“No, Jace. I’ve already heard what they had to say,” Shelly said, pulling her hand free from her big brother’s. “Maybe some time away will help me straighten out my feelings. Right now, I just need to be with Synthia. Please.”
“Okay, honey.”
Bad choice, Jace, Jackson whispered in his mind as he sat behind them in the back seat of the truck.
I agree, but maybe being with Synthia for a while will help her.
Maybe.
When we come back, you and I are going to have a talk with Max and Eli. We’re going to get to the bottom of this. This mess is going to be straightened out if it’s the last thing that we do.
Absolutely.
Jace started his truck and shifted it into drive, pulling out of the driveway and heading toward the highway. It was going to be a while before they reached Synthia. Maybe he would be able to talk some sense into Shelly before they reached her.
A mate was to be cherished and loved. He and Jackson wanted to find their mate with all that they were. Max and Eli had to know that whatever they had done had caused them to lose their mate. A lost mate was a lost life. It was also the cause for a sad and empty life.
He looked at Shelly briefly and saw that she was resting against the window. Her eyes were closed, and she was hugging her body tightly. He could scent that she was bleeding, but he could also scent that she was fertile. It didn’t make any sense.
“Shelly?”
“I need to rest, Jace.”
“Okay, Shelly. You rest. I’ll drive.”
“Good choice, Jace,” she said, smiling sadly. “It would be hard for me to drive with my eyes closed.”
“Smartass,” he whispered, chuckling softly.
Chapter 24
“Shelly, what happened?” Synthia asked her as she dragged her toward her bedroom and pushed her sister down to sit on the bed and sat beside her.
“I fell in love with two great guys.”
“That’s great, honey.”
“I mated with them.”
“You did?”
“Yes. It was wonderful.”
“Then what happened?”
“Vera decided that I should be mated to Alpha Hayward so she gave me some herbs to make me lose my baby.”
Synthia gasped in horror, wrapping her arms around her sister and hugging her tightly. Her brown eyes were filled with pain as she held her baby sister.
“Did you tell your mates?” she whispered as she rocked Shelly slowly within her embrace.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I heard them tell Alpha Randall that they didn’t mate with anyone, and they didn’t have a permanent connection to any female in Jace’s pack.”
“Shelly, maybe you’re mistaken.”
“No, Synthia. They said they were going to go back to Randall’s pack and work as enforcers. They didn’t want to stay with me. They didn’t want to fight for me. I didn’t mean anything to them.”
She looked at her sister and was comforted by the omega powers that Synthia was pushing into her, but that didn’t remove the pain. Shelly didn’t think anything could ever remove the pain.
Synthia’s beauty was something that had always been stunning. She was pretty, blonde, tall, and had the nicest smile. She was the one that Vera had high hopes for. She was the one who was allowed to have a mate. Shelly had been forbidden to have a mate. It would have been so much better for her if she had listened to the heartless words that Vera had often spouted. Maybe she wouldn’t be in the pain she was in right then from the loss of her men and the loss of her baby.
“I don’t want to remember, Syn. I don’t want to think about how wonderful that time with them was. I know now that it was all a lie. It hurts too much to think about them.”
Synthia nodded and allowed Shelly to lie back on the big bed. She climbed in beside her and tucked the covers around both of them. She held her while her baby sister cried out her pain and loss. She held her while she slept. She ached for the pain of the memories that her sister had.
In that moment, she knew that she had to help. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on her omega abilities and pushed them deep into her sister’s mind, easing her torment and taking away the sadness that the memories of her mates had caused.
“Sleep, honey,” she whispered against her sister’s temple. “You’ll never have to think about your mates again. Keep the thoughts behind the veil of protection that I’m helping you create. When your mind can think about it without it hurting your heart, the memories will return. Until then, just remember the kindness of your men. Remember the love that they showed you.”
Shelly sighed in her sleep, accepting Synthia’s healing. As she floated within her dreams, she saw hazel eyes smiling at her and brown eyes twinkling with teasing. She smiled at the memory.
She couldn’t remember her mates’ names. She couldn’t remember what they looked like. She couldn’t even remember what happened to them. She just knew that she had lost them. And she remembered the innocent life that had just begun to grow within her that she hadn’t been able to keep safe within her body.
One thing she did remember, though, was the strength of the love that her men had for her, and the beautiful baby that they had all wanted so very much. It was those thoughts that were going to help her get through the loss of everything that she held so dear.
Chapter 25
Present Day
Shelly tossed restlessly in her bed. The dreams were constant now. She kept seeing her mates holding her between them as they slept in the big bed in the home that Jace had promised her. She still couldn’t see her mates’ faces, but she could see their shadows. She could also see their coloring.
The hazel eyes that constantly watched her in her dreams belonged to her mate with the dark hair. The brown eyes that held such mischief belonged to her mate with the blond hair that fell to his shoulders. Hazel eyes called her baby. Brown eyes called her sweetheart. Both men held her tenderly and kissed the mating marks on her shoulders every night as she dreamed about them.
Sighing softly, she pushed herself out of bed and quietly padded to her private bathroom in the suite of rooms that she and Synthia shared. Since coming to stay with Synthia all those many years ago, Shelly had accomplished so many things. She had graduated from college with degrees in business and accounting. Synthia had earned her degree in computer software design and programming. Shelly was so proud of her sister. Both she and Synthia had worked for Tyler Industries for many years.
Abbey Tyler had been Synthia’s roommate in college. She was a good woman who had become Synthia’s best friend and had soon become Shelly’s best friend, as well. Abbey had welcomed Shelly with open arms when she had arrived that awful day so long ago and had done much to help her best friend’s sister slowly come out of her depression.
Although Synthia and Abby had been wonderful and supportive, Shelly still kept her pain close to her heart. She still suffered because of the loss of her mates. She had also suffered because of the loss of her baby. She didn’t think she would ever get over either of those losses.
Abbey’s father Brandon Tyler had taken Synthia and Shelly into his heart and had loved them as if they were his own daughters. He had reminded them of their own fathers. His love and support were unconditional and true. Brandon made them feel important, valued, and loved. He was a wonderful man who had died way too young. Abbey was still reeling from the loss—a loss that they shared with her. The heartache was deep.
Now, Abbey was going through another time of agony as she found that her husband Peter Jordan had been unfaithful to her and had married her only to gain control over Tyler Industries. She had fled her home and had left Synthia and Shelly behind to watch over her father’s business while she sorted everything out and waited for her divorce to finalize.
The last few weeks had been nerve-wracking. Peter had tried to kill Abbey. Her escape from him had been a dangerous one. She had been found by two men from Ja
ce’s pack and had mated with them. Shelly and Synthia knew that Abbey would be happy with Hunter Stewart and Clay Forest. They were both good men who would protect their friend. They also knew that Abbey would know real love with her triad mates.
Synthia and Shelly had kept the secret of their shifter heritage from Abbey and from Abbey’s father. Although they felt guilt over keeping it from both of them, they knew that they had to do so in order to protect their pack family. Both Shelly and Synthia knew that their secret would soon be revealed.
Shelly wiped at her face and sighed tiredly. Walking out of her bedroom, she joined Synthia in the kitchen and sat on one of the high stools at the counter that divided the kitchen from the eating area.
“Are you okay?” Synthia asked her as she placed a large glass of orange juice in front of Shelly.
“I’m tired,” Shelly said quietly, picking up the glass and taking a small sip.
“Are you still having the dreams?”
Shelly nodded, setting the glass down on the counter and looking at her sister. Synthia was stunning in her beauty. Even dressed in jeans and a pink T-shirt with her long hair pulled up in a ponytail at the crown of her head, she looked beautiful.
“I keep seeing the shadows of my mates,” Shelly told her quietly. “I can’t see their faces, but I can feel them holding me. I can hear them speaking to me.”
“What’re they saying?”
“They tell me that they love me.”
Synthia smiled sadly. She remembered how Shelly had come to her that horrible day so broken and devastated. She had said that her mates didn’t love her. She had said that her men had denied having a connection to her. She didn’t understand why Shelly was hearing the complete opposite in her dreams now.
“Maybe they need you to know that they miss you,” Synthia offered.
“Miss me?” Shelly asked, confused. “I don’t understand, Syn. They can’t miss me. They’re gone. I lost them. Remember?”
“How did you lose them, Shelly?”
Shelly’s forehead creased with confusion as she tried to remember. “Why can’t I remember what happened to them?” she asked finally. “I know that I lost them. I just don’t know how.”
“Your mind is protecting you from the pain,” Synthia explained.
Shelly laughed softly without mirth. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
“Because, I still remember the pain of losing my baby.”
Shelly looked at Synthia with haunted blue eyes. Synthia reached out and took her sister’s hands in hers, pressing her calming omega ability into her to try to help. It frustrated her that she couldn’t help Shelly like she used to. The pain and sadness in Shelly were just too much. Only dealing with her loss would help her heal and move on.
“I know you don’t want to hear it, but I really believe that everything will work out, honey,” Synthia said gently. “The Fates will help you.”
Shelly shrugged, reaching for a piece of toast from the platter that Synthia had placed on the counter. She bit into the corner of one and smiled as the flavor of the butter and grape jelly burst across her taste buds.
She wanted to believe what Synthia was telling her, but she couldn’t. It had been a long time since she had spoken with Mother Fate. She felt Mother Fate’s presence within her heart every moment of every day, but Shelly had closed herself off from any conversation with the deity. There was pain and anger within Shelly. She didn’t have it within her to open herself up to hearing anything that Mother Fate had to say to her.
“Are you nervous about going back to pack land?” she asked her sister after a moment.
Synthia nodded. “Yes.”
“I think it’s time, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Boy, you’re a wealth of conversation this morning, Syn.”
Synthia laughed softly. “I’m a little nervous. The last time I was there, I wasn’t exactly the best person.”
“You were always the best person to me,” Shelly offered, smiling.
“Thanks.” Synthia became pensive as she thought about her life as a teenager within Jace Beckett’s pack family. “I have a lot to atone for, Shelly.”
“Synthia, you were young. You were influenced by Vera. She’s responsible for the brainwashing.”
Synthia shrugged. She knew that Vera had been the reason she had been unkind, but she also knew that every time she had acted like a brat, she had hurt people. There was no way around it. The way she had acted had been very wrong. She had to accept responsibility. And she had to apologize for her behavior. Hopefully, the pack members that she had hurt would be open to her apology and grant her forgiveness.
“Abbey should be here in a few hours. Pack enough to stay for a while,” Synthia told her sister.
Shelly nodded, a small thrill racing through her and settling deep within her chest. Even though she knew that she would be going back to the place where she had lost her mates and her baby, there was a glimmer of hope within her heart that she might be able to set all of her sorrows to rest. Maybe.
“Shelly, we have to call the Circle Three Ranch,” Synthia told her sister, pacing the living room and rubbing at her eyes tiredly. “Abbey has never missed a deadline in her life. If she said she would be here by three o’clock, you and I both know that she would have been here by two.”
She pulled the cloth hair tie from her hair, allowing the heavy weight of her blonde hair the freedom to fall to her shoulders and hang in gentle waves to the bottom of her back. Her brown eyes were soft with worry as she turned to face her younger sister.
Shelly tugged on her long brown hair, wrapping its length around her fist and pulling at it nervously. She agreed with her sister. Abigail Tyler was obsessively punctual and always kept her promises. If she hadn’t shown up when she had promised she would, something was definitely wrong.
“I agree, Syn,” Shelly told her softly. “We have to do something. It’s nearly five o’clock.”
“I’m calling,” Synthia declared, picking up her cell phone from the coffee table in front of her. She scrolled through her contacts and touched the screen to bring up the familiar phone number and connect the call. Her stomach fluttered nervously as she heard the ringing. It took only two rings before it was answered.
“Synthia?” the familiar, deep voice spoke to her.
“Alpha, Hunter and Clay’s mate is our friend Abbey,” Synthia told him quickly, unable to keep the urgency from her voice. “Something’s wrong, Jace. She was supposed to be here nearly two hours ago to take me and Shelly back to pack land. She never showed up, and she hasn’t contacted us. Abbey would never do that.”
“Her mates have already contacted me,” Jace told her gently. “They haven’t been able to feel her through their bond.”
“Alpha, we have to find her,” Synthia whispered, her voice choked as emotions filled her.
“We will, Synthia,” Jace promised. “I want you and Shelly to come home now. You belong with our pack family.”
Synthia was silent, looking at her sister with haunted eyes as Shelly stepped toward her and reached out to take her hand and squeeze it lightly. When Shelly nodded at her, she knew she had heard their alpha’s comments. They had no other choice.
“We’re on our way,” she told him softly.
“Drive safely, Synthia,” Jace told her firmly. “I’ll expect you here by seven tonight.”
“We’ll be there,” Synthia promised. Disconnecting the call, she looked at Shelly and smiled nervously. “What do you think?” she asked her.
“I think we have to do this,” Shelly answered softly.
Even if Jace hadn’t told them to, they had already made the decision to rejoin the pack. They had finally accepted that it was time to go home.
Chapter 26
Max and Eli stood along the back wall in the large living room at Alpha Jace Beckett’s family home. Their bodies were packed with muscle. Their faces held a hardness to them that made them good e
nforcers. At thirty-six years old, both men had lost the innocence of their youth. The way that they saw the world was so much different now than when they had been in their twenties and had shared their life and their love with their sweet Shelly.
Standing back and watching Jace Beckett and Jackson Scott interact with other pack triads, the small glimmer of hope that all good things were on the path ahead of them pushed at their souls. Both Max and Eli were cautious about that feeling. Neither man thought they would be able to remain in control if they allowed themselves to be optimistic as they had once been.
It’s a good feeling, being here again, Max, Eli said through their link.
It is, Max agreed. This pack family is still filled with goodness. I hope we don’t dishonor them by being here.
Being without Shelly forming the third in their link had been something that both men had tried very hard to adapt to over the years. Eli knew that Max tried talking to Shelly every day, just as he did. She was always there, just beyond the edge of their consciousness. They could feel Shelly’s warmth. They could feel her gentleness. But they couldn’t hear her or connect with her. Eli truly believed that if they hadn’t been able to feel her presence, both he and Max would have lost themselves to the darkness of insanity.
Max looked at Eli and nodded. He had his arms crossed across his broad chest, his scarred arms tanned against his black T-shirt. The red cloth wristband that he wore on his left arm accented the muscles of his forearm. Eli wore a similar wristband. Max smiled at the irony of the way those wristbands made them look as opposed to the reason that they wore them and where they had come from.
Those wristbands may have looked like a statement of toughness, but what they were was the complete opposite. The red material had been obtained from the satin ribbons that had been woven through the sleeves of the Renaissance dress that Shelly had worn the day Jace had been presented her to the pack as an adult. On one of their trips to Beckett’s land to visit their parents and check on the home that they had shared with Shelly, Eli had suggested that they take a portion of the ribbons to keep with them at all times.
Shelly's Forbidden Mates [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 26