needed to be done to accommodate a mate. She would not be shifting and living as her wolf as he had done much of the time. Nessa would need comfortable surroundings. Suddenly, his escape from life wasn’t as perfect as it had seemed once before. He was a little ashamed of the way he’d lived when faced with how Nessa had been forced to live. He didn’t want her to witness his decent into madness.
“Put it away, brother. Sleep. We can worry about everything tomorrow. She’s in our arms and in our bed tonight. That’s all that matters at the moment,” Jessup said.
“And if tomorrow brings even more problems?” Joseph asked.
“We let our family help us solve them like always. Pack protects pack, Joe. You tried to break that law when you wouldn’t let us help you all these years. That comes to an end now. We have a mate to care for, and she will always come first.”
Joseph agreed, though he wasn’t sure how he would manage to avoid spilling his shit all over everyone at times. Sometimes the building rage demanded an outlet and he had to give it one or risk losing himself totally. He thought about how Nessa helped calm that massive, boiling pot of madness and wondered if her calming presence would be enough to keep it under control. If not, he wanted her far away when he erupted. He would never want her anywhere near him when he lost it. The thought of accidently hurting her turned his bowels to water and created bloody icebergs in his veins.
Slowly he relaxed, breathing in her calming scent until his heartbeat slowed and his churning stomach settled. Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would help convince his precious mate she belonged with them. Tomorrow they would decide how to prevent her stepbrother from ever laying a hand on her again.
* * * *
Nessa woke to warm, firm lips caressing her shoulder where her overlarge T-shirt allowed some of the skin from her neck and shoulder to peek from beneath the material at the neckline. She wasn’t sure if she were relieved that they hadn’t stripped her during the night or not. Something inside of her had shifted, leaving her wondering if just maybe she would now be fighting herself even more than the men.
Someone’s hand slipped beneath her shirt and cupped her waist. She had no idea who was doing what to her, but suspected it was Jessup’s mouth and Joseph’s hand. She needed to move and put a stop to their teasing touches before they grew bolder.
When she tried to pull away from them, Jessup refused to budge where his chest lay almost plastered to her upper back and Joseph tightened his grip at her waist.
“Um, guys? I need up.”
Instead of complying, they seemed even more intent on teasing her now that they were sure she was awake. She squirmed as Joseph ran his hand around her waist to rest against her softly rounded belly where he brushed the callused pads of his fingers back and forth across her skin.
Jessup nipped her shoulder with his teeth then slid his tongue over it before finding a new spot to torment. She wanted to sigh at the wonderful, decadent feeling of their hands on her. She thought that if she were a cat, she’d be purring, but another urge hit her, stronger this time.
“I’ve got to get up. Now! I need the bathroom.” She wiggled between them again.
Jessup groaned at her shoulder where he had his mouth covering a large portion of her skin there. Teeth rasped but he pulled back.
“Let her up, Joseph.”
“If we do, she’ll never allow us this close again.”
She heard the disappointed sigh in Joseph’s voice. It wasn’t something she would have expected. He was so stoic and confident.
“Would you rather she pee all over you?” Jessup asked with a chuckle.
The other man didn’t answer right away, but finally, he eased off the tight hold he had on her, allowing her to slip out of the bed.
“Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the damn bed.” His almost whispered words had heat rushing to her face.
Nessa
“Put it away, brother. Sleep. We can worry about everything tomorrow. She’s in our arms and in our bed tonight. That’s all that matters at the moment,” Jessup said.
“And if tomorrow brings even more problems?” Joseph asked.
“We let our family help us solve them like always. Pack protects pack, Joe. You tried to break that law when you wouldn’t let us help you all these years. That comes to an end now. We have a mate to care for, and she will always come first.”
Joseph agreed, though he wasn’t sure how he would manage to avoid spilling his shit all over everyone at times. Sometimes the building rage demanded an outlet and he had to give it one or risk losing himself totally. He thought about how Nessa helped calm that massive, boiling pot of madness and wondered if her calming presence would be enough to keep it under control. If not, he wanted her far away when he erupted. He would never want her anywhere near him when he lost it. The thought of accidently hurting her turned his bowels to water and created bloody icebergs in his veins.
Slowly he relaxed, breathing in her calming scent until his heartbeat slowed and his churning stomach settled. Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would help convince his precious mate she belonged with them. Tomorrow they would decide how to prevent her stepbrother from ever laying a hand on her again.
* * * *
Nessa woke to warm, firm lips caressing her shoulder where her overlarge T-shirt allowed some of the skin from her neck and shoulder to peek from beneath the material at the neckline. She wasn’t sure if she were relieved that they hadn’t stripped her during the night or not. Something inside of her had shifted, leaving her wondering if just maybe she would now be fighting herself even more than the men.
Someone’s hand slipped beneath her shirt and cupped her waist. She had no idea who was doing what to her, but suspected it was Jessup’s mouth and Joseph’s hand. She needed to move and put a stop to their teasing touches before they grew bolder.
When she tried to pull away from them, Jessup refused to budge where his chest lay almost plastered to her upper back and Joseph tightened his grip at her waist.
“Um, guys? I need up.”
Instead of complying, they seemed even more intent on teasing her now that they were sure she was awake. She squirmed as Joseph ran his hand around her waist to rest against her softly rounded belly where he brushed the callused pads of his fingers back and forth across her skin.
Jessup nipped her shoulder with his teeth then slid his tongue over it before finding a new spot to torment. She wanted to sigh at the wonderful, decadent feeling of their hands on her. She thought that if she were a cat, she’d be purring, but another urge hit her, stronger this time.
“I’ve got to get up. Now! I need the bathroom.” She wiggled between them again.
Jessup groaned at her shoulder where he had his mouth covering a large portion of her skin there. Teeth rasped but he pulled back.
“Let her up, Joseph.”
“If we do, she’ll never allow us this close again.”
She heard the disappointed sigh in Joseph’s voice. It wasn’t something she would have expected. He was so stoic and confident.
“Would you rather she pee all over you?” Jessup asked with a chuckle.
The other man didn’t answer right away, but finally, he eased off the tight hold he had on her, allowing her to slip out of the bed.
“Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the damn bed.” His almost whispered words had heat rushing to her face.
Nessa
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