The Forgotten One (6 page)

“Then certain men shouldn’t assume we are fooling around.” Willow turned, stepping out of Alton’s arms, facing him. “I was coming home. I wasn’t out running around, so don’t go all cocky on me because you are libel to end up next to my father on the floor. Plus, you do know I’m still signed with Lars and Gage.”

Her son giggled as she marched past Alton. “Come on Dylan, let’s get your PJ’s on. By then your grandfather should be recovered enough to watch you.” Willow pushed through the door to see Tamara standing there with tears running down her face from laughing so hard.

“Oh my god, your mom is awesome! I so can’t wait to meet her,” her sister said, earning a swat on the rear from Lars.

“Behave, or I’ll spank your cute little...” he stopped, looking down at Dylan. “Butt.”

“Lars, Willow is not going out on any more assignments, so start the damn paperwork,” Maxim ordered.

***

Alton watched their woman stiffening at Maxim’s words, but she ignored him as she went into her son’s room to change him. His heart swelled with love for their little kitten. Oh, he and Maxim had heard every word the woman had said in the kitchen, and he had to admit it hurt to hear Tamara’s words, but they were true. His marriage had been an arranged one. Alton had loved his wife, but wasn’t in love with her. Both had done their duty to the marriage, having the children they were supposed to, arriving at parties as a couple and sharing the same bedroom, but that was as far as it had gone.

Each of them had gone their separate ways when time allowed. God, his life had been a shell. He looked up to see Maxim there next to him. “When your life was a shell, I was out there… We both have to be grateful to be given a chance at the real thing. But the thought of her out there running around,” Maxim snarled, drawing Gage’s attention.

“Problem grandfather?” Gage teased and Tamara giggled.

“Watch it, boy, I can still knock you down, remember that,” Maxim mumbled, earning a laugh as Willow came out, carrying Dylan.

“I so would love to see you rolling around, getting all that blond hair dirty. What do you think Dylan? Maybe you should take Maxim to the wresting ring with you and Marco tomorrow?”

Dylan looked at him, than at Maxim. The boy smiled and nodded. “Marco said there wasn’t anyone…” he scrunched up his face. “Challenge something challenge.”

Maxim leaned in close to Dylan. “You don’t think I could take this Marco?”

Dylan shook his head giggling. “Marco is big, he can pick both Mommy and I up at the same time. But I’ll tell him to be nice since you might be my daddies.” Dylan looked at his mom. “Are they going to be my daddies?”

Alton and Maxim watched as their woman fidgeted with Dylan, placing him on the ground before looking up at Alton and then at Maxim. “Yes, they’ll be your daddies,” she mumbled, looking at Dylan. “Is that okay with you?”

The boy glanced at Maxim, then at Alton, studying them. One thing was for sure, the little guy was very smart for his age and well-developed almost to…

“Yes, they are good. There is no bad in them.” Dylan turned and moved towards Baal as he came down the hall.

“Go on, go for your walk. I’ll keep the little guy here company. I have all sorts of stories I can tell him.” Baal reached down and lifted Dylan in his arms, placing him on his shoulders as they all moved into the living room.

“Hold on a minute,” Willow said, and ran down the hall to a room they hadn’t seen before and he knew it was her room.

In a matter of minutes, Willow came back out in a red halter summer dress that left him speechless for about a minute. “You’re going out in that?” Alton snarled, noticing the way her nipples hardened, and he could actually smell the excitement coming off of her.

“What’s wrong with this? It’s my favorite dress to wear when walking along Bourbon Street.” She frowned and looked down at herself. “I mean all the men… Oh.” She lifted her face smiling. “Don’t worry, Alton, I won’t be going home with any them,” she teased, moving towards the door, but Maxim stopped her progress, wrapping his arm around her waist and yanking her back against his chest.

“Honey, if they so much as touch you, I’ll break every bone in their body,” he growled, the wolf very close to surface that fur started to cover his arms.

“Maxim, do you really believe I would allow anyone to touch me, other than my men?” She turned in his arms and looked up at him. “I haven’t been with anyone since, well, it’s been a while, and I’ve had no desire to until now.” Her eyes met his and Alton could see the little specks of gold in her brown eyes.

“Now, come on. I want to show you my town and why I love it here. I’ll even introduce you to Marco,” she teased and Dylan laughed, clapping his hands.

“Make sure he doesn’t hurt my daddies,” Dylan said, giggling, earning more growls and laughter as they went out the door and down the stairs.

Once outside on the sidewalk, Willow took a deep breath. “I love it here at night, where you can hear the music and smell the food. This is home.” She looked over at Alton. “I hope you two will consider it home for now,” her gaze moved to Maxim’s.

“We’re not going anywhere, little kitten. Now lead on,” Alton said and watched as she linked her arms around Tamara’s and Ana’s, pointing out different spots. All the while, Alton and the others formed a protective circle around the women until they heard someone shout out Willow’s name.

Willow smiled and took off running, and jumped into a man’s arms, hugging him. “Marco!” he heard her say as he fought the other inside of him.

“Willow,” was all he said, as her head came up and she slowly moved out of this man’s embrace, coming to him.

“He’s like a brother, Alton, nothing more,” she whispered, reaching up and cupping his cheek. “You and Maxim are all I need.” Her lips turned into a frown and stepping back. “Of course, if you hurt me or take another?” she looked back towards him.

“Look at me, Willow,” Alton said, reaching out and pulling her into his body, just holding her waiting till she looked up at him.

“You know there can be no others now. Your blood calls to ours as our bodies do. Now introduce us to this Marco so we can size up our opponent for tomorrow. We can’t have our son thinking we’re a bunch of old wimps.”

“Hey, I resent the old part!” Maxim grumbled and bumped his shoulder.

Her laughter calmed the monster inside of him as he allowed her to drag him forward. “Marco, I want to introduce you to a few people. These two gentlemen behind me are my mates, Alton and Maxim. I’m afraid Dylan has already boosted about your wrestling capabilities and has volunteered Maxim to be your next match,” Willow teased, watching as Marco and Maxim sized each other up as they shook hands.

“Are you joining us tomorrow as well?” The man asked Alton, shaking his hand. “Alton Cooper right?”

“You’ve heard of us then?” Alton studied the man as he backed up next to Willow.

“Not until my little sister mentioned you two a few days ago. Of course, being her brother, I had to check you both out. I was surprised she has two of you as her mates, but then again, bears mate in fours usually.” Marco glanced back to where they came from and at once Willow was running her hand on his arm.

“They’ll come Marco, give them time. Now, why don’t you play that new song you wrote for my friends,” she asked.

He laughed and nudged her. “Only if you sing it with me.” Marco grabbed a chordophone, shocking him. The old instrument played a melody that was one of his favorites.

The three friends of Marco’s lifted their instruments while Marco took a seat and nodded to Willow. People seemed to stop and stare as Willow and her friend started to sing this song of love. About half way through, Baal shocked them all appearing in front of Marco, placing his hand on the chordophone.

“You cannot play this instrument,” Baal stated, glancing around him. “It will drawl her like nothing else will.”

“Maybe that’s what we need to do?” Willow said right before she froze and the screaming started.

“Get the women back to the house now!” Baal screamed as the band disappeared, as did the women.

Maxim turned to look at Alton and he nodded. At once, he was back at the house with Lars. Willow sat on the couch with Dylan curled up around her as Lars comforted Tamara. Ana stared out the window, shivering, before Hedrick appeared in the room, moving to her and engulfing her in his arms.

Alton moved to the couch and pulled Dylan into his arms, and his mom hugged them. The screams below had him waving his hand and silencing the noise below.

“Will the spiders get in here?” Dylan asked his head against his chest, holding on tight.

“No, Dylan, the spiders will soon be gone. Your grandfather, father and Uncle Gage are destroying them now.” Willow laid her head on his shoulder.

“I froze. I never freeze, someone could have been hurt. Maybe we should go to Tamara’s home for a little while. The thought of those things in the city hurting people. I’ll never get those screams out of my head.”

“No, we’re not going anywhere,” Maxim said, coming into the room with Gage and Baal. “They are gone and we’re not going to allow them to drive you away.” Maxim took a seat on the other side of Willow, reaching over and touching Dylan’s shoulder. “You should have seen your Grandpa, he came up with a plan.”

Baal smiled, sitting across from them and rubbing his arm. “Seems this little marking gave me a little more than I thought.” The old Baal that Maxim had seen before destroying something was now sitting in front of them, but Baal offered some comfort as he reached over and took Dylan from Alton’s arms. Baal focused his attention on the little boy in his arms, weaving a story of adventure as he described the scene below, leaving out the gore. Thirty minutes later with Dylan in his Grandfather’s lap, and Willow between him and Maxim on the couch, Baal finished his tale with Tamara and Ana now relaxed and enjoying the story. “It seems spiders do not like the vine of life. Your city is safe from spiders for now. Look outside the window, Dylan. You’ll see the vine on the outside of your house, waiting to attack any spiders that will come.”

Dylan crawled off his lap, as the women all moved to the window. “It’s beautiful, like a climbing rose, but more verdant.” Willow said and Baal nodded.

“I really had no idea this would happen, but it will set Benitta back. However, those spiders were not babies. It seems some of her children lived, but we’ll discuss that latter. Right now, I’d like to tuck this guy into his bed and head that way too. Lars, Hedrick, I would suggest you stay here tonight as there is plenty of room. We’ll figure out what to do next, because, Hedrick, I believe this problem your father-in-law is having might have to do with Benitta and the rouges. You’re going to need more help then you know.” With that, Baal gathered Dylan up in his arms after Willow hugged and kissed him good night.

But before Baal could leave the room, Dylan wiggled out of Baal’s arms and came over to Maxim, crawling into his lap and hugging him. “Night, Daddy,” he whispered, bringing tears to Willow’s eyes as well as Maxim’s.

Maxim watched the little one, his new son, once more jump into Baal’s arms, waving good night to them all. “Well, it looks like I have a little brother,” Lars said, breaking the ice, making every one laugh.

“Ha, I’ve got one better. I have a new Uncle,” Hedrick said, with a smile. They all laughed, relaxing a little bit, but Alton noticed how Willow stared out into the night, and shivered.

“How many dead now?” she whispered and leaned her head against the glass pane.

Chapter Four

Willow set up the extra bedroom for Gage, Lars and Tamara, while Alton and Maxim set up the new apartment in the attic that her father had created in a moment’s notice for Hedrick and Ana. Nervous was an understatement. The fact that there were mutant spiders outside New Orleans, her home, and that her mother was gone, while two very gorgeous old hunks were going to share her bed tonight had her a bit on the wired side.

“
I really resent the ‘old’ thought there, little kitten. Maybe refined would be better?”
Maxim’s voice, a purr inside her head had her shaking it.

Tamara smiled as Willow made the bed with her. “Well, I really haven’t seen refined yet, but I’ve seen hints of an age issue a few times,” she said and Tamara laughed, knowing who she was talking to, and earning a growl from Maxim. But she ignored it and looked at her sister. “Are you happy Tamara? God, it seems like yesterday when we were in Florida.” She sat down on the bed, Tamara sitting next to her.

“Yea, I’m happy. Do I like being confined in our bubble? It could be worse, but I have Gage and Lars who keep me busy, plus the pack. I do miss the chats we used to have and I miss momma. She might not have been much, but I loved her.” Tamara smiled and Willow could see the sadness there.

“Well, when my mom is finally caught, believe me, she’ll love you. She’ll be there for all of us.” Willow said and smiled as three banana splits appeared on the dresser.

“Hey, Willow,” Ana called out to her, coming into the room.

“Well, looks like momma left us three a night treat.” She stood and moved to the dresser. “Thanks Momma.”

“
Night baby and be safe,”
she said.

“I’m not alone, be careful. I can’t lose you,” Willow said and handed Tamara and Ana their ice cream, before grabbing her own.

“Okay, tell your momma thank you, and that I love her,” Tamara moaned, taking a bite of her ice cream, and leaning against the bed where Ana and she joined her.

“Yea, Mom always knows when I need something. It was hard to keep her out when I was staying at Alton’s home, but I had no choice. She would have shown up and ripped him apart. Damn, I love banana splits,” she moaned, when Dylan came in, smiling.

“I swear you can smell ice cream a mile away. You are supposed to be in bed, midget.” She patted the spot next to her. “Come on, I’ll share mine with you, but then you are to go right to sleep, understood?” She said and he nodded, climbing on the bed just as their men came into the room.

“Where did you get that? You shouldn’t be eating that, it’s not healthy,” Gage said, frowning at Tamara.