Authors: Dahlia Rose
Tempest grinned when Alex walked out of the darkness and a snarl pulled his lips back from his sharp canines. She
saw
two of
Bubba’s
men back up in fear at the big
,
ominous wolf.
“What the fuck
? T
here
are
no wolves in Louisiana,” Bubba’s best friend Joe said and there was a tremor in his voice.
“Who said he’s a wolf?” Dominic came down the steps and stood next to
the
wolf. “He’s really well trained
and friendly
until someone comes on our property acting like an ass. So I’d turn around and leave
.
Now.”
“Fuck you
. Y
ou can
’t
make me do n
o
thin
'
,” Bubba shouted.
That’s my cue
, Tempest
thought as she
stepped out and the sound of her cocking the shotgun filled the night. “But I can shoot your leg off and we’d be within our rights. I think Lor
na-
Sue can do way better than you
,
especially if I shoot high enough
to
clip the twig
between
your legs.” Tempest made sure she aimed
her gun lower
so he knew exactly what she meant.
“Oh
,
you won’t have to do that
,
honey
. H
e’ll be on the ground and unconscious long before that,” Dominic said cheerfully.
“
I
can see that
you’re not going to leave
,
so how about you just come at me and let
’
s get this over with
?
” He sighed and called them forward curtly. “Come on, come on, we don’t have all night
. K
ick my ass or whatever
it is you think you can do
.”
Bubba cussed and dropped the beer
he was holding
to rush Dominic. Alex snarled and jumped at the close
s
t man. When hi
s teeth sunk into the man’s arm, he screamed and tried to shake Alex off. There was no way that was going to happen. Alex was a massive muscled specimen of
a
wolf. One of the others tried to pull a gun from the waist of his pants and it went off. Tempest wanted to laugh as he fell
, grabbing at his leg,
knowing the idiot ha
d
shot himself. Dominic w
as holding his own against Bubba
who wasn’t the best at
finessing a fight
, even
when he wasn’
t drunk. He though
t his weight would be an asset
,
but Domin
ic used it against him. One good punch into his midsection had the big goo
f
ret
ching and Dominic
gave him a knee to the face knocking him back.
“
That took care of
my
anger towards you
,” said Dominic.
“
Now this
is
for Tempest and all you
’ve
put her through.” He hauled Bubba up by the shirt and Tempest could almost see the delight in
Dominic
as he punched Bubba repeatedly.
“Dominic, no more
. H
e’s down
. T
hey all are,” T
empest said.
“
Alex
,
I said stop
. T
he cops will be here soon
. Ge
t in here!”
Bright golden eyes gazed at her before t
he black wolf stepp
ed back with a disgusted noise
a
nd moved back into the darkness.
She saw the flashing lights of police cruisers coming
up the g
ravel road just as
Alex joined her
on the patio
, now back in his jeans
. Dominic was busy lining up their assailants against the truck when the cruisers came to a stop. In the end
,
Bubba and his buddies were arrested. The one with the dog bite and the one who
had
shot himself were taken by ambulance to the hospital in the neighboring town. Cormina boasted a doctor’s office
,
but serious injuries had to go elsewhere.
“Where’s the big dog that
guy’s
screaming about
?
” Sheriff Dillard asked Dominic.
“Max is around somewhere
. H
e’s very friendly
,
but these guys came on the property
,
and he
will
protect what’s his,” Dominic replied.
“
Well
,
keep him out here
. I
f we see him in town, he gets shot,”
t
he sheriff said.
“I’m sure that won’t be an issue,
”
Dominic said coldly. “I would look at the idiots you have lurking on your streets
, like those who try
to hurt a defenseless woman before you go about shooting animals. I
will
be very
upset if anything happens to anyone in my family.”
The sheriff looked at Dominic and then turned to Tempest.
“So you’re living with these two now
,
Tempest
? Y
our parents raised you better than that
.
”
“How
can you speak for my parents?
Y
ou people did nothing but look down on us and called my m
om
ma a witch. You had my daddy
put in
jail for some trumped up charge and you let Bubba’s daddy beat him up
,
” Tempest said. “How dare you tell me what they would like and not like
. Y
ou’re just as dirty a
s
the ones you just put in handcuffs except you wear a badge. Yeah
,
I live with them
.
I share a bed with them
too
. These two are one hundred and twenty percent better than you or anyone in this town who decided we were outcasts
just because we are a little bit different
. So keep your comments to yourself
,
Sheriff
,
and do your damn
ed
job. Take the trash out.”
“Well said
,
darling
.”
Alex took her hand.
“
I think we’ll be talking to our lawyer next week anyway. I see civil suit, class action suits and a bunch of other thing
s we have to talk to him about.” He gave the
s
heriff a cold stare.
“
I d
idn
’t think that even in Cormina they’
d
be
so stupid as to have to face criminal action or be taken out of office.”
Tempest
saw the man she knew all her life as the law in Cormina visibly gulp
. Without a word
,
he walked away and got into the cruiser.
All three of them
sat on the bottom step and watched as Bubba’s truck
w
as loaded up on a tow truck and
driven away
. Dominic went inside and came back with three beers and the
y
sat silent for a while.
“I feel good,” Alex sighed.
Tempest laugh
ed
. “You get to sink your teeth into a few guys and you look like the cat that ate the cream.”
“Tell me that didn’t feel good to give the
s
heriff his just desserts
,
” Dominic grinned.
She nodded
. “Tr
ue
,
and now
he thinks that you’re going to sue him and get his job taken away for corruption.”
Alex sighed and stood
.
“C
’
e
st
la vie
. N
ow
,
let
’
s go inside and get cleaned up. We have a trip tomorrow and after all this
,
I need some sleep.”
“Not to mention she wore us out this afternoon
.
” Dominic lifted her as if she weighed nothing and
carried her
into the house. “You know
,
e
veryone in town is going
to
k
now you’re shacking up with two men.”
“
Who cares
?
H
alf of them will be
secretly
jealous and the other half will get off talking about the deviant behavior we’re up to at the old plantation house.”
Tempest winked. “There will be chains and
choke
collars and all kinds of sexual implements described when they
tell their stories about us
.”
“
Note to self
:
bu
y
some sex
toys,
” Alex said as they headed up
the
stairs.
Tempest squealed as they stripped her in the bathroom and all three of them got in the shower. Their playfulness took on a new edge as hands caressed her in intimate places and desire became the focus of their thoughts.
“But you know what
?
I don’t care
what anyone thinks
because you both are mine and there isn’t a damn thing anyone can do about it.” She gasped as Alex cupped her breasts and took one of her nipples in his mouth and Dominic did the same
to the other breast
.
She let all
her
thoughts fade away as they awakened her body with passion. Nothing
in Cormina
beyond th
eir
doors was worth another thought.
* * * *
The pack grounds in Acadia
consisted of
a couple
of
acres and
had a
large
fire pit in the center. From
what Alex and Dominic
told her
,
th
e
members of the pack
all had separate residences
in and around Acadia. They got together at this main ground where the Alpha of the pack lived for celebrations, funerals or to bring new member
s
into the pack. Full moons were for naming cer
e
monies of new
born
children and for business like when
Dominic and Alex
checked in
.
Tempest chose
to wear
black jeans and a white
off the shoulder
peasant blouse with
lace ruffle accents
. They booked
a
honeymoon suite at the Marriot in Acadia where she changed. She was glad she chose flat black sandals to wear be
cause
the
pack
ground
s
w
ere
n’t the most level. When they arri
ved
,
people were milling around, and she felt the
ir
curious looks as they walked up to a party unlike any she’d ever been to. Women stood holding babies or couples held hands. Single men walked around and either man or woman seemed to have no problem stripping
in front of everyone
and shifting into their wolf form.
They approached a man who Tempest assumed was the Alpha. He was in his late fifties and stood at least si
x
f
oo
t three. Even
at
this height
,
both Dominic and Alex w
ere
taller and bigger than him
. She looked around and saw that
her two men
were bigger than most of the men
there
.
Well, no wonder
he’s wary of them,
she thought but said nothing. And of course he wanted them to mate with his daughters
—
he wanted powerful grandchildren. She
blinked and in those brief seconds that
her eyes
were closed, she
saw a flash of a vision
,
a quick glimpse of the future
. They were meant
to prote
ct this pack from a rival
pack
that w
as
coming.
Blood and death without them
, scroll
ed
through her mind
.
She gasped and
they looked at her curiously. They didn’t have
a
chance to question her because the pack leader
saw them and
came over.
“Welcome
.
I see you brought a friend
.
”
H
e
looked at Tempest and inhaled. “
She’s human.”
“
She knows who we are, and she is a seer,” Alex replied.
“Very rare in humans
. I
s she claimed?”
t
he pack leader asked.
Dominic gave a
low growl.
“
Yes
,
by both of us
.”
The pack leader laughed. “Restrain your wolf
.
I don’t
seek
to claim her n
or will any of my pack.
”
He looked at her curiously. “Claimed by two wolves, unusual
,
and
I sense the
very close bond you have formed. You will stay and enjoy the night with us, and maybe at the end you’ll cho
o
se to join us.”
“
Our stance has not changed
. W
e are lone wolves
,
but we show you respect as
Alpha and
leader
of
the
se
grounds
and
your pack,” Alex replied.
The Alpha inclined his head. “So be it
. E
njoy the night.”
He walked away and Tempest pulled them
a
side. “
You need to talk to him again.
Ask for a
n
audience or whatever with him.”
“Why?” Dominic asked.
“
I saw a vision, a glimpse actually. A rival
stronger than they are
is coming
.
T
hey will take over this pack
if you don’t
help,
” Tempest said urgently. “They
will kill the young and there
will be blood
. He has to know, and y
ou two have to help him stop it.”
Alex took her shoulders.
“
Are you
absolutely
sure, Tempest
?
”
“Death is always easiest to see,” she whispered. “I know this is coming
. Maybe n
ot right now, but soon
,
before the year end
s
.”
Alex looked at Dominic and then nodded.
They both
took her hand and led her back to the Alpha of the pack.
“
We seek a private meeting with you and your second.”
He nodded and raised his hand. “Very well
. C
ome to my home.”
Another man walked up and they all
made their way
to a house
set two hundred to three hundred feet off the pack grounds. The little house r
eminded her of a comfortable log cabin.
Inside, t
he furniture was well worn and
the
pictures on the wall spoke of his
deep
love of family.
“May I ask your name?” Tempest asked impulsively.
The Alpha smiled. “These two have been coming here for months and
n
ever once asked. I’m Jack Crenshaw
. N
ow
,
what is so very important
?
”
“You tell him
,
Tempest,” Dominic encouraged her gently.
“When I stood before you, I had a glimpse into the future of your pack,”
s
he began. “Blood and death
. A
rival pack is coming and they
plan to
decimate your people
and
children.” She gulped. “You need to
make preparations to
protect yourself and let Dominic and Alex help you.”
“Is this some kind of joke?
”
J
ack’s second laughed. “This is a ploy to take leadership from you and me.”
“For all the time we’ve been coming here
,
we’ve
made it clear
we want no part of your pack
. W
hy would we want it now?
”
Alex snarled.
“How can you help us if you’re not of us?” Jack asked.
“We’ll be enforcers,
”
Dominic said and met Jack’s gaze. “If you face a threat
,
we’ll come
and we’ll fight for you and yours
. We’ll help you train
your
men and we’ll figure out a way to protect the children
and the women who cannot fight.
But a
fter that
,
all we want is to be left in peace
—
no more check
-
ins, nothing.”
“
Really? T
hat
’
s all you want?” Jack’s second in command scoffed.
Alex met his comment with a cool stare. “Yes
. S
hall I beat it into your skull?”
“Alex,” Dominic’s voice carried a warning.
But even in the t
ense room
,
Tempest could see Jack’s right hand man backing down. They were all fearful of Dominic and Alex
. W
hat did they think would happen to their pack without their help? She turned her attention back to
J
ack who was watching them with both interest and concern.
“What will hold you to your vow if you decide one day that you’re bored with being lone wolve
s?” he asked finally.
Alex sighed and pulled a knife from his back pocket. Tempest didn’t even know he carried one. He
took the knife,
cut his hand and passed
the knife
to Dominic who did the same. “We give you our word, on our blood that spills on your land. We will not seek to
usurp
you from your throne.
”
Dominic repeated the words and Jack nodded. “Then we accept your offer and
your
help
in
training our
men
. We’ll talk of these things in the coming days
. F
or now, let
’
s rejoin the party
,
for we
named three babies today.
Our
blood
flows
inside them
;
our pack grows stronger.”
Tempest smiled.
“
Thank you for letting me see this part of your lives
. Y
ou have my word that I will never reveal your secrets.”
Jack inclined his head.
“
We thank you for that
. N
ow
,
let
’
s enjoy this full moon.”
Jack’s second looked at them warily
,
but
said nothing as they left Jack’
s home. The night went
much smoother
afte
r that. Tempest played with
the
young children, held
bab
ies and talked with
the
women
of the pack
. There were good people in
Acadia Parish
.
Cormina
was
just
was
a small town with
small-minded people. There was
food, games,
and
dancing
. The
night
air was
thick with pheromones,
lust
and love,
and she saw new mates being formed. Tempest didn’t know exactly what it was
,
but she was feeling it too and the look
s
her wolves were giving her meant they were fee
ling
it
as well
. By the time they left the part
y
and
were
heading back to the
ir
hotel room
, t
hey could hardly keep their hands off each other. They practically fell into the room
,
kissing and
hands fumbling against each other
.
“God
,
I want you both
so bad
,” Tempest gasped and worked
at
the top she wore while kissing Alex passionately. Dominic
was on his knees
,
pulling at the snap of her black jeans and
guiding
them down her legs and taking her panties with it. He pressed hot kisses against the mound of her pussy.
Alex lifted her
now completely naked body
and strode across
the room,
depositing her on the bed.
Dominic
got up and
tore at his clothes
,
getting naked very quickly and joining her on the bed. Alex was soon to follow and they
became
a mass of twined bodies searching for satisfaction. Alex
was in front of her and hi
s hands
were at her back
,
kneading the s
oft flesh of her ass and his mouth hungrily tast
ing
hers. Tempest
moaned in pleasur
e at the touch of his
warm
hands on her skin. Dominic
c
ame up behind her and nipped
at
her neck and shoulders.
S
he was reminded of how wolves play with their mates when she watched nature shows. It was a
show
of possessiveness that both men used with her frequently.