Jealous Freakn’

Chapter Thirteen

Alejandro couldn’t stop grinning. He’d bound himself to one woman for life, and by damn, he’d never felt happier. He held Francine’s hand all the way home. People talked about mating and the fever. They made it sound like some big deal. How right they were, and wrong because it transcended big deal into freakn’ awesome and unbelievable, yet so perfectly right.

Of course, he wished he’d chosen a more romantic locale to claim his mate-the back seat of his car in an underground garage not exactly his first place choice-but still, it was the end result that mattered. I am mated.

Sure, he knew that the mating itself only covered a part of it. The bigger task now remained in making his claim, along with Mitchell’s, work in harmony lest they upset Francine. For his part, he didn’t foresee a problem. His openness about sexuality meant he could accept different forms of sexual pleasure. While sharing had never before been high on his list of things to do-unless it involved two women-now that he found himself in the position where he had to share with another man, he didn’t find himself as averse to it as he would have thought. Seeing Mitchell kissing Francine earlier didn’t trigger jealousy. Arousal, yes, but no urge to thump the other male into submission. Would he feel the same way if he came across Mitchell sinking his cock into Francine?

Judging by his hardening shaft, he’d enjoy that visual stimulation. He also knew from small hints that Francine wouldn’t mind it as well, but how to bring Mitchell on board?

He pondered that dilemma as they showered together, making love slowly on her new king-sized mattress. He turned the problem over in his mind as he helped Francine finish cleaning up and rearranging the new furniture when it arrived. He’d not come up with a solution once Mitchell arrived with dinner.

Without even sparing him a glance, the wolf swept Francine into his arms and kissed her, surely smelling and tasting Alejandro on her and seeming determined to mask that fact with his own scent. Alejandro fought a grin as he took the bags with the Chinese dinner and pulled out the cartons to set them on the breakfast counter.

“Well hello to you too,” he finally heard Francine say when Mitchell let her up for air.

“I wasn’t sure what you’d enjoy, so I brought a little of everything. I assume the cat is staying for dinner?”

“Yes, I am, just like I’m sleeping here tonight.”

Mitchell froze in the process of grabbing utensils. “But you had her this afternoon. I thought tonight would be my turn.”

“Okay, hold on. Before you both turn my nicely cleaned house into a war zone, Mitchell, Jag has to stay here, he’s got nowhere else to go, and as my mate, his place is with me.” Before Mitchell could protest, she held up her hand. “Just like as my other mate, you should stay here too, if you want. As to the whole taking turns thing, what are the chances of you both working on it amicably?”

Alejandro grinned. “I’m easy.”

“So the whole world has heard,” Mitchell replied snarkily.

“Care to see me in action and find out what the buzz is about? Maybe you’ll learn something,” he replied, unable to help himself. Mitchell’s nostrils flared, but it wasn’t entirely in anger. Interest smoldered for a moment there too.

“Pervert. I agreed to this three-way only because Francine wanted it. As far as I’m concerned, you could fuck off.”

“I get better results when I fuck on, or in.”

“Do you ever take anything seriously?”

“Yes, Francine’s happiness, which I might add, you’re fucking with. Leave the jealousy at the door.”

“I’m in perfect control, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to make sure I get my fair share of time with her. Just because you’ve already moved in doesn’t mean you should get more of her time.”

Francine waved her hand between them. “Um, hello. Living, breathing object of discussion sitting right here. Mitchell, are you saying you’re going to be staying at your parents still?”

“What else do you expect me to do? I’m not sharing a bed with the cat even if you’re in it.”

“But it’s a king-size,” Alejandro quipped. “More than enough room.”

Mitchell glared at him.

“Listen, what if I moved my office and scrapbooking crap from the spare room and made it into a second bedroom? Then on the nights I spend with Jag, you can still be here so I can see you in the morning.”

Mitchell didn’t say anything for a moment, and Alejandro wanted to punch him as Francine’s face fell.

His jaw tense, Mitchell finally nodded in agreement. “Fine. We’ll see how that works. But if you don’t mind, I’d like for us to look for a bigger house. Somewhere we won’t be on top of each other all the time.”

Reaching out a hand, Francine covered Mitchell’s. “We’ll make this work,” she said softly.

A vow Alejandro silently repeated to himself. No matter what Mitchell did or said, he’d have to keep his cool. Francine already looked torn at the situation, an unneeded stress caused by Mitchell, who couldn’t handle his jealousy.

He’d better get over it or I just might have to beat the little green monster out of him. Or…tempt him by tying the bastard up and making love to Francine in front of him until he’s overcome with desire and forgets all about his foolish notions of not sharing.

He liked the second option a lot as a matter of fact.

Despite Mitchell’s ornery nature, they slipped into a routine, a scheduled one that made Alejandro want to bang his head off a wall. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, he got to sleep-very little-with his darling Francine. Mitchell got Tuesdays, Wednesday and Saturday nights, with the weekend daytime spent doing together activities like laundry, housework, or hiking. Sundays were Francine’s day of rest and as an added maddening bonus, included family dinner with Mitchell’s family. The only saving grace was watching the family dynamics at work.

Alejandro revised his earlier opinion that his family was more chaotic. One food fight at Mitchell’s parent’s house, taught him otherwise.

With them working during the day, and only meeting up at dinner, they spent the hours during the week before bedtime conversing, not as stiffly as in the beginning, especially once Mitchell realized Alejandro was a sports fanatic. Of course, it took the dog some soft pleadings on Francine’s part to accept her sitting between them on the couch when they watched television. Alejandro knew he should not antagonize the fragile peace during these moments of truce, but whenever Mitchell got up to get them a beer or hit the bathroom, he had a tendency of making sure to have his tongue meshed with Francine’s before the dog came back. Mitchell never said a word when that happened, although his jaw would tighten and he’d sit stiffly for a bit. Until Alejandro left the room that was, then he’d come back to find the wolf all over Francine, rubbing his scent into her, flashing him a triumphant smile that made their mate shake her head.

“Like a fucking chew toy,” she’d mutter. But so long as they didn’t come to physical blows, she let them handle their marking of territory their way. Alejandro found the situation kind of amusing, especially since he knew Mitchell enjoyed watching him with Francine, and while he’d spent a few nights at his parents the first week of their arrangement, he now stayed home the nights Alejandro made Francine scream in passion. And if he were to guess, Mitchell did the same thing Alejandro did when he heard the moaning start. Got the lube out of the drawer and fisted himself.

But he knew things couldn’t go on the way they were. This clear division of territory wore on poor Francine, although she never said a word of protest, unwilling to rock the tentative boat.

Things came to a head about a month after they claimed her, and at the Sunday family dinner of all things.

Chris, the family fight instigator, finally lit the match that caused the situation to explode.

“Hey brother, what’s this I hear about you keeping a separate bedroom? Afraid Jag’s cock will put yours to shame?”

Already tense, because Sundays was the day all of them slept alone because of Mitchell, the wolf snapped and dove over the table at his brother. While they rolled around the floor, trading blows, their mother ignoring them as she cleared the table for dessert, Alejandro looked over to Francine and saw her sniffing back tears.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” he asked, immediately concerned.

“Nothing,” she cried before jumping up to run from the table.

Moving to follow, he found himself restrained and looked down to see Naomi’s hand on his arm, her nails digging into his arm. “Sit down.”

“But Francine-”

“Will be fine for a minute. Ethan, grab my brother, will you? The stupid one, not the ugly one.”

Her bear shrugged and swooped down to grab a still swinging Mitchell. With a snarl, the wolf righted himself and glared at his sister. “What?”

“Are you done being an idiot? Can’t you see you’re making Francine miserable?”

“What are you talking a-” Mitchell looked around, and not finding their mate, concern blossomed.

“She’s gone off to cry. Again.”

“What do you mean again?” Mitchell whispered sitting down hard. “I haven’t seen her crying.”

“Okay, so this is only the second time that I know of. Still, it’s two times too many, and it’s all your fault.”

“Me? Why is it my fault? Why not blame that stupid cat over there? He’s her mate too, you know?”

“He is, and I know for a fact he’s not the one acting like a jealous ass all the time. Can’t you see that your insistence not to share her and to make her choose between you constantly is hurting her? Do you care so little for her that you would let your ego hurt the one person who doesn’t deserve it?”

“She’s right.” Mitchell’s mother agreed, coming in with two cakes-vanilla and chocolate. “You never did share well with others. I was hoping that would change with both your animals choosing her as mate, but I guess there’s a first time for fate to be wrong.”

“Francine’s my mate.” Mitchell almost shouted the claim.

“And mine too.”

“So you say, and yet, you’re both here while she’s off crying.”

“You stopped me from going after her,” Alejandro corrected.

“Yes, I did because it’s not one of you at a time she needs. It’s both of you. So, are you going to smarten up and do right by her, or am I going to have to-Oooh.”

“Naomi?” Javier jumped up from his seat and hovered over her.

“I think-Ow! Dammit, I wasn’t done talking, but it seems the babies are coming.”

Alejandro quite enjoyed the panic in brother’s eyes, almost as much as the white faced-shock of Ethan.

“Call a doctor. Boil some water,” Javier yelled.

Ethan scooped her up and growled at people to get out of his way while Naomi giggled. “I’m going into labor, not dying. Mama, would you tell them to not panic?”

“But it’s our first child,” Javier said, standing shoulder to shoulder with Ethan.

“Yes, but we’re a team. Remember, no matter what, we’re going to do this together. I love you, and now get ready because we’re about to make that love grow.” Ethan and Javier gazed into their mate’s face with such love that Alejandro had to look away, feeling as if he encroached on something personal, something special. The very thing Francine longs for.

Flicking a glance over at Mitchell, he caught him just turning away as well. As their eyes met, Alejandro saw understanding lighten his eyes, followed by resolve. “If you’ll excuse us, Alejandro and I need to find Francine and let her know.”

As they left the room, following Francine’s trace outside and wandering into the woods, Mitchell said only one thing as he stripped and left his clothes atop Francine’s already discarded ones. “Let’s go give our mate what she needs.”

How ironic, that what their mate needed was a good bout of loving with both of her men at once. All couples should have such a solution to their marital problems.