Clara had never been much of a wild thing, so when she woke up surrounded by the heat of two huge men, her first thought was, Where the hell am I? And her second was, What the hell did I do?
Turning, she tried to slowly extricate herself from Adam. He had an arm around her, cradling her against his chest as if she belonged there. Xavier spooned her, his hand possessively cupping her hip, and as she squirmed to get out of the bed, freezing every so often when their breathing changed or one of them shifted positions, the previous night came back to her in a rush. She'd fucked them both, and the thing that put the capper on that and had her scrambling from the bed was how much she remembered liking it.
"What the-?" Adam sat up, bleary-eyed, his voice thick with sleep. "What's wrong?"
And, just her luck, Xavier popped up barely a second later. "Clara? What is it, baby? Come back to bed."
"Don't. Don't call me that." She couldn't stand to hear the endearment in the light of day. It made her remember how he'd called her "baby" last night when she'd let them, practically two strangers, fuck her, not once but multiple times.
"Don't call you what?" Adam ran a hand through his hair and then bounded from the bed, suddenly seeming completely alert. He reached her before she could back away and wrapped his arms around her. "Why are you so tense? Tell us what's wrong."
Pushing against his chest, Clara tried to put some distance between their bodies. She was suddenly very aware of her own nudity, and everywhere his muscled form touched hers had begun to tingle. "Look, I just...I just need to go home, back to my sister's. Go back to bed. I'll let myself out." She turned to go, but found her exit blocked by two strong arms.
Adam looked down at her. "Hold up a bit. We'll make you breakfast and take you back to Kate's." He stroked his hands up and down her back in a way that was probably supposed to be soothing. All it did was make Clara's nipples hard and convince her that she really did need to get the hell out of there.
His gaze was too intense, and Clara couldn't meet his eyes for long without feeling flushed. She made the mistake of looking over toward the bed, only to find Xavier sitting on the edge, staring at her expectantly with an early-morning erection just waiting to be climbed. And she'd be damned if she didn't want to climb it.
"Or," Xavier said, one eyebrow raised, "you can just come back to bed and we can feed you later."
Her pussy quivered and twitched at the suggestion, and she shoved hard against Adam, thinking she had to make her escape before she went and did something stupid all over again. Fortunately, Adam didn't try to cage her in again but as she hurried down the hall toward the guestroom, they followed, hot on her heels.
"Clara, talk to us. What's the big hurry?" That was Adam. She could already distinguish his voice from Xavier's, and that fact upset her even more. She had a feeling she wouldn't soon forget them or her night as slut extraordinaire.
"What is it, ba-" Xavier caught up to her just outside the guestroom and reached for her shoulder. His touch was gentle, but what he'd just been about to say set her off, and she turned to face him, suddenly not just embarrassed and upset. Suddenly angry, more at herself than anyone.
"I said, don't call me 'baby.' That's a term of endearment for someone you care about, someone you love, not someone you just met and had a one-night stand with. Not someone you shared with your brother." Aiden had used little pet names for her, and she'd loved that. The previous night she'd been driven by uncharacteristic lust and let his endearments wash over her, but this morning, it was too much.
"Call me by my name or nothing at all. Better yet, don't call me." She wrenched herself free and stalked into the guestroom, quickly shutting and locking the door behind her. She'd get dressed as quickly as possible and get out of their hair. Her anger was irrational. She knew that. They'd done absolutely nothing to hurt her, so she shouldn't have snapped at them. But the anger helped her avoid her true feelings.
If she didn't focus on being pissed at them, she'd have to admit to herself how sad and lonely it made her feel to hear them call her "baby," and how much she wanted someone to call her that and really mean it. Above all, she didn't want to give herself even a moment to think about how much she wanted to crawl back in bed with them. Men like them probably teamed up on women all the time and then moved right on to the next party girl. Wanting to feel their arms around her was only going to end with eventual rejection. She'd never be able to keep their interest.
Sighing deeply, Clara fought to control her emotions. She looked for her clothes on the bed, on the dresser, and then in the bathroom before she remembered. They'd washed her clothes last night. If she wanted to make a hasty retreat, she'd have to go back out there and ask for them. Maybe even say "please." That's when the hysterical laughter started. It was all so crazy and she was so stressed that all she could do was laugh. She'd always been given to laughing at the most inappropriate times. Some things, she guessed, just never changed.
***
Adam frowned at Xavier. "Shit. Hear that?" Clara was in the guestroom, letting gales of laughter fly, and suddenly Adam was very worried. He didn't know why she'd flown from the bed like that, but maybe she was having some sort of delayed fit of shock after the attack last night.
"Hey, Clara? Are you okay in there?" Xavier called out.
Xavier asked the dumbest questions sometimes. "Obviously, she's not okay."
"Well, I had to ask. What else are we going to do? Keep waiting out here with our dicks in our hands?"
Adam turned the door knob, not surprised to find it locked. "Let's break the door down."
"Yeah. Great idea, dumbass. Break the door down and scare the shit out of her."
"Got a better idea?" The look on Xavier's face said he definitely didn't.
All Adam knew was that he was worried. That weird laughter had turned to silence, and for a moment, he wondered if their mate was insane. But no, that couldn't be. Fate wouldn't be that cruel.
Xavier knocked on the door again, calling her name and asking if she was okay. Then, he pounded harder. Nothing.
Adam exchanged another look with his brother, and just like that, the decision was made up. He would kick the door in, and they would go find out what was wrong with their woman. He was just getting into position when the door suddenly opened. There Clara stood, wrapped in a sheet and looking none the worse for wear, except for her reddened eyes. She'd been crying.
Without hesitating, he pulled her into his arms and tipped her chin up. He got it now, or he thought he did. "Are you worried this was a one-night stand?" It surprised him that she'd cry over that, but if she felt the pull of their destined match, then yeah, that sort of thing would be devastating.
Clara glanced over at Xavier and then down at the floor. Damn, he wished he could read her, but that would come later.
When she finally spoke, her voice trembled. "Not exactly. Sort of. No..." She gave a frustrated sigh. "I don't know. There's a lot going on in my head right now, and I don't usually do things like this."
Xavier reached over to caress her cheek. "We just want to know what's wrong and help you through whatever it is. Let's go sit down and talk. We have some important things to tell you."
Adam nodded, though he cringed inside. Sure, they'd have a calm, rational discussion in which they'd disclose that they were wolves, and she became hysterical all over again. He sighed, knowing there was no avoiding it. As hard as it would be for her to hear and believe, she had to know.
They should have told her before taking her, and it was his fault they hadn't. It wouldn't be fair to keep it from her any longer. He just hoped he was right and she wasn't mentally fragile. If she was, what they had to tell her was definitely going to knock her for a loop.
***
They'd coaxed her into the living room to discuss whatever it was they had to tell her. Clara had insisted on getting into her clothes first, but decided she'd better listen before she took off. Whatever it was seemed pretty heavy. Adam and Xavier had wanted her to sit between them on the big, cushy sofa, but Clara had refused, picking one of the armchairs. If she didn't like what they had to say, she wanted to be in position for a speedy getaway. Besides, sitting between them would only make her hormones go wacky again. Even sitting across the room from them, it was hard to keep her mind off sex.
Adam sat forward on the couch in just a pair of cutoff shorts, looking powerful and sexy as hell, yet nervous at the same time. He pinned her with another look that excited her fight-or-flight response. She wanted to either run like hell or strip and beg him to take her again.
"Okay," Adam began. "What we have to say is going to shock you, but all we ask is that you keep an open mind and hear us out before you say anything."
She cringed. "Oh, no. Please, please don't tell me one of you is married. Or both of you?"
Xavier shook his head. "No. Nothing like that."
"Look. Just spit it out. All of this build up is making me nervous."
Adam cleared his throat. "Well, for starters, we want you in our bed every night, Clara. You're our fated-our mate. This was never about a one-night stand for us."
"Alrighty then." Clara stood up. She'd had enough, and this sounded like the beginning of some bad joke. She wasn't at all interested in hearing the punch line. "Last night was...nice. And I appreciate everything you did for me. But I've got to go."
"Please, sit down, Clara," Adam said.
Despite the polite please, it sounded like a command and Clara's knees bent of their own accord. She had to fight the impulse to obey him.
"All I'm asking is that you hear us out."
"Um...No. I'm leaving. Give me a call, okay?" Clara had no intention of taking their calls, but she wanted to make her exit as politely as possible. She didn't bother waiting for an answer and instead strode purposefully out of the room, swiping her car keys from the kitchen counter on her way to the door. They'd lost her at "fated mate." She didn't believe in fate, and that wording had thoroughly weirded her out.
"Clara! Stop." Adams voice, commanding as it was, brought her to a grinding halt, and she stopped and turned around, annoyed at both them and her ridiculous need to obey. They'd stood to follow her.
"You have ten seconds to say whatever it is, and then I'm out of here. Just stop right there and tell me whatever it is that's so important, or I'm gone." In spite of herself, and as crazy as it was, she wanted to hear what was critical enough to cause such dramatic behavior.
"We're wolves, Clara. We're wolf shifters," Xavier said.
At first, Clara couldn't move. All she could do was look from Xavier's face to Adam's, shocked at how serious they looked. They weren't playing some sick, stupid game. They believed they were wolves. The hysterical laughter threatened to bubble up again, but Clara squashed that shit back down and broke for the door, running for all she was worth from the madmen she'd willingly bedded last night.
She made it to the door and wrenched it open, lunging through it, dropping her keys on the ground like some ditzy woman in a bad horror movie. They burst through the door after her, but when she glanced back at them, they'd slowed to a walk. She could feel their eyes on her as she dashed toward the car she no longer held the keys to and came to an abrupt halt, unsure what her next step should be. She wasn't too keen on being chased through the woods, so as they walked toward her, she furiously searched the ground for a weapon.
All she could find was a rusty old shovel. She made a dash for it, picking it up and brandishing it with what she hoped was a threatening posture. "Stay the hell back! I'm just going to get my keys and leave. We'll forget this ever happened. I won't say a word to anyone."
"Fuck," Adam said to Xavier. "She's afraid of us."
The only saving grace was that they stopped moving toward her, so, keeping them in her line of vision, she arced a wide circle back toward the porch, climbed the stairs, and bent to retrieve her keys, all while keeping the shovel at the ready. She saw the men exchange a look, and just as her fingers grazed her keys, Adam changed right before her eyes.
Xavier looked at her with a mixture of trepidation and sympathy. "Proof, baby."
Clara screamed and dropped the shovel, barreling back into their house and locking the door behind her. She wasted no time in snatching up the phone she'd seen on the table in the kitchen, grabbing a large knife from the counter, and sprinting to barricade herself in the guestroom. She dialed 911 as soon as she was inside, fingers shaking and tears falling as her mind turned over and over what she'd just seen. In Adam's place had stood a huge wolf with thick black fur, and some of the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. Blue, just like Adam's.
"911. What's your emergency?"
As was to be expected, the 911 operator didn't believe a man had just turned into a huge black wolf with blue eyes, but she claimed a unit was on its way anyhow. Clara told her to send two. Then she dialed her sister.
"Hello?" Kate answered on the third ring, sounding altogether too normal for what was turning out to be a nightmarish morning.
Clara could barely force the words out. "I called the police. You won't believe what just happened. I have to get out of here." She twisted her free hand in her hair, which was still tangled from last night's fucking. "Oh shit, Kate. He...he turned into a wolf!"
Silence. Of course Kate would think she was crazy, just like that 911 operator had. Hell, Clara would think she was crazy, too, if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. Even now, she questioned her sanity just a little.
"Kate! Did you hear me? I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. He said he was...and of course, I didn't believe him. I had to get out of there before he broke out a gag or knives...or...or...something. But I dropped the key. And I couldn't...I couldn't, and then he, Adam, he just disappeared. I swear I didn't even blink or look away, he just turned. He turned into a goddamn giant wolf!"
"Okay, honey. Slow down. It's all going to be okay. Just try to calm down."
"Calm down? Didn't you hear what I said? He turned into a fucking wolf!" She'd always hated it when Kate took that patronizing tone with her. "I'm not some little kid who dropped her ice cream cone. There's some crazy shit happening out here."
"I believe you. Really, I do. Just sit tight. Are you still at their house?"
"Yes! I'm locked in the bathroom. I dropped my keys like some too-easy slasher movie victim."
"Alright then, sweetie. Just sit tight. I'm coming to get you."
"No!" Clara practically screamed into the phone. "You can't. I...I mean, I called the police, and I don't want you getting hurt. What if it...that thing...gets away?"
"You called the police?" Kate sounded incredulous. "And they actually believed you?
"Well, no. The operator was skeptical, but she's sending someone anyway. What else could I do? Wait for them to attack me?"
Kate sighed. Clearly she didn't believe Clara either, despite what she'd said. "Okay, stay where you are and don't do anything. I'll get there as soon as I can."
Clara heard the click as Kate hung up and sat with the phone in hand, unable to move or think. Adam's change just kept replaying in her head. One second he was a man, and the next, he was a wolf. And Kate had been so calm on the phone, as if Clara had merely told her Adam was getting a haircut. Maybe I am losing it.
She crawled over to the window and cautiously pulled herself up to peek out. She didn't see Adam or Xavier, but what she did see was a full-on nude woman walking along a path, just beyond a line of trees. The woman had short, curly red hair and a leisurely look about her, as if walking naked in broad daylight was the most normal thing in the world to do.
Clara was wondering if her day could get any freakier when a wolf howled somewhere in the distance, sending a chill of dread through her body. The woman stopped in her tracks, obviously responding to the same ominous sound. Then, just as Clara was opening the window, planning to offer the woman refuge or at least tell her to run like hell, the woman's whole body shifted and changed. Naked lady went from redhead to silvery-grey wolf and immediately issued an answering howl. That's when Clara fainted
***
Xavier shook his head. He could kick himself, or at least Adam, over the way this whole thing had gone down. They were supposed to let her rest after her ordeal and tell her the truth about them in the morning. They'd planned to calmly show her that they were telling the truth and then claim her.
None of that had happened as it should have. Adam hadn't been able to resist taking her, and once Xavier had realized what was happening, her scent had driven him to take her, too. Xavier was glad, at least, that they hadn't claimed her. Claiming her without full disclosure of what she was getting into would have gone against their laws. They could bed anyone they wanted to, but humans were to be told before the claiming happened. As off-the-chain as their lovemaking had been, it was a wonder it hadn't happened anyway in the heat of the moment. He'd been sorely tempted.
Six wolves came running at Adam's call. Nikki, their sister, Luke, Amber, Mikayla, Tyler and Liam had apparently been in the area. They shifted to hear what Adam had to say, and Xavier tossed them some blankets they kept in a nearby chest. It was no big deal to see other wolves naked in their human form, but he didn't want to risk Clara looking out the window and seeing a group of naked people just standing around. Who knew what she was thinking in there as it was? He didn't want to make it any worse.
"What's going on, big brother?" Nikki asked as Adam, once again in human form, came walking over in the shorts he'd hastily donned. Clearly, he shared Xavier's concerns about giving Clara the wrong impression.
Luke, one of Nikki's mates, put his arm around her, pulling her tightly against him. "Yeah, you've interrupted our morning...walk," he said, winking, then nuzzled Nikki's neck. It was obvious that a walk was the last thing on their minds.
"Seriously? Dude, that's my sister." Xavier liked Luke and was coming to think of him as a brother, but he wasn't too keen to hear about their antics. Nikki would always be the little sister he was driven to protect.
"Sorry, man."
Xavier doubted that was true. Luke looked anything but inclined to stop.
Adam met Xavier's gaze and shrugged. The mated often had a hard time keeping their hands off each other. "We don't have time to explain. We just need you to clear out and stay out of this area for a while. Spread the word, okay? Until I give the call, stay away."
Amber fiddled with her hair, a shocking shade of red that played up her green eyes. If Clara happened to look out a window, she'd see that hair from a mile away. "Why? What's up?"
Xavier glanced back at the house, looking for any signs Clara was watching. She'd locked them out and they hadn't tried to get back in yet, except for testing the door. "We'll explain tonight, at the gathering. Just do us a favor and go now."
"I get it," Liam said, punching Adam in the shoulder. "You've got a girl in there. A human, right?"
"Really?" Nikki looked shocked. "I've never known either of you to bring a human home before."
It was true. Both he and Adam had been with human women before, separately and together, but they'd never brought any home. It was too risky.
"I love you, Nikki, but go. Now. Please!" Xavier knew the curiosity would eat at his little sister, but she'd just have to wait. He and Adam had their hands full with figuring out how to get back inside to Clara and comfort her without scaring her any more than they already had. Kicking the door in would only make things worse.
The group gave a few winks and made some good-natured jokes, but they didn't drag their feet too much about leaving. Just as they'd cleared the area, though, a police car showed up, lights flashing but siren off in a silent approach. Xavier growled in frustration. All he wanted to do was get back to Clara, and the police would delay things considerably.
***
When Clara came to and sat up, it took her a minute to figure out where she was. She was lying on the floor and her arm hurt. When she heard pounding in the distance, she realized where she was and remembered what had happened all over again. The thought of first Adam and then that redhead turning into wolves made her feel woozy all over again, and she was glad she was sitting down.
She wondered how long she'd been out and thought, with some annoyance, that the police sure were taking their sweet time getting there. Cautiously, she crawled over to the door and put her ear to it to listen for any sound in the rest of the house. Nothing. Briefly, she considered opening the door just a crack to see if she was still alone, but dismissed that as stupid. Wasn't that how the girl always gave herself away in the movies? No, she'd just wait.
After what seemed like forever, she finally heard some sign of activity. "Clara! Clara Davis!" she could hear someone calling. Was it Adam or Xavier? She couldn't tell at that distance. Then, she heard a splintering crack that had her shrinking back toward the window. When the voice called out again, "Police!" she sighed with relief. The cavalry had arrived.
She scrambled back to the door again as the voice shouted, "Police! Where are you?" What she saw as she cracked the door and peeked out almost made her faint again, this time with relief. Not one but two policemen had come to her rescue.
She burst out the door, not bothering to wait for them to ask what the trouble was. "Did you see them? Did you see the wolves?"
The police officers exchanged a glance. "We saw Adam and Xavier Black. The Black brothers own this property. As for wolves..."
Having had some time to think it over, Clara decided to tread carefully. Maybe she shouldn't tell them the men had turned into wolves, not if she expected them to believe her. She didn't want to spend the next few days in a mental hospital. "Did you arrest them? They...know about the wolves."
"Arrest them for...?" the tall policeman on the left asked. He had dark, curly hair and blue eyes, like Adam's, and his badge said Cade Michaels.
"They...the wolves...I couldn't leave." Now that her rescuers had arrived, she didn't know what to say. They hadn't forcibly detained her, so what could she say?
"Look, Miss Davis," said Officer Aaron Grant, a ginger, "we know about the wolves. Why don't you follow us, and we'll talk about it? Don't worry, we won't allow anyone to hurt you."
She nodded. It would be good to get out of that house and one step closer to putting distance between Adam and Xavier and her layover in Crazy Town. Following the officers into the hallway and back to the kitchen, she was confronted with the Black brothers, as the officer had called them, and their worried expressions. Her immediate instinct was to bolt straight for the door, but she fought to stay calm.
The look in Adam's blue eyes made her shiver as he watched her approach. "It's okay, Clara. We're so sorry we scared you."
"We never wanted that." Xavier pulled out a chair for her at the table.
Clara couldn't speak. She averted her eyes because even her shock and fear weren't enough to completely overrule the tingles of excitement she felt at just being near them. She kept walking, wondering why the officers had stopped there, but intending to get out of the house before she asked any questions.
One of the officers cleared his throat behind her. "Miss Davis. Please have a seat, so we can talk this out."
Was it okay to say "Hell no!" to a police officer? She was dangerously close to not only telling him that but also telling him off. Weren't they supposed to protect and serve? She failed to see how or why a sit-down should be part of that equation.
"We believe you about the wolf."
Clara turned to stare at him, mouth gaping open. He believed she'd seen wolves, or what she'd foolishly blurted to the 911 operator, that she'd seen humans turn into them?
"And so do I," Kate added.
Clara hadn't even realized Kate was there. She hadn't heard any other doors opening, and it was as if she popped up out of nowhere. It seemed that some things never changed. Kate had always had impeccable timing.
Sometime later, Clara sat holding her sister's hand and trying to wrap her mind around what she'd been told. "Is the whole police department made up of wolves?"
"No," Officer Michaels replied. "But many of us are. Lupus Falls is a small town. The dispatcher you spoke with is human, and when we heard what this was about, we knew one of us had to take it, you know, for secrecy's sake."
"But it was okay for you to show yourself to me? You're allowed to do that?" Clara looked to Adam for answers. Xavier claimed to be a wolf, too, but she'd only seen Adam...transform. Maybe they were all crazy, her included.
"The night we met you, we recognized you as our mate. You had to know the truth, before we could claim you." Adam reached across the table to cover her hand with his.
Clara's first instinct was to snatch her hand back, but at the same time, she craved the warmth and support his touch provided. Heck, if she was losing her mind, allowing such a simple connection wouldn't make much of a difference.
"Claim me? What does that mean?" She looked from Adam to Xavier.
It was Xavier who answered. "It means we have to mark you to finish what we started and keep you as our mate. It makes it official. Then, if you want it later, we would have a ceremony, a lot like a human wedding, called a joining."
Clara didn't like the sound of being marked or claimed. She'd just met these men, wolves, whatever they were. Even if she did feel incredibly drawn to them, even if the thought of joining with them, as Xavier called it, excited her just a little, she couldn't be anyone's mate. She wasn't ready to risk her heart like that, not yet. Still, she couldn't help her curiosity. "Does that hurt? Being claimed?"
Kate surprised her by chiming in to answer that question herself. "Not the way it's usually done. When it happens, your mind is sort of on...er...other things. But look, you know what a baby I am about pain..." She grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled it to the side, revealing a small mark, not even a scar, just a faint sliver, really. "If I can handle it, you know it's not that bad."
Gasping in shock, Clara leaned over to take a better look. "So...so, you've been...claimed? Does that mean you're a...Oh, God, I can't believe I'm saying this. Does this mean you're a wolf, too?"
"Honey, that's why I was so calm on the phone. I am now."
For the second time that day, Clara felt the world tilt, and then everything began to go black. At least I'm sitting down this time, was her last thought before losing consciousness.
***
Clara was embarrassed over all the fuss. She'd come to, only to find Adam holding her in his huge arms while Xavier pressed a cool cloth to her forehead. Adam had insisted on calling a doctor to examine her, and everyone else in the room had agreed. The only person who thought it unnecessary was Clara. It was just the shock that had caused her to faint. Twice. And she'd always had low blood pressure, which didn't help since she also hadn't eaten in several hours.
She didn't dare tell any of them that she'd also fainted in the bathroom. She had a feeling they'd have her in a hospital for observation so fast her head would spin. As it was, Adam had practically barked orders at everyone, sending people scurrying for blankets, pillows, and tea, as if she were sick rather than shocked out of her mind.
"Really, I'm fine." She'd told them all the fuss was silly, but that didn't stop any of them. Adam had stroked her hair until the doctor arrived and Xavier had sat holding her hand as if it were made of fine china. "I just need to eat and I'll be okay."
"I'll make you something." Kate popped up and hurried toward the kitchen, not even bothering to ask Adam and Xavier if they minded her rifling through their kitchen. Truthfully, Clara was glad Kate had something to do. She'd just been apologizing over and over again, though Clara wasn't sure what she was apologizing for.
"Some food will do her good." The doctor who'd introduced himself simply as Mark was finally busy with something other than questioning her and checking her vitals. He briefly stopped packing his equipment away to give the hovering men a nod. "Her blood sugar is a little low, as is her blood pressure."
"Like I said"-it rankled that Doctor Mark kept addressing his comments to Adam and Xavier rather than her-"it's no big deal."
It had been strange having Dr. Mark, who looked more like a tall, blond surfer-boy stereotype than a doctor, examine her with Adam, Xavier, and Kate in the room, but they'd all refused to leave her side. Fortunately, she hadn't needed to get naked. Clara was pretty sure she could have cleared the room if she'd kicked up a fuss, but she didn't really want to be alone with the doctor. He seemed nice enough, but since they'd introduced him as the clan doctor, whatever that meant, he was probably a wolf, too. "I know my body and I'll be fine as soon as I eat."
"Well, that may be true, but keep an eye on her overnight. Any sign of continued dizziness, nausea, or if she develops new symptoms, I want to hear about it. And for God's sake, don't let your woman wander around all day on an empty stomach!"
Clara started to tell him yet again that she wasn't their woman, but she realized it was probably futile. She'd already told him so at least 10 times. He obviously didn't believe her. "Thanks, Doctor Mark, but no one lets me do anything. I make my own decisions."
The good doctor smiled at her as if humoring a small child. "Welcome to River Springs," he said and then hurried from the room, probably having other patients to harass.
The silence that followed Doctor Mark's departure was rather thick. Clara struggled with something to say, even though she had a million questions. Since her sister's revelation, she'd come to cautiously accept that they weren't going to hurt her, and she'd taken comfort, yet again, in their touch, but her head was still spinning. Looking up, she met Adam's eyes and the expression in them was one of such caring and concern that she had to look away. A glance at Xavier yielded more of the same, and Clara sat up quickly, pulling her hand away. It was much too soon for what looked like love.
Xavier's concerned look deepened. "Lie back down, Clara, at least until you're feeling better."
"I feel better now."
"Right..." Clearly, he didn't believe her.
"I do feel better, and I don't want to lie here like some invalid. What I want is..." She took a deep breath, looking from Xavier to Adam, trying to reconcile their handsome faces with what she now knew they were. "I want to know the whole story...what you are, how you do...what you do, and why you keep calling me your fated."
Kate came back with a tray laden with scrambled eggs, toast, and orange juice. She positioned the tray over Clara's lap and pointed a finger first at her and then at Adam and Xavier. "You, eat. You two, talk."
Clara's stomach growled loudly, clearly having its priorities straight. She ignored it and leveled her gaze at Kate. "You have some explaining to do yourself.
"I know, but, honestly, my story will make a heck of a lot more sense after you hear what they have to say."
When they'd first told her they were wolf shifters, she hadn't believed them, and she'd wanted nothing more than to get away from them and their mad ravings. Now, though, she wanted to hear it all. If things like this really did exist, there was no way she could walk away without learning more first.
"Okay, then," she said, taking her first bite of eggs. Kate had added lots of cheese, just the way she liked them. "I'm ready to hear everything."
Adam ran a hand through his hair, looking, for the first time since she'd met him, unsure. "Maybe we should wait. I mean, you just fainted."
"It's now or never, Adam." Clara hadn't come to visit her sister intending to become anyone's fated. She'd done something uncharacteristic and slept with two men, who were apparently not really men at all. There was something about them that drew her like a magnet, making her want to feel their touch constantly. But despite that, she would soon get up and walk away, returning to her normal, safe life where things like this didn't happen. But she couldn't spend the rest of her life wondering about these man-wolves. Before she could head back to the familiar, she had to know what she was leaving behind.
Adam pulled a chair across the room and sat directly in front of her, staring pointedly at her fork until she took another bite. "Alright. Here goes. Xavier and I are wolf shifters, which as you already know means we can change-we call it 'shift'-into wolves. We don't eat people or terrorize towns like in movies or books. We lead normal lives."
"Normal?"
"Well, mostly. This area is called River Springs, and it's the Liekos Clan's territory."
"I thought wolves lived in packs, not clans."
"That's true. Wolves usually form packs, but over the years, some packs align with each other, growing in numbers until they become large clans, all loyal to the same leader. There are still packs, but there are also a few clans on this continent."
"On this continent? There are wolf shifters on other continents?"
"Of course. Wolf shifters move about just like humans do."
"And you say you don't harm humans? What do you eat?"
Xavier and Adam both laughed at that, and the sound hit her core. Xavier winked at her, giving her knee a squeeze. "You know what we eat. I made it for you last night. We do eat more meat, and more in general than the average guy. But yeah, that's it."
"How long have you lived with the Liekos Clan?"
Adam answered this time. "All of our lives. Our father is the alpha, which means he's our leader. Well, actually, we now have two alphas since we sort of absorbed Clan Lycan a few months ago. We were Clan Raven, but after merging with the Lycans, we became Clan Liekos. It's complicated, and I don't want to bore you with all the details right now."
"Oh, there's no chance of that happening. Are you immortal?"
"No, I wish we were. We can die just like humans and other animals do. But we do live longer than humans."
"How much longer?"
"It varies, but the average wolf shifter life expectancy is about 150 years."
Clara whistled out a breath. "How old are you?" Her mind rapidly turned over what he'd said. He could be a hundred for all she knew. Did wolf shifters stay forever young-looking?"
"I'm thirty-five," Adam said.
"I'm thirty-two," Xavier added. "We age normally until we peak, which usually happens in the 50th year. Then our aging slows, so that even at the end of a very long life, we don't look very old."
Being a wolf shifter has its perks, Clara thought. "And what about this 'fated' business? About me being your mate?"
Adam pointed to her plate. "You start eating, or we stop talking."
Fascinated, Clara took a bite of her toast and raised an eyebrow for him to continue.
"Every wolf shifter has a mate, a destined mate, that we refer to as our fated. Most of us look forward to meeting that person because it's our ideal match, or soul mate. It can take years, or even a lifetime to meet one's fated, and some never do. Those wolves may have relationships, but they are never as complete as a destined match would be. You're our fated."
"Both of you? Shouldn't each of you have his own mate?"
Xavier shook his head. "Fate's a funny thing. Sometimes wolves have more than one mate, especially when the wolves in question have close ties-like siblings or lifelong friends. There are all sorts of mate combinations, but one woman with two men is the most common. Some think it's nature's way of balancing things out since male births have outpaced female births for several generations now."
"But I'm human. Why me?"
"Often, wolves are destined to mate other wolves, but not always. You're our woman, Clara, the one we were meant to love."
"How can you possibly know that after one night of sex? It was great, don't get me wrong, but..." Clara called bullshit on love at first sight. Lust, yes. Love? Absolutely not.
"We knew the moment you entered the Blue Moon." Adam took the hand not wielding the fork. "We scented you."
Xavier squatted in front of her. "And we felt a physical change. We felt drawn to you in a way that's hard to explain."
Clara put her fork down, and took a sip of orange juice. She bet she could guess what that physical change was. "You mean you got an erection?"
They actually looked insulted. Adam stroked her hand with his thumb, reminding her of the strange way his touch made her feel. "No, it was nothing like that. You felt something, too, didn't you?"
"I was attracted to you, yes. But that's it." Clara pulled her hand away and focused her eyes on her last bit of toast.
Kate had remained silent during this whole exchange, but she spoke up then. "Don't bother lying to yourself. If you felt even a fraction of what I felt when I first met my men, I know your senses had to be going crazy."
Forget about when they'd first met, Clara's senses were going crazy right then. "I...I need to go. Kate can tell me the rest."
Adam's eyes flashed with such a look of hurt that Clara had to look away. "Please, baby, don't go. Let us take care of you."
"Adam's right. Stay with us. We'll take care of you and explain everything else. Or, if you're not ready to hear it yet, we can take that slow. Just stay with us a little longer. Give us a chance."
The more Adam and Xavier talked, looking at her the way they did, the more Clara wanted to stay with them that day, that night, and maybe even forever. But that was irrational, even crazier than learning wolf people actually existed. Clara had to put an end to it. "I'm sorry. I can see that you both mean what you're saying and really want me to be your mate, but fate or not, I can't be with you. Last night was a one-time thing, and it's time we parted ways. I'm going back to my sister's and first thing in the morning, I'm heading home." Back to where people don't turn into wolves and no one wants to claim me.
***
"We moved too quickly." Adam pulled a frosty beer from the refrigerator and twisted the cap off, taking a hard, long swig before he continued. "She's scared." He hadn't been able to keep his hands off their mate long enough to woo her, and look what had happened. If they lost her, it would be his fault.
Xavier joined him, sprawling out at the kitchen table. "Yeah, but it probably wouldn't have mattered if we'd waited. Don't worry. I don't blame you." He rapped his knuckles on the table. "Besides, I jumped in with both feet, too. She's hard to resist."
"So, now we have to figure out a way to convince her not to leave. Since we've mated, she'll be even more drawn to us, but she's so stubborn. I can see her leaving no matter how much her body screams for her to stay. And I won't claim her unless she's one-hundred-percent willing."
"Agreed." Xavier had that look he got when he was working on a plan. Adam hoped it was fucking brilliant. "Now that we've found her, and I've held her in my arms, I won't let her go."
"Yeah, that's not even on the table. No way we're giving her up without a fight. So what's the big plan?"
Xavier grinned. "Well, don't get too excited. I'm not even sure it will work, but we'll need Nikki's help."
Adam groaned. "Then we're already in trouble. I doubt she can tear herself away from Luke and Mason long enough to do much of anything, never mind help us out." Their little sister Nikki had found her mates just a few months ago. At first, the threesome had been rocky, mostly because Luke had acted like a true jackass, but it hadn't taken long for him to recognize how special their sister was, and the three were practically joined at the hip now.
"Yeah, lately they only come up for air for clan business, but I think she'll pry herself away to do this favor for her big brothers."
Xavier looked as disappointed with the idea of sleeping without their mate as Adam felt. "Hope so, man. It's going to be lonely tonight."