Susannah's Saviors [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)

by Lynnette Bernard

  Carter hugged Suzie to him gently, guilt filling him that he hadn’t thought of taking care of her. He should have known better. He had taken her roughly. It didn’t matter that she had wanted him to take her that way or that she was able to return his passion with her own. The fact that he hadn’t made sure that he hadn’t injured her afterward was telling of how selfish he had been.

  “Carter.”

  Suzie’s soft voice pulled him out of his self-loathing. He closed his eyes and breathed in the wonderful scent of her, hoping he could calm enough to tell her just how sorry he was for not putting her comfort above his own needs.

  Drew stood beside the bed, his heart heavy with the feelings that were coming to him through his link with Carter. He knelt on the bed and settled between Suzie’s legs, reaching out to carefully wipe away their combined releases that saturated her dripping channel.

  Suzie moaned with appreciation. “Feels good,” she whispered, the warmth of the cloth soothing as Drew cleaned her.

  “I’m glad, baby,” Drew told her, spreading her folds carefully and wiping her completely. “You’re a little swollen. It would be best if Carter and I helped you heal.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t think to help you,” Carter told her, running his left hand through his long hair in frustration and guilt.

  Suzie reached up and grabbed for his hand, holding it within her hands and squeezing it tightly. “Don’t you dare,” she told him angrily. “Don’t you dare think you’re anything but a wonderful, loving, and caring mate.”

  “Suzie,” Carter stopped her.

  “No, Carter. You listen to me.” Her wolf growled and clawed at her chest as she fought to get to their mate. “What we did was absolutely amazing. I loved every minute of it. I love every minute with you.” She turned to search for Drew and sensed the same guilt emanating from him. “Damn it! Don’t you start, too.”

  “Suzie,” Drew began.

  “No. Both of you are going to listen to me. You gave me exactly what I wanted and what I needed. My wolf was out of control, and only your dominance appeased her. Do you really think I would ever allow you to do what you did if I didn’t want it just as much? Are you forgetting that I am wolf? Do you realize that if I wanted to stop you, I could have easily?”

  “We didn’t exactly give you the chance,” Carter told her softly.

  “Yeah, right,” Suzie interrupted him, snorting in disbelief. “Are you honestly going to tell me that if I asked you to stop you wouldn’t have?”

  She looked toward Carter, her eyes flashing with anger, glowing golden as her wolf joined her tirade. She turned to face Drew and reached out, grabbing for him, grateful when his hand found hers. She pulled him toward her and growled angrily.

  “Tell me! Tell me, Drew! Tell me how you and Carter would ignore me if I told either one of you that you were hurting me! Tell me!”

  “Suzie,” Drew began, trying to reason with her. “You’ve got to understand that as your mates we are responsible for you.”

  “You are not responsible for me!” she yelled at him. “I am responsible for myself. I’ve been responsible for myself, for my family, and for my friend and her son for a long time. I do not need you or Carter to take care of me! I need you to love me and respect me!”

  Her chest was heaving with emotion as her anger built. There was nothing more frustrating or hurtful to her than knowing that her mates didn’t think they were good enough for her. She was the one who was lacking and not good enough for them.

  The anger that consumed her at that moment was overwhelming. She needed out. She needed to get away. She was tired of being so afraid and so angry all the time. The frustration of her isolation, the ache of her loneliness, the loss of her wolf abilities and sight, and the fear that the silver that had poisoned her body would make her unable to safely become pregnant and carry a healthy child to term came down on her in a wave of suffocation.

  A swirl of blue energy surrounded her, and she gave in to the magic that she hadn’t been able to call upon for fifteen years. She gave herself up to the freedom of the magic, allowing her wolf to take over and release her from the pain and frustration that was so much a part of her life.

  A growl of anger was ripped from her as her golden wolf took form and jumped from between the two men. The fury that filled her as she looked at the two men who were supposed to be her mates and were supposed to understand her needs was all she could think about or feel. She snapped at both men, her teeth bared as she dared them to try and come near her. Her deep growls filled the room, letting both men know she wasn’t going to put up with their archaic attitudes any longer.

  Turning, she bounded from the room and down the stairs to the front door of their home. She could hear the growls of her mates as they raced down the stairs behind her. There was no time to hesitate. She had no option. She had to get away. With one giant leap, she broke through the large picture window at the front of their home and raced away.

  Drew looked at Carter in complete shock as Suzie shifted into her wolf form. The distress he could feel rolling off of her was upsetting to him, but the fact that she had found her wolf made him deliriously happy. She was as beautiful as he remember her to be. She was still a gorgeous golden wolf. He saw the strength in her form, and he was in awe of her once again. When she bounded off the bed, it finally brought him back to his senses. He noticed the ring she had worn sitting where her human form had been and smiled. He was going to love putting that back on her when they brought her back home.

  “No time to think about that right now,” Carter told him as he pulled off his ring and threw it on the bed beside Suzie’s. “We have a wolf to chase and win back.”

  Drew pulled his own ring off and dropped it beside the other two, jumping from the bed and racing out of their bedroom. His wolf was clawing at him for release. He wanted to run with their mate’s wolf.

  The growls that left both men were not born of anger but desire. They raced down the steps to the bottom floor, stopping abruptly when they saw Suzie leap and break through the front panel of glass.

  “Suzie, no!” Drew yelled, rushing toward the broken window.

  “Drew, careful of the glass!” Carter yelled, pulling at Drew’s arm and tugging him backward before Drew’s bare feet could step on the shards of glass.

  “She’s probably cut,” Drew told him, pulling his arm from Carter’s hold.

  “She probably is,” Carter agreed. “But we can go after her and help her without getting injured, too.”

  “We don’t have time to be careful,” Drew told him angrily. “She’s in danger out there, unable to see.”

  “Drew, just open the front door,” Carter told him calmly, stepping back and smiling at his triad partner when he turned and scowled at him.

  Drew reached out and turned the knob of the front door, pulling it open and shifting in one smooth move. Carter shifted and followed him out onto the front porch. They raced after their little golden wolf, their powerful forms eating up the distance between them and their wayward mate easily.

  Don’t say a word, Carter.

  I didn’t say anything.

  Carter’s amused voice made him snarl.

  Suzie! Please stop and wait for us, honey. Drew’s worried voice reached out to connect with their mate. Only silence met his words.

  Do you think she can hear us?

  She can hear us, Carter. She’s being stubborn and ignoring us to make a point.

  They raced after her, catching a glimpse of her golden form as she rushed along the edge of the lake not far from their home. Despite their worry, they couldn’t prevent the feeling of complete happiness that filled them as they watched her wolf racing free. Her paws touched the water briefly before she bounded away from it, the white sand kicking up and flying behind her with each powerful push of her paws.

  She’s gorgeous, Drew.

  She is.

  She’s ours.

  She is.

  We’re never going to be
without her ever again.

  You’ve got that right, Carter! Do you hear that, Suzie? You can run as much as you want, baby, but you’re never going to get rid of us!

  Stop running, Suzie. Let us come to you. We’ll run with you. We just want you to be safe. Carter’s words were gentle, but the worry he was feeling was obvious in his voice.

  They caught up with her just as she was about to race away from the lake. Drew knew that she had been safe so far only because she had been running through open land. If she ran into the forest that surrounded the area, she would be in grave danger. Her blindness would put her at risk, and she would either stumble and injure herself or run headlong into a tree. Both would be extremely dangerous and completely unacceptable.

  They took their places on either side of her and ran with her, guiding her back to the edge of the lake so she wouldn’t endanger herself. They didn’t try to stop her. Their strides matched hers as she ran at full speed around the lake, their hearts racing as they could feel the joyous exhilaration that filled their Suzie. She was happy. Her wolf was happy. They could feel how she was experiencing complete freedom for the first time in such a long time.

  We’re so sorry, Mate.

  Drew’s words were heartfelt as the pain of her loneliness and isolation filled him.

  We will never let you down again, Suzie Q.

  Carter’s promise made Suzie’s wolf skid to a halt. She turned to face both of her mates as they stopped quickly and looked at her, waiting. Her wolf walked toward them slowly, sniffing at their necks and licking at their muzzles. She whined softly and pushed her body between theirs, accepting the way they sniffed at her and rubbed against her.

  She lowered herself to the warm sand and curled up, suddenly very tired. Her mates lay down on either side of her, pressing against her tightly as they settled. They felt warm and comforting. She closed her eyes and gave in to her exhaustion, falling asleep quickly.

  Drew rested his muzzle against the top of her head while Carter laid his head on her shoulder. They listened to the steady beat of her heart and the deep inhale and exhale of her breaths. She calmed them. The peace that enveloped both of them was incredible. They had found complete happiness, and it was all because of their mate. They settled beside her, determined to protect her while she slept.

  Chapter 21

  Drew ran his fingers through Suzie’s soft pelt, realizing that her golden fur held a generous amount of white. He knew it was the direct result of the silver poisoning she had been subjected to, and he couldn’t prevent the growl of anger that escaped him at the way their mate had suffered.

  Both he and Carter had shifted back to their human forms as the evening came upon them—remaining vigilant in their protection of her. She lay nestled trustingly between them, still asleep.

  “I think Suzie’s wolf is going to stay in control for a while,” Drew told Carter softly.

  “We can’t blame her,” Carter spoke calmly. “I can’t imagine not being able to shift for fifteen years.”

  They wanted to get Suzie back to their home, tucked safely in their bed. They probably only had a few minutes left before the night was upon them and the temperature quickly dropped with the setting of the sun.

  “I’ll carry her,” Drew told his triad partner. “We need to get her home. Hopefully, her wolf will allow her to shift soon.”

  Carter smiled as he climbed to his feet, reaching down to help Drew as he stood and gathered their mate in his arms. It made him happy to see how she curled into Drew’s arms and rubbed her muzzle against his chest just as she rubbed her face against both of them when she was in her human form.

  She suddenly whined and turned her muzzle away from Drew’s chest, searching. Carter looked down at her, his heart filling with love for her as he realized that she was searching for him. He stepped closer and pinned her solidly between himself and Drew, laughing softly as Suzie rubbed against his chest and chuffed lightly.

  “Satisfied now, Mate?” he asked her gently, reaching up to scratch behind her ear before gripping a handful of her fur and tugging at it firmly. “You belong to me and Drew. You will not fight us anymore.” He leaned forward and kissed her snout quickly. “But the nice thing is, baby, we belong to you, too. So don’t get all crazy about us ever saying that again.”

  Suzie’s long, pink tongue reached out and licked at Carter’s face, the wetness and the softness of it making him smile. She turned to cuddle back into Drew’s chest, licking at it lightly before purring contentedly, settling into the warmth of his embrace and falling back asleep quickly.

  “I wish we had thought to tell her that before she got angry,” Drew told him as he turned and started the walk back to their home.

  “I don’t,” Carter spoke up firmly.

  “You don’t?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because, if we had told her that, she wouldn’t have gotten angry,” Carter explained.

  “You wanted her to get angry?” Drew’s voice held his astonishment as he stopped and turned to face Carter. “Why in the hell would you want to upset her and get her angry?”

  “I don’t want to upset her,” Carter told him without hesitation, “but getting angry was exactly what she needed to allow her wolf to take over and make her shift. She needs her wolf in order to be complete. And we need her to be complete so we can move forward.”

  Drew looked down at Suzie’s wolf and smiled. “You’re a smart man, Carter,” he told him, hugging the warm bundle of she-wolf tighter against his chest as he spoke.

  Carter laughed softly. “You’re just figuring that out now, Drew?”

  Drew looked up at him, his expression turning serious. “No. I’ve always known that.”

  Carter smiled, knowing as well as sensing the honesty of Drew’s words. He could feel the deep love and friendship his triad mate had for him. Now that Suzie was back with them, the white ribbons of the bonding had tied them together even tighter. There was no way they would ever question the depth of their feelings any longer. It was about damn time Suzie was included in that understanding.

  “Suzie Q,” Carter called to their mate softly as she lay between him and Drew in their triad bed, still in her wolf form. “We need you to shift and come back to us, honey.”

  He reached up and petted her shoulder lightly. He sighed at feel of the silkiness of her hair between his fingers. His hand met Drew’s as he too ran his hand through Suzie’s luxurious pelt.

  “We need to talk, Suzie,” Drew told her, his voice calm as he spoke to her human side. “You need to know that Carter and I want to have a family with you.”

  “We’ll wait until you’re ready, sweetheart, but we need you to know how much the thought of having cubs with you makes us happy.” Carter’s voice was calm, and there was no mistaking the sincerity of his words. “Do you think you’re ready to have a family with us, honey?”

  Suzie remained still, never giving any indication of having heard them. Her wolf was free and in no hurry to give up her form. She could feel the human side of herself nudging at her insistently, but she wasn’t about to give in just yet.

  “I know you can hear us, Suzie,” Drew told her as he continued to pet her. “Just concentrate on our voices, honey, and listen to what we’re telling you.” He looked up at Carter and saw that his triad partner was equally invested in coaxing their mate back to her human form. “We think you’re going to be beautiful pregnant, sweetheart. Our babies will be healthy and content inside of you, and we’ll be so happy to feel them moving and growing.”

  “Drew, the baby is crying,” Suzie mumbled as she snuggled against Carter’s chest.

  Drew kissed her shoulder, biting down on it lightly before laving at his mating mark. “I’ll get her, sweetheart.”

  He removed himself from their bed and walked into the nursery, quickly returning with the warm bundle of love that was their daughter. She was whimpering as she snuggled against his chest.

  Carter sat u
p and helped Suzie to sit up beside him. “Our daughter is hungry, honey,” he told her, touching her face with the back of his knuckles and leaning forward to kiss her temple tenderly as Drew climbed onto the bed and carefully placed the baby within Suzie’s arms.

  “Good morning, Lizzie,” Carter cooed, reaching out to touch their daughter’s soft cheek as she nuzzled against Suzie’s nightgown, rooting for her nipple.

  “You need to tell Poppa that your name is Elizabeth, sweetheart,” Suzie told her daughter, smiling.

  “But she likes when I call her Lizzie, right, Lizzie?” Carter asked his beautiful daughter as he held her tiny hand in his.

  The baby gurgled and pulled Carter’s thumb to her mouth, sucking on it immediately. All three of them laughed softly at the cuteness of their child. Drew ran his hand over the beginning fuzz of blonde hair on Elizabeth’s head, growling with possessiveness as the love he had for her filled him.

  “I think both names suit her,” Drew told them decisively. “She can decide for herself what she wants us to call her when she gets older.”

  “Daddy is going to give you whatever you want, sweetheart,” Suzie told her daughter, laughing. “Remember that if you ever get in trouble and you need to make sure he doesn’t get angry with you.”

  “How could I ever get angry with her?” He leaned forward and kissed her little head gently. “I love you, little one,” he whispered.

  The baby took that moment to scrunch up her face and release a bellow of frustration. Suzie laid their daughter gently on her lap, smiling as both Drew and Carter immediately reached down and placed their hands at their daughter’s body to keep her steady. Reaching up, Suzie untied her nightgown and bared her breasts. Taking the baby in her arms, she brought her toward her body and smiled as Elizabeth immediately rooted for her nipple, latched on, and began to suckle voraciously. Suzie sighed with relief.

  “You doing okay, baby?” Drew asked her, reaching up to touch her cheek lightly.

  “Yes,” Suzie answered as she leaned her head back and rested against the cushioned headboard. “My breasts are so full of milk, they were starting to ache.”