Filed To Story: Their Bullied and Broken Mate by Teri Petry
All Loki and I could do was sit and nod our heads in agreement. Grace finally accepted that Liam could be right, and told Rico that she accepted him as her mate. However, he would have to be alright with her running the orphanage still, and the fact that she was going to be raising my brothers’ twins. He agreed and even said that he had no problem with them moving into the orphanage with her. That way, nothing had to change for her. She cupped his face and crashed her lips onto his, and, without saying another word, they got up and left. The three of us knew where they were going, and felt happy that our friends chose happiness over everything.
Inner Demons
*Rico POV*
The talk we had with Mel really helped ease both of our minds. After we left, we went for a walk to just talk and figure things out. We decided that until Nick’s Place was finished I would stay with her in her room, which was next to the nursery and close to the boys’ room. We ended up having a movie night with George, Jack and Henry and then she left to get them settled. The twins were already in the nursery sleeping, so I decided to sneak in and check on them. Riley was in a green sleeper with alligators on them and Regina was in a little yellow nightgown with a daisy pattern. I couldn’t get over how cute they were, and that I was going to instantly be a dad figure to them. I have always wanted a large family, but I would be happy with whatever happened. This whole situation is such an amazing feeling, but for some reason I still felt a little guilt and sadness. There was once I caught myself wishing that Nick was here so I could share this with him, and then I remembered that it’s because he wasn’t here is why this happened.
I promised Grace from the beginning that I never wanted to take his place in her heart, but to create a new place next to him. I promised to strive to be the man she deserved and needed. Not just to her but to the kids also. I made sure both babies were covered with their blankets and then went to Maddix’s crib to check on him too. I have really come to love this kid. He is super smart and just the sweetest little guy. I was asked to be his godfather, and I quickly accepted.
After I made sure all the babies were secure and comfy, I went back to Grace’s room. She was already in her pajamas and sitting on the couch drinking a cup of tea. I had patrol duty in 45 minutes and I just wanted to spend every second with her before I had to leave. I already knew a lot about her, but there were little things that I was clueless about. Like, I didn’t know that the smell of lavender gave her headaches, or the fact that she loves the smell of mud. Those weird little quirky things I have been learning about her have really made me feel closer to her.
It came time for me to have to go, so I softly kissed her lips and said goodbye. I couldn’t wait for this short shift to be over so that I could come back and crawl in bed with her. Just having her close to me helped relax the turmoil I had in my head since the attack. After I closed the door, I went down the hall towards the kitchen. I heard laughing and realized it was the twins and Mel. I stopped in the doorway and stared at them joking and making food. The love and respect they have for one another is a beautiful thing, and one day it will be Grace and I. I was sure of it.
“Hey Rico! Going out for duty?” Loki asked. I nodded my head and wished them goodnight. Walking across the wet grass towards the cell house, I noticed that my sister was lying on a bench by the training gym. She had a blanket with her, so I knew she was there for a reason. “Monica? Why are you out here? Why aren’t you at home?” I asked. I noticed she was crying and had a bruise on her left cheek. My wolf, Manny, started to stir. She sat up and answered me, “One word, Monty.” I pursed my lips and took a deep breath and replied to her, “Uncle Monty. What the hell did he do now? It’s obvious he hit you, but why?”
She shook her head and said, “He didn’t hit me, momma did. He came in drunk and tried to steal money from her purse. I happened to walk in and catch him and started to yell at him to put it back. Mom heard me yelling and came to see why and when I told her, she accused me of lying, saying that Monty would never do that to her. I told her that I wasn’t lying and that I couldn’t believe she chose to believe a drunken bastard over her own child, and that’s when she slapped me as hard as she could. I cursed at her for doing it and she ended up slugging me with her fist the next time for disrespect. I grabbed my blanket and left. I ended up out here on this bench until I figured out if they were sleeping or not. Then I’ll go back in.” I nodded my head and told her to go back to the house now. It was dark and things were always more dangerous at night because rogues could hide in the darkness. She agreed and walked away. This was something that I would have to handle gently so that nothing else happened to Monica. Monty was a snake and I wouldn’t put anything past him.
I marched into the cell house with a purpose. I wanted to check to see how our new security cameras were working, and to spy a little on Callum. The guards said he had been talking to himself a lot lately, and I wanted to see what he was saying. I closed the door in the security room quietly so not to disturb the 2 guards who were sleeping. The guard on watch, his name is Brad, and has been working in the cells since he turned 18. He knew the old cell house like the back of his hand, and helped to design parts of the new one. “What’s up, Brad? Anything exciting going on tonight?” I whispered.
He shook his head and said “Nah, even crazy Callum has been quiet. He has just been sitting in the middle of his cell like he had been meditating for most of the night.” He pointed to the screen and I watched it closely. Something looked off, but I couldn’t quite make it out. I walked out of the room and went straight for Callum’s cell. He was in one of the Max cells that had no windows, and was made of see-through bulletproof plexiglass that was very thick. It had holes at the top and bottom of the panes to allow air into the cell. There was a heavy door as thick as the panes with a slot for his food trays. I kneeled on the floor and watched him. Brad was right. He wasn’t moving. I couldn’t tell if he was breathing either. The only people who had keys to his cell were the alphas. It limited the chance of someone letting him out if they were the only ones with keys. I called the alphas and Mel answered the phone. I asked for one of the twins and Liam got on the other end.
“Liam, I started my patrol at the cell house and security noticed that Callum hadn’t moved in awhile. I came down here to check it out, and I couldn’t tell if he was breathing or not. What do I do?” I asked. Liam said they would be down immediately, and within 5 minutes they were there. Loki opened the door, and when he went to touch Callum, sparks enveloped Loki. “What the fuck!” Liam yelled and rushed to help his brother. He kicked Callum in the head and the sparks stopped. Callum fell over and started to laugh. When he looked up at the twins, his eyes were glowing white. I yelled at the top of my lungs for the alphas to get out immediately. Liam grabbed Loki and dragged him out and I shut the door quickly behind them. I twisted the key to lock it as Callum slammed into it. He released a screech that was deafening and unworldly. He started to scream at us through the glass, “We are coming for you! You can’t stop the demons inside me alphas. You can’t hide!”
Mammon
*Loki POV*
What in the actual mother of the darklord fuck just happened? How didn’t anyone notice him summoning demons in his cell? His walls are see through for shits sake. I was pacing a hole in our office floor trying to figure out what had just happened at the cell house with Callum. “Man, Loki, I really think you should go let Flores check you out.” Rico insisted. I shook my head at him and told him that I wasn’t doing anything until I could grasp what happened. My body was still tingling from the electric shocks, but there wasn’t any pain. My heart rate had settled down quite a lot, and the only thing still buzzing was my head. If I were honest, I was more freaked out than anything. Yet, I didn’t know how to let down my brave front and admit that to everyone. My anxiety was coming out as anger and frustration, when in reality I was scared shitless.
“Liam, I know this isn’t a choice to be made easily, but I think we need to consult with Aunt Nadine. She has contacts who are witches and demonologists, and I think one of them could help.” I mentioned. Liam jumped to his feet and started objecting immediately. “Bro, there is no way in hell we are involving her. NONE! I will talk with Rory before I talk to Nadine. She has solid ties to witches, not just contacts. Plus, I can trust Rory.”
Our cousin Rory had found her mate recently during a trip into the human city to go wedding dress shopping with our cousin Leeanna, who was getting married soon. She was nervous to tell us because he was a witch. We didn’t care what he was, as long as he wasn’t practicing the dark arts, and he was good for her. In Liam’s opinion, Luke and his coven were more reliable than anyone Nadine ever knew. I have to admit he wasn’t wrong. I just didn’t want to put more on Rory or Luke with their bond being so new. We know all too well what chaos can do to a new bonded relationship. It will either break it or strengthen it, and in our case we got the better end of the deal. We learned so much not only about each other, but what was going on around the outside of our territory boundaries. “Fine, let’s get a hold of Rory and see if we can meet. I’ll have her bring Luke and his parents. Surely we can come up with something.”
I didn’t know if they would be awake or not, so I went and grabbed a snack in the kitchen. My adrenaline was disappearing and I was feeling nauseous and I knew if I didn’t eat, I would get a terrible headache. I made myself a pastrami sandwich with mustard and pickles, and grabbed a bag of BBQ chips. I went to the fridge and grabbed a Coca-Cola and sat at the counter to eat it. The silence felt good, so I was going to enjoy it while I could. After I ate, I went back into the office. The only person left in there was Liam. “Did you call Rory?” he asked. I shook my head and thought it would be too late tonight.
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.