Chapter Twenty-Nine

“What, what’s wrong?” Candy asked as she moved closer to her mother, trying to see what the older woman saw.

“Is everything okay?” Annie asked, trying to push herself to sit up. Candy came to her side, placing a pillow behind her so she could sit.

“Yeah, you didn’t have a birthmark on your hip before, did you?” Candy asked, already knowing the answer. She hadn’t had much time to become acquainted with her mate’s body, but she was sure that hadn’t been there before.

“No.” Annie said, lifting her arm up as she moved her shirt higher. The swirling, bursting pattern was burnt into her skin.

Doc moved her hand closer to inspect the skin. It was hot to the touch.

“Candy, go get some burn cream and bandages from the clinic.”

“I don’t want to leave Annie.” Candy said, taking Annie’s hand in her own as she looked towards her mother.

“She’s fine and I’ll be with her, the babies are fine. I just want to get this cleaned up and bandaged.”

Turning to look at Annie, Candy gave her a tense smile.

“Go, I’ll be fine.”

With a nod, Candy left the room and Annie looked up at Doc, trying not to fidget too much as the older woman sat the small doppler down.

“What are you?” Doc asked as she leaned over, pulling the sheet up to Annie’s waist.

“Human?” Annie said, pushing herself so she was sitting with her back against the headboard. She let out a tired sigh as she pushed her hair out of her eyes, watching Doc.

“You were claimed and the babies are fine, normal woman are not claimed when they’re with child for fear of them losing the baby.” Doc said, her eyes unmoving from Annie’s. “You were claimed and the babies are fine. You claimed my daughter, human's can’t claim a shifter.”

“I don’t know what you want me to tell you.” Annie said, bringing her hands to her lap as she looked down. She was human, that’s all she’d ever been. She didn’t understand how Doc could think that she was something else.

It was quiet as Doc stood up and started picking up the bags that had fallen to the floor.

“You’re still my daughter’s mate. We just need to figure out what you are, because I don’t think your human.”

Annie worried her lower lip. How could she be anything but human? She was human, she knew it. Bringing her hand up, she touched the bite marks on her neck.

She could feel Candy through those marks, strong and as steady as the moon that shown outside.

Doc moved to the window, opening it up. Annie let out a soft sound as the cool breeze filled the room. It took out some of the stuffiness that Annie realized was her doing. She was the reason the room felt overly hot.

Her nose wrinkled as she realized something smelt burnt, with a hint of sweetness. She hoped it wasn’t herself. Doc peered out the window into the darkness, a low growl escaping her lips.

“There’s something out there.”

“What is it?”

“Not Sam, but something else.” Doc growled as Candy opened the door and dropped the supplies onto the bed.

Her eyes moving to the open window as her nostrils flared.

“Stolas.”

***

Stolas flew from the pack house, he hadn’t meant to intrude on such a personal moment but as he had rested in the tree watching Candy and Annie, he was unable to tear himself away.

He had only meant to watch them make it to the pack house, but he had stayed just a bit longer as Candy had made it to Annie’s room. Then, as Annie had gotten cleaned up, he’d just wanted to make sure that she made it back to Candy.

Watching them though, it was like he was under a spell. The way that Candy’s hands had moved over Annie’s body. How their lips had pressed together.

It was a sight that was burned into his brain. Leaving his body hard and aching. He’d wanted to go in there to worship Annie with Candy. To lay beside them as they claimed each other, ready for them to claim him.

He could feel the call for them with everything he was.

Stolas left shortly afterwards, he knew that if he didn’t. There was nothing that would have stopped him from joining them. From claiming them as his own.

Landing on the sidewalk in front of Sam’s apartment, Stolas let out a sigh. He knew that Sam didn’t want him there, but he didn’t trust his friend alone.

He knew that Sam wouldn’t try to go to Lilith, not at the cost of Abby. It was clear to him that the devil was beating himself up.

Stolas made his way to the entrance, passing a purple haired girl digging through her bag as he walked in. Sam must have new tenants.

Maybe that would coax him to fix the elevator. Stolas chuckled as he realized his friend would probably never take care of it.

He didn’t think Abby would like to take the stairs anytime she wanted to see Sam. Nor did he want Annie to have to walk up the three flights to visit him.

Stolas all but ran up the stairs, he wanted a shower. Or at least, some alone to take care of himself. The lust wasn’t fading the further away that he got from them like he had hoped it would.

Pulling out his keys, he unlocked the apartment door. Letting out a breath as he realized that Sam was in his room. He could hear the strains of music floating through the apartment and realized his friend was farming away.

That was good, he didn’t want Sam to see him like this. So close to loosing his firm grasp on his self control.

Pushing himself away from the door, he made his way to the room he was staying in. It was Abby’s old room, but Sam had already started taking her things out of there and moving them into his room.

The door clicked closed behind him and he pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it onto the floor as he toed his boots off. Leaving a trail of clothing as he made his way to the bathroom.