Tasty Treats, Volume 3

CHAPTER 1

Things on the island of Gypsy Cay are never what they seem. You pick up some gorgeous hunk of maleness in an island bar, think you've got yourself an honest-to-goodness bronze skinned Hawaiian surfer, and you wake up in the morning with a half-human version of Jaws. All those things they tell you in the tourist brochures are true. Gypsy Cay is not safe for humans, but if you've got a healthy sex drive, and a lot of nerve to deal with the unknown, it's…well, I digress. Let me tell you how I ended up living in the islands.

I grew up in the rural mid-west, blissfully unaware of just how dangerous the world could be, and then my dad lost his job and we had to move to the city. Chicago. Life wasn't the same after that. Worse, our move to the city coincided with the Mobius Barrier breaking. When the veil between alternate planes tore, the paranormal community crashed headlong into mainstream society with the sort of casualties you'd expect.

What had once been the stuff of nightmares now roamed our city streets. Some people could take it, and some couldn't. Vigilante groups formed to shoot any paranormal creature on sight, and the otherworldly community fought back. A bloodbath took place in the streets.

It didn't take long for legislature to enact a solution to give the paranormal community its own territory. Let them handle their own problems. But above all else, ban them from commingling with the humans. Trouble being, the paranormals couldn't live together easily either. There were too many species, too many ancient blood feuds, and too many incompatible cultures.

It seemed an insurmountable problem until someone suggested giving the paranormal community the archipelago of Gypsy Cay. There were nearly two hundred islands in the chain and each species could have its own turf. The paranormal community welcomed the banishment.

However, like all prohibited things, the human world couldn't resist just a tiny taste of the forbidden fruit. Slowly, a steady stream of thrill seekers found their way to the islands and the paranormal community opened its arms to the tourist trade.

In order to minimize the chaos of lawsuits and crimes that would soon follow, humankind set up an enforcement agency to deal with problems if they came to human shores. Much like INTERPOL, the agency was an international cooperation. Basically the deal went like this, if humans wanted to visit Gypsy Cay, they could do so, but whatever happened on the islands stayed in Gypsy Cay. Unless the paranormal community set foot on human territory, they were exempt from human laws and customs. In other words, let the tourist beware.

I joined the PCU, Paranormal Crime Unit, less than a year after I graduated from Ohio State. Mom and Dad had retired and moved back to the old home place and I felt caught between two worlds myself. I didn't seem to belong anywhere. I could sympathize with the paranormals that found themselves displaced and lost between worlds. It isn't easy to lose your comfort zone.

One thing I've learned about the paranormal community is that they aren't all bad, but those that are vicious need to be put down. Eliminated. Evil is evil and sometimes there's just no cure for it. I've never seen a violent otherworldly that could be redeemed.

It was Friday night, late. My team had taken out a hostile were-jackal straight out of your darkest nightmare. Have you ever seen the jackals that guard Egyptian tombs? Not only do they look creepy, they are creepy. Let one loose on the streets of Manhattan and see what happens. It's not pretty. The city would be cleaning up for a while. The undertakers would be experiencing a profit.

Caton Lee, my teammate, ran his fingers through his perpetually spiked and disheveled hair. «Got any plans for the weekend, Beauty?»

Only Caton could get by with calling me Beauty. It was a nickname my dad has used since my birth. Caton got that privilege because he'd saved my parents from a werewolf attack when they still lived in Chicago. It's how we met, and the reason I got into the PCU. He'd been a welcome guest at our home on many holidays since then, and now he served as my best friend, mentor, and occasional lover. We both saw other people once in a while, but with our work schedules there wasn't anyone serious enough to consider staying faithful to. When the lonesome nights hit, we often kept each other company.

It would be hard to lose him. I was honest enough to admit that to myself. With his looks, he wouldn't stay single forever. He had a sculptured face with high chiseled cheekbones, a firm sensual mouth and large almond-shaped eyes with lashes so dark and thick they should be illegal.

«Going to chill this weekend,» I said, watching the last of the stragglers leave the building. «I'm stopping by the grocery store for a bottle of wine and a frozen Italian dinner, you know, those kinds of meals in a bag?»

Caton looked at me with distaste. Being somewhat of a gourmet cook, he couldn't stand meals in a bag. «Yuck.»

I laughed, expecting his reaction. «Don't worry,» I soothed him. «I'm going to buy some garlic to mix in, and a nice loaf of cheese bread to bake. That will make it taste more like homemade.»

Caton raised one eyebrow to let me know he didn't think adding a little garlic would make it taste homemade. «Garlic, huh? At least I know you don't have any hot dates with a vampire this weekend.»

«The only hot date I have is my favorite television show. I'm going to watch all the episodes I've missed.»

Caton nodded, shrugging into his leather jacket. «Have a good one.»

«You too.» I pulled out my keys to lock up behind us. «Oh, and Caton, don't call this weekend. I'm shutting off my phone and not answering the pager. If there's a crisis, someone else can handle it. We've been on six straight weekends. It's time for a break.»

«I sort of hoped for a little action this weekend, Beauty,» Caton answered with a wink, smiling enough to show his dimples.

Damn!

I can't resist dimples.

I looked around the office. We were alone. I licked my lips suggestively and raised an eyebrow.

«How about a quickie?»

«In here?» Caton asked, looking around at the security cameras mounted in every corner of the room.

«Chicken!» I taunted him.

«Yeah, right.»

«It's okay if you don't want the best sex of your life,» I goaded him. «I'm serious, don't call me this weekend. This is your chance, it's now or never.»

He gave a low groan of frustration.

«What the hell's got into you, Beauty? Not enough excitement today?»

I looked up at the cameras with a shrug. «I just thought it would be a turn-on to have sex in the office without getting caught.»

«Yeah, it would. The not getting caught part is easy. It's the video that worries me,» Caton said, taking another look at the cameras. «I can see the PCU sex scandal all over the six o'clock news, with details to follow at eleven.»

«You're right,» I said. «Bad idea. Chalk it up to a stressful day and the need for release.» I picked up my purse, watching him out of the corner of my eye.

«Don't be in such a hurry. I didn't say it was impossible.»

I hid a secret grin. Too easy.

He studied me for a minute before taking it a step further. «You willing to take the full chance?»

«Ohhh, it's a challenge now, is it?»

«You're damn right. I say we do it where there are no cameras.»

«That would be the bathroom or the showers,» I answered, but Caton shook his head.

«I'm thinking McFarland's office.»

James McFarland, Director of Operations. To get any higher, you have to go to the White House.

«Now that is a death wish for our careers,» I protested. «I thought we'd pop in a supply closet, temporarily block the camera, and be gone before the guards could check it out.»

«Now who's the chicken?»

«But you know McFarland's liable to walk through those doors any second. He works 24/7.»

«Hey! You're the one that wanted the thrill, Beauty. I'd settle for a long leisurely fuck in your bed.»

Against my better judgment, I looked over at the door to McFarland's office. He had a sofa in there and a private bathroom. Caton had made this a challenge. I was betting the door to the director's office would be locked and we couldn't get in anyway, so I decided to call his bluff. «Sure, I'm game if you are.»

Caton gave me a smirk. «C'mon.»

Putting his hand around my wrist he half dragged me to the door like he thought I might bolt and run. I smiled at his tactic, still confident we couldn't get inside the sacred territory of the director's lair, but when the door swung inward I thought about faking a heart attack.

Caton laughed. «You didn't think it would open, did you?»

I stiffened my shoulders so he couldn't see my nervousness. «Sure, I knew it would open,» I lied, telling myself I'd started this and the disaster that was bound to follow would be all my fault.

Caton made an elaborate charade of checking his watch for the camera while heading for the appointment book the director kept on his otherwise spotless desk. Oh his way, Caton managed to clip the door with his foot, sending it into a slow close that hid most of the office from prying surveillance cameras.

«One hot babe, one spotless desk, one horny dude.» Caton said, pulling his coat off and tossing it across the director's chair.

«Two ruined careers,» I muttered to myself, stroking the dark polished wood as I looked around the office.

«Are you going to be too nervous to enjoy this?» Caton asked, pulling the Ohio State hoodie he wore over his head and tossing it on top of his coat.

I gave a sigh of defeat. «Okay, you win. I'll admit…I'm too nervous to enjoy a good fuck on the director's desk.» I glared at him. «Does that make you happy?»

«Yeah, especially since I know he's in Singapore for a week.»

Caton laughed at my string of curses, easily avoiding the punch I threw at him. He captured both of my hands, swept my feet out from under me and had me leaning face down over the desk before I could blink an eye. How in the hell did he always manage to do that? I could take anyone on the force but him. He was always faster than me and could seemingly read my mind as to what I'd do next.

«What a view,» he sighed, trailing his fingertips over my upturned ass. I heard the whisper of his zipper as he held me down with one hand in the center of my back while he yanked his jeans down with the other.

I felt both of his hands smooth over my hips, pulling my short skirt up to waist level above the lacy red thong I wore. I normally don't dress in provocative clothes just to go home for a solitary weekend, but these were the only clean clothes I had left in my locker. A red silk t-shirt, short black skirt and a change of underwear. Date clothes I kept on standby just in case I got lucky and had to meet someone after work. Yeah, like that would ever happen.

The vent of the overhead air conditioning blew cool air over my bare ass heightening the sensuous feeling of Caton's warm hands caressing my skin. He used his thumbs to spread my ass cheeks as he kneaded the flesh, lowering his fingers each time until with every stroke he rubbed across my clit. He used a certain amount of force that bordered on being painful, yet elicited an eager jerk of response each time he skimmed across the sensitive nub.

I arched up to meet his hands and felt him lean over me, dropping his mouth to my moistening pussy. Caton Lee knows how to make a woman die with pleasure. When he fastens his mouth over your pussy you will never be the same again.

His teeth clamped over the sensitive peak of my clit and he trapped me so that his tongue could rub unimpeded back and forth until I was panting, ready to spasm with an orgasm. An orgasm he kept just out of reach by releasing the pressure on my clit when I got close to the breaking point.

I was squirming now, pushing back into his face with an urgency that left me whimpering for more. He buried his face into my pussy, curling the end of his tongue to taste my moisture like catching a raindrop from the sky. Sucking gently, he pulled me into an orgasm that nearly turned me wrong side out.

As I lay gulping in air, he shifted my legs further apart, slipped his hands under my stomach, and raised my hips a little higher so he could penetrate me deeply. I felt his hard cock straining at the entrance to my drenched pussy and he shoved, sheathing himself fully, drawing a groan of appreciation from me as his swollen penis forced its way into my body.

«You feel so fucking good,» he whispered, stroking me with hard jabs that slid me across the top of the polished desk. His hands tightened on each side of my hips so he could hold me steady, allowing himself deeper entrance. «I feel your cunt muscles squeezing me with every thrust,» he groaned, pulling me back across the desk until I could feel his pubic hair grinding into my skin. «Awww, damn, Beauty, that sends me over the edge.»

He started a series of short fast strokes that nearly rubbed my clit raw, sending me crashing headlong into another hard climax that squeezed him like an iron fist. He gasped, sucking in air through his clenched teeth, hardening even more inside of me as his cock tried to stretch my inner muscles to a more comfortable level for him.

With each of his movements I clutched tighter around him, milking his cock with the ancient skill a woman's body possesses to free her mate of his load. My inner muscles worked him relentlessly and he surrendered with a long drawn out groan that sent me spiraling into my third orgasm of the evening.

«This is it, Beauty,» he said in a desperate voice that sent chills dancing down my spine. «I fucking love the way you bring me to my knees.»

I felt him pumping hot semen into me with every thrust of his hips. He emptied himself, and then dropped down across my back to tease me with light kisses on my neck while he caught his breath.

«That was short and sweet,» he murmured. «Think you can walk?»

I laughed. «I'll manage.»

He straightened up, gently pulling me up from the desk to place a long kiss on my lips before we cleaned up in the executive bathroom.

«I enjoyed that,» Caton told me with a wink as we walked across the parking lot. «You know they're going to talk about us again since we both stayed behind.»

Stopping at my car I reached out to give him a hug. «Let 'em talk. I'll see you Monday.»

«Take care.» He shut the door to my Mustang and watched me till I drove out of the dark parking lot and into the flow of traffic.

I traveled down State Street until I reached the little strip mall on Mulberry Lane. The mall had a grocery store, and I needed to pick up enough supplies to get me through the weekend. I didn't want to have to go back out. I tried to remember everything I had at home. I knew there was some ice cream in the freezer. Maybe I'd splurge and pick up a bottle of chocolate syrup. Hell, maybe I'd really splurge and make myself a banana split. And while at it, since my goal was to relax, I'd buy a bottle of bubble bath too.

I'd like to think my excuse for not picking up on the danger was my exhaustion and the afterglow of a satisfactory sexual performance, but in reality my mind had shifted gears and now dwelled on frozen waffles, and those annoying little extras everyone needs from time to time, like toothbrushes, deodorant, and shampoo. At any rate, I walked blissfully past death just like any civilian would. Clueless. Completely unaware I'd crossed paths with a killer that was about to unleash hell in less than ten minutes.

I strolled leisurely up and down the aisles, adding a bit more to my grocery cart than I'd intended. I'd just finished paying the cashier when it happened. A bright arc of blood splashed over the low pharmaceutical shelves, splattering on the cashier holding out my change. Startled, she looked down at herself and began screaming, shoving her hands out like she wanted to push the blood away.

Around me, pandemonium broke loose. Customers ran their carts into one another, and raced for the doors, pushing through the glass when the electronic eye didn't open them quickly enough. I heard screams from the parking lot and a quick glance showed at least two pair of legs on the ground just outside the doors. I could only imagine what it must have been like being pushed through the glass.

Back through the store, shelves crashed loudly as they turned over. The unmistakable howls and snarls of an angry were-creature vibrated through the building. Much like an earthquake, the sound shook metal cans on the racks that still stood upright. .

Why do they always sound like a bad King Kong movie? I drew out the pistol I kept holstered under my leather jacket.

«Call 911,» I snapped at the cashier that stood motionless in terror. «And get out of the building.»

I started moving cautiously toward the back of the store. Looked like I wasn't going to have a weekend off after all. Slipping down the aisle of the frozen food section, I held my gun in front of me as I sidestepped with my back to the doors of the freezer compartments. I felt the cold through my leather jacket. I could tell from the pitch of the snarls that at least two different species fought their way to the back of the store.

I needed backup, but I'd left my cell phone in my purse back at the checkout counter. There'd be cops here soon. I just hoped they made it before I was too dead to care.

At the end of the aisle I smelled the raw scent of blood and the earthier aroma of animal musk. Despite my training, fear shot into my bloodstream with a kick of adrenaline that left me shaking and breathless. I remembered Caton telling me it was normal to be afraid. Healthy to be afraid. Being brave proved your courage, taking that first step out there to face a monster when your heart was in your throat and your mind told you to run. From the sound of it I would be facing several monsters. I stepped out.

And got slammed by something before I could get a shot off.

It was a male javelina, a pig-like creature with wicked tusks, beady black eyes and a bad attitude. Ask any hunter what it's like to be cornered by a wild boar and they will tell you it's terrifying. Imagine being under one on a hard tile floor where it's impossible to get traction.

I was being shoved by two hundred pounds of brute strength, crushed under cloven hooves as he tried to head butt me into a pancake. I could see enough human left in him to know he'd be short in stature, with a stocky build, a pug nose, eyes too close together to be attractive, and unruly coarse hair. I remembered passing him as I came into the store earlier. I'd written him off as a gang-banger. How could I have missed something so obvious?

That oversight would probably cost me my life, along with a lot of other innocent people.

Without being able to use my weapon, I'd be dead shortly. He wasn't giving me a chance to pull my gun up to fire. I was too busy holding him away from my throat. With a butt from his snout, the gun vanished, skittering somewhere under one of the shelves. Impossible for me to reach now as I struggled for my life.

His strength was incredible. I couldn't hold him, not even with the martial arts maneuvers that Caton had taught me. I felt my arms give, and then the sharp pain of his tusk as it entered the skin of my neck. I gasped and it came out a liquid gurgle.

I'm sorry, Mom and Dad.

My death would destroy them. I grieved for them more than for myself. I knew it would come to this one day. You didn't play with the monsters and not get eaten alive eventually. Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw a blur of movement. The hard clamping pressure released me. I suddenly felt free, drifting on the impression of my body floating through space. Dying wasn't so bad after all, I decided.

CHAPTER 2

I woke up with a hell of a sore throat and a dark god of a man standing over me. He had sun-kissed skin and black wings tipped in white that flared out from his back when he leaned over. I blinked my eyes at the beautiful apparition. Being raised in the Bible Belt didn't prepare me for several kinds of Heaven, or for that matter, any different god. Maybe he was an angel.

Wait!

Unless this wasn't Heaven…it did feel kinda hot now that I thought about it, and he did have black wings. Oh my God, I'd landed straight in hell, fulfilling my mother's worse nightmare.

«How do you feel?» he asked.

Okay, I guess I wasn't dead. Surely a deity wouldn't ask how I felt. I mean, if he were some sort of divine being he'd know that, wouldn't he? I looked around the room trying to figure out my location. Then I recognized the room. My house. My bed. The rising panic bubbled inside me subsided just a little.

How did I get here?

And who was this winged male standing over me, looking like my best fantasy creation yet? I didn't remember having any of the wine I'd bought at the grocery store so I couldn't be pleasantly drunk. Then it hit me like a bad headache. I remembered the attack and the pig tearing at my neck.

I fluttered my eyes trying to speak, but no sound came from my injured throat. I put a tentative hand up to feel for the amount of damage the javelina had inflicted. In the blink of an eye the winged one's muscled arm shot out, jerking my hand away before I could connect with the ruined skin.

«Don't touch,» he warned. «You were attacked by a javelina. He's dead. You're healing.»

«Healing?» I managed to squeak. He had used the term for wounded paranormals. They could heal normally fatal wounds with amazing swiftness. I knew from experience that it took a certain amount of dedication and persistence to kill an otherworldly creature.

«You nearly bled out,» he explained. «We had to give you blood.»

«You'll be turning into a swan before you know it,» a mocking female voice said from behind him. «Unless, of course, you remain the ugly duckling.»

«No!» I tried to sit up. If I was in my room and not at a hospital, if I had begun healing without a transfusion, that could only mean one thing. The paranormal standing over me had shared his lifesaving blood without my permission.

Did she say a swan?

Great! I'd soon be turning into a freaking bird.

«That's enough, Ileana,» the man warned, while gently pushing me back against the pillows. «You were dying. I had seconds to save you. Having your throat torn out made it a little hard for me to ask if you wanted saving.»

«Mirror,» I said with difficulty. «Get me a mirror.»

The lovely fair skinned woman laughed at my request. Obviously she enjoyed my discomfort. I couldn't understand her anger with me until she moved closer to the male in an undeniably territorial gesture. A move designed to let me know he was taken. Suddenly I understood her animosity. She was jealous.

Oblivious to her efforts, the male reached over to pick up the long handled mirror I had sitting on the antique dresser next to my bed. Without a word, he turned the glass toward me and placed the handle in my trembling hands. I flinched at the reflection I saw staring back at me in the glass. My green eyes looked enormous in the paleness of my face, and my strawberry blond hair looked dull and lifeless as it fanned out across the pillow, carefully arranged so it wouldn't get into the gash at my neck. I stifled a sob. He wasn't kidding. My neck had been nearly shredded, but already showed signs of knitting back together. The injured skin had turned into an angry palette of purple bruises and scarlet cuts. It changed as I stared in the mirror, mesmerized that such a thing could be happening to me.

I watched one of the smaller cuts fade to a pale thin line and I lay the mirror down on the bed beside me. I didn't want to see anymore.

It was ungracious of me not to thank him, but I had trouble uttering the words.

He sat down with his hip on the edge of the bed, moving with such liquid grace he gave the illusion he melted into the position. No wonder the woman fought to protect her territory. He was tall and lean with long muscles and flowing agility under a tawny skin that glowed with perfection.

«Thank you,» I managed to choke out at last.

«You're welcome, but I didn't have much choice.»

«You could have left me to die.»

«Couldn't do that. Innocents don't deserve to die.»

I laughed at that and it hurt my injured throat. It had been a long while since anyone called me an innocent. «I'm on the Paranormal Crime Unit, and you're breaking the law by being on human territory.»

«So arrest me.»

I thought I saw a flicker of amusement spark in those dark eyes of his and play around the corners of his full-lipped mouth. I could vaguely see his were-animal in the hard angular planes of his face and the glossy, straight hair hanging across his shoulders like a black waterfall. Dressed in something other than jeans and a t-shirt I knew he would look like I envisioned a modern Aztec warrior might look. I knew without asking he would be a rare black swan.

«How did you get us out of Whitman's without being arrested?»

He hesitated, obviously trying to decide what to tell me. Then I watched him relax, giving his head a little shake as if to say what did it matter.

«I'm what you'd call a cop in your world. We have another name for it, but it doesn't matter. I trailed Rolerrak off the island. He's a killer in our society. I couldn't imagine what he'd do in the human realm. He crossed over from his tribe's land to cut a trail of death through all the species, until he didn't have anywhere left to run. That's when he headed for the human territories. The council voted to let him go. Let the humans take care of their own problems. I couldn't let that happen. When I explained the situation to the cops that showed up they granted me a twenty-four hour stay on the mainland.»

I nodded, understanding where he was coming from. I'd be dead if he hadn't been there at Whitman's grocery store, and so would a lot of other people. No wonder the authorities gave him a pass. «What should I call you?»

«Ke'lan. I'm from the Swan Territories.»

«And I'm E'than,» said a voice from the doorway.

I shifted on the pillows to look around Ke'lan. Wow! Double eye candy. The man standing in the doorway seemed to be a twin to Ke'lan, except for the fact of being a mirror opposite in coloring. E'than had the pale skin of a Nordic god and nearly white blond hair that feathered around his face and broad shoulders. His pale wings were tipped in black, but his eyes were exact replicas of Ke'lan's.

«Who's that?» I wondered how I could be thinking such thoughts when I'd just had my throat ripped out and should have been lying on a slab in the downtown morgue.

«My twin. My partner. He brought your groceries in.»

I stared at them in amazement. «You stopped to get my groceries?»

They both nodded, and I started to laugh. Could my day possibly get any more bizarre?

To answer that question…yes, of course it could.

I looked at the female hovering close to Ke'lan. «And you are?»

«Ileana.» Her liquid dark eyes glittered with hostility. «Partner to Ke'lan and E'than.»

It was time to set her straight.

«Why don't you just chill, Ileana? I'm not going to invade your space.»

«You already have,» she said frostily. «You have no idea what you've done. You've ruined everything.»

«Enough!» Ke'lan ordered. «Leave us, Ileana. This is not your concern.»

«It is my-«

She got no further before E'than took her arm and not so gently escorted her to the door. She looked back over her shoulder at me with tears glistening in her eyes. «You're going to be sorry.»

Ileana didn't return and I had an idea I wouldn't be seeing her again in the near future. Since the guys didn't mention her, I didn't ask for details as I prepared the food I'd picked out earlier. It seemed healing gave me a voracious appetite. Now that my neck had nearly mended, I felt starved.

The three of us sat at my kitchen table eating linguini that came from a bag, drinking wine, and discussing my future with the swan clan. Yes, I would turn into a were-swan. It was inevitable. Ke'lan had given me a lot of blood, and even then it had been touch and go for a while. In fact, my prognosis had been so bad that E'than added a measure of his blood to make sure I would survive. I still wasn't sure how I felt about shifting, but I knew I felt glad to be alive. I'd deal with the change when it happened.

«So why didn't you guys leave when you knew I'd recover? Why take the chance of me arresting you? Not to mention dealing with the little issue of Ileana's feelings on the matter.»

The two males looked at one another wordlessly communicating.

«There are complications,» E'than said quietly, his dark eyes looking troubled.

He had features similar to Ke'lan though not identical. He had the same angular bone structure, but with a bit more softness to his face, although it couldn't really be deemed feminine. But it was close. He reminded me of a video game villain, softly attractive feminine features hiding the steel underneath.

I put my fork down and took a healthy sip of wine. I had a feeling I'd need it. Maybe a glassful. Maybe two. «Just tell me.»

Ke'lan looked away, suddenly interested in something outside. E'than decided he had to pour himself another glass of wine. And I waited for the shoe to drop.

«Guys, what could be worse than me turning into a bird?»

They remained silent.

«If one of you doesn't answer me right now, I'm going to shoot you,» I threatened.

«You're our mate.»

I'm not sure which one said it. Neither one of them would look at me. I had trouble translating what I heard with what it could mean in human terms.

«Define mate.»

Ke'lan looked into my eyes and again I saw a flash of humor. «Sex. Wild uninhibited sex.»

My stomach fluttered and I had the ridiculous urge to giggle nervously. Maybe because his statement came too close to the fantasy I'd been having about the guys.

Ke'lan stood up from his chair, moving with a grace that was nearly heartbreaking in its perfection. I watched him kneel in front of me, his hands reaching out to take both of mine within his.

«From this moment on I will protect you with my life. I will see to your happiness and your well-being. I will provide a home for you.»

E'than stood up, joining Ke'lan on the floor. He reached up to brush the wayward strands of hair from my face. Lingering for a moment, he sifted the red strands through his pale fingers. «It feels like silk,» he whispered, then cupped my face in his hand. «I too pledge to provide for you, to see to your comfort and to protect you with my life.»

Tears stung my eyes till the two men before me became nothing more than colorful blurs. «Don't,» I managed to choke out. «Don't say these things. We're strangers. You don't know me. How do you know we can be mates?»

«You will accept this,» Ke'lan said quietly, but with conviction. «We'll teach you how to become our mate. In our society you have already become ours. To save a life is to be responsible for that life, to care for it, and cherish it as you would your own. Swans mate for life. You will learn to love us.»

Love? Did he really say that?

I scrubbed the tears from my eyes impatiently. «What makes you think you can teach me to love you?» I asked defiantly. «Love just happens. You can't force it.»

«I have no intention of forcing it. I intend to earn it,» he said, pulling my face to his for a kiss that stole the breath from my soul.

I stared from him to E'than. «How can I be a mate to both of you?»

The two of them exchanged looks. «Surely, you don't need an explanation,» E'than said. «It seems obvious enough…»

«You mean a menage?» My voice sounded high-pitched to my own ears. «Come on, guys, do you really expect me to fall for this? What kind of kinky sex are you hoping for?»

They both stared at me like I'd lost it. Maybe I had.

«There is no discussion,» Ke'lan said. «Accept it or not, you are now mate to both of us. We'll return to Gypsy Cay as soon as your healing is completed.»

«No wonder Ileana was pissed,» I said.

E'than gave an unsympathetic shrug of his broad shoulders. «She will learn to accept it, just as you will.»

CHAPTER 3

I felt something wild rising within me. Like a small ripple in a pond that grew larger as it moved in outward circles. It felt as if something brushed the inside of my veins, soft as gossamer wings, but powerful. Energy rose in me, propelling me forward to a goal I couldn't yet fathom. Could I be I turning already? In a few hours? I wasn't ready. A bubble of panic rose inside my chest and I jumped from my chair, pacing the room, hugging myself with trepidation.

Ke'lan was instantly at my side. «What's wrong?»

I shook my head. «I feel restless. Scared. Something's going on…»

He gathered me into his arms. «Shhh. It's okay. What you're feeling is normal after intense healing.»

He dropped his face to my neck, dropping soft kisses where only hours ago fangs had ripped into my skin.

«I can't do this, I …»

E'than stepped up behind me, his strong hands kneading my shoulders. «It's like an adrenaline rush. You'll feel it when you change, during sex, when you're threatened. Your senses will all become heightened. You must learn to adapt.»

«She needs water,» Ke'lan said, looking over my shoulder at his brother.

«A swimming pool?»

Ke'lan nodded. «That will do.»

I was breathing so hard I'd begun to hyperventilate. Black spots danced before my eyes and I could feel my knees giving out. I thought my heart would explode it was beating so fast. Thankfully, I sank into darkness, letting go of the fear.

When I woke I had the feeling of cool water flowing around me, calming me as I settled into the gentle ripples that soothed my body and spirit. The sensation felt so exquisite it was nearly sexual. I felt free and powerful, strangely alive to all the stimuli around me.

Overhead, a pale full moon shone weakly through snow flurries and the bare branches of winter trees. Naked, in a swimming pool, in the middle of an icy night, I should be freezing, but I felt comfortable. It was the beginning of the change. I saw myself through altered eyes, watching the first wisps of white-colored down cover my body before I felt the two brothers swim to either side of me, protecting me with their presence.

Together they looked beautiful, both trapped somewhere between elegant swans and hard edged men. They retained a nearly human form, but the wings they had kept carefully under control inside the apartment were now let loose to flex at will in the cold night air. Small ice crystals trapped on their wings glistened under the moonlight like sparkling diamonds. Ke'lan and E'than. Twins. One dark and one fair. They looked like a pair of angels instead of swans.

The human left in me couldn't help but look down to see if they were anatomically correct. Oh yeah! From both brothers, two perfectly formed penises stood proudly, impervious to cold water. No shrinkage there. I couldn't help myself. I reached out to touch them, marveling at the way they seemed to be chiseled from marble. And they felt just as cold as marble in the icy water.

My fingers glided over them, enjoying the feel of the bulb of each smooth head. I traced the pulse in the vein running the length of the underside, trailing my fingertips down to the hard male balls that I cupped in my hands. What a delicious feeling. It wasn't awkward at all. I felt a certain wonder in holding them in both hands, watching their faces as I explored them. So far, they hadn't responded to my touch. They'd offered nothing more than a soft intake of breath, or a glazed expression of pleasure fleeting across their faces. Neither had reached out for me. They took their time, letting me get used to the idea they were both mine to do with as I pleased. To be pleasured by both as I wished.

Despite the cold water, I kept growing hotter. A decidedly warm rush of liquid pooled between my legs, as I imagined the mechanics of loving both of them at once. Could it be done in the pool? Heated flesh cooled by the icy water? What would they feel like inside my body? Would it be one at a time? Or both invading me simultaneously? Just the thought made me sigh with anticipation, squeezing my fingers a little tighter around their erections. My hands pumped them in short playful strokes that broke their resolve to let me lead us into whatever would take place.

Ke'lan's hands touched me first, his dusky skin looking dark as his fingers settled over my pale breasts. He kneaded me gently then tweaked my hard nipples with his powerful fingers, causing me to arch toward them, offering myself.

They didn't ignore the invitation. Both E'than and Ke'lan lowered their heads to my nipples, their mouths settling around the chilly nubs that ached delightfully with the sudden temperature change of warm tongues and playful teeth. I wrapped my hands around their necks drawing them closer, encouraging them to suck harder. They didn't disappoint me. I felt my toes curl and a shaft of heat nearly split me in two.

I had always enjoyed sex, but suddenly I filled with an urgency I couldn't explain. It was as strong as an addiction. The need for these men. I wanted to feel them inside me, to taste them, to experience all they had to give.

«You're a changeling now,» E'than whispered in my ear, his hands running down my body, melding to the curves and valleys. «Everything will be heightened. What you once found pleasurable will now be almost painfully enjoyable. You'll get used to it.»

«I already am,» I whispered. «This is incredible. I feel…free.»

«Let us show you real freedom,» Ke'lan whispered, diving under the water.

When his mouth fastened on me, I nearly lost control and went under. E'than steadied me by clamping his mouth over mine and holding me aloft. Under the surface, Ke'lan raised my legs to slip them over his shoulders while he buried his face deeper into my pussy. At the angle I rode on his shoulders I sort of floated on my back, feeling every ripple of the cold water, every feathery touch of E'than's wings on my damp skin.

E'than held my shoulders, treading water behind me, leaning over my head to kiss me upside down, or to fasten his mouth over my nipples and suck hard enough to cause a jolt of heat to spear my pussy. Ke'lan inserted his tongue into my body and gave me a tongue fucking that had me gasping and bucking against him like a wild stallion instead of a changeling swan.

I could feel the silky strands of his hair wrapping around my thighs and abdomen as he worked at me with his mouth. His hands grasped my hips trying to hold me steady, but I was having too much fun. I couldn't keep from rolling in the water, feeling the cold liquid caress my sensitive skin as his hot mouth burned me from the inside out.

And then he withdrew.

No!

«Come back,» I begged in whispered pleas. «Come back.»

His head broke the surface and he looked at E'than who gave an imperceptible nod, pulling me back toward the side of the pool. With his strong arms, he lifted me and Ke'lan positioned himself in front of me, lifting my legs around his hips this time while I leaned back into E'than's wide chest.

He had no problem entering me. My legs spread wide on both sides of his hips, my pussy already wet with need, and he definitely knew the way. Maneuvering one hand between us he took himself in his fist, guiding his cock into the outer folds of my entrance. Despite the cold water, he stayed hard as stone and eager to get inside. I felt him straining against my entrance holding back just enough to prolong the anticipation for both of us.

E'than's hand tightened on my shoulders and Ke'lan shoved, pushing himself into me until he sheathed the large head of his cock all the way at the base of my pussy. I dropped my head back in ecstasy feeling it hit E'than's shoulder. E'than's hands tightened on me as my hips bumped back into his erection, forced backward by Ke'lan's firm thrust into my body.

Impaled by Ke'lan, I couldn't move from E'than's advance. I felt his hardness pressing into me. Once again the brothers exchanged looks and Ke'lan shifted me on his body, holding my hips higher, pulling them apart as he positioned me just right for E'than's easier access.

Lowering his face to kiss me, Ke'lan put his mouth firmly over mine and E'than placed soft kisses on the back of my neck and shoulders. I felt the quickening of his breathing, the tenseness in his body and I knew what would happen next.

«Trust me,» E'than whispered, nudging the head of his penis between my hips. I felt him pushing at my back entrance, taking his time, allowing me to get used to the pressure.

Inside me, Ke'lan held steady, not moving until his brother could join us. I could feel his tension humming through his body like a live wire. He wanted to move. Needed to move. I felt myself going quietly insane with the feel of him motionless inside me.

It was my fault E'than didn't get the gentle entry he'd planned on to allow me time to adjust to him. He stayed poised at the entrance of my ass, his large head slowly opening my tightness when I began clamping my muscles around Ke'lan's large cock. I couldn't help it. It was an involuntary thing, but it must have felt good enough to break Ke'lan's control.

He groaned deep in his chest, trying to ease away from the massaging of my interior muscles. He strove for a bit of control, trying to wait so that he and E'than could claim me as their mate at the same time.

It didn't work out that way.

I gushed around him, my body surrendering to the need. My pussy muscles began a rolling series of tightening and releasing that sent Ke'lan into a loss of control that slammed me back against E'than. Ke'lan thrust into me with a wildness that would have been frightening had I not been the one to trigger it.

E'than was forced into my body by Ke'lan's hard thrust and I became impaled between them, hovering on the climax of my life. E'than filled my ass in a throbbing mix of pleasure pain that threatened my sanity. I tried instinctively to pull away from him, only to bump into Ke'lan who shoved me right back against E'than. I felt like a ping-pong ball trapped between two paddles.

They started to move together, finding a rhythm that allowed both of them to bury themselves. One thrust fully in, as the other pulled out, and they had me sandwiched between them, drowning on a wave of pure bliss that had me close to fainting.

I felt myself spiraling out of control and I pushed back against E'than, forcing him deeper. I dropped my head back on his chest, just under his chin and pulled Ke'lan to me with desperate hands.

«Make me come,» I ordered them. «Make me come, or I'm going to die. Right here. Right now.»

It was enough. They plunged together and my release swept through me with a wildness that I'd never known in human form. The fire of their climaxes burned through my veins as hot as any wildfire that ever raged out of control. And at that moment I knew I'd lost my touch with humanity. I would go to Gypsy Cay when the time came. The change had taken place and I couldn't go back.

Caton was the furthest thing from my mind until I heard soft hand clapping from the side of the pool. I looked up to see him watching me, his dark eyes veiled by tinted glasses. His breath left clouds of condensation in the air and I realized I didn't feel in the least bit cold. Just one more shred of evidence I'd crossed the barrier into foreign territory.

«Congratulations, Beauty,» Caton said with bitterness. «You just turned into one of the monsters. I'll give the director your resignation on Monday. You've got 24 hours to leave the mainland and I'll be back to make sure you do.»

«Caton, wait…» I pleaded, reaching my arms out to him. I wanted him to understand. I didn't want our friendship to end this way.

He gave a disgusted shake of his head, hunching his shoulders against the cold as he turned on his heel and walked away from me without taking a backward glance.

«Let me go,» I said to the twins, straining to pull out of their grasp.

Ke'lan hissed with a low sound that chilled me despite the two bodies protecting me from the night. It was a sound of warning that froze me into complete stillness.

«He doesn't want you any longer,» E'than told me gently. «You're one of us now, Beauty. The humans will never accept you again. It's time we leave. Time for you to come home.»

CHAPTER 4

Close your eyes and imagine a fantasyland of lakes, waterfalls, tropical foliage and undeveloped beauty. That's what greeted me on Gypsy Cay. Swan Territories were not on the big island. Instead, they sat at the foot of the archipelago, but we checked in at the main island first, stopping for a drink at a popular blues bar called Syren Song.

Ke'lan and E'than took time to fill out a police report for their superiors then gave me a quick overall of the community and what it would be like living under paranormal laws and regulations.

We took a small shuttle to the island of Ornitha. The territory had a quality in the air I'd never experienced on the mainland shores, not even in Key West. It smelled as if the air was scented with flowers and spiked with energy. A sort of static excitement danced over me, just breathing in the salt spray as our water taxi sped toward the outreaching island.

When we pulled into the lagoon I stared in wonder at the variety of beautiful were-birds that strolled casually around the docks, working, playing, living life like their human counterparts in any ocean-side community. Except these citizens looked more colorful and exotic. I couldn't help staring at them and listening to the wonderful mix of languages as they spoke to one another in their native tongues. I wondered if they would think me an outsider. I hoped not. I desperately wanted to fit in somewhere.

The twins had said little since we left the big island and I hoped they didn't regret their decision to bring me along. I'd heard about a community of outcasts on Gypsy Cay. Humans that had been turned, but for whatever reason weren't accepted into the overall paranormal community. Or those that couldn't accept they had been turned and didn't want to live with the paranormals, but remained banned from human society. I didn't want to be sent there.

I must have showed some of my concern. Ke'lan reached for my hand, giving it a light squeeze. «It will be okay, Beauty. We're almost home.»

E'than motioned us over to a small three-wheeled vehicle that looked like a golf cart and had my luggage stowed on top. Colorful streamers whipped from the posts that held the roof on. I looked up at Ke'lan, unable to stop the smile on my face. «Well, they won't miss our arrival in that.»

Ke'lan barely gave it a glance. He watched the docks with a cop's eye. Something worried him. «Yeah, well, tourists like the bright colors,» he explained.

«Don't you own a vehicle?»

«Don't need one,» he said tersely, putting me in the front seat with E'than while he jumped into the backseat. I noticed he kept glancing behind us like he watched for something to follow.

«So what's bothering you two?» I asked, looking from E'than's hard-set jaw to Ke'lan's watchful eyes. «I'm a cop, remember?»

E'than blew out a hard breath, glancing over at me worriedly. «Rolerrak's tribe has a death threat out for the three of us.»

«You could have told me that,» I admonished him gently. «Another set of eyes might make the difference, you know?»

«And the human council has decided to prosecute us for violating the treaty,» Ke'lan added. «They may send a bounty hunter to take us back for trial.»

I whipped my head around to look at him. «No way! They gave you a 24 hour pass.»

Ke'lan shrugged, glancing over his shoulder again. «They rescinded it. And it wasn't put in writing.»

Tears blurred my vision. I had a suspicion Caton had something to do with the council's decision. I'd have to find a way to convince him I was still the same person inside. That without the twin's intervention I'd be dead, along with a lot of other people. The death toll in the grocery store incident had been high enough anyway. Without Ke'lan and E'than's involvement, I'd hate to think of what might have happened on the streets. It would have been another Manhattan Incident.

«I'll talk to Caton and get this straightened out,» I assured them. «I've got some connections in the legislature. I'll try to get them to see reason. You two saved a lot of lives.»

Neither of them answered me. They knew how the human population looked upon paranormal entities. Justice was seldom served.

I tried to relax and enjoy the first glimpse of my new home. Despite all the bad news, I couldn't help but feel a sort of wonder at the ethereal beauty of the island. Highly forested rocky peaks rose above deep valleys filled with lakes and tropical flowers. The lakes were aquamarine blue and clear as glass, fed by gentle waterfalls tumbling playfully over moss and fern covered boulders. It looked like paradise in its rawest form.

I had no concept of how far we traveled from the lagoon when E'than turned down a single vehicle lane and striking natural wood homes began to appear. The architect for this community must have been at one with nature, because the dwellings all melded into the vegetation as if they had grown there instead of being constructed.

«This is our community,» E'than explained in a husky, soft voice that sent shivers down my spine. «Every dwelling has a pond, a lake, or access to water. You will be living here, Beauty. With us, together, as mates.»

I reached out to touch both of them, overwhelmed by the surrounding beauty. «I love it,» I whispered, watching them both relax marginally as we pulled into the drive of an exquisite little two story cabin that had a wraparound porch and red tropical flowers growing riotously in nearly every space of ground that could hold a bloom.

«Did you guys plant the flowers?» I was enthralled by the careless splendor of the artistically unkempt yard.

«No. Damn wild flowers. We'll get those cleaned up for you,» Ke'lan promised, hopping out of the back of the cart.

«Touch the flowers and I'll pluck your feathers,» I warned. «I love them. They stay right where they are. Got it?»

He stared at me for a brief moment. «Pluck my feathers?»

E'than burst out laughing, hefting my luggage from the top of the cart like it weighed nothing. «You get the yard duty,» he said to Ke'lan. «I like my feathers.»

CHAPTER 5

Life on Gypsy Cay settled into a comfortable routine. I talked to my parents regularly, reassuring them they could come for a visit after the threat of the javelinas had been dealt with. I kept up negotiations with the human powers in an effort to lift the warrant for Ke'lan and E'than. It shouldn't have been a hard decision considering their acts of bravery, but nothing runs smoothly, or quickly, on the mainland when it comes to dealing with the paranormal community. So we waited.

I had a cup of hot coffee cooling in my hand as I stood at the kitchen window. I looked out over the deck at the two acre lake covering part of our property. It was a scene I never grew tired of looking at. On the eastern end of the lake, a stream trickled into the water over a succession of small cliffs making a stair-step series of waterfalls. In my swan form I stayed at that end of the lake, mainly because I enjoyed the rippling water and the scent of fern and wildflowers that grew profusely on the edges of the stream that fed the lake.

Sipping on my coffee, I watched Ke'lan swimming in the lake. His black feathers glistened with water droplets as he made large figure eights, reminding me of an ice skater on a frozen pond. He was enjoying himself, mentally relaxing while he toned his muscles with the repetitious movements.

I lifted the cup to my mouth, momentarily blocking my view and when I looked back, Ke'lan wasn't in the lake. He couldn't have reached either side that fast. A bubble of fear began to rise within me. I put the cup on the counter, hesitant to believe something could have happened so quickly. He'd probably dived beneath the water and would surface in a moment.

I waited.

He didn't surface.

I began to run, willing myself into my swan form as I dove into the lake. I heard a loud crack and the water splashed in front of me. As a cop, I recognized that sound. They were rifle shots, someone meant to kill me. Ignoring the danger, I sped to the last place I'd last seen Ke'lan in the lake.

When I reached the spot where I thought he should be, the blood was unmistakable. Rivulets of pink stained the water and I dove downward. He'd been hit badly if he couldn't surface. I searched the bottom of the shallow lake; grateful my eyesight stayed nearly as good underwater as above. Ahead of me I spotted a dark mass of feathers crumpled into a ball and trapped in the limbs of a sunken tree. I shot forward to examine how severely Ke'lan had tangled his wing in the mass of bark and ragged branches.

Even from a distance I knew his wing was broken. The feathers bent at an impossible angle and bits of stems and bark had torn through the sensitive skin. I winced, trying to spare him as much pain as possible as I untangled him from the deadly trap.

All the time I worked at the ensnared wing, his dark eyes watched me with quiet agony. We were running out of time. Swans can't stay underwater forever. Even paranormal water creatures like us need to surface for air. My lungs felt ready to explode and I could only imagine what Ke'lan must be feeling. He'd been down a lot longer than me.

I yanked and tugged at the heavy branch, unwilling to give up. I couldn't let him die like this. I refused to give up, but my strength ebbed and my efforts grew weaker by the minute. Black spots formed in front of my eyes and I felt disoriented from lack of air. Giving one last hard yank I felt the tree give way, hitting my chest when it broke. I went tumbling back into the muddy bottom of the lake before I could stop myself.

For a moment, I thought I'd seen a dark shape behind me and felt the brush of something on my shoulder. But nothing was there. I struggled to kick loose from the lakebed, swimming back over to help Ke'lan before it became too late for both of us.

Freed from the tangle of limbs, I saw the full extent of Ke'lan's damaged wing. He'd been shot with a high-powered rifle, shot from some distance I thought, or the damage would have been considerably worse. As a shape shifter he would heal the terrible wound, but we had to get him moving and to the surface quickly, so that he could breathe. He'd been underwater a long time. I helped him swim until our heads broke the water. As soon as we surfaced I heard another crack from the rife.

Damn. The shooter was still around.

Just as quickly as we surfaced we dove back down. At least we managed to get a gulp of air, but not enough. I swam as hard as I could, pulling us steadily forward, toward the waterfalls. A small ledge lay hidden behind the bottom fall that would provide safety if we could only reach it in time.

Ke'lan struggled to help as much as he could. A quick glance at his wing told me the water was speeding up the healing process. Already his feathers looked brighter and healthier than when I'd pulled him out of the tree. Still a long way from being healed, the break still looked painful and the wound oozed blood.

I guided us close to the bank so our heads could surface without drawing the attention of the shooter. If I picked the wrong bank, we'd be the perfect target, unprotected from the flowers and rocks that might provide a bit of cover. I hoped the shooter's location remained on the same side of the lake as we surfaced. If he waited on our side, then our heads would be blocked from his sight.

I cautiously stuck my head out of the lake and didn't hear a sound. No shots were fired. Good. He either couldn't see us, or he'd left the area. I pulled Ke'lan's head out of the water high enough he could take a deep gulp of clean air. We still had several yards to swim before we reached the safety of the waterfalls.

Taking a minute just to breathe, we stayed silent until we both dove under the surface again, heading for the rocky ledge. At last, I saw the churning water and knew we'd reached the goal. We had to swim under the falls to climb upon the ledge. I hoped Ke'lan was up to the challenge, because I couldn't lift him.

When we swam through the heavy spray I saw him wince with pain as the water pounded his injured wing. He shut his eyes for a moment, but didn't make a sound. When we reached the ledge he pulled himself up with one arm, collapsed on the rocky floor and heaved with pain. I tried to comfort him, but could do nothing to help his suffering except stroke his hair back from his forehead and wait for the healing to begin.

«He's here,» Ke'lan said weakly, reaching out for me to take his hand. I could feel him burning with fever. It was normal, I'd been told, but the elevated temperature frightened me anyway. A human with a fever that high would be convulsing.

«Who's here?» I asked softly, sticking my hand into the running water to touch his parched lips with my fingertips.

«The human.»

«Human?» I repeated stupidly, trying to get my mind around what he said. I bent closer, looking into Ke'lan's liquid black eyes. «Do you mean Caton Lee?»

Too weak to answer me aloud, he nodded.

«Is he the one that shot you?» I asked, knowing my voice had filled with anger and disappointment. What had changed Caton so much? I knew he had no love for the paranormal faction, but Caton had always played fair.

«N…no…saved me…»

I dipped my hand back into the water. It cost Ke'lan a great deal of effort to speak. «Shhh…» I soothed him. I rubbed my wet hand over his face, his mouth, and his eyelids to ease the burning of his skin. «We'll talk when you feel better.»

He slipped into unconsciousness and I stayed beside him holding his hand so he'd know I was there. He'd clearly said Caton saved him. But what did that mean?

CHAPTER 6

E'than broke through the water, propelling himself up and onto the ledge with graceful agility. His worried eyes took in the sight of Ke'lan curled on his side now, his head in my lap, sleeping peacefully while his wing knitted back together.

«How is he?»

«I think he's going to be fine. It was rough for a while though.»

E'than came to stand behind me, rubbing my tired shoulders as he left go of the tension he'd been holding in his own body. He leaned over, dropping a kiss on the top of my head before he sat down beside me looking out through the curtain of water that hid us from view.

«How did you know where to find us?» I asked, studying his troubled features. I reached over to touch his arm in reassurance. He needed that as much as his brother right now.

E'than stared into the water a moment longer before turning to me. «I got an anonymous phone call that said Ke'lan had been shot and you'd gone into the lake to retrieve him. The caller said neither of you surfaced. I've been diving in the lake…»

«Oh, E'than, I'm so sorry.» I reached over to hug him as tightly as I could with Ke'lan's head still in my lap. «You must have thought we were both lost.»

He looked at me with tears welling in his dark eyes. «You're alive, and that's all that matters.»

We managed to get Ke'lan back to the house and into a comfortable bed where his healing could be completed in a measure of comfort. After helping me get his brother settled, E'than spent a lot of time on the phone, closing the door to his office so he wouldn't disturb me.

I didn't think it odd that he wanted to be alone after the trauma he'd went through. I needed time for myself too, a sort of depressurization space to ease down from the stress. I suspected that E'than would be getting a task force together to hunt for the shooter.

I'd forgotten to mention what Ke'lan had told me about Caton. Not that I thought E'than would be particularly comforted by that thought. He didn't have much more respect for the humans than Caton did for the paranormals. It was a mutual dislike and mistrust on both sides.

I went in to check on Ke'lan, finding him awake and propped up on pillows, favoring his mending wing. He gave me a weak smile when I came in to sit down beside him on the bed.

«How do you feel?» I asked him, examining the wing without touching. It had knitted together but the skin still looked red and angry where the bullet had entered. Downy black feathers were already sprouting over the scars to replace the ones he'd lost.

«I'm fine. Angry as hell, but I'm fine.»

I desperately wanted to ask him what he'd meant back in the cave about Caton saving him, but I didn't know how to approach the subject so I headed toward it in a roundabout way.

«Can you tell me what happened out there?»

«Someone shot me while I swam. That's all I know.»

I sighed. This was going to be like pulling swan's teeth. «Okay, we both know that much. Can you tell me anything else?»

He grinned, knowing his obtuse answers drove me crazy. We'd talked about how that had been a pet peeve of mine while I worked on the force.

Ke'lan grew serious and reached out to take my hand in his. «The shots came from a high caliber rifle. I could tell by the sound of it. The sniper shot from the southern bank of the lake, high on the hill, maybe in a tree. I didn't see anything. Lucky for me I had started a dive just as he shot. I think the bullet was aimed for my head, but it hit my wing instead. The force of the impact sent me spiraling into the debris on the lakebed. You know the rest.»

«I'm just glad you're alright,» I said, leaning over to give him a leisurely kiss. «I didn't think I could get you untangled in time. I'm sorry I hurt you.»

«You didn't hurt me as much as that damn human ripping my wing out of the branches.»

My heart did a free fall. A human freed his wing out of the tangle? Could it really have been Caton I'd seen from the corner of my eye?

«I thought I saw something,» I admitted, «but when I looked, I didn't see anyone but you and me. I thought I'd imagined it. I was getting pretty desperate for air by that time.»

«He came up behind you and bumped your shoulder as he grabbed the limb. You were in his way so he gave you a hard shove backward, pushing you into the mud. Then he tore my wing loose and hightailed it back to the surface without a backward glance. I think he meant to be gone before you recovered from the push.»

«Why didn't he stay to see if we needed help?» I wondered aloud.

Ke'lan almost shrugged before he caught himself and eased back against the pillows managing to keep his shoulder motionless. «I think he helped as much as he wanted, Beauty. I'm not going to second guess his motives.»

I nodded in agreement, my heart feeling lighter than it had in weeks. «I'll go downstairs and tell E'than you're awake now. He'll want to see you.»

CHAPTER 7

To celebrate Ke'lan's healing, the three of us went for a moonlight swim in the lake. It was something we did often as a prelude to sex. Think of it as sort of like aquatic foreplay for our kind.

A full moon cast its pale reflection on the still surface of the black water. Nocturnal sounds filled the night with a haunting wild melody that echoed off the rocky cliffs surrounding Ornitha. Night flowers and ferns scented the warm air with a natural earthy perfume. We swam quietly for a few minutes, each knowing where we would end up. I had no doubt we would be having sex under the waterfall before midnight.

E'than seemed distant as he led the three of us in a complicated pattern of loops that gave away the complexity of his thoughts. While Ke'lan preferred large figure eights when he daydreamed, E'than's swimming had a direct correlation to his thoughts. If he was worried, or under stress, his daily swims reflected the tangle of his mind. Tonight was no exception. We kept getting closer to the falls and I felt myself responding to the anticipation of their bodies pleasuring me.

As we swam through the cascade of water, E'than turned into his human form, shedding white feathers for pale skin kissed silver by the moonlight. A light breeze lifted his damp blond hair off his shoulders, tossing it recklessly about his face. He reached down to help me onto the ledge, pulling me into his naked embrace.

I felt his lips cover mine with an urgency that should have left me breathless. Instead, I met him with a sliver of reserve in my heart. I couldn't completely give myself to him, or Ke'lan, and I understood the problem. A little piece of my heart still remained with Caton Lee.

Ke'lan joined us on the ledge, pulling me out of my thoughts as he stepped up behind me, dropping soft kisses on my shoulder and neck while E'than claimed my lips. I concentrated on the feel of Ke'lan's mouth as he nibbled gently at my skin, running his hands down my sides and over my hips with the lightest of touches. His fingertips brought a sigh of pleasure from me and I let myself be carried away, lost in the arms of two seductive men who were hell-bent on giving me pleasure.

Ke'lan ran one finger down my back, trailing my spine from my neck to the junction of my hips. When he reached the crack of my hips, he parted me, running his finger down and around the dark hole that waited for his entrance. He circled me first, feeling my muscles clench in expectation of his entry.

E'than felt me tense with need and dropped his lips to my nipple, drawing it inside his mouth with a hard suck that made me curl my toes. Involuntarily, I thrust my hips back toward Ke'lan. I needed to feel one of them inside me and I needed it soon. I could feel my juices lubricating the way for them and I spread my legs just a little wider, leaning into the skilled administrations of E'than's mouth while Ke'lan slipped his finger inside my ass, playfully stroking me with a gentle thrusting curl that made my inner muscles tighten into a nearly painful squeeze. I wondered what the sensation felt like on his finger. The pressure had to be strong, giving him a hint of what would come when he sheathed his erection in my ass.

My legs trembled, and if E'than hadn't been holding on to me, I would have probably sunk to the floor. Instead, he picked me up, pulling me gently out of Ke'lan's grasp to carry me over to the pile of blankets we had stashed on the floor of the small cave.

I was only partially aware of the curtain of water sending a light spray over our bodies and the muffled sound of the night along with the gurgle and splash of the falls. We remained hidden from the world, in our own little universe of sex and need.

I lay on my side, with Ke'lan to my back and E'than to my front. Both men were ready to enter me simultaneously, in a pattern they had learned pleased me most over the weeks that we'd perfected our mating. I would place my leg over E'than's hip, giving easy access to Ke'lan as he entered me from behind. It was a special kind of release when they both entered my body together, opening me to a world of pleasure I'd never known existed until they had taught me to take them both.

E'than caught my leg just behind the knee, placing it over his hip so he could position himself at my pussy. While the head of E'than's cock stretched my inner pussy lips, Ke'lan breached the outer ring of muscles in my ass. They halted their invasion of my body, holding still while they looked at one another to get the timing just right.

«Now,» Ke'lan whispered and they both pushed inward while I arched between them, feeling myself be torn apart only to be mended with their loving strokes, attentive hands, and eager mouths.

Ke'lan buried himself until his balls bumped against my hips and he groaned with satisfaction. «You feel so damn tight, Beauty. I feel like you're crushing me. I love it. Work your ass for me, honey. Let me know you like it.»

Like it?

Oh yes indeed.

I definitely liked it.

I ground my ass back into him, which wasn't hard considering E'than shoved me backward with the strength of his assault into my pussy. I clamped around E'than with the same greedy clenching of my inner muscles that drove Ke'lan over the edge. I could tell Ke'lan was close to his orgasm by the harsh unevenness of his breathing. He held on to his control on by sheer willpower, waiting until I screamed for his release to trigger my own. It wouldn't be long. I skated on the edge, feeling every thrust of E'than's thick cock into my heated pussy.

«I need you both to come now,» I said in a breathless, sexy whimper that I knew would make the guys respond. «I want to feel your cum shooting inside me.»

E'than gave a brutal shove and groaned hard, spraying me with his juices which sent me spiraling into a climax of my own. I rode his release, milking his cock with my inner muscles until I heard Ke'lan give a low moan that signaled his surrender. He grasped my hips, yanked me back hard against him, and convulsed into me over and over. I writhed with the sensations, holding on to both men to anchor myself to reality as I spiraled into bliss.

When we had come down and our breathing evened out, we barely disentangled ourselves from one another. Snuggling tightly, with me in the center, we slept as we always did after a round of good sex.

CHAPTER 8

The unmistakable sound of silenced gunshots roused me from my sleep and I sat up quickly, partially disoriented, trying to focus on what was happening. Caton stood at the rim of the ledge with a pistol in his hand. Sprawled on the floor before him, Ileana lay face down in a puddle of blood, with two bullet holes in her back.

Ke'lan sat up, motionless with shock. He stared at Caton for a moment before scrambling to reach Ileana, kneeling down beside her to check the severity of her wounds.

«She meant to kill you,» Caton explained with detached calmness. «She shot you while you were swimming today. I came to warn Beauty. When I got to the lake, I watched Ileana swim through the falls and climb onto the ledge. She meant to kill you while you slept.»

Ke'lan shook his head no as if he couldn't believe the words he heard.

E'than stirred behind me, moving to join Ke'lan beside the fallen swan. «I don't believe that,» he said. «Ileana would never turn on us, no matter how angry she got. She was our partner.»

«She did turn on you,» Caton insisted quietly. «I tried to take her out when she shot at Ke'lan and Beauty in the lake, but I couldn't reach her in time and I didn't have a high-powered rifle to pick her off from a distance.»

E'than gently rolled Ileana over onto her back so he could look at her face. «Why?» he asked. «Why would you betray us, Ileana?»

«Because we paid her to,» a gravelly voice said from the water as a male javelina stepped out of the falls.

Caton whipped around with his gun aimed, but the boar stood ready for him. He slashed out with his arm in a motion so fast it looked like a blur and Caton fell back on the ledge with a wickedly large knife protruding from his chest.

«This is turning out much better than I'd hoped,» the javelina said with a cold smirk of triumph. «I get to watch you all die for what you did to Rolerrak.» He looked at me with his beady dark eyes. «You will die last.»

Without warning, he tried to charge us, but Caton reached out with both hands, clutching the javelina's ankle in a martial arts grip that brought the wild pig to a crashing halt. He went skidding head first on the slick stones, his face bones crushing under the force of his fall. Even though the boar seemed badly hurt, he wasn't nearly dead, and without intervention, he'd begin to heal almost instantaneously. There are several ways to kill paranormal creatures, but none of them are easy. I knew the only way to kill the rugged javelina was to make sure his injuries were too severe to repair.

Grabbing the gun that had skidded across the floor when Caton fell, I went to the boar, emptying the pistol at point blank range into his heart. He wouldn't be healing from those wounds. Not without a blood measure from another were-animal, and I didn't see any volunteers.

Ke'lan knelt on the floor beside Ileana, holding her hand as she writhed in pain. «You sold out to Rolerrak's tribe? How could you, Ileana? Do you hate us so much?»

«You should have been mine,» Ileana said, remaining defiant even as the light faded from her eyes. «Everything should have been mine. I should have been your mate. The human doesn't deserve you.»

«But to sell out to the javelinas?»

Ileana flopped one wing when a severe spasm of pain hit her. «I wanted to make you pay. I wanted you to hurt like me.»

«It hurts enough that you betrayed us. After you heal, you're going to have to face the tribunal. You'll be outcast, Ileana.»

«It's your fault,» she charged through clenched teeth. She beat her heels against the stone floor as her body dislodged two flattened bullets from her chest. «Your fault.»

I left them watching over her as she healed, going to where Caton lay. He'd lost so much blood that I couldn't imagine how his heart kept beating. Settling beside him I pulled him into my arms, cradling his head in my lap and stroking the strands of black hair away from his eyes as his life drained away.

I knew I could change his fate with a measure of my blood. But in order to save him, it would also turn him into a swan like myself. He wouldn't like that, but he wouldn't like dying either, I suspected. Therefore, I had to make a judgment call. Save him, or let him die.

I couldn't hesitate much longer. We were at the turning point now. In a very few minutes, Caton would be beyond recovery and I would have to let him go forever. I couldn't imagine my life without him being in it.

With a sigh of resolve I started to open the vein on my wrist, but E'than stopped me. He left Ke'lan to attend to Ileana and he came to my side, squatting down to be at face level with me. When he spoke his words held a certain tenderness. «Beauty, he hates our kind. To save him would be cruel. He would forever be an outcast in both societies. Say your goodbye to him.»

Caton stirred in my arms, groaning quietly as his eyes opened to fasten on mine. «I'm so sorry,» I whispered, dropping a kiss on his forehead. «I wish it didn't have to end this way, Caton. I love you. I've always loved you.»

«Do it,» he whispered, his hand clutching at my arm with an amazing amount of strength for a dying man. «I don't care what happens. I just need to be with you, Beauty. Do it.»

«Are you sure?» I asked, knowing if he accepted the change, his life would be a living hell.

«Yes.» The single word trailed into the air as he slipped into unconsciousness.

E'than took my wrist in his hand, opening up the vein so that I could administer the life saving blood that would allow Caton to make the transformation and heal his fatal wound. Then he opened his own wrist and held his arm over the stab wound in Caton's chest, letting his own blood drip into the deep gash.

I exchanged looks with E'than while he let his blood save the human in order to please me. The reserve I'd felt for him earlier melted under his selfless act of kindness. «I love you,» I whispered. «You know that, don't you? I love the three of you so much.»

E'than gave me a smile of understanding while at the same time his eyes reflected sadness at Ileana's betrayal. «I know, Beauty, and now you will have us all as life mates. Caton will abide by the same customs as us. To disobey is to be outcast. His future is with us now.»

CHAPTER 9

The old adage that time heals all wounds is true. Ke'lan and E'than managed to get through the trials for Ileana, and as they predicted, she was banned into the outcast territory of Gypsy Cay for the rest of her days. For a while they remained saddened by her treachery, but having Caton in our midst seemed to lighten their spirits as he changed from human to swan.

Caton embraced his transformation with a sort of childlike wonder that astonished all of us, including himself, I think. He took to being a swan well, like a duck to water. It wasn't long before he could out maneuver E'than on the lake, darting back and forth with martial art-type moves and a heartbreaking gracefulness that has caused a stir of envy within the community.

Tourists sometimes stop to watch the striking swan that dances with reckless abandon on the surface of the flower-scented lake. Ke'lan tells him he is an exhibitionist, but it doesn't slow Caton down. I think maybe there's a shred of truth in the statement, or he has found freedom out there on the water that he couldn't find on land.

Caton and I are now on the Gypsy Cay security team, only this time we work for the paranormals instead of against them. The action is a whole lot different when you're playing for the other team. Ke'lan, Caton, E'than and I have become an undercover unit and we work exceptionally well together.

Mom and Dad have visited me on the island, and despite their initial shock at my unconventional lifestyle, they enjoyed their stay and will return again for a longer visit during the winter months when the Midwest is miserable with cold and snow. Mom confided to me that she thought I had the best of both worlds. Dad remained stoically silent about his thoughts on the matter, and it's probably best that way.

«Hey, Beauty!»

I heard Caton calling for me, interrupting my thoughts of domestic bliss. I couldn't help but smile as I ran down the steps to greet him.

He stood at the bottom of the stairs and I launched myself at him. «What do you want, Caton Lee?»

He gave me a sultry calculating look shifting me a little higher in his arms. «What do you think I want, Beauty?»

«Well, dinner's not for another hour,» I teased, ruffling his hair with my fingers.

«Ummm, then how about a little snack?»

I felt myself go wet at the thought.

«That would be really nice,» I sighed, wrapping my arms around his neck and drawing him to me for a long tongue filled kiss.

He started up the stairs, carrying me like I weighed no more than a child. I loved the play of his muscles as they bunched and tightened with me in his arms. I snuggled a little closer to him, burying my face in his neck, kissing the skin exposed by the open collar.

In the bedroom, he deposited me on the bed, leaning down with me to place gentle kisses on my mouth while he unbuttoned my blouse and stripped me of the clothing I wore. When I lay naked he stood up to look at me while he got rid of his own clothing.

«You weren't going to start without me, were you?» Ke'lan asked from the doorway. He stood with his shoulder against the doorframe, his arms crossed, watching us with a hungry intensity in his eyes.

«Hey, you snooze, you lose,» Caton replied flippantly. He had a grin on his face that let me know he was aware Ke'lan had been right behind him when he'd carried me up the stairs.

«I just wanted to wait until you got her undressed for me.»

Ke'lan shed his clothes as he walked toward the bed. «Thanks, dude, I'll take over from here.»

«Like hell you will,» Caton laughed. «I'm going to have a little Beauty snack before dinner.»

«Now that you mention it, I'm a hungry too,» Ke'lan added, joining us on the bed.

«Guys! Eat already!» I ordered them, positioning myself so they both had plenty of room to nibble anywhere they wanted. I couldn't wait to feel their mouths on my skin, and they didn't disappoint me.

Caton lowered his head to my left breast while Ke'lan took possession of my right. Their dark heads nearly touched as they laved me with their tongues, sucking and nibbling until I arched my back and sighed with the double pleasure.

Canton's fingers traced my stomach, wandering into the mass of reddish curls that had dampened with need for the two men. He swirled his fingers in the crisp hair until he found the hardened bud of my clit. With easy assurance he pinched my clit lightly between his fingers and massaged the end with a gentle rubbing of his thumb.

I arched off the bed with pleasure. «C'mon guys, give me what I need,» I coaxed. I hoped one of them would let go of my breast and bury his face between my legs. I didn't really care which one did the deed, I just needed the release only they could give me.

Caton began a slow nibble down my stomach, to my navel, where he dipped his tongue into the indention and blew his breath causing me to shiver with the sensation. His teeth became harder on my skin as he playfully nipped my abdomen, dropping lower and lower with each bite until his mouth clamped over my clit and he scraped me with his teeth, sucking hard at the swollen nub.

I gave a strangled scream of delight before Ke'lan put his mouth over mine for a long hard kiss while Caton lapped at the folds of my pussy. My clit positively tingled now, throbbing with need, while my inner muscles clamped with disappointment on the empty core aching inside of me.

Ke'lan lowered his head again, continuing to suck at my nipples, adding to the delicious sensation of Caton's mouth on my wet pussy. With a feathery flick of his tongue, Caton traveled from my clit to the opening of my center, thrusting his tongue inside to swirl around the sensitive interior walls. I locked my legs around his head and held on until he brought me to a climax that left me breathless and shaken.

I needed them inside me.

Both of them.

And I needed them now.

It was as if they could read my thoughts. Ke'lan shifted so that he lay on his back, and I straddled him, easing myself down on his large cock while Caton bent me forward so my ass became available for his penetration. He reached over for the jar of lubricant and greased me with generous swipes of his fingers, moving in and out of my ass with a thrusting of his hand that had me clenching Ke'lan's erection so tightly he moaned.

At last, Caton parted my hips and slid inside, sheathing himself until he couldn't go any further. I had the sensation of stretching to the breaking point and both men groaned their pleasure.

They remained still, letting me rock back and forth on them and setting my own pace, my own control of each plunge inside my body. It didn't take long for me to pick up speed, searching for that perfect combination of rhythm and pressure that would bring all of us to a simultaneous climax.

I knew when I found the right tempo. Ke'lan stiffened under me, his legs growing rock hard as he pushed upward to impale me on his cock. Caton sucked in a sharp gulp of air as he grasped my hips and began to move with fevered determination.

E'than had entered the room, undressed, and watched the show while stroking himself. It was one of his turn-ons to watch me getting fucked by both Caton and Ke'lan until he couldn't stand it any longer. Then he would join the action.

«Got room for me, Beauty?» he asked.

I licked my lips and he guided my face to his erection, stroking the back of my head with gentle fingers while he pushed my mouth downward on his large cock. When I felt him reach the back of my throat, I swallowed, taking him deeper. He groaned in appreciation.

I wanted to feel all of them inside me forever, but I had to find release. I encouraged their movements with verbal and physical reactions until Caton put his hands on my breasts, lightly pinching my nipples as he shot his essence into my body. Ke'lan quickly followed suit, pumping me full as he groaned out my name in a long slow drawl of satisfaction. E'than came with his brothers, and I sucked him dry, riding all of their climaxes with an extended one of my own until none of us had anything left to give. We fell back exhausted on the bed, watching the sun go down in the lake outside our bedroom window.

«I don't want to move,» I said, snuggling closer to the three men, sandwiched between them as they touched and played with my body like they always did after lovemaking.

«Me either,» Ke'lan said, idly stroking the side of my hip as he dropped kisses on my temple.

«So what are we going to have for dinner?» I asked, skimming my hands over the three naked and muscled bodies that encased me like a pearl in a shell.

«Pizza delivery again?» Caton asked.

We all laughed, but no one made a move to get out of bed. I had a feeling we'd be ordering a lot of pizza in the future.