Chapter 36
Layla's POV
Tuesday
I could feel Ryder waking me up or trying at least.
He had his thumb rubbing on my cheek causing sparks to fly.
"Monkey? I know you are awake." He said as he kissing my cheek. I groaned and turned around making him laugh.
I felt his arms wrap around my waist and him pull me back. Now my back is pressed against his front.
I was slightly confused when I felt him fully dressed in jeans and a button up shirt.
"Monkey, you have to get up. We are leaving for your parents in a hour to have lunch." He said.
"What time is it?" I question surprised I slept so late.
"It is 10:45, we have to be at you parents by 12 and there house is like 30 minutes away." He told me.
I rolled so I am on my back and looked up to him.
"Do we have to go?" I asked.
"Yeah, today is the day we tell them. But tomorrow is your birthday." He said making me smile.
He leaned down giving me a nice kiss. "I love that smile." He said making my heart flutter.
I wrap my arms around his neck with a happy feeling around me. He leaned down closing the space between us. He slipped his tongue into my mouth surprising me but I melted into the kiss.
He started to move down my jaw but stopped. "We can't do this right now. You got to get ready to go." He said getting out of the bed.
I groaned again looking over to him. We just looked at each other like we were fighting with our eyes. I finally gave in and said "Fine, lets go to my families house. Is everyone else coming to?" I asked.
He nodded his head and said "Yeah, they said they would help explain everything. I will be in my office so when you are done come find me there." He then left so I would start.
I force myself off the comfortable bed and headed to take a shower. Afterwards I choose my outfit and got changed.
After I was dressed I decided on no make and left to go to Ryder's office. I haven't spent much time in that room but I have had to find Ryder in there.
It was nice and big. It had a brown theme I guess.
Ryder was sitting behind his computer when I walked in. He looked up to see who it was and when he saw it was me a small smile formed on his face.
I moved next to him and sat on his best looking at the files around. Most about the rouge attacks but I decided not to ask.
"Ready to go?" He asked.
I shrugged still wishing I was in our bed. He stood up and pulled me up to him.
"Layla, today is also celebrating your birthday with your family don't let your worry about telling them mess with that." He said.
I nodded my head. "Can we go now?" I asked.
He shook his head yes before turning his computer off and leading me out of his office.
Everyone was waiting in the kitchen to go. We left the house and headed to our destination.
When we arrived it was like last time. RuthBert came and gathered all are coats. He then lead us to the living room.
We all sat down but Luke who stood next to Jess. "Ryder? Are there guns in the house?" Luke asked.
Ryder nodded his head before saying "Layla's Father and Brother had one on as well."
We all could hear them walking down the stairs now but before they reach us Luke said "I don't know how much I like this."
"It's fine just remember they are Layla's family." Ryder said.
My mom and dad walked in and greeted us. I stood up and gave them a quick hug, they told me happy birthday.
But they stopped and looked at me. Specifically my mark. "Layla did you get a tattoo!" My mom asked. "Umm. Can I explain later." I ask covering it and pulling away.
"These are my friends." I said starting introductions moving past what just happened. "That is Emma, I have known her for years. Jace her boyfriend. And that is Luke and Jace. You already know Ryder."
"Well hello. Thank you all for being with Layla when we couldn't." My mom said.
They smiled and nodded back as a your welcome.
"Well lets move to the dining room we can eat first then talk." My dad said.
They all stood and we followed to the table. Michael and the twins were already there.
Jess sat in front of Emma, one of the twins. She waved hello to her as she said "You are very cute."
Emma had pig tails in a pink ribbon and a big smile. "Thank you. You are very beautiful." She said to her.
Ryder leaned over to Luke whispering something, making Luke roll his eyes.
"So?" My mom started. "You all are coupled up right." We all nodded our heads "I guess it just worked out that way." I said.
Dinner went on like that with my family asking a question and us having to be careful with our answer.
But once we were finished we moved back to the living room. Eva and Emma were sent up to their room seeing as they are to young.
"Can I ask you guys to drop your guns in here and head outside?" Ryder asked.
They seemed hesitant but eventually dropped them. "I still don't know how you figured we had them." Micheal said.
"I see why you are iffy with him Ryder." Jace said chuckling.
I did a little glare at Ryder and he put his hands up. I then turned to walk outside.
I just want this over with.
We were outside and we told them to sit down. We don't want them to pass out and hit their heads.
"Ok, well. Let's just say when we tell you what we are you aren't going to believe us. So what I think we should do is Jace go and you know." Ryder said. Jace nodded and ran into the woods going to go shift.
Ryder continued to say "I am going to tell you and you are going to sit and process till Jace gets back. Ok?"
They looked confused but nodded their heads yes. "Good." Is all he said.
"Now. Let me tell you Layla is something a little different then us and Emma is human but the rest of us are.....Werewolves." Ryder said.
At first it was like they didn't hear it but when it hit them they looked at Ryder like he was crazy.
Micheal started chuckling and said "Yeah and Layla is a vampire."
I decided to jump in and say "No I am a Fox Spirit."
Micheal stopped laughing and looked at me. "You can't be serious. What the hell is a Fox Spirit?" He asked.
"Well it is like the fox version of a werewolf. That is the simplest explanation." Jess said
"Jace is back." Ryder said probably getting a mind link.
And out came the big wolf. He wasn't growling or trying to be scary he was just walking.
But my family were freaked out. He walked a little towards them but then turned to Emma.
He laid next to her and Emma put her hand in his fur. He let a little purr like sound out, making Luke laugh a little.
"We are all going crazy." My dad said.
"No. It's real and you have to accept that." Ryder said.
"Why?" My mom asked. She was trying to stay calm but she barely took her eyes off Jace.
"Because Layla." He said and my parents looked at me. "She is very important in this world and you have to accept what we are to be around her. If you go screaming about werewolves you could expose us."
They looked conflicted. But my father then asked "What happens if you get exposed." He asked mainly me.
"Well, we would get killed. Tested on. And hunted." I told them.
"How did you all get involved with this?" My mom now asked.
"Well. Me, Luke, Jess, and Jace were born like this. It's not something we choose but it also isn't something I want to change." Ryder said. The others agreed.
"Why is Layla important?" Micheal asked.
I decided I would explain and said "I am Ryder's mate and Ryder is the Alpha, or the leader of a pack. A group of werewolves. Which makes me a leader or as they call it Luna."
"Mate?" My mom questioned.
"Well you humans call it soul mate I think." Ryder said looking at me.
"But to us our mates are our world." Luke said holding onto Jess.
"And you all are mates to each other?" My father asked like it was stupid.
We nodded our heads. He rolled his eyes and said "How do you know that."
"You did just see the giant wolf right?" Luke asked. "I am sure you can believe that we can tell who our mates are."
That made my father stay quite. "What Luke means is with our wolves enhance sense of smell we can tell they our mate. We also feel sparks where ever we touch." Jess explains.
"And what does being mates mean anyway." My father asked.
"Well let's use you and mom as example." I said. "You would died for her. Right? With the line of work you are in and everything."
"Of course." He said. "And let say if mom past away for some reason. You would be depressed and feel empty?"
"Yes. I wouldn't want to have a life without her." He says looking to her and then back to me. "But you are teenagers. You haven't started your lives barely. You aren't married to each other."
"Actually. Jess and Luke are married." Ryder said. "And it doesn't matter if we are married or not. I know I am spending the rest of my life with Layla. I physically can't live without her."
"How do you know that?" My father asked.
"It is apart of being mates." I started again. "We are connected bonded together. If one leaves or dies the other won't survive." I said sad. Ryder pulled me to him probably not liking the sound of that.
"So you literally mean you would died." My mom asked.
"Well you fall into a depression first. Some can push past it but most don't. You go crazy forgetting the reason to live and you kill yourself. It would only take a month to a year before you snap" Ryder says as his grip gets tighter.
"It would be impossible for any of us to live past it cause we have a stronger bond. Even Emma would feel the pain." Jess said.
"Why do you have a stronger bond." My dad asked.
"We are ranks." Luke says. "Like Layla said Ryder is the Alpha or the male leader. Layla is the Luna or the female leader. Me and Jess are the Betas or the 2nd in command. And Jace and Emma are the 3rd in command. We have responsibilities in the pack and have to work together constantly so we have to be more connected to get things done." He explains nicely.
"And let me guess, those tattoos have something to do with it?" Micheal spoke.
"Yeah, well someone else can explain. I don't want to tell my parents this." I felt awkward.
Ryder chuckled and said "I will. I am sure they are fine with hearing this." He then talks to my parents saying. "With being mates there are a few things you have to do to be fully connected."
"First it is meeting. You find your mate which starts your pull to them. Then is the mark." Ryder moves my head slightly to show it.
"You mark your mate on the neck so other werewolves know they are claimed. It is a protective thing." He explains.
"How do you mark Ryder?" Luke says acting like he doesn't know.
"Well I am happy you asked Luke." Ryder said playing along. When you and your mate are in a intimate moment you bite into their neck. Now it sounds painful but it actually feels amazing." He says.
"Wait you bite into her." My father asked sounding angry.
"Yes, but she also bite into me keep in mind." Ryder said showing them my mark.
"Her mark is a Fox cause she is a Fox Spirit mine is a wolf cause I am a Werewolf. But once you are marked either the same day or soon after you mate with each other and that mixes your smell together and completely connects each other." He finishes.
"You know what he means when he says mate right?" Luke asked.
They nodded there heads and then of courses asked. "Are all of you mated to each other."
This is what I didn't want to answer. I put my head in my hand and hide from the embarrassment.
"No. We aren't. I like to make sure everything is perfect." Ryder said. I could feel the relief in my parents when they heard that we haven't had sex yet.
"Well good. And you aren't married yet either right?" My father asked.
"No but I can say that will change soon. Being Alpha and Luna we need to be married to run the pack together. It makes a good connection for the pack." Ryder says. "And I also love her so it sounds amazing to be married."
I could feel a blush forming on my face.
"But you guys are so young." My mom said. "And like we said before. It doesn't matter our age we know we are spending the rest of our lives together." Luke said.
"What age did you meet?" I asked my parents.
I just wanted to know but from there silent I knew they had to been young. "We were 18." My mom answered.
Ryder looked at them confused. "And you were saying we are to young. How funny."
"Well, it was different back then. It was normal for kids to meet young and fall in love." My dad said.
I just rolled my eyes tired of this conversation now. I looked up to Ryder knowing he was in my head reading my thoughts.
"Do you want to go shift maybe your parents want to meet Vixen?" He asked.
"Are you going to shift to?" I asked. "If you want me to I will." He said. I nodded my head and saw my parents and Micheal looking at us.
"I'm going to go shift. To show you Vixen. I promise she's nice. Oh and Ryder's wolf is Balto." I told them before shifting.
I walked back out before Ryder cause he had to get dressed. Jace stood up probably going to shift back.
Ryder came up behind me and grabbed at my tail. He laid down around me and I laid my head on him.
"What are they doing?" Michael asked. "Just laying down. I guess Layla was tired and that's why they shifted." Jace answered as he came back.
They all talked back and forth when we finally left my parents asked to think about everything. So with that we left to go back to the house slightly disappointed.
Authors Notes:
A long chapter for all of you♥️
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