Astrid Cielo Read online

  Xavier flashed his teeth mere seconds before sinking them into the place where Skylar's neck and shoulder met. His dick hardened instantly and he wanted Xavier with an intensity that had never faded from the first time he saw him--broken and bloody, fighting for his very life.

  He knew then that he'd love this man. He just didn't know a little female would turn his world upside down. What were the odds that they'd both have a second mate?

  Skylar sank into Xavier, wished he could be as put together as he was.

  "How are you dealing with all of this--I mean besides your initial freak out--you've taken this whole thing surprisingly well."

  Xavier sighed.

  "I'm only keeping it together right now because you need me. Believe me Sky, I'm fighting my wolf at every moment. I want to take her, sink deep inside her and claim her. I want to sink deep inside you and re-claim you. I want both of my mates beside me so much that I can feel my wolf clawing at my sides begging me to take action."

  Skylar's wolf whined in his mind and he smiled. He grabbed Xavier's face and brought his own down to kiss his lips. He thought to be gentle. Let his mate know how much he meant to him, but it instantly became out of control. Tongues dueling as he pulled Xavier closer.

  A throat clearing pulled them from their embrace.

  "I'm sorry to intrude, but I've got a few questions and since Aspen will be out in just a few minutes we've got to make this quick."

  Skylar nodded to Caleb.

  "Aspen is a friend, not just a pride member or one of my good friends. She's like a sister to me, we grew up together and I can't allow her to be hurt. I don't know what's going on between the three of you, and frankly as long as Aspen is happy I don't care. I'm willing to offer you a temporary place within the pride until whatever's going on is settled, but if you hurt her then I will take all the hurt she feels out on each of your bodies. Am I clear?"

  Xavier stepped out of Skylar's arms and immediately Skylar felt bereft. He watched Xavier step up to Caleb, saw the tension in his body.

  "She's our mate. We'd never hurt her."

  Caleb nodded.

  "Be that as it may, someone hurt her and I have a good feeling it was one, if not both of you."

  Xavier growled and Caleb flashed his fangs before growling low. Skylar stepped between the two to stop what could be a setback in earning Aspen's trust.

  "It was me. I hurt her. I didn't mean to do it, but I was confused. She's ours and we'll take care of her."

  Caleb nodded and left the restroom. Skylar took a deep breath and released the anger he felt for Aspen being pregnant with another male's baby. In the end she would be theirs and the child would be theirs too.

  Chapter 5

  The house had a simple layout. The entrance led into the living room which had two hallways, the short hallway to the left led to a dining room and kitchen and the longer hallway to the right boasted three bedrooms, a master with a full bath and two smaller rooms with half baths. There was also a full bathroom at the end of the hall.

  What puzzled Xavier the most was that Aspen slept in one of the smaller bedrooms and not the master bedroom. He inhaled deeply and shook his head. Her scent led him straight to the small bedroom at the end of the hallway. He placed her gently on the bed and stood back. After an exhausting four hours at the Pinewood Creek ER Aspen had fallen asleep on the way home and didn't wake when Xavier placed her in the bed.

  "She's all tuckered out."

  Xavier turned to find Miranda standing in the doorway. Skylar nodded and Miranda sighed.

  "Look, Caleb told me about your...situation. I'm not sure I understand it, but in the end I don't have to. As long as Aspen is happy then that's all I can ask...Well I could ask for more, but that would just be plain selfish. Anyways, given the situation I'm sure you'll want to stay here. Given that she's asleep and can't extend the invitation…consider yourselves welcome in her home and the pride."

  "Thank you, Miranda. I know that my first impression wasn't the best," Xavier said thinking about attacking the male who'd held Aspen.

  Miranda laughed and her brown curls bounced.

  "No, that wasn't the best impression, but Andrew is more upset about it than I am...I must say it was fitting punishment for that time when I was a child and he told me the Easter Bunny would eat my brains on Easter. I still can't look at the Easter bunny the same."

  Miranda shook her head and turned to leave, stopping and turning when she'd almost exited the door.

  "Oh and by the way. I wouldn't just crawl into the bed with her without her invitation. She might freak out...or not? You know, I'd probably freak out so you guys should err on the side of caution. Anyways, good night."

  With that she was gone and they turned to stare at Aspen who slept so soundly.

  "She's beautiful," Skylar said.

  Xavier nodded. He could distinctly remember seeing her for the first time. Ripping her from the arms of another male had happened as if in slow motion. He'd seen her look of surprise and the tears that had coated her cheeks. Her black hair hung around her shoulders with a fringe of bangs drawing his eyes to her luminous grey eyes. He'd immediately felt a rage so deep for her tears and the male who'd held her in his place. He would never forget the way she sat in his lap on the way to the hospital. It had been surreal.

  "I never thought I'd want a female this much, Sky."

  Skylar clapped him on the shoulder.

  "I know, Xavier. I didn't realize I'd want anyone but you. Our mating wasn't exactly...normal."

  Xavier laughed and followed Sky from the room. Watching his ass encased in jeans sway as he walked down the hall made him want to taste each butt cheek before turning him over and sucking his cock deep into his throat.

  Skylar entered the master bedroom and Xavier wasted no time pinning him to the wall and pulling his mouth to his. He'd been in a constant state of arousal since meeting Aspen, but he knew instinctively that his attentions wouldn't be welcomed yet. Skylar wasn't just any fuck to soothe him until he could rest between Aspen's thighs, but was his mate. His wolf already yearned to feel its mate skin to skin. It felt as though they'd not fucked in forever.

  Today had been trying and Xavier longed to feel Sky's cock plow his ass, or his own cock buried deep inside Sky's ass. It didn't matter at this point.

  Skylar twisted away from Xavier.

  "Stop, baby, we've got to play it cool, at least for a little while."

  Xavier stared at Sky. He couldn't be serious. Xavier adjusted himself and smiled when Sky's gaze landed on his cock. Xavier unbuttoned his jeans and Sky shook his head.

  "We can't. I don't know how she'll handle this right now, we-"

  "We'll what? Wait? What if she never feels comfortable with us being together? Am I just supposed to be happy that I lost a mate?"

  Skylar sighed.

  "It'll all work out in the end."

  "And if it doesn’t? If she doesn't accept us like we are, a mated pair who wants to add a third?"

  Skylar didn't answer and Xavier hated him for it.

  "I can't take this shit."

  Xavier left Skylar standing in the middle of the bedroom and went to find another place to sleep. How could Skylar deny him? Aspen would have to be okay with it if she were also their mate. But what if she wasn't? What if she gave Skylar an ultimatum? Him or her? Xavier lay on the bed and let his worries take him to sleep. He feared that he wouldn't like the answer he got when the time came.

  ***

  Skylar allowed the change to take him, his human body bending into the shape of a wolf. He always took a second to marvel at the feeling of changing into something so primal. A feeling of being, yet not being surrounded him. Although it was normal, it never failed to stun him at how he and his wolf blended into one complete soul--two parts of the same whole. When in his human form he could always feel his wolf's presence, there but not, and when he changed into his wolf form that same feeling washed over him, only opposite.

  Skylar took a mom
ent to view his surroundings, the smell of cedar permeating the area around him. This forest was dense, all the better for a shifter to hide his or her tracks. He lifted his nose into the air and sniffed, his nose separating and cataloguing the odors quicker than his human mind could process. Then, a familiar scent captured his attention and his wolf was running towards the coppery scent of blood.

  Someone had gained the attention of the Shifter Council, never a good idea in the shifter community. There were three basic rules the Shifter Council enforced. Protect our earth and the animals that reside alongside us. Keep our existence secret from the humans that would not understand us. But perhaps most sacred of those rules was--All life is sacred and shouldn't be killed without proper reason, including protecting one's own life, protecting the life of a mate, child or family, and instances of settling shifter business.

  Someone's actions had brought the human's attention to the existence of shifters and in the process, and perhaps more importantly, they'd killed without reason. Maybe not without reason, Skylar reasoned with himself as he ran. They probably held their own reason, but the truth remained that he hunted a cold blooded killer--one who took human life that bore both the signs of a human's attack and a wild animal's attack. The responsible party had already been judged and sentenced, and that's where he came into play. His job was to end the life of the one who would take other's lives. He'd trained for this job since he was a child--an orphan nobody wanted.

  The sound of a scream pulled him from his own self-pity and he urged his wolf to hurry. Trees blurred as his wolf headed for the clearing he could see a short distance away. Skylar's wolf jumped over a fallen tree and into the clearing. His wolf bared his teeth growling at the male that kneeled over its victim, his eyes glowing in the dimness of the forest as he looked up from his prey and stared at Skylar's wolf. The male bared his teeth, his fangs flashing before his skin rippled and he changed from a tall, muscular male into a formidable wolf. His black, shaggy hair became midnight black fur that covered a larger than normal wolf. He snarled, his blue eyes glowing eerily as twilight settled over the clearing.

  The black wolf circled Skylar's wolf, and when he got closer to the black wolf's prey, the black wolf attacked, his blow hitting Skylar's wolf in the flank. Skylar's wolf recovered quickly and snapped at the black wolf catching him by the hind leg. The black wolf let out a spine-chilling howl as Skylar's wolf locked his jaw around its hind leg and shook its head to damage as much of the black wolf's leg as possible.

  Almost too easily, Skylar's wolf overtook the black wolf and sank its teeth deep into the black wolf's neck, administering the Council's sentence. Dead, the black wolf fell to the forest floor and slowly changed back into a man. Skylar reasserted his control over his wolf and groaned as he transformed into a man once again. He stared down into the lifeless blue eyes of his assignment and a feeling of desperation settled into his bones. When would he be allowed to stop killing? In his mind, his wolf answered, "When others stop killing those who cannot defend themselves from us."

  Skylar sighed.

  A weak whimper reminded Skylar that the dead wolf's victim still lived. He approached slowly, his nakedness surely to alarm the injured human female.

  Skylar sank to his knees, his vision blurring from his tears as he took in the female who lay before him. Blood covered her body, no part unhurt or so it appeared from his visual survey. His wolf howled and demanded retribution.

  "Aspen?"

  "Skylar?"

  No matter how many times he closed his eyes, he would only open them to find a bloody and broken Aspen. His mate. Aspen coughed and blood bubbled on her lips.

  "Don't leave me, Skylar."

  Though her voice was weak, the plea was strong and tore at Skylar's heart. Skylar gathered his mate, trying to deny the obvious, into his arms and cradled her close.

  "I'd never leave you, love."

  Another cough and Aspen closed her eyes. Panic washed over him until her barely whispered words reached his ears.

  "But you did."

  "I'm so, sorry, Aspen, I was confused..."

  "I'm cold, please hold me."

  "I've got you, Aspen. I'm going to get you help."

  Aspen lifted her hand and her icy fingers caressed his cheek. A sad smile crossed her face and her grey eyes became dimmer.

  "Don't worry, Skylar. Xavier will take care of me now. He tried his best."

  And with those weak words her breathing stopped, the faint lub-dub of her heart faded and her body went limp.

  Skylar tried his best. He breathed for her and he tried to get her heart to beat, but she wouldn't wake up. His wolf howled within his mind even as the human clung to his mate's lifeless body. He lifted her in his arms and walked.

  Time had no meaning. Life had no meaning.

  Skylar stumbled, falling with a lifeless Aspen and his face met yet another lifeless face. Once brown eyes so full of stubbornness, now blank as he stared into the now dark sky.

  Xavier's dead body taunted him as he allowed his wolf to take over, the grief too much. His mates were gone. His reason for living lay beside each other with not a breath in their bodies. Skylar cried inside as the wolf howled its own pain to the night.

  Chapter 6

  Aspen sat up in the bed her heart beating frantically and her body moving before she could even assimilate the reason she was suddenly awake and running down the hall of her house. The howl of a wolf, so sad it brought tears to her eyes and broke her tattooing heart reminded her that she wasn't alone--at least in her house anymore.

  A door opened and she ran into a solid frame of someone who couldn't be mistaken for anything other than male. He caught her before her buttocks hit the floor and she looked up into dark brown eyes. Just like that her folds dampened and she wanted him inside of her. Her breath caught as the hand holding her waist tightened and brought her closer to his heat. Another howl rent the night and Aspen's cougar scraped at the insides of her mind.

  "Skylar," they both said in unison before heading towards the continuous howl of a saddened wolf.

  Why were Skylar and Xavier not together?

  Xavier preceded her into the room, now quiet but for moans coming from the male half shifted on the bed. Aspen forgot anything but her mate lying in such pain and pushed past Xavier to get to Skylar. She crawled into the bed with the thrashing male and cupped his cheek. He settled with just her touch and his eyelids fluttered open to reveal his troubled green eyes.

  "Aspen?"

  Before she could answer, he'd pinned her to the bed his mouth taking her lips before she could protest. Aspen gasped and Skylar took advantage, his tongue delving deep within her mouth. His hands touched her everywhere igniting equal parts desire and panic. Aspen whimpered when he pulled back, his teeth grazing her bottom lip.

  It was too much, too fast.

  Aspen pushed at Skylar's shoulders to no avail. He didn't budge.

  One moment Skylar was there, his mouth and hands exploring her body and the next he was absent, Xavier holding him from her.

  "Hold on, Sky, you're scaring her."

  "Xavier?"

  Aspen balanced herself on her elbows and watched as Skylar turned to take Xavier's lips in a desperate manner. Xavier relaxed into Skylar, a low growl coming from Skylar as he left Xavier's mouth to nibble on his neck. Xavier sighed and wrapped his arms around Skylar's waist, his hands cupping Skylar's buttocks.

  Aspen gasped at the naked state Skylar was in, and she wondered how she’d missed it. The more she watched, the wetter she became. She was surprised at her reaction, having never thought she'd be turned on by watching two males. Her heart rate picked up again and she longed to join them, but something held her back. Aspen trailed her hand down her body when Xavier leaned his neck to the side to give Skylar better access, and her hand stopped on her distended stomach, evidence of Skylar's and her passion.

  She closed her eyes and scenes of that night filtered through her mind. His mouth. His tongue. Him deep i
nside of her. Him leaving.

  Aspen opened her eyes and dark brown eyes captured her gaze. She couldn't look away from the intensity in Xavier's eyes, nor the lust.

  "Touch yourself, Aspen," Xavier said, his voice laden with desire.

  Aspen bit her lip and stopped herself from following his command. She'd never been so aware of her state of dress before. A simple t-shirt that barely covered her panties still felt like too many clothes--and yet not enough.

  Skylar stopped nibbling on Xavier's neck and turned. Aspen couldn't stop her eyes from traveling down his well-muscled body to his cock, long and dripping with his need. Aspen licked her lips in remembrance of his flavor.

  A hand wrapped around his cock and glided over the flesh she'd been ogling. Her eyes shot to Xavier who winked at her before nodding down toward Skylar's cock. Aspen watched as Xavier slowly pumped Skylar's cock from root to tip, gathering his desire and spreading it over the head and over the shaft on a downward stroke. Aspen squeezed her thighs together, and bit her lip to keep her moan from breaking free from the small delightful pleasure that shot through her.

  "Don't stop, baby," Skylar said between his teeth.

  Xavier bit Skylar's neck and Skylar moaned.

  "What happened?" Xavier whispered into Skylar's ear.

  "No-"

  Xavier bit down on Skylar's earlobe. "The truth Sky."

  Skylar growled and Xavier smiled at Aspen.

  "Come here, Aspen."

  Aspen slowly rolled off the bed and walked toward the two males. Mates. Aspen shook her head, denying what her cougar told her.

  "Don't you want to know why he howled in his sleep, Aspen?"

  Aspen nodded.

  "Tell her Sky."

  Skylar's head dropped and his shoulders slumped.

  "It was just a bad dream."

  Aspen stepped forward until her belly brushed Xavier's now still hand. She cupped Skylar's cheek and brought his beautiful green eyes to her own.