Free Marshal Law by Kris Norris

gripped her shoulders, the feel of skin-on-skin sending a rush of desire straight to her core. She snapped her gaze upward, pinned by the heat in Jude’s eyes. His wolf had shared that same look when he’d crept out of the shadows and confronted the outlaws.
    He kept his touch firm, but gentle, cupping her flesh when he could have easily clenched. “You need to relax.” A stunning smile claimed his mouth. “And breathe. We’ll explain everything if you calm down enough not to pass out on us.”
    He rubbed his thumbs back and forth along her skin, the easy motion soothing the unsettled feeling coursing through her. She managed a few deep breaths, relaxing as her vision cleared.
    Jude’s smile widened. “That’s our girl. Better?”
    She huffed, backing away from his touch, ignoring the desolate expression on his face and the echoing reaction inside her. “I was until you said ‘our girl’.” She glanced at Ethan when he moved in behind her. “Why…”
    “Besides the obvious, simple fact we’re mates?” Ethan sighed. “You were dying. We didn’t have a choice.”
    “You could have let me die.”
    Anger colored his features as his hands fisted at his sides. “You’re not naïve, sweetheart. You obviously know something about shifters, what with your great-grandmother being one. You know how strong the instinct is to protect one’s mate. Simply watching you die without trying everything within our power wasn’t an option.”
    “How do you know about my family?”
    “You talked a lot last night.”
    Fear ran cold through her veins. God, what else had she told them? She firmed her jaw. “I know that mating is supposed to be a mutual decision.”
    Jude closed in but didn’t touch her. “We asked your permission. You said yes.”
    “I was obviously hallucinating. You should have waited until the fever passed.”
    “The fever was the reason we rushed you. Damn, McKenna, whether you want to acknowledge it or not, you wanted us to help you. Even if that decision was subconscious. Your body recognizes us as your mates.”
    “You two biting me made me your mate.”
    Ethan moved forward, trapping her between them. “That’s a lie, and you know it. Mating is revealed, not made. If you weren’t destined to be ours, nothing would have happened.” His raspy breath feathered across her skin. “And you’d be dead. As it is… Shit, even we’re surprised at the strength of the bond this soon. We’d hoped, but…”
    Jude cupped her chin, drawing her attention. “We know you’re scared. That Bret and Frank did something to you—to your family—that makes you cringe at the slightest physical contact. But that doesn’t negate the fact you belong to us as much as we belong to you. You’re the other half of us. Not sure I can explain it any other way.”
    McKenna closed her eyes, the touch of their hands, the scent of their skin, confirming every word. She fought the urge to nuzzle into Jude’s palm, trying to hold on to the uncertainty swirling inside her head when warm lips brushed across her forehead. She jumped, slamming against Ethan as she stared up at Jude.
    The man frowned, drawing back without moving away. “We’re not like the men that hurt you. We’d never touch you like that. Never force you to do anything you don’t want to do. You know that, don’t you?”
    She opened her mouth, but nothing more than a timid murmur made it past the thick feeling in her throat.
    Ethan leaned in over her, his mouth caressing her neck. “We realize this was rushed, and we’ll wait as long as it takes for you to believe in us. A day, a week, a year. We won’t pressure you into our bed. Being mates is about love, about trust, not simply sex.”
    McKenna sighed, allowing Ethan to shoulder some of her weight as her strength waned slightly, enjoying the play of his muscles against her back. “You don’t even know me. Hell, I’m a gunslinger. And you two…you’re marshals. You’re supposed to be taking