Chapter Eighteen: Disneyland

Mark parked his car before stepping out. A few feet away from him, pack members were hard at work, carrying out their new Alpha’s instructions. He smiled when he saw that they were making progress.

It hadn’t been easy getting to this point. They were all definitely happy to have got rid of their Alpha and potential Alpha once they’d learned of their true personalities, but they weren’t eagerly trusting of their new Alpha either.

They didn’t know him all that well.

And he didn’t fault them for that.

Instead, Mark sat down with them and explained the situation to them. The curiosity and doubt was still there, but many of the Elders remembered Mark’s mother, so they believed him. With them on his side, the younger generations were becoming easier and easier to convince.

He’d ordered that the pack house be knocked down and rebuilt. Everyone was up for it and they’d all made different sleeping arrangements, with most of them sleeping at the hotel that Mark was paying for.

It had been a month since the day that Mark took over as Alpha, but there hadn’t been an initial initiation with everything that had gone down with his sister. He smiled at the thought of his crazy sibling.

Juniper has to be the most insane person he knows. He was the only one who knew about her plan to have an affair with Mateo, as she put it. She’d got the idea at two in the morning and had run to him with it. He thought it was insane, but it made sense in its own crazy way. He’d last seen her three days before she’d last left for Litmus.

“Alpha, are you okay? You’ve been standing there for a while now,” Ben, his new Beta, asked him.

“Sorry! I was lost in thought. How are things looking?” Mark asked.

“It’s looking good. We’re looking to be done in two weeks’ time,” Ben said proudly.

Mark knew that he’d chosen well.

He’d met Ben in Italy when Ben was visiting some distant relatives. They became great friends and kept in touch. Ben also knew the truth about him and stayed his eyes and ears in the pack. When the time came, there was no doubt that he was the right man for the Beta position.

Mark smirked. “That’s what any Alpha wants to hear.”

“Are we having the inaugurations then?” Ben asked.

Mark nodded. “I suppose we could.”

“Speaking of which, where is our beautiful Luna?” Ben smiled.

Mark once again smiled at the mention of his mate. She was everything he’d asked the Moon Goddess for in a mate. He hated how they’d met, and was yet to avenge her, but she made him promise that he would do so at the right time and that he wouldn’t get hurt in the process.

It hadn’t taken them long to fully mate. She wanted to be his before any other male wolf could ever treat her the way that Royce had. She still had nightmares, and it often took everything in him not to avenge her there and then. June had promised him that he would get the revenge that he wants, so he would wait until then.

“She’s still healing, but I’m sure she’ll be good and well by the time she has to take up the position officially,” Mark smiled.

Ben was just as upset as his Alpha about what happened to his Luna. He’d always liked Faith, even though at the time, he never understood it. Once Mark made him Beta, and once he found out that his Luna was Faith, it all made sense to him. The Beta in him had already recognized her as his Luna, which explained his feelings towards her.

Mark took out his phone and decided to call his sister, even though he wasn’t sure if she would answer the phone or not.

“What do you want?” she whined, making him laugh. He knew immediately that she was up to no good.

“What are you up to now?” he asked.

“You make it sound like I’m up to no good,” she retorted.

“It’s you! Of course you’re up to no good,” he stressed.

She sighed. “Whatever, Mark! What do you want?”

He chuckled. “How’s Operation Affair going?”

“That’s a lame name Mark! Max came up with a better name than that,” she scolded.

He rolled his eyes. “What is it?”

“Don’t roll your eyes at me! The name of the operation is Operation G.M.B,” she replied. It always freaked him out how she knew every time he was rolling his eyes at her.

“Which stands for...” he trailed off.

“Operation Get Mateo Back, duh!” she responded.

“Oh, because that’s sooo creative!” he mocked.

“It’s still way better than yours!” she defended.

“Whatever June! How’s it going?” he asked.

“Well, there are two sides to him right now. The one side feels angry and sad about this mate that cheated on him. On the other hand, there’s the side that’s conflicted about me,” she replied.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Well, he likes me, and he’s definitely attracted to me physically, but he feels like he’s not supposed to like me because of the other side. My messing with him isn’t making things any better, and I think the kids are confusing him,” she giggled.

“Again, what do you mean?” he questioned, laughing.

“They react to him, Mark. It’s like nothing I’ve seen before. Just last night we were sitting together in his office and he couldn’t stop himself and reached out to touch my belly. They instantly kicked, and he said he felt connected to them,” she explained.

“Why not tell him that they’re his?” he asked curiously.

“And how would that go down exactly?” she countered.

“Think about it, sis. If you tell him that they’re his, then it will make more sense to him. You can just tell him that you two slept together when you found out about your cheating mates, and you happened to fall pregnant, but you didn’t know how to tell him,” he suggested. There was silence on the other end of the line for a while.

“Mark, you brilliant son of a gun!” she suddenly squealed.

“I know,” he chuckled.

“I could kiss you! In fact, hold on,” she said before she appeared before him. She kissed his cheek, while the onlookers watched on in shock and interest.

“You’re crazy!” he teased.

“I know!” she agreed as she shrugged. She was dressed in Mateo’s T-shirt and boxers, and she had the white hair and red eyes she’d become accustomed to in the past few weeks.

Mark raised an amused eyebrow. “Wearing his clothes now, are we?”

She turned to Ben. “Hey Benjie!”

“Just going to avoid his question, huh?” Ben chuckled.

He was fully aware of the Santiago situation as Mrs Santiago had taken to telling him the whole story herself. She wanted him to understand why Mark would sometimes be needed outside the pack. He’d gained respect for the young Luna, despite her powers.

“He’s my husband okay? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this!” she huffed.

“Except the fact that he thinks you’re some woman whose mate his mate slept with,” Mark pointed out.

Ben frowned. “What?”

“Oh, you’re going to have fun with this one,” Mark told him.

“It’s a good plan!” she defended.

Ben cocked his head to the side. “I’ll be the judge of that once I hear it.”

“My sister here, came up with the brilliant idea of having an affair with her mate,” Mark told Ben.

“And how exactly does that work?” Ben asked. He wasn’t all too surprised. In the short while he’d known June, he’d learnt to expect the unexpected with her.

“She has him believing that he had a mate, whom he was married to, before she was killed. Apparently, she was killed when she was caught cheating on him with my sister’s imaginary mate. Now she wants to have an affair with him,” Mark explained.

Ben turned to her. “And how’s that going so far?”

“It’s moving too slowly for my liking. He’s still hung up on this mate that he doesn’t even remember. Since there’s no proof of her existence anywhere, I don’t know what else to do,” June huffed.

“If you can invent an imaginary mate for yourself, why not invent one for him too?” Ben asked.

“It won’t trigger any memories,” she pointed out the problem.

“Then get Mama Deo in on the plan,” Mark said as the idea hit him.

She scowled. “What do you mean?”

“If there’s one person that Mateo trusts, it’s Mama Deo. Get her to convince him that your story is legit. You’ll be home free from then,” Mark explained. Once again, his cheek was kissed.

“You are one of the most useful people in my life!” June beamed.

Mark grinned. “Of course I am.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t get too big-headed now.”

“As if! You’d be nothing without me though,” he mock sniffed.

“And these are the parts of your personality that I would trade for better parts,” she giggled.

“I’m so hurt,” he said, deadpan.

“Well then, let me love and leave you! I have an affair to progress,” she smiled before disappearing.

“She’s a strange one that one,” Ben chuckled.

“You’re telling me,” Mark said as he shook his head.

He wouldn’t trade her for the world though.

***

I tip-toed to the kitchen where I could smell the person I was looking for. I could also smell lavender and sage, which meant she was busy with a potion. I crept up on her, but before I could even say anything, she spoke.

“I may be a witch without any enhanced senses, but even I knew you were there. What do you want, Juniper?” she asked, amusement lacing her voice.

“What? How?” I whined.

“I just know these things,” she laughed.

“That’s not fair!” I pouted, as she turned the stove off and turned to face me.

“Life isn’t fair. Now, start by telling me why you’re in Mateo’s clothing,” she requested with a frown.

“Uh, I was there?” I said nervously. The Elders didn’t know about my plan because I was afraid they would disapprove.

“I thought you were supposed to be staying away,” she scolded.

“I know, but I came up with a plan!” I said quickly.

“I’m listening,” she said, gesturing for me to carry on.

“Well, since Mateo barely saw me in Marissa’s form, I’m going to have an affair with him in that form,” I blurted. I was met with silence before she burst out laughing. She laughed for a good two minutes, and my grandad joined us.

“What’s the joke?” he asked.

“Oh Merlin, your grandaughter is one of a kind,” Mama Deo sighed. For the first time, I wasn’t sure whether that statement was good or not.

My grandad laughed, almost knowingly. “What did she do now?”

“Go ahead child. Tell him,” she said. I did as told and soon, he was laughing too.

“Isn’t he curious about the missing plots in your story?” he asked.

“Well, I told him that he had a mate and all like Ryan said, but that she cheated on him with my ‘mate’ and they were killed for it, so now we’re both widow and widower. Mark came up with the brilliant idea that I should tell him that the kids I’m pregnant with happen to be his,” I explained.

“How would that have been possible?” my grandad asked.

“Well, I’ll tell him that in anger, he and I slept together and I happened to get pregnant but I didn’t know how to tell him about it,” I replied.

“And how do you explain why he doesn’t remember any of this?” Mama Deo asked.

“That’s where I need your help. He still remembers you, and he still trusts you greatly. I need you to vouch for me. If you tell him that everything I’m saying is true, then he’ll believe me. He already likes me, but he’s reluctant to take it further because of how confused he is regarding everything else,” I answered. Both adults looked like they were deep in thought.

“I’ll hand it to you child. You may have insane ideas, but they are brilliant as well,” she smiled.

I beamed. “So you’ll help me?”

She nodded. “You’re technically not breaking any rules, so I’ll help you as long as your promise to not reveal your other identity to him.”

“I won’t! If he can fall in love with me this way, it will make everything better once he gets his memories back. This way, he won’t miss out on my pregnancy, and possibly the birth of our little ones,” I further explained.

“You really are quite the gem, sweetheart,” my grandad smiled.

“Thanks Grandaddy!” I said happily.

“Well, would you like me to come with you now?” Mama Deo asked. I nodded.

We teleported to Vistas. In the three weeks that I’d been here, I’d managed to hide from the other pack members. They were curious about their Alpha’s disappearance, since he’d spent his time with me. Mateo really was starting to fall for me all over again without even realizing it.

“Where is he?” Mama Deo asked.

“Probably his office,” I replied. My grandad had decided to tag along, which I guess would only make my story even more official.

We walked into the office, and, as I’d expected, Mateo was there. He looked delicious as ever as his back muscles flexed a little. He was staring outside his window, his thoughts clearly miles away. He hadn’t even heard us come in.

“Babe?” I called to him. He turned back and looked surprised to see Mama Deo and Merlin there.

“Mama Deo? Merlin?” he said. I was surprised that he knew who Merlin was.

“Hello son,” they replied.

“Not that you’re not welcome or anything, but what are you doing here?” he asked them, sitting in his chair. They sat opposite him while I stood by the book shelf.

“Marissa here has explained to us that you’re not clear about some recent events and since you trust us, we thought it best to pay you a visit to answer any of the questions that you might have,” my grandad explained.

“I can ask anything?” Mateo confirmed. They nodded.

“I’d like to know about this mate that I had,” he said.

“Well, her name was Lee-Ann. She was your chosen mate and you believed that she was the one, but she took you for a fool just days after you married her. She slept with Marissa’s husband here. When her coven found out, they trialed them. They were both found guilty of adultery and were condemned to death,” Mama Deo replied.

Mateo frowned. “Didn’t I have a say in the death of my wife?”

“You were all for it,” Mama Deo told him.

“Why don’t I or any of the pack members remember any of this?” he growled.

“You asked us to wipe everyone’s memories for the sake of peace and to take away everyone’s pain. Your pack members, as well as yourself, truly believed the image that she’d portrayed of herself,” my grandad replied.

“I thought I couldn’t mark anyone,” he pointed out.

“The spell was lifted,” Mama Deo replied.

“Was she pregnant when she was killed?” Mateo asked.

“No, she wasn’t,” my grandad replied.

Mateo was silent for a while, and I could tell that the story was beginning to make some sort of sense to him. Some parts were still confusing to him, that much I realized, but for the better part, he was processing all that he was being told.

“And what about the two marks I have?” he finally asked.

I never thought I would be thankful for that second mark until Mama Deo said her next words.

“This is where things become complicated son. You see, you were very angry once Lee-Ann had been killed, and only one other person felt that exact kind of anger and pain. The two of you found solace with each other, but this was before we wiped your memory. You marked her as your second mate and you married her in a small ceremony. She was unaware of your request to have your memory wiped and she’s kept her distance this entire time, except she’s now pregnant with your children,” Mama Deo said.

I would’ve never put it so perfectly!

Mateo paled. “What?”

I reached out to touch my mark and I watched him react to the emotions he was probably feeling from it. He turned to me and his eyes widened when he realized that he was feeling that way because of me. He reached out to touch his mark, and I reacted, which was enough proof for him.

“It’s you,” he whispered in wonder.

“It’s me,” I replied, as I gave him a small smile. Even though I was confident that this plan would work, it didn’t mean that I didn’t doubt it, because I did.

“Wait, so Ryan was right? I am mated and married, and you’re pregnant with our kids?” he asked me.

I nodded. “Yep!”

Again, I found myself worried about his reaction, but I was elated when he smiled. I could see the pure joy in his eyes. It was the same joy that was there when he first found out that we were true mates to begin with.

“From that smile, we take it you’re accepting of this information?” my grandad asked with a relieved smile.

“More than accepting! I was beginning to think that I was going insane with these feelings I have for Rissa, but now it all makes sense. Even her protectiveness over me makes sense! She was just looking out for her husband and mate,” Mateo rambled. I couldn’t stop the tears in my eyes, even if I wanted to.

“So, you accept her as yours then?” Mama Deo asked him.

Mateo nodded vigorously. “Of course I do!”

The angels were rejoicing with me in my head. My heartbeat was going at a million miles per hour, my heart tattooing itself against my rib cage. If I thought I’d known joy before that moment, I’d never known true joy. While I was lying to my husband, I had him back, even if he thought I was partly someone I’m not.

I would take whatever I get just to be with him.

“Good! Now, take care of her! We’ll be back to check in on you a few days from now,” my grandad told us.

“Thank you for helping me,” Mateo thanked them.

“It was a pleasure son. You deserve to be happy,” Mama Deo smiled.

Soon, they were gone, and I was surprised to find myself sitting on the desk with Mateo standing between my legs. He was staring at me intently, as if he was seeing me for the very first time - as if he was drinking me in. He reached out to touch my cheek and I gasped at the slight tingles there.

I was wondering where all the other mate signs had gone.

“You’re so beautiful Rissa,” he whispered, before ever so slowly placing his lips over mine.

I came alive.

I had started to forget what this feeling felt like. Every nerve in my body was alive. The tingles were still only faint, but that didn’t take away from the passion in our kiss. If anything, it helped. This kiss was what human soul mates must experience every time they kiss. I can’t imagine that they’d have the strong tingles, so this is what they must come close to when they kiss.

I wasn’t even aware of the fact that my grip on his back had tightened, or that he had pulled me impossibly closer to him. My hormones were riding sky high, and from his traveling hands, I knew he was aware of this fact.

“Are you sure?” he asked as he trailed kisses down my neck.

“I’ve been without you long enough,” I moaned my response.

Bliss.

That’s all that I felt.

We lay in our bed and I was tracing circles on his chest. We’d marked each other an unbelievable third time. For the first time since I’d returned as Marissa, he was smiling. For the second time in my life, I got to relive the experience of him truly smiling after being a grump for so long.

“You’re smiling,” I smiled.

“Yes baby doll, I am. I have every reason to be happy right now,” he chuckled.

Just like that morning.

“I’m glad I bring happiness to you,” I said contently, laying my head back on his shoulder. His fingers continued to draw circles on my back.

“You bring more than happiness to me. I was sure I’d always be in a dark place,” he admitted. It was so strange having this conversation with him again.

“Well, you don’t have to be. You have us,” I reminded as I looked up at him. At the word ‘us’, his eyes gleamed. His free hand traveled to my belly and once again the twins kicked, making him chuckle.

“They knew their daddy this entire time,” he smiled.

I winked. “Of course they did.”

“I love you Rissa,” he said so carefreely.

I was stunned, honestly. The first time round, he hadn’t been able to say it so freely. He had managed to show me he loved me before he could say it out loud, and yet this time, it just came to him. I guess a part of the old him was still with him - the part that knew who I was and was comfortable with me.

“I love you too Mateo,” I smiled before kissing him.

“When are you meeting the pack?” he asked.

“That’s up to you,” I responded. I knew my pack members. They’d be pleased that their Alpha has a new mate so they’d welcome me just like they did the first time round.

“Really?” he asked.

“Yep! You’re the one who has to explain how they suddenly have a Luna,” I pointed out.

“Ah damn, I didn’t think about that,” he groaned.

“I thought as much, so good luck with that,” I giggled.

“You’re not helping?” he asked. I shook my head.

“Not even a little bit?” he frowned. Again, I shook my head.

“Can you be persuaded?” he smirked.

“I don’t know. Can I?” I bit my lip, making him growl before he kissed me heartily.

Boy was I persuaded!

“Babe,” I called him once we were awake again. It was early in the morning since the sun was only rising then.

“Hmm?” he replied.

“Tell me about yourself,” I requested.

I know that it may have seemed like a stupid question to ask him, but I was curious about his answer. So much had happened to him, and to himself, he was a completely different person. It pained me that he had to go through something this big by himself.

“Hey, I haven’t even said anything yet and you’re already crying,” he whispered as he wiped my tears away.

“It’s just that, argh, I don’t even know how to put it,” I admitted.

“You don’t have to put it in any way, mi amor. I understand,” he smiled. I couldn’t help but return the smile.

I was still his amor.

“Do you know how amazing you are?” I asked him.

“Hardly, but I do have a question for you,” he said, biting his lip straight after.

I freed his lip. “What is it?”

We weren’t going to get anywhere with that lip there.

“How long have we known each other exactly?” he asked.

I froze at the question; not so much because I wasn’t expecting it, but more because I didn’t exactly know the answer. In fact, I was even lazy to calculate. With so much that has happened to us, one would swear that we’ve been together for years.

“A little under six months,” I guessed.

“And you know so much about me?” he asked in surprise.

“We fell in love quite quickly. It was easy enough for us to open up to each other because of the hurt we’d gone through. In fact, I often think that we’re true mates,” I said confidently.

“You think we were meant to get cheated on,” he caught on.

“I do! I mean, yes it’s crazy, but we both weren’t this close with our mates. Our connection with each other is different,” I continued.

“It’s different,” he added with a smile.

“It’s different,” I nodded with a smile.

“Well, Mrs Santiago, my happiness fully agrees with what you’re saying, so I guess you’re in luck,” he winked.

“Pssh, like I’d let it disagree,” I rolled my eyes, making him laugh.

“I think I’m going to be selfish with you for a while longer,” he said thoughtfully.

“What are you thinking?” I asked him.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about that. Just go take a shower and then get ready to leave,” he smirked.

“Mateo Santiago! You’d better tell me where you’re taking me!” I threatened as he got up. He chuckled and leaned down to lay a hot one on me.

“Marissa Santiago, that’s not happening,” he murmured on my lips before giving me another searing kiss and disappearing from the room.

“Stupid Alpha,” I mumbled as I headed to our bathroom.

The place was still missing my touch since it had been stripped of everything that I’d added to the room once his memory left, and yet, I still felt at home. The answer hit me like a new wave of happiness.

It only felt like home because Mateo is home.

I belong with Mateo. It doesn’t matter in what form and in what appearance. This is where I’m meant to be. I’d be damned to let anyone keep me away from him.

“Someone’s glowing,” Marissa and Starlet teased. I hadn’t heard from them in a while.

“WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN?” I all but shouted in my own head.

“If people knew what was going on in your head, they’d flee for the hills,” Marissa continued to taunt.

“Shut up!” I mumbled.

She laughed. “I see you’re having fun with my identity.”

“Yes well, Star and I have had our time to shine. It’s your turn,” I told her happily.

“Well, you, my dear, are a genius for this plan. I thought I would go insane from being away from my mate, but you’ve made it possible for me to still be close to him,” Star said, her happiness coming through like a wave.

“Can he feel you?” I asked her.

“He can feel something from us, but he just doesn’t know that it’s me. I can tell it’s frustrating him a little, but with the story you spun about them being cheated on, I think he’s happy with the little connection he can get from us,” she explained.

“I’m so sorry Star. I wish I could let you out,” I told her honestly.

“I know June, and it’s okay. Like I said, I’m happy for the little bit that you’ve made possible for me,” she replied.

“So what about the mission? Is it on hold?” Marissa asked me.

“No, actually! I came back partly because which place is better to get information, than the very place where he was born?” I asked.

“That’s brilliant!” Star commented.

“I know,” I giggled at her enthusiasm.

“Well, are you going to ask the Elders? I remember him saying that the Elders would know about his family history,” Marissa reminded.

“I’d actually forgotten about that, but I have to gain their trust first. They’ll probably be wary of me because of the whole Naturalist witch thing,” I responded.

“Odessa,” the two of them said in realization.

“Yep! It’s going to be a bit complicated because I know he gets it after I explained it to him and all, but I’m not so sure about the Elders,” I added.

The story I had told Mateo was that my father is Balthazar, and my mother is Gail. What I didn’t tell him was that she was the very same Gail that he’d hated almost his entire life. I also didn’t tell him about everything that went down with my parents. I just told him about Balthazar being Odessa’s son, and me being Balthazar’s daughter. I also explained that for my own safety, Odessa hadn’t known about me and so I wasn’t killed when she massacred the rest of our kind.

He doesn’t know that she’s been banished to the Land of Lost Souls either.

“Well, we’re not going anywhere, so we’ll be with you the whole way,” Marissa said confidently.

“Not that we can really go anywhere,” Star joked, making us laugh.

“If you wanted me to join you that badly, you should’ve just said so,” a whisper in my ear startled me. I turned to find him grinning like a child with candy.

I smacked him. “You scared me you idiot!”

“You were out of it for so long! You’ve been in here for an hour already. Your hands have even pruned,” he teased. I looked down at my hands to find that they had indeed pruned.

“I guess I was out of it longer than I thought,” I admitted as I settled for blushing. He doesn’t know about Star and Marissa, and it would stay that way.

“Weirdo!” he taunted.

I glared at him. “Shut up!”

“Well, we should finish up. We need to leave soon,” he said.

“Where are we going?” I whined.

He shrugged nonchalantly. “Still not telling you.”

“You suck!” I pouted.

“And you know just how well,” he smirked.

I went crimson.

“Stupid Alpha!” I mumbled, making him laugh.

We managed to shower without jumping each other’s bones, and soon enough, we were dressed. He looked mouth-watering in a white T-shirt with dark jeans, black and white sneakers and a leather jacket. I was dressed in a white dress with white sandals, and my hair was in waves down my back. I honestly looked like a ghost since Marissa’s form was actually paler than my form.

“You look as white as a sheet,” my husband teased. I loved seeing this playful side to him again.

“Take that back!” I mock gasped.

“I didn’t say I found anything wrong with you looking like this. If anything, I find you quite radiant,” he complimented, wrapping his arms around my waist.

“Look at you, being charming,” I blushed. I knew he could see my blush.

I couldn’t very well hide it.

“I have my moments,” he smiled before kissing me lightly.

“Where are we going?” I tried to ask in the kiss.

“Nice try,” he chuckled.

I glared at him. “I hate you.”

“I love you too, baby doll,” he winked.

We left the room and I noticed that we weren’t moving. I could hear people downstairs, mainly Val and Lexi. I could hear Val asking about Orion and all, and I forgot that she’d want to know where her mate had suddenly gone.

“Babe, do you trust me?” I asked him.

“Of course! Why?” he counter asked.

“I’ll be right back,” I told him before going to the house in Rome.

“A ghost!” Max gasped. I sent him a glare.

Stupid best friend!

“June? Aren’t you with Mateo?” Boris asked when he saw me.

“Ryan, do you know everything?” I asked him.

“You mean the new story you’ve managed to spin?” he asked amusedly, indirectly giving me my answer.

“Yeah well, it’s working, so don’t judge me,” I said before they laughed.

“You’re one of a kind, kiddo,” Boris commented, visibly impressed.

“I know! I love me too,” I mock sniffed.

Orion chuckled. “What do you want June?”

“Oh right! I need you to come back with me. Now that he’s got an idea of the truth, he won’t lock you up, so you can come back. Plus, Val is asking after you,” I told him.

“She actually spoke to you?” they all asked.

Stupid boys!

“No, she didn’t, and even if she did, she wouldn’t have any reason to hate me now that she doesn’t remember who I am,” I reminded them.

“Oh, right!” they said sheepishly.

“Idiots! So are you coming?” I asked Orion.

“Yeah sure!” he said, holding out his hand to me. I took it and transported us back to where I’d left Mateo, except he wasn’t alone when I got back.

“Ryan!” he beamed at the sight of his best friend, despite the new company with him.

“Hey man!” Orion said amusedly.

“This is what you wanted my trust for?” my mate asked me when we returned.

“Are we really not going to address the whore?” I questioned. Orion bit his lip to keep from laughing, while Mateo paled. Naomi just stood there, shocked as ever.

“Who the hell are you?” she spat.

I scoffed. “Not that you deserve to know.”

“Bitch, I’m the Luna around here,” she growled lowly. Mateo looked amused and Orion didn’t stop himself from laughing.

“You’re a great comedian is what you are,” I complimented her.

“I’m not joking!” she shrieked.

“Yeah, and I’m a virgin,” I said, deadpan.

Mateo didn’t hold back from laughing at that one.

“Mateo, are you going to let her treat me like this?” she whined.

“Since when are you guys on a first name basis?” Orion asked him.

“Like I would know. It’s the first I’m hearing this,” Mateo played along.

“Are we done here? I believe you were taking me somewhere,” I told my husband.

“Patience, Mrs Santiago,” he smirked. He knew that he was torturing me with the waiting, and he was enjoying it.

The little twerp!

“MRS SANTIAGO?” Naomi shrieked.

“Quiet!” I scolded her as though I was scolding a child younger than Rose. She frowned at the action, but before she could make a comeback, someone else joined us. I beamed at the sight of the person.

“DOM!” I squealed before hugging him.

“I take it you know each other then,” Mateo said in confusion.

Shit!

“Yep! Rissa here has helped the royals a lot in the past,” Dom played along.

Someone’s in on Operation G.M.B.

“I didn’t know that,” Mateo commented.

I shrugged. “It never came up.”

“Well, he’s our transportation,” my husband informed.

“Why couldn’t you just tell me where we’re going rather than bother Dom?” I questioned, deadpan.

“You think you’re so smart, mi amor. That would mean having to tell you where we’re going before we even get there,” he retorted.

I glared at him. “I really do hate you.”

“And I will always love you,” he winked, making me blush.

For the millionth time...

STUPID ALPHA!

“So, I guess I’m in charge until whenever it is that you two decide to come back,” Orion commented. We were pretending to not notice Naomi standing right there since she didn’t look like she had any intention of moving anyway.

Mateo shrugged. “We’ll be back by tomorrow at most.”

I sighed. “Okay, so at least I know the when, who and how.”

“The why, is because I love you and you deserve it,” my husband informed as he shot me an award winning smile.

Good lord, my poor hormones!

“You’re just missing the where and what,” Orion chuckled.

“The quicker we leave, the quicker I’ll know,” I hinted.

“Impatient, aren’t we?” Domitius teased.

If looks could kill.

“I think we should probably leave now,” Mateo advised, finally seeing how truly agitated I was getting.

Pregnancy hormones are not your friends!

“So, will I see you when you come back?” Naomi asked Mateo. The four of us looked at her in confusion.

“You’re truly demented,” Domitius told her. Mateo, Orion and I burst out laughing from the priceless look on her face.

Where are cameras when you need them?

We left soon after, and my eyes were covered by the time we reached our destination. There was a lot of noise wherever we were, and I was wondering why my eyes weren’t being uncovered. When they finally were, I couldn’t stop the giggle that left my mouth.

“Disneyland?” I smiled.

“Yep! You may be pregnant, but it doesn’t mean we can’t make a great day out of it,” he said.

This man is just too awesome for words.

I wish I could say I wasn’t that pregnant, but I was. We’d already discovered that I’d only be pregnant for three months, and the first month and a half had already passed, which meant that I was already three months and a little bit pregnant.

Yeah, Alpha babies from powerful parents are a bit of a problem.

The twins would be coming in the next month and a half, and yet I already looked big enough to be halfway with the pregnancy. I didn’t even want to know what I would look like once I was closer to their birth. I’d probably look like a whale.

And Mateo will say something cheesy like ‘you look like a sexy whale, mi amor.’

And I’ll believe him.

Just because he’s Mateo.

And he’s Spanish.

“RISSA!” he shouted.

“Huh, what?” I looked at him.

“Your spacing out has to be somewhat abnormal,” he teased.

“Shut up!” I mumbled, hiding my cheeks in his chest.

“Well, let’s go inside while I still have your attention,” he suggested. I got onto my toes and kissed him.

“Thank you for this,” I smiled.

“Anything for you, baby doll,” he winked.

I had the time of my life.

It really didn’t matter to him that I was pregnant. He gave me the best day ever. He even bought me the Minnie Mouse ears while he got Mickey Mouse’s ears. Apparently, the sizes are what differentiated the two.

I didn’t care nonetheless.

He took so many photos of me that one would swear he was afraid that I’d leave him. It was like he was engraving me to his memory, but if there was one thing our relationship had taught me, it was that love was much stronger than memories.

I didn’t miss the appreciative looks he got from the female population, and neither did he miss the looks I received from the male population - if his growling was any indication. Many people seemed curious about the color of my eyes, and a few of them actually stopped to ask me about them.

We also got a lot of compliments about how good we looked together. Some people almost sneered at us at the sight of my pregnancy, until they caught sight of my wedding ring. That will teach them!

People are so bloody judgmental lately.

Whenever I was exhausted, we would find a spot to sit and my loving husband would take off my sandals and actually massage my feet. He didn’t care about the fact that we were around so many people. I caught some women looking at us with envy in their eyes.

Yeah, I got the best of the best.

He bought me everything that I craved, and he was often amused by how quickly I kept changing my mind every time I saw something that I wanted. At some point, he even let me play with some little kids that wanted to braid my hair.

I sat on a blanket and let them go wild with their mothers watching on with smiles on their faces. The girls were crazy about the fact that my hair was pure white, and they wanted to take the opportunity I was presenting them with. When they were done, my hair wasn’t actually all that bad.

“You look beautiful,” my husband complimented, beaming.

I twirled, making the women laugh. “You think?”

“Oh, I know,” he smirked with a wink.

“The two of you are just too adorable for words!” one mother complimented.

“Thank you!” we replied.

“Is that your first?” another of the mothers asked, pointing at my belly.

“Twins,” we nodded with proud smiles, causing the coos.

“How long have you guys been married?” another asked.

“Three months,” I replied.

“Well, you are both stunning together, and clearly you caught yourself a good man. We wish you guys all the best,” the last mother smiled.

“Thank you so much!” we thanked them before leaving.

We walked around for a while longer before I could feel myself getting tired. Of course my mate actually wanted to carry me in this place full of people, but I wasn’t having it. Faster than I knew, Dom had come and teleported us to what I assumed was a hotel room.

I was too tired to actually bother analyzing.

“Sleep, mi amor,” was the last thing I heard before I gave into the darkness after the greatest date ever with my husband.