When Max had wrapped the satin around his wrist, Eli had taken it from him. Max had nearly swung at his triad partner, his anger had been so great, but Eli had asked for the omega charm on the gold chain that Max still held in the front pocket of his jeans every day of his life. Max had given it over to him reluctantly, but had been happily surprised by what Eli had done next.
He had pressed the coiled chain and charm against Max’s inner wrist so that it pressed against his pulse, and had wrapped the satin material around it. He then took the ring with the blue stone that he had in his front jeans pocket and placed it against his own inner wrist, wrapping the satin material around it and securing it firmly. In that way, Shelly was always pressed against their heartbeats. She was always with them at the edge of their minds, and she was always with them, pressing against their skin.
Going back to Randall’s pack had been worse than torture. They had lived the past ten years as his enforcers, doing things that they didn’t want to do in order to keep their pack members alive. They had had to dole out physical punishments and take from pack members to fortify Randall’s store of food and money.
Each time they had been ordered to raid or hurt the pack members, Eli and Max had done so with deep regret and anger. Although the members of the pack realized that they were only following orders, it didn’t take away from the fact that they were ashamed of the men that they had been forced to become.
They tried to compensate each wronged person by helping them out with their small area of land that they inhabited. Without Randall’s knowledge, they had helped them with their small farms and aided them in building additions to their homes or repairing the ones that they had. There were many times that they had given up their own meager supplies of food and clothing in order to help a growing family.
There were also many times that Randall had physically punished them for things that Max and Eli had taken the blame for in order to keep their pack members safe. Both men’s bodies were littered with scars from those beatings, but neither one of them would have had it any other way. They had nothing to live for. They existed. Nothing more. Their mate had been lost to them. Only the constant threat that Randall used over and over again to drag their parents back to his pack kept them obedient. Their happiness was forfeit in order to ensure that their parents remained happy and safe.
Over the years, they had visited their parents less and less frequently, unable to travel to Beckett’s pack land without experiencing the agonizing sorrow of their loss. Seeing the home that they had shared with Shelly and the lake where they once swam with her, they were reminded of the love that they had experienced with their sweet omega for such a brief time.
Each time they visited their parents, they also made it a point to check up on the home that they had shared. They kept the home repaired and safe. They cleaned it and set things to right within it, always sharing some hope that one day they would live there again with their woman. It had never happened.
Jace had approached their parents and had asked them to get their sons to come and talk to him, but Max and Eli never did. They couldn’t. They were ashamed of the way that they had let their mate down. It wasn’t until just recently that they had finally made the decision to approach the alpha.
Randall had been stupid enough to attack Suzanne Robinson. Jace had challenged Randall and had bested him in the fight. Instead of killing him outright, Jace had shown mercy and had walked away. Randall had attacked Jace when he turned his back. Jace had had no choice but to exact swift and permanent justice. The killing of Randall had caused no hardship or feelings of loss for anyone.
Neither Max nor Eli could imagine having such control and mercy as Jace had shown Randall. Randall had injured Jace and Jackson’s mate’s son during the attack on Susie. Dean Young was a good guy who was now recuperating from the attack. It had been a dire circumstance for the young man. The pack doctor Drew had been worried that Dean wouldn’t survive the attack.
During that time, Dean’s mate had stepped forward and had placed her claiming bite upon his chest. No one knew who Dean and his triad partner Mitchell Robinson’s mate was, but they were thankful that she had come forward. Because of her claiming, Dean had experienced the change in his human physiology to adapt to their mate, gleaning all of the positive aspects of being wolf—including fast healing.
Max thought about the mating process and couldn’t help but think about Shelly. Wishing that things had turned out differently was a waste of time and energy. He and Eli talked about her often, unable to let go of the memory of her kindness and love. Each time they did talk, it made the ache in their hearts burn brighter.
Now that Jace had accepted them back into his pack, they had hope that someday they might see Shelly again. They didn’t really know what they would do if they did. Somehow, they had to apologize for allowing her to come to harm. Somehow, they had to put closure to the life that they still desired.
It had been a long journey for them, leaving their roles as enforcers behind and coming back to Beckett’s pack—something that neither man had ever thought they would experience. Jace and Jackson had given them the opportunity to rejoin the pack, despite their obvious concern. Jace had accepted them back into the pack with the understanding that he was not happy with the fact that they had allowed Shelly to leave. He didn’t ask for an explanation. He didn’t tell them that they had been wrong or lacking as men and mates. He didn’t have to. They felt that without him having to say it.
“I won’t ask you what happened,” Jace had told them. “I won’t ask you why you allowed the one woman that the Fates had chosen for you to walk away in such pain. I’m just going to tell you that there will come a day when Shelly will return. When she does, you both are going to talk to her, get this straightened out, and take your places by her side again. Are we clear?”
“I don’t think Shelly will be open to that, Alpha,” Max had said quietly.
“You won’t know until you talk to her,” Jace had said angrily, interrupting him. “And you are going to talk to her. You’re going to be honest and open. You’re going to find out why she decided to leave. And you’re going to abide by her decision to accept you again or not.”
Both Eli and Max had remained silent but had nodded in agreement. They knew that Jace’s advice was correct, but they also knew deep within their souls that they would not be welcomed back into Shelly’s loving arms.
Synthia took a calming breath, looking at her sister for support as they stood on the top step of the porch that led to the main door of the pack family’s lodge. Shelly nodded and smiled.
“Go ahead, Syn,” she encouraged her. “I have a good feeling about this.”
Synthia nodded, reaching out and taking her sister’s hand in hers and squeezing it lightly before releasing it and leading the way to the front door. Raising her hand, she knocked on the door firmly then stepped back and waited for the door to open and change their lives. It was time for that change.
After a moment of silence, they could hear footsteps coming closer to the door. Suddenly, it was opened wide and a woman with dark brown hair and welcoming brown eyes stood there smiling at them.
“Hi,” she greeted them warmly. “May I help you?”
Synthia smiled softly, shoring up her courage. “We’d like to speak with Alpha Beckett and Beta Scott if we could, please.”
“Sure, come on in,” she said, stepping back and welcoming them inside. “I’m Laurie. Jace and Jackson are my mates.”
Synthia and Shelly exchanged surprised looks. Synthia silently chastised herself. They really shouldn’t have been so surprised, though. They had been away from Beckett’s pack for many years. Of course there would be many changes—including the mating of their alpha and beta.
They followed Laurie through the kitchen and down the hallway that led to Jace and Jackson’s office. Shelly started to tremble as she remembered the last time she had been in that office. It made the memories of that day very real. It made th
e day of the loss of her baby come to the forefront of her mind.
Laurie knocked lightly on the office door, opening it as soon as she heard Jace’s deep voice call out for her to enter. She stepped inside, indicating that the women should follow her.
Synthia couldn’t help but smile as Jace and Jackson immediately enveloped Laurie within their arms. It was obvious that they loved their mate deeply.
“Synthia, Shelly, it’s about time you got here,” Jace chastised them lightly, releasing Laurie and stepping toward the two women. He opened his arms and waited until they stepped into his embrace. “You’re finally home where you belong.”
The instant growls from behind them made them all turn in surprise. Max and Eli stood with two other enforcers from Randall’s pack. Simon Morrow and Warren Conway were a bit older than they were and had been the head enforcers for Randall’s pack for twenty years. They had been equally abused by Randall’s cruelty. Each man’s eyes were completely golden, their canines had dropped, and matching growls were erupting from them.
“Keep yourselves under control, enforcers,” Jace told them as he stepped away from the women and walked over to the men. His voice was firm as he pierced them with his gaze. Extending the power he held as alpha of their pack, he helped them to control their wolves.
Simon made a conscious effort to push down his wolf, stepped forward, and stood beside Synthia. He nodded his head as he reached out to touch her, pulling his scarred hand back as soon as he realized what he was about to do. He lowered his hazel eyes that had flecks of brown in them and stepped back, scrubbing at his military cut white hair as he fought to get himself under control. He was unable to hide the sadness in his eyes, though.
“I am sorry,” he told her softly.
Warren stood on Synthia’s other side and breathed in deeply, growling possessively as their mate’s scent filled him. Reaching out, he touched her cheek lightly, cringing as he saw the scars on his hands and arms, realizing immediately that he was not worthy of this beautiful woman. Running his index finger down her cheek and touching her bottom lip lightly, his eyes reverted back to his natural blue color. Pushing down his wolf, he accepted the strength of their new alpha as Jace helped him control himself.
Scrubbing his hands over his brown hair that was liberally sprinkled with white from his years touching and dealing with silver in their previous pack, he was sadly reminded that he should never touch a woman, let alone mate with one. He stepped back and bowed slightly. His chest ached with the realization that he could never subject this adorable woman with soft, brown eyes and long, blonde hair to a life with him.
Max and Eli watched as Simon and Warren flanked the woman that they assumed was Shelly’s sister. The men showed every sign of recognizing their mate. Although it was something both Max and Eli were glad to see their fellow enforcers experiencing, they couldn’t think about anything except seeing Shelly again after all these years. Ten years had matured her. She was still beautiful. She still radiated goodness. The thing that filled their hearts with pain was the aching sadness that they sensed deep within her.
Mate, Max whispered in Eli’s mind. He looked at Shelly and was heartbroken to realize that their woman could not hear him.
She’s unable to hear us, Max, Eli said sadly.
Shelly, baby, please hear us, Max implored her, doing his best to connect with her through their mating link.
Both men stepped toward Shelly, intending to embrace her, and were destroyed when they saw her shrink back in fear. The hurt deepened when they saw her turn toward Jace and Jackson and implore them with her eyes to help her.
Jace stepped between her and the men. Both Max and Eli eased back and waited, knowing that they couldn’t force the issue. Whatever reasons that had made Shelly pull away from them were very real. The pain and fear within Shelly was very real. It hurt like hell, but they had to respect her wishes, do what was best for her, and give her space.
Just because they were giving her the space they knew she needed, it didn’t eliminate the determination that they had to clear things up with her. There had been many years of pain and loneliness without her. They wanted to know why she left them. They needed to know why she had looked at their wolves as she had gotten into Jace’s truck and had turned away. She had left them. Not that they blamed her in any way. She had been hurt because of them.
“Alpha, have you heard from Hunter and Clay?” Synthia spoke up, turning away from the men whose sad eyes made her heart hurt.
“Yes, Synthia,” Jace told her, reaching out and touching her shoulder gently, glaring at Simon and Warren when their growls filled the room. “Abbey has been in a car accident. Hunter and Clay are on their way to get her now. You and Shelly will stay with us until you decide where you would like to live on pack land.” He turned to face the four men. “You will keep yourselves under control. These women are under my protection. You may only approach them when they have given you permission, and only then after you seek my guidance first.”
Simon and Warren nodded curtly. Eli and Max could only stare at Shelly, eating her up with their eyes. It took all their strength to remain apart from her. They both wanted to pull her into their arms, take her to the home that they had happily shared, and figure out what the hell had happened. If there was even a remote chance that she could accept them as her mates once again, they would never give her cause to leave them again.
They remained silent but vigilant as they stood guard over their woman. They may not understand why she left or why they no longer shared their mating link, but they were still her mates.
She’s beautiful, Eli whispered, his voice filled with awe.
She is, Max agreed.
By the Fates, I love her.
Eli’s voice was filled with pain. Max felt the sadness that surrounded his triad partner and did his best to send him support through their link that had never faded. It was hard to be strong for Eli when his own heart was breaking at being so close to their mate but unable to touch her.
The look in Shelly’s eyes as she stole furtive glances at them made them ache. It was one of mistrust. It was one of confusion. The thing that nearly destroyed them was the fact that they could scent her fear.
It horrified them to know that the woman that they loved more than their own lives feared them. What had happened to her in her time away from them? Why did she fear them? Why couldn’t she hear them through their mating link? Something was very wrong.
Max’s head snapped toward Eli, a deep scowl on his face as he eyes flashed golden. His wolf was more than agitated. He was pissed.
Our mate left us without a word, he snapped in Eli’s mind. She looked right at us and chose to leave. Something was seriously fucked-up back then.
Eli nodded just once, his own wolf clawing at his chest as his impatience pressed at him to touch and claim again. It took every bit of strength within him to call his wolf back. There was much that they needed to straighten out—especially why Shelly had left them so many years ago.
Have faith, children, Mother Fate’s gentle voice spoke to both of them.
Max shook his head as if to rid himself of the woman’s voice. He had no faith. He had no hope. All he had was a huge dose of pissed-off and leave-me-the-fuck-alone.
Chapter 27
“You’re welcome to stay in the main house with us,” Jace offered to both Shelly and Synthia as they stood in the living room with him and Jackson.
The meeting that had been arranged with the neighboring ruling triads had gone very well. It was clear to Jace that the shifters that had been in attendance today were going to be good friends to his pack family. He also sensed that they would be strong allies. He and Jackson both knew that all of them had to become allies if they were going to keep their pack families safe from Alpha Hayward.
Hayward was a cruel man. He and Randall had banded together and had ruled with fear and abuse. Jace was glad that Simon, Warren, Max, and Eli were no longer a part of Randall’s pack. He coul
d sense the goodness in Simon and Warren. He could also sense their discouragement with life. It was understandable. To be a part of the cruelty and abuse of Randall’s pack for so many years had to have taken its toll on them. Seeing their reaction to Synthia, he had a feeling that they were going to be declaring their intention as her destined mates. It was meant to be. He hoped they would come to that realization and decision sooner rather than later.
Looking at Max and Eli, Jace had hope that whatever had broken them and Shelly apart all those many years ago could be resolved. He didn’t understand why he could scent Shelly’s fear as she looked at her mates, but he was going to be certain that she was protected from them until she no longer felt threatened by their presence. If Max and Eli had just confided in him, this situation might have already been resolved. He was not happy that the men had refused to speak to him about Shelly, but he had to respect their privacy. He would grant them their space—for now.
Watching as all four men stood just outside the entrance to the living room, Jace ignored them for the moment in order to speak to Shelly and Synthia. He had to control his urge to smile as he heard the constant low growls coming from all four men as he and Jackson stood with their women.
Looking at his little sisters, he smiled with deep affection. They had grown to be beautiful and kind women. He could feel the soothing waves of gentleness that each woman blanketed them with. He knew his family would benefit from the power of his little omega wolves, but he also knew that it was the kindness and the caring of these women that would be the major gifts that they would bring back to the pack.
“The homes that have been saved for you have been kept clean and repaired,” Jackson offered. “I don’t know what your plans are or where you would like to stay, but if you would rather live in your own homes, you’re more than welcome to do that.”
Shelly's Forbidden Mates [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 27