Melindas Wolves (12 page)

Melinda opened her mouth, more than willing to accept that plan, but Sherri jumped in first. “Nope. Liz and I have this covered. You three go. Now is not the time to work. You should be alone.” She bee-lined for the door to the shop and pulled it open. As she stood outside on the sidewalk, holding the door, she motioned with a swoosh of her hand for them to leave.

Keegan eyed Sherri speculatively. Whatever the women discussed in the back room had been heated. He hadn’t discerned any specific words—much to his dismay—but he could tell Sherri had given Melinda the pep talk of her life. Bless her.

Liz had talked nonstop, showing them around the shop. It was an amazing store.

He had a new glimpse into his mate’s personality. Unlike her apartment, the store was tidy and organized. Even a look into the backroom had proven the same. Maybe her employees took the credit. It wasn’t a large space, but her merchandise ranged from Native American clothing and accessories to knives and instruments and pipes.

Keegan was impressed.

Trace stepped outside first, taking Melinda’s hand and pulling her along toward the truck.

Keegan hesitated. He glanced at Liz and nodded. “Thanks for showing us around.

Love the place.”

“You’re welcome.”

And then he turned toward Sherri and paused.

She met his gaze. “Take it slow.” She eyed him dead on.

“Uh huh. Take what slow?”

She narrowed her gaze. “Don’t make me say it. Use your head. Do what you can to ease this mating a bit.” She shoved him through the door before he could respond and pulled it closed.

Speechless, he paused, and then he nodded.

His mates were both in the truck as he jogged to catch up. He swung into the cab and shut the door.

Melinda didn’t look less nervous after the pep talk. If anything, she looked more distressed.

Lunch
.

“Are you guys hungry? Let’s go to that deli on Fifth Street,” he suggested.

Trace pulled away from the curb. “The one with the pastrami to die for?”

Melinda twisted her neck to face Trace. “You know that place?”

“Of course. Been there a dozen times. I’m not from Mars. Just Cambridge.” Trace grinned.

“I love that deli,” she muttered.

“See,” Keegan said, “we’re a match made in Heaven.”

She snickered.

In minutes Trace pulled up to the deli. It smelled so good from the street, Keegan’s mouth already watered.

“People are going to stare,” Melinda muttered.

“Let them.” Trace took her hand possessively. “What’s between us is none of their business.”

Keegan could see her hesitation. “Being lupine, it seems everything about us is everybody’s business. I don’t know what’s worse, everyone knowing we belong together and haven’t mated or knowing we have mated and therefore what we did to get that way.” She shivered.

Keegan tried not to laugh. This wasn’t funny to her. He did pause, however, and pulled her toward him on the sidewalk before they entered the deli. He met her gaze and held her face in both hands. “Honey, we’re wolves. Everyone who’s a wolf understands. Everyone who’s not won’t know a thing.”

She chewed her lip. Again. His cock got hard every single time she did. Harder. It had not been anything but hard since he’d first walked into that party yesterday.

When she released it, she jumped on his case. “Don’t patronize me, Keegan. I’m well aware of what’s happening here. I don’t need a play-by-play.” She poked his chest.

Feisty.

He loved her spunk. Loved that she wouldn’t be treated condescendingly, and he hadn’t meant to imply otherwise. “I’m sorry, hon. I didn’t mean it that way. I’m just trying to ease your concerns.”

“Well my concerns are valid and huge. My concerns are real.”

Trace stepped closer to their sides. “They are, baby. How can we make this easier?”

“I don’t know.” She blew out a breath. “Look, I’m sorry I’m being such a bitch. I’m stressed beyond belief. It’s so much so fast. I need some time alone. Please. Can we get the sandwiches to go, and can you two please let me have like an hour alone somewhere? Back at my place?”

Keegan nodded. “Yes.”

“Yes?” she asked. “Just like that?”

“Yes,” Trace agreed. “If you need time alone, we’ll give you that.” He kissed her forehead. “Now, tell me what you like, and you and Keegan can wait in the truck while I pick up the food. We’ll take you back to your condo and give you some space.”

“Thank you.” Her shoulders visibly relaxed.

Keegan took her hand and led her back to the truck. He opened the door and lifted her in. When he shut them off from the world, she met his gaze. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, hon.” He toyed with a lock of her long hair, wrapping it around his finger and then releasing it. “I need you to understand something.”

“What?”

“You’re the most important thing in my life now. Mine and Trace’s. The single most important thing. Your feelings and concerns are and will always be our top priority at all times. We may fuck up sometimes. We may disagree. We may fight. But we’ll cherish you unconditionally until we die. Always. Do not for one second feel bad about your hesitation over this mating. It’s completely reasonable for you to be worried.

Scared even. It’s life altering. And you’re very innocent.”

He leaned in and set his forehead against hers. “I love that you have never given yourself to another man. It makes my heart soar. I feel unworthy of this gift. And I can assure you neither of us will rush you to complete this mating. When we claim you, it will be on your terms when you’re ready. Not one second before.”

She seemed to be holding her breath while he spoke, her eyes not leaving his or blinking.

“I’m falling head over heels in love with you already. It’s a force I cannot stop.” He set a hand over his heart. “It hurts inside. And it hurts worse to see you so stressed. I want you to be able to talk to us. You can tell us anything. I swear. We won’t judge.”

She bit her lip again.

He smiled. “You don’t have to tell us what’s bothering you today. That I can figure out on my own. It’s perfectly normal for you to stress over the end of being totally single, the fact that you’ll never be completely alone again, the idea of communicating with us telepathically after the claiming, and the sex. All of that. I get it. Trace gets it.

And I’m sorry if you feel pressured. We don’t mean for you to.”

She didn’t move. But he thought he was reaching her.

“It’s not easy. The need. The urge to claim you is strong and growing stronger by the minute. Every breath I take in your presence makes me harder and sends my brain into a freefall. I want you like I’ve never wanted anything else in my life.

“But I do have self-control. And I’ll exercise it for as long as necessary.” He dipped his head. “Trust us.”

She nodded. “I do.” A tear fell down her face. “Thank you.”

He hauled her body into his embrace, pressing her face against his chest, breathing deeply of her scent. He enjoyed the feel of her soft, silky hair against his chin.

The driver’s door opened, and Trace climbed in. “Hey. What’s this? Did I miss something?”

That was the moment Keegan realized his eyes were also watery. He wasn’t kidding. He was already in love with Melinda. She meant the world to him.

She lifted her face, wiping her tears away and smiling. “Nothing. Keegan was just being super kind and understanding, and he made me cry.”

Trace froze. “I’m kind and understanding too.”

She turned toward him, wiggling out of Keegan’s embrace. With a giggle, she leaned into Trace’s chest. “I know you are. And I appreciate it. Now, drive to my place and let me have some time alone before I lose my resolve and let you claim me in the truck. That’s so not romantic.”

Trace hesitated. “I’m not sure how to respond to that,” he teased.

She slapped his chest. “Just drive.”

They were all quiet on the way back to her condo.

When they pulled up, Keegan reached into the bag of food and handed her a sandwich. “We’ll go run a few errands. You take your time. Call us when you want us to come back.”

“I don’t have your numbers.” She dug her phone out of her pocket and handed it to Keegan.

He took it from her and plugged in both his number and Trace’s before handing it back. “There. I even put us on the top of your favorites list.” He kissed her gently and opened the truck door.

As soon as he hopped down and helped her out, he touched her face and licked his lips. “I meant every word I said.”

“I know.” She set her hand on top of his.

“Can I walk you to the door?”

She looked around him. “It’s right there. You can see it. I think I’ll make it.”

She was right. As she left them, her ass swaying in the sexiest fucking jeans he’d ever seen on a woman, he adjusted his dick.

As soon as she was inside, he climbed back into the cab and shut the door.

“Fuck me.” Trace wiped a hand down his face.

“Yeah. No shit.” Keegan faced his mate.

Melinda opened the front door of her condo, totally aware there was someone inside. She couldn’t stop the relief from spreading through her body.

Normally she didn’t care too much for her grandmother’s meddling tendencies. But today, she was grateful Mimi was there waiting. She could use the woman’s advice, as weird as that might seem to someone else.

“Mimi,” she said as she shut the front door. The tears fell immediately, like a dam she’d been holding back for twenty hours finally burst. She dropped her purse and sandwich and rounded the couch to fall into her grandmother’s open arms, sobs wracking her body.

It was the stress. She knew that. But it didn’t change her need for release.

“Child.” Her grandmother kissed her head and wrapped her tiny arms around her middle. This woman was her entire world. Or she had been until last night. Mimi had raised her since she was three years old. There was no other person on Earth she would rather consult with today.

Not even her mother, a woman she’d met yesterday. Even though she knew in her heart they would get to know each other. And eventually Melinda would love the woman, but right now Joyce Hamilton was a stranger.

“Your mother is with Miles and the baby. But she and her mate, Gene, are heading home in the morning. She wanted me to tell you. She didn’t want to bother you right now. They’ll come back soon. Gene has to work,” Mimi said in her knowing voice. It had always been uncanny how much Mimi could discern from a look. Hell, she didn’t need even that most of the time. Like today. She’d shown up at Melinda’s condo at just the right moment.

How the hell she’d known to be there waiting was a mystery.

Not that Melinda didn’t have similar abilities. She too could sense things ahead of time and had been known to drive practically on autopilot to the strangest locations at times with no real knowledge of why.

Occasionally she knew what propelled her to act, but oftentimes, she just acted and let Fate lead her.

Mimi was a tiny woman. She stood at four foot ten on a good day. And the woman was frail. She didn’t weigh a hundred pounds. And this trait had been passed down to Joyce and Melinda, both of whom barely reached five feet.

Mimi lifted Melinda’s head after a few minutes of stroking her hair. “Talk to me.”

Melinda sat upright, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “It’s so overwhelming.”

“Of course it is.” Mimi tucked her hair behind her ear. “But this is what Fate has determined for you, child.”

Melinda was thirty-one years old. It should have sounded strange that her grandmother still called her
child
. But to Mimi she would always be a child. “There are two of them.” She fiddled with the edge of her T-shirt.

“There are. And that makes you incredibly lucky. Most of us only get one mate. In fact, in all my years, I’ve only known a few distant acquaintances to mate with two men. But think of the benefits.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I’m still kind of stunned and unsure.”

“The beauty is you don’t have to be sure. It just is. Don’t let your logical brain twist this into something it isn’t.” Mimi lifted Melinda’s chin to meet her gaze. “Reach into your heart, child. You’ll know in your heart this is right. You’re overthinking. This isn’t a logical decision of the brain. It’s a gut instinct. You can use your brain for most aspects of your life, but not this time.

“And, you of all people know this. You and I have relied on our gut to guide us dozens of times a day since we were born. It’s instinctive. Let it happen in this instance also.”

Melinda chewed her bottom lip. She knew her grandmother was right. “We don’t agree on that damn casino project,” she blurted, as if that changed everything.

Mimi laughed, a rare full-belly laugh. “Of course you don’t. No way would Fate deal you a boring mate that agreed with your politics on all things. Nope. Not my granddaughter. Fate dealt her two men and made them contrary. I would expect nothing less.”

“I’m worried it’s more than that. I get a very bad vibe when I drive past that construction site. And it was worse today.”

Mimi hesitated, and then spoke. “I get the same feeling. And it’s very hard to discern if it’s legitimate or just my complete distaste for the entire concept leaking out.”

“Exactly. But Keegan works there. He’s the building inspector in charge of that project.”

Mimi’s face scrunched up. She cringed. “I see.”

Melinda figured Mimi could “see” far more than she shared, but she’d learned not to bug her for details. Mimi operated on her own timeline. When she wanted someone to know something, she told them in no uncertain terms. When she wasn’t ready, she did not open her mouth.

“One day at a time, child. Now about those mates of yours. You worry about that first. The rest will fall into place.”

Melinda took a deep breath. Mimi was right. Of course. She finally smiled. “You think I can take them both on?”

“I know you can.”

“I’m scared.”

“I would expect nothing less.”

“I won’t be the same. My life is going to change.”

“Yes. It is.”