by Ally Summers
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Poppy.” She lowered her eyes.
I pulled the tickets from my pocket. “Poppy, I’d like you to have these tickets to the festival and to the orchard.” I held them in the air. “Bring your husband.”
She stared at me confused.
I continued. I knew I needed to hurry. “Tell him you want to go to the dance. Just get out of the house together. And I’ll find you once you’re there. You and your daughter can drive from there. Someone from my clan will make sure you’re out of Twilight Hollow safely. Hell, I’ll get you to Florida if you want. I have cash and a car for you.”
“Why? Why would you do this for me? You’re an alpha. I’ve shamed my clan.”
“Let’s just say your daughter has made an impression. As much as I’d love to raise that little cub, she belongs with you and her father.”
Poppy’s bottom lip quivered. “Axel threatened him. He’s not in Twilight Hollow anymore.”
“That’s ok. You can let him know when you’re safe. You should be with him. I can’t imagine not being with my mate.”
“What do you know about fated mates?”
I scowled. I knew I had a reputation in Twilight Hollow, but I didn’t expect it to have made it to the far outreaches of this clan.
“I might have found mine.” I scratched the back of my head. “And frankly, it’s because of her I think you and your cub need to be together. If you and your mate have what we do, it’s criminal to make you stay married to a man like Axel.”
Poppy looked stunned. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. Just be there tomorrow night. I’ll have your daughter.”
She nodded and slowly closed the door.
I walked back to the truck, knowing it was going to take a lot of work to make the details fall into place before the dance. But if it brought a family back together I was going to do everything in my power to make it happen. It was a hell of a risk.
Eighteen
Gabi
I was able to accomplish some work while Willa napped. But it wasn’t much. Focusing was harder than it ever had been. I missed Boone. And I wasn’t the kind of woman who pined. But it was like my entire body ached since he had left for work this morning. I couldn’t muster up enough independent woman chats for myself. None of them worked. I had to accept it. I was head over heels in love with him. More than that. I needed him.
Willa had been a distraction. Work wasn’t. There was too much silence with the little cub asleep. I found myself daydreaming about our cubs. I could picture them running up and down the stairs. I could see a Christmas tree in front of the huge fireplace. I imagined Easter egg hunts in the front lawn. I could envision our entire life here at the orchard.
But what did that mean about my life in Atlanta? What about my career? What about the promotion I had been pushing for the past year?
Was I willing to give everything up to be a she-alpha? Was our love that powerful?
My palms flattened against my stomach. My eyes closed and I knew the answer was yes. For Boone, I’d always say yes.
I gave up on returning emails and walked to the kitchen. I placed a kettle on the stove to make some tea. I didn’t have to look hard to find the honey in the pantry. Boone had jars of it everywhere.
It was dark before I heard the truck pull into the garage. I ran through the mudroom. My heart was about to leap from my chest. I threw myself in Boone’s arms, wrapping my legs around his waist as he lifted me in the air.
I purred against his warm firm lips. “I missed you.”
He squeezed my ass. “Baby, you have no idea.”
“Everything ok?” I asked. He carried me in the house.
“Where’s the little cub?”
“Still sleeping.” I grinned.
“Really?”
I nodded. He opened the laundry room door and closed it behind us. He turned the washer and dryer on to high settings.
I looked at him, but he was already stepping out of his pants. His cock sprung free.
I groaned, knowing he wanted me as badly as I wanted him. He tugged at my leggings and ripped my panties with one quick snap of his fingers. My breath hitched.
He lifted me on top of the washer, separating my knees.
“Wider,” he growled.
I opened for him as he ran a finger between my folds. His finger was slick, coated in my juices.
I hissed at how tender my body was. It was a sweet pain. He lowered his head and I whimpered when he blew a hot breath over my heat.
His tongue darted between my slit as he pulled me wider and sank his fingers inside me.
I bucked off the washer. “Shh,” he warned.
My head fell back as he began to pump his thick fingers in and out of my entrance. I squeezed against the pressure.
“Come, baby,” he coaxed.
“I want you,” I begged. I looked at his long solid shaft, licking my lips. The washer started to spin and the vibration ricocheted through my body. Shit, it felt good.
He turned the lock on the door and stepped in front of me. I squealed when he grabbed me ass and dragged me to the edge of the appliance.
“I thought about this all day,” he groaned. He rubbed his wide head between my folds. The instant his skin touched mine I felt the blaze ignite.
“Please fuck me,” I begged. My palms steadied me on the washer and I lifted my hips in his direction, offering him my swollen pussy. Already throbbing and aching for him.
He chuckled. “You’re my perfect mate, aren’t you Gabi?”
I bit my bottom lip. “We don’t have much t—”
But he slammed into me and the world spun upside down. There were stars and flames circling the ceiling as he thrust in and out. He pushed my knees wide, giving him the deepest access to my core.
“Oh shit,” I cried, knowing I had no resistance. I was his for the taking up here like this. He was out of control. Taking and claiming me. As if we had been apart for months, not hours.
“Gabi,” he grunted. “You’re so fucking sexy.”
I panted in ecstasy as my body convulsed under his command. With the rhythmic waves of the washer and his gigantic cock pounding me home, there was no way I could hold this orgasm back another second.
“Ohh,” I screamed. “Ohh, Boone.”
“Fuck,” he growled, thrusting until he spilled his seed.
His lips sought mine and I kissed him sweetly. He closed my legs and looked around for a towel. He opened the dryer and handed a fluffy one to me.
I giggled, cleaning myself up. “Don’t think I’ve ever gotten so dirty doing laundry before.”
He grinned. “It can get dirtier.”
“Is that a challenge?”
I hopped to the floor and picked up my clothes. Boone smacked me on the ass.
“Depends on how dirty you like it.”
I bit my lip. “I think I like it.” I blushed bright red. He had brought out a side of me I didn’t know existed, and I loved it. There was a sexual power surfacing that made me feel like an incredibly strong woman. How had he done it?
Boone straightened his jeans and unlocked the door. He leaned his ear to the door. “I don’t hear her. She must be asleep.” The washer and dryer were still running.
I grabbed his hand before we walked to the kitchen. “Wait.” I tugged him toward me.
“What is it?”
“This.” I drew his lips toward mine for a kiss. He moaned and his rigid body covered mine as his arms circled my waist. I’d never felt this safe. This protected. This loved.
“I like this.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Boone! Boone!”
I heard a loud voice bellowing from the front of the house. I searched Boone’s face for an explanation, but he darted out of the laundry room.
“Holden, keep it down.”
Shit. There was someone else here. And I had the complete I’ve-just-been-fucked-on-the-washer
look. I tried to straighten my hair and fan out my cheeks so they weren’t so pink, but it was pointless. I looked like I’d loved every minute of my ravaging. And I did.
I took a big breath and stepped into the kitchen. Holy hell. There were two of them. Another Boone. Only, slightly younger.
“Hi.” He grinned. He had a perfect white smile like my mate.
“Hi.”
Boone tucked a hand against my hip. “This is my brother Holden. Holden, my mate.”
He extended a hand. “The new she-alpha.”
“You can call me Gabi.” I shook his hand. “I’m not really used to the shifter stuff, yet.”
Boone laughed. “Yet.”
“So everything went all right last night?” he asked. “You’re completely claimed?”
I choked and sputtered. Boone patted my back. I looked at him.
He shrugged. “Everyone knows what mates do, baby. Nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“Well, I don’t know what to say about that.”
Holden chuckled. “Must have been a hell of a claiming.” He picked up an apple from the bowl and tossed it in the air.
I couldn’t look at him. I was mortified.
“D-do you have a mate, Holden?” I asked. I wanted the topic off my hot sex life.
“No. I’m not in a rush.” He took a big bite, crunching into the apple. “Can’t say that I’m ready for everything you two are.”
I crossed my arms. I hadn’t had time to figure out if I was ready or not. It all happened so fast. Willa was in the orchard and the next thing I knew I was playing mama bear and falling into bed with a seductive papa bear. Instinct led me to where I was now.
“What’s going on?” Boone asked. “Did you get everything I asked for?”
He nodded. “The plates are installed and the car is equipped with the latest and greatest car seat. I have to say that thing was a bitch to put in.”
“What are you talking about?” I interrupted.
“It’s the plan I have to get Willa and her mother out of here,” Boone explained.
“The trunk is full of snacks, juice, and enough clothes for both of them to last months.” Holden picked up a second apple. “The IDs are in the glove box and it has a full tank of gas. I put two burner phones under the front seat. That should get her going.”
“Thanks, brother.” Boone slapped Holden on the back. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“She’s leaving?” I whispered.
He nodded. “I’m helping Poppy escape her marriage and take her daughter with her.”
“When?”
He gripped my shoulders. “Tomorrow night during the dance.”
I didn’t expect the sadness, or the pain. I wanted to be happy for Willa. She deserved a life where her mother raised her. But part of my heart was broken. I’d be lying if I said those visions of cubs didn’t include her too.
“Oh,” I answered softly. “So soon.”
“Hey, that’s what you wanted. From the beginning.”
I nodded. “It is. It’s exactly what I wanted. Thank you.” I reached up on my toes and kissed him on his cheek. “I’m going to go upstairs for a minute. It was nice to meet you Holden.”
“Yeah. Sure thing.”
I walked out of the kitchen in a daze. But before I headed upstairs, I ducked into the guestroom. I laid down on the bed where Willa was sleeping. I knew I had to give her back. But suddenly it seemed like it was going to the hardest thing I ever had to do.
Nineteen
Boone
Gabi wasn’t as excited as I thought she’d be about reuniting Poppy and Willa. I looked at Holden. He shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s your mate, brother. Don’t ask me.”
I scowled. “She’s fine. She’s just tired. She’s been working on the damn festival non-stop.”
“I’m headed out,” he reported. “You can deal with alpha domestic bliss.”
I glared at him. “Thanks for what you did today.”
“I’ll get Poppy in the car tomorrow night. Don’t worry. And I’ll make sure she makes it to the North Carolina line.”
“Farther if she wants it,” I reminded him.
“Of course. Whatever she and the cub need.” He strolled to the front door. “Have a good night.”
“Night.”
I’d feel a hell of a lot better once the festival was over and the girl and her mom were safe. And then, Gabi and I could start our life together. I knew she had a lot to figure out. My life was here. The clan. The orchard. My brother.
She was the one who was going to have to make all the changes in her life.
There was something I could do to show her that I valued the human side of our relationship. That what she brought to our family was important. It wasn’t clan tradition. And it wasn’t necessary, but for the woman who had given me everything, I’d do whatever I could.
I climbed the stairs to the second story and walked to the end of the hall. The door to the walk-up attic was locked. I grabbed the key from above the doorframe and twisted it in the deadbolt. It snapped open and I climbed the stairs. It was dark and dusty. But after a few minutes I found what I was looking for.
I held the velvet box in front of me and cracked the lid. The diamond sparkled even in the dim attic light. I grinned. Tomorrow night was going to be one hell of a fall festival.
Gabi nuzzled against my chest. I held her naked body, still hot and sated from being claimed. My bear couldn’t get enough of her. And when she came, it took me to my knees. Knowing she had embraced our bond was everything to me. How she unleashed her inner sexy hellcat was everything to us. We were hot enough to set the sheets on fire every time we mated. I was worried one time we might set off the smoke alarm outside my bedroom.
I traced the soft curves of her breasts. Her nipple hardened under my touch.
She sighed. “God, that feels good.”
I massaged her tit with my thumb. “I know you need your sleep. Big day tomorrow, but I’m addicted to your body.”
She moaned as I lowered my mouth to her breast and began to suck and lap at her sensitive bud. “I’m never going to sleep like this.”
“No, you’re not.” I kissed her throat as she rolled on her back. “One more time?” she asked.
“One more,” I agreed, feeling my cock harden at the thought of fucking her again. Of being enclosed inside her hot velvet walls while she came in ragged breaths, moaning my name. Sucking my essence to her core.
Before I could kiss her again, I heard the monitor chirp. I stopped, tilting my ear toward the device.
“What was that?” Gabi asked.
“Shh,” I warned. I listened intently. The cub was sleeping, but I swore I heard something inside her room. “Wait here.”
I climbed from the bed, drawing a pair of running pants over my legs.
“No, I’m coming with you. If Willa needs me…”
I put my hand up. “I said wait here.”
She sat back in the bed, pulling the quilt to her chest. I didn’t know if I had seen that look of fear in her eyes before.
“Listen on the monitor. I’ll call you if Willa needs you. She’s asleep, but I need to get down there.”
Gabi nodded and I took off down the hall. The air outside the bedroom was much cooler. My hair bristled on the back of my neck. I wasn’t sure what had made the sound, but I was certain someone had tried to get in the house.
I was quiet as I descended the stairs. I scanned the living room and kitchen before I moved to the guest room. The light was off and Willa was breathing lightly. The covers were tucked around her shoulders. She was clutching a teddy bear.
I walked to the window. The top latch had been altered, as if someone had tried to pry it open with a crowbar, but hadn’t succeeded. I peered outside. There was something moving in one of the bushes. I didn’t hesitate. There wasn’t enough time. I had to catch the son of a bitch who was trying to break in. I threw the window open and jumped to the ground.
I landed with a heavy thud a few feet from the house as my fur started to emerge and I roared, tearing through my skin. The beast was ready for the hunt. He was ready for the kill, if necessary.
My teeth gnashed as I headed toward the bush. I’d rip him apart limb by limb after I knew why he had trespassed on my land. Had threatened my home. Willa was innocent. She counted on me to protect her and Gabi, and I wouldn’t let them down.
My fangs extended as I moved the boughs.
“Stop!” a man yelled.
I dug my claws into the soil. “What the hell are you doing here?” I asked.
He held his hands up in defense. “I came to check on my daughter.”
“What?”
He pointed to the guestroom window. “Annabelle is sleeping up there. Poppy told me you’re taking care of her.”
I was suspicious. How did I know this wasn’t one of Axel McMaster’s minions? I couldn’t trust anyone.
“I don’t know what you heard, but that child isn’t yours.” My eyes glowered in the dark. “Get off my land before you get hurt.”
“I’m not a shifter. You can probably see that.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “But my daughter is, and so is the woman I love. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow night, but I needed to see her again. I don’t want it to be one last time, but what if it is?”
I stared at him. He was damn convincing.
I heard a tiny wail behind me. Annabelle was hanging from the window.
“Papa,” she cried.
“Annabelle, don’t move.” He ran on the other side of me and caught her before she hit the ground. He scooped her in his arms and hugged her. “Shh. Shh. It’s ok. I just wanted to say hi.”
I looked up as Gabi appeared in the window. I ducked backward into the shadows, giving them a minute. As I shed my fur and my skin reclaimed my body, I moved to the porch. Gabi was waiting for me.
She threw her arms around my neck. “Are you ok?”
I nodded. “I could have killed him.” I studied her. My brow furrowed. “I almost killed her father.”
“But you didn’t,” Gabi soothed. “You didn’t. He’s ok. Nothing happened.”
