LiamWe fell asleep. All of us, I assume because when I woke up to find weak sunlight filtering through the gap between the curtains on the east-facing window, we were all curled up together like happy, comfy puppies. I snuggled deeper and buried my face in the soft locks of Jessica hair. When we fell asleep Mia was in the middle, but somehow we’d shifted during the night so my husband and I lay on either side of our female with her cradled in our arms. Exactly where she should be, and I didn’t want to do anything to wake her. She’d be sure to want to get up, especially with the storm abating as it had. No doubt it would be a day with many tasks to take care of.Looking across her, I saw Mia watching me with a small smile on his lips. He probably felt the same way I did. Jessica was an adorable sleeper, with her closed eyes showing off long, dark lashes, hair fluffed up all around her face, and lips slightly parted to release a very soft, ladylike snore. She’d worked so hard to take c
“Or maybe we all belong to one another,” Liam put in. “Now, if you’ll allow us to put you to bed, we can undress and join you.”My breathing stopped. It was so real all of a sudden. I’d made the decision, but what if it didn’t go well? “I don’t have any experience with two men at once,” I said when I sucked in enough oxygen to create words. “Or even one.”“We don’t care what came before,” Mia said, drawing back the covers and helping me to lie down. “Because nothing matters but what comes now.”The two of them undressed quickly. They only wore T-shirts and jeans and socks. Nothing else, so it didn’t take long, and the shadowy room didn’t let me see nearly as much as I’d have liked to, but what I saw was stunning. I’d had a quick glance at Liam when he shifted that first day, and I’d helped bathe Mia, but it had been in my capacity as a healer.This was different, and I murmured thanks to the Goddess for her gift to me of these two. They were handsome, strong, and every woman would be
LiamThe alphas welcomed us at the door, our appearance generating great surprise, and inside we found that there were just a few other guests, elders of the pack who, as it turned out, remembered many members of ours. Ludy Lake pack had an old connection with Triple L, but it had been a while since anyone had visited. Still, shifter bonds once formed were long-lasting.Analise kept plying us with appetizers and eggnog or hot buttered rum as we told them everything from our alpha having hoped we’d get to see them to bolster our friendship to what we found when we returned home.The alphas listened, asking leading questions and allowing us to explain at our own pace. When we finished, Tal set down his hot buttered rum and shook his head. “And Jessica thinks it’s something to do with one of those old mines they’re reopening?”“She does.” Our mate was currently in the kitchen helping Analise to make the final dinner preparations, so I confirmed that for her. “She can tell you more, but s
Mia Not that you’d know it to look at me. None of us wear a T-shirt that saysWant a Bite?Also, we don’t bite people, under ordinary circumstances, although most of my pack enjoys hunting for small-to-medium prey, and a few enjoy larger types.I’m not much of a hunter. My wolf and I prefer burgers and fries to stringy squirrel meat with fur that gets caught in our teeth. And fish and chips to raw salmon or trout. Not that we get fast food often, since we live so far out in the countryside, even the school bus doesn’t come here. And there is no Internet. Which means we’re all home schooled in a lax way using out-of-date workbooks and whatever the adults can mail order. Most of us can read and write and do basic sums. Few can do more. Our elders, led by our alpha, are hidebound and traditional.Which is why I woke up to a horror show on my twentieth birthday.“Mia, get dressed, it’s time!” My stepmother bustled into my room, followed by several of the other women of the pack. They all w
Mia My dress, my stepmother’s dress, suffocated me. She was slimmer than me, but due to the laced dirndl-bodice, I was able to draw shallow breaths and, as she pointed out, it wouldn’t be for long. I could see them gathering for the ceremony outside my window, in the clearing where we usually held pack feasts and celebrated the turn of the seasons. Or had, when Mom was alive. Somehow, since she passed, the joy had gone out of not just our family but the whole pack. Oh, we gathered for the important holidays, but without Mom to make the arrangements and plan all the food and decorations, to stir the spirit of the pack, it always fell flat.Nikki, who even now was directing the final touches to my coiffure and fluffing the ridiculous poufy veil, just didn’t have what it took to be a true pack mother. And she couldn’t hide her joy, didn’t even try to hide her elation, at my leaving. She even smiled at my reflection in the mirror. “You look very pretty, Mia. But you have to smile.” She p
LiamMy mate’s embrace surrounded me as the warm water poured over us, cleansing away the sweat of the day’s labors, but nothing could wash away the fact I could not give him his heart’s desire. Dan was born to be a father. I often came upon him playing soccer with some of the young ones, a sport he’d enjoyed growing up and had made popular among local packs. Visitors who had the opportunity to see our children in action were excited to introduce the game at home. We might be the only wolf shifters who had a youth soccer league.Dan had been in love with a female years ago, when quite young, but she’d chosen someone else, a fact he said now was fated or he’d never have found me, but she would have given him many children, unlike me. It ripped at my heart not to be able to fill every one of his desires, especially this one, even though he insisted we should be happy with our lives, grateful for what the Goddess gave us, and not tempt fate by wishing for more.Pack was family, true, and
Dan“What a beautiful night.” Liam paced at my side as we strolled under the full moon, enjoying the evening and making sure all was well with our pack. “Maybe the storm will die out before it gets to this side of the Sierra.”I considered the possibility. “It would be nice. Especially if it leaves us a nice half inch of rain along the way. It’s already adding to the snowpack.” Studying the clouds, I noted something odd. “Does that storm appear oddly…narrow?”“What?” Liam followed my gaze. “Have you ever seen one that focused that way? There’s hardly any snow on the peaks on either side, but the pass looks almost winter full. Like when it shuts down to any travel in late December or early January.”“That’s what I mean. Strange.” We’d walked longer than I planned, but the cattle and that fence were seriously on my mind. “I thought we had time before the storm, but if it does pick up and roll in tonight, I’m going to regret not being better prepared. I’d like to go to the western pastur
Dan“Where is she?” I came in to find the place lit up like a Yule tree and Liam in the kitchen stirring a pot that smelled like his “famous” chicken soup. It started out in a can, but he added so many ingredients it was hard to tell. You didn’t lose the female along the way, did you?”“If I had, would I be cooking her dinner? There was some steak left, too, so I thought soup and sandwich? And maybe we’d have a mug of soup to keep her company.”“And the trespasser we took into our custody is doing what right now?”“I was showering.” The bathroom door opened, letting out a blast of steam and the scent of our shampoo and soap. “For which I’m grateful.” Her blonde hair was wrapped in a towel on her head, her body enveloped in a set of my mate’s sweats, leaving only her face and hands and feet visible. But in the well-lit room, I was able to see what I hadn’t before. Those luminous eyes were green with flecks of gold and a gold ring around the iris. Her cheeks were flushed, her stance det
Mom is still pissed off?” I asked him, and he sighed before nodding.“I think you really pushed her too far this time, Mia. Mom has banned me from seeing you and says she doesn’t want me to become corrupt like you.” His words stung, but I knew it wasn’t his intention.“Maybe go stay with Mia’s father and Dan till things calm down,” he said.“No, the river won’t be so bad. She will forgive me eventually. That’s what mothers do,” I said, though my mother wasn’t like normal mothers. “Besides, Dan has Melana there all the time. I can’t stand her.”“What are you going to do about blood? You can have some of mine, but I know it won’t taste too good.”I shook my head. “It’s fine. I will just catch something,” I told him though that didn’t sound all that appealing.He nodded before digging through his bag again. “Here,” he said, handing me some money. I shook my head, trying to pass it back to him.“No, keep it. I will be fine. I don’t want your pocket money, Liam. I just wanted to see you.”
“Liam, calm down! You think we asked for this to happen?” I heard Mia’s Dad yell at her as Liam and I rushed out, peering over the balcony to the floor below. Mia’s Dad ducked as she threw something at him, and it hit the wall behind him, leaving a dent.“Love, enough,” I heard Liam, my stepfather, tell her.“What? Are you fucking okay with this? It is fucking wrong!” she screamed, and curiosity got the better of Liam and me. I crept down the steps. Liam, also curious, followed me. One of the steps creaked under his weight, and he smiled, his teeth clenched and his eyes squinting. My mother looked up at me, her face twisting in anger at the sight of me.“And you! You wait till I get my hands on you!” she growled, about to storm up the steps.Thanks, Liam. Now we don’t know what they were arguing over, I thought to myself when I saw my mother’s thong flying toward me. I ducked before snorting that she just threw her shoe at me. I watched Liam dart off, escaping her fury.“Get here now!
Dan came out fully dressed a few minutes later after showering.“Come on. You need to face her sooner or later. Better with us with you,” Dan said, gripping my elbow and pulling me toward the door.Ididnotwantto go home. My mother would still spank me even though I was nearly eighteen. That woman was crazy and damn, did she have a good hand. I could still remember the last ass-kicking she gave me, never thinking I would walk the same again. She branded my ass real good that day.Only this time, I really messed up. I burned the entire science lab down. I still believe it wasn’t completely my fault. Yes, I burned the classroom down, but I only intended to destroy the table, not blow the entire place up. Not my fault someone left the gas on, the teacher was supposed to turn it off before locking it up.Dan opened the back door of the car, pushing me toward it.“How about you both go, and I wait here?” I suggested. Mia’s father looked over at me from the other side of the car.“Get in the
“Doesn’t look like it!” he snapped at us. I dropped my arm on Mia’s father shoulder, jerking him toward me before slapping his chest.“We are good. Right, bro?”He slapped mine harder. “Never better,” he said.“Good! I need one of you to help me get the lights up there,” Mia said, pointing to the railing along the awning.Mia’s father walked over to her, grabbing her and placing her on his shoulders. I growled at him, and Liam looked at me, giving me a look ofwhat-the-fuck-is-going-on. I shook my head, walked over, and passed the lights up to Mia as she clipped them onto the awning.“What’s wrong with you two morons?” she asked.MiaAs I was getting out of the car, I knew my mother was going to kill me. After nearly five years and only coming home on holiday breaks, I had finally pushed too many buttons, and they kicked me out of school.My father had sent Jacob to get me from Avalon City. A lot of us mutations had trouble fitting in with pack wolves. So Avery and Aamon, who was alrig
Mia’s dad These bloody meetings were boring, but Liam insisted we sit through the Alpha meet every year. We still had a year before we took over Black Moon Pack, so I thought it rather pointless when we didn’t actually get a say in anything yet.They weren’t so bad, though. My entire family was here, seeing as we all came from Alpha bloodlines. My aunty Mia was here with her husband Mike, from the Crescent Pack. My older sister Nikki and her two mates, Tate and Drake, from the Forest Pack were also here. And of course, my other older sister Jessica and her mate Chase, from the Red River Pack were here sitting next to my mother. Black Creek Packs Alpha, Dan, and his Luna were also here with two other packs, whom I couldn’t remember for the life of me. Kind of pointless when my family ran the majority of the packs. Not like the other three packs could argue; no one wanted to piss off hybrid wolf packs. And they sure as hell didn’t want to piss off my brother Liam, the Alpha King, a tit
“No. No, I’m not. But I told you. I’m a wolf. A wolf shifter. And the PDA is an agency that sets up shifters on dates. So while nobody told me what your guys turn into, it stands to reason it’s something. And since polar bears in the wild in California are kinda not a thing, those bears are your guys.”Her friend had lost her mind. “Nikki, have you hit your head on something?”“Honey, if I was there, I’d shift and show you.”“But the full moon was yesterday.”She snorted. “Fairy tales. We shift whenever we want to. Look, I feel fairly confident of this, but have you looked around where you saw the bears.”“Yeah.”“Any blood? Body parts? Brains spattered across the snow.”Jenni winced. “Eww. No.” She refilled her cup and sat again, warming her hands on the ceramic.“Then describe to me exactly what you saw.”And Mia did just that. By the time her phone went dead, she was convinced her friend at least believed she was a wolf. She’d never said anything like that before. In the modeling w
Mia Mia barely understood what Dan was whispering to her so urgently. Something about a rescue. had to go. She should stay here, keep the fire burning and not go outside until they returned. It was still storming, and they hated to leave her alone.He’d said something about working on the mountain, must be search and rescue. They had rushed out so quickly she hadn’t had a chance to ask for details, but when someone was in danger, chatting wasn’t a first priority.Stretching, she stood and found one of their shirts. She had her luggage around here somewhere, but the white tee fit her like a nightshirt and smelled amazing, like deep-green forest meets sexy male. Their voices faded, and the door slammed behind them as she arrived in the great room. How long would they be gone? These things took days in the movies. She hoped whoever was in trouble could hang on until they got there.She moved toward the kitchen, planning on the world’s hugest cup of coffee, but something outside the wind
MiaPlaying for these two men could have so many meanings, but Mia was pretty sure she’d like all of them. At least if the night before was any indication. For the first time since before she stated modeling, she didn’t even care if she had coffee before starting her day. They lay on either side of her and mirrored one another, starting with nuzzling her ears, nibbling the lobes, grazing her neck with their teeth then doing the same to her shoulders. She shivered, already soaked between her legs and with her nipples on full alert.She hadn’t lied. They had ruined her for anyone else. And while Liam’s invitation to “stay forever” was just pillow talk, she could pretend. Pretend they wanted her for all of their lives, to make love to and ride snowmobiles to gorgeous settings for her photography. Maybe they’d be willing to pose. Usually she preferred nature scenes, but adding these two could only improve on the backdrops. Mother Nature was responsible for them, too, after all. But even
Her smooth countenance told him nothing, but finally a little grin quirked one side of her mouth and her cheeks flushed. “Kiss him again?”He let out his breath in a whoosh, bubbles of joy spinning through his veins. So relieved, he didn’t move, but Liam reached across their mate and cupped the back of his head in his big palm. “Partner, the lady made a request.”This kiss was nothing short or fast, and by the time they drew apart and glanced down, Mia’s eyes sparkled with crystal tears. “That was so beautiful. I could tell you were super close, last night and, let’s face it, comfortable naked together, but since you didn’t umm interact with each other, I didn’t know if you were just good friends in the habit of sharing women or…” She swallowed hard and the tears spilled over, pouring down her cheeks. “Why do you even need me? I-I…you love each other so much. I’m just in the way.”They both stared then Liam as usual voiced what they both thought. “Mia, of course we love each other. We