Fire of the Wolf [The Gray Pack] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (19 page)

A knock at the bathroom door abruptly killed her pity party, and she wiped her face free of tears before opening the door to see who was there. To her surprise it was Jim, the twins’ father, and former Alpha of the pack.

“You okay, Caroline?” He smiled a warm smile at her, and she could see the sadness in his eyes.

“Yes, I will be fine. Thank you, Jim. I just need a few minutes to pull it together before I get thrown to the wolves.” He laughed at her joke and then pulled her to his chest to hug her. She melted into the embrace, and wondered at how different it was than when her men held her. This was reminiscent of when her father would hold her as a child. A wave of despair hit her as she grieved for all of the hugs she had missed out on in the last decade.

“I’m so glad to have you here, Caroline. I can see how much my sons mean to you, and I know how much you mean to them. You need to trust in Devin when he says that he has this challenge under control. If I believed he wouldn’t win, then I would volunteer to fight in his place, but he is a stronger wolf than I have ever been or could have hoped to be. I once thought that there was no chance he would find a woman who could break through his walls and reach his heart, but he found you. Please try to be patient with him, because this has been a change for all three of you.” His words comforted her heart, and she hugged him back, thinking about how much he smelled like her men. He was the same build and height, but his hair was salt-and-pepper gray, and he was not as muscular anymore. She decided she was glad to call him family, and she reached up on her toes to kiss his cheek.

“Thank you, Jim, for sharing that. I am scared, but I will be okay. I’ve been through worse heartbreak in my life, and survived. Now please introduce me to my new family.” He looped his arm through hers, and they headed out of the cabin.

He pointed out various things along the way to the circle. There were many different cabins scattered throughout the woods, each at the end of a gravel drive that split off of the main road. None of the cabins were as large as the one the Alpha wolves stayed in, but they were all so lovely and fit into the scenery perfectly. Walking along the main road, she could see dozens of wolves and people moving along the same road in the same direction. As they rounded a large bend in the road, they came upon a clearing that was a perfect circle shape. All around the circle there were boulders and large stones scattered that wolves and people alike sat upon. In the center was a platform with a set of wooden stairs leading up to it. She could see Devin, Damon, Cash, and Ryley all standing next to it, and she followed her instincts and went to them. The people around her parted as if understanding her place in the hierarchy already.

As she reached them, both men reached out to her together. They held her between them, and took the time to look into her eyes, and then each kissed her softly.

“I love you so much,” Devin whispered against her temple while he held her tightly against his chest. Damon nuzzled her neck, and she could feel all of the anger of their argument dissolve. Emotion overwhelmed her, and she just stood there immersed in their love for a few moments.

“I know, wolf. I know,” she whispered back, and, smiling softly at him, she let him lead her up the stairs.

At the top of the platform with Damon at her back and Devin at her side, she looked around. The trees that enclosed the circle were tall, and their thick trunks told her they were old. There were easily seventy-five werewolves in various forms in the clearing, and more filed in as they prepared to start. Her nerves balled up in her gut, and her palms were sweating because she hated being in front of a crowd. The scents were overwhelming to her new wolf senses, but she was startled to realize that she could now specifically pick out certain ones. She could smell her men. They were beside her so that wasn’t surprising, but she could also pick out Rafe who stood in the back, and smiled encouragingly when she met his gaze. Then she picked up on Liam to her right who saluted her when he caught her attention, and he winked, smiling his charming smile at her. She saw him lean over and whisper to a beautiful raven-haired woman who stood next to him, and she briefly wondered who the woman was. She didn’t think any of the men from the firehouse were mated yet, but she hadn’t ever asked. The reassuring smiles of Jim and Sienna were next in her line of sight, and she found herself relaxing in spite of being in front of so many eyes which were all trained on her.

Devin raised his hand, and the crowd went silent. Everyone waited quietly to hear what he had to say, even the handful of children. He took a breath and spoke, his voice a rumbling echo throughout the trees.

“Family, I have collected you here for two reasons, one bad, and one wonderful. The first is the let you know that I have received word of an Alpha challenge for tomorrow night.” The crowd growled its frustration and anger at this first announcement, and Caroline took a small step backward. Damon placed his hands at her waist, pulling her back snugly against his chest. His warmth reassured her that she wasn’t facing this alone. Her men were behind her in every way. She wanted to reach for Devin and reassure him that he wasn’t alone, but she didn’t know if it was appropriate in front of his family.

She jumped a bit, startled out of her thoughts when Devin raised his hand to calm the group and continued, “The challenger is Barton Diego. I have no fear of this challenge, and my intention is to deal with it quickly and thoroughly.”

There was some laughter as many recognized the implied threat of his words. He smiled a small smile, and then reached for her hand. Reassured and calmed by his gentle touch, she smiled up at him. He brought her fingers to his lips and then looked back to the crowd. “The second reason is to introduce you to Caroline Trainor—soon to be Gray. She is my mate as well as Damon’s mate, and the newest member of the Gray Pack.”

Again the crowd came alive, but this time instead of growling, she heard cheering! She heard whistles and laughter, and too many congratulations and welcomes to acknowledge them all. She felt tears behind her eyelids as she was openly welcomed into this new family. They all seemed to be genuinely happy to have her. She couldn’t imagine a better way to start her new life. She forced herself not to think about the fact that she hadn’t actually agreed to be a permanent member of the Gray Pack yet, and instead she let the warmth of the group melt her insides.

“Now, I plan to bring her around to meet everyone individually…eventually, but for now I just ask that you give us some time together as a newly mated family. Please embrace her as one of our own, and I know you will love her as much as Damon and I do.” Caroline blushed at his words as she heard catcalls, and one significantly loud whistle that she knew came from Liam.

The crowd suddenly went eerily quiet as a beautiful woman stepped up to the stairs, and bent one knee in submission, awaiting permission to approach them on the platform. The twins exchanged a look over Caroline’s head, and then Devin nodded to the woman, allowing her to move up to stand next to them. She took Caroline’s hands in hers, and bent at the waist to lean down and kiss them.

“I want to welcome you, Caroline, as Devin and Damon’s mate, to your new family,” she said in a soft, melodious voice as she looked straight into Caroline’s eyes. She admired the lovely woman, and wondered who she could be. She looked about the same age as herself, but her blue eyes appeared to be much older. They held a wisdom in them that she had never seen up close. Her hair was almost white blonde, as were her eyebrows and eyelashes. Her eyes were blue, but so light in color that they were almost white. Her cheeks had a soft tinge of pink to them that proved to Caroline that there was blood in her veins. She was petite like Caroline, but she seemed more fragile somehow. Her hands were small and soft, and her smell was delicate and lovely. Caroline felt immediately at ease as she looked into this woman who smiled warmly at her.

Who?
Caroline couldn’t resist asking her men silently.

Her name is Delaky. In the human world she would be called a shaman. She has magic in her, and knows the wisdom of our ancestors as well. Her blessing guarantees your acceptance into the pack. Don’t be afraid, she will not hurt you.
Damon’s words strummed a chord in Caroline, clearly this woman was very important in the pack. Something inside of her made her very eager to talk with Delaky and get to know her.

Later, my dear. Come to me later, and we will visit. Your mates will know where to find me.

Delaky laughed softly when Caroline’s mouth dropped open at hearing a new voice in her head. She had no idea that it was possible for anyone but Devin and Damon to converse with her in such a way. It was slightly intimidating. As Delaky released Caroline’s hands, she turned back to the crowd, and in a rippling fashion they all knelt and bowed their heads. It took Caroline a moment to realize that they were paying obeisance to her as their leader’s new mate, as well as acknowledging their beloved shaman’s acceptance of her. She was in awe of the action, and for a moment her throat tightened with emotion. Looking at Delaky, she swallowed hard. Delaky gestured to the crowd, indicating that it was Caroline’s turn to speak. Shakily she step forward, and her eyes roamed over the now kneeling crowd in front of her.

“Thank you. I hope that I can make you all as proud of me, as I am of you already,” she said to the assembly, and was pleased when they all cheered again. Devin’s smile told her that she had said the right thing, and she was assured of it again when Damon bent to kiss the top of her head. The crowd started to scatter as her men helped her down the stairs. Waiting at the bottom were all of the guys from the firehouse, Sienna, and Jim. They took turns hugging her, and they all shared a laugh when Liam hugged her just a few extra moments before letting her go with a soft tap on her ass. Both Devin and Damon growled their threat, and then laughed as well when they caught on to the joke. The dark-haired woman that had stood with Liam was introduced as his sister, Whitney, and Caroline took an immediate liking to the confident woman.

I had forgotten what family felt like. I missed it.
She sent her thought to her men, and they both looked at her curiously. They didn’t know much about her past, and they were instantly aware of that lack of knowledge. There was more to her that they needed to know, and soon.

After spending the rest of the day meeting the various werewolves and their families, Caroline’s head was spinning again. She hoped she would be able to remember everyone’s names soon. There were so many of them. Everyone she met here had welcomed her with smiles and even hugs. Thinking back over her life, she remembered the affection of her parents with each other, and felt their loss poignantly. They had always held hands and cuddled with each other. She couldn’t remember a day passing that they didn’t say I love you to each other, and to her. She understood it more now, because with Devin and Damon it just seemed natural to walk along holding their hands or sneaking a kiss and a cuddle every chance they got. She relished the easy way they would reach out with an arm and pull her closer to their sides if she moved too far away. She felt the need to be close and touch them as well, and they seemed to glow with approval when she would initiate a touch. She could feel Damon’s hand on the small of her back, and Devin’s fingers looped through the belt loop on the back of her jeans in a possessive way. The spark of heat those small touches created in her belly was close to being a bonfire by afternoon, and she started to feel agitated at having to continue the meet and greet with the pack.

She turned her attention to Damon and was overwhelmingly pleased to see the passion reflected there. She tried to convey her needs to him without speaking or thinking them. Hoping he could read it in her eyes and her touch. She preened when he got the message loud and clear.

“Okay, let’s go. It’s time for you to relax and stop thinking for a while. I think I know just how to help you relax.” As he said it her clit throbbed with desire, and her lips parted unintentionally. The gleam in his eyes told her that he wanted her as much as she wanted him, and by God they were finally going to do something about it. He pressed tightly against her back and spoke just loud enough for both Devin and her to hear him.

“I would love to stop thinking for a bit. How are you planning on turning me on…I mean off?” She grinned at her intentional slip of the tongue, and the guys laughed. She was so easy to read, and they loved that she was so blunt about her desires.

“For starters, I want to get you away from everyone else and into a quiet place. Then I plan to use my hands, my tongue, and my cock to make you scream my name until I’m all your mind can handle.” His voice had dropped an octave and was husky with heat now as his hands came around her waist and cupped her mound. He pressed his middle fingers against the denim of her jeans and could feel her moisture. She moaned, and instantly arched her butt back against his now rock-hard cock. His callused fingertips moved to run over the slim line of bare skin at the bottom edge of her tank top, and she shivered with anticipation. She almost looked down to check and see if there were scorch marks left on her skin.

“What are we waiting for?” she asked impatiently. They both laughed again, and she frowned at them.

“Unfortunately, I have to do some things right now, sugar, so I will leave you in Damon’s capable hands. Don’t have so much fun that you don’t rest. I want you to be able to revisit this discussion when I’ve available later. Damon, don’t forget we promised to take her to Delaky’s later tonight,” he said, and he kissed her deeply before turning her to face Damon and then smacked her ass just hard enough to draw a whimper from her. She couldn’t hide the disappointment from her eyes as she watched him walk away toward yet another group of pack members. She had hoped for an afternoon of delight with her men. She turned to Damon to see what his reaction would be.