“The little rabbit has run from the big bad wolves,” Wade said dryly. “We can’t blame her, Reece. If she sensed what we were feeling or heard what we said to Drew, she had every reason to leave us and never look back.”
Reece took a step back and turned to pace back and forth in the bedroom that their woman had slept in before they had mated with her. His desolation increased with each step. Anger built within him. Turning suddenly, he slammed his right fist through the wall and howled.
Wade was no better off. He sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned forward, hanging his head dejectedly, his shoulders slumping in defeat. Their mate had every right to leave them. They had claimed her and had promised her their devotion, yet had snatched it away without concern for her feelings or desires. They hadn’t even given her the courtesy of a discussion to talk over their worries.
He didn’t blame her for leaving without giving them a chance to explain. They weren’t worth her time. And they certainly didn’t deserve her love.
Chapter 17
“Sit down and do not speak!” Jace roared.
Wade looked at Reece and saw the clenching of his triad partner’s jaw. He expected to see Reece lose control of his wolf. He actually had expected it to happen the moment they couldn’t feel Meeka in their hearts or in their minds. When they couldn’t find her in her room, Wade was sure that Reece would lose it, but he had been relieved that by some miracle, Reece actually had some semblance of control over his wolf.
“Jace,” Reece began.
“I said do not speak,” Jace told him, growling. “Sit your asses down and remain silent or I will make you sit down.” He pushed his power toward the two men, doing his best to keep himself under control.
“Jace,” Laurie whispered, reaching out and taking hold of his hand to squeeze it lightly.
He turned to face the woman he loved more than his life. “Laurie, maybe you should leave the office while I talk to Reece and Wade,” he suggested, doing his best to speak calmly.
Instead of doing as he asked, Laurie leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist to look up at him and smile tenderly. “I’m not going anywhere, Mate,” she told him gently. “I’m staying right here. We need to help Reece and Wade find Meeka.” She turned to face Jackson and reached out to him. “Right, Jackson?”
Jackson walked over to her, slipping his arm around her and pressing against her. “Yes, darlin’,” he said softly, reaching up and touching her belly to caress it lightly. He smiled as he felt their daughter moving within their mate’s womb and leaned forward to kiss their woman’s forehead.
He looked at Jace and saw the anger lessening within his triad partner as the softness and kindness of their woman washed over him. When Laurie smiled up at him before turning back toward Jace and kissing his neck quickly, he couldn’t help but smile at the way Laurie knew just how to calm the anger of the alpha.
“She’s something else, isn’t she, Jace?” Jackson said, laughing softly. “Go ahead and try and stay angry when she’s in your arms.”
Jace looked down at Laurie, sighing tiredly. “I need to remain angry, Laurie,” he told her softly.
“No, you don’t, honey,” Laurie said immediately. “Being angry isn’t going to help find Meeka. We need to find her and Eric. I’m worried about them.”
The reminder of the missing two members of their pack family served to fan Jace’s anger. Turning to face Reece and Wade, he took a step toward them, reluctantly stepping away from the calming influence of their queen.
“Tell me what happened,” he demanded of them.
“We were talking to Drew,” Wade offered.
“About what?” Jace asked, turning to face Drew as he stood at the entrance of his and Jackson’s office.
“They were concerned that they had injured Meeka by claiming her,” Drew explained.
“Why would they think they had injured Meeka?” Jackson asked.
“The silver level in our blood is dangerous,” Reece explained stiffly. “Especially the level in my blood.”
“Is that a concern, Drew?” Jace asked, turning to face the pack doctor.
“Yes, Jace. It is,” Drew admitted. “The silver level in Reece’s blood is borderline toxic. Wade’s level is high but not as bad. His levels are closer to what Carter’s were after Alpha Randall tortured him.”
“Is Carter’s level still high?” Laurie asked, concerned.
“Actually, since we’ve had Suzie back with us and we’ve been able to claim her, Carter’s level has improved dramatically,” Drew said calmly. “Suzie’s levels have also improved within a very short time after we reclaimed her. It only took a few times of repeating the claiming bite for Suzie to return to her normal levels and was able to see again.” He smiled as he remembered how their Suzie had regained her eyesight after they had all claimed each other and the healthy blood within them had worked its magic on all of them.
“Suzie was concerned that she would harm her baby because of the high levels of silver,” Laurie spoke up gently. “She’s fine now, right, Drew?”
“She’s fine and so is our baby,” Drew said, smiling softly as he thought about the baby Suzie was carrying. “I test Suzie regularly. There is no trace of silver in her blood. I also test Carter to make sure that he’s fine.”
“Is he?” Jackson asked.
“He is,” Drew said quickly. He turned to face Reece and Wade and saw the hopeful expressions on their faces. “Since you’ve already claimed Meeka, it is possible that your levels have already improved. The only way for us to know for certain is if I run tests on your blood.”
Both men nodded without hesitation. Wade reached up and gripped Reece’s shoulder as they sat silently together.
“That doesn’t explain why we can’t find Meeka,” Jace said, his deep voice filling the room. “What the hell happened to make her run from the both of you? Did you hurt her in some way?”
“We didn’t,” Reece said firmly.
“We were talking to Drew,” Wade repeated. “Reece and I were worried that we had already harmed her by introducing silver into her system through our mating bites.”
“What else did you talk to Drew about?” Laurie asked gently. “Maybe Meeka was able to hear what you were talking about through your link.”
“We were careful to shield ourselves when we went to Drew’s office,” Wade said, shaking his head.
“You shielded your thoughts and emotions?” Jace asked, the rumbling of his growl beginning deep within his chest again. “Do you realize that when you shield yourselves, your mate feels the loss?”
Reece looked at Wade and nodded sadly. “We do now, Alpha,” he said, his voice filled with raw pain. “Since Meeka has been missing, we can’t hear her thoughts or feel her presence.” He turned to face Jace. “I don’t like it.”
Jace nodded, looking at Jackson and seeing that Jackson also understood. It wasn’t so long ago when Laurie had left them to go to her daughter Mia when she had been in a car accident. Laurie had shielded her thoughts and emotions from them as she had dealt with the fear of the incident. It had been the worst few days of their lives. It was like having their hearts ripped out. It was worse than missing a part of their soul. It was more like they didn’t possess a soul at all.
“Maybe Meeka overheard you when you were talking to Drew,” Laurie suggested, stepping closer to Jace and leaning her face against the bulging muscles of his chest.
“Why do you say that, baby?” Jackson asked as he stepped closer and pressed Laurie’s body tightly between them.
“Meeka left the daycare building a while ago. She said she wanted to talk to Suzie. Maybe she overheard the men talking,” Laurie suggested.
Reece looked at Wade, clenching his teeth as he remembered exactly what they had talked about with Drew. If Meeka had heard only a part of their conversation, he knew it would have devastated her.
“What were you talking about?” Jace asked, his blue eyes flashing golden as his wolf s
lammed against his chest as he fought to get out and protect the innocent woman under his care.
“We told Drew that we needed to break our mating bond,” Reece said firmly.
“Are you out of your mind?” Jace asked, growling deeply. “You dare to defy the Fates in their gift to you?”
“It’s for her own good,” Wade protested.
“In what way do you consider breaking her heart and causing her to feel lost for her own good?” Jackson asked, doing some growling of his own.
“We didn’t want the poison in our blood to kill her or any baby that she might conceive!” Reece yelled.
The silence in the office was instant. Laurie stepped forward then reached out to touch the two men’s hands carefully. When they looked at her, she could see the pain and sadness in their eyes. It broke her heart.
“Is that what you think will happen to Meeka if she stays with you?” she asked them gently.
Both men nodded once. Laurie squeezed their hands tightly then released her hold on them and turned to face Drew.
“Is this a real possibility, Drew?” she asked him, voicing the question that obviously was of concern to all of them. “Is Meeka at risk?”
“I can’t say for sure until I test the men’s blood,” Drew answered honestly. “I would also want to check Meeka’s blood to see if any silver has entered her bloodstream or has affected her DNA.”
“What’s your educated guess, Drew?” Jace asked, his anger lessening as Laurie came back into his embrace and pulled his hands to surround her and cover her belly. Touching their baby always calmed him. When Jackson touched his shoulder and squeezed it with reassurance then wrapped his arm around Laurie to also settle his hand on their child, his anger left him. His mates always knew what he needed.
“I can only hypothesize that Reece and Wade will benefit from the purity of Meeka’s blood with each claiming bite they make,” Drew answered honestly. “I suggest we go back to my office so I can do blood work on them right now. We’ll be able to answer some of our questions, at least.”
“Is it possible that their claiming bites caused harm to Meeka?” Jace asked, pulling Laurie closer so that her back rested fully against his chest.
“There is always that possibility,” Drew said carefully.
“We’re right to break the bond,” Reece said immediately, looking at Wade in a panic.
“You are not right to break the bond!” Jace roared.
“We are if it means that we’ve hurt the woman we love!” Reece yelled back.
Jace smiled smugly, glad that Reece was fighting back. “You can’t make that choice without hurting the woman that you both love,” he said calmly. “Drew, take them to your office and run your tests.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Drew answered. “Let’s go, gentlemen.” He raised his left hand and indicated the doorway. “The faster we get this completed, the faster we can settle this.”
At the doorway, Wade stopped and turned back to look at their alpha. “We’ll get tested, Alpha, but what difference will it make? Meeka’s gone.”
“Then do something about it,” Jace snapped.
“What can we do, Jace?” Wade asked, frustration evident in his voice. “How can we find her if she doesn’t want to be found?”
“That’s true,” Jace admitted. He looked at Laurie for help. “I honestly don’t know how, Wade.”
“It’s useless,” Reece said quietly, his shoulders drooping as he gave in to the failure he knew that he and Wade were going to find in their quest for happiness. “Besides, she’s better off without us.”
“Listening to your stupidity and the way you have hurt your mate, I believe you may be correct,” Jace snapped.
Both Reece and Wade lowered their heads, completely dejected. They deserved Jace’s anger. They also deserved Meeka’s hatred.
“We truly believe we need to protect our woman, Jace,” Wade said quietly.
“How could we live with ourselves if she was injured because of us?” Reece asked, looking at Jace with pain in his blue eyes. “What if she’s pregnant and our baby has been poisoned because of us?”
“I don’t believe that you have poisoned her or the baby she might be carrying,” Laurie spoke up softly.
“You don’t?” Reece asked, afraid to give in to the hope their queen gave him.
“I don’t,” Laurie insisted. “Mother Fate told Meeka to initiate your bond. She would never have done that if there was any danger to Meeka. She certainly would not have encouraged your mating if the baby you might have created would suffer.”
The hopefulness in Reece’s and Wade’s eyes tugged at Laurie’s heart. These men were suffering. Laurie knew that their love for Meeka was deep and pure.
“We will find her,” Jace said firmly, calling their attention back to him.
“Reece. Wade,” Laurie said gently. “Mother Fate would never allow Meeka to have her heart broken by two extremely pigheaded men.”
Wade looked at Reece and smiled sadly. “I don’t know about Mother Fate helping us, but I know you’re right about the two of us.” He turned to face Laurie before bowing slightly to her. “My Queen, you are a very kind woman. I really hope you’re right.”
When the door closed behind Reece, Wade, and Drew, Laurie turned to face her mates. They were watching her carefully, and she smiled as she felt the warm wave of love that washed over her.
“We have to help Reece and Wade find Meeka and Eric and bring them home to us,” she said softly. “Meeka is destined to be Reece and Wade’s mate and Eric is meant to be our daughter’s mate.”
“What?” Jace asked, his voice soft with shock.
“Julia’s son Owen is Eric’s triad partner,” Laurie explained calmly. “The two boys are destined to be Casandra’s mates.”
“Why do you say that, Laurie?” Jackson asked, looking at Jace in a panic. They hadn’t even met their daughter yet, and she was already promised.
“Eric said that he and Owen are going to call our daughter Cassy,” Laurie explained, smiling at the shocked expressions on her men’s faces. “He said he was going to watch over her just like he watches over Owen.” She leaned forward and kissed both men’s chests lightly. “Don’t worry so much. It’s good that our baby will have best friends. She’ll have two really great little boys who will grow up to be outstanding men who will love and protect her. Isn’t that what we want for her? To be loved and to be happy?”
“Sweetheart,” Jace whispered, kissing her temple lightly as his heart was filled with love for their mate and the sweet child she was carrying. “Have I told you today how much I love you and our baby?”
“You have,” Laurie said, laughing softly.
“Have I told you how much you mean to us, Laurie?” Jackson asked, leaning in and kissing her neck before lightly biting down on it.
“You’re going to make me push you down onto that couch and have my way with you if you keep talking like that and kissing me, Mates,” she told them, indicating the large black leather couch on the far side of the office.
“No, darlin’,” Jackson told her gently, kissing her lips lightly. “No couches for you. You need to be comfortable in our bed where Jace and I can love you properly.”
“Okay. Let’s go,” Laurie said, laughing softly at the immediate growls that left her mates.
She squealed with delight as Jace scooped her up into his arms and carried her over to the door. Jackson opened the door wide and leaned forward to quickly bite down on Laurie’s shoulder as they passed him. Her resulting gasp and sweet laughter made him smile.
Following them through the kitchen and up the great staircase, he said a silent prayer of thanks to the Fates for the gift of their woman.
Drew took the vials of blood he had just taken from Reece and Wade and brought them over to his lab table. Both men remained silent as they stood behind him.
“I should have the results in just a few minutes,” Drew said, preparing the testing supplies as he spoke. “I have your p
revious levels already charted in your records. I’ll be able to compare your improvement pretty easily.”
“Do you think there’s a chance Meeka is okay?” Wade asked worriedly.
“What about the baby she might be carrying?” Reece added.
“Hang on, guys,” Drew said, laughing softly. “One thing at a time.”
“We had a shared vision of Meeka carrying our daughter,” Wade offered softly.
“Congratulations,” Drew told them, smiling as he looked over his shoulder at the two men.
“We don’t know that she’s pregnant yet, Drew,” Reece protested.
Drew straightened and turned to face the men, crossing his arms across his broad chest and resting his hip against the lab table. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that the visions that we share are definite windows into our futures,” he said calmly. “If you both saw Meeka pregnant with your daughter, you can be sure that she is, or she will be soon.”
“What if we’ve hurt her with our DNA, Drew?” Reece asked calmly. “What if our baby will suffer because of us?”
Drew nodded his understanding and turned to face the lab table once again, continuing to work on evaluating the blood samples from the two men. “Here’s what I think,” Drew said as he focused on the work before him. “I think Meeka is going to be fine. I think your baby is going to be fine. I really believe that you have nothing to worry about.”
“Why do you believe that?” Reece asked, running his fingers through his thick black hair in frustration.
“Because, you’ve already improved, Reece,” Drew said calmly.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Reece demanded.
Drew turned to face them once again, cocking his head to the side as he viewed the men. “Reece, it’s obvious that you’ve already benefited from the ingestion of Meeka’s blood. I’m sure that when I finish testing the blood samples, the silver level in your blood will already be significantly diminished.”
Meeka's Reluctant Mates [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 17
