Katlyn (M/F/M red-hot menage shifter romance) Standalone (Shadow Creek Shifters Book 1) (9 page)

“That’s awful,” Katlyn said. When she gazed over at the door, Brendan’s frame filled the doorway.

“I should go now,” Nate said.

Brendan brushed his shoulders against Nate’s as he passed through the doorway, both men staring the other down. Once he left, Brendan said, “What was that all about?”

“Not sure what you mean by
that
. He’s just one of the parents. I guess I didn’t expect to deal with so much for half a day of school.”

Brendan’s brow arched, “Oh, and what were you expecting?”

“Well, I hadn’t expected for the children to partially shift, for one, or to speak so harshly to one another.”

Brendan nodded. “It’s to be expected. It’s the first time they’ve been all together. When Chase and I decided to invite the other shifters’ children here for school, I knew it might be difficult in the beginning.”

“I sure wish you had shared that information with me. Paige never even mentioned to me that I’d be teaching shifter children.”

“She would have eventually.”

Katlyn wanted to ask a few more questions. “What about Robert’s mother, Annabelle? One of the children mentioned that she was on the committee. Is that the Rancher’s Committee?”

Brendan sighed, leaning back against the desk. “No. We formed a shifter committee a few years back and she’s a mediator for shifter troubles. As you can imagine, troubles between different types of shifters should be expected, but luckily most have been resolved. The biggest danger here is the death of livestock from neighboring ranches. This morning our neighbor, Jonathan O’Reilly, called, asking about a few lost sheep. He followed the blood trail onto our property.”

“Is he supposed to do that?”

“No. He’s supposed to take it up with the Rancher’s Committee. He didn’t care for my thoughts on his trespassing or me asking him if he was responsible for damaging our fences. If he was responsible for that, he caused his own problems.”

Katlyn straightened the desks and wanted to broach the subject of Tessa, but wasn’t sure how. “I really need to speak to Paige privately today. Can you make that happen?”

Brendan turned Katlyn to face him. “I don’t think that’s wise after last night.”

“You mean when she injured Tessa?”

“What did Tessa tell you exactly?”

“She doesn’t remember anything about last night.”

“Then there’s nothing to talk about.” Brendan strode away and Katlyn was left to think her dark thoughts. If he wouldn’t set up a meeting with Paige, she’d seek her out herself.

Chapter Nine

Katlyn didn’t go to dinner that night, but instead strode to the main house after she knew Brendan and Chase were gone on horseback. Tessa had been quite ill for the entire night, and she couldn’t even keep down soup broth.

When she went around to the front door, Katlyn tried the doorknob and walked in without knocking. It was quiet except for the crackling from the fireplace. Paige wasn’t in the room, and Katlyn slowly made her way up the long hallway, passing through the dining room and entering the kitchen when she heard a strange noise.

Paige was in the kitchen, hunched over a bloody animal leg and it took no longer than a few moments to realize it was a sheep from the wooly appearance of the fur that rested at her feet. Nausea overtook Katlyn and she gasped, backing up as Paige sucked the blood from the animal’s leg.

Paige looked up and leveled her eyes at Katlyn. Her eyes moved back to the leg of the sheep, and she quietly said, “This isn’t really a good time, Katlyn.” She straightened, tossing the leg into the sink and wiping the blood from her mouth with the linen napkin in her hand.

“I-I— Wh-What are y-you?”

“I-I—” she began, approaching Katlyn who ran out the door.

Katlyn dodged through the dining room, unsettling the chairs and knocking them to the floor. Before she made it to the front door, Paige whizzed past her, barring her way.

“Please, wait. I really wanted to tell you how sorry I am about what happened with Tessa.”

“Why did you bite Tessa last night?”

“I didn’t mean to, but I guess we were both a little drunk. Usually I can resist the temptation, but you see, I was really drawn to Tessa and I couldn’t control myself.”

“Like sexually?”

“Well, yes. Why is that a surprise to you?”

“I-I don’t know, but Tessa isn’t like that,” Katlyn insisted.

“I’m sure she’s not, but we did kiss and believe me, Tessa wasn’t resisting what happened between us.”

“What are you saying? What really happened?”

Paige took a deep breath. “Just what I said. We were kissing and the next thing I knew I was biting her neck. I never meant to, but when she began bleeding, I did everything in my power to stop it, I swear.”

“What are you?” Katlyn asked, her back still firmly against the wall.

“I’m a vampire and I only feed on animals most of the time. This is not something that normally happens.” She sat down on the sofa, her head in her hands. “She’ll be okay, I swear.”

“No, she won’t, she’s very sick. Tessa can’t keep even chicken broth down.”

Paige frowned. “I’m very sorry to hear that, but I assure you that I can help her.”

Katlyn tried to absorb what she was told. “So are you interested in women?”

“Please don’t put a label on this. I’m just attracted to who I’m attracted to. This time, it just happened to be Tessa, but I like men, too. Just not at the same time, if you get my drift.” When Katlyn didn’t respond, Paige stood and moved toward her. “I promise this will all work out, but the next forty-eight hours are critical for Tessa. I need for you to allow me to help Tessa.”

Katlyn’s knees wobbled, and she thought for a moment she might sink to the floor.  Gathering her courage, she looked Paige straight in the eye and asked, “So she’s no longer human?”

“I’m not sure yet, but we need to bring her here to the main house and I’ll get right to work. I have a room upstairs that has the necessary equipment.”

“You’ve done this before?” Katlyn asked, shocked. “How many people have you turned into a vampire?”

“Not many, but I’ve experimented over the years and have a better understanding about the process from human to vampire. I won’t know until I can assess Tessa here if she’s truly transitioning over to vampire or not. Tomorrow, we’ll know for sure, but her symptoms sound about right.”

Chase darted into the room. “Are you okay, Katlyn?”

Tears streamed down Katlyn’s face. “Good as I can be, I suppose, under the circumstances. Paige bit Tessa and now she’s dreadfully sick.”

“I won’t be sure until tomorrow if Tessa has turned or not,” Paige explained, sighing. “I made an error in judgment last night.” Paige’s eyes teared up now. “I’m truly sorry for what I’ve done, but I assure you, I’ll do everything in my power to make it right.”

 “You’ll cure her?” Brendan asked.

Paige swiped at her tears and made an attempt at a smile. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m not sure yet if she’s transiting over just yet, but if she has, you should know there’s no cure. If there was a cure, don’t you think I’d have tried it on myself?”

“Most of the blood was on the sofa. You couldn’t possibly have drunk enough of Tessa’s blood to turn her so quickly,” Chase said, shaking his head.

“Sometimes it’s like that. She must be more sensitive than most humans.”

“Then Tessa’s your responsibility now, Paige, and it’s your job to help her transition over to the other side,” Brendan said.

Paige sighed. “I plan to if she’s headed that way, but only if Katlyn stays away. She won’t want to see her friend like that.”

“You can stay with us tonight,” Brendan suggested. “If Tessa’s already that sick, Paige needs to act fast.”

“And you shouldn’t be alone tonight, Katlyn. I know this is a lot to absorb,” Chase added with a sad look.

* * *

It was hard for Katlyn to watch Paige enter the cabin with Angus. When he then carried Tessa to the main house, Katlyn’s heart fell. “This is all my fault,” Katlyn said when she was in the cabin where she had enjoyed drinks with the shifters just the night before.

Brendan gave her a hug. “Don’t blame yourself. I’m so sorry this happened. I was very angry when I found out what she’d done to Tessa, but I had hoped she wasn’t overly harmed when she was bitten. It’s very possible to recover from one bite without any real problems, but if she had bitten you, Katlyn, I don’t know what I would have done," he said with emotion.

Katlyn was taken aback at how sincere Brendan sounded, like he really felt something for her. Chase gazed at her, equally concerned. Was there hope that they actually felt something for her, that she had found what she’d always longed for here in Wyoming? There was something building between the three of them that she needed to explore what it was to sort it all out.

Katlyn pulled away from Brendan. “Is this how Paige normally acts? She was feeding on a sheep.”

“That’s unfortunate that you had to witness that, but it can’t be helped now.”

“What will happen to Tessa now?”

“Only time will tell. It seems like Paige isn’t certain yet what Tessa’s condition is. We need to hope for the best until we have a reason to think otherwise.”

Katlyn nodded. “You’re right. In the movies, it always takes like three bites before you’re turned. Hopefully that’s how it is and Tessa will recover fully.”

“I don’t think this is like a movie, but I have high hopes. I trust in Paige’s abilities to handle whatever happens.”

“I wish Paige hadn’t bitten Tessa, but I do believe she didn’t mean to harm her, really. It was more in the heat of the moment. Sort of like how you both nicked me with your fangs that night at the club.” When Brendan raised a brow, Katlyn added, “Paige admitted that she kissed Tessa.”

Brendan looked surprised, then continued. “That explains it, then. But I’ve never known Paige to bite anyone, that I’m aware of, or that she was drawn to females.”

“I guess it took them both by surprise, just like you I can understand how it feels to be drawn to someone.” Katlyn smiled.

“You mean both of us, right?” Chase added.

Before Katlyn could respond, Brendan slipped his hand around her waist and brought her closer as Chase closed in the short distance to her, kissing her shoulder gently. She gazed at them, feeling more wanton than ever. It couldn’t be normal to feel this way about two men, wanting them to take her over and over again until they all were exhausted. But she didn’t have the energy to fight it … and wasn’t sure she wanted to.

Brendan lifted her chin and took her lips with his in a searing kiss that left her breathless.

Her head swam and everything was wrong with this, including the timing, but dammit, her body was responding and she was unable to stop herself from giving in. She had waited so long for this.

Chase nudged her thighs apart, squeezing one between his muscled legs and sending jolts of need up her spine, settling between the juncture of her legs. Katlyn broke the kiss with Brendan to hungrily taste Chase’s kiss that was much more bruising with need. Her pussy reminded her just how much something as little as a kiss could affect her as she felt herself become wet, blood rushing to her core.

When the kiss broke, Katlyn’s hungry gaze devoured the men as they pulled off their shirts. Both of their well-muscled chests and abs glistened in the soft glow of the light. She had to calm herself now, still her racing pulse before she came undone. She then reached out to touch them, admiring their biceps as they flexed, working the buttons of her dress, moaning when finally it was pulled off, their fingers grazing her scorching skin.

Brendan took ahold of her chin. “Are you okay with this?”

“Y-Yes,” she mumbled as Chase moved behind her, running his fingertips up her back while Brendan’s hot lips kissed the flesh that was exposed above where the fabric of her bra was. Katlyn about lost her mind when she felt Brendan’s fangs test the flesh of her skin and she jumped— not in pain, but need. Chase unhooked her bra and let the fabric brush against her as it fell to the floor. Reaching from behind, he then took her breasts into his hands, squeezing them playfully.

“You have beautiful breasts,” Chase remarked, pinching her nipples until they were hard. “Doesn’t she, Brendan?”

“Yes, one for each of us.”

Brendan lifted Katlyn on the table and the men took their positions. She gazed down as both Brendan and Chase licked and suckled her nipples and Katlyn moaned in delight, her fingers curled under the edge of the table to stay steady. She couldn’t believe that she was finally able to have Brendan and Chase all to herself. It was quite apparent already that they’d work hard to please her. It was almost impossible to sit still when the men were causing her to come unglued. She arched her back, wishing for more, but knowing that she’d have to wait.
Oh shit, they were torturing her!
The harder they sucked, the more moist she became. Her legs were parted and Brendan moved to remove her panties until Chase stopped him. “Let’s do it together.”

Katlyn was helped off the table and sensation overwhelmed her—she about came on the spot. She was beginning to love this team theme and she smiled in anticipation of what was to come. Brendan was on his knees in front of her while Chase was behind her. Their fingers moved beneath her panties and she was mad with desire, thrashing wildly at the feel of their rough and manly hands on her skin like she had envisioned a hundred times since that night at the Wilted Petal.

“Take it easy, girl. This is only the beginning,” Brendan said.

Her panties were inched down slowly and Brendan pressed his face against her now exposed pussy, kissing her first while Chase’s tongue licked the top of her ass. She bucked and her hips were held tightly as Brendan put one of her legs over his shoulder and only then did he plunge his tongue into her now soaked pussy. She screamed as a raging orgasm crashed over her and she would have fallen had Chase not held her hips tightly, but when his finger found its way deep inside her from behind, she rolled her head side to side. The sensations were too much too handle; she wanted them as naked as she was. She wanted to feel their hard cocks in her hands, and was no longer willing to wait.