Brick House: Blue Collar Wolves #2 (Mating Season Collection) (7 page)

So Brick and House found in each other another like themselves, a wolf who wasn’t a loner and who needed connection. But they were already singled out due to being orphans, and their bond would have been used as another sign of weakness. So they needed the connection and hated the connection, and the end result was as dysfunctional a relationship as could exist among shapeshifters. “I hate Psych 101.”

“We all do. What are you going to do about your wolves?”

She was going to be the final piece in the puzzle. Everything made sense in how they fit together. She gentled each of them, let them have someone else they could bond with and protect like they needed. And that’s what she wanted her life to be. “I’m going to mate the furry bastards, and they’re going to like it.”

Bella raised her arms in triumph. “
Yes
. We’ll raise our kids together, and Danny will make sure they’re all brilliant.” Bella settled then, her expression going soft and loving, and her face was pure best friend. “You love them?”

“Yeah, I really do.” God, she did. And what was more miraculous? She had for a long time. It wasn’t sex that changed her mind, it was sex that opened her eyes to the wonder their relationship could be. It wouldn’t be an easy road, but considering the support she had, the bumps would be easily dealt with.

“Good. Now let’s go drop you off, and remember – that smile that keeps popping up on your face is broadcasting you’ve had the best night of sex in your life. Might not want to broadcast that to your parents.”

‡

B
est night of
sex
was an understatement. She was still pleasantly aching as she walked into her parent’s house, washed and changed and hopefully
not
broadcasting what she’d been up to last night. “Mom, Dad, where are you?” she called as she walked in the front door, glancing up the stairs as she was already making the right turn that would take her into the kitchen…

…And Brick sat up there on one of the upper stairs – hammer in his hand, a tool box on the landing, watching her without expression as she froze on spot.

Water would be nice, but she instead forced a swallow and cleared her now-dry throat. “Hey Brick,” she said, and that didn’t sound
too
fake.

“Mel,” came his reply, but what his voice didn’t convey, his eyes did. Wariness and hurt were most prominent, but undeniable was the glow of want inside them, the gale of emotion burning hot and threatening to overrun her.

He stood, six-seven of tree-trunk thighs and anvil hands, the hammer looking almost child sized as he clasped it, and Mel was trapped as any prey would be beneath him, helpless in place as he walked down the stairs. Unbidden, her eyes fell to his belt buckle and underneath, and a sharp jab of memory hit her – Brick holding her against that wall, thrusting deep in her, forcing her to come around his cock and refusing to listen to her protests.

The voice was against her ear. “Hello, Mel. Nice to see you.” And she couldn’t move, because with House now at her side and Brick having finished his journey down the stairs, she was caught between the two wolves, their bodies radiating leashed strength and power, all of it declaring if she ran…

…They’d catch her.

“Why’d you leave this morning?” The whisper of breath carried sound to Mel alone, and both wolves were steady on her, surrounding her. “Did we hurt you?”

“No.”
That never occurred to her, they might think that. She would have left a note otherwise, or do something. They didn’t deserve to carry around that worry. “You were fantastic. I needed to think. I might have freaked out too, just a little.” She cleared her throat again, put a self-deprecating smile on her face – half-forced but no less real to what she was feeling.

That seemed to appease them. The tenseness left by subtle degrees, though they still crowded close to her. In tandem, always in tandem, always together. There was a connection between them, closer than even many of the blood bonds she had witnessed growing up.

No, they didn’t react to each other as siblings did, or lovers, but they had an attachment that was undeniable. They were always in each other’s orbit, circling around each other, stretching those bonds but never breaking them.

“Mom!” Danny burst from the kitchen, a cookie in his hand. “Me and Grandma are making cookies and Brick is fixing the stair and House is fixing your car outside. Grandpa is at Iron’s.”

The list came in one long breath, and afterwards, instead of breathing in, Danny put the cookie in his mouth. She raised a smart kid. Ruffling his hair, she looked to Brick. “Why’s Dad at the bar?”

“Sparky called him. Don’t know the details.” Brick began, while House finished, “We were already working, so he asked us to stay here and finish up.”

“And why are you two here?” If asked point-blank what she thought the wolves would do after her disappearing act, Mel would have said they’d have combed the roads for her. She’d had a jumbled up mix of emotions of the thought of them doing that, and now she had a jumbled up mix of emotions at the knowledge they didn’t.

Brick looked down at Danny and then back to her eyes, and yeah, not a talk they could go into detail in front of her son. House ushered them to the kitchen table, where her mom was cleaning up from the baking time and a plate of cookies tempting her to grab one.

Mel gave her mom a kiss and picked up a chocolate chip cookie. “Smells good.”

“I’ve had lots of kitchen help today. This young man,” she said, patting House’s arm, “fixed the sink for me before looking at your car, and this young man has been working on that stair.” This time a pat on Brick’s arm, and a beaming smile directed at both of them.

“You’re not that old, Mom.” It was a well-worn argument, one that she’d never win, but she tried anyway. Her parents had her while in their later thirties, which for the time and for the neighborhood meant they were far and away the oldest parents around. Her mom had gotten into a habit of talking about herself like a little old lady.

Her mom waved her hand in Mel’s direction. “Fix them some sandwiches, please, and I’m going to call your father. Sparky sounded extra mad about something, and since I know it isn’t the garage, it must be a wolf thing.”

Doing as she was directed, Mel made lunch for the men, doing her level best to avoid any direct staring because her son was right there, and the thought of last night had no place at her mom’s kitchen table.

“Mel, come here baby.” Her mom’s voice rang out from the living room, and with a quick look to see that Danny was doing well, she made her way two rooms over, where her dad’s overlarge chair and overlarge television resided.

“What’s up?”

“Your father said there was a problem at the bar last night – no one was hurt,” she said, holding up her hand to forestall Mel’s questions, “But he doesn’t know much more than that. He wants you to go with Brick and House. Razor is coming to pick up me and Danny.”

“Why’s Danny going with you?” Mel asked, and regretted it the moment her mother’s eyebrow rose the way it had when Mel was younger and claimed she was going out studying…studying at a dance club, maybe.

“Mel,” Mom began in those parental tones, the same tones Mel could hear coming out of her mouth when Danny was trying to get one over on her. “I think there are some things you need to get straightened out with Brick and House. Considering the look on their faces when they came by this morning, I’d say it’s rather
important
.”

Mom’s eyes were clear on hers, no judgement or anger, only pure acceptance. “Mom…are you going to be okay with it?” It was kind of a lame way to express things, but honestly, Mel was out of words right now, and as unsure as she’d ever been.

Her mother pushed her hair back from her forehead and looped it behind her ear, the same calming gesture as always. “Whatever you decide, your dad and I support you.”

Bonds around her heart broke free at those words, ropes Mel hadn’t realized existed. She’d live her life however she thought was best – she always had – but that didn’t mean she didn’t want her mom and dad’s approval. “How long have you known?”

Her mom snorted. “Since we met them. They couldn’t keep their eyes off you even in front of your
father
. That says a lot right there.”

“And you didn’t tell me? That was over a year ago.”

“Baby, you couldn’t have handled it a year ago.” Her mother was shorter than Mel by almost a head, but with her mom’s clear blue eyes determined and her voice reaching that low level which only came out when Mom wanted to be very clear on something, Mom seemed taller, a more substantial presence. “I won’t lie. I’m not as comfortable with this wolf thing as you are, or your father is. But they are good for you, and they are
so
good for Danny. Of all the men in your life, they are the only ones I can say, hand to God, they will protect you and Danny until their last breath. No one will take care of either of you better than they would. It might not be what I would wish, but no mother can ask for more than that for her baby.”

‡

W
hat a difference
twenty-four hours made. Last night Mel had been determined not to think on the future, had only wanted a night to forget everything. Tonight was all about thinking on the future and seeing where this was going to lead.

Brick and House were ill at ease, sitting at opposite ends of the couch and looking like they were going to face a firing squad.

This isn’t right.
The thought smacked her hard, reminding her that
wolves weren’t human
.

Human males weren’t exactly thrilled anytime they had to talk. Wolves were downright horrified at the thought. Wolves were all about instincts, acting in the best interests of their mates and pups, then their packs, and everything else could go hang.

Living around them all her life, talking to Bella today, Mel knew one fact. Werewolves weren’t humans who turned into wolves and growled a bit. No. They were wolves who had the skins and intelligence of humans. At their core lurked the animal.

Words were small, pitiable things. For wolves, they needed action. “Both of you, stand up and come here.”

Maybe she could get into that Mistress thing, because there was something nice about both of them jumping up to do as she commanded, though their eyes were wary and confused.

Didn’t matter. They were going to enjoy tonight. “I’m your true mate, aren’t I? For both of you.”

Two pairs of eyes – one blue, one brown – went wide and startled before they met hers.

Huh.
Sure, she suspected, but seeing the truth play out in front of her stirred a cauldron of confused feelings inside, though strongest was relief that what she wanted tonight was going to happen.

Still, it was a little irritating that everyone really did know the truth of it before her. Bella was never going to let her forget this. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

They didn’t look at each other, but Brick’s head tilted towards House, and House waited half a beat before he began to talk, as if making sure Brick wouldn’t do anything. “It was bad timing. We’d only joined the pack and weren’t making money yet, and you were at the end of that–” and here House’s mouth turned down, but he kept his voice almost calm. “–relationship. It wouldn’t have been a good time to hear about one true mate, let alone both…of…us.”

His voice faltered at the end, and in unison both of them turned their faces from her. “Why did you leave your other pack?”

Brick’s voice went discordant. “We didn’t fit. We had no other family, so it was best to leave.”

Her heart jerked in her chest. Never again would they feel this disconnection, not while she was there. It was her role, to be the glue of their family, to make them understand the four of them – because Danny was theirs now as well – were going to stay together. They needed her. They needed her son, and they needed each other.

And she…she needed both of them, dammit. She loved both of them, and couldn’t choose between them any more than she could choose which arm was her favorite.

Now was the time to prove it to them.