15. MaiaThree weeks later…Christopher
15
MAIA
Three weeks later…
“ W e’ve got the doctor’s appointment today,” I remind all four men, my eyes raking across each of them as they eat their breakfast. They were doing a work catch-up meeting together, but none of them have complained about me hijacking it for my own demands.
My anxiety is running a little high, although I know Phoebe is healthy and happy, and the appointment should go well. She’s four weeks old and has begun to have longer wake periods. She still sleeps for the vast majority of the day, and the night times aren’t as restful as I’d like, but we have a bit more activity from her, which makes up for it.
I’ve seen the health visitor twice, and she’s a decent enough woman. She makes it very clear that she’s here only to check the boxes and not for any other reason.
I miss Polly’s chaotic care.
“I’ve got three meetings today,” Alex says with a sigh. He pouts, fluttering his dark lashes. “Text me how it goes, please? ”
I nod my head and look towards Seb. “Are you free to come?”
“I hate that he’s your favourite,” Ben mutters. He glares at the way Seb’s holding Phoebe, and I can feel the way he’s desperate to steal the infant from him. “Why am I not good enough? I threw our angel two parties. She’s only a month old! The one yesterday had confetti .”
Which I spent an hour cleaning up before Alex came home and finished for me. The glitter is still everywhere.
“I don’t have a favourite,” I reassure him, and Ben grins at me. He’s wearing a very bright shirt today with an Easter egg on the front as part of his month-long festivities. Apparently, he’s going to dress up as the Easter bunny for Phoebe to celebrate her first Easter.
I was assured he already had the costume, and the answers to all the questions that simple statement brought about are things I’ll have to survive never knowing because I refuse to ask him.
“But if she did, it would absolutely not be you,” Topher says with a smirk.
I give him a dirty look that he absolutely ignores. “It wouldn’t be you, either.”
“It wouldn’t?” Topher demands. “Surely, I would be your favourite.”
I snort. “Yeah, surely .” There’s laughter around the table, and Topher just lets out a huff. “Anyway, back to my doctor’s appointment.”
Topher’s eyes narrow, and then the four guys share an identical look that I have come to hate. It’s the one they share when they’re communicating without me. Sometimes they use their shared mental link, and other times they just communicate with body language and fucking eyebrow waggles.
It’s annoying, and rude, and?—
“There’s a reason you want us to come with you,” Topher says, leaning forward on the table, and my eyes catch sight of his bare forearms. They’re weirdly attractive, and I pray they don’t scent any changes from me.
I shake my head. “I’m just used?—”
“Don’t lie, little butterfly,” Alex says.
“Shit rhyme,” Ben says as he examines his nails. “And I still think butterfly is a shit nickname for her.”
Alex rolls his eyes, and Topher raises his eyebrow, giving me a stern look. “Maia?”
“I really don’t like Dr Thomas,” I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest. I don’t like that they sussed me out so easily, but they’ve got reason to be suspicious.
I’ve tried to get out of having a shadow every single time I’ve left the house. Mostly because I’ve seen the hours they work, and I hate feeling like a burden when I know they’re running a huge business. But, selfishly, it’s also because Ryan won’t approach me with them near.
I’ve talked with him twice, and each time was weirder than the last. He’s obsessed with Phoebe but is reluctant to talk about what life is like for him wherever he is. He comments on how good at parenting her I am, how nice it is to see me smile… how grateful he is to me for loving him. It’s hard seeing him and even harder seeing him leave.
He told me last time that he’s not sure how much longer he can keep coming to see her, and I had a nightmare about the day I identified his body that night. It’s been rough and even harder keeping it from the guys because they know something is up with me.
I’m constantly searching for him in the street, desperate to see that blond hair of his or his cheeky smile, and every time I don’t… it hurts me.
“You’re not seeing him, though, right?” Alex demands, and his words are very gruff. My heart races, thinking about Ryan, and my eyes widen. “Maia? You got the appointment changed from Dr Thomas to a different doctor, right? ”
“Oh, yes!” I say, nodding quickly. They exchange another one of those shared looks, but I’m not sure what to say about it. “I’ll be seeing Dr Carson instead. She’s lovely.”
I glance around the table once more, and there’s a more serious edge to each of the men. Even Seb, who is holding Phoebe, is on guard, likely because of whatever they can scent from me. “So, who can come with us?”
I cross my fingers, hoping like hell it’s not Ben who agrees to come with me. He’s an amazing friend, and aside from a few overstepped boundaries, we’ve become quite close. I’m fond of the cheeky wolf, but he’s also very enthusiastic and has no tact whatsoever. I think he’ll only add to my anxiety, and that’s not something I want.
I also don’t want to verbalise that because I know it’ll hurt his feelings.
“Good, I’m glad,” Alex says with a firm nod. He looks around the table at his brothers, raising an eyebrow at Topher. “I can cancel my meetings if need be, and I can come with as well.”
“I’ll be there,” Topher says. His words don’t carry any room for argument, which is good, since I really don’t want Alex to have to cancel his day just to chauffeur me around. “Can I come into the room, or do you just want company to the surgery?”
“You’d want to come in?” I don’t know why I sound so surprised, but he doesn’t give me a hard time for it.
“If you’re comfortable with me being there, I want to be,” Topher says simply.
I nod, sliding into my seat a little. “I’m nervous.”
“Talk to us,” Alex demands, reaching over to squeeze my wrist gently.
“I know everything is being handled by you guys, and that you’re doing everything that needs to be done to ensure Phoebe’s safety,” I say quietly. Another look is exchanged between them, and I swear I see guilt flash across Alex’s face. “ But I can’t shake the feeling that everything is going to go wrong.”
“We are doing everything to ensure Phoebe’s safety,” Topher says in that no-nonsense tone of his. “But if Dr Thomas is something that is making you anxious, then I’ll check it out whilst I’m there today. Hopefully, we’re in and out and won’t cross paths with him, but if we do, you won’t be alone.”
“I’ll give him a little look into as well once I get to work,” Ben says, and I give him a grateful look.
“By that, he means he’ll be able to tell you everything down to the colour of his underwear,” Alex teases. I try to laugh, but we can all see how half-hearted it is.
“I can come to the doctors with you and Toph as well, though, if that’ll put your mind at ease,” Ben offers.
Topher’s the one to shake his head now. “No. Going to the office and checking in on Dr Thomas from your standpoint will be best. If you’re nervous around him, Maia, there’s a reason for it.”
“Thank you for not just writing this off.” I bow my head when I say that, reaching over for my glass of smoothie. This one’s the nicest one Ben’s done, and he was pretty proud that it had only taken him two weeks to get a blend down that I really liked.
I’m not sure if it actually helps my milk supply, same with the cookies he makes, but it’s nice, and he really enjoys doing these things for me.
I tried to give back to them all one night by making dinner since they were all running late, but not only did I end up burning pasta so badly we had to bin the pan, I ended up crying for a good forty-five minutes because I was so exhausted.
I’ve not tried since then.
“We’d never write off any insecurity you have,” Ben says, giving me a smile. It’s very sweet. “Some of them aren’t even unfounded. Your toes are pretty ugly, and you’re a terrible cook, so once you’re done breastfeeding, you’ll never make Phoebe another meal again.”
I snarl, glaring at him, because he’s just lost the sweetness. Alex groans, but Topher’s expression barely changes. “Fuck you, Benjamin Wolfe,” I hiss.
He leans back in his chair and furrows his brows. He eyes his brothers up before turning to me, and I don’t know what’s put that excited glint in his eyes, but I know I’m not going to like it. “Do you mean that literally? Because I’m not sure I want my first time to be done in front of our child, but if it gets your hands on me…”
I let out a frustrated screech, unable to even explain why he’s an idiot, and instead, I angrily sip at my smoothie as I glare daggers at him.
“We’ll make it work, won’t we, princess?” Topher asks, moving the conversation along. I nod hesitantly. “Good girl. I promise you that everything will be fine.”
A tear drips down my cheek, and I refuse to look at him. “You can’t promise that, Topher.”
First Ben and his stupidity, and now Topher trying to get my hopes up.
My emotions can’t take this back and forth.
He reaches across the table and grips my chin in between his thumb and his index finger. “Do not hide your face from me.” I sigh and meet his hazel eyes. “Trust me, Maia, when I say that everything will be fine. I won’t ever make a promise I do not intend to keep.”
And although my brain is still chaotic, my body seems to submit to his dominance—or arrogance—and I relax.
Everything will be fine.
Right?
Christopher
“Mate is scared,” Orion roars, trying to get me to let him be the one in control of the body so he can comfort her. Her fear is a stench I can’t ignore, the bitterness of the orange causing my stomach to churn and my throat to burn.
She should never be afraid. Not when I’m around to protect her.
“I know. And I’m doing what I can to keep her calm,” I say, keeping my annoyance tapered down. It’s not Orion’s fault that she’s distressed, but he’s not making things easier on me. “But she’s probably not going to settle until this appointment is over and done with, so we just need to deal with it.”
Maia’s in the passenger seat of my car, biting her nails, as she watches out of the window. Her curly black hair is tossed over one shoulder, hiding most of her face from me, probably in an attempt to hide her feelings. Phoebe is in her car seat in the back wearing a pastel pink dress but is fast asleep and blissfully unaware of her mother’s stress.
We had a situation last week where Maia was out with Phoebe, and she only had the pram with her but was exhausted. We couldn’t grab her car seat since it was in Maia’s car, and only Maia had the keys. Now, all of the vehicles we own have a car seat in them just in case we need them.
Excessive, maybe, but it’s best to be prepared.
“Distract mate,” Orion demands, his voice sounding like scratches against my skull. “She’s scared, and since we can’t stop the car and cuddle with her until the panic fades, and there’s nobody here for us to kill, let’s distract her.”
“We have a child now. We cannot kill whoever we want,” I mutter, indicating to turn left. The roads are busy right now, and it’s agitating me that much further. Not that I expect for us to be attacked, but in my line of work, you don’t enjoy putting yourself into situations you can’t control without clear exit strategies .
“Oh, yes, that’s the reason we shouldn’t break the law. Not because we’ve got good morals or care about human life.”
“Your sarcasm is not welcome,” I snarl, reaching over to turn the music down. It’s a soft classical piece, but the violins are a little scratchy, and they’re annoying me.
Maia’s biting stills, and I gently reach over to place my hand on her thigh. I don’t go as high as Orion’s begging for but just squeeze her softly so she knows she’s not alone.
My brothers and I have been arguing for the last few days about the right time to open up about who Ryan is to us, about the connection we share with Phoebe’s biological father, with the man she loves. The deeper we connect with her, the bigger this omission will taint our relationship.
I’ve refused, arguing that she’s not ready, that she’d leave us if she found out now.
And I stand by that. Maia’s not ready for this. No amount of preparation would change that. But I’ve got some faith that she might not immediately run… and we need to be on even footings.
“It’s you who has not been ready,” Orion hisses.
“Yeah, well, I’ve changed my mind,” I argue back. It’s time for Maia to know the truth. Or... at least as much as I can bear to tell her. I already know that I’m going to take all of the blame so that any anger she feels is directed towards me.
“Towards us,” Orion says, softly. It’s the first time he’s not been a dick today, and I’m glad it’s in defence of our brothers.
“For our discussion tonight, we’ll talk about the importance of scents in infants,” I say, and Maia’s frown only adds to her allure.
She’s wearing a gorgeous, tight-fitting red dress that clings to her upper body but has a skirt that flares out when she spins. It makes her skin look more tan, and she has a radiant glow surrounding her.
She has a bright red lipstick painted over her plump lips, and her eyes are much darker than normal. Her lashes are longer or maybe thicker. I don’t know. They’re just sultry, and beautiful, making her eyes pop.
Her curls are soft and bouncy because it was a wash day yesterday, and they complete her striking look.
My mate is hot.
“So fucking beautiful,” Orion chimes in. “Luscious. Sexy.”
“Your prowess with adverbs doesn’t impress me,” I counter as I indicate to go left. The car turns smoothly, and I maintain the cautious speed so I don’t panic Maia more. I’m a very good driver, but it’s terrifying to drive with my child in the car, even more so when my mate scrutinises every move I make.
“What do you mean?” Maia asks, her brows furrowing together. “Is there a difference between baby scents and adult scents?”
“There are, yes. A child’s scent goes through many stages, and I think you’ll find learning about them really interesting,” I say.
“What’s so important about scents?” she asks. There’s a deep V in her forehead that I’m desperate to lean forward and kiss. I hold myself back, knowing that no matter how much progress we’ve made in the last few weeks, she’s still not ours .
In fact, I’m waiting for the upcoming fight about her moving back out in a few days, once the month is up. We all are, and that’s been the biggest reason for Alex and Seb wanting to open up about Ryan’s true identity.
If we’re honest, she’ll have nothing to fear from us, and she might stay .
I grin at her. “You’ve got to wait until tonight .”
Maia is voracious when it comes to learning about our world, and rather than letting her huddle upstairs each night alone with Phoebe, we have a family night where we discuss everything she wants to know. Alex coaxed her downstairs one night with the promise of knowledge, and it’s become my favourite nightly routine .
“Mine, too,” Orion says. “I love when she gives me love whilst glaring at you.”
“We share a body, you fool.”
“And yet, she kisses me, and doesn’t kiss you.”
I clench my fists tighter on the wheel and don’t bother arguing back. I can’t.
Maia has given Orion a good few kisses, but I’ve never had the courage, and she’s never given it to me.
“Just tell me one thing,” she pleads, and it’s the excitement in her voice that makes me give in.
“Yeah? Or is it that you’re weak to the desires of your mate,” Orion says teasingly.
He’s such an antagonistic little prick.
“When a baby is born, they smell only like their mother,” I say, and Maia’s eyes widen as she turns to face me properly. “But around the four week mark, they start to smell like their father, too.”
“Whoa,” she murmurs before she gasps. Fear fills her eyes, and I immediately realise my mistake.
I hope my face doesn’t show my guilt. We’ll tell her properly tonight, and I’ll take all of the backlash.
“I mean it was your decision,” Orion says. “But that’s not how it works, human. We made a decision as a team, and we’ll face the repercussions as one, too.”
“She’s going to be upset, and Seb cannot take being pushed away,” I say quietly, and Orion agrees. Seb’s not the only one who will suffer, but between him and Ben… it’s better that I take the blame.
Maia brings her legs up onto the seat, doing her best to hunch up and make herself even smaller.
“It’s helpful,” I say, trying to reassure her without outwardly pointing out her fear. “Until Phoebe hits puberty, she’ll be marked by her bloodlines, and it’s an added protection whilst she’s vulnerable. It marks her as a wolf, as one of us.”
Literally, too. She’s a Wolfe through and through .
“But her family lines aren’t something we want to be acknowledged, so how is this something for us to see as a positive?” Her voice sounds so small, so broken, and it causes Orion to howl in my mind.
Her tears are his biggest weakness.
“She smells like her dad, sure... but she will also smell like me and my brothers once her wolf accepts our claim fully.” She already has, but that’s not something I want to get into with my very… reluctant mate.
“Is that a big moment for a dad?”
I nod, thinking about the excitement we all felt yesterday when her scent came through properly. Seb noticed it the day before, but we’re not as strong with scents as he is. The four of us take every single opportunity that we can to smell her now, wanting to continue developing that connection.
“It is.” My voice is husky, and I cough a little to clear my throat. “The mother carries the pup, she has the connection from the moment of conception, and there’s no doubt that the pup is hers. But for the dads, our first spiritual moment of connection is when the scent comes in and that tie is formed.”
“I don’t really understand how it works.”
“We’ll try to explain more as a group, you little sneak,” I say, winking at her. She groans, throwing her head back on the seat.
“You’re terrible,” she moans. “This is interesting .”
“And you tried to sneak extra information out of me. You’re the terrible one,” I tease, squeezing her thigh again. “Don’t worry about her smelling like her dad. It’s not going to be that big of a deal.”
“I hope not.” She falls quiet for a moment, and the drive is a lot more at ease now, rather than her being overwhelmed with her panic. “I still feel so out of depth with this world.”
“You’ve been part of it for three weeks,” I say. “Of course, you are. You can’t learn an entire new culture in a few weeks. But you’re trying, and that’s the important thing.” She sighs. “Believe me, mate, you’re navigating it extremely well. ”
She glances over at me, and I see her trying to look at my eyes. I turn to look at her, and her lips part ever so slightly as she sees that it’s still me in control of the body.
“So, since the topic of conversation tonight is infant scents,” she says, winking at me, “What can you tell me about adult scents?”
“Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky.” I’m overjoyed at the genuine smile on her face. “We can smell a lot .”
“I’m sure you can,” she says with a smirk. I grin and outline some of the things we can scent, and she’s as engaged as I am.
That’s one thing I really do love about Maia—she’s so inquisitive. She’s always so excited when it comes to learning about the differences between our worlds, and she often has a unique standpoint.
“What I don’t understand is how you’re all so identical,” Maia says, and I raise an eyebrow. “Are you telling me you don’t see it?”
“I mean, I know we’re identical?—”
“Not just you four,” she says, cutting me off as she eagerly turns to face me. “ Every twin or multiple I have met is like a carbon copy of the other. Iris and Talia, Patrick and Garrett, even Liam and Finn.”
I burst out laughing, and she groans. “When I was fourteen, I was so fucking sick of looking like my brothers. The amount of trouble the four of us got into, and I hated when I was mistaken for one of the others. So, I cut off all my hair.”
She gasps as a sly look appears across her face. “I’d be down for you doing that again.”
“It grew back overnight.”
She gasps again, her baby blue eyes widening. “It what?”
“It grew back overnight. Ben tried for weeks to dye his hair, to scar himself, to change his appearance to be different from the norm, and it didn’t work.”
“I can’t believe it. That’s crazy ,” she says, her red lips parted ever so slightly. But then she grins, the biggest and most authentic smile I’ve seen. My heart beats faster, seeing her this energised, and a wave of pride fills me.
“Well done, human,” Orion says. “You’ve intrigued our mate, made her so happy.”
“I don’t need you congratulating me for caring for my mate,” I protest.
“Considering you’re still bottom of the pack in terms of her favourite, yes, I do,” Orion says, and I hiss at him along our bond.
Sure, I’m lower on the totem pole than my brothers… but that doesn’t mean I’m not her favourite, right?
I shake it off and turn back to where Maia is at with her conversation, letting her finish what she’s saying about “werewolves existing, so of course, identical twins could exist despite going against the laws of science.”
“The theory behind it is interesting. When we’re conceived, we’re split from one egg and grow in unison with each other. A bond is formed, tethering us together, linking us as one. Every identical set of siblings is believed to be one part of a soul, shared between however many there are in the set.” Goosebumps race over my skin. “Why should our bodies be different when our very souls are identical?”
A shiver wracks down Maia’s spine, but she narrows her eyes. “But you are all different. Your personalities are so unique, and even the traits each of you share are so varied. You might look the same, but you’re not the same.”
“Because we’re one part of a soul—not the full soul four times,” I say, turning the car into the doctor’s surgery. “We’re not all going to have the same aspects of that, are we?”
She hums lightly. “That makes sense, I suppose. So you can’t have anything different from the others in your bond?”
“As far as we’ve found, no,” I say with a shrug. I drive around the lot again, trying to find a space. There’s such limited parking in this small surgery. “However, ask Seb about what differences he has tried to implement. ”
Maia raises an eyebrow. “Do I really want to know?”
“You might,” I say as I find a space. It’s like a flip has switched on my darling mate, and the fear I managed to erase from her over the drive has come back in full force.
I pull into the spot easily and turn the car off, hating how strong her scent is right now. It’s a tantalising smell that’s alerting my wolf and I to her needs.
I fucking hate that I can’t fix it.
“We can. Kill him. Carve out his eyes, cut out his tongue, then slit his throat. Destroy him so he can’t ever hurt her again.”
I shove a barrier up between us, not wanting to hear his murderous fantasies. Murder can’t fix everything.
“Are we bringing the car seat in?” I ask, wanting to let her have the control so she can feel less overwhelmed. Maia thrives on control, I’ve noticed.
I just wonder how that’ll play out when we mate.
“You and me both,” Orion hums.
“Nah, we can just carry her inside,” Maia says, climbing out of the car. The move is so graceful, so enticing. “Can you grab her bag for me?”
“I see how it is,” I tease as I slam my door shut. “You’re getting the precious cargo, and I’m left getting the bags.”
She tosses a wink at me over her shoulder, and I grin. She gently lifts Phoebe out and uses the backseat to rest her down whilst she gets Phoebe’s coat on. The little pup is wearing a pink, frilly dress that is extremely cute, with bright pink pant things that go underneath. She looks warm and so fucking adorable.
I wonder when Maia will be okay with us buying clothes for Phoebe. So far, the only financial contribution we’ve been permitted is buying the groceries that feed Maia and, in turn, Phoebe.
“Wait, can you grab her for me?” Maia asks with a sigh. I nod as she passes Phoebe to me, and I cuddle the little wolf in close .
“I love you,” Orion murmurs to her, and I run my fingers down her cheek.
“You okay?” I murmur as Phoebe grasps my finger.
“Yeah,” Maia says. “Ben’s just demanding updates, and it’s easier to type when my hands are free.”
I laugh and grin down at the little baby when she clenches my finger tighter. I lock the car, and the three of us walk towards the doctor’s office. Maia’s ferociously typing messages to my brother—brothers, more than likely—and Phoebe’s being very cute as she chats away. Her images have gotten so much clearer as her eyesight improves, which usually makes it easier to identify what she wants, but this time, I’m stumped. I don’t really understand what she’s asking for, and rather than change up the scene, she’s just sending the same things over and over.
The doctor’s surgery is quite lively with a few toddlers running around. There’s lots of people, none of them wolves. It’s a very nice surgery with comfortable seats and brightly coloured boards with medical information on them.
Maia goes to check us in, and I move to one of the seats, placing the bag at my feet. Phoebe’s demands become more insistent, and I see her mum’s face. She wants Maia. I can feel the love both Phoebe and her wolf have for Maia, but she doesn’t want to be held or milk.
She doesn’t need a nappy change.
She wants— oh.
Maia gives me a weak smile as she approaches. Her hair covers her face, and her shoulders are held so high.
“Phoebe wants you to sing to her,” I murmur, keeping my voice low.
“Really?” I nod, and tears prick at Maia’s eyes. I reach over and press a gentle kiss to her temple. Phoebe’s settled in my arms, but Maia gets more and more nervous as we wait. Her voice shakes as she softly sings under her breath to our pup, and the feelings of love and contentment from Phoebe fill my heart in a way I’ve never felt before.
She’s called over by a receptionist a few moments later, and I frown. Dr Carson has been delayed by an emergency, so we’re seeing a different doctor. I don’t need to hear her say his name to know we’re seeing Dr Thomas.
Maia’s whole body tenses up, which is scary considering how tense she already was, and she gives a very sullen nod before coming back over to us. Her hands are shaking, and I hate that some man has this much control over my mate.
“I say we kill him. Send Maia and Phoebe home with Ben, and we gut him,” Orion says. “Destroy him for thinking he can hurt our mate. Sever his hands from his body, carve out his tongue, and ? —”
“Let’s leave,” I say, putting a block up between Orion and I. He’s extremely worked up, and I need to be calm and focused so that I’m able to support my mate and daughter.
“No,” she whispers. “We need to get this done.”
“You’re shaking, princess,” I murmur, taking her hand in mine.
“I know.” Maia’s hand doesn’t leave mine, but she clenches her jaw, and I know she’s determined to see this through.
I’ve been wanting to meet this prick anyway, ever since Seb found that napkin at the café table. Maia and Phoebe’s names were written on it, along with a stitched on Ryan . It feels far too coincidental that the napkin would be monogrammed with the name of Phoebe’s father, the name nobody else should know.
But not like this.
Phoebe’s name is announced over the tannoy, and I let go of Maia’s hand for a brief moment as I grab Phoebe’s bag. I hold tight onto Phoebe and then take Maia’s hand once more. The sparks shoot between us, and I’m really grateful she doesn’t baulk at the contact.
It’s a testament to her anxiety that she doesn’t.
But my wolf and I need this contact, too .
“Where do we go?” I ask, trying to distract her, but she doesn’t answer as she directs me through the hallway.
We come to a stop outside door seven, and I squeeze Maia’s hand before letting go so I can open it.
But the moment I do, my senses are overwhelmed with something that should not be here.
A strong, pungent smell that makes my nose itch.
“Intruder!” Orion roars in my mind. “Wolf! Rogue Wolf! Rogue Wolf!”
I turn and gently place Phoebe in Maia’s arms and shove the bag towards her before letting out a very loud growl that has the doctor inside put on notice.
His head snaps up, the slimy scent of his strengthening as he recognises who I am, and I bare my teeth as I charge into the room.
The door slams behind me, and I pray like hell that Maia runs.