“Well, Allie,” she said softly. “It looks like you and I are very lucky ladies to have our sweet wolves love us so deeply. You’re going to enjoy your daddy and your poppa so much.”
Thank you for this miracle, Mother Fate, Shelly whispered to the kind woman.
You are very welcome, Shelly, Mother Fate answered her without hesitation. Do not worry, child. Your baby is healthy and happy. She will be a strong omega just like you are. She is destined to help many. She is a gift to you and your mates, but she will also be a gift to the pack family. All of your children will be.
Will you help us protect our mate and our cubs, Mother? Max’s worried voice joined the conversation.
Please help us to keep our family safe, Eli pleaded, his voice filled with pain.
I am always with you, Mother Fate promised. Trust in the love that you share. You are meant to be together forever. Your children are the result of your love and will bring you much joy and happiness.
Max, Shelly, and Eli felt the power of Mother Fate’s love wrap around them and seal them in a cocoon of protection. The purity and the strength of it made them sigh with relief.
“We’ve been blessed,” Shelly whispered.
Eli and Max could only nod, hoping like hell that their mate and their cub would be forever protected. They never wanted either of them out of their loving arms. Both men knew that neither of them would survive without the love that Shelly gave them or the joy that their cub would bring them.
“I feel the same way about the both of you,” Shelly told them as she caressed their heads as they rested upon her belly. “We’re a family.”
“We are,” Eli said firmly. “We’re a growing family. Our little Allison will be joining us soon.”
“Not that soon,” Shelly said, laughing. “We’ve got a while to go before she’s ready to be born.”
“I think it’s time Eli and I show you one of the items that we’ve been working on, baby,” Max said as he kissed her belly one last time before standing and helping Eli to pull their woman from the couch.
Shelly swayed slightly at the sudden change of position. Both her men reached for her and held her tightly between them, waiting for her to gain her balance and assure them that she was okay.
It was sweet. It was also a little hot to watch her men zip her jeans closed and set her sweater in place. She knew they were thinking that they wanted her to take off her clothes, not keep them on. To be honest, she felt the exact same way.
“What do you want to show me?” she asked as she looked at both of her men, loving the look of desire and need that she saw on their faces.
“Once we show you, we have to make love to you, Mate,” Max said, his voice gravelly with emotion.
“We need to claim you again,” Eli added, reaching for Shelly’s hand and lacing his fingers with hers.
“I don’t think I’ll be going to work today,” Shelly said as Max took her other hand and squeezed it gently before tugging her toward their workroom.
“I think that’s a good bet,” Max agreed, leading the way into the room where he and Eli created wooden treasures that they were proud of.
He led Shelly over to the area in front of the workbench that contained a lot of their tools. There was an item set just in front of it that was covered with a heavy tarp. Shelly waited patiently as her men released her hands and walked toward the item, carefully peeling back the tarp and revealing the gorgeous creation it was hiding.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, reaching out and touching the large crib that was made of cherry wood and polished so that it shined. “It matches the rocking chair.”
“We’ve been working on it for a while,” Eli admitted. “We didn’t want you to be worried if you saw it. We didn’t want to put any pressure on you to get pregnant.”
“You wanted me to get pregnant,” Shelly said gently, smiling at her men and seeing the brief nod that they each gave her.
“We knew yesterday that you were fertile,” Max admitted. “We hoped that we would make our baby last night.”
Shelly covered her belly with her hands, happiness filling her that her men had made that hope a reality. It gave her such peace to know that her men wanted the baby she was carrying just as much as she did.
“Thank you.”
The words were whispered and fell far short of what Shelly wanted to tell her men. Stepping forward, she opened her arms to them and slipped her hands around their waists as they held her securely between them.
Opening her heart to them and allowing her omega abilities to wash over them, she told them without words how much she loved them, how much she loved their baby, and how much she loved her life—because of the gift of their love.
Chapter 38
“Janine, we’re almost there,” Shelly told her, gripping her cell phone as Max maneuvered through the snowy streets of the small, college town.
“Shelly, I can’t wait to see you,” Janine said softly, pleasure obvious in her voice. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too,” Shelly admitted. “You and I need to talk.”
“About what?” Janine asked, her voice wary.
“About so many things,” Shelly answered gently. The last thing she wanted was for Janine to shut her out. “Are you okay, honey? You sound really tired.”
“I’ve been having a hard time sleeping,” Janine admitted. “I can’t seem to shut my mind off. As tired as I am, it won’t let me rest, Shelly.”
“Maybe I can help,” Shelly whispered.
“Maybe.”
“We’re pulling into the apartment complex now. We should be at your apartment within a few minutes,” Shelly said as she looked around the small complex. She didn’t like what she saw.
“I’m on the fifth floor. Apartment 502.”
“Okay. We’ll be up in a few minutes.”
“Who’s with you?”
“My mates Max and Eli. Lucian and Cole are following us in their own truck. If you don’t feel comfortable talking around them, I’ll send them out to get pizza,” Shelly offered.
“We’re not leaving you, Shelly,” Max told her firmly.
“I’ll have Luc and Cole go to the pack home here in town after they get the pizza,” Shelly told Janine, reaching out and placing her hand on Max’s thigh to caress it lightly. “Max and Eli won’t leave me. They’re stubborn and overprotective, but I love them anyway.”
Janine laughed quietly. “I think they’re exactly as they should be, Shelly.”
There was a wistfulness in Janine’s voice. There was also deep sadness there that made Shelly realize that her little sister was in pain. The physical and emotional pull on Janine was something that Shelly could feel. Shelly had to help her.
“We’re here, Janine,” Shelly said as they drove into the parking lot and found a parking space.
“I’ll meet you at the elevators,” Janine told her before the connection was closed.
Lucian parked his truck next to Max’s, climbed out, and waited for Shelly, Max, and Eli to get out of their vehicle. He looked around with the critical eye of an enforcer. It was obvious to Shelly that he wasn’t pleased with what he observed.
“This isn’t a defendable home,” Luc said quietly.
“I agree,” Cole added as he stepped up to stand beside his triad partner. “Let’s see what kind of security the building has.”
“Wait.” Shelly reached out and touched Cole’s arm lightly. “Let me go up and see Janine first.”
Cole looked at Shelly and smiled softly. “As long as your mates are with you, we’re agreeable with that, Shelly,” he told her as he tugged his coat collar up and braced against the chill of the early evening breeze.
He and Luc had scented Shelly’s pregnancy and were happy for her. Although they were happy for her, her news made them mourn the separation from their own mate. Maybe things would be different after this visit. They needed Mia in their life. They felt empty without her. They craved her company. They a
ched for her touch.
They wondered if Mia ever thought about them at all. Were they of any importance to the woman who had captured their hearts? Sadly, they didn’t think that they were.
“Would you two mind going to get some pizzas and bring them to the pack home?” Shelly asked them. “We’ll talk to Janine and check out the safety of the complex.”
Eli reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out his wallet. Opening it, he pulled out enough money to pay for at least ten pizzas and handed the money to Cole.
“If that’s not enough, I’ll give you more when we get to the pack home,” Eli told them both. “I’ll call you when we figure out what’s going on here.”
Luc nodded and turned to get back into his truck. Cole quickly opened the passenger side door and took his place beside his triad partner. Knowing that Max and Eli were going to be with Shelly and Janine, they could trust that both women would be safe.
Once the door of the truck was securely closed, the men turned toward each other, finally able to admit their feelings and concerns to each other. The trip to the small, college town had been a quiet one—each man wrapped up in his own thoughts.
“We promised Laurie that we would help Mia understand that accepting our love would be a good thing,” Cole said as he wiped at his eyes tiredly. “I don’t know if she’ll even be willing to talk to us.”
“I know. I’ve been thinking the same thing,” Luc admitted. “We’ll have to play it by ear when we see her. Maybe being on her own for these past few months has given her a new perspective. Maybe she’ll be willing to give us a chance.”
Cole shrugged. “I’ve never been more nervous in my life,” he told Luc honestly.
“That’s because our future is on the line.”
“Yeah. It will be a lonely one without Mia,” Cole said softly, almost afraid to voice his true fear.
He looked out the side window and saw Max and Eli reach out and take Shelly’s hands in theirs and walk with her to the main entrance of the apartment complex. Even that innocent show of three people belonging to each other was almost too much to witness. They wanted that same relationship and comfort level with Mia.
They wanted to be there to help her, love her, and take care of her. They wanted a family with her. The one time she had allowed them to hold her when she had needed comforting had been the best moment of their lives. They wanted to repeat that with her.
Mia was theirs. She was destined to love them and have a family with them. Maybe the Fates would help them be successful in showing Mia just how wonderful their friendship and mating could be. They could only hope.
“Come on, baby,” Max said as he took Shelly’s hand and walked with her and Eli toward the apartment building.
He was about to press the buzzer that was designated for Apartment number 502 to gain entrance into the building when he noticed that the front door was open. He watched as Eli pushed the door closed and pulled it open again with no trouble at all. It was obvious that the latch was broken. Strike one against Janine’s place. Anyone could enter her building. Janine was already at risk.
They walked inside and took the elevator to the fifth floor, noticing the dirty interior of the elevator. Strike two. The ride up to the fifth floor was a quick one. When the elevator doors opened to reveal a waiting Janine, who stood there with her coat on and a wide smile on her face, they noticed the shabby condition of the hallway.
“Shelly,” Janine greeted her, stepping into her arms and hugging her tightly. “I’m so happy to see you.”
“Me, too,” Shelly said quietly, doing her best not to cry. She had missed Janine so much. “Come on. Take us to your apartment. It’s cold in the hallway.”
Janine nodded and quickly led the way down the hall to her apartment. She took out her keys and unlocked the door quickly, stepping back and allowing Shelly, Max, and Eli to enter ahead of her before turning, closing, and locking the door securely behind them.
Shelly looked around the small studio apartment and saw that it was clean and neat, attesting to Janine’s obsession of having everything just so. What concerned Shelly was the isolation of the apartment. Janine lived here alone. There was no interaction with a roommate.
Wolves were social creatures. They needed the support and warmth of a pack family. Janine didn’t have that here. She also didn’t have much heat. Her apartment was brutally cold.
Max looked at Eli and shook his head as he took in the sparsely furnished apartment. The lack of heat was a major concern. Strike three.
“I don’t have much to offer except a cup of tea,” Janine said softly.
“Luc and Cole are going to pick up pizzas and will bring them to the pack home,” Max told her gently, already worried for the younger woman. “Why don’t you grab some things and come with us? Jace told us that there’s plenty of room for you to live there.”
“Oh, I couldn’t,” Janine refused, blushing profusely at the offer.
“Sure you can,” Eli encouraged her. “We would all feel better if you did, Janine. The front door of the apartment complex is broken. Anyone can walk in here. You’re not safe.”
“Janine, come with me,” Shelly said, standing and extending her hand to her.
She was glad when Janine took her hand without hesitation. She pulled her toward the only door in the apartment, knowing that it had to be the bathroom. Once inside the incredibly small room, she pressed Janine to sit on the closed toilet seat lid while she sat on the edge of the tub.
“Janine, this place isn’t safe. It’s also freezing. It’s not good for you to be isolated, honey,” Shelly said gently. “Your wolf must be very sad and agitated.”
Janine nodded, unable to lie to Shelly. “I shift at night so it’s easier. At least I’m warm when I’m in my wolf form.” She looked up at Shelly, her eyes wide with sorrow. “It hurts, Shelly,” she admitted softly.
“What hurts, honey?”
“Being away from pack.”
“I know. Synthia and I at least had each other, but even then it was really difficult. We’re a tactile species. We need family. We need touch. And we need love.”
Again, Janine nodded. “I had to leave,” she said finally.
“Why?”
“Because I couldn’t live with people who thought I was selfish and mean.”
“Janine, I have never heard anyone accuse you of being either of those things,” Shelly said honestly. “I remember you saying the same thing when you were twelve. Did whoever say those things continue to say them as you grew up?”
“I would sometimes hear my parents talk about it when they thought I was asleep,” Janine admitted.
Shelly was quiet for a minute as she tried to understand what Janine was telling her. It just didn’t make any sense. Martha, Grant, and Silas were such kind and loving people, and they adored their daughter. There had to be a major misunderstanding going on.
“Janine, I’m not going to say that what you heard didn’t happen, because you obviously heard it,” Shelly began cautiously. “I can just say that whenever your parents talk about you, it’s always praising your intelligence, your helpfulness, your kindness, and the way that you’re so good with Tammy.” Shelly was glad to see the soft expression of love that came over Janine’s face at the mention of her niece Tammy. Julia, Colin, and Janine’s brother Adrian’s little girl was such a sweetheart. “I can feel the love and the worry your parents have for you. You know that you can trust me to know the truth of people’s feelings. My wolf never lets me down.”
“I know. She’s an omega,” Janine whispered. “Do Max and Eli know?”
“Yes. They do. They’ve protected my secret for many years. I love them so much, Janine,” Shelly said, smiling as she thought about her sweet men. “You’ve protected my secret, too. All of you have. But, you need to trust that I know that your parents do not feel that you’re selfish or mean. They’re proud of how hard you worked to help Jace and Jackson ready the tourist section of the Circle Thr
ee Ranch. If you hadn’t, Laurie would have never taken her vacation there, and Jace and Jackson wouldn’t have met their destined mate.”
“A lot of people helped make the resort side of the ranch possible,” Janine pointed out.
“See, honey, that’s exactly what I’m trying to tell you. Jace and Jackson told me that you did a lot of the work. A lot of it. Yet, you deflect the compliments because it’s in your nature to help without expecting or needing everyone to make a big deal out of it.” Shelly squeezed Janine’s hand lightly as she looked into her little sister’s sad eyes. “You’re also wonderful with all the cubs in our pack. They adore you.”
“I love them,” Janine said simply.
“I know you do, and so do they. There’s no fooling a child, Janine. They can tell when you’re a good and kind person who genuinely loves them. You need to know that so many people care about you and love you. If you’d just let that chip on your shoulder fall away, you’ll be opening yourself up to a world of love.”
“I don’t know that there’s love waiting for me, Shelly.”
“Of course there is. You’re going to be a mated woman before you know it. I would suggest you wait to have your cubs until after you finish school, but that’s your choice. Yours and your men’s.”
Janine blushed as she looked down at her hands. “I’ve always wanted to have a family,” she said softly.
“You will, honey. I have no doubt in my mind that it will happen for you. You’re going to be a loving mate and an awesome mother. Remember the dream I told you about when you were twelve? I saw you with your mates when you were in college. Well, you’re in college now. That means that your mates will be with you soon.”
Janine held hope close to her heart that Shelly’s belief in her future happiness was well-founded. She sighed softly then took in a breath, experiencing the calming scent of her omega sister.
“You’re pregnant,” Janine said suddenly, her blue eyes wide with surprise. “I just scented it. Oh, Shelly! I’m so happy for you.”
Shelly's Forbidden Mates [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 38