Van, Becca - Keeley's Opposition [Terra-Form 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  “It’s about fucking time you two got here. What took you so long? Did you stop to knit a pair of booties on the way?” Olivia snarled.

  Keeley was too shocked by the venom in the woman’s voice to answer. She bit her lip and tried to dig her heels in when April began to tug her across the room to the bed.

  “Don’t be a bitch, Liv,” April replied.

  “Yeah and you love me because of it,” Olivia replied. She moaned in pain again and Keeley stopped resisting April’s tugging. Both women hurried over to her.

  “Are you—” Keeley began.

  “Don’t finish that sentence,” April interrupted quickly. “You don’t want an emotional bitch on your hands.”

  “You are such a bitch, April. Get over here and rub my back,” Olivia called.

  Keeley followed April over to the bed. Copying April, she offered Olivia a hand to hold. A moment later she wished she hadn’t. She bit her tongue to hold in her cry of pain as Olivia crushed her fingers, making her bones roll over each other as the laboring woman rode out another contraction.

  “Holy shit, Liv. Are you trying to break my hand?” April asked. She pulled her hand away and shook it.

  “Hey, stop complaining. You did it to me,” Olivia replied.

  “I did not,” April replied.

  “Did, too,” Olivia groaned out.

  Keeley couldn’t help it. The two women sounded so childish she burst out laughing. She was surprised and pleased when Olivia’s mates joined in with her. She gave them a smile and looked back to see Olivia and April staring at her as if she’d lost her mind.

  “What’s so funny?” April asked.

  “You two are. Do you even listen to yourselves? You sound like petulant children,” Keeley stated.

  “Just wait until you’re about to give birth, Keeley,” Olivia panted. “Then I’ll stand around and make snippy observations.”

  Keeley was taken aback at first, but then she saw that Olivia was smiling at her and she knew then that the two women were bantering back and forth as a distraction to Olivia’s pain. She decided she liked this game and wanted to have a little fun herself.

  “Get over yourself, Olivia. The pain can’t be that bad. It’s not like you’re dying, you know. Women give birth every day and get through it just fine,” she said quietly and couldn’t hide the smile forming.

  “Uh-oh, I think we’ve created a monster,” April stated.

  “No, I just like the way you two work,” she replied and removed her hand from Olivia’s.

  “Where’s the healer? I feel the urge to push,” Olivia informed.

  Keeley did laugh when Olivia’s mates rose from their chairs and ran to the bed. It was the funniest thing she had ever seen. The three men were in such a hurry and panic that they ended up banging into each other. She laughed so much she had tears running from her eyes. It was only the sound of Olivia groaning and panting that pulled her from her humor. She began to worry when the healer didn’t arrive, so she helped April prepare her new friend for the birth of her first child.

  The healer did eventually turn up but just as Olivia gave birth to a baby boy. Keeley had the baby wrapped up in a sheet and was cleaning his face when the man entered the room. Olivia was in throes of another contraction, but she did manage to glare at the man for his tardiness.

  By the time the birth was over and the mother and baby were cleaned up and resting on the bed surrounded by three proud fathers, Keeley was utterly exhausted. She had never realized how emotionally draining it was to watch someone else give birth. She slowly made her way back to her room and noticed the sun was just rising in the east, the first rays lighting the sky with pinks and reds. She entered her room, washed up, and fell into bed. She was sound asleep seconds later.

  * * * *

  Banging on her door woke her from a deep sleep. Keeley sat up, pushed her hair from her face, and glanced outside. The sun was high in the sky, and she knew she had slept half the day away. She pulled the top sheet from the bed, wrapped it around her nakedness, and went to answer the door. April’s mate Ben stood at the door looking angry and impatient.

  “Thank the Goddess. Get dressed quickly. Your mates are here and they will end up starting a fight if they don’t get to see you,” Ben stated.

  “What?” Keeley replied and cursed the tremor in her voice. She had heard everything Ben had said, but she was stalling for time. She didn’t want to see her mates. Their pride wasn’t interested in having her in their home. There was no way in hell she was going back. It didn’t matter that that thought sent shards of pain piercing into her heart. She gasped as she breathed through her pain then straightened and looked at Ben.

  “I don’t want to see them,” she said adamantly.

  “Please get dressed, Keeley, and then we can talk. If your mates don’t at least see that you are okay, they will start a bloodbath trying to get in here. Is that what you want? Do you want to see—”

  “Stop, okay. I’ll be there in a minute,” Keeley answered and slammed the door closed. She nearly tripped over the sheet as she hurried over to her clothes. She dropped the sheet and pulled her clothes on. She didn’t bother about her hair. She just gathered it behind her head and pulled it into a knot at the back of her head. She flung the door open and followed Ben.

  A knot of anxiety had lodged in her chest, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t shift it. By the time Ben slowed down, she was breathless. They had gone up a flight of stairs and traveled the never-ending corridors. She had no idea where she was, and she had to run to keep up with his long-legged strides. He stopped and turned toward her and Keeley looked behind him to see they were near a balcony of sorts.

  “I will keep you safe, Keeley. By bringing you here you are still in our house but your mates will be able to see you are well. Please, come out and show them you are unharmed,” Ben said, holding his hand out to her.

  “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you. If you want me to leave, I will,” Keeley stated. She took another deep breath and reached for Ben’s hand. She felt her knees shaking as he led her out onto a large semicircular balcony. With her free hand, she gratefully grasped the rail surrounding the edge. They made her feel a little more protected.

  She looked down and saw her mates staring up at her. They had fire in their eyes and started to growl when they saw her holding Ben’s hand. Keeley released Ben and moved closer to the rail. She stood staring back at her mates and felt a deep yearning. She wanted to go to them and hold them. She wanted them to hold her and make her feel safe once more, but she couldn’t.

  She wasn’t about to force the members of their pride to put up with her when it was obvious they hated her. She’d never felt the mating bond, so maybe the pride was right that she didn’t belong.

  “Keeley, are you well?” Liam asked.

  She gave a slight nod of her head because she didn’t think she could have spoken at that moment. Her breathing was choppy, and her chest and throat were so tight with a huge lump of emotion that she couldn’t get enough oxygen.

  “Keeley, we are sorry for the treatment you have received from our people. We didn’t know what was happening. We have only just learned of the rumors that vicious she-bitch spread about you and have corrected the situation,” Lucius explained.

  “What rumors?” she asked and cursed the fact she heard her voice waver.

  “You didn’t even know?” Bradford asked.

  She shook her head again and waited for one of her mates to explain what they were talking about. Liam’s voice drew her attention back to him.

  “Sweetness, we are so sorry for what you have been through. I am even sorrier that we didn’t know what was happening.”

  “Baby, that bitch told everyone you had tried to kill us and that she had to step in to defend us,” Bradford informed.

  Keeley was stupefied by that statement, and then she began to laugh. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard, but what was worse was that the pride members had believed that woman’s lies. She laughed so hard she was bent over at the waist clutching her stomach. She had tears streaming over her cheeks, and then, to her dismay, her laughter turned into great gut-wrenching sobs. Her knees buckled. She was oblivious to her surroundings as she cried out all her pain. She was vaguely aware of Ben trying to comfort her, but then he backed off when she didn’t respond to his overtures.

  All of a sudden she was surrounded by heat and comfort. She was wrapped in Liam’s arms and pulled onto his lap. Lucius and Bradford were stroking her arms and back. The storm of emotion wound down and finally passed, until she was left breathless and the occasional hiccup wracked her body. She looked up into the concerned, anxious faces of her mates and wondered how they had gotten up onto the balcony with her. She looked down at the ground and then back up to her mates.

  “We are shifters, baby, we have abilities humans don’t,” Bradford stated.

  “Where’s Ben?” she asked as she looked around her mates.

  “He left us with you when you didn’t protest our presence,” Liam replied.

  “Keeley, we are so sorry. Will you please come back home with us? We need you by our sides. We can’t be without you, honey,” Lucius avowed.

  “They will never accept me. I can’t live where I am not wanted,” she sobbed.

  “You are wanted, baby. They just didn’t know the truth. We have corrected the lies told about you. All the warriors and the pride people are very ashamed that they were taken in by that she-bitch’s lies. They know they were wrong. They know you wouldn’t have tried to kill us and even if you had you wouldn’t have been able to,” Bradford stated.

  “But they will be accepting me on your say-so, not on who I am. They don’t know me and yet they wanted to believe the worst of me. I have spent most of my time in your bedroom healing. What makes you believe they won’t do this again at the first sign of trouble?”

  “Keeley, please come home. We will deal with situations as they come up. Please, just give us and our people another chance,” Liam pleaded.

  “Like they gave me?” she asked angrily. She pushed away from Liam. Keeley rose to her feet and began to pace. “They didn’t trust me and they don’t trust you. How can I live there and not be under their suspicions again and again?”

  “Honey, please calm down. You’re going to make yourself ill. Our people do trust us and they will trust you. They’ve hardly seen you and they don’t know you like we do. I think they were going by instinct when Louisa spread those rumors. They just wanted to protect us. They will learn to love you the way we do. Just give them time to get to know you. You are such a sweet, loving person, Keeley. Please, will you forgive us and come back home where you belong?” Lucius begged.

  Keeley stopped pacing and turned to look at her mates. The thought of never being in their arms again, of never experiencing their loving touch and not having them by her sides, was too much to bear. She wanted to love them freely, she wanted to have their children and grow old with them. She would go back with them but she was going to ask for time to see if what they said was true. Lucius had said they loved her, but she knew the pride didn’t. Their actions spoke louder than any words. She looked at her mates and said, “Okay.” She would go back with them, and if things didn’t change she would try to find her way home.

  She saw the gleam of satisfaction in their eyes and hoped like hell she had done the right thing.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Keeley felt her tension increasing the closer they got to the pride home. Her mates had taken turns carrying her, and she was currently in Bradford’s arms. Her muscles wound tighter and tighter, until she was afraid she would snap.

  “Put me down. I want to walk into that house under my own steam,” she whispered.

  “You have nothing to be afraid of, baby. No one will harm you,” Bradford informed.

  “Actions speak louder than words, Bradford. The past results speak for themselves,” she muttered and was grateful when her feet touched the ground. She looked up at Liam and Lucius as they moved to her sides and Bradford moved behind her. She felt some of the tension leave her body and began to walk toward the house. She could just see the roof peeking out in between the large trees. She held her head high, jutted her chin forward, and pushed her shoulders back. There was no way she was going to cower in the presence of the pride members.

  Keeley hesitated slightly when she saw the front steps lined on either side with warriors. She wondered how they knew she had been on her way home. As she walked up the steps, each warrior knelt down and placed one arm across his chest in supplication to her and her mates. She wondered if this had been arranged for her benefit. She gave a snort and ignored them as she entered the house. She nearly stumbled when she saw the hallways were lined on either side with more warriors, and as she passed they each knelt and saluted her in their warrior way.

  She nearly laughed when her stomach growled. It seemed like forever since she had last eaten. She’d only had enough time to bathe, brush her hair, and dress, but she did get time to thank April and her mates for the hospitality, and to peek in on Olivia and her mates, as well as see newly born, baby Ryan. She had rushed out the front door, hoping her men hadn’t cause any trouble while they waited for her.

  Now she led the way to the dining chamber and took a seat at the head table. The warriors had followed behind and were now streaming in through the double doors. There wasn’t a noise from amongst them.

  Keeley took a seat, and her mates sat down beside her. Liam was to her right, and Bradford was to her left. Lucius surprised the hell out of her by pulling her chair back, lifting her up, and taking her seat for himself. She was about to move off in a pique, but he stopped her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “I need to feel you in my arms,” Lucius replied.

  “I can’t eat like this,” she stated.

  “Yes, you can. I’ll help you.”

  “You’re impossible.”

  “Yes,” Lucius replied with a grin and then began to fill the plate in front of him from the platters which had just been placed on the table. When he had the plate piled high, he picked up a utensil, retrieved some food, and guided it to her mouth. Keeley sighed and leaned back against his chest and shoulder. She let him feed her.

  She was aware of the eyes on her, and when she looked up and glared at the pride, they would smile and nod at her. She didn’t smile back. By the time the meal was over she was too tired to care what they thought of her. She’d been on an emotional roller coaster since the night before, and that was more exhausting than actual physical work. She shook her head when Lucius tried to feed her more food and covered her mouth when a yawn crept out. She snuggled into Lucius and laid her head back on his shoulder. Her eyelids were too heavy to keep open, so she didn’t even bother to try. She drifted into sleep moments later.

  * * * *

  Lucius felt Keeley’s body relax against his, and then he heard her breathing change. His precious mate was asleep. He cuddled her tighter into his body and looked down at her beautiful face. He was so happy to have her back in their home, but he knew they still had a long way to go to get her trust back as well as earn her love. He had been watching their pride members intently to make sure they behaved with the appropriate respect his mate deserved. He’d had to bite his tongue so he wouldn’t burst into laughter when he caught Keeley glaring at their warriors, but was glad his men had just smiled and nodded to her.

  Lucius loved Keeley with his whole heart and knew their people would love her just as much. Who wouldn’t! She was such a gentle, even-tempered woman, and even though she’d been maligned and attacked she hadn’t said one bad word about anyone. She sighed, and he smiled as she snuggled into his shoulder. He wanted to go on holding her for the rest of his life, but knew he was going to have to relinquish her from his arms and put her to bed. He wanted his mate to get a good night’s sleep, and maybe tomorrow she would be willing to bear their touch. He needed to strip her down and bury his aching cock into her tight, wet heat, but he also craved her to desire him back. Maybe the new dawn would bring a brighter day for all of them.

  Lucius rose to his feet and pushed the chair back with his foot. He saw his brother and Bradford rise as well. He headed out the door and down the hallway and waited for Liam or Bradford to open their bedroom door. He hadn’t wanted to risk jostling his mate and waking her.

  He strode over to the bed and gently placed her on the mattress. He began to remove Keeley’s clothes with Liam’s help, and then he picked her up again while Bradford pulled the covers back. He put Keeley back onto the bed and covered her naked body. He stripped out of his clothes and climbed in behind her. Bradford disrobed and got into bed on their mate’s other side. He looked up to see Liam getting into bed at the end.

  Lucius pulled her back against his front and kept his arms around her waist. Bradford had his back to their mate and inched his way back until she was sandwiched between them. Lucius knew Liam would touch Keeley in some way as well.

  He closed his eyes and let his body relax for the first time since their mate had disappeared. She was back where she was supposed to be, with him, his brother, and Bradford. Now all they had to do was make Keeley believe they loved her and wanted her to stay by their side.

  * * * *

  Bradford couldn’t sleep. He was in pain. His cock was so hard he swore he could break rock with it. Keeley had her arm lying across his chest, underneath his arm. She was still asleep, but her hand was caressing his chest and she inadvertently touched one of his nipples intermittently. He groaned and shifted again, trying to get comfortable. It was impossible. He felt Keeley shifting restlessly and could smell her arousal. He bit his tongue when her leg slipped in between his. He wanted to roll over and ravage her, but he didn’t. He heard her moan, and she thrust her hips into his ass. His little mate was turned on, but still he didn’t move to touch her. If Keeley wanted them, she would have to make the first move.

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