Once Upon A Midnight Read online

  “Uhh, sure.” Eric shrugged to Lanie and followed as requested.

  “Honey, can you come here for a second?” Rafe called to Mina to get her attention before stepping to the side and allowing the others to see Eric and Lanie.

  Chairs screeched across the floor as Beth, Mina, Bree, and Kenzie sprang from their seats in shock.

  “Eric! Oh Goddess, thank you for watching over him.” Beth nearly stumbled to her knees at the sight of her son. Her wolf, who had been far too quiet, bounded to the front of her mind, sniffing to confirm the man’s identity.

  “Mom—is that you?” Eric’s mouth hit the floor as he slowly moved forward in utter disbelief. He’d dreamt of seeing his mom and sisters again for years, but knew as long as he stayed away from Twisted Tail they would be safe from their father.

  The girls rushed Eric, surrounding him in a giant hug. They broke apart barely long enough to bring Lanie and the kids into the fold before the tears, oohs, and ahhs consumed the group.

  Grace wrapped her arms around Rafe. “You did good, kiddo. I’m proud of you.”

  “Thanks, Ma!” Rafe gave her a tight squeeze. His heart expanded more than he thought possible. The joy Mina felt having her whole family together, poured through their connection.

  “Rafe, come join us.” Mina reached for her mate, wanting to include him in the celebration. “You’re part of my family as well, and so is your mom. This reunion wouldn’t be possible without you.”

  Rafe accepted her hand and tugged Grace along with him. They had been alone, just the two of them, for far too long.

  Rafe cleared his throat, emotions flooded his senses. “Eric, we have another house on the property. It’s a large four bedroom, with plenty of room for a growing family if you’d like to be closer to your mom and sisters.”

  “I don’t know what to say. You have done so much for us already.”

  “It’s my pleasure. The house has been empty for years. We’ll call the cleaners and movers to take care of everything for you. All you have to do is say the word.”

  “If it’s okay with Lanie, I’d love to be closer to my family.”

  Rafe looked to Lanie.

  “Absolutely! He’s missed you all so much. Plus, it will be really nice to have more family around for the kids.”

  Mina squeezed her mate’s hand. “You are amazing. Thank you so much.”

  “Baby, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.”

  Mina knew without a shadow of a doubt that Rafe meant what he said.

  Feelings of love, happiness, and relief filled the kitchen. Mina and her family were together and away from Twisted Tail.

  Not wanting to see this joy fade, Rafe swore to Odin, he would protect his family.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Beth, I need you to clear your mind of everything.” Rafe held her hand gently, offering comfort and support.

  Sending tendrils of power gently into her mind, he searched for the mating bond. Anger seeped through his body when he saw the atrocities that had been committed against her.

  The images appeared in rapid succession, one after the other. Taking a deep, calming breath, Rafe started to untwist the fibers of her false bond.

  “This won’t hurt because your mate wasn’t your true mate. As Alpha, I can clearly see the violations against you and your wolf.”

  Beth took a deep, steadying breath. We’ll finally be free.

  “Mom, are you sure this is what you want?” Mina worried for her mother. Would she be able to recover from breaking the bond?

  “I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life, honey. Don’t worry. Rafe knows what he’s doing and the circumstances in which I was forced to mate your father. I’ll be free of him. Finally. I’ve been praying for this moment for years.”

  “Okay, Beth. Here we go. Ready?” Rafe sent a small surge of power to the remaining ties, shattering them.

  The gasp and subsequent smile from Beth as soon as she felt the bond break was music to his ears. No woman should ever be dishonored the way she was. Compelled to mate a no-good lowlife made his stomach churn.

  After what he just witnessed, Rafe truly hoped he never ran into Mina’s father. He couldn’t promise the bastard would be able to walk away if he ever laid eyes on the man.

  The process of breaking the bond took less than five minutes.

  Beth smiled from ear to ear when it was complete. She looked like a whole new person. Perhaps Mina should have felt guilty for aiding in what was the equivalent of a human divorce between her parents, but she didn’t.

  She couldn’t.

  The only good thing she could ever remember her father doing was not coming home on occasion.

  Tears streamed freely from her eyes. Mina loved her mom more than life itself. Seeing the smile on her face gave her faith that her mom would move on with her life, and find the happiness she deserved.

  “Mina, baby. Please don’t cry. This is not a sad occasion. I don’t know how else to explain it. I haven’t felt this free in years. My wolf might actually be twerking right now.”

  “Mom!”

  “Seriously, baby. I’m good. Really good.”

  “You don’t think Dad will come after you, do you?”

  “He might.” Beth shrugged her shoulders. “But what can I do? I’m not about to live in fear of him ever again. Thanks to Rafe, my life is my own again. I’m not missing out on any more of it. I love you and your brother and sisters. I will always be here for you. No matter what. But I refuse to give your father any more of my time, any more of my thoughts.”

  “If he shows up here, we’ll take care of him and anyone else he brings along. I don’t want you worrying about this.” Rafe placed a comforting arm around Mina. “I don’t want any of you worrying about Twisted Tail and their bullshit. I’d like to see each of you getting to know your way around the community, figuring out what you’d like to do. The truth is, I want each of you to build a life, the life that you want.”

  “The first thing I’d like to do is spend some more time with Eric and his beautiful wife. I’d like to get to know my grandbabies! I can’t believe I’m a grandma!”

  “I can’t believe it. I’m an auntie!” Mina and Beth giggled with joy at the thought.

  “I’ll be right back. I want to grab something.” Rafe gave Mina a peck on the cheek.

  “It was so great to see Eric tonight. All of my kids are together for the first time in years.” Tears formed in Beth’s eyes. “It feels like I’m dreaming and if I am, I don’t want to wake up.”

  “It’s been a crazy twenty-four hours. I still feel like I’m dreaming.” Mina shook her head when she thought of all that had transpired.

  “How did you meet Rafe?” Beth sat a little straighter in her chair, waiting for Mina to fill her in on the missing details.

  “Griffin’s bodyguards fell asleep. I saw it as an opportunity to escape. Thank Freyja they’re not very smart. They had a silver collar around my neck, but I knew if I could just get away from them, I could make it.”

  Beth checked Mina’s neck for any signs of damage from the silver. “You’re completely healed already? Even from the silver?”

  “Yeah. Rafe healed me through our mating connection.”

  A startled gasp flew from Beth’s mouth. “What? You allowed the connection? Are you crazy? Imagine what kind of mess I’d be in right now had I not been strong enough to block your father’s attempts at linking our minds. He would have known right where I was, where I was headed, and who I was with. We would have never been able to escape without him knowing.”

  “I know, Mom.” Mina twirled a lock of hair in her fingers. “When I ran from Twisted Tail, I knew I had to get out of there or I’d end up dead like Clara. Griffin planned to force me into mating with him before the full moon and before my heat cycle. I kept thinking about you, Kenzie, and Bree. I ran hard and fast, and even killed two of the Twisted Tail enforcers. That’s when Rafe’s pack found me. They had me surrounded. I wa
s hurt, and half starved. The silver had been on me for days. I felt like I was going to pass out. My wolf…I didn’t know how much longer she could survive.” Mina paused, collecting her thoughts.

  “Anyway, when Rafe’s pack found me, they took me to him immediately. I had no idea what pack I’d stumbled upon or where I was. When I saw Rafe, I didn’t know what to do. He charged at me and shifted in mid-air. Next thing I knew, his teeth were in my neck. I threw up the shield so the connection couldn’t be made.”

  “Oh, baby. I wish I had been there with you. To protect you.”

  “It’s okay, Mom. I was scared half to death. My nose was busted. I couldn’t smell a skunk fart if I tried.”

  Beth reached over, twining her fingers with her daughters. Giving her the strength she needed to continue recounting the details.

  “When Lucas pulled the collar off of my neck, I couldn’t keep my wolf form. I collapsed. When I woke up, Rafe healed me and told me that he forced the connection in my sleep. I had no idea he could heal me through it. What Rafe didn’t realize is that by healing me, he would take on my injuries. I felt so bad for him.”

  “He seems like he’s an amazing Alpha. But you have to be careful. You don’t know him, baby.”

  “Mom, he let me into his head.”

  “What? An Alpha would never do that.”

  Mina smiled at the look of astonishment on her mom’s face.

  “That’s what I thought, but he gave me free reign to search for anything I wanted to know.”

  “What did you see?”

  “I can’t tell you what I saw. I feel like that would be a breach of his trust. But I will tell you that I didn’t see young girls being forced to mate with criminals three times their age. I didn’t see matings being forced on anyone. I saw a stable pack. Wolves, who were not without their own flaws but willing to stand up and do the right thing. Willing to help those who needed it. I witnessed a strong Alpha who wants only what’s best for his pack, even if it means sacrificing himself.”

  Beth smiled at Mina. “Just be careful, baby girl.”

  “I will, Mom, but I don’t think I have to worry about Rafe. Not like that. He isn’t like Griffin or Dad, or any of the assholes at Twisted Tail. I’ve never met anyone like him. You have to remember, with the connection, I can see exactly what he’s thinking any time I want to take a peek. It’s a two-way street. And a pretty handy-dandy little feature of this whole mating thing.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that. I was always too scared to let your dad into my head. I couldn’t imagine what I would have seen if I looked into his thoughts.” Beth took a deep breath. “I just want you to be happy.”

  “I think I will be, Mom. I really do. I know this whole mating business is new and it just happened. It’s hard to explain how I’m feeling or how my wolf feels. I’m still trying to make sense of it. My wolf is calm. She’s happy. In fact, I’ve never seen her so relaxed.”

  “I wanted to make sure you have these so you can get a hold of each other, or anyone else you need to.” Rafe interrupted the mother daughter conversation. “Sorry, I can leave the room again if you want me to.”

  Mina looked to Rafe to see what he had in his hands. “Don’t be silly, this is your home.”

  “It’s our home.” Rafe held out four cellphones in an array of colors.

  “You are going to spoil my sisters. You know that, right?” Mina reached for the pink cellphone. “I like this one.”

  “I knew you would.” Rafe winked at his mate.

  “There’s one for you, Bree, and Kenzie. I’ll let you set the rules for the girls.” Rafe handed the remaining phones to Beth.

  “Rafe, that’s so sweet, but we can’t pay for these right now. Not until I get a job.”

  “They’re all taken care of. When you’re ready, you can take over the bill if you’d like. But it’s not a big deal. I’ve programmed Eric’s number and mine into each of the phones. Once you decide who’s getting what phone, you can sort out your numbers and contacts. Here’s a list of the phones and each of their numbers.”

  “Thank you, Rafe. I don’t know what to say.” Beth didn’t make eye contact. Instead, kept her head down.

  “Beth, can you look at me, please?” Rafe’s voice was firm. As Alpha, he threw a little command into the simple request, making her want to obey.

  Her eyes were much like Mina’s the day he found her. Scared and uncertain.

  “Life at Black Paw is a lot different than Twisted Tail. Trust is going to be an issue for you for a while. My hope is that you will make up your own mind about me, the pack, and our community as you get to know us.”

  Beth remained silent, but nodded in acknowledgement. She understood that he was asking her for time. Time to prove his worth. Time to prove the worth of the pack. It went against her better judgment, but she agreed. Black Paw couldn’t be any worse than Twisted Tail, could it?

  Chapter Eighteen

  After her sisters and mom were tucked in for the night, Rafe led Mina to their suite. She glimpsed everything briefly on the tour with Grace, but didn’t have time to explore the room or the house. Not the way she wanted to.

  Now that she stood in the enormous room, a feeling of inadequacy swept over her. Her bedroom at home contained the bare essentials. Meaning three hand-me-down beds that had been handed down for quite possibly the last fifty years. The only other piece of furniture in her tiny shared room was a single rescued-from-the-trash wooden dresser that held what consisted of their entire wardrobe, in other words, a couple of old T-Shirts and a few pairs of torn jeans.

  When she compared her life to her mate’s, she found they had nothing in common. She was dirt poor. The contents of her life barely filled her small suitcase and backpack. What could she ever give him that he didn’t already have? He clearly lived a privileged life that she dreamed of as a kid. We are so different.

  Immediately, Rafe was by her side, having sensed her concern. “You want to tell me what has you so upset all of a sudden?”

  “It’s—it’s stupid really.” Mina shook her head, not keen about going into the detail of her thought process.

  “I just...it’s nothing. Just forget about it. I’m fine. Really.”

  “Classic evasion,” Rafe huffed.

  “Mina, it’s not nothing. If it’s something that upsets you, I want to know.”

  She sighed and looked around once more. “This place is amazing, Rafe. It’s so beautiful. I’m feeling a little overwhelmed and it made me wonder, what could I ever hope to give you that you don’t already have? It makes the relationship feel a little lopsided. You have everything, and here I come trotting along with a suitcase full of thrift store clothes.”

  “Mina, it’s not just my home anymore. It’s your home. It’s our home and that goes the same for your family as well. You will help run the house and take care of the day-to-day things around here as much or as little as you want. As far as the money goes, what’s mine is yours and—”

  “Rafe, I couldn’t possibly take—”

  “As my mate, my wife, you can and you will. I won’t have you going without. It’s my responsibility to take care of you, and I very much intend to do that.”

  “So you’re only doing it because you’re compelled as my mate?” Mina couldn’t bring herself to say the words out loud, instead sending the question silently to Rafe through their mating bond.

  Rafe lifted Mina’s chin, wanting to make eye contact with her. “I’m also doing this because I want to. I want you to have everything you ever dreamed of. I don’t want you to have any doubt when it comes down to it. You are my mate. I feel it with every fiber of my being, Mina.”

  Mina wrapped her arms around Rafe’s torso. His words were sincere. Her wolf sensed it, and so did she.

  “Why don’t we take a soothing bath before bed? It will help you unwind. Hopefully, the warm water will help you de-stress.”

  “Really?” As odd as it sounded, Mina didn’t remember the last time she had the lu
xury of a nice, hot soaking bath. The mere mention of it was heaven to her ears.

  It was certainly something her father never allowed at home.

  “Come on, I’ll get the water started.”

  Mina followed Rafe to the bathroom and nearly swooned over the size of the tub. It could easily fit five full-grown adults.

  With the turn of a knob, water gushed from several spigots. Steam rose from the tub as the water level grew higher and higher.

  Rafe dumped a cap full of honey scented bubble bath into the water. In seconds, there were more bubbles than Mina knew what to do with.

  “Is this okay?” Rafe kicked off his shoes.

  “Are you kidding? This is awesome. The perfect way to end the evening.”

  With an exuberance she hadn’t felt in a long time, Mina stripped off her clothes and threw them into a tiny pile on the floor. Modesty be damned.

  Half-tempted to do a cannonball into the water, she opted for a more appropriate speed-walk, complete with a small hop into the sunken tub.

  Rafe laughed at her lighthearted antics, but Mina didn’t care. The soothing bubbles called her name and she found she couldn’t refuse. Who was she kidding? She didn’t even try.

  Leaning her head back against a built-in pillow, she watched as Rafe pulled his shirt slowly from his body, uncovering more deliciously lean muscle than she had ever seen. Her eyes widened at his oh-sweet-Goddess six pack. Her mouth watered as he unzipped his jeans and pushed them from his body. Feeling the need to turn away, she fought to keep her eyes on Rafe as he stepped out of his boxers.

  With a playful wink, he turned his backside to her.

  Sucking in a deep breath, Mina was in awe when she finally got a better view of the tattoo covering the expanse of his back.

  “I’m going to have to explore every line on that damn tattoo. Maybe even trace every single line with my tongue.”

  “Be my guest,” Rafe offered an open invitation.

  For the time being, she kept her eyes on the prize, enjoying the performance.