The Alpha's to Share: A BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance (14 page)

Callie’s stomach grumbled impatiently, but she refused to acknowledge it. She was tired, hungry, her ankle throbbed painfully, and she needed a bath. It was making her extremely cranky.

A twig popped behind her, and she startled. Willow approached her, and Callie could see from her expression that she was not the bearer of good news.

“Seth was mad,” Willow said softly. “I tried to talk to him, Callie, but he wouldn’t listen.”

Callie sighed and said, “God, I need a nice, long bath.”

“The best I can do is to take you to the hot springs,” Willow said.

“Hot springs?”

“It’s a natural spring that flows with hot water,” Willow said. “You can bathe there.”

“That would be divine!” Callie exclaimed. “Let’s go right now!”

Callie followed Willow along a winding path that cut through the trees. She could tell that the sun was setting, casting an amber hue upon everything around her. She wasn’t fond of the idea of being in the forest at night, and she wanted to bathe and get back to the den quickly.

The hot springs wasn’t too far from the den. It was a large pool with a bubbling center surrounded by mossy rocks and little flowering shrubs that danced with bees gathering nectar.

“It’s very hot,” Willow warned her.

Callie tested the water with her toe and smiled. “It’s perfect,” she said. “I take baths this hot at home all the time.”

Callie quickly got out of her clothes and stepped into the water, wincing as the heat surrounded her cool skin, but quickly settling in. She leaned back against a rock and closed her eyes, savoring the heat as it bubbled against her, relaxing away her stress and easing the swelling in her ankle.

She heard a cricket chirp, and it yanked her out of her relaxation. Her eyes popped open, and she saw Willow sitting patiently on a stump with darkness beginning to seep into the forest.

“Oh, it’s getting late!” Callie gasped.

She quickly dunked her head under water and tried to wash her hair and her body as well as she could. Just as she was stepping out of the water, she heard the snapping of twigs, and she yanked up her clothes and covered herself as Wyatt approached.

“Wyatt, what the hell are you doing here?” Willow shouted. “This is a private moment!”

“Oh, get over it, Willow,” Wyatt groaned. “Ivy told me you two came to the hot springs and I came to escort you home.”

“Ivy,” Willow groaned.

“That little mink can be quite useful at times,” Wyatt chuckled.

“Can you turn around?” Callie demanded, clutching her clothes against the front of her naked body as she shivered.

“But of course,” Wyatt said with a bow, and he turned away.

Callie quickly struggled into her clothes, wishing she had brought the clean dress with her instead of these she’d been wearing for days. She squeezed her dripping hair onto the ground and shook her head, splashing water everywhere.

“Hey!” Willow giggled.

“Are you ready to head back to the den?” Wyatt asked, still facing away from her.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Callie agreed.

Wyatt was silent during their walk, and Willow and Callie kept casting glances at each other as if not knowing what to say. Upon approaching the den, Seth was waiting for them. He had his arms crossed, but his expression was blank.

“I heard you took her to the hot springs,” Seth said to Willow.

“She wanted a bath,” Willow explained.

“Next time, please ask for an escort,” Seth admonished her. “You know there are bears in that area. It’s a borderland.”

“Yes, I know,” Willow said. “But it’s neutral territory. They wouldn’t dare attack there.”

“Bears are notoriously unpredictable,” Seth reminded her. “Besides, I’d rather take no chances when it comes to Callie’s safety.”

“That’s why I went after them as soon as Ivy told me where they’d gone,” Wyatt said.

Seth nodded a begrudging acknowledgement, and then he said to Callie, “I’ve prepared dinner for you. And you two may join us, if you wish.”

Willow’s eyes widened at Wyatt, who shrugged.

“Thank you, brother,” Wyatt said.

They all followed Seth into the den, where the glorious scent of stew made Callie’s stomach grumble noisily. She was famished, and whatever he’d prepared, whatever stew was bubbling in the huge cauldron by the bonfire, smelled like the best thing in the world.

Seth went straight to his perch above the room, and four bowls of stew were already laid out on the ground, along with four cups of what appeared to be water.

“Everyone, please have a seat,” Seth said, taking his traditional position.

Callie sat beside him to his left, Willow to Callie’s left, and Wyatt sat at Seth’s right side.

“Everyone, eat,” Seth encouraged them.

For several minutes, the room was silent other than the scraping of wooden spoons against wooden bowls and the occasional slurp of stew or water. Callie devoured the bowl of stew quickly and secretly wished for more, but she didn’t want to appear greedy.

When everyone was finished, Seth cleared his throat and said, “We all need to talk.”

Here it comes
, thought Callie. She was certain Seth had fed them to soften the blow of some bad news he was about to reveal. Maybe he was about to ask her to leave because of all the trouble she was causing the pack.

“Willow has presented me with an idea, and as much as I detest it, I think it seems to be our only real option,” Seth said. Willow and Callie exchanged glances, and Wyatt looked totally lost.

Seth went on, “Wyatt, you’re my brother, and nothing should ever come between us. A lot has over the years, but that needs to come to an end. We must be strong for our pack, and for our mate.”

“
Our
… mate?” Wyatt asked cautiously.

“Willow has suggested that we perform the Bond of Three, Seth said. “And under the circumstances, I think that is the only option we have.”

“You mean… share her?” Wyatt asked. “Share Callie?”

Seth nodded and said, “I’d rather this than fight with you, brother.”

“Do you think it will work?” Wyatt asked. “I mean, I’ve heard it does. I’ve heard that all jealousy and rivalry is erased when the bond is made, but… do you buy that? Really?”

“You bought into Madge and her fortunetelling,” Seth shrugged. “If you can believe that, I think you can believe this.”

“I’m willing to try it if you are,” Wyatt said.

They all turned to Callie, whose face reddened at the sudden attention and being put on the spot. She hid her face behind a curtain of red hair.

“This is for the best,” Willow urged her. “You’ll grow to love it in time.”

“You know, it was a difficult adjustment to think of becoming the mate of a shifter in the first place, but Madge assured me it was the right thing to do,” Callie said. “But this? I mean… it’s a stretch.”

“You like them both, don’t you?” Willow asked.

Callie’s eyes shifted nervously between the two men, and both seemed to be waiting patiently for her answer.

“I really don’t know either one that well,” Callie said. “I just met Wyatt, and I’ve only known Seth for a few days. This is just so… sudden.”

“You find them attractive, right?” Willow asked.

“Well, yes,” Callie admitted, her cheeks heating.

“And you think they’re both nice, right?” Willow asked.

“Yes, from what little I know of them,” Callie said.

“Do you trust me?” Willow asked.

Callie thought for a moment, and she realized that she felt closer to Willow than either of the guys at the time. Willow was so easy to talk to, and so genuine.

“Yes, I trust you completely,” Callie answered.

“Then listen to me when I tell you my brothers are honorable,” Willow said. “You will grow to love them. You will be happy with them. I know it. And Madge wouldn’t have sent you here if she hadn’t seen this coming.”

“Then why didn’t she prepare me for this?” Callie lamented. “Why didn’t she warn me this was coming, and give me time to…”

“Because she knew it had to happen this way,” Willow interrupted her. “Madge is one smart cookie. She probably figured you’d never accept it without meeting them both and seeing what their rivalry could do to them both.”

The last thing Callie wanted was to drive a bigger wedge between the two brothers, and she knew the years had already been unkind to their relationship. And she had to admit to herself that she was drawn to them both. Seth was dark and handsome. He was strong and protective. He’d be a good father and a good provider. And Wyatt was handsome and fun. He’d make her days full of laughter and joy. The more she thought of it, the more she realized that the two really did make up her ideal man.

“Fine, I’ll do it,” she said at last.

“Really?” Willow gasped. “Are you sure?”

“I’ll be honest,” Callie said. “Because it’s who I am. I just can’t lie. I’m in some trouble back home for something I didn’t do, and I can’t go home. I don’t want to go home. I never really fit in there, anyway. I have no family and no friends anymore. Here… I feel at home. I feel like this is my home.”

She paused, sucking in a breath before continuing.

“And you’re right, Willow,” Callie said. “These two are perfect for me. It feels weird to admit it, but it’s true. It feels right.”

Seth and Wyatt looked at one another and nodded, and then Seth said, “Let us perform the ceremony tonight.”

“Agreed,” Callie nodded.

She knew she needed to get this done quickly, before she lost her nerve. She had no idea what to expect, but it was time to take chances and try new things. It was time to take a leap of faith.

The three of them gathered in Seth’s sleeping chamber, which was a small cave-like room with a mound of soft animals furs padding the ground. Willow was not present, because the ceremony was too intimate, she’d told Callie.

Seth had lit several candles around the room, and the flickering light sent long shadows wavering on the walls. Seth approached her first, and began removing her clothing slowly.

Her heart began to race as his large hands brushed against her skin. He discarded each piece of clothing, and she wondered if she would ever wear them again or if she’d live naked and free as they did.

She felt Wyatt behind her, and he brushed her hair away from her shoulder and kissed her neck, sending a surge of excitement pulsing through her body and stiffening her nipples. Seth grabbed her breasts and fondled them, feeling her nipples stiff against his palms.

Wyatt’s erection pressed against her bottom, and she involuntarily shifted her hips to rub her ass against him. He groaned. Seth took her hand and led her over to the pile of furs on the ground, and he sank into their softness and pulled her with him.