Morgan (24 page)

“Has Bethany had her baby?” Morgan asked Charlie.

Charlie had been brought into the clinic in town as soon as the battle had finished. Jason had arranged it because he needed to stay with Bethany while she was in labor. Charlie had been run off her feet for the last three hours treating all the wounded.

“Actually, I’m about to go there now,” she said. Ben growled as her scent betrayed her fear.

“What’s happening?” Evan asked. He had obviously detected the change in the wolf’s scent as well.

“I’m here to take you to Jason,” Aiden said. The vampire appeared beside the doctor and picked her up in his arms. Charlie growled loudly, her eyes changing to a deep red as they glowed.

“What the hell?” Charlie said. They both then appeared to vanish as Aiden left the room at vampiric speed.

“That was fucking strange,” Evan said. “Charlie must have met Aiden before from working in Pine Falls.”

Ben couldn’t enlighten Evan any further right now as he was not allowed to shift. He had also recognized the scent of arousal that had suddenly emanated from Doc Charlie. She was indeed well acquainted with Aiden and knew he was not her mate. So it begged the question: Who had Aiden been in contact with that was?

“I’m so tired,” Morgan said. “Will I hurt you if I snuggle up behind you and Cameron on the cot?”

Ben purred loudly, his cat was so happy that Ben wouldn’t have been surprised if it was actually smiling. Evan helped to lift Morgan up onto the custom-made hospital cot. They were designed by Jason to accommodate the town’s largest shifter, Finn. So there was plenty of room for Morgan and Cameron to be comfortable.

Ben just fitted himself in as close as he could to his mate. He didn’t care if he was uncomfortable or not, he just wanted to be touching Morgan. That would do him more good than anything. He closed his mind to the voices of his pack mates as he let his exhaustion send him to sleep. The town was safe for tonight while he completed his healing, and his mate was safe and warm by his side.

* * * *

Cameron woke with the smell of his mate filling his senses. He took a deep breath in and tasted her in the air. He blinked open his eyes and saw why his mate’s scent was surrounding him. He had his head resting on her stomach and her arm was draped over his neck. She was, in fact, surrounding him.

He didn’t wait to assess how he was feeling. He didn’t even think. He just shifted and pulled Morgan down his body until her head was resting on his chest, her warm, soft, body pressed fully against his naked skin.

“I’m guessing you feel better,” Evan said softly.

“I do now,” Cameron said. His voice was rough and his throat felt dry.

“Here.” He turned his head and saw Evan was holding out an open bottle of water to him. He was suddenly aware of how thirsty he was. He held Morgan close to him with one arm and took the offered bottle with the other. After he’d drained the contents he felt a little less thirsty, but his mouth was still dry.

“Did Jason drug me?” His tongue still felt like sandpaper as he ran it along his teeth.

“Charlie did,” Ben said. “She didn’t trust you to stay shifted once you’d woken up.”

“It proved a wise move, seeing as you shifted the second you opened your eyes,” Evan said. Cameron threw the empty drink bottle at him. “Why is Charlie here?”

“Are you feeling better, Cameron?” Morgan asked. She hadn’t moved in his arms and her voice was husky.

“I’m holding you in my arms, baby. I feel fabulous.” She wrapped her arms around him and he felt her relax back into sleep.

“Why did Charlie come?” Cameron asked again. He kept his voice at a level Morgan probably couldn’t hear but his brothers easily could.

“Jason couldn’t leave Bethany while she was in labor, so he arranged for Brody to bring Charlie here to treat the injured.”

Cameron watched Evan’s gaze wander to Morgan. “Did Bethany have the baby yet?”

“Her labor became complicated and Jason had to ask Charlie to assist him,” Ben said. “That’s all we know. Charlie hasn’t returned and no one has heard from Jason yet.”

“Shit. I hope Bethany and the baby are both okay,” Cameron said. He tightened his hold on Morgan. His friends must be going through hell. “What time is it now?”

“The sun just came up. It’s seven in the morning,” Evan said.

“Let’s take Morgan home,” Cameron said. “Morgan will want to see Bethany as soon as possible.”

Evan went and found some scrubs for him and Ben to wear and once he’d dressed, Cameron carried Morgan to Evan’s truck.

“I didn’t dream that it was all over, did I?” she asked, rubbing at her eyes as she snuggled closer to Cameron in the back of the truck.

“No, honey,” Ben said. “It’s all over and you and Bethany are safe.”

“Oh shit. Bethany!” Morgan cried. “Has she had the baby? Am I an aunty yet?”

“We don’t know yet,” Ben said. “We’ll find out as soon as we get you home.”

“It’s not our home,” Cameron said. He heard the growl in his voice and felt Morgan stiffen a little. He didn’t know what was wrong with him, but he didn’t like Ben referring to the Reeds’ house as Morgan’s home.

“A little territorial there, Cam?” Evan said, his tone light.

“I guess so,” he said. “I just didn’t like it. Morgan belongs with us.”

“We can move into the cabin as soon as we clean it up a little,” Evan said. “Then we can help Morgan design her dream home and have it built for her.”

“What cabin?” Morgan said. “What dream home?”

Cameron wiped away Morgan’s tears as Evan told them about the cabin and the beautiful valley Samson had offered them. It really did sound perfect and his cat was a lot happier with them having a place of their own to call home.

“That sounds so perfect,” Morgan said “And I’ll be close to Bethany forever.”

“Your dad can then have the cabin for when he comes to visit,” Evan said. “He’ll have a place of his own and won’t ever feel like he’s intruding on us.”

“That sounds perfect,” Morgan said. She sniffed back some more tears as Evan pulled to a stop outside the Reed’s house.

It was quiet and serene with the sun still rising in the cloudless blue sky. It was going to be a warm day. Cameron could still smell the metallic aroma of blood, but could see no signs of the fight that had occurred here only twelve hours ago.

The sound of the front door opening drew their attention to the porch. Samson stood in the doorway with his black T-shirt torn and his face pale.

“It’s a boy,” he said, and a huge smile spread across his face.

“How is Bethany?” Morgan asked. Cameron lifted her from the truck and she ran up the stairs to embrace Samson. “Congratulations, Daddy Samson.”

“Thank you, Aunty Morgan,” Samson said. He shook Evan and Ben’s hands and then Cameron’s as he held the door open for them. “She’s feeling a whole lot better now the labor is over.”

Cameron could smell the scent of fear that lingered on Samson’s skin. Bethany had had a hard time. Maybe Morgan should never get pregnant if it was going to cause her pain and endanger her life.

“Can we see Bethany and the baby?” Morgan asked. Samson ushered them toward Jason’s home clinic. Cameron’s feelings were in turmoil as they approached the sound of softly murmuring voices. Surely nothing was worth endangering Morgan’s life.

* * * *

Morgan knocked softly on the door before entering, even though Samson had told them to go in. She felt awkward and unsure of what to expect. When she looked around the room, she saw Bethany lying on a cot with tubes everywhere and wide smile on her beautiful face.

“Come and meet Stephen Reed,” Bethany said.

“Congratulations, Bethany.” Morgan approached slowly. All the medical paraphernalia attached to Bethany reminded her of how her mother looked just before she’d died in that hospital bed.

“She’s doing fine,” Jason said. He walked over to Morgan and took her hand. He squeezed it reassuringly and smiled at her. “She just needed to have a Caesarean section because Stephen was so big.”

“Everything is great,” Michael said. He was standing on the other side of the cot, his hand resting on the baby’s head. “Bethany will be up and about later today.”

She gulped and looked over at Bethany’s smiling face.

“Honestly,” Bethany said. “Do you think Jason would let anything happen to me or our cub?”

Morgan felt her body relax. Bethany was really okay. She moved to the side of the bed and felt herself lifted by the waist.

“There you go, love,” Evan said.

Evan held her against him as she gazed down at her nephew. He was fast asleep, his face pink as he lay on Bethany’s chest. He didn’t look very big to her.

She had a family here in Eminence. A flesh-and-blood family. Her new nephew would grow up always knowing his Aunty Morgan. Happiness swelled inside her.

“Thank you for everything,” Morgan said.

“You have nothing to thank me for,” Bethany answered. “I’m just so happy that we've found each other.”

“Me, too,” Morgan said. “Mom would be happy we’re together and that we’re mated to such loving men. She really did save us, didn’t she?”

Morgan kissed Bethany’s cheek and told her she’d be back later and left the new family to bond. It wasn’t that she no longer felt welcome. She just felt like she was intruding.

“What is it?” Cameron asked, as she led the way out onto the verandah. He picked her up and sat her on the railing. “We can smell the fear on you, baby.”

“I’m not scared. I just don’t want to stay here. I feel like I don’t belong here now.”

“In Eminence?” Evan asked. She reached out and smoothed out the furrows between his eyes.

“No. I love it here in Eminence. These people have risked their lives for Bethany and me. I will be trying to repay them my entire life.”

“Then where don’t you belong?” Cameron asked. He moved between her thighs and she locked her heels together behind his back. She wanted him in no doubt that she wasn’t thinking of leaving him.

“I just feel like the new family needs the time to be together and not worry about having us all underfoot.”

“Ahh,” Ben said. A smile spreading across his face. “Afraid all our noisy lovemaking will wake the baby?”

She giggled and tried to glare at him. “I’m serious. I can’t stay here anymore. It just feels wrong.”

“We thought you might feel like that,” Rose said. Bethany’s mother and father-in-law walked up the front steps hand in hand. “So these past few days Connell and I have enlisted the aid of any of the pride not on patrol and we’ve made my father’s old cabin habitable again.”

Morgan’s hand flew to her mouth as she gasped. “But …” How would she ever repay these people? They were simply wonderful.

“’Thank you’ is payment enough,” Connell said, his smile wide.

Morgan was embarrassed she was still blurting things out, but was glad they knew how she felt about them.

“Thank you so much,” she said, her tears overflowing her eyes.

“Don’t thank us too soon,” Connell said as Ben, Cameron, and Evan each shook his hand and murmured their thanks. “It still needs work, but at least it’s got the necessities now.”

“So it just has a bed,” Cameron said. Morgan buried her head in her hands, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Evan drove as he was the only one who knew where the cabin was located, and Morgan sat in the back with Ben. She’d made Cameron sit up front for embarrassing her. But she didn’t think he looked very contrite. He just stared at her with his glowing amber eyes and she knew he was thinking of that bed.

The valley was just as beautiful as Evan had described. The cabin was more like a ranch-style house than any cabin Morgan had ever seen. It was huge. It had a front porch with a wooden swing and the cushions on the swing looked new.

“They’ve gone to a lot of trouble for us,” Morgan said. “It looks beautiful.” The view down into the valley was spectacular and the forest surrounding the house looked perfect for her cats to all go and run in.

Morgan was in Evan’s arms before she’d even realized the truck had stopped and he ran up the steps to the porch with her. “How are all three of us going to carry you over the threshold?”

“We didn’t get married,” Morgan said with a laugh. Her men all growled.

“Will you marry us, Morgan?” Ben asked. He took her hand and kissed it gently.

“Marry us, baby,” Cameron said. “We’re never letting you go.” Cameron leaned in and kissed her until she was breathless.

“Please marry us, Morgan,” Evan said. His bright green eyes sparked with little amber lights as he stared down at her. She tried to imagine how her father would feel about her living with three men. Being married would certainly make more sense to him.

“But I can only marry one of you and I could never choose.”

“You marry Evan on paper,” Ben said, “because he’s the old one. But we have a private ceremony that binds you to all three of us in the eyes of the pride.”

“That sounds perfect. Can I have Bethany, Melanie, Peata, and Jordanna as bridesmaids?”

Evan carried her into their new home with his lips pressed firmly against hers. She ran her hands over his wide shoulders and felt the heat spread through her body. She wanted her men. Her fiancés. She just hoped their new home had a big bed.

* * * *

Evan entered the house with his mind lost in the feel of his mates lips on his.
My mate is the sexiest woman on the planet.
Just the feel of her small hands running over his shirt was making his cock throb and leak. When the scent of her own growing arousal swept into his lungs, he was lost.

“Bed,” he said, his voice a deep growl.

He felt Ben pull on his arm and he followed, his eyes closed as he let himself bask in the joy of knowing he had centuries to be with his beloved Morgan. He let the problems of building a new home, and relocating to Eminence permanently, wash over him. Today they were free to celebrate finding each other and being safe from any threats.

Morgan’s small hands began to tug at his shirt. He set her on the bed before him and reached down and tore it from his body. Her eyes sparkled, the lavender glow of her cat surfacing as her arousal grew.