Abbey's Protectors [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)

by Lynnette Bernard

  Abbey stood in the archway entrance to the living room. She saw that it was filled with many people she didn’t know, but she also saw many familiar, caring faces of those she now considered her pack family.

  She smiled as she felt her men come up behind her and take her hands in theirs as their bodies pressed her deliciously between them. She felt their warmth and was immediately enveloped in their love.

  Well played, honey, Clay’s voice whispered in her mind.

  Thank you, Clay.

  I love you, Abbey, Hunter told her softly, sending a wave of tenderness through their mating link to stroke against her gently.

  Do you? Her voice was teasing as she asked the question.

  With all my heart and soul, sweetheart, he told her, leaning down to kiss her neck quickly.

  We love you and the fun you give us, honey, Clay told her as he kissed her cheek lightly.

  It’s a good thing. Because I love you both more than I’ve ever thought possible. Must be because you’re so sweet.

  Both men squeezed her hands lightly, pressing against her. She could feel how her words humbled them, and she had to admit that their honest feelings of not being worthy just made them more endearing to her.

  “I would like to thank all of you for coming today,” Jace’s deep voice boomed across the living room, capturing all of their attentions.

  Every person quieted and faced him. Abbey saw the protective way the alphas and betas from the other packs surrounded their mates. She couldn’t blame them. Clay and Hunter had explained to her the inner workings of a pack and knew that these triads were taking a big risk by being on another alpha’s pack land. That courage alone made Abbey respect them. Those present were definitely showing how much they desired peace among the shifter community.

  Hunter and Clay had also told her that Jace and Jackson were known as fair and just rulers of their pack. It was obvious that their reputation had reached those attending today’s meeting. She knew that it would be good for the safety of all of the packs in the area if the ruling triads could come to some kind of an understanding.

  “We have two packs in our area that have been hostile for some time,” Jace told them, watching the other alphas as they nodded their heads curtly in agreement. “I have challenged Alpha Randall, the alpha of one of those packs, on behalf of my pack members that he had kidnapped and injured and have been successful in defeating him. The members of his pack have been offered asylum with us here, but they may choose to ask to join your packs. I would like to ask you to grant them the opportunity to speak to you to see if they would be a good fit for your pack family.”

  “Do you trust that these people would not harm our families?” one large man with black hair spoke from his spot in front of the fireplace.

  Abbey saw how he and another equally large man with dark blond hair stepped closer to a small woman with long, light blonde hair. From the way they held her between them, Abbey could tell she was the third in their triad and was loved possessively just as she and so many of the women in Beckett’s pack who had been lucky enough to find their triad mates were. The protective instincts of these men were off the charts.

  “I haven’t met them all, so I would have to say no,” Jace answered honestly. “I have asked Simon and Warren to join us today. They were the head enforcers for Randall’s pack. They can give you a better insight, but I will be vigilant when speaking to any petitioning members just as I know all of you will.”

  He turned to face the two enforcers and nodded, giving them permission to speak. Laurie stepped closer to him and rested her cheek against his arm, nuzzling into his bicep as Jace curled his fingers with hers as she offered him her hand. Jackson stepped closer, resting his chest against Laurie’s back and slipping his arm around her waist to gently settle his hand on her belly.

  “My name is Simon Morrow,” the big man who stepped forward spoke roughly. He stood straight, like a soldier would, with his feet spread and his arms behind him in parade rest. “This is my triad partner Warren Conway. He and I were enforcers for Randall for twenty years. We’ve seen and done a lot of things we’ve regretted because it was our duty.”

  Warren nodded once, stepping forward to stand beside Simon and take the same military stance. The black T-shirts and black jeans that both men wore were evidence of a life of conformity.

  “The people of Randall’s pack were ruled with cruelty and abuse,” Simon continued. “You will find that most of them are good people who work hard and will be loyal to you. They are in need of a kind and fair alpha who is strong enough to protect them. Many of them are afraid to approach you. They have not had a positive experience with their alpha and beta so they have no good reason to trust any of you.”

  Simon looked at his partner Warren and waited for his nod of approval. When he received it, he turned back to face the crowd of powerful men and their mates.

  “If they do petition to join your packs, they will be worthy members. There are some who were loyal to Randall. They participated in and enjoyed his cruelty to others. I have no doubt you will be able to weed those members out without difficulty, but we offer you our help to identify those men.”

  Abbey watched in fascination as the man speaking became rigid as he spoke and knew that what he was saying was causing more than a little bit of struggle within him. His appearance matched his emotions—both damaged and rough. His short cropped hair was completely white and his face and arms were littered with scars. She could tell he was a man who had seen much violence in his life. His hazel eyes held such sorrow and anguish, Abbey’s heart broke for him. His sincere words touched her deeply, and she couldn’t help but ache for him as she felt his loneliness.

  Looking at his partner Warren, she saw the same strength of a soldier. His hair was a light brown that was liberally scattered with gray. He, too, had scars littering his body. His blue eyes were sharp and held such anger that Abbey had to hold back the gasp of surprise at the intensity of it. She didn’t know what his anger stemmed from, but it felt as if it was directed inward. She could feel the isolation in this man as well, and it pulled at her emotions.

  Reaching out, she wrapped her arms around her men’s waists, glad when they settled closer against her and squeezed her tightly within their arms. She wished she could somehow help the two men who reminded her of lost boys despite their age.

  Watching silently, she saw two men step up behind Warren and take military stances. These men seemed a bit younger, but they looked just as experienced as fighters and held a good amount of scarring as well.

  “These men are Eli Granger and Maxwell Oliver,” Simon introduced them. “They were also enforcers for Randall’s pack. The four of us have petitioned Alpha Beckett and Beta Scott to join their pack and have been granted this honor. Although we are officially members of this pack, the four of us offer you our assistance in securing the safety of your packs if you need us.”

  Abbey watched as the attending ruling triads looked at each other. It was a lot for them to take in, but she was sure if they all just gave the idea of combining the packs as one cohesive unit of protection a chance, it would be better for all of them.

  “Your offer of help is appreciated, but you must realize that this situation is not something any of us will take lightly,” the large alpha with the black hair spoke up.

  “Yes,” Jace conceded. “I would react the same way if this was proposed to me out of the blue. But, I would urge you to accept as many people as you can handle from this disbanded pack and work on strengthening your security with the many enforcers looking for new homes.”

  “Randall’s pack had a well trained group of men that acted as enforcers,” Jackson added. “Simon and Warren will be able to tell you who would be good for your security, and who would be respectful of pack families and every member within them—especially our females and our children.”

  “I have several men I would advise you against admitting into your packs,” Simon spoke up once again. “Their c
ruelty to others, especially females, is not acceptable.”

  The flash of anger turning Simon’s eyes completely golden was seen by every person in the room. Abbey watched silently, her heart breaking for the man before her. His heart called to hers, and she knew without a doubt that he was a good man.

  “There is another pack that has been aggressive and is a major concern,” Jace spoke up, pulling the focus of the group away from Simon. “They have already attacked our members once and nearly succeeded in killing two of them. Hunter and Clay work for the local law enforcement and have seen the increasing hostility building over the years. They were the ones who were gunned down in an ambush last year. Their mate had a vision that they would be ambushed again and was able to save them from that possible attack just recently.” Jace indicated the two men and waited, watching with a discerning eye as each visiting triad faced his men before turning back to give him their full attention once again. He grunted softly in satisfaction when he saw the anger in the eyes of the visiting triads, knowing that they were affected by the knowledge that Hunter and Clay were certainly blessed by the Fates to be standing there, alive and well.

  Abbey gasped in surprise. She didn’t know that her men had been ambushed before. Turning to them, she saw the stoic expressions on their faces and knew she could not embarrass them in front of this group.

  We will discuss this later, Mates.

  We’re fine, Abbey, Hunter assured her gently.

  Abbey held her tongue, but her heart was pounding with fear at the thought that her men had nearly been killed from an ambush once before. She couldn’t prevent the fear she was experiencing from bleeding through their bond, but she could add a good dose of warmth and love to let them know just how much they were cared for. Their responding soft smiles and the way they surrounded her and held her tightly between them relaxed her somewhat.

  “We believe that the shifters responsible for the attacks belong to Alpha Hayward whose pack land is about fifty miles north of here,” Jace continued. “We don’t have concrete evidence to support that though. When Hunter and Clay were attacked last year, no trace of evidence was left behind.”

  “Then what makes you think Alpha Hayward is responsible for the attack?” the huge man with red hair standing with his mates in front of the couch spoke up.

  “They have a history of teaming up with Randall,” Jackson offered firmly.

  “We can attest to that fact,” Simon added.

  “Have you been involved in these attacks also, Simon?” the alpha with the red hair asked, his voice tinged with anger.

  “No, Alpha,” Simon answered, bowing his head in respect. “The four of us refused to be a part of any attack on another shifter community.”

  “Yet, you were Randall’s enforcers,” the alpha continued. “Are you telling us that you didn’t commit unspeakable acts at the order of your alpha?”

  Simon was quiet for a moment but his eyes never wavered as he looked at the alpha who challenged him. “No, Alpha. The four of us have participated in many things we’re not proud of. We followed our alpha’s orders without hesitation until last week.”

  “What happened last week?” the alpha with the black hair asked.

  “We were commanded to put a silver collar on a female pack member who was carrying a child.” Simon turned toward the alpha, his eyes hardening. “We refused.”

  “Why is that, Simon?”

  Simon hesitated, looking at Warren, Eli, and Maxwell briefly. They were silent as they returned his gaze. He knew he could do nothing but tell the truth for all of them.

  “We respect women,” Simon said finally.

  “Is that all?”

  “No, Alpha,” Simon answered, his attention snapping back to face the strong man without wavering.

  “Then what other reason did all of you have for refusing to do as your alpha ordered?”

  Simon turned to look at the men he had served with and waited for their permission to speak the words that would open them to the many who were present in the room. If it were just his secret to tell, he wouldn’t hesitate, but he had to be sure that the other three men gave him the right to tell what all four of them had hidden for many years. He watched and waited. One by one, the men each gave their nod of approval. It was unanimous.

  “We have given up our personal lives to protect our pack. None of us believes that we will ever have mates. We know we’re not worthy of such a gift, but that doesn’t mean we will allow ourselves to be used to destroy that gift for someone else. We refused to hurt that woman. And we refused to hurt the child she was carrying. That woman was responsible for the happiness of her mates. They are worthy, honorable men. They deserve the blessings of the Fates, and we refused to be a part of destroying those blessings.”

  Abbey had to force herself not to cry. The pain that she felt emanating from Simon and his fellow enforcers was nearly choking her. She could feel their sadness and their isolation. And she could feel their deep need to have exactly what the rest of them had—a mate and a family.

  “I believe you,” Laurie spoke up, stepping forward and reaching out to touch Simon’s arm.

  “I believe him as well,” the woman mated to the alpha with the red hair agreed.

  “So do I,” Abbey agreed, drawing everyone’s attention to her.

  “Me, too,” the blonde woman who was mated to the alpha with the black hair added, trying to step forward, but her men held her firmly between them.

  “It seems that the women in the triads present are in tune with the emotions and sincerity of the men you’re questioning,” Laurie said to the group, smiling as she looked at each of the triad matings before settling her sight on her own two mates. “Maybe you need to trust that the Fates have gifted us women with the ability to know the truth of each man’s heart.”

  “I’ve been saying that for years, Laurie,” the blonde spoke again, removing her mates’ hands from her arms and stepping toward Laurie.

  Abbey was so shocked to recognize the woman who was mated to the alpha with the black hair that she completely missed the rest of the women agreeing with them.

  “Dara,” Abbey called out, rushing over to the woman who had been so kind to her when she had been at the mall.

  Dara’s attention snapped toward her and she smiled immediately. “Abbey.”

  Dara stepped forward and opened her arms, laughing when Abbey wrapped her in her embrace and hugged her tightly.

  “It’s so nice to see you again,” Abbey told her happily.

  “You, too. I didn’t know you lived here.”

  “Well, we didn’t exactly exchange any information except what toy I should buy and how it worked,” Abbey whispered, laughing softly. “It worked great by the way. My mates really enjoyed it.”

  Dara’s smile was wide as she stepped back and winked at her. “Told ya!”

  “Mate, you are not to step away from our protection,” the alpha with the black hair spoke firmly to Dara.

  “Oh, Gil, relax,” Dara told him, taking his hand in hers and tugging him so he would step beside her. Turning, she held out her other hand and waited until the man with the dark brown hair joined them. “Abbey, these are my mates Gil and Josh.”

  Abbey extended her hand in greeting, smiling at the surprised expressions on Gil’s and Josh’s faces as they took her hand in theirs and shook it firmly but tenderly. Abbey liked them immediately.

  “These are my mates, Dara,” Abbey told her, reaching out to touch her men as soon as they came up behind her and drawing them toward the guest triad. “This is Clay, and this is Hunter.”

  Dara accepted their handshakes without hesitation, stepping back so her mates could do the same. Abbey was glad that whatever barrier that had existed during the discussion they had been having was now eased by the personalization of the moment. It was easy for people to be distant during a discussion, but when you pulled them in with a personal touch, they lost their stiffness and resolve to remain aloof. Abbey had realized that
whenever she negotiated with a new company, if she took a personal interest, the new relationship flourished on many levels and to the best interest of all involved.

  “It’s an honor to meet you, Alpha Gil,” Hunter told him as he shook his hand and tipped his head to bare his throat in deference to his position. “You, too, Beta Josh.” He shook his hand as well, stepping aside so Clay could offer the same greeting and show of respect.

  “You two are the men who were ambushed?” Gil asked, stepping back, taking Dara within his arms, and gently settling her between him and Josh.

  “Yes, sir,” Clay answered for the both of them, looking at Abbey briefly before returning his attention to Gil, hoping the man would understand the need to keep that fact understated so they wouldn’t upset her.

  Gil nodded and looked at Abbey, smiling just a bit to try to ease her worries. “It seems our mates have been keeping a secret from us,” he said with censure, looking at Dara and raising his eyebrow in question.

  “What secret have I kept?” Dara asked, rolling her eyes at his attitude.

  “When did you meet this woman, Dara?” Josh quizzed her, touching her face lightly. “You’ve been told to keep safe and not interact with anyone but our pack family.”

  Dara pushed his hand away and stepped out of her mates’ arms. Taking Abbey’s hand, she tugged gently until Abbey stood beside her. Abbey looked at Hunter and Clay, smiling at them to try to ease their unhappiness of having her removed from their touch.

  “You listen to me, Gil Rodney,” Dara told him, pointing her finger at him menacingly. “We are not going to have this discussion again. You are not going to keep me prisoner in our pack or deny me the social interaction with nice people that I meet. The same goes for you, Josh Marshall.”

  “Mate, we need you to be careful, especially now that you carry our cub,” Josh spoke up, trying to support his triad partner and explain their concern to the woman their life would be nothing without.

  Dara’s expression softened somewhat, and she lowered her hand to rest it on her pregnant belly and rub it gently. “I understand your worry, Mates. I even understand the need for security both within and outside of our pack land, but you both need to recognize that we cannot cut ourselves off from others. There are many people who will be part of our future. Look around you. These people are good people. They’re strangers to us, but they have the same fears and needs that we do. Are we going to push aside the chance to find people, whether they’re shifter or human, who will make our lives richer and our world safer?”