The Librarian and the Wolf: (10 page)

Everyone gave
Terri encouraging smiles.  Ellie continued becoming more and more excited.  “We should make an appointment for you to see a doctor and get a scan.  I could come with you and we could go out shopping for a crib, toys, books, baby clothes...”

“Too
much mom...”  Admonished Mal.

Terri was quick to protest. 
“No, I’d like that, I really would. My mother isn’t exactly... warm.  Oh my god my mother!”  She looked at Mal nervously.  “I guess I’ll have to break you to her gently...”

Mal frowned.  He couldn’t decide whether or not to be offended.

She put her hand on his cheek.  “I don’t mean to be... well mean, it’s just my mother she’s... really narrowed minded.  If you’re not a doctor and don’t drive a Lexus as far she’s concerned you’re on the bread line.”  Terri rolled her eyes.  “She’s such a snob, it’s embarrassing.”

Eric smirked.  “So your mother’s expecting a rich doctor for a son in law...”

“And instead she’s getting this?”  Craig gestured in Mal’s direction. 

“Poor woman.”
  Muttered Darryl.

Hank glared at the three young wolves
.  Ellie gave an exaggerated sigh.  She lowered her head and spoke directly to Terri’s stomach.  “Please, please be a girl.”

Terri
chuckled and smiled reassuringly at her mate.  “My mother’s never approved of anything I’ve ever done, so she can disapprove of us together.” 

Mal rubbed his thumb over her cheek.
  The heat between the two mates began to rise. 

Ellie delicately coughed.  “So about a scan...”

Terri tore her gaze away from Mal.  “I already have a doctor, my brother in law Aaron, he’s a brilliant obstetrician.”

Mal cocked his head thinking. 
Hmm that name sounded familiar.

Terri raised an eyebrow at Mal.  “
Who you’ve already met, remember?  You screamed at him the other night when he dropped me home...”

The brother
s whooped in laughter as Mal turned crimson.  He coughed.  “Yeah... thought I recognised the name.  So he’s  your brother in law? Good. I thought you were, you know, dating him.”

She
pouted at her jealous mate.  “No... although we did used to date years ago, but then he met my sister Jessica and decided he preferred her.”

Mal banged his fist on the table
making everyone but Hank jump.  “Then he’s not your doctor, I’m not allowing an ex-boyfriend to look at your puss...”

“Malcolm!”
  Shrieked his mother.

The brother
s roared with laughter and even Hank hid his head behind a slightly shaking newspaper. 

Terri surprised everyone by giggling.
  “Aww sunshine you’re so cute!  It’s fine, we went out to dinner a few times and that was it.  We didn’t even... ummm, you know.” 

She kissed Mal lightly on the
lips which was met by a chorus of ‘eewwws’ and ‘get a room’.  Mal, slightly mollified, agreed that Aaron would be acceptable in that case.

“I’ll give Aaron a ring to make an
appointment, can you remember where I left my purse?  I have his number in my phone.”

Mal began attacking another plate of food.  “I thought your phone was broken.”

“No it’s fine, the screen is just... cracked.”  Suspicious thoughts entered her mind.  “How did you know that it was broken?”

Mal gulped and paled.  “I thought you just said it was fine...”

She narrowed her eyes.  “Did you crack my phone?”

“
Ummm... “

“You did
didn’t you?!”

“Well... not on purpose
!  I was just holding it... because... it rang and I thought I should answer it... then I accidentally held it too tight...”

Terri looked at him thoughtfully.  “I didn’t even know you were in the library that day...
who called me?”

Mal’s
face turned stony, he held his fork so tightly it started to bend.  His wolf angrily roared at the memory.  “Someone called Gary... said you two were going on a date...”

The room was silent.  Everyone was suddenly very interested and somewhat fearful of what was about to happen.

Terri looked unconcerned, and began buttering some toast.  “Oh, he works with Aaron.  My sister just handed him my number and told him to ring me.  Can you believe that?  She wasn’t even sorry when I told her off!”

“Well... good.” 
Said Mal awkwardly.

“You owe me a new phone though.”

He winked at her.  “Anything you want baby.” 

His brothers looked disappointed at
Mal’s placid response.

The family began talking about day to day matters, and everyone was relaxed and happy.
  The younger Tanner boys soon had to leave for school.  They each kissed Terri goodbye, Darryl’s was particularly lingering, much to Mal’s displeasure. 

Ellie
wasn’t working at the moment and Hank had taken the day off work.  Soon after the boys left Ellie started clearing the table and tidying the kitchen whilst Hank excused him and went to his workshop. 

Mal and Terri made themselves comfortable in the living room.  He snuggled her onto his lap and nestled his head on her shoulder.

“So... about you living here?”  Asked Mal tentatively.

“
Ummm, I... it’s not that I don’t want to... it’s just I think maybe we should take it slowly and see how it goes for a couple of nights maybe...”

Mal wasn’t particularly happy with the response, but didn’t want to push her too hard in case she changed her mind altogether.  “Okay.
  I’ll get my dad to collect some of your things.”

“No!”  She said
horrified.  “It’s just I don’t really want him going through my underwear draw.”

“Actually no,
I don’t either!”

The doorbell rang and Mal stiffened sniffing the air before relaxing.  Ellie
answered the door and bustled the Alpha, Beta and Carly Finlay, the pack Omega into the room.

C
arly rushed over to Terri.  Checking she was okay and congratulating her on the baby and for bonding with Mal.  Terri tried to wriggle from Mal’s lap but he held on to her.

Carly
held her hand and soon all of her anxiety seemed to just float away.  Terri remembered Liv explaining that the Omega, as well as being emotionally linked to all pack members, had a soothing influence on everyone.  She hadn’t paid any attention to what Liv had said at the time but feeling Carly in action was
incredible
.

Carly
nodded at Mal shortly.  Mal sighed in relief.  Carly could sense Terri, which meant that Terri was officially part of the pack.  More often than not in spite of the bond Omegas couldn’t sense human mates, which meant that they would always miss out on a part of pack life.
It was a testament to the strength of their bond
.

Adam cleared his throat.  “
Rosalee and Liv both wanted to come but we didn’t want to overwhelm you, so we made them stay home.”

Terri
chuckled looking between Adam and Alec.  “Bet that went down well I don’t envy either of you...”

Alec rubbed the back of his head.
  “We’d appreciate it if you could call them both and let them know you’re okay.”

Terri agreed that she would.

Adam looked at her piercingly.  “Terri, can you think of anyone who might be doing this to you?”

Terri squirmed a little under the Alpha’s powerful gaze
and Mal tightened his grip.  Terri, being human, had never felt the force of an Alpha before and could never really appreciate what it meant to be accountable to him. 
It was nervewracking
.

“Honestly no, no one’s ever really disliked me before.”  Mal murmured it was impossible to dislike her.  She frowned.  “Except Darcy... but then you already know that, and she has a really good alibi for yesterday.
”

Alec glowered.  “We’re not entirely sure this is about hate... other than the
birds, the purse and the writing on your cottage, has anything else happened recently?” 

Terri looked down guiltily.  “
Ummm, well someone slashed my tyres...”

Mal and his wolf snapped to attention. 
“What?!”  He bellowed.

Alec nodded.  “It was Darcy, she admitted to that when we spoke to her.  She said she was sorry if it’s any consolation.”

Mal growled. 
It really wasn’t
.

Alec grunted.  “
Has anyone been paying you extra attention recently?”

Terri shook her head. 
Mal huffed.  “That guy Damian has been sniffing round far too much.”  He muttered.

Adam furrowed his brow and looked at Alec. 
“The puma shifter who works with Terri?”

Mal nodded his head energetically.  “He’s hated
me since I started dating Terri.”

Carly
sniggered.  “Doesn’t make him a bad person...”

“He
always refuses to let me talk to her when I come into the library.  Yesterday he was on at me about Darcy so I made it clear that Terri was mine and told him she was pregnant.”  Terri twisted on his lap in annoyance.

“When was this?” 
Asked Alec quietly.

“Just before we left,
must have been about 8, we went and had dinner at the Diner.”

“It would make sense.” 
Said Adam looking to Alec who nodded.  Adam settled his gaze on Terri.  “Your mailman said he noticed someone leaving something on your doorstop yesterday morning.”

Terri turned her face to look at her mate. 
“It was a gift, surely that was Mal...”

Mal
bridled at the thought of another leaving a present for his mate. 
Only he should be doing that
.  “I didn’t leave anything on your doorstop... why what did you get?”  He demanded anger rising slowly.

Terri felt queasy. 
“Someone left some roses and a book there, the note it said something like ‘thinking of you’... are you saying that wasn’t you?”

“No it damn well wasn’t!
”  He yelled.

Terri clutched his hand. 
“What about the carnations I found on my kitchen table?”

Mal’s
eyes flashed amber and he felt his claws start to lengthen.  Hastily he moved her hand so he wouldn’t injure her.  “I haven’t ever bought your flowers.”

Ellie piped up. 
“Malcolm Tanner that’s just embarrassing, did I raise you so badly that you can’t even buy some flowers for your mate?!”

Mal spluttered at his mother’s rebuke.  Adam ignored them. 
“When did you get the carnations?”

“The morning after the birds, there was a card it said something like ‘hoped you liked the sentiment’,
I found them in my kitchen so I assumed they had to be from Mal otherwise... it means someone else was in my cottage...”

“
You didn’t think it was odd about the roses, Mal leaving them outside?”

Terri grimaced. 
“I was kind of distracted yesterday so I didn’t really stop to think about them... I guess it was kind of a weird present for you to get me, I mean it’s one of my favourite books but you wouldn’t know that.”

Mal looked at her hotly
and feeling his hurt and displeasure placed her fingers over her lips.  “Which isn’t important. 
At all
.”

Mal settled, placated a little.  “When I buy you flowers they won’t be carnations or roses they’ll be
lilies, that’s what you smell of. 
Lillies
.”  He buried his face in her neck and drew in her scent. 
Heaven
.

“They’re my favourite.”  She whispered
and placed a kiss on his temple.  She felt his arousal twitch beneath her and he traced patterns on her bare leg with his thumb.

Ellie and
Carly enjoyed the interaction between the mates, Ellie especially, given that she’d spent the last couple of days fearing that Terri wouldn’t accept Mal as her mate.  She had not been looking forward to dealing with a heartbroken six foot six grey wolf.  Alec and Adam however were hasty to get on with the matter in hand.

“Mal!”
  Cautioned Adam lowly.

Terri sobered and as the pull of lust left her panic hit. 
A stranger had been in her house to leave the carnations! 
“I can’t believe someone was in my house and I never realised... they must have used the spare key, I hide it under the mailbox.”

“
Ermmm no, I took the spare key the night we met... I never put it back.”  Mal proclaimed smugly.

“Why
did you do that?”

Mal tugged on a lock of her hair. 
“It was dangerous to leave a spare key lying around like that, anyone could have just walked into your house, so I took it to keep you safe...”