Cleo had loved her birthday but was now crashed out across my lap, her wispy, blond wavy hair hanging down my side. She looks the picture of sweetness when she is asleep. Such a terror when she is awake, I truly don’t know how a two-year-old can have an attitude, but I swear this one is all the drama and attitude of a teenager squashed into a miniature body.
Yet everyone in the pack loves her, she is a little charmer like her big brother. She had been spoilt with gifts today, so no doubt when she got around to opening all of those our house would be full with all sorts of new things to find homes for.
She was named after my late sister. And has the same blond hair as her, and is the spitting image of Lilah. She has her big blue eyes, which make it very hard to be angry at her when she is looking all big baby-eyed at me. And she knows it. She is damn clever for a little girl, I swear. I used to laugh at my dad for being manipulated by my sisters, well, that was when I wasn’t complaining that it wasn’t fair they got away with so much, but now, I am dreading it when Cleo gets older, as I know I am going to be terrible. I may just get Lilah to deal with her instead!
The party was winding down, and our friends were sat around just chilling together now. All stuffed with food from the buffet and grill. All drunk far too much. The kids were still playing together, though with slightly less energy than earlier, so hopefully they were getting tired so, they may sleep tonight. Well, a guy can dream, right?!
I can’t believe how much has changed in around five years. All but Jake, had now met our mates. And now a herd of kids between us. Nights out are a rarity, instead enjoying time around each other’s houses and spending time together like this. With the kids running around together, like we all used to as kids. But I have to say I enjoy how things are now. I just wish Jake could find his mate too, so he was settled down too.
I know he says it doesn’t bother him, nor his wolf Jaxx, but I know deep down, it does, I can sense it. I have known my friend for long enough to know he is desperately hoping for his fated mate. But time is passing so quickly now, we are heading toward thirty in a couple of years and, to be honest, I imagined us all mated with a few kids by that point. I guess that wasn’t to be. And I guess it shows things don’t work out the way you expected.
“We sorting that meeting this week?” Jake asks, discussing the business we run together.
“You want me there?” I ask. “And Lilah?”
“Always want Lilah there for sweet talking” I wink at him. “You know the clients struggle to resist her.”
This is true, our business certainly benefits from the input of Lilah and the clients love her. She is incredibly popular with them. Just having such a way with them, it instantly puts them at ease and they seem to instantly connect with her. So Jake takes full advantage of this, having her there for meetings with prospective clients and current clients too.
“Nobody wants you” Gabe says with a grin.
“Oh, I could so easily say something” I said with a smirk. Teasing him.
Referencing the issues he had when his mate Esme had initially run on him after meeting him. Causing no end of drama and heart ache for Gabe, until finally deciding after her pack closed that she had made a mistake.
I see Gabe grinning. “Ooh such a funny guy! My sides are hurting from laughing so hard!”
“Curious why you are getting involved anyway, Gabe” Jake gently slaps upside his head with a grin .
“Because I can and you know you want me to really. Who else will make life interesting if I don’t? Besides, it’s through me you have your link to Ruby, remember Jake” he winks at Jake.
Jake rolls his eyes in disgust, as does Ruby. I’d say from their reactions Gabe was probably pretty inaccurate with that estimate. Or if he wasn’t, it was something they were trying to keep quiet at least.
“You aren’t even funny” Jake starts.
“Funnier than you.” Gabe smirks.
“You guys going to quit falling out before you wake Xavier?” Ruby says to them with a frown, reminding me of Esme and Lola when she does.
These girls are feisty when grumpy and maybe not ones to annoy, though I am the Alpha, so not like they will argue too much with me, so we are good.
“How did the art classes go this week?” Esme asks Indie, knowing her Mum has been trying to learn to paint.
“Well, do you really want to know?” Indie smirks.
Esme looks puzzled, while Indie has everyone’s attention now. This has to be a funny tale, as Indie’s stories often are, without her even realising it.
“Probably a disaster” Gabe grins.
“I saw more of your Papi than I ever wanted to” Indie says.
“What?!” Esme and Ruby sound mortified.
While everyone else is laughing, needless to say, Gabe was by far the loudest.
“Oh, I need to know this story” Gabe grins.
“Why do you need to know about a story about the naked body of your father-in-law?!” Jake asks.
“Ewwww!” Manny says before laughing again.
“Seriously Ind, what happened?!” Esme asks.
“I was teaching them portrait work recently, and using oil paints. Well, good ol’ Sofia there decided to paint a nude portrait of her hubby. I nearly had a fricking heart attack when she showed me, gave me no warning when she handed it to me. I did not know where to look!” Indie is saying, her cheeks tinted red.
We are all laughing again at her embarrassment. Gabe is laughing so hard he is crying. Yet these are his in-laws. Has he no shame?!
“Was it an impressive picture?” Gabe says with a wink.
Before me and the other guys begin to laugh again. Yeah, I guess we never grow up.
“I swear, Gabriel, you won’t be impressive, when I am done with you” Esme snarls at her mate, clearly not impressed at him right now.
But this makes him laugh again. “Ah so I am impressive already though?” he smiles at her with a wink. “Good to know”
That has me and the guys laughing again and the girls shaking their heads.
“Indie, why did you have to say anything?!” Ruby asks.
“You surely have worked out she has no filter, right?” Dan laughed. “it isn’t that bad, Sofia was clearly just painting what was on her mind. Your Dad must have done a good job. Don’t be embarrassed, be proud of the old guy for still being able to keep your Mum happy”
“DAN!” Esme says shaking her head while the guys laugh once more.
“So I am guessing Sofia is banned from art class now?” Gabe asks Indie. “For drawing rude pictures?”
“It isn’t a rude picture though, it is art, isn’t it? You see lots of paintings at art galleries and museums with blokes with their dicks out, nobody has an issue. Just because you know the person she painted you are making it an issue.” Dan says, a massive grin on his face.
“I wish I hadn’t mentioned it now” Indie says.
“Hey, we might be making progress if you are regretting saying something!” I pointed out, as normally she couldn’t care less.
Indie shakes her head at me with a smirk playing on her lips “You’re a dick, Knox.”
“You lot are crazy” Ruby shakes her head.
“And you are just working that out now?!” Jake laughs with a smile and a shake of his head. “You best get used to it hunni”
An early start this morning meant I was not in the best of moods, and was purely running off coffee. Lilah had joined me in the office today for this business meeting. It was a new potential client from overseas that Knox had lined up, one he had been interacting with for some time, building up business connections with, so all being well this meeting should be just finalising the details.From what I could gather, the business associate was Rose Cartwright from Black Forest Pack, just on the outer edges of Scotland. So she would no doubt be as tired as us from travelling, unless she had been staying here and adjusted to the time difference before the meeting. I am certain that we are able to get these deals completed today, and know that Lilah will be determined to do the same too.Knox had other business he had to attend to within the Pack today, so he was leaving this deal to me and Lilah to complete until the final stages and then he would come and speak with Miss Cartwright if sh
A delayed flight then a dump of a hotel is the last thing I need before a meeting. But clearly, things do not seem to be going my way.But I promised my father I would go and get this business deal completed and that is what I intend to do. It should not be too difficult, most of the deal has been discussed and dealt with online and over the telephone, so just the finalisations have to be done in person. And it meant I got to do a little bit of travelling, at the expense of my Dad, so I was most definitely not going to complain at that!Though he could have at least booked me a better seat on the plane. Sitting next to a screaming kid the whole way was not my idea of fun. Jeez I hate kids. Sick to death of that fucking baby by the time we got to the airport. Surely she could have just put a fucking bottle in it’s mouth or something to shut it up. Or just choose not to fly with it. Instead of torturing everyone else on the plane, having to listen to it wail incessantly for the entirety
“Ok, thank you for coming.” Lilah says, bringing the meeting to a close.Thank goddess that it has finally ended. The meeting had dragged on for a couple of hours, discussing all the minute details they needed to. And while that normally does not bother me, today I was most definitely distracted and wanted to go and speak to this girl.She had avoided any interaction with me throughout the meeting. Which had irritated me. Me being here in all honesty today was pointless. I would be explaining everything to Lilah later. But right now I am ready to blow a fucking gasket, I swear!But I have sat and been the professional that I am expected to be, providing all the papers needed, giving answers when needed, making drinks and just being present. Despite being otherwise occupied on other things. Now the meeting was over, I hoped to get a chance to speak to Rose. Hopefully, she will give me that chance. Surely she must want that too? I am potentially her mate after all?I look across to wher
I watched Jake stand in the doorway of the room as Rose walks down the corridor away from the conference room. She seemed quite happy to walk away from him, relieved almost, and like there was no issue in leaving her newly-fated mate. But Jake bless him, he looks confused and unsure right now. And to be honest, I can understand why. She did not give much away. She was a truly closed book. Hiding something, I am almost certain of that.Did she want him? But at a later time? There seemed to be no instant connection like there had been with Dan and Indie, or Manny and Lola. Or any fated mates I had seen meet. It seemed so bizarre. She seemed very standoffish. Or was she simply hiding it? Fighting it because she was scared? Simply because she did not expect it to happen like she had said? It just seems so odd. There seemed to be nothing from her whatsoever. Though she had infuriated me and I wanted to rip her apart. Being so disrespectful of me and of Jake too. That is not how you act to
I ruffled her hair, knowing it would have driven her crazy. Because that’s the good friend I am. I treat Lilah like a younger sister now, and have done since she came into my life all them years ago.She loves me for it, I am sure. The death stare she is giving me right now may say otherwise, and is something I can pretend I don’t see. She is a scary gal when she is moody and I don’t have Knox here to help me out today. So pissing her off may not be in my best interest. Though I am sure today I may have the sympathy card to play given what has just happened, so that could most definitely work in my favour at least!“You wanting a coffee or you heading home hunni?” I aimed for the nice angle, hoping she would be heading home as I really do not feel like chatting.As awful as that sounds, I just don't want to be sat chatting for ages with Lilah, and have her trying to dissect everything and look at every little detail, as the girls so often do. I know it would be meant in the most suppo
I got to the hotel, glad to finally rest. Today has been far from the straight forward day promised to me by my father when he asked me to come and represent the company for them. Meeting my fated mate had only added to the disaster. Luna Lilah seemed to think she had the right to get involved with it all, when I did not see how it is any of her business.If I was Jake’s mate, then surely that would be between myself and Jake. Not anything to do with his Luna and Alpha. Yet she seemed to take serious offense at me saying I was not able to be with him at the moment. Not to mention, I have a partner back home that he does not know about yet.I get undressed, stepping into the shower, ready to wash off the dirt of the flight and meeting too. I am assuming once Jake gets back to pack I will get a phone call and we can discuss all of this. It is practical to keep your fated mate as an option. I am aware of that, and I do intend to do that. It is not like my fated mate is all that ugly, or
I came off the phone to Rose with a smile on my face and Jaxx purring in my mind. He seems happy to know that his mate is close by, yet unsettled too that she is not by his side. Ok, she is not with us, and this is definitely unsual circumstances, but we are working on it. I am hoping to sort that with time.I guess listening to everything she said I can only agree that she deserves a little time to take in what has happened, and get her things under control and in order before making any commitments to being with me. Especially when being with me means moving to a different country. It is a big change to expect anyone to have to take on, especially a young woman that is a successful business woman.So I am willing to give her that time. Give her that space and that freedom to do what she needs to get everything in order, ready to come and be my mate. Or that is what I am hoping anyway. She has not exactly agreed to that as yet, but I am hoping that is what she will do. And I am reall
I saw Jake leaving his house. I thought he must have been held up at work when he hadn't shown in the packhouse for our gaming session we had arranged. And his mindlink was blocked. So I assumed he was still in work. Like had happened in the past. So I headed up to see my sister knowing she had a day off today, or I say a day off, I mean a day doing her never ending amount of coursework she was completing now her course was coming to a close.So am I to assume that he hadn't been at work? And just didn’t want to come gaming? Surely he could have just let me know? I am a little offended by that, I have to say. I enjoy our time chilling out together. He is one of the few friends I have made since moving here. And up until this had happened, he always seemed to have time for me.I was just leaving Gabe and Esme’s after having a coffee with Esme. I had hoped to spend a little longer with her, but she looked shattered, so I decided to finish my drink and head off home. As I was beginning t