by Elle Boon
Arynn pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, about that.”
The feel of his alpha drilling into his mind hurt like a motherfucker, but Arynn let him see what he needed. For the first time, he allowed the other man behind the wall he kept up, blocking his pack from his other self.
“Fuuuckkk, son. You sure know how to liven up a party. First your girl shifts in the woods, taking down a baddy, and then, you pull this—where’s my Lake and sweet babies when I need them. Hell, someone bring me a case of Makers, I feel the need to be numb coming on.”
“Let’s don’t and say we did,” Xander Carmichael said. He was second to Kellen, and a man most didn’t want to rumble with. “FYI, we cleaned up the forest for you. You’re welcome by the way. So Arynn finally showed you he had something extra inside him, huh?”
The big bad alpha pointed his finger at Xan. “You knew about this?” He stabbed his index finger toward the towering line of black clad men.
Xan shrugged. “I saw him do some of his mind shit before. Not quite on this level, but yeah, I saw him transfer pain to another shitforbrains who truly deserved it. Of course, it wasn’t quite on this scale before. How you doing, fang boys?” Xan jerked his head up in greeting.
Ezra lifted his middle finger of his right hand. “Keep it up, and I’ll let Hellboy visit you.”
“Can you ease back on the pissing contest and someone explain what the heck is going on?”
Arynn inhaled, taking in the sweet smell of his girls. “How about we take a seat, before I fall down and embarrass myself?”
Kellen snorted but waved toward one of the cushion covered benches. “By all means, go right ahead.”
Jenna tried to step toward him, but her mate Damien tugged her behind him. “Dios, you trying to give me a heart attack? Stay back, my love.”
She swatted his arm but let him cuddle her from behind while the other moved next to them, his hand going to her stomach. “Il mio cuore, I suggest you listen, or you’ll find yourself over my knee.”
“You keep thinking that, sweetheart.” Jenna patted his arm.
Arynn tuned everyone out as he walked, or better yet, stumbled to the bench closest to them. “Looks like I’m not the only one who has some explaining to do,” he remarked before he took a seat, tugging Sheila next to him while Rebel and Romie sat on the ground in front of them.
“How about you start by easing your hold, Arynn?” Sheila shifted his arm, making him relax enough to allow her to get more comfortable.
“Is—is Harlow alright?” Romie asked before he could say anything.
Lyric holding a sleeping Harlow stepped around one of the huge trees. Her smile tremulous. “Harlow is fine. We were never—hurt. Our minds were fu...messed with, but other than that, Rowan and I are untouched. I’ve inspected every inch of Harlow and can’t see any sign she was touched in any way. Whatever spell was cast sort of created a bubble around us, making me think you and Romie were happily playing a few feet away from Harlow and I. Even Rowan didn’t sense anything off, much to his disdain.” She came to a halt in front of Arynn, Rowan on her heels.
“Arynn, I apologize for not keeping your girls safe.” Rowan couldn’t meet his eyes.
Rebel jumped up, hugging Rowan, and then Lyric and Harlow at the same time. “You couldn’t have prevented what happened. Nobody could. Our grandmother is more powerful than any of you know.” She stepped back from the trio. “She doesn’t want me or you.” She pointed at Sheila. “Romie is the one she wants. I saw it in the man’s memory when I, um, when I bit him. His memories flooded into me. I tried to shut them out, but I couldn’t. I’m sorry, mom, my focus was splintered between keeping him from shooting me and Romie and not shifting back to human. If I’d become a girl while I was biting him, I worried he’d win or I’d throw up.”
“Hashtag that’s so gross, Rebel. Do you need to brush your teeth?” Romie asked.
Rebel glared at her sister. “Jenna did this cleanse thing or something. I don’t know, but I feel cleaner than I’ve ever felt in my life, but ugg, it was so gross.” She stuck her fingers in her mouth and scraped them over her tongue.
Jenna moved toward them, her power and presence hard to ignore. Arynn didn’t think he had the strength to battle, yet his wolf pushed to the front.
“Easy wolfiemega, I’m not the enemy here. Now, we could all sit around and tell our stories, and like braid each other’s hair, paint our nails, or whatever, but ain’t nobody got time for that. How about I do my thing, gently, and just give you the info you’re all wanting? You know, in your minds so you can get on with the getting on.”
“Oh, so you’re going to do it gently to them, but me, you just slam into my head like a freight train?” Kellen groused.
The Fey Queen winked down at his girls. “He’s a big crybaby. So, everyone cool with the mind treatment from the one, the only, Fey Queen?” Her voice raised and fell like an announcer, holding her hands around her mouth on both sides.
“Jennaveve, just do it,” Kellen ordered, rubbing at his temples.
Arynn looked at Sheila. “It’s really the best, fastest way to get everyone’s side of the story without going around and waiting.”
“I trust you, therefore I trust her,” Sheila agreed.
Rebel folded her arms across her chest, but she leaned against Arynn’s legs. Romie wrapped one arm around the leg closest to her. His heart galloped at the trust and love flowing from his females, giving him back some much-needed energy. “Alright, we’re ready.” He placed his hands over Sheila’s where they rested over the girls’ heads, connecting them all.
In an instant, he saw Rebel and Romie chase after a fleeing Harlow, calling for her to return. His mind then saw Lyric and Roman grilling and playing with all three girls as if all was right in their world. Next, he was in Romie’s mind, hearing the woman who was supposed to love her more than anything, her grandmother, whispering for her to kill her sister. He could feel the ground beneath Romie’s feet as she ran after Harlow, crying silently as the voice got louder, demanding she pick up a branch and end Rebel’s life, end it so she could be the only one in her mother’s heart. His heart ached for the child who fought against the evil presence, kicking her out of her mind with a finality that made him proud.
Finally, he saw Rebel coming to a hard stop as a man moved out from behind a tree. She recognized him. His blond hair and black eyes were in pictures at her grandmother’s home. He was dressed in a suit and stood next to her mom and dad, but she hadn’t seen him in person. The struggle she endured as they were forced to follow him while it appeared they had little Harlow, made him wish he could go back and kill him all over again. He watched as he made a pretense of releasing the toddler, saying she’d find her way back to her parents, or they’d find her. ‘That’s what their kind does, sniff each other out like the dogs they are.’ His disdain deep and real.
By the time all the stories had played through his mind, he was invigorated again, the fear and pain giving his Omega the power it had expelled back. “We are not dogs, gioia,” he told Rebel.
“Why do you say that?” Rebel asked.
He ran his hand over her head, realizing he still held his palm over both her and Romie’s heads. “The both of you are my joy.”
Rebel yawned. “I’m tired.”
Jenna laughed. “Kids are definitely resilient. Would you like me to watch your girls for you, two?”
Sheila stiffened next to him. Before she could say yes or no, he shook his head. “Thank you, but I think we need to be close to them for a bit. Besides, I see two very dominating men who are more than ready to take you and your little ones’ home.”
“I could always bring my boys out for a little visit. That seems to freak them out a lot, which gives me great joy.” Kellen winked down at the girls.
“Alpha, I’ll make it to where you can’t make any more babies, if you keep it up,” Lucas Cordell growled.
“That’s my cue to go.” Jenna gave a two-finger wave.
Sheila couldn’t get settled. She’d seen what her babies had gone through, hating the fear each had suffered. Her mother was the vilest being to ever have lived. The man in the vision had been Charles, Sarah’s husband Dan’s younger brother. A shiver wracked her as she pictured his older brother Joseph. Yes, Dan was a monster, but Joseph was on a whole other level of evil. He had looked at her all through the wedding with knowing eyes.
“Tell me about Romie’s conception,” Arynn’s voiced rolled over her like a sweet caress.
Her mind froze. Knowing what he could do, she didn’t want to open that particular box, yet knew he had a right to know. She didn’t want him to stumble upon it one day or find out from someone else. “I don’t want the girls to overhear.”
He sat up on the bed with the headboard bracing his back, the sheet pooled around his hips, quirking a brow. “Jenna assured us she made this room soundproof from inside, but not to where we can’t hear what’s going on outside of here.” He gave a wry chuckle. “I love her nickname she’s given you, mama wolfietobe. Although, I don’t want to turn you or Romie unless it’s something you both want.”
She bit her thumb nail as she paced the room, thinking about all that had happened in such a short time. “I’m not ready for more changes. I mean—Rebel is like you obviously, and Romie and me, we’re something else as well. I think we need to figure out exactly what we are before we go adding to the mix. Does that make sense?”
Arynn nodded and patted the bed. “Come here, stellina.”
Taking a deep breath, she went to him. The thought of telling him about the night with Dan made her feel like throwing up. Her hand went to her flat stomach as it rolled, threatening to do just that. “I’m scared. Scared you’ll hate me. Scared you’ll hate Romie and want us to leave.”
His hand shot out and pulled her on top of him. “There’s no way I would ever hate you or an innocent child. Romie is every bit as much mine as Rebel, and so are you. If it would be easier, you can show me.”
Lying on top of him with him wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs and her in one of his T-shirts, she could think of other things they could be doing. Her body heated thinking of having him inside her again.
A slap on her ass had her yelping. “Hey,” she cried.
Arynn’s hand smoothed over her left butt cheek. “Quit trying to distract me. What’s it gonna be? Show, or tell? It’s your decision.”
Squirming until she sat up, she pushed her hair back from her face. “Goodness, don’t you give up?”
He shook his head. “No.”
His one-word answer reminded her he liked to dominate, sending moisture to coat her thin panties. “I can’t—sit here and tell you.” She moved to the side, mimicking his position on the bed. “I need you to promise not to interrupt me and promise not to get angry.”
Arynn grunted.
“Arynn, that wasn’t an agreement,” she said, pulling his face around to meet her gaze.
“I can’t promise you that, Sheila. I can promise I won’t get angry at you, and I’ll let you speak. That’s as far as I can bend.” His blue eyes were glowing.
Knowing she wouldn’t get any more of a compromise, she released his hand and pulled her knees up to her chest. “You obviously know Sarah and I were identical?” At his nod, she continued. “She was dating Dan, who was several years older than us. We were seniors in high school and had just graduated. They were set to get married, but I didn’t think they should. Sarah said I was jealous. I wasn’t. Not of Dan and her. He gave me the creeps. His entire family did, does. They w...were scary rich then, but now they seem to have fallen on harder times. At our graduation party, Sarah had spiked our punch. I didn’t know it until after I’d drank a huge glass. It tasted like really sweet fruit punch. I sort of blacked out and woke up with Dan on top of me in the pool house. I tried to shove him off and tell him I wasn’t Sarah, but my tongue felt too thick for my mouth. By the time I could get my limbs to work, he was standing up and fastening his pants. My ears were ringing, and tears made everything blurry. He said something about our marriage being better, but I wasn’t listening. I curled up into a ball and just lay there.”
Time stretched as she thought of the minutes or hours that passed before Sarah came into the boat house. “Sarah knew what happened. She’d had one of her friends tell Dan she was waiting for him and wanted to—do it. Only it was me she had put in there. I didn’t realize she’d not only spiked the punch with alcohol, but she’d also drugged my drink as well. My own sister wanted to make sure I couldn’t fight her soon-to-be husband off. As she stood over me, she explained she wanted to choose the man she gave her V-card to, and it sure wouldn’t be a pencil dick like Dan.”
Arynn wished Dan were still alive, so he could rip his dick off and shove it down his throat before he shoved his fist through his face. That would just be his warm up. He also wished Sarah were alive, so he could—fuck, he’d never wanted to harm a woman the way he wanted to do to Sheila’s sister. “Did Dan ever know it was you he’d raped and not Sarah?”
Her quick inhale had him glancing over to see tears streaming down her beautiful face. “Come here, baby.” He pulled her into his arms, holding her against his chest, and allowed his powers to ease her pain. This time when his Omega abilities flared, they didn’t ease open, but rolled like a freight train, the word mine escaping his mouth and mind at once. Being a shifter, he was not only a man and a wolf, he was also the Omega. Most in his pack thought that meant he was just a soother of aches, but in truth, it was an entirely different entity within him. They were a triad within one being, working as a team. Their mate, the woman who completed their circle was hurting and all of them wanted to rip the world apart to fix her.
“You’re growling really loud,” Sheila said on a hiccupping sigh.
He pulled his anger inward, knowing how much destruction he could cause. “I’m sorry, stellina. Sorry for what you went through when I wasn’t there. Sorry for not being there when you needed me. Fuck, I was so close and—I fucked up. I let you go and took your sister. Can you ever forgive me?” His arms tightened. He wasn’t sure if he could forgive himself.
Sheila lifted her head, liquid brown eyes enough to bring him to his knees if he’d been standing.
“You wouldn’t have had a choice. They, my mother and Sarah, had powers. I know they did something that night. They’d been in the lower basement rooms my mother didn’t allow me in for hours before Sarah announced it was time to go. I just wasn’t sure what it was. Since I was already pp...pregnant, I was safe from their wrath. Sarah had to figure out a way to get rid of her pesky V-card as she put it. I think she knew you were special. I felt a ripple when I spotted you and your friend that night at the bar,” she whispered.
He used his thumbs to wipe her tears. “That was my brother Torq.” Shit, he needed to call him and let him know he’d found his mate and tell him about Romie and Rebel. After that night twelve years ago, Torq had left and joined the Mystic Wolves near Sturgis South Dakota. Although he’d explained about a pull, some mystical link, Arynn had been angry when his brother had left.
“You were both very intimidating, but his aura was different. When Sarah left with you, my world came to a stop. Had I not had a baby in my stomach, I swear I don’t know what I’d have done.”
Arynn gripped her arms. “Don’t ever say that, you hear me. No matter what happens, you matter. Your life matters. I love those girls. They’re my world, but you are too.” He knew his wolf was on the surface, could feel him raking at his skin, but needed to make Sheila understand her worth. If something were to happen to her, his life would be forfeit.
“Arynn, stop,” she pleaded.
One by one, he released his fingers, worried she’d have bruises on her arms where he’d gripped her. “Do you understand what being mated means to a shifter?” he asked and waited for her answer. When she blinked a couple times, he sighed. “We’re bonded. For you, since you’re
—human you won’t feel the rip in your soul the way I would should something happen to you. Being the Omega as well, I wouldn’t be able to stay on this earth without you. Do you comprehend what I’m telling you?”
She shook her head, more tears forming. “Don’t. Don’t put that on me, Arynn. I’m learning about your world and shit happens. I need to know that if—anything were to happen that our girls will be taken care of.”
He pulled her head to his shoulder, running his hand down her back. “I promise you, stellina, if anything like that happened, our children would be well taken care of. That’s what pack is. We take care of our own.”
“I think I love you, Arynn.” She pulled back to stare at him.
His heart stopped and started at her words. “That’s good, real good, since I love you. One day I hope you can say you love me, not think you love me.” He fisted one hand in her hair and took her mouth in a hard kiss, staking his claim. She may not say the words, but her mind and body told him what he wanted to know. Sheila loved him, she was just too scared to say the words.
He maneuvered her legs until she straddled him, feeling her wet heat through two thin layers of fabric. With a thought, his briefs were gone.
Sheila’s eyes widened. “Holy crap,” she gasped.
“Need you naked, ten minutes ago,” he rumbled, making quick work of ripping his shirt she wore in half, baring her breasts for his enjoyment, and enjoy he did. “Damn your boobs are perfect.”
She snorted. “Boobs?”
He leaned forward and sucked one hard tip into his mouth. “Boobs, titties, breasts, my twin globes of succulence. I’ll call ‘em what I want, since they’re mine.” He pinched both tips between his fingers, giving her a little bite of pain to see how she’d react. Her immediate inhale and even more wetness between her thighs, let him know she enjoyed it.
“Do I get to call parts of you what I want?” She rocked back and forth over his cock.