“Good morning,” she whispered, emotions getting the better of her.
“El!Oh, my beautiful mate, it’s good to hear your voice.How are you?Are you coming home today?”Marcus fired off a series of questions, which made El giggle.
“No, I’m not coming home today.I’m doing okay, but I miss you.”
“I miss you too.Weallmiss you,” he stated.
El looked around the woods wondering what they would all think of Shawn’s mother’s little slice of paradise as El called it.She wished for a life that they could all simply enjoy a hike in the woods together, and she couldn’t help but wonder if they’d ever get it.
“El, we’re your mates.We’ll always love you.Nothing will change that, certainly not a little fight,” Marcus told her, dragging her from her thoughts.
“I don’t think the fight we had was small by any means.I suppose this is the part I should ask about Ryan’s mother, but I don’t know if I want to be the polite southern belle I was raised to be.Honestly, I know she’d never ask about me, and she probably wishes she had killed me.”
“You’re probably right.I don’t think anyone would blame you for not having asked about her.She’s doing fine as far as I know,” he told her.
“What do you think of Trip and Claudia?I know you all think I’m being childish and unreasonable, but do you understand where I’m coming from?”she asked Marcus looking for at least one of the Triad brothers to be on her side.
“I do understand, El.Things are different for us, but I’ve been around enough humans to understand your fear.On the one hand, there should never be much of a reason for you to interact with any of the women any of us have had past relations with, but on the other hand, Claudia is our healer, and she’s the best.We can’t give her up, and as the new Pride lioness, you will have to do things you don’t want to do.”
“You don’t think I understand doing things that I don’t want to do by this point in time in my life?I’ve been doing what everyone else wants me to do my entire life, and now I actually have some strength and backbone to stand up for myself, and I don’t know that I want to back down.Claudia may be a healer and good at what she does, but she’s not the only one out there.”
“We just want you to come home, El.”
“I want that too, but I need this.Being out here with Shawn and his mother, I feel like someone else.I went on a hike yesterday.A hike!We had dinner and talked; it was almost as if life was normal.I need this break.I love you, and I love Ryan and Trip, but I need some normalcy.I needed to hear your voice, though.I’d like to hear Ryan and Trip’s too, but maybe I’m not as ready as I thought I was, and since they haven’t reached out maybe they aren’t either.”
“I don’t think it’s that, my love, we’re all just trying to give you this time and space.I would call you every five minutes if I thought you’d allow it.I know they feel the same.”
“Okay.Well, I should get back.If Shawn hasn’t realized I’m gone yet, he will soon, and then there will be hell to pay,” she said with a giggle.
“Where’s Shawn?What do you mean get back?You’re not with Shawn at his mother’s house?”Marcus’ tone was all business, and the dominance poured through the phone line.It surprised El for a second because Marcus isn’t usually one to let his power out.
“Relax.I’m in the backyard.I just wanted some privacy to speak to you, so I stepped outside while Shawn was sleeping.”
“Please go back inside right now, El.Don’t hang up with me until you’re in the house and the door is locked behind you,” Marcus demanded.
“Okay, okay, calm down,” El told him.
She walked back to the house and stepped inside the back door, making sure to lock the deadbolt behind her.
“Okay, I’m inside, and the door is locked.Are you happy now?”
“Where the hell have you been?”Shawn roared behind her.
“On that note, I am happy,” Marcus said.
“Okay, well I’ll talk to you later.I’m needed elsewhere,” she told him sarcastically.
“I love you, El.”
“I love you, too, Marcus,” she replied before disconnecting the call.
Shawn seemed to have grown a foot taller with his anger.He towered over her, his eyes wide with rage.
“I just went into the backyard to speak to Marcus in private,” she told him innocently.
“I think the whole idea of privacy in this entire thing has been blown to hell, wouldn’t you agree?”he snarled.
“I don’t think I care for that comment or your tone.I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” she retorted.
