BK 3 - Chapter 13 - Temporary Home
"The first thing we need to do is get out of this hotel. Vincent's family owns it, and the people who work here are spies for him. One of the housekeeper's mates is being held by Vincent. She's supposed to let me know if she learns anything about where Vincent and the others are. I told her we'd help get her mate back if she helped us." Saxon looked around at everyone as Melanie slipped her hand into his. Feeling her touch made his heart skip a beat.
"We have a house waiting for all of us just outside Rio. Let's pack your things, and we can go there. Our luggage was already taken there after we got off the plane." Cat smiled at the couple. She was glad her daughter was starting to accept Saxon. He'd loved her his entire life, and she knew together, they would be a force to be reckoned with.
"Is there room for us too?" Lisa asked excitedly, her big eyes looking at Cat.
"There's plenty of room for you. Why don't you have your aunt Emily help you and Alex pack your things." Lisa looked around at the women trying to remember which one was Emily.
"Can you show me where your room is?" Emily walked over, holding her hands out to the two cubs, who took them happily.
"What are we going to do once we get settled. I don't know how many they're holding at the auction house where Lisa and Alex were, but the cubs said there were other kids and adults. Should we go there first?" Melanie asked. She'd never been more thankful for her large family than she was now.
"After we go to the house and change, Janel and I can look around the area to see if we can find anything. We can blend in better, and while we're hiding, we can watch them without them knowing we're there." Thatcher looked at his mate, who nodded in agreement.
"Okay, that sounds good. How about the warehouse they took me to and the other one where we were staying when we first got here? Should we check those places out?" Melanie asked, looking toward her parents.
"We'll send two couples to see what they can find. I don't want to take the chance of anyone in our family getting captured. These people are ruthless and don't care who they hurt. I asked you all to come, but I won't put you in unnecessary danger." Trey answered her while looking at everyone else.
"Flora and I can go," Michael says, looking at his mate.
"We'll go with them," Hilary offers. Her mate Graham nodded in agreement.
"Once everyone returns to the house to report their findings, we'll make a plan on what to do next," Trey said.
"We're ready to go," Lisa said, skipping out of the bedroom while Alex and Emily followed.
"We have cars downstairs waiting for us, so let's get out of here." Everyone left the suite. They all couldn't fit in the elevator, so half of them took the stairs.
Melanie noticed someone watching them from across the street as they got into the cars. It was Brandon. He looked conflicted when his eyes met hers. She was getting ready to yell, but he held up his phone. She looked down at hers and noticed a text message from him.
*Ava and I aren't part of them. We got roped in, thinking we were helping others, only to find out Karlee was trying to get to me. We're letting them think we're on their side so we can try to take them down. We can help you from the inside.*
"Lanie, what's wrong?" Saxon asked, noticing she wasn't getting in the car. She pointed to her phone, and he read the text.
"Brandon is across the street. Do you think we can trust him?" She asked quietly. Saxon glanced at him, and Brandon looked sincere, but he wasn't falling for their scams again.
"Let's see what the others find first, and we'll go from there." Melanie nodded and sent a quick text, not committing one way or another.
*We'll let you know.*
Brandon nodded at her and walked away. Melanie looked around and saw none of the others, but they could still be watching. She sat in the backseat with Lisa and Alex, while Saxon sat in the front with the driver. They followed the other cars to the house outside of town.
"Whoa, what is this place?" Alex asked with his face pressed against the window. Melanie couldn't speak. Once again, she was reminded of how incredible her parents really were.
The house was more of a mansion than a house. It was three stories high, all sparkling white, with a massive gate to stop cars from coming onto the grounds. It wouldn't stop shifters, though. There was an enormous fountain when they reached the end of the driveway. Melanie could only imagine what the inside looked like. When she got out of the car, she walked over to her mom.
"Where did you guys find this place?" She asked, still in awe.
"Valerie and Roger know the owners. They're in the States right now, so they arranged for us to stay here." Cat answered with a little laugh. Valerie and Roger's contacts all over the world never ceased to amaze her. They traveled a lot when Roger retired, but now their age and health kept them mostly at home.
"Remind me to thank them when we get back." They grabbed their luggage, and everyone headed to the entrance. The inside was even more breathtaking.
The floors were green slate, and there were bright colors everywhere, which seemed to be Rio's theme. The furniture in the gigantic living room was blue with colorful green rugs. In the family room, the furniture was red. Each bedroom had its own color scheme.
Lisa volunteered to share a room with Alex, so they were given one with bunk beds. Lisa, of course, demanded the top. Once they were settled, Melanie looked at Cat.
"Where's my room?" She asked, and her mom raised her eyebrows.
"It's with Saxon. There are so many of us that couples have to share. Do you have a problem with that?" Cat asked slyly.
"That's fine. Where is it?" Cat pointed at the end of the hall. She'd purposely given them the largest room that was fit for a king and queen. She figured it wouldn't hurt to give them a little push in the right direction.
Melanie walked into the room and dropped her suitcase in shock. The bedroom was the size of an apartment. It even had a separate sitting room with a full bookshelf. The bed was king-sized, making her face red, thinking about sharing it with Saxon.
"I can sleep on the couch. I won't make you do anything you're uncomfortable with, Lanie." She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard his voice behind her.
"We can share." Melanie turned around and looked into his blue ocean eyes. Saxon dropped his suitcase and stood in front of her. They hadn't been alone since right after she returned to the suite, and he'd been dying to touch her.
"What you said at the hotel, is that how you still feel? Are you going to stop resisting me?" Saxon asked. Her face softened as she closed the distance between them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded.
"That's how I still feel. I'm not going to push you away, Sax. Now will you kiss me?" Melanie didn't give him a chance to answer. She pulled his mouth down to hers, and everything else faded away. Saxon put his hands on her hips and pulled her flush against him. They moved their mouths slowly while the sparks flew around them. Neither wanted to stop, but they needed air. Saxon put his forehead against hers, not wanting to break the connection.
"Do you know how long I've waited to kiss you like that?" He asked before kissing her forehead. Melanie smiled up at him.
"It was better than I ever imagined. We better get downstairs before they come looking for us, but I promise I won't change my mind. I want you, Sax, only you." He felt the last shred of doubt leave him as she gave him another soft kiss. They left the room holding hands, meeting Alex and Lisa in the hallway.
"Do you like your room?" Saxon asked them.
"It's great. Can we get bunk beds at your house when we leave this place? Where do you guys live?" Lisa asked. Melanie and Saxon looked at each other sheepishly. They both still lived with their parents. That was going to have to change once they got back. When they returned, they weren't only going to be mates; they were going to be a family.
"We live in California. We're going to need you guys to help us find a house that can fit all of us, okay?" Melanie asked. Alex and Lisa nodded excitedly before running down the steps.
"All of us?" Saxon asked, almost as excited as the cubs.
"Yes, all of us. We're a family, Sax."
