Eleven

Noel pulled into Wes’ driveway, unsure how the next few minutes would go. It was three in the morning, Wes had closed and locked up Everglades, and she had given Wes just enough time to get home, but not enough to get too comfortable.

As she slid out from behind the steering wheel, stepping into the humid Florida night, Jake pulled up behind her in his dark blue truck, his expression revealing his uncertainty about the next few moments, an uncertainty quite similar to hers. Still, he came with her, which made her glad. The men needed to meet, officially, and not as a shock announcement at closing time.

Noel waited for Jake to get out of his truck. She had already texted Wes, warning him of their arrival. There would be no surprises tonight. At least, not as far as the two men seeing each other and knowing about the other man in her life. Plenty of surprises probably still laid ahead of them, especially on how to make their desires—her desires, rather—work out. They would find a way. They had no other choice.

Wes opened the front door of his cabin as they approached, a highball glass in his hand. Noel popped an eyebrow up at him but didn’t say anything. His drinking this late surprised her, however, especially knowing they were coming over and what was at stake. Her nerves started twirling in her stomach as she worried that he drank because of the upcoming discussion. Still, that was unlike Wes, so she shrugged it off.

“Hey,” she said, weakly, as she neared him. Leaning up on her toes, she kissed him softly on the lips. The kiss felt weird in front of Jake, but she was determined not to act different with either of the men when the other was around. They couldn’t start out by walking on eggshells. This was going to be their life, and they needed to make sure it started on the right path. “How was your night?”

Wes sighed as he glanced down at his whiskey. “Jeremiah Prescott’s grandson paid us a visit at the bar,” Wes answered. He shrugged. “Needless to say, it didn’t go well.”

“Oh god,” she said. “Did he stir up trouble?”

“He tried, just before I tossed him out on his ass.” Wes then turned and stretched an arm out to Jake. “I’m Wes. Come on in, and I’ll fix you a drink.” After shaking hands with Jake, Wes turned and walked back inside the cabin to the island in the middle where the bottle of bourbon waited.

“Who is Jeremiah Prescott?” Jake asked as he followed the others inside. “Is he a local?”

Wes grabbed a couple of glasses out of the cabinet and filled them with ice. He then poured the bourbon and slid a glass in front of the others. “I’ve never met the man or his grandson before this week.” Wes leaned on the counter, propping himself up on his elbow as he held his glass. “Apparently, they’re from Draven Falls and part of some group called the Order of Wardens. They want to drive paranormals out of the cities and have set their eyes on Bull Creek now, since the Paranormal Council sent Dimitri here.”

Jake held his glass in front of him. “Dimitri? A man named Dimitri visited my cabin when I first arrived. Seemed to be checking me out, seeing if I was trouble or not.”

“He’s the alpha of Bull Creek,” Noel said. “We don’t really have packs or groups here, just a hodgepodge of paranormals looking to hide from the rest of the world.”

Jake grinned. “Your education in the supernatural has definitely grown.”

Noel gave him a weak shrug, choosing not to point out that she had needed an education on the subject because of him.

“Obviously, we didn’t hide well enough,” Wes grumbled as he lifted his glass. “I just don’t understand why Jeremiah would make a special trip out here just to be an ass.”

Jake lifted his glass to his lips, taking a small swallow. Noel watched as he licked his lips when he pulled the glass away, her sex heating up at the memory of his talents. She really didn’t want to talk about whatever this Order of Wardens wanted. “People like static,” Jake said with a shrug. “They want their lives to always be the same without anything different around them. It helps them feel in control and normal. Comfortable, so to speak. Were the paranormals out of control in Draven Falls?”

Wes shook his head. “Not that I’ve heard. I’m actually not from there, so I only know what Lainie and Dimitri have told me. However, it seems most are calm, and you couldn’t tell the difference between the humans and the paranormal community.”

“So, what’s his deal?” Noel asked, realizing that the conversation had to play out before she could get to the things she wanted to discuss.

Wes shrugged. “I haven’t a clue, but he’s still not getting Everglades. That’s my bar, and I’ll kill him before I allow him to have it.”

“Do you think his grandson was there to try to make a stink and do some damage?” Jake asked. “Groups like this Order of Wardens tend not to play fair.”

Noel could see Wes thinking over Jake’s question, his brows knitted above his nose. After a couple of quiet moments, he nodded. “I wouldn’t put it past them. Jeremiah did threaten something like that.”

“You don’t think he’d actually do something to the bar, do you?” Noel asked, suddenly worried about the physical structure of Everglades. She didn’t doubt that Wes could handle any troublemakers who came into his bar, but if something or someone damaged the place, he’d be devastated. Everglades was his life.

Wes shook his head. “I just don’t know.”

“Have you notified the authorities?” Jake asked. Then his brows pinched in confusion. “Does a place like Bull Creek have authorities?”

Noel gave an inward groan at Jake’s comment, worried that Wes would take insult to it. She didn’t need them to start off any more on the wrong foot than they already were. However, Wes only chuckled. “We have a small sheriff’s department. Chet Einstein is the sheriff, and Dimitri’s sister, Lainie, is one of his deputies. It’s a small office, but to be honest, not much happens in Bull Creek.”

Noel shot him an incredulous look. “Are you serious? We’ve had more trouble lately than a big city. First, Bane and his goons try to drive out all the humans, then Eve’s ex sneaks in and tries to kidnap her, and to top it off, a gang from Pensacola comes into town to kill a witness in a murder case. I think we’ve had plenty to keep Sheriff Einstein busy.”

Wes laughed, lifting his glass to his lips. “Okay, true enough. However, usually this place stays pretty quiet.”

Jake stared at them with a sober look. “If this Order of Wardens moves in, things may get a lot noisier.”

Noel saw Wes’ shoulders slump a little as he sighed at the truth in Jake’s words. Suddenly, she wanted to change topics before the mood soured their intended discussion. “I’m sure Dimitri and Sheriff Einstein can handle whatever happens with this group. We, on the other hand, have something else to figure out.” Nerves twisted in her stomach as she bounced her gaze back and forth between the two men. While they needed to discuss the topic at hand, so they could figure out how to move forward, she suddenly felt as if she should have kept her mouth shut, worried that the outcome wouldn’t be what she desired.

Jake nodded as he took another sip of his drink. Wes turned to face her, his face still somber, but now for a whole other reason, she knew. “You’re right, little elf,” Wes said. “You’ve landed us in a pickle of sorts, and we need to decide how best to move forward.” He held his glass with both hands as he stared at her. “However, the first step would be you telling us what you want. You brought us into your life, so you have to decide the first step.”

Jake nodded again. “He’s right, Noel. I know why you left me, and for that, I’m sorry, but now you have two men—and their animals—in love with you. You have to tell us how you want this to proceed. I love you, and all I want is for you to be happy.”

“Same here,” Wes echoed the sentiment.

Noel just stared at the two of them. They actually intended to make her pick one of them? How did they expect her to do that? She loved them both, whether it was right or wrong. She couldn’t do it. She wouldn’t. “I can’t choose between the two of you. I’ve told you both that. I know it’s not right, but I want both of you. I love both of you.”

Wes glanced at Jake, who returned the look. Noel didn’t know what passed between the two of them, but obviously something did. Before she said anything, she remembered the mindspeech of the shifters. She had thought it only happened while in their animal forms, but obviously she had thought wrong. She felt her hands go clammy as her breathing grew more ragged in her nervousness, wishing she could hear what they said to each other.

After a few moments of excruciating silence, the two men turned their gazes back to her. Jake took a sip of his drink as Wes said, “All right, you want both of us.” He set his glass on the table beside him as Jake downed his and did the same. Wes then stood up and moved toward Noel, a glint in his eyes. “Do you know what you’re asking? You’ll be mated to two bears, quite possibly shifting into a bear yourself once the mating concludes. You’ll have to take care of both of us as we take care of you.”

Her eyes went wide as she stared at the two men approaching her, Wes’ words ringing in her ears. Was he saying what she thought he was? Could this really be happening? “Can two shifters mate the same person?” she asked.

Jake reached out and stroked her hair, brushing the blond strands off her shoulder to fall to her back. “According to our animals, yes.” He kissed the side of her neck, and Noel felt her body start to heat up at the touch of his lips. “Animals are pretty open, and having lived in Bull Creek for the past few months, I know you’ve seen how open shifters are with their bodies and sex.”

Wes stepped around her, his arm wrapping around her waist as she felt his cock press against her ass. “It’s usually the human population who have such narrow viewpoints of love and sexuality.” He kissed her neck on the opposite side of Jake. The heat between Noel’s legs started to grow as she felt her honey soak her panties. “I’m not so narrow-minded. I just want you in my life, and if that means we share you, I’m all right with that.” He nibbled her neck, running his tongue over his teeth prints as he kissed her again. “The question is, are you ready for two men to be yours?”

Noel sucked in a breath as she felt Jake slip a hand under her top, his fingers lightly grazing her stomach, his breath still on her neck. Wes continued to nuzzle the other side of her neck, his fingers digging into her hip as he pressed himself against her. Noel groaned as the sensations coursed through her body. She knew the touch of each of these men, had enjoyed their bodies separately, but being pinned between both of them sent her body and mind into sensory overload. “Oh, god,” she moaned as she reached a hand out to both of them. “Yes, yes, I’m ready. I want both of you. I love both of you.”

Jake nibbled her ear. “That’s what we hoped you’d say.” He ran his tongue along the edge of her ear as she felt Wes kissing her neck harder, her knees turning weak.

Just as Wes started to slide his hand up her shirt toward her breasts, however, a pounding at the door broke the spell she was under. She groaned again, but this time for an entirely different reason.

The two men pulled away from her, everyone giving each other a curious look. Wes shrugged. “I have no idea who it could be. Noel is the only one who would knock at this time of night.” He kissed Noel’s neck once more and then moved to open the door.

Noel watched, her nerves twisting as she feared something had happened at the bar and their fears had come true. However, when Wes opened the door, Noel knew the situation was much worse.

“Hello,” Wes said, staring at the small woman with honey-blond hair standing in his doorway. “Can I help you with something?”

“Mom?” Noel couldn’t believe her mother had found her so fast. “What are you doing here?”