All Bite, No Growl (7 page)

“Father, are you really so closed-minded on this?” Case said. “I’ve found my mate, am happy, and it shouldn’t matter the sex of my mate as long as we are happy.”

“The council doesn’t approve same-sex relationships, you both know that,” Kevlin, one of the council members, stated.

“Why is that?” Devon asked, challenged.

“The council never has. Female are to be with males. Going against that means going against everything we believe in. We need to reproduce to strengthen and grow our pride.”

“And because we are two males we can’t have children,” Case stated, pissed. “There is adoption, if we even decided to go that way, or surrogacy. There are options out there.”

No one responded.

“Father, you feel this way?” Case asked his dad.

“I’m sorry, son. I can’t go against the council.”

“And you, Dad?” Devon said.

His father just shook his head.

“Then I guess this is goodbye,” Devon said, tightened his hold in Case’s hand again, and they both looked at each other. “I want to be with you. You’re my mate, and I don’t want to ignore that because this council, this town, can’t accept what fate gave us.”

Case smiled, leaned in, and kissed Devon. “I want that too.”

There was a murmur from the council after they finished kissing, but Case didn’t give a fuck. They both turned and left the town council building, not carrying about anything but being together. Now they needed to speak with Willow, tell her they loved her, and they didn’t care if she wasn’t their mate. To them, she was theirs, everything to them, and they wanted her in every way.

Willow had been avoiding Devon and Case, and she felt like the biggest bitch because of it. She’d spoken with them, finally, but it had been short, clipped, and she tried to explain that right now she needed some time to think about things. Her mother and father were really going through the divorce, already speaking with a lawyer, and trying to talk to her and get her feelings out. She just didn’t know how to process all of this, didn’t know how to control her emotions for Devon and Case either.

She’d been sitting on the hood of her car, her knees brought up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them, and staring at the lake—a highlight in their town—for the last hour. It had been a bumpy road emotionally for her since she’d slept with both Devon and Case, and also found out about her parents, but she was actually coming to terms with everything. Well, with the parent side of it all. If she hadn’t slept with the guys she would have gone straight to them and talked about all of this. But after being intimate with them she felt weird, awkward even. She loved them immensely, cared for them more than she did herself, but things were…different now.

She grabbed her cell and texted Devon and Case at the same time. She read the group text once she was finished writing it out.

I’m sorry for putting distance between us. I’ve been going through a lot these last few days, and would really like to talk. Can you meet me at the lake?

The reply text was instant.

Devon:
We’re five minutes away.

She set her phone on the hood beside her, looked at the full moon, and knew that even if Devon and Case told her that what they’d shared was more than just sex, she still wanted them in her life. She would not, could not, give them up. They were her best friends, the loves of her life, and she’d rather be only friends with them then lose them altogether.

Time seemed to speed up, and before she knew it she saw the flash of headlights in the distance. She closed her eyes when she heard the gravel behind her, knew it was Devon and Case, and also knew she’d avoided them long enough. It wasn’t fair to them, certainly not their fault about what was happening with her parents, or how she felt about wanting to be a triad with them. It was what it was, and there was nothing that could change that. All she could do was be truthful, not lie about anything or how she felt, and let the chips fall where they may.

The sound of the car turning off, of two doors opening and closing, and then of footsteps coming closer had her opening her eyes and looking over her shoulder. She watched Devon and Case come toward her as she sat on the hood of the car. The world shifted beneath her, the air stalled, chilled, and she felt lightheaded. Her heart raced at the sight of them, and the fact that her lion rose up, and the realization that things had most definitely changed. It wasn’t just Devon and Case anymore, not when it was like fate changed course, shifted, and turned into this twisted birth.

Mates. They are your mates.

Her emotions went wild, rampant, and she had no way of controlling them. She inhaled, saw their lions flash to the surface as well, and knew that what was happening had to have been brought on by her turbulent emotions. She was crying now, so stunned that in her emotional turmoil she’d awakened something inside of her, that mating instinct that told her who her true mates were. And in Devon and Case’s emotional turmoil they, too, had found out she was their mate.

“Baby,” Devon said, took a step closer, his nostrils flaring, his eyes widening.

Case reached out and grabbed his hand, stopping him. “Willow?” he asked, the scent of his realization coming on strong, too.

“I…I…” God, she couldn’t even speak clearly. But she wasn’t just presented with her dreams, her desires. She was just presented to a triad.

“You’re ours,” Case said and chuckled, but it wasn’t a laugh of amusement, but one of wonder.

“I knew our love for you wasn’t just a passing emotion, Willow. It was because we knew, deep down, before fate intervened and everything showed itself, that you were ours,” Devon said, his grin wide.

“But why now? Why didn’t you realize I was your mate when you two became mated?” Why did she even care? They were hers, really hers, and that was all that mattered.

“I don’t know, baby. This mating connection works in mysterious ways.” Case was moving toward her a second later, cupped her face, and stared at her. “But you’re ours, and that’s all that matters.”

Devon was on the other side of her, inhaling the scent of her hair, and all she could do was close her eyes and bask in the fact it didn’t matter how shitty things were. Everything seemed to work out the way it was supposed to in the end.

They stood like that for what seemed like forever, the love and care bouncing off of the three of them, swirling together, and surrounding them. But she finally pushed them away, took a few steps back, and knew she still needed to talk to them.

She loved these males, and they didn’t deserve to be deceived, which is what she’d done nearly her whole life. And wasn’t that what she had ultimately done by not being honest with them after all this time? Now that the truth came out, the fact they were mates, Willow needed to be honest with herself and with them.

She inhaled deeply, not about to prolong this anymore, because her joy and happiness could surely make her rethink saying anything and just bask in this all night long. “I’m just so stunned by what just presented itself, but I know that I still have a couple of things I want to tell you guys. I want to say I’m so sorry for pushing you away, and leaving after… well, and leaving like I did.”

“Willow—” Case started to say.

She held her hand up, stopping him. “Please, let me say this, just get this all out, then we can focus on us.” She grinned, and they did the same.

“Okay, baby,” Devon said, and her heart jumped at the endearment.

“I love you guys,
am
in love with you, and that’s why I left.” Her heart thundered. “This was before I knew you were my mates, before I even considered that anything could happen between us. You guys are mated, and I wasn’t part of that… at least I wasn’t.” She felt elation at that revelation. Even if she hadn’t been in love with them before the mating, she would have been connected to them in an unbreakable bond.

“You’re our mate,
our
mate, Willow.” Case said and cupped her cheeks. “We knew from the moment we saw you that you were so special to us, knew what love was because of you. This wasn’t just a passing emotion for us.”

“We didn’t think we’d ever be lucky enough to find mates, let alone with the woman that we both love and care about so deeply.” Devon finished saying.

She looked at the pavement, at least feeling a semblance of control over this aspect of her life. “My parents are separating; my father found a new woman even though he’s still married to my mom.” Although she’d been upset at first over it, during this time she’d reflected on it all she knew was that her mother hadn’t been upset. Her mother and father had probably been apart right in front of her, trying to stay together for her.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” Case said and was right back in front of her holding her, stroking her hair.

“It’s okay. I’ve just been trying to wrap my head around it all, and I know things will work out in the end. It’s just hard trying to think about and comprehend all of it.”

Devon was behind her, kissing her head and whispering that things would be okay. “We’re leaving this shitty little, closed-minded town,” Devon said.

“What?” she said and pulled back, looking between the two of them.

Case and Devon looked at each other, then smiled. “Yeah, we came out to the council, hoping that maybe they’d see we love each other and that being mated to the same sex wasn’t an abomination,” Case said and shrugged.

Devon reached out and pushed a stray piece of her hair away. “They didn’t accept us, so we’re leaving.” He leaned down and licked her. “And we were thinking of leaving with you when you go to college.”

God, she hadn’t even been thinking of college. “You’d come with me?”

They looked shocked she even asked.

“Baby, you’re our mate, and we are a triad. Where you go, we go.” Case kissed her this time. “We talked about, know this is what we want. We can’t stand to be away from you, especially not know that we’re all mated.”

She felt giddy, happy, and couldn’t wait to share the news with her mom and dad. It was then, as she thought of that, she wanted to tell her parents; she knew that nothing would change. They would always love her, always support her, and she knew that them separating and moving on with their lives wouldn’t hold her back.

“Okay,” she said on a breath, loving how these males made her feel. “But only if that’s what you want. I don’t want you to uproot everything to follow me.”

“Baby, we are leaving regardless, and we want you to go to school and be incredible. Following you wherever you go is what Devon and I want.” Case smiled and kissed her again, then again, and when she was breathless Devon turned her head toward up and kissed her hard and possessively.

How in the hell did things work out this way? How in the hell did she go from thinking her life was falling apart to everything fitting in the right spot, and being there at the right time? It was crazy to think about, to envision that this was really her life, but she embraced it, held it tightly, and she would ride this until there was nothing left.

One year later

 They’d been living together for the last year, and to say that Willow was happy was an understatement. She was going to school full-time, and although Case and Devon hadn’t gone to school at first they’d both signed up part-time. They all three had to try and make it work paying their bills and stay in the small house they rented, but they loved it. She loved them, and they loved her. And she couldn’t ask for anything else.

It was July, school was out for the summer, and she was actually enjoying being away from their small, closed-minded town, having a somewhat domestic lifestyle. Her mom and dad had gotten divorced, but out of the council and their small town, they were the most accepting and understanding of their triad mating.

Even though her dad was with another woman, and Willow had been upset over that fact, she realized as time passed that her parents were now happier. Her mom was even dating a wolf-shifter, going against the grain of their kind and of their council, and she couldn’t be happier.

And then there was their town and the council, even Devon’s and Case’s fathers. After they realized they were mates the three of them had gone to Devon’s and Case’s houses, spoke with their mothers, and were happy that at least they had been accepting of their triad and the fact their sons were mated to other males, too. Their fathers, to their sadness and disappointment, weren’t accepting of the homosexuality side of the mating, and because of that weren’t accepting of their triad. At least they had her parents, who loved all three of them, had since they were young.

The three of them realized that they didn’t need anyone’s acceptance, least of all a group of lions that lived in the past, thinking what they did and shared was wrong. 

She made her way toward the front of the house. A bath to clean off all the dirt and sweat sounded heavenly. She’d been gardening, something she never thought she’d like, but seeing the flowers sprout, the colors of the petals, and the sweet smelling scent surround her as she walked in the backyard gave her satisfaction.

Case and Devon were so damn good to her, so loving, protective… territorial. Just thinking of the way they seemed obsessed with her, wanting to pleasure her, make her know that she was loved and desired, had a shiver working through her. When she went to the bathroom she saw that they had the tub filled with warm, steamy water. A smile covered her face. They were thoughtful even before she realized what she wanted herself.

Her two males stood side-by-side in the center of the bathroom, in nothing but  towels wrapped around their lean, muscular waists. Willow took in the sight of their broad shoulders, defined pecs, rippling six packs, and even that delicious tight “V” of muscle that led down to what she knew were impressive cocks.

Their eyes were glowing softly, their animals right at the surface, tempting her, arousing her. Their grins were devastatingly panty-dropping, but they didn’t engage her in anything sexual, much to her disappointment. Instead they moved closer to her, kissed her on each side of the cheek, and left her alone in the bathroom. A glance in the slightly foggy mirror showed her that she was filthy, but in a good way.