Shannon snorted, “If I’d have done that you’d have come right away.”

  Elena asked, “What makes you say that?”

  Shannon looked at me piercingly, “Because any man worthy to be my mate would. Just like you all did today, even if you didn’t know of the danger yet. Tell me I’m wrong.”

  Elena grinned, “Truth. He has a habit of rushing in when we’re in danger, and of course we all follow him.”

  “We’re here for you now, and that’s not going to change. Unless you want to walk away from what we can have together?”

  She bit her lip, “Want isn’t the right word, but it might be safer.”

  “Fuck no.”

  She grinned, “See, and I can’t say that I have the will to walk away now that I’ve met you all. But what do we do, if we go back to Maggie’s coven he’ll know, simply by virtue of not being able to see it. I’m sure he has people watching it.”

  “We need to figure out a way to even the odds. I mean, he can’t set a trap for us again, and he can’t see any of us?”

  She said, “As long as I’m close by and interacting, or I have us shielded like this. If I’m in the shower for instance…” she trailed off meaningfully.

  Bonnie quipped, “Then he wouldn’t see any of us.”

  Shannon laughed throatily, “I see.”

  Shannon’s voice was a bit throaty overall in a sexy way. She had a shit ton of sex appeal, with that waspish body and her incredibly beautiful face. She was also dressed in black yoga pants and a skintight black shirt that showed off her flat stomach and part of the curves of her waist. She was sexy as hell.

  Shannon continued, “But you get the point, he’ll get glimpses of the coven and the rest of you if I’m not nearby and shielding.”

  I asked, “Well, Bonnie is a daughter of Hecate, is there any way the two of you could figure out how to add your shadow protections to the wards? Then the entire estate would be a blank wall to him and his seer children.”

  Bonnie tilted her head cutely, “That should totally be possible.”

  “How?”

  Bonnie pondered that, then said, “Sex.”

  Shannon raised an eyebrow.

  Bonnie shrugged, “The trick isn’t to weave it directly into the wards, but to empower the coven’s well with your power, which is the magic source for the wards. Maggie is a tantric witch, and if you work with me, I can make sure that power she draws and shunts to the well is laced with your power.”

  Shannon replied, “Not that I’m not intrigued by the idea, since you all are supposed to be my mates.”

  Bonnie interjected, “You are compatible with all of us, if you want it and work for it, it will happen.”

  Shannon grinned, “Right, but couldn’t I just directly feed the well with my power?”

  Bonnie shook her head, then tilted it, “Maybe? With my help. But that’s far less fun. Plus, sex would add additional power to the well through Maggie.”

  Maggie giggled.

  Bonnie smiled, “It’d also be more effort to do the other way. As a stream of magic would be much easier to lace with your power than trying to control the entire well, and I can tell you already want us all, especially Jack.”

  Really? That was kind of hard to tell, she looked a little annoyed with me still.

  Shannon looked me over and smiled, “He is nice to look at, but I was hoping to get to know you all a bit first.”

  Right, she was attracted, but still annoyed and didn’t know us. She wasn’t like Maggie or Bonnie who were ready to fuck at our first meeting because of their past, more like Elena. Though the latter hadn’t waited all that long once Levi told her we were compatible mates it’d been an act of faith.

  The one thing I was sure about was there was a whole lot of chemistry between us, though she was quite intimidating and a little terrifying with the shadows I was merely turned on by it. Much like Maggie’s ruthlessness got me going. Her power was… exciting.

  “Alright, so we empower the well, that’ll last?”

  Bonnie said, “At least a day, which is more than long enough since we can empower it twice a day during our nightly and waking five-some.”

  Shannon blushed, looking flustered for the first time since we’d met, and she gave me another glance.

  Elena said, “Bonnie and Maggie are quite delightful in the bedroom, and…”

  Maggie interjected, “What she’s trying to say is we’re both sluts for our family, and we were before that as well. We both worship my grandmother, Aphrodite.”

  Shannon laughed, “I was getting that. And Elena?”

  Maggie smirked, “Just as slutty, just a lot shier about talking about it.”

  Elena blushed, “Truth.”

  I cleared my throat, trying to get the train back on the tracks.

  “So, we get the estate shielded, that means Apollo can’t see us or our future, which means he, Ares, and Hades will have to plan an attack without the benefit of knowing how it will turn out. The estate is large, but not large enough to hide an all-out war with an army, nor can Hades risk bringing a C-130 and launching explosive rounds into a suburban affluent neighborhood, nor six attack helicopters launching missiles, or Zeus would have his balls. The rural wilderness is one thing, but their choices will be far more limited in an estate invasion.

  “On the bad side, they still know all our capabilities and I’m assuming between the three of them they can come up with a hell of a plan. So hiding is only step one.”

  Shannon bit her lip, “I could…”

  “Fuck no, you are ours, unless you don’t want to be?”

  Shannon grinned, “Fine, but if any of you die, I’ll never forgive you. Like I said before, it wasn’t an easy decision to stay away before I met you.”

  “How exactly does your power work?”

  Shannon replied, “Darkness, I can basically move things with it, and conceal. I also have access to magic.”

  “Move things?”

  Shannon nodded, “Like moving us sixty miles in a few eye blinks or ripping a heart out of my enemy’s body. You could compare it to both teleportation and telekinesis, but neither is right. It’s a mix of the two. I can also conceal and hide, obviously.”

  “What about Apollo’s kids, they were shooting what at us?”

  Shannon said, “Light and plasma. They’re difficult for me to deal with, it’s like trying to darken the sun. Not quite to that extent, but they’re one of my toughest opponents in our world. On the good side, they find my shadow defenses just as difficult to overcome.”

  I nodded, “So we should swap enemies. You and Elena can handle monsters and Ares people easily, Bonnie and I can handle the fury and Apollo’s children, and Maggie can blow up Ares equipment and munitions. I assume I should shield everyone but you?”

  Shannon replied, “Yes, my shadows can handle any energy or matter aimed at me as long as I have power to fuel them, much like your soul shields.”

  I looked at Bonnie, “I’m sorry, love. You’re the only one with magic fast enough to hit those bastards. Can you slow them down, so I can take them out with blades?”

  At Shannon’s curious look, Elena said, “Our Bonnie is a lover with a huge heart, she hates violence.”

  Shannon nodded at that.

  Bonnie said, “I’ll give it some thought.”

  “Right, so we need to take care of that ward, and we also have at least an idea how to defend ourselves. We’ll have to leave the car where it is and get Shannon’s stuff later.”

  Shannon smirked, and shadows appeared around her feet up above her knees, and when it cleared there were three bags full of luggage there.

  I laughed, “Right, move stuff.”

  Shannon winked, “I can’t get your car though, never touched it.”

  Bonnie moved over to and backed into me, and she let out a little sigh as she relaxed against me and my arms went around her.

  “Right, so we totally need to fix the wards as soon as we get back, so we should get to know each other right here. Even I needed the comfort of that hourlong chat before we fucked,” she turned her head and kissed my cheek, “Casual sex is different, there’s more at stake with mates and it’s a bigger deal. I imagine you’re not feeling much less awkward than she is right now, despite wanting to take her.”

  I laughed, “I bow to your wisdom.”

  Sometimes it was easy to forget she was the smartest person in the room all the time. She was so eager and exuberant, often on her knees for us, and her voice was really cute and sweet at the same time. Add that to her saying totally all the time she could come across as a bimbo sometimes, but she was far from it. She was sexy, beautiful, and incredibly intelligent. She was also just the most generous and sweetly submissive cocksucker I’d ever met too.

  She giggled, and ground back against me teasingly, “So, it’ll be like speed mating, dating, whatever. I’ll go first and talk about Jack. The rest of you talk about someone else. None of us will be totally honest about our strengths, especially our firmly humble head of house.”

  Maggie grinned, and took a seat against a tree, “This should work.”

  Shannon looked a bit dubious, but she sat down as everyone else did.

  She said, “I’m totally getting two turns, because I’m going to tell them about you too, Shannon. At least your needs and stuff, then after we get through the rounds in a speed-mating get to know everyone fact dump, we’ll just chat for a while. But I’ll do you last.”

  I sat down, and I pulled Bonnie into my lap.

  “Jack is wonderfully firm in bed and when it comes to family. He’s possessive as hell, but not in an overbearing and controlling way. He has control of our family and its safety, and he’s very protective of us and even the coven, but only leads our personal core mates and polyamory family. He also gives us what we need, Maggie and I are totally different in our submission, and he just gives us each what we need in order to feel cherished. He’s wonderfully firm about it, but he also always puts us first, and he’ll listen to us, and I mean totally really listens.

  “He’s amazing in bed, and he’s generous in bed, but still deliciously firm. If I know him, he’s already fantasizing about putting his tongue on you.”

  Shannon looked my way, and I just shrugged and nodded a little sheepishly.

  Bonnie continued with a grin, “He totally has an ass fetish for all of us. Outside of our family dynamic and what we need to feel cherished, he supports us. He doesn’t interfere with Maggie’s leadership of the coven, and as he and Elena are coauthors, he treats her as a complete equal there, and doesn’t try to get involved with my editing job or me teaching the coven and our other mates. He leads, he doesn’t micromanage or try to control our every move. He does dress Maggie, and tells her what to cook, but that’s what she needs to feel cherished.

  “He’s gotten a lot better with his powers. He’s fairly new to our world and after just a month and a half there’s still a lot of gaps there. Let’s see, he’s a champion of the muses, and besides being an author, we started up a publishing firm to help authors who worship the muses and can write good stories, but don’t have a lick of business sense.

  “I don’t know if you have any interest there, but it keeps us all together which is safer, we all work out of the mansion.”

  Shannon shrugged, obviously unsure yet where she might fit in, and Bonnie continued. Though with my blessing I already had a good idea she’d make a fantastic manager with her bold personality. Interface with the clients, run our numbers, set up advertisements, make the payouts to authors, and all that extra stuff. So Elena could focus on book covers, me the actual publishing, and Bonnie the editing, while she handled all the business stuff. I didn’t mention it, and neither did Elena. I’d learned that discretion was a huge part of inspiration, just being around us would inspire her and lead her to her own decision that way.

  In other words, she had to make it hers. It could backfire if we tried to lead her too directly to it, the same as when I let Bonnie volunteer to be an editor, instead of bringing it up to her first.

  “The only thing he doesn’t control as far as our family is the schedule for quickies and private one on one time. Us ladies handle that, and he allows it so as to prevent any illusions or perceptions of favoritism. In the six weeks I’ve known him, he’s never turned me away or any of our other mates, nor has he missed an opportunity to stick his tongue up our asses.”

  I snorted a laugh, and then nodded again when Shannon looked at me with an eyebrow raised, and she also looked intrigued.

  She kissed my cheek, “There’s more of course, but that’s him in a nutshell. Not his past or stuff he likes, but how he treats us and acts. You’ll have to learn the rest the hard way. Case in point though, is how he’s holding me right now, just because I leaned up against him. He is very affectionate and I’m totally his in confidence because of it. Your turn, sir.”

  I smirked, and then gave her a possessive pat on the ass, which Shannon didn’t fail to notice or be intrigued by. I told her all about Maggie, Maggie spoke about Elena, and Elena went over all things Bonnie as far as how she acted. We didn’t get too deep, but it still took quite a bit of time. As Bonnie said, she could learn our pet peeves, likes, dislikes, and history later. The most important part was how we all treated each other, and that we were a supportive and loving group.

  I also learned a bit about Shannon merely by watching her listen. She’d been angry when we’d shown up, because of the stress of the situation and because we’d put ourselves in danger. She wasn’t angry at all by the end of it, and it was clear she’d have a temper but only when frustrated or angry, or in a serious confrontation.

  Which was totally normal, and very human.

  She was definitely intrigued by all of us, and our family dynamic. She had a throaty voice, and over the course of our conversation I learned she was vibrant and bold in all things, not just in anger. Similar to Bonnie that way, but not in a sweet and endlessly giving submissive way. Her exuberance had a darker aspect and was more balanced. She also had a wicked sense of humor from what I could tell, but it was all kind of new.

  The only other thing talked about initially were the family rules. Besides Elena talking about Bonnie, she also covered our rules for faithfulness. No casual sex, no sex outside of us, not even watchers, outside of those witches in our extended family coven and only when casting a tantric spell using our combined magic generation in sex. She also discussed our daily schedule a bit, a broad overview from our wakeup sex to our post sleep sex.

  Shannon said, “That all honestly sounds wonderful, you haven’t convinced me to run yet anyway. It seems a little too good, honestly.”

  Bonnie nodded, “We’re all in the honeymoon stage, and deeply in love. On the good side, the chemistry will never fade in any of us over time. That pull will always be there thanks to my goddess’s blessings on our mating. That doesn’t mean we won’t argue sometimes, but so far it’s ensured none of us fail to make an effort on the solid foundation built on love, the small things, and the way we’re unselfish with each other. It’s a shallow thing, but keeping the fires burning bright means it’s easier to add solid logs to fire.

  “As for you,” she turned and looked at all of us, “Shannon is an independent supporter like Elena, or will be in our family dynamic. She doesn’t need a whole lot more than being listened to and contributing to our family’s success and security to feel cherished and protected outside of bed.”

  Elena teased, “In other words, she’s not high maintenance like you and Maggie.”

  Maggie gasped, then giggled as she admitted the truth with a rueful nod.

  Bonnie grinned, “Though I do suspect she’d totally enjoy a possessive pat on the ass like the rest of us do.”

  Shannon blushed, but she didn’t deny it and said to me, “Now I know how you felt earlier.”

  I chuckled.

  Bonnie giggled, “She’ll also be a cuddle slut like the rest of us, and she’s an extremely passionate woman. I’m sure you noticed already she has no trouble expressing her displeasure, well she’s the same when it comes to affection. Despite that boldness, when it comes to romance and the bedroom in Jack’s case she wants to be pursued, not to do the pursuing. In bed, she likes to be possessed, and likes to feel overwhelmed and ravished, needs it really. Much like Elena there as well, for her needs, if not her personality and how she’ll act, you know?”

  Shannon said, “I feel naked, but none of that is wrong.”

  Bonnie grinned, “That’s why I’m doing you last, so you’d know all that stuff about us first. We just have to get to know you, while you have to get to know all of us, and I get it. I was in that same spot just four weeks ago, I just hope my idea has helped. I can tell you for sure that we’re what you need. With the rest of us it’ll be a more equal give and take in bed and out, much like it is for the rest of us there.”

  Shannon said, “It’s a start, at least I know a little about what to expect from you all and what our family will be like, but I still need to get to know you all deeper than that.”

  Bonnie smiled, “That’ll come with time, have faith in love, both the love we’ll share and the goddess I worship. We’re going to be fantastic together. I totally need to order three more costumes when we get home.”

  I snorted.

  Bonnie giggled naughtily.

  Shannon looked confused, “Outfits?”

  Elena said, “Roleplay, Bonnie and Maggie are really excited about it.”

  Shannon chuckled, “Oh, those kinds of outfits.”

  Maggie nodded, “We’re all pretty insatiable.”

  Shannon replied, “I can be, and I suspect will be with all of you with Aphrodite’s blessing and all. What else do you get up to?

  Maggie said, “Getting him trained has been a big priority, I suspect that’ll only take a few more weeks then we can cut back to two or three times a week for all of us. You can watch tomorrow morning, we’ve actually all gotten better for it. Then really, we work out, spend time together, fuck, and love each other. They have their books and editing, and I have the coven and businesses. That, plus all the threats have kept us busy.