A Dangerous Legacy

©Nora Quick 2013

Chapter Seven

As I soaked, Andre washed me, drained the tub, and rinsed me off. I had to lean on him to rise but he helped me dress. It wasn't until I was in comfortable jeans and a t-shirt I thought to ask why I was dressed.

"We have something to show you. The night is still young." He was relaxed yet anxious, and his slight French accent was as pronounced as it was when he was aroused. The night held some mystery, but I couldn't even begin to guess what was still to come. Dinner had been a doozy.

There was a knock at the bedroom door.

"Come in," I said, sitting to put on my sneakers.

Pierre opened the door and Diego bounded in and ran up to lick my cheek. I ruffled his fur and patted him even as he sniffed at Andre, still shirtless. "The dining room is clean."

Andre nodded. "I'll change and we can go. See if Anna needs help."

I laughed and stood. "I'm not that bad."

Pierre grinned. "Maybe we like the thought of you needing a knight in shining armor."

"Aw, Pierre, what's the matter? Did you want to carry me upstairs?"

He crossed to me and scooped me up much like Andre had done. "I'll settle for down."

Clutching his neck I laughed with him and Andre smiled at us, shaking his head.

Pierre was possibly even stronger than Andre, his muscles bulkier and harder, and damn it, by the time we reached the first floor I was ready to beg him to take me. When he set me down I did an obscene slide against him and felt his answering arousal, but he gently pushed me away with a smile.

Julian appeared in his coat from the kitchen. "Ready to go? Hey Diego." Diego trotted down the stairs, tail wagging. "Want to go for a ride?"

Diego's tail went into overdrive as Pierre opened the closet and held my coat out for me.

"So where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," Julian replied cryptically.

"Come on, give me a hint."

"It will make you very happy...we hope," Pierre said at last.

Andre jogged down the stairs and grabbed his coat from Pierre as Julian took Diego's leash down from the peg in the kitchen. "All set?" our fearless leader asked.

"I guess. Do I need my purse?"

"No," he shook his head and offered me his arm.

Out in the Cayenne Diego took the very back cargo area, Andre and I sat in back, and Pierre drove wile Julian claimed shotgun. I snuggled under Andre's arm and the feeling was nice. It was surreal being in the car, laughing, talking, all after such a darkly sensual scene had taken place, but it was wonderful. I had shared a part of myself with them I'd been terrified to confront for years and they took it in stride and reveled with me in it. I felt free and happy, as if a caul of shadows had been lifted and light had begun pouring into my soul.

We headed downtown and after half an hour we found parking and brought Diego out with us to my new brownstone. I was surprised to see it, I didn't remember telling them about it. More surprisingly, no lights were on. I thought a few tenants might still be there, construction was to begin on the first floor in a few days but those on top could have stayed for another two weeks.

"What are we doing here?"

"I was able to move up your schedule," Andre said, taking my hand.

"The top floor has been cleared out already and work has begun. We have something to show you," Pierre said.

"Some things," Julian corrected.

Andre had keys and opened up the front door. It had been a lobby with mailboxes and a reception/security desk, but that had been torn out. There was raw wood and sheets up, but just as I had planned it was being converted back into the foyer of a single family home.

I followed Andre into the elevator which intrigued Diego, his first ride in such. With three pairs of broad shoulders it was a tight fit, but it felt completely natural. I wanted these men in my personal space, and the realization dazzled me until the doors opened. We stepped into an area with bare wood framing and plastic sheets up like downstairs, but there were tools and sawhorses set up everywhere, the mark of active crews visible.

"What is this?"

Andre smiled, and it was tinged with sadness that filled his hazel eyes. "Even if the worst happens tomorrow and we don't pass the test and you must forget us, you won't forget our gifts to you."

"We all designed this. This top floor will be your private rooms. One is finished, come see." Pierre grabbed my hand and lead me away. I passed Diego's leash to Julian as I followed and at the back he opened French doors to a large room.

The ceiling had a glass dome in the center, below embedded in the black and white marble tiled floor was a hot tub for eight.

"There will be plants in here. Ferns, lots of them. I noticed you like them."

Smiling, I looked around and could imagine it, my own private little jungle, free of deadly creatures, but not predators, I thought as my eyes roved over my lovers. "I do, and money trees, roses, carnations, and many more plants."

"It's your conservatory, just like you described in your notes, and the hot tub you wanted. It took me a while to figure it out but we were able to modify the plumbing system and bring in an outside line for this room and the rooftop gardens that will come in spring."

"Oh, Pierre." I hugged him tightly, my eyes going misty. I'd made notes on what I wanted and left them on my desk, they must have found them.

"My turn!" Julian called from the hall.

Laughing I took Pierre's hand as we emerged. Julian stood by a large flat object beneath a sheet propped against the wall. Once we were all assembled and Diego sat, Andre holding his leash, Julian unveiled the painting.

Once more I was struck by it. The raw talent and majesty of his style was obvious. How he saw me left me awestruck and only slightly embarrassed. It was finished, the lighting subtly changed so that it appeared to be at sunrise, not sundown. And now as I was posed on that rock, my hand reached out in joy and comfort to the being beside me. He'd painted Diego in as well at my side and for that alone, I loved him.

I stopped before I could speak, blinking. I loved him. One week, impossibly fast, and I loved Julian. And Pierre. And Andre. In my life I had never loved more than one man at a time and never this fast, but it had happened.

"What is it?" Julian asked nervously.

I had promised to be honest with them, and if whatever was to come in the morning, this could be our last night. I had to tell them, but it scared me to death. "It's beautiful. It's just..." I steadied my self with a deep breath though the trembling did not stop. "I love you. All of you. Each of you. I love you."

Silence reined for a long moment as my heart pounded wondering what they would say. Looking at each them: my slim, moody blonde; my bulky, smiling brunette; my intense, broad redhead, and what I saw was hope.

"Do you really?" Andre asked.

I nodded, afraid to speak or let my unshed tears fall. They descended, hugging me. It was a mess, a tangle of arms that had me laughing and crying as I tried to hold them all at once. After a long minute Diego tried to join in, hopping up on anyone he could and we broke apart laughing.

I sloppily kissed Pierre, Julian, and then Andre in turn, and Andre picked me up and swirled me around. Diego barked and hopped around, dragging his leash until Pierre grabbed it.

"I love you, Anna," Andre said. Julian and Pierre echoed the sentiment. Hearing those words in each voice swelled my heart more than I ever thought possible.

I'd never been happier in my life. Whatever my inheritance was, whatever I had to pass the damn test for, I no longer cared. If I had to give everything I'd gotten to keep these men, I would. They were worth any price.

"You have yet to see my gift," Andre said as he set me down.

"Fair enough." I was already drunk on pleasure, and I could not imagine anything else.

He pulled out a piece of paper from his pants and passed it over. "Even if the worst should happen, this is my gift to you to keep forever. For...whatever may come, you will always be prepared."

It was a statement of my accounts he'd been managing. The balance was two hundred million dollars. Beneath that was a full list of all the costs of building, a firm budget in place, as well as predictions of interest on the money for the next fifty years. My heart damn near stopped as I gaped at it. "Is this real?"

"It's what I've been working on all week."

The tears fell, I couldn't stop them. "I don't know what this test is, but I have to give back the box, the magic of my body and mind, your gifts, anything, to keep you all, I wouldn't hesitate."

They were silent for a long moment, and then Andre drew me into the circle of his arms. "Let's go home," he said with a smile.

I nodded and grabbed Diego's leash, falling into step as we headed back to the elevator. Pierre suddenly ran in front and opened a door, stopping us. "One more thing, a gift from all of us. Diego, this is your room."

It was a decent sized room for a human teenager, a palace for a dog with a skylight and large window overlooking the rooftops below and street further down. There was a ledge where he could sit and look out, a large dog bed, and several cut boxes covered in carpet making a maze. There was even a small ramp up to a door in the ceiling, covered now with plywood. I let Diego go and he ran around exploring, tail whipping so fast I feared he'd take flight.

"The dog door down here leads to your bedroom which is still under construction," Pierre explained. "The ramp will lead to a dog door to the roof where we will have a rooftop garden, and a special lawn for Diego's bathroom needs. Up here you have the conservatory, library, bedroom, bathroom, sitting room, and a small kitchen. The third floor will be guest rooms, the second staff rooms and a gym, the first floor the public rooms."

"And the basement?"

He smiled strangely as if it was painful. "You'll see."

Secrets, there seemed to be so may secrets, but with the rules in place I could not ask any questions nor solve any mysteries. So there w as a choice to ponder what I could not or be happy. For the first time in my life, I chose almost instantaneously, to be happy. "Thank you. All of you. Everything is so wonderful."

Julian stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me from behind, hugging me. "There's more. If all goes well tomorrow I'll paint murals all over, whatever pleases you."

"And I'll select the furniture, good antiques, and the staff we need to manage this monstrosity," Andre said.

Pierre grinned. "And I'll wire this place with more gizmos than NASA. I can even put a disco in your bathroom if you want."

"Stop!" I said laughing as Julian began to sway us. "You guys are too good to be true. Now why don't we go home where I can show you how much I appreciate you?"

No one argued.

***

I woke to late sunshine, pleasantly exhausted. That night I had loved them all with my body, stroking, licking, kissing every inch. I had taken their cocks into my mouth, sad when they pulled back, but at least each covered my breasts with their cum, rubbing it in as I liked. Each had demanded to pleasure me in return but I needed them to know it was all about them in my mind. However, I quickly learned, I would win no arguments with them when they were determined and for my stubbornness the pleasure continued until the wee hours of the morning.

Still when we'd collapsed into my bed I was almost asleep when they deluged me and drove me once more into madness just as the sun rose. How they managed to be up at a normal hour and let me sleep in was beyond me.

Magically once more Julian knocked just after I woke and when I bade him enter, came bearing a tray.

"Good morning, Anna. Today's the day. Noon and she'll be here."

"What time is now?"

"Eleven. We wanted you well rested."

"Oh, god, what should I wear?"

"Whatever you want. Eat, you should have a good breakfast."

"No time for our games this morning," I said with a sigh.

His eyes blazed as he stroked my cheek. "If we pass the test in a short time we'll all have what we most desire. I want to make love to you slowly. I want to set every nerve in your body on fire. I want to come with you, freely, sharing our bodies. I want you slick with sweat, desperate with need, screaming my name."

I could make no reply but merely to shiver in anticipation.

He kissed the tip of my nose and stood, blatantly readjusting his impressive erection. My eyes were glued to his actions, unable to look away even when he laughed.

"Soon, Anna. Eat, dress, join us downstairs."

I watched him go, admiring his ass and that gentle unselfconscious swagger he had, his long blonde hair loose and flowing. Oh, god, I no longer cared about the inheritance, just those men. Somehow I had become a willing slave, and that they hadn't demanded it made me even more willing.

Whatever Alessandra wrought, I would fight to keep them.

I did the necessary, brushed my teeth, and picked at breakfast. I hadn't eaten enough the night before but still I wasn't yet hungry. Fraught with nerves, I dressed carefully in a wrap dress and business heels, stockings that were demure but upscale.

I left my hair loose and kept my makeup basic, adding my pearls in my ears and the strand around my neck. If Alessandra brought lawyers to read the will, I would look respectable. The gifts of the tests had given me all a woman could ever want, so what was yet to come puzzled me. Some massive house filled with moldering antiques? Some complicated little factory that needed a guiding hand? Something good or something sinister? There was no way to know until she told me, so I went to meet my destiny. Diego ran to me at the bottom of the stairs and brushed against me in a show of canid support.

When I came downstairs, Alessandra had just been seated in the living room. She was dressed in a similar manner, though her heels were higher, her dress lower cut. I noticed the men seemed to stay as far from her as was polite. Julian had served tea which remained untouched.

I came in and smiled at the men before turning to her. "Good afternoon, Alessandra."

"Please, have a seat."

I sat on the couch and Diego curled at my feet, panting slightly, curious and impressively restrained for a beast that welcomed one and all. "Indeed. So, did we pass?"

"Actually, the test has not yet begun."

My smile slipped. "Wh-what?"

She wore a slight smile like the Mona Lisa, but tinged with the impression of malice. At each meeting with her the façade of cool politeness had faded more and more, and what was being revealed gave me pause. "We will start now. Andre?" Her tone was snappish as she waggled a hand at him, expensive bangles jangling.

"Anna, remember what I told you last night." Andre began to strip naked and I had to wonder what the hell was going on.

"What is the test? Tell me, Alessandra. Tell me now."

"You love them, yes?"

"Yes!"

"This is the test: tell me that again in five minutes. Pierre, Julian!"

They too began stripping. Nonchalantly I reached for the tea and put in two sugar cubes, stirred, and sat back to enjoy the show, forcing my actions to be slow and deliberate though my heart was racing. My nerves were on edge but I hoped no one could tell. I tamped down on my anger and bit my tongue quite literally. If the final test was here, now, than I didn't had to have to followed all the damned rules that last week. I felt played, and more and more I wondered just what the awful inheritance was to be.

"Watch Andre." Alessandra's smile was now pure evil, her voice solid ice.

His hazel eyes were sad as they met mine. The look my Andre bore was one I'd only seen in movies as the hero watched his ladylove slip away into the night and he knew he'd never see her again. Alessandra seemed to relish it and that made me want to slap her.

Suddenly a cloud rose around Andre, shimmering and thick, covering him completely. It was every color and none at once, and that should have made it dark but was like a gaseous opal, shimmering with electricity and something more. Infinitely beautiful, it covered him but let out a few agonizing groans and that had me grabbing Diego for comfort. He whined at me, trembling in time with my shivers until suddenly the cloud shrank and dissipated, leaving a large auburn wolf in its wake.

A normal woman might have screamed or fainted, but after the transformation of my body and mind and the box, I believed in magic, and this was nothing but that sense of wonder made real to me already. And Alessandra had expected my fear or disgust...what an imbecile. I laughed. "That's what you thought would scare me? He's a werewolf?" Suddenly, it made sense why the men stuck together, why they deferred to Andre. They must all be wolves, and be a pack.

I rose and set my tea down, crouching down and holding out my hand, keeping one on Diego's neck as he stilled and whined slightly in curiosity. "Andre, you're beautiful."

His eyes, still human, stared at me. He was in the shame position and refused to move, so I went to him and stroked his fur."Wolf or man, it doesn't matter. I love you."

He looked up a me, a man's eyes in a wolf's body, and the look in those hazel eyes was one of terrible joy, painful hope. "I love you," I whispered again and watched his ears twitch.

Ducking my hand, suddenly he let out an ear splitting howl. It was a beautiful, mournful song that shook the walls. Diego whined and buried his nose beneath the bottom of the couch. I turned to the other men as the howl died and around Julian and Pierre the same clouds rose up. I waited with bated breath until it disappeared after more agonized groans and moans. In the sudden stillness of the bright room a black and a pure white wolf sat, staring up at me from shame positions. I swear the beasts trembled, but their eyes were the blue and green of the other two men I loved.

I crossed to them, and when I reached them I knelt to stroke their heads, discovering Pierre loved to be scratched behind his right ear, and Julian favored the left side of his neck. I wondered if it was the same in human form. "I love you Pierre. I love you, Julian." Once more that look of fear and joy, release and anguish as one filled their eyes, and it killed me to know they had feared my rejection. Whst lies had Alessandra told them?

"Alessandra." Standing, I turned to her and folded my arms, trying like hell to leash my temper. "These past weeks you've shown me magic and you think I will shrink at more? I'm no fool."

Her face bore disappointment but rage colored her eyes. "Do you know how old they are? Over a thousand years old. Do you know how many women of our bloodline have taken this test? All claimed to love them in the week before but failed the test, all but one."

I examined my nails, cuticles perfect by magic. In the face of such passionate rage I had found a calm demeanor to be a great weapon and shield in one. "Well, they were idiots."

Dark mirth crept into her smile. "Anna, this is the test. If you make love, fuck, have sex truly with any of them, you too will be half woman, half wolf."

Well, my only concern was wondering for a mad moment if the magical wish to have no body hair below my eyebrows would make me a wolf naked as a mole rat. "Ok."

She stopped what appeared to be a windup to a long speech and blinked open-mouthed at me. "Pardon?"

"Ok. Have hot monkey sex with the men I love and then become a werewolf. I'm not seeing any problem here." She stared at me, in fact they all did. It was highly unnerving, and something horrific dawned on me. "What's the big deal? Oh, er, we don't have to have sex while I'm human and they're canid, right?" That would be a problem, and anxiety filled my gut.