My three am alarm rings. I press the five-minute snooze button. If we leave now, we can make it on time at 11. I know this, but it's too early. Five minutes later, the alarm rings again, and I'm tempted to press the snooze button again before I hear someone walk into the room. "I'm not trying to hear that damn alarm again. Get up," Jason's voice rings in my ear. I throw the covers over my face and ignore him. I quickly feel a cold breeze. "Don't fuck with me, Soren. Get up, let's go." I roll my eyes. "Somebody clearly woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Jason growls before forcing me out of bed. "Let's get this shit over with," he storms out of the room. "Saiya isn't going to like that attitude!" I slightly raise my voice, knowing Jason will still be able to hear despite his hasty escape.
I trudge out of bed and grab my dirty clothes. I put them in my bag and walked outside. I hear the car chirp as it unlocks. Much to my surprise, I see Trevor walking out in nothing but his pajamas. "Where are you going?" I ask him. I quickly receive a growl. What the hell is going on with these guys? "Wolves are not morning creatures, so pardon the attitude you will be receiving." He walks out and hops into the backseat of the car. No wonder why Jason is always mad. We have to wake up incredibly early every day and go to sleep late. There's no way that's okay for a werewolf. I have a feeling that a lot of that sleep deprivation is going to get to him as he gets more in tune with his wolf. He probably hasn't been feeling the effects as strongly because he has suppressed his wolf for so long. "That's fine. Just don't expect me to lie down and take it," I hop into the passenger seat, and Jason slams his door shut before starting the car.
I guess Trevor is coming with. Clearly, I failed to get the memo. I immediately go back to sleep and let Jason take the wheel. Before I do, I set an alarm to ring in four hours.
—
Everything is groggy as I open my eyes and turn off my alarm. When I look out the window, I see that we are at a gas station. I check the time to see that it's a little past seven. I wipe my face and hop into the driver's seat. Jason comes out of the gas station looking like shit. There's no way that he can show up looking like that. He finishes pumping the gas before he gets into the passenger seat. He cocks me a brow. "Get some sleep. You don't want to be an asshole today," No other words are exchanged between us. Before we arrived at the bakery for cake testing, I made a few pit stops. I pick up some fast food, which the guys quickly devour, and then drive past the bakery to stop at my house. "Take a shower and look presentable," I tell Jason before I also get ready. I have a modest house. A classic three-bedroom and three bathroom. My house is the perfect size for somebody living alone.
The three of us take showers at the same time. I put on some sweats, a crop top, and a light jacket. The boys come out of their separate rooms in a towel. "We don't have any clothes." Oh, right. I forgot about that. How the tides have turned. "You're both are more bulkier than Luke, but you should be able to fit some of his looser things. Why did you decide to tag along without packing a bag?" I ask Trevor. "Jason said he'd buy me new clothes." Of course he did. "Luke's clothes are mixed with mine. Dig in the closet and see what fits best."
"You have a boyfriend?" Trevor asks. I plop on my bed. "No,"
"Why are his clothes with yours?" Jason asks with genuine curiosity. "He sleeps over from time to time. The occasions are rare, but he insists on my house being his as well. He has a spare key and knows where everything is. He can come over whenever he wants."
"And this guy isn't your boyfriend?" Trevor questions. "The answer remains the same. He's my best friend."
A few minutes later, the guys come out in clothes that are a tad too tight. Trevor has on some joggers that leave breathable room for his private parts, and an oversized sweater. Jason wears a white shirt that looks much too tight for his arms. Unlike Trevor's pants, his leave barely any room. "Now I see why he isn't your boyfriend. He clearly isn't packing in that area," Trevor laughs. I roll my eyes at the boyish behavior. "Sorry, not everybody can have a supernatural dick. Besides, Luke isn't at all on the small side," I walk past them and into the kitchen. "How would you know?" Jason asks suspiciously. "A drunken night mixed with curiosity. What a night. A lot of interesting things were done to my body that night. Kinky and fun," I grab an apple from the fridge. Trevor looks at me with what I can only make out to be surprise and a hint of pride. Jason, not so much. I can't really tell what kind of face he is making. "I didn't think you'd like it from the back?" He says, making Trevor laugh. "You think about it?" I question. "I didn't mean it literally,"
"You've got to get going to Saiya. See you," I wave and wait for him to leave. "Actually, you're coming with. There's a family gathering afterward, and you said you'd make it to them when you're available."
"I don't know if you remember us ditching work for this mini trip. We can't afford a family gathering right now."
"Haven't you ever thought that this is the reason that you're so estranged from them?"
"Excuse me?" I say defensively. "You make it sound like being with your family is something that wastes your time. I made time to be with Saiya, that's why I have someone and you don't," I can't help but scoff. You've got to be joking. "If you don't go, you're going to hurt Saiya." His tone shows his dislike of her unhappiness. Right, it's always about her. "Wow, do you seriously not get it? I made time for you! You're the person I pushed my work aside for and you're seriously giving me shit about not doing it again? You ungrateful son of a bitch! You don't get to give me shit about my family. You don't know anything about them or me. Don't project your feelings about your lack of family on me. Fuck you," I push past him, out of the house, and get into the driver's seat. I need to pick up my car, and we left it at the job. I don't want to bug Luke because I want to be petty. Jason and Trevor return to their previous positions in the car.
"If you can make time for me, then why can't you make time for them?" I'm not having this conversation with him. "Do me a favor, and stop fucking talking," The engine roars and I take off. Jason loudly growls, obviously not liking the blatant disrespect. I see Trevor tense up in the mirror. "Watch it," Jason warns me. "Or what? You're going to bite me? Oh, wait, you already did, and I have to live with this cursed fucking mark for god knows how long because of it! You watch it. How dare you try to guilt-trip me and make me being single sound like a bad thing?! Sorry, not everybody wants a thousand kids and a white picket fence, Jason. Just when I thought you couldn't be any more of an asshole. I'm dropping you off and then going back for my car. Trevor will drive back and wait for you. I'm done."
"I was trying to make you see your mistakes. I was trying to help you. You clearly want to be closer to them, but you keep pulling shit like this! I may not know much about your family, but I do know that they've heard plenty of your excuses. I'm the CEO of the damned place, and I make time!" It's taking everything in me not to run this car off the road in a way that would make Jason experience the most severe impact. "Good for fucking you. I'm not Saiya, okay? I'm not some sweet girl who is going to drop everything the moment she hears the word family. I raised them and took care of them. I did my part, so don't you dare try to make it sound as if I don't do anything for them. One thing you're going to learn about your new family is that they're fucking snakes. Of course, you'd see them as the victims here. You don't even know the half of it. I don't give a fuck if you're marrying my sister, mind your damn business. Don't make me regret helping you, Jason."
Nothing else is said as I drive to the bakery. I check the time and see that we are thirty minutes late. "Soren I-" I hold up a hand to stop Jason. "Don't, just get out." Before anything can happen, I hear a knock on the window door. I turn and see my mom. "Yippy," I sarcastically say. I roll down the window and give her a tight smile. "Hey, Mom," Her smile isn't bright and warm. She looks confused and almost...mad? "Hey, what are you doing here?" she asks. "I'm dropping Jason off, and then I'm going to go get my car?"
"Where is it?" I make up a quick lie so that I don't have to explain my sudden disappearance with Jason. "It's at the shop. I should get going," Jason leaves the car and kisses my mom on the cheek. "Good morning," Mom's smile becomes genuine as she admires Jason. "Actually, Soren, can we have a talk?" She only looks at me after she has finished the sentence. "Maybe over the phone. I've really got to get going. Oh, and just a heads up, I won't be at the family gathering afterward. Too last minute,"
"Now. It will only take a minute." I give an exasperated sigh before I walk out of the car. She pulls me to the side of the building, away from the others. "What are you doing?" Her tone is demanding and aggressive. "What do you mean?"
"Why are you dropping Jason off? Was he late because he was with you?"
"What are you insinuating?" I defensively ask while dodging her question. "I told you to figure out what you feel for Jason before it's too late. They're already organizing the wedding. All of this money cannot go down the drain because of you." Her words almost shock me. Almost. "Wow, so you want me here, but never when it inconveniences you,"
"I'm not saying that. I'm saying that you have to control yourself. You can't go any further with this. Saiya really loves him. The way she was talking to me about him this morning…at first I thought that this was a bit rushed for a girl her age, but she's in love with him, Soren. I want you to find happiness, but it can't be with him, not anymore. Everything has been scheduled, you can't ruin this." She stresses her point. Her eyes go from demanding to pleading. "Dad loved you, but you cheated on him. You don't get to lecture me with your hypocrisy just because your unfaithful actions led to a happy ending. Why did you even want me to come back? I left for this exact reason. Your life is perfect without me," I brush past her and go back to the car. "Soren-" Mom shouts after me. I ignore her and keep moving forward. The only thing that stops me is the bundle of blonde hair that comes jogging toward me.
"Soren, you're here?" Jason walks behind Saiya as she stops in front of me. "Yeah, he needed a ride," I say in a hurry, trying to get to the car. "He needed a ride in his car?" I huff, annoyed with my family and Jason. "Can you just get away from me?" I say, frustrated. Saiya is clearly taken aback. "Hey, don't be rude," Jason quickly comes to her rescue. I did not need these three tag-teaming me after coming from a 16-hour road trip, and half a day in the middle of nowhere. "Well, I was hoping that you could join Jason and me. Mom has to go, and we could use a third opinion." She hesitantly says, lacking her previous confidence. "I don't like cake," I open the car door, but my shoulder is shoved backward, which forces me to spin around. "Don't brush her aside," Jason angrily says. I slap his hand off my shoulder and glare at him. "Don't fucking touch me. I gave her an answer. It's not my fault that you two are incapable of taking no for an answer."
I'm so close to taking off, but Saiya notices Trevor. "Who is that?" She asks. For fuck's sake. "None of your business," I get into the car and close the door. "That's my uncle, Trevor," Jason says. I'm in the midst of pulling out, but once again, I'm interrupted. "He could be our tiebreaker," Saiya peps up. I bang my head against the wheel. "He can't, he needs to drive the car back, but maybe he can join when he returns." I don't wait for a reply as I step on the gas.
"That was-" I cut Trevor off as Jason and Saiya's bodies became distant figures. I released a breath I didn't know that I was holding. "What happened between you and your family?"
"Is being nosy also a werewolf thing?" Trevor chuckles. "No, it's a natural thing. Why do you hate them so much?"
"I don't hate them," Trevor scoffs. "You kidding? According to you, they're snakes who victimize themselves and gaslight others," I never said that…did I? "I don't hate them. I just wish that they could be more honest with themselves and see that they're not the most caring and selfless people that they claim to be."
"Whatever you say, sweetheart," The nickname instantly pisses me off. "Don't call me that," I say, and Trevor sits back and sprawls his legs with a grin.
—
I wake up from my sleep and rub my eyes. I feel drained. I can't even imagine the workload that I have back at the job. I still have to schedule a meeting with the beach owners for our summer line. I also have to prepare for the board meeting we have in a few days. I look at my phone and see a text from a random number. I don't have to read the text to know that it's from Keith. 'Tik tok. I need an answer by the end of the day.' I drop my phone and roll on my side. Did I want to continue to help Jason? He clearly doesn't care about my efforts in the long run. No matter how much I help, it will always be Saiya. He will always take her side. But you're doing this for her. You're doing this for their happy ending. None of this was supposed to benefit you anyway. I remind myself. I grab my phone and send Keith a quick text. 'Let's do it.' His reply is immediate. 'Meet me before work in the morning. Don't make me have to come to you,'
I send a rolling eye emoji. 'We wouldn't want that, now would we? Btw, I need a way to contact you throughout all of this, so the whole number deletion thing, don't call me, I'll call you, business needs to end.'
'Making demands already, are we?'
'You need to know who you're working with,'
'Fine, I'll send you a text through an alternate number. Make sure to delete everything after every text,'
'Yeah, yeah, I got the gist,' The number quickly deletes itself, and I receive a text from an alternate number. 'Put hearts around my name,' the text reads. 'Why?'
'We're a couple. Not just to your boss, but also to my parents. That's what couples do,'
'Do your parents know about your little hustle?'
'Nothing about me or this job is little, and no. They think I'm a private investigator,'
'That's one way to put it. So, what's happening first? Am I meeting your parents first or going undercover?'
'Both. I've already been initiated into the gang. All I need to do is 'bring my girl.' They're having a gathering two days from now, so no more going out of town for you.'
'Thank you for that. The free intel on Trevor was generous,'
'That wasn't out of kindness. It was insurance,'
'Right, what should I wear?'
'Anything black. This mission also comes with a side mission. The employer needs us to make sure their little sister doesn't get caught up in the crossfire when shit hits the fan. We need to get her to separate herself from the gang. That's also part of your job. Gang members are loyal to each other. She's not going to willingly betray them. According to the client, she's been riding with them for a little over two years now,'
You've got to be kidding me.
'Why do I have a feeling that this mission is going to get a lot more complicated?'
'Because it is. This is no light matter, but I believe that you can handle it,' He sends a winking emoji.
'That makes one of us,'
'You're going to need a lot more confidence in yourself. Self-defense classes start tomorrow at eight pm. I'm sending you the address. Before you say that you don't have time, make time. I'll see you tomorrow. Delete all messages.' He gives me one final reminder before he stops texting. I do as he says, and our messages are erased. I open my computer and get to work. If I am going to make time for this spy business, I need all of the free time I can get. I make haste to make the lengthy PowerPoint for our board meeting. I quickly message the other departments about their projects and get the statistics.
—
It isn't long before I get a call from one of my brothers. I answer Damien's call and continue to type. "Where are you?" He asks. "I'm at home,"
"Jason said he told you about the family gathering today,"
"He clearly forgot the part where I said that I wasn't going. I've got a lot on my plate right now and don't have time-" he quickly cuts me off. "-for your family. Right, got it. What happened to making an effort?" His voice rises, and I can hear the anger and disappointment. "I am making an effort, but I also said that the company is really busy. I said that I would put more work into not avoiding you guys. I'm not avoiding you, it's just circumstance." Damien sucks his teeth and chuckles, but there's no humor in his voice. "Then why the hell is your boss and his uncle here, yet you can't be?"
"First of all, Trevor has no responsibilities, and second, Jason and I have different tasks." I mistakenly type what I'm saying and grunt in frustration. "Look, I'm not going, end of story. I really have to finish this, so-" I don't get a chance to finish as Damien hangs up on me. I brush it off and furiously type.
—
Nearly an hour later, I heard my doorbell ring. The only person who rings that bell is Luke- despite him having a key- or a delivery guy. I didn't ask either of the two to come over. I finish up my last slide and get up. Whoever this is spams the doorbell, and it quickly ticks me off. I look in the peephole and see…my family? Mom, Dylan, Saiya, Jason, all of my brothers and their lovers, and Hayley. I'm tempted to ignore them, but the exasperating ringing makes me give in. I open the door with an attitude. "What?" I say, annoyed. Damien and the others brush past me. "If you can't come to us, then we will come to you," He smirks as if this idea is genius. "How did you even get my address?" I made sure none of them had it so that my house could be a safe zone. "Jason told us," Saiya says as she passes by. I give him a glare that he returns with a smug look. "My house isn't big enough for you all," I try to convince them to leave.
"We'll make it work," Brandon says, dismissing my worries. The doorbell rings again, and I can't help but whimper. More people? I look into the peephole and see…Keith? What the fuck is going on? I open the door and give him a bewildered look. "I decided that it would be easier to talk now than in the morning,"
"You could've texted me! How did you get my address?" Keith gives me a look, and I remember who he is. "Right, what was I thinking," He pushes past me and into the house. "Great, the family is here. This is the perfect time to introduce me," Keith smiles. Evelyn, Brandon's girl, is the first to notice Keith. She whispers to Brandon. "You're supposed to introduce me to your family, not the other way around." I hush-yell at him. With two werewolves in the room, I make sure to keep our voices lowered and hope that my noisy family covers our words. "My parents are going to want to meet yours," he nonchalantly says. "Wait, how long is this going to last?" I question. "Until the mission is over. I'll tell them we broke up."
"What's the point of giving them momentary happiness?"
"The thing with family is that you have to do whatever you can to stop them from being annoying for some time so that you can live your life. It's like throwing a dog a toy. It'll get tired of it eventually, but it keeps them preoccupied." If Keith, of all people, is willing to make such an effort for his family, then what does that say about me? You're helping your werewolf boss figure out his past by making a deal with a hitman/private worker and going on a dangerous mission. All so that said werewolf boss can marry your sister with a clear conscience. You're doing more than enough.
"Who is this?" Dylan asks. "I'm Keith, Soren's boyfriend," Keith smiles and lifts his hand for Dylan to shake. Everybody is clearly taken by surprise. I tiredly sigh. "Yep, my very annoying boyfriend who appears without warning," Keith wraps his arm around me and kisses my cheek. "My apologies, I thought you'd like the surprise." I hate surprises. "That seems to be the theme of the evening," I roll my eyes. "Give the poor guy a break. I'm sure he rarely sees you," Aaron says. "You're right. I see her once in a blue moon. We're both busy people, but I have a feeling that we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other." Keith moves his hand from my shoulder to my hips and draws me in closer. "Great, you're already bonding. I'll be in my room. If you need me, don't," I shrug Keith away, but he doesn't let me leave.
He kisses my neck, which makes me flinch. "But I came for you. Don't be mad," He hugs me from behind and kisses my head. "I'm sure that you can take a break from work," Evelyn says. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to rein in my annoyance. "Don't blame me if the private beach isn't ready for your summer line," I open my eyes and tell Jason. A wide infectious smile spreads across his face. "I expect your job to be done as flawlessly as it usually is. No errors allowed." Any form of a smile that was about to appear on my face disappears, and I flip him off.
Half of my family sits on the couch, and the other half gathers around on the floor with pillows underneath them. "So, aside from work, what have you been up to?" Chelsea asks. Saiya laughs. "She doesn't have a life outside of work." I can't argue with that, but lately my life has been a bit too adventurous. "It's been turbulence. My boss is an ungrateful asshole, his uncle is a smug brat, I was dragged through a forest against my will by a freakish child, before getting with Keith, I had a one-night stand with the CEO of our rival company, and I'm about to meet Keith's parents and very troubled friends," I vaguely sum up these past events. "Don't be a smartass," Jason says. "I'll stop being a smartass when you stop being an ass." I smile at him. "Our uptight sister had a one-night stand?" Brandon dramatically says.
I roll my eyes at his childish behavior. "Are we going to disregard the freakish child part?" Diana, Damien's woman, says. "Trust, you don't want to know more about the freakish child," Trevor says. Diana looks confused, but lets it go. "I want to know more about the freakish child!" Hayley shouts. "By the way, what's a one-night stand?" She tilts her head in confusion. "Too young," Diana says. Hayley pouts. "How did you two meet?" Mom says suspiciously. "Mutual connections," I quickly reply. It isn't a lie.
"How do you feel about meeting his parents? I know that I was nervous to meet yours," Chelsea says. "I feel fairly confident about it, but Keith hasn't told me much about them,"
"You're better off seeing them for yourself, trust me. They're very hardcore," I cock a brow. He pecks me on the lips, and it takes everything in me not to tense up. "They're going to love you and the spice that comes with a bitch," His comment has the family laughing. "Have you guys met the girls' side of the family?" I ask, referring to the guys. A multitude of expressions show on their faces. "They're just lovely," Damien says, giving me a tight smile. I guess they didn't like a 17-year-old knocking up their teenage daughter. Diana rolls her eyes. "They love you, they just like to tease." Damien gives her an incredulous look.
"Well, Chelsea's parents are actually very sweet," Aaron says while giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Evelyn's parents are…a lot. They're good people, but…a lot," Brandon carefully treads around his choice of words. "Speaking of which, when are we seeing them again?" Dylan asks. "Well, we were planning on having both sides of our family meet sometime next month," Brandon says. A gathering where I not only have to deal with my family but also three others? Hell no. "I'll see them at the wedding," I say. Everybody gives me a look. "Oh, give me a break. You guys are challenging enough. I need this in small doses, not a bombardment of strangers. And at the wedding, everybody's attention will be shifted to Jason and Saiya."
"You're always looking for a way out, huh?" Trevor says. "Yes, I am. Besides, I have a feeling that Jason, Trevor, Keith, and I will be very busy."
"Oh, right. Your summer line is coming out next month," Saiya says to Jason. "Yes, and our new project will also be taking a toll on us around that time. I also have to get Trevor adjusted," Jason responds. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Dylan says.
We spend the rest of the night trading love stories and relationship experiences. It's times like these that I forget what a raging bitch my family can be.