by Dizzy Hooper
It's perfect.
Every worry and doubt inside me melts away as my mates claim me in the most primal, filthy, delicious way possible.
With barely the strength to hold myself up, I melt into their dominance. They set up a rhythm, using me savagely. Grady and Colt guide me. I rise and fall on Grady's thick cock. Every time I pull up, Colt shoves himself deep, so I'm never empty, never wanting. Landen batters my throat, and I seal my lips around him, breathing when he lets me, going without when he doesn't, because all I need is him, is them.
Not air.
Not anything.
I just want to be theirs. I want to be used and possessed and bred for the rest of time.
And I get to.
I get to be theirs for the rest of our lives.
That blissful thought is what ultimately tips me over. Between one breath and the next, orgasm crashes into me out of nowhere. I shudder and wail, my throat vibrating around Landen's cock, my pussy and ass milking Grady and Colt as climax tears me apart.
They fuck me through it, unrelenting in their brutal claiming. I rock between them, soft and broken, and then I'm coming again--or maybe my first orgasm just never ends.
Over and over, climax racks me until I'm wrung out. Through sheer force of will, I keep myself up on my hands and knees as I'm pounded into by all three cocks.
Colt starts to falter first.
"Fuck, Jess," he groans. He fucks into me faster.
All three males' rhythms fall apart after that.
"I love you," Colt gasps.
Deep in my ass, he swells. Hot fluid flows into me, and he buries himself to the hilt, painting my insides with his thick come.
Grady and Landen follow seconds later. Landen shoots down my throat, then paints some across my chin.
When Grady shouts and pumps me full of his seed, one last orgasm racks my battered body. I throb around him, around all of them, milking them.
And then it's done.
Landen pulls back, and I collapse forward.
The change is clear.
My mating season has been satisfied. It's over.
I reach to the side and grasp onto Landen's hand, while Grady holds me from below. Colt pants against my nape as he drapes his body over mine.
Completeness washes over me like rain, cool and cleansing.
My heat is done.
But my connection to these males? To my most loved and treasured mates?
That's unending.
It's renewed.
And it's never, ever felt so strong.
Chapter 7
The drive back home is a lot quieter--and a lot less wildly hormone-filled--than the drive to the cabin was.
We sit in the same configuration, Colt behind the wheel while Grady navigates from the passenger seat. Landen and I both keep our seatbelts on behind them. We hold hands, but that's about it.
We don't need to do anything more.
The entire car is filled with the warmth of our contentment. Satisfaction radiates off my mates' pores.
I barely have the energy to stay upright.
Every inch of my body is covered in love bites and fingerprint bruises. We took the time to shower off and recover a bit before packing the car and heading out, but it doesn't matter. I smell exactly like the claimed, happy, sex-drunk female I am. My mates' scents cling to my skin.
My nipples are raw, my pussy sore and wet with come, my inner thighs burned by stubble. My ass feels the rough way it was taken, too, and my throat has a rasp that won't go away.
I feel wonderful.
Letting the exhaustion claim me, I rest my head against the window and watch the scenery go by. Landen rubs my knuckles soothingly. Colt and Grady's idle conversation washes over me.
These past few days have been some of the best of my life. My heart is as full as my pussy was when each of my mates buried themselves inside.
Grady and Colt and Landen and I have always enjoyed a deep connection, but it was tested by all the pressures and responsibilities of our everyday lives. We've rekindled it and strengthened our eternal bond. We've vowed to never let it take a back seat again--no matter what.
I let my thoughts spin out, toward the days that await us.
We left in a haze of pheromones and sexual desperation. My heat was unexpected. We didn't have time to plan any of this out. My mates barely had time to find a cabin and book it for a few days. Claire pushed us out the door, and Landen put his hands and his mouth on me, and we scarcely looked back.
What are we going to find when we return?
I trust Claire implicitly. I know she's done a great job with the babies. If she ran into any trouble, she knew how to get in touch with us. Dixon and Beau and Adrian were right down the road.
She sent Grady a handful of updates via text, letting him know that everything is fine. But her messages were woefully lacking when it came to details.
What have the triplets been up to? What firsts has Claire witnessed that I'll have to catch up on?
Did my babies miss me?
In my heart I know they did--me and their fathers. Desperately. My chest aches to think of them crying, confused about our absence.
Twin instincts pull at me again. I enjoyed these days with my mates so completely. I wish we could make them last forever.
And I miss my kids.
Sitting up straighter, I silently urge the car to go faster. To carry us home to our children so I can feel them in my arms and smell their fuzzy little heads. I need that direct confirmation that they really are okay.
Finally, after what feels like an age, we turn down the road that leads to our property. I suck in a breath, watching ahead--as if any signs that my babies are in distress would be visible from the road.
I jerk upright.
Because yeah--there actually is one big, blaring sign of trouble the instant we pull into our winding, twisting driveway.
Up at the top of it, right outside our house.
There's not just Claire's little hatchback. Not just the van we use to drive the kids around. Not the off-road Jeep the guys use for their business.
There's a truck. A big one.
One I know.
Colt sees it as soon as I do. He hums thoughtfully. "Looks like Claire called Dixon and the guys after all."
A thousand terrible scenarios dart through my brain.
Claire was so reluctant to involve the pack of unmated males to the east. She's always so nervous around them, and their obvious interest in her has only made her more skittish.
If she asked them to come over, something must have gone horribly, horribly wrong.
Adrenaline spiking in my overtaxed system, I'm reaching for my seatbelt clasp before the car has even stopped. The instant Colt pulls in, I throw open the door and spill out.
Grady is right behind me, the rest of my mates at his heels.
"Where are they?" I shout as I surge inside.
"Right here," Claire says.
My heart slams against my ribs as I lurch to a stop.
I was ready for blood. For screams and poop everywhere and God even knows what else.
But there's...not.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
The scene I walk in on is so normal, so banal it's almost weird.
Claire is sitting on the floor, Maya sleeping happily in her arms. Rowan is front of her, stretched out on his tummy on one of those jungle-themed playmats the babies seem to like so much.
While Stella is taking a bottle from Dixon.
I take in the sight of that big, prime alpha male holding my precious, tiny daughter in his arms. He raises a brow at me as I'm the weird one for staring.
I avert my gaze. Glancing around, I catch sight of Beau in the kitchen washing dishes.
Which till leaves...
"Adrian's upstairs taking a nap," Dixon supplies.
Right. Sure. That makes sense.
"So," I stammer, "everything is...fine."
"Peachy," Claire promises.
>
Something is off about her voice, though. I narrow my eyes.
"Jess, it's okay." Grady puts a gentle hand on my arm. He's trying to calm me down, but I can feel the relief pouring off of him, too. "Everything's under control here."
"Yeah, I can see that."
My panic of a few seconds ago is gone. But I still can't shake the idea that there's more going on than meets the eye. I fix Claire with a long look, and she casts her gaze down at Roman. Is there a flush to her cheeks?
Something is up.
And just as soon as I can get my cousin alone, I'm going to find out what it is.
For now, though, my alpha is right. Claire and Dixon are doing fine.
And safe and sound as they may be, I'm absolutely dying to get my babies in my arms.
The moment they heard my voice, both Stella and Roman perked up. Stella continues draining her bottle, but her gaze is fixed on me.
While Roman is rolling madly, trying to reorient himself so he can see me.
I'll do him one better than that.
I reach down and scoop him up.
A sense of overwhelming rightness fills me once I feel him safe and warm in my arms.
Squeezing him tight, I give him a too-intense kiss on the forehead. He gurgles happily and snuggles into me. Stella sucks down the last of her bottle, then pops off it and starts fighting Dixon, holding out her arms toward me and my mates, her face going red.
Colt steps in out nowhere to pick her up. She accepts him, and he throws her over his shoulder to burp her, and it's all just...
Seamless.
Easy.
Grady wraps his arm around me, while Landen goes to grab a sleeping Maya off Claire. Claire hands Maya off without objection. She dusts herself off and stands.
Dixon joins her on his feet. For the first time ever, she doesn't flinch.
Before I can ask any questions, though, Claire turns her gaze to me. A sly smile turns her mouth up at the corners. "So. You guys have a good time?"
My face flushes hot. She must be able to smell exactly how good of a time we had.
Fortunately, Grady answers levelly, "The best. But it's good to be home."
He squeezes me, and I squeeze our son.
There's more to find out about what happened while we were away. But I can worry about that later.
My body is sated. My bond with my mates renewed. I have a happy, cooing baby in my arms, while my mates hold our daughters.
Our family is safe and together once more.
While the community we've built--Claire, Dixon, Beau and Adrian...
They came through for us. They supported us and took care of us.
My eyes mist over with happy tears.
When I first came to Broken Ladder Falls, I had nothing.
Now I have so much.
I don't know how I got so lucky. How my life could hold this wealth of contentment and love.
But it does.
So I'll take it. I'll hold onto it.
And I'll never, ever let go.
The End
Curious what really happened with Claire, Dixon, Beau and Adrian while Jessica and her pack were away?
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Thank you
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Sneak Peek of Healed By The Pack
(Note: This is an unedited sneak peek! Due to ongoing revision, the final version of the book may be different.)
Chapter One:
Claire
"Okay, folks, that's a wrap." My anatomy instructor, Denise, claps her hands together, then drops them to her sides. She might be as relieved to have this finished with as we all are. "Proctors will be coming around to collect your exams. Grades will be posted next week. Enjoy your break!"
I put down my pencil with a sigh, then tilt my head from side to side, stretching out the stiff muscles in my neck. My inner wolf is antsy as ever, ready to be free of this seat and out in the open air. I close my exam book and push it aside. I think I did okay, but we'll find out next week.
When the cute proctor comes by to take my test, he smiles at me.
Instinctively, I avert my gaze. He pauses for a second, then keeps on moving, and a pang fires off behind my ribs.
It's not that I'm oblivious to flirting. I'm not immune to it, either. Sometimes I even want to flirt back.
But it's like I have no control over my response. I clam up. My heart pounds, and my skin flashes hot and cold, and before I know it, I've turned away. And by the time I recover, it's too late.
It's always too late.
Embarrassed, I keep my gaze down as I gather my things. All around me, the other students in the class compare notes about the test or talk about what they're going to do with their time off between semesters. Silently, I envy them.
Was I ever that carefree? At twenty-five, I'm only a few years older than most of these people, but it feels like an entire lifetime. Being a shifter sets me apart from most of them, too, but that's not enough to explain how differently they seem to see the world.
Well. I guess we haven't exactly had the same life experiences.
Refusing to dwell on it, I pack my stuff away and sling my bag over my shoulder. I squeeze my way out of my seat and down the row toward the aisle of the lecture hall, my eyes on the exit. As I walk, I run through the list of things I need to do this afternoon in my head.
Then I hear my name called from across the room.
Crap.
I glance back to find Denise staring at me expectantly. With a crook of her finger, she beckons me to come over and talk. Internally, I groan, but I can't exactly say no.
Fighting against the tide of people leaving, I head toward the lectern. "Sorry," I start, as soon as I'm close enough to be heard. "I really have to go--"
"I won't keep you. Just wanted to check in about that internship for the fall."
Double crap. "I haven't had a chance to look at it."
She frowns. "They need a reply soon, you know."
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I just have to talk to my boss. And there are these kids that I watch. Coordinating schedules..." I throw my hands up, trying to encapsulate the ridiculousness of it all.
It's rare that I ever second-guess my decision to move to Broken Ladder Falls. A creepy-crawling feeling skitters around under my skin, just thinking about my old life back home.
There was nothing for me there but bad memories and disappointment.
Life here isn't always easy, though. My cousin Jessica and her mates--yeah, that's right, mates, plural--took me in without any conditions. I refuse to mooch off them, though. I stay at their house for free, and in return, I help take care of their triplets--yeah, again, triplets. I work a part-time job to help pay my tuition. I clean up after myself and cook dinner twice a week. I make good grades in all of my courses.
It's hectic, is all. Adding one more thing to the mix isn't going to help. The internship would look good on my resume, but it isn't paid. And the attention it would bring...
Well, let's just say that for someone as shy as I am, that kind of thing is a double-edged sword.
Denise shoots me a tight, sympathetic smile. "I understand. Just decide soon and let them know. I'd hate for you to miss out on the opportunity. You earned it, you hear?"
"Sure."
"Okay, then..."
I ha
te to be rude, but I really do have to go. I promised Jessica I'd hit the grocery store and be home to babysit before her three o'clock meeting with a client. With a little wave of apology, I turn to go.
Lots of classes are letting out right now, so it's crowded as I make my way to the parking lot. Apparently, I'm not walking fast enough, so a big guy brushes past me, almost knocking me into someone else. All the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The wolf inside me can be as meek as I am, but she raises her head just enough to growl. The guy doesn't so much as pause, though, which is probably for the best.
Finally, I make it to my car. Closing the door blocks out the riot of scents I associate with campus. I suck in a deep breath, gripping the steering wheel and drinking in the relative calm.
It only lasts for a second, of course. My phone buzzes in my pocket. I dig it out. When I see the text is from my sister, Nikki, I smile.
So how'd it go? she asks. Of course she remembered I had my big exam today.
Okay, I reply.
Her frustration somehow comes across, even in black letters on a tiny screen. Details, sis. Jeez. Call me tonight, promise?
I roll my eyes. Promise.
I'm not a fan of talking on the phone, but my sister is the exception in my life. Besides--a request to talk is better than what I usually get these days, which is guilt trips about when I'm going to visit.
Then again, if I'm going to talk to her tonight, she'll have plenty of time to throw a few of those at me then.
Shaking my head, I tuck my phone back in my pocket and start the car.
Unlike campus, the grocery store is pretty empty when I get there. I scan the lot, but I don't see any cars I recognize. Grabbing my list and my tote bags, I head in. There isn't a ton to get, but my cousin and her mates live in the middle of nowhere, so I have to be thorough if I don't want to have to make another trip.
My thoughts wander as I fill my cart. With classes done for the semester, I feel lighter. Daydreams about shutting myself in my room with a good book--and not a textbook, for once--fill my head.