Teddy opened his mouth to speak but Charlie cut him off. “Of course. We can give you that. Like my brother said, our ceremony is in three days, but you can have all the time you need in between now and then.”
Alex nodded. “I’m going to go home and think about this.” She stood up, shrugged the blanket off her shoulders and went to leave without so much as a goodbye. She stopped at the doorway. “What about my family?” She turned back to face the brothers. “If I agree, then I want my family to be taken care of as well.”
Xavier started to ask, “Taken care of how–” just as Charlie stated plainly, “Done.”
Taking Charlie’s word and ignoring whatever the other two brothers had to say on the matter, Alex left the Armstrong mansion, overstuffed with food and emotion.
Alex called in sick to work the following day. She told her mother she wasn’t feeling well and spent the day in bed. A part of her expected the phone to ring, for Charlie to call and check in, but he never did. As the sun began to set that evening, she dug through her purse and found the scrap of paper Hera had left behind the night before. Alex dialed. After what seemed like forever, Hera picked up, sounding out of breath.
“Hello?”
“Hey. It’s me. Alex.”
“Oh, hey! I was just thinking about you. Hang on one sec.” There was a loud bang from the other line, then Alex overheard Hera yelling for Eli to go deal with the mess Winnie made. “Okay, I’m back. Sorry, we’ve had a pretty hectic day.”
“That’s alright, I’m sorry to call out of the blue. Is this a bad time?”
“Define bad.” Hera laughed. “Just kidding. It’s fine. We’re just packing up our apartment.”
“Are you guys moving?”
“Yup.”
“That’s exciting!” Alex was happy for this sudden distraction. “You didn’t mention that last night.”
“Yeah, well, we only just decided to move today.”
“You–– what?”
“After the council head’s little outburst last night, we realized he didn’t respect us, or our lifestyle. So we are thinking about looking for a new weare community.”
“Oh, Hera, I’m so sorry. It didn’t even occur to me how hard it must have been for you and Eli to listen to all that last night.”
“I don’t blame you. I’m sure you were pretty preoccupied with your own stuff. Charlie filled me in after Bartholomew went upstairs. How are you dealing with all of it? With what they asked of you?”
“That’s just it, I’m not dealing with it.” Alex absentmindedly rearranged the trinkets and treasures that sat on her dresser. “I asked them to give me some time, and since then I’ve been lying in bed trying to push every thought of them and what they asked out of my mind.”
“Have you talked to your family about it?”
“Not yet.” She picked up a tiny glass figurine of an elephant. It had been her grandmother’s. She’d given it to Uma who gave it to Alex. Alex always thought she’d pass it down to her child one day. “I don’t even know how I would bring it up.”
“So you’re thinking of accepting then?”
Alex frowned. “I didn’t say that.”
“Yeah, but you wouldn’t be worried about telling your family if you thought you were going to decline.”
Alex cradled the glass elephant in her palm. She had no response.
Thankfully, Hera didn’t need a response. She took Alex’s silence as an invitation to launch into her own opinion on the matter. She went on for nearly an hour, listing what she thought were the pros and cons to saying yes. Only once did Alex interrupt her, to ask about Hera’s pregnancy. She admitted she knew that was how Hera had been turned, and the possibility of that happening to her made Alex feel sick.
“It’s very rare,” said Hera. “And besides, it’s really not so bad being a wolf. I’ve never felt so strong in my life. Colors are brighter, sounds louder, and don’t even get me started on the smells.”
Alex laughed. “I’m glad you’re happy. I just don’t know if I would be, you know?”
“Then tell them no.” Hera suggested it as if was as simple as declining a flyer someone tried to hand you on the street.
“They said they would help my family if I did it. They would give us money or something. I bet I could negotiate them to give me just about anything at this point.”
“Then tell them yes.”
“Thanks, Hera, that’s super helpful.” Alex threw herself back onto her bed and let her breath out slowly. “How did I get myself into this?”
There was a crashing sound from Hera’s end of the line. “Oh, shoot! I’m sorry, I have to go. Call me tomorrow okay?”
“Okay.”
“Good luck! I know you’ll make the right decision.”
Alex pressed the end call button and tossed the heavy, plastic landline aside. She wanted nothing more than to talk to her mother about this, but that wasn’t possible. The second Alex revealed what was going on, Uma would immediately turn into her fearful, over-protective smotherer persona and cease to be Alex’s caring and understanding mother.
Alex couldn’t blame her –– she didn’t know what it was like to have kids, but she did have a goldfish once, for one summer. When it died, Alex cried for a week. Not because the poor fish’s life came to an end, but because she wasn’t able to save it.
The room is dim. The only light coming from a single candle, burning bright on the bedside table. The large four-poster bed is pushed up against the back wall. It is draped in purple silk sheets. They are pulling at each other’s bodies hungrily, breathing heavily, sighing deeply.
Alex feels pleasure like never before, and somehow, she knows they’d done it. Rolling over on her back, she places a soft, loving hand on her belly and smiles.
The scene fades out.
Alex is in a hospital bed, screaming. Her mother is by her side, cheering her on. The doctor says something about it being a healthy baby...
Alex is older now, and her daughter is nearly full-grown. They are walking down the street together, hand in hand, not hiding their true identity. The world has changed. They feel safe.
As the morning sun penetrated the window beside Alex’s bed, she awoke from a surprisingly restful sleep. While she couldn’t remember all the details of her dream, she did remember how it made her feel; content. For so many years, Alex had been plagued with sleepless nights and terrible nightmares, but now, after meeting the Armstrong brothers and being offered a whole new future, she couldn’t help but notice a weight having been lifted from her shoulders.
She grabbed the phone from where it had fallen next to her bed and dialed.
“Charlie?” She swallowed any remaining doubt. “I’m in.”
Monkey Wrenches
The plan was foolproof. Alex was going to leave with Joel the following morning, feigning like she was going to work. Once at the library, she would start her shift, so as to not raise her dad’s suspicions. Later that morning, Charlie would send a car for her. It would park down the road, and Alex would say she was going for a long lunch.
The car would take her immediately to the Armstrong house. Bartholomew would already be at the great hall, setting up for the ceremony. The brothers would go through the ritual as if nothing was awry. They would choose the older woman to be their ceremony partner, and bring her back to the house.
On the drive over, they would explain to the woman that she was not actually going to be breeding with them and offer her a reward for keeping her mouth shut. She’d slip out of the back door of the house, after which, the brothers would collect Alex from Charlie’s bedroom, where she would be hiding, just in case, and the real ceremony would commence.
Alex’s morning, unfortunately, did not go at all according to plan. It started first when Joel got fired.
It happened the day before, but instead of coming home and facing his family, Joel decided to go out drinking. He stumbled home at around six AM the morning of the ceremony, still a little tipsy and
looking like trash.
Alex was already up, making coffee. Joel lightly wrapped his knuckles on the glass of the kitchen window, nearly sending Alex jumping out of her skin. He motioned for her to be quiet and pointed towards the back door.
“What happened to you?” Alex whispered as she let her father in. “You smell like rotten vegetables.”
“Good morning to you too.” He sat down at the table and drank from Alex’s mug. “I threw up on myself. That’s the smell.”
“What is going on? Were you out all night?”
“I got fired.”
“What?” Alex took a seat next to him. “Why? When?”
“Yesterday. A couple of the men were harassing that one guy at work, the weare. They wouldn’t leave him alone.” Joel rubbed his hands over his face a few times. “I told them to knock it off. Next thing I know, they’re starting in on me. Saying shit like of course I would stand up for the half-breed, since I’m only half man myself. They said a full man, a real man, wouldn’t let his wife sleep with other men.”
“Joel, that’s ridiculous. You are just as much a man as any of them. More so! You’re secure enough to be in a relationship with a woman who has other partners. That takes real strength.”
“I know that. I do.” Joel sighed. “But you should’ve heard them. They wouldn’t let up. Then one of them said something about you and I... I just lost it. I jumped on him and just started swinging”
“Oh.” Alex got up and got herself another cup of coffee. “Did you explain the situation to your boss?”
“I tried too, but he wouldn’t listen. He isn’t a fan of having a weare on staff in the first place, so I don’t think my side of the story really helped my case much.”
“I’m so sorry, Joel.”
“I’m the one who’s sorry. How am I going to tell your mom? We rely on my paychecks.” His eyes began to water. “I can’t believe I let this happen.”
“Don’t worry about mom. She’ll understand.” Alex put her hand on Joel’s back. “And we’ll be fine. We’ve been in worse scrapes than this one.”
“How can you be so calm?” Joel wiped his eyes and looked up at Alex. “You don’t seem the slightest bit stressed.”
“Let’s just say, I have a solution.”
“To what? To me being fired?”
“To everything.” Alex sipped her coffee. “I have something up my sleeve that is going to change our lives forever.”
Joel lifted one eyebrow. “Do I even want to know?”
“It’s better if you don’t. Trust me. Mom is not going to like it when she finds out, and it’s best for you to have plausible deniability.”
“Understood.” Joel sat up a little straighter in his chair. “I left my truck at the bar last night, so I can’t give you a ride to work. You should probably call Clark.”
“Good idea.” Alex walked to the phone that hung on the far wall of the kitchen. She hesitated before dialing. “Don’t tell mom about you getting fired. Not yet. She will just get really stressed, and knowing her, she might end up doing something drastic. We can tell her our secrets together. That way my good news will outweigh your bad news.”
“That,” said Joel, “is not a bad idea. I better get out of here then before she wakes up. Can you cover for me –– tell them I went into work early and that’s why you needed a ride?”
“Sure thing. Now get out of here. The stench coming off you could wake the dead!” Alex plugged her nose and made a face, hoping she could get Joel to crack a smile. He did. “Meet me back here later tonight. We’ll tell everyone at dinner.”
“And you’re sure your news will make Uma less mad about me getting fired?”
“Oh, no. My news will make her much, much angrier.” Alex smiled. “But at least she’ll be angry at me, not you. I’m used to her wrath.”
“Alex, should I be worried about... whatever it is you’re cooking up?”
Alex shrugged. “Probably.” She walked over to the back door, opened it, and gently shoved Joel outside. “Welcome to being a parent –– worrying is about ninety percent of the job.” She closed the door on Joel and his questions.
Clark was quiet for most of the drive to the library. Alex could tell he didn’t believe her story about Joel heading into work early. Luckily, he didn’t question her in front of Uma. Instead, he shifted his suspicious frown into a casual smile and said nothing.
Alex hated lying to them, but it was for the best. Everything would be fine after the ceremony. Either she would get pregnant, and she could finally give her family everything they deserve. Or, she wouldn’t get pregnant, and she would simply steal something valuable from the Armstrong house, pawn it, and bring in a small bit of cash. The latter option wasn’t ideal. She didn’t like the idea of stealing from Charlie and his family, but now that Joel lost his job, her family’s future was looking pretty dire, and they always came first. Always.
“I don’t see Joel’s truck,” Clark noted as they pulled into the library parking lot. “I thought you said––”
“Sometimes he walks to work.” She squinted in the direction of the construction site. “I think I see him over there. He’s wearing the bright yellow hat.” All of the men were wearing bright yellow hats. “Yup, that’s definitely him. Well, I better get going, don’t want to be late.” She leaned in and planted a kiss on Clark’s cheek. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Anytime.”
“I’ll see you later.”
“Have a nice day at work!” said Clark. “Make good choices.” It was a sentiment Clark used to say to Alex a lot when she was younger. It had been a while since she’d heard it, and she wondered why it was he chose now, of all times, to say it.
Her shift seemed to drag on for hours. She checked the clock nearly every five minutes, and each time she was shocked to find so little time had passed. Charlie was going to have the car waiting no later than 11:00, but at 10:30, Alex simply couldn’t wait any longer.
“I’m going on my lunch break early,” she called to her manager in the back room. “I shouldn’t be too long, but in case I go over an hour, I’ll stay late tonight. Bye!”
She wasn’t sure if her manager even heard her. He was ninety-five years old and half deaf. He refused to go to the doctor to get his hearing checked, no matter how many times his employees, or his wife, begged him to. Odds were he wouldn’t even notice she was gone.
The car was there already. She knocked on the passenger side window, which was promptly rolled down. “Hi, my name is Alex. I believe you are here to pick me up.”
“Yes, hello, Ms. Greenford. It is lovely to see you again.” It was the same man who picked her up for dinner three days prior.
The driver started to get out, but Alex stopped him. “That’s okay. I can open my own door. No need to get out.”
“Master Charles insisted that I––”
Alex slid into the backseat. “Oh, I’ll tell him you did everything just right. Don’t you worry, uh, um, I’m sorry, I’m really bad with names.”
“Nigel,” said the driver.
“Nigel, right.”
“I was told to take you right to the mansion. Is that correct?” asked Nigel. “Master Charles said something about you and the Armstrong brothers having afternoon plans.”
“Oh, uh, yeah. We were going to go, um, swimming. I have never swum in a private pool before.”
On the seat next to her was a large basket full of baked goods and a selection of cheese and olives. The note attached to the handle of the basket read: “Didn’t want you going hungry. Love, Charlie.”
Alex laughed. “Master Charles is quite the charmer, isn’t he?” She looked at the driver’s face in the rearview mirror. “I’ll bet I’m not the first woman he’s sent you to go pick up and sweep off her feet, am I?”
The driver smiled. “You’re not the first, no. But you are the first of your kind.”
Alex cleared her throat. “A human you mean? Yeah, I figured as much.” She opened up one of the
containers of fancy olives and started to snack. “So, what can you tell me about the Armstrong brothers?”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Greenford, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for one to gossip about their employers.”
“Of course, of course. Call me Alex, by the way.” She stuck an olive in her mouth and talked with her mouth full. “Bu’ you like wvorkin’ fer them?”
“Pardon?”
She finished chewing and swallowed. “I asked if you liked working for them.”
“Yes, I do. I really do. They are great people, the Armstrongs. I’ve known Xavier, Theodore, and Charles ever since they were little boys, and I had the pleasure of watching them grow up into the wonderful gentlemen they are now.”
“And what about Bartholomew?”
“Mr. Armstrong is a good man.” The driver was quiet for a few contemplative moments. “It’s been hard for him, ever since his wife died.”
“How did she die?”
He shook his head. “I shouldn’t be saying all this.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put you in this position.” Alex leaned back in her seat. “I’m just about to make a really big decision, which may greatly impact both my own life and that of all the Armstrong men. I thought it would be good to know a little bit more about who I’ll be getting into bed with.” The driver quickly glanced over his shoulder, curious. “Metaphorically speaking, I mean,” Alex clarified. “It’s an expression.”
“Indeed.” Alex thought she detected a hint of amusement in the driver’s tone of voice. “I can tell you this, their mother didn’t die of natural causes. They think she was killed by a hunter in the woods.”
Alex’s words caught in her throat. “That’s... so awful. I can’t even imagine how traumatizing that would be.” She twiddled her thumbs. She knew she was pushing her luck, asking so many questions, but she was just so curious. “A human hunter... or?”
Nigel sighed. “That depends on who you ask. There was not enough evidence to find out who did it. Bartholomew is convinced it was a human.” No wonder he’s so afraid of me getting too close to his sons. “I’m not sure exactly what the boys think. You’d have to ask them yourself. Only, don’t bring it up to Charlie. He is very sensitive when it comes to his mom, especially matters concerning her death. He never really got over it.”
The BabyMakers’ Shared Property Page 6
