“Here.” Ash tossed it at Clover’s legs then he wrenched the fucker off the ground and away from the pups. Raymand cleared most of the distance already and stood a few feet away with Maple at his side. Blood clung to their flesh, but they didn’t seem phased or injured. Clover wondered how they managed to be so okay with their nudity. She grabbed Ash’s top and pulled it on quickly not wanting anyone to see her thighs, hips, and belly roll.
“Look what we have here, Don Douglas.” Raymand clenched his fists together. Clover motioned for the next pup to come closer and she grabbed the collar and pulled it apart. The pups formed a line, all waiting quietly to be freed. Each one burned like crazy but she wouldn’t keep them in the evil contraptions just to save herself some pain. The scent of burning flesh filled her nose but she ignored it. She kept glancing back to see what happened with Don between pups. Once all the collars rested on the floor, she huddled the pups together on her right.
“He’s too stupid to be behind all of this shit.” Maple pitched in and Don spat on the ground.
“I have a fucking debt to pay, thanks to you and your store.” Don squared his shoulders but stayed in Ash’s grip. Part of her wanted to rewind time and kill him before Ash came into the shop.
“My store? These kidnappings happened before I even arrived in town,” Maple said as Patrick wiggled into Clover’s lap. Having him safe helped to calm her raging wolf.
“Yes, but you’re the reason they sucked me into the kidnapping. These hunters threatened to kill me and my wife if I didn’t start supplying them with a place to lay low.” Don rolled his shoulders like he was talking business instead of kidnapping. Three more damn collars to pull off.
“There are children in there.” Ash tightened his grip on the back of his neck making Don wince. Clover glanced around at the pups all huddled together and Patrick never moving from her lap.
“I see it as product movement. The leader, Klaus, wanted a shipment of kids today and I had to deliver.”
“Well, you’ve got me instead,” Ash growled.
The echo of tires squealing caught Clover’s attention and she barely saw a black pickup with a blonde driving from her angle. The driver yanked the wheel and turned the truck around like a professional driver. The guy in the front seat didn’t seem shocked to find a parking lot of naked men and woman standing around. The tires barked against the ground and it zipped away.
“Kirk, follow them. If they start attacking, pull back and call us,” Raymand barked out his orders and one of the younger guys shifted and ran after the truck.
“And there they fucking go.” Don shook his head as best as he could. The last collar snapped open and Clover stood while shaking out her hands. Relief flooded her soul as a small sigh left her lips. She glanced down at the damage from the silver, her wolf already worked on healing it ever so slowly. Her pinky fingers were a hot pink since she didn’t use them much when she had pulled on the silver.
“Are you going to kill him?” Clover asked as the kids slowly followed her, Patrick clung to her side.
“Annmarie.” Zac ran up to her and she flung herself into her dad’s arms.
“Unless he attacks one of us now, we can’t do shit. All the humans over there died in self-defense, but this fucker was caught and isn’t fighting. We’ll have to take him to the fucking cops.” Raymand rolled his shoulders and Ash shoved Don to the ground.
“He should die for what he did.” Ash pointed at the man who put the whole pack through hell. He seemed to be waging a war behind his normally soft eyes. She glanced around at the pups waiting on her.
“Come on, kids. You don’t need to be here anymore.” Clover lifted Patrick into her arms and they headed toward the truck. One struggled to walk and Don snatched the little girl and pressed one of the silver blades against her neck.
“No!” almost everyone yelled in unison. Rage pulsed through her body. Damn him to hell! The urge to end his life burned hotter than coals.
“Oh, I’m getting out of here.” Don stood keeping the pup close and she whimpered, his back was to Clover. Clover set Patrick down and motioned for them to get into the trucks. A little boy grabbed Patrick’s hand and pulled him away from Clover. Don slowly inched back toward Clover and the pups. She tried to think of some way to help put an end to the fucker. Clover really wanted to rip out his heart. Ash followed close but stopped suddenly.
“I want my mommy,” she whimpered. The anger flared through Clover and she inched closer to the bastard.
“You should stay right there,” Don yelled. Without thinking, she pulled at her strength and dug her fingers into his back, ripping out part of his spine from the base of Don’s neck. Blood sprayed over her shirt and legs but she didn’t care.
His body went limp. The blade clattered to the ground and the girl ran right into Ash’s arms. Don’s blood covered Clover’s hand as she clutched the vertebrae. He dropped to his knees then fell to the right.
Clover met his gaze and her other hand shook at her side. Patrick ran up to her.
“He warned you. You shouldn’t mess with our kids.” She threw the bones onto the ground and Ash glanced down to Don’s limp body in disbelief.
“Did you just rip out part of his spine?” Maple asked, her eyes widened. Clover glanced at the alpha then down at the dead body. Shit, I’m going to be in trouble for this crap, but it was completely worth it.
“I wanted his heart, but I didn’t know if I could do it.” Clover’s hands twitched toward her shirt and Patrick grabbed her leg. “Will I be in trouble for this?”
“Fuck no!” Raymand clapped his hands together with a smile. “You just beat me to it.” He kneeled down next to Ash and pushed the pup’s hair away from her face.
“Let’s get the silver out,” he said. Maple zipped to the truck and back with a bag of peroxide bottles. Ash held the girl’s hair back as Maple poured the liquid down her neck. Clover winced and picked up Patrick, he clung to her like dried paint to a board.
“What’s your name?” Ash asked and kept glancing up at Clover. She stayed in the same spot not wanting to move. She struggled to wrap her mind around the fact she killed Don with her own bare hands.
“Emery.” She tried to pull away, but Ash kept her still.
“It’s almost done.” He rubbed her arm with his thumb.
“I wanna go home.”
“You will be coming with us for a few days.” Raymand rubbed his hand on Emery’s arm. Seeing the alpha being sweet was a new experience for Clover.
“All done.” Maple stopped pouring and capped the bottle. “Let’s get going.” Maple snatched up Emery and walked to the truck. Clover turned, all the kids were safe in the pickup.
“All the kids are loaded up. So not enough car seats but it will have to do.” Clover rubbed her hands together. She met Ash’s gaze and heat zipped down her spine. Her body pulsed with need. The alpha started barking out orders on clean up to the others while Zac slipped to the truck and pulled Annmarie into another hug.
“You did a good job, Clover.” Ash pulled her in for a kiss and the need to mate with him right there pulsed through her body. Not yet! She pushed down her beast and leaned back to smile at her mate. She didn’t know if he might agree to have another kid and she worried what would happen. Ahead of them stood three days of hell.
Chapter Nineteen
Clover
Clover held Patrick as they walked into the house and a tiny part of her wanted to pass out, while the other half wanted Patrick to fall asleep so she could be with Ash. Her wolf favored the second option but Clover had a feeling he was pulling away because of her heat. After two stops, one at the store and another at the alpha’s, Clover’s body burned like crazy.
“I’m going to take a cold shower in your bathroom. Can you get Patrick a warm bath?” Clover set Patrick down and Ash nodded.
“Come on, little man.” Ash waved at the pup and Patrick bounded over to him. “I’m glad you’re safe and home.” He pulled him into a hug and k
issed his head.
“Me too. That place… just awful.” Patrick shivered against Ash. Clover took in a shaky breath and tried to calm her racing libido. Thankfully, one of the things Ash bought was a pizza for the oven so they could have a quick dinner and go to bed.
Except sleep was the last thing on Clover’s mind after she set the pup down. It was like her body pulsed with a sudden wave of energy as she raced up the stairs. She walked into the bedroom half expecting Rayne to be still laying there but the alpha had told everyone it was safe to go home in a few mass texts.
She tossed her phone onto the bed and stripped off Ash’s blood-stained shirt then dropped the pair of shorts Maple lent her. Being half naked in front of most of the pack was awkward but thankfully Maple had offered the shorts. She shoved her hands through her curls trying to figure out how she could convince Ash one more little kiddo wouldn’t be such a bad thing. After all, having siblings was the best. He should know since he had like three of them. She met Craig and Crystal at the alpha’s house after the battle and both seemed happy to meet her.
Once the water turned from cold to warm, she climbed in and stood under the heavy stream. Without even thinking, she grabbed his soap and scrubbed off the dried blood from the fucker, Don. Having him dead seemed to give most of the pack peace of mind but the day might actually give her nightmares for years. She shook out her hands and couldn’t believe she had been the one to kill him. He needed to die, her wolf pitched in and Clover agreed with her but having it be at her hands was the crazy part. He hurt Patrick. The reminder firmed her resolve and she pushed it back from her thoughts.
Her mind moved back to Ash as her hands moved down her body. Hints of pleasure rolled up her body as her fingers brushed against her clit. “Oh, goodness.” She whimpered and leaned against the tiles. Images of Ash pressed against her in the shower rolled around and she deliberately moved her fingers over her clit. His lingering scent filled her nose while her nipples ached to be touched.
Her breath hitched as a quick orgasm zipped through her body all too freaking fast, leaving her with very little satisfaction.
“Pizza’s ready, Clover!” Ash’s voice called up. She quickly rinsed off and turned the knobs to stop the water. The plush towel grated against her sensitive flesh as she rubbed away the water droplets.
When she walked into the room, she found a set of clothes for her on the bed. She liked the sweet gesture from her mate. As she picked up her shirt on the bottom she found a note. ‘We’ll discuss the kid thing after dinner when Patrick is asleep.’
Clover bit her lips and tried not to overthink the note. She didn’t want to assume Ash finally thought it was a good idea to have another little one and have her hopes crushed. Instead of dwelling on the thought, she glanced at her reflection. With all the blood gone, she felt closer to normal, before she gained a wolf, mate, and kid. Man, it’s a lot of shit to deal with in a short time.
She ran down the stairs but stopped toward the middle, giving her a small view of the table when Patrick started talking. “Ash, I want a little sister.”
“Really now? I thought you liked being an only child.” Ash tipped his head. Clover placed her chin in her palm as she spied on them.
“No, I want someone else to play with. My mom almost went to heat but…” Patrick winced before his shoulders dropped. “It’s the perfect time. Right?”
“Yes, Clover is in heat, but I think I’m okay with just one kiddo for a while.” Ash rubbed his head messing up the brown locks.
“Clover wants one. I’m okay with a little brother or sister.” Patrick took a big bite of his pizza and bounced in his chair. Ash looked up at the stairs and met her gaze. Her core clenched and she shoved her hand through her hair.
“If another kiddo comes then you won’t be the center of attention. And being the oldest is a great responsibility. Trust me, I’m the oldest of a few siblings.”
“I’d be a good brother, right?” Hesitation filled the pup’s voice and she almost walked down to comfort him. I need to give him the chance to comfort him. Her wolf rolled her eyes and sauntered around her mind.
“Of course, you would.” Ash rubbed the back of his neck. “But we need rules in place for you and these siblings you so want.”
“What?” Patrick shoved more pizza into his mouth and resumed his bounce in the seat.
“For one, you can’t come into my office unless it’s an emergency.”
“Okay.” Patrick set his pizza down. “Would you be my second dad?”
Ash glanced up at the stars meeting Clover’s gaze. She walked down the stairs, no longer able to keep herself away from her little family. She liked hearing their conversation and not messing it up, but she also wanted to be included.
“Maybe after Clover’s in heat, I’ll start the adoption process to make it all official.” Ash tapped his chin like he was thinking and she nodded in agreement.
“Cool.” He grinned for a moment before his face turned sad. “But what about my mom and dad?”
“I would never try to replace your mom.” Clover leaned closer. “I’d just be your second mom.”
“I miss them.” His lips twitched like he was trying his hardest not to cry.
“Me too, buddy.” Ash pitched in. They stood in silence for a few moments and Patrick sniffed a few times. The pup’s eyes widened and he stilled.
“Potty.” He jumped out of the chair and ran out of the room.
“It seems like all you needed was to hear a little guy’s opinion on having kids to convince you. Or did I just imagine it?”
“I never once said I was game.” He almost took a bite of pizza but froze. “I will need some kind of space in my own house. I’ve been living on my own for years now and I’m used to it. I like it even.”
“Well, I’m sorry you can’t be the single guy any longer.”
“Ash, help, please!” Patrick yelled and Ash raced down the hallway. Clover grabbed a slice of pizza and took a large bite. The cheese melted in her mouth and she resisted the urge to moan. They rounded the corner a few moments later.
“Good job, buddy. We managed to keep the pee in the toilet.” Ash chuckled while Patrick grinned.
“Yeah!” Patrick ran up to grab his pizza.
“I didn’t mean for it to come off that way.” He met her gaze. “I just need you to be patient with me.”
“I can do it, Ash.” She nibbled on the pizza and glanced at Patrick before facing him. The last few days had been filled with excitement, the one thing she’d wanted before she met Ash. And now the next exciting piece would be having a baby but Ash wanted to fight it. “Time can get crazy, and so will the house sometimes even with one kiddo. The question is, do you have enough love in your heart for another kid?”
Chapter Twenty
Ash
Heat rolled under his skin as Clover crept into the room after getting Patrick to sleep. Her question from dinner still bugged him. Do I have enough love? Of course, I do! His mind warred with his heart on who was right. His wolf leaned toward his heart, he wanted his own pups running around with Patrick.
Climbing into bed naked probably wasn’t the smartest move on his part but he was too damn hot to stay dressed.
“Should I sleep on the couch to not torture both of us?” She leaned against the door. Her hand gripped the handle so tightly he worried she might break it off.
“Come over here.” He motioned to the bed and she shook her head.
“If I come over there, I don’t think I’ll be able to control my hormones.” She bit her lip and his hard cock bounced against the sheets.
“And what’s it going to take for you to get your sweet little ass on my…bed.”
“Tell me if I come over there and I end up pregnant because of this heat, you’ll still be happy.” She folded her arms. Ash pondered her words. Fuck it. He tossed off the blankets and crossed the room in a few determined strides. A small whimper left her soft lips while her eyes roamed over his body.
&nb
sp; “You, my dear, will always make me happy. Even with our rough start, I knew you were going to be trouble.” His wolf paced around his mind wanting to carry her to his bed and bury his cock deep within her folds.
“You’re the one who’s trouble, tempting me with being stark naked.” Her fingers roamed over his chest and his dick throbbed, wanting to be touched.
He placed his hands on the sides her face and made her meet his gaze. “I love you, Clover.”
“Really? I mean-” Ash stopped her voice as he pulled her in for a kiss. The odds of having another kid were close to ninety-nine percent with heat in play and he didn’t care anymore. He loved the woman pressed against him. The way she kicked ass and her sass always kept him on his toes. They’d probably never have a boring day being together and he looked forward to it. She’d taught him it didn’t matter if she was human or wolf, strength came from the inside. After a few moments, he released her, and she met his gaze. “I love you too.”
His patience ended as she pressed her body into his. The heat took over as he lifted her up and carried her to his bed. No, their bed.
Her cherry blossom scent filled his lungs as he buried his face between her soft breasts. He couldn’t intentionally tease her because it would be more torture to both of them than pleasure. Instead, he moved to his elbows and aligned his tip with her entrance, her wetness coating his skin.
“Please,” she whimpered. Without hesitation, he shoved himself into her warm folds. Pleasure zipped up his spine as he fully seated himself inside his mate. “Don’t you dare take it slow.”
“As you wish, my love.” He leaned down and picked a fast pace to thrust into her. Love and the fog of heat kept him from pulling out and shoving a condom on his cock. No matter what happened, he knew Clover would stay at his side and protect the children they had, even if it was just Patrick.
Her back arched and he slowed down as she wiggled under his body. “More,” she gasped and he resumed his quick punishing pace. One hand grabbed her nipple, rolling the bud between his index and thumb. Fire blazed her eyes as her moans came out quicker. His balls tightened and he was ready to cum yet he pushed it down while letting go of her breast.
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