by Becca Van
Tammy opened her eyes and tried not flinch when Ward shone the penlight into both, checking her responses.
“What’s the verdict, Doc?” Tammy asked, reverting back to the nickname she’d given Ward when she was a kid.
He grinned at her. “You have a concussion, and judging from how sluggish your pupils are, it isn’t a mild one. It’s going to take you a few days to get back to normal.”
“A few days,” she whispered incredulously and closed her eyes when the room began to spin, or maybe it was her head. Tammy snorted when a thought popped into her head. Phelan and Hopper had finally turned her insane and she was doing a “Carrie.”
“But I thought twenty-four hours would…” She paused to swallow the bile wanting to come up her throat.
“Normally, yeah, you’d heal quickly, but I think you may have fractured your skull. The only way to find out for sure is to have an X-ray. Serge is already on his way with the ambulance. He took off as soon as he heard you crack your head. It sounded loud and bad. We’ll get you back to the clinic. You aren’t to be left alone for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours or longer. We’ll have to see,” Ward said.
“I’m sure I’m fine,” Tammy whispered because anything louder made her head hurt more. She was having a hard time opening her eyes, and she felt really tired. If her stomach hadn’t been churning so badly, she would have sunk into the oblivion of sleep.
“You’re not fine,” Phelan snapped. “You’re so pale I can see your veins.”
“Serge is here,” Ward said.
Tammy was glad because Phelan wouldn’t talk over the top of their medic. Everyone respected Serge and Ward. Actually, they all respected each other for the most part. The only time she had trouble dealing with any members of the stealth was when the men started ordering her around, and of course, she was having a difficult time understanding where Phelan’s and Hopper’s heads were at. She was their mate and yet she was still unmated nearly seven months after coming back home. Now that she was hurt she had a feeling they were going to back off even more. Maybe it was because they still saw her as the little kid that used to follow them around. Or maybe they thought of her more as a sister than a mature woman that was ripe for the plucking.
“I’m going to be sick.” Tammy groaned as hands eased her onto her side. Someone supported her neck, and though she tried to keep herself from vomiting, there was no stopping it. She couldn’t even open her eyes to see if someone had grabbed a bucket or something for her to throw up in. She just hoped they had, because otherwise, she was going to make a very big mess.
Her stomach convulsed over and over until she was dry retching because there was nothing left for her to throw up. Tears coursed down her face as her body jerked again and again. Of course, all that retching had made her headache worse because of the pressure. By the time she was done emptying the contents of her stomach, her head was pounding.
“Sip and rinse, honey.” Hopper pressed the rim of a glass to her lips. Tammy took a gulp of water swished it around her mouth and spit it out. The glass pressed to her lips again and she took a few sips.
“Okay, let’s get you to the clinic,” Ward said.
“Okay,” Tammy sighed before blacking out.
Chapter Five
“What the fuck did you do to her?” Tarik asked angrily.
“Tarik, calm down.” Celeste threaded her fingers with Tarik’s.
“Why do you immediately think we did something?” Phelan snarled. “You know damn fucking well we’d never do anything to hurt her.”
“Then why the fuck was she running from you?” Hodge barked out his question.
“Because she’d just told us something that made us very, very angry.” Phelan scrubbed a hand over his face. “What a fucking mess.”
“What did she say?” Celeste asked curiously.
“I don’t think—”
“As your alpha, I order you to tell us what the hell happened. That’s my sister in there getting an X-ray for a possible fractured skull. Tell me what the fuck happened. Now!”
“Tarik, watch your tone,” Jenny admonished. “I’m sure it was all just a misunderstanding and an accident.”
Hopper moved to stand next to Phelan. “We carried Tammy to our house so we could have some uninterrupted privacy and explain why we haven’t claimed her yet.”
“And?” Talon quirked an eyebrow.
“We told her why we kept our distance,” Phelan said.
“What did Tammy say?” Jenny asked.
“She said she understood.” Hopper crossed his arms over his chest.
“There’s more, though,” Royal said. “Let’s hear the rest.”
Phelan nodded. “She asked why we didn’t claim her when she came back home after getting her art degree.”
“What was your answer?” Tarik asked.
“We told her we were concerned about our size differences and we were worried about hurting her since she was a virgin.” Hopper ground his teeth together.
“Oh brother.” Jenny rolled her eyes before glancing at Celeste. “Men can be so stupid.”
Celeste smirked and nodded.
“What other reasons are there?” Jenny asked.
“We need to make sure we’re what she wants. She can hardly stand to look at us, let alone be near us.” Phelan fisted his hands.
Royal walked over to Phelan and Hopper and cuffed them on the back of the head. “Are you both blind?”
Phelan frowned. Hopper shook his head.
“That little girl is so in love with the both of you. She’s been in love with you since she was little. Why the hell did you think she used to follow you around? Did you think she was trying to piss you off?”
“Listen to me.” Jenny pointed a finger at Phelan and then Hopper. “Tammy loves you with her whole heart and always has. She took a page out of your book when you both started avoiding her. She’s hurting and thinks you don’t want her anymore as her mate.”
Phelan’s heart stopped beating and then slammed against his ribs. His sabear was roaring angrily as he butted his head up against his insides trying to get out. He wanted dominance so he could seek out his mate and claim her. It took everything in him to wrest control away from his beast. When he heard Hopper panting heavily beside him, he knew his friend had just fought the same battle.
“We want her,” Phelan said in a growly voice. “She’s ours.”
Jenny nodded. “Yes, she is and always has been. You’ve got your work cut out for you, boys. You’re going to have to be patient to win her heart back. I’ll be watching and if you do anything else to hurt my little girl, you’ll be answering to me.” Jenny paused to take a breath. “By the way, you’re both idiots. Tammy and I are about the same size. My mates weren’t worried about hurting me and I wasn’t worried that they’d hurt me, either. Just because we’re smaller than you lot, doesn’t mean we’re delicate. We’re tougher than we look. Now, what did my daughter say before she ran?”
Phelan was glad that Hopper answered because his throat was almost closed because of the emotional restriction gripping it. All he could hear was Tammy telling them she wasn’t a virgin. His sabear was going crazy again and he was worried that if he opened his mouth, he would lose it.
“She told us she’s not a virgin.”
Jenny gasped. Talon, Royal, Hodge, and Tarik growled.
“And you believed her?” Celeste eased her way between Talon and Jenny. She squeezed Jenny’s shoulder. “Tammy has never even gone on a date. Not that she didn’t have the opportunity. Lots of college guys asked her to go out with them but she refused them all. When I asked her why she didn’t date, she told me about you two. Every time she spoke of you, she’d get this dreamy look on her face and a sappy smile. She told me she loved you both and she hoped that when she had her degree and was back home, that you’d ask to date her.”
She met first Phelan’s and then Hopper’s gazes as she breathed in and out before inhaling again. “I thought it was a bit strange for h
er to be enamored with two men, but I also had no idea of your shifter heritage. I love Tammy like my sister and wanted her to be happy. So, if she was happy mooning over two men, who was I to deny her feelings? Tammy may not technically be a virgin, but she hasn’t ever been intimate with a man.”
“Celeste is right,” Jenny agreed. “Tammy would never do anything to jeopardize her chances of being with you two.”
Guilt assailed Phelan making him feel like a real bastard. When Tammy had dropped her bombshell, at first, he’d been so shocked he couldn’t react. When what she’d said had finally sunk in, the red haze of rage had colored his vision. His sabear had almost won his freedom. Fur had sprouted over his skin, his talons had lengthened, and so had his canines. He didn’t even remember moving until he was sprinting across the ground after his mate. If he hadn’t seen the cut and blood on her forehead dripping down her face, he wasn’t sure what he would have done. Seeing her hurting had been enough of a shock to get his anger and his inner animal back under control.
When the door to the exam room opened, Phelan wanted to race inside. He needed to see his mate and make sure she was all right. He took a step toward the door but Ward stayed in the entrance blocking his way.
“Stop.” Ward held his hand up as he closed the door to the exam room behind him and leaned back on it, crossing his arms over his chest. “I hope you’ve dealt with all your anger.”
Phelan nodded when Ward pinned him with his gaze.
“How about you?” Ward stared at Hopper.
“I’m calm.”
“Good.” Ward uncrossed his arms, shoved from the door, and walked closer to them. “Tammy has a hairline fracture. The area around the gash is swollen and bruised. She also has two black eyes and her nose had been bleeding.”
“Shit!” Phelan growled.
“Is she going to be all right?” Hopper frowned with concern.
“Yes. If she didn’t have sabear DNA I would have had her transported to the mainland. I know we heal quickly. Some of us more than others. I want her to remain in bed and resting for at least three days. Serge and I will check on her periodically, twice a day until we know she’s on the road to recovery. She’s going to want to sleep a lot. For the first twelve to twenty-four hours, she needs to be woken every two hours. Call one of us if she’s unresponsive. I don’t think she has too much swelling on the brain, but I’m not sure since I don’t have an MRI.”
“Is she in pain?” Phelan asked.
“Did you give her something to ease her headache?” Hopper asked.
“Yes to both,” Ward replied.
“I can sit with her,” Celeste said as she stepped forward. “She would and did the same for me when I was hurt.”
“We’ll look after her,” Phelan stated emphatically.
Celeste nodded. “I’ll come to your place to visit.”
“She’d be better off at home.” Jenny frowned with concern. One of her hands were fluttering at the base of her throat.
“Phelan and Hopper will take care of her love,” Royal said as he wrapped his arm around Jenny’s waist and kissed her on the head. “We all know they’d call if they needed something. Right, guys?”
“We will.” Hopper nodded.
“We carried Tammy out to the ambulance through the other entrance. Serge is waiting for you.” Ward nodded toward the door.
“Thank you for looking after our mate.” Phelan offered Ward his hand.
“No thanks necessary. Just make sure you take care of her.” Ward released Phelan’s hand.
“Thanks, Ward.” Hopper shook Ward’s hand, too.
Phelan led the way out the front of the clinic and hurried around to the back. Hopper climbed into the rear of the ambulance and sat beside Tammy who was sound asleep. Phelan got into the front passenger seat.
“Ready?” Serge asked.
Phelan heard the various questions in the one word Serge had spoken. His friend was asking if he and Hopper were ready to man up and court their woman the way they should have the moment she’d returned from college. He was way beyond ready. He just hoped that his and Hopper’s avoidance and reluctance hadn’t damaged their chances with their mate for good.
* * * *
Tammy groaned when someone gently shook her shoulder and called her name. She was so tired and her head wouldn’t stop pounding. All she wanted to do was sleep for a week, but they wouldn’t let her. It felt as if she’d just closed her eyes before they were shaking her awake again.
“Go away.”
“Who am I?”
“Are you stupid or something?”
“Answer the question, hellcat.”
“Phelan, leave me alone.”
Tammy had no idea why Phelan was in her room but she was too tired to care. If it wasn’t Phelan shaking her awake it was Hopper. Every time they woke her up they made her sip some water. Her bladder was full and starting to ache, but she didn’t want to move because she knew it would hurt her head, and she just didn’t have the energy.
“Do you need anything, baby?”
“Sleep,” she whined. “Bathroom.”
Tammy groaned when the covers were pulled back and tried to curl up into a ball to stay warm, but seconds later she was lifted from the bed and was being carried toward the bathroom. Phelan set her on her feet but kept an arm around her waist when she swayed. When she felt a hand at the waistband of her pajama pants, she gripped his wrist. “What are you doing?”
“I’m helping you.”
“I don’t need help.” Tammy forced her eyelids up to meet Phelan’s gaze. He was frowning, as usual, but this time out of concern and not frustration or anger.
“If I let go you’re going to end up on the floor, Tammy. I’m not leaving.”
“But—”
“No buts. Your welfare is important to me. Deal with it.”
She wanted to argue but she was too tired. Her body was feeling heavier and heavier the longer she stood upright, but it was embarrassing having Phelan in the bathroom with her. She hadn’t had help using the facilities since she was a toddler being potty trained.
“I’ll be fine,” she murmured.
“I know you will, because I’m not leaving.”
Before she could respond he’d pulled her pants down and then eased her onto the toilet seat. The only consolation was that he turned his back to give her a semblance of privacy. When she was done, she stood with the intention of pulling her pants back up before flushing the toilet so he wouldn’t turn back around, but that plan didn’t work out so good.
Tammy rose too fast causing her to get lightheaded and dizzy. She wasn’t sure if she made a sound, but Phelan was at her side in an instant. Heat suffused her cheeks as he pulled her pants back up and flushed the toilet all while holding her steady with an arm around her waist. He lifted her up against his chest and carried her to the vanity which he sat her on and then helped her wash her hands.
Tammy realized that she wasn’t in her own room and bathroom at home when she saw the different décor. She had a sneaking suspicion she was in Phelan’s and Hopper’s house, but why?
“Where am I?” She grasped the toothbrush Phelan handed her which already had toothpaste on the bristles.
“Our home,” Phelan replied.
Tammy kept her gaze averted as she brushed her teeth and rinsed. Phelan took the toothbrush from her, put it in the holder and handed her a towel to wipe her face and hands. After hanging the hand towel, he moved to stand between her legs and cupped her face between his large hands and stared into her eyes. “How’s the headache?”
“A little better.”
“Good, let’s get you back to bed.” He released her face and lifted her into his arms.
“Why did you bring me here?”
“Because you’re our mate and we needed to look after you.”
“I don’t need looking after, and besides, my mom and dads could have kept a watch over me.”
“Yes, they could have, but Hopper and I wanted
to.”
“Why?” Tammy asked.
“We’ll talk about that later.” Phelan lowered her to the bed and pulled the covers up over her.
“Thank you,” Tammy said as she rolled onto her side and snuggled down, her eyes already closing.
“You don’t need to thank us, baby. We were worried about you.”
“How long have I been here?”
“Two nights.”
“Really?” she slurred trying to stay awake to hear his answer.
“Yes, really.”
Tammy sighed when his lips brushed her forehead. Before she fell asleep, her last thought was, What kind of game are they playing?
Chapter Six
Their scents permeated the air in the room and it was the first thing she smelled when she woke. The headache was gone and she felt almost as if she was back to normal, that was until her insides lit up with a heat so intense it was almost painful. Her breasts felt as if they were twice their normal size, her nipples were hard and aching. Her pussy was wet and her clit was throbbing. The clothes and covers brushed over her sensitive skin, feeling abrasive and sensual at the same time.
Tammy moaned as she rolled onto her side and pressed a hand against her aching pussy. She was so wet the pajama pants she was wearing over her panties were soaked through.
She flung the covers aside and slowly rose, thankful that there was no dizziness or wooziness in her head. It was light outside but since that was the perpetual state of affairs in Alaska, she had no idea what time of day or night it was, but it didn’t matter. She needed the facilities and a shower. She felt sweaty and grimy and no doubt stunk of sweat after being in bed for days on end.
After emptying her bladder, she turned on the shower and stripped off her PJs while she waited for the water to heat. She tested the temperature and then stepped under the warm water with a sigh.
Tammy washed and conditioned her hair, scrubbed her body until her skin was pink, and then just stood under the steady stream for a couple of minutes enjoying the heat on her stiff muscles. When she was feeling better, she turned the shower off and stepped out. She shrieked when she saw Phelan and Hopper leaning against the vanity watching her. She turned her back to them and snagged a towel from the rail, quickly wrapping it around her body to cover her nakedness. “What the hell are you doing in here? Get out.”