Mated to a Rogue

Chapter 4

-Dakota POV-

“Do you know who I saw just the other day?” My mother asks as we all sit at the table eating dinner.

“Who?” I ask.

“Malcolm. He was in town visiting his family and I saw him in the supermarket with his mom.”

I look at Dallas who smirks at me.

Malcolm was one of his friends and is my ex. Though we didn’t leave things in a bad place, it is still awkward talking about him.

“He is such a nice boy... maybe one day you two will hit it off again.” Mom says.

“Mhh.” It’s all I say.

“Stop trying to set her up, Stacy.” My dad says looking annoyed.

“Yea mom. She’s the twirp of the house. We tolerated Malcolm because we knew him from school but don’t push it.” Phoenix says.

As much as they act like they are annoyed by me, they are very overprotective and it doesn’t even bother me. It’s not like I am actually bringing someone anytime soon.

“But I want grandchildren before I get too old. I won’t be able to keep up with them.” Mom says.

My dad’s eyes widen. “Are you crazy woman? Not from Dakota, she is still young. If anyone, it should be Phoenix, and still... he is too young too.”

Phoenix, who was getting food from the middle trays on the dining table, jumps up at what dad just said.

“I don’t want kids!” He almost shouts.

“What!” Both mom and dad say at the same time.

“I mean, I don’t want kids YET. Jeez, let a guy live first... besides... I am not the one who sleeps around.” He says and looks at Dallas.

Dallas, who has a spoon in his mouth, freezes while we all look at him. His eyes widen and he starts coughing.

“Dallas... I did not raise you like that.” Mom says looking shocked.

I put my hand on my mouth trying not to laugh.

He clears his throat but now puts his usual cool façade. “You can’t blame me. Look at me, you made this and now I have to share it with the world.”

“Eeww!” I say.

“For god sake.” Dad says rubbing his hand over his face.

It’s true that both my brothers got good genes, leaving me with the scraps but does he really have to say things like that?

Phoenix starts laughing and mom just stares at him but then she narrows her eyes at him and we all know what that means.

She gets up and rushes in his direction but he also gets up and starts running around the table.

“No! Momma NO! Not the ear!” He shouts dramatically.

“Don’t exaggerate!” She shouts at him as he runs around the table and she tries to catch him.

I fall to the ground laughing and almost throw up my food.

Mom has what my brothers call “the ear pulling technique” I call it the ear Jutsu. It hurts like a b***h and she can make us do whatever she wants when she does it. It is pure torture.

Dad puts a hand out to Dallas and stops him from running.

“Dad you traitor!”

“She won’t stop until she catches you and you know it. Just be a man and get it over with.” Dad says.

“Ahh! Ow! That hurts!”

“You listen to me boy! I didn’t raise you to be a... a … w***e!”

I gasp and so does phoenix.

“Momma just cursed.” I say.

My dad closes his eyes and shakes his head.

“Okay, okay. I won’t do it again.” Dallas says.

“You better not.” She lets him go and calms herself down.

Dallas rubs his ear and looks at Phoenix. “You asshole.” He mouths out and Phoenix and I both laugh.

After dinner, I sit on the stairs of the back porch looking into the forest behind our house. A shadow suddenly looms over me. I turn and see Phoenix. He sits next to me, peeling an orange.

“What you up to twerp?”

“Nothing, just looking at how beautiful it is back here.”

“You, always the weird one.”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah sure... I’m the weird one.”

He smiles and we fall into silence for a few seconds until I speak again.

“How is your shoulder?”

“It’s fine now but... well... you know.”

I nod.

He got badly injured last year around this time playing football. He had two surgeries and they told him he can’t play anymore. I feel so bad because it was something he loved to do.

I look at him as he focuses on the orange. Both he and Dallas have dark brown hair and blue eyes just like I do.

Dad has blue eyes but lighter hair and mom has hazel eyes but dark hair. We got a little from both of them. But Phoenix is a big guy, he is the tallest in our family and we don’t even know where that came from because dad and mom are both of average height. I am average too but more on the small side, and Dallas... he is just a turd. A slutty turd... of average height.

“Look!” Phoenix says, pointing.

I look into the forest where he is pointing and we see a family of foxes passing by.

“That is so cute! I want to run with them!”

“You do that, but don’t come back when you get rabies.” He says.

“Why you have to ruin it!”

He laughs.

The door opens behind us. “Mom is on my ass now because of you. Why did you have to tell her?” Dallas asks going past us and sitting a step down from us.

“Sorry man. Wanted to get the attention off of me.”

“Well, that’s not fair. She tortured me.” Dallas says being dramatic.

I roll my eyes. “It can’t be worse torture than knowing you are named after the places you were conceived in.”

They both groan and vigorously nod.

Yea, to know that the three of us were named after the places our parents had s*x in and conceived us is horrid torture. That is why we try not to talk about it.

“Still, we could have just lied and said that our baby sister was dating the criminal junky from the school. That would have gotten all the attention on her.” Dallas says.

“Hey!”

“What? It’s called taking one for the team.” He says.

“That’s funny because as I recall, you guys always team up against me.”

He laughs knowing it’s true.

“Ass.” I mumble.

“My ass is very nice thank you.” He says.

“Screw you.”

“Every day.” He smirks.

I narrow my eyes at him. “Mom!” I shout.

“No, no, no stop.” He whispers covering my mouth.

Phoenix just laughs, watching us.

This is how it always is with them. Every time I am home, I feel like a kid again. I think we all do but I love it.

The next day I spend some more time with my family and in the afternoon, I head back to the school after saying my goodbyes to them. When I get to the dorm and I open the door, I am shocked.

“What the hell are you doing!” I shout at Nathan.

“I told him not to do it.” Natalie says while she reads one of her huge books, sounding uninterested.

He is wearing my clothes...well more like my elven costume.

He points at me with the fake bow. “Halt you demon!”

“He’s been having a blast all day with it.” Natalie says.

My mouth is completely opened and I don’t know what to say. He is even wearing my long blond wig. Those clothes are meant for a girl's body so it looks wrong on him.

“Who thealt... thy... who thy walks the...” He stops and then mumbles. “How the hell do you say this... aww f**k it.” He looks back at me. “Who walks there!?”

I raise an eyebrow and then smile. I quickly take my phone out and take a picture.

“No!” He shouts.

“Too late. Anyway... it is I, thy nemesis!” I get into character and now he looks excited.

“Ay, the demon has entered the sacred ground matie.” He says.

(What the hell? He now sounded like a pirate.)

I point a finger at him. “Yes, now thy must repel me.”

“Hiya!” He makes a move to push me out but I move out of the way and he stumbles out of the room, then, I close the door and lock it.

Natalie giggles.

“The demon has bested the stupid elf.” I mumble and laugh.

He starts pounding on it. “Let me in! My clothes are in there and there are a lot of people out here... looking at me.”

It’s funny but I find it too cruel so I open the door for him.

“You know what? We should get you your own costume and you guys can go to the next renaissance fair with me.”

He gasps. “Yes!”

“You do know that there will be chaos, right?” Natalie asks.

“Yea, but that’s why it will be fun.”

She shrugs her shoulders. I look back at Nathan and I start laughing because he looks so stupid. “Put my stuff back.” I say.

“Fine.” He pouts.

The next day, I do my routine thing and head to the café before going to my class. Today my class starts a bit later so I decided to take a seat in the café but ever since I got out of the dorm, I have been feeling strange again. I keep looking around expecting to see someone watching me.

I just have that feeling and I am starting to get creeped out because I can’t seem to see anyone which I guess it’s a good thing... maybe.

My eyes land on a guy that walks in... or rather limps. His face is swollen and has purple bruises all over his face.

I almost gasp when I notice it is Melvin. I didn’t even recognize him. Austin really did a number on him at the party. He doesn’t see me and I am glad about that. Soon he walks out and I am just a bit horrified. Austin could have killed him.

When I am done with my coffee, I head to school and as I go in, I see Lil who is walking over to me but then from the corner of my eyes, I see Austin walking in. He walks to the wall in the hall where he leans on it and stares in our direction.

I suddenly get really nervous.

“Hey, I think I missed some of the notes from our class on Friday.” Lil says.

“Oh, here. See if I have them.” I give her my notebook but my eyes quickly glance at Austin and his eyes are still on us.

“Thanks. I’ll see you later.” She says.

(No don’t leave me!)

“Okay.” I wave at her.

She leaves and I nervously start to walk down the hall, having to pass right in front of him and I can feel it, he is watching me.

(Oh lord... what is this? Why is he staring at me?)

I finally get the balls to look at him and I regret it. I almost felt like I was going to be paralyzed in place. I quickly avert my eyes and speed down the hall but then he does it.

“Dakota.” He says my name in a low baritone voice that gives me shivers and I freeze.

(AAAAHHHHH! What the hell is this! How does he know my name!! I am DEAD! I... just... died.)