Sanibel Alpha Vampire Werewolf Menage (Fanged Romance Series Book 5.5) (13 page)

Tatum gaped.
“
They fight one another for promotions?
”

Mike snorted.
“
What did you expect?  Even so, any male going up against any of the Holm brothers is asking for it. They
’
re quite strong.
”

“Well, that
’
s great,
”
she moaned softly as Bren massaged the tension from her shoulders.
“I didn't think mixed bloods were as strong as full werewolves.
”

Mike replied,
“
At the time of his rule, it was your father-n-law
’
s policy not to harass bastards. 
So long as those mixed bloods were born of werewolf lineage, he wouldn
’
t question them.
”

“Jayce feels the same way,
”
replied Bren.

“But you can smell each other,
”
Tatum protested.
“
You could smell me as part werewolf part human, at least when I wasn
’
t immortal.
”

Bren smelled her hair, licked her throat.
“
True, but I never could scent any other faction bloodlines from the Holm siblings.  However, I agree with Mike.  They are incredibly powerful, certainly not human in any way. I know that much.
”

“You
’
re holding something back.
”
Tatum felt Bren
’
s cock press into her hip and she smiled.
“
That
’
s not what I
’
m talking about.
”

Bren stayed quiet.

Mike
’
s answer was a long time coming.
“
The Holm brothers are also questioning Jayce in other ways besides Ail
’
s most recent predicament, have spread gossip to the nth degree. This is why I would have come back sooner, to stop wagging tongues, but I wanted you to adjust to motherhood without the added stress of dealing with an estranged mate. Plus, as I said earlier, I hunted rogues.
”

“What sort of gossip.
”

“That Jayce can
’
t hold his family together so how can he hold his Pack together,
”
Mike answered slowly, his mouth drawing into a hard line.

When Bren remained quiet, she snapped at Mike,
“
And Jayce not holding his family together has to do with you living on another continent.
”

“Yes,
”
Mike said  simply,
“
no matter how much I give, whatever service I
’
ve provided to the Scottish Pack over the past year, those who aren
’
t my immediate clan are only reminded that I
’
m a cuckold to my own co-mates.
”

“I
’
ve never cheated,
”
she argued.
“
Nor would I want to.
”

“Not accepting one mate in your bed while accepting other co-mates is also considered cuckolding in our world.
”

Her temper flared.
“
Considering everything that happened.
”

Bren finally spoke up.
“
Don
’
t you think we kept what happened on our mating night as quiet as possible.  Jayce didn
’
t need those stories of Mike taking you for himself, Jody killing your ex-husband, and then me killing Jody circulating throughout the country.
”
Mike winced, but Bren continued,
“
God, can you imagine all the inquisitions we would have gone through and possibly
your family, as well?  If the true story had spread, any disgruntled members of Pack, including territorial Betas, could have slipped information to the human authorities before we could put out that fire.  The possibilities were endless.
”

Tatum looked between Mike and Bren, understanding everything Jayce dealt with all alone, the heavy burden weighing his shoulders.
“
So how does all this stand?
”

“Like I said, they think we can
’
t hold our family together.
”
Bren shrugged.
“
That we don
’
t get along.  In fact, several co-mates have threatened not to accept this mate or that mate, not to share since Jayce supposedly sets that example
”

To Mike she said,
“
So you came back out of embarrassment, to stop harsh rumors regarding our family?
”

His nostrils flared, his eyes dipping to her wedding ring and back. Mike hadn
’
t attended the human wedding service. He hadn
’
t been invited, though they'd made a minimal production of it.  Their full moon mating was their true wedding.
“
I came back for you. You know I never stopped wanting you.  That I
’
ve tried to correct the mistakes I
’
ve made. We are mated, Tatum Carter, and I
’
m not going anywhere.  Adjust,
”
he growled.
“
I will help you do so quickly, just ask.
”

“I won
’
t ask.
”

Bren warned,
“
Both of you keep your voices down.  There are more servants here than I care to keep up with, so why fuel more gossip? We are supposed to quell it instead, show ourselves as a loving family, especially with our newest, precious addition.
”

Mike pursed his lips.
“
Perhaps, you should put Ardan to bed while I feed our mate.
”

“Feed me?
”
She shook her head, not wanting to accept  hand feeding from Mike the way she did from Jayce and Bren during private moments.  Between werewolves, it was as personal as sex was, but she couldn
’
t allow Mike to sense her turmoil on this subject or he
’
d press her further than she intended to go.  
“
As you
’
ve witnessed, I have already eaten.
”

“Blood not food,
”
Bren explained.  
“
One of the reasons you
’
re so exhausted is that it has been far too long between your blood exchanges with Mike.
”

“That was once,
”
she argued.
“
Mike and I exchanged blood during one full moon.
”
This was the unease she
’
d been sensing, the little something Jayce and Bren had not been telling her.

Mike remained stoic.
“
Once feeding exchange was enough for a bond between Mates, which was the very reason Jayce couldn
’
t finish my killing blow. We
’
d exchanged far too much blood.  Never forget we
’
re bonded for life. So, let me ask you, are you going to fight me at every turn?
”

“Don
’
t ask me that while I
’
m on information overload.
”  
Embarrassingly enough, Tatum found her fingers curling around the hilt of a steak knife.  

Bren placed his hand over hers, easing the knife out of her grip.
“
You must exchange blood with Mike, particularly since giving birth,
”
he said in hushed tones.

Mike laughed quietly.  
“
Let her toy with the knife, maybe a bit of sparring with me will quiet her temper.  I
’
ll allow her a jab or two, then she can lick my bloodied offerings.
”

Tatum felt her chin hit the pavers.
“
Of all the -
”

Mike cut her off,
“
Before Bren brought the baby down your sex was wetted for me in less than five minutes.
”

“You
’
re mistaken,
”
she lied, bristling, hating how her body responded to him.
“
After everything I
’
ve just been told, if you must live here, I understand completely.  Other than my understanding, however, expect nothing from me apart from friendship.
”
The look Mike delivered proved she
’
d made one of the biggest mistakes of her life.

“Ah, Tatum, challenge accepted.
”

“For feeding,
”
he answered.

   She
’
d walked in on one too many awkward moments.  Jude wasn
’
t yet mated, and he had quite an appetite.
“
I
’
ve learned the hard way to stay out of my security team
’
s area and Jayce deemed this security
’
s building after we had to boost our bodyguard count.
”

“You mean Jayce boosted your and Ardan
’
s bodyguard count.
”
Mike led her inside the dim main room, waving his magical hand and illuminating some sidelights.
“
Jayce Jordan and Bren Walker never need bodyguards, never have. Besides, we have been guaranteed private use of this building for a couple of hours.
”

She knew what he was up to, and she wouldn
’
t be able to face herself if she grew wet for him again.  There was too much between them unsaid, unfixed.
“
It doesn
’
t take a couple of hours to exchange blood, Mike.  Ardan will be up from his nap by then, and he
’
ll need me.
”

“You are doting, wondrous, far better than Principia ever pretended to be for me,
”
he said wistfully.
“
Fate made up for my childhood in allowing me you.  I was appointed a Mate who is the perfect mother.
”

“I
’
ll never be perfect.
”

He kept talking,
“
And one day, when we have our next Youngling, I
’
ll be there for the birth, holding you.
”

Tatum shook her head.
“
I
’
m not discussing future children with you.
”

“You
’
ll change your mind soon enough.
”

“Don
’
t act like you know me, when you don
’
t,
”
she said quietly.

“So you admit that we need time to get reacquainted,
”
he pressed.
“
Therefore, two hours alone with me can only improve our acquaintance.
”

“Depends on what fills those two hours,
”
she challenged.

“I have something specific in mind.
”

“Not too specific,
”
she qualified.

He steered her into what used to be Granny
’
s bedroom for when she visited. Tatum noted the new corner desk with monitors depicting most of their Sanibel Island property. Mike turned her to face him. He
’
d removed his shirt without her knowledge, her eyes instantly dropping to his pierced nipples, one piercing resembling a tiny dagger, the other a thick hoop. He had no hair on his chest, not even a happy trail. But his markings were plentiful, some tribal, some resembling tattoos humans bore.  

“Why so much ink?
”
She asked, spying the only familiar piece of furniture left in Granny
’
s room, a four poster bed. She heard the door lock behind her, the tumbler turning ominously from his mental directive. This didn
’
t scare her.  All werewolves could manipulate their surroundings to a certain degree, and locks were child
’
s play to them.  Besides, she could call Bren, even this far away from the main house, if she wanted.  
“
Why so many piercings?
”