by Gale Stanley
Jonas would be furious, but he didn't give a damn. He loved his brother, but he belonged with Sable. He found he liked being part of a couple, being married and waking up with her in his arms.
She stretched, and he spooned against her warm, soft curves. He tightened his hold on her waist and threw a leg over hers. He would make sure she always slept naked with no barriers between them. He fondled a breast and rubbed his thumb over her nipple until it hardened under his touch. She was so responsive, so sensual and passionate. His morning erection nudged her bottom.
"Are you awake?" he whispered in her ear.
"I am now." She yawned and started to turn in his arms.
He stopped her, reached a hand between her thighs. "You're so wet, sweetheart."
"I was dreaming about you." She squirmed against his hand.
"I'm going to make your dreams come true." He pulled her leg over his and guided himself to her warm, moist entrance.
"Yes." She arched back, adjusted her angle, and he entered her slowly. She moaned, and he stilled immediately.
"Am I hurting you?"
"No, Jude. Don't stop."
He slid his right arm under her so he could stroke her pussy and press the little bundle of nerves that drove her crazy. Her quick intake of breath spurred him on, and he cupped her breast with his left hand, squeezing softly while slowly easing in and out of her clingy, warm sheath.
"Harder. Please, baby." She quivered under his touch. Her hands covered his and pressed them harder against her body.
His own excitement mounted, yet he wanted nothing more than to give Sable all the pleasure he possibly could. It was all about her. With other women, his emotions had never come into play during sex. This was new and uncharted territory. Surprisingly enough, it took him to a new high, and the sensation was heady.
Sable leaned back. Her breath came in pants. The smoky scent of arousal hung over them.
He rode her relentlessly. On the verge of exploding, he fought to draw out her pleasure.
She matched his rhythm and tried to increase it. He whispered soothing words in her ear and kissed the spot where the scar of his bite mark marred her perfect skin. A moan of appreciation made him linger over the blemish. He rubbed his stubbled jaw over it then licked it with his tongue. Every touch elicited a howl of pleasure. Each sound she made was music to his ears and aroused a need inside him to brand her as his own. He closed his mouth over the scar and bit down. She surged wildly against him, pressing her face into the pillow to muffle her scream. She came with a fiery intensity that set off his release, and they shared the final moments of climax.
Sated, they lay quietly. Jude spread his hand protectively over her belly.
"Jude?"
"Yes, baby."
"Can't we stay here a few more days?"
He nuzzled her shoulder. "I already booked the flight, and we're all packed. I don't want you to worry about Jonas. Everything will be fine." I hope.
Chapter Seventeen
Their flight took to the skies, and Jude promptly fell asleep. Had morning sex tired him out that much? Maybe he needed vitamins. Sable picked at her new acrylic nails and stared silently out the window. Soon they were over the clouds, and the view became boring. She looked at Jude with envy, wishing she could be so relaxed. The closer they got to landing, the more nervous she became. Her mental demons wouldn't give her any peace. When the captain's voice came over the speaker and told them to fasten their belts, her heart dropped with the altitude.
She woke Jude. He took one look at her face and told her to stop worrying. His words were meant to be reassuring, but she heard doubt in his voice. Even he couldn't predict the kind of reception they would get. Jonas had been told they were returning together, but he had no idea Jude was bringing a wife and baby home with him.
Jude thought Jonas should hear the news in person. She gave in, but she insisted on calling Malcolm and Karin. At first Malcolm was furious. He refused to listen to reason until Karin's mother took the phone. Grace gave their marriage her seal of approval and managed to calm Malcolm. One less hurdle to overcome at least.
Sable got off the plane on shaky legs. Jonas would be waiting for them. He'd insisted on meeting their flight. What could they say? It made sense.
Jude led her to the baggage claim area.
"Did I really buy you all this stuff?" He laughed.
She had more than she left with, for sure. Jude spoiled her with lots of new things, even maternity clothes so she wouldn't have to fasten her pants with safety pins.
"Sweetheart, wait here while I get a cart."
She nodded and smiled weakly. She wished the women had come back with them. Having Karin's mother and Janis at the ceremony made her feel like part of a family for the first time in years. They might not be so accepting if they knew she was Lycan, but she put that out of her mind. They would never know.
But Jonas did, and he would never recognize her or her half-Lycan baby as an Outlaw. She and Jude shared something special, and she was afraid Jonas would ruin it. Jude looked up to his brother, and his opinions counted for a lot. She didn't want Jonas to come between them.
On the other hand, she didn't want to be the cause of a rift between the twins. Whatever Jonas might think of her, she cared deeply for him, and not in a sisterly way. The whole situation made her sick, and the butterflies in her stomach took flight again.
She slipped her rings off and put them in her purse. When she looked up, Jude stood there with the cart, watching her.
He frowned. "What are you doing?"
"I don't think it's a good idea to just show up with rings on our fingers. You should tell Jonas later, when you're alone."
"Maybe you're right." He took his ring off and loaded up the cart. "Let's go. Try not to look so miserable."
She spotted Jonas through the glass doors. Leaning against the hood of the Wrangler, he looked every bit a real outlaw. His lean, sexy body encased in tight jeans and a denim shirt with rolled-up sleeves did things to her libido that were downright sinful. Her fingers itched to ruffle his shaggy light-brown hair and trace her mark on his neck. She reminded herself that she was his sister-in-law now.
"There he is," Jude said.
She walked a step behind Jude and buttoned her heavy sweater to make sure her belly was well hidden. The two men hugged, and Jonas caught her eye over Jude's shoulder. Jude stepped away, and Jonas approached her.
A few awkward seconds passed before Jonas spoke. "Hello, Sable." He took her hand. "I'm glad you came back." She luxuriated in his scent and the touch of his hand. Jude cleared his throat, and Jonas released her.
"Sable is tired. It's been a long day." Jude opened the car door, and she climbed in the back.
The men talked about the ranch and local news. Some of her tension evaporated, and she let her mind wander.
When they drove up the narrow road that led to the house, her jitters came back full force. The sight of the fence made her want to scream. She had to get over it. She was married to Jude now. Things were different.
Jonas parked on the gravel driveway, and Jude hopped out to open her door. She couldn't make herself move. Jude squeezed her hand reassuringly and helped her out.
Jonas turned to his brother. "Do you mind getting the bags while I have a few minutes with Sable?"
Jude looked at her, a question in his eyes. She nodded, and he said, "I'll be right in."
Silently, she followed Jonas inside. He led her into the den, and they stood facing each other.
"I just want to say I'm sorry and thank you for coming back. It's more than I deserve."
She didn't know what to say, so she said nothing.
"Things will be different now. You can come and go as you please."
He sounded sincere, but she knew he'd say anything to get her cooperation.
"Did Jude explain what I need? I just want to take some blood and urine, do a physical, that kind of thing." When she didn't respond, he frowned. "You don't have to do
anything you don't want. We can make it a business arrangement. I'll pay you."
She winced. He wanted to pay her for her services. That hurt. This was harder than she’d imagined. When she shut out his words, the chemistry between them made her wolf sit up and howl. She tried not to get lost in his dark blue eyes. Instead, she looked down and caught sight of the bulge in his jeans. Her breath caught in her throat.
"Sable." He cupped her chin and lifted her face.
She ignored the tug in her womb when he looked at her. He skimmed her cheek with his thumb. She leaned into his touch and breathed him in. His scent flooded her lungs, and the need to reestablish their connection slammed into her.
Dimly, she heard a door open, and reason came back in a flash of lightening. Flustered, she jerked away. Jude would walk through that door any second. If she gave herself over to the passion she felt for Jonas, he'd be crushed. She couldn't do that to him. She loved him.
Jonas backed away. "You should get some rest. I fixed up a spare bedroom for you."
"That won't be necessary." Jude came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Sable will be staying in my room. Let me get her settled, and when I come back, we'll talk."
Jonas's mouth tightened, and he gave her a strange look, but he didn't say anything.
Sable followed Jude upstairs to his bedroom. She looked around at the masculine furnishings, the spread and curtains in blue and brown plaids.
"It's temporary, sweetheart." He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm going to build us a house, and you can decorate it any way you want."
"It's fine. I've lived in worse." She grinned at him. Her smile faded. "Please don't fight with him."
"I have no intention of fighting. As far as I'm concerned he has his life, and we have ours." He tilted her chin and gave her a serious look.
"Please, Jude. I don't want any trouble. Tell him I still intend to give him what he wants."
"What if I don't want you to?"
"It's okay. Let him have his blood and urine and his research. You have me."
"He gets nothing if it's going to hurt you or the baby in any way."
"Agreed."
"Okay. Don't fall asleep on me. I won't be long." He gave her a gentle smack on the butt and disappeared.
* * * *
Jonas sat in the den, a tumbler of scotch on the coffee table in front to him. He found himself in an emotional upheaval he hadn't expected.
When Jude called and said Sable agreed to come back under certain conditions, he agreed immediately. Evidently, she missed the Wilds. She was a creature of the woodlands. She hated the city. Jude had promised her freedom and a home in exchange for her cooperation. It was a good arrangement. The best he could hope for. Maybe in time she'd even agree to a test-tube baby.
But as soon as he saw her, his pent-up lust took over. He had a hard-on the likes of which he'd never experienced. His balls were still heavy and sore. They gave truth to the expression blue balls.
He wasn't sure sex was part of their arrangement, but Sable looked agreeable at first. He felt like screaming when she pulled back. And when Jude announced Sable would be sleeping with him, you could have knocked him over with a feather. Who died and left him the boss? If he thought he had sole rights to Sable's body, he was mistaken. The green-eyed monster raised its ugly head, and he wanted to tear his brother apart, piece by piece.
Where had all this anger come from? Before they arrived, he had it all set in his head. If she wanted it, they'd both have access, and if she didn't, so be it. He and Jude would have to work something out between them.
Jude entered the room and went straight to the liquor cabinet. He poured himself a drink and sat across from Jonas.
Jonas lifted his glass. "To a job well done. I don't know how you did it, but thanks." His brother didn't respond to the toast.
"You may not thank me when you hear me out."
Jonas's stomach clenched. He downed half his tumbler in a swallow.
Jude pulled a gold ring from his pocket and slipped in on his finger. He held his hand up. "We're married."
Jonas swore his heart stopped beating. He shook his head like he hadn't heard right. "I don't understand. I know I told you to do whatever you had to, but you didn't have to marry her to get her to come back. I would have thought of another way."
"You're right, you don't understand. I wanted to marry her."
"I don't believe this. You want to be chained to an animal the rest of your life?" After the things Jude had said, what in God's name had possessed him?
"I want to be happy," Jude said tightly. "She makes me happy."
"The sex makes you happy. You could have had that without the marriage license."
"Look, it's not like that. I'm no prize catch for any woman. I'm rough around the edges, and I'd rather wear a hunting vest than a suit. She gets that. We're good together. Besides, there's something else. I want my kid to have a father."
Jonas's heart twisted. The glass dropped from his hand and rolled on the floor. They both ignored it.
"You're full of surprises." Why did he feel sick to his stomach? This is what he wanted. "How can you be sure it's yours?" He sneered at his brother.
"Sable is sure, that's good enough for me," Jude said through clenched teeth.
"Well, what's done is done," Jonas said flatly. "We got what we wanted. It really doesn't matter how. Actually, it might work out better. You can play house as long as you want. When you get tired of her, just make sure you get legal custody of the baby."
Jude stood up with fists clenched. "You asshole. This isn't a game. It's my life."
"You're a fool, brother!" Jonas stood, too. "Do you think you're married in the eyes of God? She's an animal for Christ's sake."
"Keep your fucking mouth shut. You're talking about my wife and my baby. This house is one-third mine, and we'll be living here until we get our own place. Stay away from Sable. If you ever put a hand on her or my baby, I'll kill you." Jude had blood in his eyes. He stomped out of the room, and Jonas heard his footsteps on the stairs.
Jonas's hands shook. Nothing had turned out the way he’d expected. The image of Sable waiting in Jude's bed enraged him and cut his heart open at the same time. Despite the things he'd said to Jude, he wanted Sable in his own bed. And that should be his baby in her belly, not Jude's. No. That wasn't right. He didn't care who the father was. He shouldn't drink so much. Jesus, what a fucking mess. He couldn't think straight. In a matter of minutes, everything had changed. And not in a good way.
Chapter Eighteen
Living on the Outlaw ranch took a toll on Sable. When she was a prisoner, the brothers permitted her to shift and run as a wolf occasionally. Now she was Mrs. Outlaw, and Jude expected her to act like a proper human wife. Not that he forbade it, but whenever she mentioned it, he would frown and look disappointed in her. He didn't want any reminders of what he'd married.
One afternoon he dropped her at the Connor house to see the new baby. It was the best day she’d spent since she'd been back. Karin's mother hadn't arrived yet, and Malcolm took her for a run. They returned in wolf form, and Karin watched them shift back to their human bodies.
She'd asked Karin if it bothered her, and she replied that she would love Malcolm even if an angry witch turned him into an ugly toad. He looked at her with puppy dog eyes and told her she was okay—for a human. She marveled at how they could laugh at one another. You could only do that if you were truly in love and accepted each other. Jude didn't feel the same about her, and he never would.
Malcolm's son looked just like him, with obsidian eyes and a mop of dark brown hair. Sable wondered if he would take after Malcolm in other ways. Lycan children didn't shift until puberty. When they became sexually mature, they went through a rite of passage. But other signs, such as highly developed hearing and sight, might show themselves earlier. The ecstatic parents didn't care. They adored him the way he was.
Worried about her own baby, Sable took Karin aside and q
uestioned her. Sable's belly seemed to grow in front of her eyes, and the heartbeat jumped all over the place.
Karin was shocked she hadn't seen a doctor yet. She had a good ob-gyn in Macon, and she set up an appointment for her.
Jude almost hit the roof when he found out. He insisted she go to the doctor in town. He claimed Macon was too far away, but she knew the real reason. He didn't want her spending too much time with Karin. He didn't like Malcolm, and he was afraid they would find out she was Lycan. He had no idea they already knew.
She gave in, and Jude took her himself. Doc thought she was further along than her four months, and he lectured her about not seeing him sooner.
He did an ultrasound. She waited on pins and needles for the verdict. Gods, let everything be okay. The news was more than okay.
Doc narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you sure about your dates? These boys look more like seven months than six."
"Boys?" She and Jude exclaimed in unison.
"Yep, twins."
Her mouth dropped open in utter shock. They were having twins, two boys. She thought Jude would pass out. He gripped her hand so hard he left fingerprints.
He chattered all the way home. She never saw him happier, not even when they got married.
Jonas should have been thrilled, but when they told him, he turned white and didn't say much. She knew why. He was afraid Jude would put an end to his tests. Jude wanted to stop him before, but she disagreed. It didn't amount to much, and she didn't want to make Jonas angry. She didn't want him and Jude to fight. Why disrupt the status quo when things were going along peacefully?
Aside from the tests, she hardly saw Jonas. He spent most of his time in the lab. Sometimes Nicole came to the house and dragged him out. When she did run into him, they averted their eyes.
It didn't matter. His presence surrounded her. His scent permeated every room, even Jude's, and it drove her crazy. She couldn't wait to move into their own home, but the construction moved far too slowly. They'd had a run of bad weather, and it held things up.
