Van, Becca - Keeley's Opposition [Terra-Form 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (12 page)

“Where did our mate go?” Liam yelled.

“She was found by one of the panther clan. She is safe inside their home,” Lawrence replied.

“Leave my sight. Do not come near me until my mate is safely back inside the pride house,” Liam snarled. Lawrence scurried away.

“What the hell have we done? How could we have not known of what was going on right beneath our noses? Fuck! I had no idea that was the reason for the scowls directed our mate’s way,” Lucius barked out.

“It would seem we have been remiss in the care of our woman,” Bradford stated. “We need to deal with this and then we will try and win our mate back.”

“It won’t be easy. The last time we were at the panther clan’s home they said they would tear us apart if we returned,” Lucius reminded them.

“Shit. They aren’t going to let us within calling distance of their den. What the hell are we going to do?” Liam asked dejectedly.

“Maybe I can get to Ben Koku alone and appeal to him since he is of the same species as I,” Bradford suggested.

“It’s worth a try, I suppose. Other than that we will have to fight our way in. If we do that, Keeley won’t ever want to return. Fuck! Why in the hell would seasoned warriors believe our mate would attempt to kill us? How could they believe such crap when they know she isn’t a shifter but a human woman? Has everyone in this pride taken leave of their senses?” Liam queried and ran a hand over his face in frustration.

“We will call that meeting now, Liam. I don’t want to wait any longer. Our pride members deserve our ire and we need to lay down the law. Anyone not willing to accept our mate will be banished just as Louisa was. We can’t have the members of our pride trying to run this pack. We have been remiss in our leadership while our mate recovered from her injuries. It is time to take back our leadership and show this pride that we won’t be circumvented or challenged. We are the Alphas of this pride and what we say goes!” Lucius roared.

“You’re right, of course. I will place the call now,” Liam replied.

Liam drew in a deep breath and let out a massive roar. He knew every pride member would hear his call and run to the meeting place no matter where they had been or to what duties they were attending. No one in their family had ever denied a call from their Alphas.

Five minutes later Liam strode into the dining chamber with determination, and Lucius and Bradford walked by his sides. The room was packed to capacity, and they crammed together tightly to fit everyone within the four walls. They had so many members that two sittings were planned for every meal. To have everyone in the room at one time was not usually done.

Liam leapt up onto the table he usually sat at to eat, and Lucius and Bradford followed suit. He glared at the senior warriors as he waited until the noise in the room diminished to silence.

“It has been brought to our attention there is a rumor making the rounds regarding our mate. I would like you to tell me how you think a human female, a non-shifter, would have the strength to kill three Alpha male shifters,” Liam said loudly and then waited. “What, no one has an answer? Why is that do you think?”

“Maybe our pride members realize how ludicrous that situation is, brother!” Lucius yelled.

“Maybe they do not realize how our mate was attacked and nearly died because a female member of this pride was jealous? Maybe they do not realize those rumors were started by the she-bitch who was banished because our mate nearly died and spent nearly two weeks in bed recovering? Maybe they do not realize how important it is to us to have our mate living in our pride house happily and treated respectfully the way she should have been treated from the start?” Bradford roared.

“I have never been disappointed in the members of this pride before. Until now. How could you all believe our mate could hurt us? How dare you all treat her as if she was unworthy to be in your presence! Did you think it was your job to treat her so disrespectfully that our mate would leave us? For you have all achieved what you set out to do. Our mate has left us and is now living in the panther clan house. If we are not able to get our mate back it will be the fault of every member of this pride. You have hurt an innocent woman and have no doubt jeopardized our relationship with our mate. We will not have any of you treating our mate with anything other than respect. If you cannot do so you may leave this house but you will not be welcomed back,” Liam stated adamantly.

“There is the door,” Lucius said. “If you cannot live with our mate in this house and treat her the way she should be treated, leave now!”

Liam noted that his people were not looking at him, his brother, or Bradford. In fact they all look quite shameful. No one moved toward to door. As one they all knelt down in subservience and bowed their heads. The apologies began then. They came thick and fast, but he and the two men beside him didn’t acknowledge them. He was still too furious to accept that they were sincere.

Liam knew they had their work cut out for them. They had to find a way to get their mate out of the panther clan den or a way for them to get inside without being killed. Once the occupants of the room quieted again, he gestured for the room to clear, but halted the most senior of his warriors. He jumped from the table and sat down, and the preparation began.

Chapter Twelve

Keeley tossed and turned throughout the night. She was in a strange room and a strange bed. The bed was large enough to have accommodated her as well as her mates, and since she was used to them by her side, she was having a hell of a time sleeping. Her eyes were sore and she was so tired they felt like she had sand in them, but she still could not seem to drift off. Her mind kept going over what that woman had told her, and no matter how hard she tried to push it from her mind she couldn’t. So when the knock on her door sounded, she hurried to answer with relief. She opened the door to see April waiting anxiously.

“Get dressed, we need to hurry to Olivia,” April stated.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Olivia’s in labor and she wants you and me to help her during the birth,” April replied.

“Oh no. She doesn’t want me there. I have no idea about birth or babies.”

“Ha, do you think she cares? Come on, shake a leg. You won’t actually have to help much. We just need to be there so she can cuss at us.”

“Why would she want to do that?”

“Because that is what women in labor do. We help each other out, now hurry up. Olivia is going to torture her poor mates with her tongue if we don’t get a wriggle on.”

Keeley didn’t bother trying to protest this time. She hurried over to the chair where she had draped her clothes and quickly dressed. She didn’t even think about what her hair looked like after tossing and turning half the night. She followed April through the rabbit-warren-like corridors until they came to a set of double doors at the end of the hall. April opened the doors, and Keeley closed them quietly behind her. She looked up when she heard a moan of pain and saw Olivia reclining on a large bed. Off to the side, a few yards away, were her mates. She tried to remember their names, but the only one that came to her was Cedric.

“It’s about fucking time you two got here. What took you so long? Did you stop to knit a pair of booties on the way?” Olivia snarled.

Keeley was too shocked by the venom in the woman’s voice to answer. She bit her lip and tried to dig her heels in when April began to tug her across the room to the bed.

“Don’t be a bitch, Liv,” April replied.

“Yeah and you love me because of it,” Olivia replied. She moaned in pain again and Keeley stopped resisting April’s tugging. Both women hurried over to her.

“Are you—” Keeley began.

“Don’t finish that sentence,” April interrupted quickly. “You don’t want an emotional bitch on your hands.”

“You are such a bitch, April. Get over here and rub my back,” Olivia called.

Keeley followed April over to the bed. Copying April, she offered Olivia a hand to hold. A moment later she wished she hadn’t. She bit her tongue to hold in her cry of pain as Olivia crushed her fingers, making her bones roll over each other as the laboring woman rode out another contraction.

“Holy shit, Liv. Are you trying to break my hand?” April asked. She pulled her hand away and shook it.

“Hey, stop complaining. You did it to me,” Olivia replied.

“I did not,” April replied.

“Did,
too
,” Olivia groaned out.

Keeley couldn’t help it. The two women sounded so childish she burst out laughing. She was surprised and pleased when Olivia’s mates joined in with her. She gave them a smile and looked back to see Olivia and April staring at her as if she’d lost her mind.

“What’s so funny?” April asked.

“You two are. Do you even listen to yourselves? You sound like petulant children,” Keeley stated.

“Just wait until you’re about to give birth, Keeley,” Olivia panted. “Then I’ll stand around and make snippy observations.”

Keeley was taken aback at first, but then she saw that Olivia was smiling at her and she knew then that the two women were bantering back and forth as a distraction to Olivia’s pain. She decided she liked this game and wanted to have a little fun herself.

“Get over yourself, Olivia. The pain can’t be that bad. It’s not like you’re dying, you know. Women give birth every day and get through it just fine,” she said quietly and couldn’t hide the smile forming.

“Uh-oh, I think we’ve created a monster,” April stated.

“No, I just like the way you two work,” she replied and removed her hand from Olivia’s.

“Where’s the healer? I feel the urge to push,” Olivia informed.

Keeley did laugh when Olivia’s mates rose from their chairs and ran to the bed. It was the funniest thing she had ever seen. The three men were in such a hurry and panic that they ended up banging into each other. She laughed so much she had tears running from her eyes. It was only the sound of Olivia groaning and panting that pulled her from her humor. She began to worry when the healer didn’t arrive, so she helped April prepare her new friend for the birth of her first child.

The healer did eventually turn up but just as Olivia gave birth to a baby boy. Keeley had the baby wrapped up in a sheet and was cleaning his face when the man entered the room. Olivia was in throes of another contraction, but she did manage to glare at the man for his tardiness.

By the time the birth was over and the mother and baby were cleaned up and resting on the bed surrounded by three proud fathers, Keeley was utterly exhausted. She had never realized how emotionally draining it was to watch someone else give birth. She slowly made her way back to her room and noticed the sun was just rising in the east, the first rays lighting the sky with pinks and reds. She entered her room, washed up, and fell into bed. She was sound asleep seconds later.

* * * *

Banging on her door woke her from a deep sleep. Keeley sat up, pushed her hair from her face, and glanced outside. The sun was high in the sky, and she knew she had slept half the day away. She pulled the top sheet from the bed, wrapped it around her nakedness, and went to answer the door. April’s mate Ben stood at the door looking angry and impatient.

“Thank the Goddess. Get dressed quickly. Your mates are here and they will end up starting a fight if they don’t get to see you,” Ben stated.

“What?” Keeley replied and cursed the tremor in her voice. She had heard everything Ben had said, but she was stalling for time. She didn’t want to see her mates. Their pride wasn’t interested in having her in their home. There was no way in hell she was going back. It didn’t matter that that thought sent shards of pain piercing into her heart. She gasped as she breathed through her pain then straightened and looked at Ben.

“I don’t want to see them,” she said adamantly.

“Please get dressed, Keeley, and then we can talk. If your mates don’t at least see that you are okay, they will start a bloodbath trying to get in here. Is that what you want? Do you want to see—”