Chapter 3: Skank

I made my way into the dining room where everyone was already eating, including the three little nuggets.  I stood at the door, leaning on the door frame watching them with my mom and Summer.  Two boys and the cutest little girl I have ever seen, the boys were slightly bigger than her, she was sitting in the middle of them.  They would put small pieces of food on her plate as she finished what was already there.  She lifted her little face, and her little eyes were red and puffy from crying.  I stood there for a few minutes before Silas came up behind me.  “They already have mom’s heart.”  He chuckled.  “Her and Summer are ready to spoil them rotten.”  He smiled at me.  “C’mon you need to eat and meet these little nuggets.  How’s Storm?”  He asked.  “She’s still out, not sure how long she’ll be out.”  I told him.  “I want two guards with her at all times when we are not with her. I don’t want to take any chances that someone will try to get to her.  We still know nothing about her father or her mother.”  I ordered.   “On it, I will get Gordon and one of his most trusted men to be her guards.”  Silas said and left the room.

“Blasé.”  Summer chirped.  “Hey sis.”  I smiled.  “Who are your new friends?”  She rolled her eyes at me and smiles.  “Hey little ones, I want you to meet my big brother, Blasé.”  She introduced me.  “Blasé this is Rebel, Ryder, and River.”  I moved a little closer and gave a small wave.  “Very nice to meet you.”  I said sitting down as one of the pack cooks put a plate of food down in front of me.  The kids were quiet for a few minutes as they finished eating.  “Sumor, where mama?”  River asked trying not to cry.  Her brothers leaned in and wrapped their little arms around her comforting her. My heart broke for them, they all had a shit life but no more.  I was…no I am…going to give them a better life.  “Hey princess.”  I called to River.  “C’mere.”  I told her patting my knee.  “You too boys.”  They slowly made their way to me after getting a reassuring nod from Summer.  I picked up River and put her on my lap and brought Rebel and Ryder closer.  “Your mama is asleep right now, she’s really tired and needs a lot of rest.”  I watched their little faces scrunch up and frown.  “Where she?”  Rebel asked sternly.  “She’s in the hospital. Would you like to see her?”  I asked him, he had a very serious look on his face.  Ryder looked at Rebel and River.  “Yesh pwease.”  He said.  It looked to me like they were mind linking.  Is that even possible?  They are only like four or five.  I’ll need to remember to ask mom and dad about that.  “Okay, let’s go but you need to put your coats on, it’s a little cold out and I don’t want you to get sick and have your mama get mad me.”  I told them placing River gently back on the floor as I stood up taking her hand.  I lead them to the front door followed by Summer and Silas.  We put their coats and started walking to the pack hospital.  We were barely out the door when River pulled on my shirt making grabby hands.  “Uppy, pwease.”  I gladly picked her up.  Silas and Summer were walking with the boys.  As we got closer to the hospital, River started sobbing.  “What’s the matter princess?”  I asked her rubbing her back.  “Ish mama, otway?  Did  Frwed hurt hur?”  She hiccupped.  “Awe, my little princess, I promise you, she’s going to be okay, and Fred is never ever hurt you, your brothers or your mama again.”  I assured her.  “You pwinky pwmise?”  She asked holding her little pinky up. I chuckled and wrapped my huge pinky around her very tiny one.  “I pinky promise.”

“Good evening, Alpha.”  A nurse, who I have no idea who she is, greeted.  “How can I help you tonight?”  She asked running a fingertip along her collar bone.  I rolled my eyes at her and lowly gave her a warning growl.  “We are here to see my mate, so if you’ll excuse us.”  I told her pushing past her, there will never be any other woman for me.  I have my mate and she is all I’ll ever need.  We stopped outside Storm’s room door.  “Okay, mama’s still asleep and has a lot of booboos so you need to be very careful and don’t jump on her, okay?”  They looked at me and nodded.  Summer and Silas picked up Rebel and Ryder while River was still in my arms.  I opened her door, when the kids saw their sister, their mama, they said in unison, “Mama.”  We took them closer to her, Silas leaned closer so Ryder could kiss Storm on the forehead then sat him at the foot of the bed.  We sat Rebel and River on each side.  They took her hands in each of their little ones.  “Mama, we here.”  River whispered.  “We wuv you mama.”  Ryder said rubbing Storm’s leg gently.  Rebel moved up a little closer and had his head on her shoulder.  “Mama, wake up, pwease, mama. I ascared.”  He whispered trying to hold back his tears.  Summer reached over and rubbed his back, he looked up at Summer, his little face was stained with tears.  He carefully buried his head in Storm’s neck.  We sat there in silence until my three little nuggets fell asleep and we carried them back to their room which was across the hall from my room.  Summer and Silas helped me get them changed into their jammies. 

“Make sure to leave your door open just in case they get scared.”  Summer whispered as we walked out.  “I don’t think they have ever been apart from Mimi.”  Summer told me, there was sadness in her voice.  “Mimi?”  I asked, she giggled and nodded yes.  I rolled my eyes at her and shrugged my shoulders.  “What?  It’s my nickname for her, she said she never had one.  You got a problem that?”  She cocked her hip out and placed her hand on it.  “No, of course not.”  I told her.  “I’m glad she has you as her friend.”  I said to my little sister, and I meant it.  From what I could tell, my mate had no other friends.  “Well, not just her BEST friend, but her soon to be her most AWESOME sister.”  She said doing a little happy dance.  “Mom’s already on her way to spoiling her and the little ones.  She was online shopping for them and Mimi for almost two hours, Dad had to cut her off.”  Silas chuckled.  “She’ll be back at in the morning.  Hahahah.”  Summer giggled.  “You didn’t bring their stuff?”  I asked annoyed.  “What stuff?”  Silas hissed.  “Blasé, they had nothing!”  He lowered his voice, so he didn’t wake the little ones.  “They barely have enough cloths for a week.”  He took out his phone and showed me the pictures of their room.  “The room wasn’t even a room, one small window and an even smaller bathroom.  We need to find out how they got by us.”  I told Silas.  “When did Fred move his mate and Storm here? How did I not know my mate had been on our territory for at least three maybe four years?!!”  I grunted.  “Get me answers!”  Silas nodded and hurried out.

I peeked in on my little ones, WOW, my little ones.  They’ve only been with me for a few hours, but I can’t see my life without them or Storm.  They are now my life and my world.  I walked to my room, leaving my door open and got ready for bed.  I decided to leave the lamp on that’s next to my door.  I finally crawled into bed when I heard a little whimper, there they were, from tallest to shortest, Rebel holding Ryder’s hand, Ryder holding River’s hand and River tightly hugging a stuffy.  I lifted the blanket and patted the bed and motioned for them to climb in.  Rebel and Ryder helped River up and then helped each other up on the bed.  (Note to self, need to get a lower bed or steps for them.)  I set myself in the middle of the bed, Ryder climbed over me and laid on my right side with River next to me on my left and Rebel next to River.  Once they were comfortable, they drifted off to sleep.  They were comfortable but as for me, well, not so much.  I had my phone in my hand and was able snap a few pictures.  “We have pups now.”  Asher purred.  “We will protect them with our life.”  He told me before we drifted off to sleep.

It’s been about a month since Storm and my little ones came to be with me.  I take them to see Storm every night after dinner and Summer or my mom takes them a couple of times a day.  My mom has taken it upon herself to babysit my little ones when I have a class to teach to or have pack business to attend to.  There is no way she’s letting me take them back to daycare.  She keeps them very busy and near her.  I made my way to the hospital to check on my mate.  As I got closer to her room, I hear little whispers and giggles, my little ones must be visiting.  “Alpha!”  A voice called out to me.  I turned around to see the doctor hurrying towards me.  “Dr. Reese, is everything okay?”  Panic starting to build.   “Yes, yes, calm down, all is well.”  She assured me.  “I was on my way to call you.  Your mate is awake.”  She smiled.  “What?  For how long?”  I asked excitedly.  “Not even five minutes, less than five minutes.  Her little ones are very excited and happy to be with her.”  She giggled.  “You should really go in; she’s been asking questions.  I told her you would be here soon and explain everything.”  I moved closer to her door and listened to them, the tiny giggles and then her sweet laugh is music to my ears sending shivers down my spine.  I quietly opened the door; nobody’s noticed me yet as I leaned against the door jamb watching the four most important people in my whole world.  River looks up and sees me standing by the door, a huge smile crosses her face, she wiggles out of Storm’s arms, slides off the bed and comes running into my arms.  “Daddy Bwaz! Daddy Bwaz!”  She yelled jumping up and throwing herself in my arms.  I caught her with ease, as she landed in my arms, I heard a loud gasp.  “River! What are you doing?! You’re going to hurt yourself!” Storm scolded; River’s smile dropped. “Sowry mama.”  She frowned. “It’s okay. We have perfected her takeoff and landing.”  I lightly tickled River making her giggle.  “It’s all good, I promise.”  I assured her.

“Yeah, mama.”  Ryder chirped.  “Uncle Siwus teached me to swim.”  He told her puffing his little chest out.  “And I no ascared.”  He was very proud of himself.  “That’s my boy.”  Asher cooed.  “Umm…Wow, that’s great!”  She smiled, “but isn't it a little too cold to be swimming?” She asked looking a little confused. “We have an indoor heated pool; we can swim whenever we want.” Silas explained. She nodded her head, and she looked over to Rebel and ran her fingers through the messy mop on top of his little head. “What about you Rebby?  What have you been up to?”  He looked at her and just started to cry, burying his head into the side of her neck.  “Rebel, baby, what’s wrong?”  Storm asked wrapping him in her embrace.  I walked over to them, River still in my arms.  I placed River next to Rebel, Ryder carefully crawled over Storm, he and River were hugging Rebel comforting him, whispering to him that everything is going to be okay.  I wasn’t sure what to do, so I walked around to the other side of the bed, sat down, and put my arms around the four of them and pulled them as close to me as possible.  They are my family, my world.  I will do whatever it takes to make them smile and to keep them safe. 

“Blasé.”  A sweet soft voice called.  I opened my eyes, looked down and was met with the most beautiful hazel eyes I have ever seen and know them to belong to my mate.  “Hey.”  I whispered.  “Hi.”  She smiled up at me.  “You, okay?  You don’t look comfortable.”  She said trying to adjust the three little ones.  “I’m fine.  I didn’t want to wake you or our little ones.  These last several weeks have been hard for them.  I just didn’t realize Rebel was feeling like this.  I should have known; he’s been with me the majority of the time.  I let him down.”  I whispered running my fingers through his hair.  “I-I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but I don’t think you let him down.  If anything, I let them down.  I haven’t been around for them for weeks.  I let Fred…”  She trailed off.  “You did nothing wrong.  You have provided the best you could for them considering your circumstances.  You never gave up; you are the strongest and bravest woman I have ever met.  Well, other than my mom and sister, please don’t tell them I said that they might…hurt me.”  I shivered a little.  “Really? You’re afraid of your mom and sister?”  She asked with a raised brow.   “Hell yes!  You would be too, at least you will be of my mom when you see her angry.”  I cringed.  She was softly giggling.  “Mama.”  Ryder called.  “I hungwie.”  He said rubbing his little tummy.  “You’re hungry?  You’re always hungry!”  Storm told him tickling him lightly.  “Mama, no tickle, pwease.”  He squealed waking Rebel and River.  “Uh-oh, you woke up Rebel and River.”  I gasped at him as his siblings glared at him sleepily.

Knock, Knock.  Ryder jumped off the bed and ran to open the door.  “Sumor!”  He ran to her and hugged her tight.  “Hey, there’s my handsome boy.”  Summer chirped returning his hug.  Her eyes went wide with a huge grin.  She hurried over to Storm, who was sitting up on the edge of the bed by now.  “Mimi.”  She said wrapping Storm in a tight hug.  “I’m so glad you’re okay.”  She let out a small sob.  “Of course, I’m okay.”  Storm told her rubbing her back gently.  “I’ve been through a lot worse.” She lightly snorted. “I would usually have to just keep going, this is the first time that I was in the hospital for treatment.  Fred never wanted anyone to know what he was doing.”  She explained as if it was no big deal.  “Summer, really, I’m okay, it’s no big deal.  Please don’t cry.”  She cooed at Summer.  “It’s not okay Storm, it’s not okay.  What he did to you and them was wrong!  He should have brought you to the pack to meet us and he never did!  You should have been with us since you moved here, the four of you should have been here with us!”  Summer rambled pacing back and forth crying.  “Auntie Sumor, don’t cwry.”  Ryder told her hugging her legs.  “Sum, first, you need to calm down. Second, take these little squirts to breakfast, we will be there in a few minutes.”  Storm told her trying to break the tension.  She stood, squared her shoulders, and whipped her tears.  “Right, c’mon squirts, let’s go eat and get mama’s plate ready, she hasn’t eaten in a several weeks, I’m sure she would love something better than a liquid diet.”  They nodded at her and followed her back to the pack house.  Storm stared at me in confusion.  “She’s been worried about you.”  I said sitting down next to her, taking her hand in mine.  “We…I have been worried about you.”  I told her bringing her hand to my lips and gently kissed her knuckles. 

“What was that?”  She whispered with wide eyes.  “What was what?”  I asked caressing her knuckles.  I knew what she was talking about, but I wanted to hear it from her lips.  “Th-the feeling of electricity w-wh-when you k-kissed my knuckles.”  She blushed.  “You’re so adorable.”  I chuckled, that just made her blush even harder.  “Sorry, I guess I used my outside voice, but you are adorable when you blush.”  I said grazing my fingertips across her cheek.  “What you feel, what we both feel, is our bodies reacting to each other.”  I whispered leaning into her ear, she shivered and started leaning into me.  I heard her release a small breathy sigh.  “How can this be? I only just met you.”  She said looking up at me.  “What did Summer mean that we should have been brought to you?” She asked. “Well, this might sound crazy to you but I’m just going to say it and let things fall where they fall.”  I started.  “I am a werewolf.”  I said looking directly in her eyes.  “A werewolf?”  She repeated.  “Yes, you are currently in our pack hospital.  I brought you here after the incident with Fred.”  I explained to her.  She just sat there and had a faraway look in her eyes.  “Storm, are you okay?”  I was worried that she was going to…I have no idea what I was expecting.  She had yet to really react, so I just let her go at her pace.  “So, why are you so interested in me and my little ones?”  She asked.  “Well, you are my mate.”  I blurted out.  “Mate?  I have been hearing that word a lot, what does it mean?”  She asked with a frown.  “It means that you are my soulmate.  You were meant for me since the day you were born.  I have been waiting for you for the last nine years.  We usually find our mate when we turn sixteen but for some of us it takes longer.”  “Is that why when we ran into each other at the café, why I felt a connection to you?  I felt like I was being drawn to you.”  She admitted.  “And in the classroom when skank girl was touching you, I wanted to rip her arms off.”  She scowled.  “Again, adorable, and yes, that is why you felt that way.  Most mates are very possessive of each other.”  I chuckled lightly.

“How can this be?  I’m not a werewolf.”  She frowned.  “You don’t have to be a werewolf to be mated to one of us.  How long have you and the squirts been here?”  I asked her pulling her into a hug.  “Three and half years, the triplets were born not to long after we got here.”  She explained.  “Were they born in the hospital?”  She snorted.  “No, Fred stays away from there as much as possible, he always stays under the radar.  He never wanted anyone to know what he was doing to me.”  She looked down at her feet twiddling her fingers.  “Do you know him?”  She asked.  “Fred is a part of my pack and when a pack member finds his or her mate they are required to present them to the pack and elders.  It’s how we keep everyone safe; we need to know who is in our territory.”  I started to explain.  “If Fred had presented you to my father, things would have been so different.”  I lifted her chin, so she was looking at me.  “Hey, you never have to worry about him ever again.”  She rubbed her forehead.  “Blasé, what is happening between us?  Why do I feel the way I do?   Being with you just…just feels right.”  She told me.  I chuckled. “It’s called the mate bond.  It’s what brings us together but in the end it’s up to us to nurture and build the, our bond.  That’s if you want to, which I hope you do.  I don’t think I could do my day to day if you and my little nuggets aren’t here.”  By this time, I had pulled her onto my lap and was gazing into her eyes. 

Asher was howling and giddy with joy.  “Our mate is finally with us, in our arms.”  I pulled her closer.  “I will protect you and our little ones with my life.  You four are my main priority right now.  Fred will never touch you again.  I promise.”  I told her trying to let her know how I felt about her.  “I want to believe you but…but the last three or four years have been total shit.  No one has ever…” I interrupted her by putting my index finger over her lips.  “Sshhh…this is the start of a new chapter for the four of you, a new chapter for all of us.  I want to give you and our little nuggets the world and then some.”  I told her brushing a kiss against her lips.  “You just need to let me, let me love you. I already love you and…our little ones.  I won’t force you but please give me a chance.” I asked her wrapping my arms around her tiny frame.  I felt her tears on my shirt and then she sighed.  She’s so skinny, I would need to work on that, I thought to myself.  “Why me?”  She asked.  “I’m a nobody.  I’m just a broken mess trying to take care of my brothers and sister, which I have done a piss poor job of.”  “Stop!”  I growled rougher than I intended making her flinch.  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to raise my voice.  Please don’t say things like that.  You are a somebody to Rebel, Ryder and River and me.  I love you…we love you, don’t ever doubt that!”  Yep, I said it.  I love her, Asher loves her.  It may sound crazy since we haven’t really spoken until now but if she’s anything like her mini me’s then I know everything I need to know.  “Please, please give me a chance.  Once you get the full effect of all this.”  I motioned to myself.  “You will never want to let me go.”  I winked and she giggled.

“You’re gonna have to be patient with me, all of these feelings are new for me.”  She started.  “I’ve never been on a date or had a boyfriend.”  She whispered.  Asher was doing flips and prancing because she is untouched by any male.  “We will be the first and only male to touch her, to please her.”  He was going on and on in my head.  “I was never allowed to go out or even meet other people.”  She frowned.  “I’ve been waiting for you since I was sixteen.  I will love you and protect you.  Your siblings will be ours to raise and love as if they were our own.” I gazed into her eyes and there were tears sliding down her cheeks.  I cupped her face in my hands and wiped her tears with the pads of my thumbs.  I leaned in to give her a kiss, her first kiss bit we were interrupted.  “Yo, Blasé!”  Silas called as he strolled into her room.  His eyes went a little wide.  “Dammitt Silas!  You have really bad timing.”  I grumbled.  “Dude, sorry, you should really close the door next time.”  Silas snickered.  “It’s you, that wouldn’t work, you don’t know how to knock.”  Blasé sighed, not wanting to let Storm go.  “Yes, I do but I love to annoy you.”  Silas smiled wide.  “What do you want pest?”  I asked as Storm giggled.  “Huh? Oh yeah…Storm there’s a woman here saying that she’s your mom.”  Whatever happiness she was feeling was gone and was replaced by fear.  “She’s here with human law enforcement, she wants the little ones.”  “No! She can’t have them!”  Storm yelled.  “I’m their mom!”   She cried.  I know how she felt, those three little ones are mine, Storm is mine, no one is taking them away from me, ever!  “No!!  They are mine!”  She cried.