Chapter Five
Mitch followed Avery and Paige to her car, then climbed in the backseat.
Avery twisted around as Paige started the engine. “Uh. What are you doing?”
He shrugged. There was no way he was leaving her unprotected while this Brian fellow wandered around free. He trusted Fletcher to hunt the guy down, but meanwhile, he’d stick to Avery like glue. He put down the back windows so he could scent the air for danger.
She stared at him, hard, then shook her head. “This is going to become very inconvenient. Am I allowed to pee by myself?” she asked as Paige drove away from the cabin.
That startled a laugh from him. He could tell she was trying to make a joke. “Maybe,” he said, just to see how she’d react. “Maybe not.” The thought of following her into the bathroom appealed to him. Get a grip, Mitch. You only just met her all grown up. His wolf growled softly in the back of his head, reminding him that he didn’t care that they’d just met as adults. Mitch shifted in the seat, trying to adjust his erection into a more comfortable spot.
Avery smiled wryly and turned around. “I bet Brian is long gone. He’s the kind of guy who likes to make trouble and then disappear.”
“A coward, then,” Mitch said.
Avery sighed. “Yeah, I guess.”
Mitch wondered why such an impressive female would date such a loser, but then remembered that she thought she was defective because she couldn’t shift into her wolf. That’s the kind of thing that might mess with your head, he mused, wondering how he’d handle it if he couldn’t shift. Probably not well.
“You can stay at the big house, Avery,” Paige said as she pulled onto the paved road that ran into the Sanctuary. “We have extra rooms. Or you can stay with me in my room.”
“She already has a room,” Mitch said before he could stop himself.
Paige lifted her eyebrows. “What are you talking about?”
Avery twisted back around and glared at him. “Dude. I am not staying with you and Fletcher. That’s just…” She trailed off, then shook her head. “Too fast, man.”
He shrugged again. It didn’t matter. His wolf had decided she was his Queen, and that was that. “It’s your choice, but I think we’d all sleep better if you stayed with us.”
“Whoa, you work fast, girl,” Paige said, with a grin.
Avery scowled. “They think I’m their Queen.”
Paige lost her smile. “Wait, for real? That’s a myth.”
Avery nodded. “Exactly.”
“We don’t think she’s our Queen, we know she is,” Mitch said, scenting the air. He smelled exhaust, and forest, and a hint of wood smoke, but no danger. He hoped they’d finished clearing out the Alpha suite so he and Fletcher would have somewhere protected to sleep with Avery. They could take her into the smaller room Fletcher used when he was growing up here, but the Alpha’s suite wasn’t just a status symbol. It was also a good location for defense.
“Is my brother on board with this idea of yours?” Paige asked, sounding confused. “Because I got the distinct impression that he also really likes Avery, and he was never good at sharing when he was younger.”
Mitch pursed his lips. How much did he explain? They hadn’t even really figured it out for themselves, yet.
“Remember what we were talking about the other day?” Avery asked Paige.
Paige glanced at her, surprise chasing across her face. “A trio? For real?” She looked at Mitch warily in the rearview mirror. “I was totally just joking about that, Avery.”
“The wolf wants what he wants,” Mitch said softly. And he wants Avery and Fletcher, hopefully both at the same time.
Avery exhaled, and rubbed her eyes. “I’m too tired and hungry to figure it out right now,” she told Paige. “I’ll deal with everything in the morning. I just need somewhere to crash tonight.” She frowned. “I don’t think I’ll be able to work tomorrow.”
Paige nodded. “I’ll tell Uncle Marcus.” She glanced at Mitch again, face serious. “If you hurt my bestie, I’ll hurt you,” she warned him, frowning.
Mitch smiled tightly at her. They both knew that she had no way to truly hurt him or her brother, but he appreciated the sentiment. He liked that Avery had a friend who would stick by her. “I won’t hurt Avery,” he said, putting as much reassurance into his voice as he could. “You know that.”
Paige shook her head, then turned onto the driveway for the big house. A few minutes later she pulled to a stop in front of the big doors. “Everyone out. I’ll go park the car.”
Avery hugged her friend. “Thanks for the lift.”
“No problem.” Paige twisted around in her seat and focused a glare on Mitch. “Hang on a second, will you?”
Mitch frowned, but did as she asked. His wolf wanted to stick to Avery like glue, but he also didn’t want to antagonize his Queen’s best friend.
Paige waited until Avery was in the building. “Don’t fuck this up with Avery, dude. I’m serious. She’s had a lot to deal with in her life, and Brian was just the topper on her shit cake.” She sighed. “Her mother’s death was really hard for her, and her father was a total dick about it. Your grandmother didn’t help matters, either.”
My grandmother was always sticking her nose in places it doesn’t belong, and it doesn’t seem like she’s changed much, Mitch thought privately. He nodded solemnly to Paige. “I would never hurt her. Neither would Fletcher.”
She grimaced, then turned around. “Go on. She’s probably not going to go to sleep where you want her to unless you persuade her. And she needs food. She gets cranky when she’s hungry.”
“We’ll take care of her. I promise,” Mitch said, and got out of the car. Lights blazed from the windows, and he scented people milling about inside, which didn’t surprise him. This was the big house. The home of the Boulder Pack. Wolves were social creatures, and so were humans, but he couldn’t help but feel a pang of dismay at the thought of suddenly becoming the central focus of a large group of people. And he and Fletcher had to somehow woo Avery while also assuming leadership? No one ever said being Beta would be easy, he reminded himself. They’d thought they’d have a few weeks or months to ease into their roles, but no. And he’d never anticipated finding a mate with Fletcher, in a royal mating triad, or whatever the hell one called it, but here they were. He wanted Avery. Fletcher wanted Avery. His wolf wanted them bonded, and who was he to argue with instinct? His wolf whined, and he shook his head,
“This is going to get complicated,” he murmured, already moving toward the doors. Avery was in there, and he belonged by her side.
****
Avery clamped an iron hand down on her wolf’s agitation. She’d been accosted by Ann the moment she set foot inside, and then Alpha Boris had started questioning her about her relationship with Brian. And the last thing I want to do is talk to Uncle Boris and Aunt Ann about my poor choice in boyfriends, she thought, trying to ease away from them without being aggressive. When her father appeared out of nowhere, a scowl on his face, she knew her plans for a quiet night’s rest were shot to hell. To top it all off, her stomach growled again, reminding her that she’d missed dinner.
“Avery!” he barked, striding towards her. “I just found out about your cabin. I told you living by yourself was a stupid thing to do.”
“Dad, I’m fine,” she said, stepping closer to Alpha Boris so he couldn’t touch her. She’d noticed her sensitivity to touch and sound seemed increased when her father was around. If not for her resemblance to her mother, Avery would’ve thought she'd been adopted, because how could she be related to this man? They had nothing in common. And her father had a habit of pushing things too far. That’s why she’d moved into her own cabin in the first place. He was overbearing and patronizing, and her wolf couldn’t handle it. “See? Not a mark on me.” She gestured to herself, even as she knew her father didn’t care about whether or not she’d been hurt. All he cared about was his standing in the Pack, and if he thought her behavior reflected badly on him, he wasn’t shy about telling her.
“I told you that you were going to get yourself in trouble if you stayed there,” her father said tightly. He grabbed her wrist and tried to drag her to the door. “I still have your room at home all set up, and you might even have some clothes in there still. If not, I’m sure something of your mother’s would fit you.” He eyed her up and down. “You’re as plump as she was, now.”
Of course he’d bring up my weight. Avery yanked her hand out of her father’s grip. “Dad, I was talking to Alpha Boris.” She sensed more than saw Boris’s anger, but she wasn’t sure if it was because of her father’s pushiness or her explanation about Brian that caused it.
Her father reached for her again, and she danced out of his reach. “Look, I dumped Brian the moment I found him cheating on me. That was three weeks ago. I have no idea why he thought trashing my place was a good response to his behavior, but his choices have nothing to do with me.” She narrowed her gaze at her father. “And Paige told me she saw you talking with him. What’s that all about?”
“If you’d stayed home like an obedient daughter, you wouldn’t be in this situation,” her father said, ignoring her question. “As disappointing as she was, your mother at least knew her place. I don’t know why you don’t.”
Avery opened her mouth to respond, but Mitch beat her to it.
“Avery is a grown woman who can make her own decisions,” Mitch said, walking up to the group. He nodded at Boris, but didn’t tilt his head or make any other sign of submission, which was an interesting statement about his status in Boulder Pack. To her relief, he stepped between her and her father. “Avery has decided to stay here for now,” he said, putting a light hand on her shoulder.
I have? Avery wanted to ask, but her wolf all but purred under his touch, the traitor. How in the world his touch felt supportive when everyone else’s felt pushy was beyond her, but she wasn’t going to refuse it. Not now. Maybe not ever, she allowed herself to think, very privately.
“Mitch, hey,” she said, wanting to show her appreciation for his help. She moved slightly closer to him. He gave her a tight smile, and then turned his cold blue gaze on her father.
“Kurt. What brings you here so late in the evening?” Mitch asked, not even a hint of warmth in his tone.
Avery’s father scowled. “I’m here to take my daughter home where she belongs. She wouldn’t be in this position if she hadn’t fooled around with that young wolf.” He reached for her again, but this time Mitch directly blocked him by putting out an arm and knocking her father’s hand away.
“Grabbing a woman isn’t the way to win her over,” Mitch said.
Her father snarled. “She’s my daughter, and she will come home.”
“Avery will be staying with me and Fletcher,” Mitch said, mildly, but Avery heard the threat in his tone.
Kurt started to growl as his beast pushed to the surface of his human skin, and Avery’s wolf bristled inside her head, but Avery would be damned if she’d cower from him. She’d learned to fear the sound of his anger as a child, but when her mother had died, she’d had to learn how to fight back because there was no one else to do it for her. If it hadn’t been for Paige and her parents’ hospitality, Avery would’ve gone crazy during puberty. Her father’s antiquated ideas about female wolves and ownership made her want to scream. She glared at her father.
“You heard Mitch. I’m staying here, with him and Fletcher and Paige.” She glanced at Boris and Ann. They’d been like second parents to her, and she knew Boris didn’t approve of her father, but he let him stay in the pack for her sake. And I’m about ready to let him know that I’d be better off without him here. “You don’t want to push it, Dad. This isn’t about you. Not everything is about you.” She took a deep breath, trying to settle her anger. “Go home. There’s nothing you can do here.”
“You are my responsibility—” her father began to say, but Avery cut him off.
“I’m a grown woman, and I’m responsible for myself.” She shook her head, then turned towards the stairs. “And I’m tired.” Mitch followed her as she went up to the second level. She thought her father would follow them, but she saw that Boris had blocked him. “Go home, Dad,” she called from the landing. The look on his face had her wondering again why her mother had ever put up with him. He just seemed so petulant. Weak. Avery frowned. He didn’t even smell right, half the time. Sometimes she felt like he was a stranger, even though he was her own father.
Her father glared up at her. “Your rebelliousness is why you’re defective, Avery. You’re just like your mother, fat and headstrong. It’s not a good combination in a female.”
That’s it. I’m going to tell Boris I don’t care if he kicks him out of the pack. Avery sighed as she watched Boris physically walk her father out of the building. “He thinks comparing me to my mom is an insult,” she told Mitch, smiling grimly. “He doesn’t realize that for me it’s a compliment. I may not be able to shift like her, but she was smart and stubborn and really warmhearted. She always told me that I should be proud of who I was.” She rubbed her eyes. “I miss her. I don’t know why she married my father. They never seemed to really be in love.”
“She had you, and that means she was a good mother,” Mitch said, subtly steering her down the hall, and then opening a door for her.
Avery stopped just short of him. “She was great. My father took advantage of her kindness, if you ask me. You know my mom and your grandmother never got along, right? It’s really weird that she likes my dad.”
He nodded. “My grandmother is a bitter old woman. Before my parents died, my mother told me that it was because she’d hoped to be mated to the old Alpha, but he spurned her.”
“That’s a long time to hold a grudge,” Avery said.
“It was before my time,” Mitch said. “Go on inside.”
“Wait.” Avery put a hand on the doorjamb and looked inside, only just realizing where he’d nudged her. “You do realize this is the Alpha’s suite?”
Mitch nodded. “Yes.” He pushed the door open the rest of the way. “Come on.”
Avery stared inside, confused. All of Uncle Boris’s and Aunt Ann’s things were gone, and in their place was a simple king-sized bed. A large plain chest sat against one wall, and a heavy wooden dresser she’d never seen before sat against the other. She glanced at the closet: the doors were ajar, and she could see the empty shelves. One large duffel sat on the floor of the closet. “Wow. I knew they were moving to that cabin Aunt Ann had built, but I didn’t realize that today was the day.”
“Things are complicated,” Mitch said, tugging her inside. He shut the door behind them and strode to the window. New dark red velvet hangings sat open, and he pulled them shut. “I’ll see about getting you something to eat,” he said, urging her to the bed. “Lie down. Take a nap. No one will hurt you in here.” He smiled down at her.
Avery was too disoriented to argue. She sat down on the bed and stared at the open door to the bathroom. Exhaustion dragged at her limbs. “I guess the bathroom is completely empty, too?”
He shrugged. “I haven’t been in there yet, but I think that’s a fair assumption.”
“How? Why?” Avery closed her eyes and stopped talking. Her wolf had faded into the depths of her mind, and she felt so weary she could barely think straight. “You know what? Never mind. I don’t think I care.” She let herself fall back onto the bed. “I’m too tired to figure it out right now.” The stress of the confrontation with her father had pushed her over the edge. She’d held it together, mostly, through the kiss with Mitch and Fletcher, and through the run in the forest, but then the discovery of her trashed cabin, and her father’s pushiness had sealed the deal. She was officially finished for the day.
Mitch chuckled. “Relax. I’ll be back in a moment.”
Avery let herself drift as he quietly let himself out of the room. She knew she should go get herself something to eat, but the temptation to let someone else take care of her was too strong. What could it hurt to give in for once? She smiled, then snorted softly.
“What the hell am I doing in here again?” she murmured, staring at the beautiful wood panel ceiling. Maybe Mitch is stashing me in here because it’s closer to Fletcher’s room. Or is Fletcher planning on moving in here? He was the Alpha heir, after all. She vaguely remembered him having a room on this floor, but Fletcher had been in it so seldom while she was growing up, that she barely remembered seeing him there.
“Sandwiches okay with you?” Mitch asked, walking back in with a tray.
Avery sat up, stomach growling as she smelled the food. “I’d be totally fine with just an energy bar,” she said, but grabbed one of the plates. It took her maybe five minutes to demolish the sandwich. “Wow, I was starving.”
“Here.” Mitch handed her a bottle of water.
She cracked open the top and drank half the bottle in one go, then burped. “Sorry,” she said. She screwed the top back on and set it on the nightstand. “Oh. That’s so much better.” She stifled a yawn.
Mitch laughed. “A wolf with your power level needs fuel, Avery.”
She frowned at him. “My power level is zero, as I’ve already told you. You know that.” She looked down at her curves. “I probably should’ve only eaten half that.”
Mitch shook his head, then stroked a light hand down her hair. “You might not be able to shift, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have power, Avery.”
Avery stared at him as lust curled its way around her spine, despite her tiredness. He looked like the kind of guy any woman would die for: deep blue eyes, dark hair, an impossibly handsome face. She didn’t understand why he seemed so fixated on her. The wolf in him looked out through his gaze, and her wolf woke up and stared down the long tunnel of her mind, suddenly alert. Avery rubbed her wrists, not sure what to say. “I’ve tried to call my wolf out a thousand times, Mitch.”
He sighed, cupping her face. “Stop trying. Your wolf will be there when you need her most.”
“I’m not the kind of girl who can stop trying to do something,” Avery said, wrestling with the way her body responded to his proximity. She was too tired to fight off her instinctive need for a strong wolf, even if she didn’t deserve him.
Mitch smiled and leaned in, softly touching his lips to hers. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
Oh my God, I’m totally going to do this, she thought, feeling the warmth of his body against her skin. She’d waited and waited for the right guy to come along. But maybe he was always there, waiting for me to grow up, she mused, thinking about how strongly she’d responded to Fletcher and Mitch’s kisses earlier. That had never happened before, with anyone. And I’m so sick of waiting, dammit. I’m a grown woman. I deserve a little pleasure in my life, right? Heart pounding, Avery reached up and wound her arms around his neck. She wanted him. She wanted Fletcher. Maybe she could have them for a little while, before she had to give them up. She licked her lips and told him her secret. “I’m a virgin.”
****
Mitch froze as arousal rocketed through him. His wolf snarled, and scratched at his mind, demanding that he take this woman and mark her. She was his Queen. He needed her. He groaned, and then suddenly she was on his lap and he was kissing her like a man drowning. When the door opened, he broke the kiss, ready to kill whoever thought they could interrupt them, but it was only Fletcher.
“Don’t stop on my account,” Fletcher drawled as he very deliberately locked the door behind him. “I don’t mind watching.”
“Oh my God,” Avery murmured, fingers on her lips. “What the hell is this? I lose my mind when I’m around the two of you.”
“Good,” Mitch said, kissing her again. Knowing Fletcher was there made it even sweeter.
She squirmed, and Mitch groaned, then pulled away. He needed to talk to Fletcher before he lost all ability to think. He looked up to find Fletcher grinning at him, and Mitch wondered what his Alpha would think when he told him that their woman was untouched. “Did you find him?” he asked, forcing himself to focus on the situation at hand, instead of the situation he wanted.
Fletcher shook his head. “No. The bastard ran off our lands like a dog with his tail between his legs.” He stalked over, looming above them. “Are you all right?” he asked Avery. “I promise I’ll hunt him down if you want, but honestly I think we’re better off waiting for him to slink back and try to make trouble. These types always do.”
Avery nodded. “I’m fine.” She tried to get off Mitch’s lap, but he wouldn’t let her. “Mitch fended off my father’s attempt to drag me ‘back home where I belonged,’” she said, using air quotes to show her contempt for that idea. “The idiot.” She exhaled. “It’s been a hell of a day.”
Fletcher rolled his eyes. “As if you were a child.” He touched her cheek with the tip of a finger. “And you’re anything but.”
Her flushed cheeks and musky scent told Mitch that she was aroused, and he wanted nothing more than to strip her and Fletcher naked and rub himself all over them. Patience, he told himself.
“I’m certainly not a child,” she said, frowning down at herself.
Mitch knew she didn’t like her curves, but as far as he was concerned, she looked perfect. He liked women who looked like women, not like sticks. His wolf agreed, growling softly in the back of his head. His beast wanted to be done with all this human talking, so he could get on with claiming his Queen.
“So, what now? Why did Mitch bring me here?” she asked.
Fletcher looked at Mitch.
“I haven’t explained our situation to her yet,” Mitch said.
“Situation? What situation?” Avery looked confused.
Mitch wanted to kiss her all over again, but he knew if he did, Fletcher would never get his explanation out. He concentrated on calming his beast, although with Fletcher standing so close and looking so damned hot, it wasn’t an easy job. I thought Avery’s presence would supersede this thing I have with Fletcher, but apparently not. He shouldn’t have been surprised by that—he’d loved Fletcher for years. He’d simply not expected their triad mate to complement his feelings for his Alpha so well.
Fletcher sat down next to Mitch and reached out to Avery’s hair. He captured one of her long red locks and brought it to his lips in a kiss. “A pack can’t survive with two Alphas. According to what my father has told us, that’s partly why Mitch and I had to go on walkabout for the past fifteen plus years. I needed time to mature into a strong Alpha.”
“And we both needed time to learn how to lead wisely,” Mitch said, thinking about all the places they’d visited. “We visited many packs with weak leaders. It wasn’t always pretty. Boulder Pack is an oasis of civilized behavior in comparison.”
“Uncle Boris isn’t civilized,” Avery snorted. “I’ve seen him angry.”
“A werewolf is never entirely civilized, but my father uses his intelligence as well as his strength to lead Boulder Pack. I hope to follow his example, because the alternative isn’t pretty.” Fletcher frowned. “Many of the packs settled disputes with bloodshed, and death, and never consider other options.” He snarled softly. “However, after sniffing out that weasel who trashed your cabin, I’m not as opposed to spilling a little blood as I used to be.”
“Forget Brian. He’s nothing,” Avery said, once again trying to get off Mitch’s lap. “I burned his porn, so he probably thought burning my clothes was justified.”
“Oh no you don’t,” Mitch murmured, sliding a fist into her hair. He held her still, watching her expression carefully to make sure she was okay with his sudden need to possess her.
She frowned at him, but didn’t try to get away. “Why do I find you so soothing?” She arranged her hands on his arms. “This makes no sense.”
Fletcher leaned in, sliding an arm around Mitch’s shoulders. “Because you’re our Queen, Avery.”