“It would be helpful if your mates claimed you,” Drew suggested softly.
“Yeah, like that’s going to happen,” Meeka snapped, regretting her outburst immediately. “Ow!” She raised her fingers and pressed against her temples to try and stop the pain.
“Listen to me, Meeka,” Drew told her, his voice calm and in control. “When your men claim you, they’ll each exact a mating bite on your shoulders. Their saliva will trigger a change within your DNA.”
“Wade told me that their saliva would help me heal,” Meeka said, remembering the care with which both men made sure to lick at her forehead to stop the bleeding and help her.
“That’s true. But the mating bite also has an effect on your body,” Drew added gently. “Your DNA will change slightly so your body becomes in tune with theirs. You’ll heal faster, your life will be extended to match those of your mates, and your body will be prepared to carry the babies of your mates. Only once that happens will Reece and Wade be able to join their DNA with yours to make all of your children. You do know that your babies will be the biological children of all three of you, right?”
“Yes, Suzie told me,” Meeka said, blushing.
“In order for that to happen, your men must make love with you at the same time the first time you’re together and they claim you,” Drew explained. “The combination of their seed inside of you at the same time in combination with their mating bites will be the catalyst to the change.”
Meeka nodded, unable to keep the blush from spreading across her cheeks. “Okay, Drew. You don’t need to tell me more. I understand.”
“I’m sorry if this embarrasses you, Meeka,” Drew told her, smiling down at her. “You need to understand that once your men claim you there will be no other for you or them. We wolf shifters mate for life. There is nothing more important than the safety and happiness of our mate and our babies.”
Meeka nodded, looking at Suzie as her men wrapped their arms around her and stroked her pregnant belly lovingly. She ached to have that with Reece and Wade, but she didn’t think that would ever be her reality.
“That’s really wonderful, Drew, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Meeka looked sadly at the three of them and shrugged her shoulders. “Reece and Wade have made it very clear that they don’t want that with me. So it’s a moot point.”
“It’s too late, Meeka,” Carter pointed out.
“I don’t understand.”
“Meeka, there’s something you need to know about matings among the triads,” Suzie said gently, stepping closer to her friend and touching her shoulder lightly.
“What?” Meeka’s voice was wary. Suzie and her mates were starting to worry her.
“When Reece and Wade cleaned your wound, they ingested your blood,” Drew explained. “That’s part of the mating bond. The men will bite you, drawing your blood into their systems as their saliva is drawn into yours.”
“But they didn’t bite me,” Meeka protested.
“No, but they did swallow your blood,” Carter reminded her. “As Drew said before, head wounds bleed pretty profusely. Both Reece and Wade did their best to clean you up and heal your forehead. They had to have swallowed quite a bit of your blood.”
“What’re you trying to tell me?”
Suzie reached out and touched Meeka’s hand lightly. “Your men have already started the bonding process, Meeka,” she said gently.
“Oh, hell no,” Meeka whispered. “They don’t want me. This can’t be happening.”
“I’m afraid there’s nothing you can do to stop it,” Drew told her quietly. “Your men will become increasingly agitated until they complete the mating ritual.”
“Agitated?”
“They’ll be horny as hell,” Suzie offered, smiling widely at her friend’s shocked expression.
“Will the same happen to me?” Meeka asked, a little concerned but more than a little bit angry.
“Yes,” Drew answered without hesitation. “You’ll experience a driving need to be with your men. You’ll need to touch them and reassure yourself that they’re safe.”
“I don’t want them to want me just because they’re horny,” Meeka said softly, rubbing at her eyes in frustration. “This is wrong. I don’t want this to happen in this way.”
“It will be more than a need to be with them sexually,” Carter added. “You’ll want to be with them in order to feel calm. Only the three of you being together in each other’s arms will soothe your worries.”
Meeka thought about what Drew and Carter had told her. She didn’t want a mating to occur between her and Reece and Wade just because her blood had somehow triggered a bonding. She wanted them to want her for herself because they liked her, respected her, and enjoyed her. She wanted them to want to build a future with her. She wanted them to choose to mate with her.
“I want them to love me,” she whispered to her best friend, her heart breaking as she thought about her men.
“Oh, honey. I know,” Suzie said gently, reaching out and hugging Meeka tenderly. “They do love you. I know they do. If they would just admit to themselves how much they care about you, they would see what they’re missing out on. I don’t know why they’re keeping themselves away from you.”
Meeka looked at Drew and saw the flash of guilt that passed across his features. “You know,” she whispered.
Drew nodded but remained silent.
“That’s okay, Drew. I know, too,” she admitted softly, smiling when she saw the relief on his face. “I have to keep their secret, too.”
Drew looked at Carter and saw his triad partner close his eyes and take a calming breath. He and Carter had kept Reece and Wade’s secret for fifteen years. They blamed themselves for the torture both men had been subjected to over the years. If it hadn’t been for that night so long ago when they had all been attacked by Alpha Randall and his men, Reece and Wade would never have been injured. They would never have been cursed with their loss of control over their wolves. They wouldn’t be subjected to feeling the effects of the silver poisoning in their systems. They would have been able to claim the woman that they both wanted to be able to freely love.
“Meeka, I can honestly tell you that my brother Reece really cares about you,” Carter told her, his blue eyes flashing with pain as he looked down at her.
“Wade has been trying to keep both of them safe and in control for a long time,” Drew added. “When he and Reece met you that night we brought Suzie home, he told me that he felt a connection to you and your son immediately.”
“He did?” Meeka whispered.
“Yes, Meeka. Wade wants you to be their mate and Eric to be their son,” Drew said softly. “So does Reece.”
“Ingesting your blood has started the bonding process, but you need to understand that the bonding process wouldn’t have started if the three of you weren’t destined to form a triad mating,” Carter explained. “The Fates have a hand in the matings. You can’t deny what’s meant to be.”
“Search your heart, Meeka,” Suzie said as she watched her friend try to make sense of Carter’s words. “Do you want to be Reece and Wade’s triad mate?”
“Only if they really want me,” Meeka answered without hesitation.
“They do,” Suzie told her firmly.
“I don’t just mean sexually,” Meeka said quickly.
Drew smiled, unable to keep the twinkle from his eyes. “I think it’s important for you to realize that wanting you in many ways is exactly what a true relationship is. You can’t isolate one need from another. They want all of you, Meeka.”
“Mommy?” Eric’s little voice called to them from the doorway of Drew’s office.
Meeka turned to face her son and smiled brightly. “Hello, sweetheart,” she greeted him warmly.
“Did you get hurt, Mommy?” Eric asked her, running toward her quickly and reaching up to touch her legs as she sat on the examination table.
Meeka reached down to help her son climb up so he could
sit on her lap, groaning lightly as the movement made her dizzy. She sat back quickly, praying for help. Abbey’s mate Hunter reached out and plucked Eric up into his arms to settle him gently on Meeka’s lap.
“Easy, little dude,” Hunter warned him gently. “Mommy got hurt today. She has to be careful.”
Abbey reached out and wrapped her arms around her mate’s waist. “You’re so sweet, Hunter,” she whispered as she leaned in and kissed the underside of his jaw.
She turned to face Clay and stretched out her arm to reach for him. He didn’t disappoint her. He went to her immediately and accepted her gentle hug, rubbing his hand across her pregnant belly as he leaned down to kiss her.
“Eric has been entertaining all of us with stories,” Clay told Meeka, glad when he saw her smiling down at her son. Except for the bandage on her forehead and the slight paleness of her complexion, she looked like she was doing well.
“You were telling stories, Eric?” Meeka asked her son, leaning down and kissing his cheek lightly. “What stories, honey?”
“I told them about the magic bunny that Aunt Kaley told me about,” Eric said, smiling up at his mother. “Aunt Kaley has good stories.”
“Yes, she sure does,” Meeka said, laughing softly. “I think we should call her and ask her to tell you more about the bunny.”
“His name is Bruce,” Eric told her, smiling.
“I didn’t know that!” Meeka said, laughing.
“Aunt Kaley said we know his name is Bruce because he has a blue ribbon around his neck and it has his name written on it,” Eric said as he leaned against his mother’s body and rested his head on her shoulder as she held him. “Are you okay, Mommy?”
“Yes, baby. I’m okay,” Meeka told her son, trying very hard to fight back the tears that threatened to fall. Her son was such a sweet and caring soul. “I made a very bad mistake today.”
“What did you do?” Eric asked, his voice barely a whisper. He looked up at her with wide eyes, stunned that his mother had done something bad.
“I didn’t buckle my seatbelt when I was driving Aunt Nikki’s car,” Meeka told him, reaching up to touch her son’s soft cheek and caress it tenderly. “When I stopped quickly, I banged my head on the steering wheel. Uncle Drew and Uncle Carter had to fix my forehead. I have three stitches.”
“Did it hurt?”
“A little bit,” Meeka admitted. “But I’m better now.”
“That’s very good,” Eric said, relaxing against his mother’s shoulder once again.
“You’re going to stay with Aunt Suzie, Uncle Carter, and Uncle Drew tonight,” Meeka told her son, smiling down at him when he looked up at her with a wide smile.
“Yay!” Eric said immediately, making everyone in the room chuckle at his happiness.
“I’m going to go and check on Reece and Wade,” Meeka told him calmly.
“Are Reece and Wade hurt, too, Mommy?”
“I think that they are,” Meeka said softly. “I have to go and make sure they’re okay.”
“Mommy, I love Reece and Wade,” Eric said softly. “I don’t want them to be hurt.”
“I know, baby. Neither do I.”
Chapter 8
“Mother Fate, if you can hear me, I can use a little advice right now,” Meeka said out loud as she walked toward the auto body shop that belonged to Wade and Reece. She stopped just outside the back door and took a calming breath.
Her head was hurting and she was feeling nervous. What if they rejected her again? What if she put herself in front of them, offered herself to them, and found that she was pushed away once again.
Daughter, you must get right in their faces.
Meeka jumped at the sudden voice in her mind. She recognized the kind woman and was relieved. Her words suddenly registered and Meeka couldn’t help but laugh at her modern words.
“You want me to get in their faces?” Meeka asked, chuckling.
Yes, Meeka. Do not allow them to push you away. You must show them that your touch and your caring is what will help calm them. They will not have to worry about losing control of their wolves. Help them embrace their animal. They must not be afraid. They will not hurt you or Eric.
“That’s what I keep telling them, but they won’t listen,” Meeka said, frustration evident in her voice.
Then you must show them.
“How?”
Make love to them.
“What?” Meeka squeaked.
Make love to them. They must claim you as their mate. When they claim you, they will have more control. Your blood is the key.
“Okay, that just sounds creepy,” Meeka said, smiling as she heard Mother Fate’s gentle laughter in her head.
Your mates have been very sick for a very long time, Meeka. The silver that filled their bodies on the night that they sustained their injuries has poisoned them. The amount of silver in Reece’s body is more concentrated. That is why he has the least control over his wolf, but Wade struggles to contain his wolf as well.
“But how will my blood help them?”
Your blood is pure. When they bite you during the claiming, they will take your blood into their bodies. It will become a part of their genetic makeup. With each reclaiming, they will take more and more inside of their systems. Your blood will heal the injured parts of them.
Meeka took a step toward the rear entrance of the shop and raised her hand to take hold of the handle of the door. “Will they be able to have more control over their wolves?”
Yes.
“Mother Fate?”
Yes, my child?
“Will they love me?”
With all that they are, Meeka.
“I love them,” Meeka whispered.
I know, my child. That is as it should be. You are their triad mate. You were made for them just as they were made for you. You must trust in the joining.
“So, I need to get in their faces?”
Absolutely.
Meeka laughed and took a deep breath to calm herself. “Okay. I will. But you have to promise me something.”
What must I promise you, Meeka?
“You need to promise that you won’t be hovering over me and watching what I’m doing, because I plan on rocking their world.”
Rock away, daughter. I will give you your privacy.
Mother Fate’s soft laughter made Meeka smile. This ability to talk to Mother Fate was pretty cool. She liked it. She felt the soft caress of Mother Fate’s hand across her cheek and was amazed by the warmth of love that filled her. What was even more amazing was that there was not even a small ache or pain in her head.
“Thank you, Mother,” she whispered.
You are very welcome, Meeka, Mother Fate told her softly. You will not be able to make love with your men if you have a headache.
Meeka laughed softly. Who knew Mother Fate would have such a wicked sense of humor? Taking firm hold of the door handle, Meeka pulled and stepped back to allow the wide door to swing open. Stepping inside, she closed the door behind her and took a moment so that her eyes would adjust to the darkness of the interior of the shop.
Seeing a man’s figure bending over the box of tools that sat on the cement floor of the shop next to the large motorcycle that was partially disassembled, she realized that it was Reece. Perfect.
Taking a calming breath, she stepped forward and walked over to where Reece was working. She knew when he realized that she was there when he bolted upright and took in a deep breath.
“Reece,” she called out firmly.
He spun around to face her, his light blue eyes widening in surprise when he saw her. Meeka saw how his eyes changed instantly to a golden color and worried that he was going to lose control to his wolf. She couldn’t allow that to happen. She had too much to talk to him about, and she was determined to show him how wonderful it would be to accept her love. And that was exactly what she was going to take a chance on offering him.
Meeka walked over to him quickly, wrapping her arms around hi
s waist and leaning up to kiss his neck slowly. She could feel the growl rumbling through his chest and held onto him tightly, determined to keep him in his human form.
“You can fight me all you want, Reece,” she told him gently. “I’m not letting you go, and I’m not going away.”
She eased back and looked up at him, seeing the way his eyes shifted back and forth from his beautiful blue to the golden that showed her how much he fought his shift. He tried to pull away from her but she followed him, leaning against him from chest to thigh as he slammed back against the wall of the shop.
“You belong to me, Reece Hutchinson,” she told him, smiling at the actual fear that she saw in his eyes.
“No, Meeka,” he told her firmly, reaching up to push her away and growling when he saw that his hands had morphed into claws. “See what happens to me? I can’t take you as my mate. I’ll hurt you.”
Meeka reached up and took hold of his hands, drawing his claws toward her mouth and kissing them tenderly before threading her fingers with his. The way her fingers joined with his gave her a sense of peace that she knew he had to be feeling, too.
“You’re wrong, Mate,” she told him. “You would never hurt me. You would never hurt Eric. You love us.”
Reece closed his eyes and gave himself over to her tenderness. He loved that she held his hands. He loved that she was so soft and gentle with him.
“I do love you, Meeka,” he whispered. “That’s why I can’t mate with you.”
“Why, do you plan on hitting me?”
“Of course not,” Reece said, horrified. He opened his eyes and saw that she was looking up at him with the most tender expression he had ever had directed at him. He wanted to love her. He wanted to claim her.
“Let me tell you how this is going to go, Reece,” she told him calmly. “I’m going to kiss you, and I want you to kiss me back.”
“No, Meeka.”
“Be quiet,” she demanded, leaning toward him and biting down on his neck. “You’re mine to love.”
Releasing her hold on his hands, she reached up and threaded her fingers through his long black hair, tightening her hold on the silky strands and drawing his head down toward her. She kissed his lips lightly, breathing against his mouth for a moment before she kissed him again. She loved the feel of his soft lips beneath hers.
Meeka's Reluctant Mates [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 10