"So, I take it things are going well for you and Doctor Haze," Clover smiled as we drank coffee together in the break room. I glanced over my cup, trying to act innocent, but no one can pull the wool over Clover's sharp eye. Honestly, I think she has eagle or falcon blood somewhere in her ancestry, even if she's not a shifter herself.
"What makes you say that?" I asked, hoping that I wasn't blushing as madly as I thought at that moment.
"My dear," she said, knowingly, tapping my face with her barely lined hand. "You are practically glowing."
"Hmph," the nurse, Ms Kingsley sneered. The woman was one of the nurses that had started working on geriatrics at the same time as Michael. She was a tall woman, easily the same height as me and very beautiful, her make up not overly done, just enhancing her already pleasing features. Her hair was two toned as far as my eyes could tell, one shade at the roots, another about an inch from her scalp, indicating that she dyed it. She was also very full of herself and considered herself above me on the social ladder. After all, she had finished high school and studied four years as an undergraduate to become a nurse, whereas I was just the cleaner. Therefore I had no right to use her first name. Not that it bothered me.
Clover rolled her eyes heavenward at the haughty Mademoiselle, causing me to snigger. "You won't be laughing like that, when you hear what I have to tell you," the woman said, bitchily. "Your Doctor Haze is just using you. I have it on clear authority that the man is married." She thrust her chest forward, straining the seams of her tunic top.
"We know," Clover and I said together, causing me to glance over at her. Like I said, nothing gets past this woman.
"I just assumed his husband was also your mate," she whispered to me. As she had already gained Michael's reassurance that he was not simply playing with me, that I was his mate and as she had seen how close I was becoming to him, she had kept the knowledge of his spouse to herself. She knew that gossip ran quickly around the hospital and didn't wish for Michael's or my job to be jeapodised due to an 'extra marital affair.'
"He is," I reassured her. However, I reminded myself to let Michael know that word was loose. Ms Kingsley looked more furious that I had not given her the reaction that she desired and moved to storm out of the room, however her dramatic exit was blocked by Doctor Taylor, another of my mate's admirers. Ms Kingsley passed her, without so much as an acknowledgement, but the Doctor was too busy glancing over the break room to be bothered to care.
She tapped her manicured nails upon the doorframe. "I don't suppose anyone knows where Doctor Haze might be?"
Clover glanced at me with a pitying sigh. "Doctor Haze isn't currently working," she told the woman.
"He's not due to begin until around six pm," I added helpfully. Clover looked at me as if I was mad, but I simply shrugged. Perhaps I was feeling a little more secure in my own skin at that moment, which was why I shared more information than I needed to, but to be honest, the woman could have found out his schedule on her own anyway.
"Oh, a pity, my shift ends before then," she pouted with full, painted lips. "I'll catch him another time." Her dazzled eyes irritated me, but I held my tongue. I'm Michael's mate, he is mine, I chanted to myself the remaining part of the afternoon, while ignoring several mean glances directed at me from the younger nurses.
I felt drained and exhausted by the time Eric came to pick me up. He waited in the hospital's main reception with Michael as I descended. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" Eric asked with a concerned voice.
"Tired, carry me," I said, childishly, where really I just wanted their arms about me, holding me, reassuring me. Eric chuckled and lifted me into his arms (it probably looked awkward considering my height is only around four inches less than his), while Michael placed a kiss onto my temple. "Oh," I said, turning to him, "the rumour mill is in full effect. You might find you are interrogated." He simply raised an eyebrow, before nodding and bidding us both a goodnight.
*****
Eric drove us back to the house in the village and I breathed a sigh of relief as we exited his car. Partially due to the fact that I still lived and partially as I felt as if I was home. Eric jogged quickly around the car to where I was simply standing and breathing in the cleaner air, before he quickly deprived me of oxygen. When our lips parted, he hugged me tightly and said simply; "I've been waiting all day to do that." I nestled into his arms for a while, before we entered the house.
The bed felt lonelier with out Michael, despite the distractions caused by a certain redhead's wandering hands. Eric played me like a fiddle, the sounds escaping from my mouth simply had him teasing me more, until newer heights were reached and I was boneless in his arms. I fell unconscious coated in sweat and semen, not all of it mine.
Eric must have taken it upon himself to clean my body, for when I felt Michael slip beneath the sheets at some point after day break, I did not feel like the sticky, crusty mess I assumed I would. But, I was still far from ready to awaken, so I nestled into Michael's body until I felt his arm wrap around my shoulders and promptly fell asleep once more.
Only when I could keep my eyes closed no longer and was unable to ignore my body's needs did I finally crawl out of bed. Eric was not there and Michael was sound asleep. I watched his relaxed face for a short while, for it was something I hadn't yet had the privilege of witnessing before, before slipping quietly away.
Eric was in the kitchen and smugly watched me approach as he flipped through a cookery book, while nursing a hot cup of coffee. "Want one?" He indicates the beverage and I nodded in agreement. Glancing at the clock, I noticed that it was already approaching noon and was horrified. I never slept in this long! "Well, I did keep you up last night," Eric purred, causing me to blush brightly.
We spent the next few hours curled up downstairs watching some documentary on the television; What happens when you stick a couple of members of every intelligent species on an abandoned island and record their every move... and force them to do challenges to buy their way free or get extra supplies. It was called "Last One Trapped On An Island." I'm not sure what the point of it was, just that the person last to leave the island got a big fat cheque with several zeroes. So far, one person had bought their way free as there were no haircare products on the island and he broke down because he couldn't stand the excess grease. The vampires were naturally sticking to themselves as they couldn't take the strength of the sun, so lingered in the heavy shade provided for them or played at night. And one of the Fey had propositioned all but one of the contestants. I thought the elf girl would win, she seemed to have her head screwed on correctly and had already located a source of fish and freshwater. The two shifters, one was a bear, the other a lion, were too busy scrambling for dominance.
Finally, after the challenge (the human man actually came first, the dwarf he had become chums with second), Michael descended the stairs, wearing a sleepy smile and a pair of silk boxers. The television was completely forgotten as Eric and I both admired our mate. He came to join us after succeeding in his hunt for a caffeinated beverage and we willingly nestled either side of him.
"What are you watching?" He asked after starring at the television for a while, drinking his coffee.
"Not entirely sure," Eric stated and I sniggered and reached for the remote, turning off the awful show.
"Then why were you watching it?" Michael asked, curiously.
"Answer as previously stated," Eric replied and stretched out the muscles of his arms. "Want to eat in or go out tonight?"
"Eat in please," I requested, causing Eric to glance over at me. "What? I can only seem to taste your cooking and I really, really like it." Eric reached over Michael to suck my tongue into his mouth, before nibbling on my lower lip. I groaned against him.
"Enough of that," Michael growled slightly testily. I glanced up and noted the lust in his bright blue eyes and tried to breakaway from Eric, but he did not make it easy for me. "Eric." The tiger finally released me and I found myself whimpering from loss of contact. "Fuck," Michael swore, surprising me and he grabbed me from beneath my armpits and dragged me into straddling his lap. There was an obvious stiffness beneath me and I automatically glanced down at the throbbing tent within his boxers. "Don't move."
Eric began to purr loudly, his tongue curved upward and lapped the shell of Michael's ear. Michael turned to face Eric, his eyes turning from blue to yellow for a moment and Eric's green eyes morphed to reveal those slitted pupils surrounded by a similar amber colour. They were communicating through their animals. I knew it wasn't telepathy, that was too simple away to describe it, though it is what it was labelled by people who did not know any better.
The 'link' was not one with words, but a mix of images, emotions and instincts... at least that is how Marcus used to describe it. A sort of evolved sense of silent communication, like how a mother might know with a look how her son is feeling or a glance between officers who have worked along side each other for years, but a bit more. It wasn't something that could be shared with just anyone either. Marcus said that only the closest of Mates could do it and Alphas who had strong ties to their pack members and it was there between immediate family members. The fact that the two of my mates shared this between them caused a longing in me that I hadn't realised was there.
Eric submitted to whatever it was that Michael wished for and then they both turned to me. Michael cleared his throat and smiled, almost nervously, while Eric had a look of excitement on his face. "We were wondering," Michael began, "we were hoping.." he looked at me, meeting my gaze directly. "Would you consent to us formalising our mating?"
I must have looked a little blank of expression for Eric added; "We want to mark you, let everyone know you are ours. If you give us permission that is." That last sentence was added as Michael turned and glared at him due to his bluntness. I laughed and gave them what felt like a smile that could split my face in two.
"Yes," I agreed, feeling an unbelievable amount of happiness well up inside of me. "Yes!"
I found myself engulfed in four muscular arms. "We love you."