Tango Trio

Dream Marked 2

Tango Trio Tessa never expects to dream about two gorgeous guys making love to her on the train. She certainly never imagines they might be real men. Or that one of them is her sexy friend Parker and the other their insanely hot dance teacher, Jared. She definitely doesn’t anticipate the three of them bonding and fighting enemies desperate to steal their blood. Who would create a drug that gives non-bonded humans extrasensory powers? It seems insane until Tessa learns that her mother might be the chemist behind it all. Even so, she certainly doesn’t expect her senses to go haywire or for the bonding to give her the ability to heal. And shape-shift. Mostly, she doesn’t expect to live happily ever after with her bond-mates when so many different people want them dead. But she hopes she can. Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal Length: 65,612 words

TANGO TRIO Dream Marked 2

Erin M. Leaf

MENAGE AMOUR

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer. WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at [email protected]

A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Amour

TANGO TRIO Copyright © 2011 by Erin M. Leaf E-book ISBN: 1-61034-942-3 First E-book Publication: October 2011 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Tango Trio by Erin M. Leaf from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Erin M. Leaf’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Leaf’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION For my husband: thanks for the great title, darling!

TANGO TRIO Dream Marked 2 ERIN M. LEAF Copyright © 2011

Chapter 1 Tessa stood on the train, hanging onto the strap above her for dear life as the rush-hour crowd pushed in against her body. The lights flickered as the car rattled. She knew it was a dream because she was wearing her favorite purple heels, the ones she’d stuffed in the back of her closet nearly ten years ago. The ones she never wore anymore. And every time the car rocked, the silk of her dress caressed her skin. She didn’t own a silk dress. Ergo, it was a dream, one she’d had before, several times. It didn’t make any more sense tonight than it did before. Tessa closed her eyes as a shiver of arousal trickled through her, right on time. He would be getting on the train at the next stop. When the doors opened at the station, a few people moved off the train, creating a small space in front of her. The man with dark hair got on and eased through the crowd until he stood next to her, his Tshirt-clad chest right in front of her nose. She couldn’t really see his face because they were so close, and she didn’t want to look up, then the doors shut, and the crowd moved, pressing her against him. He didn’t budge. Somehow she knew he was smiling down at her, but she was too shy to meet his gaze. He smelled amazing—fresh and clean, a hint of mint. She tried not to but couldn’t help mashing her face into

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his body as the car lurched. He was warm and muscled, and a fresh spark of heat fizzed through her body right before she lost her balance, her hand slipping off the strap. She tipped forward, but she wasn’t worried. He always caught her, one arm around her waist, the other still hooked into the bar above, holding them both steady. In this dream, Tessa never thought about the other people on the train or the fact that they could see the two of them pressed close, like lovers. Screwing up her courage, she looked up. Pale-green eyes so kind she almost burst into tears smiled down at her. He gripped her tighter, and she gasped then shivered as she felt his muscular thigh slip between hers, anchoring her in place. The train rattled and shook, the bumpiest ride she’d ever experienced. The smile fell off his face as her breasts pressed into his chest. She gripped his shirt, the heat of his body warming hers. Then the lights blinked out. “Are you okay?” he asked, bending to hear her reply. She nodded as the train jerked to a stop, her lips landing on his cheek. His stubble stung her lips, and for a strange moment her arms itched—how weird—then the sensation faded as she felt him breathe in. Suddenly, shockingly, his mouth was on hers, hot and light. She opened to him, not caring if he thought her wanton. She craved his strength. He gave her his tongue, and she let him part her lips, a burst of mint tingling on her taste buds as he licked at her. She moaned, the sudden urge to climb up his body and wrap her legs around his waist making her shake. He let go of the bar and closed both hands around her, one slipping down to her ass, the other to her neck to anchor her head. She gasped and arched against him as he gripped her hair hard, then he leaned back. Tessa opened her eyes, confused. Why did he stop? When he glanced over her shoulder Tessa knew. “Parker,” she breathed, astonished. Her best friend pressed against her back. She could smell him, sandalwood and vanilla, the scent of home. What was he doing here? This wasn’t her normal dream. And Parker was her friend, not her lover. He slotted up against her, and the confusion gave way to shock. His cock was hard and hot, and he

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knew how to use it. He pressed the length of it into the cleft of her ass, rubbing against her like a cat in heat. Her arousal spiked again, and Tessa blushed. What was she doing? He was six years younger than her. The brother of her dead husband’s best buddy. It felt wrong to even imagine this possibility, but dream-Parker didn’t know that, or care. Her forearms itched again, and Tessa resisted the urge to rub them against her friend as he breathed on her neck then kissed right below her ear, his full lips teasing her skin. She trembled. What should she do? His warmth felt divine yet foreign. Startlingly hot and unfamiliar. Tessa stared at the stranger in front of her, wondering what was going through his mind. Most men would be angry, jealous, but the man’s eyes were half-closed and dark with his arousal. He didn’t look upset. Tessa knew he could also feel Parker’s cock because his fingers flexed on her ass right next to it. Then Parker kissed her again, dragging his tongue along her neck, and the stranger shivered, very deliberately rolling his hips into her body, pressing his own hard dick into her stomach. Tessa gasped, trapped between them. She was terribly aroused. Terribly confused. A trickle of moisture slid down the inside of her thigh. When the stranger moved his hand, she felt his thumb slip between her ass cheeks and rub against Parker’s cock. “Jesus.” Parker shuddered. Tessa didn’t understand what was happening. She could barely stand up. If the two men hadn’t been pressing into her so firmly she would be on the floor of the train. What a strange dream this was. “Jared.” The stranger cleared his throat, the tone husky. Sexual. “Not Jesus.” He smiled at Tessa then his gaze shifted to Parker. “My name is Jared.” Then he bent his head and kissed Tessa again, rubbing his lips against hers. She strained against him but couldn’t move. Parker slid his hand around her waist, then lower, holding her immobile. Jared broke off the kiss, panting. Tessa realized that Parker was moving his knuckles against Jared’s cock. What the hell? Parker wasn’t gay. He wasn’t even bi. Her friend was as straight as they

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came, yet here, in her dream, he caressed another man’s dick as though it was the most natural thing in the world to do. “Parker?” Tessa felt her hands clench into fists, one in Jared’s hair, the other in his shirt. “What are you doing?” “Tessa.” Parker groaned and shoved his cock against her even harder. Tessa stumbled but didn’t go far as Parker tightened his grip even more. In the darkness of the train car, Tessa could see a young woman watching the three of them from her seat, the cool glow of her phone illuminating her face. She grinned as Tessa flushed, giving her a thumbs-up before she keyed off the display, plunging the car back into total darkness. The grumbling of the other passengers barely penetrated the haze of sexual yearning in Tessa’s mind. She needed more. She was so hot. When Parker bit the side of her neck, she groaned quietly and yanked Jared’s mouth back down, licking at him as though he was her favorite flavor lollipop. “Tessa, oh my God, don’t stop,” Parker murmured, salving the sting of his bite with his tongue. She didn’t. She kept on kissing Jared, sucking on his tongue, nibbling his lush lower lip with total abandon. The more she kissed him, the more her arms ached. She didn’t care who heard her. She could smell the heat of him, the musky sweetness of mint mixed with rain and trees and everything wild. Parker thrust against her again then abruptly pulled back. She tore her mouth away from Jared, trying to catch her breath. What was he doing? She almost cried out at the loss, but then she felt Parker’s fingers fumbling with the zip on his jeans. “Parker, shit,” Jared whispered then he, too, lifted away from her. Tessa reached down and unbuttoned his pants before he could get to them. She opened the placket and dipped her hand inside. The head of his cock peeked over his boxer briefs, hot and sweet. Tessa’s mouth watered, but before she could shove his underwear down, Parker lifted her dress and pressed his hot erection against her bare skin. She shuddered, and Jared gasped as her hand tightened against him.

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“Harder, Tessa. Like this.” Jared pushed down his briefs then rearranged her fingers around his dick. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back against Parker’s broad chest, knowing he’d keep her safe. “Touch him, Tessa.” Parker nosed the base of her ear. “Flick your thumb over the head of his cock.” Tessa obeyed, loving the way Jared trembled as she slid her fingers over the pre-cum on the tip. She felt Parker lift her dress higher, higher, pulling it off and over her head, then suddenly she was naked in a train car full of people. She froze, Jared’s dick in her hand and Parker’s slipping between her ass cheeks. “Shh, it’s okay, Tessa,” Parker soothed. “Look.” Tessa opened her eyes. The train was empty, lit only by the dim emergency lights over the door at the end of the car. They were alone. How? Why? She didn’t understand what had happened to the other passengers, then Jared thrust his cock into the circle of her fingers, jolting her back to awareness. Oh. It’s a dream. I can do anything I want. She released Jared, ignoring the way his cock immediately bobbed up hard against his stomach, and brought her thumb to her mouth. Jared’s nostrils flared as she licked his slickness off her finger. He tasted so sweet. She knew he wanted her mouth on him and abruptly dropped to her knees. “Tessa, what are you—” Jared began but immediately broke off as she licked the sweet drop of pre-cum from the head of his dick. She savored the taste. Was that a hint of mint? Jared shivered as she looked at him, the delicious pink head of his cock so pretty she couldn’t do anything except give in to her urge. She slipped him into her mouth and sucked. Jared’s breath hitched, and she felt his legs lock as she tongued over the head and down his shaft. He tasted like night. Like a run in the woods just before it rained. What the hell? She slid back. He tasted like a wild forest. She struggled to understand why she was thinking such things, but when she looked up, all coherence fled. Jared had his hands on Parker’s face. His thumb

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dipped just inside her friend’s mouth. Parker looked like he’d been struck dumb. “Parker?” Tessa asked, standing up. The men made room for her against them, but Jared never released Parker. Her friend shivered, and she ran her fingers through his honey-blond hair. So soft. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. When Jared touched his lips to Parker’s, she felt her friend freeze for just a moment before he leaned in, his tongue flicking out to taste. Jared opened his mouth, and Tessa stared, fascinated as their tongues met. A drop of moisture slid down her leg, and she couldn’t help sliding her hands down to touch herself. Her clit throbbed. Then Jared moaned brokenly, and Tessa glanced down. Their cocks were touching. It was the most erotic thing she’d ever seen. “I’m going to come if you keep that up,” Parker muttered, his voice shocked. Tessa slid her fingers around her clit, groaning. She leaned against Parker. He pulled away from Jared, panting, then he looked down her body. Tessa knew her nipples were erect. She rubbed against his arm, savoring the warmth of his skin against her sensitive breasts. Suddenly, Parker seized her by the wrists. She shuddered as he pulled her hand away from her core and manhandled her onto one of the empty seats. Jared dropped to his knees as Parker urged her legs up, open. Tessa blushed. She could smell herself. She knew she was wet. She knew they could smell her, too, as Jared stopped moving in and abruptly squeezed his dick at the base, closing his eyes. He looked like he was about to faint. Or come. “Tessa, oh my God, I had no idea.” Parker knelt down next to Jared. “You are so beautiful.” He slid his palms up her thighs, gently hooking her left leg over his shoulder. He glanced at the dark-haired man then lifted her other leg up onto Jared’s shoulder. She was completely exposed, her pussy wet and desperate for them. Tessa bit her lip. She knew she was blushing. She’d never been in this position before. She trembled as Parker leaned in, his breath warm against her clit. “I’m going to lick you until you can’t remember your name. Then

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I’m going to suck you until you scream.” When his lips touched her, Tessa went rigid. The pleasure was insane. “So gorgeous, darling. So beautiful…” She knew Jared was talking to her, too, but the sensation of Parker’s full lips against her soft folds turned her brain to mush. She was going to come. She needed to come. Her arms were killing her, itching and aching, but she couldn’t concentrate long enough to see if she’d hurt herself. She tried shoving her pussy at Parker, but he backed away every time she moved, evil man. She groaned as Parker flicked her clit with his tongue, bringing her closer and closer but never letting her fall over. “Parker, oh my God, please, please, please,” she chanted, thrashing her head. She felt warm hands on her thighs, and then a strong finger sunk into her body, and she gasped, pushing down, needing more. She couldn’t believe it was Parker down there, her best friend, giving her such incredible pleasure. Her much younger best friend. And Jared was right there with him. Parker licked at her again, making her body clench. “Shh, it’s all right,” Jared said, stroking her thigh. Parker paused. Tessa opened her eyes to see what was happening. She knew Parker had one arm around her leg. What she didn’t expect to see was his other arm wrapped around Jared’s neck. When Jared leaned in and kissed her friend, Parker moaned. The finger in her body eased in and out, bringing her perilously close to climax even without touching her clit, and she suddenly realized that it was Jared who had his hands on her pussy. Before she could really focus on that thought, Parker tore his mouth away from Jared and dived back into her, licking up and down her center as though he couldn’t get enough. His stubble scraped her labia, just on the edge of pain, but she didn’t care. When Jared added another finger, Tessa felt tears slip down her face. Her fingers and toes were numb. She couldn’t think straight, couldn’t control her limbs or the sounds coming out of her mouth. She was so close.

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“Don’t stop, oh God, please don’t stop,” she cried, trying to wrap her legs tighter around her men, but Parker and Jared held her immobile. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t do anything except lie there and take the pleasure they doled out. She had no control over them. The only thing she could control was how much she wanted to give in. The deepest part of her told her in no uncertain terms to give them everything, and Tessa, God help her, obeyed. She let herself relax and trust them with everything she was. Parker smiled, and Jared’s face softened. She tried to smile back but couldn’t manage it. She’d surrendered, but that didn’t mean she was calm. “Deep breath, Tessa,” Jared said then, his voice warm and heavy, and she trembled. He slid a finger over her wetness, teasing her, then moved down to her ass. When he began fingering at the tiny pucker between her cheeks, she lost it, her body spasming as he slipped inside, fingers filling her up everywhere. Parker leaned back in and sucked her clit. His tongue felt like it was rubbing circles into her soul. She may have screamed or moaned, but she wasn’t sure and didn’t care. Her climax crashed over her like a wave of darkness, the way the sun suddenly disappears and night falls when you least expect it. She smelled moisture and heat and the sweet, sweet scent of male spunk right before she collapsed, boneless. When she opened her eyes an eternity later, she realized it was morning. She was lying on her bed, sweaty and sticky, with the covers tangled around her feet. Her arms itched abominably, and someone was pounding on her door.

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Chapter 2 “Okay, okay, I’m coming,” Tessa croaked, struggling with the sheets wrapped around her legs. Her body throbbed with the aftershocks of her climax. She knew whoever was at the door couldn’t hear her but couldn’t help muttering anyway. “Jesus, what’s the rush?” She was still trembling and clumsy. What the hell kind of dream was that? She absently rubbed at her arms as she finally freed her feet and pulled her pajama top down. She stood up shakily just as the pounding resumed. She swallowed, her head pounding now, too. She lurched for the door of her bedroom and stubbed her toe on her nightstand. “Ow, damnit!” By the time she reached the front door, Tessa was thoroughly irritated with whoever was banging on her house at nine fucking o’clock on a Saturday morning. She would kill the person, just as soon as she figured out how to work the deadbolt. Her fingers still tingled from her orgasm, and she hadn’t even had a chance to glance in a mirror. My hair probably looks like a bird’s nest. She finally got the lock to obey her and swung open the door. She froze as all the blood drained from her face. Parker stood in front of her, grinning cheekily. Shit. Act normal. Somehow. Even though you just had the most erotic dream of your life in which he held a starring role. Tessa flushed and glared at her friend as her brain provided her with gorgeous, full-color images of his naked cock. Just a dream. She squashed her heated thoughts. “Parker.” Tessa heaved a giant sigh that she hoped expressed her frustration with him. “Seriously, do you know what time it is?” Tessa made no move to open the storm door.

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She hoped he misinterpreted her blushing for rage rather than embarrassment. “Baby! Aren’t you happy to see me?” Parker opened his arms. Tessa wanted to give him the finger, but she was busy trying not to stare at the well-defined pecs under his red T-shirt. He looked like a walking advertisement for hot construction managers. Tessa always imagined guys who worked as the management at a building site would be boring, frumpy, middle-aged men, right up until her best friend took the job and put any thoughts of dowdy to rest. “Parker. I just woke up.” “I can see that.” Parker laughed and opened the storm door. Tessa stepped back in alarm as he shouldered his way inside. “And you’re grumpy as a badger, too, so I assume you didn’t have any coffee to drink yet, either.” Tessa sighed and walked away, not saying another word. She knew he would follow. She wasn’t really angry, anyway, just uncomfortable at the awkwardness of having him show up at her house right after that dream. She moved through the living room to the kitchen and ran the cold water, splashing some on her face. She hoped it would help cool her flushed cheeks. When she turned around, Parker held a couple paper towels out to her. She accepted them and wiped herself dry, trying not to feel self-conscious. Her nipples rubbed against her soft pajamas, but she refused to cover up. Let him look. She dropped her hands to her hips, suddenly impatient with herself. He’s the one who barged in before I was even awake. “Feeling better?” Parker asked, leaning against the counter. He crossed his arms over his chest, highlighting the muscles in his arms. Jesus, girl. Get a grip. Tessa admonished herself. “Not really,” she said aloud, walking past him to grab her coffeepot. She still felt uncomfortable, like her skin was too tight for her body. Her arms itched, so she suspected she was getting poison ivy. And she was still aroused from her dream. She could smell Parker, the warm vanilla and sandalwood soap he favored stronger than usual. What was wrong

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with her? She rubbed her forehead, forgetting she held the carafe and hitting herself in the face with the glass. Damnit. “Tessa, geez, here.” Parker gently took the coffeepot from her and filled it up at the sink. “You sit down and let me make the coffee.” He shoved her in the direction of the kitchen table. Tessa sank into a chair gratefully. What was wrong with her? She eyed Parker as he measured the coffee, his movements efficient. Did his shoulders seem a little tense? She frowned, scratching at her arms as her eyes dropped to his perfect ass, gorgeously highlighted by the tight jeans he invariably wore. Tessa blushed again and tore her eyes away. She never did this. Parker was her friend and nothing more. She was too old for him, anyway. That dream is really messing me up. She tried unsuccessfully to forget the memory of his mouth on her clit. When he turned around, she knew he could see the red in her face. Damnit! She looked out the back window. The dogwood just outside was in full bloom. Focus on that. Parker coughed then cleared his throat. When Tessa looked back at him, she saw his eyes dart away. Was he looking at her boobs? Nah. “So, Parker, what brings you here so early?” He grinned, a hint of relief chasing its way across his face. “I’ve got a proposition for you.” Tessa immediately pictured his hands on her thighs and blushed again. Oh my God, what is wrong with me? This was crazy. She took a deep breath, willing herself to settle down. “A proposition? Sounds scary,” she teased, trying to mask her arousal. Parker shifted against the counter, tucking his hands into his pockets. Tessa’s eyes dropped to his groin. Was he hard? Tessa stared. When he shifted again, she swore she could see the outline of his cock pressing against the zipper. Or it could just be his hands. She blinked, trying to keep herself from squinting at his crotch. You will not ogle your younger best friend. Down, girl! Stop acting like a teenager!

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“You keep yourself too cooped up in here—” he began, but Tessa interrupted. This old argument? He was always getting on her case about her solitary nature. “What? I do not. I have work to do!” Parker rolled his eyes. “I know you don’t actually have to work, Tessa. John left you a healthy pile of money.” “How do you know that?” Tessa stared at him, disgruntled. At least the weird turn of the conversation finally managed to derail her erotic musings. “Oh, please, John was my brother’s best friend. Billy and I were close, remember? He told me a lot of stuff.” “But you were only fifteen when they died,” Tessa said, wrinkling her brow. She welcomed the added reminder of the difference in their ages. She should not be thinking sexual things about the younger brother of her dead husband’s best friend. It was just wrong. In every way. “Billy didn’t talk to me like I was a kid, Tessa.” Parker shoved off from the counter and sat down next to Tessa. “Remember, my mom was doing all she could to keep us afloat. Billy came home a lot from New York to help out. He might have been a hotshot investment banker, but he still worried about Mom and me.” He took her hand and rubbed his thumb over her palm. Tessa repressed a shiver at the heat from his fingers. “I was already working at that age. I helped pay for food and rent. I didn’t want my mom having to do it all alone.” Tessa sighed, remembering how hard Parker had it as a kid. “It sucks that your dad died when you were little.” He shrugged. “I don’t really remember him, so it’s okay.” “Still.” Tessa closed her fingers around his, trying to convey her sympathy, but Parker pulled away. Just as well. She saw that the poison ivy was beginning to show. Her forearms looked bruised. “It sucks what happened to Billy and John, too.”

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Parker sighed and ran his hands through his blond hair, tousling the wavy strands even more. “A lot of people died on 9/11, Tessa, not just John and Billy.” She nodded. “I know, but it still sucks.” “Well, I didn’t come here to rehash the worst moment of our lives.” Parker sat back in his chair, and Tessa did her damnedest not to stare at the front placket of his jeans. “Why did you come here then? You know how much I adore mornings,” she asked sarcastically. “And if you’ve forgotten, let me remind you—when I say adore, I mean hate. Mornings are the pimple on the butt of the day, as far as I’m concerned.” Parker laughed. “Yeah, I got that the last few hundred times I woke you up early. But I’m not afraid of you.” “You totally should be,” Tessa asserted, happy to hear the ding of the coffeepot. She tweaked his ear on the way to the caffeine, smirking at his mock-shocked expression. “Abuse!” “Yeah, yeah, whatever. You can take it,” she muttered, inhaling the sweet, sweet heat of the black nectar of the gods she’d just poured. She sipped cautiously. It was just right. She closed her eyes and slurped another mouthful. “You are disgusting,” Parker stated, pulling his own cup from the cupboard. Tessa gave him the finger for real this time. He snorted, and she opened her eyes to find him staring at her mouth. What the—? She licked her lips, catching a stray drop of coffee. Parker’s smile died, and he looked away, a faint blush rising on his cheekbones. Tessa almost dropped her cup. Parker never blushed. Never. No way she could let this go without torturing him. “Parker? Are you blushing?” she asked oh-so-innocently. He choked on his first sip. “Hell no, I’m not blushing.” He grimaced. “How can you drink this stuff black?” “You’re deflecting!” Tessa crowed, abruptly feeling much better about her weird and sudden attraction to Parker. If he was attracted

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back? Well. All bets were off. She firmly pushed down her misgivings about his age. “I am not.” Parker moved to the refrigerator and splashed a dollop of milk in his cup. “I’m thinking you’re insane. I don’t blush. Ever.” He sipped at his cup and lifted an eyebrow at her then promptly ruined his aura of nonchalance by scratching at his arms. Tessa smirked then had to rub her own arms. Stupid allergies. “So, what are you doing here anyway?” she asked, pushing up her pajama sleeves. Her skin was red from all the rubbing. The bruising was worse. She shouldn’t have pulled those weeds out yesterday without gloves. “Since you’ve holed up in your house all winter, I decided you need some exposure to fresh air and a bit of exercise before you waste away. I’ve come to take you out tonight!” Parker exclaimed theatrically. Tessa rolled her eyes then smiled. She couldn’t help it, despite the hideousness of being awake before ten a.m. Parker made her laugh no matter how grouchy her mood. “Oh, really? What makes you think I’m out of shape?” Tessa put her hand on her hip and tossed her head, then immediately regretted it. Did she just flirt with Parker? No way. She hunched her shoulders a little. Shit. She was really off her game today. Parker’s eyes roamed over her body, and she felt the fading arousal from her dream spark back into flame. His gaze lingered on her bare feet then slid up to her breasts. Tessa knew her nipples were poking at the soft fabric. She quelled the urge to cross her arms. “Darling, I didn’t say you were out of shape. Not at all. I said I’ve come to take you out,” he drawled. Tessa’s body went hot all over at his tone. Had her friend’s voice ever sounded so sexy? “Uh—” Tessa swallowed and tried again. “What does taking me out entail?” Parker set his cup down and walked over, stopping right in front of her. She leaned back involuntarily, her eyes landing once more on

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his groin. That is definitely his cock, right there. She inhaled. Musk and sandalwood teased her then Parker took her hands and drew her up into his arms. Tessa squirmed, uncomfortably aware of the way her nipples scraped against the thin cotton of his T-shirt. “Dancing, baby. We’re going to take ballroom dancing lessons.”

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Chapter 3 “Oh hell, I don’t know how I let you talk me into this kind of shit,” Tessa complained, rearranging her skirt around her legs. Parker’s black Mustang was ridiculously hard to get into while wearing heels and a dress. She’d nearly fallen ducking inside, the fabric of her blue dress riding perilously high on her thighs. And she knew that Parker copped an eyeful since their relationship seemed to have taken a dive into sexual insanity today. Damnit to hell. She even let him close the door for her, first time ever she let him get away with that kind of sexist behavior, because she was too distracted trying to wrestle her freaking clothes back into submission to reach for the handle. And her arms were still itchy, on top of everything else. Tessa wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or scream. Maybe both. “Everything okay?” Parker settled into the driver’s seat and started the car. She nodded, watching him shift the car into gear, his strong fingers resting on the stick as he backed out of her driveway. She had a sudden flashback to those fingers on her ass in her dream. Oh God. Tessa cleared her throat. “Yeah, fine.” She looked out of the window, noting that the boxes beneath her front window were peeling a bit. Have to paint those soon. “You’re gonna like it, I promise,” Parker said. He smiled over at her and pulled onto the road. Tessa tried really hard to keep her eyes on where they were going and not on his hands, but it was a losing battle. She could smell him again. Between his lovely muscles and strong hands and the scent of him, Tessa was going crazy. She squirmed in the seat as she felt a trickle of moisture between her legs.

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“Um, you know I suck at dancing, right?” Tessa said. Jesus. She could smell herself. She hoped he couldn’t. “You’re just saying that because you’re shy, but I’ve seen you move. You’re graceful just walking across a room.” Tessa stared at him. What? Parker watched the way she walked? He shifted into a higher gear and eased the car around one of the hairpin turns on the rural road, a small smile playing around the corners of his lips. “You think I’m graceful?” she asked. Parker glanced at her, the tip of his tongue wetting his full lower lip. Tessa nearly stopped breathing for a moment. “Yeah, baby. That’s exactly what I’m saying.” “Um.” She rearranged her skirt. What to say, what to say. She watched Parker shift again. God, manual transmission was kind of sexy. “I have no response to that,” Tessa finally said. Parker smiled but didn’t take his eyes off the road. “No response necessary.” Tessa shifted again, wishing her arms would stop itching. Parker wrinkled his nose and sniffed. “Did you get a new perfume?” Tessa frowned. “No. I don’t wear perfume, you know that.” “You smell like lavender. And something else.” Tessa watched her friend take a deep breath. “Something yummy. Sweet.” He risked a quick glance at her, and Tessa watched a blush crawl up his neck for the second time that day. Holy shit. Tessa bet he was smelling her arousal. What the hell was going on? “Thanks, I think,” she said then bit her lip. Thanks? Could I sound any more moronic? “Uh, just my usual soap. Lavender scented.” “Huh. Smells good.” Parker didn’t look over again. Tessa watched his arms, the muscles flexing as he handled the steering wheel and gear stick. She liked the shirt he was wearing. Red brought out the honey-gold highlights in his hair. And he had a bit of stubble that gleamed golden in the late afternoon sunlight. She wondered if it would feel as raspy as she remembered from her dream. She looked at

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his legs in their snug black denim. She could see the muscles of his thighs working as he tapped the clutch and gas pedals. So hot. “So, where are we going?” she asked in an effort to distract herself. It wasn’t like her to get so wrapped up in the way a guy looked, let alone Parker, of all people. “I got the name of this dance teacher from a friend of mine. He’s supposed to be the best ballroom instructor in the valley. When I called up his studio Thursday, he said he was running a weekend special—two lessons for the price of one.” “You planned this on Thursday?” Tessa tried to remember what she did on Thursday. “We hadn’t spoken in a week. How do you know I’ve been holed up?” “Darling, you’re always holed up.” Parker laughed. “So what’s this guy’s name?” Tessa rubbed at her arms. They were more than itchy now, and they were feeling a bit sore. She hoped it really was poison ivy and that she wasn’t about to come down with some heinous allergy. “Jared. Jared Nolan,” Parker answered as he maneuvered the car into town. “His studio is right outside town.” Jared? A chill ran through Tessa. That was the name of the man in her dream this morning. Coincidence? She hoped so. “Did he seem nice?” Tessa hoped he wasn’t cruel like the dance teacher she’d had when she was a girl. The old woman used to smack a wooden pole against the long barre if the girls didn’t extend their arms enough. She’d terrified Tessa when she was four, though now she supposed not all dance instructors could be that mean or they wouldn’t have any students. Still, she felt a tiny pang of anxiety. “I guess. He seemed nice enough.” Parker sighed. “How am I supposed to know? I don’t notice things like that.” Tessa lifted an eyebrow. “Did he have a low voice? High? Was he polite?” Parker glanced at her, his forehead wrinkled adorably. “Low voice.”

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“Did he sound sexy?” “Are you kidding me?” Parker asked, incredulous. The car swerved slightly before he brought it back under control. “Parker! Watch where you’re going!” Tessa yelled as her heart leapt. After a minute without any more car-related disasters, she burst into laughter. “Oh my God, if you could’ve seen your face!” Parker shook his head, and he braked for the red light. “You’re such a pain.” “You love me,” Tessa retorted, immensely cheered by his irritation. He swung his arm over the back of the seat and looked at her, silent for long enough that Tessa began to grow uncomfortable under the weight of his stare. “Yeah, I really do.” She shivered at the low tone of his voice. Whoa. He really meant that. “I love you, too, Parker. You know that.” He smiled and pulled out when the light turned green. Tessa looked at his arms. He had a bruise on the inside of his left forearm. “What’s that on your arm? Did you hurt yourself?” Parker glanced at his skin. “I don’t know. It’s been itchy for the past few days, though. Both arms.” He lifted his right arm off the gear stick and showed her a similar mark. “I don’t know what it is. Maybe I’m allergic to something at the construction site. They were pouring a new kind of concrete this week, and it got everywhere when one of the buckets exploded. I had the shit all over my clothes.” Tessa froze as she looked at the small dark patches on his arm. “They look like the bruises on my arms.” How was that possible? What were the odds that they both had the same kind of marks on their arms? So weird. “Wait, what?” Parker asked. “What bruises?” “I’ve been itchy, too, but it’s spring. And I was weeding. I get itchy every year, so I wasn’t worried, but today I ended up with these marks.” She showed him. “Maybe we ate something bad. Remember

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we tried that new restaurant last weekend? The calamari was a bit weird.” Parker was shaking his head. “No, that makes no sense. An allergic reaction to the food would’ve happened a lot sooner.” He fell silent. Tessa could tell by the set of his shoulders that he was worried. “What do you think it is?” she asked. Her head hurt, too, all of a sudden. Parker glanced at her but didn’t answer. Tessa frowned, about to press him, but then he pulled up a long driveway and parked before an old farmhouse with what looked like an extra wing tacked onto the side. “Is this the studio?” “This is it. Nolan Studio.” Parker gestured to the small sign hung near the entrance of the addition. “He told me the door would be open and to just go on in. The lesson starts at six o’clock.” He turned off the car and got out, shoving his keys in his pocket. Tessa forgot all about her headache and itchy arms as she wondered how the hell he was going to dance in jeans that tight. He walked around the car and opened the door. “Nervous?” “Oh please,” she scoffed as she accepted a hand out. When their palms touched, her skin tingled. She felt a stab of heat between her legs but firmly suppressed any outward indication of her attraction. This was getting ridiculous. “You can’t fool me, you know,” Parker teased as he shut the car door. “I know you hide in your house because you don’t like people.” “I may not like people, but that doesn’t mean I’m shy, you doof. I just don’t like people,” Tessa retorted as she looked around. There were two other cars parked in the long driveway. “I guess we’re not the only ones here for the lesson.” Parker took her hand and swung their arms together as they walked up the sidewalk to the door. Tessa felt a ridiculous spark of affection at his antics. “No, Jared told me that there were usually at least five or ten other couples at the lessons.” He tried the door, and it swung open easily. He waved her through, and Tessa walked into an anteroom with chairs set around the walls. There was a table with advertisements and

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a stack of schedules on it. Three other couples turned to look at them, their smiles friendly. On Tessa’s left was the dance studio, a large, open room with windows along one wall and mirrors along the other. The soft, afternoon light made the hardwood floor glow. “Hi,” Tessa said, feeling suddenly nervous, despite her assurances to Parker. She didn’t expect the other couples to inspect her so closely as soon as they walked in. Parker shut the door, startling her as he crowded her farther into the room. Should I sit down? Keep standing? Before she could decide, an older woman walked over. “Hi! Is this your first time here?” The woman smiled kindly, and Tessa nodded, relieved that someone broke the awkward silence. “Yes, it is. My friend Parker convinced me it would be fun.” Tessa gestured to Parker who stood behind her, unmoving and silent, like a big idiot. “This is my fourth lesson. Tom and I started last month with Jared’s weekend special and really loved it.” She motioned to a thin older man sitting along the wall, changing his shoes. Tessa assumed that was her husband. “Jared’s a great teacher.” The other couple nodded agreement, and Tessa wondered if they’d felt as awkward and out of place at their first lesson. She forced herself to relax. Nothing weird was going to happen at a dance studio. “Hi, I’m Tessa.” She held out her hand to the woman in front of her. “Oh! I’m sorry, I should’ve introduced myself. I’m Ann. Nice to meet you.” She shook Tessa’s hand. “That’s my husband Tom.” The older man smiled and waved then went back to fussing with his shoelaces. “This is my friend Parker,” Tessa said, pulling the predictably mute Parker forward. He teased her about being shy, but he was the one who clammed up in mixed company. “Nice to meet you, Parker,” Ann said. “The other couple by the wall is Debbie and Ryan. They started at the same time we did.” The couple waved, and Tessa was relieved to see that they looked

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younger, maybe in their forties. Parker was definitely the youngest man here, at twenty-six. Tessa felt young in comparison to everyone else, and she was thirty-two. “Will more people come?” she asked. “Oh, probably we’ll get maybe two, three more couples. Are Sean and Julie coming today, Tom?” Ann twisted around to ask her husband. He shrugged. “I think so. They didn’t call and cancel or anything.” “Sean and Julie are the other couple that started with us,” Ann explained. “Oh, that sounds nice,” Tessa said, trying to be polite. Truthfully, she was feeling more and more uncomfortable. Her head still ached, and her arms were itching more, despite the allergy medicine she’d taken before they left her house. She smiled at Ann as she walked over to one of the chairs and sat down. “I hope my shoes are okay for dancing.” Tessa tried to make conversation. Parker joined her, sitting down and rubbing at his arms. His bruises seemed darker than before. Tessa tried not to frown. Ann glanced at Tessa’s feet. “Oh, those should be fine. If you decide you want to keep dancing, Jared recommends we get dance shoes that won’t stick to the floor, but for now, you should be okay.” Ann sat down and showed Tessa the bottoms of her dance shoes. The soles were a nubby suede. Tessa smiled, looking down at her strappy heels. “Well, these have leather bottoms.” “Oh, you’ll be fine, dear.” Ann patted her hand. Tessa wanted to snatch it away. The woman’s touch burned her skin. What the hell? She glanced at Parker, but he didn’t notice. He was watching the door, nose wrinkled. A moment later it opened, and a young man and woman came in. Tessa gasped as the wall of scent hit her nose. Between the man’s cologne and the woman’s perfume, she thought she might pass out. She felt herself sway in her seat, and then Parker’s

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hand closed over her arm. Immediately the scent assault lessened. Tessa felt her head throb as she tried to figure out what had just happened. Before she could ask Parker if he felt it, too, the door opened again, and two more couples entered. They didn’t smell as strongly as the young couple, but Tessa abruptly realized she could pick out every person in the room based on scent alone. She shuddered, trying to cope with the information. “Tessa? You okay?” Parker leaned closer, and she inhaled deeply, using the calm, warm scent of him to steady herself. She ignored the way Parker nosed into her hair as if he were doing the same thing, using her scent to ground himself. “Yeah, I think so. Did you smell all that?” He nodded. “Is it just me or are people wearing a helluva lot more perfume these days?” Tessa shook her head, gripping his arm hard. She hoped she wasn’t hurting him. “I don’t know. I never had a problem before.” “I’ve been noticing people smelling a lot more the past couple weeks,” Parker muttered. He shifted in his seat. “Weird.” Tessa frowned. She hadn’t gone out much lately, which wasn’t unusual for her. She worked from home, and since Parker tended to stop by with food now and then, sometimes she didn’t even have to make a grocery store run. Two weeks? The dreams about the train started two weeks ago. Tessa tried not to think of the implications of that. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the news reports about bonding niggled at her, but she squashed them down. Nah. No way. The phenomenon of bonding between couples and their strange mental connection and empathetic tendencies was still very rare, and she didn’t remember hearing any reports about overwhelming smells. “Maybe it’s just spring allergies. I get supersensitive to smells at this time of year. All that pollen,” she offered. Parker nodded and sat back. “Yeah, you could be right.” He appeared to be thinking about it. “Except I don’t have seasonal allergies. Never have.” He looked at Tessa, eyes serious, and she

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stared back at him, at a loss. The low buzz of her newfound attraction to him made her want to close her eyes and just plant herself in his arms, despite the seriousness of their conversation and the people around them. Then a door at the far end of the studio opened. Is that mint? Tessa breathed deeply as she looked up, struck by the absurdity of her stray thought. Next to her, Parker went rigid, nostrils flaring, and she frowned at him. What is he staring at? Tessa followed his gaze across the gleaming wood floor until she saw the man standing frozen just inside the door. That must be the dance teacher. Tessa sucked in another deep breath, the mint scent even stronger now. She could almost taste it. The man’s short, dark hair curled attractively over his forehead, tousled and sexy. He wore a dark-blue shirt and black pants. Even across the room Tessa could tell his eyes were green. She flushed, suddenly aroused and aching, as Parker gripped her hand, hard. The dance instructor looked just like Jared, the man from her dreams.

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Chapter 4 Jared paused just inside the studio, his senses overwhelmed with the scent of sandalwood and lavender. In the anteroom, a man and a woman stared at him as if he was a ghost, the woman looking ethereal in a delicate blue dress, the man strong and attractive in a red T-shirt and jeans. Jared knew them. He’d dreamed about them both for weeks. He gripped the wood frame of the door as he fought his body’s reaction to the two people he knew were his bond-mates. He wanted to go over there and roll around in their scent. He wanted to strip them naked and lick them all over, damn the lesson and the other couples already spilling onto the dance floor. Jared could tell they were shocked to see him. They probably had no idea they were going to be his, and the last thing he wanted to do was scare them away. He eyed the man he’d talked to on the phone. Parker looked pale. Shaken. Tessa was flushed. She bit her lower lip, and Jared shuddered, willing his cock to behave as he slowly let go of the wood and moved forward. When Parker had called, Jared had barely been able to keep his voice steady. Inside, his heart was tripping, but Parker hadn’t suspected a thing. Jared pasted a smile on his face and stepped into the studio. “Welcome to my weekend special. For the next two hours, we’re going to learn the basics of waltz, foxtrot, and tango. For those of you who already know the basic steps, don’t worry. I’ll be teaching both the basic step and a more advanced step so we can cover all the bases.” Jared moved into the center of the wood floor, letting the familiar lesson calm his nerves. He’d taught this so many times he could do it in his sleep. He eyed the couples spread around him.

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Parker and Tessa hung back behind the others, and Jared suppressed a smile. He didn’t blame them. He rubbed his hip absently, used to the deep ache of the injured joint as he directed the couples into a loose circle. “Okay, let’s start with introductions. My name is Jared Nolan, and I’ve been teaching ballroom dance for six years. Welcome to Nolan Studio. I’d like each of you to say your names, and then we’ll get started.” He smiled, hoping his semierection wasn’t visible as the people began introducing themselves. He couldn’t seem to help his reaction. As soon as he’d stepped through the door, the scent of forest washed over him, and he knew it was because Parker and Tessa were here. He’d been dreaming about them for a while now, but it wasn’t until he’d woken up this morning with an erection hard enough to split wood, along with itchy arms, that he’d finally realized what was happening. He fought down the urge to rub at his skin, grateful the long sleeves of his shirt covered up the beginnings of the bonding marks. He knew his bond-mates weren’t ready to face what was happening. He could feel them already, their confusion at the forefront of his mind. Probably the beginnings of our empathic senses. He nodded at the familiar faces of his repeat students and smiled at the newcomers. He wondered why he understood what was happening when they didn’t. Was it because he already knew he was bi? Or did he just follow the news more closely than they did? Jared knew bonding was rare and that trio-bonding even more so, since there was only one confirmed case worldwide. It’d been all over the news a few months ago, but since then, a lot of the reports about Duncan Green and his two lovers had died down a bit. Jared shifted his weight, admonishing himself to pay attention. He didn’t usually have a problem memorizing the names of the new students, but today he was distracted. Understandably so. He forgave himself as he ran his eyes over Tessa’s slim body. She had long, ash-blonde hair and small breasts. Jared was looking forward to running his hands over her

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creamy skin. He knew it would feel warm and soft as silk. She’s small but strong. Jared watched the muscles in her arms flex when she gripped Parker’s hand. He was grateful his darker skin hid his blush when she caught him staring, her beautiful light-brown eyes confused but not hostile. He smiled winningly at her, delighted when she blushed in response, then shifted his attention to Parker. The man was at least six feet tall and solidly muscled. Jared liked the way his wavy blond hair fell over his forehead and ears. It looked soft in contrast to his tanned skin and strong fingers. Jared imagined what it would feel like to press his slimmer frame against the weight of the other man when Tessa’s light voice brought him back from his daydream. “Hello, my name is Tessa,” she said softly. Jared felt his body react to her again and shoved his hands in his pockets. He already loved the sweet tone of her voice. There was no way he was going to make it through this lesson with his dignity intact. Then Parker stepped slightly forward to introduce himself, and Jared knew he’d have to take a quick break in the middle of the lesson to relieve the tension. “I’m Parker,” the blond man said, smiling at the other students. Jared ground his teeth then bit the inside of his cheek, hoping the pain would help blunt the arousal running rampant through his body. Parker’s voice was low, almost gravelly. He sounded like sex. Jesus. Discreetly, Jared pinched himself, willing his erection to subside. He noticed that not only did Parker not make eye contact with him, but the other man also had a hand shoved in his pocket. He stared at Parker’s groin but couldn’t see anything except the outline of the other man’s fist beneath the fabric. At least I’m not the only one having a bit of a problem here. Jared smirked as the last two students introduced themselves. It took him a moment after they finished before he could continue with the lesson. “Thanks, everyone. For starters, I’d like the women on one side of the room and the men on the other. I’ll be explaining your steps separately at first, and then we’ll put you together and see how you

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do.” Jared gestured to the crowd, and they obediently split into two groups. “We’ll start with the waltz. Here is how the man’s basic step begins.” Jared spent the next ten minutes demonstrating the basic waltz step and talking about how the men needed to hold their upper bodies so they could lead their partners through the step. The familiarity of the dance and the concentration it took to teach soothed his arousal, but every time his eyes met with Parker or Tessa, the heat flared up again. How the hell was he going to make it through the whole lesson? His head was starting to pound, and his arms were aching. He was afraid to roll up his sleeves, but a quick glance at Tessa’s bare arms showed the tattoos on her arms growing clearer. We haven’t even touched yet. Jared was suddenly frightened. What would happen when they did? Shit. He would have to teach them the dance without touching either of them, or he’d have a disaster on his hands. Jared watched the other couples practicing the steps. The ones who’d had a few lessons already were doing fine, and the beginners were stumbling a bit, which was to be expected. Parker and Tessa, in contrast, were gliding across the floor. He had to swallow hard when he noticed how easily Parker guided Tessa in the step. He watched the man delicately grip her hand, their fingers comfortably entwined while his other hand rested at just the right spot on her back. Tessa smiled up at Parker, seemingly oblivious to Jared’s fixation. Parker grinned at her, deftly guiding her around. The man is a natural. When Parker happened to look up, meeting Jared’s eyes, he felt the air sizzle, and his dick jumped in his pants. Abruptly, Jared knew it was time for a break. He clapped his hands. “Okay, everyone! We’re going to take a short rest. I know how hard it is to do the same step over and over again when you’re just beginning. It’s time to give your calves a rest. Take five and we’ll meet back here,” Jared said, immediately veering toward the door at the back of the studio that led to his house. He needed to splash some cold water on his head. Or chew a few ice cubes. Maybe dunk myself in a cold shower. He curled his lips wryly. His cock rubbed against

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his boxers as he walked, which didn’t help the matter one bit. What he didn’t expect was to feel a hand on his shoulder just as he reached the door. Jared froze. It was Parker. The scent of the man’s sandalwood soap tickled his nose, along with the musky undertone of arousal. When Jared turned, pasting a fake smile on his face, he knew the game was up. **** Tessa followed Parker as he sprinted across the studio. She knew something was going to happen but wasn’t sure what. She’d finally admitted to herself that she was in some sort of bonding heat. With Parker. She shook her head incredulously. And Jared, the hot dance teacher I just met a few minutes ago. How could this happen? How could three people bond, anyway? She’d read the news reports and seen footage on television about bonding, months ago. How could she not? It was all over the news for a while, and then it seemed to fade away. Everyone just kind of accepted that it existed, but it was still rare. Doctors didn’t know what caused it, and since most people who bonded didn’t want to talk about it, the phenomenon sort of melted into the background. Bonding wasn’t really accepted, but since you couldn’t tell bonding tattoos from regular ones, it didn’t really matter. The most disturbing thing about bonding was the new drug that people were growing addicted to. Tessa read about ‘Path in passing, but it didn’t really affect her or anyone she knew. Three people bonding, though? Tessa couldn’t imagine how that would work. Would she have to choose one of the men? Tessa worried about that as she followed Parker, but when she reached them, she saw the heated look Jared threw at Parker. Maybe they would choose each other and leave her out of it? A spike of fear cut through the haze of her arousal. No. They couldn’t do that to her. She’d been abandoned once already. She grabbed Parker’s free hand in desperation. He won’t leave me, not Parker. For a moment she felt better, and then she

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gasped at the sudden, forceful onslaught of Jared’s emotions in her mind. She felt his utter surety that the three of them were meant for each other. Trio-bonding. Tessa’s legs trembled. Was it possible? Parker threw her a look, his expression too complicated to read, then pulled her through the doorway, pushing Jared ahead of them. He kicked the door shut and leaned back against it. Tessa locked her knees, willing herself to stay upright as Jared moved in and pressed his lithe body against hers, helping steady her. “Shhh, it’s okay,” he soothed, hands in her hair. She turned her face up to him, the strength of his grip reassuring. His green eyes were kind, but she was so confused. How was this possible? Parker still held her, too, his body rigid against her hip. “What the fuck is happening?” Parked asked, sounding terribly frustrated and maybe a little shell-shocked. “I can feel you in my head, oh my God.” Tessa felt him trembling, but that wasn’t right. Big, strong Parker? Trembling? But she felt his uncertainty in the core of her psyche. His emotions swirled around hers. She inhaled deeply, hoping to calm down, but the instinctive reaction only brought their intriguing scents deeper into her body. She shuddered. “I think we’re about to bond,” Jared rasped. His cock shoved against her hip. He was none too steady on his feet either. “A triobond.” “The fuck?” Parker said then bit his lip. Tessa’s eyes zeroed in on his mouth even as she agreed with him, his full bottom lip so incredibly tempting. She couldn’t stop herself. She leaned in. When Parker met her gaze, his expression softened. He leaned down and their lips touched. Tessa shivered then moaned as his flavor burst over her tongue—sweet vanilla and wood, like trees after a hard rainstorm right when the sun comes out. She clutched at him then tore her mouth away. Was she crazy? This was Parker. “Oh my God,” she mumbled, touching her lips, and then Jared moved in and rubbed his nose against her cheek. She turned her head, and their lips met for the first time. She would have fallen if the men

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hadn’t been holding her up. Mint and rosemary burst over her senses. Her favorite meadow touched with dew and twilight. Tessa reeled, dizzy and confused. She fought it. She would not pass out. When he moved back, Tessa thought it was over, but then Jared leaned past her and kissed Parker, holding nothing back. Tessa could see Jared’s tongue lick Parker’s lip right before he opened up and let Jared in. That’s Parker, kissing another man. My straight best friend. Holy shit. Tessa felt faint, and then all the blood rushed out of her head, and her mind exploded into white sparks. Why do they smell like home? **** When she came to, Tessa was lying down. “What happened?” she croaked, trying to sit up. She looked around, frowning as she tried to figure out where she was. Someone’s living room. She sat on a dark leather sofa, facing a wall of bookcases. There was a door on the left. Was that the door to the ballroom? She must be in Jared’s living space. She glanced around again, spotting a kitchen decorated in dark woods behind a heavy granite island. She closed her eyes. Her limbs felt heavy, and she sensed the arousal still lurking in her body. “God, my head hurts.” She let strong hands push her back down. “Relax, sweetheart. Just stay down,” Jared said. “Where the hell am I?” she asked, disoriented. She relaxed when Parker’s face swam into view. “You’re on Jared’s couch,” Parker said, his voice soothing. “It’s okay.” Tessa snorted. “It’s okay? Yeah right. I feel like a fucking truck just ran me over.” She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. “My head is still killing me.” Jared smiled sympathetically. “If it’s any consolation, so is mine.” Tessa knew he was telling the truth. If she reached, somehow using her mind to touch theirs, she could feel his discomfort as if it was her own. She wasn’t sure quite what she was doing, and since it made her

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head throb even more, she pulled back. The two men relaxed minutely when she did so. Interesting. “Yeah, exactly so,” Jared said in response to her mental grimace. “Like I said before, we’re bonding.” “How is that possible?” Tessa asked, feeling all the fears she had about abandonment rush back. Her heart sped up. “There’s three of us!” She sat up, ignoring the way her head spun. No way was she going to take this lying down. “Tessa, easy.” Parker cupped her shoulders, helping her sit. “You know I would never leave you.” He settled down on the sofa with her and cradled one of her hands. Just feeling him touching her skin soothed her, though she noticed that Jared looked pained until he sat on Parker’s other side, clasping her friend’s free hand. Tessa immediately felt better, her headache subsiding, though the feel of their mental signature increased. They felt strong and masculine in a way she couldn’t have predicted. She closed her eyes and forced herself to relax, concentrating on the way they smelled, the musk of their bodies rising up around her. Then the arousal flared again, and both men stiffened. Tessa’s eyes flew open to see Parker staring at her breasts. Her nipples were peaked and clearly visible through the thin cotton of her tank top. Guess I should’ve worn a bra today. She pursed her lips in annoyance as she felt Jared grin. She glanced at him to find his pale green eyes were crinkled at the corners, showing his amusement, though he remained silent. She frowned at him. “Ah, Tessa, I like you feisty,” he said, looking meaningfully at her boobs. She resisted the urge to cross her arms and rolled her eyes instead. “How can three people bond?” she asked again. “Didn’t you hear about Duncan Green? He bonded with his best friend and manager, Jake Mackenzie, when they met a woman they both liked. It was the first three-way bond documented. From what I’ve read about them, they’re very happy. It seems to work.”

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Tessa blinked. “Duncan, the gorgeous singer?” Jared nodded as Parker huffed then cleared his throat. She could tell he was slightly irritated by her description of Duncan. “So you think that we’re bonding like them?” Parker asked. Jared nodded again. Parker frowned. “I don’t know how this is possible. I’m not gay.” Tessa wondered about this herself but noticed that Parker made no effort to extract his hand from Jared’s. “I don’t think it matters,” Jared said. “Doesn’t it bother you?” Parker asked, more insistently. Jared shook his head. “I’ve always been bi.” Parker stared at Jared’s face, his eyes lingering on the other man’s lips, then his gaze dropped to their clasped hands. “I always considered myself straight.” He looked up. “Yeah, I’ve sometimes had stray thoughts here and there—oh that guy’s attractive or whatever—but I’ve never seriously considered that I might be sexually flexible.” He cleared his throat. “In that way.” “Well, it’s not like I’m going to jump you, Parker,” Jared said, his voice low. Tessa wrinkled her brow as she caught a whiff of hurt from him. Parker was shaking his head then he laughed. “Yeah, I’m not worried about you jumping me. I’m worried about me jumping you.” Jared stared at Parker, and Tessa felt the arousal among the three of them flare again. “Shit,” Jared whispered, and then Parker swiveled his head to look at Tessa. “And you, I won’t even try to describe how badly I want you, Tessa.” Tessa’s mouth went dry, and Parker growled, the sound making the hair on the back of her neck rise. Suddenly she found herself in Parker’s lap. He leaned in and opened his mouth. Their tongues touched. Tessa shuddered and licked inside, teasing him until she felt Jared’s hand slip into the top of her dress. She froze, trying to decide

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whether to freak out. Jared’s desperation swept over her, and she caved. She pulled back, sucking on Parker’s lip and allowing Jared to cup one of her breasts. The tip of her nipple strained as he rubbed it, and she groaned, growing slick as her clit throbbed in time with his movements. Her panties were wet, for sure. Abruptly Jared pulled back, ignoring Parker’s grunt of protest. “Shit. I’ve still got the class in the ballroom.” Jared glanced at the clock. “And it’s been at least fifteen minutes since I called a break.” Tessa grimaced. “I don’t know if I can go back out there.” Her gaze dropped to her arms where the darkening patches of what would be her bonding tattoos throbbed. “My arms are sensitive, and my head hurts. And I’m afraid to let go of you.” She tightened her fingers around Parker’s bicep then did the same to Jared where she still hung onto his arm. She could hardly believe she’d managed to climb into Parker’s lap while still hanging on to Jared. God, this is so weird. She shifted her position, but all her embarrassment fled when her pussy suddenly made contact with Parker’s rock-hard erection. The only things keeping them apart were her thin panties and his jeans. She gasped, and Jared closed his eyes, swaying closer. “Oh my God,” Parker breathed then bucked up, grinding his cock against her core. Tessa rode the movement, clenching her thighs around his. Holy shit, I’m about to orgasm! In shock, she ripped away from Parker and Jared. She made it to her feet then stumbled back, landing on Jared’s coffee table. She sat down, panting heavily through the pain. When it receded to a dull throb, she looked up to see Parker and Jared similarly incapacitated. “I’ve gotta cancel the class,” Jared said, his voice hoarse. “There’s no way I can teach like this.” He gestured to himself. Tessa stared at the thick outline of his dick pressing against the placket of his pants. “How are you going to go out there like that?” she asked. Jared pinched his nose then breathed hard. “Just a sec.” Tessa watched as he straightened up, breathing deeply. He stood up, shoulders hunched. Tessa bit her lip as she watched him struggle, his

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back to her and Parker. Abruptly, he chuckled. “Yeah, okay, breathing exercises do not help. I can smell you both. I’m going to the bathroom where I will dunk my head under cold water for a minute. Then I’m going to dismiss the class.” He turned around and looked hard at Parker and Tessa. “Don’t either of you move.” Then Jared spun on his heel and strode out of the room. Tessa gasped as the pain in her head grew worse the farther away he went. When Parker groaned under his breath, Tessa turned, knowing he felt as bad as she did. He sat on the couch with his arms crossed over his chest, shoulders tight. She made a move to touch him—surely that would help—but he shied away. “Oh my God, no. Don’t touch me. I don’t know what will happen if you do.” His voice was strained, and Tessa nodded. “And think about Jared. He’s in this with us, too. If you touch me—” Parker broke off to look up at her. His eyes were wet, and she sucked in a breath. She hadn’t seen him cry since his brother and her husband were reported missing all those years ago. “Parker—” Tessa reached out again. Everything in her screamed to touch him, stroke him, soothe his hurt. In her head she could feel Jared cursing them both, and she winced, pulling back. “Okay, okay, I get it.” Parker nodded and sat back, flexing his fingers. Tessa wondered if it helped. She gazed at him, and then eyed Jared’s throw pillows. Nah. Instinctively she knew that clutching a few small pieces of stuffed fabric wasn’t going to do much to help the situation. Parker smiled as he caught the edge of her thoughts. She studied his arms. His tattoos were growing clearer. She lifted her hands and rested them on her knees, forearms up. The tattoos were almost clear enough to make out. She had a sudden urge to rub the marks all over her men and shivered. Tessa! Jared thought at her, and she jumped, startled. Did he send her a telepathic message?

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“Yeah, and I caught it, too,” Parker said. “So get a grip on yourself. Think about, oh I don’t know, baby seals or something. Just make sure it’s unsexy.” Tessa stuck her tongue out at him, disgruntled. Baby seals? When she looked up, his eyes were riveted on her mouth. “Showing me your tongue did not help,” Parker said grimly. Tessa winced and looked away, trying to think neutral thoughts. She felt Jared out in the ballroom, making their excuses. She caught a few words—“sick…very sorry…free lessons”—before she realized that just concentrating that hard on Jared was making the attraction worse. What the hell are we going to do? We can’t function like this. “I think it’ll ease up a bit once we complete the bond.” Jared walked back into the room. “We hardly know each other,” Parker said. He looked suddenly exhausted. Tessa made an abortive movement towards him then let her hand fall. Once I touch either of them again, that’s it. Time’s up. Fuck. She knew in her bones that they wouldn’t be able to stop themselves. Briefly her thoughts flashed to her dreams. Visions of the men naked and aroused drifted across her mind. When she opened her eyes, Jared was palming his cock through his pants. He stared at her, pained. “Tessa, seriously. If you don’t want me to rip your clothes off right the fuck now, you have got to stop that,” he said. Parker snorted. “Trying to keep Tessa from doing what she wants is impossible.” He grinned at her, and Tessa could suddenly see the remnants of the good-natured friend peeking beneath the masculine aggressiveness. “Okay,” Jared said, dropping down on the end of the couch, careful not to touch either of them. “Maybe we should get acquainted. We know we can’t stop what’s going to happen, but we can sure as hell go into it with our eyes open.” Parker nodded. “I’m sorry I seem so uncomfortable, but I’m really freaked out that I’m attracted to you,” he said to Jared. The dance

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teacher just nodded understandingly. Parker then looked apologetically at Tessa. “You, I’m used to wanting. Another guy?” He cocked his head. “Not so much.” Tessa blinked. “What do you mean, you’re used to wanting me?” “Tessa, I’ve been attracted to you since I was fifteen.” Parker grinned at her astonishment. “You’re gorgeous.” She stared at him, shocked. Jared laughed. “You had no idea?” Tessa shook her head. “I guess I’ve always just looked at Parker as a friend. I mean, you were too young for me when we met, and that’s the box I put you in.” She reached out to him, forgetting, then let her hand drop as Jared shook his finger at her. She sighed in exasperation. “Darling, that was over ten years ago. I’m kinda grown up now.” Parker rolled his eyes. Tessa let her eyes roam over his muscled body. She couldn’t argue with him on that point. “Well, I don’t really know either of you, let alone how you met. Would you mind filling in some of the details?” Jared asked. Tessa settled herself farther back on the coffee table, leaning on her hands so she wouldn’t try and touch them again. “Parker was the younger brother of my husband’s best friend.” Jared interrupted, looking appalled. “You’re married?” “No, not anymore.” Tessa assured him. “My husband and his best friend, Billy, Parker’s brother, were killed on 9/11. They both worked as investment bankers in the World Trade Center.” She felt a pang of grief at the memory. “We’d only been married a few months.” Jared looked sad. “I’m so sorry, for both of you.” Parker shrugged but couldn’t hide the pain in his eyes. “It happened a long time ago.” “Still, that was a horrible day.” Jared slumped in his corner of the couch. “It’s okay,” Tessa said, hating to see him look so sad.

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Jared smiled at her. “I want to touch you so bad, make you feel better. I can feel your sorrow, here.” He put a closed fist over his heart. “The sooner you tell us a little about yourself, the sooner we can touch,” Tessa said. Jared nodded. “As you can see, I’m a dancer.” He swept his hand out over the living space. He had bookshelves near the windows with some trophies. A number of dance plaques were on the wall leading to the studio. “Long story short, I started dancing, against my father’s wishes, when I was thirteen. Because I didn’t want to starve, I joined the military out of high school, then went to college. After that, I danced competitively until an injury forced me to stop six years ago. I became a teacher. That’s basically it.” Tessa frowned. She could sense how much he was leaving out of that narrative. “You left a lot out.” “Yeah, I know. I think after the bonding it won’t matter,” Jared said. He rubbed at his forehead, and Tessa felt an answering tap of pain in her temples. It was growing worse. She rushed to tell the rest of her story, short version. “After John died, I moved here. I needed to get out of the city. I started a consulting company. I design people’s websites, and they pay me. I work from home.” Jared nodded and turned to Parker. “I went to school for architecture. After my brother was killed, I needed to build things. So much was torn down that day. I worked a bunch of odd jobs after graduation, then a few years ago I became the construction manager for a firm in Bethlehem.” Jared nodded again then turned to Tessa. She let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding as his eyes met hers. She saw the wildness of the bond rising in him and felt an answering arousal as she licked her lips. This was it. Parker gasped, and the scent of the two men thickened again. Tessa’s body went cold, then hot. Her fingers and toes tingled as Jared stood up.

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“I don’t think we can wait anymore. My bedroom’s this way.” He turned and walked down a dark hallway on the far end of the room. Parker surged up and looked hard at Tessa. When she got to her feet, he let her lead the way, following on her heels, but Tessa knew that didn’t mean she was in charge. The beast prowling inside her body and mind was.

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Chapter 5 Parker’s skin prickled as he followed Tessa out of the room and down the hall. He sniffed, trying to get used the scent of Jared’s musk drifting on the air like expensive cologne. Damn. Parker wanted to taste him so bad. He imagined what it would be like, touching another man sexually for the first time, but his brain shied away from the picture. He simply had no idea what it would feel like. This wasn’t something he felt prepared to deal with. When Tessa paused in the doorway, Parker shuddered. Jared was in the bedroom. Tessa was right in front of him. The urge to claim them both was overwhelming. He’d have to get over this nervousness because there was no way he could hurt Tessa. Or Jared, strangely enough. “I don’t think I can be patient any longer,” Jared said as he kicked off his shoes. Parker’s eyes drifted away from Tessa’s perfect ass to the long length of Jared’s legs. Jesus. The man was gorgeous. Jared undid the button of his pants. Tessa whimpered and walked forward, rubbing at her arms. Parker noted that her bonding tattoos were almost discernible. He lifted his arms and looked down. Was that—? No. No way. He toed off his shoes and walked into the room. Why would their tattoos look like paw prints? By the time he reached the bed, Tessa was already in Jared’s arms, kissing him almost desperately. They don’t look like strangers. They look like lovers about to lose each other. A pang of determination shot through Parker at the thought. No way are we going to lose each other on my watch. Strangely, he wasn’t the least bit jealous. Instead, the low simmer of his arousal flared at the image of Jared and Tessa together. He loved the sweet sounds she made as

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Jared stroked her tongue with his. Parker watched Jared slip his hands into the top of her halter dress, unsurprised when his dick began to throb against the zipper of his jeans. He had to get the damn things off, or he was going to pass out. “Yeah, good point. My pants are killing me, too.” Jared panted, pulling away from Tessa. She moaned and rested her head on Jared’s shoulder. “Yeah, okay,” she said after a moment, looking up and catching Parker in the act of pulling off his T-shirt. Her eyes burned. She looks feral. Parker’s dick grew impossibly harder. He wrestled with his zipper, cursing his body for being so difficult. “Easy there,” Jared soothed in a low voice. Parker flinched then relaxed as Jared slipped behind him and helped him work the metal teeth open. Parker’s cock flared out, pressing against the soft fabric of his boxer briefs. Jared moaned, leaning on the larger man. For the first time in his life, Parker felt another man’s hard-on against his body. “It won’t be the last time,” Jared whispered then moved away, letting Parker deal with the rest of his clothes by himself. He couldn’t get them off fast enough. Even Tessa’s heated look wasn’t enough to make him fumble. When he kicked away his underwear, he stood and stretched, his cock bobbing in the air. He watched Tessa swallow, and grinned. Then Jared divested himself of his pants and pulled off his shirt, and it was Parker’s turn to swallow. The man was gorgeous. When Jared smiled and began helping Tessa remove her dress, Parker forced himself into action, ignoring the last little pangs of uncertainty. He moved to the bed and knelt at Tessa’s feet. He wanted to lick up her whole body, starting with her toes until he reached her lips. His hands shook as he reached out, slowly pulling her panties down and off her legs. Parker inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh scent of her arousal. When he glanced up, he found that Jared was just pulling her dress over her head. Tessa’s small, pert breasts bobbed as she lifted her arms, then disappeared between Jared’s hands. God. That’s just beautiful.

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“Please, please,” Tessa murmured, and Parker rubbed his face against her thigh, enjoying the way it made her writhe. “Tessa, you smell amazing,” Jared said, his hands slipping down her torso. His right hand dipped into her pussy and rubbed at the moisture. Parker had a front-row seat to the most erotic thing he’d ever seen. A drop of pre-cum slipped down his cock. When Jared’s fingers separated her labia, exposing the sweet, pink nub at her center, Parker’s control wavered. He had to taste her. He locked eyes with Jared, who nodded, then bent in and licked at her pussy until his tongue reached the delicate nub. He flicked at it, trusting in Jared to hold Tessa upright. She writhed, and he sunk in farther, sucking her clit into his mouth and gently licking at it. Her climax hovered on the edge of his mind, teasing him. Dimly, he wondered what would happen when she came, but before he could really speculate, her orgasm crashed over him in a wave of pleasure so intense his body seized up. Whoa. The world went white as his cock jerked, spurts of cum jetting out onto his thigh as his mind blurred from the pleasure. He was shocked. He’d just come and neither Tessa nor Jared had even touched him! **** Tessa swam up from the depths of her climax, luxuriously sated. Loved. In the back of her mind, both Jared and Parker hovered, each of them separate but also part of her. Their scent was somehow stronger yet also now part of the background that murmured home to her senses. She opened her eyes, not surprised to find herself half on, half off Jared’s bed. “Whoa,” she croaked then swallowed, trying to wet her throat. “You could say that again,” Parker chimed in from somewhere on the floor. Tessa struggled to sit up, abruptly realizing that she had Jared’s spunk all over her back. Um, ew. She ran her fingers through her tangled hair. She felt sticky and wrecked but dismissed the

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negative thought when she realized that Jared’s cum smelled really, really good. Like caramel. Clearly she was losing her mind. Once she was up, she saw Parker on the floor, covered in the remains of his climax, his cock lying against his stomach, still mostly hard. Her pussy tingled at the sight. Damn, she thought, completely taken aback at the fresh arousal that suddenly rolled through her system. Jared cleared his throat. “I don’t think we’re quite done yet.” Tessa glanced at Jared, silently agreeing with him, then turned to her friend. “Parker, you alive?” “Yup.” He grinned up at her. Tessa smiled back then frowned when she realized she could feel the ache of Jared’s hip injury. She swiveled around on the bed, eyeing the man sprawled behind her. His dark, curly hair was mussed, but his eyes were mischievous, belying the pain she sensed in his hip. “Jared? Are you okay? Why does your hip hurt like that?” Jared grimaced and absently rubbed at the scars Tessa just now noticed ran along his right hip. They were silvery, old. She reached out and ran her fingers down them, ignoring Jared’s shiver. “It’s nothing. Just my old injury.” Jared shifted himself farther up the bed, fluffing some pillows and settling down against the headboard. That relieved the ache somewhat. Tessa watched lean muscles move under his smooth skin. He was smaller than Parker, his strength more understated. His chest was nearly hairless, but his strong jaw and stubble more than made up for any apparent lack of masculinity. He was gorgeous, despite the scars. Tessa felt Parker get up behind her and wipe down with his T-shirt, and then the bed dipped, and he was crawling up to lay beside Jared. He handed the cloth to the smaller man, and Jared used it to wipe himself off before gently cleaning the small spatters from Tessa’s back. He tossed the shirt in the direction of the door and sighed as he lay back down. The sight of the two men lounging against each other sent a pulse of heat through Tessa, which she ruthlessly fought down. They could have

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more sex in a moment. Right now she wanted to know what happened to his hip. “Okay, okay,” Jared said, exasperated as much as amused as he sensed her unspoken determination to find out what happened. “Close your eyes.” “What? Why?” Tessa retorted. If you think you can sidetrack me— Jared cut her off. “No, I’m not trying to sidetrack you. I just think it will be easier if we use the bond. I read somewhere that bond-mates can sense each others’ thoughts. Clearly we can hear each other think.” Parker nodded at that, and Tessa let her irritation settle. “It’ll be easier to show you in here”—Jared reached down and tapped her on her forehead—“than to explain it with words.” Tessa stared at him for a moment then nodded and shimmied up the bed, settling between the two men. She tried to ignore the way they felt against her, warm and solid and slightly wild. Down, girl! Tessa thought, catching Parker’s amusement in the back of her head. At Jared’s urging, she relaxed against him and closed her eyes as he began feeding her images of that long-ago mission. It was night. The woods were alive with the enemy, so I paid careful attention to the display on my night-vision headset. My patrol was deep inside the North Korean border, looking for the defectors my sources told me would be waiting at the tower checkpoint. I hoped we’d be able to find them soon because the extraction time was creeping up on us. I nodded at one of the other soldiers then slipped through the trees until I found a clearing. I didn’t venture into the open. Was there an old tower across the space? I squinted, just able to make out the crumbling ruins on the other side of the meadow. The defectors should be waiting there. I hoped they were under cover. When one of my teammates tapped me on the shoulder, cocking his head at the open space, I shook my head. Too dangerous. I couldn’t see anything threatening, but it would still be better to hug the tree line rather than walk into the open. I started to move along the perimeter, but before I could stop them, two of the patrol soldiers

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struck out across the meadow. Shit! What were they thinking? Then I remembered—they weren’t soldiers. They were civilians. Reporters embedded with the troops. They’d had some training but were too new to be allowed on such a delicate mission. I argued against including them, but my commander insisted, and I had no leverage. I was a consultant, not a full-time soldier, and I had no contacts in the higher-level chain of command that could’ve prevented this shit situation. I frowned as I watched them move farther into the meadow. Damnit. I had no choice but to follow and try to prevent a disaster. I moved into the open, hoping to grab the reporters and direct them back to the tree line. Unfortunately, right before I reached them, all hell broke loose. I grabbed the two civilians and shoved them down to the ground, ignoring the protests of the one with the camera as the expensive piece of equipment crashed to the ground. After that, the clearing lit up. North Korean soldiers surrounded us. Thankfully, in my paranoia, I’d planned for this. The secondary team I’d had following us dropped out of the woods, sandwiching the Korean troops. Not that it mattered. It was too late for me. I felt a searing pain in my hip and realized I wasn’t going to be able to get up. I slapped my palm on the wound, hoping it’d missed my artery. It hurt like hell, but at least I was alive. I watched my team dispatch the enemy and locate the defectors who were, thankfully, uninjured. The reporters were fine, as well. My second-in-command appeared with a pressure bandage. Things were growing hazy, and I knew I wasn’t going to be conscious for much longer. As soon as the bandage was on, my teammate hefted me into a fireman’s carry, and I passed out. Tessa opened her eyes, shaken. “You could have died.” Jared nodded. “I know, but it was worth it. I wanted to help those people.” “You don’t still do these missions, do you?” Tessa asked. “No. I’m lucky I can still walk. The injury damaged the joint of my hip. It functions so I can do most things, but after the doctors

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cleaned out the fragments of bone, I ended up with an infection. That killed my chances for an artificial joint. The doctors were afraid the infection would spread. So they patched me up best as they could and sent me on my way.” He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I had to give up competitive dancing. I couldn’t extend my legs the way I used to. I can’t stay on my feet all day anymore.” Tessa pursed her lips. She sensed what he wasn’t telling her—the shock when he woke up in the hospital. The agony of physical therapy. Then, on top of all that, the anguish he felt when he realized he’d lost most of his dancing capability. “I’m so sorry.” Tessa stroked his hip, lingering over the scars. “That sucks.” Jared smiled. “It’s okay. I like teaching.” “What happened to your partner?” Tessa sensed the woman he’d danced with before the injury lingering in the back of his mind. “Oh, she found a new partner. We’re still good friends,” Jared explained. Parker snorted. “Friends. I can tell she didn’t waste any time running away from your bedside and finding someone new while you were recovering.” Jared winced. “She’s a bit high-strung.” Tessa frowned then concentrated on the memories Jared was trying to slide away from her and Parker. She glimpsed the darkhaired woman’s shock at finding Jared in the hospital and her subsequent callousness regarding his recovery. “I don’t like her.” Jared shifted uncomfortably. “She was a good partner.” “Yeah, as long as you could dance. Once you were injured she dropped you like a hot potato.” Tessa didn’t understand how he could be so forgiving. “It doesn’t matter anymore,” Jared explained. “The world of competition is cutthroat. If you’re not determined to win, at almost any cost, you will lose. She has that determination, and she chose her path.” Jared shifted again, and Tessa sensed he was trying to keep pressure off his hip. “I’m not going to waste my time hating her. I’ve

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made a good life for myself here. Life’s too short to focus on that kind of destructive behavior.” Tessa felt tears well up and impatiently wiped them away. “I don’t know if I could be so forgiving. When John died, I was angry for so long.” Parker took her hand and rubbed it soothingly. “That was a different situation, darling. So many people lost loved ones that day, and there was nothing any of us could do. It was senseless and horrible.” Tessa nodded, frustrated with herself. “Still. You didn’t shut yourself up in your house after your brother died. You went to college. You became the kind of person who builds things instead of tearing them down. What did I do? I hid in my house.” She closed her eyes, suddenly exhausted. “Tessa, you were very young,” Jared said. “I was a lot older when I was injured. And I certainly didn’t lose anyone the way you did. It’s completely understandable that you’d want time to yourself after that.” Tessa felt him stroking her face. “The first part of being able to forgive others is being able to forgive yourself first and then move forward.” “How can I possibly do that?” “You already have,” Parker said, leaning over and kissing her on the lips. Tessa’s eyes flew open, confused. “You’re here, with us, love.” “That doesn’t mean I’m brave,” Tessa retorted, so completely disgusted at herself she wanted to scream. Jared shared the most devastating moment of his life with them, and here she was, freaking out about herself. “I’m being a baby here.” She took a deep breath and willed herself to relax. She would not become one of those clingy, stupid women. Jared was the one who deserved compassion right now, not her. “You are one of the most courageous women I know,” Jared said. He cupped his hand around her cheek and forced herself to look at

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him. “You chose to embrace the bond. A bond with two men, no less. That’s the most astonishing leap into the unknown there is.” Tessa wrinkled her nose at him. “Yeah, such a hardship, diving into bed with the two of you.” She pointedly looked up and down Jared’s body, taking in the sleek muscles and perfect skin. His gorgeous green eyes. Then she glanced at Parker, savoring the thick, muscled length of his body. The golden hair and bright-blue eyes. Yeah, whatever. She was suddenly amused. Hardship my ass. Jared barked a laugh. “See? You’re the least depressive and whiny female I’ve ever met.” He moved his hand down her cheek and over her breast, playing with her nipple until it pebbled, and she gasped. “I bet I can make you whimper, though.” Tessa narrowed her eyes at him, even as the overwhelming desire to bond flowed into her body. “You can try.” Parker chuckled and leaned in, slipping his lips along her neck. “Baby, you’re outnumbered here. You’re going to beg before we’re through with you.” Tessa arched her back then grabbed hold of Parker’s hair, moving his lips to her breast. “Maybe you’ll just do what I want you to.” Parker nipped her. “Maybe all this talk about who will do what to whom is pointless in a bond. We each know how the others feel. I want to make you scream with pleasure, and when you do, I’ll probably scream, too, and so will Jared. Everything you feel is multiplied between the three of us. I could never force you to do anything you didn’t want because it would be like forcing the best part of myself into bondage.” Tessa bit back a moan. How did he know exactly the right thing to say? He knows because he knows what you feel. And what I feel, Jared thought at her. He drew one of her arms to his lap. Tessa shivered as her wrist touched his erection, and then Jared turned her hand over. She stared at the tattoo that was suddenly clear on her skin. “Holy shit. Is that—”

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“Yeah. A paw print.” Jared traced his fingers over the mark. It tickled, and Tessa giggled and pulled her hand away. She looked more closely at the bonding mark. She had no idea what kind of animal left prints like that. A dog? Cat? “Why would our tattoos be so ordinary? I thought bonding marks were obscure designs?” Parker rolled closer, slinging his leg over hers. Tessa shivered as she felt his erection press up against her thigh. “Maybe it means something.” He slid his hand up her thigh, stopping just at the juncture of her thighs. Tessa wiggled, trying to get his hand to move higher. He obliged, and she parted her legs willingly, enjoying the way Jared gasped when her right leg brushed against his cock. “Maybe it gives us some sort of special abilities,” Parker speculated. Tessa didn’t care anymore. His fingers were on her clit, idly circling the slick nub. She wanted him inside her. Now. “Easy, sweetheart,” Jared murmured, drawing her thigh higher. His cock pulsed against her skin, making her squirm. She flung an arm around Parker’s neck, desperate for more stimulation. “Do you have condoms?” Parker asked Jared, who nodded and rolled away. Tessa barely noticed their interaction. She felt them in her mind, and the tight control they were holding on their arousal made her crazy. She wanted them to let go. She frowned, forcing mental claws into the surface of their thoughts. She wanted to get their attention. Jared froze as he came back from the nightstand, a strip of condoms dangling from his hand. Parker grunted, his fingers stabbing into her with such clever aim Tessa bucked, nearly at her climax even after just that little bit of stimulation. “Why are you teasing me?” She moaned, swiping at their minds again. She didn’t claw at them hard enough to hurt. She could never hurt them. But she wanted them to understand the bonding heat was driving her insane. It was time to stop talking. “Shit, how did you do that?” Jared asked, his voice dangerously low. Seductive.

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She shook her head, shoving at their minds again. How to explain what she didn’t really understand herself? “Jesus, Tessa, hang on,” Parker panted. She opened her eyes to slits when he withdrew his hand and watched as Jared rolled a condom down Parker’s lovely, lovely cock. He shifted until he was on top of her, and then he looked at Jared. The two men communicated something to each other, and then Tessa felt herself being lifted onto Parker’s lap, his cock nudging at her entrance. She moaned and worked herself down on him. He was huge. She hid her face in his neck. “Tessa, take it easy,” Jared murmured behind her. She trembled as Parker’s full length slid into her. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t control her legs at all. If Parker hadn’t been holding her up, she would’ve fallen. He leaned back, the muscles in his abdomen rippling, until he was reclining against the wooden headboard. He pulled her forward with him, and she felt his legs open, forcing hers even wider. Exposing her backside completely. She jerked as she felt Jared’s fingers at her rear. He teased at the puckered entrance, rubbing and circling until she thought she’d go mad. “Shhh, it’s okay.” Jared slid one finger into her ass, then another. They were slick with her arousal, and he felt so good Tessa tried to shove herself down farther. She wanted him inside her, too. Right now. She tried to focus, make her body do what she wanted, but her thoughts scattered. Her men were in her head, their scents washing over her body like rain. She shivered as the room faded, and suddenly she was in the forest, running with them. They stopped in a clearing, scenting the fresh air. The rain had finally stopped. She looked over her shoulder, and Parker and Jared came closer, their eyes bright, their scent sharp and determined. She blinked, and she was back in the bedroom, Parker still seated in her pussy while Jared’s delicious cock nudged at her rear entrance. Her eyes flew open when he pushed inside, the crown of his cock stretching her. She wanted to ask them if they were as confused as she suddenly felt, but the desire interfered

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with her ability to think. She tried to focus through the haze of arousal. Where had the vision of the forest come from? Why was she having visions at all in the middle of sex? She couldn’t hold on to her questions. Tessa moaned as Jared teased at her, shoving inside her ass in tiny bursts. It burned, but Parker shushed her, running his hands up and down her back, urging her to relax. He stared at her, his eyes brilliant while Jared worked his way inside, slowly. So slowly. The men groaned as they felt each other through the thin wall of her body. “Tessa, sweetheart, you are so beautiful. You are everything,” Jared murmured as he gripped her around her waist, his cock throbbing. She could feel his heartbeat in her body. Then he moved his face over her shoulder, and he and Parker were kissing while Tessa trembled in their arms. When Jared pulled back, Parker smiled at her. “Darling, I’ve loved you for years, even if you didn’t know it. Relax, we’ll take care of you.” Parker began to move, his thick cock sliding from her very slowly, then back inside. Tessa couldn’t do anything except moan as she felt every inch of him plunge into the softest part of her body. Jared gasped and began to move, too, in time with Parker—one man in, the other out. She sensed the forest welling up again—she closed her eyes and gave into it, feeling utterly at home. Utterly safe. The men held her firmly, gently. She scented the leaves dancing in the trees as her orgasm crept closer and closer. “I’m close,” she whispered, clenching her fists around the sheets until Parker bent down to lick her neck. She grabbed his shoulders when he opened his mouth and put his teeth against her skin. The next thing she knew, Jared was snarling on the other side of her head, nuzzling down against the delicate spot beneath her ear. She shook, feeling the sharp points of his teeth, then shuddered as both men bit down simultaneously. The pain was exquisite. She thought she screamed as her orgasm crashed open, the men groaning in unison. It was like running in the middle of an earthquake—the trees, the ground shifted around her as she grabbed onto her men. They were

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solid. Strong. They kept her safe when the pleasure raked through the three of them again and again. When it was done, Tessa realized she had no idea how long their climax lasted, but she knew when it was done, her body drifting gently down upon Parker as Jared’s strong arms closed around them both. The bond sizzled inside her even as they fell into darkness together.

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Chapter 6 “I’m just saying, I’m getting a little tired of all this fainting shit,” Tessa griped. The three of them sat in Jared’s kitchen, the two men wolfing down a fourth sandwich while Tessa picked at her third. She’d never eaten so much at once in her life. “I don’t mind you fainting,” Parker said, wiping at his lips with a snowy napkin. Tessa glared at him but couldn’t hold on to her irritation. She was too happy about the bonding and too distracted by her gorgeous bondmates. That white napkin looks great against his golden skin. In fact, his entire body had a sort of copper glow to it. Even the deep black of his bonding tattoo held a sheen of metallic copper, almost as though it was three-dimensional. Strangely, Tessa swore she could smell the color more than see it. Weird. All of this is weird, from the bonding to the strange visions. “Thank you, baby.” Parker took another huge bite of roast beef, ignoring the crumbs of bread that fell onto the table. Tessa rolled her eyes. “Oh my God, you are disgusting.” Jared grinned and finished his beer. “He is. I agree.” He delicately wiped his mouth with his napkin, every movement graceful. Parker flicked him off, and Jared laughed. Tessa tried very hard not to think about the loveliness of Jared’s face against the napkin, but judging by his wink, she wasn’t very successful. He, too, sported a glow—mostly silver. If she closed her eyes, she could smell it, like a sharp, fresh mint. His paw-print tattoo was just as deep a black, but it looked like it had an edge of silver to it. If she squinted, Tessa could tell the metallic sheen went all the way through the tattoo.

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Idiots, both of them. “As I was saying—” “Yes, yes, we know. You don’t want to do the fainting thing anymore. Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you,” Parker teased. Tessa wanted to smack him. Good thing I love you, you arrogant schmuck. “Oh, baby, if you keep saying such sweet things to me, I don’t know what I’ll do.” Parker grinned, the banter lighting up his face. Tessa broke down and smiled. He was absurd. She knew he didn’t have an arrogant bone in his body, and when he tried to pretend, it was guaranteed to make her laugh. Jared watched the two of them lob verbal darts at each other, an indulgent smile on his face as he finished eating. “I don’t think you’ll be fainting anymore, Tessa.” She wrinkled her nose. “What makes you say that?” “I think the bonding is complete. I can feel you inside me, part of me. Completely. I know it’s been strange, but I feel your strength.” He clenched his fist and put it over his heart. “Here. I can feel you here.” Tessa sighed. “I’m just a bit freaked out about it all. I mean, not just the bonding, but visions? I know you saw the forest, too, while we were having sex.” Jared nodded. “I did. And even when you swiped at us mentally, I wasn’t afraid. I know we’ll be okay.” “How can you possible know that?” Tessa felt the panic starting to come back. “I know you,” Jared stated. Parker nodded, sipping at his beer. He looked down at the bonding tattoo on his forearm, absently rubbing a finger over the paw-print pattern. When he looked at Tessa, he pursed his lips. She wondered what he thought of it all. “What is it, Parker?” Jared asked. He leaned forward. Tessa loved how the men unconsciously reached for each other. “Am I the only one who can see the weird halos?”

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Tessa sat back, eyebrows lifting. She felt inexplicably relieved. “No, I can, too. Only they’re more like smells. Sort of.” She didn’t know how to explain it, but the two men were nodding. She looked down at her tattoo, trying to focus her eyes on the pale golden sheen set into the black. She couldn’t. It was like trying to look at a star— easier to see with peripheral vision. The sheen extended past the tattoo, but somehow it seemed easier to focus on the bonding marks. Maybe it would get easier to see with practice. She sniffed, and her perception of the aura strengthened. It was definitely linked to her sense of smell. “Yeah. You have a sort of gold aura, sweetheart. It’s beautiful,” Jared said. Tessa smiled as Parker reached for her arm and ran his fingers down the length from her elbow to her palm. “Yeah, golden. And if I do this”—he ran his fingers back up—“it makes the color swirl, but it’s not like I can actually see it. It’s like looking at something from the corner of my eye rather than right on. If I scent it, though, I can see it in my head in all its glittery yumminess. It’s gorgeous.” Tessa pulled her arm away. “What about Jared?” Parker leaned back, and suddenly Tessa couldn’t read him. She felt a stab of worry at his lack of response. He glanced at her then winked mischievously and turned toward Jared, who held out his hand. Parker took it then leaned down to kiss the very center of the other man’s palm. A burst of heat flashed through Tessa. So erotic. When Parker closed his eyes and licked, his face blissful, she gasped. Jared cupped Parker’s face, rubbing his thumb over his lips, and Parker’s eyes flew open, the green irises luminous. He drew a shaky breath. “Jared’s aura feels like silver mint. If I concentrate, I can see his spirit running through the forest, the moon shining on him jealously.” He stared at Jared for a long, fraught moment before sitting up again. Jared smiled at Tessa, his eyes hot. Damn. My men are gorgeous. Tessa returned his look. She was stunned both by the easy acceptance the men had for the bond and by

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Parker’s poetic words. Tessa bit her lip, trying to work it out in her head. Was Parker really that easygoing about the bond? He’d gone from straight to bisexual in a day. That had to be disconcerting, even if he wasn’t willing to admit it. She cleared her throat. “Did you ever dream about Jared before? I mean, before the bond?” She thought about Jared, how she had the same dream over and over again for weeks. She didn’t realize it before in the chaotic heat of the bonding, but Jared had already been a part of her, long before they actually met. And Parker was her best friend. She didn’t have to get to know him at all. She already knew him inside and out. He was six years younger than she was, sure, which made her hesitate, but the real difficulty was realizing she suddenly wanted to fuck him until they both collapsed. She wasn’t used to wanting anything that bad. After her husband died, she felt numb for a long time, but she was ready to wake up again. Parker fidgeted, looking out the back window. Tessa frowned. Hmm. He’s hiding something. “You’re right. I am hiding something,” he said, still staring outside. He swiveled his head, and Tessa almost flinched at the look on his face. Love? Fear? Maybe both? She forced herself to pay attention as he explained further. “Or rather, I was hiding something. I dreamed about Jared, every single night for weeks. I was scared. I knew that people who bonded often dreamed about their mates beforehand, and I didn’t want to be tied to a stranger. To another man. I wanted you, Tessa. I’ve loved you forever. And I’m not homophobic, but it was weird to suddenly be dreaming about a guy. That’s never happened to me before. I fought it.” Parker shook his head. “Then, last night, I dreamed about you, too. You were in my dream along with Jared, and suddenly I knew, but I didn’t understand. Not really.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I hoped that I was going to be able to have you, too, but I don’t think I truly believed it until we met Jared. That changed everything.” Tessa felt tears pricking. “Why didn’t you say anything?” She remembered how scarce he’d been the last few months. He didn’t

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return her calls as quickly as he used to. Their visits dropped down to once a week, then once every two weeks. “I would’ve understood. Hell, I was dreaming about Jared, too! Maybe if you’d told me we could’ve figured this out sooner!” Tessa wanted to scream at the lost time. “I don’t think it’s that easy, Tessa,” Jared interrupted, his voice soft. “I was dreaming about both of you for a while, but I don’t think we would’ve really recognized each other until today. At first I didn’t see either of your faces in the dreams. I didn’t know your names until last night.” He sighed, rubbing his fingers over his bonding mark. “I knew how you smelled, though.” He smiled. “Imagine how ridiculous that would’ve been, me trying to hunt the two of you down by smelling everyone I met.” Despite her frustration, Tessa couldn’t help but smile. She imagined Jared sniffing strangers on the street. “But Parker and I knew each other already.” “I think that’s why you dreamed about me.” Jared looked at Parker, who nodded. “You needed to get to know me. You already knew Parker and vice versa. That’s why Parker dreamed about me. And it’s why I dreamed about both of you. I didn’t know either of you.” He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “And were you really ready to accept Parker as a lover? In some ways, it was a struggle for you to think of him like that, even with the bonding.” Tessa bit her lip then sighed. “You’re right. That makes sense. I just wish it had been sooner. Or easier. Or something. I didn’t even know trio-bonding was possible.” “Neither did I.” Parker stood up and started pacing. “I mean, I’d heard about Duncan Green, so I knew who he was when you mentioned him before. But I didn’t think about it. It wasn’t part of my life.” Tessa sighed. “It is now.”

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Parker stopped in front of her. “It shouldn’t be any different from any other bonding, except we’ve got three people in it instead of two.” Jared slipped up behind Parker and slung his arm around the larger man’s waist. “I agree. I don’t see what difference it will make.” Tessa nodded slowly, hoping they were right. **** By five o’clock the next morning, Tessa knew the two men were wrong. This wasn’t a normal bonding. She had a splitting headache, her tattoos itched horribly, and her mind kept trying to tell her that something was terribly wrong. She felt like part of her body was missing. Or part of her brain. Something essential was just not there. I’m an emotional amputee, she thought, then winced as the two men caught the image from her mind. This isn’t working, guys, she thought at them more deliberately. I agree, but I’ve got to go to work in a half hour, Parker sent, his mind voice as irritable and pained as Tessa felt. We’re already behind schedule. What can we do? I have a day full of classes to teach, Jared thought. His mind voice was more controlled, but Tessa sensed the desperation beneath his calm. We can manage until we come to class tonight, Tessa thought. If you start canceling classes, she sent to Jared, or skipping work, she sent to Parker, everyone’s going to find out about our bonding. And after the uproar that happened with Duncan Green and his bondmates, you know the press will be all over us, too. There haven’t been any other reports about trio-bonding, so if we’re the next ones… She let her mind voice trail off as she felt Parker wince. Yeah, okay, Parker thought tersely.

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I’m going to spend the morning doing some research on the web. I thought once our bond was fully established, we wouldn’t feel this way, but maybe trio-bonding is different, Tessa thought. Tessa felt Jared and Parker’s agreement, and then her awareness of them faded into the back of her mind. If she concentrated, she could “see” them in her head, but otherwise the connection felt more like a low buzz of awareness. She rubbed her eyes, hoping that a cup of coffee would help her headache. **** Three hours later Tessa knew her headache wasn’t going to get better, but it subsided just enough for her to function. She’d eaten breakfast, and that helped, then spent the last several hours on the Internet, doing searches about bonding. She’d discovered pretty quickly that a few months after the phenomenon began early last year, the news reports about it on the web had been wiped. Erased. Who would do that? Tessa tried to wrap her brain around the massive information purge. When Duncan Green, Jake Mackenzie, and Emma Bell came forward with their trio-bond, the news reports began again, but none of them contained any useful information. Everyone agreed that bonding created a connection between two people, but there was no discussion about telepathy. Or a heightened sense of smell. Tessa sat back in her chair, thinking about what she knew. Every bonding involved marks like tattoos on the bond-mates’ forearms. She fingered the marks on her arms. It made sense that she had two bonding tattoos since she was part of a trio—so did Jared and Parker. Next, every bonding created a connection between the people involved, usually empathy, the ability to sense each other’s emotional state. She had that as well, except the bond with Jared and Parker went further—they could actually talk to each other mentally. Tessa wondered if trio-bonding had some extra abilities. It seemed a logical conclusion, but she couldn’t find anything about it on the web. The

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only other trio-bond involved a famous rock star, and he probably had teams of people working to keep his life private. So, no information from that source. For a stray moment she considered her mother then squashed the thought without compunction. She hadn’t spoken to the woman in ten years. Her mother hated her, and Tessa was ashamed to say she didn’t exactly have warm fuzzies toward the woman who’d birthed her. Tessa stretched and made her way to the kitchen for some more coffee. In the back of her mind, she sensed Jared teaching a class of young girls the basics of ballet. He was incredibly patient and funny and gentle with the children. She smiled and sent a pulse of affection to him through their bond. He grinned, caressing her mind with a light mental kiss. It helped her headache a little. She turned her attention to Parker, not surprised to find him yelling at a group of construction workers. She almost laughed out loud. From what he said, a large part of his job involved him yelling at people. Ironically, Parker’s natural inclination was the opposite of mean, but he put on a good show. He had to. His job was half fieldwork and half office politicking. If he didn’t know how to adapt to each of those situations he’d never get anything done. Hey, don’t distract me from my rant, darling, Parker sent to her. She sent him a mental hug as she felt him trying to suppress a smile and knew he wasn’t really angry at the men. She looked at their faces through his eyes and could tell they knew it, too, but this was the way the construction site worked. She smiled to herself and went back to picking apart the bonding problem. The phenomenon had begun to occur at the beginning of last year. Tessa swiveled in her chair as she thought. No one knew how or why it started, and people really didn’t like to talk about it. Most bonded couples kept information to themselves. Tessa frowned. Why was that? Why was it so taboo to talk about bonding? She ran a few more searches but found nothing except reports on the ‘Path drug. Okay, so, this new drug comes out about six months after people begin bonding.

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Tessa scrolled down the search window results, clicking when she found the article she wanted. The drug created massive problems with the crystal meth industry by taking many of its markets, and some hidden group seemed poised to restructure the entire illegal drug economy of the East Coast until Duncan and his bond-mates rescued a bunch of kidnapped bonded couples late one night, killing the supposed leaders of the drug cartel. Except they hadn’t actually killed them all. Later reports showed one of the leaders had escaped. The entire report was strange, not least because Duncan was a singer and not a cop. Hmmm. Tessa read more. Seems Duncan and his bondmates stumbled into the kidnapping by accident. Sort of. One of Emma’s students was in the group of kidnapped girls. Tessa chewed on the end of her pencil. Instead, the drug organization that created ‘Path simply went underground after that incident, even more so than they were before. ‘Path was still on the streets, still available, but no one knew who was manufacturing it. Tessa read further. The drug was created by extracting the blood of a bonded person, man or woman. The blood was then processed somehow, making it into a clear liquid that could be injected. Apparently it caused a simulation of what it felt like to be bonded, only without the deep, emotional attachment to another person. Users claimed they could feel other people’s emotions, but it was insanely addictive. Dangerous. Many people who weren’t bonded were desperate to feel what it was like, making ‘Path terribly seductive. Doctors believed that it damaged the way the brain processed electrical signals the very first time it was used. No going back. Tessa sat back in her chair, thinking about that. A drug that immediately addictive? Yeah, she could see how that would mean big money. She scrolled down, skimming the article. According to this report, Tessa, Parker, and Jared had bonded into a second trio one year after the kidnapping. Why? What made the three of them bond instead of just her and Parker? Or Parker and Jared? She had no idea. No one did. Duncan and his bond-mates talked somewhat freely about

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bonding after they went public, but they skimped on the details. They never mentioned any special abilities, at least no more than the empathy all bonded couples had. They’d done a lot to bring bonding into the spotlight, Tessa knew, since news reports about bonding after the incident were scattered here and there on the web, but nothing concrete. No research, no studies. Every doctor interviewed about it claimed ignorance. One reporter even tracked down a doctor who’d done some testing on a willing couple, but the only conclusion he came to was that they were completely normal. No evidence of hormonal changes or elevated brain activity, at least not after the initial bonding. Everyone knew doctors had confirmed the hormonal changes that caused the bonding tattoos to manifest, using the body’s own melanin, but after that initial surge of imbalance, all systems went back to normal. Tessa dropped her pencil, frustrated. She was different. Parker and Jared were different. She could feel it in her bones, in her brain. If she closed her eyes, she could navigate her entire house without bumping into anything because her sense of smell had grown so acute she knew where everything was based on the scents in the air. And that is fucking freaky. Tessa absentmindedly scratched at her arms again. She wished she didn’t have to wait so long before she could see Parker and Jared again. Sweetheart, why don’t you go for a walk? I have a feeling you’ll do better outside, Jared sent. Tessa sensed him standing by the long barre, watching his class practice. She felt his frustration through their link. I’m sorry, Jared, she thought to him. Don’t worry about it. Just—she felt him take a steadying breath. You need to get a handle on yourself so that I can keep control. It would be very bad if I went feral in front of all these nice little girls. Tessa nodded contritely, feeling Parker agree with Jared in the back of her head. She stood up and stretched, concentrating on her emotions. One by one she identified them—frustration, anger, lust,

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sadness, confusion—and filed them away. Grabbing her jacket, a bottle of water, and a granola bar for lunch, she headed out her back door, once again reveling in the wall of trees that greeted her at the edge of her yard. She didn’t own a lot of property, but it butted up against state game lands. Thousands of acres stretched behind her house, filled with nothing more than a few access roads and nature.

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Chapter 7 Six hours later, Tessa emerged from the woods. Her hair was full of twigs, and her feet were sore, but she felt better. Sort of. While she was in the trees, her senses took over. She hiked for miles, intent on the sunlight filtering through the canopy. She delighted in the way the occasional creek sounded as it ran over the stream bed. Her nose instinctively catalogued everything—which animals had been visiting the meadow three miles from her house, how many ATVs had driven over the access road in the last week, the freshness of any scat she happened across. Tessa had no idea how or why her brain was suddenly able to process the world based on scent and sound rather than sight. She knew it had to be the bonding, but to what purpose? She shook herself, trying to get the dirt off her pants before she went inside. She wasn’t going to figure it out in the next few minutes after chewing on it all day, and she had to get ready to go to the dance lesson. Her body tingled at the thought of seeing Parker and Jared again. How was she going to keep her hands to herself? She turned to the stairs, headed for her bedroom upstairs, when suddenly, she smelled Parker. Her head whipped around, nostrils flaring, and a moment later saw his silhouette on her front porch. Whoa. Tessa, open the door, he asked, mind-to-mind. She smiled and strode over, unlocking the door and swinging it open. An instant later, his mouth was on hers, devouring her. She kissed him back, desperate to taste him before wrenching away when they both sensed Jared’s mental slap. Shit! Knock it off, you two! Jared sent. His dismay was palpable. Tessa sensed him walk to the door at the back of his studio and slip

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through, hiding from his class. His arousal was so acute that she winced. Parker, get out of there. You can’t fuck her while I’m trying to teach, Jared ordered. Tessa felt Parker begin to get angry, thinking Jared was jealous, then he immediately calmed back down when Jared shoved images at them of what happened when one of them orgasmed. It wasn’t jealousy. How could it be? Tessa felt a surge of embarrassment when she realized that if she and Parker made love, Jared would feel everything and climax right along with them whether or not he was physically present. Ugh. The chagrin was biting. She hadn’t meant to put Jared in that position. Do you want me to come in front of all these people? Jared snapped. His thoughts were sharp and frustrated. He had a roomful of teens in this particular class. “Fuck!” Tessa pushed at Parker, who let her go. “You have to get out of here. We’ll meet at the studio later.” She hissed, dashing upstairs to the bathroom. She closed and locked the door, not that it mattered. She could still sense Parker’s desperate arousal through their bond. Suck it up, Parker! She concentrated on Jared and found him back in the studio, coaching his afternoon hip-hop class. He had his hands shoved in his jeans pockets, hiding his arousal. She winced. She didn’t know how the hell he could teach like that. Tessa, I’m sorry. I thought it would help, Parker sent, one foot on the stairs. Parker, the only thing that will help is if you get the hell away from me, she thought at him, flinching when he punched a wall. He stood there for a minute, breathing in and out, controlling his inner wildness. When she felt him leave, Tessa allowed herself to slump down onto the floor. Shit. ****

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An hour later, Tessa drove to the studio feeling somewhat more in control. The arousal was still there, but it was like background noise—annoying but ignorable. At least that’s what she kept telling herself. She pulled up Jared’s driveway, frowning when she saw at least five other cars already parked. Oh yeah. She paused, listening to her car tick as the engine cooled off. The ballroom class. Somehow it’d slipped her mind that she and Parker were supposed to be learning how to dance. She’d been so focused on getting to Jared she forgot about the lesson. Okay, I can handle this. She took a few deep breaths, letting the scents of the trees in Jared’s yard calm her senses. She hopped out of her car just as Parker’s red pickup rolled up. She waited for him on Jared’s porch. “Hey,” she called as he got out of the car. She tried not to enjoy his snug jeans or the way his blue shirt brought out the color of his eyes, but failed. He was just so very fine-looking, standing there with his gorgeous aura glowing copper in the sunlight. Tessa caught a flash of Jared’s agreement before she managed to shut down that train of thought. No lusting after Parker or Jared until later. “Hey,” he responded sheepishly. “I’m sorry about earlier.” Tessa shrugged. “It’s all right. I’m struggling, too.” She sensed that he was deliberately using speech instead of telepathy in order to keep the intimacy of the bond contained. Smart man. She noticed that Parker wore long sleeves today to hide the tattoos. She hadn’t. Tessa glanced down at her arms, bared by her short-sleeve top, and hoped that anyone who saw the paw marks would just think she’d gotten funky tattoos. Parker ran his hands over his face then pulled at his hair in frustration. “I thought once we bonded this kind of shit would stop. No more headaches or weirdness. That’s what I’d heard about bonding before all this happened.”

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“Yeah, me, too. Everything I read today confirms that, though there isn’t a lot of data to go on. I’m beginning to suspect a triobonding is more complicated than the usual duo-bond.” Parker nodded as he pulled open the studio door. Tessa followed him inside, mentally preparing herself as the couples she remembered from yesterday turned toward them. “Oh my dear! Are you okay? Jared told us you had food poisoning!” Ann, the woman who’d introduced herself the day before, bustled over. Tessa smiled. “I’m okay, it was just a twenty-four-hour bug.” She hoped the woman wouldn’t try and hug her. Tessa was afraid her hard-won control would snap if she did. Only Jared and Parker were allowed to touch her. Wait, what? Parker sent to her, surprised. Tessa blinked, just realizing what she’d thought. Whoa. Territoriality. What the hell? I’m feeling the same thing, Jared thought to the two of them. I think I’ll have to use you or Tessa to help me demonstrate the dancing steps today. It was all I could do not to snap at my other students when one of them bumped into me accidentally. Shit. Tessa side-stepped Ann’s advances. “I’m fine, thank you so much for asking. I think I ate some bad shrimp for lunch, and it just hit me all at once. Jared took good care of me,” Tessa explained as she sat down, smiling up at Ann. The woman hovered over her uncertainly. Tessa reminded herself that she was just being nice. Do not scratch my student, Jared sent, both amused and concerned. Tessa sent back an affirmative, wishing the woman would back up a bit. “Well, okay. I’m just happy you’re feeling better,” the woman said, regaining her cheerful momentum. “And you took her home! How gallant!” Ann patted Parker on the arm, not seeing him wince and shy away. Abruptly, Tessa’s fingers began to throb at the tips, but

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she barely cared. She was too busy fighting down her impulse to smack Ann for touching her bond-mate. Uh-oh. Tessa frowned. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the outrage she could scent all over Parker. He moved away from the older woman, somehow managing not to growl or otherwise indicate his displeasure. “Hello, folks. Let’s get started,” Jared said from the entryway to the studio floor. He wore a long-sleeved dress shirt that covered his bonding tattoos, and black pants. The dark-purple color looked great on him, accenting the lovely silver of his aura. Tessa knew he was trembling, but it was barely noticeable. She didn’t think it was obvious to the other students. She could tell he was just as disturbed by Ann’s friendly touch as she and Parker were. Oh well. Another freaky thing to deal with. Tessa sighed quietly and stood up, plastering a smile on her face. “Hi, Jared,” she said, following the others. She was very careful not to brush against anyone. “Hey, Tessa. You’re feeling better, I hope?” he asked, faking concern for the benefit of the others. She nodded and smiled at him. The closer she and Parker got to Jared, the more he relaxed. “That’s great. Okay, we’re going to start with the basic waltz box step. Since all of you have already learned this step, I won’t be separating you into two groups. Instead, I want you to practice moving with your partners.” Tessa stepped into Parker’s arms, relishing the way his strength felt against her body even as she tried to shield her surge of desire from him. She feared it was futile—he could probably smell her arousal. She glanced at Jared, not surprised to see him watching them, eyes intense. Jared could certainly smell her, too. This was going to be interesting. “Remember, folks, just concentrate on doing the steps. Don’t worry about the waltz’s rise and fall technique yet,” Jared called out

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as he started some slow music. When Parker began to lead, Tessa felt him shiver as she pressed against him. Every part of their bodies were in perfect sync. After a minute or so of dancing, Jared called out the next step they learned yesterday, a hesitation step. Tessa glanced at the other students, wondering why they looked so clumsy. One couple almost tripped and fell. “I think it’s easier for us because of the bond,” Parker whispered to her. “Hmm,” Tessa replied, breathing deeply. What was that delicious smell? She glanced around again, still amazed at the lack of grace the other couples exhibited. They could barely move without stepping on each other, yet even the minutest signal from Parker was enough for her to follow his lead. Whatever. She had more important things to concentrate on. Tessa sniffed again, trying to find the source of the scent. Was it Parker? She leaned in slightly, and the scent intensified. Tessa suddenly stiffened. Good lord, it was Parker. She could scent his arousal just as surely as she could smell herself. How was that possible? She wasn’t surprised they could smell her, given the way a woman’s sexual arousal manifested, but how could she smell them? Damn. Her pussy began to throb. “Tessa, get a grip on yourself,” Parker gritted out, teeth clenched. She risked a glance up at his face. He wasn’t looking at her. Instead, he stared over her left shoulder at the wall as he continued to lead her through the dance. She looked at Jared. He stared at her and Parker, seemingly unable to stop himself. He stood near the sound system, hands fisted. She wondered if anyone else noticed the awkward interaction between the three of them. Yeah, they’re noticing, Jared sent along with an image of Ann craning her neck, trying to watch Tessa and Parker as her husband maneuvered her away from them and down the line-of-dance. Tessa almost choked at the look on the woman’s face, but she stifled her giggles as she looked around for herself. Most of the women and

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some of the men were stumbling even worse than before as they tried to simultaneously dance and watch Parker and her. What the hell is going on? she sent, hoping Jared would know. I think it’s the pheromones, Parker speculated. They can’t smell that, Tessa objected. Can they? It’s probably an unconscious reaction, Jared offered. He shifted his stance and called out another instruction for one of the dancers, his voice completely composed, but Tessa sensed the heat deepening inside him. Tessa sighed mentally. How long will this last? What if it never goes away? Does this mean we can’t go out in public? Parker grimaced. “It has to die down eventually. I’ve never even noticed other bonded couples before our bonding, and everyone knows they exist. If bonding affected normals, most people wouldn’t be so oblivious to it all.” Tessa nodded. “Yeah, okay. We just have to get through this class first, right?” He smiled at her, and she couldn’t help it. She snuggled closer, gasping as she felt his erection press against her hip. That was it. She couldn’t be responsible for her actions if he was going to use his cock on her like that. “Tessa—” Parker growled warningly. She smiled, not particularly repentant. He growled again, and a spark of exhilaration ran through her. Where had he learned to make that sexy sound? Then Jared clapped his hands and asked the class to separate into two groups. Tessa knew he did it on purpose to stop her teasing. She glared at him, but he just smiled and motioned her over. Parker stepped away, his hands going into his pockets. “What exactly are you trying to do to us, Tessa?” Jared whispered furiously. She smirked for a moment then abruptly sobered when she saw the strain on his face. She struggled to tamp down her emotions. It really wasn’t nice of her to play with them where everyone could see.

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Jared gently shoved her into line with the other women. She tried to ignore the sizzle of heat she felt from his hands on her shoulder. “You are so lucky, getting to dance with Parker,” Debbie said. “He’s so handsome.” Tessa smiled at the woman she’d met yesterday. “I know. He’s a really nice guy.” The other woman snorted. “Nice? I was admiring his ass.” Tessa almost choked on her own spit at the woman’s bold statement. Wasn’t she married? “Uh, yeah, that’s pretty nice, too.” Debbie laughed then turned away to listen as Jared gave instructions for the next step. Tessa forced her gaze away from Parker, who looked a little pink around the ears. Had he been listening in on the brief exchange? Probably. She snorted. Whatever. She focused on Jared, who promptly stumbled as he demonstrated the next step. Shit. She hadn’t meant to break his concentration. “Let me show you what I mean. Tessa?” Jared held out his hand. She blinked as she realized that she’d been staring at his arms and hands rather than paying attention. She had no idea what he’d just taught the class. Whoops! She stepped forward apprehensively, and Jared closed his arms around her, his desire to rut with her and Parker ruthlessly controlled beneath his cool exterior. “The man steps forward, like so,” he said, demonstrating with Tessa. Thankfully, she had no more difficulty following his lead than she had Parker’s, even though she had no idea how the step worked. “Then you release the lady’s left arm and lead her through a turn, scooping her back up into dance position on the twelfth count.” Tessa dutifully walked beneath his arm and let him gather her up again. “See? It’s not so difficult. I’ll let you practice with your partners now.” Jared released her, and Tessa stepped back, looking for Parker. When she found him practically on top of her and Jared, she frowned. He had a peculiar look on his face. “Do you have a question, Parker?” Jared asked in his teacher’s voice.

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Parker nodded. “Could you show me the man’s part again? I didn’t quite catch everything.” Tessa wondered what her friend was up to. Especially when she slowly realized he could just go into Jared’s head and scoop out the knowledge of the step if he wanted to. I’m afraid if I do that I’ll lose all control, Parker sent to her. Oh, that makes sense, Tessa thought, watching as Jared fit Parker’s arms around his body, playing the lady’s part so that Parker could practice the step. Her relief at Parker’s sensible explanation faded as soon as Jared moved into Parker’s arms and both men began breathing heavier. Uh-oh, she thought. Jared looked flushed. Even Parker’s golden skin was dusky. Damnit, Parker! This isn’t going to help you keep control! She glanced around then stepped in front of her men, trying to shield them from the class. She smiled at Ann, who was watching them speculatively. Nothing to see here, Tessa thought at the class, hard. She hoped her newfound mental abilities might extend to other people, but no. I could never be that lucky. Most of the women had stopped dancing and were watching Parker lead Jared. Parker’s hands weren’t straying from their correct positions, but something about seeing two strong, gorgeous men snuggling into each other really pushed her buttons. And every other woman’s in the room. Shit. Uh, guys? Tessa sent tentatively. They ignored her. Double shit. They were standing much closer than the step called for. They were gorgeous together, of course, but now was so not the time for this. She sent them a sharp mental jab, and they jumped apart, breathing heavily. Jared straightened up almost immediately, forced cheerfulness slipping once more over his face, but Parker turned away, shoulders rigid. Tessa glanced at the clock on the wall. Only five minutes left. Thank God. “Okay, we’re going to practice that step for a few minutes, and then we’ll call it a day,” Jared said, clapping his hands to give the class the correct rhythm. Tessa didn’t think he fooled anyone. His hair

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was tousled, his lips were redder than normal, and he looked like he’d just rolled out of bed. Hell, she was having trouble tearing her eyes away. Parker came up behind her and shoved her into position. Tessa let him manhandle her, knowing he was about to snap. She could certainly sympathize. She was about to lose it, too. They practiced the step once, twice, and then Jared was shutting off the music and calling out the end of the class. “Thanks for coming, everyone! See you next weekend,” Jared said. He looked at Tessa somewhat desperately then turned a heated gaze on Parker. She understood immediately. They had to make nice until all the people left. Tessa followed the crowd into the anteroom, watching as the students with dance shoes changed back into their street shoes. Jared and Parker hung back, but she understood. Disguising a massive erection at close quarters wasn’t easy. “Well!” Ann exclaimed, plopping down on one of the chairs. “That was certainly an exciting class!” “Why do you say that?” Tessa asked carefully. She wasn’t going to give the woman any ammunition. “You saw the way Jared danced with Parker.” Ann looked at Tessa incredulously. “That was, uh, different.” Tessa frowned. “Jared hasn’t danced the lady’s part before?” She knew he had. Dance teachers needed to know both parts. “Well, of course he has, but never with someone so handsome as Parker,” Ann said perkily. “You’ve got a hot one there.” Tessa stared at the older woman. Did she just say that Parker was hot? Right in front of her husband? “Oh, dear, Tom doesn’t mind.” Ann reached out and patted Tessa’s arm. In the back of her mind, Tessa sensed Jared and Parker’s horror. “I’ve always said what I think right when I think it.” Tom rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “True.” Ann laughed. Tessa smiled, trying to play nice. She would never understand some people. If Jared or Parker acted like that in front of her, she’d probably scratch their eyes out.

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“I like your new tattoos, by the way,” the older woman continued, pointing to Tessa’s arms. Tessa fought the urge to cover her skin protectively as Ann raised an eyebrow meaningfully. “Oh, thanks,” Tessa replied, willing the woman to drop the subject. Ann paused, her expression knowing, then smiled. “Well, it was nice talking to you, Tessa.” She shoved her dance shoes in their bag and stood up. “Hope to see you next weekend!” “Yeah, you, too,” Tessa said. Where the hell was Parker? And Jared? Why the hell did they leave her here alone to deal with all these people? Massive erection, remember? Jared sent, his mind voice amused. Oh. Yeah. “Bye, Tessa!” Debbie called, winking suggestively at Tessa on her way out the door. Weakly, Tessa waved back. That woman knew Tessa was going to be having hot sex with Jared and Parker as soon as they were alone. Tessa kept waving as the other students filed out, smiling and talking. None of them seemed to think it was unusual that Tessa remained behind, but Ann? That woman was sharp. When the anteroom finally emptied, Tessa swiveled around and marched onto the dance floor, utterly relieved. Parker and Jared stood awkwardly by the music equipment, feigning a conversation. You can stop faking now, she sent to them, a note of exasperation in her mind voice as she reached them. Parker smiled and let his shoulders slump. “Thank God. I thought they’d never leave.” Jared didn’t say anything. Eyes burning, he grabbed Parker’s hand, Tessa’s arm, and steered them to the door that led into his house. He hustled them both through, locked it, then pushed them to the sofa. Tessa huffed out a laugh as she let herself be manhandled once more, but the smile dropped from her face when Jared pushed Parker down onto the soft cushions and dropped to his knees. Parker let out a gasp, and Tessa felt her body go up in flames as Jared

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shouldered his way between Parker’s legs. Without further ado, he unzipped the blond man’s jeans and pulled out his cock. “Holy fucking shit,” Parker hissed, a look of stunned amazement on his face. Jared didn’t even bother to look up. He lowered his head, licking around the crown of Parker’s already-leaking erection, then he let his head slip down, swallowing more of Parker’s cock than Tessa thought was humanly possible. She choked, her body flashing hot, then cold, then hot again. Their auras were flaring, and she swore she could feel Jared’s tongue through their bonded connection. Parker bucked, incoherently fucking into Jared’s mouth as he whimpered with pleasure. Tessa fell down next to him on the sofa and leaned against his strong, warm body as she watched Jared’s perfect lips take all of Parker in. She reached her hand down, caressing his cheek while he sucked. When he pulled off with a pop to smile up at her, Parker shuddered. Oh my God, you can’t stop there, Parker begged, his hips jerking uncontrollably, making his cock bob. He was so hard the crown arched up against his abdomen. Biting her lip, Tessa dropped her hand down, palm colliding then slipping on the wet heat of his cock. She rubbed experimentally, enjoying Parker’s moan. It had been so long since she’d touch a man like this. Yeah, they’d had sex yesterday, amazing sex, but it all happened so quickly. Tessa hadn’t had any time to savor the sensation of giving someone else pleasure. Parker groaned, shoving his dick into her hand, and she tightened her fingers. When Jared tugged at them, she let go, despite Parker’s protest. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” Jared said then slid his lips back down. Tessa shivered, suddenly feeling over-clothed. She was going to take her shirt off, at least, but the pleasure crashing through her mind made it impossible to concentrate. Instead, she leaned into Parker and watched Jared lick and suck and generally drive Parker out of his mind. She slipped a hand between her legs, rubbing against the seam of her jeans. Just that little bit of pressure nearly sent her over the edge. Parker thrashed, his head whipping back and forth as his

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hands clenched convulsively, one on her shoulder, one in Jared’s messy hair. The look on his face was pained. When Jared pulled off again, Tessa wanted to cry. “Do you want to try, Tessa?” he asked. Tessa’s eyebrows flew up. “Yeah, I do,” she replied, her voice thick. Jared tugged on her shirt, and she slid down next to him between Parker’s legs. “Have you done this before?” She nodded. “It’s been a helluva long time, though.” Jared smiled at her then grasped Parker’s cock, tilting it toward Tessa. She licked her lips and glanced up at Parker’s low growl. He stared at her and Jared, teeth biting into his lower lip. Tessa didn’t think he was capable of speech right at the moment. She leaned down and delicately touched the tip of her tongue to his erection. Parker’s eyes closed, and he slumped down on the couch, muscles rigid as he clearly tried to keep himself from just shoving his whole cock into her mouth. She smiled and slid down until she felt Jared’s fingers. She licked at him then slid back up, mouthing along the thick vein on the underside. Parker moaned, breathy and low, and Tessa closed her eyes as she slid back down, sucking hard. He bucked, but Jared held him immobile for her, his hands pressing into the larger man’s thighs. She felt sexy and strong, bringing such an alpha male to this point. Just the thought of it brought Tessa closer to the edge. Her orgasm inched closer and closer. Like earlier, she suddenly scented woods and rain and something uniquely male. She knew that forever after this, she’d always be able to tell when Parker or Jared were near, even before she saw them. Tessa, oh, just like that, it’ll drive him crazy, Jared coaxed in her mind as she scrubbed her tongue against the circumcision scar on Parker’s cock. She smiled around him then pulled off, looking at Jared. He had his pants undone, and he clutched tightly at the base of his dick, trying to stave off orgasm. Her mouth watered, and trusting her instincts, she leaned down further and slipped the tip of Jared into

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her mouth. He shivered and then groaned, long and low. This is a great idea, she thought, cataloguing the flavors of two men on her tongue. When she pulled back, she saw Parker watching her blow Jared, his eyes hot. “God, don’t stop, Tessa,” Parker croaked, so Tessa leaned down again, taking Jared back inside her mouth. He smelled like dew and wet blossoms. She savored his musk as Jared closed his eyes and leaned into Parker’s thigh. Tessa knew the exact moment he bent down and took Parker into his mouth because the mental connection between the three of them suddenly buzzed white-hot, as if the metallic sheen of their auras had crashed together and flared into an explosion. She sucked harder, feeling Jared do the same in the back of her head, and then everything went sparkly as her orgasm burst through her body in a cascade of scents and sounds. She cried out when she smelled pine trees and something sweet, like honey, then her body relaxed, and her head lolled against Jared’s stomach. She opened her eyes, completely sated. Jared’s cock twitched near her lips, still half hard. Tessa swallowed, the aftertaste of something spicy inundating her taste buds. Jesus, Parker thought, the mind link resonating with the aftereffects of their shared orgasm. If the sex is always like this, I’m going to enjoy being bonded. Me, too, Tessa agreed, and then a curious thought popped into her head. Weren’t you the least bit freaked out by Jared going down on you? she asked him, mind-to-mind. Parker shook his head and cleared his throat. “It was more like I was shocked at myself for not being at all shocked.” Jared stroked his hands over Parker’s legs, eventually trailing up his stomach to his cheeks. “I’m glad.” Parker smiled down at him and Tessa, and then his stomach growled, and his smile turned sheepish. “Um, anyone else hungry?” Tessa laughed and got to her feet, straightening her clothes. “I’m starving, actually.”

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“Why don’t we go to The Farmhouse for dinner?” Jared stood, tucking his cock in his pants and zipping up. Tessa watched his actions regretfully. “Sure,” Parker said, putting his clothes back together, too. Tessa ran her hands through her hair, hoping she looked presentable. You look gorgeous, darling, Parker thought to her, making her smile. Yeah, I like the just-been-sexed look on you, Tessa, Jared sent, then dodged as Tessa aimed a smack in his direction. I’ll get you for that, she promised, tickling his waist. Hey, careful with the goods, sweetheart. I can’t afford to have my perfect body damaged. Tessa chased him from the room, laughing.

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Chapter 8 Parker looked around the restaurant, a sense of unreality suffusing his mind. He was here with his two bond-mates, one of whom was Tessa. Tessa. The woman he’d had a crush on since he was a teenager. After his brother and her husband passed away, to his amazement, he slowly became her best friend. His boyhood crush deepened into an abiding love, but he never expected to have a chance with her. Then, to find out that he was destined to bond with not just her, but also Jared? Sexy, ex-military, hot dancer Jared? Totally surreal. He never expected to bond with anyone, let alone another guy, but Jared was gorgeous both inside and out. Parker could feel the solid core of integrity the man carried around with him, and it truly appealed to his own sense of honor. That made it a little easier for him to accept that he was attracted to another man. At least Jared was topof-the-line hot. And the sex was insane. Yup, I’m a lucky, lucky man, he thought as he sipped his beer and watched Tessa joke around with Jared, both of them comfortable and happy. After their latest shared orgasm, Parker was so relaxed he was almost comatose, so no one could blame him for being totally shocked when the masked ‘Path addicts stormed the restaurant. He blinked in confusion as they filed in. Where the hell had his sense of smell gone? Then his brain woke up, and he gasped as Jared barked out a holy shit!, grabbing Tessa and diving for the floor. “Parker! Get down!” Jared poked him. Tessa squeaked and dropped the piece of bread she’d been holding as they hit the floor. Parker was already moving as his new reflexes assessed the situation. Whackos breaking into a quiet country restaurant. Check.

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Tessa is protected. Check. Get your ass on the floor. Check. Parker crouched next to his bond-mates, senses opening automatically in a way he’d never before experienced. He counted the number of attackers. Three men, two women. Noted their position relative to the emergency exits. Four covered the escape routes, one stairway to the second level exposed. Somehow he was able to scent their physical and psychic condition. Four of them mostly healthy but definitely addicted to something, probably ‘Path. One, the taller woman, inordinately strong mentally. All of them had smoky gray auras that flickered and swirled around them nauseatingly. Parker swallowed hard. They smelled like ash. It was enough to make him lose the excellent lasagna he’d just eaten. He glanced at Jared, who’d let go of Tessa. The other man was on one knee, crowding Tessa back along the wall into the most protected position. Parker knew she was a sensible woman, so he wasn’t particularly worried that she’d do something stupid like scream or faint. He looked over the restaurant again. Most of the diners were freaked out, a few women shrieking. Some of the men, too, he noticed with disgust. Tessa, bless her, had plastered herself to the wall, hands free, eyes alert. The attackers were waving what looked like paintball guns around. Paintball guns? Parker, shit. Shit! I think that’s my mother! Tessa sent suddenly, her mind voice shrill with dismay. What? How can you tell? he asked. “I can smell her,” Tessa whispered. Parker doubted anyone but he or Jared could’ve heard her, but she reverted back to mental speech with her next thought. Under all that sooty, disgusting miasma, it’s my mother. She’s a ‘Path addict. Parker felt Jared think clusterfuck and had to agree with the other man. You’re sure? They’re wearing masks. We can’t even see their eyes, Parker sent as he glanced at the dark-clad attackers. They weren’t speaking, just waving their weird pistols around menacingly. It was creepy. They were clad from head to toe in black. Even their

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faces were completely covered, with dark mesh rectangles over their mouths and eyes. Their features were totally obscured. The only parts of their bodies uncovered were their hands. If he hadn’t had a superior sense of smell from the bonding, he’d have no idea if they were male or female, healthy or weak. The other restaurant customers and wait staff cowered on the floor, some weeping. At least the shrieking stopped, Parker thought absently. I’m positive it’s my mother, Tessa sent. She’s the one in the middle. The one in charge. Parker didn’t ask how she knew her mother was in charge. It was obvious. The tall woman in the center of this mess was clearly directing the others, who had by now begun searching the diners. How is she telling them what to do? She’s a ‘Path addict. She’s using telepathy to tell her thugs what to do, Tessa sent. What are they looking for? Jared asked, sending to Jared and Tessa for the first time since they hit the floor. Parker frowned, wondering the same thing. The attackers were grabbing the diners one-by-one, hauling them up and cupping their faces. When they let go, the diners crumpled to the floor. He felt Tessa sniffing and followed her lead. The attackers still smelled foul—ashy and rotting—like someone had let a corpse rot and then burned it. He stifled a gag. Revolting. Is this what zombies would smell like? he wondered, when suddenly a wave of revulsion pulsed from Tessa. He swiveled around to look at her and was shocked to find her pale and shaking. Tessa? They’re using their powers to locate pre-bonded candidates. People who are going to bond but haven’t yet, she sent back. How the hell can you tell that? All I smell from them is death, Jared sent. I can follow the smell of their auras as they use their bastardized telepathy. It invades the other person and hijacks them somehow. It’s horrible. Like mind-rape. And I can tell they’re looking for something,

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but I can’t explain how I know that, Tessa sent back. And my mother is in charge! Why is she even here? I didn’t know she was a ‘Path addict! Parker sensed Jared run a hand along Tessa’s arm. Does your mom know you’re here? She knows I live in this area. I don’t think she’s sensed me here in the restaurant yet, but it’s only a matter of time. Shit. I knew my mom was awful, and a terrible mother, but I didn’t think she was actually evil. Parker grimaced. I knew she was evil, but I didn’t know she was crazy. She is a chemist, he speculated, hating to bring it up. She probably has something to do with manufacturing that ‘Path shit if she’s an addict. He felt Tessa grimace in the back of his mind, but she didn’t protest his point. Tessa and her mom had never gotten along very well. Cynthia Brown was a difficult, controlling woman all her life. When the woman was fired from her prestigious position as a pharmaceutical chemist, she grew even worse, telling people she quit rather than admit she was fired. Parker knew Tessa’d moved out of her mother’s house as soon as she could, even going to college a year early in order to get away from her. Their relationship remained strained. Then, last year, Cynthia Brown disappeared, much to Tessa’s guilty relief. Despite the discomfort of the dreams and the pre-bonding headaches, it had been a good year. Tessa’s mom hadn’t tried to call or visit even once the whole time. She disappeared right after that business with Duncan Green, he remembered. There must be a connection. Yeah, Tessa sent to him. You’re probably right. Parker sighed and continued to scan the restaurant, somewhat amazed that he and his bond-mates could hold so still, but also grateful that their bonding seemed to have given them a few useful physical perks. He thought bonding was all about the mental side of things, but obviously he’d been wrong. He glanced around again,

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vaguely creeped out by the attackers’ silence. They still hadn’t spoken a word to the diners. How were they controlling the crowd? I think your mother is controlling the people in the restaurant with her mind as well as sending commands to her minions, Jared mused. Parker felt a stab of horror from Tessa, quickly squashed. Parker felt just as sickened as she did, but there was no time for an emotional breakdown. Then why the weird guns? Tessa asked. If they can control people with their minds, why bother with a weapon? Backup? Jared thought. Maybe they know they can’t control everyone. Yeah, I think you’re right, Parker sent to Jared as he observed the thugs’ methodological search of the other diners. Another woman crumpled to the floor. Obviously they can’t control us or we’d be frozen, too. He moved his arm experimentally. Nope, not frozen. Probably because of the bond, Jared thought. We should pretend we’re controlled until we figure out what to do. We can’t let them drain us. We can’t let them even touch us. Parker sent his agreement, trying to shift position in a way that wouldn’t call attention to the three of them. His fingers ached. What the hell? He tried to ignore the discomfort. He sensed the deep pain in Jared’s hip from his old injury. Crouching like this was difficult for the dancer. Bitching over sore fingers was absurd in the face of that kind of hurt. He concentrated on watching every movement the addicts made. After another person fell down, senseless, he had to ask the obvious question. Are they killing the people? No, Jared sent, his mind voice angry. They’re draining their energy. Sniff the people who’ve collapsed. They smell weak, exhausted. Parker and Tessa both did as Jared advised. Parker winced, wishing he could spit. He hadn’t even realized that he could gather that much information about someone just by scenting them, but with the bond, his sense of smell was acute. He must have been

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cataloguing the other diners instinctively before Tessa’s mom showed up because he could clearly tell the difference between those who’d been sucked dry of energy and those who were still waiting. If he concentrated, he could even scent the tendrils of the attackers’ mindcontrol. It smelled like the faintest hint of brimstone overlaying the natural scent of the victims. And the more he sniffed, the more he could see visually, almost as though the one sense piggybacked on the other. He shuddered, watching their auras waft around them like smog. Her thugs are going to be here next, Tessa sent, mind voice carefully controlled. Parker sensed her fingers aching, too. And Jared’s. His were getting worse. Damnit! This was not the time for a freaky new bonding thing to happen. He felt Jared agree and glanced back. Jared’s silver aura swirled around him, eddies of it brushing and blending with Tessa’s pale gold. A few tendrils were even blending with his coppery aura, creating a glowy, metallic rainbow. Whoa. He stared, mesmerized, until Tessa mind-smacked him gently. They’re at the next table, she sent. Those are the last of the diners, except for us. What are we going to do? Parker sensed her worry and turned to watch two of the thugs pick up a teenager sitting with his parents. He considered their chances if they made a run for it, but then the thugs stiffened, dragging the teenager over to Tessa’s mother in the center of the room. What the hell? The boy’s parents struggled against their mental tethers, their eyes rolling frantically as their breathing increased to harsh pants, but neither one could move to help their child. Parker smelled their sudden fear and rage. Even in the midst of the violence, their scent was clean. Human. The thugs, however, smelled worse. Their ashy, acrid smell spiked so much that it stung his nose. Parker could tell they were excited in a sick, grasping way, even though he couldn’t see their faces. Why?

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The boy is pre-bonded, Tessa sent, her mind voice sick with disgust. What are they going to do to him? I don’t know, sweetheart, Jared sent. Parker could feel his bondmates growing even more worried, their scent deepening. Growing wilder. His own matched theirs. He caught a whiff of dark, musky, wet forest and knew it came from the three of them. Something was going to happen. He turned his attention back to the boy in the center of the room. When Tessa’s mother pulled out a small needle and plunged it into the boy’s neck, all the hair on the back of his neck stood up as rage slid to the forefront of his mind. A drop of blood welled up on the teen’s skin, thick and shiny. Innocent. Parker’s control snapped. He growled, long and low, hackles still raised. He stood up, smoothly, gracefully, intent on his prey. He stepped forward, the movement economical and silent. Animalistic. Jared and Tessa’s anger meshed with his, strengthening him. He opened his arms wide, moving forward before Tessa’s mother could lower her mouth to the boy’s neck. At the last moment, she looked up, her pupils deep, black holes behind the mesh of her mask. This woman is not sane, he thought clearly, sadly. Tessa’s sudden grief hit him as she realized the same thing, but he was almost there. He could stop the woman from doing whatever it was she intended. He growled again, raised his hands, and slashed with his inch-long, razor-sharp claws. The woman’s mask fell down in pieces around her face. Parker was shocked to see blood welling up on her cheeks, black and thick, as though her entire body was physically infected with her evil, not just her psyche. “Parker!” Cynthia whispered, shocked. Then she smiled, her face twisting into a horrible caricature of welcome. “I hoped you’d be here.” She glanced behind him. “And, Tessa, my wayward daughter. I was right. You’re bonded.” With that, Tessa’s mom dropped the teen and went for the strange, bulky weapon strapped to her thigh. As if in slow motion, Parker caught the boy, his young body still limp, careful not to hurt the teen with his claws. Claws? What the—? He squashed

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the thought. He wasn’t sure where the claws had come from or how to get rid of them, but right now he didn’t have time to worry about it. He gingerly shifted the boy until he could lay him on the floor without injury. It only took a second, but when he looked up, Tessa’s mom had her weird-looking gun free of its holster. She shot him in the face before he could duck. **** Parker! Jared leaped forward, knowing he would remember the terror and rage of Tessa’s mind voice screaming for the rest of his life. His own horror was nearly unbearable. He felt Parker go down, his bondmate’s aura roiling in the aftermath of whatever Tessa’s mom had shot him with. Some sort of psychic acid. He could feel Parker’s agony as the stuff disintegrated his bond-mate’s aura. Their mental bond faltered even as he tackled the woman, landing on top of her. He had claws, too, just like Parker, but unlike the other man, he was free to use them since he didn’t have to worry about the teenager. He slashed at the woman once, twice, trying to shred her black top, but she wore body armor underneath the cloth. He tried again, aiming for her neck as she twisted. She still had the gun, and Jared grabbed for her wrist so she couldn’t shoot him, or God forbid, Tessa. Damn, the woman is strong. He gasped as her knee caught him in his bad hip. She kneed him again, and he lost his grip on her bony wrist. She squirmed away, cackling like a witch. Damnit! He tried to get up, but she must have reinjured the bundle of poorly healed nerves and tendons in his hip. The scar tissue inside his joint was full of arthritis, and even the slightest blow against them was excruciating. He fell back, unable to get up. His hip throbbed in protest. Tessa, run, he thought, as she dropped to her knees beside him and Parker. Go! I’m not leaving you, she retorted, mind voice thick with determination and love.

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Your mom is going to hurt us! he sent, frantic for her to get away. She shook her head. My mother’s leaving. Your claws got her in the neck. Look. Jared focused with difficulty. The woman clutched the remains of her mask against her neck, trying to hold the blood in her body as her thugs converged on her. She glared at him, even as her people towed her toward the exit in protective formation. Jared could just imagine what the woman was thinking about him and Parker. Tessa tossed her head and defiantly gave her mother the finger. Jared choked back a laugh. That’s my girl. Defiant to the bitter end. Her mother pressed her lips together, and then the group slid out the emergency exit. A few seconds later, Jared heard the sound of a vehicle tearing out of the parking lot. He grunted. Good riddance. Around them, the diners and wait staff groaned weakly. Some of them tried to lift their heads, but Jared could tell they were utterly exhausted. A few managed to struggle to their feet, but most were paying him and his bond-mates no attention. The closest victim was the teenage boy Parker rescued. His parents were slowly crawling over to him. “I hope the bitch dies,” Tessa said aloud, her voice low and mean. “Don’t worry about her now.” Jared gasped, gritting his teeth at the pain in his hip. He pulled himself up. “We need to get to Parker.” He staggered to his knees, wincing as the joint popped, but he was relieved that he could put a little weight on his leg. He moved closer to Parker and put his hand on the other man’s forearm, then drew back quickly. It stung. And his bond-mate smelled wrong, like burning wood. There’s something wrong with his aura. Tessa nodded. “I think I can help him.” Jared looked at her sharply. What? She ignored him then scooted closer. “Come here,” she commanded, pulling on Jared. He shuffled even closer to Parker, ignoring the pain in his hip and the weird sensation of his claws retracting back into his fingers. Tessa had claws, too, but he didn’t

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notice them until he felt his own disappearing. She winced and flexed her fingers even as she shoved him against Parker. His leg buzzed where it touched the other man. “Stay there,” Tessa said as she scooted to the other side and slotted herself up against their bondmate. “He needs both of us for me to do this.” What exactly are you going to do? Jared asked. He glanced around the restaurant, suddenly glad none of the other patrons had the energy or desire to pay any attention to them. Parker looked increasingly pale, and his aura was beginning to dissipate. That can’t be good. A stab of alarm shot through Jared’s body. He touched the other man’s face, not surprised to find it clammy. I’m not sure yet, Tessa sent back then closed her eyes. Jared sighed and slumped down, closing his eyes as well. It wasn’t like he was going to lose track of his bond-mates. And he could smell everyone in the restaurant and pinpoint their location just by scent alone. He tried to relax against Parker, but worry made him tense. Tessa shifted slightly, her right hand running over Parker’s body. Jared let his left hand slide along the larger man’s arm, ignoring the way the buzz ran along his skin. It was fading. Jared didn’t know what that meant, but he had a feeling it wasn’t good. Shh, Tessa whispered in his mind. Relax. Jared tried, he really did. He maneuvered until he could tuck his neck into Jared then stiffened as he felt Tessa’s aura strengthen. Tessa? Let me in further, okay? Of course, Jared sent back, startled she even had to ask. He opened his mind to her, every part of it, from his happiest thoughts to his darkest. She swept in, her personality and force of will so beautiful he found himself crying. He didn’t much care. If this was what she needed to fix Parker, she could have it and more. Tessa took hold of him somehow and meshed herself into his psyche, weaving their auras into a sort of invisible, metallic blanket. Jared fed her all the energy she wanted, letting his physical body slump against Parker.

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His senses struggled to find the forest, instinctively struggled to connect to that which meant home more than anything else. We need to get outside, Tessa sent. Jared nodded and opened his eyes. With Tessa’s help, he struggled to his feet, and then together they lifted Parker up high enough for Jared to sling the larger man over his shoulder. Jared grunted as the weight of him put pressure on his bad hip. “You can do it,” Tessa whispered. Her eyes darted to the increasingly alert patrons of the restaurant. Jared noticed the teenage boy slumped against his mother, his eyes on Parker. Gravely, Jared nodded to the boy. The teen nodded back. At Tessa’s urging, Jared limped to the emergency exit. It opened out on the back of the building. Once outside, Jared sniffed and looked around. Two large dumpsters were at the far end of the building, but just across the small, employee parking lot, the forest loomed. “There,” Jared said, sensing that’s what Tessa needed. She nodded and, holding his hand, led him into the trees. She quickly found a game trail. Jared gritted his teeth as he walked. Every step sent shooting pains through his hip. It didn’t matter. He had to get Parker farther away from civilization. Ten minutes later, Tessa pulled him off the trail into the middle of a sheltered pine grove. “Here,” she said, gesturing to the thick pile of pine needles on the ground. Jared grunted in approval. If he concentrated, he could still feel the tendrils of their woven aura shifting around the three of them. Gently, he let Parker slide to the ground, then inhaled deeply. Trees. Water about five minutes’ walk northwest. Squirrels and birds. A doe and her two fawns to the east. No humans. “This is good,” he said, sinking carefully down alongside Parker. He looked his bond-mate over anxiously. Parker was still pale, but he seemed no worse. His aura was still faint but no longer fading. I think I can fix him now, Tessa sent as she crawled in between the two men. Come on, lie down, she yanked on Jared’s sleeve. He

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complied, closing his eyes and sighing as his weight shifted away from his bad hip. **** Tessa wouldn’t let the fear control her. If she did, Parker would die, and then so would Jared. That’s the way bonding worked. The emotional link was so strong that most survivors followed their mates into death. Tessa knew she wouldn’t want to live without either of her bond-mates. She didn’t want to die, not when she’d just found them. Therefore, she couldn’t let her fear control her. She settled between the two men, letting her sense of smell tell her what she needed to know about the forest—old trees, rich earth. It wouldn’t rain for at least six hours. Her mind calmed as she sent her consciousness back out to Jared. He let her draw on his strength, and now that they were outside, it was so much easier. Jared could connect with the earth somehow, draw energy from the very forest, and she would use that to reach Parker. She concentrated, using their weaved auras to gently pluck at the remains of Parker’s. His beautiful, copper scent was faint, but there was enough there for her to slowly, painstakingly weave into her and Jared’s bond. Tessa didn’t know how long it took. She didn’t care. She knew she had to be patient and work carefully, or all would be lost. Jared fed her power, and she, in turn, fed it into Parker until his coppery aura was as bright and strong as ever. The threads of her two bond-mates were knitted with hers perfectly. She could see it in her mind. She could smell the rightness of it—the mixing of mint and lavender with Parker’s gentle sandalwood. She’d stopped the bleeding of his aura. Now, to rebuild it completely, she had to wrench it into sync with Parker’s mind and force all that made him who he was back to full consciousness. It wouldn’t be easy. The coma he was in had sent him to the edge of death.

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Jared, this is the most dangerous part, Tessa sent. She knew he understood. She probably didn’t even have to explain to him, but she needed a minute to gather her courage. You’re going to zap him, right? Jared asked, a hint of amusement in his mind voice. Tessa grinned. Yes. That’s the super-technical version of it. With those words, Jared sent his love and affection to her in a strong, unyielding burst. She let it seep into her as she took a deep breath, her smile fading. As she began to exhale, she thrust their combined power into Parker. She took all the pieces of Jared and herself that she’d so carefully and painstakingly stored in their woven aura and shoved it deep into his dark, quiet mind. Parker! Wake up! she thought at him, sharp and strong. No response. Parker! Tessa’s heart began to pound. Was it going to work? Yes, Jared whispered. Listen. Deep inside her mind, Tessa heard rustling, like a cat walking over dried leaves. Her consciousness deepened into a vision and inside the most secret part of her psyche, she felt herself stand up in the forest. Even though Tessa knew her real body remained motionless beside her bond-mates, her internal self stretched and reached out to the enormous trees that made up her and Jared and Parker’s psychic landscape. She could barely see the sky but knew it was a sunny day. Clouds chased each other across the tops of distant mountains. When the wind picked up, Tessa almost shivered, but Jared was suddenly beside her, his arm around her shoulders. He was warm and strong in this mental version of reality. She leaned into him gratefully, scenting the strength that lay at his core. The deep ache in his hip was gone. She sensed his quiet wonder. “Parker’s coming,” she whispered to him, and he nodded. They waited as the trees shivered again, as the wind picked up and blew old leaves along the surface of the forest in a kaleidoscope of scents. The trail in front of them was old, well-trodden. It stretched into the

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woods like an old friend. She scented sandalwood on the breeze and smiled. Parker’s mental doppelganger trotted out of the dark shadows of this place, his honey-colored fur thick and gleaming. Lethal. Graceful. He loped over to them, a mountain lion of immense proportions, and she gasped as he leaped, bowling them over. She fell backward onto the ground with Jared, buried under Parker’s beautiful, soft fur, then felt herself falling further and further. She knew it was a vision, but it felt so real that when the trees began to disappear in a haze she almost cried out but then realized she should just open her eyes instead of freaking out. The ordinary pine forest towered over her. Her nose itched, such a strange sensation after all the freaky mental gymnastics. Parker? “I’m here,” he answered in his familiar human voice.

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Chapter 9 Tessa walked between Parker and Jared. The woods were quiet but growing darker as the sun drifted closer to the horizon beyond the trees. She couldn’t believe she’d done it. Parker was whole. And so was Jared. She’d healed them both. If nothing else, the trio-bonding was worth it just for that gift. The headaches, the weird fainting, the lack of privacy—Tessa didn’t care. She would deal with much worse if it meant she could use this power to heal Parker and Jared. Yeah, she was still reeling over the sensation of sinking so deeply into the bond that the three of them shared a healing vision, a vision where Parker was a mountain lion, but it was worth it. Tessa felt a pang of regret. Even if I never see that forest again, it’s worth it. “This is amazing,” Jared said for the third time. Tessa stopped, smiling as he fingered his hip through his pants. “Why don’t you just see if the scars are gone?” Parker asked. Tessa looked at the larger man. His aura was strong and healthy, washing over his form in a thick, copper glow except at the edges where it threaded into Tessa’s and Jared’s auras. She looked down at herself. She was still astonished at what she’d done. Her golden aura and Jared’s silver was stronger, brighter, too. But even more startling was the way they interacted with each other. The colors shifted and swirled, but at the edges, the faintest hint of a weave showed up. If she concentrated, she could smell the way they were knitted together. It didn’t seem to matter how far apart they went from each other. The psychic bonds she’d created were permanent. “Jared, holy shit! That’s awesome,” Parker exclaimed, and Tessa snapped out of her reverie to find Jared leaning against a tree, his

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pants undone. He’d pulled down the corner of his boxer briefs to expose his right hip. The scars were gone. “Wow.” Parker walked over and dropped to his knees in front of the other man. Tessa felt herself grow hot at the sight—two gorgeous men, one with his clothing undone and the other on his knees in front of the open pants? Yeah, that totally did it for her. She swallowed and moved closer until she was right next to Jared. Parker leaned in, sniffing at Jared’s hip. Then he slid his hands up Jared’s legs and ran his fingers over the spot where the scars used to be. Tessa watched as Jared’s cock twitched then began to harden. Parker looked up at Jared and licked his lips. Jared bit back a moan. “Jesus, Parker.” Tessa snuggled up against Jared, enjoying the view. She reached out a finger and touched the crown of his cock where it peeked out of his underwear. A small drop of pre-cum pearled on the tip, and she scooped it up, licking her finger as Jared shivered. She could smell his arousal. It made her fidgety. Parker just smiled at them and leaned in, kissing Jared’s hip. He bucked, panting, but Parker slung his arm across Jared’s stomach to hold him in place while Tessa rubbed her aching breasts against his arm. “Maybe I should take the edge off, hmm?” Jared nodded jerkily. “Yeah.” He swallowed. “You should definitely take the edge off.” Tessa paused, suddenly realizing that anyone could come across them here. “Guys, we’re out in the open.” Parker laughed. “Take a deep breath, Tessa. There’s no one around for miles.” She inhaled, filtering the different scents over her tongue. Parker was right. They were alone in the middle of the forest. Her arousal flared higher, the surety of her senses providing her with reassurance. She looked at Parker, enjoying the way his full lips mouthed at Jared’s cock through the thin cotton of his underwear. She wanted to feel that cock inside her. “Hey, no fair.”

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Jared opened his eyes when Parker leaned back. “Aw, Tessa, look what you made him do. He stopped.” He let his fingers trail across Parker’s wet lips, a faint smile appearing on his face when Parker kissed them. Then he pulled back and touched the same fingers to her mouth. “What are you talking about, no fair?” Tessa’s mouth went dry as he teased her lips. She thought of him fucking her. “I want you inside me.” His eyes darkened. “Yeah, okay, I can totally do that.” Parker sat on his heels, ignoring the way Jared bucked forward when he casually dragged his fingers over Jared’s erection. “What about me?” He looked up at Tessa. Jared glanced down, threading his hands through Parker’s hair. “You can fuck me while I make love to Tessa.” Tessa almost laughed at the look on Parker’s face. He seemed both eager and apprehensive. She sobered. “We don’t have any supplies with us.” “I have a couple of condoms in my wallet,” Parker stated, standing unsteadily and reaching for his back pocket. Tessa lifted her eyebrows at him. “Hey, I like to be prepared.” Jared smiled then looked to Tessa. “Come closer, sweetheart.” She pressed against his arm, feeling her nipples grow even more sensitive. “I don’t know how I can get any closer than this, Jared.” “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll think of something,” he joked, and then his face sobered. “You healed me. I’m not sure how, but you took away the pain I’ve lived with for years, and I don’t just mean my hip.” Jared closed his arms around her, and Tessa snuggled in, loving the way he felt. He kissed her nose, then both cheeks. “You healed me here, too.” He pulled her hand down and pressed it against his chest. “I love you.” Tessa’s eyes searched his face. He was serious. “There was nothing to heal there,” she said, confused. Jared smiled wryly. “Oh, there was, believe me. I lost men on that mission. I was alone for a long time, and I didn’t really want to get close to anyone again. It was safer that way. But you and Parker

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walked into my dreams, and there wasn’t anything I could do. I know it’s insane to feel this way because we just met, but I feel like I’ve known you forever.” Tessa impatiently brushed her tears away and kissed him gently. “I know you, Jared. I know you intimately. The bond showed me your heart.” She took a deep breath, feeling his and Parker’s love swelling inside her. “I love you, too, Jared. It’s not crazy at all. Everything about you calls out to me.” She smiled and glanced at Parker. “Everything about you both calls to me. I don’t think I could ever go back to what I was before. I was alone, too.” “Yeah, ditto. Me, too.” Parker smiled and moved in, gently kissing Tessa then Jared. “Okay, enough with the tender declarations.” He unbuttoned his jeans, letting out a sigh of relief as the pressure on his erection was released. “I’m dying here.” Tessa laughed then gasped as Jared swooped in, claiming her mouth with his. She let him, enjoying the way his tongue stroked against hers. When he pulled away she moaned in protest. “Easy, sweetheart. I just want to get you naked.” Jared pulled her shirt over her head, and Parker unclasped her bra. Together they unzipped her jeans and had them off before she knew what was happening. Tessa hardly believed they could strip her so quickly, but she couldn’t complain. When Parker pulled off his T-shirt, she watched, fascinated at the way Jared’s eyes roamed over the other man. When Parker carefully slipped his jeans over his thick cock, she felt her mouth water. She swayed and would’ve fallen if Jared hadn’t caught her. She sucked in a breath as his shirt rubbed against her nipples. “You, shirt, off,” she muttered, attacking the buttons. Jared laughed and leaned back against a tree, letting her undress him. Parker moved closer to help, and Tessa gasped as his cock bounced against her hip. The thick musk of their combined arousal only made her want them more, and she cursed as she struggled with Jared’s shirt. Stupid buttons. “I’m buying you a shirt with snaps.”

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“You can buy me anything you want,” Jared said, a hint of amusement in his voice. Whatever, Tessa thought, frustrated. Maybe I’ll just keep you naked all the time. Parker laughed then knelt to ease Jared’s pants and boxer briefs down. When Jared was finally nude, Parker grinned, looking up the other man’s body. “You are gorgeous.” Jared smiled then leaned down to kiss his bond-mate. Tessa had an uninterrupted view of his ass. Damn. Parker was right. Gorgeous. Jared snorted and pulled away from Parker. He ran a hand down Tessa’s body then gripped her by the waist, urging her down to the ground. “I want to fuck you so bad, Tessa,” he murmured, running his lips over her neck as he followed her down. “I want to tease you and make you whimper.” His fingers slipped between her legs, flirting and stroking. She was already wet and nearly desperate. “And then I want to bring you right to the edge and keep you there until you beg me to take you over.” I’m already whimpering, she thought at him as she opened her legs even wider. She couldn’t keep still. His fingers were magic. Oh, sweetheart, I know, Jared sent. And so beautifully, too. Tessa smiled then jerked as she felt another set of fingers between her legs. She opened her eyes to see Parker kneeling next to Jared. “Just getting the supplies we need,” he said, mischievously. Tessa frowned. Wha—? Then she understood as Parker’s fingers withdrew, coated in her arousal. He leaned over Jared, kissing the other man’s neck. Jared leaned against her, breathing faster. “Yeah, relax, just like that,” Parker whispered. His free hand slipped down to Jared’s cock and gripped it hard. Jared gasped, his fingers stilling right on top of Tessa’s clit. She moaned and circled her hips, trying to get him to move. “I’m going to let you inside her, don’t worry,” Parker murmured as Jared began to squirm a bit in Parker’s grasp. Tessa stared down her body, fascinated by the way Parker was slowly jacking the other

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man, his strong hand moving up and down Jared’s cock. He stopped near the crown, rubbing his thumb over the moisture pearling up at the small slit. “Gotta get a condom on you,” Parker said, moving back. “Don’t move.” Jared nodded jerkily and began to tease Tessa again. She arched her back, eyes closing involuntarily. When he slipped his fingers inside, she bit her lip, concentrating on the sensations his gorgeous fingers were giving her. “Tessa. Jesus, you look incredible like that,” Parker said. Jared’s fingers stilled, and Tessa moaned a protest, opening her eyes. Parker stared at her, his hands slowly rolling a condom down Jared’s dick. She stared at it then looked over at Parker’s cock, so hard the head left streaks of pre-cum on his muscled abdomen. She cleared her throat. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” Her fingers itched to touch him, and she tried to reach him, twisting around, but Jared growled and flicked his fingers. She gasped, falling back down on the soft ground. Parker laughed, tearing open another condom. Tessa growled back at Jared and sat up. This time he let her go, so she took the condom from Parker, wanting to touch him. He let go of Jared and sat back a little. Tessa carefully rolled the thin latex down his cock. He was thick and hot and gorgeous. She licked her lips and caressed him, unable to stop herself. Parker shivered, and then Jared flicked his fingers against her clit, and she gasped, letting go. Parker chuckled then slid a hand back over Jared, using the other man’s cock to tease at Tessa’s entrance. Jared’s fingers left her pussy, and he fell forward, catching himself as Parker rolled the tip of his erection around Tessa’s core. Jared shuddered, his thighs rock hard. “Parker, stop fucking around.” He held himself rigid over her, unmoving. Tessa didn’t know where Jared found the strength to control himself. She wanted to fuck herself on him, gorge herself until she

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couldn’t think anymore. Parker laughed, his voice simultaneously evil and sexy. “Isn’t this fun, though?” Jared reared back and rolled his eyes at Tessa. She giggled, despite the heat that was rapidly taking over her body. Then Jared began to thrust, bumping the hand Parker still had wrapped around his cock against Tessa’s clit. She moaned, and Jared smiled then froze. “Yeah, okay, just like that,” he muttered. Parker had draped himself over the other man, and Tessa knew he was nudging his cock at Jared’s ass. When Jared began to shake, she stroked her hands up and down his arms comfortingly. “Is this even going to work?” Parker asked, his voice so low that it rumbled. Jared smiled. “Yeah, just be patient.” Tessa closed her eyes and sought out Jared’s mind. He let her in immediately, and she felt what he felt—Parker’s thick cock circling at his entrance. It was maddening. Impossibly arousing. She shivered, desperately trying to stuff more of his cock inside her, but Parker’s hand barred the way. Parker, let him in, she begged. No, not yet, Tessa, he responded. She grumbled at him, but felt Jared’s agreement. It will be so much better once Parker’s inside me. Tessa sighed, seeking out Parker. She sensed his iron control as he fought against his body’s urge to just take. The tip of his cock was so sensitive, and Jared was so hot. She felt him circling, then pushing, then circling some more. Her clit throbbed in sympathy, the urge to touch herself almost impossible to ignore when suddenly, unexpectedly, Parker finally slipped inside Jared. Jared went rigid then relaxed completely as Parker shoved farther inside. When his cock bumped up against Jared’s prostate, Parker let go of his dick, and Jared surged inside Tessa, the entire, thick length of his cock suddenly inside all at once. Tessa squirmed, impossibly aroused as he began to thrust, faster and faster. Dimly, Tessa sensed Parker’s

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decision to let Jared move freely, his own cock swelling even harder as the three of them moved closer and closer to the edge. Oh my God, Tessa heard herself moaning. Jared scraped against her clit every time he shoved in. She savored Parker’s intense pleasure in the center of her mind as the heat of Jared’s body tightened around his cock almost to the point of pain. Jared’s intense pleasure intensified as Parker fucked him. As he fucked Tessa. Like before, she smelled forest and rain and night as they meshed with each other, their minds bonded just as their bodies were. When she came, it happened so suddenly she almost choked on her own breath. Jared moaned long and low and let go, the pulse of his cock heightening the insane gorgeousness of her climax. Their orgasms triggered Parker’s, and he grunted and shoved himself hard inside Jared, unable to keep his body from its instinctive urge to claim. To mark. Tessa threw back her head as Jared bit her, his teeth sinking into her skin as Parker’s sank into his. She supposed it was only fair. She’d scratched them both with the claws she couldn’t keep contained right at the apex of her pleasure. **** “Damn,” Parker sighed. Tessa looked across Jared’s chest at Parker. In their mind link she sensed him idly counting the stars that winked through the canopy along with a few puffy clouds lit by the crescent moon. “Yeah,” Tessa croaked in agreement. She was kind of shocked. The sex kept getting better. The three of them generated so much excess energy that even the scratches she’d inflicted on them were already healed. She glanced at Jared, who lay with his arms pillowing his head. He had a half smile on his face. Parker’s head rested comfortably on the other man’s shoulder. Tessa sat up and ran her hands down their flanks, ignoring their protests. She didn’t care if it tickled. She had to be sure. She looked them over. No wounds from

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her claws. No scars. Her neck had healed almost instantaneously, too. The bite marks bled a little then closed up and disappeared. “I’m not complaining,” Jared stated, his voice and demeanor matter-of-fact. “This is not a bad thing. Great sex and healing? Yeah. No complaints from me.” Tessa grinned at him then leaned over and kissed his cheek. His stubble scratched at her lips, and she wrinkled her nose at him. “You need to shave.” He opened his eyes and looked at her. “Oh please. You love it.” Yeah, all right, she thought at him and flopped back down, nestling her head into his shoulder. Her lips tingled deliciously from where she’d rubbed them against his skin. “So, what do we do now?” “We go home, get a good night’s sleep,” Parker stated decisively. “Whose home?” Jared asked, eyes still closed. “Let’s go to Tessa’s. It’s the closest,” Parker said, sounding drowsy. Tessa groaned. “I don’t want to move.” “I don’t either, but we’re going to be covered in mosquito bites by morning if we don’t,” Parker said as he sat up. He had leaves stuck in his hair. Tessa grinned at him then twitched as Jared plucked a twig from hers. He sat up and tossed it away, his eyes crinkled at the corners. Tessa sighed then laughed. Clearly it was going to be a long, frustrating, wonderful life with the two of them, she thought as she followed them out of the forest to her car. **** An hour later they pulled into her driveway. The clouds were thickening, obscuring the moon, so Tessa was glad Parker had prodded them into leaving the forest. It would’ve sucked to get rained on while sleeping naked on the ground. Plus, she itched. Despite Parker’s fear of mosquitoes, she didn’t have any bug bites thanks to

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her newfound, freaky healing abilities, but the dirt ground onto her back was unpleasant. Itchy. She wanted a hot shower and her soft bed. She stumbled out of the car half asleep, smiling as she listened to Parker and Jared’s good-natured bickering. What were they arguing about now? Oh yeah, some football game. She pulled her keys from her purse, opened the screen door, then stopped. What the hell? “Tessa? What’s wrong?” Jared asked, walking up behind her. He slung an arm over her shoulders. My door is open, she thought at him, too tired and confused to verbalize. “What?” Parker asked, joining them on the porch. “You didn’t forget to lock it. You never forget to lock your doors.” Tessa nodded. “I know.” She felt a trickle of foreboding. Jared nudged the door, and it swung open. Her living room was destroyed. Bookshelves were lying on the floor, books strewn everywhere. Broken lamps. Even her curtains had been torn down. Debris cluttered every surface and most of the floor. Tessa blanched and grabbed onto Jared. “What the—?” she started to say, then fell silent as she caught the whiff of a familiar scent. She was suddenly afraid. Why did she smell her mother at the scene of her ransacked house? Fuck. This is not good. “Looks like a burglary,” Parker said. Jared shook his head. “No, it’s not. Smell that?” Parker frowned but did as Jared asked. “Shit.” Tessa sighed and pushed inside. She didn’t really want to deal with this, but putting it off wouldn’t do her any favors. “Tessa! Wait, you don’t know if it’s safe!” Parker exclaimed, shoving in ahead of her. “It smells empty,” she replied, but stopped. She looked around. Parker put his arms around her, and she leaned into him, grateful he and Jared were here. I wonder if the upstairs is as wrecked as my living room?

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“I’ll go check up there,” Jared said. Tessa let him go even though she was certain he’d find the same kind of disaster up there. A minute later he came back down, face grim. She didn’t even have to speak. “Yeah, I know, baby,” Parker murmured to her, running his hands up and down her back. “We have to call the police,” Jared stated, wearily. Tessa nodded, even though she knew it would be an exercise in futility. “They’re not going to find anything. Nothing is missing. I’d bet there isn’t a fingerprint anywhere. My mother did this out of spite when she discovered I wasn’t here.” Your mother is evil, Jared thought to her, as if afraid to say it aloud. Tessa shrugged. She’d known that for years. **** “No, officer, none of us use drugs,” Tessa stated, once again. How many times were they going to ask her this question? The cop looked at her, his face kind but determined. “I’m sorry, miss, but we’ve had a rash of these break-ins. Nothing stolen, no reason for the destruction. Then, last week, a family called us in. Their house was ransacked. Everything was the same except the teenage boy was a ‘Path addict. When we started investigating further, we discovered that all of the houses that had been broken into either had a ‘Path addict living there or a bonded person living there.” Parker walked over to Tessa and put a hand on her shoulder. She leaned into him gratefully, sipping her coffee while she tried to decide what to say. The cop waited. Finally she put the cup back down on the kitchen table. “I’m bonded.” She stretched out her arm and pushed up a sleeve. The cop glanced at Parker, and he showed the officer his arm, too. The cop sat back with a sigh. “They were probably after you,” he said. The man ran his hands through his thinning hair. “I don’t know what they want, but we’ve seen an increase in bonded kidnappings again recently.”

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Tessa frowned. “I thought that stopped last year?” The cop rubbed his eyes. “Yeah, it did, but then it began to happen again, in small, isolated cases. Small towns, rural areas like here.” That’s not good, she thought and sensed Jared’s agreement through the wall. He was watching the cops poking through her belongings in the living room. Is it still a good idea not to tell anyone about our trio-bonding? she wondered. It’s still a good idea, Parker assured her. We know that triobonding gives us at least one greater power—telepathy. And don’t forget the healing. Who knows what the ‘Path drug people could do with a bonded trio? I hate leaving Jared out of it, she sent back. It only makes sense, Jared thought to her. You and Parker have known each other for years. We haven’t. From the outside it seems much more likely that you and he would bond than you and I. Yeah, I know. Even so, it makes me feel uncomfortable to deny you. Tessa visualized herself rolling her eyes and sent the image to her men. It won’t be forever, Jared sent, his mind voice gentle. “Miss? I know this is difficult for you, but we’re almost done,” the cop’s voice broke into their mental conversation. Tessa told herself to pay attention. The man was only trying to help. “What else can I do?” she asked. “I already told you about the restaurant and what happened there. We know it’s probably connected.” Tessa thought about the sanitized version of the attack they’d told the cop. She hoped it would be enough to help them find her mother and assorted thugs because she really didn’t want to tell anyone about her healing power. Not to mention the trio’s sudden ability to pop claws out at will. That would be a disaster. She envisioned long lines of sick people begging her to heal them, and shuddered.

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“You should’ve waited with the other diners to give your statement,” the cop said once again. Tessa shrugged and ignored his look of frustration. No way was she going to tell the cop they had to flee so she could heal Parker and then have sex in the woods. She caught Jared’s amusement at the thought and sent him a mental snort, then turned her attention back to the cop who was still talking. “There isn’t anything else you can do here. Go to your friend’s house, get a good night’s sleep, and let us know if you remember anything else.” Tessa nodded obediently, grateful when the cop stood up, tucking his notepad into a pocket. He glanced at her then offered his hand to Parker, who shook it very carefully. Tessa knew he was trying to keep his claws sheathed. Apparently, strong emotions like protectiveness and wariness, both of which Parker was experiencing right now, made it harder to control the claws. The policeman didn’t offer to shake Tessa’s hand, to her irritation. “Be careful of strangers, and make sure you keep your doors locked, even while you’re home,” the officer said, straightening his utility belt. “We’ll be careful and let you know if we think of anything. Thanks,” Parker stated confidently. The cop nodded and stepped back, looking sympathetically at the mess in the kitchen before walking back to the living room. Tessa heard him discussing their conversation with the other troopers taking notes for their report. She knew the cop was happy she had two strong men around to keep her safe. Ugh. She was the one who’d healed them. She could take care of herself. Down girl, Parker teased. She gave him the finger. Now is that any way to treat your bond-mate? Jared sent, walking into the kitchen. He carried Tessa’s duffle bag, packed full of clothes and bathroom necessities. Tessa pointed her middle finger at him, too, and he laughed. “You are so feisty. I like that in my woman,” he said, faking a hearty, patronizing tone.

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Tessa glared at him then laughed when he crossed his eyes at her. “You’re lucky I know you’re teasing.” “I know I am. You won’t hurt me on purpose. The cop? Him I’m not so sure about. If he’d kept it up, you’d have smacked him.” Jared tossed the duffle on a chair and came over to Tessa, running his hands up and down her arms. “Relax. It’ll be okay. We’ll go to Parker’s, get a good night’s sleep, and worry about this shit in the morning.” Tessa sighed and leaned back into Jared. “Okay.”

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Chapter 10 Tessa reluctantly swam up through the layers of her dreams. She was warm and cozy and didn’t want to wake up, but the sound wouldn’t leave her alone. She sighed, disgruntled, and rolled over, burrowing her face deeper into Parker’s neck. She’d been dreaming she was some sort of big cat, a mountain lion or a jaguar maybe. She’d been running through the forest with Jared and Parker. Everything was a gorgeous, dark jewel-color as they followed their prey through the moonlit landscape—dark-green trees, gray-green meadows, black water sparkling with the light of a thousand stars on the edge of the forest. She’d just stopped to take a drink, her bondmates pressing close, when the noise intruded. She inhaled, trying to enjoy the fresh scents of her bond-mates and ignore the noise, but it was no use. She woke up. The noise stopped, but now she could hear Jared talking. “What? Are you sure?” Jared paused, listening. Tessa rolled over, opening her eyes. The room was shrouded in early morning light, that fragile moment right before the sun rises. She felt a gut-pinching instinct that all was not well. Parker lay awake beside her, his large frame stiff. She ran a palm down his arm, relieved when he took her hand. Jared was sitting on the edge of the bed, facing away from them. She knew she could poke at his mind, get him to open up to her, but she didn’t want to intrude. He sounded upset. “Okay, I’ll drive out as soon as I can.” Jared ran his hand through his hair. “God. I can’t believe this.” He laughed, the sound more horror than amusement. “Yeah, I know, you’re the one who should be

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upset, but I can’t help it. Damnit, Charlie! This is not how I envisioned your retirement gig. It was supposed to be easy, not fatal.” Tessa frowned. Fatal? What was going on? Jared twisted to look at her inquiringly. She shook her head slightly, and he returned to his conversation as she bit her lip. She hadn’t meant to distract him. “Yeah, all right. See you in a couple of hours.” Jared snapped his cell phone shut then tossed it on Parker’s nightstand. Tessa waited for him to explain what was going on, but instead he dropped his face in his hands. Parker sat up and put a hand on Jared’s shoulder. When her bond-mate finally looked up, Tessa was shocked to see tears on his face. She prodded gently, and the light mental barrier he’d held collapsed, and the full-force of his grief crashed in. Parker stiffened then pulled Jared into a rough embrace. “What’s happening?” Tessa asked quietly. She slid across the bed to fit herself under Jared’s free arm. He shuddered, letting Parker and Tessa comfort him for a minute. Then he took a deep breath. “My old buddy Charlie is dying.” **** Jared sipped the coffee black, grateful that Tessa had brewed it so strong. She was a good woman, a good person. He could feel her sympathy and concern in the back of his head. Parker was there, too, his gentle understanding and support unwavering. Jared welcomed them both, more relieved than he could articulate that he had them. His bond-mates. He didn’t know how else he’d manage to get through this. “You’ll be careful driving, right?” Tessa said, setting a plate of scrambled eggs down in front of him. He smiled at her and picked up his fork. “Of course. Don’t worry. It’s only a couple of hours west of here.”

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She shook her head and sat down next to him. “It’s not the distance. It’s what’s waiting there for you that worries me, actually. Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Jared swallowed his mouthful of eggs and cocked his head at her. “No, I’ll be okay. You know I can take care of myself, right? Especially now that you fixed my hip.” He took another sip of coffee, savoring the bitterness. It seemed appropriate, given what he had to do today. He looked around the small kitchen. Parker lived simply in a one-bedroom apartment in Bethlehem close to the main drag downtown. The kitchen looked out over a small backyard with a single tree. There were three cardinals in the tree squawking at each other. Jared smiled at their antics. “I know you said you were old friends, but he’s an addict.” Parker pulled out the third and last chair and sat down next to Jared with his breakfast. “You have to be ready for anything.” Jared nodded. “I will, but I have to go. He’s dying. And I know him. He was with me in North Korea. I believe him when he says they gave him the drug unwillingly.” Jared rubbed his forehead. “He’d never take something like ‘Path on his own. Never.” “How did they give it to him? I thought it had to be injected? No way he wouldn’t notice that, unless they lied and told him it was a vaccine or something.” Tessa picked at her eggs, and Jared felt her exhaustion as he took in the tired set of her shoulders. It was his fault she was so tired. “Even then, how would they explain regular injections of a vaccine?” Parker interjected. “No, he said he thinks it’s in the food at the base. He said it’s not as strong as what you get on the black market to inject, and it’s only enough to give soldiers a bit of an edge out in the field. Not enough to incapacitate, just enough that everyone could chalk it up to a good sense of intuition.” “But I don’t understand how he figured it out then? And why would he be dying?” Tessa asked, her sweet face worried.

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Jared loved her so much. He leaned over and cupped her cheek, running his thumb over her mouth. She stuck her tongue out at him and nipped his finger, making him smile, despite his grief. “He went on vacation. He was cut off from the source, cold-turkey. That’s what clued him in. He ended up in the hospital with a severe migraine. They did some tests on him, and to his shock, they found traces of ‘Path in his system. He had no idea how it happened until he got back on base and had lunch. Suddenly he felt better. And his extremely good rapport with his students came back, abruptly. Apparently he wasn’t supposed to be getting any doses at all since he’s no longer active military, but he’s one of those teachers who likes to eat with his students. And his favorite dessert is the red Jell-O.” Parker laughed. “The red Jell-O? Seriously?” Jared smiled. “Yeah, can you believe it? My friend is dying because they spiked the Jell-O.” His smile felt brittle, and he sensed Parker and Tessa’s empathy. “That’s crazy,” Tessa whispered. She kept adjusting and readjusting her coffee cup. “Why is he dying, though? If he can still get doses through lunch, can’t he wean himself off it?” Parker asked. Jared shook his head. “Charlie was discharged same time I was.” He looked at his bond-mates, using his connection to them to help him explain without reopening the pain of that memory. They looked back at him, confused. He let his mind touch theirs. Medical discharge. Charlie took a shot in the head during the extraction of the refugees. We didn’t think he was going to make it, and the surgeons had to drill a hole in his skull to let the pressure out from all the internal bleeding. He ended up with permanent damage to his optic nerve and some other parts of his brain. He’s blind? Tessa asked, her mind voice shocked. Yeah. And that’s why the ‘Path is killing him. It wouldn’t be impossible for a healthy person to wean themselves off of it, but the damage to his brain from his old injury made his brain tissue fragile.

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Tessa sat back as he explained this, her face creased in thought. When she looked up, Jared knew she’d thought of the same thing he told Charlie. “But I can heal him! You have to take me with you,” she demanded. Jared was already shaking his head. “It won’t help, Tessa. He’s too far gone. I told Charlie about what you could do, and he explained that the drug did something to his nerves, too, not just the neurotransmitters or whatever it is that ‘Path does. He’s losing myelin faster than you could fix it.” “You don’t know that!” Tessa cried. Parker looked like he wanted to argue, too, but Jared knew it was futile. “No. Charlie told me that when he found out what was happening, he managed to get a pure supply of the stuff. He injected himself with it last week.” What? Wouldn’t that make it worse? Parker sent, his mental signature horrified. Yeah, exactly, Jared sent, grim. Why did he do that? Tessa asked. “He wanted to find out what was going on, so he used the drug to eavesdrop on certain people at the college. Remember, it increases empathy? In large doses, it might even promote telepathy for a short time. Charlie found out what he wanted to know but sacrificed himself in the process.” Jared drained the last of his coffee. He dreaded this trip. He wondered if he had time for another cup, then looked out the window. No, the sun was already rising. “I just don’t understand why he’d do that. Why sacrifice the rest of his life?” Tessa whispered, distraught. Jared took her hand, rubbed his thumb over her beautiful skin. “He didn’t have a wife or kids. His parents are dead. All that he had that was important to him was his honor and service to this country. That’s why he became a tactics professor at the war college after his

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injury. He didn’t need his eyes to pass on his knowledge. When he found out that they’d essentially betrayed all that he held sacred—” Jared dropped her hand and sat back in his chair, terribly weary. “That sucks,” Parker said, his voice quiet. “Why did he call you?” Tessa asked. “We were the only ones that made it out of North Korea. We owe each other our lives. And he knows that I pretty much broke off all ties with the military, so I’m not involved with the ‘Path drug problem. He said he has a flash drive with data on it that incriminates the college with unauthorized drug administration. He hinted that there was more, but I don’t know what it is. He insisted I go meet him.” Jared looked at his bond-mates, hoping they understood why he had to do this. “I have to go. He’s dying.” **** Two hours later, Jared turned his car onto the dirt road that led to his friend’s house. Right after they’d both received their medical discharges, Charlie moved out here. At first, Jared didn’t understand why his friend wanted to live out in the middle of nowhere. He didn’t understand how Charlie would manage. Blindness wasn’t an easy disability to handle all alone in the woods. How would he go grocery shopping? Pay the bills? He’d argued with his friend, but the man was adamant. After a year or so, Charlie invited him out for a week, and that was when Jared figured it out. The woods were calming. The solitude was calming. There were no neighbors to bother him, no grass to mow, no traffic. The college assigned him a couple of aides who took turns picking him up every morning and driving him home at night. They helped him with his shopping and whatever else Charlie needed. Jared wished he’d understood sooner. He wouldn’t have worried so much. Well, at least until he found out the college had poisoned his friend. Jared ruthlessly suppressed his grief. Now

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was not the time to dwell on it. He’d figure out what to do after he talked to Charlie. When the house came into view, Jared smiled. It looked like a rustic cabin in a small clearing, but it had all the amenities—running water, heat and air conditioning, even a hot tub out back on the deck. It was only one level, with a single bedroom, but it was perfect for Charlie. The few times Jared came to visit he slept on the couch. Jared drove slowly up the dirt track and pulled the car into the gravel driveway. After turning it off, he sat there for a few minutes, listening to the engine tick as it cooled down. Was it only Monday? He sighed and ran his hand over his face. He couldn’t believe all that had happened since Saturday. It seemed like he’d known Tessa and Parker for much longer, but it had only been three days. “Hey! You gonna sit there all day, dumbass?” Jared chuckled and opened the car door. “Who you calling a dumbass, Moyston?” The thin man on the porch laughed and stepped out, letting the screen door slam closed behind him. “Get on up here, Nolan. It’s been too long. And don’t call me by my last name. Gives me the creeps.” Jared smiled as he strode onto the porch and hugged his friend, slapping him on the back. “I won’t call you Moyston if you promise not to call me Nolan. Makes me feel like you’re talking to my dad,” Jared said, swallowing his shock at his friend’s appearance. He’d tried not to hug him too hard. Charlie was so gaunt Jared could feel his bones rattling around inside his skin. How could a man be so thin and still be walking around? “Jesus, Charlie, you look like shit,” Jared said, stepping back. Charlie huffed. “You’d look like shit, too, if you were dying.” Jared flinched, unsure what to say. Charlie cocked his head. “I can hear you fidgeting around, you know. Just because I can’t see doesn’t mean I can’t still read you like a book.” Jared sighed. “Yeah, well. I didn’t expect this, Charlie.”

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“I didn’t either, Jared. Sure as shit stinks, you could’ve knocked me over with a toothpick when the doctors down in Santa Fe told me what was wrong with me.” Charlie shifted his weight, stepping back and groping for the door. “Let me get that.” Jared leaped forward. He opened the door and touched his friend on the arm. Charlie slid his hand up to Jared’s shoulder and let him lead the way inside. Jared glanced around, happy to see that at least the house looked the same—kitchen to the left with its old, scarred wooden table, living room to the right. The ugly green sofa still sat in the center of the room like a blot of ugly in the midst of lovely, gleaming wood. “Charlie, that sofa is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen,” Jared said, leading his friend straight to it. Charlie laughed and let Jared help him settle into the cushions. As soon as he was down, he lifted up his feet and propped them on the old, metal coffee table. “What do I care how it looks? It’s the most comfortable piece of furniture I’ve ever owned.” He waved his hand around. “Make yourself at home Jared. You want coffee? A beer?” Jared shook his head. “I’m okay, thanks.” He settled down next to Charlie, careful not to jostle the man. “Mind if I turn on the light?” It was a sunny day out, but not much light made it through the trees outside the house. “Go ahead,” Charlie said. Jared leaned over and switched on the lamp next to the sofa. When he turned back to his friend, he had to swallow. Hard. His friend looked even worse now that he could see him clearly. Charlie’s skin was yellow and paper-thin. Jared could see the veins running through his friend’s arms. He sniffed, unable to stop himself. His newly heightened sense of smell told him his friend’s immune system was shot, too. Jared wasn’t surprised by the hint of infection he tasted on the back of his tongue. “Jesus, Charlie,” Jared breathed. “That bad, eh? Yeah, I figured.” Charlie let himself settle down into the cushions even more. “I don’t have much time left. Maybe a

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couple days. I haven’t been able to keep anything down this week except water.” “You didn’t have to answer the door, you idiot. I would’ve just come inside,” Jared said. “I needed to get up anyway. The longer I sit here the more my ass hurts.” Charlie smiled. It nearly broke Jared’s heart. “But I’ll tell you my whole story in a minute. You’ve gotta tell me what the hell is up with you.” “What do you mean?” Jared frowned. Could Charlie sense the bonding somehow? “You’re glowing, dude,” Charlie said, weirdly. Jared sent him a look but didn’t say anything, and Charlie chuckled. “Remember, I still got some of that ‘Path shit in my veins. I lost most of it, but I still have a touch of empathy. A little telepathy. You’re fucking glowing silver.” Jared shook his head. “Even if you didn’t have that crap in you, I bet you could tell.” He grinned. “I’m bonded.” There was a moment of silence while Jared waited for Charlie to absorb what he’d just said. “Whoa. I was not expecting you to tell me that.” Charlie’s eyebrows lifted. “Who is she?” “Yeah, about that—” Jared pinched the bridge of his nose then sighed. “Their names are Tessa and Parker. They’re amazing.” Far off in the corner of his mind, he could sense them—their concern, their love. If he concentrated, he could tell Parker was at work. He could even see through Parker’s eyes to the construction site. He shifted his attention to Tessa. She was back in her house, cleaning up the mess. He sent them a quick mental kiss. “Two people? You’re bonded to a man and a woman? Damn.” Charlie looked dumbfounded. “How does that even work?” He leered at Jared. “I am not telling you about my sex life, so don’t even ask.” Charlie made a crude gesture, and Jared laughed then abruptly sobered. “I didn’t expect you to take that so well.”

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“Yeah, well, after the shit I’ve seen in people’s heads, hearing that you’ve got two people to look out for you instead of just one makes me feel better, not worse.” Charlie’s face sobered abruptly. “What the fuck happened? Really?” Jared asked, ready to hear the whole, sordid tale. What was so big that it was worth Charlie’s life? “You told me a lot on the phone. What was so dangerous you needed me to drive out here? Not that I wouldn’t have come anyway.” Charlie sighed. “I found out why people are bonding, all of a sudden. Where it came from.” Jared stared at his friend. “What?” “It’s not natural. It’s a man-made thing, Jared.” “Are you serious?” Jared asked his friend. He couldn’t believe it. “The scientists said it’s just some weird, spontaneous mutation.” Charlie picked at his jeans. “Well, it is. Sort of. But it didn’t start out that way.” Jared frowned, not liking the implications of Charlie’s assertion. “What did you find out?” “Well, after I discovered I’d been dosed with this shit—and didn’t that just fuck up my vacation, let me tell you—I came back, wanting to know how it happened. Why it happened. I figured out pretty quick it was in the food. The Jell-O.” He snorted. “My love of the fucking red Jell-O was my downfall.” Jared felt the anger inside him grow. “No, it wasn’t. It was the people who spiked the food, hoping to create super-soldiers or something. Not your love of Jell-O, for fuck’s sake.” He hated to see his friend blaming himself. He was a casualty, an innocent bystander. “Yeah, whatever,” Charlie said. He slumped further down into the couch. “Anyway, I tracked it down to the fucking Jell-O through judicious eating. It took a few weeks to figure it out. By then, I’d already started pursuing some leads into getting my hands on a pure supply.” “How did you do that? You couldn’t have your aides help you.”

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“Nah, I don’t trust Griffith. Or Bogen. I asked a friend at the local diner. One of the waiters. He’s a good guy, but I know he deals on the side because there’s no way he can make enough to support his family on a waiter’s income. He got me the stuff and slipped it to me in the bathroom. It was easy.” “It shouldn’t have been that easy.” Jared’s neck began to hurt. And his hands. He curled his fingers into fists to prevent the claws from popping out. Charlie would surely notice that. “I know, but that’s the way the world is. Anyway, I didn’t have anything to lose. I dosed myself and went to work. You wouldn’t believe the fucking shit I found out. After my first class in the morning, I’ve got three free periods this semester. Sometimes I go for walks, so no one thought anything of it when I began to wander around a couple weeks ago. They figured I got tired of walking outside and let me have access to almost everything at the school. What threat is a blind man, right?” He laughed bitterly. Jared touched his hand briefly, trying to comfort his old friend. Charlie continued. “So, it wasn’t too hard to wander around a few of the offices in the administration building. I stopped in one of the lounges and took a nap.” “You did not take a nap,” Jared asserted. “Nope.” Charlie grinned. “I was ‘eavesdropping.’” He used airquotes to emphasize his derision. “I sat myself down and opened up my newfound ‘Path telepathy. I’d read that most people get a heightened sense of empathy, so I don’t know why it was different for me. Maybe the damage to my brain did it. I don’t know. All I know is that I could tiptoe around people’s minds, and they had no idea I was there.” Jared nodded, knowing exactly what Charlie meant. “I can do that with my bond-mates but no one else.” “Well, on the third day of my drug-induced super-power bender, I took my pretend nap. Imagine my surprise to find the head honcho of the military in a meeting with the Commandant himself.”

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“Wait, what? Are you telling me the Secretary of Defense was in the office?” Jared asked, incredulous. “The former Secretary of Defense, actually. Guess what they were talking about?” “‘Path?” Jared risked a guess. He felt Tessa and Jared suddenly zooming in on the conversation. He opened his mind, inviting them in with a mental caress. “Close, but no cigar for you. They were talking about this weird vaccine initiative they’d begun a little over fifteen years ago. Seems they’d hired some hotshot chemist who claimed she could help increase soldier’s stamina. So they gave her a pile of money and a lab, and she developed this nasal vaccine, which did nothing. No powers, no stamina, nada. The military was not amused, and they fired her ass after a couple of years.” Jared sat there, trying not to move. He could feel Tessa’s shock. She was sure the woman was her mother. “Do you know the name of the chemist?” Charlie nodded. “Yup. Her name was Cynthia Brown.” That was Tessa’s mom. Jared forced himself to remain perfectly still as Charlie continued talking. “I don’t know what happened to her after that, but I know that they think the vaccine wasn’t inert, like they’d originally supposed. Shortly after they discontinued the experiments, all the soldiers dosed came down with a cold. No one thought anything of it until ten years later when all the bonding began. One of the chemist’s assistants was still researching what happened, in his spare time. He couldn’t believe nothing happened, so he kept testing and testing. Eventually he figured out that the drug they’d originally administered mutated into a man-made virus that caused cold symptoms. It spread everywhere. Worldwide. Millions of people infected.” Jared frowned. “There aren’t enough bonded people to account for those kinds of numbers.” Charlie shook his head. “True. Most people got a cold and got better. Some people were infected but didn’t get sick. Those are the

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ones whose DNA was changed. Most of the soldiers who received the original nasal spray are dead.” “I don’t get it,” Jared said. He didn’t know enough about genetics to understand why or how a virus could affect the DNA of people who were already alive. Wasn’t DNA passed down to offspring? How could DNA change without reproduction? “I didn’t at first either, but apparently, there’s this portion of our DNA researchers call ‘junk DNA.’ They weren’t sure what it was for, but recent research has shown that this part of our genetic code changes with the environment. Someone gets sick, the DNA mutates to protect against it. I don’t completely understand it, but it has something to do with our DNA recognizing a virus that attacked humans thousands of years ago. It changed our DNA, sort of like a memory of the virus, which allows our immune system to recognize a similar strain of disease now and mutate to develop antibodies.” Jared sighed, trying to make sense of what his friend was saying. “That sounds like science fiction.” “I know. It’s weird shit. You don’t have to understand it. It’s what I found out next that’s the real kicker. The drug caused colds in some people and nothing in others. It remained inert in everyone’s system until recently when sunspot activity picked up. I don’t know if you know this, but our sun has been unusually quiet for about a decade.” Charlie looked at Jared in question. Jared shook his head. “Well, once the sunspot activity picked up, more radiation hit the planet, just enough to wake up the infected people’s DNA and give them a predisposition to bonding. You probably have tattoos on your wrists, right?” “Yeah.” Jared rubbed his fingers over his marks. He reached out to his bond-mates, hoping they were getting all this information. He sensed Parker had moved to his construction trailer so he could listen in. Tessa was in her kitchen, sipping tea. “Well, when people bond, the skin pigments align somehow. There’s some sort of freaky DNA sharing that goes on. I don’t really

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understand the whole thing myself. But that’s why bonded couples have matching tattoos.” Jared stared at his friend, not sure he should believe this. “This is insane. What you’re telling me is that the military, through some topsecret drug experimentation over a decade ago, caused the bonding phenomenon that’s happening across the entire world.” If he didn’t know better, he would think Charlie was making this stuff up. “I know, I know, it sounds crazy. But haven’t you noticed that the majority of the bonding is happening in the US? That’s because it started here. More people were infected here.” Jared flexed his fingers, trying to calm down. He was angry, confused, and horrified in equal amounts. He took a deep breath. No. The rage was definitely winning out. He felt claws prick his skin from the inside. Shit. Weird that you couldn’t tell he had them at all until they were there, ready to come out. He clenched his fists harder, listening as Charlie continued. “Anyway, the day I listened in, the former SecDef wanted to know where Cynthia Brown had gone. The Commandant had no idea. Then he brought up the new program, how they were dosing the soldiers with ‘Path.” Jared stood up and began pacing. Charlie unerringly followed his friend’s movements, despite his blindness. “What the hell does ‘Path have to do with that old program?” “That’s what the SecDef wanted to know, too. The Commandant said Brown’s old assistant, Mark Johnson, came up with the idea of dosing soldiers with very weak forms of ‘Path. He thought that was a way to continue the original work he began with Brown. And it worked. The soldiers were stronger, more intuitive. Their field exercises are off the charts.” Jared stopped and stared at his friend. “Didn’t Johnson know that ‘Path comes from the blood of bonded people?”

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Charlie nodded. “He knows. He knows that Brown probably came up with the drug, too, since the Commandant told the SecDef that. Neither of them cared.” Jared closed his eyes, reliving the attack on the restaurant for a split second. All those innocent people hurt because of this. Tessa sent a soothing mental touch his way, and he forced himself to speak. “This means that the military is buying ‘Path on the black market. Aside from the questionable ethics of them dosing soldiers without their knowledge”—Jared broke off, thinking—“the soldiers don’t know, right? Please tell me they don’t know, Charlie.” “They don’t know. I know they don’t know because they’re good kids. And after I took the big dose, I could read their minds. They have no idea,” Charlie assured him. Jared took a deep breath, relieved at least a little bit. “Okay, aside from dosing soldiers without their knowledge, the military is funding the kidnapping and assault of innocent people because that’s how they get the blood to manufacture the drug. They’re encouraging this. And how much ‘Path do they need to dose those kids? Probably a lot.” “Yeah. As far as I can tell, it’s been going on almost a year. That’s a lot of ‘Path,” Charlie agreed, his voice weary. “I suspect Johnson and Brown are in contact, although how Brown is still getting her hands on enough blood to make this amount of ‘Path is beyond me. Didn’t Duncan Green and his bond-mates stop her last year? The timing isn’t coincidental. She must’ve run straight to Johnson and gotten his help after that because the dosing didn’t stop, even after the news broke about the kidnappings.” Jared resumed pacing. “That’s sick.” He could feel Tessa’s disgust in the back of his mind. He swallowed, trying to get rid of the nasty lump in his throat. The woman that had started all this was Tessa’s mother. He didn’t know whether to be grateful or horrified. Without her, he wouldn’t have Tessa and Parker as his bond-mates, but all those innocent people— Jared gagged, trying not to throw up. Parker sent him a quick burst of soothing energy. Jared accepted the help

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gratefully, using it to calm himself down a little, but it didn’t help as much as he’d hoped. His claws unsheathed with Charlie’s next words. “Yeah. That’s why I called you. You have to stop this.” Jared spun around. “Me? How the hell can I stop it?” Charlie slumped down into the couch even more, as though the last bit of his energy had left him with the last of his explanation. “I don’t know. I just know that it has to be stopped, and I can’t do it.” Jared stared at his friend. He wanted to help Charlie live. He didn’t want to watch his friend die and then run around trying to stop an enormous drug conspiracy. Unfortunately, he knew in his heart that he was too late. He could smell his friend’s death. Charlie had only held on this long through sheer strength of will. “Charlie—” Jared began, and then some indefinable something told him to drop to the floor. He felt Tessa’s sudden surge of fear and Parker’s mental shout and rolled himself under the metal coffee table just in time to protect himself from the shots that hit his friend. “Charlie! No,” Jared whispered as he watched his friend’s eyes go vacant. “Jesus fucking Christ.” What just happened? His hands ached, though his claws were already out, punching through the thin rug into the wooden floor. His head hurt. His back felt like it was on fire. Had he been shot? Tessa screamed his name, her mental voice shrill, and then everything faded to a dull roar. His body slumped to the floor.

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Chapter 11 Parker was on the floor of his trailer. Thank God he’d remembered to lock the fucking door when he first came in because now his claws were out, and he was afraid Jared was dead. He felt Tessa screaming in his head, but he couldn’t move. What the hell happened? He ran through the last few minutes in his head—Jared’s friend Charlie was dead, the blood on his chest so bright the holes looked like flowers. Jesus. He’d felt Jared’s grief and rage like they were his own, his heart pounding so hard his ribs ached. The next thing he knew, he was down on the floor. He tried to connect with Jared again. No go. Fuck. He tried again to move and was able to lift his head this time. Everything looked different. He felt different. His eyes hurt. Everything was too bright— Parker blinked until his pupils adjusted, and he realized that not only was his eyesight sharper, his sense of smell was incredible. He scented coffee, pencil shavings, even the fucking electrician’s disgusting cologne. Arnold hadn’t been in the trailer with his nose-killing perfume since last Friday. What just happened? He tried to stand up and almost fell on his face. When he looked down, his paws were digging into the linoleum floor, the sharp claws scoring long grooves in the flooring. What the fuck? He tried to speak, but instead of words, a long, low growl came out of his mouth. Abruptly he slumped down. No way. He lifted his paw again, flexing his claws. In, out. In, out. He let it drop back to the floor. He was tempted to think he might be tripping, except he hadn’t taken any illegal drugs since high school. He flicked his claws again, watching as they easily scored the linoleum floor. Shit. He had to believe what his senses were telling him. He was a cat.

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He laughed at the absurdity of it, but the sound came out as a soft whine. Ugh. A really fucking big cat, he thought as his tail knocked over the folding chair he used at his desk. Shit. His clothes were in ragged pieces around him. Tessa? He reached out to his bond-mate. She responded immediately. Parker! Oh my God, I just shape-shifted into a mountain lion! Her mind voice was frantic, disbelieving. How is this possible? My clothes are wrecked! Me, too, darling. Me, too, he sent to her. What do you look like? My paws are huge. I’m looking in the mirror in my bedroom, she replied. Parker received an image from her—a lithe, nearly white puma stood in front of the floor-length mirror she had bolted to the back of her bedroom closet. Her frilly pink bedspread looked absurd in contrast to the lethal creature standing in front of it. It made him feel a little better. If Tessa looked that awesome, what did he look like? Bigger, probably. He looked down at his paws again. Definitely bigger. Holy shit, you’re beautiful, Parker sent. He felt her preen inside for a moment, and then her worry came back. Can you sense Jared? We were connected with him when all hell broke loose, but I think the distance makes it harder. Let’s try again now. He felt her agreement, and they both concentrated. Almost immediately they realized Jared was still under the coffee table at his friend’s house, but it wasn’t the Jared they knew. Instead, their lover was a jaguar, black and sleek and really fucking pissed. Jared was too enraged at the moment to understand that Parker and Tessa were trying to reach him. Oh my God, Tessa sent, awe in her mind voice. He’s gonna rip those people to shreds. Parker agreed with her. Through Jared, he watched three men dressed all in black, similar to the ‘Path addicts who’d attacked them at the restaurant, walk into the cabin. One of them gestured to the other, obviously telling him something. Then he

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walked over to the back door near the fireplace. He opened it, and four more men piled into the room. None of them noticed Jared under the coffee table. “Griffith, where the fuck is Moyston’s friend?” the man asked one of the newcomers. The only one dressed in military fatigues responded. “I have no idea. I watched him pull up and enter the house, but he didn’t leave. He must be hiding somewhere.” Holy shit, that’s Charlie’s aide, Tessa sent to Parker. Jared remembers the name. Charlie was right not to trust them, Parker thought. He waited, wondering what Jared was going to do. Then he heard men outside his trailer. One of them tried the door. Shit. How the hell was he going to get out of there? Don’t worry about that now, Tessa sent. Look. Parker turned his attention back to Jared. Thankfully, Jared’s anger didn’t prevent them from seeing through his eyes. Obviously, the bond was stronger in this form. He settled down, trying not to make a sound. He hoped the workers outside would think the trailer was empty. Last thing he needed was for them to hear growling. He watched as the intruders ransacked Charlie’s living room, coming closer and closer to the coffee table. He felt Jared dig his claws into the floor in preparation. When the coffee table was shoved away, Jared sprang for the nearest man, slashing at his throat. The man went down, gurgling, but Jared was already ripping up the next one. Shots rang out, and Tessa flinched in the back of Parker’s head, but neither of them sensed pain in their bond-mate. Jared! Get out of there, Tessa tried screaming at him. Parker approved. No way was Jared going to get out of there uninjured against those weapons. Jared paused, and for a split second, Parker thought he heard her, and then Jared’s gaze fell on Griffith, Charlie’s aide.

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Damnit! Jared, no, get out of there! Parker yelled, but Jared ignored him, growling as he stalked forward. Parker felt an answering growl fighting its way out of his throat. He forced it down. The aide just stared at Jared, frozen. Probably has no idea what’s going on, Tessa mused, a hint of satisfaction in her mind voice. Jared hissed at the man, and Griffith lost control of his bowels. Parker winced. He fucking deserves it. Traitor. Tessa’s mind voice was scornful. Yeah, Parker responded as Jared leaped, his mouth going straight for the man’s jugular. It was over so fast Parker could barely follow it, even though he was inside Jared’s head. Get out of there, Jared, he sent, hoping to get through. There’s too many for you to fight them all. Parker sensed a faint acknowledgement, and then Jared wheeled around and leaped out the back door, barely avoiding the bullets raining down around him. He dashed into the woods behind Charlie’s house, and Parker relaxed as he sensed the calm weight of the forest swallowing up his bond-mate. Now I’ve got to figure out how I’m going to get out of here. We’re going after him, right? Tessa asked, anxious. Of course. But I have to get out of this trailer first. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I seem to be missing my thumbs, Parker thought to her. And I locked the door so no one would bother me. Oh. Shit, Tessa sent. Yeah. Precisely. Parker wondered if he could just shove his way through the door. His cat form was huge, and the trailer was flimsy, especially the door. He eyed the thin metal, gauging just how much force it would take to break it down. Thank God he didn’t keep anything valuable in here. He hated to destroy company property, but he really had no choice. He had no idea how to change back into his human body. He looked at the remains of his clothes strewn about the trailer. He wondered what the people on-site were going to think when they saw the mess then shrugged internally. Nothing he could do about it.

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Okay, I think I can just force the door, he sent to Tessa. Can you get out and meet me in the woods? He pawed at the thin metal, disgusted when it didn’t budge. He lifted himself up to peer through the small window. No one was directly around the trailer, but like usual, the construction site was crawling with workers. He looked at the river behind the old steel mill. He could probably hide along the bank if he kept to the shadows cast by the huge steel stacks. Once past that, he’d have to risk city streets to get to the woods on the far side of town. This wasn’t going to be easy. She sent an affirmative along with a picture of her unlocked screen door. All right. Here goes nothing. He stepped back and then ran at the door, ducking his head down and angling slightly to the side to let his right shoulder take the brunt of his attack. The door ripped off the frame like foil, and he almost fell on his head. Holy fucking shit! This body was a lot stronger than he expected. He looked around quickly but neither scented nor saw anyone close. Immediately he loped to the steel stacks and their comforting shadows. **** Tessa let the scent of the woods wash over her as she ran. Everything was more intense in this form, sharper somehow. She catalogued her surroundings with her new senses—the way the leaves fluttered on the trees, the rich loam of the forest floor, the fresh smell of the brook she leaped over effortlessly. When she first left her house, she’d worried about finding Parker, but no longer. The distance that seemed so far in her human body was nothing in this one, and Parker’s mind was open to hers. She knew exactly where he was. I’m almost to the top of the mountain, she sent to him, slowing down and sniffing the game trail she followed. Two deer passed this way at dawn, a mother and a fawn. Squirrels. A groundhog. She

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turned her head, scenting the air. Three college students played Frisbee half a mile downwind. I sense you. Stay put. I’m almost there, Parker thought to her. Tessa stepped off the trail and melted into the shadows. It was early afternoon and sunny, but the light didn’t quite penetrate into the dense undergrowth of the trees. She raised her head and scented the air again, not surprised when Parker’s sandalwood essence floated to her on the breeze. She sensed him moving carefully up his side of the mountain. I can smell you. He huffed a laugh in her head. I hope I don’t reek. Tessa sent amusement down the link to him. You don’t. She settled in to wait, thankful that this form wasn’t prone to fidgeting. It was odd. She felt entirely herself, only in a bigger, stronger version. A non-human version. She supposed this explained why their bonding tattoos looked like paw prints. You don’t think we’re stuck like this forever, do you? No, Parker sent, loping over a fallen log. But I think we might need to find Jared in order to change back. Tessa agreed, thinking of their bond-mate. She sensed him running tirelessly. Wild jaguars and pumas didn’t run for long like that, but it seemed the change gave them the ability to combine the best of both forms. The bonding changed them into this, but it didn’t change their essential humanity into a completely animal nature. I agree, Parker thought to her as he slipped through the trees and settled down next to her. Parker. She raised her face to his, and he rubbed his scent glands along her head. She felt a tickle in her nose and suppressed a sneeze. I’m glad you’re here. Me, too, he replied. Tessa purred, happy despite the grim circumstances. She backed up a little to get a good look at him. A tawny mountain lion stared back at her. He was enormous. In this form, you probably weigh two hundred pounds.

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I weigh two hundred pounds as a human, Parker said. Tessa called up an image of Parker naked—the thick muscles of his chest and shoulders. His strong legs. Okay, he might be right. Still, his cat form was impressive. Yeah, but you look scarier like this. The claws, the teeth. Tessa blinked, suddenly wondering if she looked as dangerous. You look sleek. Graceful. Lethal. Parker sent her an image of herself—a long, nearly white puma sitting docilely beneath the trees. She almost looked sedate, tame, until you saw the length of her claws and the intelligent gleam of her eyes. That was more frightening than the physical weapons that came with this body. She could see the intelligence in Parker’s face, too, even in this form. He could see it in hers. She stood up and stretched. It didn’t matter what she looked like as long as she had Jared and Parker. Now what? Now we find Jared, Parker replied. He turned and loped into the forest. Tessa followed. **** Two hours later they were still running. Thank God most of Pennsylvania is still forested, or we’d have long since freaked out some humans, she thought. Parker’s faint agreement filtered through the link. It was extraordinary, what they could do. Tessa knew instinctively that they were running fast, faster than a normal large cat. Longer. Most felines weren’t made for this kind of ground-eating lope, but neither she nor Parker gave it any thought. They needed to find Jared, so they ran to him. They were getting closer. I think he’s just over that rise, Parker sent. Tessa scented the wind. Yes. I can smell him, she thought to Parker. But why can’t we talk to him? I can sense him in my head, but he doesn’t speak.

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I think he’s retreated further into the animal than we have, Parker mused, slowing down. He stopped at the next stream, sniffing first then drinking. The brook burbled cheerfully in a small clearing, and Tessa looked around cautiously before she joined Parker. It was lovely here, but she was still wary. She didn’t want anyone sneaking up on them. I feel vulnerable. Scared. Why am I so jumpy? I know we’re doing all we can. I think the cat’s instincts are stronger than I thought. Our human side is just as much an animal as the cat, and I’m worried about Jared, so that colors everything with caution. My instincts are screaming at me, and I don’t think it would matter if I was in human form right now, Parker explained. Jared watched one of his best friends die right in front of him. His stress is affecting us, too. No, I disagree. Jared is ex-military. He doesn’t react that way. He’s been trained to hold up under that sort of violence. And he’s naturally calm. Tessa sniffed the air, making sure they were alone. She sensed Jared nearing their position but no other humans. Then why is he silent? Parker asked her, frustration evident in his mind voice. He pawed at the water, scraping claw marks into the mud. Why won’t he talk to us? Tessa sat down and closed her eyes. She opened her mind up, stretching herself wider than she’d ever done before. Jared was there, his presence a warm, solid comfort. Parker was there, too, fiery and strong, but where he was alert and active, Jared’s voice felt sleepy. He was still running to them, but it was as if his brain had been sedated somehow. Tessa frowned in her mind, seeking out their combined auras. She gently touched their colors, plucking at the weave that still held strong among the three of them to see what would happen. Ow, Tessa, what are you doing? Parker asked. She sensed his low growl in her gut. Hush. I need to see something. The growl subsided, and she slid her mental fingers along the pattern until she came to a damaged spot. It looked almost fuzzy to her mind, as though someone had spilled

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something on it that ate through their bond like acid. Damn. Our bonding was injured. She pulled energy up from the ground and from Parker and sent it out over the ghost-like threads, smoothing the frayed portions. I couldn’t see it before because we were too far away from Jared. How did that happen? Parker asked. Tessa sighed, thinking back over what happened while Jared was in the room with Charlie. She remembered him running out the back door, shots hitting the ground and walls around him. One of them didn’t miss, and it wasn’t a bullet. Damn, how could they have missed it? They shot him with the same shit that got you in the restaurant. She’d found traces of the psychic acid along their bond as she healed Jared. I think our new form protected him somewhat. The extra endurance and strength helped him escape. Our bond held up under it until we got close enough for me to fix it. You know what this means? Parker thought, grimly. Yeah. Tessa wished she didn’t understand even as she felt Jared’s presence come alive in her mind, soothing and oh-so-welcome. She turned, feeling the cat body sliding away from her human form like water. “It means your mother is behind Charlie’s death,” Jared said as he walked into the clearing, naked and entirely human. “Jared!” Tessa ran to him, not caring that she was nude, too, and in the middle of nowhere. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Parker’s cat form shimmer, then he, too, was there, holding onto her and Jared as if he was afraid to ever let go again. “I was afraid. I didn’t let on, but I was,” Tessa whispered into Jared’s neck. She pushed as close as she could, the feel of his warm skin soothing the worry that had been her constant companion for the past several hours. “Shh. I know. I felt it, but you did good. You healed me. You put us back together,” Jared murmured, stroking her hair. She felt him

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relax then pull back slightly. She looked up and watched as Parker kissed him gently, his strong face so joyful she thought she might cry. Don’t you dare cry! Parker sent to her, even as he leaned into the kiss. Tessa felt her body respond to them as the kiss grew heated, a stab of desire rocketing through her spine to pool between her legs. She gasped, and the two men broke apart, panting. She glanced down, not surprised to see that both men were hard. Now was definitely not the time for this, but she had to admit, it was a helluva good view. Parker rolled his eyes at her, and Tessa chuckled and snuggled back in, enjoying the scent of her bond-mates. A long minute later, Jared pulled away. “We need to get home.” Tessa nodded, running her hand up and down his arm. He was strong and whole and perfect, but she couldn’t help herself, she had to touch him. She loved their mental bond, but the physical contact grounded her. “I think we’re going to have to figure out how to shift back to cat form. It’s not like we brought a car with us, you know?” Jared ran his hand through her hair. “Well, I have to admit, I kinda wanted to see you as a puma, but you changed back to human so fast I missed it.” “She was awesome,” Parker said, smiling. “She could kick anyone’s ass, even that dickhead Griffith. Well, she could have if you hadn’t already ripped his head off.” Jared smiled briefly, and Tessa remembered that he’d just watched his friend die. She sensed him smother a pang of grief at the thought and sent him a deep pulse of love. He kissed her forehead in thanks. “So, how do we do it? It’s not like I had any idea what was going on when I shifted the first time.” Parker snorted. “Yeah, me neither.” Both men turned to look at Tessa. “What? You think I have any clue?” “You’re the one who can magically heal all wounds,” Parker said, still looking expectantly at her.

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She rolled her eyes at the men then sat down on the forest floor, trying to get comfortable on the damp ground, with no success. She was naked, and it itched. She sighed, willing herself to ignore the discomfort. Abruptly she caught a whiff of something foreign. Or someone, she thought, lifting her face and inhaling deeply. There it is again. What is it? Jared thought, his body tensing. Scent the air. Tessa stood up, her skin suddenly too tight for sitting. Someone’s coming. She sniffed again, trying to catalogue the strange scents heading their way—metal, rubber, man. A hint of gas and that ashy, smoky miasma that followed ‘Path addicts around. One of their pursuers was an addict. Damnit. I thought I lost them an hour ago, Jared sent, his mind voice angry. They followed you? Parker asked, incredulous. How the hell did they track you? Tessa frowned as her body tightened even more. They must have been able to track the psychic acid. I bet one of them is a ‘Path user. That’s the only way they could’ve followed you, by following the traces of your bond injury. Jared nodded. She’s right. There’s no other way. I thought ‘Path users had only limited powers? Parker sent. Tessa sensed his growing irritation. I thought so, too, but I think it depends on the dose. Those who get it off the streets probably never develop more than a rudimentary empathy. Those who have an endless supply? She shrugged, thinking about the people who’d attacked them in the restaurant. Who knows? Parker growled. Tessa found herself responding, her throat opening up instinctively. What was happening? She scented the air again then realized she and her bond-mates were shifting. Unlike the first time, Tessa sensed the process clearly this time, from the inside out. Her mind stayed clear, focused, but she felt herself instinctively willing her cat form to come out. Like water, her body flowed over

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itself, and she dropped to all fours and dug her claws into the ground. On either side of her, Parker and Jared did the same. It was easy. Painless. She knew exactly how to do it now and knew she wouldn’t have any trouble changing back into human form when she wanted. It felt like stepping to the side mentally and pulling a liquid curtain over herself. It felt good. Yes, I think I understand now, too, Jared sent to her. I was upset before, when Charlie died. I couldn’t focus on what was happening. I was upset, too, Tessa thought to him. Parker and I were both upset for you. Neither of us really understood what happened. She shook herself, settling her fur around her. Jared shrugged his fur down as well, and Tessa glanced at him, eager to see what he looked like. He stepped forward, scenting the air again. Tessa stared. Jared wasn’t as big as Parker in his mountain lion form, but he was definitely bigger than her cat form. The most striking difference between him and Parker, though, was Jared’s black hide. He rippled as he walked, the sheen of his fur so deep and shiny it looked like he was covered in liquid. He was frightening. Dangerous. His aura flickered around him, somehow thicker and brighter in this form. She shivered, desperately attracted to him. Parker moved up beside Jared, and she let a low growl escape her. He was tawny and muscular. His jaws were so big he could probably crack a man’s skull with his teeth. His coppery aura was somehow more intense, too. How did she not notice that before? Tessa wanted to rub herself all over them. Down, girl, Parker sent to her, his mind voice threaded with amusement. She huffed, her cat’s breath stirring a few dry leaves on the ground as she slinked forward, insinuating herself between them. I can’t help it. You’re both so gorgeous. Jared butted his head against hers in response then eased forward. They’re almost here.

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After a few more seconds of head rubbing, Tessa stepped away, instinctively needing to find a better ambush position. She backed into the underbrush, knowing exactly where her light fur would blend in with the dappled sunlight and shadows. Jared sent his approval as he melted into the darkness behind a tree. Parker leaped up, claws sinking into a thick branch about six feet overhead. He pulled himself up and flattened his body along the wood. Tessa couldn’t believe how well his tawny fur matched the tree bark. She looked back down the trail, the odor of man and mechanical things overwhelming the natural scents of the forest. The sound of an ATV rumbled through the quiet. Do we have a plan? Tessa wondered. Jump on them and incapacitate them, Parker sent, his mind grim and focused. Kill them if you have to, Jared thought. Don’t hold back. Tessa looked at him in surprise, her sharp eyes picking him out of the shadows with little difficulty. He turned his head to hers, and her eyes widened at the implacability in his green gaze. I mean it. She sent agreement and love to him through their bond but had no time for anything else. The attackers were here. Before she could blink, Parker leaped out of the tree onto the man driving the lead ATV, crushing him with his weight. He jumped free as the ATV flipped, and Tessa waited. When the second one came into the clearing, she jumped over it, slashing at the driver before he could react. Behind her, she heard Jared hiss, then growl. A third ATV careened to a stop, and the man on it jumped clear, pulling his gun out as he ran for cover. Five more of the small vehicles zoomed into the clearing as Tessa dived back into the fray. She always knew exactly where Jared and Parker were, which was a blessing because she had no idea how chaotic this kind of melee could be. She slashed at another of the men, dodging bullets. So far, none of them had used one of those aura-acid pistols, but she didn’t sense the ashy-dirty odor

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of a ‘Path addict in the small clearing yet, either, and she knew he was coming. Shit! There are more of them than I expected, Jared sent, his claws flashing. Tessa knew he was dodging in and out of the trees, taking advantage of the cover. Parker used his enormous size to crash through their attackers, slashing here and there, but more often biting down. He easily broke bones with his jaws, the sheer muscle mass of his form aiding him. Happily, the weight didn’t slow him at all. Tessa, on the other hand, had to be more strategic. She was smaller and not as strong, but that meant she could sneak in and hamstring the enemy, leaving them for Jared or Parker to finish off. She’d just finished slashing at another soldier when she heard something ominous. She melted back into the trees to take stock, lifting her nose to the canopy. She scented, inhaling deeply. A helicopter. Guys! We’ve got aerial incoming! Jared sent an assent as he disemboweled another attacker before the man could shoot Parker. Tessa frowned mentally. They were outnumbered. They were vulnerable to bullets. Maybe she could do something to help. She concentrated, working with their bonded auras, though it was hard to ignore what was happening in the small clearing. She pulled some energy from the ground, still dumbfounded that she could even do such a thing, and poured it into the weave she’d created earlier. Slowly it extended itself over her bond-mates, even as they continued fighting their attackers, then it slipped away. Tessa growled in frustration, watching as Jared took a slash to his flank with a knife. She healed him quickly, even as she knew she had to find some way to protect them from projectiles. She tried again, pulling harder at the energy this time and weaving herself into the work, too. She grasped at the amorphous threads of their auras with all her strength. They kept slipping away, and she had to reweave them, faster and faster. She refused to give up. When Parker yipped in pain, she almost lost it again, yanking harder on the threads. Abruptly their auras snapped into place. Tessa let go and took

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a mental step back, looking over her handiwork A complex weave covered the three of them everywhere, not just along the edges of their bond. Tessa stared hard at Jared and Parker. Their original colors were still there, but overlaying them was the combined sense of the bond, thick and sturdy. That would do. That would protect them from ordinary bullets and knives. One of the attackers raised his gun and shot at Parker before she could warn him, but the bullet hit their shield and spattered into harmless bits of metal. Yes! Fuck you very much, assholes! Parker sent her a quick burst of astonishment then slashed at the man who’d shot him, knocking the gun away. He growled, and the man backed away. When he tripped, Parker jumped on him, pinning him to the ground. Tessa looked around the suddenly calm clearing. The one Parker sat on top of was the only soldier left. The rest of their attackers were either dead or wounded. She stalked forward, shifting back into human form as she moved so she could question the man, even as the sound of the helicopter grew louder. His eyes boggled as he watched her change, and then his gaze dropped to her breasts. Parker growled, and the man tore his eyes away, whimpering. “Who are you?” Tessa asked, dropping to her knees. Jared paced behind them, patrolling the clearing. They didn’t have much time. The helicopter couldn’t land here, but that wouldn’t stop them from dropping men on lines into the trees. “You’re not wearing standard dress.” Tessa leaned forward, glaring into the man’s face. She knew from Jared that the men who’d attacked them weren’t true military. Everything about them was wrong—there was no rank insignia, no clear deference to a leader when they fought. No tactics. She knew that she and her bond-mates shouldn’t have survived this attack. They were outnumbered. If the attackers had been organized just the slightest bit better, Tessa, Jared, and Parker would be dead. “Who do you report to?” Tessa asked. Parker growled menacingly, adding his threat to her questions. “Tell me!”

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The man panted, terrified, but he finally responded. “Look, I washed out of the war college. I couldn’t get a job, and my friend told me about this guy who was hiring military dropouts. I needed the money. That’s all I know!” Tessa frowned. “Didn’t you find it weird that you were tracking big cats?” “No, no, I just did what he told us to do! Don’t kill me, please!” Tessa sighed. The man was an idiot. “Do you have a name? Who hired you?” The sound of the helicopter faded, and Jared snarled. Hurry up! Tessa realized they must have dropped more men. Shit. She slapped the man on the ground. “Answer me!” The terrified man shook his head frantically. “I’m not sure! I think his name was Johnson or something. But I think he worked for someone else!” Shit. That’s the name of your mom’s assistant. The one Charlie told Jared about, Parker sent. He growled right in the man’s face then backed away. Tessa scrambled up, shifting into cat form so quickly it made her dizzy. The man yelped and tried to get up, but Parker growled again, and the man subsided. His color wasn’t very good. Tessa sniffed, suddenly realizing that the man had a wound high on his thigh. He was losing blood too fast for her to do anything about it. She wondered if she could do anything about it. Could she heal someone outside of the bond? I wouldn’t want you helping someone who tried to kill us anyway, Jared thought to her. Tessa grimaced, the motion translating into a snarl. The man whimpered again then closed his eyes. A moment later his body went lax. What do we do about the men closing in? Tessa sent. She sensed five of them. One was tinged with an unhealthy ash scent. That must be Johnson.

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We fight. Jared edged back into the shadows. They killed Charlie. They want to kill or capture us. Tessa didn’t have a chance to argue. Bullets hit the ground near her, and she pivoted, not surprised to see the five men she sensed from the helicopter surrounding the small clearing. We need to get the ‘Path addict, Parker sent, swerving around the bodies on the ground as he lunged for the trees. Being able to ignore the bullets was a blessing, but Tessa knew her shield was no match for the psychic-acid rounds. Be careful, she sent, sending along an image of the acid hitting the shield. She knew it would hold initially, but the acid was sticky. It would eat at them until she could cleanse their auras. Parker sent a quick assent. Tessa whirled, leaping on the man about to hit her from behind. These men were similarly clad but a bit more organized than the previous soldiers. Tessa killed him, sensing that he wasn’t going to surrender, then bounded across the small brook to help Jared, who grappled with three more attackers. Together, they took them down easily. Where’s Parker? Jared asked. Tessa glanced back across the water. Over there. She and Jared loped across the stream and into the trees. Ten yards in, Parker stood over the body of the ‘Path addict. His aura had been hit with the acid. Shit! Hold still, Tessa commanded him. Parker winced as the stuff ate away at their bond. It hurts. Tessa batted at him, making him sit down. She concentrated, trying to draw energy from the earth. The aura of the ‘Path addict was dispersing, but it was still too close by for her to work properly. I can’t fix this here. The ‘Path addict’s aura is infecting the ground. She scented along the dirt then sneezed. It’s disgusting. Will it contaminate the environment? Jared asked, his mind voice concerned. No. I can sense it dissipating, but it will take too long, and we don’t have the time to wait. Parker is already weakening, and it’ll get

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worse if I don’t fix him right away. We need to move at least a hundred yards away from here. She cocked her head at Parker inquiringly. Yeah, okay. I can walk, he sent. She sensed him already growing tired from the infection. Let’s go. Jared moved into the trees. I’ll scout ahead. I thought I scented a cabin or something not too far from here.

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Chapter 12 An hour later, Parker breathed a sigh of relief as he let his human form flow over his cat body. Once he was fully human, he stretched out on the soft bed, grateful they’d found an old cabin they could hole up in. He hadn’t relished the thought of shifting back to this form and having to lie on the ground. It was getting dark now. The mosquitoes would’ve eaten them alive. And he really didn’t feel good. The shield Tessa created protected him somewhat, but he knew his aura was fractured and would take some time to heal. It was a relief to lie down and rest. Tessa stepped forward, her cat form moving gracefully in the darkening room. She let out a sigh, and then her body rippled. Parker watched as she shifted back to human and stretched as well. Her small, high breasts made his mouth water. She glanced at him and rolled her eyes at his leering, then turned toward the kitchen. Parker laughed and called out to her back. “Darling, I can’t help it. You’re beautiful.” “She certainly is,” Jared said, crawling onto the bed. Parker sighed as the other man wrapped him in his arms. He would deny it if anyone ever called him on it, but he secretly loved being held like this. It made him feel safe. Jared smiled against his shoulder. “I know how you feel. You’re safe with me.” Parker let himself relax into Jared’s embrace. “We are so damn lucky we found this place.” “You’re telling me,” Tessa said, climbing onto the bed with them. She was eating a granola bar. Parker’s stomach rumbled, and she

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offered him a bite, which he took gratefully. She handed an extra bar to Jared. “This place is awesome. It may not have running water, but whoever owns it keeps it in good shape.” She chewed as she looked around. “We’ve got some food, and water, too.” She gestured to the bottle she’d put on the nightstand before climbing into the bed. “We’re set for the night.” Jared swallowed his mouthful of energy bar and nodded. “It’s a pity we had to break the door.” Parker glanced at the one-room cabin’s door. The frame was splintered around the deadbolt. He shrugged. “We can always come back and leave some money.” Tessa nodded as she cracked open the water bottle. “We should do that. Even if it was an emergency, we should pay for the damage.” She tipped the bottle up and drank. Parker watched as a bead of water slipped down her throat. He swallowed, the desire he felt for her slamming into his body. Jared tensed next to him, and then the other man rolled closer and pressed his erection into Parker’s side. “I feel it, too,” Jared rasped. Parker shivered. He could hardly believe the direction his life had gone these past few days. From being mostly straight to bisexual in a weekend—bonding sure fucked around with a man’s sense of self. Tessa chuckled and recapped the bottle. “You weren’t as straight as you like to think you were.” “What are you talking about?” Parker protested as he ran his finger down the wet streak on her throat. He could sense her rising arousal through the bond as Jared slipped a hand around his waist, fingers almost tickling. “You like to think you were straight, but I remember you looking at men when we went to the beach. You thought it was casual appreciation, but I’ve got news for you. No straight guy even thinks of staring at another dude’s naked chest unless he’s an artist. Which you aren’t.”

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“Hey, I’ve done some drawing.” Parker took Jared’s hand and moved it down to his throbbing dick. He arched his back as Jared chuckled in his ear and stroked him. God. The pleasure was insane. He was right at the edge, just from this. “Just because you had to take a few art classes for your degree does not make you an artist,” Tessa retorted. She leaned over, tracing his lips with her finger. “You were always bisexual. That’s why I tried so hard not to think of you like that. I found the idea hotter than you could imagine, and it just created all sorts of problems in my head when I paired that with my best friend. I tried so hard to be good. I didn’t want to think of you that way.” Parker frowned through a haze of desire. “Why not?” he murmured through her fingers. Tessa sighed, letting her hands fall to her lap. Parker’s eyes followed, and his body heated even more as he saw the moisture wetting the juncture of her thighs. She was wet. He groaned, his hips jerking, as Jared squeezed the head of his cock. “If I let myself look at any man that way, that meant I was letting go of John. I didn’t want to do that. I trapped myself for a long time like that,” Tessa explained. Jared’s hand stilled. Parker ripped his eyes away from the soft, blonde hair at the apex of her thighs and forced himself to concentrate. “Baby, you didn’t have to do that to yourself.” Tessa closed her eyes, her face relaxing. “I know that now. And I’ve got you and Jared to keep that from happening again.” She opened her eyes and smiled at them, then let her fingers drift along her thighs. Parker’s mouth went dry as she skimmed through her pussy then drew them up her flat stomach to pluck at her already erect nipples. Her clit peeked through the folds of her labia, a gorgeous deep pink. Parker wanted to suck her, desperately, and he leaned forward but was abruptly pulled back by Jared’s hand on his cock. The other man idly flicked his thumb over the head, and Parker

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almost bit his tongue trying to keep himself from orgasming just from that. “Jared, Jesus, you’re killing me,” Parker gasped, his hips jerking against the other man’s hold. He closed his eyes. “Please, let me come.” His cock throbbed. He was so sensitive he could feel every callus in Jared’s fingers as he stroked up and down, fast enough to make Parker long for climax, but slow enough to prevent it from happening. “I like teasing you, Parker,” Jared whispered in his ear. Parker trembled then bucked as he felt Tessa’s lips close over the leaking crown of his erection. “Oh my God.” Parker tried to thrust, but Jared held him immobile. Damn, the man was strong. “I want to fuck you. Can I?” Jared asked. His thumb stroked over his cock every time Tessa pulled her mouth back. “Yes, oh God, yeah, whatever you want,” Parker babbled. When he opened his eyes, he wasn’t surprised to find Tessa looking up at him, her gorgeous mouth stretched over his dick. Parker shuddered, almost coming, but Jared pinched the base of his erection, stopping his orgasm. Then, to his dismay, Tessa pulled away. As he struggled to protest through his arousal, a sudden thought hit him. “We don’t have any condoms.” Shit. Tessa smiled at him. “We don’t need them anymore.” “What?” The arousal faded just enough for Parker to wonder if she’d lost her mind, but she laughed. “I can heal your aura and physical wounds. I can manipulate cells. Organic matter.” She gestured to Jared’s hip where not a single scar lingered from his old injury. “None of us have any STDs. I would’ve sensed it by now. And I’m sure I can prevent pregnancy, too. My healing ability comes with some perks.” She licked at his cock like a lollipop then leaned back, a smear of pre-cum shining on her lip. It was the most erotic thing Parker had ever seen.

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He wet his lips. “Are you sure?” It was impossible to think when his cock was this hard. No blood left for his brain. “Yes, I’m positive,” she said, confidence in her voice. “Yeah, okay, enough talking,” Jared said, moving his hand again. Parker didn’t know how a simple hand job could feel so exquisite, but he wasn’t about to complain. Tessa moved her hands down her body again. Parker couldn’t muster the strength to do anything but watch as she slipped her fingers between her labia, coating them with her arousal. When she leaned forward again, Parker parted his legs at Jared’s urging. The other man was still teasing him, running his hands up and down his cock, sometimes cradling his balls, sometimes flicking his thumb along his cockhead. The pain made Parker shudder but wasn’t bad enough to make him want Jared to stop. When Tessa rubbed her fingers against his hole, he moaned, the pressure against his sensitive nerve endings making it impossible to keep silent. Tessa smiled then sucked his cock down again. Fuck! “That’s the idea,” Jared whispered. He lifted his hand away, but Parker didn’t care. Tessa was licking him, scrubbing her tongue along that vein in his shaft, the one that made him lose his mind whenever anyone touched it. Jared shifted slightly, but Parker didn’t think anything of it until he felt the other man’s thicker fingers at his entrance. “Shh, relax,” Jared urged, rubbing and slicking up his hole with Tessa’s arousal. Parker shivered, and then Tessa sucked hard. Parker couldn’t help it. He found himself shoving back onto Jared’s finger. When the other man slipped inside, Parker gasped, the stimulation from both sides taking him by surprise. God, that feels incredible, he thought. He couldn’t control his body anymore. His entire existence narrowed down to Tessa’s mouth and Jared’s fingers. He felt his bond-mate slip another finger inside, stretching him. Just wait until my cock is inside you. We haven’t even gotten started yet, Jared promised.

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Parker panted, trying to shove more of Jared’s fingers into his hole. It burned a little, but the pain was so exquisitely hot he didn’t care. He knew the exact moment Jared got another finger inside because that’s when he hit Parker’s prostate. Only Tessa’s sudden tight grip on his cock kept him from climax. Oh please, please, let me come, he babbled mentally. Hang on, we’ll get you there, Jared soothed. Tessa let go of his cock and scrambled away as Jared rolled Parker onto his back, spreading his legs. What the—? Parker couldn’t figure out what was happening. Jared motioned with his head, and Tessa climbed onto Parker, settling onto his abdomen. Her deep pink pussy was beautiful—her clit plump and red and lovely. She smelled incredible, the lavender of her scent underscored with musk. His dick gave a futile throb, but Jared had him in hand by now, the tight ring of his fingers preventing Parker from coming. “Easy, this might feel a bit weird at first,” Jared said, kneeing Parker’s legs wider. Parker sucked in a breath as Jared’s cock prodded at his opening. “I don’t think this is going to work.” Jared was rocking against him now, the blunt head of his erection bumping against Parker’s hole. It felt amazing, but Parker really didn’t know how it was going to fit. Jared’s cock wasn’t particularly small. “Don’t worry, it’ll work,” Tessa said, smiling. She rubbed her fingers over his mouth again, and Parker drew them in, sucking. She shivered, and he watched as she fingered herself with her free hand. He could feel her pleasure in the back of his head, how close she was to orgasm, even as Jared’s fingers tightened again on his cock, preventing him from going over. God, this bonding thing is going to be the death of me, he thought, distracted. Suddenly, the crown of Jared’s cock popped inside Parker’s body. He froze, feeling the stretch as a hot burn. Tessa gasped and fingered herself harder. Then

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Jared let go, and Parker screwed himself down on Jared instinctively, nearly insane with the desperate need to move. “God, Parker, you feel incredible,” Jared gasped. “Ease down, okay? I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” Fuck you, you made me wait. Parker moaned, wanting more of Jared inside. The other man’s cock eased in, ridiculously slow. He could feel every inch of it pushing in, making him writhe with the pleasure of it. Suddenly, Jared’s cockhead bumped against something inside him that made him freeze as sharp bursts of pleasure exploded up and down his spine. He clenched his fists in the sheets and growled. He held still, not wanting to hurt Tessa. Jared chuckled and gently thrust in, hitting the same spot over and over. Parker couldn’t help it. His body began to shake. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold off his climax, but they flew open against his will as Tessa grabbed his aching dick. Slowly, so slowly he thought he would pass out before she finished, Tessa lowered herself onto him. By now he was huge. She had to work herself down. Parker sensed her willing herself to relax and open up. When she was fully seated, she smiled down at him and said one word. “Move.” Parker lost his mind. There wasn’t any other way to describe it. He grabbed her by the hips and thrust himself up into her, then shoved back down onto Jared’s cock. The double stimulation of fucking and being fucked felt like lightning slapping up and down his spine. It felt like shifting a thousand times then back again in a single second. He moved like an animal, insane with pleasure, fucking and fucking until he was panting and sweaty. At the very last moment, he paused at the edge of that crazy place where he knew that if he truly let go, it might kill him. Then Tessa smiled down at him, Jared’s beloved face peeking over her shoulder. Parker trembled, and Jared slipped a hand over Tessa’s stomach, claws out, and gently, oh so gently, rubbed her clit with the sharp point. Tessa healed the tiny cut instantly, instinctively,

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but Jared rubbed again, making her shake so violently she would’ve fallen if she hadn’t been impaled on Parker’s cock. She healed and bled again, healed and bled, three times, until her orgasm suddenly crashed over her, impossible to hold back any longer. Parker shattered immediately, his cock pulsing as he felt the razor scrape of Jared’s claw against his cock. His own claws ripped out, and he shredded the mattress as he climaxed, the white-hot spurt of his seed doubled in intensity as Jared shoved inside him and came at the same time. The bonding flashed white-hot in their heads then sparkled as though fireworks were popping off, a thousand all at once in the deepest, darkest night sky while the three of them tumbled over that infinite cliff together. **** Tessa didn’t know how long they drifted in the aftermath of their lovemaking, and she didn’t care. Jared snuffled behind her, rubbing his nose into the nape of her neck. She was on top of Parker, his cock still inside her body. She had no words to describe what had just happened. She didn’t know she could heal herself like that. “Yeah, that. That was incredible,” Jared murmured, his voice heavy with sleep. “What was that?” “That was the best sex I’ve ever had in my life. Ever,” Parker mumbled, tucking his arms around them both. He winced for a second, and Tessa felt his bemused surprise as Jared slipped from his body. “Okay, that part is weird, though.” Tessa laughed, trying to get up and failing as Parker tightened his arms. “I need a drink, desperately,” she complained. He let go, sighing as she climbed off. “I’m not fucking moving until tomorrow morning.” “You don’t have to move,” Jared said as he wet a cloth with some water. He wiped Parker down then wet another cloth for Tessa.

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“Thanks,” she said, dabbing at the mess until she gave it up as futile. She opened another bottle of water and drank deeply. Then she climbed back into bed and settled in next to Parker, sighing with pleasure when Jared spooned up behind her. She was warm, she was exhausted, and she was loved. She had everything she needed for right now. She could worry about her mother and what to do about her tomorrow. **** Many hours later, Jared loped alongside Tessa and Parker, enjoying the strength of his cat form. It was another sunny day, and though he worried about the classes that he obviously wasn’t able to call and cancel, he knew the quick sign he’d tacked onto the studio door before he went to visit Charlie would let his students know he was out. Tessa wasn’t even thinking about work, lucky girl. Jared sensed that Parker wasn’t feeling so zen about his job. He’d left the trailer with a broken door. Since shifting shredded their clothes and it wasn’t like a cat could carry anything, they had no cell phones. Yeah, that’s the one problem with this shifting thing. We can’t carry anything, Tessa thought to him as she ran. It’s not like you can do anything about it. True. She sighed, running through the trees ahead of them. Jared noticed that she enjoyed sprinting ahead then waiting for them to catch up. He preferred running at a steady pace. He took a moment to admire her lithe form then turned his concern to Parker. Is everything going to be all right with you at work? The other cat grimaced. Dunno. I guess I’ll just have to see what happens. I’ll tell them that I went with you on your emergency. Maybe they’ll think someone broke into the trailer in a completely unrelated incident. I hope so, Jared sent. I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble over this.

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I’m a little worried, but it’s mostly about Tessa. Tessa? Jared asked, surprised. Me? Why? Tessa was sitting near a tree ahead of them. When they caught up, she joined them, running in between the two larger cats. You didn’t seem that upset to find out your mother is involved with all this, Parker thought, his mind voice tinged with concern. Tessa was silent for a long minute. Jared sensed a hint of guilt in her mind, but mostly resignation. She turned away from me years ago, when I was still in high school. She’d been working obsessively as a chemist for some big company she’d never tell me about. She worked overtime. I barely saw her from the time I was in ninth grade until eleventh. Then she was fired. She told everyone she quit. It was a lie. Now we know her big company was the military, and the project that made her so bitter was that vaccine. Tessa leaped over a small stream and kept running, as if she was trying to get away from the conversation. She looked at him briefly. No. I’m only feeling a little guilty because sometimes I wonder if maybe I could’ve done something to help her back then. Instead, all we did was fight my senior year of high school. It got so bad I managed to get away from her a half-year early by taking on a semester-abroad study credit. I went to Britain for six months, and when I came back, I went to college early just so I wouldn’t have to live with her at home. Maybe if I’d paid more attention— No, Parker interjected. My brother told me about your mom, how weird she got after she was fired. Didn’t she get super conservative? He told me once that she tried to lock you in the house so you wouldn’t ever meet boys. Jared was appalled. Really? Yeah, she did, Tessa sent. I guess John told your brother about that? She glanced at Parker, and he sent an affirmation over their link. Yeah. Billy told me some things about John and you before they died. He didn’t mean any harm.

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Tessa sighed. It’s okay. I’m mostly feeling resigned, not hurt or even shocked. After all that’s happened, I know how sick my mom was, and is, but back then I thought it was my fault. It wasn’t, Parker assured her, growling at her gently. Tessa mock-snarled at him, swiping a paw through the air and laughing when Parker stumbled, trying to avoid her. Jared felt a sense of relief flow through him as he watched their antics. They were all going to be okay.

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Chapter 13 It was late afternoon by the time they stopped close to the trees behind Tessa’s house. She was exhausted. Even though she’d had a good night’s sleep, all Tessa wanted to do was eat three steaks, take a long, hot shower, and crawl into bed with her bond-mates. When Jared stepped in front of her, growling quietly and preventing her from stumbling into her yard, she knew she wasn’t going to get her wish. What is it? she asked him tiredly. Sweetheart, I know you’re tired, but we’re not alone, Parker thought to her. Tessa sniffed the air and growled, her lips peeling back from her teeth. I smell my mother. I do, too, Parker sent, his mind voice concerned as Jared stalked forward menacingly. The back door sprang open. Jared snarled as three ‘Path addicts dressed in black, like the attackers in the restaurant, walked onto the grass and positioned themselves in a semicircle. Jared growled and moved closer, poised to attack. Tessa’s mom walked out of the house, her gaze on the three large cats clear of the treeline. The scratches on her face had scabbed over, the bruising around the wounds yellow and ugly. She gestured to her minions, and they split apart, two on one side and one on the other. Tessa wished she could see their faces, but only her mom’s was uncovered. Maybe I should try and talk to her, Tessa thought, making a splitsecond decision. She moved forward, ignoring Parker’s protesting whine, her form already shifting back into human. When the change was complete, Tessa walked out of the trees naked. Strangely, Tessa

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wasn’t self-conscious or embarrassed. I guess I’m getting used to this, she thought, looking over her mom’s face. “Hello, Mom.” “Tessa!” her mother exclaimed, eyes widening. Tessa felt a stab of satisfaction at her mother’s shock, then her expression smoothed into the cruel, mocking sneer Tessa remembered from her high school days. “Well, I see bonding has given you some unique abilities. I didn’t know there were any big cats left in Pennsylvania. Who are your friends?” Tessa’s mom gestured toward Jared and Parker, seemingly unconcerned by Jared’s snarl or Parker’s menacing growl. Tessa frowned, but before she could respond, her mother continued. “And where is Parker? I would think that your bond-mate would want to remain as close to you as possible.” She doesn’t know we’re human, Parker sent to Tessa, who had frozen, confused by her mother’s words. What? Your mom thinks you have control over big cats. She doesn’t know you can shape-shift, Jared explained. Tessa sensed him relax a little at the thought. She understood. The odds just increased in their favor, if only minutely, with this information. Still, why wasn’t her mom confused about her lack of clothing? I don’t think she’s worked through the implications yet, baby, Parker thought. Tessa sensed his contempt. It made her feel a little better. She straightened her shoulders, not caring that the masked thugs were staring. Let them look at me. Let them be distracted. They’ll never know what hit them. “What do you want, Mom?” Tessa asked, walking forward, Parker on one side and Jared on the other. She ran her fingers through their fur, savoring the feel of their strong muscles moving beneath her hands. The pleasure of it almost made up for the increasingly unpleasant stench she sensed the closer she got to the intruders. Their peculiar ashy smell turned her stomach. She also tried not to look at her mom directly—the older woman’s aura was horrifying, a thick, smoggy coating that lingered over her skin like a rotting shawl.

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“Can’t a mother visit her daughter?” The men around her shifted uncomfortably. Tessa added a little bounce to her step, making her boobs wiggle. She caught Parker’s amusement. “You never visit me, Mom. And certainly not with a set of thugs and weapons.” She gestured to her mother’s psychic-acid pistol strapped to her thigh. “You shot Parker.” Tessa’s mom tossed her head. “Good. I’m glad he’s dead. He deserved it. You don’t need him.” Tessa stared at her. Didn’t she realize? “If Parker were dead, I wouldn’t be here. We’re bonded, remember?” The older woman’s eyes darkened. “You’re my daughter. You’re stronger than any bond. And I need your blood.” Tessa frowned darkly. “I’m your daughter, not one of your experiments.” Her mother smiled, the expression on her face so empty Tessa shuddered in response, her fingers clutching at Jared and Parker. They were the only reason she could face this horror. “If you won’t cooperate, I have no use for you. I made you, I can unmake you, daughter.” With those words, Tessa’s mother lunged for her pistol, ripping it away from the Velcro straps and whipping it up. Tessa dived for the ground as Parker and Jared lunged forward. The first psychic-acid round exploded near her head, thankfully missing anything vital. A few drops landed on her shield and dissipated without harming her. She glanced up. Jared had already taken down one of the men while Parker grappled with the other. Suddenly, a force slammed into her mind, trying to push past her shields. Her mother was using her power to try and break through. Jared! Parker, hurry up! she sent as she grunted under the weight of her mother’s assault. She looked at the steps, not surprised to find her mother staring right at her, blue eyes gleaming with malice. How is she this strong? She couldn’t hurt us like this in the restaurant, Tessa thought, beginning to pull energy from the earth to help reinforce her aura shield. What had her mother done?

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“Just give in. You can’t resist me forever, Tessa. I’ve already made another advance with my formula.” The older woman ripped open a pocket and pulled out a ball of green liquid, then popped it in her mouth, biting down. A sharp, acrid scent ripped through the air, cutting through even the ashy smell of the addicts’ auras. Tessa gagged, her claws suddenly ripping out and into the ground as her mother swallowed her concoction. Without warning, the force of her mother’s aura increased five-fold, slamming into Tessa’s mind. Her mother just wouldn’t give up. Frantic, Tessa shored up the threads of the bonding that had frayed in the new attack, shaking her head at the muzzy feeling stealing over her thoughts. Why was Parker yelling at her? She concentrated. Shift? She felt a sting on her hand. Jared crouched next to her. He swiped at her again, raising another welt. Shift! Shift to your cat form, Tessa! That’ll protect you, he cried into her mind, bypassing her mother’s frantic assault. Tessa nodded with difficulty then moaned, reaching for her power. The shift this time was agonizingly slow. She could feel her bones popping. It was more like acid raining down on her than water rippling into her. It was horrible. It’s your mother, pushing at you, Parker sent as he grappled with another addict. Where did that one come from? Tessa wondered, her mind voice fractured. She forced the shift to continue. I thought there were only three of them? More came while you were occupied with your mother, Jared sent. He slashed at one of the new attackers who came too close to Tessa. She sensed Jared’s anger and his grim determination to protect her as the man fell. She pushed even harder, sensing her fur growing, her teeth elongating. Her skull felt like it was breaking apart. She wanted to scream but couldn’t spare the energy. When she tumbled through the last bit of change and settled into cat form, she almost didn’t believe or understand it was finally complete, but she had no time to

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think about it. Her mother shrieked at her and raised her pistol, horror twisting her face into a caricature. Tessa flinched as her mother fingered the trigger. If I don’t do something, I’m going to die. She stared at her mother, thinking of how easy it was to manipulate cells using the trio-bond energy. Could she affect others in the same way? No time to deliberate. She concentrated, willing the older woman’s hand to disintegrate. Her mother screamed once, a horrible, low sound filled with pain as the pistol fell to the ground in a shower of thick, black blood. Tessa gagged, horrified at what she had done. It was so fucking easy. Tessa’s mother spat at her, clutching the stump of her arm, then ran into the house. Oh my God, what have I done? Tessa thought, faintly. Jared snarled, slashing at another attacker. Now is not the time to freak out, Tessa, he sent, his mind voice determined. One more slash, and the man went down. Tessa shook her head, trying to force the sight of her mother’s stump out of her mind. I’m okay, she thought to Jared then cocked her head as she heard a car start in the front of the house. That must be my mother. She looked at the back door as Parker trotted up to her and leaned against her side in support. We should follow her, he sent. We can’t let her get away with that new version of the drug. Or that acid pistol. Tessa looked around. All their attackers were dead. No more thugs? Jared whuffed, and Tessa growled in sympathy. He was trying to get the taste of the addicts’ blood out of his mouth. The two that were left after you hurt your mother ran around the house after her. Parker loped up the steps and through the house. Tessa followed on his heels, trying not to wince as she sensed their fading aura-scent in her house. Disgusting. She took off in a Jeep, Parker sent, shoving his way through the front door. Jared and Tessa followed him down the front porch steps,

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sniffing at her mother’s tracks. Her scent was strong, the ashy-rotting aura of her addiction lending a note of bitterness to her normal smell. Can you track it? Tessa asked, sniffing around the tire tracks. The nasty aura scent clung even there. Yes, Jared said, his mind voice certain. I could follow that stench anywhere. Okay, let’s go, Parker said, his mind determined. How is she even driving? Tessa sent as she followed Parker, loping down her driveway to the road. She shuddered, thinking of what she’d done to her mother’s arm. She probably has someone else with her, driving the Jeep. Jared paused, sniffed, then took off again, Tessa and Parker following. Her body strained as they picked up more and more speed, trying to follow the car. The attack at her house had exhausted her even more, but she knew she needed to follow her mother and stop her. She pushed herself, muscles burning, trying to keep up with Jared and Parker, but they were larger than her. Stronger. She wasn’t going to be able to stay with them. A stab of despair cramped her gut. She tripped, cutting the soft pad of her paw on a stone. Tessa! Jared pulled up short. Are you okay? I’m fine, she sent. Keep going. You can’t lose her! I’ll catch up! She was already pulling in energy from the ground to heal herself. Jared took her at her word and loped off, Parker following his lead. A few minutes later, the wound was healed, and Tessa took off after them, following their scent and aural trail easily even though she could no longer see them. As she ran, she worried. If she wasn’t there to heal them, how could they fight off the psychic acid? She almost stumbled again, instinctively pulling more energy from the ground, ready to heal herself. Instead, she felt the energy boost her speed. What the—? She opened the slight connection more, savoring the rich feeling of the earth’s power sifting into her body, strengthening her. She opened wider, and the power hit her aura, motes of it bleeding off into the air like the fiery stars of a sparkler. Freaky. Tessa kept going,

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absorbing energy, and then she tried to filter the pressure and send the excess to Jared and Parker. They were fast, but a Jeep was faster. They needed every advantage they could get. She felt them yelp with surprise and smiled internally. Yup, it worked. She gathered the sparks and blended them into their auras even as she drew closer to her lovers. She fed the power into the braided threads of their bond until the shimmer made her eyes ache. Then, with a last surge of speed, she finally caught up to them, squeezing in between their sleek bodies as they ran. About time you caught up with us, Parker thought to her, a hint of teasing in his mind voice. Tessa sent him a mental image of her giving him the finger. She felt his laughter inside her head and returned it before abruptly sobering as Jared slowed down, skidding off the rural road. She joined him on the gravel, not surprised to see a dirt road leading into the forest. She recognized this spot. The trees grew thickly along this stretch of road, and the underbrush was thick, almost obscuring the dirt track. They went in there? Tessa asked with a stab of foreboding. She could clearly see fresh tire tracks in the soft dirt leading into the depths of the forest. Jared glanced at her and sniffed the ground. They turned here. He looked at the dirt road then sniffed again. This leads to an old coal mine, doesn’t it? Tessa sent affirmation. Yeah, we’re at the southern foot of the Blue Mountain range. There isn’t a lot of coal on this side of the mountain, so this mine was only open for a few years back in the 1800s. It’s been abandoned for a long time. She glanced at the opening again. She did not want to go in there. Usually she enjoyed hiking in this area, but knowing that her mother was in there, set on killing or bleeding her and her bond-mates dry made her want to run the other way. She remembered disintegrating her hand, and she wanted to run even more.

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Parker bumped Tessa with his head encouragingly, sensing her disquiet. We should be careful. He cautiously stepped past her. Dude, you read my mind, she sent, amused as she felt Jared mentally rolling his eyes at her. Well, it’s true, she thought petulantly, then quieted her nerves as she forced herself after him, slipping into the brush along one side of the dirt track to minimize any chance of discovery. She sensed Jared watching approvingly before he did the same. Parker ventured a few more steps in the open before he melted into the trees. The trail is clearly marked, Jared thought as they moved forward. It’s easier to track here. Tessa agreed. The hard road didn’t hold impressions or even scent very well. She knew Jared had been following the traces of ash on the air more than any smell that lingered on the asphalt. Here she could see tracks in the dirt—turned stones, some crushed grass. She looked at Jared. The mine entrance isn’t far. I remember walking along this route when Parker and I went hiking last year. Parker sent affirmation through their link, and then Tessa caught a hint of worry. We need to be careful. I’m worried about an ambush. We can’t let that stop us, Jared sent. Tessa growled, wanting to get moving. If they lingered any more, she’d lose her nerve. Jared glanced at her, his green eyes piercing, unfathomable. Tessa was glad he was on their side. When he moved forward, keeping to the shadows, Parker and Tessa followed. Ten long minutes later, the trio paused on the edge of a small clearing. Her mother’s Jeep was parked to the side of an old coal mine tunnel, the front end shoved into the brush along the side of a stone ridge. The entrance was overgrown with vines and shrubs, but Tessa could still see the crumbling bricks that defined the edges of the small hole in the mountain. The scent of her mother lingered on the breeze along with an acrid, cold smell from the depths of the mine. This is it, Tessa sent, inching forward into the open. She swung her head around, using vision to augment her other senses. She didn’t

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hear or feel anyone else around. She opened her mental senses wider, gathering more power from the ground and shoving the extra into Jared and Parker. They shuddered as the energy sunk into them, and Tessa concentrated on weaving their auras tighter, until they became impenetrable shields. This energy will help, but we’re going to have to get some real rest when this is all over. Jared sent agreement to her. I hate small, enclosed spaces, Parker thought, his mind voice glum, even as he shrugged the sparks of energy into his body. We have to do this, Jared insisted. He walked ahead of Tessa, rubbing his long body along her side. Tessa shivered, enjoying the sensuous feel of his fur against hers, but it wasn’t enough to calm her nerves. Parker growled under his breath, the sound heightening her unease. She waited until Jared cautiously inspected the entrance. It looks clear. Tessa moved closer, the thought of her mother’s rage flashing across her mind. It didn’t matter that she didn’t want to do this. They had to stop the woman before she hurt anyone else. Tessa snarled quietly then followed Jared into the darkness. **** Jared inched along the mine shaft, using his nose to find the way. They’d long since lost the faint illumination of the mine entrance. This particular mine was so old, he didn’t think it had ever been wired for electricity. He scented the crumbling rot of ancient lumber and hoped the beams shoring up the ceiling would hold. They should, Parker sent, catching the edge of Jared’s thoughts. I can smell Cynthia more now than I could outside. Obviously she’s been using this mine for a while. Today’s scent trail is overlaying many older ones. Jared agreed. The scent of ash lingered much thicker in the passageway than he’d expected. We should be very careful, he

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thought as he turned down an auxiliary shaft. I’m not sure how stable these tunnels are. The ceiling was much lower, and part of the wall had caved in, but her footprints were still strongly marked. He wished he could blow his nose or even grimace, but his cat form, for all its many advantages, prevented him from expressing those simple human gestures of disgust. I don’t think one shower will be enough to wash this stench off of my body. He felt Tessa and Parker’s agreement as he thought about how much he hated Cynthia’s peculiar smell. It permeated his nose and fur until he wanted to snarl at it. It was a perversion of the beautiful scent of a true bond. He stalked the tunnel floor, sniffing only when he had to, consoling himself with visions of Tessa and Parker in the shower with him when this was all over. Did you hear that? Tessa thought suddenly, breaking into his reverie. Her mind voice crackled with alarm. Jared froze, listening. For a moment he heard nothing, and then he caught a hint of a faint snapping sound as it echoed in the tunnel. What is that? Parker sniffed then snarled. They’re burning something. In a mine? Tessa sent, an edge of panic in her thoughts. I don’t think they’re burning anything large, Jared sent to her. He inched forward, straining to hear. The sound grew louder, and he felt Tessa feeding him more energy. It boosted his hearing. The crackling sound was like listening to a thick liquid burning over a stove. He heard glass clinking against wood, and the answer abruptly came to him. This is a ‘Path lab! Tessa’s shock reverberated along their link. Are you sure? I thought it was just my mom’s hideout in this area. Jared fed her the images his sense of smell constructed. We know they take the blood of bonded couples and use it to manufacture ‘Path. We know that ‘Path is a liquid. What we don’t know is exactly how they do it, but it stands to reason they have to put the blood through some sort of chemical process to create the drug. Parker eased himself forward. I hear voices.

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Jared tensed and followed until he could hear them, too. Tessa fed them more energy, and he let it sink into him, heightening his connection with the ground. She slipped up behind him as he continued along until all three of them could hear clearly. “I don’t care! We’ve got to pack up and go to the secondary site!” Tessa’s mom was saying. Jared noted the shrill tone of her voice. She was stressed. Good. “Do you see this? This stump is all that’s left of my fucking arm. My acid pistol rounds bounced right off of them!” “We can’t leave until we finish processing this batch,” a man’s deep voice responded. “They’re going to kill me! Give me another dose.” “Like hell. You didn’t even pay us for the last one. And if you couldn’t capture your daughter, you should’ve killed her and her bond-mate. We could have used the blood,” the man responded, his voice calm. Jared eased forward. He could make out a faint light ahead. “Johnson, she disintegrated my hand,” Cynthia argued. “Who knows what else she can do? I need more ‘Path.” Johnson was her assistant! Tessa sent, her mind voice excited. But he doesn’t seem to be taking orders from her. Yeah, that’s weird, Parker offered, his large body slinking up beside Jared. He felt both warm and menacing. “Cynthia, I don’t really give a flying fuck about your hand. You had one assignment to do here, and you fucked it up. Which doesn’t surprise me.” “I’m the one that got you this job, Johnson,” Cynthia stated, her frustration evident by the brittle edge in her voice. “And we didn’t have enough information on them. I had no idea she’d bonded and could call big cats to her. No one could’ve predicted that!” Her voice was growing raspy. Jared reasoned that the blood loss was probably making her weak.

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“Does that matter? You know what they’ll do to us if we fail,” Johnson stated, his voice hard. Jared heard more clinking and the sound of a crate being shifted. “I don’t intend on failing them.” Who’s ‘they’? Tessa wondered. Jared shrugged in his mind. Maybe your mom needed resources to set up the drug trade. “You have to help me,” Cynthia begged. “I don’t have to do jack shit. You got yourself into this mess. You get yourself out of it.” “What if my daughter followed me here?” Cynthia’s voice turned cunning. “Then I guess you’re going to die, especially if her cats came with her,” Johnson stated. The crackling sound abruptly stopped. Jared was close enough now that he could see the turn in the tunnel ahead. He bet there was a semi-open cavern ahead where the lab was set up. He heard the faint whine of a generator. They had power, and water was probably abundant this deep in the ground. He knew that mines typically had to pump water out, so he figured they’d have everything they needed to manufacture the drug. What do we do? Tessa sent. We need to assess how many of them are in there, Jared answered, even as he wondered how exactly they were going to manage that. Maybe I can use my aura-sense, Tessa mused. Jared sensed her concentrating, and then a burst of energy sizzled against his aura. His fur stood on end, and it was all he could do not to jump straight up in the air. Tessa! What the hell? Sorry, sorry, she muttered in his head but didn’t drop the energy load. Jared wished he could help her, but his talents ran more to brute, physical force. Suddenly she gasped. What? Parker demanded, his mind voice irritable. Jared knew his bond-mate’s fur was as ruffled as his. Look. Tessa invited them deeper into her mind. He saw a crude image of auras and earth energy, the currents and colors shifting like a

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bad infrared scope. The flares of color and sparkles of energy confused him for a moment, and then he realized that Tessa had used her ability to scent auras and draw energy to construct a map of the hidden cavern ahead. If he concentrated, he could make out several bodies and equipment. There were a stack of crates along one of the walls and a large table in the center of the space. On the table were numerous burners. A bright thread of energy lead down another shaft. I think that’s the electrical conduit that leads to a generator. Tessa, you’re amazing, Jared sent her. He was astonished by her ability. I don’t know yet what I can’t do. I seem to be limited to enhancing scent and vision, maybe physical strength. This image is just a representation of what the three of us are smelling, Tessa thought to him. Jared realized she was right. He’d continued to instinctively scent the scene even as she constructed a virtual image in her brain. Now that he knew, he could tell which parts of the image were his contribution and which were Tessa’s and Parker’s. That’s incredible, Parker sent, the admiration he felt clearly permeating his mind voice. Jared felt Tessa’s answering bashfulness and smiled to himself. He loved them so much. I think I can cut the power, too, Tessa added. How? Jared asked, even more astonished. My ability to heal seems to work on physical things, in a limited fashion. I can short it by disintegrating pieces of the cord. It’s a bit harder with inanimate objects, especially if they’re not organic, but I think I can do it. That would help us get the drop on them, Parker sent. I hope so. It would be nice if we can disorient them before we barge in there, totally outnumbered, Tessa responded. Jared wanted to hug her. Yeah, do it. There are six of them. We should be able to handle them, even with the acid pistols. Okay. On three?

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Yup. As Tessa’s body press against his, Jared sensed Parker’s resolve build. A well of gratitude for his bond-mates’ strength filled him, and he began the count. One, two—

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Chapter 14 Tessa pulled with all her strength, willing the bright cord of power she sensed in her mind to disintegrate. It bent in her grasp, twisting like taffy, but as she sucked in more of the power, feeding it to Parker and Jared, it grew brittle. Just a little more, and it will break, she sent, her mind voice gasping. She sensed Parker gathering his determination around him like a shield, and Jared tensed beside her. Suddenly, the conduit exploded in a flash of light. She’d been expecting that, so she had their auras thickened in front of their eyes for the split second needed to protect their vision. Jared and Parker flinched then leaped forward. Tessa was more afraid of the excess energy generated by the brief explosion. When it blew, the earthenergy she held in her mind flared. She struggled, trying to absorb the excess even as Jared and Parker disappeared into the cavern. Her brain was full of static, the energy bouncing around inside her skull until she wrestled it down, shoving it into their auras. The sound of screaming grew louder as she grounded the energy and focused her nose again. Tessa sniffed then once again formed the energy-aural image in their minds. She eased forward to the cavern’s opening, not wanting to get in the way. Parker was ripping out the throat of one of her mother’s men while Jared snarled at a thug who was pointing a gun at him. No! she screamed, shoving more power into Jared while simultaneously unmaking the attacker’s legs. The man toppled but didn’t lose his grip on the gun. Tessa wanted to vomit at what she’d done, but there wasn’t time. It felt like the opposite of healing, disintegrating flesh like that, but she’d had no choice. She had to use

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every weapon at her disposal. It was even easier than when she’d dissolved her mother’s arm. The thought made her gag but she reigned in her reaction. Jared needed her. She tried again, unmaking the man’s fingers but she was too late. Jared ducked as the man shot at him but the bullet missed. The attacker toppled and died. In the corner of her eye, Tessa saw her mother shoot Parker point blank with her psychic acid, and suddenly she was too busy shoring up Parker’s aura to worry about Jared any longer. Thankfully, repairing the aura was easier than before. All the extra energy she’d pushed into them helped. What’s that smell? Jared thought at her, his mind voice harried. And where’s Johnson? Tessa looked around wildly. I can’t pinpoint him! She sniffed, trying to get a hint of the man, but all she inhaled was ash. I don’t smell anything but ash. Something’s burning, Jared gasped into her mind even as he shredded another thug with his claws. Tessa sensed another sneaking up behind him and concentrated. His body burst into nothing. She gagged then forced the reaction down. The extra energy she’d pulled made her control tenuous, but she couldn’t regret saving her bondmates. Thanks, sweetheart, Jared thought to her, his mind voice soothing. He would’ve gotten me if you hadn’t killed him. I know, but it’s horrible. I should be healing— Tessa, behind you! Parker shouted in her head, and she whirled. A man loomed up over her, and she instinctively shoved her power into him, willing him to die. This time the man melted, his flesh slipping down over his bones into a sludgy pile of ashy residue before disappearing. Tessa coughed up saliva and spat. I hate this! Darling, you had to. He would’ve killed you, Jared sent, moving closer now that all the thugs were dead. Johnson escaped. Damnit. Parker snarled, and Tessa realized he still had her mother cornered. The woman shrank back against the wall, dropping her

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now-empty acid pistol. Parker snarled again then shifted, his muscular human body looming over Tessa’s mom. He looked just as menacing like that as in his cat form. He reached down and picked up a flashlight then clicked it on. “Your acid can’t hurt us anymore, Cynthia.” Tessa’s mom blinked in the sudden light, gaping at the naked man looming over her. “Parker?” “Where did Johnson go?” Parker demanded, grabbing the woman by her uninjured arm. He shook her. “Is there another way out of here?” “Like I’d tell you!” Tessa’s mom hissed. She was pale and weak but still stubborn. “If you don’t, we’ll leave you here,” Parker said, fingers digging in hard enough to make her gasp. The woman spit at him, but Parker didn’t blink. Tessa stalked around the cavern, growling as she listened. Just like her mom to turn nasty when cornered. Why isn’t she using her power to try and fuck with our heads? Parker asked. Tessa thought about it for a moment. Blood loss. She needs a certain amount of ‘Path in her system to do anything. Look, her pupils are dilated, and she’s getting the shakes. You’d better ask her your questions before her brain seizes. “Who funded this lab?” Parker asked. Tessa sensed he knew he wouldn’t get any information about Johnson from her. “This is my lab,” she said, but Tessa could hear the quiver in her voice. Her mom was hiding something. Parker glanced around at the crates packed full of Styrofoam. “There’s enough ‘Path in here to buy a small country.” His eyes grew hard. “Where did you get the blood to make it?” Tessa’s mom suddenly dived for the floor, wrenching her arm out of Parker’s grasp. Tessa snarled, but before she could get there, Jared had the woman pinned. Tessa began to walk over then paused. What

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was that smell? Jared was right. Something is definitely burning, she sent to Jared and Parker. Parker looked at her, his face grim. Can you pinpoint the source? I can try. Tessa swept the room with her senses, trying to focus her energy on the room. The dim light didn’t help at all, so she closed her eyes and inhaled, ignoring her mother’s futile struggles. As she reached out, she realized that she could sense packets of blood along one wall, packed into crates. Her healing gift cringed as it touched the blood, sensing the death of the cells inside. Tessa guessed it didn’t matter if the blood was fresh or not. They could still manufacture ‘Path from it. The drug vials were packed nearby in small lots of eight inside the Styrofoam. The organic nature of the drug called to her, and Tessa realized that she could unmake everything in here with the stored energy of the drug. She shuddered then realized that she felt a spark of energy traveling along a cord. It lead under the stack of ‘Path crates. I found the fuse! she exclaimed, sending the image to Jared. Jared backed off Tessa’s mom, letting Parker grab hold of her again. He shifted to human and grabbed Parker’s light. “Who is that?” Tessa’s mom asked, her voice shocked. Parker snorted. “That’s Tessa’s other bond-mate, Jared.” The woman gasped. “Trio-bond!” Knowing they wouldn’t get any information from her mother, Tessa ignored her and followed Jared to the crates, sniffing out the source of the burning scent. He crouched down and peered into the crack between the stacked boxes. “It’s a fuse. I can’t find the end,” Jared said, frowning. Tessa’s mom cackled. “Johnson’s parting gift!” “What the hell are you talking about?” Parker shook the woman again, not caring that her head snapped back and hit the wall. Tessa looked at her mom, strangely unmoved. After everything the woman had done to hurt her, she just didn’t care anymore. “Boom!” Her mother laughed, eyes wild.

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Tessa snarled. That’s it, she’s snapped! Be careful. Wait, Jared sent, his mind suddenly buzzing a million miles an hour. Tessa, do you know if ‘Path is flammable? I don’t know, she answered, worried. Why else would Johnson have lit that fuse? Parker reasoned. Tessa looked at him then at Jared, seeing her fear reflected in their eyes. A deep rumble shook the ground. What the hell was that? Tessa’s mom laughed maniacally. “There goes the main tunnel!” I think it’s time to run, Tessa said, just as the fuse beneath the crate sparked. The wood caught fire. Fuck! She leaped for the secondary tunnel where she’d undone the generator conduit. I hope this leads somewhere! Jared shifted into cat form and dived after her. Leave the woman, he ordered Parker. Tessa sensed a flash as Parker shifted. She took off as fast as she could down the tunnel, ignoring the shards of slate on the floor that cut her paws. She’d have time to heal later. She ignored the small pang of regret at the thought of her mother dying back in the cavern. She deserves everything she gets, Tessa, Parker sent as he loped behind her. Tessa didn’t have time to agree. A massive explosion shook the mine, slamming them to the ground. She struggled for breath as all the air was sucked out of the shaft, then a billowing rush of fire roared toward them. Tessa chanced a look back and wished she hadn’t. A wall of flame shot toward them. There was nothing they could do. She instinctively grabbed onto their auras as she sank her claws into the ground, pulling up massive amounts of energy in an effort to save them. Tessa! Parker sent, his thoughts crashing into her brain. She felt Jared hook onto them both, and then the flames were there. Hang on, she sent as the heat splashed over them. The acrid scent of singed fur slipped into her nostrils. Sparks danced behind her eyes as she fought the urge to breathe in. There wasn’t any air anyway.

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Everything around them was hot, red fire. Then the ground began to melt, and she lost control of her form. She shifted back to human, wincing as her tender flesh met the burning slate beneath her, but she didn’t release the shield. Even if I burn to a crisp I won’t let go, she sent to her men. **** Tessa! Parker raised his head, relieved to be alive. The initial shockwave had smashed him to the ground. Everything in Parker’s body urged him to grab Tessa and Jared and get the hell out of there. He couldn’t believe she’d been able to keep them shielded through the initial blast. He drew in a tentative breath, regretting it immediately. The air was thin and hot. The floor is melting, Jared sent. Parker looked down, horrified to see the slate beneath him flare molten. We have to get out of here! Tessa can’t move or she’ll lose the shield. Parker didn’t even think about it. He shifted to human and tried to pick Tessa up, but his hands slid over her skin. He’d burned them when he shifted, and his hands were slick with blood. He ignored the pain. Jared! Don’t touch the ground if you can help it! I’m here, Jared sent, his human form bending and helping Parker lift Tessa. Hold on, sweetheart, we’ll get us out of here. He looked at Parker. I was able to shift and keep my front paws up. Thank you, Parker thought, tears running down his face. He wiped them away impatiently. We’ve got to move. You go, I’ll follow, Jared thought. Parker moved carefully, trying not to break Tessa’s concentration. The floor and walls glowed a sullen red, but he ignored it, trusting Tessa would keep the shield intact long enough. As long as we don’t hit a fragile pocket, Jared sent. Parker trudged ahead grimly. We won’t.

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After a few minutes of careful walking, the walls dulled to a sullen, dark red, then gray. A whiff of fresh air made Parker pause, then walk faster. Was that light, too? “Fresh air ahead,” he rasped, coughing. They walked some more then paused when they could see the mouth of the tunnel, a tiny pinprick of light at the end of the darkness. “Tessa, I think you can drop the shield,” Jared said, gently. Parker felt the shield drop, but the ground was cool. Nothing burned. “Is she okay?” he asked Jared. “She is just fine,” Tessa retorted. She sounded irritated but alive. Alive was good. “Baby, you have no idea how glad I am to hear that,” Parker soothed, waiting for Jared to catch up to them. He looked down into her face. She was pale with exhaustion. He cupped her cheek then winced as he left streaks of blood on her skin. “Parker! What happened?” She struggled to get down. Jared gently put her feet on the floor. She immediately grabbed Parker’s hands. “Jesus.” Parker felt a surge of healing energy tingle and snatched his hands away. “No! Are you crazy!” “Let me fix you, and then we can get out of here,” Tessa said, stubborn. “They’re good enough for now, and you’re too tired to do more.” He stepped closer to her and kissed her on the lips. “You saved our lives. Thank you.” Jared slipped up next to him and kissed her, too. “Thank you, sweetheart.” Tessa blinked as they drew away. She began to smile then whipped her head around at the sound of footsteps. “Well, well, what do we have here?” a voice said. Parker shoved Tessa behind him, hackles rising. The outline of a large man blocked the light.

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**** Tessa stared tiredly at the man and woman blocking the exit. What the hell? She felt a giggle bubble up and ruthlessly suppressed it. This was ridiculous. Why were there so many bad guys? After all they’d been through, her energy level was so low she almost didn’t understand what was happening, except for the familiar ashy scent. They’re not safe, she sent to Parker and Jared. She felt their agreement, even as she struggled to make her mind and body function. The couple blocked the exit, and Tessa was afraid she might be too tired to shift if it came to fighting. She was too vulnerable like this—naked and human. “Who are you?” Parker asked, shoving Tessa behind him. He and Jared closed ranks, protecting her. The man didn’t answer. Tessa peeked between her bond-mates, gasping when she saw how large the man was. He stepped forward, and the woman with him moved to his side. He was at least six-four, and the woman wasn’t much shorter. They were both muscular and armed with some kind of automatic handgun. Tessa blinked, trying to clear her eyes as they watered from the double stench of burning and ash. She could feel the heat against her back growing stronger. The residual coal deposits and dust must have caught fire, she thought. Her adrenaline spiked at the thought. If they couldn’t escape they would burn alive. They had to deal with this couple. “Stop right there,” Parker warned as the man continued to move forward. Tessa sensed Parker’s exhaustion, too. She peered more closely at the man and woman, trying to see in the low light, then sucked in a sharp breath. Their auras are connected, she thought. Tessa’s eyes lingered over the couple’s smoky aura, surprised at the way the strands wove into each other. It almost looks as if—No! It can’t be! What? Jared asked her, his hand on her arm.

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They’re bonded! Tessa felt sick. They’re a bonded couple who’ve taken ‘Path. The large man smiled, the expression menacing in the dark. “I see you’ve figured it out.” “Why would you use ‘Path if you’re already bonded?” Parker asked. Tessa sensed his disbelief even as Jared gently pushed her back further. “You have no idea, do you?” The woman stepped closer. “You’re already trio-bonded. I can see it on you. You have powers, but you don’t understand them.” “What are you talking about?” Jared asked. He tilted his body so that he presented the smallest possible target. The man put a hand on the woman’s neck, urging her closer. “You think we’re going to hurt you? Look, no guns. My hands are empty.” Tessa frowned. He’s up to something. She put her hand on Parker’s back, using the contact with him to stealthily rebuild their shields. She was tired, yes, but the surge of adrenaline helped her focus. “You have something we want,” the woman said, her voice hard. “If you cooperate, we’ll let you live. If not?” She shrugged. “Like hell,” Parker snorted, backing up slightly. “We can take it from you by force.” The man let his hand fall away from the woman. She took a deep breath and stilled her body. Tessa watched them, wary, as tiny pricks of energy suddenly began to sting her skin. What were they doing? She tried to pull more energy from the ground, but there wasn’t any left. The dirt beneath her was dead with the fire. She felt their shields begin to shred. We’ve got to get out of here! Jared nodded, and she felt him shift, forcing his exhausted body into his cat form. “Oh, that’s just lovely!” the woman said, eager. She lifted her hands as the man stepped behind her and placed his palms on her shoulders.

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Tessa felt something trickle down her face. What is that? The faint, coppery scent of blood was on the air. She touched a finger to her cheek. When she brought it down, her hand shook. The woman was pulling the blood right out of her body, through her skin. Another trickle, and her arms began to sting. Her heart pounded as her body tensed. A wave of dizziness rolled over her. “Yeah, you get it now. We don’t even have to touch you to take what we want,” the man rasped, head thrown back as if in pleasure. Parker grunted and dropped to his knees. He shifted, but Tessa could see it didn’t help. Jared was on the ground, his fur wet and sticky as he writhed, snarling under his breath. Tessa felt like she was swimming in a dream. Nothing felt real anymore. She could see droplets of blood floating into the air then disappearing. Another wave of weakness passed through her as the woman licked her lips. Where was the blood going? Tessa thought, then realized the couple was drawing it into their aura, which was growing thicker, stronger. They didn’t even have to process the blood for it to work like ‘Path. Eww. “How?” she gasped as she began to shiver. “Why are you doing this?” She reached out her hand. A drop of blood slipped from her index finger and drifted away. Then another. She tried clenching her hand into a fist, but the blood welled up between her knuckles. She tried to call Jared and Parker in her mind, but their presence was slipping away. She sent them her love but had no idea if they heard her. “Simple. Because we can.” The woman smiled, her face serene. Powerful. Tessa shuddered as the woman continued talking. “This is our power. Imagine my surprise when we found out what we could do after shooting up with ‘Path that first time.” The woman shook her head, everything about her growing stronger. Tessa could see her gray aura gleaming from within. Tiny sparks of heat sped through the ashy fluctuations, burning and flaring as the blood was absorbed.

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That’s my aura, Tessa thought, horrified. She blinked, tasted blood in her mouth. No. I won’t allow this, she thought, gathering the last pieces of her consciousness into a hard ball inside her mind. Jared and Parker had almost completely faded now. Tessa felt like she was being torn apart. She planted her feet and focused with the remnants of her power. She didn’t shift. She didn’t want that. Instead, she shoved her will at the man and woman, imagining their bodies disintegrating, all their cells, all at once. A wave of vertigo smashed into Tessa, and then the woman gasped, falling back into the man. Tessa pushed harder, imagining her power as claws ripping into the couple’s bond. Tiny pricks of black appeared in their aura. Tessa pushed harder, linking into their bodies now, not just their aura. The moment she felt them flinch, she closed metaphysical fingers around their power and pulled with everything she had. She smelled heat and ash, then beneath it, the scent of night filtered into her senses. The air outside the mine was cool and drenched with living things. Tessa planted her feet into the dead ground and pulled again and again. The woman gasped, collapsing back against her bonded lover. “No! You can’t—” the woman choked. Her man grabbed her upper arms and pulled her back. Tessa narrowed her eyes at them. She could feel Jared and Parker leaning on her as she sunk her mental claws in, ripping away as soon as she sensed she’d gained a hold. She did it again and again, then suddenly, the couple’s aura shredded in a burst of stinging ash. Tessa caught her breath as the most incredible surge of power shoved her back. She stumbled, trying to swallow all of it. Her skin was on fire, pricking with the energy she’d sucked away from the couple. The man reached for his gun, swinging it up. Tessa went rigid then forced herself to concentrate. The skin on the man’s hand began to melt. She pulled harder, and he dropped the gun, grabbing his bonded mate and stepping back. “This isn’t the end,” he rasped, voice taut with pain. Tessa sunk herself into the remnants of his aura and ripped again. She felt like her power was an extension of her claws.

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She could rip and rip then lick up the power. She sucked his energy into her body and strengthened herself, then pushed the excess into Parker and Jared. She could feel them again as their auras fluctuated with the massive energy spikes she was feeding them. “You won’t get away with this. You can’t steal people’s blood and expect no one to stop you.” Tessa took a step towards the man. The clean air from outside sifting around them like perfume. She wanted out of this mine. The man’s aura was in tatters. He spat and moved away from her, holding the woman up. She looked like she was on the verge of passing out. Tessa couldn’t see even a speck of an aura around her. “You have no idea what we’re capable of,” the man said, his voice low and angry. “You think you’ve won, but we have ‘Path stockpiled everywhere.” Tessa snarled and moved closer, raising her hand. The man smelled like carrion to her sensitive nose. Carrion and ashes. He stepped back again then tightened his hands around the woman. Tessa sensed a surge of power from somewhere. The man’s body wavered, and then the woman began to ripple. They looked like smoke on the wind. Tessa pushed forward, trying to stop what was happening, but the man and woman suddenly boiled into an ashy smoke that roiled menacingly for a split second before it faded away on the wind.

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Chapter 15 Parker grunted, heaving himself to his feet. Where the fuck did they go? I don’t know, Tessa replied, confusion spilling over their link. Parker shifted, slipping back into human form. It wasn’t as difficult as it was just a few minutes ago, but he certainly didn’t have any extra energy. He staggered then grabbed onto Tessa to catch his balance. Thank God she was able to keep their aura and bonding intact. “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice tired and raspy from the smoke. “Yeah. We have to get out of here,” Parker responded, taking her hand. He looked at Jared, and the other man shifted to human form. Parker sniffed the air. The mine was burning. “We’ve gotta go,” Jared said, grabbing Tessa’s free hand and tugging her and Parker toward the scent of fresh air. “How did they just disappear like that?” Tessa shook her head. “I have no idea. It must have something to do with their power.” “Shit,” Parker breathed, walking faster. The ground was hot. “No time to speculate. We have to move.” Tessa stumbled, and he caught her before she fell. Together, the three of them walked faster then broke into a run at Jared’s urging. “This place is going to blow.” Parker agreed. They ran toward the exit, following the sweet scent of trees and grass and dew. As they broke into the light, the ground shook. Tessa almost fell, but Parker caught her, meeting Jared’s eyes

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over her head. They had to get farther away from the mine exit. He dragged her into the forest as Jared followed, not caring which direction he headed as long as it was away from the mine. He ran, instinctively following a game trail, ducking under branches and through shrubs. The farther they got from the mine, the better he felt. Suddenly, the ground rumbled, and a huge explosion shook the trees. Parker hit the ground, and Tessa fell on top of him. Jared dropped to his hands and knees and leaned into them, panting. “Shit! That was close,” Parker breathed, hands closing around Tessa automatically. “God, I can’t believe they set the mine on fire.” Jared rolled closer, resting his face in Parker’s neck. “No telling how long it’s going to burn. There might be tons of coal deposits underground here, even if the major veins are tapped out.” Parker shifted, bringing the other man into his arms along with Tessa. “We’re alive. That’s all that counts now.” Tessa shuddered. “They just disappeared. That was the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen.” Parker remembered how the bonded couple turned to smoke. “They were like vampires. They wanted our blood. That’s what was creepy.” Jared laughed into Parker’s skin, making him shiver. “We’re talking about vampires. Real vampires, not movie vampires.” He snorted and drew back slightly. “That’s fucked up.” Tessa giggled. “Vampires! And shape-shifters!” She wheezed as she tried to laugh and cough at the same time. “It’s like a really bad movie!” Parker grinned. He couldn’t help it. They were right. Our life is kind of ridiculous when you put it that way. Jared laughed again, tightening his arms around Parker. He turned slightly, and Parker felt his bond-mate’s erection press into his hip. His own cock swelled in response. Um, Jared? Seriously? You want to fuck now?

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Tessa shivered, and Parker knew she felt their growing arousal. If we make love, it’ll help knit our auras back together, she sent. Yeah, don’t be such a sissy, Jared taunted, sliding his dick along Parker’s skin. Parker groaned as he felt the slick tip brush against his hand. Fuck it. He wasn’t strong enough to resist that. Yeah, okay, whatever, he thought, turning and catching Jared’s mouth with his. He licked inside, savoring the taste of his bond-mate. Why the hell do you always taste like mint? Dunno, Jared responded as he nibbled on Parker’s lip. Parker gasped, his cock suddenly hard and aching. He shuddered as Tessa slinked down his chest and took the crown in her mouth. Oh my God, Tessa! I’ve got you, she thought to him, and Parker tore away from Jared to look down his body. Tessa was tonguing along his thick shaft, eyes sparkling. The sight almost sent him over the edge, and then he noticed streaks of dirt on her cheeks. Gently, he pulled her off, gasping when his cock slipped out of her mouth with an audible pop. “What’s the matter?” Tessa asked him, frowning. Her fingers played over his balls, and Parker fought to control himself. “We’re all filthy,” he said, rubbing his fingers over her cheeks. His hands were so dirty he only managed to smear the ash and dust around her skin instead of cleaning it off. “We need to rinse off.” Jared nodded. “You’re right.” He turned his head, scenting the air. Parker watched him with deep appreciation—the other man moved so gracefully, even when covered in filth. He reached out and touched Jared’s shoulder. The skin was warm and pliable. Parker kneaded the muscles, knowing that Jared must be as tired and sore as he felt. “There, I smell water,” Jared said, sighing into Parker’s caress. He pointed west, down a small game trail. “It’s not far.” Parker scented the air. Jared was right. He pushed at the other man, silently urging him forward. “Come on, Tessa. We’ll feel better once we’re clean.”

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“It’s getting dark. We should hurry,” she said, grabbing his hand as they moved into the woods. Parker smiled. “We’ll be fine. We’re the biggest, baddest predators out here.” “He’s got a point.” Jared laughed, glancing back at them. His green eyes gleamed in the deep twilight. Parker thought his bondmate had never looked so handsome. Jared winked at him, and Parker knew he’d heard him thinking. Parker grinned, his erection not wilting even one little bit as the trio headed into the trees. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on them. “I heard that, you know,” Jared said. Parker ignored him as he stared at the other man’s gorgeous butt. It really was a fine specimen of masculinity. “I heard that, too!” Parker laughed, relieved that they were alive. Tessa grinned up at him as they walked, and Parker stumbled, distracted by her full, luscious lips. His dick throbbed even as they walked out into a small clearing. Parker almost plowed into Jared, who stopped at the edge of the trees to look at the small pool. “There’s a waterfall!” Tessa gasped, dropping his hand and pushing forward to kneel at the water’s edge. Parker looked across the small pool surrounded by vegetation. The sun was just setting, throwing warm beams across the tips of the leaves and sparkling on the water. Low ferns fringed the stream that fed the pool on the far side. Closer to him there was a long, low sandy bank where it would be easy to wade into the water. The falls jutted out from an overhang, leaving enough space for a few people to enjoy the water. It’s beautiful, Parker sent. He walked past Tessa, threading his hands through her hair as he headed toward the clear pool. She sighed, nuzzling into his palm for a moment, then leaned forward, cupping her hands to rinse her face. Parker continued toward the waterfall. The small cliff rose up in front of him, but it wasn’t more than twenty feet tall. He couldn’t wait to rinse off. He waded in

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farther, wincing slightly as the cool water closed over his thighs. He had more cuts and bruising than he realized. He stepped up on some smooth, flat rocks that seemed almost purposefully arranged, making it easy to get to the waterfall. To his surprise, there was another large slab of rock directly beneath the falls, perfect for standing on. He ducked his head under the spray, sighing with relief. He didn’t think the pool was deeper than four feet. The bottom was sandy, with small flecks of minerals and tiny, glittering chunks of coal. Small minnows darted around a few strands of vegetation, ignoring the tiny dragonflies that rested on the flowers growing out of the far bank. This feels amazing. Tessa joined him under the water. She turned her face into it, letting the cool liquid wash away the last of the grime. Parker moved out of the falls, letting Jared ease under, but he didn’t go far. He couldn’t. Jared and Tessa were gorgeous. He reached out, let his hand slide down Jared’s curved back to cup the other man’s ass. Perfect. Tessa giggled, and Parker moved closer, pressing his aching cock against Jared as he kissed Tessa. The water crashed over them, slicking their skin. Parker licked Jared’s neck, reveling in the refreshing taste of the water and the warmth beneath. He couldn’t stop himself—he bit Jared, sinking his teeth in, growling. Jared shivered, so Parker pressed deeper, his erection sliding against Jared’s skin. He needed to get closer. Let’s move out to the pool, Tessa sent. I can’t breathe with all this water. Parker sensed the desire in her voice and forced himself to step back, allowing Jared to pull Tessa out of the waterfall. Tessa’s hair was wet and streaming, the tips of it sticking to her breasts. Her nipples were hard and erect. Parker’s mouth watered. “Tessa, you’re gorgeous,” he said, following her to the sandy pool. She sank into the water near the bank, looking like a siren with her wet skin. Water droplets glittered on her eyelashes. Parker groaned and grabbed his own dick, squeezing hard as Jared dropped to his knees, licking the water off Tessa’s pert breasts. Jared looked up over his shoulder.

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“Parker, what the hell are you waiting for? Get down here.” Jared’s voice was sultry. Parker groaned again as his cock jumped in his hand. He loosened his fingers and teased himself, enjoying the way Jared’s face went feral at the sight. “I need to calm down before I touch either of you.” Tessa slipped her hand between her thighs. Parker stared, unable to move as she parted her labia and fingered herself. The water was shallow where she sat, and the pool lapped at her pink folds. Parker pumped into his own hand, tightening his fist around the crown of his cock painfully. He was going to come, just from watching his bondmates fool around. “Parker, Jesus,” Jared breathed, staring up at him. Parker smiled, aware that the water highlighted his skin the same as it did his bondmates. He slipped his cock through the ring of his fist again then reached down to cup his balls. He swayed on his feet, savoring the pleasure as Jared growled and crawled toward him. The other man reared up then stopped with his mouth open, inches from Parker. Parker shuddered as he felt Jared’s hot breath on the tip of his dick. “Suck me, Jared.” Parker grabbed himself and angled the pink crown at Jared’s lips. Jared smiled then licked around the tip, playing. “Jared, please,” Parker begged, his hips thrusting. His dick slid along the other man’s cheek, and Parker trembled as the stubble scratched at the sensitive skin. “You want something, Parker?” Jared teased, licking at him again. Parker cupped Jared’s face then slid a thumb into his bond-mates mouth, forcing those lips open. “Jared, please, let me in,” Parker pleaded, resting his cockhead on Jared’s plump bottom lip. Jared smiled around his thumb then sucked him in. Parker bucked and thrust, unable to stop. His erection slid all the way down Jared’s throat, and he gasped as his bond-mate swallowed around it. “Fuck, Jared, your mouth—” He felt Jared reach up and dig his fingers into his hips, keeping him in place.

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I think I may have to tie you up sometime, Jared sent over their mind link. Parker’s legs went weak. He wanted that. Jesus, he had no idea he wanted that. He jerked as he felt Tessa’s slick, cool fingers suddenly join Jared’s on his body. His eyes flew open to find that she was on her knees watching Jared suck him. Her mouth was open, and for a split second, Parker wished he had two dicks so he could fuck them both at the same time. Then he couldn’t think anymore because Tessa was leaning in. She sucked his balls into her mouth, tonguing at them until he couldn’t stand up. Parker’s knees buckled, and he crashed down on the sand. Jared caught him, still licking at his throbbing cock. The cool water laved his heated skin, but neither of his bondmates stopped. Tessa swooped back down, licking some more. She urged his thighs up and apart, and Parker didn’t even think about it. He simply obeyed her. When he felt the first tentative swipes of her tongue at his hole, he thought the top of his head was going to come off. Fuck, fuck me, was all he had the coherence to think. She slipped a finger inside him then licked around it while Jared scrubbed his tongue up his cock. The woods, the water, the sand beneath him faded to a blur as he let himself lose control. Tessa gave him another finger, then another. It felt incredible. “Tessa, here, fold your thumb in,” Jared murmured. Parker heard him but didn’t know what his bond-mate was talking about. “Won’t that hurt him?” Tessa responded, slipping her fingers out of Parker. No, no don’t stop, Parker sent, his mind voice urgent. He didn’t want them to ever stop. “No, he’s so aroused it won’t hurt him. It’ll feel wonderful,” Jared soothed Tessa. Parker opened his eyes, confused. Then he groaned as he felt her ease four fingers inside. It burned, but felt good at the same time. Suddenly, another digit poked at him, slid inside. He felt full,

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almost uncomfortably so, but the pleasure far outweighed the pain. Fuck! Was that—? Yeah, Parker, that’s Tessa’s fist inside you, Jared sent. Parker writhed on the ground, arching his back when Tessa’s small fist bumped his prostate. It felt like he’d died and been reborn. Again! Tessa, please— She twisted inside him and bumped his prostate again. And again. Parker couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak. Then Jared swallowed his cock, and Parker knew it was all over. His orgasm crashed over his body, freezing every single muscle. Parker moaned and shook as the waves exploded inside him, again and again. He could feel his bondmates climaxing, too, the three of them locked in a white-hot circle of pleasure. Except, when the orgasm receded a little, he realized that his cock was still hard. Still aching and desperate. What the hell? Jared chuckled breathlessly. “I kept my hand around you, like a cock ring. You came, but only a little bit.” He laughed as Parker struggled to process what just happened. “What?” Parker swallowed and tried again. “Are you kidding me?” He lifted his head up, dimly realizing that Tessa had removed her hand from him and was washing off in the water. He looked down at his cock, still hard. Jared’s smiling face stared up at him. “I want to fuck you.” Parker blinked. He had no problem with that. “Yeah, okay.” He lifted his thighs up again, exposing his center just so he could watch Jared choke. Jared’s face went slack, then he clambered up, his dick slapping Parker’s thigh before plunging inside with no preparation. Parker grunted, surprised at how easy it was. “Well, I had my fist up your ass, you know,” Tessa said, snuggling up against him. Her breasts pushed into his arm, but Parker couldn’t think anymore. Jared still held his dick, keeping him from coming as he thrust against Parker’s prostate. Jared, you’re killing me, he thought as his body trembled, half exhausted, half desperate.

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You can take it, Jared sent, his hands gripping Parker’s thighs hard enough to bruise. What about me? Tessa thought, idly running her hands up and down Parker’s chest. He closed his eyes as she tweaked his nipples. Then Jared stopped. “Jared, fuck, don’t stop now!” Parker ground out, panting. He felt Jared slide out of him and moaned in protest. “Hang on,” Jared said, his voice strained. Parker jerked as Jared gently lifted Tessa over his torso. She splayed her legs over his abdomen, then Jared aimed Parker’s cock at her pussy, and she sank down. “God!” Parker gritted his teeth, straining and bucking against the fingers Jared still held vise-like around his erection. “Let me go, Jared.” You’ll like this, Jared sent as he urged Tessa up again. “Jared? What—?” Tessa slurred the words, drunk with arousal. She dropped into the water next to Parker, slumping down against his chest. She rubbed the peaked tips of her nipples against him, making them both shiver. “Shh, Tessa, just wait. You’ll see.” Jared took her place atop Parker. When he aimed Parker’s rigid cock at his hole and began to slowly sink down, Parker hissed. Tessa’s slickness on his dick helped some but not enough. Jared was insanely tight. Parker thought he just might lose his entire fucking mind. Jared laughed, the sound strained. See, I told you you’d like this. “Christ!” Parker grit out, trying not to thrust. I don’t want to hurt you. You won’t, Jared assured him just as he shoved himself the rest of the way down. He sat there, unmoving. Jared, move, please. Parker clenched his hands in the water, scrabbling at the sandy bottom of the shallow pool. He couldn’t risk touching either Jared or Tessa. He could feel his claws scraping.

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Jared looked at Tessa, his eyes half closed. Parker frowned, wondering what his bond-mate had in mind, and then Tessa heaved herself up and over, settling down atop Parker too. Parker, don’t move. Not yet, Jared sent as he snaked an arm around her waist. His other hand went between her legs, parting her lips. Parker bit his lip, tasting blood, as Jared teased her clit. Parker could see how hot she was. His mouth watered, and he tried his best to keep still, but watching his two lovers writhe on top of him was more than he could take. He bucked, making Jared gasp. Tessa opened eyes that had fallen shut and smiled down at him. Then she raised herself up to her knees and reached between her legs to grasp Jared’s dick. She angled it right at her center and sank down. Parker grabbed fistfuls of sand as she teased both Jared and herself, right on top of him. “Tessa, God, you’re sexy,” Parker said, clenching and unclenching his hands. She smiled as she knelt up again, exposing Jared’s cock. Parker watched her flick a thumbnail against it, felt an echo of the pain through their bond. Jared moaned, his chin on her shoulder as he clenched around Parker’s cock, impossibly tight. That was it. He had to move right the fuck now. Parker lifted a hand and put it on Tessa’s mound, using his thumb to shove Jared back up inside her body. He scraped against her clit as he did so, making her moan and tremble. His other hand was already finding its way behind Jared’s ass to tease his hole. He flicked against the tight opening at the same time he pinched Tessa’s clit, and that was it. Tessa and Jared jerked simultaneously, and Parker thrust up, once, twice, then the three of them surged over and into such an intense orgasm that Parker couldn’t hear or see anything for a long while. Sparks floated across his vision, and he thought he smelled mint and lavender, then another spasm took him, and his sense of smell whited out along with his eyes. He felt Tessa and Jared inside of him, their bond making them into one consciousness. Parker dove into that deep, black pool of togetherness that was the center of their bonding.

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“Whoa,” Tessa croaked long minutes later from where she’d collapsed on his chest. Parker’s cock was finally soft. He slid out of Jared as the other man listed to the side. Tessa frowned briefly, and then Jared’s dick slid out of her body, and she sighed, moving down beside Parker into the cool water. Jared was still trembling atop Parker. When he opened his eyes, Parker saw the tears the other man wasn’t afraid to show. “If we keep this up, I’m going to need food. Like, maybe even a burger,” Jared declared, his voice clear and very, very affectionate. Tessa giggled into his skin as Parker grinned up at his bond-mate, knowing that everything was going to be okay.

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Chapter 16 Tessa loped through the woods, deliriously happy that the crazy sex they’d had not an hour ago helped heal their bond. Her paws were sure and solid on the trail, her ability to scent the right direction invaluable when even the superior night vision of her cat form couldn’t penetrate the darkness between the trees. They were almost home, and she knew that they’d have a lot of cleaning up to do in the house, but for now, she couldn’t wait to snuggle into her bed with the two men who meant more to her than her own life. So crazy, how quickly everything can change, she thought. I know, Jared sent as he nipped at her tail, laughter speeding down their bond as he leaped ahead. She batted at him as he went past, mock growling to make sure he knew she wouldn’t put up with him biting her whenever he wanted. Parker snorted beside her. I didn’t think Jared had it in him to be so playful. Tessa whuffed agreement then almost fell as Jared sent a picture of himself standing naked, both hands raised with middle finger pointed out in their direction. He’s a bit tetchy, though, like an old woman, Tessa thought, needling their bond-mate, then promptly fell as Jared jumped on her from a low tree branch. When did he climb up there? She snarled and rolled him off, shaking the leaves out of her fur with offended dignity while Jared tossed his head and ran ahead once more. That’ll teach you to call me an old woman, he sent as he ran. Tessa laughed in their link, bounding after him. They were close to home. She could feel it, the familiarity of these woods. They smelled

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right. Not a minute later, they broke out of the trees and into her back yard. Tessa shifted, standing human, naked in the grass, but made no move to enter her house. She sensed someone inside, but they didn’t smell bad. She hoped they were peaceful. At this rate, she’d never get to sleep in her own bed. Someone’s inside, she sent to her bond-mates, frowning. Three people. They don’t smell like ash. Tessa couldn’t figure out why her hackles weren’t rising. Her animal instincts kept telling her the intruders were friends, but her human consciousness was more wary. She sighed, exasperated. She wanted to crawl into bed with her mates, and now that wasn’t going to happen. “Easy, we’re not here to harm you,” a woman’s voice called from the back stoop. Tessa squinted, her human eyes not nearly as good in the dark as her animal’s. The woman stood in the doorway, her form silhouetted against the kitchen light. “Who are you?” she called out, running her fingers over Jared’s furry head. He stopped beside her and sat down, a dark, menacing shadow. Parker lurked in the shadows at the edge of the trees, holding back to give them the element of surprise if these people turned out to be hostile. Tessa sniffed deeply, drawing the woman’s scent into her body. She smelled good. Like a friend. Almost familial. What the hell? I smell it, too, Jared sent. He sat, still and calm. She’s safe. “My name is Emma. I’m here with my bond-mates, Duncan and Jake. You may have heard of them.” A thread of amusement ran through the woman’s voice. Tessa wrinkled her nose. Where had she heard those names before? “Duncan Green? The singer?” Parker said, striding forward. Tessa would’ve jumped if she hadn’t sensed him shifting a second ago. The woman on the step didn’t flinch. “Yup, that’s me,” a man’s voice stated calmly. Tessa could just make out the dark outline of a man behind Emma.

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“Why are you here?” Tessa asked, making no move to go in. She was reasonably sure they were okay, if only because they smelled so right, more than anything else. It confused her. “Emma sensed trouble. We came,” Duncan replied. He stepped back, pulling the woman with him. Another man stood beyond them, holding a cup of something in his hand. “I hope you don’t mind, but I was dying for some caffeine,” the third intruder said. Tessa sighed as she caught his scent, too. He smelled good. The three of them smelled great, actually, like a summer meadow just after a storm with the slightest hint of ozone still lingering. “Yeah, that’s fine. Um, could you all close your eyes? We’re kind of naked here.” Tessa started forward. “Naked?” Duncan asked then fell silent. Tessa heard Emma shushing him and sighed again under her breath as she reached the steps and went inside. She really wished their clothes didn’t disintegrate when they shifted. Showing up places naked was going to get old really fast. She walked past her three uninvited guests in the kitchen, happy to see that they weren’t trying to peek, and headed upstairs for some clothes. She threw on some jeans and a T-shirt. Thank goodness Parker had a few changes of clothes at her place. Jared borrowed a pair of sweatpants from him, and five minutes later, Tessa and her bond-mates were back in the kitchen. She gratefully accepted a cup of tea from the smaller man, Jake, ignoring the weirdness of a stranger serving her in her own house. Parker sat in one of her kitchen chairs, pulling her down onto his lap. Tessa didn’t resist, grateful for the comfort. Jared leaned against the wall, not too far from Duncan. After taking a bracing sip of her tea, Tessa sighed. “You’re bonded, right?” Emma nodded, leaning back against Duncan, who lounged insouciantly against Tessa’s kitchen sink. The rock star wore plain jeans and a T-shirt. His wavy brown hair was tousled and sexy but

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nothing out of the ordinary. Tessa supposed that he got a bit more dressed up for performances, but he was by no means hard to look at when he was dressed casual like this. She glanced at Jake then looked back at Emma. Hard to believe they were here in her house. Emma was small and had a kind smile. Jake wore scuffed leather bracelets and carried himself with an air of nonchalance that Tessa found appealing. “I can smell the bond between you,” Tessa stated, sniffing again to make sure her nose was really telling her what she thought it was. In her mind, she knew that Emma, Duncan, and Jake were bonded. She’d seen the news reports. However, having the trio here in her house was an entirely different thing. Their aura carried its own distinct scent that Tessa could only describe as bonded. She could smell each of them as separate, discrete individuals, but together those scents wove into an undeniable whole that she couldn’t really describe. They smelled like lightning and rain and ozone with an undertone of nothing she’d ever smelled before. Tessa was relieved to sense none of the ashy stink of an addict anywhere on them. They’re definitely bonded, Jared remarked in her mind. Look how closely attuned they are to one another. Tessa looked as Jared suggested and felt herself relax just a bit more. The three were clearly linked in some way. Hmm. “What does your trio-bond give you?” Jake blinked at her question, his handsome face closing down a bit. Emma shook her head at her bond-mate then smiled at Tessa, her hazel eyes both pretty and intelligent. “I guessed you’d sense it. No other bonded couples can tell we’re anything more than a bizarre triobond. They don’t suspect that we have any additional characteristics to our link.” “There are a few people who know,” Parker said, grimly. Emma nodded, her smile fading. “Yeah, I know about Cynthia Brown. That’s how we figured out where you lived, Tessa.”

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Tessa sighed, running her hands through her hair. She really wished she could just go to bed. “She was my mother.” “Was?” Duncan asked, his voice surprised. “Yeah. She’s dead.” Tessa shifted uncomfortably against Parker. “She wanted our blood and came here to get it with a few of her thugs. Happily, we were able to fight her off, and she ran. We followed.” “Why did you follow them?” Emma asked. Tessa stared at the other woman. “My mother tried to kill me for our blood. She was using ‘Path to the point where she could manipulate other people, invade their minds and suck energy from them. We had to stop her.” “What happened?” Jake asked gently. Do we trust them? Tessa asked Jared and Parker. I don’t scent or see any deception. I think we can trust them, Jared sent. Parker nodded against Tessa’s neck, his agreement traveling through their bond, so Tessa took a deep breath and explained how her mother attacked them at the restaurant and then again at her house. She explained their ability to shift and how they got trapped in the mine, quickly detailing their escape from the bonded couple. Emma, Duncan, and Jake listened intently, not interrupting until the end. “They could suck the blood right out of your body? As well as damage your bond?” Duncan asked, his warm voice horrified. “Yeah. It was horrible,” Tessa said. Then she frowned. “You believe me? Even about the shifting?” Duncan smiled. “Well, it’s a good explanation for why you came out of the woods naked.” Parker laughed, and Tessa rolled her eyes, still somewhat embarrassed. Duncan continued. “Look, we’re a triobond, too. I can call lightning and throw energy. Make shields that will stop bullets. Jake can invade other people’s minds with telepathy. And Emma can sense auras, manipulate the bonds of others.” Tessa pursed her lips, wondering if he was serious. Her eyes slid to the

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singer’s bond-mate. Jake just sipped his tea, eyes calm, and Tessa closed her eyes, feeling dangerously close to tears. “I didn’t think there was anyone else who could do what we do,” she said. “Well, technically speaking, we can’t. We can’t shift into big cats, that’s for sure. More’s the pity,” Jake said, his tone light, teasing. Tessa grinned at that. “Yeah, well, I can’t read your mind.” She sobered abruptly. “Can you read mine?” Jake grimaced. “No, actually. In fact, you’re the first person who I can’t get into. Some bonded couples develop shields, but I can always breach them, with Emma and Duncan’s help. With you three, I sense that I can’t get in, no matter what I do. You have some sort of metallic barrier. It protects your thoughts.” Tessa smiled, sure that the way she’d woven their auras together had something to do with that. “Good.” Duncan laughed at her tone while Parker kissed her nape, amusement sifting down the bond to her. Then Duncan leaned forward, resting his chin on Emma’s shoulder, and sighed. “I’m sorry for your sake, Tessa, but I’m glad Cynthia’s dead. We’ve been trying to track her down for months. Maybe we were being too discreet.” He rubbed his face against Emma’s cheek. “I had no idea she’d managed to create an aura-eating weapon. I had no idea she was working for someone else. We thought she was the brain behind all of the drug trafficking.” Tessa felt her face close down. She didn’t want to think about her mom anymore. “Yeah, she was just another pawn. I don’t know who the bonded couple was who attacked us, but they were strong. Dangerous. They didn’t need a special weapon to debilitate us. We almost didn’t escape, and we have no idea where they went.” “Are you sure they’re not dead? You said you were able to disintegrate their bond,” Jake asked.

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Tessa shook her head. “No, they definitely controlled their escape. I felt the way they slipped through my power. They ran, but they’re not dead.” Parker shifted his weight, making Tessa almost fall off his lap. She swatted at him, and he grinned then rubbed his face. “Yeah, and how the hell did they do that disappearing thing anyway? It was weird. I mean, shifting is weird, but we’re still here. All of our matter is here, just changed. Those two sifted away like smoke on the wind.” “It worries me that they’re using ‘Path,” Jake said, walking closer to Duncan and putting his empty cup in the sink. He leaned back next to his bond-mates, and Duncan absently picked up his hand and kissed it. Tessa blushed at the open affection. Emma winked at her, and Tessa abruptly remembered that her men were just as demonstrative with each other. She blushed harder, trying to erase the memory of Jared and Parker fucking before anyone caught wind of her thoughts. Too late, darling, Parker sent, his cock swelling beneath her ass. Tessa squirmed in embarrassment. And that’s not helping. “I mean, they’re already bonded. Why did it even occur to them to use the drug, too?” Jake asked, seemingly oblivious to Tessa’s embarrassment. “I don’t think we’ll ever figure that out. Even if we do, the important thing is stopping them. We can’t let them keep snatching bonded couples and using their blood. Clearly this couple is the head of the drug organization,” Duncan stated, his hand moving gently up and down Emma’s arm. Tessa didn’t think he even realized he was doing that. Parker nodded. “Yeah, but we have no idea how to track them. The mine blew up. We never saw their faces. All we know is that they stink. Their auras are ashy, rotting.” Duncan sighed. “Yeah, I know. We should at least keep in touch, though. If we find out anything, we’ll let you know. Here’s what we’ve got so far.” He went on to explain about meeting Emma and

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how they bonded. He talked about a warehouse full of kidnapped couples and how they rescued them. He described the symptoms of ‘Path addiction from their point of view, using their gifts. Tessa listened intently then found herself yawning as his explanation came to a close. “I’m sorry,” she said, abashed. “I’m just really tired.” Jake smiled. “We understand. We’ll get out of your hair now, let you sleep.” “If you need somewhere to sleep—” Tessa began. Emma shook her head, standing away from Duncan and stretching. “No, it’s okay. We have a hotel in Bethlehem, and we’re heading out in the morning. We just made a quick stop here because we sensed your auras. And we were hoping to catch Cynthia Brown. We definitely should keep in touch, though. If we pool our resources, maybe we can find the two who escaped you. We travel a great deal, obviously, so we can cover a lot of ground, but that often poses a problem when it comes to researching leads. Too often we have to move on before we can investigate thoroughly.” “We can certainly help with that. If you find information, anything at all, no matter how small about that bonded couple, call us. Tessa works from home, and I can easily rearrange my classes to follow the trail,” Jared said. Duncan smiled. “That would be a big help.” “And now, we really should be going. We’ve got an early start tomorrow.” Emma held out her hand to Tessa. They shook, and Tessa smiled, relieved. It wasn’t that she didn’t like them. She just felt an overwhelming need to be alone with her bond-mates after all that had happened. “Okay. I’ve got your cell phone number and e-mail. We’ll definitely keep in touch.” She struggled up from Parker’s lap and saw them out of her front door, careful not to step on any of the broken glass. She hadn’t bothered to put shoes on. The trio waved as they got into their rental car, then drove off. Tessa felt herself wilt.

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“Hey, come on. Let’s get some sleep,” Jared said, taking her arm and pointing her toward the stairs. “Yeah, okay,” she mumbled, exhausted. They stumbled up the stairs together, and her last thought was of how much she loved her men as they gently pulled off her clothes and tucked her into bed.

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Epilogue Parker, I swear if you don’t stop teasing me, I’m going to claw you, Tessa sent, panting. Her arms were being held above her head by Jared, and she couldn’t move, couldn’t even think straight. She looked down at her bond-mate, and he grinned up at her from between her legs. Darling, I’m not even close to finished, he thought, then dove back in, his tongue making evil designs on her clit as Tessa writhed against his face and Jared’s grasp. I’m not going to let you go, you know. Jared’s mind voice was somehow both hot and teasing. Tessa stuck her tongue out at him then arched her back as Parker slipped two fingers into her pussy, pushing up against all of her sensitive spots. She hovered on the edge of orgasm, but every time she thought she was going to go over the edge, Parker pulled away. You’re a clit tease, she sent as she lifted her hips, desperate for more direct stimulation. Ah-ah. Parker pulled away again. Just for that, I’m going to punish you even longer now. Tessa had no idea what he meant by that. How could she possibly suffer more than she already was? Jared laughed, and Tessa jerked as he flipped her to her stomach then felt him wrap something soft around her wrists. She looked up to see him knotting two of her scarves tightly to the bed, immobilizing her hands before scooting down to join Parker between her legs. Together, they put her knees under her until her ass was high in the air. She shivered as more moisture leaked down from her pussy. This

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position should not get me this excited, she thought to herself, very clearly. “Oh, but it does, baby,” Jared said, his voice low and gravelly with the arousal he didn’t bother to hide. “Now, just hold still.” Tessa wrinkled her face. What were they up to? Then she gasped as she felt the flat of a hand land on her ass. That stings! It’s supposed to sting, darling, Parker soothed, running his palm over the hot, throbbing skin of her rear. She felt a slap on her other cheek and jerked against her bonds, shocked that the pain of the slap was making her pussy throb even hotter. What are you doing? Tessa sent, squirming against her bonds. Her arousal ramped up higher. She hovered on the edge without any direct stimulation at all. “We want you to relax and enjoy the ride, Tessa,” Jared said. Tessa felt him kiss her hip just as another swat landed on her ass. The skin felt hot, hypersensitive. She moaned then gasped as she felt one of her bond-mates lick along her tiny, puckered hole. “Relax,” Jared murmured when she tensed up. Tessa knew it was Parker who was rimming her. She trembled. Her nerve endings were sparking with every swipe of his tongue. She tried to shove closer to him, but he pulled away. Parker, please—Tessa jerked as she felt him rub his finger over her pussy, then along her hole. He rubbed and rubbed the exact same spot where he licked, then slowly pressed in, the juices from her arousal making it easy for him to slip his finger inside. She panted as he inserted another finger, then scissored them. It felt so good she wasn’t at all prepared for the next slap. Tessa’s knees nearly buckled, but Jared kept her from going down. “Easy there, sweetheart. We’ve got you,” Jared soothed, running his hands along her ass. He swatted her again and again as Parker slipped his fingers in and out, loosening her up. “I think it’s time for the nipple clips, Jared,” Parker said. His voice was shaky, and Tessa could feel his arousal in her mind. He and

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Jared were as ramped up as she felt, the bonding keeping the three of them in perfect sync. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” Jared reached over to the nightstand and picked up the silver clips. Nipple clamps? Seriously? Tessa’d seen them earlier, but she didn’t know what they were. She bit her lip when Jared slid up the bed beside her. Parker was still teasing her hole then sliding his other hand around her labia, avoiding her clit. She wanted him inside so bad she couldn’t think straight. Tessa hung her head down, watching as Jared touched the tip of a finger to her right nipple. It was already puckered and erect, and he smiled mischievously at her before he suddenly clamped the metal piece to her flesh. She bucked, pulling on the scarves as pain pricked her nerves. “Oh my God, Jared,” Tessa panted then bucked again as he clipped her other nipple, the sting providing a perfect counterpoint to Parker’s fingers. “Good?” Jared asked. Tessa couldn’t even nod, but he felt her pleasure through their bond. The nipple clamps weren’t very tight, but they provided just enough sting for Tessa to notice them every time her body moved. They were silver with inch-long chains attached. At the end of the chains hung a small, silver weight. They swung crazily when Jared smacked her ass again. Tessa sucked in her breath then felt Parker ease his fingers out. She moaned in protest until she heard the pop of a bottle. Seconds later he was back, nudging the slick head of his cock at her ass. “Relax for me, darling,” he muttered, pressing his fingers into her hips. Tessa tried to do as he asked, willing herself to open up as he pressed the thickness of his cock into her tiny hole. One, two, three nudges and he was in. Tessa surged back, fucking herself on him desperately. “God! Tessa, easy,” Parker ground out, trembling. She smiled and pressed back viciously, needing to feel him all the way inside. When she felt his balls against her pussy, she tensed, then pulled off him a

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tiny bit and shoved back down. His balls slapped her clit. She felt a surge of triumph. She pulled off and thrust several more times, desperate for release, and then Jared suddenly untied her arms and slid underneath her, forcing her to stop. “No! Jared, let me go, please,” she begged, trying to fuck back onto Parker. Jared grinned up at her as he maneuvered himself up further. The nipple weights dragged on his chest, sending bright sparks of pain along her body. “Tessa, let me in,” he urged. He reached down and grabbed his cock, pointing it up at her pussy. Tessa looked down at him—he was thick and so aroused the tip was wet with his pre-cum. She shivered, feeling Parker’s heartbeat in her ass. She wanted Jared inside, too, right now. She tried to angle herself so she could fit him in, but Parker held her immobile. She squirmed then stopped as Parker slapped her ass several times in quick succession. Tessa stopped breathing as the white heat of the spanking filtered into her labia. She hovered on the brink of orgasm. Jared slipped his cockhead past her clit and into her pussy. Slowly, so slowly Tessa worried she might truly lose her mind this time, he worked himself inside. The fit was incredibly tight with Parker already seated in her ass. She knew the exact moment Jared’s cock rubbed against Parker’s, the thin membrane of her body the only thing keeping them separate. Both men moaned. Parker shuddered and pulled out only to fuck back inside so violently that Jared arched his back, bucking Tessa on his body. She couldn’t do anything. Jared held her in place as Parker went insane, thrusting again and again until abruptly, Tessa sensed them both hovering at the edge with her, their minds so attuned that she knew as soon as one of them went over, they would all climax. Parker stopped with his cock outside her body and ran the crown over her hole. She jumped, and he spanked her close to her pussy, catching the edge of Jared’s balls on his hand. Jared grunted and ground inside. Tessa felt herself crest, and then Parker shoved back inside, all finesse forgotten. Tessa screamed as

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she came. The pleasure rocketed through her, waves of it carrying her up over and over again as the scents of the forest suddenly swept over them. She sensed woods and wind and the ever-present smell of fresh dew that would always, forever remind her of her lovers. Parker’s cock jerked, then Jared’s, their climax spilling heat inside her until her whole body felt like it was on fire. Tessa gasped. Surely there wasn’t enough air? A minute later she collapsed, Parker on top of her, Jared underneath. No way was she moving after that. “S’okay. You don’t have to move.” Parker grunted, running his hand down her side. That’s easy for you to say. You’re not on the bottom, Jared sent. He heaved at them, and Parker spilled to the side, slipping out of Tessa’s body. Jared carefully unhooked the nipple clamps, rubbing his hands soothingly over her abraded nipples before gently shifting her off him. Tessa sank into the mattress, tucking her head into Jared’s neck while Parker wrapped himself around her, his hand landing on Jared’s stomach. “We’re going to kill each other like this,” Tessa said a half hour later. She was glued to Jared, and Parker was glued to her. She didn’t care. “I don’t care,” Parker said, a thread of humor in his voice. “I care,” Jared said. Tessa lifted up her head to stare at him, disbelievingly. “What? If we kill each other, we won’t get to have sex anymore.” Parker laughed, and Tessa dropped back down, giggling. Giddy. Three months and everything was still working. They were still in love. Still bonded. She’d sold her house and moved in with Jared. Parker closed on his house today and would be moving in, too. It was a crisp autumn day that made her think anything was possible. The trees were brilliant orange, red, yellow, and incredibly hopeful against the infinity of the blue sky. She knew they’d be going for a run later, shifted into their cat bodies, paws and claws digging into the earth in

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a joyous sprint that would leave them exhausted. Exhilarated. There was no sign of the couple who’d tried to kill them. “We’ll find them, eventually,” Parker murmured, running his hand down her arm to clasp her hand. Tessa shrugged. “I don’t know if I want to find them.” “Me neither,” Jared said, sighing. “Although we’re probably the only ones who can stop them. Us and Duncan, Jake, and Emma.” “I know.” Tessa stretched, trying not to wince as their skin peeled away from each other. “I know. But we don’t have to do it today.” She settled back down. No, we don’t have to do it today. Jared’s soft pulse of love and agreement followed Parker’s thought down the bonding link. Tessa closed her eyes and let herself sink into her bond-mates, reveling in the heat of their bodies. When she finally fell asleep, she dreamed about dancing, carefully moving through the steps of the tango Jared had taught them. Later, after their run in the forest, when they’d finally settled in their bed for the night, she dreamed again, this time of making love to Jared and Parker on the train, in the sweet, anonymous darkness.

THE END WWW.ERINMLEAF.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Erin M. Leaf’s latest novel Tango Trio is the second book in Dream Marked, an erotic paranormal adventure series begun in Appassionato. Her first novel, The First Time is the Sweetest, was released in 2010. Erin tried out technical writing, editing, and proofreading before turning her fingertips to romance, mostly because she loves a happily-ever-after ending every time.

Also by Erin M. Leaf Ménage Amour: Dream Marked 1: Appassionato

Available at BOOKSTRAND.COM

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com