Gator's Challenge (17 page)

Withdraw. Slam. Over and over he thrust into her welcoming flesh, teasing the remnants of her orgasm and then bringing it to a peak again when he reached under and rubbed her clit as he thrust.

She buried her face in a pillow as he fucked her into a second orgasm, a stronger one that had her yelling into the fabric then almost whimpering as the pleasure proved to be almost too much.

Just when she thought she might die of a never-ending orgasm, which kept her sex quivering and pulsing, he came.

Came with her name on his lips. “Melanie.” Came with a growled, “Mine.”

Came and then collapsed on her, just like a man. Her man, a man she wrapped her limbs around for a cuddle. A short cuddle before the mommy gene kicked in.

“Put some clothes on.”

“What?” he muttered.

“Pants at least,” she admonished as she rolled off the bed. She yanked on her T-shirt and located her missing panties. When had those come off? And how had they ended up on the lamp?

She padded away from the bed to open the connecting door a few inches and peek in. Still sound asleep. Good. She left the door ajar as she returned to Wes sitting on the side of the bed wearing track pants and a bemused expression.

“Get back under those covers and scooch over,” she ordered.

“What now?”

She smiled. “Cuddle time.”

And sleep, because the events of the day finally caught up, and in the arms of the man she loved, she found peace.

W
ake up
, dumbass. Someone’s in the room.

He fought to keep his eyes closed, even though every nerve tingled as he heard the soft pad of feet, the shushed giggle, smelled the sweet scent of innocence. It was the boys. But why were they up? It was the middle of the night.

Before he could ask them why they were awake, he had to hold his breath and hope that the little hands and knees clambering over his body missed the important bits. It proved close, but his jewels survived a pair of warm bodies worming their way in between him and Melanie. The twins snuggled in, and a few minutes later, the soft whoosh of their breaths let him know they slept. Slept with absolute trust beside him.

The very concept froze him in shock. What did one do when a bed was invaded by little people?

Not just any people.

These are my sons.

His sons.

At least this time he didn’t faint at the realization, but it did make him anxious. It also reminded him how woefully inadequate he proved as a father. He’d not only not been there for these kids—and, no, he didn’t give himself a free pass on the subterfuge over their creation; he should have known—but add to that the fact he’d played a part in their capture, in Melanie’s capture, and in all the shit that happened with Bittech—he was the last person they should be trusting to sleep with.

I’ve brought them nothing but trouble.
And he would continue to do so because it was the Mercer way.

All the self-flagellation came back in an instant, despite Melanie’s sweet words and sweeter caresses.

He didn’t deserve the woman in this bed, and he most certainly didn’t deserve these awesome little boys.

What should he do? What could he do?

I need a smoke.

Easing from the bed, he tugged on a shirt and, from the table by the door, grabbed the pack of cigarettes he’d scored. He headed outside, moving away from the motel itself into the darker shadows at the outer edges of the parking lot.

Boris had driven them for a few hours until he deemed them far enough to stop for the night, and as the grizzled moose stated, “Regroup and plan our next move in the morning.” A move that would probably involve them all finding new identities and homes until they could know for sure what their exposure meant.

The question was, what should he do? The last time Wes had done the right thing, he’d hurt the one person he loved most in the world.

Flick. The tiny flame lit the darkness with orange before setting the tip of his cigarette on fire. The first drag of smoke abraded his lungs, and he coughed. And coughed. The stench of the nicotine repulsed him.

“Filthy goddamned thing.” He tossed the offensive butt to the ground. But that wasn’t enough. He threw the full pack after it and stomped it. Ground it into the fucking dirt.

“About time you quit.”

His head jerked at the sound of his brother’s voice. “Brandon?”

Screw his tattered mancard. Wes threw his arms around his brother and hugged him. Hugged him so fucking tight he might have cracked a rib or two.

“I take it you’re glad to see me,” his brother rumbled.

Releasing him, Wes took a moment to spit on the ground—damned ashtray taste in his mouth lingered—and nonchalantly admit, “Maybe a little.”

Brandon laughed. “I’m glad to see you, too, big brother. Although, you weren’t easy to follow.”

“You followed us?”

“In the sky.” His brother looked upward. “Which took some fancy flying considering those freaking helicopters toss around a lot of wind.”

Wes reached out and tapped the collar around his brother’s neck. “I thought this thing stopped you from going over the fence.”

“Those folks that attacked the perimeter knocked the zapping mechanism offline.”

“And they freed you.”

Brandon shook his head. “I don’t know who freed me or the others. I woke up in a cage to see other prisoners running for a secret exit. Turns out there was one hidden at the opposite end.”

“What about Sue-Ellen? Did you manage to help her escape before they grabbed you?”
Please let her not have been in the building when it blew.

“I don’t know what happened to her.” Brandon shook his head. “Like you, the fuckers darted me before I had a chance to get off the roof. Then, later, when I got out of the below-ground levels, I emerged into a warzone. Guns. And fighting. I took to the air to see what was going on, and that’s when I spotted you getting into that. Then everything blew to hell. I figured it was best to follow you. Do you think Susu died in the blast?”

Fuck, he hoped not. It burned Wes to know he’d left without trying to find his sister. Then again, what choice did he have? If captured or detained, he’d do nobody any good. It didn’t help the guilt.

“I should have stayed behind and looked for her.”

Brandon shoved Wes hard enough he reeled into a tree.

“What the fuck was that for?” he snapped.

“Get off your fucking martyr trip. This isn’t your fault. Sue-Ellen. Me. We’re not your responsibility.”

“You’re my family,” Wes uttered through gritted teeth.

“Yeah, we are, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up everything for us.”

Yet, didn’t they understand he would? He loved them, goddammit. Stupid pollen in the air made his eyes water, and he ducked his head.

The rustle of wings made him look up sharply. “Where are you going?”

A sad smile curved his brother’s lips as he hovered a few feet above ground. “Somewhere you won’t be in danger.”

“What are you talking about? We should stick together.”

“In that you’re wrong. The world knows monsters now exist. Humans know our secret. How safe do you think you’ll be if you stick with me?” Brandon gestured to his body. “This is who I am now. I can’t hide among the masses like you can. Therefore it’s best I leave.”

A part of Wes understood why Brandon did it, but it didn’t mean he liked it.

Funny because weren’t you thinking about doing the same thing? Leaving the people you care about because you think they’re better off without you?

“How will I know if you’re okay?” Wes asked.

“I’ll use that trick Uncle Sammy did when he was smuggling contraband. I’ll post ads in the classifieds. Single lizard male is looking to reassure his pussy of a brother he’s fine.”

Wes couldn’t help but snort. “You’re an asshole.”

“Love you, too, big bro. Stay cool.”

With a final salute of farewell, his brother ascended, big wings flapping, another shadow in the sky that Wes soon lost from sight.

Another person he couldn’t help. But, then again, his little brother seemed bound and determined to make it on his own. It wouldn’t be easy, just like life going forward wouldn’t be easy for any of shifter kind. The secret was out. The thing they’d all grown up fearing had come to pass. Such a defining fucking moment in every shifter’s life.

But not as defining as knowing Melanie’s boys were his.

I’m a fucking father.
And it scared the piss out of him.

What did he know of being a dad? What could he offer those kids? Wouldn’t it be crueler to taint them with the Mercer name?

Melanie was single again. She could remarry, to a nice guy this time who would—

Oh, like fuck.

Who was he kidding?
I left her once. It almost killed me. I am not leaving her, or my sons, again.

And anyone who dared to stand in his way would get a big ol’ gator welcome.

Snap.

S
tanding at the motel window
, Melanie hugged the phone to her ear. “Why are you sighing again?” her mother asked.

Why not? Waking to find the boys in bed and Wes gone left her feeling empty.

He’s gone.
The thing she’d feared most when she let Wes back into her heart.

Melanie knew her mother wouldn’t be sleeping, not with everything that happened, and so she called her, even though she could have just walked a few doors down. While some people might have stayed behind, Daryl ensured their mother hadn’t.

“Can’t a girl just sigh?” she finally replied to her mother’s query.

“No!” her mother retorted.

“I think I’m entitled. I mean, my whole life just got dumped on its ass, and now I’ve got to figure out a few things.”

“Like?”

“Like what to do now that Parker has outed us to the world? Do I take a chance and return to Bitten Point? Go somewhere else? If I do stay, what happens to the house now that Andrew is gone? I mean, according to him, we were no longer legally married, so who gets it now that he’s dead?” Did she even want anything associated with that madman?

“Your Uncle Rodriguez will make arrangements. Don’t worry about that,” her mother declared. Her uncle had a knack for fixing the books. “Why don’t you really say what you mean, which is, what should you do about the fact Wes is the boys’ father?”

Ah yes, the shocking revelation by Andrew just before he did the world a favor and died. “What of it? I know what he’s going to do.” She could see it in his eyes.
He’s left me again.

“So don’t let him. Your Wes, much like Caleb, has got this stubborn idea in his head that you’re better off without him. Isn’t that why he dumped you in the first place?” Her mother didn’t mince words.

“He dumped me because he was a jerk.” Who thought he wasn’t good enough for her. Funny, because she’d always thought he was too good to be true.

Did he still believe she deserved better? Dammit, she did. She deserved better than the raw deal she got with Andrew. She deserved something from the guy who donated sperm to make her awesome twin terrors.

She deserved something from the man who made her feel alive again and then ran away the moment he could.

Like hell.

She let him run once, and look what happened.

Chase him down.

Yeah.

Pin him.

Yeah.

Pee on him to mark him as ours.

Um, she was thinking more of a love bite, but yeah!

Time to go stalk my man.

She flung open the motel room door, ready to hunt Wes down if he hadn’t gone too far, only to stop dead.

Wes stood in front of the motel door, surprise etched on his face. “Where do you think you’re going?”

She arched a brow. “I was coming to get you before you ran away again.”

Wes opened his mouth, but before he could speak, she held up a hand. “Don’t you dare say a word. I let you do all the talking years ago when you decided what was best for our relationship. And look what happened.”

“You married a psychopath who used you in medical experiments.”

“I did. And it’s all your fault.”

A smile tugged his lips at the accusation. “I guess it is. So what are you suggesting I do?”

“First off, you should beg forgiveness for being an ass.”

He dropped to his knees, a supplicant before her. “Angel, losing you was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”

Her turn to gape.

He winked. “And I’m still a dumb ol’ gator, but if there’s one thing I’m smart about it’s knowing you are the best damned thing that ever happened to me. I know I’ve got lots of apologizing to do. And things won’t be easy, not with what’s happened and all. But I intend to stick by you, no matter what. I want a chance to love you. To protect you. You and our sons. I want to try and be the man you thought I could be.”

“Oh, Wes.” Tears brimmed in her eyes, and her throat felt tight. “You always were the man I wanted. The one I love.” She threw herself into his arms, wrapping him tight. “Don’t ever leave me again.”

“Never,” he said in a fervent promise.

But he froze when a little voice said, “Are you my daddy?”

This time, Wes didn’t collapse on his face. He didn’t even blanch. He stepped away from Melanie and turned to face the little boys standing side by side in the doorway. Their solemn gazes took in the man who provided half the genes in their body.

Wes sank to his knees. He held open his arms wide. “I am your daddy. And I swear no one”—his voice lowered—“no one will ever harm you or your mother again.”

It took the boys only a half second to react. Her twin terrors threw themselves at Wes, and he didn’t recoil or push them away. He gathered them in a hug to beat even that of their snake friend, Constantine. Wes held his sons, and dammit, she couldn’t help but sob—tears of joy—as she noted the moisture in his eyes.

For better or worse, no matter what the future brought, they would face the challenge together. As a family. A Mercer family who would show the world what they were truly capable of.

Snap and rawr. Forever.