by Tl Reeve
At the second light, they turned left, and nothing but desert stretched out before them. Mile after mile ticked by, then, the sun glinted off of a window. About five-hundred feet in front of them, a small town appeared like a mirage in the middle of the nothing. Bell squealed.
“We're home,” she squeaked. “You're going to love it, Emma. All the shops, I think, are right up your alley. I only wish Mrs. Martin were alive to meet you.”
“Hey, we're here.” Bodhi's sleep-addled voice washed over her. “Cool.”
Emma tucked her book into her bag. This time, she wouldn’t cause any incidences. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, as they drove slowly through the middle of town. Bell was right. She loved it. Some of the façades on the buildings were like those in the old west. Others were modern.
The store names were kind of cheesy, but she thought they were adorable, too. Bodhi tapped her on the shoulder then pointed to the sand and brown adobe-type building. “Sheriff’s Department.” Pride filled his voice.
“Where your uncles and your dad work?”
He nodded. “Did you know I wanted to be a deputy?”
She shook her head. “No. What changed?”
“Caden told me to think bigger,” he answered. “So, I did.” He scooted closer to her. “You should know, this meet and greet is about to get intense. My parents and our family are going to be at my uncle Kal's house. They're ... different. I'll be with you and Cassidy the whole time. Don't worry.”
“So are mine,” Bell added. “You met my dad.”
“You mean the man who exuded ‘don’t fuck with me?’”
Bell laughed. “Yep. It’ll be okay, though. He likes you, even if he doesn’t show it.”
Ten minutes later, they were pulling into a dirt driveway. Kids ran around in the front yard, while the adults came and went from the house. A small footbridge connected to another property across from where they parked. Emma glanced up at the house. She loved it. It had character. A little weather-worn, but it was to be expected due to the unforgiving nature of a desert. She could tell, the two-story Craftsman house held many memories.
Emma stepped out of the truck, bag in hand, and took in her surroundings. From the porch, a man, who looked suspiciously like Bodhi called out, announcing their arrival. A mass of people, and she didn't use the term lightly, exited the house. Emma took a step back and ran into Bodhi, who grunted.
“Easy, pinky. Nothing to be afraid of. They’re family.” He wrapped his arm around her middle.
She sucked in a breath. Her heart hammered. He. Was. Touching. Her. The warmth and security he offered her, soothed some of her nerves, but also made her anxious in another way. “Thanks.”
He leaned down. “You’re welcome.” His lips brushed the shell of her ear, and she thought she’d died and gone to heaven.
As the adults exited the house, she noticed one thing straight away. They were like Bell's co-ed house. All of them were different, yet they fit together. Misfits. Three people stepped forward. A curvy woman, rounded by her pregnant belly, along with a man who looked just like Bodhi, and another man with white-blond hair and light-green eyes.
Bodhi urged her forward. “Mom. Dads. This is Emma.”
The man who looked like Bodhi stepped forward. The minute he smiled, his whole appearance changed. His harsh features softened. “You did good, son.” The man stopped in front of her. “I’m Jace. My mates are Loraine and Blake.” He held his hand out to her.
Emma rubbed her hand on her jean-shorts worried it might be sweaty. When she placed her palm in Jace’s he embraced her. The tight hug was filled with love and welcoming. Tears sprung to her eyes. She hadn’t been hugged like that since her mom and dad. “Hi,” she murmured.
“Don’t hog her all to yourself,” the woman said, placing her hand on her belly.
“Precious,” Jace growled, the sound vibrated through Emma.
“Yeah, don’t be an asshole,” Blake stated. “We want our turn, too.” He winked at Emma when she glanced at him.
Jace released her and she was enveloped by a very pregnant, very happy woman. “It’s so good to have you here. Bodhi has told us all about you.”
Had he? Holy guacamole. “It’s nice to meet you, too. Thank you for allowing us to stay with you.”
The woman laughed, and it filled Emma’s soul with happiness. “Don’t thank us, yet.”
Blake was next. He held her hands, then spun her around. She giggled. Her cheeks heated when he gave a curt nod. “Yep, my son did well. Very good.”
“Mom!” Hayden pushed through everyone standing around and gathered Loraine in her arms. “Oh my God. Look at you!” She placed her hand on the woman’s belly. “I can’t believe we’re here. I can’t believe we’ll have a baby soon.”
“Didn’t Blake tell you?” Jace hugged her.
Hayden shook her head no.
“Babies, squirt,” Jace said.
“Babies?” Hayden squealed as she bounced in place. “Do you know the sex?”
Jace shook his head. “We want it to be a surprise.”
On the porch stood a large man. He had a protective arm wrapped around a woman who reminded her of, well, herself. He held onto her like Bodhi had done to her, and though she didn’t want to read into it, she hoped it meant what she thought it did.
“Whoa ... their family is huge,” Cassidy said, coming up next to her. “Have you ever?”
Emma shook her head. “Never.”
“Do you think they’ll eat us?”
She laughed and pulled her sister to her side. “No way. Do you want to meet everyone?”
“Sure. Hey ... I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been a raging bitch.” Cassidy hugged her tight.
“It’s okay. I understand you wanted to be with your friends, but this is important, too. We don’t want to bail on our friends, right?” Even though Emma had kept the details of her personal life quiet.
Cassidy nodded.
“Who is this vision?” Blake said, taking Cassidy’s hand. “Hello, sweetheart.”
“Blake, this is my sister, Cassidy,” Emma answered.
“Welcome, sweetheart.”
Her sister blushed then laughed. “Thank you. So, your mates are Bodhi’s dad and Loraine?”
He nodded. “Yep.”
“Cool.”
Blake led her into the gathering group of family members. Okay, so maybe what Zoe said had been true. All the men were gorgeous, and the women with them were just as beautiful and not cookie cutter.
“You ready to meet my uncles?” Bodhi wrapped a protective arm around her.
“I guess there's no time like the present,” she answered, more than a little worried what they'd think of her. She was, after all, a bear without a home, clan, or parents. What if they didn't think she was good enough? Funny how she didn't have those thoughts when she met Bodhi's parents, but the alpha ... it made her jumpy.
“They’ll love you.” He pressed a kiss to her temple, and Emma sucked in a breath.
The tall, willowy woman spoke to the man ... well, shit. She couldn't even call them by name because, in reality, they were all the spitting images of each other and she couldn’t tell one from the other. Keeping people straight in her mind was going to be challenging, she realized. The taller of the two men stepped forward, and a thread of fear worked through her. She took a step back, but Bodhi kept her in place.
Hard, blue eyes met her gaze. The predatory power the man exuded with each step he took filled her with a bit more dread. She glanced over his shoulder at the tall woman who continued to talk in hushed tones, almost imploring the man beside her. Whatever happened next, she hoped Cassidy knew how much she loved her sister.
“My mate said you're afraid of me,” the man announced. “Get it out of your system, now. It stinks, and we don't need you walking on eggshells around here. Speak your mind, and things will go smoothly.” He looked at Bodhi. “About fucking time you came home, boy.”
Emma stood there, tryin
g to find her voice. Instead, she kept her mouth shut. No need in pissing the man off more than he already appeared to be.
“What can I say?” Bodhi shrugged. “Emma, this is Kalkin, the sheriff, alpha, and my uncle.”
The man cut his gaze back to her. “Hi,” she croaked.
“She needs a pair of balls,” Kalkin stated with a snort.
“Kalkin Raferty!” The curvy woman bounded off the stairs heading straight for them. “I warned you to be nice!” She turned to Emma. “Don’t listen to the old asshole. He pretends to be a mean bastard, but he’s anything but.” She gave Emma a warm inviting smile. “Welcome to our home. I’m Keeley. His mate and alpha female. It’s good to have you.”
“T-thank you,” Emma answered. “I-I think.”
“Great,” Kalkin muttered. “She fucking stutters like you did.”
“Well, maybe if you weren’t a gigantic asshole, she wouldn’t,” Keeley replied.
“Watch it, mate,” the alpha snarled.
“Um ... it was good to meet you both,” Emma murmured.
“He's harmless. I promise,” Keeley stated. She touched Emma’s arm then pointed to two older teens and a little boy. “Those are our children, Colin, Ella, and Grayson. Come on, let's go meet the others.”
“Sure,” she answered.
“Don’t worry, pinky. I’ll find you,” Bodhi assured her. “They’re going to love you.”
She was glad someone thought so.
“So, the girl with you is your sister?”
“Yeah,” she answered. “Hey, you’re human.” Emma caught the hint of it beneath the alpha’s marker.
Keeley laughed. “I am. How about we talk about my story if you tell us yours?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I mean, there isn’t much to say.” She didn’t want to drag down the mood of the festivities by talking about her broken family.
The woman draped her arm over her shoulder. “Oh, you’d be surprised by the stories we like to hear.” They stopped in front of the group gathered on the porch. “This is Emma.”
The man who looked exactly like the alpha stepped forward. “Caden.” He shook Emma's hand. “Our boys are Aiden and Nic.” He pointed to the tall boys talking to Cassidy. “And, our daughter,” he pointed to the younger girl with dark, ringlet hair speaking with Hayden. “Willow. This is my mate, Danielle.”
The tall, willowy woman embraced her in a hug like Jace gave. Emma sagged into it. All she felt was love and happiness and acceptance. “Welcome home,” Danielle whispered in her ear.
“Thanks,” Emma didn’t understand the overwhelming feeling of acceptance, but she ate it up as though she were starved for attention and affection. “Wow, you’re really good at this.”
The woman laughed. “It’s a gift.” She hung on for another second, then pulled back. “If you need another hug, come find me.”
Emma grinned. “I will. Thank you.”
“I’m Royce,” the younger of the men said. “I’m Mac’s son and Kalkin, Jace, and Caden’s nephew. This is my mate, Charisma.”
Emma gave a small wave at both of them. “Nice to meet you.”
The woman, not as curvy as Keeley waved back. “Overwhelming, huh?”
Emma blew out a breath. “Gods, yes.”
Charisma laughed. “We all experienced it at one time or another. The Rafertys are pretty intense when they want to be, especially where their mates are concerned. But, you get used to it, and they’re worth it.”
Finally, the tall, wiry man stepped forward. He wasn't as muscular as Kalkin or Caden, but he still exuded power. “I'm Mackenzie, and this is my mate, Holly. Hayden's aunt.”
Yes, she saw the resemblance now. However, Raferty genes were more dominant. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Holly smiled. “It’s good to meet you, too. I feel like we know you through pictures and conversations we’ve had with Bodhi and Hayden.”
She didn’t want to sound like a broken record, but she couldn’t believe they talked about her. Her! “Wow ... I wish I could say they talk about you.” She closed her eyes. Way to stick your foot in your mouth. “What I mean is, I wish I had a chance to hear more stories about you. I'm mostly a homebody. I have a sister to raise, you know, school, Greek life. Busy, busy, busy.”
Holly chuckled. “We all understand.” She pointed out two children that were running around with three other children. “Our son and daughter, Liam and Riley.” “It’s a full-time job sometimes. Isn’t it?”
“Yes,” she answered.
“Hey,” Danielle said. “We were just going to start prepping everything for the barbeque want to help?”
“Uh ...” She glanced over her shoulder and found Cassidy talking to everyone, Bodhi, not far away.
“Trust us,” Keeley murmured. “She’ll be fine. You’re one of us now.”
Welcome to your life ... “Sure, why not.”
“That a girl,” Mackenzie said, before kissing his mate’s temple. “I’ll round up the men, and we’ll get the pit going for you.”
“Pit?” Emma tilted her head.
Keeley grinned. “Oh, honey, we have so much to show you.”
Emma had been glad she carried her backpack with her. At one point, while they were prepping the food to be put on the pit, she had to write down everyone’s names along with a tidbit of information, so she could remember their names.
Keeley Raferty: Mate to Kalkin. Curvy like me. She calls him a gigantic asshole. He says I need balls.
Danielle Raferty: Gives great hugs. Super sweet. Mom to Aiden, Nic, and Willow.
Loraine Raferty: Mom. Awesome. Nice, and, really cool.
She quickly figured out even though they were a distinct pack and pride, they were also family. They treated everyone as equals, and she took a moment to appreciate them. It'd been a long time since she'd been a part of anything resembling a family who cared.
Yet, she still felt so out of sorts. There were so many people. At least fifty, if she counted all her friends from school—which she did. It’d been her and Cassidy against the world for so long ... she didn’t know if she could handle all of this.
“Do you remember the time, you got caught out in the woods buck naked?” Kalkin asked Royce. “I thought your aunt was going to have a heart attack.”
Royce shrugged. “Never follow a wolf in heat. You might get an eye full.”
The table erupted in hoots and hollers.
“Can we not talk about eyefuls at the table,” Keeley stated, turning a shade of pink. “I didn’t mean to see you in all your glory.”
“And, he is glorious,” Charisma added.
Royce growled. “Wanna play hide and seek tonight, mate?”
Emma twitched in her seat, surprised by the open sexual awareness between the mates and their open affection. She supposed if she’d grown up in her clan, she’d have seen the same, but these two families seemed to radiate it.
“Last one naked, rules?” Charisma drew her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Damn straight,” Royce snarled.
“Intense, huh?” Bodhi leaned toward her.
“You can say that again,” Emma answered. “Is it always like this?”
“For as long as I can remember,” he answered.
“Just make sure you can find him after he mates you,” Jasmine piped up.
“Wait a minute,” Rapier, alpha of the pride, said. “You left me. Remember?”
A crooked grin spread across Jasmine features, and it reminded Emma of the ones Zoe threw around before getting into trouble. “If memory serves me, you took me to the ground, mounted me, and put your cubs in me before I could even say, ‘Hi, my name is Jasmine, what’s yours?’”
“Oh God, Mom,” Bell moaned. “Not this story again.”
Rapier glanced at her. “Should we talk about your interesting new life, princess?”
Christoph and Jackson laughed.
“Ah, ha, poor Bell,” Zoe chuckled.
“Oh, don’t even Miss I
-have-a-biker-boyfriend,” Bell snapped. “You’re way kinkier than I am.”
Were they really having this conversation at the dinner table ... well bench, within earshot of their kids? Had Emma really heard all these stories? It was like an out of body experience of epic proportions. Like she watched it all from a distance, while also participating when called on.
“You’ve got me beat by a mile,” Zoe replied. “A long mile.”
“Would you excuse me?” Emma whispered to Bodhi. She needed a moment. A second to gather her fracturing thoughts, and put herself back into control. Sitting so close to the object of her desire, made her a little spastic. She enjoyed his warmth and his scent too much. She found herself falling for him, and though, the potential to mate had been there, she didn't know his intentions. People flirted all the time, but it didn't mean shit in the long run if it had all been done in fun.
“Sure,” he answered. “Need me to come with you?”
She shook her head. “Potty break.” She tried to give him a convincing smile but feared she might have failed.
“Second door on the right, second floor,” Bodhi told her, as she stood.
“Thank you.”
As she stepped up onto the porch, she could hear the hushed conversation from the table where she’d sat. They were all checking on her, and boy, did she feel like shit for walking away. Emma entered the house. Finally, she could breathe. Even though she could still hear the conversations outside, inside it was blissfully quiet.
“Emma?” She turned, Loraine stood at the door with a concerned look on her face. “Are you okay?”
“I feel so out of place,” Emma blurted. “An interloper. It’s weird.” She sat down on the step. “I didn’t have to go to the bathroom.”
“Oh, thank God, because I do,” Loraine laughed. She waddled up the stairs. “Come on, we can talk.”
Emma took a seat on the chair situated beside a table on the landing. “Is it always like this?”
“Always. It takes time to get used to, but eventually, you do. So, you and Bodhi, huh?”
“Oh ... oh, no. He’s a great guy. I mean, he’s very handsome and nice. He’s super nice, and ...”
