by EA Hunt
“Mary, she—”
“I’ve had four children and a new granddaughter who leaves all kinds of things at my home. I promise you we will be fine. When you two come up for air, come to the diner and we’ll have a family dinner,” she replied as she headed out of the door with the baby.
Lucy looked at Theo “I—”
Theo covered her mouth with his, silently thanking his mother for time with his mate.
EA
She had never seen a more beautiful sight. The sky was clear and the leaves were a beautiful brilliant green. Too bad she couldn’t appreciate them. No, all she could think about was Garret coming for her—him touching her and her not being able to defend herself. Taylor licked her lips as she sat on the back porch of her home. It’d been a week since her attack and she hadn’t left the house.
“Tay?”
She turned her head and smiled sadly at her brother. He had been with her this whole time—sleeping in her room in wolf form, or just sitting in a chair in the living room making sure she knew he was there. Her parents had been just as attentive. Her mother made sure she ate and had an appointment with a counselor in Atlanta in a few days. Her dad had put locks on her floor-to-ceiling windows, and an alarm also, all because she had asked him too. Even Viv had gotten into the act. She would crawl over to Taylor and give her one of her toys or just hug her. Her family had wrapped her in a cocoon that she didn’t want to let go of, but knew at some point she would have to.
“Mom wants you to come to the diner with us.”
Taylor turned back to the woods—the family dinner was tonight. She wanted to leave, she did, but…
“No one will harm you. I swear,” Tyson said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. He released a little sigh when she flinched a little. He released her and came to stand before her. He crouched so that he was looking at her. “When I was hurt, I thought it was my fault. That if I had seen who Gaelyn was then maybe I could have stopped what happened. Or if I would have stayed home and not been involved with the people that I was involved with, then maybe, just maybe, all that happened to me would not have.”
Taylor swallowed. She felt that way.
“Then I realized I did nothing wrong. That these people were after Dad. That they wanted what he had. That they wanted to hurt him because they thought he wasn’t good enough and I was a means to an end.” He placed a gentle hand on her leg. “What Garret did was wrong, but you will let him win if you stay in this house and don’t start to live a little, kid,” he said with a little smile.
Taylor smiled a little. She hated when he called her kid. She looked at her brother. She knew he would never let anything happen to her. “Ok. I will go but only—”
“—for a while.” Tyson winked at his sister. “I know,” he said with a small smile.
EA
The kitchen smelled more heavenly than Amanda could have ever thought. She looked at Lucy. The young woman was smiling shyly as she placed powdered sugar over the open-faced apple pie she was making. Amanda had to admit that Lucy was a wonderful pastry chef. Several of her pies that they had introduced at the restaurant and diner were best-sellers. They had advanced orders all the way until Christmas for them. But the fact that her pies were a hit was not the reason Lucy was smiling, trying to contain her excitement. “So how does it feel?”
Lucy lifted her head. She looked at her sister-in-law. “Sorry?”
Amanda chuckled. She placed a hand on her stomach. “I had that same look on my face six… no seven months ago when Trevor and I came into the diner to celebrate Christmas with the family.”
Lucy looked at Amanda. If she didn’t know any better she would have questioned Amanda’s pregnancy because the woman looked four months pregnant when she was only supposed to be almost two. According to Theo, shifter babies grew fast and Amanda would have the newest additions to the family around Thanksgiving. “Really?”
“Yes,” Amanda said as she stood. She was starving, but they weren’t going to eat until Taylor and Tyson arrived. “And the only person who could put a look like that on a woman’s face is that of her mate,” Amanda finished with a wink as she walked over the kitchen island. “So, how do you feel?”
Lucy looked at her. “Amazing. Wonderful and truly happy.”
“Welcome to the family.”
EA
Theo looked over his brother’s shoulder to Viv and Stacia sleeping in one of the corner booths. He smiled. When he had dropped his mate off at the diner earlier, he had been reluctant to leave her. Then his Aunt Martha had seen him coming into the building and blocked his entrance by locking the diner door. Once Lucy and the baby were inside, Stacia had been placed in the playpen with Viv so all the women could see the babies while they worked on tonight’s dinner.
He turned back to the conversation his brother and uncle were having. Atlas had decided this was the year he was going to step down. Once he stepped down, Trevor would take over. Theo looked at his brother. Trevor had been preparing for this for most of his life and Amanda was a natural at leading. Theo knew his brother and sister-in-law would take this pack, this town, to heights it had never seen before. He was about to join in the conversation when his mate came from the kitchen carrying a pie. Theo watched her move. He swallowed as he was taken back to when they had come home from the clinic and finally mated.
EA
“Are you ok?” Theo questioned Lucy as they lay in the bed, Theo holding Lucy in his arms.
Lucy lifted her head. She looked at him. “I—” she stopped. How was she supposed to tell him how sorry she was? How was she to tell this wonderful man that she wanted no harm to come to him because of her?
“Lucy?” Theo questioned as he reached out and turned on the bedside light. He looked at her—she had tears brimming. “Oh baby.” He sat up, taking her with him. He cradled the back of her head. “Baby please.”
Lucy straddled his lap. “I caused this. I caused you to get hurt. I knew I should have left here. I should have never allowed you—” Lucy stopped at his growl. She pulled back and looked at him. “Don’t growl at me, Theodore Hart.”
“Then don’t talk about leaving me.” He cupped her faced with both hands. “Do you think for one minute I’d ever let you go?”
“Theo—”
He covered her mouth with his. He was not going to talk about this. He was going to show her exactly how he felt about her. Theo laid her on the bed, as his hand snaked under the shirt she had on. He cupped her breast and marveled at the moan which escaped her.
Lucy pushed into his hand. She wanted him so much but she had to say something before this got out of hand. “Theo,” she said against his mouth.
“Hmm…Lu—”
She pushed at his chest.
Theo lifted his head. “I—”
“Shh…” She placed a single finger over his lips. “Listen please.”
Theo nodded as his hand came from under her shirt and went to the clasp of the jeans. Once she said her piece he was going to have her.
Lucy removed her finger. She covered his hand on her jeans zipper. “Listen first.”
“I am.”
Lucy shook her head. “No you’re not. You are thinking about how fast you can get my jeans off.”
He looked at her. “I have no clue why you would wear these in the first place.”
“Did you really want your brothers to see me in my—”
Theo growled. Lucy had been dressed in a short nightie when he had come home. It had been cotton, but a thin cotton, and you could see her nipples through it. “If—”
“I didn’t think so. It was best if I changed clothes.”
“Yes it was,” he replied as he bent and kissed her on the lips. He lifted his head.
“Are you ready to listen?” she asked.
“Yes,” he swallowed, “but know this: once you’re done. You. Are. Mine.”
Lucy smiled at him. “I, Theo Hart, have no problem being yours.”
“Good. Now I’m list
ening.”
“I’m sorry. You said you’d listen,” she protested when she saw Theo about to speak. When he nodded slightly she continued. “When you left me at the diner with Tyson and Taylor my thoughts were on how I could leave here before Duncan finds me and hurts you or your family. How could this wonderful man want me when all I have to give him is a broken spirit?”
“Oh baby.”
“Thing is, I’m not broken—not really. Being here with you has shown me how strong I am. Finally leaving him made me strong. Finally standing on my own two feet made me strong. Surviving made me strong. I just never wanted you hurt because I finally found my voice.”
“Lucy…is it ok if I talk now?” he questioned with a half smile.
Lucy nodded.
“If you would have left me I would have crumbled. I would have been weak. You are my heart the other half of my soul and I will not give that up for anything. It is my sworn duty to protect you, our children, our home and family, with all that is in me until my dying day.”
Lucy wanted to cry at the sweetness of her mate’s words. “I love you Theo.”
“Those are the most wonderful words I have ever heard,” Theo replied as he bent and kissed her. He lifted his head, “and I love you. Would you, Lucinda Hart, like to mate with me?”
“More than you know,” Lucy told him as she reached up and placed her lips on his. She pushed gently until he rolled onto his back. She straddled his lap, never breaking the kiss they shared. She ran her hands under his shirt. Lucy lifted her head slightly. “If you get me pregnant again I will be the happiest woman in the world.”
Theo placed a hand on her cheek. “Your wish is my command,” he finished as he flipped her onto her back.
In a matter of seconds both were naked and back on the bed. Theo lay on his back. He helped Lucy straddle him once more. “Time for the strong woman I married to take control.”
She looked at him in surprise “I’ve—”
“You will tonight,” he said as he guided her slowly down his body. Lucy lifted slightly and Theo guided his dick into her.
“Ohh,” she said.
Theo smiled as he placed a hand on each hip. “Now move back and forth my love, like you are riding a very well-endowed horse.”
Lucy placed her hands flat on his chest and started to move. She had never ridden before. Duncan… Lucy stopped moving.
“Baby?”
She licked her lips. She looked at Theo. “Thank you for this.”
He sat up and wrapped his arms around her as he encouraged her to move. “There, my love, will be a lot of firsts for us, starting with this.”
Lucy nodded. She moved a little faster, feeling her orgasm building.
Theo kissed her neck as her core compressed him. She felt so good around him, better than he could have ever imagined.
“Theo!”
“Ride baby. Ride it out,” he told her as he licked her shoulder. He was going to mark her. Make her want no one other than him. When he felt the first quake he licked once more as his teeth lengthened. He wanted…no, needed, to get this right.
“Ahhh!” Lucy screamed at her climax, then she felt a slight pain in her shoulder. She opened her eyes to see Theo biting her. She marveled at the man as she rode her climax out.
Theo let her blood rush down his throat as his seed spilled into her. He released her and licked her shoulder closed. Theo smiled as he laid her down on the bed. He wasn’t done with her yet.
“Theo?!”
Theo blinked as he looked at his dad. It seemed he’d joined the conversation while Theo was thinking about that night. “Sorry—what?”
Trevor shook his head. “I remember those days.”
Theo looked at his brother. “Really Trev, because you’re still in those days. Especially if Amanda is holding the baby. I could have sworn a few weeks ago you handed Viv to Freddie, then pulled Amanda into the office at the restaurant and didn’t let her out until—”
“And this conversation is over.”
All men turned to a slightly fuming Amanda. “I cannot believe you,” Amanda told him.
Theo shrugged. “You guys were kind of loud. We—”
Trevor punched his brother. There was no way he was going to continue to let him speak about his mate that way.
“Damn Trevor,” Theo said
Lucy walked over to her husband. She touched his cheek. “You all right?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Now if you ever do anything like that again, I’ll hit you.”
Theo looked at his mate. “He hit me and I’m the one in trouble.”
“Damn right,” Lucy said as she placed her hands on her hips. “How would you like for me to spill all our—”
Theo covered her mouth with his hand. There was no way he wanted his mate to talk about their sex life. “I understand.”
“Good,” she said through his hand. Lucy stepped away from Theo, took Amanda’s hand, and headed over to the babies.
“Great, now Amanda is going to be pissed for the rest of the night. Thanks Theo,” Trevor said as he looked at his wife. She was talking to Lucy in hushed tones, on the verge of tears. Damn, he needed to sound-proof the office.
“Hey, how was I to know she would take it so personally?”
Trevor shook his head as he walked away from his brother. Theo had a lot to learn about mating.
Theo looked at his father and uncle, who had done nothing to stop the melee. “You two have nothing to say.”
Both shook their heads and went to find their mates.
Theo released a breath. “Great.” Not only was his brother pissed but so was his mate and sister-in-law.
EA
She could do this. She could go into the diner and have a nice family dinner. It wasn’t like the people inside were strangers who were going to give her pitting looks. This was her family and they loved her. Taylor turned, intent on telling her brother to hurry up with his call or their mother would be upset, when someone stepped from the shadows. Taylor squeaked and took a step away from the person. She was about to scream when her back bumped into a solid form.
“Honey, it’s Dad,” Trevor said as he wrapped his arms around his daughter. He’d been halfway to his mate when he had heard Taylor’s squeak of surprise and rushed from the diner. He placed his child behind him as he faced the person, before them “can I help you?”
“I’m Grant. Grant Moore. Garret is my brother.”
Trevor growled.
“I mean no harm. I was sent here by my father to apologize.” Grant looked at Taylor, who was half-behind her father, holding onto his shirt. “I’m sorry my brother did those things to you. He’s being punished by our father and my uncle’s pack. That is where my father took him.” He faced Trevor. “I’m five years older than Garret and have been gone a very long time. I didn’t know he was like that. I am sorry, Alpha Hart.”
Trevor nodded. He couldn’t scent any lies on this young man, only sadness for the fact that his brother had caused anyone pain. “Apology accepted. You seem like a good kid, Grant.”
Grant smiled a little. “I still have a lot to learn. I was hoping I could learn it here. I currently attend med school in West Virginia but I’m looking for somewhere to intern, and according to rumors, your doctor is one of the best on the East Coast.”
“Monroe is good. You can speak with him about interning in the morning.”
Grant nodded. He looked once more at Taylor, then turned and left.
Trevor released a breath. He looked at his daughter. “Where is Tyson?” he questioned. His son hadn’t left his sister’s side in a week.
“He was parking he car. Then he got a phone call. And since we were so close to the diner I came by myself.”
Trevor placed a hand on his daughter’s cheek. “Your mom is holding dinner. Come. Your uncles will get even more grumpy if we hold it any longer.”
Taylor nodded. She followed her Dad into the restaurant. She would be ok. She knew she would
be—it would just take time.
Epilogue
Grant watched from the across the street as Taylor Hart walked into the diner with her father. She was beautiful—more beautiful than he’d ever thought possible—and she was his mate. Grant released an exaggerated breath. His mate was five years younger than him and according to Garret, the girl was a borderline genius; had an over-protective brother, uncles, and grandfather; and her dad was the Alpha of the Hart. Add in the fact Grant’s brother had tried to violate her, and she was the first female born into the pack in almost two decades, and he had his work cut out for him.
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