Chapter 58
Gabriel and I stayed in bed for a while. We daydreamed about our daughter. Shared our hopes for her. I wanted her to be strong and independent. I was glad my daughter would have us. She would grow up knowing exactly who she was, unlike me. Gabriel's hopes were for her future. Would she be a luna of a pack one day? Would she have my powers? Aeliana's assurances that our daughter had a grand destiny made us think she would have some kind of powers.
After a while, Gabriel got up to eat something. I didn't have an appetite so I decided to stay in bed. I grabbed my phone and messaged Lacey.
“Hi! Want to come visit on Friday?” I asked her. I waited a minute for a response. When I heard my phone ding, I got all excited.
“Yes! Friday will be perfect! Would noon be okay?” She responded.
“Yes! I figured we could hang out here and then head into town to get lunch.” I said. Since Lacey didn't know anything about the village, I figured she wouldn't know the difference if we went to the town over instead.
“Eeek! I am so excited. Will I get to meet that hunk of yours?” She asked.
“Lol. Yes. He will be here.” I responded.
“He have a sexy single friend?” She asked. I wasn't sure how to respond to that. I mean, yes. There were many attractive men here, Jon included, but Lacey was human and they weren't.
“Not really but I will keep an eye out.” I responded.
“Haha. I was only joking. I'm turning into a full blown man hater. The last few dates I went on were absolutely awful. One guy was so rude to the waiter and even accused him of flirting with me. The last one kept giving me some creepy stare. Like, bad. I felt like I was under a microscope. He wouldn't look away. Then when I tried to get out of there he tried to kiss me on the mouth. I nearly threw up. I dodged it and made an excuse to step outside and just left.” She finished. I felt bad for Lacey. Humans didn't have mates so finding someone to love seemed like more of a challenge. Fate would not pick for her.
“I'm sorry, Lacey. That sounds awful. If you ever need a quick exit, I would be happy to call with a fake emergency.” I offered.
“Thanks Carrie. I think I'm done dating for the moment. It's just been too much. Plus, I want to spend time with my Dad. He is still pretty sick and I am worried I may not have much time left with him.” She finished.
“Oh, no! I thought the cancer had been found early!” Poor Lacey. She was very close to her parents. I couldn't imagine how she felt.
“They did but his cancer is not responding to the chemo. They have a few more things to try. He is starting radiation next week.” She typed.
“I'm so sorry, Lacey. I hope the radiation helps.” I said sincerely.
“Me too! Ok, happier topics! Send me your address and I can't wait to see you Friday!!” She said.
“I am looking forward to it too!” I said. I quickly sent over our address. It was only Tuesday so I would have to wait a few days to see her. I almost wished I had told her a day sooner but I wanted to do a few things before I saw her. I almost scheduled it for the following week but then I remembered that Jon would be back and I didn't want to risk him seeing Lacey. He hated humans and I wasn't sure how I would explain any hostility directed at Lacey.
The next few days dragged on and on. Gabriel patrolled at night while I restlessly tried to sleep and we tried to spend time together after he woke up. The morning sickness started to get a tiny bit better. I was still getting sick but it wasn't lasting as long.
When I woke up Thursday morning, I ate my crackers and felt better immediately. It was a relief that it was improving. Some late.night google searches about the nausea last the entire pregnancy for some women, had worried me that I might be one of those unlucky mothers. I still had to be careful around smells though. Cooking meat was a no go. Anytime I went near the kitchen while meat was cooking, I ended up in the bathroom emptying the contents of my stomach.
The day before, Debra had brought over a pot roast. She had been making meals for Lauren and Marcus since Lauren was still on bed rest. The twins had managed to stay put so far. She said she had made way too much so she brought us some too. When she came inside the house and proudly presented me with a big container of meaty pot roast, I ended up having to mumble an apology as I ran to the bathroom to throw up again.
Debra felt awful but I told her not to worry about it. It was so nice of her to bring us a meal and I didn't want her to think that my stomach's antics made me any less thankful.
Gabriel heated up the pot roast in the evening and I had to admit that Debra was an amazing cook. The pot roast was tender and full of flavor. She had also cooked vegetables with the pot roast and they had absorbed the meaty flavor. I ate twice as much as normal, even taking some bread and dipping it into the gravy. I guess all the protein was really hitting the spot. Soon after we ate, Gabriel left to patrol again.
I decided to watch some girly movies before bed. While flipping, I ended up finding a movie called “ Me Before You”. Big mistake. It ended up being a really sad movie and I sat on the couch sobbing for a good ten minutes. Gabriel even checked in to make sure I was ok. I assured him through the link that I was fine and that I had only made a poor movie choice.
After I calmed down, I decided to send a quick message to Lacey before heading to bed.
“So excited for tomorrow!” I typed.
“Omg. Me too! I can't wait!!” She quickly responded. We chatted a little before my eyes grew heavy and I had to go to sleep. I was so glad Jon would be back in a few days and Gabriel wouldn't have to patrol much longer.
Chapter 59
The next morning, not even the nausea could hinder my excitement. It had been so long since I had seen Lacey! I drank my fake coffee and ate some toast and then got a bath. Gabriel was still sleeping so I had bathed in the pink room. The house had other rooms but now that I knew the baby was a girl, I had already decided this would be her room. I had always loved the pink room. Even after I moved into Gabriel's room, I still came in here often. Aside from the beauty of the room, I wasn't sure why I loved this room so much. It had just felt like mine from the start. Now it would be my daughter's.
I got lost in my daydreams as I planned out how to set up the nursery. I wanted to leave the room as it was, as much as possible. Changing it too much seemed wrong. It would have to be rearranged and the bed would need to be moved out to make room for a crib but aside from that, I planned on keeping the rest as it was.
I glanced at the clock and immediately panicked. It was already 11:15 and Lacey would be here at noon! I quickly finished washing and practically jumped out of the bath as I scrambled to get ready. I threw on some faded jeans and a fitted baby blue T-shirt. I dried my hair and then applied some light makeup. Just as I finished the doorbell rang. I suddenly got really nervous. I wasn't sure why. My heart was pounding in my chest as I high tailed it to the front door. I got to the door and took a deep breath before opening it.
As soon as the door opened, Lacey and I started screaming. We basically jumped into each other's arms and hugged tightly.
“I missed you so much.” Lacey said. We pulled away and I saw she was crying. I laughed and realized I had tears in my eyes too.
“I missed you too!” I said. I looked Lacey over. She was just as gorgeous as she had ever been. She had matured since I last saw her but aside from that, she looked the same. She was still very fit. It was clear she still ran. Her long black hair was pulled into a ponytail. She was wearing an outfit very similar to my own. It made me smile to see we still had similar styles. I couldn't imagine how Lacey hadn't found a handsome millionaire or some kind of prince charming. She was so strikingly beautiful. I imagined every man who saw her fell immediately in love.
“You look so great Lacey! As beautiful as ever.” I said. Lacey mumbled a thank you and it reminded me that she was as uncomfortable as I was with compliments.
“And you! You're glowing!” She said. I blushed.
“I am? Did I use too much hi
ghlighter?” I joked and Lacey swatted my arm.
“Oh, shush. Oh my God! I still can't believe you're getting married and having a baby!” She said in disbelief. “Where's that man of yours?” She was looking around as if he was going to just pop out of the bushes.
“He is still sleeping. He had to...work late last night.” I said.
“Oh, where does he work?” She asked. Shit. I hadn't prepared for these questions.
“Uhhh, he works as security in town.” I said.
“Do you want to get lunch now? He should be up by the time we get back.” I asked, quickly changing the subject.
“Sure!” She said.
“Great! You mind driving?” I asked.
“Not at all!” She said. I ran inside and grabbed my purse and we got into Lacey's car. It was a cute little silver Volkswagen bug. We hopped inside and I gave Lacey direction's as we drove to town.
There was a little diner in this town too. I was starting to think all small mountain towns must have one. We parked and went inside, finding a free booth to sit in.
The diner still smelled so strange to me. Even with the smells of cooking meat and potatoes, I could still smell the humans. This wasn't the first time I had noticed how different they smelled. Humans had a musky, almost spicy smell to them. Even with all hygiene products, my nose could still smell their natural scent. Wolves smelled more earthy. There was a slight musk in a wolf but also a woodsy smell. The spice wasn't there at all. I wondered what made us smell so different when in many ways, we were so alike.
“You ok, Carrie?” Lacey asked. I realized that I had been so lost in thought that I hadn't been paying attention.
“Yes, sorry. I was just thinking about something.” I said. “Gosh, I am hungry.” I said, changing the subject. I was thankful the smells of the diner were not making me sick.
“Me too!” Lacey said. We quickly ordered and then chatted while we waited. Lacey told me more stories of her time in the west coast. Teachers that had been awful. More disastrous dates. One story almost made me spit water all over the table. I wasn't sure if it was the story or how Lacey told it but I nearly died laughing.
“So, I was set up on a blind date by my dorm mate. I tried to decline, I really did. She wouldn't stop harassing me though, so eventually I agreed. She told me all about the guy. He was sweet and cute and had just had bad luck with the ladies. So, I gave him a chance. We met at this little chinese restaurant. First, he was late. I waited for him for nearly twenty minutes. I should have just left. I saw him pull up on a bicycle. Not a motorcycle, a bicycle. I thought, well, maybe he is a health nut. So, he comes inside and he is dripping sweat. He is sweating so much, he has pit stains and his chest is wet too. He stinks. He reeks of sweat and far too much cologne. So, I am sitting there basically holding my breath as he gets to the table. He takes his napkin from the table and tries to wipe the sweat off his face. The server came over and he ordered a beer. So we get to talking and within five minutes I have learned that he is 25. He still lives at home. Never finished highschool and the reason he rides a bike is because he has had so many DUI's that his license is suspended. He drinks 3 beers before we even order food. Once the food comes, I am even more disgusted. He is taking huge bites and eating with his mouth open. He even belched at one point. I quickly ate and asked for a container. I needed to get out of there. He starts to ask me questions about my sex life and at that point, I am about to just walk out of there. He is asking if I am a virgin and other nonsense. I am getting mad and tell him that it's none of his business. The check comes and he grabs it. Then he proceeds to tell me that since he is paying for the meal, I should take him back to my dorm room to repay him. I was livid. I stood up, threw a twenty on the table and told him he was a pig. He laughed and told me I was a prude. At this point, I was sputtering mad. He started to loudly berate me, drawing the attention of the rest of the restaurant. I was so mad at this point, I could have killed him. I was about to throw a drink at him when the server came back and told him to leave. He made a racist slur at her and insisted he would stay if he wanted to. At this point, two huge burly guy's come out from the back. Turns out, this is a family owned business and jackass has just insulted their sister. One guy tells him to leave and he starts to throw out more racist slurs. Finally, they have had enough. One grabs him and forces him out. He tries to fight him, tipping over the table and getting food all over himself. The guy finally gets him out and he starts to scream when he realizes his bike is missing. While the one guy had been fighting him out the door, the other one had grabbed his bike. About ten minutes later, he was still screaming when the other man returned. He had a big box and gave it to him. It was his bike, completely dismantled. He had to walk home, covered in Chinese food and carrying the pieces of his bike.” She finished. Her story, while hilarious, made me glad I had never had to enter the dating scene. Our food came and we both ate quietly. The food was delicious. I had ordered a burger and fries. Lacey had ordered a club sandwich with onion rings. We finished our meal and then walked around a little, still catching up.
After a bit, we decided to head back to the house. Lacey was excited to meet Gabriel and told me so many times on the way back. I was excited too. It had been so long since Lacey and I had seen each other but somehow it was if nothing had changed. We had slipped right back into our friendship. I wanted the meeting to go well because I wanted Lacey to feel welcome. As we got near the house, Gabriel mind linked me.
“We have a problem. Jon just showed up.” He said.
“No way! He wasn't supposed to be back until tomorrow.” I said.
“I know. He had news he wanted to share with us.” Gabriel said.
“Can you ask him to leave or something? I don't want him being rude to Lacey, and you know he will be.” I asked.
“Yes. But he said you need to hear his news too so he will come back after Lacey leaves.” He said. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he wouldn't be there.
“Uhhh, are you alright? You seem like you're in a trance or something.” Lacey said. Shit, I forgot how strange that could look to a human.
“Yeah, sorry. Just zoned out.” I said.
We pulled up to the house and I got out of the car. We walked to the front door and I nearly started cursing out loud when Jon opened the door, only just now leaving. He saw me and Lacey and stopped in his tracks. Shit.
Chapter 60
I couldn't believe this was happening. I had tried so hard to avoid this. I saw Jon's jaw tense and knew he was already holding back a nasty comment. I couldn't help but think of the way he treated me when I first got here and I would not let him mistreat Lacey. He stood there scowling and I noticed his eyes kept going black and then back to his normal color and prayed Lacey didn't notice. I was confused at first and then realized Jon was fighting his wolf for control. Weird. Why was his wolf trying to take over? Puzzled, I looked at Jon and frowned.
“Did you need something Jon?” I asked. He glared at me.
“No.” He said gruffly, but didn't move. Lacey was starting to pick up on the tension and I could see her starting to get concerned.
“Lacey, this is Jon, Gabriel's best friend. Jon this is Lacey.” I said. I hadn't wanted to introduce them but the awkward situation had left me no choice. Jon was still glued to spot and I noticed he had his hands balled into fists. I was starting to get concerned. Whatever was happening, Jon was having a really hard time getting control over himself. I was worried he might shift right here in front of Lacey and how could I ever explain that. I decided the best course was to get Lacey inside and away from him as soon as possible. I grabbed Lacey's arm.
“Come around back! I want to show you the pond!” I said, leading her to the backyard. “It's one of my favorite parts of the cottage.” I told her, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation for walking around to the back. No sooner did we round the corner did I hear the sound of ripping fabric and crunching bones. Thankfully, Lacey's human ears would not hear a thing. Jon had
shifted and had ran off. What was that all about!? I would have to ask him later. I mean, what the heck was up with Jon?
“So…. What was up with, well, whatever that was?” Lacey asked.
“I have no idea.” I said honestly. “I have never seen him act like that.” I finished. It was true. With me, Jon first tried to have me killed and then just insulted and tore me down. Never had he been so...so…conflicted maybe? I don't know.
Gabriel chose that moment to come outside and I was so grateful. Lacey completely forgot about the awkwardness with Jon.
“Oh my God! Is this Gabriel!?” She said. I laughed.
“Yes, this is my knight in shining armor.” I joked, getting a kick out of my pun.
“Really!?” Gabriel said through our mind link. I smiled.
“It's your name.” I responded silently, winking at him. I turned back to Lacey to find her watching us with an amused expression.
“I can practically see the sparks between you two!” She said. I let out an awkward snort.
“Sorry. I don't know what that struck me as funny.” I said. I could see Gabriel trying not to laugh as well.
“Want to come inside? I made some coffee.” Jon offered.
“Yes! I want to see the rest of the house!” Lacey said. We went inside and I quickly gave Lacey a tour. She Oohed and ahhed at the old fashioned cottage. Like me, she loved it instantly. When we got to the pink room she squealed in delight.
“Oh, this has to be the babies room if it's a girl!” She said.
“I was just thinking the same thing this morning.” I admitted. We went and sat down in the living room and Gabriel brought out a tray with coffee and little jars of cream and sugar. I declined since I was trying to limit my caffeine but he and Lacey sipped on the coffee while we chatted. For some reason, my mind wandered back to my early days with Gabriel, when he had asked me about how I liked my coffee, and I couldn't help but smile at the memory. We chatted for a while and I was glad to see that Lacey and Gabriel seemed to like each other. After a bit, Gabriel mind linked me again.
The Journey To Become The Perfect Werewolf Page 22