WHO WILL SHE CHOOSE? HER COP OR HER LAWYER?

EPISODE VII

I couldn't sleep all night thinking about Sebastian. I wrote three entries in my journal and couldn't wait to call my mom. I was hesitant at first. I'm still navigating life. I have someone that depends on me for a lot of things. I have my schooling. I went down to the kitchen around six in the morning looking for something to eat. I'm a stress eater, and deciding what my next move is stressful.

"Did my sweetheart get some good loving last night?" Frick. So much for the good hearing wolves have, right?

"How can you be so quiet with that walker?"

"Don't deflect."

"No, he didn't stay with me to do that. In fact, he didn't stay at all."

"He sensed your uneasiness." I peered through narrowed eyes at her. It must be a gift older generations have.

"That's ridiculous."

"You are sending mixed signals." She's right. I had plans for myself but a mate wasn't part of that plan at this point in my life.

"I'm still confused."

"About?"

"Our mate is supposed to give off a scent that we are attracted to. I didn't smell anything special."

"You don't want this now. Your wolf does. Am I right?"

"Sort of. She didn't sense anything either."

"You have to be in sync with her. You both need to agree he is what you want. You do want your mate, right?"

"I do. At the same time, I feel like I'm too young."

"It will never happen if you don't decide. The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes." She just started walking away.

"Where are you going?"

"To watch the news."

I don't get it. I've always wanted what my parents have. I wanted what Aunt Millie had. It's in front of me and yet I don't know if it's what I want. What the fck is wrong with me? My body wanted him to take me right there on my aunt's couch. My brain felt mushy and was of no help. He's gone and now my brain is telling me he's a bad idea. Jillette is telling me we need our mates. My body wants him inside of me in the worst way. Why the conflict between my heart and my head? Maybe if we went on a date it would help me decide. I was looking out the window as the sun started to rise. I wondered if he would be working as a traffic cop today. He was the only thing on my mind. Yet, my mind is telling me he's a bad idea. My phone started vibrating across the table. It was a number I didn't recognize.

"Hello?"

"Did I wake you?" It was him.

"Sebastian, no, you didn't wake me."

"Are you always up this early?" He was soft-spoken. I wondered if Sophia was around. That could be the reason.

"Or that could be how he normally sounds." I didn't answer Jillette, but she had a point.

"No. Around seven normally."

"What has you up this early?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Were you thinking about me?"

"Yes."

"Good or bad?"

"Conflicting."

"Something I did?"

"It's me."

"I get it. The oldest excuse in the book. It's not you, it's me line. If I had a nickel everytime I heard that line." My laugh was a hallowed one.

"How much would you have?" I asked because I thought he was joking.

"That's not important. I think if we are going to do this rejection thing, it should be in person."

"I never said I wanted to reject you."

"Then why are you conflicted?"

"I'm not sure. Do you think we could do something tonight?"

"Precious, I don't want to fall in love with you, just so you can break my heart." There could only be one explanation as to why he would say that.

"Did you have a mate before me?"

"That is a conversation that I would like to have in person."

"We can go for a ride. Get some dinner. I can pay for myself. You can tell me all about it then."

"If I take someone out, I pay. Alright. Can you be ready by three?" My phone made a noise alerting me there was a text message. My mom and brothers can wait until I'm done. I'll tell them all about my mate later.

"Yes."

"Good. Keep an eye outside for me today. I'll be using all my willpower to not bust through that door and have my way with you."

"Such a romantic."

"That's what I do. I'll see you soon."

"Okay." He hung up first.

Now I have so much more to think about. He's had a mate before me. I'm his second chance. If the Moon Goddess afforded him another mate, he must be a good soul. I decided to stop worrying and let him tell me all about it later. Getting worked up won't help me. I remembered the text I had received.

Unknown Number

He's perfect. Stop messing with his fcking head. He doesn't need a child like you to make him happy.

Freedom

Who is this?

Unknown Number

Don't worry about who I am. Grow the fck up and handle your business.

I didn't respond again. He must've talked to someone about finding me. My head was spinning again. It's from someone that has feelings for him. That much is clear. Three o'clock can't come fast enough. I kept myself busy and made breakfast. It's the only food that I never screw up. I know how much Aunt Millie loves her bacon and sausage. She can't have too much, but I want to treat her. She's been a blessing in my life. If she didn't need my help, I wouldn't have met Sebastian. Just the thought of his name has my body responding. My head needs to get in the game and stop fcking off.

I plated the food and took it out to auntie. The simple things in life make her happy. But I was sad. I looked over her and I could see she was aging. My heart broke. I couldn't imagine my life without her now. She had so much more to tell me about her life. She never spoke of her boys and that saddened me. I always wanted to know why.

"Auntie?"

"Yes, sweetheart."

"How come you never speak of your sons?"

"They have their own lives. I never want to bother them with my issues."

"They should be here. You are their mother."

"I have you, that's all this old woman needs."

"I love you too."

"Come sit. Did you eat?"

"I'm not hungry."

"He will be here at eight o'clock to start digging up the street again. You should bring him some coffee. Under the sink is a big carafe. Use that. It should be enough for the men out there."

"I will." I sunk down on the couch and rested my head on her shoulder and held on to her arm. She patted my hand. I don't ever want this to stop. I sat there and watched whatever came on the news with her. She had fallen asleep, so I laid her flat on the couch.

At seven thirty, the workers started to pile in. I didn't see Sebastian anywhere. I still made the coffee in the hopes he would be there by the time I was done. Aunt Millie liked sugar packets versus buying a bag of sugar. She claimed once the bag was open, the flavor changed and it went bad. I've learned not to argue. In most cases, her way is better. I put some sugar packets in a baggie and carried it in my teeth. I grabbed the half gallon of milk and took it with me. I stopped. I needed cups. Back in the kitchen, I found what I was looking for. I found a store bag and placed the milk, sugar, and cups into it. So much easier to carry.

As I stepped out, the sun was shining away and birds were singing their happy songs. Then, the sweetest of smells. Butterscotch, caramel, and chocolate. The scents were mouth watering, my favorites as well. I saw him, it had to be coming from him. I snapped out of it and walked over to the city workers with the coffee. They were happy and distracted. I walked over to Officer Moorrisson.

"Good morning, Officer."

"Morning ma'am. You know the more you give them things, the more they slack off."

"Will it mean more time to talk with you and that I would get to see you more?"

"Until they transfer me."

"Do you want coffee? Before they drink it all."

"I'm not a coffee drinker."

"Cool." I felt like an ignoramus.

"It was nice of you to do that."

"I did it for you."

"It was still a nice gesture. After our talk we will see how far we can take this."

"Ok. I'll be waiting. Just have one of them return the pot when they are done."

"Sure." He felt cold and distant. It was because of me and my insecurities and inconsistencies. I walked away and didn't look back.

I spent the next four hours trying to figure out what I was going to wear. It's warm here in Georgia, so I found my favorite sundress that I bought last year. I wore it a few times. I've kept it in good condition thus far. It's black. I know it's not exactly the right color to wear in the hot sun, but I liked the way it fit when I tried it on. It hugs my curves in one of the most flattering ways I've ever seen. A good thing about it is that it has a built-in bra. It may not give much support to my c-cup breasts, but it's freeing. It was almost one o'clock by the time I made it downstairs.

"Look at you." I gave a twirl.

"Do you like it?"

"Very pretty. Where's he taking you?"

"We are just going to go for a ride and talk."

"Vincent and I loved going for car rides on the weekends. We went without the boys. It was our time, ya know."

"Auntie, I can't believe I wasted time not getting to know the family. I thought my parents were the only ones that had a great backstory. I couldn't have been more wrong."

"Sweetheart, it's not your fault. When you are young you tend to be selfish. You are learning early. That's what matters."

"Can I make you something for lunch?"

"No. Miles is taking me to my doctor's appointment in a little while."

"Why didn't you tell me about it? I wouldn't have made plans with Sebastian."

"It's okay. I forgot about this appointment myself. Johnny will be driving and Miles is coming along."

"Are you sure? I can go out there and cancel."

"I'm positive. Go and enjoy yourself. It's just a routine appointment."

"Okay."

I fluttered around the kitchen making a sandwich. It was an hour until Sebastian was to come pick me up. I tried to stay calm but the butterflies were making my entire body quiver with happiness. I brushed my teeth and waited. I kept looking at my phone, for what I had no clue. The doorbell rang and I looked at the time. It was too early for Sebastian to come for me. I ran down the stairs anyway. I didn't look through the peephole. I opened the door like I wasn't expecting anyone important.

"Miss Abraham." He held out a single rose to me.

"Thank you." I smelled the rose and closed my eyes. "You are early."

"The guys had to stop because of the rain. Is that a problem?" I looked outside and it had rained. I was in my own world and didn't notice. The sun was shining in my world.

"Oh."

"Are you ready?"

"Just let me grab my wallet and I'm good to go." He waited outside as I grabbed my wallet and keys. When I came back, his hand was waiting to take mine. Like a true gentleman, he opened the car door and I slid in.

"Ready?"

"I am." Nothing was said between the two of us the entire drive. I wanted to ask questions but I wasn't sure where to start. Shortly before we stopped, he said something.

"Are you nervous?"

"I don't think I'm nervous."

"Good. Because we are here." He pulled up to a house on the beach. The only house on the beach.

"The view is gorgeous."

"I quite like it." I looked at him, he was looking at me.

"Now I'm nervous." He laughed and got out of the car. Again, opening my door for me. "Are we going in there?"

"No. It's nice out here. We can talk, no one will bother us."

"So?"

"So."

"Tell me about her." He sat on the hood of his truck and stared out at the ocean.

"I met her when I was eighteen. In a bar where I didn't belong. It was love at first sight for me. Finding my mate so early in life was one of the best things that could've happened to me. We fcked in the bathroom. She stopped me from marking her. I didn't understand why. She came back to my place. I didn't care about the marking, I figured she just wasn't ready for that step. She and I never once made love. Just fcking. You know, I still can't believe I lost my virginity to my mate as she was bent over holding onto the toilet. We were together for six months. I fell in love with her right away. I came home one day and her things were gone. A note and a picture are what she left me."

I heard his sniffles. He was trying his best not to cry. My heart felt like it was being crushed. I moved to stand in front of him, opened his legs and shuffled in between. I wrapped my arms around him and placed my head on his chest. His heart was racing. I didn't know if it was because of his pain, or because we were so close.

"You don't have to tell me." I felt his chin on the top of my head and his arms wrap around me.

"The picture was from an ultrasound. My mate was pregnant with my pup."

"You have a child?"

"No. Her note said she was aborting the thing and when that was done she was rejecting me. It went on to say she never wanted to have a mate, but it was fun while it lasted. She blamed me for getting her pregnant. Told me I was the one that fcked it all up. I felt the pain and heartbreak when she rejected me. It made me cruel to women for some time. I didn't hurt them physically. I used them for s*x and then I left."

"What a fcking btch." I was angry while he was sad.

"There are always reasons for the way someone acts. Many times we never find them out."

"I don't know my reasons."

"Neither did my second mate." I moved my head out from under his chin and looked at him.

"I'm your third mate?"

"Yes. They say third time is the charm."

"What happened to her?"

"I let history repeat itself. I met her in a bar as well. It was a single bathroom. I fcked her brains out while she was perched on the sink. This time I had condoms. She thanked me. We spent the night talking, learning about each other. Fcked the sh*t out of her again and we went to our separate homes. I woke up from the familiar pain in my chest. She rejected me as well. I've been trying to figure out why no one wants to be with me. Human girls, no issues. My kind, I'm not good enough."

"I don't want to reject you."

"Wait until I'm inside you. That seems to be when minds are changed."

"How can a woman thank you, screw you again and then just act like you are nothing?"

"I look forward to your insight." My hands on his thighs, me on my tiptoes, I kissed him. His hands clutched my face, pulling me closer. It was deep and passionate, from both of us. He was biting my bottom lip and it was driving me wild. He wanted to devour me in more ways than one.

"I'm sorry." It was my turn to bite my bottom lip. I backed away and turned to look out at the view. It was starting to get dark.

"Are you?" He whispered in my ear while rubbing my shoulders and arms. I shook my head no. He stood there with me, his front pressed into my back. His arms now wrapped around me, resting on my lower belly.

"Sebastian?"

"Yes, precious?"

"I want to know."

"I'll tell you anything. I have nothing to hide."

"No. That's not what I mean. I've never wanted to be connected with someone as much as I do with you right now. I've never had an enjoyable s*xual experience."

"Why is that?"

"Jillette wouldn't let me. She always scre*med and yelled. I did my best to ignore her, but thanks to her, I didn't experience certain things."

"Our wolves know. You have no idea how Baxter feels about being given a third chance at love."

"She's just a constant headache for me."

"It's their job to lead us in the right direction. Do you want to sit in the car? I brought drinks and snacks."

"Sounds good." Once more, he opened the door for me. My phone went off before he got into the car.

Unknown Number

I hope you are heeding my warning.

Freedom

I don't know you. You need to mind your business.

Unknown Number

Sebastian is my business.

I dropped my phone against my chest so he wouldn't see. I got a weird look from him.

"You good?"

"Ya. You?"

"What's wrong? Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No. I." I handed him my phone. "I have been getting messages from someone about you."

"I'll take care of this matter."

"I swear, I don't know who this is." I didn't know who it was. He was going to be mad.

"Relax. I know who it is."

"I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to reject you, either." It just came out. I was thinking about it and my mouth took it upon itself to blab.

"Precious, give me a second to make this call."

"Okay." I needed to trust him and let him do what he needed to.