A Melody in Paradise

Can Melody convince her best friend’s uncles that she is enough woman for the both of them? When Melody Madison, new first violin, first chair of the New Haven Philharmonic gets strange threatening letters from a deranged fan, she has nowhere to turn. With her family gone, she has only her best friend, Carmen and Carmen’s uncles to turn to. Can the men help her in her time of need and will she be able to keep her hands to herself so they can protect her? When Mitch and Wyatt Baldwin meet their niece’s college roommate for the first time, they are shocked to realize that she is their much-anticipated mate. After years of waiting and searching, they find it difficult to believe she has been so close, but yet so far for the last several years. When they find she is being stalked by a fanatical admirer, they take her security into their hands. After all, it is their right and their privilege to protect what is theirs.

The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. A Melody in Paradise Copyright © 2012 Tianna Xander ISBN: 978-1-77111-103-4 Cover art by Martine Jardin All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Published by eXtasy Books Look for us online at: www.eXtasybooks.com

A Melody in Paradise By Tianna Xander

To musicians everywhere: May you light up the world with your music.

Chapter One

M

elody Madison stood behind her chair and closed her eyes. She could feel the music that hundreds of musicians played on this stage. She swayed back and forth as she heard Beethoven’s 9th symphony played a hundred different ways, by a thousand different people. Opening her eyes, she looked out over the seating and wondered how well someone could see her seat from the upper balconies—from anywhere really. The scent of the antique wood, wax and rosin in the concert hall seemed to permeate everything. The glossy wood music stands looked as old as the building, possibly older. She looked out over the empty seats and wondered if the maroon velvet was as soft as it looked. When the new owners remodeled the place, they obviously spared no expense, as well as kept the ambiance of an old-time concert hall. Gilt trimmed upper balconies sported heavy-looking, deep burgundy velvet curtains and plush sofas and chairs. Gold tasseled lamps stood in every corner and the brass handrails shone bright in the glow of the overhead lights. She sighed as she turned and stared down at the coveted seat before her. She’d worked long and hard over the years to get this seat. She sat down and looked out over where the audience would sit listening to the symphony play that very night and wondered if he would be there. She didn’t really know who he was, other than he seemed 1

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obsessed with her for some reason. She fisted her hands on her knees and thinned her lips. It didn’t matter that someone had sent her a threatening letter, Melody had worked too hard to get where she was to back down now. A noise startled her and she looked up. “Oh, hi, Andrew.” She breathed a relieved sigh. “You scared me.” Andrew set his cello down and called across the chairs that separated them,” I didn’t mean to scare you.” He made a face, his blond good looks twisting into a frown. “Though I should have known you’d be jumpy. You’ve been on edge for the last several weeks.” “You would be too if someone wrote you strange letters that made it sound as though they would rather see you dead than in first chair.” He gave her a lopsided grin that she should have found it easy to fall in love with. “I don’t think there’s any chance of that happening as long as Michael is still with the symphony.” Probably not. Michael Harmon was the most brilliant cellist she had ever heard. She’d often heard the same said about herself and her violin, but she tried not to let it go to her head. Michael, on the other hand, let it fill his fat head with dreams of grandeur. The man was certain he would play Carnegie. Somehow, Melody didn’t see it happening. He looked at the cello first chair and shrugged. “It’s not like I want it anyway. So how’s the chair?” “Huh?” Andrew laughed. “You are the only person I can think of who wouldn’t know what I meant.” He waved his arm, indicating the first violin first chair position in which she sat. “How’s the chair?” “Oh!” She grinned, her face heating. “It’s just a chair. It’s the position that I like.” She should. It had taken her ten years of hard work to get here. Her orchestra teachers all 2

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called her a child prodigy. She wasn’t anything of the sort. She had to work very hard to get where she was. A prodigy was just good, no matter what. Melody had known when she was a child that this was what she wanted to do. She wanted to play the violin. The first moment when she heard her first Mozart string concerto when she was younger, she knew music was her life. Inheriting her grandfather’s Stradivarius was just the icing on an already large cake. Standing, Melody spun in a circle and inhaled the wonderful scent of the stage and its surrounding equipment. “Can’t you just hear us playing Ode to Joy or Requiem with the audience listening rapt?” She looked down at her violin still in its case and sighed. “You know I shouldn’t even have that.” Bending, she reached for her violin and picked it up, cradling it to her chest. “It should be in a museum. If I had any sense, I would have donated it long ago, but…” It was a part of her, something that would always remind her of her grandfather. She would sit and listen to him play for hours. He, too, had been a concert violinist, though he’d given up his dream of playing in a symphony to raise a family. Don’t look back, Melly. Grab onto your dream and hold it tight. Don’t let anyone change your course but you. Her grandfather’s words echoed in her mind as she caressed the smooth wood of her violin. Other musicians had instruments that were old, sometimes hundreds of years old and they were still in service, but none of them had a real Stradivarius. At best, they were well-made German, sometimes even Italian instruments that had lasted throughout the years. Time and use gave each violin a tone, a sound of its own. Hers was so old, so well used, that it had a tone so deep and rich it was difficult to tune. But when it was in tune it sounded heavenly. Her fingers followed the curve of the 3

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scroll as she contemplated giving her precious violin to a museum, then shook her head. Perhaps when she died, but she would never part with it so long as she could still play. Carefully, she set the instrument on her chair and picked up her case. She couldn’t leave it where it sat. Someone in the balconies could see it. Generally, the musicians carried their instruments to their seats without their cases, but not Melody. The Stradivarius was too rare to chance falling with it not in its case. Occasionally, she would leave the stage with it, if she was in a hurry to leave, but she tried not to carry it far without the security of its case. Even inside the protection of its case, it could get damaged, but it was less likely. The others arrived while she set her case down, a few of them smirking at her anal habits. Melody sighed. She didn’t care. None of them had an instrument worth half of what her violin was worth. If their instruments were so rare, they would take extra precautions as well. She was sure of it. The curtains closed, signaling the entry of the audience in a few minutes and Melody hurried back to her seat. She didn’t want anyone deciding to try out her chair and sit on her precious violin. That was why she always arrived early. She didn’t want any mistakes. She couldn’t afford any mistakes. Her instrument was a part of her. It had been a part of her since only two years after she began to play. Melody had been eleven years old then. She would rather have had her grandfather alive to continue to teach her what he knew. Instead, she had music teacher after music teacher until she had outgrown each of their areas of expertise and, at her request, her parents shipped her off to Juilliard. “Are you ready to be the center of attention tonight?” Carmen Satriano moved to sit next to her with a grin. “Better you than me, I say.” She leaned over. “First chair is too much pressure.” She patted the side of her seat with her free hand. 4

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“Second chair is just fine with me.” “You know,” Melody began, then licked her lips, “my grandfather always used to tell me that it doesn’t matter where you sit as long as you play with your heart. As long as you play each piece knowing that you have played your best and put everything you have into it. It’s the best you can do.” That was all Melody ever really wanted. She wanted the world to know she’d done her best, played her best. The only way she felt she could do that was from first chair. Somehow, anything less than that seemed…unsatisfactory. “You do know that I didn’t want first chair because of some strange convoluted sense that I would be famous, don’t you?” Carmen patted her hand. “I know that, honey. I’m just not sure the rest of the world knows it.” She leaned closer. “I think I’m the only one here that knows the real you.” Her friend was probably right. They had met their first year in Juilliard and become fast friends. Carmen always spoke of how she was lucky to have gotten the scholarship and how her adopted uncles sent her off after her parents’ deaths. The other woman stilled for a moment. She closed her eyes and smiled. “My uncles are here.” “You’d better stop that before someone hears you and thinks you’re even stranger than they already do.” She didn’t know how Carmen did it, but she had a sixth sense about certain things and her uncles were at the top of a very long list. “Pffft! Who cares?” she said with a shrug. “Any one of them would die to get a good look at my uncles.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “You know they’re both Special Ops trained and have bodies to die for. If they weren’t my uncles…” she left off with a sigh. 5

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“They aren’t really your uncles. You’re adopted. Heck, Carmen, they’re just friends and aren’t even related to each other. What would be wrong with it?” “Yech!” Carmen shuddered. “Wash your mouth out with soap! It doesn’t matter that we aren’t really related. We still feel related here.” She slapped her hand to her chest. “I may be able to appreciate their good looks, but I could never sleep with either of them. It’s disgusting.” Melody had seen photos of Carmen’s uncles. She could sleep with either one of them no problem. In fact, the two men in Carmen’s life had been two unknowing subjects of her innermost fantasies for the last several years. She put a hand to her middle when her stomach did that weird little flip when she thought of the two men. She had never seen Carmen’s uncles in person, but thinking of them never failed to make her go weak in the knees or her womb clench with need. Hell, she wondered what Carmen would think if she found out that Melody hadn’t just been admiring her uncles’ pictures all these years, but lusting after them both. “Here comes mister full-of-himself.” Melody turned to see the conductor moving toward the podium, a stern look on his face. She sighed. After a month of practicing with this man harping at them about what he expected from them all, she didn’t expect anything less than his usual arrogant ways. “I am here, so now you will listen to me,” Carmen did her best to imitate Johannes Nacht’s German accent. Johannes moved to the podium. True to form, he looked impeccable in his black tux complete with tails. He tapped his baton on the edge of the stand to attract their attention, not that any eye was on anything else. Johannes would have had a tantrum. The man was a brilliant conductor, but he needed lessons in humility. 6

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“Attention! Attention!” He managed to yell at them without raising his voice enough for the audience to hear. “Now that’s talent,” Carmen whispered. “How does one manage to yell and whisper at the same time?” “Shh…” “I know what you all must think of me and that is irrelevant.” Waving his hand in a dismissive gesture, Johannes raised his right brow and looked over their seats. “This is the first night of many for which we have rehearsed. This is the night that you will shine because of all of our hard work.” He paused as he appeared to soften a bit. “Like the rest of you I am here for the music. We are not the stars here.” He shook his head and waggled his finger at them. “The composer of each piece is the star. We are here because of them. Do not ever forget that.” He raised his arms as the curtain began to open. He smiled at them all. “Now make me proud to call myself your friend.” Melody and Carmen had only a few seconds to look at each other with wide eyes before Johannes widened his arms and raised them higher to indicate they lift their instruments into position. After that, Melody had little room for thought past the music for a long, long while.

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Chapter Two

“D

o you see her?” Mitch fought the urge to stand up and look out over the crowd in front of them. He wanted to see his niece. They had paid good money to send her to Juilliard and he wanted to see her on the stage. All that hooey they told her about her winning a scholarship was just that. They had worked hard to get the money to send her to such a prestigious school. It wasn’t until her third year there that they had finally done something right and made their first million. The money seemed to just roll in after that. “I told you we should have gotten better seats.” Hell, it wasn’t as though they couldn’t afford better seats. Mitch scowled down at his companion. “I want to see her. It’s been almost a year.” So far all he could see was the woman in front and between himself and Wyatt who wore the largest, most hideous hat he’d ever seen in his life. He rested his elbow on the padded armrest and rubbed the spot between his eyes. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you had more tender feelings for Carmen than an uncle should have.” Wyatt grinned at him. “Shh…” a woman complained behind them. “I paid for tickets to hear the orchestra, not to hear you two flapping your lips.” Mitch fought the urge to look back and growl at the 8

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woman. He wanted to express his anger, not scare the woman into wetting her pants. Like all shifter males, he could make his eyes glow in low light and his growl would be that of a male tiger. Somehow, he didn’t think that would go over well in the auditorium. Instead, he listened to the music and tried to pick out the sound of the violins. He liked classical music, he really did, he just liked being able to see a particular player and pick out the sound of their instrument. Tonight, he wanted that player to be his niece. He and Wyatt loved Carmen as though she were their daughter. Her parents, killed during the time of the uprising in Paradise, left her in their care. To keep US officials from trying to put her into the system when she attended her first live-in music school at the tender age of twelve, they decided to adopt her in Mason where they knew the longtime sheriff and the county judge. The two human men knew that Mitchell and Wyatt only had her best interests at heart and finalized the adoption, for Carmen’s safety and wellbeing while out in the world. Many schools of music, like Juilliard, were after all very competitive schools and she would need her uncles close by to lean on. With that in mind, they even went so far as to move to New York so they would be close by in case she needed them. It was a waste of their time. She’d loved the university and all of the friends she made there. It wasn’t long after she turned sixteen that she’d come home from Juilliard talking of a girl named Melody. They’d become fast friends and Mitchell couldn’t have been happier for her. Except…she came home carrying the strangest scent. It wasn’t her. He knew that, but he couldn’t place what it was about the scent that made him take notice, other than it made him want to have that scent near him always. 9

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As though obsessed with the smell, he had even gone through her things to find what kind of perfume she wore that could produce such a reaction in him. It wasn’t her perfume. After a week or so, the scent faded from their home and he was able to think of more important things again. Still, the memory remained and every time he saw her, he could smell it on her, this sweet elusive scent that did something strange to his insides. At first he thought it was only him, but Wyatt finally admitted to smelling it as well after her last visit. What was it that grabbed their attention so fully every time she came home? She wasn’t their mate. They knew that beyond a doubt. Had she been their mate, they would have experienced el calor by now. No, this was something different. He listened to the orchestra play, still trying to pick out the sound of Carmen’s instrument in vain. He knew she was first violin, second chair, but he also knew the sound he’d zeroed in on wasn’t the first violin part. This was a violin soloist playing a melody, something different from the rest. It was haunting, beautiful. Just as beautiful as the woman he saw playing it. She appeared the same age as Carmen which would make her approximately twenty-two or twenty-three. Her long hair fell down the long curve of her back in an auburn cascade. The gold highlights shone in the lights that beat down on the stage. Her black dress did nothing to hide the fact that she had a body any shifter male would be proud to sink his cock into. Curvy in all the right places, she was no frail wraith like most of the women these days. She had meat on her bones and that drew the tiger in him like nothing else could have done. Her music was that which he’d honed in on when the song started. He looked at her as she played, an expression 10

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of complete concentration mixed with something he could only describe as love on her beautiful face. This woman was first violin first chair and the woman he and Wyatt had been hearing about for the last several years. In fact, Carmen had tried to set them up with her a few times. She was certain her uncles needed a wife and she wanted her best friend to be it. Nothing would make her happier than making Melody Madison a part of their strange little family. Mitch shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable. Just looking at the woman made his cock hard. Hell, he hadn’t gotten hard just looking at a woman in fifty or more years. What was it about this human woman that made him want her more than he had wanted any woman for years? Do you see the woman on the edge of the stage, Wyatt? The violinist in front, closest to the conductor? What about her? Wyatt asked through the mind link they had had for as long as they could remember. Neither of them could remember if they’d had it before their first blood exchange or not. All they knew was that they had exchanged blood regularly to help each other out of binds when they were younger. Calling for help while outside of Paradise wasn’t an option when they were younger. The old council would have no one leaving the town without permission. Doing just that was something the two of them had done as often as possible when they were children. They knew they were shifters like those in Paradise, but unlike those in the town, they were tiger shifters, not cougars and jaguars like most of the rest. From what they had learned from their adopted parents, they had been found weeks apart in different parts of the country. Blood tests confirmed they weren’t related, though they were both found near the body of a dead female tiger. 11

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Presumed dead, no one knew where their fathers were. Sometimes he wondered if the council kept such a tight rein on them as children because they feared what they would become. After all, they were tigers. If they desired, they could take out any male shifter in Paradise with their size alone. She’s beautiful. I believe she’s that Melody Carmen has been yammering on about for the last few years. He felt Wyatt stretch upward in his seat to look over the woman with the big hat sitting in front of him. They should require these old women to take their huge hats off or sit in the back, he groused before he nodded. I see her. You’re right. She is a looker. Mitch turned to look at his friend who suddenly wore a strange expression. She brings out something in you, doesn’t she? Wyatt nodded. I shouldn’t feel this way for Carmen’s best friend, Mitch. Hell, haven’t we been telling Carmen that we wouldn’t touch her little friend? What they felt was right and what their bodies demanded could be two totally different things. If what he suspected was true, Carmen’s little friend just may be their mate. What if the scent he’d been picking up on Carmen all of these years had been their mate growing into adulthood, her body preparing itself to breed? He pressed his hands into his lap, trying to control the raging hard-on he sported. Mitch sighed as he settled himself in to watch the rest of the concert. Whatever it was that he felt for the woman sitting next to their niece, it wasn’t something he could control and that worried him. The last thing this town needed was a tiger running about town growling at every male who looked at the woman.

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Chapter Three

A

s usual, Melody lost herself in the music she played. The music flowed around her, through her like some ethereal thing. Nothing felt more right than when she sat in front of an audience, her instrument in her hand, her fingers flying over the strings as she played whatever piece she worked on at the moment. This was as close to heaven as she had ever been. She smiled as she began another solo of the melody. This was better than chocolate. Heck, she’d bet it was even better than sex! Nothing made Melody feel the way she did when she knew she played a piece just right, that the notes coming from her instrument blended perfectly with those around her. The music flowed through her like energy, lifting her up, giving her purpose. Now that she was alone, now that everyone she’d ever cared about had gone with the exception of Carmen, this was her only comfort, her only home. Music wasn’t just a thing to her, it was a part of her…it was her. Melody continued to play the last piece, her Stradivarius seeming weightless as she moved the bow in perfect unison with her fingers. Tears rolled down her face as the beauty of the song continued to flow around her. Sometimes as she played, Melody wondered what the composers thought, what they felt as they wrote their 13

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sonatas and concertos, their long symphonies. How did they do it? Were they ill or melancholy or did they just know how to tap into those emotions in others without affecting themselves? Slowly, the last song drew to a close and she slowed her bow to a stop. The conductor lowered his arms and the musicians lowered their instruments into a resting position. Melody looked at her bow, several of the horse hairs had snapped and hung loose. Her fingers practically itched to pull them off, to have her bow looking as pristine as it had when they started. She hated the thought that she could have abused it enough to break the coarse hairs. The thin piece of arched wood seemed so frail, too frail to put it through what she had just done to it. Still, it was in one piece, the frog tight and the hairs hanging on even though some of them had given in to the stress of her aggressive playing. If she lost many more hairs off her bow, she would have to have it restrung. With luck, it would last at least until the end of her contract with the Philharmonic. She hated changing bows mid-cycle and that is exactly what she would have to do if she had to have this one restrung. Her other bow was a fine bow and usually she didn’t mind using it, but this was the bow that she’d used when she made first chair and somehow, some strange superstitious thing told her that if she lost this bow, she would lose her position. Carmen elbowed her and smiled when Melody looked at her. “You’re supposed to stand up and bow now,” she said through her teeth. I think they expect it of you since they’re giving you a standing ovation and all.” With wide eyes, Melody turned to the audience and suddenly heard the applause that she had somehow missed before. Resting her violin horizontally against her side, she stood and bowed, unable to keep the smile from her face. 14

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Somewhere, somehow, she knew her grandfather was proud. She was living his dream, their dream, and it felt wonderful. Melody straightened and bowed again. When she looked up the second time, everything in the world froze. It was as though the entire world had come to a standstill as she saw the two men who towered over the rest of the audience. Carmen’s uncles were just as handsome in real life as they were in the photos she’d seen, perhaps more handsome in their black tuxes, their hair slicked back and their faces devoid of hair. Though, now that she thought about it, she did like them a bit scruffy more than clean shaven, though they were gorgeous either way. She met their gazes and felt her knees go weak. Swallowing thickly, Melody steeled her spine, standing straight and tall at the sound of the audience’s applause. She smiled at the audience and their repeated Bravas that rang throughout the concert hall. She wanted to tell these people that it wasn’t just her, that everyone in the orchestra contributed to the beautiful music they’d just heard. Melody sat down when Johannes turned his attention to Michael and he stood up to take his bow. The soloists and first chairs were just the icing on a very large cake. Every musician here was nothing more than a servant to the composer who continued to tell them what to do a century or more after his death. The music was the reason she was here. The music was the reason everyone was here. The curtain closed while the audience still applauded the orchestra’s performance and Melody turned to Carmen. “I think I saw your uncles.” She stood, violin in hand, and made her way off the stage to her case. Picking up her polishing cloth, she wiped the oils from her hands and the rosin left by the bow from the glossy surface before loosening the strings and setting the 15

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instrument back in its case. She loosened the frog on the bow to relax the horse hair before trimming the broken strands from the wood and stored that in the case in its place over her spare bow. “Look at me. My hands are shaking and I carried my violin offstage.” “Oh, my goodness,” Carmen said with a laugh, “and the world didn’t come to an end.” “Oh, shut up.” Folding the cloth, she stored it beneath the neck and closed the case, securing the latches. Even her case looked old. The newer ones were plastic or fiberglass. Hers was made of paper-covered wood with a felt interior. It seemed as though everyone tried to get her to buy a new one, but this one had been good enough for her grandfather and his fathers before him. Besides, for some reason, the new cases were always just a bit too small, giving her precious violin a tight fit. “Ready to meet them?” Carmen asked from behind her. Melody spun around, her hand held to her heart. “Don’t do that to me! You almost gave me a heart attack, for goodness sakes.” “Sorry.” Carmen shrugged. “They’re standing at the edge of the stage if you want to meet them.” Melody couldn’t suppress the urge to smooth her hair even though she had no intention of meeting Carmen’s uncles. They were too…something. She wasn’t sure what yet. Potent, maybe. Heck, they were so freaking hawt they made her elbows sweat. If she remembered correctly, Mitch was approximately six-foot six with black hair and chocolate brown eyes. Wyatt was different. He had black hair as well, but his eyes were blue, as blue as the Caribbean Sea. Melody wasn’t sure she’d ever seen eyes so blue before and both of them had bodies to die for. 16

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No. Meeting Carmen’s uncles would not be a good thing. She could see how it could be bad, very bad. Every cell, every microbe in her body stood up and took notice when she spotted them in the audience. Her skin tingled at the thought of them looking at her, watching her. It’s just a good thing she hadn’t spotted them before the concert. If she had, she may have made a fool of herself by staring at them instead of playing. That would have gone over well. Her stomach clenched, her nipples tightened and her panties grew wet with anticipation as she continued to think about the two men. She had no business meeting Carmen’s uncles when she was so obviously attracted to them. Things could only turn out badly and she wanted to keep Carmen her friend, not make her an enemy, or at best a person who merely tolerated her presence. “I can’t meet them tonight. I—I have a date.” Melody bit her lip. She was a horrible liar and Carmen knew it. “Liar.” Her friend slapped her on the arm. “What’s going on? Why don’t you want to meet them?” Carmen waggled her brows. “What happened to them being so hawt you could do them both. At the same time.” Melody gasped. “You’re not supposed to read my mind. It’s against the rules.” Upset, she picked her violin up and held it to her chest as though it would somehow protect her heart from getting broken. She’d already fell half in love with Carmen’s uncles in their photo. She didn’t need to meet them and fall the rest of the way. That couldn’t possibly be good. “I just can’t meet them tonight, Carmen. I have to get back to the apartment and feed my cat.” Carmen made a face. “That mangy animal could do to miss a meal.” She gave a little hop. “Come on. Have dinner with us. They’re taking me out to Chez Jaques for dinner.” She held her hands together as if in prayer. “Puhleeeze?” Carmen batted her eyes. 17

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“I don’t think so.” Melody almost wanted to laugh at her pout. “I know what you’re trying to do and I appreciate it, but there comes a time when a person has to grow up and realize that old dreams just can’t come true.” Especially ones like hers. She didn’t know when she’d stopped thinking of them separately and started thinking of the two men as a package deal. Even though she knew that was an impossibility. Somehow, anything less just seemed wrong.

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Chapter Four

W

yatt watched as Carmen turned with a shrug and walked away from her friend. He couldn’t seem to stop staring at the woman as she disappeared around the corner at the left end of the stage. His instincts told him to go to her. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. The air literally stank with no good. Someone around here intended to do another harm. He could smell the intent in the air. Like a beast protecting its young from a predator stalking its prey, he instinctively moved closer to Carmen, as did Mitch. They didn’t have the right to dictate to Carmen’s friend, but they had every right to protect the daughter of their hearts. “Hey, hey! What’s going on, you two? Let’s not get weird here.” Carmen pushed them away. Looking at each of them in turn, she narrowed her eyes. “All right. What’s wrong?” She crossed her arms as they continued to scan the area around them. “There is someone here who means to do someone harm and we are merely ensuring that someone isn’t you.” Carmen gasped, her already large brown eyes growing larger. “It’s not me they’re after. I would almost guarantee that it’s Melody.” Wyatt took her by the shoulders when his beast snarled a denial. “Why Melody?” “She’s been getting some really strange hate mail lately. 19

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She’s been shrugging it off, but I know it bothers her.” She stood on her toes to look out over the crowd. “I can’t see her.” “She’s already left the stage.” Wyatt turned to Mitch. Get Carmen to the car. I’ll go find Melody.” “No. She doesn’t know you.” Carmen pulled free from Mitch’s grasp. “I’m going with you. To her, you could just as easily be her stalker than anyone else.” “I thought you said she’s seen our photos.” “She has, Uncle Mitch, but she doesn’t really know you like I do, now does she?” Carmen rested her hands on her hips and tapped her foot, looking so much like her mother it made Wyatt want to laugh and cry at the same time. He missed his adopted sister so much it hurt sometimes. “Come on then and stop wasting time,” Wyatt practically growled as he headed across the stage, expecting Mitch and Carmen to follow close behind. The last thing he wanted was to have something happen to Melody, especially if things were as he suspected and she was their mate. He heard a blood-curdling scream just before a loud crash and he poured on the speed. He didn’t run fast enough to draw attention to himself, but he knew a human couldn’t move quite as fast and he was sure to reach her first. When he arrived, he found Melody lying unconscious on the floor, her violin held tightly to her chest. The woman had obviously dove out of the way of the falling spotlight apparatus and somehow managed to land on her back so as not to damage her violin. Wyatt pulled the instrument from her unconscious death grip and threw it to the side to examine Melody for injuries, while Mitch scanned the area for someone who could have damaged the equipment and caused it to fail. Carmen gasped. “Be careful with that! That violin is 20

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worth more money than we can make in a lifetime.” “I don’t know. I can make a lot of money in my lifetime.” Mitch knelt on her other side while Carmen retrieved the violin and stood off to the side. “She would never forgive any of us, including herself, if anything happened to this. It’s her life.” “Not the way I see it,” Mitch grumbled. “It’s nothing more than a bit of wood, varnish, glue and wire to me.” “It’s a Stradivarius!” Wyatt could have laughed at her tone if this wasn’t so damned serious. As it was, the girl had been out of it far too long in his opinion. “Something’s wrong. Shouldn’t she have come to by now?” A man pushed his way through the crowd. “I’m a doctor. Can I be of assistance?” Wyatt looked at the man and narrowed his eyes. He didn’t like the way the doctor smelled. He wasn’t sure if it was because the man was responsible for this, or if it was because he lusted after Melody. Whatever it was, Wyatt didn’t like it, or him. Mitch stepped forward with a growl. Apparently Mitch didn’t like the man’s scent either. “Don’t touch her. We take care of our own.” The man stood tall and straightened his coat. “And you would be?” “Her fiancé,” Mitch answered almost absently as he pushed past the man to lift Melody in his arms. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ll just take Melody to see our own physician.” Wyatt took Melody’s instrument from Carmen, took his niece by the elbow and led her from the hall. “She needs protection and obviously your Philharmonic can’t provide that for her.” “And how do you two plan to provide it?” Carmen asked 21

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with a smirk on her face. I know what’s going on back in Paradise, but she doesn’t. Do you think she’s just going to give up her life here to follow you two across the country to live a life she may consider sinful?” Carmen looked around and lowered her voice. “You can’t just pack her off to Paradise on a whim, you know. She’s human, for God’s sake.” The last few words came out as little more than a hiss. “I don’t give a damn what she considers it. All I care about is keeping her safe, which is something that her employer obviously can’t do.” “But she can’t leave.” Carmen had to practically run to keep up with the pace Mitch set while he carried the woman from the building. “She has contractual obligations. The symphony can’t just replace her at the drop of a hat, you know. They’ll sue her if she doesn’t show up for the next performance unless she’s got a whopper of an excuse.” “Somehow, I think that someone trying to kill her after a performance is excuse enough.” He stopped and turned to her. He cupped her jaw and ran his thumb over her cheekbone. “Stop worrying, sweetheart. Mitch and I will buy her contract if we have to.” “I don’t think even you two have that much money,” she said with a snort, then stared at him with wide eyes as he did no more than raise a brow. “Do you?” “How much money we have is of no importance, Carmen. What it can do for us is.” He started moving again and they caught up just as Mitch reached the car with Melody. “You know we can’t let her go back to work as long as there is someone out to harm her.” Mitch bent to set Melody in the car as Wyatt held the door for him. “I was just telling Carmen that very thing.” He moved out of the way as Mitch straightened and carefully shut the door. “She seems to think there’s going to be a problem getting the girl out of her contractual obligation. She’s afraid the 22

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Philharmonic will give us trouble.” Mitch snorted. “The only problem that’s going to give us trouble is trying to figure out which bank account we’ll use to write the check that buys them off.” “I don’t believe you guys are standing there talking about getting her out of her contract. She just signed it. She has to perform for the entire season, if she doesn’t, they’ll sue.” She rested her hands on her hips, her violin case hanging haphazardly from her fingers, and I know you two aren’t filthy rich like you would have me believe.” She waited a moment for them to answer. “Well?” she asked when neither of them said anything to confirm nor deny their financial status. “She looks like her mother when she does that, doesn’t she?” Mitch asked, a grin on his face. “I can’t believe how much she looks like Rosa.” He shook his head, tossed Wyatt the keys and got into the back with Melody. “You drive. I’ll sit in the back with Melody.” Wyatt turned to Carmen. “Obviously we’d rather you came with us, but since no one is fixating on you…yet, we’ll give you the choice. Would you like to stay here and work out your contract, or would you like Mitch and me to buy yours out as well.” Carmen’s jaw dropped at his question. “I don’t believe that you’re standing there calmly talking about buying out the two lead violin chair contracts.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Do you have any idea how much that’s going to cost?” “It doesn’t matter how much it costs, sweetheart. When we’re dealing with your safety and the safety of our mate, we won’t take any chances.” Wyatt wanted to grin at her gasp when he’d said mate, but kept his face schooled into a mask of indifference. He wanted her to choose to come with them, but he also knew 23

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his niece and the choice must be hers or they would never hear the end of it. “I’ll stay, but you might want to send a few guys to watch out for me.” She grinned and waggled her brows. “Just make sure they’re cute, will you? As a matter of fact, I have a couple of specific men in mind.” She got into the passenger front seat when Wyatt held the door open for her. “You can drop me off at our apartment. Besides, Mel is going to need some clothes.”

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Chapter Four

M

elody woke on a huge bed. Rolling over, she looked around the room and sat up. Her heart pounded in her chest. She had no idea where she was, or whose home she was in and she panicked. Standing, she ran to the nearest phone and picked it up. It worked! She bit her lip and looked around again. She remembered one of the huge spotlights crashing down on her, but that was where everything became murky, real murky. The room was huge, almost as large as her and Carmen’s apartment in the village. Moving to the large window, she looked out and could see central park in the distance. A gray haze rose over the city, a thick gray-white layer between the horizon and the sky. Wherever she was, she knew she was in an apartment in one of those buildings that employed a doorman to call cabs and open doors for the inhabitants. She heard voices on the other side of the door and turned to face it. The door was very dark, a stark contrast to the snow white walls and gleaming marble floors. She looked around for some sort of weapon, just in case, but couldn’t find anything more than an expensive-looking vase. Melody stood facing the door, waiting for whomever it was on the other side to make their appearance. She fisted her hands at her sides in an attempt to prepare herself for anything. When the door opened, Melody almost collapsed with relief. She probably would have hit the floor in an inglorious 25

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heap had it not been for the long, low dresser at her back. She rested her hands against it and her body sagged. “Carmen!” Gathering her wits, she ran to her friend. “Where are we?’ Melody checked out the richly appointed room again and came to the only conclusion. She bit her lip, suddenly nervous. “We’re at your uncles’ house, aren’t we?” She wasn’t sure how she knew that. She just knew. Carmen nodded. “Yes. You were unconscious so we brought you back here. They were afraid to let us stay at the apartment so they brought us back here with Mozart.” Carmen leaned forward with a little giggle. “You know, I don’t think they’ve ever had a pet before. They keep watching your cat like it’s going to do tricks or something.” Melody moved to sit on the bed. “Then having him here will do them some good.” She grinned. “Everyone should have a pet in their life for at least a little while.” “Maybe, but…” she glanced back toward the door. “We have to talk.” Carmen sat next to her and turned to look her in the eyes. “What happened at the theater was no accident. Uncle Mitch called in a team of investigators and they said that someone had tampered with the lines and chains holding that fixture in place.” “But…” Melody couldn’t finish what she’d been about to say. It was just too horrible to put into words, too bizarre. “This can’t possibly be happening to me.” She watched as her friend became blurry and wavered in front of her. She didn’t even realize it was tears blurring her vision until they began to run down her face. She swiped them away. “I know, Mel. It means your hate mail guy is more than your hate mail guy now.” Carmen wrapped her arm around Melody and drew her close. “You can’t go back to the Philharmonic. Whoever is trying to hurt you will surely try again and I would rather they didn’t” She grinned. “I’ve kind of gotten used to your slobby ways and want to keep 26

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you in my life a bit longer.” “Hey!” Melody gave Carmen a shove. Reaching down, she rubbed her tummy. She didn’t feel good. Something was wrong. A strange warmth settled low in her middle and began a slow burn deep inside her. “I’m not a slob.” What was wrong with her? A minute ago she was fine. Now, all of a sudden, she felt as though she was coming down with the flu or something. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Maybe it was just nerves and she could breathe through it. “What’s the matter?” Carmen rubbed her back and it felt as though someone stuck her with thousands of little needles. “Don’t!” She jumped up to get away from her friend. She knew Carmen meant well, but the pressure of the other woman’s hand brushing over her skin felt like the worst kind of torture. Standing, Carmen ran from the room. “Uncle Mitch, Uncle Wyatt, come quick! Something’s wrong with Melody.” Intellectually, Melody knew that it wasn’t more than a few seconds later that the men ran into the room to see what was the matter, but it felt like an eternity with a blowtorch in her belly. Melody fought the urge to curl up into a little ball and cry. She didn’t know what was wrong, but whatever it was, didn’t seem like it was going to go away anytime soon. “I was afraid of this.” Mitch turned to leave the room. “I’ll be right back. Try to keep her from hurting herself until I return.” “Where’s he going?” Carmen asked, her face filled with worry. “He’s going to get the experimental drug that the doctor gave us to hold the el calor at bay. Doc Parker said he thought it would work on humans and if we saw a need to experiment because the heat was hitting our mate too hard, 27

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we should use it. It definitely won’t hurt her, but it could help.” “Work on humans? What? Mate? What is he talking about?” Melody clenched her teeth against another wave of heat as it washed through her, burning her from the inside out. Her teeth chattered either from the pain or fear, she wasn’t sure which. “I think I caught something. The flu, maybe.” She frowned. “I don’t want some drug meant for animals. Don’t let him give it to me, Carmen.” Carmen bit her lips and shook her head as she backed away. Wyatt settled down next to her on the bed and stroked her hair. Melody flinched at first, thinking it would hurt the way it did when Carmen touched her, but it didn’t. His touch felt almost soothing. The burning subsided to the strange heat she felt when she first came down with whatever this was and her stomach no longer cramped with pain. Instead, a different kind of heat settled in her middle, billowing out from inside her as Wyatt continued to stroke her hair. Her womb clenched as he continued to touch her. She shouldn’t allow this. Melody knew there was no way she could ever choose between the two men and she was afraid she was in love with them both already. She had heard too much about them from Carmen. Tears ran down her face as he continued to stroke her hair. She couldn’t fight the feelings that his touch invoked. The more he touched her, the more she craved his touch and she didn’t know why. Melody knew that her infatuation was nothing more than the leftovers of a schoolgirl crush. Still, it didn’t stop her from wanting more and needing more. Mitch came back into the room, moving with the silence and grace of a jungle cat. If anyone had asked, Melody would have sworn that she had felt him come into the room. 28

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Somehow, she had known he was back before she saw or heard him. As ridiculous as it seemed, it was as thought she felt him enter the room. Wyatt moved out of the way and Mitch sat down beside her. He swiped her arm with an antiseptic wipe. “I’m going to inject you with something our doctor gave us, Melody. I hope it will help you.” It certainly can’t hurt. She heard that last in her mind, but she could swear his lips hadn’t moved. What was going on? Was she feverish, delirious? Whatever this was she had, it wasn’t something she ever wanted to catch again. Under normal circumstances, Melody never would have let someone who wasn’t her physician inject her with something, but at the moment, she couldn’t think of anything but stopping the horrible pain that twisted her insides like a limp dishrag. The pinch of the needle piercing her skin was nothing compared to the pain searing her insides and burning through her blood. She wasn’t sure how, but somehow, she felt desire for these two men through the pain of her illness. It clawed at her just as surely as the pain that caused her to curl up into a little ball on the bed. “It isn’t an illness, Melody. This is something our people get when we meet the person who is right for us. The person we are destined to spend the rest of our lives with.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have the flu.” Her teeth began to chatter all over again. “See? I have a fever or something.” “You don’t have a fever. You have the heat. El calor.” “Of course I’m hot. I have a fever.” Melody glared up at them and wondered what it was she ever saw in these two. Geeze, the two of them were as dumb as a box of rocks!

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Chapter Five

M

itch watched as the injection moved through her system. He could actually see it working. Her muscles grew less tense, her breathing slowed from short, quick pants to something closer to normal and her heart rate slowed to a more sedate pace. “It worked!” He felt himself relax. The last thing he wanted to do was mate her here in front of their niece. Carmen may be a shifter and she knew how things worked, but it didn’t mean that he and Wyatt wanted to be under the same roof with her when they first took their mate. “Is she okay?” Carmen moved closer. Tears streaked down her face as she watched her friend gather more and more control over her body. “I think so.” Mitch set the syringe aside and scrubbed at his face with his hands. “That was close.” He looked over at Wyatt who wore a strange expression. “What’s the matter with you?” “I think I need a dose of that as well.” He met Mitch’s gaze. “Do we have enough of that to hold us together until we can get to Paradise?” He didn’t mention that they might not need much more of it if they could convince Melody to mate with them. “I have no idea.” He glanced at Carmen. “Will you stay here until your guards arrive?” “I have rehearsals and a show tomorrow.” She looked at 30

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Melody. “How are we going to explain her disappearance?” “She can play tomorrow’s performance. Your guards won’t be here until Sunday as it is.” Mitch sighed. “We can manage to stay here another day. We’ll just have to draw out our doses a bit. Perhaps we can manage to hold out for a few hours more between injections.” “What are you three talking about?” Melody sat up, brushed her hair back and stared up at them looking so sexy Mitch wasn’t sure if he could hold out for much longer. Wyatt groaned behind him, letting him know that he felt the same. “This is going to be the longest few days of our lives.” Carmen knelt on the floor in front of Melody and smiled. “Remember how you’ve felt over the last few years?” A little wrinkle formed between Melody’s eyes as she watched her friend. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “Um…” Carmen wiped her hands on her jean-clad legs. “Well…you know these are my uncles, Wyatt and Mitch.” She waved her hand and smiled. “We…we aren’t quite human and you’re their mate.” “Get off it, Carmen. You’ve always tried to get me to believe some nonsense about what you really are because you get those strange feelings about people.” She turned to Mitch and Wyatt in turn. “She knows when you’re near, you know.” She shrugged when she got no reaction from them. “Good. She told you. I told her that secrets could only be a bad thing.” “Which is why I’m telling you this now.” Carmen stood up and began to pace. “I know you remember that night in our freshman year. You thought you saw a big cat prowling around outside our window. Well…” she paused. “That was me.” In the blink of an eye, Carmen changed from a beautiful 31

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young woman with dark hair and an olive complexion to a large jaguar, with dark swirling rosettes covering its body. She stared at Melody with wide, unblinking eyes, then lifted her lip and gave a low snarl. “Oh, my God! Where’s Carmen?” She looked around, her actions frantic as she pulled her feet up onto the bed as though that would stop the large animal from attacking her. Mitch grabbed her by the ankle. “She won’t hurt you. She’s the same girl you’ve shared your room with all these years. She’s just taken a different shape.” “I’m not seeing this, I’m not seeing this.” Melody chanted the words over and over as though saying them would somehow change the way things were. She shook off Mitch’s hand and danced around on the bed, shaking them as she moved around, obviously trying to find an escape route. “Carmen, you’re scaring Melody. I think she gets the picture. Change back to your human form a little slower, would you?” Mitch watched Melody’s reaction as Carmen changed back into her human form, slower this time so Melody could watch the transformation. Her legs and arms changed shape. They elongated, loss muscle mass and grew slender while they watched. Her muzzle lost its hair and reshaped into the face of the beautiful woman she had become. Her flat chest blossomed outward, growing large bosoms any shifter male would love to rest his head upon. Thankfully, she’d had the forethought to dress herself as she changed. Mitch shook his head. When had Carmen grown into such a beautiful woman? “Carmen! How can you do that?” she jumped from the bed and pushed at Carmen’s shoulder. “All of these years and you never told me? Why?” Tears ran down her face and she reached up to swipe them away with the back of her hand. 32

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“You know how cool I think stuff like that is. You know what kind of books I read. Dammit, Carmen. You were supposed to be my friend. How could you hide this from me?” “We’re not allowed to tell outsiders.” Carmen moved around as Melody crossed her arms and turned away. “Don’t do this, Mel. I wanted to tell you. I really did. Why do you think I kept trying to fix you up with my uncles? I want you to be a permanent part of our lives. Nothing would make me happier than if you mated with my uncles.” “What?” Melody threw her hands up in the air. “Do you even hear what you’re saying?” Her face grew so red Mitch wondered if she was going to have a heart attack, or perhaps explode. He didn’t think he’d ever seen a woman so embarrassed, or was she angry? “Yes. I do.” Carmen turned to glare at him, then at Wyatt. “You two could help me, you know.” She crossed her arms and scowled. “Tell her. Tell her why she felt so horrible just a few minutes ago and tell her why she feels better now.” She paced the room for a minute before continuing. “Better yet, tell her how you can fix it permanently because from where I’m standing, this whole situation sucks." “I’ve been trying to get you three together for the last five years.” She turned to face both Mitch and Wyatt. “Yes, she’s my best friend. Yes, she’s a year younger than me.” She stomped her foot. “But she’s an adult. Mating with her will not mean you’re pedophiles. I am an adult and so is she. And,” she paused to take a deep breath. “She’s obviously your mate, or she wouldn’t have had her first bout of el calor attacks, or whatever they are.” Melody walked to the chair in the corner and sat down with a plop. “You’re shapeshifters? All of you are shapeshifters?” She licked her lips and Mitch felt his pulse jump as he imagined what she could do with those lips and 33

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that tongue. “Paradise…is Paradise filled with shifters?” She shook her head and half-smiled. “I knew it sounded like paradise, but to have an entire town filled with shapeshifters…well, that’s awesome!” “She’s hearing you, but she’s not hearing you, Carmen. Either that, or she’s ignoring the pertinent parts about her being our mate.” Turning her attention on him, Melody’s cheeks turned a gorgeous shade of pink before she looked down toward the floor. “No, I haven’t. I’ve heard every bit and…and I don’t know what to think.” She looked up at him. “It’s one thing to read about something like this in an erotic novel, but it’s totally different to live it.” Mitch felt himself grow hard while he watched her contemplate a life with him and Wyatt. He wanted to say he loved her, but he barely knew her. He’d spent too many years trying to put thoughts of her out of his mind as Carmen tried to throw them together. Perhaps if they had gotten to know her sooner, they would have known each other as individuals before she matured enough to trigger el calor in all of them. Was that why the heat hit her so hard? They hadn’t been together for long. It had been less than twenty-four hours since they had been exposed to each other’s scents and body chemistry. Was it the repeated exposure to each other’s scents over the last several years that made her first reaction to them so virulent? Or was there something else going on? Whatever it was, he was certain it was going to make them come together much faster than she would like. He knew human women and he knew that they liked to think they were in love with the men they had a physical relationship with. They also liked to think the man, or in their case the men, in question were in love with them as 34

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well. There was no way, by any stretch of the imagination, that Melody could believe they loved her. “I know this sounds weird and probably just a little bit wacked, but I think I’ve been a little in love with you two since I was seventeen.” Melody shrugged, drew her legs up into the chair with her and wrapped her hands around her knees. “At first I thought it was a schoolgirl crush.” She grinned and rolled her eyes. “I mean what girl hasn’t had a crush on the older brother, uncle or some other male member of their best friend’s family? I’ve talked to a lot of girls who have done the same.” Her toes peeked out from under the full-length black gown she still wore. She wiggled them a bit as she talked. For some reason, the action held him mesmerized. “I—I know that it’s wrong. Sinful even. But for the last few years, I just couldn’t imagine myself with anyone else.” Mitch shifted his gaze to Carmen who had begun to move toward the door. “I think you guys need to hash this out and you don’t need me around to do it.” She grinned. “I’m going to go out to the swimming pool and do some laps.” She grabbed the doorknob and pulled it closed until only her head poked through the opening. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Then she winked. “On second thought, Mel. Do lots of things I wouldn’t do.” When she closed the door, Mitch was sure they all heard her squeal. “Finally! She’s going to be a part of the family. I love it!”

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Chapter Six

M

elody sat in the chair and stared at the two men that she now realized that she loved. How could such feelings run so deep without her knowing it? She watched as they just sat there on the bed and looked at her. Were they expecting her to make the first move? She hoped not. She had no idea what to do. Oh, she knew the mechanics of it. She even thought she might know enough to get herself into trouble, but she didn’t think she could entice the two men to do something they didn’t want to do. The question was, did they want her or not? “Just in case you two haven’t figured it out, I’m a virgin and I have no idea what you’ll expect of me.” She felt her face heat as they smiled at her. “A virgin in this day and age?” Wyatt grinned at Mitch. “That’s hard to believe.” “I don’t lie.” She glared at him. “I haven’t been with anyone because I’ve been half in love with you two for the last several years.” She glared at them. “Though, from what I’ve seen since we met, for the life of me, I can’t tell you why.” “Oh, we get better, honey,” Mitch smiled as he moved from the bed and removed his shirt. She hadn’t expected him to have such ripped abs. Heck, he had an eight pack and if what she saw below his shiny gold belt buckle was any 36

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indication, he had a raging hard-on as well. Her stomach clenched as she thought about the size of his package and she looked away. She wasn’t sure she was ready to see him without his pants, just yet and she didn’t want to give him any ideas. “I, uh, hoo! Is it getting hot in here?” Melody waved her hand in front of her face. It was hot in here and she felt as though she was burning up. At least she didn’t feel that strange burning heat in her middle like she had earlier. This was something different. Wyatt stood as well. He unbuttoned his shirt, slowly revealing his broad shoulders and well-defined chest. Both of them were tanned and so totally fit, she wondered how much time they spent in the gym every week. “This is the way it is, Melody,” Mitch said in that deep voice that gave her goosebumps when he spoke. “Our people go through what is called el calor when we meet our mates. We think it happens so we know who it is we should procreate with. Perhaps it is some failsafe nature provided to us, so that we would mate with the right person to ensure strong babes that would survive the rough, prehistoric times. We don’t know. All that we do know is that it drives us to mate with the person who brings this out in us. “Until recently, we were led to believe that there was one male for every female. When they mated, they were married. For life.” He ran his fingers through his hair. It was the only indication he gave that he could be the slightest bit nervous. “Like I said, that was until recently. A few years ago, the rightful leader of Paradise retook his place amongst our people. He discovered that we were not meant to mate one on one. He found archived records that proved that until recently our females mated with not one, but two or more males of her choosing.” “That is why you are attracted to us both,” Wyatt added. 37

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“It has also been documented that human women who have shifter mates, also usually have two or more mates among our people.” Melody didn’t know what to say. This was what she had fantasized about, dreamed about all of these years. She wanted them both. For some reason, she could never imagine herself with only one of them. What did this all mean? Did it mean she could really have the dream, live the dream? “Don’t reject us immediately, Melody,” Wyatt actually lowered himself to his knees and Mitch followed suit. “Think about it before you run from us screaming. Please.” Melody watched the two of them for a minute. They seemed so sincere. They both wanted her. What could she do? What should she do other than accept this very odd proposal? “I don’t know what to say. Do we,” she paused, trying to figure out how to word her question without sounding like a complete slut. “Do we have to,” she paused again and waved her arm, unable to put her x-rated thoughts to words. “Do we have to do it all together, or would it just be one on one?” Wyatt gave her such a sexy grin she would have melted into a puddle in front of him if she hadn’t been sitting in a chair. “Well, sweetheart, that depends on you, with the exception of one time.” “What do you mean?” She hugged her legs tighter, trying to hide the fact that her nipples had tightened into hard little peaks. “With the exception of the mating ritual, the three of us won’t ever have to make love at once unless you want it.” “Oh. Well that’s nice to know. I just wasn’t sure. Since I’ve never, well…” Her face got so hot, Melody half expected to burst into flames. “Since I’ve never had sex before, I knew I 38

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couldn’t take both of you at once the first few times around.” Oh, God. Did she just say that out loud? Did they want to make love with her right now? How long would it take Carmen to swim a few laps? Would Carmen hear them or would she keep her nosy ass in the living room and watch a movie until one of them made an appearance? The two men looked at each other for a minute then Wyatt stood. “I’ll go get Carmen and we’ll go out to get something to eat.” He turned to Melody and winked. “Later, it’ll be our turn to get to know each other.” He left the room without a backward glance and Melody turned to Mitch and nervously licked her lips. “God, darlin’, don’t do that. It drives me crazy.” He lowered himself to his hands and crawled over to her. Resting his head on the arm of her chair, he looked up at her with those chocolate brown eyes that she had come to love so much. “I don’t want for it to seem as though I’m rushing you, sweetheart, but—” Leaning forward, Melody pressed a finger against his lips. She didn’t want to hear him apologizing. It was their body chemistry that caused this. If what they had told her was true, they didn’t have any more of a choice in this than she did right now. All she knew was that she didn’t want to have to go through that pain again. If having sex with an entire football team would stop that, she wasn’t sure she wouldn’t consider it. “It’s okay, Mitch.” She bit her lip. “Can I call you Mitch?” Melody knew it was kind of late to ask that now, but it just felt a little weird, because they hadn’t been properly introduced. Nodding, he laughed. “Of course it’s okay.” Melody’s stomach did a little flip and that strange heat started again. “How long is that injection supposed to work?” It just seemed like it should last longer than a few 39

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minutes. “Six to eight hours. Why?” Taking a deep breath, Melody rubbed her stomach. “Not for me, it doesn’t. I think it’s wearing off already.” She turned her panicked gaze to Mitch. “I don’t think I can go through that again, Mitch. I really don’t.” Mitch stood and drew her up and into his arms. “Then we’ll start this now. I didn’t want to rush you, but it seems your body has other ideas.” Without warning, Mitch cupped her jaws in his hands and slanted his mouth over hers. Her mouth opened with a little pressure from his thumbs. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, mapping the inside. Melody’s knees went weak, her stomach doing little flips as the heat roiling around inside her subsided a bit. Perhaps it wasn’t the heat that went away, but these new sensations overpowering them. Whatever it was, Melody reveled in the fact that she was kissing at least one of the men of her dreams. Her clit throbbed with anticipation as cream soaked her panties and coated her thighs. Her nipples grew hard, rubbing against the inside of her dress. Her womb clenched with need as he reached behind her neck to release the clasp on her gown. The top fell around her waist and he pulled her closer. The sensation of her bare breasts brushing against the hot skin of his chest sent darts of sensual fire from the tips of her breasts down to her aching core. Mitch’s kiss pushed the heat back. It hovered on the edge of her consciousness as though waiting to renew its attack on her defenseless body. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could stand to feel the dress touching her skin instead of Mitch’s experienced fingers. Every time she looked at the photos Carmen had of her two uncles, her arousal simmered within her. Having them 40

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in the same house, the same room with her, did something to her insides. At that moment, she wanted Mitch so much she could barely think of anything else. Not once had she ever thrown herself at a man like this and it scared her. Still, thinking of never kissing this man, never making love with him, scared her more than she ever thought possible. Melody knew that she should wait. Her human brain told her that this was wrong, sleeping with a man she barely knew wasn’t right, but her body told her otherwise. Every time his hands skimmed over her bare back or up her sides to cup her breasts, his fingers tugging gently on her nipples felt right, maybe too right. Melody could tell already that if she stayed with these men, they would have her wrapped around their little fingers in no time. They would only have to look at her with those beautiful bedroom eyes, give her one of their heartstopping grins or murmur something to her in their deep, whiskey-smooth voices and she would be lost. Heck, she was lost already. Even though she’d believed it impossible, she had always wanted to make love with two of the alpha males from one of the erotic novels she loved to read. She had known it was impossible, yet it never stopped her from dreaming. There was no doubt that the two alphas she had come to love could make her happy. They would do their best to satisfy her every need, in bed and out of it. Melody wasn’t sure how she knew that. She just did. Mitch pulled away and looked down into her eyes. “Is there something wrong?” He traced her bottom lip with his thumb. “You seem preoccupied.” He pressed a series of kisses along her jaw. “No,” she replied, a bit breathless. “I’m fine. This is…” She gasped when he laved her ear and suckled the lobe into his mouth. “This is nice.” 41

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“Just nice?” he asked with a chuckle. She grinned. “So far.” “Well, then, let’s see if we can ramp it up a bit.” Cupping her breasts, he lowered his head to take an already hard nipple into his mouth. Melody drew in a quick breath, her head dropping back on her shoulders as she arched her back and tried to press her breast harder against his mouth. She felt wanton. This felt so good, so right. She barely knew this man and his adopted brother, but here she was, staying here with the two of them and enjoying every minute of it.

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Chapter Seven

M

itch felt his entire body go hard with need. His cock throbbed behind his fly as he continued to suckle Melody’s ripe breast. Her small pink nipples sat atop large, firm breasts like cherries on top of a sundae and he wanted nothing more than to taste them. He sucked harder, pulling her nipple further into his mouth, flicking his tongue over the turgid tip as she moaned in his arms. His body ached with the need to mount her, mate her and make her his. He couldn’t wait to sink his hard cock deep into her tight channel. When she threw her head back and arched into him, Mitch almost tossed her on the floor and took her then. The only thing that stopped him was the knowledge that she had never known the touch of a man before and he would not be the one who would ruin her first time. This was a gift she gave him, that Wyatt gave him. To know that he was her first gave him a sense of pride, of possession that he wasn’t sure she would understand if he tried to explain it. The gift of her virginity would tie him to her for eternity. Being untouched wasn’t a requirement for his people. In fact, sexuality was something they embraced, something they used to pass the time when bored. Had she come to him and said she’d had a hundred lovers it wouldn’t have mattered to him. Yet somehow, knowing that she had never known the touch of a man turned him on 43

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nearly to the point of pain. Stepping back, he pushed the dress from her hips and let it puddle at her feet. His balls drew tight against his body when he saw the tiny lace thong she wore beneath the slinky black gown. “I don’t normally wear thongs.” Mitch watched as Melody’s body turned pink with embarrassment. “But anything else left panty lines that anyone could see.” “I love them.” He hooked his fingers beneath what was supposed to be a waistband and drew them down to her ankles. Resting a hand on his shoulder, she lifted first one foot then the other and stepped out of them. “Gods, you’re so sexy.” Jesus! Was that his voice, sounding so low and gruff? He’d scare her off if he didn’t watch it. Frightening her off was the last thing he wanted to do. He needed this woman. It was more than the heat, more than want. It was an all-consuming need to be with this woman, live with her, even love her. He wanted, no, needed her with the same desperate urgency that she had needed them just an hour ago. El calor had risen within him and he wasn’t sure he wanted to inject himself with another dose of the serum that would help him control it. He wanted this woman he knelt before with a passion, an insistent desire to possess her, to love her, to make them both whole, at least for a little while. Something within him reared up and demanded he take this woman and make her his. Nothing had ever felt more right than when he had taken Melody into his arms. Was it wrong to want this woman so much? Was it wrong to want to share his every thought, his every desire, every beat of his heart with her? Still kneeling at her feet, he reached up and grasped each of her hands, resting them on his shoulders. Lifting her right leg, he brought it up over his left arm and leaned close, 44

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breathing in her womanly scent. It was as close to heaven as he had ever been yet. Taking a deep breath, he smiled. “You smell delicious.” Even though he knew she was an innocent and that this was probably too much for her, Mitch leaned closer, took the globes of her ass in his hands and thrust his tongue into her wet slit. She tasted just as he thought she would, like sweet, sweet honey with a touch of spice. Melody screamed, her untried body not used to the sensations he introduced. When the sensations became too much for her she thrust her hips forward and almost fell. Only then did he stop his assault on her beautiful, pink nether flesh. That was when he knew he must take her to the bed. It was time to make her his, time to complete at least this part of their mating. Tonight, he would bind her to him, tomorrow, it would be Wyatt. After that, they would have to prepare her for the completion of their mating ritual when the three of them would join together as one. He lifted her with all of the gentleness within him and carried her to the bed. Placing her on the bed, Mitch stood back for a minute to gather his control that had begun to slip away to oblivion. He was finding it difficult to control his beast. The tiger wanted to fuck its mate, to claim her as his. Mitch wasn’t sure how wild tigers mated, but the similarities stopped at appearance as far as he knew. The shifters had different blood, different thought patterns and different values. He refused to let the animal part of him take control and ruin this beautiful woman before him. Fisting his hands, Mitch closed his eyes. His entire body shook with the need to make this woman his, but he refused to touch her until he had the raging beast within him under control. Mitch wanted this first time with her to be idyllic. Years 45

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from now, he wanted her to look back at this night with fondness then look at him and smile. He was determined to take his time with her, to find every one of her erogenous zones and exploit them mercilessly. “Are you frightened?” he asked when their gazes met. Melody shook her head and smiled. “I can see that you’re holding back. If I was frightened before, I’m not now.” “I think I am.” He scrubbed his face with his hands then ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m afraid I’ll hurt you, that you’ll look back on this night and hate me for it.” She looked up at him, her large blue eyes so filled with trust that a lump formed in his throat. He didn’t deserve her. Neither he nor Wyatt deserved a hair on this woman’s head, yet here she was, an innocent lying on this bed waiting for him to claim her and make her irrevocably his. Suddenly, he needed to taste her again. His stomach clenched at the thought of his lips pressed tightly against hers. Kneeling on the bed, he leaned down, palmed the back of her head and pressed his lips against hers. When she opened for him, his very being seemed to unite with hers as their mouths merged and their tongues danced together. He loved her scent. The smell of her soap, her perfume and the musky scent of her desire combined to drive him so close to the edge of his sanity he knew he had to make her his or go mad with wanting her. Slowly, Mitch lowered himself to the bed. He needed to feel the warmth of her body against him. He wanted to know that she burned with the heat as surely as he burned with it. He needed to know she was his, that she felt desire, pleasure when he touched her, but most of all, he wanted to hear her scream out his name as he made her come. The depth of feeling behind every one of his wants and desires surprised him, but what surprised him the most was the depth of feeling he had for the woman in his arms. 46

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Even as he realized the depth of his growing emotions, their kiss grew deeper, hotter. His hands moved over her body, igniting a passion within her he didn’t think possible from one so inexperienced. His cock throbbed, begging for release. Rising a bit, Mitch stared down into her blue eyes that stared back, so filled with trust it made his heart ache. How could one turn away from such a woman and why would anyone even think of doing so? That he and Wyatt had refused to meet her for so long was the single most idiotic thing that either of them had ever done. Reaching down, he cupped the downy auburn hair at the juncture of her thighs. He wanted to give her an orgasm. He knew how difficult it would be, that she had no idea what to expect, but he wanted to see her come apart in his arms before he sated himself in the heaven that was her body.

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Chapter Eight

M

elody bit her lip when Mitch took her nipple into his mouth and suckled hard. She gasped at the feeling of the rasp of his tongue against her nipple and his teeth nibbling gently on the sensitive flesh. Her body writhed on the bed when his hand delved between her legs, his fingers gently separating her labia, and circling her clit. He was in her thoughts. He could feel it as the fire raged within her, burning deep as he continued to play her body at least as well as she played her violin, perhaps even better. The incredible feelings he invoked were so new to her. A strange heat began at her toes and became more intense as he continued to stroke her nether parts and stoke the ever-increasing fire growing within her. The strange heat continued to build inside her as his talented fingers brought her closer to the edge. This was what she wanted, what she dreamed of having with him, with Wyatt, when she thought of these men throughout the years. She wanted this, needed this with a passion that she had never known before today. Finally, when Mitch brought her to the pinnacle, her entire body stiffened. Melody arched her back as the world exploded into millions of brilliant shards of light and she screamed Mitch’s name. It was then that Mitch moved between her legs. His body, 48

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covered in a light sheen of perspiration, trembled above her as he obviously found it difficult to hold himself in check. “I don’t want to hurt you, baby.” He leaned down to lap at her nipple, suckling it into his mouth for a moment before he released it to harden in the cool air. He positioned himself above her, rubbing the head of his cock against her vagina. “I can’t do this without hurting you.” Reaching up, Melody smoothed his frown with her fingers. “I know. It’s not something that can be helped.” She smiled, wrapped her arms around his neck and dragged him down for another kiss. The press of her soft body against his nearly drove him mad. He ached for her. It felt as though his entire body went up in flames every time he looked at her. Every cell reached for her, screamed for him to touch her silky soft skin. He wanted nothing more than to claim her, possess her in every way possible. Raising himself on his elbows, he stared down at her, struck by her innate beauty. Even the way she walked, talked, played her violin, hell, the way she breathed was sexy. She scared him as no other person in the world could have. He was afraid he would hurt her, no matter how unintentionally and that terrified him. Reaching down with his right arm, he lifted her leg, running his hand over her smooth thigh. Cupping the full globe of her ass, he leaned down to suckle the pert tip of her left breast into his mouth. Closing his eyes, he moved forward, slowly sinking his shaft into her tight sheath. What was it about her that made her so special, so right for them? Whatever it was, he knew he had to concentrate on something other than her shapely calves and hourglass figure that was voluptuous enough to drive any man wild. Pressing forward, he sank himself another inch deeper 49

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before pulling out to ease back in. Gods she was tight, so tight he began to wonder if this night would kill him. Could a woman strangle a man by gripping his cock too tight? Inhaling deeply, he took in her unique and delicious scent. Just being near her hardened his body to the point of pain. If he didn’t seat himself within her soon, he may die of blood loss, since all of it seemed congregated at his groin. One last thrust and he broke through her virgin’s barrier and sank deep inside her. His brow covered in sweat, he lowered his head to hers and chuckled. “I love how tight you are, but I never want to do that again. One virgin in my lifetime is enough.” He kissed her, passionately, their tongues tangling together urgently before he raised his head. Looking down at her, Mitch asked, “Are you all right?” “Yes.” She nodded her cheeks growing a pretty pink. “I feel very full.” “Not as full as you’ll feel the night we all mate together.” He grinned at her deepening blush, pressed quick kiss to her lips and pulled from her grasping body to thrust back in. Melody gasped when the head of his cock hit her cervix. “That…that feels incredible!” Mitch leaned down, his tongue caressing her bottom lip, the line of her jaw, moving down to her delicate and slender neck. For the first time he realized that now he was vulnerable. Now someone had the power to hurt him and Wyatt. Through Melody, this little slip of a human barely through the cusp of womanhood, someone could make their lives a living hell. And that someone had been lurking in the wings, watching the concert and waiting for his moment to attempt to do his angel harm. Again he thrust deep, hoping to take Melody to a place she’d never been, trying to stamp out the demons riding him as he thought of the stalker who wanted to kill his mate. 50

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Over and over Mitch thrust inside her. The bed shook, her body rippled around his as she neared her climax. Her tight sheath rippled around him as he continued to pound inside her, a part of him knowing that this kind of sex was too rough for her first time. Nothing would stop his beast from taking over. It reveled in its mate’s body, wanting to imprint itself on her so that he would always know where she was and who she was with. Nothing could do that but a proper mating, but the tiger didn’t care. It wanted its mate and she lay beneath him mewling her pleasure as it continued to sate itself within her body. Melody, with an instinct far more advanced than he would have expected from a human, wrapped her long legs around his waist, drawing him deeper into her tight channel. Her sheath gripped and milked him as he continued to fuck himself deep inside her. It wasn’t long before she came apart in his arms and he felt the stirrings of his own climax. The wet-velvet walls of her channel clamped down on him as she screamed his name once again and Mitch finally gave in to the pleasure, the rapture only his mate could provide. Afterward, Mitch rolled to the side and pulled her into his embrace. One thing was certain. No one would harm this woman and live. Melody Madison was under his protection and he and Wyatt always took care of their own. He smiled down at her as something squeezed his heart. This woman had more power than she knew, for he and Wyatt would die for her, and together they were formidable enemies indeed.

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Chapter Nine

M

elody woke to the familiar scent of coffee. Rolling over, she stretched languidly and reached for the pillow Mitch had used the night before. After a minute of pure laziness, Melody crawled from the bed and headed to the bathroom. She had to pee and she needed a shower, in that order. Afterwards, she’d go out and hunt down that coffee. The bathroom was an exercise in decadence. Melody had never seen one so big before. It was the size of her bedroom in her own apartment. She blushed as she thought of the money these two men had. Would they ever believe she was with them because she wanted them, or would they think she was just after their money? Reaching into the shower, she turned on the water and used the facilities while she waited for the water to get warm. When she climbed into the multi-head shower, she closed her eyes and held herself under the warm spray, letting the hot water ease the aches from her muscles. She never once thought that real sex would make her ache in places she’d never even known she had before. Washing herself slowly, Melody took her time beneath the soothing hot spray as she stretched the kinks from her body. When the water finally went cold, Melody turned off the taps and grabbed the towel hanging on the outside of the door. She quickly dried herself off, grabbed the large 52

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bathrobe she found hanging on the bathroom door and slipped it on. It was time for coffee. “There you are.” Carmen grinned as Melody strolled into the kitchen wearing nothing but a man’s robe. Whose robe it was she had no idea. Still, wearing it felt decadent and just a little bit naughty. “You had to know I’d smell the ambrosia.” “Only you would call water sifted over ground-up burnt beans ambrosia. I call it mud.” Carmen raised her glass of chocolate milk in a mock toast. “Breakfast is ready, too, if you like toaster waffles.” Melody moved to the coffeepot, grabbed a cup out of the glass-front cabinet above it and poured herself a cup. “Where’s the creamer?” She looked around. “Please tell me they have creamer.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’ll drink it black if I must, but you know I won’t like it.” Melody sniffed her cup. She really wouldn’t like it. Apparently, Mitch or Wyatt liked it strong. “There’s creamer in the fridge.” Carmen waved toward a large, stainless-steel monstrosity. “Mitch and I bought it specifically for you.” She grinned. “I hope you don’t mind, but I told them all of your favorites.” “Awesome.” Melody moved to the refrigerator and grabbed the creamer off the top shelf. It wasn’t hard to find, the huge stainless steel box was almost empty. “Don’t they ever eat at home?” Carmen shrugged. “Why should they when they can have someone else make their dinner and clean up the mess?” “Hmm…” Melody liked to eat out as much as the next person, but there was something to be said for home cooked meals once in a while. Besides, they could probably hire a housekeeper-slash-cook for what they spent eating out. “So…” Carmen sounded a little off so Melody turned to 53

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look at her to see what was wrong. “Do I call you Aunt Melody now? Because if that’s what you want, it’s going to be awful weird. I never thought of that before when I was practically throwing my uncles at you, but now it just seems strange.” “Don’t be ridiculous, Carmen.” Melody felt her face heat. Sure, Carmen wasn’t here when she and Mitch did the nasty, but it wasn’t hard to figure out they’d done it, especially since her uncle stayed in the room with her all night. That thought made her wonder where Wyatt spent the night and she frowned. Melody knew she had no right to be jealous because she had spent the night with Mitch, but she found out the hard way that an incarnation of the green monster did live inside her after all. “Where’s Wyatt?” Melody couldn’t stop herself, she just had to ask. She took a large gulp of her coffee complete with creamer just to prove to anyone watching that she wasn’t jealous. “He’s out swimming laps.” Carmen grinned as Melody downed the rest of her coffee in record time. “Mitch and I are going to go to our apartment and pick up our clothes. He wants you to stay here with Wyatt so your stalker can’t get a gander at you.” “I can’t stay here.” Melody felt the blood rush from her face as she felt panic well up inside her. “My violin! Where’s my violin? Oh, my God! I didn’t even think about it last night.” She dashed toward the bedroom intent on getting dressed in her evening gown to go in search of her precious instrument. “Holy cow, Melly,” Carmen said from behind her. “Do you think I would just let them carry you from the auditorium without your violin?” She moved to the closet next to the front door. “Here it is.” She opened the door, reached in and pulled out Melody’s violin case. “It fell on 54

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the ground, but I didn’t check it. We were more worried about you. Then I forgot.” Carmen’s forgetfulness was understandable. She didn’t have an almost three-hundred year-old Strad to worry about. Taking the case, Melody knelt and opened it. “Thank goodness it’s all right.” She closed the case and stood. Storing the instrument back in the closet, Melody hugged Carmen. “Thanks for looking out for it for me.” “I knew losing it would kill you. Besides, what are best friends for?” “We’re still best friends?” Melody felt a lump form in her throat. She wasn’t sure what to think or do. With Carmen’s uncles liking her and all, she wasn’t sure what Carmen’s reaction would be. “Of course we are, you noob!” Carmen dragged her out to the swimming pool where Melody watched Wyatt swim a few laps before she remembered to close her mouth. “I don’t believe they have a swimming pool up here.” Carmen shrugged. “It’s no different than other buildings having their pools on their roof. This is a penthouse, you know. “Besides, it’s just a lap pool. It’s not like it’s Olympic sized or anything.” “Stop reminding me about the cool stuff they have. The last thing I need to be thinking about is the fact that your uncles are filthy rich.” “And you have a Strad. What does that make you? I know you know exactly how much that instrument is worth. Don’t even try to deny it.” Carmen was right, but Melody never looked at it that way. It wouldn’t make her rich, because she would never sell it. It was too much a part of her to even think about selling it. Instead, her Strad cost her money every day to keep the insurance up on it and the insurance wasn’t cheap. “Are you ready to go, Carmen?” Mitch asked from the 55

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doorway. Melody turned, her face heating in a blush when he winked at her. “Good morning, sweetheart.” He trotted over to give her a kiss. “Carmen and I are going to go to the store for more groceries after we stop by your apartment to get you some things. Is there anything in particular you’d like us to pick up?” “Um…Melody felt her face heat even more as Carmen grinned and headed back inside. “I know it’s kind of late to worry about it now, but maybe some condoms?” “Darlin’, if you’re worried about disease, our kind can’t carry STDs. If you’re worried about a baby, don’t you want to have a baby?” He rested his hand on her slightly rounded stomach. “I can’t wait to see you carrying our child. I want to be able to rest my hand right here and feel it kick.” “Don’t you mean feel him kick? Don’t all men want sons?” He shook his head. “No, sweetheart. I want a load of healthy, happy babies and I couldn’t care less what sex they are. I just want to have fun making them with you.” “Hey. I should be in there somewhere,” Wyatt called from the pool.” “You will be in there somewhere along with a few of your cubs as well.” Mitch gave her a quick kiss and headed for the door. “We should be back in a few hours. Have fun, you two.” Melody turned to Wyatt who grinned at her. “Why don’t you drop the robe and dive into the pool?” “I’m not wearing anything.” She looked around at the other buildings. “I know that we’re on a roof here and no one from this building can see, but what about all the others?” Wyatt shrugged. “What about them?” He got out of the pool, pressed a button on a console on the wall and a privacy 56

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screen closed around the outer edge of the terrace and an awning spread over the pool. “Wow.” He laughed. “Carmen says it’s awesome, dude!” “I don’t think I have ever used the word dude in a sentence in my life.” She stared at him. Her eyes couldn’t seem to take enough of him in. He stood there, wearing nothing but a scandalous thong and water droplets. Melody felt her mouth go dry and her womb clench. She shivered when he smiled at her and held out his hand. Her nipples pebbled beneath the robe. The rough terry cloth material rubbed against the sensitive nubs sending darts of pure, aching pleasure straight to every one of her erogenous zones. Heat pooled low when he took her hand, lifted it to his lips and kissed the inside of her wrist. She stood still beneath his scrutiny and could do nothing more than tremble. Melody could think of nothing beyond what lay ahead between them. She knew this was their time. Today he would make her his, theirs, whatever. After what happened here and now, there was only one thing left to do and that was mate with them both at the same time. She swallowed thickly, wondering how they would prepare her for the ritual mating. It was most likely a thought better left for later, but glutton for punishment that she was, she couldn’t convince her mind to forget about it. “Take off the robe.” Melody shook her head. “Not out here.” She looked around. Sure they were behind a privacy screen now, but that didn’t make them totally sheltered. The last thing she wanted was to end up on some internet porn site. She could see it now. She would be the star of The Naughty Violinist or something equally raunchy sounding. No thank you. “Take. It. Off.” He sounded serious and kind of like the 57

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doms she’d read about in the erotic e-books she loved to read. Melody raised her chin, pushed the robe off her shoulders and ran for the bedroom. If he wanted to make love with her, he could darn well do it inside. She’d made it all the way to the bedroom door when he stopped her. “So you want to play, do you?” He chuckled. “Get on your knees.” Melody turned and glared at him. She would do what he told her to do, but it didn’t mean she would let him tell her to jump then ask how high. She stuck her chin in the air and looked down her nose at him. It was a look she’d had lots of practice at, though it was a bit more difficult because he was so much taller than she was. Still, it had worked on tall guys before. The rich kids never screwed around with other rich kids. She’d learned how to act like one of them when she was fourteen. Slowly, so he knew she did it because she wanted to, not because he told her to, Melody sank to her knees on the thick carpet. Wyatt’s hand changed partially into a paw. With a long claw, he cut his thong, pulled it off and threw it to the floor. “Now,” he said as he stared down at her, his cock in his hand. “Suck this.” He pushed his cock toward her face. Melody settled back on her heels and looked up at him, her brow raised as though to say, Make me. “Don’t screw with me right now, Melody. I’m hanging on to my control by a thread.” He paused to take a deep breath. “There’s something you should know about Mitch and me.” He reached down to gently grasp her by the chin. “We’re both alpha. Very alpha and when we tell someone to do something, we expect it done now.” Reaching up, Melody grasped his sac and gently rolled it in her hand. She wanted to do this, but she’d be darned if 58

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she would let him know that. He was just too stinking bossy for his own good. It was time someone taught him that he wouldn’t always get his way just because he wanted it.

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Chapter Ten

W

yatt threw his head back and groaned. Yesterday, if someone would have told him that just the touch of a woman’s warm fingers on his balls would have him groaning his pleasure, he would have laughed his ass off. Hell, if just her hand on his nuts felt this good what would it be like when—Holy shit! He fisted his hands at his sides and locked his knees before his damned fool legs gave out when she fisted her hand around the base of his shaft. The little minx had no idea what she was doing, but it felt great. He couldn’t wait to feel those full, ripe lips wrap around his cock. He might just expire on the spot, leaving her a widow before they were even wed. With a smile and a sly look filled with wicked amusement, Melody leaned forward and ran her tongue along the length of his shaft. The little minx. It was all Wyatt could do to keep his knees from buckling when she placed an opened mouth kiss on the head of his cock and slid her tongue into the small slit. Pre cum dribbled from the tip and she leaned into him, licking it up like candy. She wasn’t submissive in the least and let him know it, yet she seemed to enjoy doing what he told her to do anyway…on her own terms. Knowing that could make any man want more of her. “Mmm…I’ve never tasted anything like this before.” Releasing him, she reached around and grasped his ass. His cock, heavy with need, bobbed in front of her face as she 60

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looked up at him and smiled. Wyatt got the feeling that she knew exactly what she was doing, even though she’d been a virgin, just the night before. She squeezed his thighs and ran her nails lightly up and down his legs. Hell, he sucked in a deep breath, for one so lacking in experience, she knew just what to do to drive him wild. Just the thought that this beautiful woman was down on her knees in front of him ready to suck his cock was enough to get him off and if she didn’t do something soon, he’d prove it and embarrass himself. When Melody slowly licked her lips, another drop of precum leaked from the tip, garnering another sly smile. Somehow, he managed to keep control and just stand there, his hands fisted at his thighs while his mate treated his shaft like an all-day sucker. Heat flared in his mind, his body, making his stomach clench with need. If he didn’t get her mated soon, she would drive him over the edge to madness and he could hurt her. Slowly, Wyatt pulled his cock from her mouth and knelt in front of her. “I have to mate you before I lose my mind.” Ruthlessly, he slanted his lips over hers, plundering her mouth as his hands skimmed over her sensitive flesh. Gooseflesh covered her skin and he smiled with male pride. It was heady to know that he could cause such a reaction just by skimming his fingers over her silky skin. This was what he wanted. This reaction, this knowing that she wanted him so much her breath came in short pants and her eyes were filled with longing when she looked at him. Wyatt wanted to give this woman all the pleasure in the world. Somehow, in the few scant hours since they truly met, she had managed to wiggle her way inside his heart. As impossible as it seemed he already felt more for this woman than anyone else in the world, even Carmen and Mitch and Gods knew he loved them both. 61

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His chest ached when he looked at her. His stomach clenched when he thought of burying his cock deep into her woman’s flesh, but mostly, he wanted something from her he never cared to have from another woman. He wanted her respect and her love. He had no idea what he would do without it. Standing, Wyatt reached down and helped her to her feet. “Perhaps you were right, little one. What we’re about to do is something best done in private away from the possibility of prying eyes.” The thought that someone could see them, watch them as they made love made his tiger snarl. Before, with other women, he never cared who watched, but Wyatt found he was very possessive with his mate. Bending, he wrapped his arms about her and swung her up in his arms. He had every intention of making this first time together as perfect for her as he could. Wyatt carried his precious burden into the bedroom and placed her gently on the bed. More than anything he wanted to take up where they left off with his cock in her mouth, telling her he wanted her to suck him dry, but this was not the time. As much as his animal needed to have her submission, the human part of him needed to make this time as pleasurable and full of beauty as he could. Wyatt stared down at the miracle smiling up at him from the bed. She raised her arm, beckoning him closer. Again, she licked those full, ripe lips and he felt his cock buck in response. This was what he and Mitch had waited for all these years. This woman, so full of sensual promise who smiled up at him with trust-filled eyes was the reason they always did what they felt was right, even helping the rightful heir to the mantle of leadership in Paradise was a part of it. Without Adam Greer’s leadership, they may never have known that triad mating was the true way of their people. Without that knowledge, they never would have 62

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been able to go home to stay. Knowing they needed to mate the same woman, they knew theirs would have been considered aberrant behavior amidst the old council. The bed dipped as he lowered himself to kiss the curve of her neck. Melody’s eyes went dark, slumberous, her eyes glazing over with passion as he dipped his fingers into her moist heat and lowered his head to alternately suckle her already hard nipples. His fingers circled her clit, wringing a gasp from her slender throat as he pressed his thumb against the bundle of nerves. Unable to wait to taste her new arousal, Wyatt removed his hand from between her creamy thighs, brought his fingers to his lips and sucked the sweet cream of her arousal from them. “Delicious,’ he whispered as he moved between her legs and lowered his head. Cream, thick and sweet filled his mouth as he fucked her with his tongue. Melody, mindless with her pleasure, reached down and thrust her fingers into his hair. Fisting her hands, she pulled him closer as her silky thighs reflexively tightened around his head. Wyatt fought the urge to smile. He was afraid she would feel it and think he was laughing at her. Nothing could have been further from the truth. He smiled because her actions told him that they were right for each other, that she was his true mate—their true mate. It wasn’t long before Melody’s body stiffened and her legs clamped even tighter around his head. Wyatt knew she was close, very close to climax. How had he and Mitch managed to get so lucky as to get such a sensual and responsive woman to complete their triad bond? Now that he knew she was close, Wyatt drew her slick cream from her channel and tunneled first one, then two fingers into her ass. It was time she learned exactly what would happen when they completed their ritual. When she began to moan and ride his invading fingers harder and 63

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faster, Wyatt inserted one more. He needed to stretch her as much as possible before deflowering her tight ass. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt this precious angel. Lifting his head, he looked up over her flat stomach and between her full breasts to see her beautiful face. “Come for me, Melody. Show me how good this feels.” He didn’t mean to make it an order, but that was the way it came out, his voice deep, demanding.

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Chapter Ten

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elody moaned at Wyatt’s order. She knew he wanted her to come. She wanted to come, but she refused to follow his command. If she did what he said now, he may expect her to continue to do so in the future. She had to hold on at least a little while longer. Still, it was difficult with his tongue lashing her clit as he sucked it, his fingers buried deep in her ass as he continued to scissor them back and forth, stretching her beyond belief. Though she tried to keep herself from following his order, it wasn’t long before Melody came with the force of a hurricane. A scream bubbled from her lips as Wyatt continued to suck her clit, his tongue laving the little bundle of nerves, driving her wild. Behind her eyelids, the world exploded into a million tiny fragments of light. Nothing felt like this. Nothing ever compared to the carnal delights Mitch, and now Wyatt, had introduced her to in the last twenty-four hours. Her body stiffened, convulsed as she came. Ripples of delight flowed over her body as he continued his sensual assault on her senses, her every nerve ending, sending her into yet another orgasm. Melody felt her body stiffen, her back arch and her legs clamp around Wyatt’s head yet again. Throwing her head back, she screamed, certain she had truly died and gone to heaven. Nothing ever felt so good before and she despaired 65

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that it would never feel so good ever again. Her body went limp when Wyatt finally gave her clit one last lick. Her body shuddered with aftershocks as he moved up to press his lips to hers. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and Melody tasted her own arousal on his lips. Wyatt moved to her side. “Roll over, angel. It’s time to begin your preparation for the ritual mating.” “Will it hurt?” “I’ll do my best to see that it doesn’t, but it’s bound to hurt a bit.” He rubbed her rear and squeezed, his expression almost apologetic. Rolling over, he opened a drawer in the bedside table and pulled out a bottle of massage oil. “This will help, but you’ll have to trust me. Now get on your knees, but keep your shoulders on the bed.” Biting her lip, Melody stared at the little bottle for a moment before she nodded, rolled over and lifted her rear into the air. She wanted to trust him. She needed to trust him. For years she had wanted this man, staring at his photo on Carmen’s nightstand and dreaming of this while she read her romance novels. Every hero was Mitch or Wyatt, sometimes both. Many times she wanted to experiment, to know what it felt like to love, to be loved, but sex for sex sake wasn’t love and anything less would have made her feel cheap. Wyatt warmed the oil between his hands for a minute before he removed the lid and poured it over her, the warm oil sliding sinuously between her cheeks. Again, he worked his fingers inside her, brushing her clit with his thumb as he stretched her back hole and readied her for his cock. Melody awaited his decision to fill her with both anticipation and trepidation. She knew his cock was bigger than his fingers. She wasn’t blind. It wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t small by any standards either. Deciding to give herself over into his hands, Melody 66

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stopped thinking about it. She vowed she wouldn’t think about anything but the way it felt, and with luck, it would feel wonderful. With her rump in the air and her shoulders on the bed, her nipples scraped across the sheets with every thrust of Wyatt’s fingers. Add the sensation of Wyatt’s fingers in her back hole, his thumb stroking her clit and it didn’t take long for her to push back against him, wanting more, needing more. Melody tensed for a bit when Wyatt moved between her thighs. His cock pressed at her rear opening, found resistance, but he still pushed forward. It burned for a moment. Afterward, she got an overwhelming feeling of fullness as he continued to push his way inside her. Thank goodness for the oil, or she never would have been able to withstand it. “Relax, angel.” Wyatt leaned down to press a kiss between her shoulder blades. “Try not to stiffen up. I’ll move as slowly and gently as I can. If the pain gets to be too much, let me know and I’ll stop.” He continued to press his cock into her well-oiled back hole and entered her with slow, precise movements. She was about to tell him to stop, that the burning sensation was too much when Wyatt reached around her and slid his fingers through her wet folds to encircle her swollen clit. With the distraction of his talented fingers, he managed to settle deep inside her before she could even think to whisper a protest. His sac swung forward, resting against her nether lips as his hips pressed snugly against her rear. She wondered a bit at the near absence of pain just for a moment, until he pulled out and eased his way back inside her. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Wyatt pressed a kiss against her spine. His experienced fingers slid through her slick 67

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folds, driving her closer and closer to anther orgasm. Again he pulled out to slowly drive his shaft back inside her. Melody shook her head. “No. It burned for just a bit, but it doesn’t anymore. You’ve made doubly sure that this wouldn’t be too uncomfortable for me.” She smiled. “In fact, it’s starting to feel good now.” She could feel him trembling behind her as he held himself in tight rein. His gentleness touched her, brought tears to her eyes. Melody felt so cherished, so precious. No one had ever treated her so carefully. Wyatt’s fingers slid repeatedly over her swollen clit as he continued to slowly thrust his cock into her. His precise ministrations brought her closer and closer to another orgasm. Soon, Melody rose up on her elbows. She pushed her rear back against Wyatt as he drove into her over and over. Somehow, she had to make him release his hold on his control. She needed him to drive into her with abandon, to know that she made him lose control just as surely as she lost hers. “Please,” she begged as she continued to push backward, nearly mindless. “I’m not fragile, Wyatt. Please.” She pushed herself back into him as she reached down between her legs to fondle his sac. “Shit, baby.” His voice came out a near growl. “Yes,” Melody said with a moan as he finally lost his control, leaned down and bit her shoulder as he drove into her. At some point, Melody became aware that he had truly lost control when she heard the low growl behind her. His tongue was like sandpaper as it rasped over her skin in a rough caress. She was almost afraid to turn and look behind her. Making love with a man who could shift into an animal was one thing, but being mounted by his animal was something totally different. Still, she gathered the courage to turn and 68

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look. She had to know. Wyatt stared down at her with his blue eyes looking strange. She sighed with relief to see that it was still Wyatt behind her and that he hadn’t lost control to his cat, though it sounded as though things had gotten a bit sketchy for a minute. He thrust forward one last time with a low growl that must have come from deep in his chest. Slowly, he pulled his flaccid shaft from her back hole and took a deep breath. “Stay just like this for a minute, I’ll be right back.” Melody was too tired to argue, she let her legs go limp, her weight taking her down until her butt rested on her heels. As tired as she was she could probably sleep like this. At the touch of a warm cloth against her rear, Melody’s eyes flew open and she stiffened with mortification. “Shh…” Wyatt pressed on the small of her back, holding her in place. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, angel. I’m just trying to make you more comfortable.” Her face felt as if it was on fire. If anything, this was making her feel more uncomfortable. She wasn’t used to this type of intimacy from anyone. Heck, she wasn’t used to any type of intimacy. This could be something every lover did after this type of sex for all she knew. After all, she had no basis of comparison. Wyatt left her for a few minutes, presumably to put the wash cloth back into the bathroom. When he returned, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently on the lips. “Go to sleep for a bit, little one. I’ll wake you when the others return.”

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Chapter Eleven

“W

e have to get Melody to Paradise as soon as possible,” Mitch said as soon as he and Carmen walked through the front door. Both Mitch and Carmen had been gone most of the day. Wyatt stood in the doorway of the kitchen, holding a cup of coffee. “Where in the hell have you two been? You’ve been gone most of the day. We were about to go looking for you.” He narrowed his eyes when what Mitch said finally sank in. “What do you mean we have to get her to Paradise in a hurry?” Melody, who had been cleaning her violin, looked up with a frown. “Paradise?” She looked at Carmen. “Where’s Paradise and why today?” She paused, a look of disbelief crossing her face. “I can’t go anywhere. I have a contract with the Philharmonic.” Carmen made a face. “Forget about the Philharmonic. Forget about your chair and forget about your contract, Melody. You only went for the chair to prove you could get it. You said that yourself.” She moved to sit next to Melody who sat on the sofa absently flipping through the channels on the TV. “Hopefully, Paradise is somewhere your stalker can’t find you.” “Why the sudden urgency? Last night you said I could play tonight.” She turned to look at the one suitcase they carried. It was Carmen’s. “And where are my things?” 70

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Mitch scowled at the worried frown on her face. He didn’t want to have to give her the bad news, but he and Carmen both decided that he needed to be the one to tell her what happened to her things. Slowly, Mitch knelt in front of her, took her hands and kissed each palm. “I can tell something’s wrong,” she said alternating her gaze between them. “What is it?” “Your things no longer exist, angel.” Mitch reached up to press his finger against her lips when she would have said something. “They were mostly gone when we got to your apartment. The door stood ajar and your room was a mess.” He paused, knowing his next words would put fear into his mate’s heart and he didn’t want that. Gods knew he never wanted that, but he could do nothing but tell her the truth, no matter how painful it was. “What was left was shredded beyond recognition. The only things you have left were what you loaned Carmen. They were in her room. Whoever broke in, only wanted to take or destroy your things.” “Oh, my God.” Tears filled his mate’s eyes. Impotent rage filled him as he watched the tears fall from her thick eyelashes. He clenched his fists, wishing he knew who it was that stalked their mate. His tiger roared, screamed with rage at the violation he knew she felt. Her clothing, her under-things, gone or shredded, must have devastated her. Still, after a moment, she straightened her spine and thinned her lips. “I’m not leaving here. I have a contract. I have to stay at least until they can find someone to replace me.” She looked at Carmen. “I know you don’t want to do it.” “Not on your life, sister.” Carmen shook her head. “In fact, I’ve been thinking of going to Paradise myself. I just need to stay and wait for my escorts.” She turned a sly look at her uncles. “You did request the two men I asked you to, 71

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didn’t you?” Mitch shook his head and grinned. “Yes, we did. I hope you know what you’re doing.” Carmen gave them a sly smile. “Yes. I know exactly what I’m doing.” “I hope so, sweetheart. If those two aren’t your mates, I’m going to have words with them if they so much as lay a finger on you. Keep that in mind.” “You’re absolutely no fun, Uncle Mitch,” Carmen said with a pout. “I’m your guardian. I’m not supposed to be fun.” He wanted to laugh at her expression, but knew that anything he said would go in one ear and out the other if he so much as cracked a smile when she stuck her tongue out at him, the little brat. Melody rested her hand on his arm. “I’m telling all of you, right now,” she said as she turned her gaze to Wyatt who just walked into the room carrying two cups of coffee, “I’m not going anywhere. I can’t afford to get sued for breach of contract.” “No one is going to sue you, angel.” Mitch moved to sit beside her on the couch as Wyatt sat on her other side and handed her a cup of coffee. Together, they would either convince her to go or they would take her by force. Obviously they would rather do the former than the latter, but they would do what they must to ensure her safety. “We can buy your contract.” “You’re not buying my contract.” She shook her head. I could never repay you and I won’t be called a kept woman.” She pressed her lips together, adamant. “Unless there’s a concert hall or you two own a music school, buying out my contract is not an option.” She turned a pleading gaze on them. “I can’t let you do this. I know you say I’m your mate, but we just met and all of this is so new to me. I can’t be sure 72

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this is going to even work out between us and if it doesn’t, I can’t owe you two money. I just can’t.” “Then you can work at our school. Paradise has one of the best secondary schools in the country,” he paused then smiled. “Well, at least it used to be considered one of the best until the old council closed the gates to the town and refused to let our sports teams compete with other cities and ended every music program we ever had.” “You have a high school with no music program?” Melody gasped. “How can the children get a well-rounded education without a music program?” “They can’t. That much is obvious. But it’s not much different than human schools that have made budget cuts and done the same.” Mitch smiled and touched her cheek with his finger. He couldn’t help it. He had to touch her creamy skin. He longed to push her burnished hair behind her ear and suckle the lobe, but this wasn’t the time for it. They had to leave and they had to do it very publicly so the person who stalked her would follow. The last thing he or Wyatt would want was for the person to turn his sights on Carmen. He turned to look at his niece. “You stay here in the apartment until your escorts get here. You should be safe enough with the security in this building and the alarm system we have. Just don’t leave here for any reason. If you need anything, call down to Charlie, the bellman and he will get you whatever you want.” Carmen nodded, her expression grim. “I hope this isn’t someone from the old council or something. You know how those creeps are.” She shuddered. “No, Carmen. It’s not one from the old council. This person is an amateur and he knows nothing of our kind or he wouldn’t have left his scent all over your apartment.” He frowned. “We’ll also talk about your apartment later.” 73

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“Uh, oh.” “Yeah, uh oh.” Mitch scowled down at her. “When did you move into that rat trap? Didn’t we give you enough money to find a nice place?” “About that,” Carmen began as she looked at Melody as though to ask her for help. “Mel and I thought that money would be better used by the homeless children’s shelter.” She turned pleading eyes toward Wyatt when he growled. “They were so cold and they were hungry!” Mitch waved his hand. “That’s beside the point and you know it, young lady. Never, ever put yourself in a position where you have to sacrifice your security for another’s wellbeing. If you feel the need to have a project like that funded, ask us and we’ll see that they get what they need without risking your safety. Is that understood?” “Yes, Uncle Mitch.” She nodded at Wyatt who chuffed in a very tiger-like way to show his displeasure. “I understand, Uncle Wyatt. There’s no need to go all tiger on me now.” Melody grinned. “I’d like to see them go all tiger for a bit. I think it would be awesome.” Her smile faded after a minute. “But I suppose that’s out of the question right now.” She sighed and shook her head. “As much as I hate to admit it, I guess I’ll have to let you two take me wherever it is that you think I’ll be safe. But,” she paused, holding up her hand. “You’d better be telling me the truth about a school with no music. I’d love to teach there.”

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Chapter Twelve

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urprisingly enough, the owners of the Philharmonic let Melody and Carmen both go without much of a fuss. They knew about the letters and they knew about the attempt on Melody’s life. The last thing they wanted was the bad publicity of recurring accidents at the theatre. Melody sat between her two men on the way to Paradise. So far, they had only stopped to eat and sleep. Many cool things they passed along the way, like caverns and mines that Melody wanted to see were ignored for her safety, with promises to return in the future. The guys wanted to get her to Paradise as soon as possible. At night, they stopped and stayed in the best hotels with the best security. No one would get to her while they were on the road. At times, she noticed one or both of them checking the mirror and looking at each other as though they could talk into each other’s minds. She wouldn’t put it past them. There were a lot of things they could do that she never thought possible before she met them. One of which was talking into her head. She blushed at the thought that they could read her mind. She was always thinking about one or both of them naked. “And we like it, angel. Never doubt that.” Wyatt pressed a kiss to her neck with a chuckle. It seemed as though their bond got stronger every time they made love. She liked that, but she wasn’t sure she liked 75

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them knowing her every thought. Wyatt grabbed her hand and squeezed. “We don’t know your every thought, sweetheart. We only know when we happen to be thinking of you.” He winked. “Like now. I’ve been thinking how much I want to be inside you.” He grinned. “Sometimes I think it was a bad idea to wait to mate until we got to Paradise, but the anticipation is ratcheting up and now I think it can only be a good thing.” He waggled his brows. “It gave us a chance to make sure you’re ready for a triad bond and we won’t hurt you when we finally take you at the same time.” Melody pressed her hands to her hot cheeks. Heck, if these two didn’t stop talking about it, she might just insist they do it when they stopped tonight, if they stopped tonight. The two of them had seemed a little agitated when they pulled off the road to fill up not too long ago. “Do you think it’s my stalker following us?” She fought the urge to turn around and look. So far, the guys made it seem as though they had no idea anyone was behind them. At least she thought that was the way it looked from outside the vehicle. “I think so.” Mitch glanced into the rearview mirror again. He’s been staying back a few cars, but it would be difficult to miss a large red SUV following us since New York.” Yeah, she could see how that would be hard to miss. She shook her head. You’d think that they would have gotten a less flashy car if they didn’t want to be seen. “Will we be stopping tonight?” “Oh, yes.” Wyatt grinned. “We’ll be stopping tonight, alright. We’ll be in Paradise in about two hours.” He leaned closer to whisper in her ear. “Then we’ll make you ours in every sense of the word, angel. Are you ready?” Melody’s breath hitched as she inhaled. “Oh, yes. I’m so 76

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ready it isn’t funny.” She stared at the road ahead, wondering what it would be like to finally have them both inside her at the same time. She also wondered what it would be like to be the only music teacher in a school with no band or orchestra to speak of. Would the students welcome her or would they think a music class was lame? Sighing, Melody leaned her head back against Wyatt’s arm and closed her eyes. Whatever the children thought of a music program, one thing was certain, her life would not be boring for a long, long time. It was dark when Melody woke. The sedan they drove came to a smooth stop and the bright lights of a diner came into view as she blinked the sleep from her eyes. She looked up at a huge clock over the door. If it was right, it was eight-fifteen and she was starved. “I thought that we would be in Paradise by now.” She frowned up at the bright clock as she slid out of the car behind Wyatt. She looked around at the small town with a frown. The diner was the only thing that even looked open. There was a small department store down the street, a gas station with a repair garage next to that, and what looked like a motel down the street. A portable sign in front of the diner made her choke with laughter. “I suppose that this is the Beat the Cock diner? Both Mitch and Wyatt laughed. “Actually,” Mitch answered, “It’s the Beat the Clock diner.” He shook his head. “You’d think that the Gibson boys would get tired of that prank and find something new to do.” “Oh, I don’t know…” she paused. “If they knew someone new was on their way into town, it might be something fun to watch.” She laughed as the two men looked around with a scowl. 77

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“They’d better be home in bed if they know what’s good for them. Getting on a new teacher’s bad side before they even meet her properly can’t be a good thing.” Melody stifled a laugh at the sound of bushes rustling and running feet slapping the pavement off to their left. “I think you scared them straight.” She rubbed her arms. “It’s cold out here. Do you think we can go inside and get something hot to eat?” “Definitely,” Mitch agreed with a smile. “I’m practically drooling for Sarah Browning’s Wednesday night all you can eat spaghetti.” “Me, too,” Wyatt said as he took her hand and led her toward the door. “You’re in for a treat, angel. This diner has better food than any restaurant in New York.” Looking up at the blinking neon sign over the large clock that read Good Eats, Melody shook her head. She had her doubts, but she was hungry and right now she could eat just about anything. The diner was just like any other old-time diner she’d seen in magazines or TV shows, but this one seemed more authentic somehow. It was as though the round chrome stools at the bar and the chrome accented tables and chairs were antiques, not some retro-looking copies of vintage style furnishings. Everything gleamed like brand new, yet it had an antique scent and feel to it. An odd assortment of items decorated the walls, giving it a whimsical look. A woman walked into the room. She wore a light blue dress with a starched white collar, a little white women’s tie at her throat. Her salt and pepper hair, pulled back in a bun had a few wisps out of place as though she’d been working hard. She blew a strand out of her face, her hands full of glass sugar jars she’d obviously just refilled. “I’ll be with you in a minute.” She set the jars down on the closest table, pulled a few menus off the counter, then a 78

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pad and pencil from her matching, sky blue apron pocket and turned to greet them. “Can I help you?” Mitch grinned. “Sarah Browning. You haven’t changed a bit.” The woman stopped and stared at him for a minute before she grinned. “Mitchell and Wyatt Baldwin!” She ran to give each of them a hug. “I’m so glad to see you. I can’t tell you how many of you boys have been coming home over the years.” She turned to Melody and gave her a welcoming smile. “I hope you’re taking good care of these two, young lady. If not, I’m sure there’s a girl or two around town who would love to take a chance at these two.” Melody liked the woman on the spot. She didn’t judge her for being with two men and after the last few days traveling, she’d been judged quite a bit. It didn’t matter if they got two beds or one, the looks had all been the same. Every one of the looks she received screamed slut just as loudly as if the person had said it aloud. Not with this woman though. Her smile reached her eyes and she looked truly happy to see all of them, not just the guys. “Sit down, sit down.” She pulled a rag from her apron and wiped off a seat for Melody to sit in. “I can’t tell you how honored I am to meet you.” “Me?” Melody looked at her two men with a bemused smile. “Why would you be honored to meet me?” “I’ve been watching your career. Ever since you did that quartet with Miles Abercromby and that cellist.” She sniffed and waved her hand. “He’s an ass by the way. I met him once and I have never met anyone so full of himself before or since.” “You know who I am?” “Of course I do.” Sarah scowled. “And you just tell me if any of the students over there give you any grief. I’ll ban 79

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them from the diner for a month. That’ll teach them.” She leaned down to whisper. “Ask your mates. This is the only place to hang out after school. If they want something to do, they come here. If they can’t come here, they have little to nothing to do.” She grinned at Melody’s stunned expression. “Why the shock? Didn’t you think your mates would call and let us know they had a new music teacher for our schools?” “Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.” Melody smiled up at the older woman. “Thank you. I’ll be sure to tell the more rowdy students your idea for a punishment for acting out in class.” “You do that.” Sarah looked at Mitch. “What would you like to eat?” She looked down and checked her watch as though she didn’t know what day it was. “Since today is Wednesday, would you all like the spaghetti?” “You know that’s why we’re here. Otherwise, we would have stopped at Almost Paradise for one of their hamburgers.” “Hrrmph!” Sara gave him a dirty look. “Their hamburgers aren’t any better than ours, they’re only bigger. Why go there when you can walk here from anywhere in Paradise?” The two men just looked at each other and laughed. “I told you she’d take offense at that, Mitch.” Sarah twitched her skirt and turned. “I’ll just go get you all some spaghetti.” She spun back around and pinned Mitch with a glare. “You’ll be lucky if I get you a glass of water, mister.”

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Chapter Thirteen

“A

re we going to stay at a hotel?” Melody asked as they all piled back into the car after dinner. “No,” Wyatt said with a shake of his head. “We’ll be going to see the alpha, then we’ll go to our parent’s house. They have a bolt hole and an alarm system.” “I thought you guys hadn’t come back here for years.” Melody frowned. “Won’t the electricity be off?” “Nope. The council always makes sure that homes are left in at least fair repair with the power and water on in case someone decides to return. Besides, we were back here last year. We didn’t tell Carmen that because we knew she had a crush on two of the guys here.” He sighed. “It seems as though absence does make the heart grow fonder because she’s just as enamored with them.” He shook his head. “I can only hope they are her mates or they let her down easy. Either way, she’ll be changed when she gets here.” “Oh.” Melody bit her lip and looked away. Wyatt’s cock jerked behind his zipper. She never failed to stir his desire. Whenever she looked at him, licked her lips or even smiled, she stirred his hunger in ways no other woman had ever done. She looked down into his lap and blushed. “Is tonight the night?” “Do you want it to be?” Mitch’s question startled him. Wyatt would have said yes, 81

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instead of giving her the choice. The last few days had been hell. The heat churned in his insides, no longer appeased by the quick sex they managed to have every night before falling into bed exhausted. His beast needed to mate, to truly mate or the heat would drive him mad. He wasn’t sure, but Wyatt thought both he and Mitch held their breath as they awaited her answer. She pursed her lips. “I think I do.” She looked at them and laughed when they both let their breath out on a rush, obviously relieved. “I thought that was the answer you wanted to hear.” She rubbed her stomach. “Besides, I don’t know what it is, but I keep getting these strange burning bellyaches when we aren’t…” She paused, blushing. “Well, you know.” She waved her arm. “I can’t help but think it’s because we aren’t mated.” “That’s exactly why.” Mitch said as he turned into the driveway of a huge Victorian four story home. “Tell me this isn’t your house.” Melody looked up at it with wide eyes. “This isn’t our house. This home belongs to the alpha. We have stopped here to tell him of our arrival and there is something we must do before we can mate you here. It’s…complicated.” Mitch put the car in park and opened his door. “Besides, it’s best that you witness this yourself.” “Okaaaay.” Melody slid out of the car and waited for them to flank her. “I feel a bit like Dorothy.” She shivered. “Well, Melody, he isn’t an all-powerful wizard and the two of us are flesh and blood and neither of us has a cowardly streak. Exactly what part of this makes you feel that way?” She pointed to the yellow brick walkway to the front porch steps and giggled. “Those.” Both Mitch and Wyatt laughed. “Believe it or not, that yellow brick has been there since 82

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the late eighteen-hundreds. The owners of this house never copied anyone.” Wyatt took her hand in his and squeezed. “This is just a formality, but it must be done for us to truly be welcome here.” They walked up the front steps and knocked on the door. “Alpha,” they both said as Adam Greer opened the door. He was muscular in an athletic sort of way, but nothing like Nick Hill who stood next to him. Wyatt felt Melody sidle closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to make her feel more comfortable. “Can I help you?” Adam stood tall, his dark hair tousled as though they’d just gotten him out of bed. “I’m sorry if we’ve interrupted anything, Alpha, but since it was before ten and your lights were on, we thought it best to come to you before going home.” Mitch turned slightly toward Melody. “We have brought our mate home and wish to mate her with your consent.” Adam’s eyes narrowed. “And you wish my consent on a whim? I don’t know you two anymore and I have never known this woman.” He looked down at Melody, his gaze softening a bit. “Why would I give my blessing to two men who have no sworn allegiances in Paradise?” Wyatt and Mitch both knelt in front of the man and bowed their heads, Mitch going first as was proper since he was the oldest. “I pledge my allegiance to you, our alpha, to your enforcer, Nick Hill and to your mate, Amenina. Your lives shall be put above all others save our mate’s.” When the alpha looked at Wyatt, he repeated his brother’s words verbatim, then looked up to see their alpha frowning down at them. “Why do you come here?” He took a deep breath. “I can smell the stench of fear on your mate. Have you brought trouble with you?” Wyatt sighed. “Yes, alpha. Someone seeks to harm our mate. We brought her here because we want to make 83

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Paradise our home again and we hoped that you would help us.” “You mean you hoped I would take care of your problem for you, don’t you?” Adam turned to look into the house behind him for a moment, then sighed and looked at Nick. “She never lets us have any fun anymore.” With a shake of his head, Adam opened the door wider. “Come on in and meet your alpha female.” He grinned. “She’s always stopping us from interrogating returning clan members.” “Get out of the way, you goon.” A very pregnant woman with red hair elbowed her way past the two men and smiled down at them, her hazel eyes dancing with mirth. “Don’t pay any attention to these two. They’d have you on your knees begging for sanctuary for days if they thought they could get away with it.” Amenina McWerty-Greer glanced back at the two men who stood behind her, their arms crossed, each of them watching with a raised brow. “It’s just that we get so few new people around here that they take their fun where they can get it. Unfortunately, it’s usually at someone else’s expense.” She waved them up off their knees. Come on into the house where it’s warm. It’s cold as heck out here with all of this weird weather we’ve been having.” She pulled her coat tighter around her, hiding the fact that her shirt was buttoned unevenly. “What kind of trouble has followed you here to Paradise?” she asked as she led them into a huge living room. “Nick, would you mind making some coffee?” She gave the other man a kiss and whispered something in his ear that made his eyes gleam before he left. “Adam and Amenina Greer, I would like you to meet our triad mate, Melody Madison. We have come here to keep Melody safe.” 84

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“Melody Madison?” The alpha frowned. “Why is that name familiar?” he asked as he and his mate sat down on two of the three chairs that faced the sofa. “You know.” Nina elbowed him in the side. “We read about her in the Mason paper. She’s the—” “The violinist that just had an attempt on her life,” Adam finished for her. He scrubbed his hands over his face. “I remember now. The paper also said that you left the Philharmonic on sabbatical.” He waved his arm. “Sit down before you three fall down. You look exhausted.” They took their seats on the sofa and faced their alphas. Wyatt hoped they would agree to the proposal that got Melody here in the first place. If not, they may have trouble getting her to stay. “She’s come here to accept our proposal and become our mate. She’s also agreed to teach music in the schools if you’ll have her.” Nina bounced in her seat and clapped her hands. “That’s wonderful! I’ve been trying to find someone to teach music here, but no one wants to live so far out in the sticks. The thought that we’ll have a famous concert violinist here may just make our town look little more palatable.” Wyatt smiled. One down, one to go. Two to go if the alpha shares his power with the enforcer, Mitch whispered in his mind. Yeah, two to go, dammit. Whatever happens, at least we have come home and I would look at our parent’s house again before we go. Wyatt took a deep breath, prepared for the alpha to tell them to go pack sand. Why should he allow them to stay when they had only shown their faces in Paradise a handful of times over the last fifteen years? Adam Greer looked between the three of them for some time before he sighed. “As my mate said, we get so little fun here that it has become a rather perverse pleasure to tease 85

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those whom we will end up helping in the end.” He leaned forward. “Let me be the first to welcome our three new clan mates to Paradise, now tell me how I can help you.”

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Chapter Fourteen

M

elody sat in the house alone. She didn’t want her men outside putting their lives on the line for her, but she knew they would never allow her out there with them. Besides, she was the bait. As far as her stalker was concerned, she was home alone, watching TV and the guys had driven in to Mason to get her a wedding ring. She wore the wedding dress that the alpha female found in the attic of her home. It fit her as though made for her. She pulled at the itchy lace sleeve and drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair. Why she had to dress up in this dress and wait, she had no idea. As far as she knew, the guys were only pretending to go in to Mason. They couldn’t possibly drive there and back in the amount of time they assumed her stalker would make his move. Storm clouds moved over the sun as she sat waiting for her men to return. A shutter banged on the window in the next room, making her jump. It figured that they would leave her all alone in this creaky old house while she sat here, pretending to be scared. No. Wait a minute. Who’s pretending? I am scared. This was the first time Wyatt and Mitch left her alone since they met her. It was rather disconcerting. Bored, she thought about what she would do when she met the children tomorrow. What kind of lessons could she 87

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teach them and what kinds of instruments would they want to play? She could read both treble and bass clef music, but that didn’t mean she knew everything there was to know about teaching kids how to play band instruments. Melody bit her lip when another shutter banged against a window upstairs. This house was beautiful, but it was downright creepy during a storm. The cloudy sky made everything seem so dark even though it was barely past four in the afternoon. She looked at the clock and wondered how long they would leave her sit here alone. Twenty minutes had gone by already and she was almost ready to scream. Another loud bang came from somewhere near the kitchen. She tried to ignore it, but that didn’t sound like a shutter. That sounded more like a door being shoved against a wall. Nervous, she ran to the sofa against the wall and sat down, facing the TV as though nothing was wrong. It wasn’t long before she could see someone standing in the archway with her peripheral vision. Turning to face the man whom she now knew had been her stalker, Melody gasped. “Michael! What are you doing here?” She couldn’t believe it was Michael. He was arrogant and fat headed, but she didn’t think he was the violent type. “You have to get out of here, Melody. You’re in danger.” Yeah, from you. “Why would you say that?” she asked, eyes wide, hand to her throat. Looking up at Michael, he looked frantic as though he expected someone to jump out of the woodwork and attack him. Who knew? Maybe he did. He was a crazed stalker after all. He rushed to her side and Melody fought the urge to scream. Maybe she could talk him out of hurting her. She stared up into his eyes, searching for a glimpse of reason. There had to be a little sanity in there. He grabbed her arm and pulled her up. “I’m serious. He’s 88

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come to kill you and God knows if he finds us together, he’ll kill us both.” He ran his free hand through his hair. “I should have seen it. His boy next door good looks, always stealing the girls from me, never making a move on my chair because he knew he would be the first suspect.” He let her go and began to pace. “But if he fixated on you, then turned to me, he would be a serial killer and we’re both first chair. The police wouldn’t have looked twice at him. Why would he want you dead if he was after my chair?” Melody’s stomach flip-flopped when she realized what Michael was saying. “Andrew?” “Yes, Andrew.” The mocking voice came from the archway. Andrew stood there, a gun in his hand and waved it toward them. “How convenient for me.” He laughed. “The two of you are together and I can kill you both and go home. Then I’ll be first chair and the girls and the money will all flock to me.” He was insane. She could see it in his eyes. Where Michael’s eyes had been full of fear and anxiety, the look on Andrew’s face was something she never hoped to see again. He looked…maniacal. “Come on, move closer together so I can frame your boyfriend for murder, Melly. After all, he’s caught you with his best friend. I’m sure the police would believe it drove him completely over the edge to see you with the famous cellist, Michael Harmon. How could he compete with such musical perfection?” He gagged. “Like anything Michael plays sounds like music. It sounds like the baying of hounds to me.” “You don’t want to do this, Andrew.” “Of course I do.” He screamed the words, spittle flying from his mouth as he waved the gun in a wild arc. “What do I have to lose? I have him sitting beside me, always blocking my every move. Now the public wants you. I’ll never 89

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amount to anything in the music world as long as you two are around.” “I’ve retired, Andrew. Haven’t you heard?” Melody held her hands out palms up. “I’m going to be teaching music here in Paradise.” “You are?” Michael turned a shocked look toward her. “Yes, I am. They don’t even have a music program in their schools. I’ve wanted to teach for some time now, but I also had to realize my dream…my grandfather’s dream of becoming a concert musician. Now that I’ve done that. I can retire here and be happy.” She turned to Andrew. “So you see? There’s no reason to kill me.” “He’s my reason,” Andrew said as he leveled the gun at her heart. “I’ll never be anything as long as he’s alive.” “No!” Three people screamed that word just before three large cats attacked Andrew. The gun went off, the bullet striking the huge lion that had lunged at Andrew’s throat. The lion went down as the two tigers, one orange, one white, finished the job of disarming Andrew amidst his screams of terror. He fought, grabbing at the gun before pulling another and pointing it at Wyatt, the white tiger with the beautiful blue eyes. That was when Mitch ended it all. He bit down on Andrew’s neck, snapping his spine. His wild expression went blank and the light left his eyes. Melody, still a bit in shock from seeing the man shift shape into a lion moved next to the large beast that lay dying on the floor. She rested her hand on the thick mane, tears in her eyes as she stared down at the man she had loved to hate for the past year. “Oh, Michael.” She sobbed into her hand as a group of men entered and her mates herded her from the room. How could she live here knowing that Michael had given his life 90

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for her? How would she ever be able to repay such a debt? “He’s going to die because of me.” “Shh, angel. He’s not going to die. The doctor is in there right now.” Mitch cradled her face to his chest, his hand smoothing her hair. “But there was so much blood.” She couldn’t get the sight of it out of her mind. She looked down at the borrowed dress, expecting to see it covered in blood, but there was none. “Don’t worry, angel. We heal quickly. Tomorrow he’ll be up and about yelling for someone to find him an instrument to torture us with.” Melody gasped. “He’s one of the most gifted cellists in the world!” “And most likely the oldest,” Wyatt added dryly. “Believe me when I say that he’s probably had years and years of practice to get that good. He may look thirty, but he could be eighty-seven for all we know.” Mitch shook his head. “A lion shifter. I never would have guessed. I thought they were all but extinct.” “People thought we were the same. I guess there are more shifters out there than we realized. Do you think he’ll want to stay?” Mitch shrugged. “Who knows? He may want to go back to his career. He may want to stay. One thing is certain. He now knows he’s not alone.”

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Chapter Fifteen

M

itch watched as Michael Harmon walked Melody down the aisle in small chapel in the center of town. This was a true marriage ceremony. While polygamy was illegal in the United States, they technically weren’t in any state when in Paradise. Hell, technically they weren’t even in the same dimension. Melody was beautiful in the long, lacy gown that she had borrowed from the alpha female. Nina insisted she wear it for real, now that they were actually going through the ceremony. His mate looked up at him and smiled, her eyes brimming with happy tears. At least he hoped they were happy tears and the shot that the doc gave her hadn’t worn off already. They were surprised and pleased to find out that the doctor had developed a new serum to help with el calor. He, too, had witnessed the drug wearing off too quickly for some, and created a new, stronger serum that seemed to do the trick. Apparently, Michael Harmon wasn’t the asshole that he showed the world. He, like many shifters, decided to hide out in the open. When someone has something to hide and draws attention to themselves, the world sees only what that person wants them to see. The media rarely dug far past the surface, especially if a person shows them what they want to see. 92

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Michael walked Melody down the aisle with the ease of an old friend, which was strange considering she couldn’t stand him until he came clean about who and what he was. Mitch knew she wasn’t fickle. He also knew that Michael could have let Andrew come after her instead of trying to protect her. He and Wyatt would owe the lion shifter for that for the rest of their lives. Mitch watched as his mate moved to stand between he and Wyatt, her face flushed with happiness, her beautiful blue-violet eyes filled with love. His heart nearly burst from his chest at the emotion swirling within it. Gods, he’d become such a damned woman it was pathetic. He took a deep breath and smiled. What the hell? He’d been in worse positions and this woman was worth every change she wrought in their lives. The clergy, a forward-thinking woman who presided over a forward-thinking congregation in Mason stood at the podium in white. Her gown ruffled with the breeze in the outdoor chapel and her golden blonde hair blew out behind her, making her look like some sort of angel or goddess. “We are gathered here to witness the combining of souls.” Her voice rang out the chapel as the people watched. “We join not two souls together today, but three. Two men to one woman as it was meant to be for the people of Paradise.” She smiled over the people watching, her dark brown eyes shot with gold. “If there is anyone here who would challenge this mating, speak now.” She waited a moment and with a smile took Melody’s hands, resting one on each of her mate’s arms. Leaning forward, she whispered to Melody, “Repeat after me.” She straightened and looked at Mitch with a small smile. “I Melody Madison take both Mitch and Wyatt Baldwin to be my husbands in the eyes of the gods.” Melody licked her lips. “I Melody Madison take both 93

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Mitch and Wyatt Baldwin to be my husbands in the eyes of the gods.” “From this day forward I shall cherish our time together, care for them in sickness and in health and love them until the end of my days.” Again, Melody repeated what the woman said. Mitch couldn’t help himself, he stared down at his mate’s mouth as she repeated her vows and couldn’t help but think about what she could do with her talented tongue. It wasn’t until Melody elbowed him with a scowl that Mitch realized he’d missed most of the ceremony and glanced sheepishly up at the clergy. “Am I supposed to repeat something?” The entire town laughed. Wyatt slapped him on the back with a grin. “Boy you’ve got it bad. The serum must be wearing off.” “What? Why?” Mitch looked around at everyone who seemed to be having a great time laughing at him. “The ceremony is over. It’s your turn to seal it with a kiss.” Wyatt shook his head. “I don’t believe you don’t remember repeating the vows.” “Me either,” Mitch said grimly. He looked down at Melody who grinned up at him and batted her eyes. “But then again, I don’t give a damn. Are we married or not?” “We’re married,” Wyatt said with a chuckle. “Good.” Leaning down, Mitch pressed a quick kiss to Melody’s lips and lifted her into his arms. “I’m outta here and so is she. If you want in on this, you’d better follow me home.” Melody shrieked. “Put me down, put me down!” She kicked her legs until he was forced to set her on her feet or drop her. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He scowled down at her. 94

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“Let’s set the record straight, mister.” She poked her index finger into the center of his chest. “We aren’t missing the party your alpha—” “Our alpha.” She stamped her foot at his interruption. “Okay. We aren’t missing the party that our alpha has planned for us. Do you have any idea how hard it is to throw something like that together with a one-day notice? We are not missing it.” Mitch grinned as he looked down at their mate. She looked so beautiful in the white lace gown, her hands clenched into fists resting on her hips and her face flushed with embarrassment or anger. God he was a lucky man. “Yes, dear. Whatever you say, dear.” With a grin, he fell into step next to the two most important people in his world.

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Chapter Sixteen

“I

thought that party would never end.” Wyatt sat on the bed and took his shoes off. He’d already removed his jacket and tie. His shirt hung open revealing his muscular chest and his six-pack abs. Melody sighed. How did she ever get so lucky? All these years she’d berated herself for falling in love with both of these men and they had been a package deal all along. She turned to Mitch who stood shirtless in his bare feet staring at her as though she was some prized artifact he’d searched for all of his life. “I have searched for you all of my life, angel. We both have. It’s no secret to any of us that we must find our mates. We don’t procreate well with those who aren’t our match in every way.” “It’s not to say that children can never be borne of a union that wasn’t meant to be, it’s just not usually done,” Wyatt added from his spot on the bed. “Well not before the old council was in charge, anyway.” Melody twisted her hands together, nervous. She’d never been in the same bedroom with them at the same time. Even when they were traveling, they always got two, adjoining rooms. Not once did they make her feel as though they would force her to mate with the both of them. It had always been her choice. Slowly raising her arms, she reached back to undo the 96

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clasp at her neck. The dress, held up by just that one clasp and the sleeves, fell into an off-white puddle at her feet as soon as she lowered her arms. She knelt down to pick up the dress and hang it over the back of the chair next to her when she heard both of her men inhale sharply. It was difficult not to smile. She wasn’t sure if it would have been from female pride, or embarrassment. All she knew was that she liked their reaction to the sight of the white satin teddy Nina Greer had bought her at a local lingerie shop. Strategically placed ties held it up. It would only take a few quick tugs to have it in a puddle at her feet. She stood still, twisting her hands as her men took in the teddy, the satiny thigh high stockings and her high-heeled shoes. Boy was Nina right when she predicted that they would be speechless. “You’re so beautiful, angel.” Mitch found his voice first. He fingered the button on his slacks before removing them to stand before her wearing nothing more than a smile. Melody pressed her lips together to keep herself from giggling with nervousness. After everything they had done together, she was surprised to find she was apprehensive. Every time they made love to her separately, each of them did what they could to prepare her for this night, yet she was still scared. “Yes, you are the most beautiful woman in the world.” Wyatt stood and let his pants fall to the floor. She jumped when Mitch took her in his arms. “Shh, baby. There’s nothing to be scared of. We won’t hurt you.” “It’s not you I’m scared of.” She smiled ruefully. “I can feel the heat building up within me and I’m afraid of what I might do.” “You could never hurt us. Not now.” Mitch smiled. “But you might be able to after we mate.” “What do you mean?” She licked her lips and got a heady 97

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feeling when his cock jumped in response. “We should have told you this before, but we didn’t know how to bring it up. You seemed so happy to be with us that we didn’t think it would be an issue, but you do have a right to know before we do this.” “I have a right to know what?” She looked at first Mitch, then Wyatt. “What haven’t you told me?” “You’ll be like us after we mate.” “Like you?” “Yes,” Wyatt stepped up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his already hard cock into the crack of her rear. “You’ll be a tiger shifter like us.” She felt him shrug. “We don’t know if you’ll be white or orange, but you will be able to change and you will be able to better defend yourself should someone want to attack you again.” Melody smiled. “Oh, is that all you wanted to tell me? Nina told me that already. In fact, she seemed quite upset that you guys hadn’t already told me. You may get a phone call tomorrow.” She tried not to laugh at their groans. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around Mitch’s neck and pulled him down to give him a kiss. “Now, if you’re done talking, let’s get on with this, shall we?” Melody put everything from her mind when Mitch’s lips met hers. Wyatt pressed soft kisses to her neck while he traced around, tugging and twisting her nipples through the satiny material of her teddy. Reaching up, Mitch cupped her breasts, while Wyatt continued to pull her nipples into hard peaks, occasionally brushing his thumb over the hard nubs while she groaned. The heat, always in her stomach these days, fanned out into the rest of her body. Liquid heat pooled low in her abdomen and wet her thighs. Mitch had already untied the stay that kept the teddy in place between her legs. When he loosened the stays that held the material over 98

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her breasts, he pushed Wyatt’s hand away and leaned down to suck one hard nipple into his mouth, dragging a groan from deep inside her. It was nothing compared to the allconsuming pleasure she felt when Wyatt moved around and suckled her other breast, his teeth scraping the tight bud. Melody threw her head back, her hands going to their heads to hold them to her. Her legs gave out and Mitch lifted her into his arms to carry her to the bed. One on each side of her, they each removed a shoe and stocking. They each caressed a leg, and each of them again took one of her nipples into their mouths. Mitch moved to settle himself between her thighs as Wyatt continued to suckle and tug on her sensitive nipples. “Oh, god.” Was this what life would be like with these two? Was this the way sex would be between them for the rest of their lives? If so, she wasn’t sure she could live through much more of it. Melody moaned when Mitch thrust his tongue inside her. Reaching down, she held his head as he suckled and laved her clit. Her hips came up off the bed when he thrust his fingers into her empty channel and thrust them inside her until she couldn’t think, could only feel. “Please,” she sobbed. Her head tossed on the bed as Wyatt alternately sucked her nipples into tight peaks. “Please. I can’t take anymore.” With her hands still fisted in Mitch’s hair, Melody screamed, her body stiffening, hips rising off the bed. Light burst behind her eyelids as Mitch continued to suck her clit. Wyatt gave her nipple one last nip then moved to lie back on the bed. He fisted his cock, a drop of pre-cum on the tip. “Straddle me baby.” Melody licked her lips and shook her head. “I get to taste you first.” She knelt next to him, lowered her head and sucked him into her mouth. He tasted salty and a bit wild. 99

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Just what she expected because she’d done this before, but she wanted to please him first. She wanted to please them both first, but Mitch wouldn’t wait. He poured a few drops of oil over her back hole and worked it in with his fingers. If the sound of his breathing was any indication, he was very near the edge already. He always got that way whenever he went down on her. She had yet to figure out what it was about the action that turned him on to the point of losing control. She continued to take Wyatt’s cock deep into her mouth while Mitch nudged her ass with the head of his cock. He wasn’t a small man and his cock was always a tight fit. Sometimes, like now, she wondered how they would both fit inside her, but she knew they would. A groan escaped her throat as he tunneled his way inside her, his ever-deepening thrusts growing stronger and stronger as he seated himself deeper inside her. Wyatt fisted his hands in her hair dragging her mouth from his cock when Mitch finally managed to seat himself fully inside her, his sac brushing against her nether lips. “How does it feel, baby?” Mitch asked, then pressed a kiss against her back. “I feel full.” Mitch chuckled. “Not as full as you’re going to feel in a minute.” Melody panted as he pulled almost all the way out then thrust himself inside her again. “I think she’s ready for you.” He pulled out and helped Melody straddle Wyatt. He watched, his cock bucking as his brother and best friend’s cock disappeared into her tight channel. “Gods, she’s tight, Mitch. I can’t imagine what she’s going to be like with you in her ass.” Wyatt groaned. Encouraged by Wyatt’s reaction, Melody lifted herself up 100

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on her knees and slammed herself back down, bouncing in his lap for a bit as she reveled in the sweet sensation of his cock thrusting deep inside her, almost touching her womb. “It feels so good,” she moaned. “She’s going to be heaven and she’s going to feel like we’re heaven, too,” Mitch commented from behind her. “Pull her down, Wyatt.” Reaching up, Wyatt cupped the back of her head and pulled her down for a deep kiss. Melody felt Mitch move between his brother’s legs, then rest the head of his cock against her anus. She took deep breath when he pushed forward. “It burns. You’re too big for me like this.” “Shh…baby.” Mitch stopped his forward assent and rubbed the cheeks of her ass, her back. He bent down and kissed her between the shoulder blades. “We’ll fit. I promise you that and after this, you won’t ever have to worry about el calor again.” Wyatt kissed her again, then looked deep into her eyes. “You do want this, don’t you, angel?” Melody nodded. She did, but she hadn’t expected it to hurt. They had always made certain that everything felt so good for her. It never crossed her mind that this could hurt. It was probably a stupid assumption, but there it was. “Just relax and bear down a bit when I push in.” “It’s okay, angel,” Wyatt whispered against her lips, his hands constantly caressing her back, relaxing her and making her feel cherished. “It will only hurt for a minute. I promise.” Maybe she hadn’t really known them for long, but neither of them had ever lied to her. Biting her lip, she nodded and let Wyatt draw her down against his chest again. Slowly, inch by slow inch, Mitch managed to tunnel his way back inside her ass. Melody was afraid to move. She 101

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wasn’t sure she would ever walk again, but at least it didn’t hurt anymore. “How is it, baby?” Mitch kissed her back as he held himself still awaiting her answer. “How do you feel?” “Full,” she gasped. “I feel so full.” “Well you look beautiful with your hair spread out over Wyatt like a silken curtain, your legs spread wide and my cock in your ass.” Melody whimpered. He knew she liked to hear him talk. Why did he have to make her feel so damned sexy when she lay here between them practically skewered? “Please, Mitch. I can’t stand this. I need you to move.” He pulled out an inch or so then pushed back in. “Like this?” “Yes!” She lifted her chest up off Wyatt and turned to look at him. “I can’t take this anymore. Can’t you feel my body spasm around yours? Can’t you feel me shaking with need? Please!” Wyatt thrust his fingers through her hair and tilted her head for his kiss as Mitch finally began to repeatedly thrust in and out of her. This was what she’d waited for…almost. Turning her head, she pulled away to look into Wyatt’s eyes. “I need this. I need both of you, all of you. Don’t hold back now.” Wyatt pushed her up a bit, fitting his hand between them, he reached down to thumb her clit as he finally began to thrust his hips up into her. Melody couldn’t think of anything but the pleasure as they continued to thrust into her using an alternating rhythm. Her entire body became nothing more than one big ball of need as they tunneled inside her, occasionally their hard shafts pushed in at the same time and touched places she never knew she had before. White-hot heat surrounded her as she felt her orgasm 102

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approach This was what they had prepared her for. This was what she’d dreamed of all of these years and this was the way they were meant to be. Just as her climax peaked and she screamed her pleasure and her love to them, both Mitch and Wyatt growled deep, animalistic growls. Melody gasped when Wyatt’s teeth grew, his incisors growing impossibly long in his still human mouth. She screamed when he leaned up and bit the curve of her neck, while Mitch did the same to her other side. Lightning flashed behind her eyelids as she came one last time, her body clenching, milking theirs as she continued to climax around them. She barely noticed when they both placed their wrists at her mouth, instructing her to bite them as well. Nothing had ever felt this way in her life, and she feared nothing would ever feel the same again. Melody collapsed onto Wyatt’s chest, trying to catch her breath. Mitch slowly pulled out of her and left the room, most likely to get a warm washcloth. They never forgot to clean her up afterward. She wasn’t really comfortable with it, but she was too drained to protest tonight. She would say something about it in the morning. Yes, that was a good idea.

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Epilogue

T

he strains of a classical melody came from near the cafeteria. The sound drifted down the hall as the haunting melody floated through the silent school. There was no sound at all, but that of the duet on the stage inside the school’s previously forgotten auditorium. Wyatt walked down the hall, Mitch on his right as they held a small girl’s hand. This was the girl they had been looking for, the daughter of one of the Tudra’s victims. They managed to wrest her out of the human’s system for orphans and brought her back to Paradise where she belonged. She was a sweet little girl with large blue eyes that reminded him of Melody. She stopped just outside the auditorium and she swayed between them, the music obviously reaching something deep inside her. It was a start. The humans said that she hadn’t spoken once since they found her. Wyatt’s lip curled at the look of relief on the man’s face when they said they were her uncles. It was a lie, of course, but what did it matter? The girl was back here where she belonged and she was about to meet her new mother. The girl swayed to the music and hummed along. Whatever her name was, Mitch was relatively certain she had been the daughter of one of their neighbors who escaped with his wife while she was pregnant with the babe. Of course, the Tudra couldn’t let them go. No, they hunted 104

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them down and slaughtered them, but not before her parent’s had the foresight to drop her off at a daycare and leave her to the human system. Anything was better than a young girl in the hands of the Tudra, and anyone from the old council. The duet drew to a close and when the cellist looked up, the girl screamed… “Daddy!” The half million-dollar cello hit the floor and Michael flew up the aisle. “Alexa!” Michael fell to his knees and drew his daughter into his arms. “I thought…I thought she was dead.” He buried his face in her neck and he cried. Melody walked up with a smile, tears shining in her eyes. “No wonder he always acted like such a jerk. He missed his baby.” Mitch smiled down at her. “We brought her home for you, but I see she’s in good hands.” Melody gave them both a kiss, then walked back up the aisle and onto the stage. “Attention, everyone. The rest of the music class is cancelled for the day. You may go outside and have a recess if you want. Just don’t be late for your next class.” The kids stood and scrambled for the door as though they were afraid she would change her mind and call them back. She turned back to them and gave them both a smile. Wyatt felt that same familiar wrenching in the vicinity of his heart that he always felt when she smiled at him like that. He rubbed the center of his chest and thanked the gods that he and Mitch had brought her here. Without her, there would be no more light for them here, no more happiness. She was their music, their song, their Melody in Paradise.

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About the Author Tianna Xander is an eclectic author of numerous paranormal, sci-fi, time travel romance erotica books. Gaining inspiration for her characters and dialogue through her family and her addiction to the internet, she never fails to amaze readers with each new book she creates. As a reading junkie herself, Tianna has no problem reading whatever is available at the moment from romance novels, murder mysteries and encyclopedias to books on solar energy. Tianna’s life wouldn’t be complete without a happily ever after of her very own. She resides in Michigan with her husband, two children, three cats, two dogs and an intimidating bunny. Never one to fail to give credit where it’s due, she commends her family for their constant support. After writing many books and receiving rave reviews, her family is just as proud of her. Always full of ideas, Tianna rarely puts the pen down, so readers can look forward to many more exciting stories in the future. Find other books by Tianna at www.extasybooks.com, www.devinedestinies.com. Visit Tianna’s website at www.tiannaxander.com or join her yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TiannaXander/.