Chapter 44 #2
“You can’t move. This is your home!” I exclaimed. I turned to Aiden pleadingly. “Tell her to stop. The kids grew up here!”
“Mom, do you want this in the back of your car or in the truck?” Aiden said instead of giving the response I had hoped for. He gave me an innocent look. “It’s her choice, Rose. Every luna knows this is what happens when a new alpha takes over.”
“But…but…” I spluttered. “I’ll miss you guys!”
“They’re only moving a few minutes away; you could practically walk there if you wanted.” Aiden rolled his eyes. “It’s not like they’re moving across the country.”
Josie came up to me and gave me a hug.
“This is your home, Rose. I would have moved out sooner, but I wanted to make sure you two had a solid relationship first. I’m sorry I haven’t really been much help ever since Dylan’s poisoning.
But I’m glad you two worked it out.” Josie smiled at me.
"Dylan's still at the hospital being monitored by Dr. Danvers so some of his stuff is still in his room.
I'll leave it for him to sort through if.
.." Josie's voice faltered. She took a deep breath. "When he gets better."
I could see the worry in Josie's eyes, hear it in Josie's voice, and I vowed to myself that we would definitely find a cure for Dylan no matter the cost.
“We’re still coming over for food!” Brad called to me, walking by with a suitcase of his own. “Mom can’t cook for shit.”
“Language, Brad,” Josie said sharply as Aiden began to laugh. He grabbed his younger brother, dragging him out of the house.
I found myself helping Josie with the rest of her things and waving them off with Tupperware filled with dinner for them to eat once they’d settled into their new house.
When we arrived back inside, Aiden told Lorraine she could go home early. Then Aiden gestured for me to follow him into the TV room where he promptly pulled me into him to lay on the couch.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” I asked, settling myself between his legs as I laid my back against his chest. I was still in my black slacks and sleeveless chiffon shirt from the meeting earlier.
“Something like that,” Aiden said vaguely, his hands coming around to slip under my shirt, rubbing over my ribs before finally cupping my breasts. Aiden groaned and I felt his desire prod my backside as he began to thumb my nipples through my white lace bra.
“Can you take off your shirt?” His voice was heavy with desire.
I was panting against him, and my hands slowly came up to the hem of my shirt, pulling it off. The cool air made goosebumps appear on my newly bared skin. I turned in his arms, hands reaching to unbutton his white-collared shirt.
There was a perverse pleasure to be had in the knowledge that it was my hands roaming over his bare chest, making the evidence of his arousal more prominent by the second.
It was my kisses that were making his breathing more erratic.
His hands shook as he unbuttoned my slacks and slid them down my legs.
Shimmying out of them, I straddled Aiden.
Desire roared through me as I enjoyed the sensation while he kissed his way along the exposed skin above my breasts.
He let out a low growl of satisfaction. His hands went up to the clasp of my bra.
“Can I?” he asked, his fingers tracing the clasp hesitantly.
Before I could even open my mouth to say yes, the front door slammed wide open.
“Aiden!?” Lexia's quizzical and distraught voice reverberated around the empty foyer. They only had mere minutes before she reached the TV room.
Aiden cursed. I yelped, nearly falling off of Aiden in surprise.
Aiden barely had time to throw his own discarded white shirt over me as Lexia entered the TV lounge to see the flurry of movement.
I turned my back discreetly, face hot, as I concentrated on buttoning Aiden's shirt.
Ironic how a few minutes ago I'd been fastidiously unbuttoning these very same buttons.
His shirt went down to mid-thigh, so I was decently covered but I was still embarrassed to be walked in on.
“I-I’m sorry.” Lexia's voice cracked as she took in Aiden's bare chest and disheveled hair. His hands were clasped in front of him to hide the tent in his pants.
“You should at least ring the doorbell before you barge in here,” Aiden snapped.
I patted down my wild hair. When I was finally satisfied that I looked somewhat presentable, I turned to look at Lexia.
Lexia had mascara streaming down her cheeks and her eyes were puffy.
“It’s…” Lexia's lower lip trembled. “…just that my mom is critical. I ended up bringing her here to Dr. Danvers. I just…” Lexia's shoulders slumped and she looked utterly defeated. “I just ended up here instead of home.” Her voice sounded like a lost child.
Aiden gave me a sideways glance. He was waiting for my response to all of this.
"It's your home, your call,” Aiden leaned in and whispered to me. His hand came up to smooth away a curl at my temple. I breathed in slowly and put a hand on Aiden's arm.
“Let’s go get changed and I’ll make some green tea,” I spoke carefully and motioned towards Lexia. “She needs a friend right now.”
Lexia's lower lip trembled and I indicated for her to sit with a helpless wave of my arm.
Then I self-consciously, walked around picking up my own shirt I'd flung across the room before going to grab my pants which somehow ended up hanging over a lampshade.
I then quickly hurried out, head down and noting Lexia's desolation as the blonde sat down mutely on a sofa chair.
Lexia's POV
I sat on a sofa and felt like an outsider here.
I had come hoping that Aiden would comfort me after seeing me so distraught.
But that was not the case at all. And I could see plain as day what had been going on between the two before I entered the house.
The scene I’d walked in on burned all hopes of getting Aiden back.
Cold dread and loss were settling into my stomach.
I had never made friends, never needed any.
I'd always had Aiden and with him gone, I was completely alone now. My father… I shuddered as I recalled how unhappy and closed off my father had been lately. He was processing my mother’s illness by becoming ill-tempered.
I'd come here for comfort, for a shoulder to cry on and mostly because I needed to feel Aiden’s arms around me.
He’d been my rock for so long and when times got tough, it was my instinct to look for him.
There was no one else to go to but him for me.
But clearly, things had changed and Aiden was no longer mine.
Rose had stolen him from me. I had to get him back…
Aiden's POV
“You have impeccable timing.” I looked towards Lexia a little wryly before sighing. “I’ll be back in a minute.” I had to go get a shirt on. Lexia's eyes flickering to my bare chest were making me self-conscious. This wasn't appropriate at all.
“No…I’ve obviously interrupted…something. I’m sorry. I-I’ll see myself out,” Lexia said in a small voice. “I guess I’m truly alone now,” she murmured as she stood to leave.
She stood there awkwardly hugging herself for a moment before she suddenly jerked her head around the TV room and asked,“Where’s your mother and the rest of your siblings?
I didn’t notice the family car in the driveway and they're clearly not home if you're...” Lexia choked on the words to describe what I and Rose had been doing.
“They moved out.” My eyes were still focused on the exit that led to the stairs, wondering if I could reignite the mood with Rose after Lexia left.
“They…what? Josie moved out? But you told me you’d never let her move out, even after…” Lexia bit her lip.
So many times she’d had this argument with me.
She’d always told me that she wanted the entire house to herself and didn’t want anyone invading her privacy.
But I always responded that it was out of the question and that I'd never let my mom leave.
I always said the house was big enough for everyone so what was Lexia's problem anyway?
“She moved out on her own.” I scratched my head wondering why Lexia was bringing this up.
“And you let her?” Lexia inquired.
“Yeah…why wouldn’t I? I hate sharing Rose.” I gave a half-smile remembering how Rose always scolded me when I tried to get her attention and she was playing UNO or Jenga with my siblings.
Finally, I could push her up against any wall in this entire house and kiss her while running my hands under her shirt without her pushing me away, scared that someone might see. It really was adorable how shy Rose was about PDA. I turned to Lexia curiously, eyes hard as stone.
“For someone who was practically bawling her eyes out when she arrived, you’ve swapped concerns pretty quick.”
“I-I’m leaving,” Lexia stated shakily.
After a moment, Lexia looked back at me as she stood in the middle of the room looking lost. “We’re really finished, aren’t we?”
My eyes turned harsh. “If you came here hoping for a pity fuck, you came to the wrong house.”
“No…I just came here looking for my Aiden, but I can’t find him anymore,” Lexia said softly.
I ran a hand through my hair agitatedly. “Go home, Lexia. I’m sorry about your mother, but I know if anyone can help her get better, it’s Dr. Danvers.”
Lexia’s eyes fell on the book on the coffee table.
“Since when do you read Alexander Dumas?”
I shrugged, suddenly all too aware that the distraught Lexia had disappeared. And now in her place stood a calculating woman.
“I’ve tried reading it since it’s Rose’s favorite book.” I made my way towards her, hoping to usher her out. “I’ll see you later. And Lexia, I really am sorry that you’re going through a rough spot. Let me know if you need any help with your mother’s case at our clinic.”
With that I gave her a nod, hoping she had the good sense to finally leave.
“This is my consolation prize,” Lexia murmured softly.
I turned in time to see her take my book from the coffee table. I didn’t really care if she took it, as long as she left ASAP.
Lexia tucked the book neatly under her arm and left.
I locked the front door firmly behind me, making my way up the stairs, but then stopped when I heard a loud banging on the door.
Wondering what was going on now, I turned to bound back down the stairs.
Thinking it was Lexia again, I let out a low growl of anger as I opened the door only to see Tony standing there.
Tony took in my rumpled appearance and his eyebrows nearly reached his hairline.
“What the fuck, Aiden. I just saw Lexia drive away and you’re standing here looking like...that.” Tony motioned to my appearance. I merely raised an eyebrow, waiting for Tony to use his brain. It finally clicked and then Tony’s eyes widened. “But you don’t smell like Lexia…you smell like…”
Tony left the sentence unspoken. I knew it.
I probably smelled like Rose considering we'd been all over each other not even a half hour ago.
I gave a heavy sigh, ushering my brother in.
If Tony was here outside of mealtimes, then it meant he was here on urgent pack business.
I glanced wistfully at the stairs before turning to see what brought Tony here.
Rose's POV
I walked down the steps much later to find Aiden, still shirtless, waving Tony out the door.
He turned to see me come up behind him. My eyes fell on the papers in Aiden's hand. My alpha had a grim set to his mouth as he silently handed over the document in his hand to me and that’s when I realized that Tony had brought over the translated text for the ceremony, completed by the translator.
Excitement filled me as I read the contents. Judging from the text, I was most likely right that it would work for Dylan. It was a ritual enacted by the mated pair, the luna and alpha of the pack, as an acceptance of a second alpha to help co-rule.
I sat in Aiden's study with him, studying the document thoroughly before handing it over to Aiden for safe-keeping. So this was it. We had a way to help Dylan. But instead of the elation Iexpected Aiden to show, he only heaved a bitter sigh, putting the document into his desk before getting up to go into his room. I noticed that he seemed on edge. What was wrong with him? I did my best to push ugly thoughts away. Thoughts that whispered that this change seemed brought on by Lexia’s untimely arrival in our home a little more than an hour ago.
Aiden absently brought me close to him in the hallway outside his room. He gave me a kiss on the forehead before going to sleep.
“I’ll drop you off at the university tomorrow. I have some stuff to do in town tomorrow morning,” Aiden offered as I moved to open the door to my own room.
I gave Aiden a smile of ascent before I watched him disappear into his room rather than stepping into mine. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with him. But what?What had Lexia said to him?