Jungle Freakn' Bride (17 page)

“First off, we are of a much higher caste than wolves.
Second, we don’t howl. We stalk. Silently.”

“It was
n’t
silent when you left me in that hut for three days,” she grumbled.

“
That was because we battled.
Again, part of the ritual.
When a warrior pair finds their bride, they need to prove their worthiness and
face
all challengers.
”

This was too much. She needed time to digest this
,
t
o mull it over before her head exploded.
“I’ve heard enough of your ritual
a
nd your jungle games.
I’m tired of this. Tired of the lies. The uncertainty.
The pair of you.
Everything.
Whether you like it or not,
I’m going home
,
t
o my poor sister who is probably worried sick.” They exchanged glances.
“What? You know something about Ruth. I can – I can smell it?
How
i
s that possible
?
”

“You will find you can sense many things through scent alone. Lies, fear, anger, arousal.”

“All very well and good, but what does this have to do with my sister?”

“It would seem while we were
transport
ing you back to our village, arrangements were made to bring your sister here.”

“What! Ruth is in the jungle
?
You lie. She hates leaving home.”

“Why would I lie? It seems she didn’t take the news of your disappearance well and decided to search for you herself. She should be arriving at the designated meeting spot any day now.”

It boggled her mind that her shy sister would brave the jungle to find her.
But she couldn’t concentrate on that now, not when she got the impression there was something more.
“And then what?”

Chaob hesitated so Acat filled in the blank
s
.
“Then, if the gods deem her worthy, a warrior pair will claim her as bride.”

“You mean you’ll do to her what you did to me
?
”
Carlie
planted her hands on her hips. “Over my dead fucking body are you touching my little sister.”

“
If it’s the will of the gods
–
”

“Screw your gods. This is my baby sister you’re talking about. And no one is doing anything to her. Do you hear me?”
She practically snarled in her fury.

“And how will you stop it?”

She narrowed her gaze at them.
How
indeed.
“
I might not have the strength to stop it, but you do. And
you will.”
She lowered her voice until it emerged a menacing snarl.

It didn’t bother either of them in the least.
“W
hat’s in it for us?”
Acat’s eyes narrowed.

Her brows shot up.
“
Are you bargaining with me?”

“Would it work?”

“I don’t negotiate with terrorists.” Even good
-
looking ones.

“We’re your husbands
,
”
Acat
stated flatly
.

“In your minds
,
maybe.”

“In reality,” he snapped.
“So get used to it.”

“Dream on.”

“
This is not helping you win your case for your sister.”

Shit. Ruth. She needed to get him working with her, not against her. “
Leave her out of it.”

“Fine. I will.” He smiled triumphantly as he maneuvered her.

“Oh no
,
you don’t. I see you
r
master plan. When I say leave my sister out of it, I mean leave her out of it as in no jungle marriage and no turning her into a four
-
legged furball.”

“
Again, give me a good reason why I should get involved
.
”

“
Can’t you just do it because I ask
ed
?
”
Maybe if she’d said it sweetly… Nah. She didn’t have it in her to beg
, not when his attitude riled her
.

“
No.”

“
How about I demand it?”

“You could try.”
Acat’s lips twitched
and damn him if he wasn’t still sexy
.

“But?”

Acat shrugged and tossed her an enigmatic smile that could have meant anything.

“Argh, you are the most stubborn. Annoying.
Pig
-
headed.
Old fashioned.
” And then her mind went blank because she couldn’t think of any other insults and somehow
,
calling
him
hot and sexy didn’t seem like argument winners.

“Why should we help you when you’ve just stated you don’t consider yourself our bride?”
Chaob, silent to this point
,
chimed in.

“For guys who claim
you
’re my hubbies, you’re not being very nice.”

“Neither are you,” Acat pointed out.

“So, what are you saying?
”

“Perhaps more could be achieved with cooperation.”
Chaob shot her a sultry smile.

“In other words, i
f I agree to give
this whole mate thing
a test run, you’ll save my sister.”

“What do you mean by test run?”
Chaob
queried
.

What did she mean? Surely she didn’t contemplate letting them ke
e
p her
?
O
r
actually agreeing to this marriage sham
?

Acat answered for her. “We will accept nothing less than your full surrender. A bride does not gainsay her husbands. Or threaten them. She accepts them with open arms. Embraces the pleasure they bring her.
In other words, you will act the wife in all respects.”

“Or else?”

“Do you truly wish to find out?” Acat muttered in a low tone, taking a step toward her.
For a moment, she almost stood her ground.
Almost dared him.
And that reaction shocked her into action.

Confused, she fled them and entered the bathing chamber. She im
mersed herself to think and soak away the evidence
of
the sex she’d so greatly enjoyed.
The sex she wanted again. The demands they made.
She tried to forget t
heir declaration
that
she belong
ed
to both of them…for life.

How can this be?
Mated to two men? Okay, that she could deal with. She’d get a jungle divorce. A cat living inside her? Again, she could handle it, she thought, if it was even true. But,
she had a bigger problem than her impossible situation, a problem she could fix if she gave in to what they demanded. Did she have a choice? H
e
r
baby sister
was supposedly
on her way and about to get subjected to the same treatment
.
Sweet
,
innocent Ruth
,
whom they intended to
force to experience the pain she’d suffered
.
How could she allow her s
hy little sister
to blindly walk into this mess
?

No. She had to do something to stop it
from happening
,
but what? She didn’t have the strength to stop it. So what could she do to prevent it?

She looked up at a sound and saw he
r supposed
mates
standing in the archway, watching her with smoldering eyes
. How dare they look so tempting?
T
heir bodies still so perfectly mu
s
cle
d. T
heir cocks, dear
G
od, already standing at attention.
Really, how much of a hardship would it be to give them what they want
ed
in
exchange for what she needed?
Was it really a sacrifice when her whole being craved their touch?
I
n allowing herself pleasure,
ironically enough,
she would save her sister.

I guess I’ll take one for the team
.
Make that two.

She crooked a finger.

*

Acat wanted to pound his chest.

She’s ours.

In every sense of the word. So why did Chaob frown? “What’s wrong?”

“She hasn’t accepted us.”

“I’d say the mark on our thighs says otherwise.”

“Marks I don’t think she would have placed of her own volition had she known what it meant.”

“But she did. Whether she meant to or not, she is bound to us and we to her. This is a time to celebrate.”

“
Or tread with caution. Perhaps we should do as she asks and ensure her sister returns from whence she arrived.”

“I’d say that’s up to the gods
,
not us.”

“Oh, that’s priceless coming from you. Weren’t you the one, less than two weeks ago
,
who didn’t truly believe in the will of the gods or fate?”

True. Acat shrugged. “That was before. Now, even I have to admit there might be some truth to the legends.”

“And who’s to say we wouldn’t have done the same thing had we met her during the course of business in town?”

“But we didn’t. And we found her exactly where
G
randfather said we would. Why are we arguing about this now? What’s done is done. She’s our mate. The sooner she accepts that and our customs
,
the better.”

“Do you even hear yourself?” Chaob shook his head. “You sound just like your father. The irrational one
,
in case you’re wondering which one I meant.”

“Are you calling me irrational?”

“No, but I don’t think you’re seeing or thinking clearly. Carlie isn’t the type of woman to just meekly bow down to our traditions. Or haven’t you noticed she’s a woman used to getting her own way?”

He had
,
unfortunately.
“She is married now.”

Chaob laughed. “And you think that will change her? That she will suddenly bend down to your edicts and our traditions because you say so?”

“Others have.”

“Others were raised in small villages where it was expected they’d marry and take care of their husband and child
ren. From the looks and sounds of it, Carlie led a very different life, one I doubt she’ll so easily give up. Not to mention her strong feelings about her sister.”

“
I think you’re creating problems where none exist.” And nurturing a doubt Acat worried about as well.
Would her change in lifestyle make his bride happy?
What would he do if she wasn’t?
“Enough of this negativity. Our br
ide is naked in a pool of water.”

His friend perked up. “Do you think the hunger rides her like it still rides us?”

Given how his cock swelled again already at the thought of his mate, naked and wet, Acat hoped so.
Striding into the bathing chamber, his heart stuttered at her golden beauty. Gods, there was so much of her to worship and when she turned to them crooking a finger, he almost shoved his beta aside in his haste to reach her.

The soft, husky sound of her laughter slid sensually over his skin. “Slow down, big boy.
If you give me what I want, then you’ll get what you want. Both of you.”

“Oh, we want alright,” he growled.
Of course, he had an inkling what she wanted had less to do with sex and more to do with getting her way about her sister. But she’d soon learn he wouldn’t cave to her demands just because she promised pleasure.

Then again… He threw his head back as her fingers curled around him, curled around them both
,
he noted
,
as Chaob sucked in a breath beside him.
Opening his eyes the merest slit, he watched as she stroked them both, her hand sliding back and forth along their pricks under the warm water
. She watched
intently, the tip of her pink tongue flicking out to lick her full lower lip.