Filed To Story: Their Bullied and Broken Mate by Teri Petry
Before I was even able to get to the point of dozing off, the sunrise was shining on the horizon. I just gave up on the intention of even sleeping. Flipping the covers off of me, I got up and went into the bathroom to shower. Maybe a hot shower would help me get in the right mindset to talk with Melian. Once the water started to flow over me, tears started to flow from my eyes. Everything from the time I laid eyes on our mate to the latest situation with her blowup last night, has been overwhelming to say the least. However, I love her, and it’s not just the love that comes from the mate bond. I genuinely love her as a person. I wouldn’t change anything we have done to have to protect her, and I wouldn’t change who she is for anything. I am thankful she has come out of her trauma a strong, loving woman. She is an amazing Luna, and a wonderful mother to Maddix. I have no doubt that she will be an even more amazing mother to the girls once they are here. What I can’t get over is the feeling of starting to feel resentment about how dramatic our life has become. I miss my normal mundane life, and all I ever wanted in life was a mate and children to share that with. I wasn’t expecting this whirlwind of one thing after another. My heart aches when I feel this way. It’s not her fault, and she didn’t ask for any of it. I really need to have a one on one conversation with her about how I’m feeling, but I don’t want to hurt her or make her feel like she has ruined my life, because she hasn’t. She has only enhanced it.
I got out of the shower and Loki was already awake and dressed. “Are you going to tell me why you are so upset, brother? I can feel your pain, remember?” He asked. I told him to let me get dressed and we would talk. I could really use his advice on this. It’s like him and I switched personality traits somewhere during all of this, and he would know exactly what I was saying. Going into my closet, I grabbed a pair of black jeans and a dark green button-up shirt, and I rolled the sleeves to my elbows. I threw my long curls up into a bun, and then grabbed my favorite boots. I went and sat next to my brother, and started to put them on. As I did, I started to explain how I was feeling. His face instantly shifted into one of concern and worry. “So, what are you truly saying, Liam? Do you not want what we have with her anymore?” he asked. I looked at him as if he was crazy and shook my head. “Lok, that’s not what I am saying at all. All I’m trying to get at is this. I need things to slow down. I need to be able to know my wife without constant turmoil around us. I need all of us, kids included, to just be a family for a change. Hopefully, once this whole thing with Dark Star, Starry Moon, whatever it will be now, is over, we can have that. I don’t want to drag our feet with this, Loki. Getting Jason settled will take a minute, and we will have to take turns being away from here. I know that, but I still want it done as soon as possible. Now do you understand?” I explained. He placed his hand on my knee and said, “You are not the only one feeling like this. I do also at times, but there is never resentment. You cannot resent her for things happening that are out of her control, brother. You need to have a heart to heart with her. Take her to her favorite spot and have lunch today, and just tell her how you feel.” I agreed and thanked him for once again helping me get my head out of my ass and think straight.
Deciding to find Mel, we went to the nursery. She wasn’t there, and her scent was faint, so we knew she hadn’t been there for a little while. That left one of two places she would go with Maddix, the dining hall or Nick’s Place. We started in the dining hall, and found her sitting at our table making sure our son was eating his breakfast safely. We sat down and started to apologize about last night and our assumption of how we thought she would be upset if we didn’t choose one of the girls. I don’t know if her hormones are reacting, but once again she went off on us. She was angry that we assumed how she felt, and that we didn’t think she would be OK with Maddix being our chosen heir. I can see her point, and I apologized once again. I told her how I wanted Maddix as heir, because he is the oldest, and I didn’t see him as our adopted son, but our son in general. She seemed to relax a little, and then I took the opportunity to ask her to lunch. “Baby, I feel like I am constantly sticking my foot in my mouth lately. I have a bunch of conflicting emotions and I really need to speak to you about them. Would you please have lunch with me today at Coffee & Thyme? Say around 1pm?” I could hear her heart start to race, but she agreed to join me. It was time to be completely transparent and honest with my wife.
A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words
*MELIAN POV*
I agreed to have lunch with Liam at my favorite place, but then remembered that I was also supposed to have lunch with my uncles. With Liam having to speak with me about something about things of importance, I decided to call my uncles to see if they could meet me in the library after we finished with breakfast. We agreed to meet in an hour after I dropped Maddix off with Grace. I left our son with my mates so that I could shower, and journeyed to our room. My brain was in overdrive trying to figure out what Liam needed to talk to me about, and the information my uncles were about to reveal. I took a quick shower, and French braided my hair. I grabbed a pair of dark red leggings and a black sweater, and slid on my Ugg boots. Instead of putting on a jacket, I pulled out one of my favorite wrap-around parkas that Rebecca had gotten me. It was a beautiful crimson red with a snowflake pattern on it. I wrapped it around me, and headed out the door. The library wasn’t too far from the packhouse, and I got there earlier than my uncles. I found a secluded table, and as I waited for them I chit chatted with Christopher. He had been doing such a great job at the library and was an amazing curator. The historian side of him is what I find most interesting about Chris. He is so full of knowledge about different werewolf packs, and all other types of species were intriguing to me. History was my favorite subject in school, and parts of me wish that I would have been able to pursue something that I could teach or do something involving history.
Leif walked in the door and yelled, “There’s my favorite niece, ” and Chris shot him a look to keep his tone down. Leif threw his hands up in the air in defense and shook Chris’s hand and apologized. Jorma soon followed Leif and was bearing gifts. “I have some things for you, Mel. I hope you like them.” I walked them to the table I had set my things on, and we each took our seats. “Thank you guys for meeting me here, apparently I’m in high demand today.” I laughed. “After our talk, I got to meet with Liam. He says he has something important to talk to me about. Honestly, I’m kind of afraid,” I told them. “I wouldn’t be afraid, little bird. I’m sure he just needs to convey some things to you. Nothing major. He could feel overwhelmed by quickly becoming a father of 4,” Leif explained. That made me feel a little better, but I still held on to a little worry. “So, what did you bring me, uncle Jorma?” I asked. He laughed and handed me a bag. Inside the bag were pictures. Lots and lots of pictures. There were pictures of my mother and uncles when they were young. Pictures of my grandparents, and of me and my brothers when we all actually got along. The most shocking was the picture of my parents. They looked so happy and in love. The expression on my dad’s face looked foreign to me. I can’t remember the last time I had seen him genuinely smile because he was happy, and most of all, in love. I dropped the picture and fought back tears. “Why couldn’t he stay this way? We were all hurting and gutted when she died.” I whispered. Jorma took my hand and said, “I can’t tell you why he changed, little bird. Losing a mate does things to your soul, and unless you go through the situation, understanding is impossible. That is the only thing I can think of to explain why. Maybe he was always the way he ended up, but your mother changed him while they were together. No one can truly say the reason, except him, and that time has passed. It’s better not to dwell on it.” I pressed my lips together and shook my head. “There is just so much I’ll never know or understand where my parents are concerned. I used to wish all the time that things would have turned out differently, and that I could have had that perfect family life. Now, I don’t think I would have changed anything other than want mom to be here. That’s it. It made me the woman I am today. I have realized how strong I truly am inside. It may be a day late and a dollar short, but here we are. Thank you for these pictures. They mean a lot to me, and it was so thoughtful. I love it.” I flashed them a legitimate smile, and took my time looking more closely at the pictures. There was a picture of my mom holding me right after I was born, and Thomas and Jason were on each side of her looking at me. Thomas looked as if he was stroking my hair, and looking at me like I was the best thing ever. Much different than it was in the end. It broke my heart, but I had to tell myself that it was a different time and a different place. I can’t rely or live on what if’s anymore. It felt good to know that my brothers and I loved each other at one point in time, and even more, that Jason and I were now close. I love my brother, and it was killing me that he was about to leave. Leif took me out of my thoughts and asked if I still wanted to know about our family. “No, I think I would rather learn as we go. We have time, and it gives me an excuse to spend more time with my uncles.” They both smiled and we made the best of the rest of our time together for the day. I knew I would see them at dinner, but I also felt like I had already lost so much time. As we were standing in the lobby of the library saying our goodbyes, one of our cooks from the packhouse kitchen came in. Both of my uncles’ noses went into the air and sniffed. Their heads turned towards the door where Meribeth stood with the biggest grin, and whispered, “Mate!”
Hurry Home To Me
*LIAM POV*
I arrived at Coffee & Thyme earlier than Mel, and I went ahead and ordered for us. I ordered her favorite flatbread pizza with extra garlic, and a caesar salad for us both. I ordered her favorite blueberry banana smoothie and I ordered a pint of ale. It wasn’t long after Hazel brought out the food when Mel arrived. I stood up to greet her and kissed her on the forehead. “I’m so happy to see you, baby. I went ahead and ordered for us, as you can see,” I told her. A smile spread across her face and she thanked me for being so thoughtful. We ate our lunch and chit-chatted until we were done, and then it was time to let her know what I had brought her here for. “Baby, you know how I said I needed to talk to you? Well, I have something to confess to you, and I’m afraid of how you are going to take it,” I started. Her face twisted out of curiosity, and what looked to be fear, but I continued. “I know I have tried to hide it, but I have been feeling rather overwhelmed with everything lately. Ever since you came into our lives it’s been chaos, and sometimes I miss my mundane, boring life. I’m not blaming you, so please don’t think that’s what I’m saying. I’m just ready for us to have some peace and quiet for awhile before the girls are born. I wouldn’t change finding you, and building our lives together for anything in the world. You’re our everything, baby. Loki and I may look alike, and are similar in a lot of ways, but being able to maintain a steady pace during times that are crazy isn’t one of them. He handles it much better than I do. I hide the anxiety pretty well for the most part, but it gets tough. I just wanted you to know that if I seen distant or shut down, this is why.” During the whole explanation, her eyes never left mine. Her face still holding a worried expression, but her eyes softened. “I’m truly sorry, Liam. I didn’t know you felt this way, and I don’t want you to. Hopefully, the worst will be behind us soon, and you can go back to the way you like your life to be.” she responded. I knew right then and there that she blamed herself even though I asked her not to, because I didn’t.
I took her hand and decided to change the subject. We started to talk about the babies, and everything we still needed to buy for them. I asked her if she wanted me to have Rico and Grace take her into town to buy whatever was needed, and you would have thought by the way she looked at me that I had grown 6 heads. “No thanks, if I can’t go with you and Loki, I will just order online.” she stated. I didn’t realize how important it really was for us to do stuff like that together. Most women liked to shop without men, but I regularly forget our mate isn’t like others. I promised that we would make time prior to the trip to Starry Moon, and her demeanor started to change to a more relaxed one.
Jason, Rebecca and the kids came in as we were preparing to leave, and they asked us to join them for a moment. We sat at their table, and Jason informed us that Iris had told him that we needed to head to Starry Moon immediately. Things were getting out of control, and needed corrected as soon as possible. my anxiety started to rise because of frustration, and Mel placed her hand on my thigh to calm me. I told him I would get with the warriors and our ranked crew and we would head out first thing in the morning. Even though we needed to make a lot of preparations, we would have to do it on the fly. Loki was going to be pissed, but there’s not much we can do since it’s been ordered by the council. “What time are you wanting to head out?” I asked him. “I was hoping before the first light, if that’s alright with you guys,” he replied. I told him I would let him know as soon as I talked to the others, and Mel and I took our leave.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized to her. She shook her head and said that she would rather us go now and get home than for it to be put off for another time. I intertwined our fingers and kissed her knuckles. “You’re the best, I hope you know that,” I told her. She just smiled and leaned in closer to me. “Just hurry and finish the job. Then get home to me and our babies as soon as possible.” she replied. We continued our walk, stopping randomly to speak with pack members when they would stop us, and eventually making it to our destination.
I dropped her off at Nick’s Place so she could pick up Maddix, and left to find my twin. It wasn’t hard, because as soon as I approached the packhouse I heard him yelling at Timmy. “Why in the actual hell do I have to do everything myself?!? YOU are our head warrior, and it’s YOUR job to make sure everyone is ready to go!! We have to leave in the morning, so get shit together!!” he bellowed. When our eyes met, I knew he had already been notified. “Who told you?” I asked. He was fuming, just like I knew he would be, and the way he was acting, I don’t think even Mel could calm him down. “Fucking Iris,” he said. “I’m like you bro. I desperately need a break. Just us, Mel and our boy. I want to make sure Jason and Bex are settled and safe, but damn man, I want our life with our family to calm down too.” he expressed.
Quiet Night
*LOKI POV*
Finally, this day is ending, and we can just spend a quiet night with our mate. We are all at our wits’ end with all the bullshit lately, and need this time together. To add fuel to the fire, Mel had been extremely hormonal because of the pregnancy, and she needed a little pampering. I can’t help but laugh at the fact that one false move and Liam and I may get our asses kicked. We decided to grab some snacks and drinks from the kitchen, and watch a movie before heading to bed. I would have preferred skipping the movie and making love to our mate until we had to leave, but she wasn’t feeling the greatest, so we gave in and watched the movie Edward Scissorhands with her. She had been so up and down with her emotions the past few days, and I think she cried throughout the whole movie. She was tucked under Liam’s arm, cuddled in tight, and I had my head resting on her hip cuddling her legs. Times like this is what I live for.
Near the end of the movie, Mel got up to go to the bathroom to do her beauty ritual before bed. Liam and I got our bed ready, and he wanted to go check on Maddix before we settled in for the night. I went along with him because I was sure he wouldn’t be awake before we left for Starry Moon. As we stood over his crib, Liam looked at me and said, “I have to find a way to make things up to Mel. I’ve been a real ass lately.” I shook my head and told him he hadn’t, he just felt he had because of how he was feeling. He told me I was probably right, and we each kissed our son on the head before we went back to our room. “He is one of the best parts of our life right now, and I’ll be damned if anything bad ever happens to him on my watch,” I told Liam. He nodded his head and agreed. That little boy, in a matter of a couple of months, had dug a place in our hearts so deep that there was no way he would ever leave them.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.