Chapter 15: More Secrets

I ran up to Paco's and pulled at my hair releasing the bubbles one at a time. "What is wrong? I feel like your about to run again." I paced back and forth. "Okay it was great yesterday. He was thoughtful, and boom he wakes up today brings me to a huge house. Tells me he wants me to have it." Paco smiles. "Your answer is at the house soon it will be." He poured me a cup of tea. I looked down to see a woman leaning over and petting a lion. "You are her, and she is you. Strength of a lion, heart so pure. No on can sway you. You know what you want and you can not be bought." I nodded and he got up pulling another cup from the cabinet. "This is dear Jacob an Emperor is he, full-on rules and order in control he must be. He tests you a lot and so far you have past, but he will eventually try to buy you with treasures from the sea." He placed the cup down and pointed to his cup which had a huge tower. "A storm I see between you two, but weather right and you'll be good as new. Fight for yourself and for each other and it will level out."

I didn't understand all of what he said, but I knew he had always given me truths. "I'm a little confused Paco, but will take your advice to heart. You've never lied to me and you are a good friend." He smiled and winked. We finished our tea and he looked ilat my leaves. "I see you have straighted yourself out." I nodded and he took my hand. "Now live happy dear Valor." I hugged him and cleaned up my tea cup before heading through the shop and leaving a twenty for my wax. "Such an honest one." Paco said as he walked down the stairs and I left through the front entrance.

I raced home and tossed the rag on the kitchen counter. Inwas going to try and stay busy by cleaning. I wiped it off and then I heard whispers coming from upstairs, so I walked quietly. "You aren't falling anyone and all you are going to do is piss her off Jacob." Oliver that was definitely Oliver's voice. "I don't get why you don't trust her?" Either Mike or Mark said.... I didn't dare go.into the walkway to look either. Someone came from behind me and as I turned to see Zane. He held a finger to his lips as he climbed the stairs. "Alright so what is the deal? Are we letting her in or not?" He asked as he entered the room.

"I'm still not convinced. She is strong, and I love her, but I don't know if she had the back bone." Jacob said and I almost lost my cool." A twin immediately came to my aid. "She passed Jacob. She didn't like that big house, she didn't ask you to get her another dress, and she went to the dinner. We all know she isn't materialistic. She has depth and I swear if you fuck it up me or Mike will scoop her up." Jacon groweld. "She is mine." Oliver spoke next. "This is my damn sister and I say we give it to her." The twins and Zane agreed. "One more test." Jacob said and that's when I entered.

"I don't know what you all are talking about, but if it's so much of a secret and it's causing so much trouble then I don't want it." The twins jumped up. "You want this trust us." They said in unison. "Not if you all don't think I'm trustworthy, or I need to be tested over and over. I'm done with the games, and the bets at my expense. Today was a horrible experience. I am not going to give up my values or become a trophy, just to gain whatever it is you all are arguing over." I huffed and heard Mark and Mike say vote. "I say yes." Oliver said followed by the twins and Zane saying yes. "I say not yet." Jacob growled. "She's my mate."

I had heard enough and walked to my room. I slipped put of the dress and tossed on my uniform. I needed to do something to clear my mind. I left out the back door and ran into the twins. "So we all voted yes, as you know." I glared the them both. "All except Jacob. I heard." I walked and they both followed me separated and walked on either side of me. "I think we need to persuade Jacob more." Mark said and Mike nodded. They tore off together and I knocked on Joe's door.

He answered in his boxers. "Hey I know it's only the third, but I thought I'd mop and get the bar ready to reopen." He closed the door partly and handed me keys. "Two blue ones are for the bar door, Red for the cellar. I'll pay you extra if you stock up the coolers." I nodded and walked down the steps and around the walkway to the bar. I locked it behind me and placed the keys on the bar. I cleaned the entire place and even dusted the fans and ceilings before grabbing the keys to head to the cellar. I carried up cases of beers, liquor, and wine, one at a time. I wiped the coolers out and plugged them in to get cold. I stocked the beers in order in the shelves.

I was about halfway done when a knock sounded at the glass. I looked up to see Oliver. I walked over to see him soaking wet and the sky dumping rain. "Hey the bar isn't open. I'm just restocking for Joe." He crunched his eyebrows up. "I want to tell you something, but you can't freak out or run away Or really tell anyone about it." I nodded and opened the door to allow him to enter.

He sat at the bar and I went back to stocking the cooler. "Well I was recently turned and apparently I have super good control." I stopped and looked over at Oliver. "Okay." I said and I looked back at my brother. "I want them to turn you too, but we all have to vote yes." I nodded already knowing that Jacob said no. "It's very hard to explain, but the benefits out weight the cost, and I really think you'd like it. I do." I slid the rest of the bottles into the fridge and stacked the card board. I grabbed the bottled I had brought up and started to restock the liquor.

"Well I am happy you are happy even if I don't know what you are talking about." He nodded and got off the stool. "I was forbidden to tell you, but I want to show you. He took off his shirt and started undoing his pants. "Oliver!" He put his hands up. "Remember don't freak out." I eyed him as he started to transform his bones snapped and he laid on the floor. I watched as he started growing hair and a snout. "What the hell." I blinked and standing in the bar where Oliver just was standing was a black wolf. I looked at the wolf and put my hands up.

The wolf blinked and laid on his head down. I went to walk around the bar and into the back when he made a whine sound. So I walked to him slowly. The wolf stayed on the bar floor head down and wagged it's tail. "Oliver?" He barked and started to wiggle towards me. I kneeled and he put his head in my lap moving my hands. "So you are a werewolf now." The wolf scooted and licked my face. "I love your fur." I ran my hands over his fur and he cuddled closer. "I hate to ask you this because let's face it, this is a great look for you. But can you turn back? I think it would be easier to talk." The wolf pulled away and grabbed the jeans before going around to behind a table. I turned my back to give him extra privacy. A hand came down on my shoulder.

I turned to see my brothers hair all disheveled and a lazy grin. "I knew you'd think it was cool." I hugged him and then handed him a dry Joe's t-shirt. He tossed it on and I walked behind the bar. To place the last two bottles. "So obviously this is a huge secret." My brother nodded. "Whose in charge." He went to answer and then stopped. "Can't tell you yet." I nodded and wiped the counter down. "I'm guessing Zane, or Joe..possibly Jacob." He turned his head. "Why them?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Well Zane is composed and often keeps to himself. He has eyes for a girl and only her which I'm thinking might be his mate... or whatever you all call it." I thought about Zane and his black credit card, his secret I had held to this day and about him buying the house between Oliver's and the twins.

"Joe also keeps to himself. Although he doesn't have an air about him like Zane... I said Jacob because he's not around a lot. He's always off somewhere and then he didn't have a scratch on him after the cliffs. Which leads me to believe you where still human at the time." He nodded and I passed him a beer. "Yeah you are on the right track. I was turned the day you left. The party was to initiate me."

I finished in the kitchen refilling the spices. "So what's a mate exactly?" I asked as I moved a rag over the counters in there. "A mate is like your other half. I obviously haven't experienced it, but you always want to be around them. There's some kind of pull. You always have to touch them, and it's hard to stay away for to long." Oliver said as he put the empty beer on the counter.

"And you haven't found your mate?" He shook his head and played with the glass bottle. "It's hard to find them apparently." He looked down and I walked back out to stand in front of him. "And I am a mate?" He shrugged and I took the bottle away from him. "Who is my supposed mate?" Oliver scrunched his face up. "Jacob is your mate, when you left he went bat shit crazy." I nodded and handed him another sliding a twenty into the register for his drinks.