A New Beginning. Joycee Clark

of Mariah. Lucca asked, “What’s up?” Mariah put her arms around Lucca’s strong neck and puckered up. Lucca grinned and was more than happy to oblige Mariah. “What a warm welcome, precious, what brought this on? I like it! Glad I was the first one back. How about another?” Lucca pulled Mariah back in for another soft, slow, oh so yummy. That’s when Garret walked in. “Hey, I’m in line for some of that sweetness.” Garret said. Garret removed his gloves and walked over to stand by Lucca. So Lucca put his arms around Mariah’s waist and lifted her off the step stool. “I was here first, Buddy.” They all laughed and Garret reached over and took her lips the way Lucca had. A low growl could be heard by them all. “Oh so sweet,” Garret uttered, “If I go back out and come back in, can we do this some more?” Mariah laughed and told them it was time to eat lunch, and give up the info from this morning.

      Mariah got lunch on the table, grabbed a couple bottles of water for the guys, and fixed herself a diet coke, while the guys washed up. They all sat, “Actually we have good news.” Lucca said, “After lunch we all need to go to the Lodge. Dean has your stalker ther and ready for you to question him.” Mariah’s jaw dropped. “Will I be safe there?” Mariah asked first. Lucca and Garret both assured Mariah she would be safe. There will be twelve shifters there so she would be completely protected even if she chose to cut off his balls.” They all laughed. “I was only kidding fellas. I could never do that, I’d just like to. But I need answers and if we think we know who it is, then everyone will know, I don’t want anyone else to know. You don’t understand how people look at you and treat you once they know you were a victim of a violent crime. Oh crap, what should I do?”

      Mariah looked to her guys. Garret spoke up, “Mariah, if you want us to, we will handle this, but the guys will still know.” Then Lucca said.” Mariah, you need to understand the way we all think. You were viciously attack by four men. You not only healed and survived, but you also finished your education and didn’t let it break your spirit. Everyone around here will honor and respect you, besides, they know you are our mate, you are now part of the pack and will always be protected as such. It is an honor for everyone of them to protect you if we aren’t here.”

      “It’s what we do.” Garret added.” We protect our mates, or anyone that can’t protect themselves. That’s why we all served in the Special Forces. We will onor and respect you above all others, and our pack will do the same.”

      “Guys, lets finish lunch,” Mariah said “And please, please, please don’t shit backwards on me. I’m just learning to trust you both and to be comfortable with you both. I’ll not be able to handle it if…”

      Lucca and Garret both got up from the table and both pulled her out of her chair and held her. “Never, precious, and that’s forever!” They both said.

      After finishing lunch, they all dressed warmly and Mariah climbed up on Garret’s back like an old pro. Still faster and easier with the amount of snow still on the ground. They went in the back entry so they could shift and get dressed. Mariah shed her coat and waited for the guys, she was going nowhere without them by her side.

      “Mariah, we believe this is your stalker. Red hair, smells like vinegar, big feet, and was digging a six foot hole and just covering it when Linc found him, right at Mariah’s wolf sight. He’d either catch one of the wolves, which Mariah would try to rescue, or catch Mariah herself.” Dean informed the trio. Around him was Linc Morris, the sheriff, Sawyer Mills the Mayor of Cedar Creek, Karl and Kane Potter, forest rangers, Xander Cobb, the electrician that fixed Mariah’s solar power after the wires had been cut, and Clint Walton with Finn Nelson, the vets.

      Mariah turned to face the back wall. She detected no negative emotions directed at her. Lucca asked her what she wanted to do. Mariah asked them to make him say something. She was sure he was the fourth guy, but the sould of his voice would make her positive. Garret walked over and pinched the guys nipple hard. He reacted with “Ow, you son-of-bitch, why did you do that?” Lucca said “You know why.” Mariah nodded with tears in her eyes as she slowly walked over in front of the guy. “What do you want, Bitch” the guy growled. Garret smacked him across the face and told him to say nothing unless answering a question.

      Mariah stared at him. “Why would you attack me? None of you were provoked, I did nothing to any of you. Why?” The red head looked up at Mariah, “You’re kidding right? Dressed in those tight black jeans with that bright red crop top. Walking by yourself late at night, what did you expect would happen? You women think you can just flaunt yourselves and everything would be just fine. You deserved what you got, you had it coming.” Mariah gasped and looked around at the faces of the guys she was just getting to know. She stepped forward and said, “You lowlife coward! So if I deserved it then, what are you doing here now?”

      The guy responded with, “You put my big brother in prison. He’s all I had, and he’ll be in there forever. You had no right to go whining to the cops, then your Dad just kept pushing for more and more charges and longer sentences. Hires a hot dog lawyer. I bet you all got a good laugh at pushing us around and getting away with it.”

      “My parents died in a freak crash, you know anything about that? DID YOU DO IT!!” Mariah yelled at him. “Well now you can’t blame that on me. It was just suppose to scare your Dad. I didn’t know he didn’t know how to drive well enough to control his car. That was his fault. He let it go out of control and rolled it right on the freeway, then other cars started slamming into him. That’s not on me!” He whined.

      “Okay Mariah, you’re done. We’ll handle it from here. Lucca, you get her back to the cabin, she looks like she may be going into shock.” Dean ordered. Mariah stared at the floor, reliving the night the cops came to the house to tell her and her sisters about the accident. The panic they all felt, I couldn’t believe it, it couldn’t be true. They were all in denial and as the days passed, having to deal with funeral arrangements and all the sympathy cards and flowers, it was all a blur. As Lucca got her into the back room, she lost it. She screamed and cried, and sobbed. Lucca held onto her as best as he could, but she turned and ran back into the dining hall where the redhead was still tied to a chair.

      “You are a sick rabid animal that shouldn’t even be breathing the same air as other people,” Mariah yelled. “How can God allow scum like you walk around where good people go? Garret, hand me a big knife, a good rusty one so I can slice off his man parts. He won’t need them anymore where he is going, and I hope they use you over and over and over until you can’t walk.”

      Dean stepped in putting his hand on Mariah’s shoulder and gently pushed her back. “We’ll take care of him Mariah. I promise he will never bother anyone again. You go on home with Lucca and we’ll deal with this scum. You’ll be okay now. It’s going to be over and you can get on with your study and life.”

      Lucca turned her once again to take her out of there and stopped in front of Garret. “You two promised you would have my back, please eliminate the threat to me and what is left of my family.” She walked to Lucca and they left.