Claiming Their Mate….Six Months After Their Mating

*** Author’s note: This piece is unedited. I apologize for any errors.

Six months after their mating…

“Nessa!”

Shutting the car door, Nessa’s eyes went wide when she saw her sister. Six months pregnant with twins, Jules looked ready to pop. Her big belly stretched the white maternity tank, making it ride up partially exposing her taut abdomen, while brown yoga pants rode low on her hips. As big as she was, she looked good, healthy, with the glow of pregnancy. And happy. Her sister looked very happy.

Nessa crossed the driveway and jogged up the front porch steps. “Jules, my god, you’re huge. How are you?”

Jules pulled her sister close for a hug. “I’m great. I’m so happy you’re home.” She stepped back and smiled. “My sister, the lawyer. I’m sorry I couldn’t come to your graduation.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

“The doctor said I could, but Gabe and Luke said they’d tie me to the bed if I tried to get on a plane. I wanted to be there for you.”

“I know you did. Your mates were right to keep you home.” She looked her over. “I can’t believe how big you are.” As Were pregnancies are seven months long, Jules still had a month to go before she gave birth. There was no way she would carry those babies another month, she thought. “Hey Luke, hey Gabe.” Nessa threw to her brothers-in-law as they came out of the house and stopped behind their mate.

“Don’t talk to them,” Jules snarled, curling her lip.

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not talking to them so you shouldn’t either.”

Nessa bit her lip as she watched the men roll their eyes. At least they were smart enough to do it behind their mate’s back.

“Why can she say you’re huge but we can’t?”

Jules whipped around as fast as her giant belly permitted and poked Luke in the chest. “You didn’t say I was huge, you said I waddled. And you,” she told Gabe, drilling him next in the chest, “you, said my ass was getting bigger every day.”

Gabe took her finger from his chest, kissed the tip, then laced his fingers through hers. “What I said was that I liked the fact there was more of you to hold on to.”

Jules yanked her hand out of his. “You said that while you were grabbing my ass. What you meant was there more of my ass to hold on to.”

“And what a gorgeous ass it is.”

Nessa laughed as Jules growled.

“Welcome back, Nessa.” Luke stepped around his mate and gave his sister-in-law a hug. “Congrats on graduating. Are you sticking around for a while?”

“You mean here at your place or here, with the Pride?”

“Both.”

“I’ll stay at your place until you kick me out. I’ll be in the area until I find a job.” She hoped to find a position in California, maybe Arizona. After living in Chicago for so long, Logan, New Mexico was too small a town for her.

Jules nudged her mate aside, linking her arm through Nessa’s. “Don’t you two have something else to do?”

Gabe and Luke exchanged looks. Nessa thought they could have done a better job hiding their patronizing grins, but then she had a hard time keeping a straight face herself.

“I think she’s still mad at us.” Gabe reached out and tucked a stray bit of hair behind his mate’s ear.

Jules batted his hand away. “What was your first clue, Gabe?”

The brothers exchanged another look, then nodded as if they came to an understanding. “Hormones,” they said together.

Her sister’s eyes started to narrow and Nessa took that as her clue to move this conversation along. “Jules, how about we go around back and sit down? You get comfortable while I go inside and get us some tea.”

“That’s a good idea, Nessa. She should get off her feet-” Luke started.

“Not only am I not speaking to you, I’m not listening to you either.” She glanced at Nessa. “Luke seems to think he needs to watch me like a hawk and tell me what to do. All. Day. Long.”

“Why don’t you tell me all about it while we’re sitting out back?” Nessa winked at her brothers-in-law and guided her sister around them, heading for the back porch.

******

“I was hoping I could stay here for a few days. Maybe help you get ready for the baby.”

Jules checked her watch. “You’ve been back sixteen hours. The dads driving you crazy already?”

“They won’t listen.”

“Let me guess,” she started, ticking off points on her fingers. “They want you to move back home, set up shop in town, find a mate, and have babies?”

“Did Mom tell you?”

“No. I just know the dads. They want all their cubs close to home, producing more cubs. Well-” she paused, as she set the rocking chair in motion, “–except Marine. They don’t want her pregnant. And if she doesn’t quit giving them a hard time, they’ll send her off to college early.”

Nessa was not surprised; their younger sister could be a pain in the ass. “What did she do this time?”

“Since they stepped down they’ve had a lot of free time on their hands. It seems our parents have started acting like teenagers again. Marine’s caught them more than once rekindling their romance. She told them she hoped they were practicing safe sex because they were way too old to have another baby. That didn’t go over well.”

Nessa laughed, imagining the hell Marine got for that remark. “How has been it for you since your mates became the Leos?” She’d been worried for her sister that the combination of mating, marriage, babies and governing the Pride would be stressful.

“Honestly, it’s been easier than I thought it would be. We’ve all had to adjust, but it hasn’t been that bad. I think it’s been hardest on Gabe. He left the Navy, had to re-acquaint himself with the ranch, get up to speed on what’s been happening with the Pride. The first few months were tough, he didn’t get much sleep.”

“You could have given him a break and not worn him out at night.”

Jules snorted. “Taking care of me was his first priority. He made that clear from day one. So did Luke.”

“You don’t regret not leaving? That you stayed and became Lioness?”

“No.” Jules looked out at the pastures behind the house, at the barns and stables on either side of the house. “This is where I’m meant to be. Here, with my mates,” she rubbed her hands over her burgeoning belly, “and our babies. I still work, my client list is growing, and the guys, they haven’t tried to stop me from being me. Instead of roaming the country looking for what I want out of life, I look around this ranch, around my home, and see I have everything I never knew I wanted.”

“You sound happy.”

“I am. Nessa, you can stay here as long as you like. After living on your own for so long, I know how hard it is to move back home. Be warned though, Luke and Gabe will do their best to convince you to stay with the Pride. Your Leos would like to see more Pride members come home and stay home after college. They want the Pride strong.”

Nessa couldn’t fault them for that. Young Lions were the future of the Pride. If the Leos could keep them from straying too long, the Pride would stay strong and honor the legacy of their heritage. Though she was planning to leave, Nessa understood why they would want her to stay. “I’m okay with that. I’d like the chance to get caught up on Pride news.”

“Good. I’m glad you’re staying here. Heads up though, we have a few other house guests right now. Two of Gabe’s Seal teammates are on leave and came for a visit; Chance and Remy.”

“Are they Weres?”

“No, they’re human. They’re good guys, Nessa. They’ve been here a week and will be here for about another month.”

“Do they know about us?”

Jules nodded. “Don’t worry, though. Gabe has known them for years. He trusts them.”

Gabe’s opinion was good enough for her. But now she had doubts about staying here; she didn’t want to be an imposition. “Maybe I should stay at home. You already have guests to look after-”

“No. I want you to stay here. You can help combat the testosterone overload in this house.”

“Are the guys driving you nuts?”

Jules rolled her eyes. “You have no idea. They stalk me like I’m prey, order me to sit down or lay down, not to do too much. I think they’d be happiest if I stayed in bed all day watching soaps and knitting. Like I’d ever knit.” She shook her head. “Luke and Gabe act like I’m the first WereLion to get pregnant. Even Chance and Remy have picked up their bad habits and started nagging me to take it easy.”

“And you love every minute of it.”

“Not every minute, but yeah,” she smiled, “I do love it. My mates fuss and lecture and drive me crazy, but I know they do it because they love me, and I love them for doing it. ”

Though the last thing she was looking for was a relationship, Nessa felt a small twinge of envy at how happy her sister sounded. Not that she would ever begrudge Jules her happiness, but she did wonder what it would be like to love and be loved like Jules and her mates did.

*****

Gabe came around the corner of the house and stopped. The sight of his mate, sitting on the porch, rocking back and forth as she stroked her belly, took his breath away. She looked so beautiful to him. His woman. His children.

“Hey, babe. Where’s Nessa?”

Jules turned her head to the sound of his voice, looking toward her mate. “She went back to the Double K to get some clothes. She’s going to stay with us for a while.”

“You’ve missed her.”

“Yeah, I have. You don’t mind that she’s staying, do you?”

“If it makes you happy I’m fine with it.”

Jules arched an eyebrow. “Are you just saying that so I’ll talk to you again or do you really mean it?”

Gabe just smiled as he took off his cowboy hat. He’d meant what he’d said; he wanted her happy. There was nothing more important in this world to him than her. He’d do anything for her. Right now he wanted to coax her out of her mad.

His mate knew how to hold a grudge. He’d learned that the hard way over the past six months but he guessed that was to be expected when you threw two stubborn males together with an even more stubborn female. All three of them had had to make some adjustments. He and Luke had become fast learners on how to handle their mate though neither one of them would ever let her in on their secret.

They might be stubborn but they weren’t stupid.

Gabe climbed the steps and walked toward her. Instead of taking the chair next to hers, he stopped in front of Jules, dropped his hat on the porch, and went to his knees. His chest expanded possessively as she spread her thighs making room for him to get closer. Yeah, he thought, as she met him halfway for a kiss, she might be aggravated with them but it wasn’t serious. Personally, he thought it was cute.

It took no time at all for their gentle kiss to turn into a passionate one. Gabe licked at her lips, nudged them open, and then feasted on her mouth. He slid his hands up her thighs and around her hips, pulling her closer. He purred when her arms came around him and her hands fisted in his hair. A few months ago he would have taken that as a sign to pick her up, carry her in the house and enjoy and an afternoon in bed with his mate.

His erection pressed against the zipper of his jeans. He needed his mate. The doctor told them last week no more sex for the remainder of their pregnancy. Gabe wasn’t sure who pouted more; Jules or him and Luke. The no sex ban was killing them all.

When Jules started to purr Gabe pulled away, licked her lips, and groaned as he eased back. “Baby, we can’t.” His groan turned into a moan as Jules leaned forward seeking his mouth. When she slipped her hands into the back pockets of his jeans he pressed forward, nestling his hard parts into her soft ones. “Remember what the doctor said?”

“Just because he said it doesn’t mean we have to listen to it.”

“Yes, we do.”

“Gabe…”

One of them had to be the strong one. Damn, but it seemed like it was going to be him. He kissed her one more time then rested his head on her shoulder, hugging her close. “How about we go inside and you sit down and watch me while start dinner?” He would prefer to take her up to their bedroom and do all the things his body ached for him to do, but having her company was nearly as satisfying.

Jules kissed the side of his face then leaned back. “How about we both start dinner?” She cut off his protest with a finger over his lips. “The exercise will do me good.”

The way her lips curved up at the ends told him the dig was just in jest. “You know I love you anyway you look. And seeing you like this, carrying our children, is the prettiest you’ve ever been.”

The kiss she placed on his lips was special. The “I love you, too,” she whispered was even more so.

*****

Jules leaned back in her chair, laughing at something Gabe said to his former teammates as he cleared the table. She had tried to help clear the dishes but gave up when all four men and her sister protested. If they wanted her to watch while they worked she wasn’t going to argue. She may be stubborn but she wasn’t stupid.

But she was tired. Another month and her babies would be in her arms. She couldn’t wait for that to happen. According to her doctor, her mother, Mrs. Masters at the post-office, Mrs. Stouffer at the market, and many, many other Pride members who were more than happy to offer up advice, her pregnancy seemed to be an easy one and she should feel lucky.

While she didn’t agree with the easy part, Jules did feel lucky. She was lucky she had two wonderful mates, even if they did piss her off from time to time. Hell, she thought, she pissed them off from time to time too. In their mating, each partner gave as good as they got. That was the way it was supposed to be. She was lucky she would have two beautiful babies to love in a few weeks. But to be honest, she’d be even luckier if the babies decided to come early. She was ready for this pregnancy to be over.

Absently rubbing her belly, Jules looked around the kitchen. She liked this, having so many people around. Nessa seemed more relaxed than when she showed up this morning, but still looked like she needed a break. Luke and Gabe were happy. And Remy and Chance? They got along well with everyone. They were good guy, just like Gabe had said and she was more than happy to have them as guests.

Remy was a dark haired, dark eyed Cajun hottie, and Chance, he had the golden good looks of a California surfer. Both men were built, strong, and tall. She watched them move around the kitchen helping with the clean up. They were good guys. When they called Gabe, checking in with him like all his former teammates did every so often, they’d mentioned they were on leave for six weeks. Gabe invited them to come to the ranch and they accepted. Her mate had told her and Luke the guys didn’t have any family outside of the teams to visit. Both she and Luke knew Gabe missed his teammates and were happy he’d asked them to come visit. They were great house guests; considerate, funny, and offered to work on the ranch, help out any way they could. But they were restless. Jules could tell they were edgy and needed to relax.

She also saw the way Nessa looked at them. And they looked at her. That made Jules smile.

“You know what I could use right now?” Jules announced, looking first at her mates then zeroing in on her sister. “A big bowl of ice cream. With chocolate sauce and whipped cream. And cherries. And nuts.”

“You mean a sundae?” Nessa asked.

“And bananas,” Jules added.

“I think she wants a banana split,” Chance offered.

“I’ll make you one.” Nessa headed for the freezer but stopped when Jules spoke up.

“We’re all out of ice cream.” Jules hoped the expression on her face was convincing; half longing, half disappointed.

“No biggie. I’ll run into town and get some.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”

Nessa waved off her worry. “Not at all. I’ll go and be back in a few minutes.”

“Why don’t you take Chance and Remy? They haven’t seen much of town since they got here.”

Nessa glanced at the men and nodded. “Sure. You guys want to come?”

“I’ll go,” Chance said. He looked at Remy. “Want to go?”

“Fine with me,” he added in his southern Cajun drawl.

Gabe closed the dishwasher door and wiped his hands on a dishrag. “My truck is the last one in the drive. I’ll get my keys, you can take my truck.”

Jules levered her big body out of her chair as everyone except Luke headed for the door. “Thank you and take your time, guys. There’s no rush to get back.” Satisfied, Jules stretched, watching them leave the kitchen.

“Matchmaking?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Maybe.” Chuckling, Luke wrapped his arms around her from behind. She loved the way his arms felt around her. They fit so good together. “Did you see the way they looked at her?”

“Jules…”

“What? She’s here, they’re here. What’s the harm if they hook up? My sister needs to relax. So do they.”

“You want her to hook up with both of them?”

She shrugged. “It worked for me. Maybe it would be good for her.”

“This is part of the nesting thing right? The books said-”

Jules rolled her eyes. “You and those damn books.” Just days after their mating, before they were sure she’d even conceived, Luke bought a dozen books on pregnancy and raising babies. He and Gabe both read them, but Luke, he committed them to memory. He’d said he wanted to be prepared for fatherhood, to help her through every stage of her pregnancy. Jules loved him for it even if he had been driving her crazy the last six months. He now believed himself to be an expert on all things pregnancy related.

Luke smiled as he took her grumbling in stride, running his hands over her belly then stopping when he felt their babies move inside her. God, he loved this woman. From the first time he pulled her close he knew she was the other half of him, the one who he was meant to spend the rest of his life with. Never once did he doubt they belonged together. He knew Gabe felt the same way.

Luke growled when Jules arched her neck, offering him the smooth, pale column on her throat. He worked his tongue over her smooth skin, tasting her. He could lick her for hours.

Gabe walked through the door of the kitchen and stopped. And stared.

His mate and his brother looked so right together. Jules stood in the circle of Luke’s arms, leaning back against him, as he kissed his way down her throat to the curve of her shoulder. Luke needed her, just as he did. She made them whole. She had been the missing piece they had both searched for. The female to their male.

He walked toward them, stopping when his belly brushed against hers. “Can I join in?” he asked, his voice low and husky.

When Jules opened her arms and pulled him close for a kiss he knew this was the way it meant to be. The three of them together, touching and loving like this. It was in their blood, their nature, and they thrived on the relationship the three of them had built.

“Let’s move this upstairs,” Gabe murmured as he kissed and licked his way down her throat to the curve where her neck met her shoulder. His sex swelled as his mate purred when he licked the mating mark he’d given her six months before. When he lifted his head, he saw Luke’s descend to her right shoulder and the mark he’d placed there the night they mated. Two men, two marks, one woman, he thought. The way it was meant to be.

“We can’t,” Jules moaned with regret, arching her neck, giving Luke better access to his mark.

“The doctor said no sex. He never said no petting.” And Gabe knew his kitty liked to be petted.

“Petting leads to sex.”

Luke licked his mark one last time then raised his head. “There are other kinds of petting, Jules.”

“Yeah, but if it doesn’t lead to sex, why bother?” she whined.

Gabe laughed. His kitty was frustrated. Her scent filled the room telling both men her raging hormones demanded satisfaction. During the early days of her pregnancy Jules had been insatiable. This no sex ban was hell on her. On him and Luke too.

“I know a way we can pet you that you’ll love,” Gabe taunted.

“You and Luke know every way to pet me that I love, but we can’t.” Her head fell back onto Luke’s shoulder as her hands ran up Gabe’s arms to lock around his neck. “This isn’t fair, damn it.”

He loved it when she whined. “How about we take you upstairs, get you naked, and stretch you out on our bed?” Gabe ducked his head, lowering it for a kiss.

“And do what,” she murmured against his lips.

“Foot rub,” Luke whispered in her ear.

“Back rub,” Gabe added.

Jules lifted her head off Luke’s shoulder to look at Gabe. “Foot rub?”

“Yep.”

“And a back Rub?”

“Yes, ma’am. We will be at your disposal.”

They didn’t have to ask her twice. “Let’s go.” Jules slipped out of Luke’s embrace, took both of her mates by the hand, and dragged them to the door until Luke pulled her to a stop.

“What about the guys and Nessa?” he asked. “They’ll be back soon with your banana split fixings.”

She shook her head and waved him off. “I’m not really hungry.”

“I knew it.” Luke laughed, pointing a finger at her. “You were matchmaking.”

“Jules-” Gabe growled.

She didn’t want to hear it. “You saw how they looked at her and how she looked at them. Nessa’s interested and so are they.

A small part of her knew she should be waiting for her sister when she got back. It was the right thing to do. Nessa and the guys, they had gone into town for her. But…her sister would understand. She would.

Foot rubs and back rubs trumped banana splits.

“Let’s go upstairs,” Jules purred.

Both her mates smiled that special smile they had just for her, the one that told her they would do anything for her. Her men would take care of her. She’d get her back rub and her foot rub and maybe, her mates would rub her in a few other places that needed their attention. And she could return the favor. Yes, her men would take care of her; they’d make sure she got everything she needed.

Including her banana split.

She loved these guys.

She really did.