Kindred of Arkadia 8
Fated Redemption
Moe Jones, aka Mojo, has finally found his mate, but it is going to take every ounce of his strength and
a little help from Fate to help Rhys down the road of recovery.
Rhys was forced to drink shifter blood for months and is slowly recovering from the addiction. He is
scared to claim his shifter mate for fear that he will lose control and kill him. How can he claim his
mate if
he can't drink his blood?
Abigail Wright is in Arkadia on a search to find her best friend from college after an alarming
Christmas
card. She wasn’t planning on finding her mates, especially two such delicious ones.
Abby finds herself protecting the heart of her gentle giant shifter mate and guiding the steps of her
older
vampire mate. Together all three discover that they need each other desperately.
When an old enemy targets Rhys, the new triad faces the possibility that they may lose Rhys forever. It
will take Moe’s physical strength, Abby’s infallible willpower and Rhys’s indomitable spirit to
defeat their
enemy.
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Shape-shifter, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 44,835 words
FATED REDEMPTION
Kindred of Arkadia 8
Alanea Alder
MENAGE AMOUR
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FATED REDEMPTION
Copyright © 2014 by Alanea Alder
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Table of Contents
FATED REDEMPTION
Kindred of Arkadia 8
ALANEA ALDER
Copyright © 2014
Prologue
“I need you to go to Arkadia and determine if Fate intervened for Rhys’s sake or Rebecca’s.” The
gentleman studied the chessboard in front of him.
“Sir, how are we supposed to do that?” the wolf beta asked. Beside him the lawyer started edging
away
as if sensing impending pain.
The gentleman turned to the wolf.
“Oh dear, you’re not too bright, are you? Are you sure you want to claim this one as family, Devon?”
The wolf Alpha stared at the floor, too scared to move or respond. Devon turned his face away
unable to
meet the gentleman’s eyes.
“I’m actually in a good mood today and don’t feel like having blood cleaned up in my office…again.
So, it is your lucky day, pup. The answer to your question is, I don’t care. Push Rhys into a relapse,
threaten his mate, do whatever you have to do to see if Fate steps in to assist Rhys. If not, then she
was
responding to Rebecca’s desire to protect her friend, and that is something I need to know.” He
walked back
over to his chess game and began to stroke the small ivory pieces.
“If we get caught we could get banned from Arkadia,” Salsiby said hesitantly.
“True.” The gentleman sang out the one-word response.
There was silence as they stared at him. Heaving a great sigh, he turned from his game and leveled a
cold look at them. They flinched.
“Are you waiting for a kiss good-bye? Because I can accommodate you.” The gentleman smiled,
revealing his elongated fangs. The three men scrambled and left the office at a run.
“Payne.”
The man stepped forward from where he had been leaning against the wall.
“Fetch the smart hyena I liked from before, the one who used that boy to breech the perimeter. I have a
feeling my little wolf pups won’t be assisting us much longer.”
Payne nodded and left the room.
Grinning, the gentleman turned back to the chessboard. He knocked over three pawns.
“Sacrifices are required to obtain the queen.”
Chapter 1
Moe Jones stood on the wide wooden planks outside of his bar and watched as vampire after vampire
streamed by carrying boxes that held his mate’s things up to the third-floor apartment. His mate stood
off to
one side absently rubbing his hands up and down his arms in what Moe had come to identify as his
nervous
gesture. He knew that his mate was still uneasy about moving in, but they had come a long way in the
past
month. Rhys was the one who had told Moe that he was ready to move in and take his place beside
him as
his mate. At first Moe had been ecstatic, but watching Rhys this morning gave him doubts. Rhys was
definitely pushing himself beyond his safe zone in an effort to be a better mate. Moe was worried that
maybe they were moving things too quickly for him.
“He is doing much better,” a regal voice said to his left. Moe quickly turned to where the vampire
prince
now stood. Moe was beginning to think that the prince liked scaring the hell out of him.
“He’s still addicted to shifter blood,” Moe said quietly.
Gabriel stared at Rhys for a second longer then turned his brilliant blue eyes to him. Moe could
almost
feel the weight of the ages pressing down on him when the prince looked at him like this.
“He may always be addicted. The Shifter Council has him on a probationary status. No other has ever
fought their way back from madness after consuming Shifted Death. This may be something that you
will
have to live with for the rest of your lives. He may always experience mood swings and anxiety. It
may
always be a roller coaster with him. Are you prepared for that?”
“You don’t have to explain withdrawal symptoms to me. All I’ve been doing for the past month has
been reading about dealing with addiction, withdrawal and how to avoid relapses. I will do whatever
it
takes, be whatever he needs to get him through this. He is my miracle.” Moe couldn’t keep the
emotion out
of his voice. Gabriel placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Maybe Fate knew what she was doing after all. I had my doubts at Christmas. But he may need every
ounce of your strength to overcome this.” Gabriel patted his shoulder lightly and let his hand drop.
“You know that Alpha Devon has been pressuring the Council to rule that Rhys is still a danger?”
Moe growled low under his breath.
“Yes. Roman has been keeping me up to date.”
“Devon is saying that even though Rhys’s eyes have turned back to normal his dependency on shifter
blood makes him a liability. So far, Fate’s direct intervention and the fact that he is now mated has
been
enough for the council to lean in our favor. I just don’t trust that damn wolf or pathetic excuse for a
lawyer.” Gabriel’s voice got icy. Moe could tell he was remembering the lawyer’s insistence that
Rhys be
“put down” on Christmas Eve.
“They will never get near him again,” Moe said firmly. Gabriel looked to him and smiled faintly.
“They would have to be suicidal to tangle with you, my large friend.”
Moe winked at the prince. Rhys’s raised voice caught Moe’s attention.
“Wait, Daniel, what’s in that box? That’s not mine,” Moe heard Rhys ask before he grabbed Daniel by
the collar of his shirt.
“Nothing.”
“Daniel?” Rhys asked again.
“Okay, okay. I packed you some of my personal favorites from my ‘video’ collection. There is one in
here that especially shows different positions when dealing with ‘big boys.’ I figure you may need all
the
help you can get.” Daniel smiled up at his friend. Moe watched in fascination as Rhys’s eyes went
from
Daniel to him to the box to Daniel and back to him. Moe couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Put that box back in the truck.” Rhys grabbed at the box but Daniel nimbly danced out of the way.
“No way, they complement David’s moving-in present.”
Rhys stopped chasing Daniel.
“What did he get me?”
“Triple XL butt plugs!” David yelled loudly from the third-story window, his voice carrying down the
street, causing more than one midday shopper to turn and look at them. Moe thought his poor mate
would
melt into a puddle on the worn, wooden planks.
“David! Daniel! What did I tell you about behaving yourselves?” Roman barked, raising his eyes
from
his clipboard.
“Bo-o-r-r-ring,” David sang, and disappeared from the window. Daniel took advantage of Rhys’s
distraction and ran inside. Rhys turned to Moe.
“Are you still sure you want to mate with me? I’m all fucked up, and well, you can see how my family
is.” Rhys pointed to where David was now spanking Daniel in the bar with a long double-ended
dildo.
There was a faintly amused expression on his mate’s face. Moe was by his side in an instant.
He pulled his mate into his arms and took advantage of his height to rub his chin over Rhys’s blond
curls.
“You are not fucked up. You are recovering. I wouldn’t trade you for anyone. Fate not only chose you
just for me, she literally stepped in to make sure we could be together. You are my miracle.” Moe
tipped
Rhys’s head back and slowly licked and nibbled his lips. He could feel the moment Rhys relaxed his
muscles. Moe simply wrapped his arms around him tighter. When Rhys opened his mouth and began
to
suck on his tongue Moe could feel his control start to slip.
“Tear that face up. Woot! Woot!”
Moe opened one eye to see David and Daniel begin to gyrate and thrust their hips at imaginary dance
partners. Moe reluctantly pulled away. Rhys’s cheeks were pink and his lips swollen. Damn if his
mate
didn’t look thoroughly dazed.
“I told you.” Rhys’s eyes danced with mirth. Moe could feel his heart expand. This was his mate. In
the
past month between bouts of anxiety, outbursts of frustration and pain, this was the man that kept
shining
through, with his kind eyes and ready smile.
“You forget, I volunteer with kindergartners. I can handle those two.” Moe brought Rhys’s hand up
and
kissed it gently.
“Okay guys.” Roman walked up flipping pages on his ever-present clipboard.
“Kurt just finished installing the walk-in freezer for Rhys’s blood storage. The unit needs to maintain
a
temperature between 33.8 degrees and 42.8 degrees Fahrenheit. With this temperature range the blood
can
stay fresh between thirty-five and forty-two days, though I don’t think that will be a problem with
everyone
donating.” Roman’s eyes softened when he looked at Rhys.
At first Moe was leery of the relationship between Roman and Rhys, but he had come to realize that
they loved each other like brothers. He couldn’t deny his mate any relationship that gave him strength,
especially now.
“Moe, we’re heading to the diner for lunch. Would you care to join is?” Gabriel asked as the
vampires
waved at them and walked toward the diner.
“Rhys?” Moe asked, unsure if his mate would be okay surrounded by shifters.
Rhys nodded.
“Being around shifters doesn’t bother me anymore. As long as no one is gushing blood I should be
okay. It’s past time for me to rejoin the land of the living.”
“Great! I’ll see if Peyton wants anything. Then after lunch I can show you around your new home.”
Moe dropped a kiss on Rhys’s cheek and stepped inside the doorway. He looked over to the bar to
see his
tweaky and slightly inept bartender washing his already clean glassware. Shaking his head, he called
out,
“Peyton, Rhys and I are heading to the diner, do you want anything?”
Peyton looked up and then frowned as he thought before nodding.
“Pie and coffee.”
Here we go.
“Just pie and coffee?” Moe asked.
“Yes, umm maybe, maybe a sandwich too.”
“So pie, coffee and a sandwich. What kind of sandwich?”
Peyton’s face started to get a panicked expression.
“Umm turkey. No wait, ham.”
“Pie, coffee and a ham sandwich. Fries or chips?” Peyton’s eyes began to bug out and he shifted
nervously from foot to foot.
Moe had been working everyday with Peyton to get the small man to think for himself and to ask for
what he wanted. Ordering a lunch would have been beyond him months ago. He was proud of his
little
buddy.
“Fries. No. Chips. Wait. Do they have meatloaf today?” Moe nodded patiently and slowly.
“I imagine they might.”
“Okay, a meatloaf lunch with mashed potatoes and extra gravy. With pie and coffee.” Peyton heaved a
huge breath and then looked up at Moe, beaming. He was so proud of himself.
“You got it, buddy.” Moe turned and walked over to Rhys who was gazing at him with a soft yet
gentle
look on his face. He reached out and took Moe’s hand as they walked to the diner.
“You’re really good with him. He’s overcome so much. His abuse went on for years. Mine was just a
couple months.” Rhys sighed.
“You are both different people with different circumstances. He can handle more physical pain than
anyone I’ve ever known, but when he arrived in Arkadia his mind and spirit were broken. He never
spoke
up, never made any decisions for himself. He is still afraid to leave the bar. So in that respect you are
much
stronger.” Moe ran his thumb over Rhys’s hand. A slow smiled formed in his mate’s lips.
“I can’t wait to get to know him better.”
“I think having you at the bar will be good for him. Get him to open up more.”
“Did you see his face when David and Daniel were goofing off?”
Moe let out a booming laugh.
“That was more excitement than he’s had in a while. I hope they visit more with you here. If anyone
can
bring that kid out of his shell it would be those two.”
“I’ll let them know.”
Moe swung their hands back and forth. He couldn’t keep the goofy grin off his face if he tried. He had
waited weeks to be with his mate like this.
“You’re excited just to be holding hands aren’t you?” Rhys asked, looking up at him.
“I’ve been alone for so long now, that this simple pleasure means a lot to me.”
“Then we’ll have to make sure that we do it a lot.” Rhys flushed.
“I mean.” Rhys stuttered, embarrassed at what his comment implied. Moe smiled.
“I know what you meant. I know I’ve told you this before, but we’ll take this mating at your pace. You
let me know what you’re ready for.”
Rhys breathed out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you. It’s not that I don’t want you, I wake up so damn hard some mornings dreaming about
running my tongue over your tattoos I think my dick will fall off.” Moe stumbled on his own feet and
looked down at his mate. Rhys grinned at him wickedly for a moment before the light faded from his
eyes.
“I’m afraid of what might happen in the heat of the moment. I don’t know if I trust myself yet.” Rhys
sounded so sad.
“There are other things we can do,” Moe said simply, and smiled at the surprised look on his mate’s
face. Without any further explanation he held the diner door open and they walked inside. They hadn’t
taken a couple steps when a small body launched itself at Rhys. Moe smiled at his bewildered mate
as he
was strangled by their Alpha Mother. He looked around the diner to see that Rebecca, Sebastian and
Ashby
had pushed three tables together to hold the car seats with their sons nestled inside, and they sat at the
table
between the room and their children.
“I’m so happy to see you out of the coven house and with your mate!” Rebecca bounced, jerking
Rhys’s head around.
“Becca,” Aleks said cautiously. She whirled around, still partly dangling from around Rhys’s neck.
“What? He’s addicted to shifter blood, I’m the only one safe around him.”
The declaration fell flat in the diner with a giant thud. Moe looked over to Rhys, whose mouth was
twitching. Ashby slapped his hand to his forehead, shaking his head, and Sebastian rolled his eyes. It
was
Liam who broke the silence with his laughter.
Rebecca looked around, confused.
“What?” She looked to Rhys questioningly.
“Nothing, ignore them. I’m happy to see everyone too.” He kissed her cheek. Rebecca glared at Liam,
who was still chuckling, and walked back over to where her son gurgled happily in the car seat next
to his
friends Arthur and Lucian.
Moe walked with Rhys and they sat at the table close to the children. He hadn’t had a chance to see
much of the babies. They were absolutely adorable and so big already. Shifter babies grew much
faster than
human ones. He could see that they were already sitting up, moving their heads about and tracking
movement. He smiled at the different parenting styles evident with each child.
Baby Arthur, Ashby and Gabriel’s son, had matching argyle car seat cover and diaper bag. His
clothes
were immaculate from his baby corduroys to his tiny, plaid, sweater vest. Even the baby’s fine downy
hair
seemed to be perfectly combed. His demeanor was quiet as he looked out at the diner floor solemnly.
Baby Lucian, Sebastian, Kent and Liam’s baby, had brightly colored mismatched jungle-themed
accessories. He had on a sensible Osh Kosh B’Gosh snap-up jumper with a long-sleeve T-shirt. A
lion
blanket lay draped across a nearby chair in case the baby got cold. He played dutifully with Kent,
sticking
out his tongue as if on cue.
Rebecca’s baby was giggling and waving his tiny hands about. He had a Dexter’s Laboratory diaper
bag, a Pooh Bear car seat and a Toy Story blanket featuring Woody as sheriff. His shoes were off, his
shirt
was inside out and one sock was missing. He had a smear of what looked like carrots or sweet
potatoes on
one cheek. But more than the other two babies, baby Aidhan exuded love. Moe couldn’t help but
smile
when looking at the tiny baby. He stared at Aidhan’s bright purple eyes. He looked over to where
Aleks sat
comfortably waving a tiny stuffed bear at Aidhan, making his son laugh and growl.
Aleks caught his look and nodded.
“We were surprised too. For thousands of years Arkadions have always had dark brown hair and
green
eyes. Until Rebecca.” Aleks smiled warmly.
Rebecca rubbed noses with her mate and kissed her son on the top of his head before sitting down
next
to her mate.
“You have been upgraded,” she said in a robotic tone. Behind the counter Connor laughed.
“I think his eyes are awesome. Personally, I’m hoping any children Madison and I have get her pretty
blue eyes.” Connor winked at his mate who blushed.
The diner bells chimed and a dejected-looking Rian and an exasperated-looking Damian filed in and
sat
down.
“What’s the matter Rian?” Moe asked. Rian turned and glared at him.
“As if you don’t know.” Rian continued to give him the evil eye.
“Ignore him, Moe. Rian has been in a foul mood for weeks. Personally I think he just needs to get
laid,”
Damian volunteered.
“I would except he broke my gaydar!” Rian pointed in Moe’s direction.
Rhys raised an eyebrow, his eyes shining with laughter.
“You did what now?” his mate asked.
Moe spread his hands in front of him in confusion.
“All those years I thought he was straight. Wasted!” Rian exclaimed.
“Rian I…” Moe started.
“All those years I could have been indulging in my fantasies of rubbing all those luscious muscles!”
“Rian!” Damian looked at his best friend, shocked, and then over to Moe and Rhys.
Moe just stared. He had no idea Rian had felt that way. Quickly, he looked over to his mate to see him
chuckling.
“Now I’ll never know what he’s packing!”
“Rian, dammit, his mate is sitting right there.” Damian moved a hand over Rian’s mouth.
Rian looked over to Rhys who waved away Damian’s concern.
Rian batted Damian’s hand down.
“Are you really okay Rhys?” Damian asked, concerned. Rhys just nodded.
“The reason why he’s so upset is because he’s regretting missed opportunities, which just proves to
me
that he doesn’t poach.”
Moe stunned took a deep breath.
“Rian, buddy, I’m sorry. I had no idea you felt that way.”
“I don’t know if that makes things better or worse.”
“I thought you were like me. I never dated anyone in town, because breakups would have been too
awkward in the long run.”
“I am, but I would have made an exception for you. Now I can’t trust my instincts. I’ve known you for
years.” Rian pouted.
“If it makes you feel any better, I wasn’t exactly straight. I was bi,” Moe explained
“Me too.” Rhys smiled.
“I still should have been able to detect that.” Rian shook his head.
“Aren’t most vampires bi?” Sebastian asked. Rhys nodded.
“Back before blood banks, we had to use our mental abilities to make feedings a pleasurable and
erotic
experience for humans. The older you were the better your abilities. Which means if you were really
young
you often paired with an older member of the coven to feed or you would starve. This led to a more
open
sexual outlook, which encouraged ménage encounters and a bisexual lifestyle. If you restricted
yourself to
only feeding off of women, you’ve cut your available feeding possibilities in half,” Rhys explained.
Moe was so proud of his mate. He was now able to discuss feedings and blood without getting upset.
He took his hand under the table earning him a bright smile.
“Rian, you should come hang out with David and I at Purgatory then we can test your gaydar,” Daniel
offered.
Rian looked over to Damian, who nodded.
“I’d do anything to get this silly notion out of your crazy head that your gaydar is broken.”
“We’re in.” Rian smiled.
“Wicked,” Daniel and David said together. Roman shuddered.
“Moe, hun, you have to be hungry. What can I get for you?” Ma asked, interrupting the conversation.
“I’m starving,” he admitted.
“You’re always starving.” Ma chuckled.
“I’m a growing boy.”
“Yum,” Rhys, Rebecca, Sebastian and Ashby said in unison. Aleks, Kent and Liam growled. Gabriel
simply leaned in and nipped Ashby’s neck, causing the small man to turn crimson when he moaned.
Aleks gave his son the toy bear and kissed his mate thoroughly. When the Alpha Mother came up for
air
she was swaying slightly in her chair.
“Time for me to head back to the station. Aidhan, watch after your mother.” He smiled down at his
son.
Aidhan growled for a second, which turned into a squeak.
“Good boy!” Aleks turned to the room.
“He’s not growling at me anymore,” he announced proudly, then kissed his mate again and left the
diner.
Aleks had no sooner walked out of the diner when Jacinda walked in. She licked her lips at David
and
Daniel, who paled and scooted closer to Gabriel. She sat down at a nearby table and looked over the
menu.
Aidhan’s lips began to tremble. Moe could see that he was reacting to the change in the atmosphere in
the diner. Aidhan’s eyes filled before his tiny mouth opened, his tongue curled and he started to cry.
“I think he may be wet,” Rebecca said, picking up the diaper bag. As she lifted, the strap caught
around
one of the chairs and the contents spilled out. Moe watched as Rhys was up in an instant and helping
her to
pick up her things. Calmly he laid out the changing pad and arranged the items he needed around it
clockwise starting at nine o’clock. First was an opened disposable bag for the used diaper, then
wipes. To
the right of that, a dry cloth, then diaper rash cream. Finally on the right at three o’clock was a fresh
diaper.
He picked up baby Aidhan and laid him down on the changing pad. He had the snaps to the pants
undone in seconds. Quickly he removed the diaper and placed it in the opened bag. He then wiped the
baby
down with wipes, and dropped them in the opened disposable bag with the soiled diaper. He patted
the
smiling baby dry, applied the diaper rash cream, and was fastening the new diaper before most of
them
could blink. He snapped the pants back together and bounced Aidhan in his arms for a second, getting
new
giggles before he tucked him into his car seat.
Moe felt himself fall more in love with his mate. Rhys’s soft smile and gentle hands were quick and
careful.
Rebecca turned her wide eyes to Rhys.
“You’re like Super Nanny! How did you do that? I always fumble with the darn Velcro and then he
pees
on me!” she exclaimed.
“You have to be quick with boys. Cold air hits them and they go again.” Rhys handed Ma the dirty
diaper bag over the counter and picked up Moe’s lunch to carry back to their table.
“Where did you learn how to do that?” Gabriel asked, looking surprised.
“About ten years after you turned me, my childhood best friend approached me. Her husband had just
been killed and she was pregnant. She was terrified about raising her baby alone in the country. So
before I
joined you, I married her and Roman and I moved to the French countryside to help her with her baby.
Roman was older so he helped me feed when we made trips to Paris. We stayed until her son turned
six and
made then we made decision to join you here in the States. Neither one of us wanted to watch them
grow
old and die. But for six years I was a father to that baby, which meant diapers and teething and
nighttime
feedings. Things were much harder then. They have so many time-saving inventions for babies now.”
Rhys
shrugged.
“Neither of you told me that,” Gabriel said, looking at Roman.
“There wasn’t much to say,” Roman shrugged.
“Before moving here I helped watch my neighbor’s baby. The tiny thing liked to bite on my fingers
when she was teething.” Moe laughed. He never realized how much they had in common.
“Henri did the same to Roman, but never to me.” Rhys chuckled and Roman smiled.
“You would have thought that kid was a shifter or a vampire.” Roman leaned back in his chair,
sipping
his coffee.
Jacinda emptied her glass of soda and stood. She sashayed past Rhys and stopped in front of Moe.
Behind him he could hear the diner door open and close.
“He may be good with babies, but he’s no woman. Come see me if you miss a woman’s touch.” She
leaned forward and ran her finger down his cheek.
He glared up at the woman. “No thank you,” he said, biting off each word. She ran her hands over his
upper chest. He heard a chair hit the floor.
“Rhys!” Gabriel exclaimed. Moe stood to his full height to see past Jacinda to find his mate. Across
the
table Rhys had stood, knocking the chair over. His fingers had shifted to claws and his eyes burned
red.
“I knew he was a monster!” A familiar sniveling voice yelled. Jacinda screeched and practically
climbed
up Moe’s back for safety.
“Bitch, get off me!” Moe reached around and plucked her from his back, putting her on her feet as
Gabriel and Roman stood in front of Rhys, talking quickly.
“Get the fuck outta here.” He gave the woman a not-so-gentle shove and she raced out of the door, but
not before he caught the smirk she gave the wolf beta standing next to the lawyer.
Moe watched as Alpha Devon’s beta Glenn stood by the door, recording the whole thing on his
phone.
Moe quickly turned back and went to his mate. He simply grabbed the back of Rhys’s neck and
brought his
mouth down to his. The second their lips touched electricity arched between them. Rhys’s claws
retracted
and he stopped struggling to get free. When Moe stepped back to look at his mate, Rhys’s eyes were
back to
their normal deep green.
“That thing is a danger to every shifter. I’m shocked you would allow him next to your children! Give
him to me! The Arkadion needs to be protected!” Salsiby screeched, reaching for Aidhan.
In less than a second Rebecca had scooped up Aidhan and was behind Liam, Kent and Connor,
sandwiched between Sebastian and Ashby with their own sons.
“You stay away from my son! That ‘monster’ just changed his diaper and is perfectly fine. I trust Rhys
with my son before I would ever trust you!” Rebecca was shaking from what Moe could only guess
was
anger and fear.
“Get out of my diner!” Ma yelled.
“This is a public building. You can’t kick us out!” Glenn protested.
“The hell I can’t. As that sniveling little weasel pointed out the day he arrived I am the diner’s owner.
That means I can kick out whomever I want. Right now I’m kicking you out.”
“I’d like to see you try,” Glenn sneered.
Gabriel snarled silencing the entire diner. He waved his hand and both men were thrown out of the
diner’s opened doors. Seconds later everyone heard two distinct booms as they landed.
Eyes turned to stare at Gabriel.
“Damn, Gabriel, how far did you throw them?” Moe asked, rubbing his hand up and down Rhys’s
back.
“Not far enough.” The prince hissed before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He made sure
his
eyes had returned to his normal blue before walking over to Ashby and Arthur.
“I’ll kill him,” Rebecca whispered softly. Connor turned and wrapped an arm around his sister.
“Ma,” he said urgently. She indicated to her cell phone where she was already talking to Aleks.
“I’ll kill him if he ever comes for my baby again. I can do it. There are ways that are undetectable. I
—”
Connor’s large hand covered her mouth.
“Rebecca what did Aleks and I tell you about the term ‘premeditation’? Plan in your head,” Connor
advised. Rebecca’s unfocused eyes cleared and she nodded.
“Rebecca I would never…” Rhys began. Moe could tell he was trying not to cry.
Rebecca stepped forward with Aidhan. Rhys tried to take a step back but Moe wouldn’t let him.
“Rhys, I wasn’t lying. I trust you with Aidhan. I know you would never hurt my son. It’s them I don’t
trust.”
The diner doors opened and Aleks came through. He took one look at Rebecca’s distraught
expression
and his face hardened.
“Who do I have to kill, baby?” he asked, and walked over and pulled her into his arms.
“Salsiby. I have this formula I’ve been working on…”
“Rebecca! Here is another term, ‘Plausible Deniability,’” Connor said. Aleks glared at his brother
before
looking down at Rebecca.
“Wait, you’ve been working on a formula? Where?” Aleks asked. Rebecca looked from Aleks to
Ashby
and Sebastian with a panicked expression. She looked back up to Aleks and burst into tears.
“That evil lawyer was going to take my baby!” She buried her face into Aleks’s massive chest. Moe
smothered a chuckle. Their Alpha Mother so had a lab here in town.
“What! Where is that son of a bitch?” Aleks’s growl rumbled through the diner.
“Gabriel literally chucked them across town. They are probably in the clinic at the moment,” Rian
explained.
“We better get home and on a video conference with grandfather giving him a heads up. Let’s hope
that
asshole’s phone broke when they landed, though I don’t think we’re that lucky. That video would be a
damning piece of evidence.” Liam started to help Kent and Sebastian, who were already packing up
Lucian’s things.
“I wasn’t, it wasn’t about that,” Rhys babbled.
“We know that, we know that is how vampires respond in anger. Unfortunately the council will only
get
footage of you with red eyes and out of control.” Liam looked up and smiled at Rhys.
“Look, my grandfather and most of the council is on your side. I know that they will be voices of
reason. It would be nice to have evidence of our own, though. Rhys, go over there and stand with the
babies.” Liam fished out his phone.
Rhys looked up at Moe, scared.
“We trust you, Rhys. You need to believe in yourself.” Moe pushed him forward gently. Rhys walked
over and stood behind the car seats. Rebecca walked over and strapped Aidhan in.
“He likes you.” She wiped her eyes and stepped back.
“Actually this is perfect timing. Arthur needs a new diaper,” Ashby said, plopping the baby directly
into
Rhys’s arms. Moe could see a physical change come over his mate. His back was straighter, his hands
no
longer trembled. The faint traces of panic were erased and replaced with a soft smile. Moe could tell
that
Rhys immediately shifted his own issues to one side to handle the baby with love and care.
Rhys quickly arranged the baby changing items and changed Arthur as quickly as he had Aidhan. The
baby smiled and cooed at him the entire time.
“He’s ready to go, Prince Ashby,” Rhys said, scooping up the baby and handing him to his prince.
“We couldn’t have asked for better footage. I’ll make sure the council sees this. We’ll reiterate that
you
have one hundred percent of our trust and support. Don’t worry about those assholes.” Liam smiled
then
turned with Sebastian and Kent, Lucian in tow and left the diner.
“We’re heading out too. I have a feeling they will need someone to watch Lucian while they are in the
meeting, and who better than his favorite uncles?” Rian said, standing with Damian.
“Chin up, Rhys, everything will work itself out.” Damian smiled warmly.
“We need to hurry, I want time to stop at Nic’s and grab some coffee before heading home,” Rian
said.
“Good idea.” Damian nodded and they left the diner talking about their next caffeine fix.
Moe walked over to Rhys and pulled him into his arms. Rhys sagged against him leaning on him just
to
stay upright.
“How about we grab some extra meals, Peyton’s lunch, and head back to the bar? We have all
afternoon
to relax before the bar opens this evening.” Moe easily supported his mate. Rhys never looked up,
just
nodded as he kept his face buried in Moe’s chest.
“Ma, can I get a meatloaf lunch with extra gravy, pie and coffee for Peyton, and a couple of boxed
lunches for Rhys and I for later?” Moe asked.
“Of course son, give me one second.” Ma kissed her grandson on the top of his head before doing the
same to his mother.
“You head straight home and rest. Doc said you’re still anemic from the blood loss from having my
grandson. You need to take your iron and get some sleep.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Rebecca yawned and struggled slightly with the car seat. Aleks looked torn. Moe
could
clearly tell he didn’t want Rebecca driving. Moe was about to offer her a ride when Ashby and
Gabriel
stepped forward with Arthur all bundled up.
“We can take her home. We carry an extra car seat base in the trunk in the event Rebecca and Ashby
need to go somewhere together. That way you have your car for later. Aleks, I imagine you want to…
check
in on that wolf beta and the lawyer.” Gabriel wrapped a steadying arm around Rebecca and gently
took the
car seat with the other. Aleks let out a sigh of relief.
“I’d really appreciate that. I want to make sure they understand the rules of Arkadia,” Aleks said
ominously.
“Please convey my personal safety advice to them.” Gabriel’s eyes flashed red.
Aleks’s grin was devious.
“Of course.”
“Rhys, if you ever get bored hanging around that bar you’re more than welcome to come over and be
Super Nanny.” Rebecca leaned forward and kissed his mate’s cheek.
“You are one exceptional woman, Alpha Mother. If we weren’t mated…” Rhys wagged his eyebrows,
eliciting giggles from Rebecca and growls from Aleks.
“Great. Now I have to watch out for the pair of you.” Aleks pointed to him and Rhys.
Moe looked over to Aleks, surprised.
“What did I do?”
Aleks just scowled. He leaned his huge frame over the car seat in Gabriel’s hand and kissed his son.
He
stood only slightly straighter before kissing Rebecca.
“I’ll see you at home, love.”
“Hurry,” she said, waving good-bye as he left.
“Come on, Becca, let’s head to your place. I bet you still have some of that lemon drop cake left,
don’t
you?” Ashby licked his lips.
“You know I do.”
“I would like a slice as well. The piece that mon ange brought home from his last visit didn’t go very
far between the two of us,” Gabriel said, surprising Moe. Rebecca gently nudged Gabriel in the ribs.
“I knew I could convert you to a sweets eater.”
“I have to admit, everything you have made thus far has been exquisite.”
“Bring some home, we haven’t had any yet.” Daniel pouted.
“Come on you two, I have a new project in mind and it will be perfect for keeping you two out of
trouble. Then I’m off to Purgatory. I have several conferences with the Regional Coven Leaders
scheduled
over the next month or two that will keep me out of town for a while.” Roman stood.
“Is it illegal?”
“Is it dangerous?” they asked. Roman nodded.
“We’re in.” They chimed in together and followed Roman out to their car.
“Will they be okay?” Ashby asked, biting his lower lip. Gabriel winked at his mate.
“Let’s go.” Rebecca smiled at her friends and they left.
“Here you go boys. I packed an extra pie for you. Now Rhys, you let this wonderful man take care of
you.” Ma walked up and handed the white plastic bags containing their to-go boxes to Rhys.
“He is wonderful isn’t he?” Moe felt himself starting to blush.
“I always thought so.”
“Bye, Ma.” Moe waved.
“Bye, boys.”
Chapter 2
Moe held Rhys’s hand firmly as they walked back to the bar. Whenever he looked over at his mate he
could tell that his mind was a thousand miles away from him, and he didn’t like it one bit.
Moe unlocked the door and held it open for Rhys. He closed the door behind him and locked it again.
With Glenn in town Peyton would double and triple check the locks when they weren’t open, at the
time
Moe thought he was overreacting. Now he wasn’t so sure.
Rhys followed behind him as they made their way up the stairs to the second floor.
“I have something to tell you. You are not Mary’s father.” The sound of Peyton’s daytime soaps drifted
into the hallway. Moe knocked and heard the sounds of Peyton scrambling for the door. When it
swung
open, Peyton’s eyes were misty.
“So Connie turned out to be a slut after all, huh?” Moe asked, and handed him a to-go box. Peyton’s
head bobbed.
“I knew she had a thing going on with Derek. She is going to break Steve’s heart!” Peyton actually
looked worried for the fictional Steve.
“I bet she contracts a disease,” Rhys said. Peyton’s eyes widened.
“That would make sense! She has been complaining about her head hurting after the drug lord
kidnapped her.” Peyton looked deep in thought. Moe turned to look at Rhys, who winked up at him.
“Okay we’ll leave you to it. Enjoy lunch.” Moe waved.
Peyton just nodded absently and shut the door.
They didn’t say anything until they had made their way up the stairs and had firmly closed their door
behind them.
“Oh my God, he is too adorable.” Rhys laughed and collapsed on their bed. Moe put the boxes in
their
refrigerator and walked across the open studio apartment to the bed. He kicked off his shoes and lay
down
next to his mate.
“You don’t watch that show do you?” Moe asked.
“No, but if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. Lauri was addicted to soaps in the seventies, I
can’t
imagine they’ve changed all that much since then.” Rhys turned on his side to face him.
“You know I won’t let them near you, right?” Moe asked, as he watched a shadow cross Rhys’s
features.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Rhys wrapped his arms around himself.
Moe reached over and pulled him into his arms.
“I only hope that they give me a reason. I haven’t forgotten that Salsiby is partly responsible for
petitioning for your death.” Moe growled low and pulled Rhys flush against his body.
Rhys shuddered as their cocks rubbed against each other through their jeans. Moe breathed through
his
nose and tried to reign in his growing desire.
“Baby, I am holding on by a thread here, you’re going to have to tell me you’re not ready.” Moe ran
his
hand up and down Rhys’s back. Rhys looked up and with regret in his eyes scooted back away from
Moe.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to tease. I don’t think I’m ready. The moment I find release my body will
want blood, I can’t risk drinking directly from you. I need more time.” Rhys brought his arm up to
cover
his eyes.
Moe pulled Rhys’s arm down and leaned forward to pepper his face with kisses.
“I meant what I said. We’re going to take this at your pace. I’m not going to lie, I want you more than
my next breath, but I’m not willing to send you into a relapse for sex.” Moe pulled Rhys back into his
arms.
He was unwilling to let their bodies be separated, he had waited too long for them to be together.
“I’m sorry,” Rhys whispered.
“Hush, get some rest.” Moe rubbed up and down on Rhys’s arms, mimicking Rhys’s nervous gesture.
Slowly Rhys relaxed and fell asleep.
* * * *
The sound of glass breaking had Rhys turning to see Peyton frantically turning this way and that,
staring
at the floor. Rhys waved a concerned-looking Moe off and went over to help the smaller man.
Evening
came quicker than they had both liked and it was time to open the bar.
“Hey Peyton, need some help?” Rhys asked. He crouched down and started picking up shards of
glass.
“I swear I didn’t mean to!” Peyton pleaded. Rhys laid a calming hand on Peyton’s shoulder.
“I have an idea. How about I take over at the bar, and you can walk around and take orders?” Rhys
suggested. Peyton paused and looked over at Rhys.
“Are you sure? That would be amazing. I really suck at being a bartender. But I don’t want you getting
stuck doing it.” Peyton looked dejected.
“Peyton, before I came here I was a bartender at Purgatory. It’s what I do.” Rhys laughed at Peyton’s
hopeful expression. Was he really that bad at bartending? It caught him by surprise at how easy it was
to
laugh lately, being with Moe made all the difference in the world.
“Seriously? You mean I don’t have to do it anymore? Thank God!” Peyton practically sobbed. Rhys
wrapped an arm around the smaller shifter.
“Go put on an apron and see what people want. I’ll finish cleaning up here.” Rhys gave him a one-
armed hug and pushed him toward the open room. Peyton beamed at him, and Rhys was taken aback at
how utterly handsome he was.
“Yes, go ahead, Peyton.” Moe’s low voice moved through him. Peyton smiled again at Rhys and took
off like an over-caffeinated rabbit. Rhys grabbed the rest of the larger pieces of glass and stood. He
threw
them away and had just picked up the foxtail and dustpan when he realized Moe was still standing at
the
end of the bar. When he looked up, Moe’s gray eyes had darkened to an unreadable onyx.
It dawned on him that Moe was jealous. He couldn’t hide his satisfied smile if he tried. Moe’s
smoldering eyes and shadowed jaw coupled with the ink peeking out from his black tee shirt made
him
look dark and dangerous. God help him his man was so damn sexy right now. He put the foxtail and
dustpan down and sauntered over to Moe.
“Hey baby, you do know that you’re it for me, right?” Rhys looped his arms around the large man’s
waist. Moe took a deep breath and crushed him against his muscled frame.
“I’m sorry, it’s just we haven’t mated yet, and my monkey is going nuts.” Moe’s eyes widened when
he
realized what he said. Rhys couldn’t help the chuckle and slid his hand between their bodies to cup
his
mate’s bulging package. He saw Moe’s eyes practically cross as he dropped his head back on his
shoulders.
“I may not be ready for sex, but I won’t leave my mate in such a state. I’ll take care of your monkey,
baby.” Rhys stroked him through his jeans.
“Now? You’re ready now?” Moe looked down at him almost in tears. In the background Peyton fired
up the jukebox. Rhys winked.
“Now you have something to look forward to.” Rhys gave the impressive bulge one final squeeze and
stepped back.
“Heart—heartless.” Moe took deep breaths and reached down to readjust himself.
“Oh, Moe darling!” An older woman’s voice carried across the bar. Rhys nearly laughed out loud as
he
saw his mate’s “problem” quickly deflate. Moe turned to him.
“You wouldn’t want to serve some nice older ladies would you?” he asked. Rhys shook his head.
“Go get ‘em, lover.” He blew kisses at Moe and turned to finish cleaning up behind the bar before the
night crowd started.
“Coming, Ms. Tully!” Moe shook his head and walked to the other end of the bar.
Rhys looked around and smiled. He was behind a bar again, he felt like he had returned home. This he
could handle with his eyes closed and one hand tied behind his back.
He had just finished setting up behind the bar the way he liked it when he heard a throat clear.
“Excuse me, barkeep.”
Rhys turned around and smiled. Rian and Damian had taken seats at the bar.
“What can I get you, gentlemen?”
“Thank god, a real bartender,” Damian exclaimed.
“I love Peyton to death, but he couldn’t make a drink for shit. Where is his tweaky little self anyway?”
Rian asked.
Rhys pointed to where Peyton was chatting with Gina and Cecelia at a corner table.
“He’s much better suited as a waiter. He looks happier.” Damian nodded his approval.
“He reminds me of a guy I know from Purgatory. Micah was constantly dropping glassware, but
insisted
he wanted to be a bartender. Roman would damn near cry at the end of every month when we had to
shell
out money for more glasses.” Rhys laughed.
He looked over and Rian was watching him with a strange look on his face.
“What?”
“You look like you again. Maybe being in your natural ‘habitat’ helps.”
“He’s not a damn zoo animal, Ri!” Damian gave Rhys an apologetic look.
“God I need a decent drink.” Rian exhaled, pouting.
“Don’t worry, Rian, I have just the thing for you.” Rhys reached behind him and grabbed three bottles.
He poured a thick white liquor in the bottom of two shot glasses. Then he carefully layered a green
and blue
liquor, one on top of the other. When both drinks were done he scooted them over to Rian and
Damian.
They eyed the green and blue liquids in wonder.
“It’s so pretty, what is it?” Rian asked.
“My own secret mix. I call it ‘Underwater Blow Job’.” Rhys crossed his arms and waited.
“Now I have to try it.” Rian looked over at Damian and smirked. “Bottoms up.”
“Ass.” Damian shook his head.
“Exactly,” Rian leered before they both slammed the drink down. Looking astonished they glanced at
each other before turning to Rhys.
“I so want another one of those.” Damian picked his shot glass up and tried licking the liquid out of
the
bottom.
“Me too!” Rian swirled his finger around the bottom of his shot glass to get more of the thick Irish
cream.
Rhys laughed and poured them both another drink.
To his left he heard women’s laughter. He turned to see his mate flexing for the group of older women
and they were catcalling and cheering him on. Rhys laughed out loud at the spectacle.
“Leave me alone!” Peyton’s frantic voice had Rhys turning to see what was going on. While he had
been distracted ogling his mate, the wolf beta Glenn had come in and was harassing Peyton. He was
seated
at a booth and had a hand wrapped around Peyton’s upper arm. Gina and Cecelia looked scared. Rhys
bit
back a growl.
“Rhys, darlin’, can I get a cup of boiling water for some tea?” Rian asked, his usually playful eyes
serious. Grinning evilly, he went over to the hot water dispenser and filled an entire water glass full
of
extremely hot water.
“Here you go, Rian.”
“Thank you, darlin’.” Rian stood with the glass and walked over to the booth. Damian slid off the
barstool and quietly walked the long way about the bar so that he was standing behind the booth
unseen by
the wolf. Rian, however, made no efforts to hide. He swaggered right up to where Glenn was shaking
Peyton around like a puppet.
“Come on, you little slut. I know you must have missed me.” Glenn growled.
“Hey, Peyton, when are you coming by to take my order? Oops!” Rian acted like he tripped over one
of
the chairs and the tall glass of scalding hot water was flung into the beta’s face and completely
saturated the
man from eyebrow to groin.
The beta immediately released Peyton who ducked behind Rian and roared out his anger. He cocked
his
arm back to punch Rian when Damian shoved the long wooden booth, forward pinning the beta
between
the booth and the table.
“Oh. Sorry, didn’t see you there. I dropped a quarter and thought it would be under this booth, I didn’t
know you were sitting here.” Damian even managed to sound sorry.
Glenn shoved the seat back and squared off against Rian and Damian.
“I’m going to kill you!” he yelled.
Rian turned to Damian.
“That sounds like a death threat to me. Does that sound like a death threat to you?”
“Why yes it does. Ms. Tully, did that sound like a death threat to you ladies?” Damian asked, raising
his
voice.
“Yes it did, Damian dear.” Ms. Tully and the entire sewing circle glared daggers at the beta.
“I don’t need to call the Sheriff, do I?” Moe asked, moving to stand directly between Glenn and Rian
and Damian.
“No, I’m leaving. We can catch up later, Peyton,” he sneered. He pushed past Moe and left.
“What a D-bag!” Ms. Tully exclaimed.
“You can say that again Ms. Tully,” Rian agreed.
Rhys came from behind the bar to check on Peyton.
“Are you okay, Peyton?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m fine thanks to Rian and Damian.” He turned to the two lions.
“You guys were so badass!” he said excitedly. Peyton was staring at them with stars in his eyes.
Rian grinned and high-fived Damian.
“Come on, little man, we’ll tell you some of our college escapades.” Damian wrapped a brotherly
arm
around Peyton.
“When are they going to leave us alone?” Rhys asked turning to his mate.
“As soon as Salsiby realizes he doesn’t have a case.” Moe leaned down and kissed him on the cheek.
“How are you doing?” Moe frowned his concern.
“Tonight has been a good night, despite that asshole making a scene. I feel comfortable in my own
skin
for the first time in a long time.”
“See, Fate knew what she was doing. I own a bar and you’re a bartender. Perfect fit.”
“I don’t know what I did to earn her favor but I am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.” Rhys
stood on tiptoe to whisper into his mate’s ear.
“What time does the bar close?”
“2:00 a.m.,” was the whimpered response.
“See you a minute after two.” Rhys kissed the side of Moe’s neck and went back to the bar. When he
looked back over to where his mate stood he could almost see the wheels turning. Rhys smiled,
wondering
how his mate would get them to close early.
Game on.
* * * *
“I can’t believe you said we were doing a fire drill!” Rhys laughed as he helped close out the tills. It
had
taken his mate all of two minutes to announce loudly that they would be closing early for the night.
Ms.
Tully and the ladies had been extremely understanding and giggled as they filed out. Gina and Cecelia
waved good-bye, blushing. He and Moe managed to close the bar down in record time.
Rhys looked over at his mate who was wiping down the bar with the biggest smile on his face. He
pushed down a rising sense of panic. He could do this. He would do anything to make his mate happy.
Moe
finished up and threw the washcloth into the sink. When he looked up and saw Rhys’s face he froze.
“Baby?”
“I’m good, just nervous I guess. Which is crazy right? I mean it’s not like I’m a blushing virgin and
we’re mates.” Rhys knew he was babbling but couldn’t help it.
“First, I don’t want to hear about you with anyone else. To me you’re as pure as the newly driven
snow.” Rhys snorted. Moe ignored him.
“Second, yes we’re mates, but that doesn’t mean instant intimacy. It’s something we’re going to have
to
build together.” Moe walked over and simply took his hands.
“Let’s go to bed.”
Rhys nodded.
“Let’s go.”
Chapter 3
As they passed Peyton’s room the door flew open.
“See! I’m wearing earphones! Have fun!” Peyton yelled and then disappeared behind his shut door
again.
Rhys stunned looked over at Moe, who was grinning widely.
“I could kiss him right now,” Moe shook his head at Peyton’s antics. Rhys hissed and started to back
his
mate’s six-foot-eight body toward the stairs to their apartment.
“Mine!” Rhys hissed. Moe closed his eyes and shuddered.
“God yes, I’m yours.” He opened his eyes.
“Do you have any idea how sexy you are right now?”
Rhys didn’t say anything, he just stalked forward, moving his mate away from the younger, smaller
male to their apartment.
Once inside their apartment Rhys pounced, pushing Moe back onto their bed. He pushed his hips
forward and ground his rock-hard cock against his mate. They both moaned. Moe reached up and
pulled
Rhys’s head forward. Rhys couldn’t get enough of Moe’s tongue. They dueled back and forth as their
bodies thrust against each other. Without conscious thought his fangs descended and nicked Moe’s lip.
His
mate never even noticed in his lust-filled haze, but everything in Rhys shifted. That one small sip of
blood
changed everything. He straddled his mate and jerked his head to one side exposing the long muscular
column of Moe’s neck. Rhys leaned forward and at the last second realized what he was doing.
Breathing hard, Rhys sat back letting go of Moe’s head letting it roll back. Moe’s gray eyes looked at
him questioningly. Rhys knew that if he asked, Moe would give him every ounce of his blood and god
help
him, he may take it. Disgusted, he propelled himself backward. He flew across the room until his
back
slammed against the far wall. He allowed his body to slide down and wrapped his arms around his
legs.
Behind his eyelids he was back in the dark room. Every echoed sound teased and tortured him.
Was blood coming today? He was so hungry. He knew that the crazy fuck that held him killed the
people whose blood he fed from, but he didn’t care anymore. His throat burned. He felt like had
swallowed
pieces of glass his throat was so dry. He needed more. Why didn’t that psycho just kill someone
already?
Oh god! He didn’t mean that, but he needed blood so badly.
“Rhys?” He heard a voice above him. Was the man back to taunt him again?
“Rhys, baby, you’re scaring me. Open your eyes,” the familiar voice called to him again.
He looked up and hissed at the man to stay away. There was only sadness, no fear in those gray eyes.
“Come back to me, Rhys.”
Why couldn’t he just leave him alone! Rhys hissed low at the large man.
“You can’t leave me. I won’t let you. If you need my blood take it! Take every fucking drop, just don’t
leave me. I can’t be alone again. I won’t!” Rhys eyed the man suspiciously. Tears ran down his cheeks
in
steady streams.
“Please.” The deep voice broke as it pleaded.
“You have to come back. You’re my miracle.”
It was as if that single word held power over him. Miracle.
Gray eyes that smiled in kindness. Miracle.
Unconditional acceptance and support. Miracle.
His mate. His mate Moe, who had helped to nurse him back from the brink of hell.
Moe!
“Moe?” He gasped. The muscles in his throat constricted, demanding blood.
“I’m here, baby! I’m here. What do you need?” Moe asked, placing his hands on the tops of Rhys’s
feet.
“Blood. Hurry,” he croaked.
Moe didn’t ask for explanation or permission. He simply scooped him up as if he weighed nothing
and
ran down the stairs. He cleared the second floor and before Rhys could blink they were at the ground
level
and heading toward the back of the bar where his blood storage refrigerator stood. Moe shifted Rhys
so that
he was holding him on his hip with one arm and with the other flung the freezer door open.
He ran inside and simply grabbed a handful of medical donation bags. He put Rhys down on the
counter and grabbed a knife from a drawer. He punctured a bag and drained it into a glass. He put it in
the
microwave for a minute and turned back to face him.
“Hold on, baby, it’s coming.”
Rhys kept his eyes closed. In his head he was counting down. 59, 58, 57. Not nearly soon enough, the
microwave dinged, and Moe, heedless of the hot glass, handed him the warmed liquid. As he was
gulping
down the warm, thick liquid, he heard Moe put a second glass in the microwave. His body welcomed
the
rush the blood heralded, the fire in his veins. He upended the glass and used his tongue to capture
every
drop. A second ding, a second glass. It wasn’t until the sixth ding did that the rush subsided and his
mind
began to clear.
When he looked around he saw scattered blood-stained glasses. He looked down and to his horror he
had dripped blood down his chin and chest. His mate stood there, chest heaving, tears in his eyes. The
shame he felt threatened to destroy his humanity.
He covered his eyes, unable to face his mate. Anger consumed him.
“Why!” His ragged cry reverberated off of the stainless steel appliances.
“Why did this happen? Why me? What did I ever do to deserve this?” Each word came from his gut
and
burned his throat as he screamed. Moe simply stood there, silently waiting.
Rhys picked up the glasses and threw them against the walls. They shattered, covering the walls with
flecks of blood. When he ran out of glasses he reached for the chrome stools and hurled them across
the
room. He was reaching for the table when large hands pulled him against a hard body.
“No! No! I’m not your mate. You deserve someone who is whole. Get off me! Get away!” Rhys
struggled in Moe’s arms, trying to get away. He would move back in with the coven, lock himself
away to
keep Moe safe.
“Shut the fuck up,” the low voice growled.
The bass of the gravelly request had Rhys freezing mid-struggle.
In two steps Moe had him against the wall.
“You want blood? Fucking drink it! You want to break every glass in this bar? I’ll line them up for
you.
You want to redecorate our kitchen with a barstool be my guest, but if I ever hear you say you aren’t
my
mate I will shake the ever-loving shit out of you and claim you, whether you want it or not. You are
mine!
Every strand of your gorgeous blond hair, every muscle that hypnotizes me when I watch you move,
every
tear you cry, every smile, every fucking thing is mine!” Moe reached down and in one powerful jerk
ripped
Rhys’s pants down the front.
Before he knew what was happening, Moe lifted him in the air and with his large hands supporting
him
under his ass, his mate had him pinned against the wall, his groin at eye level. Before he could say a
word
of protest Moe swallowed his entire cock down. He bobbed up and down frantically, taking in every
inch.
Rhys moaned out loud. It had been so damn long since he had even come. The addiction had
overridden even his sex drive.
Moe came up off his cock and Rhys whimpered. Moe dipped back down and licked and nibbled his
balls as they rose up against his body. He was so damn close.
“Please.”
Moe stopped and looked up at him, meeting his lust-filled gaze from across his body.
“Please who?”
“Please, my mate.”
Moe roared loud enough that the vibrations shook his body. Moe shifted his hands and placed Rhys’s
legs over his shoulders. Using one hand to support his weight, his shoulders to pin him against the
wall,
Moe had freed his other hand. Using his saliva he slicked up his fingers. Seconds later the sensation
of one
of Moe’s large digits penetrating him as his mate’s throat convulsed around his cock was enough to
send
him to the sky.
“Moe!” He screamed and came harder than he had ever come in his life. Jets of semen erupted from
his
cock and shot down his mate’s eager throat. Slowly Moe pulled off of Rhys and eased him down the
wall.
Standing was beyond him. Just as his knees gave out Moe was there to lift him gently and hold him
close. He was spent. Mentally, emotionally, physically, sexually. Tears of regret for not being the mate
his
man needed mingled with the tears borne from the shame of his actions, and dripped down his face.
He was
unable to do more than just lay in his arms as Moe walked back up the stairs.
“I can suck cock, huh?” The outlandish question had Rhys struggling to sit up and turning in Moe’s
arms to look at his mate. Moe was grinning down at him. Rhys felt his mouth drop.
“I can’t believe you. I just totally lost it down there and that’s all you can say?” he demanded.
Moe stopped, thought about it for a second, and then with a megawatt smile said, “I love you.” Rhys’s
heart stopped. It was too much. Tonight had been too much. He sobbed into the broad chest of his
mate
uncontrollably.
“Shush, baby, I have you. And I’m never letting you go.”
Rhys was beyond speech. He felt Moe gently place him on their bed and strip off his blood-soaked
clothes. Minutes later a warm wash cloth caressed his skin in soft circles. When he was clean Moe
joined
him in their bed, spooning up behind him, holding him close.
“I love you too,” Rhys whispered, clutching Moe’s arm to his body tightly, afraid that if he let go he
would lose this godlike man.
“Just keep loving me. All I need is you.” He felt Moe’s warm breath on the back of his neck. He
nodded
before curling up and letting sleep take him.
* * * *
Rhys kept smiling shyly over at his mate the next day at breakfast. They held hands under the table at
the diner. Moe looked like the cat that ate the canary. Moe had woken up extra early to clean up the
kitchen
so Peyton wouldn’t freak out when he went down for his morning tea.
He really didn’t deserve this man. He yawned and sat up straighter, stretching his back.
“Thanks for watching Aidhan, Ma. Becca really needed the break,” Aleks said, kissing the top of his
son’s head.
“Oh my god, yes. Thank you, Ma!” Sebastian echoed. Ashby nodded.
Rhys smiled at the men. They looked exhausted.
“I had seven boys. Handling these three angels will be no trouble.” Ma bounced Aidhan on her hip
and
tickled Lucian.
“We are totally going to have some guy time, right?” Ashby asked Nic and Sebastian. They nodded.
“Yeah, we’re going to down some drinks, watch the ole boob tube and eat like pigs,” Nic said in a
gruff
voice.
“You mean you’re going to drink some of Gabriel’s best wine, watch reruns of Highlander and eat
cheesecake?” Felix asked.
Ashby giggled. “Yup.”
“Wish I could join you but I have an appointment with my mate’s cock,” Felix said urbanely.
“Felix, geez!” Sebastian slapped his friend’s shoulder.
“Just saying.” Felix shrugged. Maddox shook his head and sipped his coffee.
“Okay I don’t want to jinx us, but do you guys feel that?” Nic asked, rubbing his chest.
“No. I am ignoring it. I want my cheesecake!” Sebastian pouted.
“Is it Rebecca?” Aleks asked, reaching for his cell phone. He quickly dialed home.
“Hey, baby, you okay?”
“I feel okay, except a little funny, okay a lot funny, but then I’m kinda funny you know, haha.”
Rebecca’s ramble was strange even for her.
“Becca?”
“So did you know I can see sounds? They are like swimming itty bitty dots in my eyeballs. Some are
green. I like the blue ones.”
“Is she fucking high?” Rian asked, his eyes wide.
“I feel sad.” Ashby rubbed his eyes.
“Baby, are you sad?” Aleks demanded, clutching his cell phone.
“I’m not, but my chest is. Well, not the parts you licked earlier this morning, you know when you
wrapped your tongue around…”
“Becca!” Aleks blushed to his hairline.
“Well if you’re not talking about the happy outside parts, then yes it’s like my inside heart is sad.
Cool,
the green ones are whispering to me.”
“What the ever-loving fuck is wrong with her?” Felix looked concerned.
Nic’s phone rang. He looked down and answered immediately.
“Yeah Kate, we know something is wrong with Becca,” he said immediately.
“I am a horrible mother! Oh my god why did I think I could do this? I can’t do this! I can’t! There’s
four of them. Someone is always hungry or wet or crying. I don’t have enough time to cuddle them all!
I’m
not enough for my babies!” Kate’s frantic voice worked its way up in octaves.
“You are an amazing mother. It’s okay, Katie Bell,” Nic crooned into his phone.
“I don’t like the red ones! Fuck off, red!” Becca screamed.
Aleks gripped his gun.
“That’s it. Becca, what in the hell is going on over there?”
“Since my human body can’t even feed my own baby, I realized I could have coffee again. I made
myself a pot this morning.”
Aleks visibly relaxed.
“Thank god it’s just coffee.”
“Aleks,” Connor called from behind the counter.
“Becca, honey, why don’t you get some rest like we talked about?”
“No, I want more coffee-e-e-e-e.”
“Aleks!” Connor yelled slamming his hands on the counter.
Aleks covered up the mouthpiece of his phone with his hand.
“What!”
“Did you guys buy a coffee pot?” Connor asked, looking worried.
“No, we only have that thing you bought her for her birthday,” Aleks said and Connor’s face turned
from a sick panicked look to one of terror.
“Aleks, I bought her an espresso machine, it doesn’t make pots of coffee! How many espressos has
she
had?”
Aleks looked down at his phone as if it were a live snake.
“I should just die!” Kate sobbed into the phone. In the background they could hear Bran and Caleb
trying to calm her down.
“Stay the fuck away. Your penises did this. We’re never having sex again!” Kate screeched. Caleb
and
Bran were now frantically trying to soothe their mate.
“Becca, go upstairs and lie down, I’ll be there soon,” Aleks said as if he were talking to a ledge
jumper.
“No way! I have to defeat the Red ones. Die! Red! Die!” There was a pause.
“But if you’re coming home, can you stop and get me some cookies? Love you bye bye!” she said
sweetly, which added a whole dimension of scary to her color induced death rant. Then the line went
dead.
Kate had just dissolved into sobs, and Nic was sobbing right along with her.
Felix looked at Maddox, they sighed. Not saying a word they both stood and each placed a balled-up
fist
on their palms.
“One, two, three.” Maddox threw paper and Felix threw rock.
“Thank goodness. You get to deal with Rebecca.” Maddox let out a relieved sigh.
“I’ll trade you for a blow job,” Felix offered.
“It’s Rebecca.”
“Two blow jobs.” Felix held up two fingers.
“It’s an over-caffeinated Rebecca, who is hallucinating and possibly armed, as she tries to defeat the
color red!” Maddox exclaimed.
“Three blow jobs, a rim job and I’ll do that thing you like when I do you know what,” Felix
countered.
Maddox took a deep breath.
“Deal. But if I get shot you get tied up all weekend.” Felix’s eyes lit up.
“Aleks, does she have her gun with her?” he asked eagerly.
“I don’t know! Fuck!” Aleks looked like he was two seconds away from crushing his phone.
The sound of hands clapping together had everyone looking at Ashby.
“Okay people, here is what we’re going to do. Aleks, Maddox and I will head to the Arkadion Ranch.
We’ll do whatever it takes to get Rebecca back to normal.”
“Normal?” Rian snorted. Ashby glared at him.
“Nic, Sebastian, Felix, you three head to Kate and see what is wrong. It’s not like her to get
depressed.
That woman doesn’t know the meaning of ‘self doubt’.” Ashby bit his lower lip worriedly.
“You boys go and don’t worry about these little ones. I’ll call Gabriel, Kent and Liam later to pick
them
up,” Ma said, standing beside the car seats.
Rhys stood.
“What can we do to help?” Beside him Moe stood nodding.
“Moe, can you go to Kate? She likes you and always smiles at your nickname,” Ashby asked.
“Sure.”
“Rhys, you’re with us. We may need your vampiric speed to catch Rebecca and scrape her off the
darn
ceiling.” Ashby sounded exasperated.
Rhys turned to Moe.
“Have fun.”
“You too, don’t let Rebecca shoot you.” A smile twitched on Moe’s lips. Rhys leaned forward and
kissed his mate, surprising him. Moe leaned down and whispered.
“Love you.”
“Love you too.” Rhys brought Moe’s hand up and kissed his knuckles before heading out with Ashby,
Maddox and Aleks.
* * * *
“Dammit, Rebecca, I could be eating cheesecake right now!” Ashby said, sounding surly.
“I was winning, why did you take my coffee?” Rebecca demanded.
“Because you’re about to go into arrhythmia!” Maddox exclaimed.
“I didn’t want to have to do this.” Ashby turned to Maddox.
“Sedate her.”
Maddox looked over to Aleks who nodded.
“Maybe she can just sleep it off,” Aleks said. Rhys could see that the man was worried for his tiny
mate.
“There’s nothing wrong with me,” Rebecca protested, struggling in Aleks’s arms.
“You were trying to shoot red dots when we got here!” Ashby yelled.
That was when Rhys began to get concerned. This was not how his sweet prince normally behaved.
“Maddox,” he said in an urgent whisper.
“I know, I’ve noticed too.” He put the syringe away.
“I have a better idea. Rebecca, Ashby, I think the two of you need to go visit Kate. She sounded really
upset don’t you think? She could help you out with the colors, Rebecca,” Maddox said reasonably.
“I do want to make sure she’s okay,” Rebecca admitted.
They all piled into Aleks new Suburban and drove to the pack house.
“My breathing is funny,” Rebecca said from the passenger seat.
“That is because you drank enough caffeine to stun an army platoon. How you’re still standing and
conscious is a medical mystery.” Maddox shook his head.
They got to the pack house and Aleks didn’t even bother with knocking. By this time Rebecca had
turned morose and lethargic. Ashby was just weeping silently. Aleks kicked the door in and carried
Rebecca
inside. Rhys followed carrying his prince.
“Aleks, what in the hell is going on? Sebastian and Nic got here then all three of them started crying.”
Bran’s hair was sticking out at every angle as if he had pulled on it and it had stayed that way. Caleb
looked
worried sick.
“I don’t know but these two started to get that way when we hit the bottom of your driveway. Where
are
they?” Aleks asked, shifting Rebecca in his arms.
“Family room. We pushed the sofas and ottomans together to create a huge bed,” Caleb said, leading
the
way down the hall. He opened a heavy wooden door and the sounds of sniffling and crying could be
heard.
“Aleks, Rhys, just lay them down with the others,” Maddox advised. Aleks walked over and lay
Rebecca next to Kate and Rhys put Ashby next to Rebecca. All five wept and sniffled for about thirty
seconds before they all fell fast asleep curled around each other. Maddox motioned to Felix and Moe
and
the six men left the room closing the door behind them.
Just then one of the younger wolves came bounding down the hallway.
“Hey Alpha!” he called out, waving, oblivious to the day’s turmoil.
Maddox’s hand shot out and he grabbed the pup by the throat.
“Your Alpha, Alpha Mother and the Inner Court are in there asleep and exhausted. You wake them up
and I will eviscerate you,” Maddox threatened.
“Oh fuck that got me hard,” Felix moaned. Maddox released the young man who took off in the
opposite direction at a run, passing Riley and Logan as they walked up to them.
Riley Conrad glided toward them with the grace Rhys usually associated with one of the lions.
Despite
his lean build he was a beta to be reckoned with. His vicious fighting skills had kept more than one
would-
be troublemaker in line. As usual his brown hair was shaggy and cut at different lengths. Rhys could
imagine the man simply taking a pair of scissors to his hair and cutting it whenever it got in his way.
The
beta’s hazel eyes that were normally more jovial looked worried.
Beside him one of the pack’s enforcers moved silently next to his beta. Rhys had to admit he was
impressed. He had never seen a man his size move that silently unless he was a vampire. Logan
Tiernan
stood shoulder to shoulder with Caleb, putting him well over Bran’s six foot four inches. He
reminded Rhys
more of a bear than a wolf. Logan’s shoulders seemed to fill the hallway. Despite his size there
wasn’t an
ounce of fat on him. Like Moe, the man seemed to be made of pure muscle. His brown hair was
pulled
back into a ponytail and his brown eyes seemed to look past the group as if constantly evaluating the
threat
level.
Bran’s raised voice brought Rhys back to the discussion at hand.
“Doc, what’s wrong with them?” Bran demanded.
“It’s the Inner Court. Medical science goes out the window with them. But if I had to hazard a guess,
it
would be postpartum depression, times five. It threw Rebecca into a manic state and Kate into a
depressed
one. Rebecca’s case was exacerbated by the caffeine.” The men just stared at the doctor in a
confused,
dejected horror.
“Look at it this way, gentlemen. It will never be boring.” He turned to Bran and Caleb.
“I’d make up guest rooms for Gabriel, his guard, Liam and Kent plus a few lions. Looks like everyone
is crashing here tonight.”
“We’ll take care of that Alpha,” Riley said, motioning between himself and Logan. Bran nodded his
thanks.
Maddox turned to Aleks. “You might want to let your Ma know she’ll have the boys overnight.” Aleks
rubbed his hand over his face and grabbed his cell phone.
Rhys almost flinched with the doctor turned to him.
“Can you call Gabriel? He’ll be worried about Ashby.” Rhys winced. He was hoping he wouldn’t be
the
one to call his prince. He nodded.
“Sure.” He reached for his cell phone and dialed Gabriel’s direct number.
“Rhys? Is everything okay?” Gabriel’s concerned tone for him was warming.
“I’m fine, but Prince Ashby…” That was as far as he got.
“Where is Ashby?” The melodic voice turned dark.
“He’s at the pack house with the Inner Court, looks like they all got whammied by postpartum
depression and espressos. He’s sleeping it off with Rebecca and the others in the pack’s family
room,” Rhys
explained, and even though he witnessed the morning first hand it still sounded impossible to him.
“He’s sleeping?” Gabriel sounded relieved.
“Yes, out like a light.”
“I’ll be there soon. Where is Arthur?”
“Ma is watching him, Aidhan and Lucian for the night.”
“Gods bless that woman. Rhys, stay with Ashby until I get there.”
“Of course my prince.”
The line disconnected.
When he turned to face his mate he saw that Moe was leaning against the wall next to the family room
door acting as a guard.
“Crazy day huh?” Moe asked.
“You know, last night I felt like you deserved so much more. That I was destined to be a burden on
you
for all eternity.”
“Sounds like you changed your mind.”
“You have it better than Aleks. Even with my addiction.” Rhys smirked.
“Hey!” Aleks whispered harshly.
Moe simply covered his mouth and walked away. In the distance Rhys heard the faint sounds of
booming laughter. Felix simply cackled lowly, leaning against Maddox whose mouth was twitching.
Best. Morning. Ever.
Chapter 4
In the end they caught a ride back to town with Felix and Maddox since Felix had driven his group to
the pack house in the brand new car that Maddox had gotten him for Christmas. Rhys looked down at
his
fingers intertwined with Moe’s. He had been able to joke about his addiction at the pack house, but he
hadn’t really meant it. The memories of the other night still haunted him.
“What the hell!” Felix’s startled voice had him looking out the window. They had parked alongside
the
clinic facing the bar. Even from this distance he could see a crowd of people standing around the bar
entrance. They didn’t open for hours, so this couldn’t be good.
“Peyton,” Moe whispered, frowning. Rhys felt nothing but dread. They both opened their doors and
took off down the street toward the bar. Rhys could hear Maddox behind him, yelling for Felix to
bring his
bag.
Pushing people aside, both he and Moe stepped into the small semicircle created by the crowd of
onlookers. In the center of that crowd were none other than David and Daniel, looking more pissed
off
than Rhys had ever seen them in the hundred plus years he had known them.
At their feet lay a broken and bloody man. It took a second to realize due to the facial swelling, that
the
man was Alpha Devon’s beta, Glenn. The only way Rhys knew he was still alive was the rapid rise
and fall
of the man’s chest as he glared up at the twins. Behind them Finn Arkadion had a brotherly arm
wrapped
around Peyton who looked like he was in shock.
“Who is the big man now?” Daniel pulled his foot back and kicked the beta in the face sending blood
splatter flying. Both of the twin’s eyes were burning scarlet as they circled the wolf menacingly. Their
eyes
coupled with their red hair had the twins looking downright demonic. Holy shit! What had this guy
done to
truly piss them off?
“Thought you could take us since we were smaller, didn’t you? You weren’t counting on vampiric
speed. You came after Peyton knowing the leaders were preoccupied with the Inner Court.” David
kicked
the beta in the stomach sending the man rolling in the dust.
“Our leaders aren’t the only ones who defend this town. Maybe next time you’ll remember that before
you try to rape someone in Arkadia!” Daniel kicked again, this time aiming between the larger man’s
legs.
As his foot connected every man in the semicircle grimaced, especially since the kick was so
powerful it
shoved the beta backward five feet. David was about to take his turn and kick again when Maddox
stepped
forward.
“I completely empathize and wholeheartedly agree with what you’re doing, but much more and it will
cease to be self-defense.” He spoke in low tones, even with his vampiric hearing Rhys nearly missed
what
the doctor had said.
David growled and spit on the beta. Daniel did the same and they both went to Peyton. Finn
relinquished his place at Peyton’s side and walked over to Maddox.
“I got a panicked phone call from Peyton, Glenn was breaking into the bar. Since Moe and I are close
friends he gave Peyton my number as an emergency contact in case something happened. By the time I
got
here David and Daniel had just thrown him through the window and were following him out onto the
sidewalk.” Finn jerked his head, indicating the large gaping hole in what was once one of the bar’s
large
front windows.
“Sorry about that Moe. Gabriel will pay for the window and the door,” David offered.
Door? Rhys and Moe looked at the door. At first glance neither one of them could see anything wrong,
but upon closer inspection they could see large protruding dents in the door’s metal. Moe and Rhys
turned
to look at David at the same time. He shrugged.
“We couldn’t throw him through the door, we did try though.”
“Yeah we did try the door a couple times,” Daniel confirmed.
“It’s a steel door. I thought I’d be safe with a steel door since I just had to replace the glass ones
Duncan
and Emmett broke.” Moe sighed. Rhys was impressed that the doorjamb hadn’t given way first.
David and Daniel shrugged.
“Hey, people,” Duncan said, stepping into the circle.
“Duncan, we need to ban this piece of shit.” Finn growled low. At the sound of his brother’s anger
Duncan’s eyes shifted. They changed from green to the emotionless, glass-like black of his bear.
“What did he do?”
“He tried to rape Peyton,” Finn explained.
“That is pure hearsay! I demand you let him go.” Salsiby’s whiny voice rose above the crowd
seconds
before he popped through the bodies to go to the wolf beta.
“Those monsters attacked him in an unprovoked sign of aggression!”
“How many eyewitnesses?” Duncan asked.
“David and I saw the attack, thank god we were on our way here to visit Rhys. Finn wouldn’t have
been in time.” Daniel’s eyes still blazed red.
“Monster!” Salsiby screeched at Daniel.
“Those boys aren’t monsters! Any man who would rape is the true monster!” Miranda shouted. The
clothing store owner wasn’t the only townsperson to have a change of heart where the twins were
concerned. They were the town’s darlings, having wormed their way into the shifter’s hearts with
their
crazy antics. Miranda had come a long way from the time she had refused to be served by them at
Sweet
Nothings.
“Get rid of him!”
“We don’t need his kind around here!” The voices of the other townspeople shouted out their
condemnation.
“Two witnesses are enough to be banned. Finn, can you help me drag his ass to the perimeter? I have
some rope in my truck.” Duncan grinned at his younger brother.
“You can’t mean to drag him with your truck, it’s not humane!” Salsiby protested. Finn’s head swung
around and the look he gave him had the man stepping back. Rhys had to avert his eyes, he had never
seen
a more murderous expression.
“Neither is he.” Finn growled low.
“Damn, you learned ‘The Look’ from Pa. I’m jealous.” Duncan bent over and grabbed Glenn by the
ankle.
“Hey, Salsiby, I heard you were impressed with my shifting abilities,” Felix said, stepping forward.
He
removed his coat and pulled his sweater sleeve up to reveal his forearm. Slowly the pale skin turned
to dark
green scales.
“I’m going to the council!” Salsiby threatened before he turned and fled, stumbling away from Finn’s
dark gaze and Felix’s demonstration.
“Man, I love you like a brother, but damn. I hope you never look at the kids like that.” Moe shook his
head. Instantly Finn’s expression cleared. His eyes danced with humor.
“Only the teenagers, and only when they are doing something where they would get hurt.” Rhys
shuddered.
“Come on, Finn, we have to take the trash out.” Duncan began walking, dragging the slightly
struggling
form of the wolf behind him.
“Try to avoid pavement if you can. We don’t want him looking too bloody when he goes before
council,” Maddox suggested. Duncan stopped and turned to Maddox pouting.
“Aww, Doc, you’re taking all the fun out of it.”
Maddox sighed and looked heavenward as if asking for help.
“I don’t know how his mother did it.”
“Can we please fuck now?” Felix demanded, his hands on his hips.
“Come on, Trouble, I seem to recall that you owe me.” Maddox’s grin turned feral. Felix shivered.
“Hell yeah! Later, peeps, I have a cock calling my name.”
“Felix!” Maddox exclaimed, embarrassed. He followed the redhead down the street back to the clinic
clearly admiring the view of his mate’s ass swinging back and forth.
Laughing, Finn turned to where Peyton stood with the twins.
“Peyton, I’m honored that you called. I wish I could have gotten here quicker.” Finn ruffled Peyton’s
hair and followed his older brother toward the truck to help him with the struggling wolf.
“Now Peyton, honey, you don’t have to be afraid. You are family. If anyone tries to hurt you again, you
just coming running to my store. I may be smaller and weaker than most shifters, but I have a double-
barrel
shotgun behind the counter.” Miranda gave the startled man a hug before patting both David and
Daniel on
the head. She turned and shooed the onlookers away.
“You can also come to me. I’m right across the street. I would have loved to lay into that guy.” Brice
Marshall stepped forward cracking his knuckles. The large man always managed to look comfortable
in his
three-piece suit, despite having the build of a linebacker. Rhys had met the accountant on one of his
trips to
Moe’s in the month leading up to his moving in. He was the only rhinoceros shifter he had ever met in
his
centuries as a vampire. Even though Brice was in his prime, the man had a headful of silver, not gray,
hair.
It gave him a sophisticated look without making him look old. His gray eyes were gentle when
speaking to
Peyton, but Rhys would bet that even though he had a sedate accounting job, this man knew how to
fight.
“I don’t, I mean I couldn’t,” Peyton stammered, hiding his face in Daniel’s back.
“I know we haven’t said much to each other, only wave from across the street. But you can come to
me
if you need anything.” Brice’s voice was soft and non-threatening.
Peyton nodded and peeked out shyly from behind Daniel.
“Good work on that asshole.” Brice nodded to the twins and he too walked back to his office.
“Come on squirt, we brought our Xbox from home. We’re going to beg Rhys to play, you can join us,”
David offered.
“I’ve never played before,” Peyton whispered.
Daniel grabbed his chest as if faking a heart attack.
“Say it ain’t so!”
Peyton giggled.
“David, get the Xbox, stat!” David ran to where their car was parked outside the bar. He reached into
the
back seat and pulled out a box holding the gaming console, controllers and wires and returned to
where
Daniel stood.
“Peyton, this is an Xbox. It was created by god to ensure that men would not lose their minds from
boredom,” Daniel began. Peyton’s eyes widened.
“Like soap operas?”
Daniel looked startled but rolled with it.
“Sure, like soap operas. Let’s hook this baby up and we will indoctrinate you in the bloody warfare
of
Call of Duty.” Daniel grinned and all three turned to head into the bar.
Rhys cleared his throat. His mate was kind enough to let the broken window slide, but he wasn’t
about
to let the twins play games while his mate cleaned up the mess.
“David, Daniel, I know that you weren’t going to start playing games before you cleaned up the glass
and helped Moe set the bar to rights.” Rhys crossed his arms and thumped his fingers across the
muscles of
his forearm.
David and Daniel’s faces immediately turned to pouts.
“Rhys, I can…” Moe started. Rhys shook his head.
“Can we just hook up the Xbox first, for Peyton?” Daniel asked with puppy dog eyes.
“No, because then that will turn into getting it hooked up to the internet, then getting his account set up.
By that time Moe will have everything done. No. Help clean up first, then play.”
The twins exhaled.
“Yes, Rhys.” They sighed and trudged inside.
“And don’t think for a second that you’re using my profile for Peyton to learn on, my stats are better
than yours,” Rhys called after them.
“Awww man!” The twins groaned. Rhys chuckled. He knew what they had been up to. Trying to let
Peyton use his profile to lower his kill count? He didn’t think so.
“Come on, let’s go take a nap while the boys clean up.” Moe yawned. Rhys tried to hold back a yawn
and failed. He too was normally asleep this time of day. Both of them had sacrificed sleep to help
Rebecca
and his prince.
“Sounds good.” Hand in hand they stepped past the wolf-dented door and headed upstairs.
* * * *
“I’ve never seen the twins so angry before.” Rhys kicked off his shoes and flung himself on the bed.
“Never?” Moe asked, also toeing off his shoes and climbing onto the bed next to Rhys.
“In the coven, they are like everyone’s little brothers, there was always someone bigger, stronger,
faster
or older to defend them. Since you’re my mate, you are considered a member of the coven. They view
Peyton as your family so Peyton has become a coven member too. I think when David and Daniel saw
Peyton being abused, suddenly they were the older brothers.” Rhys smiled. It was nice to know that
they
had learned how to be big brothers from him and the rest of the coven.
“They didn’t do anything I wouldn’t have done. In fact it may have been a blessing they got to him
first.
I would have killed him.”
Rhys laid a hand on his mate’s broad chest. He was growling and it rumbled under his fingers.
“He’s gone now and can’t hurt us or try and influence the council anymore.” Rhys let out a relieved
sigh.
“Maybe now our lives can calm down.” Moe yawned. Rhys snuggled close to Moe’s warmth.
Somehow
he didn’t think that calm would ever be a word to describe their lives, not in Arkadia, anyway.
* * * *
Rhys dried a shot glass as he watched David and Daniel yell and bounce around Peyton. They had set
up the Xbox on the largest sports TV in the bar. Moe had just shrugged and started to stock the bar for
the
night. His mate was such a softie. At first Duncan and Emmett had grumbled since their favorite
football
team was playing, but before Rhys knew it they had grabbed controllers and joined in the fun.
Peyton had blown David and Daniel away. He was a natural. His tiny fingers manipulated the
controller
with the skill of a lifetime gamer. Rhys had caught Daniel looking at Peyton from the corner of his
eye, as if
he were trying to determine if the smaller man was hustling them. But the radiant joy on Peyton’s face
was
too genuine to fake.
“Peyton, over there, you take the boarded window!” Emmett yelled.
“Got it!” Peyton bounced in his chair, moving his arms around as if he were the one shooting the gun.
They were playing zombie mode. Rhys was surprised that the zombies hadn’t freaked Peyton out. So
far
he looked like he was having the time of his life.
“And that is how you do that!” Emmett jumped up, faked spiking his controller, and did a victory
dance. Peyton hopped up and started dancing too imitating Emmett.
“So this is what it’s like to have a little brother?” Emmett smiled at Peyton, who halted his dance and
looked up at the bear, surprised.
“Don’t you have two little brothers?” he asked. Duncan snorted.
“They don’t count. Finn has always been a fifty-year-old man, such a serious bookworm. Gavin was
born a sarcastic, introverted little shit. I love my brothers, don’t get me wrong, I would kill for them,
but
they aren’t adorable, awesome gamers like you. You listen when I give you advice and know how to
have
fun.” Duncan ruffled Peyton’s hair.
“Let’s adopt him!” Emmett said suddenly.
“No way! We have first dibs.” David shook his finger at Emmett.
“Come on.” Duncan pouted.
“You all can be my brothers,” Peyton said shyly, then looked over to where Moe was putting bottles
on
the top shelf.
“After Moe,” he whispered, as if he was afraid of Moe’s reaction. Moe looked over at Peyton and
winked.
“You all can borrow Peyton when you need little brother time, but he’s my little brother.” Moe’s
voice
was neutral but firm. He let the others know that Peyton was under his protection.
Rhys heard a sniffle to his right. Rian and Damian were dabbing at their eyes.
“That was just beautiful.” Damian blew his nose.
“They make the perfect big brother, little brother combination.” Rian sighed.
Peyton was beaming at the room. Rhys was pretty sure that this was probably the most affection the
small man had ever seen. As they others returned to their game. Rhys turned to Rian and Damian.
“If I didn’t know you two better, I would say you were alcoholics. What are you doing back here?”
Rian shuddered and looked up at him.
“Liam and Kent lost their damn minds when Sebastian passed out at Kate’s. Liam was a grouchy
asshole
and Kent just kept pacing back and forth. I had to kick them out. Once they left with Beau and Kaden,
the
house seemed kinda empty so we came here to hang out with Peyton and check up on him.” Rian
looked
over the drink menu. Rhys rolled his eyes and plucked the menu from his hand and placed it on the
bar. He
turned to mix up a Tom Collins for Rian, and he started an Amaretto Sour for Damian. When he was
done
he slid the glasses over to them. They smiled and picked up their drinks. After the first sips both men
looked pleasantly surprised.
“How did you know what I wanted?” Rian asked. “I didn’t even know what I wanted.”
Rhys smiled. “I’ve been a bartender for a very, very long time.”
“This is amazing, I have never even had one of these, what is it?” Damian taking another drink.
“Amaretto Sour. You both like sweet things, but you never get sweet tea or milkshakes. So I figured
sour drinks would suit you better.” Rhys shrugged.
“Pure genius.” Rian sighed happily.
“Hey Rhys, what would I be?” Emmett asked.
“Guinness.” Emmett looked surprised.
“Me?” Duncan pointed to his chest.
“Boilermaker, because you always have to outdo your younger twin.” Rhys laughed at Duncan’s
shocked expression.
“Us?” David and Daniel looked eager to hear his response.
“Shirley Temples. I know better than to give you two alcohol.” They laughed.
“Me?” Peyton asked quietly.
“Pina Colada. Something tropical and sweet.”
“Wow, that sounds good.” Peyton nodded.
“How about me, my mate?” Moe whispered from behind him. Rhys shivered.
“Single-malt scotch.” Rhys swallowed hard at the heated look Moe was giving him.
“Someone hose these two off, lord have mercy.” Rian whistled using the drink menu to fan them.
Rhys’s felt his cheeks catch fire. He shook his head. He hadn’t blushed as much in the last two
centuries as
he had in the past couple days with his mate. Moe chuckled and moved on to continue stocking.
“What about us, Rhys?” Gina called from the table where she sat with Cecelia.
Rhys brought his hand to his chin and looked the two young women over.
“Gina, you’re a dry white wine. I think people expect you to be sweet because you’re so cute, but you
have a dry sense of humor.” Cecelia giggled and nodded at her friend. Rhys looked at the quieter of
the two
and shook his head surprised.
“Cecelia, darling, you’re a Blue Motherfucker.” Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at
the
woman.
“What on earth is that?” Gina asked.
“It’s super sweet and tangy. Blue Curacao, 7 Up and Sweet and Sour mix is like candy in your mouth.
It’s so sweet you’re not expecting what happens next.” Rhys paused for dramatic effect. Everyone
leaned
forward a bit.
“Then wham! The vodka, gin, rum and tequila sneak up and fuck you up. Yup darling, that is most
definitely you. Sweetness personified, but I would never want to get on your bad side.” Rhys winked.
Cecelia was blushing furiously.
“Okay, I feel better with you going out of town after hearing that. I mean I know you can take care of
yourself, but it’s nice to hear that someone else can see it too.” Gina breathed a sigh of relief.
“Where you going, Cecelia?” Rian asked.
“Brighton. My friend Connie is celebrating her mating. They have chosen to combine their celebration
with the Community party. Because of the Drainers, Brighton has elected an Alpha, and everyone is
moving
in closer together to form like a neighborhood watch. They have purchased an old turn-of-the-century
apartment building that they are renovating. She showed me pictures. The architecture is gorgeous, but
it
needs a lot of work.” Cecelia’s voice was quiet but clear.
“How do you elect an Alpha?” Damian asked confusion on his face. Cecelia shrugged.
“She said that the group dominants couldn’t agree on whom to put in charge. The wolves wanted their
Alpha, the lions wanted theirs. It was chaos until a large biker group stopped in town. They showed
up at
the council room to ask for permission to stay a few days and walked into an argument of epic
proportions.”
“The biker group is evidently a mixed bag, shifters of all kinds and their Alpha is a hybrid. He
walked
in, shouted everyone down, took charge of the meeting so he could get permission for his group. The
Alphas right then and there offered him the position. As a hybrid he owed no group any allegiance or
favor.
So the man walked in asking for a place to stay a few nights and walked out the Alpha of the largest
community of shifters outside of Arkadia.”
“Connie steers clear of them. Her mate is beta to the town’s wolf Alpha. He has butt heads with the
biker Alpha. Connie thinks it’s male posturing, she says that the hybrid Alpha has taken protecting
everyone
very seriously. He said that if he is responsible for their safety then he wants everyone under one
roof.” She
shook her head at the thought.
“Lions and tigers and bears oh my,” Duncan quipped.
“I don’t see that working.” Emmett shook his head.
Peyton frowned.
“Why not? We do it here.” Everyone stopped and thought about it.
“You’re right, Peyton. We do, don’t we?” Rian smiled.
“I think that they are modeling themselves after Arkadia and what our Alpha Mother has created,”
Cecelia offered.
“They don’t have a Rebecca though,” Damian said.
“Thank god for that. Can you imagine two of them?” Rian laughed.
The bar door opened and two unfamiliar women walked in. They looked around hesitantly before
walking up to Rian and Damian.
“Oh my goodness, you haven’t changed at all.” The dark-haired girl covered her mouth with both
hands, her eyes watering as she stared at Rian. The other young woman bore a striking resemblance to
Damian. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
Rian and Damian just stared at the two women.
“Rian, I didn’t know you swung that way,” David said.
“Rian, are you the baby daddy?” Peyton asked, staring at him. Rian turned to Peyton, his mouth
dropping.
“What? No!” he turned back around to the woman.
“Do I know you?” he demanded.
“Ri?” she whispered.
“Oh my god, Asling?” Rhys watched as dawning recognition filled Rian’s eyes before he jumped
down
and swung the woman in his arms.
“Bethany?” Damian whispered. The auburn-haired girl collapsed against Damian, crying her eyes out.
“Are you two okay? Are you hurt? What are you doing here?” Rian ran his hands over the woman’s
hair.
Everyone stood around dumbfounded.
“Okay, boys, let’s get these pretty girls a seat. It looks like they need it.” Moe’s warm voice carried
over
the sound of the girl’s tears. Almost relieved with a clear direction in which to follow, Duncan,
Emmett,
David and Daniel helped move the four of them to a table. The girls clung desperately to Rian and
Damian.
“Why are you here? Is everything okay?” Damian asked. He had pulled the woman onto his lap and
was
rubbing her back soothingly.
“We saw the council newsletter, w–w–we hoped we could come home.” The woman Damian had
called
Bethany sobbed.
“We’ve been driving since yesterday. We went to the pride house first and they told us you were here.
We had a huge fight with Mom and Dad. They lied to us, Riri, they told all the kids that you didn’t
want us
here, that we weren’t welcome because you, Damian, and Liam wanted a carefree life.” The dark-
haired girl
wiped her eyes dry and she sniffled loudly. She took a deep breath and looked up at Rian, whose eyes
were
still streaming tears. She used her sleeve to dry his eyes.
“I’ve missed you so much, big brother,” she whispered. Rian just pulled her into his arms and started
rocking them side to side.
“I waited. Every year I waited for you all to come home.” Rian cried.
“We know now. We saw our stockings, those silly stockings you helped us to make. I knew the second
that I saw them that Mom and Dad had lied. You never forgot about us. I knew you wouldn’t, I just
knew
you wouldn’t.” Asling buried her face into her brother’s chest.
“They are your sisters?” Rhys asked, though now looking at the women, he could clearly see the
family
resemblance.
“Welcome home, Bethy,” Gina said, wiping her eyes. Cecelia’s eyes were bright with unshed tears.
“We can stay can’t we? We can’t go back, we can’t!” Bethy said, sounding close to hysterical.
“What happened, Bethy?” Damian’s voice was gentle but his eyes had hardened.
“When we confronted Mom and Dad, the car was still packed from coming home from school. We
both
graduated from LSU this December. We didn’t really want to move back into the family home and was
debating getting our own apartment, so we hadn’t unpacked yet. Mr. Prescott tried to keep Bethy from
returning. There was talk about an arranged marriage. He may get use of his arm back. Eventually.”
Asling
sniffed.
“That’s my girl.” Rian smiled and kissed her forehead.
“They still have Dylan. They won’t let him out of the house for fear that he would return to Arkadia.”
Bethy wiped her eyes with one of the bar’s napkins.
“We need Liam,” Damian said, looking over at Rian desperation in his eyes.
“I’ll call him.” Rian pulled out his phone, stood up, and let Asling take his seat.
“They’ve joined NOAH, Damian, the entire pride. I swear they are all fucking nuts,” Asling said.
“Asling, language,” Rian said, pulling the phone away.
“Sorry, Riri.” She smiled at him, he smiled back. His attention was diverted when a familiar voice
came
on the line.
“Hey, what’s up?” Liam greeted him.
“They fucking lied! They fucking lied to all the kids and they kept my baby sister from me! I’ll kill
them, I swear I will Liam,” Rian ranted. Damian sighed. Bethy stared and Asling giggled. Rian began
to
pace.
“Rian, who?” Liam asked before Rian interrupted him.
“They told them we didn’t want them. All of those years lost because of those bigoted fucks! They
joined NOAH and they’re probably brainwashing all the other kids too!”
“Rian…”
“They saw the newsletter, Liam. They saw their stockings and knew that we still thought of them.
They’ve come home!” Rian started sniffling.
“Rian, I swear to all that is holy if you don’t tell me what the fuck is going on I’m going to have
Sebastian bite your ass! Now calm down and make some damn sense,” Liam roared into the phone.
“Our asshole parents told our brothers and sisters we didn’t want them living in the Lewenhart pride
because they would infringe on our carefree lifestyle. They have joined NOAH and they are holding
Dylan
hostage!” Rian shouted.
Rhys looked over. Peyton was watching the entire scene while his hand dipped into the table’s bowl
of
chips. He looked as though he were watching one of his soap operas. Duncan was on his cell phone
talking
quickly. Rhys would bet money that it was with his ma.
“They have Dylan? He wants to come home?” Liam asked sharply.
“Yes, Liam. We were already packed, we couldn’t get him out,” Bethy said.
“Bethy, is that you?” Liam asked, his voice softening.
“It’s me, LeeLee,” she said.
“God, I forgot that you used to call me that. Don’t worry about your brother. We are bringing him
home. If he wants to transfer prides there isn’t a damn thing they can do about it,” Liam said, his voice
sounding harsh.
“We knew you would help us,” Asling whispered.
“Of course, baby doll. You, Bethy and Dylan were our little shadows.” Liam laughed.
“We hoped, but we didn’t know if you really wanted us here.” Bethy sighed, exhausted from crying.
She laid her head on her brother’s shoulder.
“I’m hanging up and calling Lachlan now. Girls, no more talk about not being welcome, or I’ll put you
over my knee,” Liam threatened, though everyone listening knew it was an empty threat. It was proved
two
seconds later when both women giggled.
“I am Alpha you know.” They giggled again.
“I get absolutely no respect,” Liam said, but Rhys could hear the smile in his voice.
“See you girls in the morning.” Liam hung up.
“Now, let’s head home. I have so much to show you,” Rian said, sounding excited.
The four got up and waved good night. When the door shut. Emmett let out a deep breath.
“Damn those girls grew up pretty.” He was still smiling when Rian popped his head back in.
“I heard that. Paws off, bear.” Rian hissed and left again. Emmett gulped.
“Rian is going to have his hands full. Those two women are lovely,” Rhys said, grinning.
“Makes me glad I don’t have any sisters. Brothers are a lot easier to deal with.” Duncan punched
Emmett in the arm.
“Ma said she would be working with Lachlan to get any more family members transferred to Arkadia
that request it,” Duncan said.
“How long were they gone?” Peyton asked.
“Fifteen years. The entire pride moved fifteen years ago. Bethy and Asling were about six at the time.
Those girls worshipped their brothers. They must have been heartbroken all this time.” Emmett’s eyes
hardened.
“Rian was devastated when they left. He was fifteen when Asling was born. He was both mother and
father to her before he left for college. Damian was the same with Bethy. A year later Dylan was
born. It
was nothing to see Rian walking around town, hanging out with a baby on his hip.” Duncan laughed.
“I learned how to change diapers from helping to watch Bethy and Asling. I can’t wait to see Gavin’s
reaction to them moving back to town.” Emmett smiled at the memory.
“All of us helped to raise those kids, But Gavin was closest in age to them. Asling, Bethy, Cecelia
and
Gina haunted his every step.” Duncan laughed.
“He’s just so easy to tease.” Cecelia admitted.
“When they left, all of us missed them so much. I once heard Ma on the phone asking them to come
back.” Duncan shook his head.
“They’re home now. Soon we’ll have baby Dylan back too.” Emmett grinned.
“He’s not a baby anymore, he’s what…?” Duncan counted on his fingers and looked up at the ceiling.
“Twenty? That can’t be right. Baby Dylan is almost old enough to drink legally?” Duncan looked a
little
spooked.
“Man, we’re getting old.” Emmett sighed. Rhys, David and Daniel laughed out loud.
“We have you beat.” Daniel cackled. Emmett brightened.
“That’s right! I don’t feel so bad now. I’m just a young man in my prime.” He puffed out his chest.
“Come on, guys. One more round and then we’re heading home,” Daniel said, waving a controller.
“Yes!” Peyton jumped up and ran over to his chair and picked up the controller.
David looked at Daniel.
“I think we’ve created a monster.” Daniel nodded. David jerked his head over to the Xbox and raised
an
eyebrow. Daniel nodded. Rhys felt his heart melt. He knew what they were about to do and he loved
them
more for it.
“Hey Peyton, is it okay if we leave this here with you?” David asked. Peyton looked at David as if he
had lost his mind.
“Don’t you need it?” Peyton asked. Daniel shook his head.
“Nah, we have another one at home. You keep this one and practice. We can log in from the coven
house and we can play together. We could really use you on our team,” Daniel explained.
Peyton looked over to Moe, his huge liquid brown eyes begging. Rhys had to turn his head to hide his
grin. As if his softie of a mate would say no.
“You know, Peyton, this might actually be good for business. Looks like everyone had fun tonight.”
Moe indicated Duncan and Emmett.
“We sure did. It’s hard to find good players anymore,” Duncan said.
“That would be so cool!” Peyton put the headset on and beamed at Daniel. Rhys almost laughed when
Daniel had to clear his throat. The little vampire’s eyes had begun to get teary.
“Okay men. Time to kill shit.” David grinned at Peyton bumping shoulders with his brother.
“Let’s kill some fucking zombies!” Peyton exclaimed. David, Daniel, Emmett and Duncan’s eyes
widened and they busted out laughing.
“Y’all are a bad influence.” Rhys laughed.
“We know,” they said together.
“God help us from the twins,” Rhys said. The four men looked at each other.
“Which set?” Emmett asked.
“All of you.”
“You do know we have two more sets coming up in the ranks. Landon, Lucas, Matthew and Merrick,”
Duncan offered.
“There goes Arkadia,” Moe said, wiping down tables, a smile on his face.
“Rock on!” Emmett said.
Chapter 5
“Peyton, don’t stay up too late.” Moe yelled as he and Rhys walked up the stairs to their apartment.
“I won’t!” Peyton called back.
“He so will.” Rhys smiled. Moe nodded.
“I know, but he’s having fun with friends. It may be a first for him. I’ll just make sure I have extra
coffee for him in the morning.” Moe chuckled.
They reached the top of the stairs and Moe opened the door for his mate. Rhys smiled and stood on
tiptoe. He kissed him softly then headed to the bathroom. Moe couldn’t keep the grin off his face if he
tried.
He went over to the bed and pulled the covers down. He was about to head to the kitchen to make a
cup of
tea when he smelled blood. He took another deep breath and the scent remained.
He walked over to the bathroom and the scent got stronger.
“Rhys, you okay in there?” he asked.
“Yup, fine.”
“I smell blood.”
“Nicked myself shaving.”
“Oh, okay.” Moe started to walk away but something kept him rooted by the door. The scent was too
strong for a shaving nick. Without asking for permission he opened the door. What he saw nearly
drove
him to his knees. His beautiful mate had a straight razor out and was making horizontal cuts across his
forearm.
“Baby, no!” Moe raced forward, grabbed a towel, and laid it across the blood-smeared arm.
“Don’t look!” Rhys cried out, his face a mask of shame.
“Why, baby? Why?” Moe applied pressure with the towel to get the bleeding to stop. Rhys just shook
his head, unable to answer.
“Do you want to hurt yourself?” Moe asked, desperate to understand. Rhys shook his head frantically.
“It feels good, it’s like I’m letting out all the bad blood that I was forced to drink. I know in my mind
that it left my body months ago, but when I see the blood drip, it’s like the addiction lessens.” Rhys
wiped
his eyes with his free hand.
Moe took a deep breath. He knew better than to tell him not to do it again or that it wasn’t helping.
Because he knew that in Rhys’s mind it was helping.
“What triggered it?” he asked, lifting the towel to check the cuts. To his surprise they were mostly
healed. His surprise must have shown.
“Vampires heal superficial wounds pretty quickly.” Moe didn’t want to think about the number of
times
Rhys had cut himself and he missed it due to his accelerated healing.
“I’m glad it heals so quickly. What happened tonight that trigged the need to do this?” Moe asked
again
gently.
“It was such a good night. So many of our friends were happy, I felt like my heart was about to burst.
When we got upstairs, I wanted to rip your clothes off and see how much of your gorgeous cock I
could
get down my throat. Then all I could think about was the time I walked in on you in the shower and the
image of the thick vein that runs down the side of your shaft. After that all I could think about was
blood.”
Rhys took a deep breath and sighed. Moe was still stuck on the idea of Rhys swallowing his cock
down.
Fingers snapped in front of his face. Rhys’s mouth smiled, but his eyes still looked sad. Moe shook
his
head and looked at his mate.
“So it’s not the sex you’re opposed to, just the fear you might lose control and bite me?” Moe asked
as a
brilliant idea began to form in his mind. He wondered why he hadn’t thought of it before.
“God no, it’s not the sex. I don’t trust my mouth near your skin.” Rhys looked so dejected.
“So, as long as we can keep your mouth away from my skin…” Moe said and waited for Rhys to put
the pieces together. Rhys looked up quickly.
“Damn. Why didn’t we think of this a month ago?” Rhys demanded, standing up, and began to shuck
off his clothes.
“I don’t know, but remind me to kick my own ass later.” Moe in his impatience literally ripped the
shirt
from his body.
“Fuck that was hot,” Rhys moaned.
Moe dropped his jeans and stood in front of his naked mate.
“Lube?” Rhys whimpered, staring at Moe’s extremely large cock. His tongue darted out and licked his
bottom lip. Moe felt himself break out in a sweat from the small unconscious motion.
“Nightstand drawer,” Moe said. Rhys shook his head and then darted out of the bathroom. Moe
watched
as he rummaged through the drawer until he found the lube. He turned and looked over his shoulder
and
winked at Moe.
Moe reached down and squeezed the base of his cock to keep from coming. His mate was so fucking
sexy. Without wasting another second he went to the closet and pulled out three long silken scarves.
He
hadn’t had a chance to use them in a long time. When he looked down at the green fabric he realized it
matched his mate’s eyes perfectly. Images of Rhys bound to their bed had his hands shaking.
A low, long moan had him spinning around to stare at his mate. Rhys was on all fours, stretching
himself. He was up to three fingers and was pumping those long pale digits in and out of his ass at an
amazing speed.
“You’re not allowed to come,” Moe said, his voice sounding deeper even to his own ears.
Rhys shivered at the tone of his voice and his hand slowed down.
“Ready?” Moe asked.
“Please,” Rhys whispered.
“If this is too much we can stop, I know that he…” That was as far as Moe got.
“He hardly ever restrained me. I’m okay with this, really.” Rhys turned and reclined back on the
mound
of pillows. Moe decided to take him at his word. He walked to the head of the bed and looped the
silk
around his mate’s wrist. He reached between the wrought ironwork of the headboard and secured the
scarf
to the metal eyehook he had installed into the wall. After ruining one headboard with another shifter
lover,
he had learned to secure his men and women directly to a wall stud.
Rhys looked at the installed metal eye and raised a brow.
“I like to play,” Moe bent down and whispered lowly at the base of Rhys’s neck, behind his ear. Rhys
shuddered.
“I’m glad.”
Moe walked around and secured his other wrist in place.
“Comfortable? Not too tight?” Moe asked.
Rhys pulled at his silken bonds and shook his head. “Just right.”
“Safeword?” Moe asked. Rhys shook his head.
“You would never do anything remotely close to hurting me. I trust you.”
That meant more to Moe than the sex. Smiling, he lifted one last silk scarf. He climbed onto the bed
and
knelt between Rhys’s legs, which had to stretch wide to accommodate his large frame. It gave him the
most
perfect view of Rhys’s pink hole and dripping prick.
Rhys frowned. Moe could almost hear the wheels turning as his mate tried to figure out what the last
scarf was for.
Ever so gently Moe dragged the silk over Rhys’s weeping cock. Rhys’s quick inhale let Moe know
exactly how sensitive his mate was. Lazily he brushed the silk over the engorged head over and over
again,
each time making Rhys whimper and cry out.
“Moe please! Please!” Rhys begged. Moe looked down and watched Rhys’s starburst clench and
relax
with each pass of the silk. Moe reached down and picked up the bottle of lube. His mate had stretched
himself quite nicely, but he knew he was a big man. He coated his cock as he kept up his merciless
torture
with the silk scarf.
“Moe, please! I need more!” Rhys screamed.
Moe reached down and tested how stretched his mate was. He wanted his man to know nothing but
pleasure.
“You’re not stretched enough.” Rhys shook his head from side to side almost violently.
“Pain helps to keep the blood lust at bay, plus I love the burn. Please, my mate.” Rhys stared up at
him,
his green eyes practically glowing.
Unable to hold back a second longer, Moe reached under Rhys and lifted his lower body to plunge
deep
into his mate’s needy channel with one hard thrust.
“Fuck, yes! My mate’s huge cock feels so fucking good.” Rhys moaned. Moe felt his eyes cross. His
mate’s dirty talk would have him coming like an untried teenager. He pulled out until just the flared
head of
his cock remained inside of his mate and thrust again.
“Yeah baby, fuck your mate.” Rhys wrapped his legs around Moe’s waist. Every time Rhys said the
word “mate” Moe felt his control slip just a bit more.
“You’re going to feel this tomorrow,” Moe said, thrusting again and again.
“Yes! I want to have reminders of how this cock felt in my ass. Harder!” Moe took him at his word
and
began pistoning into his mate. Rhys was beyond dirty words now as he struggled to draw breath. Moe
drove forward, and his mate’s body pulled him deeper inside with each snap of his hips. Never
before had
sex felt like this, but in his heart Moe knew it was more than sex. His body recognized Rhys’s as his
mate.
Together they were complete.
“Close,” Rhys whispered harshly. Moe reached down, and simply wrapped his large hand around
Rhys’s leaking cock causing his mate to detonate. Hot streams of cum covered their bodies. Rhys was
still
shuddering in pleasure when Moe felt his own orgasm slam into him. It started at the base of his spine
and
raced throughout his body. Buried deep inside his mate he filled Rhys’s channel with his semen until
his
balls started to ache, it felt that good.
When the final aftershocks calmed down, Moe pulled from Rhys’s body and Rhys moaned low in his
throat. Moe looked down at his mate. His soft blond curls looked light brown and were plastered to
his
forehead with sweat. His eyes were closed but a satisfied smile lingered on his lips. Unable to resist,
Moe
leaned forward and kissed his lips gently. Rhys’s eyes opened and he ran a tongue along Moe’s lips.
Breaking from the kiss, Moe sat back on his legs.
“I love you, Moe Jones. I love you so damn much it scares me to death,” Rhys whispered. Moe got up
and untied his mate. He folded the green silk cloths and put them on the nightstand.
“I love you too, Rhys. You are my miracle.” Moe kissed Rhys’s forehead and went to get a washcloth.
“Aren’t you scared?” Rhys asked. Moe walked to the bathroom and thought about his answer. He got
the water warm and soaked a washcloth. He cleaned himself and rinsed out the cloth for Rhys. He
walked
back toward the bed and cleaned his mate, laying a quick kiss on Rhys’s cock. He went back to the
bathroom and threw the washcloth in the hamper. When he returned he pulled Rhys into his arms.
“I’m scared of a lot of things, but never of loving you. Fate herself picked you out for me. Someday I
may be a good enough man to deserve you,” Moe whispered.
“I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you! I can’t even claim you properly.”
“Earlier this week we didn’t think sex was possible either, we found a way. Things will work out.
You’ll
see.” Moe put a finger under Rhys’s chin and brought Rhys’s face up to his.
“I’m hundreds of years older than you, but you make me feel so young.” Rhys grinned.
“You’re not bad for an old man,” Moe joked. Rhys’s eyes flashed with laughter before he jumped on
Moe, straddling the man. Moe cursed his mate’s vampiric speed as he found every one of his ticklish
spots.
Finally when they were both breathless from laughing they curled up together.
“Love you,” Moe said, kissing his forehead.
“Love you too.” This time there was love and laughter in his mate’s eyes, not fear and sadness.
Please help me to give him whatever he needs to be happy. Please give us whatever we need to
make
this mating work.
Moe prayed to whomever was listening before he drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 6
Rhys walked into the diner and fought the urge to walk right back out. Every member of the Inner
Court except for his prince was there eating breakfast. Only Rebecca’s slightly hung-over appearance
seemed to match the dogged expressions of their mates. Sebastian was cuddling Lucian, Kate was
laughing
with Rian and Damian as they bounced Matthew and Merrick on their knees. Bethy and Asling played
with
Landon and Lucas as naturally as if they had known the two boys their entire lives. Nic was inhaling a
plate
of waffles as if he hadn’t eaten in days. Rhys had half turned to go back out the door when he heard.
“Don’t even think about it. Come tell me what drink I am,” Rebecca called out, still face down at her
table. How she had even seen him he didn’t know.
“Rebecca, leave the poor man alone, he looks like he’s about to bolt.” Ma smiled at him
sympathetically.
Rebecca raised her head with what looked like tremendous effort and looked up at him. He sighed.
He was
stuck. There was no way he could say no to those purple puppy-dog eyes.
Aleks chuckled and adjusted Aidhan on his arm.
“She is still feeling some of the aftereffects of drinking eight double-strength espressos.” Aleks shook
his head.
“If y’all would let me have some coffee…”
“No!” the entire diner said at one. She looked at Rhys and pouted.
“They are picking on me.”
Rhys smiled and sat down at her table rubbing her back when she put her face back down on the
table’s
cool surface.
“I’m used to dealing with hangovers, hair of the dog usually helps, though I’m not sure how that
would
work with caffeine,” Rhys said. Rebecca raised her head and yawned.
“I’m feeling better, just not one hundred percent awake. Just having the Inner Court together actually
helped a lot.” Rebecca stretched her arms up over her head. Rhys sat back and picked up a menu.
Moe
would be joining him after he made Peyton some coffee and got his breakfast order.
“Doc says now that we know what we’re experiencing we can take steps to prevent it from getting
that
bad again. Postpartum depression usually only occurs in the first three months, so hopefully we won’t
see it
get this bad again,” Kate said, then turned to Rebecca.
“What on earth possessed you to drink so many espressos?” Rebecca shrugged.
“I felt better after the first one, so I figure the second and third one would be amazing. I kinda lost
track
of time after the third one, then the colors started attacking me.” Rebecca closed her eyes and
shuddered
before laying her head back down on the table.
Rhys was laughing when the diner door opened again and woman he had never seen before walked in.
She was about Kate’s height at five ten with light brown, wavy hair and curves everywhere a man
wanted.
He had always appreciated the soft curves of a woman. He shook his head. Going by the social media
images of today this woman would be considered “thick” or “chubby.” Back when he was turned she
would
have been highly sought after. It amazed him how much had changed over the centuries, even the
concept
of beauty. He watched her soft, doe-like, brown eyes as they searched the faces of the diner. When her
eyes
landed on Rebecca they hardened and the woman’s nostrils flared. She marched forward until she
was
standing beside Rebecca. Kaden and Beau sat up quickly at their table across the diner. The woman
had
come in here with a purpose, and Rhys could see that they weren’t sure if that purpose was good or
bad.
The woman wrapped both hands around Rebecca’s shoulders and made her sit up before she
swiveled
Rebecca in her chair until she was facing her. Rebecca’s face broke into a smile as she recognized the
woman. The dainty woman smiled right back at Rebecca. Rhys was shocked at what happened next.
The
delicate-looking woman wrapped her arms around their Alpha Mother’s head, effectively putting her
in a
headlock before she began to rake her knuckles over her scalp.
Aleks, Liam, Beau and Kaden stood as if to intervene, but looked on, frozen, unsure of what to do.
She
wasn’t exactly hurting Rebecca, but the other woman was obviously pissed. Aleks handed Aidhan off
to his
ma.
“Bitch let go of me!” Rebecca shouted. Rhys kept his seat. So far Rebecca wasn’t getting hurt.
Aleks took a step forward to break the two women apart.
“You deserve worse, you psychotic little midget!” the woman shouted. Aleks stopped. Everyone
looked
at each other. Rhys could tell that everyone was hesitant to interfere now. They had no idea who this
woman was, but with that one statement, she confirmed she knew Rebecca, really knew her.
“Do you know each other?” Aleks asked.
“I am disowning this crazy heifer. Let me go, Abby!” Rebecca’s muffled voice shouted.
“Merry Christmas, everyone, I am doing great. I was kidnapped and tortured, but am mated and happy
now. By the way I’m pregnant. Love, Rebecca.” Abby released Rebecca and stood back, panting.
“What the fuck kind of Christmas card is that! Do you have any idea how frantic we have been? There
was no return address, we couldn’t find you! Cassandra was about to mobilize every Sentinel in the
country
to look for you!” Abby shouted. Rebecca paled a bit.
“They only give you so many spaces to type your message on those design your own Christmas cards
online. I tried to give you the most information I could,” Rebecca said defiantly. Aleks wasn’t the
only one
who covered his face with his hands. He, Kade, Beau and Liam sat back down.
“Gray was deployed, he nearly went AWOL to come home and look for you. Meg almost got fired and
arrested when she hacked into the NSA mainframe. Camille had contacted I don’t even want to know
who
in her family’s mafia-like underworld to get a mini-army together to take out whoever was
responsible for
kidnapping you. All because they didn’t listen when I told them you were just being your normal
psycho
self.” Abby threw her hands in the air.
“Are they okay?” Rebecca asked quietly. Abby sighed and collapsed into the chair next to Rebecca.
“Gray stayed put, though I had to threaten his ass. He’ll be here as soon as he hits state side. He wants
to
make sure your mate is good enough for you,” Aleks huffed.
“Cassandra pulled strings and covered for Meg, they are both waiting to hear from me. Camille is
still
hell bound and determined to find out who was dumb enough to kidnap you. You know her family
adores
you. Uncle Vinnie has been cracking his knuckles for weeks.” Rebecca’s face took on a dreamy
expression.
“Hmmm cannoli. God that man can cook.”
“Seriously! Seriously? That is all you have to say?” Abby demanded. Rebecca nodded, grinning, then
stopped. She stared at Abby.
“How did you find me? I didn’t put a return address because I couldn’t tell anyone where I was. How
does Cassie know about Sentinel?” Rebecca’s eyes narrowed to purple slits.
“You’re a shifter, aren’t you!”
Abby rolled her eyes. “We all are, well except for you.”
Rebecca gasped.
“Cass, and Meg, and Gray and Camille and you? All of you?”
Rebecca looked shocked.
“Yup, short stuff, you were the only human in the bunch, but surprisingly enough you fit in so well that
we never really made an issue of it.” Abby shrugged.
“Hey what are you?” Rebecca asked, leaning forward, her eyes excited.
“Hasn’t anyone here taught you yet that to ask a shifter that is bad manners?” Abby asked. Rebecca
nodded.
“Yup.”
“You don’t care, do you?”
“Nope. Now. What are you?”
“She smells canine,” Kate said, sniffing the air. Abby shook her head.
“Coyote. I’m a field biologist. I was between assignments, which is how I got tagged to be the one to
track your ass down. Now. You said you were kidnapped. Are they dead?”
“Yup, shot him between the eyes. Do you know our instructor was right? In close quarters blowback
is
a bitch.” Rebecca scrunched up her nose.
“Wait, instructor?” Aleks asked. “Rebecca and I took firearms courses in college instead of Health.”
Aleks stared at Rebecca.
“You know how to handle a gun?” His eyes stared at Rebecca, who was looking everywhere but at
Aleks.
“She won almost every competition our college entered,” Abby volunteered.
“Is that so?” Aleks’s voice was flat. Rhys could almost see every instance where Rebecca nearly shot
him going through the Alpha’s mind. Rhys couldn’t help but grin.
Emmett and Liam were clearing their throats behind them. Aleks flipped them off. Liam started
cackling, even Sebastian was grinning from ear to ear.
“I take it I missed something?” Abby looked around. Rebecca shook her head.
“Nah, just having some fun with my mate is all.”
“Mate?” Abby raised an eyebrow. Rebecca jerked her thumb over her shoulder to where Aleks sat
glowering at Rebecca.
“That’s my honey bear.” Aleks nipped her shoulder.
“We knew it was a bear shifter because we could smell it on the Christmas card. We honestly thought
you had snuck off with Gray until we learned he was deployed. He always had a thing for you. Then I
checked in with the polar family south of the town where you were living. Did you know your ex
married
that bimbo he dumped you for?” Abby reached across the table and plucked a french fry off of
Rebecca’s
untouched plate.
Rebecca looked at Abby, and then together they both said, “Skank.”
“Anywho.” Abby looked up at Aleks.
“I’m Abby Wright, college roommate. You are?” She held out her hand. Aleks smiled warmly and
shook hands with her.
“Aleksander Arkadion, mate and husband.” He grinned. Abby’s smile died on her face.
“Arkadion? The Arkadion? The Alpha?” She turned to look in horror at Rebecca, who was now
happily
dipping her fries in ketchup and munching on them.
“You made her the most powerful female in the paranormal world? What in the hell is wrong with
you?” she demanded.
“Hey!” Rebecca yelled.
Behind the counter Emmett couldn’t contain his laughter anymore. Around Rhys everyone started
cracking up.
“She really does know you,” Rian said.
“It was the ‘psychotic midget’ comment that gave it away huh?” Abby laughed.
“You’re not funny.” Rebecca pouted.
“Go ahead and let the bottom lip stick out, chickie. Remember, you and I shared a room for four
years.
I know how you think, which is exactly why I am scared for paranormals everywhere.” Abby grabbed
another fry.
“She’s actually helped us come together. She’s doing a great job,” Sebastian interjected. Rebecca
blew
kisses in his direction.
Rhys couldn’t help but agree. Rebecca had her zany moments, but she had done a lot of good. He
would forever be in her debt for saving him.
Abby turned to face Sebastian and whatever she was going to say died on her lips.
“Oh my god your baby is so freaking cute!” she gushed. Sebastian sat up straighter and turned his
body
so that Lucian was more visible.
“He takes after his fathers,” Sebastian said happily. Abby nodded then stopped.
“Huh?”
“I’m a hybrid. I gave birth to Lucian. My mates are Kent and Liam.” Sebastian indicated the two men
sitting on either side of him. Abby’s eyes bugged out a little.
Everyone around the room made their introductions. Rebecca stood up and went to Ma who handed
Aidhan over to her. She walked back over to the table and handed him to Abby.
“Hello Aunt Abby, my name is Aidhan, pleased to meetcha,” Rebecca said in a high-pitched voice.
Rhys watched as Abby’s eyes filled. She lay Aidhan down on her legs and let him wrap both hands
around either one of her forefingers. He cooed and giggled.
“Oh, Rebecca, he is perfect and look at those eyes. He has your eyes.” Abby sniffed and leaned
forward
to blow raspberries on his tummy.
“Rhys, I’d like you to meet one of my oldest friends, Abigail Wright. Abby, this is Rhys. He belongs
to
the local vampire coven and has the most beautiful singing voice I have ever heard.” Rhys smiled at
Abby.
The woman smiled back at him. Leave it to Rebecca to notice that he had stayed in the background.
“Hybrids and vampires. How long have you been Alpha Mother?” she asked. Rebecca thought about
it
for a second.
“Coming up on a year.”
“Well it looks like I’m moving to Arkadia.” Abby sighed.
Rebecca perked up. “Really!”
“Yes really. Did you really think I was going to leave you here by yourself to have all the fun?
Besides
you’ll need help in your lab. I bet Meg will want in on it too.” Abby made funny faces at Aidhan.
Rebecca
started to look nervous at the mention of a lab.
“Lab? What lab?” Rebecca asked with a nervous laugh. Rhys watched as Abby took in Rebecca’s
anxious expression and Aleks’s frown.
“Right. Well if you don’t have one, we need one. I can continue to do small trips here and there but I
would need a lab to do my research.”
“Right, I’m sure we can work something out,” Rebecca said, letting out a breath.
“Becca, baby, I thought you weren’t allowed in labs?” Aleks asked, still looking concerned.
Rhys was torn between wanting to see what this tiny woman could come up with and being terrified
of
living in any proximity to her lab.
“Arkadia is off the grid. The US government can’t see me here, so I can work in a lab.”
Abby laughed.
“Meg purged your records last year. So you’re good.” She handed Aidhan back to Rebecca, who
cuddled him close.
“Awesome! I can’t wait to show you what I’ve been working on.”
“Working on?” Aleks asked.
“In theory only, baby,” Rebecca said, and shared a look with Abby.
“Oh, okay.” Aleks nodded.
“Did she ever tell you about her napalm experiment?” Abby asked Aleks. His eyes went wide.
“Ix-nay on the A-palm-nay!” Rebecca hissed.
“Or how about the bioluminescent rectal lubrication she invented?” Abby smiled slyly at Rebecca
who
began choking on her french fry. Aleks scooped up Aidhan with one hand and pounded her on the back
with the other.
“The what?” Bethy asked, leaning forward.
“Please, please let me tell, please!” Abby begged.
“Fine, it is kinda funny,” Rebecca said after taking a sip of soda.
Abby turned in her chair until she faced most of the diner. Rhys smiled at how animated she seemed.
“Okay, so we all met pipsqueak when we were freshman. All of the other humans instinctively stayed
away from Cassandra, Meg, Camille and myself. The four of us stuck together because we had figured
out
we were the only female shifters on campus. One day this runt comes walking over, sits down and just
starts talking. Whatever instinct ‘normal’ humans have that raises the little hairs on the backs of their
necks
around us, she doesn’t have. Bold as brass, she just plops on down, compliments Camille on her
sweater,
snags Meg’s iPod to look at her songs, asks to borrow Cassie’s class notes and lays her head in my
lap. We
couldn’t get rid of her.” Abby smiled at Rebecca.
“Y’all were always alone, so I figured you needed more friends.” Rebecca shrugged.
“After a while it became apparent that this tiny human had adopted us, but we quickly figured out she
wasn’t like the normal vapid humans around us. One day we were walking across the quad after lunch
when Rebecca here spots the swim team harassing this smaller looking guy. As we get closer we hear
that
they are calling him names like “Queer Boy” and “Butt Boy.” The cheerleaders are making up gay-
bashing
cheers and heckling too. The poor kid looked devastated, crying and trying to pick up his books as
they
kept swatting them out of his hands. Before Cassie and I could do anything, Tiny Tim over here
marches
right up to the swim captain and kicks him as hard as she can in the shins. She starts ranting and
raving
about how big of a jerk he is and how would he like it if someone made fun of him. That’s when he
loses
his temper and open palm slaps her across the face. Of course she weighs like two pounds so she
goes
flying. Cassandra had to restrain Camille, her hands had shifted to claws, so I was the one who went
to
defend Rebecca, that’s when I saw it for the first time. When she looked up, she wasn’t crying or even
breathing hard. She stared down the swim captain, I mean stared him down. Everyone had gotten
quiet, and
by this time, her just staring at him was starting to freak them out. She was acting so much like a
shifter I
thought for sure we had pegged her wrong. The swim captain’s nerve broke and he ran. He freaking
ran
from her, of course the rest of the team followed and the crowd broke up. That’s when I saw what he
had
seen.”
“Oh Abby really.” Rebecca sounded exasperated.
“No, seriously. It was the first time I ever saw your ‘baby psycho eyes,’ but not the last.” Abby
laughed.
“I do not have baby psycho eyes!” Rebecca protested.
“Yes you do,” Sebastian, Kate and Nic disagreed.
“See, they know you too, now hush, I’m getting to the good part.” Abby turned back to the crowd.
Rhys leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees. This was getting good.
“So we don’t see munchkin here for like a week. Then, one day she says, ‘I think we should go to the
swim meet.’ Of course I’m like, ‘Oh God what has she done and are the batteries in my video camera
charged?’ We all go to the swim meet and this one here keeps checking her watch. All of a sudden the
lights
go out and all around the pool we see faint glowing objects moving around. Then Rebecca stands up
and
with a lung capacity I didn’t think someone her size had she yelled, ‘Glow in the dark anal lube!’ She
had
swapped out her invention to whatever they kept in their sports bags. The entire crowd goes nuts and
the
lights come on, just in time to see the mortified faces of the entire swim team. But she’s not done yet
right.
She made sure the swim team captain could see her and she screams, ‘Make fun of homosexuals now,
asshole!’ The guys ran to the locker room leaving the girls there crying looking absolutely destroyed.
When
they saw the guys bolt, leaving them alone, they ran from the heckling crowd to the girls’ locker room.
That
was when we knew that whether she could shift or not this woman right here, was more dangerous
than
most shifters. We’ve loved her ever since.” Abby blew kisses at Rebecca, who blew them back. Rian
shook
his head.
“Why were the girls destroyed? I mean no one likes their business put out there but it’s not that same
as
being outed, right?” he asked. Rebecca began laughing hysterically.
“Because it wasn’t their asses lighting up like Christmas trees, they had glow-in-the-dark lipstick,”
Abby
said between laughing fits. Rian and Kate gasped.
“Oh my,” Ma murmured.
“Oh my god that’s terrible and hilarious at the same time. Can I say again, how much I love you?”
Rhys
managed to get out. He hadn’t laughed this hard in decades.
“Love you too, Rhys,” Rebecca said, wiping her eyes.
“Who loves my mate, and what’s so funny?” Moe asked, walking into the diner.
“God, Moe you missed one of the funniest stories I’ve heard in a long time.” Rhys used the back of
his
hand to wipe his eyes. When he looked up his mate’s nostrils were flaring and raw sexual desire
burned in
them. Rhys could smell that Moe was seriously aroused. He was about to stand and go to his mate
when
Moe walked past him to Abby. He scooped her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he
didn’t
stop his forward advance until he had her pinned against the diner wall. Behind him he could faintly
hear
the others yelling directions.
“Rian, Damian, Sebastian, girls, get the babies to Baby Central. There’s no telling how this thing will
turn out. They don’t need to see mating sex this young,” Kate said, jumping to her feet. Aleks handed
Aidhan off to Ma. They got the babies to Baby Central and shut the door.
Rhys couldn’t breathe. He had lost his mate. Oh god, why had Fate saved him? It would have been
more merciful if he had been killed a month ago. He felt arms wrap around him from behind.
“If she is his mate, she’s yours too, Rhys. You haven’t lost him,” Kate whispered in his ear. He looked
up at her sharply.
“Was I that easy to read?” he asked. She nodded.
“I was the heart of my mating, remember?” She stepped back and took Caleb’s hand then Bran’s.
“Oh my god, look at that bulge!” Rebecca exclaimed. Aleks growled and swung Rebecca away from
Moe and Abby, obscuring her view of the hot couple. That got Rhys’s attention. He felt his own cock
begin
to fill. The thought of the three of them in bed had him almost gasping for air. He could smell Abby
now
and it almost had him coming in his pants.
“Nothing to see here, people.” Rhys jumped up, pecked Kate on the cheek and began pushing his
mates
toward the door. Moe and Abby broke apart, their lips swollen and cheeks flushed. Still carrying
Abby,
Moe leaned down and captured his lips, Rhys could taste something sweet and realized it was Abby.
He
stepped back, breathing hard. The three of them could easily get swept up in a torrent of sex and
blood.
“Home, we need to get home,” he gasped. Moe nodded. Bethy opened the diner door and Moe
barreled
out, Rhys right behind him. The road seemed to fly under his feet, and before he knew it they were
bursting
into the bar, scaring the hell out of Peyton. Abby was grinding herself against Moe, the scent of her
arousal
nearly triggering Rhys’s thirst.
“Rhys?” Peyton asked.
“Stay down here, turn up the volume, kill zombies.” Rhys managed to say. Peyton grabbed the remote
and turned up the volume to the television. Rhys put his hands on Moe’s lower back and pushed him
toward the stairs. When they got to their apartment he shut the door and watched Moe and Abby.
What in the hell do I do now?
* * * *
Moe couldn’t breathe. His entire focus had narrowed down to the woman in his arms.
Two mates! He had two mates!
Moe couldn’t keep his hands off the woman wrapped around his body. Her creamy skin was flushed
and her soft brown eyes were unfocused.
“What’s your name, little one?”
“Abigail, Abby,” she whispered, looking up at him. Awareness began to fill her eyes as the lust faded.
Moe set her on her feet. He could tell she was nervous. If she let them, he and Rhys could show her
exactly
how much they could love her, because if his nose could be trusted, Rhys was just as turned on as he
was.
“She’s your, I mean our mate.” Rhys took a step toward them. Abby looked from Moe to Rhys.
“The two of you are mates?” Moe could see her eyes begin to refocus as she took in that piece of
information. He decided he liked her better not thinking clearly and leaned forward to nibble up the
side of
her neck. Her natural scent and perfume had his cock trying to punch through his zipper.
“We’re all mates, a ménage mating,” Moe whispered into her ear.
“Moe?” Rhys called his name sounding hesitant. Moe looked up to see Rhys standing off to one side
looking unsure of what to do. He realized that Rhys didn’t want to scare Abby either.
“It’s okay, baby, come here. You have to taste her.” Moe turned so that they were both facing Rhys.
Rhys’s eyes grew wide and he began shaking his head. Too late did Moe realize his poor choice of
words.
“I mean her mouth, her skin. She tastes so sweet.”
“Rhys?” Abby looked at him and Moe could see sadness in her eyes. She didn’t understand why he
was
hesitating. She hunched in on herself.
“It’s not her, is it, Rhys? Tell her how you feel, otherwise she will think we don’t want her,” Moe said
softly.
Rhys swallowed hard.
“It’s not you, Abby, in fact I’m really excited that you’re our mate. Both Moe and I were bisexual
before
we found each other and had you not come along I would have been completely satisfied with never
being
with another woman again. But Fate seems to be favoring me more than most lately, and we have you.
Neither one of us has to give up anything.” Rhys stepped forward and buried his face against her neck,
inhaling deeply.
“Then you don’t mind that you’re mated to me? There are much more beautiful women out there,
especially amongst shifters.” Abby’s eyes met theirs almost defiantly, but Moe could see the
vulnerability
there. Rhys wrapped one arm around her and the other around Moe so that they were all connected.
“When you walked in I thought to myself you were one of the most beautiful women I had seen in
centuries. That was before I knew you were my mate. I am aching to feel your soft body against me.”
Rhys’s body shivered at the thought and Moe felt his cock jerk. The image of Rhys taking Abby had
him
breathing slowly through his nose to calm down. Rhys grinned at him.
“Just the thought of us being together is enough to have me coming in my pants.” Rhys tipped Abby’s
face up. Moe could see a soft smile on her face. When she saw the effect she was having on the both
of
them he could see a bit of confidence fill her eyes. Slowly she was relaxing around them.
Rhys looked at Moe.
“What do we do?”
“I’ll claim Abby and she’ll claim me, and when you’re ready you’ll claim us both.” Moe reached
forward with one hand and cupped Rhys’s cheek.
“When he’s ready?” Abby asked, looking concerned. Rhys leaned forward and kissed her. Moe
moaned
loudly at the sight of their tongues wrapped around each other. They broke apart both breathing hard.
“That’s a story for later. Now, I get to watch our mate’s gorgeous cock bury itself inside your sweet
body and claim you,” Rhys whispered against her neck. Her whole body shuddered.
“Our mate likes to talk dirty,” Moe whispered against the other side of her neck.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve two beautiful men like you, but I plan on enjoying every second
we’re together.” Abby turned her head and kissed Rhys, and with the taste of him still on her lips she
kissed
Moe.
Moe’s senses were going haywire. He had denied himself from claiming Rhys for so long, that being
able to claim Abby had him trembling. He picked her up and threw her on the bed and smiled at the
small
“eep” sound she made. Abby, not wasting any time, wiggled out of her jeans, pulling her undies with
them.
Her sweater, shirt and bra were in a pile next to the bed before Moe could blink. She rolled until she
was
sitting Indian style on the bed.
“I have waited my entire life for my mates. Y’all going to keep me waiting much longer?” she asked.
Moe and Rhys looked at each other and then began tearing their clothes off. They ended up on the bed
on
either side of Abby. Rhys looked down at Abby’s soft skin and then up at Moe.
“Not to sound like an idiot, but how do we do this?” Rhys nodded his head to the hooks in the wall.
Moe’s brain started to process past the lust-filled haze Abby’s scent had him in.
“Shit.” Moe sat back.
“What’s the problem?” Abby asked.
“We’ll have to restrain Rhys, which means he’ll have to be on the bed.” Moe started thinking of the
different positions they could put themselves in.
“Why does he have to be restrained?” Abby asked, looking at Rhys.
“I’m recovering from being addicted to shifter’s blood. I was forced to drink it against my will to
create
Shifted Death.” Moe’s cock started deflating. Rhys turned his face away from Abby. Abby looked up
at
Moe, winked, and then rolled over onto her belly and buried her face in Rhys’s groin.
“Fuck!” Rhys exclaimed and leaned back, placing his weight on his hands behind him. Moe’s mouth
dropped.
Abby popped up from Rhys’s cock and looked at Moe.
“Is he smiling yet?” She grinned. Moe laughed. Rhys’s smile was wide and his eyes danced. He
looked
carefree and happy. Moe’s heart swelled in his chest.
“He looks like a fallen angel and you look like temptation embodied in a delicate package.” Moe ran
a
finger down her spine.
“He won’t need to be restrained if I’m down here. If he makes a move I’ll feel it and you can stop
him.”
Abby rubbed her cheek along Rhys’s naked thigh.
“Do you want to try?” Moe asked, and in his mind he was praying Rhys would say yes. He was dying
to
claim Abby as she had her lips wrapped around Rhys’s cock. To mate with her and be able to watch
Rhys
come was his own personal version of heaven.
“I want to try, for you. I can’t claim either of you yet, but I want to be a part of you claiming each
other.”
“Thank god!” Abby popped up on all fours and wiggled her butt at Moe. He smacked one cheek and
then the other in quick succession. She looked back, surprised.
“Too much?” he asked, using his large hands to rub the sting away.
“No, it just surprised me. No one has ever spanked me before.” Abby thought for a second and then
gave him a sexy smile.
“I liked it.” She bent her head down and soon Rhys was cursing out loud.
“Damn she can suck cock. Fuck, Moe, I don’t know if I’ll last long with this visual.” Rhys motioned
to
Abby’s body stretched between them.
Moe reached forward and tested how ready his mate was for him. His fingers came away drenched.
He
licked the tips of his fingers and his canines descended.
“Rhys, taste.” Moe’s voice had dropped octaves. Rhys leaned forward and sucked on Moe’s fingers,
the
moist heat of Rhys’s mouth teased him, with his other hand he stroked his cock.
“Delicious.” Rhys breathed out blissfully.
“I wish we had more time, love, I would bury my face in your sweet pussy and lap up all of this
nectar,
but I’m afraid it’s going to be hard and fast.” Moe took the fingers that Rhys had moistened and
plunged
two deep into Abby. Her back bowed and a low moan was heard between them.
“Fuck, she liked that. Do it again.” Rhys’s eyes were blazing emerald. Moe stretched Abby by
thrusting
his fingers in and out of her hot channel. He leaned forward over her and nipped her right shoulder.
Her
entire body relaxed as if he hit a switch. This was his mate, and he wanted to learn every inch of her.
On his knees behind Abby he pulled his fingers free. Gently holding the base of his cock he pushed
the
engorged head inside of her. She came off of Rhys and fisted the comforter with both hands.
“God you’re huge.” She took a deep breath and lowered her chest to the bed.
“I’ll take it slow.” Moe kept pushing until he was seated inside her to the hilt. He had never been with
a
woman who was this deep before.
“Only at first, I don’t mind a deep pounding, but only if you work up to it.” Abby looked over her
shoulder and smiled at him.
“Will you be able to keep from biting off one of my favorite parts of Rhys?” Moe pulled out and
plunged in again. Her quick inhale was followed by a moan.
“I won’t hurt our man, I want him to be able to claim me later too,” Abby said breathlessly.
She came back up on her hands and leaned down to wrap just her lips around Rhys’s swollen head.
Moe watched as she teased, licked and nipped at him until Rhys was panting hard.
“Close!” Rhys shouted. Abby redoubled her efforts and Moe began to pound as deep and as hard as
he
could. Abby started to go wild. Moe leaned forward until his torso and chest covered Abby
completely.
Above him Rhys shouted and he heard Abby begin to swallow furiously. When she was done she let
Rhys’s
spent cock fall from her lips and she struggled for breath as Moe continued to push his way inside her.
When Moe felt his orgasm start to blossom at the base of his cock, he reached underneath Abby and
pinched her right nipple hard. Screaming, she flung her head back exposing the long line of her neck
as she
came hard. Moe struck, sinking his canines deep into the tender flesh of her neck. He felt his soul
begin to
lift up and merge with Abby’s. He licked the wound and she let her head fall forward.
Moving faster than he had seen her yet, she pulled away from him. He slipped from her body. Before
the soul merge faded she flipped over on her back and pulled him forward with her legs. He guided
his
cock back inside her pulsating pussy and thrust deep. She came up off the bed until he had no choice
but to
support her weight with his hands, and she rode him furiously until at last she screamed again and
sunk her
small canines in the muscles over his heart.
The rest of her soul merged with his, swirled and returned to their bodies. Breathing hard, Moe
pulled
out of Abby. He collapsed to the mattress grabbing Rhys with one hand and Abby with the other. With
him
in the middle Rhys was cuddled under one arm and Abby under the other. Rhys leaned forward and
kissed
Abby, who smiled widely at him. He then kissed Moe.
He could taste Rhys’s come mixed with the remnants of Abby’s blood in the kiss. Rhys moaned and
laid
his head on Moe’s chest.
“So, umm my name is Abby.” Abby laughed, then snorted, then snort-laughed. On the other side of him
Rhys laughed as hard as Moe had ever seen him. Moe found himself laughing right along with them.
“Nice to meet you, Abby, my name is Moe Jones. I run the bar here. Rhys and I discovered we were
mates nearly a month ago,” Moe finally said when the laughter died down.
“God, I can’t believe I fell into bed with you.” Abby laughed again. Rhys came up on one elbow.
“We were so hot you couldn’t help yourself. There’s no shame in that,” Rhys said with a straight face.
Abby eyed him over Moe’s stomach and giggled, which set Rhys off again. Moe smiled at the ceiling,
waiting for the giggles to subside.
“It’s the mating heat, every shifter knows how it can be.” Moe kissed the top of her head.
“Is this how you feel, not claiming me?” Rhys asked. Moe paused in petting Rhys’s hair and thought of
his answer carefully.
“Yes and no. Yes of course the heat is there. But no, since my desire to put what you need first
overrides
the heat. I couldn’t claim you if it hurt you or set you back,” Moe said.
“Did claiming Abby help?” Moe thought about it and had to admit the fire had died down.
“I think it did.”
“Happy to help,” Abby quipped.
“Abby, love, I didn’t mean to make you feel like what we did…” Abby cut Moe off by running her
hands down his washboard abs.
“One, I’m not very high maintenance. I’m pretty laid back. So unless I am cussing at you or ignoring
you, I’m not angry. It really takes a lot to piss me off, and assuring our mate that he hasn’t hurt you by
putting off the claiming of him seems like the loving thing to do. I would be more pissed off if you
were a
dick about it. Two, from the very little you were able to tell me before the clothes were ripped off,
Rhys
was put through hell. I am all for whatever efforts helps him, so no worrying about claiming me
either,
Rhys, I’m sure everything will be okay. Finally, I have one last request concerning our mating. As
much as I
think this apartment is adorable, I don’t think it will be enough for the three of us. Can we get a real
house?
I’m a field biologist so I’m going to need an office and maybe some space for a small field lab.”
Abby took
a deep breath.
Moe blinked at her.
“I kinda agree with Abby. I wouldn’t mind a house. Not that I mind the bar, but you only have this
one-
room studio. It wasn’t an issue with the two of us, but it’s going to get real cramped in here real quick
with
three people.” Rhys kissed on the side of Moe’s neck. Abby seemed to take her cue from Rhys and
started
nuzzling the other side of his neck.
Moe lay there and wondered how long he should let them try and convince him before he gave in.
When he thought he was at the point where he would be going to hell if he let them continue, he sighed
happily and pulled their bodies closer.
“I don’t care where we live as long as we’re together,” he said finally.
“Oh Moe, thank you! I know that I am new to this mating and to town, this means the world to me. I’ve
never had my own place before. I move around so much that if I wasn’t on assignment I lived out of
my
car and stayed with Cassie or Meg or Gray’s place when he was overseas.”
Moe growled low and heard Rhys’s answering hiss.
“Who the hell is Gray?”
Abby looked at them and broke into a bright smile. “You’re both jealous! Oh my god I love it. No one
has ever been jealous of me before. I mean Camille yeah, she hot. But never me. I’m not pretty enough
to
be jealous over. I am so going to fall in love with you guys.” Abby sighed and laid her head on Moe’s
stomach.
Moe looked at Rhys, who was staring up at him. This was the second time their mate alluded to the
fact
that she wasn’t pretty.
“I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I’m glad this is a ménage mating and I have
Rhys to help keep other males away from you.” Moe growled. Abby looked at him shocked.
“You really think I’m beautiful?” she whispered, tears in her eyes.
“Yes. To the point I only want you hanging out with the lions, they are mostly gay,” Moe said,
frowning.
Abby looked at Rhys who was nodding in agreement. She giggled and kissed his chest. Moe looked at
Rhys
who was gazing down at Abby with a gentle expression. He bet he had the same dopey look on his
face.
“As much as I hate to say this, we’re going to have to go back to the diner. I dropped my backpack
there and I’m starving,” Abby said, her head popping up. She stretched and bounced out of bed.
“Come on, slow pokes!” She danced her way to the bathroom, humming happily.
“Does she remind you of…”
“Don’t say it…”
“Rebecca?” Rhys asked. Moe closed his eyes but was smiling.
“She’s our AbbyGirl. Her own rambling lovable self,” Moe said.
“Do we have insurance?” Rhys asked. Moe groaned and his mate laughed at him. Moe reached for
Rhys
to punish him but he was too quick.
“Come on, slow poke,” Rhys sang, imitating Abby.
Moe lay in his bed, unable to feel anything from the waist down.
Life was good.
Chapter 7
Abby followed Rhys and Moe into the diner and all conversation stopped. Abby felt her cheeks
burning
but didn’t care. She had been well and truly claimed by her mountain of a mate and she was not
ashamed.
“Back so soon?” Rebecca asked. Abby wanted to throttle the little menace.
“After the fifth orgasm I had to throw a flag, I mean look at these two. How is a girl supposed to keep
up?” Abby said loudly, gesturing to Moe and Rhys, both of whom blushed. Moe started shaking his
head.
“Damn, girl,” Rebecca said, grinning, holding up her hand for a high five. Abby, laughing, walked
forward and slapped it before plopping down right beside her friend.
“Lucky bitch,” Rian said, grinning.
“Woof, woof,” Abby said, and winked.
“How much is that man packing? I mean seriously he could have put out an eye if his zipper had
popped.” Rebecca asked and Rian leaned forward to hear.
“Well…”
Kate and Sebastian leaned in as well.
“He…”
Moe wrapped a hand around her mouth.
“No way AbbyGirl.” He moved his hand and kissed her silly. He and Rhys sat at Rebecca’s table next
to
Abby. Feeling blissful in her happy place she didn’t realize she was sitting there staring into space
until she
heard Rebecca’s giggles.
“Trust me, I know. Aleks almost put me in a coma the first time he kissed me.” Rebecca dipped a
spoon
into a jar of baby food and began feeding Aidhan.
“That was the mating bond starting.” Aleks kissed the side of Rebecca’s neck, causing her to squeal.
Aidhan giggled at his momma.
“How come you weren’t at the wedding?” Kate asked from the table she had scooted next to
Rebecca’s.
“You’ll have to ask mini menace here. She drops off the face of the earth for nearly a year then we get
her psycho Christmas card. We were heartbroken that we weren’t invited.” Abby picked up a menu.
“I didn’t know y’all were shifters! Some inside info would have gone a long way.”
“Yeah right, you would have been chasing us down with a hypodermic wanting to test our blood. I had
to bunk with your crazy ass. No way, no how was I going to be looking over my shoulder for four
years.”
Abby shuddered.
“True. So I guess you really are moving to Arkadia, huh?”
“Looks that way. Moe and Rhys are amazing, they have agreed to buying a house and we’ve only just
mated.”
“See, now that’s what I’m talking about, a nice simple mating, that’s how it’s supposed to be. No mate
walking away or crazy old men or viruses. Shifters have it so easy.” Rebecca shook her head.
“Not every shifter finds their mate, Rebecca,” Kate reminded her. Rebecca looked surprised.
“But everyone here has been, which is good, because I want everyone to be happy.” She made a face
at
Aidhan.
“That may be why everyone is finding a mate, and if that is true then we all owe you more than we
initially realized,” Gabriel said, walking into the diner with Ashby on his arm.
All Abby could do was stare. The tall, menacingly gorgeous man had to be the prince, but it was the
smaller one who held her attention. He was exquisite in his beauty, and the child he held was no less
ethereal.
“God I wish I could paint! I feel like he’s wasted on ordinary people and scientists.” Abby stared.
Ashby looked at her shock on his face.
“You must know, Rebecca. She said something similar when we met.” He walked over and took the
table to the right of them.
“We met in college and have been friends ever since,” Rebecca offered.
“He’s just so damn pretty. Hey, can I take your picture?” Abby asked, digging for her phone.
Ashby looked at her as if trying to determine if she was serious.
“I guess so.”
“Awesome!” Abby jumped up and took a couple pictures with her phone.
“Camille is going to be so jealous. Ha! That’s what you get for stealing my Halloween costume idea
last
year, heifer!” Abby texted Ashby’s picture to their diva of a best friend.
“What did you guys go as last year?” Rebecca asked.
“Cult 80s movie characters. I wanted to be Sarah from Labyrinth and she totally stole my idea. I had
to
go as Lili from Legend.” Abby grinned as her phone vibrated.
Who is that and is he single?
Nope, he’s mated to Prince Gabriel, whom I am having lunch with right now.
“You are totally torturing her right now, aren’t you?” Rebecca peered down at her phone.
“Yup. You would consider this having lunch with Prince Gabriel right? Yeah I thought so too. Okay
Rhys, Moe, smile.” Abby held up her phone. Her men both gave her bone-melting, sexy-as-hell
smiles. She
sighed.
“God you two are so damn sexy!” Abby texted both pictures to Camille.
“Kate and I voted and Moe won most fuckable male in Arkadia,” Rebecca volunteered. Abby
nodded.
“I can totally see that.” Her phone vibrated again.
Seriously, where are you?? Hot men are everywhere. Please tell me they are single and want a
lioness.
Nope, I’m in Arkadia and those two visions of sex and sin are my mates, paws off, biatch!
Laughing, she put her phone down on the table.
“So what’s good here?”
“Connor’s chili, but he’s out with Madison today picking up Giddey. I’ve been dying to meet him, he
sounds over-the-top fabulous. But Ma made peppers and sausage sandwiches today. I hurt myself
eating
two.” Rebecca wiped Aidhan’s chin.
“If you could eat two, then I’ll need three. But maybe I should have just one.” Abby’s mouth watered
she as mentally listed the reasons why she needed to lose weight, two reasons being the perfect male
specimens at the table with her.
“You’re not on another diet are you? I keep telling you that you’re gorgeous. I’d die to have your
boobs.” Rebecca sighed. Aleks rumbled that he liked her the way she was and nuzzled her neck.
Rebecca
sighed happily.
“I don’t like the idea of you not eating. Ma, three sandwiches for Abby please.” Moe was scowling at
the idea of her skipping meals. Abby felt her heart swell. No previous boyfriend had ever encouraged
her to
eat. If anything they monitored and criticized every bite.
“Save room for dessert,” Rhys whispered in her ear, causing shivers to race down her back. Ma
smiled
warmly at them.
“Any friend of Rebecca’s is more than welcome here. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself
before Moe came in earlier. I’ll get your sandwiches started. Boys?” Ma asked from behind the
counter.
“Five sandwiches for me Ma,” Moe said.
“I’ll try one.” Rhys smiled at Abby.
“That’s Ma, Aleks’s mother. She runs the diner,” Rebecca explained.
“Thanks, Ma.” Abby waved at the older woman who smiled back.
She looked down when her phone vibrated again.
Be visiting soon! Don’t hog all the hot men. Xoxox C
“Camille said she’s visiting soon.” Abby put her phone on the table.
“Yay! I haven’t seen her since…” Rebecca’s voice trailed off and Abby leaned over to wrap an arm
around Rebecca.
“What is it, Becca?” Aleks asked, placing a concerned hand on her leg.
“She hasn’t seen any of us since her father died. It was the last time the five of us were together,”
Abby
said softly.
Rebecca wiped a stray tear with one of Aidhan’s bibs.
“He’ll never meet Aidhan or Aleks. I wonder why I’m thinking of that now?” Rebecca took a deep
breath and stuck her tongue out at her Aidhan, whose bottom lip had started to tremble.
“The ones that leave before us are never truly gone, they are further ahead on the trail watching over
us
as we catch up,” Rhys said. Abby looked over to see that Moe had casually wrapped his large arm
around
Rhys. She felt the tiniest moment of insecurity. They had been together longer and Moe had been there
for
him through his darkest moments. She wondered if they had room for her. Moe must have caught a
look on
her face because his smile turned to a frown. Determined to ignore how she was feeling she turned to
face
Rebecca smiling brightly.
“Rhys is right. There’s no way ole Mr. Morgan would want you feeling down either, missy!” Abby
grabbed Rebecca’s nose and wouldn’t let go.
“Ow, Abby, okay, okay let go already.” Rebecca turned her head this way and that, laughing, which
set
off the babies.
Abby released Rebecca’s nose and looked around. Damn there were a lot of kids around. She looked
at
Kate’s table and felt her eyes bug a little. Did she have four?
Ma chuckled at the look on her face and put food down on the table. Immediately Moe dug in. Rhys
started small with a french fry.
“You’ve never been around a lot of children have you?” Kate asked taking in her expression.
“I mean, like, one or two here and there. But you have the start of a basketball team.” Abby had to
admit they were all freaking adorable.
“You should see Rhys, he is an absolute wonder with children.” Kate smiled at her mate.
“Yeah, when you come up preggers I have a feeling you are going to be spoiled by those two.”
Rebecca
stole a fry off of Abby’s plate. Moe began to choke. Abby wasn’t too concerned until she saw how
red his
face was getting.
“Rhys!” Rhys looked over and whacked Moe hard on the back. A piece of french fry flew across the
table. Breathing hard, Moe stared at Abby as if she had two heads.
Wonderful. I’m not even pregnant yet and he’s choking on food. Thank god I have Rhys.
She looked at Rhys, who had gone so pale she was tempted to check under the table for a femoral cut
and blood loss.
“Guys, I’m not pregnant. Relax.” Abby shook her head and grabbed a french fry. Stupid men.
“It only takes once,” Rebecca sang, waving her fork about.
“No way tater tot, you’re just saying that because misery loves company.” Abby smiled at her mates
and
continued.
“New topic. Since Moe and Rhys have agreed that we need to move since the bar loft doesn’t have
enough space for the three of us…”
“Maybe four,” Rebecca chimed in. Abby ignored her.
“I was wondering about the house down the road behind the diner. I saw it driving in.”
“No. No way.” Aleks shook his head.
“No.” Rian shuddered.
“That may not be the best idea,” Ma said diplomatically.
“The pack member that helped me relocate said that place was haunted. It’s why I bought the
Plantation
house when I first moved to Arkadia despite it being so big,” Caleb said, holding Merrick.
Abby and Rebecca turned to face each other.
“No. Becca no!” Aleks started.
“A freaking haunted house in a shifter town! When can we go?” Rebecca asked, ignoring Aleks.
“Becca.” Aleks shook his head.
“I’d like to take tonight to unwind some more.” Abby shot a sidelong glance at her mates grinning
when
they sat up straighter. She turned back to Rebecca.
“How’s tomorrow?” Abby asked.
“Perfect! Ma, can you watch Aidhan for me?” Rebecca swiveled in her chair and gave her mother-in-
law the pouty face. Ma looked at Rebecca concern on her face.
“Of course I will, but you girls be careful.”
“Becca, no. That place is dangerous,” Aleks said, sounding more agitated.
“I have a voice recorder to do EVP work. Do you still have your night vision camera that you use for
tracking the little furballs you study?” Rebecca asked, still ignoring her mate.
“Yup, though I don’t know how effective it will be in daylight.” Abby bit into her sandwich and
moaned loudly. The sweetness of the peppers blended perfectly with the sausage that held just a hint
of
heat. The potatoes had soaked up every single flavor that was currently singing in harmony in her
mouth.
“I know, right? Ma is the best cook ever.” Rebecca sighed happily.
“Rebecca, seriously, that place is creepy.” Aleks wrapped both arms around his mate and pulled her
into
his lap.
“Aleks had the shit scared out of him in that house when we were kids,” Rian said, frowning.
“Aww my poor honey bear.” Rebecca turned and peppered his face with kisses. Abby noticed the
large
man didn’t turn away, but soaked up her attention.
So cute!
“We’ll be careful, I promise. Scout’s honor.” Rebecca held up her hand with her fingers split in a
Spock
‘V.’ Aleks just closed his eyes and sighed.
Yup, that man knew the score, poor devil.
“Okay, who else is up for some ghost hunting?” Abby asked. The diner got quiet.
“Ashby is coming and so is Sebastian,” Rebecca announced, volunteering the two men.
“I don’t know, Rebecca,” Liam said, wrapping an arm around his mate.
Ashby had gone white as a sheet.
“Me?” he squeaked.
How have they survived nearly a year of Rebecca? Then again, they didn’t have me here egging
her
on.
“Ashby, I think you’ll be perfect for this.” Abby nodded sagely.
“If you really think I can help.” Ashby turned to his mate who was scowling at the entire diner.
“I’ll feel better about you going after I am introduced to the young woman that is apparently mated to
my child,” Gabriel said, his voice sounding hurt. Immediately Rhys popped out of his chair like a
jack-in-
the-box and walked to stand before his prince.
“My prince, may I have the honor of introducing Abigail Wright, the third in my ménage mating.” Rhys
gave a regal bow. Abby stood and walked over to Rhys, taking his hand. Moe also stood and took a
place
behind Abby, resting his hands on her shoulders for support. The prince was terribly intimidating
when he
was in protective mode.
Ashby elbowed Gabriel in the ribs and stood with their son in his arms. He rushed over to hug Rhys.
“Oh Rhys, I’m so happy for you. Fate has blessed you twice. I know I’ve only just met her but I just
know you’ll be happy together.” Ashby gave Abby a one-armed hug. Abby stared at the tiny, solemn
little
face staring at her from Ashby’s arms.
She stared at him just as solemnly, and then suddenly stuck her tongue out at him.
“Bleh!” The baby’s eyes widened before a tinkling giggle filled the diner. Gabriel moved faster than
Abby could track to stare down at his son. Both Ashby and Gabriel looked surprised.
“It’s the first time we have heard him laugh. He’s such a serious little man.” Ashby dabbed his eyes.
Gabriel’s eyes were glowing an azure blue.
“He looks just like you,” Abby commented.
“Oh Ashers, he has the most contagious laugh,” Rebecca said. Abby turned and sure enough the entire
diner was grinning ear to ear.
Abby, Rhys and Moe went back to their seats. Abby turned to face Ashby.
“So you’re in, right?” Ashby took a deep breath.
“There’s no such things as ghosts right?” he asked, looking over to Gabriel, who noticeably refused to
comment.
“Right, Gabriel?” Ashby asked, swallowing hard.
“I’m sure nothing there will harm you, mon ange. ”
Abby grinned at his response and looked over to Rebecca.
“Score!” they said together.
Abby looked at Gabriel and then Ashby, and had a thought.
“If shifter blood affects vampires, how come you’re not all addicted?” she asked. Gabriel smiled and
looked at Rhys, who nodded.
“You are correct, normally shifter blood is quite addictive to vampires. However, if Fate chooses a
shifter for our mates, their blood simply tastes delicious and does not have any side effects,” Gabriel
explained. Abby looked over to Rhys and Moe and winked.
“In-ter-es-ting.” She drew out the word.
The diner door swung open and a tall, slim man walked in wearing sunglasses. He paused letting the
diner get a good look at him. Madison and Connor came in behind him. Connor immediately dropped
the
five suitcases he had been carrying. The unfamiliar man dramatically pulled off his sunglasses,
revealing
startling, honey-colored eyes, and tossed his shoulder-length rich brown hair over one shoulder.
“Arkadia, I am here! Now, where are the men?” he demanded.
“Rebecca, who is that?” Abby asked. Rebecca grinned.
“Everyone, I would like you to meet Gideon McFarly,” Madison said, introducing the man to the
room.
Everyone offered their name and welcomed him to Arkadia.
“We leave to pick up Giddey and there’s three new lovely ladies here.” Connor winked at his mate
before walking over to Bethy and Asling. Madison rolled her eyes and collapsed into the chair next to
Rhys.
“Who are these two beauties?” Connor said, smiling.
“Little Bethany Prescott and Asling Stafford,” Aleks said in a deadpan voice. Connor jumped back as
if
they had turned to snakes.
“Little Bethy and Asling? My goodness, look at you two. When did you guys get back? Is everything
okay?” Connor swung one leg over a chair and sat so that he could rest his arms on the back of the
chair.
Madison sat beside him. Giddey stayed where he was at looking over all the men in the diner,
winking at a
few.
“Hey, Connor. We’re fine. Just glad to be home. Things were getting a little crazy down in Florida,”
Asling explained.
“The ladies are darling, but umm, where are the men? Preferably the gay men?” Giddey asked, still
standing near the door.
“Oh for goodness sakes, Giddey, you’ve been in town a whole five seconds,” Madison said, sounding
exasperated.
“Oh come on Mad-a-sin, you promised hot, gay lions.” Giddey pouted. It was too much for Abby. She
started to giggle.
“The men here are super hot. I was in town for all of thirty minutes and met my mates. Both of them.”
“Oh god, that would be amazing. Mating sex is supposed to be super hot.” Giddey looked around the
room, sizing up the men.
The diner door opened behind Giddey and Salsiby walked in. Rebecca tightened the hold she had on
Aidhan and wiggled out of Aleks’s lap. She took her seat and leaned over to Abby.
“He tried to take my baby,” she whispered. Abby felt a cold rage fill her belly. No one messed with
her
family. She could almost feel Rebecca’s fear. She could handle a pissed off Rebecca, a rambling
Rebecca,
even a caffeinated Rebecca, but what she could not stand was seeing her bravest friend afraid.
“He did, did he?” Abby stood and walked past Giddey. With no preamble she raised her fist and
punched Salsiby in the face. She aimed for the tiny spot between his eyebrows. The sound of flesh
hitting
flesh reverberated through the diner. Salsiby dropped like a rock.
“Oh my god, I thought that was my ex. Oh my, how silly of me, when I look closer, they are nothing
alike. Oops. Oh dear he’s blocking the doorway, I’ll get him.” Abby grabbed an ankle and dragged the
smaller man’s body outside and left him on the sidewalk in the January winter air. She walked back
in,
brushing off her hands.
“It’s cold as balls outside,” she said. Everyone was staring at her in shock.
She tilted her head.
“What?”
“Is it just me…” Rian started.
“Don’t say it,” Moe, Rhys and Aleks said in unison.
“Doesn’t she remind you of Rebecca?” Damian finished Rian’s thought.
Connor, Madison, and the entire Inner Court laughed hysterically. Abby grinned.
“We did live together for four years. Our mannerisms were bound to rub off on one another.” She
flexed her hand.
Liam sighed.
“He’ll go directly to the council.”
“I was in fear for my life!” Abby said dramatically. She walked back over to her table and sat down.
“Girl I don’t know you, but I need you in my life, and I don’t say that to females often.” Giddey
winked
at Abby and sat down next to her at the next closest table.
“Two. There’s two of them.” Aleks had his head in his hands.
“It’s like Abby is the version of Rebecca if Rebecca had been raised a shifter,” Kate said, shaking her
head.
Moe reached over and massaged her knuckles.
“That’s the same asshole that has been trying to get Rhys executed too,” Rebecca said impishly. A low
growl bubbled up from her stomach.
“I’ll kill him.” She snarled, moving to stand up and head back outside. Moe pulled her back down.
“Whoa there, killer, it’s not as easy as that. We can’t kill him or maim him as long as he hasn’t broken
any laws in Arkadia. I’m afraid you got in your one lucky punch,” Madison advised.
“I’d listen to her. She is a genius when it comes to the law.” Giddey nodded, his eyes empathetic.
Abby took a deep breath and crossed her arms over her chest.
“If he comes near my mates or my nephew I’ll rip him apart and let her worry about the law.” Abby
wished she had hit him harder.
“Okay, no more contemplating murder in front of me, wait until later when I’m gone,” Madison said,
grinning at Abby.
“I have an idea. Giddey, maybe you can help. How good are you at spotting gay men?” Damian asked,
a
sparkle in his eye.
“If it were an Olympic event I’d have gold cock rings!”
“Okay then. So is he gay?” Damian asked, pointing to Moe. Abby’s mouth twitched at the thoughtful
expression on Giddey’s face. He looked her mate up and down, taking in detail. Finally he frowned
and
shook his head.
“I’m not sure, he’s scrambled my senses. Is he?” Giddey leered at Moe. Abby brought Moe’s hand up
and kissed it. Giddey slumped down in his chair.
“Straight.”
Grinning, Rhys picked up Moe’s other hand and kissed it. Giddey perked up.
“Bi. That makes me feel better. Gorgeous men deserve to be with gorgeous men. No offense, ladies.”
Giddey shrugged.
“See Rian, Giddey had trouble too, so you can just stop with the ridiculous idea that you’re not gay!”
“Him, not gay?” Giddey started laughing hysterically.
“I know right? I’ve been putting up with his craziness since Moe and Rhys found out they were mates.
I
think it was when he found out that his favorite porn actor wasn’t really gay, just gay for pay, that sent
him
over the edge.” Damian lay his head down on the table, exhausted. Bethy rubbed her brother’s back
sympathetically. Asling reached up and popped Rian in the back of the head.
“Ow!”
“You’ve been gay since before I was born, Rian Stafford, stop being so melodramatic.” Asling rolled
her eyes.
“She reminds me of Cassie, no nonsense.” Abby smiled for a second and then a panic set in.
“Fuck a duck! I forgot to call Cassie and check in!” Abby scrambled for her phone.
“It’s only been a couple hours, you’ll be fine.” Rebecca waved her hand at her friend.
“You don’t understand, I got distracted in Nevada for a bit.” Abby stared at her phone dreading
making
the phone call she had to make.
“You totally hit Vegas! How long were you there?” Rebecca asked.
“Umm like a week, but I had just finished a really huge project when Cassie called about the
Christmas
cards. I needed to unwind.” She held out her phone to Rebecca.
“You call her.”
“Fuck. That. Noise.” Rebecca shook her head.
“Becca, language,” Ma called from behind the counter.
“Sorry, Ma.”
Abby took a deep breath and prayed for voice mail.
Cassie answered on the first ring.
“Abby? Abby where in the hell have you been!”
“I umm.”
“Do you have any idea how worried Meg and I have been?”
“I…”
“I swear, first Rebecca then you. Did you fall into a vortex where you forgot how to use your fucking
phone?”
“No, I went to Vegas.”
Wrong answer.
“I’m sorry, I thought I heard you say you went to Vegas when I specifically asked you to find Rebecca
and make sure she was okay. Your phone must be malfunctioning.” Cassie’s sarcasm dripped through
the
phone.
“I won like two hundred dollars and I got you a shot glass. There’s a naked guy on it and when there’s
liquor in it you can totally see his…”
The sound of something being repeatedly hit against a hard surface echoed through the diner from her
phone.
“I found Rebecca. She was in Arkadia. She’s mated and has the cutest little kiddo and is perfectly
fine,”
Abby said, quickly trying to avoid a full Cassie explosion.
“Thank god she’s okay.”
Abby nodded, relieved that Cassie sounded like she was calming down.
“Wait a minute, how is she in Arkadia? It’s a shifter-only town. The only bears there are the
Arkadions.
Please tell me she didn’t mate one of the Arkadion brothers.” Cassie’s voice carried and the
Arkadion boys
sat up straighter in their chairs, glaring at the phone. Abby smiled nervously.
“Umm she’s mated to Aleksander Arkadion.” Abby waited. Rebecca just sat there grinning like an
idiot.
She never seemed to get on Cassie’s bad side. The silence was starting to freak her out.
“And umm, I found my mates too. Moe Jones and Rhys, he’s a vampire. So I’ll be moving out here
too.” Abby waited. She couldn’t even hear Cassie breathing. Had she killed her best friend?
“Let me get this straight.” Abby winced.
“You and Rebecca will be living in close proximity to each other and she is mated to the Arkadion,
making her the single most powerful female in the paranormal world as Alpha Mother?” Cassie
asked, her
voice quiet and dangerous.
“Umm yup.”
“Why me! Why gods in heaven me! ” Abby pulled the phone away from her ear.
“For four years I watched over the two of you. Abby, you are like this natural disaster, it’s never your
fault, but that doesn’t change the fact that cities are leveled in your wake. Rebecca is twisted enough
to do
that shit on purpose just to watch people squirm! Four fucking years! Do you know that after I joined
Sentinel my assignments were like a vacation compared to watching over the two of you? Bombs in
Iraq?
No problem. Serial killer in Brazil? No worries. My Commander was convinced that I was a
heartless bitch,
because nothing disturbed me as much as listening to the two of you hatch schemes. Nothing panicked
me
more than keeping the two of you alive. Fuck Almighty! You and Rebecca are like a horrible Syfy
Saturday
movie gone wrong, like a tornado on a collision course with a nuclear power plant about to explode.
I can’t
do this. I cannot do this!”
“Now, Cassie, remember your breathing.”
“Fuck my breathing!”
“Rebecca built a bomb when she was eight. Do you remember what she told us? She had just finished
reading Lord of the Rings and was afraid the Uruk-hai were coming for her family. Did she hide
under the
covers? Did she ask her dad to check under her bed? No, that crazy midget built a fucking bomb and
that’s
not even the one that got her banned from laboratories from the US government, that was her science
fair
project when she was twelve!”
“Hey, we’re older now. We’re both mated. We’re all kinds of mellow yellow, aren’t we Rebecca?”
Abby
held the phone out to Rebecca and made a face at her.
“Yup! I haven’t killed anyone yet, well except for the hyena that kidnapped me, and he totally
deserved
it. Though that may change if Salsiby goes near my son again, but I have a formula that I’m working on
that should take care of his ass…” Abby brought the phone back to her ear.
“See, she hasn’t killed anyone lately.”
“Ulcers. You two give me fucking ulcers! Do you know how hard it is for shifters to get one ulcer,
much less two? Do you!”
“Umm… we love you?” Abby said, unsure of what else to do.
A huge sigh and thump was heard.
“I know. I love you two walking disasters too. I’m assigning Sentinels to Arkadia. Try not to blow up
the most important paranormal city since the dawn of time before they get there.”
“Go home and drink some of that white wine you like so much. I got this,” Abby said.
“That’s what I’m afraid of. Bye, Abby, give my love to Rebecca. I’ll be visiting soon to see my
nephew.”
Then the line went dead.
“That went well.” Abby looked up. Aleks, Gabriel, Moe and Rhys looked ill.
“So when do we go ghost hunting?” Rebecca asked, completely oblivious to her mate’s growing
panic
for his future.
“Tomorrow at eleven?” Abby suggested.
“Works for me.”
“Can I come too?” Giddey asked, looking intrigued.
“You bet.” Abby took another bite of her sandwich.
“Aren’t you afraid, Giddey?” Ashby asked, still looking worried.
“This chick singlehandedly got hot sentinels to be assigned to Arkadia, I’m sticking to her like glue.”
“Watch and learn young grasshopper, watch and learn.” Abby winked at him.
Aleks, Moe and Rhys groaned behind them.
Chapter 8
Operation Claim Her Vampire was underway. Abby was convinced that Rhys just needed to taste
their
blood to see that it wasn’t like a drug, then they could mate with each other. She had watched him
carefully
at the diner. He had this unconscious habit of rubbing his arms when he was feeling anxious. He sat
closer
to Moe and didn’t say much. She observed him with the patience that she normally reserved for the
small
mammals she studied out in the field.
Every time his anxiety levels would rise he would reach over and touch Moe. Abby realized that
Rhys
didn’t even know he was doing it. He was handling his addiction better than he probably even knew.
Abby continued to watch her mates until Moe stood.
“Time to get the bar ready to open.” He stretched and Abby had a moment to truly appreciate how
beautiful he was. He was tall but not bulky. His frame was simply huge, but the muscles wrapped
around
his body were toned and defined. He radiated peace and gentleness despite his grizzled appearance.
His
shaved head and five o’clock shadow would normally be a turn off for her, too rough. But on Moe it
was
just right. His tribal band tattoos around his arms only emphasized how built he was. He was the
exact
opposite to Rhys in every way.
Rhys stood and smiled up at Moe. His soft blond and white curls fell just past his ears. He was
handsome without looking pretty. He personified wholesomeness. When he smiled it seemed like that
was
the most natural look for his face. He was also tall, but still inches shorter than their other mate.
Where Moe
had soft gray eyes, Rhys’s green eyes were brilliant and seemed to glow with an inner light. Rhys’s
body
was leaner but also sported a defined eight pack that left her sighing.
“Lucky bitch,” Giddey said happily.
“You’re not the first to say that.”
“You were looking at them like you were sizing up your next meal.”
“Maybe I was.” Abby winked at Giddey.
Moe and Rhys grinned at each other.
“Come on, AbbyGirl.” Moe held out his hand to her.
“Coming.” She walked over and put her hand in his. His huge, warm hand engulfed hers, but the size
difference only reinforced how safe she felt around him. He leaned down and whispered.
“Not yet, but you will.” It took a second to understand his double entendre. Practically skipping
behind
them, she heard Giddey muttering under his breath about how damn lucky she was. She had to agree.
* * * *
The change to Rhys was immediate. The second he stepped behind the bar, his entire body practically
slumped forward in relief. When he stood, he stood straighter than she had seen him yet. He was
smiling
and laughing with Peyton and some of the early birds. Here was a man that had lived through
countless
centuries. His confidence was intoxicating.
“You see it don’t you?” Moe asked as he walked up behind her and pulled her into his arms. She
nodded and leaned back, resting her head against his chest.
“Does he realize it?”
“Not yet. He doesn’t have any symptoms when he’s behind the bar and in his element.”
“Which points to the fact that the addiction may be more mental than physical?”
“I’m afraid so.” Moe pulled her backward and they walked into the large walk-in freezer. He shut the
door and turned to her his eyes sad.
“I don’t gossip, and I normally wouldn’t betray Rhys, but you’re his mate too, and I feel like you have
a
right to know.” He took a deep breath.
“I caught him cutting the other night. He says it helps with the addiction, like he’s letting out all of the
blood he was forced to ingest.” Moe’s hands clenched at his sides. Abby was in front of him in
seconds.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and rubbed her face on his chest.
“You’re not alone in this anymore, Moe. We’ll help him overcome this. You no longer have to
shoulder
this burden by yourself,” she whispered.
“I love Rhys, Abby, and I know that, given time, I will fall completely in love with you too. You’re
the
light that we were missing in our lives. But I have been watching over Rhys for a month now. He
doesn’t
know it, but I would shift and sit in the tree outside his window some nights. I’m a spider monkey
when I
shift.” He looked down bashfully.
“There’s nothing wrong with that.” She kissed his chest and he continued.
“He always seemed calmer when I was there. At first I was simply excited to have met my mate.
When I
heard how he was almost executed on Christmas Eve, I was overwhelmed with gratitude that Fate
would
give me such a miracle. But it has been hard. Every cell in my body wants to claim him.” Moe sagged
against her, resting his chin on the top of her head.
“He was supposed to be executed?”
“He was forced to drink shifter blood. It made him feral and an addict. The shifter council gave
Gabriel
thirty days to see if he could rehabilitate him. Christmas Eve, his eyes were still red and he was still
crazed,
so they sent a Sentinel to execute him. From what I heard, Fate acted through Rebecca and her Inner
Court.
Rhys’s eyes turned from red to green and he was spared.”
“I have seen some amazing things in my travels. I have seen Fate step in and change lives before, it’s
why I am not fighting this mating one bit. It’s why I am not holding back and giving myself to you and
Rhys one hundred percent. Mating isn’t about insta-love or insta-trust, that has to be earned over time,
and
you and Rhys have that. Eventually the three of us will get there. But for now I feel like I have to tell
you
that you may be handling his addiction wrong.” She felt him tense up. She quickly tried to explain
what she
meant.
“At first what you did was exactly what he needed. You didn’t rush him and watched over him right?
But after a while I think you ignored what Fate had intended for you to do, which enabled Rhys to
exacerbate the issue. If you had pressed your claim, he would have seen for himself that your blood
would
not affect him. Now it’s built up in his mind that he’ll hurt you, us. Like a virgin, the longer you wait
to do
the deed, the scarier it will seem.”
“What can we do now?”
“Seduce him and I hate to say it, we need him to drink from us. We need to create an environment
where he feels like he has a safety net. I think I am your safety net. Fate gave you what you needed for
this
mating to work.”
“What do you get? You’re not just the fix to my relationship with Rhys.” Moe pulled back and ran his
hand along her cheek. She flushed, embarrassed.
“The two of you are perfect for me. You and Rhys don’t look at my body and see something to fix or
weight to lose. I’ve only recently come to terms with how I look and started loving myself. You
accept me
as I am. You have no idea how much that means. You are the rock I need. Cassie is right, I can
sometimes
create a bit of a mess. You are so calm, it’s like you’re this unmoveable mountain in a sea of chaos, uh
me
being the chaos. I need you to keep me from flying apart. Rhys when he is more himself feeds into my
fun
loving side. I can see that Rhys and I will be the ones playing jokes and pulling you in every
direction. You
will protect my heart, he will feed my mind, but both of you together will be my soul.”
Moe’s eyes had a fine sheen to them. Unable to say anything, he pulled her into his arms and nearly
crushed her in his embrace. She smiled against the hard muscles of his body.
“And it’s my ultimate fantasy to be taken by two men. So being in a ménage really is perfect for me.”
Abby bit at the spot over his chest where she had claimed him playfully. Against her stomach she felt
him
begin to grow hard.
This time when he pulled back his gray eyes weren’t soft, they had darkened to an unreadable black.
“AbbyGirl, you will be the death of me.”
“Only little ones.” She grinned up at him impishly. He shook his head and stepped back. He adjusted
his
cock in his jeans, wincing.
“Grab a case of beer. The quicker we start the evening the quicker we can end it, then maybe you will
get your fantasy.” With a gleam in his eye, his hand moved quicker than she could follow and he
grabbed
the crotch of her jeans roughly. He gave a quick squeeze, purposefully dragging his finger from the
back of
her jeans to her front hitting every one of her sensitive spots. He removed his hand and headed out the
door, whistling. He turned just his head and grinned at her.
“You and Rhys aren’t the only ones who know how to play.” With that he walked out of the freezer
leaving her overheated and panting.
Damn monkey!
* * * *
To Abby’s surprise, Rebecca, her mate Aleks, and most of the Inner Court and their mates showed up
that evening at the bar. Abby’s heart melted a bit. She knew that Rebecca was doing her damnedest to
make
sure she felt welcome.
“Ma said she’d watch the boys overnight to give us a break. She and Pa are in grandparent heaven.”
Rebecca twirled on the barstool next to Abby. Not even turning from his conversation with Liam,
Aleks
reached behind him and stopped Rebecca mid twirl. Rebecca stuck her tongue out at her mate and
turned
forward to face Rhys.
“Rhys, what’s my drink? You gave everyone else a drink except me.” Rebecca pouted. Abby’s ears
perked up.
“What’s this?” she asked, and Rhys winked at her.
“I’ve been behind a bar all of my life. I can usually guess what my customer wants and mix it up for
them.” Rhys stepped back and eyed Rebecca up and down.
“I don’t think I’ve ever given anyone this designation.” He looked at Abby, then at Rebecca and
closed
his eyes, shaking his head.
“What?” Rebecca and Abby leaned in together.
“Abby, you are the Three Wise Men. Three sweet, good ole boys from Tennessee, Jim Beam, Johnnie
Walker and Jack Daniels. Smooth but potent, with slight possibilities for disaster.” Rhys turned to
Rebecca.
“Baby girl, you’re the Four Horsemen. You’re the Three Wise Men, plus one shot from a devilish
bastard that goes by the name of Jose Cuervo. You and Abby combined could bring about the next
apocalypse.”
“Please don’t tell me that.” Aleks groaned. Liam leaned over and wrapped his arms around Aleks
rubbing his back. It went on for a minute and Abby caught Kent giving his mate a curious look.
“Aleks, I’m here for you.” Liam breathed into Alek’s ear and continued to rub circles on the bear
shifter’s back.
“Uncomfortable yet?” Liam asked, grinning wickedly. Aleks yawned and lay his head down on the
bar.
“Rub lower, I did my rounds today talking to everyone in town, my lower back is killing me,” Aleks
said, sounding half-asleep already. Liam stopped and looked at Aleks, disgusted. He turned to where
Rian
and Damian were catching up with Bethy and Asling.
“Rian, I need you to babysit Aidhan more often. Aleks is exhausted and is not responding to any of my
well-thought-out digs.”
“Let me get this straight. You want me to babysit BooBear so that Aleks will get more sleep so he is
awake enough for you to torture?”
“Yup.” Liam nodded.
“Okay.” Rian shrugged.
“Y’all are bad.” Bethy giggled.
“Okay, what about me?” Giddey asked from the end of the bar.
“You’re easy, Giddey. You’re a New Orleans Hand Grenade. A harmonious blend of vodka, gin, rum
and melon liquor that is hijacked by the out-of-control presence of grain alcohol. It’s the kind of drink
you
have and the next morning are wondering what state and or country you’re in.”
Giddey’s eyes widened.
“I have to try that!”
“Me too, I wanna try mine,” Rebecca said.
“No,” was Alek’s muffled response.
“But it’s my drink.”
“No.” Aleks repeated, his face still on the bar.
“I want…”
“No.”
“But.”
Aleks sat up and turned to look at Rebecca. He leaned in and whispered something so low that Abby
couldn’t hear what he said. When he sat back, Rebecca’s face was tomato red. She quirked an
eyebrow.
“Promise?”
Aleks nodded.
“Just orange juice for me please.”
Abby sniffled a little.
“He really does know you, and loves you anyway.”
“Hey! I think.” Rebecca eyed her with suspicion.
“AbbyGirl, you want to try your drink?” Rhys asked, running his fingers over her hand at the bar.
Normally she would definitely be reaching for some liquid courage, but she knew that she would need
to be
clearheaded tonight. Seducing Rhys was way more enticing than a drink. She shook her head.
“No, I’ll just have a coke for tonight.” Rhys brought her hand up and kissed her fingers before turning
to get their drinks. Her heart melted. She was falling in love with him so quickly.
“Well, I might as well work on my crochet. I taught myself so I could make Boo a blanket.” Rebecca
reached into her backpack and pulled out a ball of yarn and a knotted mess. Abby couldn’t make
heads or
tails of it, but Rebecca was so proud of her progress she didn’t have the heart to tell her it looked like
a
fishing net.
“Giddey, who’s driving you later?” Rhys asked, holding his drink back.
“He’s staying with us at the pride house a few days before settling in with Connor and Madison.
We’re
driving him back,” Rian said, holding up his beer. Rhys nodded and handed the drink over to Giddey.
“Sweet baby Elton, this is perfect. Rhys, you are a god!” Giddey took another sip and sighed happily.
“Elton?” Abby asked, curious.
“Elton John, my idol,” Giddey explained.
“Well we’re off,” Ms. Tully said, walking past where they sat.
“Rhys, son, you have been a breath of fresh air in this bar. Your drinks are so lovely.” Ms. Tully
patted
Rhys’s hand in a motherly fashion.
“Thank you, Annabeth.” Rhys winked and flirted with the older woman.
“Oh, oh my. You rascal.” Ms. Tully giggled like a schoolgirl. She looked down where Rebecca had
her
crochet needle twisted up with her yarn. She looked at it for a moment and then at Rebecca, whose
tongue
was sticking out the side of her mouth in concentration.
“Baby girl, what on earth are you making?”
“A baby blanket.” Rebecca held up the “blanket” with sections large enough to pass a hand through.
“Why on earth are you using bondage knots to make a baby blanket?” The conversations in the bar
stopped and everyone turned to look at Rebecca’s creation.
“Bondage?” Rebecca squeaked.
“Yes dear, you have made some lovely patterns which would look simply divine on your bear, but I
don’t see how it can be used for a blanket.” Ms. Tully took the knot work from Rebecca and turned it
over
in her hands.
“Rebecca, where in the hell did you learn to crochet?” Abby asked, trying not to laugh.
“A YouTube video, Pleasures of Knotwork.”
Ms. Tully clucked her tongue.
“You mean the Knots of Pleasure video. Yes, I enjoyed that one. That was a video about shibari dear,
not crochet.” Ms. Tully handed the piece back to Rebecca who was eyeing Aleks covertly, before a
panicked look crossed her face.
“So you mean that website was ‘adult’ oriented?”
“Yes, dear.”
“Oh my god. I ordered my swing from there. I wanted to get a swing for the back yard so that I could
swing with Aidhan in his baby swing. What kind of adult swing would they sell on that site?”
Rebecca
looked around, the picture of innocence.
Abby couldn’t help it. She was howling with laughter and beating the bar with one hand. Aleks was
now sitting up straight, very alert and looking at his mate.
“You ordered an adult swing?” he asked, his eyes wide.
“Yup, it was that box that came earlier this week. I wondered where all the bars and stuff were, I
thought maybe they just sent the swing part and the rest would come via freight or something.”
Rebecca
slumped down looking defeated.
“You mean to tell me there is an adult swing in our house and Ma is watching Aidhan tonight?” Aleks
asked, suddenly not looking that tired at all.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
Aleks stood, dropped fifty dollars on the bar, grabbed Rebecca’s backpack with one hand and threw
his
tiny mate over his shoulder with the other.
“Night everyone,” Aleks said, heading to the door.
“Neanderthal! See you in the morning, Abby!” Rebecca waved and the door shut behind them.
“Oh my,” Ms. Tully said, smiling wide.
“I want a Neanderthal to carry me around like that.” Giddey sighed and sipped his drink again.
“I’m taking bets she comes up pregnant in a couple weeks.” Rian laughed.
“That was so hot,” Sebastian said, and Ashby sighed in agreement. Kate was fanning herself. Gabriel,
Liam, Kent, Caleb and Bran shared a look before sweeping their mates over their shoulders and
heading out
of the bar. After the sounds of squeals and giggling faded Nic, Rian, Damian, Giddey, Bethy and
Asling all
burst out laughing.
“You young people.” Ms. Tully winked at Rhys and walked out as well.
“It’s so different here. Everyone is so happy and comfortable to be who they are.” Bethy smiled
happily.
“It was different before Rebecca. Ma made sure no one got picked on, but it was Rebecca that really
made us family,” Damian said.
“She was like that in college too. Cassandra, Meg, Camille and I would hang out together because it
was
better than hanging out with some of the humans, but Rebecca made us like sisters.” Abby felt a large,
warm hand on her lower back.
“It’s her gift.” Moe nuzzled the side of her neck and moved away to wipe down the counter. Abby
noticed that he was doing every small thing he could to ensure that closing down the bar would go
quickly.
She was just about to ask for some pretzels when Peyton came running up to Rian and Damian.
“I’m on the last level but I don’t know what to do.” Peyton hopped from foot to foot frantically. Rian
and Damian exchanged looks and stood up quickly.
“We’re coming, little buddy.” They quickly followed behind Peyton. Bethy, Asling, Giddey and Nic
stood drinks in hand and followed.
“It’s bound to be interesting,” Nic said, and they all sat down at the table next to where Peyton, Rian
and
Damian sat facing the large television screen.
Abby turned to Rhys, playing with the straw in her drink.
“Any chance I’ll get as lucky as Rebecca tonight?”
“I’m sure we can figure something out.” Rhys started tracing his finger along the back of her hand
sending shivers down her spine. Feeling spunky and aroused as hell, she pulled Rhys’s hand to her
mouth
and sucked on his pointer and middle fingers. She drew them deep into her mouth and out again
mimicking
what she had done to him earlier. She heard his breathing become labored and he pulled his fingers
from
her mouth to lean against the bar trying to catch his breath.
“No fair, AbbyGirl, I still gotta work.” Rhys’s eyes burned with desire.
“I look forward to you getting off…work.” She grinned and hopped off her barstool. She grabbed her
drink and swung her hips from side to side as she walked away, leaving Rhys groaning behind her.
When she sat down, Giddey simply held up his fist. Without saying a word she gave him a fist bump
and settled in to watch sweet Peyton kill his zombies.
Chapter 9
“Everything put away?”
“Check.”
“Locked up?”
“Check.”
“Turned off?”
“Check.”
Rhys eyed Abby as she stood by the stairs, her arms crossed, leaning against the doorway. She had
been
watching them in amusement as they raced around like mad men closing the bar. Peyton had gone to
bed an
hour ago completely wiped from celebrating his victory.
“Ready for bed?” Moe asked.
“Check and check.” Rhys grinned and then they turned their gaze to her. For a second she looked like
a
lone gazelle in the open on the plains. When Rhys shifted his weight forward she gave an undignified
yelp
and ran up the stairs. He and Moe took turns reaching out to pinch her rear or run a finger down her
back.
Screeching and laughing at the same time she hit their apartment door at a run and ran straight for the
bed.
She hopped on and sat at the end grinning at them.
“Gorgeous isn’t she?” Moe asked, removing his shirt and pants already. Rhys not to be outdone
quickly
pulled his shirt over his head and dropped his pants.
“Rhys, can we try something?” Abby’s voice sounded hesitant. Rhys stopped.
“Of course, we can try anything you want.” He walked over and sat beside her on the bed.
“We’re your mates. You can ask us for anything.” Abby dropped her eyes guiltily.
“Abby wants you to try and claim her,” Moe said, gently sitting on the other side of Abby,
comfortable
in his nudity. Rhys stood, shaking his head.
“No! Absolutely not. I’ll hurt you.”
“Rhys, I don’t think you will. If you get out of hand, Moe is here, he can pull you away. I think once
you taste our blood and see that it’s not the same as the others, that the blood lust won’t be triggered.
Then
you can easily claim me and Moe.” She stood and walked over to him. She tried to wrap her arms
around
him but he moved to step away from her. He shook his head over and over again. He paced the floor
in
front of the bed, rubbing his arms. He hated to see the rejected look on her face, but he couldn’t risk
hurting his sweet girl.
“Maybe we’re pushing him too far.” Moe looked torn.
“Bullshit. He can do this, he will do this. Fate has made us a ménage mating and dammit we’re going
to
be mates. Rhys, all I’m asking is that we try. Just once,” Abby pleaded.
Rhys felt like he couldn’t think. He felt cornered.
“Rhys, please?” Moe asked, his voice quiet and sad. Rhys stopped his pacing and looked at his mate.
Until Abby he had had no idea how much Moe was sacrificing every day denying the need to claim
him.
This man had dropped everything to nurse him back to health, opened his home and his heart to him.
He
looked at Abby, her eyes pleading. He knew she was trying to help him. There was nothing he wanted
more
than to claim his mates. He had to try, at least once, he owed them no less.
“I get to say when it’s too much,” Rhys said, taking a step forward. Moe’s eyes brightened.
“Of course, baby. How do you want to do this?” Moe beamed at him, Rhys could tell he was proud of
his efforts to try, he swallowed past the knot forming in his throat. He needed to do better by his
mates.
“You have me now,” Abby reminded him, taking his hand and winking. Rhys felt his chest loosen. He
smiled down at his beautiful mate. She was an unexpected gift. He couldn’t deny them both. He let her
lead
him to the bed.
“If we’re going to do this you need to be naked,” Rhys said, pointing to himself and Moe’s unclothed
state.
“Not a problem.” Abby shimmied out of her clothes and was standing naked in front of him almost
before he could blink. Her hands hovered over her stomach for a split second before she let them fall.
She
looked up at them shyly. He could see that she was starting to really believe them when they said she
was
beautiful.
“Rhys, your call. How do you want to try this?” Moe asked.
Rhys thought about it. He needed to be positioned where Moe could restrain him.
“How about if I sit between your legs and Abby rides me?” Rhys looked at Abby.
“God it will be so hot seeing Moe behind you.” Abby shivered in pleasure.
“Giddyup.” Rhys gave her a sultry look.
Moe climbed onto the bed and Rhys was right after him. He watched Moe’s perfect ass crawl up to
the
head of the bed when a flash of green caught his eye.
“Are you wearing a butt plug?” Rhys asked, incredulous. Moe’s cheeks tinted pink as he nodded.
“I was hoping that if all goes well with Abby, we can claim each other tonight too.”
“I get to tease you with that next time.” Abby licked her lips and Moe groaned.
Rhys quickly got settled at the juncture of Moe’s thighs. He could feel his mate’s thick, hard cock hot
against his back.
Slowly Abby crawled up the bed, her breasts swinging as she moved.
“Fuck!” Moe moved and Rhys could feel a slight wetness on his lower back. Their other mate was
primed and ready to blow.
“As much as I want to enjoy this moment, I think we should try this hard and fast. I don’t want to draw
this out and give the bloodlust more opportunity to rise.” Abby straddled Rhys and for the first time
guided
his cock into her slick, hot core.
“Fuck, I need you to move, AbbyGirl.” Rhys ground his teeth together.
Slowly she undulated her hips, she rocked backward, pulling away before slamming her hips
forward.
Each movement had her sheathing and unsheathing herself on his cock. The second her breathing
hitched
he knew she had found the perfect position. She moved her body over his, over and over again
rubbing the
head of his dick over a certain spot inside of her. Rhys felt his fangs burst through his gums. He was
dying
to sink them into her as deep as his cock.
“Oh God, Rhys, hurry!” she moaned. Moe took that has his cue and leaned forward to wrap an arm
around Rhys’s upper chest.
Rhys couldn’t fight the need to bite her a second longer. He pulled her forward and ran his fangs
down
her neck.
“Rhys!” Abby’s scream was shrill as he felt her body convulse around him, signaling her orgasm.
Without hesitation, Rhys struck. He sank his fangs deep and drank.
God she tastes so damn good!
Rhys drank and drank. He waited for the fire to hit his bloodstream, but, nothing happened. He pulled
back and stared at the two dainty holes on her neck. Her blood was good, but he could stop. It wasn’t
like
the blood from the bags.
A low growl caught his attention and he looked up to see a blur of movement before he felt Abby’s
canines in his neck. He shuddered as pleasure coursed through him. He felt his soul lift and merge
with
Abby’s which carried a piece of Moe. They spun together like a mini tornado before coming to rest in
their
bodies.
Abby, on shaky legs, climbed off.
“Claim Moe, hurry!” Rhys moved faster than he ever had in his life. He turned and grabbed Moe’s
legs
with both hands. He pulled his mate forward and pulled out the green butt plug. When he looked down
he
saw Moe looking up at him with such love in his eyes it was nearly his undoing.
He thrust into his large mate and dropped his head back. It was pure pleasure. Moe reached up and
pulled Rhys nearly on top of him. Rhys kissed Moe with the desperation of a starving man. He
pounded
deep into his mate branding him as his for eternity.
“Mine.” He growled. Moe’s eyes had shifted to black.
“Mine,” he echoed.
Rhys felt his orgasm bearing down on him.
“Moe!” He thrust deep and Moe moaned. Rhys grabbed Moe’s long, thick cock and began to stroke
him
in time to his thrusts. It didn’t take long for Moe to buck into his hand as warm semen filled the space
between them.
Leaning down he sank his fangs into the side of Moe’s neck. His blood was just as delicious as
Abby’s
but different. Where she had tasted faintly of cinnamon, Moe tasted like cotton candy. When he lifted
his
head, Moe sat up and on the other side of his neck opposite of where Abby had claimed him. Moe’s
teeth
pierced his flesh.
Their souls seemed to burst forward, as if they had strained for the past month to become one. His
soul
with a piece of Abby rose up and swirled with Moe’s soul which also had a piece of Abby with it.
When
they combined Rhys felt the mating bond between the three of them snap into place. He could finally
feel
what his mates were feeling and he was humbled.
Moe broke down sobbing, holding him close. His huge mate with a tender heart was so relieved that
they could finally be one. He felt Abby’s hesitation. He looked behind them and motioned for her to
join
them. At the slight dip in the mattress Moe’s face lifted from Rhys’s neck and he snaked an arm over
to
Abby, pulling her close.
Rhys could feel the blossoming love she already had for the two of them, her fierce sense of loyalty
and
her deep-seated desire to be cared for.
“I love you, my mates. Thank you for not giving up on me,” Rhys whispered, his own tears dropping
on Abby’s shoulder and between their bodies.
“Love you both so much already, it’s scary.” Abby was kissing any exposed piece of flesh and was
gently running a hand over Moe’s face.
“Finally together, forever,” Moe said, and looked up to face them, tear tracks down his cheeks.
“You’re stuck with me now.” Abby grinned.
Rhys looked at Moe whose face somehow looked younger without the stress of not being able to
claim
his mate.
“We wouldn’t have it any other way, Abby Girl,” Moe said.
“Even if you blow up the house one day,” Rhys said, winking at Abby. She giggled and Moe groaned.
Rhys wouldn’t have this mating any other way.
Chapter 10
“Voice recorder?”
“Got it.”
“Cameras?”
“Right here.”
“Temperature gauges?”
“Right beside you.”
“Snacks and pie?”
“In the cooler.” Abby pointed to the large red cooler at their feet.
“By the way, wicked bite marks you’re sporting.” Rebecca smiled at her. Abby touched a hand to
either
side of her neck.
“Rhys is much more comfortable now feeding from us since there are no side effects.”
“Abomination,” Salsiby muttered under his breath.
“I’m sorry, did you say you wanted to get hit again?” Abby asked, raising her fist.
“Y–y–you can’t, the council will have you banned,” he sneered.
Abby let the anger she was feeling fill her eyes.
“I’m willing to take that chance. Of course it would be a very good hit, probably snap your skinny
little
neck,” Abby growled.
“Arkadia has become a godforsaken place since that human came here.”
“Yeah, well take that up with Fate, she’s the one who brought me here.” Rebecca glared at him.
“I think it’s in your best interest to finish your coffee in your room at the bed and breakfast,” Connor
said, his voice flat.
“I don’t want to be around this trash anyway.” Salsiby stood and left.
“Why can’t I kill him again?” Rebecca demanded, stamping her tiny foot.
“Because he has done nothing wrong, you know that, Rebecca.” Ma smiled at the small woman.
“Not yet. He’s up to something, I can feel it.” Rebecca sighed and looked at the equipment in front of
her.
“Hey I think he’s up to something too, but we can’t let him ruin our fun right?” Abby bumped
Rebecca’s shoulder.
“You’re right. Okay. Let’s do this.” Rebecca’s smile returned.
“Are y’all sure about this?” Ashby asked, fidgeting with the recorder Abby handed him.
“Yup. Okay let’s move out.” Rebecca gave Aidhan a kiss and bounced toward the door.
Abby shook her head as she and Sebastian picked up the cooler. Behind them Ashby kept looking
back
at his son. Abby was betting the small man was trying to think of a reason to stay behind. Giddey
sounded
like he was wrapping up with Madison for the morning.
“Okay, I contacted the solicitor for the office space beside the delicious accountant Brice Marshall.
It’s
right across from Mojos which means I can get my happy hour on within minutes of leaving for the
day.
I’ve already arranged for the closing paperwork to be sent to you for your signature. All utilities have
already been turned on in your name. Your office furniture and supplies should arrive from New York
no
later than Tuesday of next week. That scrumptious lion, Zane, is a wizard when it comes to shipping
arrangements, completely antisocial though. I have set up an appointment request form online and
posted
the information for it on the door. Your new business cards will be here Monday. I have made special
arrangements with the council to forward you all copies of any reference books regarding shifter law,
we
can start going through and setting up a regular caseload then. I’ve set up a database with all your
notes
regarding the laws you have been looking into, you know my set up. I’ve also established a
reoccurring
order at The Grind for your morning caffeine fix. If you need anything else, I’ll be on the ghost hunt
and
then looking for horny lions.” Giddey looked up from his phone before sliding it into his pocket with
flourish.
“How?” Conner asked, looking stunned. Madison just smiled.
“I told you, he is an amazing personal assistant.”
Giddey preened.
“He’s only been in town twelve hours!” Connor’s eyes were wide. Abby shook her head.
“Coming, Giddey?”
“You betcha!”
Together they left the diner and walked around back. They crossed the dirt road that circled the town.
They had walked almost half a mile when they saw the house. Up close even Abby was having
second
thoughts. It didn’t look this spooky driving into Arkadia. From the outside it looked like a life-sized
replica
of every girl’s dream doll house. The Victorian stood four stories high including the attic. It had a
gorgeous
wraparound porch and swing. With a fresh coat of paint it could be perfect. Abby tried to stay
positive,
until she saw a shadow move past the third story window.
Fuck!
“Awesome! Doesn’t it look perfect?” Rebecca was practically hopping up and down in excitement.
Sebastian and Abby exchanged looks. It would be up to them to keep their group together.
“Spooktacular. This is going on Instagram.” Giddey held up his iPhone and took a picture.
“Are we going inside that?” Ashby asked. Abby felt sorry for the smaller man. He was ashen and
nearly
shaking.
“It’s okay, Ashers. I won’t let anything hurt you.” Rebecca wrapped an arm around Ashby and
dragged
him forward.
“Let’s do this,” Abby said, plucking up her courage. She and her men needed space and she wasn’t
about to let a ghost keep her from what could be her dream home. She took the key that Ma had given
her
out of her pocket and walked past Rebecca and Ashby. She unlocked the door and let it swing open. A
musty smell greeted them.
“I don’t like it.” Ashby quivered.
“Oh, Abby, look at the hardwood floors. They are in almost perfect condition.” Rebecca walked past
the
foyer into what looked like the parlor on the left.
“There’s no electricity, we’d have to have someone run a line to the house. That means there’s no
appliances.” Abby made a mental note to ask Moe and Rhys what their carpentry and electrician
skills were
like.
“Here ghostie, ghostie, ghostie,” Rebecca called out. Sebastian, Ashby and Giddey edged closer to
Abby.
Rebecca turned and looked at them, her face beaming.
“We should split up, we’ll cover more ground that way.”
“We’re going to stick with Abby,” Ashby squeaked.
“Yeah, she’ll need our help upstairs looking at all the rooms.” Sebastian explained.
Bullshit, y’all are sticking with me because I’m not inviting ghosts to start up conversations, Abby
mused to herself.
“Good idea. I got down here covered. Now, if I were a ghost where would I be?” Rebecca turned and
started taking pictures with her digital camera.
“On that note, let’s go, boys,” Abby said, and started up the stairs. Sebastian, Ashby and Giddey
stayed
close behind Abby as they made their way to the second floor. Once upstairs, even Abby had to admit
Rebecca was right. The house was in surprisingly good condition for being so old. The detail in the
woodwork alone was gorgeous.
“It’s actually really nice,” Giddey said, sounding as surprised as she felt.
“I know, I was just thinking the same thing.” Abby noticed that the second floor was divided by a
large
guest suite with bathroom. On the left of the guest suite was the master bedroom and bathroom
complete
with sitting room. On the right, three smaller bedrooms that shared a bathroom. Ma told her the third
story
was an open space that used to be a children’s playroom. She was hoping to turn that space into her
office
and research lab.
“You’d have lots of room here,” Ashby said, taking in the size of the bedrooms.
“Where do you think that door leads to?” Sebastian asked, pointing to the door at the end of the
hallway.
“Probably the attic, like in Beetlejuice, ” Giddey remarked.
“Yeah, the ghosts were in the attic in that movie,” Abby said, then realized what she said. Everyone
looked at each other.
“That was just a movie, right?” Ashby asked, moving closer to Abby.
“Yup, Ashby, there are no such things as ghosts.” Abby nodded.
No sooner had the words come out of her mouth than they heard the first of five slams.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
One by one the opened bedroom doors slammed shut. Abby tittered nervously.
“That was just the wind, nothing to worry about.” Abby patted Ashby’s arm. A second later they
heard
five latches click open.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Again the five bedroom doors slammed shut.
“Okay fuck this shit!” Abby yelled. When she turned, she realized the boys were already making their
way downstairs. When the small wooden table at the end of the hall tipped over her nerve broke and
she
ran down the stairs behind them. She came skidding to a halt in the foyer. Sebastian, Giddey and
Ashby
were staring into the parlor with identical looks of horror on their faces.
Oh god, Rebecca!
She pushed past them to find Rebecca standing in the middle of the room, holding up her phone.
“And this is a picture of Rhys and Moe, they are her mates. Aren’t they gorgeous? Yup, he does look
like a fallen angel. Uh huh, I’m pretty sure Moe is quite handy.” Rebecca nodded smiling.
Nope, this isn’t happening.
“Come on Rebecca time to go.” Abby grabbed Rebecca’s wrist and hauled her outside. Everyone
except
Rebecca was breathless and shaking.
“That was rude!” Rebecca protested. Just then the front door slammed shut.
“Sebastian?” Abby said, pointing to Rebecca.
“On it.” Sebastian slung Rebecca over one shoulder. Giddey and Abby picked up the cooler and
Ashby
led the way back as they all ran back to the diner. Abby pushed the door open and was relieved to see
her
mates waiting for her. Their warm smiles of welcome turned into frowns of concern when they saw
how
hard she was breathing.
“AbbyGirl, what on earth happened?” Moe said, standing and quickly folding her into his arms.
Instantly Rhys was behind her, effectively sandwiching her between their bodies. Instantly she felt
safer.
“Becca! Sebastian, is she okay?” Aleks pulled Rebecca off of Sebastian’s shoulder and carried her
over
to a chair cuddling her in his lap.
“I’m fine, these four have lost their damn minds though,” Rebecca said, throwing her hands in the air.
The second Gabriel pulled Ashby into his arms the small man burst into tears.
“What happened?” Gabriel growled.
Ma took one look at the wobbly group, reached under the counter, and pulled out a brown glass bottle.
Abby raised an eyebrow but accepted the mug Ma offered. As she expected it burned like hell going
down,
but the aftereffect felt like her stomach had become a cozy little fireplace. Rebecca was coughing and
sputtering. Midget never could hold her liquor.
“Ma, what is that?” Sebastian asked, sounding less shaky.
“Just something I keep for medicinal purposes.” She eyed the shaking Ashby with concern.
“Connor can you bring out those Lava Fudge Brownies? I think they’re needed.”
“Sure thing, Ma.” Connor pulled a pan from the warmer and brought them over to the center table. It
was only after everyone was seated with a mug of Ma’s “medicine” and a plate full of sin that the
small
group of ghost hunters relaxed.
“Okay, now what happened?” Moe asked.
“It was the damnedest thing. All the bedroom doors slammed shut one by one.” Abby shook her head
at
the memory.
“That doesn’t sound so odd,” Liam said, still rubbing Sebastian’s back. Sebastian looked up at Liam
with a sick expression.
“Then they opened by themselves and slammed again.” His words silenced the diner.
“Was that what I heard? She said that Isaiah was playing,” Rebecca said, munching down on her
brownie. She was the only one that didn’t look the least bit scared.
“It was definitely a ghost,” Sebastian said.
“Oh man! I wanted to see the ghost.” Rebecca pouted.
“Unbelievable.” Abby took another bite of brownie. It figures that the freakiest stuff would happen to
Rebecca and she didn’t even realize it.
“Wait, who is she?” Aleks asked. Abby looked up, amused.
Good question.
Rebecca took a deep breath.
Here we go.
“Well, when they went upstairs to ghost hunt I poked around downstairs. The parlor was fantabulous,
but the kitchen needs a complete overhaul, I mean who has a kitchen without a dishwasher and
microwave
these days? Anyway, that was when I met Ms. Whittaker. She walked into the kitchen and introduced
herself, she was so sweet. She knew a lot about the house and was interested in who would be buying
it. So
I showed her pictures of Rhys and Moe, she said that Rhys looked like a fallen angel ready for sin and
Moe
looked like a kind soul and very handy. She said that the house needed a man like him to take care of
it.”
Rebecca licked her fork.
“Rebecca Morgan Arkadion. There wasn’t anyone in the front room with you.” Abby stared at her
friend. Rebecca waved her hand in a pshaw motion.
“Of course there was.”
“Ms. Jane Whittaker was the last owner of the house. She died there when Aaron was a boy,” Ma
said,
looking at Rebecca oddly.
“I knew it!” Ashby exclaimed.
Abby wasn’t the only one staring at Rebecca.
“Come on y’all, stop playing. I think it’s funny you got together to pull this prank, but ha ha, joke’s
over. Look, Ashby is having hysterics.” Rebecca pointed to Ashby who had attached himself to his
mate.
“Rebecca, we’re not playing a prank on you. There was no one in that room but you,” Sebastian
whispered. Aleks’s face was milky white.
“Right. Next you’ll be saying Ma is a ghost or Connor is a ghost or Mr.Wilbur is a ghost.” She waved
her fork at them. Aleks frowned.
“Who is Mr.Wilbur?” he asked.
“Duh, he’s our mailman.” Rebecca looked at Aleks as if he had lost his mind.
“We don’t have a mailman! Everyone picks up their mail at the Post Office once it’s delivered from
Brighton,” Aleks exploded.
“That’s just silly. He saved my life last summer. I was about to step off the porch and he warned me
about a Copperhead that was within striking distance.”
“What!” Aleks roared.
“Aleks, you’re being loud again.”
Ma sat down in the chair across from Rebecca suddenly. Her face had paled and her eyes were wide
and
shiny.
“Ma?” Connor asked, concerned.
“Jeb Wilbur died saving my life when Aleks was a baby. I was in a car accident on the road heading
back up to the ranch, it was winter and there was so much ice. He was coming from the house after
delivering the mail and found me trapped in the car. He got Aleks out first and bundled him up in his
mail
car then came back for me. He got me free and helped me to his car. He was walking around to the
driver’s
side when he was hit by another oncoming car that had lost control on the ice. We never filled the
postman
job after him, it didn’t seem right. It’s why everyone picks up their mail at the Post Office now.”
“Oh god.” Aleks’s voice sounded strangled. Rebecca looked around her eyes wide.
“I see dead people,” she whispered.
“Keep that shit over there,” Rian yelled, moving his seat back a few inches.
“No. Absolutely not! I forbid it! You get into enough trouble with the living!” Aleks ranted.
“This is so cool!” Rebecca laughed, ignoring her mate’s utter meltdown.
“I wonder what your range is? What kind of parameters are involved. I mean do they have to be dead
for a long time? Can you just stand over a grave and be like ‘Come out, come out, wherever you
are’?”
Abby asked. Her scientific brain taking over.
“We can try the graveyard later.” Rebecca was practically shaking with excitement.
“Like hell!” Aleks growled.
“So, that house is off the list?” Rhys asked. Abby looked over to Rebecca.
“Did she seem okay with the idea of us moving in?”
Rebecca nodded.
“She said she’d welcome the company.”
“To tell you the truth, if she can keep Isaiah the prankster under wraps, the house is perfect. It’s damn
near move-in ready, we just need to get electric out there, make a few modernizations and it would be
my
dream house,” Abby admitted.
“Sounds good to me. I love projects.” Moe smiled at her, turning her insides to mush.
“Of all gifts to receive as Alpha Mother this one actually suits you.” Ma shook her head in
amazement.
“No it doesn’t!” Aleks fumed.
“Of course it does, baby boy. Her ability to talk to anyone just got a bit of a boost. It’s part of what
helps
her bring people together.”
“What was your gift, Ma?” Rebecca asked.
“Hearth and home. The ability to create warm, family orientated spaces. To make families stronger.”
Ma
pointed around the diner.
“So yes?” Rhys asked. Abby nodded.
“I think it will be perfect.”
Moe turned to Ma.
“We’ll take it.” Ma smiled and clapped her hands together excitedly.
“Wonderful. That house has been empty for too long. You’ll get a real deal on the property too since
it’s
known to have past issues. The realtor has been trying to sell that house for years. Plenty of room for
children too.” Ma winked at Abby, who felt her cheeks flush.
“Never mind that.” Abby couldn’t ignore the heated looks her mates were giving her. Being bonded
with both of them their desire flooded her senses.
On second thought, maybe we can practice making them long before we actually have any.
She eyed the door and winked at both her mates. Rhys stood, Moe right behind him. Abby grinned.
They were picking up on her growing arousal through the mating bond. Since they were all mated to
each
other the effect was tripled.
“Well, if you could get that started for us, Ma, we’d be real appreciative. We need to go get the bar
ready
to open,” Moe explained.
“Getting the bar ready to open, my well-shaped ass. Y’all are about to get your freak on.” Giddey
snorted. Abby grinned at him.
“Bye.” Moe grabbed Rhys’s hand and then hers and they bolted out the door.
Chapter 11
“I can’t believe we have a home picked out already.” Abby flung herself onto the bed.
“I can’t believe our new home is haunted.” Rhys chuckled.
“Now, about that baby making,” Moe said, his voice dropping an octave.
“Do you want kids, really?” Abby asked, slipping out of her jeans. She threw them aside and her shirt
soon followed. She lay back on the bed in her bra and panties feeling like the sexiest woman in the
world.
Their love was intoxicating.
“I’m sorry, what did you ask?” Rhys said, staring at her. Abby never felt more beautiful in her life.
The
way her mates looked at her made her feel desired, something she had never experienced before. She
had
resigned herself to being the “chubby” one. But after completely bonding with her mates she could
feel
what they did. She had mesmerized both of her men to the point of idiocy. Score!
“I asked if either of you really want kids.” Moe looked at Rhys and they both looked at her.
“I do. I volunteer down at the school, those kids are amazing.” Moe stripped down to his boxer briefs
and lay down beside her. Rhys, already down to his silk boxers, climbed in on her other side.
“I do too. I’ve always loved kids and would treasure any child we have together, but only when
you’re
ready.” Rhys propped his head up on his hand. Abby looked over at Moe to gauge his reaction.
“There’s no rush, AbbyGirl. I don’t mind waiting, sounds like we have a lot to do in that ghost house
you picked out for us.” His smile was wicked and playful.
“I’ve always wanted to live in an old Victorian. We can modernize, but I want to keep the small
details
that make it unique.”
“It was an interesting time. I miss the gas lights, they were more romantic than fluorescents,” Rhys
said.
Abby gawked at him. She had forgotten he had been alive during the Victorian age.
“I keep forgetting your age. You’re so laid back, nothing like Gabriel.”
Rhys laughed at Abby’s observation.
“He was around long before he found me. When you’re that old you wear your years like a mantel.
I’m
not even the second or third oldest in the coven. Plus our coven has always been adaptable. Most
vampires
tend to get stuck in the time when they are born or turned. We moved around with our Prince so much
we
had to adapt to fit in. It kept us young.”
“I don’t want kids right away. I still have some research I’m working on and you’re right, Moe, the
house needs to be in order before any little ones start arriving. But I wouldn’t mind a child in the next
couple years.” Abby smiled at her mates.
“I can wait. Especially for a little boy with Rhys’s green eyes and blond curls. Or a little girl with
your
warm brown eyes, Abby.” Moe trailed his fingers down Abby’s tummy. His large hand covered her
stomach
protectively.
“I think we should have a little girl with Moe’s gray eyes,” Rhys whispered, leaning in to nibble on
her
neck. When his teeth grazed the bite mark left behind from his claiming she couldn’t hold back a
moan.
Moe’s fingers picked up their descent and with the barest of touches dipped between her legs. His
strong fingers found the tiny nub and he began a slow back and forth rhythm over it, sending her desire
spiraling out of control.
Abby was so focused on Moe’s hand that she didn’t feel it when Rhys removed her bra. Suddenly his
lips were wrapped around her peaked nipple and biting hard. She felt his fangs pierce her flesh and
she
called out his name.
“Rhys!” Moe took that has his cue and pulled her panties down her legs. Both men had stripped
themselves of their boxers. When Abby looked down her body she saw their straining cocks jutting
out
from their bodies. They were both too far away to reach. Rhys lifted from her breast.
“I know what you want, AbbyGirl. You want to be filled, don’t you?” Rhys licked the line of blood
that
ran down the curve of her breast. She whimpered and nodded.
“You want our mate’s thick cock up your tight ass while I pound that sweet pussy of yours don’t you?”
Breathing hard, Abby couldn’t respond. It was her ultimate fantasy. Unable to speak, she nodded
again.
“Up on your knees.” His normally kind voice now sounded strong and commanding. Abby turned over
and got on her knees. Rhys moved in front of her and reclined back on the pillows. Gone was the
lighthearted, casual lover. His green eyes were calculating and power crackled around him. In front
of her
was a man who had lived centuries and knew what dominance was.
“Bend over, spread your legs and suck my cock while Moe gets that ass of yours ready.” She hesitated
for a second. Behind her Moe ran a finger down her spine.
“He’s sexy as hell isn’t he?” he whispered. Abby nodded.
“Yes, you both are more than I have ever dreamed of.” Abby bent at the waist, spreading her knees
apart. She leaned down and wrapped a hand around Rhys’s shaft. She lowered her head and took him
into
her mouth. She loved the texture of his skin on her tongue, the slight taste of salt and man. She heard a
faint click and then felt cold liquid against her hole. She paused for a second but continued as Moe
eased a
single finger inside of her.
She used her lips to create a tight suction and pulled Rhys deep down her throat.
“That’s it my love, take all of me,” Rhys whispered, his fingers threading in her hair, rubbing over her
scalp.
Behind her a second finger joined the first. She paused again and breathed slowly out her nose.
“That’s it, Abby, relax, you’re doing great.” Rhys’s voice was encouraging.
Moe used his other hand to reach around and play with her clit. She moaned which had Rhys throwing
his head back as vibrations danced along his dick.
By the time Moe was up to three fingers she was pushing back against him eager for something more.
More friction against her clit, something inside her, her body needed more.
“She’s ready, Moe,” Rhys said, and raised Abby off his prick. Gently he pulled her forward until she
was straddling his waist. She lowered herself on his cock and together they moaned.
“Damn she’s tight. Moe, you’re going to have to hurry,” Rhys said through clenched teeth.
Abby felt movement behind her as Moe got closer. His large, warm hand was suddenly between her
shoulder blade, bending her over Rhys’s body.
“Now we’re both going to fuck you so good, Abby, you’ll be feeling us inside of you for days.” Rhys
twisted one nipple as Moe pushed his way inside her dark entrance. The head of his cock was much
wider
than his fingers and rubbed every sensitive spot as he pushed his way in.
“I can feel your cock, Moe. God I can feel you both. It’s like heaven.” Rhys’s body was covered in a
fine sheen of sweat.
The bonds between the three of them were wide open. Their lust compounded as each one felt what
the
other was experiencing.
“Harder, she wants it harder,” Rhys said, voicing the request that she couldn’t.
Moe thrust harder and harder, riding both her body and through her Rhys’s.
“That’s it big guy, fuck us both. We’re yours, your mates,” Rhys whispered. It was as if he knew what
those words would do.
Moe lost control and pounded as hard as he could deep in her ass. The loss of control drove Rhys’s
lust
higher and he swelled harder inside her. Both men were moving in tandem filling her over and over
again.
“Mine!” Moe roared and bent over to bite the side of her neck. The scent of blood triggered Rhys’s
orgasm and he latched onto the other side of her neck.
Abby screamed out her pleasure as wave after wave shook her. The longer they drew blood the
longer
the orgasm seemed to last. After was seemed like forever Moe pulled back. Between her legs she felt
streams of hot cum drip down her thighs from both men. Rhys pulled his fangs from her neck and
licked
the bite before collapsing back onto the bed.
Slowly Moe pulled out of her. She shuddered as small mini orgasms rocked her. Rhys moaned as each
orgasm had her clenching around his cock.
Moe gently lifted her off of Rhys and lay her down beside him. He went to the bathroom and came
back
with washcloths. He handed one to Rhys, but kept the other one as he gently wiped her down. When
they
were finished cleaning up he took both cloths back to the bathroom and joined them on the bed.
“Well, we may be getting those kids earlier than we planned. We keep forgetting to use birth control.”
Abby yawned.
“Fine by me,” Moe said, and snuggled his nose against the back of her neck.
“Me too.” Rhys yawned and wrapped his arms around her and Moe.
Abby closed her eyes. Through their bond she had not only felt their lust, but their love. Both men
loved her and she them. Smiling, she let the afterglow of their pleasure sweep her under, secure that
both of
her mates were really hers.
Chapter 12
“Girl, if you keep showing up with bite marks we’re going to have to sign you up for blood
transfusions.” Felix laughed at Abby.
Moe grinned at his mate’s embarrassment. She looked adorable with pink cheeks. They were back at
the
diner since no one could or felt like cooking. He and Abby were picking up dinner for Rhys who had
declared himself exhausted and decided to stay in bed to wait for their return. It was a weekday so the
bar
would be opening a bit later than usual. As the owner, Moe decided he could open and close
whenever he
wanted. They were also picking up dinner for Peyton who had started a new zombie game.
Moe looked around. It seemed like they weren’t the only ones who had forgone making dinner. The
diner was packed, and more than one mate was sporting bite marks.
“Yeah, well, look who’s talking. Your hickey has definite indentions.” Abby stuck her tongue out at
Felix, who laughed.
“Damn right. It’s not good unless they mark their territory.” He winked. She sighed. Moe rolled his
eyes.
Abby looked around the diner.
“Where’s Rebecca?” she asked.
“She’s bringing Aidhan from home. She called me and said she didn’t feel like cooking so we’re
meeting here,” Aleks said from their usual table.
“Even though it’s packed in here, it feels empty without her,” Abby remarked. Moe had to agree. Even
Salsiby the jerk was here tonight.
“She’ll be here soon, then you can go over house stuff with her.” Moe stretched. His mates had given
him a thorough workout earlier. Damn him if Rhys hadn’t turned him out with his dirty talk. He was
mid-
stretch when he felt a pain in his back. It was sharp and sudden.
“Ouch! What was that?” Abby asked, turning to look at him accusingly.
“Sorry, I think I pinched a nerve or something.” Moe twisted in his seat, the pain a faint memory.
“When we get back to the bar I’ll rub your back for you.” Abby patted his leg, a look of concern on
her
face.
“Thank you, AbbyGirl.” Moe kissed her nose, which she scrunched up at him. Moe watched as Abby
got up and walked over to Sebastian and Ashby. He knew she was itching to play with the babies. He
could
feel it through their bond. Thirty minutes later he looked at his watch.
“Abby, we better get going. Rhys will think we’ve forgotten him.” Moe flagged down Ma and put
their
order in. The diner door opened and Rebecca stood there. Her eyes darted around the diner. Panic
filled her
eyes. She looked from person to person and finally to Aleks.
“Please tell me you have him!” she cried. Aleks was up and moving in an instant.
“Becca, where is Aidhan?” he asked. His hands shook when they came away from her head bloody.
“I don’t know! I parked in my spot in front of the diner. I opened my door and dropped my keys.
When I stood back up someone hit me from behind. Where is he!” Rebecca wailed. Connor jumped
the
counter and he and Duncan took off out the door. Maddox was beside Rebecca with gauze examining
her
head.
Abby pushed tables out of her way to get to Rebecca’s side. Maddox had Rebecca follow his finger.
Abby could see that Aleks was torn between staying with his injured mate or joining the hunt for his
son.
“Find my nephew,” Abby said. Aleks looked down at Abby and nodded. He kissed the top of
Rebecca’s
head.
“I will find him.” He turned and ran out.
“I’d prefer to take her to the clinic,” Maddox said.
“Not without my baby. I’m staying here.” Rebecca adamantly refused to move. Sighing, Maddox
wrapped her head.
Gabriel, Liam and Bran were on their phones ordering wolves, lions and vampires to scour the town.
“He could be anywhere!” Rebecca sobbed. Her knees gave out and Abby and Maddox easily
supported
her. They helped her to the chair next to Moe who wrapped an arm around Rebecca.
“We’ll find him, Rebecca,” Moe said soothingly. He was itching to get out there and find the son of a
bitch that took Aidhan. He was not only their next Arkadion, but he had somehow become their
beacon of
light, a promised future of smiles and laughter. Looking around he knew that everyone in the diner felt
the
same, until his eyes landed on Salsiby. The smaller man’s eyes shifted around the diner nervously.
Rebecca felt him tense and followed his line of sight to the weaselly-looking man. Without saying a
word she stood. Ma and Pa were so busy helping to organize search efforts they didn’t see the look in
her
eyes. Now Moe understood what Abby had meant when she had retold the story about the swim team.
Right now Rebecca had baby psycho eyes.
Abby, seeing Rebecca’s face, put him between her and Rebecca and anyone who could stop them. She
followed her best friend as she walked to the lawyer. Rebecca reached into her purse and pulled out
her
gun. Without even stopping, she used her fisted gun as brass knuckles and she punched Salsiby as hard
as
she could.
His howl of pain silenced the diner. Seconds later Rebecca had her gun barrel to his forehead.
“Where is my baby?” she whispered coldly. There was no hysteria now. She was one pissed-off
mother
doing whatever it took to find her baby. When Bran moved to intercede Moe placed himself directly
in the
wolf Alpha’s path and shook his head. Surprisingly Maddox made no effort to intervene. In fact he
stood
beside Moe blocking Bran and Liam from getting to Rebecca.
“I helped deliver that baby. If that bastard knows anything he better start talking, because even if her
shot doesn’t kill him, I’m not treating him.” Maddox’s eyes were teal. Here was the tiger, not the
doctor, and
the tiger was protecting Rebecca’s cub.
“I don’t know!” Salsiby yelled, grabbing his nose, staring up in fear at the gun. Even though she was
human it was as if even Rebecca could smell the lie. She pressed harder. Everyone could see the
indention
she was creating in his forehead by pressing so hard.
“I will give you until the count of three to tell me where my baby is and then I will kill you,” Rebecca
explained.
“You can’t the council…”
“The council can kiss my ass. I want my baby!” Rebecca screamed.
“You might not want to provoke the woman who is holding the gun to your head,” Abby said casually.
Moe could feel it through their bond that no matter what happened, Abby would stay by Rebecca’s
side,
even if it meant banishment.
“One.”
“I don’t know!”
“Two.”
“Please, I don’t know anything!” he screamed. Rebecca tilted her head to the side and pulled back the
hammer cocking the gun. Behind them the happy tinkling of the diner door’s bells seemed out of place.
“Moe,” was the pain-filled whisper that had everyone turning their eyes from Salsiby to the door.
Moe
felt ice flood his veins. Peyton stood leaning against the doorway, blood dripping down the side of
his face.
He had left the bar. He left the bar!
“Peyton, what happened? Where is Rhys?” Moe moved faster than he could ever remember moving to
get to the smaller man’s side.
“Gone. I heard something in the bar area so I paused my game. Someone came up behind me and
knocked me out. When I woke up I went upstairs to find Rhys because I was scared, but he’s not
there.”
Peyton swayed. Maddox pushed Moe out of the way and began examining Peyton.
“That abomination has the Arkadion heir. I told you! I told you didn’t I? He has a taste for blood now
after mating. He has drunk straight from the source, he can’t be trusted now. He’ll kill us all!” Salsiby
yelled
dramatically. Abby decked him without even turning her eyes from Peyton effectively quieting the
man.
“Rhys is gone,” Abby whispered, her terror-stricken eyes met Moe’s. He closed the distance between
them and pulled her in his arms.
“We’ll find them. We’ll bring them home.” Moe kissed Abby and they both helped Rebecca to a chair.
Peyton’s arrival and knocked the fight out of the tiny woman.
“I’m going to help in the search.” He was about to head out the door when Connor, Duncan and Aleks
came back in.
“Fresh snow covered the tracks, it’s a wet snow, the scent is gone too,” Connor said quietly.
Rebecca began to wail. Aleks walked over and dropped to his knees in front of her. She wrapped her
arms around his neck.
“Bran, Liam. Widen the search. Check the woods,” Pa said, holding Ma close.
“He’s innocent, I know he is,” Abby whispered as Moe rocked her back and forth.
“Fate. Please. If you’re listening, if my baby is with Rhys, please help Rhys to save him,” Rebecca
sobbed.
Moe prayed right along with her.
“That monster has probably already drained him dry,” Salsiby muttered.
This time it was Aleks who punched the small man, and from the sound his fist made, it would be a
while before he got back up again.
* * * *
Rhys opened his eyes. Or he thought he did. All he saw was darkness. He blinked slowly and his eyes
adjusted to what little light there was. He was in a room. A cold room. He could smell earth. He went
to sit
up and groaned. His back was killing him. He reached around and felt for a wound. Whatever it was
had
healed but he knew it had been bad. He had been stabbed deeply. He could tell since his clothes were
sticky
and drenched in a lot of his blood. He felt hunger begin to gnaw at him. He had used what precious
little
blood he had to heal. He needed to feed. He looked around and slowly was able to make out tall
shapes,
like bookcases. There was only one small window high up on one wall. Moonlight streamed in
through the
dirty panes. He took a deep breath. He smelled something familiar. A second later he heard a tiny cry,
his
eyes widened. Lying in the center of the moonlight on the floor was baby Aidhan. He crawled over to
the
child. Hands shaking, he made sure he wasn’t hurt. He saw no marks on the baby, but Aidhan’s little
hands
were like ice. He went to scoop him up but hesitated. The hunger made itself known again. Shaking,
he
backed away.
“No,” he whispered. He would not feed from an infant. The addiction, compounded by severe blood
loss, turned his hands into claws as his fangs cut through his gums.
“No.” Still, Aidhan whimpered and cried. How long could the baby survive in this cold? Hours?
Minutes? Rhys’s mouth watered and he swallowed again and again. He was so hungry. Maybe just a
tiny
sip?
“No! No! No!” Ragged scream after ragged scream filled his throat. In the background he heard
Aidhan’s cries. The poor thing was scared to death.
And he should be. He’s trapped with a monster.
“I’m not a monster. I’m not. I won’t hurt this baby, even if it kills me,” Rhys whispered. He dragged
himself over to Aidhan and gently picked him up and held him close. In the moonlight he could see
Aidhan’s face. The tiny child calmed down the instant he was picked up. He looked up at Rhys,
blinking his
purple eyes.
“Okay, kiddo, it’s just you and me.” Rhys stood and bounced Aidhan in his arms. He had to move
slowly since he was weak from blood loss. But after a while he had checked the entire room. Of
course
their captors had not left any way out. The door at the top of the stairs was locked, even throwing his
weight against it, it wouldn’t budge. Whoever had taken them wanted him trapped so he would feed
on the
baby. He slid down the wall until he was seated on the floor.
“We just have to wait for your momma. I bet she is with Moe and your Aunt Abby right now figuring
out what happened. You’ll see. We just have to wait.” Rhys tucked the baby close against his body.
Out of nowhere a sense of motherly love filled him. The pain and hunger from the addiction was gone.
He felt a peace like he had never known before. In that instant he knew that no matter what he would
do
whatever it took to get them out of here alive.
Fate had plans for them both.
* * * *
Around her, Rebecca heard voices. They planned search patterns and perimeter checks, but she didn’t
care. All she wanted was her baby. Aleks was standing with Bran and Liam coordinating efforts.
Abby and
Moe could feel that Rhys was awake, but could not pinpoint where their mate was.
“He won’t hurt your baby,” a melodic voice said. Rebecca turned her head. It was as if each
movement
was in slow motion. Gabriel kneeled beside her.
“I want my baby, Gabriel. Please find my baby,” she whispered. She saw the pain and helplessness
flare
in his eyes.
“I swear I will find the ones who took our children.” He took both her hands in his. She had forgotten.
Rhys was like a son to Gabriel, he was the only other person besides Aleks who could possibly
understand
her pain. She just nodded. The whole world was muted. It was as if she was wrapped in soft cotton.
All her
senses were dull.
“Is she okay?” she heard Gabriel ask.
“She’s in shock, but I dare not move her to the clinic. Another bout of hysterics could shut her down,”
she heard Doc say. She nodded, agreeing with him. She would probably lose her mind if she left the
diner
without her son. They moved away from her.
“My dear. My dear. Oh don’t you look a fright,” a soft voice said. Rebecca tried hard to focus on the
figure before her.
“Someone took my baby.” Even to herself her own voice sounded so far away.
“Poor dear.” The nearly transparent figure clucked her tongue.
“Who is she talking to?” she heard Abby ask.
“Better get Doc.” She watched Moe walk toward Doc.
“That pretty young man has him, dear.”
“Who?” Rebecca asked.
“Who, what Rebecca?” Abby asked, her face looking concerned.
“That pretty young man you showed me on your little box. They are in my basement. ”
Rebecca felt the world suddenly come rushing back into focus. Smells returned and sounds slammed
back into her.
“Oh my god! I know where he is!” she yelled. Everyone in the diner was staring at her like she was
crazy but she didn’t care, she had to get to her baby!
“Thank you, Ms. Whittaker!” Rebecca jumped up, heading to the door. Abby caught her arm.
“Where are they?”
“Ms. Whittaker says Rhys and Aidhan are in her basement!” There was a rush of movement and
Rebecca and Abby left the diner at a run, Aleks and Moe and Gabriel right behind them.
* * * *
They were almost to the house when Abby heard it. The voice of an angel. Note after note blended
together and lifted to the heavens. She and Rebecca stopped and listened. They tried the door only to
find it
locked. Moe came up behind them and, not even stopping, pulled the door from the hinges and threw
it
aside. Abby was impressed, that was an extremely heavy door that her mate had thrown like a
Frisbee.
They followed the sound of the song to the kitchen. This time Aleks leaned back and with one kick
destroyed the door. Abby followed Rebecca into the darkness to the ones their hearts were desperate
to
hold. Behind them light flooded the room as everyone gathered together with their flashlights and
lanterns.
Rhys, hearing the door kick in, had stood. He was drenched in blood and so was Aidhan.
“I told you! He has killed the Arkadion!” Somehow Salsiby had joined them in the basement. Before
anyone could think he lifted a small revolver and pointed it at Rhys. Within the confines of the small
basement the shots were deafening.
“Aidhan, no!”
“Rhys!”
Rhys turned his body blocking Aidhan from the gunfire. His body jerked as each bullet buried itself
deep in his flesh.
An inhuman roar filled the basement. Moe’s body seemed to expand and grow. At seven feet he was
scary, at eight feet he was terrifying but at nine feet he was the thing of nightmares. He had grown as
broad
as he had tall with a fine coat of fur covering his body. His upper and lower canines had extended, his
jaw
and forehead had become squared. Locking his demon-like black eyes on Salsiby, he roared again.
Screaming in terror, the smell of urine filled the air. Salsiby dropped the gun and darted up the stairs.
Moe was right behind him.
Rebecca, Abby and Rhys stared at the creature Moe had become as he pounded up the wooden steps
after the lawyer.
“Okay, that was totally fucking hot and owww!” Rhys exclaimed.
Rebecca took Aidhan and cuddled him close. Aleks wrapped himself around Rebecca and his son.
Abby held Rhys close, crying as she looked at the bullet holes in his shirt.
“Shush, I’ll heal and be good as new as soon as Doc removes the bullets. It’s one of the advantages of
being this old.” Rhys held her close. They both looked at each other when they heard another inhuman
roar
as it vibrated the walls above them.
“We better go make sure he’s okay,” Rhys said.
“Salsiby?” Rebecca demanded.
“No, Moe.”
They made their way upstairs where under the light of the moon, most of the town had gathered and
stood in awe as their nine-foot mate beat Salsiby.
“I’m so glad he caught up with him outside, it would have been a bitch to get blood out of the wood
floors,” Abby commented. Rebecca nodded, nuzzling Aidhan.
“Maybe you girls should head to the diner,” Aleks said, looking a bit sick.
They turned to him.
“Why?” they asked, tilting their heads in unison.
Aleks shook his head.
“Never mind.”
“Is that…Is he using…?” Rhys’s eyes widened.
“Yes it is,” Gabriel said, looking on, amused.
“Papa,” Rhys whispered. Gabriel laid a hand on Rhys’s shoulder.
“The darkness is gone from your eyes,” Gabriel said, his voice filled with love.
“In the basement, I felt Fate come to me. She lifted the addiction. I’m free.” Rhys smiled at his prince.
“She heard my prayer,” Rebecca said.
“Is our mate beating Salsiby to death with his own arm?” Abby asked, looking at the bloody mess in
the
front yard of their future home.
Rhys turned from his maker as Gabriel moved away to hold Ashby, who was watching everything
with
a horrified yet fascinated expression.
“Yes he is,” Rhys said proudly.
“Do you know what kind of strength he would need to pull a shifter’s arm from its socket like that?”
Abby asked.
Rhys shivered in lust.
“Yup.”
Behind them a shadow darted away. Rhys turned sharply. Gabriel saw the movement as well and
barked
an order. Two vampires peeled from the shadows and gave chase.
“I thought he was a spider monkey, aren’t they, well you know, little and cute?” Rebecca asked as
Moe
continued to beat out his rage on Salsiby’s lifeless body.
“I heard a rumor a long time ago that since primate DNA was so close to humans, monkeys were the
only shifter to receive a third form.” Gabriel motioned to the creature in front of them.
“Umm how do we get him to stop? Not that I’m against the beat down, but I think Salsiby died like
five
minutes ago,” Rebecca asked.
Abby looked at Rhys and smirked. His eyes narrowed.
“What are you up to?” he asked. Abby stood back and drew in a deep breath.
“Oh my god, we need to get him to the clinic!” she screamed. Moe instantly halted. He dropped the
arm
and stalked closer to them. He sniffed Rhys’s back and howled his fury. With a gentleness, which
contrasted
his size, he swept Rhys up in his arms and began to lope toward the clinic.
“I better race ahead of them and prepare Doc,” Abby said.
“Better hurry.” Rebecca laughed. She pointed to Moe’s disappearing figure.
“Shit!” Abby swore and ran behind them.
Chapter 13
“Did you ever find out who was in the woods?” Abby asked Rebecca the next day. Abby was seated
between her mates. Rhys looked tired but considering the life-threatening wounds from the previous
day he
almost looked normal. Moe had shocked her and Rhys the next morning when he had woken up with a
head full of beautiful dark curls. He had kept his head shaved because he had been teased as a child.
They
had convinced him to keep them for the time being.
“No, which concerns me,” Gabriel said.
“What did the council say?” Abby asked. She was scared that Moe would be in trouble for killing
Salsiby.
“Not much. They have his cell phone and will soon learn who he was he was communicating with.
We
all knew that Salsiby was a little crooked, but for him to try and shoot Aidhan.” Liam shook his head.
“He didn’t. He was shooting at Rhys,” Rebecca interrupted. Liam looked at Aleks. Aleks moved
closer
and held Rebecca tight.
“If Rhys hadn’t turned Becca, both shots would have hit Aidhan,” Aleks said softly. Trembling,
Rebecca
held Aidhan close until he squeaked. She released him, but only a little bit.
“Someone else is pulling these strings and has been for a long time. I called Baptista, he should be
here
soon with an update from Mikhail.” Gabriel growled.
“Look at you.” Abby bumped shoulders with Peyton who blushed.
“I figured I was attacked twice at the bar. Maybe getting out more wouldn’t be so bad,” he said
quietly,
and everyone laughed.
“Stop staring.” Moe growled at Rian, Damian and Giddey.
“Can you blame us? You went from super, mega, bad-boy hot, to Chernobyl hot! I mean hair like that
begs to be used as a handle!” Giddey exclaimed. Moe turned scarlet and Abby and Rhys nudged each
other.
“Oh my.” Ma smiled and turned to Peyton.
“Good to see you here, you’re welcome anytime.” Ma put a huge bowl of soup in front of him.
“Thank you ma’am,” he said, ducking his head.
“So adorable!” Kate grinned.
“We have dibs!” Duncan and Emmett said. Everyone looked at them, and Aleks raised an eyebrow.
Rian
gasped.
“Both of you switched teams!”
“What?” they asked, looking confused.
“Dibs for what?” Rebecca asked gently.
“For him being our little brother,” Emmett explained.
Rian collapsed back against his chair.
“Y’all can’t do that to me, my heart can’t take it,” Rian exclaimed. Abby laughed.
“By the way Rhys, the council has removed your probationary status. You are a redeemed man, my
friend.” Liam grinned.
“Feels good.” Rhys’s smile lit up the diner. Abby felt her heart expand. Under the table Rhys and Moe
each took her hand.
“I’m looking forward to the future,” Rhys said, squeezing her hand.
“Me too.” Moe brought her hand up and kissed it.
The diner door opened and Baptista walked in holding a brown envelope. His eyes found Gabriel and
he took a step forward. He was about to walk to his prince when he took another deep breath. He
stood
riveted to the spot. Abby watched in fascination as his eyes, looking confused, scanned everyone
before
they locked on their table.
Abby looked at Moe and Rhys, seeing if either of them was responding to the large vampire enforcer.
He dropped the brown envelope and shoved tables out of his way, heading directly toward them.
Seconds
later he had scooped up Peyton and was running a gentle hand against the back of his head where he
still
sported a bloody bandage, his nostrils flared. Peyton had just enough time to squeak before Baptista
captured his lips.
Abby, Moe and Rhys stared, shocked.
When Baptista lifted his mouth from Peyton’s, the smaller man’s lips were swollen.
“I knew I should have stayed in the bar,” Peyton whispered.
“Mine!” Baptista growled.
Epilogue
“Sir, Fate responded to the Alpha Mother’s plea. The addiction was lifted from Rhys so that he would
not harm the Alpha Mother’s son. Salsiby’s efforts to shoot the next Arkadion were useless.” The
small
man knelt before the gentleman. Smiling, the gentleman ran a hand over the man’s soft curls.
“Good work. See pups, this is what it looks like to do the job right.” The gentleman was pleased. His
newest recruit held such promise. When the man looked up at him there was nothing but adoration in
his
eyes. Yes, this could prove to be useful.
“But sir, Salsiby is dead,” Devon said. The gentleman raised an eyebrow.
“I know, such a pity, he deprived me the pleasure of killing him myself. Luckily your beta wasn’t that
smart. I had so much fun with him.” The gentleman sighed and moved away from his new devotee.
He watched the wolf Alpha carefully. The shifter tried and failed to hide his anger at the death of his
wolf, but dared not say a word. The gentleman decided that the usefulness of the wolf Alpha had just
expired.
“Hyena, your clan still owes me blood, and a lot of it. It’s time for you to pay your debt.” The
gentleman
sat at his desk.
“What about my pack?” Devon asked carefully. The gentleman looked up and smiled. The Alpha
flinched and the gentleman knew that the wolf hated himself for fearing him so.
“I am done with your pack,” he said.
“We’re free to go?” Devon asked. The gentleman couldn’t help it. He laughed and laughed.
“No, what I said was I was done with your pack. Unless you come up with a way to please me and
soon, I plan on killing every last man, woman, and child.” The gentleman waved his hand. The wolf
looked
like he was about to be sick. If the Alpha threw up on his new rug he wouldn’t have to worry about
his
pack, he would kill him right here and now.
“You’re free to go. Oh and boys? Don’t disappoint me.”
The small man curled up around his feet like a faithful hound.
“Payne, a bowl of kibble for my new pet.” The gentleman eyed his chessboard. Soon. Soon the real
game would begin.
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alanea loves reading almost as much as she loves writing and can be found at any given moment
either
in front of the computer lost in her own world or on the couch with her iPad reading some of her
favorite
authors. She believes that love truly conquers all and that everyone no matter what, deserves a chance
at
that love and a place they can call home.
For all titles by Alanea Alder, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/alanea-alder
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Document Outline
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Prologue
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Epilogue
- About the Author
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