Defying Pack Law (10 page)

Dana had never understood the whole ménage
thing in the bedroom. In her world, it was one man, one woman at a
time. She’d avoided books of that type due to her pack experience.
But ever since John had spoken to her, she couldn’t stop thinking
about it, wondering how it would feel. To end up the focus of so
many hands, tongues, and cocks . . .

Her train of thought appalled her, yet it also
excited her. Could she find pleasure in such a naughty scenario?
How would the mechanics of it work? Who would put what where? How
could she even contemplate it?

Could I try it without binding
myself as their mate? A trial run, so to speak.
She bit her lip at the naughty thought.

She wore a path in the rug with her
back-and-forth pacing. So intent was she with her inner dialogue,
she didn’t hear someone enter.

“
Thinking of me, darling?” said a
voice from right behind her.

Dana screamed and whirled. With a survival
instinct cultivated over twelve years on the run, she thrust and
kicked without pause. And both her shots connected. The blond pup,
who had snuck up on her, folded over and hit the floor
groaning.

Dana immediately felt contrite and dropped to
the floor beside him. “I’m sorry. You scared the hell out of
me.”

A heart-stopping minute later, she found
herself yanked on top of him. She peered at him in shock and saw
him watching her back with a wide grin. He was also very happy to
see her judging by the thickness that nudged the apex of her
thighs. If the tingling that raced through her body at his
proximity was any indication, her body didn’t mind, and in fact
rejoiced.

“
I’ll forgive you for a kiss,” he
said.

Dana almost laughed. His outrageous claim
should have put her hackles up, but he truly did look adorable
lying there with his blond hair in disarray and twinkling green
eyes. His lips quirked at her perusal, and she found herself
unconsciously moving closer, caving in to his request. As soon as
she realized it, twelve years of habit kicked in. She halted
herself and smiled sweetly. “Not likely.” Then, offering a mental
apology, she kneed him.

She didn’t stop to admire his lovely shade of
purple, although she did cringe as she heard him gasp for air as
she fled out the open bedroom door and ran smack dab into an
implacable chest.

“
Caught you. Again.”

Dana sighed as she looked up at
Nathan, who steadied her with hands that kept the sizzle in her
body going.
Damned hormones.
She expected to see storm clouds in his eyes at
her impromptu flight, but instead, he met her gaze with a smile so
sweet it made her knees wobble. He mistook her sudden swaying for
something else and tightened his grasp on her.

“
Are you all right?”

She couldn’t answer with words, but did blush
as her action of the previous moment caught up to her.

“
Where’s Kody?” he asked, his smile
fading. “Did he do something?”

“
Who?” Then she clicked in. “Oh, if
you mean Blondie, he’s having a private moment with his nuts right
now.” Nathan winced, and she grinned. “Care to join
him?”

He dropped his hands from her and stepped back.
Dana could almost see him mentally debating whether to cup his
hands over his groin or not. “I thought I’d give him a hand
escorting you down to dinner. I’m beginning to think I should have
brought John too.”

“
Wimp.” She pushed past him,
shivering at the electricity that coursed through her body at the
simple touch.

“
Hot damn, Nathan. I think she broke
me.”

Dana bit her lip as she heard Kody
moaning he’d never make love again.
Well
that would be a shame, because by the feel of him, he’s got a lot
of love to give.

She made it down the stairs and then
stopped dead at the view. Floor-to-ceiling windows spanned the two
stories of the home and looked out over a forest. The house,
perched on some kind of bluff, had a fantastic view, which somehow
seemed familiar.
But, I don’t remember
ever being in a house like this
.

“
Beautiful, isn’t it?” Nathan’s
breath tickled her ear. He’d snuck up on her and she barely held in
a startled shriek. “I had it built specifically for you. I remember
how you used to love coming to this spot and holding out your arms
and claiming that when you stood there, you felt like the queen of
the forest.”

Dana turned to look at him. “You remember that?
God, I was only, like, eight when I used to play that game. I
didn’t even think you knew I existed back then.”

“
Oh, I knew. I might not have shown
it until you were older, but I always kept an eye on
you.”

His confession disturbed her, and Dana turned
away again to move closer to the windows. Now that he’d pointed it
out, she could recognize some landmarks, while other areas looked
alien. The forest had grown considerably in her absence, and the
realization of their location made tears prick her eyes. “You
brought me back to the compound.”

“
I brought you home,” he
corrected.

Dana couldn’t face him with her eyes wet.
Instead she reached a hand out and touched the cold glass. “Home
for you, maybe. But to me it was a hell I couldn’t wait to escape.”
Especially once Nathan betrayed her.

“
I can’t change the past, Dana. I
wish I could if it would make things right between us.”

“
Yeah, well, you know what my dad
used to say about wishes. Speaking of whom, where is that old
bastard? I’m surprised he’s not here with a silver leash to make
sure I do his bidding.” Dana couldn’t help the bitterness when she
thought of her father. She’d had years to realize his treatment of
her was unhealthy and abusive. Even now as a grown woman, she
shivered at the fear he’d trap her and force her to do his bidding,
make her life a living hell.

“
He’s dead, Dana. He died of liver
disease about three years after you left. He can’t hurt you
anymore.”

Dana had speculated on what had
happened to her father over the years she’d lived in hiding, woken
up more than once in a cold sweat thinking he’d found her and
brought his thick leather belt. She’d also asked herself many a
time how she’d feel if he died. With Nathan’s announcement, she
queried her emotions—and felt . . .
nothing. Wait, that’s not true. I’m glad that miserable
bastard died.

“
Well, that’s the first bit of good
news I’ve heard,” she announced a tad too brightly.

“
Dana—” Nathan reached to grab her,
but she spun away from him. She didn’t need comforting.

“
I’m fine, Nathan.”

“
I know you guys didn’t always get
along, but it’s okay to mourn him.”

Dana gaped at him. “Didn’t get along? The man
was a sick pig. Remember how your dad used to beat you? Well guess
what? So did mine.”

Nathan frowned. “What are you talking about? I
know he was strict, but I would have remembered seeing
bruises.”

Dana laughed, the shrill sound a little crazed.
“My father knew better than to mark a female Lycan where others
would see. Even a dormant one. He did it where people wouldn’t see,
using his fists or his belt depending on his mood. A shirt and
pants cover backs and asses. It didn’t make his abuse any less
real.”

The pity in Nathan’s eyes made her want to cry.
“I didn’t know.”

“
And so what if you had? What would
you have done?”

“
Killed him,” he said in a dark
voice.

“
Too late. The alcohol beat you to
it. So, now maybe you understand why I think the world is a better
place now that he’s gone. Thanks for making my day. Now, I’m
starved. Where’s the food? I assume you Neanderthals ordered
in.”

“
Did anyone ever tell you that you
are a feminist? Just because we’re men doesn’t mean we can’t handle
ourselves in a kitchen.” John’s soothing voice from behind her
somehow sucked some of her anger away.
The
man is like walking Prozac.

Dana turned to see John enter the living room
brandishing a wooden spoon. She couldn’t help but smile at him,
thankful for his timely interruption. “Oh please, don’t tell me
you’re a doctor and you cook?”

John brandished the spoon with mock menace,
then smiled sheepishly. “Actually, I just stir. Nathan there is the
true chef, while Kody is the pastry king.”

Dana pivoted back to Nathan, who shrugged. “I
needed a hobby to occupy me when you left. Apparently I can’t bash
heads in every day.”

Dana shook her head. Nathan just kept
surprising her, and reminded her just how little she’d truly known
about him. Actually, how little they’d known about each
other.

Kody, who’d made it down the stairs, if
somewhat ashen-faced, waved at her and even managed a
smile.

Chagrin enveloped her, especially when she
realized he wasn’t going to yell at her for hurting him so bad.
“I’m sorry. Instincts, you know.” She shrugged and gave him a small
smile.

“
Forget it, darling. As one of your
chosen, I count myself lucky because I know you held back from
causing permanent damage. Although, if you insist on kissing it
better, I won’t argue.”

Dana’s mouth rounded into an
O
of surprise, and before
she knew it, she’d grabbed a carved figurine from a side table and
whipped it at Kody, who caught it without batting an
eye.

“
I hope we get this mating thing
over with quick because I’m beginning to doubt my ability to
survive the courtship,” Kody said, turning the statue over in his
hands.

Dana knew the right thing at that moment was to
tell Kody, and even John, for that matter, that she had no
intention of taking any of them as a mate, including Nathan, but
she didn’t want to. Not just yet at least.

She didn’t want to analyze her reasons too
closely, but one thing became glaringly obvious. This was the most
fun she’d had in years. Even stranger, even though she had three
Lycans vying for her affection, she didn’t feel threatened in any
way. Actually, the knot of tension from always being on the lookout
had loosened since she’d woken in their care.

Oh, fuck me, don’t tell I’m going
to cave to my hormones and let all three of them mark me.
Although, if she took all three as her mates at
once, it would make for an interesting wedding night.

Looking around at the three guys, she frowned.
“What happened to the fourth guy?”

“
That other guy is called Jeff, and
he’s graciously declined your offer given he’s just about engaged
to someone else,” John replied, tucking her hand in his arm to lead
her to the dining area.

Dana held in her sigh of relief at the news.
She had enough troubles trying to figure a way out of the mess she
found herself in—and imagine ways for it to get more twisted and
naked—to worry about a fourth possible suitor. But, she didn’t let
them know that. “Oh. Well, I’m sure I’ll find someone else to
complete our happy little family.”

Nathan growled. Kody laughed, and John just
patted her hand. “See, I knew you’d come around to the whole
multimate thing. The more the merrier. Just think of all the
tongues in play.”

And with those shocking words from
the doctor she’d mistaken for calm, she was seated.
Now if only I was hungry for food instead of the
picture he just painted in my mind.

* * * *

Kody hung back as Nathan and John
flanked Dana, enjoying the swaying view of Dana’s ass.
Hot damn, I can’t wait to sink into
that.

Kody refused to view his throbbing cock from
her earlier attempt to incapacitate him as a setback. A lesson,
yes, but one well worth it given what he’d learned. One, Dana
wasn’t as immune to him as she pretended. Two, she felt bad about
hurting him. Three, she had the cutest blush when embarrassed, and
he couldn’t wait to see it on her face when he fucked her for the
first time. And four, not only did she ooze with beauty, she
possessed a deadly side to her that didn’t take any
shit.

Other men might have shied from her violent
side, or worse, tried to beat it out of her. Kody, however, liked
that she had spirit and didn’t fear standing up for herself. He’d
seen too many women who thought nothing of letting men walk all
over them. Not that she needed to worry about that with him. Kody
only had the greatest of respect for women, in and out of bed,
despite his naughty innuendos. He’d never imagined getting collared
so young, but from the moment he’d laid eyes on Dana, an urge to
claim her and protect her almost overwhelmed him—and made his
usually placid wolf pace in his mind. Folks talked about love at
first sight—or the mating instinct at first scent—and Kody had
laughed. No longer.

He and his inner wolf couldn’t wait to put
their mark on Dana and sink his cock into her glorious heat. Sure,
given her prickly nature, they would probably butt heads on a
regular basis, but he could almost guarantee the makeup sex after
would rock both their worlds.