Cain loomed over her, his face calm. But his eyes displayed his anger. “Have I ever looked at you with anything resembling pity, Dusty? You had no right to second-guess how I would react. You should have trusted me. Did we tell Cassie she was crazy when she told us about Brynn? No. How could you think we’d treat you, one of the best enforcers this pack has, with any less respect?”
She shook her head. She couldn’t explain it.
“I’m trusting you now. Isn’t that enough?”
He paced silently.
Pain pierced her. “Fine, I’ll tell you the rest and then I’ll leave.”
He whirled at that. “You’ll go nowhere,” he growled. “I’m not going to let you run because you’re afraid.”
“I’m not afraid,” she protested hotly.
“Aren’t you? Why didn’t you tell me about Brynn? Because you were scared you’d lose the respect of the pack, of the other enforcers, isn’t that right? Being an enforcer means everything to you, doesn’t it, Dusty?”
She stared at him, stricken.
“And now that’s been taken away from you and you’re floundering, lost. But I am still here, Dusty. I love and respect you. They love and respect you. It’s you that has the problem with you. You’ve got to pull yourself out of this funk. And for God’s sake, stop keeping things from me. Trust me.”
Her head was whirling at his words. He was right. She straightened her shoulders.
“Did he say anything to you tonight?”
“Ahh, yes, that he’s been watching us, all of us, for a while. That he’s going to hunt down whoever hurt Cassie.”
“Cassie’s due home tomorrow. Maybe we should move her somewhere else.”
“He’s not just here for Cassie. Even if we moved her, I think he’d still hang around.”
“Why? What makes you say that?”
“Because he also wants me.”
“So? What did Jay say?” she asked Cain impatiently as he ended his call.
Cain blew out a breath, his eyes dark and cold. “He wants to take Cassie away. But she’s insisting on coming back to the estate. She wants to see Brynn.”
Dusty was still surprised that everyone believed her. Obviously, she hadn’t been thinking clearly since her accident. If she had been, she’d have told someone the first time she’d seen Brynn. Instead, she’d possibly endangered the pack out of fear of being ridiculed.
“You going to call Cooper now?” she asked.
As soon as she’d told him everything, Cain had called Jay to warn him.
“No.” He didn’t look at her as he handed her the phone. “You are.”
He turned to look out the window as she dialed Cooper’s number with trepidation.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Laney,” she greeted her friend.
“Dusty,” Laney replied happily. “Is everything okay?”
“Umm yeah, but I need to speak to Cooper.”
“Oh, okay, I’ll go get him.”
Dusty took a deep breath as Cooper came to the phone. “Alpha, I have something to tell you.”
Ten minutes later she hung up the phone, her cheeks burning.
“Got your ass chewed out.” It wasn’t a question. She knew Cain had heard every word.
“Yeah,” she muttered, actually feeling better for it.
“I’m going for a run.”
“Cain.” Dusty stood, alarmed by the calm coolness in his voice. “Don’t you want to talk about this?”
“What?” He turned and she flinched at the fury in his eyes. “About the fact you want someone else?”
“I said he wants to fuck me, I didn’t say I reciprocated the feeling.”
“Don’t you? You wanted to fuck him in that motel room,” he accused, his voice dangerously quiet.
“You said you were okay with that.”
“And I was. Because that was the past. But now he’s back and you’re still attracted to him, aren’t you?”
She swallowed, alarmed.
“It’s not fair to get angry with me about this. All right, yes, I’m attracted to him. But that does not mean I will act on it. It isn’t right for you to get so mad at something I haven’t done.”
He was silent for a long moment, clearly thinking.
“You’re right.”
“I am?” she asked in amazement before she quickly recovered. “I am,” she said more firmly. “Cain, you are who I choose to be with. I would never do anything to betray you. Never do anything to lose you.”
She took a deep breath. “I love you. I’d made the decision to tell you tonight. I want to be your mate. I’ve wanted you for a long time. But it wasn’t until after I was injured that I realized how much I’d foolishly thrown away.”
“So why didn’t you come and tell me that?”
“Because I really didn’t think I deserved you. I’ve been so stupid. Life is too short to be without you, Cain. This time I’m not letting you go. Not without a fight. No matter who tries to get in our way.”
He strode toward her, drawing her against his chest, his arms bands of steel around her body, merging the two of them together. His mouth ravaged hers, an act of possession.
“You’re mine. My mate,” he growled.
“Yes, yes I am,” she whispered, kissing along his jaw.
His mate.
It settled over her with a sense of rightness.
“I need you. I can’t hold back.”
She knew he was warning her, giving her the chance to pull back. She didn’t intend to take it.
“So take me. I need you too.”
Cain ripped her clothes, his hands rough. When she was naked he picked her up, placing her over the back of the sofa on her stomach. He spread her legs wide, forcing her to catch her balance with her hands.
He brushed his fingers through her folds, circling in on her clit to strum it demandingly.
“Cain,” she moaned, “I want you inside me.”
“Not yet, you’re going to come first.”
“I want to come with you.”
“Oh you will.” His hand left her pussy as a heavy slap landed on her ass.
“Ow, what the hell?” She looked over her shoulder, one hand drifting back to cover the offended spot. “Did you just spank me?”
“Keep your hands in front of you unless you want me to tie them.”
Her jaw dropped. But she turned around, resuming her former position. She heard him rustling around, covering himself with a condom. He cupped her mound, the heat of his palm branding her. Cain returned his fingers to her clit, tapping fiercely. Pleasure quickly overwhelmed her. As the first tremors of orgasm hit her, Cain drove his cock inside her. His hands gripped her hips as he bucked his hips wildly, entering her with hard, quick thrusts, his cock driving over her G-spot until she was swamped with overwhelming sensations.
“Cain, I can’t stand it.”
“Yes, you can. I want you to come again, come with me.”
She gasped. Nerve endings sang as her passage clenched down on him heavily.
“It’s too much.”
“Never. Never too much.”
Release struck her, slamming through her body as she arched back. He joined her quickly, his moan of pleasure mingling with her own.
“My, my. He does know how to stamp his brand on you, doesn’t he?” Brynn drawled, appearing in the room.
It took her a long moment to realize who had spoken. Rage erupted.
“Get out, you bastard!”
“What? Dusty?” Cain withdrew from her, looking at her with surprised chagrin as she scrambled to her feet.
“Not you,” she said with a heavy dose of exasperation. “Him!” She pointed at Brynn.
“He’s here?”
Cain’s gaze whipped around as he reached for his t-shirt, quickly slipping it over Dusty’s head. He didn’t bother to cover himself.
“Show yourself,” he growled.
“Brynn,” she yelled, her hands clenching into fists, furious when he simply grinned. He shimmered.
“I’m going to kill you,” Cain roared as he dove for the other man.
“Cain!”
He barely heard Dusty yelling his name, anger muffling his hearing. A red haze of fury covered his eyes. The wolf raged to the forefront as he moved swiftly, snarling at the intruder.
In his house. After his mate.
When he was mere inches away, the blond man completely disappeared, shocking him out of his anger as he stared at the empty space before him.
“What—”
“Over here.” Brynn reappeared on the other side of the room, waggling his fingers as if he were a cheeky two-year-old.
“Dusty, get out of here,” Cain ordered, needing her gone. His wolf couldn’t take the other man being so close to her.
“Cain, listen to me,” she said urgently.
He stalked around the room slowly. Had Brynn not appeared when he had—when Cain was at his most vulnerable, when his mate was naked—he might have retained control of his temper. But Brynn had seen her naked. The wolf snarled. He was a dead man.
Cain just had to catch the sneaky little bastard first.
Brynn disappeared again as Cain lunged, this time reappearing behind Dusty, placing his arms around her. Cain morphed his hands into claws. He barely managed to restrain the beast as Dusty stepped forward, directly between the two of them, breaking Brynn’s hold on her.
“Dusty, move out of the way. Now.”
He didn’t want her anywhere near Brynn. Certainly not standing between himself and his prey.
“No. Cain, calm down. Now. And Brynn, stop baiting him. You’re not welcome here.” She pointed at Brynn. “Leave.”
Brynn placed a hand over his heart, faking a wounded look.
“My own, your lack of hospitality devastates me.”
Cain shoved the wolf back a little more, his claws re-forming into hands. The wolf worked on more basic emotions, and Cain needed his brain on high alert.
“Don’t call her that. She’s not yours.”
“Look, chill, the pair of you,” Dusty ordered them angrily.
“I’m calm, hellcat, it’s the wolf who is having problems controlling himself.”
Cain was silent this time as he dove for Brynn, who flitted away again, reemerging in front of Dusty. Brynn grabbed her hand. Cain snarled and stepped forward, snatching their connected hands. As all three touched, something shivered and sparkled, washing over them.
Waves of bloodlust were swiftly smothered, stamped out by raging desire. He was still angry, but it wasn’t as important as the need surging through him. Cain’s dick became hard instantly. He had to touch them, both of them.
He stepped forward, pressing himself against Dusty’s back before reaching around to touch Brynn, who had stepped up against her front. The hunger eased a little with their touch, the cloud of thick passion surrounding them dissipating just slightly.
Dusty’s scent hit his nose, but it was different, mingled with Brynn’s. As though they’d joined, become one. His own scent was there, deeply entwined with theirs.
And it felt right.
Overwhelming desire raced through Dusty’s body as the two men sandwiched her.
“Feel it?” Brynn asked, his eyes a deep blue, his skin glowing.
“Yes.” Cain’s growl was low, his erection hard against her back.
Brynn leaned down and kissed her, his lips cool and firm. Reaching around, Cain cupped her breasts, his hands hot and sure. A small part of her rebelled, telling her what a stupid idea this was—but it was a mere whisper, quickly overshadowed by the roaring need for them both.
Her t-shirt disappeared—drawn up and over her head before she could take a breath. Brynn surrounded one nipple with his mouth as Cain pinched the other one, his teeth nipping her neck.
Dusty’s legs crumbled beneath her. Cain caught her, his arm firm around her waist.
Brynn dropped to his knees, parting her legs as Cain raised her off the floor. He rested her legs over Brynn’s shoulders, and Brynn dipped his mouth to suck on her clit. Dusty arched her back, groaning loudly.
Brynn thrust his tongue deep inside her, pushing it in and out as his hands cupped her bottom, squeezing tightly.
“Please, please,” she begged.
“Please what?” Cain asked her gruffly.
“I need to come. So badly. This is like nothing I’ve felt before, I can’t—”
Her body aflame, arousal surged and she closed her eyes as she screamed. Brynn’s tongue returned to her clit, circling swiftly. A shudder enveloped her whole body as she came.
She opened her eyes as she was lowered to the floor. Brynn knelt between her spread thighs and drew her bottom up onto his lap, his cock nudging at her entrance.
“Yes, yes,” she moaned. “Fuck me, Brynn.”
Brynn jumped back, tearing his hands away from her. The fog of need surrounding her dissipated. Clarity struck and she scrambled backward into Cain. Brynn stood, stumbling away, looking down at her and Cain in shocked disbelief.
“Shit, shit,” she swore, gaping up at Brynn, who looked completely stunned. “What was that?”
Her pussy pulsed, wanting them both, needing another orgasm. But she smothered the need, trying desperately to ignore it.