Masquerade Read online

  Chapter One

  “Jesus, Tempest, how many more damn plastic spiders are you going to hang up?” Dominic swatted one out of his face just as she poked her head out of the kitchen door.

  “Dominic Cross, if you pull down any more of my decorations, you and I are going to have a reckoning.” Tempest narrowed her eyes at her love.

  Well, one of them. In July, right after hurricane season began, a vision sent her running across the bayou and into the arms of Alex Wakefield and Dominic Cross. Two lone wolf shifters with no clan; the only thing they had was each other. Now, they had her. She was a part of their lives as their mate. Anyone would think being shared by two dominant males, let alone wolves, would have been difficult, but they fell into a blissful routine almost instantly. They all slept in the same bed and gave each other space when it was needed.

  She kept her little cottage near the water of the Louisiana bayou, but hardly spent time there. Being with Alex and Dominic gave her a sense of completion that she’d never had in her life. Even the residents of Cormina—the small backwoods town where she was never really accepted—seemed to be getting used to their companionship. Of course they didn’t care what anyone thought, yet a tentative peace had been formed between them and the town. So much so that she had invited a few people to their home for a Halloween party. Tempest embraced the holiday with as much gusto as a person would Christmas, and it was driving her wolves crazy.

  “What kind of reckoning?” he asked in a teasing voice.

  “The kind that will end in you sleeping downstairs on the sofa. I know you’ve been taking down my decorations.” Tempest shook her finger at him.

  He moved across the distance from the front door to where she stood before she could even give a squeak of surprise. Dominic started to nibble on her neck before growling softly by her ear. “Prove it.”

  “Don’t have to,” she said huskily and gave him more access to her neck. “I found a bunch hidden in the linen basket, and Alex told me you took them down.”

  “Hmm, he ratted me out, huh? Did he happen to mention that the ones in the bottom drawer next to the stove are from him?” Dominic asked.

  “Oh, you two!” She pushed him away and glowered. “You guys know this is my holiday, and you're trying to mess it up.”

  “Oh, honey, we’re not, but you have to admit you’re going overboard…just a little,” he said.

  “No, I’m not. I’m having fun. I haven’t been able to hand out candy here in the middle of nowhere for years. But this year I’m holding a party, and people are actually attending.” Tempest put her hands on his chest. “Let me have my fun, please.”

  “Fine,” Dominic said good-naturedly and smacked a kiss on her lips. “Oh, you taste like cookie dough.”

  He moved in to steal another kiss, and she stepped back. “Oh, no, you don’t, mister. I’m making chocolate chip cookies shaped like witches’ hats for the Acadia kids.”

  The Acadia shifter pack was the closest pack to Cormina and the ones that Alex and Dominic were helping to train. Tempest had seen a vision of a rival pack attack, and while her wolves didn’t want to join the clan of wolves, they agreed to take on the task of training a clan who had never had to fight. She formally invited them to her party through the Alpha of the pack. When she first met him, he was the Alpha’s second in command. She had finally learned that Vernon was his name, and shortly after she had met Jack, the Alpha, Vernon challenged and overthrew him. That meant Jack was dead and the clan had to now submit to him. When he accepted the invitation for his clan, Tempest was actually thrilled. She loved kids and in the past few months became accustomed to seeing them during their visits to check in at the pack grounds.

  Dominic wrapped his arms around her. “Come on, honey, just a few. I’ve been slaving away outside.”

  “Building an outdoor deck and fireplace-slash-grill thingy was your idea,” Tempest reminded him. But she felt herself melting in that dark, sexy green gaze of his. Dominic had the perfect bad boy look down to his scruffy five o’clock shadow and tousled, windswept hair. His wolf was more ominous, but no less beautiful with a pure black coat. She gave in with a sigh when he began to nuzzle her neck. “Fine, you can have some, which means I will need to leave a stack for Alex too.”

  “Thanks, sweetness,” Dominic said. “Did Alex say when he would be coming back?”

  “He said he would be in by tonight.” Tempest went around the kitchen table back to her cookie dough. “I put a roast in the oven for dinner. It’s his favorite meal.”

  Alex had been in Acadia for the past three days training the clan to fight. He called every night to tell her how much he missed her and to whisper a few dirty things in her ear. The bed felt empty without him. She had become accustomed to sleeping between two very sexy men.

  “Will I get my favorite meal when it’s my turn to sleep away from home?” Dominic drawled before biting into one of the finished cookies.

  “Dominic Cross, I have never seen a meal you did not call your favorite,” she said sternly.

  “That’s because your cooking is awesome.” He grinned. “You know what his coming home tonight means. We get to have our favorite dessert.” He smiled at her and winked.

  She felt heat pool between her legs at the thought. The three of them together were combustible. She couldn’t even explain the way they made her feel. They made love to her body with such passion and intensity that she was always left satisfied. She and Dominic had abstained from sex for the three days Alex was away as an experiment. She wanted to see if she desired one more than the other. It turned out she wanted and loved them both equally. Before, it had scared her to no end that she might cause a rift between them; they were closer than brothers. Thank God her other lover was coming home tonight. She missed the attention only the two of them could give her.

  “I’m going upstairs to shower. Wanna wash my back?” he teased.

  “Maybe after I get the rest of these cookies in the oven I’ll come wash off with you,” Tempest replied. “Oh, by the way, guess who called and asked if they were invited to the party.”

  “I don’t know. Who?” Dominic stopped at the kitchen door.

  “Lorna-Sue. She is trying to get an invite to the party because, you know, it wouldn’t be a party without her.” Tempest rolled her eyes and felt old irritation rise.

  Even though things were better in town, Lorna and Bubba were still a thorn in her side. Having the woman call for an invite was basically her conceding that she was nosy and wanted to see how they lived. Tempest had no doubt that if Lorna and Bubba entered their home, before the end of the night, rumors of whips and shackles and a den of iniquity would blanket the town of Cormina.

  Dominic watched her for a moment. He could always read her and knew that the past still affected her, especially after almost being raped at the hands of Bubba. He asked quietly, “What did you say?”

  “I said no, of course, but you know they are not above trying to crash it in costume,” she answered.

  “Honey, I can smell them a mile away—cheap perfume and beer.” Dominic smiled. “Don’t let it bother you. You told them no, and if they show up, I’ll eat them.”

  Tempest laughed. “Would you do that, really?”

  “For you, sweetheart, I would do anything,” he said in a serious tone. “You know I love you, right?”

  Dominic wasn’t one who let his emotions out very often. But with her, he had no problem letting her know how much he cared. Her rough, devilishly dark and handsome wolf had a soft spot just for her.

  She walked over to kiss him. “I know you do, and I love you too. Now go shower.”

  “Come with me,” he murmured. “Let’s get wet together.”

  “What kind of wet?” she teased.

  “All
the kinds you like,” he practically growled. “I need just a little taste of you.”

  “Help me clean up while I put the cookies on a tray, that way I can pop them in after our dirty shower,” Tempest said.

  “Honey, in the shower we get clean,” Dominic said.

  She winked at him. “Not with you, honey, certainly not with you. I’m thinking instead of a shower, I’d rather have a bath with plenty of jasmine.”

  They finished the clean up quickly and then Dominic playfully chased her up the stairs. He kissed and undressed her while the water filled the tub, and the wonderful, calming scent of jasmine filled the air. Dominic got in first, and she sat in front of him resting her back against his chest. While he caressed her legs beneath the warm water, she leaned her head against his shoulder, and his lips roamed the sensitive skin of her neck. Tempest moaned in pleasure and closed her eyes as he reached around and cupped her breasts. He plucked the nipples and massaged them in his semi-aggressive way meant to illicit a rise in her arousal. It never failed, and she bit her lip as she undulated her hips against him beneath the water. She could feel his cock, hard and erect at her back.

  “I’m going to make you come.” His voice was rough with desire, and his hand slipped down between her legs.

  “Oh, baby, what about you?” she said and cried out when he rubbed her clit.

  “When Alex gets home,” he replied. “Right now I just want to feel your orgasm run through your body.”

  He manipulated her clit until she was writhing. The water was moving in waves, lapping at the sides because of her motion. He circled the entrance to her pussy and inserted his finger. Not moving it, but giving her the sensation of fullness. That, combined with the constant circular motion on her clit, had her gasping, and her orgasm hit quickly. She rode the wave of pleasure while he sucked greedily on the nape of her neck.

  He sighed. “Damn, your orgasms are so strong that when you come, it practically runs right through me.”

  “Imagine it from my point of view.” Tempest giggled. “Now we wait for Alex to come home. I miss him when he’s not here. It feels as if a part of us is missing when either of you go away for too long. Plus, who knows how many shifter women have been eyeing one of my guys.”

  Dominic laughed softly. “Honey, when a wolf mates, we mate for life. There is no one else in the world that can compare to you.”

  “I’ll never get tired of hearing that.” She sighed and sank back against him. “Let’s soak a little while longer. Then I’ll go get dinner finished before Alex comes home.”

  He gave a low growl, signifying his contentment, while the warm water relaxed their bodies. An hour later, she was back in the kitchen making the rest of their dinner. Neither of them knowing the kind of trouble that would be heading their way sooner than either of them thought.

  Chapter Two

  By ten o’clock there was no sign of Alex and dinner had gone cold. Dominic and Tempest had not eaten because they were waiting for him, but as the hours went by they still hadn’t eaten because worry had taken away their appetite. More than once, Dominic tried to connect to him, but was not able. They were both so close and both Alphas without a pack so they shared a connection with each other. But tonight, Dominic couldn’t feel him and she could see the panic in his eyes because it wasn’t there. Tempest could feel it in her belly, and looking at Dominic’s face reaffirmed what she knew. Alex had to be in trouble.

  Alex and Dominic had been close long before she was in the picture, but since she moved in with them she noticed one thing, Alex was always on time. If he was going to be late he would’ve called. It was confirmed when a flash of a vision made her cry out and buckled her knees with the intensity of it. Loud snarls and flashes of color running through the woods streamed through her mind. She knew the wonderful light honey-brown colored wolf was Alex and he was being chased. There was a trail of blood on the forest floor and she feared it was Alex’s.

  Dominic was by her side instantly and lifted her from the floor. He sat on the sofa and brought her to his lap. She’d had very few visions since they’d become mated and none with this intensity in a long time.

  “What did you see, baby?” he murmured and caressed her cheek.

  “Alex is being chased and it’s not the Acadia wolves,” she moaned. “He’s hurt. Oh, Dominic, he could be killed.”

  “I’m going to go out and search for him. I can scent him,” Dominic announced as he sat her on the cushion of the couch as gently as he could. She could see the hidden rage causing his muscles to tense as he stood. “I can’t sit here, knowing he’s being attacked.”

  “If something has happened to him, I don’t think I could stand it.”

  He cupped her cheeks and kissed her hard. “Nothing will happen to him, and if something does, I’ll kill whoever it is who hurt him.”

  “Please come back to me safe and bring him with you.” She looked up at him with fear in her eyes. “I need you both in my life.”

  Dominic nodded and stepped back. In his usual way, Dominic was shirtless and barefoot. It was cold as heck outside and yet his body ran hot so his choice of dress never changed. Tempest watched as he stripped off his jeans and began to change. It never ceased to captivate her when he or Alex shifted to their wolf. His yellow eyes met hers and she could see the human understanding there. She opened the back door and he was a blur of black as he ran into the night. He blended in with the darkness almost immediately and she lost sight of him.

  There was nothing she could do but wait. The minutes seemed to tick by slower than normal, and she wished she could control her third eye and tap into the visions. Maybe it could tell her how both her mates were faring. Sitting doing nothing made her feel completely useless. The clock hit midnight and she was about ready to scream. Tempest made the decision to take their truck to go search the roads from their home to Acadia, but she heard scuffling on the back steps and without any reservation threw open the door that led to the verandah of the old plantation. Dominic stood naked and dirty and in his arms he held the very large form of Alex’s wolf. She stifled a cry when she saw the blood that matted his gorgeous coat and how very still he was.

  “Oh, my God, Alex!” she cried out and stepped back so Dominic could come inside. He had a large bite wound on his shoulder but seemed to be faring much better than Alex. “Dominic, is he dead?”

  “No, but he’s hurt badly,” Dominic snarled. “He managed to crawl into a hallowed out tree trunk and that’s how I found him. Those fuckers were trying to tear the log apart to get at him. I killed one and fucking went crazy on a few others. No way could have one caught him on their own; he’s so damn strong. They had to descend on him as a pack. The leader wasn’t even there. The coward.”

  He was taking the stairs two at a time in long strides while she hurried to catch up. “Why isn’t he in human form?”

  Dominic placed Alex gently in the middle of their shared bed. She didn’t care about the blood on the sheets. Anything could be replaced, but not Alex.

  “It’s best he stays this way. In human form, he would heal slower and he could die from his injuries,” Alex explained. “We’re going to have to set his hind leg. If it heals like this he’d have a limp permanently.” It wasn’t until then that she saw the odd angle of his leg. Now, honey, like any animal, he may try to bite, so I’m going to need you to keep him calm while I do this. Hold his muzzle, whisper to him, comfort him.”

  Tempest crawled up on the bed and, as if by instinct, Alex knew she was there and he lifted his head weakly to nuzzle her. She shifted as best she could to get his head in her lap without hurting him. He licked her hand gently and tears silently dripped from her eyes.

  “Why would they do this to him?” she whispered and ran her hands down his tangled and dirty fur.

  “They’ve probably had a spotter on us, watching us train the Acadia pack,” Dominic said. “Jesus, they jumped him like feral dogs. They were waiting for one of us to be alone. Together, we’d have kille
d them all.”

  “We still will,” she whispered fiercely. “For what they did to him, they’re going to pay.”

  “Okay, so now I’m ready to set his leg.” Dominic put his big hand on Alex’s neck. “My friend, this will hurt. Be strong, be the wolf.”

  Alex growled and Tempest bent low to kiss his nose. “Don’t worry, baby, we’re here, we’ll always be here.”

  Dominic was quick, but that didn’t mean her heart didn’t break when she heard Alex’s bones snap back into place. Alex didn’t make a sound, not even a whimper as they tended to his wounds as best they could. Tempest wiped the blood from his fur with a wet cloth and after about an hour Dominic sat back with a sigh.

  “He’s already healing. In about thirty-six hours he’ll be good as new,” Dominic said. I’m going to move him and we can change the sheets. Then he’ll need us both.”

  “How?” Tempest looked up at him.

  “We belong to each other. He’ll draw from our strength and energy to heal,” he explained. “We’ll get him comfortable, then clean up and lay with him. He’ll be generating a lot of heat while he heals, so we’ll just need a light cover, trust me.”

  “We need the Acadia pack to move onto our grounds until this is over,” Tempest announced.

  “A vision?” Dominic asked

  “No, just reality. I can’t let you or Alex get hurt again. Stands to reason they are not safe either. They need us and they need grounds that this rival pack does not know,” Tempest explained. “When Alex is healed you both make it happen or I’ll be traveling with you each and every time you go.”

  “You’re too brave for your own good sometimes,” he said with a smile.

  She gave him a direct stare as resolve firmed her shoulders. “No, my life is weaved together with Alex and with you. I refuse to lose either of you so if we fight, we fight together.”

  He lifted Alex once more and Tempest hurriedly changed the sheets. They made sure he was resting before they both got showered and then climbed back into bed. Following Dominic’s directives, she got a light throw out of the hallway closet and covered them. Alex barely stirred but she closed her eyes and rested her hands on his fur. Soon, she felt Dominic’s hand over hers and their hands laced on his wolf body. It wasn’t just love the three of them shared. It was something so profound. She knew they would give him the strength he needed to heal. Worry and anger were turmoil in her mind and a flash of a vision came as she fell into a troubled sleep. It was so vague she tried to hold on to it but failed. All she could see was the swirl of orange and the eerie smile of a jack o’ lantern before the darkness swept the image away.