Sugar Creek: Marigold's Werewolf Mates Part 5

Sin wasnt really surprised to see tears in Maris eyes, and then they spilled over onto her cheeks.

Taylor wiped the moisture away with his thumbs and then leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips.

"You are an amazing man, Taylor Henderson."

Sin chuckled when Taylors cheeks turned slightly red, but his friend just shrugged before hugging Mari again. She squeaked when he lifted her into his arms and carried her back over to place her in Sins lap again. He gave her a hard look and pointed a finger at her. "Stay off that d.a.m.n foot. If I catch you on it again without Ashtons say-so I am going to put you over my knee and spank that s.e.xy a.s.s."

Maris mouth gaped open and then snapped shut with an audible click before she glared right back at Taylor. "Youll do no such thing."

"Dont test me on that, baby. That wasnt a threat, it was a promise."

"Arrogant jerk," Mari muttered under her breath, but of course they all heard her.

"Thats Alpha arrogant jerk to you, Mari."

Mari glared at Taylor again before she sighed and relaxed back against Sins chest. "Isnt an Alpha like the leader of the pack?"

"Yes," Sin answered.

Mari s.h.i.+fted on his lap, and he bit back a groan when her soft cheeks rubbed against his hard, aching c.o.c.k. She seemed totally oblivious to his predicament, or maybe she just chose to ignore his hard-on.

"So youre the leader?" Mari asked, looking at Taylor with awe.

"No." Taylor turned back to the meal preparations, and from the set of his shoulders he wasnt about to elaborate.

Sin decided that if Mari was willing to ask questions, then she deserved answers. How else was she supposed to get to know them if they refused to answer? So he started telling her about Taylors pack and how he had earned the t.i.tle of Alpha even if he refused to lead the small group of men.

"Wow." Mari glanced at Taylor with what looked like respect. "A lot of men would have let that type of power go to their heads. You did what was right for the rest of your pack, Taylor. You should be commended for making such a decision."

Taylors shoulders lowered from around his ears, and he turned to smile at Mari. "Thank you, baby. It means a lot to hear you say that."

Mari nodded. "So who is the Alpha of Sugar Creek Pack?"

"Lucien Woolf is Alpha. His brothers Raphael and Gabriel are his Betas," Michael explained.

"And a Beta is?"

"Second in command to the Alpha," Sin answered.

"So what are all of you in this chain of command?"

"We are Omegas."

"What does an Omega do?"

"We are involved with whatever is necessary." Sin kissed the top of Maris head and once more inhaled her wonderful apple-cinnamon scent. "But mostly we make sure our land is secure from any threats."

"So youre security, huh?"

"You could say that," Michael said and winked at her.

"Taylor is a cop."

"You are?" Mari asked and then smiled as she met each of their gazes. "Well, I suppose thats not so surprising."

"Why do you say that?" Taylor asked.

"Because you are all so d.a.m.n tall, muscular, handsome, and s.e.xy. Plus you all give off this aura of...power and authority."

"Is that a good thing?" Sin asked. Hed wanted to howl with joy when she said they were all s.e.xy and handsome, but he didnt want to startle her or make her embarra.s.sed over what shed said. He could tell his brother and Taylor were just as happy.

"h.e.l.l yes."

Sin chuckled, and then all of them were laughing. Their mate was a surprising mix of shyness, sensuality, and minx. He knew if she agreed to mate with them they would have a long, happy life, and hopefully the G.o.ds would bless them with pups, too.

They just had to convince Mari that they were the men for her.

Chapter Six.

"I am d.a.m.n sick and tired of being stuck inside and walking like an old woman," Mari muttered to herself.

The last few days had been frustrating for Mari, but she sucked it up since she hadnt been allowed to walk anywhere. Her ankle was still a little tender, but after Ashton had checked it out he had told her she could walk on it as long as she kept it wrapped.

She had spent three nights in the guest bedroom of their home, and none of the men had attempted to touch her in a s.e.xual way again. She was so d.a.m.n h.o.r.n.y she was thinking about taking matters into her own hands, so to speak. The mating musk the men emitted was driving her bonkers, and although they touched her often and cuddled with her, they kept their hands and mouths away from her girly bits. Of course they kissed her, but only chaste kisses on the lips. But what worried her was the way they all seemed to be becoming more aggressive.

The men were snapping at each other and getting angry over the slightest little thing. Mari wasnt sure what was going on, but she didnt like it. She was seriously thinking of asking Primrose if she had a spare bedroom she could move into. One of the men was with her nearly all the time, and she was getting cabin fever. Whichever one was with her would seem to not want to be with her and found excuses to stay in the office they had set up off the kitchen.

Prim had dropped in every day for a quick cup of coffee before taking off again, explaining that she had a million and one things to do for the wedding.

Mari sighed and pushed to her feet. The book she had been trying to read wasnt holding her attention, and she must have read the same paragraph at least five times without taking it in. She was also having trouble sleeping at night. She wanted to be sleeping with Sinclair, Michael, and Taylor, but she couldnt see that happening in this millennium. She didnt understand what was going on with them. From what Primrose had told her, the men were supposed to have fallen in love with her from the first time they had met, but Mari was beginning to think that had been a lie. But when she realized that Prim had never lied to her before, she decided that she couldnt possibly be their mate.

She limped slowly to the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee. If Prim was sticking to a routine, then she would be here any minute. Mari covered her mouth when she yawned, and then after getting cups, sugar, and milk out she sat on a stool at the counter. Sin was home with her today, but the last time she had seen him hed been hurrying out the back door saying something about chopping wood. Normally she would have been peering out the window and ogling his sweat-gleaming body, but she just couldnt seem to summon up any energy now that she was sitting down.

Both Michael and Taylor had chopped wood when it was their turn to babysit her, and shed watched them strip their s.h.i.+rts off before they got to work. She loved watching the way their muscles moved and flexed, but she was feeling dejected and despondent and wasnt sure what to do.

"Hey," Prim said, and she strode into the kitchen and sat down next to her before reaching for and pouring herself some coffee from the pot.

"Hi," Mari replied.

"Whats wrong?" Prim frowned as she studied Maris face.

Mari shrugged. She couldnt answer because she didnt really know.

"Talk to me, Mari."

"How long did it take for you to mate with your men?"

"A couple of days."

"Oh." Mari sighed, and her shoulders slumped.

Prim reached over and placed her hand on Maris forearm. The gesture of affection was too much for her and she fought the tears forming in her eyes, but it was useless. They welled up and over her lower lids before spilling down her cheeks.

"Mari, whats wrong?" Prim got up from her stool and hugged her.

The dam broke, and Mari started crying quietly. She wasnt normally a crier, and she was finally able to force the tears away. She wiped her face and reached for the coffee mug when Prim sat down next to her again.

"I dont think they are my mates."

"Why would you say that?" Prim asked.

"They havent made a move on me for days and they try to stay away as much as they can."

"Mari, maybe theyre just waiting for you to decide if you are going to accept them."

"I dont think so. They are angry nearly all the time. They fight over the stupidest things. I feel like Im making their lives h.e.l.l."

"Have you asked-"

Mari didnt let Prim finish her question. There was no way she was asking those three men anything and ending up getting hurt. The best thing to do would be to leave and give them some s.p.a.ce.

"Can I move in with you?"

"Are you sure thats what you want to do?"

Mari wasnt sure about anything, but she couldnt stay where she wasnt wanted. She nodded her head.

"Okay. Why dont you get your things together? Ill ask Barrett to come and collect your bags."

"Thank you, Prim. I dont want to be a fifth wheel, but I just cant stay here anymore."

"Hey, sweetie, thats what friends are for."

"Thank G.o.d my car is fixed. I think the best thing to do would be for me to leave after the wedding."

"Mari, Im sure theres a reason..."

Mari shook her head and slid off the stool. After collecting the cups, was.h.i.+ng and drying them, and putting them away, she headed toward the spare room. She didnt have much with her, and it didnt take long before she was ready to go. She wanted to go out and thank Sin for taking care of her, but she couldnt face him right now. The last thing she wanted to do was end up crying in front of him, and with such a tenuous hold on her emotions it wouldnt take much to set her off.

Barrett arrived and took the bags she placed by the front door and left again without saying a word. He didnt look happy, and she hoped it wasnt because she would be moving into his house when he was about to get married. She would have to ask Prim later, but the lump of emotion constricting her throat made it impossible to talk just then.

As she stepped out onto the porch, the pain in her chest was nearly more than she could stand, and it took a great deal of effort not to bend over and scream out her agony. She walked beside Prim, not speaking and feeling as if her legs were wooden, and she knew she would never feel what she was feeling for Sin, Taylor, and Michael for any other man.

They had managed to work their way under her skin and into her heart in a few short days. With each step away from their house, the emptiness inside her chest grew until the void was so big she felt like she just may freeze from the inside out.

Prim showed her to the spare room, and she was thankful that Barrett had already placed her bags on the bed and left.

"Mari, I really think you need to talk to them. I know that you are their mate."

"I dont think so." Mari turned her back on Prim, crossed her arms over her chest, and stared unseeingly out the window. She heard Prim sigh, and then she walked away. The door closed quietly behind her, and Mari whimpered when her legs gave out and she slid down to the floor. She leaned back against the wall, hugged her arms around her drawn-up legs, and let the tears come. They were tears of loss and pain so profound she couldnt make a sound as she cried.

How long she sat there in her misery, she had no idea, but when she finally lifted her head she realized it was dark. Did the men even know she was gone? Or were they too intent at staying away from her that they hadnt even missed her?

d.a.m.n them and their f.u.c.king wolf pheromones.

Marigold knew she would never be the same again.

"What the f.u.c.k is wrong with you?"

Sin looked up when Barrett came charging toward him. He dropped the axe and held his hands up, showing the aggressive wolf he didnt want to fight.

"What do you mean?"

"That woman is in so much pain the stench is almost sickening."

"Who?" Sin asked, although he had a feeling he knew who Barrett was talking about.

"Your mate," Barrett roared.

Sin spun on his heels and headed toward the house, but Barrett grabbed his shoulder, stopping him.

"Shes not there."

"What? Where the f.u.c.k is she?"

"In my home."

"Why?"

"Thats what Im trying to find out." Barrett released Sins shoulder and sighed. "She told Prim that she cant possibly be your mate."

"Thats not true. Of course shes our mate."

"Then why the f.u.c.k does she think shes nothing more than a burden and that none of you want her?"

"I dont...s.h.i.+t." Sin scrubbed a hand over his face. He, Michael, and Taylor had decided not to pressure her to become their mate, scared they would end up pus.h.i.+ng her away. Theyd also decided not to touch her until her ankle had healed. She had been in quite a lot of pain after they had made her come the first and only time theyd touched her s.e.xually and seen how pale her face had gotten afterward, they'd thought it better to wait until they could love her without hurting her further. He voiced his thoughts and sighed with relief when Barretts anger dissipated.

"Did any of you think to tell Marigold any of this?" Barrett asked. Sin shook his head.