by M H Soars
“This isn’t right,” Artemis mutters, driving a spike through my heart.
“What’s the matter?” I ask.
She doesn’t answer, just keeps staring at my belly with her eyebrows furrowed.
A cackle from outside the perimeter makes my blood run cold. “She won’t tell you, but we will,” one of the Furies says.
“What’s wrong with my baby!” I ask Artemis again.
“Come down, love. Don’t listen to those shrews,” Sam replies.
“Your baby is dead,” the Fury continues.
“Silence!” Athena yells, followed by a grunt.
I don’t know what’s happening out there, but the Fury managed to put fear in my heart.
“She’s lying, right? Tell me she’s lying,” Sam begs Artemis.
The goddess won’t make eye contact with anyone, but once I turn my attention to Dante, my heart stops beating. His solemn expression is clue enough that something terrible has happened.
“Please, Dante. Tell me she’s lying.” I begin to cry.
Artemis places her hand on my belly and reaches inside of me with the other. I cry out when she pulls something out of me slowly. My baby girl. Only there’s no crying.
Dante looks at her tiny, still body and lets out a sob. “No….”
“Give me the girl,” Athena commands, standing tall next to Artemis. I didn’t even see her approach.
“No, I want to hold her,” I say.
Artemis ignores my pleas and hands my daughter to the goddess of warfare. Pegasus returns to his human form and stands next to her, his eyes intent.
“What are you going to do?” he asks.
Athena places her hand on my baby’s chest, and a glowing light forms around her small body. I don’t dare to breathe until I see her arms move. The light fades away, and my baby begins to cry in earnest. Athena smiles, seemingly enamored with my daughter. I can never repay her for bringing her back to me, but I’m also terrified of what her act of kindness means.
“Can I have her?” I ask.
The goddess looks at me and nods. When she places my little girl in my arms, I’m overcome with joy and love.
“Thank you,” I breathe.
“She’s a fighter. She had to live.”
“No! That wasn’t supposed to happen,” Alecto breaks free from her invisible holding, and in the blink of an eye, she launches Athena’s own spear at her.
It goes straight through the warrior goddess’s chest. She glances down, surprised to see the weapon embedded in her, before her knees give out and she collapses on the floor.
“You filthy cunt!” Zeus roars, creating a vortex of the most vicious storm I’ve ever seen. It covers the Furies, savage and merciless, before it rushes them out of the throne room to who knows where.
No one speaks for several beats. I still can’t believe this happened. How did Alecto manage to break free from Zeus’s hold? Why did Athena leave her spear within the Fury’s reach? But all those questions remain stuck in my throat. Zeus is coming in our direction, power crackling. I clutch my baby girl closer to my chest, terrified of what he’s going to do us.
He crouches next to Athena’s body and touches her hair. “My beautiful daughter. Why did it have to be you?”
My own daughter begins to cry in earnest, drawing Zeus’s attention to us. He turns, leveling me with the coldest glare. “I should end you for the disgrace you brought to my house. But my daughter chose to bestow life upon your offspring for a reason. Be eternally grateful for that.”
“I am,” I croak.
“That’s not enough.” Zeus unfurls from his crouch. “You’ll pledge her and your sons to Athena.”
I swallow the huge lump in my throat. That’s the last thing I want for my babies, to be tied to a god, even if it’s a dead one. But looking at the solemn expression on my mates’ faces and then catching the slight nod from Pegasus, I know I don’t have a choice.
“Yes, I’ll pledge my sons and daughter to Athena,” I say with a heavy heart.
Zeus flicks his wrist, and three light blue strings float from it. They wrap around my sons’ and daughter’s wrists before disappearing.
“So it is done,” he declares.
Chapter 20
Red
One moment I’m staring at Zeus’s hard face, and in the next I’m back home, alone in my room, without my babies or my mates. Desperation seizes me. Like a madwoman, I burst through the door.
“Dante! Sam! Tristan!” I scream from the top of my lungs.
The door to the nursery opens and out they come, each holding a baby in their arms. I stop in my tracks, but my heart is still beating at warp speed.
“We’re here, baby.” Sam smiles at me.
I place a hand over my chest. “I was so scared Zeus had lied and taken my babies away.”
“No he didn’t.” Dante stops next to me, holding our daughter. She’s sound asleep and so beautiful. A lump gets stuck in my throat and tears fill my eyes.
“How can you be back on your feet after that ordeal?” Tristan inspects me from head to toe.
It’s then that I realize I not only feel great, but my body is back to how it was pre-pregnancy. And most importantly, I’m fully clothed.
“I think Zeus did more than just bring us back,” I reply.
“Do you think everything has returned to normal?” Sam stares at me with a little apprehension in his eyes.
“The nursery has, and Zeus dealt with those b—with the Furies,” Tristan replies.
“They can’t understand you yet.” I smile at this attempt to cover the swear word.
“I know, but soon they will. We have to practice. Do you want to hold him?” He comes closer.
“We need to give them names,” Dante says.
“I know. How about naming one of the boys after your father?” I ask.
My mates trade a glance among themselves, and I catch the unspoken message. “What?”
“We thought about it, but we think it might make Mom more sad than happy. I don’t think she’s recovered completely from his death.”
“Oh, okay.” I glance at my son, so pink and chubby with a hint of blond hair on his head. “You look like a Jude to me.”
“Ugh, not Jude,” Sam whines.
But the baby smiles in his sleep. “Shush, he likes it,” I say.
“I like Jude,” Tristan replies.
“Me too,” Dante chimes in.
“Fine, you can name him Jude, but then I get to pick the name of this little fella here.” Sam kisses the top of his head.
I narrow my eyes. “Only if it’s not a ridiculous name.”
“He looks like… Lochie.” Sam smiles cheekily, showing his adorable dimples.
“You’re not naming him after a Marvel character,” I grumble.
“Not Loki with a K, L-O-C-H-I-E,” Sam replies.
“Potato, potahto. It sounds exactly the same,” Tristan retorts.
“Hmm, I don’t know. Loki was a Norse god. It would be a snub to the Greek gods if we named him after such an infamous Norse deity,” Dante replies.
“Exactly.” Sam grins victoriously.
“I suppose it’s not a bad name,” I relent.
“All right. Lochie Wolfe it is.” Sam peers down at our son with a radiant smile.
“How about our little girl? What are we going to call her?” Tristan asks.
I grin, knowing exactly the perfect name for her. “Diana.”
“You know Diana is the Roman name for Artemis, right?” Dante says.
“I know. A part of me wants to keep hating her, but she did come to help us in the end. I don’t think the babies or I would have survived if she hadn’t appeared at the last minute.”
“I can’t argue with that logic. And also, after what you went through to bring them to the world, you could name her Merengue if you wanted to.” Tristan smirks.
I try to glower, but the corners of my lips twitch up, giving me away.
“So it’s sett
led, then. Diana, Jude, and Lochie. Welcome to the family,” Sam declares.
“Red! Are you there?” Kenya’s loud voice booms from the entry hall.
In unison, our daughter and sons begin to cry in earnest.
“Nice job, Kenya,” Sam mutters.
“Oh my God! Do I hear babies?” Her voice is getting closer. Soon she reaches the landing of the second floor, breathless and disheveled.
“Hi.” I turn to her
“Red, oh my God. You’re okay.” Her eyes are round and bright as she approaches. “When did this happen?”
“When we were forced to attend a meeting at Mount Olympus,” I reply.
“Holy fucking shit. You went to Mount Olympus? Who did you see?”
“Hey, language,” Tristan complains.
“Bite me, wolf boy. After the hellish night I just had, I can curse as much as I want to. Besides, the babies can’t understand anything.”
“What’s the last thing you remember?” I ask.
“Getting turned into a miniature toy. Then I woke up in my bed, in PJs, as if the whole thing had been a nightmare. But it happened, right? The Furies were really here wreaking havoc.”
“Yes, but Zeus took care of them,” I say.
“He did? Oh my God. I can’t believe you met him. Who else was there?”
“We had the displeasure of meeting Athena, Apollo, Hades, Ares, and Dionysius,” Tristan sneers.
“Really? Wow, I would have loved to be there.”
“No you wouldn’t,” the four of us say at the same time.
“Crap on toast. What happened to Zeke and Billy?” I ask.
“I just saw Billy heading to class. He seemed normal.”
“He didn’t say anything to you?” I watch her closely.
“No. Why? Should he?”
“Maybe he doesn’t remember going to the Wastelands,” Dante muses. “If Zeus fixed everyone’s memories, then it’s like last night never happened.”
“We should call the bakery to make sure Zeke is okay.”
“So your babies were born at Mount Olympus?” Kenya peers down at Jude.
“Yeah, in Zeus’s throne room to be exact,” I say.
“So they’re Olympians.” She grins at me.
“Ugh, I hadn’t thought of that.”
“They’re Wolfe, and that’s all that matters,” Tristan declares with a lift of his chin.
Indeed, that’s all that matters—for now anyway. Who knows when Zeus will come back to impose the pledge I was forced to make.
Six months later…
I take my time in the shower, enjoying the moment of peace. Being a mom of three active and loud babies has taken every single waking moment of my life in the past six months, even with my mates’ help. I’m sleep deprived and tired as hell, but I wouldn’t trade my life right now for anything in the world. I didn’t know I was capable of loving someone as fiercely and unconditionally as I love Diana, Lochie, and Jude.
But finally, I was able to carve up an entire afternoon sans kids thanks to Billy and Nadine, who volunteered to babysit with Dr. Mervina’s supervision. Not that I don’t trust the teens, but three babies are a lot of responsibility.
I’m supposed to meet with Kenya, but when I get out of the bathroom, a find a very naked Sam in our bed. He has a red rose in his hand and a very obvious erection. Heat surges straight from core, and my appointment with Kenya is forgotten.
“Hello, gorgeous. I’ve been waiting for you.”
“What are you doing here? I thought you were meeting with the guys?” I step closer to the bed, unable to ignore the pull.
I was afraid that after the babies were born, my libido would plummet. But I still yearn for my mates with as much fervor as before. I’m glad that wolf shifters can only conceive during heat, because with how hard we practice making babies, I’d be knocked up again by now.
“I heard Billy and Nadine are playing house with the kids, so I postponed my meeting with my bandmates.” His eyes travel the length of my body, making me even hotter. “Whatcha got under that towel, love?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I raise an eyebrow.
Sam sits at the edge of the bed and reaches for me. “Yes, I’d very much like to know.” He glides the rose over the swell of my breasts and caresses my leg with his free hand, moving up until he reaches the apex of my thighs.
I close my eyes and let out a moan. When a low growl sounds in the room, I know it didn’t come from Sam. Tristan is here. The bedroom door closes with a soft click. I glance in his direction, finding him already loosening his tie. Damn, he’s sexy.
Sam’s fingers sweep over my clit, making me focus on him again. “It’s seems it’s a double treat afternoon delight.”
My lips curl into a grin. “No, it’s a triple treat.”
Dante comes into the room in the next second. I sensed him when he came bursting through the manor’s front door.
“Did I miss anything?” he asks.
“As you can see, I’m still wrapped in my towel, so no,” I reply.
Tristan kisses my neck, and with a yank, the towel drops to the floor. “Problem solved,” he whispers in my ear, making goose bumps run down my arm.
Sam doesn’t waste any time. He nudges my legs apart and sweeps his tongue across my clit. I throw my head back and close my eyes, trying to remain standing. Tristan continues to kiss my neck while playing with a breast. Dante latches onto my other nipple, running circles around the tight nub until my head feels light. I grab a fistful of Sam’s hair and urge him to lick faster. My mates have turned me into a veritable nymphomaniac, and I’m totally okay with it.
I’m about to come when Sam pulls back, and Dante and Tristan do the same.
“Why did you stop?” I ask.
“Switch,” Sam replies with a wicked smile.
He scooches back, leaving room for Dante, Tristan, and I to join him in bed. They flip me on my back, and now it’s Tristan between my legs, sucking and fucking me with his fingers. I arch my back, stretching my arms toward Sam and Dante, who are on each side of me. I can’t simply receive and not give back, so I wrap my fingers around their lengths and have my fun with them.
Time seems to not have any meaning as I get lost in the lust-infused fog of mating. With each stroke of Tristan’s tongue against my clit, I move an inch closer to the edge. But like Sam did before, he stops right before I take the plunge.
“Oh come on,” I whine.
“Switch” is his reply.
I swear to God, they’re doing this on purpose to torture me. I’m so horny right now that a hot breath near my pussy would probably shatter me into pieces. But I too can play this game. Instead of letting Dante take Tristan’s place, I get on my knees and push him on his back.
“Red, what are—” His reply is cut short when I straddle him, bringing his cock to my entrance.
“It’s my time to lead.” I lower myself, and Dante slides in. He lets out a growl, grabbing my hips. Naturally, he tries to set the pace, but I’m an alpha too, so I grab his wrists and take control of the situation. “I said I’ve got this. Are you going to behave?”
“Yes,” he breathes.
“Good.” I lift my face to Tristan and Sam, who are busy stroking themselves. “Come here, you two.”
They surround me, showering me with kisses and caresses. I replace their hands on their cocks with mine while I ride Dante. It takes a few seconds to find my rhythm, but when I do, there’s no stopping me. No more switching until I say so. When Dante gets even larger inside of me, I increase my pace, knowing he’s just as close to an orgasm as I am. Tristan’s and Sam’s grunts make me pump their shafts faster as well. They come almost at the same time, and not much later, I’m screaming in unison with Dante.
My entire body shakes as I ride my climax. It seems to me the more often we do it, the longer they last. Not that I’m complaining. I don’t stop moving my hips until I’m completely boneless, and then I slide off Dante in a not so graceful wa
y and close my eyes.
Three pairs of arms hug me, forming a warm cocoon of bliss. I refuse to move, even when I hear my phone ring on the nightstand. It’s Kenya’s signature ringtone, so I let it go to voice mail. I’ll ask for forgiveness later. I’ve more than earned every precious moment with my mates, and this is a right I’ll never give up.
* ALMOST THE END. THE NEXT CHAPTER CONTAINS A SMALL CLIFFHANGER FOR THE WOLVES OF CRIMSON HOLLOW SPIN-OFF SERIES. *
Chapter 21
Red
I don’t wake up from my post-sex nap until much later. It’s already past six in the evening, and the loud voices of visitors are what finally jar me awake. I nudge the guys so I can lean on my elbows.
“What time is it?” Dante asks with a yawn.
“Ten past six. It sounds like we have company,” I reply.
“Oh yeah. Mom invited some friends over for cake,” Tristan replies.
“Cake? Are we celebrating something?”
“The triplets’ six-month birthday,” Sam replies.
I furrow my brow. “I didn’t know we were doing that.”
“It was Zeke’s idea.” Sam chuckles.
I roll my eyes. “Of course it was. He’s just trying to get business for his bakery.”
Despite that, the prospect of a birthday cake from the imp’s establishment is enough for me to get going. I push Tristan out of the way and run to the shower. My mates follow me a few minutes later, but I jump out before they can corner me there. It’ll only lead to more sex, and it would be rude to leave our guests waiting. Plus, I’ve already pissed off Kenya enough for one day.
I’m the first one down, and of course, the first person I see is her. She crosses her arms and tries to level me with a glare.
“You have some explanation to do, Red.”
“I’m sorry. Something came up.” I avoid her gaze.
“Something, right. Just say you stood me up for a sausage party.”
“What sausage party? Are we having hot dogs?” Billy comes in carrying Jude in his arms. Nadine follows him with Lochie.