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#Chapter 130: Moving Day
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Kadeem spent a fitful night, tormented by the knowledge he'd gained from Layla and the turn his conversation with Ardal had taken at the gym. At some point, early in the morning, he'd finally drifted off.
A loud chime woke him from the fog of sleep. His eyes opened and his muddled brain tried to piece together what the noise was, when the sound came again. Doorbell.'Fuck off,' he thought. He threw his pillow over his head - not caring, content to ignore it.The bell rang again.He bristled with an irrational amount of anger, growling out a steady stream of obscenities as he quickly threw on some clothes, and made his way toward the door with a fierce intent. He yanked it open, not sure he wouldn't instantly kill whoever was behind it."Daddy!"Kadeem blinked in surprise as Lottie threw her arms around him, quickly joined by all four of her brothers.Erbao didn’t spare a second before he hit Kadeem with his question. "Can we caRelated chapters
The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Chapter 131: Glue
A restless, wild kind of energy was coming off of Ardal as she stood before him.He swallowed, wishing she'd just tell him whatever was wrong.“I need something to do,” she said.There was a sharp pain over her face that made him nervous.“Okay, you can make the java for us,” he said, attempting to put some cheer in his voice. He pointed to the corner of the counter where the machine and beans were waiting.She hesitated. “That’s a lot fancier than my Mr. Coffee auto-drip.””It looks more intimidating than it is,” he smiled.Bad idea.She fooled around with it, and he attempted to direct her on how to use it while he threw the bacon on the griddle and chopped up the vegetables, but she quickly grew frustrated.He had to jump in to the rescue, and then she ran over to flip the bacon before it burned, a smile of victory on her face for effectively booting him from the stove
The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Chapter 132: Mates
Kadeem shoves me onto the bed as we kiss, his mouth moving against mine, coaxing my tongue into his. The sheets are soft against my skin and they smell of him - a honey and clove musk that's as familiar as it is enticing.By the way, his cabin is much homier than I’d expected. He finally admitted to me this afternoon that Riley had a lot to do with that.I make a mental note to thank her later for the Egyptian cotton.Kadeem sucks gently on my tongue and I capture his top lip in mine. His hands cup and squeeze my breasts, eliciting ragged gasps from me while I wrap my fingers through his hair.The room is dark, with only the blue-toned light cast by the "on" button of a tower fan in the corner, and the phone charger on his nightstand.I’m a lightweight, dizzy from my beer-chugging, and the short fall to his mattress sends me spinning a little faster.Through the visual carousel, I find Kadeem’s dark eyes crinkling as he pauses to smile at me, face alight with bemused affection - and s
The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Chapter 133: With or Without You
Kadeem’s arms envelop me while I sob into him. "I'm sorry," he says, more than once.His voice is full of pain - my pain.Because that’s how this works. With this stupid marking, he’s trapped us together as mates. Before, he read me like a book.Now, that connection we shared has been dialed up to a screeching, supernatural high. He can feel my emotions and he’ll be able to sense my presence when we’re miles apart.I break loose out of his embrace, trying to keep myself c
The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Chapter 134: Star-Crossed
We’re still standing in his kitchen as I cradle a bottle of champagne in my arms.I roll my eyes and blow the dust off the bottle. I'm starting to feel a little lightheaded as the effects from the beer-chugging slowly kick on. I twist the foil off the neck of it. “Was this for something special?”He sighs. “It doesn’t matter."“Then why does it look old?”I clumsily fumble with the wire bracket near the top of the bottle in an attempt to open it.
The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Chapter 135: Suspicion
Kadeem was closing up the gym for the night when a figure sauntered out of the shadows from the alley.Riley. She was clad in a black leather jacket. Her dark curls bounced as she walked. Her expression: smug.“Hey,” he said, nodding to his Beta."Admit that I'm Sherlock," she said immediately.Kadeem yanked the keys from the lock and pocketed them. "What?""No way am I Watson,” she said, twir
The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Chapter 136: Highway Hunt
Riley sat straight up and smacked Kadeem in the chest. "There he is!""Was hitting me necessary," Kadeem barked. He threw Riley a hard glare before he straightened up in his seat and peered out the car window at Rayburn.Their perp was walking out to a black BMW parked in one of the physician spaces in the clinic parking lot. In his slacks, light-blue button-down and glasses, he looked every bit the professional.Kadeem and Riley watched while he got into his car. Kadeem put his sunglasses on and started his engine. The tail lights of the BMW came on, and Rayburn backed out of his s
The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Chapter 137: The One with Karaoke
Kadeem applauded tepidly for Rayburn while Riley and the bar patrons cheered like he was their Karaoke god. He settled back on his lone bar stool, beaming from the high.They kept watch on Rayburn while they took in song after song, and the already crammed bar continued to fill up with people.Riley leaned in close to Kadeem's ear near the end of a young woman's failed attempt at Taylor Swift."I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish Mateo was here. I really think we could get him up there to sing."
The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Chapter 138: The Flame
It’s an unforgivable decision, even in the face of - let's just be honest - a lot of shitty decisions I've made lately.But there's a compulsion driving me and I don't have the power, or really the wherewithal to stop it.I tiptoe quietly from Kadeem’s bedroom, and head down the hall, nearly blowing everything when I step down barefoot on something sharp, grunting in agony and letting out a mangled, “Fuck!” in the dark.I bend down to examine what I’ve stepped on, my foot still throbbing in agony. Something razor-sharp, obviously, like glass, or -Legos.Freaking Legos. I kick them off to the side near the baseboard and wait, but no kids stumble out half-asleep to check on the noise.Breathing a sigh, I continue my trek through the dark house. I pause when I get to the kitchen. Maybe I should write Kadeem a quick note. I look around for a notepad or something to write on.Another "Mom of the Year Award" can be issued for this: I flip over Silas’ space painting to scribble out my lie t
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The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Epilogue, Part 2: Sonnet 116
Shitty, shit, shit!Kadeem quietly gauges my reaction.“Kadeem,” I begin, not wanting to hurt him, but panicky all the same, “Could we just - pretend you didn’t give me this?” It comes out in the vein of an anxious Western villain. Walk away slowly, and no one gets hurt.“Suit yourself.” He goes back to working on his computer. “But you might like what you see in there,” he adds.I run my fingers over the soft, velvety surface of the box. My voice comes out high-pitched as I try to change the subject. “Are you getting nervous about your surgery?”“No.”“Really?”“It doesn’t ruffle my feathers,” Kadeem mumbles, half-distracted. He pauses. “Erbao’s surgery on the other hand…”My stomach knots at the thought of it. “Me too. But for both of you.”“It’ll all be worth it,” he says, looking up to smile.Seeing Erbao healthy will be worth it. Thank the Goddess Kadeem was a match for his kidney transplant.“Something did ruffle your feathers once,” I say, “Maybe something medical.”“Impossible
The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Epilogue, Part 1: The Final Rose
Outside of Kadeem's health club, his security guard, Nora, is aggressively confronting someone. As expected.She shoots me her usual scowl when I pass by, but I don't acknowledge it, and simply yank the door open to go inside. I told Kadeem to fire her, but he doesn’t listen.I’m not giving up, though.I head over to the check-in area where my main rival, Rory, is lazily answering a phone call. A pile of white gym towels on the counter behind him is waiting to be folded.My left arm is braced across my chest in a sling and cast, but I make sure to lean my good arm casually on the counter like I own the place. Because, let’s face it, I pretty much do."I'm here to see Kadeem," I announce, adding a sarcastic, "Is that alright with you?"Rory gives me an icy glare before turning his attention back to his call. I drum my fingers on the counter and flash him an innocent smile before walking away."Yes, sir," he mumbles into the phone, before whispering a snide, "If he wants you around.""H
The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Chapter 150: The Fray
Orange and yellow leaves dot the sidewalk outside of the pack headquarters where I huddle with the kids as we prepare for our next move. Despite the chill in the air, beads of sweat are dripping down the back of my neck.Thanks to Jack’s magic and a shit ton of luck, we left Sasha, Gabe, and the rest of our captors unconscious and tied up in Kadeem’s cabin. Jack stayed behind to help Riley before setting out to slay his mother. Talk about an Electra complex.I take a moment to catch my breath when the sounds of a growing commotion come from the Council building. Without warning, Erbao bolts off, charging up the concrete steps, his eyes blazing with determination.“HEY!” I belt out. Bob could have dozens of henchmen stationed inside. Worse, he could have already seized control of Red Moon.Erbao ignores me and his siblings rush after him. My heart is a race car, but my legs are still Jello from wolfsbane. All I can do is stumble after them as they burst through the doors of the crowded
The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Chapter 149: Hero
The pack headquarters was in an ordinary brick building, tucked away right in the heart of the city. The activity was minimal, except for nights when the council met - usually on the full moon. Even then, it was never bustling. It was a seat of immense power, but it looked an awful lot like a local Elk’s Club.Today was different.Pack members, raw with emotion, gathered like storm clouds at the downtown HQ. As dawn broke, Council Elders fought to maintain control of the room, elbow-to-elbow with Weres demanding answers.The vampire attack had come without warning, had been brutal and swift. The enemy was fueled with a devastating strength, leaving many injuries and fatalities.Amidst all of the chaos, one question loomed over them all: Where was their Alpha?It was into this pressure cooker that Kadeem allowed himself to be dragged in by Bob.The room erupted at the sight of him. Even the stoic Council gasped in shock. Bob was barreling in Kadeem with a ruthless force - leather boots
The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Chapter 148: Reckless
ArdalJust like that, our goodbye is cut. I slump against the couch, head in my hands."I'm sorry," Jack says.I lift my head to shoot him a fiery glare.The first rays of sun are lighting the windows. Around us, the quintuplets are Energizer bunnies- getting cranky, maybe, but still going. I'm scraping by on their fumes and my emotional torment.Guilt is splashed across Jack's face.What am I actually seeing?I scrutinize him, hard. The emotion looks utterly real. For a second I am so disgusted, it renders me speechless."You’re pathological," I spit out.He flinches at my words. I picture myself wolfing out and tearing him to bits.Well, it’s a split between that, and throwing myself into his arms to melt into him. Inexplicably, my confusing feelings for him will not die. It only makes me hate him- and myself- more. My hands ball into fists and I battle the urge to scream.Sasha pockets her phone. Next to Jack, Lottie and Milo fight over the box of cookies."Sit tight for now," Sash
The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Chapter 147: In the Wee Small Hours
The stage is set.I've got to hand it to Bob, he's built a well-oiled network of evil and orchestrated his plan perfectly.Kadeem will be taken in front of the Council elders. He'll be blamed for everything from Susan's death to the vampire attack. Bob will get to play the hero and declare himself the rightful Alpha. Kadeem will be killed.It's everything Bob hoped for.His henchmen arrive in the darkness to haul off me, Jack, and Riley. Jack is coming to, Riley's still holding on, and I'm less noodle-like, but I fake incapacity, forcing one of them to lift me from the ground and half-carry me, supporting my weight.My last glimpse of Kadeem is as weighty as you would imagine. There's no fear in his eyes, though. I'm starting to feel hints of my inner wolf again and the emotional link between us. What I pick up from him is exactly what he's projecting outwards: calm.It sets me off. Where's the anger?! The steely determination?! The whirling thoughts as he plans a way out of things?!
The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Chapter 146: “Ten Duel Commandments”
Kadeem's eyes flash like lightning.The wind picks up, stirring the night air and whipping up a swirl of leaves. On the ground nearby, Susan's tresses blow gently across her face, still staring lifelessly into the darkness ahead."Guess you've got it all figured out," Kadeem says quietly, almost eerily calm. His gaze shifts to Riley, who's lying unconscious on a bed of leaves. "But you forgot her.""Collateral damage," Bob shrugs. "I was planning on having her killed anyway. No way I can trust her."A low growl rumbles from Kadeem's throat. "No deal, then."Bob laughs. "If you think you have any kind of leverage over me, you're sadly mistaken. I've got more than enough to ensure your compliance, including your sweetie over there." He gestures lazily in my direction as he approaches Riley, still hovering somewhere between life and death."I'll give her a warrior's end," he says, staring down at her. "The Council will believe she died trying to stop you, trying to protect the pack."Nex
The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Chapter 145: No Way Out
Kadeem glares at Bob. “Cooperate?" he spats. "You should know me better than that."Kadeem is on the ground, his weight supported by a tree. Exhaustion is etched into his sweat-covered face and the blood from his shoulder has seeped into the fabric of his shirt, staining it bright red.Nearby, Jack's sole focus is on the medical emergency in front of him. He's been working quickly to keep Kadeem's beta alive, turning her onto her side, holding pressure against her stab wound and checking her pulse.Increasingly drowsy, the sound of Bob chuckling in response to Kadeem is faint in my ears. Susan yanks me by my wrists and begins to drag me along the damp ground, limping as she goes. Before my eyes grow too heavy, I glimpse the deep bites around her right shin and calf."If you hurt her-"I'm too weak to take advantage of her injury and I don't resist. I simply wonder what the point is. Why expend her energy to put more distance between me and the others?In this current state of affairs,
The Reawakened Mates and their Quintuplets #Chapter 144: Knives Out
Riley spoke in a low, urgent whisper. "One wrong move and you're dead, got it?"Rayburn's voice rose as he responded fiercely, "Perhaps at some point you'll realize I haven't done anything wrong and I'm not going-"Kadeem whipped around to interrupt him with an icy growl. They were on the brink of reaching Ardal, and Riley had made a dangerous gamble by freeing Rayburn.Kadeem could only hope it wouldn't backfire on them.He knew Riley well enough to guess her thought process. Intimidation was part of the game, and Kadeem showing up with his distracted beta tagging after him while she juggled a captive was no good. Riley wanted it made clear that Kadeem had back-up, and she needed to give herself the chance to fight by his side when it boiled down to it.But Kadeem also knew the reality of their situation. Now, there was nothing to prevent Rayburn from using the spell that had knocked them unconscious in the woods, killing them, or worse: going after Ardal or the kids. What were the o
