Where There is Hope [Taos Wolven Mates 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (17 page)

Joran grasped her fingers and drew them to his lips. “You could never disappoint us. Don’t you know that? You are everything we ever wanted, ever dared to dream of in a mate.”

Tears filled Hope’s eyes. How could they not? For years she’d lived with a man who at best ignored her. Even with Bob’s average good looks, he made it clear once she’d reached her thirties that Hope was lucky to have his attention. That, in itself, should have been a red flag, she supposed.

Now look at her. She sat there between two of the most handsome men she’d ever seen. One of them just out of bed needing a shower would have put Bob to shame when he was in his prime, and God knew Bob had passed his prime at least three decades ago.

“When do we do this mating thing?” She looked down at her lap, unsure of how to tell them she was ready.

First Braxton then Joran pressed a gentle kiss to her lips that made her toes curl. If all men knew what such tenderness could do to a woman, there would never be unhappy relationships.

“We would love nothing better than to stay here with you and complete our bond.” Braxton took her hand and raised it to his lips. “However, we must join the others in capturing the elitists before they harm anyone else. We were lucky that none of you were harmed beyond Carella’s ability to heal. Once Joran and I return to the surface and apprehend the people responsible for what happened, we will return and complete the bond with you.”

“What do you mean, once you and Joran return to the surface? You aren’t leaving me here to twiddle my thumbs and worry about what the heck is going on.”

“You can’t expect us to take you.” Joran put his fingers under her chin and turned her head to look at him. “Keeping you safe is always our first priority, and you would be a distraction on the surface. You must stay here. All of the women will stay here where there is no question that you are safe.”

Hope bit her lip. She wanted to be with them. After so much loneliness, she couldn’t imagine losing them now. “What if something happens to you? I couldn’t bear it.”

“Just as we couldn’t bear it if something happened to you, and your human body is so much more delicate than ours. Perhaps once we’ve mated and you have shifted several times, and our minds are linked together, we will feel more comfortable taking you into danger.”

“I doubt it,” Braxton added. “I don’t know that I ever want to risk you to anything.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Hell, as much as I want cubs, the thought of losing you terrifies me. I’m almost tempted to ask Carella to make you sterile again.”

“Don’t you dare!” Hope rested her hand over her abdomen as though that alone would protect her womb. “I’ve dreamed of having a child. If I’m finally able to have one, you aren’t taking that away from me.”

“Then don’t insist on going to the surface where someone can take
you
away from us.
You
are our dream, little one. Never forget that.”

Hope’s shoulders slumped. Braxton was right. She needed to stay here and be safe. They were the werewolves, not her. Just as she decided to acquiesce, Hope suddenly straightened and alternately peered into their eyes. “What do you mean after I’ve shifted several times? And are we going to be linked telepathically?” Did they intend to change her into a werewolf too, and if they did, did she
really
want to let them? She thought about it for a moment and decided that it would be strange and cool, all at the same time.

“Yes, little one, we will all be linked together telepathically,” Joran replied. “Just think of what it will be like to have us know what you want before you think to voice it.”

She tried not to think about what it would be liked to have them know her every thought. It both scared and intrigued her. She set that thought aside when another occurred to her.

“If you’re going to change me into a werewolf, I’m not going to have to eat raw meat, am I? Because If I am…” She paused to wrinkle her nose. “That’s disgusting, and I would rather starve first.”

They both laughed and hugged her to them. Hope gave them a mock glare. “Stop laughing. It’s not funny!” She pushed them away. “You’d better get going before I think up more questions to ask you and make you stay to answer them.”

Hope sighed when Joran pulled her to her feet and kissed her. It wasn’t like the gentle kisses they’d given her just a few minutes ago. This one was all-consuming. His tongue caressed the seam of her lips then swept into her mouth when she opened for him.

Their tongues danced together for a moment before Braxton pulled her away and growled, “My turn.”

His kiss also felt more like a brand than a gentle brushing of the lips. It was as though they feared they wouldn’t get another chance.

When he stepped back, Hope grabbed him by the collar and stared deep into his glowing green eyes. “You’d both better come back to me, dammit.” Hope took a deep breath and added, “If you two die out there, I’ll fricking kill you.”

“I hated leaving her there,” Braxton said as they moved to join the others.

Carella had transported them down to the surface so they might join the rest of the men to hunt down the elitist fanatics who would see the human race perish just to keep their blood pure.

“I didn’t like it either.” Joran moved up next to him. “At least we know she’ll be safe on the ship. We couldn’t both watch her and hunt down the elitists.”

“Good. You two are here.” Lorcan and Tarin stood next to each other, their mate conspicuously absent. “We needed another pair. We were just planning a three-pronged assault and trying to figure out if we would have to try it without you.”

Tarin grinned and winked, letting them know that the alpha was merely ragging on them. “Don’t worry about him and his insulting remarks. He remembers what it feels like to have just found your mate. I know I do.” Tarin slapped Braxton on the back. “You’ll get used to the feeling of your stomach going missing on a regular basis. Until then, we must find the men responsible for taking the women.” He started to turn away then stopped. “I’m glad your mate is well.”

“As are we.” Braxton stepped forward, his hands on his hips. “Now, what is this plan you have?”

* * * *

Braxton crawled through the small opening beneath the downed tree.
They’re here all right.
They agreed to use their telepathic connection to keep their noise down. They couldn’t be too careful while tracking the elitists back to their lair.

One after another, they slunk through the brush. The only sound they made was that of their breathing and their fur brushing against the branches they moved under.

Whatever it was about the elitists and their ilk, they loved the human form for people who hated the race so thoroughly. It had been easy to follow them through the woods. Why did they refuse to shift shape and run like the wolves they were supposedly so proud of being? It didn’t make sense that they would kill the humans just because they couldn’t shift.

Is it too much to ask that they all be here?
It was a shock to see two of the men they’d adopted into their little community with the group. They hadn’t been human men at all, but spies for the group of shifters who thought themselves so far above everyone else.

You know they aren’t. How many of them came to Earth and how many stayed on Taos?

It would be so much simpler if our laws would allow the release of records to see how many pure bloods there are.
Braxton knew they couldn’t because there were too many who would persecute all pure bloods regardless of their beliefs. Sadly, fanaticism and prejudice ran rampant in all sectors, races, and species.

Slowly, they split up. The chancellor and his mate stayed put while Lorcan and Tarin moved off to the left, and he and Joran moved to the right. There were ten men in the building. It was almost two-to-one odds. Braxton didn’t hold out much hope that they would all make it out of here in one piece.

When they were all in position, they began to howl. The elitists opened the door to their small hideout and listened, their expressions wary. They knew they had been found. Now their only question would be how many opposed them?

Generally, wolven didn’t kill their own kind, but they all knew that the elitists would stop at nothing to bring their plans to fruition. The chancellor had given the order to fight to the death if necessary and kill anyone who used lethal force first.

Maxim gave the signal, and they all changed back into their human forms. As much as they argued that he shouldn’t make a target of himself, his argument was valid. He was their leader, and as such, he must attempt to bring peace between them, even if it meant his demise.

The chancellor straightened the flexible suit he wore, designed specifically for battle so their people could shift their shapes at will. The suits came in a veritable rainbow of colors designed to separate individuals by rank. Maxim and Matteus both wore purple, the color of the ruling house of Taos. To kill one of them was an automatic death sentence. Braxton hoped the punishment would be a deterrent for a little while at least.

“Attention to those residing inside the cabin,” Maxim called out to those inside. “This is your chancellor, Maxim Marholt, and I wish to open negotiations with your leader.”

“Go away. You don’t rule here.”

“Perhaps not, but I do rule my people no matter which planet they find themselves on.”

A beam of energy shot out of the cabin and the chancellor dove out of the way then rolled back up and jumped to his feet. “Shoot again and it is an act of war.”

The cabin stood in silence for a moment as though the people inside were not all of accord on whether or not to take on their ruler and his men.

Another beam of light came from the cabin, missing Maxim by mere inches, and Matteus jumped up to knock his mate to the ground.

“I won’t have you risking your life, Max,” Matteus growled angrily. “You’re not leaving me alone, damn it.”

Lorcan and Tarin moved stealthily through the underbrush as the men continued to shoot sporadically out through the front windows.

“It’s time we joined them, don’t you think?” Braxton said as he started to move toward the back of the cabin and its other door.

“Yep. Time to join the party.” Joran fell in beside him. They crept toward the cabin, keeping their bodies low.
And look, Braxton. We have a few people just dying to join us.
He finished using telepathy as the back door opened and several men filed out.

True to elitist form, only a few of them had weapons. Either the faction was poor or it was frugal with its funds because never more than one or two in a group ever had anything more than themselves to use as an offense against enemies.

Braxton grinned in his wolf’s body, knowing they would have to either apprehend these four or take them out. The others would have to deal with the other six, unless they decided to sneak out the back door as well. If they did, he and Joran were just plain screwed.

You take the two on the left and I’ll take the two on the right.

Joran shook his head.
You’ve been reading too many of those cowboy books Joe orders for the store.

So have you if you know where I got that.
Braxton grinned and swatted him on the arm.
Let’s go before we lose the element of surprise.

With that they both burst into action. Running forward, they each jumped on two of the men, knocking them to the ground.

“Get off me, you breeder,” one of the men beneath Braxton growled.

“Breeder?”

“Yes.” The man spat. “Our world could carry on if you breeders would just listen. We don’t need mates. We could take eggs from the females and fertilize them without having to take them as mates.”

He struggled to hold the man’s companion down as they held their strange conversation. He felt bad because the other two kept Joran busy. Fists flew and growls emerged as they all shifted from human to wolf then back again, each trying to gain the advantage.

“What?” Braxton found it difficult to believe that the females would agree to such a thing. He knew his expression told the other man that he thought he was out of his mind. “And the females allow this?”

“Bah! The females have no choice.
We
are the stronger. They’re lucky that we can’t force them to conceive. If we could, we wouldn’t need a lab to implant a fertilized embryo into their wombs.”

The man was mad! If all of the elitists thought this way, it gave Braxton one more reason to see that they made certain to wipe out their faction once and for all.

The man struggling below him finally shifted into his wolf form and bit Braxton’s arm. Taking advantage of the other’s vulnerable state, Braxton slammed his fist into the wolf’s jaw and knocked him out.

Sitting back on his haunches, he met the other man’s gaze. “Are you saying that your group have been holding females against their will and breeding children on them?” Braxton couldn’t believe any woman who wasn’t elitist would agree to that and even some that agreed with the elitist creed would balk at having a lab-created cub.

“What of it?” the man spat. He must have finally realized that he wasn’t going to convince Braxton that what they were doing was right, because he crouched down and began to circle Braxton as he still sat upon the unconscious wolf.