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    Wiccan-Were-Bear Series Volume Three
    Wiccan-Were-Bear Series Volume Three
    Wiccan-Were-Bear Series Volume Three
    Ebook529 pages7 hours

    Wiccan-Were-Bear Series Volume Three

    By R.E. Butler

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    This book contains the final four books in the Wiccan-Were-Bear series: Daeton's Journey, A Dragon for December, A Muse for Mishka, and A Wish for Their Woman. If you already own these books, please do not purchase this book.

    * * * * *
    Daeton's Journey (Wiccan-Were-Bear #10)
    After returning to her new home of Cholas in the Medes Realm, were-bear Daeton settles quickly into married life with her two sexy mates, Perseus and Ekho. When the arrival of her former were-bear protectors, Rysk and Tyrant, triggers a vision, Daeton and her husbands must prepare for danger from an unknown foe. Will Daeton and her mates survive the battle to come, or will they lose everything? This book contains two sexy males intent on keeping their mate safe forever, a silver-furred bear shifter with a big heart, danger from a new foe, rescues, reunions, growling, shifting, and plenty of love. Contains m/f/m interaction.
    * * * * *
    A Dragon for December (Wiccan-Were-Bear #11)
    With his mate by his side, Tosh can claim the kingship of his people, but someone is hiding in the shadows and plotting against him. When an innocent trip to the spa ends with Deci kidnapped and drugged, her body is forced into a painful mating heat. Will Tosh be able to get to her before she’s lost to him forever and put down the threat to his throne, or will all be lost in a flurry of fur and fangs?
    * * * * *
    A Muse for Mishka (Wiccan-Were-Bear #12)
    When Mishka and Harmony meet, sparks will fly, but they won’t be the only ones who notice. Human enemies have never stopped watching, and they take every opportunity to try to destroy vampires and those they love in the name of humanity. When Harmony is taken, Mishka knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s killed. This is a Wiccan-Were-Bear story with a vampire who has been alone long enough, a muse who likes to play, and an enemy who will stop at nothing until all vampires are wiped from the face of the earth. Expect fangs, blood, and scorching sex between a vampire and his beloved mate.
    * * * * *
    A Wish for Their Woman (Wiccan-Were-Bear #13)
    Kaya Iridian has felt out of place ever since she was rescued by a bear shifter named Daeton and left to live with the Centaurs. Her family was killed, and she was grateful to be taken in by the king and queen of the Centaurs, but their hospitality has just run out. She’s to mate with a male in the herd or be banished forever from the city. When she meets her mates, she finally feels as though she belongs. On their way to take her to their home, a betrayal nearly destroys them all. She finds herself fighting for her life, and for the lives of her mates and their family, with a power she didn’t know she had. This book contains a young woman with a mysterious past, two bears who are willing to share her, and the power that unites them. Expect sad goodbyes, magic, tattoos, and a happily ever after worth dying for. This book contains m/f/m interaction.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherR.E. Butler
    Release dateMar 12, 2018
    ISBN9781370909759
    Wiccan-Were-Bear Series Volume Three
    Author

    R.E. Butler

    A Midwesterner by birth, R.E. spent much of her childhood rewriting her favorite books to include herself as the main character. Later, she graduated on to writing her own books after "retiring" from her day job as a secretary to become a stay-at-home mom.When not playing with her kids, wrestling her dogs out the door, or cooking dinner for her family, you'll find her typing furiously and growling obscenities to the characters on the screen.Her best-selling series Wiccan-Were-Bear, The Necklace Chronicles, Hyena Heat, Wilde Creek, Were-Zoo, Arctic Shifters, Norlanian Brides, Saber Chronicles, and Ashland Pride are available now.

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      Book preview

      Wiccan-Were-Bear Series Volume Three - R.E. Butler

      Wiccan-Were-Bear #10

      After returning to her new home of Cholas in the Medes Realm, were-bear Daeton settles quickly into married life with her two sexy mates, Perseus and Ekho. When the arrival of her former were-bear protectors, Rysk and Tyrant, triggers a vision, Daeton and her husbands must prepare for danger from an unknown foe. Will Daeton and her mates survive the battle to come, or will they lose everything?

      This book contains two sexy males intent on keeping their mate safe forever, a silver-furred bear shifter with a big heart, danger from a new foe, rescues, reunions, growling, shifting, and plenty of love. Contains m/f/m interaction.

      Chapter 1

      Daeton smiled as the sunlight glinted off of Ekho’s wedding band as he worked on their new home. Perseus, her other husband, had made the ring for Ekho so both of them could have wedding bands that matched hers. It was the first thing Perseus had done when they’d returned to Cholas from their long journey the month before, and she knew it meant the world to Ekho, too.

      During that month, Perseus and Ekho, along with every available Centaur, had been busy building their new home. They were staying with Perseus’s parents, Elektra and Cosmo, in the meantime. Daeton enjoyed staying at their home. Elektra was sweet and patient, and had started teaching her how to cook traditional Centaur meals. Because life in the Medes Realm was so rustic, Daeton had to learn how to cook without the help of modern technology. She couldn’t reheat food with the microwave, or run to the grocery store for a forgotten ingredient. The Centaurs lived off the land and traded goods in town. There were no cars or electric lights, no refrigerators or televisions. It had taken a while, but Daeton had grown to not miss those things. She’d lived her entire life in the underground den, in the Mortal Realm with her parents and their bear den, and although some might think that was rustic living, they’d had electricity and most modern conveniences. But now, Daeton didn’t really miss anything except her family.

      Perseus had surprised her the most over their journey, taking on a leadership role for their small family, but still including Ekho in all the decisions about their future. Perseus, a Centaur with a beautiful black horse body, was a natural leader and took being the head of their family seriously. Ekho, a leoneman with fur on the sides and back of his body and a long tail, had taken immediately to the role of caretaker instead, ensuring that everyone was happy and well cared for. Both of her husbands together made sure she could want for nothing, and she just hoped she could be an equally amazing wife to them. Even though she was only eighteen, she felt like she’d lived a hundred years since she entered the Medes Realm six weeks earlier.

      Draya and Fontaine, the two slave girls Daeton had rescued from the palace in the kingdom of Reio, were living in Perseus’s parents’ home as well, in one of the spare bedrooms. When Daeton and her mates moved into their own home, Elektra had promised the girls could stay with them until they were ready to live on their own. They were young, only fifteen and sixteen, and their bodies were slim and frail from lack of food and years of oppression. Cosmo, Perseus’s father, had been very clear to the Centaurs that they were to leave the girls alone, and Daeton knew that the Centaurs understood how fragile the girls were. As their caretaker, Daeton was in charge of making sure they were safe and happy. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she wanted them to enjoy their freedom and find their own happiness. Although the Centaurs might like to spend time with the girls once they were old enough, they wouldn’t marry them unless they shared mate-dreams, like the dreams that Perseus, Ekho, and she had shared for several months before her eighteenth birthday. The Centaurs in the Medes Realm did not even think of marrying until they dreamed about their bride and went to find her. Often, they traveled to the Mortal Realm to search for their brides, using a portal between the realms, which opened once a year in the Centaur territory in Canada.

      In fact, soon they would hopefully be on their way to Canada where she could contact her family and meet up with them. She knew that time moved differently in this realm, and the knowledge that her family would age at a faster rate than she would was strange and uncomfortable.

      "Daeton, would you like some lif juice?" Perri, a mate of one of the other Centaurs asked, coming to sit next to Daeton under a large shade tree as she watched the men working on their new home. In her lap was a vest she was embroidering with the symbols of her name along with those of her mates. When she went to visit her family, she wanted the three of them to have clothing that matched. This first vest, a dry run of sorts, was going to be hers.

      She put the needlework on the soft grass next to her and accepted the tall wooden tumbler of juice from Perri, who dropped down wearily next to Daeton, heavy with her first child. Centaurs were born in their half-shifted form, and the pregnancies lasted eleven months. At the ten-month mark, or sooner if the baby was particularly large, a midwife from the herd delivered the baby by C-section. If the pregnancy was allowed to progress all the way through, the baby would tear the mother apart from the inside out with its soft but deadly hooves. Although frightening in a way that human pregnancies, or even bear ones, weren’t, Daeton was still excited to carry a child for Perseus, as well as Ekho. She wasn’t sure what a half-were-bear, half-Centaur or leoneman would look like, whether he or she would be able to shift completely or not at all, but she knew their children would be well loved and cared for.

      She took a sip of the sweet juice that reminded her of peaches and grapes, as Perri fiddled with a thick blade of grass and rubbed her belly absently. Would you be willing to stand with me when I give birth tomorrow? Perri asked quietly, surprising Daeton with the request. Although all the women in the herd were friendly, Perri had become Daeton’s closest friend, but Daeton had expected Perri would ask another woman, one with more experience with Centaur births.

      Now she met Perri’s sky blue gaze and smiled. I’d be honored.

      Perri grinned and wiped at a stray tear. Dally said I shouldn’t ask you, because it might upset you so much you wouldn’t want a baby with Perseus, but I told him you were much stronger than that.

      Daeton thought she was right, at least in theory. She hadn’t seen a baby being born before, and this was a pretty primitive world. No nice, clean hospital to give birth in, or drugs to take away the pain. She looked over to where Perseus, in his half-form, was hauling a sled of wood toward their home, and smiled. No matter what, she knew she wouldn’t be able to keep her hands off her mates, regardless of how frightening the birth might be.

      Are you excited about tomorrow?

      Nervous, mostly. Dally wants me to rest now, but I just can’t. The baby keeps wiggling when I lay down and I end up feeling more miserable than when I’m up moving around. He’s just being overprotective, like husbands tend to be.

      Daeton nodded in agreement. Perri had one husband being overprotective; Daeton had two.

      When she finished her drink, she picked up her vest again and began to work on the symbol for Ekho’s name with shiny black thread. Perri talked to her about her life in the herd and how much she loved being here.

      Were you very surprised that Dally was a Centaur?

      Perri had been born in the Medes Realm, the child of a fairy and a human. "When I met him, I actually thought he was some kind of shifter. He just had a presence that reminded me of other shifters I’d met. He was very intense and growled sometimes. It scared me when he shifted because I’d never actually seen anyone do it before, but then I thought he was the most beautiful guy I’d ever seen, and I do love horses." Perri wiggled her brows and Daeton laughed.

      Your son is lucky to have such a sweet mom, Daeton said.

      And I’m lucky to have you as a friend.

      Me too.

      The following morning, Elektra woke Daeton up before the sun rose so she could be there for Perri. She slipped out from between Perseus and Ekho, cleaned up quickly in the little bathroom, and slipped a dress over her head.

      With a yawn, she left the house and walked to the midwife’s large home. Cyrene, the midwife, was mated to one of the Centaur elders and had served as midwife for over two hundred years. Centaurs, like other creatures in the Medes Realm and were-animals in the Mortal Realm, had long life, aging only one body year for every twelve years that passed. When a Centaur married a human, they performed a magical ceremony to share long life with their bride, allowing her to remain human, but with the ability to live a very long life. Daeton didn’t think there were any other creatures in either realm that could do that with a human.

      Cyrene was short and plump, with long strawberry blonde hair caught up in a bun. The back of her home had two special rooms – one for the delivery and one for the recovery. Depending on how quickly a woman healed, she could stay at Cyrene’s for several days or even longer if she needed to.

      After washing her hands, Daeton followed the sound of voices through the house to the delivery room. Perri was on a wooden bed with the head inclined, holding Dally’s hand. He’d shifted into his fully human form to fit in the room with everyone else. He nodded at Daeton, and Perri smiled sleepily. He kept me up half the night kicking, she said.

      Daeton went to stand on her friend’s other side and took her offered hand, giving it a squeeze. Really, Dally, you should have let your wife rest, she teased.

      He snorted good-naturedly and lifted Perri’s hand to kiss it.

      It’s time, Dally, Cyrene said. He nodded, bent to kiss Perri, and moved to the end of the bed. Daeton had heard from the other wives that the Centaurs learned at a young age how to apply pressure to certain points of their mate’s body to take away pain, but she hadn’t had a chance to see it done. Dally, brow furrowed in concentration, leaned over his wife and laid his hands against her waist. He moved slowly, reaching behind her hips with his large hands. There was a quick movement of his hands followed by a snapping sound, then Perri relaxed with a sigh.

      How do you feel now? Daeton asked, smiling at Perri as Cyrene directed her in how to lower the head of the bed down.

      All numb from my ribs down, it’s wonderful. She yawned and Dally returned to her side.

      Cyrene adjusted the gown that Perri wore so her belly was exposed, and pulled a thin blade from a sterilizing solution. With a final glance at the prone mother-to-be, Cyrene slid the blade across the bottom of her distended belly. Daeton turned her head and concentrated on Perri.

      Have you picked a name yet? she asked.

      Tanlin, Perri said, grimacing a bit.

      Oh, that’s a cool name, what does it mean?

      Mighty hunter. It was also Dally’s father’s name. He died in battle before we met.

      Daeton liked the idea of a name that carried such memory with it. It made her think of her own parents, and how much she missed them.

      When Cyrene directed her to, Daeton laid fresh cotton towels across Perri’s chest, and then the first loud cry of her baby boy filled the room. Perri squeezed her hand and Daeton knew it had to be uncomfortable when the baby was pulled out. Daeton watched as Cyrene pulled the baby from Perri. First his human upper half, and then slowly, his pretty dark brown horse body appeared.

      Oh, Perri, he’s gorgeous! Daeton grinned, tears stinging her eyes as she squeezed her friend’s hand tightly.

      Cyrene laid the squalling baby Centaur across his mother’s blanketed chest and Dally and Daeton rubbed him down gently. Cyrene sewed Perri back up while they tended to the baby. When she was finished, Daeton cranked the bed up gently, put the dirty towels in a trash bin, and quietly said goodbye as Dally helped Perri settle the little baby against her breast to feed.

      Perri’s voice stopped her before she made it out the door. Thank you so much, Daeton. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.

      You too Perri. She smiled back at her and left. Walking through the Centaur village on the way back to their temporary home, she thought about what she had just seen. It hadn’t been so bad that she didn’t want to have a baby. Standing beside Perri and holding her hand, much like a sister or mother would do in the same scenario. It made her miss her own mom even more. She knew that Perseus and Ekho would be there with her, but it wouldn’t be quite the same.

      Thinking about how much she would love to have her mom here, made her start to wonder about the rest of her family. What had been happening while she’d been gone? And just how much time had passed? Were her parents well? Was the den okay? Had Griegs come home? Had Elizabeth and Daeton’s brothers had a child yet? Or two? The frustration of not knowing what was happening while she was gone ate at her. She decided that something needed to be done.

      * * *

      Later that morning, she sat in the home of the eldest of the Centaur elders, Barnabas, who was nearly nine hundred years old. He had survived many wars and was one of the most respected men in the area, not just to the Centaurs, but to all the creatures who called Cholas their home.

      Ekho and Perseus sat on either side of her at a large kitchen table in Barnabas’ home.

      I’m not asking to visit my family right now, she said. I’m just asking to send a message to them. When I left the Mortal Realm, it was after the September full moon and I’ve been here for almost two months. I know that time passes differently here, so it’s been longer for them than for me. They must be worried. We were told I could go through the portal when the single males travel through to the Centaur city in the other realm, but that’s not for another ten months.

      "While it was the end of September when you left and only two months have passed for us, almost two years have passed in the Mortal Realm. Our males are not scheduled to leave for the Centaur City in the Mortal Realm until September. At that time, nearly ten years will have passed for your family," he said while brushing his fingers through his gray-streaked beard. Although time moved slowly in the Medes Realm, the days and months were the same.

      Her heart stuttered and her mouth fell open. Ten years for my family?

      He nodded solemnly.

      Oh, she gasped as tears sprang into her eyes. I didn’t know it was that different. Ekho put his arm around her and pulled her against him.

      It’ll be okay honey kitten, don’t worry.

      Silence filled the kitchen as she struggled not to cry. Finally Barnabas said, Elabb can send a charmed message to your family. Your Wiccan sister will be able to read the message and return a reply. I can’t allow too many messages, but one message every two months should be fine.

      Her heart leapt for joy. She could contact them! Thank you, Barnabas! The tears that fell from her cheeks now were happy ones.

      Barnabas nodded slowly and said, Write a letter to your family and I’ll have the carrier prepared within the hour.

      They stood up, thanking him once more, and hurried away so she could write her letter. What’s a carrier? she asked, as they sat down at the kitchen table in their temporary home.

      It’s a large, magical bird. It can travel between the realms unnoticed. They don’t speak, but they understand clearly and they’ll fly directly to whoever they’re charged to fly to. But the person has to be a Wiccan or wizard in order to understand them.

      Daeton used thick parchment paper and a quill pen to write a letter to her family. Perseus used a knife to cut the paper so it would fit into the small pouch the bird would carry. The paper was small, so she didn’t have enough room to write everything she wanted to say, but she was thankful for the opportunity to communicate with them. Instead of writing the full-length novel that was begging to be sent to her family, she penned a few paragraphs that explained, at least in part, what had happened and why she couldn’t come home.

      "Dear family, I hope the carrier finds you as well as I am. I am living safely and happily in the Medes Realm. Although only a few months have passed here for me, I know that years have passed for you. I will not be able to make the journey to the Mortal Realm for many more years, but I’ve been given permission to send you updates by carrier. It should arrive every two years and will fly directly to Elizabeth, as she is a Wiccan and it can communicate with her.

      "I have found my mates in two males named Perseus and Ekho. The white-haired wizard was defeated and the danger to my life is over. Circumstances prevent me from returning to the Mortal Realm to live and I will be staying in the Medes Realm with my mates. Although it pains me to know that time passes so quickly in the Mortal Realm, I will not be able to visit until ten years have passed for you.

      "Know that I love you all and am sad to be missing so much of your lives. Send a message back with the carrier. He must return to this realm within two of your hours. I love you. I miss you. Daeton."

      The hour was up quickly and they hurried back to Barnabas’ home. Just outside, Elabb and Barnabas stood, Elabb holding a wooden cage with a large white and gray spotted bird. It reminded her of a seagull. Perseus rolled up her note and tied it with a scrap of leather which Elabb slid into a small pouch tied to the bird’s leg.

      Elabb spoke words in a language she didn’t recognize, and the bird cocked it’s head as if it were listening. It squawked once and then Elabb opened the top of the cage and the bird took flight. It flew upward and then arced gracefully toward the waterfall, where it disappeared from view.

      Ekho hummed in his throat and she turned to ask how soon the bird would return, when Elabb said, There he is.

      She blinked in surprise as the bird flew straight for the cage, flapped its wings to slow down, and slipped right inside. It’s already been and come back? she asked in surprise.

      Oh, yes, Daeton, Barnabas said with a smile. It was in your former realm for two hours, but time is different here, as you’re aware.

      She was still amazed at how different things were between the realms, but thrilled to see the pouch on the bird’s leg was stuffed full.

      Elabb opened the pouch and pulled out a thick roll of papers, which he handed to her. The bird squawked and chattered at Elabb and he said, Neis said to tell you that your sister is very lovely and powerful and your family is happy you are safe.

      Neis? she asked. Elabb nodded. She looked at the bird and said, Thank you, Neis.

      He cawed once and settled down as Elabb set the lid back on the cage and said goodbye to them. They thanked Barnabas again, and walked back to the house. She opened the tightly rolled papers as they sat down at the table in the house.

      Her parents’ note told her how much they missed her and wished that they could see her sooner. They were happy and healthy, and things were good in the den. Her brothers Lynk and Tavian had married a healing nymph named Shaylee and were still living in the den. Griegs had come home, having been captured and forced to fight by some very unsavory characters. He had a mate now, a vampire named Sabrina. And her twin brothers Ash and Axe and their wife, Elizabeth, had one-year-old twins named Setimika and Bodaway, and were living in a home above ground on the den’s property. They’d included pictures and her eyes teared up again as she looked at her family. They looked so happy. Life was moving on for them, the same way it was moving on for her. She was glad they knew she was safe now and that she had a way to contact them from time to time, but she still missed them. The ache in her heart had eased some, knowing they were safe and that they now knew what was going on with her, but sending messages every two months wasn’t the same as waking up in her bed in the den and seeing her mom and dad and spending time with her family. Now she had two new sisters-in-law she hadn’t known about, and twin nephews! Her mind boggled at the thought of all that she was missing.

      Ekho growled angrily and stood up from the table, his chair crashing to the floor behind him. She looked up at him startled, and his eyes flashed. It’s my fucking fault, Daeton.

      What? She brushed at the tears on her cheeks.

      Me. He raked his fingers through the short, golden fur on his cheeks. My differences mean you can’t go home. You’re miserable and it’s because of me.

      You’re not the only one, Ekho, Perseus said. I couldn’t survive in my human form forever, either, and just one mistake in the Mortal Realm and then people would know that Centaurs are real and our people would be in trouble. I’m as much to blame as you.

      Her sadness eased away in the midst of their pain. In all the time they had been together, neither of them had ever really expressed how they felt about their differences. They’d apologized before about not being able to take her home to the Mortal Realm to live with her family, but this blame game wasn’t helpful to any of them.

      She held her hand out to Ekho and he came around the table to drop to the floor on his knees, putting his head in her lap. She stroked her fingers through his long, blond hair, and said, This realm is the only place we can all live together. The Centaur city in Canada won’t allow anyone but Centaurs and their mates to live there, and neither of you can live with my parents and their den; there are just too many things that could go wrong. And you both seem to think you’re the only unique one around here. My fur is silver. In my world, unique means valuable, and valuable can mean danger. Here in Cholas is the only place I want to be, because I’m with you two.

      She looked at Perseus and he frowned. "I never thought about how valuable you would be in the Mortal Realm. Unique in the Medes Realm is normal."

      Ekho straightened enough to hug her, pressing his cheek against her chest. I’m sorry, honey kitten. We’re quite a trio, aren’t we?

      She kissed the top of his head and smiled. Don’t be sorry. You shouldn’t hide your feelings from me, it will just make things worse. She tipped his face up until she was looking at him fully. She let her eyes roam over him slowly, drinking in the details. His kitty-cat green eyes were bright and beautiful. His nose was slightly flattened and gave him a truly leonine look. The long, dark blond hair on his head was thick and full and fell past his shoulders. Slight fangs peeked from his parted lips. Soft fur covered his cheeks and the sides of his neck, down to his shoulders and arms. The center of the front of his body was hair free and covered with toned, golden flesh, and his sides and legs were covered with more short, soft fur. His tail flicked behind him and made her smile.

      You are so handsome, alley cat. She kissed his forehead, the tip of his nose, and the corners of his mouth, before drawing him closer and kissing him fully. A purr rumbled in his chest and her body tightened immediately, flooding with heat.

      Ekho tugged her against his body and stood, holding her close as he turned and moved quickly to their bedroom. She smiled at Perseus as he followed, his blue eyes darkening.

      The house was empty except for them, and Daeton could think of nothing she wanted to do more than be with her husbands. Ekho set her on her feet and slipped his fingers under the straps of her gown. It was a simple cotton gown that the women in the herd wore, soft and not binding, like a dress out of the pages of a Greek myth.

      He curled his fingers around the straps and lifted them off her shoulders, letting the soft fabric fall down her arms to leave her bare from the waist up. Perseus cupped her face with his big hands while Ekho undid the braided belt around her waist.

      You’re so beautiful, sweet wife. Perseus whispered against her lips before kissing her.

      And very lucky, she answered as the rest of her gown slithered to the floor. She touched both of their vests and began to undo the wooden buttons that held them closed as they gazed down at her bare body with unbridled lust.

      They were similar in some ways, tall and well-muscled. But where Ekho’s skin was lightly tanned and covered partly with fur, Perseus’s skin was darker, his hair jet black and his face ultra-masculine.

      Ekho’s warm hands cupped her hips and she moved backward to the bed while Perseus kissed her. The back of her knees hit the edge of the bed and she giggled into Perseus’s mouth as Ekho lifted her onto the bed and she found herself on her knees.

      You’re both wearing too many clothes. She said, reaching for the belts on their trousers.

      So anxious to see your husbands naked, honey kitten? Ekho asked, his voice slipping to a purr at the end.

      You know it, she said, smiling.

      They dropped their trousers to the floor at almost the same time and then she was on her back on the bed, Ekho hungrily kissing her as Perseus licked his way down her stomach. Perseus pushed her thighs apart and settled between them. Her stomach flipped at the anticipation that filled her.

      She felt Perseus’s warm breath skirt the apex of her thighs and she arched back, separating from Ekho’s drugging kiss as Perseus spread the lips of her sex and licked her clit.

      Ekho’s palm cupped her cheek and she blinked, focusing on him. Stay with me, honey kitten. I want to watch you fall apart.

      She moaned as Perseus scooped his hands under her hips and lifted her lower body to his mouth, his tongue pushing into her pussy as he devoured her. She felt the rough scrape of his stubble as his tongue delved into her again and again.

      Her body flooded with heat, and she reached down and fisted her hand in Perseus’s hair, making him chuckle against her folds.

      Ekho growled softly, kissing her, their tongues tangling together while Perseus feasted on her pussy and drove her toward climax. Perseus lowered her body to the bed as he began to focus on her clit, licking and sucking the bud until her body trembled and her stomach clenched. Fingers slipped into her pussy, moving in and out until they were coated, and then she felt them slide out and down, circling her tightest place.

      Her pussy clenched as Perseus’s finger, wet with her slick heat, pushed against her anus and pressed inside. She moaned into Ekho’s mouth, wiggling against Perseus’s invasion. They’d played with anal sex since they’d been home, but they’d never had a true three-way, with both of them inside her at the same time like this. Her heart rate spiked at the thought as anticipation curled through her.

      Ekho moved slightly, leaning back and separating from their kiss. He broke a thick leaf from a plant on a shelf over the bed and passed it to Perseus.

      Perseus kissed her tight bud and pulled his finger from her body. He cracked the leaf in half and scooped out a thick, clear liquid. His gaze met hers, dark with wicked promises, and she moaned loudly as he pushed two slick fingers inside her. He gave her a brief moment to get used to his fingers before he grinned at her and flicked his tongue against her clit as he twisted and scissored his fingers inside her. Ekho kissed her hard, his fingers rubbing circles around her nipples as he brought them to tingling awareness.

      Perseus’s lips closed around her clit as he added a third finger, stretching her even more. He sucked on her bud, his tongue lashing the tip as everything inside her went molten and her climax thundered down on her. She screamed her pleasure, wrenching from Ekho’s mouth.

      Ekho’s fingers tangled in her hair and he licked her throat with a purr. Come ride me, honey kitten.

      He stretched out on his back as Perseus eased his fingers from her. She rolled to her stomach and went onto her hands and knees, climbing up Ekho’s body slowly. She kissed his soft, furred flesh as she moved, admiring the way their bodies were so different. His skin was velvet over steel, warm and firm. Her bear growled in happiness as she reached his cock, the thick, erect length beckoning her. Nuzzling him, she kissed the top and licked the bead of liquid, tasting the sweet and salty flavor of him.

      She kissed his navel and then straddled him as she sat up. He caught her hips, his clawed fingers gently digging into her flesh. She reached between her legs and grasped his cock, holding it as she slowly lowered herself onto him. The thick head stretched her for a moment and she closed her eyes, loving the way he filled her completely as she settled on him. She flexed her hips, her toes curling as his cock twitched inside her, and she opened her eyes to look down at her sweet mate.

      I love you, she said, leaning forward and planting her hands on his chest. His hands caressed her sides as he blinked passion-filled eyes at her.

      I love you, too, honey kitten.

      Perseus moved behind her and she looked over her shoulder, watching as he scooped more clear liquid from the broken leaf and covered his cock with it. His dark blue eyes simmered with heat as he stroked himself and watched her.

      Are you ready for us, sweet bear? Perseus’s voice was husky and low, and it made everything deep in her belly clench in anticipation.

      Yes, she sighed as Ekho moved his thumb to her clit and began to rub the sensitive bud.

      Perseus pressed the head of his cock to her anus, the slick heat of him making her shiver in anticipation. Grasping her hips, he pressed forward. She groaned and closed her eyes, trying to relax. Ekho began to rub her clit faster and the pleasure that tingled through her with his swift strokes made her forget the burn as Perseus’s cock breached the tight ring of muscles and pushed in. With a deep exhale, she opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder as Perseus’s body met hers, his cock buried deeply in her tightest place.

      I love you, Perseus. She laid one hand over top of his on her hip, and Ekho captured her other hand and stretched it over his head, lacing their fingers together. She leaned into Ekho and kissed him as he worked her clit.

      I love you, too, Daeton, Perseus said roughly.

      Her skin tingled as her stomach twisted pleasantly at the attention to her clit. Ekho grinned at her, his fangs gleaming.

      Perseus pulled out of her body slowly and she gasped. Ekho tilted his hips, driving deeper into her body before pulling away as Perseus surged into her. She closed her eyes and focused on the feelings cascading through her. The slight burn eased into a sweet heat as her mates worked in tandem, one filling her as the other slid away, taking turns as they loved her. Ekho’s thumb worked her clit and she felt herself spiral toward another climax.

      She screamed as her body locked down on theirs, pleasure pouring over her hot and hard. Perseus and Ekho began to thrust into her wildly as they rode her to their own pleasure. She couldn’t do anything but hold on as her own orgasm twisted and rolled inside her from one great height of pleasure to another. She could feel their cocks thicken and she closed her eyes as they both came, shouting her name. She rested her head on Ekho’s chest, listening to the sound of his racing heart as she came down from the heavens.

      Perseus pulled from her body slowly and she hissed at the burn. He kissed her shoulder and left, returning a moment later with a warm, wet cloth. He cleaned her body as Ekho stroked her arms and back gently and kissed her forehead.

      Perseus tossed the wet cloth into their clothes hamper and settled onto the bed next to them, resting his hand on the small of her back.

      He exhaled and it slipped into a yawn. We weren’t too rough, sweet bear?

      She looked at him and found him to be even sexier when he was thoroughly worn out from great sex. I loved every second.

      Ekho chuckled softly and squeezed her hips. We did, too.

      Perseus leaned over and kissed her, and then she tipped her face up to kiss Ekho. As they basked in the silence of the bedroom, she knew how lucky she was to have them in her life. She was sad to be so far away from her family, but Perseus and Ekho were her family now, too, and she knew she’d never be lonely with two husbands and the Centaurs as her extended family. She was one lucky bear.

      Chapter 2

      Perseus glanced over to where his wife sat in the shade underneath a large tree and stitched an intricate design onto a vest. She’d been working on it for quite a while, and he was amazed at the beauty of it. Other wives had asked her to embroider things for them when she was done, and he was glad that she had seemed to find her niche within the Centaur community. Everyone had a job that benefited not only their own family but also the community as a whole. Some farmed, some created clothing, some created household goods, and then there were those, like himself and his brothers and father, who built things, like the home he was building for his wife and Ekho.

      Ekho was very good at woodworking, and had taken to spending most of his days lately in the large building that housed the woodworkers and their supplies. He was building a bed and other furniture for their house. Perseus was glad that Ekho was talented and that their two talents together meant that Daeton would have not only a roof over her head, but also furniture, all crafted by her mates.

      You’re making that face again, Abrax, Perseus’s brother, said.

      What face? Perseus lifted the hammer in his hand and struck the iron nail so it embedded deeply into the doorframe, holding the hinge for the front door in place.

      The face that’s all moony and goofy. Whenever you look at your bride you get a ridiculous look on your face.

      Perseus glanced at his brother and then shook his head with a laugh. You wait until you find your bride, little brother. You’ll look moony, too.

      Abrax made a sound of disbelief, and then laughed. Probably. But I’m not having any mating dreams, so it’s a moot point.

      Perseus understood the longing that he saw in his brother’s eyes. It was difficult knowing that the only way to find a Centaur’s mate was to wait for the mate-dreams. Some males went decades before they had their dreams, as had happened with Perseus. He was forty-nine, although, due to their slow aging he looked only twenty. The mate-dreams he had shared with Daeton had nearly driven him insane with longing. He’d had no idea where to even start looking for her, but knew that the dreams would eventually lead them to each other. And then one day he’d felt her presence at the market and known the moment their eyes met that she was the one he’d been dreaming about. That moment had been the most significant in his life. He’d gone from being a bachelor with responsibility only to the herd to being a husband in the brief span of a day. Then he’d almost lost her when she was poisoned by a young leoneman male named Bartholomew, but it had brought Ekho into their lives. And then he’d almost lost her again when she was betrayed by the were-bear prince Aedan, who had promised she would be safe within his walls but had instead been the bait in a trap by the white-haired wizard, Urijah, who wanted Daeton’s blood to make himself powerful. Fortunately, the wizard had been killed and Daeton was now safe. But it haunted Perseus that he’d come so close to losing her. He didn’t know what he’d do if something happened to her.

      He realized that while he’d been lost in his thoughts, he’d ignored Abrax, who had continued talking. I’m sorry brother, what were you saying?

      I said that when you take Daeton to the Mortal Realm to see her family, I would like to go with you as one of the guards.

      Of course.

      Pers? Daeton called and Perseus dropped the hammer to move quickly to her side.

      Are you unwell? He went to his knees to get closer to her, his half-form preventing him from closing the distance completely.

      She smiled and her dark eyes danced. You always assume the worst. No, I’m just hungry. Are you ready for a break?

      He edged forward on his knees and pulled her into his arms with a fast motion, standing quickly. She squealed in surprise and quickly looped her arms around his neck. Break time is now, then. I would be a bad mate if I let you go hungry.

      She nuzzled under his ear with a soft, growling sound. I’m not just hungry.

      He grinned. First he would feed her, and then they would play. He called over his shoulder to Abrax that he would be back after the noon-meal. He heard Abrax mutter under his breath that he thought it was unlikely.

      Daeton laughed. He’s right. I want you to play hooky.

      Hooky?

      Hmm. She wiggled closer in his arms as he cantered toward the home they were sharing with his family. Skip work and stay with me. In bed.

      For you my heart, anything.

      The house was empty, so he made her a quick meal and then took her back to the bedroom, where they

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