Epilogue
“So, then he called me a Witch, as if he knew something I didn’t. I’m telling you, Avery. It was weird. It was like it was a title or something,” Paige said, standing by the front door of the big house. “And it felt true, but I don’t even know what it means.”
Avery frowned. It had been over a month since the altercation at the Sanctuary building, and things were slowly getting back to normal. She’d let herself grieve her father, not for what he’d done, but for what she’d always wanted him to be. It had taken her a while to figure out that she mourned the loss of an idea more than a person. That’s on him, though, she reminded herself. Her mother’s husband could’ve raised her like she was his true daughter, but instead he chose cruelty. And his awfulness affected too much of my life. I’m not going to let it infect the rest of it.
Paige adjusted the baseball cap she wore, catching Avery’s attention. Her friend looked tired, and she wished she could do something more than listen. “And we were all in wolf form. It’s not like we could have a detailed discussion. You know how hard it is to communicate when our beasts are in charge,” Paige said, frowning. “They don’t really care about the nuances.”
Avery nodded. “Maybe it was a compliment?” she asked as she forced herself yet again to stop thinking about her father, and Brian, and the bloody end of a situation that was never her fault. This was the first time in weeks that she and Paige had found time to just hang out, and her best friend deserved her full attention. “I mean, you told me that the wolves were gorgeous, and that they weren’t aggressive towards you. Perhaps they were merely being flirtatious?”
“Flirting?” Paige laughed. “I don’t know, but it definitely wasn’t a compliment. They used the word like a title.” She smiled wistfully. “They smelled really good. My wolf likes them.”
Interesting, Avery thought, eyeing her friend. Paige wasn’t the kind of woman to jump to conclusions about people, but this meeting had really jarred her. They’d only now been able to talk about Paige’s confrontation with the two strange wolves, girlfriend to girlfriend. Paige had described their appearance to Fletcher and Mitch, and recounted what they’d said, which hadn’t been much, but this particular juicy detail hadn’t come to light until now. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
Paige flushed. “I didn’t want my brother to know.”
Avery lifted an eyebrow. “You didn’t want him to know that the wolves smelled good?”
“It feels … intimate. You know?” Paige glanced behind Avery, then blushed. “I think I’m meant to find these two again.”
“You did say that you thought they might be your mates.” Avery hadn’t forgotten that. She hadn’t forgotten any detail from that awful day.
“Yeah.” Paige didn’t elaborate.
Avery understood. She knew how she’d felt when she’d first seen Fletcher and Mitch again, and calm hadn’t been the emotion foremost in her mind. She recalled her flying leap out of the window. She flushed with remembered embarrassment. “If they’re meant for you, you’ll find your way to each other,” she assured her friend.
“I don’t know,” Paige replied morosely.
Avery could feel the golden thread of her mating bond linking her to Mitch and Fletcher, and nodded slowly. “I’m sure of it.” Her wolf agreed, and she let some of her power bleed out into her eyes. She hoped Paige believed her.
Paige stared at her, and then let out a heavy sigh. “You think?” She chewed on her lower lip. “I really want to hope, but I’m afraid. And then I see you with my brother and Mitch, and I can’t help it, but I want that so bad.” She looked away. “I’m lonely, Avery.”
Oh, honey, Avery thought, but she didn’t say it out loud. She wanted her best friend to know the kind of love she had, too. “I know that you will find love, Paige. I know it.” Avery hugged her friend, then stepped back. “Go on. You said you were going for a run tonight, and it looks like you need it.”
“You sure you don’t want to come?” Paige asked, hand on the doorknob. “It’s so cool that you can shift now.” She grinned. “And you’re seriously badass. I love running with you. You’re the only female who can keep up with me.” She laughed. “Hell, you’re the only wolf who can keep up with me, except for Mitch and Fletcher.”
Avery looked up at the landing to find Fletcher and Mitch standing at the top of the steps, waiting for her. When did they get back to the house? she wondered, then smiled and turned back to Paige. “No. I have other plans for this evening.”
Paige looked up, too, and then she smirked. “Ha. I’ll just bet you do.” She waved to the men, and her brother scowled down at her. Paige wrinkled her nose at him.
Avery flushed. “Get out of here before you say something you regret.”
“Who? Me?” Paige chuckled, then shook her head. “Take care, girl. Make sure my brother takes care of you.” She gave Avery one last hug and went outside.
“Enjoy your run. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.” Avery closed and locked the door as Paige gave her a one-finger salute.
“You have plans for the evening?” Mitch asked, mischief in his blue eyes. “What could those plans possibly be?”
Avery rolled her eyes at him and headed for the stairs. “Like you don’t know.” Her core was already tingling as she took in his old, soft jeans and complete lack of any other clothing. She couldn’t wait to run her hands all over him. It didn’t take her long to reach the top of the stairs.
“What was my sister talking to you about?” Fletcher asked after he kissed her in greeting. “She looked unhappy. If anyone’s bothering her, you’d tell me, right?”
“Of course.” Avery looked over his dark slacks and button-down shirt. He looked just as hot in formal clothes as Mitch did in his raggedy jeans. He’d unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them up, baring his delectable forearms. Distracted, she ran her palms down to his wrists. His muscles flexed, and warmth spread through her body. He winked at her, and she forced herself to stop ogling him and answer his question. “She said the wolves she met called her a Witch, with a capital W.”
“Interesting.” Fletcher’s eyebrows rose. “That’s an old title.”
“Wait. It’s a real thing?” Avery stopped stroking his skin. “You’ve heard of it?”
He nodded, turning his hands over and capturing her fingers. He lifted them to his lips and kissed them. “I remember reading something about it a long time ago. Some female wolves had the ability to sense danger, and use their energy to fight, but only if they’re mated. It’s a very rare power.” He shrugged. “And they’re the ones who could cast the protection wards on our archives. The talent has been lost for ages.”
Interesting, but not as interesting as what I want to do to him. Avery gripped his wrists again. Warm skin greeted her fingertips, and she could feel his pulse beneath her thumbs. She wanted to touch more than just his arms. She wanted to press herself to his bare chest and feel his heart with her whole body. “Do you think your sister has that power?”
“I don’t know. It’d be great if she did, though. She could replace the ward on our archives cabinet,” he said.
Avery nodded. “Well, she’s not mated, so how would these strange wolves know that she could have that power? It’s not like there’s a sign hanging around her neck.” She grinned at the thought.
“I have no idea.” Fletcher shook his head. “There’s no way for us to know. I certainly don’t feel anything different about her. She smells like Paige, my little sister.”
“But you’re the Alpha. If anyone can sense that potential, it would be you. Can’t you feel your sister the way we can sense you?” She closed her eyes and concentrated again on the golden thread that connected her and Mitch to Fletcher. She loved the tangible reminder that she was part of a triad. I’m truly a part of Boulder Pack. For the first time in her life, she felt like she was a real shifter instead of a pretender. And these men are my mates. Something I never thought I’d have.
“Yes, I can feel the Pack, including my sister, but it’s not like what we have. It’s more of an amorphous sensation. The only two wolves I can sense directly are you and Mitch,” Fletcher said. “Otherwise, I’d go crazy. We’re a big Pack, and a lot of our members come and go.”
“I can sense only the two of you, and I’m grateful for that,” Mitch said, kissing her beneath her ear. “I wouldn’t want to have the entire Pack roaming around my head all the time.” He bit her gently, and her wolf whined with need.
Avery shivered. Suddenly, she didn’t want to talk about Paige anymore. She turned her head and met Mitch’s lips with her own. He groaned, and she smiled. “I’m tired,” she said coyly, not meaning a word of it.
“Tired?” Mitch asked, blue eyes twinkling. “Tired as in, you want to go to sleep? Or tired as in you want to go to bed?”
Avery chuckled. “Bed. Definitely bed.”
Unexpectedly, he swooped her up, striding down the hall to their suite before she could even squeak. “Mitch!” she gasped, as he pushed the doors open with his shoulders. “What are you doing?”
“Being expedient,” he said, tossing her on the bed. “Stay there.”
She sat up, but Fletcher was already there, pushing her down. “Stay down, babe. Let us make love to you.”
Avery swallowed at the heat in his voice. “What if I want to watch the two of you make love to each other?”
“Oh? Is that a thing you want?” Fletcher paused in the middle of opening the buttons of his shirt. “We can certainly do that.” He slanted a smile at his Beta. “Can’t we, Mitch?”
Mitch was already naked, cock standing out hard and delicious. “We can totally do that.” He grinned wolfishly.
“Oh, God.” Avery quickly pushed down her sweats, feeling like her skin was on fire. “I definitely want to watch.” Her hands went to her nipples, and she gasped at how sensitive they were already.
Fletcher dropped his shirt on the floor and went to work on his pants, but Mitch pushed his hands away. “We tried to make love so many times,” Mitch said, shoving Fletcher’s slacks down. He went to his knees and nosed around Fletcher’s erection. “We’d work ourselves into a frenzy, but we could never orgasm because you weren’t there with us. If we started something together, we couldn’t even finish off by ourselves. It’s like our wolves knew that they were waiting for you, Avery.”
Avery squirmed on the bed as a rush of moisture wet her pussy. She never in a million years thought she’d find watching two guys get it on would excite her so much, but right now she ached with lust. “I’m here now,” she pointed out breathlessly. She took off her top and reclined on the pillows, opening her legs so that they could see her arousal. “And I have no intention of going anywhere.” She lazily stroked around her labia, spreading her juices over her clit.
Fletcher moaned, hands going to Mitch’s hair as his Beta licked the head of his cock. “Fuck,” he breathed, eyes flashing golden. He stared at Avery, looking like a man on the brink of losing his mind. “You look delicious, Avery.” He bit his lip as Mitch sucked, hard.
No, he’s not losing his mind, Avery mused. He losing his self-control. She liked that. She idly circled her clit with her index finger, shuddering as the small bundle of nerves shot heat through her spine.
Mitch grinned at her, and then opened his mouth. Fletcher’s hips jerked, and Mitch relaxed his jaw, letting his lover’s cock slide past his lips.
Avery trembled. The look on Fletcher’s face as Mitch pleasured him drove her crazy. She remembered how good he tasted. She wanted to suck him, too. She gasped when Fletcher looked up and caught her watching. Need pushed through her, and it was all she could do to stay on the bed.
“Like what you see?” he asked, voice cracking when Mitch cupped his balls.
Avery nodded, gaze going from his mouth, to his cock, to Mitch’s lips. “Yeah.” She reached down and fingered her clit some more, then slipped two fingers inside her cunt. “I do.” Her beast whimpered. She wanted her mates here, not all the way at the end of the bed. And she was so fucking wet, she knew they wouldn’t have to do anything. They could just push right in and fuck her, hard.
Fletcher stared at her pussy, hands clenching into fists while Mitch sucked him off. “I’m not going to last,” he growled, flexing his abs. “God—” He broke off, eyes closing as Mitch licked in circles around the head of his shaft. “Mitch, please.”
Mitch backed off, smiling, then glanced at Avery. “Oh, that’s just gorgeous, love,” he murmured, standing. He climbed up the bed, then paused, face hovering an inch from Avery’s pussy. “That’s it, love. Touch yourself. I want to see you come.”
Avery swallowed. His eyes flashed blue fire, and then his fingers were pushing inside, alongside hers. Her hips bucked.
“Oh, you’re so wet for us.” Mitch crooked his fingers, hitting the spot inside that made her see stars.
“Please,” she begged, hoping he would know what she wanted. There was no way she could manage words right now. She just knew what she needed.
Mitch withdrew his fingers, but before she could protest, he flipped her over and pulled her hips up. She gasped, and before she could catch her breath, he slammed inside with not even a trace of gentleness left in him. “You can take it,” he told her roughly, a hint of his beast in his voice.
She nodded, face pushing into the pillows. Her skin prickled, and she wondered if she was going to shift. Her wolf was certainly close to the surface. “Yes. Oh God, please, Mitch. I need more.”
He fucked her hard and fast, and then without warning, he pulled out, and a thicker cock pushed in. Avery moaned, knowing that her mates were taking turns with her. Fletcher moved slow and gentle. Too gentle. “Fletcher,” she growled, trying to shove back on his erection.
He chuckled, and then someone grasped her hands and pulled them behind her back, immobilizing her. “Relax,” Mitch said. “Let Fletcher have you just the way he wants.”
As always, when her men restrained her, the wolf in her soul submitted happily. Avery felt her body relax, and then Fletcher was pulling out and shoving in, harder and harder. Faster and faster.
“Please,” she asked, not recognizing her voice.
“Please what?” Fletcher asked, voice so low it was almost a growl.
Avery couldn’t reply. In answer, she shook her head, tears leaking from her eyes. She needed to climax so bad.
Mitch lifted her head and shoulders up, changing the angle of Fletcher’s thrusts. Avery couldn’t support herself. When Mitch kissed her, she sighed into his mouth. He smiled, then knelt up and fisted his cock. He put it at her lips.
“Suck me, love,” he said, bumping at her lips.
Avery opened happily, sparks of lust flaring through her bones. His cock on her tongue felt heavy. Hot. He tasted like her. She licked, then sucked, relishing the sensation of being completely filled. When Fletcher eased a finger into her ass, she groaned.
Mitch slid his fingers into her hair, holding her head immobile. “Don’t move,” he whispered. “If you move, I’ll come, and we have plans for you first.”
Avery closed her eyes. She couldn’t move if she wanted to, and she didn’t want to. She wanted them to take care of her. Fletcher pumped inside her pussy faster, alternating his thrusts with his finger in her ass. Mitch slid into her mouth, bumping the back of her throat. In her soul, her wolf howled her satisfaction, and the bond among the three of them flared bright and hot, like liquid flames.
“Aw, fuck,” Fletcher said, shoving harder.
Avery felt his cock swell in her cunt, big enough that it pressed against her clit from the inside. She made a sound in her throat, and Mitch pulled out. Fletcher went still, panting harshly.
“Stay,” Mitch said.
Without his support, Avery’s shoulders fell to the bed. Her arms ached from being restrained, but she didn’t care. She just knew she needed … more. “Please,” she croaked, hips squirming.
Fletcher pulled out, and then she was being lifted over him. He rubbed her shoulders, easing the ache in her arms, and then he took her wrists in his hands. He held her tightly as she straddled him, and she sighed as his cock found her pussy. “Easy,” he murmured, easing inside, and then Mitch was behind her, pushing into her ass.
Avery moaned. She could barely hold herself up, but it didn’t matter, because her mates were there, taking care of her. Mitch pushed in slowly. Too slowly. “More,” she said thickly.
“We’ll give you more,” Fletcher said, eyes golden.
“You are so fucking beautiful,” Mitch said, kissing her shoulder gently.
Avery couldn’t reply to either of them. Her mates were inside her and her wolf was howling, and she thought she might lose her fucking mind altogether if they didn’t give her what she needed.
“Fuck me,” she demanded, leaning down and biting Fletcher’s bicep. He gasped, and bucked, and it was almost what she wanted, but not quite. She bit harder, loving the way his skin tasted, and then Mitch began to fuck her from behind and she moaned.
“Easy, baby,” Fletcher said as his cock swelled even larger—she could barely move, and he held her arms so tightly she thought she’d explode, and then suddenly, her orgasm crashed through her without anyone even touching her clit. She cried out, writhing desperately, and Mitch fucked harder. His erection jerked, and warmth spread through her as he gripped her hips. Fletcher thrust up, bumping something deep inside, and another climax tore through her as he growled and bit her. Sharp pain at her neck mingled with pleasure. Tears slid down her cheeks as Fletcher thrust hard, and orgasmed. Avery’s wolf howled as their bond crackled, and she knew there was nowhere else on Earth she would rather be. Her mates held her tight, and she wished they could stay like this forever.
A long time later, Avery drew a shuddering breath. Her mates had somehow managed not to smother her, and their warmth soothed her almost into sleep.
“Shh,” Fletcher said, smoothing a palm down her arm.
“We should wash up,” she mumbled, but the truth was, she had no desire to move even a single muscle. She sighed, smiling. Her body tingled nicely, and she felt more relaxed than she’d ever been in her entire life.
“We can wash tomorrow. A little mess won’t hurt us,” Mitch murmured.
Avery nodded slightly, allowing herself to settle even more bonelessly between them. “Okay.” She patted someone’s arm. She wasn’t sure which one of them she was resting on, but it didn’t matter who. “I love you.”
She felt rather than saw her mates smile. “Queen Wolf,” Mitch said, a hint of amusement in his voice. “So sweet.”
Sweet? Avery frowned—she was not sweet, she was fierce—and then someone kissed her temple.
“Shh. He’s just messing with you,” Fletcher murmured.
Avery rolled her eyes, but let the comment go.
“He’s not wrong, though,” Fletcher added.
Avery lifted her head and tried to glare. It wasn’t easy, given how completely satisfied she felt.
Fletcher’s golden eyes smiled at her. “You’re an extraordinary wolf, Avery.”
Aw. Avery smiled at him. How could she not smile when her mates were so obviously smitten with her? And I’m smitten with them. “Sleep now, more compliments later,” she said as a yawn sneaked up on her.
Fletcher grinned. “I love you, too.”
She wrinkled her nose at him but laid her head back down on Mitch’s shoulder. “I already told you I love you,” she mumbled.
“You can never say it too many times,” Mitch said, stroking her hair. “I love you, my love.”
Avery sighed. “I love you both.”
Fletcher’s chuckle rumbled in her ear. “And they all lived happily ever after.”
Avery laughed, and then yawned again. She felt too blissful to argue with them, but a girl had to draw the line somewhere. “Love you…” she tried to say, just to get the last word in, but later she couldn’t remember if she’d actually said the words out loud or just dreamed then. Not that it mattered. Love had a way of pushing to the surface, dreamland or not.
The End