Chapter 8 ~ I Kissed Him

Delaney ~

I am waiting for Maddox to come down for breakfast.. I want to discuss Venom with him. When he asked me to be his girlfriend, I wanted to jump on the opportunity.. but I am not a me.. I am a We.. and I have to do whatever is best for Maddox.

He came bouncing down the stairs and yelled “Waffles!” Making me laugh. He sat and I placed his food in front of him. His mouth full of food, he asked “Was it fun last night?”

I nodded and smiled “Actually, I wanted to talk to you. Venom asked if I would be his girlfriend and I told him that you have to help me decide.”

He looked puzzled. He even stopped shoveling food in his face. He asked “Why me? That’s a grown up choice. I would like Venom to be my brother.. so if dating him gets me a brother then okay.”

I laughed and said “Any decision I make affects you. You are my priority. I don’t know if being Venom’s girlfriend makes him your brother.. but I know he would like to be a part of your life.”

Maddox nodded and told me “I am okay with it, then.” I hugged him.. kissing his head. “You are the most important thing in my life, my buddy roe! Everything I do is going to always be with your best interests involved.”

I texted Venom to let him know I had talked to Maddox.. and it wasn’t ten minutes later, we heard a bike pulling into our yard.

Maddox ran out to greet Venom and he sat down on the front porch steps with him. He spoke softly, knowing I could hear “Maddox.. I want you to know I am starting to care deeply for Delaney. But that also means I am starting to care deeply for you, as well. I am going to ask you something.. and I want you to think about it before you answer.. can you do that?”

Maddox’s little head bobbed enthusiastically and Venom continued “I used to have a little brother. He grew up to be a not so nice man. I really need a new one. I am hoping that you would consider letting me be your big brother. That’s actually why I asked your sister to be my girlfriend.. so I could be your brother.”

My heart melted. He literally made Maddox the most important person in any relationship we would have. How did he understand that was what my brother needed to hear?

Maddox flew into his arms and asked “Will you stop being my brother if you don’t like Laney anymore?” Venom shook his head “Absolutely not! But I don’t think you will ever have to worry about me not liking Delaney, Bud.. She’s wiggling her way into my life without trying.” Maddox grinned ear to ear and yelled “Laneyyyy! Venom is my big brother!”

I laughed and stepped out onto the porch. “That’s fantastic.. just don’t forget about me!” He ran to me.. wrapping his arms around my waist and whispered “You’re my everything. I won’t ever forget about you.”

Choking up at the love I have for this boy.. I stuttered out “We need to change. It’s training Sunday.. we need to head out soon.” He raced inside to get ready.

Venom grinned “He’s highly excitable.” I agreed and said “You have no idea. How did you get here so fast after I texted it?”

He confessed “I was waiting.. two streets over. No matter what Maddox’s response was.. I still needed to let him know I want to be there for him, too.” I smiled “Are you.. like.. a real person? Not just someone I made up in my head?”

He pulled me close and kissed me “I am the one who finds myself doubting you are real. Now.. tell me about this training you do.”

Shaking my head “I can’t. It’s not something I can explain. Iris and I have come up with a way to make Maddox stronger.. more confident. I don’t want him vulnerable when Marcus comes hunting. And I have no doubt that he will. It’s why I didn’t change our names.. I am hiding in plain sight. But.. why don’t you come with us, today.. if you have time. You can see what we do?”

He immediately agreed and I went to get changed once Maddox was back. I put on my black turtleneck with cargo pants.. lacing my combat boots up. Slipping into my weapons vest.. and making sure my knives were sheathed.. I went back downstairs.. carrying my bow and quiver..

“Maddox.. get your vest on and grab your bow and arrows. We’re riding Olga today.” Venom asked “Olga?” I giggled.. nodding “My bike.. Janie is the Jeep.” He laughed and said “Okay. In a weird fucking way.. it makes perfect sense to me that you named them both.”

Maddox wanted to ride with Venom and he readily agreed.. so we headed to the farm. I hadn’t told Maddox that I put a bid in on it to purchase it. I wanted to make it a dedicated training facility.

Maddox ran to the archery post and I laughed “That’s his favorite. So we always do it first.” Venom hugged me tight and whispered “Did I tell you how hot you look dressed like this? I find it as provocative as that dress, last night. I am also finding it Hard keeping my hands off of you!” I blushed.. a deep burning blush that set my ears on fire.

Maddox fired an arrow.. driving it deep into the bullseye. Venom high fived him.. and I praised him. Nocking my own arrow, I fired.. splitting Maddox’s arrow down the middle. He grinned and said “Show off!” Making me laugh.

I coached and coaxed Maddox through the entire course.. he is doing so well. He turned to me and asked “When will we have the moving targets?” I grinned and told him.. “See that big barn? Once we own this property, we will convert it to a virtual training simulator. Then the real fun begins because we will learn together! Now time me.. it’s blindfold time.” Venom said “Wait? Blindfold? You fight blindfolded? Is that safe?”

Maddox started giggling “Not at first. She stuck me with that little pigsticker she carries.. We used rubber knives for awhile after that.” Venom asked “You stabbed your brother?” I shrugged… not really wanting to respond to that.. Technically, it wasn’t a stab.. it was just a scratch.. but he could have lost an ear. It’s one of Maddox’s favorite stories to tell.

Back at the house, Maddox had gone to do his homework and I was making us some lunch. Venom sat at the island in the kitchen. He asked “How long have you been training?”

I felt a wave of sadness wash over me.. “Since I was a little girl. My father was training me to be Alpha. He didn’t care that I am half human.. He wasn’t bothered that his true mate was only human. But his pack did.. they fed him wolfsbane.. weakened him.. then deposed him. He died shortly after his wolf succumbed to the poison.”

He growled loudly “What pack? Who did this?” I smiled and said “It doesn’t matter now. I was only eight.. The beta is Alpha now.. it’s the Yellow Crescent in North Carolina. My mother went off the deep end when Daddy died. She tried to hold it together for me. When she met Marcus and ended up pregnant.. she almost seemed happy again. Everything was good for a couple years.. until we realized Marcus only wanted my mom’s inheritance. When she stopped him from getting any more monetfrom her.. that was the end. He couldn’t accept it. And here we are.”

He hugged me and said “As selfish as it makes me, I can’t help but be grateful for all the roads that led each of us here.. right here.. to this moment.. to this life.”

This time, I kissed him!