Alpha's Mate (9 page)

Cami was still a little hurt about what Quin had said, but she smiled. She was going to have to whip them into shape. She was not a one night stand and was not going anywhere. They needed to understand that she was not one of the women they slept with over the years. She was their mate, and she demanded respect. Over the last few days, she had learned so much. One of the things was that she was worthy of these men, and she would fight for them. Never in her life had she ever thought she would have found such a handsome man, let alone two.

Moving silently, she wiggled down the bed and escaped from their arms so she could go to the bathroom. Going into the huge room, she looked in the mirror and saw the marks both men had made on her neck. She grinned and touched them lovingly. She was here, with her two men, and damned if it did not feel like she had won the lottery.

Cami decided to shower, and get cleaned up since she was already awake, and she quickly set about making herself presentable. The morning after could be uncomfortable when you had sex with a man for the first time. Knowing they would be together for the rest of their lives did not ease the stress. What if they hated the thought of being with her now? What if it was a mistake? Was it possible for them to wake up and suddenly not want her?

She showered and felt the unease build. Maybe that was why Quin had said what he did.

Maybe he had thought she was just the means to an end. Crap, the same old insecurities were raising their ugly head, and by the time she was done with her shower, she was convinced both men were going to throw her out of the house.

Cami finished, and snuck back through the silent bedroom to find her clothes. Last night she noticed that her stuff had been put in the deep walk in closet. Cami did not notice the men were not in bed anymore until she exited the closet. They must have heard her in the shower. Not knowing what she should do, Cami sat back in the chair by the window, the same one that had become her solace the last few days.

She did not know how long she sat there, but soon she realized she was going to have to leave the room. She was starving and needed to eat. Besides, when she was stressed, food was her fall back.

Walking down the hallway, she heard both of the men in the kitchen chatting. Nice, they were having a good time while she was slowly going out of her mind. What the hell? By the time she made it to the kitchen, she had worked up a head of steam again.

When she rounded the corner and saw them sitting at the table relaxing and reading the paper, she was livid.

The nerve of these two assholes! They sit here eating their breakfast while she was slowly convincing herself they did not want her. Tapping her foot again, she waited until they noticed her.

Grace was in the kitchen making more food. She saw her first and frowned at the men, until one of them finally looked up. “Shit, Cami. Honey, we thought you went back to bed.” Jaden said.

Cami saw Quin stand up slowly and look at her nervously. “Baby.” He said gruffly and came to her side. He bent and kissed her on the cheek.

Cami refused to relax until she felt more secure. She walked stiffly to the table and sat down. Grace brought her a plate of food and Jaden and Quin rushed to get her coffee and orange juice.

“Don"t give them any slack.” Grace whispered in her ear and then winked at her, before announcing she was going to go grocery shopping.

Quin walked her to the door; made sure she was escorted, and then picked up the delivery he had been waiting for. Carrying the most obscenely big floral arrangement she had ever seen, Quin entered the kitchen, he put the vase in the middle of the table, then turned to her and smiled hopefully.

Cami looked at the huge arrangement of red roses and white stargazers, it was beautiful.

It was also the first time anyone had ever given her flowers. It was so sweet.

Quin knelt next to her and smiled. “Sweetheart, I am so sorry for what I said. I would never have intentionally hurt you. I am an ass, please forgive me.” Cami grinned and kissed him on the lips. She always watched her friends and acquaintances on Valentine"s Day and wished she would find a man who would give her flowers, now she apparently had one. Jaden leaned over and pouted. “I am sorry for allowing him to be an ass. Does that get me a kiss too?” Cami laughed and kissed him too. She was blessed. All of her anger seemed to leave her and she relaxed. They wanted her.

Soon, they were sitting talking about the business of the Pack. They made plans for Cami to get her store opened, and guards who she wanted and felt comfortable with.

Jaden was going to work with Devon and make sure the upgraded security installation was smooth, and Quin had plans to try to find out who the Rogues they were dealing with were.

It felt like they had been together for a lifetime. Unfortunately, a honeymoon was going to have to wait, Cami realized. They were too busy to have any time to spend together, and she understood, but it still was something she wanted for the future. She expressed her feelings and both men smiled at her.

“Want our bodies again?” Jaden teased.

“Nope, I really want to lie in the sun and get a good tan.” She replied and grinned when her mates frowned. “DUH!”

Quin smiled and looked back to his plate. They ate their breakfast in a comfortable silence. Cami was already thinking of all she had to do to get the store ready.

Cami kissed her mates goodbye and promised to follow Tey's directions. Quin and Jaden had talked for more than a half an hour before deciding that Tey would be her regular appointed guard. Tey had seemed to be happy with the assignment, and told her he would guard her with his life. She was not used to being escorted everywhere, but she knew if she did not agree she would be spending a lot of time in her apartment.

When they reached the street, she waited until Tey opened the door for her and then exited. She grinned when she saw the posters in the window of the storefront announcing her book store would be open soon.

She and her guard walked to the back and saw that many of the people who had been at the meeting last night were waiting for her to open so they could help. After an hour of organizing, and making decisions, she finally had a grasp on her helpers. One of the men was making the coffee bar, while several others started making shelves for her books.

The children and their parents began sorting out the books she had boxed up, and soon Cami had lost track of time and realized they had all worked through lunch. Smiling she asked Tey to call and have some food delivered. Just when he hung up the phone, Cami was standing next to the window when a huge rock came through it and hit her on her shoulder. Screams of panic filled the air as she went down onto the floor.

Tey starting barking orders and all the children were hustled into the back of the store where she had begun to make a storage area for her books. Two men lifted and carried her to the counter, while Tey was on the phone with someone barking out orders to get the doctor there as soon as possible. She noticed his tone changed when he called the next person and she assumed she was relaying to Quin or Jaden what had happened.

She groaned when she moved a little. Blood was seeping through her clothes; the glass from the window must have cut her. Three of the men who had been helping her must have chased after whoever threw the rock through the window, because they came back in the front door breathing heavily and reporting to Tey.

“We lost them a few blocks from here. Both were wolves, and both were young. I think they may have been with the Rogues, because they smelled similar to the scent we picked up in the alley when Ruby was attacked.” A short man huffed.

Cami tried to remain focused as she listened to the men talking around her, but it became increasingly harder when the adrenaline wore off. She hurt everywhere. Quin and Jaden burst through the door, and she cringed when she saw the panicked look on their faces. She hated that she was their weakness. These two strong men should not have a mate who was so weak.

“Cami!” Quin yelled and ran to her side. When he saw the blood, he growled and looked at Tey. “Who?”

“Alpha, I was just trying to talk to the men who chased the violators. He thinks they are part of the Rogue Pack. I would bet they are sending a message to us that they can get to us at anytime.” Tey said and frowned. “I am sorry I failed you.” Tey bowed and then looked at Cami with sorrowful eyes. Cami tried to smile reassuringly but she was consumed with pain.

Jaden pulled at her shirt trying to ease it down to see the damage. He grimaced when he saw the glass sticking from her shoulder and causing the bleeding. A big piece was lodged too deep for him to pull it out without causing more damage.

Jaden looked up at Quin and shook his head. Thankfully, the doctor came bustling in at that moment or she was sure that Quin was going to lift her up. She did not want them to know how much pain she was in, but she knew if she was moved, they would find out.

The doctor shooed them away and called to one of the women who were in the back to assist. Soon, she felt them trying to clean the wound.

“Hold very still.” The doctor ordered and then used medical pliers to grab and pull the largest piece of glass out. Cami cried out, Quin and Jaden were held back by Tey and Devon, who had arrived in time to grab his friends.

The glass was lodged deep, and blood spurted when he pulled it out. Soon the wound was cleaned, and they pulled the smaller pieces out one by one. Cami refused to make any noise because her men were hanging on by a thread.

“We need an X-Ray.” The doctor said. “I want to make sure there are no breaks from the rock. She is already bruising on her shoulder.” Quin and Jaden nodded and came to her side. Each of them gave her a small kiss before allowing Tey to lift her by himself. Tey gently carried her from her store, to the building next door that held the clinic.

After the doctor pronounced she had no broken bones, but would be sore, Quin and Jaden silently carried her back to their apartment. Cami protested the entire way she was fine after the doctor had given her pain meds.

They settled her on the couch and fussed around her until she had everything she needed in arms reach. Tey had followed, and was standing in the living room waiting for his Alphas to give him instructions.

“Tey, I think we will remain in for the night. Forward all the calls to the home phone, and make sure we are not disturbed.” Quin said and sat down on one side of Cami.

Jaden sat on the other side and she moaned a little when they sandwiched her tightly against both of them.

“I am sorry we were not there. I should have gone with you.” Jaden said softly.

“And done what? Stood around while I worked? You had other things to do, just as I had other things to do. Quin, did you get your stuff done? I can certainly sit here and watch TV until you are done.” She asked, wanting to make sure she was not being an inconvenience. Since she saw the magnitude of things the boys were, responsible for, she had worried they were going to spend too much time with her and not enough on the Pack.

“Baby, you are what is important right now. Everyone knows what happened, and are taking care of things while I take care of you.” He said softly and kissed her forehead.

“Besides, you are the Alpha female. You are what is most important to the Pack. They have waited for a long time for you to come here. They want the stability.” Jaden said.

“Well, I guess.” She said quietly and closed her eyes. The meds the doctor had given her were kicking in.

The men quietly waited until they were sure she was asleep before talking some more.

“So, any leads?” Quin said.

“Not yet. I wonder who the hell hates us so much they would go after the Alpha female.

If we were in Europe, they would be hunted and killed, for such a bold attack. Here, we are still trying to enforce any of the laws. We just do not have the resources yet to do this.” Jaden replied. “If the rock would have been a little to the left she would have been hurt worse.”

“I know. I think we really need to step up the hunt. Maybe dad can send a few more men to use. The Enforcers are stretched too thin as it is. Tey is Cami's personal guard, and Devon is mine. You have yet to be assigned one, because the rest are guarding the women and children. We just can"t keep up this pace.” Quin frowned and looked at Cami. “I just found her, and I will be damned if I will lose her.”

“We are in agreement there buddy.” Jaden said and leaned over and kissed Cami's cheek.

She shifted a little and ended up lying half on Quin's lap and half on Jaden"s. They sat there for a long time before the stress took over and they fell asleep with Cami.

Chapter 6

Cami woke up, and felt very disoriented. She remembered talking to the guys, and then nothing. Whatever the doctor gave her really knocked her out. She opened her eyes and noticed some time after she fell asleep; they had all shifted so they were lying together on the sofa. Thank goodness, it was so big. She was on top of both men as they lay at opposite ends of the couch. She was sure if someone had walked in, they would laugh at the picture she was sure they made.

Cami got up slowly and tried to not wake the men. She had only made it as far as sitting up, before she realized there was no way, she could get up on her own, and she needed to go to the bathroom.

“Jaden.” She whispered hoping only to disturb one of them.

“What baby?” He asked with his eyes still closed.

“I gotta get up.” She said and waited.

Jaden nodded and opened his eyes slowly and looked at her with concern. “You hurting?”

“Not really, just have to go to the bathroom.” She said and then Quin sat up at the same time. If it would not have hurt so badly, she would have laughed. The movement from both men toppled her onto the floor and she cried out as her shoulder hit the floor.

Tey ran into the room ready for battle, Quin and Jaden, yelled in surprise. Cami waited for the worst of the pain to subside before she opened her eyes and looked at the men.

“I am fine.” She grumbled pissed that she was so weak still.