Laurie's Wolves (9 page)

Heaven.

Reaching around her waist, he pressed his thumb against her clit and fucked harder. He was in a frenzy. Nothing about this joining was going to be slow or sweet. He could do slow and sweet later. Not now. Right now, he needed fast and furious.

Apparently she did too because she bucked into him with every pass.

Corbin shouted her name, drawing Zach’s gaze to his other mate. The man had his hands planted on the bed at his sides, and his entire body was stiff as he obviously came in Laurie’s mouth.

Zach could hear her sucking. When she finished, she set her forehead against Corbin’s thigh and continued to lick his shaft.

Zach flicked her clit and then pinched it. Unexpectedly she came, pressing her pussy into his hand as he pumped into her through the orgasm. She gripped his cock harder with her channel.

As she came down, he decided to change positions, drawing his cock out of her pussy and lining it up with her tight ass. His dick was covered in her come, plenty of lubrication to ease him into her rear. And he slid in without difficulty, mustering up an incredible amount of control to keep from hurting her. He wasn’t sure how sore she might be, but he didn’t want her to wince.

She did not.

Instead she moaned and lifted off Corbin’s thigh to plant her hands on both sides of his legs and hold herself steady. “God, that feels good.”

Encouraged, Zach fucked harder, thrusting into her tightness with gritted teeth. He teetered on the edge, but he didn’t want it to end.

When he could hold back no longer, he released a deep breath and came, gripping her hips to hold himself deep inside.

His orgasm was long, his cock pulsing more times than he thought reasonable.

When it was over, his ears were ringing. The only noises in the room were three sets of heavy breathing that sounded muffled as though he were under water.

He eased out of Laurie, hoping he wouldn’t collapse before he could flop onto the bed. He managed, barely, dropping onto his back while Corbin eased their mate in between them.

Long silence before she spoke first. “Can we do that again?”

Laurie smiled at the woman across from her as she sat as still as possible and gave a rundown of her credentials.

She’d gotten out of bed after twenty-four hours hiding in Zach’s condo and declared they had to return to their normal lives.

Both men grumbled about her plan all morning, but they too needed to go back to work. The Masters covered Zach’s shifts on Wednesday and luckily Corbin had that day off, but it was time to move forward.

While Corbin went back to the reservation to work his shift as deputy to the local sheriff’s department, Zach went to the resort to teach children how to ski and save the fallen skiers of the world.

That left Laurie to handle the priorities. The first thing she did was rent a car. Sojourn wasn’t a large community. She walked to a rental lot easily.

Next she tackled the job hunt. She was confident. She had a degree in early childhood education with the double bonus of enjoying working with younger children. Nearly every preschool needed teachers at some point or another, and very few private facilities required a degree, making her extremely marketable.

It didn’t pay fantastically, but she had never cared. What she did, she loved.

She was at her third location.

Mary Williams was interviewing her, claiming she did indeed have a position coming open soon. The woman was friendly and genuinely excited about Laurie’s possibilities.

By the time Laurie left her office, she felt like it was a sure thing. If not, two other places had taken her resume and told her they would call if they had any openings.

With a smile on her face, she made her way to meet Corbin and Zach at Zach’s parents’ house. She’d met Carlie, his mother, briefly the first morning, but she had yet to meet Zach’s father, Adam, or his sister, Sharon.

“I’m at your parents’ house,”
she communicated to both men as she pulled up.

“Good. I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes,”
Zach said.

“Stuck at work. It will be about an hour for me. Don’t wait to eat. I’m sorry.”
Corbin sounded rushed even through the connection.

“Take your time,”
Zach said.

A woman looking like the female version of all the Masters brothers and about the same age as Laurie answered the door. She smiled broadly. “You must be Laurie.”

“You must be Sharon.”

Sharon reached out to take her hand and hauled her inside. “More women. Excellent. The men in this family are multiplying at an alarming rate. The testosterone at family dinners is thick.”

Laurie squinted at her.

Sharon giggled and waved a hand through the air as she led Laurie through the enormous great room. “Oh, I know. I know. For every woman we add, we also add a man, but hey, even outnumbered, I like having more females at the table.”

As Laurie followed Sharon into the kitchen, she glanced around at the spacious room and relaxed. She could picture the five Masters kids as children, running through this room and across the living room, laughing, screaming, playing hard. The space was welcoming. Comfortable.

The kitchen was incredibly modern with sleek stainless steel appliances, black and gray granite, and white cabinets.

Sharon nodded to a stool at the enormous island. “Sit. I’ll get you a drink.”

“Water would be great. I’ve been running around town trying to find a job. I’m thirsty.”

Sharon grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and handed it to Laurie. “Preschool, right?”

“Yep.” Laurie took a long drink.

Sharon shook her head. “I don’t know how anyone does that. More power to you. I think I’d sooner be buried alive than work with toddlers all day.” She giggled.

“Love it. They’re so pure. They don’t judge. They can’t see color or religion or language. All they see is friends and someone to play with.”

“True. Never thought about it that way.” Sharon lifted the lid on a large pot on the stove and stirred the contents.

The smells that leaked into the room were amazing. “That smells delicious.”

“My mom’s famous stew. She put it all together early this morning. It’s been simmering all day. You’ll love it.”

Laurie glanced at the set of trays on the counter and realized they were covered with biscuits.

“She makes great biscuits too, but I made those this afternoon, so if they turn out horrible, blame me.” Sharon leaned against the counter. “What happened the other day on the mountain? Rebecca said you saw one of those spirit things.”

Word travels fast
… “I did. I mean I guess I did. It startled me. Not sure I can blame it on why I went headfirst into the forest. Probably have to blame that on inexperience more than anything.” Laurie chuckled. “Your brother might have gotten a bit cocky about my abilities when he took me higher up the mountain. And then there was the snow…”

“Well, from what I’ve heard, none of us should take the spirit warnings lightly. I’m spooked.”

Laurie rubbed the goose bumps on her arms. She’d spent most of the day trying to ignore her thoughts on what the crazy black aura meant. “I’ll certainly keep my eyes open wider from now on.”

The back door opened
,
and Carlie stepped inside. “Hey. So good to see you again.” She came straight to Laurie and gave her a gentle hug. “And thanks for taking time to come to dinner tonight. I know it’s asking a lot. But my husband wants to meet you.” She nodded over her shoulder. “Sharon too. You’ve met all the boys already, right?”

“Yes. Though I’m not sure I should be quizzed on a lineup.” Laurie scrunched up her nose. They all looked so similar.

Carlie laughed. “Don’t blame you there. Only Logan will be home tonight. But you know Griffen and Trace better through their mates.”

“Yes.”

“Is Corbin coming tonight?”

“I hope so. He was trying to get off work and back to Cambridge early enough. It’s a long drive.”

“It is. That’s why Rebecca and Melinda both built homes on your grandfather’s land at the edge of the reservation. Now they only have to drive about twenty miles in either direction to get to Sojourn or Cambridge.”

“Melinda told me about that. In fact, the land is several acres. Miles and Melinda have already offered to divide it up among the rest of us too, which is very kind of them. My grandfather never knew of the existence of the three of us born after my mother left the reservation.”

“What are your brothers’ names? I forgot.” Carlie turned on the oven as she spoke.

“Sawyer’s the oldest—twenty-seven. Cooper is the baby—twenty-three.”

“Are they cute?” Sharon wiggled her eyebrows from where she’d perched on the counter.

Laurie laughed. “It doesn’t matter because you’ll probably never meet them.”

She narrowed her gaze. “Why?”

“The minute they catch wind that I mated with your bother and Corbin, they will leave my brother’s house and never return.” She laughed harder. “They aren’t remotely fond of the idea of mating right now, and certainly not with another member of your family. No offense of course. It just gives them the willies.”

Sharon tipped her head back and giggled. “Don’t blame them. But what if Logan and I hang around in limbo because we’re destined to mate with them? Doesn’t it seem crazy for three of you to mate with three of us? And there happens to be five on each side? Insanity.”

“Could be a coincidence,” Carlie said.

Laurie blew out a breath. “Believe me, I should not have been surprised when I met Zach. It seemed like a foregone conclusion. Nevertheless, I was stunned when he walked up to me. What the heck is Nature up to?”

Sharon shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m in no hurry to mate, so feel free to keep your brothers a few hours away for now.”

All three women laughed again as the back door opened once more.

A large man who looked like an older version of his four sons walked in. His smile was broad as he approached with his hand out. “Welcome. I’m Adam.”

“So nice to meet you.” Laurie shook his hand.

He clasped hers with both of his, but released her as the back door opened again.

Zach strolled in. He came straight to Laurie and wrapped his arms around her, brushing his father out of the way. “Missed you.” He kissed her soundly, his hand sliding into the back of her hair.

“It’s been like eight hours,” she whispered as she broke the kiss and licked her lips. Instantly her body went on alert. Even his scent as he stepped inside distracted her. His kiss made her head spin and her pussy clench with need.

He growled, setting his forehead against hers and tugging her hair so she tipped back farther. With a quick final peck to her nose, he released her.

“Yeah, keep your brothers away from me for now,” Sharon teased. “I don’t have time for this intensity.”

Carlie swatted at her as she slid the biscuits into the oven. “Stop it. Payback is coming.” She turned toward Laurie. “You haven’t met Corbin’s parents yet, right?”

“No.” She shook her head. “We haven’t even discussed it, actually.” She cringed. She should have thought of that and hoped she hadn’t hurt his feelings.

“It’s only been a day, baby,” Zach said as he wandered toward the refrigerator and then grabbed a bottle of water. “Don’t worry. We’ll fit it all in. How did the job hunt go?”

She sat up straighter. “Excellent. I think. I went to several places, left a few resumes. One place interviewed me. They said they were close to hiring and seemed really interested.”

“Good.” He beamed as he leaned against the island across from her. “I mean if that’s what you want.”

“You’re welcome to join us at the resort,” Carlie said. “We could always use people. If that’s something you’re interested in. No pressure.”

“Thank you. I’ll keep it in mind. What I love most is teaching preschool.”

Well, after your son and my other mate
, she thought to herself.

»»•««

Just as dinner landed on the table and they all sat, Corbin showed up. He greeted Laurie with the same passion as Zach had and stared into her eyes for several seconds, communicating,
“How long do we have to make nice with the family, exactly?”
His teasing grin made her blush.

“Sit, Corbin. Rein it in. Family dinner. Then back to my condo.”
Zach clearly fought a smile at Laurie’s other side.

Corbin took a seat and set a hand on Laurie’s thigh.

“Welcome to the family, Corbin,” Adam began. “Please, consider yourself one of ours. Come and go as you wish. Walk right in.” He shifted his gaze to Laurie. “Both of you. The back door is never locked.”

“Thank you.” Laurie was humbled by the kindness of these people who had never met her.

Corbin stiffened subtly, his hand gripping her thigh harder.

She glanced at him, wondering what he was thinking.

He didn’t return her gaze, however. Instead he pursed his lips and nodded toward Adam as though overwhelmed with emotion.

She doubted that was his real sense though.

“So, I hate to bring this up at this juncture, but we have a slight issue,” Adam said as he dished the steaming stew into the first bowl in the stack in front of him and then handed it to Laurie.

“What’s the problem?” Zach asked.

“You must have spoken to Caleb Parker when you came down the mountain.”

“Yes. The young kid in the ski rental area.” Zach slapped his forehead. “He saw us. The three of us, I mean. We weren’t thinking. And we weren’t subtle.”

Adam nodded. “Don’t freak out. There was no way in hell we were going to keep the matings of our kids a secret from the world forever. I’m surprised more people haven’t wigged out before now, actually.”

Sharon grabbed the bowl her father handed her. “Several people at the hospital got a little jumpy when they saw Rebecca with Griffen sometimes and Miles at other times.” She turned toward Laurie. “She even quit that job and took a job on the reservation at the hospital in Sojourn.”

Laurie froze. She hadn’t considered that problem. “Jeez, she had to leave her job because she was with two men?”