CHAPTER 27
FIRST DAYS
ASH POV
Our feet hit the floor as soon as our eyes open and we head to the boys' room. Caine and Abel our kneeling by Abel, who's curled tightly into a ball at the head of his bed, his whole body is trembling as his brothers rub his back. I rush over to the bed and sitting on it I pull him into my arms.
"Abel." His eyes open as he throws his arms around my neck then he starts to sob gut wrenching sobs as his whole body continues to tremble. I see Liam slide back out of the room and I knew he was going to check on the girls. I continue to soothe Abel and after a time his sniffles turn into quiet snores. Soon enough we all fall back to sleep.
........ .
"Are you sure you'll be alright without us?" Ainle rolls his eyes while Caine and Abel regard me with somber expressions. Caine, of course, is the first to speak.
"Momma, we'll be fine without you there. You can come have lunch with us, if you'd like to." I smile and kiss his forehead as I try not to think about the fact that my boys look like they are fifteen or sixteen. I glance over at Liam and Con, who are looking delicious in pajama bottoms that hang low on their hips. Neither of them give one a hint of what they're thinking. I sigh and nod my head at the boys. They grin before kissing me on the lips and going through the mirror. Once they've gone Con turns and leaves the room. Liam frowns after him as I stand up and push my hair out of my face. Giving Liam a weak smile I brush past him and head outside. I find myself sitting by the koi pond that the boys had I made me out back. I'd been sitting there a few minutes before Liam sits down beside me. I keep my eyes on the goldfish swimming in the pond as Liam speaks.
"Aw lassie, don't worry. He'll pull his head out of 'is arse soon enough." A tear slides down my cheek as Liam starts to wrap his arm around my shoulder but I jerk back as I shake my head.
"I can't. Liam....I'm never going to...to...be enough. I'm never going to be what you guys need me to be." He grabs my shoulders and forces me the face him but I keep my eyes down as tears slide down my cheeks. He growls softly as he speaks.
"Look at me lassie." Reluctantly I raise my eyes to meet his. Colors swirl in the depths as he struggles to fight back his beast. "Ye're enough. Ye're enough for me and for my brother 'e's a plonker." Sniffling I raise a brow. What the hell is a plonker? Liam chuckles and answers my unspoken question.
"An idiot. My brother is an idiot but I be preferring plonker." My lip trembles over the fact that he's trying to make me laugh but I won't be deterred. I can't even keep from pissing off Con and I can't watch and wait for them to leave me. Jerking away from him I leap to my feet with the intent to run, leave, hide, do anything but be here. Unfortunately, I run straight into Riki. She scowls at me and I realize she's heard my conversation. Before I can brush past her she shoves me into the koi pond.
Shivering I sit up in the ice cold water as I glare at my bond sister. Her arms are crossed over her chest as she glares at me while Liam looks between us as if trying to decide if he should interfere. The boys stand by the door quietly watching. I sigh and push my hair out of my face as I stand but I don't say anything. I know that look and it means I'm going to hear what she wants to say whether I want to or not but it doesn't mean I have to like it. Fighting back the urge to snap at her I clench my fists as she speaks.
"Are you going to do the favors?" I glance at Liam. His eyes meet mine as he shrugs. I look back to Riki with my heart quivering in my chest.
"Yes." Riki grimaces and looks away from me before she speaks.
"Then I'm calling mine in." Liam's eyes narrow as he looks from Riki to me. He knows she's fixing to do something huge. Even I know it.
"What is it?" She keeps avoiding my eyes as she starts to tap her foot. My gaze narrows on her tapping foot and my whole boy tenses. This is bad. Riki nervous is like saying the apocalypse is coming. Well mine anyway.
"I'm making you queen of the werewolves." My body starts to quake as I stare at her in horror.
"I'm a leopard." She shrugs.
"It doesn't matter. You're doing it." A snarl passes my lips before I can stop it and Riki's eyes jerk to mine but what surprises me is the guilty look in her eyes.
"What aren't you telling me?" Her mouth opens and closes several times before she can make the words come out.
"Their clan house is in Ireland." Memories beat at me and it takes everything I have not to fall back down. A keen cry escapes my lips as a tear slides down her cheek. Oh God that look is worse. That look means she knows. She knows the one thing I managed to bury too deep in my psyche that even my mates don't know about it. Liam growls deep in his throat as my lip quivers.
"You know." Her eyes cut to Liam who is watching us intently as he tries to figure out what's going on. She looks back to me as she nods. Rage floods me as I step out of the pond so I'm toe to toe with Riki.
"Why would you do this to me. It was the one thing I would never have to tell them. The one thing I could bury just deep enough..." Riki tries to hug me but I push her away.
"No, don't touch me." The stoic Riki starts to cry but for the first time her pain doesn't stop me. The wind picks up causing my hair whip around my face as I stare at the sister that has just crushed any hopes for my future. "Fine I accept Riki but you can stay the hell away from me. Go tell the others I accept their favors but don't you ever do me another one because this price just might break me and you damn well know it." I ignore Riki's sobs and Liam crying my name as I storm back into the house.
ABEL POV
I stop in front of the room that the teacher has led us too and glance at the door. It says 'Alpha Classes 101'. I fight a whimper as I glance at Caine. He places a hand on my shoulder and I bite my lip to hold back a whimper. Everyone in this class will be strong and powerful and fully able to smell my fear.
"I need to go to the bathroom." The teacher gestures to a room down the hall and I quickly pull away from Caine and run into the bathroom. Panting, I walk over and look in the mirror. I look weak. How could I ever be an alpha. Sighing I turn one the water and cup my hands before dipping them in the water and splashing my face. When I look back up and glance in the mirror I freeze. He's here. I turn to see his black eyes staring into mine as I tremble in terror.
Before I can blink he's right in front one me. He grabs me my the throat and picking me up, slams my head into the mirror above the sink. Glass digs into the back of my scalp and the mirror shatters but I don't dare to lose eye contact. He leans in as he speaks.
"I've found you at last son." Fighting not to panic I speak.
"I won't let you hurt my family." He laughs as he tightens the hold on my throat before letting me go. I slump on the counter as I stare at him.
"It's okay son I've decided to play with you for a while first. Give your PARENTS something to think about." I blinked and he was gone just as Caine and Ainle fly into the room. They take one look at me and start snarling. I shake my head then wince.
"He's gone just help me get the glass out of my head before it heals okay?" Caine and Ainle eye me closely as they walk closer.
................
After getting seated in class in a desk in between Ainle and Caine I struggle to keep my eyes fixed on the teacher. I'm so intent on listening to the teacher explain the difference between a bear shifter and a wolf shifter that the door opening startles me. I jerk my head to the sound as Maddox and Mantra walk into the room. I glance at Caine, who's grinning wildly. The teacher looks at Maddox before speaking in a snide voice.
"I think you may be too old for this class sir." Maddox grins and gestures behind him to a girl and guy about our age. The other man standing to the side I recognize from Coner's. I think his name is Gremlin but my eyes are drawn to the girl again as Maddox speaks.
"I'm surveying the scene teach. Romeo and Juliet are doing the learning. Mantra, Gremlin and I will be at the door and windows. Just pretend we're not here." Unable to contain my excitement any longer I leapt to my feet just as Caine did and ran across the room as we both screamed out.
"MAD. MANTRA." We get half way across the room before I see the girl start to tremble and drop to her knees in a submissive pose. When she starts to whimper I freeze as horror courses through me. Somebody has hurt this girl like we were hurt. I feel Maddox's gaze on me but my eyes remain on the girl as Caine tries to calm her down. When she looks over at me I try to smile but I know she sees the sorrow in my eyes. I watch her posture loosen as my brother calms her down . She has beautiful hair that flows down her back in waves. I'm startled out of my thoughts as she speaks.
"Their my uncles. Their sister Lea adopted me." I smile as Caine whoops and says.
"Now we have to be Besties. I'm Caine. That's Abel and our brother Ainle is over there." He gestures to Ainle as the girl looks to the boy who shrugs. She smiles wanly then follows over at the guy who glances at me before following the girl. I follow as well. I let the guy take my seat and the girl sits beside him as I sit on the other side. She glances at me but quickly ducks her eyes as the teacher starts to speak. I feel the color rising in my cheeks as I glance quickly back to the teacher. I wish I knew what these feelings were.
LUNCH
As we'd waited in the lunch line the girl had told me her name was Juliet and the boy was her brother, Romeo. I thought they were weird names for brother and sister but hey, whatever works. We sit down as Mad, Mantra, and Gremlin stand far enough away to give us privacy but close to get to us if we need them. I glance to my left as I feel a hesitant tug on my sleeve. I look over to see Juliet looking up at me.
"Abel?" I blink then smile widely. She remembered my name.
"Yes, Juliet." He cheeks flush as she lets go of my sleeve and speaks.
"Do you think...would you...go get me some ice-cream? I don't want to go over there by myself.
"Absolutely Juliet. What flavor?" Her cheeks flush further as she ducks her head.
"Chocolate, please." I grin and stand before turning and walking over to get her ice-cream. I'm so lost in thought that I don't see the guy beside me until he slams his shoulder into mine. I stumble but keep a hold of the ice-cream as he smirks at me and starts to walk over to our table. Juliet's eyes widen as she looks from me to the boy heading toward her with terror in her eyes. Growling I catch up to the boy and brush past him to stand in front of Juliet. I pretend he isn't behind me as I hand her the ice-cream.
"Here you go Juliet." She takes the ice cream from me and I see her hand is trembling as the boy speaks up behind me.
"What's wrong wolfie? Afraid I'll take that sweet piece of ass from you?" Juliet gasps as I whirl around to face him.
"Don't talk about her like that. She's Were just like the rest of us and female. You don't talk about female's like that." The boy goes to draw his fist back as Caine and Ainle appear on either side of me. A brief glance over my shoulder lets me see Romeo hugging his sister. I look back to the boy as Caine speaks.
"You touch our brother you deal with all of us." The boy laughs as he glances around the cafeteria.
"Right like I'm afraid of a few wolfs. I'm Sidhe." Caine smirks and glances at Ainle, who has a huge smile on his face as he shifts into a hellhound. The boy blinks as Ainle roars at him. He goes to step back, slips and falls on his butt. Ainle shifts back as everyone laughs at the boy as he scrambles to his feet and hurries off. Wait a minute. I glance to Ainle, who's wearing the same outfit and before.
"How did you do that? We come back naked." Ainle grins and inclines his head to me as I scowl at him.
......................
We step through the mirror into our house as Liam enters the room. He smiles at us as he speaks.
"Yer mum has had some news that's left her a wee bit cranky and yer Daddy is being a pain in me bloody arse so I thought ye boys could help me giver yer sisters there baths." I ignore him as I rush past him out of the room to my sister's room. All three of them blink up at me as I scoop Fin into my arms. She coos at me as I snuggle her to my chest.
........................
After a rousing bath for the girls, then on for me and dinner I opted out to of watching a movie with Da and my brothers to go to bed since I hadn't got much sleep the night before. Sighing I lay underneath the covers and prayed to the Goddess that I could sleep tonight.
........................
I open my eyes to see I'm in the girls room. I hear chuckling behind me as I whirl to see him. No, I'm awake. Right? How did I get in here? He starts to step forward as I hold up my hand.
"You can't have them." He smirks and steps forward so his chest is touching my outstretched hand. I start to ramble as the girls start to cry. I feel something growing inside of me like a raging fire as I stare at him. I can't let him have the girls even if I have to die I will keep him away from them. He reaches a hand into the crib as a scream tears from my lips and I feel something inside of me explode. Then everything goes dark.