Marcy and Matthew took two hours to get the kids ready. While they did that, I organized the living room and had the fireplace ready for a photo shoot. I'm still against the idea, but seeing Marcy smile when I told her what Matthew asked for made it hard to stay mad.
The kids came down first, both dressed in their Sunday's finest. Marcy followed behind them in a simple purple dress and wearing the same house slippers she had on earlier."Can you shoot from the waist up?" Marcy asks, fixing her hair in the mirror that's located in the hallway.The two kids begin arguing over something random, which has Marcy yelling at them to settle down. Marcy calls out for Matthew but he doesn't respond."Do you mind getting him dear?" Marcy says, looking at me with tired eyes.I simply nod and keep my head down as I go up the stairs. I arrive at his door and knock, but when there is still no answer, I gently turn the handle and peek my way inside. The room is empty, but a light is shining behind one of the doors, making me think he might be behind it."Hello? We're ready and waiting downstairs," I call out.
When there is still no answer, I tip-toe to the door to gently knock on it. As soon as my knuckles touch the door, it flings open, letting out all the steam inside. Mattew stands in front of me, slightly wet and with the bottom half of his body wrapped in a towel. He finishes drying his hair with a smaller towel and then throws it off to the side in his hamper.
"You know, just because you're a guest here doesn't mean you can just walk into other people's room. Even my kids know that," Matthew teases.
Matthew uses one of his hands to clutch the knot on his towel while his other hand tucks underneath and closes my mouth, which I hadn't realized I had opened. He walks past me to the dresser and begins taking out some clothes.
"I came up to get you," I stutter.
"Get me?" Matthew whispers so low I could barely hear him.
He slams the drawer shut and turns to me with lust filled in his eyes. My heart flutters and my knees feel like they are going to buckle as he continues to stare at me. It seems like he's about to lunge at me, take me in his arms, and push me up against the wall to hold me in place as he rips off my clothes so he can put his mouth on my bare skin.
"Hurry up already! There's no way I can keep these kids from getting dirty any longer," Marcy yells from downstairs.
With the distraction, I tuck my hair behind my ear and run out of the room, closing the door behind me. I lean against the wall and use my hands to fan my face in the hopes that it will cool me down. I walk back downstairs, and Marcy comes to me with a worried look.
"Are you okay, dear?" Marcy asks, fanning my face, "You're all so red."
"Yes," I clear my voice. "I just thought I broke a lense, and there would have been no way I could have replaced it way out here."
I lead her into the living room and start placing her and the kids in front and take a few test shots while we wait for Matthew to finish getting dressed. After a few minutes he finally arrives and is dressed in a nice blue suit that brings out his eyes.
"Where do you want me?" he asks.
In my bedroom, undressed. Who knew he could look this sexy out of his normal lumberjack look?
"Right on the other side, the kids in the middle with Luke next to you," I direct him.
I take a whole bunch of pictures and have them move into several poses over the next forty-five minutes before finishing up. Marcy leaves first and makes us some late-night dinner while I take some of Matthew and his kids.
When Marcy lets us know the food will be ready in fifteen, Mattew tells the kids to get out of their nice clothes and excuses himself to do the same. I head upstairs as well and plug in my camera, deciding I'll look at them after I eat and go back downstairs to see if I can help Marcy with anything.
"The food smells great," I say, coming into the kitchen.
"It was the catch from yesterday. Luke and Matt are the best fishermen I know, and they always come back with something big. It's almost ready. Can you take those plates and set the table for me, please?"
I take the dishes and set the plates in front of the empty chairs when the kids coming down the stairs like a hurricane full of energy, even this late in the evening.
After we all eat, Marcy heads to bed first with Mattew putting the kids to bed even though they really didn't want to. I head back to my room and take out my laptop to look over the photos and pick out the best ones when there's a knock on the door.
"Come in," I say, turning around to see who it is.
Matthew appears, holding a bottle of wine and two glasses.
"Are you in the mood for a nightcap?" he asks.
Before I can answer, he notices the pictures on my laptop, which makes him let himself in. He sets the drinks and glasses on my bed.
"Sure," I say sarcastically as he's already made himself comfortable on the bed so he can look through the pictures.
"These are amazing. Ma's really going to love them," he leans back on the bed.
I notice his hand move the pillow, exposing the vile I put there and forgotten about. He catches my gaze and notices it as well taking it in his hands to observe it.
"What's this?"
"Perfume," I say, blurting out the first answer I can think of.
He opens the vile, making me want to lunge and take it from him before he can sniff it, but he beats me to it.
"Are you sure? I don't smell anything," he says, taking in a few more sniffs before closing it and setting it on the desk.
"Really?" I ask, mentally setting a reminder to check that later. Changing the subject, I look at the bottle of wine. "So, nightcap?"
Matthew smiles, grabbing the bottle and glasses pours us each a drink. We start off with tame conversations, getting to know each other a little better before moving to the more intense topics.
"Are you really here to take pictures? Not that you're bad at it. I mean, after seeing these photos, I definitely know you have talent," he chuckles, taking another drink of his third glass.
"You must be drunk because that seems like a genuine compliment," I tease.
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean you can't answer."
"I came to learn more about my parents," I say, pouring me another glass.
My words have him shrinking, which makes me think he regrets asking me the question.
"I'm sorry about what happened to them. Not a day goes by that I don't think about that day," he says, looking down in his glass.
"I know it's hard to talk about, but is there anything you can tell me about them?"
"I was just a kid when they were here, I wanted to play outside and hang with my friends at the time. The only thing I can really remember about them was the love they shared. The way they looked at each other stayed with me. I remember thinking I wanted something like that myself,"
"I remember that look," I drift off, thinking about it.
Before they left, they kissed me goodbye and shared a longing look with each other before turning back to me and taking me in their arms to give me a big hug. It was something they had done plenty of times before, but that time, it was like they knew it was going to be the last from the way they didn't want to let me go.
Until now, I had forgotten about that look, especially after spending all that time with Jackson. My heart swells, and when I look back at Matthew, I notice he shares the same look they once had.
Before I can blink, he pounces on top of me, taking me in his arms. He wraps me up and lays me on the bed. Our hands search each other's bodies, and just before we start taking off each other's clothes, we pause and gaze at each other for a moment as if we're both debating if we should move forward.
He looks at me with kind, gentle eyes, and without hesitation, I pull him close and continue kissing him, giving him the go-ahead we were both wanting, and begin ripping each other's clothes off.
Matthew's hand trails up my thighs, making my legs part to give him better access. His fingers slip into my already wet folds before he pushes them inside me, causing me to let out a moan. His lips kiss mine almost as a reminder not to be too loud and wake the others, then moves to my neck, then down to my breast. My hand reaches down to feel his cock, which is already ready for me. Even after a few drinks, Matthew didn't have any problem keeping up with me, something I hadn't experienced in a very long time. The idea of him inside me has me pulling him on top of me as I'm no longer able to wait.Matthew lets out a low chuckle and positions himself between me, then presses his thick member inside me. He pushes himself as far as he can go inside me, my body reacts instantly, wanting to clasp down on him to never let him go. Almost as if instincts kick in, I flip us over so he's now on his back, and I'm on top. My hands reach down and are placed on the headboard to give me leverage wh
Dinner time came and went. I grabbed my plate of food and came back to my room, as I was still upset with Matthew. Marcy could sense the tension, while the kids were none the wiser. I continued reviewing the journals, hoping something new would pop out of me, but I had no luck, making me even more frustrated.I slam them shut and pace back and forth, trying to think of a way to get back out there on my own without the asshole tour guide. How can he sleep with me one day and be an ass the next? I scoff."Now he's starting to remind me of Jackson." I search the room, hoping I might find something that will help me get back out there. As I rummage around the dressers and closet, I manage to find a flashlight, a few batteries, and a thick jacket. I walk over to the window, open it, and contemplate jumping out. During my internal debate a knock on the door stops me.I set the jacket and flashlight on the chair, then go to answer the door to see Matthew standing behind it. "What do you wa
Jackson POVFour Days AgoLeave! How could she fucking leave?! I've wasted these last few years kissing up to that bitch, waiting for her to become that damn wolf, and she just leaves! As if I would have stayed with her this whole time if I didn't expect to get something out of it."Damn it!" I yell.I pick up the bottle I took out of the fridge just before she left and throw it against the wall. My rage doesn't end there. I rip apart the couch, throwing the pieces all around the living room, then pick up the TV and slam it down on the ground. "Fuck!" I scream with my fist raging in the air."Hello?" a woman's voice calls from behind the front door, "I'm trying to work over here," she continues, annoyed as she bangs on the door.Perfect, I can go for a snack.I open the door, and the blonde, busted woman drops the bitchy attitude and changes her whole demeanor to something more seductive. A typical move for any human that comes across me. Humans are unable to resist the aura I exude,
Freya POV My body aches from Jackson dropping me on the floor. I panic, unsure what to do. In my condition, there's no way I can fight him off, and I need to get to the kids to make sure they're safe. I notice the camera on the floor and reach over to grab it and quickly turn it on. Jackson always hated me using it when he was around because he said he hated the way the flash bothered his eyes. Before it can turn on, Jackson lifts me back up by the throat. I clutch onto the camera, holding it for dear life and counting in my head the seconds it takes for it to turn on. My body starts to go limp. I look down at the camera and notice the red light, which lets me know it's ready to go. With every last bit of energy I can muster, I lift the camera, putting it directly in his face, and take a picture of him. The flash caused Jackson to release me and scream in pain as he uses his hands to cover his eyes. As quickly as I can, I run upstairs and shout for the kids and search for them un
Cole POV "We've been contacted by a small group of survivors seeking asylum," Derek remarks, standing up from his seat at the round table. "How many are we expecting?" Alyssa asks, taking a drink from her wine glass. I placed them both together and gave them a seat on the council because of their yin-yang personalities. Derek is a strong fighter and an expert warrior in battle; he's also the most strategic in bringing back survivors alive. Alyssa is more of the nurturing type and has a very gentle touch that helps with dealing with survivors who just made the dangerous trek here. While they both despise each other, it doesn't stop them from working well together—in more ways than one. They don't think I know about their affair, but it's obvious, at least to me, it is. "They started with ten, but now they are down to six," Derek says in a more somber tone. He knows the loss all too well from making the journey himself once before. "We can't keep taking in every stray pack that c
Freya POV "I don't think I caught your name," Justin turns to me. When I don't say anything, he continues, "So what is it?" "Freya. It's Freya," I say. Justin has been showing me around the town on our way to meet this Alpha person, and I'm amazed at how it reminds me of the stories grandpa used to tell me. The area kind of reminds me of the Wild West, but only if the Wild West was brought into the new age and had internet and running water. There was a small shopping center, but all the lights were off except for the ones out in the storefronts. The hospital is next to a police/fire station that looks to be up and running. We keep walking and pass the park that leads into a neighborhood. We continue straight, and a big house that looks more like a mansion appears. All the lights were on inside, and this place seemed to be the most active thing in the whole area. I'd think that they are throwing a party inside, as I see so many people coming and going with smiles on their faces.
Freya POV How can one random stranger make me feel so whole? He stood a few inches above six feet and was built like a tank. His hair was charcoal black, and his eyes were a striking grey. His whole body lured me in and had a soothing effect on me, but it couldn't calm my mind. I still wasn't entirely sure what was happening because suddenly, all I could do was think about Matthew and the others. This man somewhat reminded me of him, which only brought back the painful memory of watching him burn. The more he asked questions, the more I spiraled out of control, and the more I felt I was floating out of my body until it just stopped altogether. My dreams weren't any better. I could hear the screams of Luke and Juliana and the sound of Marcy's bones breaking. The flashbacks of seeing Matthew's body in the fire forces me awake. I sit up and wipe the sweat off my forehead. My hands touch the soft sheets, and my eyes search the room, making me realize I don't know where I am or how I
Cole POV "Wilson, have Callie meet with Freya, and please send some food to her room as well," I direct. Wilson nods, hands me yesterday's notes, and tells me Theo is waiting inside for me. The headache from all the confusion is not going to help me with Theo's inevitable questions about Freya. I debate whether I should go into my office or walk around the perimeter for a security check. However, Theo decides for me when he opens the door and pulls me inside. "Brother!" Theo cheers. "Brother, why are you awake so early? I thought you didn't get out of bed until at least four." "You know damn well I don't need sleep. I need answers, and I need them now," he states. His eagerness to know about Freya angers me slightly, but I push that thought down. I walk to my desk to take a seat on my chair while Theo serves me some coffee before slumping on the couch across from me. The way he is seated makes me think he's expecting me to tell him a bedtime story. Theo's reaction shifts as if