Into The Sunset: An Erotic Romance Anthology (9 page)

Ben, on the other hand, was an inch or two
shorter than Lucas and Walker. He was dark haired, with big blue
eyes that made him seem younger than his thirty three years. He was
leaner and slighter than Lucas, and faster in human and wolf forms.
Ben was the head software analyst and engineer at Luna Corp, and he
was more lighthearted and compassionate than Lucas or Walker. He
was more human, and provided the balance necessary in their
partnership. His quick, playful Grey Wolf was inky-black and
beautiful, a strong draw for female wolves.

“
Well?” Walker said, snapping
Lucas out of his thoughts.

“
I’ve decided. About the girl,
that is. I want her to be the first female brought to the
compound,” Lucas declared.

A look communal displeasure passed between Ben
and Walker.

“
Is there a problem?” Lucas asked,
crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat.

He expected Ben to cut in and tactfully
explain their issues, but Walker spoke instead.

“
We don’t understand why you’re
doing this. You’re rich, you’re young, you’re good looking. There
are females throwing themselves at your feet, trying to be your
mate.”

“
Most of them are willing to take
a lot less than that,” Ben cut in. “Why not choose one of those,
keep her for a while, then trade up? It’s what everyone else does.
This concept of yours, this harem thing-“

“
Harem?” Lucas said, rolling the
word over his tongue. Several incredible women, all dedicated to
the top triad of Luna Corp, all servicing their needs and keeping
their secrets…

“
Perhaps that is the correct
term,” Lucas admitted, nodding.

“
It’s a strange concept,” Walker
said, his tone dour. Always the practical one.

Lucas sighed. He’d known it wouldn’t be a
simple conversation, not even with the two males who knew him
best.

“
Ten years ago, I sat you two down
in a coffee shop and told you that I wanted to start a software
company. I wanted to build something that would give us financial
stability, a product we could really believe in, and the
flexibility to escape the corporate world when we needed, to let
our wolves be free. What was your response then?” Lucas
asked.

Walker and Ben looked at each
other.

“
We were skeptical,” Walker
answered.

“
Yes, and maybe rightfully so. But
we put the work in, and built our little software program into
dozens of different products, and now they’re selling worldwide in
a hundred markets. I had the vision, you had the know-how, and we
worked our asses off. Now it had paid off a hundred
fold.”

“
Which is why we should just level
off now,” Ben said, cocking his head.

“
I wasn’t satisfied with working
some nine to five in a cubicle, dragging myself through each day
and punching the time clock. I wanted excellence, and together we
created it. Now that I’m satisfied with my work, I want to settle
my personal life. And I expect no less than excellence in that
arena, as well. There are many female wolves in the world, but I
want the best. The brightest, most beautiful females, and ones who
can offer us as much as we could give them.”

Walker and Ben watched him, listening
patiently.

“
We’re not twenty years old
anymore. We’re rich, successful, and in our prime. It’s time to
start building a foundation, thinking of living a full life outside
of work. I personally plan on selecting a female from the Harem to
breed with, someone I respect and trust enough to parent with. I
would expect no less from you two.”

Ben looked a little aghast, while Walker’s
stony expression remained unaffected.

“
You want us to share all the
women?” Walker asked. “Wolves don’t usually like to share much.
Food, women, territory…”

“
I think the situation will be
unique with each woman. It will be up to her preference,
ultimately, but I imagine it will also rely on our personal level
of interest and attraction. When I select a female to breed with, I
would expect to be her only mate.”

“
And if we all settle down with
one female, what about the rest of them?” Ben asked.

“
We would care for them
financially, and try to find them an acceptable male if they should
choose that course,” Lucas answered.

Ben was quiet for a long time, then he
snickered.

“
Do you find this amusing?” Lucas
asked, arching a brow.

“
Well, yeah. It’s kind of like
you’re setting up your own dating service,” Ben replied.

“
Do you have a better idea? Or do
you plan on being single forever? Or maybe just keep dating human
women, hiding your wolf from them?” Lucas challenged.

“
No,” Ben snapped, sinking back in
his chair with a scowl.

“
Or maybe we could all just do
without, like some wolves do?” Lucas suggested, giving Walker a
hard look.

“
I don’t trust females,” Walker
said with a shrug.

“
That’s the beauty of this deal,”
Lucas explained. “There will be a contract, specifying that the
females must live on our terms and protect our identities. In
exchange, they’ll receive financial compensation and protection. If
they violate the contract, we’ll throw them right back to the mess
they were in before.”

Ben and Walker looked at each other, obviously
still having reservations.

“
It just sounds like…” Ben
started, the paused.

“
Paying for sex,” Walker finished,
unabashed.

“
I’m not planning on including sex
in the contract. Only companionship. I assume that we’re all
capable of using our looks and charm and dominant wolves to our
advantage. This just keeps everything above board, and
safe.”

Walker visibly relaxed, and Ben nodded. Lucas
could see he’d swayed them.

He stood, leafing through the photos on his
desk until he found one of Aurelia that showed her fully dressed.
Handing it to Walker, he continued.

“
This female is an exceptional
mind. She’s beautiful. I have no doubt she’s spirited. And lucky
for us, she’s in a hell of a lot of trouble. There are a dozen more
women in similar situations, and more that we’ve yet to find. I
want to take Aurelia in first, as her predicament is
pressing.”

The males nodded, and Lucas felt a weight lift
off his shoulders. Grabbing his cell phone, he sent a text to his
team on the ground, telling them to go ahead with the
plan.

Looking up at his two best friends and
business partners, Lucas smirked.

“
They’ll meet us at the compound
in two days’ time. I suggest we head out and get everything
ready.”

“
Alright. Let’s do this,” Ben
said, excitement tinging his tone.

Walker stood as Lucas approached, offering him
a handshake. They clasped hands, their agreement silent but
strong.

Leaning back over his desk, Lucas pressed the
intercom button.

“
Leila,” he called, “Get the
chopper ready. Walker and Ben are accompanying me to the mountain
compound. We’ll be gone several days.”

Not waiting for a response, he picked up his
suit jacket and led the way out of the office.

*******************************

A growl ripped from Lucas’s muzzle as his paws
struck the soft pine straw of the forest floor, drumming an
insistent tattoo in time with his heart. Ben’s massive gray wolf
ran only a few feet to his right, Walker’s tawny timber wolf to his
left. Ben pulled ahead, eliciting twin growls from Lucas and
Walker. Still the gray wolf streaked ahead, suddenly unleashing a
burst of speed and power as the tree line broke around them and
gave way to the rolling grassy hill where the house sat.

Ben slowed halfway into the yard, Lucas and
Walker mirroring his actions. They all pulled to a stop and sat,
tongues lolling.

Lucas found himself wondering why they didn’t
spend every damned weekend out here at the Compound. The sprawling
estate was tucked into the Blue Ridge Parkway, about twenty minutes
outside Asheville, North Carolina. With stunning pine-covered hills
stretching far as the eye could see, tiny streams brimming with
crystalline water, and humans far and few… it was sort of a wolf’s
paradise.

The house itself was incredible, all cedar and
glass walls rising into the sky, the seven thousand square foot
layout spread over three stories and still dwarfed by the backdrop
of towering pines. Lucas had put in a pool and grotto, his one wink
to Hugh Hefner’s distinct brand of genius.

Yawning, Lucas stood and shook his coat out
before shifting.

“
I’m starving,” Ben said,
unmindful of his nudity as he trotted up the steps of the back
porch. He made a beeline for the stainless-and-granite open kitchen
and started rummaging through the fridge.

“
How bout you put on some fucking
pants before you touch the food?” Walker grumbled.

“
You’re just pissed that I beat
you here… and in our little race,” Ben taunted as he dug sandwich
makings out of the fridge and tossed them on the
counter.

Lucas grabbed his clothes off the floor where
he’d dumped them. Casual today, slim cut jeans and a gray plaid
shirt that women often complimented. No shoes, because wolves were
pretty impervious to a few sticks and stones underfoot.

“
If you’re making a sandwich, make
a bunch,” Lucas told Ben. “Double meat, obviously.”

Ben snorted but set to work, and a few minutes
later they were all dressed and lounging in the oversized den,
sandwiches in hand. Ben, by far the most domesticated of the three,
even brought plates, beers, and napkins. They feasted
silently.

As Lucas was polishing off his sandwich, his
phone chimed. Once, twice. A third time.

“
Shit, that must be our guy,” he
said, jumping up and grabbing it from the kitchen counter. The
ringing stopped, and he frowned at his phone. When he turned back,
he met two very smug faces.

“
What?” he asked,
scowling.

“
Someone’s excited,” Walker
intoned.

“
If that female gets the tiniest
inkling of how Luc has been creep-stalking her, she’ll bolt,” Ben
said with a laugh.

“
Or worse. She’ll wrap him around
her finger. Lucas will be her bitch,” Walker said, flashing a
bright grin. He obviously relished the idea.

“
Shut up. I’m horny, she’s hot,
enough said. Besides, she’s only going to know what she finds out
from me, because you two are going to make yourselves scarce while
I talk to her. Right?” Lucas asked, giving them a hard
stare.

“
I’m gonna need at least an
intro,” Ben said, smirking. “If she’s so amazing and all. And we’re
all supposed to be able to hit on her.”

“
I’m just saying that I’m the
closer in this group, and I need to cinch the deal first. Then
we’ll see how it goes. Agreed?”

Ben rolled his eyes and nodded, and Walker
merely shrugged. No surprise there; Walker was accepting but still
unexcited about the plan. Lucas couldn’t wait until they found a
female for the harem who would blow Walker out of the water. He’d
see who was all smug grins then, wouldn’t he?

The sound of gravel under heavy tires came
from outside, and Lucas found himself pulled to the front door. Ben
and Walker were right behind him, just as curious no matter what
they said.

Sliding open the glass door, Lucas padded out
onto the porch to greet the entourage. Wincing in the bright
mid-morning light, he shaded his eyes as he watched several huge
human men get out of the car. He’d been forced to use a human team,
because he’d never trust a female as desirable as Aurelia with a
bunch of wolves.

One of them opened the back door and gestured
impatiently to the back seat’s occupant. A long moment stretched as
Lucas watched the door, breath catching in his chest as he
waited.

Finally, two slender legs emerged, followed by
a perfectly curved torso. Finally, Aurelia’s signature mass of
coppery locks emerged, honeyed fire under the sun. She wore a pair
of tight cutoff jean shorts, red cowboy boots, and a transparent
yellow tee shirt. Big dark sunglasses obscured her face, but the
distinctive heart-shape and pert nose were visible. Full pink lips,
sinful looking and certain to devastate anything they
touched.

And now she was looking up to the porch,
taking his measure. Everyone else seemed to melt away, the trees
and mountains fading into obscurity. Her lips curved in a smirk,
challenging.

Lucas swallowed and brushed his hands over his
shirt front, excitement thrumming in his blood. She was here, just
a conversation away from being under his body. He would bury
himself in her, sate the insane desire that was plaguing him. And
she would belong to him, his to enjoy anytime he wanted.

His wolf rose, pleased at the prospect of
having Aurelia.