Shay's Shifters [Mountain Men of Montana 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (11 page)

“Shay, are you coming with us?”

She’d almost responded to Renkon’s question when the idea hit her. “Why can’t you take me back to my car? Unless I dreamed the accident, too.”

“We can’t. It’s one of the rules of The Hidden.” Rosh spread his arms wide, indicating the world around them. “Those who can come and go can only do so at specific times. Until then, you have to stay.”

“That’s what you call this world? The Hidden?”

“That’s right, and the world you know is what we call The Outside. Those things are called The Cursed.”

“So it’s not that you won’t show me the way out. It’s that you can’t. How convenient.” She wanted to take back the words when she saw the hurt on their faces. Instead, she held her head high and walked toward the shore.

“Then you’re coming back with us?”

The hope, the excitement in Renkon’s tone was unmistakable.

“For now. But I want to know everything. Don’t you dare leave any detail out. Now put on your clothes and let’s get going.” She pushed them away from her as they tried to take her arms, her hands. Gathering her nerve, she marched into the forest and prayed that no monsters waited in the underbrush.

* * * *

The four of them remained quiet as they hurried back to the camp. Renkon didn’t know what his cousin or Walker intended to say, but he was ready to tell her everything if for no other reason than to keep her safe. Maybe if she’d known about The Cursed, she wouldn’t have gone into the forest, especially at night. And now that she’d seen them in their wolf forms, what else was there to keep from her?

He cringed inwardly as the answer came. She still didn’t realize that they wanted her as their mate. Whether that meant Rosh and he would share her, or if she’d want Walker in the relationship didn’t matter to him. As long as he had her, he’d accept anything she wanted.

He glanced at the other two men who flanked her as he brought up the rear. He loved his cousin, and he liked Walker well enough. But could they get along? They often got on each other’s nerves, but when things had gotten serious with The Cursed’s attempt to take Shay, they’d come together. Had they come to an agreement afterward? Could she be the glue that would bind them together?

He lowered his gaze and smiled. Her round bottom was what most men would call a big booty, but it was perfect for him. Society outside The Hidden would never have called her beautiful. She wasn’t skinny, blonde, or tall. But he loved the shape of her body. She had curves and valleys that he wanted to explore for the rest of his life. He was glad that werewolves lived longer than humans, and if she agreed to the change, she’d live as long as they did.

He wouldn’t have believed that he could fall for someone so fast, but he had. At first, he’d thought Rosh had made a huge mistake in bringing her into The Hidden. Then to state that they both wanted her for their mate? He’d understood that Rosh had said so to keep The Council from sending her back, but at the time, he’d thought Rosh insane for sticking his neck out for a stranger. Yet when he’d entered their hut and seen her, he’d quickly understood. No one, especially not his cousin and him, would want to see her harmed.

At first, he’d still tried to deny it, to chalk his feelings up to simple sexual attraction, but the longer he gazed on her beautiful face, so pale while she was recuperating, the more he grew to want to know her, to wonder what her laugh would sound like, to yearn to touch her.

Soon, he’d have to tell her how he felt. He’d taken his time while Rosh and then Walker enjoyed her, but that was his way. Where his cousin was brash and ready to leap into action, he was careful, considering his moves before doing anything.

Taking care of her had opened a warm place in his heart that he hadn’t known existed. The way she’d moaned while tossing in her sleep, seeing her smooth forehead marred with lines as she dreamed had made him want to soothe and comfort her. And when she’d opened her eyes and yet hadn’t really seen him, it didn’t matter. He’d gazed deeply into hers and had known, right then and there, that he’d do anything to keep her safe.

At first reticent about helping to care for her, he’d soon found himself spending more and more time in the hut. He and his cousin had talked of taking turns watching her, but soon that idea vanished and they’d both found themselves taking care. He could still remember the way her pink lips parted when he’d lifted her head and urged her to drink. He could still see the rise and fall of her chest that made his cock harden while his heart softened.

He’d found his cousin and had questioned him at length about her. The way Rosh spoke of her, how she’d tried to protect what she’d thought was a helpless fawn, told him of her compassion. But she had courage, too. Not only was she willing to fight the wolf about to attack the fawn, she was brave—albeit foolish—enough to try to run off on her own. He’d always hoped that his mate would have both empathy and courage.

He smiled, his gaze still fixed on her bottom. It didn’t hurt that she’d given Rosh a run for his money, struggling against him as he’d carried her through the forest then thrown her over the cliff and into the waterfall. He wished he could have seen that.

She was everything he’d dreamed of and more. She’d wrapped him in a spell as surely as if she were a witch.

Hating to do so, he forced his mind away from her apple bottom, away from the seductive sway of her hips, and away from her hair that swung back and forth. He had to keep watch in case Burac decided to try again.

He breathed a sigh of relief once they reentered the camp. Their friends had already returned home, and the camp was buzzing with the news of Burac’s attempt to snatch Shay. The women surrounded her, making sure she was all right.

Myla, a shape-shifter and Kira’s mother, offered her a soothing drink then turned to the men and scowled. Her bright green eyes could’ve turned them to stone if she’d had Medusa’s power. Her curly red hair stood out from her head as though the fury she felt sent energy to the tips of her locks. Her petite frame, her height being less than five feet, might’ve tricked a man into thinking she was timid and even demure, but Renkon had witnessed her temper too many times to be fooled by her size.

Renkon stayed behind Rosh and Walker. Myla’s temper was legendary, and he had no wish to catch the full brunt of it.

“What are you men doing? Why haven’t you told her about us? About you?” She pushed against Rosh’s chest and sent him stumbling backward.

“I was going to.”

“Bullshit. That’s an excuse and you know it. It’s bad enough that she was brought here against her will, but to keep her in the dark about the world around her is nothing short of irresponsible.”

“I brought her here to save her life. She knows that.”

“Well, obviously she either doesn’t care or didn’t understand. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have taken off in the middle of the night. What if they’d gotten her? What then?”

Rosh backed up again when Myla took another step toward him. Walker played it safe and moved closer to Renkon, out of the line of fire. “I get it, Myla, I screwed up. But let’s remember how this all got started. If you hadn’t let Kira go off into the woods by herself, I wouldn’t have had to chase after her and get involved.”

Myla crossed her arms over her chest and lowered her chin to stare up at him with hooded eyes. “And you’d have never met her, either. Remember that. And remember this, too, you flea-ridden hound, I asked you to fetch my daughter, not to play a game of chase. But none of that means anything. You should’ve told her the first chance you got, and you didn’t.”

Rosh finally held up his hands, admitting the defeat everyone else had known was inevitable. “You’re right. But don’t worry. We’re explaining everything tonight.”

“See that you do.” Myla whirled to face the crowd of women surrounding Shay. “Let her be now. She needs to go with her men.”

Her men. That sounds damn good.
Renkon couldn’t hold back his smile. “Come with us into the hut, Shay. We have a lot to tell you.”

Shay thanked the women, and, letting Rosh lead the way, she followed Walker and Renkon into the hut. Renkon cast a grin at Myla, winked, then hurried inside when her scowl grew bigger.

Shay sat cross-legged in the middle of their bed. Her dark hair floated around her shoulders and her clasped hands pushed the dress in between her legs. Need washed over Renkon, and with one look, he knew the other two men felt the same way. If they had their way, she’d have already disrobed and stretched out on her back, her arms spread wide to welcome them.

He settled next to Rosh and across from Walker. A dim light seeped through the opening above while candles that the women had lit in preparation for her safe return cast their shadows on the walls. If she said yes, if she accepted her new life with them, they’d have to get a larger dwelling. Although they preferred sleeping close to the ground, they’d build her a cabin of her own if she wanted. Hopefully, he’d help her fill it with lots of children.

“Okay, I’m listening. Start talking. Tell me that you and Renkon are really werewolves.”

They’d known she had spirit and had discussed how much they loved that about her. But her spirit could mean that she might be difficult to handle, and she’d shown them that it was true. Still, he wouldn’t have asked her to change.

Rosh started them off, and Renkon could only trust that he wouldn’t get angry if she didn’t react the way he thought she should. His cousin kept his head down, his attention on the bed, before finally lifting his head. His expression was solemn, and Renkon could sense his nervousness. If she didn’t agree to stay, they’d be lost forever, loveless and alone. He doubted that he could remain in The Hidden if she wasn’t there with him.

“Let me start from the beginning. It’ll make more sense that way.” Rosh dragged in a long breath. “When I found you that day—”

“I think it was the other way around. I sort of found you and whacked you over the head.”

Renkon rolled his lips under to keep from chuckling. She was feisty and ready to speak her mind. Life with her wouldn’t be dull.

To Rosh’s credit, he let her interruption slide. “Anyway, you had a gash on your head and a car that wasn’t going to take you anywhere. Then, after you ‘whacked me over the head’ as you put it, you passed out. I could’ve left you there in the snow or put you back in the car. Either way I doubt you would’ve survived. At least not without losing a few fingers and toes from frostbite. The only other option was to bring you here.”

“No. You could’ve taken me down the mountain or phoned for help.”

Renkon shook his head along with Rosh. “Not true. If you’ll remember, I didn’t have a phone on me. Plus, I wasn’t about to walk into a gas station or anywhere else buck naked, carrying an unknown injured woman. No, my only option was to bring you to The Hidden.”

“The Hidden. What does that mean anyway? Hidden from what?” She leaned forward, her expression frustrated, yet curious.

Rosh paused, and Walker took the chance to answer. “The Hidden is a place where people like us can come and let our true natures show. Not many on The Outside, in the world you know, are aware of The Hidden.”

“But I don’t get it. How can you keep a place like this unknown? It’s not like we’re in the middle of Africa or on the moon.” She paused, hopping her gaze from Walker, to Rosh, and finally to him. “We’re not, are we? I mean, in some faraway country.”

“I told you. We’re still in Montana, not far from where we met.”

“But that’s not possible, Rosh. There was at least two feet of snow on the ground. And here? This is like springtime. It doesn’t make sense.”

“The Hidden has the same weather year round. It never snows or gets too cold or too hot. We have enough rain to keep things green, and there’s always plenty of sunshine.” Walter shrugged. “How else could we run around without much on our bodies?”

“But how? It’s like you’re telling me that this place is magical. Like a Shangri-La deep in the middle of the Montana mountains. Did we come through a secret passageway? Because I sure don’t remember it if we did.”

Renkon decided he had to help explain. “Actually, you’re very close to getting it right. The Hidden is magical. Oh, I don’t mean as in hocus-pocus kind of magic. But in the fact that it’s a place that was meant for supernatural beings like us.”

She gaped at him, and it was apparent that she was trying her best to understand and believe him. Would she believe them more if they showed her?

“I did bring you through a secret passageway. Do you remember when we jumped off the cliff and into the waterfall?”

She studied Rosh. “I remember getting thrown off the cliff and into the water. But nothing after that until I woke up inside this hut.”

“That scared the hell out of us when Rosh brought you here and we couldn’t get you to wake up.” Walker touched her leg.

She studied his hand on her leg but didn’t take it away. “Go on.”

Renkon cleared his throat before he spoke again. The fact that she let Walker rest his hand on her leg was encouraging. Was she starting to accept them? Or was she only ready to let Walker in because she didn’t know he was a werewolf, too?

Renkon checked his cousin. Walker’s gesture hadn’t gotten Rosh upset. Had the two of them really come to an understanding? If so, then getting Shay to accept the three of them had a better chance of succeeding.

“One reason that The Hidden has remained a secret is that you can only come and go during certain times. They’re called The Time of Coming and The Time of Leaving. We can sense when it’s the right time, and Rosh knew he could bring you through. When you two jumped into the water, he pulled you through the underwater entrance and brought you into The Hidden through the lake.”

Alarm filled her face. “Are you saying the only way out is a way under the water? Wait. Does that mean you have to somehow get back up the waterfall to leave? But how?”

He wanted to take the fear away not just now but forever. If he had his way, she’d never worry about another thing for the rest of her life. “No, the exit is in another location in the mountains. But again, leaving is only possible on certain days. It’s like a portal that opens between our worlds. Those of us who live in The Hidden can sense when it’s about to open and close. That way we can tell how long we have on The Outside.”