“If you keep doing that, I’m going to take you, Shelly,” he warned her.
“Where are you going to take me, Eli?” she asked him softly, continuing with her sensual assault on his chest.
“I’m going to take you up to our bedroom and make love to you,” he whispered, growling softly. “You won’t have any choice but to love me back.”
“And what makes you think I wouldn’t want to love you back?” Shelly pulled back and looked up at him then turned slightly so she could look at Max. “I love you both and want you both all the time.”
She stepped out of their arms and turned to grab for two cookies off the cooling racks. Handing one to each man, she smiled sweetly as they immediately took them and bit into them. Their sounds of appreciation warmed her heart.
Walking toward the front door, she opened it slowly before turning to face her men. They were watching her intently as they ate the warm cookies. A small flutter flitted through her chest as she enjoyed the domestic scene. She was going to be sure to spoil them with treats and loving often. They were wonderful, sweet men. She loved them dearly and was truly thankful to have them as hers.
“I’m going swimming in the lake,” she said softly, backing out onto the enclosed front porch. “If you think you can catch me, you can go swimming with me.”
She ran then, out of the front porch, down the steps, and across the front yard toward the shore of the lake. She could hear her men running behind her and squealed with joy as their hands grabbed for her. She shook them off and ran faster. She may not be as powerful as they were, but she was fast. Her wolf was primed. She wanted the excitement of the chase and the erotic claiming that she knew would follow.
It was only because Shelly was dressed in her T-shirt, jean shorts, and was barefoot, that she was ready and able to run into the lake and make a perfectly executed shallow dive without her men catching her. They were left behind at the water’s edge, pulling off their boots and jeans, causing them have to slow down in their pursuit of her.
Baby, when we catch you, we’re going to claim you again, Max whispered through their link.
You’re too slow, Maxwell, Shelly teased him. I’m going to be too far away from you for you to even touch me.
Oh, baby, I’m going to do more than touch you, Max promised.
What about you, Eli? Are you going to do more than touch me? Shelly whispered softly within Eli’s mind, pushing her love toward both men.
You can count on it, sweetheart.
When she came up for air and turned to face them as she treaded water, she was laughing with complete happiness as she saw Max fall on his ass as he struggled to pull off his boots. Eli was already stalking toward her, wearing only his black boxer briefs. Shelly had never seen anything sexier.
Turning to look at Max, she saw that he had finally removed his boots, ribbed shirt, and jeans and was walking into the water, his chest heaving with desire and need. Okay, Max was off the charts with sexiness, just as Eli was. Everything within her screamed at her to swim closer to them, not farther away, but she had to make them work for this moment. She wanted them to enjoy the chase. She also wanted them to value her surrender.
She turned and submerged, pushing off the bottom of the soft lake floor to swim farther away from them. She knew they could see her as she swam away and hoped that they would continue in their pursuit. She had a moment of worry as she realized that she didn’t know if either of them were strong swimmers. Surfacing quickly, she turned to face them to see if they were safe, when she felt her legs being pulled from below. She was tugged beneath the surface and surrounded by two very capable and strong swimmers.
They held her and kissed her, loving the way she relaxed in their arms and accepted their dominance. Bringing her to the surface, Eli gripped her thighs and helped her to surround his waist with them so that she was seated comfortably. He held her against his chest while Max kissed the back of her neck.
“Love you, baby,” Max whispered softly. Seeing the gold chain that held her omega charm, he touched it to trace it slowly. “You might lose this in the water, Shelly.” His voice held worry. He knew how important the charm was to her.
“I usually take off my jewelry and leave everything on the ledge above the kitchen sink before I swim,” Shelly said, leaning her head back on Max’s chest to look up at him. “I guess I was too distracted by two very sexy guys to remember to do that just now.”
Max smiled as he kissed her cheek. “I’m a little distracted myself. Never felt that way until you, Mate,” he admitted quietly.
“Well, now you should feel that way all the time,” Shelly told him, laughing. “I don’t think there’s a moment in my day when I’m not thinking about you and Eli.”
“What do you think about?” Eli asked, leaning forward and licking up her neck to bite down on her chin lightly.
“I think about how you make me smile. I think about how nice it is to touch you or just hold your hands. I think about making love to you.”
She hesitated briefly, thinking very seriously about how her mind often wandered when she was working. She wondered if that was normal. Did all newly mated women think about their men constantly? Shelly certainly was guilty of doing exactly that.
“I think you both have turned me into a sex machine.”
Both men laughed softly. As much as they wanted to make love to their mate right then, they knew they couldn’t. There were other people on the far side of the lake. They would never put Shelly in a position of embarrassment. When they made love, it would always be special and private. They liked the intimacy of sharing that with her.
To hold her like this in the water was pretty sweet. Yeah, they would have liked to bury themselves deep inside of her and hear her shouts of completion, but holding her and the enjoying her company and sweet touches were more than enough. Being with Shelly made them happy. It made them feel alive.
“Shelly, you give us so much,” Eli whispered against her neck.
“It’s your turn to give me something,” Shelly whispered back.
“What do you want, sweetheart?” Eli asked as he looked down at her beautiful face. “Whatever you want, Max and I will give it to you.”
“Whatever you want,” Max repeated, meaning the vow with all of his heart.
Shelly turned in Eli’s arms so that she floated between both men. She tugged them closer so that she was able to rest against their chests as they pressed her between them. Breathing in deeply, she sighed as their scents called to her and calmed her.
“I want…” she began, hesitating as she looked up at them, her blue eyes bright with love.
“What do you want, sweetheart?” Eli asked gently.
“I want your baby growing inside of me,” Shelly said softly. “I want us to start our family.”
“When the time is right, it will happen,” Max said calmly.
“Do you think so, Max?” Shelly asked worriedly.
“I don’t have a doubt in my mind,” he answered without hesitation. “Your body will tell us when you’re fertile. We’ll be able to scent it.”
“When we do, we’ll make our baby,” Eli told her, his voice deep with promise. “Do you want us to tell you when we scent your fertility?”
Shelly thought about it for a moment. Knowing that her men would make the conscious decision to make love to her when she was fertile in order to make their little girl Allison calmed her somehow. She realized that she didn’t need to know the time of her fertility. She needed to remain calm and loving. Getting pregnant would be a natural thing. She didn’t need to worry about it or be aware of when she was fertile. Making love with her men was something that she did because she loved them and needed them. Having a baby was going to be the reward of their love.
“No, you don’t have to tell me,” she said finally. “I think I would be too nervous about it. I just want us to make love and make our babies whenever it happens. Okay?”
“That’s more than okay, sweetheart,”
Eli said, smiling.
Max didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. Seeing the wide smile on his handsome face gave Shelly the answer that she needed.
Chapter 21
“You’re now a part of our pack family,” Jace said, smiling at the two couples before him and Jackson as they stood in front of the small log homes on the far side of the lake. He smiled at the striking resemblance that Max and Eli had to their mothers.
“We’re very proud to be members of your pack, Alpha Beckett,” Heather Oliver said, gripping her mate Craig Jansen’s hand tightly.
“We can’t tell you how happy we are to be in such a well-respected pack,” Claudia Granger added. She stepped closer to her mate Joel Slater, accepting the gentle hug that he always had ready for her.
“It’s our honor to have you join us,” Jace said, lifting his hands to stop them from continuing with their praise. “Max and Eli are good men. They’re good for our pack, too.”
Claudia nodded, tears misting her brown eyes. “They’ll be happy here,” she said softly, knowing both her son and Heather’s son had been suffering for many years under Alpha Randall’s cruelty.
“I believe they will be, as well,” Jace said thoughtfully. “I imagine that they’ll be pretty determined to settle down with Shelly in the log home on the other side of the lake, but I think they may have to travel to college with Shelly in order for her to get her degree.”
“I’m sure that both Max and Eli would be willing to go wherever their mate needs to go,” Craig offered calmly. “I know I was willing to go anywhere that Heather needed to go. So was my triad partner.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Jackson offered for both him and Jace.
Heather nodded, looking at Craig and seeing the sadness in her mate’s blue eyes. It didn’t matter that their triad third Ken had been gone for so many years. It still hurt. The loss was still raw. The pain that they felt because Ken had missed out on watching their son grow was deep.
Looking at Claudia, she knew that her best friend was feeling the same pain. It was hard not to think about their sons’ fathers during this special time in their boys’ lives.
“Sweetheart,” Joel said softly as he wrapped his arms around Claudia and held her close. He kissed her cheek tenderly, breathing in the scent of his mate. “You and I both know that Trent would have wanted us to move on and be happy here.”
Heather looked at Craig and smiled sadly. “Ken would have wanted the same,” she said softly.
“He would have,” Craig agreed. “This is a good place for us. All of us.”
“We can be ourselves here,” Joel added. “We don’t have to hide who we are. We don’t have to live under Randall’s rule.”
“And neither do our sons,” Claudia spoke up. “Alpha, will you protect our sons from Randall?”
“I will,” Jace promised without hesitation.
“Max and Eli are family,” Jackson said firmly. “No one hurts our family.”
“No matter where Max, Shelly, and Eli decide to go, they’re still pack family,” Jace told them calmly. “Whenever they decide to come back here, they’ll be welcomed. The home I’ve given to Shelly is their triad home.”
“Thank you, Alpha,” Heather whispered, completely overwhelmed by Jace Beckett’s generosity.
“Your sons have made it very clear that they want you to stay here and live,” Jace continued. “They want you safe, and they want you to be a part of a pack family that respects your triad relationships and mourns your losses with you.”
Claudia smiled, relief filling her that their sons would be safe and were now part of a loving pack family. She couldn’t ask for anything better.
“We’ve got some of our men and women waiting for us to call them to help you settle into your homes,” Jackson added. “You’ll be moved in by the end of the morning.”
Heather laughed softly. To be so welcomed and so protected was truly a gift. Max and Eli had certainly found the perfect place for all of them.
Max walked into the kitchen, eying the chocolate cake that was cooling on the counter. Shelly had made them another delicious treat. She was going to spoil them rotten. He was good with that.
He saw the note that she had stuck to the refrigerator telling him and Eli that she had made them lunch. Max was looking forward to devouring the roast beef sandwiches that she had prepared for them. He was also looking forward to devouring their woman.
Shelly, baby, where are you?
I’m on my way to have lunch with Martha, Shelly’s sweet voice entered his mind. I had a feeling that I needed to check on Janine. She’s been so sad lately, I’m worried about her.
Will you be long, sweetheart? Eli asked as he came into the kitchen to stand beside Max.
Maybe about an hour. I’m going swimming after. I’ll ask Janine to come with me. Will you join us, my sweet wolves?
Yes, baby. We’ll meet you there. Just let us know when you’re heading to the lake. We’re working on the roof and want to finish up. Max made sure to send Shelly their confidence in being able to complete the job safely so she wouldn’t worry about them. Their sweet little wolf was definitely a worrier.
Please be careful. Shelly’s voice sounded almost panicked.
We will, sweetheart, Eli promised.
I love you.
Shelly’s words surrounded them with a wave of happiness. They could also feel the warmth and the love that she filled them with. They certainly had one powerful omega as a mate. It was amazing to them just how open and loving she was to them.
Love you, baby.
Love you, sweetheart.
You’d better.
Shelly’s soft laughter made them smile.
Always, Max promised.
Shelly’s presence faded from their minds to take up residence in a corner of their brains to keep them aware of her love as well as her safety at all times. The link that they shared certainly did a lot to dispel their own worries.
“She’s left her necklace and ring on the ledge over the sink,” Eli said softly, smiling at the way their mate had taken care to protect the two pieces of jewelry that meant the most to her.
Max reached out and picked up the gold chain with the omega charm that hung from it. He weighed it in his hand briefly then tucked it into the front pocket of his jeans. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw his triad partner reach for the ring that they had given their mate and press it into the front pocket of his own jeans.
“Are we being paranoid?” Max asked, realizing that they really didn’t have any reason to tuck Shelly’s jewelry away so protectively.
“Maybe,” Eli said softly. “I just felt like I needed to keep the ring for her.”
“Yeah. I felt the same way about the omega charm,” Max said softly.
“Then we shouldn’t question what we’ve done,” Eli said firmly. “If we both had a feeling that we should protect Shelly’s prized possessions, that’s probably what we should do.”
Max nodded, turning and opening the refrigerator door and taking out the two plates that were stacked high with the carefully wrapped roast beef sandwiches that Shelly had made for them. He placed them on the kitchen table then turned to go to the sink to wash up. The water was warm and soothing. The soap from the pump bottle beside the sink held the scent of raspberry, reminding him of Shelly.
“Did you notice Shelly’s scent this morning, Eli?” he asked as he washed the dirt from his hands.
“I did,” Eli said, smiling as he stepped next to Max and began washing up.
“She smelled good,” Max said, growling softly.
“She smelled like a mom-to-be,” Eli added, doing some growling of his own. “We’ll have to make sure that happens when we make love to her today.”
Max nodded, happiness filling him at the thought of beginning their family. “I know Shelly told us that she didn’t want us to let her know when we scented her fertility, but I feel like we should. She should have the choice to get pregnant or not,” Max sai
d quietly.
“She’s already told us what she wanted, Max. If we tell her about her fertility, she’ll get nervous.”
“Why do you think she’ll get nervous?” Max asked as he wiped at his face with the hand towel that was set on the counter beside the sink.
“I think she’s worried about disappointing us if it doesn’t happen,” Eli answered. “I think she’s worried that those babies we saw in our visions won’t happen for us.”
“They sure were cute cubs,” Max said gruffly as he sat on the chair that had quickly become his chair in their home.
“Yeah, they were,” Eli agreed, taking his place directly opposite his triad partner at the other end of the small table. He looked at the empty chair between them and wished that Shelly was there with them. “They looked like all of us.”
Max nodded, unwrapping his sandwich, picking it up, and taking a healthy bite. He thought about Allison, Matthew, and Luke and couldn’t help but be a little overwhelmed by the love that he already had for their little family.
“It was good to see us in this home with our mate and the beautiful babies she’s going to give us,” Eli said after a moment. “It kind of helps.”
“Helps?” Max was confused by Eli’s words.
“It helps me to have hope that we’ll have that life,” he said as he picked up his sandwich and eyed it with appreciation. “I never thought we would ever get away from Randall, let alone find such a loving mate.”
Max nodded once again. He completely agreed.
Shelly knocked on the front door of Martha’s home, laughing softly as it was immediately pulled open and she was tugged into Martha’s waiting arms.
“Shelly, I’m so glad to see you,” she said softly against Shelly’s cheek before she kissed it gently. “Are you doing well, sweet child?”
“I’m doing great, Martha,” Shelly answered without hesitation, laughing at the concern of her dear friend and foster mother.
Martha held Shelly away from her to ascertain her little girl’s well-being. She saw the happiness that sparkled in Shelly’s beautiful blue eyes and the healthy glow on her cheeks and was satisfied that her baby was indeed happy and well.
Shelly's Forbidden Mates [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 23