Chapter Four #3
Cecelia shrugged. “She said that the group dominants couldn’t agree on whom to put in charge.
The wolves wanted their Alpha, the lions wanted theirs.
It was chaos until a large biker group stopped in town.
They showed up at the council room to ask for permission to stay a few days and walked into an argument of epic proportions. ”
“The biker group is evidently a mixed bag, shifters of all kinds and their Alpha is a hybrid. He walked in, shouted everyone down, took charge of the meeting so he could get permission for his group. The Alphas right then and there offered him the position. As a hybrid he owed no group any allegiance or favor. So, the man walked in asking for a place to stay a few nights and walked out the Alpha of the largest community of shifters outside of Arkadia.”
“Connie steers clear of them. Her mate is beta to the town’s wolf Alpha.
He has butt heads with the biker Alpha. Connie thinks it’s male posturing, she says that the hybrid Alpha has taken protecting everyone very seriously.
He said that if he is responsible for their safety then he wants everyone under one roof. ” She shook her head at the thought.
“Lions and tigers and bears oh my,” Duncan quipped.
“I don’t see that working.” Emmett shook his head.
Peyton frowned. “Why not? We do it here.”
Everyone stopped and thought about it.
“You’re right, Peyton. We do, don’t we?” Rian smiled.
“I think that they are modeling themselves after Arkadia and what our Alpha Mother has created,” Cecelia offered.
“They don’t have a Rebecca though,” Damian said.
“Thank god for that. Can you imagine two of them?” Rian laughed.
The bar door opened and two unfamiliar women walked in. They looked around hesitantly before walking up to Rian and Damian.
“Oh my goodness, you haven’t changed at all.” The dark-haired girl covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes watering as she stared at Rian. The other young woman bore a striking resemblance to Damian. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
Rian and Damian just stared at the two women.
“Rian, I didn’t know you swung that way,” David said.
“Rian, are you the baby daddy?” Peyton asked, staring at him.
Rian turned to Peyton, his mouth dropping. “What? No!” he turned back around to the woman. “Do I know you?” he demanded.
“Ri?” she whispered.
“Oh my god, Asling?”
Rhys watched as dawning recognition filled Rian’s eyes before he jumped down and swung the woman in his arms.
“Bethany?” Damian whispered. The auburn-haired girl collapsed against Damian, crying her eyes out.
“Are you two okay? Are you hurt? What are you doing here?” Rian ran his hands over the woman’s hair.
Everyone stood around dumbfounded.
“Okay, boys, let’s get these pretty girls a seat. It looks like they need it.” Moe’s warm voice carried over the sound of the girl’s tears.
Almost relieved with a clear direction in which to follow, Duncan, Emmett, David and Daniel helped move the four of them to a table. The girls clung desperately to Rian and Damian.
“Why are you here? Is everything okay?” Damian asked. He had pulled the woman onto his lap and was rubbing her back soothingly.
“We saw the council newsletter, w–w–we hoped we could come home.” The woman Damian had called Bethany sobbed.
“We’ve been driving since yesterday. We went to the pride house first and they told us you were here.
We had a huge fight with Mom and Dad. They lied to us, Riri, they told all the kids that you didn’t want us here, that we weren’t welcome because you, Damian, and Liam wanted a carefree life.
” The dark-haired girl wiped her eyes dry and she sniffled loudly.
She took a deep breath and looked up at Rian, whose eyes were still streaming tears. She used her sleeve to dry his eyes.
“I’ve missed you so much, big brother,” she whispered.
Rian just pulled her into his arms and started rocking them side to side. “I waited. Every year I waited for you all to come home.” Rian cried.
“We know now. We saw our stockings, those silly stockings you helped us to make. I knew the second that I saw them that Mom and Dad had lied. You never forgot about us. I knew you wouldn’t, I just knew you wouldn’t.” Asling buried her face into her brother’s chest.
“They are your sisters?” Rhys asked, though now looking at the women, he could clearly see the family resemblance.
“Welcome home, Bethy,” Gina said, wiping her eyes. Cecelia’s eyes were bright with unshed tears.
“We can stay can’t we? We can’t go back, we can’t!” Bethy said, sounding close to hysterical.
“What happened, Bethy?” Damian’s voice was gentle, but his eyes had hardened.
“When we confronted Mom and Dad, the car was still packed from coming home from school. We both graduated from LSU this December. We didn’t really want to move back into the family home and was debating getting our own apartment, so we hadn’t unpacked yet.
Mr. Prescott tried to keep Bethy from returning.
There was talk about an arranged marriage.
He may get use of his arm back. Eventually. ” Asling sniffed.
“That’s my girl.” Rian smiled and kissed her forehead.
“They still have Dylan. They won’t let him out of the house for fear that he would return to Arkadia.” Bethy wiped her eyes with one of the bar’s napkins.
“We need Liam,” Damian said, looking over at Rian, desperation in his eyes.
“I’ll call him.” Rian pulled out his phone, stood up, and let Asling take his seat.
“They’ve joined NOAH, Damian, the entire pride. I swear they are all fucking nuts,” Asling said.
“Asling, language,” Rian said, pulling the phone away.
“Sorry, Riri.” She smiled at him, he smiled back. His attention was diverted when a familiar voice came on the line.
“Hey, what’s up?” Liam greeted him.
His smile disappeared as he flung his arm about. “They fucking lied! They fucking lied to all the kids and they kept my baby sister from me! I’ll kill them, I swear I will Liam,” Rian ranted.
Damian sighed. Bethy stared and Asling giggled.
Rian began to pace.
“Rian, who?” Liam asked, before Rian interrupted him.
“They told them we didn’t want them. All of those years lost because of those bigoted fucks! They joined NOAH and they’re probably brainwashing all the other kids too!”
“Rian…”
“They saw the newsletter, Liam. They saw their stockings and knew that we still thought of them. They’ve come home!” Rian started sniffling.
“Rian, I swear to all that is holy if you don’t tell me what the fuck is going on I’m going to have Sebastian bite your ass! Now calm down and make some damn sense,” Liam roared into the phone.
“Our asshole parents told our brothers and sisters we didn’t want them living in the Lewenhart pride because they would infringe on our carefree lifestyle. They have joined NOAH and they are holding Dylan hostage!” Rian shouted.
Rhys looked over. Peyton was watching the entire scene while his hand dipped into the table’s bowl of chips. He looked as though he were watching one of his soap operas. Duncan was on his cell phone talking quickly. Rhys would bet money that it was with his ma.
“They have Dylan? He wants to come home?” Liam asked sharply.
“Yes, Liam. We were already packed, we couldn’t get him out,” Bethy said.
“Bethy, is that you?” Liam asked, his voice softening.
“It’s me, LeeLee,” she said.
“God, I forgot that you used to call me that. Don’t worry about your brother. We are bringing him home. If he wants to transfer prides there isn’t a damn thing they can do about it,” Liam said, his voice sounding harsh.
“We knew you would help us,” Asling whispered.
“Of course, baby doll. You, Bethy and Dylan were our little shadows.” Liam laughed.
“We hoped, but we didn’t know if you really wanted us here.” Bethy sighed, exhausted from crying. She laid her head on her brother’s shoulder.
“I’m hanging up and calling Lachlan now. Girls, no more talk about not being welcome, or I’ll put you over my knee,” Liam threatened, though everyone listening knew it was an empty threat. It was proved two seconds later when both women giggled.
“I am Alpha you know.”
They giggled again.
“I get absolutely no respect,” Liam said, but Rhys could hear the smile in his voice.
“See you girls in the morning.” Liam hung up.
“Now, let’s head home. I have so much to show you,” Rian said, sounding excited.
The four got up and waved good night. When the door shut. Emmett let out a deep breath. “Damn those girls grew up pretty.” He was still smiling when Rian popped his head back in.
“I heard that. Paws off, bear.” Rian hissed and left again.
Emmett gulped.
“Rian is going to have his hands full. Those two women are lovely,” Rhys said, grinning.
Emmett nodded. “Makes me glad I don’t have any sisters. Brothers are a lot easier to deal with.”
Duncan punched Emmett in the arm. “Ma said she would be working with Lachlan to get any more family members transferred to Arkadia that request it,” Duncan said.
“How long were they gone?” Peyton asked.
“Fifteen years. The entire pride moved fifteen years ago. Bethy and Asling were about six at the time. Those girls worshipped their brothers. They must have been heartbroken all this time.” Emmett’s eyes hardened.
“Rian was devastated when they left. He was fifteen when Asling was born. He was both mother and father to her before he left for college. Damian was the same with Bethy. A year later Dylan was born. It was nothing to see Rian walking around town, hanging out with a baby on his hip.” Duncan laughed.
“I learned how to change diapers from helping to watch Bethy and Asling. I can’t wait to see Gavin’s reaction to them moving back to town.” Emmett smiled at the memory.
“All of us helped to raise those kids, But Gavin was closest in age to them. Asling, Bethy, Cecelia and Gina haunted his every step.” Duncan laughed.
“He’s just so easy to tease.” Cecelia admitted.
“When they left, all of us missed them so much. I once heard Ma on the phone asking them to come back.” Duncan shook his head.
“They’re home now. Soon, we’ll have baby Dylan back too.” Emmett grinned.
“He’s not a baby anymore, he’s what…?” Duncan counted on his fingers and looked up at the ceiling.
“Twenty? That can’t be right. Baby Dylan is almost old enough to drink legally?” Duncan looked a little spooked.
“Man, we’re getting old.” Emmett sighed.
Rhys, David and Daniel laughed out loud.
“We have you beat.” Daniel cackled.
Emmett brightened. “That’s right! I don’t feel so bad now. I’m just a young man in my prime.” He puffed out his chest.
“Come on, guys. One more round and then we’re heading home,” Daniel said, waving a controller.
“Yes!” Peyton jumped up and ran over to his chair and picked up the controller.
David looked at Daniel. “I think we’ve created a monster.” Daniel smiled. David jerked his head over to the Xbox and raised an eyebrow. Daniel nodded. Rhys felt his heart melt. He knew what they were about to do and he loved them more for it.
“Hey Peyton, is it okay if we leave this here with you?” David asked.
Peyton looked at David as if he had lost his mind. “Don’t you need it?” Peyton asked.
Daniel shook his head. “Nah, we have another one at home. You keep this one and practice. We can log in from the coven house and we can play together. We could really use you on our team,” Daniel explained.
Peyton looked over to Moe, his huge liquid brown eyes begging. Rhys had to turn his head to hide his grin. As if his softie of a mate would say no.
“You know, Peyton, this might actually be good for business. Looks like everyone had fun tonight.” Moe indicated Duncan and Emmett.
“We sure did. It’s hard to find good players anymore,” Duncan said.
“That would be so cool!” Peyton put the headset on and beamed at Daniel. Rhys almost laughed when Daniel had to clear his throat. The little vampire’s eyes had begun to get teary.
“Okay men. Time to kill shit.” David grinned at Peyton bumping shoulders with the smaller man.
“Let’s kill some fucking zombies!” Peyton exclaimed.
David, Daniel, Emmett and Duncan’s eyes widened and they busted out laughing.
“Y’all are a bad influence.” Rhys laughed.
“We know,” they said together.
“God help us from the twins,” Rhys said.
The four men looked at each other.
“Which set?” Emmett asked.
“All of you.”
“You do know we have two more sets coming up in the ranks. Landon, Lucas, Matthew and Merrick,” Duncan offered.
“There goes Arkadia,” Moe said, wiping down tables, a smile on his face.
“Rock on!” Emmett said.