Quinn
Finally, we were home. I couldn’t believe it. I knew that we weren’t going to die in the land of the vampires but it felt like we were never going to get home. It was good to be back home. I breathed in the familiar scent of the air, loving how the wolf in me ticked with joy.
There was an unrivaled way about how good it always felt to be back at home, on our turf, in our territory. It smelled like earth, fur, sweats and bones, just the way I had smelled it as child, loved it and had gotten used to it. I could see the way my brothers moved their nostrils and I knew that I wasn’t the only one who was happy to be back home.
It was the way it always was when we got back from the sea on leave as well. I loved being a marine officer, going on field operations and doing my job diligently but nothing could ever beat the excitement I felt whenever I was at home.
Maybe after we were done with everything we had to do, we could shift and go for a run. Mia would also join us. I was excited that we all would be running with her in our wolf forms. She ought to know how exciting it was to be a wolf and have the wind blow and chase after her as she run in the dark with the moon smiling down at her.
She had completed her transformation while we were in the land of the vampires and there was no way we could have helped her to feel the rush of energy in the wind while we were there. It wasn’t our land and with all that was going on in the land at the moment, we couldn’t shift and be running around in the midst of the vampires. That would be totally insensitive of us.
We couldn’t do that. I smiled as Mia walked up to me. “Hey, girl.”
“I feel something strange.”
I chuckled. “It’s fine.”
“You don’t even know what it is. This place smells different, as if I hadn’t been living here.” She frowned, her nostrils itching. “Is it because the vampires and have infiltrated the area?”
Dad looked back and narrowed his eyes at her. “Did you get turned?” He asked.
She blushed, knowing dad would know that she must have slept with the three of us before she could have been marked. She might be comfortable with us but I didn’t think she was comfortable yet with the idea of people knowing that she was the mate of the three of us. She was still shy in that regard.
I noticed that she didn’t act freely with us as our mate when we were with the vampires. She wasn’t confident yet but I hoped that she would get to it soon.
“Yes, she did, dad.” I said, narrowing my eyes at dad, warning him to back off.
He got the message and nodded. I could see him try to hide a chuckle though and I smiled at that. I didn’t think that he ever though that a day like this would come when his son would warn him off because of a woman. The thing was she wasn’t just any woman, she was our mate and dad knew that no wolf would stay calm while his mate was being made uncomfortable.
I remembered how she was when everyone had found out then that we had slept together. She had been uncomfortable and hated herself. I didn’t want a repeat of that. If she had been uncomfortable because people found out that she had slept with me then, I wondered how she would be if she had to be uncomfortable with people knowing that she had slept with the three of us. She would be worse.
Dad glanced away and walked inside. I smiled, grateful for his discretion.
Mia sighed. “So I wouldn’t have known that this place actually feels and smells like this if I hadn’t been turned into a wolf?”
“Yes. It’s to protect our identity. Only wolves can feel the life that is here and what it is to live here. If normal humans could, they would have been curious, wondering what was up with the air till they found our secret. I don’t think I have to tell you what humans would do if they found out of who we are.”
“I understand.”
We stepped into the house and grimaced at the state that it was in. The vampires had really made a mess of everything and we hadn’t bothered to do any cleaning as well before we left the house to get dad back.
Dad was already in the house and he had a frown on his face as he looked around at the house, his arms folded on his waist.
“I didn’t know it was this ruined. I thought you meant this much damage when you told me of the attack.” He sighed.
“It was really a mess, dad.” John said. “It was a shock to us when we got home from the journey to the island of Gayalluc and found the house in disarray.”
“And everyone out of the house except one.” Jack added.
“I can’t blame anyone of them. Even wolves who weren’t strong would have fidgeted and run if there was an attack of this extent. What else would I have had humans do? I couldn’t have expected them to fight against the vampires when they came.” Dad shrugged.
“No, we couldn’t have.”
Suddenly, dad growled, his eyes sparkling with fire. Mia jumped in fright, her eyes getting wide at the intensity of the growl. I almost chuckled if not that she would look at me, get offended and smack me.
I didn’t think that she had ever heard the deep and rumbling growls of an alpha. That was why she had jumped the way she had when she had heard the growls. There was a way it sounded different from that of the other wolves and could cause a chill to run down someone’s spine.
Even if an alpha wasn’t angry, his growls matched the pitch of another wolf who was. If an alpha was angry, the growls sounded much worse than anyone could have ever thought. It was little wonder that Mia had been shocked and jumped the way she did. Dad was the alpha and she hadn’t heard him growl in anger before. Heck, dad rarely got angry.
“That is the growl of an angry alpha.” I whispered to her so she wouldn’t be shocked next time.
“Oh!” She sighed. “Why is he suddenly angry though?” She asked.
We didn’t have to wait long because dad spoke next. “I can’t believe that all this happened in my home and I couldn’t do anything because I was frozen into a dumb statue.”
I sighed. Dad was mad at himself. I knew how hard it was to be angry with oneself. I had been there. I had done that and could totally relate with how he felt. He was the alpha of the pack, the boss of his employees, the father of his sons and the lord of his home and yet he had been inactive when there was trouble and unable to protect anything or anyone; not his sons, home or employees.
He must really be feeling guilty about himself at the moment. He didn’t have to as we all understood that it wasn’t his fault. He didn’t have to be hard on himself.
“I was a dumb statue and all these ruin happened in my home.” He repeated. “I was just there oblivious and waiting to be whisked away by the dark wizard.”
“It’s not your fault, dad.” I said. I couldn’t stand still and listen to him beat himself up with guilt. “We all know it was the fault of the dark wizard and now he is gone forever. He is no longer in our lives to torment us. We should know that, be grateful and let go of all that has happened.”
“Yes, Albert.” Mia added. “I’m sure no one judges you, not even the staff.”
I snorted. “How would they when they didn’t know he was in the house? They didn’t know that you were frozen by a spell. We kept you in the study, locked it and told them not to bother cleaning it. We told them that you had traveled with Vanessa and we were also going to meet you. I doubt they were around when you were carried off by the vampires. I’m sure they know nothing of your frozen state, dad so you don’t have to worry about your pride being affected.”
I knew that he was worried about his reputation as well. The employees all respected him and to think that they saw him being carried out helplessly must be affecting his mind. A wolf had his pride and I had no doubt that dad’s own was suffering a loss at the moment.
“Yes, dad. No one saw you being carried away.” John added. “We didn’t see anyone when we got home but only the butler. He said everyone else already ran away not quite long after the vampires came and he was the only one around. He didn’t mention that he saw you being carried out.”
“I don’t think he saw you too.” Mia added.
Dad exhaled in relief and we could all see the smile on his face. He must have been worried about that a lot. I was glad that we resolved this before the employees came or he would have felt conscious of it for years. If they laughed, he would think that they were laughing at him. If they whispered, he would think that they were whispering of the day he had bem carried out.
I shuddered at the thought of that. That shouldn’t ever happen. He wouldn’t be bold to make orders to his employees. I knew dad was soft but I didn’t need him to be weak.
That would be what he would be if his pride was ruined to make decisions for the house. We couldn’t allow that.
He smiled genuinely at us, his eyes light as if a huge boulder had been rolled off his chest. “Thanks, boys for dispelling my worries. Thanks, Mia.”
We all nodded at him. He was always welcome. We didn’t have to tell him that as we knew that he knew.
“When is Vanessa coming back, dad?” Jack asked when his signature naughty grin. “I’m sure she would make you feel better if she is around.” He looked at Mia. “I’m sure Mia misses her too.”
She blushed as if we all didn’t know she missed her mum.
Dad snorted. “You talk as if she would love to come to a messed up house. We all don’t want her to come like this, do we? She is certainly going to ask questions that we can’t respond to.”
I nodded. Dad was right. I didn’t think it was the right time for us to tell Vanessa about werewolves and vampires. It would be bad if she knew of the world that she wasn’t supposed to know of in this way. If she saw this, she would think that ours was a world of violence rather than strength.
I didn’t think that dad wanted her to know of his secret world but I didn’t think that he could avoid that. He was going to have to explain his world to her when his sons are about to get married to her only daughter and she wondered what was going on.
For the moment, we could help him let her live in the ignorance that he wanted for her. “Let’s clean up the house.” I said to my brothers.
“And call back the staff.” Jack added.
That sounded like a good plan to me and I was sure that everyone agreed.