Chapter 57
Nyah
From the loud laughter and fellowship amongst the Pack members along with the Bruin Pack, you knew it was one of daddy’s over the top barbeque celebrations.
That day may not have been one the humans would never know about or recognize but for the rest of us, it will always be the day our Packs defeated Fenrir. Shit, my future children wouldn’t attend school on that day because it meant so much to us, like Christmas to humans.
I found it amusing and thoughtful as Lord Odin sat Indian style with the children of the Pack sitting around him. They were hanging on to his every word as he animatedly retold stories of the battles he had fought with daddy and the others. If I didn’t have to help with getting things together, I would have sat with them because Lord Odin was a very good storyteller.
Ballian and Skia had disappeared into the forest before daddy threw the first log of hickory on the grill. I guess they wanted to spend their last hours together away from us and I couldn’t blame them. If Braxton and I were in the same situation they were, then there was no doubt we would’ve done the same thing.
I was beyond ecstatic, Kenia too. It had been years since we had the pleasure of having both of our parents with us. I admired the way the two of them doted on each other. You could tell the love they had for one another was just as strong as ever. Before heading to his grills, daddy passionately kissed momma which had Kenia and I giggling like we used to do as little girls.
We waved Braxton and Levi over to properly introduce them to momma. She gave them a motherly hug, accepting them into our family. And did the same with Bryant.
Daddy wrapped his arm around her waist as she moved back towards him. Momma gleefully smiled, saying, “I am so proud that the God’s selected strong mates for my daughters. Men who my husband and I know will protect them at any cost. As I’m sure the two of you have learned, our daughters weren’t raised to be docile mates...and there’s nothing against that, but with their father being an Alpha and me a Shield Maiden, the combination of our blood lines will have them sometimes, challenging you. They are, of course, Alpha females. My advice to you is listen to your mates and give them some time to calm down before reacting. Noah did that with me and as you can see, even through death, our bond remains strong.” Momma winked at them. “Trust me, it will put a lot of peace in your household.”
Braxton laughed. “I don’t know about Levi, but I’m learning that day by day.”
Levi chuckled, joining Braxton’s laughter. “Trust me, I know.” He points to Kenia. “She ran from me, only by the ways of the Gods so I was able to find her again.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Kenia and I have come to the conclusion that it’s destined. We are destined mates, and no one can tell us otherwise,” Levi declared. “And if a motherfucker thinks otherwise...excuse me Mrs. Lightfeather, Alpha Lightfeather, Bryant, Uncle James, and Lord Odin.... I mean no disrespect,” Levi apologized before adding, “but I will kill anyone who disagrees.”
A graceful smile slowly spread against momma’s beautiful face. “There’s no need to apologize, son. I hope you don’t take offense to me calling you son since you are my Kenia’s destined mate.”
Levi never broke his eye contact with her as he replied, “None taken.”
Momma pulled him into a tight hug. Levi probably won’t admit to it, but we observed the shudder in his shoulders. He was finally feeling the warm embrace of a mother. He never had the opportunity to receive it from his own.
Momma pulled back, whispering words to Levi before embracing him once again before letting him go.
Elder Nelah approached them, then placed her right hand on the middle of Levi’s back.
“It’s time you knew the truth,” Elder Nelah said.
Moments later, Levi cried out as he began to partially shift. Braxton charged to his aid but was tackled to the ground by daddy and Bryant.
“What is she doing to him? Levi! Let me fucking go!” He growls, struggling underneath them as momma, and I wrapped our arms around Kenia who tried to run to her mate.
“Ballian,” Braxton’s voice thundered in my head, almost making me lose my grip on Kenia.
“Levi!” she screamed as her tears fell on my arm. “Levi! Elder Nelah, please!”
Bryant’s wolf’s eyes slowly moved to Braxton. “He has to know, son.”
A loud howl comes from the woods just as Ballian came through like a rabid wolf ready to attack with Skia behind him. He must have sensed Braxton’s distress. I’d hate to imagine what would have happened if it were not for Lord Odin holding up his hand while stepping into Ballian’s path to stop him. As Lord Odin spoke to him in a language I had never heard before, Ballian’s heated gaze remained focused on Braxton. There was no doubt that Ballian was internally fighting with himself to follow the command of Lord Odin or do what he is supposed to do as Braxton’s destined wolf, protect him. Well, Lord Odin made the decision for him as he shouted Ballian’s name with such authority everyone went silent and still except for Levi who had fallen onto his knees, sobbing like a child.
Ballian lowers his head, showing respect to Lord Odin. Lord Odin placed his hand on the top of Ballian’s head. “Ballian I know as Braxton’s destined wolf it is in your instinct to defend him, but I assure you he is not in danger,” he said in a calmer voice. “He is just concerned about Levi.”
Ballian glanced over to see Elder Nelah holding onto a broken-down Levi. My heart went out to the man I now considered a brother. Whatever Elder Nelah showed him had completely shaken Levi to the core. Whatever it was, it left Levi passed out.
Elder Nelah signaled for James, Vidar, Alpha Lennox, and Joaquin. She moved back, letting them gently lift Levi up. They took him into daddy’s house with Lord Odin marching along after them.
I felt Kenia’s body tremble, only making me feel a hundred times worse from keeping her from her mate. Momma looked at me, stating, “Don’t feel bad, Nyah. Kenia didn’t need to see What Elder Neylah showed Levi. When he is ready, Levi will tell her. We’re strong, but somethings can really fuck with our heads if we learn the truth before its time.”
As her words bounced off the walls of my brain, I noticed Bryant pressing his torso more into Braxton’s back before saying, “We’re going to let you go, but if you show one ounce of defiance, I cannot stop the punishment Lord Odin will bring upon you. Do you understand? Please say you understand, son. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”
Seconds that felt like hours passed. “I understand,” Braxton finally replied before they got off him.
“Let her go, Nyah,” momma said. “Levi is going to need his mate now more than ever.”
Kenia’s eyes fixated on me. Was she mad at me? Had I created a riff in our relationship? God, I hoped not because the last thing I wanted was Kenia to stop talking to me.
“ That will never happen. You’re my sister, Nyah ,” Kenia conveyed telepathically, then giggled as my jaw dropped. “Yeah, I can hear your thoughts when I want to, but I learned early on how to block them when you started noticing boys and turned that shit off. But sometimes, when needed, I would remove the block.” She pointed her finger at me. “And by the way little sis, you are a freak.”
“Kenia.” I gasped as momma and daddy did the same.
“Shit,” Kenia exasperated. “Momma, daddy I was just teasing Nylah.”
Not waiting for them to respond, I interjected with, “Kenia, we’ll talk about it later. Right now, I need to check on my mate. Love you all.”
“Love you too,” flooded my brain, from them.
“Yes, yes. Of course,” I stammered. “Tell Levi we love him, and we are here for him under whatever capacity.”
“I’m sure he already knows that, but I will reiterate it to him.”
Kenia hugged me again before going into the cabin.
I went over to Braxton. He was sitting up, regrouping himself as Ballian and Skia stood guard around him. I silently hoped his compliance wasn’t a ruse. As I sat down next to him, I took his hand in mine.
“Levi is going to be fine, Braxton.”
He squeezed my hand. “I know, but to see him like that, in pain, crying out, I only wanted to help my friend. We have always been there for each other and this one time; I couldn’t help him.”
I squirmed closer to him, then laid my head on his shoulder.
“I totally understand how you feel because I felt like I was betraying my sister by not letting her go to him.”
Braxton hung his arm around my shoulders, then pulled me in to kiss the top of my head.
“I’m sure you did, but after speaking to my father, there wasn’t anything either one of us could do to stop it. Elder Nelah would have put up an invisible barrier neither Kenia nor I could have gotten through. I just hope after learning about his parents, it doesn’t break him.”
I snaked my arms around his waist. “Levi is strong and I’m sure this will only make him stronger.”
“I hope you’re right, love,” Braxton said.