Authors: Edugardo Gilbert X
"Thank you." She
replies beaming.
I still have no
idea who the girl in the movie is so I don't add anything. I smell
hamburgers and Italian sausages as the back door opens. Mom is
carrying platters filled with the tasty meat. She looks at me and
raises an eyebrow. "Shouldn't that kind of outfit be saved for the
bedroom?" She teases knowing exactly what Jessica had planned for
me earlier.
I blush as
everyone laughs and bury my head in my hands. Lennox leans down and
whispers in my ear. "You're keeping that outfit."
"Well, everyone,
sit and dig in." Mom says putting the food on the table. Mom sits
at the end of the table, I sit next to her and Lennox. I grab a
hamburger, chips, and potato salad. Just as I start to eat, I
notice my mom keeps glancing at me. "Josh, don't you have a poster
in your room that looks-"
"No, we're not
talking about it." He snaps.
"We're going to
be the girls from Sucker Punch for Halloween." Jessica
explains.
"She's not
wearing that anywhere." Lennox states shaking his head.
"Oh, come on!"
Jessica complains.
"I'd rather my
daughters wear clothing. I'm with Lennox on this, pick something
less revealing." Dad says pointedly looking at a disgruntled
Jessica. I, however, am very grateful. I mouth 'thank you' to him
and go back to eating.
"Jocelyn, have
you met Alpha Andrew Briggs?" I shake my head looking down the
table to the two guys from earlier. "No, sweetie, he's across from
you."
Embarrassed, I
look over at him. "Sorry, nice to meet you."
He doesn't reply,
just looks at me curiously.
Mom points to the
two at the other end of the table. "That's Damon and Steven, two of
our best enforcers." I smile and wave at them. I don't see T,
Brenda or Rachael.
"Where's T and
Brenda?" I ask.
"In their room.
It's the hormones." Mom says smiling.
"Lennox, I want
to take you to see the property where Andrew and I are allowing our
packs to run with each other. It's right along our border. You
might want to think of doing something similar."
Lennox agrees. He
and dad leave after lunch, but not before Lennox orders me to our
room to change. I put on black leggings and a loose black top. I
just leave the room when I see Alpha Andrew Briggs. I lower my eyes
and he stops in front of me.
"Do you play Call
of Duty?" He asks seriously.
"I have played
it." I answer.
"Your brothers
left with your dad. I need a partner, you in?"
I hear Jessica
call my name. "Yes." I answer panicking. He laughs and opens the
door across from my room. I walk in and see the big screen TV with
the Xbox hooked up and Call of Duty is waiting to be
played.
Twenty minutes
into the game and I forgot about him being an Alpha. "What are you
doing? You keep missing that guy!" I shout standing up for the
fifth time yelling at the screen. I am very competitive, something
no one usually sees in me.
"Quit standing up
every two minutes and I might be able to-" He yells, but is
interrupted by a knock on the door. Jessica pokes her head
in.
"What are you two
doing?"
"Building a
house. What does it look like, Jess?" Andrew remarks sarcastically.
She sticks out her tongue and shuts the door.
"Pay attention."
I remind him and start the game again. We just finish another level
when I hear Lennox ask someone where I am.
"She's in
Andrew's room. They’ve been going at it for hours." Jessica
mutters.
My jaw drops and
Andrew laughs. Lennox throws open the door almost breaking it off
its hinges.
"I didn't mean it
like that! I meant they've been playing that stupid game and
arguing about it!" Jessica yells.
"Hey." I say
quietly. I can see he's not happy. I stand up.
"Wait, we have
like five more levels before we can stop." Andrew
states.
"Can I play?" I
ask nervously.
Finally he nods.
"I'll be in Travis’s office. Keep the door open." He orders and
leaves.
I watch him
go.
"Ready?" Andrew
asks.
I turn back and
we play for another hour. "Let's go for a run. I need to stretch
before dinner." He says, standing up and walking to the
door.
"I don't
think-"
"Come on. We'll
take Jess with us." He replies knowingly.
I shrug and
follow him. He opens up Jess's door. "We're going for a run, come
with us."
"Yay! My first
run with my sister!" She replies excitedly bouncing around me and
pulling me to the stairs. We get to the backyard, Jessica and I
walk off to strip and change. We meet up with Andrew's big grey
wolf and start running. Andrew sets the pace. I keep up easily,
even while taking in my surroundings.
Half an hour
later, I look back to Jessica but don't see her. I stop and
whimper, looking around frantically. I start running back the way
we came not bothering to see if Andrew is following, I can hear his
paws hit the ground behind me.
I quickly change
and run into the house, finding Jessica in the kitchen helping with
dinner. "Hey, sorry, you guys are too fast for me. I couldn't keep
up."
I sigh. "You
scared me. I thought something happened to you." I state as Andrew
calmly comes into the room.
"No, I'm just
slow."
"I would have
slowed down. You should have said something." I reply feeling
guilty that I ran too fast our first run together.
"It's okay, we'll
go again tonight." She responds in a bubbly voice.
I smile. "Can I
help with dinner?" I ask.
"I think we're
pretty much done. Everything is baking, just sit and relax." Mom
says, waving me to the island. I sit on one of the stools and a
bottle of water is placed in front of me.
"Thanks." I say
to Andrew as he sits next to me. "You have beautiful land here.
It's a lot like Lennox's territory." I remark looking at my mom who
is watching Andrew curiously.
"Yes, they're
similar. I think Lennox has a few more miles than us, but his pack
is bigger, too." She answers looking back at me.
I nod and watch
as Rachael comes in the room looking bored. "How was shopping?" Mom
asks.
"Good. When's
dinner?" Rachel asks taking a diet coke from the
refrigerator.
"In another
hour." Jessica answers as Rachel walks away.
I bite my lip.
What did I do to her? It's obvious she doesn't like me.
"Someone is
jealous." Andrew states amused.
Thinking he's
taking about me, I huff. "What's not to be jealous of? She's tall
and beautiful. I'd do anything for long legs like hers." I
grumble.
"I know, I hate
being short." Jessica agrees.
"I was talking
about Rachel being jealous of you." I look at him perplexed. "You
have Lennox, it's something she wants." He points out.
"Andrew, don't
start anything." Mom warns.
"I'm only telling
her why her big sister doesn't like her. She has a right to know."
He replies seriously.
Mom looks at me.
"She'll get over it when she finds a mate."
"If she finds a
mate. That girl-"
"Andrew!" Mom
scolds trying not to laugh.
Andrew smiles and
leans back in his stool. "Wanna finish the next level before
dinner?"
"Nah, I want to
hear more about the two of you." I point to mom and
Jessica.
An hour later I'm
overloaded with information and dazed at how much these two can
talk without breathing. They really are the happiest people I've
ever met. They're so similar it's like they're the sisters. I smile
at their behavior and wish I was more like them. My stool is pulled
back and Lennox lifts me up and sits down on my chair with me on
his lap. I turn and smile at him, grateful he made me come. Who
knows when I would have found the courage to come here and meet
them? I would have wondered every night about them until I got to
meet them. I'm really glad I'm here.
Everyone sits
down for dinner talking and laughing with each other. We sit in a
similar fashion as at lunch. It’s halfway through dinner and Rachel
talks for the first time. "Why do you keep staring at her?" She
questions Andrew who doesn't look her way.
"She’s not like
the others." He comments.
"What do you
mean?" Mom asks calmly.
He looks away
from me towards mom. "She's just different." He shrugs.
"She's not
different, she's special." Mom says smiling at me and I smile
back.
"Same thing." He
responds. I feel Lennox tense up and stare at Andrew. I put my hand
on his thigh trying to get him to relax.
"You play COD,
sis?" Jason asks. I nod and Josh adds. "You're by far our favorite
sister." I laugh.
"Is she any good,
though, Andrew?"
"I'm better than
him." I reply defensively.
"You're not
better than me." Andrew states crossing his arms.
"I saved your
butt so many times." I remind him.
"That's because
you kept standing up."
I roll my eyes.
"It's not like I was standing in front of you."
"It was still
distracting."
"That's a pretty
lame excuse." Josh laughs.
"Totally, I stand
up all the time." Jason adds.
I smirk.
"See."
"You are wearing
tight black pants and no underwear, I was distracted."
"I have underwear
on." I say automatically.
"I know that
now." He smirks. "Those barely count as underwear."
"Andrew, that's
Lennox's mate." Dad interjects.
"I'm aware of
that." Andrew acknowledges.
I relax. I know
Lennox is still glaring, but Andrew just addressed the fact that I
was Lennox’s mate. He's not challenging him, Lennox is just being
possessive.
"How old are
you?" Andrew asks.
"I'll be eighteen
on the twenty-sec- on the twentieth of September." I
correct.
"You mated by
choice?"
"Yes."
"He asked you and
you said yes?"
I look at Lennox.
"It was implied. I'm sorry, I don't see the point in these
questions and you're really making him mad." I reply nervously. I
know the threat Lennox presents to Andrew and yet, he is still
trying to antagonize him.
"My point is that
he marked a girl before her eighteenth birthday and didn't get
consent from her parents. It's against wolf law."
"Andrew, leave
it." Dad states bored.
"You don't care
that he marked your daughter without her consent, or yours, before
her eighteenth birthday?"
"I doubt he
marked her against her will." Jessica scoffs. "He's an
Alpha."
"Implied is not
asking." He argues.
"Why do you
care?" Lennox growls.
"It's not right."
Andrew answers simply.
"Does she look
unhappy to you?" Lennox counters.
Andrew’s eyes
darken. "I could make her happier."
Lennox shoots out
of his seat, his chair flying backwards from the force. I
jump.
*******
Again ?
"Stop." I say,
putting my hand of Lennox's forearm. "Listen very carefully. I want
and choose Lennox as my mate. I'll choose no other. Threaten him
again and I'll let him finish what you tried to start."
"I guess that
settles that then." Andrew replies, smiling.
"I guess it
does." I agree.
Lennox sits down
on my chair and pulls me into his lap. "You're very lucky to have
her." Andrew says, sincerely.
"Talk about her
again, or look at her like you’re doing now and we're going to have
a problem." Lennox replies.
"We need to focus
on why everyone is here. Rhys is the fight, not you two fighting
over my daughter. She's marked Andrew, get over it. After dinner
we're contacting Rhys. I'll give him twenty four hours to surrender
his father to us, or we strike against him. Now, I'd like for both
of you to get along, if it comes down to using force." Dad,
states.
Andrew nods at
Lennox and Lennox nods back. Well at least that's over. What is it
with these alphas anyway? It's not me Andrew wants, it’s the
challenge just like it was for Lennox. I think all alphas can't
stand to not be wanted and sought after. I can't imagine what would
have happened if Lennox didn't take an interest in me. I'd probably
be with Rhys or here if my "parents" would have told me the truth
about my past. I have to admit I'd like to stay here a little
longer than a few days, but I know Lennox would never let that
happen.