WD Excerpt #1

I finally gave in and gave Emmett the two weeks of “pure second honeymoon” he had been begging for since before our social lives had gotten so busy.

A lot of debate when into where and when we’d go. Emmett, for reasons I don’t know, decided that we should bring the babies with us. With the youngest, Patrice, being seven months old, the constant need to have a baby stuck to me was finally over. All the babies are now on solid food, or at least food I don’t have to supply them with myself.

Knowing that the two weeks would probably get cut short due to some sort of disaster, I decided that we’d stay near home, which right now is primarily Canada. We have what Emmett calls a “quaint little cabin” in Whistler, British Columbia. The only thing quaint about this structure is the tree in the front yard that seems to get smaller and smaller every time I see it.

I had forgotten how much I loved this place. Standing in my favorite spot on the deck, I regretted letting myself forget the image in front of me. I inhaled the crisp, cold air deeply as I looked out over the mountains.

Whistler is beautiful no matter what time of year you go there, but something was just different this time. The air seemed lighter, the trees greener and taller, the mountains seemed to reach out and wrap around me.

Maybe I’ve been out in the cold too long. I might be hallucinating.

I almost jumped when an arm was draped around my chest and shoulders. Instead of shrieking like the little girl that I am, I simply smiled and put my hands on my husband’s forearm.

“I keep forgetting how beautiful this place is,” I said, putting the back of my head against his chest.

“Our own little slice of paradise,” he replied, kissing the top of my head.

“Are you shirtless?” I asked, reaching around and touching the bare skin of his back. “Emmett, it’s like fifty degrees out here!” I turned around and started pushing him back toward the house.

“You’re the one that should be worried about the cold, not me,” he said, smiling.

“Just humor me, please.” He let me pull him back into the house without a fight. That was almost surprising until I saw his face. That goofy grin only meant one thing. “Emmett,” I warned, drawing out his name as I put my hands up to shield my stomach.

“You have one of two choices,” he started.

“No, no, no, no!” I warned as I blocked his first attempt to pinch my right side.

“You can either go put your bathing suit on and meet me in the Jacuzzi or-” I blocked his second attempt. “Or you can face the consequences.”

“Doesn’t really seem like I’m getting a choice,” I mumbled, noticing how close he had backed me up to the stairs.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure whichever you choose will be very enjoyable.”

“Then why make me choose?”

“Would you get into the Jacuzzi if I asked you nicely?”

“Yes,” I answered quickly as he tried for a third time.

He didn’t accomplish what he set out to do, which was to pinch the left side of my stomach, but he managed to grab my arm. I was expecting him to pull me to him, instead he swung me up over his shoulder.

“Liar,” he said, panting.

“You’re getting rusty, old man,” I teased. I regretted it when a firm hand smacked my butt. “Ow! Don’t do that again!” My warning was deluded by my own laughter though.

It wasn’t until we passed the doorway that I realized he had carried me into our bedroom. I heard a drawer open but I couldn’t see what was going on.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m looking for your suit,” he answered.

“It’s on the bed,” I said, putting my elbow against his back and propping my chin on my hand. “I was going to put it on whenever you woke up from your little nap, but you attacked me.”

He growled as he spun us around and grabbed my bathing suit off of the bed. I could feel the vibration of his growl move inch by inch through my body.

“Are you okay?” Emmett asked, sitting me down gently on the bed.

“Now you ask,” I sighed dramatically.

“You shivered. Are you cold?”

The worry on his face made my mind go blank and I put a hand on either side of his face. “After all this time you can still look at me and, with a straight face, ask why I shivered?” His expression went from worried to puzzled. “Do you think you’ll ever realize how you affect me?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever truly believe that I can affect you so much by doing so little, no.”

“So much for all that positive reinforcement,” I said, shaking my head.

He took my hands away from his face and held them a bit tightly. “The truth is… I will never believe that I’m good enough for you.”

“Em,-”

“Can you blame me? You’re an angel. I’m…” he trailed off, staring down at our hands.

“An Abassy,” I finished for him. “And technically I’m the Nephilim.”

He sighed heavily, “I don’t believe-”

“By definition, Emmett, that’s what I am and by definition you are proud, strong, and noble.”

“You truly believe that, don’t you?”

“Which part?”

“About you being the Nephilim,” he whispered.

“The way of my creation was different than I thought, but the end result was still the same. God tried to destroy me multiple times. You can‘t deny that that doesn‘t follow the textbook definition of the Nephilim.”

“I will deny anything that pegs you as evil.”

“Even after all that I’ve done to deserve the tag?”

My husband looked at me and I could see the start of anger brewing within his Caribbean crystal blue eyes. “That wasn’t you, Sarah. Those drones say that all of the things that the others did have transferred over to you. I don’t believe that.”

“I’ve done more evil than some of the others.”

He knelt down and raised my hands so he could put his forehead against my knuckles. “I can’t ever think of you as evil.”

“I think that leaves us at an impasse because I can never think of you as evil.”

“But, I’m-”

“What you are does not make you evil. What you do is what makes you evil and you, Nevin, haven’t done anything to deserve it.”

“I would have to disagree.”

“Again… impasse, agree to disagree,” I said, pushing him back just enough so I could stand up.

“Where are you going?”

“If you must know I am going to put my bathing suit on,” I said, snatching my two-piece from his hand. “Then I’m going to slide into the hot tub. You can join me if you want,” I told him, suddenly in my bathing suit.

“You could’ve actually changed,” he said, looking me up and down.

“I thought it was only fair considering you’re wearing your trunks already,” I told him, putting my finger under his waistband and tugging a little.

“Maybe later then,” he teased.

“Maybe sooner than you think,” I said, threading my fingers through his and leading him out of the bedroom.

“Should we get the-”

“Towels are already out there.”

“What about the babies?”

I stopped walking and looked up at him. “The babies are all fed and are all sleeping soundly. What else can you think of to use?”

“Are you accusing me of stalling?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“I’m accusing you of sending mixed signals. When you thought I didn’t want to go anywhere near the Jacuzzi and you were all gung ho about it, but now… now that I’m willingly getting in, you’re the one being a big chicken.”

“I’m not being a chicken.”

“You’re pouting,” I said, poking out my bottom lip.

“I’m not pouting.”

“Oh, that’s right because Sir Emmett Hunter does not pout,” I teased, mocking his once thick English accent.

His top lip lifted just enough to show his fangs were as he growled.

“Uh-oh, touched a nerve, did I?”

Before I even knew what happened, I was being dropped into the hot tub. Luckily it wasn’t too cold out so the water wasn’t too shockingly hot, but it was still pretty shocking to be dunked without any warning.

“Emmett!” I screamed when I finally came up for a breath. “Are you laughing?” I had to move my hair and wipe at my eyes a couple times before I could see him clearly.

He was sitting on the other side of the hot tub and… he was. He was laughing.

“What part of you thought that was funny?” I asked, splashing water into his face.

“Sarah,” he warned, pointing at me.

“What?” I splashed him again.

“Don’t do it again.”

“Don’t do what? Oh, this,” I said before doing it again.

In one swift movement, he spun me around so my back was against him and locked his arms around me. He backed up and sat down where he was, but this time he put me on his lap. My arms were trapped at my sides so I didn’t have a choice. I don’t think I would’ve chosen anywhere else to sit even if I did.

“You’re in quite a mood today,” Emmett said. Even with the hot tub on I could feel his breath hot on my skin.

“Is that a bad thing?”

He kissed my jawline, just below my ear. “You tell me.”

“It’s a very good thing,” I replied, relaxing against him.

After a couple minutes he let go of me and started to massage my shoulders. “You always carry all of the tension in your back.”

“Then why are you working on my shoulders?”

“I’ll get there,” he murmured before kissing my shoulder.

I turned just enough so I could look up at him. “I love you, Nevin.”

He stared at me with a mix of disbelief, awe, love, and disgust. It was strange how familiar that look had become.

“I love you, my angel,” he replied as he leaned down and kissed me. I reached up and tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling him even closer. I guess he didn’t think it was close enough because he picked me up and turned me around so I was straddling him. I barely got a breath before his hand was on the back of my neck, guiding me back to his lips.

I was beginning to lose myself in his scent, the feeling of his skin when a loud huff pulled me out of the delirium.

“You have to be kidding me,” I growled when I realized what had disturbed us.

Graham Murphy was just standing there. I would’ve been angry but the fear on the lycan’s face was enough punishment I decided.

“Graham,” I greeted him, moving just enough so Emmett could turn around.

“I’m so sorry, but Jean-Claude has called a meeting and requested that you be there,” Graham said sheepishly.

“Why would he need us there?” I asked.

“He just asked for you, Sarah,” he replied, not really answering my question.

“Of course, he did,” Emmett grumbled, getting out of the hot tub. Instead of drying off with a towel, he just shook like a dog and he was somehow almost completely dry again. That was one skill I had yet to master or even come close to.

“What time is the meeting?” I asked, fighting to take my eyes off of my husband as he walked back inside.

“He said it will start as soon as you get there.”

“Damn it, Jean,” I growled, attempting to climb out of the hot tub by myself. Luckily Emmett caught me before I fell off the side.

“You couldn’t have waited a couple seconds?” he asked, lifting me out and placing me gently back onto my feet.

“I didn’t know if you were coming back out.”

“I wasn’t going to leave you out here all alone. God only knows what would’ve happened to you. Some sort of bird of prey might have swept down and flew off with you,” he teased.

“Just shut up and help me dry off.”

“As my Queen commands.” I couldn’t stop the shiver that ran up my spine. “Was that me-induced?” he asked as he worked his way up my legs with the towel.

“You catch on quick, husband.”

“It’s kind of hard to keep up with all these mixed signals, wife.” He put the towel on my head and rubbed my hair dry.

“Do you want to come?” I asked when I was able to see him again.

“To this mysterious Jean-Claude de Beaufort meeting?” I nodded. “No. No, angel, I think I’ll let you handle this one alone.”

“Are you sure?”

“Are you going to change inside or are you going to pull out another just-add-water outfit?” he asked, ignoring me.

I was instantly wearing a long-sleeve black and white stripe shirt, jeans, boots, and Emmett’s zip-up hoodie.

“Why are you wearing my jacket?” he asked, tugging it tighter around me, which was a challenge considering it was like three sizes too big.

“I want to remind them that this is supposed to our alone time together and they’ve interrupted it.”

“You’re going into a meeting that will be mostly alpha males smelling like an alpha male,” he mused, frowning.

“I already smell like a dude, remember?”

He made an ‘o’ with his mouth and put his hand against my cheek. I put my hand on his and rubbed my cheek against his palm.

“Are you sure about this?”

“I don’t think I really have a choice. Might as well get it over with,” I said, shrugging.

“Well, get back soon because I’m still looking forward to that rain check.”

I sighed and kissed his palm. “I love you, Emmett.”

“I love you, Sarah,” he said before pulling me into a hug that would have crushed a human and maybe even some supes. “Now, go before I change my mind,” he mumbled, using hands on shoulders to put me at arm’s-length.

“Change your mind about what?”

“Letting my wife, the mother of my children, go to a meeting that will no doubt be filled with men trying to seduce her.”

“You don’t own me, Emmett,” I said exaggeratedly.

“Oh, legally I do,” he said. There was a smile on his face but I could see the not very subtle sincerity in his eyes.

I’ve always been against the whole premise of the princess waiting for the prince to come and rescue her. I never liked it because it told little girls that they’re helpless without men and they’re property to be bought or won in a poker game.

Looking into those eyes I knew that I had fallen head-first into my own princess tale. Emmett was my Prince Charming on the white horse. I had long ago come to grips with the fact that without him… I’m helpless, hopeless, and just downright hazardous to myself and others.

Looking into those eyes I knew that Emmett was right. Legally I was his. That should have made me angry and defiant toward him and it used to. Now, 10,000 years after our first meeting, I can truthfully say I don’t mind. I actually revel in the fact that I am his property. I wouldn’t want to belong to anyone else.

“Jean better have a damn good reason,” I huffed as I walked away from Emmett.

“We running?“ Graham asked when I got to him.

Graham Murphy is one of the very few Australian lycans I’ve ever known and, unlike the majority of the guys, he still has his thick accent.

I took his hand and squeezed it a little. “Take a deep breath,“ I told him.