The Alpha Wants Everything Book 2 The Devil's Baker
Chapter 28: Bad Girl!

I’ve walked a million miles

To chase down my own desires

Out of fire, sea and stone

I’m gonna replace that great unknown

And when I replace my joy, I’ma bring it on home

Bring it on home, bring it on home

Bring it on home

When I replace my joy, I’ma bring it on home

Bring it on home, bring it on home

Bring it on home

When I replace my joy, I’ma bring it on home

Yeah

I hung my heart up to dry

On rooftops under blue skies

No, I never would have grown if I’d never been alone

So when I replace my love, I’ma bring it on home

(Bring It On Home - American Authors)

Trying not to laugh as he heard her voice break through the silence of the morning. Sitting up, Adonis looked at the clock on the night table. Just after 2:30. She’s gonna have everyone on her schedule if she keeps this up! Odin’s sleepy voice rang out in his mind. He stretched, his back was stiff and sore and he was so over sleeping on the fucking floor. If he gets up now he can head into the city early and be back by noon latest. William the company’s new president was coming in today, and aside from going over more employee files that was the only pressing matter. Maybe William can go through the files, get to know some of the employees. He was more personable. He didn’t mind the human species. He also had the tolerance to deal with them. Sounds like a plan! He’d then get back here, Jackson could show him whatever it was he needed to and he’d have the evening free to….See our mate! Hopefully it won’t get crashed this time! Sounded like a reasonable plan, he would just skip the spying in her window this time and get his own stuff done. Turning the lamp in his room on he went about his business.

Kenzi woke at two this morning, guess that’s what happens when you go to bed at nine. Those muscle relaxants put her out like a light and she sleeps like the dead. When she woke up this morning she was bright eyed and refreshed. Slightly disappointed that her wolf left, but that was washed away by giddiness when she saw the heart shaped wreath of flowers on her bed. Recognizing them immediately as flowers from her garden, a fit of giggles erupted from her. If he’s gonna keep picking her flowers to give to her, she’s gonna have to plant some more. She’d see Gerty at the flower shop today and pick some up. She also had her doctor’s appointment, she almost forgot about that. Crawling out of bed she headed for the bathroom, turning her music on as she went. When she came back out she was singing Bring It On Home by American Authors. It was one of her favourites, and you just can’t help but sing along with it. If she didn’t think her back would protest too much she’d be dancing as well. She missed dancing, bopping your head or tapping your foot along was just not the same. Maybe she should try fighting with the bandages again. Reaching into the bag she pulled out yellow, orange and pink. Holding her towel tighter around her after it started to slip she was about to head back to the bathroom, when movement out the window caught her eye.

Wide eyed, Kenzi could only stare at the sight before her. Right there in all his magnificent glory was the tower of a man known as Adonis Bradshaw. He was fresh from the shower, his hair still wet as droplets dripped onto his shoulders and ran down his glistening chest. Biting her lip she watched them mesmerized by the trails they made down his golden body. A towel hung loose and low around his waist. A simple pull would have it falling off. Kenzi swallowed hard as she clutched her own towel tighter to her. The butterflies in her stomach were soaring higher and higher as she took in every inch she could. The howling wolf head tattoo on his upper left bicep. The ripple of each muscle across his chest, down to his abs. What would it be like to touch them? To run her fingers over them? To trace each tantalizing definition of them? Was his skin as smooth as it looked? He had no blemishes, no imperfections, no scars aside from the small one on his upper lip and you could only see that one when he was really close. She wondered where he got it from.

“Holy crackers!” She whispered. She knew she shouldn’t be staring, but she couldn’t take her eyes away from him. He was breathtaking. He turned his back to the window. What is that? She squinted, it looked like another tattoo, a black crescent moon on his right shoulder blade. He moved slightly, drawing her attention back to the muscles across his back. She took in each outline of each muscle committing them to memory till she moved down to where the towel covered. Her body flushed as it purred and hummed to life, the dull throbbing between her thighs intensifying. Each move he made brought the towel dangerously close to falling off. Her breath caught in her throat as her heart thundered in her ears. What would happen if the towel fell away? What does the rest of him look like?

“No, bad girl. That’s a bad girl. Stop looking” she covered her eyes, only to peek through her fingers at him.

Her eyes followed him around his room, when he moved away from the window. Her hand moved to her flushed cheeks, she was probably eighty shades of red right now. She could feel the heat coming off of her.

“Holy crackers!” she repeated. Moving back into her bathroom she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Yup, eighty shades of red!

“If I can see him then….he can see me” her hand flew to her mouth. The thought thrilled her, filled her with excitement, exhilaration, then fear, and shame as she took in her own appearance. Did he look? Has he looked? Would he look? What if he didn’t like what he saw? He wouldint like what he seed! She wasn’t beautiful, she wasn’t even close, her finger gently tracing the scar that sat above her top lip it was the only one she couldn’t cover. Clutching her towel more round her, she knew what was hiding underneath. Her body was riddled with scars; it was grotesque. It would disgust him. The things he’s said to her running through her mind. If he’s seen her, if he looked, if he knew then he would never have said them. She looked at herself again in the mirror. He deserves someone better, someone that looks beautiful like him. What else was there to say? Those words shut down everything running through her mind. There was nothing left for her to figure out. They were friends and that was all they would ever be.

Kenzi made it home from the bakery just after noon. She was so distracted with the visions of him in a towel and her realization that he deserves more than her. Her focus at the bakery was way off. She had made the same cookies four times and asked the same question each time after Maggie told her she did. A woman asked for bread and she gave her a cake. She frosted muffins, dropped a tray of donuts, splattered cookie batter all over the kitchen and Maggie finally kicked her out when she wore a whole bowl of chocolate glaze. She did make it to her doctor’s appointment, though she was an hour early. She did sort of get the bandages on herself, but Doctor Martin had his daughter fix them. She told the doctor she didn’t really have someone that could help with them. She was up too early in the morning. Now she stood in her kitchen, not knowing what else to do with herself, she had no recipes to work on, her brain couldn’t think of anything. Harvey said her magnolia was delivered this morning so it had to get in the ground, so she could do that. She just wouldn’t dig the whole so deep, and she would try her hardest not to fall in it so she wouldn’t need rescuing. Maybe she would work in the garden. That always brought her….

“Nuts!” She was going to go see Gerty today and get more flowers for the garden, but she had forgotten. She needed a distraction from her brain. She spied the envelope she placed on the counter last night. Opening it she pulled out a bunch of forms and a note from Teagan.

Fill these out. It’s for tax purposes,

you have to do it, and get them

handed in by Thursday.

You will be in big trouble if you don’t.

She looked at the forms then back at the note and a small tinge of panic started to fill her. Patrick and Joe took care of this stuff for her, she didn’t understand anything about filling out tax forms. Finding her phone she quickly dialed Teagan’s number. She didn’t want to get in big trouble and these forms looked like big trouble.

“Hi Teagan!”

“What do you want, Kenzi? If this is about that stupid festival I told you the other night, if you couldn’t make time for me and make me important, then why should I be bothered to make time for you. It’s not like you were doing anything important. I am a much better sister to you than you are to me, but I don’t think I can keep putting up with your selfish behaviour”

“No, no, no Teagan, I’m sorry, you are important and I will make tine for you. I promise the ness tine you want to do some-thing I won’t be busy. But I gedded a bunch of forms last night and I don….”

“Well if you took me for lunch on Monday, I would have explained them to you, but you didn’t and now you can figure them out yourself”

“But Teagan….”

“No Kenzi, you need to fill those out. Or you know what don’t and they’ll just come arrest you”

“Arrest me! Teagan, Joe and Patrick help me….”

“NO! Stop being so stupid Kenzi. Stop burdening everyone with all your problems, they don’t deserve it. It has to be you that fills these out, not Joe, not Patrick. YOU!”

When the line disconnected Kenzi stared at her phone. Her panic setting in more and more, she didn’t want to go to jail. Looking at the forms again, the possibility of an orange jumpsuit was imminent, they didn’t make any sense to her.

Like he wanted Adonis was back just before noon, though he did have a business dinner tonight with James, Jonathan, Mark and their counterparts. So much for a free night! He didn’t want to go alone, he hated attending things like this alone. Who says we have to go alone? Who indeed? He was barely in the door with a chance to think about what he was going to do before Jackson was shoving him back out of it with a black box in his hand. Guess we’re going to the camp now!

Jackson spent an hour showing Adonis around the camp and all the work that needed to be done to it. They had started getting the building material and he had started on a few of the cabins, but there was still a lot of work that needed to be done. With the pack coming home Jackson would have the extra help he needed to get things completed faster.

“Still aways to go, but it get there” Jackson said,

“Good!” Adonis replied, he pulled the ornate dagger from its box and looked it over.

“Still the ugliest fuckin thin I ever seen” Jackson said looking at it. It was the dagger they used that started this whole thing.

“Yes it is, but it started our pack” Adonis smiled looking at it.

“Three lil boys, look at us now” Jackson returned,

“Not so little anymore” Adonis laid the cold curved blade across his palm.

“From the mountains to the edge of Blackwoods, from the mountains to the edge of the mirrored cities. I, Alpha Adonis Bradshaw claim this territory in the name of Black Shadow Pack.” With the words spoken he sliced the palm of his hand and let his dark blood spill over the dirt beneath his feet.

“Welcome home asshole!” Feeling an immediate sense of relief and peace flooding through him, he was finally where he belonged.

“Bout damn time asshole!” Jackson let the feeling of home wash over him.

“Time to bring them all home” Stepping deeper into the woods Adonis took several deep breaths before he released the growl he had growing inside him. It wasn’t just any growl, it was the call. The call his pack was waiting for, the call only his pack could hear, the call to come home. His pack would flood the town in the coming week, they would fully establish themselves and then they would see where this went.

“I wanna show you somein” Jackson said, when Adonis came back from the woods.

Bringing him to a cabin that looked to be in pretty good condition it lay farthest from the others and away from what was to be the main house, Jackson moved towards the door.

“This the cabin I’s tellin you bout.” He said looking over his shoulder to make sure Adonis was following him.

“The one that looked like somebody was living in?” Adonis asked, Jackson nodded as he opened the door and let Adonis go first. The interior was destroyed….it looked like a tornado went through it. Or a pissed off demon! Odin commented. From what he could see the layout was basic, one area for sitting, a small kitchen, six doors and a flight of stairs.

“Each floor has a bathroom, but that gonna has to be temporary. We ain’t the sharin carin type. You know that. But that be incentive to get it all built. Firs room” Jackson pointed towards a door.

“What’s behind the door?” Adonis asked,

“Answers to questions I not sure we knew to ask.” He replied, then looked down at his feet. Cryptic! Very! Not like him! Not at all! What’s behind the door? Let’s replace out! Moving towards the door he opened it, with a look over his shoulder at his Beta he entered the room.

A bed was tucked into the far side of the room, facing the door. Not quite against the wall, someone small would be able to slip between the wall and the bed if they had too. The blankets looked to have been repaired, crudely but it was effective. The window had dried dirt around the edges, like someone was trying to seal it from drafts, again effective. The closet was blocked by a dresser. What’s with the fucking closets? Odin was really starting to get pissed by this. He didn’t understand why someone would do that. What if it’s the boogeyman? Are you fucking serious right now? What? The boogeyman isn’t real….don’t say it! It’s monsters! Monsters don’t exist you idiot! If you’re so sure why don’t you go check then!

“Over in the corner, I fine it the other day. Ko blew a fuse when he realize what it meant. Damage in the other room was us” Jackson stood in the doorway looking towards the far corner. “I told Ko not to tell Bal, this town burn if he did. It why I din’t wanna go to the festival Monday, but Tyler drag me anyway” Adonis looked back at his Beta, he could see him fighting to keep control of himself, but he couldn’t hide his golden eyes. Ko was still considerably upset by something in this room.

“It why I came lookin for you las night.” Turning his attention from Jackson back to the corner, he very much wanted to know what Jackson uncovered that would still have his demon upset. Searching the corner carefully he saw it carved into the wall. Jagged and sharp.

KENZIS PLACE

There were ticks under the makeshift sign. WHAT THE FUCK? Odin raged in his head. She lived here! WHAT THE FUCK? When? ….grrrrrr…. When her sister kicked her out? ….grrRrRrRRRrRrRrrr…. ODIN STOP! I can’t think with you doing that in my head! He traced his fingers over the carving, trying to keep control of the raging hellbeast in his head. How long did she call this cabin home? So many thoughts swirling in his mind, but one stuck out the most like a beacon in the night. She could have died here. She could have frozen to death over the winter. She could have starved or been injured. Did anyone know she was here? I want our mate!

“316….they 316 of those ticks. Ko an I think that how long her live here for. Fine somein else too.” What else could he have possibly found? When he stood up and turned to look and saw he held a box.

“What’s in it?” He asked, his face clearly haunted by the thoughts running through his mind.

“I think they treasures. Fine em all over the room. Cept the closet, took a bit to get in it after movin the dresser. Her din’t want it to open, wedge whatever her could to keep that door stuck shut.” Jackson replied. Monsters! Monsters indeed!

“I need the fuck out of this cabin” Jackson nodded he understood the feeling Adonis was having. Barely outside the door.

….grrrRRRrRRrRRRRRrRRrRRRrrrr….

The growl ripped from his chest as he hit the ground. Breathing hard and still fighting for control, he lifted his head, burning flames glowing in his eyes. I’m gonna rip the succubitch to pieces! They both knew who was responsible for him almost losing his mate. The sister dies!

Kenzi was sitting at her kitchen table, going over the forms and biting her lip. She wasn’t getting it and was pretty sure she was about to put her teeth through her lip with how hard she was chewing on it. She dropped the pen to the table and looked at them again and again.

“A-ut-h….au-t-hen-ti-cat-i-on….what does that mean?” She tried sounding out the word at the bottom of the page and when she couldn’t do it, she was on the verge of a full blown panic attack. With no education to speak of, just whatever she picked up here and there and what Barbra taught her. She was gonna go to jail because she was stupid and couldn’t figure the word out. Barbra had taught her to break down words and that’s what she was trying to do, but it wasn’t working for her. Going back to the word at the bottom of the page she read the word again. This word was impossible to figure out.

“Aut-hen-tic-a-ti-on” she shook her head. That didn’t sound right. “Au-then-tic-at-ion, that’s not right eith-er. Au-then-tic-a-tion” breaking the word down several different ways she settled on one that made the most sense when spoken, but still had no idea what it meant.

“Au-then-tic-ation….what does that mean?” Putting the form on the table again she looked out into her backyard like the answer was miraculously hiding in her garden. She saw Adonis’s back deck, the answer was hiding there. Teagan said she had to fill the forms out, but she didn’t say she couldn’t get someone to help her understand them. Adonis said if she ever needed anything then she could ask him and he would be happy to help. He was home she saw his truck in front of the house. She made it as far as her patio door before she stopped, she didn’t want to burden him with this. But she also made him a promise that if she needed help she would ask. Breaking a promise is bad juju! She could go to jail!

It took Kenzi a few minutes of walking back and forth between the houses to get the courage to knock on the back door. She knew that when she made it to the deck there was no turning back but she still hesitated to knock. What if he gets mad? What if he didint want to help? He might be home, but what if he was busy, busy with bus-is-nessy stuff? Maybe he was aquestioning more things and he was in a tine crunch and what if int-inter-r….stopping what-ev-ver it was he was doing set him back on tine and then he wouldint get it finishded and then he’d get mad! These thoughts tumbled through her head as she stood on his deck, clenching her fists over and over again. She would just ask him what authentication means and then she would figure out the forms herself and that wouldn’t take up too much of his time. Taking a deep breath, then another and another, she finally knocked lightly on the door and waited. Maybe he wasn’t home, his truck was there, but maybe he wasn’t home and then she wouldn’t be bothering him. If he wasn’t home he’d never know she’d come to ask for help and she wouldn’t…..Nuts! She thought when she saw a figure through the patio door. Except it wasn’t Adonis.

“Kenzi? Is there something you need?” Elijah asked when he opened the door.

“Uh….Hi! Hi Elijah, is um….is um….Adonis here?” She asked, she didn’t mean to bother him. Mentally kicking herself she was now bothering two people because she was too stupid to figure out a simple form.

“No, he and Jackson went out for a bit. Do you need something?” He asked, growing concerned at the anxiety he could feel coming off of her.

“Um n-no. It’s ok, I-it’s ok, I-I’m fine. It’s not important, I’ll figure it out. Sorry to bother you Elijah. Sorry!” She responded. He could see it on her face, though she was fighting to control it and mask it from him, she was not fine.

“Kenzi, are you ok?” He asked,

“Yeah, I-I’m….I’m fine. Sorry again!” She replied and turned to leave.

“Kenzi?” When she turned back to face him, he could see she was on the verge of something he just wasn’t sure what. “What’s going on?”

“Um….I’m….I’m gonna get in troub-ble” her voice was quiet and soft and if he weren’t a wolf he wouldn’t have heard her.

“How are you going to get in trouble?” More alarmed now Elijah pushed her to tell him.

“I has some forms for tax stuff and Teagan says if I don’t fill them out and get them back by tomorrow I’ll get in troub-ble and they’ll arrest me.” He stared at her wide eyed. He’s never heard of that. To him it seemed fishy, but to her it was cause to be scared.

“What kind of tax forms?” He asked,

“I don’t know, I don’t unerstand them. Joe and Patrick help me out with that, but Teagan says I has to fill them out and I don’t unerstand and it’s ass-king for au-then-tic-cation and I don’t know what that means” she responded.

“Authentication? It means to prove something is what it says it is, that it’s real” Elijah explained to her.

“How, how do I do that? How do, how do I prove I’m real?” She asked, pointing at herself.

“How do you authenticate yourself?” When she nodded, alarm bells really started going off in his head.

Even Asmodeus was concerned. None of this seemed right to him. He’s sat through many boring lawyer things with Elijah and never once has he heard of that. What kind of tax forms required her to authenticate herself.

“Why don’t you give me a couple minutes and I’ll be over to help you with these forms” he replied instead of answering her.

“Are you sure? I didint mean to bother you. You don’t has to, I’ll, I’ll figure it out” She asked. Asmodeus whimpered in his head, Luna was used to doing a lot of things on her own that when help was offered to her she hesitated in accepting and questioned whether or not it was a bother. This town is full of stupid people, let’s go fancy pants our Luna needs us!

“I’m sure, I’ll be over in a few minutes” he replied. For the first time ever he was in full agreement with Asmodeus, their Luna needed help.

“Ok!” She nodded her head and turned to leave.

Elijah was on the phone to Adonis, before she cleared the backyard.

“I don’t know, I’m heading over there now. I’ve never heard of tax forms asking you to authenticate yourself, or having less than a 24 hr deadline. I’ll keep you informed” Elijah hung up the phone, releasing the breath he was holding. He didn’t need to be in the same room with him or even the same vicinity to feel his Alpha’s anger at what he just said to him. It radiated through the territory. Stop stalling fancy pants, let’s go! Shut up Asmodeus! You should be nicer to me! Nicer to you, why don’t you be nicer to me? That was a dick thing to say! What? If you don’t be nicer to me I’ll eat your fancy suits! Don’t touch my suits! Then don’t be such a dick! Resisting the urge to snarl at his wolf he set off across the yard towards Kenzi’s house.

Kenzi was sitting back at the kitchen table when Elijah showed up. Knocking on the patio door, she looked up at him. He could see her frustration growing at the forms she was holding in her hands.

“Hi Elijah, come in” She spoke when she turned to him, rising from the table. Her bottom lip looked a little more swollen from where she was biting it. House of a thousand delicious smells! Stop it you idiot, that’s not what we’re here for! Though he couldn’t deny what his wolf said, the aromas that came out of this house, tantalized the senses.

“These are the forms?” He asked as he walked in to see them scattered all over the table. First glance these were not tax forms.

“I-I’m sorry, I droppded them and now I don’t know which page goes with what” she looked at him apologetically. She just made the task of filling these out that much harder.

“It’s alright, we’ll figure it out” he assured her, pulling up a seat at the table.

“One cream, two sugar right?” She asked as she placed a coffee mug down in front of him.

“Yes that’s right, thank you” He smiled up at her, then turned back to the forms on the table. Sole propership? What the fuck is that? Sole proprietorship means sole ownership of an establishment! Why does she have these forms? I don’t know! Does she own the bakery? Cause that would be great if she did! That is a possibility! What’s a land title? The deed to the house and the building the bakery is in! What the fuck is going on Elijah? It all belongs to K Co! K Co….Kenzi Co…..Luna Co….what’s wrong? Elijah looked at her sitting beside him at the table. Her face was scrunched as she was trying to put the documents back together. Elijah what’s wrong? Why are you looking at Luna like that? Quiet for a minute Asmodeus I’m thinking! About what? K Co!

“Kenzi, do you know what sole proprietorship is?” Elijah asked,

“Um….one owner?” She answered with a question at the end of it, looking at him to see if she got it right.

“Yes!” Elijah went back to the forms. Why is that important? Who gave her these forms? I am assuming the sister, she said Teagan told her she had to fill them out! What kinda stupid name is Teagan? I thought Elijah was stupid. Fuck your mom hated you, her mom must have really hated her to name her something worse than Elijah! Elijah stilled when Asmodeus said that, the last memory of his mother flashed before his eyes. Her new name is Bitchface Mcgee, why would Bitchface Mcgee give her these forms? Elijah….Elijah, why are you not answering me? Just stop talking Asmodeus! You’re a dick!

“Kenzi, do you own the bakery?” Elijah asked, after he took a deep breath to regain control over himself. Her eyes widened, like they did the night before when they saw Odin on the deck.

“Maggie says it’s pose to be a secret and I’m not pose to tell no one” She replied, shaking her head.

“It’s ok, you didn’t tell me, I guessed” he responded, looking at her.

“She says if nobody knows, then nobody would want nothing from me.” Kenzi looked at him, her eyes pleading to keep her secret.

“I won’t tell, but who else knows?” He asked,

“um….Maggie, Patrick, Harvey, Frank, Barbra, Joe and Gerty. And Teagan. She said sister’s don’t keep secrets, and if I was a good sister I wouldint keep any from her,” she replied, now it made sense why Teagan gave her these forms. Is Bitchface Mcgee trying to steal her stuff? Yes she is! Bitchface Mcgee can’t have her stuff! She’s not going to get Luna’s stuff! You tell her to get her own fucking stuff….never mind I’ll tell her to get her own fucking stuff….wait till Odin replaces out, I see pain in Bitchface Mcgee’s future! Elijah couldn’t help but agree with Asmodeus, a tremendous amount of pain was coming this woman’s way.

“Ok, show me where it asks you to authenticate yourself” She pointed to the bottom of one of the pages. More and more questions about her were forming in his mind. She should bake something that would authenticate her. No one would deny she’s the best little baker ever! Asmodeus gushed in his head.

“Ok, that’s asking you to authorize the form. Basically sign it.” He said,

“Oh, I can do that.” She lifted the papers on the table looking for the pen she had earlier, when Elijah stopped her.

“No, don’t sign anything just yet.” When confusion crossed her face he added. “I know someone in the CRA, I’m going to call them and see what exactly it is that they want. Maybe I can clear it up over the phone.” Placing the papers back down she nodded her head.

“Next time your sister or any one gives you forms to fill out, tell them your lawyer needs to look them over first before you can proceed.” Elijah was fighting to keep control of his anger. Gathering the papers from the table he stood up.

“Ok….wait, I don’t has a lawyer” She replied nodding then looked up at him.

“You do now!” He responded,

“You’re a lawyer?” When he nodded, she added. “Must of went to school for a lot of years.”

“I did, six years of law school” he said,

“I didint go to school” Kenzi sat in the chair fidgeting with her fingers.

“For some university isn’t a fit for them and that’s ok. Many people have successful careers just graduating high school.” He replied,

“I didint go to high school eith-er, I didint go to any school.” That announcement shocked him, but it also cleared up every question he had. Why didn’t she go to school? Asmodeus questioned.

“How come you didn’t attend school, Kenzi?” He asked,

“They said I would be too much of a burden on uthers learning. And I wasn’t as important as the uthers, so the school didint assep me.” She explained. His eyes widened at her explanation. He wasn’t sure what to say to that, not even Asmodeus in his head had anything to say. It upset him that she was never given the same opportunity as other children. He might have been a slave for the pack he was with but even he got that opportunity. It was time for him to go, before he got too upset about what she just said.

“Ok, I’m going to go and make that call, remember any forms given to you, you call me immediately. Promise me Kenzi!” Elijah looked down at her.

“Ok, I promise!” She said looking back up at him, he nodded his head. Adonis was not going to be happy about this. Maybe he’d be able to tell him over the phone and there was a less likely chance he’d put him through the wall. When Adonis was angry Odin had control and Odin was unpredictable at the best of times.

“Oh wait!” She called before he left. He saw her rush into the kitchen, pull a container from the fridge and start quickly packing up some of the tarts into another container. When she handed him the container he arched his eyebrow.

“I finishded them last night, and they smell good, and I think they might be good. It’s but-ter rum, peachy plums, berry tarts and s’more tarts with a salded caramel drizzle” She looked at the container then back at him.

“Thank you!” She has to be the most generous Luna ever! She is truly something special! Good luck continuing to fit into your fancy pants now! You really think we’re going to get any with Jackson and Tyler in the house, you saw how fast Tyler jumped the stairs! I wanted to jump the stairs too! Don’t pout! You don’t let me have any fun! Stop it! I’m gonna eat your fucking shoes! Don’t touch my shoes! Ooooo leather….yum, yum, yummy, yum, yum! Fuck off, Asmodeus! You’re such a jerk!

“Thank you for your help Elijah. I’m saying it right, right? It’s Elijah?” She asked, as she bit her lip. He was helping her, she didn’t want to get his name wrong.

“Yes….you are pronouncing it correctly.” He was stunned silent for a second. Thank you were not two words he was used to hearing, but he couldn’t deny the warmth he felt spread through him, even Asmodeus was silent, unsure what to say.

“I will make that call, I’ll help you figure these out. Thank you for the tarts” and he turned to leave.

“You’re welcome, thank you again” Sweetest little thing ever! Yes she is! You might want to eat one of those, before Odin replaces out what happened. Might be the last delicious treat you ever get! Encouraging Asmodeus! I know and I’m not even trying! It shows!

Walking back in the house the angry presence he felt was immense. Asmodeus shut up in his head bowing in submission. Placing the container on the counter he walked into the living room with his head already down. He didn’t dare look up. Jackson was there as well, but he too kept his head down. A few minutes later Tyler walked in, his eyes widened at the sight he saw but then they snapped to the floor quickly. Adonis stood in the middle of the room, but it wasn’t him in control. Odin was very much in charge at the moment and no one dared to move or breathe a word, until he calmed down. Unfortunately it was hard to tell when that would happen. Odin was fuming.

Last night was a good night. They had spent the evening with his mate, picking berries, then she made him dinner, sure they were interrupted by the others but he got to cuddle with her, and she gave him bacon. He never gets bacon, apparently that doesn’t run wild in the woods. That was some bullshit right there if you asked him. Then it was supposed to continue today, deal with the city shit, deal with the camp shit and go see mate. It started off well, he saw her looking at them this morning from her window, he saw her face turning red, it was why they stood in front of the window for so long. Then it crashed south. They saw where she lived for the better part of a year. They saw first hand how close they were to losing her. It could have all been taken away. They never would have found her and they would forever be alone. They were told numerous times by countless people they would be alone.

I spent my whole life trying to fit into a lane

But I’m so over it

I watched my friends fall out of love and go insane

Bet on life and lose the game

I saw ’em quit

Her voice started quiet, low sounding far away into the distance.

I never wanna be like that

A suit and tie copycat

I never was into that

Then it started growing louder and louder. Odin turned to the sound.

Hey-yo, nanana

I said hey-yo, I’m all good

I’ma do my own thing

(I’ma, I’ma) I’ma do me

I’ma do my own thing

Letting it wash over him. Letting her voice fill him, still him, calm him. Letting the words she sang bring him peace.

Hey-yo, nanana

I said hey-yo, I’m all good

I’ma do my own thing

(I’ma, I’ma) I’ma do, I’ma do, I’ma do me

I’ma do my own thing

She might have died in that cabin, but she didn’t. She lived, and they found her, they would never let her go.

I spent so long with my head buried in the sand

My future needs a rewrite

So I’ll send a postcard from wherever I may land

I ain’t got no master plan and that’s alright

Moving towards the sound he heard, Odin stood at the patio door listening to their little mate sing her performance in the backyard.

I never wanna be like that

A suit and tie copycat

I never was into that

(Ima Do My Own Thing - American Authors)

Receding into the back of Adonis’s mind, Odin gave back control. He stood there for a minute longer listening to her. She was still here, she was his, and he was going to spend the rest of the day with her. He didn’t want just a day though he wanted forever. She wasn’t there yet, but he was going to tell her. He was going to let her know what he wanted and he was going to let her know that he was going to wait for her. She’s not allowed to date anyone else! How can she when she’ll be spending all her free time with us! We might want to get cleaned up first! Adonis looked down at his hands, he had caught a glimpse of his reflection in the patio door, blood soaked the front of his shirt and spattered his face and neck. They ran into a Ridgeview Pack member trespassing on their territory and in his angered state Odin took it as a threat and ripped him to pieces with his bare hands.

“He’s calm!” Adonis addressed his men in the living room when he walked back in. They all put their heads up, both Elijah and Tyler just stared at him. Ripping something to pieces was messy, but Odin might have gotten carried away….a bit.

“Try drivin home wit that in the back seat, thought we was gonna get pull over a couple times an we only five minute from the house” Jackson said pointing at Adonis.

“What happened?” Elijah asked,

“Unannounced Ridgeview Pack member on the territory an Odin went nuts. Rip em to pieces. Not entirely certain I bury all of em though, they a lot of pieces,” Jackson answered,

“Why?” Tyler asked. Jackson looked at Adonis who nodded his head, they would replace out anyway. Jackson reminded them about the cabin that looked as though someone had lived in it. When he told them that was where they thought Kenzi lived for the better part of a year, they lost it.

“What?” “When?” “Why din’t anbody fine her?” “How did no one know she was there?” “Why was she there?” “Where her posed to be?”

“Alright, alright.” Adonis raised his voice to quiet them both down. “It was after the orphanage closed down. When she was sixteen, she was supposed to be living with her sister. One night her sister threw a party, Kenzi was to stay in her room. Sixteen and a party, she got curious. Teagan kicked her out. She stayed with Joe and his mate for a few days, I had assumed she went back to Teagan’s but clearly Teagan didn’t let her back in. We think that’s when she started living at the camp. There were ticks on the wall, we think it counts the days she was there. 316, that leaves 49 days unaccounted for. She could have been anywhere during those days.” Adonis spoke.

“The fuck wrong wit that bitch?” Tyler huffed “How you kick yur own sister out?”

“Have you found anything yet?” Adonis asked him,

“Talk to a few connections, they sendin me what they has. Runnin a few searches was bout to check em.” Tyler answered,

“The tax forms?” Adonis turned to Elijah,

“They aren’t tax forms. Two land transfer forms and one to transfer sole proprietorship of an establishment” Elijah replied,

“What?” Adonis asked, furrowing his brows, why would she have those?

“I found out who K Co is” Elijah exclaimed,

“What? The fuck you know? I look everwhere for that damn name, an fine nuttin, how you fine it?” Tyler huffed, throwing his hands in the air.

“Pure accident!” Elijah responded,

“The fuck K Co?” Jackson asked,

“Who gave her the forms?” Adonis asked,

“It’s a secret and I think the sister gave her the forms. Kenzi was told by Teagan that she had to fill them out or they would arrest her” Elijah answered both questions,

“The fuck you mean a secret? It kinda important” Tyler hissed,

“I promised I wouldn’t tell,” Elijah said.

The wheels turning in their heads one by one all but Elijah looked towards her house.

“Kick her out, so her live in a run down cabin, then take everthin her work hard to build? That ain’t right, that ain’t right at all. That fifty shades wron” Tyler was shaking his head, not liking what he just heard. Bal howling, raging in his head. Jackson dropped his hand on his shoulder,

“Settle down brother, karma collect its debt” Jackson said,

“The fuck you know? Her got away wit it this long” Tyler argued,

“Call me karma. Semi gonna smack that bitch” giving a half laugh Tyler responded with.

“Church bell crush a whore” grins breaking out on both their faces

“Never stops bein funny” Jackson replied,

“You’re both fucking insane” Elijah stated, as they cracked up laughing.

“The town?” Adonis looked away from Jackson and Tyler and their hysterics. Odin was howling with laughter in his head, apparently semi smacking a bitch is just as funny as a church bell crushing a whore.

“White Moon Pack, moved just outside the crater to the west, Alpha Vincient Malone is waiting for a phone call, he won’t make any decisions on the town till he talks to you personally, and he seemed very interested to meet with you face to face.” Elijah replied. Nodding his head, with nothing further to discuss he headed upstairs to get cleaned up.