This Shadow of Mine

Nineteen

Nineteen

“Hey Issy!” The little girl jumped into her arms, bouncing excitedly after being a part from her older sister for two weeks. “What do you think of my home?”

“Can I move here Mommy?” She asked Cecilia hopefully, her big adorable eyes begging.

Cecilia smiled. “No honey, but we’ll be coming here often, so it’ll feel like it’s your home.”

Evy hugged Isabelle to her side, “I missed you to Evy, and Asher wouldn’t hush hush about not having his cookies!”

Laughing, she shook her head. “Don’t worry, I have a few batches in a box for you to bring back with you when you leave.”

“I don’t wanna leave,” Issy muttered. “I like it here.”

Evy ignored her, putting her back down on the ground and walking up to her car. Although she’d had the best two weeks of her life, in and out of the bedroom, she missed the comfy seats and butt warmers.

“So my car has been christened,” Malakaih whispered, pressing Evy up against the door, “but yours hasn’t, want to give it a go?”

“My parents are here,” Evy giggled. “And Issy would be scarred for the remainder of her life and then some of she came looking for me and found us in a compromising position. I don’t think Mom and Dad are ready to have that conversation yet.”

Malakaih sighed as if disappointed. “I suppose another time will do,” he murmured into her hair, hugging her tightly to his front before releasing everything but her hand. Tugging, Malakaih pulled Evy into their house and led her to the living room where everyone was seated.

“Oh man Malakaih, I would never leave the sofa if I had a television that size,” her father mused, eyes interested on the technology around him.

Her mother kissed his cheek. “And that is why we only have a fifty five inch.”

Evy trained her gaze on her little sister, who sat on the sofa that was backed up against a large bay window. Her head rested on her arms that rested on the back of the couch, looking out the window at the beautiful foliage around her. Evy sat next to her, pulling Issy into her arms. She gladly snuggled closer, her head on Evy’s chest. The little girl must’ve been exhausted from the few hour ride she’d just endured.

It wasn’t before long that when Evy tuned out of the conversation between the others, she noticed Isabelle’s breathing was slow and melodic, and her eyes were closed.

“Mom,” she said quietly, grabbing her mother's attention. “I’m going to put Issy to bed in the guest bedroom okay?”

Her mom nodded silently, smiling at the image before her, and went back to talking to the two men.

“How’s life been lately,” Pierce asked Malakaih when Cecilia and Issy left the room.

Malakaih shrugged, but a grin encompassed his face. “More than I could’ve hoped for.”

“Oh Luna,” Cecilia groaned, “I don’t want to hear anything about you and my daughter in that context. What else have you been up to?”

Again he shrugged, still smiling. “I swear she wants to get me fat, almost everyday for the past few weeks she’s been baking every kind of cookie and I can’t resist but eat half of the damn batches!”

They all laughed, noticing that there was indeed batches of cookies around the kitchen from what they could see.

“You should see her sketchbook now,” Malakaih sighed. “It’s filled with sketches of the house and the forest around us… and me.”

Nodding, Cecilia spoke. “If her fingers itch to draw, then they won’t settle until the picture is out of her head and on the paper.”

“I have a question for you Malakaih?” Pierce asked.

“Yes?”

“When you two have… pups, will you move or stay here?”

Malakaih’s brows furrowed. He had never really thought or talked about it will Evy. At the moment it wasn’t really a concern, unless Evy was harboring a secret, but Malakaih would hear the tiny thump of a heart before she told him the truth, so that was out of the question.

“I don’t know,” Malakaih answered truthfully. “I guess when our family expands, if it even does, we’d move. But I’m not sure.”

Cecilia nodded. “You should probably talk to her until you run out of time.”

“What do you mean?” He asked inquisitively. He knew the answer, kind of, but he needed the verbal truth to jumpstart him into motion.

Pierce rested his hand on his mates shoulder, staring adoringly at her before training his eyes on Malakaih. “When Cecilia and Malorie moved into my home all those years ago, it was a comfortable fit. I had a nice three bedroom house that was five minutes from the beach. We were happy, comfy in that house, but when the pack rescued Cecilia and the twins and we were settled back in the house, we had a pregnancy scare. The house was already snug with the twins now inhabiting the guest room. The thought of adding another child to our family made us think of how we’d be able to live in that house comfortably. So we moved, built a home for us and still had room to spare. That’s what you need to think about Malakaih.”

“We’re not saying to give up this house,” Cecilia added in. “Hell, we kept our first home as a beach house, and go there often. So keep this house, as a guest home, as a getaway, whatever you want, and when the time arises, and I’m saying when and not if because I refuse to not have grandchildren, build your house along with your family.”

Nodding, Malakaih smiled, thinking about it. He would ask Evy before he could hear the beat of their pups heart, and if she said no, then they’d live with what they have, and if she said yes, he’d let her do everything she desired with their new home.

“Okay,” Malakaih said, “I’ll talk to her about it.”

“Good,” Cecilia said happily, “Now where is my child? Evy should’ve been back by now.”

They walked down the hallway and crowded the doorframe of the bedroom the two girls occupied. Currently, Issy was wrapped closely in Evy’s curled frame on top of the comforter. Malakaih could tell that his mate was out like a light.

“I see you’ve been keeping my daughter busy,” Cecilia whispered quietly.

“No, no, no,” Malakaih groaned. “I don’t want to hear this, I’m going to check out your basement.”

Without another word, he stomped -albeit quietly- down the hall and set of stairs.

“Let’s leave them be,” Malakaih said softly, awed by the complete ease on his mates face. “And join Pierce downstairs.”

Cecilia walked down the hall before him, and when she was out of sight, Malakaih entered the bedroom, picking up the blanket at the base of the bed and gently laying it over the girls. He kissed Isabelles forehead and then stroked Evy’s face for a few moments before closing the door silently behind him and followed Cecilia with a smile on his face.