#Chapter 15 – Water Playing

“Bed?!” I call out to the boys, surprised by their request. “It’s only…7 o’clock. You haven’t even had dinner!”

“Bed, bed!” the two boys shout, leaping to their feet and running around the pool. “Let’s go to bed!”

“Okay,” I say, shrugging. “Sorry Victor,” I say, turning to him. “Looks like the boys want to go home.”

“NO!” Ian shouts. “We can go to bed here! Dad has a BIG bed – we saw it upstairs! You said we could have a sleepover!”

“Yes, they should sleep here,” says Victor, eager to keep control.

“Bed! Bed! Bed!” The boys begin to chant, climbing on the ping pong table and hopping around.

“Boys, get down from there,” I say, anxious. I walk over and reach out my arms to lift them down.

“No!,” Ian shouts, an impish expression on his face. “You have to catch me first! And then we’ll go to BED!” Shrieking with laughter, he and Alvin leap from the table and fly by me, running around the pool.

“NO running!” Victor shouts, authoritative, expecting them to obey. The boys ignore him, laughing harder, jumping over lounge chairs and pushing floats into the pool.

“Boys!” I shout, using my best mom voice. It has no effect. I move towards the edge of the pool as they come around it, making a full circle. They’ll have to run right past me.

“Catch us! Catch us!” They shriek, dodging me and zipping by. I reach out as fast as I can, snatching at the tail of Ian’s shirt – missing – reaching for Alvin’s arm –

Suddenly, I feel my left leg go out from beneath me. I stumble sideways and gasp, seeing nothing but blue pool before me when – bam! I feel a strong arm around my waist, pulling me back and steadying me.

“Are you all right, Evelyn?” I gasp as Victor pulls me to him, holding me steady until I find my feet.

the boys, avoiding eye contact as he holds me close.

not,” Victor murmurs, finally taking

hear Ian shout: “LET’S PLAY MARCO POLO!” and I spy a flash of him standing right behind Victor, hands up, ready

both topple, suddenly, helplessly, into the pool. I surface frantically, gasping for air, just in time to see the boys

shout, full of rage. I can’t believe they’ve

pool and support myself against the wall, trying to come up with

shallow end about ten feet away, teeth fully bared, full Alpha asserting his authority

heel. NOW.” The boys, silent, paddle towards him

and gathers one boy under each arm, holding them still with absolute strength. “You boys,” he growls, “will learn to respect

boys mumble. I raise my eyebrows, never having seen

setting them on the concrete where they stand silent and still. Then he pulls his sopping dress shirt off over his head, tossing it in a soggy pile on the ground, and moves to take the boys’ shirts off too so that

sight of his shirtless body, realizing that he’s somehow gotten in better shape than he was five years ago, his supposed prime. His muscles move powerfully under

turns to me and I blink, realizing suddenly that I’ve

pool and swimming over to the shallow end, where I pull off

say sternly, making my way over to all three. “That was unacceptable. You owe Victor and

a towel from a bin. “While we discuss it, why don’t you two go wash off all this chlorine

boys nod and begin to dash over to the shower. “Walk!”

drying myself off as best I can, grimacing at my ruined silk dress. “They’re mischievous,

energy and need a firm hand, like you said. They remind me…a lot of myself,

so…controlled, now. I have trouble thinking of

this, his eyes wander down my body and I look down at myself, realizing that my soaking dress reveals more of my

to concentrate on drying my hair. Victor laughs behind me, not falling for it. “Come on, Evelyn, let’s get you some dry clothes – I’m sure I can find something

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