Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Nine
I was beginning to lose my patience.
For the last forty-five minutes, I'd been consoling Renee and telling her things would be fine as long as she tried her best to work through things with her family. Leo had, for the majority of his time with us, been completely silent and absolutely no help with calming her down.
That all came to an end when Sebastian finally opened the doors and walked in.
Now, there was silence in dining room and all I could do was alternate between looking at Renee, Leo, and Sebastian, who were staring at each other without a word. The whole situation was annoying and I couldn't help but wonder if we were ever going to catch a break.
I mean, fuck, my wedding was in a few days! Couldn't I just relax and daydream about my new rose-colored future like any other person?
"Where's Richard?" Leo finally asked. "Did he head down to look after the kids with Kyle?"
"You already know he did, you heard him say so while we were inspecting the damage done to my fucking kitchen," Sebastian sourly retorted. "Damn room can't catch a break. I have half a mind to tear down the fucking wall and replace it with the same material as the isolation room."
"I think all the walls should be made of that shit," Leo snorted, looking amused.
"No, not in this house," Sebastian said dryly, waving the idea off. "More money than its worth. Plus, we'd have no silence since the whole building would have to be redone. Best to leave it the way it is for the people who want to buy it from us in the future."
"So you do intend to sell this place," the blonde man noted.
"Indeed."
"Where will we move?" Leo asked, frowning. "This place is perfect because of how big and isolated the house is, not to mention the woods and the trees are all beautiful."
"I have my eye on two properties, actually," Sebastian said simply, and I turned to see an excited glint dancing in his dark irises. "I'll discuss this with you once I have some definite answers."
Again, silence descended upon the room.
Eventually it got under my skin and I leaned forward, elbows on the table, lacing my fingers.
"So," I finally said, and Renee looked at me with those watery, puffy eyes that made me feel a little selfish for thinking what I was thinking. "Did he really imprint on you?"
"Uh... huh?" she asked blankly, looking extremely confused. "What? Imprint? On who?"
"Bear. On you," I said, and she did a double take, staring at me with her jaw hanging loose.
"No way in hell!" she indignantly squeaked, and I saw Sebastian glance at Leo, who's face remained impassive despite the intense stare he'd fixed on her. "If he'd ever imprinted on me his smell would have changed and he'd never be able treat me like that! He's just obsessive!"
"His smell would have changed?" I inquired carefully, immediately paying more attention.
"Well, yeah, imprinting is a psychological brand created by a hormone gland inside the head, a gland unique to werewolves," she said, lifting a finger with a knowing expression. "Triggering it leaves a permanent scar on the tissue of the brain where memories and other stimuli function."
"Whoa!" I exclaimed, raising a hand and touching my scalp. "That's how it works?"
"Uh, yeah," she said, frowning. "What did you think happened with imprinting?"
"Well, I mean, something a bit more magical, like a soul bond," I proffered, but she only giggled and flushed with amusement at my words. "I'm serious! Everyone said that imprinting is like burning the person you love into your mind! It sounds magical! What's so funny?"
"Your innocence," she laughed, and I scowled. "Hey, hey, no need to frown, you're adorable, but it's still a bit more complicated than you think. A werewolf's imprint can only happen when the gland is triggered by a specific combination of emotions, hormones, and instinctual desires."
"Like a puzzle, it only works when all the pieces mesh," Sebastian quietly added, and I glanced at him to see that he was regarding me with something pleasant, eyes crinkled and amused. "It's actually extremely rare that we come across someone who can wake up our ability to imprint."
"How rare?" I asked, admittedly feeling... puzzled.
"Rare enough that only one wolf out of every two hundred thousand couples can do it," Renee said, and I gawked. "The reason imprinted wolves smell differently is because the brain-scarring stimulates the psyche to the point where the body massively increases the level of endorphins."
I stared at her stupidly, not understanding her clinical assessment of the subject.
Leo face palmed and let out a heavy exhale.
"In a nutshell, Aerin," he said, raising his eyes with a dead fish stare, "it's like... you and Bash. The moment he imprinted on you is permanently burned into his brain and because of it your face is a trigger that makes him happy. The sight of you just... makes him feel good. It's like a drug to him, almost--an emotional drug that he can't live without or he'll die inside. An addiction."
Oh. That didn't sound healthy, but I knew it was far more complicated so I didn't worry. I'd been living through the aftermath of his imprint and so far things were going pretty good. Plus, if what everyone had been hinting at was true, I'd imprinted on him as well.
Ah, if it's caused by something medical, maybe we can run some tests to see if vampires can imprint on people, too, I thought, eyes widening as I considered it. I could offer to lend a hand for some medical tests so doctors can better understand how my body works.
I noticed that everyone seemed to be waiting for a response.
I decided to humor them.
"Well, if I'm really his drug, good for him! Get high on me all day every day, I don't mind!" I teased, cheekily putting my hands beneath my hair and tilting my head back with a grin as I flipped it out and away, cascading over the back of the chair in a blanket of soft white. I cast a sneaky glance to see him distractedly licking his teeth and eyeing my exposed throat.
"When you're sad... it breaks him in half," Renee said softly, "and when you're happy, it makes him feel like he could fly. Most importantly, he can never bring himself to hurt you, because intentionally hurting the one you've imprinted on is impossible. Doing what Bear and Michael did to me would turn a wolf's hair white. They'd attack their alpha before they did their mate."
I had a flashback to Bear's platinum tresses and beard. "Is Bear naturally blonde?"
"Yep, he's blonde from head to toe," she said, and Leo stared. "He's a frost fairy hybrid. He can chill anything he touches at will and when he gets angry the air gets cold around him."
"So, he really didn't imprint on you," I said, and she shook her head.
"No, he didn't," she muttered, sagging in dismay. "He wouldn't have let Michael tear my shirt apart or helped him hold me down while he cut my skin to pieces with silver."
"I wasn't paying attention when he said it," Leo sourly informed us, "but you're not lying and I'm more inclined to believe you than I am any of the fuckers who broke into our home."
"I agree," Sebastian growled, leaning back with a nod. "However, I'm going to need a very good explanation about what the hell happened here, because half our house is wrecked and I am on my very last nerve. I want you to be honest with me. Did you tell them where you were?"
He said it all very calmly and his eyes were on her the whole time he spoke, but she flinched anyway and glumly sank down in the chair. She looked at the table, thinking--and then nodded.
"He said everyone was worried and begged me to at least let them know where I was," she reluctantly mumbled, and I groaned in exasperation. "I'm sorry... I felt guilty about it so I told Bear via text that I was in Wilmington, the town nearest to your home. I'm so sorry."
Sebastian rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "It isn't your fault so there's no need to apologize. However, I would prefer it if you'd come a decision about what to do sooner rather than later. I am already busy enough with wedding preparations."
"I know," she said, shaking her head. "I'm thinking about going back with them but truth be told I'm scared to. I'm gonna be hurting from all the cuts they gave me for a very, very long time and I honestly don't trust my pack anymore. I... actually intend to go home to my parents for a while."
"Whoa, are you serious?" I asked, startled, and she nodded. "Do you think that's a good idea?"
"At this point, I don't care," she whispered, face screwing up. "I want to go home, even if its only for a few weeks. I miss my mom and dad. I miss my old pack mates. I've heard from them that things have changed intensely... that their whole dynamic has changed. Michael would be more than welcome to rejoin or even ally his pack with our parents' if he wanted to, but..."
She looked at me and shrugged helplessly.
"Yeah," I said, running my tongue across the inside of my left fang. "Traumatized boy is traumatized. Has daddy issues, too. It won't be easy."
"You don't have to worry about helping me fix things, Aerin," she said suddenly, and I stared at her resolute features. "I've heard from everyone here you're... well, you're great at it, you get through to people, but I want to be the one to handle things this time. I wanna go home to our parents and talk to our father and try to work things out with my brother as the mediator."
"Are you sure?" I tentatively asked, and she nodded, pushing her hair out of her face. "When do you plan to head home?"
"Tonight," she said, and Leo shared a look with Bash out of my peripherals. "I called my dad after Michael attacked your house and let him know what was happening. Enough is enough. I feel like shit since you all got dragged into something that has nothing to do with you."
"Think nothing of it," Sebastian said roughly but not unkindly. "You're welcome to return for future visits if you desire."
"Thank you," she whispered, then paused and looked at all of us. "Do you want me to pay for the damages done to your home? It might take a while, but I can--"
"No, don't fret about that," he grunted, cutting her off before she could begin by rising to his feet and stretching his bare back. "I have some phone calls to make about the brand new hole in my kitchen wall and a few children to check on, among other things, and after that's taken care of I'm going to return to cuddling with my boys. Feel free to make yourself comfortable."
"Eh?" she asked, staring between him and Leo when the blonde man rose as well. "Wait, it's that easy?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" I asked, and she gawked as I, too, rose, letting out a yawn. "Anyway, I'm gonna go lay down. I'm still really tired."
"Okay," she murmured, seeming a little out of it. "I thought you'd all be angrier."
"Honey, this sort of thing happens on the regular around here," I snorted, limping out of the dining room and closing the open door behind me. I stood there for a minute, thinking about everything that had just happened and wondering if I'd done the right things.
It wasn't until a soft arm fell across my shoulders that I broke free.
"You did good, la, no real danger," Feng-Feng murmured, leaning down and pecking my temple with smiling lips. "You let Mama Feng-Feng handle sweet lady from here and go get good happy cuddles from cute wolf puppies."
"They probably resent you for calling them that," I chuckled, and she winked mischievously.
"That best part," she whispered conspiratorially. "Go relax, la, I take care of the rest."
I sighed but did as she suggested, heading down the hall. I stopped, however, and squinted with my hands flying up on instinct since the door to the kitchen was a square of brightness. I peered at the wall with my eyes barely open, trying to see through the fringe of my white lashes.
"I can't go that way," I said, leaning away from the stinging light. "I can feel the sun from here, it's shining through the hole in the kitchen wall directly. If I try to walk past I'll catch on fire."
"Oh, let Mama help!" she exclaimed, grinning, and with a brilliant flash of green there was suddenly a dragon taking shape right there in the hallway. I smashed myself against the far wall as her massive head moved past me, nearly the size of a semi truck's front.
The light from the kitchen was immediately blocked.
I grinned at that big blue eye which blinked at me in a lizard-like way.
"Thanks, Feng-Feng," I giggled, amused, as I waddled down the hall past the kitchen and made my way towards Leo's bedroom. A green flash lit up the walls around me from behind and I swore I heard a hiss, but when I cast a casual glance back I saw her heading into the dining area.
I didn't look back again.
Leo was already lying down, curled up into a little ball next to his wall, back facing me. Honey blonde hair fanned out across his pillow, messy and in obvious disarray. I shuffled across his carpet and crawled onto his massive bed, feeling the creak run through my fingers more than I felt it. My own hair slipped forward and I pushed it over my shoulders to avoid getting it caught underneath me, spitting out a few stray strands that covered my mouth and tickled my nose.
I let out a satisfied mumble when I was able to flop down beside him and wrap my good arm around his middle, snuggling close to his back and resting my forehead on soft t-shirt. I listened to his breathing for a while, relaxing, enjoying his heat and that unique smell of his.
It was like a combination of tree bark, basil, and peppermint--sharp but more than pleasant, with faint undertones of something earthy and spice-laden. His smell was oddly comforting. Not as much as Sebastian's, not by a landslide, but it was nice. This was actually the first time I'd ever been so close to Leo, alone, and it made me feel good to know that he was comfortable.
I twitched when I felt a hot hand clasp my own and squeeze.
"I'm glad you're here," he murmured, the vibration of his timbre on my forehead tickling my sinuses through his back. "I don't know how you ended up in our pack, Aerin... I don't know why the universe saw fit to lead you right to us... I don't know why you're wonderful enough to choose to stay here even after all we've done... but I'm grateful."
I smiled and nuzzled his back, raising my head and burying my chin into his spine. He jumped, startled by it, and I giggled when he turned and gave me a look with one eye.
"Are you?" I asked, keeping a monotone as I wiggled my sharp chin around. "Are you really?"
"Ya, so stop it," he retorted just as flatly, arching to get away from my jabbing chin. I stifled a laugh and scooted up a bit farther, snuggling in close and squeezing his hand. I made myself comfortable and closed my eyes, waiting on the others to come back.
"Louise has a thing for you," I sleepily murmured, and I felt his hand twitch. "Just thought I'd say it even if its none of my business. She's considered dating you."
"I don't deserve a relationship," he quietly informed me, and I frowned. "After what I did to Tiffany, I don't deserve to find that sort of happiness."
"Okay, back up," I sighed, dislodging my hand from his and wrapping my arm tight around his middle, keeping us close together. "Do you really think Tiffany is the sort of person who'd be happy to see you alone for years and years? You made a mistake, a bad one, but you had a reason for doing it and it saved her life! Things were poorly handled, but everything has finally been forgiven and everyone involved is trying to move forward! Stop beating yourself up!"
He shivered violently for a second, powerful legs drawing up a bit further.
"All right," he whispered. "You're mein geliebtes kleines."
Confusion fluttered through me. "Your what now?"
He only chuckled and murmured, "you'll figure it out someday, brüderherz."
"Okaaaay," I drawled. "Looks like Latin and German classes are on my list of to-do things."
I heard him laugh quietly yet again but I gently swatted him with a playful hand and he immediately put a cork in it. Normalcy was the oddest thing. Life kept throwing curveballs at me but here I was, snuggling with a guy who'd previously hated my guts and feeling happy about it.
I was nearly asleep, right on the edge of being out cold, when the door to his room came open and Richard swaggered in with Kyle close behind. Both of them looked really disheveled and upset when I turned and squinted at them through bleary vision.
"I have half a mind to try grounding you like Sebastian did," Richard grumbled, stripping his leather jacket off and discarding it on the floor, "but I get the feeling that it wouldn't deter you in the least when it comes to leaping into the fray. Ever since you figured out that you can do shit when you're pissed you've stupidly grown balls you don't really have and jump into the pot. "
I swallowed when Leo made a sound of agreement.
"I love you guys," was my defense, and while Kyle gave a crooning, "awww!" Richard merely glared at me with a dark flush marring his features. "Don't get mad at me for wanting to protect you or stop bad shit from happening as its happening."
"Be that as it may," Richard growled, "you're lucky those werewolves who came here were as weak as they were. If they'd been experienced... you could have been killed."
"Well, I wasn't, so shut up and come over here to cuddle with the rest of the Grumpy Squad," I snorted, waving him over as I settled back down. "I'm tired. I wanna go back to bed."
"Go for it," Kyle chuckled, and I felt the bed creak and dip as he and Richard crawled in; confusion prickled through me when they didn't move close, though.
"Why aren't you guys cuddling us?" I asked, not having the energy to roll over.
"We're keeping that spot open for Bash," Richard huffed. "When he gets his ass back--"
"It's already back," a familiar baritone greeted, and I smirked when I heard the door creak open before shutting with a click. "We should get some sleep while we can. I've got the repair service coming here to take a look at the kitchen wall later tonight, and tomorrow it'll be loud."
The mattress bounced with a creak of the springs as he got into bed. I felt his warmth slide up against my back and a heavy arm slid between me and Leo, digging into my belly and pulling me back slightly. Heat suffused me from all sides as a blanket was pulled over all four of us.
"Ohhh," I groaned, eyes instantly rolling back in appreciation. "I loooove this."
"What, cuddling with a bunch of hot men?" Richard snorted, but I heard a smack and a curse and I fought my laughter since I could just picture Kyle glaring at him.
"In a sense. Its actually the heat," I explained, shifting under the sheets. "It's amazing. I love it."
Sebastian squeezed me, one leg wrapping over my body, and I sighed in amazement.
"Wu Tao Feng is looking after your niece and nephew," he murmured into my ear, pressing a kiss into the side of my neck before peppering my skin all the way down to my shoulder. "She has promised me to guard them in case anything else happens, although she says nothing will."
"That's a relief," I whispered, instantly relaxing at the news. "I was worried."
"Well, I could use a break from all the excitement," he purred into my ear, sinful and wonderful and delightfully mellow. "May I ask you on one last premarital midnight date in my gardens at some point before our wedding day? I want to spend some special quality time with you."
"Yeah, of course," I said, tilting my head with my eyes closed. "That sounds like fun."
"It will be," he promised, squeezing my middle. "I want to show you some stuff."
"Like what?" I yawned, but he only patted my stomach.
"You'll see. Get some rest."
I didn't need any other incentive since I was still bone-tired. Probably even more than I'd been before the incident thanks to me using my anger-induced super strength. It hit me that I still had no idea how it worked and that I should probably wait to learn about myself to keep doing it.
I needed a better understanding of what my body was capable of as well as why.
That was the last thing that crossed my mind before I slipped into sleep.