Theirs (5 page)

Jerry and I cracked a broad smile at the same time. “Hell no,” he said. He closed the distance between them, taking her into his arms. “Our house is your house, sweetie. It always will be.”

She nodded, returning his hug. “Thanks.”

I got out of bed and strode over to them. Breaking in, I cupped Kate’s cheeks, turned her face to me and planted a big one on her. She softened into my touch, allowing me to loosen my grip. I slipped my tongue into her mouth, tasting the mint of her toothpaste before her sweetness. “Morning, sweet cheeks.” I winked as I walked away, disappearing into the bathroom. The way my body responded to her left me horny and hungry for something more than food. If it was up to me, we’d be fucking and sucking like rabbits.

—

Chapter Ten

JEREMIAH

Downstairs, I contentedly watched Kate float around the kitchen. Our gazes met from time to time. It never ceased to give me butterflies. I was a fucking man, a werewolf for cryin’ out loud; I didn’t get butterflies. Only with her.

My wolf was content to study her from a distance. I sat perched on the counter beside the stove, the perfect spot to observe her.

She diced tomatoes, turkey and pounded the shit out of some leafy green stuff with a knife. She placed six pieces of bread on a flat pan and put it in the over.

She moved over the stove, glancing up at me shyly as she hovered a hand over the skillet. Looking away, she quietly stated, “Perfect.”

My heart warmed as she fluttered about. The food smelled amazing. The coffee smelled good. I could easily picture her doing this regularly. Ellie and I could tend to the kids while she cooked.

My wolf rose up at the thought. We were driven to procreate, to pass along our special spirit, our supernatural genes.

Kate would be adorable with a swollen belly. Hers was soft and rounded already, framed by wide hips perfect for carrying a little one, but it wasn’t the same.

Ellie strolled in. “Damn it smells good in here.” She wrapped her arms around Kate from behind as she worked at the stove. El kissed her neck, released her and hopped up on the counter opposite the stove.

“
You act like no one’s ever cooked for you.” Kate laughed lightly. She broke away and pulled the bread out of the oven. “Want butter on your toast?” she asked aloud to anyone.

“
Yes, please.” Ellie groaned.

I quirked a brow her way. She was known for her lack of manners. She wasn’t overtly rude, but please and thank-you weren’t in her vocabulary, much to her mother’s dismay.

As if on cue, I heard the car pull up into the drive, the tires kissing the paved lane.

Ellie’s eyes widened. Her features scrunched in horror. “Oh no they didn’t.” She leapt down and raced for the front door.

“
Want butter, Jerry?” Kate stared up at me, the innocent question in her eyes.

I nodded my ‘yes.’

She smiled, satisfied, and went back to work.

Ellie opened the door before her parents could knock. “Mom. Dad. What the hell are you doing here?”

“
Ellie May, you do not curse at your mother,” Margaret fussed. I listened to the older woman sniff a few times. “Honey, did you hire a chef?”

I heard them brush past Ellie and make a beeline for the kitchen, the clack of Maggie’s heels alerting all to her approach, especially Kate.

Kate slowed her movements, continually glancing at me, nervously working her bottom lip as she plated the food.

I jumped off the counter and kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry, sweetie.”

“
Mornin’, Maggie.” I moved in to greet her and create a buffer between Kate and her.

She hugged me. “Well, don’t you look like you just rolled out of bed.” Her chuckle was meant to charm, to feign politeness amid her candor.

Sharp as a whistle, Maggie’s eyes darted behind me. Leaning closer, she cut her eyes at me. “Tell me this is not another one of your little conquests.”

Ellie’s dad saved me. “Mornin’, Jerry.”

“
Hey, Paul.” I nodded my greeting to the older man. He was a good ten years older than Ellie’s mother, but he’d aged well. He had few wrinkles and a head full of salt and pepper hair that matched the mane of his wolf.

Ellie slid past her parents and went to Kate. “Sorry.” She laced her fingers through Kate’s.

To her credit, Kate’s heart only beat a little faster than normal.

Ellie turned her towards us, keeping the island between Kate and her and the rest of us. “Kate, this is my mom, Maggie, and that old guy is my dad, Paul.”

Paul lit up, giving his daughter an indulgent grin.

“
Mom, Dad, this is Kate, our mate.”

Paul’s brows rose slightly, but he didn’t say anything. Maggie on the other hand…

“
Define ‘our,’ honey.” Her smile was tight, more polite than genuine. I saw the flame flicker in her eyes as her wolf pressed towards her surface.

Ellie strategically angled her body to shield part of Kate, who stood motionless beside Ellie. “Jer and I have the same mate, Mom. If you have a problem with that, then you can march your happy heels right out that door.” Ellie pulled a rigid Kate further behind her.

The woman’s face illuminated. “Problem? Problem?” She fanned herself. “Did you hear that, Paul? Same mate.” Suddenly, she thrust her arms out as if she were praising the Lord in church. “Sweet Jesus, hallelujah, we’re gonna be grandparents!”

“
Um…” Kate looked panicked. Her brows dipped as her eyes widened. Her lips were parted in dismay; she was speechless as Maggie made a beeline for her.

—

Chapter Eleven

KATE

Ellie’s mother was the spitting image of Ellie, only twenty-something years older. She shoved her daughter out of the way and threw her arms around me. I was more than grateful that I’d gotten dressed.

“
Oh my God. Look, Paul!” She released me and focused on the plated food, growing colder by the minute. “She can cook, and she’s brilliant. She put herbs in the eggs.” She cut her eyes at her husband. Conspiratorially she explained, “He insists the herbs look prettier sprinkled on top.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “It’s pretty on top,” I assured Paul, “But, I find people are more likely to pick them off than eat them. It’s also less messy this way.”

I felt my cheeks heat as Maggie sniffed the plate. She somehow caged me in, forcing me to stand awkwardly by and watch her inspect. Nerves mangled my stomach.

Her smile widened. “She used swiss, Paul. I love her! I’ve always believed swiss is an underappreciated cheese.” She winked at Ellie. “Oh, honey, I approve.”

She set the plate back down and was at Jerry’s side in a flash. She was definitely a werewolf. I’d been unsure until that moment. “Now, Jerry, about these grandbabies. When can I expect the first litter? You know I’m not getting any younger.”

“
Margaret,” Paul cut his wife off. “She’s clearly human,” he cautioned.

“
So? Since when did you become prejudice, Paul Robertson Hart?” Her fists flew to her hips as she stared the man down, a scowl firmly in place.

“
Um, why don’t we wait until after breakfast to discuss the hard stuff?” I offered. I knew I was dealing with a determined firecracker, just like Ellie. I could only imagine Ellie and her during her teen years.

“
Yes, Maggie, let the pups eat first.” Paul wrangled his wife to the dining table.

“
No.” Jerry’s tone was firm. “Maggie, she isn’t fully claimed. We haven’t even discussed this with her, and I’ll be damned if we find out at the same time.” Jerry came over to me, placed his hands on my shoulders and ushered me to the table. He pulled my chair out for me like a perfect gentleman; the moment I was seated, he kissed my cheek. “Stay as long as you would like, but don’t even think about interrogating her.”

“
I have every right to get to know my future daughter-in-law.”

I froze, feeling my temperature drop as my heart stammered. I could play along with the whole mate thing, but marriage was a step too far out of my comfort zone.

Ellie set the plates on the table. A growl erupted from her. “Mama, out!”

Maggie studied the scene, particularly Ellie, whose eyes were flecked with gold. She gave an exaggerated sigh. “Alright, honey bunch. I’ll leave well enough alone. For now,” she clarified. She considered Ellie for a minute. “Call you later?”

“
Sure, Mom.”

Maggie shook her head in acknowledgement. She stood, prompting Paul to follow. “Let’s go dear.” She seemed calm for all of a second before lighting up like the firecracker I’d pegged her to be. “Babies can’t be made with parents present!” She blurted. She made a mad dash for the front door; she was a flurry of motion before the door closed behind her.

“
Sorry about her,” Paul said. Hands in his pockets, he moved to follow his wife. He stopped in the short hall between the kitchen and living room and turned back. “I look forward to getting to know you, Kate.” He walked over to Ellie and kissed her cheek. “I’ll have a talk with her.”

Ellie groaned dramatically. “Yes. She is getting out of control, Daddy.”

His lips curled, creating new lines in his face. I could tell Paul was older, but I couldn’t tell by how much. He’d aged well; both of Ellie’s parents had.

I bit my lip, distracting myself with the fresh consideration:
I wonder how my parents would have aged.
My mother had an obsessive nightly beauty routine. She dedicated an entire suitcase to her beauty products anywhere she traveled.

I frowned. She was too caught up in beauty. Ellie’s mother was a perfect balance. She was beautiful, yet, you could tell she wouldn’t shy away from the dirty hands of grandchildren. I had a sinking feeling that my mother would have. It’s not that she wouldn’t have loved them, but she wouldn’t have embraced them the way Ellie’s parents no doubt would.

My head popped up. I caught Jerry’s gaze across the table. He cocked his head, assessing me.

What is coming over me? Since when did I start considering children? And when did having children with Ellie and Jerry become a possibility even?

Ellie sighed loudly, pulling me from Jerry’s visual calculations.

She’d visibly relaxed, but it’d be a while before I could breathe easy. I was a Ping-Pong ball bouncing back and forth. I couldn’t decide what I felt for these two long-term. One minute I was mentally assuring myself that this was a one-week fling, the next I was thinking about children with them.

The thing was, I could deduce why I so easily slipped into that thought pattern: because of the way I reacted to them, the way I felt around them, the way they treated me.

I melted when they touched me; they were gorgeous creatures, but that wasn’t why I reacted the way I did. It was because their caresses stirred me internally. My heart responded to them, my soul seemed content around them, and I had a genuinely happy moment for the first time in my life with them. If I was brutally honest, deep down, I knew this was different than any previous relationship I’d had. This was more than a one-week hook-up fest. This truth was a soul-deep wisdom, a heart strangling connection I couldn’t explain with them.

And it was the unknown that scared the crap out of me. If it was this good after a day, how would it be in a week, a month or months from now? How could I possibly preserve that goodness long term? Could I really keep a great relationship with two people at once? Or would I inevitably lose one?

My lungs seized at the thought.

“
Kate?”