Once outside, Dana found herself caught between John and Nathan, a place she didn't want to flee. Although she did want to strip in an attempt to cool down. With an alpha on one side and a man who could have been alpha had but ended up beta on the other, they formed an impressive wall of male flesh. As they strode with her through the vastly changed compound, their bodies brushed hers-a hard thigh against her hip, a hand to guide in the middle of her back or on her waist, the occasional whisper in her ear that tickled. Talk about a smorgasbord of sensations. Within an hour, her body aroused, her nerves shot, she seesawed between an urge to scream and ripping off her clothes in an open invitation to claim her. Her mind leaned toward the second scenario, which wetted her panties even further. She controlled herself-barely. She tried to focus on what they showed her, from the solar panels and wind turbines that provided all their electrical needs to the composting and garden areas.
Nathan's heart stuttered at her declaration. Is she finally ready to let me claim her? "You go after her. I'll meet you back at the house," John said. "Good luck." "Thanks, man." Nathan gave his friend a respectful nod but didn't linger. He had a feisty woman to catch. Mine. Nathan took off after Dana and had to work to keep up because she ran like the wind even on two legs. She gave no warning about her intention to shift. One moment, she sprinted. The next, clothing burst from her in tatters, and a golden wolf went bounding off into the woods that were a part of the compound. Damn, she's gotten fucking good at shifting. Considering she'd lived alone for the last twelve years, she'd mastered her wolf side better than those who'd lived with it a lifetime. Nathan followed suit, his clothes shredding as his muscles thickened and his bones reshaped. He landed on four paws, his senses even more acute, and continued to give chase. He thanked the fact that they were f
Dana ran up the stairs to her room, her brave immodesty of moments ago a sham to drive Nathan wild. And it had worked. Twelve years of abstinence had turned her into an instant wanton it seemed. Now that her sexual floodgates had opened, she couldn't seem to stop the flow of emotions and desires swamping her. Nor did she want to. How she'd survived all those years in her sterile, lonely world she didn't know. She did, however, realize she could never go back, not if she ever wanted to find happiness. And she had three men to thank for that, John with his calming presence and fleeting touches, Kody with his ribald humor and bold flirtation, and Nathan with his dominating presence and touch. Just remembering the way he'd pleasured her out in the open made her nipples tighten and her sex flood with moisture. What a shame about the interruption. Seeing Nathan so aroused, because of her, made her want to go find him and drag him back to the room to continue what they had b
Kody shook his head at Nathan. "You are such a fucking idiot sometimes." Nathan glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" "I think he means that bragging about how you fucked a ton of women and telling Dana she should accept it because it was her fault crossed a line," John replied. Nathan scrubbed a hand through his hair. "What the hell else should I have done? Lied?" John shook his head in disbelief. Nathan's male arrogance sometimes knew no bounds. "You could have tried playing it down instead of flaunting it. Couldn't you see how hurt she was to find out?" "Dude, she is seriously upset," Kody added, peering with a frown in the direction of the stairs. "What do you both care?" Nathan growled. "You heard what she said. She doesn't want me anymore." Nathan poured himself some more wine and took a swig of it. "Give her time-" John started saying. Nathan threw his wineglass at the wall, where it shattered, spraying the red wine. "I'm
Dana cried into the pillow, her tears soaking the fabric. How could she not when she heard Nathan bellowing? A part of her ached to go to him, to clasp him in her arms and say all was forgiven. Another part of her feared that, by caving to him, he'd think nothing of hurting her again in the future. She covered her ears with her hands, unwilling to listen to his obvious anger and distress. A light touch on her shoulder made her thrash wildly, her flailing fists striking flesh. She rolled and opened her burning eyes, expecting to see Nathan, come to hunt her down and beg her forgiveness-or force it. Instead, she found herself wrapped in John's arms, his soothing presence a balm to her turmoil. Her tears flowed anew. He dragged her onto his lap as she sobbed, stroking her hair and rocking her as she wept for the twelve years of her life that she'd wasted running. Wept for the life she could have had if she'd only looked past her fears. Wept because she couldn't stem the pain t
Dana slept spooned with John-my mate-after making love a second time. Held in his protective embrace, the hum of their bond almost visible, she discovered inner peace. Even better, she'd lost her anger and hurt over Nathan's actions of the past. After talking with John, she could more clearly understand why Nathan had done it, and she regretted her jealous reaction of the previous day. Now here's to hoping he's not too pissed about me marking John first. Even if he was, she'd practice patience. They'd both hurt each other, and the time had arrived for it to stop. She loved Nathan, and he loved her. The past needed to be pushed aside in favor of the future, a bright future with her back in the heart of a pack and surrounded by love-both the mental and physical kind. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize John had woken until a firm poke against her backside announced his ready state. She wiggled against it. "Minx," he growled in her ear, tugging the lobe with his tee
Nathan groaned as he rolled in his bed, his head throbbing painfully from a hangover to end all hangovers, but even more strange, his jaw and face ached as well. What the fuck happened? Fragments came back to him: the fight with Dana-another fuck-up in his courtship of her. He'd owe her an apology for acting like such an ass, something he should have done the night before instead of sending John straight into her arms while he turned to drinking beer. Lots of it. He recalled deciding to get sloshed once he realized John and Dana were making love and then mated. A pang of hurt, tinged with some jealousy, hit him. He'd truly wanted to be first, but instead, he'd allowed his stubborn nature to send another man to her when she was vulnerable. The rest of the evening was a blur as he'd drowned his pain in alcohol. But it didn't explain his sore face. He rolled out of his bed, a bed he didn't remember staggering to, and stumbled over to a mirror. He let out a low whis
Sitting in a dark movie theater with a mate on one side and a man she planned to mate with on the other proved interesting. Make that titillating. Dana held the popcorn bucket on her lap, and every time they dug into the buttery box, she couldn't help wishing their hands were diving for a different snack. The darkness thankfully hid her blushes, but it couldn't stop her arousal. John draped an arm over her shoulder and bent to whisper, "Are you okay?" She turned toward him and leaned in close, but instead of speaking, she kissed him. His body went rigid for a moment before he kissed her back. When she moaned against his mouth, frustrated that he wasn't stripping her for more, he pulled back, his breathing ragged. "Behave. We're in public." Dana made a face at him and slumped in her seat. A hand brushed her thigh from the other side, and she peered sideways to see Kody watching the screen as his hand flattened itself on her thigh then began sliding her skir