95

95
ChapterForty-FiveShaking my head at Angie’s strange behavior, I
wander inside to find Mateo sitting on the couch. Maddox sits on the floor
beside him, staring up at him while Mateo side-eyes him, they seem to be having
some sort of stand-off. When I walk in, Maddox turns his head to look at me,
and I raise an eyebrow at him. It is so unlike him to be so clingy, and I am
not sure I like it, he doesn’t feel like our normal grouchy wolf.I sit beside Mateo
on the lounge, and Maddox lugs his huge body up and sprawls across our laps. “I
swear, he thinks he is a lapdog,” Mateo complains, trying to get comfortable
under his weight. Maddox growls at his words but flops down, his body running the
entire length of the couch, his tail hanging off the end.“You know you're
heavy, right?” I accuse him, but he just whines at me, licking my neck.“What did Angie
want?” Mateo asks, resting his neck onto the back of the couch.“She wanted Ezra’s
signature for the death certificate. I signed it for him, and she was dropping
it back in for me.”“Yeah, Ezra is going
to take that pretty hard when he comes back, he has always tried to make sure
he wasn’t like his father,” Mateo tells me, and I nod. Mateo stares up at the
ceiling, a complicated expression on his face. I almost have the feeling he is
upset that he can’t protect Ezra from this reality when it hits him.Maddox hops off the
couch and I watch as he slogs upstairs. “Think he is alright?” I ask Mateo.“I think it’s
because of the topic,” Mateo observes, watching Maddox's furry body disappear
up the stairs.“He isn't like his
father, I have heard a bit about him, but Ezra doesn’t really like talking
about him,” I object.“Nobody does, he was
a piece of shit. His wolf was just as bad, you think Maddox is bad sometimes?
He's got nothing on his father’s wolf. That bastard didn’t care if they were
women or children, he would kill them when he got out. I swear his father let him
out on purpose just to scare the pack. He used to use Ezra as a punching bag
when he was a kid, and would make him train against his wolf before he even had
one. My dad got ripped apart a few times trying to save him from his father's
insane beast. No child should be forced to train against a wolf, especially one
that has no control,” Mateo snarls.I nod in agreement,
I hated training against my mother's wolf when I was in Jackson’s pack, let
alone thinking about being a child trying to fend one-off.“When Ezra killed
him, it was like everyone could finally breathe again. We were no longer
walking on eggshells, the entire pack stepped up to help him run it until he
could do it on his own,” Mateo explains. We sit in silence for a few moments,
listening to Maddox pacing around upstairs.“What did Andrei
have to say before we woke up? You should have woken us when he got here, Kat,
that was pretty reckless of you going to meet him on your own,” Mateo scolds,
turning to face me.I shrug. “Just that
my dad abandoned him and his mom then left them as rogues for his mates, and
that Anthony, who was my mother Katherine's other mate, raised him,” I explain.“Just when we think
there are no more secrets your family has left to hide,” Mateo sighs.I couldn't agree
more. As much as I still missed mom, it doesn’t take away that her and dad had
an entire life before they had me and had screwed a lot of people over. “Yeah,
it makes me wonder if everything was a lie, I just can’t believe he would abandon
his kid. What a kick in the guts that would have been for Andrei, I am
surprised he doesn’t hate me because dad left him and made a new family.”Mateo nods. “He may
have in the beginning. However, he seems genuine enough now. I looked over
those scrolls, we will need to give them to Mathias. He speaks a few different
languages. He should be able to interpret them for us.”Up above us I noted
the pounding of water running in the shower. I look to the ceiling. “Ezra must
have control again,” I whisper to Mateo, who also looks up, hearing the old
pipes rattle throughout the packhouse.Mateo sighs heavily.
“I will go get dinner, you should check on him,” Mateo suggests.“Wait, you're
leaving?”“Yes, now that I
know Ezra is back, and Maddox won't lose it. Besides, I need to go check
patrols and drop these to Mathias, I doubt Ezra will feel up to it. I will
bring dinner home, go check on our mate,” Mateo gently orders, getting up. He
grabs the scrolls off the coffee table before bending down and brushing his
lips against mine. “Make sure he is alright, I will be back soon,” Mateo grabs
his keys from the hall stand and walks out the door.I stare up at the
ceiling, listening to the pounding water from the shower. I head upstairs and
wait on the bed for him to come out. Through the bond his emotions are in total
disarray and I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to help him. Ten minutes later
the water shuts off and the door cracks open. A burst of steam flows out and
Ezra steps out in just a towel.“You’re back,” I
greet him, and he nods, stalking off into the closet. I follow him, leaning on
the door frame watching him. “Are you ok?”“Drop it, we don’t
need to talk about it,” Ezra insists, and I sigh.“Mateo went to check
patrols, he said he will grab us dinner on his way home.”Ezra nods but
doesn’t say anything else, he just gets dressed in shorts and a shirt and steps
past me. I follow, only for him to walk into his office and shut the door in my
face. I twist the handle but find it locked.I press my lips in a
line before walking to the kitchen. Clearly, he wants to be left alone. “He locked himself in his office,” I mindlink Mateo.“Figured he would. Just
leave him be, I will try to be quick,” Mateo mindlinks back.“Ok,
see you when you get home,” I sigh before cutting off the link. After
speaking to Mateo, I pad to the kitchen to make coffee before mindlinking Ezra.
“Coffee?” I ask him, but I get no reply, even though I
can feel him listening before he closes the link. I refocus on making my own
when my phone vibrates on the kitchen counter from where I left it last night.
Picking it up, I see a text message from a number I don’t recognize before
realizing it is Andrei.Andrei: It will be
lunchtime tomorrow. Had something come up with my momMe: Ok, how did you
get my number?Andrei: Am I not
allowed my sister's number? Asked Mateo for it. Now you have mine.Me: No, of course,
you can have it, I just didn’t recognize the number, I will see you tomorrow
then, hope everything is ok?Andrei: Yep, she is a
tough old duck, see you at lunchtime.I place the phone
down before making my coffee.The next dayAngie“Angie, get up,” My
mother booms from downstairs. I groan, not wanting to get up before hearing
muffled laughter.Cursing under my
breath, I roll over in my bed, my eyes flutter open to see an ass coming toward
my face. I shriek before it sits on my face. His laughter grows louder before
the bastard rushes off.“Mom!” I scream.
Wiping my face, I find it covered in peanut butter. That’s it, I am going to
kill him! Seriously, who wipes peanut butter on their ass and sits on someone's
face? I feel sorry for his future mate. Laughter rings out loudly, and I see my
brother Myles' laughing face as he sticks his head around my door.“Looking good, sis,
new face cream?” he jeers as I jump out of my bed. He shrieks and shakes his
ass at me before taking off.“I am going to kill
you!” I shriek, jumping off my bed. Our feet pound on the floor as I chase my
brother out of my room and down the hall, skidding along the floor and into the
walls. My brother dashes down the stairs to get away from me before sprinting
into the kitchen to hide behind mom.“No running in the
house!” My father yells at us as we dart past his office door.I tackle the little
asshole, and he shrieks as I punch him, his laughter only angering me more.“Hey, what’s going
on?” My mother demands, coming out of the kitchen with a tea towel over her
shoulder.“He put peanut
butter on his ass and sat on my face while I was asleep again!” I snarl out
before punching him in the shoulder as hard as I can.Myles laughs and
moans in pain as I continue to beat into him.“Bloody grub,” I
jeer before rolling off him, I kick him in the side, and he grunts.My mother hands me
the tea towel before giving him a stern look and pointing a finger at him. I
wipe the crud on my face. “How many times do I have to tell you to stop
antagonizing your sister?” she scolds.“She didn’t look
like she had enough beauty sleep, thought I would give her a facial,” my
brother snickers as he talks to her.My mother shakes her
head, throwing her hands up in the air, while my brother continues to laugh on
the floor. “I give up, you are all a pack of ferals,” my mother accuses,
walking back toward the kitchen.I hate being the
only girl and having to put up with my brothers. I growl at him before walking
away. “Come on, Angie, don’t be like that, it was just a joke!” Myles calls
after me.Storming into the
kitchen, my mother hands me a plate of pancakes. My other four brothers are
sitting at the table devouring theirs like animals. They all try to hide their
laughter as I walk in.“Morning, sis,” my
oldest brother Tate sings before snickering, I flip him the bird before sitting
at the table. He reaches over and stabs one of my pancakes with his fork,
attempting to steal it, in turn, I stab him with my fork.“Get your own '' I
growl at Tate, but he still takes one off my plate despite my fork sticking out
of his hand.“Just did,” he
grins, and I glare at him. He pulls my fork from his hand, and I sigh before
getting up and grabbing a new one, only to turn around to find my plate
completely empty.“Mom!” I complain,
she turns, glaring at them.“You boys will be
the death of me, I swear,” she lectures them before handing me her plate. “I
will make some more,” she offers with a strained smile. “Leave your sister’s
alone this time,” she scolds them before pouring more batter into the fry pan.
“Angie, you have laundry duty today after training. Tate, you can do the back
lawns, and Myles, for your disturbance, you get to bleach all the bathrooms and
toilets.”“That’s not far,
that’s usually Angie’s job!” Myles whines while I stick my tongue out at him.Tate shakes his head
at him before hopping up. “Jasmine is staying the night, mom, she should be
here around 5. She said she had to do something before coming over.” My mom
smiles at the news, she loves Jasmine, she has become close with everyone.
“Well, I will go do the lawn,” Tate offers just as my father walks in.“No, training first,
Alpha doesn’t like you slacking.” We all groan, we train enough at school, but
every morning dad still makes us train.“Fine, but I am
pairing up with Myles,” I inform him, glaring at my brother across the table.“Ooh, scary,” Myles
taunts me, and I roll my eyes at him. I pick up a piece of pancake on my fork,
covered in maple syrup and I flick it at him, smacking him in the face,
smirking as it slides down his cheek.“See that, dad? She
threw food at me,” Myles complains.“Didn’t see a thing,
isn’t that right, princess?” My dad asks, kissing the top of my head, while
Myles glares at me. Daniel and Steve laugh at him when dad didn’t scold me.“That’s right,
Daddy,” I smile. Being the only girl also has its advantages, I get away with
murder mostly, them not so much.Once we finish
eating, dad has us all in the backyard, sparring. I gladly kick and punch the
living daylights out of Myles for putting his ass on my face.On the last round, I
had just pinned him again as my father watched us critiquing us. When Myles
stooped to cheating, his fist connects with my breast. I hiss, clutching my
boob, “Not so cocky now, princess,” Myles taunts, tapping me on the shoulder as
he gets up.I grab onto his
shoulders for support, putting all my weight on him and hold him in place. I
bring my knee up quickly between his legs bashing into his balls and he lets
out a little oof before falling to the side like a sack of potatoes. His voice
emulates a mouse as he hisses out some lovely words.“Walk it off,
Myles,” dad tells him.“She hit me in the
balls,” he chokes.“And you punched me
in my lady nuts,” I argue, kicking him in the leg. Brothers,
I love having them, but I wanna kill them sometimes. I think when I feel
someone try to mindlink me.Jasmine’s voice flits through my head. “Meet me at Kat's. I have something I want to tell you both,” Jasmine orders.“Aren’t you coming here
tonight?” I
ask her,“Yes, but I wanna tell my
besties first, please meet me at Kat’s in like half an hour,” Jasmine begs. I groan,
but tell her yes.I don’t want to go
to Kat's, the Alpha still hasn’t forgiven me, but I do miss her. Both her and
Jasmine have shown me what real friends are. I just hope I can fix mine and
Kat’s now strained relationship.“We
will, it will just take some time,” Alia, my wolf, tells me. She has
been a little off since yesterday when we saw Kat. I don’t know why but
something was different about her, and she smelt amazing mouth-watering even.
Hurrying inside, I quickly race to all the rooms, grab everyone's dirty
laundry, dump it in the washing machine, and turn it on before quickly getting
changed. A shower will have to wait. I want to find out what news Jasmine wants
to share.My father steps into
my path as I am rushing out the door. “Where are you going?”“To see Kat and
Jasmine.”“You did your
chores?” he asks, and I nod.“I will hang it out
when I get home,” I assure him.“Not too late,
Missy, you are still on punishment,” my father warns me.“Ok, dad,” I answer
with a kiss to his cheek before escaping past him and heading for my car.The drive to the
Packhouse is long and boring, but pulling up I spot Jasmine's car already there
and Kat at the door talking to her. Good, I arrived just in time, and I don’t
have to worry about Ezra opening the door to yell at me more. Alia was excitedly
jumping around in my head for some unknown reason, urging me to get out of the
car.I park next to
Jasmine's and get out, knowing that both girls are waiting for me by the door.“What is this news
you want to share?” I call out to Jasmine as I lock my car. She happily bounced
up and down, and I can tell Kat is just as confused as I am.Making my way to
them, Alia presses beneath my skin. “See if she smells the
same, sniff her!”“I
am not sniffing her, you were embarrassing yesterday,” I scold her when
she forces control, making me embrace a startled Kat.“Nice to see you
too,” Kat chuckles as I throw my arms around her. My face heats at what Alia
made me do, before she suddenly sulks, Kat smells like Kat again, the weird
scent is no longer around her from yesterday, I can feel Alia’s disappointment
but shove it aside.“Ah, what about me?
Just barge past and steal hugs, leaving me behind?” Jasmine scolds, and I smile
before quickly hugging her.I step back, and she
has a mischievous grin on her face, her eyes sparkling brightly with her
excitement. “So you're going to tell us?” I ask her as we make our way through
the house and into the kitchen.“Tell you what?”
Questions Mateo through a mouthful of cereal, from the table.Jasmine reaches into
her back pocket before handing me something. I realize instantly it is a
pregnancy test. A little plus sign is in the window. “No! You are pregnant? I’m
going to be an aunty?” I squeal, jumping up and down with her. “Gross, that
means you had sex with my brother,” I tell her, pulling a face.“I would be less
worried about her screwing your brother and more worried by the fact you are
holding something she peed on,” Mateo observes, wrinkling his nose. “Congrats,
Jas, happy for you,” Mateo congratulates, getting up and hugging her shoulders
before dropping his bowl in the sink. He kisses Kat’s cheek before walking out,
leaving us by ourselves.“Do you know how far
along? Ooh, we can go baby shopping!” Kat squeals, also just as excited.