Unexpected Visitor

Stefan

My mind has been fixed on my mother’s words. I hadn’t noticed a resemblance between the pups and me except for the eyes, but then again, I hadn’t gotten close enough to pay attention.

When I was close to Thorin, I was focused more on helping him handle his anger. I didn’t take notice of his features, just his eyes.

I stand watching my mother and consider this. She can’t know that I slept with Harlyn, which means she saw me in the pups. How long will it be before others notice?

While I want to tell her everything, I can’t. The last thing I want to do is tell her it was me, and it wasn’t. Even though it’s doubtful, there’s the slightest chance someone else was with her that night.

Then what? I hurt for her nothing. I’m unsure how to confirm it to the point there is no doubt. I know now that I will need to tell my mother everything. I didn’t want her to know and hurt over what had happened.

She stayed behind that night to help my father with the rogues. I know she would have felt guilty for not coming, as she would have sensed something was wrong with me.

I turn and see Harlyn walking out of the hall with the pups, and I quickly follow her.

“Harlyn,” I call out to her, and she stops in the entrance hall.

“Your Majesty.” She and the little girl curtesy me, and the boys bow.

“Where are you going?” She is leaving, even I can tell she is.

“Back to the manor.” She replies, smiling at me slightly.

The manor? “What? Why? There’s a celebration. You four should be here.”

“I need to pack. We leave early in the morning, Your Majesty, and I have to go back home,” she explains.

“No.” My head shakes, and I walk around in front of her. I kneel and look at them, focusing now I can see the similarities.

“Your Majesty, my mother has eaten. She stopped only so I could be here for Samuel’s wedding, which she knew was important to him. The wedding is over, and my mother is better, so this holiday is over.” She smiles at me, but I can’t let her leave yet.

For a start, she needs me, and the pups need me. Lycans are different from werewolves; based on their actions, she doesn’t understand that they are lycans. I also don’t want her to leave me.

“You shouldn’t leave,” I speak to her, waiting for her to agree to stay.

“Your Majesty, I have to leave. I have a pack, a life to get back.”

I scoff at her words. “This is your pack. This was your life.” She can’t leave.

“Was, as you said. This was my life. It hasn’t been for eight years. I was exiled. This isn’t my pack, family or home.” Her words hurt.

She’s wrong. This is her home, family and pack.

“I..” God, what do I say? I can’t just come out and tell her. I look from her to the pups. “I don’t think we’ve had proper introductions.” I smile from them to her and hold out my hand to one of the kids.

“I’m Isaac, Your Majesty.” He shakes my hand, and I turn to Thorin.

“I’m Thorin, as you know, Your Majesty.” His words are cold, and they’re like me. He has no emotion; he’s hidden it all, and for his age, that’s impressive.

I turn and look at the girl. My hand reached out.

She smiles at me. “I’m Lotta, Your Majesty.” She curtsey me.

“It’s nice to meet you all. How did you find your stay?” I smile, trying to find ways to keep them here longer.

“I wanted a tour of the palace, but we didn’t have time to go through it all.” Lotta smiles at me.

“Well, how about now?” I ask, looking at Harlyn, feeling hopeful she will agree.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but I’m not comfortable with that at this moment.” Her words have me nodding, Diandra, that’s why.

“Well, how about I train with them for a bit?” I ask, looking at her.

“We already trained; Wayne trained us.” Thorin looks at me.

“What sort of training?” I ask, looking at Harlyn. “When did you start training them?” Most don’t train them as children. Why were they trained already?

“They began training at around four; they were far more advanced, and training was a way to help them understand and control it,” Harlyn explains. But I want to tell her she’s wrong. Yes, training is good, but it needs to be the proper training for Lycans.

That is why Thorin continued to try to attack Diandra.

“We do different types of training, Your Majesty. Look,” Isaac speaks, and I watch him jump or Thorin. My body moves back, and Harlyn does as well before they tumble to the ground where she stood.

“Boys!” Harlyn shouts at them, but they are lost in their own world. I look at Lotta.

“Do you not train?” I wonder why she doesn’t?

“I don’t want to rip my dress. Plus, they fight like animals.” She smiles, and I laugh at her words. She isn’t wrong; they fight like animals.

“Boys, no play fighting in the palace!” Harlyn shouts, and they continue to fight. I can stop them, but I think Harlyn needs to learn a way to stop them herself.

I look at her waiting, and she seems fed up with it. Sure, they are playing and heal quickly, but nothing happens every time she shouts them.

The sound of someone whistling has them stop, and I watch them turn.

“Wayne!” Isaac runs past me. Turning, I look at the door and see the guards.

“He claimed to be Harlyn’s partner, Your Majesty.” I nodded at the guards and watched them leave. Then, Harlyn and the pups rushed over to hug him.

Staying stood back, I don’t speak, and I can’t see him. He’s currently hidden beneath the pups’, and Harlyn’s bodies, and I hate it. Thorin is so cold, yet with Wayne, he’s lightened up.

That one whistle was like a command, and they instantly stopped fighting, and I don’t like that. They shouldn’t be responding to fucking whistles like dogs.