by R. E. Butler
Scarlett added honey to her hot tea while Wes finished gathering their meal. “So where are the mates?”
“Sam and Lachlyn both work at the elementary school. Sam’s a teacher and Lachlyn is a library assistant. Jilly is probably with the panthers. She’s supposed to start community college, but she missed the deadline for the fall semester, so she’s probably going to start in January. I think Melody is at the hardware store with her mates. I overheard them yesterday talking about her taking pictures around the store for a new flyer for the owners.”
“I know I said I wanted to get my teaching certificate, but I kind of don’t want to do that right now.”
“Oh?” He picked up the tray and followed her up the stairs.
“No. I think once the baby is born, I’m not going to want to leave him to go to college or to work. I’ve always pictured myself staying home with my kids the way my mom did. Not because I have to, but because I want to. Getting my teaching certificate in a few years sounds like a better idea to me. Some of my favorite memories as a child are of sitting in the kitchen with my mom after school and telling her about my day. If I’m taking classes or working, I would miss that. I don’t want to miss anything about our kids’ lives.”
“Ray and I want you to be happy, love. If you want to work, then you should. You know we’d make it work, and we’d never let anyone else raise our kids while we all worked. But if you want to stay home, that would be wonderful, too.”
“What was it like when you were in school? Did you always come home to an empty house?”
He shook his head. “No, our dad worked special hours at the tire factory. He would watch us get on the bus and then leave for work, but he’d be home in time to see us get off the bus after school. I didn’t know it until much later, but he worked two jobs at the plant. His regular job on the assembly line, and then he did light accounting from home after we were in bed. If he had to work late, Miles was always there for us.”
“You really don’t mind me wanting to stay home?”
“Nothing would make me happier. For our kids to see their mom when they come home from school – I would have given anything for that when I was young.”
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I was also thinking that I’d like to paint a mural in Peanut’s room.”
Wes smiled at the baby’s nickname. “That sounds neat. What kind of mural?”
“I don’t know. Mountain lions and baby animals, maybe. I just need a sketch pad so I can plan it out, and of course the walls need to be painted first.”
“We can get started on that after we finish our bedroom.” He shut the door with his elbow, set the tray down, and then locked the door. Although there was a rule in the house that no one went into a mated group’s room without knocking if the door was shut, it was always a good idea to keep the door locked, just in case.
Scarlett laid her robe over the chair in the corner and climbed onto the bed. Wes lifted the tray and turned, freezing as he saw Scarlett, naked, stretched out on the bed. Her body was laid out like a buffet, her head hanging over the edge of the bed as she smiled at him upside down. “Bring your sexy bod over here, Wes,” she purred, one hand reaching toward him while her other hand stroked down the center of her body.
His hands tightened on the tray and he looked down, wondering if he should suggest they eat first. “Wes.” She growled his name and even from several feet away, he could scent her arousal.
He set the tray down and closed the distance between them. The bed was high enough that her face was level with his crotch, and he could tell by the way she was grinning that she was happy about that. She twisted slightly and pushed up on his shirt. He took the unspoken cue and tugged the shirt over his head as she undid the button and zipper on his jeans. Freeing himself from his clothes, he sifted his hands through her hair as she stretched fully onto her back and wrapped a hand around his cock.
She stroked him from root to tip and then, with her free hand gripping his hip, she pulled him forward until his cock pressed between her lips. His head spun at the sheer pleasure of her mouth on him. Nothing had ever felt so good. Realizing he could choke her if he lost control and started humping her face like a horny puppy, he braced one hand on the bed to keep himself from hurting her, and lightly tweaked one nipple.
She squeaked and he grinned. While her tongue began to tease him, he danced his fingertips down her stomach. She uncrossed her legs, her hips tilting in invitation as he rubbed his fingers teasingly across her lower abdomen, brushing the soft skin at the apex of her thighs with his knuckles.
Slowly, he drew his fingertip down her pussy, stroking the soft, warm flesh with the barest of touches. She shivered with a soft moan and the sound traveled down his cock and made him respond in kind. Lightly, he teased her, not touching her firmly or for very long in any one spot. She growled and her hand released his hip and cupped his balls.
“Ah, fuck, Scarlett,” he groaned, pleasure heating his blood. His fingers tensed on the bed where he kept himself slightly away from her, and he ground his teeth and pushed away the pleasure that stormed over him. He knew he needed to make her come, but he didn’t want to come in her mouth first. He tugged her thigh, spreading her more fully for him, and circled the entrance to her body. After wetting his finger with her silky heat, he played with her clit in the way he’d found she loved best. He ignored her massaging fingers on his balls, which was no easy feat, and rubbed her clit, stopping to slip a finger back into her heat before returning to stroke her tight little bud. Her stomach fluttered and she moaned loudly. The scent of her arousal sweetened and deepened as his finger flew on her clit. Her toes curled just a heartbeat before her back bowed. He withdrew his cock from her mouth as she moaned deliciously, her body flushed pink with passion.
He moved around the bed and curled his arms under her hips, drawing her off the bed and onto his lap. Holding her firmly but gently, he drove into her as his release thundered down on him. She clutched him firmly, her fingers digging into his shoulders as he came, groaning her name.
She drew him forward and kissed him. “I love when you do that.”
Dropping his head to her shoulder as he breathed hard, he said, “Which part?”
“Um, all of it, but especially when you say my name when you come.”
Dragging his head up, he grinned. “I love when you say my name, too.”
“I would have done that, but my mouth was full.”
He lifted her onto the bed and straightened, kissing her stomach. He picked up their breakfast from the dresser and set it on the bed between them. While they ate, they talked about fixing up their room and the baby’s room, and her love of art. He’d never considered himself to be very artistic, but he enjoyed hearing Scarlett talk about taking painting and drawing classes in the summers when she was young.
“Melody and I sometimes did projects together, where she would take a photo and I would turn it into a painting. I like doing that, but I prefer to just do something from scratch, just me and my imagination and a ton of paint.”
“Did your mom send any of your supplies?” He’d noticed one box in the closet she had opened but not unpacked.
She chewed on a piece of strawberry and swallowed with a sigh. “Apparently a lot of my things were damaged when my father discovered that I’d disappeared, so she sent me what could be salvaged, which was only some brushes and a few other things.”
“What do you need for Peanut’s room?”
“Paint and larger brushes, plus of course I have to figure out what to put on the walls. I’d love it if you and Ray would shift for me so I could sketch you, and maybe have Mel take a picture of you guys so I can get your fur color right.”
He grinned. “You want to put us in the mural?”
“Of course.”
He leaned over the nearly-empty tray and kissed her. “After dinner, we can go to the hardware store for supplies.”
“No, after dinner I’m going out with the girls.”
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br /> He opened his mouth to protest her going anywhere without him or Ray and she stole a quick kiss to silence him. “You and Ray can come, but you have to swear to sit at a different table and not eavesdrop. Tristan and Micah told Melody she couldn’t go without them, even though Dylan and his cousins will be working tonight, so you and Ray might as well come. Sam, Rue, Lachlyn, Jilly, and Callie are pretty sure their mates won’t let them come alone, either. Lisa and Rhett are going to come over with Callie’s kids and hang out here with all the kids. It’ll be a big night out for everyone, but the girls sit alone.”
She pointed a finger at him to make her point and he kissed it with a chuckle. “Yes, ma’am.”
He wasn’t surprised that the mates were being extra protective of their females. He thought the pride was very vigilant when it came to protecting their mates and kids, but every now and then there was a small amount of terror that managed to get through their defenses, which made everyone more tense and concerned for the safety of those in the house.
They finished eating and Scarlett took a nap while he made a list of supplies for the work that needed to be done. He texted Ray to tell him to be home in time for the pride to head to Kickers, the only bar in town. Chase, Hunter, and Dylan had been working at Kickers since they came to town. Chase tended bar, Hunter was a bouncer, and Dylan cooked. Wes and Ray had spent many lonely nights hanging out in the bar, wondering what was happening to Scarlett.
Ray texted that he would be home in time to get ready, and asked how Scarlett was doing. Wes knew he was asking out of a place of concern for her, not that he didn’t trust his brother to take care of her.
Napping, Wes texted back.
I told Rhett that you’d be coming to work alone tomorrow, FYI.
Wes snorted. I’m not surprised. See you later.
He put the phone on the nightstand and yawned, then curled himself around Scarlett’s warm body and inhaled her sweet scent. A nap with his sweetheart sounded like heaven right about then. He’d think about having to go to work, alone, tomorrow.
Chapter 15
*Two Months Later*
Ray listened to Scarlett washing her hands in the bathroom as he tugged a sweater over his head. “Damn washable paint, my butt,” she growled under her breath, and Ray and Wes both chuckled.
She’d spent the last two months working on the mural in their baby’s room. It was turning out to be more amazing than Ray had expected. He knew that Scarlett was talented because he’d seen her sketch books and paintings, but he hadn’t known just how talented until he’d seen her begin to bring her sketches to life. The walls had started out as plain, freshly painted white, but were now coming to life with an entire forest of trees, plants, and lifelike baby animals. His favorite wall had two adult mountain lions lounging on a large tree, with several baby lions crawling around. Some of the babies had Scarlett’s brown eyes and some had the shades of green of Ray’s and Wes’s.
What had surprised him most was that she had painted herself into the imaginary woods as a wolf. When Wes had asked her about it, she’d said she didn’t want to be the only human in the mural, and that since some of their kids might be able to shift into wolves, she wanted them to know about both sides of their heritage. Her painted wolf form was lovely – petite and pale gray, with amber eyes and brightly painted pink toenails – something she said was very necessary to ensure that no one thought her wolf was a boy.
She came out of the bathroom staring at her fingernails. “The dark green color is really hard to get off. I think I took off a few layers of skin.”
Ray cupped her hands and turned them over, kissing her palms. “You said stained skin was a sign of being a dedicated artist.”
“Unless I have to leave the house. Then I just feel sloppy.”
Ray glanced at Wes, who had recently done a load of laundry and dealt with her paint-splashed work clothes. Wes just shrugged and joined them, kissing her on the cheek. “It’ll be worth it all when the room is done, right?”
She smiled, her eyes lighting up. “Definitely.”
Her stomach growled loudly and she blushed.
“What’s Peanut want for lunch?” Wes asked.
“Some of Cherie’s cream cheese stuffed french toast and bacon. A ton of bacon.”
“Sounds good to me,” Wes said.
They left their room on the second floor, slipping their coats on as they walked. The house was noisy on Saturday mornings because the kids were home along with most of the pride members, so he was glad to be taking Scarlett out to get something to eat. While he and Wes were working at Rhett’s during the day, she would paint. Melody, who worked as a freelance photographer, had been helping in her downtime, and so had Jilly, when she wasn’t taking classes at the community college. Scarlett fit right in with the pride, just like Ray had known she would. The fact she was the first mate to be pregnant in the boarding house had filled everyone with excitement.
Their wedding on Christmas Eve had seen the house filled with every pride member in Ashland, the entire bear den from Bracks, the panther clan who shared the woods with them, and not only Ray’s and Wes’s dad and uncle, but also the Charmings and several other King Pride members. He had thought that meeting Scarlett had been the best day of his life, but that had been eclipsed by finding out she was pregnant, and then mating and marking her. He could now count their wedding day as one of the best in his life, and he knew that they would have many more amazing days in the future.
In January, Melody had announced her pregnancy, which had thrilled Scarlett. Now halfway through her fourth month of pregnancy, she was glad to not be the only one in the house with strange cravings.
Scarlett shivered as they got settled in the truck. Ray had started it remotely so it was warm inside the cab, but it had been a very cold walk from the house to the vehicle. “I can’t wait for spring,” she said.
“We’ll warm you up right when we get home,” Ray promised with a wink.
“You’ve got the best ideas, Ray,” she said, laughing.
Cherie’s was the only diner in town. It was run by Cherie herself, a big woman with a boisterous laugh and a big heart. Among the many delicious dishes served there, she made amazing desserts, from cupcakes with frosting a mile high to pies sold by the slice or whole. It was generally busy on the weekends, but Ray and Wes had waited until the lunch rush would be over before heading out. Scarlett had developed a craving for stuffed french toast, so they had been visiting Cherie’s nearly every day at lunch, stopping by the house to pick Scarlett up and eating together before they headed back to work. Cherie had taken a liking to Scarlett immediately, and always sent home a box of french toast and bacon for an afternoon snack.
“Hi, guys,” Lily, one of the waitresses and Cherie’s granddaughter, called from where she was pouring a cup of coffee for a customer. “Grab a seat anywhere.”
The diner wasn’t busy, so they took a big corner booth and settled in, with Scarlett between Ray and Wes. The one good thing that Scarlett said came with being four months pregnant was that the morning sickness had stopped. She was more tired now, but she said she’d rather be tired than hugging the toilet every morning.
While Ray and Wes looked at the menu, Scarlett chatted up Lily when she came over to take their drink orders.
“Grandma got some more of that lemon tea you like,” Lily said.
“Ooh, yum. And I feel like cranberry juice, too.”
Ray and Wes both ordered coffee. After Lily left, Ray slipped his arm over Scarlett’s shoulder and tugged her close, kissing her temple.
“The day’s yours, sweetness,” he said. “What would you like to do?”
She rested her head on his shoulder and he saw her twine her fingers with Wes under the table. “Could we go see a movie tonight?”
“Date night? Sounds fun. Any movies you want to see?” Wes asked.
“As long as it’s funny, I get a big tub of buttery popcorn, and you two are with me, I don’t care what we see.”
Ray’s heart squeezed. He kissed the top of her head. “Love you, sweetness.”
She tipped her head back and kissed him. “I love you, too.”
Wes cleared his throat noisily and Scarlett laughed, then leaned over to kiss Wes and tell him that she loved him, too.
Lily came back with their drinks and took their orders, looking up as a young woman walked in the front door and looked around. Lily waved and said, “Hey, Cris!” The woman waved back with a smile and Lily glanced at the trio in the booth. “I’ll be right back, guys.”
A moment later, Lily walked over with the woman. “Guys, this is my bestie, Cristabel Hardison. She just moved to Ashland.”
They all shook her hand. “Where are you from?” Scarlett asked.
“Kentucky, the Lake Lemanar area. Until recently, though, I was living in Indianapolis.”
“She lived with my brother, Lance,” Lily said.
Scarlett said, “I didn’t know you have a brother.”
“He hasn’t lived in Ashland since he went off to college. He’s a finance guy, and his firm merged with another, so he has to move to a different location. But anyway, my bestie is going to work for the new were-clinic here in town.”
Cris elbowed Lily. “I haven’t even been interviewed yet. You’re going to jinx me.”
Lily chuckled. “Scarlett, Grandma says she has a special dessert for you to take home along with your regular extra french toast and bacon, so don’t let me forget. I’ll be back with your food in a few minutes.”
“It was nice to meet you,” Cris said and followed Lily back into the kitchen.
“I didn’t know there was a were-clinic opening,” Scarlett said when she and her mates were alone.
“I saw the building when I was out picking up lumber for Rhett,” Ray said.
Ashland was a small town, and there had been a doctor’s office at one time but the doctor had retired before the pride had come to town. Scarlett would have the baby at Cranston Memorial Hospital, delivered by Sarah, who was a midwife and Don’s sister. After her kidnapping, Ray and Wes had taken Scarlett to Cranston, where Sarah had hospital privileges, to make sure both Peanut and Scarlett were okay. In another two weeks, they would be meeting Sarah at the hospital once more for an ultrasound when they would hopefully find out the sex of their baby.