In that moment, her brain shorted out, she released a shout of pleasure, and she slumped against Max, unable to do anything except feel. She felt Max petting her hair softly and Eli placing soft kisses along her hip.
“Nice,” she whispered, closing her eyes and accepting the gentle touches of her men.
Max reached down and carefully lifted her until she was lying comfortably on top of him. Eli eased up and pressed his body against her naked back. He was careful to hold the bulk of his weight off of her, but the solid weight of his body on top of hers made her feel so many things. Love, protection, and possessiveness were just a few. These men had made her life exactly what she had always hoped it would be.
She had found her two wolves, and she loved them dearly.
Chapter 14
An hour later, Shelly came down the stairs of their log home dressed in her Renaissance dress once again. She had taken the time to shower and get ready all over again. So had her men. They now wore new jeans and dress shirts. Shelly had insisted that they clean up and wear fresh clothes. It would be bad if everyone at the party could smell sex on them. That would not only be bad, it would be dangerous.
“Do we meet your approval, Mate?” Max teased her as she walked toward them.
“Always,” Shelly whispered, stepping into his arms and sighing contentedly as his arms immediately engulfed her. She leaned forward and kissed the mating mark she had given Max, glad that his shirt was still unbuttoned and open so she could access it. “Eli…”
Before she could say another word, Eli was behind her, wrapping his arms around her. She felt the heat of his body as he pressed against her back and knew that his shirt was also opened. She was glad. She wanted to kiss the mark on his chest, too. Before she could move to do exactly that, he slipped his hand between them to cover her belly. She froze at the intimate touch, wondering what he was thinking as he touched her in that way.
“I think that we’ll be making our baby soon, Shelly,” Eli whispered against the side of her neck, kissing the skin of her exposed right shoulder lightly. “What do you think, Max?”
“I think that’s a good bet,” Max said, looking down at Shelly and smiling, his eyes flashing golden as his wolf preened with happiness at the thought of mating and breeding their woman. “What do you think, Shelly?”
“I can’t think when the two of you are touching me,” Shelly said, laughing softly. “I just know that I’m happy to be your mate.”
“And the baby?” Eli questioned softly.
Shelly turned in Max’s arms so that she pressed against his chest and was able to face Eli. She saw the love in his eyes. She also saw the hesitation. That would not do at all.
“Eli Granger, are you seriously worried about me changing my mind?” she asked him gently.
“Yes.”
The word was hard as he spoke it. In that moment, Shelly realized that her two wolves had suffered so much that they had very little hope in their lives. She had hoped that she had already assured them of her commitment.
“Max?”
Max shrugged slowly.
Shelly reached for both men’s hands and dragged them over to the couch, pushing at them to sit. They did without protest. As they looked up at her, Max’s hazel eyes and Eli’s brown eyes drinking her up, she fell in love with them even deeper. Kneeling before them, she entwined her fingers with theirs, drawing their hands to her mouth so she could kiss the back of their knuckles then held their hands tightly against her chest.
“Listen to me very carefully,” she told them gently. “I love you, Max. I love you, Eli. You’re my wolves. You’re my mates. And you’re going to be the fathers of my babies. Our babies. I need you to love me and want to make a family with me. I need you to protect and cherish what we have and keep my secret about being an omega so that we can protect our babies, because the odds are pretty high that they’re going to be omegas, too. The only way I would ever leave you would be if you didn’t want me anymore. I would never force you to be with me.”
Both men reached for her and pulled her onto their legs, hugging her gently and kissing her temples. She could sense their happiness. She could also sense their determination to keep her as their mate. The relief that filled her was great.
“Are we good, now?” she asked them, laughing at the soft growls that left them at her question.
“We’re good,” Max answered. “We all need to stop being so worried. The Fates have destined us to be together. We have to have faith in our triad.”
“Mother Fate has told me that you’re mine, you know,” Shelly reminded them. “Don’t even think about defying Mother Fate.”
Eli sighed, kissing Shelly’s forehead lightly. His worries were eased but not completely eradicated. When you’ve lived a life of being told you were less than all the other wolves and didn’t deserve any goodness like he and Max had been told on a daily basis, it was tough to let go of those worries.
A knock at the front door interrupted them. Shelly laughed softly as both men’s hold on her tightened and they hugged her to them firmly. She stood carefully, pulling at their hands to have them stand beside her. She leaned in and kissed the mating marks on their chests once again, reaching up and buttoning their dress shirts closed to hide the proof of her claiming. Once she was presented to the pack tonight, they would share their secret with everyone.
“I want the whole pack to know that we’re mated,” Shelly whispered. “I need everyone to know that you’re mine.”
“Not until we’ve claimed you,” Eli said softly. “We need to make sure that our bond has been completed first.”
Shelly nodded, knowing that Eli’s concerns were valid. “I hope you guys are ready for a hot night,” Shelly whispered, turning away from her men and walking toward the front door, unable to keep her giggles from escaping her as she heard the deep growls coming from them.
She reached out and opened the door, a bright smile on her face as she faced Jace and Jackson. The two men filled the front porch with their presence. They were both large men, Jace being six feet five inches tall and Jackson standing only one inch shorter. They were powerful men who protected the members of their pack family with a dedication that was beyond admirable.
“Happy Birthday, Shelly,” Jace said, bowing slightly and smiling down at her.
“Happy Birthday, sweet Shelly,” Jackson chimed in, reaching out and grabbing for Shelly to pull her into a tight hug.
He heard the low growls coming from Eli and Max and couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction. He knew he was antagonizing the two men by hugging their mate, but he couldn’t help it. The men needed to be in control. A lot of people were going to be close to Shelly tonight.
“Jackson, you need to let go of Shelly,” Jace warned him, his blue eyes piercing as he looked at his triad partner.
“They need to get used to people hugging her, Jace,” Jackson said firmly. “If they can’t control themselves, they’ll prove to us that they can’t protect her.”
He released his hold on Shelly and crossed his arms across his chest as he saw the way the men fought to control their wolves. His right eyebrow rose just slightly as he faced them. He saw the way the men struggled with their instincts to surround their mate and keep her from another man’s touch, and was secretly pleased. Shelly deserved to have that kind of protection and devotion. She was a good person who had had a pretty shitty life, losing her loving fathers at a young age and having to live with a mother who never gave her or her sister any love or affection.
Jace knew that Jackson was right, but he still didn’t want to be the reason that Max and Eli felt threatened. He certainly didn’t want the men to feel that Shelly was at risk. Stepping forward, he engulfed Shelly within his embrace and hugged her carefully. He pushed his alpha power into her, giving her his gift of support and caring. He also sent calming waves of power out to Eli and Max. He felt their agitation lessen and was glad that he was able to help his newest pack members.
Easing
back, he released his hold on Shelly and faced the men. He couldn’t help but feel great satisfaction as he saw that their gazes never left their mate. He knew that these men were going to be exactly what Shelly needed.
“Jackson and I will present Shelly to the pack,” he told them evenly, his deep voice adding another layer of calm upon the men. “There will be a lot of people coming forward to congratulate your mate. I trust that you’ll be able to control your wolves and allow her to accept the honest well-wishes of the pack. They’re all waiting for her and are going to be very happy to welcome Shelly as an adult.”
Both Eli and Max nodded just once, knowing that they would do anything they needed to do in order to help Shelly with her acceptance into adulthood. Yes, they wanted to complete their mating, but they wanted Shelly to stand as an adult before the pack and benefit from the new rights that she would be afforded most of all.
“We will stand by Shelly,” Max answered without hesitation.
“You can depend on us, Alpha,” Eli added firmly.
Jace nodded, his blue eyes flashing golden as his wolf accepted the pledge that the two men had given. Shelly and Synthia had been his to protect from the time he had been a young man. As far as he was concerned, they were his little sisters. He was going to be damned certain to ensure their safety and happiness.
“Shelly, honey, you need to remove your necklace,” Jace told her gently.
He knew that she always wore the omega charm that her fathers had given to her. Usually, it wasn’t a problem because the charm was hidden beneath her clothes. Tonight, however, her dress exposed the necklace and charm to anyone who looked at her. Jace could not allow her secret of being one of the pack’s omegas to be revealed until she was mated and had the protection of her men. The same was true for Synthia. It was too dangerous to have an unmated omega within the pack.
Although Synthia wasn’t in any danger because she was away from pack land, Shelly was at risk. She might be taken and given or sold to another pack that needed the calming ability of an omega. Jace trusted all of his pack members to keep Shelly safe, except for one. Vera. He would not risk the loss of his little sister because of the greediness and cruelty of Vera Moore.
“I’ll hold your necklace for you, baby,” Max offered, understanding the need to protect their beautiful omega wolf.
Shelly nodded and slipped the length of the gold chain over her head. Closing her eyes, she searched for her omega powers and pressed them into the necklace. She wanted Max to feel her calm and caring as he held her necklace for her. She knew he was going to be feeling anxious attending the dance and being around so many new people. She also knew that his wolf was pressing against him to claim and protect her. She loved that both the wolf and the man had such deep and caring instincts toward her. She felt the same toward him and Eli.
Max took the necklace reverently, looking down at the charm that signified Shelly’s omega position. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw him kiss the charm before slipping the jewelry into the front pocket of his jeans. She was glad to feel his wolf settling and his humanity soothing him, and was thankful that she could share her abilities with him to help him feel that way.
“You might want to remove your ring, too, Shelly,” Jackson said gently. “Although Jace and I support the fact that Max and Eli have already asked you to be their mate, others might not be as accepting. Once Jace presents you as an adult, you can wear the ring proudly. If you wear it now before the declaration, it might give someone the opportunity to challenge your triad. We can’t take a chance that something like that could happen, honey.”
Shelly held her hand against her chest, cupping it protectively and shaking her head. She didn’t want to remove the beautiful ring that Eli and Max had given her.
“I’ll hold it, sweetheart,” Eli said gently, reaching up and taking her hand in his. “Jackson is right. We can’t risk anyone challenging our mating.”
“I know, but I don’t want to give it up. You just gave it to me,” Shelly protested softly.
“And we’ll put it on your finger when we get back home after the party,” Eli promised, easing forward and kissing her lips lightly. “Please, Shelly. We can’t lose you.”
Shelly sighed against Eli’s chest as he held her so carefully. She reached back and gripped Max’s hand when he stepped forward and sandwiched her between their strong bodies.
“Okay,” she said finally, pulling off the ring and handing it to Eli, but not before closing her eyes and pressing her omega powers into it, as well. She was determined to give Eli the same sense of calm and love that she had helped Max to experience.
Eli took the ring and slipped it into the front pocket of his jeans, smiling as he saw the look of longing on Shelly’s face as he did so. He was going to enjoy putting it back on her finger later. He was going to enjoy a lot of things that they would share with her—later.
“When we get to the community hall, Jackson and I will stand on either side of Shelly and present her to the pack as an adult,” Jace told them, watching them intently. He was pleased to see that both men were attentive to his instructions.
This was a very important night for Shelly. She was an adult within the pack now, and she was going to be a part of a mated triad by morning. Jace knew that Shelly’s fathers would be proud of her.
“Once we present Shelly, there will be a lot of pack members who will come forward to congratulate her,” Jace continued. “Jackson and I will share the first dance with her.”
Jace couldn’t help but smile at the soft growls emanating from the two men. He knew that he would be the same if other wolves would dare to dance with his and Jackson’s mate—if they were ever lucky enough to find her.
“Let’s go,” Jackson spoke up, coughing slightly to hide his soft laughter.
Jace, you okay, buddy? he asked his best friend through their link.
Yes. Jace’s answer was clipped and hard.
I don’t think so, Jackson insisted. Are you upset about something?
No.
Jace.
Jackson, I am not upset. I’m worried that we’ll never find our mate.
Jackson hesitated, surprised and concerned that Jace was feeling that way. Jace didn’t talk about his loneliness very often. As alpha, his job was to ascertain the safety and happiness of others. He often put himself last so that his pack could flourish. Knowing that Jace thought about the elusive woman that they were destined to love was something that made Jackson’s heart hurt just a little bit. He had kept his own loneliness hidden behind his humor and his duties. Jace thinking about it now just opened the floodgates on Jackson’s emotions.
We’ll find her someday, Jace, he said gently, truly hoping that what he said was true. He needed it to be true. They both did.
I hope you’re right, Jackson. Jace’s voice was sad and tired as he spoke to his best friend.
Jace took Shelly’s hand and started walking from the home he had grown up in and where he had experienced so many happy, family moments. Once they were on the trail that led to the new main house, he saw that Jackson had taken Shelly’s other hand, successfully shielding her between them.
Max and Eli walked behind them. Jace was comforted by their presence. They were strong men who were capable enforcers. He had no doubt in his mind that Shelly would be safe with them. The guarding and protective presence of her mates would see to her safety. Of that, Jace had no doubt.
This party was an important step for Shelly. She would be free from Vera’s guardianship. She would be free to mate with Eli and Max. Once she was mated, she would never have to hide her omega abilities again.
He knew that Jackson held the same worries that he did. They had protected Shelly and Synthia from the time they had been little girls. Both men were determined that they would see to it that Neil Brooks and Kurt Lancaster’s daughters would be safe and happy. This night was one more step on that path to keeping their promise to their fathers, their mothers, and Shelly and Synthia�
��s fathers.
“I know we have to walk behind Shelly, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Max groused.
“You’re not helping, Max,” Eli muttered.
“Can’t help it.”
“I know. Me, too.”
Shelly released her hold on Jace’s and Jackson’s hands, turned around, and walked toward her two sweet wolves. She pressed against them and wrapped her arms around their waists as they hugged her tightly.
“I love you,” she whispered, kissing their necks lightly and humming against the warmth of their skin. “I know this is difficult for you, but it has to be done. It won’t be long before we’ll be free to form our triad.”
“Sorry, baby,” Max whispered.
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Shelly said, stopping him. “Do you know how incredibly wonderful you make me feel to know that you want to be by my side? Do you know how much I value you?”
The soft rumbling growls that her two wolves emitted made her smile. Using her omega ability to calm and soothe hadn’t been necessary. All she had to do was tell them the truth. She hummed softly against their necks once again, biting down lightly and kissing the light marks that she had made.
“I love my sweet wolves,” she whispered.
Easing out of their arms, she smiled at both men, her smile promising them a night of love and a lifetime of commitment. Seeing their eyes flashing golden before returning to the beautiful hazel of Max’s eyes and the brown of Eli’s eyes, she knew that they would be okay. She knew they were still unhappy about being unable to escort her into the party, but she also knew that it no longer posed a threat in their minds that they couldn’t do so.
They love her, Jackson whispered in Jace’s mind.
They do, Jace agreed.
The Fates certainly chose well for them, Jace.
They did. Now, we have to make sure that their triad mating is honored.
Jackson nodded as he looked at his triad partner. Jace was an honorable man and a good alpha. He deserved a loving and kind mate.
Shelly's Forbidden Mates [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 17