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*****
*Corey*
I walked into the retirement home and straight by reception, not bothering to do what was generally required for visits while calling out a greeting to the people seated behind the reception desk.
“Even you have to sign in, Beta!” I heard Jamie call back.
“You saw me walk in! I’m not here to kill any old people!” I replied while turning to head down the hall.
“Old?” I chuckled as I dropped the groceries on the kitchen table before kissing my great grandmother on her cheek. Most of the elderly wolves willingly chose to stay there because it gave them less ‘stress’, well, that’s what they told us. Apparently the rest of the pack moved ‘too fast’ for them.
“Wise?” I smiled.
“Hm-mh.” She narrowed her eyes at me.
I laughed. “Beta!” I hugged one of the nurses as she walked in. “What are you doing here?” She asked.
“Oh, just delivering some treats while Sean and I run through a few final things before we leave. Is there anything needed here?” I asked.
“The basement’s flooded.” She said.
“What? You’re telling me this now?” I asked.
“It happened last night and we couldn’t get a hold of any of the Deltas or you and Sean because you’re so busy with this mysterious ‘work'” She said.
“Alright, I’ll find someone to fix it immediately.” I said before I kissed my great grandmother again saying Jayden would bring the twins by to see her later.
I left and texted Izabella to find someone to fix the home’s pluming. She responded with a ‘why can’t you do it?’. I told her I had other work and she texted back telling me she was shocked the pack had survived for as long as it did with Sean and me in charge because we were both ‘lazy beyond belief’ and that she would have someone there in an hour. I just replied with a ‘thank you’ accompanied by a picture of myself winking because it would annoy her.
I then jogged home happily. The home had been the last thing on my to-do list which had kept me completely busy for the past eleven hours, I was happy to finally get some time with my mate and kids before I had to leave on Tuesday morning.
“Jay?” I called out happily walking into the house while pulling my jacket off and tossing it on the console table beside the door where we usually left our keys. Was the coat hanger right next to that table? Yes. Did I consider it too much work to actually hang the jacket up…? Yes.
I frowned when my calls received no answer from my mate. Where was he?
“Jay? Soldier?” I called, “Tammy?”
Why weren’t they responding? I paused as I heard running water before I followed the noise, making my way upstairs as it stopped.
“Carrie?” I called slowly. No response, which was actually a relief. I heard a door open from inside my room and smiled.
“Jayden, stop messing around.” I chuckled as I walked into our bedroom but my smile fell as Carrie walked out of our bathroom drying her hair. She looked at me and smiled.
“Oh, I didn’t hear you come –” She was saying.
“What the fuck are you doing in here?” I cut her off.
“The guests’ shower’s drain is clogged.” She answered.
“Then take a bath! Or shower a shower in the bathroom down the hall. You know there’s another bathroom.” I said.
“I do, but it doesn’t smell like you.” She said smiling. I grit my teeth turning to pull the bathroom door shut.
“Carrie, I told you to stop –” I stopped as she grabbed my face and guided my head so that I was looking at her. I immediately became aware that all she was wearing was the white towel wrapped around her body.
“Stop?! I know that’s not what you really want. You don’t love him! Don’t do this to us, Corey!” ‘Us’?! I shoved her away from me rather forcefully and she ended up falling onto my bed. I quickly turned away in case something happened to the towel and glared towards the door.
“I’m warning you, Carrie. Stop this, get out of my house before I kill you. And put some goddamn clothes on before –” I stopped speaking as I heard the front door open.
“Papa!” Eli shouted from downstairs, his voice sounding somewhat panicked immediately drew my concern away from what was happening in the room.
“Get out of here.” I muttered under my breath.
“No.” I turned to her to see her roll onto Jayden’s side of the bed.
“Carrie, I swear to God –” I hissed, “I’m coming, Soldier!” I called to Eli. I shot Carrie a glare before running downstairs to meet my son. “Hey!” I smiled at Eli as I walked into the living room, “Where’s Daddy and Tammy? What’s wrong?” Eli’s face turned guilty and he gave me an innocent but clearly afraid smile. I frowned. Whatever he had done was bad. “What did you do?” I asked.
“Well… I-I don’t know where Daddy is but I… uh… see, Tammy-Tammy wouldn’t stop repeating everything I said and-and copying me. She’s so annoying!” He said throwing his arms into the air.
“Eli, what did you do to your sister? Where is she?” I asked seriously.
“I-I don’t know how to undo the spell.” He mumbled pointing outside.
I walked outside and my eyes widened spotting a grey stone statue in the middle of our lawn. I ran over and nearly fainted seeing Tamia’s frozen shocked face. Oh my God…
“On-on the plus side… I’m, um… getting the hang of magic now.” I shot my son a glare and his half-smile fell, “Sorry.” He mumbled.
“Eli, this is not funny. I told you never to use magic on anyone in the pack, especially anyone your age because you’re the only one learning magic this early.” I said before muttering a spell and catching Tamia as she lost her balance when she could move again, “Don’t ever do this again, Eli. Someone could have smashed the statue while we were inside and then she’d be gone.” I shot a disapproving glare at Eli before I looked back at Tamia on my lap as I kissed her Temple. “Are you alright, Princess?”
She nodded, confused and I sighed pulling her into a tight hug.
“I’m sorry, Papa…Sorry Tammy…” I looked at Eli and had to force myself to keep the angry look on my face when I saw how sad he looked.
“Go to your room.” I said. He looked at me weirdly before shrugging and turning around, “No, on second thought, don’t. Go to my office.” I said remembering that all his toys were in his room and it wouldn’t be very much of a punishment sending him up there.
He gave a groan but listened after apologising to Tamia again. “Why did he sorry?” Tamia looked at me.
“Oh, no reason, Honey. Want some ice-cream?” I asked.
Jayden wouldn’t hear about this…
—–
“Where were you all day?” I asked as I walked out of the shower.
“My mom – Joe.” Jayden’s voice came from inside our room.
“Why?” I asked.
“Why not?” He gave a chuckle. I popped my head out of the bathroom and studied him for a few seconds causing him to raise his brows at me.
“Is there something you’re not telling me?” I just had the feeling he was keeping something from me… and I didn’t like it. I tried to ignore the fact that I was doing the same to him despite the voice in my mind clearly calling me a hypocrite. He looked at me after he pulled a sweater over his head.
“No. Why would you think that?” He asked.
I shrugged before I turned back into the bathroom and finished my routine while Jayden went about whatever he was doing in the room. I ran through everything I had done that day while trying to think of anything I could have missed just in case it needed to be done before Sean and I left.
“Uh… Corey?” Jayden eventually spoke from our room, the words hesitant.
“Yeah?” I called back as I put my toothbrush down but he didn’t reply.
I walked into our bedroom wondering what was going on and saw him standing beside the bed looking at it before his eyes lifted to me.
“It… It smells like…” He mumbled. “Why does it smell like Carrie?” He asked softly as he glanced towards the door.
“Uhm… I… She was –”
“Why is her hair on our bed?” He cut me off with the question while lifting a long, blonde strand of hair from his pillow. He stared at it confused while I felt panic rise into my chest as I wrecked my brain trying to find an answer to his questions. My silence seemed to make it worse as his eyes finally found mine, “Corey, what’s going on?”
“I –” I began, not really knowing what I was going to say but I was cut off by a soft voice from the door.
“We were playing.” I looked at Tamia. What?
“We were playing tag and Tamia and I ended up wrestling on your bed. I’m sorry if that gave you the wrong idea, Jay, we were just messing around.”
I looked at Jayden to see an almost relieved smile appear on his face as he looked at the females at the door.
They had lied. I didn’t care about that. What I wanted to know why Carrie would lie to help me out of this situation after the way she kept acting and how the hell she got my daughter to lie with her. Was it a lie? Maybe they had played earlier.
“Oh…” Jayden let out a breath as his smile fell, he looked at me apologetically and I found myself angry. He wasn’t the one who needed to apologize between us…
“Come on, I’ll take you to bed –” Jayden was saying.
“No. Carrie will do it.” Tamia took Carrie’s hand.
“No, Honey, Carrie’s busy with her own stuff. Come on, Daddy and I will –” I was saying as I reached to pick her up but I cut off by Tamia shaking her head as she gripped Carrie’s hand tightly.
“NO! I want Carrie to take me to bed!” She yelled. I heard Eli mutter a ‘you’re too noisy, Tammy’ from his room before he probably went right back to sleep.
I stepped back a little shocked. Tamia had never wanted anyone but Jayden or me to put her to bed, not even my parents, Jayden’s mom or Joe.
“It’s alright, I don’t mind. I’ll take her.” Carrie smiled as she ruffled Tamia’s hair lightly.
I frowned as I knelt down and held out my arms. Tamia ran into them and gave me a tight hug before I gave her a kiss mumbling a goodnight.
“Come here, princess.” I felt Tamia tense in my arms as Jayden called her, I immediately knew he noticed too, because his smile fell. What was going on with her? She pulled away from me to run over to him.
“Night, Daddy. I love you.” She gave him a quick kiss before running back to Carrie.
I turned to Jayden as the pair left. He looked at me.
‘Did I do something wrong?’ He linked to me.
“No, no, of course not.” I shook my head kissing his forehead, “She probably just wants some… girl time…” I said.
He frowned but hesitantly nodded.
“Come on, let’s go to bed.” I said.
“Actually… I, uh… I have some work to do.” He said.
“Work?” I asked.
“Yeah, some things for the firm that I left unfished. I just have to fix it and email it. I’ll come back later,” He kissed me, “Go to bed.” He added.
“But I want to go to bed with you.” He chuckled as I locked my arms around his waist and whined into his ear. “Please come to bed with me…” I whispered kissing his neck lightly. I smiled feeling him shiver.
“Sorry, have to work.” I groaned letting him go slowly. “I love you.” He smiled kissing me softly.
“I love you too. Don’t stay up too late.” I said as I fell into bed.
*Jayden*
I blew out a trail of white smoke and watched as it disappeared into the misty air that made up the quiet evening, I put the cigarette back to my lips almost immediately afterwards. I had come outside when I was sure everyone was a sleep. I just needed a little break, I knew how much Corey hated smoking so promised myself I’d only smoke one… I was right in the back of the yard so in case he woke up, he wouldn’t be able to find me that easily.
I leaned my head back against the tree as I let out another puff of smoke. I was still trying to figure out why Tamia had reacted to me that way. It hurt that she hugged Corey so casually and held onto Carrie like that and then hesitated even coming towards me. I tried to think of something I had done to scare or upset her but nothing came to mind. Maybe I was over-thinking it, she did run up to me afterwards. I shut my eyes trying to push away the thoughts in my mind telling me that Carrie would be a better parent to her than I was. She needed a woman, right? I cringed at the thought of losing my kids. But what if I did? What if they both got attached to her and began hating me? What if Corey fell for her? What if he already had?
Damnit, Jayden, Stop.
“You smoke?” I nearly jumped out of my skin hearing someone speak and looked at Carrie as I coughed in surprise.
“Uh… Sort of…” I said. “Uhm… Not usually.” I added bringing the cigarette back to my lips while looking over at the house. The lights from each of my kids’ rooms were dark.
“Got it: I won’t tell Corey… So why aren’t you married?” Her question caught me slightly off-guard and my eyes shot back to her, “Oh, I mean… I’m just curious, you don’t have to tell me, it’s none of my business.” She said.
“It’s fine.” I shook my head as I blew smoke out to my right so that it wouldn’t blow into her face. “We just… haven’t decided on it… until now… still not quite sure.” I said. Yeah, I wasn’t sure he even wanted to. He probably didn’t want to and was just trying to make me happy.
“Oh… Well, we should go inside, it’s freezing out here.” She said running her hands up her bare arms.
“I’ll uh… I’ll be right in.” I nodded.
“Alright,” she began making her way to the door but stopped a few feet from me and turned back, “You should have decided sooner, Jayden… Corey’s really something… Someone might take him away from you soon.” She said before heading into the house.
I pulled the cigarette from my lips slowly as I stared at the spot where she had just been standing.
What?
*****
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