I was just remembering that he was nice to me when he took care of me in the ambulance. I am not attracted to him in a physical sense at all. I just appreciate what he did for me. I can appreciate that he’s handsome, can’t I?
Do you want us to look at another woman and appreciate her beauty?
Hunter’s voice was deep in her mind and caused a vicious spark of jealousy to rage through her. She fisted her fingers in their T-shirts and pulled them tighter against her.
Don’t even think about it. You belong to me.
Yes, baby, we do. Clay’s voice was calm but there was an edge to it that was unmistakable. He was just as upset as Hunter was. Our mating is new, and we have some possessive issues we’re going to have to deal with. Just understand that we can’t help what we feel right now. It will get better as we strengthen our bond.
Abbey stepped back slightly and looked up at both men. She nodded once, then reached out and took their hands in hers, bringing them up to her mouth and kissing each one gently before pulling their arms around her. She felt complete happiness when they turned her so that her back was against their chests and they wrapped their arms around her and held her tightly within their embrace.
“What is it, Doc?” Jace asked him worriedly.
“We’re not sure, Jace,” Drew answered quickly. “Something is wrong with Suzie.”
“She’s in the living room with Laurie and Martha,” Jackson told them calmly. “She’s fine.”
“No, she’s not,” Carter denied.
Everyone grew quiet as Suzie and Laurie came back into the kitchen. There was an older woman Abbey assumed was Martha and two older gentlemen with her. Abbey watched, worry filling her as she saw the near panic that was covering Suzie’s face.
“Suzie, what’s wrong?” Drew asked, walking toward her.
“Stay where you are, Drew,” she told him firmly. “I need you and Carter to go home and wait for me there.”
“We are not leaving without you, Suzie,” Carter told her, stepping toward her.
Suzie took a step back, successfully putting herself behind the two older gentlemen. Abbey’s heart rate increased as she felt the tension escalate in the room.
“What are you doing?” Carter asked her angrily. “Why the hell do you smell like Silas and Grant?” he demanded.
“Jace, Jackson, Suzie has requested that Drew and Carter not come near her right now,” Laurie spoke up quietly.
Jace took hold of Carter’s forearm while Jackson took hold of Drew’s. Suzie’s mates struggled against their hold, their growls of fury filling the kitchen.
The two giant men who had been tenderly holding Nikki within their arms stepped forward, flanking Drew and Carter and reaching out to restrain the men. At that point, all hell broke loose. Both men were fighting against the men who were holding them away from their mate.
“Don’t let them hurt her,” Abbey cried out, trying to step forward to protect Suzie.
Hunter and Clay reached out and pulled her back into their arms before she could put herself in harm’s way. They knew that neither Drew nor Carter would ever hurt Suzie, but they also knew that a wolf would fight to the death to get to their mate.
“No, Abbey, don’t,” Hunter told her gently. “Drew and Carter will not hurt Suzie, but they will perceive you as a threat if you step between them and their mate.”
“You don’t understand,” Abbey told him, her voice filled with anguish. “I can’t let them hurt her.”
“Abbey, honey,” Clay called to her as he tried to calm her. “We’ll explain it to you when we get you to our home. Suzie is not in any danger.”
As the woman they had called Suzie stepped from between the men named Silas and Grant and stood before the struggling men, Abbey felt panic rushing through her. She had to do something to help.
She pushed herself out of Hunter’s and Clay’s arms, going to stand in front of Suzie, her blue eyes flashing with anger as she turned to face the men who were fighting to get to her. She was not going to let that happen. She was more than done with any man trying to control or hurt another woman. She pushed back her long, brown hair so that it hung behind her shoulders to curl slightly to the middle of her back and squared off to face these men. They were going to have to go through her to get to Suzie.
Abbey was relieved to see that Drew and Carter suddenly stopped moving and were looking directly at Suzie as she stood slightly behind her. They were breathing deeply, low growls rumbling from them as they faced Suzie.
Both men stopped struggling against the men who held them securely. Jace looked at Suzie and saw her nod. He released his hold on Carter and stepped aside. Jackson, Alex, and Butler followed his movement, but all of them stayed vigilant, prepared to reach out and hold the men if they tried to lunge for Suzie.
“Suzie,” Drew whispered. “Please, baby, let me hold you.”
“I will,” Suzie promised. “I just need you to get the boxes from my bureau first.”
“I don’t understand, honey,” Carter told her softly. “Will you come with us and get the boxes?”
Suzie shook her head. “You need to get them for me. Once you do, you’ll understand.”
After one last look of longing that they directed at the woman who was their life, both men turned as one and left through the sliding glass door.
“Thank you,” Suzie told them all, touching the shoulder of the woman who had stepped before her.
Abbey turned to face her, reaching out to hold her hand gently. “Are you okay?”
Suzie smiled and laughed. “I will be as soon as I explain to my mates that I couldn’t let them scent me right now.”
“What do you mean?” Abbey was confused as hell.
“I didn’t want them to be able to tell that I’m pregnant,” Suzie whispered, leaning forward to hug her quickly. “I want to surprise them.”
Abbey’s smile was immediate. How wonderful for Suzie. She immediately pictured herself pregnant, being held between Hunter and Clay as they kissed her neck and bit down on her shoulder. She turned to face both men and blushed as they winked at her.
One of the perks of the mating bond is being able to allow our mates to see what we might be thinking, Hunter explained.
Abbey smiled devilishly. Really? That could be fun!
The men smiled, looking forward to any erotic pictures that she might send them. They stepped toward her and reached out to take her into their arms, turning to face Drew and Carter’s mate.
“Suzie, this is our mate Abbey,” Clay introduced her proudly.
Suzie reached out and took Abbey’s outstretched hand, shaking it and squeezing it gently. “It’s so nice to meet you, Abbey. Welcome to the pack.”
“Thank you,” Abbey answered, smiling. “Congratulations, Suzie.”
Suzie smiled and touched her belly lightly. “Thanks. I’m pretty thrilled about it.” She turned to face Jace and Jackson and winked. “I’d better get going. I have two seriously confused and upset mates to take care of.”
“They’re going to be thrilled with the news,” Jackson spoke up, reaching out and pulling Laurie into his arms. He settled his hand on her belly and caressed her tenderly. “Just like we are with our mate.”
Jace leaned down and kissed Laurie’s neck, growling against her shoulder as his arms wrapped around their mate. Abbey watched in astonishment as the men in the room all reached out for their mates and held them lovingly between them. She had never seen such open affection in her entire life. Turning to face her men, she saw the look of happiness on their faces. She didn’t know how to react to that. It stunned her. It intimidated her. It soothed her. It was amazing and completely wonderful.
“We’re going to take Abbey home, Jace,” Hunter spoke up, never taking his eyes off their mate.
“Welcome to the pack, Abbey,” Jace officially accepted her, reaching out to touch the back of her neck lightly. “You’re now ours to protect and care for.”
Abbey looked over her shoulder and
smiled at the huge, intimidating man who had just earned brownie points with her for cuddling Laurie close to his chest and petting her pregnant belly tenderly. He may be strong, he may be powerful, but he was a man in love with his mate and happy about the child she was carrying.
To Abbey, the true test of a man was not how he showed his power, but how he showed his tenderness. It seemed that all the males in this pack had passed that test easily. She turned around to face Jace.
“Thank you Alpha,” she told him softly. “I promise I will be a good member of your pack.”
“I’m sure you will be, Abbey,” Jace said, accepting her allegiance. “I will only caution you to be sure to be open with me so I can sufficiently protect the rest of my family from whatever it is that is threatening you.”
Abbey nodded, leaning back against Hunter and Clay. “I need to tell you about my husband. His name is Peter Jordan,” she told him without reservation.
She could feel how proud her men were of her for pushing through her hesitation to speak about the threat that was surrounding her. She turned to face Jace and Jackson, pulling Hunter’s and Clay’s arms around her tightly.
“What’s more important, though, is the fact that there is a threat from another pack against yours,” she told him firmly.
Every person in the room came to full alert at her words. Jace stepped toward her and looked directly into her eyes, calmly searching her soul and scent for any deception. He found nothing but sincere caring and the deep feelings that she had for Hunter and Clay.
“Explain,” he said firmly, gladly accepting Laurie’s hand in his as she reached out to help calm him.
“A beautiful woman with silver hair came to me in my dreams and told me that a rival pack was waiting to ambush Clay and Hunter. She showed me the result of the attack.” Abbey took a calming breath, horror filling her as she pictured in her mind the sight that still made her heart hurt and her stomach clench. “I saw them lying on the ground, bleeding. When I got to them they were already dead.” She hesitated, pushing through the feeling of nausea at the memory. “The beautiful woman urged me to get to Clay and Hunter before the ambush could take place. I saw that the attack would happen at the diner near the motel I was staying in, so I went to the diner and got them to come with me before the ambush could take place.”
“Did you see the members of the attacking pack?” Jace asked her, growling softly.
“No. I just saw my men lying on the ground.” Abbey’s eyes were wide with panic. “I didn’t stop to look in the alley. We all heard the noises that the other pack was probably making to draw my men into the alley. I just couldn’t allow that to happen.”
“Do either of you have any idea who was waiting for you?” Jace asked Hunter and Clay.
“No, Alpha,” Hunter answered for them both. “But we did see a white SUV with tinted windows. It had red detailing on the hood.”
“We also saw the beautiful woman with the silver hair who appeared to Abbey when we shared in our mate’s memory,” Clay offered. “We believe it was our Mother Fate.”
“Our Mother Fate has appeared to Abbey?” Martha asked in complete awe. “That’s wonderful.”
Martha stepped toward Abbey and reached out to take her hands gently within her own. Abbey felt the immediate sense of peace and acceptance when the sweet older woman held her hands gently.
“You are truly blessed, Abbey,” she whispered. “All of us have heard Her whisper in our minds to trust in the joining with our mates, but none of us have ever seen her. You must have a wonderful connection to her. Our pack is blessed to have you with us.”
“I don’t know about that,” Abbey laughed softly. “But she was incredibly kind and made me feel comfortable and sure when she told me about the two men I would meet who would be my mates. Maybe I’ll meet them soon.”
Hunter and Clay both growled and reached out to lift Abbey into their arms. Abbey squeaked with surprise, laughing as Hunter slung her over his shoulder and slapped her ass with just enough pressure to cause her to gasp in pleasure.
Clay leaned forward and bit her left butt cheek, growling. “Not even remotely funny, Mate,” he warned her.
“I’m kidding! I’m kidding!” Abbey squealed, laughing against Hunter’s back as she hung upside down.
“Abigail Tyler, you’re in big trouble,” Hunter told her, turning and heading toward the sliding glass door that led out onto the deck.
“It was very nice to meet all of you,” Abbey told the people in the kitchen as she was carried out of the lodge home.
The last thing she saw was the surprise and then the humor on all of the men’s faces, and the knowing smiles that the women gave her as her mates carried her off.
Chapter 15
Abbey couldn’t stop the honest to goodness giggles that escaped her as Hunter carried her outside and ran toward Clay’s truck. Her stomach bumped unmercifully against his shoulder as he ran, making her tighten her abdominal muscles to try to protect herself from injury.
“Hunter, put her down, you’re hurting her stomach,” Clay called out, reaching out and placing his hands on either side of her waist to steady her as Hunter lowered her slowly to the ground and leaned her against the driver’s side door of the truck.
“Sweetheart, I didn’t think,” Hunter told her immediately, his face filled with horror at the thought that he had hurt her. “I’m so sorry.”
“Hunter, I’m fine,” Abbey told him, laughing. “I haven’t had so much fun in such a long time. You guys are so much fun to tease.”
She reached up and touched both men’s faces, scraping her nails across the stubble of their beards. The instant growls that escaped them made her smile and another burst of laughter escaped her.
“Goodness, but you both make me happy.”
“Are you sure I didn’t hurt you, Abbey?” Hunter asked, smiling despite his worry.
“You have to be more careful, buddy,” Clay warned him. “You might have been bouncing our cub and causing damage.”
Hunter’s complexion paled instantly at the thought that he might have injured Abbey or the cub she might be carrying. He leaned in and sniffed Abbey’s neck deeply.
Abbey laughed as his face tickled her neck. “What’re you doing, Hunter?”
“I’m checking to see if I can scent our cub,” he told her gently.
Abbey pushed at his chest lightly, looking up at him and then over at Clay as he eased away from her. “You’ll be able to scent our baby that quickly?”
“Yes, honey,” Clay told her, smiling. “Your scent will change almost immediately when you’re pregnant.”
“Wow. That’s amazing.” Abbey’s voice was whisper soft as she looked down and covered her belly with her hands. “I’m not pregnant, am I?”
Both men leaned in and sniffed deeply against her neck, their canines dropping almost instantly at the delectable scent of their mate. They opened their mouths and bit down on her shoulders lightly, pulling a moan of desire from her.
“No, sweetheart,” Hunter whispered against her ear. “You’re not pregnant.”
“Yet,” Clay added. “You soon will be, honey.”
“Clay, you can’t be sure of that.”
“Oh, honey, I can. Hunter and I are going to love you and make love to you for the rest of our lives. We’re going to show you how much you mean to us, and we’re going to create our son. It’s only a matter of time, sweetheart.” He reached out and covered her belly with his large hand, petting it gently as the feeling of happiness filled him at the thought of their son’s life existing within their mate.
“I would like to name our son Brandon after my father,” she said softly, looking up at both men. “Is that okay with both of you?”
“Yes, baby,” Hunter told her gently. “That’s a good name. Your father would be very proud that our son carries his name.”
“I think so, too,” Abbey whispered. She looked up and smiled at both of them, winking. “Now we just have to come up with
a name for our daughter.”
Hunter’s rumbling growl joined Clay’s as both men leaned in and kissed her neck. The flash of Abbey holding their son and laughing as their baby babbled up at her filled all three of their minds. His sweet smile and sparkling blue eyes looked up at her as his little hand grabbed for her long hair and pulled on it excitedly. His eyes were the exact color of Clay’s, and his black hair was the exact the color of Hunter’s. His rosy cheeks begged for kisses, which Abbey delighted in giving him. The sight of their baby made all three of them see the realness of their future family.
“He’s so adorable,” Abbey whispered, looking up at both men as they leaned back and smiled down at her.
“He is,” Clay agreed. “But he’s not going to be ours if you want other mates, Abbey.”
Both men pulled back to look down at her. Abbey was afraid that she might have hurt their feelings. She couldn’t allow that to happen.
“I was only teasing,” she told them softly. “I don’t want anyone but you two. Honest.”
“Honest?” Hunter asked her, crossing his arms across his chest and looking down at her, his right eyebrow lifting in question.
Abbey looked from Hunter to Clay, and she saw that despite their strength and good looks, they both held a sweet insecurity in their natures. Their worry touched her heart. She never wanted them to feel anything but sure about their relationship with her. She was honest with herself in finally admitting that there was indeed a relationship—a relationship that she wanted to be a part of for the rest of her life.
“I don’t know how it happened,” she began, brushing her hair back from her face before reaching out and touching both men’s forearms lightly.
“What, honey?” Clay asked.
“I’ve got a serious crush on both of you.”
“A serious crush?” Hunter asked, the right side of his mouth twitching as he fought not to smile.
“All I know is, I don’t want to be with anyone except the both of you. You make me want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Abbey's Protectors [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 19