Melissa's Mates (8 page)

Trevor patted his knee, and Nicole curled into his lap. Connor watched in awe as she fed her strawberries to her other mate. Now that was what werewolf couples were supposed to do. It’s what he wanted with Melissa. He’d seen her numerous times, watching the sunrise or the sunset. She’d sit on her balcony forever and just stare at the ocean. He wanted to be the one she cuddled against when she did that.

“Is that clear, Connor?”

He looked up at Ayden. “What?”

“You’re both moving in with Melissa. Find a way to persuade her. I want you both there, starting tomorrow tonight. Now go upstairs and get a few hours of rest. You’re going to have one hell of a day convincing her.”

Chapter 7

Melissa curled into her blanket as the sun painted the skies with beautiful shades of color. The coffee cup felt warm in her hand, and she’d finally calmed down from the hurt she felt last night. If there was one thing she didn’t want to think about, it was her past. She’d done everything she could to forget it. Having it brought up again only seemed to reopen the wounds.

Sleep had proven impossible. For hours she’d tossed and turned until finally she’d given up and settled for listening to the gulf. The calm noise of the waves crashing always helped when she got in one of these moods. Standing, Melissa walked inside and grabbed Julie’s keys. Now would be the perfect time to switch out the cars. She’d get that out of the way and maybe come home to finally get the rest she needed.

Slipping her jacket over her nightgown, Melissa grabbed her purse and locked the door. The moment she turned on the Mercedes, she cranked up the rap music and headed back to the Martini Bar. It hadn’t taken her twenty minutes before she pulled into the deserted parking lot.

“There you are, my beautiful truck. Damn, I missed you.”

Melissa locked Julie’s keys in her car and jumped in her seat. She headed back to the island, feeling sleep beckoning her. As she drove, she switched CDs and put on the one she always felt compelled to listen to whenever she didn’t want to think of her problems, Evanescence. The beat was just the one she needed. Before she knew it, she was turning onto her street, screaming the words to
Lose Control.

The lyrics went on as her mouth stayed open, devoid of noise. She pulled into her driveway, right next to a Mercedes and a big jacked up truck just like hers, but instead of it being red, this one was black. Confused and angry, she ran up the steps. Throwing the front door open, she paused, noticing it wasn’t locked. She could swear she locked the damn thing!

Two pairs of eyes stared at her from the couch. ESPN blared in the background. Shocked, she shut the door behind her. No words. Nothing would leave her gaping mouth. All Melissa could do was raise her hands in the air like an idiot, waiting for someone to explain.

“Oh, yeah, we’re moving in.”

Channing placed a fist full of popcorn into his mouth and held the bag out to Connor who followed suit. Still, she couldn’t move. Had these men lost their damn minds? They couldn’t just move into her home!

“Oh, I’m sorry. Would you like some?”

Channing held the bag out to her, and she finally managed to close her mouth, but she still couldn’t talk. All Melissa could do was shake her head no. “How ‘bout breakfast? Are you hungry?”

Looking over at Connor, she let her jacket fall to the floor. “No, thank you. Um, I’m sorry. What in the hell gave you both the idea to come into my home and decide you’re both going to just move in? No, let me rephrase that. Break into my home. I know I locked that door.”

“You’re our mate. Of course we’re going to live with you.” Connor reached over and grabbed another handful of popcorn, smiled at her brightly, and popped the white fluff into his mouth.

“Plus, I have to admit. I like this place. You have a great view. I think I’m going to like living here.”

“Channing, you both
are not
living here.”

They just smiled at her. Smiled! Melissa smiled back and reached for her phone. “Excuse me, gentlemen.” Dialing Stephen’s number, she waited until he answered it.

“Hello?” The sleep edging his voice instantly made guilt wash through her.

“I’m sorry to wake you, but when you get up, I have two men who say they’re moving in, and I want them to leave my house. I don’t care if you have to arrest them. I want them out.”

Stephen yawned into the phone. “No can do, Red. Ayden’s orders. They have to stay.”

“Bullshit, I’ll call the chief.”

“Who also has the same orders. It’s pointless, Mel. You need to just accept and get to know them.”

“I will not! Is Ev awake?”

“No, and I’m not waking her. She got up at five with morning sickness again. We thought it was finally gone, but I guess not. Anyways, I’m going back to bed. Have fun with those two.” Stephen laughed and hung up. Melissa stared at the phone, shocked.

“So, you never answered Connor. Do you want breakfast?”

Melissa threw her phone at Channing and charged. She wasn’t sure why, he just asked a question, and it wasn’t even laced with attitude, but she felt trapped. Connor grabbed her around the waist before she could reach him.

“Whoa there, honey. What’s wrong? We’re not here to make you angry.”

Sobs broke though Melissa’s throat as she saw her world closing in on her. She was used to making the rules. Without the ability to do so, she felt panicked.

“Shh, baby, listen.” He pulled her into his lap and sat on the couch, cradling her body. “This is going to be hard, but please just give it a try. I know you don’t know either one of us, but we’re not terrible people, trust me. I didn’t like Channing that much at first, either, but he’s not so bad.”

Melissa laughed past her sob and buried her face deeper into his chest. Something about him holding her made her feel safer, at peace, like with the ocean. Heat fluttered in her chest, and she let the feeling overpower her. Maybe Connor wasn’t so bad. She hadn’t thought so when they were standing at the ocean.

“Thanks a lot,” Channing muttered from the sofa. Melissa wasn’t sure why, but she wiggled from his arms and crawled to the other man. Guilt. Damn, she hated knowing she’d reacted that way.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have thrown the phone. You were trying to be nice and I–It was uncalled for, and I apologize. But you have to know that what you’re both doing isn’t right. It’s unfair to me, and it’s wrong.”

“It would be unfair to you if we let you go through pain. That’s why Ayden wants us here. Until you’re marked, the bond is going to grow stronger and more painful. The need to be with us at all times will overpower you. If you distance yourself too far, it could be agonizing. Please understand we’re not here to make your life harder. We want to make it easier. We want you to choose us.”

Shaking her head back and forth, Melissa couldn’t understand. Hadn’t she been trying to figure this whole ménage thing out since Evelyn got together with Stephen and Brandon? “Please tell me how you’re both okay with this? It doesn’t make sense to me. You both want to be with me but are willing to overlook the fact that you’ll never be able to have me for yourself. You’ll have to share me with each other. How are you okay with that?”

Connor pulled her back in his lap, nuzzling his face in her neck. She tried to ignore how unbelievably natural the gesture felt. This man was a complete stranger, yet she could swear some part of her knew him. They kept talking about bonds and ties. She wasn’t sure what exactly they were, but the link was obviously there. It tugged at her heart, sending tingling all throughout her body.

“Some things are more important than greed. I’d rather have half of you than nothing at all. Melissa, it might sound impossible to understand, but the bond is designed to make the people involved fall indefinitely in love with each other. This love will never die, never waver. It’ll last until one of us is no longer here.”

Melissa sighed, staring deeply into his eyes. “That sounds so romantic. And too good to be true.” She wiggled from his arms and stood. “Listen, there’s somewhere I need to go. Are you both going to be following me, or can I go on my own?”

“You’re free to do as you wish.”

She looked at Channing and nodded her head. Melissa didn’t even change. Grabbing her truck keys, she ran outside and jumped in the cab, slamming the truck into drive. She needed to see Devon and apologize. She wasn’t sure what this feeling was, but she knew it was connected to what they were. Fuck. She’d been such a bitch to him.

Devon’s new house was located not two miles from her. Before the song playing could finish, she pulled into the long paved drive. Jumping out, Melissa ran as fast as she could. Her long, loose curls fanned around her as she slid to a stop. Gavin opened the door holding a bowl of cereal and looking around alarmed.

“Mel, what’s wrong?”

No words would come to describe the endless list. Instead, she lifted her hair and she showed him the puncture wounds on her neck.

“Oh shit. Were you attacked?”

He led her through the entryway into a large living room. Sarah and Devon walked out of a hallway laughing and stopped when they saw her. Melissa burst into tears, running to her friend. “I’m so sorry, Sarah. I was so mean to your mates. But I didn’t know. God, please.”

Sobs wracked her chest as she could feel her legs growing weak. Sarah held her tightly while leading her to the couch. “Mel, you said mates.”

Melissa pulled back her hair. “I’m to be mated with Connor and Channing. I didn’t know. I don’t think I want this.” The tears were coming so steadily, she couldn’t breathe.

“Channing! Oh that’s excellent news, honey. I know not very many people trust him, but he saved my life from Tom. I couldn’t adore him more. But who’s Connor?” Sarah’s words trailed off as if trying to remember.

Devon sat down on the opposite couch, and she looked back and forth between him and Sarah. “Devon, do you know Connor? Stephen says he has a bad reputation or something. Is that true?”

Devon’s mouth opened, closed, and then he turned and threw a quick glance to Sarah. “I know Connor. He’s…Truthfully, Mel, we don’t know much about him. He’s very quiet but very deadly. The story is that when he was growing up, something horrible happened to his family. He was meant to be Alpha, but he ran. He didn’t want it. Eventually they found him, and well, they couldn’t make him do anything. He took multiple beatings for years until finally they released him.

“But I do know one thing for a fact, and that’s how protective he is over women in general. He’s very passionate about the way the men in the pack treat them, even if they’re not mated. He’ll take good care of you. I have no doubt. But Channing? How in the world did you meet him, more less bond with him, too?”

Just the thought of what happened between them sent heat searing her body. God, she wanted to feel him again. She wanted to look into those light blue eyes and feel that strange pull as he thrust his cock into her.

Melissa shifted on the couch and took a deep breath. “Well, Julie lost her first case yesterday, and she wanted to have drinks, so I went with her. We were there a few hours, and as we were leaving, I ran into him. Literally. The moment I looked into his eyes, there was something. I felt a little scared at first because they reminded me of Tom, but after he kept trying to be nice, I could feel myself getting sucked in his direction. It was like I was meant to lean into him.

“Needless to say, he showed up at the Martini Bar last night and even though I was bet to take him home, I’d already basically decided on it myself. Well, one thing led to another, he bit me, and I got scared and ran. Connor showed up on the beach, and that’s where the shit hit the fan, and we all discovered the bond that links us all together.”

Everyone remained quiet as they took in her words. She stared around the large living area, noticing plastic things covering the walls’ sockets. They were baby proofing already. Amazing. Adorable. Damn, she wanted to cry again.

“I think karma just bitch-slapped me.” Melissa burst into tears, again and laid her head on Sarah’s lap. She didn’t want to ever move from this spot. Control. Damn, she needed some about right now.