Trinity Bound (21 page)

“Yes,” Hannah added. “All of us.”

She looked at both her men, daring them to say anything against her.

Josh gazed into her eyes while Reed squeezed her hand, then they nodded as one. “Yes, all of us,” they said together.

Edward nodded. “Okay then.” Then he turned to her. “You are our Healer, Hannah.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m just a healer; I don’t know if I’m
your
Healer.”

“Hannah, I feel it. We all do.”

Pat and Reed nodded in agreement.

“But...” She trailed off as a warm feeling of belonging settled over her.

She looked into Edward’s eyes, and he smiled.

She
was
their Healer. She wasn’t alone anymore.

Reed kissed her softly, then Josh did the same. She blushed in embarrassment.

“You feel okay?” Reed asked.

“I feel like I can Heal anything. You know?”

“Hannah,” Edward interrupted, “once you are mated fully and become part of the Pack, you will feel every Pack member. If they are hurt, you will know. Maddox will help you in your training so you won’t be overwhelmed.”

She was overwhelmed as it was. How could she deal with all of these people? How many were there? The enormity of the situation hit her. She’d made her choice. She was Reed’s mate. Part of the Redwoods now.

If she were already feeling like this now, how would she be when she felt the rest of the Pack? She needed to talk to Maddox. If he felt all the emotions, he’d be a total help.

“You will be an asset to the Pack; I can tell,” Edward added. “I mean, look at what you’ve done to my son. Josh too. I’ve never seen Reed so happy and relaxed.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

Again, Hannah blushed scarlet.

Do all werewolves talk about their kids’ sex lives? Geesh.

“You are important. But remember, Hannah,” Edward added, “you are not above others in the Pack. You are not more worthy than they are.”

Reed let out a strangled cough.

“Is there something you’d like to add, son?” Edward asked.

“No, I’m fine.”

“No, you aren’t. Tell me.”

Reed sighed. “Fine. I just don’t believe you. You can’t tell me that Kade or Jasper or anyone else in our family isn’t more important the others. Yes, all Pack members are valued. But they are critical to our survival.”

Edward looked at him with confusion.

“Reed, you are just as important.”

Reed gave a hollow laugh.

“You are the one who paints our culture, our history. Since you were a pup, you’ve been keeping records and remembering those who would’ve been forgotten. Without you, our Pack would not have that backbone. Our future pups would not know their history by art. You are just as important as all my children.”

Reed stayed silent, and Hannah eyes filled with tears at the pain and sense of loss on his face.

“Reed, we were coming for you. Never doubt that. No matter what, we would have found you. I felt you here.” He placed his hand over his heart. “But we couldn’t find you.”

Then the tough Alpha of the fiercest Pack of werewolves in the nation, grabbed his son in a backbreaking hug with tears in his eyes.

Pat stood up and joined her family, crying with them. Then she stood back and pulled Josh and Hannah in the hug.

This was her new family if fate allowed it. Warmth infused her bones.

Pat patted both her and Josh’s cheeks. “You may not have completed the mating, but you are our family now. We don’t let go of what is ours. So you’re stuck with us regardless.”

Neither she nor Josh said anything, merely nodding.

Edward pulled back first, clearing his throat and unsuccessfully trying to put on his stern Alpha-mask.

“Go home. Get to know one another. When I know more, I will tell you.”

“Thank you, Dad.” Reed nodded.

They all hugged goodbye, then the three of them walked out of the house, hand in hand. They had accepted her into Reed’s family. Just like that. Warmth spread through her. Things were happening so fast, but she could wait to see what would happen next.

Chapter 16

After lunch the next day, Reed stood in his old storage room, staring at the skylights and hoping it would allow enough light in to room for Hannah. He bent and lifted a few old paintings he’d finished but never quite liked and just stuck in this room, forgotten.

“Reed, don’t do this. I don’t want to take up your space,” Hannah argued.

“Baby, I’ve been wanting to put these in an actual storage unit for years. I want you to feel comfortable here. This way you can do your potions and grow an herb garden. I know you’ve been itching to do it. Don’t lie. Let me do this for you.” He needed to do something to show he wanted her here permanently. And if giving her this room was only a small token, he’d do it without regret.

“But what if you need more studio space?” Hannah bit her lip in that sexy way of hers.

“Then I’ll build on,” Reed said simply. He had the money he’d accumulated from his paintings over his long life, and the space on the land around his home. Plus, Kade was an amazing architect and Jasper an equally amazing contractor who could whip something up for Reed in a heartbeat. It paid to have talent like that in the family.

“That does make it sound permanent,” Josh said quietly, an odd look on his face.

“I hope so,” Reed whispered. He didn’t dare say anything else.

He thought he saw something dark flash across Josh’s eyes, but it went away as fast as it appeared. Maybe a trick of the light? He shrugged it off. He was probably just seeing things.

Together, the three of them cleared away the rest of the canvases and paints, leaving a room with benches and pretty good natural light. They’d only need to add some paint to the walls, sand down the wooden benches and tables, and then add in whatever garden supplies Hannah needed to start up her workspace. Once the spring came, she’d be able to start one outside too. Maybe he’d talk to Kade about building a greenhouse.

“Where do you want these?” Josh asked.

He held a bag of soil over one shoulder and some cuttings from Reed’s mother in his other hand. They’d gone to the town center in the den earlier and bought at least the beginnings of what Hannah would need. Plus they’d visited Willow’s bakery and eaten some of her cinnamon rolls.
Yum
.

“Here, let me help.” Reed walked toward him, but Josh shook his head.

“No, I got it, just tell me where.”

Hannah pointed, and Reed watched the man’s muscles bunch and flex under the weight of the bag with every step.

Dear God, that man is fucking sexy as hell.

Reed bit back a grown and went back to sanding the benches and tables.

“We should just mate them already. They are perfect for us. They want us. Why are we waiting?”

Reed could only agree with his wolf, but he still had to wait for the two of them to actually say they wanted forever. He was damned sure, but he saw the hesitancy on both their faces.

Reed shook his head and walked over to Hannah, who stood frozen looking at her new room.

“What do you need? What can I get you?”

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. “Nothing.” She paused. “Everything.”

Her head came up, and Reed saw fear underlying the weariness.

What could be so wrong to make her look like that?

She let out a breath. “I’m afraid if I give in and hope for more, it’ll crush me once everything falls to pieces and I lose everything.”

Josh came up behind her and pulled her in his arms. “Don’t think about that; it will only make your head hurt. I know because mine already does.”

Reed kissed her softly. “Live for now. Find your way. We can still be together. Forever. Don’t think about the unknown and what could happen when we don’t even know what
is
happening.”

Hannah nodded and wiped away the tears before they fell. “I’ve been such a cry baby lately. I hate it.” She sniffed, and they laughed.

“What do you need?” Reed asked again.

She gave a half smile. “I want to feel the soil.”

“Sounds reasonable. Go for it. I’m going to paint this wall, if that’s okay. You said you wanted a landscape, right?” At her nod, he smiled.

Just as her fingers itched to plant and feel the earth, his did to paint and share his talent with his mates.

“Let me help, Hannah.” Josh went and opened the bags for her, listening as she explained exactly what she was doing.

Reed’s heart warmed at the thought of the three of them sharing the same space, working together as one. It was just a small step, but it meant so much.

Josh let out a big laugh. “I have a black thumb. I’ll let you get to the planting. But I can sand these shelves and get these benches and tables ready.”

Josh got busy, and all three of them worked silently on their goals to make Hannah’s room hers.

Hannah moaned, and Reed looked over to see her arms above her head and her body stretched like a cat.

Fuck me.

He went on alert, hard as a rock, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Josh do the same.

“What?” She batted her eyes playfully, knowing damn well what she was doing. “It’s been two hours. I need a break. Any ideas how to work the kinks out of my back?”

“Two hours?” Reed groaned. “I’m sure I can help you with your back. Come here.”

She shook her head, smiling.

“Okay, then. Why don’t you come here?” Josh teased.

She bit her lip and shook her head again. “Nuh uh. You come to me.” Then she darted out of the room, leaving Josh and him looking on in astonishment.

“First one who catchers her gets to taste her?” Josh asked.

“Deal.”

They both made it to the couch in the living room at the same time and stopped dead in their tracks.

Hannah lay on her back on the white couch, which was big enough for three to lie down. Naked. Her hand circled her nipple, and the other trailed down to her damp curls.

“Dear God,” Josh rasped.

Reed growled, too turned on to speak.

Both men stripped quickly, and Reed pounced on her.

Sometimes it’s nice to have werewolf speed.

Hannah gasped and smiled. “Caught me.”

“Oh, I’ll catch you again. And again,” Reed growled. Then he crushed his mouth to hers, drowning in her honey and bitter apple taste. He fisted his hand in her hair, pulling her head to the side so he could go deeper with his tongue. His cock lay in the valley between her thighs, sliding in her juices, teasing.