Mate Claimed
Eric took Iona by the shoulders and moved her to the pregnant woman, who was regarding Iona with great interest.
“Cassidy Warden,” Eric said. “My sister and my second.”
“I acknowledge and respect the mate-claim,” Cassidy said, sounding delighted.
She pulled Iona to her for a warm, cushy hug, which Iona returned less hesitantly. As with Nicole, Iona breathed in the fragrance of Cassidy’s child inside her, and Iona’s sharp need to mate rose up to bite her once more.
“You’re half-Shifter,” Cassidy said as she released Iona but held her by the hands. “Your father?”
“My father was the Shifter, yes. Panther.” Somehow, Iona knew Cassidy would want to know that.
The woman’s green eyes warmed. “Welcome, Iona. This is my mate, Diego Escobar. You called him the other day, about Eric. For that, I thank you.”
Diego was very attractive—okay, he was hot—his liquid dark eyes and handsome face complementing his dusk-velvet voice. “We took care of it,” Diego said. He glanced at Eric. “Am I supposed to say the thing?”
“Technically,” Eric said.
“Then I acknowledge and respect the claim.” Diego held out his hand instead of trying to embrace Iona, but he clasped her hand between his strong, warm ones. “From one person who’s been sucked in by Shifters to another, welcome to their world. It’s a fine place.”
The second Latino man shouldered his way forward. “I’m Xavier, Diego’s better-looking younger brother. Call me Xav. I acknowledge and respect the claim, and I’m hugging you, because I like Shifter ways.”
Xavier pulled Iona into a hearty embrace. “Don’t worry,” he said, when Iona came out of it, breathless. “You get used to it.”
Iona thought she possibly might, until she got to the bears.
“This is Shane,” Eric said. “Bears don’t have last names.”
Shane was big, about seven feet tall, broad of chest, thick of muscle. He had black hair flecked with brown that looked shaggy even though he cropped it short, and chocolate brown eyes.
“Welcome to Shiftertown, honey,” Shane said. He opened his big arms and scooped up Iona, giving her a…bear hug.
Shane lifted Iona off her feet and swung around with her but didn’t let go even when he set her down again. “Keep in mind—when things don’t work out between you and Eric, come see the grizzly next door.”
“There’s two grizzlies next door, bro.” The second bear shoved his brother aside, and Iona got another enthusiastic and dizzying hug. “I’m Brody. Remember, once you go bear, you never go back.”
Eric did and said nothing while the bear brothers hugged her, but he stood close. Very close. Iona bumped into Eric’s hard body when Brody finally let her go.
They must have seen something in Eric’s face, because Brody lifted his hands in a sign of surrender. “Hey, we acknowledge and respect the claim, oh great leader. No Challenges here.”
“But keep your options open,” Shane said to Iona.
The large woman pushed herself between them. “Shut up, boys. Don’t scare her. I’m Nell, sweetie.” Nell was not as tall as the two bear males, but she looked as strong, and she shared the brothers’ black and brown mottled hair. She pulled Iona into a somewhat gentler hug. “Half-Shifter, and you’re just learning how to deal with your Shifter side, aren’t you?”
So true. Iona was ready to collapse after her long day, the wedding, her increasing hunger, kissing Eric in her office, Graham’s violent interruption, and now this sudden introduction to Shiftertown.
She swallowed. “It’s been rough, yeah.”
“Well, if it gets too bad, you come and see me. I got these two through their Transitions and their first mating hunger, and don’t think that wasn’t pure hell. Helping you will be a joy, sweetie, compared to hosing down a couple of frenzied grizzlies.”
“Mom, come on,” Brody said. “You only needed to open the fire hydrant twice.”
Nell pulled Iona into another hug, this one warmer. “Really. Don’t let Eric intimidate you. If you need help, I’m here. And you can always turn down his mate-claim. Males don’t get to have it all their own way.”
If Nell and Cassidy were anything to go by, Iona believed that.
Nell let Iona go, but she glared over at Eric. “You making her stay in your house? You don’t have to. I have room.”
Eric’s hand landed on Iona’s shoulder again. “I know you do, but I don’t trust McNeil to play by the rules. She stays in my house, under my protection.”
“In your tiny bedroom?” Jace asked. “You can’t turn around in there without bumping into yourself. She can have my room—it’s much bigger. Tonight though, me and Shane will stay at Iona’s place and make sure Graham doesn’t do anything stupid. I’ll need keys and directions.” He held out his hand to Iona.
“You and Shane?” Iona looked at the grizzly, who grinned at her with a mouthful of pointed teeth.
“Don’t worry,” Shane said. “We’re litter trained. You have cable?”
“Yes.”
“Sweet. Let’s go, Jace.”
Jace took Iona’s house keys and gave her another hug. “Welcome to the family,” he said. Then he and Shane were gone, Jace behind Shane on a Harley, the bike roaring down the quiet street.