Disclaimer: I own nothing, not even me. Just a little piece for you enjoyment, until my muse remembers the next part of my original story.
Warning: A few good bad words.
I slept a good part of the day, not caring if anything got done. After leaving the lupanar, we went back to Richard's house. He wanted to work on something downstairs, so I asked dad would it be safe to go back. He said it would be ok, but to take my familiar with me, just incase trouble came up. I spent a quit evening reading, talking to the girls, and trying to find out what Micah and Richard were talking about downstairs. He showed up not to long after everyone went to bed. Richard had Shang-Da posted at the basement door to keep me from being nosy. Jamil was out with Tamika tonight and Jade had gone to bed early. The phone ranged and I nearly jumped out of my skin. Who would be calling here this late at night? I looked over at Shang-Da, who just shrugged, so I went to answer it. "Hello," I said.
"Hey Crystal, it's Anita," she answered.
"Oh hey Anita. What's up?" I asked.
"Nothing much. I had a short break before my next appointment, thought I give you a call and see what your doing tomorrow," she replied.
"What am I doing tomorrow? Oh I'm cleaning the house, going to lunch at Luigi's, and going shopping," I told her.
"You mind if I tag along after I get some sleep and you can meet me here at noon," she asked.
"Sure," I said.
"Good, cause I need to talk to you anyway," she stated.
That last part didn't sound good, but I let it slide. "Ok. I'll meet you there," I said
"All right then. I'll see you tomorrow, bye for now," she said.
"Ok. Bye," I replied, and we hung up the phone. About an hour later Richard and Micah came back upstairs. They were both in one piece, so I'm assumed they were behaving themselves. Richard let him out and I waved goodbye. Shang-Da was dismissed and he went to find Jade. I had just finished shutting off the computer and getting out of the chair, when Richard picked me up and took off towards the bedroom. We spent the rest of the night in each other arm's.
I was up early on Friday morning, because there was no sleep in my future. I went out to the store to get a few things and Richard had already left for work. I was only home twenty minutes when there was a knock on the door. I went to answer it and it was Tam. "Mornong," I said tiredly.
"Mornong? What's a mornong?" she asked.
I turned red in the face and said, "Oops sorry that was supposed to be morning."
"I know that silly. May I come in?" She replied.
"Of course," I answered, stepping back so she can come in. I offered her a seat and she sat down and I sat down in the chair in front of the fire place.
"So what happened after I left for work last night," she asked looking at me curiosly.
"Nothing, everyone left after you did," I replied.
"Figures," she smirked.
"Yeah, Gigs was the first to leave right after you, then everyone else followed suit. Kash, then Lyza, and I was left talking to myself," I stated matter of factly.
"Where was Richard?" She questioned with a raise eyebrow.
"He went downstairs to finish something up in the basement," I replied.
"Oh," she said.
We sat for a few minutes in silence. Tam was the first to speck, "So what are you up to this morning?" She asked.
"Oh nothing just trying to get motivated to finish up the housework. I have to be at Anita's at noon. We're doing that bonding thing today," I replied.
"How about this. Roaches will move in and take over, then serve you an eviction notice. If you don't get up and get started," she stated.
I was up out of my chair and grabbing a broom. "That works," I said.
"Good," she said with a smile.
While I was trying to clean up the living room. I remembered my manners. "Hey Tam, you want something to eat or drink?" I asked.
"Coffee would be fine," she answered.
I went in the kitchen and made her some coffee and brought it back to her. She had her own little laptop with her and was typing away. I handed her the coffee, she took it with a smile.
"So what cha working on?" I asked.
"Trying to get a story finished," she answered.
"Ah, guess what?" I said.
"What?" she replied.
"We got a visitor last night. Can you guess who it was?" I asked.
"I don't know. Who?" she commented, her eyes not leaving the screen.
"Micah. He came by to talk to Richard about something. Anita was at work, cause that's were she called me from last night," I stated.
She glanced up from the screen at me with raised eyebrows "Micah was here and Anita called you from work," she asked curiously.
"Uh huh. Micah was downstairs helping Richard and Anita called to ask me what I was doing today. She needed to talk to me about something," I replied.
She went back to her compute, but still stayed in the conversation. "If Micah came by to talk to Richard. It had to be about politics, Anita, or possible both. I still think she should have been present for his replacing her as lupa. Lycanthropic etiquette and all that stuff," she said.
"I know, but Lyza did tell me that both her and Micah were in the car, when they stopped by the lupanar last night on the way to dinner. I even asked Richard the same thing. He said that she wasn't band from the meeting. She just couldn't be in two places at once and the pack would not allow the pard into the lupanar, even though she's also their bolverk. Besides it wasn't like she didn't know. Lyza said that if she felt what we did, then she could to. I think that's what she wants to talk to me about," I said.
Tam just shrugged and said, "Maybe it was better that she wasn't present. She'll always love Richard, even though they're not in love. Seeing him take his new mate might have been a little too uncomfortable for her to watch.
"I know," I said, then continued. "Besides if I come up missing for a while you know Anita went off the handle and shot me."
"More like she'll shot Richard, when she hears exactly how he went about making you his lupa," she stated, typing away at her laptop.
I just stood there leaning on the broom and mumbled, "That's true considering she wants details and nothing left out."
We worked in silence for a while. She on her story and me on the living room, trying to get rid of all the dust bunnies, that kept multiplying. I felt someone watching me as I moved around the living room. I looked up to find Tam glancing at me with a smile on her face.
"What?" I asked.
Her smile got wider, "I was just sitting here thinking that maybe it's a good thing, your going to talk to Anita. That's if you don't mind feeding her ardeur."
"Excuse me. Could you please explain that I'm confused?" I asked.
She just looked at me. "Come know Crystal. We all know how you get when you start talking about Richard. You get all hot when you speak of things that you've done with Richard or want to do with him. If lust was seen as a flame, you'd look like a friggin BONFIRE," she stated.
I know my face had turned every shade of red, so I went back to working on the living room. Trying to ignore the smirk on Tams face, I started cleaning the furniture. Working my way around the room, trying to get things done before noon. Tam laid her laptop to the side and stood. "May I use your restroom?" She asked.
"Of course, it's down the hall all the way towards the back," I answered.
She walked down the hall towards the bathroom as I finished up the living room. No soon as I heard the door shut, there was a knock at the front door. I opened the door to find Anita standing there. She looked warn and tired, but had a smile on her face. I stepped aside to let her in and she walked through the threshold without saying a word. She went straight to the kitchen, exactly the same time Tam came back from the bathroom. She sat down not knowing that we had a visitor. I didn't know how to tell her, so I just came right out and said, "Anita's here."
"Oh," she said, with a raised eyebrow.
Just then the lady in questioned came out of the kitchen, with a cup of coffee in hand. She sat down on the sofa.
"Hi Anita," Tam said nervously.
Anita mumbled, "Hey yourself."Then realized how she sounded, "I'm sorry, didn't mean it that way. I'm just tired."
"You're not the only one. I'm trying to figure out why I'm still up. Asher stood me up this morning by the way. He was nowhere to be found when I got in and neither was Gigs, although Nat said she'd made a run to the store for some stuff. So she should be home by now," Tam said.
"So how are they taking your pregnancy by the way?" Anita asked.
Tam glanced over at Anita and said, "They are adjusting and finally settled their differences on this, for now anyway."
"Ah. Well as of right now, I'm not talking to Jean-Claude. I've closed off the marks between us, along with avoiding him. Spending most of my free time with Micah and the pard," Anita replied.
Tam stared at Anita in shock and said, "But Lyza told me you two started talking again."
Anita had a funny look on her face when she said, "Nobody was supposed to know, I've talked to him already. Everyone thinks I'm still avoiding him."
Tam turned green around the collar a little, but didn't let her nervousness show when she said,
"Oops. Um. She said she and Caleb were sort of eavesdropping until Damien made them stop. She couldn't give any details."
I had a smart comment to make and I couldn't keep it to myself, "Uh Oh Tam I think you just got them into trouble."
Anita glared at me and I went silent. "Don't you have something to do and where's Richard?" She asked.
"He's at the school, getting ready for the fall semester," I stated, then went back to finishing up the living room.
Anita glanced at me sideways and answered, "Oh that's right, keep forgetting he goes back a few weeks early to prepare for his student's." She then turns back toward Tam and shrugs, "Eventually it would have gotten out, but just for now don't tell anyone."
Tam gave Anita a puzzled look and said, "Ok." Then with a soft whisper she asked, "Did Jean-Claude mention that we've selected a name for the baby?"
Anita being calm and collective, takes a sip of her coffee, then says, "If he did I don't remember."
Tam was trying to ease the tension between them, by talking to Anita. Anita was not as grumpy now that she's had her first cup of coffee and was listening to what Tam. Tam continued the conversation by saying, "We are going to name her Jewel."
Anita just sat there drinking her java letting the name sink in before replying, "Ah, that's a pretty name." Then she yawns and I knew she was fighting sleep.
I walked over to the couch and sat down beside Anita. "Anita, why don't you go lie down in the other room. You look tired and drained," I said.
Anita gave me a curious stare, "Isn't that your room."
I sort of turned away and mumble under my breath, "Used to be, not anymore."
"Exactly what do you mean by that?" She asked.
I didn't know what to say, so I came right out and told her, "I'm sleeping in Richard's room, with him now."
Her eyebrows shot up, wondering what this was all about. "You can't possibly be sleeping with Richard. He was being forced to take a new lupa last night. He told me himself and I even felt the sexual energy that happened between him and the new lupa. You can't possible be sleeping with him if he's got a mate."
I saw Tam out of the corner of my eye, put a protective hand over her stomach. I got up and went into the kitchen to grab the fresh croissants and a glass of juice. I brought the plate of pastries out and placed them on the table. Tam grabs one to go with her coffee, while sitting back to watch the confrontation. I started to move around and Anita was getting annoyed with it, so she grabs me by the arm and pulls me down onto the couch. I stared at her and pleaded with my eyes, let not talk about this now. Can we wait until later? She responded by saying, "No we are going to talk about this now."
She continued on with, "I want to know who the new lupa is and why your sleeping with him, when he's supposed to be sleeping with her."
"Anita, he is not sleeping with her because there is no she," I said.
"What do you mean there's no she?" she asked, then it darned on her what I was trying to tell her, "You're the new lupa?"
"Guilty as charge," I said, then took a sip of my orange juice.
"I felt the power stir and felt the marks rise. I knew Richard had announced his new lupa to the pack, just as we got there. I could feel the bond being made all the way from the car, but I had no idea he would choose you. You and I are too much a like, plus your half-vamp. You and I are everything he's fighting against, but yet he made you his new mate," she said.
"Yes," was all I could say.
She glanced over at Tam, who was trying to stay invisible through all this, and asked, "Did you know about this?"
Tam just sat there calm as could be and said, "Yeah. She told me yesterday. She even said the look on Paris's face when he did that was a TRUE kodak moment."
Tam turns to me with a warning, "I would watch out for a challenge from that bitch by the way,"
Anita's eye's got big and she said, "Really, damn wished I could have been there."
"Um Anita, you might not have appreciated the rest of the show," said Tam
Anita turns toward me with a curious stare, "What are you hiding from me Crystal?"
I glanced nervously over at her, not knowing how to tell her that Richard and I christened the thrown, just as she pulled into the drive of the farm house.
Anita was getting impatient and was getting an evil glint to her eyes. "Well I'm waiting," she said.
"I'm getting there, don't rush me. This isn't easy you know," I croaked.
Tam took that opportunity to distract Anita from me for, until I had the courage to tell her what exactly happened. "You want a cookie? Gigs had gone on a baking spree again," asked Tam.
Anita turned her head toward Tam. "No thank you," she said. Then turns back toward me.
I had no choice but to come right out and tell her the truth. I don't think she would be able to wait any longer. "You knew that he was being force by the pack to choose another lupa, do to Paris right?" I asked her.
"Yes. He gave me all the details and I told him if that's what he needed to make the pack back down, then do it but choose wisely. Don't make the same mistake that Marcus made," she said, staring at me before she continued, "What does that have to do with what your hiding from me?"
I looked her dead in the eye and said, "Tam said earlier to watch out for a challenge from Paris. Well she did just that, but didn't say it to the pack. Richard didn't give her time to. After he declared me his lupa. Paris went crazy said she would never acknowledge me as lupa, that I wasn't normal. Richard heard an open warning from her, that she was going to challenge me to a fight, right then and there. He didn't want her in his bed and he knew I couldn't beat her, cause I was still weak from the attack, so he abided by the law with my permission, and we christened the throne. That way she couldn't challenge me at that time and the pack would have no choice to side with him. Sylvie had to hold her back to keep from attacking me afterwards."
Anita just sat there, with a shocked expression and with her eyes bugging out. The only thing she could say was, "You did what?"
I slowly moved away from Anita and repeated, "We had sex together on the throne right in front of the entire pack."
Anita's nostrils flared and her face went cold. She was trying to process the information, but I could tell she wanted to kill somebody and I prayed it wasn't me, or Richard for that matter.
Tam felt the tension in the air and started gathering her things. She mouthed that she was going to go and I nodded my head. She left leaving me to take care of things, knowing that I will call her later to tell her what happened.
Anita started meditating trying to calm herself before an explosion occurred. When she had calmed down, she turned her focus back toward me. "This is something I never thought Richard would do. I knew he was having trouble with some of the pack, but never thought he would go against his morals and do something just to get the pack of his back. He must have realized that he needed to get some back bone or the pack will walk right over him."
She scooted over towards me and gave me a slight smile, "I'm not happy that Richard was forced to take another lupa, because of that bitch Paris, but I am happy that he choose you and not someone else. I can't give you the reasons why I feel this way. I don't know myself, but I'm happy that he's found someone else. Yes it hurts that I've lost him, but we do have our little bit of salvaged friendship. I know that the pack and Richard are in good hands, but I'm still bolverk and when the time comes Paris will get her dues.
I gave Anita a quizzical look and asked, "Anita you were in the car, when Lyza came to see if I was ok. Why didn't you just come on up? After all, like you said you are still our bolverk," I stated.
"If I'd known that Paris was going to be up to something. I would have been there instead of with the pard, but I can't be in two different places at once and my first concern is the pard. They are still trying to salvage themselves from Gabriel's abuse. They need me, I'm all they have, so I had to make some tough choices. Some of them were not easy, but needed to be made. Besides I couldn't bear to see Richard with someone else, even though I have Micah it would still have hurt like hell. I didn't come up because things were already uncomfortable between us. I didn't want to make it worse by adding fuel to the fire.
I cocked my head sideways at her and said, "I don't get you sometimes, you know that?"
"I know. I don't get me sometimes either," she said.
We spent the rest of the morning doing the household chores and just talked. Since we've meet, we've become more than friends. We've became sisters