Protect and Fur [3xtasy Lake 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (7 page)

“That’s why you’ve got girlfriends.” Carol hugged her back as she chuckled. “I have three husbands, and sometimes I feel completely over my head.”

Brenna knew Carol’s husbands worshipped the ground she walked on. They’d never have fucked her and walked away laughing with their friends.

“One question though.” Carol paused with her hand on the door. “Does your dad know anything about this?”

“Oh, shit.”

* * * *

Aiden followed his friend, not certain if Craig was going to punch him or buy him a beer once Aiden caught up to him. He hated walking away from her again. This is not how he’d had his afternoon planned in his head. She was his Mate, dammit. He could scent her body’s reaction when she turned and saw him in the doorway. She’d been spraying some strange cleaner, so he hadn’t been able to appreciate the full power of her unique scent until he closed the distance between them.

He knew he’d fucked up that day last fall, but he honestly thought he could explain and then she would be fine with it. It’s not like Craig had given him the heads-up on her talent with a scalpel. His balls still hadn’t dropped from where they tucked up when she mentioned neutering.

Craig pulled open the door to his cruiser, got in, and slammed it with enough force to make the car shudder. He looked furious. Craig spent the majority of his life honing his control over his emotions. Aiden had never seen his friend so open with his feelings. “Don’t say a fucking word, Aiden.” Craig’s words sounded more like a growl than a request. He gripped the steering wheel hard enough to make his knuckles white. “What the fuck were you thinking, surprising her like that?”

Aiden opened his mouth to answer, but the glacial glare from his friend stopped him. Craig looked in the mood to vent and hopefully he’d share some information.

“I’ve lived here for almost a year. I packed up everything and moved out to a different province to help protect her, only to discover she’s my Mate as well. I didn’t want to touch her until you got here. You have no idea how your actions affected her. I’ve heard all the gossip and how she came back from Nova Scotia a different person. What you did…”

“Dammit, Craig, what the fuck was I supposed to do?” Aiden leaned against the window frame of the car and snarled at his best friend. “They were going to gang rape her. I had to stand there and listen to their plan to throw her down on a pool table and abuse her in ways that made me sick.”

He watched his friend’s color pale before anger drove it back. “Please tell me you took care of all of them.”

“All but a couple. That’s why it took so long for me to get back to her. I didn’t know if they might decide to look for her again, and I wanted her safe.” Aiden’s anger battled with the nausea that always accompanied his memories of the weeks she was off their radar.

He wished daily that they had met under better circumstances, or that she’d met Craig first. Craig could’ve protected her and then introduced Aiden. She would’ve been safe from the beginning. Although, he could think of a couple of gang members he’d enjoy watching her threaten with her scalpel.

“Why her?”

“They didn’t know she was my Mate. I fucked her as a show, and then declared her my own personal property. I was high enough in the pack at that point to be able to demand obedience.” He smacked his hand against the hood of the car. “I only had a minute to make a decision, and I couldn’t think of another one that would keep her safe.” If only she’d stayed with her family that night and not gone out walking alone. Craig took a deep breath and let go of the steering wheel. “I would’ve made the same choice you did. Which is the only reason why I won’t punch you repeatedly in the face for making this more difficult for us.”

“Hi.”

Brenna stood in her doorway, water dripping down her back from her wet hair. She’d gotten out of the shower a moment before rushing for the door. Finding Aiden waiting on her doorstep was the last thing she expected when she heard the knock. Honestly, when she’d ordered him out of the clinic earlier that day she’d thought he’d left for good. After lying in bed unable to sleep because of the barrage of thoughts, she’d shifted into her wolf form and had raced through the forest for the past few hours. “Is there an emergency?” Her heartbeat pounded as she tried to make her voice sound as calm as possible.

“No, I need to talk to you.” Aiden shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the doorframe. Damn, he looked so incredibly sexy like that. His black hair was tousled and fell rakishly over his forehead.

Brenna squeezed the opening to her robe, denying him any chance to see her skin. Maybe he wouldn’t scent the moisture his presence was causing to gather between her legs. Her wolf was rolling around in his scent like an oversexed hussy. “You could’ve called first.”

“Brenna, you and I both know you would’ve told me to fuck off, and I’m not saying I don’t deserve it. I want to start over.”

“What do you mean, start over?”

Aiden held out his hand. “Hi. I’m Aiden O’Reilly.” He grinned down at her, but she could see the hesitation in his eyes. He expected her to push his hand away.

Brenna felt a little silly putting her hand in his, but did it anyway. “Brenna Roberts. Nice to meet you. Now, what brings you to my doorstep in the middle of the night, Aiden?”

She wanted to know what was so wrong with her he could walk away like that. He was her Mate, and in that brief moment she foolishly thought all the stars would align and he would sweep her off her feet. And he did, only to drop her back to earth after the most incredible orgasm she ever experienced. The sharp agony she’d felt that day gouged a wound deep across her heart. The man who should’ve protected and cherished her had used her in the most humiliating way and made her feel like a slut afterward.

“I know we didn’t get off to a good start.” She tried to pull her hand away, but he wrapped his other hand around hers, entrapping it in his warm grip. “That came out wrong. Yes, we got off to an explosive start, but the situation surrounding it couldn’t have been worse.”

The aching hurt that never went away intensified. “I thought it was pretty straightforward. You don’t want me for a Mate. We both know we’re fated to be together, but I don’t buy into that crap anymore.”

She tried to pull her hand away, but Aiden wouldn’t let go of it. “Brenna, I wish I could’ve done it all over. I wish I’d never touched you.”

He might as well have slapped her across the face, because the pain from that blunt rejection hurt enough to bring tears to her eyes. “Let go of my hand, Aiden, or I swear I’ll claw myself free.”

“Fuck, no. You’re misunderstanding.” Aiden stepped forward and grabbed her other hand. He pressed both of her palms against his chest. If she decided to shred him, he couldn’t have made it easier for her.

“I work for the Guardian council. I was in a situation where I’d been trying to take down a band of rogues that were infiltrating the town. Curfews had been implemented to prevent anyone finding themselves in danger.”

But she’d ignored her brother-in-law’s warning. She couldn’t comprehend what danger there could’ve been out there. “I don’t understand.”

“Do you remember the group outside of the pool hall you passed?”

Brenna shivered in memory of that crowd. Their black empty eyes had followed her as she’d passed on the other side of the street. That was when she’d decided to forgo the evening stroll and go back to her sister’s house. The moment she’d seen him, the entire world had drifted away. She’d been overwhelmed, enthralled, and instantly in love. Until the moment after he’d made her body feel the most incredible pleasure. Then the sound of lewd cheering and disgusting shouts of encouragement popped the naïve bubble surrounding them.

He’d pulled up his pants, shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at her with disgust. She’d pulled her skirt back down and buttoned up her shirt as he’d walked away from her without a glance back. Her hands shook, and she’d felt like a dirty slut. The pain of that rejection still managed to pierce her heart with precision. She’d waited her entire life to find her Mate, and he’d betrayed her before she’d ever known his entire name.

“Your friends, I remember.” She heard the brittle tone to her voice. Why had he come back there? Wasn’t her heart shattered enough for him? Had he come back to grind the pieces further under his heel? She stared at her fingers and willed the claws to come forth and tear into his skin. She wanted to hurt him as badly as she hurt.

“Friends?” Aiden’s lip curled in a disgusted angle. “No, no, they weren’t. I swear.” He took his hands off of hers and cupped her cheeks. “I’d been assigned there to break up the gang. To kill the leader and make the members scatter. What I did…I wanted to protect you.”

“Oh, please.”

“Brenna, they’d been planning a gang rape that night. They’d wanted the local shifters to fear them but knew if they attacked a local, it could backfire. Then you walked by. As an out-of-towner, you were their perfect target, but I couldn’t let them touch you.”

“Because I’m your Mate?”

He frowned at her and shook his head as if he didn’t quite understand the question. “Because, it was a disgusting plan hatched by a group of severely twisted minds. It wasn’t until I got closer to you I realized you were mine. I wanted to kill them all at that point, slowly and painfully for thinking of putting their dirty hands on you.”

His gaze fell to where his hands cupped her jaw. She watched as the same disgust crossed over his features as it had that night. “I shouldn’t have my hands on you. I don’t have that right.”

“We’re still Mates.” She surprised herself with that confession, but it came straight from the heart. She could see the true regret in his eyes, and her wolf howled in response. All her anger and aching feelings of betrayal lightened. There was a reason why he did what he did. If she’d known about it sooner, it would’ve changed everything. There was no way to go back and change anything. Anyways it was over, and all they had was now.

“I don’t deserve you, Brenna. Craig would’ve found a way to prevent you from getting hurt.”

“Don’t be so sure of that. I don’t know if I can think of a way out of that situation where there wouldn’t be any injuries.” She closed her hands over his and stepped back into the house, tugging him with her.

“Brenna, don’t invite me in.” His gaze dropped to the V of her robe.
It must be gaping again.
“I won’t leave.”

“I thought we were starting over.”

Aiden’s eyebrows drew together over his amber eyes at her comment. He must be trying to figure out her angle, and here she thought it was completely obvious. “I’d like that.”

“I’m a pretty fast mover.” Brenna stepped forward and pressed herself against his chest. Reaching behind him, she pushed the door closed. His scent tempted her, and she licked her tongue over the hollow at the base of his neck. His scent brought back memories of that night. The wild look he’d had in his eyes, and now when she thought about it, there’d been desperation and fear in his gaze, only she’d been too naïve to notice. She’d been too caught up in the wonder of finding her Mate where she’d least expected it.

She felt his fingers pull slowly though her hair as if he was finger-combing it. He gripped handfuls close to her scalp and gently pulled her head back. His amber eyes practically glowed in the dim light of her hallway. His gaze caught hers as if he was making certain she wanted this, and she did, very much.

The wolf inside her howled, and Brenna caught herself before she echoed the sound to the ceiling. Instead she growled low in her throat and slid her hand along the waistband of his leather pants. His eyes darkened, and he growled at her but stood completely still, allowing her to do whatever she wanted.

Even though she knew what she wanted, she was still a bit nervous. Aiden was standing there so still. She wasn’t certain if this was what he wanted.

“Touch me, Brenna.” It was an order more than a request, and she felt a responsive shiver run along her spine at his tone.

There was an intimacy here she tried to shy away from, but Aiden wouldn’t let her turn her head. He kept their gazes locked as she ran the palm of her hand over the bulge in the front of his pants. It felt like his cock was trying to burst through the leather and into her hand.

She watched as his eyes darkened and his pupils flickered slightly. The energy radiating off him felt hot and alive. She could scent his wolf straining to get to hers, and another rush of moisture coated her pussy. A primal instinct drove her to mark her Mate and warn off any other females who might get close to him. She wanted to get rid of these clothes and rub her body all over him.

One corner of Aiden’s mouth kicked up as if he realized something. “You aren’t as cool-headed as you’d like everyone to believe, are you?” He tightened his grip on her hair, and the small sharp pinpricks of pain danced along her scalp, ratcheting up her arousal. “Come on, Doc. Show me what you got.”

A dare?
Her anger surged up, and she pressed the heel of her hand against the hard ridge in the front of his pants. He wanted to see what she was capable of? Curling her fingers, she scratched the front of his pants, running her nails over his leather-covered balls, careful to keep her claws in. The last thing she wanted was cause permanent damage.

Aiden lunged at her and captured her mouth with his. His kiss demanded her full attention as he bit her lower lip and his tongue surged against hers. It was a sign of dominance, but she didn’t roll over like a gentle bitch. Instead she lifted her hand wrapped it around his neck and hopped up. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he grabbed her ass and pulled her against the hard bulge in his pants. His hands must’ve caught the hem of her robe because she could feel the cool air against her ass creating a sharp contrast to the incredible heat against her cunt.