Complicated Love

by Harper Phoenix

  CHRISTMAS IS FAST approaching, and I always spend it with my parents. I want to be with Maiya—this year and every fucking year at Christmas—so that means I’ll have to combine the two if she is up for it. I’ve spoken to my mum, and she had said she can’t wait to meet Maiya. I’m excited to have them meet her too.

  My dad can be a pain at times when he rides my arse about doing stuff with my life. He knows I have status with Jared, but he wants more for me. I guess every parent does. He wants me secure, with money and a house of my own. All the things I want now I have Maiya in my life but weren’t even on my radar before. I guess now I understand where he’s coming from. I want all the good shit in life with Maiya—she deserves it.

  This term at university is fucked up because we couldn’t attend. We could make up for it or just repeat the year. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. We don’t need loans and stuff because the pack subsidises everything. We will always give back and put the pack first, so that’s how it works. We look after our own.

  We’ve been home a week, and it’s been quiet. Most of the students here are working their arses off to get the last pieces of work in before the Christmas holidays. I’m going to try and complete it the best I can without repeating. I can probably get away with being a term behind and make it up over the year.

  My degree is in computer science, and a lot of it comes easy. I should be able to blag my way through this term’s classes. Just means a little hard work and more time studying, which was what we all did before the girls came along. After Christmas, I will have to apply myself.

  Maiya and Devon have both decided to start their year’s again. Being in their first year, I can understand that. Maiya’s been talking about getting a job in the meantime. I’d rather she didn’t work, but if it makes her happy, I won’t argue about it. I’m just glad everything is looking positive for her again, and she seems as though she’s happy with the pack. Jared and her still have issues they need to iron out, and it pisses me off that he doesn’t give her the time of day, but I can also see where he’s coming from. Maiya hurt his female. It’s hard to forgive that. But eventually, we will have to have a chat about the fact that she’s trying real damn hard and Devon has forgiven her, so he will have to catch up and do the same. She wasn’t herself at the time.

  Yesterday we spent the whole day in the forest. Today, I want to take Maiya out. Buy some gifts, have some lunch out and maybe go to the cinema or something. I’m sure she’ll be on board. I’ve been lying in bed thinking for about an hour and just watching Maiya sleep. She doesn’t seem to be having nightmares anymore, which is good. I don’t know if that means she’s dealing with her demons or if she’s just comfortable where she’s at. Either way, it’s a positive. Not having to worry about the kitsunes is probably helping too. She starts to stir, making a little squeaking noise as she stretches—it’s fucking adorable. One eye opens a little bit, and she looks right at me, then her face splits into a grin.

  ‘Morning,’ I say, smiling at the sleep lines on her face.

  ‘G’morning,’ she mumbles on a yawn as she stretches her arms up in the air. I move in to kiss her, and as always she covers her mouth and mumbles, ‘Uh uhh,’ and shuffles off the bed and into the bathroom. I grumble and bitch, but it does me no good. It’s the same thing every day.

  ‘One of these days you’ll wake up, and I’ll already be kissing you—then you won’t have a choice but to kiss me back.’

  ‘I don’t want you kissing me when I have morning breath,’ she yells from the bathroom.

  ‘What difference does it make that you slept since I kissed you last night?’ I grumble, knowing damn well it won’t make a shit of difference.

  ‘It’s different!’

  At least that’s what I think she says around her toothbrush. I hate brushing my teeth before I’ve had a coffee and food. But I always have to now because I can’t kiss her when she’s just brushed in case I have fucking morning breath. Something I’ll have to get used to because she won’t fucking give in. Women!

  I go in the bathroom and find her bent at the middle, taking water from the tap, her arse looking all kinds of fine. She’s wearing one of my t-shirts, and that does things to me anyway. She wipes her mouth on the towel and turns, facing me. Her nipples are hard and visible beneath the white cotton. What I wouldn’t give to latch on to them, push her up against the wall and fuck her all kinds of ways, but I never act on my desires, not fully. It’s too soon. I have to be patient. One day I will be able to take her in every possible way. But until then I am happy with what I get. I love her. I’m just glad I have her at all.

  ‘What are you looking like that for?’ she asks smiling. I move forward and pinch at her nipple through the material.

  ‘Just can’t get enough of you.’

  She looks at my fingers pinching the nipple, and she makes a little noise—kinda like a moan but a squeak all at the same time. What I notice straight away is her arousal, and I move in fast while the opportunity is there. Fuck the morning breath. I capture her lips and kiss the fuck out of her. I pull her up and sit her on the edge of the tile top around the basin. Her legs come around my waist, and my hands run along under her thighs until my fingers brush against her wet pussy. I want in, but I want every time we are together to be about her pleasure, so I take my time as always. Bringing her arse to the edge of the top, I spread her legs wide and kneel, making her lean as far back against the mirror as she can. I look up at her face—she gets embarrassed when I’m doing this and doesn’t like to watch me. I’m not sure why she always covers her face when I do, but now we’re completely exposed to each other, and she can’t hide. Her eyes close as I lap at her lips there, gathering her arousal on my tongue. Tastes amazing. I find her clit and suck it into my mouth, just nipping at the swollen bud with my teeth, making her gasp. I love that sound. I push a finger inside, then another, and move in and out, keeping a rhythm with my tongue on her clit. It never takes long for her to come like this, but I like to prolong it, keeping her teetering on the edge for as long as possible so that when she does go over it’s fucking amazing for her. That’s where we’re at now. I can feel her walls swelling and clamping down on my fingers. I curl them inside, knowing where her sweet spot is.

  The noise that comes out of her mouth is half a moan, and half her murmuring my name on her lips. I watch, my eyes glued to her face as she shatters around my tongue and fingers, her arse bucking off the counter top and thighs clamping around my head and face. I smile against her pussy as she starts to pant, getting her through the orgasm. Fuck, yeah. Her eyes stay closed, her forehead is creased, and her mouth forms the perfect ‘O’ as my name passes her lips on a long exhale. I will never forget the look on her face at that moment. Perfection. I’m not sure if I can push my luck here and take her from behind like I desperately want to. With us both facing the mirror. I lift her down from the counter,

  ‘Sweetheart, I wanna try something, okay?’

  She nods and seems a little wobbly from her orgasm. I smile and turn her to face the mirror. ‘Bend over, babe, let me see that ass,’ I whisper into her ear. Maiya giggles and does as I ask. ‘If you’re not comfortable at any point, just tell me, okay?’

  ‘Okay.’ She nods. Her tits are pressed against the tiles, and she is gripping the taps on the sink. Our eyes meet in the mirror. Her face is flushed, and she just looks fucking amazing. I run my fingers across her arse and find her pussy again. I line myself up and push inside, taking it slowly. My eyes never leave her face, even when she closes her eyes. I watch as she takes her bottom lip between her teeth, and I have to close my eyes against the pleasure that radiates through me. Her blonde hair frames her perfect face. It frustrates the fuck out of me that she’s so conscious about the marred skin on her right side. I barely notice it now. I push in a little deeper with each slow thrust, and as her mouth drops open and her arse pushes back against me, I know I’m good to go—she’s enjoying this position. I hold her hips just slightly up,
and she goes to her tiptoes. I push in until there is nowhere else to go. She groans, and the noise reverberates up through her back. I lean over and nibble on her lobe, making her gasp again. Jesus, this feels so fucking good. I kiss my way down her neck and back, staying still but seated inside her. I bring my hands down, following the line of my kisses.

  ‘I could just stay like his forever, looking at you,’ I say out loud. Her eyes open in the mirror and meet mine. ‘So beautiful,’ I tell her. It’s fucking true. Her eyes close and she smiles a little, shaking her head slightly as if she’s telling me I’m crazy for saying it. I move a little inside her, and she bites on that lip again. Jesus Christ, I could come apart at just that look alone. This is going to be fucking quick.

  ‘I’m not gonna last,’ I tell her through gritted teeth, as her arse pushes against me again. Fuck. I thrust in, and she meets me, pushing her arse back, meeting every thrust I give. I’m about to come, and I need to see her look at me when I do. ‘Look at me,’ I grumble, and her eyes snap open, and she stares back at me—a look of pure pleasure on her face. Her pussy clenches around my dick, milking me and that’s all it takes for me to go over. I keep my eyes on hers as I thrust a few more times, giving her everything I’ve got until I’m spent. Then I practically collapse on her back.

  ‘Can we do this every morning?’ I ask, grinning at her in the mirror. She giggles, and it does things to my dick still seated inside her. I kiss her shoulder and slide out.

  After we clean up and have breakfast, we go out for the day. In the car, on the way to town, I broach the subject of my parents.

  ‘What do you usually do at Christmas?’ I ask her, hoping to fuck she doesn’t have some tradition that she needs to uphold because I’d have to let my parents down. I get a shrug of her shoulders in response. ‘What does that mean?’ I ask, smiling, but I soon realise that she isn’t. ‘Babe?’ she shrugs again looking at me this time.

  ‘I don’t usually do anything special,’ she says with a sad look on her face. ‘What about you?’ she asks tentatively.

  ‘Well, that’s what I wanted to ask you about. I always spend it with my parents.’

  ‘Okay,’ she says but looks upset? Disappointed maybe? Shit, maybe she won’t want to go? ‘You don’t like that idea?’

  She looks at me wide-eyed. ‘No, I wouldn’t want you to change your plans for me. If that’s what you do at Christmas, then, of course, you should go.’

  ‘No, I’m saying I want you to come too?’

  The shock on her face is a picture.

  ‘You seriously think I wouldn’t wanna spend Christmas with you?’

  She shrugs a little. ‘Well, I was hoping we would, but, you know, we’ve only been together a short while. I didn’t know what to expect.’

  ‘Expect that we will spend every special occasion together, sweetheart, okay. Fuck, every damn day. I don’t wanna be away from you at all, like ever. Yeah?’

  She nods, smiling. I don’t care if I sound like a fucking weirdo. I don’t want to be away from her, and I certainly didn’t want her living elsewhere. We’ve already collected her shit from the dorm room because she wouldn’t need it for another year anyway. And she won’t be staying anywhere else without me. We didn’t talk about it, but I just assumed she knew that. Maybe not, after this conversation.

  ‘Babe, are you okay with the way things are? I’m just assuming you’re okay with everything, but if it’s all too fast, just tell me?’

  Please don’t be going too fast. Fuck. I don’t think I’ll manage if she doesn’t want to stay with me at the house.

  ‘Honestly, Brad. This is all fast, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere without you, so if it’s too fast then I’m okay with that.’

  Phew! Fucking hell! I exhale a big, ‘thank fuck’ sigh.

  ‘So, you don’t mind going to my parents for Christmas?’

  She shakes her head and smiles. If I weren’t driving, I’d kiss the shit out of her right now. But I can’t, so I take her hand in mine and squeeze it.

  ‘Will they be okay with me going though? I don’t want to intrude on your family.’

  I tilt my head and purse my lips. ‘Seriously, I’m their only son. I’ve never taken a girl home, and when I asked my mum last night if it was okay to bring you, she damn near had a heart attack she was so fucking excited. So yeah, I think it’s fine.’

  ‘Really? You’ve never taken a girl home before?’

  ‘No, why would I?’

  She shrugs her shoulders.

  ‘I’ve never had a girl before, Maiya. I didn’t date or do anything beyond one night stands. That was it. Never anything even close to this—to us.’

  That makes her smile. ‘So you never had anyone you thought could be girlfriend material?’

  ‘I wasn’t interested, until you,’ I tell her honestly. It’s the truth, and maybe she’ll realise how fucking special she is to me—what she means to me. ‘I didn’t want anything beyond the pack, Maiya.’

  ‘And now that’s different?’

  ‘Fuck, yeah. I want a life with you, Maiya: house, kids, the works.’ I don’t know if I’m moving too fast here, but I have to tell her where I’m at—how I feel. She needs to know I’m dead fucking serious. ‘You okay with that?’ I ask when I don’t get a reply. The street is busy, so I keep my eyes on the road. When I glimpse her way though she has a big goofy grin on her face, which makes me grin in response.

  ‘Yes, Brad. I’m more than okay with that.’

  ‘Thank fuck for that,’ I tell her, laughing. She giggles, and it’s the best sound in the world. I pull into a parking space, and the first thing I do is unhook her seat belt and pull her over onto my lap. Kissing her like a dying man.

  ‘I love you, Maiya Middleton.’

  ‘And I love you, Brad Beaumont.’ She smiles against my lips.

  ‘God, you are beautiful.’ She pecks at my lips, giggling as my hands grip her arse through her jeans. ‘Come on, we’ve got some shopping to do, and then I’m gonna buy you lunch and take you out.’

  WE’RE IN THE kitchen, eating breakfast when the doorbell rings. Everyone looks around, wondering who it could be. I get a sudden feeling of dread in my stomach. Jared, Brad, and Howard all move to get up. Howard gets to the door first. He opens it wide, and I can see through a gap between them all that it’s a courier delivering a package.

  ‘Jared Stone?’ the guy asks. Howard takes the parcel from him as Jared steps forward to sign for it. They close the door and all look at the parcel with a grim look on their faces.

  ‘Devon, you wanna take Maiya and head upstairs for a little while?’ Jared asks, but I don’t hear the question, it’s more of a demand.

  ‘No not really. I think I know just as well as you do what we’re going to find in that box, so I’d rather stay.’

  Both Jared and Brad mutter under their breath at her refusal. I stay quiet. I have no idea what they will find in that box, but my now very acute sense of smell tells me it’s something not nice because it smells rotten. And my imagination will be running wild if I don’t stay to find out. Brad looks at me with a pleading look on his face, not wanting to make me go, but wanting me to go all the same. I ignore the look completely. I hear him sigh as Howard takes a steak knife from the draw. The box is small, but it’s covered in brown parcel tape and has delicate stickers on each side. Howard pulls the knife carefully along the seam of the box. As soon as the seam is pulled open, that stench I could smell a little fills my nose, and it’s vomit-inducing. I hold my nose against it.

  ‘Jesus fucking Christ,’ Howard says almost painfully. He pulls out a blood-stained piece of paper and begins to read from it.

  ‘Jared Stone. This is the first gift of many unless the female you stole is returned, and the traitor killed. I will not accept anything less. If you do not meet my demands, prepare to go to war. You have until December thirty-first at noon. Do not try to barter. It won’t work. Brody dead. Willow returned—that is your only option.’

 
I look at Brad. He has a disgusted look on his face at whatever is in the box. Jared slams his hands down on the table in temper.

  ‘FUUUUUUUUUCK,’ he yells, making both Devon and I jump. Devon moves to his side and hugs his arm.

  ‘We should have just taken his fucking pack,’ Jared snaps out. ‘Killed the motherfucking lot of them.’ Brody chooses right then to walk in the room. His face screws up the minute the smell hits his nose, and I can tell when the realisation hits him. He walks over to the box, and Howard tries to close it so he can’t see but isn’t quick enough.

  ‘Brody,’ Howard says. ‘I’m sorry, man.’

  Brody shakes his head. ‘Don’t let Willow see,’ he says, almost without emotion, and leaves through the back door. Howard goes after him. Jared and Brad look at each other.

  ‘Fucking lockdown again. I’ll let my dad know.’ He takes his phone and leaves the room. Brad tells me he’ll be in the surveillance room, leaving Devon and me alone in the kitchen. I think I know what’s in the box and I don’t want to see, but the morbid desire to find out if I’m right, overrides it. Devon and I both seem to move towards it at the same time. I watch as she pulls back the flaps and we both look inside. It’s worse than I expected. I find a woman’s head, eyes wide open, staring at me. It’s Brody and Willow’s mother. ‘Shit,’ Devon mutters and closes the box up. I feel sick. But I handle it.

  ‘What will happen now?’ I ask her.

  ‘We’re on lockdown, and I guess we prepare for the thirty-first.’

  ‘They won’t just hand them back over though?’

  ‘Not a chance. Jared won’t bend to his will. Or anyone’s.’

  The next few days are a bit of a blur. People are coming and going, and Brad spends a lot of time down in the surveillance room. He, Brody and another guy, whose name I’m not sure of seem to cover that between them. I spend my time between our room, Devon’s, the kitchen and the TV room. Everyone seems to have a job to do except Devon and me, and it gets boring. Zoe is with us a lot of the time, but even she has a job with the nursing stuff she does.