Filed To Story: Their Bullied and Broken Mate by Teri Petry
Damian finally returned to the car, and I said goodbye to my best friend. We were running late, so Damian drove a little faster than normal. I cuddled into the blanket and continued to stare at my boys. What would their personalities be? I wanted their names to fit their personalities, but I also had an idea of what names I wanted to include.
*MADDIX POV*
We finally made it to Ruby Meadows, and decided to go into the coffee shop and grab some drinks while we waited for Damian and Alette. I guess we weren’t the only ones who were late.
We got our coffees and went to sit outside at one of the bistro-style tables. The weather was beautiful, and it felt amazing to sit in the sunshine and just enjoy it. It’s been far too long since I have taken a moment just to enjoy simple things like the sun, and I was going to soak it in as much as I could today.
One good thing about being at Ruby Meadows is the chance to people watch. I have learned so much about people and their demeanors just by sitting and watching people here. Everyone is so unique and has their own quirks that make them tick.
Gran and I used to sit on the bench outside the bakery on Saturday mornings and “observe”, as gran called it, while we ate our doughnut or muffin. If someone was acting suspicious, she would nudge me and say, “Maddix, pay attention. You are going to be the great Alpha of Blood Moon, and will need to make sure you can pick up on people’s energies. You can tell everything by the way a person unconsciously reacts to their surroundings. If a person seems like they are acting shady, then they probably are. Always trust your gut, my boy.”
I take that advice with me everywhere I go, and apply it at all times. I’m not going to say my gut is always right, because it obviously isn’t. Take Miles and Simon, for example. They both definitely went under my radar.
“Hey big brother,” I heard in the distance. Looking up, I saw my baby sister and her husband coming towards us. “Hey sister. You are looking rather radiant today,” I commented. She definitely looked more healthy than I had seen her be in a long time.
“Thanks, I think pregnancy is doing me good. However, your nephews are wrecking havoc on your sister’s bladder,” she said as she excused herself to go to the restroom. “Damian? Coffee?” she asked.
He nodded and reminded her that she could only have a decaf. She wrinkled her nose and said she was more in the mood for some of Lyla, the shop owner’s freshly juiced apple and white grape juice with a splash of raspberry syrup. To me, it didn’t sound good, but all the ladies in my family swear by it.
When Lette came back to join us, she had a whole tray full of goodies. She handed Damian his milk with coffee, as she called it, and a strawberry scone. She had her juice and a plethora of fruit, butter and a few fresh buttermilk biscuits. She started to dig in, and the three of us couldn’t take our eyes off of her.
“What?” she asked with a mouth full of biscuit. I shook my head, and just said that it was good to see her. Alette hadn’t been herself since before the abduction, and this was the closest I had seen to the old Alette since she was rescued. It felt good.
“Lettie, I’m meeting with Luke, Marion and Paolo in about an hour by the pond. Would you like to join us?” Riley asked. She asked if the babies were tagging along, and Riley had to inform her that they would more than likely stay at the pack house. Alette agreed to go anyway, but was bummed she wouldn’t get any baby and auntie time that afternoon.
Damian and I needed to leave soon to meet Donavon, and we excused ourselves from our mates. Alette promised she would help Riley with the babies, and they would meet us for dinner.
My phone went off as we were walking away. I looked at my screen and the name read that of my uncle Rico. “Hey, Rico. Everything alright?” I answered.
“Yea, yea. Things are fine. I’ve been trying to reach your Aunt Marion, but she isn’t picking up. It’s about the twins. If you see her, could you have her give me or Grace a call please?” he asked. I assured him I would make sure she got the message, and I disconnected the call.
I wasn’t far away from the girls, so I told Damian to wait as I jogged back to have Riley pass on the message. I kissed my wife again before turning to go back to Damian, and we continued to our destination.
Walking to Donavon’s cottage was on a path I played on a lot as a kid. It had the best climbing trees, and in the spring the honeysuckle bushes that littered the edge of the forest smelled heavenly. Today, all I could smell was the rich scent of forest moss and wet earth. It had rained the night before, and it just had a comforting clean smell.
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.