by Lane Whitt
Tristan smiles at me with his perfect Tristan smile, no remorse. “I told Mila she had to share it with Mommy. So, if she drinks it all, it’s on you.”
“Gee, thanks,” I tell him with an eyeroll as the toddler already moves away now that she’s shared a sip. We all know she won’t be back until it’s gone and she wants another. Tristan leans down to kiss me before following after our little girl, making sure she steers clear of the edge of the pool.
When Liam is finished eating, I pull my swim top back into place and walk him over to the baby lounger that Ash built. With a UV-proof sunshade and fans built into the sides, it does an excellent job of keeping the little ones cool while we’re out here. Jace joins me, placing Jaide beside her brother. The two naturally roll toward one another, still asleep. Jace removes Jaide’s sunglasses, setting them on the table.
“I was thinking Greece for our family vacation this year. They have lovely beaches, and the food is to die for,” Jace tells me as he takes my hand and walks with me over to where Ash is propped up against the side of the pool.
I slide into the cool water with a pleasant sigh. It truly is hot out here today. “That sounds good. There’re a lot of historical sights I’d like to see there.”
Ash doesn’t waste time placing me in front of him, wrapping his big arms around my waist lazily. His eyes scan all around us idly, making sure the kids are being safe in the water and no one is getting sunburned. Most of the kids have teamed up with Mikey and Logan in a water balloon fight, no doubt the result of Logan and Ava’s planning.
I take them all in. My eight mates all relaxed and playing with our amazing children. The babies sleeping away in the sunshine, our pack moving around us without a care in the world. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve such happiness, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’ve found my place in this life, found my pack, kept them with me, and love them fiercely. It’s everything I’ve always wanted.
Here’s a little something to look forward to in the near future:
I’m not sure I understand this fountain. What do angels have to do with a secret werewolf school? The plaque only reads: “Where it all began”. Nothing stating why it’s here. I’ve been told enough stories about this place to know that teenage girls revere it, usually tossing in their shiniest coins and wishing for love, but I’ve never been told why they do it.
“Oh, shit. Sorry. I mean, excuse me,” I’m told as I’m roughly shoved from behind.
I turn my head, glaring at the guy who bumped into me. His mismatched eyes distract me almost as much as much as the tower of boxes he’s balancing precariously in his arms, towering over his head. Deciding he probably didn’t even see me, much less push me on purpose, I shake off the angry retort on the tip of my tongue.
“It’s fine,” I grumble, turning back to the angel looming above me, lit up like a Christmas tree. Or, at least I think like a Christmas tree. I wouldn’t know.
“Wishing for the attention of a boy?” The guy laughs softly to himself, like I’m missing something.
I arch a brow at him. “Not particularly. Weren’t you going somewhere?” I ask pointedly.
“Yeah. I always stop at the fountain, though. Pay my respects and all that. It’s my favorite story of theirs,” he adds cryptically.
Pulling out a handful of change after setting down his tower of boxes, he sifts through the coins until he finds a shiny quarter. “Has to be the shiniest,” he explains when he notices me watching.
“Why?” I ask, despite not wanting to continue the conversation.
“Because the Luna loves all things shiny.” He laughs. This dude is entirely too happy for my liking. Makes me uncomfortable.
“Makes sense,” I grumble in a way that lets him know it makes no sense whatsoever.
He eyes me from the side, frowning. “You don’t know the story? Everyone knows the story.”
I roll my eyes, picking my bag up off the ground and tossing over my shoulder. “Like I’d want to hear a fairytale of true and everlasting love,” I singsong before making a gag-me-now gesture.
His pale brows nearly meet his hairline. “Uh…kay…”
I walk away, not admitting to myself even the tiniest of bits that that guy was hot as hell. Nope, not even a little.
Cyan
“Who the hell was that?” Raider asks me when he catches me staring after the girl I ran into.
My brow creases as I try to remember if I’ve met her before. “Huh,” I say after a minute and coming up empty. “I have no idea.”
“Seriously, what the hell’s wrong with you? You haven’t blinked in, like, forever,” he teases me before elbowing my ribs. I grit my teeth, glaring daggers at my brother.
“Help me with these?” I nod to the stack of art supplies I’m supposed to drop off to the studios. Well, I was supposed to drop them off a few hours ago, but I got sidetracked.
“Sure.” Raider shrugs, taking the top half for me.
I grab the rest, following closely behind him. “What do you think the chances are of us not already knowing a female our age?” I ask after a period of silence.
Raider laughs knowingly. “Chick really has you caught up, huh? I admit she looked damn good walking away, but she was walking away, brother. Plenty of chicks chase after us, so why waste your time on the one who isn’t?” he scoffs.
“She didn’t know our parents’ story. How’s that possible?” I look back, wondering if she went back to the fountain after I left. Nope, no sign of her. Damn, I should have gotten her name at least. That would be less weird than tracking her scent to see where she went. Wait, do I even want to?
Yes.
Yes, I do. She was hot, sure, but lots of girls are. Why do I want to know more about this one? I stop dead in my tracks, realization dawning on me. I drop the boxes as I bust out laughing, having to hold my stomach.
“What the hell, weirdo?” Raider eyes me warily.
“She…” I talk through the laughter. “She didn’t know their story.” I wipe the tears from the corners of my eyes. “That means she probably had no clue who I was. And she walked away.” I smile brightly at my brother before turning to stare determinedly at the fountain.
“Annnnd this makes her special why?” my brother drones.
“Not special.” Not yet. “Different.” I wonder how much her attitude will change once she learns who I am. She hasn’t been taught from birth to drool all over my brothers and me, trying to trap an Ivaskov prince as soon as possible. Will she still be able to walk away once she finds out? Hmm, for some reason this curvy brunette has me all kinds of curious. Good thing it’s a new school year and I have all the time in the world to find out why.
To be continued…
About the Author
Lane Whitt likes coffee, reading, and dreaming up stories. If you’ve enjoyed this story and would like to know where to find Lane’s upcoming works, then have no fear! The links are below.
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