Hammers in the Shadows

Part Two: Hammers in the Night - Chapter Sixteen

I couldn't help but smile the next morning as the Suburban with Adam, Brook, Tala, and Jess headed off down the road towards the gate. The three of them were headed to Ice Lake to spend some time with Alex, as well as to get a feel for the Pack that Zane had become Alpha over. Zane's actions had more than doubled the current size of Wild Valley's Pack and Adam needed to see what he needed to do about Ice Lake.

Behind me Shawn smiled and laughed when his older sister, Kat, hugged him. "You used to hate Wild Valley little brother, and now it's your home." She said wistfully. "Those two in that car are your Alphas like Pops is mine."

I turned and watched as Shawn nodded, "Yeah, I guess that is true." He held up his hands slightly, since his sister was becoming larger and stronger than he was, for the time being. "Sis it's hard to explain, but I think it's a bit like how you love it here, being among cats. Most wolves couldn't stand being surrounded by so many cats, but you've adapted to it and you thrive in this environment."

Kat nodded softly while reaching over to ruffle her brother's hair gently before leaning forwards to kiss him on the forehead. "That sounds reasonable Shawn. Now how about we go inside, unless you want to watch the snow clouds come over the peaks. I can show you a lot of things, but I guess you have almost the same things down at Wild Valley."

Shawn smiled at his sister, "They do have a lot of really cool things there Kat, but they don't have one thing that I've missed, that's my family." He said giving her a hug before she grabbed his hand and the two took off into the Pride House.

I smiled as they headed down the foyer into the house, both of them acting like over-energetic youngsters, though I could also see that they were rapidly maturing and there were times when Kat and Shawn both displayed flashes of maturity.

Thinking of Kat maturing brought back a memory from a few weeks earlier when Anna and Kat had come up to me while I was working with Randy on the final apartment to be updated in the Pride House, the Executive Suite. We'd just finished hanging a sheet of new drywall, the previous drywall having been the same cheap stuff that they'd used in the rest of the House. Though the Executive Suite had looked like a million dollars the cruel truth was that behind the expensive fixtures and fine details the basic electrical, plumbing, and heating systems as well as the drywall were as craptastic as that in the rest of the House. We'd ended up stripping the entire suite down to the framing and rebuilding, though we'd saved what we could.

"Mark, Kat says that she needs some real bras now, the training ones that she's been wearing are getting too small."

I laughed shaking my head, "Anna you are much more able to handle that that I am. After all you know what you're looking for." I told her looking over at them, though I did have to admit that Kat was definitely beginning to develop in that department.

At that Kat looked slightly hurt at my comment before Anna growled, "Mark, I am not the one she wants to help her with this. She wants you, her adoptive father, to come with her to help her with this!"

At Kat's hurt look I nodded to Randy and stepped over to Kat and gently gathered her into a soft hug. "My little pup." I said softly while looking over at Anna, "Yes, Anna. I think I understand, but Tanya will have to come as well, you know how she feels about you."

Kat looked up into my eyes and smiled slightly. "Pops, you been so busy recently an' I've not spent any time with you... I miss you." She said and I had to close my eyes at her tone.

"Sorry pup." I said simply before nodding to Anna and Randy, indicating that I needed to spend some time with my daughter.

We had ended up spending the rest of the day, as well as the next morning in the City, and on the whole it had been enjoyable and relaxing way to spend some time with my daughters.