Picture Credit to: Becky190
The next day I managed to get some alone time with the triplets. Everyone went to a pack meeting at Finn's, leaving me alone to be with my kids. Well, alone as I could get with wolves out of sight, stopping anything from getting to me or my children.
JJ came out of the woods behind Mikko's house with a smile on his face.
For a moment, I was shocked to see him come into the backyard. I didn't think the guardians would have let him through. Mikko or Finn had to have allowed it, otherwise he'd be torn to pieces instead of walking towards me.
I recovered from my shock quickly.
"Were you really waiting for me to be alone?" I asked, amused.
JJ had been doing everything in his power to stay away from Mikko. It was funny to watch.
"I was," he admitted. His smile turned guilty as he walked forward. "But you're never really alone, are you?"
I shrugged and glanced at the triplets before returning my attention to him. "Not with my children in the open with a pack that isn't trusted on the lands."
There were three wolves surrounding the yard. If JJ decided to turn violent, they would be on him within seconds.
"Should I worry about being attacked?" he teased.
I pretended to think hard on it for a few seconds. "Just don't make any quick moves and I think you'll be fine."
He took a slow step forward. "I don't think they're going to leap out at me."
I smiled at him. "I think you're good."
"Now the question is: if I asked you out on a date, would I be attacked for encroaching on Mikko's territory?"
That momentarily stunned me.
"Hypothetically, of course," I replied, unsure of the whole situation.
"Of course," he said. His expression told me it really wasn't a hypothetical question.
JJ was asking me out and I had no idea if that was what I wanted.
This time I really thought on it. Mikko had been determined to keep me away from other men while I was pregnant with the triplets; he was probably thinking the same thing now. I wasn't Mikko's property, but in the eyes of the werewolves, I was because I carried his mark. It was a mark that had been forced upon me, but nevertheless, I still had it.
"I have no idea," I replied honestly.
He took another slow step towards me. "And, hypothetically, if I took that risk, what would your answer be?"
JJ couldn't have been serious. If he was any good at being a werewolf, he would've heard about everything that had happened between Mikko and me. He knew Mikko could drag him through the dirt if he wanted.
"You'd have to ask me to find out," I teased right back. I was completely bluffing. He wouldn't ask. Mikko was too big of a risk for anyone to take.
"Alright then." He took another few steps closer. "There's this quaint little restaurant that you would love, about forty-five minutes away from here. I want to take you there, just the two," he glanced down at my belly, "two and a half of us," he was smiling when he met my eyes again, "on a romantic date."
I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think. He had actually asked. I was in shock.
I never thought there would be anyone who would ever ask me out on a date while I carried Mikko's mark and his child.
"Why?" I asked before I could stop myself.
JJ closed the distance between us and cupped my face with his hands. "I've been thinking about you since I left all those years ago. I told myself that if I ever came across you again, I wouldn't let anything stop me from seeing what could have happened between us. I would regret it every day if I didn't at least try."
I nodded once, agreeing to JJ's date offer. "Alright, I'll go with you."
His smile widened. "Great!"
He slowly brought his face to mine, giving me more than enough time to pull back or push him away, but I didn't. I wanted to remember how it felt to be kissed by someone who wasn't doing me a favor.
The kiss was soft and sweet, not demanding and hard like our last one had been. It didn't make my heart race, but it was nice. I needed a little nice in my life.
Well, it had been nice until I felt a little body against my leg. I pulled back and looked down. Ben was trying to push JJ away from me.
"My momma," his baby voice said furiously. "My momma!"
JJ took two steps away from the toddler with a smile. "Sorry, buddy," he tried to appease my jealous son, but it didn't really work.
I picked Ben up when he tried following JJ.
"When do you want to go?" I couldn't help but smile from the whole situation. It had been so long since I had been on a date.
"Tomorrow, around dinner time?"
I nodded. "Pick me up at five?"
"Five sharp," he agreed and turned to leave.
Ben glared at JJ until he was gone.
"You need to be nice, mister," I chastised him. He didn't look remorseful or anything. I sighed, then gave him a kiss and put him down. I didn't want to have a little territorial Mikko running around with my adorable son's face, but that was where my life was going.
---
I wasn't surprised when Nikki and my dad came back to the house twenty minutes after JJ had left. He must have snuck out of the pack meeting early without anyone else noticing.
I was in the shower the next time I saw Mikko. I jumped, startled, when the door opened; but as soon as I saw him, I grew annoyed.
"What are you doing in here?"
He ignored my question and instead asked me one. "Why am I hearing that Jones escorted you back to Finn's in the nude?"
I continued rinsing out my hair to stop myself from rolling my eyes at him. "JJ didn't escort us back, he followed us back."
"From where?"
I barely contained my frustration. "We were testing out Nikki's new camera."
"You know that I don't want Jones around you."
Again with JJ, I mentally groaned.
"He won't do anything. He has a healthy fear of you." I used my hands to squeeze out some water from my hair before looking at him. I didn't want the water to go into my eyes. "I don't understand why you hate him so much."
Mikko's eyes widened in surprise. "Have you not been paying any attention? His pack is not cooperating. He is overstepping his boundaries with you. He has threatened you and now he's taking liberties with you."
I couldn't help but smile as the realization hit me. "You're jealous." He immediately protested. "Oh come on Mikko, the signs are all there. You don't like him just for the fact that he likes me."
"I never said that."
I let out a small chuckle. "No, you didn't have to."
He gave me a look that told me that he was growing frustrated, but I knew he wasn't going to argue about it anymore if he couldn't see a way to win the argument.
"If you don't tell JJ to back off, I will."
I winced at the thought of that. Mikko definitely wouldn't be nice about it.
"Well, I guess this is where it gets complicated."
I sighed to prolong the seconds until I had to tell him what happened between JJ and I. After a quick self-pep talk I decided that I was brave enough.
"Why would telling him to shove it be complicated?" His voice rumbled from deep within his chest, lower than normal but still just as loud.
"Iagreedtogowithhimonadate." I spoke way too quickly. I let out a huff of relief that I had gotten it out.
Mikko's blank stare told me that he didn't catch it. "Slower and less crazy, please."
I should've known. If he had understood, he would've blown his top.
"I agreed to go on a date with him." I spoke slowly and clearly.
He was frozen in his spot. "A date?"
I nodded.
"The day after you deny my offer." The gravelly quality of his voice became deeper the more he spoke. His wolf was fighting him to gain control over the situation.
I just nodded in response.
I had nothing to fear from Mikko. He wouldn't hurt me, not while I had his baby in my belly.
His eyes turned more and more golden as he, unexpectedly, walked closer to me. He opened the door to the shower and let out all of the steam, leaving my entire naked body for him to see. I had been confident while he couldn't see anything behind the smoked glass, but now that he was invading my shower space, I felt uneasy.
I bent too easily to what he wanted. I couldn't help it. Even as he walked towards me I felt aroused. I didn't like that he could do this to me. It would've been much easier if he couldn't.
He didn't pay any attention to the stream of water when it hit him. His clothes were soaked in seconds, but he never took his eyes from mine.
"Why did you agree to go out with him?" He stood an inch away from me. He wasn't touching me, but I could feel the heat of his body even over the heat of the shower.
"Because I just want to have some fun." My voice was weak and lacked the confidence that I had just seconds ago.
I didn't want to be naked with Mikko so close.
"You don't need a stranger to have some fun."
I was about to reply, when I felt his hand on my belly, before it traveled up to Mikko's mark. When his hand covered the mark, my knees almost gave way from the sensations he sent to me. I held onto his arms to keep from falling.
It wasn't fair. I would be hot and bothered because Mikko wanted to teach me a lesson.
"That's not the kind of fun I was thinking about." I tried to keep my voice even and neutral, but as soon as I spoke, he increased the intensity of the pleasure I got from his touch. My words had taken on a more breathlessness tone than I would have preferred.
He smirked and bent down to place a kiss on the side of my neck. "Jones will never be able to give you what I can. He cannot protect you or our children."
The pleasure kept building until I was very close to coming undone when he stopped increasing the intensity. I was stuck on the verge and he knew it.
"Cancel with Jones," he warned with a growl.
I shook my head. "I won't cancel because you're jealous."
"No, you'll cancel because you don't want him."
It was agonizing to be stuck on the verge for so long. "This isn't fair."
"Life isn't fair." He ran his nose along my jaw line. "Tell me that you'll cancel."
I shook my head and tried to gain some control over myself. "I won't cancel on him just because you want me to."
He continued to stare at me. It was a stare he used to intimidate lesser wolves, but I wouldn't let that work on me.
Fueled by sexual frustration I shook my head and turned my face towards the stream of water coming from the shower head.
"I told you I wouldn't cancel."
"And I told you: I will cancel for you." He hadn't moved closer, thankfully.
"No you won't." I used a tone that didn't leave room for negotiation. "You just don't want someone else barging in on your territory. But I'm not, Mikko. Never was. That's your fault."
I heard a small growl, but Mikko turned and walked away. When I heard the bathroom door close, I looked over my shoulder to see that I was alone again.
I let out a huff of air that had been my bravery.
That went smoother than I thought it would've gone.