“She was.”
“Well, that’s weird. Do you think something is making her ill in the basement? The wood-burning stove or another smell? You could move up to the spare bedroom.”
Wes moved to the fridge and extracted three bottles of apple juice. “I’ll let you know. We spent almost the whole day downstairs. If there were something down there making her sick, it wouldn’t just be in the morning.”
“Tell her we hope she feels better.”
“I will, thanks.”
Wes carried the crackers and juice downstairs and found Ray and Scarlett sitting up, both with strange looks on their faces.
“What’s up?” He sat down on the edge of the bed and handed off the apple juices. Ray took Scarlett’s and opened it.
She blinked and smiled. “I think I know why I’m getting sick.”
“Really? Uncle Miles thought it might be the basement.”
Ray grinned. “It’s not the basement.”
Wes frowned. “Then what?”
“I’m pregnant,” Scarlett told him.
“Are you sure?” Wes asked.
She shrugged and took a small sip of apple juice. “I’m not positive, but it would explain my only getting sick in the morning. It’s been eight weeks since we were together. I haven’t been with anyone else and you didn’t use condoms. To be entirely honest, I haven’t gotten my period but I assumed it was stress. I’ve never been so wigged out in my entire life. Between having to leave you and my dad’s plans for my life, I couldn’t eat right, sleep right, or concentrate on anything.”
Wes grimaced. “I’m sorry.”
She put the lid on her apple juice and gave it to Ray. Then she launched herself at Wes and he tumbled to the bed while she giggled. “Don’t be sorry! I’m pregnant. It’s our baby!”
Wes felt like his heart was going to pound out of his chest. He kissed her firmly and then brushed her hair from her face. “I’ll never be sorry again. You’re going to have a baby.”
She grinned and her eyes danced. “This changes our situation entirely. My dad can’t ignore my pregnancy. I thought that once he discovered we were mated that he probably wouldn’t let me anywhere near Bent Creek, but my pregnancy cements our relationship. We’re mates and I’m carrying your pup. He can’t use me anymore.”
“Cub.”
“What?” She blinked big blue eyes at him.
“Lions have cubs. Wolves have pups.”
“Oh, right.” Her nose wrinkled. “Our sweet little cub.”
“Give me some of that sugar, sweetheart,” Ray growled in happiness, and Scarlett crawled over to him and they kissed. Wes rolled to his side and reached for her hand. She clasped it as she kissed his brother.
When the kiss ended, she looked at both of them. “I still want to wait until after we mate, but I think we can go back to Bent Creek and tell my dad what happened.”
Wes’s stomach clenched at the thought of her facing her dad. “As long you as know we won’t be leaving your side.”
“I know. I don’t want you to.”
She leaned back against Ray, and Wes sat up and kissed her stomach. “Hey,” he whispered to her navel.
She laughed. “He or she is too small to hear.”
“Still,” he said with a smile. He looked up at Ray, who was grinning so broadly that it looked like his cheeks would crack. “That’s part of us in there.”
She stroked her hand through his hair. “You’re not worried about whose baby it is?”
Wes kissed her stomach again and sat up. “We’re twins, so it might be hard to say, but it wouldn’t matter anyway. He’s my brother and he’s your mate, so we’re a family together. Any kids you have are ours together.”
Her eyes suddenly glistened with tears and she sniffled. “I have the best mates.”
“We’re the lucky ones, Scarlett,” Ray said, kissing her neck.
“It’s a tie. Now, where are those crackers?”
After Scarlett ate two handfuls of crackers and drank all three of their apple juices, she declared she was ready to eat a real breakfast. As he and Ray watched her walk to the bathroom to shower, Wes said, “One of us should go get a pregnancy test.”
Ray nodded, then got up from the bed and picked up the dirty clothes from the floor. “I will after breakfast.” He carried the clothes over to the separate laundry room and Wes heard the washer lid clang as it hit the back of the washer. Ray walked out a moment later and canted his head. Wes heard the shower turn on and Ray said, “I don’t think we should take her outside or back to Bent Creek anytime soon. I know she’s pregnant, but even after we mark her… there’s a part of me that doesn’t trust her father. I mean, this is a guy who thought nothing of giving his only daughter away to a complete stranger.”
Wes nodded. “I was thinking that when we’re ready, we should go to Ashland first and maybe invite her parents down there instead of us walking into a literal wolf pack.”
“Good idea. The pride will back us up if it’s necessary.”
Wes didn’t want to think that Scarlett’s father would ignore her pregnancy and mating, but he didn’t know what to think of the man who had tried to trade her like she was currency. That little bundle growing inside their mate needed protection as much as Scarlett did. If that meant staying in King for a while and then setting up a meeting in Ashland with the pride at their backs, then that was what they’d do, and they’d convince Scarlett it was the right plan.
Monday afternoon, Scarlett ran a cloth with wood polish across the mantel in the living room. The house was very clean, but it was important to her and her mates that everything sparkled in the room they were going to have their mating ceremony in. In wolf packs, the mating ceremony was presided over by the alpha, and he would ask the mates if they vowed themselves to each other. Her father would have asked if the male he had chosen for her would honor and protect her and their cubs, and the male would have answered yes, even if he was a total bastard and would treat her like crap.
Wes put the glass cleaner on the windowsill and dropped the paper towel, coming to stand next to her. “What’s wrong, love?”
“I was just thinking about our ceremony and what mine would have been like if you hadn’t saved me.”
Wes slipped his arms around her. She rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes. “The pride males mark their females privately. The ceremony they have in front of the pride is really a marriage ceremony with mating vows mixed in. Ours will be unique, but we’re a unique trio. When we get married eventually, your family can come.”
She peered up at him. “I’d like that.”
“I’m glad our dad and our uncle can be here for us, but I’m sure you miss your mom and your brothers.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry, love.”
“Don’t be.” She straightened and smiled, forcing away the sad feelings. “This is a better life than I could have ever hoped for. You and Ray are mine and you love me.”
“And you’re having our baby,” he said, grinning.
Ray had brought back a pregnancy test after breakfast the day before and although she was certain she was pregnant, she had taken the test anyway and it had turned positive immediately.
“That, too. If I could have chosen my future, it would have been this. To be with someone I loved forever was never supposed to be in the cards for me.”
The front door opened and Ray walked in. He’d been gone for over an hour on an errand that he wouldn’t explain. Wes had also disappeared after lunch for an errand. She had a feeling they were getting things for the ceremony, but they both appeared to come back empty-handed.
“You know what I just realized?” she asked as she kissed Ray hello.
“What, sweetheart?” Ray asked.
“I don’t have a dress to wear for the ceremony.”
“Our dad has that figured out, love. Don’t worry,” Wes said.
“Oh?” She raised a brow.
Ray chuckled. “Trust us.”
“I do.”
Ray disappeared and Scarlett and Wes went back to cleaning. The day passed quickly as they cleaned every inch of the large living room and Ray and Wes moved the furniture out of it and brought in a few items. A white rectangular rug was placed in front of the window, the curtains drawn back so the full view of the woods was visible. A small table held four candles. Three of the candles were thin tapers in different shades of blue, and the fourth was a thick white pillar candle. Of the human ceremonies she’d researched since they began planning their ceremony, the candle-lighting portion had held her interest the most and Ray and Wes thought it was a fitting addition.
After dinner, there was a knock at the front door. Miles left them in the family room where they’d been watching a rerun of a sitcom, and returned a few moments later with a male and a female. The female held several garment bags over one arm.
“Scarlett, these are our friends, Tom and Dana Charming. They run the Charming Bed & Breakfast here in town. Dana has something special for you. Why don’t you take her down to the basement?” Miles said, grinning broadly.
“Okay,” Scarlett said, then stood and shook their hands. She looked at Ray and Wes, who were smiling in a way that told her they knew exactly what the couple was doing in the house.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Dana said as she followed Scarlett down into the basement.
“You, too. I have to admit to being surprised, though. Miles and Max haven’t had any guests since we’ve been here.”
Dana hung the garment bags on the top shelf of the storage unit. “We were sworn to secrecy. Tom, Max, and Miles went to high school together. The pride has always treated us very well, and we’ve always done our part to help out in any way they need. When he told us what you needed, there was no way I was going to leave you in the hands of men.”
“What are you talking about?” Scarlett asked, watching as Dana lowered the zipper of one of the garment bags.
“Your dress, of course!” She extracted a white dress from the bag, and then moved quickly to the other two bags, pulling white dresses from them as well. She hung all the dresses on the top shelf.
Scarlett gasped. “Oh! I told Wes and Ray I needed a dress, and they told me they had it handled. I pictured them shopping themselves and honestly, I wasn’t sure they would even know what size I am.”
“I had them check your clothes when they called me earlier. I know you’re going to be inside, so I went with short sleeves even though it’s cold outside. These aren’t real wedding dresses. Ray said you would be getting married back in Ashland, so I’ll leave that special dress up to you to find. These are the best I could do on short notice.”
Scarlett looked at the dresses and sniffled at the sweet gesture. Dana put her arm around her. “It’s okay, hon. Whatever your family issues are, you’ve got some sweet mates.”
“I know,” Scarlett said. She picked up the first dress, a cap sleeve white lace dress, and carried it into the bathroom. After she’d quickly changed, she stepped out of the room and turned in a slow circle.
“Oh, that’s nice,” Dana smiled, her hazel eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Thank you.” Dana handed her the next dress, and Scarlett went into the bathroom and changed. The second dress, a strapless organza, was too close to the gown she’d been trying on for her other mating ceremony and she couldn’t get it off fast enough. But the third gown was perfect. The moment she put it on and looked in the mirror, she knew she’d found the perfect dress. It fell just above her knees and had a beaded floral design on the hem, with an illusion neckline – white mesh fabric over a sweetheart bodice. It was the cutest dress she’d ever seen and a far cry from the one she’d been stuffed into just a week ago.
When she stepped into the main room, Dana clapped her hands and smiled broadly. “Oh, honey, it’s so beautiful! Do you like it?”
“I love it! It’s perfect!” Scarlett hugged Dana and fought the tears that tried to surface again. She thanked Dana and headed back to the bathroom, where she changed into her regular clothes, then carried the dress back to Dana.
“I’m going to leave it upstairs in the guest bedroom. Max said that he wanted you to get ready upstairs because the bathroom attached to the guest room is nicer.”
“Aw, that’s sweet.”
“He invited us back for your ceremony in the morning. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course!” Scarlett said as Dana put all three gowns into a garment bag and zipped it.
“I think a sunrise ceremony is so romantic.”
“It’s about as different from wolf pack ceremonies as I can get, and it’s fitting – we get to start our life together at sunrise, the start of a new day.” Although in truth, her life had changed irrevocably the night she met her mates. Touching her stomach with her palm, she thanked her lucky stars she’d gone to Melody’s wedding and had followed her instincts that night.
* * * * *
The alarm buzzed shrilly at five thirty a.m. Scarlett sat up abruptly and then had to rush off the bed to make it to the bathroom in time.
Morning sickness sucked.
Wes handed her a wet washcloth and Ray rubbed her back. They were getting pretty good at handling her unpleasant new morning habit.
“How long is this going to last for you, sweetheart?” Ray asked.
“I don’t know. I think it’s different for every woman.” She sat back on her heels and wiped the cool cloth over her chin as Ray flushed the toilet. “I read that some women have it until three months, others longer. I never asked my mom what her pregnancies were like.”
“Well, when we get settled in Ashland and the wedding date is set, you can ask her yourself when she comes for our ceremony,” Wes said.
She frowned. “Why are you saying it like that?”
“What, love?” he asked, his brows rising.
“That we won’t be in touch with my family until our wedding is planned and we’re living in Ashland.”
Wes helped her stand and she brushed her teeth. She watched them in the mirror as they exchanged a glance. She turned off the water and turned, leaning against the counter. “What?”
“We’re not sure that we should go rushing to Bent Creek,” Ray said, speaking slowly, as if he were measuring every word.
“Oh?” She folded her arms. “When did you decide this?”
“Don’t be mad, Scarlett. You said you thought your pregnancy changed everything and that we could go to your family and share the news, but what if it doesn’t really change your dad’s mind? What if he doesn’t care and tries to take you from us?”
Her stomach flipped and she glanced at the toilet, wondering if she was going to throw up again.
Ray added hurriedly, “We won’t let him take you from us, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t try. He was going to give you to a stranger, which to me sounds like the most insane and cruel thing a father can do to his child. If he doesn’t think that’s crossing the line, then who the hell knows how far he’ll go in the name of getting what he wants.”
She shook her head. “No alpha in his right mind would take a pregnant, mated female as a mate. Even if my dad wasn’t happy, he couldn’t do anything about it.” She wanted to argue for them to take her to Bent Creek in a few days so she could close that chapter of her life, but a little nagging feeling in her mind told her they were right. In all honesty, she didn’t know what her dad would do. She’d never been close to him, and for the last few years, as the noose of her future had tightened, she hadn’t cared to be around him at all. He’d held her future in his hands her entire life. Now that her future was her own, what would he do?
She reached for her mates and they hugged her tightly between them. “I don’t want to fight. If you think it’s better to go to Ashland and
then
invite my family down there, then I agree.”
“We’ll keep you safe, but there’s nothing wrong with being careful. The pride will have our backs and we’ll have yours,” Ray said.
“Okay,” she said.
They left the bathroom and she tugged on a robe that Dana had left for her. The pink chenille robe had big, colorful flowers on it and was like being wrapped in a warm hug. She loved it, even if it was kind of corny looking.
“I’ll see you in a little while,” she said at the bottom of the stairs.
Ray and Wes kissed her and she climbed the stairs and opened the door. Max and Miles were in the kitchen and she stopped to make herself a cup of tea. To her surprise, Max lifted a tray containing a covered plate and a steaming mug of tea.
“Ray and Wes asked me to put this together for you,” he said, following her to the guest bedroom.
“That’s so sweet, thank you,” she said as she opened the door and walked inside. He followed and put the tray on a long dresser with a mirror attached.
“Give a holler if you need anything,” he said, smiling at her. Then he walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.
She looked around the room. The white walls were bare except for two pictures hanging in frames. When she took a closer look, she discovered they were Ray’s and Wes’s senior pictures. She touched the edge of one wooden frame. She wished she’d known them longer, but it wouldn’t have mattered to her dad even if she had. Pushing away the darker thoughts, she moved back to the dresser and lifted the lid from the plate. On it, Max had placed a row of crackers, apple slices, and a small plastic tub of peanut butter. She picked up a cracker and nibbled, making sure her stomach wasn’t going to revolt again, and turned to look at the room. On the bed were a pair of white ballet flats, a white and silver striped bag from a lingerie chain, and a bouquet of pink-tipped white roses tied with a pink bow. She finished one cracker and drank some tea, sweetened with honey the way she liked, and then she sat down on the bed with the tray and ate. Sunrise was at 7:31. They wanted to start the ceremony right at sunrise, so she didn’t have a whole lot of time to mess around. She smiled, thinking about Wes and Ray taking turns in the basement bathroom and getting ready.
After finishing her light breakfast, she showered and then used a hair dryer that someone had left on the counter for her. She thought that it was most likely Ray and Wes together who had made sure she had everything she’d need, from her makeup bag sitting on the counter to her favorite shampoo and body wash on the edge of the tub.
She pulled out a tissue paper wrapped package from inside the silver bag. She smiled as she pulled the tissue paper apart and found a white satin convertible bra and bikini panties. Checking the sizes, she was not surprised to find that they were exactly what she currently wore. Dressing in the sleek garments, she marveled at her mates’ thoughtfulness. After extracting her gown from the bag hanging in the closet and putting it on, she tucked her feet into the ballet slippers and went to the bathroom to put on makeup.