“Are you ready yet?” Jacob was getting anxious, waiting for Madison to gather her stuff to take to his house. He was lying on her bed with his eyes closed, listening to her rustle around, when the room went silent. He felt someone standing over him. He opened one eye and saw that she’d finally packed three large suitcases full of things she might need.
“I think.” Madison glanced down at the things she’d packed. “I might need some more during the week, though.” How could they expect her to pack for an extended time? Sometimes she couldn’t decide what to wear in the mornings for school when she got up without having to pick out a wardrobe for a week or more.
“Whatever you bring will be fine.” Jacob grabbed her hand and pulled her down on top of him. He began to rub her back and lifted his head so he could nibble on her neck. “Once more before the constant watching begins?” he whispered in her ear and brought her mouth to his before she was able to get a response out.
“I guess we better get going soon.” Madison rolled out from under Jacob’s arm and put her shorts and shirt back on. She was sure her aunt, who lived across the driveway, had heard her yelling just a little bit ago, but she couldn’t help it. Every time she and Jacob did anything sexual in nature, he would always make her lose control. In a way, that was a good thing because the release always felt so good and she loved the way he made her feel. But in another sense, it was bad because now she was going to be in a houseful of males who had excellent hearing.
Jacob stood up next to Madison and pulled her now-clothed body next to his naked one. He didn’t want to go back and be under the scrutiny of his brothers and father but knew there was no other way since Orfeo and his group seemed to have targeted the mates once again. “I want to stay like this forever.” Jacob pulled the neckline down on Madison’s shirt and licked at the tattoo that was still developing. He placed several small kisses along the border of the marking and heard a moan as he hit every sensitive spot.
“Okay, they’re gonna come looking for us.” Madison gently pushed Jacob away and picked up a suitcase so that it would be between the two of them. As fine as he looked standing there and as much as her body wanted to join with his again, she knew time was important right now.
“I’m just not ready to go back.” Jacob grabbed his clothes and pulled them on. This might be the last time they get to be alone together without having anyone else around for a long time. He picked up the two other suitcases and followed Madison back down the hallway. “Are you sure you don’t want a little more time alone?” He gave her the sad puppy dog face.
Madison snickered when she saw the pouty face Jacob had put on. He was as adorable, acting like a little kid, as he was the sexy man she’d grown to love. “I promise to sneak into your room every chance I get.” She winked at him and then walked out the front door.
“I still don’t understand why you have to stay with her so long.” Alex’s mother was throwing a bit of a fit over her daughter going to spend the next two weeks with her friend Emily. Yes, she understood that she was pregnant and needed some support, but it was getting close to graduation and frankly, she didn’t want Alex to come into the same predicament that Emily had gotten herself into.
“Yes, Mom. This is hard for her right now. Graduation will go about as usual and I’m hoping that we can get everything for her in the next two weeks.” Alex stood beside Danny with the suitcases she’d packed. She knew her mom and dad weren’t too approving of the story she told them, but it wasn’t like they were forbidding her either. They realized that she may still be in school, but she was over the age of eighteen and a sound-minded lady who had never gotten into trouble before.
“Well, I still want you to call every day, and don’t forget to stop in.” Mrs. Benet knew it was a losing battle to get her to change her mind. Ever since she’d turned eighteen, it seemed her personality had changed a little and she was now more dominant and determined in her nature than she’d been previously.
“I will, and Emily is so happy to have Madison and me there with her through this difficult time.” Alex gave her parents one last kiss on the cheek, and then she and Danny made their escape without any more questions.
“Are you sure you have everything?” Aunt Maureen stood back and looked over everything that Emily had packed so far.
“I have what I need right now and I’m sure I’ll be stopping by every day anyway. It’s not like I’m never coming back.” She hugged her aunt tight and kissed her on the cheek. “You make sure to stay safe and let Adam and his friends do what they need to do. Don’t be such a hardhead.” Emily shook her finger at her aunt, then glanced over at Adam, who looked less than thrilled to be there. She had a feeling this arrangement wasn’t going to go so well for these two.
Aunt Maureen hugged Emily back. “Well, I want you two to get back before it gets dark out.” She gave Emily one last hug. “Zach.” He turned and looked at her when his name was called. “Make sure she stays safe. I trust that you will.” He nodded that he would and gathered the rest of the luggage that Emily had packed. She gave one final pat on Emily’s back and watched as the two of them made their way to Zach’s car.
Adam watched as his brother and mate left the house. The aunt looked a little distressed about her niece leaving and probably also about the fact that he was staying at her house... for now. The sound of her clearing her throat grabbed his attention, and he returned her eye contact. He felt a warm feeling take over him and a stirring in his stomach, but he quickly shook that off as being irritated about having to have this alpha order put on him.
“Would you like something to drink?” Aunt Maureen had enough of this day and needed something that she could finally relax to. She had contacted all her clients earlier and told them she wouldn’t be available until the following morning for any of the needs that they may have. “I’m getting a beer to wind down this day.” She grabbed a cold beer out of the fridge and held it up for Adam to see if he wanted one too.
Adam was surprised that someone like Maureen would take to having a beer. She seemed more like a mixed-drink or wine type of lady. “Yeah, that sounds good.” He took the drink even though the alcohol would not affect him. He liked the taste.
“So, Adam, tell me about yourself while we pass the time.” Aunt Maureen settled down on the opposite end of the sofa and curled her legs up under her. She snapped open the can and took a long drink.
“Well, I’m here to make sure the vamps don’t get you.” Adam was unsure of what she wanted to know. He wasn’t here on a social call and didn’t plan on having too many interactions with this lady. But still, there was something there that was pulling him toward her. Like an attraction that shouldn’t and couldn’t happen or one that can never be.
“Wow, dealing out all the personal info there.” Maureen knew he looked stubborn and his actions and way of talking proved it to be true. “I get it, Adam.” Maureen drank down the last of her beer and set the can a little too heavily on the glass-topped stand, making a loud clanking sound. “You’re pissed off because of Emily, this whole situation with who her father is, and because you have to babysit some old lady.”
Adam was taken aback by her boldness and matter-of-fact approach to how she addressed the situation. She was right on two of those accounts, but the third was completely off track. She was older than him, probably by at least twenty years, yet he felt this strange attraction toward her that he hadn’t felt since the days when he was with Rose. “You’re right about the Emily thing. I guess it’s not her fault who fathered her, but she is on the opposite side.” Adam refrained from saying anything about her last comment about being an old lady and how he thought otherwise.
“That’s where you are wrong.” Aunt Maureen held up her finger and shook it at him. “Em is not of or for the other side. She is nothing like her father and every bit of her mother, they could’ve been twins.”
Adam shrugged. The way he saw it, that girl, even though she was his brother’s mate, was an enemy. But he had a duty that was given by his alpha and elders that she, along with her aunt, were not to be harmed. There was something big going on—something more than just Emily being Orfeo’s daughter. His father knew, as well as the other elders, that there was a reason for Zach, Danny, and Jacob to have mates who came from the highest ranks of their kind.
“I guess I don’t know her very well.” Adam decided not to discuss his reason for not liking Emily at this point. He didn’t need to have the aunt on his shit the rest of the night about what a wonderful girl she was.
“Well.” Maureen stood up and walked back into the kitchen. She grabbed another two beers out of the fridge and handed one to Adam on her way to sit back down. “Emily is awesome.” Maureen opened the tab on her next beer and took a drink. “She’s never caused any trouble since I’ve gotten her and that’s been since she was born.” Adam looked less than thrilled to be hearing about Emily or anything that dealt with any of their lives. “You know, you don’t have to stay. I’ll be fine.” Aunt Maureen waved her hand toward the door, indicating that he could leave.
Adam shook his head and drank the last of his second beer. “Nope. I was given an order and I’m expected to follow what the alpha says.” Maureen seemed irritated with his answer, but he was sticking to what he was expected to do.
“Okay, then.” Aunt Maureen picked up her beer can and motioned for Adam to follow her. She pulled out a pack of playing cards from the drawer in the kitchen and pulled out a chair at the table for Adam to sit on. “We can at least pass the time playing some poker or something.” She sat down at the table and waited for her reluctant new friend to join her.
Zach pulled back up the driveway, with Danny following close behind. They all got out of the vehicles and grabbed the luggage that the girls had decided to bring. As they made their way up the pathway to the front door, all eyes turned to see Jacob’s car pulling up next to theirs. He and Madison got out. She waved at their friends and they began to unload all of her things from the trunk and backseat.
“Does anyone have any idea how long we’re supposed to stay here?” Madison asked everyone in general but looked at Alex, who could tell with her vision. They had all taken the bags to each of the spare bedrooms that the girls were to occupy while they were here. Now, it was another day in the family room, watching movies like they always did.
Everyone shrugged to answer Madison’s question, except for Alex. Since she was the one who hadn’t made a response, all eyes were on her, waiting for some revelation. “I still see Emily and Zach here with the baby.” That was about all she had to offer as far as a timeline.
“So we get to be all together for another few months.” Jacob pulled Madison onto his lap and began to nibble at her neck. He was beginning to like this arrangement more and more each time he thought about her being here with him for an extended time.
Madison leaned away from her forever sexually needy mate and turned toward Alex once again. "But you don’t see any of us in the image?”
Alex shook her head no. “Maybe when it’s closer to the event or maybe I’m just not as strong as the alpha thinks I am.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Derek walked into the room just as Alex had said her last comment. “You just haven’t dived into all your capabilities. That’s why I have all of you here.” He stood in front of the fireplace and looked around the room at each of the girls. “You will all be trained to use your given abilities and how to protect not only yourselves but also the battle that I’m sure will unfold.”
“Are you saying that the girls will have to fight against the vampires when or if they even attack?” Danny wasn’t so sure of this arrangement. It was up to him, as Alex’s mate, to ensure that no harm came to her.
“They will, we just don’t know when,” Derek responded to Danny’s answer to whether or not Orfeo and his family would attack the pack or the mates. “Until then, we are going to have to make sure all of us are on guard and the girls work on obtaining their powers to the fullest.” With that final statement, Derek exited the room, leaving the group with more questions than they had answers to.
“And how does he expect us to use our powers to their full extent?” Madison tried to imitate Jacob’s dad in the last part of his short speech. The other girls giggled, but the guys knew better not to.
“Madison,” Jacob called her name so he could get her attention without having to speak so loudly. “Don’t forget that ‘shifters’ have excellent hearing, especially the alpha.” He hoped she got his reference to what he was talking about.
A look of confusion washed over her face until the realization of what he meant sank in, and then a crimson color of red replaced the confusion. “Sorry, Mr. Lovell,” she called out before settling back on the seat beside Jacob.
“I guess we all have to go about as normal, or as normal as some can be.” Danny looked over at Jacob after the comment was made. As long as he’d known him, Jacob hadn’t been normal in any sense of the word. Jacob picked up a pillow and tossed it so it smacked Danny in the head. He went to throw it back, but Alex grabbed his arm and shook her head. He listened to his mate and set the pillow back down, but whipped Jacob the middle finger when he chuckled.
“Are you guys just gonna act like ten-year-olds the whole time we’re here?” Madison shook her head at how Danny and Jacob were behaving.
“We’re acting like we normally do.” Jacob stuck his tongue out at Madison while her back was turned.
“I know, most of the time you do act like you’re ten.” Madison turned back around and repeated the same action he’d just done to her. Jacob looked shocked that she knew what he did behind her back. She smiled a mischievous smile at him, which she knew she’d have to answer to when they were alone.
“I’m going to take Em’s stuff up to her new room.” Zach grabbed two of the larger suitcases she had brought. “Guess we should get the girls settled into their rooms,” he said directly to Danny and Jacob, indicating that they should take the rest of their mates’ luggage upstairs. They both followed his lead, taking the heavier items the girls had brought and making their way up the stairs after Zach.
“Guess we gotta follow.” Alex nodded her head toward the stairs. Madison and Emily followed close behind.