Chereads / My Werewolf CEO-In-Law / Chapter 14 - Chapter 13

Chapter 14 - Chapter 13

Jason's P.O.V

I ponder on what Hayley told us as I go up the stairs to find Saiya. I've never thought of Soren in a romantic way. What is it about Saiya that made me choose her? Is it because I got closer to her first? I shake my head and replay Soren's words. I do know how I feel about Saiya. I love her. Or did you just jump at the first opportunity you saw to have a family? A voice in the back of my head states.

This voice, it's been with me all of my life, constantly criticizing and telling me what to feel. Soren is an attractive woman, but she's not my woman. My heart belongs to Saiya only. I follow Saiya's scent into a room on the right. I lightly knock before I enter. "Hey, are you okay?" I ask. Saiya sits on the bed with her head hanging low.

I close the door and sit by her side. I start to rub her back, but she leaps away from me. A pang hits my heart. "Is what she said true?" I don't have to ask what she's talking about. "I don't know what Hayley saw, but Soren is my friend, and that is all. If I do love her, it's platonically," I tell her with confidence.

"What part have you shown her that you didn't even show your future wife?!" she screams with anger in her eyes. My chest constricts, and I want to comfort her, but she will not let me. I can't tell Saiya what I am, not right now. She's going to think I'm crazy and definitely tell somebody.

I grab Saiya's arms and hold tight despite her best efforts to wiggle out. "I love you," I say with so much damn conviction, and I hope she sees it. Her eyes water, and she stops resisting. "You embarrassed me," she sniffles. I embarrassed her? I wasn't the one asking the questions. My muscles tense at her accusation.

"You couldn't even tell a child why you would pick me over my sister, and you still refuse to tell me this secret." Saiya lightly pushes me away, and I let her. "I need some fresh air," she walks out of the room. I quickly follow her to try and stop her. She walks really fast for a woman in heels.

Soren's P.O.V

I see Saiya and Jason storming down the stairs. "Saiya, wait," Jason says, trying to catch up to her. Saiya brushes past me into the backyard. Jason hurries after her, but I put my hand on his chest. He stops in his tracks and looks at me with desperation and confusion. He doesn't want to lose her.

I heavily sigh. "Do you have an explanation for her?" Jason knows what I'm talking about. If he can't tell Saiya the truth, then he's better off saying nothing. If there's one thing anybody hates, it's being lied to. "I can't lose her," I take my hand off his chest. "I know, but you should start thinking about what you say before you say it. Why would you tell this entire family that I know things about you that even your future wife doesn't?"

Jason sits down on the dining room chair. Everybody is dispersed around the house, but I can feel prying eyes on us. "I was trying to tell the truth. Give a good explanation about our relationship," I sit next to him and stare. "What do you want to ask me?" I tell him. He's clearly got something on his mind. "Do you... look at me with yearning?" he hesitates to ask the question that had been on his mind.

This is going to be a long day, "Jason, no offense, but you aren't my type. I don't know how Saiya guesses what you feel every day, but I can't do that. You're like an open book with blurred words. You're honest, yet nobody can really figure you out. I think Hayley is seeing what she wants to see. According to her, my brothers have had their fair share of a love story. Don't take what she says to heart. Think of this as another trial. But don't tell Saiya the truth until you're ready to handle the after-effects. You two haven't even started to plan the wedding, so it isn't happening anytime soon. Take a deep breath, and think it over. Besides, I still have my role as your researcher. We'll figure out your past together so you can tell Saiya everything. She's going to have questions, and honestly, won't marry you until she gets the answers. Oh, and learn how to read the mood." I get up from my chair and follow Saiya's tracks.

"Where are you going?" Jason asks, still in his chair. "You tell me," I say, referring to his sense of smell. I go into the backyard, and it's practically two more houses.

The space back here is ridiculous. The land is a garden and in the distance is a barn. Goodness gracious, these people. I can't help the excitement that rises in my chest from the idea of riding a horse. It's been so long. I see Saiya sitting on a bench that's surrounded by one of the many gardens.

I take a seat beside her. "He told me what he did by accident. It slipped out, and he just wanted advice on how to tell you. He trusted me because I'm his friend, not because I mean more to him than you do. And before you ask why he didn't tell you this, he's just scared, Mama. I'm pretty sure this is his first serious relationship. That man is always working and doesn't have time for a relationship, but he makes time for you. Please don't rush him. I already told him not to marry you until he tells you everything. Honestly, I don't think he should've proposed before sharing an important part of himself. I'm not going to lie and act like this can't ruin how you feel about him and the kind of future you want with him.

Just answer this: Do you love him? Will you accept every part of him no matter how hairy it is?" I snicker at my inside joke. "I don't know anymore. I want to say yes, but I don't know how I'm going to react until I do. I don't want to make promises and get his hopes up." Her answer is reasonable, and I can't fault her. Not everybody can forgive someone trying to kill them.

"Why did you accept that part of him?" she asks me. I shrug my shoulders, "I don't know. It's tough, doing things on your own and feeling like you have nobody to talk to or relate with. I guess I resonated with him. What he told me didn't change anything about him, but it also changed everything. He's still the same person, depending on how you look at it."

Saiya ponders on my words, and I get up and leave. I enter the house to see my brothers and their family sitting on the couch. Dinner didn't last long. I don't know why everybody stopped eating after a little bit of drama. Luke comes up to me.

"That was intense," his actions betray his words. His smile tells me he enjoyed every bit of it. "You think? Honestly, I think everything was just taken out of proportion. This needed to happen. If Jason doesn't know why he's marrying my sister, he should've never proposed. It's not fair to either of them, and this event will get them thinking deeper and harder about their hasty choice."

I don't feel shy or embarrassed about what went down. I know how I feel. It's up to the couple to figure it out for themselves. But will you be okay with it if they do? Will you be happy with Saiya accepting a part of Jason that he's only told and shown to you? A voice echoes in my head. It doesn't feel like my inner thoughts. It feels like another being entirely. It creeps me out whenever it makes itself known.

These thoughts aren't your own, Soren. Get a grip. I shake my head. "Hey, can we talk?" My three brothers approach me, leaving their significant others on the couch. "Sure," Luke pats my back and sits on the couch with the ladies. I'm led upstairs to a loft. My brothers sit on the cushions of the floor while I sit on the couch, facing them.

"Are you staying?" Damien comes right out of the gate with his question. "No, this ends at 9," I say it like it's obvious. The boys roll their eyes. "We mean, are you staying in our lives?" I look at them in shock and rapidly blink. "I never left. My role in your lives has remained the same since you were born, "

What was up with this sudden urge of bonding these boys were feeling? "We were closer when we were younger. You took care of us. It felt like you were actually there, but after a while, you stopped. We want our children to get to know you, "

I'm stunned into silence. "I don't really know what to say. I'm always going to be busy with the company, " I tell them truthfully. Brandon's face turns into a frown. "You avoid us. All the time. We called for advice, and Damien called for Hayley's birth. You never answered, you never do, "

Guilt escapes me. I don't feel bad for my actions or pity, my brothers. My being out of their life isn't the end of the world. "You have my address. If you want to visit, you can. I wouldn't turn you away at the door." Aaron clenches his fist. "I told you both that this was pointless. She doesn't care about our lives. If she was even remotely interested, she would've asked already," Well, now I feel guilty.

"Aaron isn't wrong. I'm happy you're all doing well, and that's all I'm concerned about. While your love stories do seem interesting, I'd rather not get too involved," I keep my distance from my family because I don't want to be connected with them. I let go of that long ago. If I become more involved with them, they'll expect more.

"But why? We all want you here, so why do you keep pushing your family away?" Brandon grits his teeth. "The real question is why do you want me in your lives so badly? This family expects too much. I give you an inch, and you take a mile. I'm only going to disappoint you," I tell them earnestly.

Damien stands from his cushion and pulls me out of my seat. "Hey, what are you-" I'm cut off when Damien wraps his arms around me, pulling me into a hug. "I know, but please don't pull away. We miss you, " My body starts to vigorously shake. I don't know why. Why am I shaking? If I pull away now, It'll be my final choice to leave them, but if I don't, then I stay.

You know you want it. Why do you keep denying the people you love? Why do you insist on pushing your happiness away? Hug him. Hug him. Hug him.

The voice in my head repeats over and over. It's starting to freak me out. I nearly yell in frustration before I give into the hug and clench Damien's back.

"You're so damn annoying," I say to the boys and the obnoxious voice in my head. Damien sighs in relief and hugs me tighter. The boys smile and quickly join the hug. "Sorry about Hayley, by the way," Damien whispers. "She's loud-spoken, reckless, and doesn't think about her actions before she commits them. Sounds like someone I know," I grin at Damien. They all let go, and instead of a shy blush, Damien is wearing a proud smile.

My face drops into a fake frown. "That's not something to be proud of," I say and Aaron chuckles, "She's all her dad,"

"So, you're staying right?" Brandon asks, "Of course not, this dinner ends at 9," I playfully wink at him. He rolls his eyes at the same comment once again. "I'll put more effort into not avoiding you all, " I tell them. It satisfies them, but Aaron wears a frown. "You can't leave when things get tough," he tells me sternly.

"I'm not going to be here a lot. Jason is starting a new project, so that's going to take up a lot of my time. I don't have time for myself much less a family, so don't get your hopes up." If we're going to do this, I'm going to make everything crystal clear.

The guys grunt a sign of approval. "To think Saiya's fiancé has been your boss the entire time, " Brandon says in disbelief. "It's weird. I never took Madden for a love-at-first-sight kind of guy. When I heard about it, I was in utter disbelief. I still kind of am. To think the day my boss is going to become my legal family is happening." I shiver at the thought, but not as much as I did before.

Getting to know Jason has been a fun experience. "You sure it's not because you want him for yourself?" Brandon gives me a cheeky grin. I stop in my tracks. "Don't even go there," I glare at him and continue down the stairs. "Yep, our older sister is back," Damien chuckles. I roll my eyes but can't prevent the smirk that takes place on my face.

Jason's P.O.V

I politely asked Diana if I could borrow Hayley for a while. After she gives me an apologetic smile with a nod, I take Hayley's hand, and we sit in the first living room. Hayley looks at me with expecting eyes. "Why did you say all of those things?" I try to see it from her perspective.

She holds her chin for a moment as if she's in thought. She definitely gets that from her mom. Damien doesn't tend to think. "I based my observations upon experience." she proudly says as if presenting a science experiment. I'm about to smile before I realize I have to be serious.

"My parents and uncles went through so much for each other. I saw everything and noticed things they couldn't. What you'll find out, Uncle Jason is that I'm always right." she proudly says. "Even so, you can't say those things without regard for your actions. Did you think about how your Aunt Saiya would feel?"

Hayley's proud smile fades away to sadness. "Did I hurt her feelings?" Hayley hangs her head and stares at me through her hair. "Yes, you did. You made her feel sad and embarrassed. Your Aunt Saiya and I love each other. It's not your place to comment on it," Hayley starts to cry.

"I didn't mean to. I was trying to prevent you from making a mistake. I wasn't trying to be a meany head," Guilt rises in my chest. "Don't cry. You didn't know better, that's all," I pat her head in comfort.

"Don't coddle her," I look at the stairs and see Soren coming down with her brothers. Soren makes her way toward Hayley and lifts her head. "You're not the victim here, hun. What you need to do is properly apologize because simply feeling guilty isn't enough. Apologize to Jason and Saiya. Then, promise you'll think about other people's feelings before you say anything."

Soren's tone is gentle yet stern as she makes sure Hayley looks at her in the eyes. Hayley wipes her tears and nods. She whips her head toward me and says, "I'm sorry, Uncle Jason. I promise to think before I speak from now on," I pat Hayley's head and place a kiss on it. "Good," it isn't long before Hayley goes off running to the backyard with Soren pointing in the direction.

The boys leave Soren and I to our own devices. "You'd make a good mom," I tell Soren as she takes a seat beside me. She shrugs her shoulders. "It's second nature to me. Saiya and the boys were quite the experience. You'd make a good dad for an only child,"

"I've always wanted kids. That's never been a doubt for me. All I've ever wanted was a family. One of my own that would stick around." Soren looks at me for a moment before she smiles and sighs.

"If there's one thing this family will do, it's stick around like mold. Are you sure you're able to have kids with...a human?" She whispers the last part. I've never thought of a future where kids weren't a possibility, so admittedly, I've never thought about that.

The possibility dims my hopes. "Hey, we'll take it one step at a time. First, we have to figure out where you came from. We'll go from there. Have a little confidence in your assistant," she playfully winks. A small smile finds its way to my face, but I can't help thinking about the possibility that a child isn't in my future.

Soren's P.O.V

"It's game time!" Mom shouts. Everybody goes shuffling to the second living room. Jason leaves my side to sit next to Saiya. The two make eye contact in understanding. After a long hug, they're a tight nit. I sit next to Luke and snuggle under his arm.

"Are you okay?" Luke whispers. I nod my head. "Thank you for being here," Luke kisses the top of my head. "Of course. We are still getting drunk after this, right?" I snicker and look at him. "Naturally, I need to get laid," I groan. I kick off my heels so I can snuggle up to Luke as much as possible.

We have Just Dance, Monopoly, Heads Up, Domino, Karaoke, and cards," Mom puts everything on the table, spreading it out for us to choose. "Karaoke!" Hayley yells. She quickly stops in her tracks, putting her arms down. "Is that okay with everyone?" Hayley meekly asks. I put my hand on my heart, proud of my handiwork.

Diana gasps and looks at Damien. Damien points my way, and I wave. "Honestly, I just said a few words. Hayley is the superstar for actually listening,"

"I'm a superstar!" Hayley exclaims. Everybody laughs. "I think we're all fine with Karaoke," Mom looks at all of us for approval. After a wave of nods, she sets up the machine. "You'll have to stay on your toes, Soren. Hayley can easily swipe your title as the singer in this family," Damien grins. For some reason, I highly doubt that, but it seems to rile Hayley up.

"I didn't know you could sing," Jason looks at me. "Oh yeah, she would sing us lullabies to sleep every night," Damien reminisces.

"Some of them were pretty dark. Like a siren's call," Saiya shivers. "What were the lyrics again?" Brandon tries to remember. "Sleep tight, my love. Please go to sleep. You being awake makes me so weak. If you don't stop crying, I'll force you to sleep. I'll strangle you so I can have some peace,"

Saiya recites the song in its melody. Jason's jaw slightly parted, looking at me in disbelief. I roll my eyes, "Don't be so dramatic. Everyone has thought about shutting their kids up one way or another. The song did the trick. In my eyes, no harm, no foul," I proudly smile.

"Do you still think she'd make a good mom?" Luke grins. When did he overhear our conversation? If so, how much did he hear? Jason looks conflicted, trying to decide if he still means his previous words. A sharp sound pierces the air. I tuck my head in Luke's chest as I try to block the terrible sound.

I look around to see it emitting from Hayley. She attempts to sing into the microphone. If a dying pig and a screeching cat joined forces, this is what they'd sound like. Diana quickly snatches the microphone from her.

Hayley starts to complain before she's shut down by her mother. After a debate, we finally decided on the order and our songs. To my surprise, Jason is a really good singer. I'll add it to the list of the many things that make this man more attractive as the days go on.

After I'm done with my turn, my purse starts to buzz. I pull out my phone and see a name I've become very familiar with these past two years. I go into the backyard to take the call. By the end of it, stress had planted itself on my shoulders.

I walk back into the house and pull Jason aside. "We have to go," his brows crease into a frown. "Why?"

"Diego just called. Some of the decorations for the gala won't be here on time. Apparently, there was a jam or some kind of switch. Either way, it isn't going to be here. The Galla is in a few days. He needs us to come in so we can all decide how to make this work." Jason pinches his nose. When he opens his eyes, he's more determined than ever. He's in business mode.

Sensing the change in our vibe, the music stops. "What's wrong?" Saiya comes up to Jason and puts her hands on his chest. "There are problems with the Galla. Soren and I have to go," Saiya frowns. "Does the problem really require the both of you?"

Jason sighs, unaware of the meaning behind Saiya's words. "It's unfortunate, but yes," Saiya's frown deepens.

"So we aren't getting drunk and laid tonight?" Luke asks. "Unfortunately, no," I internally whimper. When will it be my turn? At this rate, I'll be as dry as the Sahara Desert. Doom and gloom fall upon me. "That's what you were planning to do after this?" Jason questions. I puff out my chest and frown. "Well, not anymore. Do you understand how much of my time you take up? How you found the seconds to propose to Saiya, I'll never know. But some aren't as lucky. These damn people are up my ass every second of the day. I'm called for every little thing. You're only called if something is burning down. I swear it feels like we're the only ones working in the company." I groan.

"Hey, you don't know just how much work I do behind the scenes, " Luke speaks up. "Oh right, sorry," I sheepishly chuckle. "You work at the company too, Luke?" Dylan asks. "Of course, how else could I be Soren's best friend? You heard the girl. She lives in that damn office," I slap Luke's arm and playfully frown at him.

"Enough, we need to go. Luke, you're coming with us, we can use an extra eye in case Soren and I don't agree on something," seeing Jason be strict and stern outside of the office is weird but not resented. "Yes, sir," Luke and I say in unison. "I love it when you talk boss out of the office," Saiya purrs. It takes everything in me to not gag. "We'll be in the car," The worst part is Jason's attraction to her words. "Don't be jealous, Soren," Luke says as we make our way out of the door after our goodbyes. "Shut up," Luke and I take off, leaving Jason to follow.