by Dace Everan
“He should have been a dad,” Jaron declared from beside her.
Cole looked at him, then back at Ren. “He’s handsome,” she gushed in awe at the sight of Ren holding the baby. Never in all the time that she had been here had she ever envisioned something as beautiful and prideful as Ren holding a baby.
Jaron chuckled. “Very,” he agreed.
Cole nibbled her lower lip. Her daughter tugged at her hand. “Come on, Mommy, I want to meet the little girl. All the rest are boys,” she whined.
Jake grinned, taking his sister’s hand. “Come on, Etty, I’ll take you.” Etty went eagerly, letting her big brother lead her to the group.
“He’s a rock, that kid,” Jaron commented.
Cole released a breath. “You have no idea,” she said slowly following her children, palms sweating, hands fisting in nervousness. She could do this. She wasn’t going to chicken out. Jaron took hold of her hand and interlocked his fingers with hers. “I’ll take you to Ren. He’ll want to introduce you to his family, his people. You will need to meet these people, Cole,” he said close to her ear. His breath seared her neck and melted her just a little bit more.
Cole stared at the stunning beauty in front of her. She was the one Ren had taken the baby from. “Colette, was it?”
Cole nodded, eyes not leaving the woman’s face. The woman had the softest voice she had ever heard. “God, you’re beautiful.”
Ren chuckled, draping an arm around her. “Trina’s taken. You’re shit out of luck with her, Cole, unless you talk to her husband,” he chimed in, pointing to a rather rough-looking man crouched low, talking to her children.
Shit, he was the description of rugged. Broad, thick, and dark, jet-black hair hung out from under his black leather cowboy hat, a black button-up shirt strained against his shoulders and black jeans hugged well-muscled legs.
“And I’ll say right now, you touch him, I’ll have to kill you myself,” Trina declared, her eyes on her husband.
Cole felt a pang of jealousy as he glanced back and smiled at his wife. She wanted that. A man to look at her with those love-filled eyes. “No touching. He scares me,” she admitted.
The man chuckled. It was deep and rich and resonated all around them. He ruffled Jake’s hair and crossed back to the group. “Colette. The name’s Greg. I’ve heard about you. Sorry about your incident. Rest assured those fuckers are dead, and no, we weren’t nice about it either,” he declared.
Cole’s cheeks tinted a dark red. Did everyone know about that!
Ren grunted. “Well, that was nice, Greg. Please, let’s bring up unpleasant memories.”
Cole held up a hand silencing him. “No, it’s all right, Ren.” She looked up at Greg. Shit, the man was at least four inches taller than Ren, and Ren was big to begin with. “Thank you. Lane and Theo didn’t tell me there were more.”
Greg nodded. “A group of us went out. I’ve never liked those fuckers.” He hugged himself around his wife and kissed her jaw.
Cole swore the woman shivered. “Yeah, don’t think much of them myself,” she specified, eyes darting to her children. She wouldn’t think about that part of her life. That was over and done with and it was okay to hear about it.
Trina gave her husband a quick peck on the cheek. “Off, stud. Wanna check out my brother’s home under the hand of a woman,” she demanded, leaning close to Ren and kissing her baby’s chubby cheek. “Be good for Uncle,” she demanded, taking hold of Cole’s hand. “Come on, woman, show me what you’ve done with the place,” she ordered, dragging Cole along.
Cole glanced back at Ren and was welcomed by a comforting smile, eyes twinkling with laughter.
Trina glanced at the children. “Hanna, show Etty and Jake the things we brought. Daddy will help you,” she called over her shoulder.
Cole held her breath as Trina looked around the house. It had never occurred to her that there was any other woman in Ren’s life. She had honestly thought he was alone. Having his baby sister in his house scrutinizing her homecare abilities unnerved her.
“You make him take off his boots?” Cole nodded. Trina smiled. “Good, pisses me off when he comes over and wears his boots inside.”
Cole snorted. “Tell him to take them off.”
Trina grinned. “You don’t tell Renton to do anything. He doesn’t listen,” she shared, leaving the living room and going to the kitchen. “Ah, shit, look at that, clean. Are you fucking him?” Cole blushed. “I’ll take that as a not yet. How about Jaron? Those two are inseparable when together.” Cole swallowed the lump in her throat. Did Trina just imply she knew Ren and Jaron made out? Trina giggled at the dumbfounded look on Cole’s face. “They’ll double-team you…I know you’ve been through a lot, but they will be nothing but gentle,” she assured.
Cole wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear about this. A sister should not know her brother’s sexual preferences.
“Ren introduced me and Greg…He knew I wanted something. Something more than just sex. I’m tall and I find it hard to feel like a woman with average men.”
Trina’s eyes closed and Cole knew the woman drifted off to another world.
“Greg is my mate. I belong to him…He belongs to me…” She released a soft sigh and eased up onto the counter and looked right at Cole.
Cole had never felt under so much scrutiny. She didn’t like it. The way Trina looked her up and down as if sizing her up. As though she were trying to determine whether she was good enough for her brother or not.
“You talk to Ren about what happened? It helped me and Greg when I spoke about what happened to me.”
Cole furrowed her brow. “You had groups of men fuck you? Tie you up and keep you for months as their fuck toy, remind you every day that you were that?”
Trina swallowed the lump that had built in her throat at Cole’s few words. She had experienced nothing near what Cole had just blurted. She gave her head a shake. “No…I was raped a year after Greg and I married.” It had been more of an out of control run on a full moon and one of the younger wolves in the pack had forced her off the path and humped the first bitch he had scented. It was an occurrence among the packs, but had she listened like a good girl, it would never had happened. Greg had told her to stay close to him, not to show off and play tough bitch. When he had found her he had regretted every word he had said. He ended up blaming himself for jinxing her.
Cole chewed her lower lip. Maybe she had said too much. “Thirsty?” she asked, crossing to the fridge.
“Anything that doesn’t have caffeine or alcohol. Nursing my sweet,” she replied proudly.
Cole nodded. “Maybe some smoothies. The kids like a smoothie once in a while, yours?”
Trina nodded. “My little chompers will eat anything,” she called over her shoulder, looking at the pictures on the wall. “You’ve got him hanging pictures?”
Cole followed her gaze shrugging. “Not me. Trina. Those were up before I showed up,” she shared.
Trina watched Cole as she sliced strawberries, bananas and readied all the other ingredients for the smoothies. “What do you feel for my brother?” she finally asked.
Cole shrugged. “Don’t know…been a long time since I felt anything,” she admitted.
Trina harrumphed. “He likes you…a lot.”
Cole smirked. “That’s putting it lightly, I think the man’s in heat and he brought another in his home that is also in heat,” she shared.
Trina giggled. “You should go for it, Cole, they will be good for you. I kissed Jaron once…nice, nothing as overpowering as Greg. But I’m not meant to be with Jaron. I swear he and Ren are meant to be, but they won’t come out and let everyone know they love each other.”
Cole glanced at Trina before turning on the blender, thinking her words over. Theo and Lane had told her there would be packs. Warned her that some took more than one lover, one mate. Were she, Ren, and Jaron supposed to be together? The thought of being shared by two men had frightened her when Theo and Lane had dis
cussed it. After being with Ren and now having Jaron here, her whole being felt at ease at the thought. Her mind was another story.
The evening was filled with laughter and giggles from everyone. Old stories told and new ones brought to light that Ren had missed out on. The kids flocked around each other. The other two families in attendance were cousins of Ren and Trina’s. Ren’s two younger brothers were to arrive the following day. Along with them would be more children.
“How was it you managed to do this with school on?” Cole asked as the men crowded to the office and left the women together.
Trina grinned. “We have a school on pack land. Our wonderful handsome pack leader always takes a week off to go have an annual meeting with other pack leaders. Keeps the packs in alliance. It also helps that Kyla and Marty here are teachers. I get homework for the next two weeks and they teach my little ones and theirs.”
Marty relaxed back on the sofa looking at Cole. “So Cole. You Ren and Jaron hooking up hey?” she asked.
Cole shook her head. “No, no, me and anyone,” she mumbled, wishing her children would come save her from these women.
Trina harrumphed. “Cole, you can’t hide forever about it. You’re going to have sex one day, might as well be with Jaron and Ren,” she chided.
Cole inhaled a deep breath. This was not something she wanted to sit here and talk about. She remembered a time when her and her girlfriends would sit over coffee and blab away about their sexual ventures, but she wasn’t sure if she could do that with these women. She stood. “If you’ll excuse me,” she stammered, making a hasty exit out of the room.
Marty glared at Trina. “You just had to scare her away! Fuck, Trina, don’t play the protective sister role over Ren. He’s a fucking grown man and can have whoever the fuck he wants,” she argued.
Kyla nodded. “I agree. The last time you stepped in, that chick flew the coop so quick and poor Ren was left high and dry,” she reminded her.
Trina snorted. “Cole won’t leave. She loves my brother. I’m just trying to give her a push,” she offered, not in the least offended that her cousins would speak up against her.
Marty grunted in disproval, finger caressing little Ben’s soft cheek. “Shit, you and Greg make beautiful babies,” she stated. Trina smiled. Ben would be the last for them. One girl and four boys was enough for her and Greg.
Kyla plopped back. “I think you should let Ren and Jaron do whatever it is they’re doing. I can smell both on her.”
Trina grunted. “They’re not fucking,” she stated, annoyed that her brother had yet to claim the woman. He needed his mates. Trouble was brewing and if he didn’t have a strong front and support around him, he could lose everything. Her husband was Alpha of his pack. Ren was an Alpha of his own. Greg had told her how a few of the youngsters of Ren’s pack were talking shit. Ren needed to claim his mates.
Kyla rolled her eyes in annoyance at Trina’s blunt words. Leave it to the pack leader’s wife to speak up and be crude about it.
“No, we’re not fucking her, and it’s none of your business, little sister,” Ren’s stern voice said from the entryway.
All women looked up. Trina blushed at the chiding look her husband sent her. “Trin, you stay the hell out of Ren’s business,” he ordered.
Trin bowed her head. “I wasn’t going to scare her away…just scare her to you.”
Ren grunted. “Stay the hell out of it, Trin,” he repeated.
Marty stood handing Ben to Greg. The man loved holding his babies.
“Come, Trin, get the kids settled in…see what Cole did with the cabins,” Greg ordered.
Jaron grinned. “Nice, never seen them so clean or homey,” he shared, plopping down on the couch, taking up the spot Marty had been sitting in.
“Good night, people,” Jaron and Ren called in unison.
Ren grinned, taking up the chair nearest the fireplace. Jaron glanced at him when the house settled into silence. “You think your sister fucked it up?”
Ren shook his head. “Give Cole some credit, she’s stronger than that. She can take Trin and her mouth,” he replied relaxing back, eyes closing as his body relaxed. It felt good to have blood around. To have another Alpha who wasn’t interested in taking him down.
Jaron furrowed his brows. “Think we scared her?”
Ren opened one eye. “No,” he answered simply.
Jaron nodded. It was all he needed to hear.
Chapter Twelve
Ren waited as Cole put the kids to bed. He was sure she would come down and do her nightly baking of something. When an hour passed, he made his way up the stairs and stopped outside her closed door. He waited, raised his hand, and knocked.
Cole looked at the door. She couldn’t believe she had resorted to hiding in her room. “Come in,” she called softly.
Ren opened the door and peeked in. She was curled up in bed, a book in hand. “You okay?” he asked stepping in, stopping just inside the door.
Cole nodded. “Just being a chicken, hiding out,” she admitted.
Ren furrowed his brow and removed his hat. “You can’t let Trin scare you.”
Cole laughed. It was dry. “Not afraid of your sister. Her husband, yes, but your sister, no,” she stated, slipping the bookmark in her book.
“Why are you hiding then?”
Cole shrugged. “Lots to take in, Ren. You and Jaron, what the hell? Are you gay?” She blushed. She hadn’t meant to let it come out that way.
Ren chuckled, closing the door. Little ears didn’t need to hear their words. He was sure they were asleep but there was nothing wrong with being precautious. He motioned to the chair in the corner of her room.
Cole nodded, sitting up, hugging the comforter to her breasts. Not that she needed to as the little pink tank top covered her.
“Me and Jaron are complicated,” he admitted, sitting down and looking at her.
Cole frowned. “Doesn’t seem complicated? Are you and he like Theo and Lane?”
Ren shook his head. “No. Theo and Lane love each other and everyone knows about it. They’re out with their relationship.”
“And you and Jaron aren’t?” she asked.
Ren pursed his lips to the side in thought. “Jaron and I have always been close, comfortable with each other.”
“Have you shared women before?”
Ren raised an eyebrow at the blunt question. “A few while doing a scene. Nothing serious…not how we want to now.”
Cole snorted. “That man doesn’t even know me,” she cried.
Ren grinned at that. “He doesn’t have to know you. Not when I want you, Cole. What I want, he’ll want as well,” he shared.
Cole rested against the headboard, studying Ren. “You don’t seem like the type who would share.”
Ren smirked. “I’m not. Jaron goes to no one but me.”
Cole smiled. That was totally not what she meant. She loved how he made her feel so normal.
“And when you are with us, you won’t go to any other either,” he added.
Cole hummed in thought. “So me and Jaron are what? Your bitches?” she asked. It was the proper term, right? They were wolves. He was obviously their Alpha. They would answer to him.
Ren cleared his throat. “I would prefer to think of you and him as mine…If there comes a time you want to leave, I can’t stop you. It’s something you learn when you love someone.”
Cole grunted. “No, it’s giving away what belongs to you.” She blushed again, not sure where that came from. He was right. If you loved someone enough, you would let them go to be happy.
Ren leaned forward, eyes on hers. “When I claim you, that will change everything. You won’t have the choice to leave my side…Neither will Jaron if I choose to claim him as well.”
Cole looked away, his gaze too intense for her to take. “What if I don’t want Jaron?”
Ren laughed at that. “Woman, you want him almost as much as you want me. The two of us you want. You felt guilty today when he
touched you…kissed you. You think I didn’t smell your arousal?”
Cole groaned and covered her face. She had forgotten he could smell that. Why did she feel she needed to apologize to him for that?
Ren stood and crossed to her. He tucked a finger under her chin and made her look at him. “Jaron is a good man. If I didn’t trust him, I would never have invited him to be here.” His thumb swiped across her lower lip. “We will have you, Cole. We would like for you to be with us…” He scrunched up his face as though he were in pain. “We don’t want to rush you, but things may happen fast. Faster than what you’re ready for. Full moon’s coming…”
Cole flinched. “I can’t ever give you babies!” she blurted.
Ren offered a soft smile. “Didn’t ask for babies, Cole. All I want is right here in front of me.”
Cole melted, eyes closing. “I want to see you hold babies,” she admitted.
Ren smiled. It was the sweetest thing he had ever heard. “Cole, there are other options,” he assured.
Cole furrowed her brows. “It scares me, Ren…I feel safe with you…with Jaron, never felt like this before.” Her heart thudded at the admittance.
Ren settled on the bed, taking hold of her hands. “You are safe with Jaron and me…” Ren paused and furrowed his brows. “Cole…Jaron will back off if you want.”
Cole shook her head. “How do I explain that to my children? Is this for real? I don’t just go and sleep willy-nilly with just anyone. When I go to a man, it’s not on a whim. Billy was my first and—”
Ren held up a hand. “Cole, we are not looking for a fling here.”
Cole slumped. “Then why is Jaron not here talking with us?” she demanded weakly.
Ren smiled. Already she was accepting Jaron. “The three of us will talk, and we’ll all talk to Jake and Etty. Your kids will accept Jaron as long as you do,” he assured.
Cole looked at him doubtfully. This was not how her children had been raised.
Ren caressed her jaw. “They know Theo and Lane love each other?”
Cole nodded. “Sorta…Jake knows. Etty doesn’t quite understand it. She just knows Theo loves Lane and vice versa.”