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So fucking easy because I’m nothing but a weak little human with no special skills.
But my... the quadruplets... They’re powerful, and strong, and still didn’t notice.
Is this just a game of cat and mouse, where my daughter is the ultimate prey?
“I’m terrified,” I say as Seb and Ben enter the room.
Seb’s carrying Phoebe in his arms, her head pressed against his naked chest, and he doesn’t hesitate in coming to my side. Just like Topher, he drops down onto the floor, with no grace, but he protects Phoebe’s head as he does.
“Here,” he says, offering me the wide-awake infant. I cradle her in my arms as Seb places his hand on my knee. Alex is at my side, his hand on my lower back, and I’m in Topher’s lap. Phoebe reaches out to clutch my finger, and her eyes go from their usual grey to a darling bright version.
Ben takes the final spot next to me, his hand resting at my upper back, just on the shoulder blade, and with all five of them touching me, my heart finally begins to settle. The sparks are overwhelming, but not in a bad way. They’re full of love and support.
They’re a strength. A strength to me, to our relationship... to our future.
“Soon enough, we’ll face him down,” Topher murmurs, and I have no idea if it’s him or Orion speaking. “And when we do, there will be justice, princess. He’ll pay for tormenting you the way he has.”
Something settles in me, and I think I might be okay with that.
26
MAIA
Three (ish) weeks later…
The dreaded letter comes nearly a month after Dr Thomas was outed as a werewolf and ran with his tail between his legs back to his pack—back to Ryan’s old pack.
I’m sitting in the garden, drinking my tea, as Phoebe lays on her play mat in the warm spring sun when I hear a very loud knock on the front door.
I’m not sure when I’m going to stop flinching every time that happens. I’m not sure when the panic will stop emerging, when my heart won’t race. Every knock at the door, every car driving past, every person that peers through our windows, has sent me into a panic over the last few weeks.
I’ve been terrified I would see Ethan. Terrified that he’d be inside the house, touching our things. For the first week, I woke up every single night drenched in sweat, terrified someone was taking my daughter.
After the third night, the guys started a rotation. Phoebe and I were never left alone overnight. Topher and Alex slept on the arm chair. Ben on the bottom of the bed.
Seb ignored all of that and climbed into bed with me, cuddling close, holding me tight. He got up with me for every night feed, every bum change was handled by him whilst I went for a wee or had some juice.
And from the next night, his brothers did the same. They didn’t hesitate, didn’t let me push them away.
They’ve just been there. Offering comfort, safety, and protection. Help.
It’s only been this last week that they’ve started going back to work properly. They’ve been just as unwilling to leave me alone as I have been to be alone. One of them, each day, is on patrols in the morning, another does midday, and one does night time.
Ethan has never stepped foot on our lands.
So, right now, despite my panic, I’m the only one home, and I need to get the post.
I’m waiting for a few things to come for Phoebe, and I hope this is her new play mat. At nearly two months old, she’s starting to outgrow the one she has, so I’ve ordered her one that’s meant to be a lot more engaging for her. The guys are confident Phoebe is not only aware of the world, but she’s taking stock of every object, colour, and person that she encounters.
So now that she can see properly, she likes bits that she can try and reach and touch. She’s close to rolling over, I think, which is so exciting, and I think she’ll have a lot more fun with the new mat once she can change her viewpoint all on her own.
“I know you’re having fun out here,” I say, dropping down to gently scoop her up. “But it’s time for us to get the post.”
I swear I can feel her annoyance. But as the door knocks again, I have no choice other than to cut through the house and answer it.
We’ve had such nice weather this week, and I’ve been taking advantage of the fresh air with Phoebe. The guys say it helps her strengthen her connection with her wolf, and whilst I can’t feel what they can, she really does enjoy herself.
And, you know, it helps that the guys are walking around topless whilst we’re out here, too.
