Claiming their Mate

Chapter 6

Clara woke to find herself tucked between Xavier's arm and his chest. She breathed deeply, allowing herself to enjoy his masculine scent before getting up. From look of things just outside Xavier’s window, she determined it was full-on morning and she wanted to get back to the lodge before Adam or Kate woke up and went looking for her. She hadn’t meant to stay with Xavier all night.

  She was just sliding away when Xavier's arms tightened around her, and before she knew it, he’d pulled her on top of him. She looked down into one of the sexiest grins she’d ever seen just before he laid a kiss on her.

  “Morning,” he said, moving on to kiss the sensitive spot on her neck.

  Mmmm, she had to admit that felt good. “Morning yourself. I was trying not to wake you.”

  “No worries. You can wake me like this anytime.” He punctuated his words by palming her ass cheeks.

  Clara pushed back to continue her exit from the bed, only to find herself locked tighter in his arms.

  “Where are you going in such a hurry?”

  “To the bathroom. Then I need you to take me back to the lodge.”

“I can think of better things to do.” He moved his hips, driving his point home.

  Her body was all too eager to betray her, nipples hardening and pussy creaming at the slightest provocation from him. “Adam said he’d meet us back there last night, and now it’s morning. The least we can do is get back there now.” Damn, her voice lacked conviction. It was the way he kissed her shoulder and ran his hand lightly between her legs. She found it difficult to put up a fuss pressed up against him like that.

  Laughter rumbled in his throat and then he deftly switched positions, ending up on top of her. “I told you, you worry too much,” he said between kisses. “You don’t have to worry about jealousy between us. Now, if another man tries to touch you, he’ll lose a limb. But your pussy is ours, and we’re prepared to share it.”

  There was an argument against any part of her body belonging to anyone else, and it was right on the tip of her tongue. But when he flicked his tongue over and around her nipple, she lost her train of thought. When his fingers touched the still-sensitive flesh he’d just described, she realized there was little chance she’d recover it. And when he’d worked her to a fever pitch of desire and then entered her, growling his pleasure in her ear, she promptly forgot that she’d been planning to protest in the first place.

  * * *

"Adam will think it’s cute that you were worried about him.” Xavier kissed her nose before opening the car door and gesturing for her to get in.

  When he slid in beside her and started the engine, she couldn’t stop herself from scolding him again. “I still can’t believe you didn’t tell me Adam never came home…I mean back to the lodge last night.”

  “Home. I like the way you say that.”

  “I meant back.” Ugh. She really did sound like a wife.

  “He texted late last night that there was a problem over in the northern part of our territory and he’d probably be up all night taking care of it.”

  “And that didn’t worry you? Not at all?”

  Xavier shrugged as he maneuvered the car out of the driveway and onto the small road that led to the lodge. “Adam can handle himself, and if he needs help, he’ll call for me. Besides, he expected me to take care of you and that’s what I did.”

  “What kind of trouble was it?”

  “He didn’t say, but we’ll see him at breakfast. You can ask him.”

  “Do you always eat breakfast at the lodge?” Clara was feeling nervous about the whole idea, remembering all those eyes on her the previous day. She hadn’t felt threatened, but being the center of so much attention was murder on an introvert.

"Maybe a few times a week. I would have made breakfast this morning and brought it to you in bed, but it’s important that you to have breakfast at the lodge today.”

  That was just what she needed to hear. “Me? Why?”

  “You’re a human who’s going to have free reign of clan territory. We need to let our clan members see you and catch your scent.”

  “Will everyone be there? The entire clan?” She didn’t like the sound of that.

  “No. We can’t fit everyone in the lodge at the same time, but those who live closest and can make it will be there. Others will get their chance at the next clan gathering.”

  Great. There would be another see-and-sniff event? “What would happen if they didn’t catch my scent? Would they attack me?”

  “You must really see us as animals, huh? Okay, yeah, we are, but we aren’t. We’re civilized enough not to attack humans, except in self-defense or to protect our own. But if a random human was found wandering around our land, she’d be either escorted off our property and told never to trespass again or taken to one of the alphas, who’d then decide what to do with her. Luckily, we haven’t had a problem with trespassing humans.”

  “Really? I find that hard to believe.”

  “Well, Lupus Falls is a small town, and the humans there are good about minding their business. Then there’s the fact that River Springs is such a remote area. Plus, I think there’s instinct at work.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Animals can scent humans and become wary, right? Well, I think the same thing happens when humans get close to River Springs. They don’t know what it is, but being close to so many wolves puts them on some sort of high alert and they can’t wait to head in the opposite direction.”

  “I wonder why that didn’t happen to me. I honestly didn’t feel strange at all that first night. I wasn’t afraid until I saw Adam change the next day.”

  They’d arrived at the lodge and Xavier had pulled the car around the back, parking it in front of one of the seven garage doors. Clara was glad of that. At least she wouldn’t have to walk through the throng of wolf shifters she’d seen waiting outside.

  Xavier cut the engine and turned to face her, his gaze warming her and alleviating some of her nervousness. “I don’t have an answer for that, but I can tell you what I think.”

  “Okay, what?”

  “I think humans have some of the mating instinct wolf shifters do. I think they’ve just stopped paying attention to it and let themselves be overcome by so many other things that they can no longer sense it. But I think it’s still there, just under the surface, and when you came to River Springs, your body instinctually knew you belonged here, so you weren’t nervous or afraid. You were only frightened when you saw something you believed wasn’t possible.”

  “So, you’re saying my intellect got in the way of my instinct?”

  “Exactly.”

  She had to admit, it made a weird sort of sense, but this explanation didn’t do much for her hope that he’d accept that, as great as they were together in bed, she didn’t intend to stick around. Neither did the way he gave her a hand up out of the car and pulled her into a hungry kiss. That kiss said he’d enjoyed having her not more than an hour ago, but he still hadn’t had enough.

  * * * *

  The worst part was over, and it was with a sigh of relief that Clara sat between Adam and Xavier at a long, sturdy wooden table in the lodge’s dining room. She’d gone up to her room to shower and change her clothes, then squared her shoulders and walked back out to meet Xavier, hoping it wouldn’t be as bad as she’d imagined. When she’d crossed the threshold with Xavier, it had been like a celebrity had entered the room, and Adam had gotten up, walked over to them, and kissed her possessively in front of everyone. Then, he’d announced her, telling everyone that she was their mate.

The large dining room full of shifters had answered back with a “Welcome, Clara” that almost sounded rehearsed and then gone back to eating. As she’d stood at one of several heavily-laden buffet tables with Adam and Xavier, some of them had come over to greet her personally, but they hadn’t swamped her like she’d expected. And no one made her feel intimidated or out-of-place. Everyone who approached her seemed friendly, and except for the huge size of many of the men, it was easy to forget they were so different.

  Gradually, she had started to relax while Adam and Xavier piled her plate high with more food than she could eat in three days’ time. The buffet was abundant enough to feed a whole army. Shifters stopped by here and there to say hello as they ate, but she didn’t have to say much since most of the time she had a mouth full of food. Xavier hadn’t exaggerated. The food was delicious.

  “Morning!” Nikki said brightly, sliding into a seat across from Clara. “How was your night?”

  Clara hadn’t seen Nikki come in, but she was happy to see her. She could easily see them becoming good friends. The woman’s open friendliness made it hard to do anything else. “It was good…fine.” Was she going to blush again? She sure hoped not.

  Two men, every bit as large as Adam and Xavier, took seats on either side of Nikki. They had two plates piled even higher than hers and one that held just enough for a human-and-a-half. They pushed the plate with the least food in front of Nikki, who smiled at both men in turn.

  “Clara, these are my mates, Luke and Mason.” She glanced down at her overloaded plate. “They spoil me.”

  The one Nikki introduced as Mason greeted her first. “Hey, Clara.” He and Luke looked very much alike, both exceptionally handsome with dark hair. The main difference was that Luke had gray eyes and Mason’s were brown with a golden tinge.

  Luke took his seat, then grinned over at her. “It’s great to meet the woman who snagged both Black brothers. I swear, they haven’t shut up about you since you met.”

  “Well, you can see why, can’t you?” Nikki winked at her. “She’s beautiful.”

  “We only have eyes for you,” Luke said, leaning over to kiss Nikki. “No offense, Clara.”

  “None taken.” Clara watched, somewhat fascinated, as Nikki kissed first Luke and then turned to offer her mouth to Mason, who seemed to match the other man in passion for her. Finally catching herself staring, she fastened her eyes on her plate instead, waiting for them to come up for air.

  Adam laughed. “Gross, isn’t it?”

  Xavier reached across the table and nudged Luke. “Yeah, man, I told you before. That’s my sister.”

  “I know, it’s like, get a room, right?” These words came from the shapely brunette who'd come to stand behind Nikki and her men. “Hey, everybody. I had the day off, so I had to come meet Clara.” She looked down at Clara, smiling. “Word has it you already have these guys crazy for you. I’m Robyn.”

  Soon the group of six had turned to nine as Nikki’s friends Robyn, Mikayla, and Amber joined them. Though there was quite a bit of good-natured joking, they all made her feel very welcome, and Clara ended up laughing right along with them. She only felt awkward when they called Adam and Xavier her mates, but she decided to shrug it off rather than explaining the truth repeatedly. That was between her, Adam and Xavier, anyway.

  She was surprised to find them all so normal. They were wolf shifters, but they could easily have been just a very close group of humans having a good time. What really amazed Clara was how comfortable Nikki and her mates seemed. Like Adam and Xavier, they were brothers, but she didn’t sense any jealousy or competition there. They insisted on feeding Nikki bites of their food, and they couldn’t seem to stop touching her. It was much like what she’d experienced so far with Adam and Xavier. Whenever either one was in her vicinity, there were these little touches that kept her constantly aware of them.

  As if she could forget.

  “Well, we’re going to head out.” Nikki pushed her chair back.

“Bet we can all guess where they’re heading out to.” Robyn rolled her eyes, laughing.

  “Get your mind out of the gutter,” Luke said. “We’re going to work on the house.”

  “But there’s always time for a detour,” Mason said, helping Nikki to her feet.

  Nikki smiled up at him and then turned to Clara. “Maybe we’ll see you later?”

  Clara had no idea what Adam and Xavier had planned for her. “Sure. Maybe.”

  “You know what? The girls and I are planning to take a dip in Hollows Lake this afternoon since we’re having this late heat wave. It’s no men allowed, so we can talk about them behind their backs. Why don’t you come with?”

  “Oh, that sounds like fun.” It did. She liked Nikki and her friends. “But I don’t have a bathing suit with me.”

  “No problem. I have a couple of brand-new suits I bet would fit you. Kate’s coming. It’ll be fun.”

  Clara hadn’t seen Kate yet, though that wasn’t a huge surprise. Her sister liked sleeping in. It would be great to have some time to just relax with her sister. “It does sound like fun.” She glanced at Adam and Xavier and found they wore matching frowns. “What is it?”

  “No way. It’s not safe,” Adam said.

  Nikki tossed her hair over her shoulder and frowned down at Adam. “Seriously? With all the extra security you have set up? No one’s crossing our borders. Besides, it will be broad daylight.”

  “I said no, Nikki.”

  Suddenly the group got very quiet, and more than a few eyebrows were raised. Nikki put her hands on her hips and looked ready to argue the point. Clara got the feeling she didn’t hear the word “no” very often, at least not from Adam, but she didn’t need anyone to fight her battles. “You can’t say no for me, Adam.”

  “You’re not going. It’s not safe.”

  “You said they’d be idiots to show up here, and that even if they did, they’d never be able to get close to me.”

  “That’s true, but that doesn’t mean you should just go gallivanting all over the place.”

  Xavier apparently agreed with his brother. “I’d feel better if you just stayed with us, Clara.”

  Suddenly, going was very important to her. “If Kate goes, I go.” She crossed her arms over her chest. It couldn’t be that risky if Jason and Will were letting Kate go. And with the way Luke and Mason looked at Nikki, she didn’t believe they’d let her out of their sight unless she was one-hundred-percent safe. Besides, she didn’t like the stubborn set of Adam’s jaw. He had to learn from the get-go that she made her own choices. “I’m not your property, or even your mate yet. I’ll go where I want.” Adam’s frown deepened and he opened his mouth, clearly ready to argue.

Nikki laughed. “Don’t bother, Adam. Looks like you lost this one.” She leaned over and patted his hand. “Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of her.”

  Adam said, or rather, growled something in response, but Clara didn’t hear it. Xavier picked that moment to lean over and whisper in her ear. “You said yet.”

  “What?”

  “You said you weren’t our mate yet.”

  He was right. She had.

 ***

  It had been a good day. Clara had gone up to drag Kate out of bed and spent the day talking and playing cards with her sister. They’d had lunch in Kate’s room, as Clara hadn’t been ready to face another crowd.

  At around three o’clock, Adam and Xavier had come to escort her to Nikki’s, walking this time rather than driving, and she’d tried on the extra bathing suits, if you could call them that. They were far skimpier than anything she’d worn in ages. With much angst, she finally settled on a white bikini that Nikki said contrasted her coloring nicely. As far as Clara was concerned, its most critical merit was the fact that it covered more skin than the others. Nikki had donned a red and white polka-dotted bikini that made her look fabulous but was only barely large enough to cover everything.

  Clara eyed Kate’s one-piece enviously, but said nothing. Maybe it was time she got back to being comfortable in her own skin.

  The girls settled down with a spread of cheeses, meats, and wine. It took no time at all before they were all laughing like the best of friends.

  “No wine, Kate?” Amber asked. “Something you want to tell us?”

  Before she could answer, Robyn chimed in, laughing. “I bet she has a bun in the oven. It’s about time. We were wondering when they’d finally knock you up. They tried hard enough.”

  Nikki leaned over, explaining in conspiratorial tones, “We used to catch them everywhere, um, how should I put it? Indisposed…It was like they were trying to christen every square foot of River Springs.”

  “Oh, girl, they didn’t stop there.” Robyn winked at Kate, grinning. “I heard they got busy all over Lupus Falls, too.”

  Kate didn’t look embarrassed at all. In fact, she broke into a wide grin. “Come to think of it, there are a few places we missed… I should go get Jason and Will.”

  “Oh, hell no. No you don’t. No men, remember? You mated girls drive me crazy. Give us a little attention, okay?"

“I guess I can wait.” Kate smiled, sheepish. “At least a little while.”

  Mikayla looked wistful. “I want a love like that. I want a man who can’t get enough of me. And damn, if I could have two? What I wouldn’t give…”

  Clara found herself thinking about Adam and Xavier. She was lucky to have such sexy, caring men interested in her. Why couldn’t she just relax and accept it? It was the whole “fated” thing that got in the way. That, and the fact that they were shifters.

  Robyn turned her gaze on Clara. “So, Clara, what’s your story? I’ve noticed how hard you grind your teeth when anyone calls you Adam’s and Xavier’s mate.”

  Ordinarily, she would be reluctant to discuss something so personal with women she’d just met, but for some reason, she already felt comfortable with them. “It’s just that I’m not their mate. They’re great guys, amazing really, but I can’t just give up everything I have at home and become anyone’s mate.”

  “You haven’t told her?” Nikki asked Kate.

  Kate shook her head. “I thought maybe it would be better to ease her into it.”

  “Told me what?”

  Nikki and Robyn exchanged glances. “Are you the slow peel or rip the bandage off kind of girl?” Robyn asked.

“I guess I’m the rip-it-off type.” Whatever it was they had to tell her sounded serious.

  “Well,” Robyn continued, “first of all, you are already their mate.”

  She frowned. “Like hell I am. I’m sick of—”

  “Just hear me out, okay?”

  Clara sighed but nodded. She was two seconds from telling the next person who called her that off. It was like the decision was already out of her hands to hear them tell it.

  “The thing is, no matter how much you want to deny it, you’re their mate. That just means you’re the one fate has chosen for them. Nothing can change that.”

  Clara laughed dryly. “I don’t believe that.”

  “It’s true,” Kate said. “You’re their mate whether you accept it or not. You have a bond that can’t be entirely broken, except by death. But you don’t have to stay with them. You can walk away and never see them again.”

  Nikki smiled sadly. “Yes, you can do that, but just know it won’t be easy for any of you.”

  She could have guessed that. Already she looked forward to seeing their faces and learning more about them and their home. And they were both so intent on being with her that she could see them being unhappy, at least for a little while. “I’m sure it will be hard to say goodbye, but they’ll find someone else. I mean, they won’t spend their entire lives alone, will they?” She found that the idea of them lonely bothered her, yet the thought of another woman in their bed actually made her stomach hurt a little.

  Nikki reached for the wine and poured herself another glass. “Sure, they can be with someone else. They can even join with someone else, but they’ll never have as complete a relationship with her as they would have with you. And the first months apart will be the hardest. Since you’ve already…been together, you’ll burn for them and vice versa. Eventually, though, you’ll get used to being apart, but the three of you will always feel like something is missing.”

  Great. So she was going to burn for the sexiest men she’d ever met and then go through life pining for them. She didn’t even want to ask what Nikki meant by burning. She was pretty sure it meant a lot of frustration and the frequent use of her vibrator. “Sure you’re not exaggerating a bit? Just to be a good sister?”

  “She’s a good sister, but everything she said is true,” Mikayla said.

  Kate nodded. “My question is why are you so against it?”

  “Why were you?” Clara tossed back. “Didn’t you say you made them chase you for months?”

  “True. I was scared honestly. It was all so new. It took a while for me to accept that they were shifters, and then to accept that I would become one, too, if I agreed to let them claim me. It was weird and foreign, and I had to get used to the idea.”

  “So why is it so difficult to understand that I might have the same issue? I mean, I’m not scared, exactly. It’s just that it’s all so fast. It’s like I met them, found out they were wolves, and bam! I’m just supposed to commit to spending my life here.”

  “I do understand,” Kate said. “It’s just that after all you’ve been through, I want you to be happy, sooner rather than later.”

  “But she has to want it,” Robyn said.

  Did she? Did she want it? A part of her was thrilled with the idea that Adam and Xavier could fully commit to her so easily. A part of her wanted to believe that she could have a fairy tale type of love. But the other part said it was just crazy, that even thinking of staying there and becoming part of a wolf clan, a real life wolf clan, was insane. Kate was doing it, but… “Alright, let’s talk about something else. Too much scrutiny on me. There must be something else juicy we can talk about.”

  Clara knew there was a reason she already liked these woman. They launched into a discussion of Robyn’s recent sexual escapades that had them all roaring with laughter. Still, they’d given her even more to think about. She wouldn’t accept Adam and Xavier just to avoid discomfort, but at least she felt a little better about being called their mate.

***

  Clara had a fun, relaxing time out there with her new friends, eating, joking, and catching some sun. Nikki had thoughtfully brought a homemade sunscreen for Clara, though she didn’t need it herself. Apparently, wolf shifter skin healed too quickly to worry about damage from the sun.

  The conversation frequently turned to sex and hot men, though they also talked about normal things like careers, hope for the future, and family. Much to her surprise, she even learned that Robyn liked to knit. As saucy as the woman was, it was hard to believe.

  When the talk turned to Kate and her upcoming hydan, which sounded a lot like a honeymoon, they had to talk her sister out of leaving right away to go find her men. Jason and Will had taken the day off from work, and Kate feigned worry over whether they were bored and lonely without her.

***

  Nikki got to her feet, laughing. “Let’s go get wet. Might help Kate cool off a bit.”

  The water was cold at first, but the sun was hot enough that the chill actually felt good. It didn’t take long before Mikayla splashed Nikki and Nikki splashed Kate and Kate splashed Clara. Soon there was water flying everywhere amid squeals and shrieks.

  One minute, laughter split the air, and the next, silence fell. Before Clara could turn around to see what the other women were staring at, she was lifted off her feet. Adam. He pulled her, screaming and squealing, into his arms and landed a kiss sexy enough to curl her toes.

  “I knew he couldn’t follow the rules,” Amber said.

  Nikki gave a mock sigh. “C’mon, big brother, set a good example.”

  When Adam finally set her down, Clara was not only breathless but also shaky on her feet. He put his arm around her, helping her keep her balance. “Sorry, ladies. I couldn’t help myself.”

  “Well, try harder.” Mikayla splashed at him.

  “We brought gifts,” he said, pointing toward the shore where Xavier, Luke, Mason, Will, and Jason all stood in some variation of shorts and swim trunks. Bare-chested and muscled as they were, they looked like they belonged in a swimwear calendar. “Dinner, and more wine, of course.”

  Robyn shook her head, staring at the men as they laid down blankets and started emptying the basket. “All I can say is…damn.”

  She had that right.

  * * *

It had been a long day, and Adam was still tired from last night’s responsibilities. There’d been a ruckus out at the northern border, which happened to be in former Lycan territory. He’d shifted to run all the way there. Under normal circumstances, the men his father had guarding the border would have handled it, but Adam had requested to be personally alerted to anything out of the ordinary while Clara’s attackers remained at large. If he’d had a piece of their clothing, he’d have been able to set a group to track them, but no such luck. All he’d been able to do was put out feelers in River Springs and in town, thinking someone would eventually spot the newcomers and send up an alert.

  They’d be fools to try to sneak into River Springs. If it was just the two of them, they had no prayer of making it back out in one piece. The problem was, a niggling concern had him thinking they might not be alone. As the ruthless alpha Ulric made his way across the country, packs either succumbed to him, joining him and making his pack even stronger, or they ran. Many who ran wandered toward River Springs.

  At first, the clan had thought to offer anyone who ran a place in River Springs, but they’d learn the hard way that not wanting to join Ulric didn’t necessarily make a shifter a worthy candidate for inclusion. They’d had some thefts and the near-rape of one of their women before they’d decided to step up their security dramatically. And the next town over from Lupus Falls, the one Clara had driven into on that rainy night, had become a catchall for some of the worst characters. It was a gang of such criminals he’d encountered at the northern border the previous night. They’d been looking for trouble but had been easy enough to run off.

  The growing frequency of these sorts of problems, however, had him thinking more seriously about their aging alphas. Zion had won his last challenge, but not without coming dangerously close to death himself. Grey, Luke’s and Mason’s father, wasn’t in any better shape to win against a young challenger than Zion was. He did want to be alpha someday, but it seemed the change of leadership might be necessary sooner than he’d expected.

  The sun was going down, and Adam stretched and yawned, looking over at Clara. He’d broken the no-men rule by showing up there, but he hadn’t been able to help himself. But he’d managed to wait hours to do it. Damn if she wasn’t the sexiest woman he’d ever seen. And he was just as attracted to her sweet nature. Xavier said she’d been worried about him. Hearing that had kept a goofy grin on his face half the day.

  Maybe they’d had enough girl talk for one day. He tore his eyes from Clara to glance over to Xavier. “Ready to head out?” Dinner and a swim had been a good way to end the day, but he was tired and ready to sink himself into their mate, if she’d have him.

  “I was born ready.” Xavier jumped up, and Luke and Mason were only too eager to follow suit.

  It took only minutes to round up their women and say their good-byes. Kate claimed extreme fatigue and the need to lie down and rest, winking at Adam. He nodded back at her in thanks. Clara wouldn’t lack time with her sister in the days leading up to Kate’s joining, and Adam needed her just then.

***

  Clara didn’t quite know how to handle this. She’d slept with Xavier against her better judgment. Was she going to sleep with Adam, too? There was no doubt that she wanted to. From the time they’d shown up at the pond, she’d fought to keep her mind off the way they’d made her feel, both of them fucking her on the crazy night that started all of this. And she’d been in a state of hyper-alertness, feeling just on the edge of yelling, “Take me right here, right now,” all damned day.

  “We could get some dessert and watch a movie in the rec room,” Xavier said.

  “I can’t imagine either of you watching TV.” TV watching just seemed too mundane for what they were.

Adam yawned. Clearly his night out was catching up to him. “Yeah, we don’t watch much, but we catch a movie here and there and...sports.”

  They stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading up to her second floor guestroom, apparently waiting for her answer. “What kind of movies do you like?” she asked.

  “Action,” they answered in unison.

  Xavier grinned. “Also those comedies where humans get themselves into ridiculous situations and then make everything worse trying to fix them.”

  “Not chick flicks?” she teased. Actually, she could go for a comedy or an action movie, if it was a good one, but she was willing to bet Adam would fall asleep if they sat in front of a TV too long.

  They groaned, and Clara laughed. It was the reaction she’d expected.

  “We’re not big on those...” Xavier said.

  “But we’ll suffer through one for you,” Adam finished.

  Clara smiled. Was this an act or were they really this great? She’d have to take them up on that offer and find out, but not tonight. “I have a better idea.”

  Adam stifled another yawn. “Whatever you want.”

  Why not? she’d asked herself over and over again. Why couldn’t she just relax and see where things went? It felt good to just have fun for a change. “Take me to bed.”

  Her words seemed to snap Adam back to alertness, and before she knew it, he’d lifted her in his arms and bounded up the stairs, taking them two at a time, with Xavier right behind them.

  “Adam, wait. Just wait a second.” She pushed against his chest, trying to slow his movement toward her room.

  “What’s wrong?” He did stop, but didn’t put her down.

  She needed to be put down to say her peace. “I need you to…Adam, put me down. We need to talk.”

  She could tell he didn’t want to, but he did set her on her feet. Xavier came to stand beside him, and she suddenly felt small and fragile standing there with both huge men staring down at her.

  Adam reached out and stroked his big hand over her hair, pushing errant strands off her forehead. “Clara, I need to take you to bed. Need to. Tell us what’s wrong. I can’t wait much longer.”

  Maybe, Clara thought, the best thing to do was just blurt it out. “Last night…” She hesitated, not even sure why it was so hard to say. “Last night, Xavier and I had sex while you were gone.”

  “We made love,” Xavier corrected her.

  She glanced at Xavier briefly before turning her gaze back on Adam, looking for signs that what she’d said had hurt him. “Xavier said you wouldn’t be upset, but I didn’t want to sleep with you without putting it out there.”

  Adam looked at her, one eyebrow raised. Damn him, he looked so sexy that way. “You thought I’d be angry?”

  “Maybe.” She shrugged. “Or…hurt.”

  Xavier shook his head. “I told her you would expect us to enjoy each other, and you’d do the same if I was away. I guess she didn’t believe me.”

  “It’s not that I didn’t believe you. It’s just that I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings. And I don’t want to cause problems between you two. You’re so close…”

  “Let’s show her we know how to share, Xavier.”

  Clara swallowed, her heart speeding up and her nipples hardening at his words. Adam took a step closer and Xavier circled around behind her, their body heat warming her before they even touched her. Her clit throbbed in anticipation, but she held up a hand to stop them.

  “One more thing.” It was all she could do to continue talking, when they looked ready to fall on her like starving animals and she so richly wanted to be their meal. “This…tonight…the time that I’m here. None of this…not the kisses, not the sex, none of it is going to change how I feel. I need you to understand, really understand that this is only temporary. After my sister’s joining, I’m going back to my normal, sane life.”

  They both growled, causing her to jump in surprise. Adam’s expression darkened. “We’ll see."

He deftly reached between her legs and under her bikini bottoms to cup her wet heat. “Now...bed.”

  Had he really heard a word she’d said? Why was she allowing Xavier to open her guestroom door and lead her inside? Adam clearly didn’t get it, and she had her doubts about Xavier. Why did she turn to Adam the moment the door closed, spreading her legs to allow him better access and leaning back against Xavier’s chest for support?

  “You don’t ever have to worry about jealousy between us, Clara. We’ve been sharing since we were pups. It’s like this, I know how badly Xavier needs to feel your breasts in his hands.” Adam reached up, abandoning her pussy and making her whimper at the loss. He pulled her bikini top down, watching her breasts spill out of it.

  Xavier took her bare breasts in his big hands, kneading them. “And I know how badly Adam wants to taste your pussy since he didn’t get to last night.” He used his knee to nudge her legs further apart.

  Adam dropped to his knees in front of her. “I know Xavier will want to taste you, too, so after I make you come, I’ll make sure he gets his turn.” He spoke with his lips just a hair away from her pussy, and Clara couldn’t keep still. She could hardly wait.

  Xavier kissed the back of her neck, shifting his hands to tweak her nipples. “And I know Adam wants to bury his cock inside you and fuck you until you shake and scream in his arms. But, we both want that, so just as the last tremors of the orgasm he gives you subside, I’ll bury myself inside you and fuck you until you come all over again, screaming my name this time.”

  The first touch of Adam’s tongue on her pussy made her jump and moan, but Xavier held her tightly, steadying her when she thought her knees would buckle. Adam licked her slit, tongued all around her entrance and then lapped at her already throbbing clit.

  Xavier continued talking, speaking into her ear and letting her feel the hardness of his cock from behind. “I need to feel your gorgeous lips wrapped around my dick, and I know Adam wants to feel your tongue loving his balls. And soon, when you’re ready, we’ll both take you at the same time. Adam deep in your pussy and me right here.” He pushed a finger between her ass cheeks and circled her anus, rubbing her there. “We know how to share, baby. All you have to do is relax and let us.”

  Clara could manage no argument. Adam’s tongue did amazing things to her pussy, lapping wetly against it, then circling her clit again and again. She moaned and arched her back, overcome with the sensations they provoked as they simultaneously touched her. Her mind replayed their words again and again, and as Adam pushed two fingers inside her pussy and Xavier inserted what felt like just the tip of one of his fingers in her ass, she wondered what it would feel like to have them both pushing into her at the same time. The image ramped up her desire until Adam hit an incredibly sensitive spot inside her pussy, bringing her to the brink and then fastening his tongue and lips on her clit to push her over it. Her climax washed over her like a tidal wave, tearing Adam’s name from her throat and leaving Xavier to support her fully as she lost her ability to stand.

  * * * *

  The taste of his mate’s pussy intoxicated and energized him. He no longer felt tired or cared about anything other than feeling her velvety walls clutching at his cock. He met Xavier’s eyes and the man understood him perfectly.

  “Baby, get on your hands and knees,”  Xavier said, sitting on the edge of the bed and guiding her between his knees.

  She was flushed, smelling of arousal and release, and Adam held himself tightly in check while she complied, only hesitating for a second. He wanted to push into her and ride her fast and hard, but at the same time, he wanted to make love to her slow and easy. It was crazy, but she both brought out his tender side and made him want to rut like an animal.

  He quickly shed his swim trunks and kneeled behind her, bending to kiss the small of her back. He bit her ass cheeks, then gripped the firm round mounds in his hands, allowing his cock to slide between her legs and caress her pussy.

  “I’ve never done it that way, Adam. I’m not sure…”

  “You mean here?” He licked his finger and rubbed it around her tight rosebud. “I had a feeling you were a virgin there, but we won’t take you there tonight. We need more time to prepare you for that, and I want you too badly to take my time. Don’t be afraid, though, we won’t hurt you when we do take you that way. We’ll never do anything to hurt you, Clara.”

  That was all the explanation he could manage. He had to have her. Holding her hips steady, he pushed his cock into her as far as it would go in a single thrust, hearing her gasp as she took him in. Adam held himself still at first, allowing her to adjust to his size, and then began moving rhythmically in and out of her, each time inching a little more of his cock inside her.

  “Open your mouth for me, Clara.” Xavier held his cock in his hand, offering it to their woman, throwing his head back and groaning as she obeyed.

  The room became a symphony of moans, groans, and pleasure-filled growls as Adam thrust into her from behind and Xavier made love to her mouth. Adam gradually increased his pace until Clara moaned steadily around Xavier’s cock. Knowing he was close, he reached around and found her clit, rubbing and flicking it in cadence with his thrusts. The pleasure of her slick walls built until he was ready to explode and raked his teeth against her neck, the primal urge to claim her nearly overwhelming.

  Adam heard Xavier shout his release and felt his own balls seize up. He rubbed her clit faster, then pressed two fingers firmly against it, giving in to his own release as her pussy first locked on his cock and then began the powerful pulsations that marked her release. As his cock spurted stream after stream of cum inside her, he fought against his inner wolf’s order to bite down and make her his forever. It was a very near thing.

***

  Adam withdrew from her pussy, lifting her onto the bed, where he lay back, holding her tightly in his arms. Xavier joined them, kissing her neck and whispering tender post-orgasmic words in the darkness. Clara’s heart swelled with so much feeling, she felt she would burst. The pleasure they gave her was indescribable, but the tenderness they showed her was beyond anything she’d ever imagined. As much as she had loved Aiden, she had never felt this loved or this cherished in return.

  Then there were the perks that went along with being in bed with two men, such as when Adam fell asleep and Xavier pulled her on top of him, murmuring, “Ride me” in her ear. She rode him hard until she exploded in another climax, crying Xavier’s name out in the darkness. Adam woke up then, growing hard again in an instant, and took her again, this time flat on her back, feverish skin pressed up against the coolness of the sheets while he stroked her deep inside until her eyes rolled back and her toes curled with another shattering climax.

  As the three of them drifted off to sleep, still covered in each other’s sweat, she felt happy, so damned happy she could cry. Despite how firmly she’d told both men she’d be leaving them in just a couple of weeks, she didn’t know how she was going to do it. Eating TV dinners in front of the television every night would never cut it again.

***

  The three hadn’t gotten much sleep the previous night, and Clara was only vaguely aware of Adam and Xavier kissing her goodbye in the morning. She pried one eye open to see that it was only 7 a.m. and promptly went back to sleep. When she woke again, the clock on the bedside table said it was nearly 10 a.m. and there was a tray of cereal, toast, fruit, bottled water, and coffee waiting for her. The milk was warm and the coffee was cold, but she didn’t mind. It was thoughtful of them to bring her breakfast and leave her a note saying they would be in town for most of the day. They didn’t owe her any explanations.

After showering and getting dressed, she walked down the hall to knock on Kate’s door and drag her out of bed. Jason and Will had headed into town, too, so they spent the day talking and playing cards, just like they used to before Kate moved away. It was an amazing feeling to be back with her sister again.

  Nikki knocked on Kate’s door just before lunch, and Clara agreed to brave the dining room with them. It wasn’t as bad as she thought, even without Adam and Xavier there. The shifters did gawk here and there, but the mate comments came less frequently. Maybe Adam and Xavier had spread the word that she didn’t like it.

  The three women sat by the huge windows that looked out over part of the grounds, talking long after the lunch dishes had been cleared away. It seemed Luke was learning how to build a house and his mishaps created much hilarity, especially with the crazy faces Nikki made while talking about them.

  Clara glanced out the window as Nikki launched into another story about his hijinks, and her jaw practically hit the tabletop. “What the—?”

  Nikki and Kate turned to look. After a few moments of silence, they both let loose gales of laughter.

  “Your face…” Kate said.

  Nikki shrugged, still smiling. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it."

Clara knew wolf shifters were naked when they returned to their human form, but she’d been unprepared for the large group that had just gone running past bare-assed naked. She could still see a couple of the guys. It looked like they were tackling each other. “What? Why?”

  “Well, I saw a football. They were probably out running, shifted I mean, and decided to shift back for quick game of Attack. It’s our variation of football.” Nikki said all of this as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

  “So that happens a lot?”

  “There’s a lot of nudity in River Springs. It’s just the way it is, but there are spots around the territory stocked with cover-ups, blankets, and odd pieces of clothing. It’s up to the wolf if he wants to wear them or not.”

  “I haven’t seen anyone nude since I got here.”

  “Zion asked those who live closest to the lodge to tone it down a bit, but it’s hard to keep some of these guys under wraps for long. After a while here, you’ll barely even notice.”

  Clara highly doubted that. “I don’t see how you could ever not notice that.” She cocked her head toward the window. “Are any of these guys not built?”

  Kate nodded, looking out as another two heavily muscled wolf shifters ran past. “I can see your point, and there’s nothing wrong with looking. It’s just easier to ignore when you have men like ours to go home to."

***

  Adam and Xavier didn’t make it back in time for dinner, and Clara hung out in the rec room with Kate, Will, and Jason for a while. There were two pool tables, a huge TV, and a couple of game tables. They played pool for a while and then Clara headed upstairs to check her e-mail, something she’d neglected since coming back to River Springs. She forwarded some priority items to her assistant, Jen, fooled around some on social media, and was just getting ready to play solitaire when someone knocked on her door.

  She opened it to find Adam and Xavier, both in pajama pants with bare feet and chests.

  Xavier held a bunch of DVDs in his hand. “Miss us?” he asked.

  Yes, more than I should have. “No,” she lied.

  Adam made a big show of looking hurt. “Well, we missed you anyway.” He buried his nose in her neck, taking a deep whiff. “You smell good.”

  “Okay... But why are you in pajamas.”

  Xavier grinned. “We thought we should get comfortable. It’s movie night.”

  Adam hustled her backward into the room. “It’s chick flick time. Go get your pajamas on.”

  Clara laughed. Was he serious? She reached for the DVDs Xavier held. Yup, all romantic comedies that would definitely qualify as chick flicks. “You can’t be interested in these. Seriously, I was joking last night. We can watch something else.”

  Adam shook his head. “Nope. We’re asking you to accept our world, so it’s only fair that we get into the things you like, too.”

  “That’s great, but I also love a good action flick.”

  Xavier exaggerated a grimace. “Now you tell us. But tonight, it’s your pick. Go on. Get changed.

  Fifteen minutes later she was sitting between two overgrown wolf shifters in pajamas on a loveseat only meant for two, with a big bowl of popcorn on her lap and a tray of drinks nearby. She had a hard time concentrating on the movie at first, and tried to apply herself to other things.

  Running a hand up Adam’s thigh earned her an “Uh, uh. Watch the movie” from him. Applying that same effort with Xavier earned her a quick kiss and an “I’m trying to watch. It’s just getting good.”

  Aiden would never have bothered watching anything like that with her, and she was glad she’d finally stopped wearing his ring. Why she had continued to wear it was beyond her now.

  In all fairness to the typical male, Adam did fall asleep once, but she elbowed him playfully. After that, he stayed awake until the credits rolled.

  “So? Did you like the movie?” she asked.

  “That guy was an idiot,” Xavier said. “Why couldn’t he see how much Callie loved him? But besides that, it was pretty good.”

  “Yeah,” Adam said. “I wished I could reach into the TV and snatch him out of it a few times, but at least he finally got it together in the end. He wasted all that time chasing other women and claiming he only wanted to be her friend.”

  “Well, there was no fate involved. It’s not that simple for humans.” She stretched and yawned. Then smiled brightly at the pajama-clad wolves. “Well, I’m ready for bed. How about you?”

 Xavier nodded. “Yeah, we should say goodnight.”

  “What?” She practically barked it at him.

  Adam kissed her cheek and squeezed her knee. “We can’t make love to you tonight, Clara. It’s too soon. You have to be sore after last night.”

  “And the night before that,” Xavier added.

  Now that he mentioned it, things had been a little tender when she’d showered that morning. Did she care, though? Not at all. She could bear a little discomfort for all that pleasure. “It doesn’t matter. I want you anyway. Both of you.”

  Adam stood up and pulled her to her feet, wrapping her in his arms. “No, Clara. It’s not going to happen tonight.”

  “Shouldn’t I be the one refusing?” She felt like pushing him away and stomping her foot. No fair getting her hooked and then saying no.

  Xavier came up behind her and lifted her ponytail, kissing the back of her neck. “If you want us with you, there are other things we can do.”

  His words and the look in Adam’s eyes almost took her breath away. “Oh, yes?” she asked.

Adam lowered his lips to hers and kissed her until she truly was breathless. “Oh, yes.”

  The next day, Adam and Xavier did make it back in time for dinner. After a hearty meal with them and everyone she was starting to think of as the gang, they took her back upstairs for a late nap. Nap turned out to be a euphemism for sex. She’d just drifted off for a real nap, when Xavier woke her by trailing kisses down her back.

  “What time is it?” she asked.

  He placed a kiss on her tailbone. “It’s only a little after eight. Wake up, sleepyhead.”

  “Hey, I was promised a nap. Where’s Adam?”

  “He went to get dressed. You should, too.”

  He’d peaked her curiosity. “What for?”

  “You’ll see. Meet us downstairs in twenty minutes.”

  Clara dragged herself out of bed when he left, but a shower woke her up and she managed to make it downstairs in a half hour. She hadn’t known what to wear, so she’d put on a pair of jeans and a tank top, then grabbed a sweater. The nights were getting cooler.

  She found them waiting for her in the foyer wearing only cut-off jeans. “Isn’t it a little cold for that?” she asked, looking them up and down.

  Xavier held the door open for her. “We don’t get cold as easily. We run hotter than humans."

Yes, she’d noticed that. Even when it got chilly in the middle of the night, she didn’t need a blanket when she slept between them. They kept her warm.

  She smelled it before she saw it, a bonfire like the ones she’d enjoyed as a child at summer camp, only much larger. It had been lit in a clearing and was attended by what seemed to be a few dozen wolf shifters, some sitting on blankets and portable lounge chairs, others sitting directly on the grass.

  “What is this?” she asked.

  Adam stopped a few feet behind the rest of the crowd and sat down in the grass, reaching for her. “It’s the Ceremony of Myrar, for Kate.”

  She took his hand and allowed him to pull her down to his lap.

  “I’ll go grab some blankets,” Xavier said, walking off into the darkness.

  Looking around, she saw that most of the shifters were scantily clad. Even the women wore tiny shorts and what looked like very thin tank tops. She scanned the crowd, noting that some wore nothing but bikinis. “I don’t see Kate.”

  “She’ll get here last, with Jason and Will, once everyone else is in place.” He held her tightly against him, speaking close to her ear. “I don’t want you to be afraid, but once Grey and Zion arrive, most of those in attendance will shift. Your sister and her mates won’t at first, not until the ceremony’s end. Xavier will shift, but I’ll stay in this form. We don’t want you to feel nervous being the only one who isn’t shifted.”

  Good. She was feeling more and more comfortable in River Springs, but she wasn’t quite ready to be surrounded by dozens of fully shifted wolves. “What’s the ceremony for?”

  Xavier returned with two blankets, which he spread out on the ground next to them. “It’s a ceremony to welcome Kate to our clan. Since she was human, she doesn’t have a clan family, and this will give her one. She’ll officially become a member of the clan tonight rather than at the joining. Sometimes it’s done at the joining, but Jason and Will want the joining ceremony to focus only on the three of them rather than on the clan as well.”

  Xavier sat on one of the blankets and patted the space next to him. She scooted off Adam’s lap and went to fill it. “Is that Grey?”

  Zion walked straight toward the bonfire accompanied by a man she hadn’t met but who resembled Luke and Mason in stature. There was an authority about him that made her think he might be the other alpha.

  “That’s him,” Adam said, taking up residence on her other side.

  Next came Kate in a short, white sundress, her men dressed only in shorts. They kneeled before Grey and Zion, who’d turned to face the crowd.

“Do you want to move closer?” she asked, wondering if they’d sat so far away for her benefit. The heat from the fire warmed her even from there, but they could sit several feet closer with no problem. “It’s fine if you do.”

  It was Xavier who answered, whispering in her ear. “Adam never sits closer than this. The fire. It makes him…uncomfortable.”

  Clara looked over at Adam who gave her an unreadable look. Was he afraid of the fire? She found that hard to believe. In fact, it was hard to believe he was afraid of anything.

  “Tonight,” Zion began, his voice carrying well on the night’s breeze, “the gathered are here to witness the acceptance of Kate Davis into Clan Liekos. Kate is mate of Jason Lowell and Will Liulfr, and many of us have come to know and like Kate since the claiming.”

  There were murmurs of agreement from the crowd, and Clara was glad to hear that her sister was well liked. She’d noticed some of that over the last few days.

  Zion spoke next. “Is there anyone here who would object?”

  Maybe it was the distance from which she watched or even a trick of flame and shadow, but Grey seemed to glare at the crowd.

  “Personally, I’d be afraid to object,” she said, half to herself.

  “He does have a way with people, doesn’t he?” Adam leaned closer. “Zion likes to give clan members a voice, but that seems to annoy Grey. Privately, he says the only way to lead is with an iron hand. Zion is tough when need be, but he has always given us a voice.”

  “So if someone spoke up, Kate wouldn’t be allowed to join?”

  “It’s pretty much a done deal and the ceremony is just a formality. Denying her could mean alienating Jason and Will. The alphas would hear the objection, but ultimately the choice is theirs. Claimed, formerly human mates are accepted into the clan, except when allowing them to join would endanger our clan or the claimed.”

  Xavier leaned in from the other side. “We do have a say in some things, though. For very serious matters that affect the whole clan, we are often given a vote.”

  Clara gasped as a man she didn’t recognize handed Zion what looked like a knife with cloth wrapped around its handle.

  “It’s very old, the Dagger of Lyall,” Xavier said. He took her hand and raised it to his lips. “You should prepare yourself. He will cut her and then the knife will be passed along. It will look scarier than it is. I promise you, it will be no more than a quick sting and she will heal quickly.”

  She opened her mouth to say something, but before she got the words out, Zion had sliced into Kate’s hand. Clara gasped and scrambled to get to her feet, not having any idea what she would do, just knowing she needed to get to Kate.

“No, Clara.” Adam grabbed her around her waist and settled her between his legs. “This is what Kate wants, and she is perfectly fine. Trust us.”

  Her distress hadn’t gone unnoticed, and several of the clan members turned to look her way, including Grey. She could already tell she wasn’t going to like the man. Maybe it was her imagination. It could even be his version of a smile, but she was pretty sure he’d bared his teeth at her.

  Zion sliced into his own palm and raised it next, and Jason took Kate’s wrist, guiding her palm to Zion’s. Grey followed suit and Will lifted Kate’s palm to his.

  She didn’t know why she was so shocked by this blood mixing ritual. In a world that had real-live wolf shifters, why should something like this shock her? “Is that safe? Mixing blood like that?”

  Xavier nodded. “We don’t get the bloodborne diseases that humans do. We don’t even catch colds. So yes, it’s safe.”

  Clara sighed. If she could wrap her mind around being their mate, this would be in her future. Pain was not something she relished, but Kate hadn’t even cried out. She didn’t seem traumatized, at least not that Clara could tell at a distance.

  Jason cut his palm and held it out to Kate, and Will went next. Then, the knife began to make its way through the crowd. Now she could see why there were no children about. Seeing this would no doubt scare them.

  “Once everyone has participated, Kate will be part of the clan, part of the family. But there’s still a final step,” Adam explained.

  Clara watched Kate walking through the crowd, stopping as each shifter sliced into his or her own hand. Jason and Will were always right behind her. “This is only part of the clan, though, right? Does she have to repeat this later? With everyone else?”

  “No,” Xavier said. “Since it’s only symbolic, anyone who wanted to participate could show up, but no one is forced to.”

  “All of these people wanted to come out here and cut themselves?”

  Adam chuckled. “It’s not that bad. We heal so fast that a little sting isn't that big of a deal. Besides, it’s a pride thing.”

  “Pride?”

  “We are proud of our clan, and for some of us, that means coming out to participate in things like this.”

  The knife finally made its way to Adam, and Kate stood in front of him beaming. Clara looked away when Adam cut himself, and then when Xavier did so. Instead, she focused on Kate’s face as she kneeled and offered her bloodied palm first to Adam, then to Xavier. It held such a look of joy that as weird as the whole thing was, Clara found herself smiling.

  They were the last stop for the blood-mixing thing, and Kate and her mates made their way back up to the front again.

  “This is when everyone shifts,” Adam told her.

  She was grateful for the warning, but as Zion stripped, followed by Grey, she found she couldn’t look away. She had to see how the rest of the event unfolded. Giving only their disrobing as warning, Zion and Grey shifted simultaneously. Then, one by one, the rest of the crowd followed suit, leaving Kate and her mates still in human form. They went in the same order as they’d accepted the knife, ending with Xavier, who took his time, leaning over to kiss her before stripping and shifting.

  Clara leaned back against Adam, glad he’d decided not to shift for the event. He tightened his arms around her, and she was thankful for his warmth and the strength of his embrace. Despite knowing the wolves around her meant her no harm, the hair on the back of her neck rose as she looked around. She suddenly felt more vulnerable than she could ever remember feeling.

  Finally, Jason and Will had stripped and shifted. Clata held her breath waiting for Kate to do the same. It wasn’t every day you watched a family member turn into a wolf. Kate didn’t remove her own clothing. Jason and Will removed the dress for her, and she hadn’t worn any underwear. A split second of silence passed, and then, in Kate’s place, stood a white-and-gray wolf.

  Clara wished she was closer, close enough to see Kate’s wolf form better, but at the same time she was glad she wasn’t right there in the thick of things.

  “Okay,” Adam said. “This is when it gets noisy.”

  The first howl made her jump, and goose bumps raced to cover her flesh as one wolf after another took up the sound, circulating the crowd until it became a chorus of howls. She covered her ears but couldn’t block out the sound. It seemed to emanate from inside her as much as it circulated around her.

  “Final step,” Adam said, once the howls died down.

  Eyes wide, Clara watched as the wolf  Kate lay down on her back, craning her neck backward. Zion trotted forward and seemed to survey the crowd before leaning down, opening his mouth, and fastening it on Kate’s neck.

  Clara cried out, jumping in Adam’s arms, unable to help herself.

  “It’s okay,” he said, his voice soothing. “I promise you, he’s not hurting her. The alphas are demonstrating their dominance and Kate is showing that she will submit to them.”

  Zion moved away and Grey followed, taking Kate’s neck between his jaws as well. Then, the alphas retook their human forms, standing before the crowd nude and apparently unselfconscious.

  “Gathered,” Grey said. “Welcome our newest member of Clan Liekos.”

  Wolves retook their human forms right and left, and Clara breathed a sigh of relief. Cheers and applause split the night air. “What now?” she asked, feeling drained just from watching.

  Xavier, himself once more, pulled his shorts on. “Now we celebrate.”

  The alphas’ staff appeared as if on cue with glasses, wine, and beer as well as a hot drink that reminded Clara of beef and vegetable soup. It warmed her insides, so she stuck to that instead of wine, wanting to keep a clear head since she didn’t know what else to expect of the evening.

  As it turned out, there was entertainment. A group of men and women sang and danced, and people Adam and Xavier called elders told stories of the clan’s past. Clara listened with rapt attention, amazed at every word. Most of the time, she sat with her back resting against Adam’s chest. When they switched places, Xavier held her. They nuzzled her neck and kissed her every so often, fussing over her when they thought she’d grown cold.

  By the time the celebration had ended and Kate had come over to say goodnight, Clara had asked herself dozens of times how it was possible to feel so good, so at home in their arms.

Adam got to his feet, looking down at her and Xavier. He held a hand out to her. “Come on. Let’s get you to bed.”

  She looked up at him, amazed yet again that such an incredible specimen of a man was so intent on caring for her. Taking his hand, she allowed him to help her up. She knew how her night would end, or at least how she hoped it did. And she couldn’t see any good reason to keep them away from the comfort of their own home any longer, not when they’d all end up in bed together anyway. “I have a better idea. I think it’s about time you both headed home. You’re probably tired of shuffling back and forth whenever you need something, right?”

  “It’s not a big deal,” Adam said.

  Xavier took her hand in his big, warm grip. “We’re happy being here with you, Clara.”

  “Well…” She looked at Xavier’s expression, then at Adam’s. They looked disappointed, as if she were rejecting them. Clearly, they had no idea where she was going with this. “I never said anything about going without me.”

  She watched, amused, as her meaning finally dawned on them. There were those knee-weakening grins again. She didn’t know when exactly it had happened, but the sex-only relationship she’d half-heartedly hoped for was rapidly slipping away. There was no denying that she was developing feelings for them. “If you still want me there, I’m ready to go home with you."

***

  Adam and Xavier had eagerly moved her things out of the lodge and into their home. She’d told them she could just grab some things for overnight and they could go back for the rest in the morning, but they’d insisted on packing her up and getting her out right then and there. Clara smiled as she remembered the speed with which Xavier’s car was loaded up and she was hustled into it. It was like they thought she’d change her mind if they moved too slowly.

  She’d managed to stop their forward progress only long enough to tell Kate where she was going, but knocking on her sister’s guestroom yielded no answer. Neither Adam nor Xavier expressed surprise at that. Apparently, it was a given that the threesome would do some celebrating in private.

  Once back at Adam’s and Xavier’s, she’d taken over the guestroom she hadn’t really used on her first night there. Both men were as meticulous in unpacking and setting up her things as they’d been at the lodge. She was surprised that they hadn’t put all of her things in one of their bedrooms. They explained that they wanted her to feel comfortable, with her own space to use as she needed, but that she was welcome to move into one of their bedrooms at any time. That said, she ended up sleeping in Adam’s room that night, snuggled between him and Xavier. After they’d made love to her, she’d fallen asleep wondering if she’d ever sleep well by herself again.

  Adam got up at what seemed like the earliest sliver of dawn to go help the alphas with something. She’d sat up, bleary eyed, to kiss him goodbye, then fallen back asleep in Xavier’s arms. When she woke again, Xavier was gone, too. She padded back down the hall to the guestroom and took a shower, dressing in a pair of shorts and a V-neck black T-shirt, then walked back toward the kitchen to look for breakfast food. She laughed at herself as she opened their refrigerator and stood there wondering what she should make. In the short time that she’d been at the lodge, she’d gotten used to having meals prepared for her, which probably wasn’t a good thing. The always overflowing buffet was a recipe for overeating.

  Clara grabbed some eggs and looked around for a frying pan. She could go for scrambled eggs and toast. She just wished they had some peppers and onions, even a tomato. If she lived there, they’d have to get used to more vegetables. The all-meat, all-the-time thing wouldn’t work for her.

  “I didn’t know you were up. I would have made you breakfast.”

  Clara jumped and promptly dropped the pan she’d finally found. It was only Xavier, but she’d thought she was alone in the house. “Oh my God! You scared me."

“Sorry,” he said, walking over to retrieve the fallen pan. “I thought you heard me coming.” He studied her as if she’d fallen rather than just dropped the pan. “Are you okay?”

  She laughed. “I’m fine now. I just didn’t know you were home is all.”

  “I was out back, working on a project.”

  “Want some breakfast?”

  “Nah, I already ate.”

  Clara went about the business of making her eggs and toast, then started the teapot that was already on the stove. “Know what I noticed?”

  Xavier shook his head, joining her at the kitchen table. “What?”

  “You wolves don’t seem to do coffee. When I was staying with Kate, I noticed she didn’t guzzle it all morning anymore. At first I thought it was because she slept so late, even later now than when we were teens, but I didn’t see a coffeemaker or even so much as smell a coffee bean in the lodge. Same thing here.”

  “Sorry about that. I’ll pick up a coffeemaker today.” He got up and went to silence the teapot. “We’ve never really been into coffee, so we didn’t realize you might be missing your morning cup.”

  She watched as he poured the hot water into her cup. She’d already added sugar and a tea bag. “It’s not that. I actually prefer tea. I just thought it was kind of…”

  “Weird?”

  “Interesting"

He set the steaming cup down in front of her, then sat across from her at the table again. “We can’t really do the caffeine. As long as we get a minimal amount of sleep, we have energy to spare by morning. Caffeine just sends our energy levels through the roof.”

  “Does it make you jittery?”

  “Not really. It’s more like being way too amped up but losing your impulse control. Arguments start, fights break out. It’s ugly. So, as a general rule, we avoid it like the plague. We all try it once, though. Zion says it’s better to experience why we shouldn’t drink it than to constantly wonder what it’s like.”

  She smiled, studying him.

  “What?” he asked.

  “I don’t know… Since you told me about the coffee thing, I can’t stop imagining you and Adam jumping around wrecking stuff like gremlins.”

  “What’s a gremlin?”

  “Just these little furry things, fictional animals, that go crazy if you feed them after midnight. Sort of like little teddy bears gone wild.”

  He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Now, that’s weird.”

  “It’s from an old movie.” She finished the last of her eggs. “So what were you working on outside? Am I keeping you?”

  “Come on. I’ll show you.” He pushed his chair back and took her hand, leading her outside. “It’s nowhere near finished, but…"

Clara’s stomach tightened into a hard knot when she saw it. A cradle. He was hand-carving a cradle. She hated that she couldn’t completely control her reactions to such things, but she’d gotten better at it. By the time he turned around to look at her, she had managed to produce a smile. “I can already tell it’s going to be amazing.” She had yet to see any of his work that wasn’t. “Who’s it for?”

  “For Jason, Will, and Kate.”

  “How did you know she’s pregnant?”  Kate was keeping everything hush-hush, at least until she knew for sure.

  “Jason told me. He can’t keep a secret, not when he’s excited like that.”

  “Kate is so going to kill him.”

  “Not if you don’t mention it to her. I don’t think he’s told anyone besides us, and he said you already knew. Tell her if you want, but right after she has his head, he’s coming straight after me.”

  He looked like he’d really stepped in it, and she laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m staying out of it.”

  Xavier settled down gathering his tools. “I better get back to work. I want to finish it to give them right after the hydan.”

  “Hmmm…You know, I hadn’t thought to ask, but is there a need to rush it? I mean, it will still be a while before she gives birth, right?”

  “Yeah. Same as humans, but they’ve been talking about starting a family for so long that I want to give it to them right away. Besides, if I wait too long, someone else will beat me to it and buy them one.”

  She watched him work for a few minutes, amazed by the way he lovingly handled the wood. It was obviously a labor of love for him rather than just something to do. “Do you mind if I sit out here with you for a while? I’m in the mood to sketch, but I don’t want to be a distraction or anything.”

  “Go grab your stuff,” he said, not taking his eyes of the wood.

  Clara practically bounced down the hall to the guestroom to gather what she needed. She wasn’t sure why she was so excited, really, but it thrilled her that he was so passionate about his art and caring enough to want to make something so nice for her sister.

  She forced herself not to compare him to Aiden. There was simply no comparison, and she hated the way her ex still managed to intrude on her thoughts, especially now.

  Looking down at her hands, she examined her ring finger. She’d taken her wedding ring off that first night she’d spent with Adam and Xavier. There was still a slight indentation where she’d worn it, but the sun was working its magic on the telltale pale line that had been there before. Intellectually, she’d known there was someone better for her. She’d realized that when she’d discovered Aiden’s betrayal, and if she was honest with herself, she’d known it even before then. Now, though, her heart had managed to catch up.

***

  Clara had gone back outside with her supplies, only to find that Xavier had put one of those folding-type lounge chairs out for her. “You didn’t have to do that. I could have sat in the grass or on the stairs.”

  “It’s okay. I like doing things for you.”

  He stopped at that, but she knew the rest. The unspoken mate thing hung in the air, but this time she almost wished he’d said it. As hard as she’d tried, she couldn’t quite get it off her mind. And now she was having an even harder time shaking the idea that they were right, that they were meant to be.

  Xavier went back to his work, and with a sigh, she gripped the charcoal in her hands and went to work. They created in companionable silence, enjoying the fresh air, the warmth of the sun, and each other’s company. She didn’t even have to think of what to draw. He created the perfect image, all hard muscle and intense gaze. He represented strength and determination mixed with a certain male beauty that she just had to capture on paper, or at least she tried. She also liked the look he got on his face at times, like he had lost himself in his work. It was a look she’d bet she wore when working on an art project.

  When he finally sat back for a breather, she was still sketching, mostly just some shading she had left to finish. She took the opportunity to ask the question she’d been dying to ask. “How did you learn to do that? I’ve never seen anyone carve such incredibly intricate designs.” He’d told her he was carving some sort of crest into the cradle.

  “My mother’s side of the family was very artistic. My grandfather taught me to carve, and my mother and grandmother did a lot of painting. They didn’t teach me, not exactly, but I picked it up. They’d spend hours down by the river painting, and I’d sometimes just sort of tag along. The first real painting I ever finished was a portrait of my mom, but I’ve been carving since I was eleven, little things at first.” He shrugged. “My father never really got it, but he didn’t try to stop me. What about you?”

  She smoothed her hair away from her face, remembering too late that there was charcoal all over her hands. “Shit! Oh well, now you know that I always make a mess when I’m drawing. Anyway, I’m not really sure. It’s kind of a fluke with me. The rest of my family constantly jokes that they can’t even draw stick figures.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, I get the same from Adam and Nikki sometimes. I just figure we all seem to have something we’re passionate about, something that’s our thing."

“Yeah, I heard some of that the other day at breakfast. Nikki seems very passionate about the clan’s health care.”

  “She’s always been interested in that, even went to school for it. Sometimes she gets so passionate about it that she won’t let the doctors do their jobs. She’ll get right in there and take over. And they let her. Tell you the truth, I think she knows more than some of them do. She started studying the way our bodies work long before she ever got any formal education.”

  “Are there nursing schools for wolf shifters?”

  “No, not really. She went to a human school of nursing and then spent time apprenticed to a couple of our doctors to learn our medicine.”

  “Is it very different from human medicine?” She’d been curious about that. Were their doctors more vets than anything else?

  “Yes and no. We take human form, too, so our anatomy is basically the same until we shift, but our cells, our organs, and even our metabolism is different, so what works for a human won’t always work for us.”

  “I’m surprised you actually need doctors with the speed at which you heal.”

  “The thing is, some injuries take a longer time to heal than others, and that’s when we need medical help. Also, some injuries can kill us if they outpace our healing ability. And pain, we still feel that, so we need our doctors and nurses for medicines to help with things like that."

"And you never get sick? I mean like never at all?” She couldn’t even imagine a life without illness.

  “Well, we don’t get the illnesses that humans do. Rarely, an illness will pass through the area that we catch, but humans don’t seem affected by it, and we bounce back pretty quickly.” He got to his feet, dusting himself off. “It’s got to be lunch time. Hungry?”

  “A little. I’d better go get cleaned up.” She stood up, putting her sketch pad down on the seat. She’d definitely want to come back and finish her drawing later. “I’ll just go take a quick shower.”

  He walked over and pulled her close, take her lips in a long, slow, brain-scrambling kiss. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day. Why don’t I help you with the shower?”

  “Are you kidding? We’ll never actually get around to lunch if that happens.”

  Xavier ran his hands down her back, over her hips, and then up to caress the sides of her breasts. He kissed her neck, using his thumbs to brush over her nipples.

  She sighed, closing her eyes. “On second thought, I’m not hungry at all.”

  He lifted her easily, making his way into the house and toward his bedroom. Clara buried her nose in his neck, loving the outdoorsy smell of him and wondering, not for the first time, if she’d ever get enough.

***

  Planning a joining was like the light version of planning for a wedding. Kate spent time choosing things like decorations, music, and food selections, but the bulk of the work was left to the alphas’ staff, which left plenty of time for doing nothing. Clara had never been great at doing nothing, though, and filled the time that she didn’t spend with the Black brothers with helping Nikki with her big medical-building project, hanging out with Kate, and checking up on things back home. Her mother was getting along just fine, it seemed, without her, and so was her business. Her assistant seemed to have everything she hadn’t completely tabled for the trip well in hand.

  Nikki had settled on a building she thought would be right for the clan’s medical home, and Clara was helping her scrub the walls, floors, and windows. According to Nikki, it had been empty for quite a while, which made sense, considering the hefty coat of dust that covered everything.

  “What do you think of River Springs so far?” Nikki asked, startling Clara out of her thoughts. They’d been working in silence for a while.

  “I like it. Honestly, it’s peaceful one moment and full of activity the next. I have to say I’m surprised to find myself feeling at home here.”

  “Getting used to the nudity, huh?”

  Clara laughed. “I wouldn’t go quite that far. It’s still a little jarring, but I’m getting there."

“And your mates?” Nikki sat back from where she’d been kneeling and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. “How are things with them?”

  As if she had to ask. They were openly affectionate with her, and Clara couldn’t keep her hands off them, either. “Well, I don’t really know what to say about them. Everything happened so quickly, but I no longer cringe when someone calls me their mate. The idea is…sort of…growing on me.”

  Maybe she’d truly gone bat shit crazy, because if she were honest, really honest, she’d have to say they’d done more than just grow on her. She was in love with both of them and had spent many a moment toying with the idea of staying in River Springs.

  Nikki smiled at her a little too knowingly, then went back to scrubbing and wiping. “Well, that’s a start.”

  Clara got back to work, too, Adam and Xavier on her mind as usual. She couldn’t imagine leaving them, going back to the life she had before. Of course, she could head back when Kate was happily joined and just start dating again. No one was forcing her to live a hermit’s life, but she couldn’t imagine any man ever holding a candle to Adam or Xavier. She could walk away and go back to what was familiar, but the thought actually made her feel slightly sick inside. Adam and Xavier had said fate couldn’t inspire love. If they were right, and she could only believe they were, this feeling was one hundred percent her.

  Clara sighed. “I haven’t told them yet, but I’m considering staying.”

  Nikki got to her feet and pulled Clara up with her, wrapping her in a hug. “I’m so excited to hear that. It’s about time I got a sister.”

  Clara smiled. “I always wanted more sisters, or even a brother, but my mother was quick to say she’d closed up shop.”

  The door opened, and in walked the subject of their conversation, with Luke and Mason following close behind.

  Adam looked from Nikki to Clara. “We’re leaving for Lupus Falls. There’s been an attack on one of the local women. One of ours.”

  Luke and Mason made their way over to Nikki, and Clara walked over to her men. She’d begun to think of them that way, as her men. “Was it them?” They’d all been worried her attackers would cause trouble in town.

  “We don’t know yet,” Xavier answered. “We’re going to see what’s what and hopefully catch these guys. There’s a good chance it’s them, though. This isn’t the sort of thing that usually happens in Lupus Falls.”

  “What kind of attack was it?”

  Adam and Xavier looked at each other, then back at her. She was beginning to get used to their silent communications. Adam reached for her, crushing her against his chest. “All we know so far is she was severely beaten,” he said.

  A chill ran through her body as she thought about that poor woman. That could easily have been her if not for Adam and Xavier. She was suddenly certain it was them.

  “Look at me, Clara.”

  She looked up into Adam’s eyes. His expression was determined.

  “We will catch them.”

  “And we’ll make sure they’re no longer a threat to you or any other woman.” Xavier cocked his head toward the door, and Luke and Mason gave Nikki quick kisses goodbye.

  “Take care of her?” Adam asked Nikki. “I’m not sure how long we’ll be gone.”

  Nikki nodded. “Of course. She’s practically my sister after all.”

  A quick peck from Adam and Xavier, and all four men were out the door.

  “Guess it’s just us girls tonight,” Nikki said.

  Clara nodded. “Does it worry you? When they run off after trouble like that?”

  “Every time. But it’s part of clan life. I’ve watched my father run head-on into battle, and then my brothers. Now, it’s my mates. I didn’t think Luke would be much for sticking his neck out when we met, but he’s surprised me time and time again.” She smiled wistfully. “Anyway, the clan men work hard to keep trouble away from Lupus Falls and out of River Springs. For a long time, it worked…”

  “And now?”

  Nikki shrugged. “I shouldn’t be going on about this. Don’t want to scare you off.”

  Not a chance. With every second she spent in River Springs, leaving seemed less and less attractive. “You won’t. What were you going to say?”

  “Just that we’ve had a long period of relative peace. Except for the border skirmishes before our clans merged, we haven’t faced any serious struggles in a long time.”

  “Well, that’s great.” It sounded like good news, but Nikki’s expression said otherwise.

  “It’s just that the life of a wolf shifter isn’t always so easy, and I have a feeling peace won’t always be so easy to maintain.”

***

  When Adam got home and discovered that Clara was still up and waiting for them, his heart swelled. He rushed to take her in his arms and hold her close. The sight and feel of her, even her scent, warmed him, but it couldn’t touch the cold, heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Xavier came in a few minutes later, and he reluctantly released her, so his little brother could hold her next. After what they’d encountered in Lupus Falls, Xavier would need her warmth just as much as he did.

Clara looked over at him, then pulled away to look at Xavier. “I made dinner, but you were gone so long I put it in the fridge. Are you hungry?”

  Adam’s stomach growled loudly in response. He didn’t want to eat, honestly, but he needed to. “I could eat. Thanks for cooking for us.”

  He sat heavily at the table and watched her closely as she moved about the kitchen, reheating food for them.

  “I ate hours ago,” she said. “Sorry, I was hungry.”

  Xavier smiled at her with what looked like a lot of effort. “It’s okay. We didn’t expect you to wait for us, and we didn’t think we’d be gone so long.”

  Adam glanced at Xavier, seeing the exhaustion and lingering horror mirrored in his eyes. The victim of the attack had been savagely beaten and torn. That could have been Clara or his sister lying there.

  Clara set plates in front of them and joined them at the table as they went to work eating. It was delicious. Roasted chicken and gravy with rice and a salad. He tried to muster enthusiasm for the food, especially since she watched their reactions so carefully.

  Eventually, she leaned back in her chair and sighed. “It was bad, wasn’t it?”

  He looked over at Xavier. They’d discussed the fact that they had to tell her. Neither of them wanted to, but she needed to know.

  It was Xavier who spoke first. “She was raped, Clara."

Adam reached across the table to take her hand at her sharp intake of breath. Unfortunately, there was more.

  She squeezed his hand back. “Is she okay? I mean, I know she isn’t okay, but will she be?”

  Xavier nodded slowly. “She’ll heal physically, faster than a human would, but…”

  Clara closed her eyes, breathing deeply. When she opened her eyes, there were tears in them. “But?”

  “I don’t know how long it will be before she can heal mentally,” Xavier said.

  Adam shook his head, still trying to get the images of the hysterical, broken woman out of his mind. “Her name is Abby. She’s a clan member, but she lives in Lupus Falls. They beat her, raped her, and left her to bleed alone in her own backyard. She wasn’t mated, but her sister found her like that. We brought her back here for medical attention, but I don’t know what it will take to get her back mentally. She was hysterical when we got there, but soon fell silent, unable to or unwilling to talk.”

  “It was them, wasn’t it?” Clara’s lips trembled when she talked.

  “She wasn’t able to give us a description,” Adam said. “But we caught their scent. We’re pretty sure it was them.”

  “My God… I can’t… There are just…no words."

He nodded. He wouldn’t say the words they all had to be thinking. That could have been her. “We searched for them for hours after we brought Abby back here. We couldn’t find them, Clara.” He was so angry and frustrated he wanted to punch something. What he really wanted to do was find them and tear them apart. His inability to do so filled him with rage and simultaneously made him feel useless.

  Xavier pounded his fist on the table, making the plates rattle and Clara jump. “Sorry. I just can’t get the sight of her and the horrible keening sounds she made out of my mind. I need to do something…anything, but it was like they disappeared. No one saw anything and we lost their scent after only a few miles.”

  Clara stood and went to Xavier. Adam couldn’t believe it, but after what they’d just told her and how anxious it had to make her, she wrapped her arms around Xavier in an effort to comfort him. She was an amazing woman, their Clara. Adam felt like he should apologize to her again and again for failing to catch her attackers. All he wanted to do was tell her the threat was gone, but he couldn’t. And despite that, she made her way to him next, apparently thinking he deserved her comfort as well.

  He pulled her onto his lap and buried his face in her hair. “I’m so sorry we couldn’t find them, that we didn’t catch them before…this.”

  “It’s not your fault. I know you’ve been trying."

So why did he feel so guilty? It was his job to protect her, their job. “We’ll find them, Clara. I promise you. And when we do, we will make sure they never hurt you or anyone else again.”

***

  Clara felt safe with Adam and Xavier. She knew they would do everything in their power to keep her safe until they’d located the attackers. With the security set up around River Springs, she didn’t believe she had any reason to fear. Still, she felt their frustration, and though she assured them she didn’t blame them, they were hard on themselves. They seemed to feel they’d let her down.

  She stood up, tugging on Adam’s arm, then Xavier’s, to get them to their feet. “Let’s get you two to bed. You look dead on your feet.”

  Clara found that she wanted to take care of them, as they had her, so she ignored their protests as she shuffled first Adam into the shower, and then when he was finished and getting into pajama pants, she did the same with Xavier. She fussed over them like they were small boys instead of men, and once she’d gotten them into bed, she climbed in, too, settling between them.

  She felt safe and loved between her two wolf shifters, but she tried to give them what comfort she could, stroking Xavier’s hair until he fell asleep and then massaging Adam’s shoulders and back. They were her mates, after all, and caring for them just felt right.

***  

  The next few days passed more or less uneventfully. Many of the women of the clan rallied around Abby, and Clara met her as well. Clara offered her support, though the woman didn’t seem ready to talk much. Nikki did say that she’d opened up to her sister and best friend, though, which made Clara feel a little better. At least Abby wasn’t trying to deal with the rape entirely on her own.

  Clara continued to spend much of her time with Kate and Nikki. When she wasn’t with them, she was with Adam and Xavier, learning about the clan and River Springs, taking long walks, and sometimes just relaxing. That was when they weren’t out searching for the attackers or busy with other clan business. Security had been stepped up even more in River Springs, and some of the men had volunteered to take shifts patrolling in Lupus Falls. Still, the attackers proved elusive, and Adam and Xavier grew more frustrated with each passing day that they remained at large. They believed they must be holed up in some other town.

  They continued to be careful with how often they made love to prevent soreness on her end, but she went to sleep smiling contently and fully satisfied every night. They were inventive in bed, so she never knew what was coming next, but she always enjoyed it.

  On her way to the lodge to see Kate on her twelfth day in River Springs, Clara asked Adam where he was heading off to. Xavier had already left to see to the restaurant in Lupus Falls.

  “I’m going to check on a clan member and her pups. You know, the ones born the night we brought you and Kate back to River Springs.”

  “Are they okay?”

  “They’re fine, but their father has been spending a lot of time on border patrol. I told him I’d check on them from time to time while he’s out at his post.”

  “I guess he doesn’t get leave time?”

  “He could switch with one of the other guys if he wanted to, but he’d still have to take a shift. It’s not so bad. He’s only out there during the day a few times per week, and he gets to be at home with them at night. But these are their first pups, so knowing someone is looking in on them eases his mind some.”

  She nodded. “Makes sense.”

  He playfully swatted her ass. “Why don’t you come with me this time?”

  “Oh, no. I don’t want to intrude.”

  “You won’t be intruding. And there are three of them. An extra pair of arms won’t hurt."

Clara felt the sting that always hit her at the thought of babies, but she roughly forced it away. She wasn’t going to be that person, especially with Kate’s news. It was time to put that old hurt away for good. “If you’re sure the mom won’t mind. I mean, I am a stranger to her.”

  “You’re not a stranger, not really. You’re my mate.”

  She rolled her eyes at that one. That was his reasoning for everything. “Okay, I’ll go.”

  Clara wasn’t entirely sure why she’d agreed to go with him. Maybe it was curiosity about the pups and what a wolf shifter baby would look like, but when the mother, Mara, invited her in, she was happy she’d gone. They were so tiny, all boys, and beyond adorable.

  Mara wasted no time in putting a tiny blue bundle in her arms and two in Adam’s. “I’m sorry. You probably think this is crazy, but it’s really hard to shower or eat or do anything with these three. I love them so much, but yeah, I still need to shower. I’ll be quick, okay?”

  How could she refuse? “Sure. Go. Take your time.” Honestly, she hadn’t ever held such a tiny baby before, and she wanted her chance to cuddle him. Somehow, smelling his baby smell and hearing his tiny sounds soothed her heart.

  Adam held the other two bundles with amazing gentleness, looking down at them with a tenderness she would never have imagined possible for such a large man. She was overcome with how adorable he looked, talking to the babies as if they understood every word he said. He was a natural, and that brought the pain back. She quickly stomped it down, but a sadness lingered, even as she tried to focus on the joy holding the baby brought her.

  “Can they shift at this age?” Conversation might help her ignore her aching heart.

  “No, most shifters make the first change as toddlers or even as preschoolers. It usually happens during a tantrum or some other outburst of emotion. Until then, they are exactly like human babies.”

  “Are triplets the norm?”

  “Not exactly the norm. Twins and triplets are frequent, though. There are singletons, but most shifters have more than one pup at a time.”

  “Interesting.” She looked down at the baby she held. His little face looked so peaceful as his eyes drifted closed. He was perfect.

  “Do you want children, Clara?”

  It was the worst thing he could ask her, the question she was unprepared to answer while holding that little angel in her arms.

  “Thanks so much for holding them. I feel like a new woman.” Mara breezed in, looking hastily dressed, with hair still damp. “You have no idea what a difference a shower makes.”

  Clara smiled as she handed the baby over and watched as Mara set him and then his brothers in their crib, nestling them all together. “It was my pleasure. They’re so sweet. Congratulations!”

  “Thanks. And congratulations to you, too. Besides my Tyler, you couldn’t ask for two better men than Adam and Xavier.”

  Mara’s comment made her smile. She had to agree, but the room suddenly seemed too small, too crowded. She needed some air. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Mara. I’ll just wait outside.”

  “Oh, no. You don’t have to,” Mara said, though she yawned sleepily, looking ready for a nap herself.

  “Go ahead and get some sleep, Mara,” Adam said. “Nikki’s coming by with some trays of food for you later. We just came by to see how you were doing.”

  “Okay…” Mara yawned again, clearly torn between the need for sleep and the desire to be social. “If you’re sure.”

  “We’re sure.” Adam guided Clara out of the nursery and back outside, where she let out a harsh breath and fought back the tears that kept trying to make their way to the surface.

  Adam took her by the shoulders and searched her face. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. It’s nothing.”

  “We both know that’s not true. Just tell me. It doesn’t matter what it is, just tell me.”

  The tears stung her eyes and she swallowed hard, hating that she wasn’t strong enough to hold them back, even after so much time had passed.

“I saw how you looked at those babies in there…and then you asked me…”

  “I asked you what? What is it, Clara?”

  He knew. She could see it in his face. He knew, and he was just waiting for her to confirm it.

  “I can’t have children. I can’t ever have babies or pups, or whatever you call them here.” She broke down then, the tears flowing in earnest. He was the first person she’d ever told besides her mother, her sister, and a couple of close friends. Well, she’d told Aiden right after her diagnosis, and he’d said it didn’t matter, that they could adopt. Six months later, she’d caught him fucking her friend.

  Adam reached for her, holding her close and stroking her hair until she had no more tears left. Only when she’d cried herself out did he finally ask the question she’d known had been coming. “Why? Why can’t you have children?”

  “I have premature ovarian failure. My fucking body just quit on me way too early.” Yes, there was the anger. The anger over the unfairness of that diagnosis, of losing her dream of being a mother at such a young age was easier to deal with than the pain.

  “Are you sure?” Adam asked, his voice careful.

  “Oh, I’m sure. So you see? You don’t want me for a mate. I’m defective.” There was his reason to stop trying to convince her they belonged together.

He grasped her chin and gently kissed her forehead and then her lips. Pulling back, he looked into her eyes for so long she started to turn away, feeling overwhelmed by what she saw there. He wouldn’t let her, though. Holding her gaze, he said the only words sure to start the tears again. “It doesn’t matter. It’s you I want. Nothing else matters.”

  Just like that, her wall of anger failed her, and the pain crashed down once more. But there was something else. Something she didn’t understand. It felt a little like hope.

***

  “Where are we going?” Clara asked, breathing heavily as they reached the top of another hill. She’d insisted on walking the entire distance, though Adam would have been more than happy to carry her. She’d also insisted on asking him where they were going several times. He’d refused to tell her, but it was clear she wasn’t big on suspense.

  “We’re here.” He extended a hand to her, pulling her into his arms so that she faced the valley below, her back pressed to his chest.

  “Where, exactly, is here?”

  “Well, just down that hill is where I was born.”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  Adam nodded. Lush greenery grew wild for as far as the eye could see. It was the perfect place tosettle, but it had remained untouched decades later. The clan hadn’t really needed to rebuild out here, and leaving it untouched was Zion’s way of protecting him. He thought it would be too painful for Adam to see homes built and children playing in this area. “The land has had time to heal.”

  Clara turned to look up at him. “What is this place? I mean, besides where you were born?”

  “I was four years old when it happened. A fire started—we still aren’t even sure how—and spread from home to home, destroying everything in its path. It happened in the middle of the night. All I remember is waking to screams and smoke. I couldn’t get to my parents, but I could hear my mother screaming for me. I was so afraid. At first I just stood there crying and screaming for her, for my father to come get me, but finally I got up the courage to run toward her voice. I’d almost made it to the basement door, that’s where my parents were, when Zion crashed into the room and lifted me off my feet, dragging me outside. He handed me to Xavier’s mom, and she held me as he rushed back inside. I waited, knowing Zion would save them. He was our alpha, larger than life in my eyes, so I knew… I knew my parents would be okay, as long as Zion was there.”

  Adam swallowed hard, the memories still difficult to face, even after so many years had passed. He felt Clara turn in his arms and looked down to find her scanning his face, waiting. “He didn’t, though. There was too much fire, too much heat, and back then we didn’t interact with humans much. Calling the fire department was out of the question back then. Zion barely escaped with his life, and my parents died that night. Our house was destroyed, the cabin next to it, too, but my parents were the only fatalities.”

  “Oh, Adam. I’m so, so sorry. You must have been so frightened and sad.”

  “I was. We never figured out how the fire had started, but we did learn why my parents were in the basement in the middle of the night. The next day was my birthday, you see, and I liked trains. I’d never been on one, but I’d seen them. I was obsessed with them, and my parents were down there building a toy train set for me.”

  Tears slid down her cheeks, and Adam kissed her softly, lingeringly before wiping them away. “Don’t cry for me. That’s not why I brought you here. The point is, Xavier’s mom and Zion took me in that same night. She held me in her arms all night that first night and came running every night for weeks when I had nightmares and woke up screaming for my mother. I eventually latched on to her, feeling panicked whenever she was out of my sight. Zion put up with that and when I grew older and acted out, blaming him for failing to save my parents, he put up with that, too. They grew to love me, so much that I was finally able to accept the loss of my parents and return their love, even when that included discipline. I never forgot my parents, but I never felt lost or unloved. I never felt anything less than family.”

  He felt her arms tighten around him, and realized she was trying to comfort him. But that was all wrong. He wanted to comfort her, but he wasn’t doing a very good job.

  “I can’t even imagine what that must have been like for you. I can’t—”

  “The point is, they adopted me and made me a part of their family. A real part of it. Either one of them would have died for me. Zion still would. Blood isn’t required to form a family, and there are always children who need what Zion and Arianna so freely gave me. We will have a family, Clara, if that’s what you want. So don’t ever think you’re not the perfect woman for us. ”

  Tears streamed down her face again, and Adam mentally kicked himself. “Don’t cry. I’m not the best with words. I only wanted to show you what could be overcome with a loving home.”

  “How can you tell me all of that and not expect me to cry? But the thing is, they’re not all sad tears.” She smiled tremulously up at him. “I’m so sad for that little boy you were, but amazed at the man you seem to be despite it all. You and Xavier…you’re like…I don’t know…something out of a fairy tale.”

  “Well, we’re more than ordinary men but not quite fairy tale worthy. We’re not perfect, Clara. You have to know that. But we’re all in. If you let us, we’ll love you for a lifetime.”

  She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. For the first time since he’d met her, she truly seemed speechless. Adam grinned down at his woman, thinking he’d finally gotten through to her. Whether she was ready to acknowledge it or not, they belonged together. They would claim her—soon. In the meantime, he hoped to render her breathless in addition to speechless. Wrapping his hands in her hair, he claimed her lips and went to work.

***

  Clara’s next morning in River Springs started off with breakfast in the lodge’s dining room again. She was beginning to recognize some of the faces, and her comfort level had improved as well. Being an introvert was tough in River Springs, but she was learning to deal.

  Kate and her men joined them just before the housekeeping staff came in to break down the buffet. It seemed the day’s planned clan gathering was important enough to get Kate out of bed early. She attacked the large plate of breakfast meats and eggs she’d prepared for herself, and Clara was careful to keep her fingers out of the way. She didn’t want them bitten off.

  She’d raised an eyebrow at Kate, but Kate just shook her head. Either she hadn’t taken a pregnancy test yet or it had come up negative. Clara made a mental note to grill her like a common criminal about it later.

  She took a seat in the front row with Adam and Xavier. Her revelation about her inability to have children had done nothing to dampen their desire for her. They continued to insist that they belonged together.

  Kate sat further back in the crowd since she and her mates were not part of either alphas’ family. Xavier had said that would all change, however, once they’d claimed her. The man wouldn’t give up.

  As the meeting got underway, she listened with rapt attention, fascinated as Zion and then the other alpha, Grey, discussed things like borders, investments, budgets and upcoming joining ceremonies. It wasn’t every day that you heard real wolf men talking about such things, or talking at all. Then, Zion turned the conversation to war, and that’s when Clara almost fell out of her chair. Adam tightened his arm around her, and Xavier, looking worried, asked if she wanted to go lie down. She’d felt all the blood drain out of her face when Zion had said a word she’d never expected to hear—he’d said “vampires.”

  Clara shook her head rapidly, squeezing Xavier’s hand to let him know she was okay. She had to hear what else Zion had to say. Maybe she’d just imagined he’d said vampires.

“Reports state that Ulric and the Crimson Moon Pack have been making their way down the coast, though he’s had some detours, which account for his somewhat slower progress. We don’t have numbers on how many have joined him, but his pack is growing. At last report, he’d recruited over two hundred shifters, but that number could be doubled by now. We do know he favors sending scouts out to threaten smaller packs and wrangle new followers, but he makes personal trips to larger packs, challenging their leaders if they refuse to submit. We have every reason to expect a visit from him—and a fight. There is no way to know when, just that it will happen.”

  An uproar interrupted his speech, the general consensus indignation at this Ulric’s audacity.

  Zion held a hand up and the crowd quieted as if he’d flicked a switch to shut everyone off. “We don’t believe he will have the numbers to overcome us, at least not if he continues on his present course. Our sister clans have pledged to support us if it comes to a battle. However, there are three things of concern. First, though I am certain Ulric and his pack will lose, we have to anticipate casualties. Our priority is to minimize them, but it’s unrealistic to expect to battle without bloodshed and loss of our own. Second, there are rumors, and at this point, they are only rumors, that Ulric is pressing females into service. This is unheard of among our kind. We protect our women, notsend them into battle. Third, though we will never submit to Ulric or any other mangy bottom-feeder, there are those who will. And once Ulric is satisfied with the size of his army, he will strike the first blow in a battle with the vampires, in particular the Lamia Nox Clan.”

  Again, Zion’s words caused an uproar of shocked, angry protests, but Clara could only focus on one thing. “He said vampires. Vampires are real?”

  Adam hugged her close. “There is so much of this world that humans never see or recognize.”

  Of course. Of course they were real. Why would wolf shifters be the only mythological creatures that turned out to be real? Were there goblins, too? Fairies? Demons? Her mind reeled, and she was glad she’d eaten heartily. If she fainted again, she’d miss the rest of the meeting, and something told her there was more she needed to hear.

  Someone shouted a question at Zion. “Why? Why would he risk that? That horde of bloodsuckers will wipe him out as easily as if they were swatting flies.”

  Zion held his hand up, and again the crowd grew silent. “Starting a war with the vampires will cause them to attack other packs, not just Ulric’s. We believe Ulric plans for this to happen, knowing we’ll be drawn into the war against the vampires whether we support him or not. We have reason to believe he’d rather have support at the outset, but that he will attack without it.”

  The shouts started again and grew into a collective roar. Grey took Zion’s place at the podium and inclined his head, which had the same silencing effect as Zion’s raised hand. “We understand your concern. It’s smart to be concerned, but we have no intention of submitting. What we are going to do is plan, fight, and win.”

*** 

  They’d planned to walk back after the meeting, but Adam was suddenly in a big hurry to get home, so he borrowed one of Zion’s cars. The silence in the car was deafening. Clara guessed he was upset about the possibility of war, but she suspected there was something more to it than that. He looked more than anxious. He actually looked sad. Xavier’s face was impassive, but his silence told her he was similarly affected.

  The moment they stepped inside and shut the door, she rounded on them. “Alright. Tell me what’s wrong.” She had a million questions about vampires and other things that went bump in the night, but before she could ask them, she had to know why they were so upset.

  Adam wouldn’t look at her, and it was Xavier who answered. “The meeting didn’t go as we’d hoped.We knew trouble was brewing, but we’d hoped it would fizzle out or at least that we had more time to deal with it.”

  “Okay. This is all very, very hard for me to wrap my head around, but I understand.” She followed Adam as he made his way toward his bedroom. “Where are you going? Talk to me!”

  He kept walking until she caught up with him and grabbed his arm, feeling the tension in his muscles. “Please talk to me, Adam.” His sudden coldness was unlike the man she’d come to know.

  He turned to look at her then, and her stomach dropped. She didn’t know exactly what was on his mind, but she could easily tell she wasn’t going to like it.

  He sighed deeply. “Once Kate has joined with her mates, I think it’s best for you to leave River Springs and go back to Philadelphia.”

  “Well, that’s no big revelation. That was my plan all along.” Except hearing him tell her she should do it made her want to scream and cry at the same time. “But why? Why do you suddenly want me to leave when all you’ve talked about is how we’re fated to be together?”

  “I’m sorry, Clara. This is our fault. We should have thought this through before we…before we took you and told you everything about us and this place. It’s not safe for you here.” Adam turned away and walked to his bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind him. She stood staring at the closed door until Xavier came and wrapped his arms around her from behind. “Come on. Let’s go sit down and talk.”

  Even Xavier seemed off. He didn’t sit as close to her as usual. She didn’t understand how they could go from hot to cold so quickly. “Why won’t he talk to me?”

  “He’s hurting, Clara. You’re our fated, and his feelings for you are already strong. Having you leave will be like tearing his skin off and then having to walk around like that, always hurting and never fully able to heal.”

  “Then why push me away?” As illogical as it was after how much she’d resisted, it hurt that he wanted her to go.

  “He thinks it’s the right thing to do. To keep you safe.”

  “And you? Do you agree with him? You want me to go, too?”

  Xavier growled, his first show of emotion since this line of conversation had started. “I don’t want you to go. I never want you more than a few feet from me, but he’s right. You’ll be safer back in your own home. If Kate’s joining weren’t coming up, we’d escort you back now.”

  “Escort me? You think you can tell me to leave after saying we’d be together forever and then get to escort me? Hell no.” She was beyond angry. She was pissed as hell, and she didn’t know why. Wasn’t this what she wanted?

“Baby, don’t be angry. When all this is over, we’ll come for you.” Xavier reached to pull her close, and she slapped his hands away.

  “Don’t call me ‘baby,’ and don’t touch me. If you think you can just use me until you decide I’m no longer convenient to have around and then send me on my way, think again!”

  “You know we don’t mean it that way, Clara.”

  Maybe all the recent revelations were too much for her. Or maybe she was losing her damned mind, but suddenly she felt close to tears—big, ugly, uncontrollable tears. “All I know is that I let my guard down with you two, and now you’re pushing me away.”

  “You said you couldn’t be our mate. Remember that? You’ve said it all along. If that’s really how you felt, why are you so upset now?”

  That made sense, which pissed her off even more. Nothing running through her head, none of what had happened to her since she’d arrived in Lupus Falls made sense. She stood up. “I think I just need to be alone for a while. Don’t follow me.”

  Clara headed toward the guestroom, pleased she’d managed to get away from him without embarrassing herself by crying. She closed the door behind her, locked it, and crawled into bed, pulling the covers up over her head. She knew exactly what was wrong with her, though she hadn’t filled them in yet. She did want Adam and Xavier, not just for the night, not just until Kate was happily joined to her men. She wanted them forever. They were hers now, and the thought of them giving up on her tore her apart. Everything they’d said all along was true. They were her mates. They belonged to her.

Update like I'd promised👍😊
I know I said I'd update this past evening, but the editing took longer than I thought.

20075 word count baby!!!
Longest chapter yet..
Next update will be next week😃