Suzanne's Sexy Shifters [Shy River Pack 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (4 page)

More pain-filled words rushed from her mouth as she lifted a hand toward him. Brigden fell to his knees, unable to refuse the woman’s mumbled plea. Gideon seemed to understand her better than Brigden had because he held the woman closer and rocked slightly.

“It’s okay, baby girl, I promise we’re not going to hurt you. We’re just trying to figure out the best way to deal with your injuries.” He hesitated, glanced at Brigden, and said softly. “We can help, but it will change your life forever.”

* * * *

Gideon wasn’t entirely sure what drove him to make the offer, but there was something about the woman that made it difficult to let go. What he should have done was carry her to the edge of the nearest campsite, call for help, and then when she was in human hands, leave without a backward glance.

It was unlikely that her story of bear-shifters would be believed. He knew enough about human laws—thanks to that wonderful human invention called the Internet—that she would more likely be charged with some sort of crime under suspicion of trying to abduct a black bear cub from the wild.

Even the threat of serious infection was far lower thanks to modern human medicine and antibiotics.

He really couldn’t come up with a solid reason for wanting to change her into a wolf. The compulsion was strong but unexplainable. Even the way his mate held her hand seemed appealing. Annoyed at his inability to understand and act accordingly, Gideon shook his head sharply and turned his attention to Brigden.

“I feel it, too,” Brigden said quietly. “I have a connection to her, the same way I do to you.”

As soon as Brigden’s words filtered into his brain, he knew them for the truth that they were. They didn’t even know the woman’s name, but it was becoming increasingly clear that she was destined to be their mate as well.

“Brig?” Gideon asked as a soul-deep ache gripped him. He’d loved Brigden for so long without being able to claim him. Perhaps this woman could give them both a second chance at love. They couldn’t love each other openly, but it was quite common for two or more wolf-shifters to share the same woman.

Brigden nodded frantically, gripping the woman’s hand against his heart as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Their alpha wouldn’t be happy, but he would understand the necessity of keeping the shifter world safe. He wouldn’t know that there had been other choices, and even if he did, he’d likely approve of Gideon’s decision anyway.

“Find a den,” Gideon ordered as he lifted the woman in his arms and glanced around the area. If they’d been on their own pack lands, he would have known exactly where the dens were. Brigden nodded, gathered the woman’s scattered possessions, and hurried back the way they’d come.

It took a frustrating five minutes, but they eventually managed to find one of the natural caves that the local wolf-shifters used as bolt holes. To a human they would look nothing more than a small, dead-end den of a wild animal. Fortunately the local shifters had the same habits as Gideon and Brigden’s pack and had created a false wall to hide a larger area. Thankfully it was stocked with essentials including fairly simple medical supplies. Most shifters, wolves in particular, had a natural healing ability that was intertwined with their ability to shift. Put very simply, serious, life-threatening wounds in one form could be mostly healed by switching to the other.

When they changed her, the woman wouldn’t have that shifting ability just yet, but the process of turning her into a werewolf would help to close and heal her wounds far faster—a matter of mere minutes rather than days or maybe even weeks as a human.

Gideon smiled gratefully at his mate as Brigden grabbed several blankets from a pile of supplies near the back wall and spread them on the ground to make a type of bed. Gideon gently lowered the woman into the middle.

“Brig, stay in human form just in case she wakes up,” he said, feeling a little more anxious when the woman’s eyes remained closed. She was out cold, but he didn’t want to take any chances. Brigden nodded his approval, helped to remove the tattered remains of the woman’s undershirt and bra, and then moved to put himself between the cave’s exit and the bed.

In the small area, the scent of both of his mates was intoxicating, and for a moment, Gideon almost forgot the reason they were actually here. He gave Brigden a look of longing, his need to hold the man close more overwhelming than ever.

Gideon shook his head sharply, desperately dragging back his faltering concentration. He quickly changed into his wolf shape, bared his teeth, and bit into the woman’s soft flesh, holding on as she tried to move away even in her unconsciousness. Hell, Gideon wasn’t even certain he was doing this right, but he knew enough about the process to know they needed to stay connected like this for at least several minutes. Thankfully, Brigden moved closer, kneeling on the floor, his jean-clad thigh pressing against Gideon’s side as he leaned over and stroked the woman’s face soothingly.

It was a strangely intoxicating experience. Gideon’s cock was so damn hard he had to move several times before being able to find a comfortable position, not exactly easy when he needed to keep his teeth embedded in her flesh while his saliva did its work.

He even whined pathetically as his arousal grew. Hell, he’d never realized how much more uncomfortable a hard-on was in furry form, but his need to claim them both was the sobering reality. He didn’t even know the woman’s name, and claiming Brigden would almost be a death sentence for the man. Gideon couldn’t act on his instincts. Not if he wanted to keep both of his mates safe.

* * * *

Brigden held his breath as he waited to see if it worked.

It was a stupid thing to do. He was a wolf. His sense of smell was his strongest, but no matter how many times he’d been reminded of that over the years it was still his last instinct. Hell, if it wasn’t for the purple hue of his skin and the fact that he could morph into a wolf, he would swear that he’d been born a human. Slowly he released the breath he’d been holding and then lifted his face as he checked the scents in the air.

“It’s working,” Brigden said when he realized the woman’s scent had changed.

Gideon made a relieved-sounding noise, leaned his weight against Brigden’s thigh for just a moment, and then slowly pulled his teeth from the woman’s shoulder. He licked the puncture wounds until they stopped bleeding and then morphed back into his human form.

“She should sleep for a while,” he said, sounding breathless. A quick glance at the hard cock he was trying to hide from Brigden explained why.

“I can help you with that,” Brigden said, his dreams and reality crashing together as Gideon’s cock seemed to grow harder.

Gideon gave him a pained smile. “Probably not the best idea. I have very little self-control at the moment.”

Brigden hesitated for a moment until he realized what the other wolf probably meant. “I won’t let you claim me. I’ll stop you if you try,” he said reassuringly. He wanted this man to claim him more than he wanted his next breath, but he wasn’t selfish enough, or suicidal enough to put either of them through the future such a thing would herald.

“Thank you, baby,” Gideon said with a sad smile, “but it would be best if we just didn’t go there.”

“I know,” Brigden said in a rough voice, his gaze roving over his mate’s face before he turned to look over the woman once more. “Who do you think she is? Or”—he swallowed hard and tried to blink away tears when he realized the woman’s predicament meant she wouldn’t ever be able to return home—“should I say was?”

“Come here,” Gideon said, pulling him into his embrace. Brigden went gratefully, the chance to be close to Gideon overwhelming all other concerns. He breathed deeply, imprinting his mate’s scent in his mind, savoring the few stolen moments in time that they were taking.

He honestly didn’t mean to brush his hand against Gideon’s hard cock, but as they both stilled, a feeling of recklessness stole over him. This might be the only chance he ever got to be with Gideon. They already had the woman’s situation to explain their mingled scents. It was possible that they’d never get this sort of chance again.

“Please,” he whimpered as he closed his hand around Gideon’s hard cock.

“Baby,” Gideon said in resignation as he tried to move Brigden away from him, “it’s too dangerous.”

“I don’t care,” he said stubbornly. “I want to be with my mate at least once. What’s the use of living a good long life if I’m completely miserable every single day?”

“I’m so sorry, Brig. If I could change things for you I would.”

Gideon stilled, almost as if he was fighting an internal war. His cock pulsed in Brigden’s hand, his arousal clearly not lessened by whatever argument he fought within himself.

“Ple—” Brigden’s word got cut off as Gideon’s mouth settled over his. The kiss was desperate at first, almost angry in its ferocity, but then the tension flowed out of Gideon’s muscles and he pulled Brigden closer.

“Just once,” Gideon mumbled, almost as if trying to convince himself, before gently taking Brigden’s mouth in a devastating kiss. Frustrated with the restriction of his clothing, Brigden tried to wriggle out of his T-shirt without breaking the kiss or his hold on Gideon’s cock.

Gideon seemed to understand what he was doing and laughed softly against his lips. He broke the kiss briefly, dragged the soft material over Brigden’s head and one arm, and then went back to exploring his mouth. Brigden followed his lead, releasing Gideon’s cock for only a moment as he shook off the material pooled at the base of his hand. He quickly went back to stroking his mate’s hard flesh, memorizing every sensation as Gideon groaned softly.

“I’ve dreamed of this a million times, Brig, but I’m not sure how long I’m going to last if you keep doing that.”

“Sorry,” he said quickly, a little embarrassed by his enthusiasm. He’d dreamed of this a long time, too, but the reality was proving far more amazing.

“It’s okay, baby,” Gideon said in a whisper, his hands moving to the front of Brigden’s jeans. He undid the buttons quickly, his fingers brushing lightly over Brigden’s engorged flesh. He sucked in a ragged breath, almost unable to believe that this was really happening. Surely any moment he’d wake, aching and alone in his own bed, his need for his mate more devastating than ever.

Gideon kissed him again, fusing their mouths together as between them they managed to drag Brigden’s pants to his knees. Unable to wait long enough to kick off his boots and the rest of the denim, Brigden gripped Gideon’s cock again, his thumb spreading the pre-cum over the soft, mushroom-shaped head.

Gideon groaned, almost like he was in pain. He quickly apologized when Brigden hesitated, his grip loosening as he worried that he’d hurt his mate with his anxious need.

“Don’t stop, baby,” Gideon whispered, his palm pressed against the base of Brigden’s skull, pulling him closer. “I need you to touch me.”

Brigden groaned himself this time, Gideon’s words more precious than any others he’d ever heard. Emboldened by his mate’s need, Brigden leaned over, bending at the waist, his intention apparently obvious. He could feel Gideon’s leashed strength, his determination not to force Brigden to do anything he didn’t want to do, but he could also sense his need for Brigden to follow through.

He held Gideon’s cock tightly as he pressed his lips to the thick head, his tongue tracing the tiny slit as Gideon caressed him frantically. Brigden opened, taking as much as he could deep into his mouth before suctioning his lips around Gideon’s shaft and moving back up. Over and over he bobbed his head, taking him deeper each time, his own cock pulsing with his rapid heartbeat as Gideon stroked every inch of Brigden’s body he could reach.

One hand caressed the back of his neck, the strong fingers holding him gently, urging him on. The other played over his spine, the warm touch traveling up and down his back, the sweeping motion going lower each time, growing ever closer to the part of him that ached for his mate’s possession.

He groaned at the first touch over his anus, the muscle squeezing reflexively at the soft, ticklish sensation. Again and again Gideon caressed over the sensitive skin, his finger pressing against Brigden’s anus more boldly each time, finally breaching his ass and pushing inside.

Brigden moaned at the amazing sensation. For three decades he’d had nothing but his own hands and imagination, but none of that could have prepared him for the amazing sensation of having a part of his mate inside him. Gideon worked him gently, his finger swirling around and around loosening the tight muscle even as he lifted his cock more forcefully into Brigden’s mouth.

With a strangled-sounding groan, Gideon closed his fist in Brigden’s hair, lifting him away from his cock and then urging him to turn around. He dragged Brigden’s shoes and jeans roughly off his feet before lifting him onto his hands and knees.

He leaned over him for a moment, pressing his warm chest against Gideon’s back, the reassuring cuddle bringing tears to Brigden’s eyes. He’d always known his mate was a good man, but the care he was displaying at this moment made the thought of living without him ten times more painful.

“This isn’t how I wanted our first time together,” Gideon said quietly, breathlessly, and for a moment Brigden thought he was pulling away.

“Gideon?” he asked in a small voice, uncertainty tightening his throat.