the light. As lupines, they could see fine in the dark, but light from the moon streamed in through the window, illuminating the room, casting Melinda in perfect beams and shadows.
He propped up on his elbow and smoothed a lock of hair off her face. “Don’t ever be sorry. You are who you are. And we’ll take this at your pace.”
Her gaze wandered down to his exposed chest. She swallowed. “Do you guys do anything besides work out?”
He grinned. “Sometimes.”
She turned her face toward Keegan and groaned. “Jeez. Both of you. You’re ripped.”
Keegan chuckled. “Were you hoping for a skinny, flaccid mate?”
She giggled.
Trace loved that sound. It was music.
“Never thought about it. I had hoped…” She didn’t finish that statement.
“Hoped what, babe?” Trace encouraged.
“Hoped I never met my mate.”
Silence hung in the air.
“Why?” Keegan leaned closer, twisting onto his side to match Trace.
She shrugged. “I didn’t have parents. My grandmother was awesome. I love her dearly, but as far as I knew, both my parents left me. Of course I recently learned my dad was a rapist and my mom’s hand was forced, but for twenty-seven years I’ve felt abandoned—ever since my mother left when I was three. If I never mated or had kids, I would never feel that rejection again.”
“Oh, baby. I’m so sorry. That’s horrible.” Trace couldn’t help reaching for her, stroking one finger down her cheek. He needed to touch her with every fiber of his being. His cock ached. Thank God it was hidden beneath the comforter.
“We’ll work through this, hon.” Keegan also touched her tenderly, a hand on top of her head. “You can trust us. And no one is leaving anyone for any reason.”
“Yeah. I’m sure my mother felt that way also, but she was backed into a corner. It happens.”
“Times have changed,” Trace said. “We’re a unit. We won’t be separated for any reason. Your mother had a complex situation, caught between the man she was drawn to in the same way we three are pulled toward each other and two kids who didn’t belong to her mate. That must have been excruciatingly difficult every day of her life.”
Melinda nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek.
Trace wiped it away and leaned in slowly. He kissed her forehead. When she didn’t flinch, he continued kissing her, nibbling a path down the side of her face until he reached her lips.
She opened for him immediately, turning his direction as he gently set his mouth on hers for the first time. A soft moan escaped her lips, making him struggle to maintain his composure and not yank the blanket off her body and bare her to his sight.
This night would be an incredible test of control. He hoped he won.
When he pulled back a few inches, she stared up at him with heavy eyes. “That was nice.”
He chuckled. “Good.”
Keegan leaned in and kissed her cheek on his side. “Mmm. Can I try some of that nice?”
She rolled her head his way and let him kiss her softly too. And then she smiled.
Keegan spoke, all three of their faces as close as possible. “Honey, you’re precious to us. This will all work out. We’ll earn your trust no matter how long it takes. And you won’t regret it. I promise.”
She nodded. “I believe you.” Her gaze roamed back to Trace when he and Keegan bumped heads. A quizzical expression furrowed her brow. “Do you two, um…”
Trace lifted one brow. For a second he was confused, but then she glanced back and forth between them, and he understood. He shook his head. “No. We don’t fuck each other. Our only interaction will be centered around you. We might bump into each other, but only in an effort to be closer to you.”
She bit her lower lip and gave a brief nod, slightly embarrassed.
Trace continued. “And you can ask us anything. We’re an open book. We have been around the block a few times. Not everything we have to say may sit perfectly with you, but we won’t sugarcoat it. You
He propped up on his elbow and smoothed a lock of hair off her face. “Don’t ever be sorry. You are who you are. And we’ll take this at your pace.”
Her gaze wandered down to his exposed chest. She swallowed. “Do you guys do anything besides work out?”
He grinned. “Sometimes.”
She turned her face toward Keegan and groaned. “Jeez. Both of you. You’re ripped.”
Keegan chuckled. “Were you hoping for a skinny, flaccid mate?”
She giggled.
Trace loved that sound. It was music.
“Never thought about it. I had hoped…” She didn’t finish that statement.
“Hoped what, babe?” Trace encouraged.
“Hoped I never met my mate.”
Silence hung in the air.
“Why?” Keegan leaned closer, twisting onto his side to match Trace.
She shrugged. “I didn’t have parents. My grandmother was awesome. I love her dearly, but as far as I knew, both my parents left me. Of course I recently learned my dad was a rapist and my mom’s hand was forced, but for twenty-seven years I’ve felt abandoned—ever since my mother left when I was three. If I never mated or had kids, I would never feel that rejection again.”
“Oh, baby. I’m so sorry. That’s horrible.” Trace couldn’t help reaching for her, stroking one finger down her cheek. He needed to touch her with every fiber of his being. His cock ached. Thank God it was hidden beneath the comforter.
“We’ll work through this, hon.” Keegan also touched her tenderly, a hand on top of her head. “You can trust us. And no one is leaving anyone for any reason.”
“Yeah. I’m sure my mother felt that way also, but she was backed into a corner. It happens.”
“Times have changed,” Trace said. “We’re a unit. We won’t be separated for any reason. Your mother had a complex situation, caught between the man she was drawn to in the same way we three are pulled toward each other and two kids who didn’t belong to her mate. That must have been excruciatingly difficult every day of her life.”
Melinda nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek.
Trace wiped it away and leaned in slowly. He kissed her forehead. When she didn’t flinch, he continued kissing her, nibbling a path down the side of her face until he reached her lips.
She opened for him immediately, turning his direction as he gently set his mouth on hers for the first time. A soft moan escaped her lips, making him struggle to maintain his composure and not yank the blanket off her body and bare her to his sight.
This night would be an incredible test of control. He hoped he won.
When he pulled back a few inches, she stared up at him with heavy eyes. “That was nice.”
He chuckled. “Good.”
Keegan leaned in and kissed her cheek on his side. “Mmm. Can I try some of that nice?”
She rolled her head his way and let him kiss her softly too. And then she smiled.
Keegan spoke, all three of their faces as close as possible. “Honey, you’re precious to us. This will all work out. We’ll earn your trust no matter how long it takes. And you won’t regret it. I promise.”
She nodded. “I believe you.” Her gaze roamed back to Trace when he and Keegan bumped heads. A quizzical expression furrowed her brow. “Do you two, um…”
Trace lifted one brow. For a second he was confused, but then she glanced back and forth between them, and he understood. He shook his head. “No. We don’t fuck each other. Our only interaction will be centered around you. We might bump into each other, but only in an effort to be closer to you.”
She bit her lower lip and gave a brief nod, slightly embarrassed.
Trace continued. “And you can ask us anything. We’re an open book. We have been around the block a few times. Not everything we have to say may sit perfectly with you, but we won’t sugarcoat it. You
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