Melissa's Acceptance (5 page)

“Um uh,” Tessa stalled a bit uncomfortably.

“That would make Tessa your Queen,” Alice said bluntly. Melissa turned back to face Tessa and saw the embarrassed scowl on her face.

“I'm no different than anyone else Alice,” Tessa growled.

“Yes my Queen,” Alice said with a smile. Tessa just groaned then turned to face Melissa again.

“So do you have any questions Melissa?”

“Um no. I think you've covered everything for the moment. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.”

The two women spent the next hour chatting, and getting to know one another. They were so akin to each other they felt as if they had been friends for years.

Melissa stopped talking when three large very handsome men walked into the kitchen. They ignored Melissa until they had greeted Tessa with mind numbing kisses.

“I'd like you to meet my husbands. This is Lucien, Raphael and Gabriel. This is Melissa, Damian and Luke's mate,” Tessa introduced them all to each other.

“We've met. How are you Melissa?” Lucien asked.

Melissa stared at him trying to figure out when she had met him; then the light popped on.

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“It was you, in the forest?”

“Yes, rest assured I would never eat you Melissa,”

Lucien said with a bark of laughter. Melissa nodded her head, embarrassment tinged her cheeks a bright red.

“Sorry about that, I didn't mean to insult you Lu... uh Alpha. It's a pleasure to meet you all,” she looked from one male to the other. God what was in the water? All the males were absolutely gorgeous.

The three Alpha males took their places at the table.

They tried to cajole Melissa into opening herself up to them. They made her feel a part of the pack. She had just begun to relax again until Damian and Luke walked into the room. They didn't give her a chance to move, they each took her mouth in passionate greeting then took places at the large table as well.

Melissa refused to look at them, knowing her face was glowing red with arousal, embarrassment and anger.

She kept herself occupied by turning back to converse with Tessa. The table was crammed full of men and women within minutes, all eating the scrumptious lunch Alice had prepared and placed in the center of the table.

When Melissa was finished with her meal, she stood bowing her head in deference to her Queen and the Alphas.

She moved behind Tessa's chair to lean down and whisper in her ear. She didn't get to speak, all she heard was the sound of glass shattering then a searing pain radiated from her back through to her chest before she collapsed to the floor.

She didn't see the mayhem that followed. Tessa was whisked out of the room with her husband’s surrounding her. They protected her with their bodies.

Melissa didn't hear the anguished roar of her mates when they realized she had been shot. She didn't see the rest of the room erupt into chaos as the weres stripped off their clothes and changed to their wolf form. She was lying in a pool of her own blood on the floor. She struggled to 42

breathe as coldness permeated her body.

Melissa didn't see her two mates slash their own wrists forcing her to swallow their blood. All she felt was cold darkness surrounding her and excruciating pain until her body finally went blessedly numb.

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Melissa woke up feeling like her whole body had been hit by a truck. Her muscles felt achy and tender. Her skin felt as if a thousand ants were crawling all over it. She groaned as she eased over onto her side from her stomach.

Not again.

“Are you alright little Mel? How do you feel babe?”

Luke asked from beside her.

Turning her head she saw Luke was lying on the bed next to her, his head propped up by his elbow and resting on the palm of his hand. She turned her head to the opposite side noting Damian was also lying beside her.

“Wh-what happened?” she asked in a raspy voice.

Her throat was so dry. Damian grabbed a glass of water from the bedside table. He propped her up and helped her take a few sips. Finally, she shook her head and collapsed back onto the mattress.

“You were shot sweetheart. You were dying,” Luke explained his face pale and taught with rage.

“Who would want to shoot me?” she asked in a husky voice.

“They were not after you my mate. They were trying to kill Tessa. You moved in behind her at the wrong moment or her mates would say right moment. You saved our Queens life and the life of her cub. If you had not moved in behind her when you did they both would have died,” Damian clarified.

“Who would want to shoot Tessa and her baby?”

“Tessa was running from her ex fiancée Brett, when she met her mates. They scared him enough they thought not to ever see him again. Obviously that was not so. The other Omegas of the pack, Tony and Chase, found him. He 44

will not be a problem any longer,” Damian promised.

“Did they kill him? Oh god why didn't they just take him to the police? Why am I still alive? I should be dead, I know I was dying,” Melissa gazed from one to the other.

They didn't speak; they just held her gaze when she looked at them. Their faces pale with stress and worry.

Then she knew. She could see it on their faces.

Breathing in deeply trying to maintain control of the hysteria rising within her, she smelled their scents. It lured her, making her want to taste their skin; to jump their bones, ravage them with her mouth and body. She jumped up onto her feet backing away from them until she could jump from the bed. She was oblivious to the fact she was naked.

“How could you? How could you make me drink your fucking blood? You changed me without my consent.

First you claim me, now you've made me into a fucking animal, a werewolf,” she screamed hysterically as she felt hair ripple out along her arms and legs. Her canines elongating in her mouth was freaking her out even more.

“Melissa please, you were dying baby. You are our life, we couldn't just stand by and watch you die,” Luke said quietly, concern and hurt etched across his features.

Melissa didn't wait to hear anymore. She didn't care that everyone could see her naked. She ran and ran, sobbing uncontrollably. She didn't feel the rocks beneath her feet piercing her skin, or the branches scratching her bare arms and legs. She ran until she could run no further. Her breath sobbing out of her in hysterical pants; she hyperventilated until she was physically ill.

She had no idea how long she sat on the ground. She began to feel the cold begin to seep into her bones. She didn't hear her mates creep up to protect her from other humans and wolves. She didn't know Gabriel sat down next to her with the bundle of clothes in his arms until he spoke.

“If I had to make the choice of Tessa dying or making 45

her a werewolf, it would be the same choice your mates made,” he told her as he handed her the clothes. Gabriel turned his back to give her privacy as she dressed. “I want to thank you for saving my mate and child. We will always be in your debt.”

“You don't need to thank me. I didn't make any decision,” Melissa said in a voice devoid of emotion. She began to feel numb from the neck down.

“Nevertheless you have our gratitude,” Gabriel said as he turned back to face her when he heard she had finished dressing. “Tessa has extended an invitation to stay in one of the spare rooms in the house; until you are more comfortable with your mates and yourself.”

“I just want to go home,” Melissa cried out quietly.

“My life has been turned upside down since I met Damian and Luke. I just need time to come to terms with what I am.

What they did to me.”

“Do you really think that's a good idea, knowing what you are? You need to learn to control the animal inside you Melissa. If you don't learn to control your animal instincts, you could end up hurting innocent people,” Gabriel explained.

“Yeah like those two controlled their animals when they claimed me,” Melissa said sarcastically.

“That is totally different Melissa. The human part of a male werewolf has no control over the instincts of the animal to claim his mate. Damian and Luke would never have asked or wanted to change you to a werewolf. You were dying Melissa. If you had died they would have eventually died as well. A mate is a once in a lifetime event. They will never want to have sex with another female; they would have been impotent for the rest of their short lives. They would not have survived another five years without you by their sides. Would you really want to condemn them to a long slow painful death?”

Melissa didn't know how to reply. She just stood 46

pondering, her eyes lowered to the ground.

“Come on, I'll lead you back to the house,” Gabriel sighed a while later.

Melissa followed Gabriel as he led her through the forest until they reached the house. He led her into the living room across from the kitchen. Tessa was sitting on the sofa reading a book.

“Melissa, thank god you're all right,” Tessa said as she stood, hugging Melissa when she was within her reach.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like I'm in a dream, no make that nightmare; hoping when I wake up, all of this will not have been real,”

Melissa spoke listlessly then burst out sobbing.

Tessa led Melissa to the sofa where she held her as she cried. When Melissa had herself back under control she sat up straight on the sofa.

“I'm so sorry Melissa. All of this is my fault. If it wasn't for me, none of this would have happened,” Tessa said sadly.

“How do you figure that?” Melissa asked in surprise.

If anyone was not at fault, it was Tessa.

“If I hadn't gone out with that jerk, you wouldn't have been shot and your mates wouldn't have had to change you.

So if you want to blame anyone for this, blame me.”

“Oh for goodness sakes Tessa, how can you take responsibility for a madman? Did you make him pick up that gun and shoot it? Did you want to get shot or for that matter me get wounded?”

“No,” Tessa protested.

“Then how in the hell do you think you should be held accountable for what happened?”

“Good question Mel. So why do you blame your mates when if anyone is to blame it should be me?” Tessa pointed out by asking the right questions.

“I don't blame them,” Melissa blurted out, “I was scared, all right. Are you happy now? I was bloody 47

petrified, I still am. What do I know about being a werewolf?”

“So you aren’t repulsed by becoming an animal or angry with your mates for changing you?” Tessa asked.

“No. How could you even ask me that? They saved my life. I was so fucking scared when they first told me, I think I was a little hysterical.”

“Well your mates think you hate them because of the fact they are werewolves. They think you are repulsed by them because they can become animals and have made you the same as they are. I think you have a lot of groveling to do Melissa. You really hurt your mates.” Tessa said gravely.

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Melissa didn't see Damian or Luke over the next couple of days. She knew when they were watching her.

She could feel them, smell their scents, but she pushed them to the back of her mind. She tried to concentrate on learning everything she needed to about being a werewolf.

Gabriel had appointed the other Omegas of the pack, Tony and Chase Avero, to teach her what she needed to know. They helped her through her first change. They went running through the forest with her, showing her how to track scents, hunt and to take care of herself in case she was ever in a situation where she needed to look after herself.

She didn't take any of her meals at the large dining room table. She wasn't ready to face her mates yet. She knew how badly she had hurt them. In fact she didn't feel like eating much at all. She became anxious around the males of the pack, except for Chase and Tony and was loosing weight rapidly, not that she really had any to lose.

Tessa was becoming very worried about Melissa, as were Damian and Luke. They could see the anguish and longing on their faces whenever Melissa was in their vicinity. The Alphas were becoming sick and tired of the conflict, which they deemed was totally unnecessary and they were becoming worried for Melissa. She had lost too much weight. She was starting to look gaunt. They decided to take matters into their own hands.

Chase tapped on Melissa's bedroom door, waiting for her to open it.

“Lucien would like to see you in his office. I'll take you down,” Chase said firmly.

He escorted her down and opened the office door for her. He quietly closed it behind her when she had entered.

“You wanted to see me Alpha?” Melissa asked 49

nervously.

“Take a seat Melissa,” Lucien gestured towards the seat opposite his desk. “You are not happy here Melissa. If you want to go home, I could have Chase or Tony take you back.” Lucien offered after a moment.

“You would do that for me? Even knowing you would be condemning Damian and Luke to death?” Melissa asked incredulously.

“As much as it would pain me to do so, I suppose you could look at it that way, yes. All the females in a pack are to be protected at all costs. You are looking so gaunt we are worried that you are slowly killing yourself. We cannot allow this to continue,” Lucien stated.

“So instead you'd condemn your own pack members to die?”

“No that would be what you are doing Melissa. You haven't even given them a chance; to get to know them or for them to get to know you. Besides my brothers, my Omegas are the most loyal of all the pack members. If you wanted to stay here, I could send them away, exile them from the pack. All it would take would be for you to ask this of me. Our females are to be protected above all the males in a pack. So what's it to be? Do you want to go home or do I exile Damian and Luke?”

Melissa licked her lips pondering everything before she answered. She knew Lucien was right; she hadn't given her mates a chance. She was being childish by staying away from them. She didn't want them to be sent away.

There was no way she could condemn her mates to a long slow death. She thought about how she would feel if she never set eyes on them again. She had to refrain from doubling over as pain ripped through her heart.

“No.”

“No what?” Lucien asked.

“No I don't want to go home and no, I don't want you to send them away,” Melissa stated nervously.

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“So I am to assume you are going to move back with your mates, give them the chance they deserve?”

“Yes Alpha,” Melissa answered lowering her head in deference to her leader.

She didn't see the satisfied smile that covered Lucien's face. He quickly wiped all expression from his face as he rose from his chair and excused the female.

“You may take your leave Melissa.”

“Thank you Lucien.”

“Oh by the way, I want to thank you for saving my mate's and cub's life. If there is anything you want, you only have to ask and it is yours,” Lucien promised.

“Thank you Alpha, but as I pointed out to Gabriel, the choice was not mine to make. I do not need your thanks,”

Melissa said before she turned and left the room.

Melissa went in search of Tessa for some advice before she went to confront her mates.

“How am I going to get them to forgive me Tessa?

They probably won't want anything to do with me.”

“Well if all else fails, seduce them. That always works for me. They don't hate you Mel. You don't realize your worth as a mate yet, hopefully in time you will. Yes you hurt them, but they hurt you as well. You need to sit down and talk it out. Everything will work out fine, you'll see,” Tessa advised giving Melissa a hug then sent her on her way.

Melissa slowly made her way to the cabin. When she was standing on the small deck, she took a deep steadying breath before she raised her hand to knock. The door was opened before her hand connected with the door.

“Melissa baby come on in,” Luke invited her in as his eyes drank her in.

When she was seated on the sofa between her mates, she looked from one to the other before speaking.

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what I said and did. I was scared. Please can you find it in your hearts to forgive me?”

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She asked as tears tracked down her cheeks.

“Oh little Mel, of course we forgive you. We are the ones who should be sorry; for everything we put you through,” Damian said huskily and emotionally.

Melissa turned to Luke waiting for him to speak.

Luke couldn't find his voice, he was so choked up with emotion, so he let his body talk for him. He leaned down and took her mouth with a sweet gentle passionate kiss. He slid his tongue gently over her lips seeking permission to enter her mouth. When she opened up to him he groaned as he slid his tongue into the moist recess of her mouth. Sucking and nibbling her lips as he gathered her close until she was perched on his lap. He slowly weaned his mouth from hers then gazed into her eyes.

“Are you willing to get to know us baby? To spend time with us, and us with you? I don't want you to change your mind again. I think you'd kill me if we had to go through something like this again,” Luke admitted with vulnerability.

“Yes I'm willing to give you both a chance, to get to know you as your mate. I do want to get to know you better and for you to learn about me. I can be such a bitch sometimes, especially when I'm scared. I know I hurt you when I said you had turned me into an animal. You'll never know how sorry I am for saying that. If I could, I would go back in time and not have said those hurtful words. As I'm sure you'll begin to realize as we get to know each other, I turn into a real bitch when I'm scared, I use words as a defense mechanism, I lash out to those closest to me. I'm so sorry.” Melissa explained and apologized.

“What do you think about putting everything behind us and starting again Mel?” Damian asked as he reached over, and taking her from his brother so he could feel her in his arms again.

“I think I like the sound of that,” Melissa answered before she leaned down to kiss Damian. He had her panting 52

and squirming in seconds. She could feel the hard bulge of his erection under her backside. She pulled away from him so she could gulp in some much needed air.

“As much as I want to be intimate with you two again; do you think you could give me a few days to get used to you? I'm not saying we won't have sex soon; but I would like a bit of time to get to know you more.”

“Whatever you want sweetheart. You mean the world to us Melissa, we want you to be happy,” Damian conceded. He was happy to have Melissa back where she belonged, in his arms.

“Well in that case how about coming home with me for a few days? I want you to meet my sister Sara. She's gonna love you two,” Melissa said with a big smile.

“If that's what you want babe. When do you want to leave?” Luke asked.

“How about right after we have lunch. I'm starving.”

They made Melissa lunch in the kitchen of their cabin. They cooked up steaks, bacon and eggs, prepared lettuce, tomato, beetroot and pineapple. Placing it all on the table with bread rolls. The three of them made up homemade steak sandwiches, Melissa devoured two and watched as her men devoured a third. She couldn't believe she had eaten so much; must have something to do with the werewolf gene, or maybe she was just making up lost time from her recent lack of appetite.

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