Seducing Their Wayfaring Souls [3xtasy Lake 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (21 page)

He ran to Cris and jumped into his arms, wrapping his arms tightly around his neck. “Ith it true?”

“What’s that, buddy?”

“You and Larth are gonna be my dadth?”

“Zack, I need to talk to Cris first.” Tara jogged up looking concerned. Cris held out his arm and she hugged him. He wrapped his arm around her and held on to Zack and her tight enough to make Zack wiggle.

“Yes, absolutely, we want to be your dads.” The moment he said yes Zack threw his arms around his neck and held on tight. Lars approached and Zack lifted his head up and held out his arms to Lars.

“I can call you both Dad, right?”

“I would love it, little man.” Cris pressed a kiss to his forehead. His heart felt like it might never beat calmly again. His wolf recognized Zack’s scent as his pup and pounced against his awareness in excitement.

Lars looked like he’d been sucker punched. He accepted Zack from Cris’s arms and the boy wrapped his arms around Lars’s neck as he had done with him. “I’m honoured to be your father, Zack.”

“Thank you for giving us another chance.” Cris laced his fingers with Tara’s and lifted her hand so he could press a kiss to the back of it.

Tara looked up at him, her eyes shining with tears. “I don’t know if I’m more scared or excited about this.”

Lars came up beside her wrapped his arm around her waist. Zack reached out for Cris’s hand and the four of them made a small circle. “We’re a family now, Tara. There isn’t anything you will have to face alone. You’ll never be judged here or expected to act a specific way.”

“Everyone is very nosey and you might get tired of everyone getting in your business, but they will grow to love you as much as we do.” Cris pressed a kiss against her temple. “The entire town was hoping you would stay and I know they never meant to hurt your feelings. They didn’t understand what your past was like and it’s up to you what you want to share with them.”

Cris would allow her to tell their story however she wanted. While a few people knew the truth, everyone would accept her story in order to make life easier for Zack. One day they’d have to tell him the truth, but they’d make that decision together as a family.

“Does thith mean I can thwim with Blavet whenever I want?”

Lars laughed. “We’ll have to be careful, only the four of us know the truth.”

“I have a thecret! I can keep a thecret.” Zack was so excited he practically jumped out of Lars’s arms.

Tara reached out and ticked Zack’s ribs, making him giggle. “This is a big secret, Zack. You can’t ever let it slip.”

“I won’t.” He held up three fingers. “I thwear!”

“Three-finger swear. I think we’re safe.” Cris took a deep breath and fought back the urge to throw Tara over his shoulder and run straight to the nearest bed. His life had made a ninety-degree turn and he was going to have to adapt to being a dad.

Lars’s cell phone chimed the arrival of a text. The big guy smirked when he read the text. “It’s Gordon. He wants to know if we would like to come over for dinner and a crash course on being a father.”

“Who’s Gordon?” Tara rested her head on Cris’s chest as she spoke. The casual touch warmed him

“Lulu’s father,” Lars replied, “and a good friend of ours.”

“Can we go? Please, please.” Zack looked to each of them in turn, giving them his best pleading look.

Lars looked down at Tara, as did Cris. She looked back and forth between them. “You want me to decide.”

He and Lars smiled and gave her a nod. Cris wanted Tara to realize she was an equal partner in their relationship and he knew Lars felt the same way. Given the choice, Cris would rather stay home and cuddle up in front of a fire. Going to visit the Roberts family would help fill the hours until they could tuck Zack into bed. Also, it would give Tara a chance to meet Lulu’s parents.

“All right, sounds like fun. I need to call my cousin first and tell him I’ve found where I’m meant to be.” She rubbed her forehead. “I’m going to need to find a job, too.”

“You are welcome to, but take your time.” Lars pressed a kiss to her temple, too. “There are advantages to being around as long as we’ve been. You’ve spent years worrying about taking care of yourself and Zack. Let Cris and I take care of you for a while. We don’t want you to feel rushed to make any decisions. This is your chance to look at all your options and do something you never thought you could.”

* * * *

“I never would have imagined there was so many of you.” Tara sat sideways in the front seat, facing Lars who was driving. She looked back at Cris, who sat in the back with Zack curled up in his arms. Cris had watched Lulu dozing in her father’s arms as they were leaving and he didn’t doubt she was fast asleep by now as well. Zack had fallen asleep moments after they pulled out of the driveway.

Zack and Lulu hadn’t stopped from the moment they arrived at the house. Even with the age difference between them it didn’t seem to matter. She’d taken Zack under her wing and showed him all the secrets in her house and the surrounding forest. By dinnertime the two of them were running on pure adrenaline and chocolate milk.

“Do you mean so many shifters?” Cris asked her. When they spoke with Gordon and his wives, Ann and Helen, over dinner, he thought she’d accepted the truth very well. He met Lars’s gaze in the rearview mirror, but the big guy didn’t look overly concerned.

“Yes, I was trying to wrap my head around the idea of there being two of you. Now, I find out that almost the entire population of this town can change as well.” She shook her head. “I’d never believe it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.”

“Tara, is this something you can handle?” He glanced down at Zack. His son was going to grow up and be able to shift one day. Tara hadn’t turned her back on her son before. He couldn’t believe that she would now.

“I don’t think I have a choice. The three men I can’t live without have this ability.” A small smile curled her lips as she looked from Lars to him. “I feel a little left out to be honest.”

Lars lifted her hand and gave it a kiss. “We’d be lost without you, too,
min blomst
.”

“Ann told me that Zack’s motor skills will improve exponentially now that he is surrounded by other shape-shifters.” Cris could easily see how that fact eased a large weight from her shoulders. She’d been so concerned about Zack.

“She’s right. His primal side couldn’t sense others like him so it stayed undeveloped, but that presented itself in other ways. It’s an instinctual protection for the human side, but there are side effects.”

“Is he getting too heavy for you?” Tara reached back and rubbed the part of Cris’s leg she could reach. He noticed many times during the night, she reached out to either him or Lars as if she was grounding herself.

“Baby, I could hold him for eternity and not get tired. I’m looking forward to holding you shortly after we get home.”

Even in the dark he could see the flush to her cheeks. “Good, because I’m looking forward to being held.” She slid across the bench seat and Lars lifted his arm so she could tuck in underneath him. Lars met Cris’s gaze in the review mirror. There was a peace in Lars’s expression Cris hadn’t seen before and he was thrilled they had found their anchor in life.

Each of them had started floating through life without any real focus. Sure, he had the radio station and Lars had the motorcycle shop, but now they had meaning and family and a bond.

When they reached the house, Cris carried Zack in with Lars and Tara behind them. Cris turned and watched as Lars scooped Tara up into his arms. Cris knew Lars lived for traditions so he wasn’t surprised to see him insisting on carrying her over the threshold. Tara covered her mouth with her hand to muffle the sounds of her laughing.

“Lars, I can walk. This is silly.”

“Traditions are meant to be followed,” he replied and carried her in, placing her on the ground in front of Cris before going back to quietly shut the door. Despite her protests, Tara grinned and watched Lars’s ass as he stepped away.

Ann, Helen, and Tara had a great visit together, and the three of them managed to polish off a couple bottles of wine. Cris was semirelieved since he wanted Tara completely relaxed for tonight, but not intoxicated.

“I’m going to tuck Zack into the spare room.”

Tara pressed a kiss against Zack’s forehead. “I knew he was exhausted, but he’s really out cold.”

“I’m not surprised. I don’t think he or Lulu stopped running all evening.”

“I should go get our suitcases out of the car. His jammies are in it.”

Lars came up behind Tara and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “Don’t worry about that. Zack can sleep in his T-shirt and underwear and we’ll sort the rest out tomorrow.”

“You two go on ahead,” Cris said. “I’ll tuck Zack in and be there in a bit.”

Lars bent and gave Zack a kiss on the top of his head before he took Tara’s hand. Cris carried Zack down the hall to the spare room. The bed was big and comfortable. Cris had crashed on it a few times.

He held Zack with one arm while pulling back the covers and then carefully laid his son down. He quickly removed his shoes and pants and his sweater and then tucked him under the covers before he got cold.

Zack rolled on his side and curled up, pulling the comforter up to his chin. He blinked sleepily up at Cris and smiled. Cris felt his heart turn completely to mush. “Hey, I was trying not to wake you up.”

“Th’oky.” Zack yawned as big as a wolf pup. “I like Lulu. I’m gonna marry her when I’m big.”

“You are, huh?” Cris brushed some of the hair out of his son’s face.
My son.

“Yeah, thee thaid tho.”

“I’m going to leave a light on for you in case you wake up and forget where you are. There is a TV in the corner and the remote is on the end table if you want to watch cartoons in the morning and we aren’t up yet.”

“Can I come and get my mom?”

“Sure you can, but knock on our door first before you come in.”

Zack nodded as his eyes drifted shut again. “Night, Dad.”

“Good night, Zack.” Cris kissed his temple. “Sweet dreams.”

Cris sat on the edge of the bed and waited until Zack’s breathing evened out and he slipped back into a deep sleep. Zack was an amazing boy and he’d been blessed with an incredible mom. Cris hoped he would be able to be a good dad, but with Lars by his side he wasn’t as afraid as if he had to do it on his own.

Satisfied Zack was out for the rest of the night, Cris slipped from the room and quietly closed the door. He headed first to the kitchen for a bottle of wine and a couple glasses. This was a special night for the three of them and he wanted to make certain Tara felt cherished.

* * * *

Tara watched as Cris headed down the hall with Zack. She wasn’t worried about Zack, other than normal concerns he might wake up in a strange house and be afraid in the middle of the night. Lars wrapped his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her other arm. “Zack might wake up when Cris settles him, but he’ll be out for the night. Too much excitement in the past few days has caught up with him.”

“I’m surprised it hasn’t caught up with me, too.” Except she felt like she was vibrating with excitement, looking forward to what was going to happen that night.

“You’ll sleep as soundly as him later.”

Lars’s comment made her cheeks heat again. She lifted her hands and pressed them to her cheeks. “I wonder if I’ll ever stop blushing around you two.”

“I hope not.” He brought her hand to his mouth and pressed his lips against it as he led her into a room at the end of the hall.

The first view of Lars’s bedroom had her thinking it was very masculine and she’d never seen a bed as big as that before.

“I’d hoped one day I would share a Mate with Cris,” he commented as if he could read her mind.

“Do I want to know how many women have tried to land you two in here?” Tara didn’t know what little demon made her speak out loud, but she imagined the wine she had earlier helped free him.

Lars stopped and pressed the edge of his finger under her chin so she would look up at him. “No one, Tara.” He pressed a gentle kiss against her lips. “I’m not going to lie and say we haven’t shared a woman before, but there has never been a woman in this bed before you.”

“Tradition?” Tara was more thrilled than she had a right to be.

Lars grinned down at her. “Traditions are important.”

“Why?” Tara grew up surrounded by rigid traditions designed to keep her family and everyone in town locked in a narrow-minded prison. She wanted to live life as it happened, but as Zack got older she’d felt bad for not creating some new traditions with him.

“Because they help us focus on what is important.” Lars scooped her up into his arms. “Carrying you into our home is important. Cris carried our son in and I know he will never forget that moment.”

Tara felt a burn of tears at Lars’s easy use of the word “our” when speaking about Zack. “You really could accept him as your son, too?”

Lars frowned at her slightly for asking the question but not in anger. “I was married a long time ago and she had children of her own already.”