“Well, maybe not Brighton,” Brodey grumbled.
Cail laughed. “Yeah, he is an idiot.”
“That’s not very nice!” Elain protested.
“Well,” Ain said, “it’s the truth, unfortunately. He’s the one immediately older than we are, born before us.”
“The boy’s just not right in the head,” Brodey said.
“You of all people shouldn’t pick on one of your brothers,” she scolded.
“Babe, Brodey’s exactly right,” Ain said. “He’s not a bad guy, he’s just…”
“Simple,” Cail helpfully offered.
“That’s mean!” Elain said.
“No, that’s kind,” Brodey countered. “I think he took one too many headers off a horse in his day.”
Cail snickered. “He never could ride worth a shit.”
“All right,” Ain said, apparently sensing how upset Elain was growing. “That’s enough. Babe, we’re sorry, but he is our brother, and we do know what he’s like. You’ve never met him.”
“That’s the point. You’ve got this huge family I’ve never met. When do I get to meet them? And why don’t you have any sisters?”
When all three men’s faces looked sad, Elain immediately regretted her tone. “I’m sorry, guys. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, it’s okay,” Ain said. “We only had three sisters. All three of them have long since died. Only one of them was a shifter.”
“Mom always joked she should have gotten Dad neutered when she realized he mostly produced boys,” Brodey said with a smile.
All three brothers laughed at that. “Yeah,” Cail agreed. “Poor Mom. She was always outnumbered.”
“She held her own, though,” Ain said. “She ruled the house.”
Brodey nodded. “Remember the last Christmas, when I was slow to get up and help with the dishes?”
His brothers laughed. “Yeah,” Cail said. “She grabbed you by the ear and had you howling as she dragged you into the kitchen.”
All three men laughed, ending in a nearly identical sad sigh.
“I wish I could have met them,” Elain said. “They died trying to help me.”
“It’s okay, babe,” Ain assured her. “As fucked up as this sounds, maybe it’s better things worked out this way. If your parents had relocated, we might never have met you.”
“You’re right. It does sound fu—freaked up.”
He stared at her for a moment before he burst out laughing and pulled her to him in a hug. “Thank you, sweetheart. I promise I won’t spank you for swearing as long as you promise to try to remember not to do it.”
She laughed with him. “Deal. And thank you.” She looked up into his handsome face. How could she feel this much love, not just for him, but for all three of them, without her heart exploding? “I do want to try to follow the Code.”
His expression softened as he gently stroked her cheek. “I appreciate that, babe. I know as a Seer you’re going to sometimes need freedoms to go take care of things that’s going to set not just me, but all three of us Alphas on edge. We promise we’ll try to be patient and understanding. Just please, be patient with us in return when we lose it. We love you and we worry about you and we don’t want anything to happen to you.”
She nodded. “I will. I really love this kinder, gentler Prime gig you’ve got going.”
“Yeah?”
She laughed. “Yeah. Makes me really horny, too. It’s damn sexy having a hot, hunky, dominant and yet sensitive guy.”
“Well, let’s take care of that,” Brodey said.
“Hold on,” Ain said. He looked deep into her eyes. “Are you really happy, sweetheart? Are we really making you happy?”
She nodded. Then she kissed him. “I’ve never been so happy and content in my life,” she truthfully said. She straddled his lap, her arms draped around his neck. His hard cock rubbed against her clit. “Thank you for having patience with me.”
He smiled. “Thank you for having patience with me. With all of us.”
“Yeah, we’re a handful,” Brodey said with a smile.
She reached between his legs and cupped his balls. “Yeah, you are.”
“Mmm. Keep that up, babe, and you’re going to be full of cock in about two seconds.”
“What if that’s my goal?”
Cail laughed. “Your wish is our command, yadda yadda.”
She grinned as she maneuvered her pussy over Ain’s cock and slowly sank down onto it. “I believe you still haven’t done something yet.”
He arched an eyebrow at her. “Are you inviting me to do what I think you’re inviting me to do?”
“Go get the lube and you’ll find out.”
Brodey laughed as Cail scrambled out of bed. “Nice to know I’m not the only one she leads around by the balls.”
She laughed as she gently squeezed his. “And you, if you want that cock sucked, you’d better get in a different position.”
“Ooh, she’s feisty tonight, boys,” Ain teased as he slid both of them a little farther down the bed to allow Brodey access.
She wrapped her fingers around the base of Brodey’s cock and pulled him until he was close enough she could wrap her lips around it, too. Cail returned with the lube, and she stopped fucking Ain long enough that Cail could get her lubed up and his cock seated deep inside her ass.
Elain let go, allowing her body to take over. “Fuck me, boys,” she whispered before swallowing Brodey’s cock again.
Ain set the pace below her. Elain closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of the heat from their bodies washing over her. The only sounds were flesh slapping against flesh as Cail fucked her, the wet sucking of her mouth on Brodey’s cock, and moans of pleasure from all three of them.
Elain felt like she was floating, her clit already swollen from the friction against Ain’s cock. Cail grabbed her waist. “Jeez,” he grumbled, his voice low and full of need, “your ass is so fucking tight, it’s fantastic.”
She loved this, that she could elicit this reaction from all three of them. Her body instinctively moved with them, needing them, wanting them. As the first release swept through her, she cried out around Brodey’s cock.
One of the visions hit her again. This time pregnant and snuggled in bed, each brother with a hand on her swollen belly, all three men wearing expressions of wonder as they felt the baby kick for the first time.
Another orgasm pulled her back into her body in time for her to moan again at the taste of Brodey shooting a hot jet of cum into her mouth. Ain and Cail picked up speed and tempo, their cocks growing hard and triggering another climax as she cried out in pleasure.
With nearly simultaneous growls, the other two brothers came, filling her body with their juices as she collapsed, shivering, on top of Ain.
“Are you okay?” Cail asked.
She grinned. “Waaaay better than okay.” After getting himself and her cleaned up, Cail returned to bed. A funny thought hit her, and she giggled.
“What’s so funny?” Ain mumbled. He was already half asleep.
“I like being the filling in the sandwich,” she said with a sleepy yawn.
Brodey snorted. “More like one of those donuts,” he said. “You know, with the creamy filling.”
She giggled again. “Okay, I like that, too.”
“Let’s get to sleep,” Ain said. “Big day tomorrow.”
“Mmm, cake,” Brodey said.
She laughed again, punctuated by a yawn. “It’s all about the food for you, isn’t it?”
“No, not just the food, babe. The sex is great.”
She snickered. “Horndog.”
“That’s me,” he agreed.
“Sleep,” Cail said. “It’s a good thing.”
On that note, she snuggled closer to her men and closed her eyes. Tomorrow, she would officially become Mrs. Aindreas Lyall.
And her dad would give her away.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Rodolfo sat in the motel room and angrily
waited. He didn’t like to be kept waiting, especially by Marston. A little after ten that night, someone softly knocked on his door.
Rodolfo nodded at one of his men, Trent, who opened the door.
Marston stood there, obviously nervous from the way he kept shifting his weight on his feet.
“About time you got here,” Rodolfo scolded. “Where the hell were you?”
“You aren’t the one that dragon woman will fry.”
“Forget that. It’s your own damn fault. What did you find out?”
“The wedding is tomorrow. There will be a lot of people going in and out of the Lyall ranch. Caterers, guests, friends. You should be able to get a couple of your men in close to grab her then.”
“Very good. You might live yet, Marston. Get out.” Once Marston had left, Rodolfo looked at his two best men, Trent and Ken, both Alphas he’d wished had been born his actual sons. “Tomorrow morning, you will go in there, find the Pardie bitch, and bring her to me. If you can grab the coyote as well, fine, but the Pardie bitch is your target. Understood?”
Both men nodded.
“Good. You head out there early. I’ve got my plane standing by tomorrow morning at the airport in Port Charlotte. As soon as we have her, we’ll head there and take off.”
“Where are we going?” one of the men asked.
“I have a compound in Montana. Well armed and well prepared. No one will find us out there.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The next morning came way too early for Elain’s liking. It started out with Lina barging into their bedroom with a cup of coffee for Elain and running the men out.
“You guys can’t see her in her dress. It’s bad luck.”
Brodey scrambled to find a pair of shorts to put on. “Where are we supposed to get dressed?”
“You all can have the bedroom back after we get everything we need done for her. It won’t take you guys long to get ready.”
Ain leaned in and kissed Elain, who was blearily sipping her coffee. “We’ll see you in a couple of hours, sweetie,” he said.
“Move it, furball,” Lina playfully teased as she swatted him with a pillow.
When they were alone, Lina sat on the bed with Elain. “You okay?”
“I’m not awake, but I’m okay.”
Lina grinned. “Your mom’s been up since five thirty cooking breakfast.”
“Oh, man,” she groaned. “I didn’t want her going through all that trouble.”
“It’s okay. Your dad was up helping her.”
“He was?”
Lina grinned and dropped her voice. “I saw him kiss her, too.”
Okay, now she was awake. “What?”
Lina nodded. “Not swapping spit or anything, just a sweet kiss. But…” She shrugged, her beaming grin practically lighting the room. “I’m telling you, I’ve got a good feeling about this.”
“Feeling, or vision?”
“Not gonna tell you.” Lina laughed and clambered off the bed. “Let’s get you up and moving so the men can eventually get back in here.”
* * * *
The rest of the morning moved along at a blur. Between Lina, Mai, Callie, her mom, and Lacey, they got Elain’s hair and makeup done and got her into her dress. When the photographer finished getting the obligatory staged candid shots, Elain stood in the guest bedroom with her mom and the other women gathered around her. She stared into the mirror at the dress. Somehow, she’d never really believed this day would come.
A glance at her hand once again showed no trace of Paul Abernathy’s blood on her skin or under her nails. She had to fight the urge to start reciting Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy.
Did I really do that to the guy?
Sometimes, she thought it’d been a dream, just a hazy nightmare she’d somehow managed to twist into a memory. Then she snapped out of that wishful thinking and tried to accept her new reality, that this was her life.
Carla dabbed at tears in her eyes even though she had a broad, beaming smile on her face. “You look beautiful, sweetheart.”
Elain smiled at her in the mirror. “Thanks, Mom.” She hugged her. “I’m so glad you and Dad are both here.” Over the past couple of weeks, even though Carla and Liam still had separate bedrooms, they’d gone out alone on several dates and spent a lot of time together when Liam wasn’t out working with Ain and the guys on the ranch.
“You are gorgeous,” Lina said with a beaming smile. “I might have to change my mind about actually marrying my guys.” When Lina and her men got together, she’d legally changed her name, hyphenating their last name onto hers. She hadn’t actually married either of them because she didn’t believe she needed a piece of paper to prove anything. And she worried they’d kill each other fighting to be the legal groom.
Mai also smiled. “At least y’all won’t need to brush up on anything to help me with our wedding.”
“That’s just in a few weeks, too,” Elain said. She turned and they shared a group hug. “Thank you, all of you, for being here. I love all of you.”
“Enjoy today, Elain,” Lacey said. “We have a little time before things get bad again. Today is your day. Don’t think about anything else.”
They heard a quick knock on the door before Liam opened it and stepped in, shutting it behind him. “They’re ready for ye in the living room,” he said. “And I’m about to strangle that bloody photographer. He won’t leave me alone. He’s wanting pictures of us together.”
Carla gave Elain one last kiss. “I love you, baby,” she whispered.
Elain fought a bout of happy tears. “Love you, too, Mom.”
Carla hustled the other women out, leaving Liam alone with Elain. She felt a little nervous, but not because of her dad.
He stepped over to her and hugged her. “Yer beautiful,” he said. “Yer mum would be so proud.”
“Thanks, Dad.” She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The scent from her childhood, from the leather jacket, filled her lungs and nearly started her crying again.
After a moment, he patted her on the back and ended their embrace. “Let’s go, sweetheart. The photographer wants his shots, and there’s three young men out there waitin’ for ye. Rather anxiously, I might add.”
She laughed. “Are they afraid of me backing out on them or something?”
He smiled. “No, I don’t think that’s their worry. Brodey keeps drooling over the cake. Cail’s threatening him with duct-taping his mouth shut.”
She laughed again. That was her Brodey. “Then let’s go. That would make a weird wedding picture.”
They called the photographer in so he could get his shots. Once he finished, Liam led Elain out to the hallway.
Only their immediate pack was gathered in the living room. Elain stood at the end of the hall with her arm hooked through Liam’s and looked at everyone gathered there. Extended family and friends were all outside mingling and mixing and preparing to take their seats.
This was the real wedding, as far as Elain and her men were concerned.
As Liam escorted her through the living room to where Ain, Brodey, and Cail were gathered with their attorney, she couldn’t help but let a smile crease her face. All three of them looked incredibly handsome in their tuxes.
For the briefest of moments, Elain thought she spotted a hazy, misty form reflected in the glass of the sliding doors, but upon second glance figured it had to be her imagination.
Even though it vaguely resembled a woman.
Liam handed her off to Ain before stepping over to Carla’s side.
Their attorney, also a shape-shifter as well as being a Notary, smiled at them. “Ready?”
Elain looked up into Ain’s grey eyes and smiled. They’d agreed they wanted to keep the private ceremony short and sweet. “Yes.”
Ain motioned Brodey and Cail forward. All three of them clasped Elain’s right hand, and while only Ain put a ring on Elain’s left hand as he said his vows, Elain repeated her vows with each man, slipping an identical r
ing on their left hands.
When they finished, the attorney smiled. “Ain, Brodey, Cail, I now pronounce you all men and mate. You may kiss your bride.”
Ain didn’t get greedy. He brushed a brief, gentle kiss across her lips before handing her off to Brodey. He knew he’d get his chance in public in a few minutes. Brodey, however, took full advantage. He grabbed her and laid a deep, passionate kiss on her that nearly melted her right out of her shoes and made her want him to drag her to bed right then and there.
They were interrupted by a good-natured throat clearing as Cail tapped him on the shoulder. “Dude, come up for air. Share.”
Elain laughed as Brodey smiled and released her to Cail. Cail also kissed her, deeply, passionately. When he released her, she swayed a little on her feet.
“Wow!”
Ain took her hands in his. “Ready for the next one?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I want cake.”
Brodey proudly grinned. “That’s my girl!”
* * * *
Trent looked around before leaning in to his partner. “There are a lot of shifters here,” he whispered. They’d had no problem getting in. They’d parked in a field with the other guests and made sure they had a clear exit without worries of getting parked in. No one was checking for invitations. Had they been challenged, their agreed-upon story was that they were reporters looking for the caterer to do a magazine story on her. Trent carried a reporter’s notebook and professional-grade digital camera for cover.
Ken nodded. “I know. I’m going to sneak into the house during the ceremony and scope it out. See if there’s a back door we can take her through. You have the stuff?”
Trent nodded and passed him a small, black pouch. “I have three, and you have three.” Inside lay syringes full of clear liquid, M99, a powerful animal tranquilizer.
“You think it’s strong enough to take her down?”
He shrugged. “If it’s not, she’ll kill us and it won’t matter. You saw what she did to Paul.”
Ken shuddered. “I also saw what Abernathy did to Paul for losing. I don’t want either happening to me.”