Reece looked at his partner and shook his head sadly. He saw the flash of anger in Wade’s gray eyes, but he was determined to stay strong and have his say.
“I want to believe that. I really do,” Reece said finally. “I want to make us a family just as much as you do. But how can I live with myself if I hurt Meeka? What if I cause Eric pain?”
“We need to take a chance,” Wade insisted. “I really believe that both of them will be able to help us. We love them.”
“Yes,” Reece whispered.
“We’ll be able to control our wolves,” Wade insisted.
“I don’t know, Wade.”
“I do.”
Reece wiped at his face and carded his fingers through his long black hair, fisting the strands and tugging angrily. How could he make this choice and risk hurting their woman and their child?
“Reece, trust me,” Wade told him calmly. “It will work out. I don’t know how, but it will. The Fates have chosen her for us. We’re destined to be Eric’s fathers. We’re destined to have more children with that beautiful woman. It’s meant to be.”
Reece looked at his best friend and could feel his calming influence reaching out and wrapping itself around his heart. He sighed and looked at Wade with eyes that were flashing golden as he fought to keep his wolf under control.
“You have to promise me that you’ll do everything you have to do in order to make sure that my wolf doesn’t hurt them,” he said finally.
“I promise,” Wade answered without hesitation.
“No, Wade. Listen to me. You have to promise me that you’ll do whatever you have to do to keep them safe. Even if you have to kill me.”
Wade clenched his jaw in anger. “I will not kill you,” he said firmly, growling.
“If it’s a choice between keeping Meeka and Eric safe from me if my wolf is out of control, or allowing my wolf to tear them apart, there is no choice, Wade. You need to kill me.” Reece’s raspy voice was firm as he spoke. He stared at his triad partner and best friend and dared him to deny his request. “You need to promise me that you will do what needs to be done to protect our woman and our cub.”
Wade’s heart broke for his best friend. He knew deep down that Reece was only insisting on something that he would also insist on if the situation had been reversed.
“Promise me, Wade,” Reece insisted.
Wade nodded curtly. “It won’t come to that, Reece,” Wade told him, his voice gentle. “Meeka will calm your wolf.”
Reece closed his eyes and took a calming breath. “I hope you’re right,” he finally whispered.
“Daddy, I had such a good day,” Tammy told Adrian as he lifted her into his arms and kissed her cheek sweetly.
“Did you read lots of books today, Tammy?” Adrian asked his daughter, smiling as she twisted her hands in his thick black hair and tugged him closer to her so she could plant a sloppy kiss on his left cheek.
“I did,” Tammy said happily. “Poppa, I need a kiss.”
She reached out and tugged at her poppa’s light brown hair, laughing sweetly as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead lightly.
“Love you, little girl,” Colin whispered, looking at Julia and smiling at her. “Mommy sure gave us a beautiful little girl to love.”
“Daddy and Poppa gave me two beautiful children,” Julia said softly, looking up at the two men who held her heart. She stood up and walked toward them as they cuddled their daughter. “I think I’m in the mood for some serious talking tonight, Mates.”
Colin laughed and hugged her to him carefully, leaning forward to kiss the top of their son’s head lightly. “We need to talk tonight, sweetheart?” he teased her.
“Absolutely,” Julia told them both, smiling softly. “What do you think? Do my men want to spend some quiet time with me tonight?”
“That’s a great idea,” Adrian whispered, taking a quick kiss from their mate.
“Looking forward to it, baby,” Colin whispered as he leaned close enough to kiss her temple lightly.
“Go and get your backpack, honey,” Julia told her daughter, stepping back so Adrian could lower her to the floor.
“Okay, Mommy,” Tammy said quickly. “Come on, Eric.”
She turned and took Eric’s hand and pulled him toward the other side of the room where the wooden cubbyholes that were painted a vibrant red lined the wall. Each one of the children was proud of the special unit that was assigned to them to store their backpacks and coats.
“Is the man with the black hair your daddy?” Eric asked her quietly.
“Yup. Daddy has black hair,” Tammy told him proudly. “Poppa has brown hair.”
Eric smiled as he looked at the two men who were hugging Julia and kissing Owen. He understood that the men were good daddies to Tammy and Owen just like Reece and Wade were to him. It made him happy to know that he could have daddies just like Tammy did.
“I have two daddies, too,” Eric told Tammy as he knelt down beside her and held open her backpack while Tammy pushed her books inside of it.
“We all have two daddies,” Tammy told him wisely.
Eric smiled broadly as he nodded happily. His attention was drawn to the front door of the daycare as it was opened. Seeing Reece and Wade step inside, Eric rose to his feet and bolted across the room to jump into Reece’s arms, reaching out to tug Wade close to him as Reece settled him carefully in his arms.
“Hello, Eric,” Wade said, laughing as Eric hugged him tightly.
“Hi, Wade,” Eric said happily. “Did you know you’re my poppa?”
Wade froze, looking down at the little boy in shock. He turned to look at Reece and saw the equally stunned expression on his triad partner’s face.
“Reece, you’re my daddy,” Eric told him, reaching up and tugging at his black hair.
“I am?” Reece croaked out, completely overwhelmed by Eric’s words.
“Yes. Daddies have black hair.”
Eric’s expression was completely serious as he looked at Reece. Reece couldn’t help but feel the pull of love that he had for him. He looked up at Wade and saw his triad partner smiling at him.
“Wade, you’re my poppa,” Eric said firmly, reaching out to grab for Wade’s hair. “Tammy’s poppa has brown hair just like you do.”
Wade’s smile never faded. He was proud of Eric’s logic. It made perfect sense to him, and he was glad that the pup’s logic explained him and Reece as his fathers. He couldn’t be happier about it. He knew that Reece was hesitant to form their triad, but Wade had a feeling deep in his gut that mating with Meeka would fix the situation he and Reece found themselves in. Having Eric as their son was just icing on the cake. The thought of having their baby growing in Meeka’s womb made it even better.
“Eric, come here,” Meeka said softly, reaching out to take her son from Reece’s hold.
“I’ll hold him, Meeka,” Reece offered, looking at her warily.
“He’s not yours. He’s mine,” Meeka said quietly. “I need to get us to our rooms. I have a lot of work to do.”
Reece couldn’t help but feel the loss when the little boy left his arms. He looked at Meeka and nodded, accepting her words. She was right. Neither he nor Wade had any right to think of Eric as theirs. Meeka wasn’t their mate, and they certainly couldn’t claim her son as theirs.
Pain filled his heart, making his chest hurt at the realization that Meeka and Eric were not theirs, nor would they ever be. He felt the familiar shaking deep within his body that signified the uncontrollable magic rolling through him. He could feel himself losing control of his wolf. Deep emotions always triggered the change, and he couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
Looking at Wade, he couldn’t prevent the growl from escaping him as he turned and left the daycare building. He looked back at Wade and Meeka with such pain, he knew he had to be broadcasting his emotions to them. He wouldn’t take a chance and shift in a roomful of women and children and allow his wolf to be unleashed. The danger to them was astronomical. He could
never live with himself if he was the cause of injury to any of them.
“Go,” Wade told him softly, walking with him to the door and reaching out to squeeze his shoulder in support. He saw the relief in Reece’s eyes as he took a step back and looked at Meeka as she held Eric. The golden hue of his eyes told Wade that Reece was fighting to control his shift, but the agony in his eyes also told him that he ached to have Meeka and Eric belong to them. Wade was right there with him.
“Meeka, if you have work to do, you can come to my house,” Abbey offered as she walked over and stood beside her.
Meeka turned away from Wade and Reece. She saw the way Reece was fighting to control his wolf and she couldn’t bear seeing him suffer. She wanted to reach out and gather him in her arms and hold him. She just knew that if he allowed her to soothe him, he would be able to calm down enough so he wouldn’t experience such pain and lack of control.
Damn it! Why won’t he give me a chance?
He will, daughter, Mother Fate whispered, her voice filling Meeka’s mind and heart.
No, he won’t. He pushes me away. They both do.
It is time for you push them back.
What the heck does that mean?
You will soon see.
Mother Fate’s voice held definite humor, confusing Meeka even more. Shaking her head in frustration, she faced Abbey and sighed heavily.
“I’m going to need your help, Abbey,” Meeka told her softly. “I need to update my resume.”
“Why? What happened, Meeka?” Suzie asked, coming forward and wrapping her arms around her best friend’s shoulders to hug her and Eric against her tightly.
“The boutique is going out of business. I’m out of a job,” Meeka said softly, doing her damnedest to keep her emotions under control.
“Oh, Meeka,” Suzie said softly, looking to Laurie for guidance.
“Let me take Eric,” Nikki said gently, stepping forward and lifting Eric from Meeka’s arms. “Come on, Eric. Let’s pack up your things and get you ready to leave.”
“Okay, Aunt Nikki,” Eric said softly, leaning forward to kiss his mother’s cheek before Nikki lowered him to the floor so he could run to his cubby in the colorful shelving unit.
“We’ll make sure you get another job,” Laurie said firmly, looking at Wade and staring him down.
Wade shook his head, crossing his arms across his chest as he let his alpha and beta’s mate know that having Meeka work at his and Reece’s auto shop was not a possibility. As much as he wanted Meeka in their lives, he couldn’t betray his triad partner. Reece would never be able to function if he was constantly worried about shifting and hurting Meeka or Eric.
Meeka turned and saw Wade deny her once again. Anger flashed through her so intensely she thought she might actually combust. She walked over to the man who broke her heart on a daily basis, anger consuming her.
“You need to leave,” she told him firmly.
“Meeka, I…” he began.
“I don’t care,” she stopped him, raising her hands to prevent him from saying another word. “You. Need. To. Leave.”
Wade looked at the most incredible woman he had ever known and his heart hurt. Seeing the fire in her eyes, he knew that whatever hope he had had that maybe he and Reece could get through the worry and take a chance on having a loving triad with her was gone. Both of them had done their damnedest to push her away. They had been successful.
“I’m sorry,” Wade said softly, his gray eyes clouding over with the pain he was feeling.
“You’re right. You are,” Meeka told him, her voice cold.
Wade turned and left the cozy children’s room. As he walked out onto the front deck, he rubbed at his left forearm where his old injury ached. There were days and nights that he damned Alpha Randall for what he had done to him and Reece. The anger at the injustice and the pain was nothing compared to the way his heart hurt at that moment.
Meeka’s anger at them was completely justified. They didn’t deserve her tenderness. They didn’t deserve her love. She had offered herself to them with an open heart, and they had rejected her over and over again. It didn’t matter why. It didn’t matter that they were completely correct in their need to protect her from the danger that would surround her every day of their lives together. All that mattered was that Meeka and Eric were protected—from them.
Stepping down off the small front porch, he walked toward the tree line. He had to find Reece. He knew that Reece had been fighting his shift and reasoned that his triad partner had probably been forced into his wolf form due to the high level of emotions that he had experienced. Seeing how Reece had been affected by Eric’s words when he had called him Daddy had been emotional for him as well. When Eric had called him Poppa, Wade thought he would die from the pleasure of actually being Eric’s father. He wanted that. Reece wanted that. The love and happiness that they had dangling right in front of them was killing both of them.
Meeka turned to face the group of women who had truly become her family. She saw the way they watched her with understanding. All of them had been there. There was no way they couldn’t sense the pain and frustration that Meeka was feeling.
“I’ve got to rework my resume,” Meeka told them all, determined to move on.
“I can take Eric home with me while you go and get what you need from your room,” Abbey offered. “Why don’t you grab some clothes for both of you and just plan on spending the night at my house. Hunter and Clay will be thrilled to play with Eric while you and I work.” She stepped forward and took gentle hold of Meeka’s hand. “We’ll get you set up for success, Meeka.”
Meeka smiled weakly. “I think it may be time to go home,” she said after a moment.
“What do you mean, honey?” Suzie asked, worried.
“I want to talk to my sister,” Meeka said, her heart aching. “I think Eric and I need to go home to her.” She looked at Suzie with pleading eyes. “I’m tired of hurting, Suzie. I want to go home.”
Suzie wrapped her arms around her best friend and held her gently. “I know, honey.”
Meeka hugged Suzie quickly then stepped out of her arms. “I’m going to get some things from my room. I’ll meet you at Abbey’s. Okay?”
Suzie nodded. She felt such incredible sadness for her friend, but she understood Meeka’s need to finally go home to her sister. It had been a long time for Meeka to be away from Kaley. In a perfect world, Kaley would come to live with them on Beckett pack land. She had often thought about trying to convince Meeka to ask Kaley to come and live here. Right now, Meeka couldn’t be asked to do something like that, though. She needed the break from the tension in her life. The last four years had been more than overwhelming for her. Being able to talk to her sister occasionally by using Suzie’s hidden cell phone or video chatting on the computer had only served to put a band aid on the wound, but it was something that Meeka needed to do in order to protect Kaley.
Meeka had known that Kaley would be put in danger if she wasn’t warned to leave her home and her job. Kaley had been adamant that she would exact justice for the men who had hurt Meeka, but Suzie had cautioned them both that Randall and his pack were evil men who would stop at nothing to get what they wanted. Too many people had been killed or injured when they had tried to escape him or challenge him. Suzie had been one of the recipients of his maniacal behavior. So were her mates Drew and Carter. Reece and Wade had been adversely affected as well. The circle of pain and fear was never ending. Kaley, Meeka, and Eric had to be protected at all costs.
Suzie had helped Meeka get a message to her sister soon after Suzie and her mother had saved Meeka from sure death. Kaley had nearly fallen apart when Meeka hadn’t returned home. She had gone to the police to report her missing but nothing had come of it. Luckily, Meeka had recovered enough to be able to speak to her and convince Kaley that she had to leave her job and their apartment for her own safety. Thankfully, Kaley had been able to do both and relocate before Randall’s men had been able to f
ind her and silence her permanently.
Meeka looked at her son as he packed his backpack. She wouldn’t trade having him in her life for anything. Despite her life of fear and hiding since Suzie and her mother had found her unconscious and beaten in the trash heap behind Boyd’s cabin, she had fought to survive. At first she had fought to survive for the baby she was carrying. Then she had fought to give birth to him in the safety and seclusion of Suzie and her mother’s cabin. The past three years of hiding had been more than stressful, but through it all Meeka had fought to keep strong. When Alpha Randall had found her and Eric and had isolated her in the cabin deep within his pack land, she had thought her life was over. But she had persevered. She had remained strong for her son.
When Jace Beckett and Jackson Scott had rescued her, she thought that her life had finally turned around. She had been welcomed into a loving and fair pack where she and her son were valued and protected. She had also found two men who made her believe that love might actually be a part of her life. But she had been wrong.
She was done hoping. She was done trying. She was so very tired of being sad. It was time to make a change.
“Thanks, everyone,” Meeka said, her voice firm and once again in control. “I’ll meet you at your place in a few minutes, Abbey.”
“Okay,” Abbey said, nodding.
“Eric, I need you to go with Aunt Suzie and Aunt Abbey,” Meeka told her son, leaning down to kiss his cheek lightly when he came to her to hug her. “I’ll be there in just a bit. We’ll have dinner and you can play with Uncle Hunter and Uncle Clay.”
“Okay,” Eric said softly, his hazel eyes filling with emotions as he looked up at his mother. “I don’t want you to be sad, Mommy.”
“I’m not going to be sad,” Meeka promised. “We’re going to have a good night. Maybe we can talk to Aunt Kaley on the computer tonight.”
Eric nodded and smiled. “I like Aunt Kaley,” he said happily.
“I do, too,” Meeka said, laughing softly.
Straightening, she smiled at the women and men in the room. Turning to face Suzie, she saw the concern on her best friend’s face. She counted her blessings for the day she had been rescued by such a caring woman.
Meeka's Reluctant Mates [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 8