Owned (24 page)

“What’s an Alpha Bitch?”

“Yeah, you’re going to need a drink or six for this. Wine?”

“Margaritas?” she countered with a smile. “We have a cabana boy here that seems real intent on making us both happy.” She gestured to Stacy, who smiled.

“Right away, ma’am.”

“Good, then let’s go build a fire. It’s getting fucking cold fast this year,” Jamie bitched as she walked out of the kitchen.

“No salt on the glasses, cabana boy,” I teased Stacy and slipped out of the room with my friend. She put some logs on the rack as I busied myself with paper and the lighter.

“You’re nervous. Isn’t claiming you a good thing? I figured it was like a werewolf version of marriage,” she said gently.

“Yes, but it’s more complicated. You want me to start with that or the Alpha Bitch thing?”

“I think I need to know one to understand the other but I’m not sure which is the right order. You tell me.” She shrugged and pulled some pillows onto the living room floor in front of the fire. I raised an eyebrow and she shook her head. “I just saw you getting fucked six ways from Sunday on that couch. I’m not sitting on it anytime soon.”

“Thanks, because you guys walking in wasn’t embarrassing enough.”

“Didn’t stop you from going again with Dean,” she said and burst out laughing. “Happy looks good on you, Kate. Now tell me what’s what before the boys get back and think they should open their pretty mouths about anything.”

“Amen to that,” I chuckled. Then I started from the beginning and what I knew that I couldn’t have told her over the phone. Stacy came in at some point with margaritas and caramel-covered apple slices. It might have sounded like a gross combo but it really was the best combination of salty and sweet.

“Wow,” Jamie whispered several times throughout and took another large gulp of her drink.

I was drinking heavily as well, not feeling any calmer about the craziness as I said it all out loud. Stacy brought a pitcher of the margaritas halfway through when we’d run out and filled back up our glasses.

“Okay, so how do you know that it’s not this whole Alpha Bitch thing that they love and really are using you because it will help them stay grounded?” she asked when I was done.

“Ouch, Jam,” I hissed when she put it like that.

“Yeah, sorry. Didn’t mean to make it sound so harsh but don’t tell me you haven’t wondered the same thing.”

“I have and they say it’s not that. I’m not really sure I get it but I believe they’d never just use me, if that makes sense.”

“Can I chip in here even though men should be seen and not heard in your ladies’ world?” Stacy asked with a smirk.

“We didn’t say that,” Jamie snickered and threw a pillow at him. “We just said the adults need to do some talking while the boys all shout it out like idiots. Then they’ll come in here and we won’t get a word in edgewise. I don’t like quiet men.”

“Good to know. And that gives me an idea of how to explain it better than I think Jared and Dean did. It’s not like Alpha Bitch is a title, like Queen of England, and they want to claim you because that’s who you are and all the perks it means for them. Substitute out ‘Alpha Bitch’ with ‘strong and commanding.’ Jamie, you said you don’t like quiet men. Okay, Dean and Jared are attracted to a strong and commanding woman, a leader.

“It’s the same as if someone says they like blondes. So you guys all liked each other and did the nasty. The wolf in them recognized you as an Alpha Bitch, which means safety and control for them. It also explains
why
you’re strong and commanding. The human part of them could give a rat’s ass if you’re an Alpha Bitch. They just like that you’re strong and will take charge because wolves need that. The
wolf
in them cares if you’re an Alpha Bitch.

“It means that they’ve found home basically. The wolf won’t accept a mate that can’t be like them one day and give them pups. I’m not saying they’re going to start pressuring you for children but a wolf represents basic instincts. He sees someone to keep him grounded and who can give him what he needs to have a full life. It’s kind of two separate things but not really.”

“That’s a way better explanation than what we gave her,” Dean said approvingly from the doorway.

“Yeah. Who explained things to you like that?” Jared asked Stacy.

“My parents. They died right before I got out. I couldn’t even go to the funeral and was on orders so I didn’t even know until a month after,” Stacy answered sadly.

“And I think how we all know how lost we can feel after losing your parents,” I said, giving Nate a meaningful look. His parents had died when he was in high school. He’d gotten into all kinds of trouble and had joined the military to get out of juvie and to get his record expunged. It set him on the right path and he was a better man for it but we knew what loss felt like.

“Yeah, I hear you. Fine, we don’t gut the twit,” Nate said with a sigh as he plopped down on the couch. Then his eyes went wide and he stood right back up. “Eeww. I’m not sitting there ever again.”

“Jamie said about the same thing,” I chuckled and glanced at my men. “So how do we do this? Is there like a ceremony or do you just scratch me down the aisle?”

“It’s private and you’ll be naked,” Jared answered, his lips twitching. “Do you want anyone to see us leave claw marks on you then fuck you?”

“Um, no. I’ve given one show for the day, thanks,” I snickered.

“Then we’ll do it tonight if you’re sober,” Dean said as he plucked away my drink. “You’re loud so I’m sure they’ll just
hear
you and smile that you’re claimed and happy.”

“Ass,” I grumbled. I couldn’t help if I was a screamer. No need to rub it in. That didn’t mean I wasn’t hiding a smirk. I was happy.

* * * *

“You need to decide where you want the marks. They’re permanent,” Jared said gently as we stood naked in our room later that night. I made a mental note that it was time to start cleaning out my grandparents’ room and boxing things up. My current room was too small for three adults. Maybe Jamie would help me since she was here and way better organized than me. “Kate, are you listening?”

“Yeah, just fidgety and my mind darting all over the place,” I mumbled as I kept moving back to hide from them. Just because I was starting to have an excellent sex life didn’t mean I was cool with just standing there naked as they stared at me. “Not sure. You guys pick. Or give me three options and I’ll pick one.”

“Kate, we don’t have to do this tonight,” Dean whispered as he pulled me into his arms. “We love you and you love us. That’s all that matters. We can claim you anytime. I don’t want you to be this scared.”

“I want this,” I sighed and hugged him back. “I think it’s just the two-minute throw up before someone walks down the aisle.”

“Care to explain that one?” he chuckled as he stroked my hair.

“In just about every movie or TV show that has a wedding, there’s always someone who looks like they want to puke out their guts two minutes before the wedding starts. It’s not because they don’t want to do it. It’s just the enormity of the situation and looking massive changes in your life in the face with a countdown.”

“That’s Kate logic for sure,” Jared chuckled as he moved behind me. “There’s no clock here, baby. We can do this whenever you’re ready.”

“No, I’m good. I just, don’t make me in charge of figuring out where the marks go. You guys understand this all better and I don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings by hiding them or making them seen and that’s not a good call either. Or I could get us all into trouble because someone caught a flash of them and thinks I’ve been attacked.”

“Okay, we get it,” Dean whispered and kissed my cheek. “We just didn’t want to tell you where to put them and then you didn’t like the spot. It’s normally somewhere intimate.” He ran his fingers over my inner thighs. “Like here.” The he moved over my hip bones. “Or here.”

“Personally, I’d like to see them here,” Jared purred as moved his hands to the top of my ass. “We’ll keep them small. No more than three or four inches.”

“How long until they heal? If we put them on my ass and I can’t sit or lie down afterwards, I’ll be really cranky.”

“As soon as I enter your sweet body, my marks will start to heal,” Dean answered with a shiver. “I like right above your ass too. That way when you wear those sleep pants that hang off your hips we can just pull them down a bit and see.”

“Okay,” I agreed, just glad the decision was made. They each gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before kneeling on the ground. I watched as my large, gorgeous men shifted into beautiful wolves. Really big wolves. I’m pretty sure they didn’t look that big in the wild but it wasn’t enough to seem that they weren’t real to anyone who didn’t know about werewolves.

And the crazy thing to me was that they looked exactly alike but I could tell who was who just like I could from behind always even though from the back there was no difference between them.

I winced as Jared went first. Yeah, that stung. Then Dean scratched me and I felt a few drops of blood on my ass but it wasn’t like gross gushing or anything. I barely had time to react to the pain before they shifted back and I was surrounded by naked male flesh as their hands and lips were everywhere.

“You’re ours now, Kate,” Jared whispered as if relieved and excited all at one. “Let’s get you healed up and complete the bonding.”

“Last chance to back out. Those marks will heal as if normal scratches if we don’t take you,” Dean warned me as Jared moved me onto the bed so I was on all fours.

“No, I want this. You guys are wonderful and love me. I love you both so much and I want us together forever.”

“Music to my ears,” Jared growled and pushed inside of me. “I can’t go slow and tease you tonight, Kate. I need this.”

“I’m ready. We’ve been having sex nonstop. You don’t have to be so gentle with me tonight if that’s what you need.”

“Thank you, baby,” he breathed as he snapped his hips. He took me hard and fast but I’m sure still not using his full strength. I felt his claw marks healing, which was kind of bizarre because humans just didn’t heal like that.

I realized Dean was sitting off to the side of the bed, watching me and my reactions, but giving Jared and I the space to bond. That was one of the reasons I loved him. He never pushed and always knew when to just
be
.

Jared made sure I found my release first and he followed me right over. He pulled out of me and flopped on the bed, spent and exhausted. I was too but I would never leave Dean hard and wanting. I crawled over to him and moved to straddle his lap.

“You’re sure?” he whispered, his eyes full of vulnerability. “I just need to know that we didn’t push you into this. That this is truly what you want. That
I’m
what you want.”

“I know I’m not very mushy or romantic. I won’t ever gush all over you or give a list of reasons and ways I love you. But when I say something, I always mean it deep down. I love you both and I want you to be mine. I want us to be a family and
maybe
one day expand that family. All I know is the idea of not waking up with you here or the risk of losing you cripples me. I wouldn’t survive losing you so I’m going to selfishly tie myself to you both even if you get the raw end of the deal.”

“Yeah, we’re so abused,” he chuckled as he brushed his lips over mine. “I love you so much, Kate. Don’t get mad at me if I do get mushy because you bring it out in me. I want to get you flowers and take long bubble baths together. I want to lie by the fire and read to you.”

“Sounds nice. I wouldn’t say no.” I smiled as I lowered my hips, taking him inside of me. “No regrets?”

“Yes, but not about you,” he mumbled before kissing me again. That was odd. And then it hit me. We never talked about what Nate had said about their time in the service.

Balls.

But now was not the time to bring that up so I let it go and enjoyed basically saying my vows to Dean with my body. We finished together and I slumped against him when I was spent. I got a moment of rest and a few kisses from him before I was pulled off his lap. I let out a shocked yelp and realized it was Jared.

“You’re really ours now. You can’t get rid of us or go back on this,” he practically shouted as he spun me around.

“You make it sound like I’m going to start seeing your true colors now and you’ve been hiding who you really were from me,” I chuckled nervously.

“No,” he snickered as he stopped spinning me and set me on my feet. “I’m just excited. Nothing can keep us apart or take you away from us now. We’ll be together forever.”

“Let’s get cleaned up and have a nightcap by the fireplace. Something was on your mind that you want to ask us about,” Dean said quietly, always knowing what I was feeling.

“Yeah. We were supposed to discuss it before but we didn’t get to it.”

“You want to know what happened to us when we were in the Marines,” Jared mumbled, his face paling slightly. “Yeah, we can give you the short version.”

I nodded in agreement. I didn’t want them to relive all the sordid details. I just wanted to know the truth.

Ten minutes later we were sitting in front of the fire with a drink. They were both in pajama pants only and their naked chests were distracting me.