Fawn ( on the phone)
“I am telling you, Derrick, today was the best day I have ever had in my life. Payton is extremely nice and caring; she accepts me as part of the family, not an outcast.”
“ That is great, Babe. I can not wait to meet them all, ” he says.
“ I will talk to them in the morning about inviting you to a family dinner. I swear in my whole 19 years, this is the first time I have ever felt like I had a real family.”
“ What about your mother and real father?”
“ I never met my real father. My mother rejected him right after mating with him because he was not an Alpha or higher ranked. I know he is a warrior here in the pack, but I am not sure who he is, as for my mother. She never seemed to care about me. She was always high and drunk, sleeping with every wolf she could find, hoping to land an Alpha”
“ Well, that explains why your behavior has been the way it has been, babe.”
“ Hey, whose side are you on here?”
“ I am always on your side, dear, but come on, you know you are a bit of a drama queen, a bully,” he says.
“ Yes, yes, my dad calls me a brat all the time, but the more I hang out with Melody and Raven, the more I want to be like them. I have even stopped talking and hanging out with my old friends.”
“ Well, I am behind you, babe, but my break is over. I have to get back to my rounds. I am off at midnight, and I have tomorrow off“ Great, I can not wait to see you tomorrow.” I said.
“Have a great rest of your shift and sleep tight when you get there. Goodnight”
“ Goodnight, babe. I will talk to you in the morning”
{end of call}
“I do not care what you say, mother; I am not rejecting him,” I said out loud.
“ Is that so, you ungrateful b***h?”
I looked up to see my mother climbing into my room through the window.
“ What are you doing here? You know the father does not want you in this house.”
“ My daughter is in this house. I have a right to see you even if you are an ungrateful, self-centered bitch.”
“ What are you talking about ?”
“ I saw you today at the lake and dinner. Do you think you can replace me? I even heard you on the phone with lover boy. “
“ So I had a great time today. What is the big deal?”
“ What is the big deal? I AM YOUR MOTHER FAWN, not that homewrecking slut who just waltzes in here strutting her stuff. “
“ You’re high and drunk again, mother. I hate it when you get this way. “
“ So what? It is my life.”
“ And I am 19 years old now. I want to have my own life. “
“ See? You are so ungrateful. After everything I did for you growing up, this is how you repay me.”
“ What do you do for me? Do you mean leaving me alone when I was 2 years old while you whored around drunk and high? Or how about when I was 3 and I had to find food from the garbage to eat, or how about rejecting my father and keeping him from me?”
“ I got you an Alpha for a father. I made sure you got a rank and everything you wanted.”
“ No, Mom. Alpha Brooks did when he found me alone crying and hurt when I was 6 years old”
“I am hated because I am bitter I act out my hurt on others you put on me. I bullied others, so I would feel better about myself. That is what I learned from you.”
“ You think they are going to want you around once they are back together? They have their own kids. You will just be in their way, then where will you be?”
“ Listen, Mother, I love you OK because you are my mother, but I do not like you very much. Today was great. They made me feel loved and wanted, something you never did for me, so if they do not want me, I will be just fine. I am 19 years old. I am not 3 anymore, and I have my own mate now.”
“ Oh, look at the little missing thing here who has a mate. Do you think you are better than me? It would have been better if they had never found you.”
“ How could you say that? I knew you did not care or love me. You did not even care; I was missing. Dad told me how you just kept doing your everyday things as always. “
“ They will never love you, Fawn, not like me.”
“ You are right, Amy. I will love her more than you ever have or could”
I looked up to see Dad and Payton at my bedroom door.
“ I thought I told you you were not allowed in my house?” says Greyson.
“ She is my daughter, Brooks.”
“ The way you were just talking to her, I would say you are not a mother,” Payton spoke up.
“ Don’t you dare even speak to me; this kid is mine, not yours. You waltzed in here like you owned the place and messed everything up for me.”
“ Your drunk, Amy, go home,” says Payton,
“ This was my home. You ripped it right out from under us. “
“DO NOT SPEAK.
“No Grey, it is alright”. Payton cut him off.
“ Mark my words, Fawn, this b***h will not want someone like you around for long; she will see the messed-up brat you really are and kick you to the curb as well.”
“ No, she will not mother.” Tears formed in my eyes
“ She will; she can not love something like you. You will be back in the gutter with me soon enough, Fawn.”
I feel the bed dip and arms wrap around me
“ That is where you are wrong, Amy. I already love Fawn; she is already a part of my family. She might have been unloved in life, but with real loving, caring parents, she will learn to be a better person .”
I turned in her grip and hugged Payton.
“ Go home, Amy. Sleep and tomorrow try to make up to your daughter for the horrible things you did.”
I watch as my mother storms out of my room. Dad follows her to make sure she leaves the house.
“Thank you for sticking up for me. No one has ever done that for me before,” I said.
“ You are welcome, sweetie. I meant every word I just said. You can always come to me for anything. I meant it when I said you grew up unloved, but I really see a lot in you and I believe you can change your ways, And your father and I will be right here to help you,”
“ I admire Melody and Raven a whole lot, and I want to better myself and be like them.”
“ Well, how about you better yourself, for you, and be yourself, not them. You are Fawn Brooks; you have a lot of love, wisdom, and strength inside of you. Let it out”
“ Thank you, no one has ever talked to me like this before; it makes me feel loved and welcomed for the first time in my life.”
“ Good because you, my dear, are loved and wanted. Do you remember that?”
Payton kisses me on the head and then gets to her feet,
“ Now it is late, you get some sleep OK.”
“ I will, thank you again, Payton.”
“Your welcome, goodnight,” She turned to leave.
“ Oh, Payton?”
“ Yes?”
“ Do you think my mate can come to dinner tomorrow night to meet my family?”
“ Absolutely!! “ Payton says.
“ We will even work together on a special dinner for him.”
“ What? Do you mean me cooking?”I asked.
“ Of course, dear, he is your mate, after all.”
“But no one has ever shown me how to cook.”
“ Well, now you have me, and I did say we would work together on it,” she says.
“ Wow, thank you. That is scary and exciting at the same time,” I said.
“ Good, get to bed now.”
And she left. I am a little jealous of the Twins and Logan. I wish she was my mother.
Payton
I closed her door and jumped. Greyson was standing behind me. He leans down and kisses me.
“ What was that for?” I asked him.
“ For being you, you are so incredible, the way you stuck up for Fawn and what you just said to her, I should have been a better father to her, I did not know how to be a father”. He admitted
“ She is a good kid; she just needs a little hand in finding the right path to follow.”
We walked down the hall and knocked on each of our kids’ doors,
I hugged and kissed each one, saying good night, and filled them in on the guest we would be having for dinner tomorrow and told them how proud I am of each of them before heading off to my room.
“ I love how every night you do that with the kids, you tell them you are proud of them. My parents never did that. I kind of grew up like Fawn, a. Bully and always got what I wanted,” he says.
“ Yes, I saw that, hence why you let Fawn be the way she is, and you are the Beast you are today.”
“ Yes, but you are teaching me to be a better parent. I do not want to be the Beast to my mate and kids. The others are sure I am an Alpha.”
“ Then you need to work on you, Greyson,”
“ I will.”
“ Goodnight Beast.”
“ Good night beauty “
I entered my room and closed the door. Our bond is getting stronger, but it feels like I am cheating on Maverick by just thinking about Greyson.
I changed into my silk lace night and crawl into bed.
The next day, Fawn and I are in the kitchen,
“ OK, now put the roast in the roaster, turn it on, and then we can start on the dessert. While the roast cooks”
“ Thank you again, Payton, for helping me with all this,” says Fawn.
“I am so excited.”
“ You are very welcome. it is nice to see you so excited about something.”
“ Can I help, too?”
“ Melody, of course, you can. We are making a strawberry cheesecake.”
I am sitting at the table watching the girls laughing and making the dessert. I would only help when they got stuck and asked for help. I am so proud of each of them.
The door opens, and Raven and Alison walk in.
“ Hey, what is going on in here ?” Asked Alison
“ A cooking lesson”, I laughed,
“ And I must say they are doing great too.”
Raven joins in with the girls while Alison and I talk, only helping out when needed.
“ So, what is new Payton?” asked Alison.
“ You mean, have I forgiven Greyson and jumped back in bed with him?” I said.
“ Well, yes, we are all worried about you.”
“ I have not jumped into bed with him, and I have not forgiven him. I do not know if I can. I might be able to move forward from it but not completely forgive. If that makes any sense?: I say
” However, our mate bond is getting stronger, but I still love Maverick.”
“ OK. the cake is in the oven. What now, Mom?” asks Melody
“ Well, start peeling the potatoes and making the salad, and check on the dough to see if it’s ready to be made into buns.”
“ Wow, even Payton’s homemade buns. What is the occasion?” Asked Alison
“ I found my Mate,” says Fawn.
” And he is coming for dinner tonight to meet everyone.”
“ Oh wow, congratulations, now I see why Payton is teaching you to cook. Good-thinking, men love mates who can cook, ” said Alison
After a while, Alison and Raven leave and head over to meet Caleb at his parents’ house.
The girls and I finish up the dinner, set the table, and continue to bond with one another.
Greyson and the boys return home from a day of warrior and Alpha training.
“ Good timing, boys. Go wash up. Our guest should be here shortly, “I told them.
“ It smells so good in here, girls,” says Greyson.
“I can not wait for dinner.”
“ Thank you, Dad,” says Fawn.
“ It smells like mom’s roasted beef and roasted potatoes, homemade buns, and cheesecake,” Cole said.
“ Good nose, Cole, but the girls learned to cook tonight. I only jumped in when I was needed.”
“ Well, it smells great,” Greyson says, walking over and kissing all of us on the cheek.
As the boys are washing up for dinner, there is a knock at the door. Fawn runs to answer the door.
“ Babe, this is my stepmother, Payton, and my sister Melody. Guys, this is Derrick Miller, my mate. ” Fawn introduced us to a tall brown-haired, green-eyed man. I have to say he is pretty good-looking.
“ It is nice to meet you, Derrick. Welcome to the family. We are so happy you could join us for dinner”, I said.
“ Thank you, Miss Brooks. It is nice to finally meet you”, Derrick says.
“ Payton, please,”
” Oh, good just in time, boys, Derrick. This is Fawns’ father, Alpha Brooks, and. Her brothers Cole and Logan”
They all shake hands and sit down at the table.
“ Fawn dear, will you come to help me serve the dinner, please?” I asked her.
When Fawn and I are in the kitchen, I turn to her,
“ I was surprised to hear you call me your stepmother.”
“ I am sorry, did it bother you? I did not mean to upset you. I guess I should have asked first. It is just…
“ No, no, no sweetie breathe, it is OK. In fact, I liked it. Thank you. It warmed my heart”
Once everything is on the table, we sit, and everyone digs in. The conversations and company were great; Greyson and the student doctor got along well. I was proud of Fawn today, and she has a great mate.
After dinner, we moved our dessert and coffee into the living room. The twins and Logan cleaned the dinner dishes.
Greyson sits beside me on the couch. Well, Fawn and Derrick sit on the love seat. Watching them, I could not help but feel an empty hole in my heart. I miss having that love, the bond. I miss Maverick, and a part of me misses Greyson, too.
Greyson reaches over and intertwines our hands together, giving it a little squeeze before continuing his conversation with Derrick.
It was 9 pm by the time Derrick headed home, and the kids settled into their rooms.
“ I am happy for Fawn,” says Greyson.
“ He seems like a fine boy, and he will make a good doctor.”
“ Yes, it was nice seeing her happy and glowing. He is good for her, Greyson.”
“I heard her introduce you to him as her stepmother. I hope that I have not upset you?”
I smiled at him.
“ Not at all; it felt nice.”
“ I heard him call you, Mrs. Brooks, too. “
“ I sighed. “ Yes, I did not want to go into why I am not a Brooks, so I just let it go and told him to call me Payton.”
“Mrs. Brooks sounds so good when it comes to you, though, “ says Greyson.
I looked into the beast’s eyes. I love his eyes. A person can get lost in them.
He leans in our foreheads resting on each other,
“ I wish I was different. I never would have lost you, ” he says.
“ But then I would not have my children, and you would not have Fawn and all my memories of my life with Maverick. “
“ I know, my love, I am just very sorry.”
This man has changed so much over the years. Maybe losing me was a good thing for him. Maybe, just maybe, I can be the beauty of this beast.
I tilted my head and captured his lips with mine. Gripping the back of his head, I increased the kiss. The beast wasted no time in pulling me onto him and making the kiss a passionate one.
“ I need you so much, my beauty,” he said.
“ Take me then, my Beast.”
He picks me up and races up the stairs to his room.
