by Maia Dylan
Chris went to the window and watched a couple of understanding customers walk out of the bookstore. Chris paced anxiously. He was not going to calm down until he had his mate in his arms and he could see for himself firsthand that she was okay. He heard footsteps on the stairs and the murmuring voice of his brother no doubt trying to calm their mate. Chris could still feel her anxiety and fear down their link.
As soon as they walked through the door, Chris felt his tension ease. Angel was here with them and she was safe. “Angel,” he said and heard the need in his own voice. Angel lifted her head from where it had been laying against Noah’s chest and as soon as she made eye contact, Chris saw tears well as she lifted her arms to him.
Chris crossed the room in the blink of an eye and pulled her into his arms. Noah stood close behind her with his hands resting in her hips. Chris breathed her scent in and relaxed even further and smiled slightly when he felt her do the same thing. Apparently, they calmed her just as she did them.
There was a noise on the stairs and then their alphas came in still in uniform. Rowena was bringing up the rear and Chris noticed she looked pale.
“You let Wyatt, Luke, and Chase know? Rowena looks rattled.” Chase asked his alphas down their communal link.
“Yeah, they are working a couple of blocks over, they’ll be here soon,” Trent answered as he sat down on one of the armchairs as Ty leant against the wall next to the window. Chris knew it was deliberate as Ty’s eyes swept the backyard.
“Okay, sweetheart,” Noah spoke calmly and gently. Emotions that were completely opposite to what he was feeling. “Let’s get you seated on the couch and we can all have a look at the letter huh?” Even as he talked his brother gently led her over to the couch, and then pulled her onto his lap. Chris sat beside him and pulled her legs across his lap.
“Alright, Angel.” Ty’s voice was calm, but Chris could see the anger in his eyes. “Why don’t you run us through what happened downstairs?”
“Day was a great day. We had a lot of people in the café and some of them left with an armload of books.” There was pride in his mate’s voice and Chris smiled. She and Rowena worked so damn hard to make that store successful and he was damn proud himself at what they had been able to achieve. “I had my back turned to the counter, cleaning down the back bench and tidying everything away for closing. The café tends to slow right down the closer we get to closing.
“I had just cleaned down the coffee machine and was turning to place the last of the cups out of the dishwasher on the counter and there it was. A plain white envelope sitting on the counter with my name handwritten on the front, just like last time. I looked up to see if I could see if anyone had put it there, but there was no one there. I think I dropped a cup…yeah I did, I dropped a cup but I couldn’t take my eyes off that damn envelope.”
“Did you open it?” Ty asked.
“No! Oh God, I don’t even know where it is now, I have no clue what happened to it.” Angel made to scramble off their laps but Noah clamped a hand over her to hold her to them.
“Shhh, sweetheart, it’s okay,” Noah crooned and held the envelope out to Ty, who pushed off the wall and walked over to take the envelope and sit on the chair opposite the couch. “I have it. It’s right here. There were no finger prints or anything on the last one and I figured there wouldn’t be on this one either. It’s written in blood, Ty, and from the scent of it, it’s human.”
Jesus Christ.
Ty put a pair of latex gloves on that he had in his pocket, and then took a knife out from the holder attached to the tool belt he wore with his uniform and slid it under the flap, slicing it neatly. Chris wanted to scream for him to hurry the fuck up but at the same time tell him to just destroy the damn thing and leave it all alone.
Ty pulled the page out and unfolded it, his eyes flashing blue and a low continuous growl building as he spread the piece of paper out on the table. Chris cast his eyes over the page and couldn’t stop his own growl from rumbling into the room. The page was a collage of images again, and most of them featured his mate. There were images of the women all sitting around this very coffee table eating cake and drinking coffee, and the photo was clearly taken through the window that looked out over the park yard and into the forest.
The rest of the images were mostly of her and Mateo and a few where she was pressed between him and Noah. In a couple of them, the three were naked. The fucker had violated their privacy and Chris’s anger rose to a level he had never experienced before.
There were words written across the images. “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” It was another biblical reference and this one obviously making the statement that whoever this bastard was he was coming for Angel and coming soon.
“Who is this person and what the hell have I done to piss them off?” Angel’s voice was a whisper and Chris could hear that she was very close to tears.
He was about to comfort her when he noticed Ty and Trent share a look that told Chris they were talking with each other and he would bet anything he owned that they knew something they hadn’t shared yet.
“Ty, alpha or not, you had better share what you and Trent know,” Noah snarled, obviously seeing the look and coming to the same conclusion Chris had. “My mate is in danger and I will not have anyone keeping information from me that may help me find this fucker and rip his intestines out through his fucking eye socket.”
“Well, that’s a beautiful image,” Rowena mumbled as she stood with Mateo in her arms, rocking him gently. He must have stirred but Chris had been so wrapped up in what Angel was saying he didn’t hear him. “Can you try to keep the expletives and threats to a PG level? I’m sure Angel, Chris, and Noah don’t want their son’s first words to be of the four-letter variety.”
Despite the interruption, Noah and Ty had not taken their eyes off each other. They maintained the glare and Chris could feel the pressure of Ty’s dominance fill the room, until Noah looked away with a growl.
“For Christ’s sake, Noah, you stubborn pain-in-my-ass Enforcer,” Ty said, anger and frustration in his words. “Why is it that wolves who have been my friends since we were pups insist on being stubborn assholes all of a sudden? Yes, we do have something to share with you all but we had only found out about it this afternoon and were on our way over to share it. How in the hell do you think we got here so fucking fast?
“We’ve had Hunter and Dane talking to their friends in the Enforcers about the Williamses. Hunter finally got word that all fucking hell is breaking loose in Dallas and yes, it has something to do with your mate. Apparently, Marsha has gone all batshit crazy and is telling the world that her son is dead. There hasn’t been a sighting of Jeremy for months now, and I’d be willing to bet Trent’s right nut that Silas killed him that night they fought.”
“Dude, bet your own damn nut,” Trent muttered.
“And that means a whole shit storm is coming Silas’s way and he is not going to like the outcome. In order to be on the council you have to be an alpha with no equal. Effectively the biggest baddest son of a bitch around, but you must also have an heir to carry on that bloodline. When Martha announced to the world that Jeremy was dead, that put Silas’s position in jeopardy. Hell, even having a son who was latent put him in a precarious position and he knew it.
“Now, that bastard is claiming that Mateo is in fact his son and according to Hunter’s sources he has sent someone to come get Mateo so that his position on the council is safe. Apparently this fucker is a latent shifter that has been Silas’s bitch for years now.” Angel gasped and then looked around in fear, until she saw Rowena with Mateo. Rowena, knowing what must be going through her mind, stepped forward quickly and placed him in her arms.
Seeing Angel pressing Mateo to her chest with her eyes closed despite the tears that streamed down her cheeks made Chris livid.
“Whoever he sent, this fucker who is stalking our mate and taking those photos, is a walking dead man,” Noah snarled down the
ir link and Chris lifted his gaze to meet his brother’s and saw his wolf clear in his eyes. “He won’t get anywhere near our family.”
“I know that, Noah.” Chris suddenly grinned evilly. “Just make sure the fucker bleeds, a lot, before you kill him.”
Noah sent him a matching evil grin.
“Done.”
Chapter 7
She just couldn’t get warm. Again! No matter how hot she had the water in the shower, she still felt chilled to the bone. Angel sat on the floor of the shower, shivering in the steam of the hot water, rocking backward and forward. She wasn’t an idiot, she knew she was in shock, but she felt she needed to deal with this on her own, knowing that Chris and Noah were planning and scheming on how to best protect her.
It was hard to comprehend that a father could kill his own son, but that was what Silas had done. Angel had felt a pang of sadness for the friend she remembered from her childhood, but not for the man he had become. Then when Ty started talking about Silas coming for Mateo because he needed an heir to stay on a fucking council just made her so damn angry.
She had been a pawn. A toy that Jeremy had used in the end to torment his father and then as a damn punching bag for his fucked-up attempt at earning his father’s approval. What a bastard. Up until today, Angel had been able to compartmentalize the first letter and the threat to the point where she had almost convinced herself that it had been a mistake.
Now there was no mistake and some fucking mercenary was hunting her for her baby. Shivering, Angel hugged her knees tighter, and the thought of someone getting their hands on her son, potentially hurting him or worse, made her ache. Homicidal, if the truth be told. She had never thought of herself as someone who could pull the trigger but if she had the fucker in her sights right now she would pull the trigger and dance ecstatically on his grave. What type of person threatened a child?
“Angel-mine?” Chris’s voice came from the other side of the curtain and Angel lowered her head. She had been in here too long. She should have guessed they would come looking for her. “I think you should come out of there and let us comfort you the way we all need.”
His voice was silk and so damn smooth it washed over her, taking with it some of the harsh edges of her fear. When she was with them, she felt so damn safe. After a moment, when she hadn’t answered, the curtain was slowly pushed back.
“Oh, Angel,” Chris groaned. The water was turned off quick and she was plucked out of the bath, sat down on the closed toilet, and placed on his lap within seconds. Noah immediately knelt beside them and wrapped her in a warmed towel then started to dry her long hair.
“It’s okay, sweetheart, we’re here,” Noah spoke softly as he continued to gently dab her wet skin dry. Then from behind him he pulled a thick warm blanket which he bundled her into and lifted her from Chris’s lap.
They moved into the lounge and Noah sat with her in his lap, and less than a minute later Chris was there with a hair dryer and a comb. After a few minutes, the combination of Chris combing her hair and the gentle hum of the hair dryer had her dozing off. She jerked awake when Noah stood up with her in his arms and they made their way into the bedroom.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let us cuddle you until you fall asleep. Mateo is sleep peacefully in his bassinet in the walk-in wardrobe.” Angel’s head shot up at Noah’s words.
“What? Why is he in the wardrobe?”
“Well”—Chris grinned—“it appears my brother is a genius and figured that would be the safest place for him. There is no way into the wardrobe except through this room, and anyone dumb enough to try that will get what they deserve.”
“Two fucked off adult wolves ripping them apart limb by limb.” Noah’s boyish grin had her giggling and it felt good, almost like the world was as it should be. Angel jolted at that thought. This really was the world as it should be. The Fates had decided that she was the mate for both Chris and Noah Carson and she was exactly where she was meant to be.
“Angel?” Chris asked with a frown. They must have felt her jolt as that lightening epiphany rocked through her, but wouldn’t have a clue as to what she was thinking. She smiled as she thought about the fact that once they claimed her, she could share her thoughts with them easily.
“I just had a thought.” Angel sat up and turned so that she knelt between her men and could see them both easily as they lay back on her bed. “I am your fated mate.” She couldn’t keep the goofy grin of her face if she tried.
“Well, yeah you are,” Noah said slowly. “Angel, do you feel okay? You’re not rethinking anything about us are you?”
Angel rolled her eyes. It was going to take her some time to get Noah to stop looking for the other shoe to drop, but she figured that because they were about to be fully mated, and they damn well would all be claimed by the time they climbed out of this bed in the morning, time was on her side.
“Of course not, Noah.” Angel looked up at both of them from beneath her lashes, and putting as much come-hither-lover-ness in her tone as she could muster, she said, “I just figure that you can’t mess with fate, and if they have determined that I am to be yours and you are to be mine, then who are we to argue?” She watched as their expressions turned hungry and she could see their eyes flash an arctic-blue that had her heart rate speeding up.
“So claim me, my mates,” she whispered. “Make me yours in truth, and before this night is through, I’ll do the same to you.”
There was a moment of hesitation. A split second where her words were no doubt heard, registered, and cherished, and then she was swept up into Noah’s arms and his mouth claimed hers. Angel moaned at the feel of him licking into her mouth when she gasped. Her pussy clenched and leaked as he sucked her tongue into his mouth.
“You won’t regret this,” Noah murmured as he pulled back and turned her to face Chris.
“We will spend our lives making you and Mateo and all the other pups we have, happy,” Chris said just before he claimed her mouth as well. Where Noah exerted dominance and stamped his claim on her until she melted into him, Chris would coerce and seduce with slow tugs on her bottom lip until he would suddenly push harder, driving his tongue into her mouth and driving her crazy. By the time she had pulled back her breathing was fast and she was pressing her thighs together to stop the ache.
“Slide her over here, bro,” Noah said from where he was standing beside the bed. He was the picture of masculine perfection, shoulders and pecs to die for, and abs that narrowed to his hips. His erection stood up proud and Angel licked her lips.
“Wait.” She had a feeling that Noah had pleasuring her in mind, but she suddenly found herself wanting a taste of her man. She turned so that she sat with her back to Noah, then lay down so that her head hung over the edge of the bed.
Noah groaned as he caught on to what she wanted and stepped forward, running the leaking tip of his cock over her lips. Flicking out her tongue to grab a taste of his essence she flicked it against the underside of his dick, making him shudder and moan. She moaned as his flavor exploded within her mouth.
She gasped and moaned at the feel of Chris settling his mouth on her pussy. She lifted her head to watch him for a second and grinned at the wink he gave her as his mouth devoured her pussy, making her roll her hips up to meet his tongue.
Not wanting to get so lost in what Chris was doing to her that she forgot about her other mate, she quickly lay down, and reached her hand up to grip him hard like she knew he liked then she slid him between her lips and sucked.
“Ahh, shit. Damn, Angel, your mouth should be bloody outlawed. Yeah, darling, suck me down.” Noah began to move his hips gently and Angel dropped her hands. “Christ! The fact that you trust me so much makes me so damn happy, love.”
And trust him she did. Both of them. She trusted them with her heart, her body, her pleasure, and most importantly, she trusted them with her son. That in itself told her everything she needed to know.
Almost lost in the pleasure she was giving to her mat
e, she jolted when Chris sucked her clit into his mouth. She was still rolling her hips to meet his mouth, but stopped when she felt his fingers rubbing against her back entrance.
This wasn’t the first time they had played with her ass when they were making love, and she knew that tonight one of them would take her there, but she wasn’t sure if she would enjoy it. Then Chris gently pressed his finger into her back passage and she groaned. Not at the pain but at the sparks of pleasure that came with the move.
She moaned at the sensation and could feel her orgasm suddenly crashing over her. Not taking her mouth from Noah, she yelled her pleasure as her pleasure drove her up and over the edge of the abyss.
“Shit! Comin’, baby,” was all the warning from Noah she got before he was jerking within her mouth and pumping hot jets of his cum down her throat. He groaned with each and every spurt. Eventually he stilled as she did and she let him slide from her mouth, still semihard. They both took in great breaths.
“Fuck, baby, that was amazing.” He leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her mouth, but before he could deepen it she was pulled away from him and sliding the full width of the bed until her ass was resting on the opposite edge and her legs were wrapped high around Chris’s waist.
“It was totally amazing, honestly it was,” Chris said through gritted teeth. “But if I don’t get inside you right now, I am going to go stark raving mad.” Then he was pushing within her with one stroke and Angel arched her back off the bed with a groan.
“Oh, Chris!” Angel rotated her hips against him, making him groan at the sensation. “God, you feel so good inside me, so deep.” He set up a fast pace and soon Angel was hurtling toward another orgasm so fast her head was spinning.
“Chris, turn around, bro.” Noah’s deep voice came from somewhere to her left. “Let’s claim our mate.”
