Chapter Three

She sang and smiled all the way home. She had a potential job and a chance to design a beautiful backyard. The smile disappeared when she pulled into the empty space in front of her apartment. She did it again, left without negotiating fees. Her people were counting on her, and she was being selfish. It wasn’t about her and her desire to design and build something glorious it was about her workers being able to feed their families.

“Quinn, we all want to help people, do nice things for them.” She could hear her father’s voice like he was still alive sitting in the truck next to her. “We can’t do that if we can’t take care of our own. Remember Tee is counting on you.”

“I’m sorry dad,” she whispered.

There was a week’s worth of work in front of her, and she might not get paid for it. She reached for her purse when the letter Mekhi slipped her fell out. She grabbed it and opened it. There was a check in there and a note that said this was the down payment on the plans, we’ll discuss the rest of your payment next week.

She had been in this business too long because she was becoming jaded. People used her, and she didn’t blink anymore. Something was wrong with Mekhi and his brothers, but she wasn’t going to go looking for the flaw. With this check and what she had in the bank, she’d have no trouble keeping her business afloat for a couple more weeks. She turned on the engine and backed out with the memory of Tee’s tiny wet face haunting her.

*~*~*~*

Mekhi was standing in the kitchen looking at a cup on the table. It should be so easy he told himself. All I have to do is lift it and keep it floating in midair. He stared at the cup feeling pain trying to push through the back of his head. He pushed it down refusing to revisit those memories. It was just a cup.

He lifted it without any trouble, now he just had to hold it mid-air for a few minutes. His breathing became labored as the cup grew heavy. His mind grasped trying to keep the cup up as flashes of blood and cries of pain tore through his brain. The cup hit the floor, he dropped to his knees as his body tried to reject whatever he recently ate. Without thought, he picked the cup up and threw it against the wall. It shattered as he curled into a ball.

He looked up death was reflected in his eyes. He pushed himself up to find Slade in his face.

“Move.”

“Make me.”

He was on his way to find Phoenix but kicking Slade’s ass would be much more satisfying.

“You think you can take me? Let’s go outside.”

He followed him out and attacked him the minute he turned around. Mekhi's beast shot to the surface swapping forms and taking a swipe at Slade. Slade changed and joined the fight. The two of them locked arms trying to throw the other to the ground looking for top position.

The other brothers walked out to watch the fight. This is what their lives had become, bleeding each other to let the pain out and to keep the human’s safe.

Slade picked Mekhi up and slammed him to the ground. Their brotherhood only worked if there was one top Alpha among a family of Alphas. Mekhi gritted his teeth and jumped to his feet running at Slade. He knocked him down and climbed on top of him beating his chest and roaring.

Slade took advantage of his gloating and hit him in the head with his deadly paw pushing him off and knocking some sense into him at the same time.

Mekhi’s form swapped again. He went up on his elbows. “Draw,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Accepted,” Slade replied when his body was humanoid.

Phoenix turned and walked toward the driveway.

“Where are you going?” Slade called out.

“To the bar. What have I told you about trying to be my mother?”

“Let him go.” Mekhi stepped in front of Slade. “He knows better than to kill the humans, and the alcohol won’t affect him. If he wants to drown his sorrows by pretending he’s like them who are we to stop him?”

They watched as Phoenix got into a sleek car and sped away.

“I’m out of here.”

“Where are you going?”

“What have I told you about trying to be my mother?”

“Mother or not you might want to change your bloody clothes first or the law on this planet will think you killed someone.”

He was right. Their fights always left them bleeding.

*~*~*~*

Quinn looked over the plans for Mekhi and his brother’s backyard. She had outdone herself. She lowered the drafting board and rolled them up putting them away. They would meet tomorrow, but tonight she was on her own.

“Tee, where are you?” She got mad because Quinn wouldn’t pick her up. She had to make sure her plans were perfect. “Come on baby, you know I love my little girl.”

Green eyes peeked out from under her bed, and she grinned. Tee enjoyed hiding there when she thought her ‘mama’ had hurt her. She pulled her out and gave her cuddles while placing kisses on her head. This was a sign that she needed a boyfriend.

“It’s time for someone to eat.” She took her into the kitchen where she kept her food bowl. After filling it and adding a treat which Tee devoured along with her food. Tee didn’t need the treat, but she liked to spoil her.

“You eat I need to answer the phone.” She ran into the living room where her phone was sitting on the table.

“Hello.”

“You sound happy.” She was happy, and now that Mekhi was calling her; she was even happier.

Get yourself together she chastened herself. He is just checking on the plans.

“I am happy. How can I help you?”

“Have you eaten dinner?”

“No, I was just beginning to think about it.”

“I’ll take you out.”

“Umm, it’s been a while since I’ve been on a date, but I prefer when a guy asks me, not tells me.” The phone went dead in her ear.

Great going Quinn, the first guy to ask you out in a year, and you scare him away. She placed the phone on the table and went to stare inside her empty fridge. The phone rang again, and she looked at it suspiciously before she answered it.

“Hello?”

“Hi Quinn, this is Mekhi. I was wondering if you have not eaten dinner would you like to go out with me to get something to eat?”

Her smile was so wide it was hurting her face. He called her back and obviously was uncomfortable asking her out, but he did it anyway.

“I would like that. Where are we going fancy or casual?” He was rich, so he probably ate food that came on little shells while she was dreaming of a steak and baked potato. Maybe she should eat a salad, but that wasn’t happening.

“Casual?”

“I like the sound of that.” She had to hide her laugh; she could almost feel him loosen up when she agreed to casual. “Where do you want me to meet you?”

“I’ll pick you up.”

That made her stiffen. She wasn’t disappointed by where she lived, but in the past, she heard men talk about her neighborhood after they didn’t call her back for a second date.

“I could meet you.”

“Why?”

Well heck, he was putting her on the spot. “Here’s my address, what time shall I expect you?”

“I’ll pick you up in an hour.”

“I’ll be ready.”

She put back the chicken she had just taken out and went to take a shower. Casual did that mean jeans or slacks and a nice shirt? In the end, she settled for high-end jeans and a cute shirt that she could pair with sandals.

There was a knock at the door. One look out her peephole told her it was Mekhi.

She opened the door, “Hi.”

“You didn’t ask who was at your door.”

“I looked out the hole.”

He frowned but walked in when she moved back. Tee came to the door to greet him. She reared up on her hind legs and opened her mouth in a hiss before she attacked him.