Willow laughed and moved to the table where Dylan was. “Nope, not yet. Dylan and I will take him out there after lunch. So what do we have here?” she said, staring at the shell of the model. “Wow, you guys got a lot done.”
Dylan proceeded to explain the different parts of the ship, getting really excited.”You know I do believe we have a ship like this. I’ll have to ask my grandson, but I used to own one long ago.” Maxim said and knelt down next to Dylan.
“Were you one of those pirates?” Willow teased and she swore Maxim eyes lit up.
“OMG you were! Dylan we are going to have so much fun!” Willow lifted Dylan up and danced around with him. She spun around and faced Maxim. “You have to find out if you still have your ship. Do you know if there are any other pirates alive?”
Tamara laughed as Lars handed her a plate. “Tell Willow about your grandfather,” Tamara said giggling.
“It seems my grandfather and Maxim actually fought in the old days. My grandfather...”
“I was commander of one of the Queen’s vessels,” Alton came in carrying her best friend, but she wasn’t moving.
“Marsha?” Willow and Ida moved to her as Alton laid her down on the couch.
“She was in the last place you showed us. I’ve eased some of the memories, but I’m afraid they weren’t gentle with your friend. I’m sorry, Granddaughter.” Agares placed a kiss on her cheek. “I have to say Benitta’s children are learning, but I’ve cleared all the traps from the bayou, so it’s safe for now. But I do suggest all of you keep an eye out. I’m going to join your grandmother now. She thinks Benitta has been spotted on a different realm and if she’s there, we won’t have to worry about her much longer. No one comes out alive when you enter without permission.”
“We can only hope,” Alton said and held out his hand to Agares. “Thank you for the help.”
Willow walked over to her grandfather and hugged him tight. “Thank you for everything you’ve done.” She looked up into his face. “Admit it though, you had fun entwining their traps.”
He laughed and hugged her tight. “You, my daughter, are too much like me. Yes, it was a challenge I enjoyed. It’s been a long time since I’ve done any of this and I have to say, I miss it.” He placed a kiss on the top of her head. “You two behave and listen to your men.” He glanced over at Tamara. “And don’t do so much. You carry my great grand babies in there.” Agares actually sighed.
“I know you both are leery of me and I can’t blame you. I guess living so long below you forget the other side. Anyway, I have something for you both, but if you don’t want it, you don’t have to accept it.” Agares stepped back and held out his hands.
“These were my mother’s and, yes, I have a mother and father, but that’s another story for another time.”
Willow stared at the stone he had placed in front of her as Tamara came over, staring at the one he had chosen for her. “These are called, Senna. It looks like a stone, but it’s not. It’s sort of like an animal. They are sleeping until they find someone who will share with them. As your men have their warriors inside them, you would have these.” He looked at Lars. “No, they will not harm the children in your woman’s belly. If anything, they would be more protective of her. You wear them like a tattoo and they feed off your emotions.” He laughed. “I remember when something tried to take my mom once. Let’s say this thing was big. It was kind of bloody, but mom was safe.”
Tamara glanced at Lars, and he nodded. “I’ve heard of them, go ahead.”
Willow didn’t wait and lifted up her gift. She watched as the thing wiggled in her hand, the outer pieces of the rock split, and tiny feet emerged along with the cutest little furry head. “Oh my God, it’s so cute,” Willow knelt down so Dylan could see. The thing seemed to sniff and look around.
“It’s almost like a little dog,” Dylan said, laughing and watching.
“Sweetie, what were you told,” Willow asked him, and he sighed.
“But I have daddies now,” he grumbled as the creature crawled up her arm and deposited itself on her upper arm. She felt a warm sensation, then she stared in disbelief at the tattoo-looking thing.
“It’s a design. I thought it would be like an animal or something.” Willow said and ran her fingers over the top of it, and she laughed. “I think it’s purring.”
Her father laughed. “You two have very satisfied Senna. Don’t worry about swimming or showering, they will be fine. Okay, I have to go. Hopefully, I’ll have good news for you soon.” Her grandfather ruffled Dylan’s hair. Right before he disappeared a German Sheppard puppy was sitting at Dylan’s feet.
“Grandfather,” she sighed and looked over at Maxim, who laughed.
“Well, it seems like we have a pet. I’ll take him outside with Dylan while you speak with your friend. She is waking.”
“Take him to the back left side. Dylan, you know to keep the puppy away from Randle.” Willow told her son and moved to the couch where Ida was washing her granddaughter’s face.
Willow knew Alton had clothed her. She’d seen it in his memories. Her friend had gone through hell and it was her fault. “No,” Marsha snapped at the same time her eyes popped open. “Don’t even go there or I’ll slap you upside your head.” She looked around, noticing she was home. “I knew you would come, or you’d send someone. Seems like you have a keeper there.” Marsha nodded to Alton, who stood at the end of the couch, watching, but not saying anything.
“I actually have two mates, and yes, they are both keepers. I’m just glad they found you before, well, you know.” Willow said, sitting down by her feet and squeezing her leg.
“Well, I hate to say it, but Grandma’s Randle saved my butt a few times, keeping the other gators away. I don’t know how he knew I was there, but he stayed close enough that nothing could get me.”
“Well, then I need to make sure that old buzzard gets a special treat tonight,” Ida said, and looked up at Alton. “I guess it can’t be you since you saved my baby girl.” She grumbled and he snorted, but Willow could see the little smile in his eyes, but when his gaze met hers, anger seemed to cover his expression.
“Great, Maxim told you everything, didn’t he?” Willow asked.
“He didn’t have to, I heard everything,” he stated and moved to her, holding out his hand. “Come, we need to talk and I’m sure your friend needs to get cleaned up.”
Chapter Nine
Alton could see how nervous Willow was when she placed her hand into his, but his Little Kitty was not a chicken. No, she faced things head on, so when he had seen her insecurities and hurt at what he had said earlier, he vowed he would change for her. But first they had some major things to overcome.
He silently pulled her out to the front where he had seen a swing in the front of river, somewhere he could speak with her without interruptions. He sat on the swing, and then he lifted Willow up and placed her on his lap facing him, her legs tucked in around him. Alton placed both of his hands on her cheeks and placed a small kiss on her lips, memorizing her every feature.
“Do you know how lucky I am? No, I guess you wouldn’t know. Let me tell you a little bit about my world and then I’ll show you how you will fit in so nicely.”
“You are right, my family are the very picture of Blue Bloods as you are thinking, but we also love deeply when we commit ourselves. We have a family home in Egypt and, yes, I’ve been in the pyramids. One day I’ll take you on a tour not even the humans know of.” He wrapped his arms around her and started to push the swing.
“The last hundred years of my life have been dry, I’ll admit that.” He rubbed his cheek on the top of her head. “I loved my wife, Willow, she gave me light in the dark times.” Willow stiffened in his arms, but didn’t say anything, just listening.
“But with her, she was delicate, also raised by the old values of the last century. She didn’t know how to handle the other side inside of me. So I hid most of who I am from her and my family.”
Now here was the test for hi
m. Would she turn away from him? He lifted her up and set her on her feet before him, resting his head on her stomach. He sighed.
“Tell me, Alton. Nothing you say will drive me away. Like you I have needs. Why would I deny yours when you two will try and fulfill mine?”
“I need your surrender, Willow,” he looked up at her and saw the smile.
She knelt down in front of him and placed her head into his lap. “Are we talking sex?” she asked.
“I’m talking everything, Willow. I want to dress you, make sure you have the food you need, make your every fantasy come true and hold you when you are sad. I need it all, Willow,” he told her.
“But isn’t that changing me? How will I be me?” she sighed, and he heard the sadness in her voice. “Like earlier,” she looked up at him. “I should have been with you looking for my friend. I can’t be put on a pedestal Alton. I want to run with the animals, travel take Dylan to places I’ve dreamed of visiting.”
“And why would that stop?” he asked her? “You can still play with the animals, dance nude under the stars, and travel.” He ran his hand through her hair and wrapped it around his hand, pulling till she looked up at him. “I would never cage my kitty, but I would be there standing in front of her to make sure she’s safe, to make sure that the animal you were wrestling wouldn’t mare your beautiful skin, or take a bite out of what is ours. Will there be times we fight, of course,” he slid his hand into her shirt and frowned. “Like right now you are wearing clothes I do not like. I have no access to what I need.”
Alton stood, and turned her so she faced the water. Knowing there was no one around, he took the knife she carried out. “I know we haven’t been together long, but will you trust me?” he whispered in her ear, seeing her pulse quicken in her neck as he held up the knife, showing it to her.
One thing was for sure his Kitty liked knives and kept hers sharp, which is what he was counting on. “Yes,” she whispered as he started popping the buttons off her blouse with the knife. With the tip of the knife he opened her shirt, seeing the bra. “Even though this is a very pretty item. I don’t like it. Don’t move, my little kitty.” Alton slid the knife under her bra and sliced the offending garment.
“Nice, now this is how you should be, open for me,” he ran the tip of the blade around her nipple. “One of these days, we’ll play more, but for now, do you understand my need?” He threw the blade and it stuck in the ground. He cupped her breasts.
“Alton,” she moaned.
“Do you surrender to me, little kitty?”
“To both of us,” Maxim said as he moved in front of them and watched as Alton played with her. “So beautiful, there in your arms.” Maxim held up a picnic basket. “Ida suggested we go on a picnic. She said that Willow would know the place.”
“Really? I haven’t been on a picnic in a while. Where’s Dylan?” He asked placing a kiss on her neck before releasing her and dressing her in something he liked, a summer dress and nothing else.
“With her mom and father. Seems they’re going to visit her parents’ house and wanted to take...”
“No!” Willow yelled and was gone.
He sighed and picked up her knife, tucking it next to his knife. “You know the way there, my mate. Let’s go see what is so upsetting to our woman.”
“We have much to learn about her, I’m afraid. Did you notice the wall she keeps up?” Maxim asked as he placed his hand on Alton’s shoulder and took them to a world he knew nothing about.
“I saw it and I think it’s time we find out what it’s all about after we deal with this.” Alton nodded to where Willow stood outside a mansion staring up at it. Tears rolled down her cheeks, her hands were claws and her hair was now full of stripes of her cat.
“Little Kitty, what’s wrong? How can we help?” Alton asked, gently taking her clawed hand.
“I promised myself I’d come back here. I should have told her, but I didn’t want her to…” Willow looked up at him, her eyes red and swollen. “I came here long ago asking that they take my mom back, that I’d stay away if she was allowed to come back.” Willow glanced back at the place and shivered, but also took the wall down inside her head to show her men what she couldn’t say out loud.
The visions of the beating and sexual abuse she’d experienced made her warrior beast rise up, ready to destroy.
“Dylan’s in there, with my uncles,” she whispered.
“Let’s go, Kitty. It’s time to make some people pay for what they have done,” Maxim growled, and took her other hand as the three of them entered the property, not stopping as workers around them stared. With her palms sweaty and emitting little growls, she was making, Alton know things could get nasty.
“Willow, would you allow me to take control this one time?” he asked her. “With Dylan there, we really need to be careful, not to mention your father is here too, and it being his first time in this place.” Alton waited, but not for long.
“Take it, and he won’t be able to see anything,” she whispered, building the wall again. This time, he and Maxim added their power behind hers, sealing the pain and the hurt.
“Thank you, little kitty. Now let’s get your son, and leave this place of horrors for you. I’m very proud of you, Willow,” he told her, as he slipped her knife in the holder she usually wore, knowing it would give her some peace.
“Thank you,” she said, but he shook his head.
“There is no thanking us. We are here for you, Willow, and always will be.” He and Maxim kissed her head and once more approached the house this time without even knocking as Maxim ripped the door off.
The door flew a few hundred yards and people inside stepped back as Alton, Maxim and Willow stalked towards her family. Alton could hear Dylan laughing, but the laugh was off as he rounded the corner. Her mother and Baal stood off to one side watching Dylan play with the strange animal on the floor, while the adults seemed to be talking. Well, they were until Willow and her men stepped into the room.
“Willow?” Her mom said and stepped toward them, but stopped when Baal wrapped an arm around her, studying them.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Dylan, come here please?” Willow knelt, waiting for her son, staying between them, needing their comfort. A man stepped forward.
Her head snapped up and she snarled. “You come near me, Uncle Tad, and I’ll rip you apart. I’m not the young woman who came here long ago.”
“What? What are you talking about?” Her mother yelled, her gaze moving to her brother, then to Willow. Dylan ran to his mom and crawled into her lap, calming the cat and her.
“I want to go, please,” Willow asked, looking up at Alton and holding onto Dylan.
“Maxim, take Willow back to our room, I’ll follow in a minute.” Alton ordered. At once they were gone.
Alton relaxed, letting Ral have some fun. In seconds the three men that had attacked their niece were on the ground, bloodied, and their powers were gone, which was a real nice trick Alton knew nothing about.
“We will be talking later,” Alton mumbled, but turned to Laurann, who was half cat as Baal held her.
“You want to tell me what that was all about?” he asked.
“Are you going to destroy your mate’s family if I do?” he countered.
“That bad?” he asked, turning his red eyes on the three on the floor who had a good sense to back up. His voice shook the house and everyone, including her parents cringed. “What did they do to my daughter?”
“Our daughter, and pull it back, sweetie.” Laurann growled.
Alton and Ral allowed Baal to see what had happened to his daughter.
The men lifted off the ground. “You are lucky you are brother to my mate, but be warned, you come near my daughter again, I’ll allow her men to make mincemeat out of you all.”
His gaze went to her parents. “You knew what they did to your granddaughter, but did nothing. Know that my mother also knows this, and she’ll be paying all of you a vis
it later. Since I’ve never been in this world, I’ll allow her to deal with this.” Baal released the power holding the men and they dropped, hitting the floor hard. “Let’s go, baby. I think you need to talk to our daughter.”
Alton left the way Maxim had showed him. He stepped in the room, seeing Willow watching Dylan play with his puppy. “She hasn’t said a word,” Maxim said as Laurann and Baal appeared next to Willow.
Willow looked over at her mom, and smiled. “I never wanted you to know. I honestly didn’t think we’d ever go back there. Guess I should have known something would come up.”
“I don’t know whether to kick your ass for not telling me or...” Laurann wrapped her arms around Willow, holding her. “As children, I always knew to stay away from the three terrors. That’s what I called the triplets. Even my older brothers left after a while, knowing they were out of touch. I begged for them to take me with them, but back then they were just coming into their own powers and could barely take care of themselves.” Laurann pulled Willow towards the door. “Come, let’s go for one of our walks.” Laurann looked back into the room. “Tamara, would you like to come along and really see the bayou?”
Tamara jumped up and Lars growled. “Don’t even go there. I’m healthy and the babies are fine, plus we all know you guys will be following us.” She patted Alton’s check and moved up to Willow and Laurann as they opened the front door. Dylan took off outside with the puppy following him.
“Well, it looks like we’re going for a walk,” Alton glanced at Maxim. “Got the picnic basket?”
***
Willow took a deep breath and smiled, this walk was just what she needed. Her sister and mom were next her, her son was running in front of her, and the men followed behind them. She glanced over at the river to see Randle following them. “Do you think they’ll let us play with Randle?” Laurann said.
“No!” A rounding chorus of men said from behind them.
“Boy, are they party poopers,” her mom grumbled. “Sorry, Randle, we can’t play today.” Her mother grumbled, looking back and glaring at her father. “Spoiled sport. I don’t know Willow, this mating stuff is really putting a cramp on our fun.” Her mom said, giving her a wink.
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