(Book 2) – Chapter 73
“Baby that was mean.” Edgar whined as he pulled me close helping me down the stairs.
“Yea, I thought you said you wanted us to give you our claiming bite again.” Asher growled. “You stopped that and stopped us from taking care of ourselves.” He was sulking which made me giggle.
“I do want your claiming bites.” I told them making sure to keep walking. With my luck they would be able slip me into an empty room and finish what we had started just a bit before. “But there are reasons we couldn’t do it yet.”
“What’s that? Showing us how great of a tease you are?” Koda teased me as he readjusted himself. “I have seen a whole new side to you and I am not sure if I like it. It is not ok to be going to dinner with my family with a raging hard on.”
I just giggled. “There are two reasons why we stopped after you took care of me a few times.” I told them. “One you have to EARN the right to reclaim me. You have some making up to do and it will take longer than a few hours of you being sweet. Two we didn’t have enough time for everything I wanted and needed to happen in order to take those bites again. Three I know tonight is going to be s**t with your brother and I didn’t want to associate his s**t messing with the memory of how great the night could have been.”
Their eyes widened before nodding in acceptance. They must not have thought of all that when their b***d had rushed to the wrong head. I just shook my head at them and walked into the dining room. Everyone went silent when they noticed I had walked in. Koda’s parents smiled nervously at me as they were talking to a woman I didn’t recognize. I wonder if Brock had already started in with his attitude. Awesome.
Koda walked up behind me and put his arm around me pulling me in close. He took a big whiff of my neck sending tingles down my body. “I can tell my brother has already started in with his s**t. Stay close or I might be an only child by the end of the night.” He whispered into my ear before pulling me toward his parents.
“I would be fine with that if I knew where he was.” I whispered back loud enough only the guys could hear. “I don’t know much about him other than he is an impulsive sack of s**t. He is your brother so if we need to play nice for you to have a good night you need to let us know now.” I didn’t want to wreck his relationship. I would hate if someone treated my now sisters like s**t because of one action even if I did understand why they did it.
“He has always been a spoiled d**k head.” He said quietly as we got closer to his parents. “Have at it.” We got close enough his parents pulled us into their conversation.
“Oh, my mated baby boy.” Bonnie cried out as she pulled him into a hug. “I am not ready for you to leave me.”
“Mom, you are being emotional. I have been mated for a week now and you know it.” He teased her hugging her back. “We will be here a few more days but we have to leave soon or else Ryder’s mother will be coming here to lay down the law.”
“Ive met her when we were hanging out with Ryder’s birth parents. She is feisty and I wouldn’t cross her.” Koda’s father proclaimed in laughter. “And let your mother be emotional. Both our boys are growing up and finding love.”
“What your father said.” Bonnie said as she turned to me. “Ryder, you are glowing. I am excited for you.” She winked keeping the pregnancy hush hush like I had asked.
“Thank you. Koda is everything I wished for in a mate.” I told her rubbing his back. I loved being able to touch them.
“You mean one of the many mates, right?” Brock sneered from behind us. We whipped our heads toward him and watched him walk to the unknown girl. He didn’t k**s her or even reach out for her. He just stood next to her and gave her a small, tight smile. Hmm, issues in paradise already.
“Don’t speak to my mate, Brother.” Koda growled out. “You lost that chance when you rejected her and called her a whore.”
“Well, isn’t she? Even if she is a princess, she still spreads her legs for multiple men.” Brock growled out. “I am just glad I realized that before taking her as my mate.”
The guys growled at him. I was so over the drama. I shushed the guys before looking back at the girl beside Brock. “Hey, are you Brocks’ mate? What is your name?” I asked her trying to be civil and hopefully move on to better topics. I was having a hard enough time with the smells from the food they were making in the kitchen.
“Don’t talk to her. She doesn’t want anything to do with you.” Brock sneered as he wrapped his hand around her wrist. She jerked and bit down on her l*p. I bet he was hurting her. I could feel Blue getting angry.
“Listen, Asshat. I have had enough. I am hormonal from the pregnancy and from taking my last mate. I have too much going on in my head with all the powers I have gotten and the strength we all have now.” I started in on him but needed a breather. “Let go of her wrist before you break it. If that happens Blue already said she wants to rip you limb from Limb so I will let her.” She snarled at him making him let go of the girl’s wrist and step back. His eyes showed his fear for a second before turning black with anger.
“Don’t even think about it brother.” Koda stated as he stepped in front of me. “This is supposed to be a nice dinner where we meet your mate and get to know her. So let it be that or go on. No one threatens our mate or our pups.”
“Pups? This b***h is already pregnant?” Brock asked as he eyed me up and down ending at my stomach. “And you got more strength just for f*****g and marking her? s**t, I messed the f**k up.” I heard the girl whimper, but it wasn’t from the pain in her wrist. This dickface.
“Son, I would stop. I won’t protect you from them. You are an adult and continue to talk out of your a*s.” Jerrick growled at his son. I nodded in agreement. I looked at Bonnie and saw the sadness on her face. I hated this for her.
Before anyone could say anything else a few omega’s walked in with dinner. I nodded at the guys to take our seats and I took the time we walked to them to get my stomach under control. I was so freaking hungry I could eat a bear but something they brought out was making me want to puke.
Bonnie had sat down but she kept her eyes on me. “Everything ok, Ryder? Morning sickness getting to you?”
“No that happened this morning and afternoon.” I told her as I started to sniff out what direction the bad smell was coming from. “I am starving and almost everything smells good. There is one item making my stomach want to cause a riot though.”
“Sniff it out then. No one eat anything until she does. It could be something she will hate during pregnancy or something else that could harm us all. Pregnant wolfs have the best noses for this stuff.” Jerrick ordered us all.
“Are you trying to use me and my unborn pups as b***d hounds, sir?” I teased the Alpha. My guys laughed as he looked shocked.
“Just kidding. Lets sniff this food so I can stuff myself so full they have to roll me back to the room.”
I could feel the stress coming off of Brock and the girl he brought with him. I never knew I could feel emotions but I guess if they are strong enough I can. A few omegas were nervous but not enough to make me worry about them. Why would Brock be so nervous about the food smelling wrong? Did he have something to do with it? Or maybe he was planning something else totally unrelated?
I went down each table that had food just waiting for us to fill our plates and then our stomachs. Everything smelled good until I got to the steaks. They smelt off like sour and rotten. I got my nose closer and smelled it. I had to yank my head back and puke behind me.
“It is the steak.” I gasped as I continued to dry heave. I didn’t have anything left in my stomach. “It smells like a potion that involves rotten meat and sour milk with who knows what else.”
Jerrick jumped up and ran over to smell it as well. Asher and Blake had came over to help me take a seat and drink some water. I saw an omega come forward to clean up my mess but I couldn’t let her do that. I told her I would do it in just a second.
“You will not. You are sweating and dry heaving.” Bonnie scolded me. “Omega Samantha gets paid to do this. If it is that big of a deal I will do it.” She walked toward the omega to grab the cleaning supplies.
“Please don’t. I have embarrassed myself enough.” I whispered to her. I felt like everyone was staring at me. “Please.”
Bonnie looked around at the room noticing the eyes on us. “What is everyone looking at? Shouldn’t you be figuring out who the f**k poisoned our food? Thank god this woman smelt it and saved our lives.” She shouted at everyone. They instantly go to work on getting the guards to bring in the kitchen staff.
“Bonnie.” I whispered to her. She walked closer. “I can smell strong emotions. Brock and his chosen mate smell nervous and stressed out to the max. I think they have something to do with it. I am sorry.” I really was sorry. This totally blows and I hope I am so wrong I look like an i***t.
Bonnie just nodded her head and walked toward Jerrick. Samantha came and cleaned up my mess. I apologized over and over but she insisted it was fine. She actually said thank you to me for saving them. I was only sniffing out what made the twins disgusted. I wish it had been more honorable than that. I looked over at Brock and saw the anger in his face. He knew we were going to figure it out and he had no where to go.
“WHAT THE f**k? WE ARE JUST GOING TO BELIEVE THIS w***e! WE SHOULD JUST KILL HER AND TAKE THE ROYAL TITLE. WE WOULD DO A BETTER JOB ANYWAY!” Brock screamed out as he jumped over his table and made a run at me.
Edgar made it to him before he got to me grabbing him by his throat and throwing him to the floor with a hiss. His fangs came out as he got in Brock’s face. “Next wrong step and I break your neck. I don’t care that your brother is part of our mating group. No one hurts what is mine.” He growled out.
I looked at Bonnie and Jerrick to see their reactions but they just looked resigned. Jerrick nodded at me letting me know he understood what had to happen. I hated that I was about to put this man to death.
I got up and walked over to where Brock was fighting to get up but just look like a fish out of water with all this floundering around. I looked at Edgar thinking of just having him kill him. It wouldn’t bother him in the least but I had to get used to this. I was not going to be the type to rule where I didn’t get my hands dirty. I was one of my people not above them.
“I am sorry Alpha Jerrick, Luna Bonnie, and my love, Koda. He has to die.” I stated making sure they all heard it.
“I will do it.” Edgar said as he started to tighten his grip on Brocks neck.
I grabbed his arm and shook my head no. “I have to do this.” I closed my eyes pulling my power toward my center.
‘Blue how should we do this?’ I hoped she would suggest something that would be quick.
‘Just make the b***d stop running to his heart. It will be quick with just a tad bit of pain.’ She replied. I knew she would rather we tear him to pieces slowly but that just wasn’t my style. ‘Also have them take his mate in for questioning. She may be playing the innocent part.’
I agreed, linked Bonnie about grabbing the mate, and then focused on his b***d. “You deserve so much more pain than I am about to give you for the s**t you have pulled. Your mate deserves better, and I am hoping she realizes that now. I made it push back from the heart before completely avoiding it. He knew he was going to die and some of his last words were on the shitty side. It wasn’t long before everything stopped working making him take his final breath. Edgar caught me from falling over and pulled me into his arms.
“Can we get some non-poisoned food so I can eat and go to bed? The twins are about to riot.” I asked him. I am guessing everyone heard because I heard everyone get to work on some new quick food and Bonnie crying along with Jerrick. “Will you carry me over to Bonnie?” He nodded and did what I asked.
Bonnie pulled me to her and just held on to me. I knew from the way she was holding me for comfort that she didn’t hate me. Jerrick put his hand on my shoulder and Koda joined the family in comforting each other. I knew that everything between us all was going to be fine which was a great starting point.