In the Midst of the Light
Three
Valerio
There are times that I can't make myself look away from Lexie. There are also times that she will look at me while I'm staring at her, and she too can't look away. Her caramel brown eyes just suck me in, and both of our breathing stops every time it happens. It's as if everyone else just completely disappears. Any time this has happened since we became mates, it leads us right into having sex again.
Which isn't a good thing right now since we're having our first meeting since we got married. It's just the family in attendance for this meeting, so I'm sure they all understand, but it's not what a good leader should be focusing on right now. How was Dad able to focus if Mom was around? His love for her completely changed everything, and he was still able to focus. Is it because they were at war most the time?
Lexie's breathing stops, and I swallow as we continue to stare at each other. I'm about to take the two steps to her on the couch in the living room closest to me when the front door suddenly opens. I look towards the door, a little relieved something was able to break through to me. Uncle Eric is in the room, and even though I'm his Guild Leader, he's my father in law.
I smile as Sophie and Gavin come through the front door, both of them with their heads buried in their phones. Unless you're talking to them directly, they don't look up. Uncle Luke and Aunt Nikiya come in after them, bickering about something.
"Welcome home," I call to them, making all four of them look at me. Lexie comes off her cushion and comes to stand beside me. Her scent so close to me is driving me insane. I swallow again, and force a smile. "How was Australia?"
Lexie takes my hand as the four of them come into the living room. They each dip their heads to Lexie and I, and Uncle Luke replies, "Too damn hot."
"You say that every single time we go there," Aunt Nikiya scolds him playfully, "and yet you never can wait to get there."
Uncle Luke just rolls his eyes at her.
"Why don't you guys take your bags to your rooms and come back down and join us?" I tell them.
The four of them look at Dad, making me lock my jaw.
"Don't look at him for permission," I say, making sure to control my tone. They look back to me, seeming a little startled. "Go take your luggage to your rooms and come back down."
Gavin and Sophie grab one of the bags out of Uncle Luke and Aunt Nikiya's hands, and then disappear up the stairs. When I can't see them anymore, I look around the room. Mom, Dad, Aemilia, R.C., Uncle Septimus, Aunt Aquila, Lexie's parents, and Brianna are smiling a little at me. Braelyn and Logan are looking anywhere other than me with a small curl to their upper lips.
My wolf is getting sick and tired of everyone still looking at Mom or Dad for justification. Dad said not everything has to end in a command, but I have a feeling that in order to get everyone to listen to me I'm gonna have to start ordering people. It just really sucks that it's my family doing this.
When Uncle Luke, Aunt Nikiya, Sophie and Gavin come back into the living room, they stand at the other end of the room. Lexie goes to sit back down, but I keep a hold of her hand. I don't want her even two steps away from me right now.
I look at Uncle Luke, and ask, "How are the wolves on the other side of the world?"
Uncle Luke smirks at me and nods his head slightly. "Quiet," he replies, and then he pauses. He looks at Aunt Nikiya, and she blushes. "We were asked by Alpha Dubois again if you would be willing to create a holiday in honor of Nikiya."
Everyone in the room either laughs, or sighs. Apparently, during Mom and Dad's battle, Aunt Nikiya saved Alpha Dubois' life, and ever since then, he has wanted us to make a holiday out of it. Alpha Dubois has always made it sound like a joke, but he asks every time there's a gathering, or if someone from the family visits him and his wife. I'm starting to think it's not just a joke anymore.
"If we did," I respond, "it won't be because she saved his life." I smile at my Aunt as she smiles at the floor. Aunt Abby is my favorite Aunt, simply because she gave me Lexie, but Aunt Nikiya is my favorite if I'm being unbiased. "We would create a holiday for the only vampire who didn't have to be bitten to became a werewolf after taking the cure."
Aunt Nikiya lifts her head, and smiles at me. "I'll say it again, Valerio, I don't want a holiday named after me."
I chuckle at her. "Whatever you say." I glance around the room, and see Aemilia chewing nervously on her bottom lip. She said she'd meet Keegan after Sophie and Gavin come home. I need to wrap this meeting up so I can help her calm down. "Is there anything anyone else has to say?"
"Yeah," Aunt Hope says as she turns her head to look at me. "Why isn't Cauis leading this meeting?"
"Because Cauis isn't in charge anymore," I growl at her. I take a deep breath, just like Dad told me to when I feel my anger spiking, as I look around the pack. "All of you knew years ago that I would inevitably take over, and now it's here. I know I'm young, but to question why I'm leading now is to question Mom and Dad's decision, and I will not tolerate it anymore. Everyone is to treat Lexie and I with the same respect you've shown Mom and Dad. Is that understood?"
The room fills with everyone saying, "Yes, Your Majesty."
I hate that I have to order everyone to treat me as the Guild Leader I am, but if that's what it takes, then so be it.
As Lexie and I come out onto the patio, I see Aemilia, Sophie, Gavin, Brianna and Braelyn standing in a circle next to the pool. Everyone, minus Aemilia, has their swimsuits on, making me groan internally. Lexie loves to swim, and when she has her bathing suit on, I almost can't control myself. When we were growing up, and she started maturing, I couldn't be around her if she was swimming. I look over at her as we make our way to the group, and she turns her head at the same time to smirk at me. I beg her with my eyes to not join them, making her laugh.
Me ordering the pack did something to her, and as soon as I dismissed everyone, she took us to our room. We spent two hours in our room, and we just got done in the shower before coming outside. If she puts her bikini on, we'll just end up back in our room.
Lexie grabs my hand as we continue to walk to the group. "Hey guys," she greets them when we get closer, "what's going on?"
Everyone dips their heads to us as Aemilia replies, "I'm trying to explain to them that it's too cold to swim, and if they do, then all of them will regret it."
I chuckle at my sister as I look at Sophie. "You're not in Australia anymore, you know that right?"
She rolls her eyes and flips her brown hair over her shoulder. "I know, but I didn't get to swim in the ocean before we left."
I look at the pool and point to it. "That's not an ocean either."
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," she laughs at me, and then pouts as she looks at the pool. She groans and then looks back to me. "But Millie is right, it's too cold."
Aemilia throws her hands up, sighs as she shakes her head, and then starts walking back inside.
"Aemilia, wait!" I say to her. I look back to the group, and suggest, "Why don't we go to a club? Now that everyone, other than Logan, is of age, we can go as a group."
Everyone looks around the circle as they contemplate it. I look at Aemilia, seeing her eyes fixed as she searches the future, and then she nods her head at me when her eyes refocus.
"I'm in," she tells me as she shrugs.
I nod at her, and then wait for everyone else. I know that since Aemilia is going, everyone else will too. Aemilia needs this distraction, and even if they don't want to go, I'll just take her and Lexie out.
"Will R.C. be going?" Gavin asks.
I shrug at him. "I doubt it since Logan can't go."
He sighs, and looks in the direction of the cabin. "Then I'm going to pass," he says as he looks at me. "I'd like to hang out with him and Logan."
I nod my head. "Everyone else in?"
Sophie, Brianna, and Braelyn all look at each other, and then look at me, nodding their heads. I smile at them, turn Lexie and I back to the house, and tell everyone to be ready in an hour. There's no way Braelyn will be ready in that time, but that just means she'll have to ride with someone else.
I had to make Lexie change her outfit three times. I loved everything she put on, but I knew if she wore her first few outfit choices, we would just spend the night rocking the car again. First time her and I went to a club, that's what happened. We had gone out, just the two of us, the weekend before we got married. It had been some of the most intense sex we've had, but I want to spend time with my sister and Sophie this time. As much as I would love to recreate that night, Aemilia does need me right now, and I haven't seen Sophie since the wedding. The whole point in me at least coming out is to try and get Aemilia to relax.
Six drinks in, and Aemilia still hasn't relaxed fully. I slide another shot towards her, and she downs it without even asking what kind it is.
"Are you not drinking again?" Lexie asks over the blaring music.
I turn to look at her, and raise an eyebrow. I don't drink, even in social gatherings. It's something I inherited from Mom. Even to this day, I have never seen her drink alcohol. Everyone is always offering me one, especially at mine and Lexie's wedding, but it just doesn't appeal to me. Besides, tonight is about all us kids being back together for the most part.
I even made sure to call ahead and reserve a section in the back of the club so we could talk freely without humans overhearing anything.
"Oh come on, Valerio!" Aemilia shouts at me. "Just one drink, what's the worse that can happen?"
I laugh at her, and ask, "I don't know, Millie, what's the worse that can happen?"
She makes a face at me, downs another shot, and then starts searching the future. Her face pales drastically after a moment, making me panic. Is there really a future where I drink?
When her eyes refocus, her breathing spikes.
"What is it?" I ask her as I come around the table. I put a hand on her upper back and start rubbing small circles to try and calm her.
Her eyes dart all around the club, her face becoming paler. She swallows, and then looks up at me. "Keegan is on his way here."
My eyes nearly pop out of their sockets as Lexie gasps. She still has five days before she meets him. I swallow at my own nervousness kindling. I take a calming deep breath as I glance to Lexie.
I grab Aemilia's shoulders, turn her to me, and say, "You're ready, Millie."
She shakes her head at me. Her lips are parted, her jaw trembling a little, and she's still really pale. "I'm not, Valerio!" She looks down to what she's wearing, and she pales even more. "I'm not even wearing the right outfit!"
I look down at what she's wearing. It's a black tank top and denim jeans. What's wrong with it? I look back up at her and shake my head at her. "You look beautiful, like always. Take a deep breath, Aemilia. I'll be right here."
She stares at me, still panicked, and swallows again. "I can't do this, Valerio." She raises her hand, and before she can take herself home, I grab her fingers.
"You will not run from him, Aemilia," I order her, making her dip her head to me. I've never ordered Aemilia to do anything, but she can't just hide from him like this. I rub at her shoulder. "I'm sorry, but you're ready. You're already a step ahead of every other wolf. You can see your mate coming. Do you really want to keep him waiting even longer to find you?"
Her face pains and she shakes her head.
"Alright then," I pause, and look over at Lexie to see she's smiling at me. I look back to my sister, and ask, "How long until he's here?"
Aemilia's eyes fix again, and then she swallows. "About twenty minutes."
I nod my head, and look back to Lexie. "Would you take her to the bathroom and help her freshen up?"
She nods her head at me, and then I watch as the two of them weave their way through the crowd. When I lose sight of them, I put my shaking hands on the table, and try to calm myself before I meet my Second.
Aemilia
I can't even swallow what little spit I have in my mouth as Lexie pulls me through the club. As soon as I started jokingly searching the future to try and see if Valerio would actually drink, I saw Keegan instead. Our original meeting was going to be five days from now, but his creator is making him come out. I feel like I need those five days, but Valerio won't let me run. He knows that's exactly what I was trying to do, and I both love and hate him even more for making me stay.
Lexie and I pass Brianna and Braelyn who are standing along the side of the dance floor, but only Brianna notices something isn't quite right. Brianna is more level headed than her twin. Braelyn is very emotional, like Aunt Hope, whereas Brianna is more like Uncle Miles.
"What's wrong?" Brianna asks as she falls in step behind Lexie and I.
"Keegan is on his way here," Lexie answers for me.
I silently thank my sister in law. I can't speak right now. I'm too nervous to even try. Brianna gasps as we continue to walk to the bathroom. What did Valerio mean by 'freshen up'? Do I not look presentable to Keegan right now? Is my makeup messed up? Is my hair frayed? Do I smell? I put deodorant on. I even put perfume on.
As the three of us come into the bathroom, I let out a shaky breath. Lexie pulls me over in front of the mirror, and I see what Valerio was talking about. My makeup and hair look fine, but my face is really pale. In the mirror, I see Lexie look around the bathroom. There are two girls on the other side, but they're both completely wasted.
Lexie keeps her hand low, and curls her fingers. My makeup bag manifests in her hands, and then she unzips it. She pulls out my blush, and then turns me to look at her. She examines me for a second, and then gets to work to give me some color again.
"He's really coming?" Brianna asks as she pampers her brown hair in the mirror behind Lexie.
"Yes, Bri," Lexie answers as she rolls her eyes. She smiles at me, shakes her head a little, and sweeps my blush brush across my other cheek.
Brianna looks over Lexie's shoulder at me, and asks in a hushed tone, "Are you going to introduce him to your Mom and Dad before he marks you?"
I search the future. Dad said he wanted to meet him before, but that was when Keegan wasn't just going to show up somewhere I happen to be. Our meeting in five days was supposed to be while I was picking up a shift at Aunt Abigail's daycare. Keegan was going to be picking up his little brother, but his creator Dalton is forcing him to relax about his transformation; just like Valerio wanted me to come out to stop me from freaking out.
The butterflies in my stomach bounce around, making me nauseous.
"I think I'm gonna puke," I gag at Lexie as she puts my makeup away.
She looks at me, and replies, "Doing shots not such a good idea anymore, is it?"
I shake my head at her. I really am starting to feel that last shot too.
Lexie smiles at me, and says, "You'll be fine." She fiddles with the zipper of my makeup clutch while she chews on the inside of her cheek. My mind plays out the next few minutes, and I smile at her when reality settles in again. I nod my head at her as my eyes flicker behind her to Brianna. Lexie takes a deep breath, and then turns around. "Bri, I have a question for you."
Brianna stops messing with her hair, and looks at her. "Okay?"
Lexie stands a little straighter, squares her shoulders, and asks, "Would you like to be my Second? Keegan is going to be Valerio's, and well, you and I have always seen eye to eye and I just feel th-"
Brianna throws her arms around Lexie's neck as she squeals, "Oh my God, yes! I would love to!"
Lexie and Brianna hug each other as one of the girls in the bathroom starts heaving, which does not help my stomach calm down.
"Let's get back to Valerio," Lexie suggests.
Brianna and I nod our heads, and then we let her lead us back to my brother. When we get back to our private table, Valerio tells me, "I let Dad know, and he's on his way here."
I swallow again. "Please tell me it's just Dad and not Uncle Septimus too." Valerio gives me a look, and I sigh, "Great."
Thanks for reading!
~Stefanie