9781631054099GracefulAcceptanceBeck (7 page)

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Trevor knocked twice
on Madden’s office door and entered when Madden called out. He’d been worrying
about their conversation since he left his mates at the cabin
. He’d take care of this, secure some time off, and then
bring supplies out to the cabin where they planned to spend their Acclimation
period.

“Madden, we need to
talk.”

Madden sat behind his
large mahogany desk surveying files. With the imminent threat el
iminated against the Valendite Breed, TEU could focus back
on their jobs of protecting their new homeland. It was ingenious of the US
government to strike a partnership, albeit a highly confidential one, with the
Valendite Breed. Now the TEU worked under M
adden’s
guidance to eliminate the world’s most heinous criminals. Madden was likely
busy sorting through mission assignments sent over by his CIA contact. He
looked up at Trevor and motioned for him to take a seat.

Trevor was glad to sit
because to tell th
e truth, his legs were shaking.
This conversation fell somewhere between being called to the principal’s office
and meeting the parents.
Awkward
and uncomfortable.
Madden raised his eyebrows, waiting for Trevor to say
something. Everything Trevor had rehea
rsed fled his
mind.

“I found my mate,”
Trevor began. “Well, actually my mates, as it is.” His voice cracked and he
swallowed down the feelings of discomfort swarming his stomach and heating his
skin.

Madden quirked his
eyebrow and waited for more of an
explanation.
Nothing about this was going to be easy. What the hell had he been thinking?
Davina’s advice of doing this over the phone or the comm link seemed like a
much better plan as he looked at his future brother-in-law.

“From what I
understand, and h
onestly your mother seems to know
more details than me, there are two prophecies that surround two women.” Trevor
swallowed, maybe even squirmed a bit in his chair like a school boy. “They
mated and…”

“What? Two women
mated? You mean they slept together?”

Trevor shook his head.
“No, they mated. Uhm, one was a full woman of the Magdalena Circle and the
other a hybrid…”

“No. The only hybrid
is my—” Trevor watched the realization hit Madden sudden and hard.
“My sister!
You claimed Davina!”

His shouts brought t
he men gathered in the outer office area charging in.
Seamus and Donovan looked around confused when they entered to see only Trevor
and Madden, but then they noticed what Trevor was already seeing. Madden flexed
his large fists on the top of his desk. His
face was
red and his eyes flared in anger. He knew Madden would be battling for control
once he found out about the mating. Honestly, he wasn’t sure he’d remain this
calm.

All Valendite Breeds
knew nothing could be done when a mating occurred but accept i
t, but the irrational side—the big brother inside of
Madden—would be demanding he pound Trevor into the ground. Trevor had only
recently joined the TEU team so there was little chance for Madden to get to
know him. Madden knew little about Trevor actually.
Sure, Trevor did damn good work, had proven himself repeatedly on missions, but
he was still claiming Madden’s little sister. This could go either way. Trevor
was good with letting Madden get in a few shots. Davina and Grace were worth
it.

Seamus and Dono
van were two of TEU's largest men and also some of the most
loyal to Madden. Trevor’s odds weren’t looking any better. He’d preferred
Granger joining them. Now, that guy had his back more times than Trevor could
count.

“Boss,
you good in here?”

Madden didn
’t answer so when they looked towards him, Trevor
explained. “I’ve claimed my mate. Well, actually my mates.” He raised his
eyebrows and with a near painful grin, continued, “and one of them is… well,
she’s Davina. I’ve come in because obviously I’m going
to need some time to acclimate.”

The room went silent.
Neither man made any of the smart remarks Trevor was used to the two shooting
off. Trevor adjusted himself in his chair again, ready to spring and
get
the hell out of the office. He’d said
what needed
said.

“Your mate is Davina?”
Seamus asked with a layer of disbelief.

Trevor nodded.
“And Grace Sinster.”

“And
Grace Sinster?”
Donovan repeated back as a question.

“Yes.”

“Fuck,” Seamus
snickered. “You okay? I mean, that’s… well, yea, I guess that’s pretty
different.”

“He’s claimed my baby
sister and all you can say is that it’s fucking different?” Madden exploded out
of his chair and pulled Trevor up by his shirt.

Madden’s fist bunched
Trevor’s shirt and tugged, keeping Trevor just able to touch the floor w
ith his feet. Trevor’s fighting instincts revved up, but he
suppressed them. He’d remain calm in hopes of it calming Madden.

“Okay, boss, I know
this is feeling a bit rough but you know as well as any of us that you have no
control over the mating bond.” D
onovan attempted
reason.

Madden growled and did
nothing to loosen his hold on Trevor. Trevor braced for a punch that never came
when he heard a tiny baby screech. All eyes turned to see Layla holding Juliana
in her arms. She was watching everyone in the ro
om,
assessing the scene. A moment later she entered.

“Juliana, you want
your daddy now? Come on, let’s get you to daddy.” Layla talked to the baby as
she moved closer to Madden. “Let go of Trevor, Madden, and take your daughter.”

Madden released Trevor
for
Layla to place the little girl in his arms. Thank
the Goddess for Grace’s sister.

“And this is why the
Goddess very wisely didn’t make families with siblings of both genders as a
rule,” Layla smiled. “Now, it was thoughtful of Trevor to come tell you in p
erson when he could’ve phoned but he needs to get back to
his mates.”

Layla
all but pushed Trevor out of the office.
“I’m sure Madden understands you
needing time away. We’ll see you when all of you are ready to return. Oh, and
please give Gracie my love.
It all makes sense now
and I couldn’t be happier for my sister.”

Trevor looked to
Madden, considering the escape and wondering if his job would be in jeopardy.
Trevor enjoyed his job. He didn’t want to give it up, but he would for the
girls. He’d give anyt
hing for them, even his life.

“Get out of here.”
Madden took a breath and shook his head. “Do what you need to do and never talk
to me about it again.”

“Anyone
going to fill us in?”
Trevor heard Donovan ask as he hauled ass out of that
office before anyone
decided to call him back.

Chapter Five

Grace wrung her hands
while she waited for Davina and Trevor to get dressed for dinner with the
Santucci family. After nearly two weeks of being alone, the time spent with her
mates had brought a calm joy to h
er life. Their days
had been spent mostly inside the cabin because the weather hadn’t improved
since the snowstorm right before their Claiming. Today would be the first time
they interacted with others though, and Grace was far from calm. Nothing either
of
her mates said seemed to calm her.

“My Grace, my parents
love you,” Davina reassured her, “and they’d accepted this far before they knew
it included you.”

“And just think
,
you aren’t in danger of having your
neck ripped off by angry big brothers.” Trevor
still
paled when he recalled his last interaction with Madden when he’d told him
about their mating.

“Whose fault is that?
If you’d called, that scene could’ve been avoided,” Davina admonished.

“Thanks. I think
you’ve only told me that a dozen times.” Trev
or
grinned and kissed Davina on the forehead before swooping Grace into his arms
and distracting her with kisses.

“Distraction is not
going to work,” Grace insisted and watched as Trevor put on a mock pout.

“No time for
distraction. At this rate, we’ll
just barely be on
time and Mamma loathes tardiness.” Davina stood at the door, hands on her hips,
and waited. She was beautiful even as she pinched her lips together to give the
appearance of annoyance.

Grace wasn’t ready to
leave this place where she felt
sheltered and safe.
“I know there’s an urgency to take the next steps in the prophecy but I thought
we’d have more time to acclimate. We’ve only just mated.”

“They just want to see
us. It’s just dinner,” Davina reminded her again. “No one is pushing us in
to the next step.”

“Are we talking about
the Pronouncement or the prophecy?”

At the same time,
Davina and Grace responded with two different answers. They looked at each
other, laughed, and then said in unison, “Both.”

They were still
laughing, teasing and
joking as had become their
habit, when they arrived at the Santucci’s home. They walked hand-in-hand with
Grace in the middle. She was certain it was their way of making sure she didn’t
run away. Grace shook her head. She knew she had to face this, but al
ready missed their cabin in the woods.

“Will all of your
brothers and their mates be there?” Grace asked.

“Of
course.”
Davina nodded. “They each want a turn at Trevor.” She laughed and Grace joined
in.

Trevor groaned. “I’m
not seeing the humor in this.”

“I
promise you’ll be fine. Papa won’t let anything hurt his
baby girl and now, that includes her mate.”

“Your sister will be
there, Grace. That should help you feel more comfortable,” Trevor reminded her.
“I do have to thank her for saving me the other day i
n
Madden’s office.” Raising his eyes brows conspiratorially, he added, “Maybe
I’ll give her a little kiss on the cheek.”

Now it was Davina who
groaned. “Do not incite a riot by provoking Madden. Even Papa can’t save you if
you touch one of my brother’s mat
es.”

“I’m just teasing. No
one gets these lips but my two girls,” Trevor reassured Davina before she
slipped ahead to open the large door.

“I’ve got you.” Trevor
kissed Grace on the tip of her nose and smiled as he pulled her gently behind
Davina. Somehow,
that peck felt more intimate than
any other kiss he’d given her.

She held onto that
moment as an anchor as they entered the dining room. She’d never been in this
part of their home and it was obvious that this was the entertaining space. The
room was as l
arge as a ballroom with its arched
doorways opened onto the upper patio. Grace had seen the patio from below where
the more casual outdoor space spilled out towards the vineyards behind the
house.

Vines ran along the
far wall. Flowers and greenery adorned
enormous vases
that sat upon pedestals every few feet around the room, but the grandest of all
was the heavy wooden table centered under a sparkling chandelier. Grace wanted
to paint this room. The vibrant colors would jump out on her canvas.

As they made
their way to the enormous table adorned in the most
beautiful golden dinnerware she’d ever seen, Mr. and Mrs. Santucci turned in
their direction. Grace’s heart rate accelerated as she took in all the eyes on
them and, feeling her reaction, Davina placed he
r arm
around her waist and squeezed reassuringly. Grace relaxed. She realized her
parents were here as well and focused on her mother. She hadn’t expected to see
them tonight, and having them close gave her strength.

Before she could head
towards her paren
ts, Davina guided them to the
Santuccis. Grace was shocked, as was most of the room based on the silence that
fell over them, when Mr. Santucci knelt down onto one knee in front of her,
took her hand, and held it between them.

“
Che
bella
donna
,” Valentino
spoke
while he searched her eyes. Shifting under the scrutiny, Grace smiled and
nodded. She had the urge to rescind her hand and to hide her face in Trevor’s
strong chest, but the etiquette training her mother insisted on as children
forced her to refrain.

Davina leaned into
her, her hand reassuringly placed on Grace’s shoulder, and translated, “My
father says you’re beautiful.” Davina winked.

“Thank you,” Grace
responded to Mr. Santucci, though his eyes were now looking toward her side to
Trevor.

Valentino
reached for Trevor’s hand and held it along with Grace’s
smaller one in his large palms. “My daughter, she is fortunate. She has
received the blessing from our Goddess.”

“As we have been to be
given her for our mate,” Trevor responded for the both of them
.

Valentino rose to his
full height, his formidable figure now less intimidating after his open
welcome. Grace’s nerves were beginning to settle and the pieces she couldn’t
imagine shifted into place.

“It is an honor to
have you both as part of our family,
” Valentino spoke
with his broken Italian accent that Grace found charming.

Valentino allowed
their hands to drop from his as he stepped aside to allow his wife to greet
them. Her electric smile lit up as she embraced first Grace and then Trevor.
For all t
he formality of Valentino, Adelina was
equally informal. After a robust hug for both the girls, the tiny-statured but
large-spirited Adelina turned toward Trevor. Grace knew Adelina well, and
sensing nothing had changed in her regard, Grace relaxed.

“Trevo
r, this is my mother, Adelina. I don’t think you’ve
formally met even if you’ve seen each other around the compound,” Davina gave
the formal introduction.

Adelina smiled at
Trevor. “It is good to have you here with us. It has been expected that the
fulfill
ment of the Trifecti Prophecy would be
something truly unique. That certainly is the case.”

“Let’s share a meal,”
Valentino spoke his invitation above the murmurs of other voices.

Everyone sat at the
table, mated couples together. Grace’s parents sat beside Trevor while the
Santuccis sat beside Davina. They were buffered by their parents and Grace
suspected it was no coincidence.

“
None
at all, dearling.
We decided it best to allow
you three some space
,” Chiara spoke into Grace’s mind. Then
she heard snickers from Layla and Amelia.

“
Yes.
After all, my mate is a weapons specialist and has been offering to take out
the pecker who mated his baby sister at least a dozen times
.” Amelia’s
laugh
through their connection was not comforting in the least.

“
Don’t
worry, Grace, we’ve got your back and these big bad men will relax once they
get used to this
,”
Layla joined in their private conversation.

Grace took a sip from
her water glass,
knowing it was likely to be
Adelina’s homemade herbal water. She closed her eyes and let the additives do
their job. Around her, small conversations took place, but Grace was in her own
space.

“So you came to Davina
after enjoying her coffee, yes?” Adelina
asked
pointedly.

“Yes. I planned to
purchase some and visit. It was something during the visit that was different
and then everything happened quickly from there.” Grace’s cheeks flared red as
she considered everyone imagining just what she was referencin
g.

Adelina interrupted
her embarrassment. “Yes, my water. It is what Davina uses at her cafe. It calms
the soul and awakens the senses.”

“You did this? I had
no idea.” Grace was shocked and considered if she should feel violated. She
looked at Davina and f
urrowed her brow.

“I had to try. I was
desperate for you to see, to feel, what I had been for so long,” Davina
explained in a hushed tone.

“Well, no guarantee it
would work to bring you together but the café, it is a success.” Adelina waved
in a typical It
alian fashion and Layla smiled
remembering her grandmother who would do the same when she couldn’t translate
her thoughts to English words. “Ordinary humans are feeling better after
drink.” Adelina smiled, pleased with herself.

“Then I have you to
thank, M
amma Santucci.” Grace smiled.

Davina glanced at
Grace, equally shocked and relieved at her reaction to Adelina’s disclosure.
Unsure herself why she reacted so calmly, Grace shrugged and picked up her fork
to begin her meal.

“We planned to meet in
a circle
after dinner, if that’s all right,” Layla
spoke up.

“Yes. It’s time we saw
what the powers of our circle are like now that all of us are mated,” Grace
agreed.

“And Trevor can come
hang with us men,” Madden interjected. He gave a lecherous glare towards Tre
vor. “Maybe play billiards.”

Grace gulped the sip
of water she was taking as she looked between Trevor and Madden. She was
terrified for Trevor. What would they do to him?

“No
worries, Princess, no worries for me.
I can handle this.”

Grace was overwhelmed
that Trevor took the time to reassure her.

“Madden, back it off.
We’ve talked about this already,” Lucas spoke up. He gave an apologetic look to
Davina. “Sorry, little sis, but this might take us a bit. We weren’t at all
prepared.”

“Maybe if one of the
wo
men who knew of the prophecy surrounding our
sister, and all the details, had filled us in, we’d have been prepared,” Gage
suggested. His pointed look at his mate told of what women he was speaking of.

Amelia jumped to her
own defense. “There was nothing w
e knew for certain.
When we study prophecies, much of our work is speculation until the fulfillment
when it can be confirmed. Father, can you tell them?”

With a bit of elbowing
from Chiara, Tony agreed with Amelia’s statement. “Aside from the very fact tha
t there was no substantial proof, it was also a private
matter. Would you suggest we talk of your mating over dinner?”

Madden’s face, if
possible, grew more red. “No…”

Layla cut him off by
laying her hand over his on the table and whispering a private thou
ght into his ear. Madden looked at Anton and nodded when he
smiled. Now that was a curious relationship. Grace would much rather they talk
about their Tre Adoro coupling rather than her own triad.