Ardal
“Nothing,” Mateo replies, shaking his head.
“Liar,” I grit out. “You were taking photos of me.”
Mateo gives me a sheepish smile, knowing he’s caught. “I just wanted a little souvenir to remember you by.”
His tone becomes smooth then, sultry. And I watch as his eyes flicker from my face, dropping down to my tight body and taking in every inch. Finally, his gaze returns to mine, but focuses specifically on my lips.
Holy Goddess. Does he really think I’m going to kiss him!?
Mateo answers my question by quickly licking his own lips, as if he’s prepping. I try not to shudder with disgust.
“And maybe,” he continues, his tone still sweet. “I wanted to send them to a friend. But I figured he should see how beautiful you are.”
What a creep!
I shake my head at him, knowing I don’t have time for this as I hear my babies starting to get louder at their seats.
“Give me your phone,” I say, holding out a hand.
“But I -“
“Give me your phone,” I repeat, firmer that time.
That time, Mateo listens, causing him to swiftly move and retrieve the phone from his pocket. The moment it meets my palm, I look down to see a message open.
He was in the middle of sending a text with my picture included. There’s a message written out and everything - ready to be sent to someone named “K.”
Mateo: Get a load of this sexy babe on my plane! Can you believe that body?
Disgusting.
Immediately, I erase the text before I go into my photos. There, I delete the photos before I hold the phone back out to him.
“There,” I say, not caring for the disappointment in Mateo’s eyes. “And if you take any more photos then I will make sure the police are waiting for you once you’re off the plane. Understand?”
Mateo gives a smile as he takes the phone back. “Yes.”
Rolling my eyes, I officially go back to my seat. I thank the flight attendant, sending her on her way before I begin to take care of my babies. They’re all chatter as they tell me about what they’ve seen below us.
I’m in a good mood as I listen. That is, until someone stops at the side of my seat, causing me to look up.
It’s Mateo. Again!
“What do you want?” I ask him flatly.
“I just wanted to say hello to your adorable kids,” he tells me, his eyes shining toward the babies. Immediately, I want to shove him away. However, I know my kids are capable of putting someone in their place, so I sit back and wait to enjoy the show.
“Hello, kids,” Mateo says, flashing another “charming” grin. “Enjoying the ride?”
My babies all turn to the man, blinking at him as they take in his face.
“Who are you?” my first born, Ezra, asks.
“I’m Mateo,” he replies.
“Ew,” the third baby, Silas, says. “Mateo is a gross name!”
“Yeah, gross!” the fourth, Milo, chimes, causing me to smile smugly.
“Well, some people would say Mateo is a very nice name,” the man tries.
“And why are you dressed so weird?” Silas asks then.
“What do you -“
“Mommy, I don’t like this man,” my second baby, Erbao, says.
“Yeah, I don’t like the way he looks at you,” Milo states.
“It’s creepy!” my fifth, Lottie, calls out.
I’m still smiling, staring at my kids with pride. But then I look back at Mateo, seeing how his eyes are wide and his face is flushed with embarrassment.
“Uh well…nice meeting you…” he murmurs, walking off with his head down. It’s then that I give a small giggle before I turn to Ezra to ruffle his hair.
I don’t care for Mateo’s deflation - I’m used to seeing men disappointed when they try to make a pass at me. And I’m also used to my quintuplets jumping in to tease whoever tries to woo me. They always make it difficult.
Not that I care - I’m not looking for a partner. But even if I was, it’s clear that the man would have to pass my babies’ tests. I’m thankful for it, though - after all, my kids are my everything.
Six years ago, they came into this world and changed my life for the better. We’ve had plenty of complications along the way - especially because I nearly died during childbirth. In fact, the doctor had declared me as dead, but I fought to stay alive.
We’ve also faced more hardships, though. My second born, Erbao, was born with a congenital kidney deformity, and I’ve been trying to do whatever I can to keep him healthy.
All on my own, I was able to survive, fully restore my health, and provide for my babies. After they were born, I started to work hard on my fitness and gained an excellent figure. That allowed me to eventually start a career as a personal fitness instructor, and my name is now well-known in the community.
Yes, I’ve worked hard - even after being driven out of my home years ago. But now…I’m back.
We’re flying to return to the Red Moon pack. Partly because we need to find a suitable kidney for Erbao, and also because GAINZ, a high-ranking fitness club within the area, has offered me an impressive salary to join their team. They even handled my Red Moon pack residence permit so I can return after being expelled long ago.
So I couldn’t say no…even despite the history that exists between me and Red Moon - Kadeem’s pack.
When the plane lands, the babies and I get off and quickly make our way through the airport. It’s difficult trying to keep all babies in line, but somehow I manage. However, I’m thankful when we exit the airport and I see my best friend, Julia, waiting.
Julia and I rejoice as we run into each other’s arms, squeezing each other tightly. Only, she soon pulls away so she can look at me and the kids.
“Ardal! You look amazing!” she says, taking in my figure. “And the babies…oh my Goddess - they’re so cute! It’s funny…they look a lot like -“
I clear my throat then, causing Julia to look at me. Once her gaze meets mine, I give her a wink - reminding her not to say the babies’ father’s name in front of them.
After all, they believe he’s long dead.
“Hey,” someone says then, causing Julia and I to turn. But my blood only runs warm as I see who’s approaching.
Seriously. This man will not leave me alone!
“Mateo,” I state harshly. “What do you want?”
He holds up his hands innocently. “I just wanted to make sure you got out of the airport okay. You got off of the plane so quickly - I thought something might be wrong.”
“We’re fine,” I reply flatly.
“Do you know this man?” Julia asks me.
“No,” I tell her. “I don’t.”
“What? We met on the plane, remember?” He says, baffled. “I’m Mateo and you’re…what was your name again?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “I never told you.”
“Ah, that’s right,” Mateo says smiling. “Care to tell me now?”
I open my mouth to respond to him, wanting to tell him to fuck off. But I’m stopped when Julia suddenly grabs my arm.
“Ardal,” she says in a panic.
“Erbao…he’s gone!”
KadeemIt was like looking in a mirror.The child before Kadeem looked exactly like him, like a miniature version. Not only because he had the same dark hair and green gaze, but the shape of his nose and eyes were almost a spitting image. Surprising Kadeem was no easy task, but he was left completely in shock as the child blinked back at him, his wide eyes adorable as he studied Kadeem towering over him.How could the boy look this much like him? Who was he?Trying for words, Kadeem’s lips began to move as if he planned to speak. However, he hardly uttered a single sound before there was a desperate voice calling off in the distance - one he recognized.“Kadeem! Help me!”Mateo - his childhood friend who he’d come to pick up. And from what Kadeem could tell, the man was in trouble.He knew he needed to go run and see what happened, but he was hesitant to move as he remembered the boy in front of him. Swiftly, he turned back, ready to address him that time. Only, as he looked forward a
ArdalAs I walk through the doors of GAINZ, every pair of male eyes turn toward me. I feel their burn against my skin, but keep my chin high and head clear as I move through the fitness center.It’s my first day of work and I want to be as professional as possible. I won’t let a little attention shake me - doing my best at my job is what matters.As I continue to walk, I take in my room around me, noticing how much nicer it is than the last gym I worked in. GAINZ has top of the line equipment and is clean top to bottom.However, as my eyes continue to scan the space, they eventually catch on a familiar face - one that makes my stomach nearly drop.Standing off to the side…is Susan. I hadn’t expected to see her here, which only causes my dread to grow. Only, the sensation gets worse as I notice her outfit. She’s wearing the same jacket as the other staff member’s wear - indicating that she also works here.I kick myself as I realize it, wishing I would have looked up the GAINZ staff te
ArdalThis is ridiculous. I can’t believe that Susan is really trying to test my identity by having me flash some little prize. However, I know she’s just trying to trip me up, figuring that I’m incapable of producing the medal.But this isn’t the worst stunt Susan has ever pulled. I know she’s capable of so much worse, which causes me to sigh.“So if I can prove that I’m Chelsea by showing the medal…then you’ll apologize?” I ask, scowling at Susan.She’s offering another game. However, I won’t let her get the best of me. Susan won’t bully me again - she already did that enough six years ago.I promised myself that if she tried again that I would stand my ground, retaliate as needed. I won’t be the woman who stands by and watches bad things happen to her anymore. I have a voice and I plan to use it.And that’s exactly what I plan to do now. However, it’s not Susan who answers my question.“If you don’t show us the medal then you’re not going to like the punishment,” Kadeem states firm
ArdalI know it was too good to be true that I could convince Kadeem of Susan’s lies. As I said, he’s still completely lovesick, and he only proved my point as he effortlessly picks her up.“I’m taking her to the hospital,” Kadeem announces harshly as he carries her away. All I can do is shake my head as I watch him go.Pathetic.“Sorry about Kadeem,” a voice says from my side, causing me to turn. I only want to sigh as I see it’s Mateo - I’d nearly forgotten that he was here.“I know his behavior was ungentlemanly. But I promise - he’s a very nice boss,” Mateo tells me.I doubt that, I think.“So you’re Chelsea Quinn,” Mateo continues, flashing a smile. “No wonder you didn’t want to tell me your name before. Probably didn’t want to attract attention.”“Sure,” I tell him flatly. That’s definitely not the reason, but I’ll let him believe whatever he wants.“Your work is very impressive,” he replies. “Would you mind if we swap business cards? Just in case I need some training?”As much
ErbaoThe quintuplets quickly set their plan in motion, using the computer again so they could find any information about the man in the photos. And it was an easy task, seeing as the man was very well-known within the pack.The babies sat stunned as they discovered just who he was. Apparently, his name was Kadeem, and he was the Alpha of the Red Moon pack. They found many articles about their daddy’s family business and the countless followers he had.“Our daddy’s famous!” Lottie declared, squealing as Erbao finished trying to read an article aloud.“And so is mommy, remember?” Silas said with excitement. “Both of our parents are important!”Once more, the quintuplets began to rejoice at the news, causing them to squirm and laugh with joy. However, Erbao soon shushed them, pointing toward a photo of their father as he held determination in his eyes.“We need to find a way to get to him,” Erbao announced then, causing a few others to nod.However, Ezra seemed a little skeptical. “How?
ArdalDue to Susan’s recent “offense,” I’ve been called in to meet with Kadeem. Everything in me had hoped I could keep a distance from him, but it appears that’s not going to happen as I’m sitting right across from him now.We stare at each other in silence for a moment, both of us glowering for our own personal reasons. It makes the air in the room feel electric as neither of us choose to back down, though I assume that’s what Kadeem is waiting for. I only wish he’d speak already so I could get this meeting over with, but apparently, he’s choosing to be stubborn.“So what? Am I fired or something?” I finally ask, wondering if Kadeem has pulled some strings to dismiss my position. Due to his love for Susan, it wouldn’t surprise me. Plus, he’s the Alpha of the Red Moon pack, which means he can make anyone do whatever he wants - including having the gym fire me.“No,” Kadeem answers, impatience within his tone. I’m surprised by his answer, but I don’t show it as I realize there’s more
ArdalI can tell from Kadeem’s expression that he’s surprised by my anger. He stares at me, swallowing slowly as he studies my tightened features. But I don’t allow them to smooth no matter how long he stares.In fact, my face doesn’t even change as I notice a shift in his gaze. It’s subtle, faint - but I swear I see something - something familiar.It almost looked like…arousal - a stare I’ve seen from Kadeem plenty of times. The suspicion causes only my stomach to turn sour as the look disappears, causing me to question if I’d actually seen it in the first place.Maybe I hadn’t. Yes, I must have been mistaken. Kadeem would never look at me that way again - I’m sure of it.“Alright,” Kadeem says finally with a breath. Only, he then stops to clear his throat, seeming to regain himself. Still, I remind myself that it’s not at my expense, believing he’s just caught off guard by my continued annoyance.I wait for him to continue, watching his every move as Kadeem pauses again, almost loo
Ardal I’m standing in front of James, watching his sneering face as he appears as if he wants to tear my head off. However, I try to keep my head high as I prepare to keep him busy by listing out the workout plan I’ve laid out. Already, I don’t react to his vicious stare as I begin to walk toward a machine, showing it off as I insist he tries it. His eyes watch my every move, and I swear I can practically feel Susan’s doing the same somewhere. James follows my request, walking closer as he heads for the machine. I almost feel my heart relax a little as I see him reach for a weight. But then my heart slams the front of my chest as his hand lunges out and firmly grasps my wrist instead. Holy Goddess - despite being out of shape he’s surprisingly fast. And strong. That discovery hits me hard as he still holds onto me, smiling menacingly as I turn to face him. “You’re a pretty little thing,” he breathes into my face, causing me to grimace. “I’d love to see what this body looks like