Saving Scarlett Read online

  Sunday morning, Scarlett fluttered around the kitchen like a nervous bird. She’d gotten a call the night before that two of her brothers were bringing her mom to the boarding house for a visit. She blamed herself for her mom’s injuries and although Wes and Ray had told her that she hadn’t done anything wrong, she clearly still felt guilty.

  Ray took a drink of coffee and watched Scarlett with an amused expression as she cleaned the huge kitchen table and fiddled with the fresh flowers that Sam had brought home on Saturday to decorate the kitchen. Wes leaned against the island.

  “You know, I always figured we’d have our own place like Dad and Uncle Miles, but I can’t really imagine living anywhere but here,” he said.

  “Me, too,” Ray agreed. “Even before we met Scarlett I hadn’t really expected to stay here permanently. In Ashland, yes, but in a house of our own.”

  She straightened. “You don’t want to leave the boarding house, do you?”

  “No.” Ray shook his head. “I feel like we’re home here because of you. If you wanted to leave and find a place of our own here in town, we would do that for you. We could even go to King to live, or to Bent Creek when your brothers say it’s safe.”

  She shook her head vehemently. “I don’t want to live in Bent Creek ever again. Visit, sure, but not to live there. And King is nice – I liked visiting the town, although I didn’t see much outside of your dad’s house, but Ashland is where the pride is. If you’re happy here, in the boarding house, then that makes me even happier because I like living here.”

  “Even though it’s noisy as hell on the weekends?” Ray asked. With eight kids in the house, there was always someone slamming a door or running up and down the steps like an elephant.

  “I’m sure it’s worse in the summer,” she said, grinning. She tossed the paper towel into the trash and set the cleaner in the cupboard. “I like it here, and I love you. I think we should stay.”

  “I talked to James this morning,” Ray said, pulling Scarlett close. Wes immediately joined them, sandwiching their mate between himself and his brother. “He said that we can move down to the second floor. The rooms are bigger and more updated, and have attached bathrooms. There are two empty rooms at the end of the hall, one for us and one for the baby. After your mom heads home tonight, we can go look at them if you’d like.”

  Like he’d seen her do many times since she’d first realized she was pregnant, she pressed her palm lightly to her abdomen with a small smile. “I’d love that.”

  They hugged her a little tighter between them, and Wes’s mind turned toward the upstairs and the bed, wondering how long it would be until her mom showed up, and if they had time to make love. Ray tilted her face for a kiss and Wes grinned as he brushed the hair from her shoulder and kissed her neck.

  The doorbell rang and they all stiffened and then laughed. “I’d say she has bad timing, but I’m really glad she’s here,” Scarlett said. She kissed both of them and they walked with her to the front door.

  Ray opened the door to reveal a woman who looked a lot like Scarlett standing between Christian and another male. Scarlett let out a soft sob and threw herself into her mom’s arms. The two embraced and Wes’s heart ached at the sweet sight. He’d never had a mom who cared about him, who had ever hugged him the way that Scarlett’s mom was hugging her. Hell, his own mother wouldn’t have let herself be captured and tortured. She wouldn’t have cared enough to bother keeping a secret on his or Ray’s behalf.

  “Nice to see you guys again,” Christian said as Ray opened the door wider and shook his hand. “This is our brother, Manix.”

  Manix was a big mountain of a male, with dark hair and eyes. Christian, in comparison, was less muscular and shared Scarlett’s blonde hair, the same golden shade as their mother’s.

  As Ray shut the door, Scarlett said, “Mom, these are my mates, Wes and Ray. Guys, this is my mom, Rebecca.”

  Rebecca didn’t let go of her hold on Scarlett, but did hug both Wes and Ray with one arm. Three fingers on her right hand were bandaged, and Wes asked how she was feeling.

  “I’m good, honey, thank you. We have a lot to discuss. Is there somewhere we can talk?”

  Ray led them into the empty family room. The younger kids had been taken by Grant, Aaron, and Sam to a cabin they used for family getaways. Dom and Henry were out shopping with Rue and John, and James and Alek were working. Dylan and Chase were patrolling around the property and the other lions were milling around upstairs, giving the trio their privacy with Scarlett’s family.

  Wes had set up a light lunch in the family room with finger food and drinks. Scarlett sat next to her mom on one of the three couches with Christian and Manix on her other side. Ray and Wes sat on one of the other couches so that Scarlett could be with her family.

  Scarlett touched the top of her mom’s hand gently. “Mom, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry you were hurt.”

  Manix snarled softly and reached past Christian to rub Scarlett’s shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault. The whole Breeding Queen business is insane. A father choosing his daughter’s mate is entirely absurd. We don’t live in the dark ages.”

  “Your brother’s right,” Rebecca said. “I knew when you were trying on the dress that you were miserably unhappy, but I did nothing. I’m as much at fault as Quentin in this whole mess. I could have stood up for you or hidden you away and let you live your own life, but I didn’t.” Tears glistened in her eyes, and Scarlett hugged her, and the two cried.

  Manix turned his attention to Ray and Wes. “Quentin is gone, along with seventeen of his loyal wolves. The other alpha, Arven, swore retribution on Quentin, too, so in a way I think he wasn’t all that upset to get kicked out of Bent Creek.”

  Scarlett hiccupped and scrubbed at her wet cheeks. “Kicked out?”

  Manix nodded. “When he got back to Bent Creek on Friday, we’d gathered the pack males in the clearing and Joe challenged him. At first he scoffed and said Joe couldn’t challenge, that we weren’t even really pack members and had no rights. Joe attacked him. His loyal males, the highest ranked ones, tried to step in, and we took them all out.”

  “The pack didn’t try to help?” Wes asked in surprise. “I thought the pack stuck together.”

  Christian shrugged. “Not everyone is a trained fighter, and even a ranked male would think twice about going against an alpha-powerful male. The males were subdued, Joe beat Quentin, and he branded all of the males and kicked them out of town.”

  “Branded?” Ray asked.

  “It sounds worse than it is, but the alpha wears a ring with a special design on it. The design has little spikes in it, so if it’s pressed into something it leaves the brand behind. I guess in the old days they used to actually brand pack outcasts like they do cattle, but this is less messy. Joe already had a branding ring since he’s the oldest, so he punched each male in the throat, leaving the mark.”

  “Even… him?” Scarlett squeaked, her hand rubbing her throat.

  Manix nodded. “Joe also dissolved the mating bond between Mom and Quentin. She’s a free woman now.”

  Scarlett’s happy laugh was all Wes needed to hear to know she was thrilled her mom was now free of her father.

  “Joe put trackers in the males’ cell phones, but he threatened them not to set foot in Bent Creek or to come near the pride, you two, or Scarlett for the rest of their days. Scarlett said you guys have a security system now. We want you to continue to be vigilant, but the round-the-clock patrols aren’t necessary any longer. If we get notice that they’re heading in your direction, we’ll contact you immediately, but Quentin is out of the state already and well on his way to starting a new pack, I’m sure.”

  Wes breathed a sigh of relief and could see that Scarlett was thrilled, too. With the more serious business out of the way, they ate lunch and talked about King, Ashland, the lions, and their future. He realized that he and Ray now had twelve brothers-in-law and a mother-in-law. Their family was growing by leaps and bounds, and in
another seven months, they’d add to their family by one more.

  He couldn’t wait.

  * * * * *

  Ray listened with amusement as Scarlett and her mother talked about the two bedrooms on the second floor. They were directly across from each other. They both had attached bathrooms, but the bedroom overlooking the backyard was the one that Scarlett wanted to be their room. It also happened to have the nicer bathroom.

  “Was this place a hotel or something?” Manix asked, peering out the window at the woods.

  “No, it was originally the home of a wealthy banker, and after the market crashed in the twenties, they turned it into a boarding house and took in tenants. Over the years the bedrooms were redone, adding in the bathrooms and things, but the third floor has shared bathrooms, which isn’t nearly as much fun when you’re talking about a bunch of single males. James, John, Grant, and Aaron moved here with their kids first, after Callie and her husbands came to live with Rhett and Lisa on their farm. They invited males from King to move here, and we were friends with Tristan and Micah, so when they said they were thinking about it, we decided to come along, too. Chase, Dylan, and Hunter came with us. We all went to high school together, along with James’s youngest son Alek, who is mated to Lachlyn.”

  “It’s kind of like our apartment complex, but we all have our own homes in it,” Christian said.

  “I thought it would be weird to live with so many under one roof but it’s amazing to have the pride’s support. The King pride is tight, but not like the Ashland pride,” Ray said.

  The women talked about furniture for the baby’s room, which made Ray preen with pride. They’d have a cub soon, something he hadn’t really considered until he met Scarlett. One look at his mate and he hadn’t been able to think about much else but making her his and Wes’s and starting a family.

  “I do hope you’ll be making an honest woman out of my daughter before the baby is born,” Rebecca said, her brow arched.

  “Mom! I’m already their mate,” Scarlett protested.

  “Yes, I can see that, but you need their last name. You don’t want to have the same last name as your baby?”

  “Oh, I hadn’t thought of that,” Scarlett frowned.

  Wes stepped up and kissed Scarlett’s cheek. “We’ve already asked her to marry us, Rebecca. We just haven’t set the date.”

  “Christmas is coming,” she said, smiling.

  “That’s a great idea,” Ray said. “A Christmas wedding. How does that sound sweetness?”

  “Like a dream.” She smiled wistfully.

  “Then it’s settled,” Scarlett’s mother said. “Manix, run out to the SUV and grab the boxes, please.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, and then left the room quickly.

  “Boxes?” Scarlett asked.

  “I brought you some things from the apartment. I wasn’t sure exactly what you needed, so I brought your warm clothes and jackets, and pretty soon you’re going to need a different wardrobe anyway.”

  “You didn’t have to pack for me. I was hoping we could come up to visit soon.”

  Christian shook his head. “Joe doesn’t want you in Bent Creek for a while. Even though he’s certain that Quentin will abide by the ruling, he wants you to steer clear of Bent Creek for a few more weeks. We can ship packages down here to you, and your ten other brothers will want to come visit and meet your mates.”

  “Okay. I guess Joe really is the boss of everyone now, huh?”

  “He always thought he was, anyway,” Christian said, grinning.

  Manix carried three large boxes into the boarding house and up three flights of stairs to Wes’s room, where they were waiting for him. Scarlett opened the boxes and seemed to be searching for something.

  “Oh, you didn’t pack my horse statue?” she asked, frowning.

  Her mother frowned. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it meant so much to you. I’ll ship it down to you.”

  “Okay. I know it’s silly, but Dom made it for me and I want it for the baby’s room.”

  “Consider it done.” Her mom kissed Scarlett’s cheek.

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  “Maybe you can have your handsome young panther friend make a carving for me sometime.”

  “Ew, Mom, you’re not turning into a cougar, are you?” Scarlett’s nose wrinkled in dismay.

  “Don’t be silly. I can’t help but notice how handsome he and Henry are, but handsome young fellows aside, I’m single for the first time in thirty-five years. I don’t have any plans to be anything else for a long while.”

  A short while later, the three mates said goodbye to Scarlett’s family. Scarlett stood in the doorway, watching until they couldn’t see the SUV any longer. She sniffled and shut the door, turned the deadbolt and leaned against the door. “I’m so glad they’re okay.”

  “You have a great family, sweetness,” Ray said. He pulled her away from the door and swung her up into his arms.

  She circled his neck with her arms with a soft murmur, her lips finding his throat and making his cat purr. “I’ve missed you,” she whispered.

  He chuckled as he turned and walked toward the stairs. “We were together all day.”

  She hummed and wiggled slightly in his arms, and the sweet scent of her arousal filled his nose. “Now we’re alone, and I want what we started earlier,” she said.

  Wes followed them. “We definitely want that, too.”

  Ray carried her into the room and laid her down on the bed as Wes locked the door and joined them. “Later on, we can talk about our new bedroom and getting it ready for us to move into,” Ray said as he began to unbutton her top.

  She kicked off her shoes and reached for him, pulling him down to her. “I want you so badly,” she whispered against his lips.

  “Me too, sweetness,” he said, nibbling her bottom lip as he lightly pressed his palm to her stomach. “I’ve never wanted anyone more.”

  He and Wes worked together to strip her and bring her to climax several times before they took turns making love to her. It never ceased to amaze him how little jealousy he had when Wes was with her. Ray loved being with Scarlett, loved hearing her cry out his name as she fell apart in his arms, but he enjoyed knowing she got pleasure from Wes’s hands, too, something he’d never expected.

  As Scarlett dozed off between them, he and Wes talked about their future and made plans to see to Scarlett’s every need and desire. With the two of them working together, he knew they’d have no trouble making her happy for the rest of their lives.

  Chapter 12

  Late Friday morning, Scarlett sat at the kitchen table with Jilly and Melody and looked at paint samples. Wes and Ray were working at the farm, and had been since Monday. They didn’t like leaving her, but they had to work – not only for income but because Rhett needed them, even in the winter. Before they’d come to find her, they’d built a gazebo for Rhett’s human wife, Lisa. Now they were hanging drywall in his garage. She’d been interested to learn that Grant and Jericho also worked on the farm. Jericho mostly worked on the vehicles that Rhett used around the farm, and Grant, like Wes and Ray, did whatever was needed. She liked having handyman mates. Quentin had never done anything himself except fight. When their home needed repairs, other wolves in the pack did the work. Ray and Wes were planning to do almost all the work getting the two bedrooms on the second floor ready.

  Melody yawned and pointed to a pale blue. “Do you think you’ll have a boy?”

  “I think it’s extremely likely. My mom said that Breeding Queens have a tendency to have more boys than girls because the wolf DNA is dominant and wolves tend to be male. But with mountain lion in the mix, I don’t know what might happen.”

  Jilly pushed several samples of pale pink around with her finger as she took a drink of coffee. “Can I ask you something really personal?”

  Scarlett looked at the pretty lioness. According to Melody, she was the first female mountain lion to successfully be transformed from the curse because
of her twin black panther mates, Wyked and Fate.

  “Sure, it’s just us girls here,” Scarlett said, smiling in encouragement.

  Jilly didn’t say anything for a long moment, just shoved the paint samples back and forth, and then she said, “What are you going to do about giving them the same number of kids?”

  “You mean Ray and Wes?”

  Jilly nodded.

  “Well, they’re fraternal twins, but aside from their eye color and hair color, they almost look identical. We may be able to tell when they’re little because of their eye color, but if we can’t I’m not really worried because we’re going to have more than one child.” Scarlett looked at Jilly, who was frowning and staring down at the paint samples. Then she glanced at Melody, who looked concerned, and both women reached out to take Jilly’s hands.

  “What’s wrong, hon?” Melody asked.

  “I was just thinking about having a baby. I know I’m still a while away from being able to be with the guys, but I worry about it. Whether they’ll be upset if they can tell the baby belongs to one of them.”

  “Wyked and Fate are identical twins, though. I would think it would be impossible to tell who the father is,” Scarlett pointed out.

  “Maybe,” Jilly said, chewing on her bottom lip. Then she smiled ruefully. “Having two mates makes all the already hard stuff more difficult. They’re so different from each other, and waiting three years is making all the normally hard relationship stuff extra-strength hard.”

  Melody had explained to Scarlett that in panther tradition, mates didn’t mate unless everyone was at least twenty-one. Jilly had turned eighteen in August, so they had a while to go before they could be legal. Scarlett was sure that the parents didn’t mind them staying single a few more years and growing up a bit, but it looked like Jilly was having a hard time. Like her own life, sometimes traditions made things almost too difficult to bear. If she’d had to wait three years to make love to Wes and Ray, she probably would have gone bonkers. Just eight weeks without them had made her feel like the walls were closing in.