Page 52 of Nita's Redemption

“You better keep those male of yours in line, young lady. Why I remember when they were little and liked to run around acting like this here was their own little war zone.” One of the elder females shook her finger as they passed her.

“Hey, now, don’t go pretending we weren’t the cutest little pups you ever did see. Besides you know I always won at shifter wars,” Abe said, giving a little salute to the cute little female.

Nita watched as her mate charmed each and every elder female they passed and or fist bumped the males. She loved all the stories of the little boys running around playing war, and little shifter pups chasing one another and playing hide and seek, which had clearly been the game of choice. By the time their home came in sight, Nita had a smile on her face. The slight twinge of envy was normal. Where she’d grown up, there were no games, no laughter unless it was at the expense of someone being beaten. Before the death of her mother, she had some good days when Seamus hadn’t been around. Those days were very hazy to her childish mind.

There had been one trip into town where she’d seen human children. They were so very different to her and her mates. While she saw in the three males’ memories they’d had interactions with human children, they hadn’t played with them.

“Human kids said we were weird,” Link murmured.

“They smelled,” she said, recalling the scents from when she’d been a kid.

Link and the others chuckled at her words. As shifters, their enhanced sense of smell made being around children who didn’t bother with hygiene a little difficult to deal with. Shifters, even as kids, liked to wash and when needed, shifted in order to rid themselves of dirt and grime, while humans when young had no problem rolling around in all kinds of nasty crap from sun up to sun down when they’d finally go home to be bathed by their parents. Once home, they’d get washed up with scented soaps and put in their comfy beds. Nita never had those luxuries.

“I’ll happily run you a hot bath while you soak for however long you want, and then we’ll each take turns washing every single bit of your gorgeous body with the most delectable soap you want,” Tank offered.

“Do you know the first bath I’d ever had was on Olympus?” she said, flinching as her males growled. “Stop it. You three couldn’t have done anything differently to change what was.”

Link swept her off her feet, holding her close to his chest. “It don’t matter if we could or couldn’t; it still sucks.”

She couldn’t stop the shiver that wracked her frame. His arms held her close. She was safe. Hell, she’d been safe for a long time. Bakra and the others had done a lot to get her to the woman she was today, and being on Olympus was like being on Earth time seven years or something. By the time she’d felt whole enough to return to Earth... okay it was Zeus. The God said she needed to go back. Nita didn’t have God blood running through her veins like the others, or like the demoness females who were different in many ways. If she stayed on Olympus much longer, she’d probably explode. Okay, she wasn’t sure if that was what would happen to her, she still figured they had a reason to boot her off the God’s world. Once back on Earth, and finding that she’d aged, a lot, staying on Olympus any longer could’ve been very bad for her since she might’ve returned a really old woman.

Nita was prepared to find it hard to reacclimate to Earth and all that came with her new life. But nothing had prepared her for the first night she’d been left alone in her own trailer. That was the first night she’d broken down and then apart into the dozens of ravens.

“I wonder if you chose that form because you felt safe with them up on Olympus?” Tank asked.

She lifted her head from Link’s chest. “You inside my head?”

Tank gave a little nod yet stayed silent and calm just as her other two males had.

They were literally the only things that kept her grounded as she thought about his question. For all her bravado, Nita hadn’t truly looked into her trauma too much. She had decided to not dwell on what was, since you couldn’t change it, but to focus on what will be.

“I can understand that, mo go hálainn rós, but sometimes we have to deal with the past in order to have the future we deserve.” Abe said while Link continued walking with her still in his embrace.

Nita wondered if they would still think that way when she woke from a dead sleep from a nightmare. There were times she scared herself from the screams she emitted. It was one of the reasons she’d wanted her home farthest from the others. On Olympus, she hadn’t been worried, since she’d been reassured nobody could hear outside of each pod. That was what they called the sleeping quarters she stayed in.

All that, she kept hidden behind a very thick wall where none of her mates could see. One day, after she was sure they wouldn’t kick her to the curb, she’d ease her walls down. Maybe if she were lucky, her nightmares might go away. Of course, she might find the ocean out their back deck tomorrow too. Not.

“I don’t know what the fuck is going on in that head of yours, Nita, but you’re making us worried. I know you’re tired and so are we. Tomorrow we get to beat the shit out of some shifters’ asses. Afterward, the four of us will go into town and have a nice dinner at a human restaurant. We need you to see that you are every bit as normal as any being there. The only problem we might have is you being too fucking beautiful for the likes of our asses. Make no mistake though, you are ours. We will walk with you, beside, in front, and behind, as we will always be. There is no hiding who we are to you, ever.” Tank had stopped them from moving, pivoting until he was facing her and Link.

She licked her lips. “What if I don’t want to go into town?”

“If you don’t want to go because you’re tired or some other valid reason, then we won’t. We are not going to make you do shit, Nita. As a bonded family of four, we will always discuss what we want to do as a group and plan accordingly. If one of us doesn’t want to do or go somewhere, we will listen to them. However, if you don’t want to go because you’re being obstinate, then we’ll have to figure out a way to encourage you into going.” Heat lit up his electric blue eyes.

Nita had an idea of how he planned to encourage her. “Sex isn’t the answer to everything, though.”

Link and Abe both growled, staying silent as Tank pulled her from Link’s arms. “Ah, our sweet little female. Sex is most certainly not the only way. You see, we know when our female is lying, keeping secrets, or being bratty. Which do you think we think she’s being now?” Tank asked running his palm over her ass.

“If you think to beat me into submission, you will find yourself pulling back a stub,” Nita growled.

Tank’s body froze as he let her slide down until her feet touched the ground. “Let’s get something straight, mate. I would never, nor would those two males ever lay a hand on you or any female in anger. Ever. We’d cut our own arm off before that would ever be an issue and we can’t regrow our appendages. The very fact you thought that of me...I’ve obviously not been a good mate.” Tank closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers. “I need to speak with my father. Please go with Abe and Link. I’ll be there when I’m finished.”

He took two steps back from her, looking at the twins then spun, shifting into the huge beast of a wolf. Her wolf growled a curse at her, telling her to go after their male. Nita shook her head, fighting back tears.

“I’d like to stay the night at my place tonight,” she said.

“If you want to stay there, understand we all will be staying there, Nita. We are all bound together for life.” Abe gritted the words out, anger etched all over his gorgeous face.

“I’m sorry this is such a mess. My mind feels like it’s a bundle of chaos and I just need a moment of quiet to reflect,” she admitted.

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