Chapter Six
Rhys walked into the diner and fought the urge to walk right back out.
Every member of the Inner Court except for his prince was there eating breakfast. Only Rebecca’s slightly hung-over appearance seemed to match the dogged expressions of their mates.
Sebastian was cuddling Lucian, Kate was laughing with Rian and Damian as they bounced Matthew and Merrick on their knees.
Bethy and Asling played with Landon and Lucas as naturally as if they had known the two boys their entire lives.
Nic was inhaling a plate of waffles as if he hadn’t eaten in days.
Rhys had half turned to go back out the door when he heard.
“Don’t even think about it. Come tell me what drink I am,” Rebecca called out, still face down at her table. How she had even seen him he didn’t know.
“Rebecca, leave the poor man alone, he looks like he’s about to bolt.” Ma smiled at him sympathetically.
Rebecca raised her head with what looked like tremendous effort and looked up at him. He sighed. He was stuck. There was no way he could say no to those purple puppy-dog eyes.
Aleks chuckled and adjusted Aidhan on his arm.
“She is still feeling some of the aftereffects of drinking eight double-strength espressos.” Aleks shook his head.
“If y’all would let me have some coffee…”
“No!” the entire diner said at one. She looked at Rhys and pouted.
“They are picking on me.”
Rhys smiled and sat down at her table rubbing her back when she put her face back down on the table’s cool surface.
“I’m used to dealing with hangovers, hair of the dog usually helps, though I’m not sure how that would work with caffeine,” Rhys said.
Rebecca raised her head and yawned. “I’m feeling better, just not one hundred percent awake. Having the Inner Court together actually helped a lot.” Rebecca stretched her arms up over her head.
Rhys sat back and picked up a menu. Moe would be joining him after he made Peyton some coffee and got his breakfast order.
“Doc says now that we know what we’re experiencing we can take steps to prevent it from getting that bad again.
Postpartum depression usually only occurs in the first three months, so hopefully we won’t see it get this bad again,” Kate said, then turned to Rebecca.
“What on earth possessed you to drink so many espressos?”
Rebecca shrugged. “I felt better after the first one, so I figure the second and third one would be amazing. I kinda lost track of time after the third one, then the colors started attacking me.” Rebecca closed her eyes and shuddered before laying her head back down on the table.
Rhys was laughing when the diner door opened again and woman he had never seen before walked in.
She was about Kate’s height at five-ten with light brown, wavy hair and curves everywhere a man wanted.
He had always appreciated the soft curves of a woman.
He shook his head. Going by the social media images of today this woman would be considered “thick” or “chubby.”
Back when he was turned, she would have been highly sought after.
It amazed him how much had changed over the centuries, even the concept of beauty.
He watched her soft, doe-like, brown eyes as they searched the faces of the diner.
When her eyes landed on Rebecca they hardened and the woman’s nostrils flared.
She marched forward until she was standing beside Rebecca.
Kaden and Beau sat up quickly at their table across the diner.
The woman had come in here with a purpose, and Rhys could see that they weren’t sure if that purpose was good or bad.
The woman wrapped both hands around Rebecca’s shoulders and made her sit up, before she swiveled Rebecca in her chair until she was facing her. Rebecca’s face broke into a smile as she recognized the woman. The dainty woman smiled right back at Rebecca.
Rhys was shocked at what happened next. The delicate-looking woman wrapped her arms around their Alpha Mother’s head, effectively putting her in a headlock before she began to rake her knuckles over her scalp.
Aleks, Liam, Beau and Kaden stood as if to intervene, but looked on, frozen, unsure of what to do. She wasn’t exactly hurting Rebecca, but the other woman was obviously pissed. Aleks handed Aidhan off to his ma.
“Bitch! Let go of me!” Rebecca shouted.
Rhys kept his seat. So far Rebecca wasn’t getting hurt.
Aleks took a step forward to break the two women apart.
“You deserve worse, you psychotic little midget!” the woman shouted.
Aleks stopped. Everyone looked at each other. Rhys could tell that everyone was hesitant to interfere now. They had no idea who this woman was, but with that one statement, she confirmed she knew Rebecca.
“Do you know each other?” Aleks asked.
“I am disowning this crazy heifer. Let me go, Abby!” Rebecca’s muffled voice shouted.
“Merry Christmas, everyone! I am doing great. I was kidnapped and tortured, but am mated and happy now. By the way I’m pregnant. Love, Rebecca.” Abby released Rebecca and stood back, panting.
“What the fuck kind of Christmas card is that! Do you have any idea how frantic we have been? There was no return address, we couldn’t find you! Cassandra was about to mobilize every Sentinel in the country to look for you!” Abby shouted.
Rebecca paled a bit. “They only give you so many spaces to type your message on those design your own Christmas cards online. I tried to give you the most information I could,” Rebecca said defiantly.
Aleks wasn’t the only one who covered his face with his hands. He, Kade, Beau and Liam sat back down.
“Gray was deployed, he nearly went AWOL to come home and look for you. Meg almost got fired and arrested when she hacked into the NSA mainframe. Camille had contacted I don’t even want to know who in her family’s mafia-like underworld to get a mini-army together to take out whoever was responsible for kidnapping you.
All because they didn’t listen when I told them you were just being your normal psycho self. ” Abby threw her hands in the air.
“Are they okay?” Rebecca asked quietly.
Abby sighed and collapsed into the chair next to Rebecca.
“Gray stayed put, though I had to threaten his ass. He’ll be here as soon as he hits state side. He wants to make sure your mate is good enough for you.”
Aleks huffed.
“Cassandra pulled strings and covered for Meg, they are both waiting to hear from me. Camille is still hell bound and determined to find out who was dumb enough to kidnap you. You know her family adores you. Uncle Vinnie has been cracking his knuckles for weeks.”
Rebecca’s face took on a dreamy expression. “Hmmm cannoli. God that man can cook.”
“Seriously! Seriously? That is all you have to say?” Abby demanded.
Rebecca nodded, grinning, then stopped. She stared at Abby. “How did you find me? I didn’t put a return address because I couldn’t tell anyone where I was. How does Cassie know about Sentinel?” Rebecca’s eyes narrowed to purple slits. “You’re a shifter, aren’t you!”
Abby rolled her eyes. “We all are, well except for you.”
Rebecca gasped. “Cass, and Meg, and Gray and Camille and you? All of you?” Rebecca looked shocked.
“Yup, short stuff, you were the only human in the bunch, but surprisingly enough you fit in so well that we never really made an issue of it.” Abby shrugged.
“Hey, what are you?” Rebecca asked, leaning forward, her eyes excited.
“Hasn’t anyone here taught you that it’s bad manners to ask a shifter that?” Abby asked.
Rebecca nodded. “Yup.”
“You don’t care, do you?”
“Nope. Now. What are you?”
“She smells canine,” Kate said, sniffing the air.
Abby shook her head. “Coyote. I’m a field biologist. I was between assignments, which is how I got tagged to be the one to track your ass down. Now. You said you were kidnapped. Are they dead?”
“Yup, shot him between the eyes. Do you know our instructor was right? In close quarters blowback is a bitch.” Rebecca scrunched up her nose.
“Wait, instructor?” Aleks asked.
“Rebecca and I took firearms courses in college instead of Health.”
Aleks stared at Rebecca. “You know how to handle a gun?” His eyes stared at Rebecca, who was looking everywhere but at Aleks.
“She won almost every competition our college entered,” Abby volunteered.
“Is that so?” Aleks’s voice was flat.
Rhys could almost see every instance where Rebecca nearly shot him going through the Alpha’s mind. Rhys couldn’t help but grin.
Emmett and Liam were clearing their throats behind them. Aleks flipped them off. Liam started cackling, even Sebastian was grinning from ear to ear.
“I take it I missed something?” Abby looked around. Rebecca shook her head.
“Nah, just having some fun with my mate is all.”
“Mate?” Abby raised an eyebrow.
Rebecca jerked her thumb over her shoulder to where Aleks sat glowering at Rebecca.
“That’s my honey bear.”
Aleks nipped her shoulder.
“We knew it was a bear shifter because we could smell it on the Christmas card. We honestly thought you had snuck off with Gray until we learned he was deployed. He always had a thing for you. Then, I checked in with the polar family south of the town where you were living. Did you know your ex married that bimbo he dumped you for?” Abby reached across the table and plucked a french fry off of Rebecca’s untouched plate.
Rebecca looked at Abby, and then together they both said, “Skank.”
“Anywho.” Abby looked up at Aleks. “I’m Abby Wright, college roommate. You are?” She held out her hand.
Aleks smiled warmly and shook hands with her. “Aleksander Arkadion, mate and husband.” He grinned.
Abby’s smile died on her face. “Arkadion? The Arkadion? The Alpha?” She turned to look in horror at Rebecca, who was now happily dipping her fries in ketchup and munching on them. “You made her the most powerful female in the paranormal world? What in the hell is wrong with you?” she demanded.
“Hey!” Rebecca yelled.