Shelly's Forbidden Mates [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)

by Lynette Bernard

  Kurt and Neil had often talked about Hayward’s ulterior motives for everything he did, including enticing Vera to be unfaithful. They didn’t believe that Hayward had actual feelings for her. It was both upsetting and devastating to see Vera so enamored with him.

  Looking at the eight wolves that grew closer, both Neil and Kurt knew that this was something that was not going to end well for them. Their mating with Vera was not a bonding that they wanted to try to salvage any longer. They had finally accepted the inevitable end of their triad. All that was important to them was their little girls.

  “Vera, go with Hayward,” Kurt said angrily. “You don’t want to be here anymore. We don’t want you here anymore. Neil and I will raise our girls without you.”

  “You can keep them!” Vera yelled. “I never wanted them. I never wanted either of you. I’ve lived with you both for nearly ten years, hating every minute of it.”

  “Your lives are forfeit,” Hayward interrupted them, speaking to both men with finality. “The disgusting triads in this pack will be destroyed.”

  “So you’ve put yourself in the position of judge and jury?” Neil asked, stepping forward and looking directly at Vera. “Is this what you want, Vera? Is this how you want this to end? Do you want our children to be without their fathers?”

  “I don’t care about them, and I don’t care about either of you,” Vera said, her voice cold and hard. “I made the biggest mistake of my life the day I agreed to mate with you. I should have stayed with Alpha Hayward’s pack.”

  Neil felt his heart shatter at her words. He could feel Kurt’s emotions and knew that his triad partner was just as devastated as he was. The pain that filled them both was instant and deep. It was quickly followed by anger that burned brightly within them. In just a moment, the anger lessened and was replaced with calm acceptance.

  “Go with him, Vera,” Kurt said calmly, the anger and hurt within him turning to an icy coldness that now filled his heart. “We don’t want you. Synthia and Shelly deserve better than you.”

  Vera laughed cruelly.

  “We declare before the Fates that we are dissolving this mating,” Neil said, reaching out and placing his right hand on Kurt’s left shoulder to connect them in their decision.

  “Mother Fate understands and supports our decision,” Kurt said, his voice strong. “You are no longer a part of our family. Go to your new pack.”

  Both men turned then and started walking toward the back porch of their home. In a matter of seconds, the wolves behind them converged and attacked, taking Kurt and Neil down and ending their lives. The snarls and snapping of the wolves filled the small yard. The scent of the men’s blood was strong as it left their bodies to saturate the grass below them.

  In that last moment of life, Kurt reached out and gripped Neil’s shoulder, connecting them one last time as they called out together to Mother Fate to help them protect their daughters. They felt the soothing presence of the loving Mother and saw her beautiful face and her long, white hair as she entered their minds and eased their pain to help their souls cross over from their earthly life to the reward of heaven.

  Mother Fate gathered both men within Her arms and hugged them tenderly. She could feel their worry for their daughters. She was thankful that they no longer felt the pain of the cruel attack. She did not allow them to look back and see their bodies as they lay beside the small sandbox that they had built for their daughters. She did not want them to see the cruel smile on their mate’s face or the coldness within her heart.

  My sweet omegas, know that I will watch over your daughters and bring them both to the place where they will find happiness and love, Mother Fate whispered gently as She kissed each man’s cheek lightly. You will be proud of the women that they will become. They will be strong in their abilities. Their hearts will be filled with goodness and kindness. They will have much love to give others because of the love that you have shown them.

  Vera will hurt them, Kurt said, his heart hurting despite the gentle words that Mother Fate imparted.

  Please, Mother Fate, please don’t let her hurt our little girls, Neil whispered, his soul pulling away from Mother Fate’s embrace. He needed to go back and be sure that Shelly and Synthia were safe.

  Neil, you must listen to me, Mother Fate whispered gently, Her voice blanketing them in a wave of warmth and love. William and Michael will see to their safety. When Jace becomes alpha and Jackson takes his place beside him as beta, they will continue to watch over your daughters. All will be well.

  And what about Vera? Kurt asked. Will they protect our girls from her?

  Mother Fate was quiet for a moment, taking both Kurt’s and Neil’s hands within Her gentle hold and stepping back to lead them into the bright light of heaven’s promise. She could feel their struggle to keep hold of the corporeal world, but it was a fight that they would not win. It was their time.

  Vera has much to atone for, she said firmly. She has not lived a life of honor. I will watch over your daughters and guide them to the path of happiness. No life is without pain. No life is without struggle. Your daughters will have both, but what they experience will make them stronger and will cause them to grow even closer. Their abilities as omegas will be strong and pure. They will follow the path of goodness that you have shown them with your love.

  Kurt looked at Neil and saw that his triad partner was just as emotional as he was. Their hearts were breaking. They didn’t want to leave their daughters.

  The charms that you have given your daughters hold your love and your strength, Mother Fate said quietly as she drew the men toward their heavenly reward. Your love will help them on their path. I promise you this.

  Both men sighed as heaven’s arms opened and took them inside. There was a bright white light that enveloped them as they gave up their struggle. They knew warmth, love, and happiness as they crossed over to be with the kind and loving presence of the Fates.

  Vera looked down at the bodies of her mates and smiled triumphantly. She was free. Finally.

  Turning, she faced Hayward and took one step toward him, stopping immediately when he raised his hands to halt her. She was confused. Isn’t this what they had planned all along?

  “What is it, Hayward?” she asked, unsure why he was refusing to allow her close to him.

  “You will stay where you are, Vera,” he said, his deep voice resonating through the sudden quiet of the night air.

  “Hayward, how will I go with you if I don’t come closer?” Vera asked, laughing softly.

  “You will not be coming with me, Vera.” His voice was cold and hard. He looked down at her with disgust. “Do you really think I would want you to be a part of my pack after you have lived the life of a triad mate for these past ten years? You are just as much of an abomination as your mates.”

  “I don’t understand,” Vera said, shaking her head slightly as if the motion would clear her mind. “You said you would purge this pack of my mates. I would be free.”

  “I have purged this pack of your mates,” Hayward said, a low growl escaping him as he looked at the bodies of the two men he had planned to kill for so long. “Now that the omegas of the pack are destroyed, this pack will unravel, and I will be there to take over when it does.”

  “Omegas?”

  “How did you live with them for so long and not know that they were omegas, Vera? Are you that stupid?”

  Coldness filled Vera’s heart at the insult. No man spoke to her in that way. Ever.

  “I am smart enough to have left word with one of the pack members who is my close friend that if anything happened to me or my mates, it would be certain that you were the one responsible, Hayward,” Vera said, her voice cold.

  A tic worked furiously in Hayward’s jaw. His green eyes glowed golden as his wolf fought to be free. His wolf wanted this woman dead just as much as he did.

  “That sounds like a very good plan, Vera,” Hayward said after taking a calming breath. “But you’ve made one very imp
ortant mistake.”

  “I’ve made no mistake,” Vera said, standing tall and squaring her shoulders as she faced him.

  “Oh, but you see, Vera, you have. You don’t have a friend within this pack.” He hesitated briefly and smiled. “In fact, you don’t have a friend within my pack either. You don’t have friends. So there is no friend who has this information.”

  Vera remained silent. Hayward was correct. She had to think of something else that would save her life, and she had to come up with something in a matter of seconds.

  “I’ve told Alpha William that I fear you,” Vera said, her voice cold. “He will look to you for this crime. Do not think that he will allow you to live after killing the omegas of his pack.”

  Hayward walked toward Vera, barely controlling his rage. He reached out and gripped her hair, tugging on it and forcing her to kneel before him. He twisted the length of her black hair in his fist, taking great pleasure in seeing the pain that flashed in her eyes.

  “Telling William that I am responsible for this will ensure your own death. I will inform him of your involvement, which will prove that you are equally guilty.”

  Cold fear filled Vera. She had no doubt that Hayward would do exactly as he threatened. When he did, she would be executed.

  “This is easily remedied, Vera. You will stay with this pack,” Hayward said after a moment. “You will be my informant. I will allow you to join my pack when I have found out all I need to know about this pack and every alpha, beta, and enforcer within it has been killed. Only then will you be welcome. When your daughters are of age, one of them will be my mate. Keep them pure for me. Do not allow any man to touch them.”

  Before Vera could answer, Hayward pushed her away so that she fell forward onto the grass. He shifted into his wolf form, his large, gray wolf turning and racing through the trees to cross into the territory where Alpha Randall ruled.

  Vera growled in anger, holding herself up on her hands, her chest heaving with frustration as she fought for breath and tried to think things through. She ignored the two men who lay beside her, void of life, and struggled to calm herself. Hayward hadn’t taken her with him. He needed her to stay behind to watch William’s pack. She was determined to do as he told her to. When she gave him the information he needed to take over this pack and the valuable land that they inhabited, she would be able to be a part of Hayward’s life again.

  She had plotted to be his mate from the time she had been a young woman of eighteen. Things had not gone her way. He had found a woman from Randall’s pack that he had taken as his mate. They had produced four strong sons. Vera had been furious by the betrayal of the man that she wanted as hers.

  She did not love him. In fact, she didn’t even like him. He was a powerful man who was alpha. He was a means to an end. She was determined to be the queen of his pack. She chose to ignore his comment about taking one of her daughters as his mate. She would show him that she was the best choice. If he didn’t accept that, she still would be in a position of power as the mother of the pack queen. If she had to live with William’s pack for a little while longer in order to make that happen, that’s what she would do.

  She looked off into the distance, watching as Hayward’s massive wolf disappeared from sight. A small smile lit her lips. She would do what she had to do to make her future be exactly what she wanted it to be.

  William felt the pain of the loss of the pack’s omegas the minute Kurt’s and Neil’s souls left their bodies. He reached out and gripped Michael’s shoulder, knowing his triad partner had felt it, too. Suddenly, Clarice was between them, wrapping her arms around them and hugging them tightly.

  “I feel it,” she whispered. She looked up at them, her blue eyes bright with unshed tears. “They’ve been murdered.”

  The growl that began deep within William’s chest was immediate. Michael’s eyes glowed golden as his wolf fought to be free to exact justice. Clarice kissed both men’s chests before stepping out of their arms.

  “Go,” she whispered.

  Both men nodded, turning as one as they left the log home where they had created such a warm and loving family. Their pack was just as loving. It was their job to ensure that their territory would remain safe. No one else was ever going to die at the hands of any invading enemy. This madness was going to end.

  Racing through the area of woods behind their home, their wolves ran with purpose toward Kurt, Vera, and Neil’s home. William’s black wolf led the way. Michael’s black wolf was just slightly smaller, although slightly smaller than massive wasn’t exactly small.

  As their powerful legs ate up the distance between their home and their omegas’ home, William could scent the blood of the men. His growls became deeper as his anger intensified.

  I scent their blood, too, William. Michael’s voice was angry inside William’s head.

  We will find who has done this.

  William’s growls deepened as they drew closer to the small home on the outskirts of pack land. The scent of blood drew them to the small backyard of the home. Skidding to a halt beside the two downed men, William nudged at Kurt’s shoulder, whining softly at the loss of the strong and kind man. He saw Michael doing the same to Neil and sensed his triad partner’s pain.

  Both massive wolves sniffed the area, trying to discern the scents of the wolves who had committed this crime of murder. The scents were strong but unfamiliar. There was something about them, though, that niggled at the edge of William’s mind.

  Do you recognize the scent, William? Michael asked, feeling the confusion in his triad partner.

  I think I’ve scented them before, but I’m not sure, William said angrily. I believe we’ve met these wolves.

  In an instant, William shifted to his human form, standing tall between the two omegas and looking toward the woman who knelt on the grass by the edge of the sandbox. He stepped forward, feeling Michael’s magic transforming him to his human form, glad that his partner was by his side as they faced Vera.

  “What have you done, Vera Moore?” William asked, already suspecting, but needing to hear her feeble explanation of this crime against her mates.

  Vera looked up and took a calming breath, glad that she was facing away from William and Michael. Her mind raced with possibilities of what she might say in order to save herself and keep from being ousted from the pack. Hayward wouldn’t allow her to join his pack until she had helped in the dissolution of William’s pack, and she was going to do everything that she could to make that happen.

  She stood slowly, taking the time she needed to gather her thoughts. Turning, she faced William and Michael and had to work to keep the smile from her face. She had to remain impassive or the men would be able to sense her true feelings.

  “There were nine wolves, Alpha,” Vera said, her voice cracking with the tears that she had no trouble calling forth. “They attacked the three of us. Kurt and Neil protected me.”

  She pushed herself to her feet slowly to face William and Michael. Even after all these years, both men still remained perfect specimens of manhood. They were tall, broad, muscular, and handsome. Both men had striking blue eyes and dark hair. Vera wasn’t particularly attracted to their looks, but she was attracted to their power.

  “Did you recognize them?” William asked, breathing in Vera’s scent and knowing that the woman was hiding something. He could smell her deceit.

  “No.”

  “They didn’t allow Kurt and Neil to shift,” Michael said, looking down at the two men and seeing that they had been attacked from behind. Cowards.

  “No.”

  “Why is it that your mates had turned their backs to the threat, Vera?” William asked, crossing his arms across his chest and looking down at her, a deep growl emanating from him.

  “It all happened so quickly, Alpha,” Vera explained softly. “I didn’t see the attack. Kurt pushed me to the ground to save me.”

  “Did he?” William asked, his question soft.

  “Yes. He push
ed me to the ground, and Neil covered me with his body,” Vera added.

  “Neil covered you?” Michael asked, looking at William and seeing that his triad partner wasn’t believing Vera, either.

  She’s lying. William’s voice was angry as he spoke to Michael through their link.

  Obviously.

  Why is she lying?

  Michael had to bite back his snort of disgust. She’s got something to do with her mates’ deaths, William.

  I agree.

  “Why is it that you don’t have any blood on you, Vera?” William asked calmly.

  “Neil covered me,” Vera repeated.

  “So you say,” William responded angrily.

  “My mates were just killed before my eyes,” Vera said, anger filling her as she stared up at her alpha and beta.

  “You said that you didn’t see the attack,” Michael reminded her.

  Vera fell to her knees, sobbing. She knew that the best way to deflect the questioning would be to fall into an emotional mess. Both William and Michael were strong, tough men, but they caved every time at the display of the softness of a woman. She knew that they would back off if they saw her tears.

  “I do not believe you, Vera,” William said firmly. “Know this, if I find that you had a hand in your mates’ deaths, your life will be sacrificed. Do not try to deflect my judgment with your tears. It will not work.”

  “I didn’t have anything to do with it, Alpha,” Vera denied, the tears streaming down her face as she looked up at him. “I’ve lost my mates. I have two girls to raise alone. My heart is broken.”

  “Your girls are now under my protection,” William said firmly, interrupting her. “You will be watched, Vera. If I find that you have abused your girls in any way, they will be living with me. Clarice will be the mother to them who will show them the love and support that a mother shows her children. You will do well to learn from our mate. She is a wonderful woman with a kind heart.”