Chapter 28 #2
I laugh bitterly, but wave dismissively. “Everything good over there?”
“Great, yeah.” She looks at him again. “Mal, you really can’t help? Might be wise to come over here away from Bailey.”
She looks at me. “Did you see the bruise on his chest?”
“Bruise?”
“He shifted three times yesterday and it’s still there.”
I gasp.
“I’m good here,” Malachi mutters, annoyed, eyes bouncing between me and Misty.
“What’s wrong with you right now?” she asks him.
He rolls his eyes, looking supremely annoyed.
“You guys doing a cookout?” I ask, hearing laughter and smelling someone grilling meat.
“Yeah. Come on over,” she invites.
“Erica is on her way, so…”
“Bring her. We have so much food. It’s a new and wonderful problem to have.”
I smile and it’s genuine, because her evident joy is contagious.
Maybe I will go over. Say hi. Hang out until Erica gets here.
“Okay,” I say and he’s immediately making a call and putting his phone to his ear as I’m moving to follow her. I linger just around the corner so I can hear him talking on the phone.
“Jase, hi. She’s just left the building, but she’s just outside with my pack around the–”
He stops talking because I’ve come back, and I’m now facing him with my arms over my chest and what I’m sure is a murderous expression on my face.
“…corner. It’s five twenty five when I’m leaving this message. Bye.” He hangs up.
“Care to explain yourself?” I ask.
“Just left a voicemail message. I’m trying to mend fences with him. I offered to watch the door, to report to him if you leave.”
I can see Jase’s truck. And a pile of clothing sitting on the hood, his shoes by the driver’s door.
The guy who wanted to date me yesterday is Jason’s minion today? Lovely.
I roll my eyes and stomp back into the building.
Erica is coming in just a few minutes later with Ivy, Amelia, and Stacy in tow.
“Hey,” I mutter.
They all stare at me like I’m an accident scene they can’t help but gawk at.
I promptly burst into tears.
I’m immediately surrounded by them.
“It’ll be okay,” Erica soothes, rubbing my back while Amie has her arms around me.
“We’re here to help,” Amie adds.
I’m ushered to the comfy couch circle in the back of the library where this club of females mated to our council surround me with warmth and care in their gazes.
And a thought occurs like an avalanche of emotion I don’t know what to do with.
Fate wants me in this club. It wants me to be one of them.
I wanted to be one of them. I wanted it with my whole soul.
And I was sure it was just a dream that would never come true, that I’d be on the outskirts, part of the group but not really…
and now it all just hurts even more. Looking at them.
Having them surround me like this. Thinking about what I wanted and how silly it all was.
Or maybe I’m being silly now. I don’t even know.
“Why am I so flippin’ emotional?” I complain, wiping my eyes with my sleeves.
“Talk to us,” Stacy says.
“I can’t.” I shake my head.
“It’ll help,” Erica assures.
“He… I…” I swallow before blurting, “I can’t. I’m just…devastated, you guys. I need time. I need the spell extended so he can’t touch me tomorrow.”
I don’t know how much time I need. I don’t even know what I truly need. I just… I can’t imagine tomorrow coming and him being able to just take me and…no.
Panic is rising.
“Did something new happen?” Ivy asks. “After that scene with Sherry and Jase’s parents? Stacy filled us in.”
“My book club girls aren’t supportive of my petition. Some of them kinda ripped me a new one.”
“What?” Amie demands, outraged. “What kinds of friends are those?”
“Most of them think I should at least give him a chance. So… you guys support me stopping him from claiming me?”
Their expressions stop me in my tracks. Because nobody looks sure. None of them.
“I didn’t see any of your names on the petition, other than Erica’s. What the fuck, you guys?”
Stacy looks guilty. I’ve already figured Stacy out. But the fact that Amie and Ivy are looking at me the way Stacy is has stopped me in my tracks.
“Isn’t that just great,” I mutter, dissolving into full-blown ugly crying.
And the girls close in.
“Bailey, we’re on your side,” Stacy assures.
“You guys are just humoring me.” I state.
“We support you,” Erica says.
“You do, but what about you guys?” I ask the others. “You think I should give in?”
“Nobody’s saying that.” Erica shakes her head. “I’m supporting you whatever your position is on Jason. Because you’re my friend. Also because you’d support me no matter what.”
“I would.”
“You’ve been here for all of us,” Ivy says, squeezing my hand. “You supported each of us through our mating journeys and we’re here to do the same for you. That’s all. End of story. I’ll sign that petition right now. Show me where.”
“Me, too,” Amie agrees.
“Okay,” I whisper.
“Grey asked me to stay out of it,” Stacy says, “Or I’d sign it, too.”
I frown. “Grey asked you to stay out of it?”
“He’s doing his hardest to stay out of it so asked me to do the same. Girl, I support you. But I also think that maybe… just maybe… Jase– ”
My phone starts ringing from my desk.
“Got it,” Stacy rushes over to fetch it.
“Saved by the bell,” Amie mutters.
“Lucinda Walsh,” Stacy announces, walking it to me while it’s still ringing. “Want me to get it?”
I nod so she answers while I try to compose myself. Ivy passes me a wad of Kleenex.
“Hello Lucinda, this is Stacy, Bailey’s sister-in-law. She’s right here. One sec, okay?”
I pull in a breath and breathe it out slowly as I take the phone.
“Hi, Lucinda.”
“I can’t speak long. I’ll be succinct. I see what you’ve sent and I support your position.”
“You do?” I ask, shocked.
“It’s never sat well with me, the whole alpha male claiming a female without their consent. It’s prehistoric.”
“I… I agree. I’m running a petition and have a request for testimonials out, cases where females who were claimed by alphas wish they’d had a choice, but it’s only been twenty-four hours and I only have another twenty-four hours before the Young spell expires and–”
“Young spell?” she interrupts.
“Oh… um…” I stare at Erica.
Shit. Shitshitshit. Did I just fuck up? Will the coven, specifically Dani, get in trouble for this?
Erica smiles encouragingly, so I spit it out.
“Jason from the council here is being prevented from laying a hand on me with an expiry of tomorrow at five thirty when we’ll speak to the coven about next steps.
He’s identified me as his mate but I… I don’t know what it would take for the coven to agree to extend the spell.
I asked for help and they granted a seventy-two hour reprieve.
” I’m watching Erica and she doesn’t look panicked at all, so I’m relieved about that.
I keep talking. “I was hoping to have support from the SCC or at least some sort of inclination that my case has enough merit to warrant requesting Jason be prevented from claiming me while my petition for a law change is considered.”
“He identified you as his mate and you don’t want him.”
“Right,” I say, feeling my face flame.
“A law change could take months. Years even.”
“I had hoped to find a way to expedite it. It seems to me that it’d make more sense for a female to be able to stop a claiming rather than having to endure it before having to request a severing. And once she’s… his mate officially, he could stop her from filing for a bond severance.”
“I understand and agree. Now, I need to go, so while I can’t make promises, leave your application with me. Did you fill out a severance form, too?”
“No, because he hasn’t… you know.”
“Well, he’d need the bond severed even if he doesn’t claim you, though it’d spare you the grief of all that if it’s just him that needs it.
No matter. Please tell Erica I’ll call later this evening for a discussion.
Please ask if she can arrange for as many of her coven to be available for that call as possible.
It could be after eleven o’clock your time, but I’ll strive to make it as close to eleven as I can. ”
“Have I landed them in trouble?” I ask.
“Not at all. I have inquiries to make on my own as well as with them. I’ll call the coven before your deadline tomorrow with an update on whether or not the Collective can expedite this request.”
“Thank you, Lucinda. I appreciate it.”
“I don’t promise anything,” she tacks on. “I need to look at the big picture for your pack. How this would impact the future. That the Young coven seem on your side is promising, though, I need to speak with them. I need more information and I’ll get it.”
“I understand. And thank you very much for your time,” I squeak.
“Any time. I mean that.”
“Thank you,” I say again with sincerity before I end the call.
I blow out a relieved breath, looking at Erica.
“She’ll call you tonight, wants as many of your coven there as possible, but it might not be until elevenish, maybe a little after.
She’ll get us an update before the deadline tomorrow and agrees with me about the law change but can’t promise anything yet.
I thought I might’ve gotten you and your sisters in trouble. ”
She waves her hand. “I’m not saying she’s as much of a rule bender as I am, but Lucinda’s more witch than collective council member and being a witch inherently requires some degree of flexibility. I’d say she’d be a good ally on this, except…”
“Except?”
“Except she, too, has a fated mate. Hers is vampire. So, I’m not sure if it means she’d be more or less sympathetic to your cause, but I’ll give her all the facts when she calls.
She’s a huge believer in Fate, just as a warning, but she’s a witch so of course she’s also a feminist, which will help. ”
I pull in a big breath and let it out slowly.
“What happened there?” Amie asks, gesturing to the hole in the wall.
“Jase’s temper,” I mutter.
“He doesn’t seem like the type to have a bad temper,” Stacy points out.