Chapter 51
I glanced around the table at my mates and Skarde. Sten and Skarde must have found something if they were both here and had gathered the rest of us. A combination of excitement and nerves filled me.
"Alek's parents came from one of the original territories. Stories go back far enough that its rumors that the pack was founded by Manilena, the moon goddess herself. That it was her bloodline that created the wolves that ran it. The Grimes didn't speak much of their old territory, but the territory was disbanded under violence. It's believed that the leaders were killed by a descendent of the god of chaos, Vanheimal. After he killed the leaders, he decimated the rest of the territory, hunting those who escaped. We allowed the Grimes to settle here, despite the risk, as they'd traveled almost across the country to escape. I do know they were close friends with the leaders." Skarde explained.
"We looked at the genealogy of the territory using the first names of your parents. Those names are only mentioned once, as the fourth generation of leaders, but they died long ago. We are suspecting they used those names on purpose. We believe that you are from that bloodline. Your parents chose those names so if anyone dug into the territory's history there would only be one link." Sten's gaze never left mine.
My head was spinning. They thought I was related to the bloodline that led an extinct pack that was created by the moon goddess and destroyed by the descendent of the god of chaos. That would mean that I was a distant descendent of the moon goddess.
Everyone sat in silence as Sten and Skarde let us digest the news dump they exposed us to. The longer I sat there the less the words made sense. I wasn't anything special. I'd been just another foster kid growing up. A tax on the system.
Energy hummed in my body. I couldn't sit still any longer.
The scrape of the chair beneath me was the first clue that I had moved. Frode stood and reached for me, but I pulled back from his grasp. I paced briefly before I stopped.
I looked back at the table at my mates. Frode was still standing, a pained expression on his face. Hurt and sorrow flowed from him as watched me process and panic at the news. Erik's face was blank, but he had an air of shock and pain similar to Frode. Rune was shocked and stared at the table in front of him. The three had a similar sense of pain and shock, but Sten was different.
Of course, he's different Astrid. He discovered it. He's not processing it for the first time. I scolded myself. I studied him longer, and he shifted uncomfortably under my gaze.
He was hiding something.
I reached out my connection to him and hit a wall. He was hiding something. I prodded the wall, surprised when I found a weakness like he wanted to let me in. Guilt.
Gasping, I narrowed my gaze at him and flung my rage and hurt down the connection. He at least had the decency to flinch. Frode watched the interaction before he turned on his brother.
"What did you do?" He growled.
"I suspected she was of the moon goddess' bloodline, but I never had any proof so I didn't say anything." Sten's gaze never left mine.
Sorrow and guilt shot up the connection. Anger that pulsed through me was quieted at his guilt and pain. I wasn't ready for that, I wanted to be angry still. I snapped the connection off and turned away.
I knew deep down that he was trying to protect me. That he thought he was doing what was best for me. But I was getting tired of him making decisions for me. Decisions that he didn't even include me in. He hid things and it hurt.
"Skarde, thank you for your help. I really do appreciate it. If you would please excuse me, this is a lot to process." I smiled at the elder at the table.
"Of course Astrid, if there is anything else you need. A shoulder, or help, let us know. You're family. We take care of family." He smile and nodded to his sons before leaving.
"I'm going to bed." I sighed and turned for the stairs.
"Astrid, wait." Sten stood up so fast his chair fell over.
He walked to me and reached for my cheek. His hand moved slowly like he was approaching a while animal. I met him halfway, pressing my cheek to his hand.
A sigh of relief left him.
"I'm still mad, but irate really, but honestly I just want to be with you all. Can we just relax and be close? We can fight later, sort it out later." I murmured as I closed my eyes and leaned more into his touch.
"Whatever you want, whatever you need." Sten kissed my forehead.
"We'll relax for now, but know that we will discuss this. There is no more hiding, or keeping secrets." Frode's tone became stern as he directed the last command to Sten.
It appears my mates were just as frustrated as I was with his secrecy. I knew he didn't mean harm, but sometimes even the best intentions can hurt someone. Frode took my hand and led me to the couch, pulling me onto his lap.
I was sitting sideways, and Erik settled beside us. He pulled my legs onto his and rubbed my feet. I groaned and dropped my head onto Frode's chest. I hadn't realized how tense my muscles had been during our discussion, and now Erik's hands felt amazing as he worked out the tightness in my feet and legs. Rune sat on the floor between Frode and Erik's legs, his head leaning back against the side of my leg.
A sigh from beside the couch pulled my attention. The others had created a wall of sorts that kept Sten off by his own. My heart broke as he took us in.
I opened my mouth to say something but Frode gently pinched me.
"Don't. He made a mistake, and he knows it. We need this. The rest of us need to know that you're okay. Give us tonight, and we'll handle the rest tomorrow." Frode murmured in my ear.
"Fine, but he still sleeps with us tonight. In the bed. Beside me. We don't go to bed angry." I poke his chest.
Frode nodded and I smiled at Sten who smiled back. Emotions were high at the moment, but I was confident that we would work through it. That thought helped me relax as we watched a movie before dinner and bed.