By Hook or by Wolf Page 8

  I swear that if Trevor says anything half as hot as the other two, I’m going to freaking melt right here in a pool of desire and excitement and arousal.

  He steps forward, facing my front.

  “Natasha,” he says, and then he pulls me into his arms and kisses me. I groan into his mouth, delighted and surprised and so, so turned on by this moment. He runs his tongue over my lips before ducking back into my mouth, silently urging me to let him in. I melt against his body, hungry for more, and he chuckles slightly as he reaches down and grabs my bottom. He pulls me tighter to himself so I can feel his cock pressed against me.

  He pulls back, looking at me, considering.

  “On second thought,” he says. “Maybe we should skip dinner.”

  “Okay,” I whisper, and I don’t know which of us looks the most surprised. Lee and Cody’s mouths hit the floor, Trevor’s eyes flash with arousal, and me?

  I’m about to have my first four-way.

  What could possibly go wrong?

  WE HEAD TO THE CLAW mansion. Trevor rides his motorcycle, Lee drives the car, and Cody rides with me to give me directions. He doesn’t just give directions quietly, though. He doesn’t sit still on the drive. Instead, he gets comfortable and places his hand on my leg.

  “What are you doing?” I whisper.

  “Making sure you have a nice ride,” he chuckles.

  He strokes my leg as I drive. He’s really not being that naughty, but the constant touching keeps me in a heightened state of arousal. Everything about me feels hot and needy. Sweaty. I feel sweaty and turned on and I don’t know if we’re actually going to be able to make it all the way home.

  Cody slides his hand a little bit higher up my leg and this time, I actually moan as he squeezes gently.

  He chuckles.

  “Make sure you keep your eyes on the road, sweetheart.”

  “You’re making it really hard,” I grumble.

  “No, you’re making this hard,” he says. He motions to his cock and then he rubs himself over the jeans. The worst thing is that I can see it and damn, if watching him touch himself doesn’t do something for me. A longing deep inside of me starts to build, and I pull off into a nearby parking lot.

  I stop the car and turn to Cody.

  “This isn’t my house,” he says.

  “Kiss me, Cody.”

  He chuckles and reaches for me, pressing his mouth to mine. Like Trevor, Cody dominates my mouth. He touches me, teasing me. He shows me what he likes and then he gives me what I want. My hand rests on his dick and yeah, he’s really hard. Apparently, touching me turned him on as much as it turned me on. Who knew that driving a car could be so damn erotic?

  Cody is very different from Trevor. His kiss is passionate and deep, but it’s a little rougher around the edges. He nips at me and bites my lips like he’s hungry for more, like he’s hungry for me, and I love this.

  “You’re aroused,” he murmurs. “I can scent you.”

  Wait, what?

  I pull back and raise an eyebrow, looking at him.

  Cody’s eyes go wide and he gets an “oh shit” look on his face.

  “Trevor didn’t tell you,” he says slowly.

  “Uh, Trevor didn’t tell me what?”

  Cody sighs and runs a hand through his hair.

  “Fuck,” he mutters. He looks out the window and back at me.

  “What didn’t Trevor tell me?” I ask. Surely whatever he’s going to say isn’t that bad. I mean, unless he’s going to tell me that they’re all secretly married, but what does that have to do with scent?

  And why would he use that word?

  Nobody ever says, “I can scent you.”

  People say things like, “I can smell you,” or “you look really turned on,” or “you feel so wet.”

  But, “I can scent you?”

  No.

  Never.

  Then it hits me.

  “You’re a fucking shifter,” I say, gasping.

  “What?” Cody gets a deer-in-headlights sort of look on his face and he shakes his head.

  “That explains so much,” I say. “Shifters tend to mate in groups and they tend to mate for life. You and your brothers are all single because you were waiting for the right mate and you think it’s me.”

  Cody just gawks at me, so I know I’m right.

  Wow, I’m never right.

  It feels kind of good.

  But it’s also a totally weird realization. I’ve known about shifters for forever. I mean, my late husband was a bear shifter and my daughter is a half-shifter. She should be able to shift in a few years. Right now, she’s all girl, but she’s been feeling closer and closer to the bear inside of her. We talk about it sometimes. I think part of the reason Rebecca is so creative is because there’s another part of her. She really does see the world in a new, wonderful, and different way.

  She really does view the world as a wonderous thing because of her shifting side.

  But how didn’t I see it before?

  I mean, it can’t get much more obvious than the name?

  Claw?

  Come on.

  “It’s okay,” I say, patting him on the leg. “It’s fine.”

  Cody is silent and just looks at me. I laugh and put the car in drive. Then I pull out of the parking lot and get back on the road.

  “But you’re going to have to start speaking soon, love,” I tell him. “Because I have no idea where your house is.”

  Still silent, he manages to point me in the right direction, and I drive. We’re quiet the rest of the way, but it’s okay. Everything is going to be okay. All of this is going to be okay.

  I’m about to make love to shifters.

  Not just one or two, but three shifters who think I’m their mate.

  And maybe they’re right.

  Henry and I were mates. That’s what he always told me. I still have the scar on my wrist where he bit me to mark me as his own. It had been our first date, our first time together, our first everything. Henry marked me as his mate because he said that he just knew. As soon as he met me, he knew that we were destined to be together.

  It’s a little cheesy, but it never bothered me.

  If anything, I always found it to be entirely wonderful.

  We’re silent the rest of the drive, but I pull up to the Claw residence and Lee and Trevor are standing in front of the garage. They’re waiting for me. Cody just turns and looks at me.

  “Are you okay?” I ask him. “I mean, we don’t have to do this. There’s no pressure.”

  He stares at me for a long minute and then he bursts out laughing.

  Uh, a little rude, but okay.

  “I’m sorry,” he says, sensing my slight irritation. “It’s just that usually, the guy is the one telling the female that there’s no pressure about a situation. With you,” he shakes his head and looks at me. “With you, I don’t even know where to start. You had no idea we were wolves, yet you also didn’t really care.” He smiles at me and reaches for me. “It’s a lot to take in, I know, but so is the idea that you’re so completely comfortable with it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I thought we were going to have to give you the information gently,” he admits. “That we were going to have to tell you slowly, carefully. That’s how it usually works.”

  “I’m not like most people, I guess,” I shrug. “But then again, I think most people can be pretty understanding if you give them a chance.”

  “With you, Natasha, I’ll give you all the chances in the world.”

  Then Cody kisses me again, and this time, it’s just as passionate, but there’s more there.

  This time, his kiss holds a promise.

  This time, his kiss holds hope.

  This time, his kiss solidifies the fact that whatever happens next is going to change everything.

  Chapter Eleven

  Cody

  She didn’t know, but she doesn’t care.

  My mind is blown at
the fact that Natasha is so totally open to the idea of shifters. Surely there’s a reason. We head inside through the garage and sneak up the back staircase to Lee’s big bedroom on the top floor. Mom is staying in a first-floor guest room and both Trevor and my bedrooms are on the second floor. This means that the third-floor master suite offers both a huge bed and a ton of privacy. Nobody is going to overhear us up here.

  Once we’re in the room, Natasha looks around.

  “Wow,” she says. “It’s so beautiful.”

  “Not as beautiful as you,” Lee says, smirking, and he strides over to her. He grabs her and cups her cheek. “Every one of my brothers has had a taste,” he says. “It’s my turn.”

  But instead of kissing her mouth, he drops to his knees in front of her, flips her dress up, and brings his mouth straight to her panties. Natasha squeaks and tries to jump away in surprise, but Lee grabs her bottom and pulls her close.

  “Fucking perfect,” he says. He tugs her panties down and lets them pool around her ankles. Then he kisses her on her soft, shaved pussy. He slides his tongue over her and even from where I’m standing, I can see just how wet she is.

  Yeah, our girl loves this.

  “You like all of the attention, baby?” I stride over, grab her hair, and pull her head back so she’s looking at me. Natasha nods, and I kiss her. “Good,” I say. “Because you’re about to have a lot of it.”

  Trevor comes over and admires her for a minute before he reaches out. Softly, gently, he touches her breasts over the thin fabric of her dress.

  “Pretty,” he murmurs. “So damn pretty.”

  Lee is still licking her, and I can tell that her arousal is growing. Her sweet scent of excitement and anticipation fills the room as we surround her, touching her, teasing her. Lee chuckles and pulls away just as she nears her orgasm. Natasha cries out in protest, but I silence her with a kiss.

  “What’s the rush, baby?” I murmur. “We have all night.”

  “Besides,” Lee says, standing. “We’re still getting to know each other.”

  He steps forward and this time, he brings his mouth down to hers. She kisses him eagerly, excited, and he smiles down at her.

  “You like that, pretty girl?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you taste your sweet pussy on my lips?”

  She blushes.

  “Yes,” she whispers.

  “Did you like that?”

  “Yes.”

  “What else do you like, pretty girl?”

  Natasha looks from Lee to Trevor and finally, to me. She licks her lips and her eyes flicker to my cock for just a moment before she turns back to Lee. Yeah, she loved rubbing my cock in the car. I felt just how much she loved it, too. There’s no doubt in my mind that if I hadn’t been so shocked by her realization that my brothers and I are wolves, she would have definitely unzipped my pants. She would have pulled out my dick and rubbed it hard.

  I would love to have felt her tiny little hands wrap around my thick, hard cock.

  But there’s always right now.

  “I think she wants us to undress her,” I say playfully.

  “Yes,” Trevor says, rubbing his chin. “I think that’s a great idea.”

  “What?” Natasha squeaks out.

  “Come on, darling,” I step forward rubbing against her. “You were so brave in the car. Aren’t you the one who said you aren’t afraid of the big, bad wolves?”

  She blushes.

  Trevor and Lee both hear my words. It’s a discreet way of letting them know she understands what we are and that she’s okay with this. She’s okay with all of this.

  She’s okay with us.

  And that in itself is worth so very much.

  “I’m not scared,” she says, sticking her chin out. Her panties are still pooled around her ankles and she kicks them off. Then she reaches for her dress and pulls it up over her head. She tosses it aside and then she’s standing in front of us wearing only her high heels and her bra.

  “Damn,” Trevor groans.

  “You’re beautiful,” Lee murmurs.

  Natasha blushes, but smiles, happy and satisfied with our appreciation of her body.

  I want to see more, though.

  I want to see all of her.

  Natasha is gorgeous.

  Absolutely, totally, completely gorgeous. I get the impression that she knows it, too, and that there are no body issues tucked away. I get the feeling that she knows exactly how much we’re enjoying her right now and exactly how much more pleasure is to come.

  She’s lovely in every way, every shape, every form.

  She’s perfect.

  Natasha takes a step back from us so we can all see her completely. Then she reaches behind herself and unhooks her bra. She lets it fall to the floor and then she’s bare.

  Bare to us.

  Her tiny nipples tighten in the chilly room, but seeing her here, perfect, means that we’re ready. We’re ready for her. We’re ready for all of it.

  I take a step forward. I realize that she’s still wearing her watch. It’s a techy one that tracks her heartbeat and fitness and it’s probably linked to her phone, but I reach for it and kiss her hand as I take it off of her. I want to be able to bite her. I want to mark her wrist. I want to take her as my mate in every way, but as soon as the watch is gone, my brothers and I each take a step back in shock.

  The mating mark.

  She already has one.

  Well, this definitely puts a damper on the evening.

  “Natasha,” I ask pointedly. I know that they’ve all see it. I know there’s no hiding what this is. The only way to go is forward, so she needs to be totally up front with us. “What is that?” I motion to the little scar on her arm.

  I hope there’s a logical explanation for the mating mark.

  I hope beyond all hope that there’s a reason she has that scar in that spot, but I already know with a sinking feeling that there’s no good explanation. Natasha is mated. My brothers and I have been swept away in caring for someone who already has a mate, who is already involved in someone else. The idea that I would be part of her cheating on someone makes me feel sick, but maybe there’s an explanation.

  I can’t jump to conclusions right now, but oh, I desperately want to because from where I’m standing, Natasha is a mated woman. Mating is forever. A promise is a promise and there’s only one way out of the mating bond, but it’s not through cheating. It’s through death.

  Chapter Twelve

  Lee

  She’s already mated.

  Fuck.

  Really?

  Of all the things I thought were going to happen tonight, that wasn’t one of them. I didn’t expect to fall for a woman who already has a mate. No wonder she’s been so accepting of all of us. In her eyes, this is nothing new. She’s already been with a shifter before. Hell, maybe her kid is a shifter child. I don’t know. All I know is that when the night started, my brothers and I all had high hopes for what would happen next.

  Now?

  Now I feel nausea washing over me.

  My brother asks her about the mark and then we wait. All of us wait in careful silence, curious as to what the woman is going to say. What’s she going to tell us? Is she going to be honest? Or is this the part where Natasha tells us a lie?

  Is she going to make up a story about how she fell or tripped or got in a childhood accident?

  I bite my lip to keep from speaking.

  I need to hear this from her.

  “It’s my mating mark,” she says, cocking her head. She looks at us like we’re idiots who have never seen the mark before, and then all hell breaks loose.

  Trevor shifts instantly and goes under the bed. I mean, what the fuck, Trevor? He goes under there and howls and whines like his heart is fucking breaking. Probably because it is. Cody pales and takes a step back. Then another. Then he starts yelling and shouting about being tricked.

  Me?

  I’m supposed to be the mature one o
f the group, but even I get angry.

  “What the hell?” I shout. “You’re cheating on your mate?”

  I’m so angry that I can’t see straight. This has got to be some sort of nightmare. We’re all going nuts. If our mom was asleep, she almost certainly is awake now because this yelling? This noise? It’s enough to bring the whole house down.

  Suddenly, I noticed that Natasha doesn’t seem phased by us.

  She doesn’t seem upset, nervous, or scared.

  In fact, she’s still standing in the center of the room totally naked except for those fuck-me heels she’s got on. She’s not covering herself. She’s not cowering. She’s just waiting patiently.

  “Are you boys done yet?” She asks finally. “Trevor, why don’t you come out so you can hear this, too?”

  Sheepishly, Trevor comes out from beneath the bed, but he doesn’t shift back. Natasha considers him for a minute.

  “Pretty wolf,” she comments, and although I know she’s a bad person who has done some bad things, I can’t help but feel desire. It’s terrible, but I want her to say those things about me. I want her to feel those things about me.

  Cody and I wait side-by-side. Trevor sits beside me. Together, we all look at Natasha.

  Apparently, there’s an explanation.

  Perhaps we should have asked her for one before we completely freaked out.

  “My husband is dead,” she says. “I’m a widow. Trevor and I have talked about this at great length but apparently, he didn’t realize my husband was a shifter,” she looks at him. “I didn’t lose my husband, get mated to some shifter, and then cheat on him. I was never unfaithful to my husband. Never. And I haven’t been with anyone but him until tonight. I might have mentioned he was a shifter, but I didn’t know you guys were, either, until the ride over here. Otherwise, I might have mentioned that I was a bear’s mate for over ten years.”

  A bear’s mate?

  Natasha?

  “My husband,” she says, tearing up just a little. “Was called Henry. He was a good man. Together we came to Starton to start a new life. We grew up in a little town in Colorado that is full of shifters. We came here to experience city life and to start our family and we did. We have a little girl. Her name is Rebecca and, well, I mean, she’s not so little anymore,” she sniffles. “She’s going to start shifting one of these days, too. I just know it. So yeah, I have a mating mark, but I don’t have a mate.”