Chapter Thirteen
Jenna woke up the next morning, started to stretch, and moaned when she felt her muscles cramp and tighten from the loving they’d had the night before. She looked both right and left and saw the men were gone. She didn’t understand the disappointment she felt. The men had made her feel things she hadnever known existed. It had been like an out-of-body experience for her, and it still left her feeling peaceful.
She rolled out of bed and made her way into the bathroom. When she got under the hot spray in the shower, her muscles immediately relaxed. She took her time washing her hair and body. When she was done, she dried off, dressed in the skirt and top she’d worn the day before, and started working on her hair.
A gasp tore from her mouth when the door was jerked open.
Rowan stood watching her with a scowl. “Why are you out of bed?”
Jenna looked at him with her mouth open. “What was I supposed to do?”
“Wait for one of us.”
Her mouth snapped shut. “For what purpose? I can get out of bed and bathe myself.”
He crossed his massive arms over his chest. “We thought you’d be worn out and need help. We just mated with you last night, and I know it took a lot out of you.”
“I’m tired, but I’m not helpless.”
If anything, Rowan’s expression darkened. “We don’t want you to take any chances, so we’re going to be protective of you, Sweetheart. I’d ask if you could handle that, but since you don’t have a choice, you’ll get used to it.”
Her eyes widened and then narrowed as she faced him. “Oh, really?”
He smirked, which pissed her off even more.
“Yes.” He grabbed onto her so quickly she didn’t have time to evade him. He pulled her tightly against his body and wrapped his arms around her. “Jenna, this is new to all of us, so we are going to have to adapt. I can guarantee we’ll make you happier than you’ve ever been, and you’ll be our top priority.”
That stopped her fight for independence, and she pressed her forehead to his chest. “Yes, I do want that. I also want to make you both happy.”
“Just having you in our lives makes us happy. We never thought we’d find you, Sweetheart. Now that we have, we’ll do everything in our power to keep you with us.”
Jenna nodded. “I understand, but I also don’t want to be treated like I’ll break easily. In fact, I feel stronger than I ever have.”
“That’s the mating ritual,” Rowan said. “Both Ben and I marked you, and we’ll keep doing it. But every time we sink our teeth into your neck, our saliva is put into your bloodstream, which alters your DNA. Every time we come inside of you helps, too.”
He turned her to face the mirror and moved her head to the side. “See these marks?”
She leaned forward and then gasped as her fingers flew up to trace the marks on both sides of her neck. They didn’t stand out, but in the light she could see them.
“Will they disappear?” she asked as she turned her head back and forth.
“For the most part. Every shifter will be able to see them, and they will also be able to smell us on you. But the average human won’t.”
Jenna studied them a little more. “Why didn’t I feel this?”
“Because we made sure you were at the height of your desire and ready to come so you wouldn’t feel it.”
Rowan stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders. It felt like he was trying to see inside her head.
Jenna cleared her throat. “What’s going to happen today?” she asked.
“The three of us will stay here. We need to get to know one another and spend time together. Ben would have to leave if there was an emergency, but otherwise, he’s taken time off.”
“Where is he?”
“Kitchen. We made breakfast for you. We were going to bring it to you in bed, but you ruined it.”
She bit her lip to keep from smiling at his petulant tone. “I’m sorry.”
His eyes narrowed when he studied her expression. She tried to look innocent, but she didn’t think she was pulling it off.
He sighed and held out a hand. “Let’s go before the food gets cold.”
She took his hand and let him lead her into the kitchen, where Ben stood at the stove. Ben looked at her, and one of his brows rose.
“I see she wasn’t where we thought she would be,” Ben said.
She almost rolled her eyes. “Guys, I didn’t know I was supposed to stay in bed. Maybe next time you can leave a note.”
Both men looked at her in surprise, but she also caught a mixed level of excitement at her sarcastic tone. The intense look in their eyes should have frightened her, but instead, it made her body hum as desire built.
“If I didn’t know you were sore, Pet, you’d be buck naked and back in bed.”
Her mouth snapped shut as she stared at Ben. He was right, she was sore, but it didn’t deter her body from turning into a needy woman who was achingly ready for them.
Ben grunted and turned back to the stove. “Breakfast is about ready. Why don’t you two set the table and get glasses of juice?”
Rowan showed her where they kept everything as they finished setting the table.
A plate was set in front of her, and the sight made her mouth water. A few puffy pancakes were next to strips of bacon and a small mound of scrambled eggs.
“This looks delicious,” she said and took a bite. They ate in silence for a minute. “Oh, wow. These pancakes are wonderful.”
“Thank you. Rowan and I had to learn to cook because we didn’t want any women in this kitchen.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because we want our mate to be the only woman,” Ben told her.
Jenna loved the idea. “No other women have been here?”
Ben shook his head. “The only women we allow in are to clean and leave meals for us. The pack knows what we want, so the women don’t try to come here thinking anything will happen.”
She loved hearing that, and she also liked knowing Morgan had lied to her. She cleared her throat.”I enjoy cooking, guys, so you won’t have to worry about starving or having people bring us meals.”
“Good. I know how to cook, but I’m not great at it. Ben is better.”
“I’m better at a lot of things,” Ben said and grinned.
Rowan rolled his eyes. “Maybe a few, but I’m better at other things.”
She smiled as the two started to argue about who was better at what. It was fun to watch because they were enjoying themselves and not really fighting.
The three cleaned up the kitchen.
“When will I get my things?” she asked. “I can’t keep wearing these same clothes.”
“Who said you had to wear anything?” Rowan said.
“I’m not walking around here naked,” she snapped and crossed her arms over her chest. A shiver raced down her back when both men faced her with every bit of male arrogance she expected from them. She just hadn’t thought it would turn her on.
“If we wanted you naked, Pet, you would be.”
“What if I don’t want to be?” she asked.
“We know you’re nervous right now,” Rowan said. “But when you become more comfortable, we’ll insist on you not wearing clothing sometimes.”
She almost smirked but kept her face bland. Well, they’ll see about that.
Ben wrapped an arm around her waist. “Our men are bringing your things later this morning. They didn’t want to be followed, so they went to another apartment building. When they know it’s safe, they’ll come here. We don’t want you in any danger, and it looks like Payne is going to be a problem.”
She nodded. The last thing she wanted to do was come face to face with that sociopath.