Zack and Ace

Chapter Ten

Kelly raced with a foul-smelling man for the dark shadows in the dim warehouse. The sun outside said it was daytime, but she couldn’t remember much past Simon Dunn and Stephen Folsom…drugging her? She glanced down and saw she wore a long hospital gown.

Perfect. Calling on the beast within, Kelly tried to transform…to no avail. Harry swore at her to hurry up and run, pointing outside and away from the van. Surprisingly fast for a man his age, he disappeared around the corner of the building.

She hurried into the shadows, fairly certain she couldn’t be seen as she watched the woman speed away. S. Torrence, the name tag on her white coat had said. Well, S. Torrence had apparently rescued Kelly at great cost to herself. The woman bled profusely from her forehead, and a dark patch had spread over her shoulder, whether from glass or a bullet, Kelly didn’t know. She could only hope S. Torrence would be all right.

Still trying to conquer the shock to her system, Kelly processed what she knew. She was pregnant and in danger of being captured by the PPA.

She was pregnant.

The need to find her mates and protect her baby triggered the change in an instant.

Thank God. Kelly sniffed the air and caught several scents. Decay, refuse, oil. The tang of blood, probably belonging to that Torrence woman. And Zack…

Kelly raced in the direction of her mate’s scent. Once outside the building, she found a narrow street parallel to the one the van had escaped onto. No one was in this alley, so she ran as fast as she could toward Zack. Soon she heard the sound of a fight. To her relief, she scented Ace as well.

She stopped as she turned the corner of another building. Derrick’s red truck sat next to a dark car. Zack and Ace fought two massive Circs while Derrick engaged Simon Dunn.

All five Circs had changed. Simon didn’t stand a chance and in seconds lay in a heap, one arm broken, his face covered in blood.

“Kelly belongs to me,” one of the rogue Circs argued. “I was made specifically for her.

We share the same blood.”

“That I collected, Colins. Pearl promised her to me,” a Circ that looked like Stephen said. He was twice as thick in the chest and two heads taller than the pleasant-faced man she’d dated a few times. “It was my work that found her. Mine that gave her what she needed. She’ll carry my brood. Mine.”

Ace growled and attacked Stephen, while Zack took on the other male. Derrick spotted her and immediately ran over to her.

“You okay?” he rasped.

She nodded. “You?”

“I’ll be fine, as soon as your mates stop dicking around and end this.” He finished in a raised voice.

Everyone froze as they saw Kelly, fully changed, wearing only a hospital gown that hugged her curves.

The fighting engaged in earnest. Watching Ace and Zack battle was like watching a ballet. Choreographed, graceful moves merged with power and skill to decimate their enemies.

Surprised not to see more of the PPA around them, she asked Derrick what to make of their absence.

“Roane and Hale are providing a distraction.”

In the distance, Kelly saw smoke in the air. The roar of sirens grew louder.

“We need to go,” she whispered.

Derrick nodded.

At that moment, Zack twisted the head of the Circ he fought, breaking the male’s neck.

Ace knocked Stephen’s head into the ground hard enough to crack his skull. Stephen slumped to the ground, unmoving.

“About time.” Zack shook his head at Ace and dropped his adversary to the ground.

“Show-off.”

“Hurry up,” Derrick called.

They turned and rushed to Kelly’s side.

“Baby, I’m so glad you’re all right.” Zack embraced her, hugging her tightly in his arms.

Baby is right. Kelly squirmed out of his hold. “I missed you, too, but we need to leave, before we have company.”

Ace kissed her hard. He and Zack moved to the backseat of the truck, allowing Kelly to sit next to Derrick. They sped around a corner, just in time to avoid the horde of Pearson Labs vehicles as they reached Simon’s car.

“Not that we’re not happy to see you, but how the hell did you escape from the labs?”

Ace asked.

Kelly explained waking up in the van and about S. Torrence. “I hope she’s okay. She saved my life. From what she told me, Pearl is fixated on me.” Because of my baby. She wanted to share her news with her mates, but confusion and uncertainty made her weary.

She still needed time to process the news herself. There’d be time enough to tell them later.

“This S. Torrence,” Derrick said. “You sure she helped you? Maybe it’s all a setup.”

“For what? If Pearson Labs wanted me, why let me go? Besides, the woman took a bullet for me. They shot at her while she was leaving. I don’t think she faked that.”

“I don’t like it.” Derrick sniffed in Kelly’s direction. “Something’s off. That blood on your gown isn’t right.”

“No, it’s not,” Zack said quietly. “But at least it’s not hers.”

“It’s Torrence’s blood. I didn’t sense anything odd about her, if you don’t count her working for Pearl. Then again, I was more concerned with getting the hell away from that mess than I was studying her.”

“Pearl’s people don’t help us. The damned scientists only care about their experiments, about ‘positive results.’” Derrick muttered. “Torrence is bad news. Soon as we get you back, we’ll see just what the hell they did to you in that lab.”

“D’s right.” Ace gripped her hand. “You were gone for a long time, Kelly. We were so worried about you. You sure you feel all right?”

“I feel fine.” Kelly smiled, catching Zack’s hand as well. She liked Ace saying “we.”

After Derrick called Roane and Hale, who also headed toward the compound, they drove in companionable silence.

Two hours later, they left the Parkway a few miles from the house, and Kelly voiced what she’d wanted to know since she’d left the other night. She turned to her mates in the backseat. “Is it safe to say you two have worked things out?”

Zack grinned. Ace flushed.

“Don’t get them started.” Derrick grimaced. “If I have to look at Zack mooning over Ace’s sorry ass, I’ll puke. I could barely handle the two of them slobbering all over you. Now I have to watch them making cow eyes at each other. It’s damned embarrassing.”

“Oh?” Zack asked coolly.

“Yeah, oh. I swear, one of you starts giving the other chocolates and I’m outta here. It’s bad enough the women have you idiots getting them flowers.”

Zack relaxed, and Ace laughed. “Chocolates?” He looked at Zack. “Come on. You can do better than that. You want a way to my heart? A nice, long massage should do.”

Kelly’s beast purred its approval, ecstatic to see the love flowing between her mates.

Zack shifted in his seat. The scent of arousal filled the small truck.

“Shit. Cut that out,” Derrick growled. “You push me into a mating heat, and I swear, it’s Kelly I’m taking.”

“You sure?” Ace asked as he leaned closer. He surprised Kelly that he’d tease Derrick, considering his issues about loving a man.

Zack grinned from ear to ear. “Now, that’s sexy. What do you think, Kel? We going to keep him? Our own little Ace in the hole?”

Ace snickered at the innuendo, though his cheeks flushed.

“Kelly, just say yes and put me out of my misery,” Derrick begged. Then he snapped at Ace. “And you, sit the fuck back. I don’t think Kelly wants to see what I’ll do if you don’t cut that shit out.” He shifted in his seat, drawing Kelly’s attention to his arousal.

“I don’t know, Derrick. You’re a handsome man. Why wouldn’t I…?” Kelly teased.

Derrick pulled the vehicle to the side of the road, his mouth tight. “I suddenly need some exercise. I’ll meet you at home.” He took off down the road, running as if chased by demons.

Ace and Zack high-fived one another, laughing. “Way to go, Kels.” Ace kissed her hard.

“I’ve never seen anyone scare D out of his truck before.”

Kelly grinned and scooted over into the driver’s seat. “That’s me. Hell on wheels. Now, let’s go home.”

Kelly grumbled as she sat up slowly, with Doc’s help. She’d been poked and prodded for what felt like forever, forced to accept Doc’s multitude of examinations with her mates on either side of her.

“So, Doc? Is she okay?” Ace asked, clearly worried.

“Nothing strange in her system. A few traces of that viral agent your S. Torrence mentioned, the same ‘toxin’ I found in Ace’s blood after his battle with those rogues. The woman didn’t lie about that.” Doc rubbed his chin. “Other than that, Kelly seems extraordinarily healthy. So maybe we should ask her. Are you okay, Kelly? How do you feel?” He deliberately focused on her belly and raised a brow in question, as if to say, Should you tell them, or should I?

Kelly swallowed hard, still not sure how to feel about her pregnancy. Thrilled at the new life inside of her, she nonetheless was still getting used to being a Circ with not one, but two mates. And a baby?

“Kelly, we love you. If something’s wrong, you can tell us.” Zack rubbed her shoulders and kissed her cheek, his affection soothing her anxiety.

“Yeah, baby. We’re your mates. Trust us. We love you,” Ace added.

Her beast nudged her to do the right thing, not that Kelly needed much prodding.

Accepting the baby meant accepting this new way of life for all of them. As a Circ. As a woman with two lovers. As a family.

“I’m pregnant,” she blurted, staring from Zack to Ace.

The looks on their faces were priceless. Both men gaped at her, then at each other.

“Ah, uh, are you sure?” Ace asked.

“A baby?” Zack asked at the same time.

Together, their expressions turned to ones of wonder, and her men smiled. “A baby.”

Doc grinned. “Normally, it takes eleven or more days to detect hCG in the system. But because Kelly’s Circ, her hormone levels vary significantly. There’s no mistake. The amount of hCG in her blood confirms it. Kelly’s pregnant.”

“Has to be my kid.” Ace puffed up. “My stuff’s pretty potent.”

Zack rolled his eyes and leaned down to hug Kelly. “As if. Cub, you wish you had my strength. It’s obviously mine.”

“Guys,” Kelly said firmly, tugging them both to face her. “If this thing between us all is going to work, the baby will be ours, no matter who turns out to be the biological father.”

“I know.” Zack sighed. “But if it is Ace’s, he’s going to be a bear to live with after you give birth.”

“Two Bears.” Ace snorted. “It’s Cree. Get it right.”

“Ass.”

“Dick.” Ace glanced at Kelly. “I mean, jerk.”

Kelly laughed and hugged them to her. She knew life with her Circs wouldn’t be easy, but it would never be dull. “You’re both going to have to cut down on that swearing, for the baby’s sake.” She patted her flat belly. “I’m going to have to move out of my house, aren’t I?”

Doc’s smile faded. “I think it best. We’ll beef up security on the compound. I’m not sure if Caitlyn mentioned it, but we’re building a few houses on the property, so you mated pairs, or groups,” he said, looking at the three of them, “can have your own space.”

“Good idea,” Zack and Ace said at the same time.

Doc nodded. “How about we break the news to the others?”

Kelly groaned. “Caitlyn’s going to be impossible about this. She wants to be an aunt, you know.”

“Yeah, well, just think how much shi -- flack -- we’re going to get from the guys about baby furniture and baby clothes.” Ace sighed. “They’ll never look at me the same again.”

“None of us will, you idiot. You’re going to be a dad, not queen of the gay pride parade.” Zack snorted.

Ace flushed. “I’ll give you ‘queen,’ you son of a --”

“Men,” Doc interrupted loudly, trying to hide his smile. “Let’s go on upstairs, okay?”

“Yes. Let’s introduce our new family to the rest of the team.” Kelly held out her hands, and her mates settled her between them.

“Doc, give us a minute, would you?” Zack asked.

“Sure. But don’t make me wait long. I hate holding on to good news.”

Ace waved him away. Once the three of them were alone, Zack spoke. “Kelly, we were teasing. The baby is ours, no matter what.”

“Yeah, ours.” Ace nodded.

“I love you both, so much.” Zack cleared his throat. He leaned close to kiss Kelly fully on the mouth. “My mate.” He turned to Ace, who met him halfway, and kissed him. “My mate.”

“Yeah.” Ace sighed when he broke away. “He’s so damned sexy. Maybe we could make Doc wait a few. It’s been a while, Kel. And I’m feeling a powerful need to bond with you both.”

“In here?” Kelly’s libido roared. She narrowed her gaze, her interest piqued. “Fine.”

“Okay?” Zack blinked. “Don’t you want a bed, candlelight, and rose petals or something? You know, to remember this?”

Kelly slyly smiled. “You’re such a romantic. But I was thinking of something better.”

She quickly moved to the door and locked it, then closed the blinds over the glass windows in the lab, in the event anyone entered the outside hallway. “I have a few fantasies we haven’t gotten around to yet.”

“Oh?” Ace asked, his dark eyes growing darker.

“Yeah.” Kelly dropped the shirt and shorts she’d put on earlier and stood before her mates, proud of her nudity and the effect it had on them. She could feel their beasts fighting to take control and take her. “I want to see my mates fucking. Then I want to play.”

Zack groaned and kissed her hard, his hands tightening over her breasts while Ace dropped his clothes.

“Anything for you, Kelly.” He winked. “Did you have anything particular in mind?”

Ace reached for Zack and pulled him away before she could answer. She watched Ace strip Zack of his clothing, then grind himself against his mate. She grew wet in an instant, heat and desire building as she watched her fantasy come to life. Hard muscles gleamed and the scent of lust and love beckoned.

“That’s just what I had in mind. Except I want to watch every messy, sexy minute of it.”

“Perfect.” Zack and Ace pulled her close and sandwiched her between them, the sensation of belonging and excitement turning her inside out. “You know, Kelly. That rogue was wrong. He wasn’t created for you…”

“We were,” Ace finished, sliding against her back. “And it’s time we showed you once more…”

“What the hell? Doc said you had news for us an hour ago,” Derrick snarled as he paced in the living room. He stopped what he meant to say next, shocked to see Ace and Zack holding hands. In front of everyone. Kelly beamed like a proud parent. Some weird shit going down here, even for Circs. Then he caught the scent of sex in the air and shared a groan with Hale.

Roane and Caitlyn grinned like idiots.

“Everyone, I’d like to announce that Zack, Ace, and I are mates.”

“Yeah, and?” Derrick felt itchy. Since his escape from the three sex fiends hogging his own damned truck, he’d had a hard time forgetting the scent of that blood on Kelly’s gown.

No matter what the others thought, it wasn’t human. Of that he was sure. But it wasn’t quite Circ either, not that he could tell. That scent intrigued him more than it should.

“And we’re having a baby,” Kelly added softly, grabbing his attention once more.

“Holy shit. A baby?” Hale asked.

Caitlyn squealed and hugged Kelly. Ace and Zack beamed proudly, and Derrick didn’t have to ask who the father was. The way their scents joined as one, all three of them would claim this kid. The way it should be, a child protected by its parents, as well as his or her extended family. He grinned with the others as they shared heartfelt congratulations. A baby. How about that?

“Well, I for one am going to teach this kid how to deal.” He hugged Ace and Zack, then kissed Kelly on the mouth with a smack, just to irritate her mates. Ace growled, but Zack shook his head, grinning. “First rule of thumb,” Derrick proclaimed, “is to never bring flowers to a girl. And two, chocolates are the sign of a sap.”

“Ass.” Roane glared. He’d recently wooed Caitlyn with both flowers and chocolates.

“Derrick, you need help.” Hale sighed. “You don’t even know it’s going to be a boy.”

“The odds favor male Circs. But hell, I’ll give you two-to-one it’s a girl, just to shake things up.” Derrick loved betting on a long shot.

“You’re on.” Roane flipped him off. “And you owe me for that sap crack.”

“Leave him be, Roane.” Caitlyn snuggled against her lover. “Can’t you see what’s happening? It’s like fate is about to slap Derrick upside the head with a mate. And then we’ll give him so much crap, it’s not funny.”

Hale laughed. “Oh, yeah. I can’t wait to watch him fall all over himself over some woman. And she won’t be easy. Oh, no. Hard-ass Derrick Packard will fall for some ball-busting chick. I can just see it now.”

Everyone broke into laughter but Derrick, who suddenly couldn’t stop thinking about S. Torrence and her role in Kelly’s supposed “escape.” Talk about a ball-busting chick. Any woman who would go up against Elliot Pearl had a set, or a death wish waiting to happen.

“Whatever, Hale. I think you might want to go easy on the whole mate thing, though.

Because if those five keep going at it, you and I are going to be hurting for sure.” And feeling the mating heat before their time. By Derrick’s calculations, they still had a few more weeks to go before they ended up doing each other. Derrick doubted Roane or the boy toys would share their mates, now that they’d bonded. Besides, the thought of sex with a pregnant Kelly didn’t sit well at all. As sexy as she was, Derrick couldn’t see taking her in his beast form and possibly harming her child. No way in hell.

“You know what, D? You’re right. What say we go grab a beer and let the newly mated celebrate?” Have sex, Hale might as well have said.

“Good idea.” Derrick followed him out the door, waving behind at the others. “Just promise me something,” he murmured as they entered his truck.

“What?”

“If I ever look at a woman the way our brothers look at their mates, shoot me, will you?”

Hale grinned. “No problem. I’m not all that eager for a mate, either, to tell you the truth. The only thing good about having one is that you no longer have a need to…you know.” Hale quickly glanced out the window of the truck, as uncomfortable about the mating heat as Derrick. “Don’t get me wrong. Ace and Zack fit. They’re mates. But me? I just want to control my beast. I hate it controlling me.”

“Amen.” Derrick steered them away from the compound.

“Where are we going?” Hale asked.

Derrick didn’t realize he’d started back toward Pearson Labs until he noted the signs they passed. “I was thinking.”

“Shit. This can’t be good.”

“S. Torrence. We don’t know much more than that she supposedly helped Kelly. I want to know what that woman did in Pearson Labs, and why she decided out of the ‘goodness of her heart’ to give Doc some encoded disc. About time we found some answers, instead of waiting on the fucking PPA to attack or Harry to call, you know?”

“Not bad, D. I like the way you think.” Hale pounded his shoulder. “It’s for the greater good, after all. And it’ll keep us away from all those hormones clouding the compound. I don’t know about you, but one female Circ in the house is bad enough on my sex drive. Two is going to have me perpetually horny.”

Derrick frowned. “Yeah.” His thoughts turned again to Kelly’s “savior,” his instincts telling him to find the Torrence chick quickly. If the damned woman had lost a lot of blood, she might not be around much longer to answer his questions. His beast snarled at the thought.

“And Kelly’s pregnant. Don’t pregnant women have a ton of hormonal changes?” Hale asked. “Mood swings, and they get all horny at certain times while they’re carrying?”

“Shit. I don’t think I can deal with another mating heat as ramped up as the last one Caitlyn caused. Now we have to deal with Kelly’s hormones, too?” He groaned.

Hale paused. “Drive a little faster.”