Babies for Nikki (9 page)

“Listen to me, Mate,” he continued. He reached up and gently touched her cheek. “You were never meant to be with anyone but Butler and me.”

His voice was firm, and she felt the strength of his emotions as he held her tightly against his chest. Butler leaned in closer and carefully turned her face to look at him.

“No one will ever care for you like we will,” Butler told her angrily. “Your body will only know ours from now on. You will carry our children, and you will be a wonderful, caring, and loving mother. Just as you will be a wonderful, caring, and loving mate.”

Nikki wished with all her heart that what they were saying could be true. She longed for the love of a man who truly cared about her and wanted her to be the wife and mother she always secretly wished she could be. And now they were both offering to be her men. It was too much. She couldn’t face the terror of the possibility that they would also cast her aside once they got hold of her money.

Alex’s growl brought her out of her thoughts. “You’re ours.” His voice was strong and hard even though the words were softly spoken.

A soft knock on the bedroom door brought the three of them out of their thoughts. Nikki fought to push aside her fears and looked to each man, her eyes pleading that they help her understand.

“Come in,” Nikki finally called out, her voice hoarse with emotion.

The door opened slowly, and Laurie stepped inside. She walked over to the bed, looking down at her friend. She smiled at the sight of Nikki being surrounded by Alexander and Butler, their large bodies draped over hers.

“Martha asked me to remind Alexander and Butler to use the oils to massage your back,” Laurie told them softly, smiling at the blush that immediately covered Nikki’s face. “The healing herbs in the oils should help immediately. Don’t be stubborn, Nikki. Let your men take care of you.”

Nikki looked at her best friend and was never more grateful that she could finally ask someone to explain to her everything that she was struggling to accept. “Laurie, you and I need to talk,” she said finally.

“I think that’s a good idea,” Laurie answered, smiling sadly, her face strained with worry and tension. “Alexander, Butler, would you mind giving me some time alone with Nikki?”

Both men looked to Nikki, not wanting to leave her side. Reluctantly, they eased from the bed, not liking the moan of pain that escaped Nikki as their support disappeared. Laurie climbed onto the bed with Nikki and held her carefully to support her back.

“Just give us a little time,” Laurie told them both quietly. “You can have her back shortly.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Alex answered for the two of them.

The men walked to the bedroom door, looking back at their mate and their queen one last time before walking out and closing the door quietly behind them. They knew Nikki needed this time with Laurie, and they were determined to give their mate what she needed, hoping this time with her friend would alleviate her fears of their triad mating.

Both men were determined that Nikki would remain theirs. The vision of Nikki splayed out on their bed, naked while they massaged her with the healing oils flashed through their minds, and Butler turned to Alexander and smiled.

“When Laurie leaves, we’re going back into our room to take care of our mate,” Butler told Alex with determination. “It doesn’t matter what she decides about us. We have to see to her needs. If she wants us to leave her alone, that’s what we’ll do. Her wants are more important than ours.”

Alexander nodded, his jaw clenching tightly as he fought to control himself. All the years of loneliness slammed through him and he knew he wasn’t going to be able to hold it together any longer. He needed the caring of Nikki’s heart and the warmth of her love. He needed to know the sweetness of her body. He needed to feel the connection of their triad.

His hold on his emotions snapped. With a feral growl, he turned and punched his fist through the wall outside their suite, not even flinching at the crunch of bone or the tearing of his flesh. Nothing mattered to him except the need to claim their mate.

Nikki looked at Laurie, rubbing at her face angrily, laughing in embarrassment at losing control. “I’m a hot mess,” she told her quickly.

Laurie smiled and rested back against the pillow to patiently wait for Nikki to gain some semblance of control. “You’re not a hot mess, Nikki,” Laurie told her quietly. “A lot has happened to you, and you’re confused.”

“You think?” Nikki’s bark of laughter ended on a groan as the pulled muscles in her back protested the sudden movement. “Boy is that an understatement,” she added quietly, her voice heavy with defeat.

“I’m so sorry you were hurt,” Laurie choked out, trying to stay strong for her friend. “You’ve always tried to put yourself between me and Patrick. It’s my fault you were hurt.”

“We’re not going through this again, Laurie,” Nikki stopped her. “You can’t blame yourself for what someone else has done. Patrick has been a jerk from the time you met him. I don’t want to hear you take responsibility for his actions anymore.”

Laurie was quiet as she reached out and touched Nikki’s hand gently. Nikki could tell she didn’t accept what she had told her.

“Let it go, Laurie. I’m fine,” she told her firmly.

“Nikki, you need to listen to me,” Laurie told her quietly after a moment of silence. She reached out to touch her friend’s shoulder comfortingly. “I want you to listen with an open mind. I’ll try to explain everything as best as I can, but I’m just learning this, too, and I don’t have all the answers.”

Nikki looked at her friend and saw the dark circles under her friend’s eyes and the strain and tension on her face. She nodded silently and waited.

“This lodge and this land belong to the people of Jace and Jackson’s pack.”

“Pack?” Nikki interrupted, realizing she needed Laurie to clarify what Butler had been trying to tell her earlier.

“Shush!” Laurie admonished her.

“Sorry. Go on,” Nikki apologized.

“The people in this pack are made up of triads. Each male has a triad partner, and they both have a single mate who completes their triad. A mate is recognized at first by their scent. Once the three meet, amazing things begin to happen. They share a bond that allows them to share visions, and feel each other’s emotions. The Fates have put this in place as a way of ensuring that all members of the triad know that the others are safe and happy.”

Nikki nodded. “Butler explained the same thing to me just before you got here.”

“Good,” Laurie told her, rubbing at her eyes tiredly. “I’m glad they’re being honest with you.”

“What else?” Nikki encouraged her best friend when she stopped talking, obviously lost in thought.

“You need to know that the bond you form with your men will grow quickly,” Laurie explained softly. “It will feel as if everything is happening too fast, and you’ll start to question yourself. But don’t. When it’s a true triad bonding, feelings and emotions grow quickly. You’ll feel right about being with your men. And your feelings for them will grow with each moment you spend with them. Don’t doubt it, Nikki. Alexander and Butler are your triad mates. You make up the third in their triad. You’ll love them deeply within a few days. And it will be a deep and lasting love. The Fates have chosen the three of you to bond, and the feelings you have for each other will be true. Don’t be afraid that you care about them so quickly. It’s the way of true triad mates.”

Laurie hesitated and looked at her friend silently. Nikki could see the sadness in her friend’s eyes, and she reached out to hold her hand gently.

“Jace and Jackson have claimed me as their third,” she told Nikki softly.

“What do you mean they claimed you?”

“In a claiming, the two men take their woman as the third in their mating. They commit their lives to one another. It’s like a marriage, only stronger because the mating is for life. There are no others for any of the members of the triad for the rest of their lives.” Laurie hesitated briefly, looking at Nikki with a seriousness that grabbed hold of Nikki’s attention. “During the claiming, the men make love to the woman together.”

“Together, as in they are all in the same bed participating?” Nikki asked cautiously.

“Well, not exactly.”

“How exactly?”

“Both men are inside you at the same time.”

Nikki smiled. “Kinky!”

Laurie couldn’t help but blush. “No, Nikki,” she told her quietly. “You don’t understand. They both have to be inside of you at the same time. In the same place, inside of you.”

Nikki looked at her friend, confused, before dawning realization hit. “What? Ow! Are you kidding me? Ow! How do they even fit? They have to be huge by themselves! Ow! Laurie, please tell me you’re kidding.”

Laurie closed her eyes in embarrassment but was determined to tell Nikki everything she would need to know so she wouldn’t be afraid or unaware of what exactly happened during a triad mating. Even though she knew Alexander and Butler would be gentle with her, it was always good to have a woman’s perspective to help soften the facts. Opening her eyes she saw Nikki’s own eyes wide with shock.

“No, Nikki. I’m not kidding. But your men will make sure you’re well prepared so you won’t be hurt. It has to be that way so their sperm enters your body at the same time to bond your DNA with theirs. Any children you have will belong to both men. I don’t really understand the science of it. You can probably talk to Doc Barrett to get the specifics, but the way Julia has explained it to me is that the woman contributes half of the DNA of their baby, and together the men contribute the other half of the DNA. So any children you have will belong to all three of you.”

“I’m not having any children,” Nikki protested immediately. “And I’m not going to get suckered into supporting any other man again.”

“Nikki, don’t be so quick to dismiss the possibility of a future with Alex and Butler.” Laurie’s voice was soft but firm as she looked at her best friend.

“This is too much,” Nikki whispered.

“There’s more.”

“What more could there possibly be?” Nikki nearly screeched. “Wait. Let me guess. We have to do the deed in front of everyone.”

Laurie smiled and couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped her. “No. It’s completed in private. But the men need to bite you when they reach orgasm.”

“Oh, hell no!” Nikki blurted out, pulling away from Laurie, trying desperately to remove herself from the bed. She groaned in pain as she pushed herself into a standing position next to the bed. “Why the hell do they have to bite you?”

“Because that’s what wolves do,” Laurie explained calmly, moving to stand next to Nikki. “Jace and Jackson and all the people who live here on this land are wolf shifters. They are all wolves who belong to Jace and Jackson’s pack.”

“Laurie, have you lost your mind?” Nikki whispered, pushing away her friend’s hands as she tried to steady her.

“No, honey, listen to me,” Laurie told her calmly, pulling her gently to sit down beside her on the bed. “Alexander and Butler are the enforcers of the pack. They are the lieutenants in charge of all the men who work for pack security. They’re strong protectors who have put their lives on the line many times to take care of these people. They’re kind and honorable men who are destined to be yours. You deserve this, Nikki. They will love and protect you. Don’t push them away. Let them claim you. Once they do, your body will begin to change to accept them. Wolf shifters can heal themselves when they shift. When they finally claim you, you’ll be able to heal more quickly, too. Martha will give you healing salves and bath salts to help with the strain the claiming will put on your body.”

Nikki looked at Laurie in horror. Her friend did not just tell her that the mother of one of the men who would be deep inside of her, along with the other man who would be deep inside of her, would not only be privy to the intimacy of the act but would be the one who would help her feel better afterward. She didn’t know if that horrified her more than the fact that Laurie thought these people were wolves.

Holy crap! I need to get out of here. And now.

“Okay,” Nikki appeased her friend. “Whatever you say, honey. Now I need to get home. I need a few days of rest before I have to work this weekend. I’m working third shift at the hospital on Saturday and Sunday.”

Laurie smiled sadly, knowing full well that Nikki didn’t believe her. She stood and walked over to the door slowly. Turning back to face her friend, she saw Nikki holding onto the headboard as she stood on shaky legs beside the huge triad bed.

“I know you’re having a hard time accepting this, Nikki,” she told her friend softly. “But just think about what I said. Give Butler and Alexander the chance to know you and love you.” She opened the door and turned to face her best friend. “I’m going to get the police officers to come up and talk to you if you think you can handle it right now.”

Nikki nodded and groaned as the muscles pulled in her neck. “Tell them to make it fast.”

“Hunter and Clay are good police officers,” Laurie told her sincerely. “Jace and Jackson told me they’ve been looking out for the people of this community for a long time.” She smiled and laughed lightly. “They’re supposed to be the heartthrobs of the pack.”

“Well, I’m not interested in any romantic entanglements with them
or
with Alex and Butler, Laurie,” Nikki stopped her. “Just have them come in and take my statement before I pass out from the pain.”