Filed To Story: Their Bullied and Broken Mate by Teri Petry
I pulled in front of the main house, and Riley was on the porch with the babies. I put the car in park and jumped out. “There’s my little monkey butt,” I called out to Willow. I loved this little girl so much. If I were ever in a bad mood, or feeling depressed, 5 minutes with my niece changes my whole mood.
“Asteria? What are you doing here?” Riley asked cheerfully. “Well, I decided to move here, today,” I answered. “I was hoping you and Maddix could help me choose a cottage to stay in. I don’t want to stay in this big house by myself,” I then explained.
“Does Maddix know?” She asked. I shook my head no, but told her that we should probably let him know.
I picked up and carried Willow for her, and she led me to the guest house in the back where Alette and Damian stay when they visit.
She knocked twice and walked in. There sat my brother and brother-in-law in a set of recliners, playing video games. Complete with online headsets to talk to “the crazy online people”.
“Guess who’s here?” Riley hollered out. Alette’s head popped up from the couch she was lying on, and she let out a squeal. She hurried to me and jumped into my arms, nearly knocking us both down.
“Oh my goddess, I missed you sissy,” Alette cried as she started to kiss my face. We both started laughing and I put her down. Maddix asked why I was there, and I explained to the three of them what I had just said to Riley.
My brother’s face turned sad, but he tried his best to put on a happy, brave face. Alette told them to keep playing their game, that us girls would figure it out. However, Riley told Maddix he was on baby duty. Sterling was asleep, so Maddix snuggled him in on his lap while the little one slept. It was sweet seeing my big brother enjoy being a dad.
I picked Willow back up, and the four of us ladies started the trek to where my aunt lived. Alette couldn’t understand why I wanted to be so close to where our aunt, uncle and Luke lived, but she didn’t have to understand.
Yes, I wanted privacy, but to be honest, I was afraid of being too far from someone I knew cared what happened to me. I was still healing from the mental damage that Simon put me through, and until I was comfortable being fully alone, then having someone close by, just in case, made me feel better.
We looked at the first 2 cottages we went to in the area I wanted to be in, but neither of them felt right. The first one was too close to the kids’ school, and the other had, um, a weird odor. It was so bad that we opened the door, and quickly shut it again. Riley said she would definitely put that one on the maintenance list.
Walking past aunt Marion’s, I noticed Luke and Paolo on the porch. We all waved to them, and I told Luke that I would come see him tomorrow. He waved back and nodded his head in acknowledgment. I felt sorry for my cousin. His mate Rory had decided she wanted to attend another two semesters at college to finish her nursing degree.
Her decision came after she had miscarried their little one. She was only about 5 weeks along, but it hurt her deeply. Luke tried to fight her leaving for school, and wanted her to do online courses. Marion, however, was able to talk Luke into letting her go. Rory needed space, and honestly, I think Luke did too.
Luke goes to Seattle from Monday to Wednesday, and now, every other weekend. The plan when I moved here was that Marion and some of the more advanced witches would train me through the week, and Luke and mom would train me on the weekends. However, it’s changed slightly.
Now, Marion will train me on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. Luke will train me the rest of the time he is here. He and Marion will switch weekends and mom will join in on the training. I demanded to have at least one day to myself without any kind of training, and I chose Sundays.
I went to another few cottages, and when I passed one that sat back a little way from the others, my wolf, Akira, started acting strangely.
“What about that one?” I asked. Riley shook her head and said that it was occupied. She explained that the person who lived there was actually in Seattle doing a job for Maddix and Damian. I slowly nodded my head and kept walking to the next one.
I was curious as to why Akira was reacting this way over a cottage, but she was being tight-lipped.
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.