Zayn and Liam stood in the doorway to the kitchen, watching Vincent murmuring to Ares and Eirene. By the depth of Ares' frown, Zayn knew his dad was not happy.
Eloise, Micah, and Lilith didn't know what was going on, but they knew better than to intervene as they stayed silent and observant.
Piper and her parents sat at the table, watching Vincent too.
"Piper knows," Liam said to Zayn through their mind-link.
"Knows what?" Louis replied, appearing behind the boys with Harry.
"Who Vincent really is. She's much older than she looks too."
"How do you know?" Zayn asked, placing his arm on top of Louis' arm which was on Liam's shoulder.
Liam shrugged and brought their attention back to Ares who crossed his arms and curled his lips into a flat line.
"He's angry" Zayn muttered so Harry could
hear too. Eirene didn't show any expression, which was a warning sign for her son. "Mum's upset."
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
When Vincent stopped talking, Ares shook his head with disappointment.
"I don't understand. Why would you make me look like a fool in front of my family? I put all of my faith into you, and you've thrown it back in my face Vincent."
"I didn't mean to be disrespectful. Reyana couldn't"
"Reyana would have never found out that you were the God of lightning. You clearly didn't trust us as much as we trusted you.'"
"I'm sorry Aees. Lying to you all was a much safer option than Reyana finding out and killing you and your entire family. I will do anything to protect my boys. I know you would do the same for Zayn," Vincent said carefully as Athena pushed through the boys who crowded the doorway.
"Now, now," she said, resting her hands on her hips while Carlos placed warm hands on his grandchild's shoulders. "Enough of this Ares. Vincent did what he did to keep us alive."
"You knew?" Eirene asked though she didn't seem surprised.
"I did indeed" Athena smiled. "Vincent came to myself and Carlos for guidance. He could see my gift and knew I could help. He asked me if it was right to keep this a secret from you both, and I said yes. In the meantime, we tracked the whereabouts of Reyana and saw that her daughter was transitioning. Cordelia isn't poison like her mother, and now that Reyana has no powers, Vincent can finally tell his secret in confidence, knowing we will all be safe."
Ares slowly released his frown. "I can't believe this. I'm going for a run." He quickly made his way to the door with Eirene closely behind. If anyone could make him relax, it would be her.
Zayn watched his parents turn into wolves and run together through the field. His dad didn't like to be angry in front of his son.
"He'll have to tell his pack" Zayn said. "He hates secrets, always has."
"It's okay, I know he will learn to accept my past," Vincent said and motioned for Piper's dad to stand with him. "Boys, this is Flynn. He's my Beta wolf."
Harry couldn't get to Flynn quick enough after recognising the werewolf.
"You used to babysit us when we were little!"
"I did" Flynn smiled and watched his Alpha for commands.
"I knew you would be introduced to him properly one day" Vincent said proudly. "My pack have been with me for hundreds of years; they are family to me now.!"
"Mum never liked you," Harry said after shaking Flynn's hand, catching Louis smiling at his honesty from the corner of his eye.
"Your mother isn't fond of many people, so I didn't take it to heart."
Liam caught himself softening to Flynn's laugh, and the memories flooded in. He was young when Flynn used to babysit, and Harry was a challenging kid to look after. Sometimes, it would be both Flynn and their grandparents who looked after them.
"Where's the rest of your pack? Oh! I just remembered a question. Why didn't other werewolves smell you?" Harry's mind was like an old clock, continually turning the clogs every hour of the day.
"The rest of my pack members are outside. I didn't want to overwhelm anyone" Vincent glanced to Liam. "And I'm still technically human, so I smell like one. My wolf has had to hide for a long time. It's taking me a while to find him again."
Harry nodded, tapping his chin with his fingers. He asked if he could meet the rest of his father's pack and Vincent gleamed with pride, leading him to the front of the house. Liam wasn't quite ready to be introduced to more people, and his dad understood.
Liam returned his attention to Zayn, who of course, was already staring at his mouth with a longing frown.
"Your scent is starting to hurt. I think I'm gonna catch up with my parents," he thought.
"Okay. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Liam felt bad, but neither of them could control Zayn's urges.
"Shower, it washes away some of your natural scents." Zayn tilted his head, watching Piper sitting at the dining table. "Maybe talk to Piper about her father and her past? I know for definite that she lIl be in my pack. Vincent would have stopped me from considering her if she wasn't right for it."
Liam nodded. "I'll try."
"I'll ask all the questions" Louis interrupted and smacked the back of Zayn's head when he(Zayn) pinched his(Louis) nipple and muttered "Twat"
"Will you stop listening to our conversations? They're not always appropriate."
Liam's cheeks matched the crimson curtains, and he scattered his gaze.
Louis rolled his eyes. "I don't listen all the time. It's only when I'm close by, and I know you're not talking about anything I shouldn't hear."
"That doesn't make it better. Our minds are
private, okay?"
"Okay."
Zayn sometimes felt like he was talking to a child, but Louis likes to feel included, and he couldn't deny him that when he needed to be surrounded by people now more than ever.
"I'll see you later." He kissed Liam's cheek, feeling his hot skin against his lips. Zayn's wolf trembled, and he smoothly walked through the kitchen, thankful that the air outside was so crisp and fresh.
"Alright," Louis said, rubbing his hands together.
"Are you ready to talk with Piper? You don't have to if you don't want to. It is getting late, and it has been a long day for us all."
The clock on the wall beeped three times, and it was now 10:00 in the evening.
"I'll talk for a bit." Liam said, suppressing a yawn.
They sat down at the table, facing Piper who smiled apologetically.
"Hey. I hope Zayn isn't too angry. I really do want to be a part of this pack."
"He isn't angry at all," Louis said. "if anything, he trusts you even more."
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
It was 12:30 in the night when Zayn and his parents returned home. They had talked for a long time, just like a family should.
Ares missed their little hut and wished it didn't burn down, so they had somewhere to escape to when life got too much. Eirene suggested that they start to rebuild it. She too missed the cabin but was thankful for how close it brought her and Ares to Zayn.
Their son drifted away after the death of Ares' parents, and by living in a place that forced them to see each other every morning and evening, Zayn found therapy in being himself. Eirene would know if something was wrong and force him to talk about it.
For that, Zayn was grateful.
The teen tiptoed down the hall after saying goodnight to his parents. Micah was sitting with Eloise outside of the bedroom, waiting for Zayn to return.
"Thank you for watching over him," Zayn whispered.
"It's not a problem," Micah beamed. "What is the weather like tonight?"
"Really nice." Zayn stood back when Micah's wings appeared. Their glow lit up the entire corridor.
"We are going to walk under the moonlight for a while, sleep well young werewolf!" Micah held Eloise in his arms and with one gentle flap of his wings, they vanished.
Zayn turned and peered into the bedroom. He could see the lump of Liam curled under the duvet, but his scent was irresistible. Liam forgot to shower, and the affection inside of Zayn clawed to get out. He bit his tongue to stop a low growl from escaping and hurried into the bathroom to get a cold shower.
When he was done and dry, he turned into his wolf and avoided getting any closer to Liam. Zayn padded across the floorboards and laid on the floor under the window, resting his chin on the ground and letting his ears flop with sadness.
Heat was going to be very difficult for him, but this time next year, Zayn was sure Liam would feel it, and they would be more comfortable with their relationship.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
At 8:30 in the morning, Liam woke in a panic when his chest ached. Almost falling out of bed, he breathed deeply and rubbed his stinging eyes.
Light snoring came from across the room, and that is when he spotted his mate in his wolf form, curled up against a single cushion.
Liam sighed and climbed to his feet. He repeated in his head that he shouldn't feel guilty and changed into his pup form. He bounded forwards, using his small legs to reach his mate and nuzzle under his arm.
Zayn woke when he felt something licking his face and whining in a high-pitched tone. Liam, the pup, lay on his back with pricked up ears and a panting mouth.
"Morning," Zayn said and yawned, shaking his head to stretch his ears.
"Why are you sleeping on the floor?" Liam asked, feeling much better now that the aching had gone from his chest.
"I didn't want to wake you." Zayn licked Liam back who pushed his tongue away with his paw.
"You don't have to sleep on the floor. I wouldn't have cared if you woke me."
"I would have woke you by kissing you."
"I- I would have been fine with that too," Liam thought while Zayn nipped at his paws.
"Next time I will keep that in mind. I feel better now that I've slept."
"Good." Liam tugged himself from underneath Zayn's leg and trotted away with a wagging tail.
"I haven't been in my pup form for ages." Zayn's heart melted when Liam struggled to get up the step leading into the corridor. He had to nudge his back legs with his nose.
"You're never going to make it down the stairs in that form," he sniggered, just as Harry appeared behind them, emerging with messy hair and puffy eyes.
"Morning guys," he said with a deep sleepy voice, watching the puppy hesitate at the top of the stairs and cry softly out of frustration.
"Want some help, Lee?" Harry chuckled and picked him up."I really want a dog."
Zayn growled and turned into his human form. "No way. We'd kill it."
"Really?"
"Yeah, we are far too territorial to let a dog into our home."
"Aw," Haz said, a little disappointed. "I guess that makes sense."
"Louis will be your dog" Zayn smirked and took Liam from his brother's arms, tickling his belly. "He changes for you on command anyway."
posted 4 chapters
drop your current favourite songs. imma add in my playlist.