Promise of Paradise (3 page)

“Alpha?” Gabe cocked his head to the side. “What are you talking about?”

“As you know, a pair of sisters here in town have been known to predict the future, along with having some other special…powers.”

Both he and Luc nodded. They knew the alpha spoke of the two sisters whom the men of Paradise rescued from one of Camuls’s rape camps.

“Yes.” Gabe nodded. “Samantha and Sabrina. Their maiden name had been Hart. The two sisters were something other than shifters. Some speculated they were at least part fey. Though, he supposed, only they and their mates knew the full truth.

Strong in their own right, once mated, the women became a force to be reckoned with.

“What have they seen?” Luc sat in his chair, his back straight, his hands gripping the arms.

“They have seen a man. They call him a dream stalker. They say that he has the power to enter one’s dreams and see their most fervent desires. He will also see what we are. He will find a way to prove it and he will expose us if we don’t stop him.”

“How are we supposed to stop him?” Gabe frowned at the news. “We don’t need this. Not now. Not with the carnival imminent. We’ll have humans and shifters alike here.” Not to mention that none of them had no idea who the man was or what he looked like.

“My thoughts, exactly, which is why I’m finally putting the council together.” Adam held up his hand. “I realize that it’s too little and most likely too late, but we do what we must to survive. What I need from you two is your vow to protect at least one woman, at the moment. Though, the sisters have told me there will be at least three who will need our help.”

Adam stood, held out his hand, his expression unreadable. “I apologize for the strong-arm tactics, but I don’t have time for waffling. I need to know you’re with me, whether you like it or not.”

“We’re with you, alpha.” They said at the same time, each of them standing to take the alpha’s and then beta’s hands in turn.

Gabe didn’t like the alpha’s tactics, either, but he knew he would do the same if suddenly thrust into the other man’s shoes. One did what one could to survive and Adam Greer
always
did what was in his power to protect his people.

After spending nearly an hour in the diner catching up, they signaled for the check.

Sarah, the waitress, just smiled. “It’s been taken care of already.”

Taken care of?
Nadya frowned. “Who paid for our lunch?”

“We did.” Two men stood, the taller one taking a step toward them. “We’d like to welcome you to Paradise.”

Nadya’s mouth went dry. Picking up her glass of iced tea, she drew on the straw, taking in a bit of the sweet drink. “I, um…thank you.” Her face warmed as she stared up at two of the best-looking men she’d ever seen.

“It was our pleasure.” He smiled, revealing a dimple that made her go weak in the knees. At least she was still sitting down.

“What was that?” she asked as a strange sound reached her ears. It sounded a lot like the growl of a wild animal. “It sounded like…” She let her words trail off when no one else seemed to have heard it. It must have been her imagination. “Nothing. Never mind,” she added when another man stepped up to the table and made his presence known.

“Don’t look now, Nadya, but I think those two have the hots for you. Maybe you should take a good look and see which one attracts you.” It was just like Alexa to contradict herself.

Nadya was already staring at the two men who paid for their lunch. It was too late to tell her not to do so, anyway. She couldn’t help it. The taller of the two wore his blond hair just above his plaid collar. The cream-colored cowboy hat on his head only added to his good looks. Piercing blue eyes stared at her over Alexa’s head and she felt her face heat yet again.

Her nipples grew tight and her breath shallow as she noticed his intense stare. She bit her lip, noting that his gorgeous eyes narrowed just a bit as his gaze zeroed in on her mouth.

The man’s friend was no slouch, either. A bit shorter, he wore his dark hair in a military cut, his smooth, clean-shaven face perfect beneath the black slashes of his inky brows and mysterious dark-brown eyes. What was it about the two that made her mouth water to taste their tanned skin?

She fisted her hands against her thighs. Her fingers ached to touch both of them, to feel the slight stubble on their jaws and the softness of their hair. She shook her head and looked away. What was wrong with her? Those two were young enough to be her sons—if she had ever had sons.

Besides, what would two, hot young men want with her frumpy forty-three year-old ass? Still, she had to keep up appearances or her friends would never let her live it down if she showed any type of reluctance. Not after their late night
dream sessions
where they each boasted about how they would react if faced with just this kind of situation.

“What do you mean,
which one?”
She chuckled and raised a brow. “Why can’t I have them both?” She reached for the untouched glass of water next to her empty iced tea glass and took a sip.

“There’s nothing saying you can’t have them both.” Milla stood, pulled the strap of her purse up on her shoulder and winked. “As a matter of fact,
that
is one of this town’s secrets.” She gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Though, I suppose that it’s not really much of a secret when you see the townsfolk walking around.”

“What are you talking about?” Nadya glanced at Alexa when they both said it at the same time. They tagged each other on the bicep with an open palm. “Owe me a pop.”

“It’s a tie, and besides, you both just had a drink.” Milla grinned and shook her head as she led the way out of the diner.

“This isn’t something I can tell you here, but follow me and we’ll find someplace private where I can let the cat out of the proverbial bag.”

Nadya caught Alexa’s attention and turned. “What do you think that was about?”

“I have no idea.” Alex shook her head, her gaze following Milla as she walked out into the center of the parking lot.

“Okay.” Milla looked around. “This seems like a wonderful place to live. No single female ever pays for anything at the diner. The men pay for everything. In fact, this is like some throwback town. The men open doors and protect the women. Heck, you’d be hard pressed to find a woman who mows her own lawn around here. I’ve already found out that much and I’ve only been here a few hours.”

Nadya glanced at Alexa before turning back to Milla. “That’s insane. If that’s true, why doesn’t every woman in the world head this way?”

This place sounded too good to be true. She stared at Milla, wondering for a moment, if her friend had been brainwashed. She shook her head. She couldn’t have been. Milla would have read any nefarious intent in people. Even if she didn’t want to read them, she would if they touched her, even for a second.

“Apparently, it wasn’t always this way. I read it in my guys. Things around here got really bad until the new leader took over and changed it. They had some sort of war here. A real life
good against evil
battle and good won.”

“You’re not kidding, are you, Milla?” Alexa frowned as a jingling sound reached them. “Don’t look now, Nadya, but your groupies are headed this way.”

“My what?” She turned toward the sound as a man with thick, sable brown hair walked out of the diner, followed by the two men who had paid for their lunch. The two men who stayed close to each other, couldn’t seem to stop staring at her. Nadya frowned. It made her insides feel funny. She covered her stomach with her hands.

It was almost as though the world spun in slow motion as she watched their long-legged strides eat the distance between them.

She didn’t know what to say, to think, to do. Nadya swallowed thickly. Her tongue seemed to grow to monstrous proportions in her mouth, making it impossible to speak. She cast a sidelong look at Milla and wondered if she, too, could have two men want her.

Milla shook her head with a chuckle. “I think you’re about to find out about the men in Paradise first hand. The only thing I can tell you is, whatever they say to you…go with it. You won’t be sorry.”

Luc stared at the beautiful brunette who made his gut clench and his balls ache just by existing. Her lovely violet gaze nearly brought him to his knees right in the middle of the parking lot. The surprising thing was, he didn’t give a damn.

The goddess’s scent pulled him to her like metal shards to a magnet and his beast sounded out—a feral scream.
Mate!

His heart slammed in his chest. His breath caught in his throat while his beast informed him that after over one-hundred and fifty years, he had finally found a woman he could call his own.

He glanced over at Gabe, noticed his friend’s slack-jawed appearance and realized that he, too, had realized who and what the woman before them was to them.

Mates weren’t supposed to be hard to find, but with the takeover of Paradise and the kidnapping of their women, they had become rare. It wasn’t until Adam and his men took Paradise by force and discovered the hidden archive beneath Alpha House that they realized that humans were also viable mates.

Still, as shifter males, they couldn’t force a woman to accept them and, he was certain, it took a special kind of woman to take a shifter as a mate.

He stared at the woman before him, his mouth watering to taste her. He would be in heaven if she tasted as good as she smelled. He shook his head. It didn’t matter. He would love her, protect her and care for her always, if she would allow it.

Luc was aware that a conversation flowed around him, but he had been hard pressed to do anything but stare at his mate’s utter beauty. Long, dark hair flowed over her shoulders in soft waves. Dark, perfectly arched brows framed those startling violet eyes— and her lips. He practically groaned when he looked at them. Red, full, inviting—it was all he could do to keep his cock under control as he thought of those luscious lips wrapped around his cock, driving him mad.

“Hello, ladies. Did you have a good lunch?” The sound of Jonas’s voice hit Luc like a bucket of ice water.

It brought him to his senses and he was able, finally, to pay attention to the conversation around him.

“Yes, we did. Thanks for asking,” his goddess replied. Again, his gut clenched. He wasn’t sure if it was the sound of her voice or watching her perfect mouth move as she spoke. She moved to her friend’s side and took her hand. “Did you say something about needing approval?”

He frowned. Was she frightened of him—of them? God, he hoped not. He didn’t know what he would do if she refused them after all these years of waiting. Already he could feel the insidious heat of the
el calor
, the mating heat, traveling through his body, his blood. His ears rang. His heart slammed in his chest as he stared at his mate’s wide hips, the swell of her perfect belly and her full bosom.

“Oh! I forgot.” Milla turned to her mate. “Jonas, would you and Mel mind asking Mr. Greer if they can stay here, too?”

Jonas looked the two women over with a critical eye. “Can I tell him that he has nothing to worry about as far as acceptance goes?”

“Yes,” Milla replied without hesitation. “They will be fine with your secret. I haven’t told them, though. However, they know me and know I’d never lie to them. If he says it’s okay, we can tell them. It might take proof, though. Do you think that will be a problem?”

Luc glared at Jonas. He wanted to rip his heart out. How dare the other man look at their mate as though he might find her lacking? She was lovely. Perfect. He wanted to punch the smile off the other man’s face.

“Not the way I see it. I see three men that look as though they’d love to show them something.”

Ha! I bet they have something to show us.
Nadya snorted, drawing the attention of the taller of the two men who couldn’t seem to stop staring at her.

Her clit throbbed and she squeezed her legs together in an attempt to ease the slight ache. Her panties were damp. She felt it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to steady her jangled nerves.

“It’s probably not what
you’re
thinking.” The blond stepped forward, his blue gaze boring into her. He raised his brows as he folded his arms over his chest.

Nadya’s mouth went dry at the size of his large biceps and perfect pectoral muscles beneath the form-fitting shirt.

“That’s Lucas Martin. The Neanderthal next to him is Gabriel Frey. They own the soon-to-open general store.” The three shook hands. “I’d just like to say thanks for that and hurry the hell up. We’re all tired of shopping in Mason.”

“We’re doing our best,” the one identified as Lucas said as he stared at Nadya.

The rest of the conversation drifted off as she returned the men’s stares. Her nipples pebbled beneath the material of her top and her breathing grew shallow. Why did they keep staring? What did they want from her?

Two days later, Nadya stood in the room the town’s mayor provided for her. She still didn’t know why he wanted the three of them to stay in the local hotel. She eyed the king-sized bed with longing as she imagined the two young studs she’d met two days ago in it with her. Unlike with Milla and Alexa, the two men who had seemed interested in her that first day, hadn’t so much as smiled at her. In fact, she hadn’t seen them since they’d put her in her room.

“Get a grip. You’re too old for those two, anyway.” She stalked into the bathroom. It didn’t matter that, technically, Milla and Alexa were too old for the men chasing them.
Those
men had made their intensions known.

The two men who stared at her all afternoon that first day had never said a damned thing to her past any common courtesy. Was she just supposed to invite them up here to her room, strip and lay spread-eagle on the bed? “Fat chance of that happening.”

She turned the water on in the shower, tested the temperature and began to shrug out of her nightgown. Whatever was going on with her friends, it appeared as though they were on the road to lifelong happiness. She couldn’t be happier for them.
Really.