Samantha.
My mind is cloudy. This is how it feels to really be in love. I never felt so at peace; even when Eli shakes me awake at 4:50am.
"Your mother's calling you none stop." He pushes my hair behind my ear and nuzzles his nose into the side of my neck. I can hear the buzzing of my phone dancing on the windowsill.
"Mmm... tell her I'm dead."
"How morbid." He pouts.
"I just want to stay like this a little longer."
"Me too." He turns my face to his and kisses me gentley. "But, we have that sit down with Alex and my mother."
I groan. I forgot about that woman. It seems Eli is serious about Alex meeting his mom. He arranged it the night we returned from the zoo. He thought it would be smart to have her on our side, and Alex's chubby cheeks can win the heart of anyone, even those with none.
He thought up a plan to have a house built for us just outside of the packlands. However, he is afraid that being so close to the pack will leave us vulnerable to rogues. Apparently, they are drawn in by the smell of other wolves, so naturally, it isn't a matter of if we would encounter one living out there, but when. The only way it can work is if he posts warriors beyond their borders, and of course, he'd need to discuss it with his mother before approaching the elders. The only thing I'm worried about is that his mother doesn't know Alex and I are coming. She just knows shes someone important.
I reach over and grab my phone from the windowsill and a random street light aches my eyes as the curtain moves slightly to the side. It's still so dark out. I call my mother back.
"Hey, sleeping beauty. I thought you were dead!"
Eli shakes his head. He isn't fond of those jokes, I guess.
"Yeah, yeah, on your way?" I can hear the sound of her turning signal ticking in the background.
"Yes, I should be pulling up in ten minutes."
"Is he still sleeping?"
"Believe it or not, NO!"
"Hey!" Eli slides his hands down my legs, and I kick him away.
"What's up?" My mother asks.
"Nothing, just saying, hey!" I blush, "I'm on the speaker, right?"
"Yeah, but he's being quiet today. He said the air smells strange, whatever that means." My mom laughs.
"Ok," I snort. " He's never been up this early. Honk when you pull up!"
"Ok." She hangs up.
"Ten minutes!" I scream as I spring from the bed and sprint off to the bathroom.
I hop in the shower and put the water scrotching hot and stand under it, wincing at the heat when it first hits me. I take the soap and slather it all over my body and hurriedly rinsed it off. I jump out of the shower, wrapping myself in a towel. I run out, across the room, and straight to my drawer that stands opposite of the bed, where Eli sits fully dressed.
"Round two?" He smirks, his eyes swirling with black.
"Are you kidding me?" I am rummaging through the drawer looking for panties, which I finally find. I get one leg through when I hear my mom's car honking out front.
"Shit!" I shout.
Eli stands up and walks casually towards the door.
"I'll get him." His hand waves me off over his shoulder as he proceeds out the door before I can object.
I quickly get dressed and run after him. By the time I get downstairs, he has my mom laughing about only God knowing what. She looks over her shoulder at me, heaving at the front door.
"Sweetie, you're gonna get sick out here, no coat and damp." She pats Eli on the shoulder. "You didn't tell me you had company. No wonder you weren't answering." She winks.
My mother is right, I am going to be sick, but not from the cold. Eli snickers and kneels down in front of Alex to give him a hug.
"Hey there, big three. How do you feel now that you're three years old? "
"Three years and one day," he corrects, "Old, the air smwells funny too." He grimices.
"Tuh!" My mom frowns, "you speak to him, though?"
Eli laughs as he scoops him up.
"Let's get you inside."
"And you!" My mother scolds me.
We wave my mother off and head inside. I immediately dive into the covers to get warmed up. I stayed there for a bit since I was still really tired. I even dose off.
I finally peek my head out from under the comforter to see Eli and Alex packing his bookbag with toys and snacks. They are chatting and smiling with each other, and it just makes my heart warm. I get up and walk over to join them.
"Yeah, but it has to be a boy, too." Alex says definitely.
"What has to be a boy?"
"Your pup!"
My jaw drops open. "My pup?!"
"Eli said you guys will have a puppy one day."
I glare at Eli, who just returns it with a goofy smile and wiggle of his eyebrows. He is so fucking cute. I guess we can have a pup, just one though. Gosh, would I do anything for this man? He looks at the watch on his wrist just in time to miss me blushing.
"We have to go." He stands up.
I look at the time and nod in acknowledgment.
...
Eli.
It is a lengthy drive from Samantha's to my pack. Lucky we packed snacks and toys for Alex, though he's been sleep most of the ride. After a few hours of driving, we probably have about fifteen minutes to go.
"Almost there."
"Thank god!" She throws her head back and moans.
"Mommy.." Alex mumbles through the clacking of his action figures.
"Yes, baby?" She pivots in her seat so she can look back at him.
"I don't feel good."
I glance at him through the rearview mirror.
His usually caramel face is slightly pale, and his brown eyes are watery. His hands are gripping his toys so tight that his knuckles are white.
"What's wrong, bud?" I ask, my eyes bouncing between him and the empty road ahead.
"You don't look so good." Samantha's voice cracks, and my head whips to the side in concern.
She looks over at me and gives me a weak smile, her eyes becoming watery as well.
"What's wrong?" I reach my hand out and cup her face, giving her cheeks a little squeeze.
"Nothing, I'm a baby. I always get this way when he's not feeling well. Hate to see it."
"Awe, you are a baby."
She glares at me and swats my hand away from her face. I quickly but gently grabbed her face again, catching her by surprise. Her big brown eyes getting bigger.
"You are a baby, my baby." Again, she slaps my hand away, but this time with a chuckle.
"Hmm!" Alex expresses his discomfort in the back.
Samantha's attention immediately snaps back to her son. I look at him in the review mirror again. This time, he is holding his stomach, his eyes tightly shut.
"Alex!" Samantha turns back around to unclip her seat belt.
"What are you doing?!" I panick.
"Relax, just gonna sit back there with him. He might just be getting car sick."
I look at Alex again. His eyes are still closed, and he is rubbing circles on his stomach.
"Does he always?"
"Only time he's in a car this long is with his dad. He never mentioned anything to me about car sickness though." She swirls in her seat so that she is on her knees and facing the rear.
"At least let me pull over!" I frown.
"For what? We are almost there, you said, no sense in stopping." She begins by hugging one arm around the headrest to keep steady.
"Samantha," I plead. My stomach begins to dance to a walts of nerves as her other hand grips my shoulder for support. "Samantha, I'll just pull over."
"Non.. sense." She brings her knee up to her chest as she begins slowly trying to climb to a squatting postion in her seat.
"Sam!" I look over at her in disbelief. "Sit down!" I am trying to keep my cool, but it isn't working.
Watching my mate standing in a moving car is nervewrecking. On top of that, I am trying to watch the road and Alex at the same time. I should have gone directly towards the pack instead of detouring through the side gate. It could have taken five mins off the trip, not much but necessary. But, the side entrance is safer for everyone.
I begin slowing down, we are coming up to an intersection, so it is not ideal to stop abruptly or completely. Not to mention, if I do, Samantha will go flying. As we enter the intersection, her foot steadies onto the arm rest between the front seats.
"Samantha, sit down -" I look over at her, but it isn't her that I see. It is the big dull burgundy van coming full speed towards us.
"SAMANTHA!"