Chapter Brayden
Brayden
I enter at Ember’s side, and I feel my wolves stir as I catch sight of the piece of shit that’s kept her from us all these years. He looks like a ferret; his hair is dyed, but it seems like an odd color, a little like it’s nicotine-stained, but I can't smell cigarettes.
He doesn’t even look at my sister, but I get an attempt at a death glare.
Yeah, that isn’t going to work on me; our grandfather is what most that don’t know him think is a poster boy for the Russian Mafia.
After seeing him rage at Dec, Saint and Pax when they drank his limited-edition bottle of bourbon, nothing will scare me.
He turns to Uncle Nic, ignoring Uncle Mickey, who’s talking to him.
“The day after I collected Brayden from the hospital, I called you and asked about the baby you collected from the firehouse. You told me that it was a girl, but she was human, and you found the parents, that, they were just scared teenagers who then changed their minds.” Uncle Mickey has been kicking himself that he didn’t just detour and grab Ember on his way to me.
The ferret just ignores him and talks to Uncle Nic.
“This meeting has gone on long enough; you have no authorisation over a worthless human other than having her scrub toilets or feeding the vampires. I doubt the incubi or succubae will be interested in a fat human,” he's sneering by the end; he’s not disgusted by the idea, just at Embers 'human’ status.
Ren has a growl vibrating his chest. Dad and Declan aren’t far off, and Grumps looks like he's going through a list of torture techniques in his head. The dickhead turns his back on the Alphas to look in Ember’s direction, but not at her face.
“If your done whoring yourself, get in the car now, that Beta will never want you for more than a wet hole” I see Uncle Mickey go a funny color and step back against the wall; Bas steps closer to our backs and grabs the back of Ember shirt ready to pull her out the way, Ember flinches at his words, but I think I’m the only one that notices because I felt it rather than saw it.
Grumps and Uncle Luc have a hand each on Dec, stilling his actions. Uncle Nic is holding a shaking Dad, but no one thought to restrain Ren, who gets up in Jameson’s face.
“Do you know who I am?” Ren snarls, his Alpha dominance full-on pulsing out of him
“Some wannabe baby Alpha that needs to learn his place and let the grown-ups do the talking!” Jameson scoffs, but I can see his hand shaking. At his words, Ember burst out laughing.
“Let me do introductions, Sammy; let me introduce you to Alpha Ren Firefall, Heir to the BloodWolf pack”, she states and pulls the shirt collar to the side. Ren might not want that pack, but technically, it’s his if he chooses to; it was never legally switched from his name.
“And my mate, you never had me checked for marks after my sixteenth birthday” With her last words and a glance at a smirking Ren, Jameson looks like he is about to shit himself. Ren follows her statement with.
“And while introductions are open, let me introduce Alpha Maykal Ivanova, Ember's biological father; Alpha Nikoli Ivanova, her grandfather; Alpha Dominic Ivanova, her uncle; Beta Lucian Ivanova, her uncle; Declan Ivanova, Bastille Ivanova, her older half-brothers and Brayden Ivanova her Twin brother” Ren directs each person with a wave of his hand, the door slams open.
“Are we announcing ourselves? It’s been a while...... well I’m.... His Royal Highness Prince Liam Gideonson, and this is Ember's Godfather, Sir Nathaniel Prince, My Royal Guard” Liam copies Ren's movements. Lily enters the room and switches to her Russian Heiress accent and demeanour.
“Scum like you don’t deserve my name and title” She struts straight to Dad, kissing his Jaw, then turns with a disapproving raised eyebrow.
“Daughter,” Jameson croaks out.
“Yeah, Daughter, stop trying to take my sister away; how long have you known? She’s told us that she’s had DNA tests done before and that when the family was contacted, they didn’t want her!
” I state, he doesn’t seem shocked at the revelation, which means he knows and has still been keeping her from us.
Ren walks over, grabs Ember's other hand, and tugs her to the door.
As the three of us leave, Uncle Trunk arrives with an older Gentleman; he’s unassuming and makes me think of a teacher.
“Emily, are you ok? What’s Jameson done now?” Ember smiles at the man
“Hello, Mr Westin; he's kept it to himself that I have a biological family that has been looking for me; this is my Twin brother” Ember smiles at the now angry man and turns to follow Ren
“Jameson has to have known; there were too many times that we were close to finding you”, Declan states as he and Bas appear behind us. We hear yelling as the door clicks shut behind the new guy. I turn to Ember
“Why did he call you Emily? Mickey G did something similar!” I ask as we head to the family room.
“Huh? Oh! Jameson would change my name regularly so that teachers and other social workers couldn’t track me; Emily, Emerson, Emilia, and even Ashley would become my name on school records.” She looks at her feet
“Lily and Dan spent ages searching for all my records to help me graduate”, I hear Declan grumble as he leaves to answer his phone call.
“Sister, as you’re not going to school, you will be doing self-defence with one of us at least three times a week!” She stares at his retreating back with an eyebrow raised; it’s something we all do, and it makes me chuckle at the family brow-ha-ha.
We head out to the lake, and after a few minutes of trying to decide what to do, those of us who can shift do.
We all go for a hike in the woods, Levi doesn’t come out often, Dex is my more dominant wolf but Levi pushes to the front today, I headbutt Ember and then lay down so she can climb on my back, I get a beaming smile right before she jumps on, Once she is settled I give a yip then sprint off towards the meadow, it’s not covered in heather like in our dreams but hopefully she will remember it, the feel of my twin on my back is both foreign and familiar.
I feel my wolves whimper with the loss of what could have been growing up, but we have her now. And I am never letting my sister go.