by M. D. Butler
She finishes placing the books on the desks at the beginning of each row, and returns to her seat. She gives a seething Blythe one last withering glance before picking up her own book to read.
I eagerly take the book being passed over the head of the student in front of me. I love to read, and can’t wait to get into Frankenstein again. It’s such a misunderstood work of literature.
Mavrin notices my little shimmy, and gives me another smile before he, too, settles back in his chair to read. He’s so centered, I wonder if he’s an avid reader, too. I’d give anything to share my interest with another person.
We don’t say anything else to each other, but there’s nothing uncomfortable about it. Just two mates sitting beside each other enjoying the other’s mere presence.
It’s nice to be with someone who wants to be near me after being alone for so long.
Mavrin
Seeing Jahla do her little jig when she grabs the book makes the earlier commotion with that Blythe witch fade to the background. I still let the boys know about her, though. She’s still giving Jahla nasty looks, so I take it that this isn’t the end.
Is she part of her pack or human?
Wolf, Krix. I wouldn’t waste my time with a human. They’re not really a threat.
Doesn’t matter. She needs to be ended for speaking to Jahla like that.
Calm down, Denny Boy. Mav shut her up with his wise words.
I can smell a little dominance coming from her, too. She might be higher up in the ranks.
Who gives a fuck? She-
Stop, Denahi. Jahla is okay with Mav there. We can figure out how to deal with her later.
I let them fade to the background while I relax back in my seat. I’m content to let them make plans while I enjoy the company of the fiery sweetheart beside me. I’d be lying if I said her spark at lunch didn’t make me want to see a repeat.
***
At the end of class, I quickly usher Jahla out of the room to avoid another spectacle with Blythe. That female’s voice will drive a saint to drink.
Cash takes her hand as soon as she’s through the door. “Hey, babe. I missed you so you have to walk with me to make up for putting me through that.” He actually gets her to giggle, and even Denahi smiles at that.
The beast actually smiled!
“What time did you say you had to be at work?”
“Not until five, so I have a bit of time. I usually hang out in the library in town, or sit in a booth at the diner to do homework while I wait.”
I see Krix grimace a little before he asks, “Have you thought about what we talked about at lunch?” We all look at her and wait for the answer.
“I have. I just don’t know if I can get out of my pack. The alpha hasn’t killed me yet for some reason, so I can only hazard a guess that he’s keeping me alive for something. Do you think he’ll release me? If I go rogue, we might have to run. He- “
“Wait, what do you mean ‘he hasn’t killed you yet’? Why would he kill you, Jahla?”
Thank the Mother that we’re at the parking lot. Den is getting mad again, so we need to get him in the truck. The other students will definitely notice when the snow around him starts to melt. He’ll calm down since it’s his. He won’t ruin it with burns.
“He’s killed an enforcer just for annoying him, and other whenever they cross him. He’s ruthless and bloodthirsty, but they all think he’s a god. The whole pack sees me as an ink stain on their perfect parchment. A burden. They’re always saying how he should get rid of me and be done. He won’t do it. He even stopped his wife from crushing my throat this morn-”
She shuts up like she didn’t mean to let that part slip, but it’s too late. Thankfully, Denahi is sitting in the front seat at this point. Doesn’t stop him from grinding his teeth, though. I swear, I can hear it from the other side of the car.
“Come on, you can show us where we need to go to get your stuff. Let us handle your alpha,” I tell her as I urge her to get in the back seat. Cash walks around the truck to get in on the other side so she’s secure between the two of us. Krix gets in the front passenger seat and pulls out his phone. He’s texting our alpha. No doubt to get him on the task of getting her out of her pack.
I grab her hand and hold it between both of mine. I can’t deny myself the need for skin to skin contact. I lie back in the seat and let the pleasant hum of energy relax me as she gives Denahi directions to her shack.
Ten minutes later, we veer off an old dirt road and see the dilapidated shed that she calls a shack. Den doesn’t shut off the engine, saying Jahla needs the heat. We sit in the truck for a couple of minutes before Den and Krix thrust their doors open and exit.
“Stay here. We’ll get your stuff.” She gives Den a sarcastic salute at the order, and Cash barks out a laugh while I shake my head with a grin of my own.
Is this who’s under all of those nerves? I have to say, I’m liking the Jahla that’s coming out. She’s full of spice.
Krix comes back out empty-handed looking around with a frown on his face. His gaze lands to the left side of the shack before his lips press into a thin line, and he turns to go back inside.
I look to see what he saw, and my eyes land on what looks like an outhouse. I avoid looking down at Jahla as she sighs. She saw us looking at the little building, and I sense embarrassment coming from her. I don’t want her to think we’re judging her, so I don’t let on that I know what she’s feeling.
They each come out with a single box, and press the button to lift the hatch for the trunk. After they put the boxes in the back and close the trunk, I bite my lips to keep from asking if that’s all there was. If she was ashamed of the outhouse, she’ll feel worse if I bring up her lack of items.
“Where’s the other box?”
“We have all you’ll need at home to stay warm. We’ll take you shopping whenever you have a day off to get you some more clothes, too. You won’t need those blankets.”
“I don’t have money for shopping, Denny.” Den jerks his gaze to the rearview at the sound of the nickname. He’s not put out about it, just shocked like the rest of us. She’s getting familiar with us, and I can feel the collective giddiness through the link.
“You do, and I’m not talking about your savings from work. We all have accounts set up that we can live off of for the rest of our lives, and then some.”
She just stares at Krix. I think he broke her. I look at Cash and mentally nudge him to distract her. Now’s not the time to throw the prophecy at her.
“Do you snore in your sleep?”
I sit back to listen to them go back and forth while rub my thumb over her knuckles. Damn, this has been a long and eventful day. Even I need a break from the heavy talks.
Chapter 8
Jahla
For some reason, Denahi drives to the Plaza a couple blocks from the diner. I’m confused when he parks in front of T-Mobile. Krix jumps out to go in, but I refrain from asking questions. Mavrin is massaging my right hand like he can’t help it, and Cash has his hand resting on my left thigh. I would feel trapped if it were anyone else touching me, but with them I’m warm and… content.
“You’re getting a phone. I need to be able to send you memes, babe.” Cash to the rescue once again. Wait, memes?
“What’s a meme?”
“You’ve never had a cellphone before, have you?” I shake my head. “Oh, I’m definitely putting myself in charge of teaching you. There're games to play, different apps that don’t really have a purpose, social me- “
“She’s not getting on social media.”
“Come on, Denny.”
“You don’t get to call me that, asshole. Only my pixie. I’ll fuck you up if you try it again. Only warning you this time because she’s here. You won’t get another chance.”
I look at Cashel to see how he’s going to respond, but he’s frozen in shock. I glance over to Mavrin, and he’s in the same state. My eyes turn to Denahi, and he’s calmly looking through t
he windshield at the front of the store like nothing happened.
“Dude, are you okay?”
“Why would something be wrong with him, Cashel? All he said was you can’t use my nickname for him. What’s wrong with that? Mavrin?” They’re acting weird right now.
“It’s just… he usually just reacts. No warning, all action. He would’ve punched Cash for less without a thought. He slugged him this morning on the way to school because Cash said his braid looked especially pretty. You’re changing him, sweetheart, but in a good way.” Mav is smiling at me with a twinkle in his eyes. I never knew eyes could actually twinkle, but his unquestionably are.
“Alright, man. You’re Denny only to her. Got it.”
Denahi doesn’t say anything else. We’re all quiet for a while before Krix finally emerges from the store with a couple of pink and white bags. Why does he have two? He gets back in the truck and passes me the bags with a sheepish smile.
“I think I went a little overboard, but I thought you’d like this stuff. I put everything on our family plan so you won’t have to worry about it.”
I reach into the first box and pull out a box with a purple phone on it as Denahi pulls out of the parking spot.
“We all have the same iPhone, but in different colors. I have white, Cash has green, Krix has black, and Den’s is red. It’s the XR.”
“They didn’t come in blue,” Krix says with a slight frown on his face. Blue must be his favorite color.
“Thank you. It’s pretty. Do we have to set it up, something?”
“Yeah, we still have about thirty minutes until your shift, so we have time. I’ll do your phone for you, babe.”
I pass the phone to Cash and reach for the next box in the bag as Denahi pulls into a spot at the diner.
“These are air pods. They’re wireless headphones. The phone comes with some regular headphones, but we all have these so I got you some, too.” Krix is kind of excited as he watches me pulled the electronics out of the bags. I have to admit, so am I. I’ll have to figure out how much this stuff is so I can pay him back later.
“This is an iPad,” says Mavrin as he grabs a flat box from the second bag. Guess he got tire of waiting on me. “I can get this set up for you. I’ll show you how to personalize it. You know, put your own pictures in the background and what not. That’s the fun part.”
“Here, babe.” I turn back to Cash as he hands me my phone.
This is all kind of overwhelming, but I won’t deny that I’m excited to play with this stuff. I’ve always felt like I was behind all the other kids when they would pull out phones like it was nothing. I’ve never had this, but the guys are going to have to explain the money thing to me.
“Make sure all of our numbers are in the phone.” Denny doesn’t talk much, but I’ve noticed that it’s usually a blunt statement or demand when he does.
“Can you tell me about the money thing? I know this stuff is expensive, and I want to make sure I can pay you back.”
“You won’t be paying anything back.”
“What Den is trying to say is that there’s no need. Like I said earlier, we each have an account that was set up a long time ago. There have been investments, and that sort of thing. Money isn’t an issue, angel. We’ll get you set up with a card to your account tonight. We have your login information so we can get you one ordered.”
“Why do we have accounts, though?”
This is what’s been bugging me. Why would someone set up accounts for us? Krix makes it sound like they’ve been set up for decades, or something.
“That’s a long talk that’ll have to wait for tonight, sweetheart. For now, you have to go to work. We’re going to pick a booth in the corner and do homework or something. Are you ready?”
Mavrin is acting like this discussion is going to take all night. I just want a damn answer to the question, but I don’t have a choice about it. I have to let it drop for now because he’s right; I have to get to work. I do give him a little glare to let him know I’m not happy about it, though.
Den parks the truck in front of the diner, and I realize that I didn’t even notice that we had driven away from the store. Mavrin hands me the last thing that was in the bag with the iPad. “You’re going to want to put this on right now. iPhone are prone to shatter at the slightest bump without a good case.”
“Um- “
“Give it here.” I give Denahi my phone without hesitation. His asshole attitude doesn’t bother me. He’s just a gruff bear of a person. My Denny Bear. I giggle again which makes him glance up at me. I’m about to apologize and make up an excuse when he gives me a gentle smirk before returning his attention to my phone and case.
Huh. Not an asshole all the time then.
He gives me my phone back, and I see that it’s completely enclosed. No doubt about it. It’s protected.
We get out, and the first thing Denahi does it button up my coat. This guy is serious about keeping me warm. I’m not mad at it.
Walking into the diner, Delores immediately makes her way towards me. That’s odd. She usually just waves me to the back to grab my apron after a quick hello.
“Who are y’all, and why are messing you with her?” Whoa, what’s her problem today?
“They’re with me, Del. They’re my friends. What’s wrong?”
“Friends, you say? You’ve never brought friends in here.”
“I know, but these are really my friends. Is it ok if they hang out in a booth while I work?”
She eyes all four of them before turning back to me. “You go on back and get your apron. I need you in the kitchen with Johnny for a bit to get the pie fillings mixed. That man never gets it right. I’ll sit them down for you. Go on.”
“Okay, got it.” I walk towards the swinging doors at the back of the room, stealing glances over my shoulder at the guys. They seem calm and relaxed, so I turn around with a shrug. Delores cares in her own gruff way. I’ve always thought so, but the way she just acted is proof. Meeting the guys has relaxed my guard around people, and I want to trust her. I’m letting the guys do things without a thought, though some of it must be instinctual because of the mate thing. With Delores being human, I’m not sure how much I can trust her, but I want to try.
Krix
Jahla’s… boss, I think… sits us down in a booth in the back corner of the diner. After slapping menus in front of us, she looks everyone in the eye one by one.
“You lot listen here. That child goes through enough. She doesn’t need you coming in and adding to her troubles. What are your intentions with Jay? I’ll know if you lie. Everybody has a tell”
I’ve always like people who get straight to the point. I look to Mav. He’s good with words, so he’s the one we defer to in these moments. Without hesitating, he steps up to the plate.
“We care for her very much, ma’am. All four of us. We know about some of the things that’s she’s experienced, but we only want to make things easier and better for her. Everything that we’re doing, now and in the future, will happen at her pace and confirmation. Nothing will be done against her will. We can write down all of our information including our numbers if you’d like. Jahla has a phone now, so you can also reach out to her. We will keep you updated if she’s agreeable.”
He pauses as she cocks her head, watching him. “I can see that you care about her, and she deserves more people like you in her life. We plan on being around, if that’s ok. There are some kids at school that we want to keep an eye out for. Maybe you can help us with that?”
Ah, I see what he did there. He’s included her by asking her to help protect Jahla. The gentle giant is a wise one. I watch that trick work like a charm as her face softens, and her shoulders relax a little.
“So, what are your names? I need to know who’s around her, and give your numbers. Hers, too.
We spend the next ten minutes introducing ourselves and exchanging numbers. Delores isn’t all that bad, but I can tell that she’s still a little guarded.
She has no choice but to get used to us because we’re not going anywhere.
At least one of us will always be here if Jahla is on shift. We’d decided that at lunch when she mentioned she had to work. She doesn’t have to work anymore, but something tells me she won’t want to give up her job. She might bolt if all of her independence is taken away.
At least, that’s what my mom says to my dad. She likes to work part time at the pack clinic. Says it gives her a break from the brute, AKA, my dad.
About an hour later, Jahla emerges from the back with an apron and different shoes on. She must have to wear special shoes in the kitchen. I remember those shoes having a weird sole when I put them in the box t her shack.
Her hair is up in a high ponytail, and I’m glad to see that the bruises are completely healed that were on her neck. I still feel phantom anger at her luna for having the audacity to hurt her in the first place.
Speaking of, I pull out my phone to see if our alpha has texted back about getting her out of the pack. There are a couple of messages from him, so I tap the first one he sent.
Alpha: Her alpha is a dick.
Alpha: You’re going to have to watch out for him.
My alpha has always been kind of laid back. He’s not afraid to tell you how he really feels, and he doesn’t rule the pack with fear. They respect him because he’s honest and fair. Very few step out of line because he doesn’t tolerate that kind of shit, and they don’t want to piss him off. Even though they respect him, no one wants to get on his bad side. The last thing they want is to get exiled from the most prominent pack in the states. No pack will take you in once he puts the word out, and life as a rogue is lonely and deadly.