Convincing Emily [Wolff Pack 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (14 page)

“You need to claim them.” Harper spoke up, cutting her off.

Braxton harrumphed. “Crap…I was really looking forward to an adventure.”

“I’m glad you followed me, Harper. You, too, Braxton. I really needed a friend and someone to talk to. I have to say, this conversation has been really enlightening.” Emily grabbed the bottle, took another sip, and handed it off.

She really needed to keep that bottle away from her. She was already three sheets to the wind. At this point, she doubted she could even shift. She would be stumbling around the woods on her way back home.
Home.
That’s where Charlie and Cole were and where she should be. In the silence, Emily listened to the fire crackle and pop. Wolves howled out, and she briefly wondered if they were shifters or the real deal.

“I hate to cut our bonding time off, but that was Adrian and Evan’s howls I heard mixed with a few others in our pack. I have been warned.” She hiccupped and burped at the same time. “I am not allowed to run out here alone. If they catch me, one or both have promised retribution.” She grinned. “At least I think it was a promise, but it could’ve been a threat. Hmmm…a spanking will be in my immediate future if caught. So we can either wait here or head back and try to ditch them.” Harper stood on shaky legs. Holding out her arms, she tried to steady herself. The woman was tiny, and with the amount of alcohol she’d had, she was no doubt trashed. Shit…they weren’t going to make it anywhere without some help.

Emily bit her lip. It would be hard to tiptoe out of the woods and make it back home without making a ton of noise. She could picture the three of them now, holding on to each other for support, stumbling through the night. If these two were as faded as she was, then this was going to be one hell of a journey. Heck,
this
was their little adventure.

“Will they really spank you?” Braxton asked, and although Emily thought he might be concerned, he sounded breathless. Maybe he secretly wanted to be spanked.

Just then a picture formed in her mind. She was bent over Charlie’s muscular thighs. He would pull her jeans and panties down before rubbing his calloused hand over her ass. She panted a bit and kept her moan inside. Both those men had a strong effect on her libido. Hell, every time she saw them, she wanted them. Two sets of hands, two tongues, and oh lord, two cocks.
Spankings, fucking, and kissing…oh, my.

“Someone must be thinking about her mates.” Emily jerked back to reality at Braxton’s knowing words.
Damn shifters.
It was impossible to fantasize when everyone had the capability of smelling your arousal.

“Harper…it’s your choice, sweetie. We can try to return together or we can wait.” Emily shrugged. She really didn’t care at this point. What was the worst that could happen to her? Charlie might spank her.
Darn…that would suck…not
.

“I say we wait.” She grinned mischievously. “I want to see if Adrian and Evan will make good on the threat slash promise.” Harper dropped back to the ground. It was probably best to wait for the search party. Hell, the three of them wouldn’t make it back. It was the blind leading the blind.

“I wouldn’t mind being spanked. I can picture it now, a big, strong man.” Braxton growled, and Harper giggled.

Yep, these two were her new friends. Emily smiled. She had finally told someone of her shame, and instead of feeling utter despair, she actually felt better. That guy was wrong, plain and simple. She should’ve let go of that years ago, instead of holding on to his words and allowing them to fester. Slumping back, the three of them sat in silence as the howls moved closer. Excitement and anticipation filled the air.
Hmmm…this may be a good night after all…

Charlie and Cole sat at the house for far too long waiting on Emily. As the sky started turning darker, panic set in. Was she in danger? Did she get lost? Finally unable to wait any longer, Charlie jumped up. It was time to form a search party. He contacted a couple of the other sentries, Adrian and Evan, two of the best trackers he knew. He also contacted Thomas at his motel just to make sure that Emily hadn’t run to him. When Thomas learned the whole story, they all met at their small house.

His heart pounded frantically, pumping him up and making him anxious. With all the recent activity lately, he was becoming more worried with each passing minute. He paced in front of their home, and when everyone finally arrived, Charlie didn’t wait for them to shift. He stripped. The five of them shifted and took off, moving into the forest, through the dense trees.

The five of them fanned out, staying about thirty yards from each other to cover more ground. He inhaled deeply, letting the different scents from the forest wash through him. The only scent that didn’t belong was a fire. It wasn’t big or spreading, so he didn’t need to call for help. It was probably just a little campfire. Since it wasn’t too far away, he headed in that direction, knowing that the others would follow his lead.

They moved silently, five giant predators. If Emily was in danger, they wouldn’t have any problem handling the issue. Hell, if someone had his mate, they’d be dead. Emily was a claimed and marked female. His mark of ownership was all over her delectable little body, and he felt an immense sense of pride. He and Cole were blessed with such a beautiful little bear. He hoped like hell that she would come to them sooner rather than later. He didn’t know how long he would be able to wait, but he would. For her…he would do anything.

Charlie slowed his pace, watching each step he made. He didn’t want to alert anyone to his presence. Moving closer toward the small amount of light seeping through the trees, he inhaled. The familiar smell of Harper…Braxton…and his little bear filled his lungs. A huge feeling of relief rushed through his system, and Charlie shifted, taking the last couple of steps toward the clearing on human legs.

He crouched down and stared at Emily. Her skin was glowing, her long, blonde hair flowing freely. The fire created a halo around her, and Charlie felt as if he couldn’t catch his breath. She was glorious, and she was still here in their territory. She hadn’t left them. Instead, Emily was sitting around a fire with Harper and Braxton. The three of them seemed to have bonded over…he inhaled…alcohol. Chuckling silently, he waited for the others to catch up.

Once he was surrounded by the other men, he waited for them to shift. It wasn’t a big deal that none of them had clothes. That was the norm. They stood there for a few minutes listening to the conversation play out between Emily, Harper, and Braxton. At one point, Evan and Adrian tried to push past him, but he grabbed their arms and gave a firm shake of his head. They wanted to charge in and grab Harper. He knew what their intentions were, but it wasn’t quite time. The three of them were being quite vocal, sharing personal information. Right now, this was the perfect opportunity to learn more about Emily.

Listening closely, he heard Emily’s sweet voice as she talked about her past. There was a wolf that she had cared for, and he broke her heart. Charlie’s brows furrowed as she relived the pain, her voice cracking multiple times. He wanted to rush in, to pull her into his arms and hold her, but he refrained. She obviously needed to talk about this, and maybe once she confronted the past, she would be able to move forward and accept her future.

Charlie tightened his fists, shoving his sharp nails into the palms of his hands. He needed to hear this, even if he’d rather plug his ears. He needed to understand her better. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Cole’s face. Jaw tight, eyes squinting, muscles firm. He looked exactly how Charlie felt. Shaking his head, Charlie stared back at Emily and could see tears spilling down her cheeks. His aching heart broke in that moment.

How could some stupid fucking wolf destroy her self-esteem? Doesn’t she know how beautiful she is? Doesn’t she realize how much she means to me, to us? Fuck…if I ever find that guy, I’m going to pound his face into the ground. This was her issue? Could this truly be her fear? Does she really think that my mouth doesn’t salivate every time I smell her?

Harper and Braxton’s immediate reactions made him proud. He nodded his head in agreement and was glad that she wasn’t alone. The conversation finally moved on, and Emily giggled, bringing a smile to his face. Maybe she would heal. When Braxton mentioned leaving, he felt his muscles bunch.
Would she really leave us?
Her response helped him to calm down and bit, clearing his fuzzy vision. Finally able to breathe once more, Charlie took a deep breath, ready to break up the party.

That was of course until Harper mentioned Aidan and Evan. The little vixen giggled when she mentioned a spanking and Charlie couldn’t help himself. He started laughing silently, his big body shaking. He got punched in the arm and jerked his head over to where Evan was standing. His friend put up one finger and then took a few steps, moving into the clearing. Charlie stayed back with the rest of the men, watching how this little scene would play out.

* * * *

The fire started to die down, and the bottle of booze was long gone. Emily yawned and stretched. It wouldn’t be long now. The howls were growing closer, becoming louder. It wouldn’t be long before Charlie and Cole appeared and took her back home. This time, she wanted to go with them. The breeze shifted, sending a new scent straight into Emily’s nose. Sitting straight, she stared at the trees in front of her. A dark outline of a giant of a man appeared.

“Well, well, well…if it isn’t Ms. Harper.” He sang out menacingly, coming out from the tree line. His naked body was on full display, but that didn’t stop him from strutting toward them like he owned the place.

Emily went on guard instantly, unsure if she, Harper, and Braxton would need to fight their way out of the forest. Looking over at her new friends, she noticed that they were relaxed and unaffected by their scary-looking guest. Relaxing slightly, she studied him as the scene played out.

“Well, well, well…if it isn’t Mr. Big. Bad. Wolf.” Harper said each word slowly with a deep sexual tone. “I assume you’re not alone in the woods alone tonight,” she said, licking her lips in between words. “Did you come to play with Little Red Riding Hood?”

Harper stared up at him, her eyes no longer appearing innocent.

Wow…maybe she had a little too much to drink.
She was a seductress. Little Harper went from being a sweet young woman to a little vixen in a matter of minutes. The change seemed to happen like a switch of a light. It was a bit of a shock if Emily were honest.

“Now, darlin’, am I ever alone?” He crossed his muscular arms over his chest, glaring down at her, appearing a tad menacing.

“No. I guess Adrian will be here any moment.” Harper stood up on shaky legs, barely able to keep her balance.

She looked like a baby trying to take its first steps, and Emily wondered if she would fall flat on her ass. This girl was a huge surprise. No wonder her mates didn’t know what to do. She changed within a matter of seconds. Those guys probably couldn’t keep up with her.

“That’s right, and we’re going to make good on our threat.” He strode over to Harper and grabbed her elbow, steadying her.

“Threat?” She batted her eyelashes. “I thought that was a promise.” The pout was a little overboard in Emily’s opinion.

Holy hell
. Emily bit her lip hard to prevent herself from laughing. That
big bad wolf
would get dizzy with how many times Harper was running around him. Before she could hear his response, Charlie and Cole strode into the clearing. Emily’s eyes were instantly drawn to them, and the rest of the world ceased to exist. She swallowed hard before licking her dry lips. Her heart beat frantically, making her feel dizzy. She was always affected when she saw them. Would that ever change? Would her heart and body ever not want these two wolves?

She watched as Charlie’s nostrils flared and her shoulders dropped. What was he going to say? Did she smell bad? They stalked her, moving like stealth predators toward her.

“Mmmm…do you smell that, Cole?” Emily gasped at Charlie’s question, her eyes tearing up.
Damn it, maybe I do smell bad.
Trying to act
inconspicuous, she leaned her face down a little and lifted her left arm up, trying to smell her armpit. She didn’t notice any bad odors.

“Honey. Cream. My favorite. I think our little mate has been thinking about us.” He grinned wickedly, and Emily sat straighter, completely shocked.

“She is delicious. My absolute favorite person in the world.” Cole nodded in agreement. Goose bumps broke out on her skin, and she shivered as she stared at them standing over her.

Cole reached a hand out to her and Emily took it, letting him pull her up. She landed against his hard chest. Warm skin touched her face. She could feel him through her clothes and wished that she wasn’t dressed. Inhaling deeply, she hid her grin against his shoulder. She was where she belonged…in this man’s arms. A hot, hard body lined up against her back and Emily felt as if she might melt into a puddle on the ground. Luckily, their strength kept her standing.

A cough drew her attention, and Emily jerked her head up, noticing for the first time that Thomas was leaning one broad shoulder against a tree, watching them. Stepping out of her mates’ hold, Emily looked around and noticed that Harper, Adrian, and Evan were gone. She shook herself. Damn, she really hadn’t been paying attention.