Chapter 17
Vanessa
I tossed and turned all night long.
How could he be such an ass?
Why the hell did I want to kiss him still?
What did that say about me?
I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Worse, the more I did think about him, the hotter my body became. Dirty scenes played out in my mind. It made for a very uncomfortable night’s sleep.
By the time my alarm went off, I was completely miserable.
Somehow, I managed to drag myself to the shower. That helped a little. The cup of coffee I grabbed on my way out the door helped a bit more.
In general, by the time I arrived at Isaac’s house to pick up the boys, I was already exhausted and ready to crawl back into bed. Or maybe just crawl into Isaac’s bed. After the dreams and thoughts I’d been having all night, that seemed like a fantastic plan.
I was expecting to have to wait, maybe even go in and drag them out of bed or something. But when I arrived, and walked up to the house, the door flew open, and Isaac stood there looking even sexier than my dreams. He was wearing a pair of pajama bottoms but no shirt.
My jaw dropped and I stared without shame or embarrassment, even as the boys filed out one by one, dressed and ready for school.
They seemed oblivious to my state of arousal as I grew more uncomfortable by the second.
Great! I was already pondering how the hell I was going to get through the day after my dreams, now I had to add this to the mix?
“Good morning, Vanessa,” he said in a sexy deep voice.
I just stared.
“Are we going to school or not?” Mason yelled, but even that didn’t sway me.
Isaac chuckled.
“Maybe she needs coffee?” Noah suggested.
“Do you need coffee? I have some freshly brewed.”
I shook my head trying to clear the fog of desire that was putting me into such a stupor.
“Have,” I blurted out, then I licked my lips and took a deep breath. “I have coffee, thank you.”
He sniffed the air as a sly smirk tipped his lips.
“Perhaps you need something else then?”
My jaw dropped a little more and I had to practically pick it up off the ground.
“Ms. Vanessa, let’s go,” Mason yelled.
“Gotta. Time. Now. Shit. Bye.”
I turned and sprinted for the car before I changed my mind. The only other alternative was to leave the kids in the car, push Isaac back into the house, lock the door, and live out every fantasy I’d been having about him.
What was wrong with me?
“Are you okay?” Mason asked as I slid into the drivers seat.
“Fine,” I lied.
I was anything but okay. I was uncomfortable in my own skin and it was Isaac’s fault. Never in my life had I been so horny. If it weren’t for the boys, I had no idea how I would control myself around that man. My good sense and morals were fleeing quickly.
Before I changed my mind and ran back to his house, I started the engine, threw it into drive, and made a massive U-turn in his yard as I spun away.
More distance would certainly help—though it hadn’t last night.
I was so screwed. How the hell was I going to get through the day like this?
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Mason asked.
“You guys better have your seatbelts on right,” Noah warned his brothers.
I took a deep breath and slowed the vehicle.
“I’m sorry guys. Thanks for being ready on time.”
“Are you mad at Mr. Isaac?” Mason asked.
“Yes. No. I’m just frustrated with him.” For existing, I thought but didn’t say aloud.
“I think he probably has that effect on people,” Mason said.
I snorted. “I think you’re probably right.”
“He’s not very nice. He barks and growls a lot, but at least he’s letting us all stay there. That’s gotta be something, right, Ms. Vanessa?”
“You’re probably right, Mason.”
He looked up at me in confusion just as I pulled to stop and looked in my rearview mirror at him.
“You don’t know? I thought you were friends or something.”
I shook my head. “No. I just met him looking for the three of you.”
“You really looked for us?” Noah asked.
“I searched everywhere since the second I heard you were missing. Why did you run away that first night when I found you at the preschool? I could have helped you.”
And then I wouldn’t be in this predicament, but then I also wouldn’t have met Isaac. Would we have ever crossed paths if not for the boys? Would I have spent my whole life pining for a true mate that was just a few miles away?
It was crazy to think about.
But now that I’d found him, I had no idea what to do with him.
I pulled up to the school and parked. At least work would keep me preoccupied for most of the day.
“Come on,” I told them. “Let’s find some breakfast.”
“We already ate,” Mason said.
“You did?”
“Yeah, Mr. Isaac fed us.”
“What did he feed you?”
“Pancakes and sausage. It was delicious.”
I didn’t think he even liked them. He made it seem like they were a nuisance. Why would he do that?
The boys ran off to the playroom while I headed for my office.
I checked the time, needing to call Kyle and ensure he spoke with the school and explained the situation, but feeling bad about how early it still was.
I was sure he’d handled it, but I didn’t want any surprises or to put the boys in a bad situation.
Something told me Isaac hadn’t been joking about his rules, especially the one about not telling anyone about him.
I hated that and all his “I don’t exist” crap.
He was supposed to be my mate. How were we supposed to make that work? If I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about him, how would I even begin to explain how I was mated but he doesn’t really exist?
It sounded stupid just thinking about it.
This was never going to work.
Maybe Isaac was right, and it would be best if I just stayed away.
The problem with that was how much it physically hurt just considering it. I felt the stab of pain right in the center of my chest.
“Are you okay Ms. Vanessa?” Cam asked.
He was standing at the door to my office watching me. Before I could answer him, he walked in and then climbed up in my lap. Cameron gave the best hugs.
“I’m fine now,” I assured him.
“Can I help setup today?”
“Of course. I would love the help.”
I pulled a stack of coloring sheets and told him to go put one at each seat of the three-year-old table.
He wasn’t gone long before Mason and Noah came in looking to help too.
“Are you sure?”
“We don’t mind,” Mason said. “Right, Noah?”
“Yeah sure. Whatever.”
I knew he tried to play the tough guy part, but really, he was a sweet boy who’d been thrown a shitty hand in life. I couldn’t blame him for being mad at the world, or for wanting to keep his family together.
Without questioning it, I handed them each of stack of papers to do the same on the pre-school and two-year-old tables.
By the time Mary arrived for the day everything was set up and ready to go.
“It’s all done?” she asked when I told her.
“My helpers were quite efficient today.”
She looked down at the three boys and smiled.
“They must be. She never finishes this early,” Mary told them.
They all stood up a little prouder and my heart swelled.
I loved these boys. I’d loved each of them individually when I had them in my class and they’d stolen my heart with their courageous, though not too bright, decision to stay together.
I didn’t have siblings, but I knew that if I did, I would have stopped at nothing to ensure we stayed together if we were in their situation.
Mary gave them each another task. When they ran off to do it, she linked her arm through mine and squeezed.
“I can’t believe you found them. And I’m shocked Noah is going back to school without a fight.”
“We’ll see. So far, so good. I doubt he’ll run off without his brothers and Cam won’t be leaving my sight today.”
“Good plan. Kyle told me they’re staying at Isaac’s. Is that right?”
“Yes. Apparently, I don’t have the appropriate room for them to stay with me.”
“Did you want them to stay with you?”
I nodded, honestly.
“Did you convince Isaac to let them stay there?”
“No. It was his idea.”
“Really? I didn’t peg him for a kids’ guy.”
“I doubt anyone would think that.”
“Wonder why he agreed to it?”
I suspected it was because I couldn’t take them and he knew how worried I was about them. It made me curious to know if he even realized why he was doing it. On the one hand he warned me to stay away, but on the other he was doing all the right things to pull me in. It was highly confusing.
But I wasn’t about to explain that to Mary, though there were so many things I wished I was brave enough to ask her about, like if it was normal to want to blow off all other responsibilities and just be with him.
The thought of sitting here all day long felt daunting in a way I’d never experienced before. I adored my kids. This was my happy place, but my head and heart just weren’t in it as I thought about my mate all alone on his farm in the woods.
“Are you okay, Vanessa?” Mary asked.
Before I could respond, the boys returned.
“You’re sure they know Mase and I are coming to school today? I don’t want no problems.”
“You don’t want any problems.”
“Whatever. I’m serious. If I see the sheriff snooping around, I’m taking Mason and we’re out of there.”
“And you’d just run off and leave Cam like that?”
“What? No. Cam’s safe with you. We trust you. I know you’ll bring him back to Mr. Isaac’s when the day’s over.”
“So you’re telling me now that you’re going to run away to Mr. Isaac’s house?”
“Heck yeah. I know we got a deal and all, but I’m not chancing that sheriff splitting us up again. No way will I let that happen ever again.”
“So you’ll just live in Isaac’s basement forever?”
Noah nodded. He was dead serious. “I know he doesn’t really want us there, but he’ll let us stay because it makes you happy.
He’ll do it for you and that’s good enough for me.
He’s letting us stay for free, well, mostly free, and he feeds us.
Most importantly, he’s helping me keep us all together. That’s all we need.”
Mary eyed us suspiciously. I knew she’d heard every word.
“Will you feel better if I call Kyle and confirm it?”
Noah nodded.
I hated bothering him this early, but I knew it would help Noah a lot. I didn’t think he hated school; he was just nervous about returning. If this would calm him down, then it was okay.
When I called, Kyle answered on the first ring.
“Thought I’d hear from you today. Did they run away again?”
“No, the boys are here at the daycare with me. Noah’s just a little nervous and asked me to confirm with you that his teacher,” Noah interrupted me.
“And Mason’s.”
“And Mason’s,” I added. “Have been updated.”
“I called them both. I’ve also spoken with the principal, and I gave Shelby the heads up to keep an eye on them.”
“Great. I’m going to send them on the bus since I’ll have kids arriving around the same time.”
“How about I meet them at the school and escort them to class?”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea or a terrible one. I guess maybe meet them there and see what they think.”
“Okay. I can do that.”
I said goodbye and got off the phone. Noah was anxiously waiting for me to tell him what Kyle said.
“Well?”
“He’s already spoken to everyone and he’s going to meet you at the school.”
“What? The Alpha is coming to see us at the school?”
“Yeah, cool right?”
“No! Are you crazy. He can’t do that. Everyone would be talking about it.”
“And that’s bad?”
“Very bad.”
I hid my smile and tried to give him a sympathetic look.
“We have our first arrivals.”
“Already? What time is it?”
She told me and I started to freak out.
“Go grab your bag and get Mason. You’re going to miss the bus if we don’t hurry.”
Noah ran off to get his brother.
“Go on. I’ll hold down the fort while you get them sorted.”
“Thanks, Mary.”
All three boys joined us.
“Cam, stay here with Mrs. Mary.”
“But. . .”
“No buts, Cameron. You listen to Ms. Vanessa while Mason and I are at school. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Promise,” Mason said.
“I promise, Mase.”
True to his word, he stayed back while I saw the older two off. And when I returned, he mostly stayed by my side until his friends began to arrive.
“Cam!” Vada yelled when saw him. She ran straight to him and threw her arms around him.
“Cam, you’re here!” Nathan said.
“Yay! Welcome back,” Mary Alice.
Within minutes it was as if he’d never left.