45. Maia
45
MAIA
I roll over, my head connecting with the metal of Phoebe’s crib, and I groan. I tentatively reach out for her, not bothering to open my eyes, but my heart drops, and my blood stills when I feel nothing.
My eyes fly open, I lurch up into a sitting position, and I see the crib is completely empty. My daughter is not there.
“Topher!” I scream, darting my head over to look at the door, but it’s closed. I don’t hesitate in jumping out of bed, charging to the door, and shouting once more for him as my heart pounds inside my chest.
“What the fuck is going on?” I blink, and Topher—I think—is in front of me, followed closely by Ben—I think.
“Phoebe,” I croak out, tears filling my eyes. Instantly, both men deflate, and I let the sobs overtake me, reaching out for whichever man is in front.
He wraps his arms around me, murmuring soft sh sounds, trying his best to comfort me.
“Oh, darling,” Ben says, laughing a little. His amusement is felt so clearly that it only makes me cry harder. “She’s downstairs getting doted on by Seb and Alex. She didn’t want you this morning, so we took her instead and have given her a lovely morning with her daddies.”
“Go downstairs,” Topher says to his brother as he pulls me into his arms properly. I’m sobbing, full hysterics, and Ben’s amusement is just making me feel so much worse.
Orion pushes forward once Ben’s been kicked out, and he slowly walks me over to the bed. “Don’t cry, pretty mate. Humans are stupid. They should’ve told you we took our pup. Idiots. I’ll crush them for you and let you have all the puppy love.”
I laugh slightly through the tears and let Orion dote on me as he effortlessly soothes away my distraught. He wipes away my tears, kisses my forehead, and gives me a very tight cuddle.
He’s wearing a pair of tight-fitting grey joggers, and a dark grey hoodie that is now covered in numerous wet spots from my sobs.
“Sorry. I just...” I trail off, not sure how to finish the sentence.
We both knew exactly what my worry was. I was terrified that they, Ethan , had snuck in whilst I slept and stole my baby.
“Mate is clever,” Orion says, pressing kisses across my face and neck, his hands roaming and soothing me with the firmness of the touches. “She called for the strongest alpha to save her. I will always come and protect mate.”
“No protection was needed,” I remind him.
He lifts me up into his arms properly as he rises to his feet. I don’t protest, not because I enjoy being carried from room to room, but because they whine so much when I don’t allow it, and right now, his hold makes me feel so incredibly safe.
His chest seems to puff out, and his grip on me tightens. “I will crush all of your enemies, princess. Bleed them out, break them, and then destroy them. Nobody will ever cross you and live to tell the tale.”
I grin as he brings me into the kitchen with my other three mates. It’s quite easy for me to tell them apart this morning, even without their superior noses.
Seb’s back is to me as Orion gently lowers me to the floor, and I’m surprised that he doesn’t even turn. He’s got a pair of black joggers on and a white T-shirt. He’s the only one of the men wearing shoes, and I frown at the mud on them. Has he been out this morning?
Or did he maybe not return home at all?
Ben’s wearing only a pair of pale blue pyjama pants, and I refuse to even look at his beautiful, tanned chest because I cannot take the arousal this early in the morning.
Whilst my body is trying to trick me into thinking we’re ready to mount one— let’s not lie to ourselves, Maia, all four of them together— of them, my head is a mess from yesterday’s explosive discussions, and I want to make sure we’re on the same page before I beg one of them to help me expel this energy.
Alex, surprisingly, is holding Phoebe and is directly across from Sebastian. He’s wearing the same clothes he was yesterday, and I know that because he came straight home to my bed, and then clearly hasn’t gotten changed before kidnapping my infant.
“You terrified mate,” Orion says, advancing over to Alex. He gives him a sneer, and I hold in my giggles at how different he is to Topher. “Terrible male.”
“I wanted you to have a lie in,” Alex says, giving me a smile as he ignores his elder brother. “She stirred an hour or so ago but was content to spend some time in her wolf form with us, so we let you have a lie in.”
“Oh.” I don’t know why I’m so hurt about that, so I plaster a fake smile on my face. “Thank you. Next time… I want to say leave me a note, but I’d panic before I’d even have looked for one.”
“I’m sorry, little butterfly. Next time, I’ll wake you, no matter what,” he says. I move to sit down on the empty bar stool and look up at Seb, who is focused on my tiny infant. Phoebe’s eyes spot me, and she starts to whine. Alex grins. “She missed her mama.”
He gets up and brings her over to me, and I take the little bundle into my arms. She settles almost instantly but starts to root, nudging her head in at my chest. I smirk and unlatch the clasp on my vest top and guide the nipple into her mouth. Relief fills me at the instant relief to the engorgement, and I relax. It wasn’t a nice way to wake up, even if I am fully refreshed after the restlessness of last night, and my body is slowly losing the panic it had.
I wish the same could be said for the men in this room, though. There’s a deep-seated tension, and I can’t tell which of them it’s emanating from the hardest. None of them are happy, and I have no idea what went down last night.
“Are you okay, Seb?” I ask, and he gives one firm nod. I hate that I don’t have the bond with him because he’s the most closed off this morning, and his lack of reactions is extreme, even for him. “Are you lying to me? Because, usually, you’re begging to hold Phoebe, and if not Phoebe, me, and today you’ve not even rounded the counter to give me a good morning kiss.”
“Feeling needy, are we?” Ben asks almost eagerly. “I can hold you both so much better than he can. Come sit in my?—”
There’s two growls, and although one comes from Seb, I missed which of the men let the second one loose. Alex’s jaw is clenched, but Topher’s outwardly glaring at Ben, so it could’ve been either of them.
“I take it we’re still a little unsettled?” I ask, looking around at each of them.
“You did tell us that our cousin, someone we’ve spent the last decade mourning, is alive and living out a brand new life far away from us,” Ben says, reaching into the centre of the table to grab some grapes from the fruit bowl. The rest of the table is clear, not even a mug of tea or coffee in sight, which should be another indication that something is wrong.
They’re early birds, all of them, and I always come downstairs to breakfast either fully made or at least in the process of. And yet, today, I don’t think anyone has eaten.
“We’re in a very precarious position as a group right now,” Topher says, and I can hear the undercurrent of anger in his tone. “One of us wants to track her down and demand answers from her. One of us wants to watch her from afar, judge the truth, and just make sure she’s safe. Another wants to go pummel the alpha and luna of the Grey pack, and the final one of us wants to sort out things for the pack meeting this afternoon.”
I sigh and turn to Ben. “Tracking her down and demanding answers isn’t going to be the smartest way to handle things right now. She’d likely flee if I arrived with you all, but also... there’s a much more inconspicuous way to handle it.”
Ben sighs, muttering about how patience isn’t his strong suit, before shoving half a banana in his mouth.
I turn and look up at Seb after adjusting Phoebe so she’s more comfortable. “There’s a gala coming up on the thirtieth of May. It’s one of the annual events that the foundation holds that I attend, and I’ve already agreed to go with Phoebe. Emily is always there, despite not being a public figurehead for the foundation, and we’re meant to be meeting up.”
“Has she met Phoebe yet?” Alex asks, and I shake my head.
“No. She knows I’ve had her, and I’ve sent a few photos...” I trail off and sigh. “Emily and I aren’t extremely close. We used to have dinner at least once a month when I lived in the area, we’d chat on the phone, and keep up over text, but since I’ve moved here, we’ve not seen each other in person. She’s excited for me, of course, and she’s in love with Phoebe, but she’s not met her yet.”
“So she doesn’t know that Phoebe is a werewolf.” Alex’s words are filled with even more tension now, and I shake my head, giving him an “of course not” kind of look.
I also only pieced together who Emily— Morgan— was yesterday, so why on earth would I tell a woman I assumed was human that my daughter can turn into a werewolf?
I’ve not told anyone for the exact same reason I hid my “visions” from everybody, too. I do not want anyone thinking I’ve got mental health issues that would risk me losing Phoebe.
“Well, fuck.” Ben’s the one to utter these, but it’s echoed by both Alex and Topher.
My heart skips a beat, and I tighten my grip on Phoebe. Seb takes a step closer to the counter, resting his hands on the edge of the bench, and the concern across his face matches what each of my three mates that I have a bond to feel.
“What?”
“Morgan might have no claim over the pack, but after Ethan, she’d have the biggest claim to Phoebe,” Topher says, eyeing up his brothers, before giving me a soft smile. “It’s been a very long time since we knew her, and she’s clearly spent the last ten years in hiding. As much as we’re happy to find out she’s alive... it does bring far too many questions and concerns, especially where our daughter is concerned.”
“Which is why we should face the Grey’s head on,” Alex hisses, and I gasp, looking between him and Topher.
I thought it was Topher who wanted to do that irrational plan.
“We’ve got four weeks or so until this gala of yours, right, princess?” Topher asks, and I nod. He smiles in response before turning a keen eye onto his brother. “Then we can get through today, and then make a plan, Alexander. Like it or not, we took over as alphas to this pack, and they need our support right now.”
“And you just want us to pretend like our world hasn’t fully shifted?” Alex snarls, and I flinch at the venom in his tone .
“Lose the attitude.” Seb’s words are flat, but they don’t leave room for any argument.
“You’re one to talk after what you did last night,” Alex says, rolling his eyes. I clutch Phoebe to my chest as Seb lets the loudest growl loose and slams his hands onto the counter. Topher’s at my side immediately, moving me and Phoebe behind him as Alex and Ben jump to their feet.
The latter is breathing raggedly, his eyes flickering back and forth, and I press myself further into Topher, not sure what’s happening right now.
Seb seems furious, and there’s concern in all three of my mate’s emotions. I’m not sure what’s going on or why they’re acting like I need defending from Seb.
I know that he’d never hurt me. That none of them would ever hurt me.
“Enough,” Topher commands, his tone calm and steady. “I thought we handled this last night or I’d never have allowed you to talk with our mate and daughter present.”
“You’re not the only one who gets to make decisions, Christopher,” Alex says, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Alex is usually the peacekeeper of the group, so I’m a little confused that he’s being so aggressive here.
Alex gives me a soft and apologetic look. “I’m sorry, little butterfly. I’m not trying to upset you or cause any extra stress for you. We’re not dealing very well, and we can’t identify a good enough plan of how to move forward.”
“I can never begin to understand how hard this is for you all,” I say, keeping my tone soft. The men in front of me move out of the way slightly, and I make a move back to my seat.
“No, you can’t.” Ben’s words are simple, and I ignore the flash of hurt I feel.
“But with that said,” Alex says, his tone changing as he stops addressing me and glares at his brother. “You’re being an asshole, and you know it. It’s not your way or the highway, and we need to come up with a proper plan. ”
“You’re not the only one reeling from a shock, Alexander,” Topher snaps. “Get your head screwed on and look at the bigger picture.”
“Go,” Seb says, looking at me sternly. His brows are furrowed, and not a hint of a smile graces his lips.
I frown, an uncomfortable pressure building in my chest as I look away from his eyes and take in the angry stance of each of my mates. Whilst I know they’d not harm me or Phoebe, there’s a tension in the air that I’m not used to existing.
“Go,” he repeats, and a shiver wracks down my body. “Not safe.”
“What isn’t safe?” I whisper, my heart pounding.
“Me.” He steps closer to me, gently tugs me out from behind Topher, and slowly turns me towards the door. “Us.”
“How?” Phoebe whines, and I adjust her from the left side to the right, and nobody even seems to breathe as I do. I pull away from Seb and look at each of them. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” Alex says, and whilst the words should be reassuring, they’re firm and hard, just like his stance. His arms are crossed in front of his chest, and there’s no hint of warmth in his hazel eyes.
“Why don’t I... why don’t Phoebe and I head back to my place for the night?” I say slowly. “Let you all have some space.”
Topher growls and spins around to face me. “No.”
“I don’t want to be here if you’re all just fighting. It’s not good for me or Phoebe to be around this stress.” I look over at Alex, the one who is usually trusted to be the most reasonable, and repeat my worries to him.
“This is a family matter,” I add softly. “And whilst I am your family, and the future is ours , this is an issue from the past. It’s one that’s beyond me, one that you need to focus on together .”
“Not safe,” Topher says, his eyes bright gold. I’m not sure if it’s him or Orion in control of their body, but his worry is overwhelming.
“If she shifts, I will call you and let you come over to help. I’ve gotten better at handling her in wolf form.” Mostly. As long as she’s got a ball, she’s quite content to chase it back and forth. “Take the day. Process. Handle the pack meeting, then we can make a plan.”
“Then we’ll make a plan,” Alex echoes.
“What if Ethan shows up?” Ben asks, raising an eyebrow. I flinch. “Will you be inviting him in for tea? To share your bed?”
“Not warranted,” Topher snarls, coming to my immediate defence.
“Not kind, either,” I say, giving Ben a stern look. “I thought he was my fiancé.”
“Oh, yes. Because that’s so much better,” Ben says, rolling his eyes. I flip him off and take a seat back at the table, shuffling Phoebe so she’s more comfortable.
“I don’t like it,” Topher says, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “The pack is not secure, not properly.”
“You guys need to shout and break some things and process your emotions, without worrying about me,” I say.
“You’re our mate. We’re always going to worry about you,” Topher says, moving over to sit down next to me. I rest my head on his shoulder, taking the offered kiss to my lips. “I love you. We love you.”
“And as I told you last night, this is a huge family affair.” My tone is gentle and kind as I turn to face him, and he sighs, sensing the seriousness radiating from me. “I don’t have the same problems that you do. I’m concerned, but... you guys know this world more intimately than I do. Whatever the plan you create, I’ll trust it and follow your lead.”
“You trust us?” Seb asks, but I know it’s Kane, even though his eyes haven’t shifted.
“Yes, Kane. I love you. I trust you. I know that I’m safe with you,” I say softly. “We’re in this together, no matter what.”
“One night,” Alex says almost hesitantly. “We’ll figure out a plan and discuss it tomorrow with you.”
“One night,” I echo. I look down at Phoebe and smile. “Just us tonight, baby, whilst your daddies have their big, strong alpha night.”
Topher grins at her over my shoulder. She’s not bothered, the only interest she seems to have right now is how much of my boob she can fit into her mouth at one time.
“Okay, breakfast,” Alex says, rubbing his hands together. “I’m starving.”
“You’re starving?” Ben demands, gaping at his brother. There’s no more bananas in the fruit bowl, most of the grapes are gone, and there’s only a bruised up orange left as Ben shakes the bowl at us. “Fruit is not sustenance! I am a growing boy. I’m dying . I’ve had to sit here and waste away whilst you all have your big feelings.”
A lot of the tension fades out of the room as I giggle, and Alex even winks at me. It’s startling how quickly they’ve seemed to bury their annoyance—well, from everyone except Seb. He’s still standing there as if his entire world has been destroyed, and I hate the expression of pure loss on his face.
His eyes are unfocused, his expression blank, but he’s gripping the edge of the table so tightly that the skin around his knuckles is white.
“You’re dramatic,” Alex says, rolling his eyes as he heads over to the fridge. He yanks it open and starts pulling eggs and bacon out of the fridge as Topher goes to fill up the kettle.
Phoebe whines, unlatching herself, just before letting out a loud fart. Her face turns red as she grunts and groans, and whilst it’s obvious she needs a bum change, Ben starts to gag.
“So dramatic,” I say with a laugh. “I’ll go get her changed and come back down once we’re sorted. I expect food to be done, or I’ll be joining Ben in the wasting away category.”
“Okay, little butterfly,” Alex says, not turning around from where he’s organising the breakfast items to start cooking.
“Please all be in one piece when I get back,” I plead.
“We will,” Ben says, rubbing his hands together as his tummy lets out a loud grumble. “Only because Alex makes the best french toast, and I’m desperate for it.”
“Who said I was making it?” Alex teases. The two brothers start to bicker, and there’s a genuine ease in their voices. It’s so soothing, and so much better than the tension that they’ve been carrying.
I lift Phoebe up to rest her head on my shoulder as I get off my stool to head back upstairs. Three of the Wolfe brothers are bickering away, and Seb shoots one forlorn look my way. I beckon for him to follow, and he shakes his head.
“Come, Seb,” I demand, one step away from stamping my foot when he shakes his head again.
“Don’t coat the table in your semen, Seb,” Ben immediately says before dissolving into laughter. Seb glares at his brother before turning and following me up the stairs.
Ben’s smug pride radiates in my chest, and it makes me feel the same way.
Having the bond to the guys really is so much easier to determine their feelings.
I can’t wait until mine and Seb’s is cemented, too.