“I will, thank you.” Devon shook his hand while Sarah gave Nicole a hug.
“Thank you for inviting us over. I had a great time.”
“Thank you for coming over. You are coming to the ceremony, right?”
Sarah looked at her men who nodded. “Yes, I believe we are. Congratulations, by the way. Is it going to be here in Corpus?”
“Thank you.” she blushed. “No, we’re having it in Sandia We thought the ranch would be the perfect location. The place is huge, and with as many people that are coming, it’ll work out great. It was supposed to be this Saturday, but it seems my dress isn’t quite ready and we’re going to have to delay it for another three weeks. It sucks, but everything has to be perfect.”
“Oh, wow, well, I can’t wait to go.”
“Good.” Nicole smiled. “I’ll see you then. Call me.”
“Definitely. If you need any help or anything let me know.”
Sarah waved as the men led her out of the door. Now she knew why Ev liked Nicole so much. The woman was great. She would have fit in perfectly with them if Sarah had known her before her men came around.
The wind blew hard against her face, nearly taking her breath away. Lightning lit up the sky off in the distance, and she shuddered when she realized it rested in the direction of the island. She never liked the rain. Something about the energy in the air always made her nervous.
Climbing into the middle of the seat, she waited as Devon and Gavin got in. They headed down the road, and she remained quiet while the guys went back and forth over what parts of the movie they enjoyed. She couldn’t help but notice how their moods improved significantly being around people they could consider friends.
As they neared the island, the sky lit up at the approaching storm. Sprinkles of rain covered the windshield while Sarah stared at the white line of the road, glowing from the headlights. The chatter echoed around her, but she couldn’t help getting lost in her thoughts concerning Channing and Tom.
The handsome vampire scared the bejesus out of her. She couldn’t even begin to image the power he was capable of. God help anyone who crossed his path. She had a feeling Tom wouldn’t be making it very far. He’d definitely messed with the wrong guy. Remembering him disappearing made her shake her head back and forth.
“You’re awfully quiet. Are you okay?”
Sarah looked over at Devon and smiled. “Of course. I’m just tired, that’s all.”
“Come.” Gavin motioned, lifting his arm. “Rest your head on me and close your eyes.”
Sarah cuddled under his arm while he wrapped it around her. She felt safe, secure, with both of them next to her. Just smelling his distinct fragrance up close, she could feel herself calm and relax. For the first time, she didn’t feel plagued by any memories from her past. As she drifted off to sleep, she’d never felt more at peace.
Chapter 17
The three weeks had come faster than Sarah would have ever imagined. One of her men was always with her when she went to work, but that was okay with her. Spending time with them was wonderful. They’d gotten into a routine and pretty much had all moved into her apartment until Devon’s house was finished being built. Waking up beside her men was something new she was getting used to, but definitely something she enjoyed.
Sarah pulled herself from her thoughts and watched, charmed as Nicole walked down the white carpet that was placed between the rows of chairs lining the outdoor aisle. The sun was just beginning to set, casting glows of orange and pink all around the trees surrounding the ranch. The whole scene seemed to come from a movie that hadn’t been made or one she hadn’t seen.
Everything was perfect. The flow of white silk billowed out all around the dark-haired beauty. Curls sat nestled neatly, piled high on her head, a few escaping down her back. The strapless white gown hugged tightly to her curves, showing off her perfect hourglass figure. Sarah couldn’t get over how beautiful she looked. She absolutely radiated with happiness.
Ayden and Trevor waited at the end of the aisle, on each side. Sarah had never seen Ayden smile so big. He looked gorgeous in the black Armani suit. The darkness of his eyes seemed to positively glow with excitement while poor Trevor looked so happy he could cry. His suit matched Ayden’s, and together, they took her breath away.
Both Gavin and Devon gripped her hands tighter while Nicole approached the minister performing the service. She held in the tears while her new friend faced both of her mates. Evelyn sat in the row in front of them and her sobs made Sarah’s harder to hold in.
Looking around at the nearly two hundred pack and friends, she noticed a lot of them were crying. Almost every female held some type of tissue, but some of the men were wiping their eyes, too. While they were getting ready, Devon told her of Nicole’s pregnancy. Sarah had been so caught off guard, she fell while trying to put on her pantyhose. Gavin had caught her, but not before her ass hit the floor. Between Evelyn and Nicole, she’d been bombshelled. But Devon informed her of Nicole already being two months ahead of Evelyn’s seven weeks, putting her at around fifteen weeks pregnant.
Devon made it clear that she wasn’t to tell a soul, not even Evelyn, although Stephen had probably already told her. With Ayden being alpha, her pregnancy had to be kept a secret from those outside the pack. The men weren’t chancing any rival coming along and hurting her or the baby.
With all the news of babies, weddings, and pack rules, her head was spinning by the time they pulled into the ranch. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but it sure as hell wasn’t the large two story house, sitting on land for as far as the eyes could see, plus some.
The minister’s voice drew her attention, and she watched as they repeated their vows and slid the rings on each other’s finger. Her heart swelled, and she watched as Stephen let Evelyn bury her face in his chest. Her sobs were so hard, her whole body shook. Tears spilled down Sarah’s face while she tried to control her emotions. At least Ev could blame hers on hormones.
“Are you okay?”
She looked over at Gavin. His finger came up, brushing a tear off of her cheek. The tenderness in his touch quickly made more fall. How could things have turned out so perfect? She couldn’t believe how lucky she’d gotten to have both of her men in her life.
“I’m fine. Weddings just…”
Cheers echoed throughout the large expanse of open space, and Sarah turned just in time to see Ayden sweep Nicole in his arms and dip her down to where she rested a foot from the ground. Her arms clutched to his neck tightly as his lips locked to hers passionately. Sarah burst into tears at the romantic display of their love. It wasn’t every day you saw something like that.
“Oh, honey, come here.” Devon embraced Sarah tightly while she fell into some type of unexplainable breakdown.
Cheers went up again, and Sarah looked up to see Trevor eying Ayden with a mischievous smile. His arms gathered under Nicole’s bottom so fast she squealed as he gently lifted her. A giggle passed her lips as she leaned in and kissed him for what seemed like forever. Ayden burst out laughing, and everyone rushed up to start congratulating them.
Sarah wiped her eyes and looked up. Evelyn stood staring at her, her eyes swollen and red. When they made eye contact, both girls began laughing. They immediately walked away from their men and wrapped their arms around each other.
“So when do I get to come to yours?” Sarah asked jokingly.
“The guys and I were talking about that last night.” Evelyn lifted her hand to show off a large diamond. Sarah gasped, bringing Ev’s hand closer.
“Oh my God! Ev!”
She hugged her friend tightly while Evelyn tried to quiet her. “Sarah, shh, I don’t want to take away from Nicole’s big day.”
“Oh, no one can hear us. So when are you thinking about having yours?”
“Soon, before I can’t fit into a dress.”
“I’m so happy for you, Ev.”
“I’m happy for you, too, Sarah. You’re mates are good, and they’re going to
take great care of you. Trust me when I tell you this. Don’t hold anything back when it comes to loving them. I know you’ve been hurt, but give them your entire heart because I can tell they’re giving you theirs.”
“I will,” Sarah whispered. Her chest tightened while she thought over Ev’s words. She looked at the men staring at her adoringly, and she couldn’t comprehend how everything had come together. The pull had saved her. Without Gavin or Devon, she’d probably still be doing Bets, and where would that have gotten her? Fuck, she sure as hell didn’t want to think about that.
Evelyn hugged her, and they walked back to the waiting men. The band was already starting to play. The outdoor reception was in full swing. Darkness was settling in, and lights decorating the large tent twinkled beautifully. Sarah sighed happily and thought someday she’d love to have something like this.
* * * *
Devon watched Evelyn lead Sarah away from the reception and toward the house. Something about going to powder their noses, but he still couldn’t get a grip on the uneasiness of letting her go anywhere without him. Gavin’s hand slapped across his back, and he turned in his direction.
“So, when are we going to tell her? You know she’s going to find out soon enough, anyway.”
“You haven’t told her yet?” Stephen leaned closer to them, drawing Brandon’s attention.
“No, I haven’t told her she’s pregnant yet.”
“Whoa, what?” Brandon said, stepping closer.
“Hell, come on, guys. I just found out three days ago myself. I needed time to process everything.”
Devon ran his fingers through his hair. He hated not knowing how Sarah was going to react to the news. Would she be happy, scared, angry, or would she be full of regrets. Shit, if it wasn’t for Gavin, he’d already have driven himself insane with worry.
“Well, how do you think she’s going to take it?”
He looked at Stephen and looked toward his mate walking in the front door. “If I knew, I probably would have already told her.”
Gavin gripped his shoulder, and he felt reassured. The sound of music and laughter floated around him, and he couldn’t wait to leave. He needed to tell Sarah and do it tonight, as soon as they returned to the comforts of her apartment.
* * * *
Sarah stopped while Evelyn began talking to one of Nicole’s friends, Tara. She excused herself, heading to the bathroom Ev pointed out to her. The need to collect her thoughts and find a quiet space drove her to the safety of the blue decorated room.
Shutting the door, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Blonde waves hung over her shoulders, covering the majority of her pastel blue dress. She’d had no idea what to wear, but the dress was loose, yet still showed her curves. The square neckline brought out the creaminess of her skin, skin that looked paler than usual, she noticed.
The more Sarah took in her reflection, the more confusion she felt. Something was off, and she couldn’t figure out if it was with her appearance or her mood. She rested her palms along the sink and bowed her head, breathing in deeply. Just a few more hours and they could go home. She truly was happy for Nicole, but lately she couldn’t get her thoughts in order. The need to lock herself in her home and stay protected left her shaken. What she was protecting she wasn’t sure.
The sound of the door knob turning had her opening her eyes. At the light blue gaze, her heart dropped. Sarah walked slowly back, not sure what to do. She opened her mouth to scream, but a hand quickly clamped around her mouth.
“Did you miss me? God, I sure did miss you.”
Tom inhaled deeply, running his face against her neck. She screamed against his fingers as her adrenaline kicked in. His hand tightened over her mouth while he crushed her body into his.
“Now, none of that. I’m just taking you to your new home. Don’t you want to go home with me, Sarah?”
Shaking her head back and forth frantically, she tried fighting him off, but it was like trying to move a brick wall. She didn’t know what to do. What was he planning? Did he just expect to walk her out of the front door and take her away? There were way too many people here. He’d never escape.
She felt her body go calm, and his grip loosen. A knock on the door had his hand growing so tight, she could feel her teeth cutting into her lip. The taste of blood on her tongue nearly made her gag.
“Sarah, it’s me. Open the door. You’ve been in there for a few minutes already. Did you fall in?”
“Tell her you’re fine and that you’ll be out in a minute. If you don’t, you’ll regret it.”
The hand eased from her mouth, and she took a shuddering breath. If she didn’t do something now, there was no telling what would happen. Sarah opened her mouth and let out the beginnings of the loudest scream she could create. The hand clamped back over her mouth, and Tom swung open the bathroom door, exposing a stunned Evelyn.
The moment her friend bolted, she’d never felt more relief. Sarah could feel herself being pulled farther into the house. Yells were erupting from the living room area, but the sound drifted away as Tom opened a back door and pulled her through.
“That was really stupid. Do you know that? It’s okay though. You’ll pay for that when we get home.”
Sarah twisted frantically, jerking against his iron grip. She’d never been happier to be wearing stilettos. Bringing her foot up, she lunged back, catching his shin with the spike. He let out a howl and slowed, but still didn’t let go of her.
Tom’s fingers weaved in the back of her hair, giving a painful tug, but with her adrenaline in full swing, she hardly felt it. “You keep fighting me and I’ll make your change a very painful one. It’s going to hurt anyway, but I can extend the agony for hours if I want to.”
A car came into view along the lining of trees. Fear like she’d never felt before took over every space in her body. She couldn’t let him get to that car. If he did, she’d never see her men again. Some part of her knew that.
“Sarah!”
A combination of people and wolves poured out of the house and around the side. Devon and Gavin rushed forward, followed by Stephen, Ayden, Trevor, and people she’d never seen before. Devon’s words regarding the pack refreshed in her memory. Pack always stuck together, and to them, Sarah was pack.
“Don’t come any closer. She’s mine.”
Devon raised his hands, easing forward. “Listen to me, Tom. Sarah can’t be yours. Do me a favor and really smell her. I know you’ll be able to pick up on it if you try hard.”
Tom hissed at him. “I already know you both marked her. I don’t need to smell her. It might be painful for her, but she can still be changed.”
“Not the mark, just please, just smell her. I know you don’t want to do this.”
The grip around her tightened as Tom leaned into her neck. He kept his face buried against her skin for what felt like forever. As his tongue traced down her ear, she gagged in his arms. The sound of Tom spitting caused her to try to turn to see him, but he held her tighter. What in the hell was he doing?
“Ugh, you ruined her!”
The anger laced in his voice made Sarah’s whole body shake. Her gaze connected with Devon’s and then Gavin’s. She had no idea what was going on, but whatever it was wasn’t good. Tom’s fingers gripped her hair, snapping her head back. The scream got trapped in her throat as his fangs sank into her neck.
Both Gavin and Devon raced forward, their bodies noticeably shaking. She knew they were about to shift. She could feel it down to her very bones. At that moment, she should have been scared, but she wasn’t. She wanted them to change, wanted them to save her from the psycho who held her against her will.
Wolves raced forward from all angles, and suddenly Channing was there, right next to her. Her eyes locked on him, and before she could process what was going on a snap filled her ears, and she was falling. Gavin caught her just in the nick of time. Wolves jumped on Tom’s fallen body, and Gavin quickly buried her face in his chest. The realization that t
he sound had been Tom’s neck made stars dance in Sarah’s vision.
“Wait, she’s still bleeding.” Channing came up to them. “Please allow me to make the wounds disappear. It’s the least I can do. I am so sorry I didn’t stop him before this happened.”
“Sarah, baby, tilt your neck to the side and let Channing stop the bleeding. He won’t hurt you. I promise.”
She nodded at Gavin and did as he said. Channing’s tongue was cold as it traced up her neck. The throbbing disappeared on contact. He bowed to both of her men and walked off with only three departing words. “See you around.”
Dazed, she could feel herself being pulled inside and laid down on a bed. She couldn’t think. Sarah’s hand pressed against her stomach to hold in what little food she’d been able to eat earlier. Devon and Gavin surrounded her, along with Evelyn, Nicole, and their men.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know how he managed to get on the ranch.”Ayden wedged his way to the bed while Devon pressed a wet rag against her head. “I’m sorry, Sarah. Truly, I am.”
“Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault.” She could barely get the words out of her mouth to assure their alpha.
He leaned forward, past Devon, and looked at her strangely before closing his eyes. As Ayden breathed in deeply, his head lowered and he began shaking his head. The pain that raced through his features as he lifted his gaze to hers made Sarah’s stomach flip even worse.
“Does she know?” Ayden whispered.
“I planned to tell her tonight,” Devon said, shakily.
“Tell me what?” Sarah’s heart pounded against her chest. What in the hell was everyone talking about? Tom’s words rushed though her mind. He had said something about her being ruined. What did he mean by that?
“God, if something would have happened…” Ayden stood and took a step back. “Do you think we should get her to a hospital, just to make sure everything’s okay?”
“If someone doesn’t tell me what’s going on, I’m going to be pissed.” She sat up slowly, removing Gavin’s arm.
Saving Sarah Page 13
