Family, page 1
part #4 of Five Fangs Series
Family
Posy: Book Four
Mary Ann Weir
Copyright © 2023 Mary Ann Weir
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN-13: 9781234567890
ISBN-10: 1477123456
Cover design by: Art Painter
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
1: A Market … for Fleas?
2: Making Art
3: The Alpha Library
4: Daddy’s Little Girl
5: Adventure Time!
6: Wildflower Prince
7: County Fair
8: Made for Me
9: Twenty Questions
10: The Everleighs
11: You’re My Grandma?
12: Intervention
13: Coronation
14: More Secrets, Lark?
15: Burnt Oil Man
18: Bedtime Cuddles
19: Bad News, Good News, Best News
20: Dammit!
Interview with the Characters
End of Book Four
Books In This Series
1: A Market … for Fleas?
Posy
After kissing my other mates goodbye, I held Mason's hand as he led me out to his new truck.
That's right. After Garnet destroyed his truck's interior during the parasite incident, Mason bought a brand-new one. It was almost exactly the same as his other truck, which could have been repaired, according to Wyatt, but Jayden said Mason wanted an excuse to make Cole buy him a new one, and that was that.
Since their personal money was in a joint account, I didn't really see how it mattered much, but I didn't care to get involved and let them solve stuff like that amongst themselves.
"Can I help you get in?" Mason asked after watching me jump around for a bit.
"I guess you'll have to if we're going to leave anytime soon. If Ash would have made me that kissing box, I could use it as a stepping stone to get in these massive vehicles."
Chuckling, he put his hands on my waist and lifted me, then made sure I was properly buckled before closing my door and trotting around to his side. Once he was in and also buckled, he looked at me as he started the engine.
"Kissing box, huh? What's that story?"
So I told him about my second day here and the conversation with Ash that led to the kissing box, and Mason laughed.
"How is he so tall, anyway?" I asked. "Even with my limited knowledge of the outside world, I can tell six foot ten isn't a normal height."
"Some people grow that tall, and some people stay as short as you." He glanced at me with a smirk, and I stuck my tongue out at him. "Before he got his wolf, Uncle Jay and Aunt Denise took him to a human doctor to make sure, but he doesn't have gigantism. He's just a really tall guy."
"Gigantism? I guess it means being a giant?"
"Oh. Yeah. So, if your body makes too much of a growth hormone, it makes you grow faster than normal and keep growing, but it can be treated if it's caught when a kid is young enough."
"I like how you explain things so I can understand them," I told him.
"Thank you. I like explaining things to you. I like talking to you in general. Before we found you, I didn't talk much to anyone except my family," he admitted. "And even then, not so much. I told you before, after Willow died, I shut out a lot of people."
"I'm glad that's changing," I told him gently.
"Me, too. I'm— I'm happy, Posy."
And I grinned, glad to know that. I sent him a blast of love through the mate bond, and he sent one back.
"It's a little early for dinner, I guess," he said as he drove. "Should we kill some time first?"
"Well, we missed lunch, so I could eat. What about you?" I asked, then remembered who I was talking to and face-palmed.
My boys could always eat.
"Sure. I'm taking you to Roger's Diner, since you asked to go there the other day. Is that fine?"
Bouncing in my seat, I clapped my hands.
"Oh, yes! I'm so happy! They really did have the best chicken tenders I've ever tried, not that I've tried that many," I admitted.
"Then Roger's chicken tenders you shall have, my little flower."
Reaching across the seat, he took my hand in his and kissed my knuckles before he had to look back at the road.
"Do you have time for this?" I asked. "I know how busy you all are as alphas of such a huge pack."
"Even if I didn't, I'd make time. Luckily, though, I'm all yours from now until tomorrow at one."
"What happens at one?"
"I hand you off to your next date and the surprises that come with it." He grinned when my jaw dropped. "Surely you realized my brothers each planned a date with you, too."
I shook my head, feeling dumb that I hadn't.
"Would you like to see a movie after dinner?" he asked. "Wait. Have you ever gone to the movies before?"
"No. There wasn't a theater in Green River, and Alpha Briggs didn't let Mom take us off pack territory."
"Okay, now we're definitely going," he declared. "I can check what's playing, but I think the independent theater is showing the latest in that dinosaur series we watched. Are you interested in seeing it?"
"Yes! They're good, even though I have to close my eyes a lot," I joked, which made him laugh.
Coming to a stop, Mason shut off the engine and jumped out, and I was surprised to see that we were already at the diner. My mate opened my door, unbuckled me, and helped me down.
"I'll look up when the next showing starts once we sit down," he said as he led me into the diner.
The sign said, 'Please seat yourself,' so we found a booth in the back corner and grabbed menus from the holder at the end of the table.
"Are you getting anything else besides chicken tenders?" Mason asked me as he skimmed the menu.
"The onion rings were also tasty, but I couldn't eat all of them. Do you want to help me if I can't finish them?"
"I know I'm not Ash or Wyatt to fight over your leftovers, but I think I could manage to choke down a few extra onion rings." He rolled his eyes and I giggled.
"What are you getting? Do you have a favorite order, or do you like to try something new each time?"
"I usually get a double cheeseburger with bacon and French fries," he told me, and I treasured even that small fact about him.
My other mates didn't hesitate to share little details about themselves with me, but Mason was a much more private person. He probably didn't even realize how closed off he was, which is why I hoarded each and every detail he revealed.
A waiter came over and politely introduced himself, then took our orders. As we were waiting for our dinner, I asked Mason if I could talk to him about something important.
"Anything, Posy. Any time. We'll always listen to you. I'll always listen to you. Is something wrong?"
I bit my bottom lip as I considered how to bring this up, then decided to just say it.
"Not with me, but with Lark. I need to tell you now while she's asleep. She's, uh, been feeling a little, um, left out."
"Did our wolves stop talking to her?" His brows came down in a fierce frown. "Garnet says they haven't, but—"
"Oh, no, she talks to them all the time." I giggled. "Did you know they wake up in the night sometimes and play together? They were up before dawn playing tag the other morning! And sometimes ... friskier ... activities, which is why we sometimes wake up tired."
I blushed as I said that last part.
"I can't believe you sleep through it every time," he muttered, also blushing. "Then again, Ash usually does, too. The rest of us at least wake up enough to see what's going on before falling back to sleep. Anyway, what is making her feel left out? Her relationship with her wolves is solid."
"She sees how your wolves interact with me, and she would like to have that with you guys, too. I told her that she needs to reach out, but she's nervous about it. As you said, she's solid with her wolves, but is convinced their human halves aren't interested in her."
"Oh." He blinked a few times. "Why wouldn't we be?"
"She doesn't really know how to interact with humans other than me. She figured out her relationship with your wolves mostly on instinct, but humans are more complicated. And she’s scared."
"We told her when we first met her we were enjoying getting to know her, and we talked to her a couple of other times since, but she always withdraws afterward." Mason tilted his head as he frowned in thought. "We figured she was overwhelmed, so we gave her space to feel safe. Maybe we shouldn't have."
He sighed heavily, then scratched the top of his head.
"We're acting on instinct here, too, Posy. Knowing she was badly abused, we don't want to scare or pressure her. What do you suggest?"
"Um, maybe sometime, you could ask her to shift? Tell her you miss her and want to pet her? She's never been cuddled, but I think she'd like it. It always makes her squeal when you guys cuddle me or I cuddle your wolves."
"I would absolutely love to cuddle her. Like Ash said, she's as small as a stuffed animal and cu
"She's hidden it from them." I swallowed hard as I thought of everything my wolfie had endured. "Lark has always tried to protect me, almost to an overwhelming degree. I think it's because my stepfather hurt me so badly the first time I shifted. What a welcome for her, huh? She spent her first four months healing me, so I guess it's no wonder she became overprotective."
Mason turned into a statue. I could feel the fury radiating off of him and hear Garnet's wild roars. With a soft sigh, I grabbed his hand and rubbed his knuckles against my cheek, knowing the touch and mate sparks would help him, and eventually he calmed down.
"Goddess, if there was ever anyone I regretted not torturing before I killed him, it's Kendall Briggs," he growled hoarsely, then vowed, "I will cuddle Lark every day if she wants me to."
I giggled a little, imagining the two of them having a time set aside for snuggles, like a child with a bedtime story at exactly eight o'clock.
"You don't have to go that far. She will be so excited if you give her even a few minutes of attention once in a while."
"My darling girl, that little wolf is about to be lavished with attention, now that we know she wants it." He drew our joined hands across the table and kissed the back of my hand. "She's never been cuddled?"
"No. You can be the first!" I smiled brightly, displaying my dimples.
"I'm honored." As he smiled, his eyes crinkled at the corners.
"I love your smile. It makes you even more handsome," I told him in case he didn't know.
Pink bloomed along his high cheekbones as he dipped his head and tucked his chin against his shoulder, and my heart fluttered at his unexpected bashfulness.
He's so adorable, I can't stand it! I squealed inside.
#
The movie was a fun experience. Mason bought popcorn, candy, and sodas, even though I was still stuffed from dinner, then we watched dinosaurs try to take over the world. There were several times I ended up hiding my face in his chest or neck, but he didn't mind. Far from it. He used each one of my scares to kiss me senseless.
Needless to say, by the time the movie was over, we were both ready to find somewhere more private. Our innocent snuggling had turned into something a lot more heated. Bundling me out of the theater and into his truck, he took me to a fancy-looking building, which he said was a hotel.
"I've never stayed in a hotel before!" I wiggled with excitement.
"That's why I rented a room, little flower," he said with a chuckle.
Carrying our overnight bags, he went to the front desk and checked us in, and then led me over to the bank of elevators. I've never ridden on one of those before, either, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. Mason seemed to know that, and he put both of our bags over one shoulder so he could hold my hand.
He went to an elevator separated from the others and swiped the plastic card the clerk had given him. The door slid open and I cautiously stepped inside, clinging to Mason's hand. He pushed the only button on the wall next to the door, and it lit up soft yellow. The doors closed and the elevator began to move, but it was so smooth, it felt like riding in his new truck. Before I knew it, the door was opening with a dull ping, and Mason was leading me into a small room that had only one other door.
"Why aren't there more doors?" I asked. "I thought there would be lots of rooms in a hotel. Not that I've ever been in one. That's just from what I've read in books."
"It's a penthouse suite. We're on the top floor, and this huge space is ours for the night."
He used that plastic card to unlock the door, then pushed it open and motioned me ahead of him. I walked in and saw what he meant. There was a big open area like our living room with high ceilings, two fireplaces, and giant windows. It was still light out enough for me to see a balcony full of furniture beyond the windows.
"Wow!" I gasped. "This place is amazing!"
"You haven't even gotten inside yet," Mason chuckled. "Go look around, little flower. The master bedroom is at the end of the hall. At least, that's what the desk clerk said when I asked." He scratched the back of his neck. "I've never been in a penthouse suite, either."
"Great! A first we're experiencing together, so it's not just me all the time." I grinned, then asked, "Do you think anyone can see us through these big windows? There aren't any curtains."
"Oh, baby, you don't need to worry. You can run around naked and no one will see but me," he teased me with half-lidded eyes that sparked the heat we'd been building between us since the lights turned off at the movie.
Squeaking, I ran down the hall, hoping he'd play and chase me. Hearing his heavy footsteps coming fast behind me, I sprinted for the master bedroom in a fit of giggles. I flung open the door and found a huge, beautiful bedroom done up in light gray. There was a big bed, but not nearly as big as ours, and a comfy-looking couch that was shaped weird, a desk with a plush chair, and side tables with fancy lamps.
I kept running and went through the door on the side of the room and discovered the bathroom. One glance and I skidded to a halt in amazement. Mason said a no-no word as he wrapped his arms around me and carried me with him a few steps until he could come to a stop.
"Sorry," I said as I gripped his shirt, "but look at that tub! It has little feet! And there's a separate room for the toilet and another one for the shower! That's crazy!"
He laughed as he swung me around in a circle, then carried me back into the bedroom, where he threw me on the bed.
Instead of bouncing as I expected, I sank into the squishy mattress and my eyes widened.
