*****Edited by krisgee*****

2011 © All Rights Reserved

Chapter 9 (Amy)

            “Amy.  Amy. AAAMMMYYY!”

            “What?” I barked at Tabby who was frantically snapping her fingers in my face.

            “Yeesh, girly.  You were really out there in space,” she replied while collapsing on her bed.  “I’ve been trying to show you different color patterns for our talent show costumes for the last ten minutes and you’re just sitting like a freaking lump on a log.”

            I shook my head, “Whatever you think works then I’ll go with it,” I mumbled, still thinking about the upcoming dinner with Steven’s family.

            “Oohh, living dangerously,” Liza drawled with a hint of laughter in her voice.  I turned and smiled back at her.

            “Guess I’ve got to live some time,” I said while shrugging my shoulders.  The next thing I knew I was being smacked in the head with a frilly heart shaped pillow.

            “Hey!” I yelped between laughs.

            “You two are so not funny,” Tabby said while crossing her arms and sticking out that damn lip again.  I glanced back at Liza and gave her a knowing smile.  She is not pulling that crap on me again.  I refuse to give in to the puppy face.

            I glanced at my watch and saw that it was now 6:30.  I was trying to time myself so that I walked in the door right at 7:00.  I was not up for another confrontation with my dear sweet brother.  I blew out a deep breath and stood up.

            “Well girls, I guess it is time for me to fly this coop.” I said with a confidence that I wasn’t really feeling.  Tabby stood and came to my side.  She pulled me into a comforting hug.

            “It will all work out Amy.  Don’t worry that pretty little head of yours too much.  You have a wonderful family and a Greek God for a mate.  What else could a femme wolf ask for?”

            “You’re right,” I responded with a smile that wasn’t quite there.

            “Go on now and call me after everyone’s left,” Tabby ordered in a stern voice.

            I lifted two fingers to my head and gave her a proper soldier’s salute.   “Yes M’am,” I told her in my best obedient voice.

            “You two can be so stupid sometimes,” Liza replied as she stood and walked over to us.  She gently grabbed my elbow and turned me so that I had to face her.  “But Tabby’s right you know.  It will be okay.”  A sly smile lifted on her lips.  “And I really do like that sexy mate of yours.”

            I groaned. “Could you two not talk about my mate like he is a prime piece of meat?” 

            “Well if he didn’t have such a fine ass then we wouldn’t have to talk about him like that, now would we?” Liza commented, clearly amused by my reaction.  

            My eyes widened and I felt my hands fisting tightly by my sides.  Tabby must have picked up on my vibes because she turned me around and started nudging me towards the door.

            “Time to go,” she called out while continuing to push me out of the house.  I kept trying to turn my head back and glare at Liza but poor Tabby was insistent that I needed to leave.  Once she had successfully shuffled me into the car she leaned up against the door.

            “You know that she loves you right?”  Tabby asked while I stuck my keys in the ignition.

            I sighed and ran my hand over my face.  “I know.  This mate stuff seems to make me crazy.”

            Tabby patted me on the shoulder.  “Get out of here.  And don’t you dare forget to call me.”

            “I won’t,” I said while snapping my seatbelt.   Looking up at Tabby’s rueful expression I said “I promise,” while shifting the car into gear.

            “Alright,” she replied and stepped back.  I flicked my hand up in a half wave and headed home.  Home sweet home.  Hopefully, this won’t be a disaster, I thought to myself as I drove those fateful five miles to get there.

            I pulled into the driveway right at 7:00 PM and there was a strange red suburban sitting in the driveway.  They were already here.  “Well, Amy, it’s now or never,” I said to myself as I stepped out of the car and headed for the door.

            I walked into the house and heard a murmur of voices in the living room.  I inhaled a deep breath of air to calm myself when his scent hit me.  I could smell his intoxicating pheromones and my senses started to go wild.  Automatically a smile lifted on my lips.

            “Amy, is that you?” I heard my dad call out.

            “Yes, Daddy, it’s me,” I called back while walking into the living room.  My eyes first met with Steven’s and he flashed me that gorgeous smile of his.  I couldn’t stop the widening grin on my lips.

            “You look beautiful, Princess,” I heard in my mind.

            “You’re not looking so bad yourself, Mr. Hunky Chocolate Brown Eyes,”  I pushed back in his mind with a smirk.

            He laughed out loud at that one.  My dad looked up and gave me a knowing smile.

            “So, Amy,” Daddy said slowly while pulling me up beside him.  “It seems that we have something to celebrate tonight?”  He phrased it like a question.

            “Yes, sir,” I replied shyly while looking at the floor.

    “Princess?” I heard his sexy voice question me in my head.  I looked up and watched as Steven slowly stalked over to my side.  Gracious, he really does look like a Greek God with all that rippling muscle.  He reached out for my hand and without hesitation I grabbed a hold of it and squeezed it tightly.

            He turned and pointed to the two other strange people standing in the living room.

            “Princess,” he said out loud this time, “I would like for you to meet my mother, Abigail Harper.”

            A beautiful lady with long midnight black hair and the same dark eyes as Steven’s stepped up and held her hand out to me.  She had a smile that held warmth that no one could possibly deny.

            I took her hand in a firm shake and said, “It’s nice to meet you Ms. Harper.”

            “So polite and pretty,” she complimented.  “It’s nice to meet you too, Amy,” she said with a sincere smile.

            “And I’m Bobby, Steven’s brother,” a young man interrupted cheerfully.  He looked similar to Steven.  Those same dark eyes, but I could tell by his body build that he was a bit younger.

            “Bobby,” Ms. Harper chided him.  “It’s rude to interrupt people when they’re talking.  Where are your manners son?”

            “I- I-” He started to say when I broke in and told them, “It’s okay.”

            Daddy had stayed back and took in the scene as it played out.  He stood behind me with his arms crossed over his chest and when I turned to look at him he nodded and smiled at me.  I took that as his approval of my mate.  Inside I was going crazy with happiness.  Now, if I could just get Zach to see what a good mate Steven is for me, life would be perfect.

    “Why don’t we all take a seat at the dining room table,” Daddy said.

    We all nodded in agreement and followed him to the dining room.  Steven kept his hand at the small of my back giving me an extra sense of comfort.  He pulled my chair out for me and I took my seat.  Points for being a perfect gentleman, I thought to myself.  Steven slid into the seat beside of me and grabbed for my hand again.  He lifted the back of it to his lips and placed the sweetest of kisses on it causing me to shiver.

            At that moment, Mama walked in carrying the lasagna pan.  She dropped it on the table causing a loud thud sound that echoed throughout the room.  Both Steven and I flinched back and Mama glared at us.  Uh oh.  I thought to myself.  She is not a happy camper.  I knew this was all too good to be true.

            “Raven,” I heard my father warn.

            She shot him a look that could kill.

            “What?” she said mocking a sweet innocence in her voice.

            “Sit and let’s eat,” was his simple order, but he said it with such authority that not even my mother, who is a human could deny him.

            She huffed and glanced at Steven and me one more time before she took her seat beside Daddy.  I let out the long breath that I had been holding.  Could this get any more intense?  

    I heard the front door open and immediately froze.  There is only one person that could possibly be.  I felt Steven give my hand a reassuring squeeze as the footsteps sounded closer.  I watched the door for several agonizing seconds and then there he was.  My brother stood in the doorway with a sneer on his face.  He stared at Steven and I with nothing but disgust on his face.

            “What the hell is this?” he hollered loud enough that even Mama recoiled from his tone.

            “Zachary, take a seat,” Daddy ordered sternly.

            “What the fuck is going on here?  You can’t tell me you’re okay with this.  He is a damn rogue, for Christ sakes.”  Zach retorted.

            Daddy stood up from his chair and repeated more firmly, “Zachary, sit.”

            Zach pinned me with his glare and I could see the turmoil battling inside of him.  All of a sudden he spun around and with malevolent force he punched the wall.  I jumped in my seat at the strength of anger rolling off of Zachary.  A lone tear tracked down my cheek as I watched my brother stomp out of the room.

            “Zachary Martin, get your ass back in here,” Daddy hollered.

            I couldn’t take this anymore so I abruptly stood up.  “I’ll go to him,” I said quietly.

            “No, not yet.  He’s too angry,” Steven pushed into my mind.

            I shook my head at him as I released his hand.  Aloud, I responded.  “Zach would never hurt me.  I need to talk to him,” I pleaded with my eyes.

            He searched my face and finally nodded his head.  “Alright, call me if you need me,” he said hesitantly.

            I looked at my dad and he nodded his head in acknowledgement.  I left the table and headed up to Zach’s room.  I cautiously knocked on his door.  There was no answer. 

            “Zach” I called out.  “I’m coming in,” I said while opening the door.

            He was sitting at his desk with his shoulders hunched over facing away from me.

            “Zach,” I repeated softly.

            “I’m sorry Amy,” he said quietly.  Okay, now this was not exactly what I was expecting.  I padded over to his bed and took a seat.

            “What are you sorry for Zach?” I asked while wringing my hands nervously in my lap.

            “God, I hate this tension between us,” he replied still looking at the wall.  “I- I just don’t want you to get hurt,” he said sadly.

            “Zach, Steven is my mate.  Mated wolves are for life. What would make you think that he would hurt me?” I asked curiously.

            “Mates, aren’t always for life Amy,” he said simply.

            “What are you talking about Zach?” I asked curiously.

            He turned to face me and his eyes were red and swollen.   Tears ran freely down his face.  “Exactly what I said Amy; mates can hurt you.  Mine did.  She left me Amy,” he said on a broken sob.

            My heart was breaking for him.  I stood and crossed over to the desk wrapping my arms around him.  My big tough brother was falling apart in my arms.  I sat there and held him for an unknown amount of minutes until his sobs quieted.

            “Zach, when did you find your mate?” I asked in a low voice.

            I heard his intake of breath.  “Ninth grade.  Her name was Marissa Combs.”  I furrowed my brows trying to remember this Marissa Combs. 

            “The human that moved to Montana?” I asked.

            “Yeah, that’s her,” he said, sounding so defeated.

            “Zach, her family moved.  She hasn’t denied you, after graduation you can go and find her.” I tried to tell him encouragingly.

            “No, no.” He shook his head vehemently.  “She made it clear that she never wanted to see me again.  There is no hope, Amy.”  I ran one of my hands through my hair at a complete loss for what to say to my brother.

            “Four years is a long time” I finally said.  “Maybe she’ll change her mind. You can’t give up hope,” I replied looking down at my feet.  Zach stuck his fingers under my chin and lifted my face to meet his. 

            “Hey, don’t worry about me, okay?  I’ll be fine.  Just know that I’m sorry for being such an ass to you and your mate.  I’ll apologize to him."  He paused and a familiar smirk lightened his face.  "And then I will threaten him that if he ever hurts you, then all bets are off and then I’ll kill him.  How’s that?” he said with a forced smile.  I reached up and squeezed my brother tightly to my chest. 

            “That’s perfect,” I whispered.

            “Good,” he said.  “Now where’s my love?” he said, pointing to his cheek.

            I slightly rolled my eyes before standing on my toes and placing a kiss on his cheek.

            “That’s more like it,” he drawled.  “Come on, let’s go see if I can smooth out some feelings with your mate and then dig into some food.”

            I smiled in agreement.  This was the brother that I loved so much, the one that is always there for me.  But how in the hell have we gone three years and me not notice that he had found his mate?  I’m going to have to do something about that.  He's my twin and we hold a bond like no other.  

            I don’t ever want to see my brother broken like this again.