Shattered

by T. L. Reeve

  The trial lingered for Mackenzie. All of the bullshit Walker puked up—with Holly’s help—to discredit his niece, tore him up inside. Though Hayden had been in great spirits, and she’d proved her Raferty blood was laced with an extra helping of asshole, it still bothered him. He promised Royce he wouldn’t allow the darkness in, or feel as though he had to be responsible for everything, but shouldn’t he have? All anyone had to do was look at his family and see how fucked-up they really were.

  “Hey, are you sure we made enough apple cake?”

  Aurora’s question drew him from his musings. The night before they’d stayed up way longer than they should have prepping for Thanksgiving dinner. Together, they’d made five apple cakes and two pans of candied sweet potato casserole because Abby loved it. “I think so. We might have leftovers.”

  She frowned. “I hope not. Apple cake doesn’t freeze well.”

  Mackenzie chuckled. “I was teasing. It’ll be the first thing to go, just watch.” He wrapped his arm around her and inhaled.

  The sweet, tantalizing scent of jasmine and honeysuckle shot straight to his groin. The first night of the full moon. Fuck. Things were about to get interesting for both of them. When he made arrangements with Aurora, he hadn’t thought about the full moon. Already the urge to bite her, had been overwhelming to say the least. Starting tonight, it would become worse. He never thought he’d be in this type of predicament. He could leave, spend the next three days with Liam after dinner and use the excuse of the boy’s first season, not avoiding her.

  He snorted. She’d see right through his lie, even if it technically wasn’t one.

  “You’re an ass.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’m going to go grab a shower. I feel like I have flour coming out of everywhere.” She laughed. “Join me?”

  His cock twitched, and the wolf sat up. Hell yeah, the beast was onboard for joining her and part of him was ready, too. “I’d love to, but we have talked about, you know—”

  “Something smells amazing,” Riley said, bounding down the stairs, Abby hot on her heels. “Please tell me some of this stuff is for breakfast.”

  Aurora chuckled. “Not even close.”

  “Rats,” Riley muttered. “I guess it’s cereal for us, Abby.”

  “Do you have the one with the marshmallows?” She gave Aurora a quick hug. “Morning, Mumsy.”

  “Morning, sweetheart,” Aurora answered. “Sleep good?”

  Her niece nodded. “Yep.”

  “Good.” She glanced up at Mackenzie and ticked her chin toward the stairs. “I’m going to grab a shower. Riley, don’t let your brother touch the cake.”

  The girl giggled. “Okay. Come on, Abby. Let’s go watch the parade.” She carried two bowls of cereal into the living room. “Have you ever watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade before?”

  Abby shook her head. “No.”

  “You’re in for a treat then.”

  Mackenzie followed Aurora up the stairs, against his better judgement. Anything that happened once they stepped foot in his bedroom, would be on him. He had to warn her. He had to give her time to figure out if she wanted the knot and what might come with it. He’d figured it out late the night before while he held Aurora, after they’d collapsed into bed exhausted from all of their baking, they were on a high-speed locomotive heading straight for a mating. He’d only be able to curb the wolf for so long, especially since he understood what the wolf had been doing, and like Kalkin said, he wasn’t feral.

  “Aurora, we should talk first,” he said, closing and locking his bedroom door behind him.

  “Uh huh,” she answered, pulling her shirt off.

  Damn it. The little minx knew exactly how to drive him to distraction. His mouth watered, and his dick strained against the confines of his jeans. “Aurora... I’m serious.”

  “I am, too,” she murmured, stepping into the bathroom. “Join me?”

  Her blue eyes glittered with arousal and desire, tearing him apart. “Shit. I want to. God, do I ever want to.” He stalked toward her, “But you should understand what will happen if I get deep inside you right now.”

  She stilled.

  “Full moon, Aurora. Means, getting the knot and my bite. Can you tell me you’re ready for this? Ready to be a mate of a wolf who isn’t sure what he wants? Would you force me into that situation?

  She frowned. “I forgot.”

  “I remembered. It’s hard not to. I can smell your pussy. I know you’re excited and wet for me. I know you want my dick. I know you need to cum, but there are risks. The biggest one I can’t prevent, either.”

  “Pregnancy.” She bit her bottom lip. “Shit, talk about being splashed with cold water.”

  He grunted. “I can’t believe I’m being the rational one in this situation.”

  “Neither can I,” she replied.

  “I want you, Aurora. I swear it. I also won’t pressure you to do anything you don’t want to.” Mackenzie took a step back. “You think about it. We have the whole day... Hell, we have three days to figure this out. If you’re sure you want the knot, we’ll do this. However, you should know, you will be mine.”

  She nodded. “I guess I have a lot to think about. Not like we haven’t discussed being mates before.”

  He agreed. “We did. I thought I could keep myself separate. I hate being vulgar about this, but every time I get my dick inside you, I lose another bit of myself to you. I can’t be impartial or dispassionate anymore. I shouldn’t be given this chance, and I damn sure can’t turn it away, either.”

  She ran her trembling fingers through her hair. “Wow...” She hooked her thumb to the shower. “I need to get cleaned up, so we can head over to Kalkin’s.”

  “Sure. I need to check on Liam, too. Get him ready for the next three nights.”

  “Shit,” she groaned. “I almost forgot. God, what the hell is wrong with me?”

  “We’ve all been kind of busy between the trial and you working. It’s okay,” he reassured her. “I think we became a little comfortable.”

  “Yeah.” She dropped her shirt and stepped over to his glass shower. “I’m sorry I put you in this situation.”

  “Stop, it’s no big deal.” He closed the distance between them, unable to keep his hands off of her anymore. He wrapped her in his embrace and pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck. “We’ll get through this. I promise.”

  She laughed. “God, we’re fucked up.”

  “What do you mean?” He didn’t blame her for her sentiments. He said it every day about himself.

  “Your dick is pressed to my ass, and all I want is you inside me.”

  Mackenzie slipped his hand past the band of her loose-fitted pants and found her slit covered in her cream. He moaned. “Tell me to stop, star, and I will. Tell me you don’t want this.”

  She tensed in his arms before she shuddered and more of her cream coated his fingers. “I can’t. Oh, God, Mackenzie. I can’t.”

  “Tell me to walk away. Yell at me. Tell me you hate me. Anything to stop us.” He pressed two of his fingers into her pussy and muttered a curse.

  “No,” she whimpered.

  “I’ll knot you, Aurora. I won’t be able to stop myself.”

  “I know,” she answered. “Please, Mac. Please make this ache go away.”

  He growled. “It’ll never go away.” He pushed her pants down, allowing them to pool at her feet. “Bend forward.” He kicked his feet apart then opened his jeans. The pressure on his dick eased as he released it from the confines of the starched denim and stroked it. “I should make you walk around Kalkin’s house with my cum still in you as punishment for doing this to me.”

  She trembled and whimpered, wiggling her rear. Damn it. He couldn’t say no to her. He feared he’d never be able to. Not when his wolf was so fucking randy, he needed his dick inside her at all times. He teased her slit with the tip of his cock before filling her in one thrust.

  He shouted while her pussy fluttered and flexed with her o
rgasm. The knot at the base of his erection twitched, and he’d be damned if he’d be a one-stroke wonder. He retreated and filled her again as he worked her clit, determined to keep her spilling that sweet cream of hers on his cock. Her cries were music to his wolf’s ears, and he allowed the beast to join him. Everything in the bathroom became brighter.

  Crisper.

  The wolf went with his baser instincts. Fuck, knot, cum. Over and over again. Mackenzie gave over to it. Aurora had been right about one thing; they didn’t have the time to explore this. They’d have to be quick about it. Later, however, all bets were off. He swore, when he bedded her again, he’d worship her body and keep her coming for hours.

  Mackenzie buried his face in crook of her neck and groaned. The hedonistic sounds coming from him, built until he couldn’t stand it. Coupled with Aurora’s excited cries, he was already beginning to knot her. “Shit, Aurora.”

  Saliva pooled in his mouth, and he could see the wolf waiting for the perfect moment to bestow his mark upon their mate, properly this time. A war waged within him even as he shortened his thrusts so as not to hurt her.

  “Mac, please...” she sobbed, shaking in his arms. “I need you.”

  “I’m right here.” He pressed down on her clit, milking the hard bead for all he was worth. “Take me with you.”

  His lips pulled back from his teeth, and he lifted his head, ready to strike. Her little pussy fluttered twice before she started coming hard. Her pussy pulsed and rippled, milking his dick. Mackenzie shoved as deep as he could go as the knot inflated completely and he began to cum. Each jerk of his dick ripped another cry from his lips. Every instinct screamed he should bite her and finish it; however, he bit his bicep to keep from taking the one choice she had, accepting his bite. Seemed a bit pedantic seeing as she had his knot, but still he resisted.

  When he released the hold on his arm, he let out a shuddered breath. “Aurora, are you okay?”

  “Yeah...” her voice warbled.

  “You sure? Did I hurt you?” Concern filled him.

  “No.” She patted his arm. “I have a knot inside me, and I can feel the head of your dick nudging my cervix, which isn’t scientifically possible, but here we are.”

  He laughed to himself. Wolves weren’t on the spectrum of scientifically possible. If she felt it, he was doing it. “We’re going to be here a while.”

  “Good thing I’m getting a shower?” she questioned.

  This time he laughed out loud then groaned as his dick gave a hearty throb. “Yes. I think you’re going to be a little messy when I pull out.”

  “Just a little?” She glanced back at him, arching a brow.

  “Okay, a lot.” He began to move again. “Shit, Aurora, this is what you’re in for every full moon. You need to think long and hard about us.” His strokes were short, shallow. He couldn’t stop himself since the wolf was still right there with him. As much as he was human, he was also wolf, and, if she’d been a shifter like him, he’d have forced them both to shift, so he could continue to fuck her. Just the thought of it had him coming more.

  “Don’t say long and hard while you’re inside of me.” She melted round him. “I’m not going to be able to walk after this.”

  Pride puffed up his chest, even though he didn’t deserve it. “Give it time.” He positioned them, so they could sit. “We’ll be like this for a while, might as well get comfortable.”

  “Says the man who’s knotting me,” she quipped, rolling her hips.

  “You’re going to be the death of me.” He pressed a kiss to the back of her shoulder. “Fuck, you feel so good.” He spread her legs with his and began rubbing her clit.

  “Mac?”

  “Go with it, star.” He pressed his forehead to her shoulder. “I’ve got you.”

  “Don’t you mean, we’ve got you?” She peered up at him.

  “Yeah.” The wolf, content with being tied to her, relaxed giving Mackenzie a sense of peace he’d been missing for a long time. “We’ve got you.”

  “We’re frying the turkeys this year. So, we need to get the fryers up and running.” Kalkin made his way over to where Mackenzie stood attaching a small propane tank to one of the cookers. Royce stood over another pouring oil into it. “If you could help Royce fill the others, that would be great.”

  They hadn’t been late, per se, but he did receive a bunch of looks as he stepped into Kalkin’s house with Aurora by his side along with Liam, Riley, and Abby. Once he and Aurora separated, they showered quickly and redressed. He’d been the first one to leave the room, which gave him time to talk with his son.

  Once again, he found Liam in a compromised situation, only this time his boy had been crying. The scent of desperation and frustration filled his room. Shit, it ripped Mackenzie in two. The poor kid was trying to relive himself and thought he’d broke something when the knot appeared. Mackenzie asked God, if he was real, to give him strength. By the time he was able to get his son ready to go, Abby and Riley were ready and waiting.

  He glanced up as Jefferson grabbed a jug of oil off of the table then went to the fryer next to Royce. “What a morning, huh?”

  Royce chuckled. “You can say that. Not every day you see your father-in-law in such a compromising situation.”

  Jefferson huffed out a laugh. “Not something a parent ever wishes a child to see, either.”

  “Eh, it happens. We’re kind of used to it in this family.” Royce shrugged.

  “What?” Mackenzie’s attention snapped to his son and Charisma’s father.

  “What are you three clucking about?” Nico joined them, filling the container next to Jefferson.

  “Getting caught in the act,” Royce stated, placing a thermometer into the cooker.

  “Who got caught this time?” Nico asked, as he rolled his eyes.

  “Jochi and I did,” Jefferson answered.

  Nico stopped pouring the oil and turned his head. “No shit? Who was it?”

  “Charisma,” Royce added. “And myself.”

  Nico whistled. “Knock on wood, Hayden and I haven’t been interrupted yet.”

  “Karma,” Royce muttered. “Your day will come.”

  Nico shrugged. “At least we don’t put locks on our doors.”

  “You’ve lost me,” Jefferson said. “What’s with all the banter about locks on doors. I’ve heard it a couple of times now.”

  “When Hayden was younger, she had a bad habit of just walking in on people,” Royce said, giving Mackenzie a quick look. “Add in the situation with Mac and Holly, and well... You can see why there were needs to take precaution.”

  Jefferson tilted his head to the side. “Hate to sound like an ass, but did anyone stop to consider how you made Hayden feel?”

  No, Mackenzie had done it to protect her. To keep her from seeing something she shouldn’t and to keep everyone from asking questions. Now, he realized how wrong it’d been to put Hayden in that kind of situation, no matter the reasoning behind it.

  Royce put his hand on Jefferson’s shoulder. “It’d been because Holly likes chicks and never told Hayden. She and my dad concocted a story to keep her here, so she wouldn’t leave Hayden.”

  It was more than that, though. Mackenzie had smelled it a few times. Another man in their house. He never said a word, how could he? Mackenzie and Holly made a pact to keep Hayden happy and to help Holly out. Now, he knew better. It was all a game of manipulation. One a weak, earnest man fell for.

  “Why would she have left Hayden?”

  Thinking back on it, it never made sense to Mackenzie, either. At the time, in the middle of it all, he did it to protect Hayden. Now, it was just another reason to hate Holly more. She’d manipulated everyone. Used Hayden as a shield to get what she wanted. I was a fucking fool to ever believe her.

  “I think it was all part of the scam,” Royce said. “My dad will tell you he came up with the idea, but I often wonder.”

  “I did, boy. It was my idea. Holly didn’t ask for anything. I thoug
ht in the beginning I was safeguarding both of them. In the end, I was a selfish old fool who fucked up so many lives,” Mackenzie mumbled. “Hayden, you, Liam, and Riley, being the biggest targets of all.”

  Royce shook his head. “Nope. Not going to allow you to pull the ‘blame me,’ card anymore. Holly could have turned down your offer. She could have found an apartment and stayed on her own accord. I think she planned for all this, even though I can’t prove it.”

  “He’s right, you know,” Nico said. “Hayden grew up with Holly until she moved here. I think Holly planned it from the moment she took Hayden and Jase took Bodhi. Holly is a twisted fucker like the rest of the Geithner clan.”

  Makenzie couldn’t disagree with Nico’s assessment. Holly’s whole family had something wrong with them. They were evil, mentally-ill people. And, though they couldn’t change half of Hayden’s DNA, so she didn’t have to see the Geithner name in her lineage, he knew she’d never become the monster Holly became in the end.

  “It’s fucked up,” Jefferson agreed. “Kids need boundaries. It had to be hard for Hayden who’d had her wolf nature repressed for so long. She couldn’t be free until she came here and, some part of her, must still worry why she is here. What the point was of coming here. If you ask me, Hayden is the most damaged of this family and perhaps, instead of worrying about her walking into private moments, you should have been concerned about a fragile wolf, who didn’t even know she was one, until she arrived in Window Rock.”

  Mackenzie and Royce frowned, while Nico smirked, nodding at everything Jefferson had said.

  “When you put it that way,” Royce murmured. “You’re right. We were selfish. I think we all saw a hyper girl who was trying to find her place in the family, and we all slammed the door in her face.”

  “We’re working on it,” Nico said. “Hayden is talking to Brie and Jasmine a few times a month. This last year has been a shock to all of our systems, especially after what Worthington told her.”

  “Bastard,” Mackenzie snarled. “If he was standing here right now, I’d castrate his ass.” The sick asshole tied Hayden in knots and made her doubt everything about herself. Not only that, as one final parting shot, he told the girl she’d never conceive unless he ‘unlocked,’ her. What that meant, none of them knew. However, she’d tried to get pregnant on her own with Nico and so far, nothing.