How she’s the sunset in the west
How she is sleep when I need rest
and all for you,
I would never sink again
Noah Kahan,
Sink
Altan was confused and aroused.
Sunny was something else and he couldn’t pin her down. Everything out of her mouth was a new adventure.
They were still outside, Jacy by the horses and Samuel on the porch to greet his father. Sunny was everywhere, taking in every sight as if she had never seen it before. Altan, of course, was tracking every move she made, eyes drawn to the gentle sway of her hips, a dancer’s walk. She was so tempting and she didn’t even know it. She made her way back to him, Altan had to fight to keep his heartbeat normal, judging by Andi’s smirk he was failing.
“Should I be disappointed that Rhys Edevane looks like a nineteen-year-old computer geek with asthma?” She asked him in her low toned voice, gold eyes flicking over to the blonde man. Altan smirked in sick joy at the fact she was unimpressed by his alpha. Rhys was not much to look at, he was the master of blending in. No one knew at first glance that he was the Berserker of legend. Maybe she would find his legend more befitting.
“No, because I’ve seen a ten-year-old take a full-grown man down with her bare hands without breaking a sweat and he’s older than the sun.” He whispered back, voice deep and smooth. Sunny pouted but then unleashed a grin. It seems that she was incapable of not smiling at any given time. He liked that. He had very little to smile about.
“I like it. Very spy-like.” Sunny spun on her toes and marched herself up to the group of wolves watching her. Altan remained leaning on his car.
“Hello!” She chirped, skidding to a stop to rock on the balls of her feet. Jacy slowly made his way over to his twin. Altan was intrigued by the way he walked, he lumbered like a bear. His shoulders were always tucked in as if he was trying to look non-threatening. Altan had no taste for someone who could not defend themselves. He should be the one protecting his sister, not Rhys.
“Hello,” Emily said, flashing a shy smile at her. Her coffee-colored left arm was tucked to hug herself and the right was claimed by Rhys in a gentle grip. “I’m Emily, it’s nice to meet you.” She said softly. Altan smiled fondly, she was shy still.
“You’re a shy one aren't you?” Sunny remarked. Emily’s eyes widened and she blushed.
“Sorry.”
“Nah, don’t be. Lord knows I’d be less trouble if I had the ability to shut up for more than two seconds.” Emily smiled and Altan could tell she liked Sunny. Altan couldn’t explain why he felt relieved about it.
“You get told to be quiet a lot?” Emily asked. Jacy let out a guffaw and slapped his sister on the arm. Jacy was by far the tallest one here, Samuel was only an inch or so shorter.
“God, it’s a condition. I tried to duct tape her mouth shut when we were kids and she tore a chunk out of my arm.”
“I apologized for that,” Sunny said, unashamed. Danny laughed and nudged his sister with a closed fist.
“This one never talks, you’ll get along great.”
“Eh, she’ll be yelling at me to shut up before long. They always break.”
“Welcome to our home, Jacy and Sháńdíín Redfeather. Come inside and we shall discuss what our plan is regarding your problem.” Rhys turned and entered the packhouse, pulling his mate along, effectively ending the pleasant banter. Charles went after Andi with Danny taking up the rear.
Altan heard Sunny whisper, “Did he just say the word ‘shall’?” as he passed.
Oh, he hoped they’d stay.
-----------------------------------------
They were in the living room, each chair was occupied by a female. It was against the wolf nature to sit with other males in the room. The wolf compelled them to always be the most dominant in the room.
Andi was on the couch with Emily, who had her legs pulled up and tucked under her bum, next to her. Charles and Rhys stood behind their mates. Danny took the corner by the door and Altan fought his wolf to stand only four feet away from his Sol.
“Now tell me all you can about what happened in New York,” Rhys commanded.
Sunny’s mood was visibly less than what it was outside and Altan was struggling from snapping at his alpha, Charles glanced over at him and raised a black brow. Andi’s gaze followed her husband’s and she saw a yellow spark of the wolf in Altan’s nut colored eyes. She tilted her head to look at Charles.
Do you think Altan’s wolf is trying to Mate Claim Sunny? She asked them through their bond. Brother Wolf, Charles was unique as he was the only werewolf to be born and not made, this let him have a special relationship with his wolf, answered.
It is not trying. Altan’s wolf has Mate Claimed her, the human is trying not too. It feels to us… this bond is not new. Brother Wolf was more attuned to the ways of the world than most werewolves.
Samuel came back downstairs from the room where he was using to call his fae wife. She was terrified of dogs and coming to Stevensville would have been too much for her delicate sensibilities, although those were the only things on her that could be classified as ‘delicate’.
“Okay, I’m back, sorry. Arianell wanted me to call her as soon as I got back.” Samuel smiled at them and then flopped down next to Emily. He had no problem sitting, he knew he was the second most dominant wolf in America, he also had no aspirations of power.
“That reminds me, we have to call our mother too,” Jacy said, ignoring his sister’s groan. Altan furrowed his brows, did she not like her mother?
Who was he to judge? His own son didn’t like him.
Not that Altan gave him much to like. Asim Ibn Asim was old and alpha of the pack Altan left to him. He used to write and call but Altan never picked up so he stopped writing and calling.
“You can after we talk,” Rhys announced, running his hands through Emily’s stray hair, it was in its customary braid.
“Yes, sir,” Jacy replied. “Sun, you wanna tell it?” His voice was soft and soothing. Altan took back his earlier thought, Jacy was protecting his sister in a different way than he thought. He was protecting her from herself.
“Not really.” She muttered, eyes locked on her fidgeting hands. This was the longest Altan had gone without seeing her smile.
“Alright.” Jacy cleared his throat and patted her bubblegum hair. She leaned into him. “It started at about the same time we went to college. Suns got a pretty good scholarship for ballet at Juilliard and I have one at Columbia. We came from France, where we had been living, around the start of the summer. He began to pop up around the second week of June.” He went around the chair and picked his sister up and set her on his lap. She curled into his chest. ”We really only see each at dinner time during school so I wasn’t really up to date on what was happening until it got real bad.”
“He ran into me when I was going to my Performance One class, I was late. I’ve never been on time in my life." She released a breathy laugh. "He was waiting by my dorm door and I ran smack into him. I said sorry and then spirited away, I didn’t want to be late again. That was the first time I spoke to him, but I recognized his smell.”
“He kept popping up at places we’d be, I think he was purposely putting himself at places Sunny frequented, but thank god Sun hates being alone,” Jacy added.
“I don't hate being alone. I made sure I wasn’t alone. I’m not dumb. I can spot a stalker.” Sunny said, eyes hard and unwavering. Her head was turned towards Rhys and she let him see the fight she had in her, how much pride she was suppressing to ask him for help.
“Tell me how you knew he was stalking you,” Charles asked, trying to get into the mind of his prey. Charles was very good at hunting troublesome wolves, he was his father’s hatchet man after all. He had centuries of experience.
“He kept sending me flowers, roses because he found out those were my favorites. He was suddenly at every show and was always at every party I was at. I would bump into him when I got lunch or a snack. He was nice at first. I would have liked him, but I’m a Days of Our Lives kinda gal and he wanted to reenact a Criminal Minds episode. Not my cup of tea.”
“What made you contact us?” Rhys asked.
“He roofied Sun at a party and took her back to his place,” Jacy said tone flat. Altan’s eyes flashed gold and his hand crushed the wood of the bookshelf under it. Emily’s eyes locked with his, fear laced throughout.
“He… he didn’t touch you, did he?” Altan questioned, voice thick and gruff, his wolf was in control. It sensed it’s mate’s fear.
“No, I broke his jaw when I woke up to him unbuttoning my pants.” Sunny’s eyes were yellow with a cat’s vertical pupil.
“Good,” Danny said. Sunny smiled at him. Altan took deep breaths and slowly brought his beast under control. Wolves were a passive lot and were known to react violently if one of theirs was hurt.
“Alright, Sháńdíín,” Charles began, his deep timber catching the attention of everyone in the room, “where did you see him last?”
“Bleeding out from three dozen claw marks on his chest in the middle of west sixty-fourth street. It takes fifteen minutes by car to get from Juilliard to Columbia, I got there in half that.” Sunny’s smirk was back. “He tired, but he couldn’t keep up.”
“Good,” Charles grunted. Brother Wolf was impressed that the little kitten could outrun a wolf. Werewolves ran faster than their wild cousins so she must have been sprinting at a minimum of sixty miles an hour.
“I don’t think he planned on doing anything unsavory.” Sunny muttered pump bottom lip pulled between her teeth.
“What do you mean?” Andi asked.
“He kept apologizing and his eyes weren’t lying when he said he didn’t want to hurt me.” Sunny admitted and judging by her twin’s face it was for the first time.
“Explain.” Rhys command.
“All of his clothes were on and he was kinda fussing around like he wasn't sure he could touch me. I don’t think he was the one to slip something into my Sprite.” She admitted.
“Sprite?” Andi asked, holding her mate’s large hand in hers. Andi was very accustomed to being frightened into submission by a man, well that was until Charles saved her.
“No alcohol messes with my dancing and a hangover while doing a pirouette is a no-no.” She laughed at her own joke and smiled once more.
“Do you know…” Charles began, but Altan interrupted him.
“I think we’re done here. Sunny and Jacy are tired from their trip and it is late. I am taking them home.” The Moor’s tone left room for little argument. Charles could and would have made the old wolf submit but he didn’t want to upset him. The random growth of a Mate Bond could throw even the most stalwart of wolves, it did him.
The sharp sound of a cell phone ringing interrupted the tense silence.
“Can you get that Sun?” Jacy asked, his arms were busy soothing his beast with the soft petting motion he had picked up.
“Gross. It’s Amá.”
“Well answer it before she comes through the phone and whoops our ass,” Jacy advised sharply.
“Fine. Fine.” Sunny grumbled, frown stubbornly in place. “Hello.”
“You should introduce yourself when answering the phone.” Came the sharp tone of disapproval. Altan straightened up and furrowed his brows. Was the stinging scent of sadness only noticeable to him?
“I’m sorry Mother, Moony’s phone, Major Disappointment Speaking?”
“Sháńdíín Redfather do not take that sass with me. Where is your brother?” Sunny rolled her eyes and groaned.
“He’s with me.”
“Then give the phone to him.”
“Can’t, he’s busy.” Sunny absently said while stretching her legs out and pointing her toes. She lifted one leg into the air, all while keeping her toes pointed.
“Doing what? He cannot take the time to speak with his own mother?”
“He’s stuffing singles in this white girl’s g-string, you really want him to talk to you?” Altan heard a sharp intake of breath and a male’s cackle in the background. His wolf creened. It was a difficult creature at times and the oddest things set him off. It appeared his beast liked the sharp wit of this little kitten. It liked her gold eyes and pink hair too. Altan could barely contain him from bursting out and taking control of his body, the urge to nuzzle those bubble gum locks was so strong.
“And that’s enough of that Sunny.” Jacy moved to take the phone, an older model, from his sister.
“You’re breaking up. The… House... It’s going… through a… tunnel… Bye Ma..love..” Sunny mimicked static and then hung up the phone. Jacy’s face was distinctly unamused.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“I cannot believe we came from the same womb.” He deadpanned. Sunny just grinned.
“Oh my god, they were wombmates!” Danny gasped. Sunny unabashedly threw a pillow at his face.
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