Page 5 of Howling With Wolves

“Sorry, baby.” He dropped a kiss on my lips as if Anthony hadn’t just done the same. As if both of them kissing me was natural. Maybe it was. My brain was scrambled after everything that had gone down with my father. Being taken, beaten, tortured. Was it possible to go from hell to heaven in just a few days?

“Sit here for me,” he said as he placed me on the closed lid of the commode then turned to run water into a white, porcelain, claw-foot tub. I watched him adjust the temperature then add bath salts to it.

“To help the soreness in your muscles,” he said as he turned and helped me to stand.

I didn’t say anything when he reached behind me to release my bra before tugging it off my arms and dropping it to the floor. He brushed his thumb over one taut nipple, and I swore his fingers shook. Then he crouched at my feet, slipping his fingers into the sides of my panties and gliding them downuntil they pooled at my feet. He eased first one foot then the other out before tossing them to join my bra.

“In you go,” he said as he lifted me into the tub.

I moaned at the feel of the water, then whimpered as it embraced me. I closed my eyes at the sheer bliss.

“Lift,” Donovan said, using his hand to ease my head from the edge of the tub before placing a folded towel under it. “There you go. Relax. Let the water and salts do their job.”

He leaned in, his lips brushing over mine again then again. I blinked heavy lids open and saw his pupils dilate as he let his gaze sweep over me. I followed his heated look, taking in the hard points of my nipples where they broke through the water, down over my flat stomach to the hairless cleft between my thighs, all the way down to my toes. I wondered if he saw the feminine parts of me or the broken ones. Was it my breasts and hips and thighs that brought that light to his eyes? Or did he only see the bruises, scrapes, and cuts that marred my skin? It didn’t matter. I was too exhausted to do much about either at the moment.

“Relax,” he whispered against my lips. “Let your mates take care of you now.”

Mates. He thought the three of us were mates.

Right or wrong, I liked the sound of that. I closed my eyes again, following his orders and trusting his promise. They’d take care of me. I could let them do that. Just for a little bit. Just long enough to catch my breath.

Chapter Three

~Anthony~

She slept for eighteen hours straight. Cyan and Bas had both been by. Twice. The way Cyan looked at her made me think he suspected something, but he wasn’t saying anything until she woke up. Bas had dropped off some clothes from his mate, Raina, since the male, Wallace, hadn’t left behind anything but Emma.

Both Donovan and I slept beside her during the night. One on each side, above the covers. Though Donovan had shared he’d brushed his finger over her during her bath, and she’d dressed in one of my T-shirts before sliding back into our bed. Though I wanted to touch her, taste her, we would wait until she was awake and a willing participant in everything we did.

I heard voices in the other room and reluctantly stepped from the bedroom when I realized Michael was here. He’d been our closest friend since we’d all become part of the James Pack. Donovan and I had already been a duo, but when Michael had joined the pack the same day, the three of us had vibed well together. That was saying something as Michael preferred the lone wolf life, or at least, as much of it as he could get and still be a member of the pack. Hell, if Donovan and I hadn’t interfered, Michael would still be pretending he wasn’t all about his pretty, young mate, Piper. We had, though, and they were finally together.

“Hey,” Michael said when I walked out. “How’s she doing?”

At this point, everyone in the inner circle of our pack knew Emma was here. I’d talked to a few of the others on the phone when they called to see if we needed anything.

“Sleeping,” Donovan muttered. I knew it was driving him crazy that she was still out. He wanted to know who’d beat her, because every injury to her body left no doubt that someone had.

“Probably best,” Michael said. “It’ll help her wolf heal her enough to shift. Then you can get some answers. Piper sent over some clothes. Raina called all the mates and let them know Emma didn’t have anything. The others will show up eventually with different things for her. Piper said to give her Emma’s sizes when she’s awake, and she’ll go get the more intimate items of clothing for her.”

“Tell Piper we appreciate it,” I said.

Michael nodded. “Let me know when you find out what happened. Whatever you guys need; you know I’m here.”

“Thanks,” Donovan said then headed toward the bedroom. “I’m going to slip in and check on her.”

Michael’s brow lifted in question.

“Yeah,” I answered, knowing what he was asking.

“Both of you?” he voiced. “Both of you are her mates?”

“Yes.”

He chuckled. “I know we all teased you that would happen, but I don’t think any of us really expected that. How do you think she’ll react?”

“She’ll be fine.”

We might not have had a chance to discuss things before she’d fallen asleep, but I’d seen understanding in her gaze. She’d been drawn to both Donovan and me. Once we had the chance to show her how things would be with the two of us as her mates, I felt confident she’d accept the bond. Michael and I both turned toward the front window at the sound of a vehicle pulling up.

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