Chapter 48 The Blade Loses Her Temper
The Blade Loses Her Temper
TALIA
Here we fucking go.
I am so ready for this dog and pony show to be over.
These people are a bunch of whiny, damaged assholes who would sell my mate up the river for a peak at a nipple.
She’s far too good for them, and she gives their presence in her life way too much credence.
I feel Taurus echoing my sentiment in our minds.
Deli senses us and swats us away from our connection, wanting to focus on the impending doom that is Sari’s bottom bitch.
Everyone waves and shouts greetings to the traitorous moron. If they don’t stop kissing her ass, I’m going to barf. Amanda only pals around with Sari and Belle now, but the others are acting like she’s their best friend. Maybe she’s been out on the campaign trail for the troll, too.
That seems like a whole different level of prep for one small meeting.
“Okay, let’s finish this subject. Is anyone here not willing to go outside their comfort zone and find someone new to talk to every once in a while?
To watch for ‘open’ things and jump in?” Deli asks, looking ready to bolt if she gets the opportunity.
Again, the crowd murmurs agreement, and she smiles.
“Good. We all agree that no one is trying to leave anyone out.”
“Thank you, Marina, for bringing this up so we could all discuss it,” Lily says. “I think the next person to start a major discussion is Sari. Pass her the stick, please.”
Now I know why Amanda finally showed her face. She knew Sari was going next.
This is going to suck.
“I thought I was last,” Sari says petulantly.
Trying to hold back a growl, I look at Lily. “You were working your way to the middle, right?”
“How about Rita goes instead?” Lily sighs, not wanting to fight. She holds up the stick while she waits for Amanda to get settled.
“Okay,” Rita replies. She wriggles in her seat for a moment, then sighs. “I hate to keep harping on it, but how do you get to someone that seems untouchable? I want to know.”
For fuck’s sake, my mate and her co-mayor have to put a stop to this obviously personal bullshit or we’re never getting out of here.
“I still think a road trip would solve it! Come on, guys, if you had the cars we do, you’d want to drive, too!”
It strains me not to roll my eyes at both of them.
Michaela needs to lay off the damned road trip.
If she wants it so badly, she can do it with her good friend, Belle, over at Safe Haven.
Rita needs to grow a pair and stop acting like her ‘popular people’ damage is everyone else’s responsibility to fix.
Lily tilts her head, looking thoughtful. “As lame as this answer sounds, you only have three options: bite the bullet and talk to them, never try and live without knowing, or realize you’re making assumptions and try to work through that.”
“I moved here later than many of you guys. I’ve always felt like an outsider looking in.
The only time I find friends is when people have a falling out or someone introduces me.
I’ve tried to do what you suggest, and I feel like some people ignore me.
” The short woman gives our leaders a stubborn look, completely unwilling to take responsibility for own inability to simply fucking speaking to other people.
I look at my mate with a grimace. Hopefully, she gets that Rita is only interested in getting with her and she only bit back when it was about Deli. She has to know that no one else matters to the small woman and that’s how she has to approach this.
~ I swear to Christ, I interact with her as much as I can humanly stand. We’re just not compatible as close buddies. ~
Despite her internal commentary, Deli turns and smiles. “We committed as a group to making new friends, though. Doesn’t that mean we’re not untouchable? Maybe I’m weird for thinking so.”
The suspiciously late rabble rouser raises her hand, and I shudder. This can’t be good.
Okay, that wasn’t so bad. Maybe she’s not here to rip into the cat.
“Everyone should realize, though, that sometimes people may not respond right away for reasons like personal life, never received the email, etc. They may not be snubbing you. It doesn’t hurt to give someone the benefit of the doubt.
” Tamara looks at her housemate, and I wonder how much she coddles Rita’s obvious damage in the background to keep her devoted minion.
“You can move on to Sari now,” Rita says with an angry frown, holding the stick out to her. “I’m good for the moment.”
She’s not, and this will definitely come up again and again until she gets what she wants.
I let out a slow, measured breath to calm myself in preparation.
Schooling my face and contracting my muscles, I try to exercise even an ounce of the control my mate has this evening.
I do not want Sari to know that I’m dreading this like a tax audit.
Even without magick, Deli is remarkably restrained, and I need to mimic her skills.
Tamara raises her hand. “I still have things to say, and Amanda is here. She gets to speak, too.”
~Fucking hell, I’m never getting to eat or get laid tonight. Jesus tap dancing Christ!~ the cat growls.
Taurus laughs in our minds, and I send him a mighty slap of irritation. I hear my husband snorting along with him. Ignoring them and Deli’s pregnancy based cravings, I strain to listen to the idiot brigade in front of me.
Damn. That’s not entirely fair; they’re not all stupid, but their complaints are and it’s making them look petty, dumb, and small.
I’m so tired of feeling like none of this bullshit warranted breaking up the community and destroying the cat’s faith in her people.
They’re so weak they let Sari lead them astray with promises of attention.
None of them will gain anything from it—they’ve forced Deli into a corner where she has to comply to keep them happy even though she doesn’t want to be responsible for that.
How do they not realize that forcing people to be friends with you is a form of emotional non-consent?
Sari still hasn’t started talking. She’s milking this little pause in the dialogue for all it’s worth.
“Wow,” she says, spinning the stick in her palm. “What do I have to say? What were the questions?”
Lily gives her a pointed glare. “We’ve repeated them six times. I’m pretty sure you were paying attention. Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I have to pee!” Sari gets up and runs for the house.
My eyes fly open, worried that she’ll go in and start shit with our family. However, before I can say anything, Sari bounces off the barrier at the back door, flying to the ground in a heap.
“In the pool house, not inside!” Deli calls, her voice sweet but smug.
Damn, my mate is a sneaky witch; I didn’t even know she’d done that.
“Got that,” Sari grumbles, rubbing her behind as she stands. “Not a friendly wall you have there. Company tech, I guess. Must be nice.”
I arch my brow, not bothering to correct her about Deli’s magick. “It’s for keeping the guys inside. It’s hard to keep our family from butting in and distracting us.”
That’s a flat out lie, but obviously Deli doesn’t want any of them in her house if possible. She blocked entry to keep the stumpy moron from pulling something like this, and now everyone knows where her boundaries are.
“Good call, Deli. The boys would have definitely peeked out,” Michaela says with a grin.
I look at the rest of them and then over at the woman who showed in the middle. “Amanda, do you have something to say or do you need a link to the feed to go over before your turn?”
“No, it will take too long to watch. I have something when it’s my turn.”
That does not bode well, and I am not having a good time.
Sari strolls over to grab the stick, but Amanda talks without it. “I am concerned with the atmosphere of ‘this is my property, don’t dare try to touch it or suffer the consequences’. No one feels welcome when threats get issued—veiled or otherwise.”
“Can you be more specific, Amanda?” Lily asks carefully.
“I mean the possessive bullshit of the folks in the ‘Pride’, as it’s being called.”
“We are exclusive. What’s wrong with that?” I ask mildly, trying not to snarl.
“You are now,” Tamara snarks. “That certainly wasn’t the case before you arrived and changed everything, Talia. Deli was damn near free use back then.”
Deli stands up, looking at Tamara as if she's going to murder her on the spot. “Excuse me, what did you just say?”
“She didn’t say anything was wrong with it,” Amanda shrugs. “I don’t see why you’re mad, Deli, nor do I see why Talia is angry. I didn’t say her preference was bad, either. You can do what you want, obviously.”
I snort. “Good thing you realize that because you don’t get a say in how anyone in my family decides to share or not share their bodies, Amanda.”
“I’m not saying that, either,” Tamara sighs. “You’re taking it wrong.”
My mate stomps her foot, losing the cool she’s maintained all night for a moment.
“How in the actual fuck was I supposed to take you suggesting that I was open for anyone, anytime—which is fine if someone chooses that—and now I’m a prude?
There just wasn’t any room for misunderstanding in your statement, Tamara.
However, there was a great deal of judgment for my choices, Talia’s, and those of people who live the lifestyle you accused me of. ”
Get her on the slut-shaming, too—nice move, my love.
“So you’re saying that it’s okay to threaten other community members?” Amanda shoots back. She reclines in her chair, getting closer to Sari, and I realize this entire show—bathroom break and late arrival and all—was orchestrated.
“I did not say that,” I reply evenly. “In fact, what I did say was quite clear.”
“Saying things like 'if anyone even tries to touch X, I’ll kill them’ sets a tone. It’s not sexual, so you can’t say it’s about that,” Amanda retorts. “It’s directly threatening to people who have no ill-intent.”