Filed To Story: Secret with Betas Daughter: Skylar Story Series
She twirls her finger again. “Better, but there’s more, so much more.”
She taps the tips of her fingers together in front of her mouth like a cartoon villain. Oh Goddess, what have I gotten myself into? She did plann everything to a T though. My ponytail was long and full enought that none of my scars were seen over the top of the dresses and the tattoo concealer did not seem to be rubbing off at all. By the fifth dress I did catch on to a theme. She started with the most conservative dresses. Plenty of coverage and material to get me, and I’m sure the guys, comfortable with the real dresses she wanted me in. The more I tried on the more daring the necklines and skirt slits were. They also got shorter too. She made sure to take pictures of all the dresses she deemed worthy of contention, so I wouldn’t have to keep going back and forth when we finally have to decide. By dress, I have lost effing count, I was in a short black dress with a corseted lace top with a sweetheart neckline that laced up the back with a black satin ribbon. Sierra had to help me with this one. She had me tied so tight, this b*tch wasn’t going anywhere. The corset was lined with a thick, soft, nude material so I was completely comfortable and covered while at the same time looking sexy. My shoulders and arms were tan and on full display. My muscle definition looked great with the fit of this top. There was a wide satin panel that went around my torso, just above my hips dividing the top from the skirt. The black satin skater skirt was long enough to touch the middle of my thighs and I could bend over without showing off the goods. I totally tested it before leaving the dressing room too. In front of the guys was not the time to realize that mistake. made my legs appear longer paired with my high top platforms and I loved the illusion. I stepped out smiling. There it is” she says in a low voice to me. That’s the look I have been waiting for.”
We both walk out smiling. The reactions come all at once when I step out. “Oh, shit.”
“Damn!” “Holy Hell.”
“Nope, not happening. Absolutely out of the question.”
Mateo growls out. Next!’ Sierra just laughs and moves me to the three way mirror and has me twirl. I can’t tell if she’s taking a photo or a video, but at this point I am having fun modeling all these stupid dresses.
“l think we have found it, my friends.”
She claps her hands. Go change so we can buy it and get shoes to match!” Her voice had gone a few octaves higher in her excitement. a minute. I said not happening. And stop drooling you f*ckers.”
Mateo looks over to his friends. Sam was the first to recover and laugh. “Sorry bro, you said it before she’s hot. You are going to have to learn to deal with that. She’s about to be very popular! You will have every single guy banging down your door after the ball. There are about to be some very pissed and jealous girls.”
He shrugs and Mateo walks over and slaps him up the back side of his head. “Told you. You owe me lunch!” Sierra whispers to me and pushes me into the dressing room while Mateo is playfully shoving the rest of his friends. At least I think it’s playful as they all continue to laugh at him. I just roll my eyes. It’s ike they have never seen a girl before. Which I know isn’t true. They are all well versed in the female species and anatomy on a pretty extensive level. Sierra unceremoniously shoves me back into my dressing room and I quickly get out of my dress and hand it to her. She takes the dress and heads back out to the guys while put my clothes back on. Once I have everything and do a double check to make sure I am fully covered, I head out of the dressing room to find everyone at the store entrance. “Where’s the dress? I need to go check out.”
I ask Sierra. “It’s all done. Happy Birthday Skylar.”
She hands the bags she’s holding to Sam, one was a garment bag with this store’s logo on and hugs me. “Now let’s go get some sexy shoes to go with that sexy dress.”
She made a pointed look at my brother before hooking her arm in mine and dragging me away. We started walking toward a massive shoe store, but before we could get too far our little bubble was broken by a high pitched screech. “BABES! What are you doing here? I thought you hated the mall. You never want to come shopping with me.”
Kaley’s voice echoes across the large expanse of the stone mall hallways. Many people stopped to stare at her frantically, and not super gracefully, walking toward us in her dangerously high heels. was kind of afraid of her hot pink tube skirt snapping off if she took too big of steps. The twins were in the middle of our group. So she had to push past Oliver, Sam and Mateo to get to them. They didn’t willingly get out of her way either. “Move you big fickers.”
She didn’t bother to keep her voice down with the insult. She has been getting more bold with her distaste of people in front of the twins. Their facial expressions were amazing at how she dared to talk to them and attempted to shove them out of her way, eyes locked on the twins. The look, a cross between outrage and annoyance, at being ordered around and then ignored by this plastic Barbie. “You should have called me. totally would have come with you instead of them.”
She rolled her eyes and hooked her thumb over her shoulder at her friends who looked like they were struggling to manage all the bags they had in hand with the teeny, form fitting outfits and high heels that coordinated with hers. She must be using them as her pack mules. “l was going to stop by later, I got something special for the both of you.”
She tries for a giggle again, but it sounds forced and painful. I can’t see her face, but can only imagine the psychotic smile and wide eyes she uses towards them regularly. Cam and Kota just look at each other like they were having a silent conversation about how best to navigate this situation and get rid of her without her throwing a tantrum. Sierra and I are a few feet behind the twins and she hasn’t noticed us yet. I’m afraid to move for fear of gaining her attention. That is the last thing that I want, to add fuel to her already large fire of hatred for me. are actually on our way out, sorry.”
Kota shrugs his shoulders, the bags in his hands shuffling, and tries to turn away from her, I’m sure hoping that was enough to end the conversation. The rest of the guys start to move too, hoping to make a quick exit, their bags also making a rustling noise. The movement allows Sierra and I to just barely see her around the twins.
“What did you get? Anything special for a special person maybe?” She points to the very feminine shopping bags the twins held then clasps her hands in front of her twisting back and forth at the waist like an excited little kid. Maybe she thinks it’s cute and innocent looking. She really just looks a little unhinged. “Just some birthday gifts, no big deal.”
Cam says again trying to turn. She grabs his elbow, she seems to only touch him. At least when I see them interact. Interesting. “aut my birthday was months ago, silly…”
She pats his arm and reaches for Dakota, but he moves away. Giving me a direct line of sight to her. She trails off finally noticing Sierra and I behind him. “WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING HERE WITH YOU?’ Her fakely sweet voice changes to one of angry menace in a flash. Her manicured claws fly to her hips. Her perfectly shaped eyebrows looked strange, smashed down in a scowl, her whole face going red The guys all move faster than I thought possible surrounding me, which to an outsider might look strange With all of the bags they are holding. Cam and Kota are in front, between Kaley and the rest of the group. Oliver stands directly in front of me, Sierra stays at my side, her arm still linked with mine, and Mateo is on the other. Sam steps behind me sandwiching me between him and Oliver giving me only inches of space to breathe. On instinct I place the palm of my free hand lightly on Oliver’s back at the same time Sam places his on my right shoulder and Mateo touches my left shoulder and I instantly relax. I feel the taught muscles in Olivers back do the same with the contact. It took me a minute to realize what they did, though and I don’t know how I feel about it. I can protect myself and fight, but at the same time she is a different kind of threat We all recognized it and they naturally went into a protection stance. What I find interesting was there was no hesitation on whether it was me or Sierra that Kaley referred to. That is something Sierra and I will have to talk about later. Now I have to focus. I’m too short to see around them, but don’t miss the rest of the conversation. “She has no business being anywhere with the two of you, am your girlfriend. I demand that you leave with me, you are just embarrassing yourselves with her.”
Kaley screams. Does she not understand she is the one causing a scene all by herself right now? This mall is not just werewolves, it has humans too and they don’t know about us, what the hell is she thinking having her meltdown here? I hope she can’t shift yet, we will be in trouble if she does out in public with humans, “Understand this. You do not demand anything from us, are we clear? Dakota asks with a hard edge to his voice, clearly a warning. That was a new sound to me. His usually jovial voice is only outdone by Sam’s. “No! What we do is our business. Who we choose to spend time with is our business. And where we choose to spend time is our business, not yours. You are not our girlfriend. Change your tone and watch how you address all of us. Disrespect will not be tolerated.”
Cameron finished, the same harsh demand in his voice. “Let’s go.”
He commands our group, I assume, I still can’t see sh*t. Wow, Sierra was right, being around the guys has made my language more colorful. She spins me around, keeping me in the center of the group and I notice the guys don’t break formation around me although they at least spread out enough for me to move comfortably, Sam leading us out. Sierra still has my arm though, playing with all of the straps of my new bracelets absentmindedly. It must make her relaxed.
“you got her?” Cam asks from behind me. It’s the first time any of them have spoken on the ten minute walk back to the truck. Before I can ask what he means, someone steps close to me. Yep.”
Oliver slides an arm around my waist from the back and pulls me close to him. My back is touching his stomach and I’m leaning against one of his legs. It’s kind of weird and personal, but oddly it doesn’t feel romantic and I don’t feel uncomfortable either. Just another thing to unpack with Sierra later. At least his arm around me was some kind of signal that everyone could move away from me. The bags were loaded in the back. Sam, Mateo and Sierra jumped in the third row. Oliver opened my door, lifted me and placed me in my seat. When he closed my door Dakota stood by it until Oliver got in on his side. The twins got in last, all while looking around as if there was a threat lurking in the shadows. It was natural movement from all five of them, like a well oiled machine that has done this thousands of times before. I wonder if this is something they do at whatever summer training they attend each year. It was fascinating if you sat back, really broke it down and analyzed it. It’s the first time noticed them all acting like the leaders they were supposed to be, not the teenage boys they are. A flutter of butterflies errupted in my stomach at the idea that they turned this machine one because of a threat to me. We drove in silence, but I think the guys were talking over the mindlink. Oliver wasn’t looking at me, but he was turned in my direction and had his extremely long leg stretched out across the center of the truck and his ca f touched my shin. I Ined to move to give him more space, but his leg followed my movements keeping contact. I could see him making eye contact with Dakota, but think they were trying to be subtle. I wish Sierra was in the pack and could ink with me. I have so many questions about the guy’s behavior today and I don’t think we would get away with texting right now. My thoughts are cut short as we pull into the packhouse garage and start unloading all the bags from today.
“Thank you for today. It was so much fun. Sierra, will you help me get these to my room?’ I wanted to get her alone so we could talk. This seemed like the best excuse. “Oh, we aren’t even close to being done Shorty.”
My brother grabs my hand and starts dragging me into the packhouse following the twins, the rest of the crew behind us leaving all the shopping behind. Once we take off our shoes at the front door, we head straight for the kitchen where I can hear and smell the most delicious food cooking. The day must end with a tradition.”
Sam begins walking up next to me. “We always celebrate birthdays with a poolside barbeque, no matter the time of year. Now that you are one of us, you must adhere to the tradition. No complaining or whining allowed.”
His loud voice echoes off the long cream colored hallway. The Luna has it decorated beautifully. Family pictures going back generations hung, galley style, on the walls. Little side tables had vases with fresh flowers that smelled amazing and were understated, not too perfumey and overwhelming. She always has fresh flowers everywhere. “But, you already did breakfast and shopping with me.”
I start to argue, but Dakota turns and puts his finger on my lips to stop me from talking. Another weird gesture. They have all been very touchy today. He keeps his finger there and walks backwards, while Sam pushes me forward. “Breakfast is also a part of the tradition, now don’t break the rules, protesting falls under the category of complaining.”
He smiles a devilish smile at me as he turns around and I can’t force my smile to go away. Sierra is openly laughing at me. “Did you know about all of this?’ I waved my hand in the air looking at her like the secret keeping traitor I know she is. “Of course. It isn’t a surprise if you are told what is going to happen.”
She links her arm in mine again as Mateo lets me go, but Sam stays just behind me with his hand on my lower back. Come to think of it, someone had had physical contact with me since Kaley showed up. Man, my list of’ needs explaining’ is getting dangerously long.
We step into the industrial sized open concept kitchen. It is all stainless steel, black countertops and white cabinets. Very masculine compared to the rest of the house. But it is designed to be able to host large pack functions so fashion doesn’t really play a role here. Although the Luna has more vases full of flowers to tie it to the rest of the main level. The wall that attaches to the hallway we came out of is full of cabinets and storage. To the left of us is the large Island that could probably sit 20 grown wolves comfortably. The dark gray and black granite countertop here was covered in platters of snacks and appetizers. The wall behind it housed two sets of dual wall ovens that were separated by a 20 foot long gas range. To the right of the hallway we exited were the industrial sized refrigerators and more storage going around the third wall. The wall overlooking the back patio was mostly glass and the view was amazing. The patio and pool were lit up with string lights and just beyond that you could see the woods as it took on the late afternoon glow. It was perfect. “Come on.”
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.