Full Steam Ahead

HARPER

Oh God, I’m engaged! Me, Harper Maddox, soon to be Mrs. Harper Marcelo.

I never ever thought that would happen to me. Who is this wild woman living on the edge?

I chuckled to myself as I set up the new eight-person tent in the showroom.

I lovingly gazed at my sapphire and diamond engagement ring proudly displayed on my finger for the thousandth time today alone and blushed furiously. It was the same color as Spencer’s eyes.

This was all so mind-blowing.

My fingertips outlined the spot where he had marked me, sending a jolt of pleasure crawling down my back that made me shudder.

I had never understood what completion truly meant until Spencer’s birthday and I just couldn’t comprehend how absolutely lucky I was.

“Your ma’s here, Leta,” I heard a voice say as I slowly and dreamily turned in its direction.

“Hmm,” I whimpered, realizing the alpha stood right next to me, eyeing my movements with a raised brow and a knowing glint of amusement.

I cleared my throat, righting myself. “Sorry… um… what?”

“Well, I know where your mind was.” He smirked. “Your ma, is here, Leta.”

“Oh—Harper is fine, Alpha, you don’t have t-to call me that.”

He threw his head back as a ripple of laughter escaped. “You do realize you’re in the pack now, right?”

“I-I know, just…I’m not really comfortable with the whole beta-luna thing yet.”

“Fair enough. By the way…”

“Yeah?”

“Your mother is here…for the third time.” He chuckled.

“My what? Oh—oh God, shit, right—sorry.” I was kicking my dumb ass internally, I actually never even heard what he had said.

“Jesu, girly, Spencer marks you and you forget how to listen. How powerful was your orgasm?”

I choked on my own saliva and flushed a deep shade of crimson. His large hand came down on my back.

“Now I know why he calls ya sweet cheeks,” Alpha teased before walking away.

“Alpha!” I gasped in shock, that dirty bastard. I made my way to the voluptuous woman conversing with Luna at the front counter. “Hey, Mom.”

“Harps,” she squealed, wrapping her arms around me. “So this is where you work, it sure is nice.”

“What are you doing here? Sorry, I haven’t seen much of you.”

“Oh, Harps, after that fine young man proposed, I didn’t expect to see you but I thought I’d try my luck, any chance we could grab some lunch?”

“She’s due to go now,” Luna cut in. “Take as long as you like, Harper.”

“Thank you, Luna,” I replied, slightly bowing my head in both gratitude and respect. She smiled, and I gave myself a mental high-five for getting wolf pack protocol down.

As we made our way to Patty’s Diner, Mom couldn’t help herself. “It’s an odd name, Luna.”

I snorted. “You have no idea.”

Holding the door open as Mom entered, a high-pitched squeal pierced my eardrums. “Oh, look, Harps, it’s Spencer’s mother.”

“Yes,” I tittered, “she owns the diner.”

After Patty had somewhat calmed, managing to take our order only when Mom and she had an in-depth conversation about the wedding and then the baby, we finally got to talk.

“Where’s Joey today?”

“Helping Clade, something about needing to replace the head gasket on a friend’s old Ford pickup, I don’t know, maybe they both just needed a break from me. Clade suggested I find you, said there’s no way you’d miss work, even if you just got engaged.”

“Mom, are you guys…okay?”

“What? Yes. Why would you ask that?” I shrugged.

“I don’t know, you seem funny…why would they need a break from you?”

She sighed, “look, I know you have a life over here and I can clearly see you two are happy, I just—it’s just—well…” Jesus, she was really struggling to get the words out, must be bad?

“C’mon, you can do it, just tell me,” I encouraged.

She sighed again, “I miss you, you and Levi.”

“Holy shit, Mom, I thought you were going to tell me you were getting a divorce.”

“What? Don’t be silly, I love that ~pupule kane~.” (Crazy man)

“Then what? What’s going on with you?” I pushed.

“Well, I just thought we might stick around for a little longer…you know…maybe purchase a holiday home here?”

I finally clicked as to what she was hinting at. “You going to move here?” I questioned in surprise.

“W-wh-h…nah…mmm…”

I placed my hand on her forearm and squeezed tightly. “Mom, Leivon, Spencer, and I would love you and Joey to move here—not holiday.”

“Well, not if it cramps your style… I mean, I get that I’m old and…you probably…”

“Mom, I’m going to need you anyway, we miss you guys too. With the baby and the wedding coming... I actually haven’t made any friends, it would be nice—no, amazing—to have you close again.”

“Really? I know you’ve always been independent. I’ve always needed you more than you needed me…”

“Who’s ~pupule~ now, huh?” I extracted myself from my chair and wrapped my arms around my mother.

She had always been so unbelievably supportive and wonderful. Sometimes, I don’t think she realizes just how much I do need her.

“Mom, I love you. Of course, I need you. I’ve always needed you.”

***

I was sitting in the bedroom staring at the collection of photographs he had framed on top of his tallboy when Spencer walked in.

“Sweet cheeks, how dare you be in here with clothes on, take them off immediately.” He playfully winked with a child-like grin.

“You framed the photo of us at the haunted house?”

“What?” He followed my direction of sight. “Oh yeah, I put that in there that night. I just had it hidden in my undie drawer, it was our first photo as a family. Pulled it out this morning, thought it would be more useful on display rather than my sexy underwear only viewing it.”

“These people in these frames all mean something to you and that’s why you put them up.” It sounded more like a question but it was more of an observation—a realization if you will.

Spencer sat on the end of the bed next to me. “Something is wrong, sweet cheeks, I can feel it.”

I turned my head to the left to look at him. “Today, Mom told me she and Joey are moving here. I realized as we talked about the wedding that I haven’t made any friends.”

He blinked at me, with a slight frown on his face. “Well, you don’t need any… You have me and Mom, Dad, Clade, unfortunately Flank… oh, and the pack…”

“And that’s all well and good, Spencer, but… who will be my bridesmaid? I had friends—not many, but a couple—back home, but I don’t even keep in contact with them. Even the mothers on Levi’s soccer team or from his school don’t talk to me. It didn’t bother me until now. Is there something wrong with me?”

“Harper, there’s nothing wrong with you. I think you’ve been more focused on providing for Levi that you put yourself last. Worst comes to worst, Flank can be your bestie,” he chuckled as I playfully smacked his arm.

“Have you invited any of them out for coffee or made an effort to get to know them?”

“No, I work all the time and any spare time I have is spent with either you, Uncle Clade, or Levi.”

“Well, Leivon has a birthday party to go to this weekend, maybe this can be your opportunity to make a connection with someone, show them just how amazing you are.”

I hooked my arm in his, resting my head against his shoulder. “You’re coming though… right? Not making me suffer on my own?”

He laughed, pushing me back onto the bed as he climbed on top, “of course I’ll be there.”

***

“Welcome… Spence, so nice to see you.”

A tall man with chocolate-colored eyes and dusty blonde hair greeted us at the ice-skating rink where Levi’s friend’s birthday party was being held. They shook hands as my jaw chattered away from the sudden blast of freezing cold air.

“Blain, is this your daughter’s birthday?” Spence sounded surprised.

“It is, Kiya turned eight a few days ago.”

The man, whose name I now knew was Blain, lowered his voice to a whisper, “but I don’t expect the beta to remember everything.”

I rolled my eyes—he’s a pack member.

“Sorry, friend, shit’s been crazy. I’ll make more of an effort to check the registrar in the future.”

Registrar? What the hell is that?

“All good, don’t worry about it. Alpha and Luna paid us a visit, we’re just glad you guys could make it. Harper?”

My eyes snapped up to meet the man who knew of me, yet I rudely had no idea who he was.

“Come meet Cleo—you RSVP’d to her cell, she’s Kiya’s mom and my chosen.” He winked at me, knowing I knew what that meant—she was not his mate.

Levi had bolted the moment we entered. I was feeling slightly insecure and timid, definitely glad Spencer was there to soften the blow.

“I’m sorry, Blain, you must forgive me. I’m still learning everyone’s names, faces, and their positions within the pack.”

“It is not necessary. You are of high rank. I don’t expect you to remember who I am.” He offered me an excuse so kindly, I felt strange. Had this been a normal situation, it would be customary to remember people.

“Cleo, come meet Harper?”

The prettiest little thing came nervously over. She had gentle dark emerald eyes, sparkling with mischievousness, short soft brown hair, and tanned pouty lips—she looked to be around my age.

“Hello,” she whispered with a wide toothy grin.

“Hello,” I whispered back, feeling an unusual sense of excitement radiating from the both of us.

“I’m glad you could make it.”

“I am too,” I smiled even wider, and so did she.

“I’m Cleo, omega, and Kiya’s mom.”

“I’m Harper, human, and Levi’s mom.”

“Wanna be friends?” Her shoulders rose in hope as she squeezed her hands into tight balls at her side, her eyes growing larger by the minute.

“Yes,” I nodded, any second now I felt like I was going to burst and confetti would spray out from within me.

“Okay,” she squealed, “come meet everyone?”

I looked up at Spencer and then at Blain, they both had scrunched faces of confusion.

“Is that how girls become friends?” Spencer questioned, tilting his head to the side.

“Not usually,” I beamed back, “but it doesn’t matter, right?”

I knocked his arm with my shoulder and followed Cleo.

She was warm, welcoming, introduced me to other women. It was so nice, even if they already knew who I was.

The best thing about her introductions was that she would give a rundown on each woman as I met them—Delena, she was an omega and her daughter Freyja was in the kids’ class or Jamie, she was zeta and her son Cassius played with our kids at lunch.

We sat there, wrapped up in conversation for almost two hours, ignoring Spencer and Blain that sat next to us in their own conversation with a couple of other pack members, only stopping to cut the cake.

“How much does Levi speak of Kiya?” I found her question odd.

“Truthfully, I hadn’t heard of her until Leivon brought the invite home, why?”

“Well, I know Clade or Deputy Spencer picks him up every day so you don’t get to see it but Kiya and Levi are drawn together, like a pull—”

“Like a mate bond,” Spencer interjected, resting his arm behind me as he sat back in his chair.

“You guys think that they are mates?” I replied, completely flabbergasted.

“We won’t know until Kiya shifts but maybe”—Spencer shrugged—“watch them…,” he tilted his head in their direction, “notice how for two hours, it’s only been them two, despite being packed full of other kids, it’s only ever them.

How he’s just as protective of her as she is of him. See how they hold each other, have to touch one another, whether it be a finger or a hand. Do you see how loving and nurturing they are towards each other?”

“But he’s eight?” I gasped.

“Yep,” they all chimed in around me like I should have known this is what happens.

“B-b-but he’s eight.”

“We won’t know till he’s older, sweet cheeks, but, by the looks of that, I’d be willing to place a hefty bet that they are.”

As I sat there allowing the words to soak in, I found myself more than perplexed by this situation.

Jesus, I had gone from a town where nothing exciting ever happened and moved to the town everyone goes full steam ahead.

This train was barreling down the tracks at top speed and I could do nothing but sit there and watch it all unfold.