Runt of the Litter (Halfbreed Chronicles Book 1) (9 page)

Chapter.
17 - Avery
 

I knew that eventually Lou would catch me in the act, he
can manage to sniff out pretty much anything, but I definitely helped him along
when the bike kicked back, announcing my arrival in our driveway.  As
figured, he came bouncing out already in a
tiffy
that
I was driving the clunker which him and Liam had spent two summers fixing up,
“What do you think you’re doing runt
?!
”

Usually I don’t even bother trying to reason with him when
he begins a conversation with name calling, but this time, I decide to do
something different.  Maybe a different reaction, will give me a different
outcome.   Or maybe some foreplay with my woman is making me grow a
pair.

Stepping off the bike, I look straight up at him, and he
must sense the difference in me.  Because he stops in his tracks, just before
he would have reached me,
“Good morning
to you too, Lou.”

His face easily reveals the confusion.  Usually I try
to run away as fast and far away as I can when he calls me ‘runt’.  But
this time, I seem to be standing my ground, and strangely, it allows Lou and I
have to an actual conversation.  One I never thought we’d have,
“Something is definitely different Avery
– you’re out way early, riding a bike?  I mean, I just can’t believe
you’re the one taking it for a spin.”

I could have read way too much into the comment –
that he doesn’t think I could ride, that he doesn’t find me capable of enjoying
a motorcycle, hell, I could even pick a fight about him thinking I can’t be an
early riser (just because he’s up at four every morning to work the farms).
 But I don’t do my usual
defense,
I stand my
ground, and don’t even move my eyes away from his.  Maybe that’s been my
problem, reading too much into his comments.  Taking them for face value,
and assuming Lou doesn’t have more depth to his words.  Maybe I’ve been
doing him as much of a disservice, as I assume he’s been doing to me.
 Maybe we’ve both been unfair to one another.

So here I am, trying to give it a chance, and let him
explain more, instead of assuming.  Though my guard will probably always
remain a bit high when it comes to my brothers, especially Lou,
“Why don’t you think I’d like to take a
ride?”

Lou practically rolls with laughter, and I’m surprised by
how contagious it is.  It’s loud and booming, equally matching his size,
“Well for one, we tried to have you join us
on building it, and you said that you didn’t – and I quote: ‘want to end
up looking like a pair of grease monkeys, like you two’, as you walked passed
us.”

Geez, now I just feel horrible.  Here I am thinking
they’re constantly judging me, and I’m
name
calling
them right back.  I quickly step off the bike, and though I question
whether I should for just a moment, I move forward, wrapping my arms around his
chest, and holding onto him tightly,
“I’m
really sorry I said that Lou.”

It’s probably been the longest conversation we’ve had in
years, and Lou was never big on the affectionate part of a brotherly
relationship to begin with, so I’m genuinely surprised when he doesn’t hit me
in the shoulder and tell me to knock it off.  Instead, he wraps his arms
around my shoulders, squeezing just as hard, and chuckles,
“I don’t think either of us took it too personally – we just
wanted to try to do something together for once.  It’s hard to find
something we all three like.”

I pull back just enough for us to look at each other, and
sigh,
“You have been trying to include
me on things?”  

He nods, and I pull away, falling silent for a moment.
 I had been misreading their attempts, as shows of everything they can do,
that I can’t: woodworking, machinery, engine rebuilding, farming.  But
they’d been trying to include me?  I’m not sure I could feel worse right
now, until Lou calls me runt again,
“Look
it’s okay runt – we can keep working on it, right?”

I dig into my heels, fighting to bolt away from him, and
though I usually I say nothing, I’m still trying to do something different
here,
“I hate it when you guys call me
‘runt’.  Hate it.”

Lou’s shoulders sag just a little, and his eyes look down
for a moment, contemplating what I said, before coming back to me,
“Man, I’m sorry.  We didn’t know that
you hated it.  We were just trying to tease you a little, like brothers.”
 
I’m about to interrupt him to say there are other ways to bond,
besides names calling, but what he says next, makes me feel two inches tall,
“We just miss you, that’s all.  We’ve
been trying to get you spend time with us for years, but you practically run
away from us at every turn.  You don’t seem to like what we say to you, or
what we invite you to, and honestly, we don’t know what to do about it.”

Great, this whole time I thought my brothers were the bad
guys, and turns out it’s me.  I’m the bad guy.  The
asshole
who won’t communicate, grunt over “runt”, and storm
off without explaining anything.  No wonder I’ve left them confused and
bewildered on what to do next.  To be honest, I feel like I could run away
right now just out of sheer guilt, but I’m trying here, and so though nothing
is going to fix our rift in a day, I can see now I need to be the first one
making the effort,
“I’m really sorry
Lou.  I think I’ve been misreading everything, and obviously taking it way
too personally, when it turns out that’s not even how you all meant it.  I
should apologize to Liam, too.”

Lou nods, and I finally have an idea.  Before, I
would never show them how vulnerable I felt, but maybe I can try it, and just
see what happens.  Lou’s been full of surprises thus far, so maybe he’d
actually help me today as well,
“Do you
think you and Liam could help me cook dinner tonight?  I’d really appreciate
it.”

I can see the flash over his eyes, his wolf to the
forefront, happy as can be, and I smile right back at him, glad that he didn’t
dismiss the idea outright – seeing as I’m pretty sure I’ve only ever seen
him make grilled cheese.  As we head inside to call Liam, I begin to
explain, that why I normally do all the cooking, I could use their help to make
extra food, seeing as I’m inviting my girl and her family over.  I make it
through the mudroom, into the kitchen, while Lou stays stiff in the doorway.
 When I realize he isn’t right behind me anymore, I turn to see his huge
frame almost shutting out all the light coming from the back door, and smirk,
“You can stop being frozen by the news,
Hell has indeed frozen over, and yes, I managed to get a girl – woman.”

I correct the last part, because frankly, no girl has tits
like Riley.  Those mounds belong on a woman.  My woman.  Mine.
 I keep saying that word in my head, on a loop, as if it’s branding itself
into my brain.  Like I would ever forget.

Lou rushes over to me, and grabs me by the shoulders,
grinning from ear to ear,
“That a boy!
 Oh man, just wait till Liam hears – let’s call him right now!”
 

I can’t help but laugh, and promise to do it myself, under
one condition,
“Sure, but hey, no more
name calling between us, okay?   I don’t like it.”  
Lou
steps back, holds up two fingers like the boy scout he never was, and swears
not to do it anymore, and apologizes all over again for having done it in the
first place.  I don’t want him to feel too bad about it though, not
anymore, not when I realize I’ve been doing the exact same thing.  We’ve
been
miscommunicating
for years, and it’s time to
actually just be honest with one another
,
“Come on, let’s get Liam here, so he can handle the deserts, and me and you can
handle the main course.”

“Alright I’ll try,
but you’re probably going to have watch me closely, I don’t think I’ve ever
cooked more than spaghetti in my life.”

“Grilled cheese.”

Lou blinks,
“What?”

I smirk, as I pick up the receiver from the phone in our
kitchen,
“You’ve also made one real mean
grilled cheese.”

He winks back at me, looking more like our father than I
can even deal with right now, and I turn to the phone to dial Liam’s number.

Chapter.
18 - Riley

I smile, grateful that this long mundane day is over, and
I finally get to head over to his house.  I’ve missed Avery terribly, and
somehow, Savannah has convinced our Dad to let me go in first, and give us a
few minutes to talk.  Since he seems convinced that our families won’t like
each other, he isn’t intimidated by a few minutes of us alone.  Except I
know exactly what can happen in a few minutes, and though I might feel a bit
like a villain trying to steal my mate’s virtue, if it means no one can come
between us again, I’ll do it.  I’ll ride him into oblivion in under ten
minutes.

I want it to be special for Avery, I really do, but I feel
like we’re going to have to do this my way if we actually get some time alone.
 

Savannah walks passed me in a cute white sundress, and faux
cowhide ankle boots, her long brown hair, tied into a thick braid.  She
looks downright wholesome in comparison to me, while I’m sitting on the edge of
my bed, tucking my feet into the biker boots Avery seems to like.  Maybe I
should do something with my
jet black
hair for the
evening, to help soften up the black lace stockings, and leather knee length
skirt.  I tried pairing a white button up with everything, thinking it’d
look a less motorcycle chic, but I know I’m not fooling anybody.  There’s
not much softness to me, not like Savannah.  So when she pauses nearby, I
look up at her, and ask her to help me out, so I don’t scare off the family.
 

She sighs, and actually rolls her eyes,
“As if, sis.  I mean you’re a closet
sweetheart, I know you are.”

My shoulders drop a little,
“Yeah, but they don’t know me - and first impressions do count for
something.  So please?”
Savannah cocks her head to the side a little, and eyes me up and down, still
uncertain it seems,
“Well I still don’t
think you need to be anybody but yourself, but if you want some fashion advice,
then fine, I’ll help.”
I’ll graciously accept any help she can offer, and within minutes, I’m in a
new dress, one of her burgundy suede ones.  It’s like the blue one I wore
to our first date yesterday, cinching at the waist, and flaring out over my
hips.  She tones down my ample bosom with a black cardigan to match my
lace stockings, and she doesn’t even try to touch my biker boots.  She
managed to give me a little feminine edge, but no one would think I’m
all sweet
.  

It’s perfect, and just when I’m about to thank her, she
explains she’s not finished - and takes my hair, tucks a few strands into a
small braid, and gathers it all into side ponytail, before placing a gold chain
that settles just over the edge of the cardigan.  With the look complete,
I thank her profusely, and she smiles wholeheartedly.  Intertwining her
arm with mine, she winks up
at me, and grins,
“Come on, let’s go meet the
inlaws
.”

My sister has never been one to disappoint, and right now,
I can feel myself getting emotional, at how easily she could accept a
halfbreed
into our family.  She’ll charm everyone I’m
sure, and maybe by default they’ll accept me, too.  But with Daddy, who
knows.  I doubt he’ll view them as anything but mutts, and his general
ignorance about them will show through in the most unsettling of ways.

As we pull up to the address Avery gave me, I take in the
little homestead they have (one that was supposedly built by his paternal
grandfather), and when I step out of the car, I look up to the second story bay
window, and hope it’s his room.  I’ve always wanted to sit in one and read
some books, and watch the sun set on the horizon.  As promised, Savannah,
and my Dad wait in the car, but he points to his watch and gives me a stern
warning, that it really will only be ten minutes.

I roll my eyes, but luckily he doesn’t follow, while I
practically hop towards the side of the house.  I notice two cars in the
driveway, and tell myself that no matter how appealing Avery will look, I can’t
grope him in front of his family.  I skip over the two steps, and land
almost directly into his arms.  He had opened the door to greet me, but I
was too distracted to realize, and now, he’s holding me in the threshold, while
I melt into his embrace.

The now familiar smell of vanilla and sandalwood
invigorates me, and all I want to do is nuzzle into his neck - but it would
smudge my lipstick, so I should try to contain myself.  For all I know his
brothers are right behind him,
“I’ve missed
you.”
He holds me tighter, and I let my head fall back a little, welcoming his lips
on mine, as we allow each other to get a little lost.  I’m practically
dizzy from his desire overtaking my senses, and all he’s done is kiss me.
 I haven’t forgotten the orgasms we gave each other earlier, and my body
continues to cling to his, hoping for another.  But still, I can’t forget
who’s waiting all around us, and I pull back, albeit hesitatingly,
“Avery, where is everybody?”

He mumbles against my
jawline
,
before moving down to my neck,
“They’re
waiting in the living room.  They didn’t want to rush you all at once.”

“Won’t they come looking for us if we take
much longer?”

I can feel the smile on his lips as his right hand cups my
jaw,
“Not for a few more minutes.
 And besides, I missed you, too.”

How can anyone think, my father no less, that any man who
could make me smile like this, wouldn’t be good for me?  Avery brings out
my sensitive side.  
The one where I just want to snuggle
with him all night long.
 The one where I’d be just as content
sitting at a bay window in his room, as I would be taking my bike for a spin.
 He has already tamed my wolf; she wants to soak up all that he has to
offer, and curl into his body.  

But we still aren’t mated, and I have maybe six more
minutes to get things going, before my father tries to ruin it all.  I
push against him, making him fall back against the wooden paneling of what I
suppose is a mudroom, and naturally his eyes go wide, unsure of what’s gotten
into me.  But soon enough, he’ll realize it’s
him
getting into me . . .
“If
we have a few minutes to ourselves, maybe we should make the most of it?”

I ask the question, but I don’t wait for the answer.
 He wants me, I know he does, and even if he tries to stop us from going
as far as I want to right now, he’s still going to allow something to happen, I
can tell.  And he doesn’t disappoint.

Almost immediately, he pulls me to himself and our hands
begin to roam.  I tug at the shirt he has tucked into his pants, desperate
to feel the ribbed muscles of his abs, and the hot skin against my fingertips.
 He goes straight for my tits, and I groan when his fingers trace the
hardened buds fighting to break free from the fabric.  But everything is
wrapped too tightly around my chest, and so his left hand moves down towards my
ass, cupping it once, before shifting to my thigh to raise my leg against his
hip.  I wish I didn’t have these stupid tights on now.  How easy it
would be to pull his dick out, and let him fill me up.  Just a few
minutes, and I’d be able to make us both purr from the sensations, I know it,
“Riley - Riley, we can’t.”
He begins to let go of me, gently so I can regain my balance, and I pout - yes,
pout, because frankly I don’t know what else to do anymore,
“Aren’t you aching for me, too?”  
Avery looks like he was about to reach out for me again, but holds his ground,
probably afraid nature would win out, and he’d be stuck having his first time
in a mudroom with family fifteen feet away.  Okay, so maybe my plan wasn’t
fool proof, and now we’ve only got two minutes for him to get his hard on down,
and my cheeks to look less flushed.  He puts his hand over the bulge, and
winces,
“Riley, you know damn well that
I want you - look at this thing, it’s got a life on its own when you’re near,
and I lose all sight of anything else.”
Good
, I want to retort, he better be
wanting
me just as much, but I don’t say anything.
 Because he wants to tuck it away, and pretend that the mating heat isn’t
reaching him as badly in front of our families.  
Fine
, I think, and try not to say it out loud, because I know the
word would be laced with discontentment.  So instead, with only one minute
left, I tuck my own hands behind me, and lean on the opposite wall,
“It would be easier if you just let
yourself mate with me.”  
He looks back at me, and I can see his wolf coming to the forefront, as he
licks his lips.  It’s gone as quickly as it came, but I just
smirk,
glad to know that I got them both wanting me.
 It won’t be much longer: I can feel it, my wolf can feel it, and no one,
not even my Dad knocking on the screen door, can stop it from happening.