"Y'all sit down and enjoy your breakfast," Freya says. "I'll handle this."
She goes to the door with a straight spine and a grim expression, and opens it before our visitor can ring the bell.
On the other side, Darius L'Amour stands with one hand behind his back and his hat and walking stick in the other. He grins at Freya, bows at the waist, and produces a dozen perfect red roses with a flourish.
He must be a magician of some kind.
Freya crosses her arms over her chest, her posture suggesting she's unimpressed, and ignores the offering.
"Darius. What are you doing here?"
He looks her up and down. She's still in her sleepwear, which consists of a cutoff t-shirt, exposing her midriff, and a pair of tiny shorts.
Lifting his eyes back up to hers, he grins. "I missed you, lady. A king is but half a man without his queen."
Freya scoffs. "The only thing you're likely to be 'king' of is the nearest Walmart parking lot." She nods over his shoulder at the behemoth vehicle blocking the road. "Get lost."
"Freya!" our dad calls from the kitchen. "The man's clearly come a long way for a reason. Why don't you invite him in?"
Darius's grin widens, revealing unusually sharp teeth, and his dark eyes sparkle with humor. "Yes, Freya, why don't you invite me in?" he asks.
"We'll be outside," she says, and steps through, slamming the door after her.
"Bets on the roses," Julian says. "I say they're doomed."
"It's fifty-fifty," Dane agrees, still staring at the closed door. "Wonder what they fought about?"
I focus on my breakfast. If Freya hadn't shared the whole story with Dane yet, that was her business. Meanwhile, Kit looks between our plates with a frown.
"My eggs are different from yours," he says.
My dad returns to the table with a fresh pot of coffee, and takes the seat on Kit's other side. "I know you said 'sunny, like Monty,' but you strike me as more of a 'scrambled' boy. Go on and try it. If you don't like 'em, I'll make you something else."
Ducking his head, Kit obediently spears a piece of fluffy golden egg on his fork and takes a bite. He drops his fork in surprise and goes still.
"Is it okay?" my dad asks, concerned. "I didn't mix up the salt and sugar again, did I?"
"It is delicious," Kit whispers, looking up at him shyly. "I did not know eggs could taste like this."
My dad gives him a funny look. "Tell you what, Kit: I'll teach you how to make 'em – and all the other kinds of eggs, too. Then you can find out for yourself what kind's your favorite."
Kit ducks his head again, blushing. "Yes, Sir. Joseph, sir."
My dad raises a brow at me, but I just shake my head. Kit's story is too much to tell over breakfast.
Meanwhile, the twins are causing chaos again. Luca somehow managed to eat half a stick of butter while no one was looking, and Luna got hold of the syrup bottle. Now, Julian struggles to get the girl to eat something other than maple syrup before the sugar-high hits, while Dane degreases her brother.
Our mom looks on with a fond expression.
"You know, I wasn't sure I'd ever see you as a father, Dane," she says. "I'm glad I was wrong. You're a natural – both of you are."
Julian looks up from his battle and flashes her a smile. "Unnatural is more like it," he laughs. "Being mated to a man, this is one kind of 'accident' I thought I was safe from. But I don't regret it one bit," he adds, having finally interested Luna in a bite of Kit's scrambled egg.
My mom smiles. "In some ways, I think it's lucky you're not a Wolf, Juju. It still must be a challenge, living with three alphas."
Dane chokes on his coffee, and Julian looks up, frowning. "Three?"
"The twins, I mean. Even at their age, I imagine they're a handful, and the challenges only increase as they get older. Much as I love him, I'm glad I only had the one!"
She nudges Dane playfully in the arm, but he's sitting very stiff and still, and not looking at Julian at all.
Julian, meanwhile, looks from him to my mom, and back again. "I think I'm missing something."
My mom's smile fades as she catches on to the tension and confusion her words have caused. Luna and Luca, too, seem to sense that it has something to do with them, and stare back at her with their mismatched gold and purple eyes.
"Dane... you've told him, haven't you?" she asks.
Almost imperceptibly, Dane shakes his head.
"Oh, dear." My mom looks over at my dad. "Joseph, am I wrong? You sense it, too, don't you?"
"That I do," he says, reaching over to take Luna from Julian, lifting the little girl onto his lap. "An Alpha always knows other alpha-born. Just gotta look into their eyes to see it. I known it from the day of their naming ceremony."
"What does that mean?" Julian asks, swallowing. "I thought alpha-born were rare?"
"They are," Mom says quietly. "Very rare. To have two, and twins, is either an incredible blessing, or..."
"Or what?" Julian breathes, repeating his question when he gets no answer. "Or what?"
Mom shakes her head grimly. "It's for your Mate to explain, as he should have, long ago."
Julian's amethyst eyes fix on Dane, and I don't envy the man one bit.
"Dane?"
"Julian, I... I just haven't... I haven't got around to it yet."
Julian pushes his chair back and stands. "Monty, can you handle the twins for a bit?"
I clear my throat. "Of course."
"Astrid, Joseph, if you'll excuse me."
They nod, and he turns and makes his way upstairs.
"Excuse me, too," Dane mutters, and rises to follow him.
For an Alpha werewolf, he sure looks an awful lot like a dog who knows he's been bad.
"Oh my," my mom sighs, once they're out of sight. "I had no idea. How could Julian not know?"
"It's barely been two years since he learned he was Fae," I say. "He may have sensed, or 'known' on some level, but he'd have no idea what it meant."
"Oh, dear. I do hope he'll be alright."
"Julian is resilient," my dad says with surprising confidence. "Our son chose his Mate well."
My mom glances his way. "I was talking about our son. The Fae are fierce when angry."
"Ah. Indeed. And as for hybrid Fae-Wolf alphas..." He bounces little Luna on his lap, giving her a slice of sweet orange to suck on. "Who knows what destiny has in store for them?"
A few minutes pass in awkward silence as everyone finishes their meal, and I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing that I don't hear screaming and shouting from either outside or upstairs.
Kit and I take over the cleanup, and my parents retreat to the living area, sitting together on the couch, watching Luna and Luca as they play on the floor. It's good to see them together, just having a quiet moment to themselves.
Being both alphas and fast healers, they've bounced back quickly from their ordeal; but it was still an ordeal, and not an easy one to forget. And on top of that, they have the loss of their house to contend with, and now trouble brewing left, right, and center.
Luckily, they know they can count on the rest of us, and that even alphas don't have to carry all the weight.
That's what Pack is for.
~ ☾ ~
I'm just finishing up the dishes when the front door opens and Freya returns. Darius follows, looking pleased with himself, and I see that Julian's lost his bet: Freya holds the roses, and they look none-the-worse for wear.
She joins me in the kitchen, pulling a vase down from a high shelf and filling it with water before plunking the roses in.
"You alright?" I ask.
She glances sideways at me. Her makeup is smudged by the traces of recent tears, but the corners of her lips twitch with a barely contained smile.
"Yeah, we're alright," she says. "I guess 'fool' runs in the family, huh?"
I dry the last dish and reach to put it away on the shelf, answering in an undertone. "You got that right. Mom spilled the alpha-Faebie beans by accident."
"Shit. Julian?"
"Upstairs with Dane. They've been quiet, and I don't know if that's a good thing, or bad."
"I know the feeling." She glances towards the living room, where Darius is busy introducing himself to our parents, and apparently charming them. "'Vampire' puts a whole new spin on 'guess who's coming to dinner.'"
I snort. "Does Darius laugh at your jokes?"
She smiles. "Yeah."
"He make you laugh, too?"
"He does."
I nod. "Dad'll be just fine with him, then. Mom's the one he'll have to impress. She's good at seeing to the heart of people and things. If he's got a good one, she'll know."
Freya looks towards the living room, a thoughtful pinch to her brows. "Yeah. But then why couldn't she see through Jake?"
"Good question," I agree. "You did."
"Dane liked him, though," she argues, "and Dane doesn't like anyone, off the bat."
"True enough. Maybe Darius has some insight to share. He's been hunting monsters a while now, hasn't he?"
"Since the first one crawled out of a Louisiana swamp, the way he tells it."
I don't know how long ago that might have been, but I'm guessing it's at least 'a while.'
~ ☾ ~
Darius L'Amour is, objectively, a handsome man. He has dark skin with a cool undertone, short black hair, and brown eyes that sparkle with sharp intelligence and quiet humor. His features are balanced and pleasant, neither too rugged nor too soft, and his physique is trim and toned with understated strength. His voice is a mellow bass, and he speaks at a relaxed, measured pace that puts a listener at ease.
His clothes are very fine, if outdated, giving him the appearance of a gentleman out of time. On the other hand, he wears talismans about his neck, rings on his fingers, gold hoops in his ears, and his hands are covered in strange tattoos made of tiny dots and swirls.
The atmosphere in his presence is that of a dark, mysterious night, filled with firefly magic, and secret promises, and with a hint of danger, too. He reminds me of a sleepy panther, purring contentedly with his eyes half shut; peaceful at the moment, but woe to the one who forgets the claws and teeth.
In other words, he's exactly Freya's type.
As we join him and our parents, he rises and offers her his chair, but she gives him a look and drops onto the couch beside our dad. Kit and I take the love seat. Well, I take up most of it, and Kit squeezes in at my side.
"It seems I have arrived at an opportune time," Darius says, smiling as he meets Freya's eyes, "to be of service. Your folks were just filling me on the details. You should have summoned me earlier, child. I assure you, this 'Mr. Nash' would not have escaped me unscathed – if he escaped at all."
I bristle a little at the implication, but Freya comes to my defense.
"Well, I didn't 'summon' you at all, and you weren't here, so your 'assurances' mean nothing. 'Sides, you didn't see him. If he was a match for Monty, he'd be more than a match for you."
Darius looks my way and chuckles softly. "Your brother has a mighty heart, but a gentle soul. I can see it in his eyes; he is no killer. Whereas, I..." He lifts a shoulder.
My dad leans forward. "Well, Mr. L'Amour, if my daughter didn't ask you here to help us... why have you come?"
Darius smiles broadly.
"Truth be told, Mr. Hunter, I have made certain proposals to your daughter, and to my very great surprise, I have been rejected out of hand."
He glances at Freya, who scowls at him with her arms crossed, but continues undeterred.
"Now, usually, I would respect a lady's wishes, and remove my attentions if I found them unwelcome. However, I do believe that in this case, some persistence is warranted. It is my sincere belief that my feelings are returned, but that the nature of my intentions is in doubt, and so I have come to make those intentions absolutely clear."
His eyes gleam with a faint, inner light as he looks between my parents.
"Mr. and Mrs. Hunter, I am deeply in love with your daughter, and have been for some years. I intend to pursue her heart and hand, to spend the rest of my existence at her side, and to make her happiness my primary concern. To that end, I would very much like to have your blessing in the endeavor."
Freya glares fire at him, and I feel like Darius might be lucky there are no more accelerants lying around.
My mom and dad exchange a glance, and my mom shrugs as if to say 'this one's all yours, champ.' My dad purses his lips at her and sighs.
"Darius, you seem like a fine... er... young man," he says. "But you do understand our Freya's not exactly an... 'old-fashioned' kind of girl, don't you?"
"Dad!" Freya hisses, and gently nudges him in the ribs.
"I know that she is a beautiful woman, inside and out," Darius replies, keeping his eyes on Freya as he speaks. "I respect her, and I know how important her family is to her. Therefore, I wish to gain your acceptance and respect, in return."
My dad clears his throat. "What I mean is, her choices are her own," he says. "As with all my children, my main concern is her happiness. If you make her happy, and if she'll have you, then you shall have my blessing."
"Fair enough," Darius agrees, and grins, showing his very white, very sharp teeth. "I look forward to the day I may call you father. In the meantime, tell me how I can be of help."
~ ☾ ~
Over the next hour, Freya's frostiness gradually thaws. She sits on the larger sofa with Darius, speaking quietly as they discuss the finer details of our adventures so far. My dad has gone upstairs again to rest, and my mom is on the phone with the bank and various insurance agencies, reciting birthdays and social security numbers on a loop.
Kit and I are reading – Kit having learned with surprising rapidity. I wonder if this is why the Mortaines tried to keep him ignorant; he learns so fast, I never have to repeat a thing twice. He only pauses to ask me the meaning of a word, now and then.
When, eventually, I don't know what 'obdurate' means, I download a dictionary app on my phone and show him how to use it. After that, he's quiet except for the occasional whisper as he sounds a word out to himself, and the rustle of the turning page.
Sometime later, Dane comes downstairs. I set my book aside as he joins us, and glance over his shoulder, but there's no sign of Julian.
"Is he okay?" I ask.
Dane swipes a hand over his ropy hair and blows out a breath. He looks exhausted.
"I hope so. I did my best, Monty. I explained, and told him all the things I've been afraid of, but..." He blinks and looks past me out the window, and a bleak, haunted look crosses his face like a passing cloud.
"But what?"
"He's threatened to take the kids to Faerie, until the danger's passed."
"Can he do that?" I ask, concerned and confused. "Would he do that?"
"I don't know." He shakes his head. "Gods. If I could have foreseen any of this, I..."
"Dane..." I touch his arm, and he looks up at me, his eyes red-rimmed with stress and emotions he probably shouldn't suppress. "You wanna learn how to be a great Alpha? You don't gotta look far." I nod towards the stairs, and towards the kitchen, where our mom still sits in the minor hell of the 'hold' line. "Our parents lead one of the strongest, most respected Packs on the continent. Not the most numerous, or the most feared, or the wealthiest – but no one's challenged their leadership for nigh on forty years. That's saying something. You ought to pay attention to that."
"You're right, Monty," he says, and presses a hand to his eyes. "You're right, of course. It's just... I'm afraid."
That's not something my brother admits every day, and I can't hide my surprise. "You? Afraid of what?"
He takes a deep breath.
"I'm afraid that the only way we can beat this 'Ferrault' guy, is if I take the Alpha. And taking the Alpha will come with a price that I'm afraid to pay."
"What price?"
He lowers his hand and looks up at me. "You know."
Kit gets it before I do, drawing a sharp gasp of breath.
"If the Dire comes, and he challenges..." he says softly.
Dane nods. "Yeah. If I'm the Alpha, then that challenge is mine to take."