Chapter Sixteen: A Headache to Chase

'Genovi:

My mother's car pulled up with Celly driving, her struggling to help my mother in. Calling for Jarod to come get Tammy, he brushed past me. Scooping her up, he carried her upstairs. Rushing out to Celly, my arms wrapped around my mother's waist. A growl rumbled in my throat, my temper flaring up. My inner wolf wanted to bite off her wolf's head, the cut on her arm catching my attention. Blood poured down her arm, so many questions on the tip of my tongue. As if she heard me, she gave me my answers.

"We went to some tea shop, and they got drugged by a coven of vampires." She explained with exhaustion dripping in her voice. "I didn't kill them but made a blood treaty with them." Her last sentence pissed me off, perhaps it was the fact that she made a treaty without my permission. Laying my mother down on the couch, my attention turned to Celly. My fists clenched tightly, harsh words sitting on the tip of my tongue. This was one step too far, my gray vest feeling really hot suddenly.

"Just what the hell do you think you were doing when you made that decision on your own!" I shouted venomously, tears welling up in her eyes. "Those blood suckers tried to kill us multiple times. I wouldn't expect you to know that, damn you are stupid sometimes!" Regretting my last statement, it was too late. Tears streamed down her cheeks, the corner of her lips quivering. Looking away in shame, she turned her back towards me.

"I fixed a problem that you were clearly having issues with, jackass!" She retorted bitterly, playing with her wedding ring. "Now you don't trust me either! Lastly, I am not stupid! I thought about the options when your family and your fucking ex was trapped in a shitty situation. Fuck you!" Running out the door, the whole house trembled as she slammed the door shut. Watching her leap over the fence, it didn't feel right to chase after her. Collapsing into the nearest chair, my mother stumbled into the room. Shaking her head, she sat across from me. Resting her head on the table, her death glare could have killed me. A growl rumbled in her throat, her fingers drumming on the table.

"You need to go after her. You must have said something stupid." She chastised sickly, throwing up in the nearby trash can. "She helped us and made the right decisions in the situation. I doubt you would have been as wise in that situation. It will help us. I am not sure if we are after hunters, or witches. I am super confused at this point. Go apologize to her now. I think you know where she went." Taking my mother's hand for a minute, she nodded in a reassuring manner. Sprinting out of the house, the air rushed around me as I leapt over the wall. Dirt blew all around me, her scent just out of reach. Her dress lay on the ground, my arms gathering up her clothes. Great, she was in wolf form. Hiking up the mountain proved difficult in my black dress pants and boots. The half moon bathed the pathway, the cave where I hid mere feet from me. Catching my breath, white fur danced in the breeze. Pulling myself over the cliff, golden eyes met mine. Noting my torn clothing, she chose to ignore me. I deserved this because of some stupid shit I said.

"I am sorry." I apologized profusely, getting to her level. "I was just frustrated that you were in danger. I can't lose you, and I can't live without you in my life. Come on, Celly! I need you to talk to me." Tears welled up in my eyes, my heart breaking by the second. What if she never took me back, and left me alone? Teardrops crashed to the dirt, a white paw covering my hand. Guilt ate at me, the tears flooding from her golden eyes. My fingers traced the golden stripe on her paw, the cold temperature making me shiver. Wrapping her furry body around mine, her tail tickled my nose. Her ears flattened, her tongue licking my face. She looked beautiful, her beauty almost ethereal. My breath hitched, exhaustion winning me over. Sweet slumber wrapped her arms around me, taking me to dreamland.

The birds chirping incessantly woke me up, white fur dancing against my neck. Her golden eyes fluttered open, the morning air even chillier than the night before. Placing me on her back, childlike wonder brightened my eyes as she pounded down the mountain. Wrapping my arms around her neck, she leapt over the fence. Skidding to a stop in front of our home, my mother rushed out to greet her. Hopping off of her, she followed her inside. The clans members watched as she walked in, her tail wagging as she ran up the stairs. My mother held me back, tossing me one of my black hoodies. Tugging it over my head, my breath hitched as she walked down in my college sweatshirt and a pair of black sweats. She looked beautiful in anything, my mother setting a plate of eggs and bacon in front of us. Forcing us to sit down, she sat down across from us.

"You two are going out today, so hurry up and make yourselves presentable." She ordered sternly, meaning every single word. "I will do the paperwork with Thomas today, so off with you. See you in a day or two. Thank Amelia for the accommodations." Confusion twisted both of our faces, Celly looking unimpressed. She was the type of girl who would rather hide, not that my personality wasn't that far off from hers.

"Okay." I stammered oddly, trying to take Celly's hand. "Where is it?" The smile on my mother's face made the question worth it, her wolf swelling with pride. She had planned this with our new allies, probably furthering Celly's vision. Snatching her hand away, she refused to look at me. So it was just her wolf protecting her mate last night, dismay dimming my eyes. Tammy came in with a suitcase, dragging her off before she could eat her food. A bunch of yelling ensued upstairs, my mother watching at the top to see if everything was alright. A pissed off Celly walked down the stairs, cursing under her breath. My heart fluttered at the sight of her in the black band t-shirt dress from the other day, her boots complimenting the look. Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, she only looked at my mother. My wolf whined as she continued to choose to ignore us, although it was all my fault. She was still a bit unsteady on her feet, her boots getting caught on the last step. Launching from my chair, she landed on top of me. Saying nothing, she grabbed a piece of bacon before stumbling out the door.

"Fuck!" She screamed angrily, loud enough for all of us to come rushing out. A black town car waited for us, a black haired petite woman sat in the front waving her over. Taking a deep breath, a polite smile dimmed my mate's face. Chatting through the window, she reluctantly opened the door. Helping her in, her golden eyes refused to meet mine. Watching the trees outside of the window, her hand kept slapping my hand away. Rage boiled inside of me, this was getting annoying. Giving up, my eyes just followed the trees flashing by my window. We couldn't have been further apart, the black haired woman speaking up. Her bright smile told me that she was about to give us some unsolicited advice.

"When Benji and I fight, we just talk it out." She suggested earnestly, hoping to fix the silence between us. "You are going to an oceanfront home with the best part of the beach, so maybe you could drown each other if you don't start talking." A small chuckle tumbled from Celly's lips, her face softening. Playing with the hem of her dress, she was waiting to say something but stopped.

"I don't hate him enough for that. I am not even mad at him anymore. I feel guilty for not including him in our decision." She admitted sheepishly, her hand resting on her much larger bump. "I am really tired though, so I don't know how much swimming I will be doing. Thank you for lending us your home." Apparently, she was going to show early. If I had to describe it, it was as if she had a small watermelon under her dress. Resting her head on my lap, my fingers played with her hair. This felt better, but she still wasn't really talking about it. Right now, it couldn't be helped. Gentle snores told me that she was sleeping, the black haired chick climbing back. Cocking my brow, she cleared her throat.

"You are a tough one to read. Let's see. You play the silent tough guy who has a soft heart." She said in a matter of fact tone, tracing the lines on my palms. "I am Amelia, and the quiet guy up there is Benji." A white haired vampire waved back at us, his red eyes narrowing a touch. The dead smell was nauseating, my stomach flipping as she got closer.

"I guess." I stuttered nervously, trying to take my hand back. "I am sorry if your first impression of me was terrible. I tend to say what is on my mind before thinking. I suppose it is a fault of mine. I called her stupid when her family used to call her stupid all of the time. I made her cry, and I feel terrible about that." Smiling to herself, both of us watched tears flood from her eyes. Wiping them away, I couldn't help but wonder if they were my fault. Guilt dimmed my eyes, her cold hand touching my shoulder. A pleasant aura floated around her, her heart was kind as Celly's.

"You lashed out. Not that I can blame you." She exclaimed warmly, dropping her hands on her lap. "I was like you when I met Benji, tough and closed off. He was more like her, a victim of his father's tyranny. Sometimes he loses control of his temper, and turns into a monster of a different caliber. I am his calm to his storm. We officially apologize for how our coven behaved with you. Can we start anew?" Offering me her hand, my hand shook hers. The air in the car was lighter, the trees turning to sandy beaches. The waves crashed, the car pulling up to the only historic home in the area. The black Victorian mansion stood out against all of the other colorful homes lining the beach, the brakes screaming to a stop. Scooping her up, Benji pulled our suitcase to the door. His black Victorian ornate suit stood out against the shorts and tank tops walking behind us. At least her red summer dress made sense, his cold face sending shivers up my spine. Opening the door, she shoved me in. Before I could say anything, she was gone. Glancing around,a folded piece of paper fluttered at my feet. Picking up the paper, it was a list of rules. A key hung off of the paper, the sound of the lock clicking behind me relaxing my muscles. Carrying her up the stairs, the view was amazing. Standing still, her trembling fingers tugged on my sleeves.

"Are they gone?" She whispered anxiously, her golden eyes gazing lovingly up at me. "I was pretending to sleep so I didn't have to talk to her. She will just chat your ears off." Shooting her a crooked grin, both of us exploded into fits of laughter. Hopping from my arms, she spun around happily.

"You really are something. You do know that you will have to entertain her with your full attention." I teased lightly, a smirk curling on my lips. "You did get yourself into this mess." The corner of her lips twitched, a defiant look growing in her eyes. Did I say something wrong again?

"Surely, you realized it is yours just as much as it is mine." She groaned grumpily, her stomach growling. "Is that shrimp fried rice and egg rolls still up for an offer? Surely, there is a Chinese restaurant around here. Oh darn, it is only nine o' clock. I guess that option is out." How could she be an airhead, but so smart at times? Running down to the kitchen, she opened all of the cabinets. Pulling out flour and a bunch of baking supplies, her sweet voice singing in the kitchen as she tossed things into a bowl. Pulling out a pan, the batter slid slowly from the bowl into the pan. Smoothing it out with a spatula, she covered the cake with a crumb. The oven beeped, her slender hands sliding the cake in. Resting her head on the counter, a numb look came over her face.

"Are you okay?" I inquired softly, her going quiet suddenly scaring me. "Is it another migraine?" Surprise widened her eyes, tears welling up in her eyes. Rubbing her forehead, that was a yes. A fever burned her cheeks, shivers wracking her body. How did she function with that much agony all of the time?

"How did you know?" She asked weakly, setting the timer. "I was trying to hide them from you." Clutching her close to my chest, she collapsed into my arms. The sudden transformation, and migraine must have made her weak. How could I not tell? She always went quiet, quieter than usual. Also that is why I assumed that she loved to lay in the dark room, instead of socializing.

"You go radio silent on me, and a fever burns your cheeks." I uttered simply, kissing the top of her head. "You always get cold when one hits, so you put on one of my sweatshirts. Judging by how you go upstairs before they get really bad, you must have lived with them your whole life." Her face paled, her black bags appearing under her eyes. Gripping my sweatshirt tightly, shame dimmed her eyes.

"I am sorry. Please don't let that lessen your opinion of me!" She blurted out nervously, her knees buckling. "Maybe I should lay down, but only if it doesn't ruin your day." Chuckling to myself, I scooped her up. Carrying her to the couch, her head rested on my lap. Tossing the blanket over her head, her wolf yipped in pain. Why would that lessen my opinion of her?

"You really are silly, Celly." I chirped cheerfully, her golden eyes peeking out from underneath the blanket. "I don't care how sick you are. If you get another migraine attack, just let me know. I can take care of you, please let me take care of you." Hiding under the blanket, her trembling fingers grasped my pant legs. The oven beeped, Celly leaping off of the couch. Running into the kitchen, she pulled out her cake.

"Shit!" She growled through gritted teeth, falling to her knees. "At least, I saved the cake." Rushing over to her, she trembled at my feet. It hurt seeing her like this, her head screaming that she felt useless. Offering her my hand, my arms scooped her up. Snuggling into her chests, clammy sweat coated her skin. Running her up the stairs, we burst into the guest bedrooms. Laying her down in the bed, she looked so fragile. Maybe her magic was putting her through hell, her tired smile shattering my heart.

"Can you get naked, and lay next to me?" She whined cutely, shivering under the covers. "I feel so cold." Stripping off my clothes, I climbed in next to her. Wrapping my arms around her bump, she pressed her body against mine. Holding her felt so nice, the warm feeling of our bond growing stronger. I think it is safe to say that our fight was over, her real smile melting my heart. It was my job to protect her, as her mate and husband.

"Would you like some ginger ale, and saltines?" I offered softly, her hands cupping mine. Shaking her head, she bit her bottom lip. A snarl curled on her lips, the very mention of food sickening her. Oh well, we can always eat later. For now, I will just enjoy her scent. My muscles relaxed, her snores telling me that she was sleeping again. Man, she has been sleeping a lot lately. Flipping over towards me, my arms clutched her close to my chest. I will always protect her no matter what.