“First off, I’m not touching your feet.” Emma laughed when Becky stuck her tongue out at her. “Second, trust me! What’s a better mating gift than a day at the spa?” Emma grinned at the two of them. From the look of things she was eagerly anticipating the coming wraps, lotions and facials. Becky still looked like she was going to a torture chamber.
Belle, on the other hand, was feeling a little ambivalent. She hadn’t been to the spa, one of her favorite relaxation spots, in months. Not since the incident with Livia. The members of the Pride, despite Emma, Becky, and Sheri’s support, were still very much of the opinion that Belle had been in cahoots with her ex-best friend. So on one hand, she was looking forward to a little pampering. On the other hand…
Marie Howard stepped out of the spa, a breezy, relaxed smile on her face. It froze for just a second before sharpening. “Hello, Emma. Becky.” Those sharp brown eyes turned to Belle and all the warmth drained out. “Belinda.”
Hypocrite. Marie had been a friend of Livia’s too. She just didn’t bear the stigma of best friend. She smiled her toothiest human smile. “Marie.”
Marie turned back to Emma. “Are you and Becky planning on enjoying a day at the spa?”
Either Marie was stupider than Belle thought, or she just didn’t feel the chill in the air as Emma stared at her. “The three of us are planning on spending the day here.” She smiled, her teeth a little sharper than normal. “After all, tomorrow Belinda leaves for the Poconos and her mating with Richard.”
Belle smiled sweetly at her ex-friend. “That’s right. One more day and you’ll only have to deal with me one more time.”
“One more time?”
“Belinda has agreed to be one of my bridesmaids.”
Shock and, yes, hurt, briefly flashed across Marie’s face. Belle still wasn’t sure what had made her say yes to Emma’s request, but it had been worth it to see the excitement in Emma’s eyes. The Alpha and Curana had booked a fairy-tale wedding in Disney World. How Max had managed to swing that in such a short time when the usual waiting period was nine months, Belle had no clue, but he’d managed it, and Emma was ecstatic over it.
Marie’s expression was frozen as she nodded curtly. “Good luck, Belinda.”
“Thank you.” I’ll need it.
“I’ll see you in April, then.”
Marie turned to go without another word. Belle stepped forward, leaning heavily on her cane as she followed her Curana and Beta into the salon.
“I’m telling you, Sheri, those women hate me.” Belle sighed over her Coke, wincing as she tried to shift her legs and rub the irritation at the juncture of her thighs. The pain that shot through her hip made her hiss.
At least I can move my legs now without wanting to chop them off. Those first few weeks after the surgery had been horrendously painful. Thank God Sheri and Sarah had been willing to be with her during that time. She didn’t know what she would have done if it hadn’t been for them. The fact that Richard had allowed himself to be forced back to his Pack until she was well enough to deal with her new position had caused some serious friction between them in the beginning, even if she could understand why. At least Rick called daily, whether she could talk to him or not. It helped ease the sting of his not being there. And if he had been there, the big dope probably would have decked the physical therapist more than once by now, probably landing in jail or in the middle of a lawsuit.
Okay, maybe Max had the right idea, sending him away. Rick was overprotective on the phone. In person, he would have smothered her. She only hoped he’d gotten some of it out of his system by now.
If not, there was always the pepper spray.
“They do not hate you, Belle. I mean, they took you to a lovely day at the spa.” The pale woman sighed, resting one alabaster cheek against an equally white hand. “They never offered to take me to a day at the spa.”
Belle leaned across the table and held two fingers up to her new best friend. Her relationship with Sheri and her other friend Sarah was one of the few good things to come out of the fiasco of the last few months. “I have two words for you: Full. Brazilian.”
Sheri sputtered, laughing.
“Oh, sure. Laugh. Some sick sadist slaps boiling wax on your nether regions, sops it up with a strip of cloth, and then just rips it off without a care in the world. And while you’re lying there, screaming in pain and threatening their lives, the sadist takes out the tweezers to ‘clean you up’ while they tell you to suck it up and take it like a woman.”
“They did not!”
“Oh, no, the girls torturing me didn’t say it. My Curana and her Beta said it while they sipped fruity drinks and got their nails done.” Belinda shook her head, trying not to squirm too much.
“Look on the bright side. Think about what they’d do to someone they don’t like.”
The women exchanged a look, well aware that Belle could easily have been one of those women on the bad side of the Curana and her Beta.
“Belle? Sheri? I’m not late, am I?”
Both Belle and Sheri smiled at the sound of that soft, sweet voice. Sarah Parker joined them at the booth, settling her purse between her feet as she pushed her bobbed brown hair behind her ears. “I’m late, aren’t I?”
“You’re not late, Sare-Bear.” Belle grinned as Sarah made a face at the nickname she’d been stuck with for years.
Sarah pointed an accusing finger at Belle. “You are so totally lying, but I’ll let you get away with it this time.” She grinned. “And don’t think you can intimidate me, missy.” She struck a pose, nose in the air. “I am a High School Guidance Counselor. I face much scarier things than you every day.”
“Amen,” Sheri muttered, toasting Sarah with her diet Coke.
“Ditto.” Belle raised her own glass, pleased when Sarah’s and Sheri’s clinked loudly against hers. No matter how much Becky and Emma did their best to draw her in, there was too much emotional baggage for them to be best friends. In these two women, women she wouldn’t have given the time of day once, she’d found comfort and a deep friendship she hadn’t known was possible. Both of them accepted her for herself, not the false persona she’d shown the world for so long under Livia’s influence.
Sarah had been one of the only females willing to sit with her during her stay in the hospital, when Sheri’s brutal ex-boyfriend had been stalking her. Belle had broken her hip saving Sheri from being run down by a car, a fact that had earned her Adrian Giordano’s undying devotion. In fact, if Marie had tried to pull that cold as ice shit around the Marshall, she would have been in for a very rough time of it indeed.
“So, how’s Adrian?” Sarah grinned at Sheri, but Belle wasn’t fooled. Sarah had a serious crush on Adrian’s Second, Gabe Anderson. Too bad the man completely ignored her whenever they met. Belle knew that Gabe’s attitude was slowly beginning to wear away at Sarah’s cheerful façade.
“Fabulous.” Sheri drawled, fanning herself with her hand. She leaned in, waiting for the other women to join her. “I got him to agree to moonlight skinny dipping once the weather warms up.”
“Oh, you naughty girl, you.” Sarah reached into her voluminous purse and pulled out a notebook and pen, all without looking. She opened it with an evil grin. “Give me dates and times, so I can set up the hidden camera.”
Sheri cocked one eyebrow. “You are not filming my mate’s naked butt.”
“What about his naked—”
“No.”
“Damn. Foiled again.”
Belle grinned as Sheri snickered.
“Hey, Belle!”
Here we go again. She hid her grin by taking a sip of soda. “Hey, Frank!”
“What do you call a circle of blondes?”
She winked at Sarah and Sheri. “A dope ring.”
The entire diner erupted into laughter.
Belinda smiled at Chloe, Frank’s new waitress, as the girl set down Belle’s burger and fries. Two similar plates went in front of the other women.
�
�Thanks, Chloe.”
“No problem, Belle.” Chloe leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Congratulations on your mating, by the way.” She winked and sauntered off, much to the satisfaction of several of the male patrons. A few of them even leaned out of their booths to watch her ass as it sashayed over to the soda fountain. Her bright red ponytail bounced merrily between her shoulder blades.
Belle’s mouth hung open in shock. Chloe wasn’t Puma; how the hell did she know about Rick? She sniffed, catching a whiff of something elusive. Something definitely shifter, but whatever breed the girl was she’d never smelled it before.
“Belle?”
She turned, snapping her mouth shut and trying desperately to school her features. “Hmm?” She picked up her burger and took a bite, savoring the flavor of the meat. Frank made the best burgers she’d ever been privileged to taste.
Soft fingers touched the back of her hand. “Everything is going to be fine. I promise you that.” Sarah’s eyes had that far away look they sometimes got.
She’s probably daydreaming about Gabe. Admittedly, if Rick wasn’t such a hunk, she might be tempted to daydream about the black-haired, blue-eyed sheriff herself.
Peace flowed over her, as it always did when she was with her friends. She just wished she could pack them up and take them with her. She had the feeling she was going to need them.
Sarah leaned down and began scribbling something in her notebook, ignoring both her burger and the looks she was receiving. Everyone indulged Sarah in her eccentricities. She was just so sweet to everyone that they couldn’t help it.
Suddenly ravenous, Belle devoured her burger. She couldn’t wait for tomorrow. She’d get to see her mate for the first time in months.
And if he played his cards right, she’d mark him the moment she saw him.
Richard Lowell scowled at his Beta, David Maldonado, and his Marshall, Ben Malone. The only one who wasn’t falling under his eye was his Omega; he hadn’t informed her yet of her status. Until she recognized what she was, it would be a useless endeavor, ending only in more pain and degradation for her. “Let me rephrase that. I need you to pick up Belinda for me without arguing .”
Ben had a faint frown on his face, while Dave was openly scowling. “Why aren’t you going to get your mate yourself?”
Richard sighed and leaned back against his sturdy oak desk. What part of “no arguing” didn’t they get?
“Because the Pack females are giving me shit, that’s why.”
Ben nodded. “We know that, which is why we think it’s important for you to be the one to go get her.”
“First of all, the only reason she hasn’t been brought here before this is because her doctors are in Halle.
Second, the moment I show up, informally , with the Luna, the females are going to start giving everyone shit.”
“They’re demanding full protocol?” Dave looked shocked.
“No. Gina is demanding full protocol.”
The three men exchanged a look. The strongest Wolf female, Gina had been vehement in her outrage over a non-Pack Luna, and her loud protests were stirring up the other females. Nothing would do but for Rick to follow full protocol, forcing the Pack to accept his mate as their Luna. The fact that Gina was Dave’s sister made things even more awkward for the men.
“Shit. Sorry, man.”
Rick eyed Dave with some sympathy. “Not your fault.” He was beginning to wonder if it wasn’t time for Gina to go start her own Pack, somewhere far, far away. Like in Alaska. “But because of Gina, I need you two to go get Belle.”
The men nodded, all argument tabled. “I’ll protect the Luna, Rick. Don’t worry.” Ben grinned.
“Although from what I remember, she may not need much in the way of protecting.”
“She can’t shift, remember? Not until Doctor Howard says the pin can come out, and he told me it will be another six months before that happens.”
“How’s her physical therapy going?” Dave’s concern was written all over his face.
“It’s going well, but I’ve been warned she’s been pushing herself a little harder than she should be.” And when Belle found out he’d been monitoring her progress, she was going to be seriously pissed at him.
Not that he cared. Her Alpha had forced him to leave her behind four months ago, citing her injury.
He’d agreed, reluctantly, his Wolf howling in protest at the thought of leaving his mate. Now, his patience was at an end. Phone calls were not enough to still the raging in his blood for his petite, fiery, injured mate.
Belle was coming home, if he had to fight the Pride Alpha and his own Pack bitches the entire fucking way.
Belle stood outside her small apartment, one small suitcase in hand, ready to bid the town of Halle, Pennsylvania a somewhat fond farewell. All of her other belongings were already winging their way across state to the Poconos thanks to a trio of very enthusiastic Wolves. They’d shown up on her doorstep as promised, cheerfully packed all of her belongings into a truck and driven away, leaving her only her bed, a folding chair and a small dinner tray. They’d even taken the television. She had the feeling if she hadn’t hidden her little computer they would have taken that, too.
She shivered and wished Richard would hurry the hell up. The forecast had mentioned snow, and her hip ached like a son of a bitch. All of her belongings had been shipped the day before; the only thing left was good-byes.
Not that there are many of those to be said, which is why the farewell is only somewhat fond. Her parents had long since retired to Arizona; she’d talked to them more than once over the phone, but their relationship was distant at best. They hadn’t even bothered to fly down to see her in the hospital, and as far as Belle was concerned that was a good thing. The Alphas and Betas of the Pride were there to see her off, and Sarah had sworn she’d be here, as had Adrian and Sheri. They’d yet to show, but Belle had faith that they would. These people here, and the man who waited for her, were the ones that mattered.
None of the other Pride members could be bothered, and Belle decided that, too, was a good thing. She had a limited supply of pepper spray, and the gun shop owner had told her that, without a license, she couldn’t get a gun.
God alone knew when that would come through. Until then, she’d make do with her more makeshift weapons.
“Give me that.” Max, the Pride’s Alpha, took her suitcase out of her hand with a frown. “Sit in the Durango and get warm.”
She opened her mouth to argue and saw Emma in the car, waving her over. “Fine.” She blew her blonde hair out of her eyes and limped to the SUV, trying desperately not to lose her balance on the icy pavement. Fuck. She could feel the cold seeping into her bones. Why couldn’t Rick live in the friggin’ Bahamas?
“Belle.”
Belle smiled. “Simon.” She automatically looked behind him for Becky; the two were rarely far apart unless they had to work. She found Becky settling into the Durango next to Emma, and grinned. Sarah sat there too, waving at her. She wondered when the other woman had arrived. How had she missed it?
He placed one hand under her elbow, steadying her on the ice. “C’mon, let’s get you in the car before you fall on your ass.”
He gently steered her towards the car, his body hovering over hers protectively.
She hoped they got to the SUV before Richard showed up. Simply mentioning Simon’s name was enough to earn her a growl. If he saw how solicitous Simon was being, he’d probably have an aneurysm.
“Thanks, Simon.” She started to settle into the seat, gingerly putting weight on her hip.
“Hey.”
She looked up into dark brown eyes that had once defined her world. “Yes?”
“If anyone hurts you, let us know. We’ll come up and kick some dog ass for you. Okay?”
Belle blinked back tears as Max, Emma and Becky all nodded their agreement. “Thank you.” She leaned over and took Becky’s hand as Emma’s landed on her shoulder. “Thank all of you.”
Simon nodded. “We’re Pride.”
And as far as they were concerned, that said it all.
Belle couldn’t hold back the tears, burying her face in her gloved hands. Only a handful of people still considered her Pride, but they were the most important people. She knew now she’d always have a home here, and friends, no matter what happened.
Soft arms circled her shoulders. “Remember what I said, Belle. Everything will be all right.”
She sniffled as Sarah, bless her heart, stroked her hair.
“Just keep picturing how Richard’s going to react to the full Brazilian you got!”
She gave a watery chuckle just as Simon said, “Really? A full Brazilian? Ow! Damn it, Becky! What did you do that for?”
Her shoulders shook as Becky started chewing on her mate. “What the hell are you doing picturing Belinda bare?”
“I’m not! I’m picturing you bare!”
“Ew. I’d rather eat honey-covered ants.”
Emma groaned disgustedly. “It’s not that bad, you big pussies.”
There was dead silence.
“What?”
“Emma!” Max looked like he was strangling on a laugh.
“What?”
Simon’s big, bellowing laugh had Belle lifting her head from Sarah’s shoulder. Becky was laughing so hard she was snorting. Sarah was trying desperately not to giggle and nearly biting her lip through in the process.
“What did Emma say that has you all laughing so hard?”
Simon moved, revealing Adrian and Sheri, grinning, standing by the side of the SUV.
“What makes you think it was me?”
Adrian’s amused snort said it all.
Belle leaned around Sarah. “She called us all big p-pussies for not getting full Brazilians.”
Sheri turned her back on the SUV. Her shoulders were suspiciously rigid.
Adrian blinked slowly. “Well. Spank my ass and call me Morris.”
They were still laughing when the Wolves pulled up five minutes later. Two men got out of the huge SUV they were driving. “Ms. Campbell?”
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