Bound to My Human Mates...Book 6 Of The Silver Moon Shifter Series

7. Matthew

"Here, you look like you need a drink too." Martin handed me one with a mysterious glint in his eyes, making me blush.

"So you want to know why I'm dressed like this? It's because I'm um I ah amen I'm transitioning from male to female." I said and he didn't seem surprised or even shocked by my confession, he seemed rather pleased for some reason. 

"I had a feeling something was different when we were growing up, now it makes sense." He said, managing to shock me because he didn't say anything horrible to me about it.

"So that's it, no degrading words, no nasty looks, no harsh words, nothing?" Martin asked, shocked just as much as I am.

"No, she can't help who she is, right?" He said and I felt my throat get tight at the lump that formed and my eyes get watery. 

"Besides, you're not the only one who's different. Turns out, I am intersex. I have female insides and male outside. I even started having a period a few days ago so if anyone can understand this, it's me." Again, Ryker shocks us both that we have to sit down and we all three look at one another and after a few minutes of silence, Ryker starts laughing and it's so contagious that Martin and I join him.

"Listen, we may have our differences, but if anyone at school gives you a hard time, come to me and I will put them in their place. No one but me can mess with my sister, got it?" Ryker said and I didn't know what the heck to say. I was at a loss for words because after everything, he just proved yet again how amazing he is.

"Do you really mean that Ry?" Martin asked and Ryker nodded.

"I do. I learned some truths recently and as much as I am hurt about our papa, this has nothing to do with him. I want us to try and move on. All this hatred I feel isn't healthy and at one point when we were kids, we were inseparable and I want that again. It won't be overnight but I think with effort on all our parts, we can be better siblings towards one another. What do I call you now because I assume Matthew isn't going to be your name much longer?" Ryker said and for the first time in years, it was nice being able to talk to him again, without having our dads in our ears about hurting Ryker.

"Maya." I said and he smiled. 

"That's a beautiful name. So Maya, Martin, why did papa leave those two after all these years?" He asked so we told him everything, not holding back, even the abuse they did to papa.

"So he wasn't lying. They really did hurt him?" He asked more to himself, but we nodded anyway. 

"I know it's going to take more than a simple I'm sorry from us Ry but we are. We are so sorry for everything we did to you. We knew it wasn't right but we did it anyway and we will regret it for a very long time." I said and Martin and I grabbed each of his hands and he looked at us and sighed softly.

"Why? Why did you do what you did?" 

"We were told you were a hunter's son and that you couldn't be trusted, even if papa was also your dad. That Brent couldn't be trusted and hearing that every single day of our lives, being so young, we believed them. We didn't truly understand how negative they were until dad Gary flipped on Maya for being herself. We now know what we did was wrong and we will do everything in our power to make it right with you Ryker, no matter what." 

"You can start by taking me back to the pack so I can talk to Ethan about all of this." Ryker said and his eyes just like papa Amars went neon blue when he would show himself with papa.

"What are you going to do?" I asked and he shook his head.

"You don't need to worry about that. Just ask papa if you can use his necklace because you need to go back to the pack, if he asks for what, tell him it's a favor for me." 

"Ok, over the weekend? You still have school and I have an appointment tomorrow that I can't miss plus we need to get registered for school this week." 

"Sure, that gives me time to talk to daddy and make some plans." He said and smiled at the mention of Brent.

"He's a good dad to you isn't he?" I asked and he nodded and smiled even more.

"He's the best. He doesn't realize how amazing he is." Ryker had such a fondness to him when talking about Brent that I almost wouldn't recognize him if he wasn't here in front of me. 

"Yea he would put us in our places before we could even say a word. I have a lot of respect for him. He went through a lot and it didn't seem to change him." Martin added and I had to agree with him.

"That's why I'm the way I am. He raised me to be the best me I could be no matter what is thrown my way. Now that you two are out of that toxic environment, you will see that not all parents are like yours and that life isn't how you lived it. You have a whole new life here and you can choose to make better choices and choose to be better people. I love it here. I'm glad daddy wanted to live here. There are many different shifters here, a small wolf pack but most aren't in packs or clans or tribes, we're a group of well rogues but not you know what I mean? We live with the freedom that comes with being who we are without the shit that comes with being part of a pack or whatever. Papa and I aren't the only tiger shifters here, there are vampires, warlocks, witches, wolves, fairies, elves, hybrids and they are all amazing. You'll see as you get to know the town and come to school. Our café is a safe place, not just for people to eat but daddy and Austin have helped many creatures throughout the years by healing them and taking care of them, letting them stay with Austin in the apartment. No one is treated any differently for being who they are here and it's beautiful." He said and I was in awe at the story he told and saw Brent in a whole new light. 

"That's amazing, I can't wait to get to know everyone, see how things are here." I said and he smiled and gosh it's a beautiful smile. 

"Ok I'm gonna get going, here text me and let me know how your appointment goes and any time if you want, both of you." Ryker wrote down his number and handed it to me.

"See ya later Ryker." We said and he left.

"That wasn't at all what I was expecting when he knocked on the door. I had a hard time believing that was actually Ryker in our house talking to us the way he was. I liked it." Martin said and I agreed, it was nice being able to talk to our brother again, like before. 

Maybe things will be better for us now that we are talking and being the siblings we were supposed to be all along.