“Mum, I did not mean to.” The 10 year old me whispered after breaking a glass. My mother just hung up the phone and looked angrily at me.
“You stupid child!” she said raising her hands about to slap me. I don’t know why she was so angry.
“I’m sorry… I would not do it again…” I tried picking up the broken glass, cutting myself in the process.
“Look what you are doing now! You worthless child, you can’t even do anything without harming yourself.” She said pushing me onto the broken glass.
“Daddy!” I cried out. Only after I saw it was the wrong thing to say. Her face stormed with more anger. Her emotions controlled her movements. She picked me up dragged me up the stairs and threw me into my room yelling “Your daddy abandoned us!”
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry.” I repeated over and over to myself, while curled in a ball on the floor.
“We are moving house, behave yourself…”She shut the door and left.
“I’m sorry!” I shouted bolting up from my bed. My face was wet with tears. I was being hugged by Edwin and Evan whispering to my ears.
“We’re here.” They said. “It’s okay.” They said.
They gave me a glass of water, I felt better, just by their touch. “I’m sorry” I told them.
“Hey.” Evan said, lifting my chin to face his face. “That’s what we’re here for.”
“You never told us your mom hit you. Is that the day when your nightmare started?” Edwin said with hurt.
“How did you know?” I asked my voice still shaken.
“Our bond has grown. We can feel some of your pain and emotions. We are here to share your pain. You should have told us Lia.” Edwin said, wiping his thumb against my wet cheek. The little action had my heart speed up.
“I didn’t know she would haunt me here. I left her back at home. Funny, that was not a place anyone should call home.” I did not know my laugh would turn out this cynical.
“She must be close. Can you feel her?” Evan asked. I turned my senses on closing my eyes to get a better feel. She was close by, but not too close.
“Yes.” I whispered. “She is not close, but close enough for me to feel her.” I told them.
“Why is she here?” Evan asked more to himself than others. Edwin looked deep in thought too.
“I got away from her. I am done with her. She rejected me. I want to forget about her. Can we go to sleep?” I asked. The thinking was draining me. Edwin took my hand and took me to the bath room. He wet a cloth and rubbed the dampness against my skin to wash the tears away. I felt myself leaning into his touch. It was addictive. His lips touched mine smoothly, fireworks erupted, and butterflies fluttered. When he removed his soft lips, I could not help but whimper. He smile giving me a small peck.
“Go to bed sweet.” He said in a soft voice. My body moved without my mind’s permission. When I reached the bed Evan took me into his arms, and sat on the bed, cradling my body. He kissed my forehead, leaving a trail of tingles, he kissed my nose, and the butterflies erupted with anticipation as his lips touched mine. It was nice and simple, had me melting.
“Sleep.” He whispered. Again, I did not argue, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
…
I woke up once again, I was being held by two strong men who kept all the nightmares away. I felt tired still, but I knew we already over slept.
“Morning babe.” Evan and Edwin said at the same time.
“Hey.” I replied.
“How do you feel?” Evan asked.
“Better now your arms are around me.”
“Good, I’ll go get breakfast.” Evan said exiting himself out of the room, after getting dressed quickly.
“Thanks for holding me, I knew they would have come back if your arms were not still around me.” I told him with a smile.
“I’m your mate; it’s what I would always love to do. Hold you and kiss you…” Edwin trailed of kissing my nose leaving me giggling. I was so girly around them, it was strange. “Do you still smell your mom?” he asked. I opened my senses to the full, only to see that she was still there. I nodded.
“I always wanted to get away from her, but never knew where to go. Now I’ve got someone, why she came along?” I asked in a rhetorical question.
“Do not worry yourself.” He said comfortingly. I snuggled deeper into his arms, they were still around me. I breathed in his natural mouth-watering smell, not wanting it to be anywhere but here with me. It gave me comfort. It gave me peace.
The door opened and Evan came in smiling. “Breakfast will soon be coming up.” He stripped down. It was a great experience. His muscles flexing while he reached to take his shirt off and bending down giving me another great view of his behind, he turned around and walked to the bed. He was not a steroid type of muscular, but a nicely toned with an eight pack. He pulled the covers over and snuggled back to me.
“Your father needs to talk to you later, he said he would call for you.” Evan said. His muscles pressing into my back. The only thing between us was the threads that made my vest top which would easily be shredded. Well that’s what my wolf reminded me, but I told her to shut up. My hormones where already all over the place as it is.
“Why you so tense?” they asked at the same time.
“No reason…” I said blushing, hiding my face in Edwin’s chest.
“Really… if we did not know any better… we would say your arguing with your wolf.” Evan said in a teasing voice, like he already knows what’s going on.
“Yes, I would have said the same thing…” Edwin said. Moving closer to me and rubbing his stomach into my back.
“Stop moving.” I said, but it came out as a moan, making me blush furiously. “You did that on purpose!” I said still blushing. Did he think he was going to win this? My wolf said. Suddenly I was moving, by backside, he stiffened. “Are you okay there?” I asked. He put his hands on my waist to stop me.
“If you don’t stop now, this will go further.” I stiffened. While Evan laughed at the situation I got myself into. There was a knock on the door, which got rid of the tension in our bodies. Evan got up and wheeled in the tray of food. It was fried eggs, potato waffles, ketchup source, toast and the typical English breakfast.
“This is so good!” I said once I swallow. The morning went by fast, I had a shower and then dressed into skinny jeans and either Edwin’s or Evan’s top. I put on my boots and followed my mates out to the garden which is where they said they would be.
The breeze is cool and the sun is shining. It was a warm autumn day, like the sun giving us one last feeling of warmth before the warmth was taken away. I looked into the two-seater rocking chair and found my companions in conversation, laughing their heads off. The smiles on their faces told me they enjoyed each other’s company. I smiled as I walked over to them and sat on Edwin, then turned and put my leg on Evan’s lap as he stroked and welcomed me.
“Missed us?” Evan teased, making me laugh, without giving them an answer. My brothers walked over to us smiling.
“Hey guys.” They both said.
“Hey!” I replied.
“You did not come for a run today? Scared you were going to?” Ben asked in a joking voice.
“No, I did not want to show you up again.” I said poking my tongue out, which got me laughs, which then got me blushing.
“Oh yeah, dad wants to see you. He is in his office.” Bobby said.
“Oh okay, do you know what it’s about?” I looked at them questioningly, they smiled and silenced. Then I turned to my mates. “Any ideas?”
“No, sorry babe, it may just be a small talk.” Edwin said reassuringly, with a heart stopping smile. Okay, I kissed them both on the cheek, got up and reached up to ruffle my brother’s hair. Walking up the stairs into the house through the back door, I followed the smell of my father to which I have memorized from since 5 years and found his office. I knocked on the door.
“Come in.” he said. I entered the office, it was large office, with glass tables, glass chairs, it was different from my grandfather’s mahogany one.
“You wanted to see me?” I asked.
“Yes my birthday is on Monday, two days time. I was hoping I can introduce you as the princess of England. Not many have heard of your being here, some thought it were a rumor that you are alive. I’m still getting use to it myself. But it would be nice if everyone knows who you are, even though you may be leaving me.” He said. It brought a tear to my eyes. He did not want to hide me from the public. He wanted everyone to know me and who I am. I got up and hugged him, he hugged me back.
“Thank you dad. I would love that.” I said smiling with tears resisting to fall from my eyes.
“Sorry for the entire heart ache I have caused you. I tried my best to find you. Judy and the boys always wanted to meet you, but your mother didn’t want that. She kept you away from me by running away. I should have tried harder.” It was hard to watch my father blame himself for something my mother did. “But you need to know the truth. She is not your mother…”
“What do you mean she is not my mother?” I asked angrily and confused.
“It’s a long story.” He said as the vision entered my mind, his voice faded away.
* flash back*
“What shall we do, the hunters are after her. All the other packs want her. She is the first girl born to a prince, and to be king.” Judy said the day after she gave birth to her daughter. Harry took the delicate hand of his wife and kissed it.
“We need to give her up, until she is 10 and be safe.” Harry said in a soft voice.
“But I cannot. She is my baby, I will not do this to her. The same thing your mother put you through I will not do it.” Judy said, but she knew her daughter’s life was important; it was the only way to do so. “There has to be another way.” She said sobbing. Her sons wanted to see their sister. She was beautiful; they were one and a few months apart. She was born in august, and they were born last year march. They did not understand the concept of having a sister, but looked forward to her coming.
“I need her Harry. I need to know she is safe.” Judy told her husband.
“She will be. I promise.” Harry said. “I will visit her. Make sure she is safe before 10. She will be with Ruth, don’t worry.” Harry tried to reassure his wife. He had to keep his emotions under a protective barrier, to be there for her, he would cry for the loss of his daughter later.
“We should say bye to her.” Judy said with a strong voice. The servant brought Lia into the room, she wanted her mother. She was a little cub and she needed her mother touch. Judy decided to give her a kiss on the cheek, her eyes following tears. She then gave baby Lia to Harry, who held her. He knew he would visit her again. They handed her over to Ruth, who came into the room. She and Harry had a history before Harry met Judy. They were in love, but they knew they would find their mates so ended it when Harry did. Ruth never found hers.
“Keep her safe.” Harry told Ruth it was an alpha command. “I’ll see you once a while, and I will bring her back when she’s 10.”
Ten years later
“Please, be more patient, we could not bring her back since the hunters still haunting us. Give us one more year, Ruth?” Harry was speaking on the phone with Judy at side worrying a positive answer.
“But you promise me! It can’t be! And you didn’t pay us a single visit for five years. I had wasted my best time of finding my mate! TEN YEARS!” As expected, yelling from other end of the line. Then a crack sound of glass broken which now I know was me. “You know how hard I keep her safe? But she literally ruined my life…Guess what, I will ruin yours, and hers!” The signal smashed cut off.
“Ruth? Ruth!”
Now
“Why did you not tell me?” I shouted at my father with a mixture of sadness and anger, tears streaming down my face. “Judy is my mom, dad why wouldn’t you tell me that?” I asked hurt.
“It was to protect you.” How could I not knowing the truth hurt me?
“Dad, why?” I asked.
“It was a timing thing. The hunters are still after you until today. When you leave England, they will not be able to track you down, and you would have been safe from this harm. We told you because we did not want to lie to you. We wanted you to know that Judy is your mother. She cried to me the night you came because you did not know the pain she went through giving you away. She needed you to know. When you did not know, you were safer. Please understand.” I understood, but hated the fact I had been lied to, and abused by someone who was not my mother.
“Please don’t lie to me again dad. Can I see her… mom?” I asked. I was angry at him, but I wanted to see my mother. She came in from behind the doors with tears in her eyes. She ran to me and hugged me. For the days I have been here, she has always had a mother nature, and now I knew why. She was my mother. After she let go, I turned to dad and ask:
“Why can I smell Ruth?”
“She was brought to here yesterday by your brothers. She will have a trial here for abusing a royal. Then she will be put in jail. She should have never lifted a finger on you.” Judy said. “I am so sorry. For giving you away and for lying to you.” She said this and it was like a releasing a dam of tears. We cried together. My father held us. Without saying a word, I got out and went to my mates, knowing they can help stop the flowing tears.
I don’t know how I felt, Judy is my mother. Harry is my father. Bob and Ben are my brothers. Right now I just wanted to touch my mates. Running to them, I jumped on Evan and wrapped my legs around his waist. He carried me to bed, Edwin behind us. They laid me on the bed and hugged their bodies close to me in a comforting way. I was in the comfort of their body, and fell asleep crying.