Dominated by Two Leopards [The Alpha Legend 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Galatyn narrowed his eyes. “Oh, hysterical images. Truly funny.”

  “It’s probably close to the truth and you know it. Or, is there some mysterious reason you suddenly don’t want to spend time with a pretty girl?”

  Austin could read his thoughts, and his powers in that area were more refined than Galatyn’s, but he was able to disguise certain things from his cousin if he concentrated very hard on doing so. He didn’t want Austin to know how much Nadine had already affected him. It was a lost cause, regardless. They didn’t live here. At some point they’d return home to Arizona, and she’d stay here because her entire family was here. Couple that with who her grandfather was, and it was a recipe for disaster to do anything other than have a nice dinner and polite conversation with her.

  So why the hell had Austin put them in this situation? He must be as taken with her as Galatyn was, which came to him as suddenly and as clearly as though Austin had spoken the words. That was it. It had to be. There was no other rational explanation for it. And Austin was rational to a fault. Except when he had the hots for a pretty face.

  But that wasn’t it. Not this time. At least, that wasn’t the only thing going on here. Galatyn could see it now. For the first time since Katarina had been killed, his cousin was interested in the company of another woman for more than play. The more they locked gazes, the greater Galatyn’s certainty became, until this time it was Austin who glanced away first.

  “We have work to do.”

  Galatyn turned around and pretended to be interested in something on his screen so that Austin wouldn’t see him grinning. Tomorrow was going to be a very fun day, in more ways than one.

  Chapter Three

  Nadine finally heard from Teddi at two in the morning, but she was whispering and as soon as Nadine realized whoever Teddi had spent the night with was still there and could wake up at any second, she told Teddi to call her back later in the day. Nadine tried to get back to sleep after that, but she only tossed and turned as images of Austin and Galatyn raced through her mind.

  Was this a huge mistake? She had almost no experience with men. She’d been kissed a few times at parties she’d attended as a young teen with Kirsten and Teddi, where they’d played kissing games with boys. And once she’d been in her uncle’s home for half an hour, alone with Ryan, Teddi’s older brother. He’d stayed behind at her sixteenth birthday party after everyone else had left. Her father was out on a mission with the jaguars and was supposed to be gone for several more weeks at least. He’d left her and Kirsten home alone, but Uncle Joaquin had only lived two doors down.

  She and Ryan had started slow dancing, and that had led to him kissing her for real—not only the quick pecks on the lips they’d exchanged during the silly games. When Ryan began to run his hands over her ass, and then grabbed her boobs through her sweater, she hadn’t been afraid, only very aroused. But her father came home unexpectedly, and Nadine didn’t think she’d ever seen a teenage boy run so fast. So much for her introduction to sex.

  She flipped through the channels on the TV, but nothing held her interest. She considered going online, but all that would do was remind her of her conversation with Austin and Galatyn. Were they awake right now, ferreting out information on their computers? Or were they asleep, and perhaps dreaming about flogging someone?

  They were experienced Doms, and older than her by more than a few years. From what she’d heard, Austin was thirty-five and Galatyn a year younger. That was a twelve-year difference between her and Galatyn, and a thirteen-year difference between her and Austin. What did they want with her at twenty-two? They probably saw her as a naïve little schoolgirl who could help them pass the time, with a little fun along the way, in this boring village.

  Yet, the more she tried to pretend that was what their invitation was all about, the less she believed it. They hadn’t treated her like she was merely a plaything, and they hadn’t been condescending or disrespectful. They’d talked to her as though she had a brain, and they hadn’t fallen for Kirsten’s obvious attempts to seduce them. That had to mean something, right?

  When she finally fell asleep again, she had fitful dreams where Ryan and Kirsten chased her down dark alleys, laughing at her and calling her names.

  * * * *

  She didn’t hear from Teddi the next morning, but that didn’t matter once she glanced at the calendar where she marked down her shifts and saw that she was supposed to work that night. As soon as she ate breakfast she decided to take a quick walk over to her uncle’s house and make sure it was all right with him that she take the night off. She recalled telling Austin and Galatyn the night before that she wasn’t working tonight. Had she written it down by mistake, or was her brain that foggy from the two leopards’ attentions that she’d actually forgotten her work schedule? Either way, she needed to clear this up before lunch.

  Nadine didn’t mind the cold much, as it was more often cooler than warmer during the year, but she wondered whether Austin and Galatyn would get used to the weather here. Even though their village was in the hills, she imagined Arizona had to be warmer than Utah, and especially in early December. It’s too bad they’d picked this month to visit. They should have come to stay in the summertime.

  As she walked, Nadine played over the details of her strange dreams the night before. After she’d finished dreaming about running from Kirsten and Ryan, the images that had haunted her sleep were of Austin and Galatyn. But instead of chasing her through dark, unfamiliar corridors, they were in the dungeon of the Jargonian home. Nadine was blindfolded in the dream, but she could still see them. She loved how dreams were weird like that, but she didn’t love the way these particular dreams had left her aroused and more than a bit curious about what might or might not happen tonight.

  What if they wanted to do more than play? What if her dreams were more prophetic than fantasy, and the leopards wanted to have sex with her? Would she do that? Good question. She’d better decide that now so she wasn’t caught off guard later.

  She wasn’t a naïve little schoolgirl, waiting for her mate to sweep her off her feet, but neither was she so cynical or hardened that she’d have sex with any man who said “yes” like Kirsten did. She wanted romance, and it would be nice to at least like the man who finally took her virginity. Her grandfather would freak, but she was of age now. He really had no say-so in what she did, anymore than her uncle did. Nadine wanted to experience so much that sometimes the longing was unbearable. She didn’t even understand everything that she so often fantasized about, but she wanted to.

  Nadine was so lost in her thoughts that she nearly ran headfirst into Emme, whose hands were full of packages. “Oh shit…I’m sorry. I was daydreaming.”

  Emme smiled, and her eyes lit up with mischief. “I would be, too, if I’d had two handsome leopards talking to me half the night. Did you have a good time at our party?”

  “Yes. It was wonderful. Thank you.”

  “And I hope Austin and Galatyn didn’t monopolize so much of your time for nothing.” Was there anything that Emme missed? The woman amazed Nadine most days with the way she knew everything that happened around her, without giving the impression that she was paying any attention at all.

  Nadine smiled. “I’m having dinner with them tonight.” Emme and Drake were two of the most open-minded people she’d ever met. If she shared her concerns with Emme right now, the woman would more than likely have sage advice, and she wouldn’t judge. “And then they’re bringing me to the dungeon.”

  “Stephen and Micah mentioned that. Drake and I won’t be there tonight, but you’ll be in good hands. Just have fun and make sure you ask lots of questions. I like Austin and Galatyn. They won’t steer you wrong.”

  Nadine would have hugged her if her hands hadn’t been full. “Thank you.”

  Emme regarded her with a thoughtful look. “Do you need to talk about anything? You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders right now.”

  Was she that transp
arent? Nadine glanced around. People were out and about at the stalls, bartering for or buying food, but she didn’t want to hold Emme up as it was obvious from the packages she carried that she’d just been shopping. “No, I’m all right. But thank you for the offer.”

  “You know where I am if you need to talk. Have fun tonight.”

  Nadine watched Emme walk away, and almost ran after her, but then she remembered that she needed to speak with her uncle. He was awake, and when she explained that she’d made a date with Austin and Galatyn, not realizing she might have been scheduled to work tonight, he narrowed his eyes. “Don't worry about that. You and Kirsten aren’t my only employees. But why are those leopards asking you on a date?”

  “It’s only dinner. And then we’re going to the Jargonian house.” It wasn’t a lie, but Nadine knew her uncle disapproved of the BDSM lifestyle that most residents of this village lived so she didn’t mention they were going there to play in the dungeon. This certainly wasn’t the time to get into it with him, and she didn’t owe him any explanations, regardless. He was her employer, not her keeper.

  “Drake and Emme know about this, then?”

  Nadine stepped in front of the aquarium and pretended to be interested in the tiny creatures swimming around aimlessly, but she wasn’t even looking at the brightly-colored fish. It was such an odd hobby in their world, and Nadine had heard more than one person in town remark on how one day Joaquin Richardson would forget himself and eat his pets. “Yes, they know.” Again, not a lie. They did know. Hadn’t she just told Emme in the village square about tonight?

  “Well then, take the night off and have a good time.”

  “Thank you.” Nadine kissed him on the cheek and left before he began asking more questions and she was forced to stretch the truth a third time. She felt guilty enough as it was, although she didn’t know why she should. She wasn’t breaking any laws, and she was old enough to make up her own mind about sex. Her lack of experience was a hindrance, but maybe that would change tonight?

  * * * *

  By the time her clock said five forty-five, Nadine had changed clothes no less than ten times. She stared at her flirty skirt and off-the-shoulder top in the mirror, convinced it was all wrong for dinner, but she couldn’t very well wear her club wear to their house. She had that in a bag, all ready to go. She’d worn her high black boots, too, which looked really cute with the skirt and sweater, but would they think them too slutty? Teddi had never called her back, and Nadine began to wish she’d asked Emme for fashion advice.

  Too late now. It was time to go. She gathered her bag, checked her make-up and jewelry one more time, and just as she was about to open the door and descend the stairs, someone knocked on it. Annoyed that it might be Kirsten or her uncle asking her to work after all, she yanked it open, ready to pounce on whoever it might be. Her bag slipped from her hand and spilled all over the floor. She bent to pick it up at the same time that Austin did, and they bumped heads.

  Nadine straightened up, laughing from both embarrassment and the fact that this was the first time she’d seen Austin smile. He picked up her bag, scooped the contents back into it, and then he and Galatyn crossed the threshold into her apartment. She closed the door to the hallway and eyed the mark on Austin’s forehead. “I’m so sorry. You startled me. Are you all right?”

  He rubbed his forehead. “I don’t know. It might be serious. You may have to make it up to me later.”

  Nadine’s clit began to throb. Holy heavens. Every image from her decadent dreams of last night starring these two raced through her mind. Dare she hope they were all about to come true? “That’s only fair.”

  “Indeed, it is.” They locked gazes for what felt like a very long time, and then Nadine noticed brilliant color out of the corner of her eye. She cut her gaze toward Galatyn who held two lavender roses. Where had he found such an exquisite color in December?

  He smiled and held them out. “These are for you, one from each of us.”

  “Oh…” She took them, still staring at the delicate buds. “I’ve never seen any this color.”

  “They weren’t easy to find. We had to drive to Colorado.”

  She glanced up sharply, convinced she’d misheard Galatyn. “Colorado?”

  “Passion Peak, actually. We asked Drake where we could find roses this time of year, and he suggested calling Mason Ruiz, Nevada’s grandfather. Mason sits in a tent every day on Juniper Street in downtown Passion Peak and passes out literature on the Sleepy Cat Legend. Turns out there’s a florist shop on the next street, and they had this color. It’s supposed to convey enchantment.”

  Was he blushing? Not possible…“You drove to Passion Peak to buy me roses? It’s a two-hour ride, one way.” She was stunned. No one had ever done such a romantic thing for her. Not even close.

  Galatyn surprised her even further by leaning over to kiss her cheek. His lips burned like fire and Nadine nearly dropped the roses. “You were worth it.” He held out his arm. “Are you ready for dinner?”

  She glanced around. “Let me put these in some water first. I don’t want anything to happen to them.” After she filled a tall glass with water and put the roses inside, she placed them on the table in her living room so she’d see them as soon as she got home. Then she curled her hand around Galatyn’s arm, and slung her bag over her shoulder so that she could take Austin’s arm with her other hand.

  “We left Valerie in charge of our kitchen but she’s leaving as soon as we arrive,” said Austin.

  “I don’t know what to say.” That was the most truthful thing she’d said to anyone today. “I'm overwhelmed. Thank you.” The words sounded horribly inadequate, but she had no others.

  They descended the stairs to the familiar sounds of customers in The Lair and Uncle Joaquin’s voice booming above the others. But she wouldn’t be serving drinks or sweeping up the floor tonight.

  “It’s so cold here,” said Austin, as they made their way toward Overlook Drive. “How do you deal with it?”

  “I'm used to it. But it’s easier to handle in my jaguar form, to be honest.”

  He nodded. “Extremes in weather don’t bother me as much when I’m in leopard form. I’ve heard that from most of our kind.”

  “Is this the first time you both have seen snow?”

  Galatyn chuckled. “No, not even close. When we were in the field we traveled all over the country, just like most of Gary’s troops do now.”

  “Oh, of course.” She mentally chided herself for asking such a stupid question. “How long have you worked behind the scenes?”

  She felt Austin’s arm stiffen, and when he answered, his voice was filled with sadness. “Five years now.” What was that about?

  She counted to ten while the only sound was the snow crunching underneath their boots. When she glanced up at Austin’s profile, he was frowning once again. “What happened five years ago?”

  Galatyn sighed almost imperceptibly, and Nadine had the uncomfortable feeling she’d just asked the question of all questions. At first, she wasn’t sure Austin was going to say anything, but then he gave her a quick glance full of indecision, as if he were trying to make up his mind about something.

  They were already at the house, so once they walked inside, Nadine’s attention was diverted by the smell of roasting chicken, potatoes, and vegetables. Valerie already had her coat on. “I’m leaving. Have fun tonight.”

  Nadine watched her sprint up the street toward Pine Bluff Road, where she shared the same home now with Stephen and Micah that she’d lived in with a jaguar named Abby Waterford when she’d first come to this village. Abby had been killed by Valerie’s father when he’d sneaked into town. “You weren’t kidding when you said she’d leave as soon as we arrived.”

  Galatyn took Nadine’s coat and gloves and placed them on a chair in the foyer. “She’ll be at the dungeon later with Stephen and Micah. Would you like a glass of wine?”

  “Yes, thank you. The food smells incredible.” She foll
owed them into the kitchen and once Galatyn had poured the wine, he raised his glass and looked like he was about to speak, but Austin did first.

  “To answer your question, I stopped doing field work when my sub was killed five years ago. Her name was Katarina and she got caught in the cross fire of a fight that broke out on a sting operation Galatyn and I were on. She shouldn’t have been there to begin with, but that’s my fault.” He took a long sip of wine. Nadine cut her gaze toward Galatyn, who was watching his cousin carefully, as if deciding whether to intervene.

  “She came to where we were camped out, waiting for League members to show up at a meeting that we’d had a tip was going to occur later in the evening. I’d asked her to bring us all food, thinking we’d have a much longer wait and she’d have plenty of time to get out of the danger zone. I was mistaken.”

  “I'm sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have asked. I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories for you.”

  He shook his head. “No reason to apologize. It’s a legitimate question and there’s no way you could have known this. I blame myself. One of us could have gone to get food. I was being selfish and boastful. I wanted all my fellow soldiers to see what an obedient little sub I had, and all that shit.” Austin drained his glass and poured another one.

  “Austin is being kind in not telling you the whole story,” said Galatyn.

  “Don’t go there—”

  “I have to. She should hear the entire thing.” The look of pain on Galatyn’s face nearly took Nadine’s breath away. He and Austin stared each other down, but there was no trace of anger on their faces.

  Finally, she watched resignation fill Austin’s eyes, and he lifted his glass and nodded. “All right then. Say what you need to say.”

  “I had a chance to slit the throat of the man who killed Katarina about ten minutes before she died at his hands, but I didn’t do it. Instead I was naïve enough to think he’d stay put where I’d hurriedly tied him to a tree, along with the other League members we were rounding up to interrogate. It wasn’t supposed to be a blood bath, after all, but that’s what ended up happening.”