Shelly's Forbidden Mates [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)

by Lynette Bernard

  So do you, Jackson, Jace’s voice spoke softly in his mind. We both do.

  We’ll find her soon.

  Jace nodded, wishing that Jackson’s words would come true. Reaching out, he took hold of Shelly’s hand as she came to him, glad that they were on their way to the hall once again. It was time to present Shelly to the pack and pave the way to her freedom so she could live her life as she saw fit.

  Alpha Jace Beckett and Beta Jackson Scott would stand proudly beside Shelly as she walked the path that was meant for her. It was their duty to see that all went well for her. Jace and Jackson were determined that Shelly would enjoy her party. Tonight was the night that Shelly would be recognized as her own person—free to mate and choose her future. In just a matter of moments, no one would be able to stop her from doing whatever it was that she deemed her destiny to be.

  The one thing that they were certain of more than anything else was that Vera Moore was not going to ruin this special night for their little sister.

  Chapter 15

  Jace surveyed the area with a discerning eye as they entered the community hall on pack land. It was a huge building that all of the members of the pack had worked together to build for special events. It was important to have a hall capable of housing the entire pack for monthly meetings. It was more than a meeting room, though. It held a great fireplace, an industrial kitchen, a huge room filled with many comfortable couches and chairs, and a playroom for the cubs.

  Jace’s fathers had come up with the idea of the pack hall when they had been alpha and beta. They had wanted a warm and inviting place for the members of their pack to be able to visit with each other and share their lives—especially when the weather became bitter and cold. Colorado certainly had its share of those times, and Alpha William and Beta Michael had wanted their pack to be safe, warm, and happy.

  After their mate’s death, William and Michael had given up on any plans that they had in mind for the future. Jace knew that his fathers just existed, with no hope and no joy. He couldn’t imagine how difficult it had been for his fathers to go on when the love of their lives had been taken so cruelly. Jace watched as his fathers had faded over the years. Jackson’s fathers had done the same, not wanting to go on without their Cara.

  As a result, the plans for the hall had fallen by the wayside. It wasn’t until Jace and Jackson had taken over as alpha and beta that the plans had been drawn up and the people of their pack community worked together to build the hall. It had been the right thing to do. Their pack was flourishing. Their members were happy. The one thing that was missing was their queen. Jace held no hope of finding their mate, even though Jackson was certain that they would find her. Jace hoped that Jackson was correct. He needed the gentleness of a woman to help him. He needed the love of their mate to feel whole.

  As they walked into the hall, Shelly squeezed their hands and pulled them to a stop in the open doorway. The hall was filled with pack members. It was also filled with streamers and balloons. She had never seen anything so wonderful in her life. The women were dressed in their finest clothes, a lot of them wearing Renaissance dresses like Shelly was. Many of the children were dressed in period clothing, as well. Most of the men were dressed in jeans and dress shirts, but two very powerful and influential men were dressed in full Renaissance regalia—Martha’s mates Grant and Silas.

  Love swelled within Shelly at that moment for the family that had adopted her and had taken care of her and her sister for so many years. She couldn’t help but smile as she saw the massive enforcers walking toward her wearing the most amazing clothing. It was obvious to Shelly that Martha had made the doublet of black velvet for Grant and the doublet of red velvet for Silas. Both men wore white shirts with full sleeves beneath the doublets and black leather pants with thigh-high black boots.

  Janine looked like a fairy princess in the beautiful blue creation that Martha had made for her. Shelly was happy to see the shy smile on Janine’s face as she stood before her. Shelly made sure to push out her omega powers to surround Janine and help her to remain calm and happy.

  “I would like to present Shelly Brooks-Lancaster as an adult of our pack, as is the tradition of our community,” Jace said formally, his deep voice resonating throughout the hall as he spoke. “She is now awarded full rights as an adult, including the right to form a mating triad. She is now in full control of her life and her future. Let no one impede her decisions or her choices. She has my full support and protection.”

  Jace looked around the hall and saw the smiling faces of his pack. He sent out his alpha power and touched each and every one of them, allowing them to share in his support and happiness. He searched the crowd, allowing the power of his position to wash over the people there and seek out dissention or intent to harm. He felt only support and happiness and was satisfied that no one wished Shelly any harm. He touched their souls and felt the happiness and the love that they had for Shelly. He was pleased that all of them held nothing but good wishes for his little sister within their hearts.

  A sudden coldness came at him in a wave of anger. Jace immediately took a protective step forward to stand in front of Shelly in order to shield her from the hatred. Turning toward the source of the hatred, he was not surprised to see the person who was projecting such coldness. Vera Moore. Although Vera was standing there with a smile on her face, there was no disguising the anger within her. Jace had always known this woman had a streak of evil within her, but he could do nothing about it since he did not have proof of her cruelty.

  His fathers had told him that they suspected Vera was responsible for her mates’ deaths, but they, too, had been unable to gather any conclusive evidence to that end. Instead, both men had watched Vera closely and had made certain that Shelly and Synthia had been cared for by Martha and her mates. They had also been reassured that the girls would be protected and watched over by Jace and Jackson. Both young men had taken their roles as big brothers very seriously.

  There were many times that Jace and Jackson had come upon their little sisters in deep distress. Each time, the girls had denied Vera’s involvement in their pain. Jace didn’t understand why, but he had to respect their wishes and keep his natural urge to banish Vera from the pack under control.

  Jace looked at Vera now and could feel her hatred. Pushing his alpha power toward her, he felt her hesitate. He sensed the struggle within her as she fought to control her anger. He felt the way she made a conscious effort to control her emotions. It took only a moment for her to present happy and loving feelings toward her daughter, but Jace could see through the emotions that Vera was trying to display.

  “Please join us in wishing Shelly a happy twenty-first birthday,” Jackson spoke up, garnering everyone’s attention. “Happy Birthday, sweet Shelly. We are so proud of the young woman that you have become.”

  “Happy Birthday, Shelly!” the pack called out to her, clapping with happiness for the young woman who had done so much for them over the years.

  Shelly found herself surrounded immediately. It became a crazy succession of pack members hugging and kissing her and wishing her well. She could feel their sincerity and was humbled by the deep feelings of caring that they had for her.

  “I’m so happy for you, my sweet Shelly,” Martha whispered as she kissed Shelly’s cheek and hugged her gently. “I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness.”

  “Thank you, Martha,” Shelly whispered back, hugging the older woman tightly. “You’ve been so wonderful to me. I can never thank you enough for all that you’ve done.”

  “Oh, pooh,” Martha said, laughing softly. “It was easy to love you Shelly. You’re a wonderful person.” She reached into her dress pocket and removed a small glass jar. “Here, sweetheart. You’re going to need this tonight.”

  Shelly took the present, confused by Martha’s words. “I’m going to need this tonight?” she asked.

  Martha leaned in and pressed her face against Shelly’s cheek so she could whisper in her ear. “Y
ou’ll need the ointment to help you ease your soreness after your mating,” she explained.

  Shelly’s face flamed in embarrassment. She tucked the small jar into the deep pocket of her dress and nodded in acknowledgment.

  “Thank you, Martha,” she whispered.

  “You’re very welcome, honey,” Martha whispered back. “Now, don’t you worry. Your men love you very much. I’m certain they’ll be gentle and loving.”

  Shelly nodded once again. She had no doubt that her sweet wolves were going to be caring and gentle. Being intimate with them earlier had given her a taste of their loving. She was already addicted. Her mates were wonderful.

  Janine reached out and touched Shelly’s hand, smiling softly when Shelly looked down at her. “Happy Birthday, Shelly,” she said quietly. “You look beautiful.”

  “So do you, Miss Janine Gregg,” Shelly said as she opened her arms and hugged the young girl who was truly her little sister. “I’m so happy you’re here. I love you, honey. You’re my most favorite little sister in the whole world.”

  Janine laughed, he pretty blue eyes misting with tears at Shelly’s words. She always felt so good when she was with Shelly. Shelly understood her and cared about her. She didn’t make Janine feel as if there was something wrong with her. She laughed with Janine. She cared about everything that they talked about and told her honestly when she was concerned about her or didn’t think that what she was doing was right. She could always depend on Shelly to love her unconditionally.

  “Are you going to dance tonight, Janine?” Shelly asked her, smiling at the shy blush that covered the young girl’s cheeks.

  “I don’t have anyone to dance with,” Janine answered quietly.

  “Your fathers want to dance with you, honey,” Shelly told her gently. “Don’t allow this opportunity to pass you by, Janine. I would give anything to be able to dance with my fathers. I miss them so much.”

  Janine looked at her fathers as they stood at the edge of the dance floor. She loved them with all her heart. Her daddy and her poppa always made her feel so safe and happy. She felt important and special when they talked with her. When they hugged her, she felt as if the whole world made sense.

  It hurt her to keep herself away from them, but she knew that she had to. She didn’t understand why she was thought of as an unlovable child, but she wasn’t going to make whatever it was that made her a wolf apart from the rest hurt her fathers in any way.

  “Dance with them, Janine,” Shelly urged her once again.

  Janine shrugged slightly, unable to keep her resolve to remain aloof. She loved her fathers too much to keep herself away from them. Maybe she could dance with them just this once. Maybe she could allow her love to reach out to them.

  “You’ll always regret it if you don’t,” Shelly whispered. “They love you. They need you to be their little girl.”

  “Maybe I can dance just one dance,” Janine said, pushing at Shelly’s arm when Shelly laughed and embraced her tightly. “Stop, Shelly. You’re a pain.”

  “No, I’m not,” Shelly said, happiness pouring from her. She couldn’t help but carefully ease her feelings and support into Janine’s soul. “Take happiness and love and hang on tight, little girl.”

  “I’m not a little girl,” Janine protested.

  “Of course you’re not,” Shelly said at once, doing her best to keep her smile under control.

  Janine allowed Shelly’s tight hug, admitting to herself that it was definitely not a hardship to accept Shelly’s love and caring. She turned into Shelly’s embrace and pressed her face against the kind woman’s shoulder.

  “You’re great, Shelly,” she whispered.

  “Yes. I am.”

  Janine giggled sweetly and pushed at Shelly lightly. She looked up and saw the two men who were standing back about three feet from Shelly and knew in an instant that the men belonged to Shelly.

  “Are those your wolves, Shelly?”

  Her voice held the awe that she was feeling. How many times had Shelly told her the story that her fathers had told her as a child? Kurt and Neil had often told Shelly that she would find two very special wolves to love who would be the men who would love her and protect her. Janine wished for the same for herself. She wished she would have two men who loved her just the way she was. She wished her men would see that she was a good person.

  Shelly looked back to see the two handsome men who were waiting patiently for the crowd of well-wishers to disperse. She saw the white auras that surrounded them and thanked the Fates for the goodness of her men.

  “Yup. Those are my wolves,” she said in a conspiratorial whisper. “Aren’t they scrumptious?”

  Janine nodded, laughing softly with her adopted big sister. “They are,” she agreed. “Are they nice?”

  “Very nice,” Shelly answered without hesitation. She returned her attention to Janine and saw the sweet hope in the young girl’s face. “I know you’re going to find two men who are just as nice. I’ve asked Mother Fate to help you.”

  Sadness swamped Janine as she remembered the words that she had overheard not so long ago. She was spoiled. How could anyone think her worthy? No one would ever look twice at her if she didn’t change her attitude.

  Janine didn’t understand. She always tried to be a good person. She always helped others. How was she spoiled? How was her attitude bad? It made no sense to her, but it was what had been said. Well, if that was what was thought of her, she might as well live up to the reputation.

  Reaching forward, she hugged Shelly tightly, doing her best to hold back her tears. No one wanted to have to deal with a blubbering baby. With one last hug, Janine eased away from Shelly and ran from the large meeting room to tuck herself away in the room that held the toys and the games for the cubs. She sat on the floor in the far corner near the tall bookshelf that was overflowing with books, drew her knees up to her chest, and tucked the hem of her blue dress underneath her white satin dress shoes. Resting her forehead on her knees, she rocked back and forth slowly as she tried to calm down.

  “Please, Mother Fate, please help me,” Janine whispered. “I don’t know what I did. I don’t want everyone to hate me. I want everyone to love me.”

  Mother Fate heard Janine’s pleas and Her heart broke at the pain deep within this sweet child’s soul. She sat beside Janine and wrapped Her goodness around her, drawing the loving innocence of the child into Her heart and holding her there tightly.

  Do not be sad, my child, Mother Fate whispered to her. Your mates will be wonderful men who will see past the façade that you have put in place. They will love you and enjoy you. You will have a wonderful life together. Do not be disheartened, Janine.

  “I want somebody to know that I’m good,” Janine said softly, sniffing away her tears.

  They will know, child. They will know.

  “When will I meet them?”

  You are still very young, Janine. Give yourself time to grow and mature. It will be some time before you meet them. I see that you will try to hide your feelings. I must caution you. Do not keep yourself from them.

  “Why would I do that?”

  One is younger than you are, sweet child. The other is just slightly older.

  “I don’t want to take care of kids!” Janine protested immediately.

  They are children now, Janine, but they will be men when you meet them. They will be honorable men who will love you deeply.

  “They’ll love me?”

  With all that they are.

  Janine thought about Mother Fate’s words and sighed. Whoever these men were, it was going to be a long time before she met them. It was going to be really hard to be so sad and lonely until then.

  “Will you tell me their names, Mother Fate?” Janine asked. “If I know their names, I’ll have something to hang on to. I need something to hang on to.”

  I cannot tell you their names, child. You must trust your instincts and allow your wolf to guide you to accept them when you meet them. The
man with the dark hair will die without your mating bite. The man with the light hair will blame himself for his triad partner’s death and will soon follow him into the afterlife unless you ground them both and pull them back to the life of love that they are meant to share with you.

  “I will, Mother,” Janine vowed in a whisper, fear filling her for the safety of her mates. She already cared about them, and she didn’t even know them.

  Dry your eyes, child. Join the party for Shelly and experience the love of the pack.

  Janine nodded and stood carefully, slowly brushing off her dress and taking a calming breath as she shored up her courage. She felt the warmth of Mother Fate’s arms surrounding her and hugging her. For the first time since she had overheard those horrible words that had made her know that she was not loved, she felt hope.

  She left the playroom quickly and rejoined the celebration for Shelly. Walking over to her fathers, she stood between them and slowly slipped her hands into theirs, loving the way her hands were swallowed up in their warmth.

  “Will you dance with me, baby?” Silas asked their daughter, his heart filling with warmth as their little girl looked up at them with such openness.

  “Yes, Poppa,” Janine whispered.

  “What about with me, sweetheart?” Grant asked, looking down at their little girl and wishing he could take away all her worries and heartache.

  “Yes, Daddy,” Janine whispered again, squealing with delight as both of her fathers pulled her tightly between them and hugged her carefully. Maybe Shelly was right. Maybe they really didn’t hate her.

  “As soon as Jace and Jackson dance with Shelly, it will be our turn to dance with our beautiful little girl,” Grant said firmly, holding Janine carefully between him and Silas.

  Janine held guarded hope in her heart. She stood between her fathers along the far wall of the hall, smiling as she saw Jace lead Shelly out into the middle of the open floor and hold her carefully as the unique sounds of Renaissance music began and filled the pack hall.