Kiara: "So where is this business you girls have?"
I asked them as I drove towards their new business. Honestly my curiosity in what they've created is growing. Joy looks away from the window and looks at the street.
"It's 4 more blocks down."
I nodded as I looked in the rearview mirror and sigh. The twins barely said a word to me since we got into the car. I stopped at a red light.
"Why are you girls so quiet?"
Joy shrugged her shoulders slightly. "I don't think I have anything to share that will be interesting for you."
I shook my head as the red light turns green. "Don't give me that bs. Tell me what's the problem."
"We just realized that... responsibility isn't supposed to be taken lightly and we still have a lot to learn as people."
I look at Lovely and back at the road. "I don't want you girls to distance yourselves from me just because you guys are learning responsibility and being grateful. I still love you and that doesn't change anything in my heart. So it shouldn't in yours as well."
The girls nod and I feel the tension in the air slowly dissipate.
"So... are anything new between you and Kadin?"
"JOY!"
We burst out laughing but I answer nothing less.
"No, not that I know of."
Lovely smiles. "I'm pretty sure more will happen."
I pull over at a building and unlock the car doors.
"Get out of my damn car."
They giggle and get out of the car. After locking the door I looked at the building. It's not professional but it's decent and well put which made my curiosity grow.
"What is it you girls do here?" I asked as I turned to my little sisters.
Joy unlocked the door. "We own this place." She said as she lead us in.
As we walk inside I see kids around Joy and Lovely's age working on just.. anything. Lemonade stands, sandwich stands, clothing stands, toy stands, dog walking stands, car washing stands, breakfast stands, lunch stands, dinner stands, even tutoring stands. Just different hustles conjoined together. Everyone smiles and greets at Joy and Lovely as I look around in shock.
"What is this?"
"This is our Storm Sisters' multi-stand company."
I look at Lovely. "...What?"
Joy giggles and sits down to explain. "After getting punished by dad we realized he was right. We can't get a job because we are too young. So over the past 2 weeks we made our own job, well jobs. A job that's making jobs for other kids who couldn't get their own. Some of them are even orphans, we needed a lot of money to provide them shelter or give them their daily paycheck so they can have their own income. So we made a car wash stand, and made some money to make other stands like food or drink stands. Afterwards when we made a lot of money to make more stands everyone started to make the stand they enjoyed so everyone was happy. And we quickly made money, so much that even the whole town knows about us!"
I nod and whisper. "Are these kids supernaturals?"
Lovely nods and points at some kids. "Violet is a nature nymph, Stella is a mermaid, Daner is a merman, Dallas is a shapeshifter, Ralph is a vampire, Jewel is a ghost and so on. I made sure that anybody that we accepted were supernatural and if not Griffin would take care of that."
"What powers does Griffin have?"
"He's a seer. He has the ability to see through anyone's past, present and future and he also has the power to wipe minds. That's why he mainly wears special gloves, it stops his ability to peek into someone's mind unwanted."
I look over at the kid named Griffin and look back at my sisters stupefied. "You girls did all of this in 2 weeks?"
They nod and Joy runs back into a room and comes back with a check and hands it to me.
"Here sis. This is for you."
I look at it and see 120,000 dollars. I shake my head and give it back to them. "I'm not accepting this."
"No. You are going to accept this."
"Didn't dad say only 60,000 why the extra 60,000?"
"The extra 60,000 is for being there for us for the past 12 years. We appreciate you sis. And truly we regret not acknowledging that sooner. Please accept this from us."
I relented and give them a hug, squeezing them tight. "I love you girls so much!"
They continued to show me around and introduce me to their friends. As time passed the day became enjoyable. I bought them some Wendy's and went upstairs into my room after giving them my goodnight's and I love you's.
After I took a bath I got dressed in my training outfit and quietly left out the room.
"Okay how do we do this?" I muttered as I stood in the nearby woods in front of the mansion.
"Let me out first."
I took a deep breath as I closed my eyes and gave River full control.
River:
I shakily stood on my paws as I shook my fur. Taking full control is still a new feeling with Kiara. Especially since usually when she gives control she's in the back of my mind reigning me in.
"Let's try gathering your aura." Kiara quiet voice fills in the back of my mind.
"Will you reign me in?"
"No, this is your power me holding you back wouldn't work."
"Okay."
I implanted my paws into the ground as I took a deep breath and summoned my aura. After a few moments a faint blue aura casted over my body. Making me smile internally.
"Good job now focus on making its more solid."
"Alright, I'll try."
I nodded shortly while I tried to make the aura stronger. The more aura I tried pulling from my body the more drained my body felt. Painfully after a few seconds I stopped and laid onto the grass tiredly catching my breath.
"It's fine you'll do better."
"I only held it for a few seconds."
"It's fine those few seconds are important regardless."
Kiara's optimism is helpful in a way. Aura is the energy a goddess werewolf has that is more a natural buffer shield placed around the wolf to protect it from any incoming dangers. It's strong and nearly impossible to break which is why is important to learn how to make this as soon as possible.
"I'll give you back control."
Kadin:
"You're here?"
I turned to my older brother who just walked into the room.
"Why?" He snapped annoyed. "Trying to rush back to her?"
"Yes." I smiled lightly seeing the look of frustration appear on his face. I meant it but it doesn't hurt to see his stress appear on his face when I say so.
"Seems like you both are here now." Riley stated as she sat down on her bed staring at us. "What is it you both wanted to talk about?"
"You." Coby stated as he sat back in the chair across the room and looked at her. "We're concerned about you."
Riley's face grimaced lightly. "You both weren't before nows definitely not the time to care now."
Coby shrugged."We are always there you just never seem to want to come to us."
"Because you both look down on me just like everyone else in this pack! You don't see or hear me! So why would I come to you?!" She yelled angrily.
"Doesn't change the fact we are your brothers Riley. We are for a reason and we care about you." I stated quietly as the tension build in the room.
Riley stared at me for a moment before asking. "Did being around Kiara make you softer?" Before I could say anything she continued. "You really do love her to change your tone of voice."
I felt the anger of my brother rise. "This isn't about Kadin's love life. It's about you right now."
"Well what do you want me to say? You both were never there. And as much as you try to sit here and deny that fact Coby you can't!"
"You-
"You're right Riley." The two stopped bickering as they turned to me. "You aren't lying. We warped ourselves deeply into our own lives we didn't care about yours. Even after we should've during those times. Frankly we didn't care. When I think about it seeing how sour Kiara's relationship with her brothers made me wonder how I treat my little sister." A humorless smile made its way to my lips. " Definitely not a good one that's for sure. " I stared into my little sister's eyes. "And for that... I'm sorry."
"He's not particularly lying either." Coby looked up to Riley. "We haven't bonded since we were kids and even then we never thought of you but ourselves. Call it greed or selfishness but we didn't acknowledge anyone else but each other. Even erasing our little sister. Pride doesn't describe the emotion that drove us to that point to do the things we did to you... Uou also have an apology from me as well. You've don't nothing wrong but just suffered pain that we caused. And we owe you the right to take off that burden."
Riley didn't say anything. Just stared at us through the silence. And for a moment a small smile shone through to her.
"All I wanted..." Her voice croaked as tears spring through her eyes. "Was an apology."
"I know." I stood up and hugged her tightly. "It was overdue."
She chuckled in my embrace. "Kiara really did have you shift."
A light chuckle came as I thought.
Kiara did.
I frowned as I sensed something in our link.
"I have to go Riley I'll see you later."
I sense a presence in the room as I came out the bathroom in my oversized t-shirt. "I thought I told you to leave?"
"He's as stubborn as his brother."
"But we love it. Right Harper and Ocean?"
"RIGHT!"
"Didn't ask for y'all opinions!"
I shivered as I felt a lips kiss on my slightly bare shoulder. I hear Kadin's voice as he nips my ear.
"You did? I don't remember."
I shrugged him away and chuckle. "Seriously. Why are you here?"
He hugged me from behind and holds me close. "Can I sleep with you tonight?" I raised a brow as he continued. "I'll leave first thing in the morning. Promise."
I thought about it for a moment and sighed. "Alright. But only for tonight!"
Next thing I knew i felt my body being carried and placed onto the bed. Flustered I nearly yelled at him."What are you doing?!"
"Just hold me...Please?" I didn't say anything as the vulnerability in his tone of voice made me nod without thinking. "Okay."
His head laid in my chest as we cuddled close under the covers.
"Thank you."
"Hm? For what?" I looked down at Kadin curiously.
"For being here."
"Well... you being upset isn't a pretty thing itself." I joked.
I felt his body shook as he laughed at me.
"Well suppose you right about that."
"Yea."
"Kiara?"
"Hm?"
I sensed a shift in Kadin's body before he continued. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight to you too."
Morning: I wake up to see Kadin gone but a note in his place.
Good Morning. Sorry for leaving early but I'll be out for a while and I'll be back soon.
-Kadin
I smiled and put the note in an empty drawer next to his other note. Anytime I get a note from my him I put them inside the drawer. I put on some clothes and walk downstairs greeting my siblings until I see Coco upset.
"Coconut whats wrong."
Everyone looks at Coco as Coco plays with her cereal. "Your brothers... Trey and Jordan... have another mate other than me... Riley."
The already tense room gets more uncomfortable and I drop my spoon on the table. Amera jumps up looking shocked. "No. Fucking. WAY!"
Aunt Kacy glares at Amera. "LANGUAGE AMERA!"
Uncle James sat back in his chair stupefied. "What the hell? Are all our girls gonna be taken as of this point? We only have 3 left!"
Dad and Uncle James start planning how to keep Amera, Joy, and Lovely locked away in a tower like Rapunzel while the rest of us leave the house. As Jamal drives I look at Coco and sighed. I didn't know how to comfort her but I do believe honesty should be the way to go.
"I think this was meant to happen. Selene must've put you 4 together for a reason." Seeing as she didn't say anything I continued. "So.. your going to have to accept the possibility-"
"Kiara don't."
"The possibility of them having another mate other than you."
"You didn't have to accept the possibility of your mates sleeping with another girl other than you so don't give me that hypocritical bullshit."
Coco spat spitefully as the car got quiet. It feels uncomfortable especially knowing my weird situation with my mate- mates as of right now. I know I don't have the best advice for Coco but I thought by breaking down the reality for her might give her a better chance in accepting the circumstances. Still, it made me feel some type of way how the situation with my mates was kind of thrown at me in a low blow. I don't want to snap at her seeing she has a reason to be upset so I just get prepared to leave the car.
"Kia-"
I swallow down the bitter feeling in my throat. "I'll talk to you when you're not all in your feelings."
I walk out the car and continue walking around feeling my heart get heavier. No one really understood the pain I felt before and after I knew they were my mates. Regardless my feelings for them keeps changing and I'm even though I've mostly patched things up with Kadin the throngs that happened in the past does hurt me whenever I think about it. And I'm not gonna lie and say Coby doesn't make me feel a way when I look at him. I feel suffocated, like I can't think without anyone else's input on my decisions.
"It's really hard trying to be happy."