Jungle Freakn' Bride (27 page)

What a heady feeling.

However, super senses
didn’t mean she wanted to stay
in the jungle
forever.
Curiosity over her new status and the way two men fired her libido
didn’t
mean she’d accepted Chaob and Acat as her
husbands
.
Or
,
as they referred to it, mates for life, mates
she still knew nothing about, their afternoon conversation derailed.
Which brought to mind another question.
W
hy did she thirst for more information? What did she care about their childhood or their lives? She didn’t. She shouldn’t, yet she did. She found herself studying them, more than before
.
Identifying their behavior
, noting how different they were with her
.

Acat wore command like a second skin. He spoke, and the others in their group instantly listened.
She saw him dealing w
ith the prisoners, removing their blindfolds
when they camped for the night. Politely turning aside their questions
,
but letting them reassure themselves of Ruth’s wellbeing, something Carlie noted with interest.

Chaob also had no problem getting things done, but where Acat did so with a serious mien, Chaob tended more to the smiles and back
-
slapping.
An alpha and his beta. Cliché described their roles, yet at the same time, it suited them. Suited her as well. While she couldn’t deny enjoying Acat’s domineering air, she also
liked
how Chaob could diffuse her annoyance and
the tense
situations
that cropped up between her and Acat
like when she accused him of wanting her
just
to make kittens
.
Wow, what a can of worms she opened there.
Apparently, kittens w
as the term
for small breed
s
. Mighty felines, like
the jaguars,
birthed cubs.
Either way, she got her answer. Baby
making was high on the list of things expected of a jungle wife.
God, she hoped her IUD was still intact.

Despite their backward views on a woman’s role, t
he pair appealed to her on so many levels
.
I
t both confused and immensely pleased her. It
also
made them so damned dangerous
a
nd irresistible.
She had to know more about them.
Needed to get close to them.

Thankfully, they made it easy.
After settling her sister
between the two men
who gave their word to not escape, and were heavily guarded, Carlie made her way to the makeshift bed Acat and Chaob set up. She wasn’t about to protest the sleeping arrangements
,
which involved getting sm
oo
shed between them
. With no blankets,
and hardly any clothes
,
body heat became important
at night when the temperature fell
.
Besides, the manwich was always
fun.

Too much fun.
Time for serious talk to keep her hormones in check.
They were
,
after all
,
surrounded by people
,
even if they were out of sight.
She attacked Acat first. “Family.
Who
do I have to expect to meet? Spill.”

Lying on his pack, his head pillowed on his hands, Acat sighed. “If I must.
My
first
father is alpha of the tribe,
the
other is
his
beta
, or second in command
.
My mother is
part
Mexican,
which I am sure will fascinate you.” It did. She’d have to talk to her. “
Juanita is her name and she will try to make you fat.
She likes to cook.
My two grandmothers live
,
as does one of my grandfathers.
He is the shaman who presided over our ceremony.”

She arched a brow. “Got connections
,
do you, big guy?”

“If you mean a larger share than most of annoyance
,
then yes
.”

“Explains a lot,” she muttered.

“
T
o make up for
a
lack of brothers,
I beat on Chaob growing up.
”

“
Single child?
No sisters?”
she inquired.

“Our tribe births no females.”
Flatly said with no explanation.

She frowned and looked to Chaob for clarification.

He ran light fingers down her thigh before he answered.
“
We usually don’t birth females Haven’t for generations
.
Except for
one. But some have cast doubt on whether or not the fathers are from the tribe or not.
It’s never happened before.”

Carlie tried to wrap her mind around what he said.
“
Are you telling me no one ever has a girl
?
Only boys
?
”
Good grief. Was the problem in the water? The food? The curious scientist – and cat – inside her wanted to know.

“It is part of the curse the gods placed on us.
Did
you not ever hear our
tale?”
Chaob’s fingers stopped as he regarded her.

“Well
,
yeah. Or at least a simple version of it.
I’m afraid I’m more interested in living tribes than those considered legends. But my sister loved your stories. If I remember correctly, y
our tribe kidnaps
women
from villages in the middle of the night and leave riches behind as dowries.
I guess I never stopped to wonder why you needed to kidnap wom
e
n.
I guess n
ot having any would be a good reason
,
although
,
I would have assumed it had more to do with ensuring the gene pool didn’t corrupt from inbreeding than because of a curse.” She shrugged
at his stunned look
.

“
Interesting theory. F
resh blood is probably a factor
in the curse
.
”

“
Curse.” She snorted. “Before I believe in that,
I’
ll
check and see if it’s
something in the water.
”

“Does it bother you that much that we won’t have female progeny
,
o
nly male
?
” Chaob clasped her hand and she didn’t immediately yank it away.
In fact, she relaxed as he stroked his thumb in circles on her skin.

“
Sorry
,
guys, but I am definitely not in the baby making stage of my life
,
so never even thought of it.”
And wouldn’t for awhile given the IUD she had floating in her uterus
.
“
Keep in mind, while you consider us married, I still see it as hooking up for a good time.
”

“
With little good times,” Acat muttered.

She would have said the opposite
because she’d climaxed more in the last few days than she had over the course of the last year.
Carlie stuck her tongue out at him.
“
Are we g
rumpy,
Mr. Not-Getting-Any
?
Too bad.
That’s what you get for not bringing my sister back to civilization. Besides, i
t’s Chaob’s turn to tell me about his family.”

“
Will it get me some?”
Chaob
arched a hopeful brow.

“No.”

“
Let me know if you change your mind.” He winked. “S
o
,
my turn to regale you with my life history. I have
t
wo fathers
,
of course
.
Mighty warriors both.
My
mother
was
taken from a small village on the western side of the jungle.
I have three brothers, two of them mated. I have one nephew so far
and another on the way
.
My favorite color is green. I enjoy swinging from vines
,
c
hasing after howler monkeys
, m
y meat just barely singed on both sides
,
and making love in the moonlight.”

She laughed. “
Why does it sound like an ad
on
a dating service?”

“I’ve been outside the village. I’ve watched my share of reality television.
I totally would like to go on
Survivor
. I’d kick some serious butt.
”

A shake of her head didn’t hide her smile.
“Every
time I think I have you guys pegged
,
you surprise me. What else do you do
, other than watching horrible TV,
when
y
ou leave the village?
Are you gone
often?”

It seemed they weren’t ready to divulge all their secrets
,
though. Even Chaob refused to answer that particular query
.

“Unless you plan to use that tongue for something other than questions, this c
onversation
is
over
,
”
Acat threatened,
and for a second, she almost said something.
She even o
pened her mouth to say something saucy, but she caught the glint in his eye
,
t
he dare that said,
“
I’m just waiting for an excuse.
”
She so wanted to give him one.
It was her inner furry friend who stopped her.
He is playing us. We must prevail.
She clamped her lips shut and smirked before
she snuggled against Acat
, one leg over his thigh, her hand on his chest. The stiffness of his body made her lips curl, and a contented sigh slipped from her
as C
haob covered her from the rear, his arm heavy yet comfortable across her waist.
She felt no shame in using them as a blanket for the night, a guilty pleasure that tortured all parties involved.

Of course, waking with her leg flung over a thick thigh,
hips thrusting,
a definite male hand between her legs stroking her clit
made her pause. On the one hand, she really wanted to see where this went, but she couldn’t keep having sex with them
if she wanted them to take her serious. Bounding up, she escaped the sensual allure they promised to check on her sister who was snug and safe between the protective
bodies of Joel and Kendrick.

After eating a bite and relieving herself, she heard Chaob
saying he needed to stretch his legs, and by stretch
,
he meant jaguar style. All too eager, the pain of shifting getting easier as promised, she joined him
, reveling in the chase both he and Acat led her on.

Bounding in the treetops.
Flushing
out prey. Tracking it.
Pouncing. Then releasing
the squirming frightened creature she caught
, her human consciousness too aware in their shared body to take th
e next deadly
step.

Despite everything
going on
, she enjoyed hers
elf. Probably a little too much
,
and a part of her felt guilty about that
. While she gallivanted, reveling in her perspective, her sister languished in a forced slumber.
I am such a bad sister.
Wasn’t she supposed to fight to ensure Ruth got sent home? Acat seemed so sure
,
though
,
that Ruth’s friends would prevail. And honestly, Carlie believed it. She
only
had to see how protective they acted when awake around her sister to see how much they cared.

“Does she have to get locked up?” she asked for the umpteenth time.