by Belle Kayce
My father ushers everyone in the living room where he makes Zeke and Sargon be comfortable in one couch while I’m sitting next to my father. Mom brings out the tea and juice for all of us, and leaves, probably because she wanted to give me and Dad some alone time about his serious explaining to do.
Dad sighs as he looks at me. “I guess I should’ve told you sooner, but there was no way to know when we should tell you. Your mother was a free spirit. That’s what all witches are, really. They don’t like to settle down for one thing. Things like packs or covens scare them. Witches do things on their own terms. It’s not that all of them don’t like to settle down. They do. But I don’t think it was the right time for her. Teresa-” the one who I always thought was my mother- “she knew this whole time. She loved you the whole time even though you weren’t hers.”
“At least you had a mother,” Sargon inputs. “A mother who loves you.” He pauses. “And a father who loves you too.”
I didn’t want to ask him about his father because it didn’t seem like Sargon would want to talk about it.
Dad continued, “She was always going places, there was no way I could keep her here in the pack even though she was my mate. I didn’t try either. I had Teresa who I also loved.
“My mom too...” Zeke murmurs. One thing Lance and I did have in common was that our mother’s were witches. “She gave birth to Lance and after two years, met my father and well then the greatest being got birthed.” He grinned at me which made me smile.
“Your brother can teach you about your magic better than ever could,” Dad says. “It’s manifesting itself, I’m sure. Your mother was a powerful witch.”
“My magic is coming out,” I nod. “Bit by bit.”
“I’m sure you all are tired, so please, Ava, your room is still there. I’ll get extra blankets and pillows.”
My room is exactly how I left it. Posters everywhere, a tapestry- even my crumpled papers. I set my bag on the floor, and Zeke strolls in my room.
“Your dad gave me the couch,” Zeke’s voice is full of humor. “I just need to be close to you in case.”
“You don’t need to protect me. I’m at my home.” My second home. Noctis Luna is my first now.
“The same home that made you running for your life?”
“We don’t have to worry about that anymore,” I remind him. I know Zeke knows almost everything about Lance’s life. He makes a point to call Lance every single day. He also calls me everyday too and grills me about everything- how I like the pack, how Lance is treating me, and when I ‘d visit him.
“It’s okay, at night I’ll be hunting for blood anyways.”
I stick out my tongue, “Zeke, too much information. Where’s garlic when you need it?”
“All garlic does is make your breath smelly. Which is surely going to keep me away from you.”
***
The next morning- or should I say afternoon- I decide to have my coffee and croissant in my front porch where Mom and Dad are out doing some pack business, letting me sleep in thankfully. My old pack has a lot of working out to do that the Alpha council decided that they would decide would would be in next in line as to who would be the next Alpha. I think they’re going to do a vote. Like a democracy and not a dictatorship like packs usually are. Zeke joins me shortly as does Sargon. We’re talking about magic.
“There is magic in all of our bloods,” Zeke says. “It depends on how much your genes affect it. Obviously, being a vampire overpowered the witch blood with me, and with Lance, being a werewolf overtook his abilities, but there is a powerful magical presence in his soul with his cursed wolf. Strong Magic is running through Lance and I’s veins. Lance’s magic is stronger than anything else- since he has that curse. Which is one of the strongest magic there is. Your magic is strong too,” Zeke explains. Then he gives me a sly smile. “Which means your children will probably be stronger than both of you in terms of magic.” Thinking about pups makes me blush hard.
“It seems as though our mother was a powerful witch since the magic lies with both of us, but more with you,” Sargon tells me. “Maybe because my father was a Beta and yours wasn’t.”
“You need to teach me how to control my magic.”
Sargon’s lips twitch up, “Having a hard time controlling your feelings, little sister?”
“She was my sister first,” Zeke argues. I roll my eyes. “And what do you mean?”
“You’ve had incidents before with your emotions and your powers coinciding, right?” Sargon asks me. “Like...if you felt a certain powerful emotion, your magic would go awry.”
“Right.” How can I forget the random bursts of fire I unconsciously did.
“Your mate would do that to you,” Sargon says. Zeke goes back into the house, to get more coffee and I turn to my brother, asking the question I’ve been dying to ask.
I’m going to ask him the hard question, “So what’s wrong with Bo?”
“Nothing- nothing is wrong with Bo,” Sargon scoffs. “Nothing. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with him at all. Everything is wrong with me, Ava. Everything. I don’t think I can manage to make pull someone down with me in my mourning. How could I make my mate suffer with me?”
“That’s what they’re for- to help you. Support you. Bo would do the best job.”
Sargon swallows, and I can see the fight in his eyes. “I didn’t-” Sargon lets out a breath. “I didn’t know I’d have a mate that would be male. It came as a shock to me. It- my father he didn’t agree with it. Thought it was unnatural. Thought I was some kind of-” Sargon shook his head. “I forced myself to go out with any she-wolf that would have me just so he wouldn’t beat me again. Convinced him that it was nothing. And I didn’t have a mate, so I thought everything would be fine. I’d hide forever if I had to. But then I saw Bo, and everything changed and I don’t want to hide. I don’t know how not to.” I place my hand over my brother’s, and he squeezes it. Sargon exhales. “At least he didn’t beat up Vanessa that much. I was the disappointment. But I could live with it. As long as he didn’t hurt her.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper to him. This is where I think Vanessa came into play- she helped Sargon to accept himself. “I can never replace Vanessa, but I hope you know you can talk to me about anything. I feel like I already love you even though I hate you for making Bo feel bad.”
“Thank you, Ava,” a semblance of a smile on his face. “What can I do about Bo?”
“Bo likes all the attention he can get, and you haven’t been noticing him.”
Sargon gives off a small scoff, but he looks away. “Trust me, I’ve noticed.”
***
We meet up with Julia at her house later in the evening, and she is glued on her phone, so I snatch it out of her hands because I am nosy.
“Ava give it back!” Julia is laughing though, and I read her reply.
“As long as you send me a selfie of you,” I say, and laugh at how much their relationship shifted.
“Is that...horrible?”
“Uh, no it’s actually kind of cute. Who knew you could be sentimental towards him?”
There’s a ding on her phone, and what do you know. Vain Grayson sent his mate a half naked picture of himself. A selfie that I’m sure he would want her to remember him by.
“You know, I’m going to ask Lance to send me a selfie too. I feel kind of left out of this coupling event.” Saying my goodbye to Julia, I head home and hit FaceTime to Lance, hoping he’d pick up.
Lance does answer, but it’s black and I hear Bo say, “You have to remove your fingers from the camera.”
I grin widely at the camera. “Hi guys!” I say excitedly. I only see Lance’s cute confused face before Bo grabs the phone and his face is only on display.
“So what are you wearing?” Bo asks, chortling like a pup and I hear a small sound from Lance probably telling Bo to shut up.
“You can see what I’m wearing,” I roll my eyes. “How are you guys managing without
me?”
“We’re living it up by doing the most paperwork ever,” Bo replies. “You need to get back here ASAP because Lance needs to stop being moody.”
“I am n-” Lance gets cut off.
“Lance misses you dearly. He slept in your bed for the past two nights. He’s been overworking us like we’re animals-basically I’m saying we need our Luna. Hugs and kisses to my one true bae. Say hi to Zeke for me and remember your mate cannot survive without you.” Bo hands the phone to Lance, and I hear a door shut.
“Hi,” Lance says to me, I think he thought if he bought the phone closer to his face he would see me more, but it’s super cute how he handles the phone.
“Miss you,” I tell him, out in the balcony, leaning forward to see my mate.
“How are you? Your family?”
I sigh, giving him a rundown about what happened so far. I tell him about Lisa too. Lance’s face darkens a little about how she’s treating me. “You shouldn’t feel guilty.”
“I do,” I say, “she’s right to some degree. I did cause all of this.”
“And if you haven’t? Your former Alpha could have done something else. They were trying to kill you, Ava. You did what anyone else would do to survive. You also bought justice to your other sister. Don’t let her make you feel bad. You had to do what you had to do.” Lance’s face through the screen is concern and he’s trying to give me a pep talk which I appreciate.
“Okay,” I relent. Leave it to Lance to be the side of logic. “I love you.” It just came so naturally to me to tell him this.
Once I hang up, I peek at the door and see Mom and Dad laughing together. That’s a sight I miss. “How was your day?” Mom asks me. “Was that Lance?”
“Yeah,” I answer her, “it was good- I love remembering everything. You guys need to visit my pack soon.”
“Ah, yes, our daughter is a Luna,” Dad chuckles, “shirking her Luna duties.”
“I’m not avoiding it completely,” I smile at him, sitting in between them on the couch. They both snuggle near me.
“I need to meet this mate of yours,” Dad says. “Who’s the one who’s lucky enough to have caught my daughter.”
They put on a movie that’s showing right now on TV, The Proposal, and we sit and watch it as Dad makes popcorn for us.
It’s like I never left.
***
My parents let me sleep in again, and Zeke and Sargon isn’t there, but I make my coffee and have a muffin, going outside the porch to enjoy the outside since the weather is nice.
Lisa is also outside of the porch, tending to the plants in our front yard. Our eyes meet, and she glowers at me.
That’s it.
“What’s your problem, Lisa? Your real problem.”
Lisa doesn’t say anything for a second, but then turns to face me. “My problem is nothing with you. We’re the social pariah because of you. Everyone knows it’s your fault, my half-sister.”
That stung. “I know you’re hurt,” I say calmly, “I’m hurt too about our father keeping things like this away from us-”
“No, I knew Ava. I knew once you ran away from your home. Dad told me everything about you. You know what my problem is? You didn’t call, text, or visit.”
“I did occasionally text our parents, but it wasn’t safe to visit.” I frown at her.
“But not me, Ava. Not me.”
Admitting I was wrong about that is hard. I like to think I can do no wrong, but that’s not right. Lisa is right. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Lisa. I just- it was too much. Everything that happened was too much. Finding my mate, trying to stay alive, trying to be a Luna, dealing with these just was too much and you’re right- if I kept in touch I bet you would have helped me.”
Lisa gave me a bland smile. “At least Julia was there to help you figure this stuff out.”
“Forgive me?”
“As long as I get to meet your mate,” Lisa answers. “We’ll see how you managed to sweep an Alpha off his feet.”
I smile, “Deal.”
***
The week with my parents goes by quickly. A week of catching up with my them, my sister, making sure Zeke is doing okay along with Sargon, it’s already over. Shockingly enough, Julia tells me she isn’t coming back to Noctis Luna. She’s doing something I never thought she’d do- visit Grayson.
“I kind of miss him a little, bothering and following me,” Julia shrugs. “Or maybe it’s the mate bond talking.”
“Okay, just don’t get marked and say that’s the mate bond talking,” I half joke with her, hugging her.
“I’ll see you soon,” Julia tells me. “Luna Ava.”
“Luna Julia,” I grin at my best friend. Little does she know it, but she is going to make a great Luna in Grayson’s pack. I feel like Grayson will actually listen to any advice Julia gives, so my best friend and I had a lot of fun to plan on that front.
What was even more surprising than Julia was my brother. Sargon wanted to come with me to my pack as a last good-bye. I knew though it’s mainly to see his mate. I think Sargon wanted to make some amends. I made sure Bo knew he was coming, just so Bo didn’t get ambushed.
Zeke’s good-bye was brief because he made me promise I was going to visit him and his father next week. “Call me every day, little sis,” Zeke told me dramatically.
Going back to the pack made me realize how much I associated with Noctis Luna as my one true home. Seeing Lance stand at the doorway, obviously waiting for me made me realize how he’s my true home. And how much I missed him.
I didn’t even fully get out of the car before Lance gave me the biggest bear hug, not letting me go even as he nuzzled my neck and breathes in my scent.
“I missed you,” he murmurs hotly into my neck. “So. Much. I don’t plan on letting you go any time soon.” I almost melt.
Bo also come outside to greet me, and he freezes for a second when he sees Sargon getting his bags, but his face is expressionless.
“Oh. It’s you.” Bo is about to turn to go back inside as he gets my bags, but stops when Sargon calls to him.
“Wait,” Sargon says, his voice a little strangled. I look up at Lance in slight alarm who’s still hugging me- but now in the back- and his arms are wrapped around my waist securely. He shakes his head once.
“Now you want to talk to me?” Bo asks in a harsh tone, coming beside me. He stops and looks at my brother. “My grandmother and parents had only one thing in mind for me which were for me to have pups,” Bo says quietly. “When they figured out, they disowned me. Cursed at me. Thought I was...some kind of defect” I see Sargon’s jaw clench. “Being Beta saved me from that depression I was feeling.” Tears glisten in my eyes, feeling for Bo. Why did werewolves have to make everything so difficult? I squeezed his hand in comfort. To say I’m here. Bo looks up, looking at me. “I have Lance to thank for that. Lance knew I was gay before I even told him- knew it before he asked me to become his Beta. Didn’t care. When I told him- the second person I ever told in my life- Lance hugged me. I’ve never experienced that kindness from anyone before my cousin Jeff. Lance accepting me had everything to do with who I am today. I guess I needed someone to believe in me because my own family didn’t. I still don’t talk to them even though they live here. They still won’t look at me. They won’t ever be proud that I became a Beta like I thought they would have because that’s what they wanted from me. I thought that if I could become Beta...maybe they wouldn’t care. Maybe they’d welcome me back.”
Sargon stood there and quietly states, “Sorry.”
“So how do you think I feel when my mate rejects me?” Bo’s voice is a little hard, unmasking his hurt.
Sargon’s head snaps up and the two look at each other for a heated moment. “I could never reject you. I didn’t.”
“You may be hot, but that doesn’t make up for the way you’ve treated me.”
“Then let me make it up to you.” Sargon glances over at me. “Please, let me make it up to you.”
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A few seconds tick by.
“Mark me.” Sargon looks a little flabbergasted at this, but Bo chuckles giving a signature grin that probably put my brother at unease. “You’ll have to earn that, mate.”
***
Lance told me last night that our date is going to be today. Naturally, I freak out, but having Meg and Bo be there for me is calming. However, as I’m sitting in my bathroom, looking at myself, I look at my two friends. “I look like a mess.”
“You’re a hot mess, but you’re our hot mess.” Bo squints at me.
“Lance will think you’re hot either way.”
“I love this support,” I deadpan.
In the end, Meg and Bo created a look for me that I managed to love. My makeup looks glowy, my hair isn’t in its usual ponytail, and my curls are let loose with a white silky headband making me look “bohemian” as Bo put it. My outfit is a pair of very cute white jean shorts with a red off the shoulder shirt which Bo told me will work for the occasion. And wedges. Even though these wedges are really high, Bo told me it’s a statement piece I cannot skip.
I hug both of them for helping me. “You guys are the best.”
“Tell us how it goes,” Meg tells me encouragingly.
“If everything fails, just strip,” Bo advises me. Meg smacks him in the head and I laugh.
I descended the stairs like I was Cinderella, and Lance was at the bottom looking like my Prince Charming. His cobalt eyes darken as he drank the sight of me. Just as he’s looking over at me, I’m appreciating his plain crimson red dress shirt that has the sleeves already rolled up a little, accentuating his muscular arms. His black jeans and white Gucci shoes pair off really nice. For once, my mate has his jet black hair styled- slicked back.
“You look very beautiful, as you always do,” Lance comments, holding out his hand. I took it, and he steps forward kissing me on my forehead. I flutter my eyes open and look up at him.
I smile widely, “You clean up nice, handsome.”
