True mates Book Two of Ozark Wolves

The movie had been fantastic. She did not understand the references and asked him about it. He explained that the movie was a play on an old movie from the sixties. Another good one and very tragic. He held her close as they walked out to his car. He had locked set the alarm when they had gone inside. Now at two a.m. there was no telling what kind of riffraff would be hanging around the deserted parking lot. "I hope you enjoyed that?" He said as he opened her door. His senses on alert.

"I did thank you." She said and climbed into the car. He closed her door tight and walked around to his side. Tossed the blanket in the back and climbed in. "Why do you have a blanket in your car?"

"I go driving to clear my head if I feel frustrated or just need to be by myself. There have been a few times I was out late and got tired so needed to pull over to rest for a little while." He explained. "After a few times of getting stuck like that on cold winter nights I realized the importance of a blanket." He grinned.

He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. She felt cold after the two hours under the nice blanket and slid cautiously to his side and leaned her head on his arm. He smiled and lifted the arm so she could rest against him. She was tired too. His left on the wheel his right around her back. The fingers of that hand rested lightly on her hip.

Her head against his side she sighed as the warmth from him seeped into her. She closed her eyes. He felt her relax against him. Her breathing evening before he cleared Springfield. Much better, he thought. He kissed the top of her head gently. She murmured his name and a shot of desire coursed through his veins. Oh yeah, she was definitely their mate. No female had ever made him so hot.

He pulled into his spot in front of the house twenty minutes later loath to wake her. She looked so peaceful. But wake she must. "We are home, sugar." He said gently as the porch light came on and this two brothers stepped through the door a mixture of irritation and worry on their faces. What the hell was their problem? They told him to fix it and he did.

"Mmm." She said and opened her eyes. His scent all around her. Her body warm from his. She sat up fast. Mortified that she had fallen asleep on him like that. "I am sorry." She said quickly. She slid to her side of the car in on fluid motion. He looked at her confused and then got out to let her out.

"Why?" He asked when he had her by the hand. "I liked that." Loved it really. The soft rise and fall of her breasts as she slept had been amazing against his side. Her thigh pressed tight against his.

"We said a movie not a matinee." Rick exploded. "Did you enjoy the movie, love?" He stepped forward to take her hand but she held back.

"The movie started at midnight, Rick. Lay off your brother." She defended. "And yes it was good movie." She looked to Quincy.

"We are glad you had a good time, honey." Quincy said mincing his words carefully. He grinned at William over the top of her head. A nod of approval. William had fixed things between them. He held the door open for her. "Go ahead and go upstairs. Your IPOD and earbuds are charged for you." She kissed William and pecked Rick on the cheek with an annoyed look and then kissed Quincy lightly then headed up the stairs.

Rick watched as she retreated up the stairs. "I'll be damned. Fuck her in your car?"

"No." William said. Then grinned. "Close to it though. I prefer to not be in a parking lot though."

"Did you say it then?" Quincy asked curiously.

"No." William said hard. "That particular conversation did not warrant that phrase. Too cliche and weak." He moved past his brothers to get into something more comfortable. His balls ached and his blood was still heated from her body against his during the drive home.

"Sorry for busting your balls when you arrived. I needed to make sure you had officially made up with her." Rick said as he climbed the stairs after William. He sprawled across his bed. Ready to rest now that everyone was home.

"I could see the humor. She got pretty upset." William said with a note of satisfaction in his voice.

"Yep. That was what I was hoping for. But as I said I have my own plan to make it all good." Rick said confidently. "I am crashing now that you two are home." A walk through the Japanese Botanical gardens then a sushi lunch. It was perfect.

"At least one of us can." William mumbled as he turned on the light on his drawing board. He had finished the second floor and was now working on the third. This was going to be a bit more complicated. All three of the brothers would have this level. He wanted to used the whole floor not just half like they currently had. A closed plan on the third. Open on the first, second, and fourth. Each of them needed at least thirty square feet for comfortable living space along with walk-in closets. He was getting sick of living out of drawers already. A grown ass adult needed a closet.

Alexandria changed into her pajamas that were clean and fresh. All her clothes were except what she was wearing. Someone had done laundry. She stepped a few steps to say goodnight. Rick had just closed his eyes. Quincy was reading a magazine and William was working. She had thought to invite them up. But they seemed comfortable and busy. "Good night." She said to them.

"Good night." The three said. William and Quincy smiled at her. Rick opened his eyes to meet hers and then closed them again.

William finished the first room which was the bathroom the three of them would share and decided he needed to go to bed. It was Quincy's turn with her but he had things to do tomorrow regarding the tearing down of the old pack house. Ironic since his father had offered to do just that for their mother. She had told him absolutely not. The brothers were not giving Alexandria a choice. They needed a bigger home.

He climbed onto his bed. He had listened carefully for the sound of chattering teeth or the small whimper of a nightmare but nothing filtered down but the soft even breathing of a contented female. He closed his eyes and dreamt of her soft skin under his hands. Her mouth on his.

"William," Rick said next to him in a whisper. "Get up, brother."

"Alexandria's fine, go back to sleep." William mumbled his hearing tuned to her even breathing upstairs.

"Get your ass up before I push you out of that bed," Quincy said in a harsh whisper. William sat up at the urgency in his voice.

"What?" William said and looked at the window below. "I just fell asleep." He complained flopping back on the bed.

"Shut up or you will wake her." Quincy said in a low warning growl. "Get your ass up and put on some pants. We will be in the back." The flat out fury and protectiveness in Quincy's voice had William up and throwing on his pants and shoes. Whatever was up was not good. Quincy was the best of the three for controlling their temper and emotions. Whatever had pissed him off had done a right fine job of it.

Rick and Quincy were at the old wicker lawn set Margarette and Marcus had left for them when they had moved into the new house. Rick's laptop was on the table. His email pulled up and the cursor to the mouse on an email he had received and since it was not in bold print had already been opened. The date and time of delivery were today and just an hour ago.

Rick turned down the volume on his laptop. "I already threw up. Twice." He said. "This is not going to be pretty." He clicked on the email and what appeared on the screen had William and Quincy backing up. Rick walked away from the table altogether.

"Oh, baby, you have grown." The cameraman said as the frame zoomed in on Alexandria as she tried to cover herself.

"I kicked your ass once, Zeke. I will do it again." She said though her voice was weak.

"Now, baby." The cameraman said circling her. Capturing in the frame the other two males in the room with her. "Play nice and this won't hurt, much." The film went black and came back.

"Scream bitch." A hoarse voice was heard and the camera was moved. The image was horrendous. William slammed the screen shut to stop the video. He thought he heard the sound of glass breaking but did not care.

"After the brothers have you. You are promised to us. Oh the fun we'll have breaking you." The video was still playing. "Not there, Grant. Our orders were to scare her. Not deflower her. Hurt her so she remembers what she is supposed to do." William picked up the laptop and threw it towards the woods. Quincy was a few feet away retching up everything he had and then some. William's blood was boiling with anger.

"This changes nothing." William said. "Grandfather showed us the surveillance video of her walking away from that. We knew."

"I did not say it did," Rick said as he walked away to collect what was left of the machine. "Foster and Carter sent us a copy of the autopsy on Skudd. All the same places she had been hit were the same on Skudd. The difference is they hit Skudd to kill."

"So you think those lunatics are loose?" William asked with a sickening smile.

"Those lunatics, brother, have no code." Quincy replied fury in his own voice.

"So we take the usual precautions." William replied and turned to back to the house. "Sorry about your laptop, Rick. I will go and send the emails."

"It's fine. I wanted a new one anyway." Rick said frowning at the broken screen. He carried the broken electronic around to the front of the house.

Quincy followed William into the house. William rounded on Quincy as they reached the front door. "Not a fucking word about the emails. Whatever we discuss will be done after she is out of earshot." Quincy nodded in a agreement and William opened the front door. His sense already reaching out and finding her still abed and still asleep. He sighed in relief.

Quincy too was relieved that she was not awake. He made is stopped at the kitchen to make coffee. His stomach was still rolling though. Rick came in the front. "I will start breakfast. You going to be alright with her today?" He asked his voice low as he joined Quincy in the kitchen.

"Yeah." Quincy replied in the same tone. "Absolutely not a word while she is in earshot though." Rick nodded and pulled out a frying pan. He wanted omelets today.

Rick reached into the fridge for the eggs, bacon, ham, cheese, and vegetables. "I don't think she was meant to kill us." Rick said as he turned the heat over the pan low. "I think she was meant to distract us." He cracked an egg. Quincy nodded. He watched the dark liquid fill the coffee pot. The delightful aroma of the expensive coffee filling the kitchen.

"So he does not know how the bond works." Quincy replied. "He was guessing." He pulled down two cups. "Coffee?"

"Yes." Rick said as he added the bacon and ham, sliced mushrooms and chopped bell peppers. Added them to the egg that was cooking beautifully and flipped the omelet closed. Quincy shoved a cup his way and he took it with his free hand to take a sip. Black and delicious.

William sat on his bed listening to the low conversation. Did she even love them then? Or was this all a ruse? His eyes hardened a little. He glanced at his clock on the table next to his bed. Barely eight in the morning. He pulled on a shirt and decided that he needed to get busy. He pulled his own laptop out from under his bed. Opened it and there was a copy of the video sent to him. He deleted it and started the emails to the Alphas of the surrounding pack. Letting them know that a trio of lunatic loners were on the loose.

Quincy and Rick listened to the furious typing of William's fingers on his keyboard. Quincy picked up his coffee mug and went to the living room. How in the hell were they to keep this from her? He was burning with questions. He was burning with anger too. Homicidal anger. Movement in her bed above brought all them to attention. Her feet hit the floor and moved quickly to her bathroom.

Rick pulled down four plates and they hit the counter a little too hard. He winced. Cooking usually calmed him and allowed him to think. But the images of her beaten, bloody, and unconscious played through his mind like a bad horror flick.