up to see a tall woman with long golden hair trailing down her back and amber eyes staring at her. “You’ll never be accepted here. Louisa was liked by all the pride members and because of you she has been banished.” Keeley was stung. “She was banished because she attacked me,” she replied. The tall woman shook her hair out proudly. “And you couldn’t defend yourself, could you? You can’t change your shape like we can and you don’t even come from this realm.” These words echoed Keeley’s own thoughts so closely that she spoke her fears aloud. “Do Liam and Lucius and Bradford resent that I’m here? I know that I’m they’re mate, but if I cause problems in the pride…” “I cannot speak for the bear,” the woman said haughtily, “but you are nothing to us. You will never fit in. Why don’t you just leave? Things will be able to get back to normal and Louisa will be back where she should be, in our Alphas’ bed.” Keeley didn’t say a word. She just sat where she was, frozen with stupefaction. The woman gave her one more malicious glare, hissed at her, and trounced off. She now knew why everyone had been staring at her and wondered if she would have been better off not knowing at all. She felt a huge knot forming inside her, and her throat was tight with emotion. She wondered why she seemed so different from everyone else. Why do I have so much trouble fitting in? It can’t be that I’m not a lion. Am I a bad person? Is it the way I look? I can’t stay if it’s going to hurt my mates. Is our mating even real? Keeley rose to her feet and meandered in a daze. She felt something brush her cheeks and swiped at them. When she brought her hands away she stared at the moisture on her fingers and palms.

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Huh, she was crying. How can I be crying when I feel so numb inside? She was totally oblivious to her surroundings. She trudged on and felt sweat drip between her breasts and down her back. She blinked when she felt a slap against her cheek and looked around her for the first time in God knows how long. She was in the forest, surrounded by massive trees, and the light was beginning to wane. How the hell did I get here? Keeley turned around in a circle but still couldn’t ascertain where she was. She didn’t remember the leaving the gardens. She had no idea how long she had been roaming in her confused state. Keeley hoped like hell she was going in the right direction. She wanted to get back to Olivia and April’s home. She clung to the hope as soon as it came to her. Olivia and April would let her stay with them until she figured out how to get back to Earth. If she wasn’t with the lions, she couldn’t cause more problems. And no one would look at her with hate. By the time the sun’s last rays were sliding behind the planet, she hadn’t found any sight of civilization. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to keep traveling in the dark. She looked around, trying to find somewhere she could rest for the night. Spying a large hole in the base of a tree trunk, she moved toward it and bent down to peer inside. The last thing she needed was to find herself sharing the hole with a wild animal. The hollow was empty, and she crawled inside. She leaned her back against the bark, pulled her legs up, and hugged them in tight to her body. She rested her forehead on top of her knees and felt despondency seep over her. The knot of emotion in her chest grew and grew, and pain ripped through her heart. She didn’t bother trying to keep the tears at bay. She gave in to them. She didn’t make a sound as she cried her heart out. The tears and pain inside her seemed endless, and she cried until she could barely breathe. She lay down on her side in a tight fetal position and cried herself to sleep.

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She woke up screaming. A large hand was clamped around her ankle, and she was being hauled from her hiding spot. It was so dark she could barely see her own hands. She fought whoever was pulling at her. She kicked her legs and swung with closed fists. She heard a deep voice mutter a curse as one of her closed hands connected with flesh. “It’s all right, little one. You have no need to be afraid. I’m Cedric, mate to Olivia.” Keeley stopped fighting and slumped with relief. She sobbed once and pushed a fist against her mouth to stop the hysterical laughter bubbling up within from escaping. “What are you doing out here all alone? Where are your mates?” Cedric asked as he helped her to her feet after pulling her free of the tree hollow. She didn’t answer, just gave a negligible shrug. Cedric’s eyes reflected the faint light, and she could make out the features of his face. “Would you like to come for a visit?” Cedric asked. “Please,” she replied, and even she could hear the desperation in her own voice. “We are not far from our home. Give me your hand and I will guide you,” Cedric stated, holding his hand out to her. Keeley looked at his hand and took it without any hesitation. She let him lead her through the dark jungle and prayed her mates would not find her before she was inside, safely away from them and their cruel pride. The last thing she wanted was to have her mates fighting with Cedric. She’d brought trouble to one shifter species, and she didn’t want to do the same to the panthers. Fifteen minutes later she saw the lights to Cedric’s home and sighed with relief. He pulled her inside and took her into the large dining room. She looked up when she heard a squeal and saw Olivia rise from her seat and waddle her way toward her.

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“Keeley, it’s so good to see you again. Are you all right? You don’t look too well,” Olivia said as she hugged her. Keeley bit her lip as she felt her chin wobble. She hated it when she felt so emotional in front of other people. She had always hidden her emotions behind a happy, serene façade. She was too pent up to answer and knew if she opened her mouth before she had her emotions under control, she would lose it completely. She gave a slight nod and stepped back when Olivia released her. “You must be hungry. Come on and you can sit next to me,” Olivia said, watching her intently. Keeley appreciated that the other woman didn’t press her for details about how long she would be staying with the panther clan. Olivia seemed to understand that she wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. She clasped Olivia’s hand and followed her to the raised dais where Olivia had been sitting with her mates. “Move over,” Olivia commanded and patted one of her mates on the shoulder. “Oh no, please. You don’t have to move for me,” Keeley said quietly. “Yes he does. I want to talk with you. I love it that there is another woman from Earth here besides April. She’s so busy with her mates and baby Jade, we don’t have much time besides mealtimes together anymore,” Olivia said with a sigh. “But I will be just as busy soon enough.” Keeley looked up to see Olivia with a wry smile on her face, as she stroked her own swollen belly. “When are you due?” she asked. “Yesterday,” Olivia replied with a scowl. “It seems my little bundle of joy is just way too comfortable to make an entrance right now. But he better hurry up because I am sick and tired of feeling like a beached whale.” “Olivia! You look nothing like a whale. You skin is glowing and you have this gleam in your eyes. You know, I have always thought

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pregnant women have an aura around them. It’s hard for me to explain, but it’s like they know the secrets of the world. Silly, I know,” Keeley said with a shrug and lowered her head when her cheeks heated with embarrassment. “Oh, that’s so nice,” Olivia said with a hitch in her voice. “You’re a bitch, Keeley, you made me cry. I hate to cry.” “Sorry,” she replied and heard the tremor in her own voice. “You know I’m only joking, right? You’re not a bitch. I have a vicious tongue and I use it to control my own emotions. Not that it’s working at the moment,” Olivia stated with a sniff, and Keeley saw her wiping the moisture from her cheeks. “Really?” “Yeah, really. I was a real spiteful bitch when I first arrived here. April was the only one who understood me. I didn’t want to have men pining after me even though I could barely keep my hands off of them myself. I had to learn to trust them and their feelings for me. You will know yourself by now that your mates couldn’t help but love you as soon as they laid eyes on you. Right?” Olivia asked, scrutinizing her face. “Uh, if you say so,” she replied and bit her tongue as a tear tracked down the side of her face. Olivia grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. She didn’t protest because more tears had followed the first one and she could feel another storm brewing. She followed Olivia, her eyesight blurry, and nearly tripped when Olivia stopped abruptly. Keeley looked around and found they were outside in a large landscaped garden. A large pond filled with fish was off to her right and a massive hammock to her left. “What’s wrong, Keeley?” Olivia asked quietly. “They don’t like me,” she whispered and felt more tears flow from her eyes. “Who doesn’t like you? Your mates?”

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“The rest of the pride members,” she sobbed out. “They all look at me as if I’m something they stepped in. One of the women was so jealous she attacked me and nearly killed me. Another of their women has just told me I will never be accepted as the mate to their Alphas by any of the pride because I can’t change shape like they can and I wasn’t born in this place. I’m causing problems for my mates. How much longer do I have before they start to hate me, too?” She couldn’t even tell Olivia about the whole mating bond thing she was supposed to feel. As soon as she thought of it, she began tearing up again. Keeley gave in to the storm of emotion when Olivia wrapped her arms around her waist. She lowered her head onto her new friend’s shoulder and cried until she was emotionally drained. She gave a last hiccup then laughed with shock when she felt a kick against her belly. “Wow, that was awesome,” she whispered and pulled back from Olivia to stare at her protruding belly. “Yeah,” Olivia replied and gave her a sappy smile. “You can live here with us, Keeley. You’re not going back to where you’re not wanted. We’ll make sure you are looked after.” “What if my men come looking for me? I don’t want anyone hurt because of me. You remember what happened the last time I was here, don’t you?” she asked. “Don’t worry about it. My mates are the head of security around here. I’ll have a little chat with them to get them to beef up security. Your mates won’t get in here unless we let them and I will make my men promise not to hurt yours. Okay?” Olivia queried. “All right. But if things get out of hand I will have to at least talk to them. I don’t want any of you in danger because of me.” “Oh please,” Olivia said with a snort. “My guys will do anything for me right now. Look at me. Can you see them refusing me?” Keeley saw Olivia looking down at her currently moving belly with fascination, and knew her friend was right. Olivia no doubt had

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her men wrapped around her little finger since she was so hugely pregnant. “Come on, I’m hungry,” Olivia stated and grabbed Keeley’s hand again. She followed Olivia back into the dining room and felt all her tension leave for the first time since waking up that morning. She sat next to her friend and ate while watching Olivia consume an astonishingly large amount of food. Her friend must have seen her awe because she turned to her with a smile. “I’m eating for two, you know.” Keeley burst out laughing at the chagrined grin on Olivia’s face. Once she had her mirth back under control she leaned over and whispered to her. “I wouldn’t know it. You’ve haven’t gained any weight. You look like you have a beach ball shoved under your skin.” “I knew there was reason I liked you,” Olivia replied and moaned with pleasure as she put more food in her mouth. “Keeley, how are you? It’s so nice to see you again.” Keeley looked over her shoulder to see April standing behind with her baby in her arms. “Hi, April. It’s good to see you, too. My, your baby is so beautiful.” “I think so. Would you like to hold her?” “If you don’t mind,” she said and gazed adoringly down into the baby girl’s sweet face when she was in her arms. Baby Jade had the most perfect, exquisitely formed face. Her lips were a perfect pink bow, and her skin looked so soft. She reached up and stroked the pad of a finger over Jade’s small cheek. As she stared down at the baby in her arms she felt a yearning so deep and fierce she had blink back tears. She had dreamed of holding her own baby in her arms like this, but she knew that if she weren’t already pregnant she would never have the chance to be. She was in love with her mates even if she hadn’t said the words yet, and if they couldn’t work things out she

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would never be able to let another man touch her. She was the type of person who loved with her whole being, and no one else would ever measure up to her man or, in this case, men. She sighed as she looked down into the innocent face of the infant and saw her dreams of becoming a mother shatter.

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Chapter Eleven Liam looked outside the dining chamber glass doors and saw that the moon had traveled quite a distance across the sky. He cursed the fact that pride business had kept him, his brother, and their new friend, Bradford, busy for such a long time. It had been hours since they had seen Keeley leave the room, and he hadn’t sighted her once since. He growled with frustration as they dealt with the last issues. He pushed back his chair and hurried to the garden. His brother and Bradford were close behind him. He slowed when he heard hushed voices and held up his hand to indicate the others should stay quiet. He moved closer to the bushes separating them from whoever else was in the garden. “What you said to her worked. She left without a backward glance and she had tears in her eyes. I followed her for a time but she was so caught up in her own misery she didn’t even know I was behind her. She was in such a daze I don’t think she knew where she was going.” “She was so easy to get to. If it had been me I would have fought tooth and nail for my mates. It’s just as well she left. She’s not even worthy enough to breathe the same air as our Alphas.” Liam felt a knot of dread and fear forming in the pit of his stomach. He knew the female and male talking had been seen with Louisa more often than not. He also knew Keeley was no longer in the gardens, and her scent trail led away, into the forest. Liam began to growl low from his chest. The rage built up and poured over him. The sound which he emitted was that of a furious, wounded Alpha lion. His brother Lucius and Bradford must have been

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as infuriated as he was, because their loud roars joined with his. He had never felt so violent or livid before in his life. He leapt around the bushes and pinned the two members of his pride with his enraged stare, and then he grabbed hold of their throats and squeezed. It took both Lucius and Bradford to get him to let them go, and he wasn’t gentle about it. He flung the lower-ranking male pride member, Lawrence, away from him and didn’t watch to see him land. He turned to the female, Liza, and found her whimpering and cowering before him. Taking hold of her collar, he lifted her feet from the ground. Liam was bluffing, but Liza didn’t know that. He had never thought Liza would hurt anyone. He suspected Louisa had a hand in what she had said to his mate. Liza had been friends with the shebitch, and he had often wondered how that relationship worked. Liza was a total opposite of Louisa. She was kind and gentle most of the time. “What the fuck have you done? What did you say to my mate and where the hell is she?” Liam asked with a roar. “I–I–I’m sorry, my Alpha, please don’t hurt me.” “Why should I not hurt you after you have obviously hurt my mate enough for her to leave, Liza? Now tell me what you said to make my mate leave, or so help me I will torture the information out of you.” Liza recounted the insults she had made to Keeley. When she had finished, she said, “Please forgive me, my Alpha. I know I should have come to you, but Louisa has been lurking in the forest and she cornered me. She threatened to kill me if I didn’t do what she said.” Liam could see the truth and fear in her eyes. He turned his head and looked at Lucius and Bradford. “Get all the seasoned warriors out searching for that she-bitch. We need to deal with her before we bring our mate home. I am tired of this infighting. We will deal with the dissension in our own pride before we have Keeley living here comfortably. Call a meeting for one hour

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hence. We will lay down the law after we let our pride members explain their actions. Only then will we bring our woman back home. There is no fucking way I will bring the woman I love back into this place until I know she will be treated with the respect she deserves,” Liam stated furiously. “You will leave my sight, Liza, I do not want you within my vicinity anytime soon.” “Are you b–banishing me, Alpha?” Liza asked tremulously. “No. Just stay away from me and let me cool down. Lucius, bring Lawrence over here.” Liam watched as his brother moved over to the supine Lawrence, who hadn’t made a move to stand up and draw more attention to himself. The young warrior stood before him with his head bowed in obeisance. “Why?” Lucius roared the question before Liam could and watched when his brother shook the man with fury. “W–We… I–I—” “Speak up now before I rip your fucking throat out,” Liam commanded. “There is a rumor that your mate tried to kill you both, and Louisa stepped in to save you.” Lawrence spoke so quickly, Liam had trouble separating the words until they were intelligible. When he finally worked out what the young man said, he laughed, but his laughter wasn’t humorous. It was full of anger. “And how do you think she would have been able to achieve such a thing?” Lucius spat out. Liam waited to see if Lawrence would answer, but he didn’t. He saw the young man’s face turn crimson when he obviously realized how impossible that scenario was. “Where did our mate go?” Liam yelled. “She was found by one of the panther clan. She is safe inside their home,” Lawrence replied. “Leave my sight. Do not come near me until my mate is safely back inside the pride house,” Liam snarled. Lawrence scurried away.

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“What the hell have we done? How could we have not known of what was going on right beneath our noses? Fuck! I had no idea that was the reason for the scowls directed our mate’s way,” Lucius barked out. “It would seem we have been remiss in the care of our woman,” Bradford stated. “We need to deal with this and then we will try and win our mate back.” “It won’t be easy. The last time we were at the panther clan’s home they said they would tear us apart if we returned,” Lucius reminded them. “Shit. They aren’t going to let us within calling distance of their den. What the hell are we going to do?” Liam asked dejectedly. “Maybe I can get to Ben Koku alone and appeal to him since he is of the same species as I,” Bradford suggested. “It’s worth a try, I suppose. Other than that we will have to fight our way in. If we do that, Keeley won’t ever want to return. Fuck! Why in the hell would seasoned warriors believe our mate would attempt to kill us? How could they believe such crap when they know she isn’t a shifter but a human woman? Has everyone in this pride taken leave of their senses?” Liam queried and ran a hand over his face in frustration. “We will call that meeting now, Liam. I don’t want to wait any longer. Our pride members deserve our ire and we need to lay down the law. Anyone not willing to accept our mate will be banished just as Louisa was. We can’t have the members of our pride trying to run this pack. We have been remiss in our leadership while our mate recovered from her injuries. It is time to take back our leadership and show this pride that we won’t be circumvented or challenged. We are the Alphas of this pride and what we say goes!” Lucius roared. “You’re right, of course. I will place the call now,” Liam replied. Liam drew in a deep breath and let out a massive roar. He knew every pride member would hear his call and run to the meeting place

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no matter where they had been or to what duties they were attending. No one in their family had ever denied a call from their Alphas. Five minutes later Liam strode into the dining chamber with determination, and Lucius and Bradford walked by his sides. The room was packed to capacity, and they crammed together tightly to fit everyone within the four walls. They had so many members that two sittings were planned for every meal. To have everyone in the room at one time was not usually done. Liam leapt up onto the table he usually sat at to eat, and Lucius and Bradford followed suit. He glared at the senior warriors as he waited until the noise in the room diminished to silence. “It has been brought to our attention there is a rumor making the rounds regarding our mate. I would like you to tell me how you think a human female, a non-shifter, would have the strength to kill three Alpha male shifters,” Liam said loudly and then waited. “What, no one has an answer? Why is that do you think?” “Maybe our pride members realize how ludicrous that situation is, brother!” Lucius yelled. “Maybe they do not realize how our mate was attacked and nearly died because a female member of this pride was jealous? Maybe they do not realize those rumors were started by the she-bitch who was banished because our mate nearly died and spent nearly two weeks in bed recovering? Maybe they do not realize how important it is to us to have our mate living in our pride house happily and treated respectfully the way she should have been treated from the start?” Bradford roared. “I have never been disappointed in the members of this pride before. Until now. How could you all believe our mate could hurt us? How dare you all treat her as if she was unworthy to be in your presence! Did you think it was your job to treat her so disrespectfully that our mate would leave us? For you have all achieved what you set out to do. Our mate has left us and is now living in the panther clan house. If we are not able to get our mate back it will be the fault of

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every member of this pride. You have hurt an innocent woman and have no doubt jeopardized our relationship with our mate. We will not have any of you treating our mate with anything other than respect. If you cannot do so you may leave this house but you will not be welcomed back,” Liam stated adamantly. “There is the door,” Lucius said. “If you cannot live with our mate in this house and treat her the way she should be treated, leave now!” Liam noted that his people were not looking at him, his brother, or Bradford. In fact they all look quite shameful. No one moved toward to door. As one they all knelt down in subservience and bowed their heads. The apologies began then. They came thick and fast, but he and the two men beside him didn’t acknowledge them. He was still too furious to accept that they were sincere. Liam knew they had their work cut out for them. They had to find a way to get their mate out of the panther clan den or a way for them to get inside without being killed. Once the occupants of the room quieted again, he gestured for the room to clear, but halted the most senior of his warriors. He jumped from the table and sat down, and the preparation began.

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Chapter Twelve Keeley tossed and turned throughout the night. She was in a strange room and a strange bed. The bed was large enough to have accommodated her as well as her mates, and since she was used to them by her side, she was having a hell of a time sleeping. Her eyes were sore and she was so tired they felt like she had sand in them, but she still could not seem to drift off. Her mind kept going over what that woman had told her, and no matter how hard she tried to push it from her mind she couldn’t. So when the knock on her door sounded, she hurried to answer with relief. She opened the door to see April waiting anxiously. “Get dressed, we need to hurry to Olivia,” April stated. “What’s going on?” she asked. “Olivia’s in labor and she wants you and me to help her during the birth,” April replied. “Oh no. She doesn’t want me there. I have no idea about birth or babies.” “Ha, do you think she cares? Come on, shake a leg. You won’t actually have to help much. We just need to be there so she can cuss at us.” “Why would she want to do that?” “Because that is what women in labor do. We help each other out, now hurry up. Olivia is going to torture her poor mates with her tongue if we don’t get a wriggle on.” Keeley didn’t bother trying to protest this time. She hurried over to the chair where she had draped her clothes and quickly dressed. She didn’t even think about what her hair looked like after tossing and

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turning half the night. She followed April through the rabbit-warrenlike corridors until they came to a set of double doors at the end of the hall. April opened the doors, and Keeley closed them quietly behind her. She looked up when she heard a moan of pain and saw Olivia reclining on a large bed. Off to the side, a few yards away, were her mates. She tried to remember their names, but the only one that came to her was Cedric. “It’s about fucking time you two got here. What took you so long? Did you stop to knit a pair of booties on the way?” Olivia snarled. Keeley was too shocked by the venom in the woman’s voice to answer. She bit her lip and tried to dig her heels in when April began to tug her across the room to the bed. “Don’t be a bitch, Liv,” April replied. “Yeah and you love me because of it,” Olivia replied. She moaned in pain again and Keeley stopped resisting April’s tugging. Both women hurried over to her. “Are you—” Keeley began. “Don’t finish that sentence,” April interrupted quickly. “You don’t want an emotional bitch on your hands.” “You are such a bitch, April. Get over here and rub my back,” Olivia called. Keeley followed April over to the bed. Copying April, she offered Olivia a hand to hold. A moment later she wished she hadn’t. She bit her tongue to hold in her cry of pain as Olivia crushed her fingers, making her bones roll over each other as the laboring woman rode out another contraction. “Holy shit, Liv. Are you trying to break my hand?” April asked. She pulled her hand away and shook it. “Hey, stop complaining. You did it to me,” Olivia replied. “I did not,” April replied. “Did, too,” Olivia groaned out. Keeley couldn’t help it. The two women sounded so childish she burst out laughing. She was surprised and pleased when Olivia’s

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mates joined in with her. She gave them a smile and looked back to see Olivia and April staring at her as if she’d lost her mind. “What’s so funny?” April asked. “You two are. Do you even listen to yourselves? You sound like petulant children,” Keeley stated. “Just wait until you’re about to give birth, Keeley,” Olivia panted. “Then I’ll stand around and make snippy observations.” Keeley was taken aback at first, but then she saw that Olivia was smiling at her and she knew then that the two women were bantering back and forth as a distraction to Olivia’s pain. She decided she liked this game and wanted to have a little fun herself. “Get over yourself, Olivia. The pain can’t be that bad. It’s not like you’re dying, you know. Women give birth every day and get through it just fine,” she said quietly and couldn’t hide the smile forming. “Uh-oh, I think we’ve created a monster,” April stated. “No, I just like the way you two work,” she replied and removed her hand from Olivia’s. “Where’s the healer? I feel the urge to push,” Olivia informed. Keeley did laugh when Olivia’s mates rose from their chairs and ran to the bed. It was the funniest thing she had ever seen. The three men were in such a hurry and panic that they ended up banging into each other. She laughed so much she had tears running from her eyes. It was only the sound of Olivia groaning and panting that pulled her from her humor. She began to worry when the healer didn’t arrive, so she helped April prepare her new friend for the birth of her first child. The healer did eventually turn up but just as Olivia gave birth to a baby boy. Keeley had the baby wrapped up in a sheet and was cleaning his face when the man entered the room. Olivia was in throes of another contraction, but she did manage to glare at the man for his tardiness. By the time the birth was over and the mother and baby were cleaned up and resting on the bed surrounded by three proud fathers, Keeley was utterly exhausted. She had never realized how

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emotionally draining it was to watch someone else give birth. She slowly made her way back to her room and noticed the sun was just rising in the east, the first rays lighting the sky with pinks and reds. She entered her room, washed up, and fell into bed. She was sound asleep seconds later. **** Banging on her door woke her from a deep sleep. Keeley sat up, pushed her hair from her face, and glanced outside. The sun was high in the sky, and she knew she had slept half the day away. She pulled the top sheet from the bed, wrapped it around her nakedness, and went to answer the door. April’s mate Ben stood at the door looking angry and impatient. “Thank the Goddess. Get dressed quickly. Your mates are here and they will end up starting a fight if they don’t get to see you,” Ben stated. “What?” Keeley replied and cursed the tremor in her voice. She had heard everything Ben had said, but she was stalling for time. She didn’t want to see her mates. Their pride wasn’t interested in having her in their home. There was no way in hell she was going back. It didn’t matter that that thought sent shards of pain piercing into her heart. She gasped as she breathed through her pain then straightened and looked at Ben. “I don’t want to see them,” she said adamantly. “Please get dressed, Keeley, and then we can talk. If your mates don’t at least see that you are okay, they will start a bloodbath trying to get in here. Is that what you want? Do you want to see—” “Stop, okay. I’ll be there in a minute,” Keeley answered and slammed the door closed. She nearly tripped over the sheet as she hurried over to her clothes. She dropped the sheet and pulled her clothes on. She didn’t bother about her hair. She just gathered it

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behind her head and pulled it into a knot at the back of her head. She flung the door open and followed Ben. A knot of anxiety had lodged in her chest, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t shift it. By the time Ben slowed down, she was breathless. They had gone up a flight of stairs and traveled the neverending corridors. She had no idea where she was, and she had to run to keep up with his long-legged strides. He stopped and turned toward her and Keeley looked behind him to see they were near a balcony of sorts. “I will keep you safe, Keeley. By bringing you here you are still in our house but your mates will be able to see you are well. Please, come out and show them you are unharmed,” Ben said, holding his hand out to her. “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you. If you want me to leave, I will,” Keeley stated. She took another deep breath and reached for Ben’s hand. She felt her knees shaking as he led her out onto a large semicircular balcony. With her free hand, she gratefully grasped the rail surrounding the edge. They made her feel a little more protected. She looked down and saw her mates staring up at her. They had fire in their eyes and started to growl when they saw her holding Ben’s hand. Keeley released Ben and moved closer to the rail. She stood staring back at her mates and felt a deep yearning. She wanted to go to them and hold them. She wanted them to hold her and make her feel safe once more, but she couldn’t. She wasn’t about to force the members of their pride to put up with her when it was obvious they hated her. She’d never felt the mating bond, so maybe the pride was right that she didn’t belong. “Keeley, are you well?” Liam asked. She gave a slight nod of her head because she didn’t think she could have spoken at that moment. Her breathing was choppy, and her chest and throat were so tight with a huge lump of emotion that she couldn’t get enough oxygen.

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“Keeley, we are sorry for the treatment you have received from our people. We didn’t know what was happening. We have only just learned of the rumors that vicious she-bitch spread about you and have corrected the situation,” Lucius explained. “What rumors?” she asked and cursed the fact she heard her voice waver. “You didn’t even know?” Bradford asked. She shook her head again and waited for one of her mates to explain what they were talking about. Liam’s voice drew her attention back to him. “Sweetness, we are so sorry for what you have been through. I am even sorrier that we didn’t know what was happening.” “Baby, that bitch told everyone you had tried to kill us and that she had to step in to defend us,” Bradford informed. Keeley was stupefied by that statement, and then she began to laugh. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard, but what was worse was that the pride members had believed that woman’s lies. She laughed so hard she was bent over at the waist clutching her stomach. She had tears streaming over her cheeks, and then, to her dismay, her laughter turned into great gut-wrenching sobs. Her knees buckled. She was oblivious to her surroundings as she cried out all her pain. She was vaguely aware of Ben trying to comfort her, but then he backed off when she didn’t respond to his overtures. All of a sudden she was surrounded by heat and comfort. She was wrapped in Liam’s arms and pulled onto his lap. Lucius and Bradford were stroking her arms and back. The storm of emotion wound down and finally passed, until she was left breathless and the occasional hiccup wracked her body. She looked up into the concerned, anxious faces of her mates and wondered how they had gotten up onto the balcony with her. She looked down at the ground and then back up to her mates. “We are shifters, baby, we have abilities humans don’t,” Bradford stated.

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“Where’s Ben?” she asked as she looked around her mates. “He left us with you when you didn’t protest our presence,” Liam replied. “Keeley, we are so sorry. Will you please come back home with us? We need you by our sides. We can’t be without you, honey,” Lucius avowed. “They will never accept me. I can’t live where I am not wanted,” she sobbed. “You are wanted, baby. They just didn’t know the truth. We have corrected the lies told about you. All the warriors and the pride people are very ashamed that they were taken in by that she-bitch’s lies. They know they were wrong. They know you wouldn’t have tried to kill us and even if you had you wouldn’t have been able to,” Bradford stated. “But they will be accepting me on your say-so, not on who I am. They don’t know me and yet they wanted to believe the worst of me. I have spent most of my time in your bedroom healing. What makes you believe they won’t do this again at the first sign of trouble?” “Keeley, please come home. We will deal with situations as they come up. Please, just give us and our people another chance,” Liam pleaded. “Like they gave me?” she asked angrily. She pushed away from Liam. Keeley rose to her feet and began to pace. “They didn’t trust me and they don’t trust you. How can I live there and not be under their suspicions again and again?” “Honey, please calm down. You’re going to make yourself ill. Our people do trust us and they will trust you. They’ve hardly seen you and they don’t know you like we do. I think they were going by instinct when Louisa spread those rumors. They just wanted to protect us. They will learn to love you the way we do. Just give them time to get to know you. You are such a sweet, loving person, Keeley. Please, will you forgive us and come back home where you belong?” Lucius begged.

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Keeley stopped pacing and turned to look at her mates. The thought of never being in their arms again, of never experiencing their loving touch and not having them by her sides, was too much to bear. She wanted to love them freely, she wanted to have their children and grow old with them. She would go back with them but she was going to ask for time to see if what they said was true. Lucius had said they loved her, but she knew the pride didn’t. Their actions spoke louder than any words. She looked at her mates and said, “Okay.” She would go back with them, and if things didn’t change she would try to find her way home. She saw the gleam of satisfaction in their eyes and hoped like hell she had done the right thing.

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Chapter Thirteen Keeley felt her tension increasing the closer they got to the pride home. Her mates had taken turns carrying her, and she was currently in Bradford’s arms. Her muscles wound tighter and tighter, until she was afraid she would snap. “Put me down. I want to walk into that house under my own steam,” she whispered. “You have nothing to be afraid of, baby. No one will harm you,” Bradford informed. “Actions speak louder than words, Bradford. The past results speak for themselves,” she muttered and was grateful when her feet touched the ground. She looked up at Liam and Lucius as they moved to her sides and Bradford moved behind her. She felt some of the tension leave her body and began to walk toward the house. She could just see the roof peeking out in between the large trees. She held her head high, jutted her chin forward, and pushed her shoulders back. There was no way she was going to cower in the presence of the pride members. Keeley hesitated slightly when she saw the front steps lined on either side with warriors. She wondered how they knew she had been on her way home. As she walked up the steps, each warrior knelt down and placed one arm across his chest in supplication to her and her mates. She wondered if this had been arranged for her benefit. She gave a snort and ignored them as she entered the house. She nearly stumbled when she saw the hallways were lined on either side with more warriors, and as she passed they each knelt and saluted her in their warrior way.

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She nearly laughed when her stomach growled. It seemed like forever since she had last eaten. She’d only had enough time to bathe, brush her hair, and dress, but she did get time to thank April and her mates for the hospitality, and to peek in on Olivia and her mates, as well as see newly born, baby Ryan. She had rushed out the front door, hoping her men hadn’t cause any trouble while they waited for her. Now she led the way to the dining chamber and took a seat at the head table. The warriors had followed behind and were now streaming in through the double doors. There wasn’t a noise from amongst them. Keeley took a seat, and her mates sat down beside her. Liam was to her right, and Bradford was to her left. Lucius surprised the hell out of her by pulling her chair back, lifting her up, and taking her seat for himself. She was about to move off in a pique, but he stopped her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. “What are you doing?” she asked. “I need to feel you in my arms,” Lucius replied. “I can’t eat like this,” she stated. “Yes, you can. I’ll help you.” “You’re impossible.” “Yes,” Lucius replied with a grin and then began to fill the plate in front of him from the platters which had just been placed on the table. When he had the plate piled high, he picked up a utensil, retrieved some food, and guided it to her mouth. Keeley sighed and leaned back against his chest and shoulder. She let him feed her. She was aware of the eyes on her, and when she looked up and glared at the pride, they would smile and nod at her. She didn’t smile back. By the time the meal was over she was too tired to care what they thought of her. She’d been on an emotional roller coaster since the night before, and that was more exhausting than actual physical work. She shook her head when Lucius tried to feed her more food and covered her mouth when a yawn crept out. She snuggled into Lucius and laid her head back on his shoulder. Her eyelids were too

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heavy to keep open, so she didn’t even bother to try. She drifted into sleep moments later. **** Lucius felt Keeley’s body relax against his, and then he heard her breathing change. His precious mate was asleep. He cuddled her tighter into his body and looked down at her beautiful face. He was so happy to have her back in their home, but he knew they still had a long way to go to get her trust back as well as earn her love. He had been watching their pride members intently to make sure they behaved with the appropriate respect his mate deserved. He’d had to bite his tongue so he wouldn’t burst into laughter when he caught Keeley glaring at their warriors, but was glad his men had just smiled and nodded to her. Lucius loved Keeley with his whole heart and knew their people would love her just as much. Who wouldn’t! She was such a gentle, even-tempered woman, and even though she’d been maligned and attacked she hadn’t said one bad word about anyone. She sighed, and he smiled as she snuggled into his shoulder. He wanted to go on holding her for the rest of his life, but knew he was going to have to relinquish her from his arms and put her to bed. He wanted his mate to get a good night’s sleep, and maybe tomorrow she would be willing to bear their touch. He needed to strip her down and bury his aching cock into her tight, wet heat, but he also craved her to desire him back. Maybe the new dawn would bring a brighter day for all of them. Lucius rose to his feet and pushed the chair back with his foot. He saw his brother and Bradford rise as well. He headed out the door and down the hallway and waited for Liam or Bradford to open their bedroom door. He hadn’t wanted to risk jostling his mate and waking her. He strode over to the bed and gently placed her on the mattress. He began to remove Keeley’s clothes with Liam’s help, and then he

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picked her up again while Bradford pulled the covers back. He put Keeley back onto the bed and covered her naked body. He stripped out of his clothes and climbed in behind her. Bradford disrobed and got into bed on their mate’s other side. He looked up to see Liam getting into bed at the end. Lucius pulled her back against his front and kept his arms around her waist. Bradford had his back to their mate and inched his way back until she was sandwiched between them. Lucius knew Liam would touch Keeley in some way as well. He closed his eyes and let his body relax for the first time since their mate had disappeared. She was back where she was supposed to be, with him, his brother, and Bradford. Now all they had to do was make Keeley believe they loved her and wanted her to stay by their side. **** Bradford couldn’t sleep. He was in pain. His cock was so hard he swore he could break rock with it. Keeley had her arm lying across his chest, underneath his arm. She was still asleep, but her hand was caressing his chest and she inadvertently touched one of his nipples intermittently. He groaned and shifted again, trying to get comfortable. It was impossible. He felt Keeley shifting restlessly and could smell her arousal. He bit his tongue when her leg slipped in between his. He wanted to roll over and ravage her, but he didn’t. He heard her moan, and she thrust her hips into his ass. His little mate was turned on, but still he didn’t move to touch her. If Keeley wanted them, she would have to make the first move. Bradford groaned as her hand glided down over his torso and headed straight to his crotch. He bit his tongue harder until he tasted his own blood and just barely prevented himself from pumping his hips when her hand wrapped around his hard cock. His dick jerked in her hand when he smelled her cream drift up to his nostrils. He felt

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the butterfly-soft touch of her lips on his shoulder and turned his head to see her looking at him. “Keeley, if you don’t want this to go any further, you have to stop now,” Bradford whispered. He grunted when she pumped her hand up and down his shaft, and he knew she wanted his touch as much as he wanted hers. He reached down and pulled her hand away from his cock and rolled over to his other side. Keeley’s eyes were glazed with need. Bradford pulled her onto her back and cupped her cheek with his large hand. He stared at the contrast of his tanned flesh against her creamy whiteness. He leaned up and sipped at her lips. She responded, and then she held his head to hers. She threaded her fingers into his hair and opened her mouth. He groaned when he felt her tongue lick over his lips. He gently took a handful of her hair and deepened the kiss. He growled as he swept his tongue into her moist depths and ravaged her mouth. He couldn’t get enough of her and knew he would spend the rest of his life loving her and trying to make up for the actions of the others. He loved her so damn much he wanted to crawl inside her and never leave. Bradford wound the kiss down when they needed to breathe, and then he placed light kisses all over her face. He kissed her cheeks, her nose, her eyelids, and then her lips again. He nibbled along her jawline until he encountered her ear. He sucked on her earlobe and then he slowly licked around the shell of her ear. She shivered, and he knew he had found another of her sweet spots. Attentively, he laved it, and then he licked down the side of her neck. She moaned as he made his way down her chest to her breasts. Feeling movement on the bed, he opened his eyes and saw that Liam and Lucius were awake. He drew back and looked into her passion-glazed eyes. “Will you let us love you, little one?” Bradford asked. He saw her give a slight nod, but he wanted to hear the words. “Tell me, baby. Do you want us to love you?”

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“Yes,” she moaned. Bradford looked to Lucius and Liam, and knew he probably looked as hungry as they did. He lowered his head and licked over the turgid peak on top of Keeley’s breast. He smiled against her flesh when she arched her chest up to him. He opened his mouth and sucked her nipple in between his lips, caged the tip between his teeth, and flicked his tongue back and forth over it. When he had her writhing beneath him he licked his way down over her stomach and moved in between her thighs. He looked up as Liam moved to join him. They were going to give her so much pleasure, and only after they made her come numerous times would he and his friends seek their own release. Bradford gently pushed Keeley’s thighs wider and lowered his head to her mound. He inhaled her delicious scent, and then he licked her from ass to clit. He paused at the top of her pussy and massaged her little nub with the tip of his tongue. He loved the sounds she made as they pleasured her and knew he would want to hear them each and every day. Liam moved next to him and Keeley mewled when his friend began to push a finger into her wet cunt. He held on to one hip as she bucked up into his mouth. He sucked on her harder and knew by her escalated breathing that she was close to her first orgasm. She screamed, and he growled and moved his head down to her pussy to lap up her cum. Liam obligingly withdrew his fingers from Keeley’s cunt and he licked them clean. Bradford wanted to gather all the cream that was flowing from her pussy as she climaxed and wasn’t willing to miss a drop. When the last shudder left her body, she slumped back against the mattress. Bradford wanted to make his mate come again and again, but his cock was aching so badly he couldn’t hold back anymore. He shoved Liam aside, moved up between her legs, held the base of his dick, and began to penetrate her. He heard her moan and knew her arousal was

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firing back up. Lucius was sucking and pinching her nipples while Liam was licking over her belly. He took his time easing his hard erection into his mate’s body. He pumped his hips with slow, short movements and growled as Keeley’s delicate flesh spread and accepted him into her cunt. He held still when he was halfway in, giving her rippling, clenching pussy time to adjust to his width and presence. He looked up to see her head thrashing back and forth on the pillow. He inched forward again, until he felt his balls connect with the cheeks of her ass. He gripped her hips and began to move with a slow, easy rhythm. In and out, he slid his cock with small, sharp digs, then deeper and faster. He alternated his rhythm between slow and fast, and gentle and hard. He didn’t want to reach his climax too early or before Keeley. He wanted to make it last. He loved having her cunt clutching at his dick and bathing him in her cream. He wanted to stay buried in her for eternity. Bradford slid his hand beneath Keeley’s ass and tilted her hips up. He knew he was rubbing against her sweet spot when she cried out and met his hips thrust for thrust. He saw Liam move up to her chest and then he and his brother were both suckling on her nipples. He could feel the warning tingle of impending climax at the base of his spine, and he lifted Keeley’s hips up completely from the bed as he rose up onto his knees. He pumped his hips faster and harder, his cock sliding in and out of her sopping-wet pussy. She rippled around his dick and her neck arched, the muscles in her throat straining for the pleasure he was bestowing on her. He rammed his cock faster, harder, and deeper, the friction from their sliding flesh almost too much bliss to bear. He wrapped his arms around her thighs and spread them out as far as they could comfortably go. Bradford pounded his hips against her, shuttling his cock in and out of her tight wet, sheath. And then she was there. She screamed just before her pussy clamped down on his cock like a hard fist, and then her body released and clenched on him again. The pulsations of her climax rippled

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along his length as he slid in and out of her cunt. He felt the warm tingle at his spine fire up to an inferno to encompass his groin. His muscles hardened and bulged in his neck, and he threw his head back and roared when his balls drew up tight to his body. He pumped his hips twice more. His cock jerked as he shot load after load of cum into his mate’s cunt and womb. His orgasm triggered another for her. Each only seemed to draw out the other’s pleasure. The climax seemed to go on and on until finally, with one more shudder, they each collapsed back onto the bed. Liam and Lucius moved away as he covered her with his body. Bradford used his elbows to keep most of his weight off of Keeley and leaned down to kiss her lips. He poured every bit of emotion he felt into that kiss and hoped she understood she meant more to him than she would ever know. He finally released her lips and stared down into her passion-flushed face. Goddess, she was so beautiful. “I love you, Keeley,” Bradford whispered and slowly eased his shrinking cock from her body. His limbs shook, and he collapsed onto the bed beside her, thankful that Lucius had moved. He turned his head and looked at his mate. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes as she studied him intently while she nibbled on her bottom lip. She had never looked so sexy. “You don’t have to say the words back to me, baby. Just know that I mean them and am giving my heart to you.”

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Chapter Fourteen Liam couldn’t wait another moment to love Keeley. His balls ached, and his cock bobbed up and down with the rapid beat of his heart. He got off the bed and headed to the bathing chamber. He wet a cloth, wrung it out, and soaped it up. Back in the bedroom, he began to clean Keeley’s pussy. He threw the cloth onto the floor and sat between her thighs. He pushed them wider and looked at her as he lowered his mouth to her cunt. He laved over her clit with light, gentle laps, knowing she would be sensitive from Bradford’s loving. She moaned, and he slowly applied more pressure to her clit with each pass of his tongue. He took hold of her pelvis when she bucked up into his mouth and then set about loving her in earnest. He pushed a fingertip into her cunt and growled with appreciation when her muscles clenched on him. He licked and sucked on her little pearl and thrust his finger in deep. He pumped in and out of her wet sheath, making sure to pass the pad of his finger over her G-spot. He added another finger and thrust in and out, faster and deeper with every forward move. He withdrew his tongue and rubbed his lips over her clit until she thrashed beneath him. Using his nose, he pushed up against the top of her pussy, releasing the sensitive bundle of nerves from its protective hood. He opened his mouth and sucked her clit into his mouth. He groaned into her flesh as she cried out with pleasure. Liam growled when Keeley’s internal walls clamped down on his fingers and she screamed in rapture. He made sure to enhance her bliss by pumping his fingers in and out of her cunt until the last spasm and ripple faded away. He crawled up between her splayed thighs,

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aimed for her pussy, and thrust his hips forward. He stopped when his cock was inside her halfway, giving her time to adjust to his penetration, and when her muscles released he slid in the rest of the way. He pumped in and out of her few times, and then he slid his legs beneath hers, spreading her wide, and pulled her up onto his lap. He looked over his shoulder at Lucius and gave his brother a nod. He pulled Keeley into his chest until her breasts pillowed into his skin and her head rested on his shoulder. He gently tugged on her long hair, tilting her face up to his. He leaned down and ravished her mouth with his as he held her hips still. He swept his tongue into her mouth and explored every single nook and cranny of her depths. By the time he slowed the kiss and weaned his mouth from hers, they were both breathing heavily. Liam looked down into Keeley’s heavy-lidded, passion-glazed eyes and let her see the love he felt for her in his own. He heard her breath catch, but she didn’t say anything. She just reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand. He turned his head and kissed the center of her palm. She sighed, and then she rested her forehead on his chest. He looked at Lucius as his brother moved in close to Keeley’s back and held her hips more firmly. Liam leaned down and whispered into her ear. “I love you, Keeley. Lucius and I are going to make love with you together. Lucius is going to take your ass. Try not to tense up, honey, we don’t want to hurt you.” “Mmm-mmm.” Liam knew Lucius was massaging their mate’s asshole when he felt her flinch. He caressed her hips with his thumbs, trying to soothe her and help her relax. He felt her sheath tighten and knew his brother had penetrated her anus. “You are so fucking beautiful, Keeley. I love you, sweetness,” Lucius rasped out. “Just breathe in and out for me, Keeley. That’s it. Good girl. Goddess, you are sexy. I’m going to add another finger now, sweetheart. Oh fuck yeah, you are so special to me, Keeley. I

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love the way you respond to us loving you. I have three fingers in your ass now, sweetness. You love it when we fuck you together, don’t you, mate?” “Yes. God, yes. Please. I need more,” she cried out. “We’ll give you what you need, honey. Just let us do all the work,” Liam said breathlessly. Liam watched as Lucius’s front connected with Keeley’s back. When he felt her cunt clench on his hard cock, he knew that his brother was beginning to penetrate his mate’s ass. Her breath sobbed in and out of her lungs, and she dug her nails into his shoulders, clinging to him. He heard her guttural moan as her pussy got tighter and tighter. “I’m in all the way, Keeley. Are you okay?” Lucius panted. “Yes! No! Move! Please, I need you to move,” she begged. Liam didn’t wait another moment. He pulled his cock out and then pushed back in. As he thrust his hips forward his brother withdrew his dick from Keeley’s ass. Bradford moved in close to Keeley’s side and rose up onto his knees. She must have caught his movement as well, because she turned her head and, without any preamble, sucked Bradford’s cock into her mouth. Liam and his brother started off with a slow slide and glide, easing their cocks in and out of Keeley’s ass and pussy. He wanted to pound in and out of her hard and fast, and yet he wanted their loving to stay slow and easy so it would last. He restrained the urge to take her with pounding strokes and, instead, eased his hard cock in and out of her body slowly but deeply. He could hear her rapid breathing, and her moans of pleasure were like music to his ears. He pushed back into her and held still as her sheath rippled around his flesh, and then he withdrew again. He loved the slurping sounds she made as she sucked on Bradford and knew what the other man was feeling. To have Keeley’s mouth wrapped around his dick was as close to heaven as her pussy was. He withdrew again and thrust back

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into her body with slow, languid strokes. He didn’t know how long he could stay at the same slow pace, but he was more than willing to find out. He looked up at Lucius and saw sweat dripping from his brother’s brow. Perspiration dripped down Liam’s face as well. He loved the fact that Keeley was letting them make love with her. He had craved her even more than the first time they had loved their mate. Once would never, ever be enough. Liam groaned when Keeley used her internal muscles to clamp around his hard cock, and then she released him again. He heard Lucius growl, and then he followed suit when their mate did it again. The little minx was trying to make them lose control. He clamped his jaw tight and kept moving in slow, easy thrusts. He looked down at Keeley when he heard her mouth make a popping sound as she released Bradford’s cock. “What are you doing to me?” she asked through her panting. “We’re loving you, honey,” Liam replied. “Yes, no. You’re torturing me. I need more, damn it. Please, move faster,” Keeley begged, and then she turned to Bradford and sucked his dick back into her mouth. Bradford moaned, and Liam saw Keeley had nearly half of his large cock in her mouth. She looked so sexy with her lips stretched wide around that erection. He felt his control slip, and then he began to move the way she wanted them to. He pulled his cock from her pussy to the tip, and then he surged back in. As he pushed in, his brother withdrew. They all made sounds of passion, and Liam began to pump his hips in a hard, fast rhythm. He surged in and out of her tight, wet flesh, again and again and again. He gripped her hips firmly and thrust his length in and out of her cunt. He could hear the wet, slurping sounds of her pussy and her mouth as she gave Bradford a blow job. He and his brother shuttled their cocks in and out of both her holes, making sure she was full of at least one dick all the time.

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Liam knew Keeley was close to her peak when he felt her internal walls ripple around his hard length. He slid his hand down between their bodies and sought out her clit. He began to massage her little button and knew he had the right spot when she pulsed around him. Faster and faster, he and Lucius thrust. Their cocks shuttled in and out of her at an incredible pace. He called on his inner beast and knew his eyes were glowing. He craved the sensation of her cunt clamping on him as she climaxed. He was vaguely aware of Bradford speaking and was even able to comprehend the words, but he was too intent on Keeley to stop. “I’m gonna come, baby. If you don’t want a mouthful pull off,” Bradford rasped out. Liam heard Bradford’s yell of release. Keeley gulped as she swallowed his friend’s cum, and then pulled her mouth from Bradford’s penis as he continued to leak semen. She turned her head back toward him, leaned it back onto Lucius’s chest, and cried out with rapture. Liam groaned when Keeley’s cunt gripped his dick so hard he shook. Her pelvic-floor muscles clenched and released on his cock over and over again. He felt her gush cream on him, and her body shook and trembled as she climaxed. Her orgasm tripped his own. His balls drew up, and he felt the tsunamic release surge up the length of his cock and spurt out the end of his dick over and over again. He felt the swelling in the middle of his dick bulge and held Keeley to him tightly so she didn’t try to pull away from him and hurt herself. He had knotted inside her, and they were locked together as cum continued to pump out of his balls and dick. He heard Lucius rumble and growl and knew his brother had also found his own release. His brother had a surprised look on his face. He raised his eyebrow in silent query. “I can’t move away from her. We’re locked together,” Lucius explained. “Me, too,” Liam replied.

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“Me, three,” said Keeley. “I feel something…more. What is it?” “When we love our mate, a knot forms in our penises which locks us together. Even though I had heard of this phenomenon, I didn’t think it was true. Well, I was certainly proved wrong.” “You certainly were.” Keeley shifted her hips experimentally, and both Lucius and Liam hissed at the intense sensation. Liam groaned when he felt her pussy shudder and clamp on his still-hard cock, and he shot another load of semen into her. “You are so gorgeous, Keeley.” A grumbling chuckle rose from Bradford, who was lying supine on the bed beside them. “It should go down soon,” Bradford said. “I knotted, too, but since I wasn’t buried in her I made a mess on myself.” “It didn’t happen the first time,” Keeley observed. Liam glanced at her face again, unsure of what emotion he was hearing in her voice. “Perhaps because our first mating was an emotional bonding,” Liam suggested. “Besides, you were unconscious when we began the claiming process. It would not surprise me if things happen between us a little differently than normal.” “This phenomenon only ever happens with one’s mate,” Lucius said. “Really?” Keeley looked thrilled by this. Liam frowned at her, puzzled. Though he felt the bulge in his dick diminishing, he kept holding her close. “What is it, honey?” he asked. “It’s nothing…I just—I was afraid that with everything that happened, maybe we weren’t meant to be mates.” “What?” Lucius and Bradford asked the question almost in unison. But Keeley smiled and shook her head. “Never mind. I was wrong, wasn’t I?” Human women could be very strange, Liam reflected. Keeley looked thrilled that she was wrong.

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Lucius and Bradford had already gotten to their feet. Liam eased out of Keeley’s pussy. “Let’s get cleaned up and then back into bed so we can sleep,” Liam suggested as he lifted her into his arms. He was surprised that his legs felt as weak as a newborn babe’s, but he kept going. He waited as Bradford tested and adjusted the temperature of the shower water and stepped in when he got a nod. Liam took Keeley with him to the bench at the end of the shower and let his brother and Bradford wash her as he held her. Keeley dozed off in his arms and didn’t stir the whole time, not even when they dried her. She was back in the middle of the bed minutes later, but this time she was sandwiched in between Bradford and himself. Lucius had taken the end of the bed. Liam lay down on his back beside Keeley, slid an arm beneath her head, and wrapped it around her. He was content to have her head on his shoulder and tucked into his side. Bradford moved and he cuddled up to their mate’s back. Up until the moment she had fallen asleep, Keeley had gazed at the three of them with a look of absolute adoration. Liam’s heart melted to see it. He wished she would tell them that she loved them, but he told himself to be patient. He was looking forward to greeting the new day in hope that it would bring those words.

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Chapter Fifteen Keeley followed Bradford to the dining chamber. She sighed with contented satiation and felt a slight ache in her thigh muscles as she walked. Last night had been magnificent. The sex was wonderful, and now she felt assured that she belonged here with her men. She felt a giggle emerging and bit down on her lip, but it still escaped her mouth. She couldn’t believe her mates had given her so much pleasure, but she couldn’t wait for them to do it again. “What has you laughing, little one?” Bradford asked, and she saw him smiling at her. “Nothing,” she replied. Bradford reached out to her by placing a hand on her shoulder and pulled her against him as he backed into the wall. He picked her up and leaned his shoulders back on the hard surface, and he stared into her eyes. “Tell me, baby,” he said gently. “I just can’t believe you all made love to me like that,” she replied with a smile. “I can still feel the effects of it this morning.” “You have an effect on us, too, baby. When we took you into the shower and cleaned you up, we could hardly walk. I have never felt so weak in my life. A herd of warriors could have come into our room and I wouldn’t have been able to stop them,” Bradford stated. “Why does that knotting thing happen?” she asked. “It occurs so our seed does not escape from your body. It is for breeding purposes,” Bradford explained. “Oh. Does that mean I’m pregnant?” “I don’t know, little one. Do you feel pregnant?”

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“Well, to be honest, no,” she replied and took Bradford’s cheeks between her hands when she saw a flash of disappointment cross his face. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not. It’s too early to tell.” “I love you, baby,” Bradford whispered as he leaned in toward her. Keeley responded to his kiss with hunger. She just couldn’t seem to get enough of her mates. Now that she had a taste of what they could do to her and with her, she wanted so much more. She knew she loved them and wanted to have babies with them and grow old with them. But still she held back from saying those words. She was breathing heavily when Bradford pulled back from her. He rested his head against her forehead until their breathing slowed. He didn’t put her down. He took hold of her legs one at a time and guided them to wrap around his waist. He placed an arm beneath her ass and began to move toward the dining chamber. She didn’t protest and didn’t ask him to put her down. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and she placed her head on his shoulder. Keeley was aware that the rest of the pride was in the dining chamber. She felt their eyes on her, but she didn’t care. If these people are uncomfortable with our display of affection, then that’s just too damn bad. She drew confidence from the way the warriors had bowed to her yesterday. And when she and Bradford reached the head table, she looked out and saw that the faces turned toward her were filled with respect, even envy, rather than hatred. Lucius and Liam had gone ahead to take care of the morning’s pride business. They greeted her warmly and kissed her, but Bradford kept her in his arms and on his lap. Just as Lucius had done the previous evening, Bradford piled his plate high and fed her from the same dish. She didn’t quibble or squirm. She just sat contentedly in his arms and let him feed her. When she had had enough to eat, she smiled at Bradford and pushed the utensil toward his mouth, away from her own. She was always amazed by the amount of food her mates and their warriors

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could eat, and even though she knew it probably had to do with them being shifters, she was still flabbergasted. She watched the warriors come and go. They all looked at her with Bradford and smiled at her when they caught her eye. She couldn’t seem to hold a grudge, not that she wanted to, and she couldn’t stop herself from smiling back at them. Keeley sat up straight when she heard a ruckus outside behind her. She turned her head to look out the glass and stared into the glowing golden eyes of a female lion. Keeley gasped. The lion was heading directly toward her and seemed heedless of the fact there was a pane of glass separating them. She gripped Bradford’s shoulders and dug her nails into his muscles. He turned his head, and then her vision blurred. Bradford flung her over his shoulder, then stooped. She heard his grunt and then a resounding crash. He let her slide down his body. Looking around fearfully, Keeley saw not the lioness but the head table turned on its side to form a shield. The large window shattered, and glass flew in every direction. The female lion flew through the pane and landed on all fours in the dining chamber. The other lions scattered in chaos. Keeley held her hand over her heart, trying to contain the rapid beat as it thumped against her chest. She felt a second pair of arms around her and looked up to see Liam. “Stay back here, honey. Bradford will keep you safe,” Liam said and kissed her on the top of her head. Then he was gone with a blur of speed. She had never seen a man move so fast. One moment he was standing still beside her, and the next he was a blur. A near-identical blur cleared the table, following close behind him and calling for the warriors. Lucius. With a ripping sound, Liam’s pants dropped onto the floor, torn at the seams. He changed shapes and bounded toward the female lion.

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The lioness swung a viciously clawed paw. Keeley screamed when the claws slashed Liam’s side. Blood began to seep from the wounds. The she-bitch turned her eyes toward her. Keeley couldn’t say how, but she recognized the lioness. The burning malice in the lioness’s eyes could belong to only one living creature. Louisa. The lioness’s hindquarters and thighs bunched. Keeley knew that the shelter of the table would be nothing against those powerful muscles, but Bradford was there. He stepped between Keeley and the lioness, his hands bunched into fists. Keeley couldn’t stand not to see what was happening, though. She leaned around him just in time to see a lion intercept the lioness before she could jump. Is that Lucius? The two of them rolled across the broken glass, hissing and spitting. The other warriors began to roar loudly, and Keeley had to cover her ears to block the noise. She shrank back behind Bradford, but looked out again when she heard a hiss of pain. All the men in the room had by now changed from human to beast. The snarls, hisses, and growls broke through her shocked mind. Dodging Bradford, she ran around the edge of the room to where Liam lay on his side. Just as she knelt down next to him, he pushed himself back to his feet. He gave her a hard stare, which she took to mean she should stay where she was, and then he crossed the room in a single bound. Several of the warriors and the lion she identified as Lucius pinned Louisa down. Transfixed by the horrible sounds coming from the tussling lions, she would have kept staring if Bradford had not rejoined her. He swept her up in his arms, holding her close. Keeley understood that he wanted to protect her from the carnage, but she had to know. By the time she convinced Bradford to put her down, it was over. Keeley found the warriors slowly backing away from Louisa. She caught sight of Louisa’s bloody torso. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to circumvent the nausea roiling in her

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stomach. She covered her mouth and turned away. She whimpered with distress and then leaned against Bradford as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and beneath her knees. “They killed her, didn’t they,” she stated rather than asked. “Yes.” “I’m sorry that she died,” she sobbed. “She got hurt because of me.” She became aware that Lucius, now back in his human form, was beside her as well. “No, don’t be sorry, sweetness. She knew what would happen if she threatened you again,” Lucius explained. “Where’s Liam? Liam was hurt,” she said anxiously. “You don’t have to worry about him, Keeley. We are shifters and we heal very quickly. He will join us in a moment, and by the time he does, the wounds will have closed over,” Lucius explained. “But he must be in horrible pain,” she whispered and sobbed. “No, he’s fine, sweetheart. I promise.” “It’s over now, sweetness, she won’t ever hurt or malign you again,” Lucius affirmed. “But she died,” she wailed. “Keeley, she died because of the choices she made. If she had stayed away from here, she could have lived a long life. She knew Liam or I would kill her if she came back to hurt you again.” Keeley took a few deep breaths and got her tears under control. “I wish it hadn’t happened this way.” She looked out and realized all the warriors were listening to her. “I wish none of you had to hurt one of your own.” “They were trying to appease you and make up for their mistakes after what Louisa had made them believe,” Bradford said. “They took her life because they wanted to keep you safe.” “They accept you now,” Lucius added. His voice was warm, and he smiled at Keeley. “Can you see it in their faces? They accept you as the queen of this pride.”

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Keeley started to look where he indicated, but then his words caught up with her. “Wait, did you say ‘queen’?” Bradford’s chuckle vibrated against her skin. “Maybe we should take this conversation somewhere more private,” he suggested. He began walking. Lucius, striding beside him, looked a little chagrinned. “You had a lot to think about already,” he said to Keeley. “We were waiting for the right moment to mention it.” Keeley rolled her eyes. “Queen? I’m not a queen.” She tried to tease them straight-faced, but she could feel the smile turning her lips upward. “If I’d known that, I wouldn’t have let you claim me as your mate and I wouldn’t have fallen in love with you.” She looked up when Lucius stopped walking and looked down at her with a heated stare. She ran back in her mind through what she had said and felt her cheeks heat. She lowered her eyes. “Keeley,” Lucius rasped out, “look at me.” She looked up into his passion-filled eyes and watched as his lips formed into a smile which lit up his whole face. “I love you so much, little one. Was it so hard for you to admit you love me, too?” She nodded her head and then changed it to a shake. Lucius swept her from Bradford’s arms. She gripped his shoulders as he lifted her higher and slammed his mouth down onto hers. She sighed into his mouth and opened up to his questing tongue. She let go of her restraint and put all the love she felt for the man holding her into the kiss. She moaned as his tongue slid along hers and moved it with a sensuous dance as they mated their mouths together. She felt him walking again but didn’t stop kissing him. She couldn’t get enough of his touch or his taste. She slid her fingers into his hair and held his head to hers. Only when she needed more air did she remove her mouth from his. She bent her head to his neck and licked up and down the large artery and tendons. He growled and pulled her into him tighter still. She heard the door crash and knew they were in their bedroom. Her legs slid

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down his body until her feet landed on the soft mattress. She stared into his eyes and could see all the love he held for her shining out at her. She felt tears prick her eyes and then they spilled over onto her cheeks. “I love you, Lucius.” “Goddess, sweetheart, you don’t know how long I have yearned for you to say that. I love you, too.” Keeley reached up behind her and undid her halter top. She let the straps fall down over her breasts and then pulled the top up over her head. She dropped the material onto the floor and reached for the waistband of her skirt. Lucius brushed her hands away and took over the task for her. She was standing at the end of the bed totally naked when Liam and Bradford entered the bedroom. She would have rushed over to Liam to check on his injuries if Lucius hadn’t stopped her. “I’m fine, honey. As you can see the wounds have closed over already. I don’t even feel any pain,” Liam said as he stalked toward her. Keeley shifted her eyes up to Bradford’s. He was looking at her with undisguised hunger just like Liam and Lucius were. She decided she wanted to have a chance to play with them before they took over her body and their lovemaking. She sank down to her knees, pulled Lucius’s pants down over his hips, and sucked his cock into her mouth. She smiled around his hard flesh when she heard him groan. She drew him into the back of her throat. She only got a couple of good bobs in before she was picked up and pushed to her back into the middle of the bed. Well, she would have her chance another time. She was determined to have her wicked way with them one of these days. Keeley watched her mates disrobe. Her pussy clenched, and cream dripped from her when she saw the three large, erect cocks. She nibbled on her lips as they kicked their pants off. Lucius was the first of her mates on the bed, and he dove straight for her pussy. He wrapped his arms around her thighs, spread

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her legs wide, and licked her from clit to ass and back again. She shrieked with pleasure when he sucked her clit into his mouth and laved over it with his tongue while he held it between his teeth. She looked up when she felt the bed dip on either side of her. Bradford reached over and cupped her cheek then lowered his head to hers. He covered her mouth with his and swept his tongue in between her lips. She opened up to him and let him lead the kiss. She responded to him and held his head to her by lacing her fingers into his hair. She finally had to nudge him away when she needed to fill her lungs with air. She took great gulping breaths until her breathing slowed down a little. “I love you,” she whispered, her voice full of emotion, and looked at Liam. “I love all of you so much.” She made sure her gaze connected with each of her mates so they knew she was talking to all of them. “We love you, too, baby,” Bradford replied in a deep, rumbly voice. “Yes, we do love you, honey,” Liam rasped out breathlessly. “Love you, sweetness,” Lucius mumbled against her cunt and then he began to lick her again. She closed her eyes and sighed. She moaned a moment later as Lucius shoved his tongue into her pussy hole. He growled with approval as he lapped at her cream. Liam and Bradford began to suck on her nipples. They took her to her peak within moments, and Keeley had no compunction whatsoever about screaming her head off as she climaxed. She opened her eyes when Lucius drew up close to her and sighed as he filled her with his big, hard cock. She reached for him as he did for her, and she straddled his lap, impaled on his dick. Bradford began to lube her ass with fragrant oil. She relaxed and mewled as he prepared her for his penetration. She pushed back against him as he began to forge his way into her anus. She turned her head, searching for Liam, and smiled when she

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saw he was ready and waiting for her. She opened her mouth wide and sucked his cock into the back of her throat. Lucius and Bradford held themselves still inside her, and she began to bob back and forth along Liam’s hard shaft. She made sure to tease the sensitive underside of his cock with her tongue with every pass. When she had a good, steady rhythm, Lucius and Bradford began to thrust their hips, sliding their cocks in and out of her pussy and ass. She moaned around Liam’s cock and relaxed her throat muscles until he slipped slightly down her throat. “Fuck, honey, if you keep that up I’m going to come too soon,” Liam stated breathlessly. Keeley didn’t respond. She just concentrated on sending her mate over the edge into ecstasy. Lucius and Bradford sped up their thrusting hips with every forward movement, and she could feel her nerve endings tingling. She knew it wouldn’t be long until she reached orgasm. She bobbed over Liam’s cock faster, determined to take him with her when she went off with a bang. She growled when Lucius slid his hand to the top of her mound and began to massage her clit. She wriggled her hips to get away from his touch, but he and Bradford held her fast. “Come for me, sweetness. Bathe my cock in your cum,” Lucius demanded in a low growl. Liam’s cock began to swell where her hand was wrapped around it and sucked on him hard. He yelled and filled her mouth with his essence. She swallowed the first few spurts, but then she had to let go and withdraw from him or drown. His cock had knotted and continued to pump sperm from the tip sporadically. Just as she swallowed her last mouthful her pussy rippled with delight. She threw her head back and screamed as her muscles clamped down on the cocks shuttling in and out of her ass and cunt. Her womb and pussy contracted and released, and then she felt her two mates begin to swell inside her. She reached up and clung to Lucius’s neck and watched

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his face contort with bliss. He howled with the first of his release. Bradford’s roar joined his. Then she hurtled toward orgasm again. Keeley screamed until she was hoarse as wave after wave of rapture permeated her shaking body and stars formed before her closed eyelids. It was one of the sweetest things she had ever seen.

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Epilogue Two weeks later Keeley raided the kitchen. She was so hungry she couldn’t seem to get enough to eat. She stood at the counter with a container of Goddess only knew what in her hand and began to devour it. She hummed and moaned as she appeased her empty belly and tantalized her taste buds. She saw a label on the side of the container and tilted it up to see if she could read it. Keeley’s chocolate delight. Hmm, that’s strange. She didn’t know when she would be hungry, so how could others have been prepared? She shrugged and kept eating. She was too hungry to care. Once she had emptied the container she rinsed it out and then washed it. She felt guilty now she had eaten the dessert, but what was done was done. She heard a noise out in the hallway and looked up to see Liam, Lucius, and Bradford leaning nonchalantly in the doorway and grinning at her. “What?” she asked. “Have you worked out why you are so hungry lately, baby?” Bradford asked her with a grin and a wink. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just going through being-a-pig stage,” Keeley hypothesized and rolled her eyes. “I know! It’s because I have to watch you three eat all the time and I’ve taken on your bad habits. Oink.” She burst out laughing when she couldn’t contain her mirth another moment. Goddess, did her mates think she was stupid? Of course she knew why she was eating so much. She was pregnant with

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a shifter baby. She wondered how long they had known she was carrying their child in her womb. “So,” Keeley began when she had her humor under control again. “How long have you three known that I’m pregnant?” “From the moment you conceived, baby. We could smell the subtle change to your scent,” Bradford explained as he stalked toward her. “Really? How come you didn’t tell me?” “We wanted to make sure you were happy and thought it best you discovered that surprise on your own, sweetness,” Liam replied, and he, too, began to move to her. “We love you so much, honey,” Lucius declared, and he strolled toward her, eyeing her as if she were prey to his predator. “What are you doing?” she asked, but she didn’t need an answer to her question. She already knew what her mates had planned. “We have taken the rest of the afternoon off, Keeley. We are going to spend it making love to you over and over again,” Liam said. “Oh goody. Do I get to play this time?” she asked. “You had your turn last night, baby. It’s our turn today,” Bradford rasped out, and before she could blink he had her in his arms and his mouth on hers. She clutched at his shoulders and gave herself over to all her mates. Keeley had never been so happy in life. She had three wonderful, loving mates who were the light of her life. She was growing a baby in her womb, and the pride members had accepted her for who she was. She was looking forward to holding the baby she was carrying in her arms. A baby made out love. One she would love, nurture, and teach. But most of all her heart was filled with love. That lonely, gaping hole was gone, and so was the one in Bradford’s heart. They were a family, and nothing and no one would ever be able to tear them apart.

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THE END WWW.BECCAVAN-EROTICROMANCE.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR My name is Becca Van. I live in Australia with my wonderful hubby of many years, as well as my two children. I read my first romance at the age of thirteen, which I found in the school library, and haven’t stopped reading them since. It is so wonderful to know that love is still alive and strong when there seems to be so much conflict in the world. I dreamed of writing my own book one day but unfortunately, didn’t follow my dream for many years. But once I started I knew writing was what I wanted to continue doing. I love to escape from the world and curl up with a good romance, to see how the characters unfold and conflict is dealt with. I have read many books and love all facets of the romance genre, from historical to erotic romance. I am a sucker for a happy ending.

Also by Becca Van Ménage Everlasting: Pack Law 1: Set Me Free Ménage Everlasting: Pack Law 2: Keira’s Wolf Saviors Ménage Everlasting: Pack Law 3: Mate for Three Ménage Everlasting: Slick Rock 1: Slick Rock Cowboys Ménage Everlasting: Slick Rock 2: Double E Ranch Ménage Everlasting: Slick Rock 3: Her Ex-Marines Ménage Everlasting: Slick Rock 4: Leah’s Irish Heroes Ménage Everlasting: Slick Rock 5: Her Shadow Men Ménage Everlasting: Slick Rock 6: Her Personal Security Ménage Everlasting: Terra-form 1: Alpha Panthers Ménage Everlasting: Terra-form 2: Taming Olivia Ménage Everlasting: Her Norland Warriors Ménage Everlasting: Coming Home Ménage Everlasting: Help Me Fly Again Ménage Everlasting: Re-awaken Me

Available at BOOKSTRAND.COM

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com