“Are you all right, Laurie?” she asked her, looking to her alpha and beta quickly before turning her attention to the woman who would soon be her queen—if these two men would just claim her and not waste any more precious time.
“I fell into the stream, Martha,” Laurie explained quickly, shivering as she stood before the woman who had been so welcoming and kind to her. “Do you think you could get me a towel so I could dry off a little before I walk into the house?”
“Nonsense, child,” Martha interrupted her, taking her arm and leading her into the house and then to the laundry room off to the right of the kitchen. “Take your clothes off, and leave them in the sink beside the washing machine. I’ll take care of them for you.” She opened the door to the room and quickly ushered her inside. “There are clothes on top of the washing machine right now that you can put on. They’re clean, just waiting to be given to Jace and Jackson. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind you wearing them so you can get up to your room with your modesty intact.”
Martha laughed to herself, taking great joy in the fact that both men in wolf form followed them into the room, growling their pleasure at their mate wearing their clothes. The joy that filled Martha threatened to explode within her chest. She loved that her boys had found their mate. Now she just had to get them to claim her. And claim her quickly. Then their destinies to lead their pack to a successful and loving future would be fulfilled.
“Thank you, Martha,” Laurie nearly cried, sighing with relief. She turned toward the washing machine and saw that the wolves were watching her silently. She thought it odd that Martha closed the door to the room, leaving her alone with the wolves, but pushed it aside quickly. “I’m so cold,” she spoke out loud as she dropped her backpack to the floor. She pulled off her sweater, unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it from her body, careful to place them into the sink beside the washing machine. She toed off her sneakers and pulled at her soaking wet jeans, cursing her curves as the material refused to budge easily. The reminder of her less-than-petite size caused another pain of realization in her chest.
“Look at you, Laurie!” she muttered to herself as she threw her jeans into the sink. “How could those men ever desire you when they have so many women here who would be just perfect for them?” She pushed her hair back with an angry swipe and wiped at the tears that she couldn’t prevent herself from shedding. “I’m sure Janine would be willing to do whatever they wanted, and they would enjoy every minute of it.” Laurie wiped her cheek slowly, taking a deep breath as she resigned herself to the truth of the situation. “And they deserve to have someone beautiful and young, and with a perfect body.”
Jace growled at the mention of Janine’s name. Jackson mirrored his anger, and they both found themselves stepping toward Laurie and rubbing their shoulders against her thighs, trying their best to soothe her.
“Like I would ever have a chance with those two wonderful men!” Laurie muttered.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself. Looking down, she smiled sadly as she saw the intense stare of the two wolves as she stood before them in nothing but her bra and panties.
“Okay, fellas,” she told them finally, laughing softly as she heard the two wolves’ constant growls. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were actually getting a kick out of this.” She laughed despite the way her heart was good and truly broken, and pulled one of the fluffy maroon towels from the cabinet above the dryer. She wiped at her face quickly then tried to squeeze as much of the water from her hair as possible. Putting aside the towel, she peeled off her pink panties and matching bra. Quickly toweling her body down, she reached out to grab the black T-shirt and the red checked flannel shirt from the stack of clothes that looked like they had been thrown on top of the dryer.
Pulling the T-shirt over her head, she smoothed it down over her hips then reached for the flannel shirt and slipped her arms into it, buttoning it up quickly. She was grateful that the shirts were large enough so that they came to just below her knees. The walk to her room wouldn’t exactly be a walk of shame after all.
Quickly placing the rest of her wet clothes and sneakers in the sink, she picked up her backpack and turned to walk toward the laundry room door. Both wolves walked toward her and rubbed against her legs soothingly. “Okay, boys,” she whispered sadly, “I have to get upstairs and shower before I freeze to death.”
The two wolves crowded her against the washing machine, licking at her hands as she reached down to pet them. Their soft chuffing noises soothed her, but she couldn’t get rid of the feeling of shame and embarrassment that bled from her.
“I have to leave before I make a total fool of myself. Something is wrong with me. I’ve never been such a slut in my life. I’m so ashamed.”
She settled her backpack across one shoulder, stepped out of the room, and found Martha waiting for her. Martha smiled at her and then at the two wolves. Laurie had an uneasy feeling that the older woman knew something she wasn’t about to tell.
“Thanks, Martha,” she said quickly. “I’m freezing! I have to go up and take a hot shower.”
“I’ll check on you later,” Martha offered.
“No. I’ll be fine. Really,” Laurie insisted. “I’m so tired, I think I’ll take a nap for a while.”
“If you’re sure,” Martha said softly.
Laurie nodded. “I’m sure.” She turned to walk away and stopped to turn and face Martha once again. Without realizing that she did it, she took both the T-shirt and flannel shirt in her hands and lifted them to her face to inhale deeply, closing her eyes as the scent of Jace and Jackson surrounded her. Although their scent made her feel a peace she had never felt before, it also made her experience a deep sadness. When she opened her eyes and looked at Martha, there were tears in her eyes.
“Martha, I’ll be leaving in the morning,” she told the kind woman quietly. “It’s been very nice knowing you.”
With that, she turned and left the kitchen, making her way through the ranch house and up the stairs to her room, closing the door quietly behind her and locking it. Walking into her bathroom, she carefully removed the shirts she wore, placing them almost reverently on the counter beside the sink, intending to put them back on after her shower. She knew in her heart that she could never truly belong to the two men, but she could gain a little comfort by being surrounded by their scent, even if it was just for a little while.
* * * *
Martha watched her future queen leave the room, feeling Laurie’s sorrow deep in her heart. She turned to face Jace and Jackson, concern on her face as she watched them shift to their human forms.
“She can’t leave,” Jackson spoke first, turning to Jace with an expression of desolating sadness. “We’ve just found her.”
“She’s not leaving,” Jace told him firmly, his voice strong with determination. “We’ll talk with her when she wakes up, and this will all be settled. We will claim her tonight.”
Martha reached out and handed the delicate bracelet to Jace. “See that you do,” she told him sternly.
Jace took the bracelet and looked down at it in his open palm. Looking to Jackson, he nodded briefly and started walking toward his room, unconcerned with his state of undress.
Where are you going, Jace?
Jace kept on walking, knowing his beta would follow.
Jackson took a deep breath and tried to calm his own anger. Laurie needs to know that what she’s feeling is true and beautiful. There was determination in Jackson’s voice as he spoke to his best friend.
Jace nodded and started walking up the stairs toward his room. She doesn’t understand the attraction. She doesn’t know that this is the way of triad mates. She needs to know that what she is and how she feels is how the Fates have destined her to be. He turned to face Jackson, the anger and frustration evident on his face. I will not have her saying such things about herself ever again.
Jace’s jaw clenched as he struggled to control his anger. Jackson reached out and tou
ched his shoulder, doing his best to help his alpha calm down.
“We’ll show her that what she feels for us is how we feel about her,” Jackson told him quietly.
Jace took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he fought to control his anger. When he opened them to look at Jackson, they were completely golden. “My wolf is fighting me, Jackson.”
Jackson nodded and stepped forward to walk beside Jace. “Mine, too,” he told him honestly. “He wants to protect her and take away the hurt she’s feeling. We have to show her that she is exactly what we need and want. And not in a temporary way. She needs to understand that this is forever. And nothing to be ashamed of.”
Jace stopped before his bedroom door and turned to face his friend.
“I’m going to take a shower to try and calm myself. Then I’m going to move my things into the room that we will share with our mate. And I suggest you do the same.”
Chapter 8
Martha chuckled as she looked out the kitchen window over the sink at the scene that was unfolding before her. Laurie had several of the children of the pack, along with Aidan and Colin, lined against one side of the open yard. Butler and Alexander had several of the pack’s adult males lined up on the other side. Laurie was huddling the children around her and speaking to them secretly. The children listened to her intently, looked over at the line of men briefly then returned their attention to Laurie.
Before Martha’s eyes, the children lined up facing the men, their young faces fierce and determined as they readied to play football. There was a flurry of movement, and the children ran toward their goal with Laurie cheering them on as she ran with them, turning to catch the ball that Aidan threw toward her. She tucked it against her stomach and ran toward the goal as the children threw themselves into the opposing team to slow them down so Laurie could make a touchdown.
Martha laughed out loud, covering her mouth as excitement and pure joy escaped her. Her heart was filled with such happiness at the sight before her. Jace and Jackson walked into the kitchen at that moment and stopped to look at each other and smile at the older woman’s obvious enjoyment.
“What’s so funny, Martha?” Jace asked her, laughing softly. The woman’s good mood was contagious.
“Your mate,” Martha answered, pointing out the window, her eyes sparkling with enjoyment.
Jackson walked up behind her, followed closely by Jace, as they looked out at the scene of controlled chaos before them. The smile on Jace’s face disappeared immediately when he saw Butler reach for Laurie, pick her up effortlessly, and bring her down to the ground. His angry growls echoed through the kitchen as he raced out through the deck door to protect their mate.
Jackson was right behind him, running to the field, prepared to do whatever it took to care for Laurie. When they reached the open lawn, they stopped suddenly as they saw all the cubs pile on top of Butler to knock him off Laurie. She laid on her back, breathing heavily, the football still clutched to her chest. She was laughing as she stood and high-fived Ben and Seth once they helped pull her to her feet.
“That was awesome, Laurie!” Seth yelled, unable to keep his excitement contained.
Laurie laughed and smiled down at him. “I couldn’t have done it without you guys,” she told them all sincerely. “Let’s do it again.”
The group quickly huddled together, once again whispering their plan to get by the wall of men. Both Jace and Jackson stepped forward and joined the men who huddled together to make their own plans.
“We’re in,” Jace told them, joining in their planning. The men moved aside quickly to enfold both men in their midst.
“Just so you know, Alpha,” Alexander warned him quietly, “we were taking it easy on them when we started, but the cubs, Laurie, Aidan, and Colin have been playing for real. I don’t know how they keep coming up with plays that spin us in circles, but they are.”
“But we’re not playing to win,” Butler admitted. “It’s been a long time since the pups have had such fun. But if they score one more touchdown, I’m not holding back anymore.”
The men laughed, bringing a smile to Jace and Jackson’s faces. Both men knew Butler would just as soon hack off an arm than cause pain or sadness to any woman or child. None of the men would. The intense pride Jace felt about his pack at that moment nearly overwhelmed him. He looked at Jackson and saw that his beta understood and was feeling the same way.
The two teams were soon facing each other once again. Laurie’s eyebrows rose in surprise as she saw Jace and Jackson now a part of the other team. She blushed with embarrassment and thought briefly about leaving the game. She couldn’t be so close to the two men who made her long to be with them, and not be embarrassed by her thoughts. But she realized that if she did that, she would draw attention to herself and possibly make them aware of her attraction, which she could never do. Instead, she smiled and waved at them, her heart fluttering a bit as she took in the pure masculine strength that oozed from both men. She mentally chastised herself. She had to stay in control of her desires.
After her shower she had been too wound up to take a nap. She had been determined to check out and go home, but when she had come down to say good-bye, she had seen the children milling about the backyard. Their adorable faces and excitement drew her to them immediately, and she soon found herself organizing the football game. She knew it was her weakness. She never could walk away from children. She wanted them to enjoy themselves, and she would do her best to help them do just that. She could always leave later. And she was determined she would never let Jace and Jackson know of her desire for them. She would just enjoy what little time she had with them and bring the memories of their kindness along with her when she went home.
Pulling herself back to the present, she focused on the game. She was determined her team would make another touchdown. Once again, the children ran, and Aidan threw the ball toward Laurie, who in turn tossed it to Tammy. The little girl’s legs pumped furiously as she ran toward Alexander. Laurie tried with all her strength to hold back Butler from reaching Tammy, but his strength was too much for her. She heard the menacing growl before she realized who it came from and found herself plucked away from Butler and enfolded in Jace’s arms as he brought them both down to the ground, Laurie ending up on top of him as he held her securely against him.
“Go, Tammy!” Laurie shouted, pushing herself up on Jace’s chest to look at the little girl as she ran. She laughed out loud as she saw Tammy squealing in joy as Alexander picked her up and carefully brought her to the ground with him. She gazed down to look at Jace, her face filled with joy. “She got so far!” she told him happily as she tried to get up off of him.
Was it just her imagination, or did Jace’s arms tighten around her waist briefly before letting her go? She stood up, bending down to offer him her hand to help him up. Jace looked up at her silently, a mixture of emotions filling his eyes. Laurie pulled him up quickly then turned to run toward Tammy and scooped her up into her arms.
“You did so good, honey!” she praised the little girl, kissing her cheek lightly before setting her down and taking her hand, running with her back to their huddle.
Jackson came up behind Jace, touching his shoulder then clapping him on the back. “You lucky bastard!” he told him quietly.
Jace turned to him and smiled, his eyes glowing gold briefly as his wolf paced restlessly. He nodded once then turned toward the playing field, walking toward the huddle of men. He was suddenly very happy to be participating in this game.
Once again, Aidan threw the ball, but this time Seth caught it. As the men ran toward the young boy, Laurie launched herself at Jackson, reaching around his waist and holding him back so he couldn’t reach Seth—not that he gave much of a fight. Turning to face her, his arms went around her body, and he pulled her flush up against him, hugging her tightly as he brought them both down to the ground so that Laurie ended up on top of him. He couldn’t contain his happiness as he looked up and saw Laurie grinning down
at him. He was even more content that her body lay so completely on top of his. He felt his cock harden immediately as she shifted her hips against him as she tried to remove herself from his hold.
“I’m sorry,” she told him, embarrassed. “I’m too heavy. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”
Jackson held her tight, forcing her to stop her movements. She looked down at him, confused, but he could see her embarrassment and wondered if she could possibly be more adorable.
“Darlin’,” he told her quietly, his voice deep with emotion, “you could stay right where you are for the rest of your life and make me a very happy man.” He smiled at the shocked expression on his mate’s face and knew he couldn’t hold back anymore. “The only thing that would make me happier is if we were totally naked right now.” He winked and playfully kissed her chin.
Laurie gasped and pulled back, unsure what to do or how to react. He had to be teasing. Wasn’t he teasing? Of course he was teasing! Men like him and Jace couldn’t possibly be attracted to someone like her. Right?
Pulling out of his hold, she stood up quickly and went over to her team, bumping knuckles with Seth as he joined them. She looked over her shoulder at Jackson, blushing immediately when she saw him wink at her, and turned back to the huddle to plot with her teammates.
“Laurie, are we winning?” Tammy asked her excitedly, holding onto Laurie’s hand as she bounced on the balls of her feet.
“We sure are, sweetness,” Colin answered, leaning down to kiss his daughter’s forehead quickly.
“We’re creaming them!” Ben’s excited voice chimed in.
“I think the men are going to make sure that we don’t score again,” Colin told them, laughing. “I think we’ve bruised their egos. And I think our alpha is going to make sure that they show us we can’t get the better of them.”
Bernard, Lynnette - Laurie's Loves [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 7