Calix
“Brunch is ready!” Called Mom.
My brothers and I had been in Felix’s room with Chasity. We hurried downstairs.
“This should be good,” snickered Felix.
Mom never cooked. Ever. We always had a professional chef or a maid who was also a cook or Chasity who had been taught how to cook by the former cook.
“I’m sure she did her best,” I said although I could smell the burnt toast from the staircase.
“It serves them right! Why should Chasity do everything?” Grumbled Alex.
“Where is Chasity?” I asked, realising she wasn’t with us.
“She was in my room with us,” said Felix.
“Maybe she’s using the bathroom,” said Alex.
Felix sighed.
“That’s not it,” he growled.
He stomped back up the stairs. Alex and I exchanged a glance and then we ran after Felix. We burst into the room. Chasity was no longer in Felix’s room. He stomped out of his room and went to her door. He banged on it.
“Felix,” hissed Alex indignantly.
Felix was boiling with rage and I didn’t get why. Chasity peeked out of her tiny room.
“Yeah?” She said softly.
“Didn’t you hear Mom calling? It’s brunch time. What are you doing up here?” He demanded.
“I never eat with you guys. You know that,” she said, seeming somewhat annoyed.
“We’re mates now,” said Felix.
“Yeah but…” began Chasity.
“We slept in the same bed last night and you won’t eat with us,” said Felix incredulously.
Do NOT be hard on her! I snapped at Felix over mind-link.
I am not angry WITH her. I’m angry FOR her and WITH Mom and Dad, he snapped back.
Oh.
“Come downstairs. You haven’t eaten anything for the day yet and it’s almost noon,” said Felix.
“I’m used to it,” she said softly, keeping the door ajar.
He flung open the door, grabbed Chasity’s hand and marched her down the stairs.
“You’re to eat with us from now on,” he said.
“Your parents don’t allow that,” she said, yanking her arm away.
“I am the alpha now!” Insisted Felix. “My mate eats with my family!”
“Why are you mad at me?” Asked Chasity, seeming close to tears.
Felix sighed.
“I’m not mad at you,” he grumbled, pulling her flush against him. He wrapped her up in a bear hug.
She sniffled a little but calmed down. She inhaled his scent deeply. I hugged her from behind sandwiching her between Felix and me. She relaxed in our arms. Alex hugged her from the side so she was surrounded. She seemed aroused now that all three of us were touching her. Alex kissed the top of her head. Alex grasped her chin to make her look at him. She seemed a bit apprehensive still but she held his gaze.
“From now on, in every situation, I want you to say to yourself ‘I am the Winter Moon Pack Luna’ before you make a decision,” instructed Alex.
“Let’s hear it,” said Felix sternly.
“I am the Winter Moon Pack Luna,” said Chasity softly.
“It’s brunch time in the pack house. What do you say?” Demanded Felix.
“I am the Winter Moon Pack Luna?” Said Chasity as though it were a question.
“So where should the Luna eat?” Asked Felix.
“With her Alphas,” said Chasity.
“I totally agree with this mantra,” I said. “But you can’t blame Chasity for feeling uncomfortable eating with us. She was made to feel uncomfortable with us,” I said, annoyed.
I wasn’t going to let Alex and Felix run the show anymore. Most of Chasity’s behaviour were adaptations to things our parents had instilled in her.
“I’ll have a chat with Mom and Dad,” said Alex.
We led Chasity to the breakfast table. Felix pulled out her chair and she sat down. Mom and Dad were already sitting. The table was only set for five.
“Why is this table only set for five?” Snapped Felix.
He was on edge today. I could tell he was seething. Mom looked up slowly. She spotted Chasity seated at the table. Chasity didn’t meet her gaze.
“Oh silly me,” chuckled Mom.
She had just forgotten. It was an adjustment for everyone. I smiled at her. I knew she wouldn’t forget next time.
Felix
Mom pretended she had simply forgotten to set a place for Chasity. I knew it was a deliberate show of dominance on her part. She knew Chasity was still too timid to challenge her. That was fine. I would be doing all the challenging on Chasity’s behalf until she was more sure of herself and of her place here.
“Grab another chair, will you, Dad?” I said offhandedly as I sat next to Chasity.
I wanted to see his reaction. He sniffed, clearly annoyed, but got up and added a sixth chair. Alex sat next to Chasity and Calix sat between Alex and Mom.
Mom uncovered the platters on the table: waffles, toast, bacon, sausages and eggs. All of it slightly burnt. Chasity had a faint smile on her face like she wanted to laugh at the burnt brunch.
What are you smirking at, Beautiful? I asked Chasity over private mind-link.
She smiled a little more.
I nudged her.
What?! She hissed.
What’s so funny? I insisted.
Nothing! She said.
“What do you want to eat?” Said Alex, grabbing Chasity’s plate, intent on fixing it for her.
I had wanted to do that! I said to him.
I always put aside Chasity’s breakfast! Said Alex.
No you don’t! I said.
Yes! I do! And sometimes you fucking steal it, knowing she hardly gets opportunities to relax and eat! He practically roared over mind-link.
I winced. His face softened.
I know…you’ll be different now, added Alex.
“Waffles,” mumbled Chasity so quietly Alex leant towards her to hear.
“How many?” He asked.
“Um…one,” said Chasity in hushed tones.
“Then that would be waffle, not waffles,” I joked.
Chasity just frowned, staring down at her lap.
“How about I just put a bit of everything and you eat until you’re full,” suggested Alex, putting a stack of three waffles, two slices of toast, some sausages and bacon and eggs on the plate. He brought the syrup closer to her as well as the butter. She smiled slightly as she took the syrup and began to pour it onto the waffles.
“Has Chasity picked out her new room?” Asked Dad.
“She will after she eats,” said Alex.
Chasity’s mouth was full of waffle. She just looked back and forth between Dad and Dad part two also known as Alex. Mom gave Chasity a grim smile.
“We’ll need to find a cook and a housekeeper again on short notice,” said Mom examining her manicure. “I’m not into this domestic stuff,” she chuckled as though she were making an inside joke with Chasity.
“Neither am I,” said Chasity with a wry smile.
Calix snickered but quickly stopped when Mom shot him a warning look.
I ate as much of the burnt food as I could before I gave up and just watched Chasity. Everything she did fascinated me. She was pouring her syrup again trying to fill every single syrup trap in her last waffle before she took a bite. She caught me staring at her and handed over the syrup assuming that was what I wanted. I waved the syrup away.
“Fate is so funny, isn’t it?” Said Mom, laughing to herself as though she were about to elaborate.
Ugh.
“Mom,” I said quietly, giving her a look that just said “don’t.” She sighed.
I knew she wanted to lament over us being fated to Chasity. Truth be told, I didn’t get what was wrong with Chasity in Mom’s eyes. Ok so her parents had been less than stellar. That had very little to do with Chasity. She hadn’t been around her parents in nine years. She was her own little person. She caught me staring at her again and frowned. I looked away.
Alex
After the slightly burnt and extremely awkward brunch with our parents, I wanted to have some alone time with Chasity. Felix went outside to shovel the driveway, something I could scarcely believe Chasity had been made to do from time to time.
“How the fuck did she manage?” I said to Calix as I looked at Felix shovelling snow through the window.
“She didn’t,” said Calix. “She would fall over and drop the shovel and she didn’t have much upper body strength,” he said.
“You watched her?” I asked.
“For like five minutes before I would take the shovel and do it for her,” said Calix with a shrug. “I had to wait a little bit because Mom would be there surveying the job. I would make small talk with Mom and then offer to supervise Chasity in her place,” he revealed.
“No wonder she likes you best,” I said.
Calix raised his eyebrows.
“She likes all of us,” he said. “In different ways.”
Chasity was in my bathroom again and she was taking a rather long time.
“You ok, Luna?” I called.
She appeared.
“Yes,” she said meekly.
“Ready to pick your room!” I said excitedly.
She nodded.
Calix pinched her cheek and she giggled. He kissed her forehead and nuzzled her before heading to the door.
“You’re leaving?” I asked, trying not to sound so glad for the time alone with my Luna.
Calix laughed. “Yeah with the understanding that you’ll do the same in future,” he said.
“Of course!” I promised.
We should all get a little one on one time with Chasity. It was only natural. Chasity waved bye to Calix, seeming sad to see him go even though he was literally just going to his room. When the door shut, I couldn’t help myself. I pulled Chasity close to me and wrapped my arms around her, burying my nose in her fragrant curls and inhaling deeply. She seemed to be enjoying my smell also to my surprise. She wrapped her arms around me.
“I know which room I want,” she said to me.
“You do?!” I exclaimed holding her at arm’s length.
She nodded.
“Show me,” I said.
Chasity took my hand in hers. I laced our fingers together. I let her lead me downstairs.
“This one!” She exclaimed, showing me a downstairs bedroom.
“Why this one?” I asked, frowning.
It was not on the same floor as my brothers and me.
“Alex!” She exclaimed. My name leaving her lips was music to my ears.
“Look at this!” She said, yanking me into the bathroom.
She stepped into the huge bathtub and made me step in with her.
“It’s so big! I always admire it when I’m cleaning!” She revealed.
“Aww, Luna,” I murmured, wrapping her up in my arms.
I lifted her out of the tub and carried her bridal style back into the bedroom. I jumped onto the bed with her still in my arms. She giggled as we bounced a little. I set to work arranging her few belongings and all her new presents in the room as per her instructions. I didn’t want her lifting a finger. I made her lie down while I worked. She was watching me intently and I was enjoying her lingering gaze. If I were kind of a douche like Felix I would be doing this shirtless. Maybe I should.
“I want you on our floor,” I admitted with a sigh..
“I want to bathe in that bathtub,” she said, her eyes bright. I laughed.
I hoped the future involved me soaking in that huge tub with her at some point.
“Sure, I guess it’s temporary. Eventually all four of us will sleep in the same room anyway. We can each keep our separate rooms to work in,” I said as I helped
“Our date is at seven,” I reminded her as I continued transporting stuff to her room.
She followed me up and down the stairs every time. It was adorable. Sometimes I picked her up along with the stuff and ran up and down the stairs with her. She giggled the whole time. I wanted her to feel relaxed with me. I hoped this was helping. I placed her back on the bed after the last trip downstairs. I started arranging the last of the items.
Suddenly, she sat up quickly, panting a little. I dropped what I was doing and rushed to her.
“Chasity, what’s wrong?” I said, holding her by the shoulders and scrutinising her expression.
“Just a memory,”she mumbled.
I winced. Shame and regret engulfed me. I knew it was something to do with me, or my brothers or my parents making her life miserable before. It was going to take a while for her to be comfortable with us.
“I’m going for a walk,”she said.
She wanted to be away from me. I allowed it. My presence was probably making the bad memories more vivid. I tried to finish up her room and make everything perfect while she went on her walk. Felix was out there. He was just as obsessed with her smell as I was so I knew he would notice it and keep an eye on her.
Felix
I was finished shovelling the driveway. I began changing the oil in the cars. I looked after all five of them. If I or Alex didn’t do this, it wouldn’t get done. Calix wasn’t exactly handy. Mom was well…Mom and Dad was always preoccupied.
Suddenly, I smelled a heavenly aroma on the ice cold breeze. My boots crunched through the snow as I walked towards the delicious smell. Honey and roses. Chasity. Why was she out in the cold? I was looking forward to seeing her in her new coat and boots. She would look so adorable. I spotted her but she didn’t notice me at first. The wind whipped back her curls. She hugged herself for warmth. She was in socks! Socks! Mother-fucking socks! With no shoes! No winter boots! She had a thin house dress on! What the fuck! Where the fuck was Alex?! He was supposed to be watching her. They were supposed to be sorting out her bedroom.
She seemed lost in her thoughts. She walked right into me. I caught her. She looked up and gulped at my furious expression. I picked her up and ran inside. I slammed the door behind me and stomped towards Alex’s scent. I found him in the downstairs bedroom. I spotted Chasity’s things. Fuck! She had chosen a downstairs bedroom. Another thing to be pissed about. Calix came in, alerted by all the noise of me fuming about.
“What the fuck was she doing out there like that, Alex?” I yelled.
I tossed Chasity on the bed with more force than I intended. She bounced a little. She yelped.
“Felix, what the fuck?” Bellowed Alex.
Shit. I needed to be more careful with her. She was tiny.
“Sorry, Baby,” I said quickly. I ran my hands all over her body, searching for any tender areas. I knew there were none. She fell on a soft mattress but I was enjoying this too much to stop my examination early. I finished checking for bruises. She was fine obviously. She seemed turned on by the exchange but as soon as I released her, she scurried away from me. I turned my attention back to Alex.
“What was she doing out there, by herself, no coat, no boots, in the snow?” I snarled, glaring at my elder brother.
Alex folded his arms.
“I thought you were watching her,” I added.
“She wanted to go for a walk,” said Alex nonchalantly.
“And you let her go like that?” I snarled.
Alex sighed. “Yeah,” he said softly.
“She was thinking about some…difficult memories and she was a little panicked. I could tell she needed to be away from me, from all of us for a little while,” Alex added.
Calix
My elder brothers were intent on arguing. I was focused on Chasity. She was unmated and unmarked. I wanted to be patient with her but there would be unmated werewolves at her school tomorrow. Her neck could not stare bare like this. My wolf would not allow it.
