Lindsey's Wolves (10 page)

“Why does it seem like people keep reading my mind?”

Now she laughed. “
I
am not ‘reading your mind.’ I just know you and I know how you think. Alejandro and Ryan, on the other hand, probably are starting to hear your thoughts. It’s part of the process.

“Once they claim you, all three of you will be able to communicate through your minds, telepathically you could say. The fact that you’re destined for that path is causing the process to begin. They can sense your moods and some of your strong thoughts. After, they’ll be able to hear everything you think loud and clear, even from a distance, and you’ll have to learn to block some of that.”

“What does this claiming you keep mentioning entail? Like a ceremony?” Not that she was willing to participate, but she still wanted to know.

“No. Not like that at all. Wolves don’t have weddings or anything. The claiming is what automatically happens to bond the three of you together for life the first time you all three make love together, and well … orgasm, which no one will be able to avoid so it’s kind of moot.”

“Orgasm? All three of us? Together?” Her head started shaking on its own accord.

“Yes.”

“Stop grinning like you know some deep secret I don’t know. It’s making me nervous.”

“Sorry.” Kara forced her mouth in a straight line, but her eyes laughed merrily.

“This just isn’t reasonable. Not gonna happen.” She looked down at her hands in her lap and continued to shake her head. If she kept this up, she was going to be dizzy soon.

“It will.” A gentle hand landed on her thigh. “Just open your mind and let your feelings rule this situation, your heart, instead of your head.”

She continued to move her head back and forth in denial.
You know you are attracted to them both
.

Didn’t matter. Wasn’t going to happen. Maybe if she kept repeating that mantra she could make it real.

“Kara, I’ve never even had an orgasm in the presence of one man, let alone two. I guess I’ve never been able to, you know, let that last little private piece of me go with anyone. They make toys for that.” She quickly added, “And don’t say ‘you will’ or I’m going to slap you silly.”

“You are in for a treat, that’s all I’m saying. And lucky we are too. Some people go their whole lives without having an orgasm. You and I will have multiple ones every single day for the rest of our lives. It’s fantastic I tell you.”

“Uh huh,” she mumbled again. “You do realize how absurd that sounds.”

“Yep.”

“So, how soon after you met Justin and Trevor did you … sleep with them?”

“The next day.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Lindsey nearly jumped out of the chair. “You? The one we could barely get to enter the bar that night? The prim one? The one who spent all her time studying and doing gymnastics?”

“Well, it wasn’t the day after I met Justin in the bar, I guess. It was the following day, after our first real date. After I met Trevor that night.”

“You slept with them after one day? Both of them?” This was unbelievable. She’d known most of what had transpired, but not all of it. She’d thought it was just some phase Kara was going through and one of these days she’d move on to a more conventional relationship.

“To be honest, I don’t know how Ryan and Alex are even staying as calm and collected as they are. They must be about to explode with needing you. It’s the nature of their kind, hon.”

“They won’t…?” Fear shook her.

“Hell, no. They’d never disrespect you.
Ever
. But they may be a bit moody, pushy, while they wait for you to accept your new life.”

“My new life? Do I not have a say in this?”

“Not really. Nature made the decision. You wouldn’t even be able to walk away if you wanted to. Without that sleeping pill, you probably wouldn’t have been able to sleep this afternoon. Your body wants this. Your head will catch up fast. Or you will be one very horny girl with a constant vibrator for a mate.”

Lindsey pushed the swing gently back and forth in silence for several minutes, looking out at the night. It seemed so normal, peaceful, regular. And loath as she was to admit it, she wanted them to come back. Needed them near. “How long will they be gone?” She tried to sound as though it didn’t really matter to her all that much.

Kara stuck her chin out and took a deep breath, her eyes closed, before speaking again. “Five minutes.”

“Did you just … teleport or whatever?”

“Telecommunicate. Teleport would be moving your body through space to another location. And yes, I can just ask Justin and Trevor anything I want any time I want. Comes in handy when they aren’t home and I can’t find the car keys, or
my clothes
.”

“I don’t even want to know what that’s all about.” She held up a hand.

“They think they’re funny,” was all she added through a giggle. She rolled her eyes.

“TMI.”

They waited. Lindsey couldn’t think of another question and her brain hurt from all the information she’d received.

The soft pounding of sixteen paws preceded the four animals as they lurched into view and then bounded onto the porch like a bunch of kids.

They were beautiful. Regal.

As if hearing her thoughts, the two coming toward her, the one with a mixture of hair colors and the deeper brown one, lifted their heads higher and pranced to her side.

If they were in her head, it was going to get old fast.

She wanted to pet them, snuggle with them in fact. She’d never even had a dog before, but some instinct told her to sit down on the floor and let them lay their heads in her lap. Their fur looked so soft.

They rubbed against her legs, ending her notions abruptly with a reality check.
They are wolves. They think they own me.

Lindsey decided now was a good time to call it a night. Get out of Dodge before she did something she’d regret in the morning.

She clambered from the swing, climbed over the huge lupines, and backed toward the door to the house. “Kara, can I use your guest room again? I think I need some more sleep. I can’t think straight anymore.”

“Absolutely. Stay as long as you’d like. You’ll have to discuss housing arrangements soon, seeing as none of the three of you have your own place.”

“Oh?” Jeez, not that. She wasn’t ready.

“Well, Ryan still lives with his family. And Alejandro lives with his aunt and uncle right now.”

The wolves, at least the two who claimed they owned
her
, lay at her feet, pressing her against the door, jaws hanging open, panting from a long hard run.

Kara continued, “It wouldn’t be a problem for anyone in either family for you to stay there for as long as you’d like. This is their way. They are very close to each other. But, you, on the other hand will want your own space. Time to adjust. Trust me when I tell you how uncomfortable it is to spend the night in one of their family’s homes when you are newly mated.” She shivered visibly.

“’Kay. Don’t tell me anything else. I can’t even think anymore.” She backed into the house and practically ran for the guest room.

“Did you guys spend the entire night on the porch?”

Ryan opened one eye and glanced up at Kara’s soft voice. He’d have rolled over and continued his lazy snooze if it weren’t for the scent of the strong coffee coming from the tray in her hands.

Alejandro, who also dozed leisurely next to him, placed his muzzle on his front paws and growled.
“Is she trying to torture us with that brew in her hands?”

“I think so.”

“If I shift, we are going to have to face reality soon. I can’t go on like this for much longer. My dick hurts, even in wolf form.”

“I agree.”

Ryan pulled himself up on all fours and stretched out to allow the change to take over. A half a minute later he was pulling on the jeans he’d left on a porch chair and reaching for the steaming mug in front of him. “Thanks, Kara. Have I mentioned how much I love you?”

She just laughed.

Alex was right behind him, shoving him sideways to get his own cup. “Do I smell bacon?” He lifted his chin and inhaled long and slow.

“And eggs, and hash browns, and biscuits.”

“Is she up?” Ryan asked.

“I don’t think she slept. She didn’t have the luxury of spending the night in wolf form like you did. She’s taking a shower.”

“Naked?” Ryan moaned and Alex slapped the back of his head.

“No, idiot. Clothed.”

“Did you guys sleep well?” She grinned knowingly.

“Not much. We both went home, filled in the families, showered, and came back.”

“Can they make it without you for a few days?”

Farms needed everyone to work together to run smoothly. Not many exceptions. This one would qualify though.

“They’ll both survive,” Ryan added.

“Not sure I can say the same for us,” Alex mumbled through clenched teeth before brushing past Ryan and heading inside.

Five minutes later, the two men sat at Kara’s table stuffing their faces with the most heavenly food.

“If this is what happens when you get a mate, I’m all for it,” Ryan said after taking a long drink of orange juice.

“No shit.” Alejandro could be so suave sometimes.

“Hey, this is a human thing, cooking. Not a mate thing. Not all women want to hang out in the kitchen, barefoot … and pregnant.” She turned away from them while she spoke.

Ryan didn’t say a word, but he knew she meant that literally. No one had mentioned out loud that Justin, Trevor, and Kara were expecting, but her pheromones spoke for themselves. And she had that permanent grin on her face, as well as a glow about her. She was newly pregnant though. It was early.

“You lived with her.” He decided to avoid the subject of babies. “What’s she like?”

“You mean ‘can she cook.’” It wasn’t a question. Kara turned toward them, a spatula in her hand. “Does it matter?” She glowered at first one and then the other.

“Of course not,” Alex said, glaring sideways at Ryan.

“But it’d sure be nice,” Ryan mumbled.

Alex smacked the back of his head again, playfully. “Dude, it’s bad enough I have to wake up to your sorry ass every day for the rest of my life. Could you at least have a little more couth?”

“She’s the best cook I know.” Kara turned toward the stove. Ryan was sure he could see her smile from the back of her head.

She let them eat like the savage wolves they were, before spinning back around. “Listen, I’m going to leave. Go over to Lindsey’s and get her some clothes. I’ll be gone a while. I explained everything to her as best I could last night, but she’s a strong woman with high moral standards. And guys … she has issues. It’s her place to explain, but she can’t just shake twenty-two years of ingrained beliefs in one day. Take it slow. Go easy on her. Keep your dicks in your pants if you know what’s best for you. Essentially, don’t fuck this up.”

“That potty mouth on her makes me laugh every time. It doesn’t suit her at all.”
Alejandro smiled at Ryan.

Didn’t he know it. He’d been around her for months now.

Lindsey leaned on the door frame leading into the kitchen and just breathed slowly, in, out, in, out.
You can do this. Go talk to them
.

Alex and Ryan were cleaning the kitchen. It was nearly spotless, except for the heaping plate of food she hoped was intended for her. Her stomach growled.

Kara was nowhere in sight. She must have left for the apartment already.

Cognitively, if she admitted it to herself, she knew the men were aware of her presence. But she was just as glad they didn’t let on yet. It gave her a minute to regroup.

She was tired. But not sleepy. She’d dreamed of sex, sex, and more sex. She had woken up several times in the night to find the sheet twisted around her legs, sweaty, hot, and wanting. Twice she’d awoken to find her legs spread and her own fingers pumping in and out of her. She’d soaked the sheets with her own come.

Nothing like this had ever happened to her. And she wasn’t prepared for the onslaught.

A long, hot shower that eventually turned tepid did nothing to ease the butterflies in her stomach. It seemed that her female parts actually hurt, a burning need to come at someone else’s hand besides her own. And not just anyone.

Sometimes she dreamed of Alejandro. Sometimes Ryan. A few times, she admitted only in the far recesses of her brain, both.

Although she’d not seen them once during the night, she’d jerked up several times, sensing their presence. Had they come in undetected and watched her sleep? The thought was at the same time terrifying and titillating. What if they’d seen her masturbating in her sleep?

Go into the room
.

Lindsey cleared her throat and eased silently into the kitchen. “Is that for me?” She pointed at the plate on the table.

Her notion that they were already aware she stood in the doorway was confirmed when nobody flinched at her entrance.

“Yes. Sit down, baby. You must be starved.” Alejandro turned from the sink and motioned toward the table.

“I am. Again.”

Ryan sat across from her, a mug of coffee between his hands. He smiled, and she looked at him closely, really for the first time since the night he’d entered that same kitchen and their gazes had locked and frozen.
Was that only two nights ago?

His smile was genuine this time. No joking. No mocking. No grumbling act of defiance.

Mercifully, both men let her eat in peace. When Alejandro finished at the sink, he sat down next to Ryan and they pretended not to watch her eat.

It should have been unsettling, but she was too hungry to care.

When she finished, she took a long drink of the mug of coffee Alejandro had brought over and cleared her throat. “I guess we have to work some things out, huh?”

“It would seem that way,” Ryan started. He’d mostly let Alejandro speak in the past. All pretense of her dating just Alex had gone out the window now though. He was free to speak his mind without sending her into a spinning free-fall.

“This won’t go away, honey. I think you’re starting to realize that.”