by B. N. Kasner
"Three months. After Gene had dragged me from the mating ceremony, we-" Grace cut her off with a sour look on her face.
"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. That's my brother you're going to go into great detail about, and there's no way I wanna know what ya'll were up too." She gagged. "And besides. We get it. Ya'll totally boned."
“Boned?” Ella asked with her face scrunched up. She'd been out in the woods for so long, she was still learning different slang words.
"Boned, fucked, made love. All the same thing. Although I'm pretty sure I was thoroughly fucked that night." She cackled evilly when Grace looked like she wanted to puke. The others, however, found Grace's discomfort funny.
“Fuck you bitches.” They knew she didn't mean it from the smile on her face. “Let's at least move on to someone who isn't my brother.”
"Fine. I'll skip all the juicy details." All three girls laughed while Grace tried to chuck a pillow at Lani. She missed wildly, the pillow landing on the opposite side of the room. "Okay. I'm done with the sex stuff, for now." Grace just groaned.
“How's pregnancy sex?” Annie was on the ball with her topics. It was like she'd come prepared to grill them. Ella's cheeks turned bright red, as she gulped her iced tea down. “That good?”
"Yes." She squeaked. "It's like every time he get's his hands on me. We go at it like animals."
"We are animals, and he couldn't keep his hands off you, to begin with." Grace giggled. She was a lightweight for sure. Somebody was going to have to drive her home.
"True, but now it's both of us. Like we get caught up, and nothing else exists."
"Hell, I already feel like that." The words were out of Lani's mouth before she could pull them back in. Grace looked amused but kept her mouth shut.
“Likewise.” Annie nodded her head, agreeing with Lani. “It's more than mated sex?”
“Heck yes. Goddess, it's freaking fantastic.” Ella's eyes lit up, and her breathing picked up.
“At least ya'll are having sex. I'm just the ugly duckling here.” Grace flopped onto her back. “What's wrong with me?” Shit. She's fucking serious.
"Grace. You're beautiful, and any guy would be lucky to call you his mate. Hell, half the guys in this territory would give their left nut to get close to you."
“I'm glad you're going to be my sister-in-law someday Lani.” Grace leaned onto her elbows to look around at the others. “They wanna fuck me, not spend their life with me.”
“You'll spend your life with your mate. Not these assholes who only want to use you.” Annie piped up. “Trust me. I wish I would've waited for Nathan.” She shook her head before downing her glass of wine. “When I met Nathan I was engaged.” Didn't expect that development. Ella was silent, but good ole Grace didn't disappoint.
“Holy shit. Really?”
“Really.” Annie gave her a sad smile, before continuing. “He'd convinced me to forgo my true mate, saying he loved me more than my mate every could. I was starved for attention and feeling bad about myself. I totally bought it. Hook, line and sinker.” She laughed sadly.
"Then Nathan came to our sleuth trying to smooth things over with the alpha. Something had gone down between his daughter and a member of Dark Oaks. The first time I laid eyes on him, he stormed over to me ready to take me in his arms when my fiancee stood in front of me. The look on Nate's face will haunt me forever.
"It's what snapped me out of whatever fog I was in. Nate wouldn't look at me, talk to me or be within a twenty-foot range of me. I broke off the engagement, following Nate here without him knowing. Everyone thought we were already together. Here I was stuck with a mate who I had betrayed, alone and lost, but I had faith. Slowly but surely I won him over, and everything fell into place.
"Later, I found out Derek, the fiancee, had lost his true mate when he was younger. He felt betrayed by the Goddess, so he set out to ruin other matings. In total, Derek had ten fiancees in ten different sleuths, and no one knew. Last I heard from my mom he'd moved to the east coast because of something with the alpha's daughter. Although the woman was promiscuous."
“Holy mother of pearls.” Ella murmured, her eyes wide. “Who else knows this?”
“Only you girls, Nate, my old sleuth, and parents.”
"Don't worry. We won't tell a soul." Lani crossed her heart. She wouldn't go around telling Annie's deepest, darkest secrets.
“I lost my true mate.” Lani almost didn't hear Grace. Her voice was so soft, scared even. Grace's confidence never faltered.
“But what about...” Ella trailed off.
"Carter?" Lani said aloud. Grace looked like a deer caught in headlights, while the other girls gave her distressed looks. "We were all thinking it. It's not my fault I'm the one who had the guts to ask."
"Nothings going on between Carter and me." Grace seemed upset by that and sadness filled the air.
“We're not the guys, Grace Elaine Dodson.” Annie was breaking out the full name. Shits about to get serious. Well more serious than it already is. “We've noticed how you look at him, and even though that man tries to hide it. He watches you like a hawk. Something's going on.”
"Every time I try to talk to him, or fuck, flirt with him? He tells me to get a life and find someone who's actually interested in me. Carter sleeps with every fucking woman in this territory, but he won't touch me with a ten-foot pole." By the time Grace finished she was yelling. I guess ranting runs in the family. “Let's talk about someone else. So, Lani I heard through the grapevine-"
“You mean Isaiah.” Lani interrupted.
“Yep, that wolf sure has a loud mouth. Anyway, he said Gene asked you to move in with him.”
“Ha.” Lani barked out a laugh. “You think your brother asked me?” Grace just shook her head with a smile.
“He's a bit presumptuous, but he always means well.”
“That's putting it lightly. We don't even know each other.”
“So what? Mason found me in the woods and took me in. No questions asked.”
“And I'm glad things worked out for you, but I'm not in the same situation-”
"No, yours is much worse." Great, all three of them were ganging up against Lani. "You already have that man wrapped around your finger, and you're having his cub. Pup. Baby, shit you know what I mean." Annie waved her hand towards Lani's slightly rounded stomach. "Don't make a decision you're going to regret." After hearing Annie's story, Lani took her advice to heart. She'd already almost lost Gene once. What would she do if she actually lost him?
“How much do you know about our family life?” Grace asked before draining the last of her wine.
“Nothing.” Lani sighed, slumping back into the comfortable leather couch.
“My mom passed when I was only four, and Gene was ten. She was beautiful and apparently I'm just like her.” She gave a smug smile while flipping her hair over her shoulder. It was good to see her confidence coming back. “An extremist anti-shifter group was hunting down shifters all over the country. Mason's dad didn't know they had a faction here and was still allowing unsupervised shifts.
"They hunted her down and killed her. A patrol found her in the north woods. From what I remember my dad was alright for the first year, but after that? Gene raised me. At eleven. All he's every wanted was a family. Unfortunately for me, he took to his role as a father a little too well. He'd give me the world if I asked him, and he'd do the same for you and your child.
"He's always had a soft spot for females and cubs. I'm assuming it has something to do with our mom and then taking me on. If you think I'm a lot to handle now, you should've seen me when I was a kid. I was a hellion." Grace cleared her throat and swallowed hard. "What I'm trying to say is, Gene wants this more than anything. You, the baby, a family. The whole shebang. Don't keep that from him, not when he's already been through more than he should have. Just think about it, okay?"
Lani just nodded her head, too stunned to say anything. She knew Gene was overprotective of Grace, but everything was starting to make
sense. He'd raised her, and by himself. How had an eleven-year-old coped with raising his little sister? And Grace had turned out excellent. She was kind, smart, confident, and beautiful both inside and out.
Thank you, Goddess. It wasn't the first time Lani had thanked the Goddess for Gene, and she was sure it wouldn't be the last time either. There wasn't another person on the earth she wanted to have a family with, not just one baby, but a whole damn pack's worth. After learning about his past, Lani knew she'd be moving in with him. She wanted him to be there for every little kick and craving. All it had taken for Lani to realize it was a swift kick in the ass by Grace.
Chapter Eight
Lani was due to show up at Gene's any moment. He'd planned a romantic date night for the two of them. A candlelight dinner, that he'd prepared himself. None of that takeout shit. He was a real man and could cook for his woman. Not to mention Lani was having cravings. What if the restaurant didn't have or wouldn't make whatever she wanted?
He'd make sure that whatever his mate and baby were craving, they'd get. Come hell or high water. So far she'd been drinking lemonade with every meal and snacking on pickles. It sounded awful to Gene. Although pickles wouldn't be in the Alfredo chicken pasta dish he was currently plating, they were in a tiny bowl on the table. Along with a tall, cold glass of lemonade.
Gene had transformed his dining room into a romantic getaway. Candles, plates that weren't paper, and silverware that wasn't plastic. He didn't have any fine china, but he assumed regular glass plates with a swirl pattern would work just fine. Earlier that day Gene had called Lani to invite her to dinner. It was the first of many date nights to come.
Not to mention, he hadn't seen her in three days. Three long, lonely days. His hand wasn't cutting it anymore. Not after Gene had been buried inside his mate's wet, hot, and tight pussy. He'd been furious and hurt after their night together, but after their living room episode..well, let's just say his hand had been getting a workout.
He willed his erection to go down. The night wasn't about getting laid, but he surely wouldn't turn her down. Instead, the evening was going to be used to persuade Lani into moving in with him. Once she saw how much he was willing to do for her, there was no way she could resist his invitation again. Gene was also head over heels in love with her but knew Lani wasn't ready to hear those three little words yet. So, for now, he was keeping them close to the chest.
Just as Gene put down the napkins, paper, not the cloth ones, that's where he drew the line, the doorbell dinged. Need to give her a key. Lani didn't need to ring the bell to get inside. The home belonged to her as much as it did him. With a key, she'd be able to come and go as she pleased. Hopefully more coming than going.
Opening the door, all Gene could do was stare. She rendered him speechless, hurrying past him to slip off her coat and heels. Damn those heels. They were the same ones from before. Goddess, he hoped no one had seen her. Nobody except him should get to see her looking so sexy.
He was being a possessive beast, but couldn't help himself. Lani was just too damn beautiful, no matter what she was wearing, but that particular look? Holy honey. Looking that tasty should be illegal. Her blue jeans looked painted on they were so tight. The blue shirt matched the blue in her hair, which fell around her face in soft waves.
Her shirt was made out of a clingy material and only had one sleeve. Showing off the soft, bare skin of her slender neck, left shoulder, and arm. Gene wanted to sink his teeth into her neck, leaving his mark on her permanently. He'd picked the soft spot right where her neck and shoulder met. It was high enough that others would see it but still somewhere Lani liked to be kissed. She had a smug smile on her face by the time he dragged his eyes up her body.
“Like what you see?” Lani raised one delicate blonde brow at him.
“Like isn't a strong enough word mate.” He growled inching towards her.
“Then what is?” Love. It was on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't want to chance the playful mood she was in.
"Obsessed." She danced away from him, just as he reached for her. "Woman. Get over here." Lani giggled. His mate was laughing and smiling from ear to ear. Goddess, she's beautiful. She was his reward for everything he'd went through. Gene was getting a chance at the one thing he wanted more than anything. A family. Even if something horrible happened, Gene would make sure he was always present. He wouldn't make the same mistakes his father had. Lani's stomach took that moment to rumble, tinting her cheeks pink in the process.
"Come on woman, and let me feed you and my baby." That damn soft smile was going to be the death of him. She was his whole world and had been since the first moment Gene had laid eyes on her. He couldn't wait to see that smile every day for the rest of his life. All that was left was to convince her to move in. Operation Baby Mama was in full swing.
His table was big enough to fit eight comfortably, with three chairs on each side and one on either end of the table. Most nights Gene ate at the island in the kitchen, but the table had been an investment for when he had a gaggle of kids. He'd set the table so that he was seated at the end chair and Lani beside him to the right. Keeping her within arm's length so he'd be able to reach out and touch her at a moments notice.
"Oh, Gene." She softly whispered, leaning into him. With her back to his chest, Gene wrapped her in his arms. "You did all this?" Lani tilted her head back to look up at him. He just nodded, now wasn't the time to gloat. Not when she was looking at him like he was her world. Goddess, he'd do anything to keep that look on her face. He slowly dragged a hand up Lani's body until he cupped her face. Leaning down Gene gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"I'd do anything for you, Lani. This is just something little to spoil you." She looked like she wanted to cry when he pulled back. "You deserve the world on a silver platter, and I'm going to give it to you." He used his thumb to wipe the tears from under her eyes. "Don't cry sweetheart." The term of endearment rolled off his tongue nicely. Just because Carter used it because he couldn't remember women's names didn't mean Gene couldn't use it for the right reasons.
“You big ole teddy bear.” She laughed lightly. “We're not even going to make it through dinner before I tell you.” Lani shook her head, play scolding him. Gene didn't even try to hold back his smile.
“Tell me what?”
“I..” She turned in his arms, burying her face in his chest. “I'm mhhhn hhhm.”
“I can't hear you when you're mumbling into my chest.” He laughed, rubbing small circles on her lower back. She sighed before resting her chin on his chest, those gray eyes so vulnerable and open.
“I'm moving in.” There was no way he'd heard her right. This seems too easy.
"You're moving in?" His skepticism was evident. Gene didn't want to get his hopes up. His stubborn mate had only taken three days to make up her mind? And in his favor? Maybe dreams do come true.
"Sure am big guy. You ready to make some room for the baby and me?" Her smile was from ear to ear.
"Hell yeah, I am." He laid a quick kiss on her lips. "This is fuckin' amazing." He would've gone in for another kiss, but Lani's stomach rumbled again. "Shit. I have to feed you two." Her giggle washed over him as he led her to the table.
****
Lani had watched Gene fidget in his chair for the last hour. The whole time there was a huge smile on his face. She hadn't meant to eat for an hour, but she was eating for two. She'd been blown away when she'd seen the set up he'd prepared. Candles and actual plates, because she'd learned from Grace that he used paper ones most of the time. But most of all, he had everything she'd been craving.
How the hell did I get so lucky? All throughout dinner, they talked about small things. The weather, her car's sputtering noise, and Corey's football team winning the playoffs. She saw the joy written all over his face, and she's scented it. Relaxing with her mate was nice. This was what being truly happy felt like, and boy could Lani get used to the feeling.
“What changed your mind?” Gene asked
taking her hand in his. She was finally done eating, for now.
“Grace.”
“Oh, not because you wanted too.” His smile faltered, along with the grip on her hand.
"Don't go putting words in my mouth, Gene Dodson." She scolded, keeping his hand tightly within her grip. "She told me about your mom. It made me realize I shouldn't live my life scared of the what ifs."
"Whatever you're scared of, I'll conquer. I'll protect you and our young with my life." This was why she loved him. Her wolf wagged it's tail in her mind, giving her a pat on the back. There was no reason to deny it any longer. Not when her mate was the kind of man people wrote romance books about, abs and all. She wasn't going to be that woman- the one that went back and forth. She loved Gene. Plain and simple.
“I'm scared of something bad happening to you.” Gene was looking at her like she was crazy. Time to explain. “It seems like when a good thing comes along, something bad happens.”
“What do you mean?”
"I can give you an example, but you won't like it." She paused to look up from the beautiful wood table. He just nodded for her to continue. "When Ella left, I was alone and desperate for attention. This guy at school seemed nice, and he liked me. Except after I lost my virginity-" growling cut her off. She gave him an "I told you so" look. The growling continued but at a lower pitch.
"The guy went and told the whole school, and the bullying got so bad, that I had to leave school. Instead I got my GED. The good thing was Ella got out, thank the Goddess, only in the process, I was hurt by the first guy I let into my heart."
"Oh, my beautiful, vulnerable mate." Gene murmured, lifting her hand to his lips to place a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "Don't you see that made you the tough as nails woman you are now?" She'd never looked at it like that. All she'd ever seen was pain and sadness. "That wasn't something bad happening to ruin the good. It was just some dumb-ass guy being, well, a guy. You can't control fate, and everything you've been through has led you straight to me."