“I think you’re being too hard on yourself.”
“Not a fraction as hard as Peyton, Trent, and Badger would have been on me if they’d found out.”
“And Beck?”
She sat next to him on the bed. “He was here while I was growing up, but he didn’t raise me, if that makes sense? He helped train me, worked with me. But it was different. And unfortunately, I measured every guy I dated before I was with Beck against him. Metaphorically speaking.”
“How many guys did you date?”
“I don’t mean I was a big old ho-bag or anything. But I had a couple of boyfriends in high school. And in college.”
“I thought Beck said you got together when you turned eighteen.”
“We did. We weren’t exclusive. Not at first. Later, we were both so busy it was just easier to not look for anyone else. Neither of us had any time, and we were…familiar.”
She stared at her hands. “
Wow
. That sounded even
worse
when I said it than it did in my head. I thought it might sound a little better out loud. Nope, sounded worse.”
With his free hand, Ken gently caught her chin in his hand and turned her face so he could meet her gaze. “I don’t care who you were with before. I’m not jealous about Beck. Especially not now. I know you love me, and I love you, too. Just like you’re not jealous of the few women in my past.”
Now a genuine smile broke through her feature. “Well, you’re wrong there. I
am
jealous of the women in your past. Being jealous of and feeling threatened by them are two totally different things.” She kissed him. “But thank you.”
She took the pictures from him, letting out a big, put-upon sigh. “Pulling the ‘make my mate happy’ card is really hitting below the belt. You know that?” Still, the smile never left her face.
“Yeesss. I am fully cognizant of that fact.”
She let out a laugh and nuzzled his nose with hers. “I know, I know. Let you win some battles.
Fine
. I’ll wear the damn froufrou dress. But you can’t make me like it.”
He grinned. “No one’s saying you have to like wearing it.”
“You and Badger are going to giggle your freaking asses off over this, aren’t you?”
“Only in the good ways, sweetheart.” He kissed her again, this time reaching to the nape of her neck and holding her in place, taking his time, waiting until he felt her begin to melt against him to release her. “And now, I’ll go get your coffee while you head into the bathroom for your shower.”
She wobbled a little when he let her go. “That’s playing dirty,” she said, sounding breathless.
“I know.” His cock throbbed, wanting inside her, but he knew Nami would interrupt them if he gave in. “You might be a Prime, but I’ve discovered I have a few tricks of my own to level the playing field with you, sweetheart.”
* * * *
“Hold
still
,” Nami ordered, grabbing Dewi’s ankle. “Unless you want me sticking these pins into your leg instead of this dress.”
“It’d hurt less,” Dewi grumbled not quite under her breath.
“Stop fussing around and this will go faster,” Nami scolded. “You’re worse than a darn kid.”
“Ye should’ve seen her when she
was
a kid,” Badger said.
“No one asked
you
,” Dewi shot back.
Ken sat there with a smile on his face, watching as Dewi restlessly stood on the coffee table in a pair of heels and the dress. Nami had already pinned the bodice where it needed to be taken in, and was now working on the hemline.
Ken suspected Dewi was secretly pleased by all the attention from Nami, even if she’d never admit it. The older woman was the closest thing Dewi ever had to a mother figure, or to a sister.
And the feisty woman was giving Dewi a run for her money in terms of stubbornness. Thank goodness Ken knew Nami was protected by being Beck’s mate. That was probably the only reason Dewi hadn’t bodily heaved her out the front door along with the froufrou dress and all of Nami’s sewing accessories.
Ken heard the door from the garage into the kitchen open and close, shortly followed by Beck’s voice. “Hello?”
“In here, sugar,” Nami called out.
Ken watched as Beck walked in, straight over to his mate’s side, and planted a deep kiss on her that made Ken want to drag Dewi to bed right there, wedding dress and all.
The change in the Alpha wolf to cuddly puppy couldn’t be any more drastic. “How long is this going to take?” Beck asked Nami, a wheedling tone in his voice.
She smiled and patted him on the cheek. “Not too much longer. But I need to get the alterations finished today.”
“You know,” Dewi said, “I’m good. We can do this lat—”
“
No
,” Badger, Nami, and Ken all said together, overruling her.
“We let ye outta that dress,” Badger said, “and I know what’ll happen. Ye’ll be like trying to catch a greased pig gettin’ ye back into it before the wedding. Stay there and let her finish, now. Yer gonna be a gorgeous bride.”
Beck sat on the couch next to Ken. “She’s not happy, is she?”
Dewi glared at him but didn’t answer.
“Not really,” Ken said, unable to stifle his amusement. “But,” he said, raising his voice so Dewi knew he meant his next comment for her, “once she’s finished, I’ll make sure she’s rewarded for her aggravation.”
“I’m
not
a kid,” she said.
Badger cackled. “No, yer just a damn stubborn wolf bitch.”
“I was thinking more naked swimming lessons,” Ken said to Dewi.
She cast a dubious glance at him. “Really?”
“Really.” He’d mastered doggy paddling, and floating on his back, but he still had a long way to go before he’d consider himself a swimmer. “I’ll even let you take me out to the range and shoot through a couple of clips. Or magazines. Or whatever they’re called.”
“Magazines,” Beck whispered to him.
Her eyebrows arched. “Seriously?”
Ken nodded. “Seriously. No complaints or griping, either.”
She seemed to consider it. “Okay,
fine
.” But he knew from the set of her shoulders that his concession had pleased her. Then, she frowned, “Hey, which one of you assholes told Nami my full name?”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ken sat back and let Nami take over the wedding plans, happy to not have to bear the brunt of the planning.
He wouldn’t deny Nami was far better at standing up to Dewi than he was in many ways.
Nami, with a pack credit card courtesy of Peyton and Trent, and with the assistance of the two men’s mates on the ground in Idaho, got the bulk of Dewi’s wedding planned over the phone from Florida. There would be a few finishing touches she’d take care of once they flew out there in ten days. The weddings would be eight days after that.
This year, the autumnal equinox fell on a Saturday, and Nami had declared that would be their wedding day. Dewi and Ken’s would happen first, followed by Nami and Beck’s. At first, Peyton and Trent had wanted them separate, but Nami convinced the men they needed to give a few concessions of their own to their little sister. Nami had talked Dewi into agreeing to a larger wedding than she wanted, but only if it was immediately followed by Nami and Beck’s ceremony, and they had a joint reception after.
Everyone would be happy.
Well, Dewi wouldn’t be happy about wearing a froufrou wedding dress, but even she had to admit the matron of honor dress Nami had picked out—which would double as the woman’s wedding gown—looked fantastic on her. And Nami’s sisters would stand in as bridesmaids for both her and Dewi, with Da’von and Reggie standing in as groomsmen for both.
Peyton and Trent would get the big wedding for their little sister that they wanted, and that’s all they cared about.
Martin was happy that Badger had suggested he stay behind in Tampa to hold down the fort with the other three wolves heading out of town. Peyton had signed off on that plan, which disappointed the sadistic Dewi to no end.
Especially since she’d planned to sic Marcy on him.
The night before they were to fly out, Ken snuggled in bed with Dewi. “You realize how much I love you, right? To be getting on a plane for you?”
“Oh! Nami had a great idea,” Dewi said.
Ken was happy that, other than grousing about wedding stuff, Dewi had come to be very close with Nami. The sister she’d never had, and a mother figure as well. “What’s that?”
Dewi rolled on top of him. “If you’re okay with it, I’ll use a little Prime suggestion on you before we get on the plane, that you’ll have a relaxed and enjoyable flight.”
He thought about that. “That’s actually not a half bad idea.”
“I know, right? As long as you’re okay with it,” she quickly added.
He snuggled her closer against his side. “I already told you I’d fly for you,” he said.
“I don’t want to force you to do something.”
“You’re not. I already agreed to go.”
“You know what I mean.”
He kissed her, stirring his cock in the process. “I’m good with you using Prime juju on me to make the flight easier.”
Relief flowed from her, along with arousal as he reached around and grabbed her ass so he could grind his hips against hers. “Okay.”
She rolled on top of him, his cock easily sliding inside her slick pussy. “Ooh, someone was ready,” he teased.
“Mm-hmm. I’m always ready for you.”
She braced her hands on his chest and started a slow grind against his hips. He held onto her ass and enjoyed it, happy to let her take charge.
He was
always
happy for her to take charge in bed, when she wanted to.
“I’m going to take you to my favorite place in the pack compound,” Dewi softly said. “Show you the creek. Take a blanket and a picnic lunch and we’ll make love in the woods.”
“You lead the way, baby.”
A soft, dreamy look filled her face, spilling through her emotions. “I never thought I’d ever have someone to share that with.” Her hips rocked, fucking him, hitting a rhythm he knew would soon have her tipping over the edge and taking him with her.
Reaching up, he cupped her breasts. “I can’t wait to see it.”
He lower lip caught under her teeth. “I want you to mark me there,” she whispered.
Grabbing her, he pulled her down on top of him, one hand around her waist and the other cupping the nape of her neck. He kissed her, hard and fiercely, taking over, thrusting up into her until he felt her orgasm start. His quickly followed, and he didn’t let her go until both of them had finished and he could wrap his arms around her and hold her.
“You don’t worry about losing me, do you?” he softly asked. “Because you know, even if it wasn’t for the mate stuff, I’d still love you and want to be with you.”
She kissed him in reply. “I just want to make up for lost time, for both of us. I want to be as normal as we can be, while we can. Being in Idaho, at the Muster they’re going to have for our weddings, that’s the most normal my life ever has been or ever will be.”
He stroked her hair. “Me, too.”
Without thinking about it, their breathing slowed and synchronized. “Dewi, I know your brothers will be okay with me. Well, we know Peyton is, hopefully Trent is, too. But what about the others.”
She snuggled even more tightly against his side. “I don’t care what they think. You’re my mate, and I love you.”
It never failed, when he heard those three words from her, it made him want to cry happy tears, no matter how much of a wuss that made him.
He kissed her forehead. “I love you, too.”
“Now go to sleep. Big day tomorrow.”
And as he settled in, not looking forward to the actual flight, he knew it would be okay. That alone helped abate much of his fear.
Because he knew Dewi would be by his side the entire time.
And, dayamn, that made him feel like he could conquer the world.
The End
About the Author
Author Lesli Richardson, who is better-known by her Tymber Dalton pen name, lives in the Tampa Bay region of Florida with her husband (aka “The World’s Best Husband™”) and too many pets. She writes a wide variety of heat levels and genres, from mainstream all the way to scorching-hot erotic ménage. Active in the BDSM lifestyle and a recent newcomer to the running sport of “hashing,” the two-time EPIC winner is also the bestselling author of over sixty books such as
The Reluctant Dom
,
Cardinal’s Rule
,
Cross Country Chaos
,
Out of the Darkness
, the Love Slave for Two series, the Triple Trouble wolf shifter series, the Drunk Monkeys post-apocalyptic series, and many more.