Three Alphas, Three Mates

Chapter 59 - Pictures

Michael and I decide to stay the night at the pack house to help figure everything out.

"It's only one night, Mom." Michael leans over the armrest of the couch. "What?" He looks at his phone. "I didn't raise my voice... No, you can't talk to Mia again..." He sighs, cupping his hand over the receiver. "I love you too, Mommy."

"Aww." The group snickers.

He glares at the werewolves.

"Don't be like that. We just think it's sweet." Krys nudges him.

"Yeah. We miss our mommies, too." I can't tell if Bri's teasing or being serious, but either way, Suzie's face drops at the mention of mothers. Ethel frowns too.

Shen notices. She looks between the cousins, eyeing Ethel's slouched form. When he doesn't say anything, she turns to me. 'Is his mom still alive?' she mouths.

I nod, but I don't do so in a reassuring way. She'll see why (assuming she'll live to tell the tale after she meets the woman).

"When's she coming?" Onai asks Ethel.

"I don't know." Ethel shrugs. "You know her schedule's crazy."

"Yeah."

"Maybe she'll just stay busy forever..." Ethel slumps against the couch.

"Do you know what you're going to tell her?"

Ethel shakes his head.

I give Shen a reassuring look, but I don't mean it.

###

"Well." Suzie claps her hands together. "Let's move on to something less depressing."

"Such as...?" Bri asks.

Krys smiles from ear to ear. "Sleeping arrangements."

Sleeping arrangements?

"I couldn't agree more." Suzie swings one leg over the other, nearly knocking me out in the process. "Obviously, Mia's sleeping with the brothers. The floozy. So as for the rest of us—"

I cock my head back. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are," Krys says. "Me, Bri, Ethel, Shen, and Fei are all sleeping in the basement."

"I'll stay with Suzie then. No big deal," I say.

Suzie's head whips in my direction. "So what you're saying is..."

"... Michael's gonna be alone?" Krys gasps.

"Oh no, no, no." Suzie shakes her head. "That simply won't do. It's not safe."

"I'm past the nightlight phase. I'll be fine." Michael scoffs at the girls, brushing his shoulders off and sitting a little taller, but Krys is already blurting out.

"I guess you have no choice but to let Oni watch you tonight." Krys winks painfully at him.

I hold Michael back from strangling her.

"I have guard duty, actually," Onai says.

"Oh, of course." Suzie wags her eyebrows. "Michael would be such a distraction."

"If you don't get your friends, Mia." Michael looks at me.

Suzie cocks her head back. "I'm helping you out. You need to ask him—"

"Shut up," Michael says.

Onai raises an eyebrow as Suzie and Michael exchange pointed looks. "Am I missing something?"