29: THIRD TRIMESTER

When Brad walked into the packhouse, he could physically feel the tension. Grey was standing behind the couch with his arms extended over the front with his head hung. Abigail and Nolan were sat on the sofa while Grey's parents stood by the fireplace.

Brad was about to greet them when he saw Marisol slugging a small bag over her shoulder. He ran to the stairs, taking the bag. "Oh my God, you're huge!"

"Oh my god, so are you," she responded.

"Are you calling me fat," he said, feigning anger.

She smiled at him, throwing herself in his arms. He almost stumbled, but he enjoyed the hug. It had been months since they had seen each other in person. Once Grey began taking his duties as caregiver and Marisol went on maternity leave, Brad booked a flight to the nearest tropical country. He stayed there until he had to return to school.

"Let's go, please," she whispered. She kept her head down until she got to the door. She didn't want to go back to her home; she didn't know what state it was in after the attack. "I'll be staying at Brad's tonight. I would say send your people, but we both already know I'm not the one in danger."

She turned and left the room. "What the hell did you do, man?"

Brad rubbed the back of his head, wanting nothing more than to escape the awkward situation. He cleared his throat. "I'll take care of her."

Brad gawked as she went to the car and pulled the door, open herself. "I knew you could see, but I didn't realize how weird it would be seeing you see...if that makes sense."

He went to the driver's seat, getting in. As soon as his door shut, Marisol began breaking down in his car. "Jesus, is this like pregnancy hormones or real sadness? I don't know what to do, Marisol! Tell me what to do. Oh god, do you think the babies are also crying, like in your stomach?"

Marisol waved at him to drive, and he listened, pulling out of the driveway. "So? What happened?" He asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Remember how Grey is a Lycan?"

"No, Marisol," he deadpanned. "I fucking forgot that a human turned into a giant ass wolf while I was in booty short pajamas."

"He decided to commit to an Alpha challenge."

"What the hell is that? It sounds like a goddamn TikTok dance."

Marisol laughed, wiping her nose. "Someone from another pack killed a teenage boy from his. His name was Andrew. They kept infringing on our territory and eventually declared war for our northern territory."

"Why do your pronouns keep changing?"

"What do you mean?"

"His, ours...sounds like you have an identity crisis."

"Yeah, I don't know. I want to be apart of his life...I want...I want to be what they keep saying I am."

"But?"

"But I feel like they just call me their Luna because they're supposed to, not because they feel like I am."

"Jeez, what happened today?"

"He committed to his challenge. It's a challenge instead of a war. If he wins, he keeps the north and gets Pack Gifre's land."

"What if he loses?"

"The challenge is to the death. If he loses, it means he died."

"This is some heavy shit, Marisol. I gotta say, a week ago I was sunbathing on a naked beach, and coming home to this isn't great."

"Yeah," she whispered softly. "And Nolan and Abigail– I thought they were my friends."

"But they never told you, did they?"

"No. Their trust and fidelity are to their Alpha."

"Marisol, you do know it's normal? I mean, if I had to choose between Grey and you, I would always choose you." He sighed, seeing her sad expression. "But I'm not in the pack, which means during these types of arguments, he has people behind him, but you don't." He shrugged as he continued driving. "You know what you have to do then? You have to find friends in the pack that wasn't friends with Grey first."

Brad pulled the car into his parking spot outside of his apartment and got out. He helped her out and walked her into his house, taking off his coat and setting his keys in the bowl next to his door.

"I forgot what a man cave this was! Oh my god, I forgot about that pinball machine you had."

"I have all the latest electronics. Go off. Play your ass off. Enjoy your night away from your one and only," he joked. "I'm gonna watch a movie. Do you want some wine?"

She gave him a look.

He shrugged. "Just asking. I'll make popcorn– you can eat that right?"

Around 2 in the morning, Emilia finally came over after a night of partying with her friends. All three talked for a while, making fun of Brad's escapades and Emilia's drunken stories. Marisol had fun. She missed her closest friends. Ever since she started dating Grey, she hardly saw them. It wasn't their fault or even Grey's. She just became a lot more busy and absent-minded.

Marisol stopped laughing suddenly and stood up. "Oh my god, I just peed myself a little. I'll be back!" She wobbled to the bathroom and returned to her friends, making fun of her.

"Guys, I want a boob job," Emilia commented.

"Oh, god," Brad laughed, chugging the rest of his wine. "Shit, there's no more space on the table. Lay back, Marisol."

"What why?" Marisol rolled her eyes as Brad placed his glass on her stomach, acting as if it was a shelf. "You're an asshole."

"Stop talking; you're moving too much. You're gonna drop it!"

❥

They fell asleep around 4, watching Rupaul's Drag Race. She had to admit that she had gone way off her diet and consumed a lot of junk food she probably shouldn't have. She had a lot of fun until the shrill sound of her phone ringing woke her up.

She groaned, rolling onto her side to reach for her phone. Emilia was sleeping on the couch while she and Brad made a bed on the floor.

"Hello?"

"Marisol!"

She sat up immediately, rubbing her eyes. "Mom?" Marisol could hear something shatter in the background of her mother's screaming.

"I'm tired, Marisol," she whispered softly. "I-I want to be brave, like you."

"How badly did he hurt you?" Marisol quickly got up, putting on her shoes, and changing her clothes. She went to the door, seeing brad's keys. She realized then that she hadn't driven in years, and it was probably a bad idea to start again today.

She went into Brad's room, waking him up. At first, he woke up with some witty response, but then he saw her grim expression and asked what was wrong. That was how they ended up in his car, in complete silence as he drove to her parents' house.

"It will be okay," he said softly.

"What if she goes back? She always goes back."

"She's never called you like this–"

"Yes, she has," she responded barely above a whisper. When they came to the farmhouse, Marisol opened her door, rushing out. She could already hear the shouting and plate shattering from outside. When she ran inside, she took the briefest moment to look around the home that was never her home. The memory of it in her head was so different. She remembered it being...more dilapidated, but if any person walked in, they would assume that it was an ordinary house.

Marisol was knocked out of her stupor as she heard shouting come from the kitchen. She ran inside, seeing her father hit her mother with the back of his hand. "Get away!" She didn't realize, but she shoved her father away so he'd let go of her mom. "Mom? Mom! A-are you okay?"

Marisol gagged as her father grabbed her neck and pulled her to her feet.

"Stop! Stop! She's pregnant, for god's sake!"

Marisol watched as her mother, once again, hit her father to get him to stop his tirade. Brad came in and separated the two, only to get into a fight as well.

As Marisol sat next to her mother, she started to cry. Grabbing her hand, she brought it to her lips and kissed it softly. "Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if..." She stopped. After Brad came in, he'd call the cops and her mother was brought to the hospital. She had to have immediate surgery for internal hemorrhaging. Now, Marisol sat here, next to her bed. Brad came in and stood by the door.

"I called him."

She looked up, nodding. "Good. I-I want him."

"I know."

Greyson arrived minutes later with his family. Marisol had met them in the waiting room, and she threw herself into his arms. "I'm still mad," she said, "but I need you now."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, really. My mom is the one who was hurt."

His parents stood up from their seats, and she gave a small smile. She saw Nolan and Abigail, and she did the same.

"She's asleep right now," she said to Grey. "If you want, we could wait in her room. You guys don't have to be here," she said toward the others. "But I appreciate you coming."

"Ms. Evergreen?"

She turned around, hearing her name called. Her eyes widened as she saw the policeman standing there with his notepad out. "Yes?"

"I need your statement."

She knew that. In fact, she had gone through all of this before. She could choose to tell the truth or to lie again. She was sure any option would lead to the same outcome, so she nodded and followed the officer into an empty exam room.

"Could you tell me what happened?"

"The same thing that has been happening my entire life." She swallowed before continuing, laying a calming hand on her stomach. The cop helped her sit down. "My dad beat her so badly she called me, and when I arrived, he hurt me too."

Marisol sat next to her mother while Grey and his family waited outside. She had finally woken up. "Mom? You have to leave...Please," she whispered, her voice cracking.

"I love him–"

"No, you don't. You are scared of him."

"Sweetheart, you don't know what love is. He's my soulmate. And besides, I shouldn't have made him mad as I had. He really does put up a lot with me. Tonight his chicken was undercooked."

She shook her head, furiously. "Mom, I know what love is. I'm in love. I-I'm happy...Believe me, mom, when you've met your soulmate, you know. I'm begging you...come home with me. You could stay with Grey and I. It's a beautiful home with a big backyard and a huge kitchen, like you adore, mom. You could live with us and babysit your grandkids..."

"Grandkids?"

"What? Couldn't you tell?" Marisol laughed softly. She pointed to her large stomach with a small grin.

"I could...You never told me."

"I wanted to, but...I-I can't have my children around dad, you know that."

Samantha nodded understandably. "You're having twins?"

"Triplets, actually," Marisol said with a smile.

"Could I be there when you go into labor?"

Marisol's heart dropped as she saw her mother's smile. "I want you there," she said, "but would dad let you?"

Samantha's smile faded, and she shook her head as much as she could. The bruises from the fight were evident now, and she was sore. Her neck had black and blues; her lip had a small bandaid on it, her eye was swollen; she looked terrible. She wiped her tears away before faking a smile again. She was good at that. "Your boyfriend, he's the dad?"

"Yes."

"You love him."

"I do, mom. I really do."

"I know that you won't let me see your kids–"

"I didn't say that–"

"Could I at least meet him?"

"His family is here too...would you like to meet them?"

"I-I'm damaged...they shouldn't see me like this."

"They'll love you, mom. I'll be back in a second. Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm okay, sweetheart."

Marisol smiled softly before standing up and walking out. Grey and his family immediately stood up. "She wants to meet you if you want to meet her."

"We'd love too!" Irabella said, standing up.

"I need to warn you all. She...she was in an accident." Why was she doing this? Was she going to lie? Why? Because she was embarrassed? Because she was embarrassed by her mother? What was the point of hiding...of hiding the horror of her father. "Actually, she wasn't. My...There's a reason why you have never met my parents. My dad," how does she say this. "My mom was... My dad has been abusing us since I can remember. He takes it out on my mother. Tonight he hit her, so she has many bruises and passed scars that you might see. Are you okay with that?"

They must have been caught off guard because no one said anything. She took that as a yes, and they followed her back to the room.

Samantha sat up with a bright smile. Marisol grabbed Grey's hand and walked toward the bed. "This is Grey."

"I'm going to have such beautiful grandkids! You're so handsome! And are these your parents?"

"I'm Irabella, and this is my husband, Carlisle."

"It's so nice to meet you," Samantha greeted. "I'm sorry I look such a mess. It's really my fault, honestly. Tell me about yourself!"

Marisol loved seeing her mother smile as she did. After a few hours, a doctor came in to say Samantha had to get some rest. They asked the family to leave, and as Marisol went to the door, she asked the question that ate at her. "You're not leaving him, are you?"

"I can't Sweetheart. He needs me. And besides, I deserve it."

"Mom, do you know what battered wife syndrome is? It's when a woman is beat into thinking she deserves to be abused. It's what you have." Marisol bit her lip as she left.

When Marisol went back into the house, she was immediately asked by Cal to have an exam done. She agreed. During it, she began talking about her mother and all her feelings.

"Do you want me to talk to her? Sometimes coming from a doctor is better than coming from a relative."

Marisol nodded, and the next day, before she was discharged, Cal and Marisol went to visit her. Samantha was too busy putting her clothes in her bag to look up.

"Mom? This is Dr. Callahan. He's my doctor. Would you talk to him?"

Samantha shook her head as she put her things in her bag. "I'm sorry I really need to get back. I have to make lunch."

Callahan froze beside Marisol, hearing Samantha speak. He stepped forward. "Can't you take a break?"

Samantha looked up and stopped what she as doing as soon as she looked at him.

Marisol's eyes widened, and she smiled to herself. They were mates.