5. Maia
5
MAIA
“ W e’re going to take Maia over to her place to collect her things,” Christopher says, and I glare at him. Who the fuck gave him this audacity? And, no, those bright gold eyes of his are not pretty. “Aren’t we, love?”
There’s an infliction on the words here as if he truly expects me to just agree. Fool.
“No. I will go back to my place—” I start, shaking my head.
“Not how this works,” he says, still with that placid look on his face. Asshole. “We’ll take you to your home, get enough supplies for the night, and organise the full move come tomorrow. I’d much prefer you and Phoebe were settled tonight.”
Oh, how benevolent of him.
“Phoebe will be much more comfortable with her own things,” Seb says quietly. I’ve noticed that in the short time I’ve been around this man, that he does everything quietly. He doesn’t speak much to anyone, unless asked a direct question, and the only time he’s really been vocal with the group has been in my defence or when he wants to engage with Phoebe.
It’s weird, and I don’t know what to make of it .
He seems… nice . Seb’s introverted nature sets me at ease— mostly— and if it were just him, I probably wouldn’t be fighting this weirdness as much as I am.
And yet, he comes as a set— literally, too . His other three brothers are rude, domineering, and so abrasive I don’t want to be in their company for longer than I need to be. No matter how pretty they may be.
“I truly can’t move in with you,” I say, glaring at all four of the men in front of me. They’ve got the same bashful expression on their faces, Ben going as far as shoving his hands in his pockets and avoiding looking my way entirely.
I hope my glare is as piercing as my tone is. “We don’t know each other, and honestly, I don’t want to get to know you any further.”
Seb looks devastated, maybe because I’m holding Phoebe and not him. His obsession with my daughter rivals his obsession with me, and if I couldn’t sense the purest of intentions from him, I’d be creeped out. The way he hangs his head causes a heavy knot to form in my stomach.
Instead of acknowledging my feelings, I turn to the other brothers. Ben, on the other hand, looks amused, and his eyes are darting between Christopher and myself. I’m not sure why, considering Christopher doesn’t get to decide whether I move into their house or not, but it’s almost like he’s waiting for a big blow up. He’s bouncing on the balls of his feet, his loafers getting a crease in them.
Alexander’s eyes are bright silver, and there’s a pout on his plump red lips, and whilst hot, it’s something I will not be submitting to. His sadness doesn’t have the effect on me he thinks it will. This man is nothing to me. Literally nothing. Why do I care if I hurt his feelings for maintaining a very valid boundary?
But, Christopher, well I’m trying to actively not look at him, either. You can tell he’s the oldest of his brothers because he’s got that older brother authority. The thing is—I’m not his to command. He has no respect for me, and all of our interactions have been negative. His eyes have no business being as magnetising as they are, and I do not want to be under his control.
I don’t know if he thinks that throwing on a tight-fitting and expensive suit is going to make me subject myself to his whims, but it doesn’t have the same sway over my brain as it does over my… nothing.
No part of me finds these men attractive. None, body, are you hearing me?
“If you want our help with Phoebe, you will,” Christopher says with a shrug like my refusal doesn’t faze him. We both know that it’s a lie, though.
“But I never said I want your help,” I say, shrugging right back at him. His eyes turn gold once more, and the glare would be enough to send a lesser person scattering. “I’ll manage my baby on my own, all without you, thanks.”
“No!” Seb whines, his head snapping up. His eyes flicker between bright green and hazel, and I can hear the distraught tinge to his voice.
“That is enough of the arguing,” Christopher snarls, and the hackles on the back of my neck raise as a pressure in my chest forms. I feel uncomfortable, and it’s almost as if little ants are running over my skin. I can’t argue with him. He stole my choice from me, just like the officers did. “You will do as we say and take us to your home. Are we understood on that, Maia?”
“Understood.” The word is dragged from me without my permission, and I can feel my heart racing as the lack of control gets to me.
These men claim we’re soulmates, and yet, they’re willing to rip me of all my freedoms. Sure, Christopher is the one to do it—but none of them have spoken up in my defence. None have argued with him for taking my autonomy from me.
In every story I’ve read, a werewolf adores his soulmate. They’re entwined, their very beings linked as one, and the love between them is pure.
It doesn’t make sense. None of it makes sense.
Then again, that is just fiction.
Their mum has a wide smile on her face as if this is the best reaction possible. She delicately tucks her brown hair behind her ears. “That’s excellent news. Why don’t we do brunch tomorrow? Just the five of us? We can catch up and figure out what to do next.”
“Six,” Seb corrects with a snarl. I ignore the way my heart warms as he makes it clear that Phoebe is invited.
“No, Mum, but thank you for the kind offer,” Christopher says. The growl in his words has disappeared, and so has that uncomfortable energy he was emitting. She frowns, and he pats her shoulder. “We’ll arrange something once we’re all settled.”
Even I can tell that’s a brush off.
She nods, pursing her lips. She is not pleased by this, but none of the men seem to care.
And neither do I.
“Let’s go,” Christopher says, giving no room for argument. “Give your keys to Sebastian, Maia.”
I frown and shake my head a little pettily. This is a choice he’s not yet stolen, and I won’t be reneging on it. “I’d prefer to be the one to drive. I know where I live, and I really don’t want anyone else driving Phoebe around.”
He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose as if this is all a major inconvenience to him. His eyes flicker between hazel and gold before he finally nods. “Straight there. We’ll discuss this further at your home, since you don’t know where we live.”
“I can’t wait to show you our home,” Ben whispers to me, his excitement rubbing me the wrong way. There’s a grin on his face, his eyes that very bright blue colour instead of the hazel, and he’s practically bouncing as he stands. “You and Phoebe can share my room, and I’ll bring you snacks and rub your back. It’ll be a fun sleepover. You can even pick the movie. But it has to be a romcom. Or a?—”
“Time to move,” Christopher growls, shaking his head. I see his lips quirked up ever so slightly, and I frown. “I’ll drive over with Seb and Maia. Ben, Alex, can the two of you grab one of our cars and follow us over there?”
“Sure thing,” Alexander says, clapping Ben on his shoulder when he pouts at me.
It didn’t work on Alexander, and it absolutely won’t work on Ben.
I silently get Phoebe back into her car seat, and I don’t even put up a fight when Seb bends down to grab it for me. He also slings the nappy bag over a shoulder, somehow looking far more graceful than I do when I’m the one doing this.
I’m in a little bit of pain, and my pain relief is at home, exactly where I want to be, so I’ll let him be all macho, and carry the heavy things.
His mum gives me a hug, offering reassurances that I’m in good hands, and then we’re shuffled out of the house. I never met the two remaining alpha men or the twins, and I’m glad for it. If their sons are anything to go by, I do not have faith that we’d get along.
“Thank fuck that’s over,” Alexander mutters once we’re outside the house. Someone shushes him, and he shrugs, turning to Christopher. “We’ll not be long, so drop us a pin.”
Christopher nods.
Seb leads me over to the car, and I pull open the back door for him so he can put Phoebe inside. I clip her into the car properly, adjust her so she’s comfortable, and move backwards. I stumble when I bump into Seb. Tingles shoot through me— literal sparks— and my heart races faster than the swarm of butterflies in my tummy .
I did not realise he was so close.
“Sorry,” I whisper, mortification filling me. He’s smiling and simply steps back for me to get past. I scurry around the car and get behind the wheel.
Asshole gets into the front seat, with Seb sitting back there with Phoebe. The atmosphere is tense as I drive off, and that only increases when Christopher clutches at the handhold above his head for every turn.
“Enough of that,” I hiss when he sucks his lip in between his teeth, acting as if I’m going to kill him with my driving. “I’m a careful fucking driver—especially with my newborn daughter inside the vehicle. Sit quietly or walk.”
“You’re a terrible driver,” Christopher replies. “Now, shut up about it, and keep your eyes on the road.”
My jaw clamps shut, and I’m seething as I continue the journey home, but I’m not going to argue in front of Phoebe. Christopher is an absolute prick, and I want nothing to do with him or his brothers.
We pull up outside my house, and I rush around to Phoebe’s side of the car, not sparing either of the men a second glance as I wretch her door open.
She’s still fast asleep, and she’s so peaceful. I gently lift her out of the car seat, wrapping her in a blanket to protect against the harsh spring evening, and follow Seb over to the front of my house. Christopher doesn’t immediately join us, instead, sniffing the air.
Sniffing it.
He looks so strange right now. He’s in such a smart suit but has his head tipped back as he looks at the sky and takes deep sniffs as he walks in small circles.
“What are you doing?” My words are meant to be a sneer, but instead, come out dripping with my curiosity.
Fuck.
“Nothing. Get inside,” he snaps, turning away from me.
Fucking prick. Why did I even try?
At my direction, Seb gets the keys from the nappy bag and lets us into the house. He knocks each light on as we pass through the house, and I feel right at home. But as we come to the kitchen, I freeze when I see the countertop.
“What?” Seb demands, storming in front of me as he scans the area for whatever has me scared.
I take a deep breath, examining the scene in front of me to see if anything else is out of place. It’s exactly how I left it—pristine—except for one missing detail.
The pie I made… is gone.
Seb steps further in front of me, his arms going back to hold Phoebe and I within his reach, and lets out what I can only describe as a warning growl.
I don’t know what it’s meant to do, but Topher doesn’t come rushing in, so it wasn’t to alert his brother.
“What?” he asks again, this time in a whisper, as he turns to face me. I can see the concern etched into his face, his eyes flickering between hazel and green. He looks deadly, and I’d be terrified of him if I didn’t know that this fierce intensity was on my behalf.
“The pie.” I can feel his patience waning, and I grimace as I look up at him. “I made a pie before everything kicked off… and had left it out to cool. But it’s gone.”
He furrows his brow and looks around the kitchen as if it’s going to be hidden behind a flower pot or something.
“Hm.” He storms forward and opens the fridge door before shrugging and looking back at me. “There’s a pie in here.”
I frown, chewing on my bottom lip as panic starts to build inside my chest. It’s an uncomfortable pressure that just won’t go away because I know that I didn’t put it in the fridge.
Seb tilts his head. “Could you have put it here and just forgot in the fuss?”
“No!” I shake my head, and my eyes widen as he pulls it out the fridge. This is the exact one I made—minus the quarter of a slice that’s gone. “I didn’t eat any of it, either, Seb.” He raises a brow in question as if I would’ve forgotten. Whilst it might be in the realm of possibilities that I’d put the pie away and forget—I most definitely did not eat any of it.
I wouldn’t be this starving if I had.
We both look around the room, me warily and him with a keen eye, but there’s nothing to see. I can’t give him an answer.
The only thing I can think of is the police taking a slice, but when would they have had the opportunity for that?
They left when I did and wouldn’t have had the ability to get back inside without me here. What the fuck?
“Hm.” He tilts his head, and I’m not sure what he’s thinking or feeling since he doesn’t share. Instead, he closes the fridge and turns back to me. “Are you hungry?”
“Yes,” I murmur, looking down at Phoebe. My heart races, and my head snaps back in his direction. “But I don’t want that pie.”
Someone has been here. Whether it was one of the officers or a break-in...
But didn’t I overreact and think Phoebe was kidnapped?
Seb takes a hesitant step forward and places his hand in mine. Sparks tingle, increasing in intensity as we stand together, and I close my eyes, letting the comfort he’s offering wash over me.
I could’ve put the pie back in the fridge.
I probably did.
And honestly... I might’ve ate that slice, too.
It’s all fine. It’s all normal.
Seb’s steady presence helps me reach that calm state. “Once we’re home?—”
“ This is my home,” I snap, and he nods.
“Understood, little mama,” he replies gently. He has a very soothing demeanour, but he’s also so powerfully intense. “Topher is not going to?—”
“What am I not going to do?” the man asks, walking into my home like he owns the place. He’s lost his suit jacket, and his sleeves are now unbuttoned and rolled up to his elbow. Honestly, it should be illegal to have forearms that look that good.
Unlocked a new turn on spot, have we, Maia?
Seb raises an eyebrow, and Christopher sighs.
“I love how you’ll talk to our pretty mate, but you refuse to speak to your brother ,” Christopher whines, and my eyes widen as I see him adopt a playful energy. “Maia, don’t you think he should talk with me?”
I take a leaf out of Seb’s book and stay silent.
Christopher sighs, and I watch as his face changes. He looks frustrated and as if he’s adopted a brand new personality. I eye Seb, and he’s contemplative.
They’re identical in their physical features—down to the freckle on their left hand—but right now, they’re so different it’s startling.
“What do you need for the night?” Christopher asks, and even his tone has changed. There’s no niceness, nothing sweet or playful. He sounds a good decade older, and somehow… it makes me kind of tingly .
I clench my teeth together before sighing. “My brain won’t let me argue with you.”
“Because your brain thinks arguing with me won’t get you anywhere except dead. Humans are predictable in their self-preservation,” Christopher replies with a shrug.
“And yet, we’re mates, so shouldn’t I know that you won’t kill me?”
“Can’t claim that title until you believe it, and you don’t believe it since your brain thinks I’ll kill you,” Christopher replies, looking around the room with the same piercing intensity that Seb was a few moments ago. “Now, what do you need so that you can both get through the night?”
“Do you understand how inconvenient this is for me?”
“Do you understand how inconvenient you are for me?” Christopher says.
I don’t know why it hurts me to hear that. The pang of pain that hits me is undeniable, and I feel tears start to prick my eyes. “I get that you don’t know me?—”
“I don’t need to know you,” he says dismissively, going as far to wave his hand as if he can just swat me away like the fly he so badly thinks I am.
“Topher,” Seb barks, giving his elder brother a warning look. He growls under his breath, and his eyes go bright green. I’m intrigued at the way their eyes constantly change colour. Is it based on their mood?
How close are they to shifting into their werewolf form?
“What?” Christopher protests. Seb lets out a very feral sound—a growl, maybe, but it sounds so primal and dangerous that goosebumps appear across my skin. “Fine, I’m leaving.”
He scoffs, shakes his head, and storms away before I can even come to terms with what he said.
“Sit down, little love,” Seb murmurs, escorting me over to one of the stools. I maintain a tight hold on Phoebe and sit down. He rests his hand on my lower back, leaning over my shoulder to watch Phoebe sleep. It’s serene.
The front door opens, and I’m surprised that Ben and Alexander got here so quickly. They had to go to their home and drive here—how fast did they go? Were they safe?
Heavy footsteps come bounding into the room, and I’m not entirely sure who is in front of me. I think it’s Ben based on the excitement, but it could be Alexander or Christopher tricking me.
“Hi! Your house is a lot more boring than I thought it would be,” he says.
Well, that made the guessing game that much easier. Nobody else would insult me in a way they think is complimentary like he would.
“Hi, Ben.”
He grins, dropping down onto the stool opposite me. “Did you miss me? I went as fast as I could so that we wouldn’t be too far behind, but I definitely wasn’t fast enough. ”
“Where’s Alexander?” I ask, not having heard him enter the house.
“Oh, he’s driving over,” Ben says flippantly. “And you should call him Alex. He much prefers it.”
“He does?” I scrunch my nose up.
“You call me Ben. What difference is it?”
“You were introduced to me that way,” I reply with a small shrug. Ben and Seb are not assholes, for one, and are not as formal as the other two brothers. It’s easier for me to separate them that way.
“Are you all packed? Alex wants to be in and out, and I’m really excited to get you home.”
I sigh and don’t bother wasting my time correcting him. Seb notices that I don’t, and I can see that it interests him, since I had no qualms about correcting him.
“No, I’m not packed. I need her crib, and I don’t really think we can dismantle that here and set it up at yours very easily.”
Ben shrugs, not letting that little inconvenience bother him. “Then we can buy a new one. Here—pick one, and I’ll get it delivered tonight.” He tries to hand me his phone, but I refuse to take it.
“I want some answers before we go anywhere,” I say, and Ben sighs.
“Toph!” Ben shouts before gasping and leaning over the table to try and look at Phoebe. “Did I wake her? Fuck, I forgot she was asleep.” His face drops, his hazel eyes filling with tears. The watery sheen brings out the blue flecks in his eyes that much more.
“It’s okay,” I soothe, reaching over to place my hand on his arm gently. His eyes widen, and I feel sparks shooting up my body. I quickly snatch my hand back, giving him a hesitant smile. “It’s okay. She’s still asleep.”
“Good. I’m sorry I was so careless,” he says with a sigh. “But please feel free to touch me more. ”
Seb growls, and Ben rolls his eyes. I raise my eyebrow, and Seb just shrugs.
Well, then.
“What are you doing back without Alex?” Christopher demands as he re-enters the room with the same kind of annoyance that he did earlier. Ben just shrugs. “Maia, what do you need so that we can leave?”
“A discussion.”
“On what? What do you need to know?”
“I know nothing about any of you,” I say quietly. Tears prick at my eyes, and I hang my head as the day starts to catch up with me.
The tension in the air rises, and I can feel their gazes on me. The silence continues to stretch out, and their panic increases.
“Please, don’t cry,” Christopher says, and I raise my head slightly at the change in tone. His eyes are bright gold, and he’s breathing quite rapidly. “Please, mate, don’t cry.”
He steps forward and crouches down in front of me. My heart is pounding, and my palms are sweaty, and I can’t stop the tear that drips down my cheek.
His breath catches. “Please, mate, don’t cry. Let me fix it. Tell me what to do.”
“Orion, let’s give Maia a moment,” Alexander says, placing a hand on Christopher’s shoulder. I didn’t even hear him come into the house, but he’s here, and everything feels so much more out of control now that I’m surrounded.
“Who is Orion?” I whisper, not able to look away from Christopher. The man I’ve come to know as an asshole smiles, and it truly transforms his face. It’s so different from the carefree smiles Ben gives and the hesitant ones I’ve drawn from Sebastian.
These four men may share a face, but they are so beautifully different.
“Topher’s wolf,” Ben says cheerily. “Mine is called Fluffy. Alex’s is called Max, and?— ”
“Pretty, pretty mate,” Christopher— Orion?— says, grinning at me. This is a full-toothed smile, and I can’t help but return it. “What does my pretty mate want? How do I make you happy?”
“I, um, I…” I trail off, looking up at Alexander for help.
“We are werewolves, but we are still separate from our wolf,” Alexander explains whilst watching his brother kneel in front of me with a wary look. “There’s two consciousness’s inside of each of us, and we work together to be one man. Our wolves are far more primal, they’re not the most logical and rely on us for that. Whereas we let them guide us a lot. The stronger the inner wolf, the stronger the instincts. Christopher is one of the strongest.”
“We’re strong,” Christopher— Orion?— says, nodding. “Strong and powerful to protect my pretty little mate. I will destroy all who are not worthy. Kill them. Bring you their hearts for breakfast.”
I gasp, and Alexander sighs.
“Yes, he means that literally, but that’s where the logic of Topher comes in, and he’d never allow that to happen,” Alexander says.
“So your wolf can just take over you at any time?”
“During strong emotional moments, it can happen, yes. We can also choose to allow it,” Alexander says. “That’s what is happening with Topher now. He’s overwhelmed, and Orion wants to meet you, so… here he is.”
“You wanted to meet me?” I ask, looking back down at the kneeling man.
He nods. “My mate is so beautiful.” He frowns. “But sad. You are so sad.”
The tears come without my permission, this time, and I hang my head, burying my face into Phoebe so that he doesn’t see them.
Orion jumps to his feet and pulls me in for a hug as Seb lets out a very loud growl.
“We’ve got you, pretty mate,” Orion whispers. His voice is deeper than Christopher’s, with a little less refinement to it. “I’m here now. I’ll make it all better.”
It’s got to be the postpartum hormones that make that something I crave.
I don’t need a man— or four of them— to take care of me… right?