Toxic Rose Thorns - Chapter 24: Chapter 24
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"I don't know if I can stomach that," I admit. "I'm just a girl. A human. I was raised to value life. I don't know if I can be what he needs. How am I going to stand in front of a werewolf monster man and stop him? I've never killed anyone,"
"He doesn't need you to kill for him, Phoebe. He has soldiers in abundance. Any of our men would lay down their lives for him. For you and those beautiful little cuties," she wipes her face. "He just needs a reason to exist. Something that his father hasn't tainted with all his shit.
"You are just a girl," she caresses my cheek. "So, utterly human and beautiful. Innocent and good. Things that none of us are and that's what he needs. A light in the void that man shoved him into. It's a lot to ask. I know, but you're my baby's last hope. You couldn't have come at a more opportune time,"
"It doesn't feel like that,"
"Oh, it is," she lets out a sigh of relief. "Because this time next year. My son wouldn't be here anymore. His wolf was dying and he was just going to let it happen. I've lost two of my kids and I don't know if I could handle going through that again,"
I take a page out of her book and I wrap my arms around her. Just the thought of either of my kids getting hurt is enough to drive me crazy. I don't even want to consider what she's been through. Werewolves are fucking insane. I haven't even seen one and I'm absolutely terrified. My kids are going to turn into what they are, man. I couldn't even get a one-night stand with a rockstar right! My dad is right. I'm a stupid fucking bitch.
"I'm sorry," she apologizes when she pulls away. "You're so easy to talk to,"
"I get that a lot," I laugh nervously. "Thank you for sharing that with me. I think needed to hear it. Knight doesn't seem like the kind of person who would open up for me. Not anytime soon, anyway. Up until recently, I thought he was just a hot mess with a pretty voice and a sway with words,"
"You're not wrong," she laughs fixing herself up in the mirror. "He's come a long way. I think-" she takes a deep breath. "I think he came home to say goodbye. I couldn't bring myself to answer his calls because I knew. And then he sent me the picture of Aizen and for a moment I thought it was him. He looks just like him in the Summer when the venues have terrible shade coverage,"
"I know," I agree. "Both of them," I take my phone out and show the picture I snapped of them last night. "It's like carrying them inside of me for nine months meant nothing,"
"You have to send me this," she coos. "Oh, my goodness," she hugs me again. "You're right. What has she telling him?"
"It was the first time she ever called him Daddy,"
"Ah," she places her hand on her chest.
"I want to have it framed for my office,"
"What is that drawing that says puppy on it?" she asks.
"They ganged up on me to ask for a puppy. Aizen called it a proposition,"
"No," she laughs. I scroll through the pictures to show her more. "Oh, they cornered you,"
"Yeah, they did," I laugh.
"Look at all these pictures. I want to see them all," she sighs. "Vanessa and her grandaughter can suck it,"
"Is Vanessa a member of your pack?"
"She's my partner at the law firm and our former beta," she shakes her head. "And all she talks about is her granddaughter. That's all she talks about. Ayrie is way cuter,"
I don't know what this feeling is. This is the first time I share the twins like this with someone who is as equally enthusiastic as I am. She is eating up every bit of information I am giving her and taking in all the pictures. This is how the kids find us. Sitting in the closet swooning over their pictures. Aizen sits on her lap and Ayrie sits on mine and we all laugh at the stories behind the pictures.
Knightly isn't back the next morning and the phone starts going off as early as six a.m. By the time the twins require my attention, I am knee-deep in work already. Cevin is covering at the office while I try to get what can be handled over the phone out of the way.
"Good morning," Maria appears and sees my mess.
"Grandma," the twins shout and run to her.
"You're busy,"
"No, I've just been getting the easier stuff at the office out of the way," I shut my laptop.
"Do you always look this glamorous?" she looks me over.
"This is casual," I laugh. I'm not even wearing makeup. She's really good at trying to get her son what he wants. Because that made my morning a little brighter.
"If you like, I can take the kids off your hands for a few hours. I would like to take them shopping,"
"Yes," Ayrie jumps up and down.
"Is that safe?"
"Yes, I might look cute and cuddly but I was born and raised a fighter and we will have guards. Tessa will come with us,"
"I don't-"
"You would probably be able to go into the office. Get some extra work done. And you'll be doing me a favor,"
"That's not how this works," I laugh.
"The look on Vanessa's face when she sees my two grandbabies begs to differ," she says twirling one of Ayrie's pigtails in her finger.
"I-" it's too soon for me. It was different yesterday. I was only gone a couple of hours.
"Mom?" we all turn our attention to the door to see Knightly standing there.
"Daddy!" Ayrie screams and runs to him. He laughs and crouches to catch her when she jumps into his arms. She got comfortable with him so fast.
"Hi, pretty girl," he holds her to him. When he looks up at Aizen, my son just waves at him awkwardly.
"Where were you, D.A.D. I misses you," she pokes his cheek.
"I had to work some things out. I missed you too," he looks back at Aizen. "Both of you. What's going on?"
"Phoebe was about to try and talk me out of taking the kids off her hands so she can get some work done," Maria doesn't hold back.
Did you feel that back there? That small bump, that was me under the bus wheels. So much for hyping me up, Maria.
"I can't," I say pulling Aizen to me.
"They'll be safe with my mom," he says standing with Ayrie in his arms.
"That's not the problem. I'm sure she can, but after what happened with their nanny. I'm not ready to let them out of my sight for so long,"
"Oh," she says rubbing my arm. "Then we won't go anywhere. I'm sure we can find something to do here, right?"
"No shopping?" Ayrie asks disappointedly.
"Not today, baby," I shake my head.
"I'm hungry," Aizen says looking up at me.
"Breakfast," Maria tries to lessen the tension. "Then we figure out what to do,"
"He doesn't need you to kill for him, Phoebe. He has soldiers in abundance. Any of our men would lay down their lives for him. For you and those beautiful little cuties," she wipes her face. "He just needs a reason to exist. Something that his father hasn't tainted with all his shit.
"You are just a girl," she caresses my cheek. "So, utterly human and beautiful. Innocent and good. Things that none of us are and that's what he needs. A light in the void that man shoved him into. It's a lot to ask. I know, but you're my baby's last hope. You couldn't have come at a more opportune time,"
"It doesn't feel like that,"
"Oh, it is," she lets out a sigh of relief. "Because this time next year. My son wouldn't be here anymore. His wolf was dying and he was just going to let it happen. I've lost two of my kids and I don't know if I could handle going through that again,"
I take a page out of her book and I wrap my arms around her. Just the thought of either of my kids getting hurt is enough to drive me crazy. I don't even want to consider what she's been through. Werewolves are fucking insane. I haven't even seen one and I'm absolutely terrified. My kids are going to turn into what they are, man. I couldn't even get a one-night stand with a rockstar right! My dad is right. I'm a stupid fucking bitch.
"I'm sorry," she apologizes when she pulls away. "You're so easy to talk to,"
"I get that a lot," I laugh nervously. "Thank you for sharing that with me. I think needed to hear it. Knight doesn't seem like the kind of person who would open up for me. Not anytime soon, anyway. Up until recently, I thought he was just a hot mess with a pretty voice and a sway with words,"
"You're not wrong," she laughs fixing herself up in the mirror. "He's come a long way. I think-" she takes a deep breath. "I think he came home to say goodbye. I couldn't bring myself to answer his calls because I knew. And then he sent me the picture of Aizen and for a moment I thought it was him. He looks just like him in the Summer when the venues have terrible shade coverage,"
"I know," I agree. "Both of them," I take my phone out and show the picture I snapped of them last night. "It's like carrying them inside of me for nine months meant nothing,"
"You have to send me this," she coos. "Oh, my goodness," she hugs me again. "You're right. What has she telling him?"
"It was the first time she ever called him Daddy,"
"Ah," she places her hand on her chest.
"I want to have it framed for my office,"
"What is that drawing that says puppy on it?" she asks.
"They ganged up on me to ask for a puppy. Aizen called it a proposition,"
"No," she laughs. I scroll through the pictures to show her more. "Oh, they cornered you,"
"Yeah, they did," I laugh.
"Look at all these pictures. I want to see them all," she sighs. "Vanessa and her grandaughter can suck it,"
"Is Vanessa a member of your pack?"
"She's my partner at the law firm and our former beta," she shakes her head. "And all she talks about is her granddaughter. That's all she talks about. Ayrie is way cuter,"
I don't know what this feeling is. This is the first time I share the twins like this with someone who is as equally enthusiastic as I am. She is eating up every bit of information I am giving her and taking in all the pictures. This is how the kids find us. Sitting in the closet swooning over their pictures. Aizen sits on her lap and Ayrie sits on mine and we all laugh at the stories behind the pictures.
Knightly isn't back the next morning and the phone starts going off as early as six a.m. By the time the twins require my attention, I am knee-deep in work already. Cevin is covering at the office while I try to get what can be handled over the phone out of the way.
"Good morning," Maria appears and sees my mess.
"Grandma," the twins shout and run to her.
"You're busy,"
"No, I've just been getting the easier stuff at the office out of the way," I shut my laptop.
"Do you always look this glamorous?" she looks me over.
"This is casual," I laugh. I'm not even wearing makeup. She's really good at trying to get her son what he wants. Because that made my morning a little brighter.
"If you like, I can take the kids off your hands for a few hours. I would like to take them shopping,"
"Yes," Ayrie jumps up and down.
"Is that safe?"
"Yes, I might look cute and cuddly but I was born and raised a fighter and we will have guards. Tessa will come with us,"
"I don't-"
"You would probably be able to go into the office. Get some extra work done. And you'll be doing me a favor,"
"That's not how this works," I laugh.
"The look on Vanessa's face when she sees my two grandbabies begs to differ," she says twirling one of Ayrie's pigtails in her finger.
"I-" it's too soon for me. It was different yesterday. I was only gone a couple of hours.
"Mom?" we all turn our attention to the door to see Knightly standing there.
"Daddy!" Ayrie screams and runs to him. He laughs and crouches to catch her when she jumps into his arms. She got comfortable with him so fast.
"Hi, pretty girl," he holds her to him. When he looks up at Aizen, my son just waves at him awkwardly.
"Where were you, D.A.D. I misses you," she pokes his cheek.
"I had to work some things out. I missed you too," he looks back at Aizen. "Both of you. What's going on?"
"Phoebe was about to try and talk me out of taking the kids off her hands so she can get some work done," Maria doesn't hold back.
Did you feel that back there? That small bump, that was me under the bus wheels. So much for hyping me up, Maria.
"I can't," I say pulling Aizen to me.
"They'll be safe with my mom," he says standing with Ayrie in his arms.
"That's not the problem. I'm sure she can, but after what happened with their nanny. I'm not ready to let them out of my sight for so long,"
"Oh," she says rubbing my arm. "Then we won't go anywhere. I'm sure we can find something to do here, right?"
"No shopping?" Ayrie asks disappointedly.
"Not today, baby," I shake my head.
"I'm hungry," Aizen says looking up at me.
"Breakfast," Maria tries to lessen the tension. "Then we figure out what to do,"
End of Toxic Rose Thorns Chapter 24. Continue reading Chapter 25 or return to Toxic Rose Thorns book page.