by Honor James
“No we’re not,” he said, quietly looking into her eyes. “We can’t do anything until we mate. After that we can do whatever we want, when we want. For now though we need to keep focused on what and where we will all be soon. So behave yourself,” he told her before brushing a kiss to her cheek.
“Damn,” she muttered, but took in a deep breath. “Okay, sorry. We will get through this. We will get on the other side of the Veil, have dinner, go home and talk and figure life out okay? We will do this. Somehow and some way, right?”
“Not until tomorrow,” he told her squeezing her close. “So until then, take a breath and remember we’re fighting our instincts.”
“In other words, don’t run.” Zhubin told her oh so helpfully.
Ansell snorted out a laugh at that. “More or less. We’re going to have a nice lazy evening, all get some rest and then we’ll get dressed and packed up for a couple days behind the Veil. When we return life will be back to our normal level of insanity but we’ll all be able to think clearer. At which point we hunt down that sick, twisted bastard that’s stalking you and gut him.”
“All right. I hope that I can do this without attacking you boys,” she said with the shake of her head. “I mean it. I’ve kept my hands to myself for far too long and now I am finding it very hard to keep from grabbing one or both of you and loving on you. I mean really hard. I’ve resisted for so long and now I’m finding it very hard to dig back into that resistance again.”
“Well, resist until tomorrow after dinner,” Zhubin told her. “But I should warn you, it will be a bitch of a meal to get through. The parents will show you the true meaning of an interrogation. They know how to phrase things in a way that you’ll answer before your brain fully clicks in.”
“Oh goodie.” Not! She had never had to be subjected to “the parents” before and she wasn’t so sure that she would survive this. “I have no idea what to expect from parents, they are not something that I have ever had. Will you pull me out if I start saying things that will get me shot?” Lacey allowed herself to voice her fears only to these two men.
“Just be yourself, Lacey,” Ansell said with a smile down at her. “But yes, if you look like you’re starting to flounder we’ll rescue you. We’ll be right next to you the entire time as well. Except when his mother hauls you off for the girls’ chat.”
“Perfect. Thank you for that. What?” Her voice broke and crackled a little when she screeched that one word. “A girls’ chat? Huh? What? You…oh boy. I’m so going to have a heart attack from the things your momma says to me, aren’t I?”
“Holy hell,” Zhubin bitched out loud. “Dammit woman, would you not scream in the confines of the truck!”
“He’s right.” Ansell wiggled a finger in his ear. “We’re Luhpyne, that kind of screaming can deafen us. It’s not that bad,” he said softly. “She’ll just talk to you about what to expect from the mating and answer your questions.”
God, she hoped the woman could assure her that it was going to be okay to have Zhubin as her prime mate and Ansell her beta. She felt like her heart hurt from cutting him out of ever being a biological father. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to deafen you.” She grinned and added, “Well mostly, that is.”
“I’m sure,” he said with a snort. “Don’t look so worried, Lacey.” He stared at her, like he was reading her mind. “It will all work out the way it’s meant to and should. She’ll tell you the same thing, darling.”
“I hope that you are right,” she said with a smile. “Because I certainly plan on having a very, very long life with you boys. I have spent far too much time away from you boys, depriving all three of us so yep, I want a shot at forever or at least as long as we can get.”
Kissing her, he let his grip around her loosen as they pulled up in front of the house. Ansell slid out and turned to help her down. All three walked into the house and were soon under attack by the wolves, who wanted some attention and clearly were not prepared to take no for an answer no matter what the two large Luhpynes said to them.
Lacey laughed as Demon and Devil slid to a halt, right in front of her. Laughing, she gave the animals some love and scratched them behind their ears as they demanded. Looking up, she was giggling, “Save me from the big wolfies,” she teased.
“Yeah, you gave them the loving before, it’s all on you, darling,” Zhubin commented. Shaking his head, he shrugged out of his jacket and hung it up. “I’m making a snack. Wash your hands before you come to the table, Lacey. Those two are droolers when they get overly excited.”
Ansell hung up his jacket and hunkered down next to her. “He’s right about that last part, they do get sloppy when they are excited.” He rubbed Demon’s belly for a moment before rubbing his ears slowly. “You ready for tomorrow?”
Lacey looked up at Ansell and nodded, “I’m as ready as I am going to get. I want this,” she assured him and reached up to touch his cheek, cupping his jaw lightly. “You two make me happy. I hate that I’ve run from you both for so long. I shouldn’t have. I really shouldn’t. I’m complete with the two of you and I realize and see that now.”
He captured her hand, turned his head and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Never apologize for looking out for yourself, Lacey. We’d expect nothing less of our mate. Even when she is foolish enough to run from two such handsome studs as Zhubin and I are. Really, how could you run from the finest examples of Luhpyne manliness there are?”
“I know.” She sighed and then snickered at his comment. “You boys really and truly are all that is studly and sexy. You are both far too hot for my own peace of mind. I have a feeling that after we mate we will find as many reasons to be behind closed doors, in closets, wherever as much as possible. Naked.”
“As will we, little mate, but we have to get through tomorrow, dinner, and then we can figure out if we’re really ready to move forward. Whatever you do, if you have any questions, ask Zhubin’s mother. She’ll literally answer anything.”
“That sounds good.” She hesitated but asked, “If Zhubin’s mother has more than one mate, why does she only live with the one? If there was love to start, why are they not still with her?” She would be broken, completely and fully, if Ansell left her even if she still had Zhubin. She would feel incomplete without him as well and they hadn’t even joined yet.
“They do live with them, just not all the time. Martynn is a scientist and is working on figuring out what the hell happened to the Veil. Shan works in the capital, he’s a mediator between the Regents and the rest of the locals. They’ll both be there for dinner on Saturday so you’ll meet them all.”
“I look forward to it then.” She sighed and nodded. “I was worried that maybe when a woman mated with more than one man that somehow the love went away.” She had been worried that she would lose Ansell with Zhubin as her Prime Mate, or whatever it was called.
“Not at all.” He sat down and pulled her into his lap. The wolves pressed in closer as soon as they had settled. “Thorin is always at the house except when business pulls him away. Because he can communicate through the system it’s pretty rare that he actually has to leave. But the others both have positions that pull them away often. They are always back on the weekends and they take two weeks every quarter to just be at the house with his mother. They all care for one another greatly and she loves them all. Thorin is her first mate though, that’s why I refer to him as his father.”
“Ah, that makes sense. Is that what Zhubin will be? My first mate, and you my second? I’m a little lost so I really and truly need to be sure that I don’t mess up when I talk about you boys,” she said with a grin.
“Some call it Alpha and Beta, Prime and Secondary, First and Second, doesn’t really matter,” he told her honestly. “All that really matters is that we will all be together, as a unit. Yes, Zhubin will be the father of your children but that’s really the only difference between us. We are your mates and you are ours, forever.”
That had Lacey smiling and she nodded, �
�That is what I needed to hear. I needed to know that you will always be there at my side and will not be unhappy with me choosing Zhubin as the father for our children. I just never want to do anything that would drive you away.”
Ansell stared at her for a long moment before his lips started to curl slightly. “Just never ask me to change a poopy diaper,” he said. He grinned at her look and shrugged, “You wanted to know,” he teased tickling her sides.
Lacey laughed at that and shook her head. “No promises, mister.” She teased right back again and pulled back to look up at him. “But children are a very, very long way away honey. I want a life with you boys first. A long life. Later, much later, when I’m more ready, we can have kids.”
“Then we should likely start taking the leaves again. Luhpynes tend to be rather potent little breeders for the first month. After that it tends to tone down and we’ll only have to worry about when you happen to go into heat.”
Well that was something new! “Oh.” Her mouth was having a hard time working. “Uhm.” She frowned and asked outright. “What would you like? What do you think Zhubin wants? I don’t want to give up and give in on what he might want and or need in life, ever. Do you think that he wants children soon? Is that why you stopped with the leaves?” The leaves? What in the hell were those?
“No, we stopped with the leaves because we didn’t need them while not having sexual relations,” he told her with a shrug. “The leaves are an herb from our realm that, like your world’s contraceptives, work much the same way. But they seem to work best for our physiology. Unlike your contraceptives it’s a completely foolproof guarantee you won’t become pregnant. When you’re ready we stop ingesting them and wait through a full moon. Or rather, Zhubin will stop taking them. There’s no need for me to take them after the mating.”
“I think that this is something we should discuss as a family because I sure as hell am not going to wait another month to be with you, to be claimed by you. I’ve waited too damn long as it is and I won’t wait another day. I want you. I need you. If that means that I chance pregnancy then so be it, but I’m damn well tired of waiting.”
“The effects take a month to wear off, but the benefits of the leaves work in hours. We will get some for Zhubin when we are beyond the Veil and he’ll take it before the meal. By the time the meal and your chat with his mother are complete, the effects will be in full motion. Then we can mate safely without any worry of getting you pregnant before you’re ready.”
“Are you sure? Do you think that this is something that Zhubin will be all right with as well? I want to wait for children, but what’s to say that he wants to wait? Honestly?” she asked quietly. “If he wants to try as soon as possible we will try.” She was honestly being selfish because she wanted to wait and knew it.
He cocked a brow and then tipped his head. “Zhubin!” he bellowed. “Lacey wants to know if you want to knock her up right away or wait a little while before we have kids underfoot!”
“Considering I have to deal with you and the wolves I’m more than happy to wait. As long as she wants,” the other man called back. “Three children in the house at any given time is more than enough,” he added just loud enough for them to hear.
“Does that answer your question, love?” Ansell asked with a smirk.
Lacey laughed and shook her head, “Yeah, it does. You boys are too funny.” She laid her head back on Ansell’s chest and sighed happily. “But you are mine and I love you so very, very much. I’m happy with you. With both of you. I’m glad that I stopped running.”
“We would have eventually just taken that option away. We have finite patience, even with our mate. Or perhaps I should say, especially with our mate when she is ignoring us.” He gave her a squeeze before pressing a kiss to her hair. “Let’s get up off the floor, shall we? My ass is going numb and I smell food.”
“Yum, food.” She felt her stomach rumble then and laughed. “Not a word mister,” she said with a grin and stood. “Maybe you should have taken the option away from me a lot earlier. I think that we all could have used a shoulder to lean on in the past.”
“It was not the time,” he said, getting to his feet. Taking her hand he led her to the main floor bathroom. Washing his hands, he glanced at her. “You weren’t ready, Lacey, and it had to be your choice to some degree. You had your fears and rightly so. Hopefully we have eliminated them or at least started to.”
“You have,” she admitted. “And I know that when we have this asshole in custody it will fully and completely eliminate them. If I let him get into custody, that is. Part of me wants to tear him limb from limb and to hell with everything else. Is that bad of me?”
“Not at all, he’s been terrorizing you, Lacey,” he said, stepping out of the space so she could wash her hands. “You have the right to be angry toward him and angry about the situation he’s put you in. It wasn’t a place you chose or would have chosen. It’s one you were forced into.”
“And if I hadn’t been forced to do what I did…” She sighed and looked over her shoulder at him. “If not for him we would have all been together five years ago. For five years I have fought the attraction that I have for the two of you. For five years I’ve kept you both at arm’s length for fear of what he would do to you. I’m glad that this is over and we will be able to move forward. We will find him together. The three of us.”
“We are moving forward, Lacey,” he said. Moving closer he turned her to face him and cupped her cheeks. “The Gods kept us apart for a purpose, a reason. That’s how I have to look at it, or the other side of me has this instant and constant need to hunt. To hunt and kill this jackass. I’m having enough problems restraining myself from trying to find the one that hurt Briar that I don’t need to consider your stalker on top. I would be most unpleasant to live with at that point.”
“Good point,” she said with a nod. “I don’t want you to be hard to live with. I would likely have to hit you over the top of the head and that just wouldn’t be fair at all. I might hurt myself hitting you in the head. I’m working on not thinking about it, I promise.” Her tone was teasing, sassy even.
“I do have a very hard head. But then I’ve heard the same about you.” He smiled. Pressing a kiss to her lips, he nipped her bottom one. Drawing back he tipped his head. “Let’s go and enjoy a nice meal and lazy evening. Tomorrow will be complete madness so enjoy this peace and quiet while you can, little mate.”
“Sounds good to me. Will you and Zhubin enjoy the peace with me? If only for a bit? I would like to just curl up with the both of you and simply relax and let that be that. Think that we can do that?” she asked hopefully.
“Course we can,” he nodded, pressing a kiss to her lips. “Food first though. I’m dying of starvation here. See, I’m practically wasting away right before your eyes. It’s horrible really.” He added a pout for effect with his arms held out as if showing her just how thin he was becoming by the minute.
Lacey couldn’t help but laugh and shook her head. “I love you but you are a serious and total ham, you know that right? You are nowhere near wasting away, so try it on someone else,” she teased.
“I am,” he said, lifting his shirt and tugging at his waistband. “Look at that gap. That shouldn’t be there, babe. I’m wasting away and it’s a horrific thing.” He dropped the shirt and turned her toward the kitchen, giving her a light push. “I desperately need sustenance, stat!”
Lacey couldn’t stop her laughter if she tried. Shaking her head, she let Ansell drag her to the kitchen’s and winked at Zhubin. “This man needs food, stat! He’s wasting away right before our eyes. Even now he’s fading Zhu, get him food. In a hurry. Chop-chop.”
Zhubin just stared at them like they’d both grown an extra head. “I’m going to start restricting your sugar intake. And monitoring your alcohol consumption. This is seriously weird even for Ansell. And the food’s on the table, sit and eat so I don’t have to hear about his supposed wasting. He’s just wearing jeans t
oo big, a play to gain sympathy is all.”
Lacey shot a suspicious look to Ansell. “Really now? And why in the world would you want and need to gain sympathy?” Her lips twitched to grin, he could see as he looked at her that she wanted to smile, wanted to laugh.
He gave an exaggerated gasp. “I am not looking for sympathy,” he said as if horrified. “I was merely stating the facts of the situation. I happen to be starving and really, making a Luhpyne wait for food is cruel and unusual punishment in my books, damn it.”
Unable to help herself, Lacey began to giggle and shook her head. “You are a crazy nut, you know that right? Silly man,” she teased happily. “I adore you but that is too freaking funny. You are such a drama queen.”
“And you have zero sympathy in your heart. Sad, Lacey, so sad,” he said with a pout. Pulling out a chair he looked to her. “Your chair, m’lady. Let’s eat before all this gets cold or Zhubin brains me with a pan. It’s happened before, I wouldn’t put it past him to do it again.”
“It was an accident, dude.” Zhubin came to the table with biscuits and set the plate down. “He comes racing around a corner just as I turn with the pan in hand. He runs right into it and says I beat him with it.”
Shaking her head, Lacey spread a napkin in her lap. “Well one thing’s for sure, I will never, ever be dull or bored with you guys around. Ever.” She loved it too. “Which is a very, very good thing. I’m seriously happy that you guys are mine and we will keep each other busy for the rest of forever.”
“And we’re very happy to do it too.” Zhubin smiled down at her before sitting. “Eat,” he ordered.
Chapter Eleven
“You’re going to end up hyperventilating if you keep sucking air like that,” Zhubin told her softly. They were before the Veil and ready to go across. She would be meeting Zhubin’s parents, having dinner with them, and he was trying to get her calm! “Slow your breaths, love.” He cupped her face. His thumbs stroked slowly over her skin, “They are just people, Lacey. Like you and me and Ansell. They love, they laugh, they cry and they worry. Just like everyone else.”
