Patchwork pixie, p.15
Patchwork Pixie, page 15
Laughter rippled through the arena, and Marshall said, “Well, you have made his day and are likely to have sold out all of the tickets for your show.”
She smiled, and then her eyes went wide. “Shoot!” She grabbed her phone and started texting. She relaxed when the answer came that she had a bunch of secured tickets for the first and final performances. She really wanted Emmy there.
She sent another text, and when Emmy opted for opening night, she grinned. She giggled. “Yay.”
Marshall pulled her phone away and said softly, “Ruby?”
“Yeah?”
He held her hands and looked her in the eyes. “Breathe.”
Rayden’s scent wrapped around her when she breathed in, and her head grew heavy on her neck, lolling from side to side.
“Again, Ruby. Pull him in again.”
“Why?”
“Because he is coming home hot, so it would be good if you could meet him halfway.”
She looked at him and leaned forward to press her lips against his. She breathed him in, and he pulled her close. Ruby squirmed against him, and he groaned. He muttered, “He’s left the arena. He’s on the way home.”
She sighed. “That was fast.”
Marshall chuckled. “I think that getting here is foremost in his mind. We arranged for someone from the arena to drive him home.”
She smiled. “Cute.”
“Safety first. Did you want to change?”
“Why?”
“How much do you like the leggings and sports bra? If they are still there, he’s gonna shred them.”
“So, what I saw was what was happening.”
Marshall chuckled. “Him kicking into rut? Yeah. That was it.”
“No wonder the opposition got the hell out of his way.”
She laughed and pushed away from him slowly. Marshall’s eyes were bright, and she nipped his lips. “I had better save my limited wardrobe.”
She pushed on his shoulder and stood up. She walked up the stairs, and to her surprise, he didn’t follow her. The shirt came off, her clothing was put in her room, and then the shirt went back on.
The scent hit her hard, and she held the doorframe as she got herself under control. Her sex felt slick as she tried to move down the steps. She had to stop a few times to get herself under control.
She shivered when she finally got downstairs. Her scent mixed with Rayden’s, and Marshall walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her. That was it. The three of them together clicked, and she blushed at her body’s reaction. “That is just odd.”
“That is how it is supposed to be. Rayden knew we were two-thirds of our grouping, but when I met you, it was difficult to remain professional.”
“Difficult but not impossible.” She let her self-control fade away.
“I have had a lifetime of self-control.” He held her and squeezed her gently.
“So, if I only met one of you, I wouldn’t go off like this?”
“Probably not. Not the first time. Our set has to be together. I have even heard of omegas choosing the wrong mate and him going along with it because... who wouldn’t?”
“Opportunistic fuck?”
“Only one in recorded history. After that, the guys became insistent on turning down the offer.”
“Why?”
“The omega was mortified that she had acted out of lust and her mates caused issues with her previous lover.”
“Oh. Geez. I can see how that would have been a problem. When did that happen?”
“Eight hundred years ago. I am sure it was a scandal at the time.”
She sighed. “I am sure it was. If I were her, I would have kicked their butts. All of them.” Ruby rubbed her thighs together and whined, “How far is he?”
“A few minutes, Ruby. Nearly here.” His low croon soothed her.
“You must think I am ridiculous.”
“No, sweet. Hormones are overtaking you, and letting them out is impossible without our third.”
She paused. “Wait, what?”
He stroked her stomach. “You need us; we need you.”
She shivered.
He turned her and pressed her up against the wall. She wrapped her legs around him, and he kissed her as he slowly rubbed his groin against hers. That was the position they were in when Rayden burst through the door.
Marshall laughed as Ruby reached out for Rayden, and his red-eyed fury calmed the moment her skin touched his. She felt it.
Marshall murmured, “I will take her upstairs. You take your skates off, and we will go.”
Rayden blinked, and Ruby trailed her fingers down his cheek. He bent, and she heard a tearing sound. Rayden grabbed her and held her. He carried her upstairs while Marshall explained something to him. Neither of them was listening.
Ruby was kissing him relentlessly while he clawed off his uniform.
Her back hit the bed, and she heard growling, which caused her mind to go blank and her body to get slick. She was surrounded, caressed, and then she was mated.
She whispered into the slightly illuminated darkness. “Can we do that when I can remember it?”
Marshall kissed her while Rayden groaned against her back. Marshall lifted his lips from hers. “We can do that whenever you want, but we are going to have to hydrate first. You nearly killed us.”
She gripped his arm. “You are okay?”
Rayden muttered, “I am a delighted dead man. You took out my rut in a few hours. How are you, love?”
She shivered at the thought of being someone’s love. “Achy, sweaty, and wondering what time it is.”
Marshall chuckled and moved to one side. The curtains drew back, and the bright morning was exposed. “It’s about eleven. We will be at your uncle’s home on time.”
Ruby looked at the hands still on her skin and sighed, lying down. “Thanks for the protection.”
Rayden wrapped his leg over her. “It was the least we could do. Now, the next one will come naturally in its own time.”
Marshall stroked her cheek and threaded his hand in her hair. “We will help you with your hair if you help us with ours.”
His breath was warm in her ear as he explained their rites to her. A simple braid would tie each of them to the triad.
She shivered and tried to get up but slipped back into Rayden’s embrace. “Just a little more rest.”
They chuckled and cuddled around her, waiting until she was ready.
She clutched Marshall’s hand as they approached the pack house. “Maybe we should skip it?”
“Your cousins are there as well as your uncles. It will be fine, and if we can’t deal with it, we leave.”
Rayden kept his hand on her back as they walked up the steps. The door swung open, and Leon looked at her and bolted out to hug her. “Ruby, oh, baby. We were so worried.”
She hugged her uncle and ruffled his hair. “I am fine.”
“He was going to kill you.”
She smirked. “Apologize to Dane for me that his fondest wish didn’t come true.”
Leon burst into tears, and she hugged and soothed him. Derrik came out and smiled. “He’s been sobbing for days. Come inside.”
Derrik took charge of his omega and led him inside.
Ruby looked to Marshall and then to Rayden. “This is going to suck. I am going to need to go for ice cream after this.”
Rayden nodded. “Two scoops.”
They got inside, and after shoes were removed and coats were hung up, they walked to the great room where everyone else was waiting.
Uncle Grey was sitting next to Dane, and Dane’s new wife was holding his hand. Her eyes were red and puffy, and on closer inspection, so were Dane’s. James and Derrik were leaning against the wall, but it was Gerald who got up to hug her. “So, Ruby, you have had some work done.”
She grinned as they looked eye to eye. “Oh, hit the gym, worked out, watched what I ate.” She hugged him, and they laughed.
“You look good, Ruby. You look happy. Exhausted but happy.” He smiled and pressed his forehead to hers. “Can I meet your mates?”
“Oh, sure. This is Marshall, and this is Rayden. They are alphas to my kind of omega.”
Gerald grinned. “Welcome, cousins. Have a seat. The dads catered dinner.”
Ruby smiled. “Of course, they did. Their limit is six.”
She looked at her uncle. “Uncle Leon, are you tired of crying?”
Leon looked at her and sniffled, nodding. She opened her arms, and he ran to her, whimpering apologies while she listened and stroked his hair. She whispered, “I understand, and I accept. Would you like to know what I feel about you?”
He blinked and leaned back. “Yeah. I deserve that.”
She pressed her forehead to his and gave him every bit of relief and love that had grown when he helped her navigate his pack, every time he let her call her mother through a complicated series of phone numbers. The relief when she heard that Elite were in town, and she made it home safe. He got it all.
He started a strange crooning sound and pressed his head to her shoulder. “I love you, too, little girl. I will always be there for you, and my alphas will toe the line or go pout.”
She chuckled and kissed his temple. “Interesting image.”
He chuckled, but when he leaned back, he looked as if he had seen something beautiful. He stroked her cheek, and she smiled. “Uncle Leon, you have met my mates?”
She introduced them, nodded to Gerald, and went past Dane and his partner, who looked at her mate in confusion then on to Grey.
Grey looked to Marshall. “This was not why I hired you.”
Marshall laughed. “She paid the bill, and then we transferred her representation. You merely made the introduction. Thank you for that.”
Rayden smiled. “And I met her via Marshall, so thanks for that.”
Grey blinked. “Uh, you’re welcome.”
Derrik looked fascinated by Marshall and Rayden, and James just looked happy to have Leon happy again.
A small hand touched Ruby’s, and she looked at Dane’s wife. “Oh, hello. I am sorry. We haven’t been introduced.”
The woman blinked, “So, you are his cousin.”
“Correct. Leon is my mother’s brother. So, actually, cousins.”
She turned pink. “Right. Well, I am Theodora, but most folks call me Teddy. I am sorry to have missed you at the wedding.”
“I wasn’t invited and therefore wasn’t there. Ah, you were associated with Tanner’s family.”
“How did you know?”
“You don’t know me, but you were crying recently. It is such a relief that he has passed.” Her words were soft.
“It’s that little bitch’s fault. He was obsessed with her. If she had just let him have his fun, he would still be here.” Teddy blurted it out.
“Ah. Yes. The little bitch. Would you like to experience a hint of what she did with Tanner? It won’t kill you, but it will educate you.” She wrapped a hand around Teddy’s neck and gave her the first few weeks.
Dane screamed, and he grabbed her wrist, so she gave him the same pain she was sharing. She let them go, and Dane stumbled back and sat on the floor. Teddy fainted.
Dane grabbed Teddy and held her carefully. “Why did she pass out?”
“Most betas aren’t accepting of being repetitively assaulted for weeks.”
Rayden asked, “You gave her that?”
“I let her borrow it. It’s already gone. Isn’t it, Dane?”
He nodded. “I have the images and the feeling of being hurled around, but the pain is gone.”
“She had a crush on Tanner, so she is dealing with the reality versus the fantasy.”
He stroked his wife’s hair. “Why did you do that?”
“She called me a little bitch. Worse, she called an unknown domestic abuse victim a little bitch. I pray for your children because she is going to be the type of mother children hide things from.” She met his gaze. “You might want to take a firm hand with her. After all, it worked so well for Tanner.”
“I said I was sorry!”
She smiled. “No, you actually didn’t. By the way, you still haven’t apologized.”
He looked down at Teddy and then back at her. “I am sorry. Don’t hurt her.”
“Pain has never been my goal. Understanding has been the focus. She may have a drop more empathy than when she arrived. That child of hers is going to need a lot of watching. Hire a nanny.”
Dane blinked. “A child?”
“Sure. How long have you two been intimate?”
“We held off until the wedding two months ago.”
“Get a paternity test. She’s about thirteen weeks along.”
His eyes went wide, and he sniffed. “I don’t catch it.”
“You wouldn’t. You were a friend of Tanner’s. That isn’t going to change, but it explains her mindless devotion to him. Tanner had a scent so light it was like the scent of oil as it just begins to turn. Again. Don’t believe me, but do have it tested, and count me out of family holidays. I have been tortured enough by you for a lifetime.”
She straightened, and Marshall pulled her in for a hug. “Don’t worry, Ruby, we will invite Emmy over for holidays, and when she has her triad, they can come, too. Already a party of six. Your Uncle Leon and your cousin Gerald are also welcome. The rest of the uncles will be left to your discretion.”
James said, “Dinner is ready. Dane, bring your wife.”
They followed the pack through the house and into the dining room. Rayden was on her right, and Marshall was on her left. When Leon announced that they could eat, everyone began to serve themselves. Well, everyone but Leon and Ruby. Their alphas were serving them.
Gerald was laughing as Ruby tried to stop the influx of food. She finally hissed, “Enough. I know you know that word.”
Her mates each put one more scoop or tong full of food on her plate and kissed her cheeks. Rayden murmured, “I don’t recall you saying enough.”
“You missed it. You fell asleep. Poor baby.”
He nipped her ear. “Eat.”
“See, that one you knew.”
He growled against her neck. She blushed more. Leon was grinning, and her other uncles looked surprised.
She looked at the mound of food and started in on her family meal.
When everyone, including Teddy, had started, Marshall asked Leon, “What is your favourite memory of Ruby?”
Leon sighed. “When she was first able to sleep through the night but woke up when I went to check on her, she told me it was okay. Then she held her hand out until I sat with her and read me a bedtime story until she fell asleep again.”
Ruby smiled. She had read him the story of the bull that liked flowers. “And he lived in the meadow with his flowers.”
Leon smiled.
Derrik and James looked at each other and brought out their phones. “For us, it was her first time on the ice. The coach lit up, and she lit up and giggled with the other little girls and was just one of them for a moment.”
Rayden blinked. “You have footage?”
The phones were slid over, and Rayden grinned. “Oh, you were adorable.”
Rayden showed Marshall, and Ruby kept eating. The phone went over to Gerald, who passed it along to Teddy. Teddy froze. “You are a beta.”
“I was, but I got better.” She smiled. “Poor Uncle Leon spent a lot of his personal maintenance allowance on getting me coloured contacts and tinting my hair until I could manage things for myself.”
“Worth every penny to help you, Ruby. You grew up amazing considering your start.”
“I like to think so, and thank you. I can hardly wait to see my mom again.” She paused and swallowed a gulp of water. “Emmy says she’s finally here.”
Dane asked, “Why couldn’t they move here earlier?”
“Because they wanted my mother to have more kids. Three out of three were Elite. The eldest got team training and was actually on the team that was inept at finding us.” She smiled. “I am not saying that Jasper let us get away, but he wasn’t helpful to them. Fortunately, the moment that Emmy was born, my mom had her tubes tied, and the Elite were not informed as Jasper only joined them when he was fifteen and I was eight. That is when they started staying close to our town. When my school called them, they arrived within an hour.”
Teddy blinked. “Why?”
“Because they stop us. They stop Elite omegas from becoming Elite omegas. We are stronger than they are. I have fought Elite males twice and won both times. If I hadn’t been hiding, Tanner would have been dead the first time he hurt me.”
She paused, took a deep breath, and smiled. “But now nature took care of that for me. I have Marshall and Rayden, and the Patchwork Pixie will be a lot of fun this year.”
Grey cleared his throat. “You are going to be Pink?”
Rayden grinned. “She’s been bumped up to Patchwork. She and I can do things on the ice that none of the other volunteers are up to.”
Leon perked up. “This is great. I got tickets like I do every year, but this year, it is more exciting.”
“They have moved it to the open-air coliseum. Bundle up and bring hot cocoa.” She smiled. “I will see if I can talk some of my food truck buddies into being there for the break and after the final song.”
Rayden smiled. “Miracle.”
James laughed. “We hear it constantly at this time of year.”
She could see the bottom of her plate. “And each time you do, I get paid.” She paused and chortled like a villain before getting to the last roll.
Grey asked, “What?”
“Well, when Dane fucked over a little girl for everything she made, I licensed the Patchwork Pixie, which is why it is performed all over the world. I still got money for school, and I wrote some other small games that I got paid for, and now, I was content to go play at the candy shop, but things had to get complicated.”
Derrik frowned. “What?”
She finished her plate and sat back. “Dane diverted my earnings into his account because he was mad at me for taking Leon’s attention. An adult male deserved so much more than a homeless little girl, after all. Every burn from sugar and late night to get the candy ready went into his pocket.” She smiled. “Hey, since they are down a warm body this year until they can untangle the mess you made of payroll, you might want to actually work there to take on my duties until things are fixed.” She nodded. “Yeah, do three days there, not leaving each day until you have reached my output, and then I will forgive the sixty grand.”
