Twin Wolf Trouble (Shifter Squad Six 2)

by Anya Nowlan

There were small windows overlooking the train yards, and Madeline figured they were in some kind of an old maintenance building, rebuilt as a sort of a bunker and a home. She could spy a number of bikes outside, mostly chromed-up hogs, and bright lights somewhere above them.

  “Can I ask, Mary, where are we?” Madeline queried, perking her ears to hear if Tex was coming to bring her Rhone by any chance.

  It felt odd being away from one of her boys for even a second. Any other time, she would have immediately gotten up to go find him, but something in her told her that if there was anyone in the world she could trust her babies with, then it would be their fathers!

  “Oh! You’re in the Bear Den, my dear. Barkley decided after the whole military thing played out for him and our kids all grew up that we were done with running around. So we settled down, bought this place, fixed it up, and he got to do what he always wanted to—open a bar! He’s always loved motorcycles and now he splits his time between fixing them up and running the bar downstairs. Best behaved biker joint you’ll ever visit, I can promise you that,” Mary said with a cheerful laugh, putting a steaming mug of coffee in front of Madeline and a bowl stacked high with freshly baked muffins.

  They smelled divine. Madeline couldn’t resist. She hadn’t had a bite to eat since the small sandwich she’d grabbed in the morning with Fiona, and plenty had happened since then to make her stomach grumble and protest. Biting into it, her eyes rolled back in her head slightly.

  “Oh wow, these are delicious,” Madeline said, covering her mouth as she blurted the words out before she’d properly swallowed.

  “Family recipe. Barkley loves them,” Mary replied, beaming as she sat down with Raze on her knees. “Now, my dear, tell me what have you gotten yourself into with those wolf boys of yours?”

  “They’re not my wolves,” Madeline protested, a blush on her cheeks. The last thing she could call them were hers.

  “Really?” Mary asked, pursing her lips a bit in good-natured surprise. “Don’t tell me these babies aren’t theirs. They have their daddies’ eyes down to the little golden flecks! And I can recognize Alpha wolves when I see them, so don’t you go telling me any lies here, my dear. I’ve seen far too much to fall for any smoke and mirrors,” Mary said with a grin and a wink, scruffing her hand through Raze’s hair and making the boy giggle.

  Madeline sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. Well, Mary had her there.

  “No, they are the fathers of Raze and Rhone. But before today, they didn’t even know that they had kids and I wasn’t going to find them and tell them.”

  “Why not?” Mary asked, not a line or note of accusation in her voice.

  “Because… well, because we had a one-night stand and it was safer for me to stay away from them and anyone else I knew. And I can’t expect two wolves like they are to change their lives for kids they didn’t plan. It wouldn’t be fair on them. It was my decision to keep the boys and I can raise them on my own. I just need a little help right now to get them to safety and after that, it’ll all be okay again.”

  Madeline wanted desperately to believe the words she was saying. But did she, really? Biting the inside of her mouth to get her emotions in check, she wasn’t so sure if she did. Mary clucked quietly, turning Raze toward her and cocking her head to the side as she smiled at the boy.

  “What do you think, Raze? Could your daddies ever walk away from you now? I don’t think so! I think your mommy is strongly underestimating the bond between a shifter and their kids. You watch and see!”

  Madeline could feel her blush getting deeper and darker and she took a sip of her coffee, trying to swallow it all down. Not only the embarrassment, but the day and everything that had happened in it. She knew she was supposed to be safe now, for the time being, but she certainly didn’t feel entirely safe. Her physical body was not in danger and she knew her boys were protected, but what about her heart?

  Madeline felt like her heart had come under direct fire and there was no way out. And what if Mary was right? What if there could be something between her and Tex and Thatch? Could she really have the family she had dreamed of when she told the twins about how she wanted to bring children into a happy, complete home?

  Stop dreaming, Madeline. Fairytales don’t come true. Especially when there are men with guns after you, she scolded herself, taking another bite of the muffin.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Thatch

  Thatch stared out of the window, squeezing his phone in his hand. In the back of his head, a million thoughts were running at the same time, all clamoring for his attention and all failing to monopolize it. There was too damn much going on and he couldn’t concentrate on any of it.

  The night had been uneventful. They’d bunked in separate rooms, Madeline together with the babies and he and Tex in another room above the bar. Barkley kept a tight ship and after they’d explained to him what had been going on, his expression had gotten just as grim as Thatch felt. This was no small problem that could get whisked away. Thatch knew that. Tex knew that. They were all sorts of screwed and no one currently had a plan on how to handle any of it.

  Tex, the bastard, had gotten out of Bear’s Den before Thatch had gotten out of bed, borrowing one of Barkley’s choppers. They’d discussed having to go and pick up some additional supplies from Dutch and the rest of the team, and fill Connor in on what was going on in person. Thatch had hoped that he could be the one to do it, but Tex had been up way earlier than he usually was and by the time Thatch realized what Tex was doing, it was too late to stop him.

  So there he was now, staring out of a window, while his blackmailer was blowing up his phone with calls and texts and every curse word known to man or shifter alike. Thatch gritted his teeth. He hadn’t bothered to pick up the phone. In the state that Blake must have been in currently, foaming at the mouth with rage, there was no point in trying to talk to him. He’d spew insults and threats in Thatch’s direction and he was in no mood to deal with that.

  He’d missed the meetup time, but he couldn’t go and leave Madeline alone in the house, even if Colonel Reims was one of the most badass SEAL legends ever known. Still, Thatch would never leave Madeline, Raze, and Rhone without either him or Tex being present in a situation like this.

  His thoughts were going down another dark path, ignoring the important topics as usual, when he heard soft footsteps behind him. Whipping around, he caught sight of Madeline, tucking her hair behind her ear and smiling at him bashfully. His stomach twisted at the sight of her. Spirits above, she was as perfect as ever and the way her body and mind called to him was bordering on ridiculous.

  “Morning,” she said, offering him a cup of coffee. “Mary insisted on staying with the kids for a moment so I could grab some breakfast. Do you want to join me? I heard Tex is out running an errand of some sort.”

  At the exact moment Thatch accepted the coffee, the cellphone rang again in his pocket and Thatch closed his eyes with a low growl on his lips, thumbing it onto silent. When he opened his eyes again, Madeline looked at him curiously, her beautiful eyes shaded with worry. He cleared his throat quickly.

  Dammit, Thatch, you’re scaring her. Get your head together.

  “I’d love to join you,” he said, smiling as he stepped forward.

  Madeline looked relieved and she led him into the kitchen, her hips swinging maddeningly as they walked down the narrow corridor. They made it into the kitchen and Thatch was thankful for the seat because he was pretty sure it was going to be difficult as hell hiding his hard-on from her for too long. Staring at her juicy body did that to him, especially knowing that she was the mother of his pups.

  His pups. His and Tex’s. It still boggled his mind and he hadn’t properly had the time to sit down and really talk it over with himself to understand the full extent of what it meant to him. But he knew one thing for certain—he was one happy wolf, all things considered. Even with countless threats hanging over his head, he could still appreciate the fact that he was now a f
ather. And his beautiful mate was sitting down for breakfast with him.

  “Sorry, Madeline. It’s been… a challenging few days,” he admitted, stacking some pancakes and eggs and bacon on his plate, the table heaving under the mass of food Mary had put out for them.

  “Really? I didn’t even notice,” Madeline scoffed, sipping at her coffee. “I mean, sorry too. I don’t mean to be snippy,” she said with a sigh.

  “Hey, you can have as much attitude as you want around me and Tex. You know that, right? I don’t think you could do a thing wrong in our eyes at this point,” he said earnestly.

  Madeline paused, her fork in the air with a bite of pancake on it. She frowned slightly and Thatch had to catch her gaze again as she looked down, suddenly seeming rather taken aback.

  “Did I say something wrong?”

  “No. Not really. It’s just… well. I kind of hid Raze and Rhone from you two. I don’t think that’s something that can be excused so easily,” she said, gnawing on her lower lip.

  Thatch straightened up in his seat, dropping the utensils. He reached out his hand and tipped her chin upward so she was looking him in the eyes, her big gray eyes gleaming with what could turn out to be tears if he didn’t say the right thing or tell her exactly how he felt.

  “There’s nothing to forgive. You had no way of finding us. You didn’t even know our last names and it’s not like we’re on SassyDate,” he said, ignoring the screaming desire to lean in and kiss that worried pout off her lips.

  “But I didn’t try,” she said with a small voice, twisting the knife in his heart a bit further.

  “It’s okay, Madeline. We’re getting to know them now. As soon as things settle down, as soon as we figure things out with your safety, we’ll all sit down and talk this out. But I need you to know right now that you did nothing wrong. We should have known that this could happen too. With the right woman… well, let’s say I’m not surprised that you got pregnant.

  And the fact that you had twins was pretty much a given as well. What I’m saying is, we could have played things differently, from both sides. But it’s not black and white. We’ll make this work. I promise.”

  Now there were tears in her eyes in earnest. Thatch’s body had an almost violent reaction to it. He practically flung himself out of the seat, gathering her up in his arms and pulling her to his chest. Spirits above, if seeing tears shimmer in her eyes could do this to him, what would happen if she was actually hurt, or away from him again? He couldn’t even fathom something like that happening again, now that the bond between him, Tex, and Madeline was made that much stronger with the inclusion of the twins.

  “Don’t cry, baby. We’ll make this okay,” he whispered, stroking her hair as she clung to him, her heartbeat matching his.

  They stayed like that for a long while and Thatch was very much aware that it was him who was reluctant to let go, even though she calmed down. Finally, he let her pull back a bit, but he still kept his hands around her waist, soft and inviting. Her gray eyes sucked him in fast and hard and he took a deep breath, watching her rosy lips part slightly.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. “For everything. For being so understanding. For—”

  But she never got to finish that sentence, because Thatch’s lips were on hers now, kissing her hungrily and drawing her onto his knee as he knelt in front of her chair. Her hands wrapped around his neck and she moaned into his mouth, the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. It was nearly impossible controlling his urge to throw her down on the kitchen counter and fuck all the pain out of her, to show her how much he had missed her and how his body yearned for her.

  His tongue snaked into her mouth and she tasted like coffee and cinnamon, like last time. He growled low and deep, his fingers pressing into her back, wanting so badly to feel her naked flesh against him again. They only broke apart, heaving and wide-eyed, when Thatch heard footsteps in the corridor.

  He deposited Madeline back on her seat and sat down swiftly as well, painfully aware of his hard cock. When Mary stepped into the kitchen with the babies on either hip, grinning happily, the expression Mary wore told Thatch that she hadn’t missed any of this. He wasn’t sure whether it was the fact that their lips were red from kissing, or that both of them were breathing harder than they should have, but the knowing chuckle Mary let out made both him and Madeline grin like naughty teenagers caught making out.

  “So, Mommy and one Daddy, are you up for breakfast with your two little men?” Mary asked, letting them get away with their shared moment.

  “Always,” Thatch said, reaching his hands out for Rhone. “Come here, son.”

  The words felt perfect on his lips. Just like she had.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Tex

  Pulling his helmet off, Tex ran a hand through his hair and rolled back his shoulders. It was almost nighttime again and he’d been gone for most of the day, running errands and getting their stories straight between Connor and the rest of the gang.

  Hemingway was already out for blood, that much was clear, and Connor was going to show up at some point to pick up the SUV. But as blood brothers do, none of the team had ratted their location out and Tex knew they weren’t going to. It was how it went.

  Every single member of Squad Six had already promised that if they were needed, if there was anything they could do, they would show up in an instant and assist in whatever way possible. The heavy bags of gear weighing Tex down as he got off the bike were testament to that alone.

  He hauled the bags into the bar, passing through the thick crowd of bikers and the raucous laughter, keeping his eyes down. No sense in getting into a confrontation here, though Barkley would put a swift end to that, Tex was sure. He waved to the big man as he passed into the back rooms and then trundled up the stairs, intent on finding his brother and maybe getting a few minutes in with Madeline and the boys.

  It had been hell being away for so long. Tex had never realized how very dependent he could become on someone so fast. Now that he knew that Raze and Rhone existed, any step away from them was a battle. He’d always been close with his twin, obviously, but splitting up with him wasn’t difficult this way—only how it affected their strength and powers. But Madeline and the babies? Hell, it felt like a bad hangover and he’d been queasy with worry all damn day.

  Tex was about to walk into the room he shared with Thatch when he heard a high-pitched, exited giggle from another room to the side. Madeline’s. He hesitated at the door for a moment, but then dropped his bags and pushed the door open slowly, revealing a scene that made his heart melt.

  Madeline was sitting down on the floor, playing with the boys with stuffed animals. It looked like they were re-enacting some sort of get-together, Raze having a stern conversation that was made up of only the word “no” with a green T. Rex and Rhone was poking the belly of what looked to be a fox. Madeline held up a cat and a crocodile, telling the boys a story, but most of her words seemed to be falling on unresponsive ears.

  “They’re going to be turning soon, you know,” Tex said softly, stepping in and smiling wide as both of the boys looked up and greeted him with wide grins. “Won’t be long now.”

  “You’re back!” Madeline said, blushing slightly as she smoothed back her hair. “I was wondering if you’d make it back tonight.”

  “I couldn’t keep away,” he said, sinking down on the floor and maneuvering Rhone into his lap, inspecting the fox with eager interest.

  The baby’s skin was so silky soft against his touch and Tex caught himself being extra careful, so afraid that he might do something to harm the little tyke. But he should have known that wolf shifters, even as young as Rhone and Raze, were tough little kids. He hoped he’d have plenty of time to find all that out.

  “Amazing that we all start out so small,” he murmured, admiring Rhone’s little hand. “Can’t believe that he’ll be bouncing around as a little wolfling soon.”

  “You can’t believe it? What about me! I don’t think I�
�d even met a shifter before you and Thatch,” Madeline laughed. “I’ve seen a few babies shift now when they’re around their parents, but it still seems almost absurd, you know? And I don’t even know what they’ll look like when they do,” she said, sounding a bit thoughtful.

  “Golden eyes. Bright white fur with dark gray and black markings. Maybe a bit of rusty brown in the tail. We sometimes get that. Weird genes,” Tex said, shrugging his shoulders.

  Madeline burst out in laughter and Tex looked up from Rhone, quirking a brow as he smirked. “Hey, I know I’m a funny guy, but what now?”

  “’Weird genes!’ The way you said that,” she giggled, relaxing. “Like someone describing an oddly shaped birthmark.”

  “Hey, you’re lucky! We don’t have any messed-up bites or anything in the bloodlines. You know how hard it is fixing the teeth of a shifter kid? Braces don’t shift well, I can tell you that,” Tex said with a chuckle, conversing through the stuffed fox that was being pressed against his face by Rhone.

  “Guess there’s a lot I don’t know yet about shifter kids,” Madeline admitted with a sigh.

  There was a touch of uncertainty to her voice and Tex tensed, picking up on it like a distress beacon in the distance. He gently lowered the fox from his face and reached a hand over to Madeline, putting it on her knee. It was oddly intimate, being so close to her in a situation like that, even though they’d spent a night together and he knew every inch of her body by memory. But this was different. Something new.

  Touching her was like a shot of alcohol to the veins. It flashed through him, claiming his attention for a solid second before he could get back to the words he was trying to speak. Damn, she could mess with his head really easily without even knowing.

  “I promise we’ll help you learn everything you need to, don’t you worry. These two will grow up to be tougher wolves and better humans because we’re all here for them, you know?”

  She looked at him in wide-eyed wonder and it made him a bit uneasy. Had he said something to upset her? Was he saying the wrong things? He wriggled around a bit, trying to get a more comfortable seating position for himself and to hide the moment of confusion. But it didn’t feel right to him so he forced the words out anyway.