Ethan scanned Hannah’s property before pulling into her garage. He’d taken a risk coming out to her place. Not because he worried about being seen by a Kagan pack member. He didn’t care if her family found out he’d been in her bed. Noah’s involvement in their life complicated things, however. Ethan was confident her family would come to accept their arrangement out of love for her. Noah had agreed with his assumption. They’d want her happiness above all else.
What Noah didn’t want was for Mindy’s Aunt Nona to find out. Ethan had insisted the older woman would need to learn the truth. Noah couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not yet. For the time being, they’d agreed not to broadcast his connection to Ethan and Hannah, and that meant making sure the Kagan Pack protectors, who watched the main road leading into their territory, didn’t see Noah enter.
But if word got back to Nona? Well, Ethan figured it would save him the arguments.
The garage door rumbled and creaked, then clunked closed. He slipped from the driver’s seat, shoving his phone and keys in his pocket, and settled his gaze on where Hannah stood leaning against the doorjamb in a short black robe. Affection and lust burned in her eyes. He let the same flare in his, then turned his back on her and tugged the blanket off the male hiding in the backseat of his car.
A wicked grin spread across Noah’s face. “Hello, lover. Funny meeting you here.”
“Very lucky, you mean. I need you.” Ethan fisted Noah’s shirt and yanked him from the car, kicking the door shut behind him. Noah let out an oomph Ethan swallowed on a hard kiss. He led the other male in a passionate melding of their mouths they hadn’t shared in months.
Noah linked his arms around Ethan’s chest, accepting his demands, and allowed Ethan to support him. The moment Noah arched into him, Ethan lost what little control he had. He pushed Noah against the car, caging him in with his legs locked on either side of Noah’s thighs, and devoured him as completely as Ethan had taken Hannah’s mouth the night before.
It felt good to hold the strong dominant in his arms, knowing Noah would let Ethan do anything he wanted to him, over and over, until Ethan was spent and too weak to move. He slid his hands under Noah’s shirt and dragged his fingers over his muscles. The dips and grooves of his perfect body set Ethan on fire.
His. The male was his.
Ethan broke their kiss and stared into the face of his lover, the one he’d neglected for too many months. Noah panted softly, and his wet, slightly swollen lips tempted Ethan to dip his head and taste Noah again, but Ethan only had a few moments before Hannah worked up the courage to approach them.
He slipped his hand to the back of Noah’s neck and bent close, holding him in place. “I love you. Don’t forget that, no matter how much of a possessive, domineering jerk I might act toward you tonight. I need to be in charge. To show my wolf you’re mine too, and you’re not trying to steal Hannah. That you want to please her. Please me. You understand?”
Noah grabbed Ethan’s backend with one hand and skimmed the fingers of his other hand in a gentle caress over Ethan’s back. The two extremes tore a shaky breath from him. He dropped his head against Noah’s shoulder. Deep inhales filled Ethan’s lungs with Noah’s scent while the small licks of his lover’s tongue over Ethan’s throat skipped sparks of awareness down his spine.
“I want that, Ethan. Actually, I need the reminder that you desire me too. That you’re not just going to replace me.”
“No.” Ethan turned his head and nipped at Noah’s neck, biting hard enough to leave the imprint of his teeth on Noah’s skin. It was the most Ethan dared do in order to show Noah who he belonged to. Noah’s pleased sigh rewarded Ethan. “Never. Hannah’s a gift to both of us. We’ll treasure her, not use her as a substitute.”
Noah nodded and squeezed Ethan tight once more before dropping his arms. Ethan sensed why too. Hannah had taken a couple of steps into the garage but hadn’t closed the distance between them, probably unsure of her welcome. She still didn’t grasp the power she held over them, something Ethan planned to change before the night was over.
He stepped away from Noah and went to her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her as deeply as he had Noah. She curled her fingers around Ethan’s neck and went limp in his embrace. He grinned against her lips and broke their kiss by swinging her into his arms and carrying her into the kitchen, but he paused near the table to steal another kiss from his female.
Noah stepped behind him and grabbed the waistband of Ethan’s sweats, brushing his knuckles against Ethan’s skin. The first low growl of his wolf echoed in his body, but not as aggressively as it had radiated within him yesterday. He tightened his control over the animal, demanding its obedience, but the effort left him tense.
He ground his teeth, annoyed by the primitive animal he housed. He had so little time to love Noah and Hannah before Ethan became alpha. He needed to make sure his wolf accepted their arrangement before then. They didn’t have the opportunity to work through their issues slowly.
Hannah ran her hands over his chest. “Ethan, kiss me again. I want your lips on mine.”
So did he, but it wouldn’t prove anything to his wolf. It already knew he desired her. “In a minute. I wasn’t done kissing Noah. I want more of his lips before I take yours.”
Noah stepped around them, not needing any direction as to where he was supposed to go. The knowledge that he understood what Ethan wanted pleased him. Noah slid his hands under Hannah’s body, placing his arms next to Ethan’s so their skin touched. Ethan’s wolf went silent. Either from the familiarity of Noah’s body or the presence of Hannah’s, Ethan couldn’t pinpoint the reason for its peace. He was glad, though. The slow swipe of Noah’s tongue along his bottom lip made Ethan’s mouth water.
“Well?” Noah cocked a brow. “Are you going to kiss me or not?”
“Come closer, and I will.”
Noah leaned over Hannah’s body. Eyes closed and mouth opened slightly, he looked inviting and eager. The small sign of submission only cranked up Ethan’s hungers.
He tilted his head and dragged his flattened tongue over Noah’s lips before slipping inside and claiming Noah’s mouth with deep strokes.
Hannah released a shuddering breath and squirmed in their arms. They both took a small step closer to each other, locking Hannah firmly between them, and continued to kiss, deeper and more sensually than they had in a long time.
For so many years, their encounters had been limited. Whenever they grabbed a chance to be together, lust had ruled. It simmered between them with Hannah in their arms, but there was more than desire fueling the dance of their tongues. Love passed between them. Hannah’s tentative caress on his jaw intensified it.
“Beautiful.”
Her single whispered word pulled Ethan’s attention to her and ended the sensual kiss with Noah, at least for the moment. Hannah’s dilated eyes matched the praise she’d given. She’d enjoyed the show.
“It was, but so are you.” Ethan bent and gave her another kiss, but she quickened the strokes, demanding more than the reverence he offered. He eased back and glanced at Noah before he gave in to her. “Your turn. Kiss her until you know she’ll do anything for us.”
Noah inclined his head, then glanced at Hannah. “You already will. Won’t you, love?”
Ethan slipped one hand free and pressed against the back of Noah’s head, urging him closer to Hannah. “I said kiss her, not talk to her.”
Noah’s soft chuckle reached Ethan’s ears before it became muffled by Hannah’s mouth. She’d stretched forward and kissed him, taking the choice out of his hands. Noah growled and took her from Ethan’s arms, then pushed her back against Ethan’s chest and ate at her mouth with barely leashed hunger. The sight pleased Ethan.
“Beautiful.” He repeated the praise Hannah had given.
Too caught up in the moment, neither of them responded to Ethan’s whispered word. He didn’t mind. It gave him a chance to watch them together. Ethan let his wolf feel what it did to him. How aroused it made him to see Noah lost in the moment.
Noah ran his hands over Hannah’s sides and yanked at the ties of her robe, tugging the knot free, but he didn’t part the material. He grasped her wrists and pulled them taut over her head. She gasped, the sound swallowed by Noah’s crazed kiss. He released her arms, but she didn’t drop them. She arched, pushing her shoulders into Ethan’s chest, and grabbed at his head, holding on tight while Noah kissed her.
“Yes.” Ethan closed his eyes and enjoyed the pinch of her nails in his scalp. “Kiss her harder. I want to hear her whimper for you.”
Noah kept loving her mouth, over and over, until she offered up the soft sound Ethan craved, but Hannah’s restless squirming demanded more. Ethan reached around her body and touched her. More moans rewarded him, but her quicker breaths spoke of how excited she’d grown from only their kiss. He wanted to satisfy her, completely.
They might not be able to have sex with her on his pack’s sacred grounds for fear of being discovered, but the Kagan’s ceremonial circle was close. Her pack spirit would bless them, guaranteeing they’d always be drawn to each other. He was certain of it.
She would know the depth of his commitment to her then. The significance of the act wouldn’t be lost on her. He would never experience the same passion in any other female’s arms as he would with Hannah. She’d own him, maybe not literally, but she’d be the only woman who would be able to bring him to his knees and make him beg. Then again, he’d have the same rights. That appealed to him. He didn’t mind admitting it either.
He fisted Noah’s hair and tugged, forcing him to break the kiss, then waited for him to meet Ethan’s gaze. “She’s mine next.”
“Then I get to hold her while you make her come.”
“You see, lover, that’s not how this is going to work.” Ethan repeated the words Noah had given the night before. “I want her, and I’m taking her as is my right.”
“Your right?” Confusion pinched Hannah’s brows.
He nodded, a slow dip of his head that left her gazing at him wide-eyed. “I’m going to make love to you for the first time on the ceremonial field in the way of an alpha. You understand what that means, don’t you? That your body will belong to me just as mine will be yours?”
“Yes.” Barely audible, the single word held excitement.
He grinned. “And after I’m done loving you, Noah will. He’s going to take you while I watch and fill you up too. When I said you’d belong to us, I meant it, even if it’s only symbolic. He will claim you every way I do, so if that’s not what you want, tell me now, and we’ll…”
They’d what? Anything else would cut Noah out of their life…out of their eternity. He was certain of it.
“I want Noah. I want you. Both of you, every way I can take you.” Hannah turned in his arms and rested her palms against his chest. “But what are you talking about? You don’t have the right to make love to me on your pack’s sacred grounds or mine. You’re not from the alpha family. You were born to beta parents.”
Ethan covered her hands. “Yes, I was raised by two wonderful, amazing beta shifters, but I was born by an emergency caesarian section performed on the old alpha’s mate the night Michael took over. I’m the last Jager male, and with you by my side, I’m going to reclaim my pack.”
Hannah blinked a couple of times but didn’t say anything for a long moment. Finally, she whispered, “How did you find out?”
He sensed the danger looming ahead but couldn’t lie to Hannah. She needed to understand everything. “My foster mother told me. I was more aggressive than my brother, Owen, and used to push him away from her whenever she gave him attention.”
Ethan rubbed at the back of his neck. The exact memories had faded, but he hadn’t forgotten any of the times his brother had cried because of him. “I was more dominant and acted on it. I’m not proud of it, but I was only three or four at the time. I didn’t know any better. Once she explained why, I worked hard not to treat Owen differently. We aren’t animals, she’d said. We’re brothers, if only by love.”
Anger flashed across Hannah’s expression. She scrunched her nose and shoved him, catching him off guard. He stumbled into the counter at his back and grabbed on to the edge so as not to fall on his backside.
She stood there, his little warrior, with her fists curled at her sides and body vibrating. “Excuse me? You knew you were the old alpha’s son for what… Fifty years?”
He dipped his head. “About that, give or take a year.”
She took a step forward, then another until she invaded his personal space. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and tugged, forcing him to her eye level. “So you knew you were the rightful shifter to house your pack’s spirit and that you were strong enough to take it back from Michael. Am I following this correctly?”
He sighed. “Yes.”
“So why haven’t you? You’ve told me how unhappy you were with the way Michael ruled your pack. You’ve even questioned whether or not he’s the one responsible for the horrible accidents that have plagued your pack mates. So why have you let them suffer?”
Noah stepped next to her. “Aren’t you even a little bit happy that he didn’t challenge Michael? Had Ethan claimed his pack upon maturity, he would’ve taken a mate and had at least one kid with her by now.” Noah narrowed his eyes. “And you would’ve missed out on us.”
“Of course, I’m grateful for that.” She glanced from Noah to him, an imploring look in her eyes. “But I don’t understand how a dominant as strong as you are could just stand by and watch Michael cleanse your pack of members he deems unimportant. Explain it to me, Ethan. Please. Because it sounds selfish to me.”
“Selfish?” Noah spun her to face him. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. Ethan has done everything he could to help our pack. He’s invested nearly every dollar he’s earned and has been slipping money to our pack mates in need. He’s also been manipulating Michael so he doesn’t fly off the handle and punish someone whenever something goes wrong.”
“And that’s great, but it doesn’t explain why he let him live!” She spat the words in Noah’s face.
“Ethan had to. He…” Noah ground his teeth. “Can’t you just be glad he’s able to claim you?” He cupped her face in his hands. “He’s going to soul-bond to you. Love you for eternity. I want him to do that. I want him to hold you close so you’re never alone.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “Being alone hurts, Hannah. I don’t want you to ever experience it.”
Ethan ran his hand down Noah’s back before pulling Hannah close. She didn’t fight him. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. “The truth is that I didn’t challenge Michael because I couldn’t take a mate.”
Her expression softened. “You were waiting for your true mate.”
He wanted to agree, knowing it would make her feel special. It’d be a lie. He refused to tell her any.
“I was waiting for a female to arouse me.” At her pinched brow, he sighed. “No female before you ever got a rise out of me. I couldn’t become alpha without a mate. You know how it works. Without a mate, I can’t produce an heir. Every dominant from our pack and across the states would’ve challenged me.”
She mapped his face with her gaze. Trying to pick out his lie, maybe? He didn’t know, nor did he want to guess what she thought.
Hannah rested her hand over his cheek. “How is that possible?”
He leaned into her touch and closed his eyes. “I don’t know. I felt like a failure for so long. Other than Noah, I’ve never wanted anyone else sexually.”
She sucked in a breath. “You…”
“Yes.” He met her shocked gaze. “You heard me right. You and Noah are the only two people I ever got aroused for.” Ethan took her hand in his and twined their fingers. “Now do you understand why I struggled with my attraction to you? I couldn’t bear the thought of losing Noah in order to be with you, and it was driving me mad.”
He held his other hand out to Noah. The moment their fingers met, Ethan drew him close. “I love you both, more than either of you can ever imagine. I don’t care if we call each other true mates or mates of the heart. You’re both mine. Simple as that.”
Emotions painted themselves across Hannah’s face. From disbelief to confusion to happiness—the rampant flowed through her. He took satisfaction in seeing every one, not because he enjoyed upsetting her. The pleasure came from knowing she trusted him enough to share them.
Ethan brushed the edge of their joined hand over her cheek. “I see the questions in your eyes. Ask whatever is bothering you. I want no secrets or doubts between us.”
“I’ve heard you keep regular human…umm…”
A smile tugged at his lips. Ethan bit his inner cheek to keep it at bay. “Hookers?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “How could you if…”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “I do have several women who I would visit every couple of weeks. I paid them to have dinner with me and keep my secret. Pathetic, I know, but I needed to maintain an image. Those women provided it.”
“It’s not.” Hannah smiled, a full, beautiful one that spread warmth through him. “I’m sure they enjoyed your company.”
All the odd friendships he’d developed over the years surfaced. The joy on their faces when he’d shown up with take-out bags or ingredients for meals had been a treat he’d savored.
“They did.” Ethan smiled as memories skipped across his mind. “It was still pathetic, but I had no choice. I couldn’t let anyone suspect the truth. How could I? It would’ve made me appear weak. I hated feeling less of a male, and even tried pleasuring shifter females years ago, hoping their arousal would spark mine. It didn’t work. Nothing did, not until I met—”
“Me.” Her whispered word held awe.
“Yes, not until you.” Ethan linked his arms around Hannah’s waist. “And now that you know the truth, do you still want me?”
She kissed him. Love—that was what he felt in every soft stroke of her tongue against his. He gave it back, pouring his feelings into her. It wasn’t hard when she held him. Hannah made it easy, actually. It was impossible not to give her everything.
She eased back and glanced between him and Noah. “Yes. I want both of you, but if we go to my pack’s ceremonial field, there’s a chance we might get caught. Granted, it’s a slim chance. Only the alpha family has the right to go there on any night other than the full moon, and I doubt Nic will be there. Riley’s been tired because of the babies.”
Ethan skimmed his hand over her hair, smoothing the wayward strands. “Would any of your pack mates betray our secret?”
“No, but…” Hannah peeked at Noah. He watched her through narrowed eyes. She turned away, shaking her head. “Nothing, it’s nothing.”
Noah’s nostrils flared. “She doesn’t want anyone to know I’m going to be a part of her life.”
She faced Noah. “I didn’t say that. I was merely—”
“Enough.” Ethan’s command dropped between them, silencing both of them. He tied Hannah’s robe, then swung her into his arms. “We can’t expect this to be easy. Each of us needs to grow accustomed to our unusual relationship.”
He glanced at Noah, letting him see the warning in his eyes not to ruin their fragile arrangement. “It’ll take time, which we’re short on at the moment. We have our life ahead of us to strengthen our bond, but only tonight to love Hannah for the first time.”
Noah nodded sharply. “I’ll go on ahead and make sure there’s nobody nearby.”
He turned and strode out of the house before Ethan could call him back.
“I didn’t mean to upset him. It’s just that…” She nibbled her lip.
“I understand. We both do.”
“Do you? I’m excited about the idea of being with the two of you, but it feels naughty, like I should be ashamed to want any other male besides my mate.” Hannah turned imploring eyes on him. “As a female shifter, we’re raised thinking we’ll only love our mate, even if he’s not our true mate.”
Ethan gave her a wan smile. “I felt like an jerk for six months thinking the same thing. I’m tired of fighting fate. Somehow, I have two mates. I’m not stupid enough to turn my back on either of you, so let’s take the leap of faith and love each other.” He skimmed his gaze to her body. “And I’ve waited a long time to lose myself in a woman. I don’t want to wait another hour, let alone another night.”
“Neither do I, Ethan. Neither do I.” She kissed his throat and slid her hand over his stomach. “So let’s make this one memorable.”