Werewolf Mates [Pack Law 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (5 page)

“Shit, how is she going to react to the unconventionality of the relationships between our Alphas and the Betas and their mates?”
Chet asked with agitation.

“You don’t have to worry on that score. I’ve already told her the men of our family like to share their women.”

“How did she take that?”
Justin inquired.

“Much better than I expected. Even though she may trust us, she is still wary, so make sure you don’t do anything to upset her. I don’t think it would take much to send her running,”
Roan cautioned.

“Okay, I’ll try to curb my dominant tendencies, but you and I both know it won’t be long before we try to get her into our beds,”
Justin said firmly.

“Yeah, I know. Just try and give her a few days to get to know us. Okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll try, but I’m not promising.
She wants us just as much as we want her. If she makes the first move, I’m not holding back.”

Sam finished packing, and they walked back out to the parking lot and to her car. Roan was appalled at the condition of Sam’s rusted bomb of a car but didn’t feel it was right for him to comment just yet. He made sure to get a good look at the tires. Seeing they had plenty of tread, he sighed over the fact she had at least one thing safe on her car, but there was no way he could tell the condition of the brakes, and he wasn’t about to let her drive that piece of junk without checking.

“Let’s go and pick up Chet. He wanted to drive back with me, then we can come and get your car, sweetheart,” he suggested in a light tone, not wanting her to know he had an ulterior motive.

“That’s not necessary. I’ll follow you to the club. You’ll save on gas that way.”

Her last statement and the condition of her car made him realize she was broke.

Oh, honey, you are in financial trouble as well, aren’t you!
Taking a deep breath, he knew he was going to have to relent. Thank goodness it was less than a mile to the club. He didn’t want to have to explain his protectiveness toward her by clarifying he didn’t want her driving that piece of shit.

“Okay, but when we get Chet, I want you to let him drive your car. These roads aren’t familiar to you, and I don’t want you getting lost. Are you ready, Sam?”

“Yes, lead the way,” she replied. They both got into their cars and headed out of the parking lot.

Roan sighed with relief when he pulled up into a parking space outside the club. He’d already contacted his brothers through their link to tell them he wanted Chet driving her car. Once she was in a relationship with them, the first thing he planned to do was buy her a brand-new vehicle. He and his brothers were quite well off and didn’t have to think before they spent any money. It came in handy, having a productive family that had great business acumen. They had invested money over the years, and those investments had proved very lucrative.

Chet was waiting for them on the pavement and headed toward Sam when she pulled up. Justin had gone on to the den ahead of them, intent on warning the pack members of their mate’s arrival and also to make sure the spare room was ready for her. He watched as Sam scooted across the seat to let Chet take the wheel, put the car into reverse, and headed home.

* * * *

Samantha looked at Chet’s profile as he drove her junk heap. She was embarrassed about the state of her car, but there was nothing she could do about it. All her money had gone into paying the bills and keeping a roof over her and Peter’s heads, and then after she had left her home she’d had to work from hand to mouth.

Sighing, she turned away from Chet to stare out the side window. She was so tired of being alone and working just to survive. It would be so nice to have a cushion of money she could use for a rainy day, but she didn’t see that happening anytime soon. Pulling her optimistic personality to the fore, she thought about how thankful she should be to have landed a job so quickly when she needed it. She was also on her way to the three Domain brothers’ home. The first thing she was going to do was find out how much they were going to charge her for leasing a room with them, and then she intended to bathe and crawl into bed. It had been so long since she’d had a decent meal and a good night’s sleep.

“You need new brake pads, darlin’. I can feel and hear metal grinding when I push on the pedal, and the steering’s pulling to the left,” Chet said.

“What I really need is a new car,” Sam replied with a weary sigh.

“Well, don’t worry about it now, Sam. Maybe I can have a look at your car for you,” Chet suggested.

“Oh really? I would appreciate it if you could. I know my car isn’t safe.”

“You bet I will, darlin’. But since you’ll be living and working with us, I think it would be wise if you got a lift into the club with one of us. Roan and I have the most shifts, and Justin just fills in occasionally.”

“What else does Justin do?” she asked curiously.

“Oh, he helps our cousins Chris, Blayk, and James with the security business. Blayk is a doctor and doesn’t really have much time to deal with that side of things anymore, so Justin is taking over from him.”

“Oh, well it must be nice to have a medical practitioner in the family.”

“You have no idea,” Chet muttered.

Sam didn’t think she was supposed to have heard that comment and didn’t know what he meant by it, so she remained silent. Just as she was beginning to think her tired, burning eyes were going to close on her, Chet slowed the car and turned onto a driveway, in through great big wrought iron gates. She turned back and watched them close automatically. For a moment she felt trapped and had trouble taking a breath, but she threw off her paranoia and looked back to the front. The house that came into view took her breath away. It was so big and so beautiful. The image of large plantation houses with their white columns flashed through her mind. As gorgeous as it was, she felt as if she should ask Chet to turn her car around and take her back to town.

She didn’t belong here. These people were obviously wealthy, and she didn’t have two nickels to rub together. How the hell was she supposed to stay here when she couldn’t afford anything but chain-store clothes and even then that was sometimes a stretch? Often she’d had to resort to shopping in the secondhand stores.

What the hell are you thinking, Sam? You should be demanding that he take you to the club.

But she didn’t want to be alone anymore. She was sick and tired of being scared and lonely. These three men drew her like a magnet to metal, and even though she had no idea why, she was curious enough to find out.

Chet had been watching Sam from the corner of his eye since the moment he had sat in the driver’s seat of her car. She had been looking at him for about fifteen minutes, her expression going from soft and dreamy to frowning concern. He would have given anything to ask what was going through her pretty head but held off. Justin was pushy enough for all of them, and he didn’t want her to feel as if she was cornered.

Slowing her car, he turned into the drive of the pack property and through the automatic gates, which thankfully Roan had left open. When Sam turned back after he drove through the gates and they got to the house, he saw awe pass across her face then what looked like fear. Parking the vehicle in Roan’s designated spot, he got out and went around to Sam. She was still sitting frozen in the passenger seat, so he opened her door to help her out.

“Are you all right, darlin’?” he asked as he held his hand out to her.

“Yes,” Sam replied, but her voice had risen to a higher pitch.

“You have nothing to be worried about, Sam. Everyone here will like you. Just relax, darlin’.”

“I’ll try.”

He led her to the door of the massive carport, they stepped into the entry hall, and he guided her toward the kitchen dining room. Everyone was already seated at the long table, and food was just being served.

Justin got up from his seat, and so did Roan. Chet stood behind Sam and placed his hands on her shoulders while his brothers stood to either side of her.

“Everyone, I’d like you to meet Samantha Winters. She’ll be staying with us for a while and also working at the club,” Justin announced.

Chet looked down to see Sam had bowed her head, her eyes toward the floor. Little did she know that her submissive gesture would please his family but most of all his Alphas.

The Alphas shared responsibility in leading their pack, but if there was ever any conflict with decision making and Jonah, the lead Alpha, decided to take control, his word was Pack Law.

Chet was often amazed at the power of his Alphas but especially of Jonah. He could use his voice to command at will and demand acquiescence, as could Mikhail and Brock, but Jonah was the much more formidable of the three.

Everyone in the pack had responsibilities, and no one took their tasks lightly. There was a chain of command that had to be obeyed, even though all pack members were an integral part of the family and had input into what decisions were made.

Roan, Justin, and Chet had planned to be Betas since they had reached puberty. Most of the time pack members were born into the levels of hierarchy, but sometimes, if a wolf proved he was worthy, he could work his way up the ranks. Chet and his brothers were now one step away from reaching their goal. They only had to prove to the Alphas they had the strength needed to keep the pack safe.

But how the hell they were going to do that when they hadn’t been challenged by the other Betas, or by anyone else, he had no clue.

“Come on, honey, and I’ll introduce you around.” Justin took hold of Sam’s hand. He led her over to Jonah, Mikhail, Brock, and Michelle.

Once the introductions were over, Justin seated her next to him, and Roan sat at her other side. Damn, he was going to have to work out a system with Roan about taking turns with the seating arrangements. He knew Justin wouldn’t relinquish his seat as he considered himself the most Alpha out of the three of them.

Angie, their chief cook and housekeeper, and her daughter Cindy greeted Sam, and Michelle, along with Keira and Talia, tried to put her at ease. But he could tell she was uncomfortable. Chet wished he knew what he could do to get her to relax, but nothing came to mind. Taking the chair next to Roan, he began to eat.

“How can you still be hungry?” Sam asked Roan quietly. “You just ate dinner at the club.”

“We have fast metabolisms, darlin’. We eat a lot,” Chet replied, leaning forward to see her around Roan, giving a smile and a wink. “You should eat something, Sam. You hardly touched your dinner.”

“Thank you, but I’m just not hungry.”

With dinner over, he glanced at Sam and saw she was barely able to keep her eyes open, so he stood and walked up behind her.

“Do you want to go to your room now, darlin’? You look exhausted,” he whispered quietly against her ear. At her nod he pulled her chair back and helped her to her feet. His poor little darlin’ was so tired she barely glanced around as he led her to the third floor, where their rooms were. He showed her to her room and where the bathroom was and left her to bathe while he went to get her bags from her car.

His brothers were already in their living room when he returned. Justin was pacing back and forth in agitation and Roan was sprawled out on the sofa, looking relaxed, but he knew better. They were both wound tighter than a clock spring. His wolf, hearing water splashing in the bathroom, began chafing at the bit to be set free. Imagining Sam in their tub, gloriously naked, made his dick jerk against the zipper of his jeans. Now he understood what had his brothers all fired up. Hearing a moan and another splash, he ground his teeth and adjusted his throbbing dick.

Justin turned to him with a scowl. “Get her to hurry the hell up before I go in there, haul her out, and jump her bones.”

“Maybe you should go for a run.” Chet cursed the low, gravelly tone of his voice as his wolf made its presence known, his control hanging by a thread.

“Let’s go,” Justin growled. He and Roan headed toward the door.

Chet should have been going with his brothers to release some of the sexual tension they felt at having their mate in their home, but he didn’t want to leave her alone for a second.

Justin and Roan slammed the door behind them without a backward glance, and he was truly thankful they left when they did, because less than a second later the door to the bathroom opened.

The sweet scent of oranges, peaches, and vanilla drifted to his nostrils along with the aroma of his sexy little mate. He looked up as her head appeared around the corner of the hall.

“Could you please bring my bags to my room so I can get dressed?” Sam asked.

Chet wondered if she had anything covering her and, without thinking about his actions, picked up her bags and stalked toward her. Sam’s eyes widened, and he heard her gasp as she ducked back out of sight. Picking up his pace, he followed her to the bathroom door and dropped her bags to the floor. There she was, standing uncertainly, her face flushed and clean from her bath, wrapped in his robe. Inhaling, he growled when her scent mixed with his assailed his olfactory senses. As if in a dream he reached out and snagged her around the waist and drew her up against his body. Her waist was so tiny he thought he may be able to wrap her with his arm.