CHAPTER 15: 14 - MORE REASONS WHY

***Maria's POV***

We're walking back across the territory to get to the master house and I'm still riled about how stupid

Lucas was. I mean, he's kind of known for being impulsive, but he doesn't just go around jumping

people.

I sighed again, shaking my head. They dragged him down to the cells we have in a separate building

with the other warriors and spitfires. And I didn't do anything to stop them. What could I do? He was in

the wrong, and I can't just ask them to let that go.

Now, if they try and hurt him or anyone else, I'm throwing hands, but we haven't had that problem yet.

Thankfully enough.

I was ready to drift off into my thoughts and plans and schemes and everything going on in my hectic

head(including the stress over my mate. Or hopes, also about my mate), but Wolfie stumbling towards

me slightly followed by a small high pitched squeal, kept me in reality.

This squeal wasn't like the last one we heard, earlier today. It was filled with amusement and

adrenaline and maybe even joy. The screech of a little girl having a blast.

I looked down to find Gummy Bear, a little girl who's real name is Cassie and is also one of the most

adorable beings you'll ever meet. I freaking love her. She's called gummy bear 'cause, she's sweet and

loves to eat the things. Though this leaves her hyper and bouncing around all the time. So it wasn't

exactly a surprise to find her a giggling mess clinging to wolfie's leg.

"Well hello there," he greeted down at her.

A smile grew on my face.

That was so cute. Content is property of .

I wasn't expecting him to react that way.

She looked up at him and grinned. "Hi."

Aww — "AH, agndgn OoF."

A jumbled mess of a grunt or a yell or whatever just came out of my mouth, tumbled from my lips when

a large mass rammed into me at full speed and knocked me to the ground.

I let out a huff of air. "What the heck?" I said breathlessly. I craned my head up to see who was still

sprawled on top of me. It was Dylan, a thirteen year old who is often tasked with looking after Cassie

with his twin sister, Stacy. They're both her older cousins.

He looked up to meet my eyes with a small groan, also having his breath knocked out of him by the

impact. "Oh, hey Mari," he said with a silly grin after recovering a bit.

"Hi, where's your sistAHR —"

"EEEK," Stacy hollered as she stumbled out of a full on sprint to avoid falling onto us as well. Though,

she only tripped over Dylan and rolled into a tree.

"Found her," I sighed.

Dylan cringed, "you alright Stace?" He called out.

Stacy rubbed her head. "Who me? Yeah, I'm totally fine. Never been better," she grumbled as she

dusted herself off.

"Hey, Dylan," I spoke up.

He glanced down at me, "huh?"

"Get off of me."

"Oh right," he laughed, "sorry," he said helping me up.

I chuckled "what are you two even doing?"

"Chasing that little monster around!" Stacy hollered furiously, pointing at her little cousin.

Cassie let out another shriek mixed with a laugh at her cousin's accusing finger and jumped over to my

leg to cling to.

I shook my head but still had a grin on my face. This kid.

"Mari, Mari, look!" She screamed as she gave me the widest smile she could muster.

I gasped. "You got your —!"

"I got my fangs!" She beat me to the punch, jumping up and down.

I grinned widely. "yay you."

But boo Stacy and Dylan.

Their next few weeks are gonna be h3ll.

Kids are particularly. . . What's the word?

Monstrous, when they get their fangs. With the fangs, come the heightened abilities. They have some

all their lives, but now they're for real. And. . . It's not pretty watching them learn how to use them.

Especially when their actually quite a bit faster and stronger than the average fully grown vampire.

I don't know why it happens, but it makes things A LOT harder for everyone involved with trying to keep

the kid tame.

And don't even get me started on their talents.

I shuttered. I remember having to take care of the twins when they discovered theirs.

They had telepathy.

Twin telepathy.

Of course, right?

It was only between the two of them when they were younger, but that's all they needed to put me

through the ringer.

It was terrible.

I could never tell when they were plotting something.

But I later learned, they were always plotting something.

But after a month it all calms down and they get the abilities appropriate for their age.

Gummy Bear was already totally buzerk, so they're gonna have a real fun time taking care of her.

Almost as much fun as I had taking care of them.

"Yeah. Yay," Dylan said flatly.

I snorted, "You causing your cousins trouble?" I grinned down at Cassie.

She let out a loud giggle and said, "no," while nodding her head yes.

I smiled and winked at her, "good job," I whispered to her.

Stacy scoffed and put her hand over her heart dramatically. "Excuse us?" She gave me the stink eye.

I rolled my eyes with a snort. "Oh, neither of you can talk. Do you remember what you both put me

through when you got your fangs," I glared back at her.

"Oh yeah," Dylan laughed.

They both made eye contact and smirked, most likely reminiscing about all the crap they pulled over

their little link. They haven't quite figured out how to do it between other people yet, but they're getting

there.

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, you little monsters."

They chuckled.

Wolfie cleared his throat loudly, and the chuckles went quiet. The twins glanced his way but

immediately turned back when they saw his impatient face.

I sighed and watched the twins shift uncomfortably. I looked down at Cassie. "All right Gummy Bear,

time to go with your big cousins," I ruffled her hair, getting the message that Wolfie wants this whole

encounter to end.

She immediately wore a distressed face. "Nooo!" She begged clinging tighter to my leg and hiding her

face in my hip. "I don't wanna! All they wanna do is keep me all cooped up inside!" She cried.

I looked to the twins, and their heads hung ever so slightly.

Wolfie's house arrest order.

I sighed again. "Oh hun, it wasn't them," I told her running my fingers through her long hair.

She looked up at me. Bottom lip quivering and tears welling in her eyes.

I hugged her a little tighter.

"Yeah," Dylan squatted a bit to get closer to eye level with Cassie, "we're just trying to make sure the

scary monsters won't eat ya."

My eyes immediately shot his way. "Dylan!"

"Dude!" His sister chided.

Gummy Bear gasped and started sobbing.

He shrugged and put his hands up in defense. "I was just being honest."

I shook my head and looked down to find Cassie hesitantly peeking up towards Wolfie with those wide,

teary eyes. Her lip made a single quiver and she immediately dove back into my hip, hiding her face.

Why did that tear me apart inside?

Wolfie wasn't looking threatening or anything.

Wasn't exactly looking nice either.

But I guess that's all you need to tip the scale when you're a child. A flat expression and a monster title.

~*~*~*~

It's the next day now, and I spent the entirety of it alone, inside a room. Not the same room, but a

different one. This one's down the hall from "his" office, where he spent most of today.

It's to keep me out of trouble, is his excuse.

Sure, that's why you moved me.

This room's slightly bigger, as it's meant to serve as an office as well, but it's also been completely

gutted. Though, instead of the sorry excuse for a bed that was in the last two, they just left the couch

that was originally in here, that I am also currently sitting on.

"Get up," Wolfie himself barged in, instead of Emily and the warriors.

I rose a suspicious eyebrow. "What are we doing?"

"We're distributing the blood that is in that truck we found you guys loading," he told me, nudging his

head towards the outside.

Both my eyebrows rose and my eyes widened. "Really?"

He looked at me, "yeah, there's not much to rule over if everyone's dead," he said like it was the most

obvious thing in the world.

I nodded slowly at the statement, "okay then, let's get to work."