Page 53 of Wanted by the Wolves (The Last Shifters #2)

Summer—Nova

“ Y ou’re a brave woman,” Vandera says, obviously amused as she watches me fumble through the back door of her shop.

“Not you too! It’s one box of herbs,” I grouse. I’m six months pregnant, not incompetent.

Briggs stomps his boots off at the door, calling, “See? The witch agrees with me.”

“Wrong.” Vandera cackles. “It doesn’t take my gift of sight to know an alpha will act a fool when it comes to being protective of his pregnant mate.”

“Thank you!” I roll my eyes, setting the offending crate on the wooden island that runs along the back of her workshop storage area.

“Happy to be a fool in love.” My good-natured alpha throws me that smirking grin as he sets his stack of crates next to mine. It’s the secret smile I swear he saves just for me.

The bond pulses with fondness and this ooey-gooey feeling I can’t even name. I feel my face flush as my scent swells.

He leans in and smacks a kiss on my lips. Before I can sink into it, he pulls back. “I’m going back to the truck for the others.”

I watch his ass in those tight jeans his entire way to the door.

Vandera’s warm chuckle draws my eyes back to her. “You got it bad, girl. That, too, is predictable.”

“So true. But I can’t help it.” I hand her the moon-dried rose petals she’s been waiting for and dig around in another crate until I find the satchel of rose thorns.

“These are perfect, thank you.” Vandera brings the ingredients to her table near the window.

I get to work unpacking the crates and restoring the workshop reserves while Briggs makes another two trips. He sets the last crate on the table and snakes a hand around my waist, spinning me into him.

“I’m heading to training. Gage is over at the clinic. Dex should be back with his patrol in a few minutes and is planning to pick you up here, but if you need anything, call.”

“I know. It’s the same as last Tuesday and the one before that,” I tease him.

Briggs doesn’t look chastened. “I will never apologize for caring for you, pretty wolf.” His big palm rubs across the rounded curve of my belly. “Or these two.”

He brushes a soft kiss on my lips before bending to do the same on my stomach, talking in a low voice to the babies. Whatever pretend annoyance I had at his hovering melts into a puddle at my feet. My eyes water, but I force myself to pull it together.

Briggs gives me another of those knowing grins as he exits through the front of the shop.

Vandera pretends to ignore my almost blubbering as I return to the comfort of my task. I’ve been stocking the store from our pack’s garden for months, and we fall into our usual routine. We chat about the latest news and the preparations we’ve been making for the upcoming summer solstice celebration.

It took me a while to settle into Moon Lake Valley, but now I feel like I’ve found my groove. For the first few months, I stuck to our cabin outside of town and didn’t go anywhere without my mates.

The brothers easily accepted their roles as pack enforcers, working with the Alpha King—I still can’t call him Fennik, and every time I see him, I feel a little green around the edges—on patrols and security, including training. Gage and I—no surprise there—took more time.

The first time Gage healed someone, it was because of Dex. He had been on patrol, and a younger alpha got hurt. After that, word spread, and people kept coming. My reluctant healer couldn’t turn them away. Watching him fall back in love with his calling has been food for my soul.

It helped push me to talk to Randi and Vandera about taking on responsibility for the valley's herb and flower gardens. The other farms focus primarily on food, and I could see how they were struggling to keep up with the demands of the increased population. Now, Gage and I work the herb gardens together, though he spends several days a week at the clinic in town.

I get sunshine and herbs, with a few of the people sprinkled in too. It’s the best of both worlds. Sometimes, the weirdness of living among others in community again hits me out of nowhere though. It’s almost strange to think about wishes coming true.

Dex interrupts my daydreaming, his deep rumble traveling from the front of the shop.

“In here,” I call, stacking the last of the empty crates.

“Hands off those crates, baby girl. I’ll load them,” he commands.

I huff but throw my hands up in surrender, turning with an eye roll. “I wouldn’t dare.”

Vandera’s soft laugh makes me grin.

Dex stalks my way until my handsome hunter is standing before me. He smells like outside and sweat, and I kind of want to lick him. His big palm skirts along my back, and he squeezes my hip, pulling me closer. “You ready?”

He rubs his cheek on my hair, scent marking me before planting a kiss on his mating bite. I decided I liked my short hair for that very reason.

I reach up on my tippy toes, kissing under his jaw. “Yup, all done.”

His other hand falls to my stomach, drawing circles on my belly. “Good, because I was thinking we could stop in town for some ice cream before we pick up Gage at the clinic.”

I do a happy dance. Apple caramel chunk is the best thing to ever happen to my pregnant taste buds, and the owner of the Cream Dream is a goddess who keeps it in stock. I don’t care that everyone thinks it’s weird to crave a fall flavor in summer.

Vandera gives me a wink and a wave. “See you at solstice.”

Summer—Briggs

Don't look, don’t look, don’t look.

Nova hums, reaching over the coffee table to fit a piece into the puzzle near the edge.

My eyes dart there anyway, and it’s the exact peep show I imagined, her tits spilling out of the top of her tiny tank top.

Her scent is sleepy, and I know she’s tired after the summer solstice celebration in town this afternoon, but I can’t help how my scent spikes with arousal. She’s atop my brother’s lap, sitting there as though it isn’t the hottest thing in the world that she’s casually doing a puzzle while she takes a knot. My brother hands her another piece, seemingly undisturbed, and she fits it next to the last.

“Why did you stop reading?” Nova asks, looking at me innocently.

I give thanks that my bond isn’t completely giving away how much I want to leap from the couch, tackle her to the floor, and suck on her full tits.

My brother gives me a shit-eating grin.

I don’t know how the fuck he can sit there so calmly and not thrust. My dick is aching, and all I’m doing is sitting across from them, pretending—badly—to read my book.

How Dex has the patience for long knotting is beyond me. Gage and I never make it longer than twenty minutes. My healer has explained over and over that this is part of her body preparing for birth. She needs the stretch of the knot and the comfort it gives, along with the pheromones. It’s not even really sexual.

Except it drives me wild. My wolf is totally obsessed with how naughty it is that she spends most evenings doing normal things while being knotted and claimed.

“You’re so worked up by her you’re making me near feral,” Gage whispers into my neck, his hand darting under the blanket to tease the outline of my hard cock.

Nova bites her lip. “What is it?”

This time though, I realize she’s on to me by the look in her eye. Her nipples pebble against the thin fabric of her top, and she grinds down on Dex’s lap. I can’t see exactly what she’s doing, but that makes it hotter for some reason.

“Come over here, little star, and I’ll show you how hot we find watching you do that puzzle.” Gage gives her a love tap, the green signature of his magic shimmering around her chest.

She lets out a sultry moan, and my dick jumps. Gage’s hand dips beneath the waistband of my sweats, and his rough palm strokes my cock, the tingles in his touch making me so hard it hurts. Dex’s hands go to her nipples, and finally the hard-ass takes over, thrusting into her. Gage slowly teases me while we watch Nova come apart.

It’s agony and bliss, so fucking good that by the time Dex’s knot goes down, I’m practically vibrating.

My brother kisses her forehead, passing her into my waiting arms. “Let Briggs and Gage get you comfy, sweetheart. I’ll lock up and join you in a minute.”

“Mmm, you smell extra spicy,” Nova purrs. My snuggly omega wraps her arms around my neck, nuzzling into my throat.

“That’s because you make the most basic things naughty as fuck.” I wrap my hands around her ass, carrying her to our pack nest.

It isn’t the same as our old nest, but it’s got the vibes right. Nova and Gage’s plants are interspersed around the comfy reading nook in the corner, and the bed Dex and I made sits in the center with her mounds of comfy blankets. The nest is a hodgepodge of old quilts and soothing forest tones with strands of twinkle lights above the poster bed making the room glow softly.

I set her on the bed, and she wiggles around until she’s tossed the small tank top that wasn’t doing shit to cover her anyway. Gage loses his sweatpants and joins her, helping her get comfortable and supporting her belly with a pillow as he tucks her into his side.

She’s still got months to go, but with a litter and her small size, she’s already round. I fucking love seeing her like this, happy and safe, growing our pack’s babies. If I could knock her up again tonight, I would try.

I strip and crawl in behind her, draping myself across her back and slinging one of her legs over mine, my hands going to support her belly.

“Knot me, both of you,” Nova says sleepily.

If Dex is a marathon knotter, Gage and I are team “fuck her to sleep.”

We get into our nightly position, the only one she really enjoys right now. I rub the head of my cock through her slick pussy before nudging my way inside her.

Nova moans, reaching back to dig her nails into my ass. “More.”

“We know, baby. You need both of us filling you up, giving you that aching stretch,” I purr in her ear.

Nova doesn’t correct me. We all know it’s true. She’s insatiable, and her need ratchets up the more her belly grows.

I still, and Gage wedges himself in beside me, pushing in just the tip. We’ve been putting her to sleep between us for the last month, but the first feeling of us sharing her never gets old.

He slowly slides in as I slide out, and Nova’s expression glazes over. Gage makes a hoarse growl each time I pull out my slick cock, nearly leaving her completely so that he fills her. When she’s panting and moaning, I decide she’s ready. I cant my hips and thrust on a long stroke that makes his cock rub against mine, and Nova’s tight walls strangle me with glorious pressure.

Gage takes her mouth as she makes a mess of our cocks, rocking and encouraging us to go harder. We fuck her together, our legs and arms tangled around each other, her mouth passing between us until she’s gasping, incoherent, and shaking. The two of us press against that needy place that makes her wail. Our knots tease her edges, our cocks buried deep. Her pussy squeezes, and I can’t hold back, my orgasm blasting through me. That sets off Gage, both of us filling her with cum until she’s shaking and spluttering through her own orgasm.

She comes so hard she goes limp. I crave seeing that blissed-out expression on her face, her soft purr humming. We pet her, caressing her smooth skin, and praise her until her harsh breathing turns deep.

At some point, Dex climbs in, and we’re forced to move. He settles her on his chest while I snuggle in behind Gage.

It’s a regular night, and the routine of it makes it even sweeter. We’re home—with Nova safe between us where she belongs.

Fall—Gage

Nova groans, but it’s not the good kind. I press my hands along her back, using my magic to help ease the ache of the latest contraction.

Dex speaks softly, giving her words of encouragement while Briggs braces himself against me, letting me siphon power from his touch. He’s bubbling with it, his eyes soft and smitten with the alpha boy currently bundled in his arms.

Nova has been doing great. Her labor for baby Leo went smoothly and quickly, but the second baby is taking their sweet time. I’m a mess on the inside, trying my best not to let old fears send me into a panic.

“Almost there. One more push, Nova. Then you can rest,” Vandera commands.

Nova holds onto Dex for dear life and screams through the last push, collapsing against me at the same moment a small cry sounds in the nest.

After that, there’s a flurry of activity and little bursts of Vandera’s magic as she cleans our omega and our newest addition.

I can't hold back when Vandera places the little omega on Nova’s chest. Tears blur my vision, and I bat them away without success.

Briggs places our little omega’s brother next to her on Nova’s chest and hugs me. “It’s all right, babe. They’re healthy and so good. She’s made it. She’s strong.”

“Come over here, Papa, and see for yourself,” Nova says. Her voice is tired, but her bond surges with love so bright it steals my breath.

I force myself to get it together, crawling beside them to nuzzle her side and touch tiny toes. They’re blond like her and tiny, so beautiful that more tears come.

“Hello, Lavender and Leo, welcome to the world. You’ve got a whole pack who loves you and the best mommy,” Dex coos.

Briggs joins in, talking to them. “We’re your daddies, and we’re going to make sure you grow up happy and safe.”

They’re perfect, all of them. Absolutely perfect.

My little star’s smile is so bright I can’t stop my own from taking over my face.

Vandera works around us, preparing the potions to help Nova heal and rest, but our pack settles in, watching the babies nurse for the first time.

It’s a miracle, a moment when the world tips back to rights. I savor it, take it in, and give thanks for the day when my pack showed up on my doorstep and forced me into the light.