Page 31 of Feline Good

Now in the surrounding quiet of the bar, all he could hear was Maya’s screams of pleasure echoing in his head.

Yes, he’d heard her, all right. Hell, he was surprised the entire bar hadn’t heard her, even though he knew their shifter hearing was superior. Her scent enveloped him, the air perfumed with her lust from her activities with Amir. He wanted to roll around in it and bat at it like the finest catnip. Maya was a treat he desperately needed to taste, to savor. The craving to feel her flesh against his rode him hard, and his instincts screamed that he find her now. But he could wait. He was nothing if not a patient predator.

Theo’s slim form rounded the corner of the hallway, and he narrowed his eyes at the both of them. August traded a glance with his brother.

“Here it comes…” August thought in his direction.

But no one spoke for a long moment. Theo’s sky blue gaze just studied them intensely until finally, “I’m not going to ask. Maya is a big girl. But I have worked here for five years. I’ve seen Maya through her breakup, her uncle’s death, and now she’s thriving.” His eyes narrowed, and he took a threatening step closer.

Even though August could break the slim man in half, his respect grew for Maya’s friend.

“If you fuck with her, I have connections, ways that I can make your life hell without ever leaving my living room.”

Ah yes. The black-hat boyfriend. August had heard Chris referred to many times before. Too bad they were basically nonexistent. They hadn’t left any paper or electronic fingerprints in fifteen years.

Surprisingly, Asher was the one that spoke. “She’s more likely to hurt us than the other way around.”

August fought the urge to reach over and shake his brother by the shoulders. He was so worried about his past, August feared he might miss out on what was right in front of him.

“I can hear you, you know.” Asher’s wry voice floated through his mind, and August winced.

“Sorry. But it’s true.”

“Well if that’s true, you have nothing to worry about.” Theo glared at them for a few long seconds before bidding them goodnight and leaving out the back.

Then, they cleaned. Few words were spoken between him and Asher, but August knew their thoughts were of a similar tone: what it would be like to touch Maya. Hell, August was just envious that Amir was the first to pleasure her, and imagined Asher was much in the same state. Hard, aching, and slightly jealous of their middle brother.

It was no secret they all wanted Maya. For the past several years they’d had nothing to do but pine after her, with no way to act on it. Instead they had followed her around, battling an obsession that most likely would never yield any true results and only hurt them more in the end. Now that they’d finally regained their human form again, August could hardly contain his emotions. Honestly, he was quite surprised to find he hadn’t cornered her and confessed his feelings, begging for scraps of attention like leftover crumbs.

Speaking of… the water pipe groaned as the hot water shut off, and both Asher and August's heads whipped towards the stairs as if they could see through the floor separating them. Working twice as fast, they finished cleaning the bar, the kitchen, packaging the leftovers, and leaving them outside just like Maya did every night.

The two brothers high-fived, swinging their palms back and down low until they shook hands with matching smirks.

Refusing to waste any more time, August tilted his chin up and made his way across the bar floor to double check the front door, before rushing up the stairs. Asher was hot on his heels, after returning from checking the back as well.

When they reached the door at the top, they noticed the peace and quiet, cursing at their damned luck.

“Well, shit.” August grumbled as they opened the door.

Maya and Amir’s clothes littered the floor by the kitchen, and August gritted his teeth at the sexy little scrap of lacy panties peeking out from her leggings.

Beating back the disappointment, August quietly stalked down the hall, already recognizing the slow, even breaths of a sleeping Maya.

Sure enough, when he opened the door, he was greeted with an equally precious and annoying sight. Precious, because Maya was sleeping peacefully. Annoying, because Amir’s smug face grinned at him from underneath her.

So as not to wake the sleeping beauty, August spoke through their bond.

“You fucker. Just couldn’t wait for us, huh?”

His grin widened. “Nope. I had a beautiful, sexually frustrated woman in front of me. Did you expect me to wait?” His tone suggested he wouldn’t have waited regardless, and August rolled his eyes.

“You could’ve gone a little easier on her.” August reached forward to brush her blonde hair out of the way, revealing the bite mark Amir had unashamedly left in her skin. Arching an expectant brow at him, August pulled away, wishing he could caress her skin more.

“Trust me, she didn’t want easy right then.”

August startled when a hand clapped him on the back, and he tilted his head toward Asher, who said, “Ease up man. Amir took care of her. She enjoyed it. We’ll get our turns soon. Don’t fret.”

Grumbling, August stripped his shirt over his head, ignoring Amir when he sputtered. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”