Filed To Story: Their Bullied and Broken Mate by Teri Petry
A Brother For Maddix
*MELIAN POV*
Talk about a double whammy. First my diagnosis, and then the possibility of Liam having a love child from a previous relationship. I can’t fault him for that. It was before me, and I knew they weren’t virgins when we found each other. They are also a bit older than me, and it would have been crazy for them to be completely alone. If it weren’t for what happened to me, they might never have even found me at all. I am beyond thankful that Liam didn’t try and hide the information from me, and told me the truth. Shitty timing, yes, but still, we promised no secrets ever. After he had explained everything to me, I had to speak to Ruby. I was hurt and angry at first, but after what she said to me, I knew I was overreacting and what I wanted to do with everything he told me. Ruby spoke to me and explained the reasoning why the way I was feeling was valid, but also a little overboard. It was before me, and if they had an inkling of where I was, or even who I was, it would never have been a situation he would have put himself in. He wouldn’t even consider it. She said it was even a way to add to our family, just like I wanted. I knew she was right, and it was before me. Damn, it was even before Jason had met Rebecca. Not long before, but before. That is when I opened my eyes to look at him, and asked him to make me a promise. THE promise. I wanted to go with him, and be there for him every step of the way. Regardless of whether the child was his or not, if Northern Star didn’t want it, I did. We were going to make this work.
I will contact Roxy tomorrow, and schedule my surgery for when we return. I want that part of my life done and over with. Sooner the better. I will let Liam, however, tell his aunt about the child. I just wish we knew if it were a boy or a girl. There were so many questions running through my brain, and I knew neither of my husbands knew the answers, so they would have to wait. I was starving and dinner had just arrived. Pasta with a garlic cream sauce, lots of bread and a Cobb salad. I was literally in heaven. We watched the movie A Christmas Story, and ate our dinner. We needed something to lighten our moods before we went to sleep. As we were eating, something dawned on me. The Holiday Ball. There was no way we could have it this weekend. I called Grace and hoped she was awake. I asked her if she thought it was too late to reschedule, and she said that she wasn’t sure. It was more likely to have to go on as scheduled. Our trip to Northern Sun would have to be a quick one.
I explained to Liam and Loki about the ball, and they agreed it was too late. Too many invitations had already been sent out, and too many preparations had been made. We came up with the solution of leaving for Northern Sun tomorrow, doing the paternity test immediately. We would stay until Thursday evening and be back by that night. Hopefully with a little one in tow. I got up and gathered my bedclothes and went in to take a shower. Liam was going to get hold of Rico and make sure him and Grace could handle things for a few days. I had already called my grandmother about watching the kids, and she said that her, Marion and Ginger were going to stay at the packhouse and keep an eye on the kids for us while we were gone. They were over the moon that we asked. It gave them bonding time, but they had to promise no witchy rituals or blessing the babies unless we were present. They got a good laugh out of that and promised they would behave. After my shower, I made one last trip to the nursery to check on our children. They were sleeping peacefully, but I noticed that Asteria was in Adelina’s crib. A little confused, I knocked on the nanny’s door. Thankfully, she was still awake, and I asked why our little runt wasn’t in her own bed. Tara, the nanny, explained that Asteria got very fussy, and the only way she would calm down was when she was next to her sister. Tara had a system when it came to getting the kids ready for bed. She would put the girls in one crib and change them all. Then, one by one, she would make sure they were tucked and settled in their own cribs. She said she had tried to wait until Asteria was fully asleep and move her, but when she tried, she got fussy again. I told her it was OK, and to just leave her where she was comfortable. I wished her goodnight and went back to my own bedroom and crawled into bed between my already sleeping mates.
Morning time came quickly, and I was still so tired. Half asleep, I went into my closet and threw on some leggings and a baggy sweater. I slipped on my Uggs and grabbed my jacket. It was comfort over style today, but I personally thought I looked cute. My hair was in a loose bun at the nape of my neck and I didn’t bother with anything but mascara and a light lip gloss. The twins had packed me a bag, and once grandma and the others arrived, we left for our journey. It wasn’t an awful long drive, but long enough to where I was ready for breakfast once we got there. Gamma Josh had met us at the packhouse, and thankfully there was no tension between him and my mates. Liam asked where Beta Nightwater was, and the Gamma explained that he would like to stay out of the dealings with Liam. Liam looked slightly confused by that admission, but the Gamma told him that he had taken his daughter’s death extremely hard, and wanted no dealings with anyone who would remind him of her. That is why he was sending his grandchild away. I personally thought it was cruel to do that to a child he had bonded with while his daughter was still alive, but it was going to make our request easier in the end. Especially if the child turned out not to be his. He told us that he would join us for breakfast, and then that he would take us to the boy to do the test. A boy. A brother for Maddix.
Spitting Image
*Liam POV*
Speaking with Gamma Josh Travers when we arrived, I learned 2 things.
1. Beta Malcom Nightwater had lost his sense of family when Rochelle was killed.
I wonder what his mate must be going through, and I would bring that up to Josh later.
2. The child was a boy.
He was almost 3 years old, and his name was Phoenix Skye. He had been given Rochelle’s mate’s last name, but that was easily changed. I asked Josh what had happened to her mate after she passed away, and he informed me that he had dropped the boy off at the Beta’s with nothing but the clothes on his back, and went into the forest and killed himself. The pain of the breaking of his and Rochelle’s bond had been so bad that it drove him mad. This poor boy had lost the only parents he ever knew, and now his own grandfather was casting him aside. I was here now, and it had already been decided that whether he was biologically mine or not, he was coming home with us for good. He would be Phoenix Skye Young for the rest of his days.
There was a lot of small talk and formalities spoken during breakfast, and my mate listened intently. Taking everything in that Gamma Travers spoke. I knew she was retaining everything to memory just in case we would need it later. She asked a lot of questions, and the Gamma answered each of them as accurately and kindly as he could. He even expressed his dislike of the way Phoenix has been treated in the past several weeks. “Gamma Travers, if Beta Nightwater has basically shunned the boy, who has been taking care of him?” she asked. Straight and to the point. He explained that he had been looking out for him the best he could in hopes the Beta would change his mind. When he didn’t, the Gamma approached the Beta’s mate, and he said that her exact words were, “I don’t care what happens to my daughter’s bastard child.” My heart shattered. He was an innocent child, not a bastard, and not disposable. “That is when I went to the Alpha for advice,” he said. Josh went on to explain that the Alpha, though he felt bad for Phoenix, suggested that he contact us. Especially since I was the one who had been with her prior to her being with her mate.
We had finished our meal, and Josh led us to his cottage. The only family that lived in the pack house here was the Alpha. Everyone else had their own cabin or cottage. The one Josh had was the one he grew up in, and he was happy he still lived there. His parents had moved into the senior home several years back, and he kept the cottage. When we walked in, there sat a little boy playing blocks with an older woman. Laying eyes on him for the first time, I had no doubts he was biologically mine. His resemblance to Loki and me was uncanny. From the dark hair to the light brown eyes. To the expression on his face. I knew the paternity test was a formality at this point, but it was only going to confirm what I already knew. By the look on Melian’s face, I knew she realized it too.
“Pheonix, come here buddy. Come see uncle Josh. The little boy watched the three of us strangers with caution but ran straight to Josh. He hugged Josh’s neck and told him that he missed him. My heart melted a little at the interaction, and I couldn’t wait until he was that comfortable with me or Loki. I couldn’t wait to get him comfortable enough to climb into Melian’s lap, so I could watch her cuddle him and rock him like she did Maddix and the girls. Josh gently sat him on his lap and introduced him to us. We all shook his hand and his little bashful smile grew bigger by the second.
“Phoenix, we are going to see Maggie, and she is going to take a sponge on a stick and swirl it around your mouth for a minute. Maggie is going to do the same thing to Alpha Liam. OK?” Josh asked him. He looked at Josh and asked him why, and Josh tried to explain the best he could. He started to stammer, because honestly, how do you explain to a child this kind of situation? Mel noticed him struggling and asked Phoenix if he would like to sit on the floor with her and play with the blocks some more. He happily agreed, and as they were playing, Mel started to speak with him. “So, Phoenix. Does it scare you that Miss Maggie is going to put the sponge in your mouth?” she asked him. He shook his head no. “Is it exciting that Alpha Liam is going to do that with you?” He nodded with a smile, and then asked her why I had to do it too. She got down on his level and looked him in the eyes. She held onto his hands and said in the sweetest voice, “Well, Alpha Liam, Alpha Loki and me want to see if maybe you and the Alphas are family. The only way to tell if you are is if you and Liam get your mouth tickled by the spongy stick.” Phoenix studied her face for a moment and then asked, “It tickles?” She giggled with him and nodded her head. She started to tickle him and said, “It tickles..just..like..this!” His giggles filled the room, and it was right then that I knew they were going to be the best of friends. Phoenix held Mel’s hand all the way to the clinic, and when we walked in we were greeted by Maggie, the pack pediatrician.
“Welcome Gamma Josh, Alphas, Luna. There’s my Phoenix! Have you been a good boy?” she asked. He said he had been very good, and she promised him a lollipop when he was done for being so good.
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.