plenty to support all of us. Going to college is what you want to do, and you don’t need to worry about getting a job as well. Our sweetness wants to be a teacher, and that’s just what she’s going to be.”
“And a mate and a mother,” she reminded them, a smile in her voice.
“All of those things,” Ray said.
Scarlett leaned against Wes and rested her head on his shoulder as she read out loud from the course catalog. She’d been forced to leave her art supplies behind when they left Bent Creek, so the first thing Wes wanted to do when they got to Ashland – after getting settled, of course – was replace what she needed. He could hope that she might be able to go to her old apartment and take all her things with her, but he didn’t actually believe that would happen. It wouldn’t surprise him if her father had destroyed all her things in retaliation.
He’d be sure that their children would never know what it was like to live under such an oppressive rule. They’d know that they were loved and protected by two dads who already loved them, before they were even born, and a mother who had given up everything to be with them.
* * * * *
Christian Jamison grunted as his father’s fist slammed into his mouth. He rocked back on his heels, his vision dimming. “You’ll tell me what I want to know!” his father roared. Christian’s eleven brothers growled angrily, but couldn’t help him.
Joseph, his oldest brother, had knocked on Christian’s door early Friday morning, waking him from a sound sleep. Joe had been told that there was a gas leak in the building and everyone had to evacuate. When the brothers walked out of the hallway and into the gathering room of the apartment complex, they’d walked right into a trap. Their father had brought along the strongest pack males, many more than their twelve. The wolves had surrounded his brothers while Christian had been singled out. It was as if their father knew that Christian had been instrumental in helping Scarlett get out of Bent Creek. In truth, Christian had walked into that situation unknowingly, but one look at the protective males who’d come for her and seeing the love for them in her eyes, he’d had no choice. Scarlett was his baby sister. He’d do anything for her.
Blood seeped into his mouth as his teeth cut his gums and he spat on the floor, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Answer me!” His father took another menacing step toward Christian, but he squared his shoulders. His brothers knew he’d helped Scarlett leave the week before, but like him, they didn’t know where she’d gone. He hadn’t even told them that she’d left with mountain lions, but Joseph had scented them in the hallway and had known immediately what type of shifter they were. The brothers had scoured the hall and Scarlett’s apartment with harsh-smelling cleanser to get rid of any trace of their scent, and it had worked. When Scarlett didn’t show up at their parents’ home on Friday evening, their dad had come to the apartment and then promptly flipped out when he realized she’d disappeared.
When Christian met the alpha their dad had picked out for Scarlett – a male in his thirties named Arven, face scarred from brutal fighting during his rise to alpha and a smug and arrogant look on his face – he’d known that he’d made the right choice in helping his sister leave. This was not a male who would treat her well. His sister deserved to be well cared for, loved and honored the way a cherished mate should be. Just because she had the genetic ability to get pregnant quickly and often, delivering alpha-powerful males and Breeding Queen females, didn’t mean that she shouldn’t be loved. He’d hated the idea of her being given away ever since he was old enough to understand that her destiny was out of her control.
Now, Arven stood nearby with his own highly ranked males and
“And a mate and a mother,” she reminded them, a smile in her voice.
“All of those things,” Ray said.
Scarlett leaned against Wes and rested her head on his shoulder as she read out loud from the course catalog. She’d been forced to leave her art supplies behind when they left Bent Creek, so the first thing Wes wanted to do when they got to Ashland – after getting settled, of course – was replace what she needed. He could hope that she might be able to go to her old apartment and take all her things with her, but he didn’t actually believe that would happen. It wouldn’t surprise him if her father had destroyed all her things in retaliation.
He’d be sure that their children would never know what it was like to live under such an oppressive rule. They’d know that they were loved and protected by two dads who already loved them, before they were even born, and a mother who had given up everything to be with them.
* * * * *
Christian Jamison grunted as his father’s fist slammed into his mouth. He rocked back on his heels, his vision dimming. “You’ll tell me what I want to know!” his father roared. Christian’s eleven brothers growled angrily, but couldn’t help him.
Joseph, his oldest brother, had knocked on Christian’s door early Friday morning, waking him from a sound sleep. Joe had been told that there was a gas leak in the building and everyone had to evacuate. When the brothers walked out of the hallway and into the gathering room of the apartment complex, they’d walked right into a trap. Their father had brought along the strongest pack males, many more than their twelve. The wolves had surrounded his brothers while Christian had been singled out. It was as if their father knew that Christian had been instrumental in helping Scarlett get out of Bent Creek. In truth, Christian had walked into that situation unknowingly, but one look at the protective males who’d come for her and seeing the love for them in her eyes, he’d had no choice. Scarlett was his baby sister. He’d do anything for her.
Blood seeped into his mouth as his teeth cut his gums and he spat on the floor, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Answer me!” His father took another menacing step toward Christian, but he squared his shoulders. His brothers knew he’d helped Scarlett leave the week before, but like him, they didn’t know where she’d gone. He hadn’t even told them that she’d left with mountain lions, but Joseph had scented them in the hallway and had known immediately what type of shifter they were. The brothers had scoured the hall and Scarlett’s apartment with harsh-smelling cleanser to get rid of any trace of their scent, and it had worked. When Scarlett didn’t show up at their parents’ home on Friday evening, their dad had come to the apartment and then promptly flipped out when he realized she’d disappeared.
When Christian met the alpha their dad had picked out for Scarlett – a male in his thirties named Arven, face scarred from brutal fighting during his rise to alpha and a smug and arrogant look on his face – he’d known that he’d made the right choice in helping his sister leave. This was not a male who would treat her well. His sister deserved to be well cared for, loved and honored the way a cherished mate should be. Just because she had the genetic ability to get pregnant quickly and often, delivering alpha-powerful males and Breeding Queen females, didn’t mean that she shouldn’t be loved. He’d hated the idea of her being given away ever since he was old enough to understand that her destiny was out of her control.
Now, Arven stood nearby with his own highly ranked males and
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