Laurie walked over to the women and took Dara’s hand in hers. “You’re a smart lady, Dara,” Laurie told her, winking at her. “How about if all of us women take a break from this room and let the men decide if they’re going to put aside their caution and take a chance we all know should be taken?”
Dara smiled at Laurie then turned back to her mates. “I think that’s a good idea.” She eased her hand from Laurie’s hold and walked over to her mates, wrapping her arms around their waists and leaning against them. “I love you both so much,” she whispered, kissing their chests lightly. “Open your hearts and feel the goodness in this room.”
Taking their hands, she pressed them against her belly, smiling when their baby kicked against their palms. She smiled as both her mates let out contented growls that rumbled deliciously against her body. She had no worries that her men would do the right thing. They were good men and good leaders. They would make the right choice. She was sure of it.
“Okay, Mate,” Gil whispered, leaning down and kissing her lips lightly. “We’ll be open.”
“Love you, baby,” Josh told her, kissing her temple tenderly.
Dara smiled as she stepped back and looked up at them. “I’m very proud of you,” she told them softly. Turning, she faced Laurie, Abbey, and the rest of the women who had left their mates to stand beside the other two women to form a united front.
“I think we should go outside,” Laurie suggested. “We’ve already made our opinions and suggestions known.”
“I could go for a swim,” Abbey spoke up. “Would you like to come to our home and use our pool?” She looked at Laurie, afraid that she might have overstepped her place, but she was relieved to see the happy smile that she was given by the Alpha Mate.
Dara sighed happily. “I would love to!” she answered quickly.
“Thank you, Abbey, that would be great,” Laurie added, looking at the rest of the women and saw that they were nodding in agreement. “I’m sure Martha can get all of us enough of our men’s T-shirts to allow all of us to swim. I’ll bet Mia and Nikki would love to come, too.”
“We should ask Suzie, Meeka, and Eric,” Abbey told them as they walked out of the living room, ignoring the men as they followed them with their eyes.
Once all of the women left the room, Jace turned to the remaining men and chuckled. “Our mates have made this decision an easy one,” he told them. “If they can feel the rightness of our packs joining forces, we would be foolish to second guess them. We all know that the Fates have given our women the blessing of holding our packs within their hearts.”
“True,” Gil agreed. “But we have to plan the logistics of this alliance. There must be no question as to which enforcers are worthy to join us from Randall’s pack.”
“Agreed,” Jace answered without hesitation. “Simon and Warren will give us a list of names. We need to go over that list and then set up interviews for the members who would like to petition to join our packs.”
“We need to set up security protocol around our pack lands,” Jackson added. “Hayward is not going to stop trying to chip away at our lands or stop hurting our people.”
“He’s going to have a hell of a time getting to us now that we’re in this together,” Josh spoke up.
“I have a map of our pack lands,” Simon spoke up, accepting the large, rolled-up map from Eli and opening it up to spread it on the coffee table in front of one of the leather couches. “We should be able to map out security patrols and have our security routine set before the end of the afternoon.”
The alphas and betas crowded around the low table, determined to get this safety net in place. None of them were going to risk losing any member of their pack family.
“We need to become a united shifter community who welcome and protect shifters and humans alike,” Jace told them firmly. “Our mates have seen the rightness in this. I know that the Fates will bless us in this. We need to make this a reality. Our future depends on it.”
Simon smoothed out the map, his stomach clenching with emotions as he thought about the safety of these ruling triad mates, their pack families, and the cubs that were going to be born. Sadness filled him as he accepted the fact that neither he and Warren, nor Eli and Maxwell would ever be blessed with such a happy future.
* * * *
Abbey smiled as she looked around the swimming pool that graced the home that she shared with Clay and Hunter, seeing the many women who were enjoying the afternoon by just relaxing. Every one of the alpha mates was in some stage of pregnancy. In fact, the only two women currently in the pool who were not pregnant were Meeka and Mia. She wondered if there was some kind of pregnancy epidemic going on. Laughing softly to herself, she watched happily as everyone took turns playing with Eric. It just gave all of them more proof that the triads who had shown up today for the meeting were true triad families.
“Thank you, Abbey,” Laurie told her as she swam over to her and leaned against the pool wall to lay her head back on the ledge and relax. “This is a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.”
“My pleasure,” Abbey answered sincerely. “I love this pool. I could spend all of my time in it.” She turned to Laurie and touched her shoulder lightly. “Hunter and Clay had it built because they had a dream that their mate would enjoy it. Even the waterfall and the garden called to me. How amazing is this whole ‘destined mates’ thing?”
Laurie smiled as she faced her. “I’ve never had much faith in dreams or hopes,” she told her honestly. “When I came here for my vacation in June, I was only hoping for two weeks of rest, and time away from the stresses of my life. When I met Jace and Jackson, I was afraid.”
“You were?”
“Out of my mind scared,” she admitted. “I thought they were the most handsome men I had ever met. And they smelled so good.”
Abbey laughed. “Been there!”
“Yes, we all have,” Laurie told her. “The Fates have a way of letting us know we’ve met our mates by their scent. And then the visions started.”
Abbey nodded. She completely agreed and could relate to what Laurie was saying.
“I thought they couldn’t possibly be attracted to me,” Laurie continued. “I only knew that they were so kind and giving to their family and to me. Don’t get me wrong, they both have that badass side that no one will mess with, which by the way is sexy as hell, but I found them to be gentle men who really wanted me and my children. They valued me as a person. I became their friend and their lover. When I found out I was pregnant I was afraid at first.”
“Why? Didn’t you want to have a baby with them?”
“Oh, I absolutely wanted to have a child with them,” Laurie told her without hesitation. “Jace and Jackson have accepted my own two children and love them as their own. I shouldn’t have been so worried, but I was afraid that their love for me would change. I kept waiting for them to treat me with disrespect or start the name-calling. It never happened. They’re nothing like my ex-husband in any way, thank goodness. And when Vera tried to poison me by giving me apple cinnamon tea laced with wolfsbane, I realized just how much my men wanted not only me but also our child. Our daughter is an extension of our love. I don’t understand it. I don’t question it. I just know the Fates had a hand in our mating, and I’ll be forever thankful.”
“Clay and Hunter told me about Vera trying to hurt you. She wanted Jace and Jackson to mate with her daughter?”
“That’s what they told me,” Laurie answered, nodding. “I’ve never met her though. Jace said she left pack land a long time ago. Her younger sister left shortly after her. I guess Vera was pretty delusional, and she wasn’t a very good parent to them. It’s sad, really.” She looked off as if seeing another time and another place as she looked at the empty back deck of Hunter, Abbey, and Clay’s home. “Jace and Jackson both said they wished the girls would come back to the pack. They don’t think the girls will be happy until they do. They’ve been keeping in touch with them over the years to make s
ure they’re safe and taken care of.”
“What happened to Vera?”
“Jace banished her from the pack,” Laurie told her softly. “I was worried about him for a while. His anger because of the threat to me and our baby nearly drove him crazy. Both he and Jackson wouldn’t let go of me or let me out of their sight for quite a while—not that I’m complaining. Who would? I could happily stay in their arms for the rest of my life.”
Abbey laughed and reached out to take Laurie’s hand in hers and squeeze it gently. “I completely understand,” she told her, smiling. “I would be content to have Hunter and Clay wrap their arms around me and never let me go, too.”
“You have good men, Abbey,” Laurie told her gently. “You’re perfect for them and for us. If it weren’t for you being so warm and welcoming to Dara, I don’t think we would have been as far along as we are in the joining of our packs.”
“Laurie, I didn’t do anything,” Abbey protested. “I just met Dara at the mall. She helped me pick out a sex toy to use with my men.”
Laurie’s laughter erupted from her, drawing the attention of the rest of the women in the pool. Abbey couldn’t help but blush.
“How did that toy work out for you, Abbey?” Laurie teased.
Abbey looked at Laurie and saw the twinkle in her brown eyes. Abbey liked her even more now that she saw her mischievous side.
“It was pretty damn good!” she whispered, making Laurie laugh even harder.
Chapter 31
Abbey sat in the middle of the large, plush sofa in their living room, smiling as she heard the front door of their home open and the heavy footsteps of her men entering. A warm feeling of familiarity filled her. Her heart raced with happiness and the anticipation of seeing her men and spending a quiet night with them.
“Abbey,” Clay called out.
“Where are you, sweetheart?” Hunter’s deep voice filled the kitchen.
“In the living room.”
As her men walked into the living room and made their way toward her to stand directly in front of her, her lungs filled with their scents and a warmth settled over her. She gazed up at them, her eyes drinking in their masculinity and her heart soaking up the love that they washed over her.
“How was your day, sweetheart?” Hunter asked her, kneeling down to the left of her legs and leaning forward to kiss her lips tenderly.
“It was fine,” Abbey whispered against his mouth, nipping at the fullness of his bottom lip and smiling at his responding growl of approval.
“We missed you, honey,” Clay told her, leaning into her neck and biting down on it lightly. At Abbey’s soft moan, he kissed his bite, laving away the sting before traveling up her neck and claiming her mouth.
Abbey hummed with appreciation as his tongue swept her mouth and his delicious flavor filled her. “Nice,” she whispered against his lips as he pulled away.
“Very nice,” he agreed.
“Are you home for good, or do you have to go out again?” Abbey asked them as she settled back against the couch cushions.
“We’re home for the night, sweetheart,” Hunter told her. “We’ll be meeting with Jace, Jackson, and the rest of the ruling triads in the morning.”
“Okay. Then come here,” she told them, patting her legs and opening her arms, a contented sigh leaving her as they immediately lay on the couch and settled their heads on her lap—Hunter on her left thigh and Clay on her right thigh.
Hunter turned toward her, reaching out to lift her shirt and kiss her belly tenderly. Abbey’s eyes widened and love filled her at the sweet act.
“Hello, Brandon,” he whispered against her belly, kissing her once again. “Can’t wait to hold you.”
Hunter leaned back and gave Clay room to nuzzle against Abbey’s body, kissing her belly gently and breathing in her scent. “We love you, cub,” he whispered, placing his hand against the warmth of Abbey’s stomach and petting it slowly. “We’re so happy we’re going to have you.”
Abbey couldn’t control the feeling of complete surprise and happiness that overcame her. The emotions that filled her at her mates’ honest love for their unborn child were deep.
“You guys are going to make me cry,” she told them softly, trying very hard to blink away the tears of happiness that filled her eyes.
“Why would you cry?” Hunter asked her, concerned.
“Because you want our baby.”
“Of course we want our baby,” Clay told her in surprise. “Why wouldn’t we want our baby?”
Abbey shrugged, not sure how she could put into words how much their honest desire for a child with her made her happy. These men didn’t want a child as a way of controlling her or her money. They wanted a child because it was a natural extension of the love that they shared. It was wonderful.
“You’re going to be the best fathers,” she whispered.
Their smiles were her reward. When they kissed her belly once more and turned to comfortably rest on her lap, she couldn’t help but smile, too.
“Looking forward to it,” Hunter told her, his brown eyes soft with the love and joy he was feeling.
“Remember, honey. I want five children,” Clay reminded her.
“I remember,” Abbey answered softly, realizing that having that large of a family with these men would indeed be a very wonderful thing.
As they settled, Abbey’s fingers immediately carded through their hair, and she began rhythmically stroking and massaging their scalps. She felt content as they began to make happy noises that sounded suspiciously like purrs, but she would never call that to their attention.
“How did the meeting go after the women and I left?”
“Very well,” Hunter told her. “All of the alphas and betas came to a quick realization that what Jace and Jackson proposed in order to protect our pack lands was necessary.”
“I’m glad,” Abbey said quietly, rubbing her thumbs across her men’s foreheads as she soothed them. “I was worried they might not see that it would be smart to join forces.”
“Actually, Abbey, everyone realizes that if it wasn’t for your surprising relationship with Dara, her mates wouldn’t have been as open to our proposal,” Clay told her, reaching up and touching her cheek with his index finger and tracing along her jaw to touch her lips lightly. “You met her at the mall, baby?”
Abbey smiled and kissed the tip of his finger before opening her mouth and biting down on it lightly. His responding growl made her laugh softly.
“She recommended the toy I used on you and Hunter.”
The instant growls coming from her men sent a rush of need through her. She gripped their hair harder within her fingers and pulled them toward her.
“I want you both to go upstairs and undress,” she told them firmly. “I want you to be in our bed within the next ten minutes.”
Neither man spoke as they carefully removed themselves from her lap. When they both began to reach for her, she held up her hands to stop them.
“Go,” she told them, pointing toward the stairway.
The rumbling growls that continually vibrated from their massive chests served to kick up her own need to make love to her men. She knew they could scent her arousal and made no attempt to hide her smile. She was going to make sure they were well and truly aroused before she allowed them their release. Dara had been very helpful with her sexual advice during their time together in the pool. Abbey couldn’t wait to give her men ultimate pleasure.
“Mates?” she called out to them.
They both turned to face her as they stopped on the first step of the stairway.
“Bring your handcuffs.”
* * * *
Abbey walked into their bedroom, stopping at the foot of the bed to look at the most amazing picture of perfection she had ever seen. Her two men were lying on their backs with their heads on their pillows—and they were completely naked.
She had a moment of complete amazement that these two incredibly sexy and handsome men could
ever be attracted to her and want her for the rest of their lives. Feeling their complete love for her through their bond calmed her insecurities. These men were meant for her, and she was meant for them.
She stepped closer to the bottom of the bed, reaching down to grab the hem of her pink shirt and pull it up, exposing her breasts. She had foregone a bra after her shower and was glad that her reveal had caused both men’s eyes to turn completely golden. That was a very good sign, and it gave her ego a needed boost. She pushed off her shorts and stepped out of them as they hit the floor, smiling as both of her men breathed in deeply and took in her scent. She had no doubt that they could smell her need for them.
She looked at them appreciatively. Her men were strong, filled with muscles, yet their tenderness with her touched the place inside of her soul that gave her exactly what she needed. She loved them, she desired them, but it was their kindness and sense of family that drew her. And the sex wasn’t bad, either.
Her men’s chuckles made her know that she had let them hear her private thoughts. She couldn’t help but smile as she reached for the waistband of her pastel blue panties and pushed them down over her hips, wiggling slightly to allow them to drop to the floor. Her men’s laughter stopped immediately.
“Come here, sweetheart,” Hunter’s raspy voice called to her as he extended his arms toward her to beckon her forward.
Abbey climbed up onto the bed and crawled toward them. She sighed in pleasure as they both sat up and reached for her, dragging her against their chests and holding her tightly against their bodies. The soft hair on their chests rubbed against her breasts, teasing her already pebbled nipples.
Abbey's Protectors [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 35