Surrendered to the Wolves [Werewolf Brides 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  “Everyone has been very kind and welcoming.”

  “Is there anything else we can do for you? Would you like some more food or another drink for example?” asked Xola.

  “No thanks. I’ve eaten more food in one meal that I usually eat in a day.”

  Kairu suddenly felt guilty. The wolves weren’t rich but they had everything they needed with a little left over for luxuries. Of course he knew about people in third-world countries dying for lack of clean water or food, and the community as a whole supported several world development charities. But he’d never stopped to think about people in America struggling and having to restrict their meals for financial reasons, rather than just to stop getting too fat.

  “What kind of work do you do?”

  “At first I was a secretary, but the company restructured and all the middle managers had to do their own paperwork. Only the very top bosses got to keep a secretary. Then I got a job in a call center, but a year ago the company relocated to India and we all lost our jobs. There were over two hundred workers at that center and our town didn’t have anything like two hundred other jobs available. A couple of the bigger factories had also closed down. There’s forty percent unemployment in my town and that doesn’t count in people like my brother-in-law who works two part-time jobs which together add up to about four days a week of work, but spread over six days.”

  “And no health insurance or vacation pay either, I guess,” said one of the other women.

  “Yeah, that’s what did it for us. My mother got sick and with no health insurance we had to sell our house to pay her bills. But what could we do? We couldn’t let our mom die,” said another woman.

  “Oh, Dera, that’s so true. Family comes first,” said another woman.

  Kairu nodded. He was proud of this woman who’d given up everything for her family. Dera was an honorable woman, indeed. But it was still Esther he wanted.

  * * * *

  Xola’s guts were tied in knots. He’d waited for all the men to be present before saying or doing anything, because he wouldn’t take advantage of his position. But now the time had come for him and Kairu to demonstrate to everyone that Esther was their woman. The one they’d chosen.

  “Have you ever ridden a quad bike, Esther?” he asked.

  “No. I don’t think I’ve even seen one up close.”

  “Tomorrow Kairu and I would like to take you and show you the farm. We could go on the quad bikes if you’d enjoy that?”

  She looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled. “I would like that. What time do I need to be ready?”

  “Is eight too early? Are you very tired?” asked Kairu.

  “I’m not tired at all. Eight o’clock will be good, thank you.”

  He thought he was likely grinning like an idiot, but he couldn’t help it. She’d agreed to spend time with them and that was awesome. People were already heading home after the cookout. He’d timed it just right, not asking her too soon and seeming to rush, but establishing his claim on her the first day. Xola heaved a sigh of relief. As a Dom he liked to have everything planned out and designed to please his subs. But neither Kairu nor Esther were his subs. He wanted Esther to be his sub in the future, but right now it was far more important that she learn about him and Kairu and agree to mate them. Learning about BDSM would follow after that.

  It was a definite challenge to choose their women. In no way could he take advantage of the other bachelor wolves but he was damn sure he didn’t want any of them taking advantage of him either. Still, he was on track now. Showing her the farm was a logical thing to do, and it was even better that she’d never ridden a quad bike. He hoped she’d find it fun, not scary. Or only scary in a good way.

  The women she’d been talking to stood up so he rushed over to escort her back to the hall. Kairu was already beside her as they walked back.

  “I didn’t notice. Do we make our own breakfast?” she asked.

  “There’s a microwave oven, a sandwich maker, and a small refrigerator with everything you need for a simple breakfast in your living area,” said Kairu.

  “And snacks. There’s plenty of snack food as well for if you get the midnight munchies,” added Xola.

  “I certainly won’t need a late-night snack after all that delicious steak. But by breakfast time I might be ready for some toast or a cup of coffee. You’ve looked after us extremely well.”

  “That’s what Kairu and I want to do, Esther. Look after you forever.”

  Xola hoped it wasn’t too soon to say such a thing, but everyone knew why the women were here. They’d promised to choose a husband within six months and there were more available pairs of men than women so he couldn’t sit back waiting too long.

  She stopped and turned a serious face to them both. “I will choose two men to marry. That’s why I’m here. But just because I’m spending time with you two right now doesn’t mean I’ve chosen you. You both interest me, and I’m ready to get to know you. However, that’s all it is so far. I need to know a lot more about you both, and to be certain in my mind and heart we’ll be happy together before I make any decisions.”

  “We understand. We don’t want to keep you up late tonight. Tomorrow though, we’ll answer any questions you ask us. Everyone on the farm has known us all our lives so you can check what we say with the other werewolves. We’d never lie to you,” said Kairu.

  Xola stared into her face. She was serious. Her eyes had darkened to brown again. But she didn’t appear angry, more thoughtful. Then she smiled and her entire face lit up. It was astonishing how she did that. It was as if she turned on a light inside herself. Her eyes sparkled and her lips seemed fuller, redder, more kissable than ever. He wanted to kiss her desperately, so he leaned forward and just touched his mouth to those delicate lips. She didn’t open her mouth for him but she didn’t pull away either, so he had to be content with that.

  Kairu didn’t take the risk of kissing her. He held one of her hands between both of his and pressed it. “Goodnight, sweet Esther.”

  It was good that Kairu had expressed his individuality to Esther like that. They had agreed to be a pair in their mating, and often thought alike. But they were still two quite different people.

  “Sleep well.” In his head Xola added, my mate.

  * * * *

  Esther was surprised to see it was after seven when she woke up. The women had talked well into the night, and everyone was pleasantly surprised with the kind welcome they’d received from the community. They were also all being very careful not to lay claim to any one pair of men.

  “If one of us chooses a man—men—we need to tell the others though. There’s more than enough for us all, and we need to respect each other’s decisions,” Keisha had said.

  Dera had agreed and added, “There’s no need to rush into a decision, either. We’ve got six months and we need to be sure we’re content with our choices since divorce isn’t an option.”

  Esther thought their comments were wise. She’d been attracted to Xola from the moment she’d seen him, but that didn’t mean they were compatible. She very much felt that picking her husbands was a try-before-you-buy situation.

  She showered, dressed, and had a quick cup of coffee before grabbing a sweater and leaving the building. She was a few minutes early, but already Xola and Kairu were sitting on red quad bikes outside the building. Another pair of men was also waiting there, but they were in a pickup truck. Esther walked around the bikes looking at the huge wide tires and the long seat. At least the second person got a slight back to their seat. The driver didn’t.

  Both men jumped off their bikes and stood ready to answer her questions and help her on.

  “Which bike would you like to ride?” asked Xola.

  The big man’s black hair was shining almost blue-black in the sunlight, and his eyes were so dark they looked black as well. But the intense look on his face reminded her that this was important to him. It wasn’t just her future at stake here, but also his and that o
f their whole community.

  Kairu’s hair looked more red than brown in the sunlight, and his chocolate eyes were serious. They both looked even more handsome in bright daylight than they had the previous evening. She had to take a deep breath and remind herself she had to consider more than just looks before making a decision.

  “I’ll go halfway with Xola and the other half with Kairu.”

  “That’s fair. Put your foot on the step and climb on.”

  She followed Xola’s pointing finger, stepping onto a big step then onto what she assumed was the footrest for the passenger, before swinging her leg over the seat and settling into the back section of the seat.

  “Hold on to the padded bar here, not to the metal,” Xola warned her.

  Hastily she adjusted her grip while Xola climbed onto the bike in front of her, and they drove slowly through the compound. The men pointed out the various buildings, and then they began passing people’s homes. Esther was impressed with how nice all the homes looked. They weren’t huge, nor were they pretentious, but they were all well-kept, cared for. Gardens were filled with flowers and vegetables. Even the least developed yards were neat. I want this. I want to live in a place like this.

  And then she realized she already was living here. She’d signed the contract and this was her home now. Deep inside Esther felt a sense of peace about her decision to move to Cooper’s Farm. It was the right decision. Now she could concentrate on finding her men and, since Xola and Kairu were interested in her, she needed to pay attention to them. Eagerly, she looked around as they made their way up a rutted track to the top of a low hill that enabled her to see a panoramic vista of the surrounding countryside. Neat fields green with their growing crops. Distant houses surrounded by trees. All was serene and beautiful. The ride was bumpy, but the big tires on the quad bike gave her a feeling of security as they bounced over the potholes.

  They climbed off the vehicles and the men pointed out the various fields and crops to her. She swapped to Kairu’s quad bike as they drove on circling around the edges of fields and stopping next in a wooded area. “This’s where we often come to run. We can be in our shape-shifted form anywhere on the farm, but most wolves love to run among the trees. It’s more fun where there are lots of different scents and logs to jump over,” said Kairu.

  “Can I see you both as wolves now, please? Is that acceptable?” she asked, hoping she wasn’t breaking some convention she didn’t know about.

  “Of course.”

  She stayed on the bike as the two men slid off and began removing their clothes.

  “Does it hurt when you change shape?” she asked, suddenly wondering if she was putting them in pain.

  “Not at all.” Xola already had most of his clothes off. She noted that both men folded their things neatly instead of just dropping them on the ground. She liked that they were tidy. Or possibly just on their best behavior right now. Hmm. Yes, that was important. To spend enough time with the men she was considering marrying so that she knew the real them, not just their “company manners.”

  “Are you ready?” asked Xola.

  “Yes.”

  Kairu and Xola were standing side by side, maybe six feet in front of her. And then they were gone, almost in the blink of an eye. Instead there was a solid-looking black wolf and a leaner brown wolf with a definite reddish tint to his coat.

  Cautiously Esther climbed off the bike and bent to stroke their fur. She was surprised how soft it was, just as soft as Gowan’s fur had been. She realized this must be normal for them. Also, she could clearly feel their muscles rippling underneath it. Kairu bent his head, urging her to stroke it and his ears. Xola stood back a bit and she knew instantly he was the more Dominant one. Kairu was asking for her touch. Xola was letting her know he was no pet puppy dog, but a true wolf. She liked that their attitudes were different, but was careful to pet them equally anyway.

  When she stepped back again the two wolves ran into the trees, weaving around them, crawling under bushes, then vanishing and reappearing in and out of the trees. Esther watched them, entranced with their antics. No, they clearly weren’t dogs. They were bigger for a start, but indefinably different in their behavior.

  Finally they returned and changed back, getting dressed quickly. Xola turned to her and said, “Are you okay with us in our other form?”

  “Oh, yes. Thank you for showing me. I’ve never owned a companion animal, but you’re different from dogs, I can tell.”

  “Some werewolf communities try to survive by pretending they’re dogs when they shape-shift. We’re lucky we have our own land and can change whenever we want to,” said Kairu.

  “Are you ready to go back now?” asked Xola.

  Esther had watched the men ride the bikes and steer. She wanted to try it for herself. “Can I drive the bike now, please?”

  * * * *

  Xola hadn’t been expecting her to say that. It made good sense for her to learn, though. Once she could ride the quad bike she could go anywhere she wanted to on their land. “There’s no power steering on a quad bike, so it might seem heavy to you,” he warned her.

  “That’s okay. I’m stronger than I look.”

  Xola stared at her, assessing her build. She was slender, but not waif-thin. She was maybe five foot five or six, so not tiny, and she seemed to know what she was talking about. “I’ll ride behind you in case you can’t control it. On the right grip, see this? It’s the throttle. Keep your thumb on it. On the left grip is the brake and you also have a foot brake, but taking your thumb off the throttle is the best way to brake slowly and smoothly.”

  He showed her the parts of the bike, which was quite easy to drive for anyone who’d driven a car, then let her climb on and get a feel for the steering. “All right. Follow the track over here.”

  Xola held on with his left hand, leaving his right hand to reach around her and take control of the steering if she needed help. She started very slowly and a little jerkily but turned into the curves well, steering competently and soon was riding as smoothly as if she’d been driving the quad bike for years. Kairu passed her on his bike, and led her along another track. Xola agreed that was smart. Kairu was leading her around the property some more instead of taking her straight back to the community hall, giving her a longer ride.

  They slowed to a stop on another low rise and Esther climbed off the bike, changing to Kairu’s. “Thanks. That was amazing. Now, can you tell me something about yourselves? You were both born here, is that right?”

  Xola nodded to Kairu, indicating he should go first.

  “Yes, we were both born here. I’m part of the design team at a wind farm development company in Coopersville, and if today wasn’t Saturday I’d be late for work. I’m passionate about us reducing our footprint on earth, so wind and solar power are interests of mine.”

  “I’m the Human Resources Manager here on the farm, so I’ve been very involved in working through all the obstacles to find our bachelor men a mate.”

  Xola was watching her expressive face to try to gauge her reactions, but she seemed to be taking everything in stride so far.

  “What about family? Do either of you have siblings? Parents?”

  “I have a brother ten years older than me who found a bride in another pack a long way from here. We keep in touch over Facebook mostly these days. He has a son aged four,” said Xola, unable to keep his pride in his nephew out of his voice.

  “Oh, that’s cool. My sister and brother-in-law don’t have any children. Surviving financially just the two of them is difficult enough. Maybe when the economy picks up they’ll have a child. What about you, Kairu?” said Esther.

  “No siblings, so no nieces or nephews, but I do have cousins. Rafiki and Katungi are my father’s brother’s sons.”

  “We’d best be heading back. Now that you’ve seen the farm, would you like to come and see around Coopersville with us? Maybe we could take you out to lunch,” suggested Xola. That was his Plan A. He also had a Plan B
involving the three of them going out for dinner, and a Plan C with her in their bed.

  “Would I need to wear a dress?” she asked.

  Ah. He hadn’t thought of that.

  “Would you like to dress up? We could go somewhere casual or somewhere dressy, whatever you want,” said Kairu.

  “I’d prefer somewhere casual. I don’t have all that many clothes.”

  Of course. He should have thought of that. If she’d had plenty of money to buy clothes she would hardly have accepted the contract to come mate a wolf. Their very first interviews had been designed to eliminate women who were just looking for a new experience rather than a lifelong partner.

  “Would you like to go shopping? I’ve never been shopping with a woman before. It’d open up a whole new world to us, and it’d be a privilege for us to buy you some new things,” said Kairu.

  “No. If I decide to marry you then you can buy me a new dress and maybe a negligee or something like that. But not until then. I need to keep my options open. I like you both but there are eleven other pairs of men here and I don’t even know their names yet. I’d like to see the town, though, and you can buy me a burger for lunch.”

  * * * *

  Well, fuck! He thought he’d get to see her undressed sooner rather than later if he took her to a ladies’ clothing store. But eating lunch with her was good. The longer she spent with them, the better they’d get to know her and what she liked. Kairu was ready to spend the rest of his life learning more about her and finding new ways to please her. Besides, it was good she wasn’t the kind of woman ready to grab at everything offered to her.

  When they’d garaged the quad bikes, they climbed into his car and headed into town. All she’d seen was the road from the airport to the farm, so he drove the long way around, taking her through side streets and past the school and the park, before going to the business area. She sat silently in the backseat, and from the glances he gave her in the rearview mirror, she was watching out the window intently. Coopersville was an ordinary town, pure Middle America. Kairu drove past the building where he worked, with its three-armed wind turbine out front, and then through the industrial area before taking her to the mall.