by Tara West
Tatiana’s breath steamed in the crisp air as she giggled while chasing her future mates with a large snowball. She was relieved to see Tatiana so happy, considering she’d cried last evening that she didn’t want to leave.
Amara’s mates had just finished loading the last of their luggage into the back of their truck when a familiar station wagon pulled into the drive. Atan Albescu got out, waving to them as if they were old friends. Drasko immediately jumped in front of Amara and the baby when Atan helped Daniella out of the car. Amara grabbed Drasko’s arm, pulling him to her side when Daniella tried to approach. “It’s okay, Drasko.”
Tatiana ran to Amara’s side, mouth pinched as Daniella and Atan walked toward them, carrying what appeared to be wrapped gifts.
“Hell must have frozen over,” Tatiana whispered. “I think Daniella is about to be nice to us.”
“Tatiana,” Daniella said, handing her a box wrapped in shiny silver paper. “I wanted you to have this.”
“Thanks,” Tatiana said, unabashedly ripping it open as if her life depended on it. Her jaw dropped when she opened a wooden box to reveal gleaming silverware in a blue velvet cradle. “Your wedding silver!”
“Yes, as a thank you for risking your life to save us.” Daniella swallowed. “My babies would be dead if it wasn’t for you.”
Tatiana tried to give it back to her. “I can’t take this.”
Daniella refused the box. “You can and you will. I won’t be needing it since my mate and I must live with my parents now.” She smiled bravely, chin tremulous. “Consider this my wedding present to you.”
“Thank you,” Tatiana said, clutching the silver.
Daniella handed Amara something wrapped in blue and green paper. “And this is for your baby.”
Inside was a soft, fluffy blue blanket with a brown wolf’s paw stitched in the center.
“I knitted it for my baby,” Daniella said, rubbing her distended belly, “but he isn’t due for another two months, so I can make another.”
“Oh, it’s lovely,” Amara said, giving Daniella a sad smile. It was terrible that Daniella’s children would never know their fathers. They hadn’t been the best role models, so maybe they’d have a better upbringing with Daniella’s fathers.
Daniella sniffled. “I wish I could give you more after what you’ve done for me.”
Amara clutched the blanket. “You didn’t need to give me anything at all.”
Daniella vehemently shook her head. “We were not fair to your family. If I could turn back time, I would’ve told my mates how stupid they were to challenge the Thunderfoots. Your mate didn’t abandon you. He nearly gave his life for you. The Thunderfoots deserve to be chieftains.”
Amara didn’t know what to say to that, so she simply hugged Daniella, knowing she needed the healing warmth of her embrace more than any words.
After several tearful goodbyes, Amara and Tatiana climbed into the back of the rental truck, Hrod tucked between them.
Tatiana winced as she adjusted her seatbelt.
“Are you okay?” Amara asked.
Tatiana solemnly nodded before leaning over Hrod’s car seat and whispering in Amara’s ear. “Your brothers and I snuck out last night.”
Amara jerked back in surprise. “You did what?” So much for Tatiana punishing her mates for disobeying their bunic’s orders.
Tatiana cast a furtive look at Hakon and Drasko, who were busy going over route directions in the front seat. She waved Amara closer. “They marked me,” she said in a rush. “It hurts to sit.”
Her stupid, beastly brothers! “Tatiana, I’m so sorry.”
Tatiana flashed a mischievous grin. “I’m not.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“It feels so good to be home!” Rone said as they walked through the door.
His brothers joined him, howling and yelping their delight.
“Shhh,” Amara scolded. “You’ll wake Hrod.”
They gave her contrite looks and then headed for the kitchen to pull beers out of the fridge.
Amara lifted her sleeping infant from his car seat, eager to hold him. He made cooing noises as she settled him against her and snuggled with him on the sofa. Even though she missed her family, she was relieved to be home once more with her mates, and especially with her new cuddlebug. Amara loved holding him. She had a feeling she was going to spoil him every bit as much as her bunics had. She dared not unwrap him from his blankets, as the house wasn’t warm enough yet.
Amara shivered. “Brrr. Could someone turn up the heat?”
Luc threw logs into the fireplace and lit them while Rone draped a thick quilt across her legs.
“Are you hungry?” Rone asked.
She laughed. “I’m always hungry.” Nursing a growing protector took lots of energy—she stifled a yawn—and rest.
She licked her lips when he pulled two casseroles out of the freezer, as well as smoked salmon and nut bread his parents had brought over. They ate in silence, each processing the events over the past several months in their own way.
Hakon held up his beer, pointing it at Drasko. “A toast to our brother, for saving our mate and child and for being the best damn protector in the Amaroki.”
As Rone and Luc cheered, she couldn’t help but smile. Her family was whole and happy once more.
After dinner, she tried to help Rone with the dishes, but Hrod began to fuss. When she picked him up, he squirmed, his mouth open and his tongue darting out. She pulled out her breast, and he found her nipple right away, eagerly drinking his fill.
After she switched breasts, he fell asleep with a drop of milk on his lips. She pulled him off and wiped herself clean, watching from under her lashes as her mates looked at her like a pack of dogs salivating over a bone. She knew they were admiring her breasts. They’d grown nearly twice their usual size since she’d started nursing. In a teasing mood, she decided to let them hang out longer than necessary, saying they needed to dry off, but mostly she wanted to make her mates drool.
“Are you feeling better, Amara?” Rone asked as he sat beside her, taking the baby from her.
“Yeah.” She feigned innocence, secretly admiring the massive bulge under his zipper. “Why?”
He adjusted his pants, looking uncomfortable. “Just wondering.”
She covered one breast with her nursing bra, then the other. “Wondering if I’m healed enough for sex?”
“Yes,” he blurted.
Moisture soaked her panties. “I think so.”
“Thank the Ancients!” Rone shot from his seat and placed the baby in his bassinet. “My nutsack is about to explode.”
Hakon held a hand down to her with a subtle smile. “You’re going to have to wait another day, Rone.”
“What?” He spun around, looking at Hakon as if he’d just canceled Christmas. “Why?”
Hakon pulled Amara to her feet and kissed her passionately. She wrapped her arms around his neck, melting into him and deepening the kiss. If Hakon wanted her to himself, so be it. Their time together was short. After Johnson arranged for him to get his old job back, Hakon was going back to work in the fields in a few days. Truthfully, Amara was so sex-starved and horny, she had a feeling she’d outlast him anyway, and she’d be begging her other mates for more.
He traced her lips, then nuzzled her cheek. “I love you so much.”
“And I love you.”
He heaved a sigh and pushed her at Drasko. “Drasko gets to be alone with her tonight.”
More groaning and swearing ensued, but she tuned it out, getting lost in Drasko’s eyes.
He ran his knuckles down her cheek, and a soft moan escaped her. “Are you sure, brother?”
Hakon slapped him on the back. “More than sure.”
“Are you okay with that, Amara?” he asked.
Amara reached between them, cupping his erection and nibbling his lip. “More than okay.”
AMARA AND DRASKO HURRIED to her private bedroom, panting and growling and ripping o
ff each other’s clothes. They fell on top of the bed in a tangle of limbs, his hard parts rubbing against her smooth, soft parts.
He climbed on her, taking her lips in a heat-searing kiss while grinding his shaft against her slippery clit.
She wrapped her legs around his hips. “Make love to me now.” If he made her wait a moment longer, she’d expire.
He latched onto her shoulders, trailing kisses down her neck. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to control myself.”
She thrust her hips into him. “I don’t want you to.”
He buried his face in her neck. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t.” She lifted her legs higher, dragging her swollen slit across his cockhead. “I’m ready for you.”
He thrust into her, fucking her hard. She met him each time, groaning when he banged against her tingling bundle of nerves. With every stroke, her need for him grew, her desire climbing to a higher pinnacle. She dug her nails into his back, then the air expelled from her lungs when her last thread of self-control unraveled, giving her an orgasm so powerful, she was swept away by the sheer force of it. He roared his release, his large cockhead bursting inside her, his throbbing organ causing another orgasm to wash over her.
After several heavenly throbs and twitches, he rolled off her, taking her with him. Still buried inside her, he planted delicate kisses across her jaw and neck, eliciting giggles as she squirmed against him.
“I’ve missed you so much,” he rumbled.
“My heart shattered into a million pieces when you left.” She trailed her fingers through his long hair. “It hasn’t felt whole again until now.”
He cupped her face, “I love you, Amara, more than my very life.”
“I know. You’ve already proven it.” She tenderly brushed her lips across his. “Now let me show you how much I love you.” She flattened her palms against his chest and ground against him, slowly at first, but as her need for him grew, so did her desire. Their bodies slapped together, and he latched onto her full breasts, squeezing until milk dripped between his fingers. She rode him hard, unable to quench her hunger for her brave alpha. She needed him, not just now, but always.
SHE LEFT DRASKO SNORING in her bed. Though she didn’t want to leave, she couldn’t ignore the sound of Hrod’s cries. She cinched a robe around her waist and went downstairs. Rone was trying to soothe Hrod with a pacifier, and he was having none of it.
“Here,” she said. “Let me.”
She sat on the sofa and slipped the robe off her shoulders, her breasts perking at the sound of her crying baby.
“Great Ancients,” Rone breathed, handing the baby to her. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
She put Hrod to her breast. He sat patiently beside her, his gaze roaming over her while she burped the baby and then switched breasts.
As Hrod fell back to sleep, Luc and Hakon came downstairs. Amara handed the baby to Rone, and he carried him to their room upstairs, where Hakon had set up the temporary nursery.
She stifled a yawn, very aware her breasts were still bare and Luc and Hakon were watching her every move.
“What time is it?” she asked, unable to tell as it was almost always dark during winter in Alaska.
Hakon unzipped his jeans, revealing a massive erection. “You know what time it is.”
“No, I don’t, or I wouldn’t be asking.” Her eyes bulged when he grabbed her hand.
“It’s time to get fucked,” he purred, pulling her down to the bearskin rug in front of the crackling fire.
Her pussy instantly swelled at the feral and dangerous look in his eyes.
He sat before her, spreading his legs and cupping the back of her head, gently guiding her toward his jutting erection. No sooner had she bent over him, licking the salty precum off his cockhead, than Luc was behind her, swirling her wet clit with a thick finger.
She groaned when Luc slipped a digit in her anus while teasing her clit. She arched into Luc’s deft fingers, alternating between licking Hakon’s cock and reveling in her building release as Luc continued to stroke and probe.
“Oh!” she gasped when Luc removed his finger and slid his cock inside her. She raised her ass, groaning when he slid all the way into that sweet spot, banging against her awakened desire.
When Hakon tugged her hair, she slid her mouth over his cock, sucking and slurping while Luc’s thrusts intensified. She mimicked Luc’s movements, taking Hakon deeper and faster the harder Luc fucked her. Hakon matched her tempo, thrusting until he stilled, shooting off in her mouth like a busted pipe. She swallowed his juices while pressing into Luc, gasping when he stilled inside her, filling her with his warm seed and setting off an orgasm that zinged all the way to her toes. He pressed deeper into her, circling her anus with a deft finger before slipping a digit inside, tunneling into her and drawing out another powerful climax. She fell into him while nibbling Hakon’s thighs.
She gasped when Luc slid out, then groaned when Rone slid in. She hadn’t even heard him come into the room. She strained for another orgasm, knowing she didn’t have long. Rone squeezed her ass so hard while pumping into her, she feared he’d leave bruises, but she didn’t care. Another climax was building fast, and that’s all that mattered. Rone stilled when he burst inside her, slumping over her while trailing kisses down her spine. When she wiggled against him, he pumped into her with short, shallow thrusts, reaching around and toying with her swollen nub. He let out a low chuckle when she cried out as the climax pulsed through her like a strobe light.
He rolled her over and cleaned her up while Luc and Hakon showered her with kisses.
Hakon climbed over her, licking one nipple, then the other. Her nipples responded, dripping milk on his tongue.
“Mmm, delicious,” he purred.
She playfully swatted him. “That’s not for you.”
He thrust into her deep and hard. “Our son needs to learn to share.”
She arched her breasts into him, letting him toy with her nipples while she dripped onto his fingers. “Yes, oh, yes!” she cried out, her pussy swelling and dripping with need. “Just don’t stop fucking me.”
AMARA WOKE IN A TANGLE of arms, legs, and erections. Sometime during the night, Drasko had gone downstairs, and they’d all took turns, fucking her raw once more. She was so sore, she knew she’d have a difficult time sitting today, but she didn’t care. Last night had been worth it.
Rone climbed over nude bodies and helped untangle her. He gave her a fresh pair of pajamas and fed her bacon, eggs, and waffles. As soon as Rone handed her the baby, he went straight for her breasts. His appetite was insatiable, much like his fathers. She stroked his silky black hair while carrying him to the sofa. He drank his fill, then Rone laid him in his bassinet. Amara was grateful she had Rone to help her. She imagined she’d get a lot more help from his parents, when they came over later in the afternoon to return the dogs. She couldn’t wait until Mihaela saw the baby.
Amara looked at Drasko and Hakon with a frown. Luc was missing. “Where’s Luc?” she asked Rone, who was brewing coffee.
When his back stiffened, her heart plummeted. “Not again,” she groaned.
“He’s in the shower.” He turned to her with sad eyes. “Johnson will be here any minute.”
She ran upstairs. Luc met her on the landing, freshly shaved and smelling sexier than should be legal. He was wearing camo pants and a green shirt that hugged him in all the right places.
She threw herself into his arms. “It’s not fair! We just got home.”
Luc tenderly kissed her. “My country needs me, Amara. I’ll be back.” He kissed her again. “Promise.”
Slinging a bag over his shoulder, he led her back downstairs.
There was a knock on the door. Drasko and Hakon slipped into their jeans.
They each hugged Luc, wishing him good luck and telling him they loved him. She hung back, loving how much her mates loved each other. Their family was finally whole again, but Luc was leaving.<
br />
Agent Johnson sulked by the door, even though Rone had ushered him inside. The agent had a wary look in his gaze trained on Amara.
She suddenly remembered she had a bone to pick with Johnson. She marched over and jabbed him. “You said his missions were safe. You lied.”
He backed up, holding out his hands defensively. “I never said they were safe.”
She tapped her foot, hands on her hips. “Where is he going?”
His eye twitched. “North Korea.”
“Again?” Her groan turned into a low howl. North Korea had been brutal to Luc last time.
“Listen to me.” Luc threw down his bag and clutched her shoulders. “I survived the Hoia Baciu. I can survive anything.”
She stared at her feet, unable to look into his eyes a moment longer for fear her heart would break. “But it’s torture.”
He raised her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Torture is watching my mate mourn for my banished brother. Torture is almost losing you to man-eating werewolves. Trust me, I’m a lot stronger now than I was before.”
The cracks in her heart slowly fused together. “After the hell we’ve been through, I guess so.”
“It’s your love that makes me stronger, Amara.”
“Oh, Luc.” She hugged him hard. “I love you so much. Come back to me.”
“I’d fight the hounds of hell to return to your arms,” he said against her neck.
Her heart clenched and then expanded, because she knew all her mates would do whatever it took to keep their family together. How lucky she was to have them.
They shared one last kiss and then he was gone. She stared at the door a long moment, until her mates led her to the sofa. They took turns holding her and telling her how much they loved her. Luc wouldn’t want her to sit around crying all day, so she picked up her baby, rocking him in her arms while her mates sat beside her, smiling at his cherubic face.
“You know what would put me in a better mood?” she asked Drasko.
