Turning The Tides by Bugz Rox (macos ebook reader TXT) 📕

"You never let me get to the point! You're gonna pick up Charlie tomorrow night at seven, you're gonna take her on a date and be your charming self instead of the tough kid you pretend to be. Got it?" I asked.

"You're lying!" He yelled, struggling to get up but I had him in a good hold. He was an inch shorter because he wasn't the Alpha. Ha.

"Nope you can ask Conner, Jenna, Haven, or even Brandon, now if I let you up are you gonna run?" I said, frustrated. He looked pleadingly at Brandon, trying not to hope, but hoping anyway. My brother was a proud being, for someone to be able to humble him this much was like ripping a part of him out. I used to think that he needed a little humbling, not anymore.

"She's not lying, she got Charlie to agree to a single date. I know how it feels to have your mate reject you, I don't wish that upon anyone," and with that he turned and walked away. I got off Liam, knowing that he wouldn't run now. He was back to his cocky, but happy, puppy dog state that so many girls fell for. I wondered who had rejected Brandon, he was too sweet to reject.

 Liam

"Ha! I found it!" I screamed as I found my soft green button up shirt. My favorite and nicest by far. It had a black wolf curling up the side and howling at an imaginary moon. Saying everything I felt with the simple image; the wolf on the shirt lives for the moon, I live for Charlie.

"Be your nice sweet self, not the cocky one you've used before. Don't be rude. Show her who you are, who you are around us." Pluto told me as I nearly rocketed out the door, "And button up your shirt!"

I knocked on her door as the clock struck seven, thankful for my family's maniac driving. For once it had come in useful. An older man opened the door as I was about half wat done buttoning my shirt, heeding my sister's warning.

Her father, my wolf told me as I smiled, somewhat embarrassed at having been caught coming over half dreesed.

"Spledid! Right on time, if a little under ready. At least you care to get here on time." The man said.

"Thank you, sir. I'm sorry for being messy, I couldn't find my shirt and had to convince my mom to let me use the jeep. I didn't want Charlie to have to ride on the back of my bike. I take it you are Mr. Laronaldi?" I said, hoping I wasn't babbling.

"That's quite alright, however my daghter tells me that you're quite the player. If you play my daughter and hurt her anymore than she's already been hurt than I will kill you." I had to hold back a growl at the thought of someone hurting her and lowered my head in the wolves' submission. "My daughter likes wolves and that's a wolf's submission."

"Charlie likes wolves?" I asked as a stupid grin crossed my face, maybe she won't push me away after all.

"Yup, she loves the filthy things. Do you study them? Is that how you knew their submission?" He asked, my grin fell and I flinched when he called wolves filthy.

"They're my favorite, my sister's nursing three back to health now because their mother died. That's why I like this shirt best," I said, hoping he didn't mean that we were filthy.

He took a good look at my shirt and the wolves intertwined with the swirls on my arms and snorted, "Just don't hurt her."

I flipped out my phone and sent a quick text, Charlie chose that moment to appear down the stairs, looking as beautiful as ever. My jaw must have fell to the floor because she let out a chuckle as I reattached it. She was dressed in a forest-green poofy plad skirt that went about mid-thigh, a yellow striped short-sleeved shirt, and converse. She had curled her black hair like a professional.

I led you to the jeep and helped her in, not taking advantage of her clothes as she expected. I was on my best behavior and wasn't going to be an ass. I closed her door and hopped in the drivers seat, taking a moment to reach over and place a red tulip in her hair, completing her stunning outfit. Her eyes widened when she saw the tulip placed delicately in her hair.

"How'd you do that? Most men would butcher it and make me look like a fucking troll." She asked.

"You could never look like a troll," She blushed, looking adorable.

"But, how'd you do it?" She pressed.

It was my turn to blush as I replied, "Pluto taught me when she taught me to do her hair with flowers." She raised her eyebrows seeking an explanation, I sighed, "Our parents wouldn't use real flowers and Pluto refused to have fake flowers in her hair because they were just an imitation, and a bad one at that. She went to William who said that it would ruin his manhood."

"We're here," I said softly, interupting her thoughts. I was worried, ever since I told her about the flowers she shut down. I got out and raced over to her door to open it before she could. I gently helped her out, being careful to keep my eyes on her face as her skirt flew up in the wind. It was hard to not look down, to just catch a glimpse. "It'll be better in the tree line."

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"It's a surprise," I said as I reached for her hand, to lead her. She pulled away, making me flinch, "It's just to lead, you may need it."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know what your motives were," she mumbled, grabbing my hand. I beamed at her, She's gonna think we're bipolar if you don't stop with the mood swings, my wolf grumbled at me.

I am bipolar, genius, I muttered back to him. I led us into the forest for about a minute, I turned back to her.

"I'm gonna cover your eyes now, so that it can be a surprise," I told her. She raised her eyebrows, but allowed me behind her to cover her eyes. I did it gently and whispered, "You're gonna love it," into her ear, smiling when she shivered.

I led her forward, into a clearing, taking pleasure in her gasp as she took in the beautiful meadow, filled with red tulips. The ground was littered with green emeralds, creating  the most beautiful contrast, red on green.

"How did no one else find this?" She asked, breathless.

"I don't know, I'm more connected with the forest than most and I've figured out that by missing a clearing by two inches may guarantee that you never find it. Maybe that happened." I said as I led her to a blanket covered in steaming food.

She picked up an emerald, more polished than the rest, "This one is the same color as your eyes!"

"Yeah, can I ask a favor of you?" I asked her hesitantly.

"Anything," She said, still marveling at the beauty of natures two components contrasting and looking so good together.

"I'm sure the animals and myself would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about this place, I mean it's too much to ask for no one to ever find it, but I don't want anyone ruining it's beauty anytime soon. It would be horrible, these jewels would go for a bit of money and I don't want this place ransacked of it's two most prominent features. If people come tramping in here to collect the rocks, they ruin the tulips. It would overthrow the prettiness with the mark of man." I told her, generally upset just thinking about it.

"I like that," She said it so simply that I wasn't sure if we were on the same page anymore.

"What?" I questioned her warily.

"The fact that you like nature so much, and that you talk about the emeralds as if they're just another rock, instead of a precious jewel," she answered.

"Oh. To me that's what they are, another part of Mother Nature's plan, not something greedy men were meant to grab and sell for a million dollars. Just something to be pretty. Like this, here. A trinket or good luck charm," I said as I handed over the necklace I'd had Pluto help me with. It was one of the emerald crystals wrapped in wire and put on a chain. "I'd rather it wasn't sold, but you can do whatever you want with it."

"Thanks. Who cooked the food?" She asked as I put the necklace around her neck.

"Another thing Pluto taught me to do," I shrugged as we dug into the food.

When we finished I held out my hand to help her up, she accepted it and I held on as we went in the opposite direction that we came.

"There's more?" She asked with her eyebrows up.

"You'll see," I told her as I flashed her a smile. She smiled in return and I nearly stopped. My steps faltered, she noticed, damn.

"You okay?" she asked, concern clear in her tone.

"Your smile is really nice. I hope you smile more," I said, blushing.

"Oh." I went around to cover her eyes. "Again?" She groaned. I laughed and led her forward.

"You're gonna haveta duck here, the entrance is kinda small," I whispered in her ear, again loving the shiver it created. "I heard you liked wolves?" I asked, uncovering her eyes.

"Yeah, s-" her answer turned into another gasp as her eyes fell upon the wolves. A dozen wolves were in the den, she steppd back, right into me. I laughed as I steadied her.

"It's okay, they're friendly to me," I whispered indicating the wolves. There were twelve, the largest was shoulder to shoulder with me, a white one, the next three were the size of regular full sized wolves, one was silver, the other two were tan, the next was a tiny bright red wolf, bigger than the pups but smaller than the tan ones, and the rest were pups of verying colors.

"Look! There's your family! The big white one's Pluto, the tan ones are the Twins and the red on is Sammy!" Charlie said jokingly, grabbing my hand.

Can I tell her now? I asked Pluto through the chat. The white wolf lowered her head and brought it back up. A nod.

I let go of Charlie's hand, feeling the loss of her warmth to my bones, and turned her to face me, "Charlie, you hit spot on. The white is Pluto, our Alpha, I'm a speckled black and redish brown, I'm the Beta, the Twins are the tans, they're Alpha's third and fourth, not sure which one's which though, and the red one's Sammy. The three grey pups aren't ours biologically, but we take care of them." I said softly, not expecting her to believe it.

"Yeah? Prove it," She said.

I looked toward the white wolf, "Alpha help," I put the Beta into my voice, not good. Pluto got pissed, snorted as well as a wolf could and left. "Shit," I mumbled. I started taking off my shirt, not wanting to rip it. I was beet red, Pluto walked in. That ass! She knew I would embarrass myself!

"Woah, little brother,