by Lori King
What? I like cream on my berries, baby girl. Now get your ass in gear so that we can get to the fun part.
On my way, big guy.
“Thank you,” Shandi whispered to the women surrounding her, unable to find more voice than that.
“Thank you, Shandi, for making my brothers so happy,” Whitney said, giving her a swift hug. “Now, we have to get you to the altar, or they will think you aren’t coming!”
She was led outside and into a waiting car that she didn’t recognize. Caroline, Barbara, and Victoria piled in with her, and they drove the few minutes to the Alphas’ cabin.
When the car stopped, Shandi was frozen in her seat. The front yard of the Alphas’ cabin was set up beautifully for a wedding. There was an arbor covered in familiar-looking yellow roses, and pink carnations, and two dozen wooden benches filled with all of the pack members. She even caught a glimpse of Jen and Lily in one of the front rows. Her eyes landed on two blond Viking heads as they made their way to the front of the gathering and waited patiently next to the minister from Caroline’s wedding yesterday.
Shock and nerves left Shandi sitting still in the car, shaking like a leaf as Caroline and Victoria climbed out. Barbara seemed to understand Shandi’s need for a minute, and she sat next to her quietly, watching the scene in front of them.
“Shandi, all of my life, I have wished for true love. I have wished for a man that not only loved me, but respected me, and cherished me. I thought I found that once, but he broke my heart and left me to raise a child by myself. The day he left I thought my life was over, and I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to go on.” Her mother paused, and drew in a shaky breath. “I found myself again the day you were born. You were my perfect little princess. You became my entire life, and all I have ever wanted is for you to be happy. I need to know, Shandi, do they make you happy?”
That one question splintered the ice encasing Shandi’s body, and she felt the warmth of Rafe and Ryley’s love for her. Sending out her thoughts to her men, she closed her eyes silently.
I love you guys.
We love you, too, baby girl, and although I know we probably should have asked first, we want to marry you, and live happily ever after with you.
Angel, we wanted this to be a special day for you. We both love you so much, that we couldn’t leave you behind tomorrow without making you our legal wife. We want you to know that this is forever.
Thank you.
Now would you get your ass down here, baby girl?
Shandi opened her eyes to find her mother’s glassy purple eyes focused in on her nervously. “They make me happier than anything else I’ve ever experienced. I love them from the bottom of my soul, and I can’t live without them.”
Barbara’s face broke into a wide grin, and a tear spilled down her cheek. “Well, then let’s go get you married, sweetheart!”
Shandi waited while Barbara pushed open the car door and was helped out of the car by Devin, who looked immaculate in his dark tux. He offered Shandi a hand next, and helped her out of the car, carefully avoiding shutting her dress in the door.
“Shandi, I know you don’t have a father to walk you down the aisle, so I would be honored if you would allow me and Damon to do it,” Devin said, holding out his arm to her.
She smiled back at him. “I would be honored to have you both with me.”
Damon came up on her other side, and they led her down the aisle to her Happily Ever After.
Epilogue
From her place on the front porch of the Alpha’s cabin, KJ watched as her brothers said their goodbyes to their new wife, Shandi. In just a few brief moments they would be gathering their stuff and loading up in the black SUV’s that lined the drive way. Their destination was Quiver Creek, Wyoming, and their goal was to help bring her parents back to the Gray Pack den.
KJ’s heart ached with sadness, as Ryley and Shandi both waved at her and smiled, while Rafe glared daggers in her direction. Instead of returning their friendly gesture, she rolled her eyes and turned away. There was no point in getting to know these people. She wouldn’t be sticking around here. Once Mom and Dad were settled in with the Gray Pack, she would be free to set out on her own. There would be no one to tell her when she could come and go, no rationing of food and supplies, and no male rogues threatening her with a possible mating. Katie Jo Whetstone would finally be able to be her own person.
Walking through the Alpha’s cabin into the kitchen she was brought up short as the sexiest man she had ever seen came sauntering in from the kitchen. His eyes were a dark muddy brown, and his equally dark brown hair was cut neatly to match his perfectly groomed mustache and goatee. Lean but muscular, KJ guessed he stood at least six foot two. The thought drifted through her brain, that her head would tuck perfectly under his chin, and against his hard chest. Shaking herself hard, her eyes widened as his scent filled her nostrils, and her wolf began howling in her head.
Panic gripped her chest, and her lungs constricted. This stranger was her mate. There was no other explanation for this kind of reaction. No, she thought to herself as she jerked her gaze away from the sinfully good-looking man, I can’t have a mate yet, I have to find myself first.
The stranger chose that moment to turn his head and meet her gaze. She could feel his eyes drifting down her body, and a red flush creeping up her throat and cheeks. As he brought his head up and their eyes locked, she felt her knees tremble, and her pussy clench. His pupils dilated as his body reacted to its perfect mate, and she swallowed hard as he took a step in her direction.
Without a second thought, she spun on her heel and ran for the front door. She pushed past Damon Gray who was coming in from the other side, and left a wide berth between her and her new brothers. She couldn’t handle family time right now. As she shot into the woods, she instinctively shifted into her wolf form, feeling her clothing rip away from her body, as she landed on four paws.
As always the smell of the earth was coupled with the fragrance of the trees, and she breathed deeply trying to clear her brain. Her mate. That’s who the stranger was. It was the only reason for her wolf to go this haywire based on his scent alone.
She ran for a few more moments, before she slowed to an easy canter, and then dropped to her belly in the middle of a clearing. After a few more blissful moments of solitude she heard the sounds of wolves behind her. Rafe, Ryley, and Shandi all burst forward in wolf form, coming to an abrupt stop in the small clearing she stood in.
Shifting into their human skin, Shandi and Ryley shared a glance before moving cautiously towards her. KJ shifted into her human form, and planted her hands on her hips giving them an angry glare.
“Why did you follow me?”
Ryley’s hands went up as if to hold her off, and he shook his head. “Whoa there, tiger. You looked upset.”
“So?” Maybe they were actually concerned about her.
“We just wanted to make sure you were okay, KJ,” Shandi said softly from where she had stopped a few feet away.
KJ stared at her new sister in law in amazement, and then movement caught her attention as Rafe shifted into his human skin.
“Come on. She’s clearly fine.” He snapped at Shandi and Ryley who both looked torn between following his orders and comforting her.
“Rafe—” Shandi started, but KJ held her hand up.
“I got upset because the cabin was too full of people. I don’t like crowds. I needed some space,” KJ said staring into her big brother’s eyes. The glacial blue orbs narrowed in on her, and he shook his head.
“Bullshit,” he said refusing to release her gaze.
Shock rippled through her. “Excuse me?”
“I call bullshit on you. Something more than a crowded cabin happened to you, but if that’s how you want to spin it—” he said, shifting his weight onto his heels as he crossed both arms in front of his massive chest.
KJ turned her head into the soft breeze as she processed his words. She wanted desperately to come clean
and tell him that she had just stumbled into her soul mate, but if anyone knew, they would push the two of them together. She just needed some time to process it all before she introduced herself to the man fate wanted her to spend the rest of her life with.
Turning back to the trio, she shrugged. “What do you care?”
Ryley and Shandi both groaned as an evil grin spread over Rafe’s face. “I don’t care, but my mate does. If she wants you happy, then I’ll do my damnedest to keep her happy.”
“No one needs to worry about me. I’ve been taking care of myself for years,” KJ said, trying to ignore the tightness in her chest.
“But now you have a whole pack of family to help you,” Shandi said.
KJ barked out a laugh. “No I don’t. I thought that maybe there was a chance I would find a family here, but that was a hopeless bit of optimism. Instead I found doubt, and anger, not to mention ridicule.”
“What?” Ryley snarled, and KJ stared at him in silent shock. “What the hell do you mean ridicule? Who’s fucking with you?”
The sting of tears in her eyes irritated KJ as she swallowed hard trying to control her reaction to his protectiveness. “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I know my place around here. I need your help saving our mother’s life. If we don’t figure out what’s wrong with her soon, she will probably die.”
“We’re already leaving our brand new wife to come save the day for your parents, what more do you want from us?” Rafe said nastily.
KJ grimaced and spewed out the first words on her tongue. “They are your parents too.”
“That remains to be proven.” Rafe’s tone was ice cold, and KJ shivered automatically.
“Whatever, look I’m not going to debate it with you. It’s as clear as the raised eyebrow on your face that I’m your sister, but if you need to see them to prove it, well your wish is my command. You’ll be eating your words in a matter of days,” KJ said angrily.
“Stop it, right now. Both of you. Rafe, you and I both know she’s our blood, even if you’re too hard headed to admit it right now. Why don’t you and Shandi go for a quick run before we leave, and I’ll go back to the cabin with KJ. She needs to meet Thomas, and I think he’s there with Tina now,” Ryley said.
KJ, Rafe, and Shandi all gaped at him, before Shandi started laughing. “Well now I’ve seen everything. Ryley Whetstone, since when did you become the serious one?”
Ryley’s trademark cheeky grin lifted his lips, and KJ found herself smiling back. The only one left frowning was Rafe.
“I’ll be there in ten, Ry,” Rafe said, before he dropped down to the ground in wolf form and padded off into the woods. Shandi shifted with a shake of her head, and a heavy sigh, and followed him, leaving KJ alone with Ryley.
“Do you have to antagonize him?” Ryley asked.
“I don’t appreciate being called a liar.”
Ryley cursed under his breath. “You have to understand our side of it too. You’ve had your parents for your whole life. Our parents left us, remember? Without a goodbye, or an explanation, they just left. I told you before that it’s going to be the hardest on Rafe, can’t you just go easy on him?”
KJ felt pointedly admonished, and hated the feeling. “So you think this is easy on me? I’ve grown up hearing about how perfect my two older brothers were, and seeing the sorrow in my mother’s eyes every time she talks about you guys. How someday we were going to go back and get you, or join you or something, anything, just to be a whole family. When I finally get the chance to meet you, one of you turns out to be a douche bag.”
Ryley’s face was a dark shade of red, and a small muscle in his jaw ticked with tension. “Fine. We’re all struggling with our emotions, but that doesn’t mean we have to be at each other’s throats. Try to give him some space while we’re on this trip, otherwise he’s likely to rip yours out.”
With that Ryley shifted into his wolf, and cocked his head like he was waiting for her to do the same. With another pointed eye roll and a huffy sigh, she shifted and followed him back to the Alpha’s cabin.
The moment they reached the tree line they both shifted, and continued on foot. Ryley greeted several people as they went into the cabin, but KJ stayed silent, heading directly towards her bag that was still sitting next to the stairs. She pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, and was just settling the fabric over her naked breasts as the spicy scent of man hit her nose.
Her eyes drifted shut, and she inhaled deeply. For just a moment her head spun and her body swayed as she was swamped with the sensation of her mate’s nearness. Two hands settled softly on her shoulders as if to steady her, and a deep rich voice broke through her lusty haze.
“Are you alright, little one?”
Her eyes shot open and locked onto the deep brown of his. Electricity zipped through her system, and all of the air expelled from her lungs as he inhaled sharply. His gaze darkened with desire, just as he jerked his hands away from her.
The man cleared his throat, and shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. “Are you alright? You looked like you were going to pass out.”
KJ swallowed hard, and opened her mouth to speak, but the only sound that escaped her throat was a soft, sensual growl…
THE END
WWW.LORIKINGBOOKS.WORDPRESS.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lori King is an everyday woman, born and raised right smack in the middle of the country in the ever conservative state of Kansas. She juggles three sons, three dogs, a full-time job, a husband, and way too many extra-curricular activities to mention. Writing is a way of stepping outside of the real world, and embracing something new and different for her. A hopeless romantic, she spends her days dreaming up Alpha men, and her nights telling their stories, always looking for the Happily Ever After.
You can find her most days chatting on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Lori.King.Author or posting on her blog www.lorikingbooks.wordpress.com and she loves to hear from readers so email her at [email protected].
Don’t forget to Live, Laugh, and Love like today is your only chance!
For all titles by Lori King, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/loriking
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com