STORY EXCERPT

Jayson Cannon sang along with the radio as he drove his truck toward his hometown of Ambrose, North Dakota. His brothers had been bitching and moaning about not having a couple ingredients for the dish they’d wanted to make for the day’s special, but instead of one of them deciding to drive to Crosby to the store, they’d continued arguing.

He’d had enough of their shit and without a word had left the kitchen of the Ambrose Hotel, gotten into his truck, and taken off. Normally he and his brothers got on, but lately they’d all been quick with their tempers. Him included.

Jayson had a feeling it was going to get worse before it got better, but what pissed him off was he had no idea why they were all so antsy. Usually, him, Jenson, and Jordan were levelheaded and even-tempered.

He’d just turned his truck from 103^rd St NW onto 127^th Ave NW when he spotted the car on the side of the road a few hundred yards in front of him. He wondered if the car had been abandoned or if it had broken down. He was just about to pass it, but he slammed on the brakes when he saw a blonde head leaning against the window. The driver could have been taking a catnap to circumvent fatigue, but when the hackles on his neck rose and his gut knotted, he knew there was something wrong.

After making sure the road was still clear behind him, he put the truck into reverse and backed up. He parked behind the silver four-door sedan, turned the ignition off, and got out. Using his inner animal’s enhanced vision, he kept his eyes trained on the driver just in case they were up to no good. This close to the US/Canadian border, it wouldn’t surprise him if the person in the car was a criminal and pulled a gun on him.

He stood outside the door and waited for the driver to notice him, but they were either deeply asleep or dead. Once more calling on his inner panther, he used his enhanced hearing and nearly sighed with relief when he heard a heartbeat.

Inhaling a deep breath as he prepared to tap on the window almost had his knees buckling. The amazing aroma of oranges and peaches, two of his favorite fruits, had his mouth watering. His feline yowled with excitement and leapt at his stomach, trying to get out so he could get to its mate.

Jayson shoved his panther back and this time when he inhaled, he did so through his mouth. His cock was a hard spike in his jeans, threatening to bust his zipper out, but he ignored the fiery lust coursing through his blood. He needed to find out if his mate was all right. He suspected her car may have broken down and although he felt like a bastard for thinking it, he hoped it wasn’t an easy fix.

He tapped on the glass of the window, but the woman inside didn’t stir, the back of her head was still resting on the glass. Jayson didn’t want to open the car door and scare the shit out of her, so he decided to walk around to the passenger side of the car.

A roar of fury bubbled up from his chest and escaped out of his mouth before he could stop it. His mate’s face was bruised and swollen out of proportion. Her eyelids looked as if they were swelled shut.

He didn’t even remember opening the door or climbing into the car beside her. His hands trembled as he reached for her, but before he touched her, he hesitated. He wasn’t sure if he should move her or not. He could be doing more damage without even knowing it. He dug into his pocket and pulled his cell phone out and called Broden. Broden Higgins was a Kodiak bear shifter and he also happened to be the one and only doctor in their small town.

“Jayson, what’s up?” Broden answered.

“I need you here, now!”

“Where are you?”

“On 127^th Ave NW, a few hundred yards from town.”

“Do I need my medical bag?”

“Yes. Bring Jenson and Jordan with you. Hurry, Broden.” Jayson disconnected the call and gently placed his hand on his mate’s forehead. Her skin was hot and feverish. With a carefulness he hadn’t known he’d had, he brushed her blonde hair away from her face and gazed intently at her. The bruising was dark and new. She looked as if someone had used her as a fucking punching bag. He ground his teeth so hard his jaw cracked and wondered if he’d end up breaking a tooth.

Her arms, legs, and feet were bare and covered in bruises, too. He wanted to lift her into his arms and tell her that she was safe, that whoever had hurt her was a dead man, but he clenched his fists instead. Jayson reluctantly shifted his gaze away from his mate and down the road toward Ambrose. A sigh of relief left his parted lips when he saw Doc’s vehicle speeding toward him. He got out of the car, leaned on the metal body, and crossed his arms over his chest.

Broden screeched to a halt and then guided his truck onto the verge of the road. Jenson and Jordan were out of the vehicle before the doc had turned the ignition off.

“What’s going—” Jenson groaned and stumbled before he righted himself.

“What’s that delicious—” Jordan gasped.

“Mate,” Jayson, Jenson, and Jordan said at the same time.

“Who’s hurt?” Broden asked as he got out of his truck, medical bag in hand. “Did I hear y’all say mate?”

Jayson’s panther hissed at the Kodiak bear shifter when he was close enough to the car to bend down and look in at his mate.

“What the fuck?” Broden growled.

ADULT EXCERPT

When the table was clear and wiped down, Kenzie sat on the table and tugged her T-shirt up and over her head. She smiled as she imagined the shock her mates were going to get when they turned toward her and found her naked. It was hard to keep from giggling as she removed her clothes, but she managed. With the noise they were making as they rinsed the dishes and put them in the dishwasher, she didn’t alert them to what she was doing. Or at least she didn’t think she did. They never once looked her way.

Using her hands to lift her ass off the table, she scooted back and then reclined over the cool wood with one hand resting above her head and the other on her nervous stomach.

Kenzie waited with bated breath for her mates to notice her.

* * * *

Jay glanced over to the dining room when he realized Kenzie hadn’t brought the cloth back. The pan he was holding in his hand clattered to the floor with a loud bang, but he ignored it. A loud roaring set up in his ears as he eyed her naked body over. He didn’t remember consciously thinking about moving as he bumped shoulders against his brothers. There was no way he could apologize to them when all the saliva had dried up in his mouth and his tongue felt thick and ungainly.

His thighs bumped against her knees when he was in front of her. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, trying to curb his eagerness to touch her sexy, naked body. Jay was worried he’d frighten her with his intensity or get too rough in his enthusiasm.

“Holy shit!” Jordan growled. A shatter followed his statement and Jay almost chuckled when he realized his brother had dropped and smashed a plate. He didn’t give a fuck. They had more than enough money to replace anything they broke hundreds of times over.

“Sweet mercy,” Jenson rasped, and a thud followed his statement.

Jay had no idea if Jenson had dropped something or walked into something in his eagerness to get to his mate, but he wasn’t about to look and see. He was too busy staring at his gorgeous, sexy woman.

Kenzie gave them a coy, sultry smile as she caressed a finger up over her belly, between her breasts, and toward her mouth. Her lips parted, and she sucked on the tip before pulling it out from between her lips. “So, who’s first?”

Jay growled with appreciation as he dropped to his knees and skimmed his hands up over her legs from her knees up toward her pussy. When he stopped short, she groaned with disappointment. He smiled as he caressed back down to her knees, pushed his arms under her legs, and hooked them over his arms before lifting and spreading her wide.

“What are you—” Kenzie moaned when he licked from her creamy entrance up to her clit. “Oh god.”

Jenson and Jordan climbed onto the table with her. Jenson cupped a breast before kneading and massaging the soft feminine globe. Jordan cupped a cheek, turned her head toward him, and claimed her mouth with a ferociously hungry kiss.

Jay laved the flat of his tongue over her sensitive nub and then flicked it with the tip.

Kenzie’s groan was muffled by Jordan’s mouth as she bucked her hips up toward Jay. She jerked and whimpered when Jenson sucked her nipple into his mouth and began suctioning on it.

Jordan released her lips before kissing and nibbling his way down her neck toward her chest.

Jay lapped his way back down toward her dripping hole and groaned as he slurped up as much of her juices as he could. She tasted so good, sweet, and spicy with a hint of orange and peach into the mix. Two of his favorite fruits.

He licked his way back up to her clit and lashed it with the tip of his tongue while rimming her entrance with a finger. She cried out and arched up closer to his mouth.

He growled when he slowly penetrated her, the heat of her body almost burning his finger, and her honey dripped out onto his hand.

Jenson scraped his teeth over her nipple and then licked it before kissing and nibbling his way up her neck, over her jaw, and finally slanted his mouth over hers.

Kenzie threaded her fingers in Jenson’s hair, moaning and groaning while Jay slowly thrust his finger in and out of her cunt, gaining depth and speed with each pump.

Jordan twirled his tongue around her areola, tormenting and teasing as she clutched at his hair and pressed his mouth closer to her breast. Jenson broke the kiss and nibbled his way down her neck, licking, lapping and sucking on the erogenous zone just under her ear.

Her gasps and groans of pleasure were music to Jay’s ears, but they weren’t anywhere near enough. He wanted to hear her screaming his name as she toppled over into nirvana.

He gently grazed his teeth over her clit and added another finger to her pussy. She sobbed with pleasure and bowed her hips up, her legs trembling and her belly jumping as he slowly inched his digits into her hot, tight, wet cunt.