by Becca Van
“What do you mean by that?” Phelan growled his question.
Tammy shrugged.
Hopper spoke quickly when Phelan went to speak. “Are you going to spend the whole day in here?”
“Yes.”
“When do we get to have some of your time?” Hopper asked.
Tammy shrugged again.
“Come and have dinner with us,” Phelan blurted out.
Tammy eyed him speculatively. She knew they’d been taking care of themselves for a long time, but she had no idea if they could cook and that made her feel guilty.
Had she been so wrapped up in hurt with their rejection, she’d blocked everything about them out? No, she hadn’t, but since she didn’t live with them and had never shared a meal at their place that they’d cooked, it was no wonder she didn’t know such things.
She remembered baking with her mom, making cookies and cakes, sweet treats and stews for them when she was younger. What she wouldn’t give to be able to do so again, but this time she would love to use their kitchen, live in their house. It would be a wonderful intimacy getting to know her mates all over again and having them work alongside her, but she wasn’t sure that was ever going to happen. They were busy running the general store as well as helping out at the resort, and sometimes they gave Tarik and Hodge a hand to finish furniture orders so they could be shipped out on time.
There were so few people living in the town of Savoonga and so little leisure time. Sometimes, Tammy begrudged that everyone was so busy, but that was the only way they’d survived. Now that the resort was close to completion, she wondered if she’d ever see Phelan and Hopper out and about. Sometimes she wished they were all normal human beings so they didn’t have to live in seclusion and worry about their secret getting out. Being secluded had its pluses but there were also minuses to being so isolated, and though she’d thought about moving to the U.S. mainland, she’d been there and done that. If it hadn’t been for Celeste, Tammy would have lost her mind long ago. She’d been so lonely and she hated the hot weather which had to be a part of her DNA. She was comfortable living on St. Lawrence Island and couldn’t imagine herself living anywhere else. The thought of never being able to see Phelan and Hopper again nearly brought her to her knees.
“Tammy?”
Tammy blinked them back into focus to find them both frowning at her, and when she remembered Phelan ordering her to come to dinner, her ire rose. He might be her mate but he had no right to tell her what to do. “I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?” Phelan snapped.
Tammy didn’t bother answering. She didn’t care what he, they, thought about her, or tried to convince herself she didn’t. She failed miserably when she saw a flash of pain cross Hopper’s gaze before he turned away. She opened her mouth to give the answer she really wanted, but quickly shut it when she saw Phelan’s blank expression. He didn’t care one way or the other, so why should she.
“I have things I need to do,” she explained.
Hopper glanced at her over his shoulder, nodded, and then walked out the door.
“You’re going to have to sit down and talk to us eventually, Tammy. You can run all you want but you can’t hide.” Phelan stared into her eyes for a few seconds and then he spun on his heels and stalked away, softly closing the door behind him.
Tammy sank to her knees and covered her face with her hands. Tears stung her eyes and though she tried to push and blink them away, they spilled over her lids and seeped out between her fingers. Her body wasn’t her own. Her heart and soul weren’t her own.
Tammy felt as if she was losing herself piece by piece and wondered if she’d ever be able to put herself back together again.
Chapter Ten
Hopper took the money from his customer, and after ringing up the sale, handed back the change. Ever since he’d woken to find Tammy gone from their bed and house, he’d felt lost. His heart was one big constant ache and though he wanted to storm back into Tammy’s workroom, fling her over his shoulder, and carry her home where she belonged, he couldn’t. He and Phelan needed to work out what the hell was going on with their mate.
“Hopper, did you hear me?”
Hopper blinked to find Jenny, Tarik’s and Tammy’s mom, standing on the other side of the counter frowning at him. “Sorry. Could you repeat that please?”
“We’re having a get-together at our house tonight. We’re celebrating.”
Hopper didn’t need to ask what the celebration was for. “Do you want us to bring anything?”
“Just yourselves.” Jenny smiled.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course,” she replied immediately.
Hopper frowned as he tried to get his thoughts in order. “Have you ever heard of a bond not forming between mates after they’ve claimed their woman?”
“Um, no, but that doesn’t mean—”
Hopper held up his hand to stop Jenny’s placating words. He didn’t want to hear it. Pain stabbed into his heart and he wondered if he and Phelan would ever really have the chance to be happy with Tammy.
“Stop whatever it is you’re thinking.” Jenny pointed at him. “Have you claimed her together yet?”
Hopper shook his head.
Jenny sighed. “I know, my daughter. She is stubborn as a mule, just like her father Royal. It wasn’t your fault but circumstances, the age gap, made it hard for all of you. Tammy had to close herself off from you the same way you and Phelan had to close yourself off from her. She’s also the most pigheaded person I’ve ever known, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love her.”
Hopper nodded.
Jenny continued. “Tammy was very hurt when you and Phelan didn’t claim her when she turned eighteen after finishing school. She waited and waited and when neither of you made a move, she got angry. So, she did what any dejected, young woman would do and applied to go to college. The thing is, she didn’t really want to leave Savoonga or you and Phelan, but Royal and Talon wanted her to experience life outside our small island before she was tied down with mates and cubs. They encouraged her to follow her dreams, and though I didn’t want her venturing away from home, it was the best thing she could have done.”
“Why’s that?” Hopper asked.
“Her imagination was full of fairytales about you and Phelan—”
“But—”
Jenny held up her hand cutting him off. “Don’t interrupt until I’ve finished.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Jenny smirked. “As I was saying, there is nothing wrong with believing in fairytales and happily ever after, but we all know life isn’t always sunshine and roses.
“Tammy grew up while she was away from home, Hopper. Although she’d never admit it, she realized how much she loved small town life and how much we all meant to her. She wasn’t and never will be a social butterfly, but she has a big heart, and is a loving and kind young woman.”
“You don’t have to tell me that,” Hopper said.
“Did you know that Celeste had to drop out of college after only six months? She had no living relatives and was earning a pittance as a waitress. Tammy wanted to help her friend pay for her tuition but Celeste wouldn’t hear about it. Our daughter was trying to set up an anonymous fund for her friend, but Celeste was offered a modeling contract before she had everything in order.”
“How was she going to pay for Celeste’s tuition?” Hopper asked.
“By taking on a second job.”
“She would have been run ragged if she’d done that.”
“Yes, she would have.” Jenny nodded. “Tammy considered herself blessed since we, as her parents, were paying her college tuition. She loves Celeste like the sister she never had and would do anything for her friend, just as Celeste would do anything for Tammy.”
“What has any of this got to do with the lack of bond?” Phelan asked as he entered from the back of the store. Obviously, he’d been listening to the conversation.
“Tammy is a ve
ry deep and private person. She isn’t open about her feelings to me or Celeste, but she knows if she ever needs to talk to us she can.”
“Go on,” Hopper encouraged.
“Tammy closed herself off out of necessity just as you both avoided her. She has years of hurt stored up in her heart. Years of perceived rejection. Tammy doesn’t think you like her, let alone love her.”
“What?” Phelan asked in a strangled voice.
“Tammy thinks the only reason you claimed her was because you couldn’t resist the mating heat. She thinks you only want her for her body.”
“Fuck!” Hopper spun away from Jenny before turning back to face her again.
“How the hell could she believe something like that?” Phelan snarled.
Hopper shoved Phelan in the shoulder. “Watch your tone.”
“Sorry.” Phelan sighed as he scrubbed a hand over his face.
Jenny waved his apology aside. “Have either of you sat down and talked to her since she came back from college?”
“We explained how things were to her last week,” Hopper answered.
Jenny sighed. “Just because you couldn’t get close enough to touch her in case you incited the mating heat didn’t mean you couldn’t talk to her. Did you know that my daughter has sold some of her paintings? That she was even commissioned to paint a winter landscape by a client, or that she’s been asked by the Art Institute of Chicago to do a showing?”
“She has?” Phelan asked.
“She has.”
“Did she accept?”
“No.”
“Why not?” Hooper frowned.
“Tammy saw what Celeste went through as a celebrity and wants nothing to do with stardom and all that entails.”
“She doesn’t have to give her real name,” Phelan said. “She could use a pseudonym.”
“Hmm.” Jenny smiled. “Ever heard of Stealthy?”
“Yes, apparently he’s an amazing painter,” Hopper said. “And gaining popularity quickly.”
“She,” Jenny said.
“She?” Phelan asked hoarsely.
“She,” Tammy reiterated.
“Tammy?” Hopper asked.
Jenny didn’t respond verbally just raised her eyebrow in acknowledgement. The twinkle of pride in her eye quickly changed to one of determination. “Now, what are you two going to do about gaining my daughter’s trust?”
“How can we do that when she won’t even stay in our house, let alone our bed?” Phelan ground his teeth.
“You boys need to spend some time with my mates. Royal and Talon can give you lessons in romance and courting. If you win Tammy’s trust, you’ll have her heart. She already loves you, but she’s spent eight long years ignoring her feelings and keeping you out. She’s forgotten how to be the fun-loving girl she used to be. You need to bring that part of her back and break down those walls.”
Hopper nodded. He had no idea how to do that but maybe spending time talking with Royal and Talon would be the step in the right direction.
They would need to watch how the other mated sabears interacted with their women and learn how to woo their mate back into their arms, bed, and hearts.
* * * *
When Hopper and Phelan had left, Tammy had cried a bucket of tears, but once the storm was over, she found herself back at the easel. She’d finished the outlines she wanted on the canvas in pencil and then she started painting. She had no idea how long she’d been working, but from her aching stiff muscles, it had been far too long. After cleaning up the brushes and putting the paints away, she stood back from the painting and stared at it. It was a perfect depiction of her mates standing on the shore of the coast but she’d also drawn in their sabears standing at their sides. The sun was shining brightly and snow covered the ground with the blue of the ocean as a backdrop.
Her insides quivered as she stared into her mates’ eyes. They were the only part of them she’d completed but they were so lifelike she could barely make herself look away. When her stomach growled and she glanced at her watch, she realized if she didn’t get a move on she would miss one of her mom’s famous stealth get-togethers.
Her mother had knocked on the studio door hours earlier and called through the closed entrance that she was putting on a spread. Tammy had no idea why her mom had decided on an impromptu gathering, but she was looking forward to it, and also dreading it.
She hadn’t seen much of her best friend, Celeste, over the last few days since she, her brother, and Hodge were still in the honeymoon stage of their relationship. Tammy had no idea how long that was supposed to last, but guessed it was different for each couple, or trio, or whatever the case may be.
Tammy turned the incomplete painting away from the door and then headed out. She was covered in paint and would need to shower and change before dinner. She glanced about as she stepped out of her art room, sighing with relief when she didn’t see anyone, and hurried to her room.
She had a quick shower, brushed her teeth and hair, and dressed in her normal clothes of jeans and long-sleeved shirt. She thought about applying some makeup and fixing her hair, but she’d never been into dressing up much. Tammy liked to be comfortable and didn’t care for the whole rigmarole of making herself look different. She was who she was and if anyone didn’t like that, tough shit.
When she was ready, Tammy drew in a deep breath, wiped her face of all expression, and headed out toward the living room. The deep murmur of voices was a pleasant hum through the house, but when she heard Hopper laugh, she changed direction and entered the kitchen. She wasn’t sure she was ready to face her mates just yet. She was still hurting over Hopper’s and Phelan’s indifference toward her.
“Hi, honey, can you set the tables, please?” her mom asked.
“Sure.” Tammy inhaled the delicious aroma of cooking food as she hurried across to the dining section of the massive room. She stared at the second table that had been set up in the dining area. There weren’t enough stealth members to fill both tables. Tammy frowned as she tried to figure out who else her mom had asked to dinner. Luckily, the room was big enough to hold whoever was coming.
Her mom and dads had drawn up their house to accommodate having all the members of the stealth in their home from time to time. Her fathers had been the alphas of their people before they handed the reins over to Tarik. Although her parents were no longer the official leaders of the stealth, they still invited everyone over for dinner at least once a month. Her mom was the complete opposite of Tammy, and loved to socialize. Maybe that was another reason her mates were so standoffish with her. Did they expect her to be like her mom?
“That was a big sigh,” her mom said. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”
“I’m fine.” Tammy forced a smile and knew she hadn’t put anything over her mother when Jenny narrowed her eyes at her. “Who’s all coming for dinner? And why are you cooking for everyone again?”
“The usual people and some of the construction workers.”
Tammy nodded, and though she wasn’t looking forward to spending time with strangers, she didn’t say anything. It wasn’t her place to tell her mother who she could and couldn’t invite into her home. She just hoped that Craig wasn’t coming. There was something about him that set her hackles to rising. She didn’t like the way he’d looked at her the day she’d accidentally crashed into him, and though she’d been there to help out at the resort a couple of times since, she made sure to stay as far from him as possible. Thankfully, nearly all the construction work was done and Tammy was hoping that Craig and his crew would be leaving the island soon.
“Tammy!” Celeste called as she entered the room. “Where’ve you been hiding yourself, girlfriend? I haven’t seen you for days.”
Tammy hugged Celeste after she placed the last of the silverware on the table, then drew back to look at her friend. She looked so damn happy, but her face was a lot paler than normal.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m wonderful.” Cel
este giggled.
Tammy studied her friend more closely. She’d never been a giggler and even though she looked tired and pale, there was a gleam in her eyes she’d never seen before. “It’s not me that’s been hiding. You’ve hardly left the house since you mated and married my brother and his friend.”
Celeste blushed but nodded in agreement.
Tammy inhaled through her nose and when she realized her friend’s scent was different, she knew why Celeste was pale and why her mom was putting on the dinner. She leaned up on tiptoes and whispered into Celeste’s ear. “You’re pregnant.”
Celeste smiled and nodded.
“Oh. My. God.” Tammy glanced about to make sure no one was listening since she didn’t want to spill the beans, but all the members of the stealth would know what was what if they got a whiff of Celeste. “Congratulations. I’m going to be an aunt.”
“You are.” Celeste smiled.
“Thank you.” Tammy blinked rapidly to dispel the tears burning the back of her eyes.
“For what?”
“For making my brother and Hodge so happy. For coming to our isolated island for your vacation. For being the best friend and the sister of my heart.”
“Stop”—Celeste sniffed as she squeezed Tammy tight—“you’re making me cry. Stupid hormones.”
Tammy chuckled as she released Celeste and turned to meet her mom’s gaze. “What else do you need me to do, Mom?”
“You can start setting the food warming in the ovens on the counter,” Jenny said.
“What about me, Jenny?” Celeste asked. “What can I do?”
“There are jugs of unsweetened tea in the fridge that need to go on the table.”
Tammy grabbed the oven mitts and started getting the huge platters of meat from the ovens. Her mom must have been cooking all day. There was a huge roast beef and lamb as well as steak, chicken, and roast pork. Tammy salivated as she carefully carried the food to the bench. All the meat had been carved and was ready to go. Since she hadn’t stopped working all day, she’d skipped lunch, and the last time she’d eaten had been around three that morning. She was so hungry she felt as if she could eat all the beef on her own.