“We’re having a picnic?” I blurt out.
“Yes,” he chuckles. “We’re having an indoor picnic. Now kiss Mark goodbye and let’s go.”
I kiss Marcus, then take Ryan’s hand. As he leads me out the door I wave goodbye to Marcus, Amelia, Carrie, and Harry. Carrie leaves for Cooper’s Ridge tonight, so I won’t be seeing her again until the challenge for pack alpha on Saturday. We pull up to the guys' house and Ryan walks in, leaving me in the car. At first, I wonder why he didn’t walk me in himself until I look at the front yard. There’s a trail of fairy string lights leading up the door, and it looks magical. I’m mesmerized as I open the car door and walk inside, and see the whole living room has been transformed.
“Wow,” I gasp. There are more fairy lights strung throughout the living room with huge vases of red roses in every corner. The couch had been moved, and there’s a huge blanket replacing the rug. Ryan is standing in the middle of the blanket with the picnic basket in his arm.
“I wanted to see your reaction when you walked in,” he says. “Sorry I left you in the car.”
“It’s ok. I’m glad you did it this way, it makes me feel like I’m walking into our home instead of your home with Marcus,” I respond.
“Baby, this is our home. Mine, yours, Marcus’s, and whoever your third mate may be. What’s ours is yours. Also, you should probably start calling us Ry and Mark. Our full names sound so formal when they come from your mouth. Now, let’s eat.”
“Ok, Ry,” I say nervously.
“That’s more like it, baby,” he chuckles. We sit down to eat our dinner, and I moan at the first bite.
“This is amazing, Ry! Have you ever considered opening up your own restaurant like Gino? I mean, you could totally pull it off,” I say.
“No,” he laughs. “I’m content with cooking for my family members instead of cooking for the masses. If I’d known how much you liked Gino’s cooking then I would’ve cooked one of his recipes for you. I worked at his restaurant when Mark and I left the service. He personally taught me all his recipes.”
I’m so glad he told me, considering I was planning to ask him to learn some of Gino’s recipes anyways. Now, though, I want to learn more about Ryan. I mean, Marcus and I have strong ties between our families, but I know next to nothing about Ryan.
“Can I ask you something, Ry?” I ask. He nods his head. “Where are your parents? Why do you live here instead of your hometown?”
I see the sadness in his eyes, and I’m about to take the question back before he puts his hand on mine.
“Unlike Mark’s dad, my parents died while I was in the military. I actually grew up in a pack about an hour or so away from Atlanta, GA, but my parents decided to move to Fox Forest right before I started high school. Mark was the first friend I made and we became best friends. As the alpha’s son, a lot of the other wolves sucked up to him a lot and I didn’t care about stuff like that. We played a lot of pranks in high school and got in some light trouble and, as a result, our grades were average at best.”
“After talking to my dad, who was a Marine, we decided to go into the military. My dad was a father figure to both of us so we joined the military to be like him. Mark took to the military easily. He was able to use his natural alpha instincts without feeling stifled. The military didn’t interest me too much, but I stayed because Mark loved it. I eventually found my place working in the mess hall, and when they realized the food had gotten so much better, they put me in charge of the kitchens,” he continues with a smile.
“We were right about to come home for leave when we were given early leave for a family emergency. Since my dad was military, we were immediately given leave to attend the funeral. We got home in enough time for the funeral, however, we still needed to find out who killed my parents. Our sheriff is a shifter who isn’t part of either pack, so he let us know that a drunk driver hit our parents. Turns out the license plate matched a car owned by the alpha of the Monongahela pack and they covered up the investigation,” he finishes with a sigh.
Holy shit. Harry’s dad killed Ry’s parents? I wonder if Harry knows. At that moment, I feel nothing but compassion for the man sitting in front of me. He could’ve easily shifted and attacked Harry the minute he saw him but chose to be the bigger person. I see know why Marcus punched him in the face. To be honest, I’m not sure I would’ve had the control that either one of them had. I probably would’ve shifted and attacked him.
I lean over and kiss Ryan passionately, making sure to put every feeling I can think of in that kiss. He grabs the back of my head and deepens the kiss by forcing his tongue in my mouth. We both moan. Ryan stops the moment so he can clear the dishes off the blanket, and I pick up the rest so we’ll only have to make one trip to the kitchen. I’m not sure I can wait much longer at this point.
When all the dishes are in the put in the kitchen, Ryan picks me up and carries me to his room. He lays me on the bed with a gentle kiss, but I want more. I need more. I deepen the kiss and hear him moan, and he flips us over to make sure I’m on top.
“Ride me, baby. Ride me and mark me,” he begs. He holds his cock in his hand so I can lower myself down on him. I feel so full, I almost want to get off him but he holds me down for a second so I can get used to the feeling. He grabs my hips and guides me up his shaft, and then back down. I catch on to the rhythm he sets and lower myself up and down gently rubbing my clit against his pubic hair stubble, and the rough sensation of the hair stirs the first feelings of pleasure.
I place open-mouthed kisses on his neck where I plan to mark him and hear his moans as he silently begs me to mark him. I bite down, he screams my name, and the pleasure takes him over. He grabs my ass hard, causing me to moan, and starts pounding into me harder and harder. I scream with the sudden change of pace and get turned on by the roughness and dominance that Ryan shows. I feel the pleasure build and build until I’m screaming his name, and I can feel my pussy getting tighter and tighter around his shaft.
“Oh shit,” I hear him yell.
“Ryan!” I scream as I climax, squirting all over his shaft. He pounds in a few more times before achieving final release and we just lay there for a while. Eventually, both of us doze off to sleep until I hear someone stirring in the bathroom. I get up and see Ryan looking at himself in the mirror like a different person. When he realizes I’m watching him, he comes back to bed and gathers me in his arms.
“Are you ok?” I ask.
“Yea,” he sighs. “Everything is perfect. You know this is the first night I’ve been able to sleep through the night since I’ve been discharged from the service?”
“Really?” I ask. “Why do you think that?”
“You,” He says with a serious face. “You’ve given us both exactly what we needed. You gave Marcus the strength to defend his mom’s position, and you gave us both a safe haven from the nightmares. I can’t speak for Mark, but I can already tell you right now that I love you.”
I stroke the side of his fact. “I love you, too Ry.”
We lay down and go back to sleep, and the last thing I remember thinking is how perfect this moment was.
Chapter 7
Jade’s Diary
I’m not sure if finding my third mate is a good thing or a bad thing at this point, but I know who he is and I’m not sure if he’ll even fit in our family dynamic. His pack doesn’t follow the Moon Goddess, let alone the Alpha Queen, and I don’t think he understands that our pack runs differently than his. I need him as my mate, though, so I may just have to suck it up and deal with him.
⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕
I wake up the next morning covered in warmth and notice I’m sandwiched between two hard bodies. I lean up a little to see Marcus and Ryan on either side of me.
“We need a bigger bed,” Marcus mutters. Ryan and I burst out laughing, but then it gets serious when I feel a mouth on my nipple and a mouth on my pussy. I start squirming and moaning as my pleasure builds. I
start humping the mouth that’s on my pussy and his tongue just continues the pace he set. The mouth on my nipple trails kisses up my neck and a tongue flicks out and touches my ear.
“We need you to come for us, baby,” Marcus whisper in my ear.
The thought that they’re with me at the same time turns me on, and Marcus’s words finally send me over the edge. I moan loudly as I find release, and the guys jump out of bed ready to start the day.
“Hey,” I complain as they chuckle.
“Sorry, baby but we don’t have time. Carrie and I need to organize mom’s funeral, while Ryan helps Gino with the catering,” Marcus explains.
“What am I supposed to do?” I ask.
“Well,” Ryan says. “I don’t have to be at Gino’s for a while, so I’m running you a bubble bath and making you breakfast. I know you have to be sore after the past two days.”
Damn, that sounds nice. I decide not to get up an laze around in the bed for a few minutes before getting in the tub. I must’ve dozed off because I can feel someone shaking my shoulder.
“Shit,” a strange voice says. That is not Ryan or Marcus, and I’m instantly awake.
“Who are you?” the voice snarls. He grabs my wrist, and that’s when I feel it. It’s my third mate!
“You need to get out of here, sweetheart, these are some pretty bad guys,” he says.
“Excuse you,” I respond tartly. “You’re talking about my mates.”
“Those are NOT your mates,” he bellows. “I’M YOUR MATE!”
His yelling alerts Ryan, and I hear him running up the steps. By the time he bursts through the door, my third mate is gone. Ryan sniffs around the room and ends up sniffing the most around the window. Then, he walks over to me and starts sniffing me. That shit is cute in wolf form, but a little rude in human form so I shove him away. His eyes shift color, and I freeze.
“Who the fuck was here? And why was he touching you?” he snarls.
“I -- I d-don’t know,” I stammer out. Most people don’t know I used to have a stuttering problem as a child and had to work hard to overcome it, but when I’m scared it comes back. It’s like Carrie and her yipping. Ryan can sense how scared I am so he pauses, takes a deep breath, and instantly relaxes. I stare at him in awe. How the hell did he do that so easily? He has much more control than I could’ve ever expected. He holds his arms out as a run into them, and he holds me tight.
“You’re scared, baby,” he says soothingly. “and my anger obviously isn’t helping. Go get in the bathtub, and I’ll run it for you. I’ll call Amelia’s house and tell Marcus. I’m sure Carrie can take care of the rest of the funeral arrangements. I’ll even bring you the cordless phone so you can call your mom and talk to her.” He’s only gone for about ten minutes, but it was a long ass ten minutes. I haven’t even told him about that guy being my third mate, and now I want to wait until Marcus gets here. Maybe it’ll be easier talking to mom first though.
Ryan comes back with the cordless phone and I call my mámá . It rings twice before picking up.
“Hello?” says a familiar voice.
“ M ámá ?” I say.
“ Mi hija, cómo estás ?” she asks me.
“I’m good mámá . I just wanted to talk to you. I think I found my third mate,” I say. It’s the first time I’ve said it out loud and I’m scared. He seemed to think Marcus and Ryan were the bad guys, and it’s making me think back to what Ry said about the men possibly not getting along.
“Ay, you found your third mate! So exciting! I was already so happy to hear you mated with those boys of Amelia’s, but you don’t sound too happy about finding your third mate,” she observes.
“That’s the thing, mámá . I met him because he broke into the guys’ house. He seemed to think they kidnapped me, and anyone who actually know these two men would know they aren’t like that. What if he doesn’t fit in? What if they can’t get along? What will I do?”
“Oh, mi hija , it wasn’t perfect at first for me and your pápás , either. Don’t forget they were three very strong men who weren’t used to sharing anything, let alone a mate. It took a few years, but we had it figured out by the time you were born. Each person has their own role to play in the relationship. Por ejemplo , your Pápá Diego loved being a diplomat so he goes around to the various packs to represent me. Your Pápá Bas loves to cook and take care of the household while Pápá Charles likes to stay close to me as head of security. Each one is in charge of something in their own right, and they have no interest in what the others are doing. It’s a great balance, mi amor , but it wasn’t always like that,” she says to me. “I would suggest telling your mates about your fears. Now, get off the phone with me because you have things you need to be discussing with your mates right now. Adios, mi hija .”
She hangs up the phone before I even get to respond, and I can tell she’s been spending way too much time with Pápá Charles. He always hangs up the phone before I get a chance to say goodbye, and it’s getting annoying.
I hear the door open and shut downstairs and realize it must be Marcus. I’m honestly a little relieved he’s here so I can express my concerns to them. I’m glad I waited because I would hate to have to tell this story all over again. I get out the tub, dry off, and put on my favorite set of onesie pajamas. When I walk down the stairs and sit at the table, Ryan hands me a plate of food and a cup of coffee.
“Thanks, Ry,” I say.
“Ry?” Marcus asks. I put my head down in embarrassment, and he chuckles. “I’m just kidding, baby. Of course, you can call us by our nicknames. You can call me whatever you want baby…I’m yours.”
His words put me at so much peace, I’m not as nervous as I was. However, I just want to get the secret out because I hate keeping secrets.
“That guy that broke in was my mate,” I blurt out.
“What?” they both yell at the same time.
“Yea,” I say. “He tried to get me to leave with him. He seemed to think you were kidnapping me or something.”
“He’s probably from the Monongahela pack. Everybody in our pack knows that we’re mated, but not everybody in that pack would necessarily know. Were you able to get a good look at him, baby?” Marcus asks, but I shake my head. “Damn, ok well then I guess we’ll have to wait until the challenge to find out. Maybe you’ll come across him again. He’ll certainly be looking for you.”
“Well, I have to go to Gino’s and set up the funeral arrangements,” Ryan says. “Mark is staying here with you until I come back, and then we’re all heading to the house because Carrie wants to have a ‘sleepover’.” His face looks like it hurts to say the word sleepover, and I just laugh at him.
“A sleepover?” I ask giggling.
“Yes,” complains Marcus. “She wants to have a sleepover since we’re all going to the funeral service together. She also wants us to get to know her mate since he won’t be going to the funeral.” Harry has to keep a low profile because a scout will probably be sent to the funeral to make sure Amelia is dead. We decided to have a closed casket funeral and told the pack that Amelia didn’t want them to see her in such a weak state. However, until we can pull off the funeral and reception, I won’t feel completely confident that we have the upper hand.
Ryan leaves while Marcus and I have a lazy day in bed. He rented some movies for us to sit in bed and watch. Apparently, Ryan told him about losing control so he’s worried about me. It’s a great day, though, regardless of what happened this morning. Cuddling with Marcus calms and soothes me, and the way he rubs my back has me drifting off to sleep until we hear the phone ring.
He runs downstairs to grab the cordless phone. I have a feeling he’s hesitant to leave me for longer than a few minutes. He comes back to the bedroom on the phone with a look of horror on his face.
“No way am I wearing that,” he says.
“You have to!” I hear a voice screech over the phone. “It wouldn’t be a sleepover without them. Come on, Mark, you totally owe me and R
y will only do it if you do.”
“Argh,” he complains. “Fine. I hate you even though I love you. You know that, right? Ry is going to punch me in the face for this.” He hands me the phone. “Talk some sense into her, baby.”
“Hello?” I ask when I grab the phone.
“Girl,” Carrie shouts. “I need you to make sure Ry and Mark put on one of those pair of onesie pajamas that I buy them every Christmas, and tell them to bring an extra set for Harry. I have a set here for you. If we’re having a sleepover, we’re going to do it big. I’ll see you guys in a few hours.”
She hangs up the phone without saying goodbye. Man, I really need to talk to the people in my life about hanging up the phone without saying goodbye. It’s super annoying.
“I’m supposed to make sure you wear those pajamas,” I laugh at him.
“Ugh, not you too. You don’t even have to change clothes, and you already look cute to me. Trust me, men do not look cute or sexy in onesie pajamas,” he complains.
“I think you’ll be cute. How about this? At least bring the pajamas with you and change at the house so people won’t see you other than the people in the house,” I state as a compromise.
“Ok fine,” Marcus agrees. “But you’re the one telling Ry about the pajamas.”
We watch one more movie before we hear Ry pull up to the house. He walks in, runs up the stairs, bursts into the room and jumps on the bed with us in it. We scream and then fall into laughter. At least he’s in a good mood.
“Ready to head to mom’s house?” he asks.
“You’re finally ready to call her mom,” Marcus says. “Of course, you wait until she’s gone and we’re having her funeral before you say it.”
“I’m just practicing ahead of time,” he responds cheekily while Marcus smacks him.
“Well, bro, you won’t be in a good mood when you hear what Jade has to say to you,” Marcus says with a retort. Ryan turns his head to me in question.
“Bust those onesie pajamas out, my love,” I shout. “We’re going all out for this sleepover, baby!”
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Alpha Queen Series Book 1) Page 5
