Marked in a Vision (22 page)

“Actually, sweetie,” Stacy said, “That is a good idea.”

“I agree,” Cass added as she put down the breakfast plates.

“So is it decided that we
are
going out today,” Emily said as she sat down next to Jay and they began their breakfast.

“Mom, Aunt Cass,” Sasha said with a slight frown.

“I am game.  Besides, I have not spent any
of your
father’s money in the last few weeks,” Stacy teased and Jacob groaned as he put his coffee cup down on the table.

They all laughed as Cass added, “Michaela is out of school and I am free for the day.”

“It is settled,” Emily pronounced in excitement.

“Baby,” Jay said laughing, “Calm down and eat your breakfast first.”
Emily sent
him
a pout before she ate her food. 

Jay ate his breakfast listening to their family catching them up what was going on, but his mind was on something else.  He was thinking about Emily being pregnant
with
his child and he heard his wolf growl in agreement for they both would like that very much.  He was pulled out of that thought when
Victoria
’s name was mentioned.

“I am so glad that you two are home,” Sasha said as she rolled her eyes.  “
Victoria
comes by everyday although we told her that Jay was not here.”

Emily looked up and asked, “Does she know that Jay is not going to be Alpha?”
Cass shook her head, “We have not told her bluntly but we have been leaving hints.  She is ignoring them
although she made a comment the other day that Jay had wanted the Alpha position more than anything.”
Jay’s shocked face had them all laughing and he said in understanding, “She never really knew me at all.”

Emily looked over at him and she smiled as she laid her hand on his arm which he covered with his.

“So,” Emily said leaving her hand where it was, “When should we leave?”

They all looked at each other and Sash
a
starting to get excited said, “How about after breakfast?”
“Sounds good to me,” Cass said as Stacy and Emily nodded their head in agreement, and Michaela jumped up from her seat running upstairs to get changed.

“While the women are gone, I need to speak with you dad,” Jay said seriously, “including Jacob and Mark.”
They all looked at him as Emily nodded her head at his look and she smiled at the others.

An hour later, the women left the house heading to the mall where they were going to spend the
day hanging out and baby browsing.

As soon as they left, the men went into Stan’s o
ffice to talk.  Jay settled near
the window against the small table there while Mark and Jacob sat down on the small couch in the room and Stan settled behind his desk.

Before Stan could ask Jay why he wanted to talk with them, Mark said, “You
had
two phone calls while you were away.”

Jay looked at him and at the que
stion in his eyes, Mark said, “
A jewelry store called and said that they had the ring you had ordered.”
Jay’s face lit up with excitement as Jacob growled, “What ring?”

Jay tensed as he looked at Emily’s father and he said honestly, “I would like to have your permission to ask Emily to marry me.”

Jacob looked at him with narrowed eyes although his eyes were filled with humor, “You ask me now but you had already ordered the ring.” He threw Mark a look and Mark had the sense to look uncomfortable before Jacob went on, “You two are definitely brothers.”

Stan laughed as Jacob shook his head at them
, but Jay knew that he had just got Jacob’s permission to ask Emily to marry him
.

Ma
rk and Jay looked at each other in amusement before Stan said, “Jay, what is that you want to talk about with us?”

Jay’s smile disappea
red as he took a deep breathe before
he explained what Emily and him discovered as they helped Garrett and Celeste.

“I never heard of someone doing that t
o their mate.  I have heard of
someone rejecting their mate, even the less thrilling idea of abusing their mate, but never going as far as killing their mate,” Jacob said with a grimace.

Stan looked down at his desk in thought as the others looked at him wondering what he thought about what Jay said.

“Dad,” Jay said quietly.

Stan signed as he looked up, “
Victoria
went against the nature of being a werewolf.  To reject one’s own mate is bad enough, but to actually do what she did,” he stopped and shook his head.

Jay and Mark looked at each other in confusion before turning their attention back to their father.

He continued, “When you reject your mate, you
are
saying that they are not right for you, or nowadays, the one chosen as your mate does not fit the preconceived notion you have of your mate.  From what you telling us,
Victoria
accepted her mate, and then find a way to take her mate out of the picture.  By doing so in t
hat fashion, she ruined herself because fate is tricky in the way it works.  It seems to know exactly what one does and counterbalances that action.”

Jay and Mark
still
looked confused as they stared at him.

Stan sighed and looked at Jacob who was sitting back against the couch looking at him.

“I explained that badly
,
didn’t I?” he asked with a laugh.  Jacob shook his head “yes” as he snickered.

“You ever wonder why an individual when they are rejected can find a second mate?” Stan asked.  Both Jay and Mark nodded their head at the question.

“
We are designed to share our lives with someone designed specifically f
or us, not who we think
should be are mate.  A wolf’s mate is the one that balances them out and keeps them sane even when everything could be following apart.  Second mates are the chance to find that even ground, that certain someone who can calm the wolf part of you.  Even second mates are predestined, but only when one is rejected or loses their mate far too soon by means that we see everyday.  If you notice, most of the wolves
that
do the rejecting rarely get that chance because they had their specific person and they threw them away.”
“So by killing her mate,” Jay said slowly, “
Victoria
messed with the natural
order
of things.”

Stan nodded his head, “She is trying to rewrite what nature has already decided and it is not that easy.”
He continued, “When I met your mom, I thought fate had to be messing with me.  A human was my mate although I knew that it was normal in our bloodline, I just wanted to run from it.  I thought about rejecting her, but I realized that by her rejecting me, then it would be better.  Your mom was stubborn and in turn, she made me happy with that stubbornness.  One of my friends at the time told me I was crazy for accepting a human as my mate, but I have never regretted it once.”
“Why?” Mark asked leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

“Because she made have been human, but she was perfect for me,” Stan said with a smile.  “I hope that your mates give you the same feeling.”
Mark nodded his head with a smile
as Jay looked at him with a slight frown.

“How can one be sure though
?” he asked quietly.  The others laughed as Stan said, “You will know Jay although I think you do already, but with everything going on, you may not see it yet.”
Jay nodded his head as he thought about Emily and a smile crossed his face.  Then he remembered what Mark said before the discussion and he turned to him.

“You said I had two phone calls,” Jay reminded him.

Mark frowned slightly as he said, “
Arnold
called and he wanted to talk to you.”

“Really,” Jay said completely shocked.

“See what he wants,” Stan said already knowing as did Jacob.

Jay shrugged his shoulders and pulled out his phone from his pocket.  He dialed
Arnold
’s number and he waited for him to pick up.

“Hello,”
Arnold
said.

“Hi, you wanted to speak with me,” Jay said bluntly.

“Jay,”
Arnold
said with enthusiasm and Jay lifted his eyebrow.  “Man, I have been trying to get a hold of you for weeks.”
“I had something I had to take care of.  What is on your mind,
Arnold
?” Jay said.

“I would like you and Mark to meet my mate.  Well, my second mate actually,” there was a pause before he continued, “my true second mate.  Eve wants meet you two and
both of your
…
mates.” 

Jay heard the hesitation as he said “mates” and he looked at Mark who said through their pack link,
He probably thinks that you marked
Victoria
has your mate especially as often as she has been over here.

“So, Jay would you and Mark come to dinner tonight?”
Arnold
asked.

Jay could help the laugh that came out, “You are nervous
Arnold
.”
Arnold
was silent for a moment then he said, “I really need to talk to you Jay.  Besides, not to be mushy or anything, I miss hanging out with my friend.”
Jay looked at Mark who had a smile on his face and he gave him a thumb ups.

Jay nodded his head, “What time,
Arnold
?”

“Around six,” they heard him let a sigh and then they heard him say to someone in the background, “They are coming.”

Then a woman’s voice from the background was heard, “How many are coming?”

Jay answered before he could repeat the question, “Four.”

“Okay,”
Arnold
said after he relayed the info to his mate, and then he said, “Jay, I hope she does not cause any trouble.”
“Don’t worry,
Arnold
,” Jay said with confidence, “she won’t make any trouble.”

“See you at six then,”
Arnold
said and with a goodbye they hung up.

Mark laughing said, “Let’s hope the girls are back before then.”

Jay’s eyes widened as he groaned, “Damn, I did not think about that.”

The women returned around five that evening
and as they came through the door, Jay and Mark both snatched their mates away before anyone could stop them.

“What is the rush?” Sasha growled as they walked them up the stairs and Emily frowned.

“We have been invited to dinner,” Mark began.

Jay continued, “It is at Arnold Westwood house, Alpha of the Stronghold Pack.”
“What?” Sasha and Emily both said together.

Jay sighed, “He wants us to meet his mate…second mate.  He also said he needs to talk with me about something.”
Emily looked at him with her brown eyes with those amber highlights he loved so much and she nodded her head.

“I need a shower and a change of clothes.  What time is dinner?” she said heading for their room.

“Six,” Mark said and Sasha screeched at him before running to their room.

Both Mark and Jay laughed at her reaction as Emily rolled her eyes entering the room, and heading straight for the shower.

Thirty minutes later, she was ready.  She was adding a light touch of make-up when Jay walked into the room.

“Emily,” he said.

“Almost done,” she replied adding her lip gloss before stepping back from the mirror.

She nodded her head at her reflection and headed into the bedroom.

Jay looked up and forgot what he was going to say.  Emily looked beautiful with her brown hair
pulled back at the sides with clips and the rest hung down her back.  She had an off the shoulder cream-colored blouse that showed a hint of their mate mark which she combined with a pair of chocolate brown jeans. She looked down at herself and asked, “I was going to wear a skirt but…”

“You look great,” Jay said huskily and Emily blushed as she walked towards him in he
r brown ankle boots.

He kissed
her
as she stopped in front of him and he was about to deepen it when Mark knocked on the door.

“Come on now,” he said loudly and Sasha giggled.

Jay pulled away and muttered, “I am going to kill him.”
Emily just laughed as he placed an arm around her waist and led her out of the room.

Taking Mark’s car, they headed to
Arnold
’s house and were a few minutes early when they pulled into the driveway.

They climbed out laughing, but as they mounted the steps tension set in.