Authors: Lynnette Bernard
“You two sound pretty happy,” she told them, smiling as she pet them gently. The large black wolf turned his head toward her and looked up at her with the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen. Hauntingly familiar eyes. The slightly smaller, brown wolf did the same, his deep brown eyes tugging at her heart as she looked down at him.
Jace, I need her.
I know. I feel the same.
Laurie lay back, unaware of the silent conversation the two men were having. As she settled back against the soft grass, the two wolves moved against her, resting their heads on her shoulders.
“I love it here,” she told them as her hands stroked their backs. The constant happy growls from the two wolves made her smile. “You guys are so easy to please.” Her soft laughter made them both chuff in contentment at her joy.
They cuddled in closer, unable to stand any space between them and their mate. Her warmth, her laughter, her gentle touch, called to them on a basic level. They found the peace they needed as she held them. The simple joy she gave them settled them in a way they could never have hoped for.
“Those kids sure are adorable,” she whispered, stroking her fingers through the wolves’ silky pelts as she spoke. “I wish I had been able to have more.”
She does want more kids, Jace.
Jackson’s voice was relieved, and Jace could sense his happiness immediately.
Jace remained silent. He hoped Laurie would continue with her thoughts so he could understand why she was so upset with Martha’s comment.
“I always wanted a big family,” Laurie continued almost wistfully. “People would laugh at me when I said I wanted eight kids.”
Eight!
Jace couldn’t prevent his voice from echoing in Jackson’s head.
Jackson’s burst of laughter made him look at his friend warily.
I’m just getting used to the idea of having met our mate, Jackson. I need time to adjust to having eight children as well.
Just think about what a great mother she’ll be, Jace. And how wonderful it will be to see her filled with our cubs and nurse them at her gorgeous breasts.
Jace couldn’t prevent the picture of Laurie pregnant and nursing their babes from filling his mind. Rather than feel panicked, he felt a sense of calm and rightness in it.
And think how much we’re going to love getting her pregnant.
Jackson’s voice was heavy with desire for their mate—a desire that Jace felt as well.
The image of Laurie between them, naked in bed, welcoming them into her body, made Jace growl. He leaned into Laurie’s neck and inhaled her scent, relaxing as the smell of their mate reached deep into his soul.
Laurie held him to her tightly as if she could sense that he needed her touch. When the dark brown wolf leaned into her, she held him tightly as well, needing the comfort of them both without really understanding it.
“I know it’s too late for me to have eight kids now. I know that’s one dream I’ll have to let go. My life just didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped.” Her voice was sad as she spoke, her hands gently stroking the two wolves as she thought silently. “I guess it’s for the best. I couldn’t bring myself to have even one more child and raise it alone. I did that with my two kids, and I don’t want to do it alone again. I want a man who wants to be a part of his baby growing inside of me. I want him to want to touch me and feel his child growing. I want him to want that baby with every bit of his soul and share with me in the joys and the worries. I want my baby’s father to want to love me and his baby with everything he is, and protect and cherish us. I can’t go through all that again without someone who really loves me and wants our baby just as much as I do.” She hesitated a moment, sadness heavy in her heart. “You just can’t make someone love and care about you. I tried to get him to love me and the kids. He just didn’t.”
Laurie shifted slowly, turning to gently kiss each wolf tenderly on the top of each of their heads. Both men growled at the contact, wanting to shift into their human forms so badly they ached. They wanted to hold their mate tenderly and kiss her until she forgot all about her sadness and thought only of the pleasure and happiness that they would give her.
“It’s just not meant to be,” she said sadly. “I’m not meant to have that in my life I guess. And staying here at this wonderful ranch to be reminded every day that I’m not good enough to have any man desire me is too much.”
Jace closed his eyes as she held him against her side tightly. His heart broke at her words.
Jackson, we have to show her today what she means to us. I don’t care that it’s too soon. Why should we hide our attraction to her? She’s our mate, and she damn well will know that we desire her.
Jace, I’m with you one hundred percent. Maybe she’ll finally realize just how much she means to us when we claim her.
“I’m going to really miss this place when I go home,” Laurie told them, sinking her hands into the softness of their fur, petting them as they moved restlessly against her. “I don’t even think I’ll be able to stay the full two weeks.” She was quiet for so long, Jace lifted his head to look down at her. Jackson soon followed his lead and leaned up to look down at Laurie, concerned by the sadness that he saw on her face.
Laurie sat up, pulling away from them and standing slowly. Brushing off the seat of her jeans as she walked away from the two of them, she folded her arms across her chest and looked toward the rushing stream.
“I can’t stay here feeling the way I do about Jace and Jackson,” she said finally, her voice barely a whisper as she spoke to herself. “I’ve never seen such kindness from men before. They really care about the people here. And they’re absolutely wonderful with Tammy.” Laurie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to focus herself. “I’ve never seen such gentleness and honest caring with a child before. And the way she loves them!” Opening her eyes, she let her tears fall freely. “Kids know,” she whispered. “Kids always know.”
Hugging her arms around her torso, she couldn’t prevent the deep feelings from echoing through her body. “I don’t really understand it. How can I feel so strongly about them so quickly? And for two men!”
She walked toward the stream, wiping at her eyes as she went. Jace followed her silently, knowing Jackson was right beside him but never turning to look at his friend, unable to look anywhere but at the woman who had already captured his heart with her kindness and gentleness.
Laurie turned to look at the two wolves who seemed to sense her anguish. “There’s something wrong with me,” she told them quietly. “I’ve never even kissed anyone but my ex-husband. I’ve never dated. I have no experience with men. And here I am having such erotic dreams about two men that are the kindest men I’ve ever met.” She hesitated briefly, sighing sadly. “I don’t know what it is about them, but they call to my heart. And it’s something I’ve never felt before. How can I want them so much? It’s like I can feel their sorrow. I can sense their feelings.” She walked toward the water’s edge, aware that the two wolves mirrored her moves, feeling a sense of rightness as they walked beside her.
Turning to face the two beautiful wolves, she reached out and touched the top of their heads, sliding her fingers back into their fur to lightly scratch them behind their ears. Both wolves leaned into her touch, and she felt the rumbling of their soft growls against her hands. She smiled down at them and leaned forward to kiss the top of each of their heads quickly, laughing with pure delight at their contentment.
Leaning back, she stood silently for a moment, staring down at them. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she looked into their eyes, the crystal blue of the black wolf and the soft brown of the dark brown wolf, and felt a flash of recognition that made her step back as a vision hit her of the two men who haunted her waking and sleeping hours.
Kneeling down before them, she reached out to touch each wolf tenderly. “You remind me of Jace and Jackson,” she whispered, standing slowly and looking down at them with eyes that were quickly filling with tears. “I really am losing my mind. I am so desperate for them to be with me, I’ve given in to this fantasy of believing I can feel their thoughts, and dream that they could want me.” She turned and walked toward the stream, wiping at her eyes angrily. She hugged herself and looked toward the crystal-blue stream. “And what kind of sick slut am I that I want both of them?”
She stepped up onto the fallen tree that she had warned Ben and Seth off of just moments before and made her way out across it to balance herself several feet above the stream. “See, that’s exactly what’s wrong with me,” she told them both as she turned toward them, teetering dangerously as she faced them. Here I am fantasizing about those two incredible, gorgeous men. I’m so pathetic.”
She was quiet for so long as she looked down at the water, each man couldn’t prevent their worry from transmitting to the other. Laurie took a deep breath and hugged her arms around her waist.
“I’ve lived my life alone, without any love, and I just can’t do it anymore.” She was quiet as she looked out across the stream, swallowing to push back the tears. “I can’t live my life with only fantasy dreams to give me the love I want.” Her voice was beyond sad, and it made both men feel true fear at her heartbreak.
She turned then and wiped at her eyes. Losing her footing, she fell forward into the stream, pulling herself up as quickly as she could but not before becoming totally soaked in the uncomfortably cold water.
Before either man could shift, Laurie righted herself and stormed out of the water, her clothes drenched and her sweater hanging heavily on her body from the weight of the water. “Okay, God,” she muttered as she strode past the wolves and headed toward the ranch house. “I get the hint. Cool off, Laurie girl! Stop your crazy thoughts about men who could never want you!”
Grabbing her small backpack, she flung it over her shoulder as she walked quickly and determinedly away from the stream, making it to the ranch house in less than fifteen minutes. By the time she arrived, she was shivering violently. Although the morning had turned quite warm, she felt cold down to her very core, and she knew she had better warm up quickly or risk getting sick. As she stepped up onto the big deck behind the house, she saw Martha open the sliding glass doors to meet her, her eyes filled with concern.
“Are you all right, Laurie?” she asked her, looking to her alpha and beta quickly before turning her attention to the woman who would soon be her queen—if these two men would just claim her and not waste any more precious time.
“I fell into the stream, Martha,” Laurie explained quickly, shivering as she stood before the woman who had been so welcoming and kind to her. “Do you think you could get me a towel so I could dry off a little before I walk into the house?”
“Nonsense, child,” Martha interrupted her, taking her arm and leading her into the house and then to the laundry room off to the right of the kitchen. “Take your clothes off, and leave them in the sink beside the washing machine. I’ll take care of them for you.” She opened the door to the room and quickly ushered her inside. “There are clothes on top of the washing machine right now that you can put on. They’re clean, just waiting to be given to Jace and Jackson. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind you wearing them so you can get up to your room with your modesty intact.”
Martha laughed to herself, taking great joy in the fact that both men in wolf form followed them into the room, growling their pleasure at their mate wearing their clothes. The joy that filled Martha threatened to explode within her chest. She loved that her boys had found their mate. Now she just had to get them to claim her. And claim her quickly. Then their destinies to lead their pack to a successful and loving future would be fulfilled.
“Thank you, Martha,” Laurie nearly cried, sighing with relief. She turned toward the washing machine and saw that the wolves were watching her silently. She thought it odd that Martha closed the door to the room, leaving her alone with the wolves, but pushed it aside quickly. “I’m so cold,” she spoke out loud as she dropped her backpack to the floor. She pulled off her sweater, unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it from her body, careful to place them into the sink beside the washing machine. She toed off her sneakers and pulled at her soaking wet jeans, cursing her curves as the material refused to budge easily. The reminder of her less-than-petite size caused another pain of realization in her chest.