Braxton’s POV
As I walk towards the back door of Tristan’s house, I am hit with a smell of burnt food. My brows scrunch up knowing that Addy is an amazing cook and I have never known her to burn anything.
I open the back door quietly and walk down the short hallway to the kitchen in long strides. I peep my head around and see Addy.
It looks like a flour bomb has gone off in the kitchen and there are burnt cookies and bowls of messed up looking batter on almost every surface of the kitchen countertops.
I watch her quietly as she pours ingredients into the bowl. I scowl as I notice she is putting in a large amount of salt into the bowl. She then lifts the oil and starts pouring it in when, I walk all the way into the room.
She still does not notice me, which she should have sensed me from the moment I walked in, so I know she is out of it now.
I reach over and grab her hand and keep her from pouring more salt in the bowl. She screams when she feels my hand on hers.
“Damn it Brax! You scared the shit out of me.”
I put the salt back down on the counter and walk around to her while she screams at me.
I smirk at her, “I was standing there for five minutes. The fact you never even sensed me tells me how out of it you really were.”
“I am not out of it; I am just busy.” She huffs.
“Busy with trying to burn down the house?” I ask, as I pick up a burnt cookie.
She rolls her eyes at me, and pushes me to the side while she starts mixing the batter she was working on when I walked in. “ I am making grief baskets for the warriors families. You know I always make baskets for their families, and for whatever reasons my stupid cookies keep coming out like crap.”
She takes her finger and dips it in the batter and puts it up to her mouth. I become entranced as she licks the batter from her finger, and for a moment I can’t help but think how good it would feel if it was my dick she was licking instead of her finger.
Oh, hell no, I can’t think like that, she’s my best friends sister.
I pull myself back out of my thoughts as I watch the scowl on her face, and she runs to the trashcan to spit it out.
I try to hold back my laugh as I watch her knowing good well, what she had done to the batter. She looks over at me and scowls at me and I can’t help but die into laughter more. She stomps over pissed.
“What the hell do you want Brax! I don’t have time to entertain you. I have shit to do and I have to get it all done. I still have to pack the baskets if I can ever get some damn cookies made and get these baskets to the families. So please tell me how I can serve you, Alpha.” She said with sarcasm dripping from her voice.
Oh man she’s pissed.
My smile fades and I look at her knowing it’s not anger but pain I see in her eyes.
“Addy, you don’t have to make the baskets.”
“Yes, I do. I always do. I always make grief baskets for the warriors’ families. My mom always did, and I have always done it since...since…we lost her” she mumbles the last part.
I watch as she shoves the bad batch aside and grabs another bowl to start a new batch. I walk behind her and grab her arm as she reaches for the flour. She doesn’t look back at me, and I continue to hold her wrist.
“What do you want Braxton?” she huffs.
“Addy, you can’t even focus. You have destroyed...”I look around the kitchen at the disaster, “ I don’t know how many batches already and right now, the last thing you need to do is try to do for others. You are grieving too Addy.”
“I am fine Braxton! The families need their baskets and I need to make their cookies and I need too..”
“Addy stop and look at me” I command in a stern voice as I turn her around.
I hold her head in between my hands, and I look down at her. “Addy, little moon, I know you are hurting. I can see…” before I can even finish she shoves me away from her and I see as tears pool in her eyes.
“I said I was fucking fine Braxton!”
“I was fine when my mother died 5 years ago, and I am fine now. I am a big fucking girl, and I don’t need someone coddling me because my parents are dead! They’re fucking dead!” she yells as tears start pouring down her face.
I snatch her to me and hold her against my chest. She tries pushing away from me, but I don’t let her. She starts beating my chest with her fist and scream.
“I need to get these baskets done. Let go of me!”
“No.” I respond curtly.
“Braxton let me go” I hear in the middle of a sob. “I have to be strong. I have to hold it together.”
“No Addy. You don’t. You don’t have to be strong all the time.” My heart is absolutely breaking as I feel her entire body start to shake with sobs. She is the strongest person I have ever known, but even the strongest weep.
“But I do, I have to be strong otherwise Tristan will be worried, and he won’t be able train like he needs to be Beta. I have to be strong...”
Oh, my sweet Addy. Even when she is completely breaking, she is thinking of everyone but herself.
I can feel Blaze pacing in my head, he is hurting for Addy too. He has been just as protective of her as I always have been.
“No Addy, you don’t. Let me be strong for you.” That’s when I feel her entire body give out. I hold her to my chest as I slowly sit us down on the kitchen floor. I hold her in my arms and let her cry into my chest.
We sit like that for an hour. She finally stops crying and just snuggles into my chest trying to calm herself.
My heart feels so full with her in my arms, and I can’t help but feel like this is how it should be. I am pushing my nose down into hair taking big whiffs of her scent.
Her scent has always been so amazing. I feel her lean off my chest and look up at me. I put my hands down over her cheeks, as I look down into her eyes.
“I’m sorry.” She mumbles
“Don’t be. I am glad I could be here for you.” I wipe the tears that are left on her cheek and get lost in her beautiful blue eyes.
I feel her breath fanning across my face and I lean my head down towards her as my lips ghost hers I hear the back door open, and we both quickly push away from each other.
Tristan walks in and sees us on the floor in the middle of the destroyed kitchen.
Tristan’s POV I am exhausted from training. Ever since dad died, I have taken over his job of teaching evening training. On top of everything else I am exhausted. As I walk up the back of the house, I can smell Braxton still here and…burnt cookies? What the hell? I walk in and see Addy and Brax on the floor. I see Addy’s tear-stained face and my anger goes through the roof. I swear to God if Brax hurt my little moon I will kill him. “What the fuck happened!?” I yelled as I marched towards them. Before Brax could even respond Addy jumps up and explains, “I may have destroyed 10 batches of cookies and had a complete and total meltdown and ruined Brax’s shirt with snot.” She looks down ashamed and is standing as though she is in trouble. I look from Addy’s tear-streaked face to Brax’s snot covered shirt and realization hits me. Shit. My best friend was here when I should have been. He held her and let her cry, when it should have been me. Damn it. “Oh little moon.”
Addy’s POV “Addy Wake up! It’s just a nightmare little moon!” I am woken up with Tristan shaking me in his arms. I look at him and I know I must have been screaming in my sleep. He looks down at me and wipes the tears from my face. I am looking around wildly trying to figure out where I am. I was stuck in my nightmare again. “Hey, little moon. Look at me.” Tristan grabs my face with both hands and looks me into the eyes. “Hey, you are safe, you are okay little moon. Talk to me, what was going on?” He wipes the tears that are still falling down my face. “Look at me Addy, you are safe. Do you hear me?” I look into his eyes and shake my head. “I am safe.” I respond weakly. “Addy, how long have you been having nightmares.” Tristan asks as he releases my face and pulls away a little bit so we can talk. “Since dad died.” I respond quietly. “What are you seeing in your nightmares?” He asks. “The moment I get taken away from dad,” I respond. I have never told anyone abo
Braxton’s POV I found an excuse to come over to Tristan’s and Addy’s house this morning. I kept telling myself not to, but I had to see her. I am now standing in the kitchen a little bit a way from Addy as Tristan makes his way upstairs. As soon as I hear him shut his bedroom door. I turn to Addy, taking a deep breath. I try to get out my words. I spent all morning trying to find the right words to say to her, so things aren’t awkward between us, but that is exactly what it is right now. Awkward. “Hey” I said softly. As I moved closer to her. “Hey” she whispers, I am not sure I would have even heard it if I didn’t have my werewolf hearing. I can see how tense her body is, and I know I am making her uncomfortable. I hate that. I look her body up and down. I can’t help but notice how sexy she is and think about how bad I want her. “Addy, I just wanted to say…umm…” She wouldn’t look at me, and I needed to see those beautiful blue eyes. I stepped closer to her and turne
Alpha Jack POVAs Tristan explained what Addy remembered I started to realize that we would not be able to withhold this information from him and Braxton much longer. They take over as Alpha and Beta next week. We always agreed we would wait until Addy turned 18 which is in six weeks, and they would all learn the truth. Maybe we needed to divulge a little bit more information before then though. I need to talk to Maria and Blake before I make this decision on my own. With Andrew gone, I am not sure how to keep Addy as safe unless the boys know. I stand up as Tristan finishes up his story and walk over placing my hand on his shoulder. I know it’s been hard after the loss of his father. It has hurt us all, Andrew was not just my Beta but my best friend. We had been close since pups, just like our kids are now. “Tristan, your father is a hero. He sacrificed himself, to protect the life of our future. I know you boys don’t understand everything I am saying right now, but you
Addy’s POVTristan came home early today, said his meetings were done quickly, and he had missed me. Tristan and I have always been close, but since losing dad, our bond has grown even deeper. We had spent the morning chilling on the couch and having a movie day. Tristan decided we should cook the cookies first and then have Jimmy’s. I was surprised by his change of plans, but more so because he seemed like he was up something.We had spent our time baking laughing and singing along with the music on his playlist. I was pulling out the last batch of cookies, when I turned around and caught him grabbing a cookie off the cooling rack.“Tristan! I told you no cookies until we have them all packed up!” I yelled at him. He dodged away from me when I tried grabbing the cookie from him. I maybe the younger sister, but I can pack a punch. I have socked him and Braxton several times before for being jerks.“Oh, come on! It’s one cookie Addy. I couldn’t wait.” He takes a bite and groa
Braxton’s POVI was finishing up in my office when Baylee walks in. I look up annoyed, “Baylee how many times have I asked you to knock before coming in?”She walks over and leans over my desk, pushing her breast up to show off more cleavage. “I just wanted to come and check to see if you need a stress relief.”I rubbed my temple in annoyance, I was not in the mood to deal with Baylee right now. “No Baylee, I am good right now.” I said trying not to show my complete annoyance. “Then maybe you would be willing to take me out to lunch, Alpha.” Baylee says with a sickening sweet voice. “as friends,” She finished. I looked up at her. I was hungry, and Baylee was a friend, I guess, before we started fucking. She has comforted me lately, so maybe taking her out wouldn’t be terrible.“Okay, I will take you out to lunch, as friends.” I say, emphasizing as friends at the end.“Yeah!” She jumped up and clapped like a small child and cheered. What happened to not giving her any ideas? B
Addy’s POVGabby, Lizzy, and I pull up the lake in Tristan’s truck. We jump out and pull down the tail gate, so we had somewhere to throw off our shirts and shoes.As we strip down to our bikini tops, we look around. Several grills were set up where some of the guys would grill meat later at the top of the hill. There are several pre shifters here, all of which are from my senior class and pack.“Okay Ladies, let’s go find some hunks to hang out with.” Gabby says while rubbing her hands together.“Gabs you look like you are getting ready to eat.” I laugh at her. She shrugs her shoulders at me, and smirks, “Well we are about to give the guys around here a feast for their eyes.” Lizzy and I both laugh at her, as we walk down closer to the beath. “I think I found one to ogle at while we are here,” Lizzy says while she stares off towards the volleyball court where a game had already started. “Yeah, Greg does have the abs that’s for sure,” Gabby said in response. I looked over at Li
Braxton’s POVAaron, Tristan, and I were all hanging out in the lounge at the packhouse playing video games. Aaron has been away at training for the last month and man have we missed him. He’s the goofball of the bunch. He always has us rolling with laughter, and we have seriously needed some more laughter after this last week. Tristan and I had already asked him to be our Gamma. We will have an official meeting on Monday with my dad and Gamma Blake, but we are already preparing for him to swear in on Saturday right along with Tristan and I. “We should have gone out to the lake and crashed the littles party, man. Torture them a little bit before we have to take on more serious rolls as ‘leaders of the pack’” Aaron says with a dramatically deep voice at the end.Tristan and I laugh at his imitation. “Nah man, Addy needed this. She needs time away to let loose and be with the girls. It’s been a rough week for her.”“Oh, she’s not only with the girls” Aaron says looking towards