by R. E. Butler
She knew a lot of her angst was because of what she’d come to think of as a partial mating with the Whitman brothers. She was a different person now. The truth of her kind had been revealed to her, and although she didn’t exactly understand why, she was very certain it was because of the blood sharing with them. Her whole life had unraveled that night in the woods, and instead of being with her mates, she was trapped in a house with females who were clearly nearing the point where they’d just as soon see her dead as still breathing.
She’d come so far, but she was still a prisoner.
And it felt very much like time was running out.
She sat up and looked around the dark room. She had only a dresser and bed. The door was locked at night from the outside, so she could roam free during the day but not when everyone was resting. The house was in the middle of nowhere, and it had been chosen for that reason. Now that decision had come back to haunt her.
If she could get a message to Jackson and Holden, she’d tell them to come get her. She wasn’t a damsel in distress, but she didn’t know how to set herself free. Everything was locked, and she was watched like a hawk.
Only Julia and Gretchen had remained close to her, but because they were still under the females’ poisoning, they didn’t feel the same things Honor did. There was no sympathy to be had in the house.
She was all alone, on an island of emotional turmoil, missing two males she hardly knew and hoping for a reunion with the father she left behind and the daughter she gave up.
Her life was a clusterfuck of epic proportions.
She stared at the door, then at the window. It was a small window on the second floor of the house, locked with a special device that would alert the females if the glass was broken or the lock was tampered with. It was a far drop to the ground below, but she’d rather risk a broken leg than be stuck a moment longer.
She got up and lifted the corner of the mattress. Underneath the twin bed was a box spring, and neither was very heavy. If she wanted to block the bedroom door, she’d have to use the dresser, and then she could use one of the drawers to break the window.
Glancing at the clock, she saw how close to dawn it was. She knew it was risky to try to escape now, but she would get her freedom and make things right in her life.
She just hoped that Holden and Jackson were still waiting for her and hadn’t given up.
I’m coming for you, mates.
* * *
Saturday morning, Dom rubbed fine grit sandpaper over the wood, smoothing out the edge of the red-tailed hawk he’d carved for Ehrin. He’d started making it after they shifted as a group to give to her as a gift. He’d found a perfect piece of walnut and could see the bird coming to life as he carved.
He’d moved his workshop down to the empty office next to Ehrin’s. He loved knowing she was right next door working and he could see her anytime he wanted. Her business was slowly taking off as she made more items and put them up for sale on a craft site, as well as taking orders for custom clothing items. She’d recently finished lingerie for Melody, and she’d also made a beautiful red and black lace teddy for herself, which he and Henry had been all too happy to help her take off.
Someone cleared their throat and he looked up.
“Hey, guys,” he said to Brian and Kevin.
“We got your text,” Kevin said.
“Right, hold on,” Dom said, putting down the wood and sandpaper. He stood and brushed his hands on his pants, then walked to the shelf where he kept finished projects. He picked up a pink satin-covered box and joined the boys at the door. He opened the box and turned it toward them.
Brian took the ring out of the box and whistled. “That’s so awesome!”
“Thanks,” Dom said. “I liked making it. I put some pictures on my site of it and already have requests.”
“Thanks, Dom,” Kevin said. “How much do we owe you?”
“Nothing,” he said.
“But we should pay for it,” Brian said.
“Nah, we’re family. Besides, it was scrap wood, and Ehrin covered one of Sam’s old ring boxes for me with scrap fabric. There wasn’t a cost for me except for time, and it was my pleasure.”
“Thanks,” Kevin said. He put the ring back into the box and took it from Dom. “We’re going to give it to her tonight.”
“I’m sure she’ll love it.”
After the boys left, he turned back to the carving and finished his work on it. He and Henry were planning to ask Ehrin to marry them after dinner. He was going to give her the hawk as a gift, too, but their main gift would be the rings he and Henry had picked out. They’d opted to go with matching diamond eternity bands for her engagement rings. For the ceremony, they would give her a platinum band that would match the ones he and Henry would wear. He couldn’t wait for the night to get started.
After cleaning up, he put the carving in a gift bag and covered it with a few pieces of colored tissue paper. Glancing at his watch, he saw it was nearly time for Henry to get home from work, so he decided to hop in the shower first and get ready.
He stuck his head into Ehrin’s office. “How’s it going?”
She looked up with a smile. “Great! Are you done working?”
“I’m going to grab a shower before Henry gets home.”
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“I already told you dinner.”
“I know,” she said, rolling her eyes, “but I mean specifically where.”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Help me out here. What am I supposed to wear? All Henry will say is that I’ll look great in anything.”
“I’d agree with that, but you look better in nothing.”
She grunted. “I don’t need compliments, Dom, I need answers!”
It was tempting to keep teasing her. “All right, let’s say upscale casual? We’re going to wear ties.”
“Ooh la la,” she said. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You can join me in the shower,” he suggested. “But you have to keep your hands to yourself.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“It’ll be better if we wait for later, when we’re all together.”
“If you insist. I don’t mind waiting. For now.”
He blew her a kiss and hurried to the stairs. He heard someone talking to themselves as he walked up to the second floor and saw Melody coming down the hall with a tablet in her hands.
“Careful,” he cautioned as he scooted to the side and grabbed her arm so she didn’t tumble down the stairs.
“Oh, geez, thanks,” she said, glancing at the stairs with wide eyes as if she didn’t even realize she’d been heading toward them. “I was just trying to figure out how fast cats run.”
“For the map?”
“Yeah. I’ve spent the last week using different calculations to see how far I might’ve traveled when I got to the bus station.”
“How fast do mountain lions run?”
“For short bursts, as high as forty or fifty miles an hour, but for long distances more like ten or twenty miles an hour on average. I’m trying to get a layout of the area and calculate from the least amount of travel to the highest, see what I can come up with. Math is not my strong suit.”
“It’s not really mine either or I’d offer to help.”
“It’s okay, I’ll get it. I’m really desperate to help my uncles. They’re starting to get worried. They think something might happen to Honor.”
“What do you mean?”
She shrugged. “They’re worried she’s in danger, and after having been trapped with the females for a year, I can agree with that. I was a stranger, so they never really trusted me, but she was their leader and now she’s different. I hope she’s okay, but I feel like time’s running out.”
“If I can help at all, let me know.”
“Of course.”
She disappeared down the stairs and Dom continued to their bedroom, showering and shaving, then d
ressing in black slacks, a dark green dress shirt, and a green and silver tie. He was buttoning his sleeves when the door opened and Henry walked in.
“Hey,” Henry said.
“How was work?”
“Long. At least I’m not on the nightshift tonight, though. Do you think Ehrin knows what we’re planning?”
Dom shook his head. “No way. I think she expects we’ll ask her to marry us, but not like this.”
“Do you think we could see about getting married this summer when Jilly’s in town? I’d love for her to be here for the wedding.”
“I’m sure Ehrin won’t mind. Aunt Lisa can put together a great wedding for us whenever we’re ready.”
“Good. I hope Jilly delivers her baby while she’s here, too. I’d love to meet my little nephew or niece.”
“Sounds like we’ll have a busy summer,” Dom said.
“It’s about time.”
Dom headed downstairs and passed Ehrin on the stairs. He kissed her and said, “Henry’s in the shower.”
“I just need to get dressed and I’ll be all set.”
“See you in a few.”
When he reached the kitchen, he smiled at his mom, James, and John, who were helping them prepare for the evening.
“You look so handsome,” Rue said. “Ehrin’s a lucky young lady.”
“I’m the lucky one, Mom. Trust me.”
James laughed. “The males are always the luckiest of the bunch.”
John picked up a box from the kitchen table and said, “We’re almost ready.”
“Henry’s going to keep her upstairs until you text,” Dom said, grabbing another box from the table that contained their meals. He and Henry had considered taking her to a fancy restaurant, but aside from not having a lot of privacy, they wanted to do something over-the-top special for their mate.
He stepped out onto the screened-in porch and set the box on the table. Rue and James were finishing setting the table, and John pulled a rolling cart over and helped Dom take the food from the boxes and arrange them on the cart. They’d ordered all Ehrin’s favorites from a local Italian restaurant, and Cherie had sent over a seven-layer chocolate cake with a special inscription in white chocolate on the top.
Dom lit the candles on the table, and James plugged in the white Christmas lights they’d strung up along the ceiling and walls of the porch. It was a beautiful night, and the porch was the perfect place for them to ask Ehrin to marry them.
“Text Henry,” Dom said to John. “I’m ready.”
“You got it,” John replied. “Good luck.”
“He doesn’t need luck. He’s an amazing young male,” Rue said. “But good luck anyway.”
Dom chuckled at his parents as they hurried back into the kitchen, shutting the sliding door behind them. Dom stood at the head of the table, his heart pounding and his mouth dry. He knew Ehrin loved him and Henry, and he was very certain that she wanted to get married, but he couldn’t stop the nerves that fluttered through him.
He wanted Ehrin to remember this night as the one when they took one more step toward becoming a family.
* * *
“Um, where are you going?” Ehrin asked as Henry gave her hand a gentle tug toward the kitchen.
“We’re not going out the front door.”
“Oh?”
“Nope. Close your eyes.”
“Why?”
He arched a brow. “Sweetheart.”
“Okay, okay,” she said, closing her eyes. It was tempting to peek to see how closely he was watching her, but she didn’t.
He turned her slowly around and put his hands over her eyes.
“Seriously?” she asked. “I can be trusted to keep my eyes closed.”
“Humor me,” he said.
“Only because I love you.”
“I love you, too. And I’m not taking my hands away. Walk forward slowly,” Henry said.
She could hear a door sliding open and thought it was the one that led to the screened porch.
“Here,” Dom called from somewhere in front of her before he took her hands. “Follow me.”
“Okay.”
They directed her forward, warned her of the slight step she had to pass over to go from the kitchen to the porch, and then the sliding door closed.
“Don’t open your eyes yet,” Henry said as he took his hands away.
There were some shuffling noises, and she could pick up the scents of tomatoes and meat, which piqued her curiosity.
“You can open your eyes now,” Dom said.
She opened her eyes and gasped. The screened-in porch had been transformed into a twinkling room. Tiny, clear lights were hanging from the ceiling and walls, and candles flickered on every flat surface. A table was set for three in the center of the room.
“What did you guys do?” she asked.
Dom smiled. “We wanted to do something special for our date tonight, but we also wanted some privacy.”
“It’s perfect,” she said.
Henry and Dom moved to her, and she kissed them both.
Henry pulled her chair out for her and then they joined her, sitting on either side of the table. Dom served her favorites from foil trays: mozzarella caprese, Caesar salad, and lasagna.
“This is so wonderful,” she said as she cut a wedge out of the tomato topped with mozzarella and balsamic. “You guys are the best mates a gal could ask for.”
Henry smiled. “So you don’t mind a little secrecy now and then?”
She swallowed the bite and groaned at how good it tasted. “Not when it comes with a private dinner in a beautiful room with my two best guys. Feel free to be sneaky like this anytime.”
Dom and Henry laughed, and the three of them ate and talked, enjoying their time together. She loved that they’d gone to the effort to decorate the porch and order the food she liked, and she hadn’t a clue that they’d been working behind the scenes to put their night together.
Dom cleared the table, setting their dishes on a rolling cart. Henry got up and grabbed a white box, carrying it to the table. He set it in front of her and sat down. When Dom joined them, Henry said, “Did you save room for dessert?”
“I think there’s always room for sweets.”
“Open it,” Dom said.
She lifted the lid and looked inside. There was a chocolate-frosted cake with the words ‘Will you marry us?’ in white chocolate script. She read the words twice before they registered in her mind.
“Oh. Oh! Yes! Of course I’ll marry you.”
“Both of us, right?” Henry asked.
She laughed. “Yes!”
They both stood, and Henry pulled her chair away from the table and then dropped to his knees next to Dom. They held rings up to her that twinkled in the overhead lights.
“I love you, Ehrin,” Dom said. “Marry me.”
Henry said, “I love you, Ehrin, and I want you to be my wife, too. Marry me.”
Her eyes sparked with tears and her bird tweeted happily in her mind.
“Yes, I’ll marry both of you.” She kissed Henry as he pushed the ring onto her finger, and then kissed Dom as he pushed his ring on top of Henry’s. Tears slipped down her cheeks, and they chuckled and brushed them away.
The rings were identical eternity bands covered with diamonds.
“It’s a circle that never ends,” Henry said, touching the rings. “You’re ours forever, Ehrin.”
“The soon-to-be Mrs. Fallon,” Dom said, wiggling his brows.
“This is the best night ever,” she said. “Thank you for everything. It’s so special and wonderful.”
“And there’s cake.” Henry lifted it from the box and placed it on the table.
“This is the best engagement cake ever.”
Because she knew Treasure would expect to see the cake on social media, Ehrin snapped a picture of it, her beautiful rings, and finally a selfie with her and her mates. They shared a piece of cake and then carried it into the kitchen, where they invited eve
ryone who was home to share it.
Ehrin’s phone beeped, and she saw a text from Treasure.
You’re getting the hang of social media.
Thanks, Ehrin typed back as she laughed. I have a good teacher.
Congrats. You deserve all the happiness.
Treasure added a few dozen emojis, from wedding rings and cakes to smiling faces and hearts.
“When she marries Brian and Kevin, we’ll all be cousins,” Henry said.
“I love that. The pride is one big family, and they don’t care what a member can or can’t shift into. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“It wouldn’t be home without you,” Dom said.
Chapter 19
Tuesday morning, Henry put his plate in the dishwasher and kissed Rue on the cheek. “Thanks for saving me a plate.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiled at him as she took a sip of coffee, then nudged a paper lunch sack with her finger. “These are raspberry cream cheese muffins. I made them for Mrs. Grandy.”
He picked it up. “I’m sure she’ll love them.”
“Have a good day at work.”
“I still think there should be a law on the books that after a mated group gets engaged, no one has to go to work for at least a week.”
She shook her head with a laugh. “We’d never get anything accomplished in the pride if everyone celebrated milestones by taking a week off work.”
“Still nice to dream, though.”
He gave her a wave and walked out of the kitchen, nearly crashing into Jackson and Holden as they hurried down the stairs.
The suitcase Holden was carrying tumbled to the floor with a clatter.
“Shit, sorry,” Henry said.
Holden picked up the suitcase and said, “Totally my fault.”
“I’d ask if you were going to work, but judging by the suitcase I think you’re on your way to Canada.”
Jackson nodded. “Melody was finally able to find what she thinks is the house where she was kept by the females.”
“She really only remembered that she’d been in Ontario,” Holden said. “It took her a week to get down to Ashland, but she was in her shift a lot because she was worried about the females tracking her if she tried to use her passport or anything. When she was searching the different maps like Ehrin suggested, she recognized North Bay as the name of the town where she caught a bus to the border, and from there she recognized the town of Field, where she’d first come out of her shift to see where she was.”
