Precarious Possessions (Maxwell Investigations)

by Dawn Ibanez

Troy chuckled as both Dylan and Crispin quickly followed her. He then looked at his mother. “She’s a little resistant, but I think I’m wearing her down.”

  Belle reached up and touched his cheek. “You really change into a wolf, huh?” she asked.

  He mused and sat on the edge of the bed. “It hurt like hell the first time I changed,” he confessed. When she sat next to him, he held onto her hand. “All of my bones break and reform. It’s not all that pretty.” He looked into her eyes as she took a shaky breath. “But I’m still me inside.”

  “Are you?” Belle asked.

  He nodded. “I see everything in shades of grey. But for the most part I know who’s around me.” He looked at her and gently squeezed her hand. “I would never hurt you, Mom.”

  Belle dropped his hand as she realized what really drove him away from the family. “I’ve always been scared of dogs,” she whispered. She looked into his face and felt her heart tear as he turned away from her. “That’s why you left, isn’t it? You didn’t want me to find out and be scared of you.”

  Troy looked at her. “Dad and Dennis didn’t paint a good picture of what happened,” he explained. “According to them, you had a nervous breakdown. I didn’t want to trigger another one.”

  She frowned as she thought back to the hazy returning memories. “I had just found out I was pregnant and I was terrified for you. What happened wasn’t the best way to find out werewolves really existed either. I’ll admit I probably didn’t make the best decisions about everything that happened.”

  Troy put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. “But having things ripped away and then given a new happy lie isn’t the best thing either.”

  Belle shook her head. “No, it’s not.” She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. “I don’t think I can forgive either of them.”

  “I’m not really expecting you to.” He hugged her and helped her stand. “But I can ask around. I would like for you to talk to someone.” Troy felt the way her shoulders tightened and sighed. “Really, Mom. You guys are always saying how some therapy and talking things out with a third party is beneficial in a lot of ways. Put your money where your mouth is.”

  Belle chuckled before she poked Troy in his side. “I don’t care if you do change into God knows what, I’m still your mother.”

  He guided her out of the room. “I know, Mom,” he said before kissing her in the side of her head. “But really. We can talk to Victor. He seems to know everyone. I’m sure he can find a safe therapist to talk to.”

  She rolled her eyes as they made it to the top of the stairs. “Alright, fine,” she conceded. She then looked at him. “But only if I can see what you look like as a wolf.”

  Troy frowned. “Mom, you’re not ready for that.” He then winced when she poked him again. “Can you stop doing that?” he asked.

  She looked at him with determined eyes. “No. I want to see what you look like. You said that I don’t have to be scared of you. And if that’s the reason why you ran away, then I want to see it.”

  He looked at her for a long moment. From he could tell that there was going to be no reasoning with her. His shoulders fell. “Fine. Let’s go and see Madison. I don’t want you to do it alone.”

  Chapter 12-

  Barry sat at the kitchen table nursing a bottle of water. Dylan had already told him about what happened after the zombie he created bit him. He knew she wasn’t exaggerating when she repeated Mathias’s threats, but he was a little stunned at Madison’s counter threat.

  Madison walked into the kitchen and glanced at her brother. “How’s the head?” she asked.

  Barry shrugged. “Crispin said that it wasn’t anything some aspirin won’t fix,” he said simply. When she nodded, he watched her. “Thanks for covering for me,” he added.

  Her eyes rolled. “Please, you’re embarrassing me.” She turned to the oven and found a plate of chicken marsala served over a fettuccine. She started to blush as she remembered Troy telling her he left her a plate.

  “Troy’s pretty okay,” Barry said before taking a sip of his water. “At least I know that you and the boys won’t have to survive on your cooking and drive thru windows.”

  Madison looked at him as she grabbed a fork and knife. “Ha ha,” she said going over to the table. “I will have you know, I am a damned fine cook.” She sat across from him and smiled. “I just hate doing dishes.”

  Barry chuckled. “So you have a house most people would kill for, a bank roll that Trump could envy, and you have a kitchen full of paper plates and plastic cups because you hate doing dishes?” he asked.

  Madison laughed as she cut a piece of her food. “That’s it in a nutshell.” She bit into her forkful of pasta and chicken and closed her eyes. “He is so wasted at a bar,” she mumbled.

  Barry continued to laugh. Madison looked like she had just gone to heaven, all over a piece of chicken. “You could always tell him you need him as a personal chef.”

  She shook her head. “He’s gonna be here anyway. You could hire him to give you lessons,” she suggested. When he looked at her, she smiled. “Women of today adore a man that can cook. This way we don’t have to.”

  “So you’re just going to use him for his cooking skills?” Barry asked.

  Madison enjoyed another bite as she thought about her answer. “No, I’m going to use him for his body,” she replied before shoving some more food into her mouth. “This is just icing on the cake.”

  Barry chuckled as he watched her eat. “Dylan told me what happened with Mom and Mathias,” he said changing the subject. He saw the way she slowed down her eating and ran his finger down the edge of his bottle. “You didn’t have to threaten him like that.”

  “Yes I did.” She grabbed a napkin and wiped at her mouth. “Mathias thinks he can just come in and force everyone to his will. It doesn’t work like that.” Her eyes flashed and she focused her eyes to her plate. “Just because I was kicked out by Mom and Dad doesn’t mean that I have to turn against all of you.”

  Barry reached out and touched her hand. “And that’s why I have to say thanks,” he said. When she looked at him, he smiled. “You’re a bigger woman than Mom.”

  Madison smirked. “Not helping your cause Barrence,” she said in a sing-song voice.

  He laughed at her tone. Her size was always a sore spot with her. “Alright, you’re a better person than she is,” he amended. As she went back to eating, he leaned back in his chair. “After half of the crap she’s said no one would really blame you if you cut ties with the lot of us.”

  “Very true. But why cut off my nose to spite my face?” Madison looked at Barry. “Just because Tina is insufferably ignorant doesn’t mean there’s no hope for you boys.” She couldn’t help but smile at his confused look. “You all make awesome uncles for the twins. I wouldn’t cheat them of that.” Madison turned back to her plate and laughed darkly. “Besides, me being close to you all pisses her off to no end. It’s win/win from where I sit.” Madison leaned back in her own chair as she heard feet running down the hall.

  “Mommy, can we go running with Grandpup?” Kayin asked.

  Aiden easily climbed up into Madison’s lap. “Daddy’s going too,” he added. He looked into Madison’s eyes. “We want Man-Time.”

  Madison had to bite the inside of her lip to keep from laughing. Her boys were always trying to be so adult, but looked smaller with each try. “I’ll talk with Daddy and Grandpup,” she said in a reasonable tone. “If you go, you’ll have to dress warm. And you’ll miss me playing for the moon.”

  Barry frowned. “Playing for the moon?” he asked.

  Kayin smiled at his uncle. “Every big moon, Mommy plays her violin for us,” he answered.

  Madison waved off Barry’s confused look. “It’s no big deal,” she said. She moved Aiden on her leg and ate another forkful of food. She then picked up some and offered both of her boys. As expected, Aiden shook his head and Kayin quickly ate what was on the fork.

 
“It’s no big deal that my sister knows how to play a violin and I don’t know?” Barry leaned back and ran his hand down his face. “You know, I kind of expected something like this.” He continued to watch as Madison put Aiden down and stood with her plate. “Since Victor basically raised you, it would make sense that you know how to be a prim and proper lady.”

  Madison looked at Barry and mused. “You’re lucky that my kids are here.”

  Barry smiled. “Does that mean you were taught embroidery too?” he teased.

  “Madison’s lessons included art, music, and fencing,” Victor replied as he walked into the kitchen. He then gave Barry a stern look. “No, I do not mean the selling of illegal goods.”

  Barry raised his hands in surrender. “I wasn’t going to go there,” he said shaking his head.

  Victor simply nodded his head once and turned his focus on the twins. “Grandpup and your father are about to go on their run. You two will have to stay here to get to know your grandmother.” When the boys frowned at him, he easily slipped into their minds. “Grandmothers enjoy giving cookies,” he told them.

  Madison fought to hide a smile as both boys looked at each other and ran out of the kitchen. “You told them she’ll give them cookies, didn’t you?” she asked. When Barry looked at her in confusion, Madison could only laugh. “Father has a sweet-tooth a dentist could go rich over,” she explained. “With the boys, he quickly discovered that they adore cookies almost as much as he likes éclairs.”

  “So you bribed them with cookies?” Barry asked the former monarch. When Victor simply shrugged, Barry laughed. “I would think that would be below someone of your station,” he said lowly. When Victor turned to glare at him, he sipped at his bottle of water. “But then, Madison has an addiction to Jolly Ranchers and rock candy that we could never account for.”

  Madison rolled her eyes as Troy and Belle entered the kitchen. “Hello, still in the room,” she reminded them before looking at Troy. “You’re about to head out?”

  He easily wrapped her in his arms. As he pulled her against him, he realized how well she fit against him. “Can you do me a favor?” he requested. Her questioning look made him smile and caress her lower lip with his thumb. “Mom wants to see my Wolf. You think you can be with her?”

  Coffee colored eyes looked amused. Troy wanted to ease his mother’s fears by letting her face them with someone he knew would help her. He was such a momma’s boy. Something Aiden got from him. An overdramatic sigh left Madison. “I guess,” she drawled. A glint then entered her eyes. “If you make it worth my wild,” she said playfully.

  Troy tangled his hand in her hair and kissed her passionately. He couldn’t stop the self-satisfied smirk that crossed his face as he felt her nails dig into his arms. He pulled away from her lips and looked into Madison’s eyes. “I’ll fix you breakfast in bed for a week.”

  “Oh God, I thought Dylan and Crispin were sickening,” Barry said finishing his water.

  Madison frowned as she turned to her brother. “You’re just jealous. No female in her right mind would put up with you for a steady amount of time,” she teased.

  Victor cleared his throat and tried to hide a smile. “I’m afraid I concur with Barrence,” he said before turning his attention to Belle. “Ms. Davenport, would you like to come with me to talk, and then meet your grandsons?”

  Belle smiled as she stood. “Yes, I must meet the pair that I’ll be spoiling for the next few decades.” She smiled as Victor gallantly offered his arm. As she linked her arm with his, she glanced at Troy and Madison. “They’re right. Please tone it down for the boys,” she whispered.

  Barry laughed as Madison sputtered indignantly. He stood and noticed that Troy was also trying to hide a smile. There were times that his sister was just amusing, and he was still trying to figure out if she tried to be that way for everyone else’s sake. He stood and walked over to the couple. “My exit won’t be as graceful. But I need to check in with Thorne, then Eric and Mathias.” He looked into Madison’s eyes and remembered the little girl that wore dresses and pigtails. “I really owe you one, Madi,” he said softly.

  She shook her head. “Just call Tina. She was worried about you,” Madison whispered.

  Dark eyes looked at the new man in Madison’s life before turning back his sister. “Someone needs to worry about you,” he said before kissing her cheek and leaving.

  Troy buried his nose in her hair. “You know I have even more questions now, right?” he asked lowly.

  “It’s possible,” she replied. When he frowned, she sighed. “You and Dennis are about to go running. You don’t need all the dirty details of my childhood on your mind. I can explain everything from the beginning tomorrow.”

  A smirk crossed his face. “I’ll take that as progress,” he said before kissing her again. “And just so you know, I will hold you to that.”

  Madison slowly inhaled. She knew all of the basics of being in a relationship, but that didn’t mean she knew how to be in one. Sharing wasn’t something she was good at, especially when it was her own history. “I know you will.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. Madison felt something in her calm as she breathed his scent in. “We really should get moving,” she whispered.

  He held her tight against him for a moment longer. “I’ll shift upstairs, and then find you and my mom.”

  She moved away from him. “Modesty from a Werewolf? Wonders will never cease,” she teased.

  Dimples flashed as he smiled at her. “I just don’t want your family to see my ass naked. It could traumatize Lacey and the boys.”

  Madison laughed as they started down the hall. “The Princess has won another suitor,” she smiled shaking her head.

  “No. It’s just one royal being considerate of another,” Troy corrected. He and Madison stopped and looked at each other before laughing hysterically.

  * * * * *

  Victor walked Belle into the living room. The woman’s mind was in turmoil. On one hand, she just found out she has two grandsons. On another, her son can turn into a wolf. Another hand held the fact that Dennis had her memories altered and placed her with Connor. Then there was the fact that she and Connor built a life based on a lie. Victor sat next to her and gently held her hand. “You have to realize, not everything in your life has been a lie,” he said lowly.

  Blue eyes saddened. “How can I know that?” she asked. “How can I know what I thought was a solid marriage and stable family wasn’t just an implanted suggestion?”

  “You could find a Vampire and ask how memory alteration works,” Victor suggested. When she blinked at him, he smiled. “While you were unconscious, I asked Dennis. He took you to the only Vampire he trusted at the time. My daughter Jacquelyn.”

  Belle felt her inquisitive side take over. “I thought Vampires were the walking dead. You can have children?”

  Victor went to the refreshment tray and poured two glasses of brandy. “Let us cover one thing at a time, my dear.” He waited for her nod of consent before continuing. “Jacquelyn is a master at memory manipulation. We cannot simply go into a mind and rip specific memories out. They are like a spider’s web. If one is destroyed, then there is a risk of doing major damage to others. Vampires never want to run the risk of turning the subject into a vegetable. What was done to you was a layering of sorts. Your memories were clouded, and you would have a headache every time you thought of things connected to Dennis. Over time, you simply gave up trying.”

  Belle sipped her drink. “I always blamed those headaches on being pregnant.” She leaned back and frowned as she thought of all the tears she cried over her “betrayal” to Connor. “I felt so guilty. There was no way I could have expected him to want to take care of another man’s child.” An inelegant snort left her before she finished her drink. “But he wanted me and my baby. No one would have thought I was being handed off like an unwanted fruitcake.”

  “I doubt either Dennis or Connor believe you to be a fruitcake, my dear.” Victor fin
ished his drink and took Belle’s glass back to the tray. “As far as Dennis is concerned, you were the one that got away.” He then paused and looked at her with a small grin. “Romantically, not predator/prey wise.”

  She appreciated his attempts at humor, but bigger things kept her from enjoying the moment. “What does that make me to Connor?” she asked. “A reward for services rendered?” Belle wiped at her eyes, knowing that Victor watching her. Breaking down and crying in front of someone she just met was just plain rude. A slow breath escaped her as she thought about the situation. “And you know I understand the need for secrecy in your world. I even get why Dennis had my memories wiped, or altered, or whatever you call it.” Her eyes filled with tears as she thought of her husband. “But I don’t think I can forgive being passed off and lied to.”

  Victor walked over to where Belle sat and knelt in front of her. He gazed into her eyes, knowing that while she was a strong woman, her entire world was falling down around her. “My dear, I want you to think about one small thing,” he said quietly. “You and Connor spent years together, I can guarantee that there were good times and they were not a lie.”

  Tears fell from Belle’s eyes. It was tempting to believe him, but she simply didn’t know. She stood and walked over to the terrace doors and looked out at the setting sun. Before she could continue the conversation, she saw two curious faces, hiding just off the terrace. She wiped her eyes again and forced a small smile on her face. “Hello?” she called.

  Aiden smiled at the woman. He glanced at his brother before walking over to her. “Grandma, do you have cookies?” he asked innocently.

  Belle blinked before looking at Victor. “Cookies?” she asked.

  He met her skeptical eyebrow with a grin. “It has been tried and tested that the best way to a man’s heart is his stomach. The twins are the same,” he explained. “Give them cookies and sweets and they are yours forever.”

  Movement in the bush pulled Belle’s attention away from Victor. She smiled as she saw Kayin watching her with critical eyes. “I’m afraid I don’t have cookies right this second, but I’m sure we can get some in a little while.”