Lacey's Luhpynes [Beyond the Veil 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (26 page)

“Oh, they will, we are all a determined lot when it comes to our mate,” Ansell laughed. Giving her a hug he kissed her cheek. “Come on, enough of this. Let’s get you inside and tucked into bed. Then we have some news to share and, hopefully, you can help us figure out what we are missing.”

“Sounds good. The bed part and the news as well. Whatever it is that we can do to get this over and done with, the happier that I am. All that I need and want is to be curled up between you two. I love you both and I need to have you both holding me please.”

“Hot bath and then bed. ’Cause honestly, while Briar may have been keeping you mostly clean,” Zhubin stopped there. When she looked at them both they were making faces, their noses wrinkled up and eyes shut tight in hard squints.

That had her laughing and shaking her head. “Okay, okay. I will get a shower but you can’t blame me for stinking. I’ve been unwell so pllbbtt.” She gave them a raspberry because she couldn’t help it. “But I look forward to either a nice, long hot shower or a nice hot bath with my guys,” she teased.

“I think a bath would be better, you won’t need to stand,” Ansell commented, and pushing open his door he slid out and turned to help her. “Plus the tub is big enough for us all to be in it so we can sit, relax and just wind down.”

“Oh I love how that sounds,” Lacey said with a smile. “I think that is what we should do. A nice long hot bath. Having my guys around me and all of us simply trying to relax while I get the stench of being ill off my body. Yep, sounds good to me.”

“Then get your ass upstairs,” Zhubin said. “I’m going to grab you something to eat and drink, which you will definitely eat and drink. So go, get the tub filling and I will be there in a few minutes.”

Ansell put a hand on her back and pushed her toward the stairs. “Come on,” he said softly.

She didn’t hesitate. She moved with Ansell and when they could she wrapped her arm around his middle and gave him a squeeze. Looking up at him she smiled. “I’m happy. Over the moon. I just will feel far better when we have caught whoever this is that’s after me.”

“As will I,” he said softly. “I do not like the idea of you being hunted, it doesn’t sit well with me. Especially now that you are carrying a babe,” he told her as they walked to the bedroom. “We will find him, we will stop him and then we shall have a long and happy life together.”

“Thank you for that. I know that with the two of you helping me we will figure it out. I know that with the two overprotective papa bears watching over me we will be able to get this done. We will figure it all out, right?”

“Wolves, if you must link us to an animal,” he said with a grin. “But I get your meaning,” he said, even though he rolled his eyes at her. He was never shy about letting her know when he thought her to be silly in her ideas. Hugging her close he urged her into the bathroom and then pushed her down to sit on the toilet. “Don’t. Move.” Turning, he got the water running for the bath before kneeling to help her out of her shoes.

She just smiled at that. Damn she loved the man when he got all forceful on her. “Have I ever told you just how much I love it when you get all forceful and dominant on me? I love it when you tell me just what it is that you want me to do and how to do it.” Okay so she was a little weird, but in a good way.

“Only when it comes to your health and safety. I would never try to run your life, Lacey. You are too strong of a woman to take that for long anyway and we all know it. If we ever tried you’d either kick us in the nuts or it would irrevocably harm the dynamics of our mating. Neither of which option sits well with me,” he said. Setting her shoes aside he pulled off her socks and laid them over her shoes.

“Oh I know that you would never try to run my life, I also know that you would never be able to just because I am just too much of a strong personality for that but if you wanted to tell me what to do when in the bedroom too…” She let her words trail off with a grin. Wiggling her toes, she watched him moving around and getting their bath ready. No one would ever be able to replace these men. Nothing and no one.

“Well I don’t mind you getting a little bossy in the bedroom either, just something to note.” Grinning he added some bubble bath to the water and let it run a bit longer before shutting off the flow. “All right, up on your feet, time to strip you down to the bare, luscious bones.”

“Oh I like that idea too. Well one thing that I really, really love is when I get to be on top. Your hands running over my breasts, your thumbs brushing my clit as I ride you. I think those are very good feelings.”

Shaking his head, he pulled her to her feet and started to help her strip. Obviously she wasn’t moving fast enough for him. Not that she minded, it got her so much more when he or Zhubin undressed her. They couldn’t seem to do it without stroking her in some way, always a great way to getting what she wanted.

Lacey shivered and bit her lower lip. “Goodness I love when you stroke your hands over my body. I love the way that it feels to have you touching me. Caressing me. I never want to give that up. I never want to give up your touches, your kisses, just saying.”

“Why would you have to?” he asked, folding her pants and adding them to the pile he had going on the vanity. “You planning on leaving us? Cause, I have to say, that’s a really bad plan. Nothing good comes out of a mate running off. Into the bath,” he told her, taking her hand in his.

“Heavens no, I don’t plan on leaving you boys.” She moved into the tub and leaned back with a sigh. Closing her eyes she smiled. “I’m saying when I’m like as big as a house with a babe growing inside of me, please don’t stop touching me?” She opened her eyes and looked up at him. “Especially you.” She was worried that when she began to show Ansell would begin to back off from her, and that would destroy her.

He frowned at her as he began to strip down, folding his clothing and adding them to the pile on the vanity. “Why especially me?” he asked as he stepped into the water with her. Easing down, he moved her feet into his lap once he was settled.

“I’m terrified that when I start to show you will want to back away from our mating, our bond, because the child is Zhubin’s. I don’t want that. I never want that. In my mind this child belongs to all three of us. You are going to be our child’s father just as Zhubin will, won’t you?” It was a question laced with concern and fear that he would tell her no.

Moving toward her he lifted her up and settled her into his lap. “I know this goes back to what I said when we were talking about mating, Lacey. I know I don’t always find the right words to express my thoughts, I’ve always had that problem. But you should know by now that I love you and will be here for you always. Yes, the child is Zhubin’s genetically but it is also yours. I am a part of this mating and will be with you through it all, the pregnancy, the birth and even the diapers. Though”—he held up a finger—“I’m still not going to do anything that could be classed as a biohazard.”

Leaning into him she nodded and smiled. “Deal. No biohazards for you.” She teased him with a smile. “Thank you.” Her hands moved up and down his arms, she held onto him and squeezed him tightly. “I do love you, Ansell, never doubt that.”

“I couldn’t even if I dared to try. You show me each and every day, Lacey. I just hope you know that I love you as well and, while I refuse to do nasty diaper changes, I will love this child. He or she may not be mine by blood but they will never doubt the love I feel for you or them.”

“Thank you for that. I want you to love this child as if it were your own child and I know you will. Now. I know that you will treat this child as if it were your own and that makes me so very happy. I know that we will all be good together and we will have a great little family, don’t you think?”

“Little?” He stared at her. “Oh, you poor delusional little human. You have no clue do you?” he asked with a mischievous grin curling his lips. “Gennette wants at least a half dozen grandbabies to spoil and since she only has the one child, it’s all on you darling.”

Lacey laughed. “We will see how we do with the first one. Gennette might just be disappointed because if this is going to hurt like crazy I seriously am not so sure that I can have more than a couple, at most.” Then again with the leaps and bounds in medical science, especially on the other side of the Veil, she was sure it would be negligible.

“Well, don’t look to me, no way am I popping out any kids. Even if medical science did get there, no way, no how.” He gave a shudder and made a face. “Gods, even thinking of that is creeping me right the hell out.”

“All I’m thinking of is the pain. That’s it. I don’t mind being pregnant, actually I kind of like knowing that I’m growing a new life inside of me but it’s the pain that I’m so not looking forward to. To the sickness, the swollen ankles, the backaches, all of it. That’s something I’m not looking forward to, but I am looking forward to holding our baby,” she admitted to him.

“Given medical advances I doubt that you’ll have to suffer any pain, the drugs are really very good. And there are ways to combat the sickness and other pregnancy problems.” Pressing a kiss to her cheek, Ansell hugged her to him. “We’ll figure it all out, Lacey. Together, and as a family unit.”

“Good. That’s what I had to know. What I needed to feel.” She rubbed her cheek to his and sighed happily. “Goodness, this is nice. Thank you for reassuring me.” He always was doing that for her, reassuring her and loving her.

“Part of the gig of being your mate,” he said with a chuckle. Hugging her close, he relaxed his hold on her and, dropping a hand to her thigh, gently rubbed at her leg. “It’s one of the better ones, actually.”

“Well, I happen to love that part of it,” she assured him with a grin. “Especially when you touch me. I know that’s part of the gig as well and I really, really love it. I think that perhaps I need to have more touches, more caresses. I think that I need to be able to touch and caress you as well, often.”

“You know you can whenever you get the urge, even in the office. Though you should try and refrain when in front of the Captain. As much as that pulsating vein on his forehead fascinates me, it could one day lead to something very bad. For him of course.” He grinned.

“Yes, good point. As much as he is on the board with the men and women from the other side of the Veil coming over here I think he really, really hates the fact that so many human women are being bonded to those from the other side. Does that make sense?”

“Doesn’t matter what he thinks or believes,” Ansell said quietly. “The universe has chosen the human women as our mates and that’s all that truly matters. We didn’t make this happen, we didn’t do anything to cause this to occur, it just is. And I for one am extremely grateful and glad that it did happen. There is no other woman I could ever think of or create in my head that is more perfect than you, Lacey.”

“I am as well. I’m happier than I can possibly tell you that fate or the cosmos or karma put us all together. I could care less what he thinks. You and Zhubin are the only ones that matter to me. I’m happy that you are mine and I am yours. I would thank whoever tied us together if I possibly could.”

“There are many theories about that, but nothing proven. It just is,” he said with a shrug. “Which I am happy enough to go along with, the results cannot be argued with after all.”

“What results?” Zhubin asked as he walked into the bathroom. “Move over, you two bathtub hogs.”

Chuckling, Ansell shifted their position to give Zhubin room to climb in without having to step over them. “The results of us having our mate. I was telling her I didn’t know how the whole thing worked, just that the results were great.”

“Oh,” he nodded, sliding in next to them with a sigh. “Well, that’s true enough. We have the best mate there is so I’d have to agree that the results are all that truly matter.”

Blushing Lacey shook her head. “And I have the two most handsome mates alive.” Which she knew without the shadow of a doubt that she did. She loved her mates. So very much. “So tell me, Zhubin, what have you been doing while Ansell and I have been sitting here in the tub getting all nice and comfortable with each other?”

“Making you something to eat. Which is waiting for you to eat in the other room. It can wait, so don’t worry about that part. Just relax and enjoy the bath and don’t forget to wash your hair. That stuff they use to clean the medical ward may kill all germs but it’s particularly harsh on Luhpyne noses.”

“I couldn’t agree more. I want to be able to get clean. I really, really hate smelling bad. And I hate offending your senses even more.” She would do anything for her mates, always. “So we will ensure that I’m nice and clean all over and get the Luhpyne stamp of approval.”

“More like a sniff of approval,” Ansell pointed out with a grin. Then he snickered and once he started he didn’t appear able to stop. Even Zhubin started to chuckle and they were both soon laughing hysterically.

Lacey’s lips twitched once, twice and then she broke out into laughter as well. “Oh that was bad. So very bad.” She teased the men between the giggles. “Good thing that I love you both like crazy or I would seriously have to have you boys checked out or something.” Not really, they had great senses of humor and she loved it.

Both were wiping tears from their faces. “Oh Gods that was horrible,” Zhubin said with another snort of laughter. “True, but absolutely horrible.”

“I know, but I couldn’t help myself. It just popped out before it fully processed in my brain,” Ansell said with a huge grin. “Gods that was terrible though.”

“That was too funny. It was perfect. The timing was amazing. I swear I don’t think that anyone could ever have pulled that off in that moment, unlike you,” she teased and leaned back against Ansell once more. “So good. That was so good.”

Chuckling he gave a shrug, “Timing is everything, I guess.” For the rest of the bath they chatted about mundane things, just enjoying being together and having her home. Her mates bathed her, washing her from head to toe and everything in between with care.

Then, once everyone was dried off, they tucked her into bed and she got the tray Zhubin had brought up set over her lap. There was a glass of juice and a plate of fruits, little breads and slices of meat and cheese. All finger foods and nothing too heavy, which was perfect given she wasn’t up to a full meal yet.