19. Mike

NINETEEN

Mike was enthralled by the way Beatriz's eyes beamed around the triplets. Her happiness radiated into him, softening every hard part of him that had been constructed for the sake of duty. The day was far brighter than it had been, only with a slight chill in the air. He happily grilled with Nate, who didn't mention the drug issue once.

He was glad to have another day of casual interaction, but there was still a part of him that longed to know what was going on. It also pertained to Beatriz, as the wolves who had attacked her got away.

His attempt to inquire with Nate was interrupted by Beatriz and Karla, who asked Nate to keep an eye on the triplets during their nap in the guest bedroom. Beatriz looked exuberant which always, in turn, made him feel the same.

"What's going on, ladies?" he asked.

Karla spoke about her inability to shift and how it made her feel unable to protect her children. While he tried to reassure her that she not only had Nate but a big family around her, Beatriz laid her hand on his chest. The touch was electric, even in a moment that wasn't inherently intimate.

"We wanted to ask you about combat fighting," she asked with a little glint in her eye. "Karla wants to learn what you taught Ellie. I think it'll give her more confidence, right?"

She regarded Karla, who was never one to go silent. Karla nodded in agreement, taking a long, cautious pause before making her voice heard.

"I think it will. I really should have sought it out sooner, to be honest."

Mike was happy to grant Karla's request. He showed her, along with Beatriz, some basic defense moves they could use in hand-to-hand combat. All that he had shown Ellie came back to him, and his movements flowed with ease. The women were laughing soon enough … while also absorbing some incredibly helpful maneuvers.

Afternoon turned into evening, and dinner was set on the porch looking over the lake. The triplets were woken from their slumber and ready to eat, sitting in the three separate high chairs that Nate brought with them. They were a perfect blend of their parents … the boys with the sublime blue eyes of their mother and dark hair of their father, while Madison had the opposite of the two.

Mike enjoyed seeing Beatriz tend to the children with natural, innate maternal instincts. It stirred the wolf inside him, encouraging a hand to slip just under the fabric of her sundress. Her thigh was smooth and cool as they ate and chatted, exchanging naughty looks when Nate and Karla were preoccupied.

When they were almost finished eating, Nate received a call. He glanced at his phone, grimacing, then excused himself.

"What's going on?" Karla asked.

Nate shook his head and pressed the phone to his ear, opening the sliding doors to take the call inside. A wave of frustration surged through the enforcer as Nate disappeared, the two women looking at each other, then at him.

"I'm sure he'll tell us when he gets back," Beatriz said, trying to soothe him.

The phone call went on for nearly fifteen minutes, alerting the protective wolf in Mike. When he returned, Beatriz and Mike had started to clear the table while Karla wiped the excess ketchup from the mouths of her babies.

"I've got to head out," Nate said promptly. "There's some trouble at the club. Another overdose. Two wolves are going nuts."

Mike desperately wanted to accompany him, to be involved once again the way he had been, but he was pulled to stay around and protect the women and kids. Beatriz must have seen his conflict because she spoke up for all three of them.

"Take some food with you. You don't know how long you'll be."

Nate did just that, then kissed his three children on the head. Mike wanted to know more, but he remained silent, his desire to take care of Beatriz clashing with the obligation to figure out the drug problem.

Nate gave him a nod and spoke in a low tone as Karla and Beatriz moved back inside.

"You are doing me a favor staying back here. Don't worry."

He then left, walking around the property to the driveway. Mike knew that watching the women and children was a noble task, but he also knew that Beatriz wasn"t some feeble string caught in the wind. There was nothing left for him to do, though, so he cleared up the table and helped Karla bring the babies into the living room.

Nate was gone for nearly three hours, leaving Mike to wring his hands with concern. Karla was distracted by the kids, letting them doze off while watching a movie.

Beatriz kept her hand on his back the entire time, moving it in little circles as the hours ticked by. The moment Nate pulled into the drive, he leapt to his feet, careful not to wake the triplets.

He was eager to know what had taken so long. He also knew that the babies were asleep, and they couldn't talk for long or too loudly. Mike moved outside into the crisp air, a gentle breeze brushing over his bare skin.

"What happened?" he asked curtly.

Nate had barely made it out of the car. He answered bluntly, which Mike appreciated.

"Well, like I said when I left, there was another overdose. Two wolves going nuts. When I got there with Aric and Caleb, it was pure chaos."

Mike tried to be patient, but it was getting difficult. He"d spent most of the night torn between racing to the club and staying put next to his mate. It was torture for a man like him.

"What else?" Mike said agitatedly.

Nate went on. He had the same exhausted look in his eyes that Mike saw in Tristan's. The sense of empathy was contagious.

"We stopped the fight and closed down the club. We interrogated the wolves, who weren't quick to give up the dealer. Eventually, one caved and gave us the same of this Parnell character. We found him fleeing the club. Tristan has him in custody right now."

Mike rubbed his face hard enough to leave a red mark along his forehead. Nate continued to pour over the details.

"In the interrogation, we found that he was handing out the drugs like fucking candy. Word traveled fast, and more and more wolves started taking them."

"This is absurd," Mike said, letting out a long sigh. "I wish I could have been there with you."

Nate chuckled, then clapped Mike on the shoulder. It was friendly, but it irked Mike at the moment.

"Tristan told me he tasked you to protect the nanny. And she's your mate, right?"

Mike nodded, the word making something warm inside him bloom.

"And I'm sure that's a pleasurable task. I would love to be on my hands and knees for Karla all day," he mused, licking his lips. "But we've got these kids and a club to run. Take advantage of this time when you just have her. Wallow in it."

Mike didn't like being told what to do by someone who wasn"t his superior, but he certainly had a point. The past few days of moving between making love, eating delicious meals, laughing, and lounging with Beatriz were some of the best days of his life.

He didn't want to let those days slip through his fingers.

They walked side by side up the driveway.

"What now?" Mike asked, still avid about being involved in some capacity.

"Now we wait for Tristan's word. He's going to talk to this Parnell guy. Then we can make our move."

Mike still felt like Nate was being intentionally vague, but there was no point in going on. They went back inside, picked up the kids, and softly placed them in the back seat of Nate's minivan.

After they said their goodbyes, with Beatriz placing gentle kisses upon each child's forehead, Mike and Beatriz returned to the kitchen to clean up. Mike was quietly ruminating.

"You wanted to go with him, didn't you?"

Beatriz washed dishes while Mike dried them. He was taken from his thoughts when his mate spoke. He looked her over before replying, noting the way the sundress hugged the contours of her waist, her ample breasts plump and teasing with a tasteful peek of cleavage. A slit revealed the soft skin of her thigh, creamy and calling to him.

She turned off the water and turned to him, scowling playfully. Her voice returned to that smokey, low timbre that drove him wild.

"What are you thinking about, baby?"

He threw the hand towel onto the counter and grabbed her by the hips, slipping his fingers beneath the dress he'd been eyeing all day. Beatriz moaned with surprise as he brushed his lips along the fragrant nape of her neck.

"Do you think you were going to get away with wearing this dress? And not have me fall to my knees for you?" he growled.

Beatriz purred beneath his touch, her body stiffening with intense need. All thoughts about the drug problem flew out the window, replaced by a dire passion that didn't make it to the bedroom.