Did You Just Call Me "Mine"?

Chapter Nine

Hey, Readers!!!
Sorry for the long wait, but we're kinda busy writing final-exams (we wrote our first one today: Math Paper One, a 100 marks!), so we've been studying for that. Keep your fingers crossed that we do well, please? We do not want to repeat Gr.10 and do all this boring work over again.

Anyways, have you seen the READS and the VOTES!?!? Almost a THOUSAND reads and almost a HUNDRED votes!!! We *~LOVE~* each one of you!!! Thank you so much! Now.... *sly smile* how about we try and up the numbers of the Comments? We love hearing what you have to say about the story.

Okays, I'll keep this short, since most of you must have stopped reading this awhile ago, so... Here's the story!!!

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Chapter Nine:

Footsteps echoed off the tiles of the large castle-like mansion, the owner of the steps walking in a daze. He followed the sound of silent chatter, a sure-fire sign that most of the adults and children were fast asleep.

He entered the lounge, green eyes focusing lightly on the scene in front of him, taking in his parents cuddled up in front of the billowing fire, his cousin's parents bundled up on the couch and his cousin self staring blankly at the dancing embers.

Ethan sat down next to his cousin on the ground and watched sparks flick across the burning embers. He reached out a hand and the flames licked at his fingers, not affecting him at all. He cupped his hand and scooped a flame up in his hand. The reddish-orange light danced across his palm, never causing even one tiny burn.

He caught sight of his eyes in the mirror of a large clock, the green of his irises burning liquid jade and the pupil fattened to the shape of a football. He grinned, fueling the flames in his palm, feeding it energy with the thoughts of his amazing night with his soul mate.

        "Ethan, put out the flame before you burn your clothes. Again. This time I'm not running to get you underwear." His mother said, watching the flame in her child's palm.

Ethan just grinned happily at his mother, "Don't worry, Mom, I got this. Besides, that happened a long time ago." He winked at his mother, forming shapes with the flames.

        "Now what did you guys want us here for?" Tristan asked, still watching the flames. The two older couples looked at each other.

Mandy and Piper nodded at their husbands and sighed. Joey racked a hand over his face and locked eyes with blue ones so much like his own, "We may have a problem."

        "Problem?" Both boys questioned, jumping to their feet. The parents made shushing noises.

        "Not so loud! There is an unknown shifter in the area." Alf said.

Tristan's eyes narrowed, "What kind of shifter?" 

        "A manticore." Alf said and both boys' faces flushed white.

        "I-is it... do y-you know who it is?" Ethan was the first to find his voice whilst Tristan just sat there, staring blankly at the flickering fire, eyes large and empty.

Joey sighed and looked at the two boys' pallid complexions. He could lie to them, but then they would find out the truth soon enough anyway. "It's your uncle, boys. Our outcast brother." 

Both boys went numb; everything ceased to exist around them except those words that echoed in their heads. He was back.

        "Lero is back?" Tristan croaked out.