Dinner that night, Ebony sat with her laptop, going over the pictures she took of the campsite.
“Benedict, your discovery of the poachers. Do you know how many there might be that we’re dealing with? I can’t find anything at the camp that tells me definitively how many there are.”
“I wish you’d taken one of us with you when you went back. As for numbers, I would hazard a guess of two to four, but I could be underestimating. You know how they work in big operations. With several camps and smaller groups.” Benedict said this while he ate. Peter was still at the stove retrieving seconds of a stew he made earlier that day. Franco was eating and listening.
Clearly, they were staying out of this conversation for now. She was feeling if they commented she’d be placed in at a disadvantage. “They were long gone. I made sure of that before I came back for my camera.”
“Still, if one of us was there, it would have been a second set of eyes to find more evidence.” Benedict wasn’t letting it go, and it was annoying her.
“I made a call, and nothing happened. You won’t get an apology from me because you’re ego’s hurt.” Franco’s fork dropped to his plate, and he looked at Peter. Something went between them when their eyes met Ebony couldn’t read. Clearly, they felt she’d crossed a line.
“Are you sure it’s my ego that’s hurt? What aren’t you telling us?”
“You’re here for six weeks of training. Nothing more. Peter, that was good, thank you. I’m going to take the rest of my stuff down to the cabin and get a shower. Benedict, get some sleep. You’ll take the graveyard watch shift. Franco, he’ll relieve you at midnight. Peter, you’ll have the morning shift. I’ll take the afternoon shift while you guys can pick up the supply drop after lunch. Have a good night.” She grabbed the last bag of her things and left the tower.
Ebony couldn’t believe Benedict’s nerve calling her out like that and questioning her decisions. She was a senior ranger here.
In the cabin, she threw the bag on her bed and pulled her shower supplies out and a towel. Maybe having a shower will relax her and calm her down.
“Benedict, you apologized only to irritate her again. What is going on?” Franco asked. He was wondering if they’d ever be able to bond with Ebony.
“I can’t let her make such irrational decisions. We’re here now and she’s got to understand the decisions aren’t only hers and they affect more than her. She needs us and we need her. I’m the alpha of this bonded pack and she’ll have to accept that I will have input on her decisions. Admit she foolishly took off for a run alone in the woods after she was told that poachers were seen. Then when she finds evidence of that, she goes out alone again. I call that foolhardy, and it’s something I can’t let go.”
Franco shook his head. He couldn’t argue about his logic. Just the way he approached the conversation. “I get that. The issue I have is with how you confronted her. You embarrassed her, and she had to defend herself. Now she’ll think we are hanging up against her, or gunning for her job. Try to stop being the sandpaper to her splintered wood. Yes, that wood could use sanding, but you’re currently the wrong grain and too course a grit.” Peter gave Franco a warning look.
“You think I should use a gentler touch? Is that what you’re telling me?” Benedict stood and looked down at his plate. “Fine. I’ll try harder to pander to her sensibilities. But I will blame you if she gets hurt or killed.” Then he did his best to storm out, as well.
After a minute, Peter said, “You tried. Now, I think it’s up to us to save this.”
“If we weren’t a bonded pack, I’d swear they were a pair. Gods, they’re both marvellous for how hot they burn.” Franco followed Benedict through the windows of Tower Twelve as he stepped down a trail and into the woods. “But they’re blessed to have us to prevent them from burning up.”
Benedict followed the path for a while. It led to a stream and a stone that stuck out of the water. To him, it was the perfect spot to stop and think. He needed to do that. Benedict was running on instinct and not thinking before he said something to Ebony. How was he supposed to get her to fall for them if she couldn’t stand being near one of them?
That was the million dollar question. Impressing her by doing her job was out. He was used to leading. It was in his blood. But she was a leader too. It was hard to tell who was in the wrong. Him for insisting on her to consider her safety more? Or her for letting her ego get in the way?
They were trained and experienced at what they did. She was training them on the terrain and what to expect from the flora, fauna, and land. So, was she their boss or their coworker? She’d been here longer. That’s the only thing she had an advantage over them with.
Ebony stood under the hot water and let it cascade over her. He had a point, that she wouldn’t deny. But she knew there were no poachers in the area. He was seriously out of line, talking to her like that in front of the others. It undermined her authority and leadership. Yeah, he might be the alpha of their bonded pack, but she wasn’t part of the pack. Heck, they weren’t interested in her that way. That was obvious earlier. So what could they do to prevent this type of confrontation in the future? That was the answer lined in gold. Now she just needed to find it and she’d be rich.
Ebony lay asleep by the time Benedict went on shift. She was dreaming. Dreaming that, she got out of bed for a drink and as she returned to her bed; she found it occupied by three hunky wolves. Their bodies entwined provocatively, and Franco looked up at her and smiled. “What took you so long? Come join the party.” All three were naked, with a smooth skin over bands of muscle. Benedict’s hands were toying with Peter’s balls lazily and Franco lay back against the headboard toying with himself. “Come here. I want to taste you. Lie down right here.” He pointed to the bed before him. As if on autopilot, she moved to lie down. Somehow, she was naked when Peter parted her thighs for Franco and held them open. Benedict reached out to caress her breasts, teasing her nipples to hard peaks before his hot lips tasted them. Suckling them to swollen, needy things. As he did that, Franco’s face disappear between her thigh and then she felt him. Gods, she felt him. His tongue licking a
Ebony got back to sleep and awoke to her alarm, which was a rare occurrence. That meant she needed to get up and get herself going. She was running late. Then she remembered she wasn’t in the tower alone. There were three others about. Dang it. Three men who were probably still asleep, too. When she peaked into their room that the three were sleeping in, she found only Benedict asleep. It was now nine in the morning, late for her starting the day. He must have been asleep for only two or three hours. He needed more than that. So she left him sleeping and, once she was dressed for the day, Ebony went to the tower. Once she opened the trap door quietly as she dreaded interrupting another intimate moment. The smell of breakfast cooking hit her like a physical barrier. “Morning. I was just coming to get you for breakfast. You’ve got perfect timing.” Franco smiled down at her. Peter was at the table setting out breakfast. It seemed all so normal. Peter wa
Ebony got back to sleep and awoke to her alarm, which was a rare occurrence. That meant she needed to get up and get herself going. She was running late. Then she remembered she wasn’t in the tower alone. There were three others about. Dang it. Three men who were probably still asleep, too. When she peaked into their room that the three were sleeping in, she found only Benedict asleep. It was now nine in the morning, late for her starting the day. He must have been asleep for only two or three hours. He needed more than that. So she left him sleeping and, once she was dressed for the day, Ebony went to the tower. Once she opened the trap door quietly as she dreaded interrupting another intimate moment. The smell of breakfast cooking hit her like a physical barrier. “Morning. I was just coming to get you for breakfast. You’ve got perfect timing.” Franco smiled down at her. Peter was at the table setting out breakfast. It seemed all so normal. Peter wa
Franco watched Benedict and Ebony return to the station. He knew as soon as he saw Benedict’s face what happened in the bush while were out. “Well, well, looks like Benedict didn’t wait for us to dip his wick and have a taste of our girl.” Peter turned from what he was doing to look at Franco. “What? You’re kidding.” “He’s got that just got laid look on his face.” “Let me see.” Peter took the binoculars from Franco and trained them of the two as they approached. “Well, he better not complain when we have some dessert tonight.” “Ooo... That sounds good. We can lay her out on the table, and he can watch us send her over the edge.” “It’s not a competition. She might be sore. You know how wild Benedict can be.” Peter wanted to know their mate in every way, but he wanted to take their time. He knew they were a lot to handle, and they could easily overwhelm a woman. “Maybe being gentle and slow with her, then? That has its own appeal,
Ebony desperately wanted to talk to her sisters. What was she going to do with three mates out here with humans around? Maybe she needed to talk to her mother? Could she even get a signal to call even one of them out here? So there she was with her satellite phone, looking for a signal by her bedroom window. There, she had one. Thank all that’s holy. She dialled her sister Sapphire. Not only was she also a wolf, she’d not exactly lived a traditional lifestyle. That was a story and a half, and Ebony was sure that it wasn’t over, yet, she was sure of that. With curses and other various magic things going on, it was a wonder the woman would talk to any of them. But now, with the binding spell off her and Ivory, they were exploring their special abilities. Gods, what was she going to tell the guys about her own abilities? She couldn’t use her abilities with them around without freaking them out. She’d lost several friends over the years doing her Doctor Dolittle
Peter sat there with his plate of food relatively untouched. He’d expected her to come up here and instantly want to know what he and Franco would like to do with her. Instead, she launched into her family, coming to see her about something weird in the woods, and they should disregard anything unusual about her family. “May I ask what you mean about unusual?” Franco asked, between shovelling large chunks of food into his mouth. He didn’t notice until an empty spoon reached his mouth that he’d finished. At least, someone was enjoying the food he’d made. “Well… Promise not to hate me? I’m a hybrid, actually. One of three born during a Strawberry Moon. I’m the oldest and born just minutes before the moon hit its zenith. Sapphire is the next, born during the zenith, and then there’s Ivory born minutes after the zenith. By the blank looks on your faces, you don’t know what that means. Okay, it’s a weird thing that happens… Well, once in a blue moon. Or a strawbe
Ebony left and the three men instantly regretted their reactions to her news. “Do we believe this? How would she show us proof she can do that?” “We either take her at face value and accept it. Or we don’t pursue this match? I say we believe her and with her family here. We can discuss it with them. See how they handle it?” “I say we all have our issues, and we’ll have to add them to the pot sooner or later for her to decide whether she’ll take on our issues. So, if she accepts us as we are. Wouldn’t we be hypocrites to face hers? I mean, crazy or not, she’s dealing with something.” “I think I’m going to find her.” Peter was sullen during most of the meal and most of the conversation. “Wish me luck.” He left and followed Ebony’s scent easily to find her by the small river sitting on a rock. She looked so alone. Even when a bit landed on her knee. She barely paid attention as it hopped and twittered at her. He watched silently as she sighed an
Two men in one day. Would she survive this? Or would they wear her out? Now she waited on pins and needles for Franco, to what should call it. Perform for her? Benedict liked it rough, Peter was his opposite, so what did Franco like? Ebony would be the first to admit she was curious. It wasn’t until she went to go to bed Ebony found out about Franco. He insisted on her sleeping with all three of them. They’d lined a room with mattresses and slept tangled together. Franco cuddled. He was the catalyst for their close bond. He needed to be touched, and he needed to touch. So here she was in the centre of these three males. Trying to sleep. Franco’s head lay against her hip, his nose close to the apex of her bare thighs. Ebony was having difficulty falling asleep with the scent of her new mates so close. Franco must have noticed, because he woke up and began burying his nose between her thighs. She couldn’t believe this. She’d never needed sex so badly. Fear