ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (205 page)

              “She is my daughter, Cara, and you and Tara are her daughters.  She has a right to come here.” 

              “Now that’s bullshit and you know it.”  Cara said and pushed her plate away. 

              Estelle pinned her with a stern look.  “Language.” 

              “Sorry, Gram.”  Cara said and patted Estelle’s wrist.  “Is Dad coming too?”

              She shrugged.  “I’m assuming so.  They fly in tomorrow.” 

              “Ugh!”  Cara stood and took her plate to the sink.  “I hope they booked a hotel room!”

              X-X-X

Cara waited anxiously as she watched all the strange faces glide past her.  She hoped she was at the right terminal to meet them, then chastised herself for hoping she wasn’t.  Suddenly, there they were.  Janet and Dan Carson were walking towards her as sour faced as ever.  Dan ran a subconscious hand over his thinning blonde/gray hair.  He attempted a smile at his daughter, but memories of their parting fight caused the smile to look pained.  Janet didn’t attempt any pretense.  Her recently dyed short bob gleamed golden under the fluorescent lights.   She stopped in front of Cara and gave her a tight lipped hello. 

              Cara took one of the carry on bags from her father and inwardly groaned when he announced another bag was expected on the turnstile.

              “So how long are you guys planning on staying?” She asked as they began moving towards the baggage area. 

              “As long as this nonsense takes, Cara!”  Her mother snapped.  “Honestly, I just don’t understand why I can’t have good daughters to bring me some pride!” 

              “Oh, Mom, we just do it get under your skin.”  Cara smiled sweetly.  “You know it was just our plan since birth, actually we planned it all in the womb.  Of course we had to wait for Tara to grow up to be raped and then get hooked on smack just so she could calm her nerves.”  Cara could feel the heat rising throughout her face.  Her pulse pounded in her ears.  

              Janet shot her daughter an acrid look.  “You are so disrespectful.”  The words were enunciated as if Cara struggled with English.  Janet’s eyes darted around her to see if anyone passing by had heard the exchange. 

              “What’s wrong with the two of you?”  Dan hissed, leaning towards them.  “For God’s sake, wait until we get to Estelle’s to start this crap!” 

              The drive back to her grandmother’s was taken in agonizing silence.  The only one that spoke was Dan as they turned into Estelle’s driveway. 

“She has really kept up with her little place nicely.  I wonder if she hires someone to help her?” 

              Estelle emerged from the side door just as she had the night Cara and Mark had arrived.  Cara watched her mother take Estelle in with a sweeping glance.  She was no doubt trying to assess whether her mother had put on weight.  Estelle looked fresh and cool in a white linen shirt with baby blue buttons and pale blue slacks. 

              Janet grazed Estelle’s cheek with a kiss.  “Hello, mother.” 

              Dan nodded to Estelle as he moved past her with two of the bags and into the kitchen.  Cara brought up the rear with the final bag.  She rolled her eyes.  Estelle pinched her lips together to keep from laughing. 

              Janet stood in the middle of the kitchen floor and let her gaze roam around the room and into the adjoining living room.  She placed her purse on the table and seated herself gracefully. 

              “Now, tell me where my other daughter is.” 

              X-X-X

Cara had worried that the half- truth story that she had told Estelle would be so riddled with holes that it would never stand up to a Janet Carson interrogation, but she was more focused on Tara being in a club with a strange man than anything else.

              “Well, did he look…foreign?”

              Cara made a face.  “Foreign?”

              “Yes, Middle Eastern, Indian, whatever.” 

              Cara sighed.  “Not particularly.  It was rather dark in there though, perhaps he was black!” 

              The look of horror that crossed her mother’s face was worth the warning look she received from her father.  Whereas her father was living in the here and now, Janet was still a girl of the 1960’s. 

              “I just don’t understand.”  Janet shook her head.   

              Dan drained the glass of lemonade clutched in his hand before speaking. 

              “How did she look, Cara?  Did she look like she was still on the drugs?” 

              Cara had expected this question.  “No, but she was thin and pale.”  Not a lie!  She told herself.

              Estelle had been almost silent through the questions.  She moved towards Dan and refilled his lemonade glass, and touched Cara lightly on the shoulder as she passed by.  Janet caught the movement and narrowed her eyes slightly. 

              “Well, she’s obviously in a place we can’t reach.  There’s no reason to remain here.”

              “Then why are you here?  You could have asked me this stuff over the phone!”  Cara crossed her arms and looked from one parent to the other.  “And as far as I’m concerned, you both made it clear that if I came back to Odessa I would have to get a place of my own anyway.” 

              “Now, baby, we were all just heated!”  Dan said and tried to reach across the table to her. 

              Cara shook her head and uncrossed her arms to give her father’s hand a quick squeeze.  “I’m twenty-four.  I need to be on my own anyway.  I think I might stay here for a little while…see if I can get a job.  Gram needs someone nearby.  And, honestly, I’m not ready to throw in the towel on Tara. ” 

              Janet blew air through her nose.  “If your Grandmother wanted someone nearby then she wouldn’t have moved to this ugly little desert!”  Janet gave Estelle a hard look, ignoring her own ignorance since parts of Texas were desert too.  “I guess this is your idea?” 

              “She’s a grown woman, Janet.  Cara is perfectly capable of making her own decisions and coming up with her own ideas.” 

              Another hour of discussion ensued which ended with Cara storming out of the house.  Much to her dismay, it dawned on her that they had no intentions of getting a hotel room. 

              X-X-X

Mark had slept very little for the past two nights.  He tossed and turned with dreams about Cara.  The forest had once again become his friend.  The previous night had been the worst, and he had successfully forced his body into a shift and had simply ran in his transformed body until the pounding in his head and the ache in his loins were gone.  During the day, everyone was pleasant enough, but there was already a distance between himself and his adoptive family.  They were waiting for his choice, and until then he walked the fine line between accepted and outcast. 

              Donovan watched Mark return from yet another walk in the forest.  He was sweating hard and his jaw held a tight line. 

              “He won’t be here long.” 

              Latasha laid a hand on his back.  “You can’t force him to stay.  He has to make this decision for himself.” 

              Donovan turned to look at his wife.  He knew she disapproved of the ultimatum that was presented to Mark, yet she was too obedient to say so.  At least not until asked directly. 

              Donovan encircled her waist with his arms.  “You think I should have handled this differently?” 

              Latasha lowered her eyes, then brought them back up quickly.  “Yes, I think you should have handled it differently.”

              “Why?” 

              “Because Mark is a true Alpha.  Not to mention he has been your best pupil by far.” 

              “So, what are you saying?” 

              She smiled lightly before driving her point home.  “He will be an Alpha, Donovan.  Do you really want to burn that type of bridge?”

              Mark walked through the front door and slammed it behind him.  He noticed Donovan and Latasha standing by the large picture window in the dining area, and frowned. 

              “I’m sorry about slamming the door.”

              Latasha moved easily out of her husband’s embrace.  “Its fine, Mark.”  She glided up the stairs in her usual feline like prowess.  Mark had always thought she should have been a Werecat.  He turned his attention to Donovan. 

              “Donovan, I’m sorry, but I have to go back to Arizona.” 

              Donovan nodded and crossed his arms.  “Better pack then.” 

              Mark backed away a few steps before taking the stairs two at a time.  He felt the elation of a boy that had just been given his way, but he also felt the weight of a man who had just made a life changing decision. 

              Donovan stared out of the window for a moment before walking slowly up the stairs himself.  Latasha passed him halfway down with a basket of laundry under one arm.  She started singing, “London Bridge is falling down”, as they passed.  Donovan smiled and shook his head, grabbing her in the crook of the arm. 

              “There are no bridges falling or burning here, woman.” 

              Latasha pecked his cheek and walked silently down the rest of the staircase. 

              Donovan knocked lightly on Mark’s door before pushing it inward.  Mark was writing something at his desk.  The room could have suited a single man for quite some time.  There was a desk in the sitting area, full bed, walk in closet, and large bathroom.  It even had a private balcony.  Donovan wondered if there would ever be another person living in the room.  Perhaps he could offer it to Dyani to soothe her pride. 

              Donovan looked at the duffle bag and back pack sitting on the bed.  “You never really unpacked did you?” 

              Mark stood from the desk, licking an envelope closed.  He shook his head.  “No.”  He held the envelope out to Donovan.

              “What’s this?” 

              “It’s a little note to thank you and Latasha.  I can never repay you, but I at least wanted to thank you.” 

              Donovan could feel honest sadness radiating off of Mark.  This was truly a bittersweet moment for him. 

              “Wait here, ok?” 

              Mark shifted from foot to foot, the folded piece of paper in his pocket that had Estelle’s phone number and address on it was burning a hole in his pocket.  Donovan returned with a manila envelope and handed it to Mark. 

              “This was to be a gift for you and your mate when you became an actual Alpha.  It’s a nest egg of sorts.  Latasha and I have been contributing to it for the past five years.”  He looked at Mark with something akin to pride.  You would have been the first Alpha to come from my pack.”     

              Mark’s hands shook slightly as he took it.  Inside was various rubber banded wads of money and two other envelopes that were sealed.  He didn’t recognize the names on the front of them. 

              “What are these?”

              “I had always thought you would settle here, like I explained the other night, but my intuitive wife thought you might need some contacts outside of Virginia.  Each name is for a powerful Alpha that we know.  One is in Florida, and the other is in Oklahoma.  If you ever need to visit them, just present the unopened envelope, and it will tell them you are from my pack.” 

              “Thank you.”  Mark replied quietly.  “But, I don’t feel right taking money that the pack could use.  The money I had on me I earned.  It’s not right if I’m no longer part of this family.” 

              Donovan held his hand out to Mark.  “A wise woman told me to not burn bridges.  You will always be part of this pack.” 

              Mark took Donovan’s hand anticipating shaking it, but was shocked as Donovan pulled him into a brief embrace. 

              “Let me drive you to the airport or bus station or whatever.  I assume you will want to get back to this woman as soon as possible.” 

              Mark grinned.  “Yeah, I would.” 

              Donovan returned the grin.  “Ok, guess we’re riding to Charlottesville then.” 

              Mark held on to Latasha for a long time, and had to look away when he saw the tears.  Much to his surprise, Gayle sauntered onto the porch and shook his hand. 

              “Who knows?  Maybe I’ll show up in Phoenix for a visit.” 

              Mark tried to not grimace. 

              A few other pack members came to wish him well.  Dyani stood a little distance off, her back against an ancient oak.  Mark waved, but she darted into the trees without waving back.  It was just as well.  Maybe she would be the first female Alpha.  Who knew?   

              The pickup bumped its way down the gravel driveway, and as it dipped out of sight, Mark heard several voices rise to a beautiful howl.  

              It was just past dark when the phone rang.  Cara tried to jump for it. She would have taken anything to get a break from her parents.  Estelle beat her to it, and jokingly stuck her tongue out.