Free Marshal Law by Kris Norris Page B

though it’s good to know we have options.”
    The easy teasing soothed the unsettled feeling still swirling in her stomach, and she relaxed back, allowing her eyelids to drift shut. She’d think about mates and love later—once she could stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time. When she’d found a way to tuck her heart back inside, instead of walking around with it exposed. Vulnerable. When she might have a chance at convincing herself she didn’t care.
    * * * *
    “No! Don’t touch me!”
    The sudden harsh sound of her own voice jolted McKenna from sleep, bolting her upright as she jerked against the blanket. It tangled in her arms, spiking a wave of panic, before she tossed it aside, chest heaving, fear weighing down the air until just the effort needed to breathe seemed monumental. She palmed her head in her hands, hoping to banish the damning images when feet padded along the wooden floor, the warm glow of a lamp followed by the dip of the bed on either side. She didn’t need to raise her head to know Ethan sat on her left, Jude her right. She could feel them. Smell their individual scents as they leaned in, a hand from each man landing on her shoulders.
    A voice in her head warned her that this was simply further proof they were more than men—more than a tight fluttering feeling in the pit of her stomach. That the connection she’d felt from the start had grown far beyond any reasonable explanation, other than that they were mates. Hell, she’d heard her great-grandmother talk about the side effects of the bond from an early age—how with shifters, the partners simply knew when it was right—but McKenna had never given it much credence. Not when the ability had seemingly vanished within her family. The fact she’d inherited some unusual traits had always just been a coincidence…until now.
    Jude shuffled closer, gently dragging her against him, one hand cupping her waist as the other stroked the length of her hair. She waited for her body to stiffen, for her reflexes to push him away. But instead of fear, a warm, soothing sensation settled in her core, and she leaned into his chest, savoring the way his simple presence chased away the images that had woken her. She reached out, linking her fingers through Ethan’s, content to sit there sheltered between the men.
    Jude sighed, resting his chin on the top of her head. “Another nightmare?”
    She shrugged. “Didn’t realize I’d already had one.”
    “The other night. The fever…”
    “Fever wasn’t the reason. I get them most nights.”
    His body tensed, his breathing roughening. “Don’t suppose you want to tell us about them?”
    She pulled away enough to meet his gaze, nodding in Ethan’s direction. “Didn’t I tell you already? Ethan said I talked a lot.”
    Ethan shook his head. “You mentioned something about Bret and Frank killing everyone. Something about Bisbee, but that’s all. No details, and you weren’t in any shape for us to ask.” He reached out his free hand and cupped her chin, giving her fingers a squeeze at the same time. “If you’re not ready to tell us what happened, we’ll understand. But it sounds as if it’s tearin’ you up inside.”
    Jude dropped a chaste kiss on her cheek. “You’re not alone in this anymore. We know it’s a lot for you to take in at once…being mates and all. But we’re here.”
    She snorted, glancing down at the bed. “Not a pretty story to tell.”
    Ethan lifted her chin until their gazes clashed. “Nothin’ you say will change how we feel about you. What we share goes beyond that. Though it might make us want to hunt those boys down the first chance we get.”
    “Only if you promise to take me along with you.”
    Ethan smiled, and her stomach dropped. How had she not noticed the perfect symmetry of his face, the way his hair teased his eyes when it wasn’t spiked up in every direction. The rough calluses on his hands, which were at direct odds with the smooth feel of