61
Knightly
It turns out that my mate can take impeccable notes as well. There are things in her notes that she’s taken an interest in, such as the way the media works for us, training, and several laws in finance, and things that revolve around protecting our
pups
There are a few that catch my attention–things that involve her work as a stylist and what she does for a living. The ownership laws are spelled out in detail. It looks like she intends on going after Xo
However, now that we know she’s not a human and that she never was. Things revolving around her career will change drastically If Phoebe really wants to screw Xo, the fact that she owned her and all the legal rights to her work without proper bloodline guidelines puts Xo in a very difficult position. I don’t even want to think about what her grandfather is going to say I know Arnold is already sticking his nose where it shouldn’t be.
“So, where do we start?” she asks as we spread things out over the picnic table.
This is the first time she’s out and about in the packlands and everyone is curious to see her. They love the pups of course, but she’s been a mystery to all of us from the start. Today, she is wearing something cozy, but like everything else she wears, she looks amazing. I’m not the only one taking notice, but she’s completely oblivious to the way the other females are taking her in. I can watch her all day and never get tired.
“I think we should start with your heritage,” I say, placing the box Perry put together for me on the table.
The way her eyes light up when I open the top to reveal the organized binders and paperwork makes me smile. She scans through all of them and grins when she looks up at me.
“Was this your friend’s doing?” she asks. “You aren’t this organized. This stuff is set up by year,”
“I told you Perry was nuts,” I nod
“I can’t wait to meet her,” she chuckles and takes the binder with everything from her pregnancy
I watch as she opens the photo album and her expression softens. With each page she turns, her eyes just fill with tears more and more. It’s very detailed. There are pictures of her working during fashion weeks with her big round belly on display. Pictures of her enjoying things she was probably forbidden to eat during her pregnancy. Where the fuck Perry got it all is beyond me but I loved it and it looks like Phoebe does as well.
“It’s my birthday gift from her and Violetta,” I inform her.
“Your birthday is next month,” she nods.
“It is. She’s going to be out of the country with her husband so she gave it to me now,”
“She must love you a lot, she smiles.
“We’re close. I guess we’re all connected by the horrible shit we’ve been forced to do,”
Phoebe nods and reaches inside for more binders. We spend the entire afternoon talking about her family. What her mom was supposed to be doing when she disappeared. Everything she was basically deprived of.
“Why would she not tell her family?” she asks, frustrated with everything we uncovered “I don’t understand,”
“It’s very
common, Angel. As her daughter, you hold value. The same way I do. The same way Ayrie and Aizen do. We can do things others can’t for a reason, and anyone would kill to get their hands on power like ours,
“Maybe it’s not the ideal way to go about it, given the way things turn out in the end, but all we can do is try to protect what means the most to us. Sometimes that means removing ourselves from the equation.
“I say this from experience. I never expected to make it this far. I’ve been lucky to have met the people I have and done some of the things I’ve been able to accomplish. I knew the moment that you bumped into me outside that elevator that! couldn’t bring you into all of this. Human or not.
“If your mother was anything like you, she would probably stand above all others. The same way Eloise does. How Perry was able to build on empire and then capture the heart of a monster who is insanely powerful.
“A lot of people are going to be upset that we’re mated. That our pups are bound by fate to be great whether they like it or not. I’d do anything to protect you and them from this. It looks to me like she did the same thing. You’ve seen the way my father looks at us. Ruin didn’t go after you and the pups because he has some stupid little crush on you. These are acts of
war
“This is all crazy to me,” she whispers
Successfully unlocked!
I reach out, taking her hand. She doesn’t pull away. I go around to wrap my arms around her and she returns the embrace. I allow myself this moment of silence. I take in her scent, her warmth. I love the way she leans in to me and fits against my body as if we were made to be this close. I can’t remember the last time I let my guard down like this. She doesn’t pull away when she looks up at me. She looks as defeated as I feel.
“We can continue in the morning after we drop off the pups,” I tuck her hair behind her ears. She nods. “How are you feeling?”
“Very sad, she answers honestly but the smile on her face doesn’t show that
“That’s not what I meant,”
“Oh, you mean after you attacked me for telling you the truth,” she smirks
“I didn’t attack you I marked you as mine.”
“Right, by biting the fuck out me and letting me bleed out outside the room where gur kids were sleeping,” she rolls her eyes. I tighten my hold on her when she tries to pull away
“I’m serious, Phoebe. How do you feel physically?”
“Achy Like I’ve been fighting tides in my mermaid tale all day. But it feels good when you’re this close,” she leans against my chest. I gently massage her arms and her shoulders. She lets me. “I can see why your mom and sister are so affectionate,
“It’s a pack thing. You became one of us the moment we stepped foot in your office. You suffer, we all suffer. It’s how it’s always worked. How it will always work. In this pack or the next,”
“Mommy!”
Ayrie’s voice has her on her feet and looking around instantly. My parents set them down and the two run over as they walk over to us calmly
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
“Everything is fine my mother answers and then she holds up a set of keys. The house is complete and now that you’re
marked and the pups beginning their training, I think you’re going to want your own space, Alpha Altaha,”
