by ZL Morris
Close proximity to Theo has made my brain fuzzy, and I don’t react quickly enough when Mylo wobbles on his feet. He grabs a handful of my shorts to try to break his fall. Unfortunately, the elastic waistband is almost non-existent, and they offer very little resistance. Quickly, I manage to grab the boy with one hand and my shorts with the other, but not without a part of my thigh being exposed first.
The flush of my humiliation washes over me. I make sure Mylo is steady on his feet before I quickly straighten my clothes. From the corner of my eye, I spot Theo stock still in the doorway, his eyes locked onto my covered thigh. Mortification sets in. He caught a glimpse of my birthmark.
Or rather, my mate’s mark.
Wolves are born with a birthmark identical to their mates. I inherited the birthmark from my dad. Only, because I’m half human, it’s unlikely I will get a mate. To me, it’s a reminder of all the things I could’ve had, but never will.
Pushing down the self-hate, I peek up at Theo to gauge his reaction. His face is unreadable. However, I notice he’s no longer relaxed against the door. His muscles are tense, the ones in his forearms jump and dance as he squeezes and releases his hands into fists. No longer worried about being discreet, I openly stare at his face and watch in morbid fascination as a huge array of emotions flicker: anger, sadness, hunger, and hurt.
His eyes widen in surprise when he realises I’m observing him. Quickly, his features blank and once again, his face is completely void of emotion.
Just as I’m about to question what the expression meant, my dad suddenly appears next to Theo in the doorway. Startled, I jump. “Hey, honey, I’ve got another run to make. Do you want to come with me or stay with the pups?”
I groan in frustration. How did I not hear him? With the number of tests, they put me through when I was younger, I know some of my senses are as exceptional as theirs. My eyes flicker from Dad to Theo and back again.
Dad shrugs his shoulder, and I know he won’t mind whatever I decide. “Henrique and Rosalina should arrive soon to keep you company if you don’t want to go.”
Does Theo want me to stay and help? Or do I escape and help my dad? Although, Theo’s parents won’t be far away. If they will be here shortly, it makes it easier to come to a decision.
Theo will hate my answer, but I really want to see his parents. It’s been a while since they stopped by last, and they always bring me treats from their kitchen. My stomach grumbles with the knowledge of delicious treats. “It’s okay, Dad. I’ll stay here, unless you need help?”
I peek down at Mylo and take his hand so we can resume our search for clothes and food for him. Glancing back at Dad, I notice the scowl on his face is aimed at Theo. Theo notices my dad staring at him and relaxes his muscles.
I stare at them, confused, and attempt to grab his attention. “Dad? Do you want me to help?”
Dad looks back at me and smiles, but I can tell it’s forced. “Oh no, honey, I should be fine.”
Not really understanding what’s going on between those two, I shake my head and decide to leave them to whatever it is. “Come on, little guy, let’s leave them to it. How do you fancy pancakes?”
CHAPTER TWO
- Theo -
Seeing the birthmark on Tally’s thigh stabs at my heart. It tore open something in my chest, and I’ve no clue how to fix it. My whole-body screams to touch her, to hold her. But I know I can’t, it’s what my dad commanded. Well, no, it was originally what my brothers and I wanted to keep her safe. As the years passed, we wanted to go back on our word and tell our beautiful mate that she was ours. It was only then that Dad ordered us to stay away.
The look of hate and shame which crosses her face when her mates mark is revealed makes me want to punch the nearest solid thing. I can clearly see she hates the mark, and she doesn’t understand why she has one. Almost as if she assumes she’s not good enough.
Our bond hungers for completion, but if I touch her she’ll know I’m her mate. Right now, I’m more pissed than ever that I’ve been ordered to stay away from her. It will not be forever, but another day that goes by with her in the dark is another day of agony. Witnessing the hurt in her eyes is unbearable, but there’s nothing I can do except protect her.
Under constant threat from the Blood Moon pack, it puts the future Luna, my mate, in danger. There’s never been a time in my life I’ve wished to never be the future Alpha of the Argent pack until now. I want to fix it. My brothers, Quimby and Kenji, would help. It’s only right they would. She’s also their mate. It’s eating us all up that we can’t.
Solomon’s eyes burn into the side of my face, but I don’t give a shit about the rules anymore. I’m sick of not being with my mate.
I’m pulled out of my dark musings when she mentions pancakes to the pup. I’m not sure why she’s getting him clothes, though. He’ll only shred them with his next shift. It’s probably better to let him run free.
Solomon returns his murderous stare to me. I know he’ll bite his tongue to a certain degree out of respect, but she’s his daughter. I can’t fault him for being overly protective.
From what I’ve heard while growing up, it’s only natural he act this way. She’s his life, especially after the loss of his human. He never did find his true mate, and he met Tallulah’s mother while on a food run and a love quickly blossomed between them. He understands better than anyone how truly fragile they are. I catch the critical stare she gives her dad before she turns her attention to me. With difficulty, I force my body to relax. Then watch as she matches her steps with the pup’s as they walk down the hallway towards the kitchen.
I release a frustrated sigh when Solomon pushes the door closed with a click behind her. My body tenses back up, and I scowl at him. “No, I didn’t touch her. No, I don’t intend to touch her,” I growl, ready for a fight. “I’ll continue to be the asshole she thinks loathes her!”
Solomon rubs at his forehead, and his shoulders slump. In that moment he appears to age twenty years, which is impossible because we age considerably slower. “Look, I’m sorry, son. I know this hurts her and continues to hurt you three boys, but…” His worried gaze focuses on the door to the kitchen she disappeared behind. “She’s my daughter. I want her happy, I do. But I want her alive more.”
A growl bursts out of my throat before I’m able to stop it. “God dammit, Solomon, you think I don’t know I need to keep my distance? I know! It’s tearing all of us up because we can’t be with her. We love her, she’s our mate!” I take huge gulps of air, desperately trying to calm the rage inside me. “She’s our mate. We’ve carried this secret around with us since she was five! We were pups, and even then, we knew how special she was. I’m pissed off she doesn’t even know. She thinks she doesn’t deserve a mate. You can tell, she’s decided she’s unworthy of it all.”
A wounded expression flashes across Solomon’s face before he closes his eyes in resignation. “I know you love her, and I know your dad wants it left alone for now. I understand it’s hard for you.” His face drops, and his voice cracks. “But, please, she’s only half shifter and not as strong as us. She’s exactly like her mother in that way.”
Dejection runs through me, I can’t imagine how he must’ve felt when he lost his female. Unable to express my frustration and hurt, I rub my face in agitation. “It hurts. If I let go of my anger at the situation, I don’t know what I’ll do.” I run my fingers through my hair and tug none too gently. “All three of us are barely hanging on. My anger is the only thing helping me to keep my distance. It has to hurt her too, but I don’t want her life to be threatened.”
Solomon cautiously places a hand on my shoulder and says miserably, “We’ll fix it. I don’t know how, but we will. Now, I’ve got to get this food run done. If I cross paths with your father on the way to the pack house, then perhaps I can speak with him, and we can work this mess out. Are you okay to be here, or do you want to go?”
I shake my head to rid myself of the itchy sensation I get when my
wolf wants to come out. “No, I’ll call one of the security guys and get them to come here and patrol the area so Tally and the pups are safe. As for my father, I’m not sure what it’ll achieve. He’s adamant we need to wait.”
“Maybe, if I tell him you three boys can take care of her better than I can, he might change his mind. I’ll head out now and see you in a couple of hours.” Before Solomon leaves, he bows his head slightly in a show of respect, which always comes across weird because he’s older than me.
The itchy sensation of being so near to Tally has built to an impossible level, driving me nuts. There’s no way I can wait here while my parents take their time to arrive. But I don’t want to leave Tallulah and the pups here alone, which leaves security as my only option. I dig my phone out of my pocket and hit the button for security. When it’s answered, I quickly explain that I want someone dispatched to the house as soon as possible then hang up.
I take deep breaths and use the technique my mother taught us: in through the nose, out through the mouth. Hopefully, it’ll calm my wolf, but the scent of Tally’s presence permeating the room affects other parts of my body. I quietly curse at how hypersensitive I’ve become.
It’s an uncomfortably pinched walk down the hallway towards the front door. Briefly, I stop, the sounds from the kitchen loud enough I’m able to make out one pup happily giggling while the other yaps excitedly. Tally laughs joyously at whatever they’re doing. I shake my head, adjust my jeans until my dick doesn’t feel strangled, and decide to wait outside.
I don’t think I can cope with any more emotional shit today.
CHAPTER THREE
- Tallulah -
The front door shuts with a loud click; I take a sniff and recognise Theo’s scent mixed with the pups and pancakes. The smell of him makes my mouth water, and my brain feels fuzzy again. With a groan, I shake my head to try and clear it.
When he’s around, my body always reacts weirdly, and it pisses me off. Normally, I can control my reactions around Theo and his brothers, but lately, it’s become unbearable. Add in Theo’s more defensive attitude lately, and I don’t know what to do. One thing I do know, this stupid crush needs to stop, but I don’t know how.
He must have some important stuff to do if he left the house, especially if he trusts the defenceless half-mutt to take care of the pups. Disappointment wells up, but I choke it down. I’m almost twenty, but my hormones are suddenly frazzled like I’m fifteen again. With a habitual scratch at my nose, I settle in.
It looks like I’m on puppy-watch for however long it takes until the big bad Alpha-wannabe decides to show back up or his parents to get here. Dad said they’re coming over, but sometimes pack stuff demands immediate attention and delays their plans.
The two little guys scarf down their pancakes. They’re so cute, and it’s not as if I mind watching them. For a moment, I rub the tension from my forehead and shut my eyes as I try to work out what the stares between Dad and Theo meant. Something is going on there. Theo’s weird behaviour proves as much, but I can’t seem to work out what. To be honest, I’m not even sure if I really want to figure it out.
A horrible scraping noise makes my eyes pop open and takes me out of my pity party. The horrendous noise is the other pup, whose name I haven’t learnt yet, grinding his teeth down on the plastic plate. His once clean, white fur is now covered in bits of half-eaten pancake and melted chocolate chips.
Bending down, I take the now chewed up, half-eaten plate away, and the pup growls at me. I wiggle a finger at him and gently chastise, “Nuh-huh. Don’t eat the plates, fur-ball.” Looking over at Mylo, I realise he’s shifted back into his wolf form and finished his breakfast. Luckily for me, he didn’t decide to eat the dinner set, too. “Come on, pooches, let’s go and get you cleaned up.”
I dump the plates in the sink for later and prop the kitchen door open so the pups can follow me upstairs. It’s hard to hold back a laugh as they run ahead of me down the hall. Instead of a graceful stop before they whiz up the stairs, they both try to stop on the mat. Unfortunately for them, the braided yarn mat is on hardwood floor, so they both skid into the backdoor with a yelp. Picking one up under each arm, I heft them up the stairs and place them down once we make it into the baby room.
After I make sure they have enough toys to keep them occupied, I enter the bathroom shared between the baby room and another guest room. Once I turn the taps on to fill the bath, I grab a handful of bath towels out of the cupboard and pour soft scented bubbles in the tub. As I swirl my hands in the water, it’s easy to get lost in daydreams. Dad hates it when I do this, but what else do I have going for me? Sometimes it’s nice to just get lost in my head, if only for a few short minutes.
Before my imagination drags me off, I pull myself back to reality. Hastily, I turn the taps off and double check the temperature. Happy that it’s not too hot, I go back into the nursery and immediately stop in my tracks. Both pups are now in toddler form, and they’ve managed to climb onto the high window ledge. Not a stitch of clothing on while they pull silly faces against the glass. Thank god, I always keep that window locked. We won’t test the theory of their ability to land feet first, like felines.
Carefully, I help them down and shoo them into the bathroom. Just as I’m about to turn, something catches my eye. I press my face against the glass, body tensing when I spot a man out there, but quickly relax when I notice he is clad in black jeans and a black shirt with a wolf’s head and ARGENT SECURITY printed on the back. Black boots adorn his feet, and leather cuffs wrap both wrists. He’s definitely pack security.
Splashing causes me to rush back into the bathroom. Both pups have managed to climb into the bath and are blowing a mountain of bubbles at each other. To protect my knees from the cold tile, I take a spare towel and place it on the floor. Then, I have them stand up in turn and use a sponge to thoroughly clean them off. After their scrubbing, they sit down so they can play while the water’s still warm.
Mylo’s body begins to tremble, and the air is suddenly filled with the sounds of cracking. Not worried about getting wet, I quickly dive forward to hold him up while he shifts to prevent him from drowning. This time is much quicker than his last shift, and before long, a damp nose rubs my cheek, followed by a rough, wet tongue.
I laugh. “Thanks, Mylo.”
I pull back enough so I’m able to reach for the towel and wipe the drool off my face. Once the two rugrats are done with their toys, I pull the plug and help them climb out. Mylo stands next to me and starts to shake from his head, working down his body until his tail whips back and forth. Water is flicked everywhere. The other pup tries to copy, but he’s in human form and does a weird shake, but only manages to wiggle his backside.
A loud, heart-wrenching howl breaks through the quiet of the house, and my stomach twists. Both pups whimper and huddle together, their small forms shaking. Swiftly, I run to the nursery to take a peek out the window, but a thick white fog blocks my view. Uneasy with the eerie fog and being unable to see the guard, I grab some clothes and quickly race into the bathroom and dress the still wet boy. Thankfully, Mylo’s still in wolf form, so I don’t need to dress him.
Leaving them tucked in the bathroom, I run down the hall into my bedroom. Moments pass as I grab my emergency backpack and stuff the extra children’s clothes into it. Loud bangs quickly followed by the sound of wood splintering echoes through the house.
I throw the bag on my back and listen carefully at my bedroom door. Loud voices reverberate from downstairs in the direction of the entrance. Hastily, I come up with a half-baked plan before stealthily moving back down the hallway to the bathroom. Gesturing at both pups to be quiet, I pick the pup in human form up and sneak down the hallway to the back stairs, a wet Mylo tucked tightly to my leg.
Silently, we stalk down the stairs.
Managing to not run into whoever broke in, we slip into Dad’s office and lock the door firmly behind us. Setting the boy down, I grab a chair and silently put it under th
e handle in hopes of stalling them longer. Opening the top drawer on Dad’s monstrosity of a desk, I take out the handgun and slip it into the waistband of my slightly damp shorts. The extra ammo I dump in my bag.
As I carefully open the blind over the window and click the lock across, I pray the wooden window frame doesn’t squeak when it opens. As gently as possible, I push the window open. Exhaling in relief when it doesn’t creak or squeak, a weird smell makes my nose twitch. With no time to work out what it is, I cautiously stick my head out to survey the area. I pray that whoever’s inside has no one stationed outside.
Waving the boys over, I crouch down and whisper to them, “I’ll jump down, then I want you to jump down to me. Think you can do that?”
Trembling, both human and wolf pups give me a wide-eyed nod.
My jump to the ground is silent. Exactly as I asked, first the wolf pup then the human pup jump to me, and I catch them. Placing them down, I take the boy’s hand and point ahead to the trees, signalling to Mylo which way I want him to run. Sudden, loud noises in my father’s office can be heard easily from where we press tightly against the side of the house.
Ignoring the fear, I take a breath to centre myself, then tap Mylo on the backside and point again. It’s now or never. Checking to make sure I have a strong hold on the boy next to me, I count to three before I push off the wall and make a run for it in the same direction I sent Mylo.
We barely make it to the treeline when a gravelly voice booms from behind us, “Outside, now!”
With my heart in my throat, I urge the little guy to run faster. Unfortunately, he trips, but with my hold, I manage to catch him and swing him up into my arms before he can crash to the ground. Adjusting his weight, I pick up my pace. Two howls announcing their excitement for the chase come piercingly close behind us. The air in my lungs instantly freezes in fright. I jump over fallen branches and skid around bushes as a stampede starts up behind us.