True mates Book Two of Ozark Wolves

She was still reeling from the overstimulation of the three of them as she made her way with William to his parents' house that evening. She had been touched by the amount of detail he had put in the house. Understanding why he had chosen the spot for her garden. Gasping with delight over the sunroom and the huge nursery. Liking that each of her mates would have their own rooms on the third floor just below her. But also not understanding why she got her own room separate from them. She had figured that eventually they would all be sharing the same room and the same bed all the time. She asked the question shyly. Timidly.

"Interesting thought but no." William said with a chuckle. "The idea is to give ourselves personal space. The three of us have been piled on top each other since the womb. The only time we got space was in college. And even then we were put in the same dorm." He hooked his finger under her chin. "If at anytime you want one or all of us to snuggle you only need ask." He kissed her gently. "Nothing would give us more pleasure."

"Agreed." Rick and Quincy said. Rick was on his bed typing notes and Quincy was playing a video game on his computer. Cussing once in a while at the inanimate object.

"So tonight?" She questioned.

"All you need do is ask, love." Rick reiterated. "I for one sleep better."

"All of us do." William put in. "Mostly because you do not snore since you are on your side."

"Truth." Quincy said with a raised arm from his computer. "We have one hour before dinner needs to be started."

That too had been an experience. Quincy and Rick had so much knowledge of the woods and all its flora and fauna. They explained that while growing up William would go with their father to his job sites with his little hard hat and tool belt. The other two would go out to the woods with their mother and get lessons on nature.

When they were old enough she became a den mother for a group of boy scouts. Finding that there were a lot of other young males in the pack who wanted to join but since they did not have a chapter in their little town someone had to go to the main office in Springfield and petition for a one.

Now sitting in the house of the magnificent Margarette she did not know how she was going to do be able to do this. Andrea started her off with the lesson on the expectations of a female to her male mate and the other way around. Andrea was pleased with how well Alexandria was retaining the information. She had skipped over a lot of stuff that did not apply. First phasing and so forth.

William half listened to what Andrea was saying to Alexandria as he showed his father the finished plans for the new house. Marcus was impressed with his son's use of light and the angles of the current house to expand out the new place. It was going to be more of a mansion than a pack house. "This is good, son," Marcus approved. "If I may though. The pack house is the place where the females and pups go during an attack. Have you considered this?" William smiled and pulled out a fifth blueprint. One he had not shown to anyone.

"This is the basement." William said the whole thing was an underground room the size of the house above. "There is a secret door that leads out and the steel door to the room locks from the inside. There is no way in." Marcus nodded. A safe room.

"Overprotective and vigilant." Andrea was saying. "Do not question it. You are their most precious possession. The succession of their line depends on you." Alexandria's scent increased at this. She was blushing. "So you have already recognized this. Good. Their happiness depends on you. The happier you are. The happier they are." William's blood was pumping through his veins and his heart was doing double time in his chest. She really needed to stop that. "Not just in that, daughter but that is another subject for when you are ready for that phase." Andrea said with a smile in her voice.

"I say we can begin as early as Monday. I just had a crew finish a job yesterday and could use the work. That will give your mother and I a chance to change residences. Is that enough time for you?" Marcus asked grinning at his son's reaction to his mate.

"Plenty," William swallowed hard trying to get his desire under control.

"How are you three doing?" Marcus asked to change the subject.

"Fine. Of course we are dealing with our own brand of favorite alcohol and having to abstain while it is right before us." William grinned.

Marcus laughed. "And next week?"

"We have not discussed it." William shrugged. "I prefer to not. But I also know from Mom that the female is more incorrigible during that time."

"That is a delicate way of putting it. Well done." Marcus laughed again. "She is also going to want more of the other stuff too."

"I am hoping for that." William said. "That I would already be giving her." Marcus's brows furrowed over his light blue eyes. "She has not asked." William shrugged. "I am not even sure until tonight she even knew she could."

"Have you three discussed that?" Marcus asked.

"Of course." William nodded. "One or all of us. Her choice." Marcus was pleased. He had been concerned that they may smother her.

"I am sorry for losing my temper last night." Marcus apologized standing and pulling his son into a huge hug. "I am proud of all three of you. I know that all of you were hoping that your mate would come later. That you got the chance to establish your authority and your careers." Marcus pulled back to look his son in the eyes. Even height as they were. "But you three are handling this well."

"Thank you, Father." William said overjoyed. He had always looked up to his father. Always strived to be the leader and mate his father had exhibited. "How long do you think it will take to build?"

"Should be done by the end of the summer." Marcus replied. "My crews are good. But you know that. The cost will come from me. Consider it a mating gift." William hugged his father again. His heart full of joy. "I hope you finished the nightclub before you started this."

"I did." William replied. "I present it next week." The conversation eased between them as they spoke of the plans and how William thought the investors will like his work.

Margarette had just finished her lesson on what to expect at major meetings with the other females. "Some of them will be snippy at first. Put them in their place immediately. Otherwise you will have nothing but trouble."

"Alexis has already made an appearance." William said from the top of the stairs. "I was of a mind to put her in her place myself. Alexandria handled her perfectly. You would have been proud, Mother." He went around her huge black leather couch, identical to the one in the pack house, to kiss her on the cheek. "I sure was." Alexandria blushed again and his heart that had only just slowed down skipped a beat and picked back up. Dammit all to hell. He could see that there would be no sleep again tonight.

Margarette smiled delightedly between her son and future daughter in law. "I see things between you two have smoothed over. I am glad. We are done for tonight. I will be here Monday night to go through the next phase and to start planning the ritual with you." She sighed and looked around. "Two days to pack all this up?"

"Three, love Tomorrow is Friday." Marcus said. "I have already messaged my crew."

"Of course you have, lover." Margarette smiled. "Run along." She shooed Alexandria and William out.

William took Alexandria's hand and led her back to the house. "You are absolutely adorable when you blush by the way." He said once out of earshot of his mother's house.

"Adorable?" She asked. He kissed her like a full grown female and then used rhetoric one would with a pup.

"Yes, do you have an issue with that word?" He asked wondering at her tone. "Everything about you is adorable to me. I am sure Rick and Quincy would use other words. I prefer to be a little more polite." Then he remembered what he had said to her in his car before taking her inside the theater. "Most of the time."

"So your adorable is Rick's version of sexy?" She asked with a smile.

"Something like that." He said grimly. She rested her head against his arm and he bent his head to kiss her head.

"Then thank you." She replied. This was nice. The night was warm and the moon was waxing. She looked at the partial moon.

"What are thinking?" He asked following her gaze.

"How much everything changed so fast. I know you know why I said I wanted to stay. But it wasn't just that. I know what waited if I had returned. The future I had hoped for was smashed to pieces with a promise. Not one I made. I would have jumped off a roof first." She paused and shook her head. "Either way I was not meant to survive."

"Either way what?" He asked piecing together what she was saying with what they knew.

"Either on the streets or returning. I would not have survived. This way I will. But I was not counting on love. I have known fondness. But not love. It is a strange, encompassing feeling." She explained.

"It is." William replied. This is the first time in days she had spoken of her past.

"How do you know?" She asked. She had been thinking of it all evening. Trying to understand what the brothers were hiding. What had them on edge.

"Know what, sugar?" He asked his thoughts on how she had come from such a bad experience and still be willing to accept this. True they had worked damn hard this week to make her at home.

"What happened." She said softly. They had reached the stairs. He faltered for a second but caught himself. He shot her a questioning and despairing look. "I figured that would be the only thing to have you three protective and anxious. So how do you know?"

"It was videoed. The video was sent to our emails." William replied. It was her turn to falter in her step. "We are still unsure how they got our emails." He caught her before she fell. "Chaz, our head of IT is looking into that."

"Then?" She asked. She was looking at her shoes. He hooked his large finger under her chin to lift her eyes to his.

"That is why we want to do the ritual so soon." William stepped forward and cupped her small face in his huge hands. "Complete the bond and make you our wife and the pack's Luna. Claimed and protected." He searched her frightened eyes. "What are you afraid of?"

"Them." She said. "They are rabid dogs. No rules. Just chaos."

"We figured that out. But we only have rules in sparring. Outside of that we are deadly. Nut it is not just us. Alexandria. No one will touch you aside from your mates." William assured her. He dropped his hands. Taking one of hers once again in his. They walked into the house together.

"Thank the Moon you figured it out." Quincy said still at his computer. A new game on the screen.

"Indeed." Rick said. "I was going to have a hell of a time tomorrow."

"Go on up to bed, sugar." William said letting her go reluctantly.

"Come with me?" She asked shyly.

"Not tonight, sugar." William said shaking his head regretfully. Oh but that was tempting. "I will admit that I am just about at my limits. And you are still sore." She looked to Rick who grinned.

"Not a problem for me." He got off his bed and closed his laptop. He took her hand as she met him on the stair. His warm hand in hers helped to keep the negative feelings away. She needed someone tonight. Her confession to William had taken a lot. She took her pajamas to the bathroom to change as Rick stretched out on the covers.

He was exhausted but did not want to push her. She had made the invitation and he would play by her rules. This was after all her bed. He was elated to have her want them next to her as she slept for any reason. She came out of the bathroom. Turned off the light and saw that he was fully dressed. On top of the covers. His eyes were closed so he did not see.

She crawled in under the covers next to him. He put his arm around her and pulled her as close as the covers allowed. "Good night, love." He whispered in her ear.

"Good night, Rick, darling." She said and closed her eyes. Concentrating on his scent all around her. Pushing hard at the memories that tried to invade her conscious.

Rick inhaled her scent from her hair. He focused on her breathing and heartbeat. Neither slowed down. She did not relax. He loosened his arm around her in case he was holding her too tight. She whimpered a little. What was wrong. She usually went right to sleep. "What's wrong, love?" He whispered in the dark. He felt her tense. He rolled her over to look at her. Her eyes were wet as well as her cheeks. Fear and hurt in her eyes. The past was haunting her tonight. "What do you need, love?" He pushed the hair from her face so he would see her better.

"I need." She started and then closed her eyes shut. Frustrated.

"Okay, let me see if I can guess." He said with a smile and a gentle kiss to her lips. He brushed her tears away. "I am holding you too tight?" She shook her head. "Okay." He thought for a second. "You want me under the covers with you?" She nodded. "Alright, give me a minute." He brushed his lips once more on her forehead and got up. He needed his sweats.

William was relaxing on his bed a book Quincy had bought for Alexandria in his hand. Quincy was on his bed with another in his. Rick grinned at the two and grabbed a pair of sweatpants out of his chest of drawers and padded to the bathroom to change. "Everything alright?" Quincy asked when Rick reappeared.

"Yeah. It's gonna be a long night." Rick replied putting his pants and shirt in his hamper." He sighed. "A very long night."

"Good luck." William said sympathetically. Rick nodded his acceptance of that and walked back up the stairs.

She was still in bed. The same expression on her face. Her tears still falling. "Shh, love." Rick climbed under the covers with her. Gathered her close. "There is nothing to worry about. William and Quincy are right below us. I have you. Get some rest. I have plans for us tomorrow." Rick pictured them walking the lanes through the Japanese Gardens. Her laughing as she throws food for the koi fish.

"What's that?" She asked sniffing a little.

"You ever wanted to go to Japan?" He asked with a smile against her hair. She was on her back. He was on his side. One arm around her waist to hold her body close to his.

"I never thought about it." She said softly. Japan? Where was he going with that?

"You, me and a picnic lunch are going to the Japanese Gardens at the Botanical center. It is beautiful. They have koi fish and little pellets you can buy to feed them. Turtles that also love that stuff. Bonsai trees. Little buildings that are of Japanese architecture. Calming gardens." He stopped talking she had relaxed and her soft sigh and even heartbeat said she was falling asleep. "I hope you enjoy it. It is one of my favorite places." Her even breathing said she was fast asleep. He smiled and kissed her hair then closed his eyes and prayed he did not awaken with a morning erection to scare the hell out her.