Lyla and her Leprechaun (Book 2) {Finished on Amazon}

13

I got busy, working on a nice stew. Using venison with vegetables and juices. I kneaded the bread dough and set it on the tray before I started on dessert too. It was 2 pm, dinner was in three hours, and things had to be perfect so no one would talk about food and focus on their pasts and getting better.

I made sure that Dante would be nice and stick around from start to finish. Yasmin and Charlie would be here ten minutes before I would ask them to sit, and my dad was fantastic at starting conversations. I made sure plates were clean and set out perfectly, and when I started on the silverware I heard Dante kind of appear behind me.

"Hello my love." Dante kissed the side of my neck and I smiled softly and turned into him, wrapping my arms around him and he put his around my waist.

"How was it at the Bed and Breakfast?" I asked knowing he was only there for a couple hours, dusting, and making sure the beds were clean.

"Oh you know... empty, quiet." He gave my neck another kiss and I turned my head away and gave him full access. "I smell that you have been busy."

"I have. It should be a delicious dinner." I told him slowly and he nodded and looked around. "Charlie should be here soon, he wants to make sure that it will be cold enough for them." I told him and he nodded slowly like he was gathering himself again. "Dante?" I asked and he blinked a couple times as he looked around before looking at me. 

"Yes my Lyla?"

"No more running. She's your family. She's been rejected just like you have. She doesn't have her mom anymore... she needs you. Needs to feel good about being a new mom too. Tell her that you were there when she was born, tell her things about her mom that she might not know. And if she cries, it's probably happy tears or because she misses her mom." I told him and rubbed his sides, making sure he wouldn't panic, leave, or ask me to call this off.

He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by the doorbell. I gave him a kiss on the corner of his mouth and headed for the door. I let Charlie in and he had a fan and a big bag of ice. "I will go change love." I nodded as he headed for the stairs leaving us alone. I watched Charlie point the fan, and then move it a bit and then back again.

"Are you usually like this?" I asked wondering if he was like this during all summers or just because his mate was pregnant and got overheated easily.

"I usually try and skip summer altogether." He set the fan down and I made sure that where he was pointing it there would be a chair for her, and maybe if he held her a bit there would be room for him to get the cool air too. To me, it wasn't that hot, but maybe for a guy with a beast inside him covered in thick fur, it was.

"Is she ready to come?" I asked and he nodded and looked up.

"You... you know it's his birthday right?" He asked a little more quietly and I felt shocked. "You didn't. Sorry, I figured you were his mate and he would have told you. He hates the day, but I was wondering if he had changed his mind now that you were in his life."

"You're sure it's today?" I asked and he nodded. "I didn't make a cake... I can go get one." I bit my lip and looked around. "If he comes down just tell him I went to get butter or something ok." I grabbed my little purse and made sure to shut the door quietly as Charlie waved me off and smiled.

I headed down the street, wondering if I should really buy a cake, but deep down I knew there wasn't time to make one. I walked down the aisles to the small bakery part of the store and looked at all the cakes before hearing someone behind me. I looked but saw no one. I grabbed a white cake with green and red balloons and headed to pay for it.

I got out of the store, smiling at some locals before making my way home. I would get some green frosting and write his name and a big elegant 'happy birthday' on it and 145 if I had the room and-

"Hello Lyla." I looked up and froze. "Do you know you're back on two payments now?" He asked and I gulped and moved to step back. "You're mine little girl, and even your little fake mate can't get you out of it." Jaxson pulled out a gun, aiming it at my head and I took a deep breath, my mind was still blank. I didn't know what I should do, but that choice was taken when a limo pulled up beside us. "Now, get in the car and toss the cake."

"Ok." I moved to set it down but he kicked it out of my hands making it open but splatter to the side with the bushes and a little tree. I held my hands up and opened the door for myself and slid in. He got in, and kept the gun pressed into my side as he told the driver to get going.

"You thought you could get your bosses friend to pretend to be your mate knowing you are promised to me? You just couldn't save up enough money to keep yourself away from me so you decided to trick me." He pushed the gun into my side until it was uncomfortable and he moved the hair away from my neck. I gulped as he took a big inhale and I knew he was going to be mad.

"Jaxon-"

"You gave yourself to him? You let him mark you before a ceremony? Must have been really desperate. I'm not so bad dear. If you end up pregnant with his bastard child, I will kill it and send him the pieces." I cried silently at the mere thought of him doing that, mostly because I knew he meant it, and I knew, if he took me for that long Dante would go out of his mind.

We were in the limo for a long time. When we got to an air field I saw his brother and he was the smarter one, younger, college educated, but still just as mean and still gave me the worst feeling in the world. "Phone." He snapped his fingers at me and I dug in my little purse and handed it over. Not missing the fact I already had 4 missed calls and about 20 messages. Instead of just keeping it, he tossed it hard and far and made me get on the plane.

"So you're just taking me? No more threats to my father or cousins?"

"Oh, they tried to tell us how your real mate showed up and that you're having your own ceremony in three weeks... we both knew that was bullshit. You ran out of money to pay your way and that guy was going to help you out." Jaxon repeated and I gulped. They wouldn't listen, and Dante would have to find me before he hurt me.

We were on the plane for hours, and when we landed I heard the accents, the couple signs I saw... we were in Glasgow. I needed to find a phone, fast.