McKenzie, Cooper - Autumn Healing [Welcome to Sanctuary 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Cooper McKenzie

  “So, it happened again,” she said cryptically before walking up to Autumn and hugging her tight. “It’s about time you came to visit. We’ve been so worried about you, and Dad refused to tell us anything. Kept saying something about attorney-client privilege.”

  Autumn returned her sister’s embrace with a happy sigh. “I told him not to. I didn’t want anyone worrying,” she said after swallowing the lump that filled her throat.

  “Girl, you are nothing but skin and bones. Didn’t they feed you in the Army? Come on, we’ll go up to the Wash House and talk while Evan and Frank fix dinner,” Spring said as she looped their arms and began walking.

  Autumn had no choice but to go with her. From the sounds the men who followed made, they were not happy about it either.

  “Stop grumbling, you two,” Spring said over her shoulder. “You know Bridget won’t let anyone mess up her schedule, even if you did find your mate.”

  “That doesn’t mean we have to like it,” one of the brothers snarked.

  Spring giggled. “I want to be in the room when you tell her that.”

  Autumn felt like she’d walked into the last act of a play and decided the best thing to do was to keep her mouth shut and her eyes and ears open. There was so much she had yet to learn about so many things. Maybe by keeping her mouth shut, she wouldn’t fuck things up too badly.

  “So, where is everybody?” Autumn asked when they reached the Wash House.

  “Everybody who?” Spring asked as if there was no one else in the world but the four of them.

  Autumn chuckled as she looked her very pregnant sister over.

  Spring was the oldest and had always been called the pretty one. She had the pretty face and petite, curvy figure though now her curves were more maternal than sexy. Even so she remained soft, dainty, and always the lady. Even dressed in sneakers, sweatpants, and an oversized T-shirt that must belong to one of her husbands, she looked elegant.

  Summer was the smart one whose creative thinking and ingenuity helped to solve problems for people all over the world. She was beautiful as well in a natural, earth mother sort of way.

  Winter was the baby, the boy, and had never been compared to his sisters. Autumn knew he was profoundly grateful for that.

  Autumn had always been considered the strong one. She’d been the one who went after what she wanted no matter what those around her thought. But for the past year, she’d felt anything but strong, though she’d kept that a secret from everyone, including their father.

  “Well, dear sister, you have two husbands. Then there’s Summer and Winter who each have two husbands. And I understand from Dad that the Sullivan twins’ mother and two fathers live in Sanctuary as well, or have I been misinformed?”

  “Oh, them. Winter and his mates, Garrett and Hawk, are at a writer’s conference in California. Summer and her husbands, Cole and Dawson, had to go to Virginia to deal with some crisis her boss swears she can only take care of in person. My husbands, Adam and Brock, and the parents, Bridget, Michael, and Thomas, are around here somewhere. You’ll meet them at dinner,” Spring said as easily as if reading from a cue card.

  “Good God.” Autumn looked over her shoulder at the brothers, her eyes wide with shock. “How many of you are there?”

  “Three parents, four sets of twins, and now four mates,” Spring answered for them as they reached the Wash House’s front door. “With two pups on the way.” She patted her stomach in the proud mama way all pregnant women seemed to grow into.

  “When are you due?”

  “Christmas by human terms. Before next week by Bridget’s prediction.”

  “Huh?”

  “It’s a shape-shifter thing, ladybug,” Frank said before kissing her temple and walking away.

  “Mom can explain it better,” Evan said as he stroked a hand up her back. “We’ll be back in a few minutes then maybe we’ll go upstairs and take a nap.”

  Anticipation shot through Autumn as she watched the brothers cross the room. Before she could follow them, her sister grabbed her hand and dragged her to what appeared to be a bar in the center of the room. After pushing her onto a stool, Spring stepped behind the bar.

  “Do you still drink your coffee hot, black, and thick as tar?”

  Autumn shook her head. “Gave it up. Do you have chai latte?”

  “Hot or cold?”

  “Whatever is easiest for you,” Autumn said before turning the seat of the stool around to look around.

  The corner by the front door held what appeared to be a library. Bookcases lined two walls and were filled to capacity with books. Several comfortable-looking chairs in burgundy and navy waited for someone to curl up on them and spend the afternoon reading. Each chair had a small table next to it with a reading lamp. Behind that, along the side wall, was an area that was curtained off with deep burgundy curtains. In the back corner and along half the back wall were two closed-off rooms with a small hallway in between. The sign on one wall announced that to be the locker room area.

  Across the back of the room was a line of stainless steel washers and dryers with several tables to fold laundry on.

  In the far back corner of the room was what looked like a lounge area. The floor was carpeted with dark gray carpet with several couches, recliners, and overstuffed chairs in gray and blue denims. All the furniture angled to face a large flat-screen television that covered the wall over a huge stone fireplace. In the corner were a pile of large pillows that looked like they would be comfortable for lying on the floor with.

  The kitchen sat in the left front corner of the building. It looked much like any of the diners she’d frequented as she traveled with the military. It was separated from the dining area by a counter with a half dozen stools. Between the kitchen and the bar area was a dining room that was tiled with black-and-white tile. In addition to a long table in the center, there were a half dozen tables around the edge of the area, each with four chairs. The main dining table was painted black while the smaller ones were painted deep barn red.

  Looking up, Autumn found the ceiling in the center of the room rose two stories over their heads. Balconies ran around three sides of the room for the second and third floors. She counted ten doors on each floor.

  “It’s like a civilian USO,” she said, turning back to face her sister. “It looks like it’s got everything anyone would need.

  “The Wash House. Yes, this is the center of town. During hiking season, we’ve kept busy with visitors. They usually don’t bother us too much. Just point them to a hot meal, a hot shower, and a warm bed, and they’re happy,” Spring said before setting a mug on the bar. “There you go, one chai latte. Whoa,” she gasped as she bent forward. She grabbed her belly with one hand and the counter with the other.

  “What’s wrong?” Autumn jumped from her chair and hurried around the bar. “Guys!”

  Chapter Eight

  “What’s going on?” Evan asked as he stepped out of the kitchen.

  Autumn ignored him as she wrapped one arm around her sister and helped her from the bar and to the closest chair in the dining area. Both men joined them as Spring settled onto the chair and rubbed her belly.

  “What happened?” Frank asked as both men looked from one sister to the other.

  “What kind of a pain was it?” Autumn asked, kneeling before her sister and laying her hands on the pregnant woman’s belly.

  “Everything just tightened up,” Spring said. “All the muscles across my back and belly just clenched.”

  Autumn nodded in understanding. She glanced at her watch then looked to her mates. “I need to talk to Bridget now. And you might want to call her husbands.”

  Evan headed to the front door as she turned back to her sister. “Sit here and relax. It might just be a random spasm, but until I talk to Bridget, I want you to stay still.” Taking off her watch, she handed it to Frank. “Keep an eye on the time. If she has another one, make a note.”

  “Do you know about babies?” Frank as
ked as he glanced from his sister-in-law to the watch.

  “I’m an Army-trained and certified midwife. Delivered a lot of babies in all kinds of settings, but never this early. But—”

  Before she could finish, a bell outside rang continuously for nearly half a minute.

  Autumn checked her sister’s pulse and respiration then felt her hands and feet for swelling. Spring sat relaxed, rubbing both hands over her belly as she continued to ask questions about what Autumn had been up to the past months. She was able to ignore them as she fought with the anxiety that had her own heart pounding as she thought of having to deliver these babies.

  When Evan returned, he checked to make sure things were under control before heading back to the kitchen.

  “How long, Frank?” Autumn asked once she’d done the subtle exam and found everything to be fine.

  Before he could answer, the front door slammed open, and the room filled up with mostly very large, very male people. Two of the men rushed straight to Spring and knelt down on either side of her, asking questions a mile a minute as they thoroughly checked her over. The others gathered behind Autumn who still sat on the floor in front of her sister.

  They weren’t too close, but it was enough that Autumn began to feel trapped. Patting her sister’s knee with a smile and a murmured “you’ll be fine,” she stood and slipped out from the center of the crowd.

  Once she could breathe again, Autumn turned and took stock of the new arrivals. The two men beside Autumn were Adam and Brock, but she couldn’t tell which was which. Both had black hair and a goofy, over-the-moon expression as they both, somehow, cuddled Spring at the same time.

  Turning her attention to the others, she found the two men had the same rugged looks as Evan and Frank, but with silver strands liberally laced through the dark brown strands. They were tall as their sons and built as solid as their offspring, though, maybe a little thicker through the middle.

  The woman standing between them held one man’s hand while the other had an arm wrapped around her back. She was tiny, petite, and delicate with a thick braid of reddish-brown hair that ended at her waist. This must be the amazing Bridget, mother of four sets of identical twins, who just happened to be shape-shifting Irish wolfhounds.

  All at once, the five went silent and turned to look at her. Though tempted, she did not give into an urge to run and hide. Instead, she sidled closer to Frank. He wrapped one arm around her in a welcomed gesture and pulled her to fit perfectly against his side. When a growl emanated from deep in his chest, she looked up at him in surprise.

  “Calm down, Frank, we’re not going to hurt the girl,” one of the men said, causing his brother to chuckle.

  “Yeah, we’ve got our hands full with your mother,” the other commented, earning himself a poke in the belly from the woman’s elbow.

  Then the older woman stepped forward. “Hello, you must be Autumn.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Autumn answered automatically even as she tried to burrow deeper into Frank’s side.

  “And you are mate to Evan and Frank?”

  Autumn looked to Frank to answer. “Yes, Mom. Autumn is our mate just like you predicted she would be.”

  “Bridget, she’s also a trained midwife who needs to talk to you about Sullivan babies,” Spring threw in.

  “Well, Autumn Ryan, welcome to Sanctuary. I hope you find the same happiness here that your brother and sisters have,” Bridget said. “I’m Bridget Sullivan, and these are my husbands, Michael and Thomas.”

  Autumn nodded to the two men and noticed that they had the same eyes as their sons, one blue and one green, though they weren’t quite as brilliant as Evan and Frank’s eye color. They smiled and nodded back but otherwise remained silent. Obviously, Bridget was in charge.

  Bridget then stepped forward and laid her hands on Autumn’s shoulders as she looked deep into her eyes. “If you ever want to talk about anything or need advice about how to handle a Sullivan man, I’m here for you.”

  “Mom, she won’t need any help handling us. We’re perfect,” Frank said, sending his fathers and brothers into gales of laughter.

  Bridget patted his belly and smiled at him. “I’m glad you think so, baby boy.”

  “Can I get up now?” Spring asked before Frank could start arguing with his mother.

  “How long has it been, Frank?” Autumn asked with a smirk, figuring he had forgotten his responsibility.

  He surprised her when he glanced at the clock and said, “Twelve minutes.”

  “Yes, you can get up,” Bridget said. “She’s fine. It’s just one of those Braxton-Hickey things. I had them for nearly a week with all my pregnancies. But no hiking up to the gazebo or the waterfall. In fact, you don’t need to be leaving Sanctuary proper until after the babes are born.

  “Yes, ma’am,” the two men at her side answered before they helped her to stand and walk outside.

  “I’d really like to talk to you about shape-shifter births and what I’ll need to do and expect, if that would be all right,” Autumn said as Bridget stepped behind the coffee bar and began to expertly blend and mix something which she poured into three mugs.

  “Certainly, but not today,” Bridget said as she handed two of the mugs to her husbands who took it and walked over to the living room area and turned on an old movie. “Knowing my sons and the patterns set by their brothers, probably not tomorrow either, but we will talk before Spring gives birth.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “Please, I’m Bridget, not ma’am.”

  “Sorry.” Autumn shrugged as she blushed. “Military training runs deep.”

  “Hmmm, maybe we should have you drill some into the boys,” Bridget said with a sneaky grin.

  “Don’t think so, Mom,” Evan and Frank called from the kitchen.

  Chapter Nine

  Dinner consisted of soup, salad, and sandwiches that earned Evan and Frank teasing from the rest of the family about their lack of cooking skills. Though she followed the conversation and contributed she continued to adeptly dodge her sister’s questions. She also remained highly aware of the men who sat on either side of her.

  Not that they gave her a chance to forget them. One or the other touched her at all times, whether it was an arm around the back of her chair or a large, hot hand resting on her thigh, they remained connected throughout the meal.

  By the time dinner was over, the tension she carried with her like a cloak eased without her realizing when it had slipped away. She relaxed, and, feeling warm and content, she ended up leaning against Frank to keep from laying her head on the table as her eyelids grew too heavy to hold up.

  Finally, she could fight it no more. She needed to move around and stay awake or find a bed and sleep. With a deep sigh, she gave up and allowed herself to drift.

  She didn’t know how much time passed before she jerked awake. Evan had just picked her up from her chair. She tensed and tried to fight for her freedom, but nothing seemed to work.

  “Shhh, sweetness, relax and rest. We’ll take it from here,” Evan said softly as he carried her away from the table.

  “What about the dishes?” she asked as she forced her eyes open to find Frank holding the door open for them.

  “Mom and the dads will take care of them. It’s their turn,” Frank answered easily as he followed them out.

  “Where are we going?” Autumn mumbled as she relaxed back against Evan’s broad chest.

  “We’re taking you home.”

  “You have a house?”

  “No, sweetness,” Evan answered easily as they started down the path that led to the log cabins. “We have a home. Sanctuary is your home now, too.”

  All at once, Autumn understood, and something in her spirit shifted.

  Though she came from a family of four children, she’d always felt different and alone. Even in the Army, as a medic dealing with people constantly, she’d felt alone. Even in the treatment center, living with three roommates, she’d felt separate and alon
e. But here and now, with these two men she knew next to nothing about, Autumn Ryan felt like she belonged.

  She remained silent as Evan carried her down the path away from the Wash House. It was a short walk to the first log cabin. The men stopped, and Evan turned so she could see their house. The front porch was empty except for a scattering of colorful dried leaves on the floor.

  “Adam, Brock, and Spring lived here until last week. We moved them down to the third log cabin so they have more room for the babies. Summer, Cole, and Dawson live next door. Winter, Garrett, and Hawk live at the end in the fortress,” Evan explained, turning so she could see the houses where her siblings lived. When our babies come, maybe we can talk the parents into trading houses with us,” Evan said, turning to face the Victorian. “If not, we’ll just add on here or build another house.”

  “We haven’t had time to do much inside. If you don’t like something, we can change it. You can decorate any way you want. We’re easy,” Frank said.

  “I doubt that,” Autumn giggled as she looked up at Evan.

  Suddenly, her exhaustion eased. All she wanted was to be inside and naked with her men. That urge stopped her for a moment. She hadn’t been horny since months before “The Incident.” Now all she could think about was cuddling with her men and fucking either or both of them until the need clenching at her clit and pussy eased.

  “What?”

  “Never mind. Put me down, please,” Autumn said. She squirmed in Evan’s arms until he set her on her feet. Taking Evan’s hand in her right hand and Frank’s in her left, she started up the short walk between the path and the front porch. “Can I want to see inside?”

  “Of course, ladybug. This is your home now.”

  All at once, she was wide-awake and filled with the same excitement she felt every Christmas as a kid.

  The brothers held back and allowed her to enter first. Frank flipped on a light while Evan closed and locked the front door. She stood still and looked around. The living room’s main feature was the huge fireplace that made up a majority of the far wall of the house. Otherwise, the room was empty.