Can I get a time check?” Amy called to no one in particular.

The twenty or so women bustling around were far too focused on their work to bother with such trivialities as the time of day. Other bosses might get irritated their employees weren’t catering to their every whim, but the fact these women were as dedicated to their mission as she was, filled her with joy. Phones needed to be answered, emails needed to be handled, forms filled out, documents filed, and so much more it made Amy’s head spin. Every day she came to work, she thanked each and every one of her employees for being there. Without them, none of this would have been possible.

Craning her neck back to check the wall clock behind her, Amy gasped. Shit! The morning had slipped away, as it so often did, and she was already behind schedule. Glancing back at the stack of medical forms scattered all over her desk, she decided to just do a few more things. She wasn’t that late. The sound of her phone ringing jolted her back to reality.

“Prenatal Care for All, Amy speaking,” she muttered absentmindedly as she scanned the form sitting on top of the pile.

“The twins are looking for you.” Nabila sounded mildly amused.

“Crap,” Amy said with a sigh. “Did you tell them where I was?”

“Me? Of course not. I’m no… what do you Americans call it? Snitch! I’m no snitch. I just wanted to warn you.” Down the hiss of the phone connection, Nabila’s son Idris started crying. “Oops, that’s my cue. Just hurry up, okay? You know they were right about you working today.”

Amy rolled her eyes. “I know, I know. Kiss the baby for me.”

Even when she called to nag, Nabila was the sweetest person Amy had ever met. In the months since the old harem had been converted to PCA’s headquarters, the two women had grown as close as sisters. Nabila truly was one of a kind, and Amy never wasted the chance to tell Zafar he was the luckiest man alive.

Even though he didn’t love her like Nabila did, he’d at least warmed to her since Idris was born. In turn, she’d grown to honestly admire him as well—and not just because his enormous donation would keep PCA funded for the next hundred years. She wouldn’t have even needed it in the long run because after word spread through Adikar of what she’d done for Nabila, donations flooded in. She’d been able to hire more doctors who staffed mini-clinics all over the world.

Taking a deep breath, Amy looked around the busy office space and an immense sense of gratitude brought tears to her eyes. She now headed up one of the fastest growing medical nonprofits in the world. She hardly practiced medicine lately, but her role leading the organization was just as fulfilling, if not more so. Before, she’d only been able to care for a patient, maybe two, at a time. Now she had the satisfaction of knowing hundreds of women and their babies—humans and shifters alike—were receiving care they might otherwise have never been able to afford. It wouldn’t take long for thousands more to be added to their roster of happy customers.

As much as he might deny it, Zafar was directly and indirectly responsible for what her life had become. After Amy had watched the king and queen cooing over their newborn baby, clarity had flooded her. Standing with her arms looped with Shon and Tahvo, watching a new family bond, she’d realized that love mattered more than anything else in the world.

At that moment, Amy had recognized she loved Tahvo and Shon—equally and with all her heart. But she also loved her patients and their children. It wasn’t the same type of love, but it was love nonetheless. The idea of living with one and not the other had shattered her. So as Zafar had waited for her to tell him what her heart most desired, there really was only one answer.

“Boss,” called Efeema from across the room, “we need you over here.”

“Take a number,” said Shon as he entered the old harem.

Her two handsome men bent low next to her chair, each one placing a soft kiss on either cheek. Even now, after so many months, she still blushed when they kissed her.

“Hi,” she said sheepishly.

“You know it’s time to go,” Tahvo said, perching on the corner of her desk and raising a scolding eyebrow at her.

“I know, I just need a few more minutes. Here, help me up.”

Each man grabbed a hand and hauled her to her very swollen feet. “Ugh, I feel like a whale,” she said, cradling her immense belly.

Shon dropped to his knees and kissed it. “Nonsense. You’re the most beautiful woman in the world.”

“In the universe,” Tahvo corrected. “And not just because you’re carrying our twins.”

She rolled her eyes as if she didn’t believe their lies, but deep down she loved them for boosting her confidence. As she waddled over to Efeema, Shon walked beside her, twisting his head around to take in all the activity.

“You know, I didn’t do a half-bad job remodeling this place,” he said.

Amy shot him a dubious glance. “You? I seem to recall about fifty workmen in here turning all the sleeping chambers and baths into office spaces and conference rooms. I do remember you wearing a hard hat one day, but you also had on a very nice Armani suit.”

He grinned down at her, completely unfazed. “Someone had to come up with the design and keep the men on schedule. You didn’t give us a lot of time to get the job done, but look how beautiful it is.”

She nudged him with her shoulder. “It really is fantastic. You did a great job, my love.”

Not to be outdone, Tahvo trotted up next to them. “Oh, I meant to tell you I’m almost done digitizing the ancient medical texts. I would have paid a few of the women from the harem to index it all for easy searching, but it appears you’ve hired every last one of them.”

“Not every last one,” Shon said wryly. He didn’t need to say her name for them all to know he was speaking of Dalia.

After Amy attended to Efeema’s question, the beautiful young woman turned to Shon and Tahvo with a meek smile.

“Pardon me, Your Highnesses, but I want to say thank you.”

The men looked at each other and then Tahvo asked, “For what?”

“For releasing me and all the other women from our harem duties. Once you did that, we were able to start our real lives. When Dr. Sullivan hired all of us, we finally had a purpose in life.” Efeema blanched and then quickly added, “Not that serving the royal family wasn’t an honor!”

Tahvo smiled and patted Efeema’s shoulder, much as an older brother might do. “Yes, I’m sure lying around doing nothing and waiting for one of us to show up so you could entertain us was so fulfilling.”

Efeema’s cheeks blazed, but she pressed on. “I’m sure you wouldn’t have heard, but Saman, one of our long-time guards, proposed to me yesterday. We’ll be married in the spring. I’ve never been happier, and I just wanted to thank you.”

The sound of Amy’s phone ringing interrupted them. “Oh, let me just grab that—”

As she moved toward her desk, Shon moved in front of her, blocking her path. “Babe, it’s time to go.”

She glanced past him to the ringing phone and then up at Tahvo, who nodded his agreement. Sighing heavily, she clasped both their hands and squared her shoulders.

“Let’s do this.”

Three grueling hours later, Amy stood on the palace’s grand balcony, looking down on a dark sea of adoring faces focused on her. She was dressed head-to-toe in the most beautiful and most uncomfortable get-up ever conceived by humans.

The rich red silk had been hand-embroidered with gold thread that made the gown stupidly heavy. Plus, since she was several months pregnant with twins, a lot of fabric had been required. A wide gold belt, studded with diamonds, pearls and rubies, had been snugged just under her full breasts, and the edge dug into her skin. A dozen or more strands of small pearls draped across the décolletage, with a stunning gold and ruby brooch drawing them together in the middle. An equally ornate tiara sat on her perfectly coiffed hair.

No fewer than four women had attended to her for the last few hours, carefully applying about a gallon and a half of makeup, a variety of lotions and perfumes, and enough hairspray to eat a hole in the ozone layer. She’d never been so made-up, or so breathtaking, in her life. The overall effect was miraculous, but also very fatiguing.

The only consideration the women had allowed were Amy’s shoes. They’d tried to cram her swollen feet into a pair of gold and ruby slippers, but they’d cut so deeply into her skin she’d refused to wear them. If there was one thing she’d learned in her time on this planet, it was that life’s too short to wear uncomfortable shoes. When she’d slipped her feet into her trusty—and ugly—pair of Crocs and the attendants had seen the gown covered them when she wasn’t walking, they’d shrugged and left the room.

Standing in the heat of the afternoon, with the blazing sun glinting off her audacious finery, Amy started feeling lightheaded. Reaching out, she gripped Shon’s elbow on one side and Tahvo’s on the other. Since the day they met, they’d always been there to support her, and she knew they would be from this day forward.

While it had only been a few months, their journey to this point had seemed long and fraught with uncertainty. Standing on the balcony, flanked by her boys and facing Zafar, Amy thanked her lucky stars she’d come to her senses before it was too late. She glanced over at Nabila, who stood in the shade holding Idris, and gave her friend a wink. Nabila winked back and grinned.

Zafar began speaking and didn’t stop for fifteen full minutes. The ceremony consisted of reciting ancient poems, reading from the holy scrolls, and relating the story of Queen Dya to the gathered crowd. At the appointed time, Shon stepped forward and sang a song about a female warrior who had taken two lovers and then conquered the world.

Then Zafar instructed Shon and Tahvo to place their rings on Amy’s finger. The rings they’d tried to give her after their first night together. Shon, being older, slipped his ring on first. It looked like a pretty little wave on her finger. Then Tahvo added his, a mirror opposite of Shon’s. It nested up perfectly against the first ring, two halves becoming one whole.

“And to bring some of Princess Amy’s culture to the ceremony,” Zafar said, a glint of humor in his eyes, “brothers, you may kiss your bride.”

Tahvo took Amy’s face in his hands and stared down at her for a moment, adoration pouring from him. Then his lips were on hers. It certainly wasn’t the most passionate kiss they’d ever shared, but it was the one she would remember forever. It held the promise of love and happiness for as long as they lived.

Almost before they’d broken apart, Shon swept her from Tahvo’s arms and dipped her as low as her bulging tummy would allow. His kiss was also respectful and appropriate to the setting, but it fanned the flames deep in her core. Then he stood her on her feet and pumped both fists in the air in celebration. The crowd roared their approval.

Zafar tried to finish the ceremony, but the crowd below wouldn’t be quieted. They’d waited for the moment when their princes finally married and the day had come. Laughing, he threw his hands up and then reached for Amy. He pulled her into a gentle, yet firm hug.

“Welcome to the family, sister,” he whispered, before releasing her and turning to escort Nabila and Idris from the balcony.

Amy had managed to go the entire ceremony without crying, but his words moved her more deeply than she thought possible. He’d gone from hating everything about her to thinking of her as a sister. Out of all the extravagant gifts they’d received to celebrate their unconventional marriage, that would be the one she would cherish forever.

Tears of joy streamed down Amy’s face as the three newlyweds turned to greet the people who’d traveled from all over Adikar to attend. Pure white doves soared into the crystal blue sky. Fireworks boomed in the distance. Confetti rained down on the people. It was a spectacle none of them would soon forget. Amy certainly wouldn’t.

Tahvo had to lean in close for her to hear him over the roaring of the crowd. “Ready?”

Together they left the people to enjoy the festivities Shon had organized for the day and made their way to their new bridal suite. Architects, engineers and dozens of workers had spent months turning Shon and Tahvo’s separate quarters into one massive suite the three of them could share comfortably. But the twins had never allowed Amy to see the space, insisting she couldn’t take even the slightest peek before they were wed.

Tahvo grabbed the handle of one of the massive double-doors, while Shon gripped the other. “Ta da!” they said in unison as they pushed the doors open to reveal… heaven. The twins’ quarters had been transformed into a world-class luxury apartment. At the center of the master bedroom suite stood a bed so wide, half the staff of PCA could have fit in it. Amy couldn’t wait to try it out.

Before she could ask for help de-goldifying herself, they boys were already doing it. Piece by piece, Shon removed the weighty jewelry and placed it all on a nearby table while Tahvo undid the million or so buttons holding her in the gown. Only when it shimmered down her body and pooled around her Crocs did Amy finally feel free.

Together they steadied her as she kicked off the ugly—but so comfy—shoes and then led her to the bed. The soft pillows supported her in all the right places as the twins tore off their own ceremonial tunics.

This was it. Their first night together as husbands and wife. As Shon stretched his body along one side of her and Tahvo on the other, Amy felt more complete than she ever had in her entire life. All too soon, when the babies arrived, she’d be complete in a different way, but for now, it was all she’d ever dreamed of.

This day, this moment, was the culmination of everything she’d ever experienced. The death of her parents, working three jobs to pay her way through college, struggling to keep her head above water in medical school, starting PCA. All of it had led her to this place, these men, this life.

As her husbands played her with practiced strokes, Amy relaxed into their love. They’d made love together innumerable times, but this would be special and she was determined to savor every second. Every stroke, every thrust, every luscious, stinging bite on her shoulders.

This was her life now. These men, the babies inside her, the people celebrating outside, the women her organization were helping all over the world. It wouldn’t always be easy or perfect. Life would get ugly from time to time, but it was her life. The life she’d never dreamed of but had always needed. Whatever perils lay ahead, they would face them head on and, most importantly, together. This was her life, and she couldn’t have been happier.

Amy had finally found home.

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Interested in more Howls Romances from Celia Kyle & Marina Maddix?

- She’s pregnant and he’s determined to have her under his roof and in his bed...no matter the cost!

- He will protect his mate from all threats. Even her own father!

Keep reading for an excerpt from Having Her Enemy’s Secret Shifter Baby…

Of all the random bars in all the random states, what were the odds two wolves would wind up dancing together in the same beachside bar?

Jane’s brain wanted her to turn and ask him, but her body wanted to continue moving in perfect time with his. So, she remained silent and let her body take the lead, reveling in the hard lines of his abs and a particularly tempting hardness against her ass. The more they danced, the more Jane was sure the man overwhelming her with his mere scent wasn’t human.

He gripped her hips tighter as a new song began, and her wolf purred with happiness. With him snug against her, Jane ached for him to explore her body, to turn her around and let her feel every massive inch of his body hidden beneath his tight jeans.

Yet his hands stayed in place as her heartbeat soared.

Seriously? This was insane. She didn’t even know what the dude looked like, but already her body howled for him to take her. She wanted him to run his work-calloused palms over her breasts and tease her right there on the dance floor. She felt more alive than ever—swaying with the music and allowing her body to move as she desired.

She rolled her hips, rubbing her ass against this man’s growing need. Heat raced through her, a desperate throb taking up residence at the juncture of her thighs. She repeated the tempting move and figured it’d only be minutes before he finally lost control and took her. All she had to do was get him there.

The song switched again and a deep, rumbling bassline echoed the low pulse of need between her thighs. Swiveling her hips in time with the music, Jane pushed her ass up against him a hint harder, delighting in his surprised gasp.

“You’re trying to tease me,” he growled in her ear. That deep rumble had the tips of her breasts tightening into hard pebbles.

“Is it working?” she whispered in return.

Gripping her harder, he spun her to face him and held her just as snugly as he before. She faced a broad wall of muscle covered by a loose linen shirt tucked neatly into a pair of snug jeans. It took every ounce of strength for Jane not to sink her fangs into his flesh and claim him. Hopefully he wouldn’t see how badly she drooled at the idea.

It felt like it took a year for her to crane her neck far enough to meet the stranger’s gaze. Then her heartbeat stuttered.

For a moment, all she could see were harsh lines, and then his feral beauty came into focus. His jaw was made of stone, and his light brown eyes held mesmerizing flecks of gold. She couldn’t tear her gaze away, even if she wanted to.

Without a word, his eyes flickered from brown to a glowing amber, confirming her suspicions. Whatever the odds, he was a werewolf, and somehow they’d found each other. When she flashed her own amber eyes, he growled in approval.

“Thought so,” he muttered, his eyes never wavering from hers—more amber than brown now. “Name?”

“Jane. You?”

“Reese.”

The rumble of his animalistic voice sent another thrill of pleasure straight to her core. She could probably come right there if he’d just keep talking.

His next words took her right to the edge. “Let’s go.”

It wasn’t a question and she didn’t mind his demanding tone one bit.

Thick, warm fingers wrapped around her hand and Jane followed along eagerly as he led her through the crowd. His restraint at not tearing everyone in their way to shreds was admirable and everything, but Jane’s wolf howled at her to get down to business already. She had a scratch that only Reese could reach. She wanted him more than anything or anyone else in her entire life.

Being so close to him, covered in his scent and body prepared to accept every inch of his cock…

Nothing had ever felt more right.

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