Chapter 11
Tuesday morning, Angel and her mates went to Brierley’s cabin so she could meet Axtyn. She’d no idea that minotaur shifters were even real, let alone that they were some kind of weird tri-shifter, able to take a partial shifted form as well as human and full bull form. It boggled her mind.
But even though he was quiet, she liked him. And clearly Brierley did, too. The two never stopped touching each other in one way or another, and the looks they shared were passionate and protective. Exactly how she felt about her mates.
In the kitchen, Brierley whispered, “Do you like him? I mean, I’m still mated to him so it doesn’t change anything if you do or not, but it also really does matter because I love you and I want you to like him.”
Angel smiled. “It’s okay, I like him. He’s so protective of you. I can’t imagine a better male for you.”
“He’s the last of his family. He keeps his shifted nature a secret because he knows his kind are rare.”
Angel watched Brierley as she pulled a box of donuts from the pantry. “What’s going to happen to you guys? Are you staying?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. We’re supposed to talk to Ally and the guys later today. If they offer him a job here, we’ll stay, but if not then we’ll leave and find a new place to call home. I’m sure you understand.”
Angel nodded. “I hope you get to stay.”
“Me too.”
She put her hand on Brierley’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “I’m sorry you were kidnapped because of me and my mates.”
“I got Axtyn, though. Sometimes the hell of a situation is worth the heaven you get when it’s over.”
“That’s a sweet way to look at it.”
“If you really want to thank me for taking that bullet, you can name your first baby after me.”
“What if it’s a boy?” Angel asked with a chuckle.
Brierley hummed. “How about Bri?”
“Are you guys naming babies already?” Brin asked as he joined them.
Angel smiled as Brin put his arms around her. “I think Brierley is a really sweet name for a little girl.”
“Me too, love.”
Brierley smiled. “Axtyn said that the boys would be minotaurs, but any girls we have would be owls. It’s pretty cool to be thinking about starting a nest with my mate.”
Angel glanced at Brin. “Our kids might be able to shift, right?”
He smiled. “It depends on whether they take after their beautiful mommy or not.”
“Or their handsome dads,” she said.
“Even if they don’t all shift, it won’t matter, though. We’re a clan and a family, and there’s only going to be love and acceptance in our home,” Brin said, punctuating the state with a little growl.
“Agreed,” she said, hugging him a little tighter.
Quill called from the family room, “We need to get going.”
“Right. Work calls,” Angel said.
“I’ll see you later.” Brierley walked them out of the kitchen and met with Axtyn in the family room, where he immediately pulled her into his embrace, the tight features of his face relaxing as if he was stressed just not being in the same room with her.
As they left the cabin and got in the truck, Angel said, “What do you think of him?”
Ian said, “I’d say that Brierley has got a really great protector on her hands. He seems like a decent guy. But it kind of doesn’t matter what we think, since they’re already mated.”
Angel laughed. “Brierley said the same thing to me. She wants us to like him, but she also kind of doesn’t care if we do.”
Brin said, “She’s happy, and I think that Axtyn is glad to not be fighting anymore. He said he worked for Wallace for years fighting, until he wasn’t able to control his shift any longer.”
“Why couldn’t he control his shift?” she asked.
“Because he needed to find his mate. Minotaur shifters get more dangerous as they age if they don’t have a mate to balance their emotional state. He said he felt one hundred percent whole now that he had Brierley.”
“Good. As long as she’s happy, I’m happy for her. I feel better knowing she’s got a mate, too. Someone to look out for her,” Angel said.
Quill parked in front of the main office and turned off the engine. “That’s what family is for. Ready to get to work?”
“Not remotely,” Angel admitted. “I really liked our time off together. I didn’t want it to end.”
Ian growled softly, his eyes flashing with heat. “Say the word and we’re right back in the den.”
Her whole body lit up, and Brin and Quill growled too. It was oh-so-tempting to take them up on the offer. Going back into the intimacy of the den and doing nothing but making love for hours seemed like a great idea, except she was pretty sure if they did that, she’d definitely melt from the inside out. She grasped the door handle and opened the door, taking in a deep breath of fresh air.
“Duty calls,” she said, hopping out. “But later, definitely.”
Ian joined her, pushing her against the truck gently and caging her with his arms. His muscles bunched and flexed as he leaned in to kiss her. “I’ll be thinking of you. Will you think of me?”
She sighed against his lips as he brushed them lightly over hers. “I’m always thinking of you.”
“Sexy thoughts?” he murmured.
“Oh yeah.”
“All right, lover boy,” Quill chided. “You’re going to horn her up and leave her needy all day? Uncool.”
“Just until lunch,” Ian said.
Angel kissed Ian, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. Everything inside her rioted at ending the kiss, but she pulled away and smiled. “This will be the best lunch ever.”
“As long as we get you for dessert,” he said.
They parted ways, Ian and Quill heading to the cabin that was being renovated. Brin took her hand and walked inside with her. Ally and Blake were behind the counter, stuffing envelopes.
“Welcome back from your mating,” Ally said.
“Thanks. I wish the time had never ended.”
Ally grinned. “I felt the same way.”
“Where would you like us to work today?” Brin asked.
Blake put a sealed envelope in a box on the counter and said, “We’re going to paint the office today, but first we need to remove the furniture. Everything’s being replaced, so we’ll haul everything to a local donation center.”
“I could use the desk,” Angel said. “As a workspace for my flower pressing.”
“Oh, good,” Blake said. “I hadn’t thought about you using it. It’s yours. We’ll drop it off before we take the other things to the center.”
“Thanks,” Angel said.
Blake said, “You can take my place stuffing envelopes. Come on, Brin. Let’s get to work.”
Brin kissed her cheek. “Have fun.”
“What are we stuffing?” Angel asked, joining Ally behind the counter.
“Flyers for the November gathering. We’re also doing email and newsletter campaigns. Mark is handling the social media stuff. We’re sending flyers to baros in other states, to encourage attendance. A lot of times, clans will keep coming to a gathering year after year, and never consider going to one in a different state, so we’re reaching out and seeing if we can draw in some new blood.”
“Have you ever thought of inviting other shifters to the gatherings?”
Ally shook her head. “It’s really supposed to be hyenas only. Your friend Whisper came with her wolf friend and brothers, but they didn’t really take part in any activities, not like the clans do.”
“I heard there aren’t a lot of hyena females.”
“That’s true. There are definitely more males than females.”
“Well, I’m glad that I met my mates, and they don’t have to go to gatherings anymore, trying to find their mate.”
“I’m sure they’re very thankful, too.”
The morning passed quickly. As promised, Ian, Quill, and Brin took her home for lunch, and they did everything but eat a meal. Her mates devoured her in the best way, which made her hate going back to work even more. That night, when they were all tangled up together, her mates bringing her down from the heavens, she rolled to her knees and sat on her heels, facing them.
“How would you guys feel if I went off birth control?”
She’d been on the pill for years. But even though they’d only been together for a little while, she loved them, and she was ready to start their family.
All three looked surprised, and then Quill let out a happy growl and pounced on her, knocking her gently back to the bed as she squeaked and then laughed.
“Yes, sweetheart, fucking yes we’re ready for you to be off the pill.”
Ian and Brin joined them, each taking one of her hands, and then all three taking turns kissing her.
She smiled at her mates. “A week ago, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever meet my mate. Now I have three, and I’m so ready for the next chapter of our lives to start.”
Brin smiled so sweetly at her that she thought she’d cry. “Love you, Angel. Love you so much.”
“I love you, too.”
* * *
After spending the night celebrating her decision to go off birth control, Angel woke up feeling even more content than she had after their mating. Her life was falling into place just like she’d always hoped it would. She had a job she loved, a beautiful cabin in the woods to call home, and three sexy hyenas who adored her. The only thing missing was a baby. She knew it could take a while for the birth control to leave her system and for her body to get back on track with ovulation, but she was happy to be able to toss the pills and not worry about taking them night after night.
Ian and Quill leaned over and kissed her good morning, and then got ready for work. She and Brin had gotten approval from Ally to go wildflower-picking that morning, so Angel could get them pressed and dried and ready to make into cards. After Brin and Blake had moved the old office desk into one of the spare bedrooms in the cabin, Angel finally had a work space for her crafts, and she was excited to get started.
She got up and showered while Brin fixed breakfast, then dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a fitted tank, pairing the outfit with hiking boots. The kitchen smelled of bacon and maple syrup, and when she walked in she found Brin staring intently at a waffle iron.
She slid her arms around him. “That smells great.”
He glanced down at her with a smile. “I found a recipe for waffles with bacon and maple syrup in the batter. Quill and Ian said they were great, but I added more bacon for you and me because I know you like it.”
She pressed her forehead against his shoulder and yawned. “I do. But I also like coffee, and on that thought, I better get some. We’ve got a hard morning of flower-finding ahead of us.”
He laughed as he lifted the lid of the iron and peeked inside. “If you’d told me a month ago that I’d be thoroughly happy to go flower-picking, I’d have said you were crazy. But this morning, I woke up thinking how much fun it would be to be with you, doing something that you enjoy.”
She waited for the coffee to finish and then tossed the empty pod into the trash. “I used to work as a receptionist at a veterinary clinic, and sometimes it would be crazy with people running in with sick pets and the phone ringing off the hook. Here, it’s busy but not crazy, and I love it. I wouldn’t have thought I could be happy cleaning cabins and making cards with flowers either, but I really am. And it’s even better because I can be with you.”
He opened the iron entirely and she saw four perfectly golden waffles. He fished them out with a fork and put two on each plate. She filled glasses with apple juice and sat across from him, taking a moment to inhale the sweet scent rising from the waffle. She cut off a corner and decided she needed just a little extra maple syrup. Once she’d drizzled some on top, she took another bite and groaned happily.
“Amazing, Brin. I think you could make these during the gathering,” she said. Buffet-style meals were served during the gathering, and Angel had anticipated helping Ally and her husbands cook for the crowd.
“I’ll make a batch to take over to them.”
“After flowers,” she said.
He grinned. “You bet.”
When breakfast was over and the dishes were done, her phone buzzed. It was Bliss.
“Hey, B,” she said.
“What’s the deal with you and Whisper? She called me all upset.”
“I don’t know why she’s upset, I’m the one who got ripped a new one because of my mates.”
“Their dad was a psycho.”
She bristled. “My mates are not their father, and I don’t appreciate what you’re saying about them.”
“Hey, that kind of crazy can be hereditary. How do you know what they’re really up to? What if they’re just using you to get close to her so they can take over where their dad left off?”
Angel was so shocked she couldn’t speak. She was simultaneously pissed and utterly destroyed by Bliss’s words. When she opened her mouth, all that came out was a pathetic squeak. Swallowing hard and brushing the tears from her cheeks, she finally found her voice. “They’re my mates, they’re not using me for anything, and they’re nothing like their father. How dare you even suggest that my mating happened under false pretenses!”
“Hey, hold on,” Bliss said. “I didn’t mean…”
“What? Didn’t mean to insult the three most important guys in the world to me? You just crossed a line, Bliss, and I won’t forget it.”
Ending the call, Angel dropped the phone and it clattered to the table. Brin put his arms around her as he slid into the seat next to hers. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured.
“Hold me tighter, Brin,” she said thickly. “Tighter.”
He squeezed her close, and she buried her face in his neck and cried. Best friends were supposed to be supportive of each other. Bliss had just taken Whisper’s side, and now Angel felt like she’d lost two friends in one fell swoop.
“Do you want me to get Ian and Quill?”
“No,” she said when she could finally talk. As bad as her conversations with Whisper had been, Bliss’s words had been worse.
He kissed the top of her head. “I overheard what she said. You know that my brothers and I adore you for you, because you’re our mate.”
“I know,” she said, rubbing at her wet cheeks. She reached for a napkin from the dispenser on the table and blew her nose. Giving him a watery smile, she said, “You didn’t know that I was her friend. I know there’s nothing between us but honesty.”
He hummed in his throat and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”
“I’m not feeling super strong right now.”
“But you are. And I’m humbled and honored to be your mate.”
“I’m glad you’re mine, Brin, and I’m yours.”
After composing herself, she said, “Let’s go to work. I feel like sitting around here is going to just make me focus on the bad stuff, and I don’t want to do that.”
“You got it, love.”
They picked up a basket and two pairs of scissors, chose a trail, and headed into the woods. As they walked side by side, she told him the types of flowers to look for – colorful ones that would dry well, and some white flowers that could be dyed or left white as accents.
By the time they reached the edge of the river, the basket was full and she’d put aside the thought of how badly she’d been hurt by Bliss’s call. She didn’t want to dwell on it, especially when she was with her mate. There would be time to deal with things later. As she stared across the river, she realized they were in the place where she’d met them for the first time. The camper no longer sat in the woods across the river; Quill had moved it to a storage barn in the campground, and promised to take her camping sometime if she wanted. She liked the idea of getting in the camper and going somewhere, and thought she’d like to give it a try sometime. The closest she’d ever come to camping was when she was a kid and her mom had set up a tent in the backyard and let her and a friend sleep outside. They’d stayed up all night telling scary stories to each other, giggling nervously at every sound, and she’d decided she never cared to go camping again. But with her mates, she knew there wouldn’t be any scary stories in the camper, just lots of love.
She set the basket down and glanced around. Brin was squatted at the river’s edge, skipping stones across the surface. He was so sexy. His t-shirt fit his body perfectly, the material tight against his muscles. He was lean and muscular, and knew just how to touch her to drive her wild.
He stood suddenly with a low growl, and she recognized it as the one that meant he was turned on. His eyes flashed to the amber of his beast, and she inhaled sharply. He’d smelled her and realized she was aroused. She loved how she didn’t even have to say anything to let him know that she wanted him. It was like having sexual ESP. Think sexy thoughts, and her mates would answer physically.
He moved to her, planting one hand on her back and drawing her against his erection. Cupping her face, he nipped her bottom lip. Brin was always so sweet with her, but this time, she saw something a little extra in his gaze: need. A fire swept through her, heating her blood and making her crave Brin’s touch.
He turned her around roughly and grasped her hands, laying them against the smooth bark of the tree in front of her. With a tug, he pulled her hips backward and she lowered her upper body until she was bent over, looking at the ground between her arms.
“Sexy little female. You smell like you’re thinking about fucking me.”
Angel swallowed audibly as arousal pulsed through her. “Yes,” she murmured.
He placed his hand over one of hers as he bent over, his other hand moving to the front of her shorts. “Or you’re thinking about me fucking you.”
The button of her shorts came undone, followed by the zipper. She whispered his name. He tugged the shorts roughly down her hips, and then curled his hand over her pussy, cupping it through the thin lace of her panties. She could feel how wet she was already. She didn’t understand how she could go from normal to horny in two seconds, but she had. Her body was primed even though he’d hardly touched her.
“Wet, love? Hot and needy, but just for me?”
She lifted her head and let out a moan as he rubbed his palm against her clit and pressed his fingers against her pussy.
He bit her earlobe and then licked the mark. “I never take you hard, do I?”
“No.”
“Always make you come on my tongue first, and then we fuck slow and long. Do you like that?”
“I love it.”
“Love me.”
“Yes.”
“Want me to fuck you slow and easy?”
“No.”
“How? Tell me how my sweetheart wants to be taken.”
Her heart was pounding and her arousal went even higher, like something alive and pulsing inside her. Wanting more. Wanting everything.
“Hard, Brin.” She looked at him, their gazes meeting as he continued to apply light pressure to her clit with the heel of his palm. “I want you to take me hard.”
“I will. When I’m ready.” He gave her wrist a little squeeze. “Keep your hands there.”
She nodded and dropped her head back down, watching as he gripped her panties and pulled them down to join her shorts around her ankles. Then he slid his hands up the outside of her legs, curled around her waist, and pushed her shirt up. Catching her bra, he lifted it over her breasts, until she was nearly naked in front of him. She felt exposed, but still fully protected by her mate. They were playing right now, and she loved every second of it.
He palmed her breasts, rubbing and tugging on her nipples, and then pressed a kiss to the center of her back. She heard his zipper lower and the rustle of the jeans as he pushed them down his legs. She could see the fat head of his cock as he brought it between her legs and leisurely tapped the length against her pussy. He growled, sliding back and forth lightly.
“You’re so fucking wet.”
He pushed the head into her and stopped, and she wiggled her hips, wanting him to take her.
He chuckled and grasped her hips. “In a hurry to be fucked?”
She grinned. “Always.”
She bit her bottom lip as he pushed into her, slamming his full length into her pussy. He slid in fast, and she threw her head back with a gasp at the fullness. He curled his fingers into her flesh and began to fuck her with deep powerful strokes that lifted her onto her toes and made her push firmly against the tree. Letting go with one hand, he pushed on her shoulders, and she slowly walked her fingers down the tree. The angle of his entry into her pussy changed until he was rubbing her inner walls just right. It made her breath catch in her throat.
“Fuck, Brin!”
He pounded into her, his hands holding her hips so tightly she knew she’d have bruises, but she didn’t care. Her sweetest mate was possessing her body, using her to drive them both to the height of pleasure.
He moved faster, pistoning his hips so fast as he rubbed against that sensitive place again and again. Angel’s stomach clenched, and her pussy tightened. Heat stole over her. Her toes curled in her boots just seconds before she fell apart, the pleasure pouring over her as she was swept away into bliss. She cried out, writhing in his hold; vaguely, she heard him roar as he came, his cock thickening inside her as hot ropes of his come bathed her insides.
Her knees weakened, and in a heartbeat she was in his lap as he sat down, curled protectively in his arms and away from the ground. He smoothed the hair from her face and smiled tenderly as he kissed her. Her body still hummed as little waves of pleasure continued to roll through her. His come wet her thighs, and the sweet scent of them together teased her nose.
“I wasn’t too rough, love?” he murmured.
“Never. It was perfect.”
He rubbed his thumb on her bottom lip. “You’re perfect.”
“I think you’re biased.”
“Maybe,” he said with a grin. “But I’m also honest. And this was the hottest thing ever. My little sexy sweetheart just begging for cock.”
“Sexier than when we all mated together?” Angel shivered, thinking about all three of their cocks in her at the same time.
“That was so good, too, love, but this was just you and me, and I’ve never come so hard in my life.”
“It was amazing. Because you’re amazing.”
They kissed, holding each other until she felt like her bones had solidified again after melting from the intense climax. Then they righted their clothes and he picked up the basket of flowers.
“I think my brothers are going to want to take you flower-picking, too.”
She giggled. “I think so, too.”
He took her hand, and they walked back along the trail toward the cabin. Although it was tempting to just stay in the woods, she needed to get the flowers home so she could press them.
“I love this spot,” she said, looking over her shoulder. “It’s where I met you guys.”
“I love it too, and I especially love you. You’re more than I ever hoped to find in a mate. Beautiful, creative, and so sexy. I do have a request, though.”
“Oh?”
“Next time we go flower-picking, how about you wear a skirt and no panties?”
She laughed. “You got it.”