Page 33 of Tentacles for Christmas

“Ready to hear more?” Rowen asked as I heated the water in a kettle and found some sugar.

“Let’s hear it,” I agreed, glad for my small living space being open. “Are King and the rest of the pack wolf shifters?”

Rowen blinked as if in surprise then smirked, “Figured that on your own? I’ll give you credit, most never have a clue.”

“You said most of the shifters in Blue Lake were wolves, the Kings and the whole pack is full of supernaturally hot people, and they’re all so strong.” Pouring the hot water into two mugs with fish on them, I added a spoonful of sugar to each and carried them over. “I made an educated guess.”

“Still, I’m impressed,” Rowen told me, taking his mug and sipping it immediately, as if it wasn’t boiling hot.

Settling on the loveseat beside Rowen, I set my tea on the window sill to let it cool. “And then there’s the imperviousness to heat or cold. Maybe Connor was right and you are all superheroes.”

“We’re not invulnerable. I can feel the heat and cold, just like they can, we just heal faster.”

Nodding at this new information, I asked my next question. “And the McTaryns are…bears?”

“Correct. Assholes, the whole lot of them across the lake. Though I think that’s more about them, and not their species.”

“So who are the coyotes?”

“They’re from the reservation outside of Northlake. Val has a lot of cousins who shift, though she doesn’t herself.”

“Oh. Wow.” I processed the new information, wanting to read up on Native American coyote myths to see if any had hints of the shiftersin them. “Is that why she knew to put you with Clark? She knew he was a shifter and could tell you were as well?”

“She could tell before I even knew,” Rowen smiled to himself and took another sip of tea, prompting me to try mine.

This man had me wanting to follow everything he said or did. The thought of Rowen dominating me in bed had my mind switching gears. Taking another gulp of the fruity tea, I set my cup down and took Rowen’s from his hands.

Rowen raised a brow but didn’t protest when I straddled his lap. “I think that’s enough shifter talk for now.”

“Oh, my curious m–Cam doesn’t need to know more?”

The ‘m’ before my name was confusing, but I assumed he stopped himself from using a pet name or ‘man’ for me. Little did he know I’d welcome anything he wanted to call me, and understood that some terms were confusing in how to replace them for non-binary people.

“You can tell me more another time,” I insisted, starting to unbutton his shirt. “Right now I want you to finish what you started at the mistletoe.”

Judging by the deep rumble in his throat as Rowen gripped my hips and let me feel his erection, he was eager to go along with my plan.

Chapter twenty-two

Rowen

Cam’schangeinmoodfrom cozy couch conversation over tea to a lap full of sultry seduction was sudden but not unwelcome. Unlike with anyone before, I wanted my body on someone else's.

The fact that I’d almost called Cam my mate not once, but twice in one evening added another layer to our connection.

My wolf-shifter father had explained mates to me when I wondered why his best friend, King’s father, had gone from a fun-loving and kind man to a mean drunk. He’d lost his mate and didn’t know how to function without her.

Superman had explained how rare they were, but that they made a wolf stronger, made them more likely to have shifter offspring. When I’d asked if he wanted a mate, he scoffed bitterly and said it wasn’t going to happen for him.

Seeing King with Riley, a mating so powerful they’d felt the pull as children, made me wonder if it was less rare than I’d been told. Rileyhadn’t even known he was an omega or been able to shift until they became partners, though, which was concerning.

Being tied to someone who changed who you were inside sounded scary. For Cam though? I might take the chance.

Cam captured my lips and rutted against me. Their dick was hard against my stomach while mine slotted between Cam’s cheeks and pushed all thoughts of mates from my mind.

“Want you,” Cam whimpered between kisses, pushing my shirt open and reaching down to undo my belt. “So bad.”

“Me too,” I agreed nonsensically. Helping them by shimmying my pants down, I let four of my tentacles loose to remove their clothes as well. “Do you want my cock or my breeding tentacle?”