Lupine

by Hanleigh Bradley

  “Psst,” I hiss, trying to wake them up without being loud enough for anyone else to hear us, but no one responds. It would appear my wolves sleep like the dead. I begin slapping at them, desperately trying to get them off me before all hell lets loose.

  “What’s the matter?” Wren grumbles, his eyes still closed, kissing my shoulder softly.

  “I need to get up,” I say seriously.

  “Why? Let’s sleep just a little longer,” he tells me, his hand moving to my cheek, so he can guide my face to his.

  As much as I would love to stay here, enjoying the feel of his lips on mine, there’s no time for that; I can hear the sound of feet coming this way and it’s not just one pair.

  “LUPINE! There’s a spider!” Ariella screams just outside the door.

  “Spider?” Kalen murmurs in his sleep. “Where’s the spider?”

  Giggling, I climb over Wren awkwardly so I can shuffle out of the bed, preferably without falling on my face.

  “Do you need help with the spider?” Wren offers under his breath from where he’s leaning against my headboard, looking mighty fine in all his naked glory. Something I definitely can’t get distracted by. Pulling my robe on, I manage to reach the door just as the handle begins to turn.

  Letting myself out of the room, I find myself surrounded by children. I’m sighing in relief that I had managed to leave the room just in time.

  “There’s a spider in our room,” Evangeline tells me immediately.

  I’m surprised they were awake to discover the spider. The girls aren’t usually the first ones up.

  “Where is it?” I ask cautiously.

  I’m not the biggest fan of spiders myself but I don’t have the option of avoiding it because there are three little girls all looking up at me as if I’m the only one who can save them from the eight-legged beast. The fact that I know of four men who I could delegate this particular task to is beside the point. I might not have much choice in the whole wolfie mating bond thing but I certainly have a say in when I tell them the children.

  “We don’t know,” Larissa tells me. “I dreamt that it was there.”

  Damn it! What am I supposed to do with that? Do they expect me to turn their entire room upside down looking for a spider that was in her dream? There’s no guarantee that it’s real… For all I know, it could actually just be a dream.

  I imagine even psychics have regular dreams sometimes…

  “In your dream, where was it?” I ask, trying my best not to sound like I don’t believe them.

  “Under Ariella’s bed,” Larissa answers as the three girls stand with their backs against the wall as far away from Ariella’s bed as possible.

  Crouching down, I look under the bed but can’t see anything, let alone a spider. It’s too dark. Scrunching up my face, I open my eyes as wide as I can.

  “Can you see it, Piney?” Ariella asks nervously.

  “Er…” I’m still not seeing anything. I push my head a little further under the bed. I wish I could ask the girls to get my phone so I can use it as a torch. Except that would require an explanation as to why there are four shifters currently in my bed.

  It’s then that I see it. It’s enormous and staring right at me.

  Screaming, I pull away, scurrying out from under the bed. There is no way I’m going anywhere near that thing.

  “I think we should wait until Lewis arrives,” I say as casually as I can when my heart is racing. I’m not even sure if Lewis is coming in though after he took a sick day yesterday. And there’s no way we can leave that hairy thing under there.

  “Can’t you ask one of your boyfriends?” Larissa asks.

  “Boyfriends?” I ask uncertainly.

  What the hell are they talking about? Oh god! What if they heard something last night?

  Ariella gives me a strange look, like she thinks I’ve lost my mind or something, before she says, “we’re psychic…”

  “I don’t know why I thought I had any privacy in this house,” I mutter to myself. “Bloody creepy…”

  I stop speaking abruptly, realizing that I’m actually speaking aloud. I really don’t want the girls to know I call them that. Turning to face them, I notice that they’re all looking at me with matching entertained expressions.

  “Creepy twins?” Ariella asks with a smirk.

  “Huh?” Shit! Do they know that I call them that? Then again, I shouldn’t be surprised. They know everything. Literally everything. Now I feel awful! “I er… I don’t…”

  I stop myself before I tell them something untrue.

  “Sorry,” I say instead. I really feel like a bitch.

  “It’s all good,” Larissa says. “We think it’s funny.”

  “Can we hurry this along?” Evangeline asks huffily. “I want to go back to sleep.”

  “Do you want a hand?” A sexy voice comes from the doorway.

  I lick my lips as my eyes meet Rehan’s. He’s standing there with the other three behind him, all of them fully dressed. Unfortunately, it looks like we won’t be going back to bed.

  Rehan makes his way into the room as I go to stand beside the girls. His arse looks amazing as he squats down to look under the bed. He moves quickly, picking up the spider. The girls scream as he walks past us, the little beast cupped in his hand.

  “What’s he going to do with it?” Larissa asks.

  “He’s not going to kill it?” Ariella adds while Evangeline climbs into her bed.

  “Rehan will put it outside,” I tell them before leaving the room.

  Closing the door behind me, I pause awkwardly. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now.

  “Fancy some breakfast?” Camden asks.

  “Are you offering to cook me something?”

  “If you like…” He smirks. “Hell, I can make breakfast for everyone if you want.”

  Laughing, I tell him that he doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into before following him down the stairs, Wren and Kalen close on my heels.

  I guess there’s no point hiding them anymore, seeing as how the girls already know. I’ve got to face their questions at some point. Might as well do it this morning. Get it over and done with…

  I’m Not Leaving

  Do I really have to answer all their questions? Some of them are downright insolent. The guys don’t seem phased in the slightest by all the questions.

  Jacqueline has a look on her face that suggests she saw all this coming. Which is seriously impossible… I mean, how could anyone see this coming? I don’t just have one mate but four… Never mind the fact that they’re all part of a fricking organized crime syndicate, the simple mathematics of the whole thing should be shocking enough.

  “Does this mean they’re not bad wolves?” Jerome asks, scratching his head.

  I hide behind my hands. I really don’t want to be having this conversation right now.

  “We’re not that bad,” Wren says with a chuckle, completely unaffected by the idea of me talking about them behind their backs.

  “But you’re Madfa,” Nik says, completely mispronouncing the word mafia in that way that four-year-olds often do.

  “Yeah,” Wren retorts sarcastically, “people in this town seem to love calling us that.”

  “Especially Lupine,” Rehan laughs, his eyes teasing me.

  That gets a laugh out of everyone except me.

  “Very funny.”

  “Are you going to get married?” Evangeline asks.

  “Wolves don’t really get married, hunny,” I reply. “Once you’ve claimed your mate, that’s it.”

  “Will I have a mate one day?” Jerome asks with a look that suggests he can’t think of anything worse than kissing a girl.

  “One day, little wolf.”

  “Does this mean you’re going to leave?” Amon asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “Leaving?” I ask, not completely understanding. Why the hell would I leave?

  “Yeah… Like to start your own family.”

/>   “What are you talking about? We’re a family. That’s not going to change. I’m not leaving.”

  I hadn’t even considered that a possibility. I guess, there hasn’t been much time to consider the options, but that certainly isn’t on the list. I probably shouldn’t be making decisions on my own, there are now three other people in my life I need to consider but I’m not moving out of the orphanage.

  It’s just not happening.

  “Really?” Amon doesn’t look convinced.

  “Yeah… Everyone leaves eventually,” Castalia says, not meeting my eye.

  “Not me. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Well… you just don’t know that…” Castalia rebukes me angrily.

  “We’re not going to try and take Lupine away,” Wren tells them. It’s clear from the tone of his voice that he’s at a complete loss for how to deal with Castalia’s twelve-year-old funk. “We’ve not talked about the details yet. It’s still very new…”

  “But Lupine is your family,” Kalen continues when Wren looks his way, silently asking for help. “We just want to be part of that family too. Could we do that?”

  “You want to live here?” Kendall asks, his tone flat.

  “Maybe,” Rehan says with a shrug. “Would that be okay?”

  “Guess…” The little reaper boy’s eyes give nothing away as he shrugs his shoulders, his words monotone. “What are we doing today?”

  “Yeah… You promised we’d have fun this weekend,” Edmond reminds me as if I’ve forgotten.

  “I was thinking we’d go to the woods just outside of town and have a picnic.”

  “You hate the woods,” Jacqueline remarks, her expression shrewd as she looks between me and the guys.

  “Yeah, but the kids will love it.”

  “Oh, can we go see old witchy?” Castalia asks eagerly.

  “Old witchy?”

  “Yeah, the old lady who lives in the woods.”

  “I don’t want to meet a witch,” Jerome says, shaking his head, his eyes wide with fear.

  “There’re no witches living in the woods,” Jacqueline replies.

  I don’t bother to correct her. It’s not like the children will have a chance to meet the witch. They will be safely eating their picnic and playing with Jacqueline while I go with Wren and the others to find the witch. I’d go on another day, but I desperately want answers.

  That might make me a little selfish, but I’m not about to backtrack on the decision.

  “Are you sure about this?” Kalen asks so quietly the others won’t hear.

  I just offer him a quick nod before turning back to the kids and telling them all that they need to go and get ready so we can catch the bus across town. When they don’t bother to move, I give them my best authoritative glare and threaten to make them walk all the way there.

  “Can’t you just drive?” Castalia asks.

  Ariella is the one that replies though. “She will drive… She’s just trying to avoid our questions.”

  This is why I think she’s super creepy. I mean, that isn’t normal!

  “Now, girls!” I growl lowly.

  “We’re going,” Larissa replies. “Don’t worry though, Lupine. You’ll see your witch.”

  “Even though it will be a waste of time,” Ariella adds as an afterthought.

  “Great. Thanks for the super helpful insight, girls. Now go get ready!”

  They give me a knowing look, not that I have any clue what they think they know, before walking out of the room. Jacqueline has a similar look on her face.

  “I knew it was a good omen when you guys moved in across the street,” she says, resting her chin on her hand as she stares at my mates like they’re… well, like they’re a perfectly cooked steak. I’m surprised by just how possessive I feel, and I can feel a growl building in my chest, jealousy warring with my common sense.

  “So, what’s this about you needing to see a witch?” she asks.

  “Just…” I don’t want to lie, but I don’t know how much I can say. “Just trying to find out a bit more about myself… my parents.”

  “I didn’t think you cared about that.”

  She looks concerned, and maybe she has good cause. It is sudden. I’ve never once shown an interest in my parents or where I came from. Until now.

  “I think it’s time to stop avoiding it,” I say a crack load of shit that she probably sees right through.

  “Well, if that’s what you want, I support your decision. I’ll watch the kids while you… explore.”

  The way she says that one word makes it sound like she thinks I’ll be doing something other than looking for a witch, that I won’t be exploring the woods so much as my wolves’ bodies…

  Although that would be tempting. Too tempting.

  Camden and Rehan are busy tidying up. Seriously, how did I get so lucky? I thought I was mated to mafia killing machines, and it turns out they’re domesticated mafia killing machines…

  Wren takes my hand, kissing it romantically, or at least that’s what he wants me to think. I know better. He’s just trying to divert my attention from Rehan’s arse. Man, is it pert! A girl could stare at that all day.

  “We’ll head over the road and change,” Wren says when I’m finally giving him my attention.

  Nodding my head, I realize that he’s not the only one that needs to shower and change. I’m still wearing nothing but a dressing gown.

  “When will you guys be ready to go?” he asks.

  I want to tell him thirty minutes but I know better than to think I’ll have all the kids clean and dressed in that time, let alone myself…

  “Maybe an hour?”

  “Alright, we’ll pop back over in an hour,” he replies, kissing my temple. “I can drive if you like.”

  “No. You can’t. You heard the creepy twins. Apparently, I’m driving.”

  “Do you do everything they say?” Kalen asks with a smirk.

  “Yes.” It might be bogus superstition, but I’m not risking it.

  “You know as right as they often might be,” Wren laughs, “I bet they use it to get what they want sometimes.”

  “Yeah, when they want chocolate,” I agree, “but I’m always grateful for the excuse to buy it.”

  Dead Buttercups

  Hours later, we’re all sitting in the woods surrounded by creepy tall trees and bugs… There are definitely bugs here somewhere. I’m not like most wolves. Most wolves love the great outdoors. Not me. I like staying inside.

  And I really don’t like bugs…

  My best friend growing up, Lily, used to laugh at me for it. She thought it was seriously weird and maybe she was right… All the other wolf shifters I’ve met, love having the earth beneath their feet.

  And Lily isn’t much different… She’s half cat and when she’s not asleep and avoiding people, she’s outside. She says all shifters are the same… except me. In fact, ever since we were kids, she’s told me I’m abnormal.

  Personally, I think it’s completely reasonable not to like bugs or soil… I mean, who likes dirt?

  Jacqueline has gone all out on the picnic. There’s a picnic basket full of sandwiches and cakes. No doubt the kids are going to be flying off the walls with energy later tonight. Just what I need.

  The guys are making a real effort with the kids as they run around playing tag or hide and seek or some other game while Jacqueline and I just sit here idly chatting.

  “I thought you were going to see some witch about your parents,” Jacqueline remarks pointedly.

  Sometimes, she acts more like my mother than an employee or friend.

  “Yeah… but the kids are having fun.”

  Truth is, I want to put it off. I’m not sure why. It’s not like Wren and the others haven’t already explained the story. I’m not sure what more the witch can tell me.

  My eyes wander to where Kendall is sitting alone. He does that a lot. He’s a bit of a loner. He and Edmond are friends, but they don’t seem to play togethe
r that often, both choosing to be alone instead.

  Kendall is currently killing the buttercups that litter the lawn around him. With a single touch of his finger, the bright yellow flowers turning black before actually crumbling like soil. I wonder if that’s something I should be worried about.

  Tilting my head, I consider him closely. The other children are pretty easy to understand by comparison. Angels, shifters, witches, I’ve met plenty over the years. But reapers are a whole other kettle of fish.

  I don’t even know if there’s another reaper in town…

  If there was, I’d be bending their ears with questions and asking for advice on how to best raise Kendall.

  I’m obviously not paying enough attention because I’m caught off guard when a man approaches Kendall, crouching down in front of him. Immediately, I get to my feet and move to make my way towards him, but the creepy twins stand between us.

  “Let them talk,” they say in unison.

  Why the hell would I do that? I consider ignoring them. After all, what do they really know? They’re just a couple of kids. But then the man takes a buttercup into his hand and I watch as it crumbles beneath his touch.

  He’s a reaper.

  Just seconds ago, I was wishing that Kendall could meet a reaper and here one is in the flesh. My more cynical side says it’s a little too convenient, but I still hold back, choosing to listen from a distance instead.

  Camden comes to sit beside me, brushing a finger down my forehead and nose, easing the frown lines that have no doubt appeared.

  “What’s wrong?” he asks.

  “The guy talking to Kendall…”

  Camden immediately looks in the direction I’m looking, his body becoming rigid the way a wolf does when it reacts to a threat.

  “He’s a reaper,” I whisper.

  “And?” He looks at me, confused.

  “You don’t see a lot of reapers in Silver Springs…”

  “Unless someone’s dead,” he jokes.

  “Please don’t say someone is dead,” I panic, looking around to check on the children, before returning my attention to Kendall and his new friend so I can eavesdrop on their conversation.