Three’s a Clan (Hart Clan Hybrids) Read online

  I’d just change the subject. “Did you see that someone broke into the children’s hospital and completed Mary’s mural? Shelly said she hasn’t heard from the Hart Clan, but something tells me Mary had a hand in that painting.”

  It was strange not being connected to my daughter through Pack magic anymore. We had agreed to sever contact when it became obvious we were being watched. Part of me had wondered if the disappearing members of our Pack had something to do with Matheo Meyers. I didn’t talk about my daughter with anyone now. Her safety was more important than my missing her. Doc and I talked, but not often.

  “I think we might have another situation.” Doc’s words hit the empty walls of the hallway as we walked out of the pavilion.

  I looked to my Beta. He was too damn perceptive, although no one needed wolf senses to see the attraction that pinged between myself and Shelly. I needed to remember to wear underwear under the gym shorts if spicy female visitors kept showing up in our workout room.

  Shelly’s attitude was always harsh. I knew it would be a fight to accomplish anything between our factions. She was too much like me. Figuring out the right way to do things would be a serious battle. I couldn’t stop my mind from dreaming of that aggression being used in a much more pleasant way. I imagined her fighting to pull me deeper into her body. Those long harsh nails digging moats across the landscape of my back. I bent over and tucked my cock into the waistband of my shorts. I couldn’t make it go down if I kept thinking like that.

  I hadn’t taken a mate since I was turned. Some were not thrilled with my choice to remain single. Doc didn’t question it. I owed my life to this man in more than one way. He had turned me and my daughter, taught us how to live in this second incarnation, and let me grieve my wife when others would have fought me for dominance. He let me lead. Our relationship was strange. I often wondered why he stayed with me, but I would never be able to repay him for his support as my second.

  That didn’t mean I wanted to talk about getting a hard on at extremely inappropriate times and around extremely inappropriate people. “I don’t want to discuss my attraction to Shelly.”

  “Well then, let’s talk about mine.”

  My growl didn’t bow his head in submission, but he did avert his gaze.

  “Sorry,” I said. “That slipped out.” My wolf wasn’t sorry in the least.

  “It’s natural.” That was Doc’s explanation for every time I was an ass to him. All this time and I still had trouble leading him. It was a damn good thing he was a Beta. “And I know that the Pack would love for our Alpha to take a female. But they might take issue with that female being of the deceased persuasion.”

  “You want her too. Are you trying to tell me they wouldn’t care if the Beta took to an interspecies relationship?” I felt my eyebrows arch high. I couldn’t believe Doc was going to try and sell me that one.

  “Oh no. We’re both screwed on that front. But I think we also know that Shelly’s arousal was more pronounced when I joined the air space. She wants us both.”

  Karma, fate, whatever you call it. Something had it out for me. I’d told my daughter when she left us to take love however it comes to her. I’d meant that.

  Before I’d been turned, my wife and I had been happy. But there’d been something missing. Another man held half her heart. Back then, there had been no such thing as an alternative lifestyle. She and I both knew that sharing a marriage with another would do nothing but bring shame to our families. I’d never met the other man, and she refused to tell me who he was. She said she was protecting his privacy. She didn’t want to ruin his reputation since he’d already left to let us be together.

  I’d had to comfort the love of my life through the fallout when he stepped back. Part of me was happy she was with me, but more of me was devastated that I couldn’t give her everything she needed.

  Then fate took her away from the world with a wolf attack. So what would it have mattered if we had been ostracized?

  I reached for the leather pouch of Lily’s that I used to keep with me. It wasn’t there. I had given it to my daughter. I needed to think about something else.

  “Doc, I respectfully suggest we discuss other topics.” Something that wouldn’t bring up a memory. “What do you suggest we do about the blood situation?”

  “I’d say let’s rip apart some more harvesters. Do you know where they are?” Doc looked ready to fight again. Sexual frustration is great fuel for battle.

  “We need to know who to take out this time. I’m not slaughtering an entire Family of vampires.” Especially when Shelly was the Protector of the Family we were talking about.

  “I’m not suggesting that. I’m not naïve enough to think we could at this point.” Doc got that calculating look in his eyes, but I couldn’t tell if it was to take stock of our ranks or make a mental list of the cleaning products he would blow our budget on.

  “We don’t have enough information to make a move.” I frowned. “Our Pack would crumble if I tried to pull them back into battle right now.”

  “What do you hope to accomplish with Shelly when we meet her, anyway?” Doc asked.

  “I hope to find out that she’s on our side. She has a true sense of right and wrong, but I have a feeling the only side Shelly has been on for a long time is her own. The fact that her father, her Matheo, is after my daughter’s head…” It was a huge clusterfuck my wolf and my dick were trying to completely ignore. “Well, let’s just say that I want to make sure that when push comes to shove, that she’s willing to push against him and not us.”

  A feral grin etched my Beta’s face. “I wouldn’t mind having her push against me.”

  I had to laugh it off. My wolf wanted far more than the roll in the woods I had allowed with Shelly. An Alpha has the ability to push a lot of emotion aside to accomplish what he needs for his Pack. Maybe I was doing myself a disservice by using that ability to push aside my feelings for Shelly, but I did it anyway.

  I’d lost my wife more than a human lifetime ago, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to let her memory fade and let another woman in. Uncertainty dotted every opening on the horizon. I was not ready to put myself at risk emotionally. Shelly made me want things I couldn’t let myself want. Power surged as I built up my walls and dimmed my connection to my Pack. I needed to get myself under control. Two AM wasn’t that far away.

  Chapter Three

  Shelly

  There aren’t many things that shake me. I have been on this earth for a long time and I know myself. Doc and Alpha Paulson surprised me. How they bracketed my body and the way their scents made my libido jump up and down was amazing.

  I rolled my neck from side to side and let the ligaments pop and crack. I did the same to my shoulders and knuckles. Tension plagued me. I felt my fangs lengthen. I needed a drink. I eyed my water bottle.

  I needed a fresh drink.

  Dimple boy was outside the bar where I had asked him to join me. I decided twenty minutes was too long to wait. I plastered a smile on my face. My underwear was slick between my legs and dimple boy was going to get lucky.

  “Glad you called, Shelly. I was a little anxious to get together too.”

  Judging by the bulge he sported, he wasn’t lying. Hopefully the boy had a little bit of staying power or a fast recovery time. His wasn’t the skyscraping redwood I had glimpsed a few minutes ago. This guy had more of a sapling. It would have to do.

  “Speaking of anxious, I was wondering if we really had to do the whole bar thing. Personally I think the alcohol is a waste of money. I’d rather just head back to your place and skip the dance. That is, if you are interested in engaging with me sexually this evening. Do you have roommates?”

  He sputtered at me. “Um…yeah, they aren’t home. I have the place to myself.” Dimples shook his head. “Did I hear you right?”

  “Do you not enjoy sex? Or is it that I
am an unacceptable partner? I find myself in need of a sexual release tonight. If you are unavailable, I understand, and I think it best we part ways.”

  “Shit, no! I mean, yes. I mean…hell, I’ll wave down a taxi.” The human put a hand to my back. With just a little pressure against my spine I could feel his elevated pulse. He smelled good and I was grateful he had showered. I tended to make men nervous, and the odor of sweat was not one I enjoyed.

  I thought back to the Paulson’s gym. Well, I didn’t usually enjoy it.

  I took a swig of my water bottle and slowed my pace. A quick miasma double check and I realized I left my blood-letting kit on campus.

  “I left my purse in the office. We need to stop by there. It won’t take me but a second.” I rolled my eyes when he seemed to deflate a little beneath my statement. “Don’t look like I stole your cookie. I still want to have sex.”

  He perked back up like a dog that was about to get a Scooby Snack. My desire faltered a bit. This was so much more a boy than a man. Mind wandering as we got into the cab, I had a flash back of Alpha Paulson with the weights. Definitely needed to get laid.

  Just an hour later and I was at the 7-11 by Dimple Boy’s house. I wasn’t getting condoms. I was buying batteries. I bought a twelve pack of AAs. My favorite vibrator only took three. I planned on wearing that machine out when I got home. College boy was a very willing participant in some evening fornication, but when I got a look at his shaved chest, his shaved balls, and his lack of any hair on his body aside from a tightly trimmed goatee, I wasn’t sure it was worth the cleanup I’d have to do after.

  A quick dazzle, a little blood, and I was on my way. I left the bugger some cookies and juice from his cupboard by his bed. I put a timer on his cell phone and set it next to the night stand to wake him up thirty minutes after I left. His girlfriend called as I was putting in the timer. Guess she wasn’t thrilled when I answered. There was a part of me that felt bad for Dimple Boy, but the fact that he was cheating on his girlfriend was one of those lovely little facts that allowed me to take the blood I needed without feeling so guilty.

  I was blessed with some truly classic beauty. I never had the curves that were en vogue in the earlier part of last century, but the blonde hair and fair skin seemed to make up for any trend in body type I was missing.

  Then my mind wandered. I was supposed to meet the Paulson Pack leaders in less than two hours.

  Richard embodied his title of Alpha. He was an oppressive presence. I was not of their species and a part of me still wanted to bow at his feet. Then his Beta, Trevor, entered my mind. The stolen moments I had shared with him were softer. Given enough time, he would see to the fulfillment of my every desire, because that is just the type of guy he was. Concerned about everyone else’s needs.

  He had passion, but it was tempered. Something simmered beneath the surface with that one, and the analytical part of my mind wanted to figure it out. I wanted to see what would happen if someone pushed him over the edge and let what he was trying to contain boil over.

  Then my mind wandered to handling Rick’s massive power, open and honest, and whatever surprise of emotion and character Trevor hid. Wow. I walked faster. I damn near flew. The mansion loomed ahead. I went to the rear of the house. No one was out in the gardens this time of night. Everyone who had the ability was out hunting, or working on their role that the Matheo had assigned.

  I checked off the list in my mind, and there was only our butler in residence. He would be busy for the remainder of the evening. Unfortunately he would be cleaning rooms about now. Not so great for masturbating over werewolves.

  We maintained a garden. Our enhanced senses could enjoy the fragrant blooms and herbs from inside the house. It was also a great place to bring “dates”. When I say the place is enchanting, I mean it.

  I made my way down a winding stone path. It meandered past an herb garden.

  The herbs had been cut sloppily last time. The stems were torn rather than snipped, and usually the cooks trimmed in a neater fashion to keep the esthetics up. The miasma added a note to my ever-growing list of items to work on. Discuss the maintenance of the garden appearance.

  A breeze picked up. The cool wind whipped around my body. The light jacket I had on billowed behind me. My simple tee pressed against my belly and breasts and the fragrance of the garden surrounded me. It was beautiful out here. I sat on a small stone bench beneath the cover of a slightly overgrown weeping willow. I remembered why I had bought the batteries when I sat down.

  My underwear pressed against my core. The fabric had cooled slightly, but the dampness had me right back in that weight room again. I tried to relax, but the images battered me more than the wind. I let my heart pulse. Being a vampire, I had control over the blood in my body and the organ that moved it around. Right then, I wanted all my blood moving south. My body enflamed in an instant. The pressure built in my clit, and I had to touch myself.

  Rick’s chest pressed against the backs of my eyes when I lowered my lashes on the world. Photographic memory. I was assaulted with what had gotten me so excited. His pecs rippling as he lifted the weights, the pulse of his blood moving through the muscles. Then to remind me it wasn’t just information I was interested in, my mind—my feminine desire—pushed through the miasma.

  I imagined his arms flexing over me. I imagined that heavy erection pushing toward my core. My underwear was still wet, but with a fresh heady moisture now. No one was around, and I’d be damned if I was waiting until I got my vibrator from inside the house. I slid my miniskirt up. There wasn’t much to it, and the fabric was snug against my belly, putting pressure against the outside of my g-spot.

  When I slid my fingers lower, I gasped. I could come with just a touch right now. I tested the theory. I slid off my underwear and propped my legs up on either side of my body. I was open and there was more than desire around me. Magic was in the air. Something more.

  I didn’t want to think about that. Luckily, when I pressed against my clit, all rational thought raced from my mind. The images of the Alpha and my wet fingers sent me flying in a second. I remembered how his jaw tensed when he had been over my body in the woods.

  The memories from the forest blended with my fantasies, and my photographic memory did one hell of an edit. The images blurred together. I wanted them both. I would have them both in my mind as my fingers thrust inside me. Rick growled as he watched the orgasm rack my body. If he were here now, he would take me and bend me over whatever surface was available. He would bite me. He would mark me and make me his. Then Trevor would take my face.

  I would pull his cock into my mouth and suck him dry without tasting a drop of his blood. He would come down my throat with force and pressure and a feral howl to let me know he finally gave himself over to pleasure.

  I was thrusting against my pussy, but it wasn’t enough. Because if I were with the wolves, this wouldn’t be enough either. I licked the finger of my other hand. It wasn’t until I sank it into my ass that I threw my head back in another release. My body contracted. My ass tried to pull my finger deeper, and my channel quivered around the other hand. My hips rocked and rode the wave until every last shiver was pressed from me.

  My back flattened on the rough stone bench. I knew my juices were dripping onto the gray rock, but I couldn’t have cared less. Sated and relaxed lasted me about thirty seconds before my brain wrapped around what fantasy had wrung that release from me. Shit. This was not in the plans. I looked at my watch. My fantasy and my orgasm had lasted longer than I thought. I was supposed to meet the men of my wet dreams in less than thirty minutes.

  I tossed the panties next to me in the garbage in front of my house as I took off. I was slick with arousal and wearing no underwear beneath my rumpled skirt. This was not the way to go meet two single werewolves.

  Little Red Riding Hood had nothing on how I was about to torture these poor guys. That brought a li
ttle smile.

  At least I wouldn’t be the only one suffering.

  Chapter Four

  Rick

  The smell hit me. Sex. Sweaty pounding heavenly sex. The perfume wafted into the door and my cock felt like it would burst. Agony. Who the hell was that? That was no co-ed that one of the members of the Pack had seduced and brought home. I hadn’t felt this kind of attraction since…well, since nearly a year ago on a forest floor. More than just one part of me woke at the scent.

  Pack magic was magic I could also use to wrap around that attraction and push it back. This wasn’t the time, and I definitely didn’t want it to be the person. I needed to be ready for Shelly.

  Standing outside an apartment building at two AM would normally mean a lack of activity because everyone was asleep, but we were near a college town with a bunch of men and women who would remain young and vital for centuries. The party wouldn’t end until well after five. We were trying to hit the window when all the homebodies were asleep and all the party animals were well out of the complex.

  Shelly walked around the corner at a fast pace and with an odd wiggle to her step. Her cadence lent to her being uncomfortable. Good. Because that smell was making me very uncomfortable. Doc stood next to me and his intake in breath would have been audible to a human a dozen feet away. He caught the bouquet as well.

  “I’m not late, am I?”

  Vampires had the ability to force blood through their bodies when they wanted to. Shelly had her body pumping with arousal. Was she trying to tease us? Or was she flaunting her time with her date?

  Then I wondered if it was real arousal for one of us. The last thought had my dick jumping up and down and yelling “oooh, pick me!” And that right there was just one more reason why this was a bad idea. Pitting an Alpha and Beta against each other was bad at any time, but our Pack was unstable at best.