Lorelei (3 page)

He fought for air, demanding his lungs respond. His wolf howled in his head, voicing its… joy? What the fuck? He couldn’t spare a thought for the damned beast, not when his body throbbed with need and…

A gentle glow caught his attention, one that seemed to come from
inside
him. It pulsed in time with the beat of his heart.

Holy shit.

Holy shit.

She-she-she…
she
was near.

His female.

The hoarse murmurs from his partner reached him.

Their female.

Their female was near.

“Zeke,” he pushed the single word past his dry lips. He couldn’t do much more than that. Not when his cock was demanding attention while his wolf and heart ordered him to hunt her.

When his friend didn’t appear, he forced himself into motion. He shoved away from the wall and shuffled forward. He gripped the door frame and leaned against it for support before he inched into the main room of their suite. The farther he delved, the brighter he glowed, his skin taking on a golden, ethereal hue.

“D, man, you gotta get your shit together.” Zeke’s words reached him a brief moment before large, rough hands grabbed him.

The touch of the other wolf settled him and took the harsh edge off whatever the fuck was going on.

He clutched Zeke’s hand, taking strength from the male, and the connection gave him the power to stand upright and push away from the door. It also gave him the ability to catch the slightest movement to his right.

The movement of a single female.

A female glowing with the familiar mark of a woman who was Warden Born.

“Mine,” he growled low. When she paled and her magic flared, his wolf growled at
him
.

“Ours,” Zeke murmured, and Dylan jerked his head in a quick nod.

Theirs.

They’d strip her, fuck her, and then claim her.

She was theirs. Theirs with… a bright pink gun pointed at him.

Dylan rethought his plan.

Disarm
her, strip her, fuck her, and then claim her.

Oh. Hell. No.

“I am all about being my own person, thankyouverymuch.” Muzzle pointed at the floor, she kept her grip firm, index finger solid against the side of the weapon’s barrel. She didn’t want to shoot them before they told her what she wanted to know. Lorelei jerked her chin toward the half-naked hotness. “Last time I checked, Rebecca wasn’t a guy who didn’t know how to button his shirt.”

Not that she wanted him to button his shirt. While Zeke was sexy-scruffy, this man was sexy-sophisticated. With his perfectly pressed slacks and crisp white shirt, he looked more like a businessman than a… werewolf. His chest certainly didn’t look furry. No, there was a sprinkling of dark brown chest hair, but she also noticed his rippling abs. Another thing she noticed was that her mouth watered at the thought of tracing them with her tongue.

That
thought had a shiver overtaking her, arousal like she’d never known assaulting her nerves. Damn, Zeke got her engines rumbling, but add in Hot Guy and she was ready to burst into flames.

She took a deep breath, fighting to calm the overwhelming need that hit her square in the gut. Or, a few inches lower and decidedly squishy at the moment. And twitchy. Because, only God knew how, her clit twitched with every sound that came from Zeke and Hot Guy. Especially when they growled together, their eyes slowly changing color until her hazel gaze was met by their yellowed orbs.

Yeah, okay, if she hadn’t believed in the whole werewolf thing, that right there turned her into a believer. The new rush of fear also nearly bowled her over, sending a panic-laced tremor through her.

Lorelei met Zeke’s gaze. “You told me you’d take me to Rebecca and since I’m not seeing her or Paisley, I’m thinking it’s time to get back on the elevator and you can fulfill your promise.”

The second man, werewolf, whatever, turned his attention to Zeke as well. The stranger took a step back and she pretended not to notice how her body reacted to him. She particularly ignored how her nipples pebbled. “Is she talking about Rebecca Twynham?”

Oh, the deep timbre of his voice did good things to her naughty places.

Zeke shrugged and that annoyed the hell out of her.

“Yes,” she snapped. “Rebecca Twynham. Zeke said he’d take me to her.” The phone she’d swiped buzzed in her pocket and it was echoed by a ding from the one in Zeke’s. “And don’t tell me she’s not here. I, uh,
borrowed
a cell phone. I know all about this werewolf business and the HBIC and the fact that you’re looking for me— I mean, Lorelei and Paisley. And that you have Rebecca. You got her into your weird magic cult thing you’ve got going on.”

Hot Guy turned a glare on Zeke. “I’m assuming she had your phone.”

“Yup.” Zeke rocked back on his heels, hands tucked in his pockets and shoulders slouched as if it didn’t matter.

“And she read your messages,” Hot Guy snapped at Zeke and she decided she’d just refer to the man as Guy until he got around to introducing himself. She wasn’t about to call him “D” like Zeke did.

“She just said she did.” Zeke sighed and rolled his eyes before turning his attention to her. “And I said I’d get you to Rebecca. I didn’t say when.”

“Zeke,” Guy’s slow drawl had her focusing on him once again. Oh, it wasn’t looking good, either. Not when she noticed his deeply tanned skin was kinda gray… and furry. “Tell me she’s not who I think she is.”

Zeke’s grin was wide and she had the urge to kick him in the shin so it’d go away. “She’s not who you think she is.”

“You’re lying,” Guy growled.

“Yup.”

“Zeke, we can’t keep her—”

“Damn right you can’t,” Lorelei cut in, tired of them talking around her and not
to
her. “I feel like I’m a damned parrot with all this repeating, but you two aren’t listening. I want Rebecca and Paisley and then I want out.”

Anger continued to rise in her, burning her skin and the heat raced over her body. Damn stupid men. Damn stupid werewolves. Damn stupid whatever-the-fuck that brought her to this hoity-toity werewolf “Gathering.” Damn it all.

Both men focused on her, eyebrows raised. Their gazes didn’t remain on her eyes, but gently stroked her from head to toe.

Stupid hot bastards making her want them in very dirty, naughty ways.

And what the fuck was up with her wanting
them
. Not Zeke, not Guy, but both.

She didn’t want to think about the fact that she’d always fantasized about banging two guys.

“Miss…” Guy raised his eyebrows.

“Miss Nothing. I don’t know who the hell you are. Why should you know my name?”

Zeke stepped forward. “It’s Back the Hell Up. I shortened it to just B.”

He grinned and winked at Lorelei.

She pretended not to notice. She also pretended not to feel the way her body wanted to lean into him.

God, she needed to get laid. By non-furry, non-werewolf, non-hot guys not named Zeke or Guy.

Guy turned his attention to Zeke. “Didn’t you introduce yourself?”

Zeke shrugged. “Only after she put that pink toy against my head.”

Guy closed his eyes and took a slow breath. She noticed his lips moving and, based on their exchange, she figured he was probably praying for patience. At least, that’s what her mother always did with her and her sisters.

“You’ve met Zeke. I’m Dylan Clarke.” He pressed his hand to his chest, bringing her attention back to his sculpted body.

Lorelei swallowed hard, trying her best not to imagine what his skin would taste like or how wonderful it’d be to nibble her way down his abs… She tried and failed because a low whimper escaped.

That had Dylan growling low. “Sweet, you really shouldn’t make those sounds.”

She licked her lips and met his yellowed eyes and whined. “What sounds?”

“Damn, baby.” Zeke’s hoarse whisper reached her and she moaned.

The more they talked, the more she wanted them. What the fucking fuck?

Another shake overtook her, this one seeming to sink into her bones and jarring her from inside out. Her grip on her weapon faltered and she nearly lost her gun amidst the tremors.

“Lorelei?” Worry replaced the hint of desire she’d heard in Zeke’s voice.

“Not,” she wheezed, another vibration sending her wobbling. “Not Lore—”

“We know you are, sweet.” Dylan took a step closer to her, decreasing the distance between them.

“Oh God,” she burned. Fucking
burned
. Her skin, her muscles, everything inside her. “Stop talking.”

“Baby?” Then Zeke moved beside Dylan.

Another round of vibrations assaulted her. “What’s happening?”

She was on fire. Scorched by the heat and a rolling wave of desire kicked her ass with their every word, every syllable, every breath.

“Call Emmett and Levy,” Dylan whispered.

“But—”

“Now,” Sexy in Slacks snarled and she sucked in a rough breath.

“Stop. Talking.” Another sound and she’d crumble.

It kept getting worse because now cool air blew over her skin, the gentle breeze sent drifting over her by the AC. It attempted to rid her of the growing agony, but it did something else, too. It brought her their scent. Wood and smoke and rain and… they were
werewolves
, but her body didn’t give a damn.

“Dylan, they’ll take her…”

Lorelei sobbed, her pink protection tumbling from her fingers, and she hugged herself. She wrapped her arms around her waist, clutching her sides as the cry was torn from her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying for an end to whatever the hell was happening to her.

A rumbling growl vibrated the air, disturbing the cooling breeze and sending another agonizing wave of sensation down her spine. She fell to the ground, begging for the end. The change of position had her jeans and shirt scraping her skin, pushing another moan past her lips.

“Dammit, Zeke.” The growl began anew and then the rapid thump of someone approaching reached her ears.

She fought for control of her body, pushed from the ground with all her might only to tumble down again. Her nerves burned, her muscles twitching and urging her to hug her knees close and pray that it’d end. The torture told her to fuck off.

A new warmth hovered near, the increase in temperature eased her rather than pushing more pain forward. It helped smooth some of her ragged edges and she drew in a harsh breath.

“Lorelei,” Dylan crooned, softly and tenderly. “Easy, sweet.”

His deep timbre didn’t send another bolt of sobs through her. No, it drew forth other sensations. Ones that said she wanted his touch, wanted to taste him, wanted to revel in his body. Now she whimpered for an entirely different reason.

Some of the aching receded, letting her relax a bit, letting her breathe and open her eyes. She met Dylan’s gaze, their eyes locked while Zeke’s low voice danced along her spine. A bolt of pain-tinged desire assaulted her, but it was tempered by Dylan’s presence.

“Just relax. That’s it. Breathe with me, now.” His words stroked her, brushing away even more of the unending agony.

His hands hovered over her, seeming stuck in the air, and her only thought was that she craved the feel of his skin on hers. Everything inside her screamed to take his hand and hold it close. To snatch Dylan to her and then hunt Zeke.

Touch. Touch. Touch.

Lorelei reached for him, her hand darting through the air and…

“Dylan, they said not to touch…”

She grabbed him, fingers wrapping around his wrist in a firm hold. One that was meant to capture him and keep him close. Dylan and Zeke and Dylan and…

Yes, her hand held Dylan captive.

Her glowing hand.

Her glowing hand now etched with swirling, intertwining marks that were a deeper gold.

Then the end of Zeke’s statement reached Lorelei. “…her.”

Dylan wasn’t supposed to touch her? Why?

Then her question was answered in a rush of pain and pleasure that roared through her veins. It eclipsed every other sensation. The scrape of cloth and the searing ache were gone with the new, breathtaking pulse of energy that overtook her.

That took her down, down, down into unconsciousness where the pain couldn’t reach her. And neither could the pleasure.

*

Zeke was too far away. He couldn’t catch Lorelei, couldn’t hold her close, couldn’t do a fucking thing but watch her crumple to the ground in a boneless heap.

Then it hit him. No,
she
hit him. The burst of magic, of uncontrollable power, struck him in the chest. It wove into his body, creeping into every part of his soul and then a soothing warmth replaced that coldness in his heart.

The heat was followed by the body-enveloping light, blinding him to the world… to everything. He saw her then, saw her very essence, and ached to soothe the ragged heartache that filled her from head to toe.

“Zeke? Dammit, Zeke! What the fuck is going on?” He recognized Emmett’s voice coming through the cell phone, the Ruling Warden’s worry palpable, but whatever was going on robbed him of speech.

The glow filled the room, blasting over every surface and enclosing him and Dylan. Was this what happened when Wardens found their mate?

The brightness continued, pulsing from Lorelei’s inert body. Pleasure at finding her singed his nerves and brought arousal rushing forward.

She was theirs and this… had something to do with that. He knew Whitney, the Ruling Wardens’ mate, dimly glowed when she was angry. Had this happened to the woman when she came in contact with her mates?

“Zeke! Don’t touch her. No matter what— Oh, fuck,” Emmett groaned. “I felt it. One of you did.”

Zeke didn’t. Dylan did. Dylan, his Warden partner, was currently touching their mate, his wrist captured in her small hand and a bolt of jealousy hit him. But the emotion didn’t linger. No, it was brushed aside by the ethereal light that emanated from Lorelei. It was as if she spoke to him, telling him there was no reason to be jealous. The push reminded him that she
was
Warden Born and
was
meant to mate two Wardens: him and Dylan.

He dropped the phone, uncaring that it bounced against the end table before clattering to the ground. No, it didn’t matter when every cell urged him to go to her. No, to go to them. His wolf howled in approval and his magic sang with the need to grasp her other hand. He wanted that bright light to encompass all three of them.