“Dani,” Blake said, turning her to face him. “You can't go. You don’t understand what’s going on.”
She rolled her eyes and gripped the blanket harder, holding back the urge to yell at him. “Please, Blake. I don’t need explanations. This is the second time you’ve both made it clear that there is no chance for me with you. There won’t be a third time.”
She tried to tug her arms out of his hold, but he was strong. Kane was nowhere in sight. She wondered if Blake was the one sent to talk to her because he was the peacemaker of their pack. The one who calmed ruffled feathers and reduced anger levels.
“No matter how much we don't want to want you...we still do.”
How could she even begin to explain to him what his words did to her? She’d finally heard the words that she’d dreamt of come out of his mouth. Maybe she should be checked for hallucinations. Her stomach twisted in all kinds of knots and a flare of pleasure bloomed over what he said. They really wanted her. Probably not as badly as she wanted to tear at their clothes and hump them, but it was something! Unfortunately, if they worked this hard at fighting it, then maybe she needed to let it go. She didn’t think they’d understand how much she'd wanted both of them for so many years.
“I can't do this. It is clear that your friendship means more to you guys then a night with me.”
Her mind played instant erotic images of her with both men. What a night that would be. It was unreal that with a mask on she’d almost gotten into the fantasy she'd been waiting for, but the minute it’d come off, reality had hit her in the face like a ton of bricks.
“You don't understand,” Blake growled. He shifted from foot to foot and scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck. Then he growled again.
She raised her brows in curiosity. Blake had never lost his temper or shown any signs of frustration. This was new, even for him.
“It wouldn't just be a night. We’re looking for a mate. We need someone to help us create the bond necessary for our Alpha Triad.”
She shook her head, shoulders slumping, and glanced away. “I can't help you. I know how this works. You need a shifter and I'm certainly not one.”
Reality was, she'd give anything to be part of their Triad. But she had her feet firmly planted on this planet. These were powerful strong beings. She was a human. To create the Triad that they needed, they had to find a female that would be able to shift. A woman who was strong and could give them Alpha babies. She couldn't give them anything other than herself.
The truth was, she should focus on finding a human man who could rock her world. Her first use of the PDA and things had already gone wrong. Obviously, paranormal dating wasn’t for her.
“Look, Blake, this is more than what I signed up for.”
“I understand, but now that we've been so close to you without knowing it was you, it changed things. Our guards were always up when you were around because of your brother. We realize that we might have to rethink staying away.”
She gave a dry laugh and shook her head. “You'll have to keep rethinking it. I'm not just some object you can decide all of a sudden you want. I'm a woman who has feelings. I have a lot to offer the right man. The last thing I want is to hear that I’m not what you really want, but you’ll rethink being with me because your dick is thinking for you. That’s not how I work.”
She jerked away from his hold and moved toward the front of the house. It wasn't going to be easy but she'd get past this.
It had been so simple to let herself get caught up in the fantasy that both men wanted to be with her. The reality was that they needed a mate but she wasn't the one for them.
Blake stared in the distance watching their future mate walk away and didn't know why he allowed it. Pain drifted off her pores, pushing his wolf to the surface with a growl he had to bite back. It was clear that he had upset her. Not that he’d meant to, but he refused to lie to her. They needed a third and they had vowed to Marcos that they would not touch his sister.
They didn’t plan on following Marcos’s request any longer. For years they had, they’d been depriving themselves of Daniella and making their Triad whole.
When Blake and Kane had become friends with the humans, Marcos had made it clear that his sister was off limits. At first they’d thought it was because he didn’t understand shifters, but the truth was that he’d understood them more than they realized. Both Blake and Kane had been respectful of his concern for Daniella and had tried to abide by the rules of their friendship. They’d stayed away from her.
Their interest had been piqued at their first meeting when she had been nothing but a teenager. But tonight, seeing her without knowing who she was, sent them over the edge. Licking her. Touching her. It all brought out feelings and mating desires no other female had. It was more than they were used to and they didn't know how to proceed. On one hand, they had their friendship to think about, but on the other hand, he knew they would not find another to fill the gap in their Alpha Triad. She was their one. The only one for them.