Loving Her Two Werewolves [Werebears of Shatland, Texas 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 5

  “Do you think they saved themselves for you? Bullshit. I swear, Nicole, you only had sex a couple of times. Two years after they left without saying good-bye or getting in touch with you. They’re the ones who should be worried about you accepting them. After leaving you hanging, they’re a couple of dogs.”

  Good old Jasmine. Always trying to cheer her up.

  “Don’t let any other you-know-whats hear you call them dogs. They don’t like it.” But Jasmine was right. They weren’t virgins. No way. So why should she have kept herself chaste for them?

  “You’re going to call me, right? With all the juicy details?”

  “There aren’t going to be any juicy details. I’m not a slut like you are.” She grinned. Jasmine would know she was kidding.

  “Hey, I’m a slut having a lot of fun. And so should you.”

  “With my father keeping watch? No way.”

  “It’s about time you made him stop, you know. If we got an apartment together, then he wouldn’t be able to spy on you.”

  “He’d find a way.” She was exaggerating, but only because she didn’t want to come right out and tell Jasmine she didn’t want to live with her. Jasmine was a great friend, but she was a slob and a half.

  Or was it because she was holding out, waiting for the Cagle brothers to come back, claim her, and take her to live with them? She’d dreamed of the day when they’d sweep her away to their ranch. Her future with them would include running her own salon, even if she did so out of the home. They’d work the ranch and she’d do hair. Then at night, they’d cherish each other, making sweet love until exhaustion and sleep overtook them.

  “I’m going to head to the ladies’ room. Got to make sure I look good—” Just as it had before, her breath hitched in her throat at the sight of them. Their broad shoulders filled the doorway, drawing the attention of several of the girls.

  “Nicole? Are you there? Are they there? Oh, for shit’s sake, don’t you dare hang up—”

  Without thinking, Nicole ended the call and stuck her phone in her pocket. She studied them as they stood together, two amazingly sexy men who could have any woman they wanted. And they were there for her.

  “Cindy, check them out. Two hunks at the door.”

  She tore her gaze away long enough to find the girl who’d spoken, then followed her gaze to the men. Jealousy flared inside her. Clenching her hands, she fought the urge to tear the girl’s hair out. The blonde and her two friends ogled Brennan and Case, their hungry gazes sliding up and down the men’s hard bodies.

  Instead, she lifted her hand and waved. “Hey, guys? I’m over here.” They couldn’t hear her, but the girls could. Their scowls landed on her, then intensified when the men saw her and lifted their hands in return.

  She shouldn’t have rubbed it in, but she couldn’t help it. “Sorry, girls. They’re both mine.” Was it mean of her? Maybe. But damn it felt good.

  “Hey.” Case slid up beside her, his gaze raking over her from the top of her head to her booted feet. “You are the prettiest woman here.”

  “Hell, bro.” Brennan stood in front of her, putting his back to the girls who were still eating them up with their eyes. Their envious gazes shifted to her. “She’s the prettiest woman alive.”

  If there was a heaven on earth, she was there. “Thanks.”

  She could’ve said a lot more, but was thankful she didn’t. If she had, she would’ve told them how long she’d waited for them. How long she’d dreamed of them taking her into their bed, their strong, hard bodies next to hers, their hands and mouths exploring every inch of her. All of it would’ve been the truth, but it would’ve been too soon to tell them. Not when she wasn’t sure how they felt about her.

  “Do you want another beer?” Case held three fingers up, then lowered one when she shook her head. “Two beers over here.”

  “I’m glad you came.”

  Brennan’s hand on her shoulder confirmed it once again. They were her mates. The only question was if they thought so. Did she dare ask? If she did, would she be prepared for a different answer? One that would break her heart?

  The question went unanswered as a new song came out over the speakers. Brennan’s hand dropped to hers, taking it and pulling her along with him out on the dance floor. She laughed, glancing back to see a smirk on Case’s face, then lost sight of him as Brennan took her deeper into the crowd.

  The sizzle ripped between them as he slid his arm around her and pulled her against him. She’d never liked slow dancing before, had never wanted to get so close to anyone, but getting closer to him was different. The room was already warm with all the people dancing, but the heat was even greater between them. If she hadn’t known better, she would’ve sworn they’d stepped inside a sauna. A very small, very intimate sauna.

  “I promise I won’t bite.”

  “What’d you say?” She’d been so lost in her own thoughts that she wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly.

  “Ouch. Should I be hurt?” He narrowed his eyes at her. “Please tell me you’re not thinking about my brother.” He tightened his grip on her.

  She couldn’t help but laugh. And couldn’t help but think he hadn’t meant what he’d said in a completely joking way. “I was thinking about how hot it is in here.”

  “Not as hot as it could get.”

  She had to glance away. The lust in his eyes zigzagged its way through her. If they didn’t take care, they’d end up stripping off their sweaty clothes and doing it on the dance floor.

  “Actually what I said was that I wouldn’t bite.” He gave her a cocky smirk. “Unless you want me to.”

  Oh, hell, yeah.

  And yet, she had to wonder. Could a werewolf change a werebear into… Into what exactly? A werewolf? A hybrid?

  “I know. I trust you.”

  “You should.” He lost his smirk, becoming more serious than she’d seen him. “You know what’s happening between us, right?”

  “Uh-huh.” Did she? Or was she only imagining it all?

  “We think you’re our mate.”

  She stopped dancing for a moment, too stunned to keep rhythm. He’d said it straight out. Exactly what she’d worried about. How much more proof did she need? After all, he’d said think. They weren’t sure. The joy she’d felt a moment earlier took a major dip.

  “So you’re not sure?”

  Brennan was about to answer when his gaze shifted over her shoulder. Someone grabbed her hand and tugged her away from him. Startled, she tried to keep up with Case, but it was difficult while trying to navigate the crowd. By the time he’d led her to the side of the room, she was out of breath and her heart pounding. Case pushed her against the wall, cornering her between them.

  “He told you, right?”

  She glanced at a smiling Brennan. Did Case feel the same way? She couldn’t tell from his intense expression. “Yes.”

  “I wasn’t going to take it this fast, but my brother doesn’t always listen. Now that he’s said it, what do you think? Are you our mate? Do you feel the connection?”

  She was hotter than ever before, but it had nothing to do with the number of people in the small club. The men were close, so close she could smell their breaths and feel the heat radiating off their bodies. Their scents, so manly, were intriguing and similar enough to a male werebear’s to put her at ease. And yet, there was an underlying something that screamed werewolf. Werewolves she’d been raised to hate. Her father’s words broke through, reminding her of who and what she was.

  “Werewolves are dogs. We’re animals on the inside, too, but they’re worse. They live by their instincts. It overrides everything they do. Bears can be trusted. You can’t trust a wolf. He’ll cheat and lie and do whatever he has to. Fucking beasts. That’s what they are.”

  How could it be possible? Maybe she was wrong. Sure, there were a few werewolves like the Carr brothers and the Malone men that the clan trusted, but they were few and far between. She’d met a couple of werewolf women, like K
ate Wingate and Stormy Stevens-Malone, but she hadn’t gotten to know them well. Still, they’d been friendly enough. But friendly didn’t mean trustworthy. Werebears disliked werewolves with a passion. Was there a reason for the distrust?

  Just as she was about to lie and tell them she hadn’t felt anything, Case squeezed her hand. The invisible link between them roared into life.

  It’s the connection. It has to be. Nothing else makes sense.

  She couldn’t deny them anymore than she could deny her next breath. “Yes. You’re my mates.”

  Chapter Four

  Nicole admitting they were mates was like taking a sledgehammer to all the walls of logic Case had built. None of it made sense. Yet all of it made sense. With one simple word, she’d forced him to believe. The connection was real and it had happened for them. Emotion struck him dead center as he lifted his gaze to his brother’s.

  She’s our mate.

  Brennan nodded, showing he had the same thought.

  Case forced his attention away from her to scan the area to the right of them. A wall divided the main room of the club, making a small walkway behind it. Along the hallway were several doors, all leading to small rooms.

  Sex rooms, they called them. Rooms for members who wanted to get more intimate than they could on the dance floor or in the shadowed booths lining the other walls.

  “Come with us.” He gripped her hand tighter, tugging her along behind him as he’d done from the dance floor. Taking her around the corner of the wall, he came to a stop and pulled her close to him.

  She fit his body like a glove fit a hand. Warm, soft, and with a tantalizing scent all her own. Her fragrance was like a werebear’s, but coming from her, it was an aroma that made his cock rise. He and Brennan had never understood why the two kinds of shifters didn’t get along, but they’d never done anything to bridge the gap between the two shifters. Now that they’d found their mate in Nicole, they’d have to do their part to change things.

  But first things had to come first.

  “Do you know about these rooms?” He was surprised, yet glad Brennan was letting him take the lead. Two brothers going after the same girl was like too many cooks in the kitchen. Sometimes it made for fun and other times it ended up with burned food.

  “They’re private rooms.” She swallowed a little too hard. “For couples to get to know each other better. At least, that’s what I’ve heard.”

  She was skirting around saying the words outright, but he wouldn’t. “They’re sex rooms. And we want to take you inside one.”

  Her eyes widened. Had she really not known? Was he pushing her too fast? And yet, now that the truth was out in the open, how could they move slowly? He ached for her, as though she’d reached inside him and taken possession of his heart.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Bro, just because she’s our mate, doesn’t mean she’s ready to be together. Not in that way, anyhow.”

  He tilted his head at Brennan, silently questioning why he wasn’t helping to convince her. Unless, of course, he was trying reverse psychology. But they shouldn’t have to use any kind of tactic. She was their mate, and since she was, she should be dying as much as he was to get them between her legs.

  Was it a werebear thing?

  “Look.” He cupped her cheek, making her meet his gaze. “We’re mates. We all agree on that, right?”

  She nodded, yet still seemed unsure.

  “Then you know we want you. Hell, if I don’t get to touch you soon, I’m going to go crazy.” He tried to lighten his approach. “And that’s not going to be a pretty sight for anyone.”

  At least he’d earned a smile. “I know. It’s just, well, I’m not… I mean, I don’t have a lot of experience in these things.”

  “Are you a virgin?” The fact that she wasn’t experienced turned him on even more.

  “No. But it’s been a really long time since…” Her gaze jumped to the nearest door and then riveted on them. “I hope you don’t think I’m some kind of slut. I may not be a virgin, but…”

  “It’s okay. Your past, like ours, doesn’t matter.”

  Her breath came out in a quick rush of air.

  “Plus, you know we’d never hurt you, right? Either as men or as—” He stopped, suddenly remembering where they were. Too many human ears were nearby.

  “I know. But is it even possible? With you two being what you are and me being what I am?”

  Talking about being shifters was a difficult thing to do without actually saying the word shifter.

  Brennan, as usual, jumped to a joke. “You mean Presbyterian and Catholic? You are Catholic, aren’t you?”

  She made a face. “Uh, no. Not hardly. So do you think all werebears are Catholics?”

  “Don’t bears shit in the woods?”

  Her eyebrow arched higher, her glare accusing. “So funny. And wolves lick their butts. Am I right? Or are we finished slinging stupid shit around?”

  Case chuckled. Nicole put out a vibe of being docile, but she had a bite when she needed one. “She’s got you there. And by the way, we’re not Presbyterian, either.”

  Brennan brushed back a strand of her hair from her shoulder. Her responding shudder had him craving her even more.

  He leaned so close he could’ve nibbled on her ear. How he resisted, he’d never know. “What do you say? Go inside or not?”

  “Brennan and Case Cagle. Is it really you? I haven’t seen you in like forever.”

  He saw the annoyance on Nicole’s face, then shut his eyes, hating the sound of the girl’s voice. What was her name again?

  Seeing Brennan react the same way he did confirmed it. She was someone they’d met at the club. But was it someone they’d taken into one of the sex rooms? They hadn’t visited The Underground since the day before they’d left town years earlier.

  He pivoted around slowly, dreading what he’d find. His stomach dropped to the floor as the blonde swayed her way toward them.

  “I thought I remembered your voices.” The blonde skimmed a hand along Brennan’s arm. “Hi, handsome. Why didn’t you two give me a call and tell me you were coming back into town? Dang, you sure have grown up since the night we partied together.”

  “Hey. How are you doing?”

  Judging by his greeting, Brennan didn’t have a clue who she was, either. “Uh, we just got back into town. How have you been?”

  Whoever she was, she was smart enough to realize they didn’t remember her. She raked her jealous gaze over Nicole, then back to him. “You two don’t remember me, do you?”

  He could’ve lied. Maybe he should’ve lied. But he couldn’t. “Sorry. No. It was a long time ago.”

  Irritation as well as hurt flashed across her face. “Maybe so. Still, I thought I’d made a bigger impression than that.” She pressed her palms against her chest. “It’s Carol. Carol Dakins.”

  “Oh, yeah. Good to see you again, Carol.”

  “That’s it, Case? ‘Good to see you again’? After the hell of a good time we had together? I’m the one who got our underage butts into the club through the back door.” She flashed him a seductive smile. “And into one of the private rooms.”

  “Oh, yeah. Sure.” But he still couldn’t remember her.

  She jutted out her chin. “And who’s this?”

  Brennan answered first. Which was a good thing since he wouldn’t have come up with as good an answer.

  His brother swept his arm around Nicole’s waist. “This is our girlfriend.”

  “Your girlfriend? And here you told me you’d never have a girlfriend.” Carol’s brow knitted. “Wait. So she’s both of y’all’s girlfriend?” Again went the raking gaze. “Wow, Nicole. I’m impressed. You must be a freak in bed to wrangle the both of them.”

  “I need to run.” Nicole pulled out of Brennan’s hold. “It was nice meeting you, Carol.”

  Case’s gut tightened at Nicole’s hurt expression as she took off, going around the dividing wall in a hurry. Brennan was ri
ght behind her. “Got to go, Carol.”

  He heard her complaints, but didn’t pay any attention. Instead, he caught up with Brennan and Nicole near the exit door. “Nicole, what’s wrong?”

  She stepped out of the way as a couple entered the building. “You’re kidding, right? You want me to have sex with you after that? After you took Carol into one of the rooms?”

  “Shit. She’s ancient history. We’d just met you.”

  Her jaw dropped. “So you were with her after the night of the bonfire? After you met me?”

  He’d stepped in major shit. “Yeah, but we didn’t realize you were our mate.”

  “Bullshit. I remember how I felt and I saw how you reacted. You felt it back then, too.”

  “Yeah, but we didn’t realize what it was until later. At least, not like we do now.”

  “He’s right, baby. We were horny young guys. We’d just met you and knew you were a”—Brennan checked around for anyone listening—“werebear. We didn’t think we’d ever be able to get together. Not even as friends, much less anything else. No matter how we felt back then.”

  “Yeah. And after seeing your father, we figured there was no way in hell of getting close to you.”

  “Damn. Talk about making me feel special. So you two didn’t even think of me at all after we shared a connection? Or did you really feel it? Are you lying about feeling it now?”

  * * * *

  Her life would change depending on how Case answered. Nicole couldn’t blame them for sleeping with other women, even humans like Carol. But to find out that they hadn’t even thought of her during all the years she’d spent dreaming and fantasizing about them would be more than painful. It’d be devastating.

  And revealing.

  Maybe they didn’t share the connection after all. Maybe she was still fantasizing, imagining a nonexistent bond between them. And yet, hadn’t they called her their mate?

  “We thought about you so much we had to leave town. We couldn’t stay, couldn’t stand being so close and not being able to do anything about it.”