“Martha, sit and relax. We’ll order take out,” he told her before she could fuss about making dinner.
“I could go for a pizza,” Laurie spoke up, looking at Jace with longing.
Jackson chuckled and reached down to touch Laurie’s cheek gently. “Pizza it is,” he said quietly, his eyes sparkling with pleasure as he looked down at her. Without hesitation, he leaned down and kissed her tenderly, lightly licking her lips before giving her one more kiss. He turned to Jace and couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face.
And so the pregnancy cravings begin. Jackson’s voice held humor, but much more.
Jace smiled and nodded. He couldn’t help the surge of happiness that he felt, knowing that the baby growing inside their mate was already making its presence known.
Chapter 22
Sitting on the oversized lounge chair on the back deck, Laurie sighed contentedly. Everyone was finally settled in for the night. The kids were safely tucked away in their new rooms. Both were tired and a little unsure, but Laurie knew they would soon feel welcomed and a part of Jace and Jackson’s pack. She was happy to see that Dean was already becoming fast friends with Mitchell and knew her son would be just what the young man needed to help him get over his insecurity of being new to the pack. Dean would be good for Mitchell. He would make sure that the abused man would be looked out for. It was Dean’s way.
Martha had fussed over both her children, and Laurie knew the woman was sincere in her welcome and immediate acceptance of them. Despite Mia and Dean’s wariness, she could tell that they were already warming to their new family. Little Tammy had already stolen their hearts. Julia had made Mia laugh, and Laurie could never thank her enough for helping her daughter see humor again. Mia had set herself up as protector as far back as Laurie could remember. It was about time her daughter could enjoy herself and not worry so much.
Shadows emerging from the tree line surrounding the ranch drew Laurie’s attention. Her heart sped up at the sight of the two beautiful wolves walking toward her, their steps quick and sure. No matter how many times she saw them in their wolf form, it still sent a thrill of wonder through her. If someone would have asked her just two weeks ago if she could ever believe in the possibility of wolf shifters, she would have thought them certifiable. Yet here she was, waiting with anticipation for the two wolves to reach her, wanting to welcome them into her embrace and hold them.
She settled back against the lounge chair and smiled as the wolves stepped up onto the deck, coming to stand on either side of her chair, waiting patiently. Laurie patted the spots on either side of her then held her arms out wide to the beautiful wolves.
“Come up here,” she told them quietly, her voice soft with wonderment.
Both wolves climbed up onto the chair and settled on their haunches, waiting. Laurie smiled and reached out to stroke their heads, running her hands slowly down the softness of their pelts.
“You’re beautiful,” she told them, her voice barely above a whisper. “I still can’t believe the magic of you both.” She leaned forward and nuzzled against their faces, drawing them toward her until they were both resting their heads on her shoulders and their bodies lay flush against her sides. She reveled in the feel of their weight against her and sighed contentedly. “I love holding you against me,” she told them honestly, absently petting them as she spoke. The soft rumble of their contented growls made her smile, and she hugged them to her tightly for a minute before resuming her petting. She loved their strength and felt warm and protected as they lay against her. “Can you understand me when you’re in your wolf form?” She looked down at them, waiting patiently for them to somehow answer her. “Can you talk to me through our bond?”
Yes, sweetheart. Jace’s deep voice echoed soothingly in her mind. When you pet us like this, it’s difficult to think of anything but your touch.
Laurie smiled and scratched his head behind his ears, laughing out loud at his satisfied rumblings. The same sounds escaped Jackson as he received the same scratch.
“You guys are so easy,” she told them.
They settled back in the lounge, content to sit quietly and listen to the soothing sounds of the night. Jackson moved slightly and nuzzled his nose against Laurie’s neck, licking her slowly, making her giggle at the touch of his soft tongue.
Closing her eyes, Laurie settled into the warmth of the wolves’ bodies and found herself dozing off. In the darkness of the back deck, the two wolves transformed into men and embraced their sleeping mate. They cuddled her into their arms and held her tightly against them, loving the way she immediately reached out to hold their arms tightly against her chest.
“She’s so tired,” Jackson whispered, ghosting his hand across Laurie’s forehead to gently caress her cheek, leaning forward to kiss her softly.
Jace smiled and settled his hand on Laurie’s belly, caressing it lightly, his chest squeezing tightly at the total joy he felt as he touched her, knowing the wonderful secret within her. “We have to make sure she rests as much as she can,” he said quietly.
Jackson nodded and smiled. “Do you think she’ll be okay with this, Jace?” he asked, his voice conveying his worry.
Jace was quiet for a very long time. Jackson began to worry that he didn’t want to answer because he felt the same fear that Laurie would not be happy to know that she was pregnant.
“I don’t think her reaction will be based on her want of our baby,” Jace said finally. “I think she’ll be more afraid to be alone to have the baby.” He turned to Jackson, his eyes hard with determination. “We’ll just have to show her that we’ll be with her every step of the way.”
Jackson nodded, reaching out to touch Laurie’s hand and bring it to his chest. “That’s going to be easy.” He kissed her knuckles softly before returning her hand to her lap. “I want to touch her all the time. I can’t even imagine how much more possessive I’m going to be when she starts showing. And forget about when the baby is born.” Jackson chuckled low in his chest. “I’ll want to hold and love that cub forever.”
Jace smiled. “Me, too,” he whispered.
Laurie turned into Jace’s arms, snuggling against his chest and tucking her head under his chin. “Jace,” she whispered, leaning in and kissing his neck gently.
“I’ve got you, baby,” Jace whispered as he pulled her tighter into his embrace.
Laurie sighed softly, settling in and relaxing against him. “Jackson?” Her voice held confusion, and she moved restlessly.
Jackson moved closer to her and embraced her from behind, settling his hands firmly around her waist and holding her tightly. As Laurie settled back against him and rested comfortably between the warmth of their bodies, he could feel her body relaxing and giving herself to them both, knowing they would take care of her as she slept. Now all they needed to get her to accept was that they would be there for her for the rest of their lives.
“I think she’ll finally accept that we’ll always be there for her and our babies by the time we get to the third pregnancy,” Jackson said softly, laughing against the back of their mate’s neck.
* * * *
Laurie stretched slowly, opening her eyes to see that both of her men were watching her silently. Their eyes were smiling, and they held her gently between them. She blushed profusely when she realized that she had fallen asleep on them.
“Why are you blushing?” Jace asked her softly, leaning forward to taste her lips with a gentle kiss.
“I’m sorry I fell asleep,” she apologized, her voice soft with sleep.
Her face was adorable as she looked up at both of the men. Jackson reached up and tugged on the silky strand of hair that rested lightly across her breasts.
“You sleep as much as you want, honey,” he told her sweetly. “Your body must need the rest. We want you to take care of yourself.”
Laurie smiled and pushed her hair from her face, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to wake herself up. “At least I have a few more weeks to rest
before I have to go back to school.”
Jace looked at Jackson in concern. Neither man had thought about the possibility of Laurie leaving to go back to work at the beginning of the school year. They wanted to support her decision, but they feared for her safety. Being mated to him and Jackson would put her in a position of power that would open her up to attacks from other packs. And they still had to deal with the prophecy that Martha had told them about, leaving her vulnerable within the pack as well.
He could feel the concern and worry emanating from Jackson and did his best to shield Laurie from it. Reaching out, he touched Jackson’s shoulder in support. He had to settle himself. We will deal with this. Jace’s voice echoed in Jackson’s head alone. Don’t worry.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to be parted from her, Jace.
I know. Me, too. But we don’t have to worry about it yet. She has to find out about the baby first. And we’ll be there to support her in whatever she decides.
But we can tell her how much we’ll miss her. That won’t be suffocating, will it?
We’ll see, Jackson. I have a feeling that it will all work out.
Laurie scooted down off the front of the lounge chair to turn and stand before them. She smiled at them and winked. “You look awesome, sitting there all naked and gorgeous.”
Both men smiled, crossing their arms across their chests and looking at her with unbridled lust. Laurie backed up until she was at the edge of the steps. The men rose and faced her silently. Waiting. With each step she took, they took one step toward her, their wolves fighting for release as they stalked her.
“I want you to give me five minutes. Then you need to shift and see if you can catch me.”
Before the men had a chance to answer, Laurie turned and ran down the steps, laughing as she raced across the open expanse of the field. The men shifted immediately, sparkling blue light surrounding them as their wolf forms took possession of them. They paced restlessly, anxious to run after their mate.
The five minutes they waited served to heighten their excitement. It seemed like it took forever before Jace finally leaped from the deck, Jackson close on his heels, in search of their mate.
Is she amazing or what!
Jace chuffed in agreement. Jackson certainly had that right. Their mate was amazing. She was just what they needed. And she was exactly what their wolves needed, too.
Her sweet scent was easy to pick up, and they raced to follow her. Having the five minute head start had certainly given her somewhat of an advantage, but their wolves’ powerful bodies ate up the distance between them quickly. When they reached the lake at the edge of the clearing, both wolves skidded to a halt, unsure where their mate was. Her scent was masked by the water.
There was a shimmer of blue, and the two men walked toward the pile of clothing that sat at the edge of the lake. They looked across the rippling water, breathing in deeply to find their mate’s scent.
“Laurie, where are you?” Jace called out into the darkness of the night.
It was quiet except for the sounds of the night animals. After a few moments, Jace began to worry. He looked at Jackson, panic nearly overtaking him. The half moon sent a subtle light over the water and the surrounding area. The men’s superior vision helped them to see the lake, but they still couldn’t see their mate.
There was a rush of water as Laurie’s body burst up through the lake’s surface until she stood before them, gloriously naked. She laughed as she dipped backward to smooth her hair back from her face, the action causing her to arch her breasts up and expose them to the cool night air. Both men growled and ran toward the water, their bodies cleanly slicing through the seasonably warm liquid as they dove into the water. They raced toward her, their powerful strokes quickly eating up the distance, finally diving deep beneath the surface to come up on either side of her, engulfing her in their embrace.
Laurie laughed and reached out to hold both men to her, her laughter gently dying away as she leaned in to kiss them both lazily.
“Hi,” she whispered against Jackson’s mouth before turning to Jace and reaching up to touch his face gently. “It took you long enough.”
Jace laughed and pulled her into his arms, growling at the feel of her naked breasts against his chest. He had never felt so free, so happy, and so content. This woman had come to mean more to him than he could have ever thought possible.
Jackson came up behind her and kissed her shoulder gently, slowly biting down on his mating mark. “I love you, Mate,” he whispered, kissing her neck tenderly.
Laurie leaned back against him, moaning softly as Jackson’s hands smoothed over her body to gently caress her breasts. He lifted them carefully, offering them to Jace, who leaned forward to take a pebbled nipple between his lips and draw her soft breast deeper into his mouth.
Laurie reached up to wrap one arm around Jackson’s neck while her other hand held the back of Jace’s head to her as he made love to her breast. Every moment of pain and loneliness in her life seemed to melt away under the tender love of these two men. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to the Fates who had destined them to find each other, as Jace had told her repeatedly.
“I love you both so much,” she moaned, unable to keep her emotions in. “Please, I need you.”
The men moved as one, lifting her legs to wrap around Jace’s waist, while Jackson moved to get closer. She could feel their erections bumping against her body, and she grabbed onto them as a burning need flashed through her. Both men’s groans filled the silence as she pulled them toward her. Jackson eased away from her, taking his cock from her hold.
“No, Laurie,” he told her softly. “I can’t take the chance of hurting you.”
Laurie looked at him with nothing short of adoration in her eyes. “You won’t hurt me,” she insisted.
“Yes,” he insisted. “I will. Unless we’re in our room and we can prepare you with lube, there is no way I’m going to take the chance of causing you pain. Especially now.”
Laurie’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Especially now?”
Jace chose that moment to slide inside her, causing all lucid thoughts to escape her. She moaned as his thick cock filled her completely. Leaning back against Jackson, she held onto him tightly as Jace began to pump into her, causing her breasts to bounce gently in the buoyancy of the water. Jackson growled at the sight of her luscious breasts on display for him. He could gladly watch her naked form forever. Each movement she made served to heighten his arousal.
She moaned Jace’s name, and he leaned forward to capture her mouth, his tongue mimicking the movements of his cock plunging in and taking what was his. Jackson reached down and gently placed his hand between her legs, slowly rubbing her clit, ramping up her excitement as Jace sped up with thrusts that increased in depth and force. They could feel the orgasm building in her. Her body tightened, and her back bowed as Jace thrust into her, stilling when his release slammed through him. He leaned forward, opening his mouth as his incisors lengthened, and bit down on his mating mark, drawing in the sweet taste of her blood as her own orgasm blinded her. She screamed his name as she came, loving the feel of his cock pulsing spurt after spurt of seed deep within her body, knotting deliciously and joining them together securely.
When at last they lay against each other, breathing heavily, she lifted her head and looked into the sparkling blue of Jace’s eyes. “I love you, Jace,” she whispered before he took her lips in a tender kiss and pulled her from Jackson’s arms to hold her gently against his body.
“You are my life,” Jace whispered against the side of her face, kissing her temple softly.
Laurie leaned back and cradled his face in her hands, her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve finding you and Jackson, but I’m so grateful that I did,” she whispered, leaning forward to tenderly kiss his lips.
She felt Jackson against her back and reached for him. Turning slightly, she saw that there were tears in his eyes as he looked at
her. She moaned quietly as the mating knot released, and Jace’s cock slowly slipped from her body. She turned and lovingly opened her arms to Jackson, reaching out to him. He slid her carefully from Jace’s arms and turned her to hold her to him tightly.
“We’re the ones who have been blessed, Laurie,” he whispered in her ear. “You’ve brought us so much love and happiness. We never thought we would ever find our triad mate. You’re more than we could have ever hoped for.”
He kissed her then. It was so exquisitely tender that Laurie couldn’t prevent the tears that filled her eyes. Reaching down, she took gentle hold of his straining shaft and guided it to the opening of her body, moaning as he entered her fully in one long push.
“So good,” she whispered.
Jackson looked down at the woman he loved with all his heart and smiled at the way she accepted and enjoyed him. Pulling out until just the head of his cock remained inside her, he pushed back into her sweet warmth.
Jace held her against his chest, supporting and petting her body as Jackson pumped into her with deep, careful thrusts. He smiled at the care Jackson was taking with their pregnant mate. He placed his hand on Laurie’s belly, feeling the connection to their child immediately. His heart swelled with love for their little one. They were truly blessed with this beautiful gift that Laurie was giving them.
Laurie’s moans made him smile. She was an unbelievable lover who was the perfect fit for them both. He kissed his mating mark gently, reaching down to search for the bundle of nerves that would send her flying. Jackson’s thrusts grew erratic, and he knew his triad partner was close to completion. They were both determined to make Laurie enjoy every moment of lovemaking with them. He rubbed her clit roughly as he saw Jackson lean forward and bite her shoulder, claiming her once again and sending Laurie over the edge as he stilled and emptied his seed within her. His cock swelled, and the mating knot held them together, joined in intimacy and love.
Bernard, Lynnette - Laurie's Loves [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 27