Harvest's Pride

Harvest’s Pride A Phases Story

By Brynn Paulin

Resplendence Publishing, LLC http://www.resplendencepublishing.com

Resplendence Publishing, LLC 2665 N Atlantic Avenue, #349 Daytona Beach, FL 32118 Harvest’s Pride Copyright © 2011 Brynn Paulin Edited by Christine Allen-Riley and Jason Huffman Cover art by Les Byerley, www.les3photo8.com Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-399-7 Warning: All rights reserved. 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. Electronic Release: September 2011 This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

Hey, Mr. Inspiration: Marsupial!!

Chapter One

Hanna Herst stood in the shadows of the near empty auditorium and watched two of the most desirable men in the world perform their music. She wasn’t the one declaring that, though she agreed it was true. Tabloids were in accord on this—the front men of Harvest were H.O.T. Hot. The area just in front of the stage was teeming with reporters and photographers vying for their chance at a bite out of the duo and their new look for this tour. Their once long, golden blond hair was closely shorn and their lean bodies were even more ripped than the last time they’d publically appeared. Frankly, the pair made her mouth water and the rest of her warm and melty, though she preferred them with the longer locks. Kazimir and Demyan Pycnahvich Ruslan were the American-born children of two Russian immigrants. Kaz and Myan. They were exotic and had captured the avid adoration of fans since they’d entered the scene some eight years ago. Yet, for all the fascination, no one really knew much about them—not more than they allowed. Hence, the circus up front. Every one wanted a piece of the twin gods. Was she the only one who noticed they pandered to the press, giving them boatloads of face time but nothing substantial? No one really knew about the twins’ lives. And she wanted to know. She wanted inside, because she was confident this pair had something to do with her sister’s disappearance. At very least, she was sure they knew something. Hanna had been on the fast track up the media food chain when Melanie had disappeared. Mel had worked as one of Harvest’s roadies. Every communication had been rife with Kaz this or Myan that or gushing about whatever big city the tour was playing. Then suddenly last year, they’d all stopped. As far as Hanna could tell, Mel had disappeared somewhere between St.

Louis and Des Moines. Inquiries had turned up nothing. The band claimed Mel had just left the tour. Hanna didn’t believe it. Even more, she couldn’t believe that the police had closed the case. It was untenable! A woman—her sister—was missing and no one seemed to care! Determined to find out what had happened to Mel, Hanna had stepped away from her job as a political journalist and, stunning everyone, commenced entertainment reporting. It had taken her too long, but finally, fate had positioned her to get some answers. Her magazine had gotten her a coup. She would be allowed to travel with Harvest for the next week. They were letting her inside the fold, and she’d get to see what they hid from the rest of the world. She wouldn’t just be behind the scenes of the band. She’d actually travel with Kaz and Myan. Despite herself, the opportunity excited her. The reporter inside her wanted to see how they lived even if she didn’t like them—but she did grudgingly like them. They made her hot even when her brain screamed no. This wasn’t right. They knew something. She wanted to know their secrets for Mel’s sake and for the sake of her sidetracked career. This would be the exposé of this generation—the fall of these fake idols. Her hormones be damned. **** “She’s here,” Kaz muttered under his breath to his brother as they headed backstage, the rest of their band following them while the group’s publicist handled the media circus. “It’s about time. Took her long enough,” Myan replied. “You think it’s been easy for her to maneuver into this position? Subterfuge takes planning.” Kaz grinned and looked toward Hanna. The shadows backstage hid him from her, while his feline sight cut through the darkness giving him a clear view of her. Notebook in hand, she was staring in his direction while chewing on the end of her pen. Thinking about her “article” or how to pin a nonexistent crime on them? A good question. He knew she was worried about her sister, but if she’d come directly to them, her fears and all this hassle could have been avoided. Kaz took a deep breath. Even through the scents of all the others in the building, he could smell her…his mate. He glanced at his brother. Their mate. He and Myan had been waiting for her since they’d matured. When they’d met her sister, Melanie, they’d known she somehow knew their destined partner…and then a letter from Hanna had arrived.

He’d nearly lost control and shifted in front of everyone. The other band members were part of his pride, but the crew…not so much. They would have been pretty freaked out to see a full-grown, three-hundred pound African lion in their midst. Then Myan would have felt the need to shift to protect him. It would have been chaos. But with one whiff, all reason had shot out the door as his blood had drained to his cock. That part of him was filling once more as he scented her now. She was his mate, and he wanted her immediately. Even through the shadows, he could see her honey-brown hair gleaming and her grass-green eyes. Since the band had left the stage, the lights went up, and he saw the sprinkling of freckles across her alabaster skin. He growled at the sight of her lean frame—thin yet curved perfectly in all the right places. A male reporter was pressing too close to her and everything in Kaz wanted to bound across the space separating them and slash at the man. No one would touch their mate. “Down, boy,” Myan ground out, his hand on Kaz’s arm and his voice a bit shaky as he obviously fought to keep himself in check. “Let’s go call Melanie and let her know her sister’s here.” Kaz turned to a man standing nearby, their manager and cousin, Alexi. “Go get her and bring her to us.” Then he turned to his brother. “Let’s go.” He had to go before either of them did anything stupid. He could sense the urgency flowing through his twin. Myan, usually the more levelheaded of the pair, was ready to pounce as well. That phone call needed to happen now, as did the final arrangements for their transportation after the show. Hanna had no idea, but their next stop wasn’t on the concert schedule. It was their compound in Northern Michigan. **** “Excuse me.” Hanna looked up to see a muscular tawny-haired man in a white button-down shirt standing a couple feet from her. His head bowed and his fist pressed to the middle of his chest. After a moment, he raised his head and whisky-colored eyes devoured her. “Kaz and Myan have asked me to bring you backstage,” he said. “I’m Alexi Ruslan, their assistant.” She tilted her head. “Ruslan?”

He nodded with a small smile. “Their cousin. Will you follow me?” “Uh, sure,” she said, a little taken aback by his formality. He glanced behind her then his brow furrowed. “You have luggage somewhere?” “I left it at the hotel with the concierge. I have to pick it up later to take to my room.” He nodded. “I’ll see that it’s attended to so you needn’t worry about it. It will be in your room waiting for you, later.” With that, Alexi turned and led her toward the security personnel manning the entrance to the backstage area. The men looked stunningly close to Alexi’s appearance. Both bowed their heads at her then stepped aside. After she and Alexi had passed, Alexi opened the zippered notebook he carried and pulled out a lanyard holding a plastic credentials pass. “This will get you anywhere backstage—not that you’d have much trouble. The security staff will all recognize you, but the crew might not, so you should always wear it.” Tucking the notebook beneath his arm, he stepped close then slid the pass over her head. His eyes closed and he took a deep breath as he settled it around her neck, but the moment passed before she could freak out. Was she imagining things? Maybe he was tired. Maybe he was sighing because he was stuck on press detail. Maybe she was oversensitive. He tilted his head to indicate a nearby hallway. “Kaz and Myan are waiting.” Without another word, he led her into the hallway with greenish-white industrial lighting. This venue had spared no expense for comfort. She would have thought they’d treat the music royalty playing their arena far better than this. Mentally, she made a note for her article. She’d have to note how the brothers felt about the lack of frills. The door Alexi opened revealed a much brighter room. It was almost golden in comparison to the gloomy hallway. And inside stood the two men she’d come to see. Immediately, her womb clenched and cream flowed into her pussy. Man, she was a mess. Remember Mel, she told herself as her heart beat faster, and she felt heat rush through her. Beside her, Alexi groaned and she shot him a questioning glance, only to find him disappearing back through the door that slammed behind him as he went. “Hanna,” Kaz said, taking her hand, his voice a velvety rumble as he spoke. The utterance made her shudder as the sensuous sound rolled over her. Myan took her other hand, his callused fingers stroking her palm. “We’re so pleased you’re here,” he murmured.

Her pussy was clenching so hard, it amazed her that she didn’t come. What the hell was wrong with her? She’d been around hundreds of celebrities before today. She’d never been star struck—it was one of the things that made her so good at her job—yet here she was almost orgasmic at this pair. “You feel it too,” Myan observed with a smile. “Feel what?” she whispered, trying to gather herself and be professional. “The desire,” Kaz said, flipping the lock on the door. She spun, pulling her hands free from Myan’s grasp. How had Myan gotten to clasp both? How did Kaz get behind her? How had she gotten trapped between them? Kaz leaned against the door, and she backed away from the feral lust in his eyes. She slammed right into Myan’s chest. His arms locked around her before she could jolt away. “Hush,” he murmured into her ear. “We know exactly who you are, Hanna Herst, and we know exactly what you’re looking for.” “No you don’t,” she bit out, struggling for freedom. “Yes, we do,” Kaz replied. He stepped close and cupped her cheek. “We’ve been waiting for you, and so has Melanie.” His head lowered as she gasped, and his lips covered hers, capturing the sound.

Chapter Two

Hanna struggled for sanity in her head as Kaz’s lips forced hers apart and his tongue slid inside to stroke across hers. A strange sensation of calm and rightness flowed over her as he claimed her mouth. At the same time, need so great it clawed at her middle filled her. She moaned into him, overwhelmed by the sensations and wanting more and more. His strange, spicy taste entranced her and she wanted more and more of that too. She pressed into his mouth, greedily trying for more. He growled and his fingers plowed into her hair, angling her head for his demands. Myan stroked his hand along her ribcage and up to cup her breast. Her body seemed to swell into his touch. Her nipples ached, begging for him. He plucked and twisted one through her shirt, drawing almost animalistic moans from her throat. What the hell was happening to her? Her senses clawed their way forward as her body melted into their fingers. With all her strength, she wrenched herself away. They reached for her, but she scrabbled a few feet from them, stopping only when she reached the far wall. Desperately, she held up her hand, insubstantial defense against them. “Stop,” she begged. This was untenable. How had she ended up in their arms less than thirty seconds after entering the dressing room? They hadn’t even spoken, not really, and they’d been all over her—and she’d been all over them. How unprofessional can you be, Hanna? “You’re right,” Myan said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “We should wait until we’re back at the hotel. The car’s waiting. We’re done here today.” “No,” Hanna breathed. She wasn’t going to the hotel with them.

“You can deny this?” Kaz demanded. Myan placed a hand on his arm, and Kaz spun away, barely hiding his frustration. “Forgive him,” Myan said. “We’ve waited forever for you to get here. Just…” He took a deep breath then nodded as if the air had assured him of something. “Just come with us, and we’ll get Melanie on the phone. She’ll ease your mind.” Her arms crossed over her middle. This could be a trick. If they knew she was Mel’s sister, they’d say whatever they thought she wanted to hear, just to get her somewhere that she’d be vulnerable and alone at their mercy. Maybe they’d done the same thing to her sister. She shook her head. She might have momentarily fallen into their arms, but she wasn’t born yesterday and she wasn’t too stupid to breathe. There was no way she’d blithely skip off anywhere with them, let alone their hotel room, attraction or not. “I’ll take a cab to the hotel,” she said. “Then I’ll meet you in the bar for the preliminary interview.” “We can’t—” Myan began but Kaz interrupted him. “Fine. We’ll meet you there. We’ve had a long day and need to get out of here. I’ll have Alexi get you a cab.” Myan stared at his brother then slowly nodded. “Right, we’ll meet you there.” Scooping up a cell phone, he punched in a few numbers, waited then ordered Alexi to escort Hanna to the hotel. She could still hear the other man speaking as Myan hung up. Myan smiled at her, but it didn’t seem to be a pleased expression at all. “We’ll see you there, then.” With nods, both he and Kaz left the room. Hanna stared after them, a little dizzy from the intensity of what had just happened followed by the complete departure of tension. She wilted against the wall and pressed a hand to her forehead. Need still clawed at her middle, a need she’d never felt before. She would have been stunned if it was for one man since she’d never felt desire this strongly before now. Worse, it was lust for two men. And neither of them seemed to mind. She had a distinct impression that they liked to share and right now, they both wanted to share her. “Hanna?” Alexi said. She looked up to see him standing in the doorway, and got the feeling he’d been standing there for a bit. “There’s a cab outside.” “Okay…thanks,” she replied.

He gave her wide berth as she passed. She couldn’t help but notice the others from the band and the security personnel did the same—the crew however seemed oblivious to her, which was fine. She wanted to be unobtrusive while she was here so she could observe. Still, the behavior of those closest to Kaz and Myan disturbed her. In the cab, Alexi’s demeanor didn’t change. Deferential to a fault, he hugged the opposite door as if she might jump him. At the hotel, he stepped aside as she exited the car, only jumping forward to catch her arm when she stumbled on a loose piece of gravel. He immediately yanked away as if burned. “It’s okay. I’m not going to bite you,” she told him, but he didn’t look so sure. He gave a tight smile and opened the door to the hotel for her then followed her to the desk. “Hanna Herst?” the attendant there repeated when she checked in. He smiled broadly. “Yes, I have your room key right here. Your bags have already been delivered.” He proffered the small folder containing her keycard, the room number written on the outside. “Have an excellent stay.” “Thank you, I’m sure I will,” she replied, returning his smile. It was only for one night. She was so strung out by the day, she’d be fine at a Motel-6 and this was a five-star establishment. Right now, she just wanted to get to her room, slip off her shoes and flop across the bed. She needed to regroup before she saw the front men of Harvest again. If they’d been testing her, she’d failed abysmally. Now, they probably thought she’d drop right into bed with them. In those first moments, when she’d been in their arms, that would have been completely true! Her whole body had melted for them, no matter what her thoughts said. Even now, the annoying need in her middle hadn’t subsided. It clawed and twisted, so tense she was nearly shaking from it. If she didn’t get alone soon so she could alleviate this, she might scream at the slightest brush of an unsuspecting stranger. Thankfully, Alexi continued to give her space as he followed her. At the elevator, she sighed and turned to him. “I can get there on my own.” He shook his head. “I’ve been charged with seeing you safely to the room.” “Puh-lease,” she groaned and rolled her eyes. She wasn’t an infant, and she was perfectly safe in the hotel. She needed a few minutes alone to get hold of herself. Silently, he stared her down, as if willing her to give in. When she sighed again and looked away, he pressed the button for her floor.

“This is ridiculous,” she muttered. “This is what has been commanded,” he retorted, staring up at the arrows beside the door. “Commanded?” she repeated, swinging her gaze at him and making another mental note for her article. “It’s not like they’re royalty.” He slid her a sidelong glance but said nothing. When the doors opened, he waited for her to enter, then followed, standing at the opposite corner of the car. Moments later, the doors whooshed open and he waited for her to exit, again following as she marched to her room. “I’m here, okay,” she ground out, unnerved that he was on her heels like a trained puppy. She didn’t want him near her, though he was nice and she perceived no threat. Still, her skin was crawly at his male presence—and that made zero sense. She pulled the room key from the paper folder then slipped the plastic into the mechanical slot. “Bu-bye now,” she told Alexi when the lock clicked and she pushed the lever down. “I think I can take it from here.” Hanna usually wasn’t snarky to strangers, but this whole assignment had turned weird from the second she’d followed him backstage to meet Kaz and Myan. Shock kicked through her as she entered the room. She’d expected the typical short hall with the bathroom to the right and the beds beyond it. Instead, she entered what appeared to be a living room. Her paper had booked her a suite? When two forms moved from where they’d been waiting, she took a step backward, but Alexi pulled the door shut, trapping her inside with the two men who’d stoked her lust to insane levels. “What are you doing here?” she gasped. Kaz sniffed, his face growing dark. “Why is Alexi’s scent on you?” “What?” she lifted her arm and sniffed near her elbow. All she smelled was her laundry soap. She dropped the limb just as quickly. This was crazy. They didn’t smell anything. “He touched you,” Myan breathed, his words a lethal growl. “I almost fell—” Myan wrapped his arm around her and drew her to the sitting area. “Are you all right?” “What is wrong with you?” she asked, disengaging from him with a squirm. What was wrong with her? They shouldn’t be here, but she was all hot again. “Why are you in my room?” “It’s our room, mate. Yours, mine, Myan’s.” Mate? And now, he was Australian? Another quirk for her article.

“I’m not sharing a room with you.” “I’m afraid you are,” Kaz replied. “No. I’m not.” “Would you like to speak with your sister?” Myan interjected, redirecting the conversation. She had news for him. This was far from over. She didn’t have a chance to tell him before he drew her to the couch and scooped a cell phone off the coffee table. He punched a speed-dial number then lifted the phone to his ear. “Hey hon, guess who’s here? Yeah, I know. ‘Bout time. Here she is.” He thrust the instrument at Hanna. She sank onto the cushions, almost afraid to hope after all this time. It couldn’t be this easy. “Hello,” she said tentatively. “Hiya, Hanny-bananny.” Tears flooded her eyes as her heart clenched on a lurch. The two men from Harvest faded away. “Mel?” she choked. “Oh my God, Mel!” Sobs overwhelmed her, and she forgot about everything but the sweet voice coming over the line. “Where are you? Are you okay? Why haven’t you called me?” “Hey, one question at a time. I’m fine, but I can’t explain. Not yet. But I promise, I am okay. You’ll see me soon and you’ll understand everything.” “But—” “Just stick with the guys. And before you ask, no, I haven’t joined a cult. I’m still in full control of my senses and freewill. I’ll see you tomorrow. Okay? Just… Listen to them and give them a chance, okay.” “Mel!” Her sister hung up before Hanna could get more answers. Hanna turned to the men. Myan sat beside her, and Kaz leaned on the armrest behind his brother. “Where is she?” she demanded. “Your sister is safe at our home,” Kaz replied. “I don’t understand…” Kaz moved to sit beside her, so he and Myan were on opposite sides. They each took one of her hands. “Close your eyes,” Myan urged. “Do you feel it? Need and longing you’ve never

experienced before. It’s heavy in your middle, and you want us. You know nothing else will make it go away. Deep down, you know it. Even if you tried—” “No!” she exclaimed. Her eyes popped open. She’d followed his command without even realizing it. “No!” she cried again. Squirming away, she jumped to her feet and scrambled over the coffee table since her path to either side was blocked. Skirting the opposite couch, she faced them, shaking her head. “This is just…hero worship. Being star struck. I’m just overwhelmed by your fame. It’s nothing more than what millions of teenage girls go through when they see their idols. It’ll fade when I’m alone and can get my head straight.” She sighed. “It’s so unprofessional.” Kaz chuckled, the sound low and sensual. “You’re not a fan. You came to the arena today determined to dislike us.” “You’re definitely not star struck,” Myan enjoined. “Which is probably a good thing. You want us for completely different reasons.” Together they stood, and she backed up. She didn’t stop moving until she ran into the large dining table on the other side of the room. They were in front of her, hemming her in, before she could round it. “Hanna,” Myan grated, demanding her attention. “We aren’t going to accost you. Nothing will happen here that you don’t want.” “Or demand,” his brother added. She sucked in a breath at his assertion, her cream flooding her folds. Her fingers clenched on the chair tops beside her as she struggled for balance. Her womb pulsed with heady desire. She was sure the hair on her arms was standing on end. If they brushed it, she’d collapse into an orgasm. “I don’t understand,” she whispered. She was always levelheaded and controlled. This was…abnormal. Crazy. “This is what Melanie found,” Myan told her. “With her mates.” “Mates…” she repeated, confused. “Mates? Are you crazy? That’s so… Humans don’t have mates!” She ducked through them, groaning at the touch of their bodies against her shoulders. Their masculine scent was stealing her breath. Hanna swung around to face them and ward off their next advance.

“We have a mate,” Kaz asserted. “And we are yours.” “No.” She shook her head. Myan tilted his head, assessing her, then looked at his brother. “I’m sure we could find a groupie who’d be more than willing to—” “No!” Hanna screeched. She launched herself at them, grabbing their shirtfronts and pulling them into her. “No one touches you. No one!”

Chapter Three

What the hell was wrong with her? It was as if she stood outside her body and watched herself going nuts. A feral beast had been unleashed inside her and she knew she’d claw the face of any woman who touched them. And she didn’t understand it. But as their hands closed on her, the painful agitation inside her eased and quieted. She’d soon have her needs filled. “What’s happening?” she murmured, not caring that much at the moment. More than anything, more than all her sensible reasoning, she just wanted to be in their arms. She’d figure out the rest later. “Destiny,” Kaz answered. His hand lifted to her hair, burying in the tresses as he cupped the back of her head. Angling her mouth to his, he kissed her. His tongue delved inside, sweeping across hers. He breathed into her, and her eyes rolled back in ecstasy as her knees buckled. Lightheaded, she clutched them while they held her up. Myan’s body pressed to her back as his hands stroked up her arms, electrifying her as he brushed the hairs there. Shudders racked her while her breaths came in gasping sobs. Her mind blanked to anything but them. “Please…” she begged. “If we take you now, there’s no turning back,” Myan said. Going back where? To her empty existence? “I don’t care,” she breathed. There were worse things out there than sex with a couple rock stars even if it screwed her interview. Oh God, she really didn’t care.

Lifting her legs, she wrapped them around Kaz’s hips. He growled, clamping a hand over her ass as she rocked against his cock. The hard length ground into her pussy, and she could nearly feel him inside her. At the same time, she was so empty. So, so, so empty. Chairs clattered to the floor as he pushed her to the table and lifted her ass to the surface. Myan was at their side. He reached in, unfastening her shirt buttons and pushing the garment down her arms. Her wrists were tangled in her sleeves. He fiddled with the cloth, but rather than free her, he trapped her further, tying her hands behind her back. Immediately, he went after the front clasp of her bra. In moments, it was down her arms and atop her shirt. “Yes,” Kaz growled, pulling from her mouth. His lips captured the tip of one breast, and Myan took the other. Hanna cried out. Her back arched as she pressed into them and the tugging sensation that threaded all the way to her clit. “Oh God,” she cried out as she leaned back on her hands. “Yes…oh my God!” Their teeth scraped over her nipples while she shook, tremors exploding to her extremities as an orgasm rocked through her. They never paused. They sucked and tugged while she quaked, begging incoherently for more. She pulled at her wrists, wanting to touch them, but only managed to knock herself off-balance and fall back to the table. The jarring sensation failed to shock her to her senses, and instead amplified the wildness of the moment. One of the men fumbled with the closure of her pants as they bent over her, intent on their worship of her breasts. Her trousers and panties were shoved down and off her legs, along with her shoes. Fingers parted her pussy. They pushed along her folds, gliding through her wetness until finally—finally—they centered on her clit. Hanna lifted her feet and braced them on the edge of the table as the man between her legs tormented the bud of flesh until she was gushing over his hand. “Oh, yes,” Kaz murmured, releasing her breast. He moved down her body, to kneel between her legs. He pushed her thighs further apart and pressed his mouth to her. “Kaz,” she gasped, and tried to reach for him. Her bound hands emphasized how at their mercy she was. They could do anything and right now, she’d take anything. She was theirs. His tongue lapped over her then darted inside to gather her cream. “Share,” Myan demanded, moving to kneel beside him. They draped her legs over their shoulders, holding her wide to accommodate both their heads. Taking turns, they delved inside

her to taste all the nectar her body would offer. One of them pushed his fingers into her cunt, fucking her for even more of her juice. Teeth clamped on her clit. Hanna screamed as another climax clawed through her, arching her body on the table. The fingers never stopped, but Kaz moved to lie beside her on the table. He drew her head toward him and kissed her. Her taste flooded into her mouth, combined with a masculine flavor that was all Kaz. “I’ve waited for you for so long,” he murmured, his eyes shiny with his need and emotion. The truth in his gaze struck deep in her core. This wasn’t a line. He meant his words. Myan stood while his fingers kept working over her. He gave her a quick kiss as well. “Time to ride, sweetheart,” he said. “Kaz is a few minutes older so by decree, he goes first.” Her brow furrowed, but she couldn’t form the words to question his statement. He helped her sit up then pulled his fingers from her cunt. Slowly, he licked away the release coating his hand. Grinning darkly, he helped her move over Kaz. Kaz had stripped off his pants somewhere along the line, and his massive cock curved upward as she straddled his thighs. The tip leaked pre-cum and painted his belly as he waited. Gently, he grasped her hips and guided her forward. Reaching between them, he moved the head to her opening. “This is what you want?” he asked. “No turning back?” “No turning back,” she gasped. She rocked her hips, desperately trying for more of him and only succeeding in getting his tip. She groaned. “Please. Kaz. Fuck me. Please!” Myan moved behind her, giving her balance as she writhed, then Kaz lowered her. His girth pressed her open, the width more than she could remember having, especially after over a year of abstinence. She whimpered as her passage stretched with the sweetest of painful pleasures. He felt so…perfect inside her as her tissues adjusted to accommodate him. And…he was so deep… Her moan echoed around them as she rocked, lifting and falling on his cock. Kaz held her hips, guiding her as he thrust up into her. Myan slid his hands up her body, cupping her breasts. She leaned into his grasp as he rolled her nipples. Suddenly, it seemed as if she flew between them as they led her body down the road of pleasure, holding her, driving into her. Kaz’s curved cock scrubbed across her g-spot with each dig and sent lightning shooting through her. She howled, her head lifting as her cry colored the air and her pussy squeezed

around him. Her climax shook her, paralyzing her until it was only Kaz moving beneath her, shoving through her clenching folds until his head dropped to the table and he roared his completion. His bellow rocked through her as she felt his molten cum splash into her. He rolled her so he was over her and her hands were trapped beneath her then he kissed her hard. She felt him move aside and another cock pressed to her sodden opening. Through hazy eyes, she saw Myan standing between her splayed legs and smiling down at her. “Hi beautiful,” he said as he grasped her hips and pulled her to the very edge of the table. “Can I come in?” In a daze, she nodded. As if she’d say no… The tension in her womb had eased after Kaz’s possession, but it still thrummed for more. And more was definitely Myan. As she looked at him, the tension and need drew tighter again, until her breaths were tiny whimpers and she couldn’t understand why he delayed, though in truth it was probably moments. “Myan…” she begged. His fingers dug into her hips as he slid forward in one slow and controlled thrust. She groaned as he filled her, stretching her much as Kaz had, yet touching her where his brother had not. The angles were different. The pleasure was different. She closed her eyes and smiled, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip as he drove into her. He lifted her legs over his shoulders as he bent forward, completely opening her for his deep thrusts. Kaz leaned over and kissed her neck. His teeth scraped lightly over her skin as he traced one taut tendon that strained as she rocked with his brother’s fucking. Kaz’s mouth trailed over her jaw then settled over hers. He caught each of her hitched breaths as he feasted at her lips. His hand splayed on her belly as she undulated beneath Myan. As his fingers curled slightly inward, she pictured always belonging to them. As if reading her thoughts, Myan thrust faster. “Yes,” he groaned gutturally as her body reacted. She squeezed around him, clasping his cock. Flutters shuddered through her pussy and into her middle, exploding into a network of electric pulses. She cried out, arching, thrashing as it took her and she flew into oblivion. **** Hanna sighed as she stretched. Last she remembered, she’d been on the polished wood table, Myan’s cock deep inside her. Now, she was ensconced in a cushy bed that hugged her body like a cloud. And she was alone. Naked and atop the covers.

Where were Myan and Kaz? Already, she needed them. Her body throbbed as she leaned up on her elbows and looked about the dim room. She felt the evidence of their possession in the aches that filled her. Only, a repeat would soothe the strained tissues. She moved her legs together, and a small sound of pleasure escaped her. A resulting low growl resonated around the room. Hanna jerked, her gaze jolting around as she tried to find the source of the sound. Four glowing eyes stared at her from the end of the bed. She shook her head as large shadowy shapes emerged from the inky darkness—too large to be Kaz and Myan. A scream strangled in her throat as the beasts moved forward and leapt onto the mattress. She screamed and screamed, yet no sound would emerge. Lions. Two lions on her bed. Her throat seemed to close on itself. She needed help. She couldn’t do more than release a hissing incoherent plea. A dream. It had to be a dream. Still, she shook as gleaming teeth caught the moonlight and the lions roared, the wild bellows rattling the windows and terrifying her as steamy heat flowed over her skin. A dream. It’s not real! “Help!” she yelled, the plea coming out as nothing but breath. “Please, help me!” In what seemed slow motion, each lion raised a paw. The claws raked down her belly, her hips and onto her thighs. The shriek that filled the night deafened her. Finally, sound. But as pain exploded through her body and blackness closed in, she knew it was too late.

Chapter Four

Hanna jerked awake from her dream and blinked in the bright sunlight, panting heavily. A nightmare. It had just been a nightmare. It had replayed over and over while she’d slept. “Hey, Hanny-Bananny,” a gentle voice said beside her. The mattress depressed beside her, and Hanna turned to see her sister. Mel hugged her. “Welcome home.” Hanna blinked, confused, even as she turned and hugged Mel back. She squeezed her tightly, all the horror and worry of the past year pouring into the embrace. Mel was alive and here and holding her. The familiar scent of roses filled Hanna’s lungs as she breathed in the perfume Mel had always favored. This was real. “What are you doing at the hotel?” Hanna asked. “Why didn’t you tell me last night—” Mel laughed, interrupting her. “Sweetie, you’re at the compound. Myan and Kaz brought you two days ago.” Two days ago… “I…what?” She glanced around for the first time. The room was huge, but certainly too filled with personal things to be a hotel room. It was also too “farmhouse” couture to be five-star accommodations. To her side, a large window with lace curtains on either side displayed a sunshine-filled yard bordered by a white picket fence. “This is Myan’s bed…well, I guess, the bed you’ll share with Kaz and Myan—” “They told you what happened?” Hanna gasped. Red-hot heat crept into her face. How could they tell people—her sister—the personal things that went on between the three of them? “Hanna…” Mel sighed. She smoothed a hand along her sister’s forearm. “It was…I mean…” She bit her lip. “I’ll have them explain it to you. It’s not my place. They’ll be really happy to know you’re awake. They’ve been worried.”

“No doubt,” Hanna muttered, unswayed from her anger. She would have thought they’d be more discreet. She shook her head. Were they loose-lipped because they’d been afraid when she’d slept for two days after sex—who the hell slept for two days after sex? Mel stood and bowed her head in the weird deferential way Alexi and those close to the guys on the tour had. “I’ll go let them know you’re awake.” Hanna caught her hand. “No. Wait. What’s up with the head bobbing thing?” Her sister bit the side of her mouth. “I…they need to explain that too.” “No. Please tell me.” “I can’t.” Mel pulled her hand away and started for the door. “Melanie!” Hanna called. The other woman stopped and looked back at her. Hanna smiled. “I’m really glad you’re okay, and…I wish this wasn’t so weird. I just want to talk to you and hug you to death!” “I love you too,” Mel laughed. Before Hanna could say anything else or demand anymore answers, her sister disappeared through the doorway to what Hanna assumed must be the hallway. Alone, Hanna surveyed the bedroom. Though it was quaint in its décor, the furniture was obviously solid and expensive. The white painted wood kept the space bright and clean looking, while dark linens and pillows added a masculine flair. Restless—and who wouldn’t be after sleeping two days—she climbed from the bed. Her bare feet landed on the cool, polished wood floor and she noticed for the first time that she was wearing a white cotton chemise-like nightgown trimmed in lace. Her arms were bare, but the gown’s hem fell to mid-calf where it ended in a ruffled flounce. Hmm… She didn’t own anything like this and the last she remembered, she’d been naked. Odd. Every moment in the Harvest men’s world seemed more and more as if she were slipping into an alternate dimension. Shaking her head, she grasped for reality. Cleaning up and getting dressed in her own clothes would be a good thing. It would allow her to feel as if she were on better footing when she faced her lovers once more. Her hand shoved through her hair. God, what had she been thinking falling into bed with them the way she had? Well, technically, Mate, it wasn’t bed. It was a table. Her eyes went wide. And now, Kaz’s voice was in her head. She pressed a palm to her temple. She was just losing it.

Turning to her luggage, she found her hairbrush in the smaller bag then went to the cheval mirror to fix her hair. Lord almighty, she looked like the picture of mental illness. Her brown tresses were ratted and tangled in the back and side of her head looked like a wild thing, and she wasn’t so sure she’d be able to comb it out. Pride and female vanity told her to at least try and quickly. She wanted to look decent when she saw Kaz and Myan. She teared up as she tugged at the strands, but within a few minutes, her hair was back to its lustrous order with only a few hunks of hair in the bristles of her brush. Blinking away the moisture in her eyes, she tossed the hairbrush on the dresser then rubbed her head. A shower would go a long way to making her feel better. Off hand, she wondered if perhaps she’d gotten a virus of some sort. A Rip Van Winkle disease or something. She still ached all over. Though it was mostly in her mid-region, it felt like the result of more than just sex. In fact, her female parts felt completely fine…aside from wanting to be filled with two hot men once more. Hanna rolled her eyes. She’d gone from abstinence to nympho in one smooth transition. Perhaps that virus had affected her common sense as well. She whipped off the nightgown to head for the shower she saw through a doorway beside the dresser then froze beside the mirror and did a double take. Her scream pierced the air as she looked at her body. Four long marks ran on either side of her navel, down to her hips then across her upper thigh to the inside midway down. The marks didn’t look new. Slightly raised, they were silvery as if she’d had them for years. She hadn’t! The door banged open and the scream that had dwindled to a whimper bloomed again as two giant lions leapt through the opening. The lions from her dreams! They prowled toward her as she scrabbled for anything to use as defense while she tried to escape. She wasn’t dumb. There was no way a human could outrun two grown lions. Not in a space this small and probably not even in the open. Desperately, she scooped up the hairbrush and whipped it at the head of the closest one. The instrument struck the beast in the muzzle while she dashed to the far side of the bed. Maybe if she could get under it— In her peripheral vision, she saw a blur of movement. “Damn it, Hanna!” Myan bitched, standing naked where one of the lions had been. He rubbed his nose. “That hurt. Don’t throw things.”

“Where…” She shook her head. There were more important things. “Get away from that thing! There’s another around here—” The second lion shimmered then, before her eyes, shrunk, the fur peeling away to flesh. Limbs and face morphed until Kaz crouched before her. Slowly, he stood. Hanna weaved on her feet as the world dimmed. She reached blindly for the rocker nearby, but she couldn’t find it. She fell, the room growing darker, her last recollection of powerful arms closing around her. **** Myan held Hanna close as he leaned against his pillows and his brother sat beside them. He felt when she started to rouse. Like a mouse in the clutches of a cat, she tensed, shaking slightly as she tried to pretend unconsciousness. “We’re really not much different from other people,” he murmured while he stroked her hair. It was as soft as the finest silk where it slid between his fingers. It brushed against his bare chest as it fell from his fingers like a waterfall, and his cock stirred. He willed away the reaction. The last thing Hanna probably wanted right now was sex. She needed explanations…and convincing. “Humans are attracted to pheromones.” Kaz leaned over and nuzzled her shoulder, and Myan knew he was releasing facial pheromones that would attract and calm her. Myan ran his face along the other side of her head. “We are not so different. It is by scent that we know our mate. We knew you the first time you sent a letter to Melanie. And Melanie’s mates knew her the day they met her.” Another shudder of tension ran through Hanna, and he knew she was battling her instinct to burst out with questions. He smiled. She was such a little fighter. It would serve her well as the most powerful woman in their pride. He nipped her ear playfully. “Stop playing opossum, and ask your questions. We’re not leaving you alone so you might as well face this.” “Besides,” Kaz growled, “we like to eat opossum.” Hanna jerked, and Kaz laughed. “Knew you weren’t unconscious, sweetheart.” “You scarred me,” she rasped. She turned her head to glare at him while Myan lightly stroked his fingers over the marks he’d made on her two days ago. The scratches contained his and Kaz’s DNA, forever linking her to them. It would protect her from other shifters—at least

any who had a sane thought in their head. They would detect her lion-mates’ permanent scent on her. No shifter would ever infringe on another’s woman. To do so meant certain death. The DNA also increased her healing abilities—something she’d need as she raised their litters. Baby lion-shifters weren’t the most docile. Scrapes and nips were the lot of anyone who mothered them, but the unconditional, uncompromising love of her offspring would override that. Of course, he and Kaz would always see to her safety. She’d soon realize that to bear the marks of the group’s leaders was a privilege that placed her above all others. He and Kaz were kings of this pride. She was the queen. “We marked you,” Myan countered. “It is the way of our pride. It’s the way of many shifters.” “How dare you?” she exclaimed. “How could you do this without my permission?” “You gave it,” Kaz said evenly. “We explained there was no going back.” “From sleeping with you! From sleeping with rock stars! Not becoming part of your pack!” “Pride,” Kaz corrected. “Pride, pack, school, flock, what the hell ever!” She squirmed away, and Myan glanced at Kaz. The pheromones aren’t working, Myan observed. Yes, they are. Can’t you smell her arousal? Hanna stopped a few feet from the bed and stared at them. “Oh my God! You guys are jackasses! You did this to me and all you can do is think about sex? Stay out of my head, and get out of this room!” She jabbed her finger at the door. “I mean it. Get out! I can’t believe you did this. And if you think I’m just gonna lie down and spread my legs and mate with you, then get the fuck out. Because you’re wrong!” “Precious,” Myan pleaded. “Just listen.” “No. Get out.” “We had to do it,” he continued. “We had to claim you during the full Harvest Moon or we would have had to wait until next September. Once we’d been with you, waiting could have been disastrous.”

“Right,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest and obviously not realizing that her pert, pink nipples were peeking over the top of her tanned arms. “You know what you were feeling before we slept with you?” Kaz offered. “You could have ended up with that permanently with no man able to relieve you—not even us.” “Get out,” she said, flatly. Myan regarded the smooth lines of her body, from the swell of her breasts to her flat belly to her sweetly curved hips and thighs. “It’s my room.” “Fine. I’ll find somewhere else to be—somewhere away from you two.” Kaz shook his head, letting out a frustrated breath through his nose. “No, we’ll stay in my room across the hall.” Do you really want her traipsing the house naked? He projected to Myan. And Hanna heard. She scowled at him. “It’s not as if I don’t have clothing to put on. I’m not planning to walk to town in the nude.” “You’re not planning to walk to town at all,” Kaz growled. She stared at him, her eyebrow raised as if to say, “try me.” Myan didn’t call her on it. He’d see to upping the compound’s security as soon as he and Kaz left the room. Deciding there was no progress to be made here, he headed for the door. Kaz followed on his heels. Stooping, Myan scooped up the hairbrush and tossed it on the bed then turned to Hanna. “We’ll never hurt you, just so you know. The marking is required, but nothing like that will happen again. In human form or not.” Hanna’s jaw tightened, her lips pressing together. She didn’t believe him, but she’d see.

Chapter Five

Hanna paced the bedroom, wondering how long would be long enough for Myan and Kaz to vacate the hallway and give her an opening to escape. But could she? She sank onto the bed and dropped her head into her hands. Her first instinct was to run…to get as far from here as she could. But what about Mel? Could she just leave her behind? After searching for her for a year? No. And where did that leave Hanna? Her sister seemed content and happy, and the guys had mentioned that Mel had mates. It was unlikely she’d willingly go anywhere with Hanna. Hanna pressed her lips together as she fought with her emotions. She’d have to leave Mel. Hanna sniffled, but at least, she’d know her sister was alive and well and happy. Rising, she went to her luggage. Inside, she found her jeans and a black T-shirt. After snagging underwear to go beneath, she took her clothing into the bathroom and locked the door. Not that she honestly believed the thin wood would keep out two full-grown lions, but it gave her a slim bit of security. Her shower was quick, and in minutes, she was back in the bedroom, plotting her escape. She wasn’t surprised to find her cell phone had somehow disappeared. They’d left her wallet, obviously thinking she’d capitulate to their “you are our mate” plan and not attempt running. That just proved how much they didn’t know her. She shoved the meager amount of cash she carried, her debit card and her credit card into her front pocket. There was nothing else to take—they’d notice the bulk of extra stuff anyway. Satisfied that she was as prepared as she would get, she put on her socks and tennis shoes.

A tremor ran up her back as she left the room, but the hallway was empty. Following it to the end, she found herself in a huge country kitchen. Mel stood at the island in the center of the room, cooking bacon and eggs. Toast popped from the toaster, startling Hanna. “Jumpy today, aren’t you?” Mel laughed as if everything was normal here. How could she act as if nothing unusual had occurred? Hanna had been kidnapped and mauled—or perhaps, mauled then kidnapped. She couldn’t be sure. All she knew was that she was pissed. She forced a smile. “As jumpy as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.” “Mmm…you might want to curtail cat jokes around here,” Mel warned. “Why?” Hanna asked bitterly as she helped herself to coffee. “What are they going to do? Scratch out my eyes this time? Drug me into submission with some variant of catnip?” “You might want to retract those claws. They’re actually good guys.” Sadly, obvious exceptions aside, Hanna had to agree. They seemed somewhat decent. But there were just some things she couldn’t overlook. Kidnapping top on the list. “They told me you have mates?” Hanna said, redirecting the conversation. She needed to find out just how happy Mel was before she decided to take off without her. Mel grinned as she scooped food onto two plates and brought them to the table. “I do,” she said. “Costin and Petre. They’re Kaz and Myan’s cousins. They also play bass and drums for the band. I’ve been missing them the past few months while they’ve been back on tour. Thankfully, now that you’re here, I can go back on the road with them.” “And why exactly were you hiding? I’ve been out of my mind, you know?” She had the good grace to look slightly abashed then she shrugged. “We needed to get you here. Kaz and Myan knew you were their one.” Hanna wasn’t buying that, but if that was Mel’s story…whatever. “Are Costin and Petre—what are they called? Shape-shifters? Were-lions?” “Shifters. And yes, they are.” “And you’re cool with that?” “Why not? I love them.” It was good that one of them had gotten that benefit before her world was turned on end. “Why not?” Hanna repeated. “It’s not as simple as having a strange birthmark on your back! They turn into animals.” “And?”

Hanna gritted her teeth. She hated it when Mel did that to her. And she always did when she thought she was right and Hanna was being unreasonable. “And you can’t honestly tell me this never, at any point, freaked you out.” Mel sighed. “Maybe a little. But, Hanna, this is a much bigger world than either of us ever imagined. There are lots of beings out there who aren’t what we think they are.” “That doesn’t make me feel better.” She picked up the fork that was beside Hanna’s plate and handed it to her. “You need to eat. You never think clearly before coffee and food.” Hanna scowled, but didn’t argue since she knew her sister was right. But somehow, she didn’t think food would make this any better. “Forget about the shifter part,” Mel advised. “Focus on the men. Everything will fall in place from there. The three of you are true mates or they wouldn’t have recognized you and you wouldn’t have reacted to them as quickly as you did. Because of that, it’s impossible for you to hate them. You’ll fall for them quickly, because that’s what’s destined to happen.” “Destined?” Hanna argued after a few forkfuls of egg. “What if I’d never met them? What if after meeting them, I’d ended up far, far away? Would the reaction to them have gone on forever?” “No, it would have faded. You might even be attracted to another man. Eventually. That’s good. For you. But Kaz and Myan would be stricken with constant restlessness, a sense that something is missing. It’s something you can live with and work around, but it hampers true quality of life.” Fantastic. So now, Mel was playing the guilt card. The way she stared at her plate after that bomb spoke the truth. Hanna crunched into a piece of bacon, pondering her sister’s words. Mel was subtly telling Hanna that she’d be selfish to leave and make the guys suffer the disquiet—that was if Mel’s words were to be believed. Hanna pushed her plate away. “I need to take a walk and think.” “Don’t go too far. The compound stretches a couple miles in all directions from here, but Kaz and Myan will get jittery if you go beyond that—especially while they’re feeling unsure of you.” “Unsure? They’re determined I’m their mate, and they’ve marked me. That’s pretty sure.”

“But you haven’t made up your mind. That’s the catch.” **** But you haven’t made up your mind… The words stuck with Hanna as she plodded along the dirt road that curved through the Ruslan land. The lush trees and fields of flowers that dominated the landscape were lost on her, as were the puffy cloud formations overhead. She gave it all little more than a passing glance, though the warm fall breeze whispering through the leaves and blades of grass calmed her, reminding her of days long past when she and Mel used to camp with their parents. She’d listen to the wind, feeling completely safe between her mom and dad. There were no bogeymen who’d get past them. Her parents had been invincible. She’d thought so until a plane crash had left her and Mel alone. She wrapped her arms around her middle, the fleeting calm dissipating. The bogeymen had gotten her. They just weren’t what she’d expected. And according to Mel, they weren’t all that bad. A growl warned her she wasn’t alone, a moment before a giant lion pounced into her path. She glared at it, defying the terror fluttering in her middle. They’d said they wouldn’t harm her, and she chose to believe that. “Back off, Simba,” she said. “I’m just walking.” A growl behind her clearly told of their disbelief. The lion in her path gently clamped his mouth on her arm and guided her around to walk in the direction from which she’d come. The grasp hurt, but it wasn’t hurting her. He was obviously being careful not to tear her skin, while being firm in his demand. Apparently, she’d strayed too close to the edge of their land, and they wanted her to go back toward the house. After she’d taken a few steps, he let go, and the other lion nudged her in the back to urge her on. Soon it became apparent they wanted her to move faster, and she took off at a run. Dual roars sounded behind her. She heard running then a weight plowed into her back, taking her to the ground. Large paws rolled her over, and she stared up into the huge, maned face. Large expressive eyes gazed down at her where she was pinned. “I’m not scared of you,” she said, more for herself than for the big cats. In truth, her heart was beating hard and fast, and they probably knew it.

Tawny mane tickled her as he bent forward, mouth slightly open. To her surprise, he licked her then nuzzled against her head. The lion, who’d stood to the side, butted his way in and did the same. Were they playing or getting ready for their next meal—her! “Let me up,” she begged, her voice uneven. She took a shuddery breath as she fought with herself. If they backed off… And they shocked her, stepping away. It was then she knew they truly had no intention of attacking her. Slowly, she climbed to her feet then started walking toward the house once more. A strange relaxation came over her as they traveled. The beasts moved on either side of her. Their rolling gait mesmerized her with their feline grace. Reaching out, she buried a hand in one mane. The lion purred then the other one nuzzled her, silently asking for the same. Smiling despite herself, she placed her other hand on him. To her surprise, their hair was soft and not as coarse as it appeared. She played it through her fingers as they proceeded. With each step, she felt her fears slip away. This situation was weird, but she feared less for her life. Killing her wasn’t on the agenda. At least, not today. Probably not ever. Pulling her hands free of them, she took off running. She wasn’t surprised to hear them bounding after her. This time, they didn’t immediately pounce. They ran circles around her as she zigzagged and evaded them—not that she really thought her evasions were successful. They were letting her dart to and fro to play. Soon, she was a few yards from them. She dashed off the path and into the field to the right of the dirt road. One of the lions pounced onto her back, taking her down with an oof. This time, she turned on her own and looked up at him. “Which one are you?” she asked breathlessly. The big cat shimmered before her eyes and she felt a zing of energy across her skin. It put the small hairs on her arms on end just as if lightning had struck close to her. A small shudder worked through her as the image above her blurred then became clear. Naked, Myan knelt over her, holding down her arms. Without a word or warning, he bent forward and pressed his mouth to hers. His lips forced hers apart as he groaned into her. Strange, needy pressure started in her middle, that same tension that had assailed her the night she’d been in their hotel room. More than desire, it clawed and twisted until she thought she might die if she didn’t have them, both of them, soon.

Unconsciously, she tilted her lower half up toward his pelvis as he straddled her. She rubbed against his rapidly growing cock. To her surprise, he moved off her though he never stopped kissing her. She screamed into his mouth as she felt the tingle of energy across her skin again. Kaz pressed his face to her apex. His fingers worked at the closure of her jeans. Impatiently, he tugged and yanked them to her thighs. Long strands of grass tickled her hips, creating a perfect curtain of privacy around them. The autumn sun warmed her skin while the men’s musky scent and the smell of damp soil and wildflowers surrounded them. Kaz lifted her to his mouth, and his tongue swept through her folds. “Kaz,” she breathed, feeling the tension of her building orgasm tightening in her middle. Her pelvis seemed heavy and tingly with the need pulsing through it. They were entrancing her again…doing…something. Still, it would be a lie to say she didn’t want them. But she couldn’t sleep with them. She had every intention of running. Sleeping with them would only complicate matters and make her feel guilty over misleading them more than she already had. “Stop,” she begged, twisting her head to the side when Myan would have taken her mouth once more. She pressed a hand to the top of Kaz’s head and pushed until he lifted away. “What?” he asked, obviously confused. Glancing at Myan, she saw they both were. “I…I can’t.” “You’re our mate,” Myan argued. “We’re your mates. It’s destined for us to be joined.” Oh God… “So you say,” she countered, pulling her pants back up and fastening them. “And I’m just supposed to fall in with it?” Rolling to the side, she squirmed from their grasp and climbed to her feet. Nervously, she ran her fingers through her hair to free it from grass. Myan rose to his elbows. “Why not?” She blinked at him. “Are you serious? I just met you yesterday!” Wait…she’d been unconscious… “Three days ago,” she amended. “And most of the time I was comatose. I know nothing about you.” Kaz’s lips pursed as he obviously fought back a smile. Well, she was glad someone was amused. Not. He shook his head. “I bet you know a lot more than you give yourself credit for knowing. You researched us for a long time before you came to do the interview, didn’t you?” “A little,” she conceded, quietly.

“How much is a little?” he asked. They both rose, naked and aroused before her. She looked over their shoulders to the horizon. Stay strong. Stay strong, she thought. Or don’t, Myan spoke into her head. She glared at him “Stop that!” He raised an eyebrow as he smirked. “How much research?” Kaz asked again. “A month. A year…? I bet you started looking into us the day your sister disappeared.” She turned on her heel, refusing to admit the piles of data she’d read on them or the hours of video she’d watched. Kaz played guitar like a demon, his fingers flying over the strings while he sang counter to his brother. Myan played too, but his voice… “I’m going back to the house,” she said. “Better than running away,” Myan teased. “I wasn’t running away.” A growl built in her chest as she glanced at them, but she squelched it, not wanting to share any shred of possessive instinct. What the hell was that anyway? It had stunned her the last time it had happened. “Are you going to the house like that?” she demanded, facing away again. “Like how, sweetness?” Kaz asked. Myan chuckled. Jerks, she thought, knowing they’d hear it. Name calling, precious? Really? “Get out of my head!” “Then say what you mean,” Kaz demanded. She spun and gestured, narrowly missing Myan’s cock with her hand. “You’re naked for anyone to see. Including my sister. Are you going in the house like that?” “It’s our house,” Myan said. Hanna suppressed a scream. They were just…just…infuriating! “So you don’t want anyone else to see us naked?” Kaz asked close to her ear. “I don’t care.” He kissed her neck. “Of course, you care.” “What about paparazzi?” she deflected. “Aren’t you afraid they’ll snap pictures of you cavorting about like a jaybird? Or that they’ll get photos of you as lions…or shifting.” A sick

feeling erupted in her belly at the thought. She’d rip the intruder apart if he were to hurt these men. Hanna blinked at the odd emotion. Generally, she wasn’t violent. She couldn’t explain the overwhelming protectiveness welling inside her at the thought of their privacy being invaded. “Security,” Myan said. “They’d trip alarms at the edge of the property as soon as they crossed over to our side. They’re a bit like air-raid sirens.” Would she trigger them if she ran? She pushed it from her head, unwilling to risk a nosy lion reading her thoughts. “So you’re going up to the house naked?” she asked, circling back to that. “It’s a big place. Chances are no one will see us,” Myan offered. “And if they do…we’re their leaders. We can do what we want,” Kaz added. “You have rock star entitlement down to a T, don’t you?” “It’s good to be king,” Kaz laughed. He grasped her hips and brought her against his body. “It’s good to be queen, too. You should give it a shot.” “I’m not a queen. I’m a reporter who’s going to turn in one hell of a story.” “Like hell you will,” Myan growled, his playfulness disappearing. “She’s just goading you,” Kaz said. “She just wants you to show a little modesty,” she hissed between clenched teeth. She broke away from Kaz and ran the rest of the way to the house. They could traipse in naked if they wanted. She didn’t need to witness it. A gasp escaped her as she rushed through the kitchen door, the screen banging behind her. Heat flooded her cheeks. Her sister sat on the lap of Petre Ruslan. Her shirt was parted, and his hand was inside. Costin stood slightly to the side. Mel’s head had been bent to his crotch. She sat up while he tugged his shirt over his erection. Petre left his hand right where it had been. “You must be our new little sister-in-law,” he said with a grin. Hanna stuck her fingers in her pockets, terrified someone would try to shake her hand— and God knew what they’d been up to. Worse, who knew how Myan and Kaz would react. She didn’t need to accidentally start some civil pride war. They’d already made it clear that no males were allowed to touch her. Poor Alexi… She wondered if he was hiding.

“I guess I am,” she answered. “It’s nice to meet you. I…um…I’ve seen you two on stage with Kaz and Myan.” She bit her lip. She’d blown this first impression. Well, she probably wouldn’t see them after today anyway, so she could live with that. She tried to hide her sadness as she gazed at her sister. Would it be the last time? “I should go to my room,” Hanna murmured. “I think we shocked her,” Costin said. “Our mate is a little reserved,” Myan told him, coming beside her. Dreading his appearance, she slid her glance to him. He was bare-chested, but to her relief, he’d donned a pair of jeans. “We thought you’d be longer,” Costin murmured, the quiet words laced with accusation. Her brows furrowed. What had Kaz and Myan told them? We’re gonna go find our mate and bang her good? No, we did not say that, little cat, Kaz chided her. Not quite, Myan interjected. Shut. Up! she ordered, her thoughts just shy of a screech. By the way, they can’t hear us, he continued. But I bet they can read your expressive face. Jerk! You keep saying that, Kaz taunted. She exploded with a growl of fury and headed from the room. “Hanna…” Kaz called, his exasperation ill suppressed. “Good luck,” she heard Mel say. “Her hard-headedness is legendary. Changing her mind takes an act of God, and even then…” “Warning would have been nice,” Kaz growled. “You’re welcome,” Mel replied. Hanna slammed the bedroom door on the rest.

Chapter Six

Myan pulled a pillow over his head. Hanna was practically yowling on the other side of the wall. He hoped the rest of the household couldn’t hear her. The men would all be on edge tomorrow. Though they’d steered clear of the new mate, twelve shifters lived at the compound. Only Costin and Petre were mated. The morning might be dicey if he and Kaz didn’t do something soon. Holding the pillow to his ears, he glared at his brother. Kaz sat at his mahogany music stand, strumming on his guitar. He stopped intermittently to write notes on the paper beside him. “Doesn’t that bother you?” Myan snapped. “No.” “How…on earth…can you stand it?” Kaz grinned and strummed a few notes. “Because I know…” he sang. “I’m about to get what I want.” He marked a few more notes on his paper. Myan sat up, listening to the plaintive moans coming from his bedroom. From the point of view presented by his brother, they were music to his ears. Hanna was getting really agitated. She was liable to hiss and snap at them when they entered that room, but once they were there, it was unlikely she’d let them leave. But how long to wait? As if to answer his question, he heard Hanna whimper. The pathetic sound drove him off the bed and to the door. His cock tented his lounge pants, but he didn’t care who saw him as he strode toward his mate, Kaz on his heels.

The bedroom Hanna was using was dim as he entered, the air filled with her scent. Naked, Hanna twisted on the bed. While she lay in her stomach, her hips undulated against the mattress. Her back arched and rubbed her breasts against the bed. Her torso shook with sobs. “What’s wrong with me,” she gasped. “What did you do to me?” Kaz shut the door, and both men headed for her. “Stay back!” she screeched. “What did you do? Make it stop!” “We can’t,” Myan said, daring to sit on the edge of the mattress, but as far from her as he could. “Did you drug me?” She turned on her back and ran her hands over her body. Myan’s cock throbbed. He wanted to touch her but knew he’d come away with a nub if he tried. She whimpered. “It feels like lava running over my skin. It hurts. It…” “Feels good, too,” Kaz supplied. “I need… Please…” she cried. “You need to be touched,” he said, leaning toward her. “You need to be fucked.” Myan ran his hand over his arousal, knowing he’d have to wait for Kaz to take her. First born had the choice to be the first to mate. It wouldn’t always be that way, but it was clear that Hanna would accept Kaz. “I need to come,” she breathed. Her hand drifted to her pussy. She rubbed herself then cried out in frustration. Her head thrashed on her pillow. “It only makes it worse!” Kaz caught her face in his hand and kissed her hard. As if a spell had fallen over her, she calmed. Her arms went around him, and her body turned to wrap around him. She clung to him as he climbed over her. Myan chanced a brush of his fingers across her leg. She kicked out at him, hissing through her teeth. Her foot struck him in the chest. “Not yet,” Kaz said, looking over his shoulder at him. Hurt but understanding the chain of dominance, he stood and watched as his brother shoved down his pajama pants. His eyes closed at the sight then he turned away. He knew when Kaz entered her. Hanna moaned low in her throat. Kaz’s thoughts reached out to him, and Myan tried to push them out. Kaz persisted, sending sensations. Myan felt the wet, tight pressure of her cunt as clearly as if it were closed around his own cock. Reaching out, he grasped the tall poster of the bed. He opened his mind to

it, connecting to both Kaz and Hanna. His body sank deep into the waves surging through his body. The feel of her building orgasm…the tightness or arousal in his chest…the heavy need to come in his balls. His knuckles turned white. He wouldn’t come. The sensations of nails clawing his back, jerked him from the edge. Turning, he slammed down his mental gate on the connections and watched their bodies contort as they came. Hanna was gasping for air as the pair rolled apart. Myan didn’t wait, knowing they’d have to fuck her repeatedly before this version of shifter heat passed. “Get on your knees,” he ordered, his voice a dry rasp around his arousal.

Eyes wide, Hanna blinked at Myan. The animalistic determination in his face scared her a little. “I’m sorry I kicked you.” She really was. She didn’t even know what had happened to her. It wasn’t as if she didn’t want him. But his touch had seared through her leg. Panic took over. “Turn over,” he grated. Her middle clenched, tension beginning to coil again at the purposeful angle of his body. He wouldn’t be refused this time. It was the furthest thing from her mind. She rolled to her belly, groaning at the pressure to her pussy. “Ass in the air,” Myan growled. Swallowing, she complied as excited for him as she had been for Kaz. Myan immediately mounted her—there was no other way to put it. His body covered her, his cock pressing to her cunt. An arm came down beside her head and a knee rose beside her hip. Her eyes went wider at the feel of thick hair on his leg and the increased hair on his arm. Wait! What? A glance over her shoulder showed him still very much human and her heartbeats slowed slightly in relief. His hair had just…lengthened. Even the hair on his head had grown to brush his shoulders in the style she preferred. A look at Kaz, revealed the same with him. She’d just been too far gone… All thoughts evaporated as Myan’s thick cock plowed into her sensitive channel. She cried out, throwing back her head. Myan shoved it forward. His mouth fastened on the back of her neck. Her cream flowed around him, her pussy convulsing at the primal move. His teeth grazed her skin as he thrust.

She was still over-stimulated, and it didn’t take long for her climax to roll through her. What Myan was doing amplified the sensations, the overwhelming shocks of pleasure bringing tears to her eyes. Her orgasm didn’t slow him. His drives continued, shoving past the muscles closing around him and bringing yowls to her lips. “Yes…” he purred, the rolling, drawn out tone sending shivers across her skin. “Yes… Give it to me.” “Myan,” she cried. Her fingernails scraped at the sheet, making a hissing sound. Her thighs quivered as she thrust back at him. Suddenly, her world tilted as her vision blurred at the orgasm that exploded within her. He cried out, his scalding cum pouring inside her. They collapsed to the side, and Kaz moved closer, filling the space in front of her. Gently, he kissed her. His hand rested on her hip, and after Myan pulled free, he shifted her to her back and settled between her thighs. His already hard cock shoved against her. “It’s gonna be a long night,” he advised, his teeth gleaming in the sparse light. “We’ll make you feel all better.” Sweet heaven, she thought. Would she even survive? “For a long, long time,” Myan murmured against her ear then nipped the lobe. “You’ll be safe in our arms.” **** Hanna sank limply into the damp sheets. Going for hours might be a fantasy, but she was utterly exhausted. There was so much sex in the air, she wouldn’t have been surprised if it fragranced the entire house. Myan and Kaz laid on either side of her, drawing random shapes along her skin with their fingers. For the first time since they’d entered the room, neither was making a move to take her again—which was good. Her over-used body was sore from the exertions, and she wouldn’t be surprised if she had bruises tomorrow. She yawned, fighting sleep. She had to outlast them. She had plans afoot. Her palm smoothed along Myan’s arm. “What’s up with this extra hair on you two?” “It’s a mating thing, a response to your need,” Kaz answered for him. Hanna grinned and touched Kaz’s long hair as it brushed along his shoulder. “I like this a lot. I felt bad when you two cut your hair short.” “Our label thought this would be edgier,” Myan said. “Maybe,” she conceded. “But shouldn’t sexier trump that?”

“Good point,” he laughed. “Mate desire trumps all,” Kaz added. “Long then,” she concluded, though she didn’t think she should have any say. She wasn’t intending to be permanent. “I felt you in my head,” she blurted as Kaz’s eyelids lowered then wanted to kick herself. He was on the way to sleep. “It’s a telepathy-shifter-mate connection thing,” he said on a yawn. “You can read our thoughts when we’re in human form and our emotions when we are in cat form. You’ll get used to it. It’s not something any of us can help much.” She shook her head. “I felt Myan controlling it.” “Perceptive,” the man in question mumbled. “Sorry…so tired.” “Shifted too many times today,” Kaz said as he too drifted. “Without…rest… No sleep while you were healing.” Healing? Oh…from the marking. She scooted from between them, evading Kaz’s sluggish grasp. “I’m going to take a shower,” she murmured. “’Kay,” Kaz replied. Myan snored quietly beside him. Surprised by how easily she’d escaped the bed, she smiled and headed for the shower. She kept the door open so the sound of water would lull them. It called to her, too. She had to wash off as much of their scent as she could. It would only help them track her. Other shifters would recognize their smell on her they’d told her at one point when they’d nuzzled their faces on her tonight. Quickly, she showered and lathered the soap over herself twice. Stepping from the shower afterward, she left the water running and dried off. With sparse movements, she drew her hair into a tight braid then padded silently back into the bedroom. Regret filled Hanna as she looked at Kaz and Myan sprawled across the bed. The three of them had made a lot or progress today, and she almost believed what Mel had said about the quick connection. They weren’t awful guys. They were sensitive and caring, and she had no doubt, if she stuck around, that she’d see that in action as they dealt with their pride of shifters. She also knew enough about pheromones, to understand that they were the basis of their attraction, not real emotions and intimate connection. What had happened was merely base need and animal instinct. Maybe it could have grown to more, but she couldn’t trust it to be real and not chemical.

Knowing they were wiped out from multiple shifts today, the sex and having stayed awake the whole time she’d been unconscious after the marking, she suspected they wouldn’t easily wake as she dressed—especially since they believed their mate was showering and would soon return to lie between them. Hurriedly, she tugged on her clothes and checked that the cash and cards were still in her pockets. On stocking feet, she stole from the room and through the house with her shoes in her hands. She slipped them on as she stepped outside. Then she ran. She ran and ran until a stitch developed in her side. Her body ached from everything she’d been through today. Exhaustion began to tug at her. All the while, she prayed she wouldn’t run into another shifter, that she was heading the right way and that by some miracle there would be a car with a kind soul inside along her path. Hanna saw the man smoking beside the road and his pickup truck near the edge of the land where pavement must run and she cut through the field toward him. He was staring at the stars and didn’t see her. She was within ten feet when she heard the roars in the distance, then the alarm sirens triggered as she drew closer to the road. It startled the guy, but she yelled for his attention. “Help me,” she begged. “Please, I need a ride.” “Uh, sure,” he said, looking behind her. “Get in the truck,” she yelled, as another roar sounded. Closer. A lot closer. She ran around, scrambling inside while he lumbered into the driver's seat. “Where to?” he asked as he started the car. “Anywhere. Just go!” Her eyes widened as she saw the shadows of two huge lions heading their way. The man turned and looked, shocked. “Is that—” “Yes! Just go. Please go and fast,” she cried. “As fast as you can or they’ll catch us!” His foot slammed to the accelerator and gravel spit as he cranked the pickup from the shoulder of the road. Hanna turned and looked out the window, seeing Myan and Kaz bounding after them. In moments, they’d catch up and leap onto the truck. And then the pickup was pulling away and the big cats were left in the distance. She couldn’t hear their thoughts since they were in feline form, but she felt their emotions.

Panic, horror, anger, agonized sorrow. It pummeled her until tears welled in her eyes and she had to draw her knees to her chest to keep from rocking. “What the hell was that?” the man demanded. “A miracle,” she replied. It was a miracle that they’d gotten away. And it was a miracle that shifters existed, and that two had chosen her. Even if it was wrong. Very, very wrong. **** Fury filled Kaz as he stared after the rapidly diminishing taillights of the truck. Mud covered the plate, as well as the rest of the vehicle, and he couldn’t even make out the state of origin. Myan panted beside him, and Kaz could sense his fatigue. It matched his own, as did his anger and fear. He butted his head against his brother, silently directing him back to the house. Other dark shapes separated from the shadows as the wind from an incoming storm rushed across the fields, blowing at their manes and making them look more wild than normal. His pride. His family. Witnesses to his loss. He faced them, knowing they knew what had happened, that they knew his failure. The bright Harvest moon glared down on the group, taunting him and Myan with the knowledge of its significance. A time for mating. And they’d lost theirs. Kaz threw back his head and roared. Myan joined, then the others started until the echoing sound flooded the land. **** The trucker was headed to New York, and she decided it was best not to stay with him. He’d really had the misfortune of just stopping to look at the starry sky away from the city’s light pollution. He didn’t deserve to be caught in the middle of her escape. At the first gas station they stopped at, some hours away, she withdrew all the cash she could from an ATM. A few hours later, she was able to go to a bank and withdraw all her savings. She stayed with the man, Fred, until a truck stop where she slipped away and caught a ride with a lady trucker heading to Albuquerque New Mexico. The woman was good company, and the more miles they rode, the more the tension in Hanna’s belly uncoiled. And there was calm. Along the way, she disappeared from another truck stop. If by some long shot she was being followed, she didn’t want to leave a clear path. She caught a bus to Colorado then took a

train to Washington State. Pretending to be a hiker, she caught a ride with a couple heading to the mountains. Partway, Hanna had them drop her and followed signs, hiking to a small town near Mount Rainier. There, in the middle of nowhere, she took a breath. In the midst of wilderness, she wondered what was happening to her life. Days ago, she was a reporter—respected in her field, too. Now, her life had been turned upside down. She couldn’t go back, and she had to start over as someone far from her old self. Wouldn’t she have been better off staying with Myan and Kaz? Her life as she’d known it had been over there, too. At least, she hadn’t been alone, and she’d been protected. She pressed her palms to her eyes. These were thoughts she should have had before. It was too late to second guess, and she’d do no good to berate herself for her legendary hardheadedness. Shaking her head, she walked to the old-style motel about a half-mile into town. It appeared to have no more than fifteen or twenty rooms. Thankfully, the proprietor wasn’t interested in checking ID, and soon she was on her way to a room. When she entered, using a real key attached to a diamond-shaped piece of plastic, she smiled for the first time. The place could have been featured as one of the kitschy rooms on the TV show Supernatural. Odd rustic wallpaper and décor covered the walls, and the two double beds were covered in mustard-yellow, ribbed bedspreads. Sitting on the end of one of the mattresses, she dropped her elbows to her knees and leaned forward. More than anything, she wanted to call Mel, but that was the last thing she could do even if her sister would be upset and worried. “I need a plan,” she muttered to herself. She might as well get used to talking to herself since it was bound to be her lot for a long time to come. She couldn’t contact her acquaintances, and striking up new friendships seemed unwise. The idea of even speaking to a man for more than basic business was completely distasteful. And also unwise. If, God forbid, Myan and Kaz found her, it wouldn’t be good for any man with whom she might be. She sensed that deep in her gut. It was part of the reason for her zigzagged trail across the States. She wouldn’t purposely endanger anyone, man or woman. So a plan… Clothes. She needed some basic changes of garments. She had plenty of cash so she wouldn’t need a job too soon. Her options would be limited. And perhaps a little shady.

She’d worry about her prospects later. Most important were clothes and toiletries, then she’d feel human again. She’d focus on the simple, basic things.

Chapter Seven

Nothing was simple. The first night at the hotel, the need began in her middle. Her clit tingled as if stimulated by invisible fingers. But she could fight it. She paced the motel room. Walking helped. All the while, she focused on what she’d been told. If she was away from her mates, the desire for them would fade.

Chapter Eight

It didn’t.

Chapter Nine

Nights in Washington had already grown cool, and Hanna found walking through the park a few blocks from the motel before she tried to sleep helped a lot. In the days that she’d been here, the heat as Kaz and Myan had called it, had only grown worse. She now knew a few things, first being that Mel obviously didn’t know what the hell she was talking about. Second, she missed Kaz and Myan. It made no sense, but she ached for them sexually and non-sexually. She just wanted to be near them. And finally, what was happening inside her was from far more than pheromones. They would have faded by now. She just wanted them. Tonight, her body vibrated overtime, and she wondered if she’d have to invest in some sort of gag to keep the others at the hotel from hearing her tormented screams as she suffered through her need. She’d spent most of the day nearly in tears, her skin crawling, her body shaking and her pussy spasming to be filled. Her panties were sodden though nothing had turned her on. More and more she wanted to scratch off her flesh and replace the pleasure-need sensors with pain. Her breaths shaking, she sank onto the stoop outside her room and rested her head on the knotted wood post. Her thoughts strayed fully to Kaz and Myan. She pictured them, wishing she could tell them how wrong she’d been to run. She saw herself in their arms while they kissed her. A moan tore from her lips. This was no good. Thinking of them wouldn’t help matters. Rising, she pushed her hand in the pocket of her skirt and pulled out the room key. She could feel the screams coming. She’d have to figure out a way to muffle them. Nothing was helping the need to call for her lovers.

The room was dark, since the sun had set hours ago. She shut and locked the door behind her then tossed the key in the direction of the table. It missed and she heard it thud softly onto the carpet. She didn’t care. She needed… Maybe if she touched… Maybe if she drank the liquor she’d bought earlier… Maybe she’d pass out… “Hello, Hanna,” a deep voice said before she’d taken two steps into the darkness. She jumped at the sound, the tension she’d felt the past two hours amplifying. She wasn’t alone in her motel room. Myan and Kaz had her in their sight now. And there was no escape. She wasn’t so sure she wanted it anymore, anyway. After the past week of traveling then hunkering down here, she was more confused than ever. Only one thing was clear. She needed to be with them. Still, she murmured “no” as her sane mind took over, and she backed to the door. It was futile. There was no way she’d get away. She probably wouldn’t make it through the door. As Kaz stepped forward, the determination in his massive build told her that suspicion was true. She wasn’t going anywhere. “No,” she repeated, staring at the shadowy forms. Even though twilight shrouded the men, she knew exactly which twin was which. Their tanned skin and dark clothes blended into the night so well she probably wouldn’t have seen them if they hadn’t spoken. Well, that wasn’t quite true. Their feline-like eyes seemed to glow in the bit of light filtering into the room. “We haven’t asked anything,” Myan replied, his silky voice caressing her skin as it always did. The hair at the back of her neck rose. His tone was too smooth, too…angry. “You want me to return to the pride.” “Of course, you belong with us. You know it.” Her mouth quivered but she wouldn’t admit the truth. Myan wasn’t interested in her answer—or non-answer. He crossed the room with a grace and speed that startled her though it shouldn’t have. He and Kaz always moved like lightning. His arms trapped her against the door before she could dive away. She pushed uselessly against his chest. His iron-like hands manacled her wrists and held them to the wood at either side of her head.

Her eyes closed, and he took a deep breath, inhaling her. Kaz was there beside his brother, reaching in to trap her elbows to the wood. His face pressed to the crook of her neck. “Ours,” he growled. He drew in her scent once more. “Our mate.” She took a shuddery breath. They’d gotten nowhere since the initial mating. She was their property. Tears of frustration streamed down her face. She didn’t want to be owned; she wanted to be loved. “Let go of me,” she demanded, disturbed at how wet and tingly her pussy had become when they’d trapped her. Her pulse throbbed, and her body utterly betrayed her, softening for their possession. How soon before they took her to the bed…or the carpet? Myan chuckled. “At least, you missed something about us.” In truth, she’d missed a lot even if she didn’t want to tell them that. If they read her mind, they’d know it. Her breathing increased, each intake filling with their spicy scent. Sweet heaven, how she’d missed them. Was it real, or was it hormones and pheromones? She fought it, but she couldn’t stop the longing deep inside her. She needed to have their powerful bodies over hers once more. Myan’s teeth shown in the moonlight. “You don’t want to go free, mate.” He leaned forward and his lips brushed her ear. His pelvis pressed into her. “You don’t want us to leave.” He ground against her. “You want us to fuck you. I can smell it.” “No,” she moaned. Belying her words, her panties clung to her pussy as her hips moved of their own accord toward the men. He shifted her wrists into one of Kaz’s large hands then reached down to the hem of her denim skirt. Lifting it, he plunged his fingers between her thighs. A satisfied growl rolled in his throat as he toyed with the wet crotch of her underwear. Hanna shook as arousal threaded to every part of her. She sank her teeth into her bottom lip as she fought against begging for more. She wouldn’t get out of here un-fucked, but damn it, she wasn’t falling into their arms easily. “Mel was right,” Kaz commented, dark amusement in his tone. “You are stubborn. Can’t you even consider that being with us is better than life alone, whether it’s this life or the one you lived before you came to us? We will always care for you and never abandon you.”

Myan stepped closer. His chest was hard against hers. Her over-sensitized nipples peaked and sent fire to her womb as his body brushed hers. “We never want to be separated from you again,” he grated. Shoving aside the thin strip that had barred him from her cunt, he drove two fingers deep into her pussy. His callused thumb rubbed her clit. Trembling, Hanna moaned. She didn’t want to go back to the pride, but oh lord, she wanted them to fuck her. She knew Kaz’s nuzzling was releasing an aphrodisiac to eliminate her resistance. She didn’t care. His mouth covered hers, his lips driving hers apart as he and Myan took command of the encounter. Kaz’s tongue fucked her mouth while Myan thrust his fingers in and out of her cunt, pushing her to orgasm. A purr started inside them, the vibrations surrounding her. It throbbed across her breasts. Pure torment. Not enough. She wanted their hard hands on her, working her nipples and driving her to climax with the sensations. They fucked her relentlessly until she whimpered for more. She wanted their cocks, not fingers and tongues. Her hips pumped into Myan. Her whole being drew taut. The tension pulsed with promise, revving up for release. Suddenly, her world exploded. She gasped for air, scented with her men, then screamed into Kaz’s mouth as her cream flooded Myan’s hand. “We want inside you,” he said against her lips. “Yes.” She’d barely said the word when they had her in their arms. Her knees then her palms hit the mattress. Myan shoved up her skirt then ripped away her panties with one harsh jerk. The rasp of his zipper tore through the room. He was immediately over her, his large cock pressed to her opening. His large body hunched over hers, his frame engulfing her as his powerful limbs came down on the bed beside hers. A shudder coursed down her back as his open mouth fastened on the back of her neck. She doubted the primal move would ever grow old for her. Though he was still very much a man, the hair on his arms had grown thicker and slightly longer as it had the last time he’d taken her. The mate thing.

The mate thing… A shape-shifter thing. Myan and Kaz, the mouthwatering men she lusted for, were shape-shifters. Nothing inside her could get upset about it. All the shock and horror was gone, leaving just this. The three of them together. Myan pushed against her back, forcing her into a submissive position. She couldn’t fight their innate instinct. She curled her arms beneath her and rested her head on them. The position made her hot, ratcheting up her lust for them. It put her in a good position for Kaz, too. He laid beside them. Her face was turned toward him, and he kissed her again, while he played with her breasts, pinching and tugging the taut peaks. “Yes…” she groaned. Her pussy flexed around Myan’s cock as he plowed into her, forcing apart the folds that had been so empty. There was nothing gentle about the coupling. Myan was in a frenzy. He pistoned hard while she yowled like a cat in heat. For her two mates. He growled, and she felt his teeth at her back. He ripped away her shirt with a wild jerk then he returned. His bite sank into the nape of her neck, holding her tight without breaking her skin. Hanna moaned as he held her prisoner. A slow burn started in her middle and spread outward. Her mates’ doing. Myan was connecting them physically while she felt Kaz in her head. Myan shifted his form slightly and grew larger, holding tight inside her until he was ready to let go. Her body convulsed and closed down on him. All the while, Kaz was doing something in her head, stroking, invading, pleasuring. Lights seemed to sparkle then swirl in front of her eyes. She came with a low, tortured scream. Myan continued thrusting in shallow digs. “Hanna,” he grunted. His searing cum poured into her while she lurched in time with his body. She gasped into Kaz’s mouth, as his cum landed on her hip, whatever he’d done in her head pleasurable for him as well. Overwhelmed, she sobbed. She needed them—more of them. Already. Ignoring her shaking body, Myan pulled his mouth from her neck, but he didn’t release her. His beefy arm banded her middle, and he turned them to the side. His cock stayed deep inside her while Kaz moved close to her front. It was a statement. Loud and clear. They were angry. They weren’t letting her go, even for a second. And they’d both be ready again soon. They’d trap her between them and fuck her all night.

This was bad. Very bad. **** The fucking desk clerk was a shifter. As soon as she’d come in, he’d sensed she was mated to one of their kind and had started some sort of phone tree. Had any shifter lost his mate…she smelled feline, probably lion or panther? Before he’d bound her hands to the headboard at one point, Kaz had shared what he termed “the great humiliation” of having to come forward to claim their runaway woman. Since he was the firstborn, it had fallen to him rather than Myan. Hanna wanted to stomp or throw things. All the subterfuge of changing routes and she’d landed right in the lap of someone who could detect she belonged to these lions. It was as bad as being chipped like she was their puppy. There was no hope that she’d ever get away. They’d always find her. But that was an entirely moot point. She was done running. She’d known that before she’d unwittingly walked back into their arms. They’d taken over from there. Like before, the guys loved her over and over throughout the night. But this time, she didn’t leave the bed when they drifted to sleep—though with their arms locked around her it would have been difficult. She’d just smiled, spooned against Myan, with Kaz’s face pressed to her upper chest. She drifted off, comfortable and safe. And when the sun rose, she knew the intense pleasure of waking up with them. She shifted beneath the heavy furry limb on her waist and pushed her face into the soft fur beneath her cheek. When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring into the large almond-shaped eyes of a lion, her nose pressed to his muzzle. “Myan,” she murmured. “I don’t really think this bed is made to hold the weight of a fullgrown lion.” Hanna was rather impressed that she hadn’t panicked. Time with them had shown the men were more dangerous than the beasts. She felt comfortable with whatever form they presented. With a chuffle, he shifted, and she shivered at the energy flowing over her skin. The bed groaned at the change in weights. Immediately, he raised his hand to her breast and cupped it, his fingers stroking the nipple. Lowering his head, he drew it between his lips and suckled. His

movements were languid as he kissed his way to her mouth. Slowly, he drew her bottom lip between his, nipping then releasing, before he pressed his mouth to hers. Quiet need bubbled inside her, but it wasn’t demanding or nearly as painful as it had been last night. He worshiped at her mouth until she twisted against him and tried to get closer. “Kaz?” she asked, as Myan rolled her to her back and settled between her thighs. He kissed her breasts once more, lapping at the tips and bringing them to hard points. “Went to get us breakfast. Our lioness’ belly was rumbling in her sleep.” “I haven’t been eating. Distracted—Myan, please,” she moaned, rubbing against his hard length. She liked it like this, the two of them with no overwhelming urgency to fuck faster. It felt like making love. No, it was making love. She pressed her lips to his shoulder, running her hands up his torso to roll his nipples. The only thing that would make this better would be if Kaz was with them, but she liked that it wasn’t taboo to be with Myan alone. She belonged to him as equally as she belonged to Kaz. Dropping kisses along the center of his chest, she enjoyed the hazy laziness of the morning and the filtered sunlight illuminating motes of dust around them. It felt almost as if they were in a magical between world, not quite awake, not quite asleep. He knelt up and sat on his heels between her splayed legs. His fingers spread over the marks on the right side of her belly. “These are mine,” he said quietly. He slowly stroked down the four lines, his bottom lip pulled between his teeth as his brows pulled together. Suddenly, she realized he wasn’t completely okay with what he and Kaz had done. “I’m glad you didn’t ask ahead of time,” she offered. “At least about the marking. I would have said no. It hurt like hell.” “I know. As soon as the skin broke, I was in your head. I felt it. All of it.” Her heart clenched. The marking, the claiming was necessity, part of his shifter life, but not necessarily what he wanted to do. It was what he had to do to get to the next part of their life. Sitting up, she moved onto his lap, her knees on either side of him. She sank onto his cock, taking him and giving all her acceptance. What was past, was past. They were together now. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders. “It’s okay. I want to,” she whispered in his ear. “I want to be with you. By choice.”

“Hanna…” he gasped. His fingers closed on her hips and guided her as she rode, her breasts rubbing against his chest with each movement. She tipped her head back, opening her neck to him just as the door cracked open. Her eyes closed and she smiled, but she didn’t slow. This was right where she wanted to be, doing what she wanted to do. “That’s a beautiful sight,” Kaz said from the doorway. She reached a hand out to him, wanting him to join and be part of the joy flooding through her. Kaz didn’t delay. He dropped the bag he carried onto the table then shucked off his coat. Her eyes opened, and she turned to look at him. “Hurry,” she urged. Then he was there, kneeling behind her while he still wore his clothes. As soon as his hands touched her, energy rushed across her body. It wasn’t the same energy as when they shifted near her. It was different. It was connection. The unity between the three of them. She grasped Kaz’s thighs, leaning back into him and changing the angle of Myan’s cock as he took over and surged into her. Kaz cupped one of her breasts, offering it to his brother while his other hand slithered down her torso to her pussy. Two fingers rubbed over her clit, sending lightning firing through her. Hanna cried out, happily trapped between her two lovers while they played her body as if it were one of their instruments. Carefully, Myan turned her so he was thrusting into her from behind. She glanced up at Kaz and saw the same adoration on his face that she often saw in Myan. His hand stroked over the back of her head. Looking down, she saw his cock, straining against his fly. She rubbed her cheek over it, and he moaned. His fingers tightened on the back of her neck. It didn’t take telepathy to know what he wanted. Quickly, she pulled open his fly. He lifted his hips and she jerked his pants out of the way. Before he could settle back, she slid her mouth over his cock and the head drove deep as they moved together. He growled in the back his throat, his approval clear. Urged on by it, she swirled her tongue around the head, while moving up and down the shaft in the same smooth, slow motion Myan used as he fucked her. The three of them moved in tandem, the world and time sliding away and leaving nothing but them. She came first, sparking Myan’s release while Kaz continued to shaft along her tongue.

He pulled free when Myan moved then shifted behind her. Kaz’s cock drove deep and fast as he stood at the edge of the bed and plowed into her, dominating her body and demanding a second release. In minutes, a second burst as if explosions moved through her in a chain reaction, one triggering another. She fell forward, and he moved with her, continuing until he too found release. She grinned as the weight of him collapsed over her. Myan crawled beside her and kissed her temple. It was a regular kitten pile…until her stomach growled.

Chapter Ten

Hanna giggled then the two men started laughing. “So demanding,” Kaz chuckled. “It’s a good thing I got food.” “Probably cold by now,” Myan griped. “Already cold. The only to-go food for breakfast in this town is doughnuts. Brought coffee too, but it’s in insulated cups. Should be fine.” He shifted off her, adjusted his pants then headed for the table. “He’s always about business,” Myan teased, obviously trying to get his brother’s goat. “No, I’m about feeding Hanna,” Kaz retorted, bringing her one of the coffees. He narrowed his eyes on his brother. “Forget I brought you anything.” Hanna laughed. Their feelings were open to her, and this was simply playful lion cubs wrestling in the proverbial dirt. They loved to badger each other. She climbed off the bed. “What kind of doughnuts?” she asked. “I bought several kinds.” He flicked open the box, for her perusal. Pure heaven. I shouldn’t… “With the calories you’ve burned in the last twenty-four hours you should take at least two,” Myan commented, answering her thought. “Don’t mind if I…” she trailed off, blinking at him. She hadn’t even minded that he’d been in her head. Sure, they were going to have to set some boundaries, but she wasn’t pissed off. She shook her head. “Don’t mind if I do,” she said and chose a chocolate-covered doughnut filled with custard. The first bite truly was heaven. Fried goodness and custard burst across her taste buds. It also broke through the bottom of the pastry to dribble down her chin and onto the slope of her

breast. Kaz was there before she could move. He licked away the filling on her chest, working his way down and sucking on the nipple. Taut awareness pulled through her. She wanted them again. And it was purely because she wanted them. She liked that. Myan moved in and lapped away the custard from her chin before slowly kissing her. Suddenly, as if nothing had happened, both men moved away and sat in the chairs on either side of the table. Kaz pulled her onto his lap. “You’re safer here,” he said. “I’m dressed.” “I don’t think safe is a word I’d use,” she laughed as his hand moved up her body. She leaned into his touch, not at all bothered. “So what’s on the agenda today?” she asked, setting down her doughnut on the edge of the box and licking chocolate from her fingers. Both men stilled. She thought at first it was the way she sucked the stickiness from her fingers, but the tension on their faces spoke otherwise. “What?” she asked. Kaz took a deep breath. “Today, we go home.” “Okay… Well, when are we leaving? I’ll be ready.” She didn’t understand what they were so upset about. Surely by now, they knew she planned to stay with them. He kissed her shoulder then stood with her in his arms and set her in the place where he’d been sitting. His long strides ate the length of the floor as he strode to the window on the other side of the door and looked outside. “No,” Myan said. His voice was strangely quiet and tense. “We’re going. Kaz and me. We have to be back to the tour tomorrow. We’re not making you go with us. You’re free to go back to your life.” Wait… They were rejecting her? They’d marked her, they’d claimed her, and now they were setting her free in the wilds of the normal human world. What the hell was the point of all this? She tried to read their minds and see what they were thinking, but their heads were closed to her. Staring, she watched Myan dress. “Now?” she demanded. “You’re leaving right now?” “It seems best. I’ll have someone bring a car for you,” Kaz said. “They’ll take you to the airport and buy you a ticket to wherever you like.”

“I don’t care about that,” she almost shrieked. “I have my own damn money, and I can find my own damn way. You chased me more than halfway across the country.” Pain filtered through Myan’s face. “We had to be sure you were okay. The heat…” “And what if it happens again? What then? I terrify all my neighbors then land in jail for noise nuisance?” Myan shook his head. “No,” he whispered. He reached in his pocket and withdrew a business card. Kissing her forehead, he pressed it into her hand. “It should never happen again if you’re not with us, and certainly not again until next September. If it does,” he took a breath, “call the number on the card and we’ll come to you immediately.” Turning on his heel, he walked out of the room and let the door slam behind him. Openmouthed, she stared at the chipped white wood. This couldn’t be happening. She felt as if half her heart had just been ripped from her chest. “He’s not saying goodbye?” “We’re not exactly good with this.” Kaz moved from the window. “No matter what you choose, we’ll always come to you when you need us.” He didn’t touch her. He didn’t offer so much as a half smile of reassurance. He just walked through the door and left her alone with the deafening silence. They weren’t good at what? Breaking people’s hearts? “No,” she whispered, her voice as stolen by terror as the night they’d marked her and she’d thought it was a nightmare. She fell to her knees. Hanna didn’t know how she’d ended up curled on the floor or how long she’d been there in a ball, but she couldn’t seem to move. Everything was drained from her except the emptiness that echoed in her ears. Was this revenge? Was this comeuppance for what she’d done to them and how she’d made them feel when she’d run away. Kaz had said it was humiliating. Was this punishment? This hollowness was far worse than any punishment could be, even the clawing need that had once assailed her. They’d left her. They…left…her. Tears rolled down her cheeks as painful sobs racked her body, ripping apart her lungs with each breath. What was she supposed to do now? Go on as if nothing had happened? They’d changed her entire world. They’d shown her things she wouldn’t have believed. They’d made her feel more than she’d ever felt. They’d connected with her.

Every ache, bruise and strain screamed at her as she slowly pushed herself upright and lifted her hand to wipe her eyes. The business card was still curled in her hand. Angrily, she tossed it aside. They thought they’d seen stubborn? They hadn’t seen anything yet. She just needed a plan. This was not the end. Kaz promised to be there if she needed them? Well, damn it, she did. She needed them a lot. Determined fury driving her, she wrenched a sundress from the closet and pulled it over her head. She didn’t bother with her hair. If it looked wild, she fit right in with them. They might play it cool, but they were as wild as men came. And they were not going back on the road where they’d be surrounded by groupies, not if she wasn’t by their side. They were hers. Period. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she pulled on the sandals she’d kicked off at some point yesterday. The card caught her attention, and she reached for it. She’d need that number a lot sooner than they’d guessed. It wasn’t until she picked it up that she saw the ink…and Myan’s writing. You have to choose us, it said. It has to be your decision. He’d underlined the your. That was it? She had to decide to be with them and until then they’d leave her be? What kind of a messed up system was this? They could have told her rather than killing her. Outrage dimmed her vision. They picked her, marked her, mated with her then abandoned her to pick where she wanted to be? They needed their heads knocked together. How could they not realize that she had chosen them? And they’d left her. Suddenly, she heard Kaz’s words again as she replayed what had just happened. We’re not exactly good with this… He wasn’t talking about leaving women. He was talking about leaving her. They weren’t really okay with it. It was what they had to do because she had to pick them this time. Myan had been trying to give her a hint with the note. That was it… She rushed for the door, hoping the nosy desk clerk would be able to help her get transportation into the nearest city. If she hurried, she might even be able to catch the same flight as Kaz and Myan.

She whipped open the door then froze, staring at the pair before her. The most beautiful men in the world leaned against the railing that ran opposite her room. Their faces were tense as if they were unsure what she’d do. All they’d had to do was listen to her thoughts… She knew instantly that they’d purposely stayed out. “You’re still here,” she breathed finally. Life seemed to flow back into her at just seeing them, just having them close enough to touch. “We hoped that if we waited a few minutes that you’d come after us because you didn’t really want us to leave,” Myan confessed. “When you didn’t… Well, we were just about to go.” “Don’t. You. Dare,” she ground out. Kaz smiled. “We were waiting.” “Hoping,” his brother enjoined. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at them, never so happy in her life. But she wasn’t giving easily. “You knew I’d decide for you, didn’t you?” “Kinda,” Myan confessed. He grinned and reached for her. She went willingly, burying her face in his chest. “You guys suck,” she grumbled, pushing as close to him as she could humanly get. They sucked, and they were the best men in the world. Kaz crowded behind her, sealing her between them and right where she wanted to stay forever. “Such loving words, sweetness.” “Hmph,” she snorted. “Don’t ever leave me like that again. I couldn’t take it.” “Never,” Myan promised. “We’re connected and unless you change your mind about us—” “I won’t,” she interrupted. “Unless you change your mind about us,” Kaz continued, “you’re ours. Forever.” She bit her lip and let her feeling of joy flow from her and into them. Their minds were open, and she showed them the depth of her feelings and exactly what forever meant to her. Kaz growled and lifted her into his arms. “I think we have time before our flight.” “They can’t start without you.” “They don’t matter,” Myan said, kicking shut the door. “You are our future.” “He writes all our songs,” Kaz whispered in her ear. “He sings in his sleep,” Myan countered.

Hanna grinned, opening her arms to both of them as Kaz dropped her on the bed. “Sometimes I get rides from strangers and take cross country trips,” she said. Both of them growled, their eyes dark with primal possession, “Not anymore.”

Epilogue

A Year Later

Kaz’s long hair swung around him as he turned and crouched slightly, his guitar over the juncture of his thighs as he let loose a riff that had the crowd screaming. His bare, tanned chest glistened in the klieg lights as they beat down on Harvest, and the muscles bulged inside his black leather pants. Not to be outdone, Myan stepped to the mic and belted out the wailing bridge of their hit song, Gonna Get What I Want. Dressed similarly to his brother, he drew even more screams as he gyrated into the mic stand. The Ruslan brothers were H.O.T. Hot! She’d said it before and she was blessed to think it every day as she spent time at their side and in their arms. If anyone thought anything of her being with two men, they didn’t say a word, and it never occurred to her to worry about it. If people knew the thing that had initially concerned her, they wouldn’t have questioned her being with two men either. It was small in comparison. And it was their secret. She pressed her hand to her belly as she watched them perform. She had another secret, too. Kaz and Myan were ecstatic. Her sister had given birth to twins last month. Hanna had been shocked to learn that both Costin and Petre has impregnated her—though impregnated seemed rather clinical for the fun they’d had. Myan had assured her it was a cat thing. His and Kaz’s DNA would help it happen for her, too. Would it? She hoped, but even so, she knew she’d be a mom in less than a year. Myan and Kaz had already started coddling her.

They swung off the stage and hustled her to the limo they’d ordered to be waiting for them after their second encore. After they’d climbed in, Myan reached into the mini fridge and pulled out a bottle of water which he thrust into her hands. “Drink up, love,” he told her. “We plan to keep you busy all night.” “Oh really?” she asked, thinking that sounded like a wonderful idea. “Oh really,” Kaz confirmed. His lips brushed her ear. “You might not be affected by the Harvest moon this year, but we are. I hope you don’t have any plans for the next three days.” Pursing her lips, she looked at the ceiling and pretended to think. She couldn’t quite hold back her smile—it seemed she smiled all the time now. “I can’t think of anything, just getting naked with the men I love. Maybe running with a couple lions…” “We’ll have the compound to ourselves,” Myan told her. “I’m making love to you in the field this time.” “And on the kitchen table,” Kaz added. “And in the hallway.” “In the music studio. I want to record you…” Hanna shivered, delighted by it all. “How about in bed?” “Definitely in bed,” they replied. She hit the privacy screen to separate them from the driver. It was a long drive across state to the compound. “And how about in the limo?” Leaning back, she waited, eyes closed. And just as she suspected, they showed her they were kings of Harvest’s pride and over her. Definitely over her.

About the Author

When it comes to books and movies, Brynn has one rule: there must be a happy ending. After that one requirement, anything goes. And it just might in her books.

She lives in Michigan with her husband and two children, who love her despite her occasional threats to smite them. They humor her and let her think she's a goddess...as long as she provides homemade chocolate chip cookies on a regular basis. Brynn has conducted workshops at several writers’ conferences around the country and enjoys mentoring and meeting new people.

According to Brynn, her writing success can be attributed to an eclectic collection of music, her local road construction crews, a trusty notebook, and of course, her husband, Mr. Inspiration, who puts up with a lot in the name of research.

Brynn loves to talk to her readers and can be found at www.brynnpaulin.com.

The Phases Series Now Available from Resplendence Publishing

Taken by the Pack by Cheryl Dragon

Phases: Book One Danny loves Alaska, but it doesn’t seem to love him back. The full Wolf Moon sparkles over Fairbanks, but he’s alone for those long nights. He wants to come out of the closet and date, but his frail family might implode. All he wants is the right man in his bed. Brandon and Justin are lovers and wolf shifters native to Alaska. They’re out to protect their way of life, and sometimes that means extreme measures. When Danny’s brother proposes aerial wolf hunting, Danny enters their sights. Danny was the closet case in high school, and now, he’ll be their sex toy. The shifter pair is ready to do whatever it takes to stop the hunting and maybe add a sexy human man to their pack.

Coyote Savage by Kris Norris

Phases: Book Two February's full moon is rising, only this year, it's bringing a new brand of hunger... For coyote shifters Caden and Talon Brady, the upcoming hunger moon has ignited a different kind of appetite. They've been waiting several years for a chance to court their intended mate, and now that she's finally in their sights, they'll stop at nothing to win her over. But when local livestock start disappearing, their coyote refuge is put in the hot seat, and more than just their way of life is suddenly in jeopardy. Sheriff Rebecca Savage never planned on returning to Beckit Falls, or for falling for two handsome men. But fate seems to have different plans for her. Unfortunately not all of them are sexy and look fantastic in jeans. The local mayor is trying to run the Brady boys and their coyote refuge out of town. Nothing seems to make sense, but when she starts digging deeper, a new danger rises with the full moon—one that just might get them all killed.

Unchaste by Mia Watts

Phases: Book Three The mystical Portal of the Gods transports Flynn Chula, shifter and descendant of the Cahokia Indians, six hundred years in the past. Right into a tribal feud between Amaro and Koda, warriors of the empire. While Flynn finds his new circumstances impossible, Amaro and Koda know exactly what to do. Their culture dictates that shifters have to be tested, proving their place among the people--as priests. Only one high priest can rule the empire at a time, but the current apprentice reigns with blood sacrifice and fear. As the sexual preparations begin, Koda and Amaro do their duty to rid him of any possible heterosexual leanings...by giving themselves to him wholly. Flynn, who's never wanted a woman in his life, can't believe his luck. Two hunky men can't get enough of him, and their eager to learn all the tricks. When the blood priest discovers the plot to overthrow him, will Flynn, Koda, and Amaro escape alive, or will more than blood be lost on the altar?

Awakening Delilah by Abigail Barnette

Phases: Book Four When Delilah Lewis moved from Atlanta to Gwinn Close, a sanctuary for shifters in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, she knew there would be an adjustment period. She just never thought getting shot at by poachers would be a part of that adjustment. When two sexy shifters come to her rescue, things get even more complicated. Delilah is a good girl, with a good-girl upbringing, and both men make her want to be very bad... Miguel and Darius are in a committed relationship, but once they meet Delilah, they want more.While Delilah wonders if Gwinn Close is right for her, Miguel and Darius do everything they can to convince her to stay. But secrets from their past threaten a future with the woman they both crave. And while she struggles to let go of her boring former life, both men work to bring out the wild animal in her...

Horny, Hard and Hare-y by Mia Watts

Phases: Book Five It's time for the annual race, and tortoise shifter, Duncan, is finally going to catch some tail— hare shifter tail, otherwise known as Charlie. With Gibbs, their owl shifter friend, keeping an eye out overhead, they're off and running. But Charlie is as spontaneously careless as the fairytale hare and finds himself caught by local DNR officer, Ben. The full moon is rising, and if Charlie stays collared through the Hare Moon, he'll remain an animal forever. It's up to Duncan and Gibbs to free him before time is up. But in telling their

secret, will they lose Ben forever? It's a foursome waiting to happen, where Ben reconnects with a mysterious lover, and the tortoise finally catches his hare.

Summer Surrender by Bronwyn Green

Phases: Book Six Hollis Chambers came to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to teach summer school at a small rural high school. She’d planned on hanging out on the shores of Lake Superior, taking walks in the woods and studying the wildlife. She never imagined that she’d meet one man, let alone two, to have a hot summer fling with. Lynx shifters Daniel Cichosz and Josiah Wilder know a good thing when they see it and they’re fairly certain that the gorgeous, full-figured substitute teacher is just who they’ve been looking for. Hollis surrenders to their seduction, but how will she feel about being mated to shifters, particularly when Daniel’s brother is added to the mix?

Snared by Kris Norris

Phases: Book Seven July’s Thunder Moon is holding true to its name. But will the rash of lightning reveal more than just the landscape? Veterinarian and bobcat shifter, Tayen Locke, has devoted her life to saving animals, but a rise in poaching has spurred her down another path. She’s been spending her free time in her animal form, searching the nearby forest for illegal traps. She’s well aware of the risks—she just never thought she’d end up snared by her potential mates. Rangers Quinn Harrington and Rogan James know exactly what they want…they just don’t know how to convince Tayen it’s her. Ever since they moved to town two years ago, they’ve had their sights set on the sexy vet, who for the last six months has turned down every offer they’ve made. Though they know she’s interested, they’re losing hope she’ll ever change her mind. But an unexpected storm changes the nature of the game. It seems Tayen’s been keeping a secret, and now that the cat’s out of the bag, literally, there’s no where left for Tayen to run—except straight into their arms.

Striped by Abigail Barnette

Phases: Book Eight After spending much of their lives feeling like outsiders, Jason and Mitchell have finally achieved their dream in the founding of Gwinn Close, a

community for shape-shifters in the wilderness of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. But the only way the community works is by staying low profile and friendly, and the new shifter in town is a toned, tattooed bad boy who doesn't want to play nice. Sean has never put down roots and he's not sure he wants to, especially in a place like Gwinn Close, where everyone seems so happy and well-adjusted. When Jason and Mitchell offer to help tame his tiger impulses with discipline and a firm hand, Sean isn't sure he can submit sexually without losing himself completely. But how can he resist their offer when giving in feels so good?

Also Available from Resplendence Publishing

Overlord’s Chosen by Bronwyn Green Dark Destinies Book One Elizabeth Louden has been chosen to provide Micah Bleddyn, the Overlord of Maelgwn, with an heir. However, she’s not interested in the honor. In a land where only men are allowed to use magic, women found to possess supernatural abilities are punished—often by death. She knows it’s only a matter of time before her secret is revealed. Micah has no desire to rule his father’s empire, but after his older brother vanishes, he has no choice. Faced with invading forces, treachery among his own people, and now, a mate hell-bent on escape, he’s had enough. Realizing they have no allies but each other, Micah and Elizabeth reach a reluctant truce in their bid to stay alive and keep Maelgwn safe.

Reawakening by Charlotte Stein Forever Dead Series, Book One June has spent the last two years of her life trying to avoid death at the hands of murderous psychopaths and ravening zombies. So when Jamie turns up on the scene, careless, still whole and promising her safety on a little paradise island, she isn’t quite sure she can trust him. Especially when he tells her that it’s just him, and his equally big, burly, handsome friend Blake. But Jamie and Blake are even better than her wildest dreams—sweet and funny and charming. And worst of all: sexy as hell. Though they're trying to be gentlemanly with her, all she can think about is how much she wants to get tangled up in them, and forget the nightmare the world has become. She's waiting for her reawakening—back to life and happiness and love. And they seem like just the right sort of men to wake her—body and soul.

Infernal Devices by Abigail Barnette All Steamed Up: Book One The Two Aces. Victorian London’s most salacious secret, the club is a place where erotic

fantasies are played out among clockwork automatons and aether powered machines. Where nothing is off limits and the pleasures are as wicked as the imagination will allow... Permilia Deering goes to The Two Aces looking for the sexual excitement that she knows she will not find with the man to whom she is affianced, notorious cold-fish Wallace Sterling. On her first visit to the club, she meets the Ace of Spades, a masked stranger who drives her to heights of passion she’s never dreamed possible—and makes her seriously reconsider becoming a mannerly society wife. When Wallace Sterling first glimpses his fiancée standing outside The Two Aces, he assumes she’s uncovered his secret identity—the Ace of Spades. But Permilia has no idea that her intended is living a double life, and Wallace worries that he’ll be out of the picture once she gets a taste of what the Ace of Spades can offer her...

Three Ways to Wicked by Melinda Barron Bestselling Author Krisily Carmichael needs a break from her life. Her horrid ex-boyfriend sold naked photos of her, and now she’s plastered all over the nation’s largest skin magazine. So when an advertisement for a rental cottage near Bath appears in her mailbox, she snatches up the offer. When she arrives at the remote English cottage, she finds a charming country home with a huge botanical garden…complete with four magical beings trapped inside. Victim of a wayward spell, the Sorcerer Uriel and his alchemist cousins, Bythos and Acolius, have spent centuries trapped inside their garden with an evil witch who wants their secrets. Krisily’s arrival sets off a string of events foretold to bring about the witch’s end. Unfortunately, they have to contend with the witch’s curse, which took one sense from each of the men. But the four of them find a way to communicate, and they come together in a blaze of passion that helps them to destroy the witch and meet their destiny.

New Orleans by Demi Alex Who makes life-altering decisions based on a fortune cookie? Sans her family and sans a job, Lilly Marie is completely alone in the world. With only a broken heart in tow, she has nothing to lose by packing it up and starting over in the sultry Big Easy. And after all she’s been through the past year, encountering an eccentric woman in Jackson Square and actually following her instructions to “step onto Bourbon Street and into her future” doesn’t seem so weird. Who is she to question “destiny” when she’d uprooted herself because of a tiny piece of paper tucked inside a cookie? What Lilly doesn’t expect is for a hero to save her from a rampant bicyclist and whisk her away

to a place called El Destino to meet his family— “family” being four of the handsomest men Lilly has ever seen. Whether it is fate or coincidence, the sizzling and sexy men of El Destino take her into their capable hands to prove that there is no such thing as happenstance, and that undeniable passion and true love can cure any ailment, including a broken heart.

Alpheli Solution by Anny Cook Bootcamp class seems to be the answer to her prayers. In her wildest dreams, she doesn’t consider meeting not just one, but two hunky vampires who take her—in the car, in the shower, in the living room, in the hot tub, in hand—as they teach her everything she’ll need to know about her new vampire life. For centuries, Pierre has loved and pursued Julian with no success. After a hostile takeover of Julian’s financial assets, Pierre is positive Julian will have nowhere else to turn. Julian, though, chooses to teach the Vampire Bootcamp class rather than surrender to Pierre on unequal terms. When one of Julian’s students approaches him for help identifying her sire, Julian is stunned that she is his alpheli—an extremely rare mate whose blood will allow him to subsist on real food. What will that mean to his love-hate relationship with Pierre? There are just one or two problems. Danamara is descended from Pierre’s bloodline. And she’s on someone’s hit list. Julian and Pierre find unexpected erotic rewards and eternal love when they join together in a brutal war to protect their alpheli’s life.

Belonging to Them by Brynn Paulin On the run from her past, Rayna Halliday is devastated when her old car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. She soon finds that her ex has managed to block her credit cards, her accounts and even her cell phones in an attempt to exert his control over her. Giving in to him is something she refuses to do. When the owners of O’Keefe’s Gas and Repair come to her rescue, they make her an offer that tantalizes the forbidden desires within her—she can find a way to pay for the car repairs, or she can belong to them for two weeks and they’ll see to her repairs for free. At the sexual mercy of four gorgeous men for two weeks… Why not? She can have fun and get things straightened out, all at once. But there are two problems heading her way: an ex on a rampage and her heart that’s in for more than just fun.

FU by Mia Watts When a screw-up by the Fullerton University Housing Office leaves Parker Galloway shacked

up with four sexy men, Parker thinks four just might be her lucky number...as long as she can get Kei Yamamoto to join in the fun. But will taking advantage of FU’s mistake end up getting all five roomies kicked off campus, or will it be the closest thing to heaven Parker has ever experienced?

We Kill Dead Things by Sommer Marsden Zombie Exterminators Series, Book One Poppy thinks her life is weird working the food court at Parktowne mall, until in one brief moment of creeper killing, things change forever. Now she's a freelance zombie exterminator along with her long lusted after co-worker Garrity (her not-so-secret crush), a somewhat lusted after bad boy Cahill, and pretty gay boy Noah. When the four are hired to do a ballsy zombie clean up at St. Peter's Hospital, Poppy finds out just what's more scary than creepers: The Evoluminaries, a zealot cult who think zombies are part of God's chosen, who happen to end up thinking Poppy might make a mighty good zombie incubator. She finds herself finally sleeping with Garrity, being hunted by a crazy preacher man and stumbling over the fact that Cahill and Noah have become lovers somewhere in the chaos. And that's all on the job. Just another day in the life when you kill dead things...

Oriana and the Three Werebears by Tia Fanning Oriana Ricci has taken over the family business—flying cargo and rich tourists around Alaska’s barely inhabited Kodiak Archipelago. When her plane malfunctions and she’s forced to make an emergency landing, she finds herself stranded in the middle of a National Wildlife Refuge. With no civilization for miles and no hope of rescue, she thinks all is lost… Until she stumbles upon the entrance to an underground bunker. Jack, Jordan, and Jonathan McMathan own and operate a secret intelligence firm contracted by the US Government. Hidden away in an old Cold War spy station located the middle of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, the brothers are not only able to do their top secret jobs safely without fear of discovery, but are better to protect their other, more personal secret: They have the ability to shift into Kodiak bears. Like a fairy tale gone bad, the brothers return home to find their lunch tasted—or eaten, their computer chairs adjusted—or broken, and a beautiful blonde sleeping in one of their beds. This situation poses a big problem for the brothers… Their location is now compromised. But more importantly, what are they to do with the lady?