Chapter 44 TRUCE
SIANNA'S POV
The red on his face showed that he was steaming to blow. The heat of Cleo's words was bouncing around like vapor molecules in the chamber of his head, and the steaming gas blustered from his ears.
There was nothing cool about Blayne. He was the most hot-headed one out of the three most powerful men in our pack. Blayne was the one that always wanted a fight and never backed down. Once he was riled up, he influenced Vance and Duke in quickening their tempers too.
Cleo had a strong personality, was blunt, and spoke from the heart. Once she stood for something, that stance was rigid. I admired her character. In my perception, she could keep Blayne in line and calm him down. If they could ever get along, she would be a good fit for Blayne.
The divine scent of pumpkin mixed with pine trees hit my nose, my wolf wagged her tail in my head and I turned to see Vance entering the café. I was ecstatic to see him with the impulse to run into his arms. My wolf purred and cooed, turning over on her back for a belly rub from our mate, as I welcomed him with my swooning eyes.
He hailed at Tara and came to peck me on my forehead. He added a chair to the small table and sat down with the four of us. I hugged him around the neck and crashed my lips on his to show how happy I was to see him.
"What's creating the sulky mood in here and who's this little girl?" Vance held my hand on the table after the kiss ended. "She's the rogue that I mind-linked you about..." Blayne uttered coolly but emphasized the last part, "....and Cleo's daughter." "Why didn't you record her as your daughter on the documents?" Vance's austere tone claimed Cleo's attention.
"I didn't want her to be in the spotlight, especially with a grizzly Gamma breathing down my neck." Cleo announced, her face varnished with denigration, "He doesn't seem to know how to behave around children."
"What if he made that adjustment? Wouldn't it be fair to get to know 'grizzly'? He might turn out to be a softy." Vance disclosed. Blayne took offense to the term "grizzly," pouting and contorting his face in displeasure.
"It's difficult when he almost marked me against my will in front of my people in the mountains, claiming that he's taking what's his." Cleo cursed outwardly. "He has no respect for me, and he thinks that being the High Gamma means that he can just take whatever he wants."
"Is that why she kicked your ass up there?" Vance questioned him reprovingly, but he turned his face to look in the opposite direction, scratching his forehead, like a guilty kid.
Cleo glared at Blayne, giving a long exhale, she pushed a few strands of her blond bob behind her ears.
Tara was busy with a few customers and making a friendly rapport with them. She was unable to join us and I know that she was slightly bummed out about it. Occasionally, I glanced at her with a smile, and she returned with monkey looks.
"Why don't you give him some conditions to be around you and see whether he can maintain them? And just take things slow." I added. Vance and I were shoving these two together.
"Does he even know how to do that? He slept by my doorway. At one time, I woke up with him right next to me. I kick him out and he comes right back." She explained things that we had no idea that went on. "As you can see, I have a kid and he has no discretion."
"Vance slept in my backyard, underneath my window several nights before I accepted him." I caressed his arm playfully, "So I admit that they can be overbearing, but that's because they are helplessly whipped."
Taking the defense to another angle, Vance stated politically, "I am sure that accepting Blayne as your mate would essentially benefit your people. They have been camping outside for a while and the rest are still in the mountains. You came here for better living standards and the Moon Goddess has blessed you to be the third in command female. You are in the best position if you claim it."
"Look at him just pining after you." I brought her recognition back to Blayne, who was frowning like a child who dropped his candy. The stupidest thing I've ever seen him do was to be staring at her with puppy eyes. But the beauty of love is that it transforms even the most powerful men into moping infants.
Blayne said little to nothing. "Reinstating my people shouldn't come by me sleeping you're your Gamma..... unless..... that's what he wants," she stated pointedly. "for me to use him."
He scratched his head thinking that Cleo was trying to set him up for a downfall. "You are right, so we could settle this matter first. And then get to know you and my little adorable spitfire."
"Spitfire?" Her brows joined together as she asked in confusion.
"I meant little Zoe." He hastily corrected, smiling at the child who snickered at him. "Cute precious Zoe." As he stretched his hand out to pat her head, she aggressively bit after it. He quickly withdrew his hand and surprised us when he chuckled.
"Then let's settle this so that you three can spend quality time together. Sianna and I can babysit if you need," Vance offered. Sianna realized that Vance loved children, which invoked her admiration for him.
Zoe looked at her mom and then at Vance. "Are you the Alpha?"
Vance displayed a slight smile and nodded. "I'm Alpha Vance and I heard you were requesting to speak with me."
She covered her face with her palms as she acted shy to him. Then she peeked through two of her fingers at Vance. "I wanted my mommy."
"Well, you have her now, thanks to Blayne." He gave the Gamma the credit to help him befriend the child. "Have you thanked him yet?"
She rubbed the left side of her ears and looked at him with her head hung down, lips pouting. "He wants to take my mommy away from me." She had finished her pizza and juice.
Cleo and Blayne were both appalled. "No, no one can take your mommy away. I just want to be added to the family. I want to take care of you and mommy."
"I'll always be at your side, Zoe, until you decide to have a family of your own," Cleo assured her with a direct gaze.
"You would be getting a daddy, two uncles, and two aunts. Aunty Sianna will have a baby soon for you to have a little cousin to play with." By drawing attention to the unborn baby, Blayne hoped to stimulate Zoe's interest and incite her to consider joining a larger family that included him.
Her head switched to me and she looked at my tummy. When she couldn't see it properly from the table height, she slid out of Cleo's lap and came in between Vance and me. "Is there a baby in your tummy?"
"Yes, but the baby is very small. I bet that he would love to have a big cousin like you to look up to." I wanted her to be anxious about the family setting that we offered.
She chuckled and nodded. "Okay but what about my friends?" She referred to the rest of the mountain rogues that she missed. "Mommy and Uncle Vance are sorting that out but you should have them here with us very soon. You can count on me for anything." For the first time, her face beamed and she smiled with Blayne. His face showed signs of elation and relief.
"Well, Zoe and I need to talk about how she slipped away from Nana and made it to the pack." Cleo stood holding Zoe's hands. A wave washed over Zoe and her chirpy face changed completely. She was in trouble and she knew it.
"Blayne, take my car and give them a ride back to the pack house. I'll go with Vance." I suggested courteously.
"You suit each other more than you think. Sit down and talk things over so that you both will know your expectations and give it
a chance. Better to try than to regret not giving it a shot." Vance proposed and gave a wink and thumbs up at his Gamma without Cleo noticing.
Blayne obliged and arose from the table to take the girls back, holding out his hand for a handshake. "Truce?"
Reluctantly, Cleo shook his hand with reservations, "Truce."
Blayne took the keys for the jeep from Vance and together they left the café.
Tara yelled out, "Hey Zoe, I wrapped up something nice for you," and the young child turned to see her. She presented her with a tiny pink paper bag. Zoe took the bag and looked into it with her nose, smelling what was inside. "You are always welcome to come here with your mother. Don't be strangers."
"Thank you, Miss Tara," Zoe's eyes twinkled as she smiled and nodded. She returned to her mother and held her hand as they walked on.
I watched them go, "That went better than we thought it would."
"We make a great duo, don't we?" He came closer to me and his lips slowly came in contact with my flesh. Fire burned in the depths of my core. I bit on my lower lip as he trailed soft kisses down to my collarbone, we lingered in the lustful moment. "I wanted to do that all day."
"We should get home before we do naughty things in public," I warned with a smile as I felt his hand trailing up my legs.
He got up immediately and took my hand in his to help me stand. We bid farewell to Tara and I glanced at the other customers waving my goodbyes.
"Hey Chloe," I stopped. She looked at me and Vance, bowing. She sat at the table at the other end of the café, busy on her phone as I was heading out, but caught a glimpse of her.
"Alpha, Luna."
"You're back?" I said, making conversation.
"I am, well I had someone to meet and......." She was saying when Vance cuts her short.
"Your Luna needs rest. We are leaving. Have a good evening." I thought he was rude. I squeezed his hand as he led me out the door. I gave him a fierce glance, but he shrugged me off and got in the driver's seat.
"She was my friend, and I was only saying hi," I slammed. I was mad and I wanted him to feel it.
"I'm not getting in between you and your friends, but you need to be fed, showered, and rested." He kept his eyes on the road." I am sure you can catch up with her at another convenient time."
"You are just making excuses to have me all to yourself, my ridiculously possessive Alpha," I whispered, but knew he heard me.
He chuckled and stroked my cheek with the hand he reached over to me. Silently, the journey continued with my eyes closed the rest of the way because a mass of tiredness crashed on me.
When we got to our house, we found a crying Hailey on our porch.