“Yes, and yes, so there is no reason to worry. I’ll be here for you as long as you want and need me.”
“I’m not immortal.” She looked back at Bo and he nodded. “All Alpha leaders are immortal. It’s one of benefits of living here. While our population will grow, we will eventually repopulate other planets so our species don’t die out.” Bo leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “We are all learning new things about our new world.”
“So we’re sort of like Noah’s Ark, but how do we know we’re immortal? I don’t feel any different.” Shelly shook her head. “That’s another thing I’ll need to talk with Jaycee and the others about tomorrow.”
“I have a question for you, Little Wolf.” Buck nudged her hip with his, drawing her attention back to him.
“Shoot,” she said, but he shook his head.
“Actually, it’s for both of you. Would you allow me to feed from you?”
She shrugged and looked at Bo.
“It’s up to you. I have no problem with it.”
They stepped into the main hub of the underground city. People were bustling around, music played in the speakers around them, and the scent of cinnamon and apples filled the air. Pumpkins, lanterns and ghouls were hung all over the place, which put a smile on her face, but her heart was heavy. Bo’s den should be decorated like this, but the cats had put nothing up, allowing their pride and racist beliefs to destroy their children’s holiday.
“Mm, hot apple cider.” She licked her lips and started to walk toward the little stand where the elder brewed the liquid gold. She remembered having at least three cups every time she and her parents went to the field to pick out their pumpkins on Earth.
A strong arm wrapped around her waist and held her back. “Where are you going, Little Wolf?” Bo whispered in her ear. “We have to meet our parents, remember?”
She actually whimpered. “Please, Bo, one cup. There’s no liquor in it and it wouldn’t be Fall without it.” Shelly looked up at him and he grinned.
“Well, then we all must have a cup. It will now be our tradition. We can drink it on our way.” He kissed the side of her neck.
Buck came up next to them, holding Anna’s hand. “Tell us about this tradition,” he asked as they made their way to the stand.
“When I was about seven, my mom and dad always took us kids to an old farmhouse to look for our pumpkins. My grandmother sold cider, apples and donuts there.” Shelly stepped into the line and smiled up at Bo, then turned to Anna.
“The older generation used half of this money to help to preserve our history, and the other half is to help those that have lost all and are alone.”
They reached the counter and Shelly laughed, seeing so many she thought they had lost.
MaryAnn Smothers came around the counter and hugged her tight. “It’s been ages, child, since I’ve seen you. How are you doing?” She stepped back and looked at Bo, and her eyebrows lifted. “Wow, did you luck out!”
“Hey now, and what am I?” her husband said, coming over and hugging her from behind, winking at Shelly.
“You, my dear, are my heart, but I can still enjoy the view. Now, introduce us to your man and his friend. And who is this pretty little girl?” MaryAnn knelt and smiled at Anna.
“Mrs. Smothers, this is Anna. My mate, Bo, and I adopted her today. We were on our way to introduce her to the family when I smelled the cider and had to have a cup. I was telling them all about the stand and its history. Beside Bo is Buck. He’s…” She frowned and looked at Bo. “What is Buck to me?”
Bo laughed and hugged her. “Buck, Argo and White Eagle will be called your husbands, while I’m your mate.”
“The Reticulon is an excellent choice for our times. Our Alphas are lucky. There are already three of them to keep our queen safe,” Mr. Smothers agreed.
For the next few minutes, Bo and Buck talked with Mr. Smothers while Shelly and Anna got their cups of warm cider. Shelly took a sip and moaned. “We need this all year around,” she mumbled, watching Anna take a small sip.
Her eyes got big and she licked her lips, looking up at Shelly. “This is good. Can I have another one?”
Shelly laughed. “We’ll see if we can talk Bo into getting us another one on our way home. After all, we need make sure White Eagle and Argo get one too. We can’t leave them out of our new tradition.” Shelly held out Bo’s cup while Mrs. Smothers gave Buck one. Shelly took Anna’s hand and they watched as Bo and Buck took a drink.
“Wow, that is good.” Bo pulled out his wallet, but Mrs. Smothers shook her head.
“No, we don’t use money here in the center. Maybe when you get time, you could meet with Mr. Smothers and we can set up a center for the elderly. One that every race here could enjoy,” she said, and Shelly loved the idea.
“I would be happy to chat with your husband. I’ll talk with your Alpha about it tomorrow. We’ll find a place for you, I promise.” Bo leaned over and placed a kiss on the MaryAnn’s cheek. “Thank you. We will see you soon, since it seems my woman and our daughter want another drink later.” He winked at Anna and she giggled, then stopped.
Fear flashed in her eyes as the little girl gave a small cry. Shelly stepped in front of her and turned to see a man behind them talking with others and laughing. She turned back to Anna, who was now hiding behind Buck.
“Anna, what’s wrong?” Buck asked as Bo pushed her behind him. Bo noticed White Eagle approaching them from the distance in the other direction.
“Let’s go, folks.” Bo turned and ushered them toward their destination.
“Shouldn’t we do…?” Shelly’s words stopped as she turned and watched White Eagle step up to the man. All the others moved away from him as White Eagle got into the man’s personal space.
“Little Wolf, why don’t you tell us what other traditions you would like to start?” Bo asked, drawing her attention back to them as they turned down the tunnel leading to his folks’ house.
Sipping her cider, Anna was curled up against Bucks chest, and Bo held on to Buck’s cider.
“Well, we always had trick-or-treating in the pack. We’d set up a haunted house for the older children and a petting zoo for the young ones, and we held a big bonfire at the end of the night with songs and roasted marshmallows.” She laughed and looked at Anna. “You should have seen your uncle Dane one year. We all went searching for the perfect pumpkin, and Dane thought it would be cool to climb on top of the pumpkins to see which one was the best. Now mind you, the pile was as tall as this ceiling.” Shelly pointed up.
“Wait, I want to hear this!” Jaycee came running down the other tunnel with her men right behind her, carrying their babies.
“Don’t you dare start with the stories. You know I have plenty of my own,” Dane threatened, coming up to Shelly and kissing the top of her head. “And who is this pretty one?” he asked, nodding to Anna.
Shelly reached over and was going to lift up Anna, but Bo grabbed her first. “This is our daughter, Anna. Anna, these big goons are your uncles. That is Dane.” He introduced Shelly’s brothers and Remi, and each of them gave Anna a big hug and kisses, making her giggle.
“What happened to Uncle Dane and the pumpkins?” Anna asked, earning a groan from the man.
“Let’s just say he went rolling like Humpty Dumpty along with half the pumpkins, which fell all over his legs. Mom was so scared he broke something, but nooo. Dane hopped up holding the biggest pumpkin he could hold, smiling away.”
Jaycee laughed, nudging her and leaned over to whisper to Shelly. “That so sounds like Dane. She’s beautiful, but what’s going on with them?” Jaycee nodded to Buck and White Eagle, who were talking together.
“We’ll tell you as soon as we get to Mom’s. Seems we have quite a few announcements to make, but they are all good. Well, except for one,” she snarled and Bo turned to her with a questioning look, but she shook her head. “Come on. I’m sure both moms are pacing back and forth waiting for us.” The rest of her story would h
ave to wait till later.
Chapter Ten
Bo opened the door to his mother’s house and waited as Anna and the other females walked past before he entered. White Eagle and Argo were with them now, meaning those who had hurt Anna were now gone. Once again, the ship or entity they lived on had taken care of the men who’d abused Anna before White Eagle could do anything.
“I heard about the challenge. I’d like to be there for my sister,” Dane said, stopping in front of Bo.
Bo looked at his men, and each of them nodded. “Thank you. I don’t know what will happen, but your support is always welcome.”
Dane looked over Bo’s head at White Eagle, Argo and Buck, but he didn’t say a word as he nodded to Bo and went inside, followed by Remi and Mark.
“They’re worried about their sister,” Argo said as he reached over and squeezed Bo’s shoulder.
“I know, but it might not look like that at the challenge.” Bo moved into the house and heard Anna’s squeals of laughter before he saw her.
He stepped into the family room to see his father hugging and squeezing Anna, making her giggle. “She is precious, son. Treasure her,” his father said, looking up at Bo as Anna squirmed out of his arms and ran to Shelly.
She ruffled Anna’s hair and turned, holding out her hand. Bo took it and scanned the room. Her parents and siblings, along with his family, all crowded in to the room.
“We have a few announcements,” Bo said. “First, as you can see, we’ve adopted this little cat, but it won’t be long before she is greeted with her new brothers or sisters. Shelly is carrying twins.”
Everyone was on their feet, hugging, kissing and slapping him on the shoulder, congratulating them.
“What is your other news?” His father nodded to the men behind Bo, and he sighed.
“I’ve taken what you and the others have said into consideration. Argo, White Eagle and Buck have agreed to a Reticulon.”
The room quieted down as all eyes turned to Shelly.
“You would give my sister to others?” Dane growled, but Remi slapped his hand on his shoulder, halting him.
“There is a reason for this?” Remi asked.
“It hasn’t been easy for your sister, Dane. There is prejudice in every society, and I’m not proud of the fact prejudice exist in my own pack. With challenges we’re facing and we’re on the verge of war, I’d feel better if I knew your sister was well protected. I trust each man I’ve chosen with my life.”
Remi nodded. “It’s the right choice, Dane. Jaycee has three of us to protect her against the unknown in this world. Bo needs that too, and so does your sister.” Remi stepped back as Dane turned to Shelly.
“Shelly-Belly, what do you think?” Dane asked, and Shelly rolled her eyes, going to her brother and hugging him.
“I trust Bo with my life, Dane. He’s my mate. This was a shock, yes, but…” She looked back at Bo’s men and smiled. “I mean, they are hot.” She wiggled her eyebrows, and the tension in the room eased. “Bo will always be my heart, but I have plenty of room in there to love these men if they want me.” She hugged her brother and turned to see her father in her path.
Bo sucked in his breath. Even though Dane was now head of their family, if her father objected, there would be problems.
“Introduce me to these men, Shelly.” Dalton held out his hand and she rolled her eyes.
“Dad.” Shelly sighed, but took it and led him over to Argo first. “This is Bo’s second-in-command, Argo.” Bo held back the laugh as he watched each man squirm while shaking his father-in-law’s hand.
“Remembering when that was you?” Dane asked from next to him, handing him a beer.
“Yep, and I’m so glad that is behind me. Your dad has this look he does that I swear makes you want to crawl under a rock,” Bo mumbled.
At his other side, Dane’s mother laughed softly. “It’s not him you have to worry about. You mess with my babies and I don’t care how big you are, I’ll castrate you faster than you can hide your jewels.” She stepped in front of Bo and grinned. “But you don’t have to worry. I’ve never seen my daughter happier, and Anna, well, it just proves my point. You are perfect for my baby, but I will be watching those three.” She turned her gaze on Argo, White Eagle and Buck, and all three cupped their balls.
Everyone in the room burst out laughing as Anna came up to Bo and tugged on his arm. “Daddy Bo, are we going to get to go trick-or-treating this year?”
He knelt in front of his daughter. “We’ll do something fun, I promise, but first you get to go on a picnic. Shelly and I have some business to attend to that is not for little cats. When you get back from your trip, we’ll have a planning party or something, okay?” he asked, but she frowned, looking down at the floor.
“Who am I going on the picnic with?” Anna asked as Shelly stepped up behind her.
“Yes, please tell me, because I don’t remember any of this,” his Little Wolf said.
Bo stood and pointed behind her.
Suzanne and Dominic had just entered the room with their little girl, Samantha. “I’ve asked if Anna could join Samantha for a few hours as we have business that little girls can’t attend. Plus, I think Samantha and Anna will be great friends.” Bo held out his hand for Anna.
Anna tugged on it. “What if I get scared?’
“There is nothing for you to be scared of. Dominic is a very good friend and he has secret powers that will protect all of you, as does Suzanne.”
“Really? Magic?” Anna looked back at Dominic and Suzanne.
“Really. Now come on, let’s not let your friends stand there in the door. It’s rude,” Bo said, escorting both Anna and his Little Wolf over to them.
Suzanne hugged Shelly. “I hear congratulations are in order.” She stepped back as Dominic leaned down and kissed Little Wolf’s cheek, then shook his hand.
“Who is this pretty little girl?” he asked, kneeling to Anna’s level, as if to make her feel less threatened.
“This is our daughter, Anna. Anna, this is Dominic, Suzanne and Samantha.”
Dominic took her hand and shook it. “It’s great to meet you. I hope you’re ready for a treat.” Anna nodded as she sized up Samantha, who was doing the same to her.
“What are you reading?” Anna asked finally, looking at the book the girl held.
“Little House on the Prairie.” She held it up and Anna nodded.
“I had that series and the Nancy Drew series before…well, you know. Mommy was helping me read them, but I lost all of them.” Anna smiled, looking at the book again.
“We can share mine if you want and I can help you read them?” Samantha asked. Already Anna was inching closer to Samantha.
“I’m hoping we won’t be long,” Bo said to Dominic.
“Your family is covering your back?” He frowned. “You’re doing this outside. Do you have anyone watching the skies?”
He shook his head and frowned. “I hadn’t thought of that.” Bo wrapped his arm around Shelly. “Maybe you shouldn’t come.” He looked at her, but she was already shaking her head.
“I don’t think so. I need to be by your side or your den is never going to take me seriously.”
Seeing an argument coming on, Dominic said, “I can have a few of my people out watching from the skies. They’ll warn you if anything comes near you. We’ve been lucky no one has seen any Heliokillers near our planet, except for those two when Valda arrived.”
Bo nodded. “Thank you. It would ease my mind. I just pray it stays quiet until the last female in the circle can be found.”
They talked for a few minutes, then Dominic and Suzanne took Anna away with them. It was time to take his woman home. He scooped her up into his arms and said his goodbyes as Argo, White Eagle and Buck followed.
Apple cider was forgotten, along with everything else as they made their way to their private tunnel in silence.
“I’m scared,” Shelly whispered and brushed her cheek against his chest.
“I know, Little Wolf, and I wish we had more time, but know that these men will protect you and love you. All I ask is that you give them time and accept them.” Bo nodded as Argo opened their door to their house.
They went right to the bedroom. As Shelly stepped inside, she gasped and looked all around. The room was filled with all sorts of flowers and candles. Two bottles of nonalcoholic champagne were sitting in ice buckets near the bed.
“My God, this is beautiful.” She looked at Bo and he shook his head, nodding to Argo.
Chapter Eleven
The room smelled of fresh flowers and the woods, but the romantic atmosphere they had been able to create impressed Shelly the most. Bo lowered her feet to the floor, and she made her way to Argo. Looking up into his dark eyes, Shelly smiled. “Thank you. This helps a lot.”
She slid her hands up his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck, then tugged till he lowered his head for her kiss. His lips were warm as they settled on hers.
Argo slid his hand up her back and grabbed a handful of hair. He held her in place while he devoured her mouth. Behind her, Bo kissed her shoulder before reaching around and unbuttoning her shirt, She released her hold on Argo for a second, allowing her blouse to slide to the floor.
Bo cupped her breasts. “For the next few hours, we’re going to take you to the stars and beyond.” He knelt behind her, caught the top of her skirt and slid it down her legs. “Lift your leg, baby.” Bo placed a kiss on her butt cheek before removing her skirt and shoes.
Argo released her hair, then lifted his head to nip her nose. “You are very welcome.” His gaze dropped to her breasts. “Beautiful. So full and round.” He ran his fingers over the tops of them before stepping back.
Naked in the room with four very happy males, Shelly felt a little self-conscious as she lifted her arms to cover herself, but Bo shook his head.
“No, don’t cover up. Go lie on the bed, Little Wolf,” he said, stripping off his shirt and letting it fall to the floor.
Each man was bare from the waist up and had slipped off their shoes, and Shelly took in each of their chests. Once she was on the bed, Bo and Argo placed her in the middle, arranging her like they wanted.
A Halloween to Remember Page 7
