Page 73 of Wolf Claimed
“And what is that?”
“Convincing you that we belong together.”
A sense of hope replaced her nervousness. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“When I see something I want? Never. And I want you, Alyssa. Make no mistake about that. I don’t know why the blood-bond hasn’t fully taken, but it doesn’t change how I feel about you. Blood-bond or not, crazy father or not, I want you.”
He kissed her long and slow, his hands moving up and down her arms, sparking her desire the entire time.
“Rafe and Maddox,” she said, her eyes going to the door that separated their rooms.
“They’ll hear us, but they’ll ignore it. It’s something you get used to as a shifter. It’s also the reason our cabins are often very spread out.
“It’s not that, I mean maybe partly, but—” She twisted around and laid her splayed hand on Tiernan’s chest. The feel of all those muscles beneath his shirt tempted her, as did that hopeful look on his face, but she couldn’t sleep with him again, not with the others next door.
“But you don’t think we belong together,” Tiernan finished for her. “You prefer Rafe.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because he’s an alpha. Stronger, more powerful. And you took him, back at the dorm.”
“You joined us, if I remember correctly,” she reminded him. “And Rafe didn’t tell you to leave.”
“He didn’t need to. You were his, and he knew it.”
“Is that what you think? That I prefer Rafe to you?”
“Yes.”
She brushed her lips against his, breathing his scent in, but too afraid to kiss him because she knew she wouldn’t be able to stop. “I want you, Tiernan. And Rafe. And Maddox. That’s the problem. It’s not natural to want three guys at once. Further proof that there’s something wrong with me.”
As hard as it was, she pulled away from Tiernan, his eyes more gray than blue at the moment. “I need to go,” she said. “I’m guessing you guys don’t need the SUV, right?”
He didn’t answer, or try to stop her, but his eyes followed her as she scooped up the keys from the dresser.
“Why don’t you trust me enough to give us a chance?” Tiernan said as she opened the motel door.
“Oh, Tiernan, I trust you. But I feel like I’m betraying Rafe and Maddox. Part of my heart is with them, and that’s not fair to you. Or them. Nothing good can happen if I stay. Three men sharing one woman. God, I can’t even believe I just said that. It can’t end well. You’re all dominant personalities. As am I. Someone will challenge another, and then more than feelings will get hurt. I won’t drive a wedge between three friends or be the cause of someone getting killed.”
“Rafe, Maddox, and I aren’t friends.”
“You are friends. I’ve seen how you get along so well, how you work as a team. Hell, they resisted their feelings toward me and stepped aside so I could blood-bond you to save you. If that’s not the definition of friendship, then I don’t know what is. I won’t destroy it.”
Before Tiernan could say another word that would melt her resolve, Alyssa shut the door and stepped into the night air, leaving three of the most wonderful men behind.
Chapter Nineteen
RAFE
“She’s leaving,” Rafe said to Maddox, who was laying down on one of the twin beds, his hands folded behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling, emotionally detached from the argument next door.
“Let her.”
“You’re an ass. She needs us,” Rafe said, his wolf pushing him to open that door and keep her from leaving. He warred with his wolf, because it wasn’t his place to interfere. She was Tiernan’s blood-bonded mate.
“She’s armed, smart, and knows what she’s doing. Let her go, Rafe. She’s better off without us.”
“You mean without you,” he said, even though part of him agreed with Maddox. Artemis could take care of herself; she’d been doing so for a long time. But she shouldn’t have to anymore. They were her pack now, and pack protected pack.
