Climbing up the front two steps, she clutched her chest as she fought for breath. Staggering over to the front door, she raised her hand and pounded on it three times, praying someone would be inside who could help her. Her knocks went unanswered. The cabin was empty.
Instead of panicking, she was relieved. Whoever lived in the cabin wouldn’t be there to stop her. Reaching out, she tried to open the front door, finding it locked. A soft growl of frustration left her lips, but she was not about to be deterred. Walking over to the small stool on the front porch, she picked it up, and swung with all her might to smash the waist-high window beside the front door.
There was an explosion of glass as the window shattered beneath her power. Using the wooden stool, she cleared the jagged edges of the broken window. Dropping the stool, she carefully climbed through the window and found herself inside of the very small cabin.
The darkness made it almost impossible to see anything at all. Reaching out her hands, she felt along the wall to bring herself to the far side of the cabin. She located the stove and found the knobs in front of it. Turning one, the gas flame ignited immediately, illuminating the small kitchen area.
She looked around frantically, doing her best to remain calm. She tried to think things through logically. There was obviously power to the cabin. She just had to look around for a phone. She wasn’t about to put on a light and give away her position to the men who were looking for her. Using only the light of the gas stove, she searched for the phone, but she didn’t see one.
Unable to prevent the whimper of frustration from escaping her, she slid down the cabinet to sit on the floor. Reaching up, she turned off the burner and pulled her knees up to her chest. Resting her head on her knees, she tried to calm her breathing. She had to think.
Her head snapped up at the sound of the heavy tread of footsteps climbing onto the porch. She held her breath as she heard the sound of a key being inserted into the front door then the opening of it.
“That bitch broke my window,” Boyd’s angry voice permeated the silence of the cabin.
The house was suddenly flooded with light. Meeka pressed back against the cabinet, fear filling her as she realized that she was going to be found.
“There’s no use hiding, Mikayla,” Ethan’s voice called out to her. “It’s a one room cabin. Where do you think you can hide from us?”
“She’s here somewhere, big brother,” Boyd said, growling. “I can smell her.”
Meeka stood slowly, holding onto the counter to steady herself as she faced Ethan and Boyd. As she looked at both men she saw now how much they resembled each other. Both were just over six feet tall. Both had dark hair and cold, dark eyes. She had once thought that Ethan was ruggedly handsome, but she now saw him for who he was—a cold and sadistic man. His smile as he looked at her right then told her that he was going to enjoy hurting her. Who was she kidding? She knew she had no chance of living through the night. Neither Ethan nor his brother Boyd would allow her to live.
“Why are you doing this, Ethan?” she asked calmly.
“Very simple, Mikayla,” Ethan told her, shrugging his shoulders as if he had no cares. “You were a nice distraction for a while, but I can’t allow you to have a half-breed.”
“What’re you talking about?”
“Boyd, show her,” Ethan said calmly.
Meeka turned her attention toward Boyd. He raised his hands and she watched in horror as they morphed into claws. When she looked up at his face she nearly screamed when she saw the way his face had elongated and had sprouted fur. He had the face of a wolf.
She spun around and tried to run, barely taking two steps before Boyd grabbed her from behind and raked his claws down her back. She did scream then as she felt her back being ripped open. Boyd pulled her toward the center of the cabin and threw her down onto the floor.
Meeka whimpered in pain as she fought to stay conscious. She reached out and tried to drag her body away from Boyd but found her way blocked by Ethan as he squatted down in front of her.
“There’s no use in trying to get away, Mikayla,” Ethan said calmly. “You and I both know how this is going to end.”
“Go ahead and kill me,” Meeka said angrily, fighting through her pain. “My sister knows I’m here with you. She’ll make sure the police haunt you until they prove what you’ve done to me.”
“See, Mikayla, that’s where you’re wrong,” Ethan told her, smiling. “I have your cell phone. When I get to the hotel, your sister will receive a text from you telling her that you weren’t needed for the meeting after all. You’ll also text her with the flight number and arrival time for the flight you will reserve tonight. Your disappearance will be a mystery that no one will ever be able to solve.”
“She won’t believe that I’ve just disappeared,” Meeka told him, trying not to lose consciousness.
“Let’s hope she does, Mikayla,” Ethan told her calmly. “Or I’ll just have to take care of your sister as well.”
Meeka closed her eyes, tears leaking from the corners. There was no hope. She braced herself for pain when she heard Ethan stand.
“Kill her,” he said as he walked toward the front door of the cabin, opening the door and walking away without a backward glance.
Meeka felt the first kick to her midsection. Then she knew nothing but blessed darkness.
Chapter 4
Meeka bolted upright in bed. Her heart was racing and she couldn’t help but cry out in fear. That same dream had haunted her for the past four years. It had been a while since she had experienced it, though. Ever since she and her friend Suzie had been rescued by Alpha Jace Beckett and the members of his pack, she felt more than safe. She felt protected.
It was a good thing that Jace and his triad partner Jackson had shown up when they had. Alpha Randall had nearly blown a gasket when he had found out that Suzie, her mother, and her brother Mitchell had been hiding her at their small cabin for nearly four years. She had experienced the full wrath of his anger, sustaining new injuries before he had thrown her and her son Eric into the detention cabin deep within his pack land.
She had known that Randall was going to kill her and Suzie in front of the entire pack to show them all what would happen to them if they ever dared to defy him. But he had never gotten the chance to carry through with the death sentence. Jace and Jackson had arrived and had saved her and her son. Her friend Suzie had been saved by her mates Drew and Carter. All of them had been brought to Beckett’s Circle Three Ranch and were now members of Jace’s pack and under his protection.
She snorted with disgust when she thought about the two men who had been the most protective of her. Reece Hutchinson and Wade Garner were the kindest, sweetest, and most gorgeous men she had ever seen. They were well over six feet tall, were graced with bodies that made Meeka’s mouth drool, and their scent drove her crazy with her need to be with them. That was the whole problem. She wanted to be with them and start a life with them but despite their attentiveness and kindness toward her and her son, Reece and Wade were determined to keep their distance from her. They were kind and protective, but they never approached her in any sort of a romantic way.
At first it made her feel as if there was something lacking in her that had caused them to reject her as their third in their triad mating—a normal mating for Beckett’s pack but not for Randall’s. But anger, along with a good healthy dose of pissed off, soon replaced her feelings of inadequacy. How dare Reece and Wade refuse the chance of a loving mating? To hell with them!
Throwing back the covers that had been violently kicked across the bed she occupied in the room Jace and Jackson’s mate Laurie had graciously offered her in the family lodge, she pushed aside the memory of the dream that she had when she had been pregnant with her son Eric. The words that the man with the raspy voice and the man with the soft gray eyes had spoken to her were etched in her mind. She remembered every touch they had made, every moment of their lovemaking, and every promise of commitment that the
y had made to her in the incredibly beautiful dream.
So much for believing in dreams! She snorted disgustedly.
Grabbing for the soft robe that was the prettiest peach color she had ever seen, she tugged it on and wrapped it around her body snugly. She had just bought it for herself with her recent paycheck from her job working as a bookkeeper at the local mall in the small boutique that Suzie and Abbey had helped her apply for. She tied the soft belt and walked over to the connecting doorway that led to the room where her son slept, opening it carefully and peeking inside.
Eric was sleeping soundly, his little arms wrapped around the white stuffed bunny that Suzie had given him to help him transition into his new life at the ranch. Walking over to the single bed covered with a deep blue quilt, she reached out and gently pushed back the lock of black hair that fell across her son’s forehead.
“Love you so much, little boy,” she whispered, leaning forward and kissing his cheek lightly.
She knelt down on the floor beside the bed and rested her face against the mattress, taking a moment to soak in the miracle that was her son. When she looked at Eric, she saw the sweet beauty of his love, his intelligence, and his fun. There wasn’t a day that went by when she didn’t count her blessings that he was hers.
“Maybe someday we’ll have more babies to love, Eric,” she whispered, her heart aching for the mating that she truly wanted with Reece and Wade. “They’re already wonderful with you.”
Sadness completely overwhelmed her in that moment. She knew that both men accepted and enjoyed Eric without reservation. That just made her realize that whatever their reluctance to claim her as their mate was based upon, had to be because of her. She was lacking in some way.
Old insecurities filled her. Standing slowly, she straightened the covers over her son and touched his soft cheek one last time before turning and leaving his bedroom. She knew that she wasn’t going to be able to sleep so there was no point in going back to her bed. Instead, she walked downstairs and headed to the back deck.
The family lodge was quiet. She knew it would be. It was nearly one o’clock in the morning. Everyone was asleep as they should be. Sliding open the glass door to the deck, she pushed it closed behind her then walked toward one of the lounge chairs and sat. Leaning back against the cushioned seat, she closed her eyes and breathed in the crisp, cool, night air. She really loved it on the ranch. It was quiet and soothing. The people there were so kind and open. They had accepted her and Eric without hesitation. She really did feel that she was a part of the pack family. Tucking her arms around herself, she finally allowed herself to rest. It was as if she could feel the peace forming a blanket around her.
Do not give up on them, my child, a woman’s gentle voice spoke to her in her mind.
Meeka froze. Was she losing it?
Daughter, you are perfectly sane, the voice continued, soft laughter accompanying her words. Your men already love you very much.
“No, they don’t,” Meeka muttered, her eyes filling with tears of frustration, humiliation, and loneliness.
Yes, daughter. They do, the woman continued. Do not give up on your men. There are reasons they are reluctant to form a triad with you.
“What could they possibly have as reasons to push me away?” Meeka whispered. “I want to care for them and hold them. I have so much love to give them.”
And they will need all of your gentleness and tenderness, Meeka, the woman said gently. Give them the opportunity to reveal their fears to you.
“Can’t you just tell me?” Meeka asked, frustrated.
The woman’s soft laughter filled Meeka’s mind. She could feel the gentle warmth that surrounded her, and she could swear that she felt a tender touch against her right cheek.
They must reach a place within their hearts where they are comfortable enough to reveal their worries to you, daughter, the woman told her softly. You must assure them that all will be well. The three of you are meant to be together.
“I think so, too,” Meeka whispered. “I want us to be a family.”
You will be, my child. Offer them your heart.
“But they’ll break it.” Meeka was nearly unable to get out the words.
They will cherish you as you will cherish them. You must be bold. You must take the initiative and show them that they are meant to be yours. Do not be afraid, child.
Meeka saw two shadows approaching her. “They’re here,” she whispered, her heart speeding up at the sight of the men she knew were meant to be hers.
The woman’s voice was silent, and Meeka realized that she was alone. She had been gifted with the visitation of Mother Fate. Abbey had been visited by the blessed woman and had told all of them how much the kind woman loved the members of Beckett’s wolf pack. She considered them her children. Meeka had to agree that these wolf shifters were men and women of the highest caliber who were kind, loving, protective, and dedicated to their pack family.
Knowing that they were nothing like Randall’s pack, made her breathe a sigh of relief. Her son was half-wolf—something she had no idea was even a possibility when she had become pregnant by Ethan Webber. She was glad that her son now had good men around him every day. As much as she hoped that Reece and Wade would want to help raise him, she had to be honest with herself that it was not something that was a given, despite what Mother Fate had just told her. That was okay. If she stayed at the ranch, Eric would be exposed to good men who were wolf shifters that knew the value of family. Her son would never know the evil men who had tried to kill her and were responsible for them hiding their very existence for the past few years.
Living the last four years of her life with Suzie, Suzie’s mother, and Suzie’s brother Mitchell had shown Meeka just how kind and good members of a loving wolf family could be. Meeka no longer feared that her son would inherit any of the cruelty and meanness that his father and his father’s pack obviously had. As far as Suzie was concerned, Meeka was part of her pack family and Meeka was thankful to know such kindness, support, and love. Meeka had learned from her and her family that a loving wolf family was a possibility.
Mother Fate had told her that she would have to take the initiative to make Reece and Wade her mates. Did she have the courage to put herself out there and make the first move? Could she be forward and show both men just how much she wanted them?
Goodness! I don’t know how to seduce anyone!
“Are you all right, Meeka?” Reece’s gravelly voice called out to her as he and Wade stepped up onto the porch.
“I couldn’t sleep,” Meeka answered quietly, watching as the men came up beside her and knelt on either side of the lounge chair that she was sitting on.
“Did you have another nightmare?” Wade asked, reaching up to touch her hair tenderly and follow its soft length down past her shoulders.
Meeka shivered at his touch. She couldn’t help but turn into his hand and nuzzle against his palm.
“Baby,” Wade whispered, leaning in and resting his forehead against the top of her head.
“Wade, please,” Meeka whispered.
“What, baby? What do you need?”
Meeka eased away from him and looked up into his beautiful gray eyes. He was watching her with open caring, and she couldn’t help but feel the rush of love and need that raced through her. When he reached up and touched her cheek gently, she turned into his strength and slowly kissed along his forearm where the claw marks that Randall had inflicted upon him fifteen years earlier were white and puckered scars that showed jagged on his skin. She reached up and carded the fingers of her right hand through his light brown hair and held him tightly so he couldn’t pull away. Her left hand held his arm, holding his muscled forearm close against her mouth.
She heard the way Wade inhaled sharply as her lips traveled across his forearm. Despite his attempt to extricate himself from her hold, she wouldn’t allow him to pull away from her tenderness. She knew that if he really wanted to get away from her, he could. Her strength was
no match for his. Just the fact that he allowed her to touch him gave her hope that maybe Mother Fate was right. She would have to be the one to initiate the closeness that she craved from the two of them. Taking the ultimate chance, she rubbed her cheek against Wade’s forearm then took her time to kiss every scar to try to take away the pain she knew he had to have experienced at Randall’s hand.
“Meeka,” Wade whispered.
“Shhh.” Meeka finished her gentle caresses then turned and kissed Wade’s hand across the back of his knuckles. “I’m busy.”
Wade chuckled lightly, making Meeka smile against his hand. Turning her head just slightly, she looked at Reece and saw him watching her with obvious longing on his face. Reaching out, she grabbed for his red flannel shirt and tugged him closer, not stopping until Reece was resting against her shoulder and she was able to settle her face within the crook of his neck.
Her heart hurt as she saw the claw marks that scarred his throat. Randall had been particularly vicious when he had attacked Reece when Reece had tried to defend his twin brother Carter. Carter had tried to stop Randall from taking Suzie from him and Drew fifteen years ago. The silver that Randall had used on the tips of his claws had injured more than just Reece’s skin and muscles. It had nearly cost him his life. Reece was lucky to have his gravelly voice. Even though everyone cringed when he talked, Meeka wasn’t bothered by it. She thought everything about the man was sexy as hell. His handsome face, his black hair, and his beautiful blue eyes were equaled by his kindness and caring. She loved him. She felt the same way about Wade.
She loved the soft growls that escaped Reece as she kissed his neck, softly licking at his scars as she traveled kisses across his scarred skin. She hummed against his neck and pulled him closer, unable to release her hold on either man.
“Little one,” Reece’s rough voice called to her, ending on a moan.
“I’m not going to let you go, Reece,” she whispered against his ear. “You and Wade are mine. Mother Fate told me so.”
Meeka's Reluctant Mates [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 4