Chapter 14 - Reunion

Emma’s P.O.V

Excitement and fear filled my very soul as a rather handsome yet frightening man waited by a black S.U.V. He had brownish-red hair cut into a nice crew cut. He towered over all of us in height and had these gorgeous forest green eyes that reminded me of the tress back home. As he approached us out the front of the hotel his tight shirt rode up his arms showing off tattoo-covered muscles. He faced us with a sharp grin, I would not call it pleasant. It seemed forced.

“Luna Freya.”

He bowed his head to our mother as she snorted.

“Please, please do not call me Luna. Freya is fine.”

He looked up at her surprised, mothers face stayed firm almost like she was expecting an argument.  He nodded before looking towards Sera. I thought that was smart of him, no one really won an argument with mum.

“You must be Sera.”

She growled in response frowning. I had to smile at my big sister, mother was right. She may be a wolf but she wasn’t a monster.

“How would you know that? I could be anyone.”

Sera had her hands on her hips, eyes narrowed at him like she was testing out whether she could take him. That was pretty funny, yet scary. I didn’t want her to get hurt.

“Hard not to call it with those silver curls”

He grinned back at Sera before winking. Mother laughed before Rodrik turned his attention to me, I felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze.

“And you must be Miss Emma, I’m the packs Beta Rodrik.”

He held out his hand as I nodded before missing the handshake completely, feeling my cheeks go red under his gaze. Why was I always so clumsy? I hated it, I wanted to be aggressive like Sera. She never embarrassed herself. Maybe that was one of the perks of being a wolf? Rodrik smiled warmly at me before patting me on the head.

“You are a cute one, how old are you?”

I heard Sera try and stifle a giggle as I went an even brighter shade of red. I opened my mouth hoping to say something angry like Sera would but I just made a gagging noise. He laughed before grabbing our bags and walking over to the car. I gawked at him frustrated at being unable to speak to him as mum grabbed my hand.

“She’s 16 Rodrik, please be kind to her.”

Her tone was stern but I could hear her laughter behind her voice as I put my head down. I had to learn to stick up for myself. I was almost an adult. Mum gave my hand a small squeeze before leading me to the car, getting into the backseat with Sera I grimaced at her smile. Sera poked me in the ribs playfully before whispering,

“You like him don’t you EmEm?”

I huffed at her before turning to look out the window feeling my cheeks flush again. She giggled at my uncomfortableness before she held my hand.

“I’m actually a little scared EmEm…”

I looked back at her shocked, my sister Sera afraid? I had never seen her actually afraid. But sure enough, her eyes showed real fear. Come to think of it she had a similar expression when we were at that café with Glen. I looked at her questioningly as I squeezed her hand in return. We had begun to drive so her voice was low, like a whisper.  

“I just… I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Her tone was pained, and I could tell there was so much more she wanted to share but didn’t. I looked towards the front seats to see Rodrik’s eyebrow raised glancing between us and the road. Mum was staring straight ahead lost in her own thoughts. I looked back at Sera and smiled brightly while squeezing her hand harder, understanding that whatever she wanted to say she didn’t want to in front of Rodrik. I thought maybe she was just as nervous as I was, and in that moment I truly understood what our mother meant. Sera was still herself. She wasn’t a monster at all. She was still my big sister. I would protect her.

The car ride was super quiet. Sera would occasionally give me a small smile or squeeze my hand reassuringly and I would do the same. Rodrik would occasionally glance back at us with a hazy look in his eyes like he wasn’t really there before looking at mum and back at the road. As we started to drive past fewer and fewer houses mother finally spoke up.

“Not to be a bother but can we stop just up ahead? I should really see an old friend”

Rodrik looked at her surprised then suspiciously.

“The Alpha would not like that, he is expecting us back in 15 minutes”

“Oh, please. Like I care. Just pull over”

Both Sera and I giggled as we saw mother roll her eyes at Rodrik using a tone so close to Sera’s. Rodrik groaned before nodding, his eyes hazed over again for a moment before we pulled up to a house that looked very similar to our own. Except this house had a monstrous amount of chimes hanging around the front door. As soon as the car stopped mum jumped out and ran for the door, a childlike excitement coming from her. Sera and I slowly got out of the car watching as an elderly woman with bright bubblegum pink hair opened the front door.

“Freya??”

The old women gasped as they embraced each other in a tight hug. Sera looked at me with her eyebrows raised and mouthed ‘who’s that’ I shrugged back. They separated the hug before mum turned to us,

“Girls! This is Cindy! She was like a mother to me”

Cindy looked at us smiling brightly and warmly, she truly gave off a grandma vibe similar to a fairy tale character. I almost expected her to whip out a fresh batch of cookies.

“My, my. Just look at you too.”

She looked us both up and down before wobbling over with her arms held out ready for a hug,

“Come here you too gorgeous girls.”

Sera and I hugged her, feeling nothing but love from this woman. She even smelled like mum. Cindy pulled away from our embrace before pinching our checks affectionately.

“So grown up!”

She was beaming at us with pride, her wrinkly face was comforting with her brown eyes sparkling in the light. Mum cleared her throat getting our attention before speaking,

“Girls please wait in the car with Rodrik. I have to speak to Cindy about some things. I’ll be quick okay?”

Sera nodded before pulling me back to the car with her, I stared at mother and Cindy as they entered the house full of curiosity and a hint of anger. More secrets. I wouldn’t ask about it. Sera wouldn’t tell me anything even if she did know. I sat in the car with my eyes closed, upset with both of them. After all those secrets came out yesterday I really did think I was finally included, that I finally knew everything about them. Stupid. Really. Why would they tell me everything? They probably just thought I was some dumb kid. I mean it took years for mum to even give me that letter and photo of my birth parents. What else did she know about them? Did Sera know more? I looked at her in the corner of my eye wondering but her face was blank. Guarded. I bit my lip in frustration. Should I say something?

The passenger side door opened, looking I saw mother's face pulling a disheartened expression. It was the same as Sera’s when she didn’t get her way. Cindy and she must have had an argument.

“All done, let’s go.”

Rodrik raised his eyebrow at mum but did not question her, but Sera loudly did.

“What was that all about?”

“Nothing, just catching up. And don’t take that tone with me!”

Mum was short, obviously not wanting to talk about it. I felt a flare of frustration and could not stop myself saying,

“Oh, of course, more secrets. Like we wouldn’t understand.”

Both Sera and mother looked at me shocked, I guess rightfully so. I had never spoken back to either of them before.

“Look, it was about something personal to me okay?”

Mother frowned at me, a frown normally only reserved for Sera when she gave her ‘attitude’.

“Besides I am your mother and I do not need to explain myself to either of you.”

 I tried my best to frown as Sera would, but judging by Sera’s laughter it did not look nearly as menacing. Mum was about to chew me out as Rodrik chimed in with

“We are here.”

I looked around, shocked at how quick that was. We surely we not arguing for that long? I could see we were parked in front of a large metal gate. The road we were on was old and breaking down. We were surrounded by dense thick trees, not the ones you could walkthrough. It was like an untamed jungle. Past the gate, I could make out probably the biggest house I had ever seen in my life. It was a mansion. The gate opened for us and I watched as small little cabins passed us by, getting larger in size and closer together as we got closer to the mansion. It was like a town had popped up around it.

We stopped next to a grand fountain, the main driveway up to the mansion split here in both directions. Rodrik glanced at myself and Sera with an open smile, I could see nervous fear behind it.

“Alpha will be here in a moment to greet you before I show you to your rooms”

Sera frowned as she grabbed my hand tightly.

“No. We will be sharing a room”

I was a little taken aback at her tone, it almost had a power to it. Rodrik looked taken aback as well but merely nodded before continuing.

“Also, we currently have many other Alpha’s staying here due to council business so for the meantime, Alpha Erik would like you both to stay in your room or floor.”

Other packs? Alphas? I felt fear start to creep inside me, the image of that monster from all those years ago sprung into my mind. I would be surrounded. I felt my breathing start to increase as I tried to fight back the terrible memory of my birth mother's death. I felt cold streaks fall from my eyes and someone screaming before warmth surrounded me. Sera was holding me tightly, playing with my hair to calm me down as I realized it was I who was screaming. I buried my face in her shoulder, waiting for my breathing to settle before pulling away.

“Thank you SeSe.”

I whispered in her ear, she grinned at me before squeezing my hand again.

“You’re safe with me EmEm, always.” 

I sighed in relief, I truly believed her. I took a moment to collect myself before getting out of the car, an older man was walking towards us grinning widely. I saw his silver short hair and immediately felt tense, Sera’s father Erik. Sera snarled and I gripped her hand tightly, trying to reassure her as she did for me. Mum glared at him before putting her hands on her hips. Erik stopped, staring at her in dismay and disappointment before he looked at Sera. He smiled warmly and held out his arms for a hug before glancing at me. He stopped dead in his tracks as I saw hatred flash through his eyes. I was right. I saw a fist fly by me as I heard a loud crunching sound. Sera stood shaking, Erik’s nose was bleeding. She had punched him. I almost laughed seeing them both wear the same menacing frown towards each other. Sera growled and I gasped noticing her eyes becoming lighter, almost icy. Erik’s eyes went darker as he returned her growl, I felt my body tremble in fear at the power behind it. Unable to stop my head from bowing. I heard Sera laugh before another crunch I whipped my head back up just in time to see Erik hold his jaw as Sera had struck him again.

“Fuck. You.”

Sera’s voice was terrifying. Pure rage. She stood in front of me, protecting me I assumed. Sera brought her arm up again ready to swing before mother yelled.

“Enough!”

Sera stopped herself before grabbing my hand and facing Rodrik.

“Show us to our room, I will not speak to ‘him’.”

Her anger worried me but I was glad to get away from whatever this reunion was.