by Aline Hunter
She brought her bottom lip between her teeth and bowed her head. He knew she was thinking things over, trying to decide. It couldn’t be easy, not with everything she’d been through. But if they wanted a real chance together, they had to start with a clean slate.
No hate. No remorse. No fear.
Mary let him go and took a hesitant step forward. The pack went quiet, watching her, waiting to hear what she had to say. Even though he’d whispered in Mary’s ear, Emory knew everyone had listened in, wanting to know what he’d said to his mate. Now they were eager for her reaction. Would she run? Would she stay? Or would she shock the shit out of the entire room by giving them the middle finger they deserved for their earlier treatment?
He watched Mary square her shoulders as her head lifted. Although he couldn’t see her face, the way Diskant grinned told him she wasn’t backing down from the pack.
“We’re staying too. If you don’t like me, that’s your problem. I’ve dealt with worse.”
She turned and extended her hand, waiting for him to take her offering, to accept that she had made her choice. Emory grasped her fingers and moved in close to yank her to his chest. He knew he was smiling like an idiot, the exuberance he experienced completely overwhelming. With a laugh, he met the shocked gazes of his pack mates.
“You heard her.” He hugged Mary tighter, wishing he could keep her that close forever. Lifting his head, he looked at Trey.
Once they’d been at each other’s throats, the need to dominate and control running through their veins. Emory had never believed he could reside under his brother’s authority. It was too difficult to restrain his nature, to keep his wolf under control. But not now. His anger had been tempered by love, his beast was finally content with the hand it had been dealt. From this moment forward he could live the life he wanted. He could get to know Trey in the same way he had as a child. He was strong enough not to show his emotion but he knew Mary felt it since she pressed against him.
“We’re not going anywhere,” he finally said, cementing her decision before the pack. “This is our home. We’re not leaving.”
Mary could hear the pride in Emory’s voice. The arms he’d wrapped around her loosened, allowing her to breathe without gasping for air. She remained in a state of shock. When she’d woken alone and gone in search of Emory, she’d been taken aback by all the shifters in the residence. Since she’d told her relatives about the map before the pack could put it to good use, she hadn’t been sure if they were there for her blood or Emory’s. Speaking out before they could harm the man she’d fallen in love with had seemed like a good idea at the time.
She’d never thought her actions would lead to this.
“Mary,” Emory breathed against her ear.
He felt so warm and smelled so wonderful. “Hmm?”
“You need to go back to our room and let me get Doc. Your shoulder’s bleeding.”
It was then that she felt stickiness against her shirt. She pulled away and looked down. Sure enough, the T-shirt had a small, bright red stain. Strangely, her shoulder didn’t hurt as much as she imagined it should. When she shifted, there was a dull ache. No sharp bite, no agonizing burn.
“What about Dara?” She’d been so excited to see the young woman and know she’d played a part in saving her life. Surely they’d have a chance to talk. “She’s come all this way to see me.”
“The pride will need to rest before they leave, and I’m sure they’ll want to visit any relatives who live nearby,” Emory said. “I’ll make sure you see her before she goes.”
Ava appeared and held out her hand. “I’ll go with you. We need to talk.”
While she didn’t want to leave Emory, she didn’t want to stand in front of everyone and bleed all over the place. Reluctantly, she placed her hand in Ava’s. The tiny woman pulled her through the crowd and back to the basement. A conversation resumed upstairs. Mary frowned as voices drifted to her ears. She could make out some of what was said when she focused, able to hear more clearly than she should. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t noticed before.
When they were inside the bedroom downstairs, Ava released Mary’s hand and closed the door.
“You don’t need Doc to heal that, you know,” Ava said, looking Mary in the eye. “If you finalize the bloodbond with Emory, you’ll be as good as new in a few hours.”
“Is that what you wanted to talk about? My bloodbond with Emory?”
“Partially,” Ava confessed. “But mostly I wanted to tell you that what happened isn’t your fault.”
Mary sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. “You’ve been reading my mind again, haven’t you?”
“No, but I’ve been in your head. I have a good idea of what you’re thinking. The truth is Diskant fucked up, not you. If anyone should take the blame, it’s him.” When Mary lifted her head, surprised at the declaration, Ava laughed. “He’s not perfect. His pride gets the best of him sometimes. But when he makes a mistake he owns up to it.”
Ava walked to the bed and took up the space beside Mary. “Your family got to you because Diskant honestly believed he could keep his home safe. Kinsley’s been warning him that it’s too dangerous to live inside the city but Diskant wouldn’t listen. Now the hard-ass is all ears. He knows we can’t stay here anymore. He’s accepted it. I just hope you can forgive him for putting you in danger. That wasn’t his intention.”
“You want me to forgive him? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” Mary couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I’m the one who brought my uncle here. This is my fault. Elijah came after me.”
“Don’t forget he came after me and Trey,” Ava quipped. “Your uncle would have come after any of us if given a chance. You can’t take the blame for what other people do. You are not your family.”
Mary’s eyes drifted to Ava’s belly. There was no sign of her condition, but that probably wouldn’t last long. Soon her stomach would swell as the life inside of her grew by leaps and bounds. A lump formed in Mary’s throat. Ava’s pregnancy wouldn’t matter to Shepherds. They’d probably force her to deliver and do all sorts of horrible things to her child if they got a chance.
“Maybe I was wrong,” Mary murmured. “Maybe I shouldn’t stay. It’s not safe for you.” She lifted her head and looked at Ava. “It’s not safe for your baby.”
Another shock—Ava smiled. “Now that is a load of crap.”
Ava rose from the bed, walked to the dresser on the wall and removed something. It wasn’t until she turned that Mary saw the small jewelry box in her hand. It was sturdy, made of a metal of some kind. Ava sat down again and held it out.
“Here, take a look.”
Mary took the box and studied it. The bottom identified the metal as stainless steel. Opening the rounded top with a filigree design, she looked inside. The box was empty, the inside covered with a satiny red material.
“Give it a squeeze,” Ava said. “Feel how solid it is.”
Mary did, unable to do more than compress her fingers around the cool metal. “It’s heavy duty,” she agreed, unsure of what Ava was trying to accomplish.
Ava reached out to take the box and Mary handed it over. As soon as Ava had it in her hand, she flexed her fingers. The metal started shrinking, breaking under the strain of Ava’s tightening fist. Mary’s eyes bulged and her lips parted. She wouldn’t have believed what Ava was doing if she wasn’t seeing it with her own eyes. Ava was demolishing the steel as though it were a marshmallow, taking it from beautiful and shiny to a handful of garbage. When she finished, she tossed the crushed object to the bed.
“I’m not as weak as I look and neither are you. If you bloodbond with Emory, you’d be shocked at what you’re capable of, and it goes beyond strength and longevity.” Ava exhaled softly and said, “But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. I’m a part of the pack but I’m not one of them. I never will be. There is only one other I know of who’s bloodbonded, but as soon as the pack was attacked she moved away with he
r mate for safety.”
Ava’s eyes were full of hope when she peered up at Mary. “I know it’s not fair of me to ask but I’m going to because I want the best for the child I’m carrying. I need to know that no matter what happens she’ll be taken care of. That’s why I declared you as her godmother in front of the pack. If you bloodbond with Emory and agree to move with us outside of the city, we’ll have a safe place to call home. We can watch out for her together. She can understand both of the worlds she comes from.”
A smile tugged at the corners of Mary’s mouth. “She?”
“Just a hunch.” Ava touched her abdomen. “I’d like to have a little girl.”
“Have you told Diskant?” God, Mary hoped not. Diskant was possessive and protective enough. The enormous man wouldn’t let a daughter out of his sight.
“Of course not,” Ava huffed in indignation. “I’m saving that bit of information for the right time. Besides, I’d hate to guess early on and change my mind down the road. So keep that between us.”
“Okay,” Mary said softly, studying Ava, seeing her in an entirely different way. While they were different, many aspects of their lives were the same. If she moved forward with Emory and accepted the bloodbond, she could be the next one starting a family.
A home. A husband. Children.
Emory wanted children. The hurt in his eyes when Mary had said she wanted to wait was something she’d never forget. She was the only woman who could give him that. And more importantly, with Ava’s help, she wouldn’t have to do anything alone. For the first time in her life, she could have an actual friend. She’d never been close to anyone at her uncle’s farm.
“You really want me to be her godmother?” Why did it hurt so much to ask? And why did Mary feel close to tears?
“Yes, I do.” Ava placed her hand on top of Mary’s.
“Are you sure?” She swallowed back the burn in her throat, forcing her watery eyes not to spill over.
“I am,” Ava confirmed with a smile. “I know you’re a good person. I knew it the first time we met.”
Mary laughed. It was easy to guess how Ava had come to that conclusion. “Because you read my mind?”
“No.”
“No?”
“Someone who has been through as much as you have but continues to care about others has a generous heart.”
The observation made her uncomfortable. Was she that easy to read? “I’m not so sure about that.”
“Well I am,” Ava countered. For such a tiny woman, she certainly was opinionated and determined. “So will you?”
“Will I?”
“Be the godmother of my child.”
What Ava was asking for was an enormous undertaking—caring for a child, protecting an innocent. But this wouldn’t be a normal child. Ava’s baby would be the son or daughter of one of the most powerful shifters Mary had ever encountered, a man who scared the hell out of her even when he tried to put her at ease. Regardless of that fact, a yearning to accept Ava’s offer swept through her. If she was going to be a part of Emory’s life—a part of his world—she had to start thinking of those who were most important to him.
She tried to think of the right words to show Ava how touched she was by the gesture of faith. “I’d be honored.”
“Then I have one small favor to ask.”
Mary used her free hand to swipe at her face. Was that normally how it worked? Did a godmother have to earn her status? “What’s that?”
“When Emory and Doc get here, I want you to kick Doc out of the room and take care of your shoulder yourself.”
“That’s your condition?” Mary was amazed to discover the prospect of the final stage of the bloodbond didn’t frighten her. “You want me to finish the bloodbond with Emory to prove myself or something?”
Ava smiled and tilted her head to the side. “Or something.”
Mary couldn’t prevent the blush that stained her cheeks. “What about the pack? Everyone is upstairs. They’ll hear us. They’ll know what we’re doing.”
“Do you really care?” Ava asked, staring at her pointedly. “At the end of the day does it matter if people know that you’re affectionate with the man you’re meant to be with?”
Did she care? Did it matter if everyone knew that Emory had made her his in every way? She’d said she was staying. She’d made her intentions clear to the pack. They had to know she and Emory were involved in a sexual relationship. Based on what Ava had said, shifters didn’t have inhibitions or a whole lot of modesty. Emory was a hot-blooded man with a sex appeal women couldn’t deny.
Jealousy struck, hitting her hard and fast. The pack consisted of women too. Any of them would be thrilled to be in her position. None of them would care if Emory fucked them in a bathroom against the door while a line to use the restroom formed. The entire scenario made her angry, the ugly green monster making its presence known. She definitely wanted unattached shifters to realize her man was off the market.
Emory was hers. Her place was at his side. She wasn’t letting him go.
The pack can kiss my ass.
“No,” she said firmly. “I don’t.”
“I’m glad to hear it, because it’s time to put your money where your mouth is.”
As soon as Ava stood, Mary heard Emory and Doc approaching, their low whispers easy to identify. Mary rose from the bed as Ava strode to the door, opened it wide and waited for Emory and Doc. Then she saw the men with their heads bent, talking softly to each other as they approached.
Just looking at Emory created tightness in her chest. He was so strong and dangerous. If he wanted to, he could kill someone with his bare hands. Yet when it came to her he was incredibly gentle, so careful. From the first time they’d met, she’d instinctually known he would keep her safe. There was something about him that got under her skin, making him a part of her before she’d even realized it.
She knew without a doubt that he’d do anything in his power to make her happy. Their children, if they had them, would be surrounded by love and affection. Yes there would be danger. But wasn’t that how things worked? Nothing was promised. People held on tight to the things they loved and cherished, enjoying the ride for as long as it lasted. There were no guarantees in life, only possibilities.
“Doc?” Mary said, her pulse racing, her mouth going dry. She could do this. To hell with what Doc and the pack thought. If she was going to reclaim her life, now was the time to start.
“Yes?” Doc stopped in the doorway, a puzzled expression on his face.
Mary walked to Emory and grasped his shirt. He frowned but followed, stepping into the room. Once he was safely inside she let Emory go and shooed Ava and Doc away with a firm wave of her hand, until they were outside the room. Ava was grinning like the Cheshire Cat while the doctor looked utterly confused.
“Thanks for coming,” she said with a smile, “but we don’t need you.”
Before anyone could question her, she took a deep breath for courage and closed the door.
Chapter Nineteen
Emory was about to ask Mary what she was up to when she reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled the garment over her head. Since she’d been forced to remove her bra to allow Doc to tend her wounded shoulder, there was nothing to keep her breasts from view. The mounds were full and pale, her hard nipples a soft pink. He knew if he gave the rounded swells his undivided attention, he could take the color to a darker shade.
The thought made him hard as a rock.
“What are you doing?” His throat felt as constricted, becoming almost as tight as the jeans that encased his cock. It was difficult to think clearly when all he wanted to do was to take his mate to the floor and fuck her long, deep and hard.
Mary grasped the ties of the sweatpants. “What does it look like?”
The instant she dropped the clothing from around her waist and the cotton pooled at her feet, he knew his mate was turned-on. She didn’t have on underwear and her scent rushed to him, stirring his wolf, fl
icking a switch inside him. He bit the fleshy part of his cheek, trying to do the right thing, to think with his head and not his dick.
“Your shoulder—”
She kicked the sweats from her feet and walked to him. “Doesn’t matter.”
He wanted to argue, he really did. Or at least that’s what he told himself when Mary closed the distance, carefully wrapped her arms around his neck and went to her tiptoes to kiss him. She felt so soft compared to him, so tiny. His arms wrapped around her waist of their own accord, urging her closer. She came to him willingly, pressing her body to his, her breasts flush against his chest.
“You’re killing me,” he whispered against her lips, meeting her eyes. Her pupils were enlarged, the heavy fall of her lashes fluttering as her lids lowered. “I want you so much I ache with it.”
She clutched his shoulders, dragging her nails along his shirt. “There’s no need to ache. I’m here. I want you too.”
This close he could smell the metallic scent of her blood. Through their flourishing connection he could also feel her discomfort. Their emotions bled into each other’s now, the wolf residing within each of them. Where he was worried for her welfare, she was excited to be in his arms, her desire at full throttle. There was no anxiousness on her part, no doubt.
“You’re hurt.”
When he attempted to pull away she refused to let go. “Then make me better.” She didn’t look away, her brown eyes determined, the hidden meaning in her words crystal clear. “Take the hurt away and replace it with something better. I know you can.”
Her words rushed straight to his head, making him dizzy. “If you’re saying what I think you are, make sure you mean it.”
“I want you to finish what you started. Make love to me. Take the final step.” She brushed her lips against his and moved away. “I need to know nothing will come between us, that you won’t ever let me go.”
“Never,” he vowed, shaking with pure emotion. He’d never let her go. Even if she wanted him to. He couldn’t exist without her. “You’re mine. You were mine the moment we met.”