(Candy POV)Well, that was an interesting way to introduce Jason to my grandmother.Leave it to Granny Apple, though; she does not do awkward. At her age, and with her spunk, there is no such thing as a taboo subject in her mind. She would rather you just lay it all out there and deal with it.So that is what we did. Or rather, what she did. Instead of letting me run --which I desperately wanted to do after seeing my mate get an obvious hard-on for his first mate-- Granny Nanny made me stay. Without Granny Nanny, I would have expected my insecurities to get in the way of a productive conversation with Jason, but Granny Apple was determined to not let that happen. After berating Jason, she turned to me. She told me that she had seen more than her fair share of penises, and that "an erection is a male body's natural reaction to stimuli" (yes, she really did use those words). She said I could no more blame a sex-starved man for "getting it up" than I could blame a man for farting o
(Jason POV)I went home on Tuesday a very happy man. Even my parents’ request that we sit down and talk about the visuals that Jake has been sending me did little to ruin my mood.On Wednesday, I decided to send Candy a bouquet of flowers. I did not know her address, so I sent them to her at work. Jake and I agreed that we wanted to avoid doing things the same way that we had done them with Cassie, so instead of sending a bouquet of traditional roses, we opted for a bouquet of pink and white rose lilies. I was surprised and a little disappointed when Candy did not text or call me after they were delivered, but I did not dwell on it. I just assumed that she was either really busy or her work schedule had changed.On Thursday, I knew Candy was planning to get off work at 5 o’clock in the afternoon. Based on that, I had originally planned to meet her at a restaurant nearby the boutique. However, she texted me Thursday morning to let me know that she was getting off of work a littl
(Cassie POV)I have been having the best time tonight hanging out with Granny Apple. We have been laughing and drinking and eating and telling stories the whole time Candy and Jason have been gone. I am practically ready to beg Granny Apple to adopt me. This woman has had so many experiences and lived so much life; I just cannot get enough.The best part of Granny Apple is that she isn’t just wise; she is a little crazy too. It’s a “fun” crazy… the kind where you may not always agree with the opinions the other person has, but you cannot help but enjoy them anyway. For example, she told me that all of the underwear in her closet is white because she refuses to wear colored underwear. She is convinced that the dyes in colored underwear will turn her vagina different colors, and “men don’t like a rainbow down below.” I do not even know how it would be possible to dye your vagina, but it entertains me to no end that Granny Apple seems to really believe it.A few times throughout t
(Candy POV)I very much appreciated how kind and gentle Jason was with me after I accidentally ate the shrimp at the restaurant. The walls around my heart cracked just a little seeing how concerned he was about me, and how protective he was when taking me to the hospital.I also appreciated that he had Alpha Aaron, Cassie, and Granny Apple meet us there. It was nice to see Jason try to anticipate what I would want and what would make me comfortable. It was a side of him that Cassie had never described, and it made me think there was an increasingly large possibility that maybe things could work out between us.Unfortunately, the small hope in my heart was dampened as soon as I saw Granny Apple's expression.You can always tell when Granny Apple is angry, because she becomes super serious, super polite, and she acts her age. Once you get to know her, seeing serious Granny Apple can be scary and unsettling to the core. Most people would much prefer her embarrassing intrusive questio
(Cassie POV)On Friday morning, I woke up excited to see my sister and baby Luke. I was grateful that they were coming for a visit; even though I had just seen them at Blake and Josephine's wedding, we did not get to spend much time together.Megan warned me ahead of their visit that Mike's grandfather, Albert, was driving all of them crazy. Mike was grateful that Albert had been able to come and help him get used to being an alpha... but it had now been several months. Mike was ready to take charge without Albert looking over his shoulder and second guessing his every decision. Albert, on the other hand, seemed to think Mike becoming alpha was an opportunity for Albert to "live his good ol' days" all over again.On top of that, as if it was possible, Albert was far more conservative than even my parents. If he was a human, he would be easily confused for the most militant military officer. He wore the same outfit every day, rotating between three colors of shirts and two colors
(Candy POV)What is worse than walking in on your parents doing… adult things? Having to listen to your beloved grandmother doing such things for almost an hour.I know I should have left much sooner than I did. We all should have. But it was like a traffic accident: you don’t want to look, but you do....Plus, I kept thinking that it would be over soon. Granny Apple is 79; Albert has to be at least that old if not a few years older. Do they really have the stamina to keep going like that, over and over? I know that they are werewolves, but good Goddess. Plus, don’t they hate each other? That was hardly the most romantic introduction. Maybe I could see going multiple rounds in your 80s with someone you desperately love… but someone that you seem to hate?Sigh. What do I know. I’ve only done all of the “adult things” with one person, on one night over a year ago. At least Granny Apple gives me some hope for my future. If Granny Apple can still enjoy “adult things” at her
(Jason POV)My heart ached as I followed Candy silently to her apartment door. A part of me told me that we should not go inside, and that it was better that we leave immediately and let the authorities sort out whatever awaited Candy inside. A bigger part of me told me that Candy would never let that happen. Whatever was going on with her was embarrassing and personal… and big… and I needed to not impose my will on the situation until I knew exactly what we were dealing with.I did silently promise my wolf, however, that we were not going to go another 24 hours without finding out. Candy is my mate, and the secrets would end tonight.When Candy unlocked her apartment door, I breathed a sigh of relief. At first glance, it looked like nothing inside had been disturbed.I watched as Candy grabbed a couple of suitcases, and I watched as she began filling them as quickly as she could. I asked Candy if there was anything that I could do to help, but she did not respond to me.I decid
(Jason POV)After we left Candy’s apartment, I headed directly to Alpha Ryan’s pack. Candy realized right away that we were not heading towards Blue Moon, and she seemed to panic.“Where are we going?” she asked.“To River Bend, Alpha Ryan’s pack.”“Why?”“Because Alpha Ryan is one of the most powerful wolves on the werewolf council, and he maintains the highest level of security possible. Getting in there is like breaking in to Fort Knox. If someone is following you… following us… they will have a very hard time getting in there. It isn’t very far away from here, and it will be a good place for us to talk things out.”“If the pack is so secure, how are we going to get in?”It was a fair question. After the spectacle I made of myself at Cassie’s sister’s wedding, I could hardly count Alpha Ryan as a friend. If anything, Alpha Ryan probably hated me because of what happened and because Aaron hated me; the two of them had become decent pals in the months I had been away.“I asked