Chapter 14
Analise struggled to turn over, the hefty weight covering her body hindering her efforts. Blinking her eyes against the sunlight streaming in through the unshaded windows, she realized this was not her room. She lifted her head and glanced quickly around, finding Havoc still sound asleep with arms wrapped around her and his head on her stomach, using her for a pillow.
Analise gently pushed his arms away, then tried to slide out from beneath him, but he grumbled and reached for her again.
“I have to pee,” she whispered, pushing at his arms again.
He grumbled, but let her go, turning over and grabbing his actual pillow to snuggle against until she returned.
Analise got out of his bed, grabbed up her pajamas strewn across the floor and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind herself. She flushed the toilet, slipped on her pajamas, and as an afterthought, turned on the water in the shower before quietly opening the door and tiptoeing out of Havoc’s bedroom, and down the stairs. She picked up the blanket lying on the floor near the front door, wrapped it around her shoulders and quietly left his home. She was already halfway up the dirt road that led from his home to the main road going through the property when she realized she’d left her daddy’s boots behind. She looked over her shoulder considering going back for them but decided against it. “Sorry, Daddy,” she whispered, “I’ll buy you another pair.”
She hurried along the dirt road until she got to the highway, then crossed it and ducked into the woods to the left side of the road. The last thing she wanted was any of her uncles or Lord forbid, her dad, to witness her walk of shame, barefoot, wrapped in a blanket, wreaking of Havoc as she tried to sneak back into her parents’ house. Ten minutes after she’d left Havoc’s house, barefoot with red mud up to her ankles, shivering and wrapped in a blanket, she finally opened the back door to her parents’ home and stepped inside. She very stealthily closed the door behind herself, then turned, planning to hurry through the house to her bedroom and bathroom so she could clean up quickly before everyone woke up. But instead, her parents were sitting at the breakfast table, both staring directly at her.
“Oh! I didn’t expect you to be there!” Analise rushed out.
“Thought we’d still be in bed?” Everly asked.
“Hoping,” Analise admitted.
“Where you been?” Bam asked.
“I was… out. Got up early,” Analise said, flashing a smile and walking toward her room.
“In your pajamas, barefoot, with a blanket around you,” Bam said.
“It was kind of spur of the moment.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it was,” Everly said.
“I’m going to go jump in the shower. I won’t be long,” Analise said.
They just watched her as she practically ran through the room, leaving little toe prints behind.
“I’ll get the mud off the carpet,” Bam said.
“No, leave it. After it dries, it’ll brush right out instead of spreading. Then we can vacuum it up.”
“Do you think she knows we know?” Bam asked.
“Obviously not, or she wouldn’t be lying to us.”
“Do you think this means she’s staying?”
“I don’t know. I’d hope so, but she’s being so secretive I’m pretty sure it’s only going to get worse,” Everly said.
“But she mated him! If I had my eyes closed and caught a scent of her, I’d think he was with her! I mean, she smells like Havoc. Really smells like him.”
“Yeah, but she’s obviously sneaking out early in the morning, and lying, which means they haven’t finalized anything.”
Bam grumbled, shaking his head as he got up, went into the kitchen, and returned with the coffee pot to top off their coffee cups. “So, what do we do?”
Everly shook her head. “I know your instinct is to protect your daughters, but they’re not kids. We’ve got one chasing her mate while he runs faster than she did in the beginning, and another refusing to accept the mate who broke her heart when they were kids.”
“But she just mated him!” Bam exclaimed.
“I know. It’s a mess, but frankly, Bam, we didn’t make any of this mess. If we do try to help, we’re in the way. No matter what we do we can’t solve this for them. Only they can do that.”
Bam sat down beside his wife and quietly sipped his coffee, crunching on the cookies they were sharing. Finally, he looked over at Everly. “No matter what, we know they’re safe. No one in the clan would allow anything to happen that’s bad, and their mates would never put them in danger. They’re both good young males.”
“Agreed,” Everly said.
“With that being said, you want to go on vacation and come back when it’s all finished?” Bam asked.
Everly started laughing. “It’s really not a bad idea.”
“Somewhere warm?” he asked.
Everly took a second to really look at him. “You’re serious.”
“I think it’s time for us to step back.”
Everly smiled. “I’m proud of you.”
“Me, too.”
“Bikinis, beach towels, and flip-flops. That’s all we need to pack?” she asked.
“Maybe a change of clothes or two in case we want to try a restaurant while we’re there.”
“There where?” she asked.
“We’ll see when we get to the airport.”
“I’ll go get our things together,” Everly said, kissing him quickly before she hurried off to throw some clothes for both of them in a carry-on bag.
Ten minutes later Everly came out of the bedroom with two packed carry-on bags. She was wearing a pair of jeans with a sweatshirt, and a pair of sneakers. “Packed us each a bag. I’m ready.”
Bam smiled at her. “Give me five minutes to change. I wrote them a note.”
“I don’t want to leave your truck or my car at the airport,” Everly said as he started to leave the room.
Bam stood there for a second, thinking about it. He started to grin. “You still got Analise’s rental car keys in the cabinet?”
“I do.”
“We’ll return it for her,” Bam said.
Everly started laughing. “Hurry up, then. Let’s go before she gets out of the shower.”
~~~
Havoc woke mid-morning and yawned as he stretched his body and groaned happily before spreading his arms out to his side. He turned to look to the side Analise had slept on and grinned to himself when he lifted her pillow and brought it to his face to sniff. Her scent was still strong on the pillow case, and didn’t that just make him happy as hell. “’Lise?” he called out, sitting up. It was then that he noticed the sound of the water running in the shower. “Sounds good to me,” he said, scratching his hands through his wild bed-head hair as he walked toward his bathroom. He opened the door and stepped inside, realizing right away that there was no steam in the bathroom. “A cold shower? Really?” he asked as he closed the door and looked over toward the glass walled shower. The shower was indeed running, but Analise wasn’t in it.
“Analise?!” he shouted, walking over to turn off the water. It was then that he noticed the hot water had been running, but it had been running long enough to have gone cold. “Analise?!” he called out again, leaving the bathroom and quickly making his way toward the stairs. He looked over the banister into the open area downstairs, calling her name.
There was no answer.
He rushed down the stairs, taking three at a time until he was standing in the open living room, able to see into the kitchen and out of the front door onto the front porch. She wasn’t there. She was gone.
With a snarl in his throat, he grabbed up the first pair of jeans he found, shoved his legs into them, yanked on a t-shirt, grabbed up Bam’s boots and left, slamming the door behind himself as he ran for the truck.
~~~
Havoc stood on the porch of Bam’s and Everly’s house, banging on the door non-stop. He’d been knocking so long that he was now leaning his forehead against the door, a constant wrap of his knuckles against the wood an accompaniment to his continuing snarl. Suddenly he could hear the door being unlocked and it was snatched open.
“What do you want?!” Emmalyn demanded, her eyes squint, the imprint of her bedsheets across her cheek. Her hair askew.
“Why is Analise’s car gone? If she left, when I catch her ass… she will know better than to ever leave me again!” he growled.
“Her car…” Emmalyn placed both her hands on Havoc’s chest and shoved, moving him away from the door so she could lean out and look over to where Analise’s rental car was parked. Sure enough, it was gone. She turned still bleary, but now angry eyes on Havoc. “What did you do?!” she demanded.
“Me?! I did nothing wrong!”
“You had to do something. She was sound asleep and fine last night. Now she’s gone.”
“I only did what she wanted.”
“And that would be?”
“I mated her! She came to me, I claimed her, and now I’m here looking for my mate because she ran out on me in the middle of the night and didn’t even have the damn decency to wake me up first!” he shouted.
“You’re so full of shit! She’d never mate you!”
Havoc’s head jerked back like she’d slapped him. “And why not?”
“Because you cheat!”
“I’m not that kid anymore!” he bellowed.
“Seems to be a core trait! I don’t think age has anything to do with it,” Emmalyn yelled at him.
“What are you screaming about?” Analise asked, cracking the door to her bathroom open enough for her to stick her head out of.
“Analise!” both Havoc and Emmalyn exclaimed.
Havoc tried to shove his way into the house to go to Analise, while Emmalyn refused to move and shoved him back.
“I’m’a call my daddy and he’ll put your ass out!” Emmalyn threatened.
“I told you we’re mated!” Havoc answered.
“Daddy!”
“Fine! But go tell her I’m here,” Havoc said, planting his feet and refusing to move from the doorway.
“She doesn’t care that you’re here!”
“Then why did she come to me so we could claim each other?!” Havoc yelled at her.
“Why are you so stupid?!” Emmalyn yelled back at him in the same tone.
“You’re the stupid one!” Havoc yelled back.
“Oh, my God! Will you two stop?” Analise demanded coming down the hallway into the living room where the front door was, wrapped in a towel.
“He’s being an ass! And he’s making shit up!” Emmalyn accused.
“She’s just a bitch! Always has been!” Havoc said angrily.
“I’m only a bitch to you because you deserve it!” Emmalyn yelled.
“I suppose breathing makes me force you into being a bitch?” Havoc asked.
“No, fucking around on my sister makes you force me into being a bitch.”
“Emmalyn, move on, yeah? It’s been years, and we certainly have. Move,” he said, pushing past her to get to Analise.
“Why are you here?” Analise asked, taking a step back to keep Havoc from hugging her.
“Because you are! Why did you leave? You just snuck out like you shouldn’t have been there at all. And you left the shower going, what’s up with that?” he asked.
Analise sighed. “I left because I didn’t want to be there when you woke. And the shower was to cover the sound of me leaving.”
His mouth fell slightly open, his brows raised as he just looked disbelievingly at her.
“It was just a night, Havoc. A final chapter to close out all the unfinished business between us.”
“A night?” he asked.
“Yes. You’ve spent more than a few with a variety of women, I’m sure, if your youth is anything to judge by. Why is it such a surprise for me to do the same?”
“Because you’re not the same! I’m not the same!” he shouted. “And no, I have not. Since shortly after I had Harley, there has not been another woman.”
Analise opened her mouth and closed it a few times before she was able to answer. “Oh. Okay, well, I wasn’t aware of that. I just figured you had many.”
“I have one. I have only ever had one. You,” he said, pointing at her, “it was always you. Even when I was young and stupid, it was still you.”
Emmalyn opened her mouth to interject and Havoc cut her off.
“Yes, I know, I cheated. I was sixteen fucking years old and no clue of the problems I’d bring down. But even then, no matter what I was doing, only one female ever had my heart, and that’s you, Analise! You.”
“I’m sorry, Havoc. I didn’t know.”
“How could you not?” he demanded.
“Because everything I’ve ever indicated, said or done said that friends was all I could ever give you, if even that,” Analise said.
“And then you came to me last night. You said, and I quote, ‘I don’t want to talk. I need to feel you, taste you, know what it’s like to be your focus, to have all of this power, this strength, focused on me. I want to be surrounded by you, dominated by you, loved by you. I don’t want to wonder what it’s like anymore. Don’t talk to me. Show me.’ So, I did!”
“Ewww, you said that?” Emmalyn asked, her nose turning up like she smelled something rotten.
“Shut up, Emmalyn!” they both yelled before facing each other again.
“I’m sorry,” Analise said.
“Sorry?” Havoc asked angrily.
“I wanted to know what everyone else did. You were mine and I had no idea what it was like to be held by you, to make love to you, to feel your body against mine, to be with you like that. Everybody else we went to high school with knew, but I didn’t. And I was tired of wondering about it, so I decided to find out for myself.”
Havoc shook his head and looked away for a few seconds before tossing the boots he still held at her feet. He turned and walked away.
“Hold on, Havoc. Why are you so angry? We had a nice night!” Analise called after him, following him down the hallway.
“Nice night?” he asked, as he spun to face her.
“Yes. We let go of all the animosity and kind of made peace,” Analise said.
“Made peace? We made love!” he shouted.
“It was just a night, Havoc,” she said defensively.
“It was not just a night, Analise! And as far you just saying I was yours… I am yours! Always have been!”
“We moved beyond that a long, long time ago, Havoc.”
“No, we didn’t. I didn’t. If anything, I’m holding on tighter than I ever have.”
“I’m sorry, I just can’t go there.”
“Well maybe you should have thought of that before you came to me to be claimed!” he turned his back on her and walked away again.
“Claimed?” she asked, casting a quick worried glance at Emmalyn as she ran out on the porch to shout the same thing at Havoc as he made his getaway. “Claimed?!” she shouted.
“Yes! Claimed. In every sense of the word!” he shouted back.
“But you didn’t bite me! There was no biting!” she screamed at him as he climbed in his truck and slammed the door. “There was no biting!” she repeated.
Havoc backed out, but instead of driving away, he brought his truck to a stop just opposite where she stood on the front porch, still trying to talk to him. He rolled down his window and leaned over so she could see him clearly. “Maybe you should double check your ankle. What? Did you not feel it when I bit you there?” he asked sarcastically.
Analise immediately bent over to examine her ankles. She found the small bite and stood with a shocked expression on her face.
“Yes, that’s right. You’re mated, and claimed. No way out of it, and just to be clear, if you run, Analise, I’ll chase you all the way back to your fancy job and fancy boyfriend and I’ll make sure neither are willing to have you again. You think I’m an asshole, have decided that I’m a liar and not worthy of you? Fine. I’ll prove you right. Bet you had no idea how much of an asshole I really could be. You’re learning now, aren’t you? Make no mistake, you are mine, and you will not leave me. You better wrap your mind around it and find a way to deal with it.”
He slammed his finger against the button to roll up the window and slammed his foot on the accelerator, speeding away spraying dirt and gravel in his wake.
Analise stood speechless, watching him drive away.
She felt something touch her ankle and looked down, kicking her sister away as she examined Analise’s claiming mark.
“Stop kicking!” Emmalyn said, moving out of the way.
“Leave me alone!” Analise said, backing away from her.
“I’m just seeing if it’s a real bite or not.”
“Is it?” Analise asked, turning her ankle out for Emmalyn to be able to clearly see the small mark on the inside of her right ankle.
Emmalyn examined it, then looked up at Analise. “Two marks, both of his top canines. It’s just a nip, but enough to count.”
“How? How did I not know?!” Analise cried out.
Emmalyn shrugged. “Is he as good as I think he is?”
Analise met her gaze horrified at her question, then just as quickly as she was offended, she gave into the obvious. “Yes,” she said, shaking her head, unable to believe the situation she’d gotten herself into. “Yes, he is.”
“And that is how you didn’t notice that he claimed you. For the record, I still think he’s an asshole. He did it like this instead of all obvious somewhere else so you wouldn’t notice.”
“Doesn’t much make a difference, though, does it?” Analise asked as she wandered back inside the house.
“Apparently not.”