“I’ll meet you at Abbey’s,” she said quietly, waiting for Suzie to acknowledge her words before turning and making her way out of the daycare, down the front porch, and to Nikki’s car.
She needed the few minutes of alone time to pull herself together. Going back to her and Eric’s rooms and getting some of their things would give her just enough time to calm down. She was determined to push all thoughts of Reece and Wade from her mind and her heart. They didn’t want her. She couldn’t want them. It just hurt too much.
Once she was inside the car and settled behind the steering wheel, she took a calming breath and started the engine. She rubbed at her face tiredly then shifted into drive and pulled away from the daycare cabin. She felt a little uncomfortable not wearing her seatbelt, but she was only traveling a short distance to the main lodge using the remote driveway used only by pack members to travel around pack land, and she really didn’t have to contend with traffic.
Thoughts of Reece and Wade filled her mind, making her ache once again for the men who had denied her over and over again. She thought of Mother Fate and the words of advice given to her by the kind guardian of the wolf pack just a few days before.
“Take the initiative and make the first moves, my ass,” Meeka muttered, anger filling her as she thought about Mother Fate’s advice to her. “I could strip down naked and lay myself down in front of them with my legs spread, and they would still refuse me.”
Meeka accelerated, needing to get to the family lodge and get her things so she could go to Abbey’s and set her future in motion. She needed to update her resume, contact her sister Kaley, and make plans to move on. She was going to make sure that she and her son were going to be in a place where she could take care of them. Who knows? Maybe she might find a kind and caring man who wanted to form a loving family with them. She could only hope.
A flash of black fur bounded across the path directly in front of her. Meeka gasped as she slammed her foot onto the brake, narrowly missing the wolf. She was thrown forward from the force of the sudden stop. Her upper body jerked forward and her forehead made a solid impact with the top edge of the steering wheel.
“Son of a bitch!” she screamed as pain slammed through her skull.
The shock of the impact froze her in place. She tried to concentrate on her body, but all she could feel was the throbbing in her skull and the pain in her forehead.
“Damn it!” she muttered angrily as she tried to force herself to sit back and found that she couldn’t move an inch. It was as if she were completely paralyzed.
She heard the driver’s side door being opened and felt firm hands taking hold of her shoulders. She could feel the warm hands running along her shoulders and neck then down her arms and torso.
“Meeka.”
A gruff voice broke through the haze of disorientation she found herself in. It was a nice voice. It was a comforting voice. It was a familiar voice. She scrunched up her forehead trying to focus and decided immediately that she would not be doing any more scrunching. The pain that laced through her skull was instant and raced through her with a flash of fire.
“Stop yelling,” she said angrily as she allowed the disembodied hands to ease her back to rest against the high seat of Nikki’s car. “Oh, hell. Nikki’s car.”
“Nikki’s car is just fine, baby,” the soothing voice told her gently as he reached into the car and eased the shift into park before turning off the motor. “You’re the one who’s not fine.”
Meeka opened her eyes slowly, surprised to see Wade leaning over her. He was wiping at her face with such tenderness she nearly cried before sanity replaced her dreamy emotions. Reaching up, she pushed his hands away.
“Stop touching me,” she demanded.
“Baby, you’re hurt,” Wade told her softly.
“Like you give a shit!” Meeka snapped the words back at him. “Leave me alone and go away.”
“Meeka Martin, I am not going to leave you alone, nor will I go away,” Wade told her angrily. “You just hit your head on the damn steering wheel and split open your forehead. You need to go and see Doc. Drew will fix you up as good as new.”
“What I do is none of your business,” Meeka told him angrily, pushing at his body and stepping out of the car. When he tried to hold her once again, she slapped his hands away. “Move, you big moose.”
“I’m a wolf, baby. Not a moose,” Wade corrected her gently, smiling despite the real fear that he was feeling. He knew that head injuries bled a lot but to see Meeka slumped over the steering wheel nearly unconscious, her beautiful face completely covered in her blood, had made him nearly lose his mind.
“I don’t care if you’re a mongoose,” Meeka muttered angrily. “You’re blocking me. Get the hell out of my way.”
She pushed at him weakly, knowing she was moving him only because he allowed her to. Pushing around him, she staggered to the front end of the car and stared down at the large black wolf that she knew was Reece. He was growling at her and showing her his very sharp teeth. That just served to piss her off more.
“You calm down right now, Reece Hutchinson!” she demanded, her voice rising to drown out his angry noises. “Don’t you dare growl at me!”
She reached out and grabbed for his neck, holding tightly onto the skin on either side of his neck as she pulled him closer to her and refused to allow him to look away from her. She shook her head quickly, trying to move the hair and the blood that was falling into her eyes. When she had some semblance of clarity, she brought her face closer to the snarling wolf that was Reece.
“What the hell were you thinking running in front of the car like that?” she demanded, shaking him lightly. She saw Wade step closer to them and reach out to prevent her from holding onto Reece. “Don’t you dare touch me, Wade Garner. This is between me and Reece. Do. Not. Interfere.”
Wade’s gray eyes widened with surprise then narrowed with controlled anger. “This involves me, too, Meeka,” he told her firmly. “I can’t allow you to take a chance that Reece might hurt you if you continue to hold him like that.”
“Oh, please,” Meeka snapped, disgusted with both Wade and Reece. “You’re both pitiful. I am holding Reece. He’s not hurting me. He wouldn’t hurt me. He hasn’t hurt me. He may have problems controlling his wolf at times but he would never hurt me or Eric. He’s already proven that when he allowed both of us to pet him when he shifted in my bedroom. So just back, the hell, off.”
“Meeka,” Wade warned, unable to keep the pride he felt for her from his voice.
“Be quiet, mongoose,” she told him angrily.
She turned her attention back to Reece’s wolf and looked him directly in the eyes. She could see the man within the wolf. She could see the worry and the pain. But she did not see danger.
“You’re an idiot,” she told him firmly. “If I hadn’t been able to stop the car you would be roadkill right now.”
Reece’s wolf whined softly, all traces of fight leaving him. He looked up at her with wide blue eyes, clearly begging for forgiveness. Licking at her face repeatedly, he tried to clean her of the blood that was still pouring from the two-inch gash on her forehead. His soft tongue carefully swiped at her bleeding forehead. He wanted the healing properties of his saliva to do their job and heal the injury there.
Meeka couldn’t help herself. She closed her eyes and leaned into Reece’s large body, reveling in the strength, the warmth, and the softness of his pelt. The way he licked at her forehead and face made her smile. It was like being kissed by a two-hundred-pound puppy.
“Okay, enough,” she said finally, pushing him away from her but still holding onto his neck with both of her hands.
She found herself wavering slightly as her strength left her. She started to slide down to the ground when she found herself cushioned by Wade’s body. He sat down on the ground, propped himself against the side of Nikki’s car, and pulled her onto his lap. She would have protested if she hadn’t been so freaking shaky.
&
nbsp; “Don’t think you’ve won anything, Wade,” she warned him. “Once I stop shaking, I’m going to get up and get the hell out of here.”
“Okay, baby. You do that,” Wade told her gently as he held her firmly against his chest and wrapped his arms around her as she sat sideways on his lap.
He couldn’t prevent the smile that came to his lips when he saw the way she cuddled against his shoulder then drew Reece’s head and shoulders onto her lap. He saw the way Reece had calmed down and was completely amazed by the way Meeka was able to soothe his triad partner’s wolf. He watched in silence as Reece’s wolf leaned up and continued to lick at their woman’s forehead, infusing his healing saliva into her open wound. He was also taking great care to remove all traces of her blood from her face.
“Let me help with that,” Wade said softly, finding that he had a deep need to be a part of the care of their mate.
Reece’s wolf settled his head on Meeka’s lap and closed his eyes as Meeka continuously pet his head and neck. He gave himself up to her touch, loving the gentle attention she instinctively gave him.
Wade reached up and touched Meeka’s chin with utmost care, slowly turning her face so that he had direct access to her forehead. He smiled down at her as she closed her eyes and sighed when he began to lave at her forehead with his tongue. He was glad that he and Reece were able to stem the blood flow, but he knew that she needed a stitch or two to close the gash.
“Thanks,” Meeka whispered, her head lolling back as she gave in to her exhaustion. “This last week has been a bear.”
“I know, baby,” Wade told her quietly, tracing soothing circles on her back. “I’m sorry.”
Reece’s wolf whined softly as he leaned against Meeka and rubbed his snout across her belly. Meeka smiled at the way he was trying to soothe her. She would allow both men this moment. It was the least she could do since she had every intention of leaving within the week and returning to her sister to start a new life. It made her sad to leave the group of people that she truly considered her family, but she really didn’t have a choice.
As much as Wade and Reece were helping her right now, neither man was willing to take the chance on making a permanent life with her and Eric. Unless something drastic was to happen and Mother Fate came forward to kick some stubborn ass, there was no hope that her situation with the two men would ever change. They would never have the loving future that she wanted with them.
Drawing up her strength and her courage, she pushed herself out of Wade’s hold. She was glad when he stood with her to help her steady herself, but she wasn’t going to depend on him anymore.
Reece’s head slid from her lap and he was immediately on his feet, standing before her and nudging at her hand. She smiled sadly as she realized that he craved her touch just as much as she craved his and Wade’s.
“Thanks, but I’ve got to get to the family lodge to get my things,” she said quietly.
“Baby, we’ll go with you,” Wade offered. “We need to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’ll be fine,” Meeka insisted.
“You need to go and see Drew so he can stitch up your forehead,” Wade told her. “Reece and I will go with you.”
“No.”
“No?” Wade’s voice was soft as he looked down at her.
“I can take care of myself. Thanks for your help, but I’ll take it from here. I can go and see Drew by myself.”
“I don’t like this, Meeka,” Wade told her, his voice firm.
He took a step toward her and reached out to gather her in his arms once again, frowning when she easily sidestepped his embrace to walk over to the car. He didn’t like that bit of defiance at all.
“You shouldn’t be driving.”
“I’m fine,” Meeka insisted.
Wade stared at her, his jaw ticking as he clenched it, but Meeka wasn’t going to cave. She was not about to ride this merry-go-round of hell every time either man decided to show her kindness before they cut her off without a care that they had hurt her once again. She was done.
Walking over to the car, she opened the door and climbed inside. Shutting the door behind her, she started the car, put it in gear, and drove away from the two men who made her think that good things were possible. She knew better.
Wade turned to face Reece as his wolf started growling. “You can’t blame her, Reece,” he told him, his voice calm. “We’re jerking her around. We’re not being fair to her.”
Reece threw his head back and howled then took off toward the trees that surrounded the beautiful lake on pack land. The howl vocalized his torment, and Wade knew that he wasn’t much better off than his triad partner.
“We’re so screwed up,” he whispered as he watched Reece race away.
Chapter 7
“I’ve put in three stitches to close your wound, Meeka,” Dr. Drew Barrett said softly as he covered the injury on Meeka’s forehead with a sterile gauze and taped it down carefully with white surgical tape. “Keep this dry and clean. You’ll be a little sore for a couple of days, but it should heal nicely.”
“Thanks, Drew,” Meeka said tiredly. “I have a little bit of a headache.”
“I know, honey,” Drew empathized, his voice gentle. “We’re going to need to keep an eye on you for the next twenty-four hours in case you have a concussion.”
“Okay,” Meeka whispered.
“You’re going to stay with us tonight,” Suzie spoke up, standing closer to her best friend and taking her hand gently. “You and Eric will be comfortable here, and we can keep an eye on you.”
“Thanks, Suzie,” Meeka said, smiling softly. “I really need to relax. Abbey said Eric and I could stay with her tonight, but it’s probably best that we stay with you. Do you think Abbey would let me work with her tomorrow so we can update my resume?”
“I’m sure that would be fine, Meeka,” Suzie said with conviction. “She wants to help you as much as I do. Laurie and Nikki do, too.” She thought for a moment about Abbey’s friends Synthia and Shelly who were actually members of Beckett’s pack who had come back to pack land just recently. “You know, Abbey said Synthia and Shelly are really good office managers. I’ll bet they could help you hone your skills and identify what would be best to put on your resume.”
“I think that would be great,” Meeka said tiredly. “They’ve been really nice to me. Everyone has. I could use the help to get the best possible job so I can take care of Eric. I really need to get things together. I need to move on.”
“Meeka, your injury seems to be in a more advanced stage of healing,” Drew said, looking up at his triad partner Carter and indicating the wound he had just covered. “Did you notice that, Carter?”
Carter nodded. “I did,” he agreed. “Did you do something to the wound before you came to us?”
Meeka blushed brightly. She hadn’t told any of them about her time with Wade and Reece after the accident. She had told them that a rabbit had run in front of Nikki’s car, and she had slammed on the brakes. She couldn’t tell them that Reece had lost control of his human side and his wolf had run in front of the car. She didn’t want them to think that Reece was out of control. She couldn’t betray his privacy or cause him any further embarrassment.
She knew now that Reece was extremely upset about the way his life was not his own. His frustration with his lack of control over his wolf somehow had made her understand a little bit more about his hesitation to commit, and that understanding had wound its way into her heart. She could feel his emotions. She didn’t understand how that had happened, but it had.
“Meeka, you need to be completely open with me,” Drew told her gently.
“I don’t know what you want me to tell you, Drew,” Meeka said honestly.
“Did you do something to your wound before you came to me?”
“No,” she answered without hesitation.
“Did someone else do something to your wound?” Carter asked, reaching out to touch her hand gently.
Meek
a blushed again, looking away guiltily. When Carter touched her chin lightly to carefully turn her face up so that she looked directly into his light blue eyes, she could see the understanding and compassion that looked back at her. Her heart hurt as she thought about Reece’s eyes, so similar to his twin’s. She wanted Reece looking at her and holding her hand. She wanted Wade comforting her. Sadness filled her as she reminded herself once again that neither man would ever step forward to claim her as theirs.
“Wade and Reece both licked at the cut,” she admitted finally, her voice small. “They said that their saliva would help heal it.”
“Both of them did that?” Drew asked, surprised.
Meeka nodded.
Carter looked at Drew, the concern in his expression obvious. “Drew?”
“I know.” Drew looked at Suzie and saw that their mate was thinking the same thing that they were. “Head wounds tend to bleed a lot, Meeka. Did Reece and Wade ingest a lot of your blood?”
“There was a lot of blood, Drew. I don’t know how much they swallowed. Why? Will my blood hurt them?” Meeka asked, fear suddenly replacing the anger and annoyance she was feeling toward her two men. It didn’t matter that they wouldn’t claim her. She still felt an attachment to them that prevented her from doing anything but care about the hard-headed jerks.
“No. Your blood won’t hurt them,” Drew assured her. “Quite the opposite, actually.”
“I don’t understand,” Meeka said quietly, her forehead furrowing in confusion, causing her to gasp in pain from the pull on the stitches in her wound.
“Easy, Meeka,” Suzie said, reaching out and touching her friend’s hand gently.
“Yeah, that sucked,” Meeka whispered, raising her hand and touching the bandage on her forehead. The pain in her head was throbbing to match her heartbeat. “I feel like I’m going to throw up.”
Carter wet a small towel and placed it at the back of Meeka’s neck. “Try to take some deep, even breaths, Meeka,” he told her calmly.
Meeka's Reluctant Mates [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 9
