Katie's Mates (5 page)

“You smell good.” Her whispered words carried across his chest and made little goose bumps appear.

“Thank you, so do you. Your shampoo smells like honeysuckle, like a warm summer day.” He took a deep breath, keeping his face against the top of her head, enjoying the small bundle in his arms.

“A warm summer day in Alaska. Do you even have those here?” She giggled and moved so that she could look at him.

“Yeah. Sometimes. Are you getting warm?” He could tell that she was. She had stopped shivering.

“Yeah. My lips are still cold, though.” He arched a brow and smiled widely. She amazed him. Even after everything that happened, she was in his bed, in his arms, asking for a kiss.

“We can’t have that now, can we?” He leaned down and slowly brushed his lips against hers. When she let out a little gasp, he took advantage and pushed his tongue in her mouth. He moaned and moved his body, wanting a better angle, needing more of her. He moved her easily, pulling her underneath his body. She surprised him by opening her legs farther and allowing his body to move closer to her heat. He tried to ignore his demanding cock begging for freedom, to be released from its prison. He focused on Katie, wanting her to feel comfortable.

His heart beat rapidly in his chest, but he moved slowly, being gentle, eating at her mouth, enjoying her taste. Her reaction to him was almost immediate. She moved her hands from his shoulders to the back of his neck. Her body relaxed further under his, and she kissed him back, pushing her tongue in his mouth, playing with him. He pulled his mouth back, licking his lips, and looked down into her dazed eyes. Her lips were swollen, and he found himself smiling. Her flushed skin made him feel alive.

“You’re so beautiful.” Her smile widened, and her eyes sparkled from the compliment. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, her jaw, and her neck. He inhaled her unique fragrance, and he moaned. He wanted to push her, to pull her clothes from her body and feast for hours. Instead, he moved to his side, pulling her into his arms. She trusted him, she had come to his room, and he wasn’t willing to push her too fast. His body was going crazy, though, and he was having a hard time keeping his hands from roaming over her body.

“Ryan…why is Lucas so upset with me?” Her voice carried a sad tone to it, and he wondered if she realized how she sounded. Usually when mates met, they couldn’t stand to be apart. There was something that pulled them. It happened with shifters and humans alike, as if your subconscious and body recognized the other as belonging to you. He couldn’t figure out what Lucas’s problem was, though. It didn’t make any sense, unless he just really wanted her attention and he didn’t care if it was negative.

“He’s not upset with you. You haven’t done anything wrong.” He rubbed her back, trying to reassure her.

“Will you take me to see my sister? I don’t want to be here anymore.” Her whispered words stung him, but he understood the confusion she was having. She wanted them, but at the same time, the new feelings were too much, too soon.

“I will, I promise. I just can’t right now.” He exhaled sharply, not sure what he should say, knowing he wanted to tell her everything, but his brothers most likely would want to be a part of that conversation.

“What are you going to do with me? Why do you want me here?” She pulled back and looked at him, searching his eyes for the answers.

“I want to answer all your questions. I want to put you at ease. I hope that you’ll be able to trust me when I tell you that we aren’t going to hurt you. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. We just want to make you happy.” He wanted to say more. He wanted to tell her that they would take care of her, pleasure her, and always make her happy. She was meant to be with him, with all of them, but the words stuck in his throat, and he didn’t want to risk losing her with the truth right now. He was content having her in his bed, in his arms. This was exactly where she belonged.

A look mixed of disappointment and relief ran across her face. She was so expressive and easy to read. He loved watching her, knowing what emotions she was feeling so easily. “I can tell you wanted me to say more. I’m just not sure of what I can tell you.”

“I knew there was more.” She pulled back from him, and Ryan immediately felt the loss. She came to him. He still couldn’t figure out why she hadn’t run to Nathan. They seemed to have bonded right away. Yet, here she was in his bed, practically begging for answers, and he didn’t know what to say.

“I will tell you this, I’ve never wanted a woman more than I want you. I’ve waited for so long to have you in my arms, to be able to kiss you and touch you. I know that must be hard to believe, but it’s true. My brothers feel the same way.” He added that last part because she did belong to all four of them. He wasn’t able to keep her for himself. Leaning forward, he brushed his lips against hers. His body melted, pulling her closer once more, until there was no division between them. She moved her hips, rubbing her hot pussy on his thigh.

* * * *

Oh, God, she wanted him. She wanted so much more than she should. His lips set her on fire, and shivers of need racked her body. She wanted to touch him everywhere. She moved her hips, wanting to get closer, wanting to touch the huge erection tenting his pants.

Ryan’s hand slid down her back to cup her bottom, pulling her closer until she did feel his cock against her stomach. She was panting, slowly losing her mind and needing more from him. “Too many clothes, I want to feel you.” She started pulling at her shirt, moving it out of the way. She wanted to feel his warm chest against hers. She wanted to be skin to skin. Ryan helped her, moving her body until she was lying under his. His skin an inferno, she felt hot, and she wiggled, wanting to feel more.

Ryan licked his lips and moved down her body slightly until he was face level with her breasts. He didn’t waste any time. He leaned his head forward, and she felt his breath against her skin. He scraped his teeth against one nipple. She gasped and moved, wanting to beg for more but unable to find the words. He pulled her nipple through his teeth and suckled before biting down. He released her and laved the sting. Shudders racked her as he turned his attention to the other nipple and repeated the process. She was on fire, and she could feel her desire growing.

She moved her legs, opening them farther, wanting more contact, and he didn’t disappoint her. He moved, making a trail of kisses down her chest, her stomach, and finally reached the sweats that were loosely rolled at her hips. He stopped for a minute, looking at her with his intense eyes, before pulling the sweats down her legs, exposing her body completely to him. She shifted and moaned, pushing her hands through his hair, applying some pressure. She knew exactly what she wanted—his face buried in her pussy.

Ryan didn’t need any more encouragement than that. He leaned down and blew on her tender flesh before snaking his tongue out and licking her. His moan of delight was almost too much for her, her hips coming up off the bed. His large hands moved, holding her hips, keeping her in place, as he took his time licking her.

“Oh, Ryan, so good. Don’t stop.” She was panting, moaning, and moving as much as she could. He moved faster, licking and nibbling her clit. Finally, he moved one hand from her hip, pushing two fingers into her pussy. The pressure felt amazing, but she needed more. She wanted to be filled completely by him. He added another finger, never taking his mouth from her clit. He lashed at it with his tongue, the pressure inside her body, building.

“That’s it, baby, ride my fingers. You’re so sexy. Tighten those muscles. Pretend it’s my cock.” She moved faster as he pumped his fingers in and out of her pussy. She closed her eyes and pretended it was his cock filling her instead.

“I need more.” She shrieked. She was so close. She could feel her orgasm building, but for some reason she wasn’t flying over the edge. She thrashed her head from side to side, wanting to cry, feeling frustrated that she couldn’t reach the peak.

She felt another set of hands on her body, and her eyes flung open. She licked her lips, looking at Ethan standing naked next to the bed.

“Ryan, put a finger in her ass. She needs to be completely filled. Don’t you, baby?” Ethan didn’t take his eyes off her as he spoke to Ryan. She eyed his cock, and he gave her a sly smile, as if he knew exactly what she needed. He was right. She did need more, so much more.

“Good girl, get those lips nice and wet for me.” He moved forward, climbing on the bed, crawling toward her like a predator. “I think our girl needs to be filled with cock. That’s gonna make her come. Am I right, baby?” His words came out as a growl, and Katie found herself nodding. For some reason that was exactly what she needed, to be filled and overwhelmed. “Is Ryan filling that sweet little ass? Can you feel his fingers fucking you? Close your eyes. We’re all here, we all want you.” Katie did what he said, closing her eyes. She pretended all four of the men were in the room, all loving her.

Ethan moved, rubbing his cock across her lips, and she snaked her tongue out and licked the pre-cum from the tip. His taste exploded in her mouth, and she wanted more. She opened her mouth wide, taking as much of him in as she could. She moved her hand into the mix, grabbing the base of his cock and pumping him slowly at first.

Ryan didn’t waste time. He ate at her pussy, and she could feel him moving a hand down, coating her bottom hole with her juices. He pushed a finger in, taking his time, and she relaxed and let go. She felt her orgasm resurface, growing, becoming something bigger than she had ever expected. She moved her hands quicker, swallowing around Ethan’s cock, fucking Ryan’s fingers. She felt naughty, and it was becoming the most amazing feeling. Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest.

Stretching. Burning. He drove those fingers in and out of her, and she was so wet they glided smoothly. Pressure was still building, and her blood felt like fire in her veins. Her only thought was that she wanted to come, was desperate to come. He tortured her clit, and she found herself moaning around Ethan. She sucked and she devoured. She pulled his cock from her mouth, “Harder. More. Don’t stop.” She knew she was commanding Ryan, but she didn’t care. She moved back to pleasure Ethan, hoping that he, too, could find release.

It didn’t take any more than that. She was flying, screaming, coming apart at the seams. Stars exploded behind her eyes, and her inner muscles clenched around him, holding him inside her. Ethan followed her, quickly pulling out of her mouth and pumping his cock, letting his cum jet out across her chest. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of her body twitching in the aftermath of a mind-blowing orgasm. She felt a warm cloth touch her skin, and she moaned.

“Holy hell, that was amazing. I’ve never come in my pants. Watching you, baby, was amazing.” She felt the bed dip and knew that Ryan was getting back on the bed. He pulled her in his arms.

“I’m gonna stay in here for the night. If that’s okay?” Ethan’s voice was quiet, and she could hear the longing and hope. She reached her arm back, and he took her hand.

“I think you’ve got your answer.” Ryan kissed her, and she could taste herself on his lips. It didn’t disgust her like she thought it would. Instead, she kissed him back, moving closer into his warmth. Ethan climbed back on the bed and moved his body behind hers, putting one large hand on her hip. It felt wonderful being surrounded by their heat. She kept her eyes closed and leaned her head back against Ethan’s chest, wanting to give him some attention as well.

“Kiss me good night, Ethan.” She moved her head a little more, trying to give him more access to her lips. He didn’t waste any time diving for her mouth. The kiss was passionate and ended far too soon, but she was glad he had walked in the room and joined in.

“I’ve never felt so warm.” She moved closer, cuddling between them both, enjoying their heat and the warmth of their skin.

“You’ll never be cold again, baby.” Ethan’s voice whispered in her ear, tickling her neck. She felt content, comfortable, and she wondered briefly if it would be safer for her to go to the other room. She should put some distance between them, but she didn’t want to. She wanted to stay warm forever.

Chapter 4

Nathan stood outside Ryan’s bedroom door. He could imagine what the goofy smile on his face looked like. He had heard Katie get up and open her bedroom door. He had held his breath, hoping that she would come to him. When she went into Ryan’s room, he had felt disappointed at first. Then, his curiosity got the best of him and he walked down the hall toward Ryan’s bedroom. Ethan was already standing at the door, licking his lips, looking like he really wanted to join in the fun.

Hearing her quiet moans, groans, and pleas was almost too much. He wanted to charge into the room and give her pleasure as well. He wanted to hear his name on her lips.

“She’s so close. I just want to watch her come. I am trying to give them privacy, but I really want to be in there with them.” Ethan’s voice held so much longing, and Nathan wanted him to feel a connection to her, especially since Lucas was pulling back.

“You should go in there and help her…help Ryan.” He pushed his arm. Ethan looked at him, unsure, and he nodded his head, giving him more encouragement. Ethan, the shy, quiet one, always letting everyone else take the lead, surprised him. He walked into the room, taking off his clothes, telling Ryan what to do to help their little mate climax. It seemed as though she was having an effect on them all.

He could’ve joined in but decided instead to watch from the hallway. They each needed time to accept their mate and to be accepted by her. The only one he was concerned with was Lucas. If he decided not to be Katie’s mate, he would be excluded from the bonding ceremony. The worst part, though, would be if he never found a mate. This was their opportunity to finally have everything they had been waiting for. Hearing Lucas’s words that he didn’t want to share a mate, and then him pushing her away, could end badly for him.

It didn’t take long, and Katie was screaming out her release. He could feel her happiness radiate through the room and out toward him. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, her head thrown back, her skin flushed, her body shaking. It was the most amazing thing he’d ever experienced in his long life.

Ryan winked at him as he walked to the bathroom. He knew he couldn’t hide from his brothers. He hadn’t been trying to hide his presence, he just didn’t want to interrupt. He wanted to give Ryan, Ethan, and Katie some time together. The three of them cuddled together in bed, and Nathan stood there for a little longer, until he knew that she was asleep. His mate, cuddled between two other of her mates. The room was quiet, so he turned and headed back to his room.

He needed to talk to Lucas in the morning. There was no way he couldn’t have heard Katie. It was possible then that Lucas had made up his mind. He had no idea what he was missing, what he would miss by rejecting her as his mate.

He walked into his bedroom and lay down, getting comfortable. He envisioned Katie next to him, wanting to hold her and take care of her. He planned to take things slowly, wanting to create a relationship, something that would last. So far, things had been developing, and luckily, they had some time.

The only problem they still had to deal with was Adam, the alpha of their clan, and Brandon, his second-in-command. They couldn’t just keep Katie here without her becoming their prisoner. They had some time, though, since his cousins were busy with their new mate. They wouldn’t be missed around the main house, at least not for a while. Time wasn’t on their side. The longer they kept Katie, the more problems they would have to deal with. Technically, both of his cousins couldn’t do anything. They couldn’t keep her away from them.

He didn’t want to think about that now, didn’t want to think about the different possibilities. He just wanted to focus on Katie. They didn’t have much time. He’d have to talk to his brothers in the morning.

* * * *

Katie woke up and stretched, yawned, and moved around the bed a little, not feeling ready to get up yet and face the day. She wasn’t sure what had woken her but soon realized that she could hear raised voices coming from somewhere in the house. She pulled the blanket down and strained to listen, hoping she could hear something. She nibbled on her lip, wondering if she should follow the voices. After a few minutes, she climbed out of the bed, dressed quickly in her pajamas from the night before, and tiptoed down the hall.

The voices grew louder as she got closer, and she knew they were talking about her. All four of them were together with the door closed. She had never believed she could hear such anger in Ryan’s voice, especially with their time together the night before.

“Damn it! If you don’t want to be with her, Lucas, that’s fine with me. I don’t want to share any more than I have to.”

“We aren’t talking about Lucas anymore. If he doesn’t want Katie, that’s up to him. Stop, Ryan. You don’t need to freak out anymore.” Nathan’s voice was clear. She knew it was him taking the commanding role.

“Of course you don’t care, especially after last night. It wasn’t enough that you and Ethan fucked her. The only two that should be pissed is Nathan and I. We didn’t get a chance.” Lucas’s voice cut through her. It made her feel dirty that she had let both Ryan and Ethan touch her. She didn’t know why she cared what Lucas thought of her. She also didn’t know why she had needed to be near them all either. She felt a horrible feeling in her heart, torn between needing to be with them and wanting to run away.

She stood frozen, a tight ball stuck in her throat, and she couldn’t breathe. She moved her right hand up around her neck and massaged, hoping the lump would go away. She wanted to march into the office and slap that horrible grin off Lucas’s smug face. She could see him in her mind. When she heard a fist connect with flesh, she realized that someone had done the job for her.

The door suddenly opened, and she saw Ryan standing there. His face fell, the angry look replaced by resignation and a little sadness. “Good morning. How long have you been standing there?” His voice came out in a gruff whisper.

“Long enough.” That’s all she could manage to get out.

“I’m sorry you had to hear any of that.” He shook his head and walked past her, grabbing her shoulder for just a moment and giving it a squeeze. She still didn’t move, just looked into the office. She saw Nathan sitting behind his desk, Ethan standing across the room, and Lucas holding a hand over his nose while blood trickled through his fingers. They were all looking at her with varying looks of concern.

“Fuck.” Lucas stood up and walked toward her. He wiped his hand down the side of his pants. The blood had stopped almost instantly. She wasn’t sure if the lights were playing tricks on her or not, but his nose seemed to be fixing itself as he moved to stand in front of her. She stared at him for a moment, and when he reached out, she moved. She didn’t want him touching her, didn’t even want an apology for his harsh words. She just wanted him away from her. He put his hand back down, said a few more curse words under his breath, and walked away. She didn’t move until she no longer heard retreating footsteps.

“I’m going back to my room. I think I woke up too early.” Katie turned and walked quickly back up the stairs and to the room she was staying in temporarily. She climbed onto the bed and moved to get under the covers, pulling them over her head. She closed her eyes, doing her best not to think, trying to erase her memory, wishing she hadn’t gotten out of bed.

* * * *

Ethan followed Katie to her room. He watched her climb into the bed and pull the blankets over her head. She looked lost, and he felt guilty for their conversation and even worse for all the stupid crap Lucas said. He didn’t understand what Lucas was feeling. They had always been close, especially since they were twins. They had a bond that their other brothers didn’t understand. Nathan and Ryan both turned to him when Lucas was out of control, and he always seemed to have the answers, except now.

He closed the door, wanting to give her the privacy she obviously needed. He walked down the hall, searching for Lucas, needing to talk to him. When he looked through the house and couldn’t find him, he grabbed his jacket and headed outside. He found him sitting in one of the chairs on the wraparound patio.

“Why?” He didn’t have to say any more. He knew that Lucas would know exactly what he meant.

“We were supposed to have our own mate, Ethan.” Lucas looked out toward the forest.

“What do you mean?” He moved and sat down next to Lucas, really wanting to know exactly what Lucas was thinking.

“Our uncles and dads. We are twins, just like our dads. We are supposed to have a mate, just the two of us. We shouldn’t have to share with Nathan and Ryan.” That was true. His dads had gotten lucky. They didn’t need to share with their three uncles.

“We do have a mate, Lucas. She’s upstairs right now. Devastated. You hurt her.” He searched his brother’s face, hoping to see a reaction to his words.

Lucas looked over at him, his face serious. “You don’t get it.”

“I do. You don’t want to share. Instead of showing Katie how great you are, getting her attention and affection, you’re being an ass.” Ethan raised his eyebrow, challenging Lucas, wanting him to open up.

“I don’t know what to do.” He moved again, looking at the trees, probably wanting to run.

“Keep acting this way, and you’ll end up without her, without a mate. Is that what you want, to not have Katie in your life at all?” Ethan was completely serious. He wasn’t sure if Lucas realized what he was throwing away.

“There might be another mate out there for us. Just the two of us.” His voice held such hope, and Ethan realized that if he wouldn’t accept Katie, then it would be his loss.

“You can’t be serious. You want to give Katie up and hope that there might be another woman out there for us. No way. I’m not going to do that. If you don’t want to stay here with Katie, then I’m going to agree with Nathan and Ryan. You need to leave. She doesn’t deserve your anger.” Ethan got up and walked back into the house. He couldn’t listen to Lucas feel sorry for himself any longer.

He didn’t want to abandon Katie, even if there was the possibility of another woman being their mate. He wanted to keep her. It had never bothered him that their community was full of ménage couples. He had known that he would probably share a mate. That’s just the way things worked out. She had only been in their home for a short period of time, and already he was starting to have feelings for her.

* * * *

Katie opened her eyes, feeling a bit disoriented. She didn’t want to move, so instead she pulled the covers up high and stayed hidden for as long as possible. Straining her head, she listened for any activity or voices in the house. The last thing she wanted to hear was another conversation between Nathan, Lucas, Ethan and Ryan. Silence greeted her, and she relaxed back against the bed.

A knock sounded at the door and she cringed, unsure of what to do or how to react. The door pushed open, and she moved to look at who walked in. “Hey, beautiful, I hope you slept well. We made you dinner. Why don’t you come downstairs?” Ryan flashed her a smile, and Katie found herself smiling back.

“Um, okay. I’ll be down soon.” Ryan closed the door quietly behind him, and Katie stretched. She took a few minutes trying to find the confidence she needed to confront them again. She felt like a nervous wreck, especially since she was going to see Lucas. He was the only one out of all of them that freaked her out. He really didn’t like her, and for some reason that affected her greatly. She climbed out of bed and thought about taking a shower but decided not to. She grabbed a hairbrush and put her hair in a ponytail. She looked down at her outfit and cringed. She went to her backpack and changed into a clean pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt.

Katie walked out of the room and headed for the stairs. She was hungry and her stomach growled loudly. She stopped when she saw Ethan standing at the bottom waiting for her. He was dressed in a suit, and she felt underdressed all of the sudden. He looked handsome standing there, and he smiled widely at her. She walked down each step slowly even though she really wanted to run to him. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she took his outstretched hand.

“Ready, sweetheart?” Ethan asked with a smile as he claimed her hand. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles as she stared up at him, wanting him to kiss her. Almost as if he’d heard her thoughts, he leaned forward and pressed his lips gently against her own. “We made dinner for you. We want you to know how much you’re starting to mean to us. We are going to take things slowly, sweetheart.” He pulled her into his body and they walked to the dining room.