In Baltimore Having BIG FUN (Part II)

“So Klaus, when we get there, we need you to tell them it was your idea. Make up something. I don’t know, say you heard there was an earthquake or a monsoon coming. I don’t really care what you come up with as long as it’s something that lessens the amount of anger they have towards us.”

Jordan side-eyed Sterling. “That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard.”

“Do you have a better plan for our confrontation with the psycho sisters? They’ve added one more who’s just as beautiful, meaning she’s just as crazy. Who knows what we’re walking into? At least we know if we blame Klaus, we’re safe because they love him too much to murder him.”

Placing his hand to his lips, Jordan thought about the suggestion. “So Klaus, about this plan…”

“No can do, sir,” Klaus said.

“Excuse me?”

“I will not lie for you to Luna and Ms. Rachel.”

Elijah, who had been comatose since his outburst, stared at the back of Klaus’s head. “Are you kidding me? You literally lie to us all the time for them, and you get paid to do it!”

“Yes, but that’s different. Ms. Rachel comes over and teaches Betsey new recipes, and Luna gave her a makeover that brought back a smile I hadn’t seen in years. My wife and kids adore them, and I’d be in a lot of trouble if I messed up that groove.”

Sterling mumbled under his breath, “Well, shit, now I feel like an ass, and I’m in awe.”

“Me too. It’s amazing how those two can somehow always do that,” Jordan said.

*****

“Alright, eyes front, ladies. We have to head into the gas station, and we know what’s about to come. Y’all know I’m not walking in there alone, so get prepared.” Rachel and Alexus nodded their heads, seeing the massive crowd surrounding the small building. Exiting, they hadn’t been out of the car for a minute before the catcalls began.

“Hey Ms. Lady, how you doing? I know you’re not about to pump your own gas. You should let me do that for you,” a man said, approaching Morgan from the side.

She pushed past him. “No thank you.”

He grabbed her arm. “Come on, don’t be like that.” Hearing her growl, he promptly released her, and looked her up and down. “Never had a woman growl at me. I kinda like that. Come on, do it again with your fine self.”

“Get away from me before you learn exactly why Little Red’s honey belongs to two big bad wolves.” Her eyes shifted to blue and, seeing them, he scurried off as fast as he could.

Putting their most aggressive faces on, the ladies quickly darted into the gas station. Paying for the gas, they pumped it and drove away. The night had just begun, but Rachel and Morgan were already having a great night. Their minds off their mates, their little sister in town, they were determined they wouldn’t let anyone ruin it.

Approaching the club, the bouncer eyed them. Roaming over their bodies, he lifted the velvet rope and beckoned them. “Now y’all know y’all are too fine to be waiting. Go ahead in.” They put on their best smiles, thanked him, and walked inside. This was Baltimore, the culture they were used to. Entering, a female guard patted them down and Rachel and Morgan laughed when the people at the booth asked for Alexus’s ID.

She slammed it onto the table. “Don’t play with me.” She hated that she still had such a baby face.

Morgan chuckled. “Would you stop slamming your ID down like it’s a secret draw 4 and now your opponent has to draw the entire deck?” She placed her finger on her lip. “Or like it’s a completed contract that you’ve been negotiating for six months and now you not only saved yourself hefty legal fees, but you tripled your profit margin.” Her sisters stared at her, and she sighed. “My boys would have gotten it.” She was trying her best to have fun, but they’d still managed to invade her thoughts.

*“I get it. I miss him too,”* Rachel linked to her.

Alexus placed her arm around their necks. “Sadness tomorrow! Tonight we drink and die a little.”

“You’re right,” Rachel said, giving her a side hug, and the three walked further inside of the party. Had they stood at the front longer, they would have noticed the sleek limo that pulled up.

Jordan stepped out first. Gawking at his suit, the bouncer calculated how expensive it probably was. Wanting nothing more than to knock Jordan down a peg, he put up his hand. “No entry,” he said, smugly. “I don’t think our little establishment would be up to you and your suit’s standards.”

Jordan’s eyes shifted, causing the bouncer to stumble backward. He leaned in close, and his jaw twitched. “I’m only going to warn you once. Get. the. fuck. out of. my way.” The bouncer quickly retreated, and he took a deep breath. He’d meant to be diplomatic, but seeing the car from the video on Morgan’s timeline instantly set him off.

Sterling grabbed the bouncer’s fingers and examined his pinky. “You’re lucky,” he said, and he dropped the man’s hand. As they entered, Elijah took off to the right. Sterling pointed, but Jordan shook his head.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t interfere. He’s past the moon and way beyond the stars.”

Music blasting, the twins walked through the crowd. Jordan searched for Morgan while Sterling looked for someone else. He pulled at people, eyeing their hands carefully. “Where the fuck is he?” Grabbing another man’s pinky, he fought the impulse to punch him. “I should maul you for not being the person I’m looking for,” he said.

“Sterling, you can’t kill him for that,” Jordan said, sighing. “Come on. Let’s sit at the bar for a moment.” Sterling dropped the man’s hand, and he and Jordan made their way to the bar. “It’s crowded. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find them. I’m getting a migraine,” he said as they sat.

“It is past your bedtime,” Sterling replied, causing Jordan to give him a scowl.

“Control your urge to piss me off. I’m not in the mood for your shit.” A female bartender placed a drink in front of him. “I didn’t order this.”

She winked. “It’s on the house, handsome.” When she handed him a napkin, he noticed her number was scribbled on it. Her eyes traveled from him to Sterling, clearly appreciating the view. “Damn, I was going to drive home, but I think I’ll catch a train instead,” she said.

Jordan tossed the napkin to the ground and her face fell. “Taken,” they said simultaneously, and he pushed the drink toward her.

They turned their attention back to the crowd, and Sterling’s face hardened. Tapping Jordan, he muttered through clenched teeth, “Motherfucking Pinky.” Walking up to the VIP, he mushed the guard that stood in front of it. “Stay down and eat that filthy carpet if you know what’s good for you.” Approaching his target, Sterling towered over him and waited for him to turn around. When the man did, he huffed aggressively, then pulled out his phone. “Pinky,” he said.

“Nah, not pinky, Parley. You know, like to talk to your enemies or some shit like that. I diss clowns on the beat every day of the week, so I figured why not let them know up front what to expect?”

“Does anything about my expression say I give a fuck about your name?” Sterling grabbed Parley’s hand. Staring from finger to phone, his eyes turned yellow. He picked him up by his throat and pulled him inches from his face. “Is this you?” he asked, shoving the phone at him.

“Y-you’re choking me.”

“Is. this. you?”

“Yes,” Parley struggled out, and Sterling gave a lunatic laugh in response. Shaking him like a rag doll, he wore his wicked smile. “Since you can’t keep your finger to yourself, how about I break it off?” He put the phone back into his pocket and gripped the petrified man’s finger. “Don’t worry, it will be a clean tear. I’m an expert.” Through the crowd, the smell of apples hit his nose. Tilting his head, he followed the scent, and his eyes locked onto Morgan. She scowled at him, and as she stormed over, he realized something important.

Sterling had conquered many. His thirst for blood was well known everywhere. He enjoyed watching his enemies die and never thought about it after. He feared nothing, never backed down, even if doing so would cost him his life. Yet, as he watched his mate approach him with eyes as blue as the ocean, a new emotion poured through him. He may have conquered many, may have a blood thirst that was known everywhere, but seeing an enraged Morgan scared the living hell out of him.

“Hey Jordan, catch!” he shouted as he threw Parley to his brother.

His reflexes immediately kicking in. Jordan caught him by the throat. He absentmindedly swung him around, pointing him at Sterling. “Why on earth would you throw—”

“Jordan Clifford Wolf.” Jordan peered down and saw Morgan’s scowl. Promptly, he hid Parley behind his back, like a toddler with a toy they weren’t supposed to have. “Put him down,” she said.

He dropped the unconscious man and scooted him under the table with his loafer. “Put who down?” he replied, shrugging.

She cut her eyes into slits. “Don’t play with me.”

Sterling placed his hand on his hips. “Jordan, shame on you. I told you you need to manage your temper. How could you pick that man up like that in front of his friends? You are just as disrespectful as you are elderly.”

Jordan’s face flushed. “You lying little shit!”

“See temper, temper. Heyyy, Little Red, how are you?”

As she looked from Jordan to Sterling, Morgan felt her blood boil. They were doing it again, and this time she was done being nice.

Rachel and Alexus approach her and Rachel matched her glare.

“Let me guess. Elijah’s here too?” Rachel said.

Jordan scoffed. “Have a little more faith in us. We aren’t that insane.”

The music from the party stopped, and the D.J. spoke over the microphone. “I have two announcements. First, if you’ve lost your phone, please come to the D.J. booth. You’ll need to prove it’s yours by putting your code in. Second, if there’s a Rachel Cher—correction, Rachel Samantha Pierce having big fun in Baltimore, your mate, Elijah, is looking for you. He’s wearing a coat, pullover hoodie, pool ball pajama pants, and sky-blue crocs. Not sure what’s happening with his outfit…but…it’s…um, happening. So if either of these belongs to you, please pick them up at the booth immediately. One of the two is threatening to, and I quote, *‘ring my throat like Homer does Bart’*, and I’m scared.”

*****

Three enormous wolves—two Alphas and a Beta—sat silently in a limo, terrified to go home. Elijah rubbed the back of his neck. “We may have gone a bit too far.”

Sterling placed his hand on his chest and gaped. “You think? What was your first clue?”

“You and your big fun in Baltimore,” Jordan said. He could feel how upset Morgan was, but it was more than their shenanigans tonight. Sterling and he had royally messed up.

As they approached Morgan’s apartment, her car pulled up behind. The three sisters exited the vehicle and stormed inside. Elijah, Sterling, and Jordan drew near the door, and they all took a deep breath. The door was unlocked, and Morgan and Rachel stood in the living room with their hands on their hips.

“Well, that was eventful, and a great way to introduce you all to our little sister,” Morgan said with blue eyes.

“Is she mad at us, too?” Elijah asked, and Rachel seethed at his stupid question.

“What the fuck do you think? Her loyalty runs deep. You embarrass one, you embarrass all, and tonight all three of you acted like children.” She sighed and looked at Morgan before turning her attention back to him. “Elijah, we need to talk.” She stalked off, and he followed behind.

“Us too,” Morgan said to Jordan and Sterling. They walked in silence to her bedroom. Something deep inside told them this was more serious than before. She closed the door and looked at them, then burst into tears. They reached for her, but she swatted their hands. “I’m so sick of you both treating me like I can’t take care of myself and like I haven’t proven that I’m devoted to only you. Like I’ve never shown you trust. Like I don’t give you the decency of my respect. I broke my heart to spare yours and you still don’t give a shit.”

“We didn’t mean it, Little Red. It’s just something about seeing other guys touch what belongs to us.”

“I’m not a fucking object!” she screamed. “I may belong to you, but I don’t belong to you. Do you understand?”

“We do now,” he whispered.

“I can’t do this anymore.” She gazed up at the ceiling. “I love you both, but you’re selfish and erratic and can’t give me what I need.” She scoffed sadly. “And the crazy thing is, it’s not even about me. You don’t trust one another, and instead of working through that, you take it out on me.” Sterling glanced at Jordan, but they said nothing. “I’m done,” she said after a few moments. “I can’t live like this anymore.”

“What?”

“You heard me. I read the book. I know what will happen if I say it, but I’ll live with it if it means you’ll stop hurting me.”

Jordan’s eyes glistened. “Honey, please don’t.”

She removed her locket, and it was then they realized she’d been wearing it all night. She’d still carried them with her, and they’d once again not shown her what she’d asked. She took apart each piece and gave them to them, and three broken hearts sat in the room. “I reject you both as my mates. Now leave,” she said, turning away.

*****

Rachel sat on her bed and stared at Elijah. Any other time his outfit would have made her laugh out loud. Tonight, it just reinforced everything she was feeling. He took a step toward her. “Baby…”

She flinched. “You don’t get to call me that.” She stood and leaned against the bed frame. “You hurt me,” she said.

“I know tonight I was—”

“Not tonight.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I know I should have stood up for you. I just have a hard time standing up to my mother.”

“You think I give a shit? You should have had my back like I’ve always had yours. In fact”–she pointed up to the air–“the more I think about it, the more I realize something scary. You would rather watch me beat myself down instead of protecting the very essence of who I am. Can you truly look me in my eye and tell me that’s love?” He couldn’t. “That’s what I thought. What’s even scarier is that I almost allowed you to do it. How scary is that? To be so devoted to someone, you’re willing to give up who you are.”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Yes, it was. I’ve been a black woman all my life and I know what being beaten down feels like. To know microaggressions and belittling of my feelings. So before you open your mouth again, before you say anything to defend yourself, fully understand I’m not one for your shit.” She folded her arms across her chest. “You hurt me. You. hurt. me.”

Elijah fidgeted with his fingers. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“For which part? When you let your mother treat me like shit, or when you expected me to sit there and take it? Which part exactly are you sorry for? And I’d be careful if I were you. Your privilege is showing.”

He remained quiet, unsure of how to respond. So miserable without her, he hadn’t fully analyzed his actions. He’d treated her so ugly in front of everyone and expected her to forgive him because he demanded it. His mate, the woman he wanted nothing more than to marry, was now staring at him like he was a stranger.

“I want you to leave me alone. Don’t stalk my social media, don’t come past the restaurant. Don’t ask Morgan about me. I may be strong, Elijah, but I’m not stupid. You need to work some things out internally, and I’m not interested in being your emotional punching bag.” Brushing past him, she opened her bedroom door. “I understand that we’re imprinted and that I risk being alone forever, but for me, right now, that’s better than the alternative.”

“Rach—”

“Get out.”

Elijah swallowed his tears and did as she asked.

*****

New Year

Three sisters sat on the couch in Morgan’s apartment, waiting for the ball to drop. Dressed in matching pajamas, they enjoyed one another’s company. Rachel peered at Alexus. “Are you okay?” she asked.

She nodded, but her eyes were teary. “Just happy to be around you both. It’s been hard since Darius and I split.”

Morgan and Rachel wrapped their arms around her. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“You have been going through a lot. I didn’t want to burden you with my stupid problems.”

Morgan grabbed her shoulders. “Your problems are not stupid. You call, we come running, we call, you do the same.” She wiped the tears from her little sister’s face. She’d always be thankful for the family Rachel had given her. They snuggled on the couch and watched the TV. Counting down and celebrating as the clock struck twelve, three sisters—their loyalty and love running deep—brought in the New Year as they needed. Completely heartbroken, but happily together.