Dual Threat (4 page)

“Ian,” she keened. “Evan.” Kaia wrapped her legs around Ian’s shoulders and groaned. The orgasm washed over her. At the same time, Evan let go of his restraint and came. Come filled his boxers, but he didn’t care. His mind turned to mush, and he simply breathed her. The tiger grumbled and then settled.

Evan stroked her stomach. “My mate,” he whispered. “Ours.” They would need a hell of a lot of condoms until they mated with her. Damned human diseases. Shifters could easily pick up sexually transmitted diseases from an unclean partner. He’d worry about that later.

“I don’t know if I’m yours, but I want you to do something for me.” Her skin glistened with sweat, and her chest puffed as she caught her breath. “Show me your tigers.”

Evan popped up from the bed and stripped out of his socks, jeans, and boxers and then wiped the cum from his cock with the underwear. Hell, yes, he’d show her his tiger. He ripped his shirt up over his head and then shoved the pile of discarded clothing out of the way. On his hands and knees, he gave in to the need to shift. His bones popped and snapped as his skin stretched. Fur sprouted on his back and down his legs. His tail extended from his spine, and he shook his head. He ran his tongue over his teeth and growled.

“Wow.” Kaia sat up and extended her hand. Evan dipped his head. Call him a silly, over-sized house cat, but he loved when someone scratched him behind his ears. Knowing Kaia caressed him calmed his tiger. He jumped onto the bed and settled beside her, warming her with his fur.

“You’re so soft.” She rubbed her cheek on the top of his head. “And warm. Do you purr?”

Evan glanced over at Ian, who’d shifted too. Like Evan, Ian climbed on the bed and nuzzled her neck. She giggled and petted him too. Evan settled on his back, allowing her to scratch his belly. He groaned and swished his tail.

“This is nuts. Most people would be afraid of two tigers, but I’m not. I could stay like this forever, stuck between you two. Like it’s meant to be.” Kaia sighed. Her breathing evened, and she threw her arm around his midsection.

Evan’s spirits rose. She didn’t mind them in the shifted form, and she responded to their touch like no other. He could get lost in her arms forever and not mind a bit. Her words stuck in Evan’s mind.
Meant to be.
She wasn’t afraid, even if she didn’t understand what being their mate entailed; she wasn’t scared. His mind eased and he succumbed to sleep. They’d claim their mate. Tomorrow.

* * * *

Kaia checked the messages on her phone one more time and then stared at the steak on her plate. The food smelled delicious and her stomach growled, but she couldn’t eat. The messages from Sonya wanting to know how the night went made her smile. The slew of text threats from Dade unnerved her.
He couldn’t live without her. He’d find her. If she said anything, he’d kill her.
She switched the settings to vibrate and placed the phone on the table.

“Cat got your tongue?” Ian stared at her. “Kaia?”

She pushed the piece of meat with her fork and then pulled the robe tighter around her body. If the shit with Dade wasn’t enough, she’d fallen asleep with two shifters. How crazy! Sure, they kept her warm and snuggled, but didn’t they want another tiger in their bed? And what was this mate stuff they mentioned in passing? She couldn’t be their mate since she wasn’t a tiger. Part of her wanted to talk, while the other part wanted to hide. She’d seen the animal channels on the television. The few times she witnessed lions and tigers in the throes of mating, someone got bit while the other one snapped and growled. Would they growl at her? Hiss? Bite her and hold her down?

“What’s wrong?” Evan tore into his food, eating the nearly raw meat. He tipped his head. “You’re not eating.”

No shit, she wasn’t eating. Ian and Evan treated her like a queen, and yet they hadn’t come. Didn’t even try to enter her. Maybe they were being gentlemen? Maybe they weren’t as interested as she thought. What if their tigers weren’t interested? What if the whole mate thing had to do with the time of year? Spring ahead and create babies? God. She needed to stop over-thinking.

“You said you needed to talk to me.” Kaia speared the hunk of steak. “Talk. If you don’t want me around for more than a fling, tell me now. It’s springtime and that’s when shifters get together to make little shifters, isn’t it?” There. She’d been blunt. She wanted answers, and when they finished, she’d tell them hers.

“What?” Evan frowned, his pale brows knotted together. “It was more than a fling to me. I don’t give a shit what time of year it is.”

“You know what we are.” Ian placed his utensils on the empty plate. “Tigers are odd creatures, and yes, shifters do tend to mate in the spring. We like to be solitary and not show our cards, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be honest with you.”

“Except you and Evan,” she interjected. “You’re joined at the hip. You know everything about each other.” Okay, that sounded whiney. She groaned. “I mean, I feel like an outsider.”

“He’s my twin. What he feels, I feel, and we’re better as a team.” He sat back in his seat. “You can ask Mother when you see her the next time. We’ve never followed the rules. But never think you’re an outsider. You’re one of our closest friends.”

Kaia tucked her knees to her chest and clutched her legs. Ian hadn’t said if, he said when. Sure, she’d talked to their mother plenty of times. The town wasn’t that big, but come on. She switched her attention to Evan, who grinned.

“She loves you already,” Evan added. “And will even more once she finds out what we’ve done.”

“He’s right.” Ian shoved his plate aside. “Tigers like to share. We might be solitary, but we’ll share. Evan and I share almost everything.” He left the words hanging in the air.

Well, duh. They’d shared her last night, and she loved it. “Okay, but why would your mom be happy about sex? You two didn’t finish.”

“Not exactly.” Evan slid his chair to hers. “We’ve had our share of flings, sure, but making love to the woman we want is something different. You’re the only woman we both want.” His eyes glimmered, and his grin widened. “And yeah, we both want you no matter what time of year it is.”

“Oh.” She tried to sound nonchalant. “A ménage. Cool.” Her hands trembled. He looked way too happy about a threesome. She wiped her sweaty palms on her thighs and tried to hide the shaking. “So when do we do this thing?”

Evan’s eyes widened.

“It’s not that simple,” Ian replied. “Evan and I have never fallen for the same girl. Ever. We’re twins. It’s in our DNA to share everything. We were beginning to think it wasn’t possible, us finding that one special girl. Then you came along.” He bowed his head and pressed his fingertips together. “Our tigers want you too—as our mate.”

The blood thumped loud in her ears. She’d heard stories of shifter sex. Some claimed the shifter changed shape in the middle of the act, killing the partner. Others said the shifters tore their partner to pieces when the animal took over. Sonya claimed she and Tommy screwed around, but had they … mated? Neither looked any worse for wear the last time she’d seen them, but still. And what about when Dade found out? She’d never see the light of day.

Fear crept into her mind, but she dismissed it. “What are you going to do to me?” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and waved her hand. “Eat me? Maul me? Or is this just a roll in the hay to plant your seeds?”

“What do you mean?” Evan slipped her hand into his. “Mating is a beautiful event. You don’t have to accept us or this gift we’re offering, but if you do, we mark you, and then we make love. For the rest of our lives, we’ll protect you. We’ll belong to you.”

“It’s a commitment we don’t take lightly.” Ian opened his eyes. “Ever heard of a liger? It’s the hybrid of a lion and a tiger. The tiger chose the lion.”

“But they’re both cats.” She picked at the hem of the robe. “Cats mate with cats.”

“Kaia, we select a mate when we’re in love, just like the tiger chose the lion he loved. We didn’t choose you because we wanted someone exotic or because you were the only alternative. We’re in love with you.”

Her jaw dropped. They loved her and wanted her for their mate? Holy shit. Every time she thought she’d figured the both of them out, they threw her a curveball of massive proportions.

“Can I have some time to think this through?” She rubbed her arms. “And something to wear? It’s a nice robe, but it’s chilly in here.”

“Sure.” Evan scooted his chair back. “I’ve got some sweat pants and a sweatshirt that might fit.” He grinned and offered his hand. “Either way, you’ll look sexy in my clothes.”

She stole a glance at Ian before she followed Evan down the hallway. He ducked into a room off to the left.

“This,” he swept his arm out, “is my room. I keep my paints and shit in here. Ian calls it my happy place. Can’t complain. The happy place helps me make money.”

She touched the edge of one of his canvases. Streaks of red and brown slashed across the blue field. Blotches of orange broke up the vast areas of darker blue. The intensity in the strokes suggested desperation and struggle. “These are beautiful. Sad, but beautiful. I like this red series. The blue ones were pretty, though, too.”

“These last three weeks have been crazy good for me. I managed to sell four for the month, and last week contracts were drawn up on a fifth. The Haight Gallery offered me prime space through the end of the summer. Add that to what I’m doing at the Gladstone, and this could be my breakout year.” He tugged a drawer on a worn bureau. “These are probably too big, but you’re welcome to them.”

Kaia shrugged out of the robe and then slid the soft sweatshirt over her head. The hem landed halfway down her thigh. “Yep, I’m covered.” She stepped into the cut-off sweat pants and tied the string. “Better. I don’t mind being nude, but I’d rather be comfortable. Thank you, Evan.” She held her breath until he turned around. Her hands shook and she shivered, despite the bulky clothing. She had to tell them. Had to let them into her own private hell. If they were truly mates, then maybe they’d be able to help her. God knew she couldn’t control Dade on her own, and he wouldn’t go down without inflicting some sort of harm.

“Evan?”

“You’re trembling.” He wrapped his arms around her. “What’s the matter, sweetheart? I promise, mating isn’t as scary as it sounds.”

Time to lay everything on the line. “Remember Dade? My crazy ex? You hated his guts, and for good reason.”

“You said you broke things off with Dade. More than a month ago if I remember, and you’re right, I hated his guts.” Evan shrugged with her still in his embrace. “He’s history, right?”

“Dade wants to kill me.”

Chapter 5

Ian cleaned up the plates and set them in the sink. He understood Kaia’s fear. Shifters had been vilified in the community for years. Those who knew what happened during the mating talked about it being a beautiful experience. Those who didn’t made mating sound like a cage fight. He lingered by the hallway, hoping to catch some of their conversation. If he had his way, she’d be nude all the time.

He chuckled. If Kaia only knew how she turned him on just by walking into the room. He longed to hold her naked body close to his and touch every inch of her. His mouth watered and his tiger paced. Her kiss lingered on his tongue, and one taste of her sweet pussy would never be enough. She completed them. She accepted their tigers when others might have freaked out. Love bubbled in his chest, and hope sprouted in his mind. He never imagined having children, but the idea took root. A whole litter of cubs. In time.

Ian crinkled his nose. A strange smell wafted through the air. He had Kaia’s and Evan’s scents imprinted on his brain. This one was different. Woodsy and sulfuric … like rotting eggs and unwashed socks. He and Evan kept the house immaculate. Anything rotted or decomposing couldn’t be inside the house.

Her phone buzzed and captured Ian’s attention. He picked up the device, ready to carry it to her, but the message and the name on the screen stopped him cold.

Dade Blevins.

You belong to me.

What the fuck? Ian gripped the phone. He didn’t like Dade at all. He’d even tried to give Dade the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the first time they’d met, he’d had a bad day. No, every day with Dade was bad. The guy liked to fight, swear, and exact his anger on Kaia. No man attacked Ian’s mate without consequences. The scent grew stronger. His tiger growled and scratched from within. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He inched across the room to the security system. A figure, clad in black, climbed out of a truck at the front gate.

Fuck.
“Don’t tell me that shit showed up here. What’s he think he’s doing? Recon? Being stealthy? Asshole.” Ian honed in on the figure’s movements. The person scaled the wrought iron and landed in the front yard. Something fell out of the individual’s coat. “Is that…” Ian wanted to hone in on the item, but thought better of it. No one trespassed on his property. “Evan.”

“Ian, we need to talk.” Evan strode to where Ian stood. “She’s scared and I know why.” He glanced at the screen. “Who the fuck is that?”

“Not sure, but I don’t want him or her close to the house.”

“Dade.” Evan bit the name out. “I don’t believe it. She said he’d come after her, but I didn’t think he’d find us here.”

“The shit is smarter than we give him credit for, isn’t he?” Ian pressed the buttons to engage the security system on the house. “If he can’t have her, no one can, I assume?”

“You assume right. We’ve met the asshole. He’s bat shit crazy and obsessed with her. What I haven’t witnessed in person, Sonya told me about.” Evan folded his arms. “We’re still safer here than anywhere. What’s the plan?”

“We defend our home and our mate.” Ian checked the screen again. The figure moved through the bushes toward the west side of the house. “I want you to stay in here with her. Use the Glock if you need to. I’m shifting.”

“What’s going on? Who’s using a Glock?” Kaia bunched her hands in the sweatshirt sleeves. “And why do you have my phone?” Her brows knotted. “Being mated means you read my messages? I opened up to you, but I didn’t give you the right to decide things for me.”