Meeka smiled, her eyes filling with tears of happiness. She had never in her life ever expected to be this gifted. She had a wonderful son and two mates that she loved deeply. She felt the love that they had for her through their new bond and was reassured that they truly did value her.
She concentrated for a moment on something that was just beyond her grasp. She remembered dreaming, but she couldn’t remember what the dream had been about. She could only remember the sense of happiness she had felt during it. She remembered that Reece and Wade were very happy, too. She wished she could remember what the dream was about. Whatever it was about, she hoped that it was a dream that was going to come true.
Little one, are you all right? Reece’s caring voice interrupted her thoughts suddenly, making her jump.
“What’s wrong, Meeka?” Laurie asked her when she saw the way Meeka had been startled.
“I heard Reece in my head,” Meeka explained. “It surprised me.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Nikki told her, laughing softly. “Alex and Butler talk to me all the time. It was something I had to get used to.” She rubbed her pregnant belly slowly as she thought about her two sexy mates.
We think you’re sexy as hell, too, sweetness, Butler whispered in Nikki’s mind.
Do you need us to show you just how sexy you are, baby? Alex asked, chuckling softly as he sent an image of the two of them loving their mate.
Alex, stop that! Nikki told him. I can’t be in a roomful of shifters and get all excited. They’ll smell my arousal.
At the sound of both of her mates’ soft laughter, she couldn’t help but smile herself. Flashing them a thought of the three of them in their bedroom, her hand firmly on both of their hard cocks and tugging at them as she drew them toward their bed made both men growl in her mind.
We’re coming to get you right now, sweetness, Butler told her firmly.
No, you’re not. Stay exactly where you are, Mates, she warned them.
You’re playing with fire again, baby, Alex warned her.
Yes. And it’s fun.
“When I was first mated to Jace and Jackson, I was startled when they spoke to me, as well,” Laurie spoke up. “I learned how to shield myself by placing a white light of protection around myself. I pictured closing a window or a door when I wanted privacy. It helped to keep my thoughts to myself when I wanted to. I was still able to sense my men’s emotions and safety as they were able to sense mine. I think you’ll be able to train your mind to do the same thing, Meeka. Just be very careful not to cut yourself off completely. Your men will be unable to handle not sensing you. They will perceive it to mean that you’re in danger.” She reached out and touched Meeka’s shoulder lightly. “I learned the hard way not to cut off the communication we’re blessed with, honey. Be very careful and be considerate of your men’s needs.”
“You have to remember that your men are very protective wolves,” Suzie added.
“I can vouch for that,” Synthia said almost to herself. She thought about Simon Morrow and Warren Conway. The two men from Alpha Randall’s old pack were intense in their protection of her. She knew that they were meant to be her mates, but she couldn’t allow them to tie themselves to her. She had too much to atone for before she would allow any triad mating to occur.
Shelly reached out and took hold of her sister’s hand, smiling softly at Synthia when she looked up at her with eyes that held a world of pain. She knew exactly what her sister was feeling. She had the same thoughts and feelings about the men she knew belonged to her. Max Oliver and Eli Granger were the men she ached to love, but she wasn’t able to act on her desires. She couldn’t allow them to get close to her. They were forbidden to be her mates.
“It will be okay, Syn,” she whispered, watching as her sister closed her eyes and shook her head. Shelly knew that her sister held no hope for happiness with the men who were destined to be hers. Shelly felt the exact same way.
“Our men are also very loving,” Abbey said softly, bringing everyone’s attention back to her. “Our men truly cherish us, Meeka. They don’t know any other way to be. Mother Fate has told each of us that we need to trust in the joinings with our men.”
“She spoke to me,” Meeka admitted.
“Mother Fate?” Abbey asked.
Meeka nodded. “She told me that I had to initiate the mating with Reece and Wade.”
“Wow,” Nikki whispered. “You’ve got a direct connection to Mother Fate just like Abbey does. I wonder why.”
“I don’t know, but I’m glad I do,” Meeka said, wonder in her voice. “I would never have been so forward with my men if Mother Fate hadn’t told me that I needed to get in their faces.”
“She said that?” Nikki asked, bursting into laughter. “I’m a fan of Mother Fate!”
“It seems as if the entire pack has been the recipient of Mother Fate’s guidance and blessings,” Laurie said as she sat down in the large overstuffed rocking chair beside the puzzle table and leaned back, sighing tiredly. “Martha told me that Mother Fate had a hand in the prophecy that said I would be the mate of Jace and Jackson.”
“I didn’t know that,” Abbey said as she sat on the comfortable brown couch beside the chair that Laurie occupied.
“Yes. Martha’s mother told her to tell Jace and Jackson about the prophecy when they found their mate,” Laurie continued. “She gave them this bracelet to give to me when they met me.” She lifted her arm and allowed everyone to see the beautiful gold bracelet she wore that had a charm of a woman sitting between two wolves with her arms around the both of them and hugging them. “This charm looks exactly like me with my men.”
“Laurie,” Abbey whispered. “Do you know where they got that bracelet?”
“Martha said her mother gave it to her when Martha was a little girl. Why, Abbey?”
“Do you know what her mother’s name was?”
“I think she said her mother’s name was Deana.”
Abbey’s eyes widened in surprise. Reaching up, she slipped her hand into the neckline of her turquoise turtleneck sweater and pulled on the long golden chain that she was wearing beneath it. When it was finally pulled completely free, she lifted the small golden charm that hung from it and displayed it in her palm.
Laurie looked down at Abbey’s hand and smiled. “That’s beautiful, Abbey. I love that the two wolves are sitting with their heads on the woman’s lap.” She reached out and touched the charm reverently. “The woman kind of looks like you.”
Abbey nodded. “She does. And you know what? This is exactly how Hunter and Clay like to rest on my lap.”
“I wonder if the same person who made your charm made mine,” Laurie said, her heart racing at the beautiful coincidence.
“She did,” Abbey whispered.
“You know who made the charms?” Laurie asked, astonished.
“Yes.”
“Who is she?”
“She was my grandmother,” Abbey said softly, her eyes filling with tears at the thought of the woman who had practically raised her when her mother had died. “Her name was Marie.”
Laurie looked at Nikki, stunned by Abbey’s revelation. “Do you know why she made these charms, Abbey?” she asked, turning back to face Abbey.
“My father gave me a small wooden box when my grandmother passed away,” Abbey explained softly. “He said Grandma Marie gave it to him to give to me when I turned thirty. He said that she told him that I would be needing the items inside of it, and I was supposed to give them to the people that they truly belonged to.”
“Were there a lot of items in the box, Abbey?” Suzie asked, amazed by her revelation.
“There were. But you need to know what my grandmother told me about the items.”
Everyone remained silent as they watched Abbey take a calming breath as she looked around the room at the people who had become her family. She smiled at her best friends Synthia and Shelly as they were kneeling beside Eric and Tammy. Having them on Beckett land and back
with their pack family had made her incredibly happy. Thinking about the wooden box, she wondered if there was anything inside of it that was destined to belong to Synthia or Shelly.
“Grandma Marie said that her best friend Deana was a very special woman whose family had been blessed,” Abbey explained. “Grandma told my dad that she was guided to make many pieces of jewelry by a woman who visited with her often. She said the woman had beautiful white hair and was very kind. I realize now that the woman who visited with my grandmother was Mother Fate.” Abbey looked at the women in the room and realized that they were all mesmerized by her words. “Grandma Marie passed that box to me through my dad. When my dad brought Mother Fate to me when I was escaping my ex-husband, the connection with my family must have continued. I don’t really understand why I was given the miracle of Mother Fate’s visitation. I’m just thankful that I’ve been gifted with her kindness.”
Abbey, you are Marie’s granddaughter. She was Deana’s good friend and protector when others in the human world had been cruel to her. Marie was a wonderful woman who took the chance of becoming a true friend to the members of the wolf shifter community. She kept their secrets and protected them when others were ready to hurt them for their differences, Mother Fate’s voice spoke softly.
“Did all of you hear that?” Meeka asked, looking at everyone with hope. “Please tell me I wasn’t the only one who heard that.”
“I heard her,” Laurie whispered.
“Me, too,” Nikki spoke up.
The rest of the women nodded, too stunned to speak.
I gifted both Deana and Marie with the ability to see the future triads and directed Marie to use her talents to make the charms for all of you, Mother Fate continued.
“Why?” Abbey asked for all of them.
All of you needed the encouragement to mate with your men, Mother Fate explained. Your men needed you. This pack could not survive without the love that all of you bring to it. The children you will have will continue the kindness and the goodness of these shifters. In this very sad world, love and family are needed. All of you are the future. You are the beauty and love of your pack and have given the shifter world endless possibilities.
“Thank you,” Laurie said softly. “My life is wonderful because of the love I’ve found here.”
“Mine, too,” Nikki added, her voice small as emotions filled her.
“All of us feel the same way,” Abbey spoke for the women. “Thank you, Mother.”
I thank all of you for helping to create a loving community family, Mother Fate told them all gently. Because of you, many good things will happen.
“So, Abbey has brought you to us?” Laurie asked gently.
Abbey’s grandmother has drawn me to Abbey, Mother Fate explained. Abbey needed me the most when she was lost, but all of you have brought me to this wonderful group of shifters. They are good people who are changing the world for the better. All of you have been gifted with the blessings of the Fates. Do not be afraid of the difficulties that lie ahead of you. Your goodness and love will help you get through every trial. Never lose faith, my children. You are very loved.
The silence that filled the room was almost deafening as the presence of Mother Fate faded away. The women looked at each other, unable to form the words to talk about the magnitude of the miraculous experience that they had just shared.
“I like the lady,” Eric spoke up from his place among the pile of multi-colored blocks.
“She was very nice,” Tammy agreed. “Mommy, she made me feel happy.”
Julia smiled down at her daughter, reaching down to touch her soft curls and petting the length of her dark brown hair. “She made me feel happy, too, honey,” she said gently. Looking up to face all of the women in the room, she smiled softly. “We’re very lucky.”
Chapter 14
Meeka walked toward Suzie’s home, intent on talking with Drew about her mates. Mother Fate had told her that her blood was the key to their healing. It seemed to her that Reece’s voice wasn’t quite as raspy as it had been. It was also evident to her that both men had a bit more control over their wolves. When Reece had woken in the early morning hours, his shift had only been a partial one. Wade’s shift had also been less severe. Her blood may already be having a healing effect on them. She certainly hoped so.
As she walked, she remembered how Reece and Wade had taken care of her after they had made love. They were gentle and caring, making sure that she was comfortable as they cleaned her. She was a little embarrassed by the intimacy of them taking care of her, wiping away the lube and their combined fluids, and licking at her delicate folds to ease the soreness of her sex.
Wade had been contrite because of the multiple scratches his claws had made on her stomach when he had held her away from Reece. Reece was equally upset by the scratches he had inflicted on her back when he had been partially shifted. Meeka had feigned anger and demanded that they heal her. She couldn’t hold onto the pretense as they licked at her wounds, however. When she had dissolved into soft laughter, she realized that both her men released breaths of relief when they understood that she was just teasing them and was completely fine with the way that they had held her.
When they had helped her into the giant tub in the master bathroom, she had giggled like a school girl. They had added healing herbs to the water then joined her in her bath to help clean her, kissing her every time they passed soft cloths over her body.
When they had carefully wiped the water from her body and laid her on their bed, she couldn’t help but say a prayer of thanks that she had been blessed with such gentle and loving men. They had spread her legs wide and had carefully rubbed an ointment against her sex, sliding their thick fingers inside of her to push the healing gel deep, making her gasp with pleasure as they rubbed it over her clit and made her come before wrapping her within their arms and whispering words of apology that they had caused her any pain.
Such sweet men. And they were all hers.
She walked into Suzie, Drew, and Carter’s home through the kitchen entrance. She knew she should have probably gone in through the pack clinic entrance, but she was used to visiting in their kitchen. Since she had come to the Circle Three Ranch, she had found a welcoming and happy place with her best friend Suzie and her mates in their home.
Walking over to the stove, she saw the latest confectionary creation that Suzie had made. It looked and smelled like pumpkin bread. It took all of her effort not to snitch a piece. She smiled as she thought about the joy Suzie had creating delicious treats for her mates. Meeka was looking forward to doing the same for her own mates. She wanted to make a warm and loving home with Reece and Wade.
Walking toward Drew’s office, she thought about the many questions she had for him. She was going to tell him what Mother Fate had told her about her blood being the key to healing both of her men. She also wanted to make sure that she was healthy enough to carry a baby. She had been severely underweight for so long, it was a relief to have her curves back. She just hoped that those tough years hadn’t taken a toll on her body.
As she walked down the hallway that led to the connecting door that separated Suzie and her mates’ home from the clinic, she heard three distinct voices—men’s voices. She froze in her spot as she recognized Reece’s and Wade’s deep, masculine timbres that usually sent waves of desire through her. But this time, there was no desire that raced through her. What she felt was horror, disgust, hurt, and anger.
“Drew, we need to know if the silver in our bodies has affected our DNA,” Reece said firmly as they stood in front of the big desk in Drew’s office. “We need you to be brutally honest with us. Don’t hold anything back.”
Drew leaned back in his chair and looked up at Reece and Wade. He wasn’t sure what the men were concerned about, but he knew that they had a very real issue that they needed an answer to.
“What do you mean, Reece?” Drew asked him. “You know that the silver in both of you has affected your ability to co
ntrol your wolves. It has had a definite impact on your DNA.”
Reece nodded, looking at Wade as Drew’s words made him realize their worst fears. What had they done?
“Would that affect our mating with Meeka?” Wade asked quietly.
“In what way, Wade?” Drew asked, standing and walking around his large desk to stand before the two men.
“Will the change in our DNA hurt Meeka?” Wade clarified. “We should have asked you that before we even thought about claiming Meeka as our mate.”
Drew hesitated as he thought about the negative possibilities that may concern Meeka. “I’d have to do a blood test on Meeka to be sure that her DNA has adapted to yours without any negative impact from the silver in your systems, but I really don’t think her DNA has been altered adversely,” Drew said cautiously. “What are you really concerned about?”
“If we had a child, would our child be affected by the silver,” Reece asked, voicing the concern they both had.
Drew hesitated, running all possibilities through his mind. “There is a chance that your child might have some traces of silver, but I don’t think the odds are high. The way to make sure is to have Meeka come to me so I can test her blood.” He looked at Reece and saw the anguish on his face. Turning to look at Wade, he saw the same emotion.
“We’ve hurt our mate,” Wade whispered, looking at Reece with wide eyes. “And we might have hurt our baby.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Drew cautioned them. “I would not assume that either Meeka or your baby is at risk. I really don’t believe that they are. Meeka has come a long way since we rescued her and Eric from Randall. She’s no longer malnourished. She’s very healthy. Any baby she carries will be protected by her body and her blood.”
“Do you think she’s pregnant already?” Reece asked Wade, unable to accept Drew’s words.
“I hope not,” Wade answered without hesitation.
Reece nodded, completely understanding why Wade felt that way. They had talked about it on the way to Drew’s office. It was too dangerous for Meeka to carry their baby until they were able to do something about the silver content in their bodies. They couldn’t take a chance that their daughter would be injured because of the high concentration of the element that would poison their baby. What Drew said was not helping to dispel their fears. There were too many possibilities, and many of them were negative ones. All of them would affect Meeka and the baby that they had seen in the vision that had shown them their future.
Meeka's Reluctant Mates [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 15