“No.” The word was quick and strong. “Put it in front of the window next to the door.”
As much as it frustrated him that Cammy wouldn’t open the door, Ryker had to admit that he was glad that she wouldn’t just open the door without being certain who was there. Stepping to the left of the front door, he raised the book he held so that it faced the tall, narrow window that bordered the door. He waited patiently while there was a small movement of the curtain. He couldn’t see anything but her hand, but the bruise he saw on her wrist made anger explode within him. How dare anyone abuse a woman? Women were gifts. They were to be valued, cherished, and protected. Who would dare do such a thing? He looked at Garrett and knew that his triad partner had seen exactly what he had.
“She’s hurt,” Garrett said, reaching out and grabbing Ryker’s forearm. “We have to get her out of here.”
Ryker nodded. He completely agreed. Before he could say anything, they heard the snick of the lock and saw the turning of the doorknob. Both of them stepped back, not wanting to cause Cammy to experience any more stress or worry than she already had.
The door opened slowly to reveal the most exquisite creature Ryker and Garrett had ever seen. Despite the darkness of the interior of the home, their wolves’ vision could see every minute detail of the young woman’s face.
Large, blue eyes looked back at them with wariness. She was wrapped in a blanket that was sheltering her head like a hood. They could see tufts of her blonde hair sticking out from the sides. Her face was delicate, her lips heart-shaped, and her cheeks were flushed. There was a bruise on her left cheek, marring the perfection there.
“You’ve been injured,” Ryker said, forcing himself to remain where he was. She was already leery of them. He couldn’t make her panic even more by moving closer to her.
“I’m fine,” Cammy said quickly.
Garrett had to clench his teeth to remain silent. This woman was not fine. She was hurt, and she was scared. When she stepped back to allow them to enter, he made a conscious effort to walk slowly behind Ryker and close the door gently behind them.
“You were supposed to go back to Kaley’s apartment,” Ryker said gently. “Did something happen that prevented you from doing that?”
Cammy nodded, closing her eyes briefly before opening them and looking at the two men. She didn’t feel afraid when she looked at them. That was pretty unusual. She was afraid of every man she had ever met. But these men made her feel something she had never felt in her twenty-nine years. She felt safe.
“Who are you?” she asked, her curiosity pushing aside her wariness.
“My name is Ryker Anthony,” Ryker introduced himself. “This is my triad partner Garrett Michaels. We came with Reece and Wade to support them in bringing their mate Meeka and their cub Eric back home with them to pack land.”
Cammy looked at him in confusion. She didn’t understand a lot of what he had just said. Triad partner? Mate? Cub? Pack land? What the hell did that mean? She only understood that the men that Meeka had told her she was in love with had finally come to make things right with her. She was glad for that. Meeka was so nice, and Eric was the best kid ever. They both deserved to be happy.
“I don’t really understand what you just said, but I’m glad Meeka will be able to talk things through with Reece and Wade,” she said finally.
“Are you ready to come back to Kaley’s apartment?” Garrett said quickly. “I would really feel better if you left this place. I have a bad feeling here. It’s not safe for you.”
Cammy smiled, the first genuine smile she had experienced in a long time. “You’re right about that, Garrett,” she said softly as she looked at him. She saw the way his blue eyes flashed golden and was intrigued. “Your eyes changed color. How is that possible?” She reached out to touch his face, realizing quickly what she had almost done and snatching her hand away before she made contact.
Garrett smiled sadly, knowing he would never know the kindness of a woman’s touch. His leg was deformed. Although he was strong, he was perceived as lacking. He had been told often enough that he was not a worthy wolf. He was the runt of the litter. No woman should ever give him any attention. But for that moment, he truly craved the touch of this woman. He took a calming breath and drew in her delicious scent. Looking at Ryker, he saw that his triad partner had already realized the significance of this woman. He shook his head at Ryker, willing his partner to understand that although this woman was the one fated to be their mate, they could not act upon it.
“We can’t,” Garrett said in warning when he saw the way Ryker’s eyes flashed golden as his wolf demanded that they claim this woman. Even though her scent called to them and the mate pull was already there between them, they couldn’t take the next step in the bonding process. It wasn’t right.
“I know,” Ryker said quietly, pushing back his wolf. “Cammy, please show us what you want to take with you. We need to leave this place and get you safely to Kaley’s apartment.”
Cammy nodded and turned to walk into her bedroom, aware that both men took off their coats and boots and left them by the front door before following her. Their thoughtful consideration just gained some brownie points with her.
She opened the door to her bedroom, flipped the wall switch to turn on the light, and stood before her bed. She looked at her meager belongings that she had placed there and realized that she didn’t have much that she wanted to take with her. Only two suitcases that were filled with her clothes and her books were set there.
She had nothing of value other than the books her grandfather had given her when she was a child, and the small, wooden jewelry box with the carved image of two wolves on its cover that she had bought for herself when she had been fifteen years old. It had been something that had called to her, but she hadn’t known why. She just knew that whenever she was upset or lonely, she would trace her fingers over the carved images over and over again. It always calmed her, and it always made her feel better.
“I don’t have much,” she offered, turning to face the men.
Ryker nodded and stepped forward to reach for the larger suitcase, lifting it off the bed easily and walking back to the doorway. He waited, watching as Garrett reached for the remaining suitcase and pulled it quickly from the bed. His partner turned to walk toward him, looking at Cammy with sad eyes as he passed her.
Cammy reached out to pick up her purse from the bed, her hands shaking slightly as she did so. The purse began to slip from her hand. She released her grip on the blanket that covered her and caught the falling pocketbook. The blanket slid to the floor, revealing her completely to the men.
She froze in horror. Keeping her head down, she heard the noises coming from the men and knew that her appearance had disgusted them. She couldn’t blame them for feeling that way. Standing straight, she squared her shoulders and turned to face them, seeing the horror and the anger on their faces.
“My father decided to teach me a lesson today,” she said calmly, her voice laced with sarcasm and anger. “He said I wasn’t worth much. He said I needed to understand that I was ugly and that no one would ever look at me with anything but disgust, so he took his razor and hacked off my hair.”
Both men dropped the suitcases they were holding and took the four steps needed to stand directly beside her. Neither one of them could hold back from wrapping her within their embrace and hugging her tightly.
“Your father is not an honorable man,” Ryker said angrily. “To do this to a woman is beyond cruel. To do this to his own child is unforgivable.”
“Cammy,” Garrett whispered, reaching up and touching the uneven lengths of her blonde hair. The blunt cut of it was proof that her father had hacked away at her hair without concern that he was hurting her. “I’m so sorry he did this to you.”
Cammy smiled at their concern, admitting to herself that she enjoyed being held by them. That was a complete surprise to her. She didn’t allow any man to touch her. She barely could handle the touch of
Meeka and Kaley when they hugged her. Only Eric’s touch gave her peace. His gentle presence and innocence calmed her as she held him and read him stories, or when he hugged her sweetly. This hug between Ryker and Garrett shouldn’t be okay. And yet, it was.
“It’s okay,” she said, smiling up at them. “It’ll grow back.”
“Yes,” Ryker agreed, reaching up and running his fingers through the softness of her uneven curls. “It’ll be back to your normal length soon.”
“Are you injured?” Garrett asked, worry filling him when he saw the stain of blood on the neck of her shirt. “I know you have a bruise on your cheek and your wrist, but I can smell that you’re bleeding.”
Cammy’s eyes widened in surprise. “You can smell that I’m bleeding?”
“Yes. And I can see the blood on your collar.”
“Where are you injured, Cammy?” Ryker asked gently.
Cammy hesitated. She realized that she needed help in taking care of the injury her father had inflicted on her back. Maybe she could trust these men to help her. Kaley had been telling her for a while that she should give people a chance. Kaley was right in saying that not everyone was like her father. She looked at both men and tried to see them objectively. They were big, strong, and had shown her nothing but kindness and concern so far. Maybe she could take a chance and trust them.
“When my father was chopping off my hair, the razor slipped,” she said softly.
“Where did he cut you?” Ryker asked, doing his damnedest to control his anger.
“On the back of my neck and down my left shoulder,” Cammy said softly. “I tried to clean it, but I couldn’t reach it.”
“We’ll take care of it,” Garrett told her, reaching up to touch her shoulders and turn her around, growling softly when he saw the blood that soaked the back of her pink blouse. It was far worse than he had suspected when he had seen the blood on her collar.
“No, that’s okay,” Cammy said quickly, pulling away from them. “Kaley and Meeka can help me when we get back to the apartment.”
“Cammy, you’re bleeding pretty profusely,” Garrett told her, touching her hand lightly. “Please allow us to help you.”
“We’ll be careful not to cause you more pain,” Ryker promised. He didn’t care that they shouldn’t claim her as their mate. She was still destined to be theirs and he needed to help her. He knew his triad partner felt the same way. The draw to help, to care, and to love this woman was so strong it shocked him.
Cammy turned away from them, gasping as the move cause her shirt to pull on the blood that had dried and was stuck to her skin, opening the wound in a painful tug. She reached out to grab the headboard of her bed and tried very hard to control her pain. She didn’t want to cry in front of these gorgeous men.
Ryker reached forward and pulled her gently toward him. “We’re going to help you, Cammy,” he told her firmly. “Take off your shirt.”
Cammy laughed and looked up at him through watery eyes. “Like that’s gonna happen,” she told them.
Both men couldn’t help but smile at her. By the Fates, she was stunning. Whether they were going to claim her as theirs or not, it didn’t change the fact that this sweet woman was absolutely beautiful.
“You can cover yourself with the blanket,” Garrett told her gently.
Cammy looked from Garrett to Ryker and saw that they were not looking at her with anything but concern. There was no threat in their eyes, and she felt no violence in their hearts.
Bending down to pick up the fallen blanket, she walked into her bathroom and shut the door behind her. Removing her bloodied blouse, she set it on the sink then reached up to open the medicine cabinet to remove the supplies that the men would need to clean and dress her wound. Tugging the blanket so that it framed her back and wrapping it around her chest, she tucked it securely beneath her armpits. She opened the bathroom door and walked out into her bedroom. Dumping the first aid supplies onto the bed, she turned and sat carefully, looking up at the men and smiling shyly.
“Okay, go ahead,” she told them once she was settled.
Both men climbed up behind her and carefully eased the blanket slightly lower to bare the entire wound. Seeing the deep gash that she had received from the razor, they couldn’t prevent the growls that escaped them at the realization of how their woman had been abused. The pain she had experienced and was now feeling had to be severe.
“Cammy,” Ryker whispered. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
“Thanks.” She reached down and picked up the box of disinfectant wipes and handed it to Garrett. “I promise I won’t scream or cry. Go ahead and do what you have to do.”
Garrett looked at Ryker as he pulled out two packets from the box and handed one to his partner. They ripped them open and carefully cleaned away the dried blood from the warmth of her skin. It took four more packets each before all the blood had been wiped away and they could actually see the entire injury on her left shoulder.
Once the wound was relatively clean and open to them, Garrett leaned forward and licked at the wound slowly. Her blood hit his system in an instant, starting the bond between them. He looked at Ryker in a panic, but Ryker shook his head and chose to ignore the pledge that they had both made to never bind a woman to them.
“It must be done to help her,” Ryker said quietly, waiting for Garrett to nod his agreement before taking his place and licking at Cammy’s wound, ingesting her blood in the process. He could feel the beginning spark of the bonding. Guilt tugged at him that they were initiating something that Cammy had no knowledge of or had made no decision to participate in.
Garrett reached up and brushed the uneven length of her soft hair away from her neck to reveal another wound that was much deeper than the one on her shoulder. He wiped away the blood with the disinfectant pads then eased forward and swiped at the cut with the flat of his tongue. He did his best to contain his growl as his wolf pushed forward. Leaning back, he waited while Ryker also licked at the wound. It took them both repeated attempts to clean and close the wound.
Ryker growled against Cammy’s skin. The deep gash had to have caused severe pain to this gentle woman. How could her father do such a thing to her? A father should protect and love his children. Ryker knew that he and Garrett would cherish every cub that Cammy gave them if they were ever lucky enough to mate with her.
“Ryker, come here, honey,” Cammy called out to him as she stood beside the beautiful lake on Beckett’s pack land.
Ryker went to her immediately, gathering her in his arms and kissing her lips lightly. “Hello, Mate,” he whispered against her mouth, smiling when she hummed against him and licked at his lips. “Someone is in a frisky mood.”
“You know I can’t help wanting you,” Cammy told him gently.
“What about me, love?” Garrett asked as he walked closer.
Cammy turned to look at him and smiled as he held their son against his chest and patted his back lightly. “Look at you, all handsome and loving,” she told him, laughing softly as she watched the way he hugged their thirteen-month-old little boy.
“I don’t know about the handsome part, but I sure love you and our cub,” Garrett admitted, leaning forward and taking the kiss that Cammy offered him.
“Do you think you have a little more room to love?” Cammy asked shyly.
“What do you mean, Cammy?” Ryker asked, his forehead furrowing in confusion.
“I have something to tell you both,” Cammy said quietly. “I hope you’ll be happy about it.” She looked at both men and smiled. “I am.”
“What, love?” Garrett asked, stepping closer and wrapping his left arm around her.
“I’m pregnant,” Cammy whispered, laughing softly when both men growled and leaned in to kiss her neck then bite down on her shoulders.
“Mate,” Ryker whispered. “Thank you.”
He looked at Garrett and smiled. They had scented Cammy’s pregnancy and had tasted how her cream gave proof to the new life
growing within her. It was sweet waiting for Cammy to realize that she was pregnant. They wanted her to discover the miracle and share it with them.
Knowing that she was happy about it made both men know that she not only loved them, but she also valued the cubs that they created together. Cammy was a wonderful mother. They were looking forward to filling their home with love and children.
“We’re going to love our new baby, Cammy,” Garrett told her softly. “What a beautiful surprise.”
Ryker jerked back and looked at Garrett in a panic. He saw the equal shock on Garrett’s face and knew that he had seen the vision, too. They both looked at Cammy and wondered if she had been gifted with the glimpse into their future as well.
“No,” Ryker said softly, shaking his head at Garrett.
“Maybe,” Garrett spoke up.
“No,” Ryker said again, more firmly.
“What’s wrong?” Cammy asked, confused by the stilted conversation occurring behind her.
“Nothing,” Ryker told her gently. “We’re almost finished, Cammy.”
He eased back and looked at the wound a moment later and saw that the healing properties in their saliva had already begun to take effect. The deep cuts on her neck and back were already healed, leaving behind newly formed skin that was a light pink in color.
Cammy leaned forward and rolled into herself, allowing the men to have full access to her back. She sighed at the gentleness with which they touched her and closed her eyes as they carefully cleaned her wound. She was surprised that she felt no pain as they worked. The wiping of the disinfecting gauzes was gentle but firm. The sting of it was short-lived. When she felt the warmth of something passing over the wound, she sighed at the tingle that radiated from their ministrations. It was only a matter of moments until she felt them covering the area with sterile gauze and taping it down with the white strips of tape that she had placed on the bed.
Feeling their gentleness had sparked a beautiful thought in her head of the two of them standing beside a lake. Garrett was holding their little boy and she was telling them that she was pregnant. It was a pretty nice thought, but it was one she would keep to herself. It was embarrassing to be so drawn to these men. They would probably laugh at her if they ever knew what she had been thinking.
Meeka's Reluctant Mates [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 26
