by Marla Monroe
“No, it’s not a problem. There are very few female wolfen, so we almost always mate with humans. It’s our way of life. We sense our mate, pursue her, and take her as our mate. Normally we would spend more time getting to know each other, but the circumstances of how we met pushed us to move faster,” Erik said.
“What do you mean?”
“The fact that Tommy attacked you and that you were working in that place spurred our wolves into overdrive. We needed to get you out of that, and we didn’t want any other man to touch you. Kay closing down the brothel and helping you ladies with opening up the bar has helped, but all we can think about is you working with all kinds of men surrounding you. Our wolves won’t take it as long as we’re not mated yet. It will be hard once we are, but we can handle it since we’ll know you are ours.” Dax ran his fingers through her gorgeous hair. He loved how it curled slightly around her face.
“There’s just so much I have to deal with. I have my sister and Mom to think about. I can’t leave them all alone. Your cabin is a long way from them.”
“We don’t like you or them living in that dump all alone and out in the middle of nowhere either. We want to move them closer to us. They can’t know about us, Jeanie, but if we move them to one of the houses at the edge of the wolfen community, they’ll be closer to you and much safer. What do you think about that?” Erik asked.
“Moving them would make me very happy, but we don’t have the money to move right now, and I doubt we could afford the new place. I’ve seen some of those houses, and they’re expensive-looking.”
“They belong to the wolfen community, Jeanie. We use them for families like yours to keep them close, but not too close that it’s hard to keep our secrets. The rent will be the same, and we’ll help you move them there. You don’t have to worry about the cost,” Dax said.
“I’m not taking your charity. I pay my own way.”
Dax nearly laughed out loud at the outrage that colored her face a cute shade of pink. She was so cute when she was angry.
“What are you laughing at?” she demanded.
“You’re irresistible when you’re angry,” he said with a grin.
“This isn’t funny. Stop laughing at me.”
“I’m not laughing at you, hon. I’m laughing at how cute you are,” Dax said.
“Stop it, Dax. You’re making it worse.” Erik pulled Jeanie into his arms. “It’s not charity. They’re your family, so they’re ours. We’ll help get you settled in the new house, and that way your sister and mom will always be safe.”
“That still smells like charity to me. We don’t take charity.”
Dax sighed. She would resist their help. He should have anticipated that and figured out a better way to put it to her. There was nothing for it now. He had to figure out a way to get around her sensitivities about moving them there.
“Let’s not argue about it for now. You need to rest. It’s nearly midnight. We all need to sleep.”
“I’m not changing my mind, Dax. We’ll save up money and move once we have enough to cover the utilities for moving.” Jeanie seemed determined to have the last word. He gave it to her.
“Come to bed, hon.” Erik drew her toward the bed by one hand.
He helped her climb up and then settled next to her while Dax climbed in on the opposite side. He spooned her, burying his face in her hair to inhale her sweet smell that was part lavender and part vanilla. Erik pulled her arm over his side so that she spooned him. This was what he wanted for all three of them. They belonged together, and making that happen was all that was important to him in that moment.
It didn’t take long for Jeanie’s breathing to even out into sleep. The combination of the warm lavender-scented bath and the warm milk had settled her despite her brief flash of anger. He thought back over the entire day and the events of the night and realized they’d made it over one hurtle with her accepting their wolves without running screaming from the room. It didn’t mean they were through the worst of the situation though. She could still refuse to mate with them.
Dax’s wolf paced inside of him, a snarl evident in his mind. The wolf wouldn’t take no for an answer. If he and Erik couldn’t convince her to mate with them, his wolf would go insane. He and Erik would have to be put down so that they didn’t harm someone. They’d fight anyone who touched or got near Jeanie. They needed to talk to their Alphas about the situation.
Finally, Dax began to wind down and relax. He could hear Erik’s soft snore and smiled. No doubt they both snored. That thought followed him into sleep.
Chapter Ten
“Well, that went better than I thought it would,” Erik told Dax.
They’d just talked to their Alphas concerning their situation. Shade had chastised them for not coming to them from the beginning so they could mitigate the situation. He’d told them that they’d pushed Jeanie too hard considering what she’d already been through. Cain had said that had Kay not begun to feel the effects of the mating heat early, they would have courted her longer.
“I guess. I felt like a young pup the entire time,” Dax said with a grimace.
“Me, too. They have a valid point that we’ve got to back off some and let Jeanie make up her mind without our influence, or she’ll resent us later. The mating heat hasn’t affected her. I’m a little worried about that.” Erik ran a hand over his face.
“She is our mate.”
“I know that. My wolf knows that.”
“Why isn’t she feeling at least a little of the heat?”
“I don’t know,” Erik finally admitted. It had worried him, as well.
“We can’t push her, Erik. If we do, we could lose her.”
“I know that, as well.”
Dax paced in the front room of the pack house. Erik could feel his bondmate’s conflicting emotions as if they were his own. Maybe they were. He was frustrated as hell about the entire situation. He wanted to mate Jeanie as soon as possible, but part of him knew he had to take it slow and let her come to her decision on her own. If he knew for certain that it would mean she agreed to be their mate, he could relax, but the circumstances weren’t normal in the least.
“Do we back all the way off or continue courting her?” Dax asked.
“We continue taking her out and spoiling her. It’s our only chance of winning her love. If she doesn’t accept us, we’re screwed.”
“I sure hated leaving her at her and her family at that house today. It’s not safe for them there.” Dax sighed and plopped down in one of the chairs.
“So did I. We’ve got to convince her it’s for her mom and sister’s safety for when she’s working. That’s our best hope of convincing her. She’ll come closer to caving if it involves her family.”
“I can’t believe we finally find our mate and she’s resistant to our charms.”
“Smartass. Dax, you’re going to have to be careful about what you say around her until she’s ours and she’s used to your way.” Erik loved his bondmate, but the man could stick both feet in his mouth better than anyone else he knew.
“I know. I’m trying to think before I say anything, but sometimes it just comes out.”
“Let’s take something to them for supper tonight and stay there to spend time with her mom and sister. They’re the way to getting her to commit to us,” Erik suggested.
“Good idea, but her sister cooks most of the time for them. We’ll need to get their a little early so they don’t already eat.”
“Good point.”
The two of them left the pack house and drove into town to grab something to take over to Jeanie’s for supper. Erik prayed that she’d be happy to see them. His wolf paced inside of him, anxious to see his mate. Erik was just as anxious without the damn wolf adding to his mood.
* * * *
Jeanie opened the door, surprised to see Erik and Dax standing there with several bags in their arms. Whatever they were, the scent of food wafted from them.
“I wasn’t expecting yo
u,” she told them, fiddling with her hair.
“Sorry, we didn’t know how to get in touch with you to let you know we were coming over and bringing supper. We thought we’d visit here with your family tonight.” Dax walked inside, followed by Erik.
She looked a mess. She’d been helping Tilly clean house and hadn’t taken a shower yet. It took all of her control not to sniff at her underarms to see if she smelled. They’d be able to smell no matter if she kept out of their way or not. They were wolves.
She’d been struggling with that all day long. At first, she tried to talk herself out of the fact, telling herself she’d had an elaborate dream and it hadn’t been real, but Jeanie wasn’t one to run from the truth. It had been real, and the two men in front of her were wolf shifters. They really did turn into wolves.
Where do I stand on this? Can I accept it and still have a relationship with them?
Jeanie didn’t know. She was conflicted over the entire thing and confused about her feelings for them. How could she want to be with two men, much less two wolf shifters? Why did her body ache for them and seem to come alive any time they were near? Was she in love with them and hadn’t accepted it yet? It all circled in her head like a never-ending tape. Flashes of what she’d seen when Erik had turned into the wolf haunted her.
“We were about to start on cooking, so I guess you got here at the right time.” She crossed her arms over her chest and led the way into the kitchen where Tilly was looking in the refrigerator.
“Hey, the guys brought food, so we don’t have to cook.” She watched as Tilly jumped up and closed the fridge.
“That’s great. I wasn’t looking forward to cooking after we tackled the house today anyway. Thanks, guys.” Tilly grinned and helped them unload the bags on the counter.
“Tilly, I’m going to go ahead and take a shower. You can have yours once I’m finished.” Jeanie needed to get away from the two men for a few minutes. Just their scent was driving her mad.
“Sure. I’ll get things ready in here, and then after I’ve showered we can eat. Check on Mom before you do though.” Tilly smiled as Jeanie nodded and turned to leave the kitchen.
“I’ll go with you to see your mom.” Dax took her hand in his and squeezed it.
“Um, okay. If she’s asleep, I won’t wake her though.”
“I understand. Is she doing better?” he asked as they walked down the hall to her mom’s room.
“Yeah, actually she is. She’s getting stronger every day.”
Jeanie peeked into her mom’s room and noticed that she was sitting up in the bed reading something. She smiled and knocked before walking into the room with Dax behind her.
“Hey, Mom. You look pretty rested. How are you feeling?” she asked.
“I feel pretty good. I was just reading a magazine. You girls have been so busy cleaning house that I got bored. I don’t feel like napping as much as I used to.” Jeanie’s mom smiled at her and gave Jeanie’s hand a soft squeeze. “Now who is this?”
“Mom, do you remember Dax? He and Erik are from up on the mountain. We’ve become good friends.” She wanted to tell her mom more, but she wasn’t going to speak in front of Dax.
“I remember. It’s so nice to have you here. I’ve worried that she’d lost all her friends when I got sick. She and Tilly have taken such good care of me but at the expense of their own lives. Now that I’m better, I want them to get out more.”
“Erik and I plan to make sure she does and Tilly, too. We’re hoping you’ll feel like going out with us some, as well.”
“Thank you, but you don’t need an old woman tagging along.” Jeanie’s mom waved it off.
“Mom, I’m about to take a shower before supper. The guys brought takeout for us. It smells great. Maybe you’ll feel like sitting at the table with us for a while.”
“I’m sure I will. Go on and wash up. I’ll keep your young man company for a little bit.”
“I’d love to talk with you. Maybe you can tell me some embarrassing stories about Jeanie when she was young.”
“Dax! No, Mom. Don’t you dare.” Jeanie couldn’t help smiling when her mom laughed and clapped her hands together.
“Oh, do I have some doozies for you. Have a seat so I don’t have to strain my neck looking up at you.”
Jeanie cringed at what all her mom could tell Dax. No doubt she’d fill him full of stories about her and Tilly when they’d been younger. They’d never been in real trouble but had been mischievous and curious to a fault. The things they’d gotten into had been crazy, but she supposed most of them were funny now looking back.
She left Dax with her mom and hurried to shower and change so that Tilly could clean up, as well. Her younger sister was alone with Erik though she barely knew the man. Jeanie hoped she didn’t feel uncomfortable.
By the time she’d finished, dried off, and dressed, Jeanie had worked herself up into a state of anxiety over leaving the two men alone with the two most important people in her life. What could go wrong? Everything. Erik and Dax were wolf shifters. What if they lost control and shifted in front of her sister or mom? Would they attack them or act as Erik had around her the night before?
She fairly ran from her room into the kitchen to find Erik and Tilly laughing at something as they set the table.
“Where’s Dax?” She tried to stifle her rapid breathing, but she knew they’d be able to tell that she’d run into the room.
“He’s talking with Mom. I just checked on them, Jeanie. What’s wrong?” Tilly asked.
“Nothing. I was trying to finish so that you could take a bath. I’ve got this now. You go ahead.” Jeanie sighed at seeing that nothing she’d feared had come to pass.
“Be back in a jiffy.” She walked out of the room still smiling.
“What’s wrong, Jeanie? I can hear your heart racing and smell fear on you.”
“Nothing. I just let my imagination get the best of me. I’m fine now.” She took over filling the glasses with ice.
“You were afraid we’d attack Tilly and your mom, weren’t you?”
“I-I didn’t know what to think. I don’t know you very well, and they’re all I have. I’m sorry, but I’m scared, Erik.”
“Of us? After what we’ve shared?” he demanded.
“No, yes. I don’t know. I’m just scared that something’s going to happen to screw everything up. For the first time in years, things are going good for us. Mom is improving, Kay’s gotten us out of the prostitute business and into legitimate jobs, and I seem to be falling in love with two men who act like they love me and want only the best for me. Forgive me if I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. Something will screw it all up. It frightens me,” she admitted.
“Jeanie. We would never harm you or your family. In fact, we want to protect all of you. This house isn’t safe outside of town like it is. I’m surprised you haven’t been broken into when there have been numerous break-ins all over the place. What are you going to do when you’re working again and your mom and sister are here by themselves?” Erik cupped her cheek in one palm.
“Worry. I always worried while I was at work before. I guess it won’t be any different now.”
“Don’t you want to keep them safe?”
“Of course I do. That’s why we have two locks on the door and all the windows stay locked. I worry about them all the time when I’m not with them.”
“Then let us move them into one of the houses at the foot of the mountain. They belong to the pack and are used for family. It’s not anything special just for you and yours—it’s what we do to ensure they’re safe. I promise it’s not charity but peace of mind for us and for you.”
“I don’t know. I’ll think about it. Tilly will be down in a few minutes. I’m going to go get Mom up and bring her in here.” Jeanie took a step back and Erik dropped his hand.
Dax smiled and stood up when Jeanie walked into her mom’s room. From the wide grin, she was sure her mom had regaled him with more than a few stories.
She was positive she’d be blushing all during supper.
“Thanks for entertaining him, Mom. Now I’ll never hear the end of it. Are you ready to get up to eat?” she asked.
“It was nice talking with you. I’ll let you two get ready.” Dax waved at her mom before closing the door behind him.
“Please tell me you didn’t tell him about the swimming pool incident.”
“I might have let that slip. I can’t remember what I told him, dear. He’s such a nice young man. He said Erik is your boyfriend, as well. Are you sure you want to date two men at one time, dear? That’s not very conventional.” Her mom’s expression wasn’t one of censure but of concern.
“I know, Mom, but I like them equally. I care about them, and they treat me like a queen. I’m just not sure where it’s going, though. We’ll see.” She shrugged. Jeanie helped her mom put on a robe, and then brushed her hair before helping her mom add some color to her face in the form of blush and lip gloss.
“Thank you, dear. It will be good to sit up and visit with your young men. I’m so glad you’re dating now. I’ve been so worried about you and Tilly. You’ve spent all your time caring for me. It’s time you take some time for yourself.”
“Don’t worry about it, Mom. We will. With the changes to the bar I’m working at, there might be an opening for Tilly to cook soon. I want her to go to chef school, but it’s expensive and we just don’t have the money. It breaks my heart.”
“Mine, too, honey. She keeps telling me she doesn’t want to cook fancy food, just good home cooking, but I worry.”
“I’ll worry about Tilly—you worry about getting well and getting all your strength back.”
“Two men, Jeanie? Are you sure?” her mom asked again.
“Yeah. I’m sure.”
Chapter Eleven
“Wow! I never expected such a big crowd for the grand opening,” Jeanie told Kay.
“Me either, but there really isn’t anything nearby. Most of the men here are from outside the area. Only a few are old customers, so I’m not expecting much trouble. Especially with the security we have.”