Thirty-one

Justice had healed better than she’d expected to. Her hands and back were barely scarred and with the antibiotics she hadn’t had a hint of infection. The vineyard had been sold to the Latros but everything inside was to be boxed and shipped to the Germains after she’d cleared all of it and gone over every inch of the house.

She and Bastion had been left behind, temporarily, to finish going over the house and the things in it with the Latro pack. Their pack had needed to gather for the full moon. The changing of the Alpha’s mate, and she had insisted Aurel and Harmony, was a pack affair and all of the wolves were intended to be there.

That she and Bastion weren’t able to go made her feel excluded, but she understood. There was no point in having her there when there was work to be done. She couldn’t participate. It was better for her to stay and take care of things. Bastion stayed very close, feeling how it pained her to feel so separate, and to be parted from her mate.

Two weeks after the full moon the house had been finished and the last boxes sent off. She and Bastion decided to drive instead of fly, turning a two hour trip into a two day trip. Bastion drove his Porsche, she took the Mercedes she’d borrowed before. Instead of the radio, which he was worried might trigger the Sibyl to sing, Bastion had installed a hands free device and they’d chatted.

He was enjoying the time out from under watchful eyes, Justice just enjoyed being allowed to act like a normal person for a couple of days. No smoke, no salt, no one hovering. Letting Bastion plan the route and lodgings with the packs had been nonnegotiable. Suggesting they just drive and see what they found had been met with looks that tested her newfound inner strength. There had been laughter when she hid her eyes from the larger Alpha Latro.

Neither of the packs had been happy with the idea to drive. But they insisted on making it as safe as possible if the Vallas were bent on it. Their route crossed the territory of other packs, and while they weren’t bad wolves, sending the Sibyl across in a way that wouldn’t attract attention had been a better idea than trying to explain who and what she was and why she needed an escort. It lowered the chances of someone deciding a Sibyl was valuable enough to keep for themselves.

They arrived in town with no incidents, ahead of schedule, and Justice insisted they stop to see Brandon at the shop. Pulling up, the front lot was full so they parked in back. Brandon and Sage both were working, Sage in the front discussing the jewelry and Brandon was giving a reading in the back. 

“I wonder if they still have my cards.” Justice murmured to Bastion.

“Why would you need cards, Sibbi?”

“I like them! Sure they’re less clear and harder to understand but they’re pretty and it’s fun!”

“I don’t know what to do with you.” He rubbed his face trying not to laugh. “Father would have been apoplectic to hear you prefer something so childish and common to your own gifts.”

“I don’t prefer it to my gifts, I just like the cards too.” She tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear. “You need a haircut, Bas.”

“I thought I’d let it grow out, long hair seems to be popular with quite a few of our new friends.”

“You and I look so much alike we’ll confuse people.” Her face split in a wide grin. His sour expression was hilarious “You give me the best reactions.”

“I want a do over, I requested a good sister not an awful one.” Bastion elbowed her.

“I’m pretty sure no such thing exists, they’re fairytales.” Justice bumped him.

“Genevieve?!” Sage had noticed them and stepped away from his customers with a short apology. “I hadn’t expected you back!” He gave her a hug and looked at Bastion coolly. 

“This is my brother, Bas. Apparently the universe has a sense of humor, because he’s so much like Brandon it’s scary.”

Sage blew out an annoyed breath. “Now that the business is doing better he’s insufferable. He won’t save money, he’s spending like it’s only going to keep getting better. He’s talking about getting a new car.”

“I’ll let him drive the Porsche on weekends if he keeps you away from those ridiculous cards, Sibbi.” Bastion’s flippant comment earned him an icy look.

“If she wants to work with cards, she’s welcome to. She was good at it, even if she lacked confidence.”

“You’re very kind, Sage. I might ask for some lessons in jewelry if you and I both have time. I think I’d like that more.” She smiled at him warmly and he relaxed. 

“I saw the piece you designed for Mr. Germain. It had promise. With practice and some direction you could be good at this and I would be glad to have someone to share the work with.” He touched her upper arm encouragingly. “I’ll let Brandon know you’re here.”

“He reminds me of Father on a good day.” Bastion murmured.

“I asked him to adopt me once, he refused. He has to deal with Brandon and one perpetual child is enough.” Justice leaned against Bastion and grinned up at him. “They can both be difficult but I love them to bits.”

“Is there anyone you don’t love?” He wrapped an arm around her and squeezed. “You’re so sweet sometimes I want to gnaw on your skull.”

“When I’m salty all anyone does is complain!” She laughed and let him kiss her on the head.

Coming back with a smile Sage held up his hand and started making calls. After three he had people to come in and cover the shop. Justice looked at him curiously.

“Brandon and I actually agreed. We’re taking you out to dinner and we’re not taking no for an answer. There’s a little steak house that’s opened up not far out of town. They have Cajun steak and shrimp that even you should be able to taste. For those of us with taste buds that don’t need to be charred to function,” Sage smiled wryly at Bastion, “they have some really excellent options.”

“Cajun actually sounds good to me.” Bastion smiled, “I’ll probably get what she gets.”

“I have to get back,” Sage excused himself, allowing Justice to drag her brother around the shop looking at new stuff until Brandon was finished.

“Vivi!” Brandon rushed up and hugged her, “You look… well you look like you hit Hot Topic by way of the trash cans behind the Goodwill but you look good! It suits you!”

“That compliment was so full of knuckles I don’t even know where to start.” She laughed and shook her head with a twisted smile. “I’ve missed you, and I’m trying to figure out why.”

“I like him.” Bastion reached out to shake Brandon’s hand, directing a thought to her. I did suggest you wear something a little less ragged.

“The two of you can ride together, Brandon would love to check out your Porsche. I’ll hitch a ride with Sage unless he wants to drive the Mercedes, I’m done driving for a few hours.” 

“Did those pants cut off circulation?” Brandon inquired innocently.

“These pants fit extremely well, they were made for me, one of a kind. And I f*****g love them.” Justice gave him a dirty look. “Stylishly ragged is what I’m going for instead of broke and still wearing clothes from when I was a teen. Keep cracking on my clothes and I’ll leave the both of you here to talk fashion by yourselves.” She folded her arms and arched her eyebrow.

“Sibbi has such a strange sense of style.” Bastion smiled at her indulgently, It does suit you though.

“If I can borrow your phone I’ll call ahead and let them know we’ll be late.” Holding out her hand she watched Bastion’s smile fade.

“I’ll do it. I hate lending you my phone.”

“I only flipped my eyelids up and took a selfie once.”

I only lent you my phone once. He took his phone and stepped out of the shop.

“You don’t do that on someone else’s phone!” Brandon swatted at her.

“He’s my brother, it’s allowed!”

“How old are you?!” He turned to Sage as the other man joined them. “Can you believe she flipped her eyelids up and took selfies on her brother’s phone? Who does that?”

“Who dresses up their dick and takes pictures of it on their SO’s phone?” Sage asked dryly. “A juvenile delinquent who refuses to grow up.”

“You didn’t!” Justice opened her mouth in horrified amusement. “That is so much worse!” 

The feeling of rising apprehension coming from her brother distracted her. We were expected to come directly. Alpha Germain isn’t very happy. He came in, still on the phone offering it to her. “Here she is.”

“Hello?” Justice could feel Bastion devising a way out of the dinner plans and held up her finger before stepping outside by herself and walking away from the building.

“Vivi, you should know better than to change plans like that. We’re expecting you.”

“We were early, I didn’t see the harm-”

“A pack member asks permission. You are a member-”

“About that.” She tried to keep the bitterness out of her low voice as she interrupted. “If I were really a member of the pack I’d have been invited to the ceremony. I’m a part of it only to a certain extent, under your authority, Alpha Germain.” There was an insistent tapping in the background, Justice heard it clearly as she took a breath, “I don’t know the next time I’ll get to drive around and stop by to visit here or get to go out for dinner with Brandon and Sage once I’m back in what the Latro pack referred to as ‘protective custody.’ Do you need us back right this minute or can I have this? We’re almost two hours early.”

There was a long pause and she started to think he’d hung up on her. “Hello?”

“You should have come to the ceremony. My mate wanted you there. I didn’t realize it would upset you so much, you were very focused on your tasks.”

“You couldn’t have made me feel more excluded if you’d sung the ‘One of these things is not like the others’ song before you left.” She paused pinching the bridge of her nose, “But I understood it. I won’t change and there’s no sense in interrupting work that needs to be done for someone who can’t participate.” Her voice had cracked just slightly making her swallow the rest of what she wanted to say.

“You should have been a part of it. Go to dinner, we can discuss this later,” he paused, “face to face.”

“Thank you.”

“Remi is eagerly expecting you, he’s going to be a little disappointed that you’re going out without him.”

“You’re fighting dirty.” Justice frowned into the phone.

“You did interrupt me,” his tone was dry, “with something you should have brought up before, when I could remedy my mistake.”

“I understood why you made the choice you did. To bring it up would have been arguing and I didn’t want to when you had so much going on.”

“You’re a part of my pack. I was too wrapped up in the anticipation of the ceremony to consider how it would make you feel. And I wasn’t listening to my mate when she warned me. You should take your mate into consideration.”

“He left for two weeks, he can give me two hours. It’s the length of the plane flight he could have taken if he’d missed me that desperately.” A hand touched her shoulder and she turned in surprise.

“Are you ok? You look upset.” The stranger looked at her with concern.

“I’m fine, thanks.” She sent a thought to Bastion to let him know it was fine but her brother was coming out of the door at a lope.

“Vivi?” Alpha Germain inquired with a note of worry. “What’s going on?”

“Apparently, I look so unhappy having this conversation I’m attracting strangers. I walked away from the building for privacy. It’s fine, Bas is coming.”

“You walked away alone?” His disapproval made her wince slightly.

“Yessir.”

“If you’re going to stay out for dinner, you’re going to stay next to Bas. Hand him the phone.”

Bastion had just finished sending the man away, and he took the phone with an annoyed look at her. “Yes?

“I understand. I would appreciate that.” He paused again. “Sir, you have no idea how difficult she’s been. When she’s unhappy, she’s a clingy, bickering nightmare.”

Justice put a hand on her hip narrowing her eyes at him and he grinned viciously. “No, she’s giving me a look.”

“Let me know when you finally find the fairy godmother that’s going to give you a do-over on sisters. Put me in a request too, A*s.” She folded her arms and glared.

Turning away with a hand lifted to cover his eyes, he was still grinning. “She is. Some food should help, and Brandon and Sage are good for her, I think.” He paused and glanced back at her. “We’ll see you then.”

“I am not a clingy, bickering nightmare.”

“Of course not, Sibbi. You look so much like our father when you glare like that.” He was needling her and not just with his patronizing tone, she could feel it.

“You are the worst.” Justice turned around, starting to trudge back to the shop when Bastion started to laugh.

“And you stomp like a sullen child.”

“Separate cars is going to be so nice.”

“You have to stay with me, Sibbi. We have orders.” He grinned.

“Unfortunately, not everyone fits into your Porsche.” She put on the most sickening sweet tone she could manage. “Two cars it is.”

“I told him you were difficult.” 

“That’s it, I’m going to stomp your feet until you stop being mean to me.” Chasing him as he moved backward, she jumped as he changed directions and came right at her, putting his hand in her face and keeping her at arm's length. “Not fair! That’s a dick move!” Justice grabbed hold of his wrist and tried to hold him off to get her face away. He kept pushing back.

“You couldn’t fight your way out of a wet paper bag, Sibbi!” Bastion started to laugh.

“Are the two of you twelve?!” Sage shouted with annoyance from the door. “Come over here and discuss dinner plans like you have some kind of sense, both of you!”

Coming back into the shop, Brandon was calling ahead. “Ok, tonight is one of their event nights, so no reservations, first come, first served. And they’re encouraging people to dress nicely.” He looked pointedly at Justice.

“She has a dress packed in the car, and shoes to go with it.” Bastion grinned like the cheshire cat.

“You’d better be talking about the knee length black one. Or the floor length red one.” She folded her arms again.

“We’re not going to church, Vivi. Do you have anything else?”

She and Bastion spoke at the same time. “Not that I want to wear.” “Yes! And it’s definitely not church wear.”

“Show me!” Brandon headed for the door and Bastion held out his hand for her key.

“You are the worst.”