Harvests Pride (5 page)

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.