“Kaley?” Wade asked as gently as he could, considering he was fighting to control his wolf as it clawed at his chest to get out and search for their mate.
Kaley looked up at the two men, confused. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?” she asked, sure that she would remember men as big and as handsome as the two men who stood before her.
“No,” Reece answered for them. “Please tell us where Meeka is.”
Kaley’s eyes narrowed at them. “Who the hell are you, and why do you want Meeka?” she asked them, her voice hard.
“We’re her mates,” Reece said firmly. “Please. We need to talk to her.”
“Kaley, Reece and I need to explain,” Wade continued for them. “We want her and Eric to come home with us. We need to tell her…”
“I think you’ve told her enough,” Kaley snapped, her eyes flashing with the anger she had bottled up inside of her for the two men who had used her sister and had broken her heart. She didn’t give a shit how nice they were being or how sad they looked. There was no way she was going to allow them anywhere near her sister or her nephew. “Get out of this restaurant before I call the police.”
“If you would just give us a chance to explain. Wade and I had a valid reason for our reluctance to continue our triad mating. You don’t understand,” Reece tried to explain.
“I understand just fine,” Kaley cut him off, her angry eyes shooting daggers at both Reece and Wade. She had known their names from Meeka’s explanation of her life with them. Now she had faces to put with the names. It was easier to hate them now. “I understand that my sister gave you her love and you threw it and her away.” Her voice shook with the anger that was consuming her.
“She’s our mate. She belongs to us,” Wade insisted, trying very hard to control his anger and frustration.
“You listen to me, wolf boy,” Kaley nearly yelled, doing her best to remain calm and not cause a scene. “Meeka belongs to herself and to her son. She does not belong to you. You lost the privilege to call her yours the day you said you wanted to break your bond with her.”
Reece nodded, his growling ceasing as a long sigh of resignation left him. “You’re right, Kaley,” he admitted quietly. “We lost any right to Meeka the day she left us. She has every reason to never want to see either of us ever again.”
Kaley narrowed her blue eyes at him. She couldn’t tell if he was being sincere or if he was being a player—like every man she had ever known. Looking at Wade, she saw the pain on his face and could sense the sorrow that was radiating from him in his look and in his stance. Reece was displaying the same defeated look.
“Why should I believe you?” she asked them, her anger lessening only slightly. “Why should I give you the chance to hurt my sister and my nephew again?” She looked at both of them with a piercing stare that usually worked with unruly patrons and unwanted attention given to her by men trying to hit on her. Seeing the way both men looked at her with complete dejection, something in her heart melted just slightly. “Don’t.” The warning was clear.
“Don’t, what?” Reece asked, confused.
“Don’t act all sad and ashamed,” she demanded.
Reece stepped forward and reached up to touch Kaley’s shoulder, but she moved away immediately. “I apologize,” he said softly, lowering his hand and stepping away from her.
“Save it for Meeka,” Kaley told him, her voice hard and cold.
“Does that mean you’ll give us the chance to tell her we’re sorry?” Wade asked, looking at her with such hope in his eyes.
Kaley huffed in exasperation. “Look, if it was up to me, I would tell you to take your sorry asses out of here and go home to Colorado,” she said angrily, crossing her arms across her chest. “But, it’s not up to me. Meeka has to make that choice.”
Both men remained silent, afraid that anything they might say would destroy the chance that Kaley seemed about to give them. They could see how the young woman was struggling with her decision to allow them to talk to her sister.
They watched in silence as Kaley walked around the highly polished counter where she usually stood to greet customers. She bent down behind it and pulled her purse from the lower shelf and set it on the counter. Reece couldn’t help but smile at Wade as they both watched Kaley open the purse and rummage around in it before pulling out her cell phone. She turned on the phone and touched the screen before bringing the phone to her ear and waiting for the connection to be made. The words she mumbled under her breath sounded suspiciously like she was calling them both assholes.
“Meeka, how are you feeling?” Kaley’s words drew their attention.
“What’s wrong with Meeka?” Wade spoke up. “Is she sick?”
Wade, she’s pregnant.
Wade smiled slowly. Our Maizy, he whispered within Reece’s mind.
Reece nodded. I need to see Meeka and hold her and touch her belly. I need to connect with our baby. I need to hold Eric and hug him. I need us to finally be a family.
We will be, Reece, Wade said, truly hoping that what he was saying was true.
“Kaley, let me speak with Meeka,” Reece said, reaching out to take her cell phone from her.
“Back off, wolf boy!” Kaley warned him angrily, slapping at his hand. “Meeka, I need you to think about something, honey.” She hesitated a moment then took a calming breath to push aside the anger that was threatening to overwhelm her. “Reece and Wade showed up at the restaurant. They want me to take them to you so they can talk to you. What do you want me to do?”
The silence as they waited for Meeka’s response was painful. Reece actually felt sick to his stomach as he waited for their mate to decide if she would give them the opportunity to see her again.
Wade reached up and rested his hand on Reece’s right shoulder, squeezing it firmly. He was just as worried as Reece was.
“Okay, Meeks,” Kaley said softly. “I’ll be home in about half an hour. Try and get some rest.”
She disconnected the call and tossed her phone into her purse then looked at the two men that she was determined to dislike. “My sister said to bring you home with me so she could talk to you,” she said finally, her anger ramping up when she saw the two men smile at her words. “Let’s just get one thing straight. You hurt my sister or my nephew and I’ll be getting two new wolf pelts that I’ll be happy to use as rugs in my apartment. Got it?”
She walked away from them without waiting for an answer, returning within minutes wearing her heavy winter coat. She grabbed for her purse and slung over her shoulder. Walking toward the front door of the restaurant, she pushed it open and stepped outside into the bitter cold of the snowy night, knowing that the two men followed her.
The blast of cold air brushed against her just before a firmly packed snowball hit her square in the face, catching her just above her left eyebrow and stunning her. She staggered back from the blow, slamming her head against the heavy wooden door. Crying out in pain, she reached out to try to stop her descent to the cement entranceway. Looking up, she saw the horrified expressions of two of the hottest men she had ever seen. Then she knew no more.
Chapter 26
“What the hell?” Reece roared, reaching for Kaley as she slumped to the ground.
“Oh, shit!” Nathaniel yelled as he rushed toward the woman they had just hit with a snowball. “Brett!”
“Hell!” Brett muttered, rushing to her side and kneeling down beside her.
Reaching up, he touched her forehead to carefully probe the small cut just above her left eyebrow. Nathaniel knelt on her other side, reaching out to push back the luxurious black hair from her face. In that moment, her scent reached him and his cock hardened to the point of pain in a matter of seconds. He looked at Brett, a slow smile covering his face as he faced his triad partner.
“Brett,” he said quietly.
“I know,” Brett whispered, leaning forward and breathing in the incredibly beautiful woman’s scent as he nuzzled against her temple. “We’ve finally fou
nd her.”
Wade looked down at Kaley as she fought to come back to consciousness. “Looks like you have a hell of a woman as your mate, little brother,” he told Brett, smiling.
“Who is she?” Brett whispered, in complete awe that he and Nathaniel had just found the woman meant to be theirs.
“She’s Meeka’s sister Kaley,” Reece said, laughing softly. “You’re going to have your hands full with this woman. She’s not going to let you get away with anything.”
“Yeah?” Brett asked, looking down at the beautiful woman who was their gift. “I’m looking forward to it.” Never taking his gaze from their woman’s face, he traced the sweet lips that were begging for his kiss with the tip of his index finger. “Our mate is perfect.”
“Except for the injury that we just caused,” Nathaniel answered, leaning forward and licking at the small cut above her eyebrow. He eased back and allowed Brett to do the same, knowing his triad partner needed the connection to their woman through her blood just as much as he did. Both men also needed to share in her care and in her healing. It was the way of mates. They were destined to care for her and love her for the rest of their lives.
Kaley moaned softly at their ministrations. Her eyes fluttered open. She looked up at the two men who held her and tried to make sense of what they were doing. When she realized that they were licking her forehead, she bolted upright and pushed out of their arms.
“What the hell are you doing?” she demanded, her blue eyes flashing her annoyance. “Ewww! Gross!”
“We’re healing your injury, beautiful,” Brett said softly, smiling down at her.
“Well, stop it!” she demanded, struggling to stand. She reached up and held the back of her head. “Ow! What the hell happened?”
“We’re sorry, baby,” Nathaniel said gently. “Brett and I were throwing snowballs at each other and you stepped into the line of fire.” He reached up and touched her cheek, tenderly caressing it with the back of his index finger.
“Geez! Are you freaking kidding me? What are you guys, two years old?” Kaley snapped at them. “Let go of me! Idiots.” The last word was mumbled under her breath as she pushed herself to her feet and looked at the two men. “Who are you?”
“Kaley, my name is Nathaniel Barrett. This is my triad partner Brett Garner. He’s Wade’s brother.” He looked at Brett to gauge whether or not they should be forthcoming with their woman. He saw the indecision in Brett’s eyes, but he also saw the cautious hope there.
“Okay, so now I know the names of the men who assaulted me,” Kaley said sarcastically.
Nathaniel couldn’t prevent the grin that came to him. By the Fates, she was a fireball! He loved it. Turning to look at Brett, he saw his triad partner trying to hide his own smile.
“It’s going to be a fun future,” Brett told him, laughing softly.
“I agree,” Nathaniel said quietly, knowing that Kaley had no idea what they were talking about. All in good time.
Kaley had to force herself to look away from the two men. She didn’t know why she was so mesmerized by them, but she couldn’t deny it. She was. And she loved the scent of them. Her forehead furrowed in confusion as she tried to make sense of it. Meeka had mentioned something about the scents of Reece and Wade. Well, Kaley didn’t think Reece or Wade smelled particularly nice, but Nathaniel and Brett sure smelled good. Forcing herself to rein in her weird thoughts, she focused instead on the pain in her forehead. It would help her stay angry and not succumb to the two men’s obvious charms.
Reaching up and touching the skin above her left eyebrow, she looked at her fingertips and saw the blood that covered them. It made her strengthen her resolve. They had hurt her with their foolish playing. She turned away from the both of them and was about to step down off the cement landing when she saw the other two men who stood not far from her who were looking at her in horror.
“How many of you are there? You had to bring four men with you to come and talk to my sister?” She turned to face Reece and Wade, completely pissed off.
“Our alpha insisted,” Wade said quietly.
“Why? Didn’t he think you could talk to Meeka on your own?”
“Jace was concerned that we would not be able to control our wolves,” Wade told her honestly. “We have the same concern.”
“So you’ll turn all furry if you lose control?” Kaley asked, her voice hard. “And do you think telling me that will make me trust you to be near my sister and my nephew?”
“Reece and Wade will not hurt Meeka or Eric,” Nathaniel said calmly, reaching out to hold Kaley’s hand gently within his own. “It’s impossible for them.”
“Why should I believe you?” Kaley demanded, pulling her hand from his. “Just because you say it, it doesn’t make it true. I have to look out for my sister’s safety.”
“Kaley, sweetheart,” Brett spoke up, stepping toward her and taking her hand in his with utmost care. “Meeka is their mate. Eric is their cub. A mate is precious to us. We could never hurt our mate or our children.”
“They’ve already hurt her,” Kaley nearly yelled. “Don’t give me that garbage. And stop touching me! What’s up with the two of you?”
“We can’t help wanting to be close to you,” Nathaniel said gently, almost afraid to get too close and spook her. “You’re very special to us, honey.”
“Oh, please,” Kaley said, snorting in a most unladylike way. “Yeah, I’m really special. Go peddle your crap somewhere else. Now, get the hell out of my way! I have to get home.”
She stepped back and leaned down to pick up her fallen purse, slinging it across her shoulder as she stepped down off of the front entryway of the restaurant and headed toward the parking lot to the right of the restaurant. “I don’t understand why my sister is giving you a chance to talk to her, but it’s what she wants,” she said, shrugging as she turned back to face Reece and Wade. “If you’re coming with me, move it! Meeka is tired and you’re keeping her up way too late.”
Turning, she headed toward her car, ignoring the six men who followed closely behind her. She didn’t know if they had their own car and didn’t much care if they didn’t. All she knew was, they were not getting into her car with her—especially not the two men who insisted on touching her. She wasn’t going to allow Nathaniel and Brett to get close to her again. She didn’t like the way it made her feel.
She walked toward her car, shrugging off the buzzing of excitement that seemed to surround her skin. It was something that she hadn’t felt in a long time—if ever. It was weird to think about it, but she was honest enough with herself to admit that she was feeling an attraction toward the two men.
Hell! She didn’t like that at all!
Meeka sat at the kitchen table, sipping at her cup of hot chocolate and swirling around the tiny marshmallows with her teaspoon. She did her best to remain calm as she waited for her sister to come home and bring her ex-mates with her. No matter how many times she thought about what Reece and Wade could possibly say to her, it always ended up the same way because there was nothing they could say that would erase or excuse what she had heard.
They had rejected her love. They had rejected her. They wanted her out of their lives. Fine. If that’s what they wanted she was determined to forge her own way in this world with as much dignity as she could. She had made a new life for herself with Kaley and Cammy in Crystal Springs. It may not be the most ideal life, and the three of them were struggling to survive, but she was safe and content. There was food on the table, their apartment was comfortable and warm, and they were certain that they were in an atmosphere where the three of them finally felt like they belonged and were free from the cruelty of others. This was what she wanted for her life and her children’s lives as well. She was determined that no one would ever hurt Eric or Maizy.
Covering her belly with her left hand, she said a soft prayer that her daughter was healthy. Even though Meeka didn’t really feel like eating and had a hard time sleeping without dreams of Ree
ce and Wade invading her thoughts, she had to be careful to take care of her health. The baby growing inside of her needed her to be well. Eric needed her to be physically strong. She couldn’t take care of them if she didn’t take care of herself.
The sound of the apartment door opening made her jump. She heard her sister telling Reece and Wade to take off their boots and put their coats on the rack next to the door. When she heard the sound of footsteps heading toward her, she realized that she wasn’t at all nervous. All she felt was sadness.
Looking up, her breath caught in her throat as she saw Reece and Wade standing in the kitchen doorway. They looked as handsome as ever. Their hair was wet and glistened from the melting snowflakes. Their cheeks were rosy from the coldness of the winter night. Their eyes were wary as they looked at her, the blue of Reece’s and the gray of Wade’s alternately flashing golden as their wolves pushed at them. She didn’t realize until that moment just how much she enjoyed seeing their wolves.
Their scent wafted over her and the queasiness that had been plaguing her for the past few days was immediately soothed. She could feel the nervousness in her body easing. She realized that the tension that had been so much a part of her life from the time she and Eric had walked the driveway of the Circle Three Ranch to wait for the taxi that took them away from the life that she had thought was going to be forever had dissipated the moment she had scented Reece and Wade. It was not something she wanted to be true. She couldn’t depend on the men to ease her worries. They weren’t going to be in her life. There was no point in getting used to feeling comfortable with them again.
“Hi,” she said softly, glad that her voice held no quiver to it.
“Meeka,” Reece whispered, coming forward and kneeling beside her at her right side as she sat at the table.
Wade did the same, taking his place on her other side. She looked at both men and could see that their faces held lines of strain and exhaustion. She had to force herself to keep her hands from reaching up and running her fingers through their hair to soothe their pain. It wasn’t her place to offer them comfort anymore. She had to keep reminding herself that they didn’t want her. It was like a mantra that she had to repeat in order to keep herself from doing what she wanted to do—what she ached to do. She wanted to be in their arms more than she wanted to breathe.
Meeka's Reluctant Mates [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 23