Dual Threat (5 page)

Ian pushed the phone into her hands. “If it means keeping your pretty ass safe, then yes, right now I will decide things for you.” He surged past her and shrugged out of his shirt. “Evan, watch her.” The pajama pants ended up in a heap on the floor. “Just try and abuse my mate,” Ian muttered and slipped out the back door. Outside, he allowed the animal to take over. His bones popped and snapped as he switched form. He dug his claws into the mulch and took long breaths. Adrenaline flowed through his veins, and his need to protect overwhelmed him. He tipped his head, listening for the intruder’s next move.

“Take up with tigers and you’ll get bitten.” The figure stood up behind the hedge row and clicked a gun. “You can’t get away from me, Kaia.”

Ian sunk low and gauged the distance to where Dade stood.

Dade rested the butt of the assault rifle against his shoulder. The scent of gun powder hung acrid in the air. “Mine, bitch.”

At the word
bitch
, Ian sprang into action. He lunged forward and pounced on Dade, digging his claws into the smaller man’s upper arms. Blood welled at the wound sites, and Dade screamed. Ian’s tiger growled, the sound splitting the air.

“Kitty wants to play.” Dade grunted and fought against Ian’s weight on his limbs. “Fucking ripping my arms off.” Despite Ian’s weight on him, Dade squeezed the trigger on the gun. Potted plants on the porch exploded in a cloud of terra cotta, earth, and zebra grass. Dade struggled and shot blind again. “Let me go. Fight fair, you overgrown pussy.”

“Dade, don’t do this.” Kaia strode onto the lawn, head held high and shoulders straight. “One bullet and he’s dead. That’s not fair. You want me, not them.”

Dade froze, but his tone turned sugary sweet. “Kaia, honey, you know you don’t want to live with these pussies. They’ll rip you to shreds. You’re food to them. Come home with me. We belong together.”

Evan, now in his shifted form, stalked to where Ian pinned Dade. He snorted, making Dade cringe.

“Stupid fucks. Get the hell off me.” Dade wriggled under Ian’s massive size. Kaia crept closer to the pile of bodies.

“I asked you to leave me alone. Begged you. I have a restraining order out against you. I don’t belong to you.” She stroked Ian’s fur. “You won’t listen. You have a tiger on your back, ready to rip out your throat. Don’t you get it? I don’t love you. I can’t love you.”

“Liar,” Dade spat. “You’ll play rough with them. You’ll crave what I did to you. You deserved what I gave you. You’re a slut and a whore. You’re better off dead.”

*

Kaia’s blood boiled and her stomach churned. “I don’t enjoy being bloodied and beaten because you got drunk.” Tears of frustration slipped down her cheeks. She buried her hand in Ian’s fur. “I am not a whore.”

“You’ve been a whore since the moment I met you.” Dade gnashed his teeth. “Taking your clothes off just to get attention. You’re fucking these two to get attention. I know you.”

Evan stopped beside Dade’s head and placed his paws on the smaller man’s face. Evan’s growl shook the ground. He flexed his claws, grazing Dade’s cheek.

“One wrong move and they’ll remove your face and tear out your heart.” Kaia scratched Evan behind the ears. “They will kill you in order to protect me.”

“Bitch.” Dade fought Evan’s grip. “This isn’t over. They can’t protect you all the time.”

“No?” Kaia crouched down beside Dade. More than she ever realized, she trusted Ian and Evan with her life. They had her back no matter what. Dade had been a lesson learned—one she’d never forget. “The cops are on their way right now. This is over. No more hurting me to make your worthless self feel better. No more calling me names because you’re less of a man. I’m done with you.”

Sirens wailed and blue lights flashed. Radio chatter battled with screeching tires. The scent of burnt rubber wafted through the air. Footsteps pounded on the ground. “Hold it right there!” Four armed officers rushed the scene. Two aimed their firearms at Dade. The third knelt next to the prone man and whipped out a set of handcuffs. “Hands where we can see them.”

Evan backed off Dade and padded to Kaia’s side. He wrapped his tail around her legs, stroking her. She touched the top of his head, more for moral support than anything. Her knees wobbled, and she fought the urge to collapse.

“Thanks, Davis.” The fourth officer nodded to Ian and helped hoist Dade off the ground. “Thanks for giving us the gate code. You were right. It came in mighty handy. I’ll need statements from you. We’ll wait for you to shift. I hate trying to talk to animals.”

Kaia dropped to her knees beside Evan and clutched her tiger. Tears filled her eyes and succumbed to the strain. She watched the police officers haul Dade to the closest cruiser. He couldn’t hurt her any longer. No more abuse, no more threats, just peace. Beside her, Evan shifted. His tiger receded, and the man shone through once more.

“It’s going to be okay, babe.” Evan stroked her hair and tugged her into his lap. “We promised we’d protect you. You’re ours.” He cuddled her tight to his chest. “The Belden Valley PD has a Supers unit for situations like this. He pissed off shifters, and the rules are a little different. Trust me, they’ve got our backs so we can have yours.”

“That sounds cheesy. But I like it.” More tears slipped down her cheeks. Ian sauntered to where they sat and nuzzled her, licking her tears. She stroked the top of his head, basking in the depths of their love. “Can’t believe it’s over.” She wiped smeared tears from her chin. “My nightmare is over.”

“Things will only get better,” Evan replied.

“You do realize you’re naked, right?” She rested her forehead on Evan’s neck. “Scary, sexy, and naked in the front yard.”

“It’s the price we pay to shift. Can’t go back to human form and be dressed.” Evan chuckled. “You’re covering all the good parts anyway. No one can see anything unless they’re right on top of me. Besides, the hedges block the view from the street. We’re safe.”

“True.” She patted Ian. The fear subsided, and her need for the both of them took hold. She held Ian’s head in both hands. “Being your mate is a lifetime commitment, isn’t it?”

“We’ll belong to you for the rest of your life, yes. You could change your mind, but we can’t.” Evan kissed her temple. “My mind’s made up. I’m not changing for anything.”

“I’m not changing either. I’m ready.” She glanced at Evan. “Make me your mate. Now.”

Chapter 6

Their mate.
Her heart hammered, and she fought to catch her breath. She rubbed her forehead and followed the intricate lines carved into the coffee table. Anything to make the moment feel more normal. The cops had hauled Dade away on a multitude of charges including brandishing an unlicensed weapon, trespassing on private property, and assault on a police officer. The chaos left the moment the last cop car drove away, and yet she still couldn’t calm down. No danger meant she could focus on her decision to be Ian and Evan’s mate. She debated her choices in her head over and over and came up with the same conclusion—she belonged with Ian and Evan.

No doubts.

“Kaia?” Evan sat down beside her, the couch cushion wobbling with his weight. He’d put on jogging shorts, obscuring her view of his glorious cock. “It’s not like we take you into the bedroom and toss you onto the bed.”

Ian joined them on the couch. He wore his pajama pants again. “We can if you want, I suppose. Evan does like to play with his food.”

When she shot him a dirty look, Ian put both hands in the air. “Seemed like a good joke to make. It’s tense. I don’t like seeing you tense.”

“You aren’t the joker,” she aimed her thumb at Evan, “he is.”

“True.” Ian shrugged. He rubbed the base of her neck, massaging the taut bundle of nerves. “You wouldn’t love him if he was normal.”

“You’re right.” She breathed in and let it out on a sigh. “What does happen? When you take your mate?”

Evan inched closer to her, his thigh touching hers. “We ask you. You agree. Then we’ll please you like last night.” He moved her hair off her shoulder and traced the line of her neck with his index finger. “Then we prepare you for both of us.” He rubbed his nose along her neck and then pressed a kiss to the base of her throat.

Heat bubbled in Kaia’s belly, and she arched into his touch.

“He’ll kiss you.” Ian slipped the collar of the sweatshirt off her shoulder. “Then I’ll kiss you.” He licked the patch of bare skin. “I might touch you too.”

“And I’ll help.” Evan nibbled her earlobe and then tilted her head to taste her mouth. Kaia gave in to the need to sample him and tangled her tongue with his. Her pussy quivered, and she pressed her thighs together.

“You like that, babe?” Ian fisted the hem of the shirt. “Love it?”

“Yeah,” she panted, breathless from Evan’s kiss. Kaia grabbed the hem of the shirt and whipped it up over her head. She tossed the garment somewhere out of sight and leaned against Evan’s side.

“We’ll kiss you everywhere.” Ian stared up at her, fire in his eyes. He licked a path of heat from her neck to her breasts. Unable to hold back, she parted her thighs.

“These need to go,” Evan whispered. He shoved her pants down her hips and raked his fingers along her skin on the way.

“Evan,” she panted. “Touch me.”

“I am.” He speared his index finger between her pussy lips, rubbing her clit and smearing her juices.

Ian stood for a moment, placing her astride Evan’s legs with her back against Evan’s chest and then knelt and spread her labia wide. He blew cold breath across her heated skin. The tingles shot from her clit to her heart.

“Feels good, his breath on you,” Evan murmured. “Do you want his fingers in you? Or what about his cock?”

She nodded. The combination of Ian between her legs and Evan’s dirty talk nearly broke her restraint. She groaned and rolled her hips.

Ian started at her knee and kissed his way to her crotch. The bit of five o’clock shadow on his cheeks burned on her inner thigh. She grabbed Evan’s hands and placed them on her breasts.

“Beautiful breasts.” Evan rolled her nipples between his fingers, pinching her flesh and drawing a deep moan from her throat. “They look so hot pierced. Would you like your clit pierced too? Or how about a piercing right above? Something with a ball to tap your clit whenever you walk. Reminding you of us?”

“Yeah,” she panted.

Ian dragged his tongue along her cleft, spearing her vagina and then nipping her sensitive clit. She jerked in Evan’s arms and slid down to give Ian better access.

“More?” Evan chuckled. “So greedy.” He gave her nipple a tug and then kissed her neck hard.

“So wet for us.” Ian inserted one finger, then two into her, stretching her. “So ready.”

She squeezed him, holding him in place. The overwhelming feeling of him inside her and Evan touching her splintered her control. Ian swiped his tongue over her clit, flicking the sensitive bundle of nerves.

“I can’t wait.” Ian stood and shrugged out of his pajama pants. “Need you.” He pulled a condom packet out of his pocket and then placed it on the floor at his feet.

“Kaia?” Evan held her legs open. “Ride him.”

Ian stroked his cock, all eight inches, and groaned. His balls shook with each tug. Her mouth watered. She knew they were both endowed, but shit. From her head to her toes, she trembled.

Ian dropped to his knees before her, sheathed his cock in the condom, and then grasped her hips. His dick tapped her clit, sending new sparks of desire through her body. Kaia reached between her thighs and guided him into her pussy.

“That’s so hot,” Evan panted.

Ian leaned over her and gripped her hips hard. He took control of the sex act, pushing to the hilt and making her feel every slick inch of him. His balls slapped her ass with each thrust.

She pulled her hands away, sneaking a quick caress over her pussy lips.

“Touch yourself,” Evan coaxed. “Tell us this is what you want.”

The moan rumbled in her chest. She closed her eyes and swiped her fingers over her cleft. Another hand joined hers. She glanced down to where Evan helped masturbate her.

“God, that’s so fucking hot,” Evan said, nipping her earlobe. The tingles in her belly spread throughout her limbs.

“I’m close.” Ian’s words roared through the room. He stood and propped one knee on the couch for better leverage. The position sent him even deeper into her cunt. Her legs wobbled, and pinpricks touched her from within. She panted and dug her fingers into Evan’s wrists.

“Come for us, Kaia. Come apart in our arms.” Ian surged harder into her, knocking the couch into the wall. “Fuck.” Sweat beaded on his forehead and trickled down his temple. His cheeks streaked with pink, and his brow furrowed. He shook his head and gritted his teeth. “Fuck.”

Unable to hold back any longer, Kaia gave in to the orgasm. Her vision blurred and she floated. Her skin sizzled and her pussy clenched. She settled against Evan’s chest and basked in the glow of coming. Time seemed to stop. Only the three of them mattered. She stared up into Ian’s eyes. “I love you. Both of you.”

*

Evan grinned. He’d waited for her to say those words for so long. He kissed her neck and breathed in her spicy scent. His cock speared between her ass cheeks. His tiger clawed him from within, begging to come out and mark her. Not yet. Soon he’d have his turn with her.

“Never felt like this before.” Kaia stroked Evan’s hand. She scooted to the side and switched her gaze between him and Ian. “I meant it. I love you both. Not just because you saved me, but because you get me. I’m not me without you. Crazy, isn’t it?”

“Not crazy at all.” Evan smoothed a lock of hair off her glistening forehead. “We feel the same way about you.”

“But—I don’t understand. I fucked him.” Her eyes widened. “What if between you and me it’s not the same? One of you gets left out.”

“Yes and no.” Evan kissed her, taking extra care to be gentle. “I’m not worried.” Jealous, maybe, but then Ian managed to make love to her first. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy toward his twin. But even the green-eyed monster didn’t change his feelings for either Ian or Kaia. “You’re our mate. This is how it’s supposed to be.”