Mating Heat Cort and Boone are best friends, working together and often loving women together. Taking a hot little blonde to a motel and sharing her is nothing new for them. The lingering thoughts of the woman are. Neither of them can stop thinking about her. When they discover Nix being held against her will, they jump into action, but it's not the kind they are normally used to. They are suddenly able to shift into huge, furry beasts. Confused and shocked, they take Nix home only to discover Nix is an Other, as in other than human. She has powers, a life force, and a need for deep secrecy. She belongs to a world Cort and Boone have never heard of but suddenly find themselves a part of. Their only problem? Someone else knows about Nix, and she's at the top of their list of most wanted. Cort and Boone and their friends have to plan fast and work even faster to save Nix and the others of their kind that are in danger. But first, they have to figure out who the bad guy is.
Genre: Fantasy/Ménage a Trois/Quatre/Paranormal Length: 56,562 words
MATING HEAT Stormy Glenn MENAGE AMOUR
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Amour MATING HEAT Copyright © 2010 by Stormy Glenn E-book ISBN: 1-60601-975-9 First E-book Publication: September 2010 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2010 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
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DEDICATION To Liam, welcome to the family.
MATING HEAT STORMY GLENN Copyright © 2010 Chapter 1 Nix knew she drew every man's attention the moment she walked into the smoky bar. The rowdy noise that had caught her notice initially fell silent. She paused on the threshold for effect, a little smirk crossing her lips.
Human males are so easy. Throwing just a little extra sway in her hips, Nix strolled across the smoky room to the wooden bar. She wasn't in the least bit surprised when a path opened for her, men and women alike moving quickly out of her way. "Wha—" The bartender choked. He cleared his throat, then tried again. "What can I get you, miss?" Nix pushed her long curls out of her face, wishing just once in her life that her long, blonde hair would do what she wanted and not fly all over the place. "What do you have that's really cold?" she asked in her sultriest voice. "Beer?" "You can't give a fine-looking woman like this a beer, Sam," said the first man brave enough to approach Nix, stepping up to stand next to her. "Only champagne for her." Nix knew immediately that he wouldn't do for her purposes. Besides the fact that he had an odd smell to him, she hated champagne. It always tasted kind of sour to her, and the bubbles just made her nose twitch. Nix raised one perfectly arched eyebrow as she turned to pin the offending man with her gaze. She just stared at him until he dropped his head and moved away. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to the bartender, only to find him staring at her as if he were a deer caught in headlights. She reached out and snapped her fingers in front of his face, jerking him out of his trance. "Something cold?" she asked again. Nix could see the effect her low, sultry voice had on the man when he dropped the mug in his hands, the glass shattering all over the floor. She just smiled. Usually Nix enjoyed the effect she had on men, especially human men. She would be lying if she said it didn't boost her ego when they fell all over themselves when she gave them just a hint of her attention. Tonight, it could be a benefit to her plans. Tonight, Nix had every intention of finding a human male and rocking his world. She would face the consequences of her actions tomorrow. Tonight, she just wanted to forget. While the bartender cleaned up the broken glass, then hurried off to get Nix something cold to drink, she turned to survey the room. Her prospects didn't look good. In fact, they looked downright dismal. Most of the men in the bar wouldn't even have garnered her interest if she didn't have an itch to scratch tonight. They were too mesmerized by her presence. Just once, Nix wanted a man who wasn't bowled over by her looks. Usually having a well-endowed chest and a tight, curvy ass, legs that went on forever, long, curly blonde hair, and deep blue eyes would be considered a blessing. Tonight? Not so much. Her looks were what had gotten in her into this mess in the first place. However, she wasn't above using them to get what she wanted, and tonight she wanted hot, steamy, fuck-me-until-I-can't-walk sex, and lots of it. With that thought uppermost in her mind, Nix grabbed the drink the bartender set down on the bar and started moving through the room, taking measure of each man present. By the time she had made it halfway across the room, Nix already had thoughts of leaving. While she wanted for hot monkey sex with a complete stranger, a human at that, even she had standards. Between the smell of stale beer and cigarettes, the unshaven faces, and the leering looks she got, dismal might not even described her choices. Just as Nix started to turn toward the door, having every intention of finding a different bar, she heard a low chuckle. The deep rumble sent a shudder of delight through her body, starting at her head and ending in her toes and hitting every erogenous zone in her body on the way down. Nix set her beer down on the nearest table as she tried to hone in on the source of that chuckle. She tilted her head to one side and tucked her hair behind her slightly pointed ear. Then she waited. Her reward came a moment later when she heard the voice that belonged to her rumbling chuckle. It was quickly followed by an answering chuckle, this one just as low, just as tingly, and just as sexy. Both were coming from the low-lit area to the back of the bar. Ignoring the hands reaching for her, the crude voices calling out to her, Nix followed the sound of those chuckles. She was intrigued, and suddenly ravenously aroused. Nix passed several tables until she reached a small set of steps leading up to what seemed like a pool hall. Several men stood around a pool table. They were a rough-looking bunch, dressed as they were in jeans and leather.
While several of them might have fit her purposes for that night, Nix was only interested in the two who had sent a shiver of lust through her body. And she spotted them almost immediately. They were impossible to miss. One leaned back against the wall, a beer bottle in one hand. The other hand hung on his belt loop by a thumb. Faded jeans clung to his long, thick legs. His dark auburn hair fell in soft waves to the collar of his white cotton shirt. His shirt stretched tight over his chest to the point Nix could make out every sculpted muscle. The other man leaned over the pool table, a pool cue in his hand, his entire concentration focused on the small round balls on the green felt top. From her vantage point at the entrance to the pool hall, Nix could just make out the dark chocolate brown of his eyes. Nix loved dark chocolate, and she certainly would mind finding out if he tasted just as good as he looked. What she wouldn't give to be standing behind the sexy man at this very moment. She had no doubt with the way he was stretched out over the pool table that his tight jeans would be molding his ass like a second skin. Nix wanted to see more, a lot more, and preferably without clothes. The beating in Nix's chest thudded faster, an unusual reaction for her. Usually, she was the one causing the rapid heartbeat. It was a sensation she wasn't sure she liked. Still, Nix wasn't about to give up an opportunity when it presented itself. And this one was waving bright, colorful flags all over the place. Nix expected to start hearing a band playing a “Hallelujah” chorus at any moment. Walking up the steps, Nix slowly stepped into the low-lit area. She knew the minute the two men spotted her. Hell, she knew the minute every man there spotted her. Instant arousal permeated the air like a thick cloak of fog. But Nix was only concerned with the interested glances from the two men she had in her sights. "Can I play?" she said, using her most seductive voice. It wasn't like she didn't know it sounded seductive. Men usually melted when she turned her voice on them. Back home it wasn't anything special. In the human world, it could bring a full-grown man to his knees. Nix was intrigued by the dark auburn eyebrow that arched at her words. It was quickly followed by a slow, easy grin crossing one man's lips that made Nix's knees shake. Nix had an immediate desire to find out what else those lips could do. "This is a mighty hard stick, honey," one man drawled lazily, indicating the pool cue in his hand, but they both knew he referred to something else. "Do you know how to handle a hard stick?"
Oh yes! Nix placed both of her hands on the edge of the pool table and leaned closer to the man who had moments before been shooting. She squeezed her arms together just enough to push her breasts together beneath her red spaghetti-strap tank top, creating a whole lot of cleavage. "I've never played with a hard stick I couldn't handle." She leaned back and began a leisurely walk around the pool table. She trailed her hand along the hard wood until she stood between the two men. She wrapped her hand around the pool cue the man held in his hand, then moved her hand up and down slowly. "Of course," Nix said, raising her eyebrow in a challenge as old as time, "I'm hoping you can show me some good moves." Just to make sure the other man knew he was invited to the same party, Nix turned her attention to him. He wasn't smiling, but there was a decidedly interested glint in his eyes. "Do you play as well?" "I've been known to," the man replied in a deep Southern drawl that had Nix nearly creaming her jean shorts. She heard a snicker from behind her. "Well, hell, Cort, I'll teach the little lady how to play pool if you're not interested." Nix turned to glance at the man who had spoken. She looked him up and down, dismissing him as a candidate for her party plans. She was only interested in the two gorgeous men in front of her. Cort bent his head slightly forward. "Oh, I'm interested."
Well, hot damn! "I think from the way that Boone is drooling that he's interested too, Cort," another voice called out. "What? Are you going to flip for her?" Nix glanced over at the man she had first talked to. He must be Boone since the other man was named Cort. She smiled as a sensuous light seemed to pass between the three of them. "Can't you both show me how to play?" Despite the laughter sounding behind her, the grin on Boone's face and the answering one on Cort's gave Nix the answer she wanted. She would be enjoying the luscious bodies of both men tonight. Nix felt a wave of uncontrollable lust pass through her as Boone looked her over seductively. If they had been anything but human, she knew they would be able to smell her want, her need. "Maybe the three of us could discuss the game over a drink?" Boone asked when his eyes finally came to rest on hers. The meaning of his gaze was obvious. Nix knew if she left she would be leaving with both men, and there would be no drinks involved. The implication sent waves of excitement through Nix. The closeness of the two men was like a drug, lulling her to euphoria. She happily nodded her head. "I'd like that. I'd like that very much."
Nix glanced over at Cort to see if he was in agreement, surprised when he made no attempt to hide the fact that he was watching her and that he liked what he saw. A quiver surged through Nix's veins when she noted her effect on him. It was blatantly obvious in the large swell under the zipper of his jeans. Suddenly tired of the game they played and wanting to get down to the hot sex, Nix let her arousal show on her face. Her heartbeat skyrocketed at the nearly instant darkening of Cort's eyes. "Would you think badly of me if I suggested we go somewhere more private for that drink?" she asked, pouting her lips playfully and glancing back at Boone. "I'm game if you are," Boone said. He glanced past her to his friend. "Cort?" Without a word, Cort stepped forward. His hands slipped up her arms, bringing her closer to his hard body. In one forward motion, Nix was in his arms. She felt drugged by his clean, manly scent. The next thing Nix knew, she was being whisked through the bar and out the front door. Before she had time to catch her breath, Boone lifted her into a truck and climbed in beside her. A moment later, the driver door opened, and Cort climbed in. Nix didn't even wait until Cort had the truck started before she leaned across the seat and pushed herself against Boone's much larger body. Gathering her in his arms, Boone held her snugly. Nix felt his lips move across her cheek, eagerly seeking her lips. A long moan of satisfaction fell from her lips when she finally felt Boone's mouth settle over hers. His closeness was so male, so bracing, Nix felt her skin prickle at his touch. This was what she had been looking for. Nix gave herself up to Boone's kiss, savoring the raw, masculine taste of his lips. She had no doubt, just from this one simple kiss, that Boone was going to be able satisfy the ache coursing through her body. He just better do it soon. Nix felt like her body was about to go up in flames. She scooted up in his arms, straddling his lap. Boone's hands instantly settled on her hips as he tried to pull her back into the kiss. But Nix wasn't having it. She had other places that needed to feel his lips. Nix grinned, then grabbed the bottom edge of her tank top and whipped it over her head. She felt like she would be forever grateful that she had gone without a bra when Boone's eyes nearly bugged out of his head and a wicked grin crossed his lips. He reached out and fondled one large globe, its pink nipple marble hard. Nix groaned at the burning touch. She grabbed his other hand and placed it against her other breast. She needed more, oh so much more. Her senses reeled as if short-circuited when Boone leaned forward and took her nipple into his mouth. His tongue running over the hard little nub made her quiver. Nix's head fell back on her shoulders as Boone switched nipples. Her heartbeat throbbed in her chest. "Fuck!" Nix turned to see Cort watching the show from the driver's seat. The heat in his eyes as he gazed at her nearly naked body almost scorched her skin. She smirked, absently noting his tight grip on the steering wheel, then reached for the buttons on her jean shorts. She knew she couldn't fuck both men in a truck. Someone had to drive. But she could certainly tease them enough to ensure she got royally fucked by both men once they got to wherever they were going. Nix glanced up at the ceiling. Judging it to be tall enough, she scooted off of Boone's lap and stood up, bending over at the waist until her face was nearly in Boone's lap. She laughed at Boone's less than quiet protest when he reached for her and she evaded his grasp. Sticking her ass out, Nix grabbed the edges of her shorts and slowly pushed them down her legs until they landed on the floor. She thought Boone's heart was going to beat right out of his chest when she straddled his lap again and his hands landed on her bare ass. Nix lowered her voice, being purposely seductive. "Now, show me how you play." She felt Boone's hands tremble against her naked skin as he began to slowly caress her. His hands moved over the curve of her ass and up past the hollow of her back to her shoulders, then back down again. Nix delighted in the feel of his callused hands on her body. Boone seemed to know just where to touch her to get her temperature rising to a fever pitch. Nix began to wonder if she was going to make it to their destination. She couldn't remember ever being this aroused this fast. "Touch me," Nix ordered, refusing to beg. Boone responded by arching his eyebrow at her, demanding words. Suddenly, she was lifted and swung around, her back coming to rest against Boone's muscular chest. Hands grabbed her legs and pulled them apart to rest on the outside of Boone's. Nix knew that the situation had moved out of her control and into Boone's when he moved his legs, spreading hers wide and opening her up to his questing fingers. Her body jerked with exquisite delight when Boone's fingers reached down to her hot center and gently moved against her clit. She reached her hands up to clench in his hair, holding on as Boone tortured her. Nix let loose with a low cry when Boone's fingers sank into her. She couldn't keep herself from pressing down on them, wanting more. "Damn, she's a hot little thing," Cort growled from the driver's seat. "How does she feel, Boone?" "Fuck, she's so wet, Cort," Boone said. "I think my fingers are going to burn off."
"Gimme some." Nix cried out in protest when Boone pulled his fingers from her body, but the look in Cort's eyes when he licked the wetness off of Boone's fingers nearly had her coming right there and then. She knew it didn't matter if they hadn't reached their destination. She was about to get fucked. Cort growled low in his throat. Nix felt it echo throughout her body, hitting every nerve ending. Her hands clenched in Boone's hair. If she didn't get some release soon, she just might die from need. At this point, she wasn't above begging, and they hadn't even gotten to the good stuff yet. "Please," Nix begged, yanking on Boone's hair. "I think our girl's feeling needy, Cort." Boone chuckled. Nix liked being called their girl. It spoke to something deep inside of her, something she wasn't quite ready to address. But the words alone were enough to drive her arousal up another notch. Nix started moving her body against Boone's hoping to entice him to touch her again. She needed his touch as much as she needed her next breath. And she hadn't even addressed her need for Cort's hands on her body. When Boone's fingers sank back into her, Nix couldn't stop her long wail of delight or her body from arching into his touch. Boone's fingers began a rapid thrusting into Nix until she was nearly mindless with pleasure. They could have thrown her over the hood of their truck and fucked her on Main Street, and she would have begged for more. When Boone's fingers closed over her swollen nipple, Nix couldn't take the pressure anymore. Her body bowing out, hands grasping Boone's hair in desperation, Nix let her climax flood over her body. Her cries of release slowly died down to whimpers as she shattered into a million glowing stars. "Sweet hell!" Boone's broken whisper sounded in her ear. Nix barely acknowledged the hand that held her nor the sound of the truck coming to a stop. She couldn't. Shudders continued to rock her body as Boone relentlessly thrust his fingers into her. Another wave of pleasure built in Nix as she heard the door open. She opened her eyes to see Cort standing there right before he pulled her from Boone's arms and tossed her over his shoulder. Nix had just a moment to accept the fact that she was being carried bare-ass naked across a parking lot and into a motel room before a door was opened and she was tossed onto a large bed. Before Nix could complain at the rough treatment, her gaze was drawn by the two men standing at the bottom of the bed stripping their clothes of as if they were on fire. A giddy little giggle escaped her lips when they dropped their clothes to the floor and both dove onto the bed at the same time. Three sets of arms and legs tangled together before Nix found herself leaning back against Cort's chest as he rested against the wall. Boone crawled up between Nix's legs. Nix was in a maelstrom of pleasure. Passion pounded the blood through her body as Cort caressed her breasts, tugged at her nipples. His tongue began licking at the soft shell of her ear, his teeth nipping at the edge. "Do you know what I'm going to do to you, baby?" he whispered. Nix had an idea, especially when one of his hands moved down to caress her between her butt cheeks. Nix had never been particularly fond of anal sex, but tonight she was willing to try anything. Not to be left out, Boone spread Nix's legs apart. "I want to taste this sweet pussy," he said as he settled his mouth over her. Nix gasped in sweet agony as Boone's tongue began to thrust into her much as his fingers had in the truck. The dual pleasures were exquisite, almost mind-numbing. Nix's moans began to fill the room as she felt another orgasm fast approaching. The flick of Boone's tongue against her clit took what was left of Nix's control. She screamed out her release, Boone lapping up every drop of her juices. "I can't wait any longer," Cort ordered. Nix was awash in a mix of chaotic emotions and sensations. Her eyes fluttered a bit when she heard a soft rustling until Boone grabbed her legs and flipped her over. "You ready for me, baby?" Cort asked. She was more than ready, even if her arms and legs shook so hard that she thought they might collapse. Strong hands gripped her hips, lifting her over the top of Cort. Her legs settled on each side of his body, the apex of her thighs over his groin. Nix couldn't help but rub her slick folds over his hard cock. It just felt so good. The head of Cort's cock pushed against her, sliding over her clit and sending a shock of electricity through her. Nix was pretty sure if this continued for just a few more moments, she would come from this alone. When two slick fingers slid into her back entrance, Nix's body stiffened. She had to take several deep breaths before her body would relax and accept the fingers pushing into her. Once she did, the feeling wasn't actually that bad. Cort continued to rub his cock against Nix, almost distracting her to the fingers in her ass until Boone added a third one. Nix let out a gasp. She felt full but not as full as she knew she would be when Boone took her. She had seen the size of his cock earlier, and it was impressive. "Brace yourself, darlin'," Boone said from behind her, laughter filling his deep voice. Nix's breath caught in her throat when Boone pulled his fingers free and replaced them with his thick cock.
Cort's hands gripped her hips at the same time. He lifted her up and impaled her at the same time Boone sank into her from behind. Nix's entire body trembled and became one large erogenous zone as the world exploded around her. Every soft caress, every little touch of Cort and Boone's lips on Nix's body increased the level of her arousal. Her skin burned. Her body ached. Her mind reeled. Cort and Boone were worshiping her body. Cort's hands explored Nix's thighs, then moved up to her taut stomach. They stroked the skin of her full breasts, outlining the tips. His fingers burned into her tingling flesh. Boone's hand caressed the rounded curve of her ass cheeks, then moved around her hips and down to where Nix's world was centered. Her hot, slick folds parted, and then Boone's fingers zeroed in on Nix's clit, stroking it to the tempo of his thrusts. Cort thrust. Boone withdrew. Boone thrust. Cort withdrew. Never once was she left unfilled or wanting. On and on it went until Nix didn't know where she began and they ended. She breathed in a deep, soul-drenching draft of air, then screamed as she came in long, surrendering waves. A moan of ecstasy slipped through Nix's lips. She was filled with an amazing sense of completeness. Loud roars of completion rang in her ears. Hard fingers dug into her flesh, and she was filled with the signs of both Cort and Boone's releases. Nix collapsed forward onto Cort's chest, her body melting against his as she succumbed to the mind-numbing sleep of a satisfied lover. Her last thought before she fell asleep was that she wanted to have these two remarkable humans again.
Chapter 2 Nix opened her eyes slowly trying to remember where she was. A pleasurable ache between her legs instantly brought forth visions of the two men who had, surprisingly, rocked her world. Who'd a thunk it? Nix hadn't. Cort and Boone had fulfilled every desire she had last night, and a few she hadn't even known about. The number of men, both human and Other, that Nix had actually had sex with could be measured in single digits, but of all of them, none had satisfied her like Cort and Boone had. She pushed herself up on her elbows and glanced around the room looking for her two lovers. She was a little annoyed that she couldn’t immediately spot Cort and Boone. She had plans to experience them again before she needed to head home. Pushing herself to the side of the bed, Nix stood and walked to the bathroom. She was surprised to find it also empty. A stroll through the room and a quick glance out the window told her that she had been abandoned by her two lovers. Nix was shocked at how much anger filled her. She stood there staring out the window at the empty parking spot that had been filled with their truck the night before, blank, confused at how shaken she felt. They were humans, not even Other. Didn't they understand the gift that Nix had given them the night before? She was Nixona Lissësúl, Princess of Dorthon. She was an elf Princess. Man flocked to her in droves, fought for her favor, died for her. How dare Cort and Boone leave before she gave them permission to do so? Nix spun to face the room. In a fit of rage, she waved her hands in the air. Pillows and blankets flew off the bed and pictures fell from the wall. Lamps smashed on the floor. Nix waved her hands over and over again until she felt a strange wetness on her cheeks. Nix wiped at the moisture streaming down her face. She stared down at her wet fingers in astonishment. She was crying. Nix sniffled. What was happening to her? She never cried. It was a sign of weakness, one that could be exploited by anyone from her world. And it would be, too. Those of her world would do anything to gain power and influence. Her confusion almost tangible, Nix walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. She wiped more tears from her face and stared at them. She experienced a gamut of perplexing emotions, everything from resentment to insecurity. Her head swirled with doubts. Why had Cort and Boone left her? She had been sure that they had felt the same mind-numbing passion that she had. Was she wrong? Had she not satisfied them in some way? Nix knew she had passed out from a passionate overload, but she had heard both Cort and Boone roar out their release. No man, human or Other, cried out like Cort and Boone had unless they had enjoyed themselves immensely. There were just some things that a man couldn't fake. Orgasms of that proportion were one of them. Nix breathed in shallow, quick gasps as she searched for a plausible explanation for her chaotic emotions. Why should she care so much that they had left before she woke? She had gotten what she wanted from them, hadn't she? She had gone looking for hot, anonymous sex. She had gotten exactly what she had wanted and then some. Cort and Boone were magnificent in bed. They weren't bad to look at, either. Maybe that was why she was so upset that they had left. She had wanted one more round with the two gorgeous men. Nix laughed at her own stupidity as she wiped the last of the tears from her eyes. She couldn't fault Cort and Boone from leaving after they had fucked. If she had wanted more, she should have said so. They were human, after all, and humans were complicated. Nix glanced around the room at the destruction she had wrought. She grimaced. She'd bet that the nightly rate didn't cover trashing the room. Nix waved her hands, watching as the pictures flew through the air to hang back on the walls. The pillows and blankets landed on the bed.
She winced, filled with regret at the shattered lamps on the floor. Even her magic couldn't fix those. Nix carefully picked up all of the broken pieces and dropped them in the trash can in the bathroom. Back in the main room, Nix pulled her tank top and jean shorts back on. She glanced around the room one last time. Even if it was a cheap motel room, she doubted that she would ever forget it. You just couldn't forget a night like last night. Nix reached for the door handle when an ache deep inside her abdomen nearly brought her to her knees. Nix grabbed at her stomach as her mind clouded with uneasiness. The throb slowly abated. She took a deep breath and tried to relax. After several minutes, Nix reached for the door handle again. She cried out as another ache swept through her body, settling in her abdomen for a second time. Panic like she'd never known before welled in her throat. The sensation was almost debilitating as it grew. It started out as a low throb and continued to build until Nix wanted to cry out in sweet agony. It swept through her entire body but seemed to originate from her abdomen. Nix sank to the floor, swallowing with difficulty. Each small throb seemed to beat in time to her heartbeat. The faster she breathed, the faster the ache pulsed inside of her. It wasn't painful exactly, but it was incredibly uncomfortable. Nix pressed her legs together to relieve the ache. It just made it more severe. She rubbed her hand between her legs, crying out when the ache throbbed even more. Nix fell back onto the floor. She became nearly mindless as she pressed her hand against her inflamed clit. She could feel her breasts tingling against the cotton fabric of her shirt. Her pussy pulsed against the seam of her jean shorts. Nix suddenly cried out, her body arching as a powerful orgasm rocked her body. She lay there panting, the ache between her legs temporarily alleviated. A shudder passed through her. Nix had never had something like this happen to her. Sure, she masturbated when she needed to. Didn't all women? But to have been consumed so much with need that she ached? Never! Nix pushed herself up to lean against the wall. Her mind was in chaos as she tried to weigh the sequence of events. She knew if she just went over everything from the night before she would be able to figure this out. She had run from her home wanting just to find someone who could distract her for a little while and make her forget the mess her life was in. She had found Cort and Boone, who had both given her a night she would never forget. But they were human…weren't they? Sudden realization dawned on Nix. She felt screams of frustration lodge in her throat as the knowledge slammed into her. Nix, an elf Princess of Dorthon, had somehow mated with the two men she had slept with the night before. And she was in mating heat. **** "Cort," Boone began as he leaned back against the kitchen counter two days later, "I still don't feel right about leaving her all alone in that motel room." Cort rolled his eyes. Just once he wished that Boone wasn't so softhearted. He set his coffee cup down on the counter and stared across at Boone. "Boone, she was a hooker. You know as well as I do that once you're done, you leave." "Maybe she wasn't," Boone said quickly. "Maybe she just—" "One," Cort began, counting on his fingers, "she came into a bar dressed in almost nothing. Two, she came on to us like white on rice. She propositioned us. Three, she went to a motel room with two strangers and fucked them. Are you trying to tell me she wasn't a hooker?" "No, I guess not." Cort hated to see the disappointed look on Boone's face, but they both had to face facts. The woman they had been with was a hooker. She had to be. Granted, Cort and Boone weren't bad-looking, but neither of them had women throwing themselves at them like she did. Hell, they hadn't even gotten her name, just piled into the truck, then motel room. Then they had piled into her. Cort and Boone had shared women before. They just hadn't shared a woman like her before. She had taken them both on. Everything that they wanted to do to her she had lapped up like a kitten with a bowl of cream. Cort would be lying if he said he hadn't wanted more. She had been a hot little thing. She had certainly rocked his world. Cort couldn't remember ever having come so hard in his life. He had felt his orgasm start in his toes and shoot up through his body, hitting every nerve ending he had until it exploded out of his cock. He wouldn't mind having another go at the woman, but he knew that his career didn't allow for repeat visits. It was too dangerous for all of them. Too many ears, too many eyes, all could be sitting back waiting to betray Cort or Boone. And that was a chance neither of them could take. "Boone, man, you need to get your head off that woman and back in the game," Cort said. "We need to go over the details of this mission with Dane before we have to leave." Boone nodded, as Cort knew he would. "Yeah, you're right. I still don't like it, but I get what you're saying." "Come on then. Dane's waiting for us," Cort said as he waved his hand for Boone to follow him. He heard Boone give a heavy sigh, then set his cup down on the counter. A moment later, Boone's heavy footsteps sounded behind him. Cort walked down the hallway to the office. He cautiously peeked around the corner to see what Dane was doing. Dane was not a man anyone snuck up on, not if he wanted to keep his head attached to his shoulders.
Luckily, Dane seemed to be reading over some files on his desk. He didn't even look up from the file as he waved his hand for Cort and Boone to come in. "You might as well come in, jackass. I heard you coming a mile away. And shut the damn door behind you." Cort grinned as he stepped into the room. He walked over and sat down in a chair across from Dane. Boone followed right in behind him and shut the door. He sat in the chair next to Cort. Both men gave their entire attention to the man across from them, the boss man. "This job is simple surveillance, boys. The client wants his business watched. He's been having some supply issues over the last few months, and he suspects one of his employees." "Supply issues?" Cort asked, getting right down to business. "Can you be any more specific?" "Some very sensitive chemicals have gone missing," Dane replied. "If it was just a few items, he'd chalk it up to petty theft, but the client believes that one of his employees is somehow transporting these chemicals out of the facility without him knowing. He wants to know who." "Shouldn't this be a police matter?" Boone asked. Cort nodded his head in agreement. He was a little confused as to why they would be watching a business for theft instead of the police. It didn't make a whole lot of sense. "Normally, that would be true, boys, but in this case the chemicals in question are used in some of their research. It has very few uses beyond that. For someone to be stealing these chemicals, they either have to be setting up their own research lab or using it for illegal reasons. The client would like to try and settle this in-house before bringing the police in." Cort sat forward in his seat. "What sort of research?" Dane shrugged. "I didn't ask, and neither should you." Cort desperately wanted to roll his eyes, but he knew if he did, Dane would probably reach across the desk and punch him. Dane didn't take ridicule well, not that Cort was doing that. It was just hard to explain that to someone when they had their hand wrapped around your throat, lifting you off the ground by several inches. "So, basically," Boone said, "the client wants us to watch his business and find out who's taking this chemical out of his facility?" Dane nodded. "And when we find out?" Boone asked. Cort grinned. Boone had said when, not if , as if their finding out who was stealing wasn't even an issue. Cort was inwardly pleased that Boone had so much confidence in their ability to complete their assigned mission. "Report back to me," Dane replied. He sat forward on his desk, leaning on his arms as he eyed both men intently. "Under no circumstances are you to engage the target. Find him, document, and report back. Nothing else." Cort raised on eyebrow in query. That was an unusual order. "Is that clearly understood?" Dane demanded. Cort was confused by the order, but he nodded anyway. Dane didn't usually tell them just to find a target without some sort of investigation or something. However, if that's what Dane wanted, that's what Cort knew he and Boone would do. Colonel Dane Jrogen had been good to both him and Boone when they were serving under him in the military. He had been good to them in civilian life, too. Cort couldn't think of much he wouldn't do for Dane. Dane handed Cort the folder from his desk, then leaned back in his chair. "I expect hourly updates. The moment you find the target and document, get your asses back here, and I do mean the moment. This is a time-sensitive issue, boys." Cort flipped the folder open and read over sheets of paper inside. The top paper was the address of the facility and mission details. The rest of the papers seemed to be employee sheets, listing personal stats, employment data, and pictures. It was a basic business dossier. Flipping the file closed, Cort handed it to Boone to look through. Boone had a photographic memory. Once Boone read the dossier, he'd remember everything in it. It was a very impressive ability to have and certainly made Cort's work a little easier. It had also saved both their lives on numerous occasions. "Anything else, boss?" Cort asked. "Just one, you're to report to me and only me. I don't want you talking to anyone about this, not even the other guys. Got it?" Cort nodded even if he didn't understand why Dane was being so secretive. They had been working with Dane and the others in their crew for several years. They didn't usually keep secrets from one another, often discussing their work details over dinner. It helped them brainstorm. "Yeah, sure, Dane," Cort replied, still confused but willing to do whatever the job required. "I know this all seems pretty strange to you, Cort, but I have my reasons." "You don't have to explain things to me, Dane," Cort replied. "If you want us to keep this secret from the others, then that's what we'll do." Cort was surprised by the hand that Dane thrust through his blond hair. If he didn't miss his guess, Dane was nervous about something or at least tense.
Cort wasn't sure he had ever seen Dane anything but totally controlled. "Dane, is there something more we should know?" Dane shook his head. "Not at this time." Dane took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I wish I could tell you more, boys, but I can't. This is a very sensitive matter, and I'm trusting you both to do exactly as I ask." Cort and Boone nodded. Cort glanced over at Boone and saw the a confused look on his face. He felt the same way. Dane was always secretive, but he was being even more mysterious than usual. It made Cort nervous. "Go on, get out of here. You have a mission to get ready for," Dane said, waving his hand at them in a dismissal wave. "And boys, watch your backs. If anything seems a little odd, it probably is." Cort gave Dane one last curious look, then followed Boone out of the office and down the hallway to their room. He shut the door and leaned back against it. "Did that seem a little weirder than usual to you?" Boone shrugged. "Who can tell with Dane? He's always doing weird shit." Cort guessed that was true. He walked across the room and pulled clothes out of his dresser to get ready for tonight's mission. He sat down on the side of his bed and began pulling his clothes off. He just couldn't shake the idea that something else was going on, something he and Boone didn't know about. It sent a tingle up his spine and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He pulled his white cotton shirt over his head and traded it for a long-sleeve black shirt. Cort paused in pulling his black camouflage pants on to stare over at Boone. "You don't think this could have anything to do with Dane's search for his daughter, do you?" Boone stopped buttoning his pants to stare at Cort in shock. "At a research facility?" "Yeah, I guess you're right." Cort finished pulling up his pants and zipping them. He grabbed a small box from under the bed and set it on the mattress. He grabbed several knives from the box and placed them in different hidden spots throughout his outfit. Cort joined Boone at a large cabinet. He waited for Boone to unlock it, then grabbed his guns and put them in the two shoulder holsters clamped around his body. He put two more handguns into the hidden holsters in his calf-high black boots. Cort and Boone checked over their surveillance equipment, the earpieces, cameras, and night goggles. Once they were assured that everything was in good working order, they headed out. **** Cort rolled his head a little, hearing a small crackle noise as his neck popped. He hated surveillance. It was a hurry up and wait type of job, and that was just what he and Boone were doing, waiting. So far, they had watched the four-story brick building empty of most of the people who worked there. By Boone's estimation, just a few people remained inside, a single researcher, a couple of research assistants, and two security guards. Since nothing seemed out of place with the employees who had already left, Cort could only surmise that the people who remained were the ones they were looking for. They just had to wait until they came out, document, and report back to Dane. "Do you smell that?" Cort glanced over at Boone. "Smell what?" He watched Boone crinkle his nose in distaste. He smelled something that he didn't like. Cort sniffed the air. At first he didn't smell anything. Then a strange repugnant odor wafted to him. Cort found himself crinkling his nose much like Boone had. "What the hell is that?" he asked, glancing quickly around the area outside the truck they sat in. Boone shook his head. "I don't know, but it stinks. It almost smells like…like wet, dead dog." Cort couldn't agree more. It did smell like wet, dead dog. He had never smelled something like it, and he had smelled a lot of disgusting stuff. The smell seemed to be getting stronger by the minute. Cort was just about to open the door and step out to look for the source of the smell when he was hit with an overwhelming amount of it. It was almost claustrophobic. It filled the tiny cab of their truck until Cort felt like he might puke. "Cort!" "I smell it, too," Cort choked out through the hand he held against his mouth. "No, someone's coming up the driveway." Cort turned and glanced down the small road that led from the main street to the research facility. He could just make out two headlights heading in their direction. Luckily, their truck was parked back on a small side road that was essentially hidden by trees. A large black sedan drove up and parked near the entrance to the building. Two men climbed out of the front of the vehicle. One man walked around to the
passenger side of the vehicle. Cort saw another man climb out of the backseat. "Hand me those night binoculars," Cort said to Boone, holding out his hand. He could see pretty damn well without them, though. In fact, he was surprised at how well he could see. Cort glanced down at his watch to assure himself of the time. It was only nine o'clock at night. It was dark outside. None of which explained to Cort why he could see so well. Grabbing the night binoculars from Boone, Cort looked through them, but that just made his vision worse. He could see better without the special night vision binoculars. He tossed the binoculars down on the seat between him and Boone. "I think these damn things are broken. I can see better without them. Are you sure you checked them before we left?" "Hell yes, they were working," Boone replied. "I'd never bring broken equipment on a mission, Cort." Cort could instantly tell that he had offended Boone. He raised a hand in a placating gesture. "I know you wouldn't, Boone, and I'm sorry I suggested that you would. It just seems a little strange to me that I can see better without the binoculars than I can with them and they were made for seeing in the dark." Boone was silent for a moment as he looked out the front window. "Yeah, I see what you mean." Cort could hear the uneasiness in Boone's voice as he chuckled. "Cort, I can count the pulse beats on that guy's throat, and he has to be standing at least a hundred feet away." Cort looked to where Boone pointed, amazed that he, too, could see the tiny pulse in the man's throat beating away. A cold chill worked its way up his spine. Something was going on here, and Cort didn't like it one bit. A sudden scream broke the silence around them. Both Cort and Boone tensed as they took in the scene in front of the research facility. One man walked toward the building as if he had nothing in the world to worry about. Another stood by the sedan as the third man hauled something from the backseat. Cort watched in disbelief as a woman was pulled from the vehicle. Her head flopped back as if she was unconscious. Then another scream rent the air. The woman suddenly began to struggle against the man holding her. It wasn't until the man took a few steps away from the sedan that Cort realized who the woman was. Before he could even tell Boone of his discovery, Boone was out of the truck running toward the trio. "Well, shit!" Cort swore as he jumped out of the truck and ran after Boone. As another scream of agony spilled out into the night, Cort increased his speed. Dane was going to kill them both, but Cort didn't see any other option. The woman who the men held was the one they had left alone in the motel room. Cort raced across the parking lot, mere seconds behind Boone. He ran so fast he almost passed the trio standing there. He came to a screeching halt and jumped on the nearest man. He didn't care why they were holding the woman. He just knew that it had to be stopped. She was screaming as if she was in agony. As he swung at the man holding her, he saw Boone hit the other man out of the corner of his eye. Cort felt the pain in his knuckles as his fist connected. He was already swinging again before the sound of bone crunching beneath his fist faded away. Cort knocked the man he was fighting to the ground then turned and grabbed the woman up in his arms. He prayed that no one had guns, but that thought died when the hard ping of a bullet hitting the car next to him rang out. Cort ran with the woman cradled in his arms. He could hear Boone still fighting behind him but knew he needed to get the woman to safety before he could help Boone. She had to be his first priority. Reaching the truck, Cort opened the door and set the woman down on the seat. He ran his hands over her shoulders and arms, then her torso, and finally her legs. He could see red patches marring her skin in several places, but most of them seemed to be concentrated around her wrists and arms as if someone had been restraining her. "Do you hurt anywhere?" he asked softly, not wanting to scare her. When she didn't answer, Cort looked up at her. His eyebrows rose in surprise. She was unconscious again, her head leaning back against the seat. Well, that wouldn't be a lot of help. Cort reached up to shake her awake when he heard more gunshots. Fearing for his partner, Cort pushed the woman to the middle of the seat and buckled her seat belt. He took one last look at her, realizing that she was still dressed as she had been the night they met, then shut and locked the door. Cort carefully made his way back to the edge of the parking lot. His eyes shot back and forth as he looked for Boone. A slight movement to his left caught his attention. Cort narrowed his eyes as he looked closer. A dark shape was inching around a row of cars. Cort watched for another moment, then cast a quick glance toward the building. He could see one man on the ground. He wasn't moving. The other two men were staring out at the parking lot. Cort looked back to the figure moving around the cars. He squinted trying to get a better look. For a moment, he thought it was Boone but it wasn't. It couldn't be. Suddenly, the figure moved, and Cort could see it. His mouth dropped open in shock. It was Boone. He looked almost half man and half beast. But that can't be right, Cort thought. He'd known Boone for almost twenty years. Boone wasn't nearly as furry as the...the thing standing before him. A spike of fear shot through Cort when the creature turned toward him. Cort watched in morbid fascination as the thing before him grew a long snout like a dog, pointed ears sprouted from its head, and a bushy tail grew from behind. Hair covered the beast from head to…well, paws?
"Boone?" Cort whispered.
Chapter 3 Boone felt an excruciating pain shoot through his entire body, unlike anything he had ever felt in his life. He had been lost in the jungles of South America and tortured for three weeks by rebels in the Sudan. He had been shot more than a few times. He had even had his ass and groin waxed once for an old girlfriend. Nothing had ever hurt this bad. Boone felt like every bone in his body was breaking at the same time. He was positive he was also being skinned alive, but when he looked down at his arm, it was covered in dark red fur. Boone opened his mouth to cry out. A low growl came out instead. Boone blinked. When he lifted his hand to cover his mouth, he noticed that it was also covered in fur with long, lethal-looking claws at the ends. Fear unlike he had ever known flooded Boone. What in the hell was happening to him? "Boone?" Boone lifted his head and looked over to see Cort standing a few feet away. Boone couldn't tell if the look on Cort's face was one of horror or disgust, especially since everything seemed to be in black and white. "It's okay, Boone," Cort said softly. He held a placating hand out in front of him. Cort took a hesitant step toward him. Boone felt the need to sniff the air, so he did. He could smell Cort. It was a friendly, familiar scent, a calming scent. There was also the faint stench of wet, dead dog. It made the hackles on the back of Boone's neck stand up. He didn't like that scent. It was a bad scent. Boone didn't know how he knew that, but he did. Wet, dead dog meant very bad things. Boone growled, jerking in surprise at the sound that came out of his mouth. He glanced at Cort again. Boone felt panic start to build in him. He tried to call out to Cort again, but nothing came out but a low, guttural growl. He took a step toward Cort, lifting his hand out to him. Just as Cort lifted his hand in response, a loud yell sounded from the other side of the parking lot. Boone looked past Cort to see two of the three men they had tangled with pointing in their direction before they broke into a run. They were headed right toward Cort and Boone, guns in their hands. Boone went to jump in front of Cort, instinctively knowing that in his present state he was stronger, more powerful than his friend, until he turned and saw him. Boone's eyes widened in shock, his mouth dropping open. He wasn't looking at Cort, at least not the Cort he knew. The creature that stood before him stood nearly seven feet tall. Muscles rippled under medium brown fur. Long canine teeth stuck out of a short, wolfish snout. Large hands clenched, claws clinking together. "Cort?" Boone tried to ask. He was positive the creature before him wouldn't understand, but he had to try anyway. When Cort turned to look at him at his word, Boone was stunned. "Can you understand me?" "Of course I can understand you, ya moron," Cort growled. "Do you think I'm stupid?" Boone shook his head. "No, but I'm not sure you're Cort either." Cort just cocked his head to one side, looking totally confused. "Dude," Boone said, waving his hand at Cort, "you have fur and a snout and ears and a tail and—" Before Boone could continue, a loud ping sounded near them. Boone turned just in time to see the back window of a nearby car shatter. It was only then that he remembered the men running toward them with guns, guns that they aimed at Cort and Boone. Boone wasn't quite sure what happened to him and Cort, but he wasn't going to take someone shooting at them while he tried to figure it out. A low snarl worked its way up his throat. Boone clenched his hands, his anger building. The smell of danger in the air was almost tangible. It made the hairs on the back of Boone's neck stand up. The low rumble emanating from Cort didn't help. It made Boone feel edgy, tense. He felt the need to rip into something, tear it apart. He wanted to taste blood. Boone was just digesting that disgusting fact when he heard another ping hit the car he stood next to. His hands clenched again. Boone crouched down, trying to make himself less of a target while he searched the darkness for the men shooting. He spotted one moving between two cars about fifty feet in front of him. Cort seemed to have his eyes on the other one. Knowing that Cort could handle himself, Boone made his way toward the man ahead of him. He was amazed with how well he could see in the darkness, the scents he could smell. It was almost like he was seeing everything for the first time, and in black and white. Even the soft breeze blowing across Boone's fur felt different. Boone tried to stop wondering about the changes in his body and pay more attention to the man slowly creeping around the back of a black sedan a few feet away from him. Boone could smell him. He knew the man was just a few feet away. At least, he thought it was a man. The smell of dead wet dog was stronger in the direction the man came from. Some gut instinct told Boone that what was coming toward him, while it looked human, it wasn't. He didn't know how he knew that. He just did.
Crouching down at the tail end of the small sedan, Boone waited. His heart pounded. His jaw ached from suppressing the growls building in his throat. He wanted to growl, to howl at the moon and let everyone hear him. He knew he couldn't make a sound. His victory howl would have to wait until he had actually defeated the opponent he faced. Boone waited until the man reached the back edge of the fender, then leapt at him before the man could realize he was there. He felt like he stood outside his body as he watched himself tear into the man with sharp teeth and furry hands. It all seemed surreal. There could be no way that it was him tearing into a man. It wasn't him biting, clawing, tearing bits of flesh from his opponent. It wasn't him covered in blood. And it certainly wasn't him who was enjoying every moment of what he was doing. It just couldn't be. As the bloody, mangled body of the man he fought fell to the ground, Boone crouched over his kill. He sniffed the air, some deep part of him satisfied that the smell of the blood that he spilled overshadowed the stench of wet, dead dog. It was only as he licked away the blood dripping from his fingers that Boone realized that he had just torn a man limb from limb…and he had enjoyed every minute of it. How sick was that? And how disgusting was it that he was savoring the coppery taste of the man's blood in his mouth? Boone gagged. He had clearly lost his mind. "Boone?" Boone growled as he crouched possessively over his kill. He turned his head to find Cort standing several feet away. Boone's eyebrows drew together in a frown of confusion. Cort was also covered in blood and gore, but Boone felt no threat coming from him. Instead, Boone felt the need to share his kill with the…the thing standing before him. He scooted back a step, nodding toward the body on the ground. He gave a low grunt, then watched as Cort crept forward to sniff at the body. "This is so sick," Cort groaned as he took a long lick of the bloody body. "I can't believe I'm doing this and enjoying it." Boone couldn't agree more, and that thought scared the hell out of him. He didn't understand what was happening to them. They had both turned into something that he couldn't exactly describe and killed with their bare hands, and just a bit of teeth. "Cort?" Boone asked as he watched his teammate and best friend lick the blood from his fingers. "What in the hell is going on with us? What are we?" Cort paused, then glanced over at him. "I have no idea." Boone watched Cort take a couple more swipes of blood with his long tongue. He chuckled sadly. "Tastes good, doesn't it?" Cort grimaced. "I have this intense urge to roll in his remains." Boone nodded as he glanced down at what remained of the man he had killed. "I know. I want to roll in his blood and howl at the moon. How crazy is that?" He looked up at Cort. "Have we gone insane, Cort? Are we hallucinating?" Cort shrugged. "Got me, but it seems weird that we would both be having the same hallucination, doesn't it?" "An hour ago I would have said yes," Boone replied, eyeing the dead body again. "Now? I'm not so sure." Cort sat back and regarded Boone. He seemed to take a cleansing breath, but Boone knew he was scenting the air around them. He didn't know how he knew. He just did. "I think we need to get back to the compound and talk to Dane." Boone scoffed. He looked down at his fur-covered body. "You think he's going to have an answer for this?" Cort shrugged. "Not necessarily, but can you think of anybody else to ask?" Cort glanced down at his fur-covered body and gave a little shudder. "Besides, do you really want to get caught out here looking like this? They'd lock us away for sure." "Or shoot us." "Yeah, there is that," Cort replied as he stood to his feet. He nodded toward the truck. "Come on, let's get the hell out of here before we start peeing on bushes or something." Boone nodded and followed Cort to the truck. As they reached the large vehicle, he suddenly stopped and looked down at his hands. He started laughing. "What?" Cort asked in confusion. Boone held up his hands. "How are we supposed to drive with these things?" he asked as he waved his clawed hands back and forth in front of Cort. "It's not like we can shift, Cort." Cort looked thoughtful for a moment. "That might not be true." "Huh?" "Boone, obviously we shifted into whatever form we're in now. Who says we can't shift back?" "Shift back?" Boone asked. He arched an eyebrow. "And how in the hell are we supposed to do that? Click our heels together and say that there's no place like home?" Cort shrugged. "Got me, but I figured it had to be better than trying to drive with these," he said as he held up his paw and wiggled his clawed fingers.
"Okay, fine," Boone said. "How do you want to do this?" "I don't know. How did you shift in the first place?" "I just did," Boone explained. "I was trying to track the guy shooting at me, and this horrible smell was—" "The wet, dead dog smell?" Boone blinked. "Yeah." Cort's face scrunched. "Awful, wasn't it?" "Disgusting," Boone replied as he crinkled his nose in distaste. "I'm not sure I've ever smelled anything so nasty before." "So, you were trying to track some guy and…?" Boone shrugged. "I needed more speed, more strength. I needed to know where he was located because I knew he wanted to kill me. Next thing I know, you're looking at me like I had grown a second head." Cort tilted his head a little, looking sheepish. "Dude, you grew ears, fur, a tail, and claws. I think a second head would have been an improvement." "Funny, jackass." Cort laughed, holding a hand up. "Sorry, but you have to admit this is beyond weird." "Okay, you got me there." Boone had to agree. How could he not? He was a seven-foot-tall furry monster with ears and a tail. He just ripped a man to shreds, then licked the man's blood from his fingers. Weird didn't begin to describe it. "Let's try this then," Cort said. "Think of shifting. Think of what you looked like before." Boone rolled his eyes before closing them. He concentrated on what he looked like before he had turned into whatever it was he had turned into. He still wasn't quite sure what exactly that was. Boone shivered as a cold brush of air seemed to pass over his body. It felt a lot like the feeling of someone walking over his grave, or so the saying went. It felt eerie, cold, and just a little bit uncomfortable. "Fuck me!" Cort exclaimed. Boone popped open one eye to see Cort staring at him with the same horrified expression he had worn before. Boone opened the other eye and glanced down at himself, surprised to find his body back to normal. Well, as normal as a naked man standing in a parking lot could be. "Shit! It worked." Cort nodded, his face still showing his disbelief. Boone started to feel a little self-conscious. Cort had seen him naked a hundred times. They had even shared women on occasion, but the way that the man stared at him felt creepy. He dropped his hands down to cover his groin. "Cort!" Cort's head snapped up. "What?" Boone's eyes widened, and he stared harder at the man. Cort instantly stopped staring. "Oh, sorry. Watching you change was just a little weird." "Yeah, yeah, you said that before," Boone snapped. "Now you want to try?" "What did you do?" "I thought about what I looked like before I turned into whatever I turned into, just like you suggested." Cort closed his eyes. Boone watched, fascinated as the air around Cort's body seemed to be fill with electricity. The hairs on Boone's arms stood on end as a soft mist covered Cort, obscuring Boone's view for a brief moment. When it cleared, Cort stood there just as naked as Boone. "Dude!" "Fuck," Cort exclaimed as he opened his eyes and stared down at himself. "This shit is weird." Boone couldn't agree more, but he had thought that before. What he wanted to know was why it happened. Turning furry wasn't exactly normal, even for him and Cort. Something serious was going down, and Boone felt clueless as to what. "What the fuck happened to our clothes?" Boone shrugged. "Got me but I suggest we get the hell out of here before someone else shows up. We can figure the rest out later." Cort nodded and hurried to the truck. Thankfully, they always carried spare clothes behind the backseat. Within moments, they were both dressed again and climbing into the vehicle. It was only as Boone slid into the passenger seat that he remembered the woman.
Her head still lay back against the seat, her eyes closed. Boone felt pretty sure that she was still unconscious, but then again, what did he know? He couldn’t even figure out how the woman he and Cort had slept with ended up being in the middle of their stakeout. "You know Dane is going to spit purple kittens, right?" Cort asked as he started the truck and drove it toward the main road. "I think after this he might graduate to full-blown cats, Cort." "Any idea how we're going to explain her?" Cort asked, nodding toward the woman. Boone shook his head. "Do we actually have to explain her? Couldn't we just say we brought her home for a little fun between the sheets? We did have a hard night doing surveillance." Cort smirked. "Yeah, okay." Boone chuckled. "So, how do you want to play this then?" "I think we need to tell Dane everything. We've never hidden things from him before, and he's always been straight with us. I don't think now is the time to change that." Cort shrugged. "Besides, something tells me that Dane knows more than he's letting on." Boone chuckled. "He always does." He glanced down at the woman as she moved next to him, her head falling against his arm. "Do you realize we don't even know her name?" Cort frowned. "It's not like we did a lot of talking, Boone." "It would have been polite, Cort," Boone replied. "And I'm starting to think she's not a hooker." "Yeah, I've been thinking the same thing." "So, why do you think she went with us to that hotel then?" "Looking for a good time? She wanted to get laid? Horny, maybe?" Cort looked over at him. "I could go on, you know." "So, she just picks two strangers up in a bar, takes them to a hotel, and fucks their brains out?" Boone scoffed. "That sounds a little cold to me, Cort." "Why? Men do it all of the time. Why can't women?" Boone shrugged. "I don't know. It just seems so sterile." Cort snorted. "You're a closet chauvinist." "I am not," Boone protested. "Women can do anything men can do." "But they can't pick strangers up for a night of anonymous sex?" "I didn't say that. I just—" "That's exactly what you're saying, Boone," Cort insisted. "You don't have a problem with us picking up a woman and taking her to a hotel, but you're bothered by the fact that the same woman picked us up?" Boone turned to glance out the window. He sounded like a pig, and he knew it, but something about the woman who sat next to him made him feel like she shouldn't be out sleeping with anyone. Well, maybe him and Cort, but no one else. Even as he looked out the window, the soft scent of the woman reached him and sank deep into his body. He wondered if the ability to smell her came from what happened back in the parking lot? His sense of smell seemed to be in overdrive, but damn, she smelled good. "Cort?" Boone said as he turned to look across at him. "Can you smell her?" Cort nodded, swallowing so hard that Boone could see the bob in his throat. "Yeah." "Does she smell different than she did that night?" Cort sniffed, then sniffed again, his nose wiggling. "Yes, she does." He sounded confused, but not any more than Boone felt. The woman smelled fantastic. She had the night they slept with her too, but now it smelled different, almost more intoxicating, arousing. Boone had a hard time not laying her back in his arms so he could lick her skin just to get a taste of her. He imagined she tasted even better than she smelled. Damn, he practically drooled just thinking about it. He couldn't stop thinking about how she looked naked lying back on the bed at the hotel. His cock was so hard he ached. A quick glance at Cort's pants told him that his best friend was in much the same condition. "Damn, Cort, I think we're in deep shit."
Chapter 4 Cort pulled into the driveway of their compound and turned the engine off. He took a deep breath, then immediately regretted it. The honey-sweet fragrance filling the cab of the truck drove him crazy. His hands clenched around the steering wheel of the truck. There was something about this woman that got to him more than any other woman he had ever met. Boone was right. They were in deep shit. "Are we going to do this?" Cort glanced at the woman for a moment, then at Boone. "Do we have a choice?" Boone groaned and rubbed his hand down his face. "There's something wrong, Cort." "I know." "Damn it, I'm not talking about the weird shit from the parking lot," Boone snapped. "I'm talking about now." Cort frowned. "What do you mean?" "You know we have to go into the house." Cort nodded. "You know we need to talk to Dane about what happened back at the stakeout and what's going on with the woman." Cort nodded again. "Inside that house are our friends. These are the men closest to us in the world, men we depend on to guard our backs, men that we trust with our lives. How do you feel about them looking at her, let alone touching her?" Cort jumped when the top of the steering wheel snapped off in his hands. He stared at the rigid plastic piece unsure of what exactly happened. Silence reigned in the truck cab. Cort finally glanced over at Boone, only to find him smirking. Boone waved his hand toward the steering wheel. "See what I mean?" "Shit!" The mere thought of anyone looking at the woman sleeping between him and Boone filled Cort with so much rage he had to clench his teeth just to keep from growling. He'd never felt anything like it in his life. Cort wasn't normally a possessive man. He was more the love-them-and-leave-them type. His life didn't lend itself to building lasting relationships. Besides the fact that it could be dangerous, they left often and for long periods of time. That did not make great relationship material. Strangely enough, the thought of Boone touching the woman as he did now, carefully unbuckling her seat belt, didn't bother him at all. That really surprised Cort and made him wonder why. "Boone, do something for me?" Boone glanced up. "Yeah, sure." "Touch her." "Huh?" Boone looked totally confused. "Just do it, damn it." Boone reached over and stroked his fingers through the woman's long, blonde hair. Nope, nothing, it didn't bother Cort in the least. Maybe it needed to be something more intimate. "Try something else," Cort directed, "something a little more, uh, sexual." Cort rolled his eyes when Boone's eyebrow shot up in surprise. "It doesn't seem to bother me when you touch her, but the thought of any of our friends touching her makes me see red. I'm just trying to test out a theory." "And that theory would be?" "I think we're somehow connected." "Connected?" "Hell, I don't know, Boone." He reached over and grabbed the woman, pulling her toward him. "Does this bother you?" Boone seemed to think about it for a moment, then shook his head. "No. Well, beyond the fact that she's not really here to enjoy it with us, but other than that, no."
"What about the fact that in a few moments we have to take her inside and every man in the place will have their eyes on her?" Cort stared in shock as Boone's fingers dug into the dashboard, leaving permanent grooves. "Okay, I guess that answers my question." Boone's deep breath could be heard throughout the cab. "I told you we were in deep shit." "Well, it's obvious we need to keep this little beauty under wraps, or we're likely to rip someone's head off," Cort said, "at least until we figure out what in the hell is going on." "All right," Boone said slowly. "What do you have in mind?" Cort looked toward the house. He could see lights on telling him that people were home. The occasional person walked past a window, but Cort couldn't figure out how many people were in the house. "Go inside and tell everyone to go to the rec room. Tell Dane that we'll explain once we get her settled in our room. I'll stay here with her until we get her inside. I don't like the idea of leaving her alone." Boone nodded and started to climb from the truck. "Boone?" Boone glanced over his shoulder. "Make sure they know not to come out of the rec room until we give the all clear." He frowned. "I don't want to hurt anyone." "Yeah, good idea." Cort gathered the woman up in his arms and held her closer to his body as Boone raced into the house. The woman's head flopped against his shoulder. Cort glanced down at her, his heart pounding in his chest at the sheer beauty he held in his arms. She looked so fragile, her bone structure delicate and fine. Cort knew differently. Not only had she taken him on, but she had taken Boone on at the same damn time. Despite her dainty features, there was nothing delicate about this woman. Cort groaned. It had only been a few days since this small woman in his arms rocked his world. It wasn't so long ago that he could forget a single moment of it. The mechanics of the act had been pretty much normal. The emotions Cort felt while loving on the woman, the sensations that overwhelmed his body, those had been entirely different. The woman had simply brushed her hand against his skin, and Cort had gone off like a rocket. Holding her in his arms felt right. Cort couldn't explain it. He wouldn't even know where to start. He just knew the feeling of holding this unconscious woman in his arms, a woman he didn't even know the name of, felt right. Cort reached over and brushed the hair back from her face, once again stunned by her beauty. He'd been all over the world and seen a lot of beautiful women in his time, but none as beautiful as this woman. The truck door opened. Cort jerked, turned, and bared his teeth, the growl that came from his mouth sounding foreign to his ears. He recognized Boone a second before he started to snap at whoever stood there. "Dude!" Boone said, holding his hand up in a nonthreatening gesture. "Chill, man." "Sorry." Boone nodded. Cort knew the man understood. He had to be feeling the same way Cort did, possessive, protective, and downright horny. It seemed to be etched in every tight line in Boone's face. "Things taken care of inside?" Cort asked as he handed the woman over and climbed out of the truck. "To a point," Boone replied. "Dane refused to go into the rec room, but I never really expected him to, you know? He's waiting for us inside, and I don't think he's happy." "Is he ever?" Cort shut the truck door and followed Boone into the house. The moment he stepped inside, a multitude of scents overwhelmed him, scents he had never smelled before. They were normal smells, food cooking in the kitchen, the other men who lived in the house, Dane. They just seemed stronger, more intense. "What in the bloody hell is going on around here?" Dane snapped the moment the door shut behind them. Cort turned and glared, holding a finger up to his mouth. "Shhh." He pointed to the woman Boone carried in his arms, then followed the man down the hallway, leaving Dane standing there with his mouth hanging open. Cort could hear him follow them down the hallway. He stood in the doorway to his and Boone's room, blocking Dane from walking in. Boone carefully laid the woman down on the bed, then pulled the covers up over her. He seemed to hesitate as he stared down at her. Cort knew how Boone felt. He was loath to leave her, too. It just seemed wrong. Cort learned early on to trust his gut, and his gut told him that leaving was the stupidest thing he could do.
He really had no choice, though. Dane stood in the hallway waiting on him and Boone. Cort could feel the man's anger burning into his back. They might as well get this over with. The sooner all was said and done, the sooner they could return to the woman. "Come on, Boone," Cort said quietly. "Let's go talk with Dane, and then we can come back to her." Boone nodded, pulling his gaze away from the woman slowly. Boone's eyes looked desperate for a moment as he looked at Cort, then changed to their normal easygoing pale green. As Boone pushed past him, Cort patted him on the shoulder. He cast one more look at the woman, then closed the door and walked down the hallway to where Boone and Dane stood waiting in the living room. Boone stood by the window looking out the clear glass into the dark night. Dane stood by the kitchen island drinking a cup of coffee and staring at Boone. He turned when Cort walked into the room, including him in his fierce glare. "Now do you want to explain to me what in the bloody hell is going on?" Dane snapped. "I sent you out on a simple stakeout, no contact, and you come back with an unconscious woman, smelling of—" Dane's nose crinkled. "What in the hell is that, anyway? It smells like wet, dead dog." Cort shot a quick glance at Boone. As their eyes met, Cort felt a shock run through him. Dane could scent the smell of the dead man on them? Cort looked back to Dane. "You smell wet, dead dog?" he asked carefully. "Well, I'm not exactly sure what it is, but that's the only thing I can associate it with." Dane frowned. "And what in the hell does that have to do with bringing some woman to our compound? You know visitors aren't welcome here." "She's not exactly a visitor, Dane." "Cheap floozy booty call then." Cort leapt across the living room before he knew what he was doing. He shoved the man against the wall, pressing his arm across Dane's neck. His teeth were bared as he growled. He could feel Boone's heavy breath on his neck and knew the man stood behind him. He could hear his growls as if they were his own. "Never, ever, say another word against her," Cort snarled. Dane swallowed hard, his eyes huge. "Bloody hell, you've mated her." **** Boone blinked and stared over Cort's shoulder at the man pinned to the wall. "We've what?" "Cort, damn it, put me down," Dane snapped. Cort lowered his arm and stepped back, pushing into Boone. Boone stepped around Cort. He didn't care that Dane was taller than him, bigger. He wanted to know what in the hell the man was talking about. "Dane," he growled between his clenched teeth, "you'd better tell us what in the hell you know, and you'd better tell us right this minute." "You fucked up, pretty boy." Dane's voice was coolly disapproving when he spoke. "You and Cort mated that woman in the other room." "We slept with her, yeah," Cort said, "but how did you know?" "You smell different." Boone arched an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" "You know that wet, dead dog smell? Only certain people can smell it. It's the scent of evil." Dane took a deep breath. He pushed a hand through his hair. "Look, everyone needs to calm down because what I have to tell you will rock the very foundation of everything you've ever been taught." "I think I'm going to need a drink for this," Cort said. "It won't do you any good, not anymore," Dane replied. "Unless you drink an entire barrel of rotgut liquor, you can no longer get drunk." "Well shit," Cort replied. "Where's the fun in that?" "A lot of things like that are going to change for you." Boone was really starting to feel like he was riding on a roller coaster and he was on the only one who knew it. The more Dane talked, the more confused Boone became. He wished the man would just speak plainly. "Dane, just tell us what in the hell is going on because I'm really starting to feel like I'm losing my mind." "You can smell better than you ever have before," Dane began, an edge to his voice. "You see better at night without night vision goggles than you do with them. The taste of blood is like ambrosia, and the idea of a fight excites you." Boone's mouth dropped open. His mind reeled with confusion. "You know what's happening to us?"
Dane frowned but nodded. "You must have some sort of recessive gene that I didn't detect." "Recessive gene?" Cort snorted. "What in the hell are you talking about?" "You might want to sit down for this." "I don't want to sit down for this or anything else, Dane. I want to know why in the hell Boone and I can grow furry." Cort started waving his hands in the air. "We killed a man and licked his blood from our fingers. And we liked it!" "Fuck!" Dane's eyes closed. He rubbed his hand over his face, then opened his eyes to stare at the floor for a moment before raising them to look at Cort and Boone. "Where?" "At the stakeout," Boone answered. He watched Dane pull his cell phone out and dial a number. A moment later he spoke, his tone low and tension-filled. "It's me. We need a cleanup at the research facility." Dane was silent for a moment and then he glanced up at Boone. "Just one body?" "There might be a couple more," Boone answered. "They were shooting at us. I didn't stop to count." Dane frowned, then spoke back into the phone. "It's possible that there's more than one body, so keep your eyes open. And keep a watch out for prying eyes. I'll get back to you the moment I know more." Dane flipped his cell phone closed and dropped it back in his pocket before looking up at Cort and Boone. He crossed his arms over his chest as he glared across at them. "I want to know exactly what happened, and you can start with the woman." "There really isn't much to tell," Boone said. "We met her at a bar, took her to a local hotel and fooled around, and then we left. I never thought we'd see her again." "Then how'd she end up here tonight?" Dane asked. "We were sitting in the truck doing that surveillance job you had us on when an SUV pulled up. Three guys climbed out. Two dragged her kicking and screaming from the back of the vehicle." "You have to understand, Dane," Cort said. "We couldn't just let them take her. It was obvious to us that she wasn't there of her own free will." Dane chuckled. "Oh, I have no doubt about that." A flicker of apprehension wormed its way into Boone. He knew he wouldn't like the answer even before he asked the question, but he couldn't stop himself from asking. "Why would they kidnap her?" "That, my boy, is going to take a little more explanation." "I'm pretty sure I can fit you into my schedule," Cort snapped. "Being a jackass isn't going to get me to explain this any faster, Cort," Dane admonished. "Sorry," Cort replied. He walked over and plopped down on the couch. "I'm just a little freaked out. It's not every day you turn into a monster." "Other." "Huh?" Dane walked over to sit down across from Cort before continuing. "You're not a monster, Cort. You're an Other." Cort just blinked. "You know, as in other than human ," Dane said. "Seriously?" Boone said, walking over to sit down next to Cort. "You all have a name for this shit?" "It's not shit, Boone, and no, that's not what we call it." Dane seemed to take a deep breath, then release it. "Other is what we are." "We?" Boone whispered. "My name is Danic Jrogen. I was born in the year 1432 in a small village about a hundred miles south of Copenhagen, Denmark. I am the only son of a man who delivered freight by horse-drawn wagon." Boone just stared. There wasn't anything else he could do. His mouth wouldn't work, which might have been a good thing. He thought he might be screaming by now. "My life seemed pretty normal for the first several years, but then I hit puberty. As happened with several men in our village, I began to change. I could grow teeth and claws, fur all over my body, pointed ears, and a tail." "Holy fuck!" Cort exclaimed. "Like the others in my village that suffered the same affliction, I was driven from my home, never allowed to return. I've spent the last five hundred and seventy-seven years finding others of my kind, building a network of support and protection for us all."
"Wait," Boone said, "you said that you turned into…whatever when you hit puberty. Cort and I are way past puberty, Dane. Why are we turning now?" "Yeah, you said something about recessive genes?" Cort added. "We've found that not everyone turns when they hit puberty, just a few of us." "Then how do you explain what happened to us earlier tonight?" Cort snapped. "Because I'm damn sure it wasn't a drug hallucination no matter how much I wish differently." "A small percentage of the population has a recessive gene, a gene that they're born with. Most of those born with this gene will never turn. However, a few of them have something happen that basically activates this gene and forces them into the change." "And this something is?" Boone questioned. "I believe your recessive gene was activated when you mated with the woman." "There you go again with that word," Cort said. "What in the hell do you mean mated?" "Others have mates, the one person in the world chosen just for us. Most of us aren't lucky enough to find our mate because there are so few of us in the world." Dane chuckled. "And it's not like you can go up to someone and tell them that they are your chosen mate." "Yeah," Boone said, "I can see where that could be sticky." "So, you're saying that because we slept with some woman that we can change into this Other thing you keep mentioning?" Cort asked. Dane shook his head. "It's more complicated than that, Cort." "Make it uncomplicated then," Cort snapped. "Look, we can fuck whoever we want, but once we find our mate, we don't want to fuck anyone but them. That mate is the only person for us. When you had sex with that woman, you mated her. And it's for life, boys." "Fuck!" Cort exclaimed. The man jumped to his feet and stormed over to the window. Boone could see the tension in the firm set of Cort's shoulders. He felt pretty much the same. He was pissed, confused, and he could still smell the woman even though she slept down the hallway with the door closed. It was hard for Boone to concentrate on all of the things that Dane told them when all he could only think about was the woman in the other room. Her scent was incredibly, luxuriously, distracting. "There's more," Dane said.
Of course there is. Boone turned to look at Dane, waiting. After everything he had heard tonight, he doubted that Dane could say anything else to surprise him. Still, it would be interesting to hear what the man said. "If you mated the woman and she activated your recessive gene, then she is obviously Other as well. And that creates a whole other set of problems." "And that means what exactly?" Boone asked. He knew he wasn't going to like the answer just by the sour look on Dane's face. "She's in mating heat."
Chapter 5 Nix woke suddenly. For one moment she felt nothing. Then the world around her exploded in a combination of white-hot pain and arousal so intense she could feel the very air around her moving across her face. She ached. She needed. She wanted to taste the intoxicating scent she could smell in the room, in the sheets and blankets surrounding her. She knew the scent came from the two men she mated, but when she opened her eyes, she was alone in the room, a room she didn't recognize. She sat up and looked around, her only thought to find the origins of the heavy masculine scents assailing her. Nix climbed off the bed and made her way to one of the doors in the room. It led to a luxurious bathroom that would have interested her on any other day, but today, she just needed to find her mates. Nix walked to the second door and pulled it open, revealing a long hallway. Nix cautiously stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind her. She turned and walked right into a solid wall of blue-covered flesh. Nix screamed as pain rocked through her body when the man grabbed her shoulders. The mere touch of his hands on her bare flesh burned Nix's flesh as if someone held a branding iron on her arm. Nix screamed louder, struggling to get free. Her mind clouded with pain. Nothing mattered except getting away from the anguish. She barely registered people yelling, the man holding her shaking her by her arms.
"Fuck!" someone very loud shouted. "Don't touch her." Nix collapsed, two sets of hands catching her before she hit the floor. It took a moment for the information to get through to her pain-ridden brain, but she eventually realized that the hands now holding her didn't hurt. In fact, they soothed. She turned in to the hands, her body melting against the one holding her. The clean, masculine scent of her mates encircled her, filling her. Nix groaned and clutched at the brown-haired man who lifted her up in his arms. Everything around her fell away, her entire world centered on that sweet smell. Nix purred. She yanked on the man's shirt, trying to pull herself closer. She'd climb into him if she could figure how. Strong, masculine hands stroked her hair, the side of her face, the nape of her neck. Nix felt her pussy clench. Her nipples pebbled. She needed. She ached. "Please," she begged. She glanced up to see dark chocolate eyes staring down at her in astonishment. "I need." Surely he understood. He was a male, an Other. He had to know she needed. They'd mated. "Christ!" the man growled. Nix's hands gripped the man's shirt tighter. Her heart pounded. Her body pulsed, every soft touch of his hand sending waves of ecstasy through her. She needed more, more of his touch, more of his smell, more of his naked skin. "Cort, Boone," someone behind her said, "you need to go deal with her before we can finish our conversation. If she doesn't get some relief, the pain she will experience could send her into a coma." "Deal with her how, Dane?" "Hell, Cort, do I need to draw you a damn map?" Dane shouted. Nix saw a hand out of the corner of her eye as Dane pointed toward the bedroom door. "Go fuck her."
Oh yes! Nix was in full support of that idea. It made her ache even more. "You said not to touch her!" Cort shouted even though he held Nix in his arms. "Look," Dane said, his voice much quieter, "when she's in heat, only her mates can touch her. Anyone else and it feels like she's being burned. See those marks on her shoulders where Sal grabbed her? His touch can actually harm her." "But not ours?" "You're her mates, aren't you?" Nix didn’t know how Cort and Boone answered. She just knew she was suddenly lifted into strong arms and cradled against the most wonderful-smelling chest in the world. Nix tried to curl into the body holding her. She pulled at the fabric separating her from the skin she needed to feel until she felt it rip in her hands. "Fuck, man, she's going to rip your clothes off." Nix had every intention of doing just that. The moment she felt naked skin under her hands, she pressed her nose against the hot flesh and inhaled, purring as the scent rocked through her body. "More," she moaned, trying to pull more clothing away from the body she wanted to feel. "Sweet hell, she's hot!" "Boone, help me get her clothes off." "Yes, yes," Nix said, raising her arms so Boone could pull her tank top over her head. Her breasts ached as they bounced free of the material. Nix ran her hands up her sides to cup her breasts in her hands, pushing the round globes up and together. "Fuck, man, look at her," Boone whispered behind Nix. She tilted her head back to see his face, then leaned back even further, arching her back to offer her aching breasts up to Boone's stunned gaze. Boone didn't disappoint her. He leaned over and took one aching nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue across Nix's nipple. Nix cried out at the exquisite sensation. When another mouth latched onto the other nipple, Nix felt a rush of liquid pool between her legs. She felt hot and needy. She wanted to feel Boone and Cort touch more of her. "Please, more," she begged as she pushed at the waistband of her jeans shorts. Cort immediately complied, unbuttoning her shorts and pulling them from her legs. Nix whimpered when Cort pulled away from her until he came back a moment later, and she felt naked skin brush against hers. Nix spread her legs and let Cort settle between them until she felt his hard cock press against her. She whimpered, the touch of Cort's body on hers almost more than she could take. And yet, she still wanted more. Every touch of Cort's hands, of Boone's hands, sent shivers of delight racing along her skin. Nix felt passion rising in her like the hottest fire, clouding her brain. She eagerly arched her body into each touch, needy for the feel of her mates' hands on her body.
Cort pulled her down toward him, and she felt his thick cock push into her. Nix didn't realize the scream that filled the air came from her until Boone's lips covered hers and the noise was silenced. Despite the claim of Boone's lips on hers, Nix was fully aware of the hardness of Cort's thighs as they brushed against hers while Cort thrust into her over and over again, filling her deep into the core of her being. Her breath came in long, surrendering moans. Nix knew she needed both of her mates to love her at the same time. It was the only way she could be fulfilled. Knowing this, Nix reached up over her head for the buttons on Boone's pants. She had them undone and his cock in her hand before he could stop her. Grinning at the surprise plastered across Boone's face, Nix arched her head back and licked at the head of Boone's cock. Boone's entire body shuddered. Nix started to swallow more of his cock when she was suddenly grabbed around the waist and flipped over. When she lifted her head again, Cort was thrusting into her once again and Boone's cock bounced right in front of her face. Nix eagerly covered Boone's cock with her mouth and went down until her nose nuzzled against dark auburn pubic hairs. Boone cried out, spurring Nix on to move. She pulled back until just the head remained in her mouth, swirling her tongue over the top before swallowing him back down again. Hands suddenly gripped her hips hard enough to leave marks. Cort stiffened behind Nix, roaring as he filled her with his release. Nix cried out as she was filled with his heat, the pleasure radiating throughout her entire body as she was claimed once again by her mate. Before she could delight in the euphoria brought about by being claimed once again by Cort, Boone grabbed her by the arms and pulled her up and off of Cort's cock. Her legs were spread, Boone thrusting up inside of her tight grip. Nix started to fall forward when Cort grabbed her from behind. His hands covered her breasts. His fingers outlined the tips of her nipples until she cried out. Cort's mouth moved along her neck at the same time. His body pressed against hers from behind and Boone's thrusting up into her from below. Waves of ecstasy washed through Nix. When one of Cort's hands moved from her breast down to her clit, Nix cried out and arched into the soft caress. She felt as if her body was half fire, half ice, and ready to explode. Nix moaned as Boone rammed into her then froze. She cried out for release as she felt his heat fill her, sending her into even higher levels of sensation. Cort's slick fingers pushed into her right alongside of Boone's cock. She felt Boone pulse inside of her, filling her with even more of his release. A sense of wonder and curiosity filled her when she looked down to find Boone watching Cort with hunger in his eyes. Before she could comment on the heated look, Nix gasped in sweet agony as she shattered into a million pieces. She collapsed down on top of Boone, whimpering when Cort pulled his fingers away. A moment later, Boone too pulled out, rolling Nix onto her back on the mattress. Nix looked up to see two glowering faces staring down at her and knew that fun time had ended. "Hi, I'm Emanuel Cortez," Cort said as he held out his hand to Nix. "Since it seems we're all going to be getting to know each other on a much more intimate basis, you can call me Cort. And this is Boone McKenzie. Who are you?" "Nixona Lissësúl, Princess of Dorthon." Nix grinned. "But you can call me Nix." "So, Nix, want to tell us what in the hell is going on?" Nix cocked her head to one side as she regarded first Cort, then Boone in confusion. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and scooted back against the headboard. Feeling suddenly self-conscious, she grabbed for the sheet and wrapped it around her naked body. "You don't know?" "We know just enough to get us into trouble," Boone said. "How can you not know?" Nix asked. "You're Other." "That’s just it, Nix," Cort said as he settled back on his hands. "Until we went with you to that motel, we were just run-of-the-mill humans. Imagine our surprise when we shifted into something else." "But…I don't understand," Nix said. "How can you not know?" "I believe you asked that already, and we answered," Boone said. "We want to know how you didn't know we were Other." "I didn't know you were Other until after we mated." Nix shrugged. "I assumed you'd know why." "Our boss said something about a recessive gene that was activated when we mated." Nix slid down on the bed, covered her face with her hands, and let out a deep groan at Boone's words. They explained so much. She was so incredibly fucked here. She was mated to two men who knew nothing of her world, of what being an Other really meant. "Nix?" Nix dropped her hands to her chest and looked up to the two confused faces staring down at her. "Do you know anything about Others?" "Well, we know it means other than human ," Boone supplied, "besides that, not a whole hell of a lot. In fact, we just discovered this little mating thing about an hour ago." "Hell and damnation!"
"We kind of know how that feels." Cort chuckled. "Do you think you're up to filling us in on what we don't know?" Nix sat up and took a deep breath. She reached up and pushed her hair back, tucking it behind her pointed ears. "I'm an elf, a Princess actually. My father is King Ahlstrom of Dorthon." "Like, a real Princess?" Boone asked. "The whole crown and everything?" Nix nodded. "So explain the whole mating thing," Cort said. "If you're a Princess, why were you cruising the bars? You were obviously looking to get laid." "My father promised my hand in marriage to a man I hate, a man that only wants to marry me to get to the throne. I wanted one last night to feel wanted for me and not what I could bring into a marriage." "So you went to a bar?" Cort scoffed. "Well, I certainly didn't go looking for my mates, if that’s what you're asking. I didn’t follow you or pick you out," Nix snapped. "I heard the music from outside and figured that bar was as good as any other." "So, we were just luck of the draw then?" Cort snapped right back. Nix could feel the anger pouring off of both Cort and Boone. It made her feel uncomfortable, like she had done something wrong when she knew she hadn't. Nix rolled to the side of the bed and looked around for her clothes. She spotted them on the floor by the end of the bed and reached for them. "Just where in the hell do you think you're going?" Cort asked. Nix yelped as she was pulled back onto the bed before she could reach her clothes. She stared up at Cort in shock as he pinned her to the bed. "Wouldn't it just be easier if I left? You're both obviously pissed at me, and frankly, I don't feel like sticking around while the two of you chew me out for something that wasn't my fault. I didn't know you'd be in that bar, damn it!" "From my understanding, Princess," Cort said, "once we're mated, we have to stay together. We can't be separated. We can't be with anyone else, ever. Isn't that true?" When Nix didn't answer, Cort shook her a little. "Isn't it, Princess?" "Yes!" Nix shouted. "Yes, it's true, okay?" "And what happens if we're separated, Nix?" Nix heaved a large sigh, feeling desperate and despondent at the same time. It was obvious to her that neither Cort nor Boone were happy about being mated to her, so she didn't understand why they insisted on even knowing about it. "Nix?" Boone asked so softly that she couldn't help but look at him. Of the two men, Boone seemed more softhearted, but somehow Nix knew that only meant Cort's emotions would run deeper. She just didn’t know how she knew. "I don't know of any mates that have survived being separated." "Guess that kind of puts us in a pickle, doesn't it?" Boone asked. "Look, I swear I didn't go into that bar looking for you," Nix said. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just wanted one night for myself. Was that so bad?" "No, Nix, it's not bad. Everyone needs a night every once in a while." Boone reached over to caress the side of Nix's face. "But, baby, don't you understand how much danger you were in? You could have ended up with anyone." Nix frowned. "I'm not a slut, nor am I stupid. I wouldn't have gone home with just anyone." "And how would you know until it was too late?" Cort asked. Nix rolled her eyes. She flicked her fingers and watched Cort's eyes widen as his hands were forced off her wrists. Once they were free, she waved her hand, and Cort's body started to rise into the air, hovering over Nix. She arched an eyebrow at him. "I told you, I'm not stupid. I can also take care of myself." Nix scooted her body out from under Cort's hovering form and moved back to the top of the bed. "Huh, Nix, do you think you can let Cort down?" Nix waved her hand and Cort crashed to the bed. He raised himself up onto his hands and knees, looking up at Nix. The hairs on the back of Nix's neck stood on end as Cort let out a deep rumble. She was suddenly afraid she might have pissed him off more than she could handle. Cort lunged, pinning Nix to the bed again in one leap. Nix's heart pounded as Cort growled down at her. "That was so fucking sexy," he said. "What else can you do?" Nix's eyebrows shot up and her mouth dropped open as she stared at Cort's amused face in shock. "You're not mad at me?" "I'm mad at you for putting yourself in danger. No matter what you think, there will always be someone stronger than you, and you won't know who that is until it's too late. But I'm not mad at you for standing your ground. I think it's hot."
Nix was surprised when Cort rolled to one side of her and Boone scooted up to lie down on the other side. She didn't think she would ever understand men. One minute they were pissed off, the next they were all lovey-dovey. Men just didn't make sense. "So, we can't be separated, huh?" Cort said. Nix shook her head then jumped when Cort started trailing his hand up and down her side. "Then I guess we'd all better get to know each other a lot better." "You're okay with this?" "Nix, I don't think we have much choice," Boone said. "We can either try to work this out the best we can or we can argue and disagree. Which would you prefer because I don't think any of us can take this mating thing back now that it's happened." "N-no, but—" Cort tugged on the sheet wrapped around Nix until her breasts were bared. Nix watched as his hand seemed to move in slow motion, reaching out to flick his finger at one of her nipples. Nix bit her lip to keep from moaning. "Personally," Cort said, his deep voice vibrating through Nix, "I'd kind of prefer the getting-to-know-each-other thing. Boone, what about you?" Nix couldn't keep back her moan this time as Boone's fingers went for her other nipple. She could feel her entire body starting to heat up. The scent of arousal filled the room, and it wasn't coming only from Nix. "I'm in," Boone said. "Nix?" "Oh hell yeah!"
Chapter 6 Nix followed the sound of voices down the hallway and into a large great room. While it wasn't anything like the castle she lived in back home, it had an intimate charm to it. Large windows lined two walls, and a river rock fireplace sat on another. Still another opened into a dining area where the voices came from. Nix immediately felt warmth and arousal sweep through her body when she spotted Cort and Boone sitting at the table. She distantly acknowledged the fact that several other men sat around the table, but she couldn't have cared less. She had eyes only for her mates. She felt a zing of excitement the moment they realized she was in the room. Cort and Boone suddenly lifted their heads and sniffed the air, their heads snapping in Nix's direction. Low growls filled the air from both men. A couple of the men at the table froze in shock at the menacing sounds. The large, blond man from the night before rolled his eyes. Nix, on the other hand, gloried at the possessive sound. And that was what the growl meant. Cort and Boone were warning the other men in the room that Nix belonged to them. They proved that not more than an hour ago, several times. Nix once again knew every eye was on her as she walked up the two steps to the dining area, just as it had been when she walked into the bar where she met her mates. Only this time, she only cared about two sets of eyes, one dark chocolate brown, the other pale green. Nix purred as Cort's strong arms snaked around her waist and pulled her down to sit on his lap. She stroked her hand up Cort's chest to wrap it around his neck and pulled his head down for a long, slow kiss that made her shudder right down to her toes. When Nix lifted her head, another set of arms reached for her, pulling her out of Cort's lap and onto Boone's. Nix smiled and twined her arms around Boone's neck, leaning in to lick at his lips before delving inside to explore, to taste her mate. Someone cleared their throat. Nix ignored it in favor of kissing Boone until they did it again. She lifted her head and glared around the table, angry at having her pleasure interrupted. She wasn't used to these human behaviors. She never would have been interrupted at home. "Do you think you might stop sucking Boone's face long enough for us to finish our conversation?" Nix glared daggers at the tall, blond man who spoke. She opened her mouth to reply when the arms wrapped around her suddenly tightened. Nix melted when she felt smooth lips kiss the side of her neck. "Let it go, baby," Boone whispered. "Dane's right. We do need to talk. We can make out later." Nix grumbled but settled back against Boone's chest, enjoying the feel of his arms around her. She didn't like being interrupted, but she was more than willing to settle for being cuddled in her mate's arms. "Just to bring you up current, Nix, we were discussing you." Nix blinked across the table at the man who spoke. They were discussing her? And how did the blond man even know who she was? Nix sat up a little straighter, suddenly feeling exposed and unsure of what was happening. "Who are you?" she asked. The man folded his hands together in front of him, his eyes never wavering from Nix's intense stare. "My name is Dane. Danic Jrogen."
Nix inhaled sharply, her mouth falling open as shock rocked through her. "I've heard of you, but I thought you were a myth." Dane chuckled. "I'm quite real, I assure you." "What are you doing here?" Nix asked, spreading her hands wide. "Shouldn't you be somewhere more—" She shrugged, not quite sure how to exactly say what she wanted to say. Danic Jrogen was a legend among the Others. She would have thought he'd spend his time in a place more fitting his status among their kind. "I am where I need to be," Dane said simply. "There are too many of us lost, out in the human world trying to make it day by day while we hide our true nature." Nix never really thought about it before. At home, she was surrounded by Others every day. Granted, many humans lived in her valley, her family's Kingdom, but everyone knew that both kinds existed. It was no big deal. "Why? There are safe zones all over the world," Nix said. "Why do they not just go there? As Others, they would be accepted, have a safe place to live. Why stay in the human world?" "I'm afraid you have been somewhat shielded from the realities that most of our kind live with, Nix. Not everyone gets to live in an ivy-covered castle and have their every whim catered to." Nix frowned. She did not like the condescending tone in Dane's voice. It made her sound petty, uptight. She wasn't, not really. Yes, life might seem easier for her, but it wasn't. As a Princess, she had a lot of responsibilities that others did not. "I'll trade you any day." Dane chuckled. "I'll have to pass. I seem to have misplaced my tiara." Nix rolled her eyes at Dane's tone. "What right do you have to pass judgment on me or my life?" she snapped. "You know nothing of how I live." Dane snorted. "Your name is Nixona Lissësúl. You are the only daughter of King Ahlstrom Lissësúl of Dorthon. Your mother, the queen, passed away on the day of your birth. You have no other siblings. How am I doing so far?" "You forget the thorns in that ivy-covered castle," Nix said. "Thorns? You call having your every whim catered to thorns? I think not, Princess." Nix jumped to her feet, planting her hands on the table as she stared holes into Dane. "You may be the legendary Danic Jrogen, but you know nothing of my world. My people are almost nonexistent. The children are dying of hunger, the old people of disease. The young disappear daily. Our numbers are dwindling at an alarming rate." Nix took a deep breath, trying to rein in the anger that coursed through her body. "My father's chief advisor swears he has the answers to save our people, but he's part of the problem. My father just doesn't see it. Instead, he hands me over to Vasile as a prize to ensure his throne." Nix pointed her finger at Dane, noting the shocked expression on his face. "You know nothing of my life, so do not think to get on your high horse and preach to me about the evils of the world. I am well acquainted with these evils. They live in my ivy-covered castle." Dane bowed his head. "My apologies, Princess, it seems I have spent more time among the humans than I thought. My manners are sorely lacking." Nix wanted to agree, but that would have been petty. Instead, she took the diplomatic route. "My apologies as well, Danic Jrogen. I forget as well that not everyone has been raised as I have. I imagine to an outsider my life would seem ideal. I can assure you, it is not." "You said your young people are disappearing?" Dane asked. "You mean they leave your world for the human world?" Nix sat back down, the comfort of Boone's arms surrounding her once again. "I do not know exactly, but over the last few years, those reaching their maturity have begun disappearing at an alarming rate. I've tried to point this out to my father, but he will not listen. No one will listen. They all assume I am making trouble because I do not wish to wed with Vasile." Nix patted Boone's arm when she heard him growl. "Do not worry so, my mate. Now that I have you and Cort, wedding Vasile will not be expected. Even my father must bow to the bond between mates." "As long as this Vasile understands that you belong to us," Boone snarled as he buried his face in Nix's long hair. "Tell me of this Vasile, Nix," Dane requested. "Has he been your father's advisor long? He is Other, I assume." "I believe so, but with Vasile, you never know. He is an evil man, I can tell you that. He makes my skin crawl every time he looks at me. There have been rumors that he is involved in the dark arts, but—" "The dark arts?" Cort asked. "My people believe there is magic in everything around us, light magic and dark magic. Light magic is love and giving and kindness. Dark magic is evil, death. Those that delve into dark magic delve into the dark arts. In my world, the dark arts are forbidden. They only bring death and destruction." "And you believe this man is involved in these dark arts?" Boone asked. "He's involved in something," Nix replied. She waved her hand through the air. "It's nothing I can prove, mind you, but it just seems to me that none of our young people disappeared until he came around and gained power through my father."
young people disappeared until he came around and gained power through my father." "Do you think your father is involved?" Dane asked. "I think my father is oblivious." "This is all well and good," Cort said, "but I'm more interested in knowing how those men at the research facility got their hands on you, Nix." Nix glanced over at Cort, confused by the question. "Research facility? They took me to a research facility?" "The building where the men took you?" Cort supplied. "How did you get there?" "Two men waited for me outside of the motel you took me to," Nix said. "They took me back into the room we rented and held me there until a third man arrived. That's when they took me to that—what did you call it, Cort? A research facility?" Cort nodded. "We were there doing surveillance on the place when you arrived." "I'm not stupid. I just don't understand why they would be taking me there. What are they researching in that place?" "Others," Dane said simply. He did not look happy when Nix glanced over at him. His eyebrows were drawn together in a frown, the corners of his lips turned down. "They are researching Others?" Nix asked. "Why?" "We do not know at this point," Dane said. Nix jumped and stared over at Cort when his hands slammed down on the table. "Okay," he snapped, "I want to know who we is, and I want to know now. I've just about had it with all this cloak-and-dagger shit, Dane." Dane sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose before dropping his hands to the table. "Do you remember me telling you that I spent the last few years building a network to help out others of our kind?" Boone and Cort nodded. Nix leaned forward as curiosity ate her up. Danic Jrogen really was a legend, a myth among her people. To see him in person, hear him explain his history was fascinating to her. "Part of that networking is protecting our kind from the human element, those that want to harness our abilities for their own greedy purposes. We believe this research facility is just such a place." "Harness our abilities? What abilities?" Cort asked. "Imagine if you learned that vampires were real and that they did have eternal life," Dane said. "They couldn't die, healed instantly, and had more power than nearly any man on Earth. They could see in the dark, fly through the air, and disappear in a puff of smoke. Now, imagine that power in the hands of someone that wanted to rule the world." "Shit!" Cort exclaimed. Silence reigned in the room as everyone took in the implications of Dane's words. Powers such as these in the wrong hands could tip the balance of power for the entire world. It would be devastating. "They're not real, are they?" Boone asked after a moment. "No, vampires are not real." Dane chuckled and rubbed his chin. "At least, as far as we know. But you can see the potential problem here. While vampires may not exist, there are those of us that do have certain abilities. If those abilities could be harnessed…" Dane's voice trailed off. He didn't have to finish his words. The implication was enough. "And you believe that is what they are doing at this research facility?" Nix asked. "We know someone is capturing Others and experimenting on them. We do not know who," Dane said. "We've been able to follow their trail to the research facility and believe someone inside that organization is behind it." "That's why you had us watching the place," Cort said. Dane nodded. "That would also explain why they had Nix," Cort added. "But it doesn't explain how they even knew who Nix is," Boone said. "Someone had to say something, point her out. We didn't even know we were going to that motel until we went there. Either we're being followed or—" "Or Nix is," Dane finished for Boone as he glanced over at Nix. "Who knew you were coming here, Princess?" Nix rolled her eyes. "Would you please stop calling me that? You do not mean it in its proper manner." "You are a Princess, are you not?" "If you mean that my father is King and the leader of my people, then yes, I am a Princess. If you mean it as a spoiled rotten little bitch living in an ivycovered castle, then no."
Dane smirked. Nix smiled herself as she realized she enjoyed sparring with the blond man. It was not something she experienced much at home as most people bowed to her royal status. It was a refreshing change. "I do not know who knew I was coming here," Nix said, answering Dane's question. "I certainly didn't tell anyone. They would have tried to stop me." "Why?" Boone asked, his arms tightening around Nix. Nix patted the arm wrapped around her waist. She could feel Boone's unease as if it were her own. "I was to be wedded to Vasile. Everyone knew it. It would not be proper for me to leave home to fornicate with anyone that was not my intended." "Which explains why you were in the bar trying to pick someone up," Cort growled. Nix shrugged. "I wanted one night to have someone of my own choosing, not someone chosen by my father." Nix shuddered. "Besides the fact that I fully believe that Vasile is evil, it all seemed so cold, so sterile. I just wanted one night filled with warmth." Nix purred when Boone nuzzled her neck. She felt Cort's hand stroking her arm, shivers of delight riding over her skin. "Did we give you enough warmth, baby?" Boone whispered against her ear. "It will never be enough," Nix murmured back as she let her head drop back, baring her throat. She shuddered when Boone's lips moved along her tingling skin. "I'll always need the both of you to keep me warm." "Let's get back to the issue at hand here, folks," Dane said, breaking in to the tender moment between Nix and her mates. She glared at him. "We need to find out what is going on inside that facility." "I thought you just wanted us to watch the place," Cort said. "That was before they took Nix. If they are following you or Nix, then we have a problem. It could also mean that they have more Others. I think we need to get inside that facility and find out what's really going on." Cort nodded. Boone nodded. Nix didn't. She didn't like the direction this conversation was headed. Whoever took her knew she was Other. That made them dangerous. Now that Cort and Boone's genetic anomaly had been triggered, it put them in danger as well. Nix didn't know how this was done. She'd never tried to investigate anything. But the thought of Cort and Boone going back to that research facility scared the crap out of her. Her gut screamed at her that they were in grave danger. "Isn't there some other way that we can find this out?" Nix asked. "Maybe stake the research facility out again or something? Do Boone and Cort really need to go inside?" "Watching the outside of the building isn't going to gain us any information," Dane said. "We really need to get inside and find out exactly what they are doing inside that building. It could mean the lives of all of us." Nix knew when she was beaten. She could see it in the determined looks of the faces around her. No matter what she said or how hard she protested, Cort and Boone were going to break into the research facility to gather information. "Let me go with you." Dane burst out laughing. That didn't bother Nix so much considering how he saw her, but the amused chuckles from Cort and Boone hurt. She felt like they might reach over and pat her on the head at any moment. "I'm not joking," Nix insisted. "Let me go with you. I can help." "Princess, this isn't a shopping trip to the mall," Dane said. "This is a reconnaissance mission." Nix bristled. She tried to keep her temper under control and speak diplomatically as she had been taught and not scream and yell as she really wanted to do. "I am fully aware that this is a dangerous mission. I still think I can help." "Nix, we're not choosing nail polish here," Dane said. "Cort and Boone will be breaking into a top-level security facility. There will be men with guns, big guns. It's not a place for princesses to be." Nix waited for Cort or Boone to defend her. Surely they would. They might not know much about her, but to let someone speak to her in such a manner was just not acceptable. When they said nothing, she glanced at both of them, shocked to see them trying to hide amused grins from her. "I see," she finally said. And she did. Cort and Boone thought she was as frivolous as Dane did. They would never take her seriously. Nix climbed off of Boone's lap and stood. "I'll just let you get to your plans then." Nix held her head high as she walked from the room. She didn't hurry as she wanted to but kept a regular pace out of the room. She was a Princess. It wouldn't do for anyone to know that inside she cried like a baby. She was able to keep her composure until returning to their bedroom. Closing the door behind her, she looked at the bed they had shared, remembering the hours spent there making love. Making love, she scoffed, fucking, more like it. They didn't love her. Boone and Cort didn't even respect her! She lay down on the bed, curling into a ball, and wept. Nix wept for her lot in life, the way her father ignored her, used her as a possession to keep his power. She wept for the way her mates treated her, like some toy they could have sex with and not the partner she should be. They treated her like a silly child, not even trying to get to know her. They listened to Dane, assuming his opinion of her was correct.
Dane, assuming his opinion of her was correct. Dane had never even met her before. She thought she had gotten the point across that his assumptions were wrong. It seemed mere words would change no one's opinion of her. Nix tried her best always in life, living up to the expectations her father put on her, living at court put on her, even her mates put on her. She was so tired of it all!
No more! Nix thought as she wiped the last of her tears of hurt away. She would no longer tolerate people treating her this way. She was no longer going to turn the other cheek while people used and abused her for their own purposes. It ended today! If being diplomatic and trying to rise above the bait of people's words didn't work, as her life now clearly showed her, she would find another way. Nix paced around the room. She deserved the respect of her position. She was a Princess, damn it! She came from the most powerful bloodline of the faye, but if that wouldn't bring her respect, she would do it the way any man would. She would fight back with strength and hand them their asses! She had been working with her powers in secret since she was a child, knowing her father didn't approve of a Princess to train in such ways. Her father loved her somewhere in his misguided head, but his treatment of her didn't show it. She was a mere possession to be used the way he saw fit. It was time to show, by any means necessary, that she alone possessed herself and anyone she allowed in her life or to be her mate was given a gift, one that would be respected. Cort and Boone were about to find out what it meant to be mated, and to be mated to someone as powerful as a faye. If they couldn't handle it, too damn bad. This mating worked for all of them, or it didn't work. And she was determined to make it work. She didn't have a choice.
Chapter 7 "That might not have been our smartest move," Boone said as he watched Nix walk out of the room and down the hallway. "What do you mean?" Cort asked. "I think we just hurt Nix's feelings," Boone said. "She'll get over it," Dane said. "A recon mission is no place for a girl, especially a Princess. She could be seriously injured." Boone rubbed his fingers along the rim of the coffee cup in his hand. "I agree, but we might have handled that a little better." "The little Princess will survive." Dane snickered. "It'll be good for her to be knocked down a level or two." "Dane, just stop it, okay?" Cort snapped. "Stop what?" "What is wrong with you? You don't even know her. I've never thought you were a judgmental prick," Boone added. "Plus, she's our mate," Cort threw in. "You think it's okay to say this shit about her, especially when we're sitting right here?" "You're right, and I'm sorry," Dane said, shaking his head. "I just know her kind—" "You sound like those humans who don't see the person behind the Other, but only see the Other," Boone said, about to continue when he noticed Nix by the fridge. "Don't mind me, boys. I didn't mean to interrupt your all-important planning," Nix said. "I just wanted to get something to drink." Boone went to say something, but couldn't speak when Nix disappeared, then reappeared across the room. She opened the cabinet that held the glasses and took one out. Nix poured her soda into it. Before any of them could speak, she was gone again. "Did I just see that?" Boone asked, his voice shaking. "It seems the Princess has a few parlor tricks up her sleeve," Dane answered. Boone ignored Dane's comments and went to go find Nix to talk to her. He realized the other two men were right behind him. He spotted her in the rec room, lounging on a sofa reading a book. "Mind filling us in on what just happened?" Boone asked, approaching her slowly. "Filling you in?" Nix replied, her eyes never leaving what she was reading. "Why didn't you tell us you could do that?" Cort asked, moving to stand next to Boone. "Well, you didn't really give me much of a chance, did you? You men just assumed whatever you wanted about me," she replied. "Considering Boone and Cort had to rescue you from the men that had you, what did you expect us to think?" Dane asked, taunting her. "If you had any powers, why wouldn't you have used them then?" Nix put down her book, stood, and waved her hand. Boone watched in amazement as Dane went flying across the room and slammed into the wall, seeming immobile. "I've had enough of your disrespect," Nix said, walking toward him. "I was in mating heat, in more pain then you can possibly imagine, growing weaker
and weaker by the second. I'm still not back to my full strength, but I am a member of Other royalty." Nix stepped closer until she was nearly nose to nose with the Dane, except he was being held immobile against the wall. "And while you seem incapable of respecting that, I will no longer listen to your snide comments, or your looks of disdain, and the way you treat me like a simple, shallow female. You might want to remember, Dane, that while Boone and Cort are your subordinates, I am not. And while I was willing to forgive you up to a point because you were away from our lands for so long, you should remember you are actually one of my subjects." "Nix, enough, I think you've made your point," Cort said. Boone watched as Nix gave another flick of her hand and Cort froze midstep, midsentence. "I'll deal with the two of you privately," she replied, keeping her attention solely on Dane. "Have I made myself perfectly clear, Dane?" "Yes, I think you have, Nix," Dane answered, still pressed against the wall, a foot off the ground. "Good," she replied, waving her hand again and releasing Dane. "It's a shame that I had to resort to such tactics, considering we are supposed to all be on the same side." Boone watched her, just as calm as when they walked in, pick up the book she was reading and start out of the room. As she was at the doorway, she flicked her wrist again, releasing Cort from the frozen state she had put him in. "She's right, you know. We should be ashamed," Boone said as he turned on his heel and left the room. They had been complete jackasses. It would serve them right if she never spoke to them, much less ever let them touch her, love her. Boone followed Nix into the bedroom. She was just sitting down in the window seat when he walked in. Boone wasn't stupid. Nix was their mate, and he had royally fucked up. He needed to apologize and probably do a little groveling. Boone walked over and knelt on the floor next to Nix and reached for her hand. "I'm sorry, Nix. I was a real asshole. As you might have guessed, I'm not used to being around women I don't pay for by the hour. It's not exactly healthy, and I don't mean in a sexual way. My job is pretty dangerous." Nix stared at him for several moments, her lips compressed together. Cort was afraid she wasn't going to forgive him, so he was a little surprised when she smiled and cupped the side of his face. "I understand that, Boone, I do," Nix said. "But you need to understand that I can more than handle myself. My life is a lot different than yours. It—" "Was," Boone said quickly. Nix frowned. "Was what?" "Your life was a lot different than mine, not is. From here on out, our lives are going to be pretty similar." Nix chuckled. "Very well, my life was a lot different than yours. It wasn't like you would think of in one of your human fairy tales. I knew before I could walk that people would try to kill me, that I would be used for whatever purpose my father saw fit. I even knew that I wouldn't be allowed to choose who I married." Boone didn't like how that sounded. His eyebrows furrowed as he sat back, Nix's hand falling away from his face. "You wouldn't have chosen Cort or me if you had the chance?" "Is that what has you so worried?" Nix said. She swung her legs over the side of the bench seat and wrapped them around Boone, pulling him closer until their faces were inches apart. "I would have chosen you both if I had been given the choice, but in my world, I don't have that choice, only here in yours." "So, if you go home, do we lose you?" Nix grinned. "Nope, too late for that," she said. "Not even my father can separate us now. Once mates are mated, only death can separate them." Boone nearly swallowed his tongue when Nix pulled her shirt over her head, baring her beautiful, full breasts. His hands shook as he reached out to touch them, cradle them in his hands. "Fuck, you are so damn beautiful," he whispered. Getting a firm grasp on one breast, Boone lowered his head to Nix's nipple. He raked his tongue over the soft bud, feeling it harden against his tongue. Nix started to moan softly, spurring Boone on. He quickly brought the other breast to his mouth, giving that nipple the same attention. Ever so gently, Boone began to apply pressure, sucking the nipple into his mouth and gently biting down with his teeth. Nix moaned louder. Boone sucked harder, then switched back to the first nipple. He lifted his head and looked down at the woman in his arms. Nix's chest was arched up toward him, her head falling back. Her skin was flushed, little pants coming from her mouth. Boone wasn't sure he'd ever seen anything so lovely in his entire life. Boone felt an overwhelming need to bury himself deep inside of Nix's tight body. His hands trembled as he grabbed Nix by her hips and lifted her up higher on the bench. He grabbed the edge of the pajama pants she'd borrowed from him and pulled them down her long legs before tossing them over his shoulder. The breath caught in Boone's throat as he gazed down at Nix in all her glory. His cock throbbed in his pants as he watched Nix smirk and slowly part her legs, baring her soft, pink folds to his hungry eyes. "Sweet hell, Nix," he whispered. He reached down and dragged one finger through the crease between her thighs. The moan Nix let out nearly made
Boone come right then and there. He brought his finger to his mouth and sucked the juices off, groaning when Nix's sweet flavor flooded his mouth. Boone was pretty sure that if he didn't get his dick inside of Nix in the next ten seconds, he was going to come all over the floor. He was that close. Boone grabbed Nix again, this time, pulling her hips to the edge of the bench seat. He quickly unzipped his jeans and pushed them down his hips before scooting forward to kneel between Nix's thighs. Boone watched as the head of his cock slid through Nix's nether regions. The wetness of her pussy made it easy for him to glide along her swollen flesh. He pushed his hips forward just enough so that the head of his cock pressed into Nix, then pulled out. Just that amount of contact with Nix's body had him panting in moments. "Boone," Nix moaned as she reached out for him. Boone lifted Nix's legs over his shoulders and gripped her hips tightly in his hands. He leaned over Nix and claimed her lips at the same time he thrust his hard cock into her tight silk, claiming her body as well. Nix's arms wrapped around Boone's head, and her fingers dug into his hair. Her hunger seemed wild and out of control. Boone gloried in the small whimpers that came from Nix's throat. They grew louder with each thrust of Boone's hips. Boone wanted more control, more friction. He let Nix's legs drop from his shoulders and guided them around his waist. Holding her around the waist, he stood to his feet and took a couple of steps before trapping Nix between him and the wall. Holding Nix's ass cheeks in his hands, and pulling them slightly apart to give himself deeper access, Boone began pounding into Nix's welcoming grasp. The slick tightness of Nix's pussy as he thrust into her made Boone's legs shake. His hands tightened on her ass cheeks as he felt his orgasm looming. "Nix, Nix," he murmured against her throat, "you feel so fucking good, and I'm so close. Come with me, love. I want to feel your pussy tighten around my cock." Nix groaned. Her head fell back against the wall with a dull thud. Boone lifted his head from her throat and watched her eyes flutter. Her lips were pink and swollen from his kiss, and he loved it. It made the canines in his mouth drop down and an ache to taste her blood fill him. Boone balanced Nix on one arm as he pounded into her, then reached down between them to stroke his fingers over her swollen clit. Nix's hands landed on Boone's shoulders. She used that to leverage herself up as she started riding Boone as hard as she could. Boone gently pinched Nix's clit with his fingers. At the same moment, he leaned forward and sank his canines into the soft flesh of her neck. Nix screamed. Wetness gushed over Boone's fingers, and the inner muscles cradling his aching cock clamped down on him. Boone groaned around the flesh in his mouth as he rammed up into Nix one last time before his world exploded in bright sparks of color. He felt pulse after pulse of seed shoot from his cock and fill Nix. As his legs gave out and he dropped to the floor, cradling Nix gently in his arms, Boone heard the bedroom door slam open. He had just enough energy left to extract his teeth from Nix's neck and turn to see Cort standing in the doorway, a thunderous look on his face. "What the fuck?" Cort shouted. "I thought someone was dying in here." Nix giggled. "I'm pretty sure I did." Boone rolled his eyes and gently pulled his cock free from Nix's body. He was elated when she groaned in protest. "I hate that part," she whispered as her deep blue eyes looked up at him. "What part?" Boone asked. "The part where you have to leave me." Boone chuckled. "You'd look pretty funny being carried around on my dick all day long." Nix shrugged. "You and Cort could take turns." Before Boone could reply, Cort snorted. Boone glanced over at him again, surprised to see the outrage on Cort's face and the way he had his arms crossed over his chest as he glared at them. "What?" Boone asked. "I'm so glad I'm included in your little afternoon delight." Cort gave them both one last look, then turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the bedroom door behind him. Boone groaned and dropped his head forward to rest on Nix's chest. "I love the man, really I do, but there are times when I feel a deep need to shove my foot up his ass." "Do you ever feel like shoving something else up his ass?" Boone's head snapped up. He looked down at Nix's smiling face, strangely perturbed and aroused by her words at the same time. He wasn't quite sure what to say to Nix. Cort was his best friend and the one person he trusted more than anyone in the world. Feeling his cock start to harden against Nix's naked hip made Boone's world summersault. He set Nix down on the floor and quickly backed away from her to lean back against the side of the bed. He wasn't aroused by the idea of fucking Cort. He couldn't be. He was straight. He only fucked women. Right? Boone shook his head. No, he wasn't going
to go there. He wasn't going to start thinking about fucking Cort's tight little ass. He just wasn't. It would open a can of worms that Boone wasn't ready to deal with. Boone jumped to his feet and grabbed for his jeans. He yanked them up his legs as fast as he could. He zipped them up, then glanced down at Nix. She simply arched an eyebrow at him. Boone shook his finger at her. "Don't…You don't know what…Just…just don't, okay?" "Boone, it's nothing to be ashamed of," Nix said as she got to her feet. "There is nothing wrong with wanting to be with Cort as much as you want to be with me." Nix smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. "I think it would be sexy as hell." "You don't know what the fuck you're talking about," Boone snapped. "Cort and I are just friends. We've never…Well, we just haven't." "There's always a first time." "No, there's not," Boone said sharply. "I am not going to lose Cort's friendship so you can get your jollies." Boone gave Nix one last scathing glare, then turned and stormed out of the room. He walked right down the hallway and out the front door, ignoring everyone who called out to him. He couldn't talk right now. He was afraid if he did, he'd start screaming. Boone walked away from the house and headed down the hill toward the small stream that ran along the edge of the trees. It was his secret hideaway from the world, the place he went when he needed to think. And he really needed to think. Nix's words had hit too close to home for Boone. She seemed to root out his deepest, darkest secret with one simple sentence, a secret he never shared with anyone on Earth, not even Cort, his best friend. He didn't think of his need to be with Cort often. It wasn't something he could share with anyone except himself. He just brought his fantasy out when things got really tough for him and he needed something to help hold it together. There had only been a few occasions when he allowed himself that particular fantasy, once, when he was stuck behind enemy lines, shot in the leg, and had no hope for retrieval. Another time, when Cort was shot and hung on to life by a thread, he brought out his little dream and thought about it while he waited to see if the man would live. When it looked like he would, Boone's little fantasy got packed away again. Boone slid down to sit at the base of a large tree that overlooked the small stream. He leaned back against the hard bark and thought about his fantasies of Cort. He had so many, and not one of them had he ever put voice to. He was pretty sure that not only would Cort not want to be his friend any longer but that the man would punch him right in the mouth, or the balls at the very least. Cort never seemed like the type of man who would even consider being with another man. He loved women. Boone knew all the times he shared a woman with Cort were due to his need to be close to the man. A little slip of the hand while they fucked a woman or a look at Cort's naked body that lasted longer than normal, these could all be explained by the heat of the moment. If he voiced his desire for the man, he could no longer pretend that it was just the heat of the moment or a slip of the hand. He'd have to admit his true desire for Cort. And that meant he could lose him. Boone wasn't willing to chance it. He'd rather have Cort in his life as just a friend than have no Cort at all. Boone glanced up when a sudden shadow fell across him. His heart pounded harder in his chest when he realized that the object of his thoughts stood over him. Boone swallowed past the lump that formed in his throat and tried to sound normal when he spoke. "Hey, Cort." "Hey, Boone," Cort replied quietly as he sat down next to him. Cort bent his legs and rested his arms on his knees as he looked out over the stream. It was quiet between them for several long moments before Cort spoke again. "I'm sorry, man," Cort said. "I didn't mean to make an ass out of myself. I guess I felt a little left out when I walked in and found you fucking Nix." Boone knew he would be lying to himself if he thought Cort was upset because Boone was with Nix instead of him. Boone knew Cort meant that he felt left out because Boone fucked Nix and he didn't. "Yeah, I get it," Boone said, wishing things were different, but knowing they never would be. He had Cort as his best friend, and they shared a wonderful woman between them. He should be grateful for that and not wishing for what could never be. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again." "Naw, that's not what I meant, Boone," Cort said. "You have a right to be with Nix whenever you want. She belongs to you as much as she belongs to me. You don't need to ask my permission." Boone chuckled. If only Cort knew. "I think it would just be easier if we did this together." Please? Boone thought to himself. It's the only chance I have to
live out my fantasies about you. "I don't want you to feel like I'm pushing you into anything, Boone," Cort said as he shook his head. "We don't have to have a threesome every time we have sex with Nix. It's okay to be with her one-on-one. I just think, for a while, we need to warn each other before it happens." Boone clenched his hands together and looked away from Cort. He tried to keep quiet as he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Boone knew that Cort being with Nix one-on-one was a strong possibility, almost a certainty. He just never thought about it before. Suddenly, it loomed right in front of Boone's face, and there was no way he could deny it. He was jealous…green-eyed monster jealous. He didn't mind
sharing Nix with Cort. He didn't even mind sharing Cort with Nix. He minded not being involved when the two of them were together. Boone didn't know how he would deal with that. He wasn't good at hiding things from Cort. The man knew him too well. They had been friends for a lot of years and been through more shit than most people go through in a lifetime. Keeping his emotions, his desire, from Cort wouldn't be easy. "Boone?" Cort asked. "Did you hear me?" Boone glanced over at Cort and smiled weakly. "Yeah, I heard you." Cort frowned. "Are you okay, Boone?" Boone chuckled and stared down at the dirt beneath his feet. He grabbed a stick off the ground and began drawing circles in the dirt. "Yeah, I'm good, Cort. This is all just a lot to take in, you know?" Cort snickered. "Two weeks ago we were just a couple of guys standing in a bar having a beer." Cort waved his hand nonchalantly. "Now look at us. We can shift into furry monsters, and we're mated to an elf Princess. If that doesn't unnerve you, I don't know what will." "It isn't exactly how I planned things, but it hasn't all been bad, has it?" Boone asked. He suddenly realized that being mated to Nix meant that he would always have a connection to Cort, even if it wasn't exactly the one he wanted. "No, it's not too bad, but you're right," Cort replied. "This isn't how I saw my life going." "How did you see it?" Boone wished he'd kept his mouth shut the moment the words were out of his mouth. He didn't want to hear Cort go on about finding the perfect woman and settling down with 2.5 kids and a white picket fence. Cort shrugged. "I guess I never really thought about it much. It's not like what we do is conducive to having a family." "Did you want a family?" Cort shrugged again. "Again, not something I ever thought about much. You and the guys are kind of my family, you know?" Boone felt something inside of him start to blossom and tamped it down as hard and as fast as he could. It wouldn't be smart to start thinking in terms of Cort being his family. Boone drew in a deep breath. "Hey, look, we should think about getting back up to the house," Boone said as he stood. "I imagine everyone is wondering where we got off to." Cort nodded and stood as well. Boone turned to walk away when Cort's voice stopped him. "Did you ever think about having a family, Boone?" Boone closed his eyes briefly and clenched his fists before he answered. "I did, once." "Once?" Cort asked. "What happened?" "It just wasn't meant to be, that's all."
Chapter 8 Cort frowned as he watched Boone walk away. The man's shoulders were slumped as if he carried the weight of the world on them. He had known Boone for a lot of years, but he couldn't ever remember seeing him so depressed. He knew blowing a fit over Boone being with Nix probably wasn't his best move. He just saw red when he discovered Boone balls-deep inside of the woman who was supposed to be belong to both of them. He'd obviously overreacted. He just didn't understand why Boone was so upset over it. They shared plenty of women together in the past. It was kind of a pastime for them, finding some woman at a bar and taking her to a motel, double-teaming her. He knew it was a kink, but he always figured everyone had one. It made it more exciting for Cort, more arousing. Cort followed Boone up to the lodge they shared with the other men in their little makeshift unit, and now Nix. He wondered how that was going to work exactly, having Nix with them. It wasn't like they planned to move into her ivy-covered tower with her. They were soldiers. They weren't cut out for living the life of royalty. "Hey, Boone," Cort called out as he jogged up to Boone. He wanted to catch the man before he reached the house. "Can I ask you something?" Boone paused, then turned to face him. "Yeah, sure, you can ask me anything." "Do you think we're going to have to move to Nix's home now that we're mated?" Boone's eyebrows furrowed, and the corner of his mouth pulled down in a frown. "I don't know. I mean, she is a Princess and all. She has some sort of duties, I'm sure." Boone shrugged. "I guess we'll have to discuss it with Nix." "How do you feel about that?" "About moving with Nix?"
Cort nodded. Boone glanced around. Cort knew he had to be mistaken, but it seemed to him like Boone was trying to avoid looking at him. But that couldn't be right. They were best friends. They had always been able to discuss anything. "Boone?" "If Nix needs us to move, then we'll move, but I won't go without you," Boone finally said. "She's mated to both of us, and I can't do this without you there. Nix needs both of us, not just one of us." Cort frowned. "Of course, I thought that was assumed." It bothered Cort that it wasn't. They were a team. They did this together or not at all. Boone nodded, again avoiding Cort's eyes. "We'll do whatever we need to do then." Cort watched Boone walk into the house feeling more confused than he had when he first walked out to talk to the man. Boone was acting weird, and Cort didn't understand why. Granted, the last couple of weeks had been crazy, but that didn't explain Boone's behavior. Cort went up the steps and into the house. He walked through the door just in time to see Boone walk down the hallway toward their room. He would have been suspicious if Nix hadn't been sitting in the living room talking with Dane. As he looked over to stare at Nix, Cort began to wonder if he'd read this situation all wrong. Maybe Boone was upset because he didn't want to share Nix with him. Cort wasn't sure how he felt about that beyond disappointed. Boone and Cort had shared so much over the years, women, a career, even a living space. Hell, they slept in the same room. Cort wasn't aware of anything they hadn't shared together. There wasn't anything he had that he wouldn't give to Boone. It pained him to think there was finally something Boone didn't want to share with him. Granted, Nix was a beautiful woman, gorgeous even, but Cort never thought he and Boone would argue over a woman. Cort watched Nix for another moment, then stormed down the hallway to the bedroom he shared with Boone. He'd be damned if he'd let some woman, even one he was mated to, tear them apart. Boone was his best friend, and he'd do whatever needed to be done to keep him, even if it meant knocking some sense into the man. He pushed the bedroom door open and walked in. Boone faced the window, but jumped and turned around when Cort slammed the door shut. He looked confused and just a bit wary. "What in the fuck is wrong with you?" Cort snarled. He could feel anger fighting with his better judgment. He knew that shouting wasn't the way to reach Boone. It just made the man angry. Still, Cort was having trouble controlling himself. He felt like he was fighting for something that meant more than anything to him, his friendship with Boone. "What are you talking about?" Boone asked. "There's nothing wrong with me." "Bullshit!" Cort snapped as he crossed the room to stand in front of Boone. He jabbed his finger into Boone's chest as he continued. "You've got some sort of bug up your ass, and I want to know what it is." Boone grabbed Cort's finger and flung it away as he started to turn. "Don't be ridiculous. Just because you feel guilty, don't take it out on me." "Guilty," Cort shouted. "What in the hell do I have to feel guilty about? I didn't do anything wrong." "Well, neither did I, so stop fucking yelling at me." Cort's lips thinned as he clenched his jaw together. He felt an overwhelming urge to punch Boone right in his lying mouth. Cort could tell something was wrong. Boone still wouldn't look directly at him. "Is it Nix?" Cort asked. "Are you mad because I want you to share her with me?" Boone laughed bitterly. "Christ, no," he said. "I've never had any problem sharing women with you. You know that." "Then what is it, Boone?" Cort asked, his voice much softer this time. He truly wanted to know. He needed Boone in his life. He couldn't even imagine a future that didn't have him in it. Cort stepped over to Boone again and grabbed the man's arm to pull him around. He wanted to see Boone's face. "Why won't you look at me?" Boone just shook his head and pulled away. He didn't say anything. Cort felt like the ground beneath him was being pulled out from under his feet. "Boone? Please, talk to me. Tell me what's going on." Boone walked over to his bed and sat down. He seemed to be staring down at his hands, twisting his fingers together nervously. Cort couldn't stand the dejected look Boone had on his face. It made his heart ache for the man. Cort walked over and sat down next to Boone. He waited for Boone to say something, anything, but the man just sat there staring at his hands. Cort didn't know what to say or even how to get Boone to talk to him. He went with the only thing he could think of. "If she means that much to you, I can step out of the picture, Boone," he said quietly. "I don't ever want a woman to come between us. I guess I just thought we'd share her like we always have." "Naw, it's not that," Boone finally said. His voice was quiet, almost a murmur, but Cort heard him anyway. "I wouldn't want to have Nix without you in the
picture. I've kind of gotten used to sharing with you." "Then what is it?" Cort asked. "Did I do something? If it's about earlier, I'm sorry, man. I lost my temper. I didn't mean to. I just walked into the room and saw the two of you together, and my head kind of twisted off my shoulders, you know?" Boone chuckled and glanced up at him. Cort saw that as a good thing. It made him feel a little better even if he still didn't understand exactly what upset Boone. "It wasn't anything you did, Cort, I swear." "Something I didn't do then?" Cort expected Boone to say no. He was surprised when the man just shrugged his shoulders and went back to looking down at his hands. Was there something he should have done that he didn't? "Boone, wha—" "It doesn't matter, Cort," Boone said. "Please, just drop it." "I don't want to drop it, Boone," Cort replied. "I've obviously upset you somehow, and I want to know how. What didn't I do?" Cort racked his brain trying to figure out if he had missed something. He couldn't think of anything. "Drop it, Cort," Boone said as he jumped to his feet and started pacing around the room. Cort just stared at him, shocked by Boone's behavior. There was obviously a lot more going on here than he initially thought. Boone never got this upset with him. Cort stood and stepped toward the man. "Boone, wha—" "I said drop it, Cort," Boone snapped, finally turning to look at him. "Can't you take a fucking hint? I don't want to discuss it." "What in the hell is wrong with you?" Even as he asked the question, Cort felt a sense of déjà vu. Hadn't he already asked that? He almost expected Boone to give him the same lame answer he had the last time. He was shocked when Boone leapt across the space between them and grabbed him by his shirt, slamming him into the wall. Cort's mouth dropped open when Boone leaned in close to him and growled. "I told you that I didn't want to talk about it, but you just had to push it, didn't you?" Cort's mouth snapped shut. He struggled against Boone, but even the slight height and weight advantage he had over the man didn't seem to faze Boone. He just slammed Cort back up again the wall. "You want to know what my fucking problem is, Cort?" Boone snapped. "You, okay? It's you." "Me?" Cort choked out. "Yes, you. I could give a fuck about sharing Nix with you. I've shared a lot of women with you. That doesn't bother me." Boone seemed to take a deep breath as his pale green eyes bored into Cort. "My problem is that I don't want to share you, okay?" "Me?" Cort squeaked again, his mind reeling. What in the hell was Boone talking about? Had he lost his mind? Was the activation of his recessive gene affecting him somehow? "I've wanted you since about three minutes after I first laid eyes on you," Boone growled quietly. "I've hidden it all these years because I knew you'd never want me in the same way. I was happy just to have you in my life as my friend. But now, now we're mated to the same woman, and it's a whole other ball game." Shock rolled through Cort, not so much from his words, but from the hard cock he could feel pressed up against him. Boone wasn't lying. "Now, for the rest of my life, I have to watch you love someone else. I can't even leave because if I do, Nix could die. I have to watch you love her and touch her and wish that it was me. And I can never fucking get away from it." Boone's voice cracked. Cort watched tears form in his eyes for the first time ever. "And I have to pretend that I'm okay with it, that I'm happy just being your friend because I know if you ever found out, you'd want nothing to do with me." Cort almost jerked when Boone's hand softly brushed his cheek. "And now you do, and—" Boone shook his head. Cort could feel the man's eyes roam over his face then Boone suddenly leaned in and kissed him, only, it wasn't just a kiss. It was something that rocked Cort right down to the core of his being. He felt Boone's tongue brush over his lips before he pushed inside to claim him. It was rough and hot and made Cort's toes curl. Before Cort could respond, Boone pushed away from him with a sharp cry and ran out of the room. Cort stood there for a moment, rubbing his fingers over his lips as he tried to figure out what in the hell had just happened. By the time Cort got himself under control and figured out that something monumental had just happened between him and Boone, he could hear the truck start up and peel out of the driveway. He knew it was Boone leaving. Cort slumped against the wall. His mind was chaotic, his emotions swirling. Boone had kissed him. Hell, Boone had rocked his world. Cort could still feel his cock throbbing against his zipper, and he just didn't understand that. Cort never imagined being with a man, but no woman he ever met, with maybe the exception of Nix, ever made him as hard as Boone did with one simple kiss. Maybe that kiss hadn't been that simple, though. It certainly seemed to have changed the way Cort thought about the world. He thought back to all of the women he shared with Boone and all of the women he hadn't. It shocked Cort to realize that he never got as turned on by a
woman he fucked alone as he did when he fucked one with Boone present. Maybe there was something to that, something he needed to think more about. "Hey, are you okay?" Cort looked up to find Nix leaning against the bedroom door frame. "I just saw Boone tear out of here like the hounds of hell were after him. Did you two have a fight?" Cort snorted. "Not exactly." Nix sauntered slowly across the room, stopping right in front of him. She reached up and rubbed her fingers over Cort's swollen lips. "Did Boone kiss you?" Cort's eyes widened. "How'd you know?" "Please, that man is so in love with you he can't see straight." Nix smirked. "I'm just surprised he hasn't tried to kiss you before now." "B-Boone's in love with me?" Cort whispered. Even after the things Boone said and the kiss, Cort never imagined that Boone might be in love with him. He wasn't sure if he was more shocked at the idea or how the idea made him feel. Nix twirled her finger in her long golden hair and turned to walk around the room. "I imagine Boone's been in love with you for a long time." "Did he say something to you?" "No, but it was obvious." Cort frowned. Nix rolled her eyes and laughed. "Don't worry, Cort. It was only obvious to me. No one else knows." "How did you know?" "I asked." "You asked?" The look Nix gave him made Cort feel like he was a small child who needed things explained to him in little words. "What happened?" "I imagine about the same thing that happened just now," Nix said. "Boone got upset and stormed out." "Why?" Nix peered at him closely. "You really don't know, do you?" Cort shook his head. "Cort, Boone's afraid of losing you. He'd rather have you as a friend than not at all." Nix shrugged. "From the reaction I got, I'd bet that Boone has been in love with you for quite a while."
Cort's mind reeled. He sat down heavily on the side of the bed. "I don't…I don't know what to say." Nix sat down next to him and grabbed his hand, holding it firmly in hers. "Does it surprise you that much?" she asked. "You had to have suspected something. No one is that good at hiding their feelings." Cort snorted. "Well, apparently, Boone is. I never had a clue." "Now that you do, how do you feel?" "Confused," Cort answered, "bewildered." Nix's free hand landed on his hard cock. "Horny?" Cort felt his face heat up as he squirmed away from the firm hand that gently squeezed him. "I don't—" Nix suddenly jumped to her feet to stand in front of Cort, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "Why is it so hard for you men to admit your feelings for each other? It's, like, all you can do to deny each other." Cort frowned. "Doesn't this bother you?" he asked. "You're talking about me and Boone being together. You're supposed to be our mate. We're supposed to want to be with you, not each other." "Why should it bother me? And why can't the two of you be together?" "Well—" "It's not like I'm suggesting the two of you go off and live happily ever after, leaving me behind. I'm suggesting that the three of us be together, all three of us, at the same time." Nix waved her hand through the air. "Why wouldn't I want to share that with you two?" Cort's eyes felt like they were about ready to pop out of his head. "You want the three of us to be together at the same time?" "Yes." Nix's eyes dropped to the bulge in Cort's pants that just hardened even more. "And so do you." Cort opened his mouth to deny Nix's words, but found that he couldn't in the face of her intense stare. He heaved a huge sigh and nodded his head. "So, okay, I like the idea of the three of us being together at the same time. So what?" "So, why not make it happen?" Nix asked. "It's not like I have an issue with it." "Why don't you have an issue with it?" "The society that I came from is a lot different than this one," Nix replied. Cort watched her as she sat down next to him. "Because of mating, people get hooked up with others that they might never have been attracted to before. It happens. We just learn to deal with it. It's no big deal for two men to be together, or even three or four. It's all part of mating." "Seriously?" Cort had a hard time believing that considering the way human society treated people in same-sex relationships. Maybe Nix's ivy-covered tower wasn't that bad. Nix nodded. "My uncle was mated to a man and a woman. The three of them were together as one unit, not two separate units that were mated. It seemed to work better that way." Nix paused for a moment. "I guess I hoped that the three of us could have that type of relationship." "You're actually in favor of Boone and I having a sexual relationship?" "No." Cort knew it. No woman could be that open-minded. "I was hoping that whatever developed between you and Boone would be more than sexual," Nix said. "I was hoping that whatever developed between the three of us would be more than sexual." Cort gaped at Nix. He just couldn't seem to find the thoughts to put into words. He was too confused, too shocked. Nix was giving not only her permission but her encouragement for him to develop a relationship with Boone. Nix knelt down on the floor between Cort's thighs and looked up at him. "Wouldn't that be better?" she asked. "Yes, I hope that the affection we all feel for each other turns into something more concrete. I have every intention of falling in love with my mates, if I haven't already." "You love me?" Cort whispered. "I'm getting there. Obviously from my behavior you can tell that I'm attracted to you. I was before I even knew we were mates. But I want more than that." Nix smiled as she stroked her hand across Cort's thighs. "I want love and romance and affection and caring. I want it all, and I want it with you and Boone." "Nix, I—" Nix chuckled and patted his hand. "Not to worry, Cort. I don't expect you to give me words of love at this point in our relationship. That type of commitment takes time. I'm just hoping you'll be willing to give us that time." "You seem very understanding about all of this," Cort said, frowning. "Why is that?"
"Can you imagine how sexy it will be for me to see the two of you together knowing I can join in anytime I want to?" Cort's eyes widened when Nix purred. "Two sexy men loving on each other? Yum!" "You think that's sexy?" he choked out past the sudden lump in his throat. "Oh hell yeah." Nix grinned. Her hand started massaging the bulge in Cort's pants. "Can't you imagine it, Cort? Boone fucking me with that beautiful cock of his while you fuck him?" Cort groaned at the vivid picture that filled his mind. He fell back on the bed and closed his eyes, too overwhelmed to do anything but let Nix build the fantasy for him. "Or maybe you'll be the one fucking me while Boone fucks you?" Cort could feel Nix's breath blow across his throat as she leaned closer. He heard his zipper go down. A moment later, Nix's hand wrapped around his hard cock. "Would you like that, Cort? Would you like to feel Boone sink his big, thick cock into your ass? Can you imagine how good it would feel to fuck Boone while he's fucking me?" Cort could feel the pressure of Nix's hand around his hard shaft. Suddenly, something warm and wet wrapped around Cort's cock. He imagined it was Boone's ass as he slowly sank into him. One lick of Nix's tongue across the small slit in the head of Cort's cock and one swipe of her lips was all it took for Cort to cry out, shooting spurt after spurt of seed into her mouth as an orgasm ripped through him. Cort panted heavily as Nix licked him clean then tucked him back into his jeans. He could barely lift his arms to wrap them around her when she climbed up onto the bed and cuddled up next to him. He did turn and plant a small kiss on the top of her head. "Thank you," he whispered. Nix patted Cort's chest. "Just remember that there are three of us in this relationship, not just you and Boone. That's all the thanks I need." "Truthfully, Nix, I don't think I could ever forget you." "Just remember that, and we'll be just fine." Cort chuckled. "You know I have no idea how to be with a man, right?" "Well, I don't imagine it's that much different than being with a woman," Nix replied. "Tab A goes into slot B. Tab B—" Nix burst out laughing when Cort growled and rolled over on top of her. "It can't be that difficult, Cort. You've had anal sex before. I know this from personal experience. Just do to Boone what you'd want done to you. How could you go wrong?" "You really think it's that simple?" Cort wasn't so convinced. "Well, if you're really interested, I can teach you how to give a blow job. I have some experience with them. We'll use Boone as our guinea pig. I'm sure he won't mind." "Just one problem," Cort said. Nix frowned. "What?" "We have to find Boone first."
Chapter 9 Boone watched the people coming and going at the research facility and tried to pay attention. He needed to keep his mind off how badly he had fucked things up with Cort and on the job at hand, watching the research facility. He was just lucky his vision had greatly improved when he mated Nix or this would be a lot harder. Still, he wasn't having much luck not thinking about Cort. He couldn't seem to stop seeing the man's face when he kissed him. The man looked stunned. Boone hadn't waited around to see that shock turn to disgust. He didn't think he could stomach it. He knew eventually he'd have to face Cort, but he wanted to put it off as long as he could. Boone knew it wasn't going to be pretty. He didn't even know if Cort would ever speak to him again, let alone Nix. Boone tightened his hands around the steering wheel of his truck. He had really screwed up. He'd lost the two most important people in his life because he couldn't control himself. He was so fucked. Boone reached up and wiped a tear out of his eyes, telling himself that it was a piece of dust, really, it was dust. He wasn't really crying. Grown men didn't cry. They also didn't fall in love with their best friends. Looking back out the front window of the truck, Boone absently noted a large delivery van driving up to the building. He didn't pay it too much attention until the scent of wet, dead dog reached him. Boone sat up straighter in his seat and watched the delivery van a little closer until it pulled around the side of the building and out of sight. He'd bet almost anything that the disgusting scent he smelled came from that van. Boone pulled his cell phone out and dialed. He checked the ammo in his gun while he waited for Dane to answer. "Hey, Dane, this is Boone," he said as soon as the man answered. "I'm down here at the research facility. A delivery van just pulled in, and it smells like wet dead dog."
"Keep on an eye on it, but don't make a move without my permission," Dane snapped out. "We're on our way." "Gotcha." Boone snapped his phone closed and shoved it back into his pocket. He climbed from his truck and shut the door, watching the building the entire time. He needed to sneak around the side of the building, but he needed to not be caught doing it. Trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, Boone made his way toward the building. Instead of walking through the parking lot as he'd done the time before with Cort, Boone snuck along the edge of the trees surrounding the facility. He needed to move along the large fence that surrounded the place, but it kept him from a direct line of sight of the building. Reaching the side of the building, Boone crouched down behind some bushes and watched the delivery van. He didn't see anyone moving. In fact, it seemed eerily quiet. The scent of wet, dead dog still filled the air, though. Boone had no doubt that someone was around somewhere, delivery men, guards, technicians, someone. It didn't make sense for absolutely no one to be coming or going. Boone crouched down a little more and tried to tap into those extra senses he had when he shifted that one time. Maybe they would help. Boone heard a rip and glanced down, shocked to see long claws sticking out of his fingers, shredding the edge of his shirt. Nope, not the ability he was looking for. Boone concentrated until the claws receded, then lifted his nose to the air. He needed smell or something. Again, he was overwhelmed by the stench of wet, dead dog, only this time, it was so strong Boone almost retched. He covered his nose with his hand and tried to breathe through his mouth. That smell was nauseating. A sudden movement by the delivery van caught Boone's attention. He moved a little closer and watched. Three men walked out of the door on the side of the brick building and headed for the back of the van. Boone's breath caught in his throat when the double doors opened and he spotted two unconscious people lying on the floor of the van. Two of the men reached inside and pulled a young man out of the van and carried him inside. It was clear that the man's hands were tied together and that he'd been roughed up. Boone could barely hold back his small growl. He didn't know what the man had done, if anything, but there was no cause to treat him like this. Boone had a strong urge to take the three men down and tear some serious strips out of their hides. He knew he would need help to do it. He waited until all three men walked inside of the building, two carrying the unconscious man, one opening the door for them, before he made his move. Dane was going to kill him, but Boone couldn't just sit by and let someone be abused if he could help it. The moment the door closed behind the three men, Boone glanced around once, then sprinted forward to the van. Luckily, the men had left the door partially open. Dumb bunnies! Boone opened it right up and grabbed for the remaining man inside. Boone pulled the man out and tossed him over his shoulder. Boone put the door back in its partially closed position then scrambled for the tree line. He ducked behind a large oak tree just as the door on the side of the building opened again. Even though he couldn't be seen, Boone knew the moment they discovered the young man in his arms was missing that the alarm would go out. As quickly and as quietly as he could, Boone made his way through the trees to his truck. He felt a sense of déjà vu as he put the man in the truck. This situation was much like the one where he and Cort had rescued Nix. That thought made Boone wonder why security around the van had been so lax. If these people were really trying to capture and experiment on Others, and they had already lost one specimen, wouldn't it have made sense to beef up security? Boone paused as he set the young man down on the bench seat of his truck. He started searching the man's clothing, his hair, even his shoes. Some inner gut feeling told him that rescuing the man had been just a little too easy. On the back of the man's collar, Boone found what he suspected, a small black device that looked like a bobby pin. Boone pulled it off and looked it over. He didn't recognize the make or model, but he knew what it was, a tracking device. Boone clenched the small, thin device in the palm of his hand. He glanced around the area surrounding his truck. He needed to dispose of it, but he didn't want anyone knowing he'd disposed of it. He needed another target for the dumb bunnies to track. Although, it was starting to look like they might not be so dumb after all. He couldn't immediately see anything that would do, but he could hear loud voices coming from the direction of the delivery van. Knowing he had just run out of time, Boone secured the young man in the passenger seat of the truck and ran around to the other side. He'd drive around in circles if he had to until he found someone to take his tracking bug. Boone started the truck and slowly backed out of the hiding place he'd parked in a few hours ago. He knew he would have an easy time escaping the facility grounds because whoever put the tracking device on the young man expected him to be rescued. They wanted to know who would rescue him and where he'd be taken. Quickly heading back the way he came, Boone easily made it to the main road. He hoped he could put enough distance between him and whoever came after him that they wouldn't be able to tag his truck, or he'd have to ditch it. He loved this truck. Boone dug his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Dane. The man was going to be pissed at him, but there was nothing Boone could do about that. He couldn't leave the young man to whoever kidnapped him. He just wasn't built that way. "Dane."
Boone rolled his eyes. "This is Boone. Hey, look, I know you said not to do anything without talking to you first, but—" "Christ almighty!" Dane snapped. "What did you do?" Boone chuckled. "You know that delivery van?" "Yes." "Well, it seems it was delivering something to the research facility." Boone heard Dane heave a heavy sigh. "What?" "Two young men, both tied up and unconscious," Boone replied. "What?" Dane shouted. Boone held the phone away from his ear until Dane stopped shouting. Damn, that man was loud. Once Dane quieted down, Boone held the phone back up to his ear. "Look, I was able to get one of them but not the other one. But, there's a hitch." "There always is," Dane said. "He had a tracking device on him. I found it, and I'm driving around in circles right now to throw them off. I could use a little help right about now." "Damn, boy, you do like to get my blood pressure up, don't you?" "Just like to make sure your heart is working properly, sir." Boone chuckled. "I wouldn't want to lose you this late in the game, you being such an old man and all." "Fuck you, Boone." "Love you too, Dane." "Okay, look, head down toward the waterfront near the fountain," Dane finally said. "I'm going to send Cort and Sal down to intercept you and your little tracking device. The minute they retrieve the device, I want you to hightail it back here to the lodge. I want to know who that young man is and why they have him. Understood?" "Understood." "And Boone, don't deviate from the plan this time. My old ticker can only handle so much strain." "Yeah, yeah." Boone snickered. "I hear ya." "Just do it, bonehead." Boone rolled his eyes and hung up his phone. He glanced at the man sleeping next to him, then turned the truck and made a beeline for the waterfront. He wasn't too keen on seeing Cort at the moment, but didn't figure the guy would say anything while they were on a mission of sorts. It didn't take Boone more than ten minutes to maneuver through the streets and reach the waterfront. It was dark outside. There weren't that many people out and about, and traffic seemed light. He pulled up into the parking lot in front of the fountain and found a parking spot. Glancing around, he realized that he had arrived before Cort and Sal. That wasn't a bad thing. It gave him time to get his emotions under control. Boone had no idea what he would say to Cort once they were alone. Maybe, if he was lucky, he could avoid that. Boone laughed softly to himself and rubbed the bridge of his nose between his fingers. Unless he decided to leave the group and Nix, Cort would catch him alone at some point. The man could be like a rabid dog with a bone when he wanted to. Boone felt sure that Cort would catch him alone and then most likely punch his lights out. Boone groaned. He was in such deep shit, and he only had himself to blame, well, himself and his overactive imagination combined with his libido. Both seemed determined to get him into a shitload of trouble. The lights from the truck pulling in next to him brought Boone out of his self-loathing pity trip. He turned to see Cort and Sal in the truck. Grimacing, Boone opened his door and climbed out. He avoided Cort and walked around to the front of the truck. He tapped his foot as he waited for them to get out and join him. A quick look through his lashes told Boone that Cort was not a happy man. The glare he was receiving would have made a lesser man quake in his boots. Boone hoped he was made of stronger stuff. The moment they walked up to him, Boone held out the small, black tracking device in the palm of his hand. "Kid's in the truck," he said, nodding toward the cab of his truck. "He's still out cold." Sal took the small device and held it up to the light coming from a parking lamp. "Looks like something the CIA would put out, but I'll have to ask around to be sure."
Boone nodded. "Just be careful. I didn't realize until I already had the kid in my truck that it all seemed too easy." Boone pushed his hand through his hair as he turned to look out over the waterfront. "I should have known better. They even left the damn door to the delivery van open. I just couldn't think of anything except getting that poor kid out of there." "Boone, get real," Sal said. "You saw someone in trouble, and you tried to help them. Stop beating yourself up over it." "It was a setup, Sal, right from the very beginning," Boone said as he swung around to look at the man. "You know it, and I know it. Hell, even Dane knows it. I'm sure I'll hear all about it when I get back to base." "Ah." Sal smirked as he held up the little tracking device. "But they don't know you know it's a setup. We can use that to our advantage." Boone frowned. As good as that sounded, it still didn't get his ass out of hot water. He should have seen the trap from the very beginning. He was trained for that sort of thing, but no, he had to walk right into it with his eyes wide open. He could be such an idiot. "So, what now?" Boone asked. "Now, I find us someone to carry this little baby around," Sal said, indicating the tracking device. "You two take the kid back to the lodge so Dane can talk to him. We need to know whatever the kid knows and who the other guy was." Boone nodded even though he felt like protesting. Him and Cort inside the cab of a truck? Yeah, that was going to be a blast. He'd rather have a root canal or bamboo shoots shoved under his fingernails. Either would do in a pinch. "Fine," he said instead, "let's get this show on the road." Boone walked back over to the cab of the truck and climbed in. A moment later, Cort opened the passenger side door. Boone helped Cort scoot the unconscious man over to the center of the bench seat and buckle him back up. Cort climbed in and buckled his seat belt. Boone started the truck. "Are you going to say anything?" Cort asked as they got onto the road headed back to the lodge. "Nope." "You know we need to talk, Boone," Cort insisted. Boone shook his head. "Nothing to talk about." No way, no how. "Boone!" Cort snapped, clearly astonished. "You kissed me." Boone's fingers tightened around the steering wheel. Yeah, so he kissed Cort. There was no way he could pretend that he didn't. "Yes, I did," he admitted. "But don't worry, Cort. It won't happen again." Boone could almost hear the wheels spinning in Cort's head in the silence of the cab. Once again, Boone wished that he had kept his big mouth shut. "Why not?" Boone almost swerved off the road at Cort's softly spoken words. He righted the truck and turned to stare at Cort in shock as his mouth dropped open. He knew there was a response to Cort's words. There had to be an answer, but damned if Boone could think of it. "I thought it was kind of nice." Cort kind of shrugged his shoulders and dipped his head to one side. "I thought maybe we could see where that kiss leads." "Cort—" Boone choked out. He took a careful breath through his nose and tried to rein in his sudden anger. "Don't fuck with me, Cort. I know it was a shitty thing to do, and I have no excuse, but that doesn't give you reason to fuck with me." Boone jumped when Cort's fist hit the dashboard. "Stop the fucking truck," Cort snapped. Boone stared at Cort for a moment, then pulled the truck over to the side of the road. The truck hadn't even come to a full stop before Cort jumped out and stormed around the front of the truck to the driver's side door. Boone barely had time to unhook his seat belt before Cort opened the driver side door and yanked him out. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the punch he knew was headed his way. He wasn't going to dodge it. After what Boone had done, Cort deserved a little revenge. Instead of the fist he was expecting, hot, plush lips crushed against his. Boone's eyes snapped open. He felt Cort's body press against his, every luscious inch. The feeling was only heightened by Cort's hard cock thrusting against Boone's groin. The lips touching his did more than just kiss. They claimed, explored, demanded. Boone's hands clenched in Cort's shirt. He started to return the kiss he was helpless to ignore. It was every fantasy he had about Cort, only better. "I never thought you'd taste this fucking good," Cort groaned against Boone's lips. Boone froze. What? "I can't wait to see if the rest of you tastes just as good." Boone gripped Cort's shirt tighter and shoved the man away from him. He felt tears prickle the corner of his eyes as he looked into Cort's face. After all of these years of being best friends, he couldn't understand why Cort was being so cruel to him. "It was just one kiss, Cort. I promised I'd never do it again. Why are you being like this?" he whispered desperately. The ache in his chest just seemed to grow larger and larger with each word he spoke. "Do you hate me that much?"
Cort's eyes darkened and his lips thinned into a tight line when Boone flinched away from the hand he tried to cup around his cheek. Cort let it drop to Boone's chest, his fingers fidgeting with the edge of the collar. "I don't hate you, Boone," Cort said softly. "If anything, I—" Boone frowned when Cort stopped speaking and swallowed hard. "If anything you what?" he asked. He felt like he was on some sort of reality television show and that any moment the director would yell, “Cut!” Cort suddenly grabbed Boone's hand and pulled it down, pressing it against his cock. "Does this feel like I'm upset about you kissing me?" Boone's eyes widened. His throat felt dry. His heart skipped a beat in his chest. The thin layer between his hand and Cort's hard cock did nothing to keep Boone from feeling how aroused the man was. "C-Cort!" he hissed. Cort wrapped his hands in Boone's hair and pulled him back in for another long, deep, passionate kiss. Boone fell into that kiss like a drowning man for a glass of water. He could feel Cort's cock jerk against his hand when he brushed his tongue over the man's lips. A deep moan came from Cort's throat when Boone squeezed him through his jeans. Boone all but melted right there on the spot. Cort was hard. Cort was hard and kissing him. Cort was hard and kissing him and enjoying it. Boone couldn't process his thoughts fast enough, so he decided not to and just went with what he was feeling, which was Cort's hard body pressed up against his. Boone pushed his legs between Cort's, pressing it tightly against Cort's hard cock. He wrapped his arms around Cort's hips and grabbed the man's tight ass, pulling him closer. Boone almost came in his jeans when Cort started riding his leg. It was so fucking hot! Boone's head dropped back when Cort started nibbling on his neck. He felt flushed, hot. He thought he might actually pass out. He never felt anything so good in all his life, thought it, yes, fantasized about it, definitely, felt it, not even in his wildest imagination. His vision blurred when Cort's hand pressed against his cock. He'd never—well, he just hadn't. "Cort," Boone whispered hoarsely as Cort's fingers roughly squeezed him through the denim of his jeans. Boone wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. "I can't wait to feel this big fucker pound my ass," Cort growled as he stroked Boone harder through his jeans. Yep, that's all it took. Boone cried out, his body bucking against Cort's as he filled his jeans with his release. The orgasm that ripped through him was so overwhelming that Boone felt his legs begin to tremble and knew they were going to collapse beneath him. "That is so fucking hot," Cort growled as he rode Boone's leg harder. "Touch me, Boone, make me come." Boone groaned. He'd fly to the moon if Cort asked him to. Boone grabbed the back of Cort's neck and pulled the man into another soul-searing kiss. At the same time, his hands fumbled with the button and zipper of Cort's jeans until he could slide his hand inside and grab the hard cock waiting for him. Bonne immediately started a quick, hard rhythm of stroking Cort's cock. Cort's body shook. Boone sucked the man's tongue into his mouth and stroked faster. He wanted to feel Cort come, he wanted to taste the man and lick him clean. He just plain out wanted anything that Cort would let him do. "Oh fuck, Boone," Cort groaned. "I'm so fucking close." Boone licked the side of Cort's neck until he reached his ear. "When I get you home, I'm going to fuck your ass so hard you won't walk for a week," he murmured into Cort's ear. "And when I'm done and you’re all melted into the mattress, I'm going to fuck you again just for good measure." "Oh fuck, Boone, yes!" Boone licked and nibbled his way around to Cort's other ear. "And if you're a real good boy, I might let you watch while I fuck Nix." Boone had no idea if he had that much stamina, but he could hope. As aroused as he felt, he was pretty sure he could pull it off. Just the image of fucking Cort, then Nix, into the mattress had Boone hard again. "Now, come for me, Cort," Boone demanded. "I want to taste you." As he said the last word, Boone leaned forward and bit the side of Cort's neck. He almost jumped and pulled away when his canines slipped down and sank into Cort's neck. He didn't know that could happen. Warm, sweet blood rushed across his tongue at the same moment that Cort cried out and filled his hand with hot cream. Boone stroked the man's cock a few more times as he slowly pulled his teeth from Cort's neck and licked the small wound closed. Cort panted. His eyes were dazed. Boone caressed the side of his face for a moment, then leaned in for a quick kiss, nipping at Cort's lips. He watched Cort carefully as he leaned back. "Watch me, Cort." Keeping his eyes glued to Cort's, Boone dropped to his knees. He pulled the edges of Cort's jeans back, then leaned forward and licked the seed off of the man's cock. He never took his eyes away from Cort's. "Fuck me!" Cort shuddered. His cock twitched as if it was thinking about coming back to life. "I'm going to," Boone promised. Once Cort was cleaned up, Boone tucked him back into his pants and zipped them back up. He stood to his feet and
leaned in to kiss Cort again, sharing the taste of the man's seed with him. Looking into Cort's face again, Boone grew serious. "I started this when I kissed you, Cort, but you continued it right here," he said. "You can stop it if you want to. Just say the word, and I'll never mention it again. I'll never touch you again. I'll never even come near you again. But if you agree, I'm going to fuck you, kiss you, and touch you anytime I want, and I don't care who sees us." Boone's eyes roamed over Cort's stunned expression. He grimaced, starting to wonder what Cort's answer would be. Just once would never be enough for him, but if that's what Cort wanted, that's what he'd do. "I've waited too many years for this, Cort. It has to be all or nothing. You can't string me along. If you want me like this, then tell me, and I'm all yours." Boone took a deep breath. "If you don't want this, I'll understand. I'd never force it on you no matter how I feel. I'll walk away and never bring it up again." It seemed to take a million years before Cort answered. Boone held his breath the entire time. He tried to brace himself for disappointment, positive that Cort would tell him to go fuck himself. He just knew after all these years of wanting he wasn't going to have his fondest wish, no matter how much he hoped for it. Boone prepared himself to walk away. "Yes."
Chapter 10 Cort watched Boone out of the corner of his eye as they drove up the driveway to the lodge. The man hadn't said a word after Cort had given him his answer, just nodded and climbed into the truck. Cort thought Boone would be happy with his answer. Now, he wasn't so sure. Boone's hands were gripped tightly around the steering wheel. His jaw was clenched. He looked pissed off more than anything. "Boone?" "What?" "Are you angry at me?" Cort asked. "Didn't you want me to say yes?" Cort braced himself with a hand against the dashboard when the truck suddenly slowed to a crawl and Boone stared across the cab at him. "Of course I wanted you to say yes," Boone said. "What? Are you having second thoughts?" "No, but you look like you want to rip my head off. You haven't even said a single word to me since I said yes. It's like you wanted me to say yes, and now that I have you're pissed at me." The truck rolled to a stop, and Boone pushed his hand through his hair, giving it what Cort felt was a just got out of bed look. It was very sexy in his opinion and did nothing to help him in his current situation. "Do you have any idea how long I've wanted you?" Boone asked, looking straight ahead. Cort shrugged. "You said about three minutes after you met me." Boone's mouth dropped as he turned to stare at Cort, then snapped shut. Boone chuckled. "Yeah, just about," he said. "Damn, I forgot I told you that." "So," Cort said as he waved his hand toward Boone's face, "what does that have to do with you ignoring me?" "Christ, Cort," Boone swore, "I'm not trying to ignore you. I'm trying not to nail your ass to the nearest flat surface. I've waited too many years for you. Now that you've given me the go-ahead, it's just about all I can do not to rip your clothes off and sink my dick into your ass. I'm trying to be—" Cort leaned over and slapped his hand over Boone's mouth. Boone's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Drive the fucking truck," Cort growled. "We'll get there faster." Cort yanked his hand away from Boone's mouth when he felt the man's tongue stroke across the palm. He went to say something, but Boone just winked at him and started driving down the driveway again. Glancing down at the young man still sleeping between them, Cort hoped they got everything at the house dealt with quickly. He wanted to get Boone and Nix alone and find out just how much trouble they could get into together. Boone pulled the truck up in front of the lodge and turned it off. He sat there silently for just a moment. Cort wasn't sure if the man was thinking or watching the people in the house. "Boone?" he whispered. "You okay?" Boone smiled over at him. "Yeah, I'm just fine, babe. Just trying to figure out how quickly we can get away from Dane." Cort stared, stunned to hear Boone call him babe. He never thought to hear a word like that come out of Boone's mouth, not when aimed at him. "You called me babe." Boone frowned. "Yeah, you have a problem with that? I don't have to call you babe if you don't want me to." Cort shook his head and chuckled. "No, it's fine. I just never thought I'd hear you call me something like that." Boone shrugged and opened his door to step out. He glanced back over his shoulder and winked at Cort. "Get used to it. I plan on calling you a lot of things. Nix, too."
Cort still sat there in a daze when Boone walked around to his side of the truck and opened the door. He held out a hand. "Coming?" Cort unbuckled the unconscious man next to him and climbed out of the truck. Together, Cort and Boone carried the man up the front steps and into the house. They laid him on the couch, then turned to look at the curious face staring at them. Nix had an eyebrow arched as she glanced quickly between Cort and Boone. Cort gave her a slight nod. He was pretty sure she understood his silent message when she smiled and leaned back in her chair. Dane stood there with his arms crossed over his chest. He, unlike Nix, did not look happy. In fact, he looked downright pissed, and all of his anger seemed to be aimed at Boone. Cort felt his protective instincts rush through him. He took a slight step in front of Boone. "Careful," he growled in warning. Dane's eyes instantly dropped to Cort's neck. He felt like reaching up and covering the small bite mark in his throat, but he didn't. He wasn't ashamed of the mark. Hell, he'd shout it from the rooftops. It just felt too intimate at the moment. "Christ!" Dane exclaimed. He pushed his hand through his hair and turned away to stalk over to the window, staring out of it for several moments. He finally turned to glare at Nix, wagging his finger at her. "This is all your damn fault," he snapped. "I beg your pardon?" Nix replied angrily, jumping to her feet. "How is this my fault?" "Cort and Boone were just fine until you wiggled your butt in their faces," Dane said. "They did what they were told, and they didn't cause any problems." Dane waved his hand back to where Dane and Boone stood, their mouths hanging open in shock. "Now look at them. They're so busy trying to fuck everything that walks that they can't even listen to simple commands." Cort knew things were about to explode when Nix's hair began to blow around and not a single window or door was open to let in a breeze. He quickly crossed the room to put himself between Nix and Dane. "Okay, let's stop right there," Cort said quickly. "We're all on the same side here, and we need to work together." He glanced from Nix to Dane. "Don't you think we should be more interested in why we found another Other at the research facility rather than nipping at each other's throats?" Nix's hair slowly fell back into place, and she nodded, taking a step back. Cort let out a long, relieved breath and looked across the room to Boone. The man still seemed a little stunned, but Cort could see a twinkle of pride in his pale green eyes as well. "All right," Dane said as he turned to face Boone. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Tell us what happened, Boone." Boone shrugged. "It was kind of like I said on the phone," he said. "I saw a delivery van arrive. I went to investigate. I saw three men get out. They opened the back and pulled out a man that was clearly tied up and unconscious. All three men went into the building, leaving another man unconscious in the van." "And that's when you grabbed him?" Dane asked as he pointed to the man sleeping on the couch. Boone nodded. "The doors to the van were left slightly ajar. It wasn't until I got back to the truck that I realized it all happened too easily. When I searched him, I found a bug. That's when I called you. I think it was a trap." "That much is obvious," Dane snorted, "but why?" "Clearly they are trying to find out who is watching them," Nix said. "And I'd suspect they know we're Other as well. They might have even planted that bug on purpose so that one of us would find it." Dane's head swung over to Nix. "What do you know about this?" "I know enough," Nix snapped. "I've been telling you from the very beginning that Vasile is bad news. What do I have to do to get you to believe me? Deliver him on a silver platter with a damn apple shoved in his mouth?" "That would be nice, yes," Dane replied. Cort's mouth dropped open again. He burst out laughing. He couldn't help it. Dane and Nix had been going at each other's throats since the moment they met. Cort was starting to think that they did it because they enjoyed it so much rather than true disdain. Nix giggled. "I'll see what I can do." Apparently, Dane saw the humor of the situation as well. He didn't outright laugh like the rest of them, but he did chuckle and shake his head. "Okay, look, it's obvious that someone knows we're up to something. The question remains, do they know who, and what, we are, or do they just think we're investigating them?" "We can't exactly call them on the phone, but—" "We could go visit them," Nix piped in. Dane opened his mouth as if he wanted to argue but then suddenly snapped it shut. He stared at Nix for several moments, then began pacing. He'd pause every few steps and stare at Nix again, then start pacing. Finally, he stopped, his hands settling on his hips. "That's actually not a bad idea," Dane said. "They know we're watching them, but they may not expect us to break into their facility, especially if they don't
know we're Other." "Not all of us are, remember?" Cort asked. "And that just might be the edge we need. Chase and Sal can watch the building and make sure they are seen watching the building. The rest of us can break into the building while they are watching Chase and Sal." Cort arched an eyebrow. "That actually is not a bad idea." "Glad I could think of it," Nix snorted, which was not an attractive feature on the woman. Cort reached over and wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her into his arms. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Be nice, Nix. You've proved your point." "I want to go and help," Nix said as she snuggled into Cort's embrace. "No!" Dane snapped as he waved his hand in the air in a cutting motion. "Absolutely not. A mission is no place for a woman. She could be seriously injured or—" "So could you." Nix flicked her wrist, and Dane flew across the room. Luckily, he hit the couch and landed with a thud. He was on his feet in seconds, rushing across the room toward Nix. Cort could see the anger burning in his eyes. Cort rolled his eyes and stepped in front of her. He held up a hand to stop Dane. "Now, Dane, don't lose your temper. Nix was just—" "Just acting like a child." Cort snapped his head around to stare at Boone in shock. He couldn't believe that Boone would take Dane's side against their mate. "Boone!" "Oh please," Boone said. "How is Nix ever going to get Dane to take her seriously if she keeps throwing a temper tantrum every time he says something she doesn't like? It might help if Dane stopped treating her like a wilting wallflower, but come on." Cort snapped his head back. "I get it that Nix has some extraordinary abilities, but she needs to know when to use them, and that is not against our friends. How can Dane ever take her seriously if she keeps flinging him across the room?" "Right!" Dane shouted. "And you, if you would stop treating her like a two-year-old, she just might stop throwing you around," Boone said. "It's obvious to me that Nix is a lot more than just a pretty face. Give her some credit for having brain cells." "Well, if she would just—" Dane protested. "Just what, Dane?" Boone asked. "What exactly does Nix need to do to earn your respect? She's not going to disappear any time soon. She's mated to Cort and I, and you're just going to have to get used to that. She's not leaving." Cort wasn't sure what Nix thought of Boone's words. They never discussed living arrangements. There hadn't been time. Cort bit his lip and turned to face Nix just in time to see her fly across the room and jump into Boone's arms. He cocked an eyebrow at the man as he caught their mate. "Guess she likes that idea." "I'm thinking so." Boone chuckled as he hugged Nix to him. "I'm also thinking that taking Nix with us on this mission isn't such a bad idea." Dane immediately started to protest. Boone held up his hand to stop him. "Just hear me out. Nix has some abilities that none of us have. Add that to what we can do, and we make a pretty good team. She also knows what this asshole Vasile looks like. We don't." Dane threw his hands up in the air. "Fine, the Princess can go." He pointed a finger at Boone and Cort. "But if anything happens to her, I'm holding both of you responsible. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" Cort and Boone nodded. "Fine," Dane said. "I want everyone back here in full gear in two hours. Cort, Boone, you two need to find something for Nix to wear, something that won't make her stick out quite as much as that outfit does." "What's wrong with my outfit?" Nix asked as she looked down at the long shirt and jogging pants Boone had loaned her. The simple cotton shirt hung down almost to her knees. The jogging pants were rolled up at her ankles several times. She looked like a kid playing dress up. "Baby, its fine for wearing around the house but it's not exactly what you want to wear on a reconnaissance mission," Boone said, his amusement clear in his voice. "You'd stick out like a sore thumb." "Oh," Nix said. Cort chuckled and walked over to pat Nix on the shoulder. "Come on, baby, let's go play dress-up." Nix snorted, but followed Cort. "You know I could hurt you for that statement?"
"Would you have preferred if I said let's go play undress instead?" Cort asked. Nix laughed. "Yes." Cort reached back and wrapped his arm around Nix, swinging her up into his arms. "Then come with me, love, and we'll play undress." Cort carried Nix into the bedroom, jumping when the bedroom door slammed behind him and he turned to see Boone turning the lock. He arched an eyebrow at the man as he let Nix slide slowly down his body. "You didn't think I was going to miss out on this, did you?" Boone drawled as he walked across the room to stand beside him. Boone's hands starting sliding over Cort's body. He nuzzled Cort's hair. "I made you a promise in the truck, remember?" Cort's head dropped back, giving Boone's lips access to his neck. "I thought we were supposed to be getting clothes for Nix?" He panted heavily. God, Boone's lips felt like heaven against his skin. "Nix, take off your clothes so we can measure you for the right fit," Boone said. "We wouldn't want to get the wrong clothes for you." Nix giggled. "Oh yeah, that would be real bad," she said as she pulled her shirt over her head. A moment later, she pushed the jogging pants down her legs, then stood there naked before both Cort and Boone. "Now, isn't that a pretty sight, Cort?" Boone whispered in Cort's ear. Cort stared at Nix's lush body, swallowing hard past the lump clogging his throat. "Fucking perfect," he said hoarsely. "What would be perfect is if the two of you got just as naked as me," Nix purred. She pushed her long, blonde curls back from her face and sauntered over to stand in front of Cort. He barely kept his body from trembling in full-blown lust when she started dragging his shirt up his chest. Boone didn't seem to be much help either. Cort could feel the man assisting, pulling his shirt up over his head. He was a little surprised, and jerked, when he felt Boone's naked chest press against his back. "Sorry," he said, flushing, "this is going to take a little getting used to." "Cort, there's no right or wrong here," Nix said as she cupped the side of his face. "Just go with what feels natural, what feels good. We'll fill in the spaces later." "I still can't believe that you're so easy about all of this, Nix." Nix smiled. "Are you or Boone going to stop wanting me? Stop loving me?" "Not in this century," Cort replied. Nix's eyebrow arched. "Did I forget to mention that our kind live very, very long lives? A century will just be the honeymoon period. We have a lot of years in our future." "Not in this lifetime?" Cort tried again. "That's good enough for me," Nix said before she stood on her toes to kiss Cort. It was a kiss for Cort's welcoming heart to sink into, filled with love and promise and passion. The feeling of Boone behind him, planting little kisses along his neck only inflamed Cort more. Cort was groaning by the time Nix pulled back. Between the feeling of Nix's soft body in front of him and Boone's hard body pressing in from behind, Cort was just about ready to come all over the floor. "I have a suggestion if I may offer it," Nix whispered. Cort frowned, a little uneasy by the twinkle in her eyes. He still nodded. "In all of the times that you and Boone shared someone, you've never had the chance to touch each other the way you really want to," Nix said. "Why don't the two of you go lie down on the bed and explore a little while I get the lube out of the bathroom?" Cort turned to look at the bed. It loomed there in the room, as large as life. He could feel Boone standing stock still behind him, waiting for his reaction. It wasn't that he was scared of having sex with a man, because this was Boone. Cort was scared of disappointing Boone. He was terrified, in fact. While it all sounded pretty easy in the light of day, when he really got down to it, he didn't know a thing about pleasuring a man and certainly not someone he cared about. "Cort." Boone spoke softly as he rubbed his hands up and down Cort's arms. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to. I told you that I would never do anything that made you uncomfortable." "It's not that, Boone," Cort said quickly. "I want to be with you. I just—" "Just what?" Boone asked. "I don't know if I'm going to be enough for you." He rubbed his hand down his face and took a deep breath. "Hell, Boone, what do I know about being with a man?" "Probably as much as I do, which is exactly nothing." Boone chuckled as he waved over to where Nix stood with a bottle of lube in her hand. "Nix seems to
know more about this than either of us. Maybe we should just let her direct the show." Cort chuckled along with Boone, suddenly feeling better. He grabbed the hand that Boone held out to him and pulled the man into his arms. "Thank you," he whispered. "It's nice to know I'm not the only inept moron around." "You're not inept, Cort, just scared," Boone said. "So am I. I have the same misgivings you do. You have to remember, I've seen you in action. I know what it takes to get your ass off. And I don't know if I will have the skill to do it." "You have already," Cort replied. "In the truck, remember?" Boone slowly grinned. "Yeah, that was sexy as hell." "What's this?" Nix asked as she stepped forward. "You two already got it on?" "I wouldn't say we got it on necessarily," Cort replied, "just that we had a little rub-off." "Ooohhh, that sounds incredibly sexy," she crooned. "I wish I had been there. It sounds like the two of you had quite the time. Maybe we can reenact it, hmmm?" "You are fucking amazing," Cort said. He couldn't believe how supportive Nix was being of him and Boone being together. He didn't know of another woman who would act this way. "Of course I am." Nix smirked. "I'm a Princess." Cort reached and grabbed Nix's arm, pulling her into the tight little circle he created with Boone. "You're our Princess." "Yes," Nix whispered. She leaned up on her toes and kissed first Cort, then Boone before grinning at them both. "Now," she said as she trailed her hand down each of their chests, "why don't we see how beautiful the two of you look loving on each other?" Cort smiled and turned to climb up onto the bed. He scooted up near the headboard and lay back on the pillows to watch Boone finish getting undressed. Nix giggled and jumped onto the bed, crawling right up to lie next to Cort. Boone was breathtaking, all tanned skin and tight muscles. The thick erection jutting out and up from Boone's groin was slightly darker than the rest of him, small droplets forming on the head. Cort licked his lips as his gaze raked over the man. Hot damn! He was one lucky son of a bitch. Cort crooked his finger at Boone, the man arching an eyebrow at him in return. "Come here, gorgeous." Boone bounded onto the bed and crawled up to lie down on the opposite side of Cort from Nix. Cort moaned as the man's hand grazed down his chest to wrap around his aching cock. "Who gets this," he asked as he stroked Cort's cock several times, "me or Nix?" "I'm up for anything, but I've really been thinking about that promise you made me earlier," Cort said. He reached down and grabbed Boone's cock in much the same manner as Boone had him. "You promised to fuck me into the mattress, remember?" Boone grinned. "I do seem to remember something about that." Nix held up the bottle of lube in her hand. "This will help." Boone took the bottle and flipped the cap open. Cort held his breath as he watched Boone squirt lube out on his fingers, then close the lid and toss the bottle onto the bed. Boone's face held trust and love and anticipation, and it took the rest of Cort's breath away. "How do you want this, baby, on your back or your hands and knees?" Boone asked. Cort thought about it for a moment. "I'd really like to see your face, but I also want Nix involved with this," he said. "If I'm on my hands and knees, I can get me a little of this." Cort reached down and cupped his hand around Nix's slick folds. Nix moaned and arched toward him. "I think that's a splendid idea." Nix quickly moved over and lay down on her back, spreading her legs. She crooked her finger at Cort. "Get your ass over here, pretty boy." Cort chuckled and rolled over, settling his body between Nix's thighs. He scooted back on his hands and knees, sticking his ass in the air, then leaned down and stroked his tongue over Nix's clit. Nix's body shuddered, her hands clutching at Cort's hair. "Oh yeah, just like that," she moaned. Cort went to town on Nix's pussy, wanting her to feel the same level of passion that he did. Nix had been instrumental in getting him and Boone to open their eyes to the possibilities between the three of them, and she deserved a reward. As much as he imagined it, though, he wasn't ready for the electrical shock that shot through him at the feel of Boone's slick fingers stroking across his puckered entrance. Boone's fingers pressing into his ass was even better. But then Boone touched something else, and Cort's eye's nearly rolled back into his head as pleasure unlike any he'd ever experienced rolled through him. Cort thought he might explode right that moment. "Holy fucking shit!" he exclaimed.
"Cort?" Boone whispered softly, concern filling his voice. Cort turned to grab Boone by the arm, pulling him down. He reached for the bottle of lube. "Dude, you have got to try this. It's fucking amazing." Cort had the bottle open and his fingers lubed up in a matter of seconds. He turned to give the same touch to Boone, only to find the man staring at him, his mouth hanging open. "What?" he asked. Boone just shook his head and chuckled. "You're like a kid in a candy store." "Yeah, well, bend over, lollipop," Cort directed. "You'll thank me, I promise." Cort waited until Boone was kneeling on his hands and knees, his face buried in Nix's pussy, then slowly pressed his slick fingers into Boone's ass. Boone was tight, which didn't surprise Cort. It did make his cock jerk and leak little drops of pre-cum, anticipating what that tightness would feel like wrapped around him. Cort tried to remember how he'd prepare a woman, slowly moving his fingers in and out of Boone's tight grip, then moving faster and faster. He spread his fingers each time he pushed in, widening Boone. Cort frowned. Boone still hadn't shouted out like him. Maybe he wasn't doing it right? Cort started to move his fingers around like he'd felt Boone do, hoping to spark the same response from his lover that he'd given. If he could just… Boone suddenly cried out. His body stiffened for a fraction of a second before he started thrusting backward, impaling himself repeatedly on Cort's fingers. "Holy fucking shit!" Cort grinned. "Told ya." "Yeah," Boone panted heavily, "but I had no idea. This is—fuck, Cort!" "It would be my pleasure," Cort said as he pulled his fingers out of Boone. He scooted up behind the man and grabbed his cock, lining up the head with Boone's puckered hole. "And, hopefully, yours too." "Wait, wait," Boone said quickly, his hand reaching back to grip Cort's leg. Cort frowned, wondering if Boone didn't want this. Maybe Boone wanted to be on top and didn't— "Let me get into Nix first." Cort's relief was almost tangible. While he didn't mind being on the receiving end on occasion, he also wanted to be on the giving end of things too, and not just with Nix. But the wait was excruciating. It felt like forever when it was truthfully mere seconds. Finally, Cort heard Nix groan, and Boone patted his leg. "Okay, babe, we're good to go." Cort drew in a deep breath and slowly pushed his cock into Boone. The pleasure was mind-blowing. Boone's body took Cort in like he'd been made to be there. When their bodies finally came together, Cort's groin flush with Boone's ass, Cort paused his movements. He could feel every ripple of Boone's muscles massaging him in a tight grip of hot silk. "Fuck me, Boone," Cort groaned. Boone chuckled, his chest rumbling. "I'd prefer that you fucked me." Cort grinned and smacked Boone's ass cheek. "Shut up." "I'm just saying—" Boone's words were cut short by the deep groan he gave as Cort started moving. "Oh God, that feels good." Cort moved faster, spurred on by Boone's words. He could feel Boone moving in and out of Nix beneath him. Their movements were a little erratic in the beginning, but then they suddenly seemed to find the perfect rhythm, moving together to the delight of them all. Nix's cries grew louder. He could see her flushed face just beyond Boone's shoulder and reached out for her. Nix grinned and reached up to entwine her fingers with his. Cort anchored their clasped hands on Boone's shoulder. He knew the moment Nix climaxed. Her facial features stiffened and her hand tightened around Cort's. A loud cry fell from her rosy red lips and filled the room, driving shards of deep need through Cort's body. When Boone suddenly shouted out and his inner muscles clamped down on Cort's cock, that was all it took. Cort's entire body become rigid as a wave of pleasure blanketed him. He thrust into Boone once more, then gave himself over to the ecstasy, crying out as he erupted and filled Boone's body with his seed. It was with a lot of regret that Cort pulled free of Boone's tight grip a few moments later, but he wasn't sure how much longer his shaking legs would hold him. He dropped down onto the mattress on one side of Nix. A moment later, Boone collapsed on the other side. Cort lifted his head and looked across at Boone, curious to know how his mate looked, how he felt. Had Cort pleased the man? It was hard to tell. Boone's face was nestled into the curve of Nix's neck. "Boone?" Cort whispered softly. He almost jumped when Boone's eyes popped open. Cort's heart started beating faster as a wide grin crossed Boone's
lush lips. Boone looked a little flushed, his cheeks reddening. "Love you, Cort." Cort felt tears gather in the corner of his eyes. In all of the dreams he'd had since discovering he might want Boone as more than a friend, he never imagined that Boone would actually love him. Want him yes, love him, no. It made him feel warm like sunshine blossomed from inside of him. "Love you, Boone." Boone grinned. Cort eagerly grabbed the hand that Boone held out to him, then looked down at the beautiful woman between them, the one who had given him everything he never knew he wanted. "We love you too, Nix."
Chapter 11 Nix opened her eyes to find Boone and Cort both looking down at her. Their eyes sparkled with so much emotion that her heart jolted and her pulse pounded. They looked like they really meant what they said. Nix had hoped but hadn't really thought it would happen. She'd seen the connection between Boone and Cort and knew that they belonged together. She never really believed that they would feel the same about her. The thought that they might brought tears to her eyes. "Nix?" Cort asked, worry in his voice. "Don't you want us to love you?" Nix sniffled and smiled. She cupped the side of Cort's face. "More than anything in the world. I just—" "Just what?" Boone asked. Nix shrugged. "No one has ever loved me just for me. I'm a Princess. My family has money, connections, royal titles. I've always known that was more desirable. People befriended me or told me they wanted me because of what I was born into. No one has ever wanted me just for me." "We do," Cort said firmly. "Boone and I couldn't really give a shit about your title, your connections, or your money. We want Nix, the feisty little elf that walked into that bar and propositioned us and made our dicks ache." Nix watched Cort sputter and groan, his eyes falling closed, when she reached down and grabbed his sedate cock. "I like it when your dicks ache." "You're going to kill me," Cort whispered as he opened his eyes to look down at Nix again. "You do realize that, right? If I came every time you or Boone turned me on, I'd die of dehydration." Nix giggled. "You'd die with a smile on your face." She eagerly accepted the kiss Cort placed on her lips, swiping her tongue across his. The slight shudder that raced through Cort's body at the small caress thrilled Nix right down to her toes. "I can think of a lot of better ways to put a smile on my face," Cort said. "Later, dude," Boone said as he smacked Cort's hip. "If we don't get dressed and ready for this mission, Dane's going to have our asses in a sling." "A sling?" Nix mused as she watched her two mates climb from the bed. "Have either of you ever tried a sex swing? I hear they are all the rage." Nix giggled when both Boone and Cort stopped to look at her. She rolled to the side of the bed and stood up. "It hangs from a hook in the ceiling, and there's this little seat that one person sits on. There are also straps for your legs, feet, or thighs, whichever you want. However, it gives the other person easy access and the ability to move the one in the swing however they want." Nix brushed her hands over the two growing cocks as she walked passed her mates. "I hear they can be a lot of fun." The stunned, but curious looks on Boone and Cort's faces made her laugh as she walked into the bathroom. "Maybe we should think about getting one?" Nix felt giddy. She knew both Boone and Cort had been around the block more than a few times. Men like them didn't go long without some sort of sexual encounter. But they just seemed so oblivious to the things that they all could enjoy together. Nix hadn't experienced a tenth of what they had, and she knew it, but she certainly read a lot and fantasized even more. She wanted to experience every little thing she could think of with her two men, no holds barred. She just hoped they didn't think she was a slut in the process. Nix quickly cleaned herself up, then walked back into the bedroom. Boone and Cort were just lacing up black combat boots, both men sitting on the side of the bed. She watched for a moment, marveling at how each man's movements were mirrored. It was like they were twin images of each other, their actions exactly the same. "So, where are these clothes I'm supposed to wear?" Nix asked. Boone glanced up from what he was doing and pointed to a stack of black clothing on the chair by the bathroom wall. "Try those," he said. "They were the smallest we could find." Nix grimaced as she picked the items up one by one, black pants, black shirt, black vest. She was starting to see a theme, and it wasn't one that would win any fashion shows. "Delightful," she said sarcastically as she started dressing.
"Oh, babe," Boone said, "just wait until we get you your boots. Then you'll really be gorgeous." Cort laughed. "We haven't even told her about the stylish makeup that goes with the outfit." Nix cocked an eyebrow. "Makeup? What sort of makeup?" Boone reached over to the nightstand and grabbed a small container and held it up. "Black." "Oh no," Nix said as she waved her hand at Boone. "You are not putting that shit on my face. I'll look ridiculous." "Nix, it's part of the uniform," Cort insisted. "And you did agree to wear whatever was needed to go on the mission." "You can't be serious?" Nix snapped. "Very." Nix glared, but when she saw that neither Boone nor Cort was going to give in, she heaved a huge sigh and rolled her eyes. "Fine, but if this shit gives me a rash, you're both going to be in deep shit." Boone chuckled and brought the container over to her. The back of his hand caressed the side of Nix's face, sending shivers of delight down her body. "You'll be fine, baby, I promise. Cort and I have been using this stuff for years, and we've never had a single rash." "We should braid her hair first," Cort said as he walked up behind Nix with a brush in his hand. "Keep it out of her face." Nix groaned as the brush moved through her long hair. It had been years since someone brushed her hair, not since her nursemaid did when she was a small child. It felt wonderful. Even the way Cort's hand moved when he braided the long tresses felt wonderful. The cold, gooey stuff Boone smeared over her face, however, did not. Nix grimaced. She wanted to wipe it away but supposed it was all part and parcel of going on a mission. And she needed to go on this mission. She needed to prove to Cort and Boone, and even Dane, that she was not some emptyheaded Princess. "Well, how do I look?" Nix asked as she stood back, her arms held out to her sides. "Delicious," Cort said. Nix rolled her eyes and pointed to the black stuff on her face. "This isn't marinade, you know." "Honey, you could be knee-deep in shit, and you'd still look gorgeous." Cort chuckled. Nix doubted Cort's words but decided they weren't worth arguing over. She needed to go on this mission with them, and if wearing all black, even on her face, meant she could go, she'd do it. And she'd hope for a long soak in the tub afterwards. "So, how does this work?" Nix asked as she headed toward the bedroom door. "Are we just going to drive over there and walk in or what?" "Uh, not exactly, Nix." Boone chuckled. He gestured to the black clothing and makeup they all wore. "This kind of means covert mission, you know? We really don't want them to see us coming." Nix glared at Cort when he leaned down and winked at her, cupping his hand to the side of his face. "It's very hush-hush," he whispered. Nix rolled her eyes and pushed away from him. She could hear Cort's laughter follow her all the way into the living room. Dane was waiting there dressed much as she was, only he had weapons. Nix frowned. She wanted a weapon. "Do I get a gun?" Dane snorted. "Not in this lifetime, Princess." Nix lifted her hand to send Dane across the room, only to have it immediately grabbed by Boone. "Don't even think about it, Nix," he whispered into her ear. Nix snickered at the alarmed look on Dane's face and leaned back into Boone's body. She might not have a weapon like Dane, but she had something, and that something made the big bad squad leader very nervous. "Let's go," Dane said as he headed out the door. Nix rolled her eyes at Dane's commanding tone and followed after him. Moments later she found herself buckled in between Cort and Boone in their truck and driving down the road toward the research facility. Dane sat in the back. "Sal and Chance are going to be watching the facility, right?" Nix asked. Cort nodded from the passenger seat. "That's the plan. We want the people inside the facility to see them and not us." "How much danger are they in?" Nix would never forgive herself if her idea got someone on the team hurt. She knew the guys were all close, even if she didn't know the others very well. "Not any more than us, I would think," Boone said. "A mission always comes with some degree of danger, Nix, whether we are acting as a decoy or the team going in. It's what we are trained for."
Nix knew Cort and Boone were trained soldiers, didn't mean she had to like it. "Just be careful, please? For me?" Nix turned her hand over and melded her fingers together with Boone's when he grabbed for her hand. She felt the small squeeze he gave her and knew he at least understood her fear. At least, she hoped he did. "We'll be as careful as we can, Princess, swear." Nix rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Boone at the word Princess, but she knew he didn't mean it in quite the same way that Dane did. Boone was just trying to make her feel better and not quite so freaked out. It wasn't working, but she could put on a brave face like everyone else. Inside, she was quaking. The thought of losing either Cort or Boone now that she found them was one Nix didn't even want to consider. She felt more love and freedom in the few days with Cort and Boone than she had her entire life as a Princess at home. And she wasn't about to give that up now that she'd found it. "Tell me what I need to know." "This is basically a recon mission," Dane said from the backseat. "We need to go inside the facility and find out as much information as we can, then sneak back out again. Stealth and observation are the name of the game here, Princess." "Stealth and observation?" she asked, ignoring the "Princess" remark. "The quieter the better, for one," Boone replied. "The best case scenario says we sneak inside, gather what we need, and sneak out without being seen." Nix grimaced. "And the worst case scenario?" "We come out of it alive." Dane smirked. "And preferably uninjured." "I think I prefer the first scenario." "So would I, but the likelihood of that happening is pretty slim. You need to be prepared for that," Dane said. "Follow our lead, listen to our commands, even if you don't agree with them, and get the hell out when we tell you to." **** By the time they reached the facility, squad leader or not, Nix was ready to tear Dane's head off. Every time she asked a question, Dane snorted, laughed, or made some comment about how stupid it was to bring her. "Maybe you should just wait in the car, Princess," Dane said for about the millionth time since they left. "Enough, Dane," Cort growled from next to Nix. "She's coming in. Get over it. Nix has shown she can wipe the floor with any of us. She's valuable to this mission." Nix caught Dane's glance in the rearview mirror and smirked at him. Ha! Dane might not see her value, but her mates did. And not just in the bedroom. Nix couldn't even begin to describe how happy it made her feel. "Fine," Dane grumbled like a little schoolboy before recovering back to the man in charge. "So, everyone knows the plan, right?" "Yeah, we got it," Boone said as they climbed out of the SUV. Once everyone was out and the men checked their weapons, Dane led the line of them toward the facility. Cort was next, with Nix, then Boone following closely behind. "Do it," Dane hissed when they got to the side door. Nix watched with awe as Boone slung his automatic rifle over his shoulder and pulled out a digital device that looked only slightly bigger than a PDA. She smiled with pride as Boone clipped a few wires to the security panel by the door and the little light turned green. Once the door opened, Cort went through. Nix's heart pounded when she heard him hiss, "Clear!" They all proceeded to head inside after Dane. The first room they entered wasn't so bad. It looked like any other normal office building, lots of desks, copiers, fax machines, and even a break room off to one side. The same couldn't be said about the next room. "What the fuck…" a guard said as he turned and saw the four of them. He dropped his coffee to the floor and went for his gun. He was too slow. Dane was on the guard, putting a headlock on him before he got to finish pulling his gun free. While Cort and Boone quickly scouted the rest of the area, Nix stood there and looked around. She felt kind of useless, what with Dane taking the guard out and her mates searching the rest of the small entry area. Glancing toward an area off to her left, Nix noticed a staircase. A small movement above her caught Nix's attention. She looked up, her breath catching in her throat at the sight of two guards aiming guns in Dane's direction. Without even thinking about it, Nix threw one hand up and put a shield around Dane and the guard he was trying to subdue. Shots went off around them. With her other hand, she pulled the guards off the balcony, launched them up toward the ceiling, and then let them fall to the ground. She watched them for any signs of movement, but it was obvious the two guards were out cold. Nix lifted the shield around Dane and the now
unconscious guard just as Cort and Boone came running back in and skidded to a stop. The silence in the room was eerie and sent a shiver down Nix's back. She looked at everyone, confused at the stunned look on their face. Only then did Nix realize everyone was staring at the ground in front of Dane. "Yeah, we should leave her in the car," Cort said in a mocking voice as he pointed to several bullets at Dane's feet. "She just saved your life, man. Her shield kept those bullets from being in your head and chest right now." "All right, welcome to the club, Nix," Dane said solemnly as he looked at her and nodded. "Cool, do I get a gun now?" Nix grinned and arched an eyebrow at the three men staring at her. "No," all three men snapped at the same time. Nix was just about to pout when Cort pulled her into a kiss. "Not until we have time to teach you how to use a gun properly and be safe with it," Cort whispered. "No one in the club gets to have guns until we know they won't shoot themselves or us. It's not personal on this one, baby." "Okay, I can handle that," she replied, wishing there was more time to play right that moment. She really liked kissing Cort, Boone too, or maybe both at the same time. "As long as I'm still part of the Cool Kids Club." "Oh yeah, you little vixen," Boone said, coming up behind her. "You're a part of every club we have." "While I'm grateful, Nix"—Dane rolled his eyes—"make out after we’re done being ass-deep in alligators." "Right," Cort said. He chuckled as he turned to follow Dane. Nix could hear Boone groaning as she followed after Cort. She knew exactly how he felt. Nix could think of several other things she'd rather be doing at the moment than searching a research facility, top of the list being go back to bed with her mates. They slowly and carefully worked their way down the only corridor past the guard's desk. Dane was in lead position, Nix between Cort and Boone. Nix felt protected being between the two of them, even if they knew she could handle herself. That told her more than anything that they cared for her. Nix bumped into Cort when he suddenly stopped. She scowled and started to ask him what he was doing when he held up his hand. Nix jumped when another hand suddenly covered her mouth until she felt Boone pressed up close behind her. "Silence, Princess," he whispered so low she almost didn't hear him. Nix nodded and waited anxiously to find out what was going on. She watched Cort carefully, knowing he would give her the signal when things were okay, or at least give Boone the signal and he'd fill her in. What seemed like minutes later, Cort finally motioned with his hand for Nix and Boone to follow him. Nix's mouth felt like the Sahara Desert as she followed behind him to a large door that had obviously been jarred open by a small explosive of some sort. Burnt residue surrounded what had once been a lock. Nix arched an eyebrow at Cort as she walked past him into the room. He just shrugged and grinned. Nix was really starting to wonder just what kind of security her mates were involved with. The things they came up with didn't seem like the normal boy toys. Nix shook her head and turned to see what was in a room that was so important the lock needed to be blown. She gasped as she took in the machines and equipment filling the room. There was a line of three exam tables against the far wall. Arched metal bands held needles in them, right along where someone's spine would be if they lay down on the exam table. "No, this can't be," Nix whispered as she ran toward the exam tables. She stopped when she got to the equipment in front of her. "I've seen this before, at home. Vasile was working on some secret project in one of the towers. No one was allowed in, and it was almost always guarded. I knew he was up to something, so I snuck in to see what I could find. Vasile found me and told me it was some rehabilitation equipment, but it's not, is it?" "No, according to this," Dane said, walking toward her with a clipboard in his hand, "it's used to drain and bag the spinal fluid of Others. You're listed on here as their number one want, Nix. It looks like Vasile, or whoever funded this project, found a way to drain the powers we have and transplant them into someone else." "Dear God," Boone said quietly from behind them. "If he's taking their power and adding it to his own…he's got to be one seriously powerful motherfucker by now." "That might explain why he's got my father under his thumb," Nix replied as she reached out to touch the table. Cort grabbed her hand before she could touch the metal, shaking his head. "Don't touch, baby. We don't want to leave too much evidence behind," Cort said as he clasped Nix's hand in his. "We'll figure this out, Nix, I promise." "According to this, they've shipped the Others they kidnapped back to your home, Nix, the ones still alive at least," Dane explained, looking at Nix. For the first time since she'd met him, Cort's gaze held nothing but softness and concern. "According to this file, their first priority was to locate you and bring you to this facility to have all of your powers drained." "What happens when all your power gets drained?" Boone asked, coming to look over Dane's shoulder at the clipboard in his hand. Nix already knew the answer. "You die," she growled. "He's not just taking their powers. He's killing members of our race, people under our rule, that my father and I are supposed to protect. I'm going to kill the son of a bitch with my bare hands."
Cort tried to slip his arm around her shoulders, but Nix shrugged him off. Instead, she felt the full amount of her powers coursing through her body as she let go of her anger. Throwing her hands out in front of her, Nix sent all the tables, equipment, and monitors flying across the room. Nix watched dispassionately as everything broke and ripped apart, her rage distancing her from the rest of her feeling and fogging her mind. Vasile had signed his death warrant. He just didn't know it yet. And Nix was looking forward to making sure he found out.
Chapter 12 The noise in the room was deafening. Boone's mouth dropped open in shock as he watched Nix have the meltdown of the century. He knew his mate was powerful. He just had no idea how strong she actually was. And to say he was a little stunned by her actions would have been an understatement. Dane and Cort seemed to be just as shocked, staring at Nix like she had just sprouted another head. Boone hurried over to Nix and grabbed her by the arms, shaking her hard when she didn't immediately respond to his touch. "Nix! Knock it off before you hurt someone." Nix's head snapped back and forth for a moment. Then her dazed eyes blinked up at him. Nix's dark blonde eyebrows drew together as she blinked several times and her deep blue eyes slowly cleared. "Wha-what?" "Snap out of it, Nix!" Boone glanced away from Nix's confused face when he saw Cort walk up behind her. Cort looked concerned and just as confused as Nix. Boone imagined it was for a totally different reason, though. Nix was not what any of them expected. It was obvious that Nix was not someone to piss off. "Baby, we need you to have your head screwed on straight if we're going to have any chance of stopping this guy," Cort said. "We know how upset you are, and rightly so, but Boone and I need you to come back to us." "Can you do that, Nix?" Boone asked. Nix slowly nodded, her eyes darting around the room. When they landed on the mess behind Boone, they widened. Nix's mouth dropped open, her face turning pale white. "Did I do that?" she asked as she pointed across the room. "Yeah, baby, you did." Boone pulled her close to his chest, Cort bringing up the rear, pressing Nix in a protective circle between the two of them. "But I think you had reason." "I've never done that before." "You've—" Boone's eyebrows shot up as he glanced over his shoulder at the destruction then back down at Nix. Shock filled him. "You've never destroyed stuff before?" Nix shook her head. "Not to that degree. I mean, sure, I've toyed around with the things I could do. Everyone does, right? But I've never lost it like that." Boone could feel Nix's chest expand as she drew in a deep breath. "I didn't know I was that strong." Boone kissed the top of Nix's head, then chuckled. "Well, apparently, you are." "You don't understand, Boone. The powers we receive are from the world around us." Boone began to worry at the anxiety filling Nix's face. "I've never had strength like this before." "Receive from the world around you?" Boone asked. "And that means what?" "Look," Dane said as he stepped over, "I know you have questions, and we'll answer them, but we need to do it back at the compound. There is no way someone didn't hear the Princess throw her little temper tantrum, and we need to leave." "Nix!" Boone and Cort both warned as she turned to glare at Dane. Boone shook his head as Nix crossed her arms over her chest. Dane just didn't seem to get the picture where Nix was concerned. She could obviously wipe the floor with the man, and yet he continued to insult her. One of these days, Boone and Cort were just going to stand out of the way and let it happen… just not today. "All right, let's go," Boone said as he grabbed Nix's arm and started for the door. "Hold on," Cort said, "I think we need to take some evidence with us, proof as to what is going on here." "What evidence would that be?" Dane scoffed as he waved his hand at the mess. "Your little Princess pretty much destroyed everything." Boone rolled his eyes. "There has to be something," Cort insisted as he waved his hands around at the room, "the clipboards, some medical files, some evidence of what they
were doing here. We're going to need proof, or we'll just look like lunatics out to get this guy." Dane shrugged and walked toward the large pile of debris on the far side of the room. Boone felt Nix cringe in his arms as Dane dropped several pieces of medical equipment on the tile floor. It made a loud clang that vibrated through the room. Boone thought Dane might have enjoyed the loud noise a little too much from the small smirk on he spotted on the man's face. Dane, of all of them, knew exactly how powerful Nix could be, but he seemed to dismiss it like she was filing her nails. "Yes!" Boone looked over when Cort let out a loud exclamation. The man was rooting around in a filing cabinet against one wall, pulling files out and stacking them on top of the cabinet. "What did you find, Cort?" "I'm not sure," Cort said as he briefly glanced over, "but I guess we can just take all this shit with us and figure out what it is when we get home. Whatever we don't need, we can burn." Boone nodded and started searching for something to carry all the files in. His eyes landed on a plastic box lying on its side in the corner. He quickly crossed over to it and dumped out the sheets folded inside before carrying the box over to Cort. Together, Cort and Boone gathered as many files as they could, placing them in the white plastic box. Cort picked up the box and Boone went back over to grab Nix's arm. She still seemed a little dazed, her eyes kind of glossy as she looked around the room. Boone started to worry about his mate until she leaned against him, rubbing her face over his collarbone area. Her hands clutched at Boone's shirt almost desperately as small shudders passed through her body. "I'm scared, Boone," she whispered. Boone hugged her tight, lightly kissing the top of her head. "I know, baby, but Cort and I won't let anything happen to you." "I'm not worried about anything happening to me, Boone," Nix said as she raised her pale face to look up at him. "I'm worried about what I might do to someone else. I don't know if I can control these powers. I've never been this strong before. What if I hurt you or Cort, hell, even Dane?" "We won't let that happen, Nix." "How can you stop it?" "We stopped you before, didn't we?" Boone asked. "You listened to me, to Cort, when we called to you. We have no reason to believe you won't listen to us again." Nix didn't look convinced. Boone wasn't sure he was either, but his words were the truth. As soon as he started talking to Nix, she stopped. He had to hold on to the hope that either he or Cort could get through to her if Nix had another meltdown. "We'll work it out, baby, promise," Boone said as he drew Nix back into his arms. He would be lying if he said he wasn't just a bit freaked out by the power of the woman he held in his arms. It would be an even bigger untruth to say that it meant shit to him. Boone wasn't giving Nix up, not for love or money or freaky powers. "Come on, Nix, let's head home," Boone said as he stepped back and stroked his hand down her arm to grab her hand. "I'll treat you to a nice bubble bath and get all that black makeup off your face, maybe have a glass of wine, okay?" Nix arched a perfectly trimmed dark blonde eyebrow. "Are you trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me?" "No." Boone chuckled and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, bumping hips with Nix. "I'm trying to get you drunk so Cort can take advantage of you. Then I'm going to take advantage of him." **** Boone didn't heave a sigh of relief until they climbed into their truck and drove out the driveway of the research facility. He watched in the side mirror for several miles to assure himself they hadn't been followed. Getting out had been much easier than getting in. Besides the fact that Sal and Chase had been informed of the situation and watched their backs, the guards were still unconscious. They also were no longer searching for answers. When he was sure they were not being followed, Boone leaned back in his seat and turned to look at Nix, then Dane. "So, start talking. I want to know about these powers and how you have them. What did you mean you gain them from the world around you?" "The world is filled with energy," Dane began, looking reluctant but resigned to telling Cort and Boone what he knew. "Everything has energy in it, living energy. Others are taught to tap into those energies, to use them and control them." "You're talking, like, ley lines and shit, right?" Cort asked. "That is one form of energy, yes, but there are many more." Dane seemed to draw in a deep breath as he thought for a moment. "You need to understand, we believe there is energy in everything, even a rock or a handful of earth. Harnessing that energy is easy. Controlling it is not." "And what Vasile is doing?" Boone asked. "How can he draw energy from an Other if it's all around us? Why would he? Wouldn't it make more sense to just draw in the energy from the world around us instead of killing Others?"
"Once an Other has taken in that energy, it stays with them until they use it. However, there is always a residual amount of energy left over, like a stain. Over time, the stain from all that energy builds up until the Other no longer needs to draw energy from the world around them. They produce it on their own." "Shit!" Cort exclaimed. "Something like that." Dane nodded. "You've heard of auras, right?" Nix asked. Boone looked down at her when she lifted her face. Boone frowned, nodding even though he was confused as to what that had to do with the conversation. "Sure, hasn't everyone?" "Everything has an aura, even trees and rocks and dirt. It's their life force. When Vasile draws the energy from Others, he's taking away their aura, or life force, and adding it to his own." "And this means what?" "It means that he's drawing the life force away from Others, killing them each time he does it," Nix said quietly, sadly, "and therefore making himself stronger." "Which pretty much means we're fucked," Dane said grimly. Boone didn't know quite how to reply to Dane's words. Was there really anything he could say? Some lunatic with some machines was harnessing the powers of Others, thus killing them in the process and becoming so strong they might not be able to stop him. Could they stop him? Boone turned to look back at Dane. "Can Vasile be stopped?" Dane drew in a deep breath, let it out slowly, then nodded his head. "He can be stopped." "But?" Boone knew there was a but. He could feel it. "But to do it, it may cost us our lives. If he's been stealing the life force from Others, then he's grown very strong." Well, didn't that put a dent in Boone's plans to spend a long and fruitful life with Cort and Nix. "There has to be a better answer," Boone said. "I'm just not willing to accept that." "Well, hotshot," Dane snapped, "I'm willing to listen to suggestions." "Kill him!" Boone quickly looked at Cort in surprise. He watched Cort drive down the road despite the words he'd just spoken so casually about killing someone. He didn't even look disturbed by his words. "I'm not real sure that's the answer, Cort." Cort shrugged, but never took his eyes off the road. "It works for me." "Cort, thi—" "We could always use Vasile's machines on him," Nix said quietly, "drain his powers away as he did to others of our kind." "Or we could just kill him." "Cort!" Boone snapped, rolling his eyes. "I want that bastard to pay for what he tried to do to Nix, damn it." Cort's voice was growly, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white. Boone could see claws staring to grow out of his finger. Cort was livid. "I get that, Cort," Boone said quickly, "but killing him needs to be our last option, no matter how much we like the idea. He needs to pay for what he did to all of the Others, not just Nix. Besides, according to the files we found, he still has Others in his hands. Rescuing them needs to be a top priority." "Yeah, okay, I hear you," Cort said after a moment, his claws slowly retracting, "but I still vote for killing him." "Duly noted." Boone leaned back in his seat and pulled Nix over to lean against his chest. Just the feel of the woman's body against his made Boone feel calmer. "Now, anyone have any idea how to stop this guy besides killing him?" "We need to find him first," Dane said. "Nix, I can only assume he took the Others back to your home. Where exactly is your territory?" "The western edge of the Rocky Mountains by the Canadian border," Nix said as she looked over her shoulder at Dane. "Why?" "Because that’s where we need to go."
Chapter 13
"I still don't understand why we can't just kill the guy," Cort said as he strapped a large knife into its sheath on his pant leg a couple of days later, then stood up. "It seems like the easiest answer. A quick strike, no fuss, no muss." He chuckled lightly when Boone just rolled his eyes and continued to get ready for what they all knew was the coming battle. Vasile wouldn't give up the control he gained without a fight. They could only hope they came out of this alive. They had a plan, albeit a hastily made one, but it was a plan. Cort and Boone would escort Nix in to confront her father and Vasile with the evidence they had collected from the research facility and put on a flash stick. Nix assured everyone that her father did have computer capabilities and could look at what they found. In the meanwhile, under the guise of being Nix's escorts, Dane, Sal, and Chase would be ordered by Nix to deliver her luggage to her room. They would really use that as an excuse to get inside the building to search for Vasile's laboratory. That was the plan anyway. Cort glanced over at Nix, watching her do up the last of the buttons on her dress. Her fingers trembled as she pushed the last button through the hole. Cort knew she was nervous, scared. He wanted to put her more at ease. He whistled and wiggled his eyebrows when Nix looked over at him. "Come here often, sexy?" Nix laughed as she looked at him, her face turning a little red. "Once or twice." Cort walked over and made a big show of looking Nix's body up and down. "Maybe I can convince you to hang around later? We could…I don't know…get to know each other or something?" "I might be persuaded for the right incentive." Cort was thrilled Nix seemed to be calming down. Besides the fact that having anyone in the group be tightly wrapped was dangerous, he didn't want Nix being upset. That just made him upset, which set Boone off, and that set Cort off, and so on. It was a vicious circle. "Yeah, my incentive stands about six-three, 200 pounds, but he's pretty damn hot." He pointed to Boone over his shoulder. "Don't let all the black combat gear fool you. He's damn sexy when he's naked and bent over the side of the bed." Nix giggled as she swatted at Cort's chest. "You're nuts." Cort pulled Nix into his arms and leaned down toward her. He paused an inch from her lips. "And you look fantastic in this little Princess getup of yours. Maybe later we can buy a tiara and play Princess and the Pea." "No need," Nix whispered, "I have three tiaras at home." "Nice!" Cort grinned right before he lowered his mouth to capture hers. It felt like divine ecstasy when he kissed her. Nix's lips were warm and plush and needed desperately to be devoured. Cort did just that until he heard someone clear his throat behind him. Reluctantly lifting his head, Cort glanced over his shoulder to see Boone standing behind him, the man's hands planted on his hips as he glared at Cort. "Time to go already?" Cort asked innocently. "No," Boone said, "it's time for you to hand her over so I can get me one of those kisses." Cort chuckled and turned him and Nix around, letting Boone take Nix away from him. He watched Boone plunder Nix's mouth just as he had a moment before. He wasn't sure if the small moans he heard came from Boone or Nix. He wasn't sure he cared. It sounded very arousing. When the kiss seemed to go on and on, Cort started getting frustrated. He cleared his throat and glanced at his watch. Just how long could two people kiss? He cleared his throat again and tapped Boone on the shoulder. "What?" "My turn," Cort said. "You've already kissed Nix." Cort arched an eyebrow. "I haven't kissed you yet." Boone chuckled and held out his hand. Cort started to reach for Boone's hand when he heard a snort. He knew who it was before he even turned around to see Dane standing behind him. The scowl on Dane's face was his usual look, so Cort wasn't too worried. "Yes?" "Hanky-panky later," Dane said, rolling his eyes, "stop the bad guy now." "Seriously, dude." Boone snickered. "We need to get you laid." "I am perfectly capable of finding my own date, thank you very much," Dane replied sternly. "Now get your butts in gear." Cort nearly fell over when Dane held out a small handgun and thigh holster to Nix. "You're giving her a gun?" "I'd prefer to spend some time training her, but we don't have it." Dane frowned. "Just don't point it at anyone you don't want to kill. And if you do want to kill someone, aim for their chest, center mass."
Nix giggled and quickly took the gun as if she were afraid Dane might take it back. Cort had a hard time helping Nix get the thigh holster on because she was bouncing around so much. He just shook his head when he finally climbed out from under her long skirt. "Get in the SUV, Annie Oakley." Cort chuckled as he helped Nix into the backseat of the black SUV they were driving. Boone climbed into the bench seat beside her. Cort walked around to the driver's seat and climbed in. He started the vehicle and drove back onto the narrow dirt road. Dane, Chase, and Sal followed behind them in another black SUV. They were going in as if escorting the Princess home. With any luck, no one would try to stop them before they reached Nix's home. Cort was surprised by how unpopulated the area seemed. He hadn't seen another car in over three hours, a building in four. The road they drove on turned from cement to dirt several miles back. "How much farther, Nix?" Cort asked as he watched the forest pass them by. He slowed the car down as the road narrowed even more, starting to look like a trail. "Can we actually get through here?" "It's not too much farther, promise." Nix laughed. "There's a bridge just up a little ways. The tunnel leading to Dorthon Valley is right beyond that." "Uh huh." Cort saw the trees start to thin out, opening up to reveal a small ravine with a river running through it. A grey stone bridge ran across the ravine. Cort started to drive over it until he saw the bridge suddenly end halfway across. He slammed on the brakes, the car screeching to a halt just inches from the edge. "Fuck, Nix, you could have warned me that the bridge was out," Cort snapped, his heart pounding rapidly. "How in the hell are we supposed to get across now?" He arched an eyebrow and glared into the rearview mirror when Nix laughed. "Something amusing you, Princess?" "Do you trust me, Cort?" Cort frowned, unsure of why Nix would even ask that question. They were mates. "Of course I trust you, but what does—" "Just drive." Cort looked back out over the broken edge of the bridge and the water rushing by below. "Are you serious? There's nothing there." "There is something there, I swear," Nix said. Cort glanced back over his shoulder when he felt Nix's hand on him. "Please, Cort, just trust me. I wouldn't do anything that would harm you or Boone." Cort nodded. He knew Nix would never harm him or Boone or put them into a dangerous situation if she could help it. He didn't think she would give him directions to drive off a bridge. He had to trust that she knew what she was talking about. Cort closed his eyes for a moment and drew in a deep breath. He felt Nix squeeze his shoulder, then let go. Opening his eyes, he put the car into drive and prayed he wasn't out of his ever-loving mind as he slowly drove the car out onto nothing. Cort's eyes nearly popped out of his head when the SUV continued to drive over what seemed like nothing instead of plunging into the river below. He could still see the river, the rocks, the ground below as if he drove across a glass bridge. "Uh, Nix?" "The bridge isn't gone, Cort. It's just invisible to the human eye." The amusement in Nix's voice made Cort smile. She was enjoying his discomfort. He could tell that. "We have to have some way of protecting ourselves from the outside world. A little magic and the bridge looks like it is out. No one would be crazy enough to try and drive over it." "No one but us, you mean." "Yep." Nix giggled. "Anything else I should be aware of? Falling rocks, trees in the roads? A brick wall?" "Well…" "Nix!" Cort snapped, rolling his eyes. "Okay," Nix said, "just after we get across the bridge, there is a bend in the road. On the other side of the bend, you will see what looks to be a huge landslide. The entire road is blocked." "But?" "It's a mirage. There really isn't a roadblock at all." After learning about the aura life force thing, Cort didn't think he could be any more surprised by this new world he and Boone had entered into. He was wrong. He was pretty sure that he was going to be shocked by several more things by the end of the day. Still, having Nix in his life along with Boone would be worth it. No matter how strange and confusing things were at the moment, Cort had two people in his life who loved and cared for him, who he loved and cared for in return. That was worth anything.
Cort blew out a relieved breath when the SUV finally reached the far side of the invisible bridge and dark dirt ground rolled under the wheels. Just as Nix had said, he saw the landslide the moment he drove around the bend. Gripping the steering wheel tightly in his hands, Cort drove right toward it, praying he wasn't about to crash. Just as the front of the SUV reached the edge of the landslide, Cort started to take his foot off the gas. A quick look in the rearview mirror changed his mind. Nix seemed calm, not at all upset by the fact that they were driving right toward a wall of dirt and rock. Holding his breath, Cort stepped on the gas. His eyes widened when the SUV drove right on through the landslide like a curtain. He suddenly found himself in a darkened stone tunnel, light coming from the exit several yards down the way. "Jeez, Nix!" Nix laughed. "Yeah, well, it keeps people out, you know? First the broken bridge, then the landslide, not many people want to try and investigate the area after that. There's one more mirage at the end of the tunnel, well, less of a mirage and more like a spell." "A spell?" Cort choked. "Like, what kind of spell?" "You know when you can tell something bad is about to happen and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up?" Cort was really starting to not like what Nix was saying. "Yeah?" "Just as you reach the exit of the tunnel, you'll feel that way, but once you get through, the feeling goes away. Most humans would be freaked out and just go in the other direction. It's like an alarm system as well, informing the soldiers that guard the valley that someone is coming." "Does that mean us, too?" Cort could see Nix nod in the rearview mirror as she gestured to the Princess dress she wore. "Why do you think I'm trussed up like a Christmas turkey? We will be stopped and questioned. Once they see that it's me, they will let us pass." "Will they inform Vasile or your father that we are here?" Nix shrugged. "Depends on who is on duty." "The success of our mission relies on who guards the entrance to this damn place," Cort said. "Isn't that just fucking peachy?" Just as he reached the exit from the tunnel, two armed guards stepped into the light. Cort brought the SUV to a quick stop, wishing he'd had just a little more warning when the vehicle behind almost rear-ended them. Cort flipped Dane off through the back window, then rolled his window down when one of the guards walked over and knocked on the glass. There was a part of Cort that was surprised, and just a bit worried, when he noticed the rapid-fire weapon in the guard's hand. Elves had modern firepower? "State your business," the guard said. "We're escorting Nixona Lissësúl, Princess of Dorthon, home," Cort said as he gestured to the woman sitting in the backseat. The guard looked past Cort then he suddenly snapped to attention and he slapped his fist over his chest. "Your Highness." "Good day, sentry, please allow us to pass." Cort was shocked not only by the haughtiness in Nix's voice but also by the quick manner in which the guard stepped back from the vehicle and waved his hand for them to pass. Cort wasted no time in getting the vehicle moving again, checking the rearview mirror to ensure the other car followed behind them. "Will that guard inform your father or Vasile that we're coming?" he asked. "I don't know," Nix replied. "I've never seen him before. He must have just been posted there. He's not the same sentry that guarded the entrance when I left." "So we have a fifty-fifty chance of running into a trap?" "Yep." "When this is all over, do you intend to live here or at the compound with Boone and me?" The answer to that question had been plaguing Cort for days. He'd move here if that’s what Nix needed, but all this royalty crap and sentries just made him nervous. "Would you and Boone move here if I said this was where I need to be?" "Yes!" Cort chuckled when both he and Boone answered at the same time. "We'll go wherever you need us to be, Nix," Cort said, "as long as we get to stay together." "Well, you may have noticed, I'm not that royal," Nix said. "It's driven my father crazy for years. I guess I just don't have the right temperament to rule. That doesn't mean I won't be needed for certain functions and such. If you two are willing to occasionally put up with attending royal functions as my mates, I guess we could live at the compound." Cort grinned. He liked that idea. "I suppose I could be persuaded to put on a tux every once in a while." He glanced at the other occupant in the backseat.
"What about you, Boone?" "If I must." Boone chuckled as Nix slugged him in the arm. "You do understand that I might be needed here for a little while once Vasile is gone, don't you?" Nix asked, looking suddenly anxious. "I don't know how far under Vasile's thumb my father is, and we have to have someone running things." Cort nodded. He saw Boone do the same. "We'll do whatever we need to do, Nix, whether it's stay here or go home." "Dane will shit purple kittens, mind you," Boone added, "but I'm sure you can convince him to let us stay as long as we need to, Nix." Cort chuckled. Yeah, he imagined Nix could convince Dane of just about anything. All she had to do was hang him upside down in the air until he gave in. Cort would pay serious money to see that. He'd take pictures, maybe send them out as Christmas cards. "Okay, serious stuff now," Cort said. "What's going to be waiting for us, Nix?" "Dorthon is a valley," Nix began. "At the center of the valley is a town where Others live, work, and raise their families. I imagine it's much like any other town with grocery stores, hotels, taverns, and businesses. Many Others know of our valley and come here for vacation as we are so close to skiing and such." "You sound like the welcoming committee, Nix. I want the real lowdown. What's waiting for us?" "On the far side of town is a large compound built into the side of a large cliff, a mountain really. That would be my ivy-covered castle Dane is so fond of referring to. It is guarded twenty-four hours a day by no less than twenty guards. They are on every level, front and back. They guard every entrance. Even more sentries guard my father." "And Vasile?" "He has his own guards personally chosen and trained by him. He said he never trusted my father's guards and wanted to choose his own. Personally, I think he just wanted to choose people that would look the other way while he killed Others." Cort's hope for a clean mission sank. "How many guards does he have?" "He has several guards, but only two are with him at all times. They're big mean fuckers too, and just as nuts as Vasile is." Nix snorted, a very unladylike sound. "Don't turn your backs on them or Vasile. They'll stab you in the back at the first opportunity." "Noted." Cort kept a close eye on the surroundings as they started into the valley. He could see rooftops peeking out of the trees and knew they weren't far from Nix's home. About halfway down the hill, the road turned back from dirt to cement and widened, making driving a little easier. "This is quite a place, Nix." Cort was impressed. The town they started driving through looked like a small mountain town, not too big, not too small. The buildings were brick and wood, all looking old but structurally firm. "It's nice, but a little boring if you grew up here. Most of the residents were born here, although a few have moved in over the years. It's a safe place for Others to raise their families where they don't have to worry about humans discovering them." Cort knew what Nix was talking about as he began to notice the residents coming and going. Many looked like they just walked out of a fairy-tale book. Some had pointed ears like Nix, or tails. Some even had fur. It was all very strange. From what Cort could see, they did have modern conveniences even if the place did have a touristy-type feel. People still talked on cell phones as they did in the human world and cars came and went. Cort even spotted an appliance store. It just all had an old-world feel to it, as if the place had always been there. "Where to, Nix?" Cort asked as he came to a traffic light. "Turn left, and go to the end of the street," Nix said. "It turns into a driveway that will lead you to the entrance to the keep." "The keep?" Boone exclaimed. "You actually call it that?" "It beats ivy-covered castle." Cort snickered as he followed Nix's directions. The drive up to the large stone keep was a little nerve-racking. With each bit of ground that they covered, Cort noticed more and more armed guards. He seriously hoped that they didn't have to fight all these people. Bringing the SUV to a stop right in front of a set of large stone steps, Cort turned the vehicle off and turned in his seat to look back at Nix. He shook his finger at her. "You remember that you are more important to me and Boone than any of this shit. If things get hairy, I want you to hightail it out of here. We can always come back and fight another day. I'm sure Dane has enough connections to raise a larger army than all the guards here put together. Understand?" Nix rolled her eyes. "Understood, but you know I can take care of myself." "I know you think you can. Just remember not to get too cocky. There is always someone better trained than you, someone faster and stronger. You won't know who that is until you lose a fight, and by then it will be too late." Nix frowned but nodded anyway. "I hear you."
"Besides, we don't really know how strong you are, remember? Or if your powers will even work here. That thing at the research facility could have been a fluke. Until you've tested your powers and learned to control them, you shouldn't count on them to get you out of a jam. Use your head instead. That's always your best tool." "I hear you, and I'll do as you ask if you and Boone promise me you'll hightail it out of there too if things get hairy. I refuse to leave you two behind." "Nix, we're better trained th—" "So not happening." Nix crossed her arms over her chest and glared. "Okay, look," Boone said, "can we just agree if things get nasty, we'll all run?" "Well, Princess?" Cort asked. "Fine." "Okay then, let's go," Cort said as he turned back around in his seat and opened the door. "We're starting to get strange looks from the guards." He climbed out of the front seat and closed the door before reaching for the back door. Opening it up, he held out his hand to Nix, treating her like he figured a Princess was supposed to be treated. Nix climbed out, the loving softness Cort had come to know gone from her face. In its place was a stern, unemotional woman who gave him a deep chill. He hoped they didn't have to stay here very long because Cort did not want to become acquainted with this stranger. "Dane, please take my bags to my room," Nix said as Dane, Sal, and Chase climbed out of the other vehicle. "Someone can show you the way." "Yes, Princess," Dane replied. Cort thought he detected a slight smirk on his face, but it was gone before he could be sure. Dane, Sal, and Chase began pulling out the bags they had purchased for Nix and carried them toward the keep doors. Nix didn't say anything, just started up the steps. Boone and Cort quickly fell into step behind her, flanking her on each side. No one tried to stop them as they walked into the building to the grand entryway. Cort could barely keep himself from whistling in awe as he took in the grand entrance. The walls were made of pure white stone. Ornate wood carvings or ivy and flowers lined the archways and entrances in and out of the area. Colorful tapestries and paintings hung on the walls with cushioned seats scattered here and there in between tables and vases and flowers of every color. Even the large lit chandelier hanging in the center of the room seemed opulent. "Where is my father?" Nix asked of the first servant who passed by them. "He's in the throne room, Princess Nixona." "Thank you."
Well, at least this strange, cold woman is polite, Cort thought to himself as he followed Nix down a long hallway. "Nix?" he asked quietly. "What?" "Is this a side of you we need to get used to?" Nix paused and looked over at Cort, her eyebrows coming together in a little frown. "What are you talking about?" "Baby," Boone said, "even I noticed it. Since the moment we stepped out of the SUV, you've turned into this cold, unfeeling stranger." Nix's eyebrows shot up. She looked surprised. "Really?" Cort and Boone nodded. "I-I don't know what to say," Nix whispered. She twisted her hands together. "I guess I just got so used to hiding my emotions from everyone so that they couldn't be used against me that I just naturally slipped back into that mode when we arrived. I'm sorry." Cort knew he couldn't kiss Nix right now or pull her into his arms to give her comfort. Still, he reached out and gently patted her arm, giving her a smile. "Let's go get this done, Princess, so we can take you home where you never have to be anyone except yourself."
Chapter 14 Nix was nervous as she waited for the guards to open the doors to her father's throne room. Her stomach felt like it was doing cartwheels, and her hands trembled. She rubbed them on the long purple velvet of her dress, then shook them out a little. She was about to confront her father and his royal advisor, a man she was supposed to marry. No matter what happened, she knew the outcome wasn't going to be a good one. Someone wasn't going to live through the day. Nix just hoped that fate favored them. The large wooden doors opened. Nix took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and raised her head high. She wasn't about to let anyone know how
anxious and scared she really felt, even if it meant being that cold woman Cort and Boone had mentioned. The moment the doors opened all the way, Nix strode in like the Princess of the castle that she was. She could hear Cort and Boone's soft treads and knew they flanked her sides, protecting her from anything and everything. It was only that knowledge that gave Nix the courage to walk right up the middle of the room until she stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to her father's throne. She curtsied, as was protocol, then raised her head to confront her father. "Hello, Father." "Nixona," her father replied, giving her one of his famous arched eyebrows that told everyone he was not pleased. "I see you've decided to come home." He glanced at Cort and Boone disdainfully. "And you've brought friends." "I have." "Are you going to introduce your new friends?" "No." "Nixona," her father snapped as he glared down at her, "you will show better manners in front of guests." "Oh, but you see, Father, they are not guests." "Bodyguards?" "Close, but no." "Then why are they here?" The King waved his hand as if dismissing them. "Send them away." "They leave when I leave." Nix barely kept from holding her breath as she waited for the fallout from her words. They were sure to send her father into a tizzy. "Leave? You just arrived home, Nixona. You don't have time to go gallivanting around the world. You have a wedding to plan. Vasile has been very patient with you, but he will not wait forever." "He can wait until hell freezes over," Nix said. "I won't be marrying Vasile, ever." "Nixona," the King shouted as he jumped to his feet, "I promised your hand in marriage to Vasile. You will not embarrass me by refusing." "If it's so important to you, then you marry him." Nix gestured to the men who stood on either side of her. "My affections have been taken elsewhere." "I will not have you interfering in my plans for some little fling of yours." "Interfering in your plans," Nix said, arching an eyebrow. "An interesting choice of words, King Ahlstrom. Just what plans would those be? The ones where you give away your only daughter to a madman or the ones where said madman takes over your kingdom by killing Others?" "What?" the King shouted. "You have no idea what you're talking about. Vasile is one of my most trusted advisors. How dare you impugn his honor." "I do more than impugn his honor," Nix shouted right back. "I spit on it." "Nixona!" "Did you know what Vasile was doing, Father? Were you part of his plans? Or did you blindly accept everything Vasile was doing because he filled your mind so full of crap?" Nix wanted to believe that her father hadn't known about Vasile's activities, but she couldn't be positive. Her father and she had never been that close. Nix always thought it was due to her mother dying at her birth, that it was too hard for him. Now she wasn't so sure. "How much of his activities did you know about?" "I've just about had enough of this, Nixona. You—" "You've had enough?" Nix shouted. She could feel her temper start to burn. The hair around her head began to blow as if a breeze had just blown into the room. "You don't think that the people you are supposed to protect have had enough? Enough of living in fear? Enough of dying so that Vasile can gain power?" Nix's anger stuttered at the confused frown that crossed her father's face. "Nixona, I do not understand why you do not wish to marry Vasile, but making up wild accusations against him is not acceptable. He has been good for this kingdom, good for us." "He's been killing Others to gain power," Nix shouted. "How is that good for anyone?" "Killing? Nixona, what on earth are you talking about?" King Ahlstrom asked. "Have you completely lost your mind?" "No, Father, I've pretty much just found it." Nix held up the flash drive they brought with them. A copy of all the information on the small device was back at the compound. "If you don't believe me, I have the evidence right here."
"Evidence of what, Nixona?" Nix almost rolled her eyes. The respect she had for the position her father held was the only thing keeping her in line at the moment. "Haven't you been listening to me? Vasile has been draining Others of their life force, killing them so he can gain their powers." "That’s impossible." "Is it?" Nix asked. "Or does Vasile have you convinced it's impossible? Do you know anything about what he has been doing up in his tower? Have you ever even been there?" Nix clenched her fists. "Because I have. I've seen what Vasile has up in that tower, and I'm telling you, he's killing Others." "Don't be ridiculous. Why would Vasile need to kill Others to gain power? He's the King's advisor." "And maybe he wants to be King." King Ahlstrom sputtered for a moment before pressing his lips firmly together. "Fine then," he said as he pressed his hands together, "let's see this evidence you say you have." Nix started up the steps to give the flash drive to her father when it suddenly flew out of her hand, across the room, and smashed into the wall. It fell to the floor, breaking into several different pieces. Nix turned toward the tsking noise she heard, knowing who she would see before she even turned fully around. Vasile stood at the edge of the dais her father's throne sat on, his signature white and purple robes flowing in the breeze around him. "Nixona," he chided, "why would you make these wild accusations against me? I've only ever wanted your happiness." "You lying sack of shit," Nix snapped. Those probably were not the right words to use considering the dark red flush that filled Vasile's face, but Nix was beyond caring. The man had killed so many people, and he wanted to hide it. Nix wasn't about to let that happen. "I was just telling my father about your little endeavor at the research facility, about all of the Others you've killed and stolen power from." "Nixona, we will have to discuss this disrespectful attitude of yours." Vasile shook his head as he made that tsking noise again. He took several steps closer to Nix. "It will not be allowed once you are my wife." Nix gaped. "You're not serious. You actually think I'm going to marry you?" "Your father has given me your hand in marriage. It is a promise made by your King." "That’s because my father doesn't know what a dirtbag you are." Nix saw Vasile raise his hand to hit her, but before the blow could land, a large, dark figure leapt past her and attacked Vasile. Nix tried to run forward, but two strong arms wrapped around her from behind, holding her back. Nix just had to stand there and watch Cort fight Vasile, and she knew it was Cort. Boone was the one holding her. The fight seemed to end almost as quickly as it started. One minute Cort was biting into Vasile's arm. The next moment he flew across the room and hit the wall, sliding down to the floor to lie in an unconscious heap. Nix cried out and pulled away from Boone to race across the room to Cort. She dropped to her knees and started feeling over his larger and hairier body for injuries. Nothing felt broken, and the only blood she could see came from around Cort's muzzle. "Cort?" Nix whispered. When he didn't move, she looked over at Boone, stricken by the thought that Cort could be mortally wounded. He was breathing. Nix could feel his chest moving up and down under her hands. She just didn't know how long that would last. "Boone, wha—" Nix's eyes widened and she let out a scream as Boone suddenly flew across the room and landed in a heap on the floor, looking a lot like Cort. Nix jumped to her feet and started to run to Boone when she heard a horrible cackle. Total terror filled Nix as she turned to look at Vasile. Her heart pounded frantically, her hands clenching in the soft fabric of her skirts. Vasile was mad, a total lunatic. The evil sounds of laughter fell from his lips so easily that Nix knew one of them was going to die. Nix cast one last look at Boone, then Cort, wishing she had more time to tell them how much they meant to her, how much she loved them both. She hoped that they would be able to stay together and love each other if she died because as strong as she might be, she didn't know if she could win against Vasile. Turning toward Vasile, Nix let the full strength of her powers flow through her body. She could see the surprise and shock in Vasile's eyes, the hesitancy, as if he suddenly figured out he might have bitten off more than he could chew. A sudden gust of wind blew through the large room, Nix's hair blowing around her face and shoulders. She shivered a little, the hairs on her arms standing up. There seemed to be an electrical pulse in the room, maybe brought in on the cold breeze, maybe not. "You have harmed those that deserve our protection," Nix said, surprised at the steadiness of her voice considering she felt like she shook in her shoes. "You have harmed my mates." "Mates?" her father shouted. Nix didn’t bother giving her father a glance as she started advancing on Vasile. She didn't even acknowledge that he had spoken. Her eyes remained on Vasile. He was the cause of all of this misery.
"You will pay for the harm you have done." "And you think you're the one to do it, little girl?" Vasile sneered. Despite the disdain in Vasile's voice, Nix could see the fear in his eyes. "You're a pampered little Princess. I am the King's advisor. You don't have a chance of winning against me." "Maybe not, maybe I'll die, but I'll take you to hell with me." Nix raised her hands and sent a gust of wind spiraling toward Vasile. She really didn't have any idea how strong she was or even what she could do. She could only hope for the best. Just as the strong wind started swirling around Vasile, he held up his hand. The silence in the room was almost deafening in effect. Nix swore she could hear the breath leaving her body as the wind stopped just as suddenly as it started. "Anything else, Princess?" Vasile smirked. Rage poured through Nix, spurring her on. She raised her hands again and sent more wind toward Vasile. She started sending objects flying at the man, chairs, vases, cups from the low-set tables around the room. Tears began to stream down Nix's face as she wondered if she did indeed have it in her to win against Vasile. A slight movement to one side of her caught Nix's attention. She turned her head just enough to see Cort sit up. Elation filled Nix, almost overpowering her anger, until she remembered that Boone still lay in an unconscious heap on the other side of the room. Pushing her need to go to her mates aside, Nix concentrated on fighting Vasile. It might be the only way to save both of her mates. "I will not let you continue to harm our people," Nix shouted. "You've fooled my father and my people long enough. I know what you are, what you've done. I will stop you." Vasile laughed sadistically. "You and what army, Princess?" Nix had just about had enough of people calling her “Princess” in such a disdainful manner. First Dane, now Vasile saw her as a pampered Princess. She might be a Princess, but she was a pissed-off Princess with some power in her. She wasn't useless. "I am Nixona Lissësúl, Princess of Dorthon," Nix said loudly as she started tossing more and more objects at Vasile, letting her full power flow through her body. "I am the heir to the throne of Dorthon. I will protect my people from any and all who dare to harm them, including you." The wind started whipping wildly around Nix as she took measured steps toward Vasile. She dimly noted that he stopped holding his hands up to stop the wind and started dodging the objects she tossed at him. When one of Vasile's guards stepped forward and pointed his gun at her, Nix waved her hand and sent him flying across the room until he hit the wall, much as Cort and Boone had, and slid to the floor. Her momentary lapse in attention allowed Vasile to attack her. Nix cried out as a large piece of wood smacked into her. Nix dropped to her knee and reached up to wipe the blood from her forehead. She looked down at the wood, absently realizing that it was the leg from a broken chair. Before she could react, she heard a loud roar behind her. Nix fell on her ass as two large, hairy figures rushed past her. She watched, feeling stunned and joyous at the same time, as Boone and Cort attacked Vasile in their werewolf forms. Cort and Boone bit at Vasile and ripped at him with their claws. The man's loud cries of pain and terror filled the room. Nix's heart caught in her throat when Vasile got in a good punch to Cort, then turned toward Boone. Cort seemed to shake off the blow and renewed his fight, keeping Vasile from turning his full wrath on Boone. The remaining guard started to jump in on the fight, heading for Cort. Nix raised her hand and sent the chair leg flying through the air. She didn't even blink as it impaled the guard right in the chest and he fell to the floor in a pool of blood. Nix jumped to her feet and raced up the steps toward the fight. She wasn't about to let Cort and Boone fight by themselves, not when she could help. A sudden ear-splitting scream filled the air, followed by a thunderous boom. Nix cried out as a sudden gust of wind hit her so hard she flew back down the steps, hitting the marbled floor with a resounding thud. She ached, her bones feeling like they were broken from her fall. She knew they weren't because she could move them. She just didn't want to move them. But the sudden silence in the great room drew her curiosity. Nix pushed herself up into a sitting position, leaning on her arms as she glanced around the room. What she saw shocked Nix to the very core of her being. Cort and Boone lay on the floor not far from her, both men slowly sitting up and looking around with as much confusion as Nix felt. The guard she impaled with the wooden chair leg still lay on the floor in a pool of blood. Nix's father sat on the floor next to his throne chair, looking a bit disheveled. The room itself looked like a war zone. Shattered bits of pottery littered the floor in between broken pieces of furniture. Nix was briefly reminded of the mess she had made in the research facility, except she didn't think she did this. Quickly glancing around the room, Nix searched for Vasile, but she didn't see him anywhere in sight. She crawled to her hands and knees, then to her feet. Except for Cort and Boone, who had shifted back to their human form, King Ahlstrom, and herself, the room was empty. "Where is he?" she asked frantically as she searched the room. "Where's Vasile? Did he get away?" "Nix." Nix turned to look at Boone, confused when he held up a piece of material in his hands. It took her a moment to realize that the fabric was purple and
white and dripping with blood. Nix pressed one hand against her chest as she pointed to the bloody material with the other. "Wha-What is that?" Boone waved his hand around to the nearly empty room. "I think this is all that is left of Vasile, Nix." Nix's forehead wrinkled as she frowned in confusion. "But…how?" "This is your world, Princess, not mine." Boone shrugged as he tossed the material down on the floor. "You tell me." Nix walked across the room and started to reach for what was left of the fabric when it suddenly started to smoke, then burst into flames. Nix cried out in fear and jumped back, right into Boone's arms. A moment later, another set of arms encircled them both. For the first time since she had driven into the valley, Nix felt safe, wrapped in the arms of the men who fought for her and the Others who were threatened by Vasile. The three of them just stood there staring at the fabric as it slowly burned away into a pile of black ash. There didn't seem to be anything to say at that point. Nix had no idea what happened to Vasile, but she didn't think he would ever be a problem again. Well, she could always hope, anyway. But that still left her father to deal with. Nix pushed away from the comforting arms of her mates and turned to face her father. She was shocked to find him sitting on the marble floor in front of his throne. There were little puffs of black smoke spiraling up from his royal robes and grey hair. "Father?" she asked as she took a step toward him. "Nixona?" He seemed very confused and slightly disturbed. Nix started to kneel down in front of him when someone grabbed her from behind. "No, baby, don't touch him." "Why?" Nix asked. "He's my father. Obviously he's—" "I think that whatever evil tainted Vasile is still on your father," Boone said as he wrapped an arm around Nix's waist and pulled her back. He pointed to the small spirals of smoke coming off King Ahlstrom. "Look at the smoke, honey. It's the same as the smoke on Vasile's clothes." Boone was right, and that sent a chill of foreboding down Nix's spine. She took a step back, leaning into Boone's arms. It gave her a measure of comfort as well as made her feel safe from whatever evil might still be on her father. "What can we do, Boone?" she whispered. "I don't know, honey," Boone whispered back. "I've never seen anything like this before." "I can't just let him sit there and…and…"—Nix shrugged—"smolder. I mean, what if what happened to Vasile happens to him? No matter what, he's still my father, Boone." Nix's heart ached as all the different possibilities of what could happen to her father filtered through her head. Granted, Nix and her father weren't that close. They never had been, but he was still her father. "I know, Nix, but Boone is right," Cort said as he walked up to stand beside them. "Until we understand what is going on here, I think it's better to be safe rather than sorry." Nix nodded. She knew both Boone and Cort were right. It didn't make her feel any better. Basically, she had to stand there and wait to see what happened with her father, hoping that he would be okay. "Nixona, what's going on here?" King Ahlstrom asked as he looked around the room in confusion, his eyebrows drawn together in a deep frown. "Who are these people? Where are my guards? Where's Vasile?" "With any luck," Nix snapped, sudden anger filling her again at her father's words, "he's rotting in hell." King Ahlstrom shook his head. "Nixona, you have got to put this animosity you have for Vasile aside and—" "And what?" Nix shouted. "Vasile is evil, Father. He kills Others to gain their power. Who knows how many he's killed by now?" "Don't be ridiculous, Nixona. You—" "How much proof do you need?" Cort asked, stepping forward. He waved his hand around the destruction in the room. "He tried to kill us. He tried to kill Nix. What does Vasile have to do to convince you that he's a fucking bastard?" "Who are you?" Nix rolled her eyes. "What part of all of this did you miss? These are my mates, Cort and Boone." "Mates!" "Yes, mates, which means there will be no marriage to Vasile for me." "I forbid it!" King Ahlstrom said as he struggled to his feet. "I am your King and your father, and I forbid you to mate with these…these humans. You will marry Vasile."
"You sanctimonious piece of shit!" Nix shouted, planting her hands on her hips as she glared at her father. "You don't have the right to forbid anything. You're a disgrace to your people, to me." "Guards! Guards!" Nix rolled her eyes again. There was some part of this whole situation that her father wasn't getting, but Nix was starting to. She never had strong loving feelings for her father, but she respected his position. The respect she had was quickly fading. Nix no longer believed her father innocent in Vasile’s schemes, not with his attitude. The doors slammed open, and three guards ran into the room. Nix saw Cort and Boone instantly shift out of the corner of her eye as she turned to face the new threat. Before they could attack, Nix waved her hand, and the guards flew back out of the room. Nix didn't even wait for the door to slam behind them before she turned back to her father. "Vasile was an evil man," Nix said as she started to advance on her father. She saw a flicker of fear in his eyes just as she had in Vasile's. "You are an evil man. You blindly accepted what he did to our people, to me. You did nothing to stop it." "How dare you!" her father shouted. "I dare a lot, Father. Father!" Nix snickered. "You don't even deserve that title. You were never a father to me. You don't even deserve the title of King. You are supposed to protect our people, not give them up on a platter to a man like Vasile." "I will have you executed for this." Nix waved her hand again and raised her father several feet off the floor. "And just how are you going to do that? Vasile is gone. Your guards can't save you. I won't even save you." "I'm your father!" "No," Nix said sadly, her heart aching with a loss she knew happened many years ago, "you were never my father. My father, my true father, died the day I was born. You're just a sad, evil man." The sinister laughter that fell from her father's lips chilled Nix to her bones. She was shocked to see her father float back down to the ground despite her best efforts to keep him in the air. She could feel her strength quickly fading. "Oh, how right you are, my little Nixona," King Ahlstrom said as his feet touched the ground. He seemed unfazed by the fact that Nix was using all of her strength to keep him in the air. King Ahlstrom settled on his feet and brushed off some singed fabric on his shoulder. Nix's eyes widened, dawning horror filling her as she watched her father's features change, morphing into a face she had hoped she would never to see again. "Vasile," she murmured. "The one and the same, Princess." Vasile chuckled as he waved his hand down his outfit. The burnt and dirty clothing changed to the clean and pristine white-and-purple robe Vasile always wore. "How long has my father been dead?" "You were correct, Nixona," Vasile replied as he moved around to sit in the King's throne. "Your father died on the day of your birth along with your mother and every other member of your family that might inherit the throne. I wasn't about to let anyone take the throne away from me." Nix's heart pounded when Vasile's eyes flickered to Cort and Boone. She knew if she didn't do something that her mates were going to die and Vasile would win. "If my father is dead, then how have I seen you and him in the same room on so many occasions?" "Magic, my dear." Vasile grinned. "Pure and simple magic." Nix didn't know if Vasile spoke the truth or not, but she wasn't about to annoy the man until she absolutely had to. She needed a plan, and she needed one quick. "Why didn't you kill me then?" "Unfortunately, my dear, I needed you. The throne can only be passed down through family members." "That's why you wanted to marry me, so you could take the throne." "Very perceptive, Princess," Vasile said as he pressed his fingertips together. "As your husband, I could assume the throne, with you by my side, of course. I just needed to wait until you came of age. It was a rather ingenious plan if I do say so myself." "I won't marry you," Nix said. "I'm already mated." "Easily taken care of." Vasile flicked his hand, and Cort and Boone flew through the air again. Nix spun around, crying out as she watched her mates hit the floor with a sickening thud. They didn't move. With the odd angles their bodies lay in, Nix didn't have any hope that they lived. She felt like her heart froze in her chest at that moment, a deep cry of anguish falling from her lips. She started to fall to the ground in despair when an arm suddenly wrapped around her waist, holding her up against a hard body. Nix whimpered in pain as Vasile grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her head back. "Seems you're free to marry me after all, Princess," Vasile growled.
"Never!" Nix yelped when she was suddenly spun around to face Vasile. Vasile's anger seemed to make his eyes glow. Nix absently wondered if it was the life forces he'd absorbed or the evil surrounding his soul. "You will marry me." "You can't make me," Nix spit out. "You just killed any leverage you might have had." Vasile's eyes strayed to Cort and Boone, then back to Nix. "Do you really think I need them to get what I want?" Vasile raised his hand in the air and slowly closed it into a fist. Nix choked, clutching at her throat as it seemed to close up, blocking the air from her lungs. "I will have the throne, Nixona. Do not doubt that. I will be King." Nix's vision began to blur. She could feel tears of desperation fall down her face as she struggled for air. When her legs buckled, Vasile stepped back and let Nix crumble to the floor before walking back up the steps to sit in the throne again. "You see, Nixona, I have planned for this far too long to let you or anyone take it from me." He seemed so casual to Nix as she lay on the floor gasping for air. When he finally waved his hand, Nix gasped as fresh breath filled her lungs. She coughed several times, her chest aching. "Now, come, my dear," Vasile said as he waved his hand again. Nix barely managed a squeak as she was lifted into the air and floated across to the floor in front of Vasile's throne. Against her will, her body was forced to kneel at Vasile's feet. Nix cringed when Vasile's hand began to stroke through her hair. Just a single touch from the man made her skin crawl. "You will come to appreciate my touch, Nixona." "Not in this lifetime," Nix whispered hoarsely. "I will never want your touch. I'd sooner see you dead." Vasile's hand closed into a fist again. Nix clutched at her throat as the air once again left her body. She dropped down onto the floor to writhe at Vasile's feet, all hope starting to leave her as she realized she couldn't win against Vasile. He really was too powerful for her. "Have we come to an understanding, Princess?" Nix used the last of her strength to nod her head. She took in deep gulps of air as the restriction around her throat suddenly lessened. Nix lay there on the floor, anguish filling her as she rolled her head to one side and spotted Cort and Boone. Just the sight of their unmoving bodies gave Nix back a bit of her strength. If nothing else but revenge for the killing of her mates, Nix would make Vasile pay, and pay dearly. Nix rolled to her hands and knees and looked up at Vasile's smiling face through the fall of her hair. Vasile was once again pressing his fingers together as if he didn't have a care in the world. He seemed to be looking out over the throne room as if in deep thought. "I believe we will plan the wedding for next month, Nixona. What do you think, my dear?" Nix nodded as she crawled closer to sit at Vasile's feet. She barely suppressed her cringe as Vasile started running his hands through her hair again. She just might cut the damn stuff off after this. "We need to give the kingdom time to mourn the passing of your dear departed father, and then we will give them something to celebrate when we marry and rule together." As Vasile continued to talk, Nix slowly reached under her long skirt for the gun Dane had given her when they first arrived. She never really thought she'd have a use for a gun no matter how much she complained about not having one. She wrapped the gun in the cloth of her skirts to hide the sound of her cocking it, then slowly raised it up until she pointed it at Vasile. She was surprised that she didn't feel guilty or remorseful that she was about to take someone's life. Vasile wasn't a man. He was a monster. She tilted her head back and glared up at Vasile, grinning wickedly at his surprised expression. "I hope you rot in hell," Nix whispered right before she pulled the trigger. She pulled it over and over again, uncaring that blood splattered all over her. She pulled the trigger until it clicked, signaling that it was empty. Dropping the gun to the floor, Nix didn't even spare Vasile's bloody body a glance as she rolled to her feet and raced across the room to her mates. Using what strength she had left, Nix moved their bodies closer to each other and straightened them out the way they should be. Nix knelt down on the floor at their heads, reaching down to gently brush the hair back from Cort's face, then Boone's. There was no blood, which surprised Nix. They looked like they could have just been sleeping. Nix wondered why she wasn't crying until she realized that the anguish she felt went too deep for tears. She was frozen in limbo, where all actions and decisions were impossible. She had seen too much, lost too much. She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Cort's lips before stroking her hand down his cooling cheek. "Love you, Cort," she whispered. Turning to Boone, she also kissed him. "Love you, Boone. Love you both so much." Her heart weighted down with despair, Nix reached for the knife on Cort's hip. She hissed a little as she pulled the knife across one wrist, then the other. As blood began dripping from her skin, Nix dropped the knife and once again began stroking her mates' faces.
Cort, with his beautiful, dark chocolate eyes, was always so strong, so protective, and in need of so much love. Boone, with his pale green eyes that expressed everything he felt, especially his desire to be loved and needed, and his warm, giving heart. Neither man deserved to die in such a manner. They should have had full, loving lives. Nix felt tears finally begin to stream down her face as she rubbed her fingers across their lips, their cheeks, their closed eyelids. As her eyelids began to droop, Nix hoped that death took her to her mates quickly. The aching hole in her heart needed to be filled with their presence, by the love she knew Boone and Cort felt for her. Just as the edge of her vision began to blur, Nix felt a mind-numbing pain shoot through both of her arms. She looked, crying out when she saw both Boone and Cort holding one of her bleeding wrists to their mouths. "Cort?" she whispered. "Boone?" Dark brown eyes flickered up to hers, then pale green. Both men continued to suck in the blood from Nix's wrists. Nix willingly gave them whatever they wanted, whatever they needed, offering no protest, not even when she felt herself start to get dizzy. Cort and Boone were alive. As Nix started to fall to the floor, she was caught by two sets of hands and gently laid down. When she looked up, Cort and Boone hovered over her, deep frowns on their faces. Nix tried to lift her hands to caress their faces until she realized both men were busy tying pieces of her skirt around her bleeding wrists. Funny, she hadn't even heard the fabric tear. "Geez, what the fuck did you do, Nix?" Cort said when he finally looked at her. "You were gone, both of you," Nix whispered. "I couldn't—" Nix pressed her lips as a new anguish hit her. The pain she felt when she knew her mates had been taken from her was just too new to speak of. "Well, apparently, we're not gone," Boone said sternly, "but you might be if we don’t get you to a doctor. I think you need stitches." Nix let out a broken laugh and held her bound wrists up. "I'll be okay." Cort scooted over and sat down, grabbing Nix and pulling her into his arms. Nix turned her face into Cort's neck and took a deep breath of his musky scent, still reeling from the fact that her mates were alive. "I still think you need stitches, Princess," Boone murmured into Nix's ear. Nix turned her head to answer Boone when Cort suddenly grabbed her by the arms and shook her. She looked up at him in shock. His face was nearly white. "If you ever do something so stupid again, so help me, Nix, I will paddle your ass," Cort snapped as he shook her again. "Do you understand me?" Nix nodded, stunned by the anguish she could see in Cort's face. She quickly reached up and pressed her cheek against Cort's, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I can't live without you and Boone. Don't you know that?" "Well, this is no way to solve it, Nix," Cort whispered, his voice sounding deep and shaky. "We can't live without you either." "Hopefully, that won't be a problem again," Nix replied. A sudden commotion at the side of the room drew her attention. She looked over to see Dane, Chase, and Sal come running into the room, weapons drawn. They skidded to a stop and looked at the destruction in the room with shock. Dane's mouth hung open for a moment before he arched an eyebrow and looked at them. "What'd we miss?"
Chapter 15 Boone looked over at Cort and rolled his eyes as he listened to Nix and Dane have yet another fight. In the two months since they had killed Vasile, Nix and Dane seemed to fight almost every time they were in the same room together. Personally, Boone thought the two of them enjoyed it. "I don't agree," Nix shouted as she pushed her finger into Dane's chest. "Closing off the valley to outsiders will not solve any of our problems. There are a lot of Others out there that need a safe place to live, to raise their families. Some of those family members are human." "But we don't know if these humans will keep our secret, Nix." "We don't know they won't either." "We need a place where Others, like the ones we freed from Vasile's laboratory, can live without fear of being turned over to any insane monster that wants to experiment on them." "Like everyone was safe here with Vasile in charge." Nix snickered. Boone raised his hand. "Can I say something?" "No!" both Dane and Nix shouted at the same time. Boone looked at Cort again and shook his head as Dane and Nix went back to arguing. Nix had been crowned the reigning queen of Dorthon with Boone
and Cort as her royal consorts. It wasn't a job any of them really wanted, but there wasn't anyone else to fill the position. Nix had asked Dane to be her advisor. He'd agreed until someone else could be found to take over. Boone pretty much felt the same way. He didn't want any part of the royal life, but it was what it was, and his mate was queen. While they had plans to bring a lot of changes to Dorthon Valley, including elections of a council instead of a single monarch, those changes would take time. In the meantime, Boone was tired of listening to Dane and Nix argue. He could think of several much more pleasurable pursuits, most of them involving the three of them being naked. He motioned to Cort, and they both stood. Walking around the side of the table, Boone reached over and grabbed Nix, lifting her up over his shoulder. He started for the large double doors, stopping to glance over his shoulder at Dane's stunned expression. "Court adjourned."
THE END WWW.STORMYGLENN.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Stormy believes the only thing sexier than a man in cowboy boots is two or three men in cowboy boots. She also believes in love at first sight, soul mates, true love, and happy endings. Stormy lives in the great Northwest region of the USA, with her gorgeous husband and soul mate, six very active teenagers, two boxer-collie puppies, two old biddy cats, and three fish. You can usually find her cuddled in bed with a book in her hand and a puppy in her lap, or on her laptop, creating the next sexy man for one of her stories. Stormy welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website at www.stormyglenn.com.
Also by Stormy Glenn Wolf Creek Pack 1: Full Moon Mating Wolf Creek Pack 2: Just A Taste Of Me Wolf Creek Pack 3: Tasty Treats: Volume 3, Man to Man Wolf Creek Pack 4: Blood Prince Wolf Creek Pack 5: Love, Always, Promise Wolf Creek Pack 6: Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Tri-Omega Mates 1: Secret Desires Tri-Omega Mates 2: Forbidden Desires Tri-Omega Mates 3: Hidden Desires Tri-Omega Mates 4: Stolen Desires Tri-Omega Mates 5: Unspoken Desires Lovers of Alpha Squad 1: Mari’s Men Lovers of Alpha Squad 2: The Doctor’s Patience Lovers of Alpha Squad 3: Julia’s Knight Lovers of Alpha Squad 4: Three of a Kind Love’s Legacy 1: Cowboy Legacy Love’s Legacy 2: Cowboy Dreams
Sweet Treats Mr. Wonderful The Katzman’s Mate
Sequel to The Katzman’s Mate: Dream Mate
My Lupine Lover The Master’s Pet Wolf Queen His Gentle Touch Fire Demon Also by Stormy Glenn and Joyee Flynn Delta Wolf 1: Chameleon Wolf Delta Wolf 2: Mating Games Available at
BOOKSTRAND.COM
Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com Converted with Word to HTML.
