And then it was time. School was over and my friends made the last preparations.
As far as they knew I was somewhere in our village getting something – whatever that should be because Lea arranged everything so carefully that nothing was left out. In truth I was on my way to the airport – Elli lent me her car – and now I waited at the exit for five people.
Shortly after that my eyes caught sight of a little woman with dark-brown ringlets, blue eyes, and a small baby bump. Right next to her was a large man with light-brown hair and brown eyes that pulled two suitcases.
Behind the two of them I recognized a mesmerizing woman with golden hair and sparkling deep green eyes. The color was enchanting but nothing in comparison to Cassian's green eyes. Her figure was slender and tall.
Just like the younger image of her that walked next to the blond woman. The same golden-blond hair and green eyes.
A man with brown hair and blue eyes had one arm around the hip of the woman and pulled a suitcase with the other hand. The girl also dragged a suitcase behind her.
»Ma! Pa!« I yelled and waved at them while jumping up and down to get their attention. Brightly smiling, my abroad-mother saw me and ran up to me. I spread my arms, smiling like she did.
She was a little just like Naika, which always looked funny when they both stood next to Maxim and Toby because the men in their family were almost giants.
»My son that I didn't give birth to,« she laughed and put her arms around me. I hugged her tightly too and lifted her up for a short second before putting her down again. How I had missed her.
»It's good to see you again, Ma. And you too, Pa.« The older man tousled my hair with a smile and nodded. »We missed you too.«
After May sadly let go of me, I looked over to the three-headed family who belonged to Fynn. »Hey, I'm Kyran Crimson. A friend of Fynn, in a, I would say, relationship of love and hate.« Crooked, I grinned at the family and stretched out my hand.
»Charioce Thompson, but we two already know each other a little. It's nice of you to get in contact with us because of Fynn's birthday. We already feared that he wouldn't write to us and would just let his eighteen-birthday pass by,« Fynn's father introduced himself and shook my hand.
»He would have done that if our girls wouldn't have protested and planned the party against his will.«
Fynn had already planned for himself to stay inside his room and wait for the next day to come. Maybe he would have studied out for boredom – on his birthday!
»Nice to finally meet you, Kyran. I'm Carol Thompson.« Kindly, Mrs. Thompson smiled at me with a soft expression in her eyes, even though a warrior-like twinkle was hidden behind the softness – I knew that twinkle from Fynn.
»Hey, I'm Nina,« the younger version of Mrs. Thompson introduced herself.
»Now I understand why Fynn always talks about the beauty his little sister is,« I complimented her. She blushed and looked away. And in her eyes too, I saw the twinkle. Only Mr. Thompson didn't have it.
»Get in everyone.« I indicated to the van of Ellinor.
It was in a mint green color lacquered and had on one side a black writing. YOu are On the wOOdway. It was some insider inside her friend group and for them it had some special meaning so they needed to put it on her car. I never had the urge to ask what the special meaning was.
The van had two rows of backseats each with three seats and then three seats in the driver row – one obviously for the driver. So a typical van.
They all got inside while I sat behind the wheel and drove off. It took some time to reach my village where I left them at their hotel where they checked in and put their suitcases in their rooms.
After that, they showered quickly and dressed themselves more nicely and then they got in the van again. I waited that whole time, playing some game on my phone.
On the whole drive we exchanged stories and news. Even the news that the Luna in Canada finally got pregnant after a long time of struggling and Alpha Benjamin couldn't be more happy.
Maxim also told me about some things from the clinic. For example, one pack member got attacked by a moose bull and needed to stay at the hospital for a few days because the injuries were too heavy for our self-healing.
We didn't need to worry because of the Thompson family. They knew of our kind. The reason why they knew about our kind, I didn't know. But well, they knew about us and that was okay, as long as they didn't pose a threat to us what they didn't do.
I parked in front of the house, there were already some cars. I recognized Cassian's car, the one from the Alpha-couple, my parents, Ethans scooter and two bikes.
»There we are,« I said and jumped out of the car. I couldn't comprehend why I didn't panic behind the wheel. But I assumed that it was the control I had on my own. If it got too much to handle I could stop the car by myself and get out.
If someone else drove I wouldn't have had this control. And in addition my concentration on the street left no room for the small space of the car.
»A very nice location,« Maxim murmured and looked around with interested eyes. But not as nice as Canada.
Smiling, I put the key in lock and opened the door, leading the way through the long hallway.
It was already a bit darker, which made the shining torches and the campfire even more beautiful. The mix of voices was clearly louder and you could hear it already from the front of the house. One voice filtered itself out from the other voices and made my heart beat faster.
Concentration!
»Fynniboy!« I called and stopped in the doorframe of the glass door to the yard and smiled brightly. Everyone got quiet and looked to made, even the blond grumpy who looked happy – what wasn't a everyday look. Who was he and what did he do to Fynn?!
»I have a surprise for you,« I purred and jumped onto the lawn so he could see his family who hid behind me.
»Mom, Dad, Nina,« Fynn said, surprised and ran up to his family with a lighted up face.
»Hach, didn't I do a wonderful job? See that, Lea, I wasn't useless at all.« Snorting the dark-blond vampire crossed her arms and lifted her chin snooty up. Soon you will recognize my effort!
Smiling, I walked back to the glass door and held out my hand gallant so May could grab it, which she did. I led her to my family and the Alpha couple that stood together – Cassian and the Ramsay siblings were with them. Maxim followed after us and grinned amused because of my gesture.
»Mom, Dad, Alpha Kenneth, Luna Kiana, Cas, Caleb, Ellinor. May I introduce? This are Mama May and Papa Maxim, my abroad-parents.«
May and Maxim shook the hands of everyone and then Maxim started talking in a bit halting German.
»It's nice finally meeting the parents of Kyran and of course, the Alpha couple of this pack too.« Respectfully, May and Maxim lowered their heads and I squinted at Naika and Toby who stared at the baby bump of May with fascinated eyes.
»We're also glad to finally meet the guardians that protected Kyran's life,« Luna Kiana said, and May began to giggle.
»We are no guardians. Kyran is a member of our family and the son I never had.«
Offended Toby breathed in and threw deadly looks at me.
»Ma, please don't say that. Toby looks at me as if he is going to kill me,« I whispered and leaned down to the brown-haired curly head.
»Papperlapapp. That naughty brat should shut his mouth.«
Naika held her breath in to not break out in a resounding laughter while I got smaller because Toby's eyes dug even deeper into my skin.
»I also need to thank you that you protected my son and took him in. His condition probably wasn't easy to look at,« my father said with a sad but thankful smile and looked open at my abroad-parents.
»Truthfully, it was tormenting to look at... I'm one of our pack doctors and could do nothing to help him. Even the other doctors were helpless. But our brave boy hadn't had any intention of giving up even though we often thought that today was the day. Sometimes I wanted to inform our Alpha, so he could notify you of Kyran's coming death and so you could still say your goodbyes in time. However, he still didn't give up and I can't tell you how thankful I am for that. Four months of torture but then everything got calmer. He sometimes still got sick but not as much that we worried he would die. And even though it was tormenting this whole time we are glad that we could meet Kyran and that he got to be a part of our family.«
Touched I looked up to Maxim, who was larger than I, and pushed away the memories of those four months. Memories, I truthfully wanted to forget completely.
»And he will stay being a member of our family because he is going to be the godfather of our little Elias.« With wet eyes I looked at May who radiated at me and put her hand on her belly.
»Hopefully, he gets some character traits from his godfather,« Maxim laughed and immediately I saw Naika storming forward and kicking her fathers shin which made him look at his daughter cursing the hell out of her – she looked more than satisfied.
»Kyran may look sweet but his soul is darker than the darkest darkness!« Toby screamed, and I couldn't hold back my laughter and jumped onto his back which made him wheeze.
»And he is heavy too.« Those words made me hit the back of his head. Idiot.
»If I choose to be a teacher, I need an abysmal dark soul. Didn't the food lady from the cafeteria always say that?!« I growled playfully and jumped down. Just to dodge his hands that wanted to put me in a headlock what to my luck didn't work out. Fortunately.
»Or you are going to be a pack-doctor. After all you already have a big knowledge of medicine and talent too,« Maxim said and supported his body on mine.
»Didn't you want to study German or something like that? Something literary?« Caleb asked, puzzled and tilted his head.
»Oh, please no,« Maxim protested and didn't even give me the chance to answer my brother. Thanks?
»The boy may have a talent with words, but you should see him when he cares for patients. Wonderful. Only the fact that he sometimes gets a cold is a bit disturbing, but still.«
»Don't forget the-« Growling I stopped Toby from talking who grinned at me snooty but stayed quiet and had his head a little lowered. Better stay like that, my friend. They didn't need to know everything.
»I'm still young, my future still unknown and shouldn't be a topic today. Today everything is about the blond grumpy!« Purposefully I signed to Fynn who just spun his little sister in a circle and smiled brightly.
Successfully distracted the attention.
»You are right,« my Alpha went along and nodded.
Our group split apart and now I was left with Cassian at my side. My parents and my abroad-parents went somewhere else and talked there, just like my siblings and abroad-siblings disappeared somewhere – probably joined my other friends.
»You said that you only almost died one time because of your fever...« Cas mumbled suddenly quietly. I looked up to him. His head was lowered with guilt and somehow his figure had something sad to it.
»That's true... Theoretically I lied but I told the truth too.«
Confused, he blinked but his eyes still seemed desolated, empty, which made me worry a bit.
Sighing I put my hands into the pockets of my pants and looked into the distance before I looked at him again.
»Just like Pa said, I hadn't had any intention of giving up. My condition often tried to claim my life but I still refused to give in. I can't say where I got this strong will to live. For me, all those moments where fights to not look death into its eyes. That one time... when my fever went too high up... There I feared, feared so much. I had hallucinations and I don't want to tell you what I saw or what I remember because most of it is just a blur... I danced on a thin line between life and death and the line swung so much that I was about to fall down... If Enzo and Emily weren't there that time, I would be dead now. That was the only time where I seriously looked right inside the eyes of a grim reaper and knew, if no wonder happened it would be my end. Of course, the other times were also torture but I wasn't as fearful as I was that one time.«
What I just told him would lay heavy on his soul. Even more if it was something the other half of one's soul told it. And right now, I could feel how heavy it laid on Cassian's soul.
A normal person who I was friends with would feel the burden already. But between us was the strength of a mate bond. We could feel the torment and pain of the other.
We were one soul split into two bodies, who were destined to be together and could only live together. We were one and shared everything.
We could look at each other's eyes and know what the other thought right away. And just that I did right now with Cas. I saw the sadness and despair – feelings I never wanted him to feel, not anymore.
»Even though that happened, I'm standing right here, Cas. Don't despair. I could escape death and now I'm standing at your side. Everything is fine.«
For a moment he looked silently at me before he put his forehead against mine with a sigh. The tips of his hair tickled on my skin, however I didn't want to break our skin contact, wanted to feel more of this mesmerizing tingling.
»It may be fine now, Kyran... But you can't demand of me that I won't feel guilty. And that I don't despair at the thought, I could have lost you.«
Softly I placed my hand on his chest and looked up into his green eyes – my forehead still touched his. »I won't forbid you from feeling like that, I only want that you won't drown in your guilt and break down completely. Maybe it will brighten up your mood if I stay over at your house tonight, if you want.«
Trembling, his thumb slid over my cheek. »Why do you want to sleep over at my place? Wouldn't it be better if we stay here?« he mumbled and looked at me with dreamy eyes.
»Easy said. The moment those two lovebirds« - I signed to Fynn and Toby who already were stuck to each other - »finally recognize each other as mates his house will hear nothing else than sounds of sex and I really don't want to listen to that. The others already found a place for the night. They will camp somewhere in the woods in a cave they found. Sean already brought all the stuff to live there a little bit. I would sleep there with them, but I would prefer a warm bed.«
»So, you are just using me,« he said, grinning wide.
»I wouldn't say that. I just take the chance. After all, you probably don't want this harmless fawn-wolf to sleep in the woods and get eaten by the big bad wolf.« Amused, smiling Cas rolled his eyes and nodded.
»My warm bed is open for you to use.«
»That's what I wanted to hear.«
A loud clatter sounded all of the sudden followed by a growl that made me flinch in surprise. My eyes went to Toby and Fynn who hung at each other even closer now. But that wasn't the most amazing thing. The most astonishing thing were silver glowing eyes of Fynn's.
»A new Valkyrie awoke,« I heard Mrs. Thompson happily whispering before she leaned against her husband.
I tried to ignore the two guys who hung so close to each other and rubbed their bodies together that I could only shiver. God, shoot your porno when you're alone.
»What did you say?« Confused, I watched Carol who now looked at me in surprise.
»Oops, I already forgot that you wolves have a good hearing too. Fynn... Fynn is part of the Valkyrie race, but he still isn't aware of that because the training of a warrior starts at the age of eighteen where our true strength awakes. My son won many times against you? That is because of his true nature, that already showed before his coming of age.«
Aghast and overwhelmed I stared at the blond beauty and could only blink.
What did she just say? Fyn was a Valkyrie? One of those sexy warriors of Asgard, or whatever the land of those gods was called? Weren't they all female? But could I really trust the things told from movies?
»I will explain more, but right now I think your three friends are waiting for you,« she said and nodded to my three band members who already waved at me with impertinence.
Fynn and Toby finally stopped rubbing at each other and now only stood there tightly cuddled together and looked at Ethan, Flora and Jackson who were ready with their instruments in their hands and only waited for me.
Shortly I nodded and smiled one last time at Cassian before I ran up to my three band members and grabbed my blue e-guitar. The song was a wish of Fynn that surprised me to be true.
He didn't want this party, but the girls weren't able to be stopped when they first had something in their heads.
And then he said that if he needed to endure the party, he wanted The Lycans to play a song that bonded Toby and him together because it has some meaning to them – they never told us what, it was their own secret.
Shut up and dance with me.