“A finger,” she said as she flexed her index finger on her right hand. “I had to set it, but it didn’t hurt as bad as last night.”
She seemed surprised by that fact, and he and Hunter just shook their heads at each other.
Hunter moved forward, nudging her gently toward a chair at the table. “Have a seat, Kaya. Breakfast will be up shortly, and you need to eat before we ask you twenty questions.”
“Only twenty?”
At first Jericho thought she was teasing, but there was solemnity on her face that suggested she had no idea it was a joke.
“Well, maybe a few more,” Hunter said with a smile.
Jericho cocked his head in Hunter’s direction. He seemed a lot more relaxed this morning. More accepting. As if he’d gone ten rounds and finally scored a knockout in the final seconds. Try as he might, he couldn’t catch Hunter’s gaze to verify his suspicions. Oh well, he’d just see how it played out this morning. He had a feeling he wouldn’t have to wait long.
Kaya settled down and fussed a few minutes as she tried to get comfortable with her clunky splint job. Jericho turned back to the stove and forked out the last of the frying bacon.
Hunter ambled over to get plates and forks while Jericho finished putting the food on the table. Kaya looked at all the food with what Jericho could only describe as sheer wistfulness.
“Dig in, honey. Get as much as you want,” Jericho said as he plunked down on the chair beside her.
He and Hunter watched as she piled her plate high with eggs, bacon and toast. After a few minutes fumbling awkwardly with the fork, she forewent utensils and ate with her fingers.
What should have been slightly barbaric turned into an erotic exercise that was destined to drive both men insane. After each tiny bite, she licked delicately at her fingers, sometimes sucking the tip between her lips only to release it with a slight pop.
When she was finally done, neither man had eaten much and Jericho quickly cleared the table of the dishes.
“Let’s go into the living room, and I’ll add some more wood to the fire,” Hunter said. “We can talk there.”
Kaya hesitated and looked back at Jericho, her eyes gleaming with questions.
“Go on. I’ll be there in a minute,” he said.
She seemed to relax as Hunter ushered her away. Jericho tossed the dishes in the sink and decided to take care of them later. There were a hell of a lot of questions he wanted answered, and he wanted to make sure Kaya didn’t get any crazy ideas about leaving again.
Kaya settled onto the couch and watched as Hunter added more logs to the fire. When it crackled and blazed higher, he came back to the couch and sat down on the end. There were at least two feet of space between them. She fidgeted, going back and forth between staying where she was and moving closer to Hunter. But if he’d wanted her close, he would have sat next to her.
Jericho suffered no such compunction. When he entered the living room, he went straight to the couch, picked her up and settled her onto his lap. Surprised by his show of affection, she snuggled into his chest and let out a contented sigh.
Her cheek resting on Jericho’s shoulder, she gazed over at Hunter who regarded them intently. What was it about these two men that compelled her so solidly? They’d drawn her out of the mountains, caused her to risk discovery. She couldn’t stay away. It was as if some invisible force guided her back to them time and time again.
Perhaps it was the Maker’s way of ensuring she wasn’t left alone forever. For that she was grateful.
“Two mates,” she whispered in wonder. Was it possible?
“What was that, honey?” Jericho asked.
She shook her head. “Nothing.” She didn’t know their intentions, and the last thing she wanted to chance was rejection.
“Will you tell us about yourself, Kaya?” Hunter asked. “We have so many questions.”
She tensed against Jericho, and he pressed his lips to her hair in a reassuring manner. “Don’t be afraid.”
“It’s not that. It’s just…”
Her voice trailed off as painful memories, long buried, welled to the surface. Unexpectedly, tears stung the corners of her eyes.
Hunter scooted forward on the couch and carefully brushed away a tear with his thumb. Then he cupped her cheek in his palm. “Whatever it is, we can help you.”
She braved a shaky smile. “The memories are painful for me. Once I had a home and a family.”
Hunter’s expression darkened. “Did they turn you out because of what you are?”
Her brow crinkled in confusion. “No, at least I don’t think so. I don’t really know.”
Jericho squeezed her shoulder then brushed her hair over her shoulder. “Tell us. We’re listening.”
“I had a sister. She was a cheetah. She’s all I remember, really. I mean, I know I had a mother and father, but so many years have gone by. Their faces are so dim.”
“There are more of you?” Hunter asked in astonishment.
“She was beautiful and fast. So graceful. I remember wanting to be like her. She always left me behind when we ran. One day we ventured farther from our home than we should have. We were just cubs then. Mischievous and anxious to explore our surroundings. I was caught in a trap and the people took me away. They said I didn’t belong there.”
“Where was there?” Jericho asked.
“Alaska.”
Hunter raised a brow. “I can see why they didn’t think you belonged. Did they see your sister?”
Kaya shook her head. “No, I don’t know what happened to her. I was taken here to the mountains. For a while I was kept in a cage. Maybe they intended me for a zoo. I’m not sure. I was terribly frightened, so I stayed in cougar form until I could escape.”
“How old were you?” Jericho asked.
“Four, maybe five.”
Hunter
swore. “You were just a child!”
She nodded. “After I escaped, I hid for a long time, afraid that if I came out, they’d take me again. Then, when I was able and older, I made my way back to Alaska only to find the house deserted. I was nine or ten.”
Tears welled again and Jericho’s grip tightened around her.
“They were gone. They’d left me. I waited and waited but they never returned. So I went back to my mountains.”
“How long?” Jericho asked. “How long have you lived alone up here?”
Kaya frowned as she considered for a moment. “I’ve passed thirteen winters. Maybe fourteen since the time I came back here. It’s hard to keep count.”
“Jesus,” Hunter murmured. “How the hell did you survive?”
She shrugged. “The cougar is a very good hunter. She took good care of me.”
“You talk like she’s separate from you,” Jericho said.
“In a way she is. We are one and yet we aren’t. She is who guided me to you.”
“How is it you can change?” Hunter asked softly. “I didn’t think people like you existed.”
“I don’t remember a lot of my heritage,” she said sadly. “I know the animals are gifts from the Great Maker. Our souls are united when we are still in our mother’s womb. The cougar is my caretaker and I am hers. We have to strike a careful balance between the human and the animal. We have great healing power, but we must shift often. I chose to stay in animal form to stay safe, and it’s taken a toll on me. Even now, the cougar cries out to be set free. Embracing the change is what aids the healing process.”
“Amazing,” Jericho said in an awed voice. “I’m speechless.”
“Same here,” Hunter echoed.
She found Hunter’s gaze then tilted her head to look up at Jericho. “Does it bother you?” she asked hesitantly.
Jericho touched her cheek and then lowered his mouth to hers. His kiss was soft and sensual. Warm and so loving.
“No,” he said against her mouth. “Nothing about you bothers us. We want you to stay.”
Her eyes widened in surprise as she pulled away. Then she turned to look sharply at Hunter. Surely he couldn’t be included in the invitation. She’d seen the hurt in his eyes. She reminded him of someone he’d lost. He wouldn’t want her as a constant reminder.
As if sensing her rioting emotions, Hunter leaned forward again, his eyes intensely focused on her.
“I want you to stay, Kaya. Somehow, someway, we’ll work it out. I don’t want you out there alone, in the snow, cold and frightened. I want you here where Jericho and I can take care of you, make sure you have food and warm clothes.”
She frowned a little. “Is that all? You just want to take care of me?”
Jericho nudged her chin until she was forced to look at him. “I think you know that’s not true, honey. We just don’t want to push you. I can’t even be in the same room with you without wanting you. We’d like you to stay so that we see where this takes us.”
Two mates. It was more than she’d ever dreamed. After so long on her own, of having no one, that she’d have two strong mates was more than she could conceive.
“I’ll have you…both?” she asked, still disbelieving what they were offering.
“Do you want us both?” Hunter asked quietly.
“You are both here,” she said, raising her uninjured arm until her hand curled into a fist over her heart.