Her Brother, Her Mate

Simone POV

Excitement bubbled in my chest as I raced up to the alpha floor the next morning ready to show Carli and everyone else my new ring. I’m engaged! I couldn’t take my eyes off it for long. I kept shifting it in the light, catching rainbows off the diamonds every few seconds, and each time, I swear my smile kept getting bigger and bigger.

Vincent is the absolute sweetest. He woke me up with eggs benedict with delicious smoked salmon and a creamy hollandaise sauce. He even sweet-talked the chefs into bringing him a spare espresso machine and made me a frothy oat milk latte. I love him. Absolutely love him.

He is meeting with Matt this morning to go over safety precautions and security for me. I tried to go with him, not wanting to part from him yet, but he insisted he would be fine on his own. I sensed he was just trying to be considerate since I was still in bed at the time, so I didn’t push him.

I texted Casey, asking what he was doing and after a few bites of food, he finally texted me back. ‘Sleeping’ is all he said. He must have gotten back super late after spending the night with the fairy knights searching for Aiden. I texted him to let me know when he got up and got a thumbs-up back. Butt-head. I feel like he’s more excited to be hunting a fairy knight apprentice than he is to see me. I saw him for, like, an hour and he spent the whole afternoon and night with Cathal. I want to hurry and show him my ring. I guess I’ll settle with showing Carli first instead.

As soon as I finished my breakfast I got ready and let Simon know I was running up to see Carli. Simon tried to come with me since the other men went with Vincent, but I assured him I would be fine traveling up one flight of stairs in a building full of our best warriors and top-ranking wolves. Laura was still sleeping in his room, now assigned to stay with Simon and help protect us, and I didn’t want to disturb them. They’re newly mated too and could use the privacy. Plus, I’m going to see Carli, the one and only. I wish Aiden would show up with Carli around. She would cut his balls off and shove them own his throat before he even had time to feel the pain.

I tried letting myself into their apartment, but it was locked, which isn’t like them. They usually keep it unlocked during the day. I knocked, bouncing on my feet in excitement. I can’t wait to show her. She is going to flip.

After a minute, no one came to the door so I knocked again. I was about to knock for the third time when Parker finally answered.

“Took you long enough,” I huffed.

Parker looked exhausted, like I had just woken him up which couldn’t be the case. It’s 9 AM. He usually is the first to wake up in their house. He and Carli are both early risers, but he gets up extra early to help Carli with Rosie before work. He tries to be downstairs before breakfast most days.

“Sorry. We had kind of a rough night,” Parker says, rubbing his hand down his face and then pushing his blonde curls back, out of his face.

“Why? What happened? Was it Aiden?” I ask, suddenly scared for my friends. I was here, in the safety of the pack house walls, being showered with presents and having amazing s*x while getting engaged, and these guys were probably out looking for the crazy guy that I stupidly shacked up with for a couple of months.

“My parents,” Parker sighed, and I breathed out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t Aiden. Good. I wonder what he means by his parents though. They rarely come here anymore. I know Carli doesn’t have much contact with them and hasn’t seen her mom in a long time.

“Your parents? What happened with them?”

“They showed up unexpectedly last night. Mary said s**t and now Carli’s not doing too well.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, worried for my friend.

“Her depression. It’s back. She’s having an episode.”

What? What depression? What is he talking about?

“What do you mean?”

Parker sighs and steps out into the hall, shutting the door behind him.

“Carli had post-partum depression after Rosie was born,” Parker says this like it was something I already knew, but I had no idea. She never told me. Then again, Carli isn’t the type of person who would share that kind of information about herself. She would think it makes her seem weak and vulnerable, two things Carli does not like being.

“What happened?” I ask tentatively.

“Mary,” Parker growls, “She tried to use my dad to demand taking Rosie for the weekend. When we all told her no and told her why she got defensive and started criticizing Carli as a mother. It triggered something in Carli and she’s been in bed upset ever since.”

F*****g Mary. I don’t understand why the b***h won’t leave Carli alone.

“Where’s Rosie?” I ask. I can offer to keep my munchkin while Parker helps Carli.

“Elena came and got her. They’re going to keep her for the weekend. But, hey….can you maybe hang out with Carli and Rosie when they bring her back? I will have to work downstairs and leave to handle the Aiden situation sometimes. I don’t want to leave her alone when she’s like this but if I put another tracker in her stuff she will castrate me.”

“Of course,” I tell him. Poor Carli. Her mother is still finding ways to abuse my girl. I should mail her all Rosie’s diapers for the week. She wants to spend time with her, right? It’s kind of the same thing. More than she deserves, really. She can deal with all Rosie’s s**t since Carli is still having to deal with hers.

Parker nods, “Thanks.” He yawns and rubs his neck, then his eyes land on my hand, and a slow smile spread on his face. “Congratulations.”

I smile softly, still worried about my friend, “Thanks.”

“Hey,” Parker pulls me into a hug and muses my hair, eliciting a growl from me, “She’s okay. Sorry to get you down before you could share the big news. She’s going to be thrilled. Might even help her if you go tell her.”

“Is she decent? I don’t want to go in that room if it smells like s*x again.” I can’t even count the number of times I went into their room for something and ran back out gagging. They’re like my brother and sister. They used to think they were brother and sister. Some things a just don’t want to smell.

“She’s dressed, just laying in bed. Don’t worry. Mary ruined the night I had planned,” Parker growls. He opens the door again and ushers me into the apartment. “Since you’re here, I’m going to get ready in the guest room then head down to talk to Trevor and check on my dad.”

“Your dad? Is he here?”

Parker sighs, “Yeah. He’s going to be helping around here the next few weeks. Don’t worry. I told him about Vincent and his men and he promised to be respectful.”

He better. I know how he feels about other races. It’s not much of a secret. Vincent thought it would be harder living here because of the rumors floating around about Alpha Jared’s prejudices. He thought most werewolves would be like that.

After Parker slips in and out of his room, grabbing a change of clothes, I slip in and sit next to Carli on the bed. The thought of slapping her a*s, getting her back for the last time she woke me up crosses my mind, but I hold myself back, telling myself I’ll get her back once she is feeling better.

“Hey babe,” I shake her shoulder softly, “Wake up!”