Theirs to Claim Read online

  “Go to the Domus, Rion. Prepare our room. She will heal in the bed made for her coming.”

  Rion spirited off, his wolf a blur in the darkness. He would beat Tarquin by perhaps only a few minutes, but it would be enough. He could feel the happiness, the eagerness through their bond. He had worried his brother would need a balance to curtail his brash side. He needed a softness that Tarquin was not able to provide. He hoped the feisty woman in his arms would do exactly that.

  Still, as he had seen by tonight’s events, and their own looks, the Goddess Mother did exactly what she deemed fit. And just because he felt as though this was what they needed, it didn’t mean she would provide it. She’d give what she knew was necessary. It was, he was sure, the reason why they had the woman he was now holding instead of some submissive. He was just too happy to care that she wasn’t what he had envisioned.

  Chapter Six

  In minutes, the Domus, one circular compound where all the shifters of their tribe lived together, came into view. His section with his brother was to the center and back of the circle. He cut around the outside edge and made a beeline for their front door. He was not in the mind-set to be stopped by his family. They would ask too many questions, and could very well scare his mate if she awoke before he was ready for her to. Surrounded by soft candlelight, lying upon the bed that would be hers forever more, and in a quiet atmosphere would be the best way to receive her. It would be less fuss, less shock, less everything until they figured out how the hell to deal with it all.

  It was hard enough to be close to her with her scent wrapping around his body like fingers. He could feel his cock standing out like a pike, and no amount of easy breathing alleviated him of the issue. As soon as he passed through the doors, it was as if her scent was amplified, reaching out to intertwine with his and his brother’s in their home. It was as if she had always been there, as if there had never been a time when she wasn’t at their side. It soothed him in a way that he never thought possible even as a fire streaked over his nerve endings, sending him bounding up the stairs with preternatural speed.

  Rion had done as he instructed, closed the blinds, turned back the cool white sheets and black comforter to make a space for her in the center of the square bed made especially for Alpha mates. It was nearly twice the size of an ordinary king-size bed. The scent of candles smelling of soothing lavender and sandalwood permeated the air, and Rion had even placed a glass of water with a pitcher, and cold cuts on a plate, on the end table. Tarquin raised his brow at that.

  “Domesticated already?”

  “Shut it, Quin. You only meet your mate once. She’s had a hard enough time, it seems.”

  It was then Quin saw the tightness around his brother’s mouth and the tension in his shoulders. Even his blond hair, falling right to his shoulder, was mussed and messy, as if he’d been running his fingers through it constantly. He was keyed up like a shifter unable to shift. He could see the pain in his brother’s eyes and knew the source.

  “She survived, Rion. We got her safely home.”

  “No, you got her home. Had she been waiting on me, she’d be gone.”

  “Once we bond, you will recognize her as surely as I do, at whatever distance there may be. She’s safe, brother. She’s safe.”

  “Qu—”

  Their mate’s soft moan silenced them both. Looking at each other, making an instant decision, they laid their mate down in the middle of the bed, stripped her of her clothing, and washed away the blood and scent of the vampyre. A few minutes after that, they were in wolf form, curled around her sides, ever vigilant, ever there.

  Chapter Seven

  Her head was killing her. Her throat tasted like ash, and her electricity bill must not have been paid by her absentminded self because she was ridiculously warm. To add to that glorious combination, her body felt as though it had been in the ring with Manny Pacquiao. She tried to roll over, but felt her sides trapped by something. Furry somethings. Okay, breathing furry somethings, and she knew she had no dogs. Opening her eyes slowly, she looked down at a massive black wolf on one side and a blond one on the other. When she said massive, she meant at least twice the size of the largest German shepherd she’d ever seen in her life. So, Z did what any self-respecting person would do—she screamed at the top of her bloody lungs, jumped out of the bed, ran blindly for the door.

  The blond wolf leapt over her. Over her! He landed squarely across the door, and then he just melted. She didn’t know how else to describe it. His fur melted away, falling to the ground in disappearing golden sprinkles, until a completely naked green-eyed giant stood in front of her. His hair fanned around his shoulders…nicely built shoulders. It was like looking at Brad Pitt’s Achilles walking off the damn screen. She knew her jaw was hanging to the floor, but she was too afraid, amazed, and near traumatized to react.

  “Bad move.”

  As the dulcet tones directed from behind brushed over her, she realized three things in quick succession. One: there had been two wolves, and she left the black one behind her when she was staring like a moron at the blond model in front of her. Two: said wolf was now gone, leaving Eric Bana in his place. Three: and this one just took the whole cake . . . She was ass naked in front of said men, in a room that was an inferno waiting to happen, in a place she did not know, and with no way to escape. She either had gone completely crazy and was now in the Twilight Zone, or was dreaming some stuff that meant she needed to see a therapist in the morning. Either way she was screwed. The lingering pain in her neck had her reaching up to cup the side. Her touch brought back memories of the evening, and suddenly, being naked in the middle of two of the most beautiful men she’d ever seen in her life was terrifying no matter if she was crazy or not. Her body twitched, ready to bolt. A growl stopped her.

  “Rion.”

  Zelina looked over to Blondie and figured he was Rion. His lip was pulled back to reveal four sharp teeth—four sharp teeth, like Brian. She felt her blood drain from her face. She went cold. She wasn’t crazy. She was going to die.

  “Rion! You’re scaring her,” the dark one hissed, lips tight over what she figured were his set of dog teeth. “You’re safe here, mate. Never fear us. But now is not the time to run. There is so much you have to understand. Running will trigger instincts you aren’t ready for yet. Trust me in this.”

  “So you guys can kill me? Screw that.” Zelina moved to grab something, anything, to use as a weapon and for the second time that night got the wind knocked out of her. A massive, hot form slammed her body into the wall, effectively pinning her. She couldn’t move with all her might.

  She made another discovery, her mind nearly bubbling with hysterical laughter. She was really tired of discovering tonight. If she made it through this, she was canceling her Discovery Channel, she swore she was. The aforementioned hunk had her plastered against the wall, something long, hot, and thick tucked neatly into the crease of her ass. He leaned nearer to her neck, growling softly against her flesh. Discovery one thousand: he was hung like a horse!

  Chapter Eight

  He smelled wild, untamed, fresh meadow and forest mixed into one package. He was rock solid behind her, unmoving, but his hold on her wrists was gentle—shackling, but gentle. Something in her warmed. She felt her breasts grow heavy, her nipples harden and touch the wall, could feel her pussy plumping. Something was wrong with her. His control of her, the teeth, the growling, and the fact that he was clearly not human should not be enticing her. She shouldn’t feel the urge to push her butt into him, to feel him grow harder, to feel the wetness of pre-come on her back as he kissed her neck. Zelina should not have wanted any of those things, and yet she wanted them all.

  Confused and afraid, she started thrashing again. Rion stepped harder into her, lifting her nearly off her feet, his cock pushing between the globes of her ass. His teeth nibbled where her shoulder and neck met, his growling louder and more threatening.

  “Don’t fight him. He can’t help his need. Rion,
you are scaring her, brother.”

  “No, Quin, I am not. I can smell her want. I can smell her need. She wants me. She wants this,” he whispered against her flesh, flexing his hips against her.

  Zelina couldn’t stop the moan that escaped. Something felt right, despite her fear. With his hands on her, she couldn’t think straight.

  “She doesn’t understand yet, Rion. She has to accept it. There is no other way.”

  Zelina could feel the tenseness in Rion behind her. He was holding himself so tight it felt as if he was close to shattering. She didn’t understand the undercurrents, didn’t know why she wanted to make him feel better, but she did. When she twisted her wrist a little, he let it go, then rested one hand against her body, his other palming the wall. Lifting her hand, she tucked it behind his right ear, under his hair, and rubbed the spot. He exhaled against her, his forehead touching her shoulder as he breathed deeply in and out.

  “Better?” she asked before she could even stop herself and realize what the hell she was doing.

  “Yes,” Rion answered, his voice nearly cracking, and somehow she felt it was okay. He relaxed behind her, pulling her away from the wall and spinning them both until his back was to the wall and she rested against him. When she tried to step away, his arms tightened on her waist.

  “Let me go.”

  “I’m not that okay.”

  “I. Said. Let. Me. Go.”

  “Not happening,” he returned, gripping her tighter.

  “What are you called?” Quin asked before she could toss back another retort.

  “Zelina. But they call me Z.”

  Quin made a graceful bow, so old-world that Zelina was charmed to her toes. Did they even make men like him anymore?

  “My name is Tarquin, and that is Centurion. Quin and Rion for short.”

  “Your mother cursed you with those names, huh?”

  Quin chuckled, but it was Rion who answered. “Ancient Rome didn’t see a problem with it. Our names were a rave at the time. There are kings that shared Tarquin’s name. Mine, well, the name is military related, so it said I had strength.”

  “In those times, that was important,” Quin finished, a chuckle still in his voice.

  Chapter Nine

  “In those times? Did you say ‘in those times’?”

  In one rush, the fear was back. She was in a room with two things that were animals before. They spoke of ancient Rome as if that wasn’t crazy as hell, and they had teeth so much like Brian. Brian, the one who attacked her. Who was injured by water. Who chased her down for his next meal and ripped into her throat like a ravenous animal. Fear clouded her vision, tears filling her eyes. For a moment of sexual desire, she had been at ease, even reacted to one of her captors’ frustration. She had wanted to soothe one of the men who could very well be ready to kill her.

  She had lost her mind. All because of some stupid blind date, she was surrounded by things that should never have existed. She couldn’t even bring herself to say in her mind the name they were called. To say the name, even to herself, seemed as though it would make it more real, as though the things that went bump in the night really did exist and she was the unlucky bastard to meet three on the same night. She swore then, that if she got out of this, she was going to never date again, nor would she ever talk to Jezzie again. The girl had a serious butt-kicking coming. The feel of Rion’s teeth scraping her pulse had her gasping in fear-edged desire. The combination scared her even more.

  Grabbing her throat frantically, feeling for the wound Brian had left, she tried with all her might not to let the tears fall. She wasn’t ready to die, and she had put herself in a position that made it easier for them to do whatever they wanted to her. She didn’t know how the first wound had healed, but she knew for a fact that Brian had bitten her, remembered the pain as his fangs ripped into her flesh.

  Vampyre movies had it all wrong. There was nothing remotely sexy about it. Hearing the name of what they were in her head finally shattered any desire she had felt, shattered any misconceived notion that a vampyre was a thing to hope for and crave when you’re under your covers late at night reading some book. They killed things, and they were going to kill her. She felt more than heard Rion’s growl then as her body strained away from his touch and she craned her neck away from his seeking lips.

  “Zelina. Zelina, look at me.”

  She refused Quin’s command, forcing her body to still, to be silent, and to wait. When the attack came, she would do whatever she could to get away. She knew, from Brian, she had no chance to succeed, but she couldn’t just lie back and die quietly. It wasn’t in her to do it. She waited, stayed as still as possible as Rion growled at her lack of submission behind her and Quin stepped steadily forward. When his hands framed her face, she swung out with one leg, determined to smash his balls into his throat, and threw one elbow into Rion’s rib cage with everything she had. If she was lucky, she’d get them to let go of her long enough to reach the pitcher of water on the end table. That water would give her enough time to get away just as it had with Brian.

  She wasn’t lucky . . .

  Chapter Ten

  She was flying, literally flying in the air, a roar still ringing in her ears. Both strikes marked for Rion and Quin had failed. Moving so fast their bodies were a blur, Quin had grabbed Z’s flying foot, using the opportunity to clasp her leg around his waist—his bare waist. The ridge of his cock slid against her clit with eerie precision. The practiced move had her back arching, head falling back on a very mad, very hard Rion, who nipped her shoulder in punishment before leaping into the air with her and his brother in tow. It all felt as though it were moving in slow motion as Quin kept a tight grip on her, landing on his back without even a bounce, her on top of him and Rion over them both, cock poised on her ass. How the man could move and never lose his place was beyond her.

  The change was not only in Rion. She had pushed Quin too far as well. His teeth were bared, blue eyes sparking with fire. Blue eyes. The same eyes in the wolf that had attacked Brian. The same wolf she had woken up beside. She tried to say something, but Quin had run out of patience. He gripped her head and dragged her mouth down to his. She had expected softness, a trained kiss. Passion was what she got instead. His tongue slipped into her mouth, dueling with hers as he turned his head for a better angle. Holding her steady with one hand, he gripped her leg, pulling it farther out, forcing her clit harder on his cock. She moaned into his mouth.

  “Not enough, Quin,” Rion hissed behind her, and she saw Quin’s eyes meet his brother’s. It was as if they were talking to each other without saying a word.

  Quin let go of her mouth, pulling her body up his until her breast dangled about his mouth. She couldn’t have moved if she’d wanted to, and she felt moisture leaking from her body. They wouldn’t take no for an answer this time, and she was too far gone to even deny them. Their touch was like a flame over her skin, branding her as theirs. As Quin tongued her nipples, gripping the heavy globes and pushing them together, Rion kissed his way down her back. His tongue left a hot, moist trail down her spine. Gripping her ass, he spread the cheeks as he met the end of her spine and his tongue dipped between.

  “Later,” he whispered against the rosette of her anus before licking his way over one pussy lip, above the clit, and down the other lip. Then he took one broad swipe from clit to anus, his tongue thicker than it had felt before.

  “What attacked you,” Rion spoke against her clit, “was a vampyre. We are not those. We are shifters, made to run with the wolf as much as the man. Let us show you the difference.”

  She felt the brush of fur against her ass, but Quin was sucking her nipples deeper into his mouth, nipping at them sharply and then licking the pain away. So when she felt the cold tip of a wet nose, she barely batted an eye. A longer, thicker tongue, which had a slight roughness to it, caught her clit in continuous flicks. She moaned against her men, bucking slightly. Quin wrapped his arms around her waist, and Rion gripped her t
highs. She couldn’t budge now, and the thought of that skyrocketed her desire.

  “More, give me more,” she moaned, trembling over Quin’s seeking mouth.

  “As my lady wishes,” Rion replied, his voice an odd mix of yips and deepness.

  Suddenly she felt his tongue push into her and curl up at the tip. Then he pushed forward a little, and his tongue touched her clit as well. He sawed his tongue back and forth in that semicircle with blinding speed, and all Z could do was scream between them.

  Chapter Eleven

  Rion had never tasted something so good in his life. His mate tasted of strawberries and crème. He couldn’t get enough of her. As her body pulsed and twitched on his tongue, he gripped his cock, pumping it in strokes with her pulses. His dick was wet with pre-come, and he wanted to feel her come, feel her wetness soak him as he pounded into her to oblivion, wanted to feel the tightness of her as his brother slid into her and the combinations of their two cocks inside of her pulled her body unbelievably tight around them. This was something that could feel right only with their mate. He was so thankful that they had found her, that she, despite her fear, was throwing herself into the pleasure only they could provide for her.

  Never again would he need another. Never again would he feel the anger well up in him until he was afraid it would burst and he would lose it even with those he loved the most. He would settle now. She would give him that gift. She would give him love. All it took was for them to claim her, to make her irrevocably theirs.