True mates Book Two of Ozark Wolves

William, Rick, and Quincy listened to her pad around upstairs. First to the closet where a soft curse was heard. Then to the bed where she climbed on and settled under the covers. She was asleep in no time. Her even breathing finally allowed the males to relax. William threw his pencil from his ear lodging it in the wall twenty feet away. He would have to retrieve it before Alexandria woke.

"Easy, brother," Rick said. "Dad told us that Mom was skittish, also. Being a virgin and having seen what she did. Yet they fuck like damn rabbits. Alexandria will need the same patience from all of us."

"Mom was not attacked. Another female was." Quincy retorted.

"Not true. The faded scars on her wrists. Did neither of you ever ask?" William replied. His last girlfriend had been enthusiastic. He had hoped that she would agree to be his mate. But she had mated last summer at the Gathering. He had not realized until she had broken the news to him. That he had fallen in love with her. A huge mistake in the wolf world if the Moon had not granted the bond. William was still hurt and angry about it. She had been perfect. Now he had to keep his true mate from killing him and his brothers. Not to mention their mother.

Maria had been ready to learn. Had found the idea exciting. The first of six women he had approached with the idea who had taken him up on it. The first five had been humans. No chance of falling for one of them. But they had been afraid. He had to have trust. Though it had disappointed him. Their rejection had not hurt.

"Don't you think we are all putting the cart before the horse. She has not even agreed." Rick commented. "I suggest we start small. She needs a wardrobe for absolute certain. Those two suitcases are full of threadbare hand me downs. I would like to see what is under that baggy t-shirt before deciding how to proceed."

The other two agreed. "What are you thinking so far?" They asked Rick in unison.

"She is going to be harder than Mom in the sense that she will not trust us easily. I am not completely convinced that her brother was who Mom killed. I have a feeling it may have been her father. The doctor lied to her from the start. But to prove that would take serious digging that we cannot do from here." Rick replied. He sat up on his bed. "Grandpa Kenneth might though. He has years of tapes. It would take days but we could find it."

"Was anyone else sporting a semi when she opened her mouth. Because I..." Quincy looked at his brothers and then shut his own mouth. "Alright then." William turned back to his board. Then growled in frustration and pulled out another pencil.

"What is eating you?" Rick asked trying to get a good read on his brother. He had been pissy for hours. Not unusual but he seemed more on edge with each passing second.

"The schematics of it all." William replied. Erasing a bad line and redoing it with his ruler.

"He is wondering who gets the first taste of her." Quincy clarified. "Has been going over it in his mind since we saw her in the auditorium. Truthfully. Does it matter?"

"To me. For some damn reason it does to me." William replied.

"Again. Easy, brother. First we have to get her to agree. From that curse she found her phone broken. As Mom said she had done. The doctor will have no influence on her. Second we have to woo her. Get her to relax. I know that the first taste is not what worries you. It is the Alpha in you that is truly at war right now. You want to dominate her but know that would just push her out the door. And after that revelation your protective instincts kicked into high gear. Mine too. So remember, this is not just you. It is all of us and we have to use our strengths to get through to her." Rick looked from brother to brother. "So how do we proceed?"

"Divide and conquer." the three said with grins. Rick was not too concerned about his end of it. Romance always won. Father had used his charm and patience to get Mother to trust him. To love him.

"William, you take her shopping after breakfast." Rick said. "Don't look at me like that. You know this stuff even better than I do." Rick said with a sly smile. "I have seen you studying magazines on female apparel."

"Fine," William replied. He did not like the idea of being alone with her. She was not like Maria. She was terrified. Though, of what he did not know. Thus far they had been perfect gentlemen. Keeping themselves in check in all things. Not a one of them could deny that they wanted her. But she was scared as a rabbit. Ready to bolt if things got too intense.

"Let's call it a night. She will be up before we know it." Quincy yawned and saved the spreadsheet he had been doing on William's business. "One question though. Are we making a new budget to cover her expenses or are we just taking from whoever is shopping?"

"Make a new budget for her expenses adding in a third of each of our incomes." William replied. He turned the light off over his drawing board and went to retrieve his pencil. He looked at the loft when he reached the ground floor.

The moon shining through the window up there fell on her in the bed. Bathing her in a spotlight. Her dark hair shining. Her slightly tanned skin reflected the light. He wanted to go up there and make sure she was comfortable. Warm. His wolf raised its head at the idea. She will need your guidance. Your dominance will be needed. Just not yet. William sighed and silently padded back up to the second floor.

"Soon enough, brother." Rick said from his bed. "She will not be able to resist us for long." William hated when his brother did that. Used his intuition and observation to hit the nail right on the head. Made it difficult to keep secrets. "She is not Maria. She is ours. No one can take her from us."

"Stop that and go to sleep, jackass." William replied. He climbed on his bed and stretched out on the coverlet. His room was done in reds and whites with a splash of black. The poster of a band he had been into four years ago still tacked to the ceiling. It used to give him comfort. Now it just reminded him of a simpler time. They were Alphas in the true sense. And their mate had shown up. He had hoped to have time to acclimate to the one before the other was thrown at him.

Rick lay under his covers. Staring at his poster of a skeleton male giving a black rose to a female skeleton. Love and trust shining in her eyes. He was concerned that perhaps this was going to be harder than he had originally thought. Getting through her icy exterior was going to take the efforts of all of them. They had to listen to her carefully to know which would be needed at that moment. He closed his eyes and forced himself to relax.

Quincy, too was taking stock of the conversation. She had been unimpressed with his sense of humor. While rubber snakes were juvenile and beneath him. He had a quick wit and a good sense of humor. Dark at times but females always laughed genuinely at his jokes and clown antics. She would just need to relax. He rolled to his side to look at the wall his computer desk sat against. He closed his eyes fell asleep.

Easy for you two fuckers. William thought. His body on high alert. His senses taking in every sound from the room above. She was tossing. Was the mattress too hard? Too soft? A soft whimper floated down to him and he balled his fists into his blankets. She was dreaming. It was not a pleasant dream.

All three sat up and were up the stairs when she cried out softly in her sleep. She had kicked off the blankets. She rolled restlessly to her side and curled into a fetal position. Another whimper came from her. William jumped into action. He replaced the pillow with his crossed legs. His gentle fingers worked rhythmically through her hair. Rick took her right side. Quincy her left. Each gently caressed her. She calmed though it took time.

She was warm. Security as she had never felt before enfolded her in strong arms. Soft butterfly wings worked through her hair. Small circles worked the tension loose in her back. A soft feather caressed her arm. Her leg. She relaxed. She was protected. She was safe.

The moment she was completely asleep again. William gently placed her head back on the pillow. He could not resist the urge to kiss her soft hair. He stood aside as Rick and Quincy unfolded themselves from her. Each placed a kiss on her hair. The three tucked the blankets back around her. Their body heat still radiated from the places they had lain.

The three met eyes. She had not told them everything. There were demons there. Clawing to get to the surface. They stood watching her sleep. Her soft even breaths matching theirs. There was no doubt. She was theirs. And they would not let her go back. The silent vow between them made they silently returned to their beds. Though sleep for them would be difficult. Hearts pounding and blood on fire. William finally slipped into a light sleep. Rick's light snoring lulling him. Quincy threw a pillow at Rick to get him to shut up. "Sorry Quincy." He rolled and his breathing evened out. Quincy was asleep in short order too.