Lords of the Were (6 page)

We only use it in Her service, and only for good. It is the mark of the priestess that She guides our choices and helps us know when a cause is truly good, or just evil in disguise. We have an edge on other magic users because we always can see Truth.”

“There are others besides priestesses who use magic?” Allie’s head was spinning with even more new information. She’d thought she couldn’t be surprised by anything after what she’d been through the night before, but she’d underestimated Betty.

Betina laughed her tinkling laugh. “Of course. Magic users, were, other shapeshifters, fey and many other kinds of magical creatures truly do exist, side by side with humanity. We keep a low profile these days, but we’re still here, using our various talents and gifts for good or evil, depending on our inclinations. Since you’ve dedicated your life and power to the Lady, as your mother did before you, you’ve been blessed with Her gift of Truth. You’ll find it will be your guide and aid through the rest of your development. Of all Her gifts, it is the most important to we mere mortals.”

“You said ‘other shapeshifters’. Are there other kinds of beings that can transform besides the were?” Betina nodded solemnly. “It is a rare gift, usually given to the very blessed or the truly cursed. Great good or great evil can come of such a powerful gift. The were tribes carry the spirit of their totem guides with them at all times. For Tim and Rafe, it’s the wolf, for your sires, it was the cougar, and so on. They can only change into the animal that shares part of their soul, but other kinds of shapeshifters can change at will into many different things. Some are limited to animals. Some can actually

mimic other people, and some can even disguise themselves as inanimate objects or insubstantial things like mist or fog.”

“Like those old vampire horror movies, right?” Allie was only joking, but to her surprise and chagrin, Betina was dead serious.

“It is not something I speak of often, but bloodletters do exist. They are not as common in these times as they have been in the past, but they do still walk the earth in some numbers. Beware of them. The few decent ones are never wholly good or wholly evil, but they tend to run to extremes and are hard to read. My advice is to steer clear of them. Most were will have nothing to do with them, but sometimes young and foolish magic users decide to play with fire and seek them out. They are ancient, Allie.” Betina’s eyes grew haunted. “They are as close to immortal as any being in this mortal realm can be and it has warped many of them. They do not feel emotion as we do.” Betina shivered.

Allie would have asked more but Rafe sauntered into the kitchen and planted a kiss on top of her head.

“You two are awfully serious in here. Don’t you think it’s time you got some sleep? I mean, we’re used to running wild all night but you two are just human. You need your beauty rest, right?” Betina punched him on the arm playfully. “Watch your tongue, youngster, or I’ll zap you into a toad.” Rafe gasped theatrically. “You wouldn’t do that to me. Would you?”

“Don’t tempt me.” Betina winked. “But perhaps you’re right in this one instance. I’m starting to feel the effects of our all-nighter.”

“Tim thought you’d say that so he’s bringing your car around. He’ll drive you home, then bring Allie’s car back here.” Allie perked up, hearing her name. “You’ve got this all planned out, don’t you?”

“He’s going to ransack your dresser drawers too so you’ll have some clothes.” He winked when she gasped. “Though you probably won’t be needing them. At least not right away.”

Betina leaned over to kiss Allie’s cheek. “Don’t let him rile you. He’s a scoundrel, but he has a good heart.”

The older woman left shortly thereafter and Rafe leaned back against the kitchen counter, just staring at Allie. She began to feel very uncomfortable, but tried to hold her own against his outright perusal.

When he finally did speak, it wasn’t anything she’d expected.

“You are so beautiful, Allesandra, inside and out.” His expression softened as her insides began to melt at both the look on his face and the tone of his deep voice. “When we touched you in the ceremony, our wolves took your measure and they sat up and howled when they felt your strong spirit. They recognized their mate.”

“Um…mate?” She was more than a little overwhelmed—a feeling she was beginning to get used to after the odd night she’d just spent.

Rafe watched her, his expression serious for once. “We won’t rush you, but you belong to us. Just as we belong to you. You’ll come to understand it and accept it in time, but for now, we need to be near you.

We need to be sure you’re safe at all times. Right now you’re at your most vulnerable. You’ve been initiated, but you have much to learn and much to understand about your new role. Evil forces will stand against you and try to hurt you. It’ll be our job, as your mates, to keep you safe, just as it was your sires’ jobs to guard your mother. They failed.” His voice was flat, but tinged with an anger he couldn’t hide. “We won’t. But you’ll have to work with us. You’ll have to get used to having us around.” Allie could hardly believe what he was saying. After knowing her only a short time, not only Rafe, but it seemed Tim as well, wanted to claim her as their mate. Betina had told her were wolves mated for life. In essence, the twins wanted to marry her, but unlike a regular human

marriage, among were wolves, there really was no possibility of divorce if things didn’t work out.

The thought was shocking, but it was also somehow reassuring. Allie knew little of the twins, but what she did know impressed her. They just felt right, somehow, when they were around her, and though she didn’t understand it, she knew it instinctively. The idea of mating with the twins—mating for life in the way of their people—fired her senses.

She didn’t know if she was ready to commit to any man, much less two, but she trusted Rafe when he said they wouldn’t rush her. She had time yet to decide what to do about this undeniable attraction and the tempting thought of joining with them both on a permanent basis. For now though, she’d let it ride. She had things to learn and she needed to get to know the twins better to truly consider whether or not to marry them. She would see where this path led for now, trusting in the Lady to guide her steps as She had so far.

“So did you draw straws to see who got to lay down the law to me, or did you figure it would be easier coming from you rather than Tim?” Rafe laughed out loud at her bold statement, shaking his head. “I’m ashamed to admit, it was the latter. Tim realizes he reacted badly to the idea that you were our destiny. He doesn’t take orders well and he’s been burned by females before. If he had his way, he’d stay the lone wolf he’s become, but apparently the Lady had other plans for us. We never really expected to share a priestess mate, but we recognize the special blessing that’s been given us.”

“But wouldn’t you rather have your own separate mates? I mean, why would you want to share?”

Rafe’s smile turned wicked. “After you’ve joined with us, you won’t ask that question. But Tim and I are closer than brothers, if that’s possible to understand. We’re like two halves of a whole. We’re at our best when we’re working together and that applies in all things.” He

winked at her, making her cheeks flush as she wondered just what sorts of things they might want to share with her.

Tim chose that moment to return, having made the drive into town and back in record time. Allie stood as she heard her car chugging up the slight incline of the driveway. It wasn’t really suited to these roads, but she’d make do.

Rafe came up behind her, crowding her just a bit in the doorway as if he needed to be close to her.

“If you need to go anywhere besides town, we’ll take you in one of our trucks. The roads up here aren’t kind to city cars.”

“I was just thinking my car wasn’t really suited to this area, but I don’t like being told what to do anymore than I suspect you do, Rafe.

Next time, ask my opinion and give me advice, don’t order me.” Rafe backed off, his hands held up, palms outward. “Message received, sweetheart. This whole thing is going to take some getting used to, I’m sure, but we’re all running on very little sleep and excess emotion right now. I’d say it’s time to grab some shut-eye before we inadvertently start World War Three.”

Allie sighed as Tim bounded up the porch steps, two of her suitcases in his big hands. He’d heard what his brother said. The cautious look on his face spoke volumes. Resigned, Allie opened the screen door and he entered, a question in his eyes as he passed his brother.

“All right. You’ve got a point.” Allie headed down the hall toward the big bedroom Betina had shown her earlier, her feet dragging, her mouth opened wide in a yawn of exhaustion. “I’ll see you later.” But soft footsteps followed right behind. She heard one of the twins securing the house, but the other was dogging her steps, right up to her new bedroom door. She turned on him, surprised to see it was Tim who followed her.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Tim’s expression was solemn as he looked down into her face. “Where you go, we go.”

“Now wait just a minute—”

She was working up a good head of steam but Tim silenced her by dropping a light, bone-meltingly tender kiss on her lips. “For your safety,” he whispered, “and our sanity, we cannot let you part from us right now. Maybe in a few months…”

“Months?” she croaked, shocked at his heart-wrenchingly honest words and the soft look in his eyes.

“Don’t ask us to leave you, Allesandra. We can’t. It’s impossible. Our souls are already moving into alignment and after we join fully, it will be worse for a time, until we get used to it. At least that’s what we’ve been told will happen. I tried to fight it, but there was no use. You are our mate. We’ll protect you with our last breath.” He stepped closer, crowding her with his large, ultra-male body. “I would die for you, Allie.” She saw the truth of his stark words written all over his face. For once, his expression wasn’t shuttered against the world, and what she saw there made her breath catch.

“How can you feel so much? We only just met yesterday.” He surprised her by pulling her into his arms, caging her waist with his forearms as he looked deep into her eyes.

“My wolf knew you the moment I touched you. He sat up and howled and my blood sang. I fought it, and you’ll have to forgive me for that bit of idiocy, but I can’t deny it. It’s part of me, just as you’re becoming part of me. It’s meant to be, Allie. I know you feel it too.” His impassioned words touched her heart and the look on his face melted it. “I don’t understand any of this. It’s crazy, but my heart knows you, Tim.” Her gaze cast over his shoulder where his twin stood quietly, waiting to see what would happen. “And you, Rafe.”

“You could tell us apart from the moment you met us. Do you know how rare that is? Even our own mother confuses us sometimes.” Rafe smiled though she could see his pain at that admission. “Your pure heart sees us as we are—as individuals that join to form a whole. You know the differences between us when no one else can see beneath the surface.

Didn’t you wonder at that?”

Slowly she nodded. “I wondered why Betty couldn’t tell you apart. It was obvious to me who was who.” Her gaze shifted back to Tim, who still held her around the waist. “Is that true about your mother being unable to tell you apart sometimes?”

Sadness entered his eyes and she knew in her soul it was. He nodded, confirming her fear and she reached up to cup his cheek, offering what comfort she could.

“I’m so sorry.”

Rafe stepped forward, reaching out and pushing them gently through the door and into the bedroom. His eyes sparkled with just a hint of humor, but she could see the fatigue in the lines of his face. They were all exhausted.

“Time for sleep,” Rafe said softly, maneuvering them to the side of the huge bed.

Rafe stood behind her, Tim in front as they together stripped her bare once more. Within moments, she was naked, and only a few minutes more had both men as bare as she. Rafe picked her up by the waist and placed her gently in the center of the overly large bed. Tim shut off the light at the switch by the door, but left the small bedside lamp on, bathing the room in a soft glow. Tim took her right while Rafe settled on her left, each placing an arm around her in some way, crowding close as if they needed to touch as much of her as possible as they settled under the covers.

“Much as I’d love to ravish you at this moment,” Rafe murmured in her ear as she shivered, “I’m too damned tired to do the job justice.”

“And you need more time to get used to us, I think,” Tim agreed, stroking her cheek, neck and one breast in a long caress. “But the time is coming, soon, when we’ll join together as mates. I want to make love to you so badly, Allie. I want to lose myself in you.” She could feel both of the twins’ thick cocks lying along her thighs, one in front and one behind. They were big men all over and the thought of them taking her made her shiver, but they were right. She was nervous. She needed time and some sleep to try to put this all in some kind of perspective.

“I’ll come inside your sweet ass, Allie.” Rafe stroked the curve of her butt and she gasped. “You have no idea how good it will feel, but I’ll show you. We’ll both want to take you there and we’ll fuck your pussy and your ass at the same time. You’ll love it. No other woman will be as well loved as you.”

“I’ve never done that. I mean,” she hesitated, whispering of her fears,

“I’m afraid it will hurt.”

Tim smiled into her eyes, his devilish expression reminding her just a bit of his brother. “We’ll make it hurt so good. I promise, you’ll enjoy every moment of it and you’ll come to crave it.” He leaned forward and kissed her lightly. “We would never do anything to hurt you, Allie.”

“You’ll learn to trust us, but we understand that trust is earned.” Rafe licked her neck, making her squirm. “Starting right here and now, we’ll prove you can trust us with your body…and your heart.” Tim stroked her breasts, plucking at her nipples as her head swam in sensation. “Our wolves are already loyal to you, Allie. We are yours as much as you’ll be ours. Just lay back and enjoy what we can do for you.