Changed [Watty Awards 2013]

26. Attack

“Problems just need to be dealt with.” Eric sighed.

I picked up the phone and clicked the speaker button off. “We’ll be fine, babe. Don’t worry.”

His long sigh was drawn out and tired. “Be careful, okay? The last think I want is for me to get a call saying you either got killed or captured. Because I’d be catching the next flight out and I’m pretty close to doing that right now.”

I groaned. “I’ll be fine. Stay in Toronto and do your job.”

“You come first, Delilah.”

I growled and stood up from the table. I left the room and headed for the room that Matt and I both shared. I knew perfectly well that they could hear out conversation and I didn’t want them listening in. I slammed the door shut.

“No, what comes first is your job. I can take care of myself, Matt. I’m twenty-one for God’s sake.”

“I don’t care if you’re forty. You’re my whole world, Lil, and if anything were to happen to you when I’m not there, I’ll never be able to live with myself.”

He spoke so calmly it was starting to royally tick me off.

“Are you hearing yourself right now? I can take care of—”

“Yourself,” he growled lowly, “I got that part. Let’s role play, shall we? Put yourself in my shoes, okay? If you were me and you found out I was going to fight with another Pack—where death is sure to happen—would you be freaking out like I am right now?”

I was silent. Of course I’d freak out, but I wasn’t going to tell him that.

“My point exactly. I’m twenty-two and I can take care of myself, but I just don’t want you to get killed.”

I sighed. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“Anyways,” I heard bed springs groan, “I’m beat. Coach pounded me today for missing so many practices.”

I laughed. “Good. You’ve been eating too many cookies.”

“Uh oh. I’ve been caught.” He chuckled.

“It’s kind of hard to not be caught when I hear you sneak out of the room late at night and you come back with cookie breath.”

He laughed. “You’re observant.”

I smiled. “I should probably go back to the meeting.”

“Probably,” he said as a sigh. “I’ll call you in the morning, okay? Be safe.”

“All right, I will. Goodnight.”

“Night, baby.”

I hung up and walked back down to the kitchen to see it empty. I blinked and glanced in the living room to see Emily sitting there with her hands running over her belly.

“Uh…” I looked around the house to see if anyone was here. Nadda. “Where is everyone?”

Emily turned her head towards me. “They wanted you and your mother to stay with me because we’re the females.”

“And?” I sat down next to her. “I still wanted to fight.”

She shrugged. “I guess they heard your conversation with Matt and agreed with him.”

I growled. “Like hell I’m going to sit here and let them fight off the man that made my life hell.”

I stood up, but Emily grabbed my wrist and yanked me back down. “Sit down. It was Eric and Nick’s orders. You really need to learn to obey your Alpha.”