A Lynx in Their Den [Shifting Desires 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  More to the point, though, was the fact that she had started feeling it now, too. It wasn’t the lust that plagued her anytime she caught sight of their purely masculine bodies or inhaled even a hint of their scent. With her, it concentrated around the cat’s need to reproduce—to fuck. Felines were cursed with a raging libido when they went into heat, and hers was just about to hit at the worst possible time.

  Normally it wouldn’t phase her, making her belly hurt some and her breasts tender all over, but without a male lynx or other feline around, she handled it just fine. Add to that the fact that she rarely went into heat, maybe twice a year instead of once every three months like most of the females in her den, and she knew she wasn’t prepared for what it was already throwing at her. If she’d had any doubt that the two bears in the other room were her mates before, there was no doubt anymore. Any other shifter outside of a feline or her mates wouldn’t have triggered her heat so soon since her last one had only been about two months back. The building discomfort in her pelvis along with a slowly growing need to be fucked assured her that her fate had already been sealed without her agreement.

  “Serenity?” A sudden pounding on the bathroom door shocked her out of the miserable stupor she’d settled into. “What’s wrong? Open the door.”

  Creed’s voice elicited shivers along her spine with how deep and growly it had grown. She was sure his bear was reacting to her discomfort. Even though they hadn’t shared the mating bond, any shifter could sense when another one was in distress if they were close enough or if they were family or an alpha from short distances.

  “I’m fine,” she lied then covered the lie with the truth so he’d believe her. “I’m upset, okay? I’ve got Rogue Hunters after me, and I need a minute to regroup. Leave me alone, Creed.”

  “You don’t have to be afraid, kitten. Shayne and I will never let anything happen to you.”

  She wanted to scream at him but drew in a deep breath to calm her lynx before she said something she would regret. They were just as much a victim as she was in this. They had no more control over nature’s method of making them comply to her will than she did. They just didn’t bother fighting it or see it as a problem. They were males. They already had their freedom.

  “I know, Creed. I know. Just let me be for now.” She swallowed once more and gritted her teeth. “Please.”

  A complete second passed before his soft okay reached her ears, and his scent faded as he walked away. The strangled sound of that one word ate at her guilty conscious. As much as Serenity had always wanted to have choices, she’d never been one to willfully hurt another before. It didn’t sit well in her soul now. What was she going to do?

  * * * *

  Creed walked away from the bathroom door with a sick feeling in his gut that their mate really didn’t want anything to do with them. Reluctance born of fear of the unknown or the need to impress on them her importance by making them work for her affections he could have handled—had expected to handle. But this seemed much more serious in his eyes. Serenity didn’t act like any mate he’d ever been around or heard about in the past.

  “What is it?” Shayne asked quietly when Creed walked over to the window to carefully peer outside through the slit in the drapes he’d created.

  “Nothing. She’s anxious about the hunters and is getting control of her emotions. She doesn’t seem to be one who wants anyone to know when she’s upset.” He continued to watch for any sign that they had been discovered. It was still too soon for his bears to arrive.

  “You could have fooled me,” Shayne said with a snort. “She didn’t seem to have any trouble earlier telling us how she felt.”

  Creed pinned his brother with a heavy gaze before returning to stare out the window. Evidently Shayne got the message loud and clear because he stomped over to the little table and rummaged around in the bags as if hungry. Creed knew better. He was attempting to rein in his own emotions over their mate’s obvious rejection. His bear paced and growled as if he thought Creed should be bursting down the bathroom door and forcing her to accept them.

  Maybe in the woods a flesh and blood bear could get away with something like that, but not when his mate was also part human.

  Hell, my human side almost understands how she feels. It might have been harder for me to accept her as my mate if I hadn’t been attracted to her from the beginning. If she’s not attracted to us as males…

  Well, that thought didn’t sit well at all. The idea of trying to control brother bear if their mate refused them and didn’t change her mind scared him. Not only would he lose control over his den mates, but the pain of her loss might be enough to turn him feral. God help them all if he lost control.

  Glancing over to where Shayne stood with his back to him as he ate something he’d found in the bags, Creed realized it would be doubly bad for everyone, shifters and humans. Brother bear seemed to catch on to his human half’s unease and began to whine to get out. If Creed wouldn’t do something, brother bear would.

  Not yet, brother. Give me time.

  “You don’t have a clue, do you,” Wren said from her position on the loveseat.

  Creed looked over at the tiny wild dog female. “What do you mean?”

  “Males are so arrogant. They think that just because they want someone that they should want them back.”

  “She does want us. I have smelled her interest. I don’t understand why she fights it,” he said shaking his head.

  “With males, the attraction is all they need to start with. Over time, they form the deeper emotional connection that a female needs right from the beginning. Physical attraction for sex is just scratching an itch. You can handle not really liking or caring about someone if the sex is good, but when a long-term relationship like a mating is on the table, females don’t want to end up stuck with someone they don’t even like talking to, much less want to be around for the rest of their lives,” Wren told him.

  “Our bears wouldn’t have chosen someone we wouldn’t be compatible with long term, Wren. This is a true mating. Nature made the choice for us. This has nothing to do with shifters who choose their mates instead of allowing their other half to lead them to the right one for them.”

  She huffed out an irritated breath that sounded much more like her wild dog than her human side. “That’s all hype. There’s no truth to those old stories. What was the first thing you noticed about her? That is what drew you to her.”

  Creed smiled and shook his head. “I’d never set eyes on her when brother bear announced her to me.”

  Wren frowned, her eyebrows drawing together almost comically. “Then how did you know she was the one?”

  “We’ve just moved in across from Serenity last night, and once we’d unloaded the moving van, Shayne and I went to check the area before we settled down for the night. Before we’d gone far from the house, her scent awakened my bear from a deep slumber. He had no doubt she was our mate.” Creed folded his arms across his chest and watched the little shifter.

  Her brows remained drawn as she seemed to think his words over very carefully. He didn’t smell distress in the air surrounding her. Instead, he smelled something surprisingly close to relief wafting from her skin. Why would she be relieved that she had no say in a mating? Unless she thought that there was no chance she’d ever find her mate and could hide behind wanting to wait for her true mate. Her brother was going to kill him, Creed thought with a grunt.

  Before either of them could say more, the bathroom door creaked open. He watched as Serenity stepped out and walked directly to the fridge. She opened the door and peered inside for a second, then closed it and ran her hands through her hair.

  “I’m going to walk around to the vending machine I saw next to the office. I need something cold with caffeine in it.” She walked toward the outside door, but both Shayne and Creed reached it before she could.

  “That’s not a good idea. We’re trying to keep our presence here quiet, Serenity,” Creed told her.


  Her expression changed from one of confidence and determination to one of near desperation. His bear roared inside of him, nearly making it all the way out of his throat. Their mate shouldn’t look this way. They had to fix this.

  Shayne stepped in. No doubt his bear had demanded the same thing. “I’ll get you whatever you want to drink. Just tell me what you like. I probably should get something for all of us since we have plenty of food but not much else.”

  Creed nearly held his breathe. Unease flowed down his spine like a rushing stream after a spring shower. If she insisted, he’d let her go but follow to be sure she remained safe. It went against his instincts to let her go alone.

  “Okay. I want Diet Coke. I need a Diet Coke,” she said.

  Creed relaxed enough that he didn’t feel as if his skin was going to crack open under the strain. “I don’t remember seeing any in your fridge, and there weren’t any in the groceries you bought.”

  She hissed at him, her eyes flashing brightly. “I try not to drink them often. They tend to make me hyper.”

  “Um, maybe I should grab some milk instead,” Shayne said with a worried look toward Creed.

  This time she didn’t just hiss but growl, but it was directed at his brother this time. She stalked closer to him with near rage in her eyes.

  Creed quickly wrapped his arms lightly but securely around her, pinning her arms to her sides where deadly claws flexed and extended at her side. He was sure his eyes were huge considering his brothers were as he stared at her hands.

  “You can partially shift,” Shayne said in amazement.

  “Of courssse I can.” Her hissing words let Creed know she was still angry, and evidently her mouth had shifted some as well. More than likely she was talking around an impressive set of fangs.

  “I’ve never known a female who could before,” Creed said. “Do all of your female lynxes partial shift?”

  She grew still in his arms, her heavy breathing slowing even as her razor sharp claws slowly receded. Once she seemed to have calmed down some, he let her go and moved slowly around her so that he could watch her expressions.

  “I guess I haven’t thought about it before. Our queen could, but I don’t remember seeing anyone else now that you mention it. Of course, there hadn’t been many times a female had needed to before I left.” She looked from Shayne back to him and cocked her head much like a cat. “So sows don’t partial shift in your sleuth?”

  “No. I’ve never heard of a female anywhere who could. Unlike your den, we’ve had our share of reasons a female could have used such a talent, so I’m sure if they could have, they’d have done it.” Creed looked over at his brother and nodded.

  Shayne slowly backed toward the door to leave. Just as he turned the knob, Serenity spoke up.

  “Better get you a pot or two of honey while you’re at it, bear boy.”

  Shayne burst out laughing and quickly left, closing the door with a soft click before their mate recovered from shock that he was laughing.

  “Sweet Serenity. That was no insult to us. We do love honey, and I can promise you that once we get between your tasty thighs we will lick our fill of yours. Did you think Shayne was trying to insult you when he suggested milk instead of soda?” Creed asked, watching her flexing hands warily for any sign of change.

  “Wasn’t he? I don’t like people being condescending around me, Creed. I’m not some simpering female who needs a big strong male to keep me safe or make me happy.”

  Creed nodded solemnly. “We don’t need a female incapable of taking care of herself. Our mate would have to be strong and self-sufficient in order to handle the stress and strain of setting up a new sleuth. Just because we want to protect you and see to your every need doesn’t mean we don’t think you are capable. It just means we care.”

  “How could you possibly care about me or trust me with your new sleuth when you know nothing about me?” she asked with a deep tired sigh.

  “That’s what we want to do, Serenity. We want to get to know you, and that takes spending time together, but you won’t even give us a chance. How do you know you don’t want to be our mate if you don’t give us a chance?” Sadness laced his words. He hadn’t meant to do or say anything that might sound like he was laying guilt at her feet to force her to give them a chance, but he was tired. It had been a long, long day after an equally long night.

  She lifted her eyes to meet his. Something flitted across them that he didn’t catch. He had to strain to hear her words then replay them slowly through his disbelieving mind.

  “Okay. I’ll try.”

  Chapter Six

  Shayne felt the difference in the air as soon as he walked back into the room. Something had happened while he’d been gone. He’d tread on eggshells until he knew what had happened and what it meant. If his brother had managed to calm their feisty mate down some, Shayne didn’t want to undo whatever he’d accomplished.

  “Here you go, Serenity,” he said, handing her an ice cold can of Diet Coke. “I’ll put the rest in the fridge.”

  Wren walked over while he unloaded the bags he’d brought in. “Did you happen to get anything besides Diet Coke?”

  He grinned. “I have Dr. Pepper, Ginger Ale, and”—he whispered the next word softly—“chocolate milk.”

  Wren burst out laughing before covering her mouth and looking over her shoulder at where Serenity sat on the loveseat next to Creed watching the only channel the older model TV picked up. At least it wasn’t one of the old fat tube TVs. Serenity looked up and shot Shayne a very unladylike gesture but didn’t say anything.

  Shayne relaxed a little more and watched as the female wild dog reached in the fridge and pulled out a can of Ginger Ale. He thought that was funny since the only reason he’d gotten it was because he knew Eason and Warren were the two from their den that would be there soon. Eason loved the stuff. As a hybrid bear holding both grizzly and black bear in him, his control was not as perfect as it should be. Living with two different bears sharing his body left him always on edge with a tight grip to remain in control. It was one of the reasons he’d wanted to come with Shayne and his brother. Warren was going, and for some reason, the crazy grizzly helped Eason remain in control.

  It had caused a stir in their old sleuth. Their father hadn’t wanted to risk him out in the world and away from familiar, home territory for his bears, but Creed had stepped up and assured their father that they could handle Eason and his bears. Shayne was sure that Eason would do everything in his power to not cause trouble for his new Ursus after Creed had gone to bat for him like that.

  He wondered what Eason would say when he found out that a spirited wild dog had appropriated one of his sodas. It would be interesting. He liked to see the dual bear male get pissy now and again. He spent so much time trying to remain in control that Shayne felt he needed to lose it now and again so it didn’t stay bottled up inside. If he didn’t let off steam occasionally, he was in much greater danger of going off the deep end as far as Shayne was concerned.

  “Glad I picked something you liked,” was all he said, though.

  “I don’t drink soda as a rule, but I like Ginger Ale,” she said with a shrug. “It’s better than drinking water out of the tap.”

  Shayne couldn’t fault her there. He had no desire to taste what the water was like in the place. He didn’t like drinking anything but fresh spring water, preferably right from the source.

  “Hand me a Dr. Pepper,” Creed said from the loveseat.

  He grabbed one and one of the individual chocolate milks and walked over to where his mate and brother sat. Creed snagged the Dr. Pepper from his outstretched hand as he took a seat on one of the chairs. Serenity had her head leaning back with her eyes closed. She looked so vulnerable there like that. It wasn’t until she opened her eyes that you saw the strength shining through. It would be easy to underestimate her. He wouldn’t make that mistake. She deserved to be herself. It sounded like in her old den they had wanted her to conform to their
idea of what a mate should be. He could see how that would have chafed at her. She isn’t a conformist, he thought with a small smile.

  “Is the Diet Coke good?” he asked when she’d taken a sip again.

  “Mmm. Good.” She didn’t open her eyes again.

  “Eason and Warren should be here soon,” his brother said.

  “Did they ask many questions?” Shayne asked. He and his brother hadn’t talked much alone, so he didn’t know the entire plan.

  “Not after I told them our mate was involved. They just asked what they could do after that.”

  Shayne smiled. He just bet they did. The fact that he and his brother had found their mate already bode well for them. Once the alphas mated, the others would soon find theirs. It had something to do with cementing the den as a unit. Until the alphas found their mate, the others knew it was rare for another bear in the den to locate their mate. He was sure they were already anticipating theirs. They wouldn’t question anything the Ursus said or asked where the safety of his mate was at stake. Keeping her safe trumped everything except the safety of their own mates and cubs.

  “Wren, have you called your brother to come get you?” Creed asked.

  “Yeah, but he won’t be here for at least another hour. He was working on a bike and had to have it finished today.” The wild dog cocked her head oddly. “Someone’s here, though.”

  Shayne was out of the chair about the same time she announced they had company. He’d heard the crunch of gravel on concrete about the same time she had. The little shifter had good ears. Few shifters could beat his senses. Even Creed didn’t have the hearing he did. Of course, his brother’s sense of smell and eyesight couldn’t be topped.