Sugar Creek 2: Melissa's Acceptance (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Becca Van

  “Did you find who shot me?”

  The conversation around the room ceased and everyone looked to the head of the table where Lucien, Tessa, Gabe, and Rafe were seated.

  “Damian found him,” Tessa answered, and lowered her head for a moment before meeting her gaze again. “The man who shot you was my ex. He was incarcerated in a mental institution six months ago, but managed to escape somehow. Damian found him hiding up a tree a long way from the house. He had a sniper rifle with a scope and shot you. As he was trying to get off the property, Damian saw him and knocked him out. He’s back in that facility and under tighter security.”

  “That’s good,” Melissa said. “I’m glad he didn’t hurt you.”

  “Thank you,” Tessa replied with tears in her eyes.

  Melissa nodded. The conversation took on lighter tones and Melissa decided now was a good a time as any to broach the subject of the wolf she could feel pacing under the surface of her skin.

  “Does it hurt to change?” she asked in a near whisper, but she should have known that everyone else would be able to hear her. Once again the conversations going on around her petered out.

  “Not really,” Luke said. “It’s more like an ache the first few times. Sort of like growing pains.”

  “Thank God for that.” She sighed.

  “How long have you known, baby?” Damian asked.

  “From the moment I first woke up.”

  Damian and Luke each clasped one of her hands in theirs.

  “You won’t be alone, honey.” Luke kissed the back of her hand. “We’ll be right alongside you.”

  Melissa nodded and hoped that she didn’t make a fool of herself by crying or shouting when she changed from human to wolf.

  Chapter Ten

  Damian stood beside Melissa amongst the trees at the back of their cabin, with Luke on her other side. His mate looked around nervously, as if expecting other members of the pack to join them. He took her hands in his and felt how clammy they were with her nervousness.

  “Don’t be worried, baby. I’ve asked that everyone stay away from this area for your first change.”

  Melissa nodded her head and leaned into Luke when his brother came up behind her. “Do you trust us, honey?”

  “Yes,” Melissa answered, immediately and with conviction.

  “That’s good, baby. You need to take off all your clothes.”

  Melissa gulped audibly but her fingers went to the buttons of her shirt and began to undo them. Once she was naked, Damian and Luke removed their clothes, too.

  “Now, we want you to concentrate, Mel.” Luke stepped away from her. “Try and connect with the animal inside you and when you feel that itching feeling, don’t try and block it or push it back, but embrace it and try to pull it forward.”

  Melissa did what they said and the itching feeling left as fur began to spread over her skin and her fingernails grew into claws.

  “You’re doing great, baby,” Damian praised. “Now get down on your hands and knees and relax.”

  Again, Melissa obeyed and the ache in her body intensified as her muscles began to move and her bones reshaped. And when the ache receded, she looked down to see that she had paws.

  “You’re a gorgeous wolf, Mel” Luke said.

  “Stunning.” Damian moved toward her and threaded his fingers through her fur.

  Luke walked over and scratched behind her ears, causing her to groan.

  Damian was in awe of the different colors in her coat. There were streaks of blonde, brown, gold, red, and her ears were half-black and half-brown. He’d never seen such a delicately feminine, pretty wolf, and she was all theirs. He was eager to run with her, so he called on his wolf and let the change take him over. Luke wasn’t far behind him.

  When the transformation was complete, he nudged Melissa’s side. “Run, baby.”

  Melissa jumped and Damian assumed it was because he had spoken to her in her mind.

  “You can talk to me?”

  “Yes, honey, and you can talk to us,” Luke said.

  “Oh my God. This is amazing.”

  Luke nudged her this time and she took off running. Damian couldn’t believe how fast she was. If he and Luke didn’t have longer legs, he wasn’t sure they would be able to keep up with her. She ran and ran, skirting trees, leaping over fallen branches and trunks, and even sniffed out a rabbit or two to chase. By the time they reached the large pond, she was panting heavily.

  Melissa walked to the edge of the water and looked down at her reflection, and after a couple of moments, she drank. When her thirst was quenched she waited while he and Luke drank, and then they turned back toward home.

  Damian was surprised and proud when Melissa turned back to her human form without any help from him or Luke. When they were all dressed again, they went inside.

  “Did you have fun, honey?” Luke asked once they were all sitting on the sofa with a cup of coffee in hand.

  “That was…amazing. I have never felt anything like that in my life. It was so freeing. I could smell and see everything. My God, any wonder you guys love being in your animal forms. Everything just seems so much more—intense.”

  “You are the sexiest wolf I have ever seen. I can’t wait until we can run together again.” Damian wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side.

  “I loved it. It was so exhilarating. I can’t wait to do it again either.”

  “We have the rest of our lives to play in our wolf form.” Luke kissed her forehead.

  “Baby, I know you’re probably not ready and I don’t want you to feel that we are trying to push you in any way, but do you think you’ll want to move in with us permanently, soon?” Damian asked.

  Melissa placed her coffee mug on the coffee table and then rubbed at her forehead.

  “What’s wrong, honey? Talk to us, Mel,” Luke demanded in a firm voice, and from the look on his brother’s face, he was just as surprised by his austerity as Damian was.

  “I do want to move in. In fact, I never want to leave.”

  Relief coursed through Damian at his mate’s words, but underlying them, he’d heard a “but.”

  Obviously, so had Luke. “But?”

  “I’m worried about what my sister, Sara, will think.” Melissa sighed. “I thought I’d already told you that.”

  “We just wanted to make sure nothing else was bothering you, honey.” Luke placed a light kiss on her lips.

  “Do you think she’ll be against you because you have two men or that she’ll freak out when she finds out that we are werewolves?” Damian asked.

  “Sara is pretty broad minded and I already told you I don’t think she’d have a problem with me being with the both of you.”

  “So it’s the werewolf thing?” Luke asked.

  Melissa nodded and looked at Luke and then Damian.

  “You don’t have to tell her,” Damian suggested. “Let her get used to us first before telling her what we are.”

  “She’s not stupid, Damian. She probably already knows something weird is going on.”

  “Did you call her?” Luke asked.

  Melissa looked a little guilty and Damian knew the answer before she voiced it.

  “The day after I first arrived, but not since then. My cell phone is flat.”

  “You could have used one of ours, or the house phone, baby. You have to call her before she goes to the police and files a missing person’s report.”

  “Shit! I didn’t even think of that.”

  Damian helped her from the sofa and led her into the kitchen He picked up the cordless handset and gave it to Melissa. “Call her now, baby.”

  Melissa took the phone and then started dialing. Damian used his wolf hearing so that if the other end was answered, he would be able to hear both sides of the conversation. He didn’t want his mate to become upset and if her sister got a little belligerent, he had every intention of taking over the conversation. No one was going to upset his mate, not even her si
ster.

  “Hello?”

  “Sara?”

  “Mel? Oh my God, sis. Where are you? Are you all right? I was going to go to the police tomorrow and report you missing.”

  “I’m fine, Sara.”

  “Where the hell are you?”

  “Still with the men who have been looking after me.”

  “Are you still near that Shifter Inn?”

  “Sort of.”

  “What do you mean sort of? You tell me right now where you are, Melissa Wise.”

  “I’m only half an hour away from that inn. I’m fine Sara. I’ve fallen in love with two wonderful, sexy handsome men and I want to stay with them forever.”

  “Let me talk to them, Mel,” Sara demanded.

  “Sara…”

  “Right now, Melissa.”

  Damian took the phone when Melissa handed it to him. He hated seeing that his mate was becoming agitated, and hoped he could ease her and her sister’s mind when he spoke to her. Luke wrapped her up in his arms so and held her close, kissing her on the forehead in a show of affection.

  “Sara, this is Damian Aerth. I am one of the men who’s been looking after Melissa.” When there was total silence he continued talking. “My brother, Luke, and I have fallen in love with Melissa and we are going to ask her to marry us. I would be really grateful if you would give us your blessing.”

  Damian kept his eyes on Melissa the whole time he spoke to Sara, and he saw tears pool in her eyes and then she was looking at him with so much love and emotion he couldn’t wait to get off the phone. It was really hard to concentrate when Sara began speaking but he managed to reply when she asked for his address. He heard her rifling through what sounded like a drawer for a pen. It was hard to contain a chuckle when she muttered, “never a damn pen around when I need one.” He gave her their address and then the phone clicked in his ear. Damian had a feeling they would be meeting his mate’s sister very soon.

  “She hung up?” Melissa asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Did you mean it?” she asked in a near whisper.

  “I never say anything I don’t mean.”

  Melissa sobbed and then held a hand out to him. He moved closer and grasped her hand.

  “I love you, baby.”

  “I love you, honey,” Luke said against her ear.

  “I love you, too. I love you both so much.”

  “Thank God!”

  The tears in her eyes spilled over and onto her cheeks. She’d never looked more beautiful.

  Damian couldn’t find his voice, he was so choked up with emotion, so he let his body talk for him. He leaned down and took her mouth with a gentle yet passionate kiss. Trying to convey all the love he felt for her with his actions, he swept his tongue over her lips, seeking permission to enter her mouth. When she opened up to him, he groaned and pushed his tongue into the moist recess. He sucked and nibbled at her lips as he gathered her close to his body with his arms and deepened the kiss until he felt mindless with desire. After a long, thorough kiss, he slowly weaned his mouth from hers, then gazed into her eyes, before stepping back and letting Luke turn her into his arms.

  Luke had her panting, moaning and squirming in seconds. Melissa wrapped her arms around Luke’s neck, stood up on tiptoes and planted her mouth on his. The kiss was hot, wild, and hungry and Damian needed to make love to her again. He felt almost desperate with his need and he was shaking, but Melissa came first and he didn’t want her or her sister falling out with each other because he was being selfish. He had years to make love to his mate.

  “As much as I, we, want to continue this and take you to bed, I think we should head to your place, baby. I have a feeling if your sister doesn’t see you soon she is going to come looking for you.”

  “Okay.” Melissa stepped aside with a sigh and then headed out of the kitchen. “I’ll be ready to go in a couple of minutes. I just need to use the bathroom.”

  Luke turned to him when Melissa left the room and kept his voice so quiet Damian had to use his wolf to hear what he was saying. “Do you think her sister is going to give her blessing?”

  “I don’t know.” Damian scrubbed a hand over his face. “Other than demanding our address, she hardly said a word.”

  “If she comes here looking for Mel, it could cause problems for the pack. The last thing we need is a human seeing one of us changing forms and telling the whole world.”

  “Hopefully Sara will be happy enough just seeing that her sister is safe and sound and won’t ask too many questions.”

  “Do you believe that?” Luke asked.

  “No.” Damian began to pace. “We deal with this one step at a time and hope that everything pans out.”

  “And if it doesn’t?”

  Luke could be such a pessimist and although it was good to look at all the different angles, Damian didn’t want to borrow trouble before it happened. He would look for ways to cross the bridge when he got to it. He didn’t get to reply to Luke’s question, but he shot his brother a warning look, telling him to keep his mouth shut when he heard Melissa returning.

  “Are you ready, baby?”

  “Yeah, let’s go.”

  * * * *

  Melissa unlocked the door to her apartment, leading the way to her small kitchen as Damian and Luke followed. She pushed the “play” button on her answering machine and listened to the messages as she filled the kettle and got down coffee mugs from the cupboard. Her sister had left several messages asking her to call her as soon as she got home, which she had expected.

  The last message on her machine took her by surprise. Wesley Sands had left a message apologizing for the way he had treated her. He asked for her to call him because he wanted to see her. She spun around in surprise when she heard a low growling noise coming from her two mates.

  She ignored their blustering as she set about making them coffee and placed it on the small table where they had taken a seat. And then called Sara again.

  “Good. How about I bring some takeout over for dinner? I want you to meet Damian and Luke. Okay, we’ll be there around eight. Love you, see you soon.” She disconnected the call and turned to her men. “You have nothing to worry about you know.”

  “About what, honey?” Luke asked.

  “Wesley. I don’t want anything do to with him. I’m not going to call him,” Melissa said sincerely.

  “It’s not you we don’t trust, Mel. Any other male in your life who is not related to you is perceived as a threat by our wolves. It is a natural instinct, baby. You would feel exactly the same way with us. Your wolf would also wish to express her displeasure,” Damian explained.

  “Hmm. Okay, I can try and relate to that. Thanks for explaining your reaction to me.” Melissa knew that the only way to make their relationship work was communication. If they kept the line of communication open to her and her to them, and explained the reasons they reacted as they did, she would have no reason to become annoyed with them and vice versa. At least she hoped so. But love was the most important ingredient and they already had that so everything should be okay.

  Melissa was about to say they should get going when someone pounded loudly on her front door.

  Trepidation ran the length of her spine and even though she was afraid to answer the door—she had a feeling she already knew who was knocking—she went to answer it anyway. Her fears were confirmed when she opened the door and ended up face to face with Wesley Sands.

  “Hi, Melissa. Did you get my message?” Wesley didn’t wait for an answer. He jumped ahead with his explanation and apology. “I’m really very sorry for the way I treated you that night. I came to apologize to your face and to ask if you would be willing to give me another chance. I’d really like to take you out to dinner tonight if you’re not doing anything?”

  Melissa didn’t get the chance to answer. The door was snatched from her hands. She was abruptly picked up and moved away from the door. She found herself standing behind her two mates. They were blocking her
with their bodies and trying to protect her from Wesley. If she hadn’t been so mad at them, it would have made her laugh. Wesley was no threat to her.

  “Melissa is not going out with you, nor will she ever be seeing you again. So I suggest you leave right now,” Damian said in a steely, growly voice.

  “Melissa, what’s going on? Who are these two Neanderthals?”

  “Uh…I wouldn’t insul—” Melissa didn’t get to finish her warning. Damian stepped forward until he was virtually standing on top of Wesley.

  “Melissa will not be going on any dates now or in the future, with you or any other man. She is married to us. You had your chance and blew it. Leave now.” Damian snarled.

  Wesley looked from one man to the other and started backing away from the door. Melissa was secretly pleased with her mates’ show of possessiveness but she couldn’t let them speak for her all the time. Even though she was mad, she was also happy that they were taking such good care of her and protecting her.

  “Seems I was right about you all along, you dirty little slut,” Wesley muttered darkly. He was about to turn away, but before he could, a hard fist slammed into his eye and cheek. The blow knocked him to the ground and he yelped in pain.

  “You ever insult my wife again, you slimy little bastard, you will not live to see another day. I suggest if you value your life, you get your ass off Melissa’s property right now.” Luke snarled.

  The threatening rumble of his voice made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

  Wesley gained his feet, swaying slightly before he ran to his car, then he sped away with a squeal of tires.

  Damian and Luke watched him drive away and then Damian slammed the door closed, ushering her back toward the kitchen.

  “Maybe he wasn’t gay after all, just an ignorant dirt-bag,” Melissa muttered then she looked at Luke. “Was violence really necessary?”

  “Was I supposed to let him get away with insulting you?” Luke asked, glaring at her.

  “You could have handled it without violence, Luke.” Melissa sighed. She was not a submissive female, at least anywhere other than the bedroom, and her men were very dominant. She just didn’t see how their relationship would survive if they were going to take over and fight her battles for her. She knew there would be times when she would be grateful for their intervention, but not all the time. She and her men would be arguing constantly if they tried to rule her life.