Chapter 6

"You drugged her?" Ethan bellowed the words as he surged from his seat, fists clenched.

Alarm crossed Javier's face and he held up his hands in a placating manner. "Calm down. It wasn't my idea, but her mother's. She handed me the pills along with the instructions to feed them to her with some juice to mask the taste."

"When the hell did she get the chance to give you drugs?"

"While Naomi's family was saying good bye, she slipped them to me."

"Why not just give them to her? Why con her into taking them?" Ethan wanted to smack his friend for pissing Naomi off even more.

"According to her mother, the only way to medicate her properly is by subterfuge. She'd already refused the medication from the doctor claiming she didn't want to be out of control."

"She is going to be so angry when she wakes up," he replied shaking his head, his expression surely woebegone. At least he could point the finger at Javier with a clear conscience and let his friend take the blame.

Ethan lowered his fists and moved to sit on the couch. He dragged Naomi's petite-and now quiet form-onto his lap. Despite her insults and the fact she currently looked like the loser in a boxing match, she fascinated him. Tiny-to him at least-and injured, yet she still stood up to him like she could take him in a fight. That took guts. In his experience, women bedded him for the thrill, but they never dared argue with him. Hell, he only needed to scowl to send them scurrying with shrieks of terror.

More fascinating, though, than her utter lack of fear toward him was her reaction to Javier. Women never rejected Javier, and the fact one slated as his mate did agitated his best friend-and amused the heck out of Ethan.

"What else did her mother tell you?" Ethan asked, looking for any advantage in his task of winning her over.

"That she'd call us later and give us pointers on wooing her daughter. Apparently, Naomi has something of a stubborn nature."

A snort escaped him. "I hadn't noticed."

Javier paced the living room as Ethan stroked Naomi's silky hair, unable to resist running his fingers through the long brown strands. "What are you thinking?"

"That fate is laughing at me."

A chuckle made Ethan's chest vibrate, causing Naomi's head to jiggle. He cradled her head in his big palm to prevent her from falling before replying. "She's certainly not what either of us expected, that's for sure."

Javier shot him a dark look. "No shit, Sherlock. I mean don't get me wrong, short and curvy works fine for me, but I always expected, if ever fate was cruel enough to curse me, she'd at least give me a woman who likes me."

"I'm sure she will in time. We took her by surprise, not to mention she's in pain. Besides, I kind of like that she's feisty. She'll need it to keep up with us."

Round eyes and an open mouth met his answer. "You, my friend, are insane. One ball too many to the head I think. I mean, not only does she not want you, shouldn't you be more pissed that it looks like she's meant for both of us?"

Ethan shrugged. "I'll admit, I never expected to share, but if fate says that's my lot, then at least it chose someone I could tolerate. And beat in a wrestling match if I need to. Besides, I'll only have to share if you bother to stick around to mark her."

"Oh, I'm staying, so you can forget about keeping her for yourself," Javier replied shooting him a dark look.

"What happened to I'm not meant for monogamy?" Ethan pitched his voice mockingly.

A sigh emerged from Javier's mouth before he slumped in the chair across from him. "I haven't thought that far ahead. It's hard to think at all with my damned cat yammering for me to bite her. Mayhap if you were to claim her first, the need for me to do so would vanish?"

The optimism in his friend's voice made him laugh again. "Sorry, no such luck I'm afraid. From everything I've ever heard, once you find the one, you're done for. The need to mark her, claim her, just gets stronger and stronger." Already the urge to take her rode Ethan hard. It didn't help that he held her cuddled on his lap, her sweet fragrance tickling his nose while her lush body pressed against his turgid cock.

"I don't suppose you'd care to explain the we-don't-have-a-choice aspect to Naomi?" Javier rejoined sarcastically.

"Why bother? She's bound and determined to fight her beast and in turn, her shifter nature. I say let her."

Incredulity marked Javier's expression. "Isn't that counterproductive to your, make that our, goal?"

"No, it is simple biology," Ethan explained. "She will eventually come to us. Keep in mind, the longer she denies the pull to mate, the harder the desire to claim us will ride her."

"That sounds kind of callous," Javier remarked. "I'm surprised. I expected more of you."

"You didn't let me explain what my plan was while she fought her nature. I plan to stay glued to her side, apart from practices and games, of course. I will get to know her, and in turn, she will come to know me. Befriend her, in other words, and if I'm lucky, perhaps she'll even come to love me. I know I'm already half way there." A romantic like his father, Ethan believed in love at first sight despite his more pragmatic friend's comments.

Javier snorted. "Gods, don't let the opposing team ever hear you yapping like a woman. For a giant bear, you're awfully sentimental."

A dark look shot Javier's way made his feline friend grin. Ethan growled. "You are lucky I am holding her, or I'd make you swallow your words."

"Down Smokey," Javier joked. "Actually, your plan is a good one. She is most definitely intriguing, and if we're going to spend the rest of our lives with her, then I guess becoming her friend before her lover is a good start. But I warn you, if she insists on sex, I will sacrifice myself for the greater good to please her."

"Whatever," Ethan scoffed. "You might be the oral master, but I will still always have the bigger cock."

And with that parting shot, Ethan stood with his precious burden and lumbered upstairs to find her bedroom.