Melissa's Acceptance (5 page)

“What? What the hell do you mean by
little
accident? Did you crash your car? Oh my God, Mel. Are you okay?”

“Sara, will you please stop asking questions and listen to me?”

Sara sighed. “Yeah, sorry.”

“I went to that inn I told you about.” Melissa explained what had happened and how she had been knocked unconscious and that the men who had hurt her were taking care of her while she recovered. She didn’t tell her about them being werewolves or that she was supposedly their mate. If she had, Sara would have thought she’d lost her marbles.

“Shit! Are you sure you’re all right? Do you want me to come and get you?”

“No. I should be able to drive home tomorrow. Luke and Damian don’t want me driving until I’ve had the all-clear from their doctor.

“That’s something, at least,” Sara muttered.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m glad these men aren’t letting you drive your car. Where is their house?”

Since Melissa didn’t have a clue, she couldn’t answer that question, so she quickly redirected the conversation.

“You don’t need to come here, Sara. I’m fine. I just have a bit of a headache but it should be gone by this afternoon. Please, don’t worry about me, sis. These men are taking good care of me.”

Sara sighed and Melissa knew she was calming down.
Thank you, God
. The last thing she wanted was for Sara to come barging to wherever she currently was and giving a werewolf a piece of her mind. Even though Sara was a kind, loving person, when she was riled she had a really sharp tongue and she didn’t want the shit to hit the fan if she inadvertently ended up giving their Alpha or the Aerth brothers a tongue lashing. Melissa hadn’t even met the man or his brothers and had no idea how they would react to being talked down to. She had a feeling that wouldn’t go over very well at all.

“Okay,” Sara finally said, and then continued on, “but you call me right away if you need me.”

“I will.”

“Promise me, Mel. I’m not hanging up until you give me your word.”

“I promise.”

“Good. If I don’t see you beforehand we’ll catch up as usual on Wednesday.”

“Okay. Thanks for caring, Sara. I love you.”

“Love you too.” Sara disconnected the call.

Just as she turned the screen on her phone off, she turned around and found Luke standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. The man was pure sex on legs, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t keep her eyes from wandering over his big, muscular body. She couldn’t seem to help herself. And every time she did, her body responded.
Damn it!

Melissa tried to look over Luke’s shoulder when she heard the front door to the cabin open, but he was so big and she was at least a foot shorter than he was. She couldn’t see a thing. But when he stumbled forward a couple of steps and Damian entered the room with a woman following behind him, she realized that Damian had shoved Luke out of the way.

“Hi, I’m Tessa. You must be Melissa.” Tessa moved further into the room and held out her hand. Melissa took it and shook it before releasing it again.

“Hi.”

“Why don’t you come and sit in the living room with me? Luke, can you please make us some coffee?”

“Yes, my queen.”

Melissa felt really uncomfortable and nervous when Luke called Tessa his queen and shifted on her seat.

“Don’t take any notice of the title, I certainly don’t. I expect you have a lot of questions,” Tessa said.

“You have no idea.”

“Oh, I believe I do,” Tessa replied, and then waited until Luke placed the mugs of coffee on the coffee table in front of Tessa and Melissa. “Luke, Damian, can you please give us some privacy?”

Melissa heard the command in Tessa’s voice and even though Luke and Damian looked reluctant to leave, they bowed their heads to their queen and left.

“Please, ask me whatever you want.”

“Will I become a werewolf if I decide to agree to…mate?”

Tessa smiled when she met her gaze. “No.” She reached for her mug and took a sip. “That was one of the first questions I asked, too. But you will have enhanced senses, such as improved eyesight, hearing and taste. You will also be able to heal a lot faster if you get injured and you won’t get sick with the flu, colds or any other human diseases.”

“Wow, that’s a plus.”

Tessa burst out laughing, and even though Melissa had no idea what was so funny, she found herself smiling along with her. She really liked Tessa and knew if she hung around that they would probably end up being very good friends. “That’s nearly word for word what I said when my mates told me that.”

“What’s it like…being mated to more than one man?”

A sensual smiled formed on Tessa’s lips and her eyes became slightly glazed. “Amazing. I have three mates and when they are all touching me at the same time, it’s like heaven on Earth. I can’t imagine not having them in my life. Lucien, Rafe, and Gabe take such good care of me and are so protective. Sometimes too much so. Don’t get me wrong, because I love them all more than my own life, but sometimes their protectiveness can be a little over the top.”

“Tessa,” a loud male voice yelled just before the front door burst open.

Tessa looked at Melissa and rolled her eyes. “See what I mean.”

The man was huge and he radiated power, but when his eyes found Tessa sitting on the sofa next to her he looked relieved and his fierce expression softened.

“Did you want something, Lucien?”

“Little bird, how many times have I told you that you have to tell me when you are leaving the house? I thought something had happened to you.” Lucien stalked over to the couch, scooped Tessa up into his arms and kissed her long and passionately. The amount of sexual heat radiating off the pair was so hot it was a wonder Melissa didn’t get burned.

Finally, Lucien placed Tessa back on her feet and he smiled down at his mate when she swayed on her feet. He gripped her elbow until she regained her equilibrium.

Tessa cleared her throat. “Luc, I would like you to meet Melissa. Melissa this is one of my mates, Lucien Woolf.”

Melissa wasn’t sure what the protocol was for meeting the Alpha but didn’t feel that offering her hand was appropriate, so she bowed her head to him.

“Melissa, I’m pleased to meet you. I hope you will stay around and get to know your mates. You are welcome in this pack.”

“Thank you,” Melissa replied, and smiled at him shyly. The man was so authoritative, she was intimidated by him and hoped her nervousness didn’t show.

Tessa grabbed hold of Lucien’s hand and tugged him toward the door. “Come on you big lug, we have things to do.” She paused to look at Melissa over her shoulder. “If you have any more questions or concerns you want to talk about, don’t hesitate to come up to the house or send someone to get me. I’m here for you, Melissa.”

“Thank you, Tessa.”

The door closed after the pair and Melissa slumped as her tense muscles relaxed.

* * * *

He watched her through the long-range binoculars and rage permeated his heart and soul. She looked so damned fucking happy as she held the hand of one of the assholes who had stolen her away from him. She didn’t deserve to be happy after what she had done to him. He scanned the surrounding property, looking for a way in. He was going to need to be smart and careful. The last thing he wanted was for one of those fucking wolves smelling him while he tried to get closer to her.

He’d ended up locked away in an institution because of her, but he had managed to escape.

He would take some time to scope out the lay of the land and plan. There had to be a way for him to get onto that estate. When he did, he was going to make sure she died. His life would never be the same and he was going to make sure she never had the chance to live a long, happy life. She’d ruined his life, so he was going to ruin hers.

* * * *

Minutes later, the door opened again and Luke and Damian entered. They walked over and sat on the sofa on either side of her, each taking one of her hands in theirs.

Damian lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. Melissa wondered if her eyes had glazed over with need. Their delectable scents wafted around her and her body responded to what she thought of their sexual energy, or maybe it was the pheromones they were emitting, but whatever it was got to her every time. Each time was harder to ignore than the last, and it was even more difficult to hold her tongue and not to demand that they appease all her aches and lust.

“How are you feeling, baby?” Damian asked.

“I’m fine.”

Luke squeezed her hand. “Has your headache gone? Are there any lingering effects?”

“No, not really.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Melissa sighed, but because she knew neither one of them would let up until she answered them honestly, she answered, “I still feel a little thick-headed, but I’m not in any pain.”

“I’m so sorry I hurt you, sweetheart. I could have injured you worse than you were.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“But I do. It’s my,
our
job to protect you from any harm, and I hurt you before I even knew your name.”

“I don’t blame you, Luke. If you want to place blame, then put it on me. I wasn’t looking where I was going either. Just forget about it. Okay?”

Luke nodded his head, but he still looked concerned and contrite. He was such a caring man and she was already beginning to have feelings for him, for the both of them, and she’d only known them for such a short time. The more she was with them the more she wanted to be with them. Even though she knew she should and would have to go home, she didn’t want to. The thought of leaving and never seeing them again caused pain in her chest, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to become their mate. In fact, she didn’t have a clue what to do. Her mind was telling her to go and yet when she thought about getting up and walking out the door, her body didn’t cooperate.

Maybe the best thing to do was just leave and forget she had ever met them. That way she wouldn’t get hurt or be humiliated ever again.

* * * *

Luke didn’t know how much longer he could sit next to his mate and not kiss her. His wolf kept pushing at him and urging him to claim her, but he pushed his beast back down. Although he would never mate her against her will or force her to do anything she didn’t want to do, ever, he needed to be closer to her. He used his free hand, palmed her cheek, and turned her gaze back to his. When his eyes met hers, he felt like he was drowning in her gorgeous green eyes. He inhaled deeply and growled low in his throat when he smelled the musky scent of her desire. No other woman would ever do for him or his brother. The thought of being this close to another female was repugnant to him and his animal. But he couldn’t hold off on tasting her any longer.

Luke moved in slowly as he kept his gaze locked with hers. When she didn’t pull away or break their visual connection, he lowered his eyes to her mouth. She licked her lips in what he hoped was preparation for the meeting of their mouths and met his gaze once more. Her pupils started to dilate and he could see the desire in her eyes. Her breathing escalated and her heartbeat picked up speed, too.

With a small, soft groan of hunger, he finally moved the last couple of inches until their lips met. He brushed his lips over hers, back and forth in the slightest of touches, and when she sighed against his mouth in acceptance and leaned into him, he opened his mouth and deepened the kiss.

He started off slow, relishing in the sensations of having her mouth under his, taking in the taste and feel of her soft, moist flesh, but then the hunger simmering inside him grew to raging proportions and the gentleness of their first kiss was no longer enough. Luke swept his tongue over her lips, asking, hoping, and praying for entrance, and joy filled him when she didn’t deny him. She opened to him without hesitation and moaned quietly when his tongue pushed into her mouth and glided along hers. Melissa tasted so sweet, so right, and so addictive. At the first deep taste of her, he knew he would never be able to get enough of her. This first kiss was just an appetizer and he realized that a hundred, a thousand, a million more kisses would never be enough. The only way to satisfy him, if only for a short time, would be to bury his hard cock into her hot, wet little pussy to the hilt and mark her so that she was his for all time.

When she whimpered and reached up to thread her fingers through his hair, he changed the angle of his head, slanted his mouth over hers and kissed her with all the hunger and emotion he was feeling. He didn’t want to overwhelm her, but his need was so great he was losing control. If it hadn’t been for Damian placing his hand on his forearm, he wasn’t sure if he would have been able to stop. Luke hadn’t even been aware of wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her slight feminine body into his. He had no recollection of even moving his arms.

Thank God he and Damian were in this together. If his older sibling hadn’t been there with them he may have done something irrevocable, like claiming Melissa against her will, and that was something he could never have forgiven himself for.

Melissa was panting for breath and so turned on by the time Luke broke the kiss she couldn’t sit still. When his mouth lifted from hers, she realized her fingers had entwined themselves in his hair and she didn’t even remember doing it. Her heart was racing in her chest and her pussy was so wet her panties were soaked through, and it was a wonder the moisture hadn’t seeped through her jeans to leave a wet spot on the sofa. She hoped to God she hadn’t, because she didn’t think she could handle being ashamed and humiliated again.

Damian distracted her from her thoughts when he tugged on a strand of her hair and when she turned to face him, the hunger in his eyes caused her heart to stutter and her breath to hitch in her throat.

She realized the ache deep down inside her wasn’t just because of physical need. The ache was lodged in her heart and wouldn’t let go. Melissa felt like she was supposed to be here with these two men. The thought of leaving and never seeing them again was so abhorrent that tears burned the back of her eyes.