34. Maia
34
MAIA
“ L ook at her rolling,” Ben says with a grin, nudging me as if I’ve not seen it before. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still obsessed with the act, but it’s not the first or even tenth time she’s done it. My baby absolutely loves showing off her new skills.
She’s a genius.
Or… is she just supernatural?
“Are there wolf milestones?” I ask as we watch her giggle to herself. She’s on the floor still and is now reaching out for one of her cotton mirrors. She tugs it towards herself and makes cooing sounds.
“Are there what?” Ben asks, not looking away from Phoebe. He’s waiting for her to do it again, but she’s pretty content looking at herself in the mirror, so I think he’s going to be waiting for a while.
His tongue is poking out the side of his mouth a little, his eyes wide and bright, and I can hear the excited hitch in his breathing. He’s obsessed, and it’s the cutest thing ever. We’re both sat on the floor in my bedroom, playing with Phoebe.
Or more realistically, watching her entertain herself.
“Human babies have milestones they’re expected to meet by certain ages. It’s a tool we use to determine if they’re developing correctly.”
“Oh. And is she developing correctly?” His concern is palpable, and he turns to look at me properly now. “Should we be concerned? Is she on track?”
“She’s ahead of the curve by human standards. That’s why I was wondering about wolf ones. I want to know if she’s… on track in your world, too.”
She’s rolling a lot earlier than expected. She giggles, coos, even sometimes babbles. Her eyes are always so alert when she’s awake, taking every single thing in. She’s only eight weeks old, but it’s as if she’s been here before. Clearly, the wolf side is having some impact on these skills. I’m just concerned about whether she’s on track.
He shrugs, no longer bothered now, and turns back to watch Phoebe. “We’d be able to tell if anything was wrong with her. We don’t need milestones to check that. She’s strong, healthy, and has a curious wolf. That’s all we care about.”
“So her speed at walking, crawling, talking, etcetera, doesn’t matter to wolves?” I ask with a tilt of my head. That seems weirdly inaccurate.
“Not really. I mean it’s exciting when it happens, but it’s not a matter of speed or proficiency. Pups do those things in their own time. It would be stupid to judge a regular wolf against an alpha. Or even a girl against a boy. You humans have such weird things.”
I frown but nod. I’ll ask his sister, Talia, about it later tonight. She’s got twin boys, surely, she’d know a little more about this than Ben will. My health visitor is human and is so lovely and kind, but she doesn’t know anything really about werewolves. I wonder if they have their own doctors and health visitors and a system to monitor their own babies.
“I can hear your brain ticking away,” Ben says. “What’s wrong?”
I ask him my questions, and predictably, he shrugs and has no response for me. His suggestion of asking his sister, though, is helpful, since that was my plan.
Iris and Talia are coming over this evening with their mates and kids, for them to all catch up. We’ve not seen the girls in a couple of weeks, and I’ve still not met Iris’s mates. I’m pretty nervous about it, since last time was so uncomfortable.
But as far as family relations go, I’d much rather this one than the one with the quadruplet’s parents. They’re back on Monday, and I’m very nervous about the confrontation and how that’s going to go down. I don’t think their mum is going to take it very kindly when we accuse her of murder, and honestly, I doubt her mates will, either.
If they’re anything like mine… well…
I shiver, looking over at Phoebe, seeing how peaceful and content she is. She’s never going to know the horrors, and the secrets, and the drama that has plagued her early days. I won’t allow it.
We’re going to win the stupid custody battle. The one that never should’ve even been allowed. I’ve got faith.
Good job lying to yourself, Maia.
“You okay?” Ben asks. He rolls onto his back, looking up at me with a concerned look. “Are you worried about these stone things?”
I grin and shake my head. “No.”
And it’s true. I’m not concerned about Phoebe’s development. She’s following her growth chart, she has plenty of milk, sleeps very well, and is, of course, hitting so many motor and physical milestones. She’s doing amazing. I do want to make sure that she’s developing correctly for a wolf, but not because I’m concerned she’s not .
I’ve never wanted to miss anything when it came to Phoebe, and whilst, so far, I’ve been present for the big things, I’m already missing out on a whole lot as a human parent of a supernatural baby.
I want to make sure nothing slips through the cracks. She’s beautiful and clever, and I would hate to fail her just because I don’t function like she does. She’s magnificent, and I could never live with myself if I was the reason she didn’t reach her full potential.
“I love you,” I say, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to Ben’s lips.
Rather than replying, he pushes me off him and darts to a sitting position . I tumble, my head hitting the side of the drawers, and I groan as it properly connects.
He bursts into laughter, and I roll from my back onto my knees and sit up properly to look at what he’s found so funny. Phoebe’s rolled—a few times by the look of it—and is playing with my sock on the floor. There’s a huge grin on her face as she plays.
Ben finds it hilarious. So hilarious that he ignored my declaration of love, shoved me, caused me to bang my head very hard on the wooden drawers, and hasn’t even realised I’m hurt.
Typical.
“I tell you I love you, and you give me a headache,” I mutter, getting up from the ground. I can feel the lump already forming, but there’s no broken skin.
“It’ll heal.” So dismissive.
“In a few days ,” I snarl at him as I go through to the bathroom to get some painkillers. I down them with some water from the tap and try to get a better look at my bump through the mirror. I’ve got far too much hair, and I sigh in resignation.
I go back through to the bedroom when Ben calls for me, and I can’t help but laugh at the forlorn look on his face. He’s holding Phoebe in his arms, and she’s practically glaring up at him. His bright hazel eyes are trained on me, his full rosy lips stuck out in a pout.
“What’s wrong?” I look around, but the sock is still there, and I can’t see what would be the issue .
“Milk time.” His tone is pitiful, and I burst into giggles. “You traitor!”
“Well, it seems fitting that she’d choose my boobs over you after you chose a sock over me. Now, off you go. I’ve got a headache to nurse.”
He rolls his eyes but gently passes Phoebe over before readying me with all the supplies I need. I don’t often use my nursing pillow—it gets in the way more than it helps—but he sticks it underneath me, and I lay her on it. He hands me a cookie and places my juice on my side table before leaving.
He’s so thoughtful sometimes. I never need to ask—not with him, or any of his brothers—for help, or even just for the obscure little bits that I need.
I get Phoebe settled as Ben pops his head in and throws another pair of socks onto the bed. Warmer ones, and I roll my eyes before he’s gone.
He’s a dick. Funny, cute, adorable… but the biggest dick.
It’s weird that I like it.
I scoop Phoebe up from the bed, and the two of us head downstairs to join the guys. I’m not sure what time their family is coming over, but Phoebe should have a decent wake window here and should get a good forty-minutes or so of play.
“What time are—” I come to a stop, seeing one of their twin sisters already sitting in the living room. She’s on the long sofa with Alex, and I grin at her. “Hi.”
I hold a tense smile as I come to a stop in the doorway, and I try my hardest to not feel weird when she gives me an assessing look up and down. I don’t want Topher feeling my unease, but I also don’t understand why I feel this way .
Her long blonde hair is in a high ponytail, and her hazel eyes are narrowed into slits. There’s an almost smirk on her face, and I have to hold myself from stepping back. She’s got a full face of makeup, all beautifully done, and is wearing a tight, pink blouse with some fitted trousers.
She’s clearly just come over from work, which hopefully, is why she’s feeling a little… rude.
“Maia, come sit,” Alex says, grinning at me. There’s a calmness to his voice, and I desperately need that right now, so I don’t hesitate in nodding as I enter the room properly.
“Iris was nice enough to grace us with her presence early,” Topher says, and his sister laughs.
“I tried closing the door on her,” Ben says, winking at me. I laugh, but it quickly tapers off when nobody else joins in with me. It only makes the temperature drop, the atmosphere much more awkward.
“I just came over after I finished work. There was little point heading home, to then have to come straight back over here.” Iris’s tone is very monotonous as she continues to stare me down. I nod, having guessed that. “My boys will be heading over soon, though.”
“It’s no stress. We’re so glad to see you,” I say with a smile. I head over to Phoebe’s mat, which is in the middle of the room, and gently place her on it. I take the offered toys from Ben and set them up around her before taking my spot near Alex.
“She’s getting bigger.” Iris’s tone is quite bland as she looks at Phoebe, and I try to smooth out my frown.
The last time she saw Phoebe was seven weeks ago. Of course, she’s gotten bigger.
I’m happy to tolerate the rudeness towards me, but I do not appreciate the way she’s looking at my daughter.
“She can already roll over,” Ben says, sticking his tongue out at his sister. I love how excited he is when he shares this. I know if I could feel his emotions like I can Topher’s that he’d be actually lit up in joy .
Iris harrumphs, scrunching her nose up as if that is not a good thing.
Ben notices, and his tone is dangerous as he says, “Don’t be jealous of my daughter, Iris.”
“Well, she’s not really your daughter, is she?” Iris mutters, crossing her arms in front of her chest. I freeze as three growls are levelled her way. She flinches, her face paling, even under the makeup. “That is not what I meant.”
“But it is what you said, sister,” Alex says, tightening his hold on me. He’s trying to be soothing. Max’s low grumbles combined with the sparks usually do work. Right now, though, my blood is so cold I think I may develop hypothermia.
Alex levels Iris with an undecipherable look. “Maia is ours, and that is enough to make Phoebe ours. Do not disrespect my mate or daughter like that.”
“But more than that, our wolves have bonded. The claim is there, as you know.” Unlike Alex, Topher’s tone is completely hostile. “You owe my mate an apology for the rudeness.”
Iris’s back stiffens, and she’s gaping at Topher. I can feel the anger he’s feeling, but more than that is the disappointment . He’s weighed down by it, and on the offensive, as he gives his sister a stern look.
He’s not impressed, and I can feel his anger building as the seconds tick by.
I really, really do not want them to fight. Not in front of Phoebe, and honestly, not at all. I don’t expect the confrontation with their parents to go well, and the reunion with their aunt and uncle next month is going to go even worse… I just want this one family event to be nice.
It’s not too much to ask. Right?
“Um, it’s okay, honest, I don’t—” I start, desperate to keep the peace. Alex places his palm on my thigh, pressing down gently, as the sparks intensify.
“I’m sorry for the disrespect, Maia,” Iris bites out. Her eyes are narrowed into slits, and I can feel the venom in her words as she glares at me through her brother.
I give her a tense smile and pray that we drop the subject. I don’t know what her issue is, although she was a little hostile last time we met, too, but it’s clear that this isn't work stress.
She genuinely does not seem to like me.
And that’s okay. But I will do my best to keep the peace and cause no issues.
I’m an only child, and except for Phoebe, my family is all dead. The situation between the quads and most of their family is tense at best and downright murderous at worst.
I don’t want to be the reason that they cut off another member.
“That was not—” Topher snarls, and Iris seems to gear up for a fight. Topher’s emotions are even more negative, and it’s like the air chills.
Even Phoebe is quiet as she gazes up at us. I wish I could hear her wolf like the guys can.
“So, your mates are coming today as well?” I ask Iris, cutting off Topher’s angry words. I give him a pleading look, begging with him to drop it.
He nods once, his jaw clenched, as I turn to his sister with the biggest smile I can muster.
She nods, a sour expression on her face. “Yeah. Aaron and Brad are off for a week or so before they’re back out, so they’ll be over with Cade.”
“They’ll be done for the summer soon enough, and then you’ll be sick of them,” Alex says. I appreciate his effort to keep the peace and squeeze his thigh in thanks.
She nods but shrugs. “It’ll be nice to have them home. It’s getting longer and longer each time they’re away.”
They chat a little about football, and I’ve got nothing interesting to add, so I focus on the small circles that Alex is rubbing into my thigh and the coos from my baby on the floor .
She’s showing off her rolling skills and lavishing in the attention that Ben is showering upon her.
The conversation comes to a stop, and none of them make an effort to start it back up. I feel so uncomfortable as we sit in this tense silence, the only sounds from Phoebe and her toys.
Iris’s gaze flickers between me, Phoebe, and her brothers, and the tension just builds and builds. I’ve never felt this out of my depth before.
I look up at Alex, the pressure in my chest burning. “Where’s Seb? I didn’t realise he had left.”
“He’s been gone an hour or so,” Ben says, getting up from the floor to take the armchair for himself. He stretches out, getting comfortable, and it’s such a sharp contrast to how I’m feeling.
Phoebe is pretty happy down there, and other than the constant stares at us, she’s pretty engaged.
“He’s just finishing up patrols. We wanted to make sure things were settled before we all clocked off for the night,” Alex says, dropping a kiss to my bare shoulder. I nod.
“You’re taking this alpha thing very seriously,” Iris mentions.
“Yes. This alpha thing ,” Topher says, rolling his eyes.
Ben smirks. “It’s a good thing your men are rich, Iris, because you don’t have the brains or the looks.”
I gasp, but Iris just flips him off.
“I’ve heard you’ve been really stepping up on the patrols, though,” Iris says, looking at Topher. “Why?”
He winks at her. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“I can smell the scent of you, even here. You’re truly marking your boundaries around your home,” she continues. I don’t think it's a worry that I can hear in her tone, but she’s definitely unsettled.
Alex realises, too, and he sits forward, patting Iris’s leg. “Don’t worry. You and the pack are safe. ”
“Is this because of—” Iris starts, but she’s interrupted by Phoebe, who grunts and then whines very loudly.
I lean over, getting ready to help her, but Alex places his hand on my chest and shakes his head. She’s struggling to roll over and is getting frustrated because of it.
She whines again, but instead of crying, she just shifts into her wolf and charges over to the ball that she wants.
“Oh, my gosh,” I say, sitting back slightly. My head feels light as I watch the little grey wolf bounding around. “She did that on purpose—right?”
Topher nods at me, a huge grin on his face. “Seb’s going to be so upset he missed this.”
“You little angel,” Ben says, dropping down to the floor. He lifts Phoebe into his arms, laughing as she licks his face. “You’re such a clever girl, aren’t you, Pheebs?”
“Oh, how… peculiar. She’s so little .” Iris leans in close, looking at my daughter in her wolf form as she clambers all over Ben with her tiny little paws. “She’s quite cute.”
Her words are nice. But the look on her face combined with that tone… it gives me an eerie feeling, and I don’t like it.
“Very cute,” Ben says, grinning at Phoebe. “Toph, toss me her ball back. She’s desperate to play.”
“You play with her with a ball?” Iris tilts her head as a knock at the door sounds.
“It’ll be Talia with her men, or maybe even Iris’s mates,” Alex says, pressing a kiss to my temple. “I’ll get it.”
I snuggle into the sofa a little more, feeling a little overwhelmed. Phoebe starts chasing the ball, and Ben is put out every time she bats it past him. She’s playing alone—not with him, despite how much he’s trying to be involved.
“Oh, hey,” Alex says. I peek over, but can’t see who is at the door from my angle. “I thought you were Talia and her lot.”
“No,” a pretty familiar voice answers. I sit up straight, turning to look at the door, as Alex moves back to let them come in .
Three very identical and familiar men enter the room. All three of them are dressed differently. One in a suit, one in a tracksuit, and one is wearing a red shirt with a pair of light grey shorts.
But that’s their only difference. They’ve got dark brown, fluffy hair and bright green eyes. They’re all very slender, and a little shorter than my mates.
Athletic builds and cheeky grins on the back two.
The one in the suit is far more uptight, a very intense kind of confidence surrounding him, whilst the other two are a lot more relaxed.
This is either a huge coincidence, or fate has truly been having fun playing with my life for a lot longer than I thought.