by Becca Van
Pepper had found her home.
“Are you okay, mate?” Fin asked as he eased his softening cock from her ass, causing them both to groan.
“Wonderful.” She sighed as she rubbed her cheek against Cal’s pec. He wrapped his arms around her and rolled them to their sides.
“Can you feel it, baby?” Cal kissed her forehead.
“The bond?”
“Yeah.”
“I can. It’s…so special.” Pepper wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand.
“You’re the special one, sweetness.” Fin, who was lying beside her, leaned up on his elbow and kissed her cheek.
“I feel so…” She shook her head because she couldn’t find words that would explain what she was feeling.
“Happy?” Cal asked.
“Yes, but happy doesn’t seem adequate enough of a word.”
“I feel the same way, mate.” Fin smoothed his hand up and down her side, sending goose bumps in the wake of his touch.
“What time is it?” she asked.
Cal glanced over at the clock. “Nearly time for us to go clean up and head over to Jenny’s.”
“I really like her.”
Fin sat up and nudged Pepper onto her back. She gasped when Cal’s cock slipped from her body and grimaced when she felt the soaked sheets under her.
“What’s wrong, Pepper? Are you hurting?” Fin asked with concern.
“No.” She gnawed on her lip.
“What is it, baby?” Cal sat up, helped her up, and cupped her cheek.
“The bed’s wet.”
Cal grinned and nodded. “Don’t worry about it, mate. We’ll strip the sheets off and put fresh ones on before we head out.”
“Is all this normal?” Pepper asked, her cheeks heating when she saw large wet patch.
“It is if we make our mate come so hard she ejaculates.” Fin winked and then kissed her lightly on the lips. “That was so fucking sexy.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.” Cal nodded for emphasis. “If we can make you come like that every day, we will.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Didn’t you know that women can ejaculate, too?” Fin frowned.
“Well, yeah, I’ve heard of it before. Just because I’d never had sex until I met you two doesn’t mean I was ignorant, but I wasn’t sure it was true.”
“Well, now you know.” Cal smiled.
“Yeah.” Pepper hoped her cheeks weren’t as pink as they felt.
Cal rolled from the bed and held his hand out to her. “Let’s go take a bath, baby.”
She took his hand and followed him into the bathroom. Fin trailed behind.
Pepper hadn’t met Jenny’s mates, Talon and Royal, and hoped she liked them as much as she did Jenny. She was looking forward to meeting the men behind the kind-hearted feisty woman.
But she was looking forward to coming back home and making love to her mates all over again more.
* * * *
“Where the fuck are you?” Fyodor shouted.
“I’m waiting to board my flight,” Borya answered.
“When will you arrive?”
“The flight doesn’t leave for another hour, and it’ll take four in the air, unless something goes wrong.”
Fyodor sighed and combed his fingers through his hair in frustration. He couldn’t believe that stupid fuck Darryn hadn’t been able to carry out simple instructions. That’s what you got for trusting dumb-asses.
Here he was in downtown Moscow with his new business booming, and one of his orders had gone missing. He should have known better than to trust anyone but his own men.
The field had been cleared for him once Vadim Sokolov, the Mafia boss, had disappeared. No one knew what had happened to the cartel leader or his men, and probably didn’t care, just like him.
Fyodor had already been making a name for himself on the streets of Moscow. So much so that Sokolov had sent one of his goons to him and threatened him. Now he could sit back and laugh. He was on easy street with the Mafia boss out of the way. However, he had a big client waiting on that ice, and if he didn’t deliver by the end of the week, he was going to have to pack up his shit and run. Since he didn’t want to do that now that his name was being used with fear and reverence out on the streets, he needed those drugs. Pronto.
“Call me as soon as you have them. I’ll have a private charter helicopter on standby.”
“Will do.”
Fyodor disconnected the call, sat back in his seat, and smiled. Luckily, he had Borya in the states. He’d made contact with the emigrated Russian through word of mouth, and it had been the best decision he’d made. Borya had done everything asked of him without question. He was loyal and efficient.
Soon he’d have those drugs, and his head would be out of the figurative noose. His Chinese client would never even have to hear about the fuckup.
Chapter Fifteen
Fin couldn’t stop smiling as he, Pepper, and Cal strolled over to Jenny’s house. He was so happy he wanted to shout to the stars. He couldn’t keep his gaze from his mate. She was so fucking beautiful his heart flipped in his chest each time he looked at her.
She must have felt him watching because she turned toward him and smiled. That smile nearly had him falling to his knees. Plus, there was the fact that he could feel her happiness and love through their mating bond.
He chuckled when he heard her stomach growling. “We helped you work up quite an appetite, didn’t we, sweetness?”
Pepper blushed and nodded. “I can’t believe how hungry I am. I’ve eaten more here than I ever have in my whole life.”
“Now that was an exaggeration.” Cal laughed. “If you hadn’t, you would have faded away with starvation.”
Fin nodded his agreement. “It’s got to do with our DNA. When we claimed you, our DNA mixed with yours. You’ll heal faster, be stronger, and have more stamina than ever before, and you’ll be able to run like the wind if you wish to.”
Cal took over explaining. “You can eat whatever you want and won’t have to worry about gaining weight. Not that you couldn’t do with a few extra pounds.”
Pepper gasped and slapped Cal on the arm. “I do not need to carry more weight.”
“Whatever you say, baby.”
“Don’t be patronizing.” She huffed.
Cal stopped walking, wrapped an arm around her waist, and met her gaze. “I wasn’t being patronizing, mate. I was stating fact. I love you just the way you are but not because of the package, as gorgeous and sexy as it is. I love you for who you are inside.”
“You’re so sweet.” Pepper grabbed Cal’s shirt, tugged him down, and kissed him passionately. “You’re both sweet.” She turned toward Fin and kissed him, too.
“There isn’t anything sweet about us, baby.” Cal gave Pepper a mock scowl, but Fin could see the happy twinkle in his eyes.
“Back to telling you about the changes going through your body,” Fin said.
“What changes? I’m not going to start sprouting fur, claws, and fangs, am I?”
“Hardy har. Far from it, mate.” Fin’s lips twitched when he realized that she was yanking his chain. “You won’t have to worry about getting sick with colds or the flu. You’ll never have to worry about cancer or autoimmune diseases like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or celiac disease.”
“That’s good. What about headaches?”
“What about them?” Cal asked.
“Will I still get those?”
“Sorry to say, but yes. Even we get headaches now and then, baby,” Cal said. “Usually when we’re stressed or our sabears are pushing to get out.”
“Do they do that often?”
“Try to get out?” Fin quirked his brow.
Pepper nodded.
“Sometimes. We need to let them out every month or so. Our animals like to roam around in the snow and ice as well as swim in the ocean. Or when our mate arrives on our doorstep and they want to claim her.” Fin grinned.
/> “Well, you won’t have to worry about that anymore.” Pepper gasped and then looked down at her ankle. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.” She bent over and lifted the leg of her jeans up and pushed the sock down. “All the bruising’s gone. Why didn’t I notice?”
“Because you were too busy trying to deal with us.” Cal hugged her tighter.
“Yes, but when did it heal?”
“The first time we claimed you.” Fin kissed the side of her neck.
“How come you never said anything?” she asked.
“It wasn’t important since you weren’t hurting anymore.”
“Are you three ever going to come inside?” Tammy asked.
Fin glanced over to see Tammy standing on the porch to her mother’s house, rubbing a hand over her baby bump.
“We’re coming.” Fin clasped Pepper’s hand and guided her up onto the porch. He knew that the rest of the stealth and their mates were waiting in the living for them because he could smell them. He just hoped their mate wouldn’t be too embarrassed over what was about to happen next, though he didn’t think she would be.
Pepper wasn’t shy about anything unless it was making love, but that was understandable since it was so new to her. She was feisty in everything else. He was happier than he’d ever been with his amazing woman. He’d dreamed about a gentle, kind, loving mate, and while Pepper was loving and kind, as well as gentle most of the time, she was also fiery. She would definitely keep him and Cal on their toes. There wouldn’t be a dull moment now that she was by their sides. Just the way he liked it.
Fin led the way inside and glanced at all his stealth friends. Celeste, Tarik, and Hodge were cuddled up on the sofa. Celeste looked tired, but since she was almost due to give birth, that wasn’t a surprise. She was sitting on Tarik’s lap, leaning against his alpha, while Hodge was caressing over her protruding belly.
Kat, Ward, and Serge were all standing near the crackling fire. Kat was leaning back against Serge, and Ward was holding one of her hands while the other was splayed over her baby bump.
Tammy had walked toward her mates, Hopper and Phelan, after entering the house, and although they were standing side by side, they were holding hands. All of a sudden, Phelan went down on his knees and kissed Tammy’s pregnant belly. He was grinning from ear to ear, and Fin saw why when Tammy’s belly moved. He suspected their unborn cub was going to be as feisty as its mom.
Fin gazed down at Pepper when she cleared her throat and lowered her eyes to the floor. He realized she was uncomfortable at being the center of attention since all eyes were on her.
Talon, Royal, and Jenny entered the living room from the kitchen, and both men sniffed the air. They grinned at him and Cal and nodded with approval.
Jenny clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. All the stealth members rose to their feet, including their women.
“Celeste, sit down, sweetheart. You need to stay off your feet.” Jenny pointed toward the sofa.
“Thanks.” Celeste sighed with relief as Tarik and Hodge helped her to sit again.
Jenny walked across the room and nudged Pepper’s gaze up to hers. “Thank you so very much for making my boys happy. Welcome to the stealth family, Pepper Silverton.”
“Thank you,” Pepper replied in a voice husky with emotion.
“Give me a hug.” Jenny pulled Pepper into her arms and hugged her tight.
Fin had to blink the tears burning his eyes when he saw moisture in Jenny’s and his mate’s eyes. The hug lasted a few minutes, but Fin wasn’t surprised. In fact, he’d seen Jenny do this a few times before. She was such a loving mother figure, all the women seemed to want her hugs. Fin remembered getting a few of his own from her when he was a kid. He hadn’t realized he’d been missing a woman’s touch until Pepper came along.
Finally, Jenny released Pepper and moved back to stand between her mates, Talon and Royal.
“Pepper, these are my mates, Talon and Royal.”
“Nice to meet you.” Pepper smiled at them.
Talon glanced at Royal, and with a nod, both men stepped forward until they were a few feet from Pepper. They each went down on one knee and placed their fists over their hearts. Talon spoke first. “Pepper Silverton, I pledge my life to protect yours and the future of this stealth.”
Pepper covered her mouth with her hand as the tears rolled down her face.
“Pepper Silverton, I pledge my life to protect yours and the future of this stealth,” Royal stated in a clear emphatic tone.
One by one, the rest of the male stealth members made their pledge to his and Cal’s mate until it was their turn.
Fin turned to face Pepper at the same time Cal did and went down on bended knee.
“Pepper, I pledge my life to protect yours and the future of this stealth. I love you, my mate,” Cal declared.
“I love you, Pepper.” Fin sucked air into his emotionally constricted throat and hoped he could keep his tears at bay so he didn’t get a ribbing from his friends. “I pledge my life to protect yours and the future of this stealth.”
Pepper cleared her throat and met each person’s gaze before gazing back at him and Cal. “Thank you all so much. I never wanted or expected to find one man to love, let alone two. Nor did I expect to find such great new friends and family. You all honor me by allowing me into your lives, hearts, and homes.” She paused to wipe the tears from her face. “I love you so very much, Calloway Walden. I love you, more than I can say, Finbar Stark. Thank you for being patient with me and not giving up when I gave you a hard time.”
Fin and Cal rose and tugged Pepper in between them, hugging her tight. Fin wiped his cheek on his shoulder when a tear trailed down his face, but he didn’t give a shit if anyone saw how emotional he was being. Pepper was his world, and he would take any ribbing the other stealth members dished out. It was worth it because he had his mate in his arms, in his life, in his heart.
And nothing was going to take that away from him.
* * * *
Borya was wrapped up like a fucking Eskimo, but it was necessary since the weather was way below fucking freezing. He’d scoped out Savoonga before chartering a private flight to the small isolated town and was thankful there was a new resort that had just opened up. He’d booked a room under an alias using fake ID and credit cards that were under the American name of Adam Sawyer. Luckily, he could talk without his Russian accent, or the game would have been up.
He dumped his bags onto the bed, glad that the private pilot he’d hired hadn’t checked his luggage since he was packing an automatic rifle hidden in a false bottom in his laptop case.
The moment the plane had touched down and he’d disembarked, he’d scoped the layout of the airport and the hangars. There were only two buildings besides the air traffic control tower, and he’d been relieved to see the de Havilland he was searching for inside the cavernous tin shed. However, getting to the aircraft without anyone seeing was going to be a problem.
Of course, he could just wait until the wee hours of the morning to make his move. The eternal winter darkness was an added advantage, and once he had those drugs in his hands, he would call his boss and get one of his men to collect them. Fyodor had informed him he had a luxury yacht waiting a few miles from the island. Once Borya passed the drugs over, they’d be flown to Moscow on the helicopter that was sitting on the landing pad in readiness.
Borya pulled the laptop from his bag and then pried the false bottom up. He lifted the ACR, Adaptive Combat Rifle, pieces out and in less than ten seconds had it locked and loaded. His Glock was still nestled under his arm in the shoulder holster he always wore. His fur-lined coat was thick enough to hide the bulge of his weapon. The pilot had been young and eager for the flight, which had worked well since the idiot hadn’t even thought to ask why Borya was going to a remote freezing-your-balls-off island.
His Glock was loaded with a bullet in the chamber, and he had more than enough cartridges in case things went to shit. However, Borya didn’t th
ink he’d have any problems getting his hands on those drugs. This place was so backwater the locals had to be dumb as fuck. Who in their right mind would want to live in such an isolated hellhole? He definitely didn’t. He suspected the citizens of Savoonga were all like the old lady who’d checked him in. Locals without a clue.
Now all he had to do was wait for the opportune time to make his move. Fyodor had told him that after this mission, he would get Borya back to his homeland where he’d be the boss’s right-hand man. He put his ACR on the top shelf of the closet, covered it with the spare blanket, and after grabbing some clothes headed for the shower. Once he’d cleaned up, he’d order room service and then take a nap. He wanted to be fresh and alert for the task ahead. Although he didn’t think there would be any problems.
* * * *
Pepper hadn’t laughed so much in her life. Sharing a meal with the members of the stealth, her new friends, new family, was the second most wonderful day of her life. Of course, her mates claiming her was the most astounding and always would be. Although Celeste, Tammy, and Kat had been and were still all famous, they were the most down-to-earth women she’d ever met. And then there was Jenny. Jenny was the mother she’d never had, and even though she didn’t know the other woman that well, she felt as if she’d known her for years. She had the biggest heart, was warm and caring, but she was also feisty. Just like her daughter.
The food she’d just eaten had been the best she’d ever tasted. There had been roast beef, lamb, and pork, roast sweet and white potatoes. Broccoli and cauliflower with a cheesy white sauce as well as peas, beans, carrots, and gravy. The crackling on the pork had been perfect, and there was also applesauce to go with it.
Pepper had eaten way too much, but everything had tasted so good she had a small sample of each dish. She sighed with repletion as she leaned back in her seat, warm, happy, sated, and in love.
“Do you want any more, baby?” Cal asked as he picked up the platter of beef.
