Forbidden Mate (12 page)

“I think he’s here for more than a wolf sighting,”
said Marco. “His claim is so potent I can practically feel it.”

Was it that obvious? He’d lose a lot more than they
would if this was reported to the queen.

“A claim?
Is
that so?” asked Targus. Then he scoffed, “You’re not the only one trained by
the monarchy. If you forget, I was on the suitor list for most of my adult
life. I’d like to see you try and take what’s mine.”

“She’s not yours. She’s a human.” Wesley stepped
closer, his hackles up.

“Then she’ll never be yours, either.”
 
Marco had a good point. He couldn’t condemn
their actions when he was chomping at the bit to do the exact same thing. But
he still didn’t give a shit. Right and wrong be damned. Helen was his. He
reached for her arm, ready to drag her back to town.

Marco held her closer and Targus grabbed his wrist.

“Don’t fucking touch me, wolf.”

He could already feel his fangs lengthening, his
panther pacing inside him.

“What’s going on? I want to go home.” Helen’s voice
was shaky, and judging by her head movements, she was still completely night
blind. Good thing considering the three of them were stark naked. The forest
was no place for a delicate human girl, especially at night.

“Hush, sweetheart,” Marco cooed.
 
“You should have waited for us. It’s not safe
to go in the woods alone. ”

“You were gone so long. I was scared.”

“Come with me, Helen. I’ll bring you back to the
hotel. The bus driver is worried about you.” Wesley reached out his hand in a gesture,
even though she couldn’t see a thing.

“But—”

Targus stood between him and Helen. “She wants to
come home with us. She’s a marked woman now, and forbidden or not, she’s ours.”

Chapter
Nine

As soon as she heard Wesley’s voice, her body thrummed
back to life. She never expected to see him again, and although she thought she’d
moved on, she was wrong. Helen could remember their moment of passion in vivid
color. She’d been ready to go all the way with her rescuer, and the way he
brushed her off still stung.

She had the night of her life with Marco and Targus,
her body still pleasantly sated, but it wasn’t enough. Something about Wesley still
called to her. She wasn’t sure if it was a genuine connection or the fact he’d
rejected her.

“Listen, you can’t keep her here. She’s not yours to
claim,” said Wesley. “Even the two of you have to know that.”

The men continually talked in riddles, like she was
some kind of prize. Helen was flattered they all wanted her, but also confused
by their extreme possessiveness. Was it just male posturing or did they really
want to fight for her? Back home in the city, she’d learned never to trust a
man who appeared overly interested. It was usually their way to get in a
woman’s pants. Once they got what they wanted, they vanished in a metaphorical
puff of smoke. But Targus and Marco already flew past home base and still
insisted they wanted her.
Both
of them.

Targus laughed without humor. “It’s already done.
And don’t forget you’re on
our
land,
pussy cat.”

“I have authority granted by the queen. Are you
ready to risk your freedom? If I were you, I’d think real hard before
answering.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit. You’re just as drawn
to her as I am. Marco was right—you want her,” said Targus.

What was Wesley’s job exactly? No matter how hard
she tried, she couldn’t make sense of anything they said. Helen couldn’t see a
thing, but she wasn’t afraid when the men surrounded her. She trusted each of
them not to harm her. She could feel them touching her, holding her protectively
close. Their male posturing turned her on. They were confident and seemingly
fearless. As the tension rose between Targus and Wesley, she knew they were
capable of anything. Law and order didn’t seem to apply to them.

“Maybe I do.”

Her heart leapt when she heard Wesley’s answer.

“That doesn’t make sense. The Royal Elite aren’t
granted such luxuries,” said Targus.

“Times are unsettled, but thanks to the princesses,
I have all the rights I need to claim a mate.”

“Is that what you want?” asked Marco. “To take
what’s ours because you can?”

“It has nothing to do with either of you. I heard
the call and can’t ignore it.”

More than one of the men exhaled in irritation. Her
heart began to race with the growing tension in the air.

“We can’t keep her out here in the cold. She’s
trembling.” There were actually no arguments. Marco turned and led her away by
the small of the back. Judging by the movement behind her, both men followed.
She assumed they were heading back to their remote cabin in the woods.

Helen looked deep into her soul. Did she really want
to go home to the city or back to the hotel? She knew where that path led. Her
life had never been glamorous. She was usually lonely and longing for the love
that eluded her. At least now she had some excitement in her life, and the male
attention was addicting.

She wondered if a relationship could actually work
with any of them. Helen knew nothing about these men, except Wesley was some
kind of guard and didn’t get along with her two other lovers. Where would she
stay, what would she do for a living? Her mind rolled ideas and scenarios around
at lightning speed even though no promises had been made. It was her wishful
thinking taking control.

When they arrived at the cabin, Marco opened the
door for her. She stepped into the now familiar home, feeling like she belonged.
Everything was simplistic and rustic, similar to the places she’d visited
during camping trips as a child. From the large stone fireplace, to the
patchwork quilts folded on the sofa—the home evoked memories she cherished.

The door slammed behind her. When she turned around,
Targus immediately bolted forward and pulled her tight to his very naked body.
In fact, all three of them were stark naked in the dim lamp light. Helen wasn’t
sure if she was more surprised they dared to brave the frigid temperatures in
their bare skin, or the fact three grown men willingly ran around without their
clothes in public. She was as deeply disturbed as she was turned on.

“Helen, don’t scream,” he said. “I can explain.”

“I wasn’t going to scream.”

“Good. That’s good.” He rested his forehead down
against hers, taking deep, controlled breaths. The cabin was uncomfortably
quiet. Only a lone lamp in the far corner illuminated the space in a soft
glow—one that flattered the wide array of male muscle in her view.

“You were going to explain?”

“Sometimes we like to jog in the nude. There’s
nothing really that unusual about it.”

Did he think she was born yesterday? Helen wasn’t
even sure it was possible to come up with an excuse that would appease her or
that she’d even believe. It wasn’t just Marco and Targus either. Wesley was
just as bare—and delicious.

“Life is a lot different here than what you’re used
to,” said Wesley, suddenly on the same team as the other two men.

She couldn’t see anything with Targus holding her
head to his chest. He acted as if she’d break into pieces if she looked
directly at their state of undress. She’d already seen them so there was
nothing to hide. And she wasn’t against taking another long look.

“Not everything is at it appears,” added Marco.

“What are you saying? What was that out there in the
forest? What secrets are you all keeping from me?”

Helen definitely had
Chupacabras
on her mind now. There had to be a reason busloads of tourists started flocking
to this backwards town that was practically off the map. Something wasn’t
right, and she’d felt so since arriving. It wasn’t just the place, but the
people. She felt like the only one not in on a big joke.

“Tell her,” said Marco.

“You know he can’t do that,” warned Wesley.

“I don’t
care,
whatever it
is.” Then she thought better. “How bad is it?”
 
Now Helen was terrified they’d tell her something with the word cult,
orgy, or sacrifice. She held her breath as she awaited an answer. Why did there
always have to be something wrong with all the gorgeous guys?

****

Marco wanted Targus to tell her the truth—about
everything. Who cared if it was forbidden? They already lived off the grid, so
being shunned by the queen wouldn’t affect either of them. But regardless of
Wesley declaring his desire to claim Helen for himself, he doubted the Royal
Elite in him would break the rules. Their world was a safely guarded one, and
had been for centuries. Humans only knew about fairy tales and sightings of Bigfoot,
the Yeti, or even the
Chupacabra
. They were all
fictionalized beings created from some sort of reality based in the shifter
world.

With the introduction of a second rival, his Targus
wasn’t looking like such a threat. Somewhere in the past hours they’d decided
they were a team, Helen
their
property. It was natural because they’d shared everything since moving in
together. He’d never had a better friend than Targus.

“It’s more than you can handle, Helen,” said Targus.

His comment must have irritated Helen. She shrugged
away from him and backed up, staring them all down like a cornered animal.

Marco asked Wesley, “What happens if we tell her?”

“You know the answer. It was drilled into all of us
as kids…and as adults,” said Wesley. “Besides, I don’t think the two of you
need any more heat. You’re already the lead suspects in an ongoing
investigation.”

“I call bullshit on your investigation. You just
want to take what’s ours. Didn’t your mother teach you not to mess with a
marked female?”

“What’s going on exactly?” asked Helen, her voice
shaky. They all turned to give her their full attention, all conversations
silenced at once.

Wesley answered for them. “Our values and culture
are different here than you’re probably used to. For example, the royal princesses
don’t take one mate…or husband. They take two, three, or even four. It’s not
unusual here, whereas it can be obscene or even a crime in many of your
communities.”

“I’ve seen reality shows. You’re a bunch of
polygamists? You take a dozen wives and want to add me to the lot?” She shook
her head, backing up further.

“No, baby girl.
One wife.
One mate.”

She narrowed her eyes.
“So what
then?
You all want to be my husbands?
At once?
Is
that what you’re actually suggesting? Is that even legal?”

“It is here,” said Wesley, keeping his voice calm
and controlled to counter Helen’s state of panic.

Explaining their unusual social structure was better
than telling her they shifted into animals at will. Not to mention, many
shifters did have traditional relationships with one male and one female. But
sometimes the mating call had ideas of its own. Marco had been perfectly happy
with his mate before her death. Now he believed fate had plans that included
more than one male for Helen.

“I want out. I need to leave,” she said. The little
human was in a fright, her breathing rapid and eyes frantic as she scanned for
the best escape route. Marco couldn’t lose her. He’d marked her as his. The
mating call had been undeniable since he first scented her in town. There was
no way he’d be able to live in peace if he let her walk out of his life.

“It’s late,” said Targus. “Stay with us. Please.”

Marco’s best friend had it bad for Helen. After the
hell he’d been through waiting for a princess, Marco never expected Targus to
bother with love again. He certainly made little effort. It was nice to see him
so impassioned.

“No.” She kept shaking her head. “This isn’t right.
Something’s not right.”

When she attempted to rush for the door, Marco
panicked. He thought they’d got through to Helen after their night of sex. Her
kiss touched his soul. But apparently humans didn’t equate sex with love. She
needed a lot more convincing before she believed they wanted her forever.

Without thought, he called the shift to take over
his body. His wolf howled, all too happy to be let loose. There was no turning
back now.

Helen screamed, the sound ringing his ears.

“Fuck, Marco!” Wesley shouted. “What have you done?”

He’d broken their most sacred rule. He’d exposed his
beast to an innocent human. But what choice did he have? Helen was his, and he
couldn’t hide his true nature forever. He refused to live a lie. Besides, if he
hadn’t taken such a drastic step, she would have walked out of their lives
without a backward glance.

“
Chupacabra
!”
Helen screamed, falling back onto the side table by the sofa and stumbling.