Laurie looked at Jace and smiled, watching him as his serious expression melted into a heart-stopping smile that reached out to tug at her very soul. She loved the way his eyes sparkled with his enjoyment. Watching him for a moment, her chest felt heavy as she had the sudden feeling that the leader of this combined family hadn’t had much fun in his life. She was happy that she could give him this little bit of joy. She wished she could give him much more. But she couldn’t. She had to leave—even though, with every ounce of her being, she wanted to stay here with all of them and take the chance of being a part of their family.
“One more play, and then we have to stop,” Aidan told the kids, smiling. “Your parents are ready to take you back to your cabins to get ready for lunch. It’s already late for lunch as it is.”
All of the children turned to look at the back deck of the main house. Sure enough, it was filled with their parents, enjoying the impromptu game. Laurie was happy to see that they were all enjoying themselves and knew the kids were happy to be playing. She saw Martha wave to her, and she happily waved back, a feeling of belonging overwhelming her at the kindness of the older woman. She felt as if she had her grandmother back with her. It was going to hurt big time when she left.
“Well, guys,” Laurie said quietly, leaning in to the huddle so they wouldn’t be overheard. “Let’s make this one a good one. I have an idea.”
Jace watched Laurie as she turned away from him. His wolf was pushing against his chest, demanding that he claim her, but he knew he had to bide his time. That brief moment when he had held her luscious body against his had nearly made him lose control. It wasn’t just his wolf who demanded the claiming. The man in him wanted her more than he had ever wanted anyone in his life. Despite his determination not to succumb to the mating need, he knew that the Fates had chosen well for him and Jackson. Laurie was perfect for them. And he couldn’t wait until they could show her just how good it would be with them.
The children lining up to face them once again pulled him out of his thoughts. Jackson was to his right, ready for the game to continue. Before they realized it, the children were running in all directions, confusing the men temporarily. Aidan threw the ball, and both Jace and Jackson could see that Laurie would be the recipient. They ran toward her, their growls warning off any of the other men who might try to go after Laurie, the men deferring to them immediately, giving them the lead. Their men knew better than to touch their mate.
As they neared her, Laurie tucked the ball into Tammy’s hands and began to run toward Jace and Jackson, stumbling before she reached them and falling heavily to the ground with a moan. The men froze. Laurie lay still before them. With their hearts pounding in their chests, they made their way to her quickly and gently turned her over. Her eyes were closed, and she wasn’t moving.
“Laurie,” Jace whispered, pulling her gently into his arms as he sat on the ground and lifted her easily to cradle her on his lap. “Please, honey, open your eyes.”
Jackson was kneeling beside them, holding her hand in his as he reached up and pushed back the length of hair that had fallen forward and covered her face. “Sweetheart, please,” he whispered, leaning forward to kiss her forehead lightly.
The sudden cheer that went up from the pack members watching the game from the deck shocked them. Looking up, they saw Tammy doing a little victory dance as she threw down the football as she made the final touchdown. Jace looked at Jackson in shock, then down at Laurie as they felt her shaking.
“Did she make it?” Laurie asked, laughing as she looked up at the two stunned men.
Jace passed his hands across Laurie’s body, unbelieving that their mate had actually faked getting injured so Tammy could score the touchdown. “You aren’t hurt?” he asked her, his voice concerned.
“I’m fine,” Laurie told him, laughing as she tried to remove herself from his lap.
But Jace was having none of it. He tightened his grip and held her still on his lap. “You scared us out of our minds. And you were just playing?” His voice was hard as he spoke, his fear turning to anger.
“Laurie, we thought you had seriously injured yourself,” Jackson told her quietly, reaching out to touch her face gently.
Laurie looked at both men and smiled. “All’s fair in love and war,” she teased. “Or football.”
Before she could say another word, both men surrounded her, and she found herself lying back on the ground with them nearly on top of her. She was stunned into silence.
Jace rested his forehead against her cheek, nuzzling into the right side of her neck. “You will never do that again,” he told her quietly, his voice firm, but she could hear the desperation in it.
Jackson leaned into her face, kissing her cheek gently before breathing deeply against the left side of her neck. “I thought my heart would stop beating when I saw you go down and not move.”
Laurie rubbed their backs gently, unable to understand the concern they had for her but knowing she had to comfort them. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “We were just trying to confuse you so the kids could score.”
Both men leaned back to look down at her. She could see the worry in their eyes. She didn’t understand. No man had ever worried about her. And to have these two men show her such concern unnerved her. They couldn’t have feelings for her, could they? And both of them? No way!
Before she could contemplate the unlikely possibilities, Jace leaned down and gently covered her lips with his own, tasting her with exquisite tenderness. She looked up at him in shock when he pulled back and saw the raw hunger in his eyes. She thought she must be mistaken, but it seemed as if his eyes shone with a beautiful golden glow. She turned to Jackson and saw the same glow, opening her mouth to speak but finding Jackson’s mouth claiming hers just as tenderly before she could say a word. What the hell?
Every instinct in her body screamed at her to get up and run. And that’s exactly what she did. Well, not exactly run, but she did pull herself out of their embrace and power-walked herself into the main house, smiling and nodding at the happy parents as she passed them. She didn’t stop until she was safely in her bedroom with the door locked solidly behind her.
What had just happened? She walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, pulling off her clothes and quickly climbing into the shower stall and turning on the warm water for her third shower of the day. She stood under the soothing spray as her body shook with fear and, if she had to admit it to herself, desire. Those men couldn’t want her.
But deny it as she would, it didn’t change the fact that they had gently embraced her and had cared for her. And their kisses were heart-wrenching and sweet. And their hard erections were luscious against her hips! God help her, she was scared, and suddenly very tired.
* * * *
Jace stood beside Jackson, watching in amazement as members of their pack came up to both him and Jackson, each praising Laurie and her natural ability with the children. This simple game of touch football had brought such fun to the pack.
Both men stood there for nearly an hour, accepting the compliments, proud of their mate. It was beginning. The prophecy was being fulfilled. The children of their pack were being pulled together and growing as a family. Never had their cubs been so happy. And both Jace and Jackson knew why. It was because of Laurie.
They walked together to their office and slowly took their seats. Their desks faced each other with only five feet between them. Over the years, they had realized that having separate offices wasn’t efficient in the running of the ranch or in the running of the pack. They were a team, and they worked better when they were together.
The level of comfort that they felt by their close proximity was something that eased both their personalities. Jace was calmer, and Jackson was more secure. Now that Laurie was with them, they finally felt a sense of peace that both of them knew they had been lacking. She bridged their needs, their emotions, and their worries. With her so close to them, they felt a sense of rightness, o
f relief.
Jace looked across at Jackson and smiled. “She sure tasted sweet, didn’t she, Jackson,” he said quietly.
Jackson nodded and relaxed against the high back of his office chair. “The sweetest,” he agreed. “And the feel of her body under mine nearly made me take her right there. I don’t think I’ll be able to hold back much longer, Jace.”
Jace nodded. “I know,” he said finally. “She seemed to be open to both of us. Maybe we’ll be able to convince her of the bond we’ll have. I already feel it growing stronger every day. She has to be feeling it, too, even if she doesn’t understand it.”
Jackson was quiet for a long time. “We need to make her understand, Jace,” he said finally, his voice filled with emotion.
Jace nodded and leaned back in his chair, making it tip back until he was resting at an angle. “I think it’s about time we step forward and claim our mate.”
They were quiet for a while, each man consumed with his own thoughts.
“Do you feel it, too?” Jace asked Jackson as he looked up from his desk to stare at his best friend.
Jackson nodded. He didn’t need Jace to clarify. He knew he was talking about the influence Laurie had on them both. “My wolf is fighting me to let him out and claim her.”
Jace nodded. “Mine, too,” he admitted. “Even though my wolf is fighting me, I feel a calming like I’ve never felt before.”
“She’s good for us,” Jackson said quietly. “She’ll make a good queen. And a sexy mate.”
Jackson’s grin was infectious, and Jace couldn’t help but smile. Jace rubbed at his perpetual hard-on and laughed. “I can’t get rid of this,” he told Jackson, trying to push his cock to a more comfortable position within his jeans.
“You’re preaching to the choir, Jace,” Jackson told him sighing, unsuccessfully trying to adjust his constantly hard cock behind his zipper.
Chapter 9
“You’re nothing but a whore, and an ugly one at that!”
The voice echoed in Laurie’s head. She turned into her pillow, pushing her hand against her ear to stop the ranting that tore at her heart. A sob escaped her as she tried to calm herself. It was just a dream, she kept telling herself, but the rough, deep voice that haunted her was very real, and the words that were spoken were ones that she had heard often.
“No one will ever want you. Look at you. Your body disgusts me. I must have been crazy to marry you. You’re good for nothing. You’re stupid. You’re a terrible mother. There’s not one redeeming quality in you.”
“Please stop,” Laurie’s tortured voice echoed through the darkened room. She didn’t want to remember or experience the cruelty again, but the dream continued.
A baby’s cry cut through the silence of the house. She tried to lift herself from the bed, tried to pull away from him to go to her child, but his strength was too much for her to fight.
“You’re not going anywhere!” He pushed her down and pinned her hands above her head. “You spoil those brats. They don’t need you right now.”
The tears slid silently down Laurie’s face until they nearly choked her. “It’s not real. It’s just a dream. I’m at the Circle Three Ranch. I’m safe. He can’t hurt me anymore.” Her voice was hoarse from the tears she couldn’t help but shed. She tried to push the memory away but couldn’t.
She looked up at the ceiling, praying he would stop his ranting. She couldn’t crumble. She had to stay strong. She wanted to make her way to her daughter and hold that precious bundle against her chest and pray that her baby girl would be smart enough and lucky enough to find a man who truly loved and respected her. She ached to hold her son and prayed that he would become a man of honor who would love and cherish his wife some day.
“I’m going to have to decide if I want to stay with a woman who doesn’t give me fireworks during sex,” he told her angrily, pushing her toward her side of the bed as he turned his back to her.
Thankfully, he settled beside her without another word, and within moments she heard his even breathing, not daring to move until his loud snores filled the room.
Her babies’ cries pulled her out of her misery, and she quickly made her way to her children’s room. Opening the tie of her nightgown to expose her engorged breasts, she lifted both her daughter and her son into her arms before settling in the big rocking chair. Holding them against her breasts, with pillows under her arms to support her precious bundles, she sighed contentedly as they latched onto her nipples and began to suckle.
She sang to her babies quietly, loving how they settled against her breasts and cuddled tightly against her. She would do anything to protect these dear little ones. Even if it meant ruining her own life and committing herself to a future of loneliness in the process.
* * * *
The sudden projection of Laurie’s dream had Jace and Jackson both gasping for breath, anger consuming them as they were witness to the abuse Laurie had experienced. Both men were on their feet immediately. Furniture was shoved aside, and growls filled the air as they rushed from their office to run up the stairs to Laurie’s bedroom.
Jace hesitated as they stood outside her bedroom door. He turned to Jackson, unsure what they should do. At the sound of Laurie’s crying, all bets were off. Jace broke the lock on the door with one push, and they both rushed into the darkened room. Laurie’s huddled form was trembling under the blankets in the middle of the bed.
Jace couldn’t stop his growl from escaping when he heard the whimper of pain that was torn from Laurie. The vision of her dream was clear in his head, and he could feel her fear and pain as it wracked her body. Jackson closed the door quietly behind them, doing his best to secure it to protect Laurie’s privacy. They made their way to the bed as one, determined to comfort and love their mate. The time for waiting had come to an end.
They walked carefully toward the bed and slowly climbed up to lie beside the woman who had made them finally see a future with a possibility of happiness and love. Jace lay to her right, and Jackson lay to her left. Very gently, they pressed their bodies against hers and carefully caressed her arms and hair, pulling the blanket down slightly to reveal her face so they could wake her gently.
Jace smiled as he saw that she was again wearing their shirts. He looked to Jackson, who couldn’t help but feel his heart bursting with emotion that his mate was comforted by their scents.
“Laurie, baby,” Jackson whispered against her face as he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. “Wake up, honey.”
Jace kissed her forehead and groaned as Laurie leaned against him and reached out to wrap her arms around him. Jackson smiled at the way Laurie cuddled against Jace and let out a growl of possession as Laurie reached back and grabbed his hand, interlacing her fingers with his and wrapping his arm around her to press it gently against her breasts.
She knows we belong beside her, Jackson.
Jackson nodded. She knows we belong inside her, Jace.
Jace closed his eyes, willing his wolf to stay under control. He would not scare or hurt Laurie in any way. Judging from her dream, she had been abused repeatedly over the course of her marriage. He was amazed that she was able to maintain her kindness and caring despite how she had been treated.
Laurie’s whimpers of fear and pain slowly faded away. Her trembling body slowly relaxed between the two men, and she cuddled against them, pulling at them both to get their bodies closer to hers. Jace smiled down at her, unable to quell the desire he felt for her.
Jace, I want to try something.
Jace looked across their sleeping mate to look at his friend, raising his eyebrows in question.
Very carefully, Jackson unlaced his fingers from Laurie’s and pulled back from her to leave a few inches between his body and hers. He watched silently as Laurie’s brow furrowed, and she whimpered quietly. Her hand reached out behind her, searching for Jackson, but he edged farther back on his side of the bed so she couldn’t reach him.
What are you doing, Jackson?
Testing our mate.
Laurie turned away from Jace’s body and moved restlessly across the bed as she searched out Jackson. He couldn’t keep the smile from his face as she finally lay next to him and reached out to throw her arm across his waist and pull herself toward his body, lifting her right leg and hooking it across his hip to settle herself intimately against him. She tucked her head into his neck and breathed in deeply, sighing contentedly as she settled against his chest. Jackson’s arms surrounded her immediately.
Jackson’s possessive growl soothed her further, and Laurie kissed his chest lightly before cuddling deeper into his embrace. Moving restlessly, she reached behind her, searching for Jace.
She’s reaching for me, Jackson.
Jace hesitated just a moment, his heart nearly pounding out of his chest as he realized that Laurie was trying to get to him. When he heard her whimper and saw that she was getting upset, he moved toward her and took her searching hand, pushing his body against hers so that she was sandwiched between the two of them, her back to his chest as he spooned against her. He couldn’t stop the growl of contentment that escaped him.
Laurie turned onto her back and reached out to take both men’s hands in her own, bringing them up to her lips to tenderly kiss them before settling them against her breasts. She sighed, and both men watched as a peaceful smile transformed her face.
Jace, she’s more than I’ve ever hoped for. Jackson leaned closer to Laurie and kissed her temple lightly, nuzzling against her hair and breathing in the sweet scent of their mate.
Jace had no words for the strength of feeling that overwhelmed him. He leaned in toward Laurie and kissed her cheek lightly, closing his eyes and thanking the Fates that he had been proven wrong and that they had actually found their true mate. He knew in his heart that that was exactly what Laurie was.
A sudden vision of Laurie lying between them, her belly heavy with their child, flashed through his mind, and he couldn’t prevent the image from flashing to Jackson. Jackson’s responding growl echoed his own.
Bernard, Lynnette - Laurie's Loves [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 8