Chapter 18
Winter's POV
The nasty mean beasts slowly backed down and turned to bolt away. All four scents were gone, and Mr.Kormack ordered for them to hurry up and pack it all up. I helped and once it was cleared Mr.Kormack made me get in his Hummer. He got in and he placed his hand on my leg and rubbed circles as he drove.
"Why did everything stop..." I said very quietly. He glanced at me and tapped the wheel.
"Because Love...the type of wolf you are is very commanding. It can over power an alpha's orders no problem. It can even over power an Elder's order without a problem. Throughout the years less and less special wolves have been showing up meaning either they aren't repopulating." He said and I looked at him.
"Or."
"They're being hunted." He said softly making me look at my hands and swallow. "Don't freak out Winter. I'm not going to allow anyone to hurt you. The pack that I run is one of the strongest in the world. Everything from tracking to cooking is taken seriously here. You live in a house with a family of beta wolves....second in command family. Parker is my beta." He said and I nodded.
"Does Parker seem different to you? He's very off lately." I said and Mr.Kormack furrowed his eyebrows.
"How so?" He said and I shook my head. "No come on." He said making me sigh.
"It's just...hes distant. Granted I've known him two weeks but...it's like the girl he's with is poisoning his mind. Even Olly got mad at her today because she made a comment of me being sick. Not that it's a big deal but still.." I said and he nodded.
"Anything else?" He said and I shrugged.
"I mean he just seems very...unfriendly and bitter. Then when she comes around she seems very belligerent and confrontational. It's probably nothing." I said and he nodded but his jaw was set as he drove. He seemed very focused.. "Am I going to be in that much pain every day?" I asked making him glance at me before looking back to the road.
"I'm honestly not sure Winter. If you are you have to just keep heat to you." He said and I nodded and looked out the window and leaned back against the seat. "You okay?" He asked and rubbed my leg slightly. I nodded and listened to the hum of the car as he drove.
"Would you have actually hurt one of those....wolves." I said looking at him and he sighed.
"If it meant protecting you then yes I would have. But that's how it works in our world Winter. It'll be hard to adjust I know...but you will I have faith." He said making me find his hand and hold it. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong." He said and stopped at a stop light.
"I just scared myself today is all. And when I get home my brothers and friends are going to attack me with so many questions. All of them I can't answer because I don't know if they're going to try and hurt me. I mean...I think about what Parker did and I feel bad. I don't want it to happen again and I can't help but think that maybe that's why he's so distant and Barbie is so mean to me..." I said and Mr.Kormack brought my hand to his lips and kissed it.
"I'm sure your brothers wouldn't hurt you. Ever. It's expected to be scared but you don't be...you have to trust that the Moon Goddess will care for you. As for Parker, I have no idea anymore about him but don't feel guilty about what he did to you. It was his wolf, he and his mate had recently finished the mating bond leaving him irritable. Don't think about it right now Love...are you hungry?" He asked and I shook my head and wanted to sleep but knew that wasn't an option. I never sleep more than 10 minutes at a time without waking up or at least a few moments if not minutes or hours between increments.
The rest of the ride was quiet and I was in and out and it was horrible. Every time I had closed my eyes and slept the nightmare seemed to repeat the bloody scene and the light then her face. It never went back and it never went forwards. Never changing to an actual good dream or another nightmare.
I heard my door being opened and that's what had me half awake. I felt the seat belt being unbuckled and then I was lifted from the car. The person was warm and I think it was daddy because it smelled like his cologne making me snuggle into him causing a few chuckles.
There was some talking and I was shocked that I could hear without my hearing aids right now. It was perfectly clear too. There was a change in light and temperature making me hum because it was much warmer in here, but not hot like I wanted it. I heard some sighs and whispers from people and then heard paws against the hardwood floor thundering from the kitchen into the area we were in.
I felt something really warm against me and something soft making me hum in appreciation and I snuggled farther into it. Someone took off my shoes and then placed a blanket on me which was warm, like really warm causing me too wake up and look at what was so warm. One was a heated blanket while the other was a bunch of pillows and blankets set up in a fort type deal and it was so freaking warm. I was on the floor but that's okay because it didn't feel like it. Spoofy was laying down next to me and I smiled and laid my head back down.
"Honey you should eat something. You've not ate in like two days. Plus you've been sick a lot." Olly said gently when he was sitting next to me stroking my hair. He's very mother like even though he's a father. More caring I should say, loving, nurturing.
"If you want lasagna we left some." I heard Ever say quietly. They were all being nice to me. I looked at Olly and put my head in his lap. He was playing with my hair and I always liked the feeling but hated being touched.
"Okay. If you want me to." I said closing my eyes and Olly sat there as I heard someone stand up and leave. "Thanks for being so nice to me guys." I said and it was quiet not that I cared.
"Hey Olly can you help me with my maths homework- oh sorry." I heard Landon say softly.
"Crap I have homework." I said whining and sat up rubbing my eyes. I looked around and saw that the twins were asleep on the couch and I smiled. Chase had fallen asleep on the couch nearest me and I saw Ever come into the room with a bowl of steaming something and he was holding the bowl by the edges. Yay it'll be warm.
"You can't go to school Love Bug." Olly said moving all my hair from the front and braiding it to get it out of the way. Ever set the bowl on the coffee table and ran off and came back with a cup of something and a tray making me smile. He so the tray on my lap, well it wasn't touching my lap but you get the idea. He then set the cup on the table and I saw steam coming from it making me smile at him gratefully. He put the bowl on the tray and I smiled.
"I-I thought maybe since heat helps you feel better...it's really h-hot though so please be careful and let it cool a b-bit." He said with the tips of his ears red.
"Awe Everett has a crush. Such a sap." I heard Mykie's voice teasing. Olly chuckled and he was keeping my back warm and rubbing it.
"N-No. She's our sister. Plus our alpha is her mate and he'd kill me." He said and my smile fell instantly making the mood drop. Olly sighed.
"You should go to bed Everett." Olly said and Ever went to leave but I whined.
"No. He can come sit with us if he wants and sleep down here." I heard laughs ring out and looked to see my other brothers woke up and Everett pretty stood there for a second while they caught their breaths and then turned and walked off. I growled...I freaking growled!
Moving the tray carefully I set it on the table and stood up shivering.
"You know he was being nice. Just like Chase does when he cuddles, or the Twins do when they cuddle with me. Or how Olly always braids my hair, or how Parker use to always play around with me. So what if he likes me, its not like any of us are blood. It's a harmless crush, so let him alone. It was rude to laugh, and it was horrible to tell him to leave Olly. He said Lincoln would harm him and you all shrugged it off. That's not something you shrug off. Death isn't something you shrug off." I said and they stared at me. "And you shouldn't have brought it to attention." I said turning to Mykie and walked out after him.
I made my way upstairs and down to his room. It was across from mine and he and I sit in our door ways and do homework when my friends can't come over which has been happening more and more. Or we roll a ball back and forth, or just sit and he plays on his iPad and I read. He's nice to me, but he's just a kind person in general. I went to his door and knocked softly, and pushed the door open. He was sitting on his bed with his head in his hands and he looked up at me and looked down.
"Ever don't cry because of me." I said and went over to him. "Can I sit down." I said softly and he nodded. I took a seat and hugged him. "It's okay Ever. I lectured them for being mean to you. It wasn't nice and was totally uncalled for. But I wouldn't let anyone harm you." I said and he laughed and kissed my forehead.
"You're too nice." He said and I looked at him and wiped his face with my sleeve and smiled at him.
"I just know what it's like to be stared at in a room of people. To be picked on for something you can't help. But don't worry, we'll pretend I didn't hear it." I said and he sighed.
"I don't have a crush on you Winter. I just...my wolf and I care about you a lot because you're the only female in our lives that has ever really been in our lives. Our mom wasn't around and only gave our dad us kids then split. She didn't help raise us....so it's nice to have a girl us boys can take care of. And none of them will admit it but they all show it in different ways. I just have a really bad habit of blushing and stuttering." He said and I laughed and attacked him in a hug making him hug me back.
"I said it was okay Everett. You don't have to defend anything. I'll believe you if you say so. Now, do you want to go watch some Doctor Who with me while I eat the food you so nicely brought me?" I said and he nodded. "After I change though." I said and he nodded again smiling. I stood up and went into my room and saw Nova sleeping and Landon was back up here getting ready for bed. He smiled at me and I chuckled. "What." I said.
"You're a very nice person to people. Very caring and you make sure people know that you care." He said and I was blushing.
"Shush Landon." I said and went into the bathroom and changed into other clothes, then headed downstairs with Ever and we settled on the makeshift bed area and he set up his iPad and I ate the food while we laid there watching. The twins were whining because they were being forced to go to sleep in their beds upstairs by Olly. The front door was opened and I heard Parker's voice along with another males voice making me ignore it and continue watching the show.
"Ever it's getting late." I said and he looked at the time. It was like 1 in the morning.
"Yeah?" He said and I smiled. "Are you tired. I'll leav-"
I grabbed his arm and he looked at me confused. "I didn't say you had to leave. Just..if you sleep down here will you be able to wake up and get ready in time tomorrow?" I asked and we heard talking and looked up to see a tired looking daddy, Mr.Kormack and Olly talking. Parker was eating something and staring at the group and his friend was giving me the creeps.
"Chase?" I whispered and he looked down from the couch and I smiled. "Why does Parker have some man...he's weird." I whispered very quiet making him look up and furrow his eyebrows and he shrugged.
"I don't know Love Bug. Is he making you uncomfortable?" He asked and I shrugged. Growling was heard from Spoofy, then he got up and I saw his little self run over to the two men. I got up and made my way over to where he went. Parker was stepping on the blanket I gave to Spoofy earlier. He was growling at Parker who stared at the dog shocked.
"Parker you're stepping on his blanket." I mumbled and knelt down and moved his foot which he helped with mumbling an apology. I saw he had mud on his shoes and sighed. Spoofy came over and was looking at it. "I have to wash it Spoof. He got mud all over it." I said and Spoofy whined then huffed and walked away back to where Ever was. I stood up and walked to where daddy was.
"Daddy I have to wash Spoofy's blanket because there's mud on it." I said and daddy looked at me confused. "Park." I mouthed and he sighed.
"Can it wait until tomorrow?" He asked and I looked at Spoofy who looked upset, then looked at daddy and shook my head and he sighed. "Fine. Go on." He said and I smiled and kissed his cheek and walked down the hall to the laundry room and put the blanket in the washer because there was no other laundry. I put the soaps and such in and turned it on. I turned and walked into the hall and turned the light off from outside and started to walk down the hall and jumped when I saw the man near the bathroom. He looked me up and down with a smirk and bit his lip before entering the bathroom. That made me nervous and I continued to walk and picked up some of the toys daddy picked Spoofy up. I tossed them in the bucket where we put them and when I started walking again the mans voice made me jump.
"So you're Ms.Winter. The one Park talks about." He said and I stayed quiet. He honestly creeps me out. I kept walking and he growled going to make a move but we made it to the main area and I made sure to walk faster.
"Daddy." I said smiling, bringing attention to us making him back off slightly. I walked over and hugged daddy. "That man is creepy. Make him leave." I whispered in his ear. He tensed and kissed my head smiling.
"Love you." He said and I smiled.
"Love you too." I said and was at the couches when Parker said he had to leave again but before he could Mr.Kormack came from the kitchen and smiled at me.
"I have to head out Little One." He said placing a quick kiss on my forehead making me smile. "I'll stop by later tomorrow and check in on you if I can." He said and I nodded.
"Eat when you get home Mr.Kormack." I said softly and it made him smile.
"Yes Miss." He said and was giving me a hug, gave me a temple kiss then went to leave but Parker growled.
"Since when are you with my sister?!" He said angrily. Crap.