CHAPTER NINETEEN
- Tallulah -
Two weeks have passed since we received our new home as a gift from the guy’s parents. No one came to visit. Instead, we were left peacefully to enjoy our new home and each other.
That was until yesterday when we were pulled from the bed half-dressed by someone hammering repeatedly on the front door.
We received another threat from the Blood Moon pack.
Someone dumped the remains of Lana at the edge of our territory. Pack Security were the unfortunate ones to find her on a perimeter sweep, and the guys had to be the ones to deal with it. Even though Henrique exiled her from the pack, the Blood Moon pack still killed her and used her body as a threat.
We definitely know it was Lana’s body because of the tattoo one of her old friends identified on the body. Plus, the DeLucas gave us a positive identification that she was on Blood Moon property once they returned home.
Henrique, Leverette, and Rosalina decided it’d be the right time to see how we would handle the situation. We spent all day and most of the night going over different scenarios. Which is why I snuck out of my own bed to let the guys sleep while I made breakfast in my kitchen.
Today is, well, today will be a nightmare.
Henrique plans to announce he will take a backseat and allow Theo to have more pack responsibility. Then, to make matters worse, that leaves us to tell the pack we’ll be on a strict training schedule because of the constant attacks by Blood Moon. We’ll tell them of the possibility of war and the treaty we have with the vampires. Not that I expect the pack to have a problem with the vampires’ assistance. I’d like to imagine they’d be grateful to have them join our ranks.
I bend over to pull out the frying pan inside the cupboard so I can cook up some bacon for breakfast, but I’m not able to reach it. I lean farther in and lift off the pots stacked on top of the pan I want. A whistle rings out and causes me to almost bash my head on the underside of the counter. Untangling myself from the pans and cupboard, I straighten and give the shirt I’m dressed in, possibly Quimby’s, a tug downward.
Turning, I glare at the bugger who almost caused me a concussion.
“I could get used to you bent over in the kitchen, in only a shirt. It’s a mighty fine view to wake up to,” Kenji murmurs while he leans against the doorframe, dressed only in a pair of boxers.
After I tasted each of their delights, I’m no longer embarrassed at the guys’ various stages of undress or if they see me mostly disrobed. It’s become our norm, and after the ceremony…
The first week none of us wore clothes. The whole house was bedded in by day four. My core stirs with the familiar sensation of want. To carry on in my quest to make them breakfast, I turn away from Kenji.
“Remind me what time we’ve called for the pack meeting?” It’s a desperate bid to take his mind off what his eyes and body are clearly begging for.
He groans in disappointment. “Ten. We have an hour before we’re due to be there. Plenty of tim—”
“Nope! Don’t you dare even think it Kenji, we’ll never make it out of here in time.” My subtle attempt to put the kitchen island between us is foiled. His laugh resonates through the kitchen, and it’s clear he caught on to what I’m doing.
“It won’t work, Mrs. Argent, I’ve seen your bare ass and”—he takes in a deep breath— “I can smell your arousal!” Kenji stalks towards me.
Before I have a chance to escape, he picks me up and throws me over his shoulder. I yelp when his hand slaps playfully against my backside.
He makes it no farther than the kitchen entrance before the front door opens and a familiar voice calls out, “Remove your hands from the Luna until after the pack meeting, son.”
Releasing a groan against Kenji’s bare back, I pray he doesn’t remove his hand from my backside. It’s the only thing that keeps the shirt in place and stops me from flashing my naked rear to my in-laws.
He turns his back on his parents to lower me to the floor, and I’m grateful they don’t see more of me than I’d like. The shit sneakily takes the opportunity to slide me down the length of his body and his hardness, just to prove to me what I’ll miss out on.
I give him the stink eye before I turn and go to the bedroom to get properly dressed for the day.
Before I shut the bedroom door, I catch Kenji’s growl about locks on doors.
~
I watched the crowd as Henrique relinquished some of his power to Theo, and Rosalina did the same with me. There was not a single face unhappy with the chain of events, but I’ve a sneaky suspicion this next bit will cause a stir.
No one wants to fight. Hell, I don’t want to fight. I want to live my life in peace.
Unfortunately, life doesn’t always play out the way we want. Sometimes, we fight for a greater cause. I can’t deny my nervousness. Henrique hands his power over to his son, and that son then calls for the pack to train for a war we are running into headfirst. Heck, I’d be sceptical. Hopefully, the pack’s loyalty to Henrique and Theo will be strong enough to withstand the changes.
Theo doesn’t waste any time and cuts straight to the point. “As you may be aware, this meeting wasn’t only for my father to hand over the pack to me. I called it because we’ve received a serious threat from the Blood Moon pack.”
He walks into the gathered pack to show he is one with them. His voice rings loudly throughout the yard. “A lot of you witnessed the fight between Luna Tallulah and former pack member, Lana. Some may have heard the awful things Lana spewed about your Luna. What some of you don’t know is the reason behind why my brothers and I didn’t claim Tallulah as our mate, even though we knew she was.” Theo pauses to make eye contact with those gathered. “This is because of the Blood Moon pack.”
Kenji immediately steps forward and continues. “The day Theo found out Tallulah was our mate so did our rivals. They didn’t know her name, but they searched for her for many years. So, we had to hide her to protect her. This caused Tallulah, my brothers, and I enormous amounts of pain and stress. Now, we can share the joy of her with you because she’s not just our mate, she’s your Luna!”
Quimby steps up next to his brothers and commands as much attention. “We’ll train over the next few weeks to make sure we’re at our strongest. We’ll only pick our best fighters, and we’ll split them seventy-thirty. All non-fighting women and pups will stay here, in lockdown, as a precaution. If it comes to war, the fighters who do come with us won’t go into this war alone. We have the word of the DeLucas that they will join us in battle. We—”
“Bullshit!” a voice shouts out, and the crowd gasps.
They immediately part like the red sea to leave a man alone in the middle of the cleared area. He appears to be in his mid-twenties, but I can’t be sure. He stalks forward, his glare fixed on the guys, and my instincts scream that he could be a threat. Despite his aggressive body language, I’m fully prepared to kick his ass if need be.
“I refuse to fight with some fucked up bloodsuckers. What’ll happen after the fuckin’ fight? They’ll get thirsty and decide we’re food!”
The guys all hold their tempers in check at the man’s verbal attack, which is half the reason why Henrique put them in charge without fuss.
Theo stares him down, his voice calm. “If you’d like to stay here with the women and children, then you’re more than welcome to. But those bloodsuckers, as you politely called them, are here to help us to protect our pack. Which is what you’re expected to do, what all of us need to do. You should want to fight for your future mate, not hide behind the fact you’re worried vampires might bite you.”
I don’t stop the smile from blooming on my face when the rest of the pack nods in agreement with Theo’s words.
Not wanting to miss out on the fun, I call out to the naysayer, “Besides, I have it on good authority they don’t like the taste of dog.”
This brings a bout of nervous laughter.
When no more disgruntled comments or questions arise, everyone disperses.
The guys silently take my hands and pull me in the direction of the waterfall. “Where are we going?”
Quimby winks. “It’s a surprise.”
No matter how many times I ask, they don’t give anything away. When we arrive at the falls, I start to sense their worry. Before I can ask, Theo gently grasps my shoulders and turns me until I face the ledge over the water.
They’ve had Declan Monroe, the mason guy, down here to work his magic. On the beautiful stone to the side of the waterfall is inscribed: Tallulah Falls.