Sugar Creek 5: Marigold's Werewolf Mates [Sugar Creek 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Becca Van

  “Before Marigold makes up her mind, I would firstly like to welcome you to our pack,” Lucien said.

  “Thank you.”

  “We are so happy for you and your mates.” Rafe smiled and winked.

  “Thanks.”

  “Don’t worry too much about pack hierarchy and protocol,” Gabe said. “As long as you are respectful you’ll have no trouble.”

  “That’s a relief,” Mari muttered.

  When the men chuckled, Mari realized they’d heard her.

  “What did you say?” Tessa asked.

  “She said ‘that’s a relief,’” Gabe said.

  “Are you a werewolf, too?” Mari blurted out.

  “No,” Tessa answered. “My senses are more enhanced since I became a mate, but obviously not as good as theirs.”

  “It’s a bit much to take in all at once, isn’t it?”

  Mari nodded and turned to face Ashton again. “Can I have a day or so to think about your offer?”

  “Sure,” Ashton said. “Take as long as you need. I’ve survived this long alone.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Mari, come on into the living room where we’ll be more comfortable and we can let the Neanderthals talk.”

  “Watch it, mate!” Lucien growled.

  Mari became nervous at his hard stare. That was until Tessa replied, “Oh, bite me.”

  “You can count on that, pájarito.”

  Mari hurried after Tessa. “What did he say?”

  “Little bird.”

  Mari snorted. “We’re not that small, they’re just huge.”

  They sat down on the sofa, and Tessa put Stefan on a rug on the floor where his toys were. He was such a cute little boy, and Mari smiled at the noises he made as he played with his cars and trucks.

  “How old is Stefan?”

  “Free,” Stefan said and gave her a cheeky grin.

  Mari chuckled and couldn’t resist getting down on the floor to play with him. Tessa joined them, and they ended up playing with his blocks. She and Tessa built towers only to have Stefan knock them back down with glee.

  It wasn’t until Stefan started yawning that Mari realized more than an hour had passed. She wondered what was keeping her men but didn’t want to interrupt them to find out.

  Tessa scooped Stefan up into her arms and got to her feet. “I’ll just put him down for his nap. I’ll be back soon.”

  “No sleep,” Stefan said before yawning big and resting his head on his mom’s shoulder and closed his eyes.

  “He’s just like his father.” Tessa rolled her eyes and walked away.

  Mari began packing up the toys and putting them away. When she was finished, she folded the rug and placed it on top of the toy box. She’d just sat on the sofa when she felt the hair on nape prickle. Turning her head, she saw a man standing in the doorway staring at her.

  “Uh…Hi.”

  “Hi, you must be Marigold?”

  “I am. And you are?”

  “Con.” He walked into the room until he was standing in front of her. He smiled at her and offered his hand in greeting. Even though Mari didn’t want to shake his hand, she didn’t want to offend him either, so she took his hand and shook it. The man’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, and she got bad vibes from him. She withdrew her hand as quickly as possible, and although she wanted to wipe his touch away on the side of her pants, she refrained.

  “Nice to meet you.” Mari said but didn’t mean a word of it. The guy gave her the creeps.

  “Hi, Con,” Tessa said as she came back into the room.

  “Tessa.” Con bowed his head and then left without saying anything more.

  Tessa sat down beside her, but her eyes were on the empty doorway. After a few moments she turned to face Mari again. “I really don’t like that man. He makes my skin crawl.”

  “Me too,” Mari said. “I only just met him but he doesn’t really smile when he smiles.”

  “I know exactly what you mean. He’s the only man from the Nomad Pack that I can’t take to.”

  “That’s Taylor’s pack, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you tell me about what happened? The men have been pretty closemouthed about things, and they were supposed to explain some stuff to me after breakfast, but we needed to come here.”

  Tessa explained about the Nomad Pack and the previous Alpha and how Taylor had challenged him.

  “I heard my men say they needed to keep me safe. They were supposed to tell me what was going on, but it either conveniently slipped their minds, or they’ve decided I don’t need to know. I’m not sure which yet.”

  “The men can be so overbearing sometimes. They take the protection of their mate, the women and children, and the pack very seriously. I can’t see them not telling because they don’t think you shouldn’t know, but they tend to keep things back so we don’t worry.”

  Mari snorted, making Tessa smile. “Don’t they realize that not knowing something could be more worrying than being in the know?”

  “Men don’t think like we do, Mari.”

  “Ain’t that the truth!” Mari moved closer to Tessa as she remembered what good hearing they all had. “So are you going to tell me?”

  Tessa nodded and started explaining.

  “So someone has it in for Taylor because he thought it would be safer to merge his pack with yours?” Mari asked once Tessa had finished telling her everything.

  Tessa nodded again.

  “That’s fucked up.”

  “Yes.”

  Mari sat quietly, digesting everything Tessa had told her. “I could be a target because I’ve mated with Taylor.”

  “Yes,” Tessa whispered.

  “Shit. That’s not good. There is no way I could take on a werewolf and win, let alone one of those big brutes as a man, and come out unscathed.”

  “Do you have any idea who the dissension is coming from?”

  “No, not really,” Tessa answered but she looked away.

  “Yes, you do.” Mari reached out and grabbed her hand. “You need to tell…Con. You think it could be Con, don’t you?”

  “That would be my guess.”

  “Do the other men know?”

  “I haven’t said anything, but Lucien isn’t stupid.”

  “They’re watching him?”

  “The Omegas are watching all the men from the Nomad Pack. They aren’t willing to take any chances on one of us women getting hurt, let alone any of our kids.”

  “Do you think he’s the only one not happy about the merge?”

  “I’m not sure,” Tessa replied. “There could be others.”

  “How many Nomad Pack members are there?”

  “Twenty.”

  Mari sank back into the cushion. “And they’re all living here?”

  “Yes.”

  “Aren’t you scared?”

  “Not scared, just anxious. I know that my men would die to protect me and Stefan. Not that I want that happening, but they will do everything they can to keep me safe.”

  “Damn, I don’t want anyone dying on account of me.” Mari frowned and then sighed. “I couldn’t imagine…” She couldn’t finish her sentence as pain pierced her chest at the thought of losing one or all of her men. And although she wished she was strong enough to defend herself so her men would be safe, she knew she wasn’t.

  An idea began to form in her head, but she needed more information before she could make a decision.

  “How long does it take to transform into a werewolf?”

  “It depends on the person and what type of injuries she has.”

  “Injuries?”

  “The only reason a mate is changed is if she is mortally wounded.”

  “And what if she’s not? What if she’s healthy?”

  “Are you thinking about—ˮ

  “That’s exactly what I’m thinking. Who would I need to talk to?”

  “Lucien, Rafe, Gabe, and I.”

  “So what do you thi
nk?”

  “I think you’re very brave.”

  “No,” Mari said. “I just don’t want to die. I’ve barely had any time with my mates. I don’t want to be taken from them before we’ve had a chance to live.”

  “Let me talk to my mates,” Tessa said.

  Mari watched as Tessa’s gaze hazed over and knew she was talking to her men. She just hoped that the Alpha and Betas accepted her proposal. Then it was going to be up to her to convince her own mates to change her.

  She wasn’t looking forward to drinking blood. In fact, just the thought of doing that made her feel ill, but she was determined to go through with this. Especially if it meant she would be able to help protect her men and herself from any threat.

  Mari wasn’t naïve and knew she could still very well be hurt or killed, but if she had the added strength of a werewolf at least she would have a fighting chance.

  When Tessa met her gaze again, Mari held her breath.

  “My men agree. Lucien isn’t sure how long the change will take on a healthy woman. All the other women who’ve been transformed were dying and slept for a couple of days at least. He said that although they’ve given you their approval, it’s going to take some convincing on your part for your mates to accept your idea. They aren’t going to want to do this.”

  “Damn.” Mari sighed. “So even if I can get my mates to agree to this I could still be out of it for a couple of days. I would be vulnerable and so would they.”

  “How do you figure they would be?”

  “They would stay by my side while I was asleep. Anyone could take advantage.”

  “You could come and stay in a guest room here,” Tessa suggested.

  “But that would put you and Stefan in even more danger.”

  “We are already in danger, Mari.”

  “Yes, I know, but I can’t do that to you and your son. I’d rather die than have something happen to Stefan.”

  “If you can convince your mates to agree, do you still want to go ahead with the transformation?”

  Mari nodded her head slowly, ready to do anything to protect her mates.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Your mate is amazing,” Lucien said.

  Taylor frowned at his Alpha but nodded his head in agreement. He wondered where that statement had come from and was about to ask, but Rafe started talking before he could.

  “She is very brave.”

  Taylor shoved back his chair and was about to go look for Mari, but Lucien placed his hand on his shoulder. “She’s fine. She’s in the living room with Tessa.”

  “What’s going on?” he asked as he sat down again.

  “Marigold has just asked to go through the change,” Gabe said.

  “What?” he, Sin, and Michael all said at once.

  “Why would she ask to do that?” Taylor snarled.

  “Calm the fuck down,” Lucien said. “If you give me a chance, I’ll explain.”

  Taylor, Sin, and Michael listened as Lucien explained what the women had been talking about and Mari’s conclusion.

  “We don’t know how the change will affect her,” Sin said once Lucien had finished explaining. “She could die. What if her body rejects our DNA?”

  “Sin’s right. I don’t think changing our mate is a good idea.” Taylor leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “We could have Ashton on standby the whole time,” Rafe suggested.

  “No,” Michael said emphatically. “This is not happening. We’ve only just found her.”

  Taylor nodded in agreement. “It could kill her. I am not willing to risk her life.”

  “Her life’s already in jeopardy,” Gabe said.

  “We’ll just make sure one of us is with her all the time.” Michael looked toward the empty doorway.

  “Even if she does survive the change, none of us know how long she’ll sleep for. She will be vulnerable. If something happens and we have to leave her…” Sin swallowed audibly.

  “Did you agree to this?” Taylor asked Lucien.

  “I did.”

  “Damn it. You—”

  “I haven’t finished.” Lucien held up his hand. “I said she would have to convince you three first.”

  “Thank the fates,” Sin said. “There is no way we want her to go through the change unless absolutely necessary. None of us know what the transformation will do to her body.”

  “You’re right,” Michael said. “We aren’t about to do anything that will harm our mate.”

  “Plus there’s the fact she’ll have to drink our blood. Can you see her doing that?” Taylor asked.

  * * * *

  Mari had been about to walk into the kitchen when she heard the men discussing what she’d decided. Tessa had hurried away when Stefan had called to her. The sweet little boy had been standing at the top of the stairs with a cheeky grin on his face, looking flushed from his nap. All Mari had wanted to do was go up the stairs, pick him up, and cuddle him, but since he wasn’t her child she’d changed direction and headed for her men.

  Anger began to simmer deep inside, and even though she knew they were trying to protect her, they were making decisions about her life without discussing it with her. She was more than a little piqued that they hadn’t sought her out to talk to her. Instead they were talking with Tessa’s mates.

  At the mention of her drinking blood, she felt all the blood drain from her face and turned away. Maybe they were right after all. She was just a human woman and didn’t really have any idea what she had been asking for.

  Her stomach roiled as the picture of her drinking blood from their wrists like some vampire formed in her brain, and she headed toward the front door on shaky legs.

  What were you thinking, Mari? Just the smell of blood makes you feel sick. You are deranged if you think you could drink it without barfing.

  Mari stood on the top step of the main house and breathed in deeply. She was thankful the fresh air dissipated her nausea. The anger that had been simmering in her gut waned, and she realized that her men were right this time. Right at this moment, she felt rather insignificant. From what she’d been told, she and Tessa were the only women who weren’t werewolves.

  Although it didn’t seem to bother Tessa any, it bothered Mari. She’d never had to rely on anyone for protection or anything for that matter, but she knew that Taylor, Sin, and Michael only had her best interests at heart.

  She realized that she had walked quite a distance away from the main house, and since she’d been lost in her thoughts she’d meandered passed the cabin she was sharing with her mates and deep into the trees. She turned around in a circle, trying to get her bearings, but she couldn’t see any buildings and had no idea where she was or how far she’d come.

  Mari felt a bit stupid for having wandered off, and although she knew she could call to her men using their mind link, she didn’t want them to castigate her about her lack of diligence. So she took a deep breath and started walking, hoping it was in the right direction. She stopped again after about fifteen minutes when she thought that she should have been able to see some of the cabins by now and knew she was hopelessly lost.

  Just as she was about to reach out to her men, she heard a low, rumbling growl and turned to face the bushes. Golden, glowing eyes shined out from amongst the branches and foliage, and her heart started to race. Mentally cursing her foolishness, she started to back away. The wolf that came out from the brush was huge, causing her fear to ramp up another notch. And then the lines of the wolf’s body began to go fuzzy and she watched in a kind of horrified awe as the wolf changed to a man.

  Mari’s face heated when she faced a naked Ashton, and she turned her face away from his nakedness.

  “What the hell are you doing out here by yourself?”

  “Um…I was just thinking and didn’t notice where I was walking.”

  “Damn it, Mari. You can’t do that. You could end up getting hurt.”

  “So you know about the danger?” Mari asked.


  “Of course I do.” Ashton took a step toward her only to stop. He cocked his head and then sniffed the air. “Shit! We have to get out of here.” He moved closer and gripped her upper arm before leaning down and whispering in her ear. “Call your men. Now!”

  Mari stumbled when he shoved her away but was able to keep herself from falling by clinging to the branch of a tree.

  “I always knew you were a coward, Con.”

  Mari’s heart stuttered in her chest, and fear like she’d never known before permeated her heart and soul. She moved behind the trunk of the large tree and peeked out from behind.

  A muscular wolf with a scraggly brown coat of fur slowly stalked toward Ashton. The sounds coming from its mouth made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

  “Taylor, Sin, Michael, I need you.”

  “Mari, what’s wrong, baby?”

  “I…Oh shit.”

  “Mari!” Sin yelled.

  Mari was too scared to reply. The wolf had just leapt into the air and was on top of Ashton before she could shout a warning. She didn’t even see Ashton change into his wolf form because she was looking around for something to use as a weapon. When she spied the thick, short branch on the ground, she hurried over to it and picked it up.

  When she looked back to see the two wolves snapping, snarling, and biting each other, her stomach flipped over. The black wolf yelped when the brown one bit down on its leg and blood began to pour from the wounds. The black wolf released the other one’s leg, and as its back legs bunched, the claws on its front paws slashed at Ashton’s belly, ripping it open. The brown wolf crouched over the injured wolf, and then it turned its head and pinned her with its gaze.

  Mari knew she was in deep shit and her first instinct was to run, but there was no way she could outrun a wolf. So she tightened her grip on the branch and faced it head-on as she slowly stepped away from the tree. She needed more room to move. The last thing she needed was to lose the branch in her hands by hitting the tree trunk.

  “Mari, we’re on our way,” Michael said.