Panthers' Pleasure [Impulse 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (14 page)

For their sakes, she’d do what it broke her heart to even contemplate. She had finally found not one but two men whom she could love absolutely, and who loved her in return. Instead of the happily ever after life she’d dreamed of for years, she would make the ultimate sacrifice instead, all in the name of love.

She would sleep with them, and then disappear from their lives forever.

Presumably, the lions would know what she’d done and release Max without anyone getting hurt.

It was a perfect plan, Chantal decided, as she cried herself to sleep.

The sun was up when Chantal woke. That surprised her because she didn’t think she’d slept at all. Her gut churned when she recalled what she had to do, the sacrifice she had to make for the sake of the colony as a whole. She stifled a cry of regret, feeling hollow inside, and just for a moment her resolve wobbled. There had to be a way to stay with the guys
and
keep them safe.

“Get real,” she muttered.

She got so damned mad when she reflected upon life’s habit of toying with her. It seemed to enjoy fooling her into thinking she had some elusive right to happiness, waiting until she was hooked before kicking her in the teeth. She’d finally found two men who fulfilled her wildest dreams, but if she stayed with them she’d be the cause of their downfall. You simply didn’t do that to the people you loved, and that was all there was to it. She’d get out of their lives, start again somewhere else, and somehow find the will to survive.

She pulled a T-shirt over her naked body, slipped from her room, and peeped round the guys’ door, just to make sure they’d gotten back safely. She’d intended to remain awake until she heard them return, but physical and emotional exhaustion had obviously put an end to that plan.

Her heart lurched when she discovered that their room was empty, the bed neatly made, no sign of recent occupation. It was still early, and they’d told her that after their nights on the prowl they slept most of the morning away. So where were they? Her emotional system went into overload, and she felt on the edge of hysteria. She was too late to save them. The lions must have somehow gotten to them. Something bad had happened to them—she just knew it.

What to do? Someone must know what had gone wrong and be making plans to get them back. She’d go down to the bar and offer to help—if it wasn’t too late for that. Chantal refused to allow that thought to take hold. She absolutely had to stay positive. Dashing into the living room, not looking where she was going, she ran headlong into a solid brick wall. A brick wall that had rock-hard abs, impossibly broad shoulders, piercing blue eyes, and a familiar musky scent.

“Hey.” Rafe’s hands came to rest on her shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

She glanced up at him and Vilas standing beside him, and burst into tears. Rafe sat down, pulled her onto his lap, and cradled her head against his chest. Vilas sat beside him, grabbed her legs, and rested her feet on his thighs, gently massaging their soles. Chantal couldn’t stop bawling, but the guys didn’t seem to mind. Vilas continued to rub her feet. Rafe’s large hand swept her back with smooth, reassuring strokes, and they didn’t say a word until she got herself under control.

“I…I thought you hadn’t come home,” she said, gulping back fresh tears. “Your room was empty. I thought you’d been hurt. I…I couldn’t bear the guilt.”

“Why would you feel guilty?” Vilas asked.

“It’s my fault. I came here and—”

“I told you nothing would happen to us,” Rafe said softly. “We’re indestructible.”

“Don’t say such things. It’s bad luck.”

“We love it that you care,” Vilas told her.

“I do care,” she said reluctantly. “I wish I didn’t, it would make things so much easier, but I do.”

“You’re tired. You can’t be sure—”

“What are you doing up so early?”

“It’s gone eleven,” Vilas said, amused. “Even we tend to surface by then.”

“It can’t be that late.” Chantal shook her head. “I’m supposed to work this morning.”

“It’s okay. Stefan has it covered,” Rafe said. “We figured you’d need to sleep late after the emotional upheavals of yesterday.”

“You’re so thoughtful,” she said, nipping at Rafe’s shoulder because she couldn’t think how else to express herself.

“All part of the service, ma’am.”

“Talking of servicing,” she said, taking a deep breath and sitting up straighter so she could look at them both at the same time. “I’ve decided to take you up on your offer. If you still want me, I’ll be your mate.”

“You’re kidding me!” Vilas jumped to his feet, extended his claws, and punched the air with them.

“Baby, you know we want you, but we need to know that you love us both,” Rafe said, rubbing his cheek down the side of her face. “It’s too soon for you to be absolutely sure. You’re tired and overwrought. This isn’t a decision that can be made on a whim.”

Chantal slithered from his knee and stood above Rafe, hands on hips. “Don’t you dare tell me how I feel, Rafe Landon! Even if you think you can read my mind, I still know it better than you ever will. It doesn’t take more than a second to fall in love, and,” she added in a more moderate tone, “I think I fell for you both the moment I first saw you.”

“That’s good enough or me,” Vilas said, swooping in for a kiss. “It’s about time someone other than me stood up to Rafe.”

“You really mean it, don’t you, babe?” Rafe sent her a scorching gaze. “You’re absolutely sure? Because there’ll be no going back once we’re mated.”

Her insides melted as she met his gaze and held it. If only that were true! “Do you want to stand here debating the issue, or would you rather introduce me to that vacant space in your bed you’ve been keeping warm for so long?”

Rafe let out an elongated whoop, swept her into his arms, and carried her through to their room.

“Send out a pheromone,” he said to Vilas, “and tell everyone to organize the party to end all parties to welcome our mate to Impulse.”

“Already on it,” Vilas said, grinning as he stepped out of his jeans, the only item of clothing he appeared to be wearing. “I’ll see to that while you prepare our mate for the ceremony.”

“What ceremony?” she asked, worried now that they hadn’t told her everything. She didn’t want to sign any binding contract if she was going to walk away.

“This needs to be official,” Rafe said in full alpha-male mode.

Chantal watched him as he moved about the room with such lithe coordination—beautiful, graceful, and yet unquestionably virile and male—that she wanted to weep with regret. He really was an alpha in every respect of the word, and the entire colony appeared to accept his authority. If Chantal could stay, she’d have made sure she stood up to him. As Vilas had said earlier, no one except him ever did. She forced all thoughts of leaving from her head, frightened that they’d pick up on them. She’d put her heart and soul into restoring their power first, hoping that would involve more than one mating session. Better safe than sorry! It would be her reward for the broken heart that awaited her round the next corner.

“Welcome, sweet darling,” Rafe said softly, pulling the T-shirt over her head and casting it aside. He stepped out of his jeans and stood in front of her, his cock rock hard. It jutted thick and angry, reaching almost all the way up his navel. Damn it, he was well proportioned, but she’d accommodate that gorgeous thing or die trying! “There’s a small ritual we need to perform that will bind you to us.”

“Bind me how?” she asked, showing more anxiety than she’d intended. “No one mentioned anything about binding before.”

Vilas came to stand beside Rafe, also fully erect and ready for action. “It’s our equivalent of a marriage ceremony,” he said.

“Kneel in front of us, Chantal, and bow your head.” She did so, feeling slightly uneasy but powerless to resist their authority. “Do you swear by all that you hold most sacred to be our mate, true only to us, for the rest of your days?”

Chantal nodded.

“You have to say that you do, darlin’.”

“I do,” she muttered, crossing her fingers behind her back.

“We love you, Chantal Lake, and pledge our lives to keeping you safe and happy.”

They each placed a hand on top of her head and the strangest thing happened. She felt a bolt like a mild electric current pass from their hands to consume her entire body. She trembled as it took hold and coiled itself deep in her gut, making her feel as though a missing part of her had just woken from a long sleep. She blossomed like a flower spreading its petals for the first time—rejuvenated, feminine, completely and totally in tune with her innermost self in a way she’d never before realized was possible.

“What did you just do?” she asked, blinking up at them.

Rafe extended a hand, pulling her to her feet and into his arms. “Welcome, babe, we love you.”

He reached behind him and picked up a square velvet box. When he opened it, something bright twinkled up at her. She gasped when he picked up a collar that looked as though it was studded with diamonds and fastened it round her neck.

“Now you really belong to us,” he said. “It was my mother’s, and I’ve waited a long time to see it round my own mate’s neck.”

Geez, how could she possibly walk away now? “I saw some of the other ladies wearing collars in the bar last night.”

Vilas nodded. “Given to them by their men to show they’re mated.”

“You’re mated to the leader of the colony and his alpha so you get to wear diamonds.”

Rafe kissed her deeply, his long panther tongue delving into her mouth and sending a kaleidoscope of wild sensations streaking through her body. Passion ignited as he deepened the kiss and his hands wandered to her ass, pulling it hard against his erection.

“What do you want me to do to you, Chantal?” he asked when he broke the kiss.

“I want you to fuck me,” she said brazenly, meeting his gaze. “And then I want Vilas to fuck me as well.”

“Then you must kneel before us again and ask us nicely.”

Chantal scrambled back to her knees and lowered her head. “I have needs, masters,” she said, seeming to know what they wanted to hear. “Needs that only the two of you can satisfy.”

“Have you been good?” Rafe asked.

Hell, this is fun!
“No, master. Please show me how to be good.”

“Stand up, Chantal. Go to the corner of the room and face the wall.”

She did as they asked, sensing that they were communicating with those damned pheromones of theirs as she stood there with her head lowered, feeling the full focus of their gazes on her ass. It was
sooo
unfair. She wanted to know what they were talking about. She’d ask them to teach her—except there wouldn’t be enough time before she left. The stark truth hit her like a punch in the gut and her legs almost buckled with the force of her regret.

“All right, Chantal, you can come back now.”

She walked toward them, keeping her eyes lowered, biting her lip to stop herself from smiling.

“Go and lay in the center of the bed, darlin’,” Rafe said.

Chantal made herself comfortable, anticipation roiling through her, and noticed that Vilas was wielding a camera.

“Wedding day pictures,” he said. “Spread your legs for me, babe, I don’t wanna miss the good bits.”

Chantal laughed, put at ease by Vilas’s infectious enthusiasm. She wondered how a man with such a raging hard-on could prance round a room with a camera without losing his momentum. Somehow she wasn’t surprised when Rafe pulled her arms above her head and attached them to the headboard with fluffy restraints.

“You have to do as we tell you, babe,” he said. “We’re in charge here.”

“You mean the only way two great big men like you can control a little thing like me is by using restraints?” Chantal opened her eyes wide in mock surprise. “If this gets out your reputations will never recover.”

Vilas roared with laughter. “She’s gonna be quite a handful, Rafe. I can see that already.”

Chantal died a little, so wishing she’d be around for long enough to make that true.

Rafe chuckled. “She has an independent streak that she hasn’t learned to quell yet. We’re gonna have to teach her some discipline.”

Chantal rather liked that sound of that. “Would you mind too much fucking me first?” She closed her legs and rubbed her thighs together. “I’m kinda damp down there and it’s getting uncomfortable.”

The guys seemed to find her desperation amusing. “I’ve waited more than half a century to hear my mate utter those immortal words,” Rafe said.

* * * *

Rafe lay full length beside his precious mate and extended the claw on his right index finger. He half expected Chantal to be frightened by the sight of it, but he should have known his feisty mate was made of sterner stuff. Rather than fear, her expression conveyed anticipation, curiosity, but most of all, impatience. She would need to be taught patience—but not today. Rafe was barely in control of himself, so he could hardly chastise Chantal for stepping out of line.

Vilas was on her other side, now focusing a video camera on Chantal’s delectable body. Rafe ran a hand possessively down the entire length of her, marking his territory, causing Chantal to quiver beneath his touch. She was so sensitive, so responsive, so eager, that she stole his breath away. God, but he wanted her! All the sacrifices he’d made over the years for the good of the colony had been leading up to this blissful moment. At times he’d ranted against the hand life had dealt him. Why did he have to be the alpha? Why did he have so much responsibility for the welfare of the colony? Other male shifters sometimes risked mating outside the loop with no discernible effect on their powers. He simply didn’t dare to risk it.