1116 Chapter 101- Carter – Going Undercover (VOLUME 6)
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Carter
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I knew one thing for certain. Emmalee wasn’t going to be happy. I had made the offer to go undercover as soon as my sister mentioned that she needed someone to do so. I had done it as an instinctual thing. I have always been good at undercover jobs. I mean, if I wasn’t, then I wouldn’t have met Emmalee in the first place. And not only that, but after my sister started to hand out Goddess gifts like they were candy on Halloween, I got even better at undercover jobs.
I was able to blend in when I needed to, no one would be able to notice me if I didn’t want them to. When I wasn’t undercover and therefore not hiding, I was the type of person that stood out. I think that was why no one ever suspected me of the deceit that it took to hide in plain sight. I was good at this kind of work.
Still, I knew that my mate, my wife, the love of my life, was going to be angry, beyond angry. She was going to yell at me and ask why I had decided to volunteer for this opportunity. It wasn’t like my sister didn’t have other people at her disposal and all that.
Yes, Trinity had more people that she could count on. She had more people than I could fucking count, but that didn’t matter to me. She was my sister, my family, and my Queen. She needed me, and that was it. Not only that, but I hadn’t done much to help my sister over the years. I have been busy with my own life. I had my pack, my wife, and my three kids CJ, Leeah, and Bryson. We were busy with life, but through all of this, I had still done my best to be there for my sister. I never left her hanging when there was a major incident, and I never would.
And I knew that Emmalee was just as loyal to my sister. The two had bonded the first time that they had met, and they’ve always been close. Even if it was just their weekly phone calls, that they still kept up on. Now though, it was more of Emmalee offering a sort of girl talk therapy for Trinity with all that has been going on. I tended not to stay in the room for those calls. Men shouldn’t be privy to those types of talks.
“Hahh.” I sighed disheartened as I stepped through the door that my sister made for me. I needed to go home and pack my bags, and then to spend the rest of the night with my family before I went undercover for the first time in over fifteen years.
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I stepped through the door from my sister’s office into my own office. It was the same as it always was, sleek, modern, and filled with contrasting whites and blacks. The room was bright, but the furniture was black. It was just how I wanted it. This room was familiar to me, comfortable, a sort of sanctuary. And I was so tempted to just stay in here while I waited out the night. I couldn’t do that though. It would be far too rude to my family.
Taking another deep and relaxing breath, I steadied myself and opened the door to my office. Just as I swung it in toward me, there was a blur that streaked in front of me.
“Dad!?” I heard Bryson’s voice call out to me as he skidded to a halt. “You’re home!” He was turning around to face me as he started to run again. I knew what was about to happen. He may be eleven now, but he was an excitable and loving kid. The little bundle of energy that was my youngest son leapt toward me and threw his arms around my neck.
“Hey buddy.” I hugged him back before letting him swing himself around and position himself on my back.
“Onward steed! Mother says it is time for dinner.”
“Oh, so I made it in time. That’s good.” I smiled as I started to pretend to gallop. I was glad that I was here in time for the meal. I knew that they were eating late because of me, but I didn’t know that they hadn’t gotten around to the actual meal yet. I felt bad about that, but I was also happy that I made it just in time.
Galloping into the dining room with Bryson on my shoulders, I heard another happy voice, the one that I loved the most in the world.
“Carter, I didn’t know you were back yet.” She had stopped in the middle of the doorway between the dining room and the kitchen.
“Mrs. Emmalee?” The chef called out to her, as he had obviously been trying to come through to this side. “Is everything OK?”
“Yes, Henry, everything is fine. I was just surprised to see that Carter is home.”
“No worries on the meal, Ma’am. There is more than enough prepared for him. Would you like me to set another place for him. I can finish up in here for you. You can go and spend time with Mr. Carter.”
“Thank you, Henry.” I called out to him and that got my Emmalee moving. She came over toward me as I slid Bryson off of my back and to the floor.
“Eww, don’t kiss right now.” Leeah said as I pulled Emmalee into my arms.
“Hush, Lee. Dad’s been busy with work lately, let them be happy together.” CJ said as he sat in his chair. “Just because you’re fourteen and think that all grownups are old losers, doesn’t make it true.” Leeah was a teenager now, and she was going through a stage of rebellion that I had not been prepared for.
“Urgh.” She groaned disapprovingly as I ignored her request and kissed Emmalee lightly on the lips.
“Hey, Dad loves Mom, that is a good thing.” Bryson said a tone that showed he didn’t quite understand his sister and her aversion to the kiss.
“Wait until you’re older, brat. Then you can talk to me about this kind of thing.” Leeah rolled her eyes and took her seat while I just laughed.
“You’re only four years older than me, geez.” Bryson was frustrated as he took his seat.
“Come on guys, let’s calm down and have a nice family dinner.” I told them as I sat in my seat at the head of the table.
“If I even have an appetite to eat now. Urk! I don’t think I can hold anything down anymore.”
“Leeah!” Emmalee snapped at her. “You’re skating on thin ice, young lady. That attitude of yours has been a little too much lately.”
“I just don’t want to see the PDA between you two. Is that so wrong?” Leeah took her fork and stabbed at the food on her plate. “I am a growing child, I am not supposed to be subjected to your pornography.”
“LEEAH!” Me, Emmalee, and CJ all yelled at her at the same time.
“What’s pornography?” Bryson asked.
“None of your business.” I snapped a little more loudly than I intended to. “And as for you young lady, a chaste kiss with your mother is not pornography. You need to watch that mouth of yours or you will find yourself in trouble.”
“OK, fine, whatever.” She rolled her eyes again and popped the food into her mouth from the fork. I guess she wasn’t too sick to eat after all.
For a little while, the meal continued as it usually did, even Leeah’s attitude had become the new normal around here. She had been this way since a little after her thirteenth birthday. It wasn’t an overnight change when she became a teenager, but it happened eventually.
After a little while, I felt that I needed to broach the subject of me leaving in the morning. I needed them to know that they weren’t going to see me for a little while. I would call when I was able to, but it wouldn’t be every day or anything like that. I was going to be undercover after all, so I couldn’t be too obvious with it all.
“So, Emmalee, I uh… I need to tell you something.” She looked up at me as she was almost done with the meal. I saw that CJ was also looking at me. He was nineteen now, and he was used to paying attention to everything around us. He was learning how to be a leader, and that meant listening to everything that you were able to.
“Well, what is it?” Emmelee’s beautiful green eyes focused on me at that moment. She was beautiful, and so delicate looking. However, I knew that the fragility was a ruse, and that she was a true beast when she needed to be. And that was why there was a hard steely edge to the green of her eyes.
“Well, sweetheart, I have been asked to go undercover.” I didn’t tell her that I had volunteered for it. I valued my life too much for her to know that part of the truth.
“Undercover? You haven’t done that in a long time.” Her eyes were narrowed and a little darker now. “Why would you be going undercover?”
“It’s the case with the DOE. They need someone on the inside.”
“But Aunt Trinity has a lot of other people that can go undercover.” CJ’s eyes were narrowed as well. “You’re an Alpha of your own pack, you shouldn’t be doing this.”
“I am also sworn to the crown, her brother, and the only person that she has ever gifted with a Goddess ability that is meant for going undercover. I am literally the best option for something like this.” I told him, and in turn told Emmalee as well.
“That is true.” CJ nodded as he agreed with me. “Still, it’s unusual. When are you leaving?”
“That’s the thing. I am leaving tomorrow.”
“WHAT!” That was echoed by two people. Emmalee, of course, had cried out in shock when she heard the news, but the other had come from Leeah of all people.
“You can’t go undercover so suddenly, Dad, that isn’t right.”
“I admit, Leeah, I thought that you would be happy. You wouldn’t see me kissing your mom anymore.” I spoke playfully, trying to take the seriousness out of the situation.
“That isn’t the point here, Dad.” She snapped at me. “You can’t just leave.”
“I am already set and prepared to go. The contact in the DOE that we have has made a fake profile for me. It will make sure that I am able to assimilate myself into their group with no issues at all.”
“I don’t like this.” Emmalee shook her head. “Not one bit.”
“I will be careful, sweetheart. I promise.” I took her hand and squeezed it firmly.
“Are you going to be a secret agent spy?” Bryson asked, talking with his mouth full as he did so.
“In a way, yes. I will be undercover like a secret agent.”
“That is so cool. Can you tell me all about it when you get home?” His eyes were shining and filled with wonder.
“Sure thing, buddy.” I ruffled his hair with a smile.
“Why so soon? Why do you have to leave tomorrow?” There was sadness in Emmalee’s eyes then.
“It is just best if we leave sooner rather than later.” I told her honestly. “I am sorry, sweetheart, I know that you don’t want me to leave, but I have to do this. I am the only one that can do this job, you know that as well as I do.
“I know.” She sniffled a little. “I just really hate when things get this bad. Things are dangerous right now, Carter. And I don’t know what is going to happen to us all.”
“I know, it’s not a good situation for our people at the moment, but I am working on changing that. I want to help get rid of the DOE. I want to make the world safer for our people and the humans at the same time. That is the best outcome here. Don’t you want to know that your husband was a part of saving the world?”
“I would rather know that my husband was safe with his family.” I saw the redness in her eyes when she looked up to me then. “Promise me that you will be safe, Carter. Promise me that no matter what happens, you won’t do anything to get yourself hurt. I won’t be able to handle it if I lost you.”
“I promise, sweetheart. I will not do anything to get hurt.” She leaned into me then, pressing her face against my chest. She was not having a good time of things at the moment. This was hard for her, for all of them.
I spent the rest of the night with the family, even moody Leeah who seemed to want more to do with me than usual. In the morning, I was prepared to leave.