They both saw her at the same time. She was sitting on the freestanding canopy swing with Julia and Meeka while Meeka’s son Eric and Julia’s daughter Tammy were sitting in the white sand of the sandbox. Both children were happily chattering away and filling their small, plastic buckets with sand while the women were talking quietly.
“Uncle Mitchell!” Eric called out happily when he saw him walking toward the group.
“Hello, little dude,” Mitchell greeted him warmly, leaning down to raise his fist so he could knuckle bump Eric’s little hand. “You look like you’re having fun.”
Eric nodded, smiling up at him. “I like it here, Uncle Mitchell. Do you like it here?”
“Yeah, I really like it here,” Mitchell told him warmly. “It’s a good place to live.”
Mitchell turned to face the three women as they sat on the swing, swaying back and forth slowly. He looked at Janey briefly before turning to look directly at Meeka. He saw the faint blush that covered Janey’s cheeks as she looked away from him, catching Dean’s attention before looking down at her hands as she settled them on her lap.
“You’re going to like it here, too, Meeka,” Mitchell told her honestly. “I think you’ll find that you’ll be protected and cared for. You’ll never have to worry about anyone hurting you ever again.”
Mitchell stepped toward the swing and reached out to touch Meeka’s soft hair with such tenderness, Janey’s wolf sat up and took notice. Before she could prevent herself, a soft growl erupted from her. Neither she nor her wolf liked Mitchell touching Meeka.
“Jace and Jackson, and all the men of this pack will make sure no one will ever hurt you again,” he promised.
“I hope so,” Meeka said softly, looking up at Mitchell and smiling. “But you know as well as I do that I’m going to take care of myself, Mitchell. I’m not going to let anyone ever have control over me again.”
“I know,” Mitchell told her, smiling as he reached out and touched her cheek gently with the knuckle of his index finger and caressing her lightly. “I see a strong woman before me. And I see a good future for you, Meeka.” His voice was sure as he gave her the encouragement he knew she needed. His dreams had shown him that she was going to have a beautiful future with her two mates. He had also seen that her mates needed her to help heal their broken souls.
Janey stood slowly, stepping away from the swing and walking backward away from it. Julia looked at her and smiled a knowing smile. Her sister-in-law may try to hide behind a caustic personality around the rest of the pack, but she was nothing like that at all. She was a kind and giving young woman who was an amazing aunt to Tammy. Julia knew that Janine was trying to run from the attraction she felt toward Mitchell and Dean. She hoped the two men wouldn’t allow her to run from them. Janine deserved the kindness and love the men would give her. Julia had never understood why Janine was so different around the rest of the pack. Perhaps someday Janine would share her reasoning with her.
“Janine, aren’t you going to stay with us until dinner?” Julia called out to her. “I thought you were going to help me get the nursery ready for my son.” Julia rubbed her hands over her very pregnant belly, determined to use every bit of guilt she could lay on Janine as she could. She wasn’t above playing the sympathy card to get the young woman to stay with her. It was for her own good.
“Julia, I really have to go. I have a lot of packing to do,” Janine told her softly, feeling horrible that she wasn’t carrying through with her promise.
“You can pack later. You’re not working at the front desk of the visitors’ lodge anymore, so you’ll have the next few days to get things together before you have to leave,” Julia reminded her.
“Aunt Nina, are we having a sleepover tonight?” Tammy called to her from the sandbox.
Janine bit her bottom lip with worry. She had to get away from Mitchell and Dean before she said or did something she wouldn’t be able to explain. But she couldn’t disappoint her niece. Tammy was the lightness in her dark world. She couldn’t ever hurt her or push away from her.
“Yes, baby,” she told her niece softly. “I’ll come to your house in a little while. Then we’ll have dinner and help your mommy with your baby brother’s room.” She knelt down so that she was equal with the little pixie that was her niece. “And then we’ll have a sleepover, but only if you promise to cuddle next to me really tightly.”
The smile that filled Tammy’s face melted Janine’s heart. She would do anything for this child. She loved her so much.
“I love you, Aunt Nina,” Tammy told her happily.
“I love you, too, sweetheart,” Janine answered immediately.
“I want kisses, Aunt Nina,” Tammy whispered, leaning toward her aunt.
Janey’s smile was instant, transforming her face into such beauty, both Dean and Mitchell looked at each other as pure need and desire rushed through them. They watched silently as Janey looked at her niece with such honest love and caring. Tammy wrapped her arms around Janey’s neck and giggled sweetly as Janey made lots of noise as she kissed her cheek sloppily.
“Is that a good enough kiss for you, honey?” she asked her, laughing quietly.
“Yes, Aunt Nina,” Tammy told her happily. “You give the best kisses.”
“How about a kiss for me?” Janey asked her young niece quietly.
Tammy grabbed Janine’s face and kissed her just as sloppily, giggling sweetly as her aunt made a great show of enjoying her kiss. Tammy grabbed her aunt’s long, blonde hair and tugged at it firmly.
“You have to let go now, Tammy,” Janine told her, laughing softly. “I have to get going.”
“Where are you going, Janey?” Dean asked her, stepping closer to stand beside her as she released her niece and stood slowly.
“I have things to do,” Janey told him quickly. “I’ll see you guys later.”
“Dean and I want to talk to you, Janey,” Mitchell spoke up as he walked over to stand beside Dean.
“About what?”
Janine looked at both men warily. She didn’t want to spend any time with the two men who drove her crazy and made her wolf whine with need.
Dean reached out and took Janey’s left hand in his. Mitchell reached out and took her right. Neither man gave her the choice to prevent them from guiding her away from the playground.
“I think Janine has met her match in those two,” Julia whispered softly to Meeka, winking at her and smiling.
Meeka smiled as she watched the three of them walk away to head toward the open area of lush land that surrounded the back of the family lodge. She was happy that Mitchell had finally found his triad partner. She was hopeful that the two men might have found their triad third. Janine was a good person even if she was gruff and distant whenever she was around the entire family, but Meeka had seen how sweet and caring she was with the children. She had a good feeling about that one.
“You don’t have to walk me back to the lodge,” Janine told the two men firmly. “I’m a big girl. I know the way.”
“Oh, honey, we know you’re a big girl,” Dean piped up, pulling at Janey’s hand to stop her from walking away from them.
Janine pulled her hands from theirs and turned to face them. “What do you want?”
“We want to talk to you,” Mitchell told her simply. “We want to get to know you, and we want to know why you have to leave so early to go to school. The semester doesn’t start for a few weeks.”
Janine was silent as she looked first at Mitchell and then at Dean. The way they talked to her, touched her, and listened to her was something that was rare for her to experience. She really didn’t know how to process it. They were too nice, too understanding, and too damn handsome. And the way they smelled was about to send her into an orgasm. She had to get away from them.
“I’ve got a job lined up at one of the hotels near the college I’ll be attending,” she told them finally, seeing no harm in giving them generalities. “I’ve got to start working next week, so I�
�m leaving on Monday. That will give me three weeks to get into the routine of working there before I have to start classes.”
“What school are you going to?” Mitchell asked her, looking at Dean briefly before turning his attention back to Janey as an ache began in his chest.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does,” Dean interrupted her. “You’re important to us, Janey.”
Janine looked up at Dean in complete shock. “What?”
“I said you’re important to us, sexy wolf babe,” Dean told her, winking.
Janey growled softly. “I don’t like it when you call me that,” she protested.
“Sorry, honey,” Dean apologized.
“Don’t call me honey!”
Dean remained silent. He looked at Mitchell briefly, sadness filling him.
“I’m sorry, Janey,” he apologized sincerely as he faced her once again. “I don’t want to upset you. I never want to hurt you in any way.”
“Me either, Janey,” Mitchell added quietly.
The expression of sorrow on their faces made Janine feel immediate remorse for snapping at him. Despite the way Dean loved to tease her, he had never treated her with anything but kindness, just as Mitchell had always treated her. Both men had been attentive, fun, and sweet—even if they did have a wicked sense of humor.
“That’s okay,” she told them finally, her voice very soft. “I have to get inside and get started on packing.”
“Wait, Janey,” Mitchell stopped her. She turned to face him and he cleared his throat nervously. “Dean and I wanted to give you something.”
“You want to give me something?”
Both men stepped closer to her, and Janine had to take firm control of her wolf as the scents of both men filled her senses and permeated her soul. When each man took one of her hands in theirs, she nearly cried at their tenderness.
“When we were shopping today, we saw something that reminded us of you,” Dean spoke for both of them. “We wanted you to have this.” He pulled the jewelry box out of his front jeans pocket and held it out to her.
“You have to let go of my hands so I can take it,” Janine said softly, trying unsuccessfully not to smile.
Both men released their hold on her hands and waited while she slowly raised her right hand and took the box from Dean. She looked down at the black box and ran her finger over the top of it slowly, enjoying the feel of the black velvet beneath the pad of her index finger.
“Open it, Janey,” Mitchell whispered.
Janine looked up at both men briefly then returned her attention to the box. She pulled up on the cover, flipping it up until the hinge caught and she found herself looking down at the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen as it rested on the bed of black silk inside the box.
The beautiful garnet heart was stunning. The gold chain was made up of interlocking links that were in the form of tiny hearts. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized that everything about this gift showed her that these men were offering her their hearts. Everything in her screamed for her to run from them. She couldn’t do this.
“I can’t accept this,” she told them sadly, offering the box back to them.
Both men immediately took a step away from her as if the box would burn them if they dared to touch it. It was obvious to her by the expression on their faces that she had hurt them. As much as she wanted to distance herself from them, it killed her to have to hurt them to do it.
“We want you to have it,” Dean told her, refusing to take the box. “Even though you don’t want to accept us, we want you to accept the necklace. Maybe you can wear it sometimes and remember that there are two people who care about you.”
“We won’t bother you again, Janine,” Mitchell promised. “If you ever decide to give us a chance, we’ll be here for you.”
He looked at Drew and nodded at his triad partner, feeling his pain through their tentative bond. The bite Drew had overseen just a few minutes before had started the bonding process between them. It was good to have the connection, but it also intensified the feelings of sadness and disappointment that both men were sharing.
Before he could think about it, Dean leaned forward and kissed Janey’s cheek lightly. “Take care of yourself, sexy wolf babe,” he whispered.
Mitchell leaned forward and kissed her other cheek. “We’ll always be here for you if you ever need us, Janey. Dean and Mia will be starting college in August, and I’ll be joining them the following semester. You can always ask Laurie for our address.” He leaned back and looked down at her sadly. “Maybe someday you’ll want to find us again.”
Both men turned as one and walked slowly away from her. She watched them for a moment then turned and walked into the family lodge. She slowly made her way to her bedroom at the back of the house and closed the door behind her. She leaned her back against the door and sunk down to the floor.
Clutching the jewelry box to her chest, she fought to control her breathing. She was determined not to cry over possibly the most thoughtful gift she had ever received from two of the kindest men she had ever known.
Chapter 26
Suzie wrapped the two small boxes as she sat cross-legged on their triad bed. She smoothed down the white tissue paper and taped the edges down neatly. Taking a black, permanent marker, she wrote on the top of each one then capped the marker and placed it aside. Climbing off the bed, she turned and picked up the two boxes, holding them tightly against her chest as she walked over to the bureau that her men had designated as hers. She pulled open the second drawer from the top and carefully placed the small boxes on top of her newly purchased underclothes.
In the two hours she had been home since the shopping trip, she had washed and dried all of the clothes she had purchased. She wasn’t happy about using her men’s money, but she knew she really didn’t have any choice at this point. She had decided to take Janine’s advice and ask Jace if she could work in the visitors’ lodge. She would be able to earn some money and feel like she was contributing to the success of the pack at the same time.
A lightness filled her as she walked out of the bedroom and descended the stairs, making her way toward the kitchen with a plan in mind. She wanted to make a wonderful meal for her mates. She also wanted to make an apple pie. She hadn’t baked in such a long time, but she remembered how much Drew and Carter liked her baking creations.
As she pulled out the ingredients she needed to make the pie, a sense of peace and rightness filled her. She said a prayer of thanks to the Fates. Being back with her men had definitely given her hope for her future. She wanted to spend the rest of her life showing her mates how important they were to her. She wanted to show them how much she enjoyed them. And she wanted to show them how much she loved them—even if they were intrusive and controlling sometimes.
She smiled slowly as she thought about the way both men had made love to her. She loved their dominance. Her wolf yipped happily within her. She was happy to finally have the balance of human and wolf that had been missing for so long. Her men had helped her to find that balance.
Suzie, I’m heading home now, honey.
Carter’s voice sent a rush of happiness through her. How was it possible that his voice made her feel such peace and love? She was definitely going to jump his bones when he got home.
You’re going to jump my bones, Mate?
His voice was teasing, but there was a definite edge to it. Suzie could sense the need in him.
You know, Carter, you’re going to have to give me some privacy. You can’t listen to every thought I have.
But, baby, they’re such great thoughts.
Suzie giggled. She couldn’t help herself. The happiness that filled her was bubbling over.
You make me happy, Carter.
Oh, sweetheart, you make me want.
What do you want?
I want you. With me. Always.
That’s good, because that’s what I want, too.
Carter pushed
a wave of love so intense toward Suzie through their bond, she had to sit down at the counter. She absorbed the love and opened her heart to him, sending him the image of spreading her arms, taking him within her embrace, and snuggling against his chest. The link allowed them to stay within the white ribbons that were entwined around them for a very long time. It was a wonderful feeling.
Suzie was washing up the dirty dishes and pans from her afternoon of baking when she scented Drew. His arms wrapped around her waist as he stood behind her.
“Something smells really good,” he whispered in her ear before biting down on her shoulder lightly.
“I’ve made a really nice pot roast with potatoes and carrots, and an apple pie,” Suzie told him, leaning back against him and reveling in the strength of his embrace. “We just have to wait for Carter. I hope he comes home soon. Everything is ready.”
She nodded toward the stove, indicating the pie cooling on a rack on the countertop. She smiled as she felt the purring of contentment that resonated through Drew’s chest.
“You sound happy,” she told him, laughing.
“How can I not be happy?” Drew asked her softly. “I have our mate in my arms, and she’s made us an amazing dinner.”
“You just want me because I can cook,” she teased him.
Drew chuckled and turned her in his arms so that she faced him. “Maybe,” he admitted finally.
“Hey!” Suzie pushed at his chest, laughing when Drew only tightened his hold on her.
“You know I’m teasing, Suzie Q,” he whispered as he leaned forward and kissed her lips sweetly. “I want you because you are the most amazing woman. You’re kind and gentle and loving. Carter and I don’t deserve you.”
“My Drew,” Suzie whispered, overwhelmed by the deep feelings that were burning deep inside of him and spilling over into her through their bond.
The back door opened, and Carter entered, dropping his bag and walking over to them immediately. He pressed his body against Suzie’s back, effectively trapping her between them.
Susannah's Saviors [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 29
