She sighed. It wasn’t Josh’s fault. He was up front with her. She did this knowing she had to deal with everything that came with the bond, the good and the bad and the plain old weird. “So my choices were the people I met tonight?”

“Yes.”

“What do you think?”

“It’s more what you think. I know each of them would be honored to serve as your anchor, but this is someone you’re going to be connected to for the rest of your life. It’s your choice to make.”

“Well yes, but you’ll be connected to them too.”

“True. Keeping in mind that the decision is ultimately yours, I think Akio is an excellent choice. He’s a good man. A good wolf. Strong and vicious when he has to be. Connected to his pack, he takes his responsibilities seriously. You two clearly like each other.”

“I liked all the truffles you introduced me to.”

“Truffles?”

“Box of chocolates. Remember?”

He laughed, pulling her close for a kiss and then another for good measure.

“I liked them all, but Akio is the one I clicked with the most. He does what you do. What I do in my own way.”

As if they’d called his name, Akio came outside and started a little when he saw them. He eased against a post a few feet away, Josh between them.

“It’s funny how normal life can be, even when everything all around is dire and full of sadness.” He indicated the kids on the lawn beyond. “I’m sorry for the loss of your friend.”

“Thank you.”

To have lost so much in the same week she gained everything seemed a cruel joke. Or maybe it was balance. She didn’t know. But that didn’t matter. Because it was what it was, and she had choices to make and things to do.

She supposed it was what happened to you when you grew up pretty much on your own. You could give up and let things happen to you, weep and moan about the unfairness of it all. Or you could deal with what you’ve got and make the most of every moment.

Allie had been a bright light in Michelle’s life. And it was snuffed out and that hurt beyond bearing. At the same time, Allie would have been the first to high five Michelle over Josh. She’d been a remarkable person, and she would have whapped Michelle in the back of her head and told her to get on with stuff that needed doing.

And for absolute sure that meant finding the monsters who’d killed Allie and making them pay for it. That would happen if it took the rest of her days.

But for the immediate future, she needed to do this tri-bond deal. And she had a life here in Portland now. So much to learn about herself and her gifts too. So much it was dizzying, and yet, it was a gift to have this man, this community. Allie would have liked this. After she forgave Josh of course. But she’d have been thrilled, and that made it just a little bit better.

She leaned into Josh and blew out a breath, nearly purring when he stroked his knuckles down the back of her neck.

For a while they all stood in the evening cool. The air around them clean and crisp. The sound of the kids was soothing, as was the company. Neither male spoke simply to fill up space. She liked that a great deal.

Finally Akio shifted and took a deep breath. “I wanted to say, away from everyone else, but with both of you present, that I’d be very honored to serve as your anchor.” Akio turned his body to them, gaze solemn.

Josh looked to her, letting her choose.

“We were just discussing this. I don’t know, is there some sort of official way to do this?” She lifted her hands, hopelessly out of her element.

Akio stepped closer and held his hand out. Josh took one and then held his free hand out to her. She took it.

“It’s all what we make of it. Would you like to come over to our apartment?”

Akio nodded.

“Are you nervous?” Josh asked as they waited for Akio to approach after he’d parked his car.

She opened her mouth to agree, but…

Instead, he smiled, slow and sexy. “No. You’re hot for it. And that’s all right. Can I tell you it’s making me hot too?”

“I should be ashamed.”

He laughed, spinning to press her into the wall. He rolled his hips, his cock hard, a brand at her belly.

“Yeah? Why? Why be ashamed? Hm? I’m here. I’m yours. You’re mine. There’s no dispute of that is there?”

She shook her head, catching her bottom lip between her teeth.

“You want this. It makes me hot all over that you do. You’re beautiful and sexy and utterly desirable. That you’re all mine and for this brief moment we can share with this one other person makes me…” He breathed in deep at her neck. “Fills me with a bottomless, aching need. I want to watch you with him. He’s up for it.”

They both turned their attention to Akio who’d reached them.

“Aren’t you?”

That’s when she realized he would have heard the entire exchange.

One corner of his mouth tipped up, and her breath caught at the feral beauty of his features. “Yes. Very much so. From the first moment I saw your magick floating around you like fairy dust.”

“Let’s go inside before the neighbors call the cops.” She laughed, but the sound was breathy and laden with sex.

In the elevator both men crowded against her, and she had to close her eyes at the wave of sensuality that swallowed her.

They all got into Josh’s place. Or their place. Whatever, they all got inside, and she was against a wall again, both men pressing against her.

“I’m going to kiss you,” Akio said, his voice a low rumble.

“Yes.” She tipped her head back, and he lowered his mouth to hers, slowly, so achingly slow at first, giving her a chance to escape.

Josh’s hands rested at her hips, tightening as Akio’s lips finally touched hers. His taste slid into her system, spicing Josh’s. Heightening the moment as his tongue danced along hers.

He might have been a quiet, thoughtful male at the pack house, but this male was nothing if not in total charge of his sexuality.

Josh began to kiss up the side of her neck as her skin sensitized to the point of near pain. Each brush of lips, the scratch of his beard nearly made her sob into Akio’s kiss.

Josh’s hands slid up her sides, slowly unbuttoning the bodice of her dress, and while she still gasped from the way he’d just pinched her nipple through her bra, his attention shifted to Akio, who turned and tangled tongues with him. The kiss of two became a kiss of three, the focus shifted from two to three, and she groaned at how hot it was.

“If you don’t take this off now, it’s going to get ripped.” Josh turned to her, putting her hands on her belly where the last buttons were still done up.

“Bedroom.”

“If you’d allow me?” Akio gestured and she nodded. He bent and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as his hands held her ass.

She tipped back enough to get her dress unbuttoned by the time he set her on the edge of the bed and stepped away to take her in.

His wolf shone in his gaze and she approved. Josh’s eyes went green when his wolf surfaced, but Akio’s went amber, and as the two of them stood next to each other, looking at her like she was a rabbit they had just cornered, they stole her breath.

This anchor thing was pretty damned sweet so far.

Akio went to his knees in front of her, moving her hands and drawing the dress from her shoulders. Josh got to the bed behind her, his mouth cruising over her shoulder and neck as his hands pushed her bra down to free her breasts.

“So beautiful, Michelle.” Akio said this as Josh pulled the dress from her upper body and then let it fall down. She had to lift, and Akio drew it the rest of the way off, taking her underwear with it.

He traced the marks Josh had left on the sides of her breasts. “This makes my cock hard.”

“She’s so tasty I have to take a bite here and there.”

She shivered and both men moaned softly. Josh’s fingers rolled and tugged her nipples while Akio kissed her knee, his fingers running up the inside of her thigh, brushing against her pussy and away again.