Side-Story: 16 - A new stage of life - Part 3
Kyran
»Use your claws!« Fynn's voice echoed over the training ground and in the next moment a rumble sounded and my third oldest was on his back - all four paws up in the air.
Amused, I shook my head and then put it down on my own paws. I wasn't feeling well for some time now but I still wanted to be at the monthly training though we weren't leading the pack anymore. Michael was.
He was at the other end of the training ground and assisting some younger wolves. His mate, our Luna, Taléia was a beautiful woman with straight dark hair and tanned skin. Michael had found his mate on his journey through the world after almost four years.
During his search for her we had called many times and talked over the phone or video chat. He had sent us pictures of the places he went, the people he met and much more. It was an experience he had very much enjoyed and he seemed more free spirited with each call.
I kind of wished Cas and I had the time back then to do the same. To explore and get to know ourselves. But still, we were happy and only that mattered to us.
It wasn't always easy for Michael because he still had Alpha-blood inside of him and he needed to enter the territories of other packs at times. Some welcomed him, some not. Some were even pretty aggressive.
But he had found Taléia finally in Brazil. In a small city called Galinhas if my memory didn't fool me.
She was a wolf just like we. They had spent almost a year in Brazil to get to know each other better.
The little bit unlucky part was, Taléia wasn't able to speak English - German of course not too - so Michael tried to learn their language. And Taléia did the same and learned English before she tried to learn German. It was much easier that way and she could communicate the best in English with us.
Cas and I had tried to learn Portuguese too. I was more lucky than Cas. But it was still a pretty difficult language, still we had done our best to welcome her with open arms so she could feel at home here as well.
After the year in Brazil she came to us for a year. She was at that time the future Luna of our pack and she wanted to get to know it. Of course, she wanted to meet Michael's family too. We had talked over video chat already but it wasn't the same.
And after that one year, she went back to Brazil. Michael and Taléia had meet up every month. Sometimes she came over to us, sometimes Michael went by airplane to Brazil. It was because of some rules that Taléia couldn't stay full time in Germany - only after more time and that without a VISA.
It was pretty hard and straining - for Michael especially.
Finally after a year of this hell she came to our pack.
We let Taléia settle down before they took over the pack and we also wanted to give them more time together.
So we gave them another two years to settle down. But after that we let them take over the pack and that was a few years ago.
Kenneth wasn't really satisfied that we broke the pack-tradition but we liked it like that better.
»You good? Not freezing or anything? Any discomfort? We can drive home right away, just tell me.«
Cassian walked over and touched my head with his big hands. I growled to answer but not in a threatening way. My growl invited him to sit next to me and cuddle in my fur.
I was a little uncomfortable but nothing that would bring me to go home.
»Raph still makes the same mistakes after years,« Cassian commended Raphael's performance and I growled in agreement. However, even if he made the same mistakes, he could fight pretty well. Raphael was just working more on his own novel than doing something outside.
Raphael became an author and had already published a novel and a second would follow soon. Beside working on his books he had a music studio and teaches children and adults to play instruments like guitar, piano, violin and cello.
I glanced at my mate who was leaning against me and touching my thick fur with slow circular motions.
His brown hair had a little too many gray spots already. Cas dyed them sometimes because he was ashamed his hair was already turning gray. But we were already a little over sixty. It was fine. And he still looked handsome.
Surprisingly handsome and fit for his age. It was probably his Alpha-gene.
And my hair had changed color too. But instead of being gray they were almost completely white.
»Did your uncle beat you up?« Cas asked when Raphael trotted over to us and shook his brown-black fur. Annoyed, he growled and nuzzled his head against mine before he laid down next to me.
Fynn really hadn't aged much. His Valkyrie blood stopped his aging and I couldn't tell how difficult it would be in a few years. Toby and he already looked so different to each other.
The pack knew about their circumstances and didn't judge. They were mates after all. But humans were a different matter. Humans looked strange at them when they saw them holding hands or kissing.
In their eyes Toby was an elderly man and Fynn a young man. It was hard - for the two more than us but only watching was hard enough.
I pitied them but I was glad not to be in their position.
If we were in the same situation I would choose to die the day Cas died if I was a Valkyrie like Fynn. But it wasn't as easy as that. A Valkyrie was pretty much immortal. They could only die in battle and where was a battle in this world that could kill an immortal with self-healing abilities, the strength of a thousand men and golden blood?
I was glad the vampire siblings could accompany Fynn but they were not his mate.
»Papa, do Luc and Adonis come to dinner today too?«
I glanced at Raphael and nuzzled my head against his furry head. »I hope so. But he may be working.« Lucifer was a doctor like me after all. But I had already retired.
It was an early retirement because though I was blessed, I still got sick. And my health had pretty much declined in the past few years. My sight wasn't as good as it used to be and I was mostly wearing glasses now.
»Workaholic,« Raphael grumbled.
Lucifer had met someone he was in a relationship with but it wasn't his mate. He was a bit like Naika who had married Laurel - she wasn't Naikas mate but Naika loved her dearly. Love could grow even without a bond that was decided by fate.
The funny part was that Lucifer's boyfriend's name really was Adonis. They sometimes met at the hospital because Adonis worked as a Paramedic. Adonis was a wolf who had entered our pack after a few years of us leading the pack. He and his aunt who had raised him.
Luc, who was pretty much a golden retriever, charmed the poor guy too easily and they entered a relationship.
Raphael on the other hand was more of an introvert and still wasn't interested in the other or the same gender. He lived on his own in a small apartment in town.
Cas's phone rang and I looked over to him. He took the call and I listened to it.
»Hey, dear. How are you?«
I didn't even need to hear her answer because I already knew that it was Azrael. Only by the way Cassian's voice softened. His voice always got gentler when he talked to our children but it was a different kind of gentleness with her.
»Hey,« she hummed happily. »I just wanted to inform you that Jesse and I are on the road and arrive in about an hour.«
Jesse was her mate and the Beta of another pack. Azrael lived with him and his pack in switzerland. They had met because the Alpha of their pack searched for his mate and his Beta had joined him in his search - just like my father had done back then which made him find my mother.
»Dinner will be ready for you,« Cas said happily.
We saw Azrael more often than Gabriel because Gabriel lived in France with his mate. The Alpha of a big pack. His name was Maël and from my impression of him, he was gentle, kind and patient. On the search for his mate - because he had the same problem as Kenneth, Cas, Michael and Jesse's Alpha - he arrived at our pack and found his mate in Gabriel.
Gabriel and Maël had two children on their own already.
It was hard to let go of two of my children even though they were adults. My three oldest were still here but it was still hard to let go of my two Omega's. Still, they were happy and that made me happy too.
»Have you heard anything from Gabriel?« Cas asked. »No, but he texted me when their flight took off. He will probably text when they land.«
I transformed back while Cas ended the call. My stiff limbs ached and my back was already killing me. Groaning, I stretched my back and looked at my mate who got up too.
»We should go home and prepare dinner,« I said and leaned into his hug the moment he put his arm around me. I wasn't wearing my glasses which made my sight a bit blurry.
»Yes, let's go.« Concerned Cas rubbed my upper arm when he noticed the goosebumps.
»Do you want to come with us or are you coming later?« Cas asked Raphael. We had taken Raphael with us because he had spent the morning at our house.
Our son stood up on all paws but before he could answer, Fynn's voice echoed over the training ground. »He will fight me again! I will take him to you later!«
Raphael whined but Fynn was already next to him and dragged him away. »Have fun, dear!« I called after them and chuckled.
Michael noticed us leaving and waved at us. »See you later!« he yelled. We returned the gesture and left.
»How about we take a bath together?« Cas offered when he turned on the heater in the car and I leaned into my seat which was getting warmer. »Mhm, I miss doing that in the bathtub...« I mumbled and sighed.
Cas hummed slightly. »Still, a bath would do my aching limbs good,« I said. My mate leaned over and kissed my cheek with a sly smile. »Everything you wish for, my sweetheart.«
[Authors Note]
Surprise! A little introduction of the mates (well not in Raphael's matter for now but still)
I'm unsure how I could wrap it up in a short manner to introduce a little story of the kids and their mates. The side-stories could get too long if I try to type out their stories too.
Still, I will look for a way.
Cas and Kyran are aging! Oh lord where is this author going with this story?!
I'm thinking about two other chapters with the part of "A new stage of life". So 2 chapters are coming for sure.
What comes after that, I'm still deciding and looking for a way.
Possibly something about Caleb, but I don't know what I could really write about him. He had never found a mate in all the chapters of the original story and I'm not really convinced in just giving him a partner.
Maybe another part of Fynn and Toby? Would you guys want to read that? I mean, it could be interesting how they go on in their life after what you just found out in this chapter.
LeseMate