by Becca Van
“Let’s move.” Tarik helped Hodge to his feet since his best friend was once more pressing the material to Celeste’s cut. He wanted to take her from his arms, but was scared he’d hurt her if he was too rough. He nudged Hodge’s hand away from the ripped shirt and pressed down, hoping to stem the flow of blood as Hodge carried her back toward their home. He was also prepared to steady his friend in case he stumbled. Tarik didn’t want Celeste to sustain one more bruise or scratch. One was way too many.
“Serge, he drugged her,” Tammy called out in a raspy voice. “You might want to take some of her blood to see what he injected her with.”
“I will. Thanks, Tammy. Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of her.”
“I know.”
Tarik glanced over to see his sister resting her cheek against Phelan’s chest as he carried her. From the possessive and determined look in his and Hopper’s eyes as they stared at her, she was about to be claimed. He would be happy with that as long as his friends had his sister’s permission, but he also hoped she gave them hell for being so stubborn. They’d inadvertently hurt her by keeping their distance even if they’d had good intentions.
Tarik pushed his thoughts aside. Right now, all his concentration was needed to help his mate heal. He just hoped he had to chance to hold her in his arms again. He wouldn’t survive without her.
* * * *
Celeste could hear voices, and when she tried to open her eyes, she couldn’t. Her lids felt as if they weighed a ton, which was ridiculous. Her head felt as if a jackhammer was burrowing into her skull trying to bore its way out, and her mouth was so dry, her tongue felt thick. She felt as if it was stuffed full of cotton. When she managed to swallow, she moaned at the pain. She felt as if her throat was full of glass and on fire. The skin around the outside of her neck was sore and her neck felt stiff.
“Celeste, can you open your eyes for me?”
She frowned. She knew that voice but couldn’t remember where. She tried to think over the familiarity of it, but it hurt too much, and she sighed as she sank back down into oblivion.
She had no idea how much time had passed since the last time she’d surfaced, and though her head still ached, it wasn’t pounding enough to make her feel sick.
She rolled onto her side and sighed when she came up against a big, warm, hard body. When fingers combed through her hair she moaned with pleasure. Not the sexual kind, but contentment.
“Celeste, open your eyes, baby.”
“Hmm.” She hummed as she rubbed her cheek on Tarik’s chest and pried her eyelids up. It took her a few moments to clear her blurry vision as she blinked a few times, but when she met Tarik’s concerned gaze she smiled.
“Is she all right?” Hodge asked from behind her.
Celeste went to turn her gaze toward him, but stopped with a cry when the muscles in her neck pulled tight.
“Don’t move too fast, love.” Hodge shifted behind her. “We don’t want you hurting yourself.”
“W–what—” She paused to lick her dry lips.
“Here, baby.” Tarik reached toward the bedside table and then with his and Hodge’s help, they helped her to sit up against the headboard. She closed her eyes when dizziness assailed her and her stomach roiled, but when she breathed deeply and evenly, her stomach settled and the wooziness faded. She opened her eyes just as Tarik held the rim of a glass to her lips. She wrapped both of her hands around his much bigger ones and took a sip of water, swishing it around her mouth to moisten it, before swallowing. Then she took another and then another sip, until she’d emptied half the glass.
“What—” She’d been about to ask what had happened but the memories flashed across her mind like a movie on fast-forward. “Tammy! Oh, God. Where’s Tammy.”
Tarik set the glass aside as Hodge clasped one of her hands in his and then Tarik threaded his fingers with her other hand.
“Tammy’s fine, love.” Hodge squeezed her hand.
“She’s safe, baby.” Tarik released her hand and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“Where is he? Did you catch him? Please, don’t tell me he got away.” Tears filled her eyes and then streamed down her cheeks.
Hodge shifted closer, clasped her waist, and lifted her into his lap. “You don’t ever have to worry about him again, mate. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
“Are you sure?” she whispered, her throat too constricted to allow her to speak any louder.
“Have we ever lied to you, baby?”
“No,” she sobbed her answer, wrapping her arms around Hodge’s waist and cried. They were tears of relief. Relief that she was still alive. Relief that she wouldn’t have to look over her shoulder constantly. Relief after living with fear for months.
“Shh, love. It’s okay. You’re safe, Celeste,” Hodge crooned, as he ran his hand up and down her back.
Celeste cried herself out and then wiped her cheeks with the back of her hands. She lifted her gaze to Hodge and found him staring at her with so much emotion, she nearly started crying again. She cupped his stubbled cheeks between his hands and leaned up to kiss his lips. “I love you, Hodge. So much.”
“I love you, too, mate.” Hodge hugged her tighter and when she felt him tremble beneath her, she realized just how worried he’d been about her. When Hodge loosened his hold, Celeste patted his arm and then crawled over to Tarik.
He scooped her up into his arms and squeezed her so tight, she felt her ribs move. “I never, ever want to go through anything like that again, baby. I was so scared.”
“I was, too.” She met his gaze and kissed his lips. “I love you, Tarik.”
“I love you, too, baby. So, fucking much.” She gave him a wobbly smile when her lips quivered. Her heart was so full it was almost too much to comprehend. Tarik and Hodge were pushing their love toward her and all she could do was sigh with contentment and soak it up.
After her shaky start in life on this island, she’d never imagined having the love of one man, let alone two. And she had the love of her heart-sister. Celeste was home and even though she had the means to do whatever she wanted and go wherever she wanted, she had no intentions of going anywhere.
Her life was here now. On a small isolated island off the coast of mainland Alaska. She didn’t need shops, bars, or restaurants. She didn’t need the glamour and glitz of living the high life. She’d been there and done that and from practically day one had realized it wasn’t as good as others made it out to be.
People made a home. Not things. Not money. Love and people were the things that made life worth living and she had that in bounds, right here in Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island. Why would she ever want to leave?
“We need to get showered and dressed, baby.” Tarik said, as he leaned back. “Serge will be over soon to remove your stitches and Tammy has visited every single day since the attack.”
“Every single day?” Celeste frowned. “How many days was I out?”
“Three,” Hodge answered.
“Three? Three days?”
Tarik nodded. “We gave chase and caught up to him. I was worried he’d use you as a shield, but he threw you to the ground. The side of your head smacked into a rock when you landed.”
“I have stitches?” Celeste began to feel her face with her fingertips.
Just as she brushed over the threads, Hodge clasped her wrist and pulled her hand down. “You shouldn’t touch them, love. You don’t want to have the sutures come undone before Serge or Ward has a chance to remove them.”
Celeste just nodded and then clung to Tarik as he rose, taking her with him. He didn’t set her down until they were in the bathroom and didn’t release her waist until she smiled up at him. She glanced toward the door when she heard it shut to see Hodge had entered, too.
“Go do what you need to, love.” Hodge pointed toward the toilet door. “The shower will be all warmed up by the time you’re done.”
Celeste didn’t have to lift a finger. Tarik and Hodge bathed her from
head to toe. By the time they were done, all she wanted to do was crawl back into bed and make love with her mates, but they were expecting visitors.
She’d just settled onto a stool at the counter when she heard someone knock and then voices got louder as they came closer.
Tammy entered the kitchen first and froze in the doorway when her gaze locked with Celeste’s. And then she raced across the room and hugged her tight. “I was so worried about you. I was scared you were never going to wake up again. Shit! It’s my fault you got hurt.”
Celeste eased out of Tammy’s hug, clasping her friend’s hands as she stood. “None of this was your fault. It was his. Don’t you dare take the blame for something you had no control over.”
“But—”
“No! No buts. We could go through the what-ifs and shoulda- woulda-couldas and drive ourselves insane, or we can be thankful that we all came out of this alive.”
Tammy sobbed as she pulled Celeste back into her arms. “I love you.”
Tears welled but she blinked them back. “I love you, too.”
Celeste gathered herself when she heard someone clear their throat and glanced toward the door. Serge was standing just inside the entrance and Ward was right behind him.
“How are you feeling, Celeste?” Ward asked, as he shoved Serge aside and strode toward her. “Any headaches, dizziness, or nausea?”
Tammy moved away and Ward sat on the stool next to her, placing what she assumed was a medical bag on the counter. He rummaged in it and pulled out a penlight. Serge walked to the opposite side of the counter and began to take more things out of the bag.
“I still have a bit of a headache and if I move too fast, I get woozy. I don’t feel sick but the muscles in my neck are tight.”
Ward hummed as he shined the penlight in her eyes checking her pupil’s responsiveness. When he was done, he pressed on the muscles in her neck and glanced over at Tarik and Hodge. They were watching everything Ward did with intent avidness. “She could do with regular massages until the muscle spasms stop, and heat packs will help, too.” Ward turned his gaze back to her. “Is there anything you want to tell me, or ask?”
“Aren’t stitches supposed to stay in at least seven days?”
Ward smiled and winked. “Normally, yes, but now that you’re mated, your metabolism and healing time has sped up.”
“Oh. Okay.”
Ward picked up the gloves Serge had set out and then opened the sterilized scissors. “It shouldn’t hurt except for a tugging sensation, but let me know if it does. All right?”
Celeste nodded and though she tried not to tense up she couldn’t help it. She’d never had stitches before and didn’t know what to expect.
“Wait!” Tarik came over, lifted her from the stool and sat in her place before lowering her to his lap. “Okay.” He nodded at Ward. “Just relax, baby.”
Celeste leaned back against Tarik and sighed. When Ward quirked his eyebrow in question, he nodded.
“Don’t move, Celeste, I don’t want to cut you.”
She felt so safe and secure when Tarik and Hodge held her, and though she was still a little apprehensive she wasn’t tense anymore.
Ward had finished before she could count to five. “You’ll have a scar for a while but it should fade and disappear in time. Come see one of us if the headaches and dizziness continue.”
“Okay.” Celeste nodded. “I don’t care about a stupid scar.”
Ward smiled before gathering up all his things with Serge’s help.
“Thank you, Ward. Thank you, Serge.”
“You’re welcome, honey,” both men replied simultaneously, causing her to giggle. They disappeared out the door before she stopped laughing.
Tammy came back over and gripped her hand. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Celeste scrutinized Tammy’s face and was surprised that her face had totally healed. There was no swelling, fading, or bruises. Her cheeks had a healthy glow and looked clear and soft like it usually did. “How about you? How are you feeling?”
“Pfft.” Tammy waved her hand in the air. “All better. It only took a day for the bruising to fade and another before they were completely gone.”
“I’m glad.” Celeste squeezed Tammy’s hand.
“I am—”
“Tammy, where are you?” Phelan shouted, as he raced into the kitchen. He jolted to a stop when his gaze locked onto Tammy. “Don’t ever fucking do that again. You scared the fuck out of me.”
Tammy turned her back to Phelan, smirked, and then rolled her eyes at Celeste.
“I’m talking to you, mate!” Phelan snarled.
Mate? Celeste mouthed, and quirked an eyebrow.
Tammy shook her head in denial but the gleam in her eyes told a whole other story. Celeste was happy to see how things panned out between her friend, Phelan, and Hopper. Sparks were definitely going to fly. She was going to have to keep her distance so she didn’t get scorched.
“What?” Tammy snapped, as she spun to face Phelan. He took a step back and held his hands up, palm out as if trying to placate her.
“Lunch is ready.”
Tammy snorted but followed Phelan out.
All these people were now part of her family and she cared for each and every one of them. Especially Tarik and Hodge.
They were the loves of her life.
Chapter Twenty-One
It had been a week since the crazy wolf shifter had attacked, and Celeste felt better than ever. Tammy had told her the crazy wolf shifter had brought a friend with him, but Tarik and Hodge had sent him on his way. She had no idea what they told the man or how they got him to leave without asking questions about the missing crazy wolf, but she knew they would have dealt with the situation so that there would be no backlash on her, them, or the people living in the town of Savoonga. She just hoped that none of this would come back to bite them in the ass.
She was happy and content. She no longer had to watch how many calories she consumed but from what Tarik and Hodge had said, she would have a hard time putting on weight. Not that she wanted to, but it wouldn’t matter if she gained a couple of pounds. Tarik and Hodge loved her for who she was not because of the way she looked.
She frowned as she thought about their disappearing acts over the last few days. There was something going on but she hadn’t worked out what yet. However, she knew that Tammy and Jenny were in on it, too. A couple of times she’d gone over to visit with them and since she’d been told to not worry about standing on ceremony by knocking or waiting for someone to answer the door, she’d walked right on in. As soon as she’d entered the kitchen where mother and daughter had their heads together, they’d stopped talking. At first, she’d thought she’d interrupted a private moment, but when Jenny had covered the papers on the counter with a dish towel, her curiosity had been piqued.
She’d seen Tarik and Hodge talking quietly with the other men from their stealth, too, but the second she got close, they stopped.
Celeste sighed as she went over the rough plans she’d drawn up for the small resort she’d thought about having built. She wanted to talk to her mates and the rest of the community before even trying to implement her plan, but she needed to have everything set before doing that. This resort would be run by anyone who wanted to work, and even though she would have it built, set up, and stocked, she was going to make sure that everyone in town got an equal share of the profits. She’d seen some of the kids running around and some of their clothes had been threadbare. She’d wanted to order a heap of new things for them and hand them out, but the natives of the island were proud people and wouldn’t be comfortable accepting charity. However, it wasn’t charity if they needed to look smart to work at the resort.
Celeste smiled and hoped her plan worked. She would gladly hand over all of her fortune to the needy, but she wouldn’t have taken money from anyone back when she’d been a struggling college student, either. She understood where these people were coming from.
&
nbsp; “Celeste, where are you?” Tammy called, just after the front door slammed shut.
“Kitchen.”
Tammy skidded to a halt next to the table and stared at the papers she had strewn about. “Is that all your homework on the resort?”
“Yeah.”
“Have you asked Tarik and Hodge about it yet?”
“No.”
“They probably already know anyway.” Tammy shrugged before clasping her hand and pulling her to her feet. “Come on, we have to hurry.”
“Where are we going?”
“Mom’s.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
Celeste frowned but followed along since she was curious.
Tammy led her into her bedroom, before turning and locking the door. “Go and shower.” Tammy pointed toward her adjoining bathroom. “Make sure to wash your hair.”
Celeste stared at Tammy in bemusement and then lifted her arm and sniffed. “I had a shower this morning.”
“Go!” Tammy stomped her foot. “And don’t take all damned day.”
Celeste turned and entered the bathroom shutting the door behind her. Her day had started out good, but now it was getting downright weird. She showered quickly, even though she had to wash her hair as per Tammy’s instructions. As a retired supermodel, she was used to being fast—you had to be in order to get ready for a photo shoot. She hoped Tammy hadn’t set her up to be in front of the camera again.
“What the hell?” she muttered as she dried off. Since she didn’t know what was going on, she grabbed Tammy’s bathrobe and shrugged into it. She opened the door to see Tammy similarly dressed and figured she must have showered in the main bathroom or her parents’ en suite.
Tammy clasped Celeste’s hand and tugged her back into the bathroom. “Sit.” She pointed to the small fluffy stool off to the side of the mirror.