Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Amelie

"Am, baby. I have to go to New York tonight. Do you want to meet me in our room so I can pack?" Gideon bond-linked me. If he was going to New York, that means he's going to meet with my cousin Alpha Kory.

"OK, I'm coming with you. I'll meet you in our room. I'm in the playroom right now." I stand up.

"Am, you need to stay here where it's the safest." Gideon is nicely trying to give me orders, not happening.

"I'll meet you in our room. I'm not discussing this over bond-link." I cut the connection.

"Shay, Jorden, can you watch the girls for a bit. I need to meet up with Gideon." I'm sure Tyson and Marcus will tell them what's going on. I need to handle my own mate right now. I walk out the door and head down the hall to our bedroom. I, of course, beat Gideon to our room. While I wait for him, I pull out both of our suitcases and start sorting through my clothes. So much doesn't fit already.

Werewolf pregnancy is six months long, but also having twins, my baby bump and ten weeks is more prominent than expected. Very minimal morning sickness, more like my sense of smell, is on hyperdrive 24/7 and anything foul turns my stomach. So as long as I stay away from gross smells, I'm fine. I've also been craving eggs with every meal on everything. About 5 minutes later, Gideon enters the room.

He gently pulls me into his arms. "Amelie, babe, you need to stay here. It's safer."

"says who? Someone attempted to poison me in our pack! How am I safer away from you? What if Tate shows up?" I push him away.

"Matt and the Delta Elite force two will be with you at all times. New York has more opportunities for failure points than home. We don't know if they have also recruited humans as well. You have almost died from silver before. There's no way I can risk you walking around a bunch of silver-toting humans! If Tate shows up, my men will catch him!" Gideon is starting to raise his voice.

My heart starts to race, and I feel my anxiety rise. I feel caged, like Gideon's trying to control me as Tate did. "No one tells me what a can and cannot do! No one!" I'm screaming, and I can feel a panic attack bubbling to the surface.

"Amelie, breath." Gideon's tone quickly shifts, and he's gentle. He takes a step toward me, but I slap his hand away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" I scream. I'm sobbing, my panic has surfaced, and it has taken control. I can feel Inari trying to push through it and get to me, but it feels like I am in a bottomless pit and can't crawl out. I can deal with complex pack issues and all the politics at my ceremony, but as soon as I feel my mate control me and tells me it's for my own good, I lose it. It's all the emotions and feelings I had for ten years. I'm sobbing, shaking, and can't breathe. I know it's irrational, but I can't control it anymore once the fear takes over.

"Amelie, look at me, baby. Please look at me." I'm hyperventilating. I look up at Gideon. "You need to focus on your breathing. Just focus on taking steady breaths. Can you do that?" I nod my head. I focus on taking a breath in and letting it out slowly. In and out over and over. My panic subsides, and once I'm calm, Gideon pulls me into a firm embrace. "Amelie, I will never hurt you. Please talk to me."

"When you were telling me what I could and couldn't do, I started panicking like I did when Tate would control me and tell me it was for my own good. That he what was best. I know you didn't mean it that way, but it just triggered all these feelings, and I couldn't stop them. It was like I was in a deep pit, and I couldn't get out." I push deeper into his embrace.

"It's PTSD. It doesn't matter how small the stressor is when triggered. It's hard to stop. Your emotions took over, and your logical side and your wolf were cut off. It's OK. It takes time to heel." He kisses the top of my head and just holds me for a few minutes.

"Thank you for calming me down." I look up at my mate, and I can see all the worry and stress from the past few months in his eyes. He's not trying to control me. He's scared I'm going to disappear. He has his own trauma he's dealing with.

"I need you to be safe where yes, I know the environment can be controlled. Not because I want to control you but to keep you and both sets of twins safe. I can't live without you." I can feel the sadness in his voice.

"I understand. We haven't been away from each other since the day you walked into my family packhouse. I only feel safe with you nearby." I let out a sigh at the end of my statement.

"You will be safe. Matt will be guarding you, plusTyson, Shay, Jordan, and Becky will be with you. I would love for you to stay in the packhouse, but I know you have construction site meetings scheduled for the new schools and hospital. It's important to the pack that they see their Luna." Gideon digs his face into my neck. It's almost as if he doesn't want his words to be valid. His logic and emotions are not seeing eye to eye.

"When do you leave for the airport?" I ask.

"We are leaving at 4:00 PM. We will take the Council's plan as it's the fastest direct route. I should only be gone a few days. I'm hopeful the information Alpha Flynn has will be fruitful." Gideon pulls away, realizing he doesn't have much time to pack and says goodbye to the girls.

"OK, let's get you packed quickly then. Why don't you get your toiletries from the bathroom, and I'll start packing your clothes." I pull away reluctantly so we can pack quickly and spend some time together.

Since he's only going to be gone for a few days packing is done quickly. Once we are done, we walk hand in hand to the playroom to spend the last 45 minutes as a family.

"Daisy, Rose, daddy has to go on a business trip, so I need you to be good for mommy, OK." Gideon bends down and picks up both girls.

"Daddy, we will be good," Daisy says with an eye roll.

"Daddy, mommy will be a good wuna too." Rose nods, confident in her statement.

Gideon chuckles. "I know mommy is the best, Luna."

"Yeah, she will help the sad puppies," Daisy shouts, throwing her hands in the air in victory.

"Who's sad, baby?" I ask Daisy.

"We don't know them, but they are sad and hurt, and you will help them because you are the best wuna," Rose says shyly.

I look at Gideon, confused I bond-link him. "Do you know what they are talking about?"

"No idea. But they have been around you and the ranked females as you all are working, so they might be starting to understand what a Luna does. You are the heart of the pack, and you make the pack happy." Gideon smiles at the girls and kisses them on the cheek.

"True. I learned young what a Luna did, so I guess they are too." I smile at the girls. I'm so proud of them and how quickly they are learning at such a young age. I don't know any three-year-old as advanced as them. I hope their brothers will be half as bright.

Gideon carries the girls to our room. He puts them down and grabs his suitcase. I take the girls' hands, and we all walk down to the front door, where the rest of Gideon's travel companions are loading up the SUVs. One of the guards comes and takes Gideon's bag and loads it for him.

He bends down, and the girls melt into him, and he showers them with kisses and tickles. They are squealing and laughing. I love seeing them together. It reminds me what kind of man Gideon is. He stands up and pulls me into a hug.

"Bond-link me every hour, so I know you are safe." I pull away and looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't you think that's a bit extreme," I know he's worried, but every hour.

"Every half hour?" He gives me a cheeky grin. I slap his arm, and he acts hurt.

I stand on my tiptoes and wrap my arms around his neck and pull him into a kiss. "Be safe, and I will keep the link open at all times. I love you." I whisper. The bond-link was strong enough to be felt thousands of miles away, which is stronger than mind-link.

"I love you too, and thank you. I don't want to leave you, but this is important." I nod and let him go so he can get into the SUV.

"Bye, daddy! We wobe you!" Daisy and Rose say and wave.

Soon the caravan of black SUVs is no longer visible down the drive. I know I'm safe, and this is my home, but it feels so foreign in that moment without him here. I feel two little hands reach up and take mine, and I'm reminded I have more responsibilities now, and these two tiny flowers need their mommy, and I'm so blessed that I get to be just that, their mom.

"How about I make dinner for just the three of us? Well, five, I guess your brothers are getting hungry."

"We want maxes and thees!" The girls start jumping up and down.

I laugh, "OK, mommy can make mac and cheese."

We turn to go inside, but I get a feeling of being watched. I turn my head to look around but don't see anyone. I quickly get the girls in the house and lock the door behind us. I hope it's just my imagination playing tricks on me.