#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.

brushing hair out of my face and looking around for the boys, avoiding eye contact as he

murmurs,

shout: “LET’S PLAY MARCO POLO!”

gasping for air, just in time to

rage. I can’t believe

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

mid-laugh. Victor is standing in the shallow end about ten feet away, teeth fully

Ian!” He snaps. “You will come to heel. NOW.” The boys, silent, paddle towards him until they each stand at his

absolute strength. “You boys,” he growls, “will learn to respect your Alpha, and to listen to

raise my eyebrows, never having seen them

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

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

and I blink,

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

all three. “That was

we discuss it, why don’t you two go wash off all this chlorine in the shower,” I say, nodding my head at Victor’s fancy outdoor bathing area. God, he really does have

dash over to the shower. “Walk!” I shout after them,

grimacing at my ruined silk dress. “They’re

smirking. “They just have a lot of energy and need a firm hand, like you said. They remind me…a lot of

so…controlled, now. I

eyes wander down my body and I look down at myself, realizing

to him, pretending 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

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