“Clarice, you can keep them safe,” Martha protested as she tried to hand them back to her queen.
“No. You need to keep them,” Clarice said without hesitation. “I also need you to keep this.” She reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out the item that was wrapped in another piece of white tissue paper. She handed it to Martha and covered her friend’s hand with her own. “This is for Jace and Jackson’s mate. I just think that you should be the one to keep all of these things for me.”
“Why?”
“Because Mother Fate told me to give them to you.”
“She did?”
Clarice nodded. “She did.”
“I didn’t know that, Clarice,” Cara said softly, her voice hushed in reverence.
“She came to me in a dream last night,” Clarice explained. “She said to give you the charms from Kurt and Neil and the bracelet for Jace and Jackson’s mate. Mother Fate told me to tell you to give it to their mate when you meet her. I don’t know why, but I’m not going to question it.”
Martha nodded and placed the treasures that were wrapped in the delicate paper onto the table. “I’ll keep them safe,” she promised.
“Thank you, Martha,” Clarice said, relief in her voice.
She didn’t know why Mother Fate had told her to give the items to Martha, but she would never think to ignore Her words. If Mother Fate said she should give them to Martha, she would give them to Martha.
“I’ve talked to William and Michael about Vera,” Clarice said firmly. “We believe that she needs to be watched.”
Martha snorted at the understatement. “She needs to be banished,” she said with disgust.
“That may be true,” Clarice agreed. “I actually think you’re right about that, Martha. But until we have proof that she had something to do with the deaths of Kurt and Neil, we have to allow her to remain here with her girls. The girls are our priority.”
“They’re sweet girls,” Cara said gently. “We need to make sure that they remember their fathers and the love that those wonderful men had for them.”
“I suggested to William and Michael that Vera be given the job as housekeeper when the new alpha home is ready,” Clarice said with a hardness in her voice that was uncharacteristic of her. “We need to keep her close so we can keep an eye on her and make sure that she doesn’t hurt those girls.”
“I’ll be there to watch over her,” Martha promised. “I don’t trust her, Clarice, and I worry for those little girls. I’ll always watch over those sweet cubs.”
“Good. Thank you, Martha.” She turned to Cara and smiled. “And you, Cara. What about you?”
“I don’t understand. What about me?”
“How many more children are you going to have?” Clarice teased her.
“As many as I can,” Cara said, laughing softly. “What about you, Martha?”
“I would like to have another child,” Martha said, smiling. “I think Silas and Grant need a little girl to steal their hearts. My mother seems to think that I’ll have a baby girl someday.”
“I wouldn’t question Deana,” Clarice said softly. “She has the gift. We’ve been guided by her many times over the years.”
Martha nodded. Her mother truly had been given an amazing gift. Her ability to prophesize was something that every member of their pack valued and respected.
“Well, little mothers,” Clarice said finally. “I’m going for a walk by the lake.”
She stood up and walked toward the back door of Martha’s home. Cara was by her side, laughing softly. Martha hung back, a wide smile on her face.
“I’ll come with you, Clarice. I could use a walk,” Cara admitted.
“I’ll meet you in about ten minutes,” Martha told them both. “As soon as I take the cake I’m baking for my men out of the oven, I’ll set it to cool and then join you both.”
“You really do spoil your men with your chocolate cakes, Martha,” Clarice said as she slid open the glass door to the back deck of Martha’s home.
“Silas and Grant love chocolate cake, and I love them. If baking a cake and having it waiting for them when they get home tonight after their shift will make them happy, it’s the least I can do. They give me such happiness. I will always do whatever I can to give them the same happiness.”
Clarice nodded and smiled as she looked at both Martha and Cara. “We all do that. That’s what happens when you love your mates.”
Clarice and Cara walked slowly along the water’s edge. They were each silent, filled with thoughts of their mates and the happiness that they had been blessed with in their lives.
William, Michael? Clarice whispered to her mates through their link.
What is it, sweetheart? William asked worriedly.
Nothing. I just wanted to tell you both how much I love you.
We love you, honey, Michael told her, joy evident in his voice.
You both make me very happy. I love the life that I have with you. Thank you for claiming me.
Baby, you’re the one that we should be thanking, William said gently.
Clarice couldn’t help but smile at William’s words. Both he and Michael always made her feel so valued and loved.
Cara and I are at the lake taking a walk. She’s pregnant.
We know, sweetheart, Michael said softly. Thomas and Walter are with us now. They told us this morning.
They haven’t stopped smiling all day, Michael added. Are you okay, honey?
I am. Cara is very happy. She’s a wonderful mother.
So are you, sweetheart, William told her.
I’m sorry I couldn’t give you more children, Clarice whispered softly in their minds.
You’ve given us a wonderful son, Clarice. Maybe you’ll conceive when we make love tonight, Michael offered, his voice deep with desire.
It’s a date, Clarice said, her voice light with happiness and hope.
“Thomas and Walter told William and Michael about your pregnancy,” Clarice said as she turned to face her friend, reaching out and tugging on Cara’s brown curls as they hung to her shoulders. “Michael said your mates haven’t stopped smiling all day.”
Cara laughed softly. “They certainly are happy about it,” Cara agreed. “Clarice, I was thinking about you, and I couldn’t help but worry. I don’t want you to feel bad.”
“I don’t,” Clarice answered honestly. “I’m very happy for you, Cara. We’ve both had difficulty conceiving. Your success has given me hope. Maybe I’ll be next. William seems to think we’ll make a baby tonight.”
Cara couldn’t help but laugh. “He sounds like my Walter. He never allowed me to give up or feel bad about not having more kids. Both he and Thomas love Jackson and are the best fathers. I know they’ll be the same to our little girl.”
“You think it’s a girl?”
“Not really. It’s too soon to have those thoughts yet. For now, I’m just concentrating on staying calm and healthy so our baby has a chance.”
Clarice reached out and took Cara’s hand in hers, squeezing it lightly. “Everything will be fine.”
Cara nodded and closed her eyes to center herself as she stepped into the water and stood up to her ankles in its warmth. There was just the slightest bit of movement as the water gently lapped at her legs. She had hope within her heart, but she also had fear.
Walter? Thomas?
What is it, sweetheart? Walter’s deep voice spoke to her without delay.
What’s wrong, baby? Thomas asked, his voice filled with worry.
Nothing is wrong. I just wanted to tell you how much I love you both. Thank you for loving me.
Oh, honey. Loving you has been the easiest thing in our lives to do, Walter said gently.
Every day we thank the Fates for bringing you to us, Thomas added. We adore you, and we love our son. We’ll love our little girl just as much.
Cara couldn’t help but laugh softly, happy to feel the joy her mates were feeling. It was so wonderful to always be connecte
d to them so she could sense their happiness, their worry, or their pain. It had served her well over the years to go to them whenever they needed her. It had done the same for her when they always seemed to appear whenever she needed them. When she had gone into labor with Jackson two weeks early, they were with her before the pains had even been strong enough to take notice of.
Love you both. Now, get back to work. I have things to do with Clarice, she said firmly.
Yes, dear, Thomas teased.
We’ll be home around five, Walter said, his deep chuckle rumbling through their connection. When we get home, we’re going to love you until you scream our names.
Yeah, yeah, Cara goaded them.
Do you doubt our ability to love you, Mate? Thomas asked, his voice raspy with desire.
Never, Cara whispered.
You will always remember that, Cara Scott, Walter told her firmly.
I will always remember that, Cara agreed. And you will always remember how much I love you both.
She smiled softly as her men’s presence eased until she felt just a hint of their existence at the edge of her mind. That presence was always there, sending her love and support. She looked at Clarice and saw her best friend smiling softly as she stood beside her in the water. She knew that her friend was feeling the same love and warmth from her own mates.
“It’s wonderful, isn’t it, Clarice?”
Clarice turned and nodded, knowing exactly what her friend was talking about. “It is,” she agreed.
Alpha Hayward lay prone on the dirt floor among the dense area of trees that bordered the lake. He was six hundred yards away from the two women. The light breeze was blowing toward him, carrying his scent away from the area. He couldn’t have asked for better conditions. He watched the two women who stood at the water’s edge and smiled. He had gotten lucky today.
“Two for the taking,” he whispered, raising his high-powered rifle and looking through the scope to line up his shot, knowing that the silver bullets within the rifle would do their job.
He had to admit that Vera’s suggestion that he kill Clarice Beckett had been a good one. What better way to take out the alpha and beta of the pack than by killing their mate? Seeing that Cara Scott was with her, made the situation even better. Her mates were two very powerful enforcers for the pack. The deaths of the two women would be the best offensive strike he could have ever planned. The internal structure of William’s pack would be seriously compromised.
Lining up his shot, he held his breath and squeezed the trigger. The first shot hit his target cleanly. Before the second target could react, he aimed, shot, and smiled at the result.
William looked at Michael in agony as he felt their mate’s life force disappear in an instant. He noticed the same stricken expression on Walter’s face as he turned to Thomas and moaned softly.
William led the way as all four men burst out of the home that he shared with Clarice and Michael. The other stricken men followed him, their pain surrounding them in a bubble of horror. Some unknown force pulled them toward the lake to the two fragile lives that had been brutally taken from this world.
Dropping to their knees beside their mates, the men gathered their women against their chests and howled their pain as the warmth of their women soaked into their bodies and kissed their souls one last time.
Their beautiful, loving, and caring mates were gone.
Chapter 5
Ten Years Ago
Jace Beckett and Jackson Scott faced the two men who stood before them below the steps of the back deck of the huge alpha home. Maxwell Oliver and Eli Granger were both twenty-six years old. Jace and Jackson were now twenty-eight years old and had been the ruling alpha and beta of their pack for seven years already. William and Michael had stepped down as alpha and beta once Jace and Jackson had come of age.
The deaths of Clarice Beckett and Cara Scott had devastated their mates, their sons, and the entire pack family. The elusive scent of the killer was one that Jace would never forget. He remembered that scent and the destruction of his family that he associated with it. His fathers and Jackson’s fathers had never gotten over the loss of their mates. It was only the needs of the pack family that kept all four men going and engaged in the daily workings of their wolf community.
William had passed the role of alpha to Jace the day he turned twenty-one. Jackson had easily slipped into the position of beta. Jace trusted his triad partner and best friend with his life. Once the roles had been assumed, William and Michael, and Thomas and Walter had spent their days at the small log homes by the lake that they had shared with the women that they still loved. Neither Jace’s fathers nor Jackson’s fathers would leave the homes to move into the newly built alpha home. William had told Jace that the home was his to share with Jackson and their mate when the Fates brought her to them.
It wasn’t long after Jace and Jackson took over the running of the pack that their fathers had passed away. Martha Gregg had told them that it was something that happened when triad partners lost their mates. It was especially ironic that William, Michael, Walter, and Thomas had been found at the edge of the lake exactly where their mates had been taken from them. The way the four men were lying so peacefully in the sand showed Jace and Jackson that their fathers had all just slipped away in their sleep.
The sadness that had overcome the pack had been instant. It had been a very difficult time. The new ruling pair of the pack had worked very hard to keep things positive despite the fact that they mourned their parents every day. How could you not miss the people who loved you unconditionally and helped you to become the best men that you could be?
For the most part, Jace was happy living in the main house and was focused on helping the members of their pack. The nights were the worst for him and Jackson, though. Both of them wanted to find the woman that they were meant to share. The women of their pack weren’t meant for them. Those who approached them from neighboring packs made both him and Jackson uncomfortable. They both knew that the women were looking for a place of power within Jace’s pack. Jackson had no patience for their insincerity. Neither did Jace.
Martha Gregg often told them that there was a woman out there for them. She was pretty adamant about it. Jace didn’t really hold out any hope for it, though. He never expected to scent the woman who would fill their lives with kindness, caring, and love.
Jace, we’ll find her, Jackson said, his voice confident as it filled Jace’s mind.
Don’t think so, Jackson.
Yeah, you do.
Are you giving me a hard time, Beta?
Absolutely, Alpha.
Jace shook his head, trying hard not to smile.
“Alpha, we would like to ask a favor of you,” one of the men began, lowering his head and tipping it to the side in deference to the man who had a reputation of being a strong and fair alpha.
“I’ve already granted you and your partner a favor by allowing your safe travel on our pack land,” Jace said calmly, looking over the two men with a critical eye.
They’ve got bruises, Jace.
Jackson’s voice was quiet in Jace’s head, but he could tell his triad partner, beta, and best friend was concerned for the two men. Jace looked them over silently. He saw the cuts and abrasions on both men’s faces and forearms. He also saw the purple bruising on their jaws and knew that they had both been the recipients of a brutal beating.
“Who are you?” Jace asked, his deep voice powerful. He already knew their names. Alexander and Butler had given him all the information he needed concerning these men from Randall’s pack, but he needed to hear them tell him so he could judge their truthfulness and sincerity.
“My name is Eli Granger,” the larger man said, his voice holding strength and pride as he spoke up.
He was nearly as tall as Jace’s six-foot-five-inch stature. He had blond hair that curled to his shoulders and sad, brown eyes. His shoulders and chest were broad, telling of his strength. Jace acknowledged it and respected it.
“I’m Maxwell Oliver,” the other man said, his voice equally strong as he spoke up, drawing Jace’s attention to him. “Eli and I are members of Alpha Randall’s pack.”
Already a red flag, Jace said to Jackson, seeing the almost imperceptible nod that Jackson gave him. Neither man trusted Randall. If these two men were from Randall’s pack, they might not be worthy of their trust either.
Maxwell Oliver was just one inch shorter than Eli. He had black hair that was cut short with a wisp of hair that fell across his forehead and framed expressive, hazel eyes. Jace could see the pain in them and felt his resolve to distrust these men melting.
He didn’t know why these two young men were here, but he was going to put aside the fact that they were from Randall’s pack. He had to give them a chance. His fathers had taught him to be open to others. They had also taught him to search for the inner goodness within people. He had a feeling that these men were good people.
“We were raised on Randall’s pack land,” Eli continued for the two of them. “Our parents were good friends who had no place to settle when they came to Colorado from Oregon.”
“Why did they leave Oregon?” Jackson asked, crossing his arms across his chest and staring down at the two men who stood at the bottom of the deck steps.
Max looked at Eli and waited for his friend to nod his assent. “Our parents were both members of mated triads,” he explained quietly. “One of my fathers and one of Eli’s fathers were killed in a logging accident. Our families were good friends and stayed together to help each other get through the pain of the loss. We’ve know from the time we were cubs that Eli and I were triad partners.”
“How is it that you lived with Randall’s pack for so many years?” Jace asked, surprised by this revelation. “Randall doesn’t believe in the beauty of a triad mating. He punishes and banishes those who don’t think the way he does. How did your parents survive living under his rule?”
Shelly's Forbidden Mates [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 5