by Becca Van
Tammy tried to remember if she’d ever heard her mom talking about her pregnancies, but other than her mother saying she and Tarik were miracles to her, she couldn’t remember her ever talking about being pregnant. Nor her dads for that matter.
“The usual,” Tarik said as he walked over to the sofa. He scooped Celeste up from the cushion, settled where his mate had been sitting, and placed Celeste in his lap.
Tammy watched the interaction between her brother and her best friend. Even though Celeste was obviously feeling under the weather, the love shining from their eyes when they gazed at each other was there for the world to see. She smiled as she remembered declaring her love for her mates and them reciprocating. She was happier than she’d ever been in her life and hoped to have a cub or two of her own whenever that happened, but she was content to spend as much time with Hopper and Phelan in the meantime.
Tarik inhaled noisily and deeply through his nose and met her gaze. A slow smile crossed his lips. “You’ve fully mated. Congrats, short-stuff.”
“Thanks.” Tammy sighed.
“‘Bout time those guys got their heads out of their asses,” Celeste said with a smirk. “Come here, girlfriend.”
Tammy rose from the armchair she’d been sitting in and hurried over to the sofa, sitting on the cushion beside her brother and sister of her heart.
Celeste leaned forward and hugged her. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks. Me, too.” Tammy squeezed Celeste before drawing back. “Is there anything I can get you or do for you?”
“No.” Celeste shook her head. “I’ll be fine in a couple of hours.”
“Okay, but if you change your mind, text me or send Tarik or Hodge to come get me. I’ll be spending the day in my studio.”
“Do they know yet?” Celeste asked.
“I don’t think so.”
“Know what?” Tarik asked with a frown.
“You know the painting I had shipped from Seattle?”
Tarik nodded and glanced toward the wall above the hearth. He stared at the painting and then without speaking rose, taking Celeste with him, before turning and seating her back on the sofa. He walked over toward the fireplace and studied the winter wonderland landscape. When he drew in a deep audible breath, Tammy knew he’d just realized who the artist was. He turned and locked gazes with her. “You painted this. I had no idea…I’m sorry I didn’t…geezus, sprite, you’re fucking amazing.”
Pride and love flowed through her veins and she smiled at her brother. “Thanks.”
“I’d seen some snippets on the internet about the upcoming artist called Stealth, but I never twigged that it had something to do with us. I’m so proud of you, sis.”
Tammy didn’t know what to say so she nodded instead. “I need to get going. I have some work to do.”
“Have you ever painted a portrait?” Tarik asked.
Tammy tilted her head and thought about the canvas she’d started of her mates as well as their animals. It wasn’t her first attempt at a portrait, in fact, she painted about ten portraits. Five each of Phelan and Hopper, however, none of them were as good as she’d like them to be, but she wasn’t about to tell her brother about them. “No.”
“Do you think you’d ever want to?”
“Maybe,” she replied noncommittedly.
“Think about it, sis. I’d bet whatever you painted would be amazing.”
“I don’t know about that, but if I ever did, what or who would you want me to paint?”
“Celeste,” Tarik answered without any hesitation.
Tammy nodded. “I’ll think about it.”
After hugging her brother and best friend, Tammy hurried out and headed toward her studio. She had a lot of work to do and since her creative juices seemed to be flowing she was going to make the most of it. If the painting was acceptable she planned to do another portrait of Celeste as a present for her brother and Hodge. She didn’t need her friend to sit still for hours on end for her. Tammy had more than enough photos she could use for a portrait of her friend and though she could fall back on the photos that had been plastered across magazines far and wide, she wouldn’t. That wasn’t the real Celeste and Tammy wanted to paint her friend when she wasn’t posing or guarding against the real woman inside. She had a feeling Tarik and Hodge would love that more than having a portrait of the supermodel Celestial.
Tammy spent hours in her studio painting. She’d been concentrating so hard and so long, her shoulders and neck were aching. She’d been so wrapped up in her work, she’d totally zoned out. After glancing at her watch and seeing it was almost dinnertime, she started cleaning up.
Christmas was less than a month away and Tammy was hellbent on finishing the painting for her mates so she could give it to them as a gift. And the end of January was the showing in Chicago. She’d told Celeste, her mom, and her dads about the invite to the Chicago Institute of Art, but no one else. She was still a little hurt that her mates hadn’t asked much about her painting, but hoped now they’d settled their differences and were fully mated, that they’d become more interested in her life. She wanted to ask them to come to Chicago with her, but she wouldn’t be saying anything unless they showed some interest in her career choice.
None of the guys in the stealth were cultured in the artistic side of life except for the furniture her brother and Hodge carved by hand from the large hunks of wood they had flown or shipped in from the mainland, and that made her angry. Sometimes she thought that her mates and the other men in Savoonga were only interested in what they did.
Tammy sighed because she knew she wasn’t being fair. She was stubborn to the point of being spiteful and she suspected that one day soon, her spiteful traits were going to get her into trouble. However, she’d learned to keep her own counsel and never talked about herself or what she liked to do with anyone other than Celeste. Maybe she should just bite the bullet and start telling her mates what she was doing with her time. Oh, she knew they knew she spent her time painting, but they never asked what she painted or if she was successful.
She shook her head as she stepped away from her easel and studied her work in progress. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart flipped as she stared at Phelan and Hopper. She’d finished painting their human forms and could barely believe what she was seeing. The two-dimensional images were near perfect in her eyes. Just seeing their blue eyes looking at her had her body responding. There was such heat in their gazes and she was mesmerized by the ethereal glow behind their eyes. And the emotion she’d captured in their gazes had tears burning the back of her eyes. Tammy had finally managed to capture the true essence of her mates on canvas.
Tomorrow she would start working on their animal forms and after she’d gotten their sabears down to her satisfaction, she’d work on the background. She would finish this painting a few days before Christmas if not before that so it could dry and then she’d wrap it and hide it away until it was time to give it to them. She just hoped her mates liked it as much as she did.
* * * *
Craig glanced about the restaurant, bar-type resort and clenched his jaw tight. The work was nearly done and though he’d tried to spend time with Tammy, he’d barely seen her. Time was running out for him to make his move, but he wouldn’t be leaving Savoonga until he’d gotten what he wanted. Tammy underneath him.
After making sure no one was taking any notice of him, he headed out the back door into the cool air. Keeping to the shadows along the side of the houses, Craig hurried toward the house he’d seen Tammy carried into a few days ago. The two men weren’t home because he’d seen them in the general store when he’d gazed out the front window of the restaurant section to the resort-type building. If he was lucky, they’d be at the store for at least another hour or two, which would give him the time he needed to get a piece of the sexy, little slut.
He glanced around and then crept up toward the windows to the bedrooms. The curtains and blinds were wide open and he muttered under
his breath when he saw they were all empty.
Craig was just debating on whether to enter the house to check out the rest of the home when he caught movement from the corner of his eye. He pressed himself hard up against the side of the house as he crouched beside the stairs leading to the front door. When a snicker formed in his chest, he had to swallow it back down so he didn’t alert her to his presence. She seemed lost in thought as she strode toward the house and toward him.
This was perfect.
He was in the right place at the right time for a change and now he’d be able to get what he’d been craving for weeks. This was his final chance and he wasn’t about to walk away. Now was his chance.
* * * *
An unfamiliar scent drifted to Tammy on the breeze. She frowned as she inhaled deeply through her nose and though she couldn’t determine where she’d smelled the fragrance before, she knew she had. She had a feeling her lack of memory was due to the head injury she’d sustained a week or so before, and she delved deeper into her recollections as she tried to figure out where and when she’d smelled that aroma before.
Just as she placed her foot on the bottom step to her mates’ house, she figured out who that scent belonged to. She was just about to turn around but a large, callused, sweaty hand clamped down over her mouth. Tammy’s first instinct was to fight, and though she knew she’d have no trouble getting out of this unfortunate situation, her curiosity was piqued.
Craig Bingham was standing behind her with one hand over her mouth and his other arm was locked around her waist. She shivered with revulsion when his stinky breath caressed over her ear before wafting to her nose.
“If you make a sound or try to fight me, your friend Celeste will die. One of my friends has taken a liking to her and he was able to get her out of her house about half an hour ago.”
You fucking bastard, Tammy screamed in her head as panic assailed her, but not for herself. She was scared for her pregnant best friend.
“We’re going to go inside. You’re going to give me what I want. If you don’t the other woman dies. My friend is waiting for word from me. If he hasn’t heard from me in an hour, he’ll slit the bitch’s throat.”
Anger permeated Tammy so fast and hard she started to shake. She knew the asshole thought she was scared when he chuckled, but as soon as Tammy knew Celeste was safe, he would be laughing from the other side of his face.
“Tarik, where’s Celeste?” Tammy contacted her brother using their private link.
There was no point in worrying her mates when she could take care of this bastard herself. If Hopper and Phelan realized what was happening they’d let their inner beasts free and that would be a very big problem. Plus, there was the fact she hadn’t tried to contact her mates after agreeing to mate with them. Although she was sure now that she’d knocked down the walls she’d wrapped around her heart and was wide open to them that she’d have no problem talking to them using her mind.
She was worried about her mates losing control and letting them animals free since there were other humans on this island. If word got out that Savoonga housed sabear shifters, their isolated island would be inundated by the paparazzi, the armed forces, and scientists. The people of St. Lawrence Island would never have a moment’s peace again, but what was worse was what those scientists would do to her mates, her parents, and her friends. Her stomach flipped sickeningly as she imagined them all being dissected in the name of science. That would be far worse than being shot and killed by the military.
“She’s here with me. What’s wrong, short-stuff?” Tarik asked.
“Nothing,” Tammy lied. “I just had a horrible feeling something was wrong.”
“Tammy? What’s really…”
Tammy cut her brother off by building up the walls she’d become so proficient at keeping around her heart and mind for the last eight years. She just hoped that her mates hadn’t felt her fear through their bond. Although it wasn’t as strong as the bond Tarik and Hodge had with Celeste, or the one her dads had with her mom, it was strengthening bit by bit every day. However, now wasn’t the time for her men to lose their shit and let their sabears out for all the world to see—or capture on video. With the rapid advancement of technology, anyone on the island would be able to capture her mates shifting just by pressing a button on their phones. It was her job to protect her mates as much as it was their job to protect her.
Tammy let Craig guide her into the house. Everything inside of her hated that he was invading her mate’s private sanctity, but if she was going to teach this fucker a lesson, she didn’t want anyone seeing her take him down. She could explain her speed and strength away by saying she was a martial arts expert, but she wasn’t. She would use any means necessary to get this bastard out of her home and off the island, but she had to let him make the first move. If she came at him first she could end up being charged with assault and or being sued. By letting him move first, she was within her rights to defend herself no matter the outcome.
However, there was only one outcome that was detrimental to her safety and her mates’ sanity. Tammy was playing to win and wouldn’t stop until it was game over with her coming out as the victor.
Tammy forced a soft sob out of her mouth when Craig shoved her toward the sofa. She stumbled and quickly turned so that when she fell she dropped onto the sofa cushion, but also so that she was facing Craig.
“What do you want?” Tammy asked in a small, frightened voice. Inside she was seething with anger, but for now she’d play the scared, helpless woman.
“You know what I want. You’ve known from the day you deliberately crashed into me.”
Tammy fought the instinct to roll her eyes. This guy was so full of himself he was arrogantly egotistical. Well, she was about to teach the fucker a lesson he’d never forget, and hopefully, when she was done, he would think twice about ever trying to force himself on a woman again.
Tammy tried to keep the anger from her face and gaze as she stared at him, but knew she’d failed when he smirked at her. She also didn’t like the fact he had an added advantage over her since he was still standing, so she stood.
“Sit down.” Craig glared and pointed at the sofa.
“No.” Tammy crossed her arms beneath her breasts and lifted her chin belligerently.
“Oh, you’re going to be fun to tame, you little slut. Do you think I don’t know you’ve been doing two men at the same time? They can’t be very good if you need more than one man to give it to you.” Craig grabbed at his crotch.
Tammy swallowed the bile in her throat when she followed the movement of his hand, but when he removed his hand from his denim-covered cock, she almost choked on laughter. He wasn’t anywhere near as well-endowed in the penis department as her mates. He was probably of average size, but after having the best when she was making love with the men she loved, he was nothing. No, he was less than nothing.
“I’ve seen bigger dicks on babies,” Tammy stated calmly.
Red crept up Craig’s face and suffused his cheeks. Veins on the sides and the middle of his forehead popped out and from the way the muscles in his jaw were ticking, he was about to break a tooth from clamping his jaw down so hard.
She didn’t move as she waited to see what he’d do since she’d just taken his manhood into question.
She didn’t have to wait long. He unclenched his fists flexing his fingers and shifted from one foot to the other, and then he came at her.
Tammy was ready for him.
His right hand was out stretched toward her ready to strike or grab her, but she had sabear DNA which made her faster and stronger than this bastard would ever be. She sidestepped him at the last minute and laughed out loud as he fell onto the sofa. He rolled over, scrambled back to his feet, and roared with fury.
Tammy ran a couple of steps away from the sofa and the coffee table so that she wouldn’t hurt herself when she struck out or kicked him in case he managed to get the upper hand, but she wasn’t worried in the lea
st. He charged at her again, but instead of sidestepping, she took a step toward him and raised her foot, kicking him as hard as she could in the knee. The sickening crack of bone breaking or dislocating echoed through the room just before he screamed in agony.
Tammy was about to rush to the kitchen and search for something to tie the fucker up with but she didn’t get the chance. The door burst open, separating from its hinges before slamming into the wall behind.
“What the fuck?” Phelan roared as he stalked toward Craig. His eyes were glowing and there was so much anger in his gaze, he looked as if he was about to burst, or let his inner animal loose.
Tammy stepped in front of him and placed her hand on his chest stroking over his pecs hoping to calm him down. When Hopper skirted Phelan and aimed for Craig with a purposeful stride, she quickly reached out and grabbed his wrist. Hopper stopped, turned, and met her gaze. She began speaking but kept her voice low so the whimpering, moaning ass writhing on the floor wouldn’t hear her words. “You need to calm down. Your eyes are glowing. If you don’t get a hold of your animals, he’s going to know something is different about you.”
“He tried to hurt you,” Phelan said in a low, growly voice. “You think I’m going to fucking let him get away with that?”
“He didn’t touch me,” Tammy whispered urgently. “Look at him. Take a deep breath and really look at him. I took care of the asshole. He either has a busted or dislocated knee.”
“What’s going on?” Tarik asked as he stepped over the threshold.
Tammy peeked at her brother and sighed when she saw the fierceness on his face. He took the room in with a quick glance before moving closer to her and her mates. He came and stood at her side, grasped her chin and turned her gaze toward his. “Start explaining.”
Tammy inwardly sighed over all the testosterone-ridden drama, but she knew if she didn’t tell her brother and her mates what had happened that mayhem and destruction would be the result, and that wouldn’t bode well for any of them.