by Amber Lynn
Selina was quiet, like she often was when she wasn’t sure about a situation. It took me a second to realize I hadn’t said anything about their clothing change out loud.
“Have you always been able to read minds?”
The way she and Sierra interacted, I’d assumed they had a special connection, but she had to have been careful about letting anyone know it worked on other people. I glanced over to Sierra quickly, wondering if she could do the same thing.
Paul looked confused, but the girl in his arms wasn’t giving anything away. Turning back to Selina, I thought about all the things she could’ve heard that she wouldn’t have understood at her age. I didn’t even want to think about the things she picked up from Paul or his family.
“I didn’t want you to think I was weird, and I knew how much you didn’t like what we are. It’s not something I can just turn off.”
“It’s okay, sweetie. No one’s mad about it. They’re just confused. Why don’t you come in here and sit by your mom so we can talk about it. I’m sure there’s tons of things you have questions about.”
The man patted the space between us. It should have been me reassuring Selina, but I was still in shock that my little girl had abilities I didn’t know about. After learning that he could hide himself from me, things should’ve clicked into place.
“And, Paul, I think it’d be good if you finally took a seat as well. We’re going to have a nice little talk, and I’m sure little Sierra will get heavy before too long. There’s plenty of room here on the couch if Nikki scoots over a little closer my way.”
There was more authority in his voice, and Paul moved to do as he directed. I moved a little, not more than a few inches. As ugly as the furniture was, the couch was roomy. Paul settled in quickly beside me, and I saw that he made an effort to make sure we didn’t touch.
If my skin wouldn’t have crawled by me touching him, I would’ve made it so our legs connected, just to confuse him and piss off the other man on the couch with us. I assumed he followed my thoughts, so it was almost as good as actually doing it.
I smiled down at Sierra and kissed her forehead. I didn’t know how much Selina shared with her, but I assumed she knew more about what was going on than I did.
Selina slowly made her way over to us. I didn’t think she was purposefully dragging things out. I knew she was nervous about being the center of attention. She’d been in that spot most of her life whenever a group gathered around her, and it was something she never got used to.
“Hi,” she said softly when she finally found her way to the front of the couch.
“Your dress is beautiful, just like you, but then I thought you were cute in your swimming suit, and just about every other thing I’ve seen you in. I wish I would’ve worn a little something nicer, but I had some things to deal with before I stopped by.”
Even not being able to read his mind, I knew he wanted to be the one to reach out and help her up on the couch. I wasn’t sure how she’d react to the action early in their relationship, so I kept the situation from being too awkward by reaching over and picking her up.
“Do you think we need to make official introductions, or have you two already gotten to know each other?”
I got the feeling she probably knew him better than anyone else in the room. They clearly had a connection from their shared abilities.
“I worked hard not to overstep as far as us conversing when you weren’t aware. She was curious about me, though, since I was the first person she found who was like her, so we’ve had a few talks. I promise nothing was said that even hinted that I was her father. That she picked up from you.”
I wanted to be mad, but it was my own fault for not realizing Selina could read minds. I still couldn’t believe I’d missed something like that.
“You said Mommy could do it too; she just doesn’t know how.”
As much as I’d wanted to hold Selina in my lap, like Paul was doing with our other daughter, I’d set her down between us. I knew before I’d said anything about introductions that they’d at least said hello to each other, and since he seemed to be more like her than I was, Selina could potentially find it more comforting to be next to him.
“I’m hoping she’ll let me help her unlock the things she’s kept buried, but I’m guessing that will take some time. Right now is a pretty confusing time for all of us, but both of you girls should know that we all love you very much.”
“But you’re making my mommy and daddy not be married anymore.”
There wasn’t a shy bone in Sierra’s body, and she was letting that be known. She wasn’t happy when I’d planned on divorcing Paul, an outsider made the idea even worse.
“Do you ever get used to them understanding more than they should at their age? How do you answer something like that in a way that makes sense?”
It was good to hear he didn’t have every answer. Conversing with Selina through whatever connection they had was probably a little bit different than watching her expressions as she took in and dissected what was said.
“No, and I’m pretty no one here other than you has a good answer for that question. As far as I’m concerned based on where the conversation was going earlier, the explanation should be limited.”
“I’ve already explained it to you, Sierra. Viktor and Mommy were always meant to meet each other and marry, but she met Daddy first and fell in love with him. Once she and Viktor met, there was only one way for things to work out to make sure everyone stayed safe. It doesn’t change the fact that they still love each other, and probably always will.”
It was good to hear her use the man’s name and not a form of father. I wasn’t sure how close they’d gotten during their little talks. I should’ve been mad that they had those conversations, but it was hard to be if it helped Selina understand things I couldn’t explain.
“I guess I didn’t need to ask how to respond. That’s a succinct way to put a complicated situation. I’m not trying to break up your family, Sierra. I can’t even fault your mother for not waiting to find me and starting a family with your father, because you wouldn’t be here if she didn’t.”
“But Mommy doesn’t love you. She should be able to stay married to Daddy.”
It sounded like Paul had been campaigning for himself during one of their special times together. Even after everything had made it out in the open, they continued to spend an hour or two a day locked up in his office while he pretended to work.
“Your Mommy doesn’t know me well enough to love me, but in time I hope she will. When you grow up and find the man who was meant to be your other half, you’ll understand things a little better.”
Jumping in to claim I’d never love him seemed petty, so I bit my tongue. I’d come around to letting him interact with the girls. There wasn’t going to be any interacting with me.
“Where are you planning to sleep? Mommy has been sleeping in our room because you won’t let her sleep in her normal bed.”
I couldn’t tell if Sierra was lobbying for me to move back in my room, or letting our guest know her bedroom was already full. Truth be told, I didn’t want to sleep next to Paul.
It wasn’t just because he’d had another woman in our bed, whether they were intimate or not. When the girls were just babies I’d spent as much time as I could in their room. Cringing anytime your husband put his arm around you didn’t make a lasting marriage, and I sincerely tried to keep the marriage intact.
“Well, since your room already seems full, I guess I’ll have to find another one. I can’t say I’ve spent a lot of time here. Do you have a bedroom you’d suggest?”
“Sure. I can take you to where the other guards sleep and help you find an empty room.”
I couldn’t help laughing. Paul behaving complacent had dashed my hopes of having an ally against the man, but Sierra didn’t disappoint me. I assumed it was hard for people to stand up against the true male alpha in the room.
I didn’t have the problem. He hadn’t beat m
e in a fight, so I didn’t consider him my alpha.
“We’ll have to discuss what you consider a fight later, but I think plans for the day are probably more important right now. I don’t want to come in here and assert my own agenda, and I’m sure we don’t want to just sit here and stare at each other all day.”
He was fighting hard to get on everyone’s good side. Selina and Paul weren’t going to make waves. They both had something to gain with him around. Selina more information about who she was, Paul a chance to finally be able to run through the woods like the rest of his family.
I wasn’t going to be won over, and it seemed like Sierra was going to take more than him flashing a smile to get her on his side. For most people of the female persuasion, I was sure his perfect features made it so he heard yes a lot more than no. I felt I had to make up for all those years he’d gotten everything he wanted.
“Truth be told, we knew you were coming today, and from previous interactions, we figured most of the day would be spent arguing.”
Paul had managed to find his tongue as he leaned forward a bit to see around me. I’d hoped to spend the day finding answers, but he knew me well enough to know that I argued about every little detail I didn’t find to my liking.
“Even only knowing Nikki from afar, I can understand why you’d think that. We have things we need to discuss in private,” he said, motioning between the two of us. “I don’t think those are things others need to be involved with, though, so they can wait a little while, maybe after the girls go to sleep.”
“Okay. I guess that leaves us with a few hours we need to fill. The girls are supposed to go to bed around seven, but if they haven’t taken their naps that time may move up a little.”
I preferred things to be said without other ears around, so that worked for me. There was a chance I could actually learn something that made sense if we were alone. The way things had gone, I wasn’t positive of that, but I held out a little hope.
“Has anyone ever told you your thoughts like to spin in circles?”
The comment didn’t move the conversation on, so I decided to ignore it. If he thought they were spinning in circles already, I was sure he had a lot of fun in store in the days to come.
“Since it’s around lunch time, why don’t we take the girls out somewhere to eat?” I suggested.
Sitting around the house, awkwardly waiting for something to go wrong, wasn’t my idea of a fun afternoon. Going out for a run by myself was what I wanted to do, but I didn’t see that in my future.
“Can we go to the bouncy house?” Sierra hopped up and down as she asked.
We’d mistakenly visited a restaurant tailored to kids that had the novelty toy, and Sierra had been obsessed with it ever since. I didn’t understand it, but she always lobbied for it when going out to eat was brought up.
“You’re still too small to play on the bouncy house, so it’s best if we go somewhere else. You know how much I hate watching you pout.”
Her face scrunched up, indicating she was going to throw a fit. Mentally, I was sure the girls were ready to play with the bigger kids, but I wasn’t comfortable with their little bodies getting bounced around.
“Why would you want to be cooped up inside when it’s so nice outside?” the man to my right asked.
It was a great question. When I was a kid, even as young as the girls, you wouldn’t find me inside. I hadn’t pushed them outside for many reasons, mostly because I wanted them to be like other children they’d meet, and humans didn’t understand and experience the outdoors the same way wolves did.
“But the moon was gone just last week. We don’t need to go running.”
Hearing that I didn’t know everything that was going on in my children’s lives wasn’t as much of a crushing blow to my mothering skills as those words out of Sierra’s mouth.
I felt a hand along the back of the couch reach over so it was behind me. He didn’t actually touch me. I supposed he was somehow trying to be comforting. Weirdly enough it affected me more than I wanted to admit. There was something calming about it.
“If I remember right, you like to go swimming. Have you ever been to Fisher Lake? We can pick up a lunch and have a little picnic while you girls play in the water.”
“Have we ever been there, Mommy?”
I didn’t think it was possible to get her away from the idea of the bouncy house so quickly, but her eyes screamed she was ready to run up and get her swimsuit.
“We haven’t been there, but I imagine you’ll love it. You girls go get ready and I’ll get a lunch packed.”
Sierra didn’t need to be told twice. She gave Paul a quick kiss on the cheek and took off. Selina was a little slower. She reached over and grabbed the man’s hand and then mine.
“This will be good for us. We need a chance to step back from the places we all currently have in society and learn more about our places in our new family.”
I looked down at my daughter, and for the hundredth time I wondered where her wisdom came from. It clearly wasn’t from me or my side of the family.
She smiled up at me before scooting off the couch and running after her sister. I guess if she believed everything was going to be okay, then I was going to go with the flow until it wasn’t. For some reason I just knew something bad would eventually happen.
Chapter Twelve
The adults in the group didn’t bother grabbing swimsuits. Instead we hurried to put together sandwiches and snacks for our trip. All three of us were able to somehow move in sync without saying a word.
The girls came back with their one-piece suits under their dresses. Somehow in the short amount of time they were gone Sierra had braided her dark hair. As far as I’d known, neither girl was able to braid, but they must have been practicing when they were supposed to be napping.
We loaded up in the family SUV, one that supposedly had a little extra protection since the governor was behind the wheel. Paul had a fight on his hands the first time he tried to drive the vehicle. For a human, he was a good alpha, and the men required to protect him had stood down.
I usually sat in the front seat, and since we were trying to act like a happy family, that’s where my butt settled in. The girls sat in their car seats, with Selina in the middle of the second row, and my mate sitting to her left side. That had been where Sierra sat, but someone decided they needed to be able to see me, and sitting directly behind me wasn’t good enough.
The lake wasn’t far away, only thirty minutes. During the drive, Sierra would ask mundane questions, mostly about the uncle she’d never met. I assumed Selina had shared a few Jack-centric thoughts, and his partner was evidently more likely to answer questions about him than his own sister.
I was thankful to see the water of the lake and hear the girls squeal as they escaped their seats and ran towards the water. Hearing tales of my brother’s crime-fighting skills was getting boring.
“Don’t swim out too far. Unlike the swimming pools you’re used to, the lake’s going to have fish swimming around with you,” I warned.
My hope that the words would slow them down was in vain. They hit the water, sending water flying in every direction. If there were any fish in the area, I was sure they had swam for safety.
“Do you ever watch them and regret how many headaches you caused your own parents?”
We’d made it to a picnic table, where I was putting down the basket we’d cobbled together. Both men were staring after the girls, and the awe in the man’s voice made it clear he hadn’t been around many children.
“My parents deserved everything I gave them, just like I’m sure I deserve all the minor heart palpations the girls cause. There’s a reason why being a parent isn’t easy.”
Between Jack and me, we’d tried our hardest to cause as much grief as possible. Jack just liked following my lead, but I had reasons for trying to give my parents heart attacks. I’d hoped they’d eventually realize I wasn’t meant to be the next leader of our pack.
They never did, so I left.
“I think I was a terror, but that wasn’t until I was a little bit older. Is there any hope that since they got a quick start on things, they’ll grow out of it sooner.”
Paul was lucky there wasn’t any hope for more children in our future, because I already knew the girls had more years of giving us fits than he dreamed. If they had any new playmates added, we’d be better off finding some real wolves to raise them.
“Although I don’t agree with all of Nikki’s thoughts on the subject, I do think it will be a while before you can sleep without worrying about what the girls are planning for the next day. I don’t know if I should be happy that most of the plotting seems to come from your biological daughter.”
“From what I’ve heard, none of it would be possible without your biological daughter, so I’m guessing we’re pretty even as far as that goes. Are you sure they’re strong enough swimmers to be out there alone?”
Paul didn’t usually voice concerns if I wasn’t worried. He’d always trusted me to know what the girls’ limits were.
“The man standing next to you can read their minds. If any issues crop up, I’m sure he’ll run to solve them.”
He wasn’t wearing a cape, but I imagined he had one in his closet somewhere. I’d been hoping his shirt sans sleeve would’ve revealed the mark on his shoulder blade that he claimed to have, but it wasn’t cut right. Checking for it helped me verify he wasn’t wearing a cape.
That was my story anyway. I really wanted to get my eyes on that mark.
“I don’t have any special capes, but I’m keeping an eye on them from here. You do realize they jumped in without even taking off their dresses, right? I think I saw them kick off their sandals, but I’m not sure.”
“That’s a normal move for them, and one of the reasons we don’t leave the house without at least five towels in our gear. Has she cooled off enough to broach the subject I’m sure you know won’t leave my mind?”
“You can direct the question to me, Paul, since I’m well aware of where your mind has been. Don’t you think you should ask whether the topic would be safe enough to talk about out here where anyone could hear it?”
