A chorus of dissent from her brothers made her smile. “Joe, are you guys really okay? Why won’t you take Mom and leave?”
“Bent Creek is ours, Scarlett. We’re not going to let Mom be hurt again.” He told her what had happened to them and their mom, reassuring Scarlett that their mom really was okay and they would ensure she stayed that way.
“Joe,” she said, her voice growing thick. “What are you going to do?”
“You just worry about my little niece or nephew and staying safe. Do you have a cell?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Text all of us your information as soon as possible. Do not go anywhere alone until we tell you it’s safe. Are we clear?”
“You’re so bossy,” she said, sniffling.
He snorted. “Just tell me you understand. I’ll make sure that Quentin leaves you alone, but until I say all-clear, stay put.”
“I understand, Joe.”
“Good. Now there are eleven other bastards here who want to say congratulations. Love you, Little Bug.”
“I love you, too, Joe.”
As the phone was passed to each of her brothers, she felt buoyed by their assurances that they would handle Quentin. There were twelve of them who were alpha powerful, and only one Quentin. He had a lot of males in the pack who would stand by him because he was alpha, but they couldn’t hope to stand against all of her brothers. According to Joe, the only reason they’d been caught the way they had was because they hadn’t expected Quentin’s ambush. Quentin had been furious that she was gone, but aside from sending wolves to look for her, he’d remained aloof with his sons. Until he suddenly hadn’t been, and had used their mother to force their hand and keep them from retaliating. But Mom was safe now, her brothers had promised, and Scarlett trusted them.
When the call ended, she gave the phone back to Melody and hugged her best friend. “I’m glad your family is okay,” Melody said. “I’ve always thought your dad was an asshole, but I’m glad my dad made an alliance with him so we could be friends.”
“I’m glad, too,” Scarlett promised.
Her heart was both heavy and light, a strangely unsettled feeling. She wished she could see for herself that her family was safe, but she trusted her brothers. Scarlett flopped on her back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. As they’d done a million times when they were teenagers, Melody joined her after shooing the males out of the room.
“Your mom’s okay and you’re okay. Those are the two most important things.”
They linked hands and Scarlett exhaled. “I know. I used to think the craziest shifter stuff I’d ever heard was about the mountain lions, but my… Quentin broke three of my mom’s fingers trying to get my brothers to tell him where I was. That’s beyond fucked up.”
“Without using your mom like that, he never would have been able to get your brothers to go along with anything that might hurt you. Remember when we were little and some of the boys in the neighborhood were throwing rocks at us when we were riding our bikes?”
Scarlett smiled at the memory. “Joe and Manix chased those boys until they were crying for mercy, and then made them apologize to us on their knees. I don’t think they ever even made eye contact with us after that.”
Melody rolled to her side to look at Scarlett. “What do you think your brothers are going to do about Quentin? I don’t know a ton about wolf culture, but couldn’t one of them fight him for leadership?”
“If they were following traditions, they’d have to request a fight for the position of alpha, which Quentin could and probably would deny. But they could just simply fight him and win, and unseat him from power. My brothers weren’t ranked in the pack because they’re alphas. Quentin has always kept them apart because he expected them to leave and start their own packs someday.”
“Why didn’t they?”
“I always figured it was because of me, that they were waiting for me to be mated and then they’d leave, but if one of them challenges Quentin then maybe they’ll all stick around.”
“One of them could be alpha, but they’re all alpha-powerful. Could they get along in a situation like that? Twelve alphas in charge of Bent Creek?”
Scarlett chuckled at the thought. “I wouldn’t want to be in the middle of any of their squabbles, that’s for sure.”
By the weekend, Wes was beginning to feel like he could breathe again. The pride continued to patrol in pairs and an alarm system had been installed, something James said had been a long time coming.
Scarlett fit right in with the pride. The females adored her and the males were very protective. Before Scarlett, Wes had cared for the welfare of the females in the pride, but now that he had his own mate, he understood why the mated males cared so much about everyone’s mate, not only their own. A mate was precious, something to be protected and cherished. The unmated males knew that mates were important, but until Wes had felt the connection to Scarlett, he hadn’t really gotten just
how
important they were. Now, he knew he’d do anything to keep Scarlett safe and he’d do his best to protect the other mates, too.
Sunday morning, Scarlett fluttered around the kitchen like a nervous bird. She’d gotten a call the night before that two of her brothers were bringing her mom to the boarding house for a visit. She blamed herself for her mom’s injuries and although Wes and Ray had told her that she hadn’t done anything wrong, she clearly still felt guilty.
Ray took a drink of coffee and watched Scarlett with an amused expression as she cleaned the huge kitchen table and fiddled with the fresh flowers that Sam had brought home on Saturday to decorate the kitchen. Wes leaned against the island.
“You know, I always figured we’d have our own place like Dad and Uncle Miles, but I can’t really imagine living anywhere but here,” he said.
“Me, too,” Ray agreed. “Even before we met Scarlett I hadn’t really expected to stay here permanently. In Ashland, yes, but in a house of our own.”
She straightened. “You don’t want to leave the boarding house, do you?”
“No.” Ray shook his head. “I feel like we’re home here because of you. If you wanted to leave and find a place of our own here in town, we would do that for you. We could even go to King to live, or to Bent Creek when your brothers say it’s safe.”
She shook her head vehemently. “I don’t want to live in Bent Creek ever again. Visit, sure, but not to live there. And King is nice – I liked visiting the town, although I didn’t see much outside of your dad’s house, but Ashland is where the pride is. If you’re happy here, in the boarding house, then that makes me even happier because I like living here.”
“Even though it’s noisy as hell on the weekends?” Ray asked. With eight kids in the house, there was always someone slamming a door or running up and down the steps like an elephant.
“I’m sure it’s worse in the summer,” she said, grinning. She tossed the paper towel into the trash and set the cleaner in the cupboard. “I like it here, and I love you. I think we should stay.”
“I talked to James this morning,” Ray said, pulling Scarlett close. Wes immediately joined them, sandwiching their mate between himself and his brother. “He said that we can move down to the second floor. The rooms are bigger and more updated, and have attached bathrooms. There are two empty rooms at the end of the hall, one for us and one for the baby. After your mom heads home tonight, we can go look at them if you’d like.”
Like he’d seen her do many times since she’d first realized she was pregnant, she pressed her palm lightly to her abdomen with a small smile. “I’d love that.”
They hugged her a little tighter between them, and Wes’s mind turned toward the upstairs and the bed, wondering how long it would be until her mom showed up, and if they had time to make love. Ray tilted her face for a kiss and Wes grinned as he brushed the hair from her shoulder and kissed her neck.
The doorbell rang and they all stiffened and then laughed. “I’d say she has bad timing, but I’m really glad she’s here,” Scarlett said. She kissed both of them and they walked with her to the front door.
Ray opened the door to reveal a woman who looked a lot like Scarlett standing between Christian and another male. Scarlett let out a soft sob and threw herself into her mom’s arms. The two embraced and Wes’s heart ached at the sweet sight. He’d never had a mom who cared about him, who had ever hugged him the way that Scarlett’s mom was hugging her. Hell, his own mother wouldn’t have let herself be captured and tortured. She wouldn’t have cared enough to bother keeping a secret on his or Ray’s behalf.
“Nice to see you guys again,” Christian said as Ray opened the door wider and shook his hand. “This is our brother, Manix.”
Manix was a big mountain of a male, with dark hair and eyes. Christian, in comparison, was less muscular and shared Scarlett’s blonde hair, the same golden shade as their mother’s.
As Ray shut the door, Scarlett said, “Mom, these are my mates, Wes and Ray. Guys, this is my mom, Rebecca.”
Rebecca didn’t let go of her hold on Scarlett, but did hug both Wes and Ray with one arm. Three fingers on her right hand were bandaged, and Wes asked how she was feeling.
“I’m good, honey, thank you. We have a lot to discuss. Is there somewhere we can talk?”
Ray led them into the empty family room. The younger kids had been taken by Grant, Aaron, and Sam to a cabin they used for family getaways. Dom and Henry were out shopping with Rue and John, and James and Alek were working. Dylan and Chase were patrolling around the property and the other lions were milling around upstairs, giving the trio their privacy with Scarlett’s family.
Wes had set up a light lunch in the family room with finger food and drinks. Scarlett sat next to her mom on one of the three couches with Christian and Manix on her other side. Ray and Wes sat on one of the other couches so that Scarlett could be with her family.
Scarlett touched the top of her mom’s hand gently. “Mom, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry you were hurt.”
Manix snarled softly and reached past Christian to rub Scarlett’s shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault. The whole Breeding Queen business is insane. A father choosing his daughter’s mate is entirely absurd. We don’t live in the dark ages.”
“Your brother’s right,” Rebecca said. “I knew when you were trying on the dress that you were miserably unhappy, but I did nothing. I’m as much at fault as Quentin in this whole mess. I could have stood up for you or hidden you away and let you live your own life, but I didn’t.” Tears glistened in her eyes, and Scarlett hugged her, and the two cried.
Manix turned his attention to Ray and Wes. “Quentin is gone, along with seventeen of his loyal wolves. The other alpha, Arven, swore retribution on Quentin, too, so in a way I think he wasn’t all that upset to get kicked out of Bent Creek.”
Scarlett hiccupped and scrubbed at her wet cheeks. “Kicked out?”
Manix nodded. “When he got back to Bent Creek on Friday, we’d gathered the pack males in the clearing and Joe challenged him. At first he scoffed and said Joe couldn’t challenge, that we weren’t even really pack members and had no rights. Joe attacked him. His loyal males, the highest ranked ones, tried to step in, and we took them all out.”
“The pack didn’t try to help?” Wes asked in surprise. “I thought the pack stuck together.”
Christian shrugged. “Not everyone is a trained fighter, and even a ranked male would think twice about going against an alpha-powerful male. The males were subdued, Joe beat Quentin, and he branded all of the males and kicked them out of town.”
“Branded?” Ray asked.
“It sounds worse than it is, but the alpha wears a ring with a special design on it. The design has little spikes in it, so if it’s pressed into something it leaves the brand behind. I guess in the old days they used to actually brand pack outcasts like they do cattle, but this is less messy. Joe already had a branding ring since he’s the oldest, so he punched each male in the throat, leaving the mark.”
“Even… him?” Scarlett squeaked, her hand rubbing her throat.
Manix nodded. “Joe also dissolved the mating bond between Mom and Quentin. She’s a free woman now.”
Scarlett’s happy laugh was all Wes needed to hear to know she was thrilled her mom was now free of her father.
“Joe put trackers in the males’ cell phones, but he threatened them not to set foot in Bent Creek or to come near the pride, you two, or Scarlett for the rest of their days. Scarlett said you guys have a security system now. We want you to continue to be vigilant, but the round-the-clock patrols aren’t necessary any longer. If we get notice that they’re heading in your direction, we’ll contact you immediately, but Quentin is out of the state already and well on his way to starting a new pack, I’m sure.”
Wes breathed a sigh of relief and could see that Scarlett was thrilled, too. With the more serious business out of the way, they ate lunch and talked about King, Ashland, the lions, and their future. He realized that he and Ray now had twelve brothers-in-law and a mother-in-law. Their family was growing by leaps and bounds, and in another seven months, they’d add to their family by one more.
He couldn’t wait.
* * * * *
Ray listened with amusement as Scarlett and her mother talked about the two bedrooms on the second floor. They were directly across from each other. They both had attached bathrooms, but the bedroom overlooking the backyard was the one that Scarlett wanted to be their room. It also happened to have the nicer bathroom.
“Was this place a hotel or something?” Manix asked, peering out the window at the woods.
“No, it was originally the home of a wealthy banker, and after the market crashed in the twenties, they turned it into a boarding house and took in tenants. Over the years the bedrooms were redone, adding in the bathrooms and things, but the third floor has shared bathrooms, which isn’t nearly as much fun when you’re talking about a bunch of single males. James, John, Grant, and Aaron moved here with their kids first, after Callie and her husbands came to live with Rhett and Lisa on their farm. They invited males from King to move here, and we were friends with Tristan and Micah, so when they said they were thinking about it, we decided to come along, too. Chase, Dylan, and Hunter came with us. We all went to high school together, along with James’s youngest son Alek, who is mated to Lachlyn.”
“It’s kind of like our apartment complex, but we all have our own homes in it,” Christian said.
“I thought it would be weird to live with so many under one roof but it’s amazing to have the pride’s support. The King pride is tight, but not like the Ashland pride,” Ray said.
The women talked about furniture for the baby’s room, which made Ray preen with pride. They’d have a cub soon, something he hadn’t really considered until he met Scarlett. One look at his mate and he hadn’t been able to think about much else but making her his and Wes’s and starting a family.
“I do hope you’ll be making an honest woman out of my daughter before the baby is born,” Rebecca said, her brow arched.
“Mom! I’m already their mate,” Scarlett protested.
“Yes, I can see that, but you need their last name. You don’t want to have the same last name as your baby?”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that,” Scarlett frowned.
Wes stepped up and kissed Scarlett’s cheek. “We’ve already asked her to marry us, Rebecca. We just haven’t set the date.”
“Christmas is coming,” she said, smiling.
“That’s a great idea,” Ray said. “A Christmas wedding. How does that sound sweetness?”
“Like a dream.” She smiled wistfully.
“Then it’s settled,” Scarlett’s mother said. “Manix, run out to the SUV and grab the boxes, please.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and then left the room quickly.
“Boxes?” Scarlett asked.
“I brought you some things from the apartment. I wasn’t sure exactly what you needed, so I brought your warm clothes and jackets, and pretty soon you’re going to need a different wardrobe anyway.”
“You didn’t have to pack for me. I was hoping we could come up to visit soon.”
Christian shook his head. “Joe doesn’t want you in Bent Creek for a while. Even though he’s certain that Quentin will abide by the ruling, he wants you to steer clear of Bent Creek for a few more weeks. We can ship packages down here to you, and your ten other brothers will want to come visit and meet your mates.”
“Okay. I guess Joe really is the boss of everyone now, huh?”
“He always thought he was, anyway,” Christian said, grinning.
Manix carried three large boxes into the boarding house and up three flights of stairs to Wes’s room, where they were waiting for him. Scarlett opened the boxes and seemed to be searching for something.
“Oh, you didn’t pack my horse statue?” she asked, frowning.
Her mother frowned. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it meant so much to you. I’ll ship it down to you.”
“Okay. I know it’s silly, but Dom made it for me and I want it for the baby’s room.”
“Consider it done.” Her mom kissed Scarlett’s cheek.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Maybe you can have your handsome young panther friend make a carving for me sometime.”
“Ew, Mom, you’re not turning into a cougar, are you?” Scarlett’s nose wrinkled in dismay.
“Don’t be silly. I can’t help but notice how handsome he and Henry are, but handsome young fellows aside, I’m single for the first time in thirty-five years. I don’t have any plans to be anything else for a long while.”