Bloody Mate

Chapter Twenty One - We don't need anyone -

After Cassidy left, I sat next to Maya. Throughout the movie, I smiled as she sang and playfully pouted when she would complain about me distracting her every time I played with her blonde locks. "Stop being mean, buttercup!" I would yell before tickling her. Her giggles filled my ears.

"Momma, whats a... a bastard?" She said quietly after the movie ended, her eyes dropping to her lap. I dropped the pillow I had been holding and gawked at her. Bastard? Since when did she know about those types of words? Why was she mentioning it now?

"Maya, baby, you shouldn't say words like that." I told her, ignoring her question. How do I explain it to her without sounding negative? That word, along others is not suppose to be in a seven year old's vocabulary.

"I know its bad, Momma, but everyone is saying it." She told me, her head falling on my lap. "Why is it bad, Momma?" By everyone, she probably means all the kids in her class. Why are they saying that? I mean, the word bastard initially is not a bad word, its just that people made it negative to the point that it's related to swears like 'fuck' and 'shit'.

As I grabbed my Iphone, I ran my hand through her hair, smiling when I saw her close her eyes. She loves when I rub her head, twirling her strands. She always falls asleep by this. "A bastard is person born when their parents are not married." I stated, thanking my dictionary app. It was an educated definition, simple and to the point. She nodded, understanding. Moments passed before she asked:

"Am I a bastard?"

Her question startled me. I thought she was asleep! Realization hit me, causing my face to get hard as my claws started to lengthen. "What brought that up, Maya?" I turned her so she could face me. Seeing her red eyes as tears fell made my eyes soften.

"Am I one?" She asked, ignoring my question.

"Maya, what brought up this topic?" I asked. Her sobs were worrying me. This isn't physical pain, one I could cure with a first aid kit. She was in pain emotionally. I am not a mind reader; I don't know what is going through her pretty little head.

"Family day at school." She breathed out, her eyes darkening. She looked so much older than her years at the moment.

"Family day?"

"Ya." She sniffled. "Everyone would bring pictures of their family." She explained. I wiped her tears away with my thumb before caressing her. "I brought one of you and me. Tina," I racked through my memory. Maya mentioned that a girl named Tina was mean. "said that is not a family. A family has a mommy and a daddy." She said everything so slowly and softly before sobbing. My heart clenched. What do I do? I am not her blood mother. I have no clue who her real parents are because they died when Maya was two years old.

"Shh. Baby look at me." I whispered softly. "You don't need that." I told her, placing small kisses on her forehead. "I don't need that." I started kissing her soft, pink cheeks. "We don't need that." Her eyes met mine. "Okay? You have me, and I have you. Okay baby? We-" I gestured to the both of us, before smiling. "don't need anyone."

I felt my eyes watered but I fought back the tears. When something flashed through her eyes, a smile kissing her lips, I felt myself relax. "Just you and me, Momma?"

"Me and you, baby." I declared before pulling her into a tight hug. "And you know what, baby?" I whispered in her ear.

"What?"

"Make 'em wish they have what we have."

~

I placed my palette on the window sill when I heard my phone ring. I was in my art room, taking advantage of the sunny day we were having. I answered the phone smiling at who it was.

"Hey."

"Hey, Little Red." Angelo's husky tone was like music to my ears. "What are you doing?"

I looked at the painting I was working on. It was for Maya's room. I painted a garden of flowers: roses, daisies, amaryllises. All of which were in a variety of colors. It was girly and cute, something Maya would adore. "Painting," I answered, putting the phone on speaker so I could continue painting.

"I didn't know my baby could paint. Are you painting me?" He cockily asked. I laughed, dipping my paintbrush in a dark shade of grey.

"As if! My whole world doesn't revolve around you, dear Alpha." I snorted. Maybe it did, may it did not.

"Oh yeah? Well we are going to have to change that." If he were here, his eyes would have had this determined look in them. Those dark brown eyes will be the death of me. Well, the next death. "Do you have any plans for the vacation?"

"No, why?" I asked, coloring a calla lily flower grey.

"Nothing much, just maybe to schedule a few dates and maybe cuddle sessions. Nothing big or grand."

I raised my eyebrows. "Dates and cuddle sessions?" I chuckled. "You're such a softy, it's cute. Who knew that I would be wearing the pants in this relationship."

"Well, we know who will be taking off the pants in this relationship."

I gasped. "Angelo!"

"Oh, you'll be screaming it alright." He laughed causing me to smile. Angelo and I talked on the phone until midnight. He joked and flirted as I painted, trying hard to not mess up as words left his sweet, filthy mouth.

"Goodnight, Little red."

"Goodnight," I said before hanging up. When I was going to put my phone down, I got a text message from a weird number with a different area code.

'Appointment with Ravnos has been set. Show up at East Wood train station on Friday at sunset. If you're a minute late, you will wish to have died. Don't respond back -Charlton'

Well shit.