A Cat For All Read online

  When he entered the room, he discovered Dallas naked with Pierce on his knees. Dallas held Pierce’s head between his hands. His face was locked in ecstasy as the other man’s head bobbed up and down. Ryker’s cock shifted from the sight of his two mates. He licked his lips and closed the door behind him silently. He walked into the room and slipped his clothes off, dropping them to the floor. In turn, he took a position behind Dallas. Ryker ran his fingers over Dallas’s back. He pressed his nose to Dallas’s nape, inhaling the masculine and heady scent of the man—and the cat that lay underneath the flesh. Ryker’s inner liger roared to be set free. He didn’t fight the majestic beast as it merged with his human nature. He rolled his shoulders, feeling the bones pop and the muscles stretch. The extra weight of the cat came into his being, and he rejoiced from it. His eye teeth shifted, becoming sharper as all four canines grew. Nails become hard claws, and his body temperature elevated a little.

  Ryker bumped his head against Dallas’s back. He the rubbed his cheek along his mate’s shoulders feeling the warm, velvety skin. A purr rolled from his throat being so content with the two men he had mated with. It wasn’t his first idea to be with men. Women to him were still beautiful, and their relationship was an open one that they could indulge themselves with another woman if the mood came upon them. They were not strictly monogamous, but they did not sleep with other men. Love so strong speared his soul when he thought about Dallas and Pierce—so strong, it stopped the breath in his throat. Ryker would do anything to keep them both safe and make sure they were happy.

  Dallas groaned, being close to coming. Ryker nipped the skin along his back, sucking on it until the blood rose in the flesh. With one final thrust into Pierce’s mouth, Dallas came. Ryker supported the other man’s weight while he recovered from the passion shared between him and Pierce. The one thing he never got used to was the mutual emotions among the three of them. It took his breath away every time they shared their feelings.

  Pierce stood, naked himself. His cock pointed at the two men, begging to be petted.

  “I want you next.” Pierce ran his fingers down Ryker’s arm. The soft touch made him tremble. Pierce was still acclimating to the shape-shifter lifestyle. He had strength and cunning, but he didn’t have the power to dominate a pride if it ever came to that. Ryker didn’t flaunt being an alpha. Neither did Dallas. They all had an equal say in the major decisions transpiring in their lives.

  “Then you can have me, but I want Dallas’s ass as well. I need to feel connected to both of you,” Ryker responded.

  “I love it when you’re in the middle. Love to have your fat dick in my ass.” Dallas grabbed a handful of Ryker’s hair and claimed his lips in a wet, sloppy kiss. Dallas’s tongue swept over his sharpened teeth while the other man’s hand clutched his cock and pumped it until Ryker thought he would lose it right there. Then Dallas stopped and turned around. He leaned on the bed and spread his legs. Pierce licked his palm, slid it along Ryker’s shaft providing the lubrication from his spit, and then seized Ryker’s ass in a firm grip, pushing his legs apart.

  Ryker moaned with the sudden pleasure and show of dominance Pierce showed. Maybe he’s coming into his own. Dallas readjusted on the bed by leaning over a little more to give the other two men a better view of his firm ass. Ryker spread Dallas’s asshole before slipping his dick inside of the tight orifice. He clutched his mate’s hips and drove into him slowly. Before he could find his rhythm, Pierce pushed him so he was lower than Dallas. Pierce’s sharp nails dug into the fleshy mounds of Ryker’s ass, and then Pierce plunged his length inside of him. The feeling of being full was so satisfying that even at the first thrust, a hiss of pleasure escaped Ryker’s lips. Pierce planted his hands on Ryker’s hips, nails piercing his flesh. And then he began a pace that Ryker had to match. Pierce’s hot breath blasted onto his shoulder. The cat squirmed within Ryker’s flesh, hoping to come out completely and yearning to share in the experience with them.

  Dallas backed into Ryker, to match the speed of their three-way mating. Ryker pressed his forehead into the hollow between Dallas’s shoulder blades and drew in deep breaths. Sweat had formed on his forehead and slipped down into his eyes. The world was falling away with each drive of his cock into Dallas and Pierce impaling him. His stomach muscles clenched. He couldn’t hold on much longer. He allowed his hands to rove over Dallas’s flat stomach and grasp his firm length. Pierce breathed loudly against his back. Ryker shut his eyes and let instinct take over. Nothing would come between him and his own. He would protect them no matter what happened, and that meant taking on Orianna if she brought trouble with her.

  Pierce’s teeth dug into his shoulder. Ryker cried out from the sudden bite, but it also was the push that he needed to send him over the edge. The world exploded in stars and balls of fur. His claws sunk into Dallas’s hips and his mouth tasted the blood of his mate. In the throes of passion, he must have also sunk his fangs into Dallas’s shoulder. He swallowed the hot, coppery substance and then let the world return back to normal. Pierce rested against his back, hands clasped around his chest and breathing heavily. Ryker opened his eyes and licked the wounds he had inflicted on Dallas. Even he was breathing hard. A loud rumble reverberated in Dallas’s back and vibrated Ryker’s cheek from the contented purrs his mate was uttering. A smile crept over his lips as he took one last lick of Dallas’s salty skin and then gently removed himself from his mate. Pierce had done the same, leaving him free.

  Ryker slid onto the king-size bed and the other two men cuddled on either side of him, keeping him warm with their body heat and the force of their love. He rested against the pillow and stared at the ceiling, totally spent. Dallas flicked his tongue over his pert nipple before nibbling on it. Pierce lay on his chest, his breaths slowly easing out into sleep. The happy bliss descended over Ryker as well. Dallas settled and fell asleep too. Ryker glanced at his two mates. Nothing was going to come between them—no matter what.

  Chapter Four

  By the time Ryker awoke, he realized they had slept the night away. He groaned and heard the shower going. Pierce still laid curled into a ball next to him with the covers half on and half off him. In sleep, he looked younger than his twenty-six years. The scars that decorated his body were from his attack by a were-leopard. The beast had been feral, and by the grace of God or sheer dumb luck Pierce had survived the attack and come out whole on the other end. The bite raised marks on his abdomen where the leopard had sunk its fangs into his flesh, but Pierce had fought him off.

  Ryker moved out of bed slowly so as not to wake Pierce. He stretched and wondered when they could leave. It was going to take a little bit for them to turn the guesthouse into a suitable residence. There was a lot of cleaning to do before Orianna could move in. Though he pondered how much of the regular amenities she’d utilize because she didn’t eat and probably needed the shower. There was a comfy, raggedy couch where he slept on occasion if he grew too tired to stumble back into the house. He figured they would have to buy a bed for her. What would a creature like her need to live? A coffin? Blankets on the windows or tin foil to keep the light out? She had said she fed from the deer, but he knew she must have eaten people. What if she goes feral? What if she draws unwanted attention? Ryker shook his head and shoved that away.

  Once Dallas emerged from the shower, Ryker headed into the bathroom and also got cleaned up. When he was done, Pierce padded in, sleep still crusting his eyes. It took him a few more minutes, but he also emerged showered and smelling like fresh soap.

  “Are we ready to get back to the house with Orianna?” Pierce asked.

  Dallas glanced at him. Ryker saw his strained expression. “We can.”

  All three left the room and then walked down to the first floor where she was. Pierce knocked softly on the door. No one answered. Ryker gritted his teeth because Orianna didn’t answer. He listened and didn’t hear anyone stirring on the other side. He tried again with a little more force.

  “Do you think she
ditched us?” Pierce asked, trying to hide the disbelief in his voice.

  Ryker leaned closer to the door and inhaled deeply. “No. She’s in there. Her scent is fainter, but she hasn’t left.” He banged on the door again. “Orianna, open the door. We’re going to check out. Are you coming with us or not?”

  Still no movement. Irritation rolled through him. His cat kneaded the inside of his brain, telling him it was not happy with the way this morning was turning out. The cat hadn’t decided if it wanted Orianna with them or not. Now it was frustrated with the turn of events. He figured she would be ready by now.

  Dallas pushed him out of the way. “Let me try, but block the door. You don’t want the sun to get on her.” He dug into his pants and pulled out a lock pick set.

  “Where did you get that?” Pierce asked.

  “Never leave home without it. You don’t know when you’re going to need it. Gotten me out of a few situations.” Dallas smiled and then worked on the lock until it opened. Ryker watched with fascination because Dallas always surprised him. There were things about his mate he didn’t know. He always kept his past a secret. After a few quick turns and a sudden click, the door popped open. Dallas pushed the door open.

  Ryker stood in the doorway. He immediately thought of all the vampire movies he had seen where a vampire’s lair was dank and smelled like decay. He shook the thought off because he knew it was a musty hotel room. The interior was completely dark. A blanket covered the window. The small shaft of sunlight that sliced into the room from the door landed on the bed. Orianna lay motionless. Pierce tried to push through to get to her. When Ryker moved, the sun hit her arm. The stench of burnt meat filled the room. A lick of flame appeared on her skin. She sat up in bed and uttered a piercing scream that deafened him.

  “Oh, shit!” Pierce rushed in and nearly shoved him to the floor. Orianna had leaped from the bed and was huddled in the darkest corner of the room. Her arms enveloped her face, and she was shivering.

  “Shut the door,” Pierce shouted, grabbed the sheet from the bed, and wrapped it around Orianna.

  The room was plunged into darkness. Her hollow gasps filled the room and sounded like broken bellows. Only three heartbeats sounded in the room. Hers was silent.

  “Are you okay?” Pierce asked, stroking her hair.

  “I-I think so,” she responded. “What are you doing here? I expected you last night, and you didn’t show.”

  “We got a little distracted,” Ryker answered. “We came up here to get you so we could bring you back to the house, but it appears we have run into a complication. It slipped my mind.”

  Orianna glared at him and held up her blackened hand. “You think! The sun isn’t just a complication. It’ll deep-fry me into oblivion if I step foot into it. Just go on without me. I’m more trouble than any of you want to deal with. I’ll leave at nightfall and be on my way. You won’t have to see me again.”

  “No!” Pierce cried out and pleaded with the two men. “You can’t just leave. You have to come back with us. Ryker, tell her. She’s our mate!”

  Dallas cleared his throat and knelt on the floor by them. “No, love. She’s your mate. To me, she is nothing more than a beautiful woman with an intriguing scent.” He put a hand on Pierce’s shoulder and squeezed.

  The other man looked at Dallas and then back at Ryker. Hurt danced in Pierce’s eyes, and that cut Ryker to the quick. I knew this was how it was going to go. Fuck. “Dallas is right. Orianna is a unique being, and I find her attractive, but her scent doesn’t wind around my heartstrings and tug on them the way they do when I’m with you or Dallas. Pierce, you’re still young yet as a shifter and don’t fully understand our ways. Your cat is confused when it comes to Orianna. Maybe you got the whiff of her and her perfume hasn’t worked its way out yet. I used my wiles to get her to come back with us.”

  Pierce’s expression darkened. Rage ignited his eyes and gave him an edge that Ryker had never seen before. He could feel the anger running through the connection they shared. A low growl came from Pierce’s lips and almost sounded like a challenge. The hair bristled on the back of Ryker’s neck and along his arms. His inner cat stood at attention and was ready to pounce at the one who issued the snarl. He had to remind himself this was his mate and he would never hurt Pierce. Dallas had the same shocked expression on his face that Ryker felt.

  “You always tell me what to do or how to feel. Just because I wasn’t born a shifter doesn’t mean that I don’t understand what my leopard wants. And it wants her.”

  Orianna laid her uninjured hand on his. “Pierce, you should listen to them. You don’t want me. Being with me would make you unhappy, and I couldn’t allow that. Please forget you ever caught my scent and go on with your mates. They only want what’s best for you.”

  He glanced at her. Ryker saw an expression of utter devotion on Pierce’s face, the way he looked at him and Dallas. Seeing that meant Pierce was serious in having her with them. “Pierce, even she’s telling you to let her go. Come back with us.”

  The muscles locked in Pierce’s jaw. His skin was taking on a redder hue by the second. The muscles rolled along his cheeks as he fought for control. “I’m not leaving her.”

  “But—” Orianna began.

  “No! I’m not leaving you. That’s final.”

  Dallas sighed. “What about us? We’re your mates, too. I can’t . . . I won’t lose you.” He twined his fingers with the other man’s.

  Pierce stared directly at Ryker. “If you don’t want her, then you don’t want me. I love the both of you. But my place is here.” He pulled his hand from Dallas’s.

  Ryker felt like he had been dealt a physical blow. It took him a moment to catch his breath. Pierce had made up his mind to abandon them for some woman he knew nothing about. He was discarding them for a monster who was dead all day and ate people at night. Everything they had built was coming crashing down. He pressed his nails into his palms and looked at the nearly helpless creature on the floor that his mate was protecting. She might be helpless now, but wait until the sun goes down. Pierce will see then what an oddity she is, what a danger, and he won’t want her anymore. He tugged on Dallas’s shirt.

  “Come on.”

  The other man stood slowly. Orianna looked at them, a confused expression adorning her features. Ryker’s liger yowled and dug its claws into his brain. Stars appeared at the periphery of his vision. His legs were shaky, and he wasn’t sure he would make it out of the door. Everything in him was stunned at the turn of events. He clutched the door frame and gathered his wits. Dallas opened the door quickly, and they exited the room. Ryker grabbed the railing and doubled over. The pain and realization he had lost Pierce ran rampant through him. Part of him had died.

  “I-It’s one thing for her to come back with us. Y-You can’t just let him stay with her. He doesn’t know any better. I know how dangerous her kind can be,” Dallas stammered.

  Ryker felt his rising anger jam up his throat. He slammed his fist into the railing, which left an obvious dent. Tears stung his eyes, but he fought them off. “I don’t have a choice,” he said through clenched teeth. “Wait. How do you know so much about vampires?”

  “Go in there and drag him out. Beat some sense into him. And it’s complicated.”

  “And have him resent us even more? I’m not going to jeopardize us getting back together once he wakes up and realizes she isn’t his mate. We are. For now, we go home and wait for him to come back.”

  Dallas squeezed his shoulder. “That could be a very long time. Her kind can be charismatic. Once they get their fangs into you, it’s hard to get away.”

  Ryker stared at the crashing waves. Dark clouds hovered over the water, slowly encroaching on the hotel. Soon they would blot out the sun. Maybe then she could escape into the world and leave Pierce behind. A sharp gust blew over the balcony and tried to knock them down. Either way a storm was brewing. “Well, then, we need to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

  “I wouldn
’t count on it.”

  “If we force him to come back with us, he’ll hate that we made him leave her behind for the rest of his days. I love him too much to have him look at me with loathing in his eyes for eternity. His cat will come to terms with Orianna not being his mate. Once that happens, he’ll come back to us.”

  Dallas raked his hands through his hair and growled. “You’d better be right.” He walked back toward their room.

  Ryker looked down at the beach. A couple dragged their child to the edge of the ocean. The baby screamed. The parents were frustrated with the toddler. The baby squirmed in its mother’s arms until finally they moved back to their towel. After a few moments, the tot got up and waddled toward the ocean, stumbling a few times before he made his way into the water and then started splashing. Happy baby laughter rippled from his lips. Ryker chuckled and wondered what it would be like to have a brood of his own. But no one wanted a hybrid. Now Pierce had turned him away for a woman who had no heartbeat. What purpose could she serve? He shook his head, glanced back to the closed door of Orianna’s hotel room, and then followed in Dallas’s direction.

  He wasn’t sure what he would do if he lost Pierce. Ryker had had his soul torn to shreds once before. The woman he loved was forbidden to see him once his father found out he was in love with a purebred. Ever since that he had been wary of anyone entering his life. He wasn’t going to stand in Pierce’s way because he knew what it was like to lose someone and never get them back again.