Something Wicked This Way Comes, Volume 2

Chapter One

Carlos Montoya Lopez saw the world through the eyes of a bird of prey. From behind the glass wall of his office at the San Antonio Police Department, he took in the comings and goings in the precinct, most typical of a hot, crime-infested night. Garishly dressed hookers rubbed shoulders with thieves and gangbangers while police officers tried to maintain order.

As a hawk shifter, and the last of his species, Carlos often found himself relegated to observing life, rather than actually living it. He’d become used to it, often shrugging off self-pity as a useless emotion.

Central Texas thrived with other shifter activity, however. Though Lone Star shifters tended to be reclusive, antisocial groups, being familiar with each other was key to their survival, as was keeping the truth of their existence secret from humans.

Carlos watched as two of those others, Nathan Ames and Daniel White Horse, made their way purposefully to his office. One of the crimes on Carlos’ desk demanded the help of shifters, and the two jaguars might be just who Carlos needed to solve the case quickly.

Daniel and Nate were private investigators, highly capable of finding missing persons. And in the case of a missing shifter, they were invaluable.

Daniel stopped in the open doorway of Carlos’ office and rapped once on the doorframe. “What’s up, Carlos? We came as soon as we got your message.”

Nate didn’t wait for an invitation to enter but sauntered in and made himself right at home by sprawling into an empty chair. “We figured it was important if you were calling so late. Tell us what you need.”

Carlos waited for Daniel to take a seat then grabbed a remote from his desk before turning to face a monitor hanging on the wall. “A couple of hours ago, mall security cameras caught a carjacking gone wrong. Looks like a dumbass kid freaked out in the process of stealing a car and took the owner too.”

The trio went quiet as video from mall security filled the screen, showing a sea of cars and trucks and a lone woman carrying a couple of department store bags and a purse the size of a small suitcase. Darkness was just settling in but the lot was well lit, allowing them to easily watch as the blonde stopped, juggled the bags and dug into her purse, extracting a set of car keys. Not an unusual sight—until a lean, lanky figure wearing a hoodie and what looked like a ski mask moved in behind her.

“Really? A ski mask? You’ve gotta be shittin’ me.” Nate shook his head and Daniel grunted in response. They went quiet again as the crime unfolded. The audio was crap but the woman seemed to shriek when Ski Mask grabbed her. Her feet kicked out and then back to land a solid blow on the kid’s legs. The instant he released her, she did what any red-blooded female would do. She swung her enormous purse right at his head.

“Good move,” Daniel said. “Typical, but a good move.”

The whole bag-swinging thing proved to be ineffectual, however, as she lost her grip and it flew from her fingers to land harmlessly on the pavement. She didn’t let that stop her though. Instantly she was on her attacker like a spider monkey, clawing and scratching until the carjacker’s hood fell back and the woman was holding his ski mask in one clenched fist.

“Yep. Just a kid. A damn stupid kid,” Daniel said, shifting to lean forward intently. “And she has a good look at him now.”

“I figured that’s why he took her,” Carlos replied.

The men quieted again, taking in the panicked movements of the punk, watching as he swiftly pulled a gun from the waist of his jeans and landed a solid blow to the victim’s head. Standing over her body, he looked around frantically for a second or two before locating her keys and tossing her into the trunk of her own car. The whole scene took less than two minutes.

When the monitor went black, Carlos turned off the machine and opened a lower drawer of his desk. “So this is where you come in. She’s a shifter.” He pulled out the black leather purse the victim had lost in her struggle and tossed it to Daniel, who caught it deftly. “We have cops all over the city looking for her car, but you know shifters are better trackers than any human. She’s definitely not a hawk. I would have recognized the scent instantly. I suspect she’s one of yours. Or maybe panther.”

Daniel sniffed at the bag—and instantly gave Nate a sharp look.

The other jaguar shifter did the same, sniffing deeply then closing his eyes briefly and running his hands over the leather in an almost reverent fashion.

As he gingerly set the purse on the desk, Nate looked at Carlos. “She’s one of ours. Gods! Unmated. There haven’t been new female jags in our area for longer than I can remember.”

“If she’d been mated, she would have torn the little shithead to pieces,” Daniel added. His dark brows pulled together in a scowl. “Her being unmated makes her vulnerable. Until she shifts for the first time, she’s only about as strong as an average human woman. We need to find her, pronto.”

Carlos studied the two tough jag males, sensed their urgency, and knew they’d find her soon. He just hoped the scared kid didn’t kill her before they managed it.

Would she die tonight? Tomorrow? The scent of earth and all things musty and old curled through her nostrils and the blindfold tied over her eyes made the world so very dark. Even without that bit of cotton, she knew she was hidden away so carefully that it would be a miracle if she were found alive.

The shaking and trembling had subsided a long time ago and she’d already stopped guessing how many hours had passed since she’d been taken. Olivia thought back on the moment when she’d left the mall. It had been getting dark, and she knew that for a woman alone there was always the possibility of danger, but in her pompous conceit, she’d thought herself impervious to the sinister deeds of humans.

Breathe.

Breathe.

Damn it. Here came the tears again when she’d thought she was done with all that. Maybe they’d reappeared to remind her that, no, she wasn’t invincible after all. Since childhood she’d known she was more than human. She was shifter. Livvy also know that until she was properly mated, she wouldn’t possess the strength to protect herself properly.

Well, that had been proved in spades tonight when she’d allowed herself to be taken by a pimply-faced kid.

Jaguar blood ran heavy in her veins, but tonight it hadn’t done her a darn bit of good.

Before her death, her mother had talked about the day Livy would meet her mates and shift into the beast she was meant to be. Uh-uh. Not happening now. She didn’t know a soul in this town; no one knew she was missing. Despair and rage, frustration and the inevitable, bittersweet regret filled her. She wanted to scream over her loss but there was no one around to hear and, in the end, she was a practical, modern woman who could only concentrate on escape.

Livvy yanked at the bonds that held her hands behind her back. Ropes. Rough and ragged, they dug into her wrists but she barely felt the pain. If she were mated, she’d have them snapped and lying in shreds and she’d be out of this hellhole, wherever it was. But nope. No mates.

Wasn’t she just lucky as hell?

Ah, that was nice. Anger was always better than despair. Her mother hadn’t raised her to be a weakling and Livvy called on those lessons now as she tried to figure a way out of this mess. She’d better work fast. She had no idea when her assailant might return or what his plans were, but she didn’t intend to hang around and find out.

Livvy thrashed and pulled at her bonds for what seemed ages, but to no avail. She desperately needed some kind of weapon but she was trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey and seemingly helpless on the hard dirt floor.

Summoning what little bit of energy she had left, she wiggled around, managing to scoot a few inches at a time in her attempt to find something sharp that she could use to cut her bindings. Surely she could do this. Livvy had always been slightly stronger and faster than human females. But her arms were screaming a ragged protest each time she moved. What she wouldn’t give to be fully jaguar at this moment.

A scent rolled through the air. Wild, savage and strangely familiar.

Livvy’s spectacular hearing picked up the padding of footsteps and the occasional cough-like sound distinctive to her species.

She was no longer alone.

She knew some of her kind lived in this part of central Texas, but to date, she’d met none. Yet she could smell the scent of jaguars in the stagnant air, feel the heat of them even through the walls of her prison. The sounds of stealth continued. A raspy cough was answered by another.

Livvy went still. Tension radiated through her body and she caught her breath as her heartbeat accelerated. A sudden burst of energy zipped and zinged around her and the familiar sexual heat she’d experienced randomly over the past few weeks kicked into high gear.

Talk about bad timing.

The sizzle and pop in the atmosphere told her all she needed to know and before she could blink, she heard the sound of the door crashing inward. Hands touched her. Male hands that were hotter than those of humans.

Shifter.

“You’re okay now,” a deep voice murmured. “We’ve got you, honey. You’re safe.”

The blindfold was lifted from her head and Livvy squinted into the semi-darkness of what appeared to be some kind of old shed. Two pairs of mesmerizing dark eyes looked down at her, concern and anger stamped on their owners’ faces. Both men were naked and, even in the dim glow of the moon filtering through a single grimy window, the rugged beauty of each was impossible to miss. She might have been virtually blind moments ago but she sure as hell wasn’t now.

“I’m Daniel White Horse,” the largest of the two said. Native American features marked his stoic, wildly savage face. His brows, thick and black, were drawn with concern over his eyes and he scanned her body quickly, as if checking for injury. Then his gaze connected with hers again and the force of his presence wrapped around her like a balm. “This is my friend Nathan Ames. We’re private investigators and we’ve been assisting the police since you were taken.”

The other man, Nathan, leaned over her, bringing with him one of the distinctive scents she caught earlier. His saddle-brown mane was thick and wavy, hanging to his broad, broad shoulders. “Let’s get this tape off, hmm? Might hurt a little.” Carefully he peeled the duct tape from her mouth and, after tossing it aside, cupped her cheek with his palm. His eyes narrowed on her lips and his nostrils flared. “We know from your scent that you’re one of us, Olivia Russell. You have nothing to fear. We’ll protect you with our lives. How are you feeling? Are you hurt?”

She glanced from one savior to the other and drew her tongue over parchment-dry lips. Without warning, tremors set in and her teeth started to chatter. “Thank you. I’m good. Fine. He didn’t hurt me.”

“Good. That’s good,” Nathan said as Daniel scooped her up in his arms.

The huge Native American shifter glanced at her, his strong jaw working. “Let’s get you some air.”

“Air would be good,” she whispered. His arms tightened protectively, muscles bunching, and the heat of his flesh called to every primitive instinct she possessed. It was a hell of a time to notice such a thing but she was much too close to her time of change. Unavoidable. Nature had taken over and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it. Olivia trembled.

“Hang on. We’ll get you to the truck. Gotta cut these ropes.”

And just like that, Daniel began to run, the preternatural speed of their species kicking into high gear. She closed her eyes as the night air whipped her hair into a frenzy of motion.

Before she could blink, Daniel was placing her on a soft patch of ground near a big, black beast of a truck. Nathan quickly cut the restraints with two slashes from a wicked-looking blade. Olivia screamed when she brought her arms forward and pain raced through her abused limbs.

Neither man said a word, each just took an arm to rub as blood rushed back through veins that had lost circulation hours and hours ago. Silently they massaged her hands, wrists and arms, until the pain subsided and she lay in limp relief on the ground. Someone, she was unsure who, pressed a bottle of water to her parched lips.

This time it was Nathan who lifted her, placing her in the front seat of the truck. She let her head loll back and watched in quiet awe as they pulled on jeans, boots and tee shirts. She might be stressed to the max and exhausted but she wasn’t dead. Sexual hunger rolled through her body as she took in the sculpted lines of each massive shifter. The scent of them hit her senses in a blast of epic proportions and her nipples instantly tightened beneath the satin cups of her bra.

On the cusp of changing, her time rushing toward her like a runaway train, Livvy felt her clit swelling to press against the seam of her jeans. She was going into heat and the early signs she’d experienced were nothing compared with these new sensations, the overload of lust sweeping through her. She knew there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it so she gritted her teeth and slammed her eyes shut. Nature had chosen a poor time to push her over the sharp edge of sexual hunger.

Daniel and Nathan climbed into the truck and it was as if every bit of air was sucked from the expansive cab. Even in her vast inexperience with all this changing stuff, she knew the scent of her animalistic desire filled the space.

Both male shifters turned to stare at her. Tension radiated from them and the very air became a tinderbox destined to ignite at any moment.

Embarrassed heat climbed over Livvy’s face to mingle with the hot flash of lust that consumed her. Ill-timed. All of it. If she could have crawled into a hole somewhere, she would have. Deep inside her body, her beast shifted, moved, cried out for the men sitting beside her—recognizing these males as mates who would claim her and bring her bursting to life.

Recognized them. Mates!

“Fuck.” Daniel’s curse was low and throaty as he started the ignition and stomped on the gas. “I smell your heat. How close are you?”

Nathan pulled her against him and Olivia whimpered. “C-close. Coming on for weeks but nothing like this. I’m sorry!”

“Don’t apologize. Not to us.” Nathan settled his face against her hair. “What you’re feeling is the most natural thing in the world for jag shifters. Daniel and I have waited for over two hundred years to find our mate and without warning, you’ve fallen into our laps. You know how rare female jags are. It’s a miracle. You are a miracle. Believe it.”

While Nathan pulled her tighter against his big, hard body, she watched Daniel punch a number into his cell phone. “Carlos? Daniel White Horse. We’ve found Olivia Russell alive and well. Yeah. Yes, it’s great news,” he said. “Nate and I found her trussed up in a shed north of San Antonio. Heavily wooded area.” He paused. “That’s right. Yeah, she’s okay.” Daniel glanced at her. “No, no sexual assault. No sign of the shithead who took her but we haven’t gone through the shed. That’s up to you guys. We just got her out of there. Once she’s settled down a little bit, I’ll call with more details. Yes, I know you’ll need to talk with her ASAP.”

Nathan’s hand lazily stroked her arm.

Daniel’s voice, dark and husky, pulled hypnotically at her senses as he finished the call. Several minutes later, he braked to a stop in front of a huge two-story limestone house that had “history” stamped all over it. The place sparkled like a diamond in moonlight, looking like the home she’d never thought to have.

She couldn’t think about that now.

A whipcord of rapidly spiraling lust ripped through Livvy so suddenly, she gasped sharply, gaining the attention of both men. A high, agonized cry burst from her lips. Savage need wound through her core, coiling like a snake in her belly, and she knew her eyes had gone wide. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Nathan wrapped his arms around her tightly. “Shit. We have to get her inside. Quick.”

“Gods! Not now,” she breathed, clinging to the man who held her.

“Hang on.”

Olivia slammed her eyes shut. “Help me!”

No doubt the proximity to two healthy male animals coupled with the stress of her ordeal had worked its magic on her rapidly changing body. There would be no courtship, no slow mating. The time was here. Now. Once she accepted them into her body, there would be no going back. They would be mated strangers, really, but already her beast recognized them, accepted them. Could she do any less? The time for affection, maybe for love, would have to come later.

Struggling for breath as Daniel glanced her way, Olivia felt sexual tension ratchet up yet another notch in her hungry body. Dangerous. Thrilling. Scary as hell. Need was like a living thing sparking fires that only these two males could extinguish.

From that moment on, everything blurred as a low buzzing began in her brain. Her body was drenched, her pussy creaming, throbbing, pulsing as wild jaguar blood heated to dangerous levels in her unmated body. The feel of Nathan’s heavy cock prodding her ass through layers of cloth ratcheted up her frustration levels.

Nathan threw open the door of the truck then pulled her onto his lap. As if from a great distance, she heard another door slam. Suddenly Daniel was there at the side of the vehicle, and together, he and Nathan turned her until her legs dangled outside.

Then Nathan held her steady as Daniel yanked off her shoes, jeans and panties in one smooth move.

“Let us help, Olivia,” Nathan whispered into her ear. “Gods, let us fuck you. We’ve waited so long to find our mate.”

Tears filled her eyes as emotion crashed over her. Mates. Lovers. Forever.

The words reverberated in her mind. Relief, along with hunger, consumed her. She belonged here. It was kismet. Meant to be. It was a gift from the gods that she be in this place at this exact time. There was no reasoning with fate.

“Look at me, Olivia,” Nathan said. Focusing on his starkly handsome face, she recognized the compassion, the raw need in his eyes. “We know you’re scared but we’ll get through this together. Just know we accept you as our mate. From this moment on there is no going back. Understand?”

She nodded then caught her breath as another, stronger flash of lust bolted through her body. Nathan cupped her face and kissed her with voracious hunger. His tongue speared into her mouth, tasting deeply, drinking the soft whimpers that poured from her throat. Naked from the waist down, she felt Nathan’s hand move below her shirt, touching bare flesh, teasing her belly then finally wandering higher to cup her breast.

Then Olivia went still as Daniel parted her thighs, settled them over his broad shoulders. He parted her labia with his fingers and buried his lips in her aching flesh. The stark lash of his tongue, his hot breath against her hypersensitive flesh, tore another wild cry from her lips, but Nathan drank the sound.

Holding on for dear life, she clutched at Daniel’s long black hair as he ate her out. Sucking, licking, drinking the cream from her body, he finally speared his tongue deep. Her vaginal walls clenched around his thrusting tongue and instant orgasm blasted outward in ever-expanding waves, but the release was short-lived as her jaguar heat intensified, bringing with it the urge for more.

Nathan whispered indecipherable words against her temple and Daniel looked up at her from his position between her thighs, his eyes dark, beautiful and filled with some unnamed emotion. “Let’s get her inside, brother.”

Nathan carried her from the truck and before she could fathom what was happening, she was inside the house and the force of her heat was fully upon her again. Olivia closed her eyes, drawing on every reserve of calm she possessed as Nathan carried her up a flight of stairs.

Closing her eyes, she heard the low hum of the air conditioner but it did nothing to cool the heat in her blood. Her body made demands she was ill equipped to fully understand. Yes, her mom had warned her that changing from woman to beast was traumatic and potentially deadly without the sexual aid of not one, but two jaguar males. Still, she hadn’t fully understood the truth of the matter until now.

At the moment, she could only thank the gods they’d found her in time.

Nathan carried her into a massive master suite and as Daniel yanked down the covers on the huge bed, she was stripped of her remaining clothing…a simple top and her bra. As she sat on the edge of the bed, avidly watching the guys remove their clothing, she marveled at how fortunate she’d been to be rescued by such hot-as-hell specimens of jaguar flesh.

Daniel’s hair—thick, black and shiny—hung past his broad shoulders. His body was bronzed and hard, rounded by muscle and supported by long, sturdy legs. Nathan was built much the same, hard as hell, with enough muscular beauty to make her fingers itch to touch. Instead of brown, as she’d first thought, his eyes were dark green and tilted slightly at the edges, giving him a catlike appearance. Rather appropriate since, after all, he was a cat. A gorgeous, big, very manly cat.

Olivia’s mouth went dry at the sight of them and desire raced over her flesh, leaving in its wake a need impossible to ignore.

“Now,” she whispered, amazed at her boldness. “Hurry.”

Nathan went to his knees between her spread thighs to draw one taut nipple into his mouth. Tonguing the hard flesh, he nipped and sucked until a fresh rain of cream drenched her hot pussy.

“We dreamed our mate would be beautiful, but we never imagined…” he breathed against her breast. His fingers moved over her, skimming her ribs and belly, before moving lower to study the damp, fevered flesh of her pussy. His mouth worked at her nipple and Olivia’s head dropped back like the broken stem of a flower as passion flowed like liquid honey through her body.

Daniel settled behind her on the bed, his hands moving into action, his mouth skimming the length of her bare back. Teasing with his teeth and tongue, he stroked her, his hands warm, so very warm on her skin. A languid lassitude carried Livvy under.

“Nathan. Daniel. Gods, you feel so perfect! I never imagined it would be this way.”

Daniel rose behind her and leaned close to whisper in her ear. The hard muscles of his chest rubbed against her back and pleasure spiked again. Olivia sucked in a breath and held it.

“We aim to please, sweetheart. We’re here,” he murmured. “We’ll fuck you until you tell us to stop and then we’ll claim you in the way of our people. Count on it. You belong to us, Olivia. And before it’s all done, your beast will be born.”

“Livvy! Call me Livvy.”

She felt his lips curve into a smile against her cheek seconds before he gently tugged her into the center of the big bed.

Before she could gasp another breath, both men were upon her, their hungry mouths attached to her nipples.

Pleasure poured over her like a song as their hands moved over her heated body. Ribs, belly, breasts and thighs. No part of her was left untouched, and when they sent busy fingers over her slit, parted her and delved inside, raw passion bolted through her. Trembling, she bowed her back, writhing against their marauding touch. Fingers dipped heavily into her cunt and Livvy cried out, her voice wavering in the still air.

Daniel and Nathan exchanged an indecipherable glance and apparently came to some unspoken agreement, because together they pulled her into a sitting position. Daniel moved behind her, his long legs resting on either side of her thighs, while Nathan remained on his knees near the foot of the bed.

Livvy was on fire for them, her body out of control, and the only thought in her mind was relief. Daniel’s cock felt heavy, thick and oh so very long as it pressed against the cleft of her ass. Before her, Nathan fisted his hand over his own sizeable erection.

Olivia wet her lips and panting little breaths whipped rapidly from her lungs. Up and down, over and over, Nathan worked his hard flesh and it was impossible, even in the dimly lit room, to miss the drop of fluid that settled on the head of his cock.

Nathan’s face was a mask of agonized patience as Daniel hooked his feet around her ankles to spread her open. Nathan looked hungrily at her pussy as his hand moved faster and faster over his cock. Finally Daniel lifted her body until her pussy hovered over the head of his penis. With a raw shout, he lowered her until she was filled to the hilt.

Her wild cry broke free as he thrust high into her body, and when Livvy’s head dropped back against Daniel’s chest, Nathan crawled toward her, finding a place between her open thighs. His mouth latched on to her clit and he sucked gently as Daniel continued to slide his girth into her unclaimed body. In. Out. Deeper. Higher. He thrust so deeply she didn’t know where he began and she ended. And through it all, Nathan’s hot mouth devoured her, causing a conflagration of sensation to send wave after wave of raw pleasure pounding through her bloodstream.

The impatient little jaguar buried deep inside her body clawed to break free and she swore the warm brush of fur swept her innards in the beast’s effort to be born.

Not yet.

It was too soon for all that, but in the meantime, she would absorb this totally new experience as her body readied itself for shift from woman to beast.

Wicked fingers of pleasure danced over her spine and somehow she still felt needy. She wanted more, harder, faster. Longing washed over her and then she felt movement, a shifting. Nathan’s mouth left her pussy and when she opened her eyes, the head of his cock brushed her lips.

Without prodding, without coercion, she opened her mouth and took him deep.

Sucking his cock, loving the low sounds he made as she licked and nibbled, Olivia felt fingers in her hair, hands on her body and the inevitable release of any inhibition she’d ever possessed.

Feeling wild and free for the first time in her life, she embraced the lust in her belly and the rightness of it all as her vaginal walls gripped Daniel, holding him deep. She reveled in the taste of gorgeous Nathan’s cock thrusting into her mouth and felt that moment of stillness before he climaxed against her tongue.

She heard Daniel’s low growl as his body went still and in that singular moment of the wildest, most perfect pleasure she’d ever known, her body seized, coiling then releasing like a tightly wound spring.

Chapter Two

“She’s beautiful, Nate,” Daniel said as he lifted one of Livvy’s thick blonde curls with the tip of a finger. Unable to stop the direction of his thoughts, he remembered each detail of the past crazy night. It was obvious to him that full heat wasn’t upon her yet, but the bit she’d experienced was more than she could handle after everything she’d been through. After providing her with a glass of wine and a hot bath, they had tucked her into bed, where she’d fallen into a deep sleep.

As sunlight streamed between the slats of the plantation shutters, Daniel sprawled naked on the bed watching Livvy, who still lay in exhausted slumber. His friend of more years than he could count was currently stretched out on her other side.

Nate reached down to tuck the sheet around her opulent, curvy little body, watching her with possessive eyes. Daniel understood how he felt. He was a man of few words, but at the moment, he could actually envision himself writing sonnets to this woman who was now their mate. Pretty damn dumb but so what?

Her eyes behind the closed lids were the exact color of the bluebonnets that dotted the Texas hillsides each spring. Her nose, small and tipped up a tiny bit at the end, sat above full lips that were wide and expressive. All of that soft beauty was framed by a delicate oval face. Daniel knew he and Nate would have adored and treasured any mate the gods deemed fit to send them, yet he’d never imaged they would be so damn lucky. Even now his cock hardened in response to this female.

Nate glanced at him across Livvy’s still body and smiled. “Yeah. She’s ours. I still can’t believe the woman taken from that parking lot ended up being our mate. My beast recognized her scent immediately.”

“Mine too.”

His friend looked down at her once more and the normally wild look in his eyes was tamed by a softness Daniel had never seen before. “Poor little darlin’. She’s exhausted. Let’s grab some coffee and let her rest.” Nate climbed from the bed, tugged jeans over his bare ass and headed out the bedroom door.

Nate was right. Though it was downright tempting to lay here watching her sleep, they needed to talk and daylight was burnin’. There were the inevitable phone calls to make and plans to set into motion. And when Livvy woke up? Well, she’d have a million and one questions.

Reluctantly, Daniel stood from the bed and pulled on his own jeans before padding down the stairs. Heading into the kitchen, he smelled the scent of coffee brewing. Nate was already pulling a skillet down from a circular rack above the tile-topped island in the center of the big space. So he chipped in and removed eggs, thickly sliced ham and juice from the fridge. Livvy would be hungry when she woke up and with her change coming upon her so quickly, she must keep up her strength for the ordeal ahead.

For a female jaguar, the transition from woman to giant cat was a dangerous proposition. Without mates to ease her, to quench the ferocious heat that would invade her body, she could very well die.

Over the centuries of their species’ existence, the change had whittled down females to minimal numbers. With far more males in existence, ménage marriages were commonplace among their kind. It had been that way for hundreds of years. The three of them would live together for the duration of their very long lives, hunt, raise offspring and try their hardest to fit seamlessly into the human world.

Daniel’s biggest regret was there had been no time for them to get to know each other, but it would come. He had to believe that.

After devouring a massive breakfast, they cleaned up the mess, leaving out a single plate for their brand-new mate, and then got down to important business.

“The way I figure it, Livvy will be into full-blown heat within the next few days,” he said. “We really pushed our luck with Lieutenant Lopez last night by not taking her straight to the police department, but it’s unavoidable today.”

Nate grabbed his cell phone. “You’re right. I’ll call and set up a time for early this afternoon. We still don’t know how much she can tell them but they’re in charge. It’s up to them to catch this creep. Why don’t you call Noah and Aaron and let them know what’s happening and that we won’t be in the office today.”

Noah Littlehawk and Aaron O’Malley were their bosses and the owners of Jaguar Investigations. Several years ago, he and Nate had settled in this area and signed on with the private investigation firm, which, unbeknownst to the rest of the world, was owned and operated by jag shifters. A fast friendship had grown among the guys and with Noah and Aaron’s mate, Violet. Their species were solitary beings yet it was good to have something of a family, a sense of home and belonging.

Hopefully they could give this gift to Olivia.

They’d just finished with their calls when, senses alerted, they both looked up to see Livvy framed in the kitchen door wearing one of Daniel’s oldest tee shirts and an uncertain smile. Her embarrassment was obvious as red flags of color stained her fair skin, and immediately he and Nate jumped to their feet.

Nate reached her first, put one arm around her and pulled her close. “Good mornin’, sweetheart.” He pressed a kiss to her temple.

Daniel gave her a teasing once-over. His ancient Stones tee hung to her knees and she looked adorable with all those blonde curls lying against the black of the shirt. “Looks a hell of a lot better on you than it ever did on me.”

“I hope you don’t mind.”

“Hell no,” he said, stepping closer. He lifted her chin and pressed a bold kiss on her swollen lips. Then he focused a sharp gaze on her. “Anything that’s ours is now yours, and you’re welcome to it, although I suspect we need to collect your things.”

Surprisingly, she leaned into them both and shook her head. “I just don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything, Livvy.” Nate took her hand and steered her toward the breakfast table. “You have to eat. You’ve got to be starving.”

At that instant her tummy growled. Livvy gasped, making both men laugh, and soon they scrambled around the kitchen, frying ham and eggs, pouring coffee and juice. Through it all, she sat watching them quietly. Daniel knew this had to be so surreal for her. She was in a new and unfamiliar place with two strange men who kept staring at her as if they wanted to eat her up with a spoon. Just looking at her caused his heartbeat to speed. His cock went hard behind the fly of his jeans.

Nate wasn’t handling the proximity to their mate any better. He cast covert glances her way and, damn, if he didn’t look distinctly uncomfortable.

In the end, Daniel was proud of the way they held it together. As she devoured enough food to feed the starving hordes, he and Nate exchanged glances and Daniel knew they were equally nervous. It wasn’t every day they found themselves cooking a simple breakfast for a stranger who was destined to be their mate.

His friend stood and fetched the coffeepot to pour her another cup and Livvy looked up and smiled a bit. “Thanks, Nathan.”

“Call me Nate.”

She nodded then glanced Daniel’s way. “And should I call you Dan?”

“Not if you want me to answer.” He smiled at her, hoping he didn’t look scary as hell since he really didn’t smile all that often. A sudden wide grin split her lips and he stilled. Damn, if she didn’t look like a blast of sunshine.

When she’d finished her meal, they walked through wide double doors onto the back patio that overlooked a massive pool. “You have such a beautiful house,” she said as she sat primly in a chair behind a glass-topped table. “I didn’t see much of it last night.”

“How about a tour later?” Nathan leaned against one of two big pillars holding up the roof of the patio.

“I’d love that.”

Daniel sat next to her and took her hand, absently stroking her skin. “Right now, we have to collect your things, honey. We’ll have to make a trip into the police station and I know time is a premium for you right now. Nate and I feel we should get you back here as quickly as possible. We need this business done.”

“Collecting my stuff shouldn’t be a problem,” Livvy said.

Daniel noticed a fine bead of sweat dotting her brow. The morning was cool so he knew it wasn’t from external heat, but internal. She was close. So close. He felt the fine trembling of her fingers and he tightened his hold, hoping to give her comfort. The scent of female jaguar heat hung heavy around her.

She glanced between him and Nate. “I’ve only been in town for about a month. Been staying at a hotel until I could find a place. Before that, I lived in Guadalajara with my mom. My dads were killed by hunters when I was little, so it was just she and I. She died recently, and…and with the change coming over me, I knew I had to come this way. Long ago, Mom told me there were jag communities in south and central Texas, even said she’d known a few from San Antonio. This seemed a good place to start my search. I’d planned to head to Arizona or New Mexico if I didn’t have any luck here. I knew it was important that I find mates and my people.”

Nate moved to her other side. When he sat, he rubbed a hand soothingly down her back as if he too sensed things were heating up fast. “And find us you did, darlin’. Thank the gods.”

Must have been scary as hell for her to head out into the unknown, Daniel thought as he leaned close to drag the scent of her into his lungs. Female jags led very sheltered lives. “We’ll head into town and get your things then get this interview with the police done. How does that sound?”

Without warning, she gasped and her eyes washed over with tears. “We have to hurry. Gods! I’m running out of time.” She bolted to her feet and the chair she’d been sitting in crashed to the patio floor. Her hands fluttered aimlessly in the vicinity of her chest as panic filled her eyes.

“Oh no,” she whispered, her voice raw with fear, her eyes dilated as she glanced between Daniel and Nate. “Not again!”

A blast of heat swept the air, covering Daniel like a heavy blanket, and he knew damn good and well what was happening as she spun on her heel and ran back into the house.

He and Nate exchanged a hard look and wasted no time following behind her.

Fire whipped through Olivia’s blood as she raced through the house, up the stairs and into the bathroom. Earlier she’d noted the size and opulence, but now nothing entered her mind except finding relief from the overwhelming heat that swept her body.

Her nipples tightened painfully, pressing against the cotton of her tee shirt, and cream flooded from her pussy to dampen her thighs. Livvy’s beast, hungering for birth, rolled and stretched inside her as she yanked open the glass door of the shower and turned on the cold water full blast. Clothes and all, she stepped beneath the frigid spray, a scream hovering at the edge of her lips.

She closed her eyes as the water washed the tears from her cheeks. Her mother had warned her of the animalistic heat, the overwhelming urge to mate, but had never once clued her in about the loss of self that came along with it.

She hated it! It shamed her to feel so helpless, to suffer this loss of control.

When in the throes of these violent sexual urges, nearly every vestige of human disappeared, leaving a clawing, hissing animal in her place. She was no longer Livvy, a generally sweet and tenderhearted woman who loved to laugh. She became something else entirely.

It terrified her, and she knew this was merely the beginning.

Suddenly the door of the shower burst open.

Jerking open her eyes, Livvy backed against the wall and stared at the naked men who’d crowded into the space. As of last night she was truly mated to them, but, despite their kindness, their consideration, the utter sexiness of them, they were still strangers.

They were also her knights in shining armor, and for them to see her on edge this way was horrifying to a woman who’d lived so privately.

Hot tears sprang to her eyes again as lust tore through her core. It felt as if a million tiny fingers stroked the most sensitive places on her body. Her nipples. Her clit. Reaching out, she grabbed both Nate and Daniel, squeezing the rock-hard flesh of their shoulders. “I have no control! Gods!” The words choked from her lips and, even in her despair, she noted compassion edged with hunger in the eyes of her mates.

Simultaneously the men reached for the hem of her sodden tee shirt and peeled it from her body. Daniel wrapped her in his arms, whispering against her temple. “We’ve got you.”

Nate joined them, his eyes beautiful, catlike and feral yet tinged with tenderness. His hair was wet, clinging to his very broad shoulders and to his strong neck. “Shh, baby. Shh. Let us make it better. Trust us. Don’t be afraid.”

Livvy opened her mouth to speak but only a soundless cry emerged as the heat of their bodies further enflamed her own. Mouths, lips, tongues and teeth brushed her throat. Big, warm hands stroked her torso, fanning the sensations raging through her to a fever pitch. Daniel latched on to a diamond-hard nipple, sucking it strongly into the heat of his mouth.

Crying out, she fisted her hands in his drenched hair to hold him closer. Busy fingers, Nate’s, parted her labia then slid through the creamy flesh of her pussy. He circled her throbbing clit, pressing lightly, but Livvy knew it wasn’t enough, would never be enough.

A frustrated sound swept her throat to echo through the small enclosure and then Nate’s fingers speared deep and fast into her cunt, the thrusts working in tandem with the sucking motions of Daniel’s mouth.

A desperate whimper broke free as the first hard climax hit her. Shaking in the arms of her mates, she felt another orgasm wind through her belly. Livvy sucked in a breath.

Daniel released her nipple then stared into her eyes. He cupped the breast he’d abandoned and stroked the still-pulsing bud with his thumb. “She’s coming up again, Nate.”

“Don’t talk over me,” she gasped. “I’m in heat, not stupid.”

A ghost of a smile flickered over Daniel’s lips. “Sassy woman. I like that.”

“Don’t mind Daniel.” Nate settled his chin in the bend of her neck and shoulder then grinned at her. “He’s a mite slow on the uptake.”

His eyes sparkled with mischief and through the haze of sexual awakening, her heart tightened with affection. But then suddenly she couldn’t think as that insidious coil of lust grew tighter and tighter in her belly.

Both men, perhaps feeling the escalating beat of her heart, moved into action. Daniel turned her around and he and Nate lifted her between them until her hot pussy was poised over the head of Nate’s thick cock. Clinging like a monkey, she wound her arms and legs around his water-slick body.

Daniel gripped her thighs to hold her tightly in place against Nate as he slid his heavy erection between the globes of her butt. For the flash of an instant, she wondered how she would feel when he finally breached her there. She knew he would. It was only a matter of time.

As if sensing her thoughts, he leaned in to whisper, “Take Nate’s cock, sweetheart. He’s dying for you to slide down over him.”

Affection slid through her mind, soothing her, calming her. She felt the vibrations of it roll through her thoughts and realized that, already, her mates were establishing an emotional connection. Eventually she would hear their thoughts as nature connected them with steely strings. This was only the beginning of what they would share. Together.

Nate’s face seemed carved of granite. Drops of water clung to his heavy lashes and strong jaw. His eye narrowed with a feral intensity that was impossible to ignore. Gorgeous didn’t begin to describe him. Lust zipped through her veins like molten gold, prodding her clit and the inner walls of her pussy.

“Take it. Now.” Nate groaned the words and then his head went back. Livvy saw a flash of fang, heard the low coughing sound that burst from between his clenched teeth and felt her own gums begin to tingle.

Sandwiched between her men, Olivia hesitated until Nate gripped his cock, dragging it over sensitized flesh that wept for more. A sigh of longing, another indrawn breath filled her lungs and, finally sliding home, she whimpered as he filled her and then began to thrust deep, deeper, harder, faster.

Her head fell back against Daniel’s broad chest. His hands cupped her breasts, kneading them, flicking the nipples with his thumbs until they ached. As Nate fucked her, Daniel thrust his erection between her ass cheeks. She heard his low growl of pleasure, the way his lungs bellowed as he worked to draw each breath.

Together they fucked her, marking her as their own with each rapid stroke. Pleasure spiraled tighter and tighter inside her. Livvy’s arms and legs tingled with each touch and her beast, her impatient beast, stretched somewhere deep inside, begging for attention. A low sound, distinctly jaguar, burst from her throat as she lost all remnants of control.

But she no longer cared. She yearned for release. She needed to be fucked, taken, controlled, and giving up her prideful notions had never been so ridiculously easy as it was now, with thrilling pleasure washing dizzily over her.

Livvy cried out and her body seized as Nate and Daniel drove her over the edge of desire into a heaven so profound as to be unexplainable. As they spoke unintelligible words into her skin, holding her tightly between them, home spoke to her from somewhere deep in her heart and she suddenly knew she’d found that place, here, with them. She knew all at once that she never wanted to leave.

Peace, love and acceptance were hers if she were brave enough to take it for herself.

Chapter Three

Nate held her trembling body tightly, still connected intimately as frigid water sluiced over their skin. He glanced at Daniel, who immediately turned the shower off and stepped from the glass enclosure. Tightening his arms, Nate slid his cheek over her wet hair and watched Daniel quickly dry off then grab a couple of towels.

“You okay, sweetheart?”

“I-I think so,” she answered on a shaky breath.

“Good. Then hang on and we’ll get you all fixed up.” Gently, Nate untangled her arms and legs until she stood in front of him. That she was here with them after all their years of searching was still unbelievable to him, and he sure as hell didn’t want to fuck anything up. The last thing he and Daniel needed was to get off on the wrong foot with their newfound mate. Just looking at her naked body had him ready to go off like a rocket all over again but more than anything right now, he just wanted to kiss her. She looked so uncertain, his heart squeezed.

Cupping her cheek, Nate tipped up her face. “Don’t be embarrassed, Olivia. You’re breakin’ my heart.”

She shook her head a little. “I can’t help it. This loss of control makes me feel so needy.”

“You do need us now, Livvy. It’s just a fact and nothing at all to be ashamed of. Embrace what’s coming. I know you can do that. You’re strong. Daniel and I have seen it. We are so damn proud of you. You have to believe that.”

He stroked the edge of his thumb over her pretty cheek and gave in to what he’d wanted since the first moment he’d touched her. Bending low, he tilted his head and kissed her, gently at first and then harder. Her taste was the sweetest aphrodisiac. He dipped his tongue deep, tasting hunger, acceptance and passion. All three wrapped around him as her breath swept his mouth. Nate drank it down then returned it, hoping they could build on these moments. The three of them.

Daniel made a sound and Nate reluctantly broke the connection, noting the quizzical expression on Olivia’s face as she stared at him. Her lips were swollen from his kiss but before he could do what he wanted and take her lips again, Daniel wrapped her in a soft, dry towel and led her from the shower.

Nate dried himself and watched Daniel’s tender care as he wiped the white cotton over her body then tucked the cloth around her. By the time they entered the bedroom, Nate had regained some control of his emotions.

The woman made his hands shake, and that was a fact. She made him want to lay her on the nearest horizontal surface and fuck her as if she were the last woman on earth. And, of course, for Daniel and him, she was. She belonged to them.

For Nate and Daniel, Olivia Russell was forever.

Fighting the lump in his throat, he watched as she primly sat on the edge of the bed. He’d noticed that about Livvy. Everything about her was feminine and graceful, and Nate realized again how fortunate they were.

Daniel cleared his throat. “We washed your clothes, honey. Just hang on and I’ll fetch them from the dryer.”

Red flags of color dotted her high cheekbones. “Thank you. I could have done that.”

He grinned and shook his head. “You’d better get used to Nate and me taking care of you. Give me a minute to pull on some jeans and I’ll run and grab your stuff. We probably need to get a move on since we need to meet with Lieutenant Lopez in a few hours.”

After Daniel had gone, Nate shrugged into his own jeans as Livvy looked around the room. “Do you like it?”

“The room? Yes, it’s beautiful, but somehow I can’t imagine you guys liking the whole girly motif.” She smiled shyly as she took in the hand-carved four-poster bed with its pale-yellow spread. A matching vanity dresser sat in one corner and an old-fashioned wardrobe rested along one wall. Along with the antiques were modern touches that included a large flat-screen television hanging on one wall.

Nathan laughed. “It’s not our room, honey, it’s yours. In case you haven’t noticed, Daniel and I aren’t a couple. We’re like brothers. Best friends. Comrades and partners in the search for our mate. Looks to me like we finally got lucky.”

Livvy reddened again and shook her head, laughing a little. “I have so much to learn about you guys.”

“We aren’t going anywhere. We have plenty of time.”

“Well, if this is my room, where do you sleep?”

Nate lifted a brow and grinned. “Hopefully with you but we both have our own rooms right across the hall. We’ll give you a tour of everything whenever you want. Mainly we just want you to be happy here.”

Livvy stood and tugged the towel tighter over her breasts as she walked around the room, finally stopping at the vanity dresser with its adjustable mirrors. Smiling, she picked up a delicate crystal perfume bottle. “It’s beautiful. Is this for me?”

Nate sprawled on the unmade bed and crossed his feet at the ankles, wallowing in the sight of her admiring the things they’d bought over the years. “Yep. Still remember the day Daniel and I bought that. It was at the turn of the century, nineteen of two, I think, and we were traveling in San Francisco.”

He shrugged. “We weren’t having any luck finding a mate in Texas so in an act of frustration, we headed to the West Coast. Just to explore, really. One day we walked into a store and thought…I don’t know, maybe our future mate would fill it with something that smelled pretty. We figured maybe she’d like something like that. Matter of fact, we furnished almost this entire room with things we found in our travels.”

She turned, a look of wonder on her face. “Even then you were picking out things?”

Nate nodded, remembering the exuberance of their youth and how they’d longed to find the one woman who would belong to them.

Women of their species were lucky. Once they went into heat, around the age of thirty, they mated. They didn’t suffer the years of loneliness—sometimes hundreds— experienced by many males.

Realizing again how very lucky he and Daniel were, Nate smiled. “How could we not, honey? We were just a couple of young cubs. Impatient. We’ve been waiting for a very long time. Looking. Scenting the air. One day we’ll tell you all about our travels and how damn hard we searched for you.”

Livvy looked again at the crystal bottle, tracing it with the tip of her finger, and when she glanced back at him, Nate’s breath hitched. Her gaze had gone all soft. Tears filled her eyes, making them shine in the sunlight.

“I love the bottle, Nathan. I love it very much.”

A little over a week later, as the hot afternoon sun beat down upon her and her guest, Olivia reached into an ice bucket in the center of the patio table and grabbed a chilled bottle of white wine. Topping off Violet’s glass and then her own, she replaced the bottle in its bed of ice, marveling at how relaxing the past few hours had been.

“Good thing jag shifters can’t get drunk, huh?” Livvy smiled at Violet Littlehawk–O’Malley, who aside from Livvy’s mom was the only other shifter female she’d ever met. “Don’t know what the guys would think if they came home from work and I was sloshed. Not the best way to start things off with them, huh?”

Violet, a beautiful brunette, grinned and lifted her glass. “Oh honey, I doubt they’d mind all that much, but tipsy is good and I’m definitely that.” Noah Littlehawk and Aaron O’Malley’s mate had arrived earlier, bearing gifts of home-baked goodies and several nice bottles of wine. “I can’t tell you how great it is to finally have another woman in the area. With all these alpha-type jags around, we’re definitely outnumbered.”

“But the question is, would you want it any other way?”

Violet laughed. “Hell no. I love things just the way they are.” The smile faded from her face as she leaned back in her chair. “Any word from the police about the man who grabbed you?”

“Yes, they arrested him, and it didn’t take them long either. Lieutenant Lopez got in touch yesterday and said he’d been arrested in the Dallas area. As Lopez suspected, he was mostly just a scared kid. From what he told Nate and Daniel, the guy confessed. In the beginning, he just wanted to jack my car but the dumb punk took me when I got a good look at his face.”

Violet shivered. “Scary shit.”

“Thank the gods Daniel and Nate found me when they did.”

“Providence. Meant to be.” Violet reached across the table and took her hand. Instant kinship wrapped around Olivia, soothing and peaceful. Having a friend was such a good thing. Especially now. “Are you okay? I know full change hasn’t happened yet, just the beginnings of it, but I wondered if you had questions.”

Livvy sighed. “So many. Mom was great about preparing me for the physical aspect of what I’ll be going through but I’m still a little confused about the emotional stuff.”

“Oh sweetie, I understand. Noah and Aaron were strangers to me too. I was so afraid and alone when the heat came over me. There was nothing to do but take a deep breath and accept what was coming. Unstoppable.”

Livvy thought back to the fast and furious matings between the three of them. Pleasure whipped unexpectedly through her veins, practically stealing her breath. Powerful. Intense. And it was only the beginning.

Since the morning after her arrival, they’d left her in her room at night, undemanding and patient, saying only that she should rest. Despite that, she knew they wanted her, hungered for her. As the days moved by they returned to work but the rest of their time was spent filling her in on their lives, their thoughts and worries. They included her in their plans for the future with an ease that was astonishing. She’d learned Nathan had a wicked, outrageous sense of humor and sometimes Daniel tended to brood. No, they weren’t perfect, but then neither was she.

“I can’t help but be a little afraid,” she finally said. Her gaze connected with Violet’s and she saw understanding there. “The little bit of sexual hunger that I’ve experienced with them up until now has been so powerful. I can’t imagine more.”

“You have to trust them to see you through this, Livvy.”

She shrugged. “I do trust them. Already I feel bound to them. We’re connected in a way I can’t begin to understand. It’s so weird how it happens.”

“Tell me about it. We’re raised knowing that it’s a mystical union but until it happens, we have no real understanding. Finally we accept, thankful that we’ve found our mates. We live, we love. That’s good enough for me. You’ll make it through your first shift just fine. I know it. Daniel and Nate are good men. I’ve known them for several years and know how they’ve longed to find you. They’ll treat you as the treasure you are.”

Dusk had fallen by the time Violet finally headed for home. Despite several glasses of wine, Olivia wasn’t as relaxed as she’d been earlier. A fine trembling set up in her limbs and a rush of adrenaline whipped through her bloodstream, alerting her to sudden changes in her body. Dizzy, she leaned against the wide front door and closed her eyes.

Was it time? Was it coming?

Livvy forced air into her lungs. Her heartbeat accelerated to tap out a frantic beat. Logically she knew full heat could come upon her at any moment, and what she’d experienced earlier was only a precursor to that eventuality. Yes, she’d been in heat for over a week, but what had come before was nothing compared to the furnace-blast she knew would overtake her just before she finally managed to shift.

Oddly conflicted, she wanted to embrace this, get it over with, yet another part of her felt such fear of the unknown, she wanted to scream. Terror seized her briefly, along with pounding waves of lust and hunger.

Wishing the guys would hurry home, she breathed deeply and decided to try occupying her mind with mundane tasks. Anything was preferable to the gripping fear.

Heading through the living room, Livvy jerked to a stop when unexpected and unbearable fire lanced through her belly.

A curling rope of intense sexual need blasted downward to settle in her pussy.

It was here. Now. It was upon her.

Gasping as cream flooded her panties, Olivia fell to her knees. Tears poured from her eyes as she shoved her hands into the front of her stretchy shorts to tease her aching flesh. A cry broke from her lips when she thrust her fingers deep and instant orgasm racked her body with endless spasms.

Her nipples hardened painfully to press against the satiny cups of her bra. The sensation was more than she could bear and she whipped her tee shirt off and threw it aside. The bra quickly followed as she took her nipples with drenched fingers and plied them steadily, squeezing and releasing, hoping to give herself relief from the ache of sexual hunger. Air burst from her lungs on a low moan and pleasure streaked from her nipples to rip through her core as a jungle beat thrummed in her blood. Her bones ached oddly as the beast moved in her struggle to be born.

Gods!

Frantically, Livvy crawled on shaking hands and knees to the coffee table where she’d left her phone. Pressing speed dial, she connected instantly with Daniel.

“Home!” she gasped. “Hurry…” And then there was nothing as the phone fell from her trembling fingers.

A red haze filled her mind, leaving her suddenly disoriented. Summoning every last bit of strength as the raging lust tore through her body, Livvy crawled toward the foot of the stairs, collapsing there in a heap of agony. Sexual hunger flashed in pulsing waves with no beginning and no end and there was nothing she could do but wait for help.

Unaware of how much time had passed, she wept when she finally heard the sounds of doors slamming and boot heels striking against hardwood floors. The vibrations swept over her like a million tiny ants marching across her skin.

Strong arms wrapped around her, lifting her, and she vaguely felt movement as someone carried her up the stairs. Livvy opened her eyes and stared into Daniel’s face. Worry curved his black brows and his jaw was tense. “I’ve got you,” he murmured.

“Fuck me, Daniel. Nownownow!”

Daniel growled a response, moving with her into the bedroom. Her frantic gaze swept the room to see Nate stripping off his clothes. Gods, he was beautiful. They both were. Muscles bunched and moved on Nathan’s back as he bent to strip the bedcovers to the foot of the bed. Her nipples pressed against Daniel’s muscular chest and she turned her attention to the man who held her so protectively.

She needed to tell him to hurry. She wanted to scream the words but they’d all fled her brain. Opening her mouth on a soundless cry, she gasped when Daniel pressed her against the nearest wall. Her shorts and panties disappeared in a flash, and as the next wave of lust speared her, his cock thrust deep.

Savagely he fucked her against the wall and she could do nothing but hold on for the wild ride. Each heavy upstroke brushed searing, pulsing nerve endings. The walls of her pussy contracted, hanging on, squeezing until one sensation barreled headlong into the next. With each hard stroke of his cock pounding deep, the heat increased until it knotted tighter and tighter. A scream broke from her throat as her nails dug deep into the hot flesh of Daniel’s back.

Sliding her eyes open, dazed, she noted the flash of fang, the fierce expression he wore—and knew this was only the beginning.

Daniel kissed her, his breath hot in her mouth as air pumped quickly from his lungs. His tongue brushed hers, teasing mercilessly. Loving the taste of him, needing the connection, she returned his kiss, eating at his mouth as if starved.

When Daniel moved her away from the wall, she felt warm flesh at her back, realizing Nate had joined them. Her breasts were crushed against Daniel’s chest and Nathan stroked his nudity against her in a sinuous motion. The perfection of his body made her mouth water and then he made a low purring sound that caused his chest to vibrate, setting off another round of need inside her body. Without breaking Daniel’s kiss, she reached back to clutch Nathan’s head. He rested his lips against her neck and lightly scraped that tender flesh with his fangs.

Livvy tensed as raw sensation tore through her.

Nothing was over. There would be no reprieve as her beast clawed to break free.

Daniel withdrew his cock from her body and stepped back, letting Nathan pull her into his arms. Daniel crawled onto the mattress and lay flat on his back, giving his friend a telling look. Without hesitation, Nate arranged her body over Daniel’s face, her thighs rested on either side of his head.

When his hot breath brushed her quivering flesh, she gasped. Livvy’s lips hovered over the head of Daniel’s thick, still-erect cock. Unable to resist, she dragged her tongue over the heavy head, licking a drop of moisture that clung there. Daniel went still. Tension radiated from his big body.

“Suck him, Livvy. He needs you. Hell, I need you too. Come on,” Nate whispered. “Yeah, that’s it, sweet darlin’. Open your mouth and take him. Ah yeah. That’s right. Now you just keep that up. After you come I’m going to fuck your hot pussy.”

Olivia was too far gone to respond.

Nathan stroked the lines of her back, his touch warm, as she filled her hands with Daniel’s balls. They were drawn up tightly against his body and she realized belatedly that he’d not yet come. A savage sense of possession filled her, knowing these men belonged to her, and suddenly her need to shift into her beast took a backseat to pleasing her mates. Swallowing him down became the easiest, sexiest thing she’d ever done as she plied the heavy stalk with her tongue, sucking Daniel, sipping his strength with tugs and pulls of her mouth.

That distinctive jaguar coughing sound broke from his throat to vibrate against her pussy as he began to eat her out, spearing his tongue deep then dragging it over her trembling skin. As he drew her clit into his mouth, Daniel’s hands gripped her thighs. Intent on his task, he devoured her flesh as they moved in tandem, each reaching for that spectacular moment of climax. Pleasure spiked sharply, drawing from her a cry that was muffled by Daniel’s cock between her lips. Higher and higher she climbed, riding Daniel’s mouth. The power of her climax poured over her as Daniel, too, reached crisis point. His body stiffened seconds before his cum jetted into her mouth.

Livvy barely had time to come down from the euphoria. No rest. No time to breathe. The men moved, changing things up until she was face-to-face with Daniel. He leaned against the headboard, watching her with eyes filled with a lush mixture of desire and satisfaction. Her knees settled on either side of his thighs. He kissed her deeply while Nathan, who had moved into place behind her, stroked her trembling pussy. Breaking the possessive kiss, she gripped Daniel’s broad shoulders as Nathan played with her. Daniel stroked her breasts as he whispered seductive promises against her hair.

Nathan moved his hands over her sides, stroking her flesh with his warm palms before focusing his concentration on her butt. “Ready for me? I need to fuck you, Livvy.”

Speaking was beyond her so she didn’t try. Clenching her teeth on the flesh of Daniel’s shoulder, she held on her dear life as Nathan dipped a finger into her pussy. The feel of two pairs of hands on her body was indescribable. Anticipation built…

Nate groaned low then buried his hard cock deep.

Pistoning hard and fast, he brought Livvy’s body up again while Daniel stroked her clit, pinching, rubbing the hard knot of flesh. Sensations crashed through her, one after the other. Needing them both, needing them now, she reached beneath her for Daniel’s cock and fisted it. Male hunger, powerful lust surrounded her and fire flashed through her limbs. Nathan thrust deeper, harder, as energy hummed through the air. Her body seized in a massive climax…

Nathan and Daniel broke simultaneously and as Livvy spiraled out of control, her men came with her.

Chapter Four

Days of marathon sex left the three of them limp with satisfaction, raw with emotion and so exhausted they could barely move. Respites were brief but they took the short moments they were given by the gods to eat, bathe and rest.

There was no doubt in Livvy’s mind that humans would be physically unable to handle something like this. She’d always been faster than human women. Stronger too. But as the changes in her body began, she’d started to feel more animal than human. Impossibly there was little soreness and it was obvious her mates weren’t suffering either.

Extreme passion, at least for her, had also brought with it even stronger emotions. Thoughts of love teased the perimeter of her mind. Impossible, yet there it was.

Nate and Daniel were perfect, perfect for her, and she couldn’t imagine her life without them.

Livvy lay between her mates, utterly satiated, her limbs entwined with theirs, and felt a comfort, a feeling of home that she’d never known before. It was on the tip of her tongue to be honest and tell them how she felt but she held off. Maybe it was prideful of her but she wanted the words to come from them first.

Silly thing, pride. Once she’d claimed her beast and changed from woman to giant jungle cat, her mates would communicate telepathically with her. There would be no secrets, no subterfuge. Just honesty. Then all would be revealed.

As the moon rode heavy in the sky, Daniel trailed a cool, damp cloth over her hot body while Nathan lazily drew his tongue over her nipple.

“That feels so good,” she whispered, loving the attention of her mates. “Do you think it’ll be much longer? I feel her. She’s close…so close.”

Nathan released her nipple and looked down at her. “These things take time, sweetheart. Before long you’ll—”

Olivia gasped as a blast of energy caused her back to bow against the mattress.

“What the—?” Daniel sat upright and tossed the cloth aside. “What is that?”

“You feel it too?” Olivia’s eyes went wide and her gums tingled painfully. A low cough broke from her lips and she started to shake.

“Daniel, open the doors,” Nate yelled as he released her body long enough to reach for something on the nightstand. Olivia didn’t know what it was and didn’t really care, because suddenly her beast rolled, hissing her need to be born in a tone that only Olivia could hear. The brush of fur rubbed her belly, the friction setting off a volcanic fire that rolled through her cunt in a low wave. Another coughing sound broke from her lips and her fangs burst free of her gums.

Thrashing on the bed, the sizzle and pop of crazy energy zinging through her blood, she cried out for Daniel and Nathan.

Daniel grabbed her shoulders and she went still. Fear ripped through her and she bit her lip to stifle a scream, drawing blood. She stared into her mate’s intense black eyes.

“You’re ready. Don’t fight the energy and don’t fight us, Olivia. She’s ready to come now so you just hang on tight. We’ll take you at once, giving you every bit of our power. Do you understand?”

She must have nodded because he murmured, “Good, that’s good. We’ve been holding back, honey, but we can’t do that anymore.”

Nathan took the hand that lay curled against the sheets and wrapped it around his cock. “Feel how much we want you. Our beasts want you too. Trust us.”

The time for talking ended as the energy surrounding them grew in strength. Lust slid through Livvy as her jaguar struggled to break free. Cream drenched her pussy and her body burned to be fucked, taken.

Nathan drew her over his body, his cock pressing where she most needed him, but the relief was short-lived. Clawing and scratching, frantic for relief, she rose over him and impaled herself on his stiff erection. Nathan’s hips thrust high and hard. He cried out, a raw, savage sound, his fangs flashing white in the darkness.

Hands pushed her down until her breasts were flattened against Nathan’s chest.

From his position behind her, Daniel bent to her ear. “I’m going to fuck your ass now, Olivia. You’ll feel some lube, some pressure. Hang on tight, honey. You’ll feel our full power before this night is over.”

She barely noticed as Daniel spread the cool fluid but stilled when his fingers circled slowly at her entrance. When he slid one inside to the first knuckle, followed quickly by a second, dark pleasure ripped through Livvy and the feel of Nathan’s cock buried deep in her pussy intensified. Nonsensical words broke free, mingled with her heavy cries.

Daniel pressed his fingers deeper, scissoring them to widen her for his possession.

Her heart drummed, threatening to burst as he finally, finally settled the head of his cock at the entrance to her anus…

When he pressed inside, she moaned.

As Daniel pushed in, Nathan eased out.

A scream ripped from her throat.

The men moved in rhythm, filling every empty space. Their voices filled her head. It was here. Now. It was time, and the telepathic connection roared through her brain.

So damn good. Daniel groaned.

Yes. Gods yes! Livvy’s own voice rang sharply in her mind.

“Damn. Damn! It’s here. We’re connected,” Nathan said aloud, gasping as he moved relentlessly in and out of her body. Finally.

Olivia wanted to continue the magical conversation but the only things rolling through her mind were hisses and growls. Her beast was taking over and Olivia wasn’t sure she liked it. Fighting for supremacy was futile, she knew; the beast would always win.

“Don’t fight her, sweetheart,” Daniel said. “You won’t lose yourself. Not permanently. I promise.”

Nate pushed higher and harder into her pussy, rotating his hips until pleasure burst over her clit and vibrated through her core. She tightened her body and both men hissed with pleasure. Magical energy beat through her body, lashing her with intensity she couldn’t begin to describe. A blast of power shook her and she realized it came from her mates.

They pulled out all the stops as they fucked her mindless.

Hanging on through the storm, through the pinnacle of an orgasm more powerful than she’d ever experienced before, she felt Daniel’s teeth pierce her shoulder and then Nate’s, their claiming complete.

There was no pain. Only pleasure. It roared through her seemingly with no beginning and no end. Strong. Overwhelming. Yet somehow peaceful.

Livvy opened her eyes yet knew those eyes were no longer human. Everything was amplified, shadows dissolving into a fine mist before blowing away to leave the world clear and bright despite the darkness of the night. Looking down at herself, filled with wonder, she noted the buff color of her coat as she lay panting on the big bed.

Near her, lolling in perfect splendor, were her mates, both black jags. The power of them overwhelmed her.

You’re beautiful, Olivia. Nathan scooted closer to nuzzle against her throat.

I feel so strange…but wonderful. Wow.

Daniel laughed. A feeble word for such an undertaking, but yeah. And I second Nate’s sentiments. You are perfect. Perfect for us.

Eager to try things out, Olivia leaped from the bed to pad around the room. She sniffed at the floor, eyed her two males then finally made her way to the open doors of the bedroom. How thoughtful. Can we? Please?

Male laughter echoed in her mind. Within seconds they joined her and together the trio headed out the doors and into the night. The second-floor balcony featured wide steps so Olivia ran down them and soon the three were loping across the yard and out into the woods beyond.

A Texas moon hung high in the sky as they explored this new world. Olivia playfully chased a rabbit from its hiding place and eyed a lazy raccoon before she turned to see them watching her. So patient. So loving.

Loving?

Oh yes.

She need only open her mind to confirm it.

Hours flew by. Enjoying her surroundings in jag form was exhilarating, so thrilling that it was tough for Livvy to contain her excitement. She wanted to explore this fascinating world forever, but fearing the rigors of tonight’s activities were taking their toll, she raced back to her mates, who’d been endlessly patient. Now Nate and Daniel gently nudged her back toward the house.

When she stood by the bed once more, Livvy cocked her head. What now? How do I turn back? This has been amazing but I’m ready to be the old me again.

Easy, sweetheart. Just think of yourself as human and bam, poof, you’re done. Nathan moved close to her and before she could blink, he’d shifted into his gorgeous male body.

Bam and poof?

Daniel laughed. That’s about it. Then he, too, shifted into his human body and watched her with a small smile. “You can do it.”

Livvy blinked at them both then conjured a vision of the old Olivia, the one who’d been reborn tonight—and suddenly she was in human form and flat on her back on the rumpled bed.

Those naughty men had put her right where they wanted her.

Daniel and Nate pinned her with their bodies, both grinning like idiots, and joy filled her. Soon she was laughing along with them. Hugging them both, she squealed as pleasure took her over the edge of sanity. “We did it! Oh my gods! I love you guys!”

In unison, her mates drew back to look at her. “I thought maybe that was a little bit of love I felt from you when we were out there tonight,” Daniel said quietly. “It’s true, isn’t it? You love us?”

Olivia looked at these men who’d saved her, cared for her and loved her through the greatest trauma of her life. Her eyes welled with tears. Reaching up, she cupped a hand on each ruggedly beautiful face and smiled. “No, Daniel. It wasn’t a ‘little bit of love’. What a measly description of how you’ve filled me up, touched my heart and made me complete. Both of you. I love you with my whole heart.”

Nathan’s smile was heartbreakingly tender as he turned his face into her palm and pressed a kiss there. “And we love you, Olivia. For now and for always.”

Epilogue

A short time earlier

A lone hawk perched on a gnarled branch of a live oak, watching the activities below with a mixture of satisfaction and jealousy.

Yes. Jealousy. He wasn’t proud of it.

He’d long ago given up on finding his lady hawk, but as he watched the male jags introduce their brand-new mate to the magic of her beast, he felt a twinge of hope.

Crazy thing…hope. A sane creature wouldn’t delude himself this way.

Still, the hawk was compassionate enough to be happy for the threesome. Down below, the males watched indulgently as their mate scampered across the forest floor, scaring raccoons and rabbits from their hiding places until finally she seemed to tire of the game.

When the three of them reentered the house, the hawk blinked. A brisk wind ruffled his golden feathers and he cocked his head, unconsciously listening as he had a million times before.

Was she out there? Somewhere? Only the gods knew.

Defeated, lonely, the hawk shook off bittersweet emotions and, with a wild cry, spread his wings, taking flight over the broad Texas sky.