Seven

Thursdays dragged at Everglades, and this one dragged more than any other Wes had endured. While he was used to there being fewer customers on these days, he usually didn’t mind as much because it gave him plenty of time to play grab ass with Noel. Any other Thursday, Wes would have been praying for an empty bar, but today, he desperately prayed for Everglades to be full of patrons. The quietness would only make things more awkward with Noel. He had agreed to talk to Jake, but he had no idea what he would say to the man. The entire situation seemed stranger than fiction and Wes didn’t do fiction.

“You look pretty glum.” Glancing up, Wes saw Dimitri Everest standing there leaning on the bar. “Aren’t bartenders supposed to be chipper?” the alpha of Bull Creek asked.

Wes tried to force a smile, but doubted he pulled it off. “Kind of early for you to be here, isn’t it? You never struck me as a day drinker.”

“True, true,” Dimitri said, and by the look on his face, Wes could tell the man had a motive for being in his bar. “I ran into a Jake Goodman earlier. Seems he’s rented out one of the cabins on the edge of Bull Creek, and you know me, I like to introduce myself to new people, giving them the scoop on our small community.” Dimitri glanced up at Wes, sympathy on the panther-shifter’s face. “He then gave me the scoop on why he came here.” Then Dimitri shrugged. “So, I wanted to check on my favorite bartender.”

Wes feigned shock. “You have another bartender?”

“Now, that’s beside the point.”

Wes poured Dimitri a shot of whiskey, setting the glass in front of the man, and then leaned on the bar, sighing. “I’ll admit, his appearing out of the blue like that caught me completely off guard. Noel and I always talked about everything. Why wouldn’t she feel she could tell me about this?”

Dimitri picked up the small glass and took a sip of the whiskey. As he set the glass back on the bar, he said, “What does she plan on doing now? From what I hear, his bear has already scented her as his mate.”

“His bear isn’t the only one,” Wes said. “And I’m not sure what we’re going to do at this point. I’ve never heard of two animals scenting the same mate. How does that even work?”

Dimitri grinned. “Very carefully.” Then he shrugged. “Panthers are by nature poly creatures, so I know it happens.”

Wes shook his head. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a prude. I’ve had threesomes before, but after the sex was over, that was it. How do you deal with three people on a permanent, day-to-day basis?”

“I would imagine lots of communication and sacrifice, but what do I know?” Dimitri downed the rest of his whiskey, then took a deep breath. “The question now is how much do you love her, and how much are you willing to deal with if you don’t follow through on your animal’s urge to mate with her. You know what happens to shifters who are denied their mate. It drives them almost crazy.”

Wes did know and had even been worried about that last night during his drunken bout of anxiety. The thought didn’t help him. However, how could he share his woman with another man? Not just share her body but her heart as well. Hell, her whole life. Jake must be going through the same turmoil and doubts. How was he dealing with it, Wes wondered?

“Well, look, if you need anything, you know where I am,” Dimitri said, tapping the bar as he straightened up. “I wish you luck with whatever you decide to do.”

“Thanks,” Wes said. “I’ll keep that in mind. However, now that you’re here, we need to discuss something.”

Dimitri paused, one hand in his pocket, the other on the bar. “What’s up?”

“I had a visit from a Jeremiah Prescott yesterday.” Wes spread his arms to the side as he leaned on the bar, palms gripping the edge. “Apparently, that group from Draven Falls, the Order of Wardens, has set their sights on Bull Creek. He offered to buy Everglades so I could start a new life somewhere deeper in the woods where fewer humans live.”

Dimitri’s eyebrows popped up. “Oh, did he now? That’s ballsy.”

Wes nodded. “He implied that one of the humans from our community called them saying the paranormals were out of control.”

Dimitri sighed. “Well, they’re not entirely wrong about that. However, the supernatural community here didn’t cause the problems. The trouble came from outsiders.” Wes could see the alpha’s shoulders slump a little as he pondered the information. “The Order of Wardens is a pretty dangerous group from what I’ve heard back home.”

“I remember the stories you told me, which is why I thought you needed a heads up.”

“I appreciate it,” Dimitri said as he tapped the bar. “Seems we both have our hands full.”

“Oh, joy,” Wes said with a dry chuckle. “Just watch your back.”

Dimitri gave him a sympathetic look. “And you watch your heart.”

Wes just gave him a curt nod in response.

Dimitri left, and Wes decided to try to hide in his office. Brianna could handle the bar, and Noel would be… He glanced around the quiet bar. Well, she wouldn’t be busy, but hopefully, she wouldn’t come back and bother him.

Once he entered his office, he walked over to a cabinet against the wall and pulled out a bottle of bourbon. After pouring a glass, he moved over to his desk, but before he reached it, he heard the door to his office open. He stared down at his glass and sighed. He should have known Noel wouldn’t leave him alone. Lifting the glass to his lips, he took a long swallow, allowing the whiskey to burn its way down his throat and warm his belly, scalding the pain that wrapped around his heart. Holding the glass in his hand, he took a deep breath and just stood there. He wasn’t ready for another conversation.

He felt her hands wrap around him, sliding up his stomach to his chest as she pressed into him from behind, felt her head on his back as she squeezed. Fingers of anguish gripped his heart, taking his breath away. “I know I hurt you,” she said. “And I’m sorry. We’ll figure this out. We have to. There is no other option.”

Her words pierced his heart, tugging the emotions out of his bear, making the animal growl within him. He turned in her arms, her hands sliding down to his waist as he did. He gazed down into her deep blue eyes, her expression almost pleading with him. Sliding a hand up her back and into her blond hair, he gripped her neck and pulled her to him, meshing his lips to hers in a kiss filled with as much hunger as anguish. Their tongues danced, twirling around each other, tasting the other as he pressed his mouth tighter to hers, wanting to devour her if he could. This woman had come to mean so much to him in the few months she had been here, and he put every bit of that into his kiss, drawing the moans out of her as they stood in the middle of his office, arms locked around each other.

When he pulled back, he knew there was no stopping what was in his heart and mind at that moment. He set his whiskey glass on the nearest flat surface and then ripped her shirt from her body, pulling her breast out into the cool office air, dropping his lips to her nipple, his tongue twirling around the hardened bud. He felt her hand go to his cock, stroking it to life through his jeans. This time, it was his turn to groan.

Grabbing her around the waist, he lifted Noel into the air and carried her over to the desk before sitting her back down, bringing a squeal from her as he did. He pulled her off the desk and spun her around, pulling her skirt up as he did. He then bent her over his desk with one hand, while with his other, he jerked the button of his jeans open and slid them down his legs. With a thick finger, he pulled her panties to the side, opening her up for his passion.

She glanced over her shoulder at him, a grin on her face and a mischievous glint in her eye as she watched him, biting her lower lip. “Please,” she whispered in a husky tone.

He gripped her waist, digging his fingers into her flesh as he drove into her, spearing her with his manhood. Her mouth popped open as she dropped her head, pushing back to match his thrust. He continued to pound into her, his hips hitting her ass as he drove in and out, thrusting faster, with a thirst for Noel’s sex that craved quenching.

She held herself up, palms down on the desk as she shoved her ass back to him, thrusting just as hard onto him as he did into her. Her whimpers of pleasure bounced off his office walls, and he was sure Brianna heard what they were doing through the walls. It would not have been the first time.

“Oh, god, Wes… Wes!” And then Noel’s body shuddered, her fingers curling into a half-fist as he felt her muscles tighten under him, her orgasm rippling through her. “Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop.”

Wes had no intention of stopping. He thrust into her until he felt his own orgasm building, his balls pulled tight against him as his cock throbbed. He gripped her waist tighter, his fingers digging in deeper, making her cry out louder. Then his cock twitched, and he drove into her one more time, pinning her against him as his passion shot from his cock and into her wetness. He felt his body tighten, his jaw clenched as he filled her.

She grinned at him, her eyes sparkling as her body rose and fell with her heavy breaths. “Now, that’s more like a Thursday I remember,” she said.

He grinned, his own breathing making words difficult. “I missed it as well.” He smacked her ass as he reached up and pulled her into a standing position. As soon as she was on her feet, her skirt back in place, he pulled her against him in a tight embrace. “Ah, Noel. Why didn’t you trust me with this?” He heard the anguish in his voice, and it twisted his stomach. “You led us into a tight spot.”

He felt her nod her head against his chest. “I know, and I’m sorry. I’ll fix it. Somehow.”

Wes ran a hand up her back and into her hair, pulling her head back so he could look into her eyes. “We’ll figure it out. We just need to figure out how to deal with multiple mates.” He shrugged. “Just because I’ve never heard of it happening, doesn’t mean it hasn’t. I’ll reach out to the Paranormal Council back in Draven Falls and see if Jerah Hale has heard of it happening before. Dimitri says it happens among panthers all the time.”

“What do we do until then?” Her eyes held concern and doubt, but Wes knew he’d do whatever it took to keep Noel in his life. She belonged to him, and he would not give her up that easily.

“I think you need to go talk with Jake some more. I’m sure he’s having the same struggles we are. He’ll need some reassurances as well, some idea of what we’re trying to figure out.” He kissed the top of her head. “I can say this, though. He definitely has great taste in women.” He gave her a wink which brought a giggle from her. The sound made his heart smile again, and even though he had no answers for her, Wes knew he would either find them, or make them up as they went along. Noel Hastings would be his mate. Nothing and no one would stand in the way of that, not even themselves.