Author's Note: I am trying to get back into writing regularly. My problems aren't worked out yet, who knows if they ever will be. BUT I am trying to get back into this.
My updates will probably be short and irregularly posted. I am making no promises, but I am trying.
And picture credit goes to AmySebastian! Thank you!
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A couple hours of photography later I was sweating and uncomfortable. The heat that I had been enjoying became more intense as the day wore on and quickly took its toll on me. I was fine one minute and then two minutes later I was miserable.
"I can't be out here much longer. This heat is wearing me out," I confessed. The two werewolves were enjoying their time out of the house and I felt guilty about making them follow me back to the house.
Mike threw me a water bottle and a granola bar. "We'll just pack up and go home."
Nikki nodded and took the strap of the camera off of her neck. "Yeah, you look beat. Sit down and we'll take care of everything."
I nodded and sat down on the rocky shore. I could tell from the fatigue in my legs that I would be sore and tired tomorrow.
I kept my eyes on the far side of the shoreline as I ate and drank.
I spotted something on the other side of the lake when movement caught my vision.
I tried to make out what it was, but it was too far away to tell.
"Is that a wolf?" I asked as Mike and Nikki were packing up her things.
They both looked up and looked in the direction that I had seen the wolf.
"I don't think it's one of Finn's," Mike said as he stared at the wolf.
"He's going to come over here," Nikki stated. Sure enough, the wolf sprinted down the shoreline.
"If it's not a friendly, Nikki's going to carry you to Finn's very quickly," Mike commanded.
It wasn't a suggestion to Nikki and by the look on her face, she knew it. She didn't like it when Mike ordered her to do things.
Nikki looped her camera bag around her neck so that she wouldn't have to worry about the expensive equipment. She came closer to me and stared at the wolf as it approached.
"I think he might be JJ," Mike said as we waited.
About twenty yards from us, the wolf suddenly darted into the trees.
"Where's he going?" I asked as I looked around Nikki.
"He's changing." Mike didn't sound enthused.
"Should we wait for him? Or should we leave?" I asked as Nikki helped me off the ground.
"He wants to say something," Nikki suggested, "otherwise he wouldn't have come over."
"Are you sure it's JJ? I don't want you to have to duke it out with the other packs wolves," I teased Mike, hoping to ease the tension I could see gathering in his shoulders.
Even though his face was turned away from me, I could see him roll his eyes. "I'm pretty sure that I can handle myself against whoever it is."
"Even if it's JJ? He is a beta," Nikki teased.
He shot his mate a look. "I can at least hold him off long enough for you to get her away."
The seriousness in his tone shot through Nikki. She didn't like the hypothetical situation of something happening to her mate. "I was just kidding. You don't have to be so stuck up."
Their argument stopped when JJ came into view showing every part of himself to the world. I didn't understand why he felt the need to strut. Don't get me wrong, JJ was attractive and had the body of a Grecian god, but the important part of him wasn't exactly awe inspiring.
Which was... disappointing.
"Good afternoon!" he said cheerfully as he approached. "I didn't think anyone would be out here. It's quite a hike."
"Fortunately being pregnant hasn't taken away my ability to walk," I replied sarcastically. I had definitely been exposed to the elements too long, I noted.
"You look tired to me." His smirk told me that he liked arguing with me. Maybe that was his thing, but it wasn't mine. If it were, I would've been head over heels for Mikko.
"It's hot." My mood was turning even sourer the longer we stayed out here. I needed a cool bath and some ice cream.
"Let's get you back to the house." Mike came around and motioned for me to start walking.
I listened. Mike had been one of the wolves who had voted against JJ's change to being a werewolf. Mike and JJ had never gotten along and it seemed that the time apart hadn't changed those feelings.
JJ was suddenly in my path, forcing me to stop before I ran into his nudity. "Why don't I carry you? You look exhausted." His smile seemed sincere, but I wasn't buying it.
"You're naked, JJ! Why would I let a naked man carry me home?"
He looked down at himself as if he hadn't realized he was in his birthday suit. He smirked when he looked up at me. "You can't tell me you're not impressed. I've changed since we've been apart."
"I've grown up around six packs and toned muscles. What makes yours so special?" I snapped. "I want to go home and cool down. If you don't move, I swear I'll-" I felt the tingling associated with Mikko accessing the bond. He had felt my anger and irritation, so he was checking up on me. I didn't want him to know that JJ was putting himself on display for me, so I closed my eyes and took a deep, calming breath.
"Em?" Nikki asked worriedly. When she put her hand on my belly, I opened my eyes again. She thought I was having contractions.
I smiled at her. "It's okay. I just needed to calm down a little."
"What happened?" she asked, ignoring that the guys were even there.
"Nothing," I lied, and everyone knew it.
"JJ, if you don't move, I will make you," Mike threatened in a growl. It wasn't often that I got to see Mike act like a werewolf. He was very well behaved for one.
JJ stood sideways and exaggerated his gestures to usher us past him.
Nikki slapped his unsuspecting gut and pushed him out of the way. "Manners, asshole."
JJ caught himself before he fell on his ass. "I'm not the one making her walk back in this weather."
"I'm not helpless," I stated defensively.
"Besides, you wouldn't be the one carrying her back," Nikki told him. "You're a stranger now, a naked one. Why should she let you carry her when she's pregnant with another man's child?"
He shrugged, but didn't stop smiling. "Because her baby daddy doesn't appreciate her or even care for her."
Nikki didn't have anything to fight back with, so she tugged on my arm to get me moving again.
"Stop touching me!" I snapped and pulled away from both of them. "I don't need your help, or your concerns!" I yelled at all of them. "I've made it this far without any of you, what makes you think I need you now?"
I stomped all the way home. Nikki and Mike weren't ever far behind on the way back. No one tried making me eat or drink or forced me to be carried.
It was nice not to feel helpless...even if I had overreacted to my best friend.
When we got to the car, it was unlocked before I got to the door. The only thing that stopped us from leaving was the fact that JJ had gotten into the back seat with Mike.
"What do you think you're doing?" Mike asked venomously.
"Catching a ride back." He acted as though he hadn't heard Mike's tone. "I might as well, seeing as there's been a meeting called by Finn."
"Alpha Finn," Mike corrected. "The least you could do is show respect."
JJ bowed his head. "Alpha Finn. Sorry."
I put my head against the headrest and closed my eyes. I was exhausted and it had nothing to do with all of the walking I did today.
The ride back to the house was quick. JJ was confused when we arrived at Mikko's house.
"I thought we were going to Finn's... Alpha Finn's," JJ corrected himself when Mike's eyes rested on him.
"This is my home," I said as I walked to the house. "You can change and run back. That's the perk of being a werewolf."
I didn't wait for anyone as I walked into the house. Mikko didn't lock his door because if someone was stupid enough to steal from him, it wouldn't take long to track them down.
The house was unusually quiet because the triplets were gone. It made the place sound lifeless. It was amazing the difference they brought to a home.
Nikki knocked on the bathroom door while I was in the shower. She cracked the door open, but didn't come in. "Mikko wants us to go to Finn's for dinner tonight. Family meal, he says."
I nodded and let the stream of water hit my face. The doors of the shower were designed with smoke glass that came just to my neck, allowing me to see the whole bathroom without any problems.
My tension and anger seeped out of me in the shower. I felt so much better when I got out. Nikki and Mike were waiting silently.
"I'm sorry I snapped earlier," I said to both of them. "I just get fed up."
Nikki smiled weakly. "You're just stressed and overwhelmed. We understand."
"That didn't give me the right. You two have been with me for a long time, I shouldn't have treated you like that."
Nikki pounced on me, hugging only as tight as she dared. Even though it was light to her, it was still intense to me. She pulled Mike up and made him get in on the hugging party we had going on.
"Am I invited to this little love fest?" JJ's voice came from behind me.
"What're you still doing here?" Nikki asked, surprisingly, without any of the attitude earlier. She just sounded tired now.
"You're going to go to Finn's anyway, so I don't see the harm in bumming a ride." The nice, charming JJ was back.
"Alright," I gave in as I turned around. I was too stunned by what I saw to say anything else. He was in Mikko's clothes. I was flabbergasted that he would go into Mikko's room and take his clothes. It was a really gusty move and I knew that Mikko wasn't going to like it.
The clothes were a little big on him, but it was still an attractive look.
"He's going to kill you, you know that right?" Nikki said, making me close my mouth.
"Why did you go in his room?" I asked when I came back to my senses. "He's going to freak."
He shrugged and rubbed his hands over the clothes. "Mikko has expensive taste. I like it."
I rolled my eyes and made my way to the car. JJ would have to deal with Mikko on his own. It wasn't my fault JJ raided Mikko's closet.
It didn't take long to get to Finn's. Once there, I went to the nursery with Nikki trailing behind me. Mike and JJ went to the office where Finn, Mikko, and Philip were most likely were at.
The triplets were very intensely watching a movie with their Aunt Madeline, who was acting more like a chair than anything else.
"Hi my babies," I said quietly as I walked into the room.
I sat down on the sofa with them and was covered with them instantly. I gave them each a kiss and a hug before they could focus on the movie again. It wasn't very often that they got to watch movies. I tried my best to keep them away from screens so that they could do something that would stimulate their growing minds.
Nikki and Mike sat on the loveseat together, while JJ lay down on the floor keeping his eyes on the screen.
I knew that Mikko would be down soon enough and that when he saw JJ he wasn't going to be happy.
I didn't hear Mikko approach, but I felt him. The mark he put on me sometimes allowed that.
I kept my eyes on the screen, not wanting to distract the kids. It wasn't a good idea to mess them up once they were settled.
Mikko leaned over the back of the sofa, right behind me. I felt his face next to mine. "Why is he in my clothes?" he asked right by my ear.
Of course, all four werewolves in the room looked over at him. I didn't turn to acknowledge the question. JJ kept his eyes on Mikko while the other three kept looking between Mikko, JJ, and me.
I shrugged. "He helped himself to your room. I didn't let him do anything."
Mikko waited a moment before replying. "What makes you think you had permission to enter my house and make yourself at home?" Mikko's tone was mellow enough that the kids couldn't pick up on what was happening.
JJ shrugged and looked back at the screen dismissively. It was a bad idea to disrespect Mikko like that. "I figured you wouldn't want me around your kids bare assed."
I tilted my head to look at Mikko. I knew that idea would not go over well with him. His eyes were lighter than normal, but he was still in control.
"That's why you wouldn't shift until you got here and were given clothes to change into. You do not go into homes of werewolves and steal from them."
The threat was very clear to everyone in the room, except for the kids. Cass stood up on the couch and put her little hands on Mikko's jaw, rubbing at the roughness of the stubble there.
Mikko smiled lovingly at his daughter and kissed her tiny palm.
"In my pack," JJ said, "it's fine to share between members."
Mikko nodded and took his eyes off of Cass just long enough to reply, "You're not my pack."
He gave each of his children a kiss before going outside to the yard. JJ relaxed when Mikko left the room. "He means for you to follow him," I told JJ. "He won't have a discussion like that in front of his kids."
JJ looked towards the backdoor and sighed. He didn't want to go, but he'd look like a chicken if he didn't. Betas can't be chickens.
Once JJ left the room, the kids each settled back to finish watching the movie.
"I don't think we'll be seeing JJ much more today."
I shook my head and looked at the TV screen. I didn't know how I felt about that. I wanted to like JJ, but I wasn't sure that was a good thing either.
I didn't see either man until it was time for dinner.
Dinner was served right on time with the triplets feeding routine. For all her faults and all my dislike of her, Abigail was one of the best cooks I knew.
It was rare that the whole Madill group got to have dinner together with Margaret being so far away. With adding me, my dad, Nikki and Mike to the group, the table was filled the table to capacity. The triplets each had a high chair, close to someone who was feeding them. Dad and Nikki each had a girl while Margaret fed Ben.
Having them all here made my job incredibly easy. It felt amazing to be surrounded by everyone in this weird extended family. I would miss the company when they all went home.