“Don’t be ridiculous,” Nikki spat out. “How does one thing have anything to do with the other?” She slapped at the water in frustration. “Of course I believe that you’re competent in your job. I just couldn’t stand by and do nothing while you were being attacked. And I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
“No. You. Won’t.” Butler gnashed each word out slowly.
Alex reached out and grabbed for her hands, turning them over quickly to look at them. He had suddenly scented her blood and realized that she had to have sustained some kind of injury. He damned his anger for distracting him from what was most important—Nikki’s well-being.
“You are injured,” he said angrily, looking down at the scrapes across both of her palms.
Nikki snatched her hands away immediately. “Oh, my goodness! They’re minor abrasions from the tree limb. I did far more damage to that idiot Boyd to get him off of you. These cuts are well worth it and well earned.”
“No.” Alex stopped her, reaching out to take her roughly in his arms. “No injury to you is ever acceptable.”
Butler was at her back immediately, pressing against her tightly as his arms encircled her. “From this moment on, you will listen to what we say and do exactly what we tell you to do,” he told her gruffly.
Nikki pushed at both men with all her strength, gliding out from between them quickly. The water that had soothed her before now impeded her movement, and she angrily waded away from both men.
“Don’t you go anywhere,” Alex called to her as he followed her out of the water.
“Bite me!” Nikki called to them angrily, never stopping or looking back at them.
“Nikki!” Butler called to her, feeling an impending sense of doom as she walked away from them.
She ignored both men as she reached the shore and bent down to pick up her clothes. With short, jerky movements, she pulled on her underwear and sundress and picked up her sneakers, walking away with the intention of getting as far away from both men as fast as she could.
She didn’t get far before she was lifted off her feet by strong arms. “Put me down!” she demanded, kicking out at Butler as he held her tightly against his chest.
To her relief, he did as she asked and put her down. She turned to face him and couldn’t prevent her anger from lashing out at him. She closed her hand into a fist and punched at his chest, swinging out to catch Alex in the arm as he tried to clutch her to him.
“Stop,” Alex growled.
Nikki struggled within their hold until she lost all strength and fell to her knees before them, her breath coming in painful gulps as she fought the fear that filled her.
“Do you have any idea how scared I was when I saw those wolves biting you both?” she told them angrily. “I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing. I had to help you. I couldn’t lose you. I just found you.”
Both men knelt down beside her, their anger dissolving immediately. They reached out and took her hands in theirs, lacing their fingers through hers and touching her face with utmost care.
“Nikki,” Alex whispered. “You have to understand that nothing is more important to us than your safety, darlin’.”
Nikki looked up at him, her light blue eyes wide with emotion. The blue of her eyes held such anguish their hearts broke at the display of her pain.
“I will not be told what to do,” she insisted angrily as her back straightened in defiance. “I will always protect the people I care about.”
“You care about us?” Butler asked quietly.
“Of course I care about you both, you idiot!” Nikki snapped. “Although I might change my mind if you continue to act as if you have the right to tell me what to do.”
“We care about you, too,” Butler whispered, leaning forward to kiss her lips gently.
Alex reached for her right hand and turned it palm side up so he could lave it gently with his tongue. Nikki felt the sting of the cuts ease immediately. When Butler took her left hand and did the same, all pain she had been feeling totally disappeared, and she felt a definite tingling in the healed skin. She looked down at her hands intently, the scientific part of her nature needing to understand the miracle these men seemed to take for granted.
“We’ll always do what we can to take away your pain, sweetness,” Butler told her, smiling through his worry.
“The healing properties in your saliva are amazing,” Nikki told them in awe as she looked down at her already healed palms. Only the light pink scars that covered each palm gave testament to the fact that there had been any injury at all. “Has Drew researched why this happens?”
Alex laughed softly, reaching out to touch Nikki’s cheek lightly before carding his fingers into the wet strands of her hair. “There isn’t much that Doc hasn’t researched. Our saliva can heal others, but it seems to be strongest in healing properties among mates. You’ll see how much once we’ve mated. After we’ve taken you together, we’ll lick your sweet pussy not only to heal your soreness, but also to enjoy hearing you scream our names in ecstasy.”
The vision of the men doing just that slammed through Nikki’s mind, and she inhaled sharply at the jolt of desire that coursed through her. Looking at both men’s smug smiles made her know that they had seen the three of them, naked and satisfied in their big bed.
Pushing out of their arms, she stood and took a step back on shaky legs. “I need some space,” she barely whispered.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Alex told her firmly.
“You will not run away from the visions,” Butler added, just as firmly. “You will stay with us, woman!”
Are they freaking kidding me?
Nikki stood stiffly, her spine straight, her shoulders drawn back as she pulled all of her dignity to the forefront. If she could wish for super powers right then, she would wish for lasers to shoot out her eyes and incinerate these idiots. Well, not incinerate, but burn their asses just enough to get her point across.
“Back the hell off and stay away from me.” She nearly growled the words as she took a step back, her blue eyes flashing with anger. She knew if she didn’t walk away right then she was going to pick up the nearest tree limb and prove to them just how much she was capable of taking care of herself.
Turning, she walked as quickly as she dared without her sneakers on. Only when she had reached the far side of the lake did she stop and sit on the ground to put them on. She took a moment to look toward the men and saw that they were mirroring her movements but were keeping a good distance away.
“Good. Stay away from me right now,” she muttered angrily, standing up and brushing off the backside of her dress before turning and stalking away.
She pushed away the feelings that reached out toward her. She did not want to experience one bit of their emotions. She was madder than she had been in a long time. She wasn’t going to cave. They were not going to treat her like some weakling or someone not worthy of respect. They had to know right now that they couldn’t treat her that way.
It didn’t matter that she loved them beyond reason. It didn’t matter that she wanted to be with them more than she had ever thought possible. Yes, she wanted to be with them and take a chance that she could find the love and the life that she had always secretly wanted. These men might be the men who finally were the ones to give her a future filled with caring, happiness, and babies. But they wouldn’t be if they disrespected her or continued to suffocate her basic need to protect and care for those she loved.
As she stomped angrily through the dense grove of trees to head back toward the ranch, she tried very hard to control her anger and calm down. It didn’t matter that she wanted them both more than she had ever wanted any man in her life. She was going to kick some serious ass if they thought they could rule over her and control her.
As she got closer and closer to the ranch home, she felt herself calming. She pushed away the gentle feelings that kept pushing at her, knowing both men were trying to soothe her through their tremulous bond, bu
t she couldn’t let go of her determination to prove to them that she would be an equal member in this triad—if it was ever going to happen. They were going to have to accept her as she was, damn it!
* * * *
Butler stepped up onto the deck and walked to the lounge chair where Jace sat with Laurie on his lap. Alex took his place beside his triad partner, unable to keep the smile from his face as he saw how Laurie was cuddled against their alpha, her belly gently rubbed as Jace showed love to their cub growing within her. Seeing something like that used to send him into deep sadness, knowing such things were not meant for him and Butler. Now his heart was light, and he knew Butler could sense his happiness at the thought that they would soon be experiencing the same thing with their Nikki.
Butler turned to him and nodded, reaching out to touch his shoulder lightly. “Soon, Alex,” he said quietly.
Alex nodded. He really liked how the bond between them was strengthening and was looking forward to being able to hear Nikki’s and Butler’s thoughts and feel their emotions once they finally claimed her. He wanted to be able to talk to them no matter where they were or what they were doing. He wanted to be able to send his thoughts and feelings to their mate so she would always know that she was loved.
“Nikki came back just a few minutes ago,” Laurie told them both as she rested against Jace’s chest. “What did you two do?”
Alex looked down in shame, but Butler held his ground. “We just told her that she shouldn’t have stepped forward to help us. She could have been injured.”
“Were you outnumbered?” Laurie asked them quietly.
“Yes.” Butler’s voice was hesitant.
“Were you being attacked, Alex?” she continued, waiting for the answer she already knew would come.
“Yes, but I am more than capable of defending myself, Alpha,” Alex protested.
“I don’t doubt that for a minute, Alex. And I know Nikki feels the same way. She knows both you and Butler are capable enforcers.”
“Nikki is more than precious to us,” Butler added. “We explained to her that she was to stay in the water, out of danger.”
“And when she came to your aid, instead of thanking her, you went all macho on her and demanded that she do what you tell her to do. Is that about the gist of what happened?”
Both men nodded curtly, remaining silent.
Laurie removed herself from Jace’s embrace, standing before Alex and Butler. She reached out and touched their arms gently.
“You have to understand that Nikki has been taking care of people her whole life,” she explained softly. “She doesn’t know any other way to be. When she cares about someone, she doesn’t think, she acts. And she couldn’t stop herself from helping you any more than you can stop your hearts from beating. It’s her nature. You need to accept that.”
“Laurie, she could have been hurt worse than she was today,” Alex protested quietly. “What if she tries to help when she’s carrying our cubs?”
Laurie smiled at his words. “Nikki will put your baby’s safety before her own, Alex. She has wanted children for a long time. To find herself pregnant will send her over the moon with happiness.”
Alex turned to Butler and saw the slow smile that crept over his triad partner’s face.
“But you won’t have that future if you continue to prevent her from being who she is,” Laurie cautioned them both softly. She turned and leaned down to kiss Jace’s lips tenderly. “I’m going to go and lie down. Our baby is demanding I take a nap.”
Jace smiled up at her, leaning forward to kiss her belly gently. “Go ahead, sweetheart,” he whispered. “Go rest. You and our cub both need it. It’s been a busy day.”
Laurie nodded and leaned down to kiss him sweetly one last time. Turning, she walked toward the back of the house and slid open the sliding glass door, squealing in surprise as Jackson’s hands reached for her and spun her around to kiss her soundly.
“Where you going, darlin’?” he asked, nuzzling against the side of her face as she laughed against his chest.
“I was going to lie down and take a nap,” she answered breathlessly.
“Want some company?” he teased.
“Now, you know if you come upstairs with me, I won’t get any rest,” she whispered against his neck, kissing it gently.
Jackson’s growl of need filled the air. “Baby, you’ll be naked so fast, you won’t have time to blink,” he warned her as he licked at her neck and bit down on it lightly.
Laurie laughed and hugged him to her tightly before leaning back to look up at him. The smile left his face as he saw the exhaustion that was evident on her face.
“Are you all right, darlin’?”
She nodded, reaching up to kiss his lips lightly. “Just a little tired.”
“Come on, sweetheart,” Jackson said quietly, turning her to guide her inside. “I’ll tuck you into bed and make sure you get some rest.” He turned to look back at Jace and saw him smiling at them. “I’ll be back down as soon as I get our mate settled.”
Jace nodded. Kiss our daughter for me.
Jackson smiled and turned back to follow Laurie into the house, leaving the sliding glass door open. He could think about nothing but following their pregnant mate up to bed.
“Jace, we need to talk to you about building a home on our section of land at the lake’s edge,” Alex spoke up as Jace stood and watched Laurie and Jackson leave them.
“I was hoping you would say that,” Jace told him, turning to smile at him. “Nikki will be a good mate for you both.”
Butler stepped forward and set a comforting hand on Alex’s forearm. “She will,” he agreed. “As long as we let her be herself, we’ll be fine.”
“I don’t know how to step back if she’s going to put herself in danger, Alpha,” Alex spoke up, his voice filled with worry. “I would lose my mind if anything ever happened to her.”
Jace nodded solemnly. “I feel the same way about Laurie, Alex. I can only advise that you try to give her the freedom she needs. Nikki is strong. She’s used to protecting people. But I think she’ll be open to be cautious once she realizes she has all of us to look out for her. Don’t worry too much about it. The Fates know what they’re doing. The three of you will form a triad that was destined, and you will all be exactly what the others need. And I think Laurie is right. When she finds out she’s pregnant, she’ll be more concerned for the safety of your cub and will do everything she can to ensure the cub will be healthy and happy.”
“Cubs,” Butler corrected.
“What?”
“We’ve seen in our visions that Nikki will give us a daughter and a son through her first pregnancy,” Alex explained.
Jace smiled broadly. “That’s wonderful. Her first pregnancy, huh?” he teased.
“We hope there will be more than one pregnancy,” Butler explained hesitantly. “Although, if we don’t apologize to Nikki and sincerely explain that we will try to respect her nature, there won’t even be the one pregnancy.”
Jace laughed as he turned to look out across the lush expanse of the pack land. “Don’t worry. It will work itself out. Now what about your new home? Do you have any ideas for its design?”
“It has to be big enough for a large family,” Alex spoke up immediately. “If Nikki is willing, we’ll be having lots of cubs, starting with twins.”
“We have a blueprint already made up,” Butler added. “We can get it and have it adjusted to make sure that the rooms are big enough and there are enough bedrooms to allow for a growing family.”
“Be sure you consult with Nikki before you finalize the design. Every woman wants to have input in what their home will look like,” Jace cautioned them.
“We will,” Alex promised. “We’ve had this home planned for years, just waiting for our mate to make it a reality. We’ve got enough saved to not have to worry about the expense of the construction itself.”
“The cubs she’s going to bless us with will be what wi
ll make our house a home,” Butler added. “We just have to make sure it will be exactly what she wants as well.”
“Sounds like you two have plans for an outstanding home,” Jace told them, impressed by their thoroughness. “The land you’ve claimed will be perfect for it. The cost of this home sounds like it will be pretty steep though.”
“We have nothing to worry about,” Butler assured him. “It will be well worth the price. It’s going to be great, and Nikki will be the main contributor. We would have no possibility of ever having this home in our future if it weren’t for her.”
The thought of all the cubs running through their home and cuddling with them in their bed on a lazy weekend morning sent a sudden rush of emotions through him. Butler’s heart swelled at the thought of Nikki making their house into a home. He just knew that it would be a home filled with laughter and love because of her.
* * * *
Nikki came down the stairs slowly. She was freshly showered and had changed into her black jeans and red baby-doll top. As she entered the kitchen, she couldn’t help but smile at the sight before her. Martha, Julia, and Tammy were elbows deep in dough.
“What are you guys making?” she asked, stepping toward them and inhaling deeply. There was nothing like the smell of fresh dough.
“We’re making bread,” Martha answered. “Tammy likes raisin bread, Julia likes cinnamon bread, and I like garlic bread, so we’ve decided to make all three.”
“Want to help us, Nikki?” Tammy asked her excitedly.
“Sure, honey,” Nikki answered, smiling happily. “I’ll open the oven door for you when you’re ready, and then I’ll help you eat them when they’re cooked.”
Julia’s burst of laughter made Nikki laugh, too. She stood to the side of the counter and waited while the women worked. The kitchen already smelled so good with just the ingredients of the bread. She couldn’t imagine how much better it would be once the loaves started baking.
Stepping closer to the sliding glass door to make sure she was not in the way of the determined cooks, she closed her eyes and allowed the soft breeze that came through the open door to wash over her.
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