Chapter 12 #2
“Don’t really want my snow white ass up in the air for my Alpha to see, but I can think of worse fates than being climbed by you,” he said, his voice a little growlier than usual.
“Probably better for you that I don’t. I might be crazy. Best if you don’t get all tangled up in this,” she said with a wry grin.
“I have an affinity for crazy. And I have plenty of room for you.”
“Are you inviting me to spend the night?”
“If you want to come over, I am. If you don’t, then no, I’m not. I don’t handle rejection well,” Titus said with a smirk.
“Ahhh, I see. I’ll remember that. And I’ll think about it. I am cursed with being so popular that I have many options for the night.”
Titus came out of the water like a killer whale, reached across the raft and pushed Hail under water, before falling back into the water.
But Hail didn’t come up.
Titus’ laughter died down as his eyes darted back and forth across the water’s surface.
Then without warning, an arm was curved around his neck as a knee was strategically pressed into his kidneys. He went over backward, arms flailing. Before he came back up, coughing, Hail was already back on her side of the raft watching him like she had no idea who’d grabbed him from behind.
“How’d you do that?!” he demanded, shaking water out of his eyes as he pinned her with a look that most would take as intimidating. But to her, it wasn’t. She saw it for exactly what it was — admiration.
Hoots, hollers and laughter from her teammates scattered around the pool area finally pierced through his surprise and he glanced over sheepishly toward them.
“Of all the females I’ve ever met, even Athena, the one I don’t want to go up against, is Hail,” Frenzy said. “Hail’s like a freaking sneaky-ass ninja. You don’t see her, you don’t hear her, but she’s there, and before you know it, people are dying.”
“Or dead,” Savage said.
“Yep,” Frenzy said. “It’s a good thing she likes you, you’d be floating face down and the water would be red.”
Titus listened to them, then focused on Hail again.
“You got skills.”
She smiled.
“Want to spend the night at my house?” he asked.
~~~
“But I don’t wanna go anywhere else! How will Niko find us?” Griffin whined.
“He’ll know where we are and he’ll be relieved that we are sleeping in a nice warm bed instead of on a sofa or a floor,” Maeve said.
“But we don’t even know her!” he insisted, pointing at the blonde haired lady standing right beside his mother. “Is she even nice?”
Alison laughed.
Maeve groaned.
“Tell you what,” Jack said, squatting beside Griffin, “I’ll tell Niko where you are when he gets here.
But he might not come over there. In fact, I’m pretty sure he’ll be relieved and just go right to sleep.
You see, he knows Alison and he knows how nice she is and how considerate and kind she is, so he won’t worry at all. ”
“Oh,” Griffin said. He was clearly not impressed that Niko wouldn’t come looking for them.
“I promise you won’t mind being in my house,” Alison said.
“You got stuff to eat?” Griffin asked.
“I do. And if you want something in particular, I can get that, too,” Alison said.
“You got a pool?” Griffin asked.
“I do not.”
“What about a splash pad?” he asked.
“I don’t have one of those either.”
“You see, Mom? No pool, no splash pad.”
“Griffin, shut it. That’s enough! Go over there and tell Reigna Bonnie thank you and then you tell Alpha Jack thank you, and after that you will tell Alison how grateful you are for a nice, safe, comfortable place to stay as we walk to her house. Got it?!” she snapped out.
Griffin didn’t bother to try to talk her out of it. He knew he’d stepped on her last nerve and pushed her as far as he could. “Yes, ma’am.”
Maeve watched over Griffin as he did what she’d told him to. “I’m sorry, Alison. He doesn’t want to leave the pool and the splash pad and all the kids.”
Alison stood there trying to suppress a grin when he looked back at his mother to see if he really had to leave, or if maybe another chance at begging might win him his desired outcome.
“It’s okay. I get it. I wouldn’t want to leave the fun place either.
Besides, he’s a little attached to Niko, so that may be part of it, too. ”
“Yeah. I don’t know what I’m going to do about that. Niko is obviously not impressed with it. Well, let me rephrase that… he likes Griffin. Me, not so much. I seem to make him nervous.”
“Want to know why?” Vance asked as he walked by on his way to lead the families that had chosen Rance’s house to Rance’s house.
Maeve looked around herself to see if he was speaking to someone else. “You mean me?” she asked.
“Yes, I do. Want to know why Niko flips out when you talk to him?” Vance asked.
“He doesn’t like me?”
Vance laughed. “No, it’s that he likes you too much. And he’s not happy about that.”
Maeve was obviously confused. “I don’t understand.”
“Vance, you really shouldn’t go there,” Kassidy said.
“She should know, my love,” he said to Kassidy, then turned his attention back to Maeve.
“He’s always sworn that he’d never settle down and claim a mate.
He even goes so far as to date females he doesn’t even like, that really don’t like him.
And he likes it especially if they don’t even know his name.
” He paused and thought about it. “On second thought, I’m not sure you can call a one night interlude a date, so scratch that.
Anyway, little Griffin here extracted a promise from him that he’d always protect him and you.
Which he’d gladly do, and intends to because he is a good male.
He really is. He just didn’t expect the feeling of needing you to sweep over him at the same time,” Vance said.
“You know he’s going to strangle you for telling her that,” Kassidy said.
“It’s okay. I’ve wanted to strangle him a few times, too.
I feel like this almost makes us even,” Vance said before turning his attention to the rest of the room.
“Alright, ladies and babies! Can those of you who wanted to crash temporarily at my brother’s house follow me and I’ll walk you over there. ”
“You ready?” Alison asked Maeve.
“We’re ready whenever you are,” Maeve said, her voice a little less focused than she’d been just moments before, as she tried to understand what Vance had revealed to her.
“Let’s go, then,” Alison said, laying a hand reassuringly on her shoulder.