Babies for Nikki (51 page)

She moved restlessly away from Alex, turning to cuddle into Butler’s side and sighing contentedly when his arm reached around her back and pulled her to him tightly.

“Butler, tell Alex to go back to sleep,” she whispered against his chest.

Butler chuckled softly, the soft purring of his contentment soothing Nikki and sending her back into the land of oblivion. “Whatever you say, sweetness,” he whispered, kissing her forehead lightly before looking up at Alex. “You heard her. Go back to sleep. She’s tired.”

“I’m worried about her injuries,” Alex explained quietly. “We need to take care of them so she’s not in any pain.”

Butler nodded and carefully eased Nikki away from him so she lay on her back between them. He lifted her right hand and saw the raw abrasions on her wrist. Laving at it gently, he couldn’t prevent the growl of anger that rumbled from him.

Alex picked up her left hand and did the same. When they heard her sigh of contentment, they relaxed a bit, glad that the healing properties in their saliva were working and soothing her pain.

Butler took her small hand in his, examining it carefully. He could see the swelling and was concerned, but pride filled him at the way their mate had fought Boyd.

“She’s amazing,” he told Alex quietly.

Alex nodded, leaning forward to kiss her shoulder carefully. Leaning back, he carefully pulled up her T-shirt to expose her hip. Pushing down her panties, he growled at the purple bruise there.

“Look at what that bastard did to her,” he growled. Bending down, he kissed her hip lightly, knowing only their claiming bites would help in the healing of that injury.

Butler slid his body down until he was able to rest his head lightly against her other hip. He covered her belly with his large hand, smiling when Alex did the same.

“Our cubs are safe and growing inside her,” he whispered, kissing her belly tenderly.

Alex took a deep breath, drawing in their mate’s scent and purring contentedly. “They’re strong.”

Both men lay against her side, tenderly petting her belly as they kissed the sides of her breasts through her T-shirt. Nikki babbled something they couldn’t understand, but they felt her happiness.

A vision of Nikki climbing onto their bed and kneeling between the two of them as they each held a cub tenderly against their chests filled their minds. The tiny babes were settled contentedly against each man’s chest, and Nikki was reaching out to gently stroke their little heads.

“They’re so beautiful.” Nikki’s voice was soft with love. “Look how sweet they are cuddled against you.”

“They’ll be awake soon, ready to be fed again,” Butler whispered.

Nikki’s happy laughter filled their hearts.

“I love nursing them,” she whispered back.

“And I love watching you nurse them,” Alex told her tenderly, reaching out and touching her cheek with utmost care and love. “I love tasting the sweetness of your milk, Nikki,” he told her, his voice deep with desire.

Nikki leaned forward and kissed his lips gently. “I love that, too, Alex,” she whispered against his lips, kissing him lightly one last time before pulling back and looking at Butler. “Do you like that also, Butler?”

Butler smiled and reached out to cup her breast carefully. “Yes, sweetness,” he admitted. “I like that very much.”

He passed his thumb across her raised nipple, loving the way she moaned as he rubbed it slowly. It wasn’t long before her T-shirt had two circular wet spots, making both men smile.

“You’re leaking, baby,” Alex told her, growling with arousal. “Take off your shirt, and let us help you with that.”

Their cubs took that moment to squirm in their fathers’ arms and scrunch up their faces as they prepared to let them know that they were awake and hungry.

Nikki chuckled and turned to settle back against the pillows as she sat against the headboard. Both men carefully lifted their precious cargo and positioned them on the pillows Nikki had placed on her lap. They waited while she pulled her T-shirt over her head then helped her settle each of their babies against her breasts. Their son and daughter latched onto their mother’s nipples, sucking voraciously, making all three of them smile.

“Thank you for giving me such beautiful babies,” she told them softly, accepting kisses from both men. She smiled as they settled beside her and tenderly stroked their children’s tiny heads as they nursed.

Nikki moved restlessly in her sleep, reaching out to touch both men as if to reassure herself that they were there. They kissed her hands tenderly, smiling as she sighed softly.

Her eyes flashed open suddenly. Bolting upright, she looked at both men, fear lighting her eyes.

“You’re awake,” she gasped. “Are you okay?”

She reached out and touched Alex’s arm, a little annoyed that he had removed the protective bandage that had covered his wound. She carefully traced the area where she had surgically removed the silver bullet, amazed to see that it was fully healed with only a thin white scar remaining. Looking to Butler, she pushed at him and ran her hands along his side. His bandage was also gone, and she was glad to see that his injury had healed completely. His side held only a white scar at the incision site.

“We’re fine, Mate,” Butler whispered, happiness filling his heart at the display of their mate’s caring and concern.

At Nikki’s immediate outburst of tears, both men surrounded her and held her tightly between them. They tenderly stroked her back and hips as she fell apart in their arms.

“It’s all right, Nikki,” Alex reassured her. “We’re fully healed, thanks to you.”

Nikki kissed the side of Butler’s neck, breathing in his scent as if the very intake of it would give her life. She bit down on his shoulder with force as all her emotions fought for her to claim him as hers. Turning slightly, she did the same to Alex, biting down on his neck to assert her possession of him as well. Both men’s growls of approval made her smile against Alex’s warm skin. Releasing her hold on him, she pulled back slightly and looked up at both of her mates.

“I was so afraid I’d lost you,” she whispered, trying to get herself under control. “I’m so sorry I left without an escort,” she told them sincerely. “I just wanted to find out if I was pregnant. I didn’t want any other men with me. I didn’t want any other man to know about it before I could tell you.”

She tried to explain herself but knew that there was no excuse for putting herself, Laurie, Janine, and her babies at risk. She should have followed pack protocol. She knew it was put in place for the safety of all of them.

“I was so afraid that Boyd was going to hurt our babies,” she admitted, fear filling her light blue eyes once again. “I’m still worried that they’re okay.”

The two men surrounded her with their arms, tenderly pressing her against their bodies as they held her. Very slowly, they caressed her, smiling down at her softly. Alex leaned down and kissed her belly tenderly, biting at it gently and making her giggle. When he pulled back to look at her, the smile on his face took her breath away.

“Our cubs are strong and growing inside of you, Nikki,” he whispered, his voice rough with emotion. “Thank you for this wonderful gift.”

“How can you be sure they’re okay?” she whispered, trying very hard not to be too hopeful. She tried to caution herself that things this wonderful didn’t happen to her.

“We can feel their presence within out bond,” Alex explained quietly. “Close your eyes and focus. You’ll be able to sense their life force.”

Nikki closed her eyes and took a soothing breath. She concentrated on feeling the presence of her mates within their bond. It was something she had been able to feel since their claiming of her. There was a small flutter of movement within her mind. She focused on it, feeling herself being drawn to it, and opened herself up to it curiously. Two distinct beings appeared, both fragile and tiny but there nonetheless. Welcoming their presence with love and joy, she felt her two babies purring against her chest. She knew without a doubt that their babies were healthy and happy.

“They’re purring just like you both do,” she told her men happily, knowing that they had just shared in her exploration.

Butler laughed and Alex grumbled. Despite his bluster, there was such happiness in his heart as he held Nikki against his chest so tenderly.

“I’m not discussing the fact that I do not purr again,” he muttered against the side of Nikki’s face.

Nikki looked at Butler and smiled, winking. “Okay, Alex, whatever you say,” she told him agreeably. “But your children do. And I love it.”

Alex smiled, loving the way their children purred against their mate’s chest just as much as Nikki did. “I love it, too,” he admitted.

Nikki smiled and turned to rest between both of her men. She suddenly became very serious and the men were concerned that they felt sadness coming from her.

“What’s wrong, Mate?” Butler whispered, reaching up to touch her cheek lightly.

“I was just thinking that I wanted to plan a romantic evening to tell you that I was pregnant,” she told them quietly. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Oh, baby,” Butler whispered. “We wanted you to find out you were pregnant and tell us in your own way, too, but we’ve known for a while.”

“How could you know?”

“Your scent and your taste have changed,” Alex explained, smiling.

Nikki smiled and reached out to card her fingers through their long silky hair. She tightened her hold on them, wondering if their babies would have Alex’s dark hair or Butler’s light blond hair when they grew up. It didn’t matter to her at all. Either would be beautiful.

“Your babies are growing inside of me,” she told them softly. Giggling suddenly, she pulled at both men’s hair as the reality of it finally hit home. “Even though I wanted to tell you in a really romantic way, this is good, too.”

Her eyes sparkled with excitement and both men admitted to themselves that they had never seen a more beautiful sight. Pregnancy and happiness looked good on their mate.

Both men were overwhelmed with emotion. They knew their words would pale in comparison to what they were feeling. Instead of talking, they opened their hearts to her through their bond and flooded her with their happiness and love. Nikki’s responding feelings were immediate, and they knew she was filled with complete joy with her pregnancy.

Butler leaned down and kissed her belly, pushing down her lace panties and dragging them from her body. Shouldering himself between her thighs, he pushed her legs apart carefully. He spread her lips gently and took a long swipe through her pink folds. He hummed in appreciation, causing Nikki to shiver beneath him.

“I thought your taste was addicting before,” he told her, giving one more lick before catching and sucking deeply at her already engorged clit. Her responding moan made him smile. Leaning back slightly, he looked up at her as she lay in Alex’s arms, gripping his forearms tightly as pleasure shot through her. “The taste of your pregnancy has added to your flavor. Knowing that this taste means you’re carrying our cubs makes it all the more powerful.”

Nikki’s light blue eyes were glazed over as she looked down at Butler. The soft smile on her face sent warmth through his body, and he knew he would be a happy man knowing that look of happiness and caring would be directed at him and Alex for the rest of their lives. They wouldn’t ever feel the loneliness and despair of having no mate to care for them ever again. He and Alex could be the gentle and caring mates they had always desired to be. The strong, brutal protectors that they had to be for their pack could be put aside when they shared the love and tenderness that their mate offered. It was all the both of them had ever wanted.

Sliding up her body, he pulled at her hips until she was seated on the incline of his thighs. Taking hold of his rock hard shaft, he placed it to the entrance to their mate’s body and slowly pushed inside.

“Butler,” Nikki moaned, reaching out to entwine her hands in his long blond hair and pulling him down so she could kiss him. And kiss him she did, with every ounce of feeling that filled her. Her mouth claimed his, showing him how much she wanted and needed him. She could feel him smiling against her lips before surrendering to her need to give all of her heart to him.

I love you.

Her voice echoed in his mind, partnered with the surge of love she sent him that surrounded his heart. He opened himself to her so she could feel the hot blaze of feelings that encompassed him. She had given them both everything that they had ever hoped for.

I love you, sweetness.

The words felt inadequate to him. How could he tell her that she had filled the void in his and Alex’s life with a love so deep that they could barely contain their joy? How could he tell her how much they wanted the cubs she was carrying and wanted a future and a family with her that they had never thought they would ever have or deserved to have?

He could feel Alex’s thoughts joining his and knew that his triad partner felt the exact same thing. The ribbon of connection the three of them shared wrapped around them, cocooning them together and squeezing tightly as their thoughts, feelings, and emotions were shared with each other.

You both deserve to be happy.
Nikki’s voice interrupted their musings.
And don’t argue with me, or I’ll have to kick both your asses.