#Chapter 16 – Bedtime Story

“Ohhhh no you don’t,” I say, laughing anxiously. I start to stand up but Alvin lunges for me and grabs my hand.

“Come on, mama, we want to hear the story!” Alvin looks up at me with big brown eyes, hard to resist.

“Yes, mama! We want to hear daddy’s side!” Ian stays curled up next to his father, clinging to his arm.

“Yeah, come on, mama” Victor says, smirking at me, his voice low and mocking. “What are you afraid of? That I’ll tell them the truth?”

I know I’m rising to his bait, but I sit back down on the bed. “Fine. But I get mediation privileges. I demand the right to correct you when you lie.”

Victor nods graciously and the boys cheer.

“Closer, mama!” Alvin tugs on my arm, pulling me to the top of the bed with the rest of them. I curl up on Alvin’s far side, careful to stay as close to the edge as I can without falling off.

I start the story. “Mommy and daddy met at a party,” I say, beginning to stroke Alvin’s hair as I always do at bedtime. I pause, wondering how to phrase Mommy had just put on her sluttiest dress, bent on revenge…

“There were lots of people at the party,” Victor’s voice interrupts me. I look up to see him watching me, smirking, “and they were bothering your mom.”

I nod and smile a bit, keeping his eye contact, thanking him, silently, for skipping over the parts the boys don’t need to know.

“Yes, so many people bothering me,” I say to the boys, lying easily, “and as soon as daddy saw them pestering me, he drove them away – whoosh!” I make a flying motion with my hands, and the boys laugh.

“It wasn’t quite like that,” Victor says, his voice low, resonant. I raise my eyebrow, surprised to hear his edits. “In fact,” he says, “your mother was very very tricky, like a little fox.” I can see him work to repress a smile. “She was pretending to be very pitiful and helpless, and letting all the people pester her, just so I would save her.”

The boys gasp, and so do I.

“Mommy, so tricky!” Ian laughs. I can tell he is impressed. Alvin also looks at me fondly, his eyes bright.

Victor says, quite the hero. “After all, a damsel

boys heads turn to me, eager. “You see, mommy didn’t even need

smirks at the twist. I can see him thinking up his counter

he was swept off his feet.” I make another woosh-ing motion with my hand, and allow it to land softly on Alvin’s belly,

stumbled, deliberately, so that daddy had to catch her and hold her up.

yawns Ian, enthralled

you just had to ask!” We all laugh

serious tone. “Daddy stepped on my toes so that I would fall in the first place, he wanted me to fall

contrary,” he said, “mommy was on a mission to catch daddy, to make

shortly, hurt, a bit, by how close we’re edging on the truth here. “Daddy didn’t try very hard to escape. It didn’t take

to my jab. “Mommy knew that daddy had a lot of money

never asked for a

of shame, first because I let him bait me, and then because I let the

they’re asleep,” Victor whispers after

see that their heads

Alvin’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Victor,” I say. “We shouldn’t fight about the past. What’s

he doesn’t apologize in turn. Always the Alpha.

can stay here tonight,” Victor says, moving to edge out from between the boys. As he does, Alvin lets out a little cry and clutches at Victor’s shirt. We

you should stay,” I whisper, “at least until they’re fully asleep. It won’t take long.” I then move to shift myself

says and I give him a nervous look. “It’s fine, just until they fall into a deeper sleep,” he says in response. “They

resting my head next to his, as Victor pushes a button on a remote and the room fades to darkness. I feel Alvin

Victor push the button on the remote again? That’s stupid – the boys

around. s**t, it isn’t artificial light – that’s brilliant, beautiful dawn pouring through Victor’s floor-to-ceiling windows. I

no. Oh god. What

an Alpha. I jump, trying to get

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