0144
Blair
My eyes focus on the brats playing in the front garden.
They are spitting images of their father.
They looked happy as they kicked a ball between them.
Giggling and laughing until the younger boy slips on the ball, landing with a heavy thud.
The sound of their happiness is quickly replaced with cries and the elder boy screaming for his mother.
She comes rushing out of the house, an apron tied around her waist, a small dish towel tossed over her shoulder, her jet black hair tied up into a high bun. She drops to her knees, pulling the small boy in against her chest and rocking him. Promising him that everything was going to be okay.
She had raised them to be wimps. There wasn't even any blood. If I had fallen from a tree at their age, she would have told me to get up and shake it off. 'You're better than this. Grow a backbone! Be better!'
They are all smiles and the tears have stopped as she promises them cake and ice cream. I roll my eyes, I would have been lucky to get a decent dinner at that age.
But here I was, needing a place to lie low, a place to think. I had returned to my mother's home in the hope that she will welcome me in, even if it's just for a night or two while I figure things out.
Forcing myself out of my new blue BMW, I straighten up, my bones cracking. I had only just managed to force myself to shift back yesterday. It took a lot, but for now I was back in human form and I needed to keep it that way.
I step towards the house, throwing my eyes up and down the small cul-de-sac. Every house here is full of Lycans. The remnants of what was once a great Lycan pack.
The white gate creaks as I push it open. I see the curtains twitch. A moment later, the front door is ripped open and there stands my mother's husband, glaring at me with his deep blue eyes.
"What the fuck do you want?" Ryken demands
"Not you, clearly." I retort, "I came to see my mother and my brothers."
"She's not here and the boys have no idea who you are."
He starts shutting the door, I stick my toe in the door and he glares at me.
"You must be stupid if you think I believe that mum's not here. I just saw her." I hated him so fucking much. Almost as much as I hated Neah and her little crew.
"What do you want, Blair?" He steps out of the doorway, making me back up as he folds his arms across his chest in a defensive stance.
"You are not welcome here and don't give me some bullshit about wanting to see your mother. You haven't been here in five years. I bet you can't even remember your brothers names."
I take a deep breath. He wasn't wrong. The youngest had only just been born when I left. "Maybe it's time I get to know my brothers." I offer
"So you can warp their minds too?" He snarls at me.
I could kill him. I had thought about it so many times, but for some fucked up reason, I just couldn't do it. He made my mum happy after she had spent so long being sad and angry at the world and I didn't want to be the one that takes that away from her again.
"I know I haven't been around." I cast a glance up and down the street, I really didn't want to be seen by the others.
"Thank fuck for that, you almost led that Hunter asshole to our door." He runs a hand over his shaved head.
"I killed his family."
"But you didn't kill him. Big fucking mistake."
"I..."
"Blair, this is not a good time."
I hear a baby start to cry from somewhere inside. "You had another pup?"
"Yes. You have a sister."
"Mum shouldn't be having pups at her age." I retort
He doesn't answer me, though his deep blue eyes remain on me like he was waiting for me to say something else.
My mother appears, cradling a pup that's less than a few weeks old.
"Blair." She whispers when she sees me, but she doesn't smile. "Why...why did you come here?" I watch her hands tighten around the pup and she takes a step back, scared of me. ""Well?" Ryken demands. "Your mother asked you a question."
"I already told you. I want to get to know my brothers... and meet my sister." I force a smile
"You mean you are on the run and need somewhere to lay low." Ryken mutters. His blue eyes move to my neck. "You have a mate now, where is he? Why isn't he protecting you?"
"Doesn't matter." I mutter in annoyance. I was furious with Jenson. I don't know what he had done or what had happened to him, but I knew he was dying. I could feel it though I couldn't link him or read his mind anymore.
"What did you do, Blair?" Mum asks. Her eyebrows shoot up her forehead.
"I fell in love with the wrong fucking man." Her eyes narrow as I hit that nerve. History has a habit of repeating itself.
"Watch your fucking tone." Ryken growls. "This is our home, you don't get to bring that attitude to our doorstep."
I roll my eyes at him and look at my mother. "I found her."
"Who?" She asks with a frown
"Daddy's favourite little girl."
Her brown eyes widen a little and she shakes her head. "That was a long time ago, Blair. You need to let go of the past."
I had a feeling she was just saying it because Ryken was standing right here.
If it had just been us, I know she would be smiling.
It's what we had both wanted. I knew deep down she wanted revenge for what my father had done to her, done to us. Ryken points a finger at me. "You are fucking nuts. You do realise who she is, right?"
"Yeah, everything that I should be."
He laughs and I feel that white hot rage creeping up inside of me.
"You were never going to be an Alpha, Blair. Your dad wasn't an Alpha, it was a fucking lie you stupid cow." He prods his thick finger against my temple. "Why can't you get that to go in that thick skull of yours?"
"He lied, Blair." My mum whispers sadly. Where was her anger? Where was her rage?
"Are you really that stupid?" Ryken shakes his head, "You are an Everwood. You could have had a chance at leading this small pack, but you fucked that up by going on this wild goose chase of yours."
I laugh, looking around at the houses. "There's like thirty people in this so-called pack and my name is Blair Kitson."
He laughs at me while mum just stares at me with a deep rooted sadness
"You would rather take your half sister's name then be proud of our own pack?"
"If it gets me my place."
Ryken laughs. "You are fucking delusional. Looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. And I'm not talking about your mother."
"You are saying I'm like my father."
"Exactly like him. Why do you think your mother spent so long despising you?!" He mocks
"Mum?"
She turns away without uttering a single word and heads deeper into the house.
Ryken throws a glance over his shoulder and then stares at me.
"You had a chance here, Blair. A chance at a fresh start. I was willing to take you on as my own, to raise you into a loving family. Give you everything you missed when you were a child. But you threw that away because you can't let go of this stupid idea of yours. Now leave, you are trespassing."
He slams the door in my face and my heart drops into my stomach. I had really hoped mum would welcome me with open arms.
Slinking back to my car, I watch the house for a while, mulling over Ryken's words. Every now and again I would see one of my brothers appear in the window. They never looked at me, but they were so damn happy. A million miles away from how I had felt growing up. Mum had changed, she had gotten everything she ever wanted. A happy, loving family and I wasn't part of that.
A tear leaks from my eye.
I'm quick to wipe it away. Crying was not happening. Mum had moved on without me. Speeding down the road, Neah's voice vibrates through my head, telling all Lycans to come to Black Shadow.
"Fuck!" My hands slam against the steering wheel.
I knew this day would come, but why had she waited until now?
Turning the car around, I head back to my mum's place. I needed to see if they would go. Neah's request wasn't an order, but that could change and then I would be forced to go too.
Would she have them killed because of me?
I stop at the end of the road. They were already loading up their car with bags. Mum had the baby cradled in her arms as Ryker moved back and forth, slotting things into the car like he was playing a game of tetris.
They weren't the only ones either. Every house had people loading up cars. They were all going. They were all fucking stupid.
Slamming on my brakes, I block their car in. My mum stares at me with wide eyes and backs off towards the house as my sister startes to cry.
"You are making a mistake." I mutter
"It's our decision." He snaps back at me and slams the car door shut with the boys inside. He goes to say something and instead shakes his head in disbelief. "What the fuck have you done, Blair?"
I had been fighting Wolves, Lycans and Rogues for years. I had been thriving on my own. Yet somehow he always makes me feel like a little kid with no power. A little kid who had done something really, really bad. The strength and confidence I usually have in any situation fades to nothing.
"BLAIR!" Ryken growls "What danger have you put the pack in?"
"1..."
"You didn't just find her, did you?" He snarls at me
"Let me talk to whoever is in charge."
"You are looking at him."
"You are in charge?" I ask in disgust
"As voted by the others. Now I have to speak to the Lycan Alpha about the mess you created."
"She will probably kill you."
"Then the death of your family will sit firmly on your shoulders alone."