My parents never liked the pack life, partially because my father lived on a farm. My mother never thought twice about leaving her family to be with him and now they had acres of beautiful country land on the edge of the coast line, part of no territory. She lived as a lone wolf with just my father, and hundreds of animals.
The car came to a stop in front of a beautiful small cottage home, it was just like I remembered it. I could see Hercules was sitting tense next to me, and I looked at him as he took in his surroundings.
"You know you didn't have to come." I said as Cameron hopped out of the back seat. Hercules turned to look at me, "Of course I was going to come. Now before I face them, is there something I need to know?"
"What do you mean?"
"Like anything I need to know about them, so you know, they don't hate me or something." he said, lifting his hand to rub the back of his neck.
"Oh," I said, shrugging, "Don't worry they'll love you. My mum has a habit of adopting anyone that walks through her house, but just don't be rude to the pigs." I said.
"Pigs?" He asked.
"They love their pigs." I said as I got out of the car. Hercules got out as well, his body rigid as he looked around the farm. He was on high guard, as his eyes went around the perimeter. No doubt his wolf was uncomfortable being in a new area, a no territory zone which allowed anyone in or out.
"Right, let's do this." I said, but made no move forward. Cameron looked over his shoulder sighing "Come on Hill, they'll be happy to see you." he said.
They were always happy to see us on the surface, but I could never imagine what they were truly feeling.
Cameron made the first move walking and I quickly followed.
"Why do they love pigs?" Hercules asked.
"My parents would never have met if it wasn't for a little piglet running so they-," the door slammed open, something barrelling into me throwing me backwards at the heavyweight. If it wasn't for Hercules standing so close behind me, his instant reflex to grap by hips to steady me, I could have probably cracked my skull open on the rocky path.
I could feel the low soft growl vibrate through his chest at whoever knocked me before he stiffened.
The breath in my body escaped me for a second and I looked down, "Well you got big."
Bright blue eyes looked up at me, as well as a bright smile with a missing tooth, "HIIIIILL!" The voice screeched making all three of us wince.
"Damn it my ears!" Cameron shook his head, his green eyes dark, his wolf obviously heard that screech too.
I steadied myself as Hercules let his hands dropped and crouched down, "Hey," I said as he smiled brightly, he wasn't that little anymore and I wondered how much he grew in these four years.
I smiled, steadying myself off Hercules and crouching down, "Hey." I smiled looking at the little kid, that wasn't as little as I remembered.
He bounced, before throwing his hands around my neck making me nearly choke, "You're home!"
I patted his back as he jumped while still having his hands wrapped around my neck, "I am now." I ruffled his hair, his face buried in my neck, "Okay are you going to let go now?"
I grabbed his hands softly trying to pull them apart but they were linked, hard. And I didn't want to hurt him, damn when did he get so strong. "Noel." I said trying to pull him off me.
"No!"
I felt Hercules step back, the warmth suddenly disappeared and I stood up, Noel still wrapped around me and I placed my hands around his waist picking him up so he didn't dangle from me like a sloth, as I felt someone else enter.
"Hey ma." I said pursing my lips.
Bright green eyes stared at me, for a long moment before her wide smile, "Honey buns!" and then she noticed Cameron, "Oh my other honey bun!" She beamed even more and Cameron threw himself at her, nearly toppling her over.
"Mama bear two." Cameron said as he kissed her cheek.
"That's sickening." I said as I saw them hug each other swaying side to side, "Don't be jealous." Cameron said.
Noel stirred in my arms sitting up and I could see that he was in an intense staring match with Hercules, before I could introduce him my mum interrupted.
"Are you going to introduce us to the guest?" She said, smiling at whatever Cameron had whispered to her.
"This is Alpha Hercules Ryder," I said looking between them. Hercules being the perfect gentleman gave her an introductory handshake and I sighed as my mother opened her mouth as her eyes widened as she looked at me, trying to mouth me something.
"And..." my mother asked.
"And..." I repeated, "he drove us here." I said.
Cameron gave me an odd look, shaking his head at me.
"Come on Noel get down." I told him trying to untangle his hands off me.
"No."
"Cameron brought you a gift." The kid jumped off me running to Cameron, that's what I thought.
Cameron and my mother walked inside with Noel clinging onto Cameron as Hercules turned to look at me.
"Come on, it's not as big as your house but it'll do the job." I said. Hercules hesitated for a moment before following me in, closing the fly screen behind him. I could see him take in the house, looking around as he followed me into the kitchen.
"Did no one tell you that you shouldn't stick your head into an oven?" I paused at the counter grabbing an olive off the plate and popping it into my mouth.
My dad jumped, swearing and then hurried out of the oven to turn around, "Hey it's my daughter!" he threw his arms open and I leaned backwards as he came towards me, "Dad, please put the knife down."
"Oh, right." he said placing the carving knife down before I let him hug me, and it was so weird how your body reacted to familiar scents, the smell of comfort and home embraced me and I nearly melted into it. He smelled like chocolate.
"Have you been eating?" He asked as he looked up, staring at something behind me, his eyes going up and down, and then he looked at me.
"Honestly Henry, you need to raise your daughter better!" my mum frowned at me but her eyes were telling a completely different story and I shrugged as I grabbed another olive off the plate.
"It's alright Ederia, I'm sure one day she'll be nice."
"But today is not the day," I whispered, and the tilt of dad's lips, I knew he heard.
"So who's this?" my dad asked.
"I'm Cameron duh."
"I know who you are." Dad said patting his arm and pushing him out of the way as he walked over to Hercules, Cameron sulked standing beside me, "I've been replaced."
I rolled my eyes, "Alright." I looked down as Noel rested his head against my leg also staring up at Hercules, and I noticed Hercules staring back at him. Why was he staring at him like that? I place a protective arm around Noel narrowing my eyes at Hercules.
"He drove me here."
Both my parents looked at me, "You expect me to believe this Alpha is a driver?"
"Can we talk about this later, I'm hungry." Cameron said, saving me from the topic that I didn't want to announce in front of everyone. I know my mother noticed the faint marks on my neck, she had to, it was the first thing she looked at. My father wouldn't be able to see it so I was wondering how he would react.
I mean they both would be happy, but unsure of whether a mate was the right choice for me.
"You cooked too much." I said looking at all the food. How did he manage to pull this all together, we had only called an hour ago telling them that we would be on our way.
Hercules played the perfect mate, helping dad carry things to the table. I looked down at Noel who was tugging on my pants.
"I'll carry something." He said.
I grabbed a dip plate, passing it to him when he added "I can carry two things."
"Fine, take this as well then." I gave him the olive plate, watching him wobble his way to the table, the plate far too heavy for him to carry.
"So how's the job?" dad asked, looking at me.
"Good."
"Nothing new?"
"Not really." It wasn't like dad would understand them anyway, being more human than wolf he could barely keep up with terminology.
Whenever I was at my parents house, I was always used to eating at the dining table. It was something she had brought us up with, so it felt natural to be sitting here. The empty chair had Hercules now, almost like it filled the void that this table had before.
"Are you going to eat all of that?"
I looked at Noel, who demanded that he was going to be sitting next to me, as he stared at my potato on the plate.
"You can have it." I said. He smiled, showing that missing teeth as he reached over stabbing it with his fork.
He lifted up his fork that was too big for his hand and I watched him try for a while before he gave up and grabbed it with his hand. He didn't change one bit.
"So Hill, what do we owe this surprise visit to?" Dad asked.
I could see all eyes on me and I shifted in my seat, "Can't I visit my family?" I asked.
"That's not what Cameron said."
I paused, turning to look at Cameron, narrowing my eyes as he gave me a sheepish look. Did he tell them about Hercules already?
"So you're not going to tell us how you nearly died." she continued.
"Oh, that." Let out the breath I didn't realise I was holding.
"That? That? What else has happened Ilargia Morana!"
"Nothing!" I slapped my fork on the table attracting more than a few eyes on me. All eyes more like.
"Ederia... let her eat, will you, look how pale and thin she is, you can ask her questions after." My dad sighed muttered, leaning over to put more potatoes on my plate.
"My daughter nearly died and you want me to sit here and let her eat!"
I looked at Cameron, giving him an intense look, was he happy at what he created now?
"She's my daughter too and she's alive and she better eat something if she wants to continue living."
"If she wants to continue living she better quit that job of hers." my mother never approved of my job, she looked at me sighing and shaking her head as she muttered something under her breath.
Cameron sunk lower in the chair no doubt feeling guilty but it wasn't his fault, he was incredibly close with my mother and no doubt babled away the first chance he got.
Maybe he should have mentioned that I nearly died for him, to protect her other son. I didn't do it cause I was bored and felt like, 'oh hey let's die'.
Something was tapping me, with narrowed eyes I realised it was the small hand and sighed looking at Noel, raising my eyebrow to ask him what he wanted, "Olive?" He asked, lifting up his half eaten one as an offering and it was hard to be mad after that.
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