To protect what’s mine Chapter 52

“She is going to be trouble when she grows up,” Uncle Mike laughs.

“She wouldn’t be such a handful if people stopped teaching her bad habits,” I growl. I don’t want to think about my baby growing up. I want to remain young and free for a long time.

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” James laughed as he waked up to us.

I gave him a glare as I wonder why he has joined us. I could feel Cal chuckle at me. I sink farther into his lap. It was nice to be able to sit with the Cal, James, and Mike. I watched Mark and Sam play with Rose on the equipment.

“How did this morning go?” I ask, my eyes tracking Rose as she ran across the bridge. I smiled as I watched her.

“Vickie would like to meet you,” Cal whispers to me.

“What?” I ask, coming to a stop. I look up at him.

“Nothing bad. She barged into our office earlier and demanded to meet you as she brought you flowers. She is the owner of the flower shop here in town. She helped Rose and Mark create your flower bouquet,” he told me. Cal placed a kiss on the top of my head, trying to sooth my anxiety.

I thought about my flowers. They were proudly displayed on the dining room table this morning as we ate breakfast. Uncle William must have brought them home last night from the hospital. I tried to remember a Vickie, but my mind came up with a blank.

“Nosy,” James huffs with a smile.

“She is, but according to her and Mark, she has been waiting since they came to the shop, to announce that she knows we have our Luna,” Cal agrees.

Wow, things got more real. There were pack members that knew the twins had found me and now wanted to meet me.

“She’ll love you,” Cal whispers to me. He must have felt my anxiety growing.

“Well, let’s eat as we wait for my mate to show up,” Mike laughs as she starts to wheel himself away. He headed towards the picnic tables under the gazebo.

I can tell that he was trying to distract me from my thoughts. It was working. James got up and took of running with my crutches. Cal picked me up and stood from his spot. He started to follow.

“You know that I am perfectly capable of walking on my own right?” I laugh as I wrap my arms around is neck.

“I know, but I want to carry you,” he smiles down at me.

I smile softly back and nuzzle into his arms. It was nice to be thought of and taken care of. He was being sweet to try and comfort me to relieve my anxiety about tonight. Cal sat me on the bench at the table. Uncle Mike is parked at the head of table and is unpacking the picnic basket that Sam had to carry on our way here.

“Mommy! You see!” Rose asked as she climbed onto the bench beside me.

“I did. Are you having fun?” I ask her as I shift her onto my lap.

“Uh-uh, daddy silly,” she laughs as she smiles.

“I know, he has always been silly,” I say with a smile as I make eye contact with him.

He offers me a smirk. Mark gives me a quick kiss on my lips before he settles in across from us. He goes to reach for a sandwich, but he receives a smack to his hands.

“Wait,” Mike scolds. He continues to unpack the basket, not even looking up. With his attention drawn to the food, he doesn’t notice Rose.

I wrap my arms tightly around her as I feel her gasp and go ridged. “It’s alright baby. He’s not going to hurt you,” I try to sooth.

Uncle Mike looks up quickly from what he was doing. His eyes go wide. “Goddess, I didn’t even think. Oh Rosebud, I was just messing with your dad. I didn’t mean to scar you,” he tells her. Mike reaches out to rub her arm.

Rose, still being scarred, shies away from his hand. She let’s out a little whimper as she turns in my lap. Rose buries her head into my chest to escape the world.

“Shh, it’s alright,” I tell her as I start to rub her back in small, soothing circles.

“I’m alright Rosebud,” Mark says as he sits beside us. He had abandoned his seat on the the other side of the table. He attempted to rub his hand over her back.

Rose shied away from his touch. She let out a whimper as she tried to burrow further into me.

“Shh,” I soothingly state, I don’t stop running my hand over her back. I notice the hurt look on Mark’s face. “She’s not used to anyone else soothing her,” I tell him. I know that it won’t fix the hurt he’s feeling, but he should be able to understand better.

Cal nods his head shakily. I can see it in his eyes that he wants to help, but is unsure of how to help.

Goddess, I wish I could mind link him to give him pointers without Rosebud hearing. “Talk to her,” I whisper to him.

“Princess, can you talk to us?” Cal asks as he sits on my other side. He doesn’t try to touch Rose.

“He hurt daddy,” Rose whimpered, “he hurt me.”

“Rose, Uncle Mike was playing around. He didn’t hurt me,” Mark tried to explain.

“No, he hits,” she cried now.

“Rosebud, I swear that he won’t hurt you. He is nothing like Thomas,” I try to comfort.

It must not be very comforting as Rose starts to cry harder. My heart breaks a little more. My sweet pup should never have been afraid that she would be hurt next. Beren is growling up a storm and pacing in my head. She wants me to let her out so she can go rip Thomas and Marie apart.