Tallulah Rising (The Field of Blood Book 3)

by ZL Morris

  In frustration, Quimby’s hand rubs at his brow. “Our dads’ really threw us all in the deep end with all this, didn’t they? I’d rather be in bed with my mate and not have to deal with all this crap.”

  Pressing my back against the door, I reach behind me until I grasp the cold metal of the door handle. With a laugh, I point out, “Anyone hearing you would think you’re having a hard time, Quib. You and I both know you’ve likely been dozing in the corner while Theo and Kenji run around like headless chickens.”

  He reaches out, but I pull the handle down, and the door swings open before he’s able to grasp me.

  Theo stops shouting, and warm hands grab me from behind. If I didn’t catch a whiff of the oranges Kenji keeps on his desk, I might have punched him.

  Hot breath fans against my ear, and my body ignites. “Are you causing trouble again, mate?”

  “Are you going to punish me if I am?” The question rolls off my tongue without hesitation.

  Kenji groans. “Tempting. So fuckin’ tempting.”

  “You have shit to do here, Kenj,” Theo grumbles.

  When Kenji’s body tenses against mine, I pat his hands in a silent request to let go. Reluctant to release me, he holds me for a minute longer before he relents.

  Stalking around the office desk, I boldly pull on Theo’s chair until it moves to give me more room. Climbing on his lap, I grab his face in my hands and silently inspect his face. His jeans brush across my bare legs in the most delicious way, but I ignore it.

  The strong smell of coffee on his breath suggests he’s been drowning himself in it all morning and not taken a break. Dark circles mar his perfect skin which only serves to illuminate his striking brown eyes even more, and his mouth slants, giving away his unhappiness at dealing with the other packs.

  Pulling him to me, I pepper his face with kisses, and his features begin to soften.

  “Should’ve thought to bring her here sooner, Quimby.” Kenji says to his brother.

  I ignore them as I let go of Theo’s face so I can rub at his shoulders. The black shirt is smooth like butter under my fingers, and I resist leaning forward to get a sniff of his lavender soap. “What do you need me to do?”

  “Stay here for a bit. I wouldn’t be half as snappy if it wasn’t for the strain on the bond.”

  I smother the smile wanting to break free at his admission to needing me. “I’m right here. I’m done for the day. If anyone has any more problems, they can wait until tomorrow.”

  “Want me to order everyone lunch?” Quimby asks.

  I glance over my shoulder and spot him sitting next to Kenji on the sofa they dragged into the office and placed under the curved window. The stark difference between the twins stands out when they’re together. While Quimby’s been growing his hair out, Kenji has his hair longer on the top but with a close shave at the sides. “Sure. I’ll have what everyone else is getting.”

  “Pizza it is.” Quimby stands, uses the phone on the desk, and calls for food from the kitchen. It won’t take too long for someone to bring it to us.

  Theo rests his head on my shoulder while I play with his hair at the nape. “Mum suggested we take the alpha quarters since we’ve taken over.”

  The thought of giving up our new home so soon doesn’t sit right with me.

  Before I can voice my protests, Kenji beats me to it. “Hell, no!”

  “I agree with you,” Theo responds without lifting his head and acknowledging his brother’s outrage.

  Taking a breath, I force my shoulders to relax and speak up. “It could be a possibility in the future, but I like where we are for the time being. We can leave here and everything behind with it. I have a feeling if we moved into the alpha quarters, we’d never feel like we could leave work at the office.”

  The other’s nod their agreement and we focus on things not related to work until the pizza arrives.

  When the phone ringing interrupts our lunch, and Theo snatches it up with more force than needed.

  “Argent Pack,” he snaps into the receiver.

  Now sitting on the sofa between Kenji and Quimby, I pause with the slice of pizza in my hand halfway between my plate and my mouth while I keep my eye on Theo as he listens to whoever is on the other side of the phone.

  His shoulders tense for a moment, but a smile quickly takes over his features. He openly laughs. “Congratulations.”

  At least it’s not a shitty conversation judging by the way his eyes sparkle with happiness. No longer interested in who could be on the phone, I take a bite of my pizza. My mouth waters, and my stomach grumbles from being forced to wait a few seconds too long.

  “Yeah, it’s progressing slower than I’d like, but we’re making progress. If all goes to plan here with the rest of training, we’ll be with you by the end of the week.”

  Ahh, so it’s one of the vampire’s he’s speaking with. But congratulations? What for?

  We met with the vampire triplets, Zadimus, Idris, and Lazarus, before our bonding ceremony to discuss our current problem, the Blood Moon pack. That meeting introduced me to the fact that vampires exist.

  Growing up, I heard stories from the pack members who stayed with us, but I always thought they were just silly stories to try and scare me as a child. Once I realised they were true, I was curious to meet the triplets, to learn more about their species.

  The vampires could enter into any terrority because they didn’t follow the standard rules set out for other packs and didn’t need invites before turning up. The DeLucas and Argents have a long-standing relationship, and the vampires visited many times. But because I stayed with my father on the edge of the Argent territory before bonding with the guys, I was unaware of the vampires’ coming and going.

  After the Blood Moon pack attacked me in my home, it raised concerns for my father about the discussions and my involvement. When the vampires came to talk strategy, much to dad’s displeasure and to my surprise, I was expected to sit in on the meeting.

  My dad thought I’d be food.

  It’s laughable now, after getting to know them more, because they have an acquired taste.

  Another piece of pizza lands on my plate, but with my mouth full, all I can do is nod my thanks.

  After Theo’s speech with the pack and Henrique handing the reins over to his sons, we’ve begun training the pack for war and giving people their roles. So far, we have our main fighters who will come with us, the patrollers who will stay here to make sure the pack doesn’t suffer any attacks with the majority of us not being here, and the females, children, and elderly will be on lockdown until we arrive back home.

  Up until now, things have gone to plan, and other than the one pack member who spoke up while Theo made his announcements, no one else has protested the war, which I’m silently thankful for.

  “That was Lazarus,” Theo explains once he hangs up the phone.

  “How are they?” Kenji asks, which saves me from trying to talk around the pizza.

  “They’re good. They now have a mate,” Theo mumbles around a mouthful of pizza.

  “They what now?” Surely, I didn’t hear him right.

  “When they went to Blood Moon, Belcott offered them a human woman as a bargaining chip for the vampires to not interfere, but as soon as they saw her, they knew she was their mate. They kept the information quiet until now because they weren’t sure how susceptible she’d be to the news.”

  Happiness bubbles up for the vampire triplets. “That’s great!”

  Theo’s smile turns sad, and I know he’s thinking about all the years he missed out on being with me because of keeping me a secret. “It is, but it also gave the vampires another reason to stand with us, seeing as Belcott had captured her and was starving her.”

  “Fuckin’ asshole!” I spit the words out with more venom than I expect, which shocks me.

  Eyes burning into the side of my head stop me from looking up. I don’t want to see what their expressions might be.

  Thankfully,
a moment later, they return to their food, my outburst forgotten. I’ve been having more emotional outbursts lately, but I’m unsure why. Pair that with the dizziness, and I know I’m missing something vital. But my brain doesn’t want to cooperate and connect the dots.

  Giving up on figuring it out, I switch gears. “Are you heading out with the pack after lunch for training?”

  “Yeah, we were going to take them on a run first. Hopefully, it’ll get the blood flowing and be a good incentive to do training after.”

  My shoulders droop at the idea of the whole pack going for a run, but I’m unable to go with them. I mean, I could, but a human running with a pack of wolves would just be weird. I’m nowhere near as fast as them.

  Quimby nudges my shoulder. “Oh, I forgot, Mum wants you to stop by.”

  Perking up, I smile. “I’ll see her while you do your thing, then meet you for training.”

  Quimby squeezes my knee. “Sounds like a plan.”

  Two furry bodies burst through the door and yap as they chase each other around the office. A lamp in the corner crashes to the floor after one of them barrels into it.

  Theo claps his hands loudly and barks, “Stop!”

  Upon their alpha’s instructions, both pups immediately stop in their tracks and come to heel next to the desk. Leaning into Kenji, I glance to the side and see a little tail swishing excitedly while their body vibrates with the effort to keep still.

  A smile lights up my face, and I smother a laugh when I recognise the colours of the pups’ fur. Little buggers have settled in well within the pack and have been causing trouble, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Especially when I remember how they used to jump at their own shadow when someone raised their voice.

  Theo’s face remains stern. “How many times do you boys have to be told that play fighting should only be done outside and not in the house?”

  I’m tempted to point out it’s been a thousand times but keep quiet.

  Quimby isn’t as successful, though, and chortles.

  Neither of the pups shifts to answer their alpha, and without seeing their faces, I know they’re both choosing to stay in their wolf form so they don’t have to respond. By the expression on Theo’s face, they’re currently giving him puppy eyes. Cheeky buggers know just the way to wrap their alpha around their paws.

  With neither pup willing to shift and answer, Theo sighs. For a moment, he stares at the ceiling, like he’s done so many times before while pretending to think up a suitable punishment. Finally, he regards them, barely able to smother the smile wanting to break free, and points at each of the pups with a mock scowl. Their tails stop wagging for barely a second before they soon start up again at double the speed. “Go on outside if you’ve finished with lunch. You can come for a run with the rest of us.”

  Excited yips and yaps sound at the news before both boys turn on their tails and run out of the office without a care in the world.

  Quimby laughs. “You’re too soft on them.”

  “I know.” A smile splits Theo’s face.

  Kenji places a kiss on my cheek before he stands, collects mine and Quimby’s plates, then stacks them on the serving trolley a pack member used to bring the food in.

  Quimby reaches down, grabs my legs, and pulls them over his thigh. His fingers run up my calf, causing tingles to ignite. But now isn’t the time for me to jump him, so I give myself a moment to calm down before turning my attention back to the room. “Apart from the vampires finding their mate, is there anything else we need to be aware of before we leave this weekend?”

  Theo uses his napkin to wipe his mouth before scrunching it up and chucking it onto his empty plate. “They didn’t mention anything else.” He stands and heads to the door. “Come on, let’s not leave the pack waiting around for too long. All hell will break loose otherwise.”

  Taking Kenji’s hand, I allow him to pull me up. “Find me once you’re back? I’d like to help with training.”

  Instead of releasing my hand, Kenji pulls me along until we stand outside the Alpha quarters where his parents reside.

  I ask again, “You’ll come and get me, right?”

  “That depends on what my mother wants with you.”

  The pizza I enjoyed moments before becomes uncomfortably heavy. “What do you mean?”

  Kenji’s shoulder lifts in a shrug. “I don’t know. She asked Quimby to make sure to get you to her instead of training. I have no idea what she wants with you.”

  “I…” I pause, unable to think straight through the worry I did something wrong.

  Kenji picks up on my fear and engulfs me with his strong arms. “Hey, stop. You’ve done nothing wrong. There haven’t been any complaints about how you’ve been dealing with pack business. Don’t worry, okay? It’s likely nothing important, and she just wants to spend some time with you.”

  Rubbing my nose against his grey t-shirt, the smell of oranges becomes stronger. “Your dads are probably driving her mad.” I try to convince myself but fail miserably.

  “Wouldn’t surprise me. She’ll be grateful for female company.”

  “I know the feeling,” I murmur into his neck but squeak in surprise when he suddenly let’s go and grabs the back of my thighs.

  Arms snaking around his neck and legs securely around his waist, I pull him to me.

  His eyes dance with humour at having caught me off guard. “You’re a cheeky minx.”

  Caught up in the moment, I breathe against his lips, “And you’re going to be late.”

  Strong hands squeeze my ass through my cotton shorts while pulling me more securely against him. “I don’t mind being late if it means I have you wrapped around me.”

  The thick pulse of his member right where I want him boils the blood flowing through my veins, and the familiar tingles have me wanting him to climb inside me for the next few hours. Fully on board with what my body wants, my feet lock together above his ass, my thighs squeezing to let him know I’m ready for whatever he plans.

  “Oh, there you are. Put the poor dear down, will you?” As Rosalina speaks up from behind us, I quietly groan against his lips.

  “Your mother has bad timing,” I murmur while letting my legs drop, but Kenji doesn’t let go.

  With eyes full of promise, he whispers, “We’ll continue this later.”

  “We better.”

  His arms reluctantly loosen as he places a kiss to my forehead.

  With the promise of later, I turn on my heel but stop short with a gasp when the sound of a smack echoes throughout the hallway, matching the sting to my ass. Shooting daggers over my shoulder, I watch as Kenji makes his way back to the office, his laugh sounding way too pleased.

  “Asshole!” I call after him.

  “I love you, too!” He steps into the office and shuts the door behind him before I’m able to shoot any more insults at him.

  A chuckle reminds me of Rosalina, and my nerves resurface.

  “Hey,” I greet her, but uncertainty keeps me rooted to the spot.

  Concern etches across her slender face and her eyes— so much like Theo’s— darken, and I realise she picked up on my hesitation to move but misread why. “Is my boy giving you trouble again?”

  “Nothing I can’t handle,” I answer with a shrug.

  “I’m glad… Shall we?”

  I’ve never been one to think properly before blurting shit out, so my mouth shifts into gear before my head does. “Have I done something wrong? You wouldn’t normally summon me.”

  “Not at all. I haven’t had a chance to catch up with you properly other than to teach you all the Luna duties. I want to spend some time with you while the boys and their fathers are occupied with the run.”

  I pick up on something in her tone but struggle to work out what exactly. Not wanting to say no and avoid whatever is going on, I decide it’s best to just get it out of the way. “Oh, okay.”

  Rosalina takes the lead and guides us towards the alpha quarters at the opposite end of th
e hallway. I follow with a hand on my stomach in an attempt to stop the anxious roiling. With the Kenji in the office and the door shut and everyone else outside enjoying the break in weather, the hallway is unnervingly noiseless with only our footsteps breaking the silence.

  “Come on, Tally. Anyone would think you don’t want to spend any time with me,” Rosalina chirps from the doorway of the alpha quarters.

  Silent, I consider her words and decide being honest is the best approach. “I… I do, but I’m getting a really weird feeling.”

  “If you hurry your butt in here, then we can discuss this weird feeling more.” Her expression shifts across several different emotions, but I’m unable to pinpoint what any of them mean.

  There is definitely something weird going on, though.

  As soon as the door shuts behind me, Rosalina perches on one of the sofas and brushes her perfectly manicured hands down her suit trousers.

  My manners disappear in my need for clarity. “Spill.”

  Of all the things I expect Rosalina to do, laughing isn’t one of them. “You always were impatient, sweetheart.”

  Taking the sofa opposite her, I rest my elbows on my knees with a huff. “Can you blame me? You summon me to meet with you, which by the way, you never do. You’re acting weird, the guys are acting weird, and I don’t know head from tails right now. Give me something, ple—”

  Rosalina raises her hand to rub at her mouth, but too late.

  I already spotted the smirk she’s trying to hide. “What the hell are you smiling at?”

  Rosalina shakes her head with a laugh and her brown eyes sparkle like jewels from her amusemenet. “You’ve not worked it out, have you?”

  It’s my turn to shake my head, but in confusion. “Worked what out?”

  “Have your clothes being getting tighter around your middle?” Rosalina, cryptic as ever.

  Dropping my elbows off my knees, I lean back against the sofa and stare at my belly. The cotton shorts with the elastic waistband I picked this morning appear no different than usual.