Alyssa’s Wolves(40)

“Are you?”

Tyler looked away. “I don’t know. It’s crazy.”

Michael turned his attention back to Ryan. “Even if we did claim her together, and somehow got around our inhibitions and shared her, that still doesn’t solve the problem of our different backgrounds. Hell, Tyler has a job lined up in Denver.”

“Denver?” Ryan looked surprised.

Ah, so some small piece of information hadn’t reached across the acres between the houses yet.

Ryan looked at Michael pointedly. “I hear Denver’s nice.”

“What?” Michael jumped up. “Now you’re on his side?” He stomped to the edge of the porch and stared out at the land spread before him. A breeze blew through, and he took a deep breath of the fine, clean air.

Ryan lowered his voice. “I’m not on anyone’s ‘side,’ Michael. I’m just suggesting you open your mind … and your heart … before you get hurt. It wouldn’t kill you to consider leaving the farm. Hell, we’ve done all right without you for two years. You’ve only been back a week. You think you’re indispensable?” Ryan chuckled, and Michael turned to glare at him.

“It’s not that, and you know it. Why do I have to be the one to give everything up? Huh?” He turned to face Tyler. “You don’t even have any ties to Denver. Why not let that job go and stay here?”

“And do what?” Tyler threw his arms out to his side. “I don’t know jack about farming, and I don’t have any desire to.” His voice rose.

“Guys…” Ryan got between them. “Let me make a suggestion. Why don’t you go for a run, leave this issue for a while, ignore it? When you’ve blown off some steam, come back and give a shot at spending some quality time with Alyssa … the three of you together.

“Believe me, you can’t keep taking turns making out with her without the other guy getting miffed at being left out. I’m willing to bet once you’ve shared her, even just rounding second base, you’ll see things differently, maybe even feel a tiny bit more flexible, both of you.” Ryan laughed. “Literally and figuratively.”

Michael closed his eyes. What choice did he have?





Chapter 10


Alyssa sat at her desk in the room she’d occupied for over two years in the home she considered her own. She’d watched her mates take off between the trees in wolf form. Good. Maybe they could blow off some steam racing through the woods. Maybe they could even make nice with each other, bonding over … whatever wolves did together.

Part of her couldn’t wait to be able to shift and run with them. Part of her was scared to death of the idea.

Women didn’t shift, couldn’t until they were mated. That likelihood seemed imminently possible and equally frightening.

She leaned her head between her legs to avoid fainting. The multitude of thoughts racing through her mind kept making her lightheaded. Too many prospects thrown at her all at once. Starting a new life with not one but two men, shifting for the first time, and the biggest one of all—having sex.

She was more innocent than she’d planned to be when she met her mate. It was her fault for hovering around the house like a scaredy-cat for the last two years, the entirety of her adult life.

She’d only marginally adjusted to the idea of mating with one wolf—the mystery man as she’d come to think of him. Although her sexual side had come alive in the last week, and she’d squirmed numerous times in an attempt to relieve the constant need making her nearly ache, at no point had she pondered having two men on her, in her, surrounding her at once.

Alyssa let her head fall lower. This line of thinking wasn’t helping.

The door to her room squeaked open, and she didn’t lift her head. A girlfriend. That’s what she needed right now. She smiled. She was actually surprised all five of the women in this family weren’t there.

“Hey. That bad?” Lindsey’s voice wafted across the room and soothed Alyssa even before the woman was all the way in the room.

When Lindsey laid a hand on Alyssa’s back and rubbed, Alyssa’s tension eased.

“What are you more worried about? Mating? Your men getting along? Shifting?”

“Do I have to put them in an order?” Alyssa lifted her head to look at her friend, a half smile forming on her lips, although forced.

Lindsey giggled. “It’s going to be okay, you know.”

“Riiight. When will that be?”

“When your mates get their heads out of their asses and focus on you instead of themselves.”

“I’m not sure that doesn’t scare me even more than having them bickering.”