Chapter 115 - Christmas cards

**Hopes pov**

"Hurry up, you just have to see this!" Reece came rushing into the kitchen where Maya and I were sitting, playing a game of cards, which I was loosing, big. He almost slipped on the shiny floor and had to grab the kitchen island to stay on his feets, he was laughing so hard he could barely speak.
"What is it babe?" Maya immediately looked up with interest when her mate entered.
"Oh, nothing...just a little something I've been waiting for like my whole life...something that will make me the manliest wolf in the pack for a long time to come.” His face beamed not only with happiness but also with cockiness and contentment, like as if he had won a jackpot on a lottery ticket he happened to find.
”You’re already the manliest wolf here.” Maya purred, as she gave his biceps a seductive squeeze.
“Reece what have you done?” I took it for granted that he was referring to Callum and he did something to give his Alphas manhood a thorn, had they wrestled in the mud again? Had he won over Callum in some stupid bet or competition? Whatever it was, it was as clear as the sun rising in the morning that Reece had something to do with it.
“Hahaha, for once I’m not involved, I promise! I’m just a lucky bystander who happened to show up at the right time. Hurry up, come on, bring your phones because you're definitely want to take pictures." He continued to laugh as he turned and left the kitchen and we had both become curious enough to follow him. He stopped outside Callum's office and collected himself.
"Hope…Luna…prepare yourself! And know that if you need a shoulder to cry on, both Maya and myself are here for you." He opened the door and bit down on his knuckles hard to keep from bursting into laughter again. And I understood him. Callum and Jesse were sleeping in each armchair, not only that, their bodies were twisted in very strange positions, they were snoring loudly, drooling and...they were holding hands. I covered my mouth with my hands to stifle a laugh, Maya ran out of the room to do the same. Reece tiptoed and placed himself between the men, motioning for me to pick up my phone. Yep, this year’s Christmas cards was definitely secured. An empty bottle caught my interest and I went over and looked at the label. Wolf Vodka...which means not only Callum and Jesse are out, but Beacon and Argus as well. Luna rolled her eyes at them but I could tell she was enjoying this too.
“Just a few more pictures?” I heard Reece’s voice in my head and did as he asked as he posed with the knocked out Alphas in front of him. Jesse let go of Callum’s hand and mumbled something in his sleep as he tried to get into a more comfortable position. “Come on, we’ll let them sleep it off. ” We slowly backed out of the room and closed the door, once outside we burst out laughing. Oh how I needed this, I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard. Even in an almost unconscious stage, Callum takes care of my needs, without even knowing it. It would be interesting to hear his explanation later, and see his reaction to the pictures. I selected two and sent them to Cathy, she might need a good laugh too, she has a demanding task in Low Falls, trying to keep the pack calm.
“So, did you get it in him?”
“Yes, everything went as planned, he’s on the run as we speak.” Reece winked at me and took a big gulp of his coffee. The interrogations with Dirk in the last few days had not yielded much. He was willing to name a few small phalanxes, informers among both wolves and vampires, precise enough to keep us satisfied. At least that’s what he thought. I understood that he was deliberately not going to give up the Sons of the Sun or lead us anywhere near the table so Reece came up with a plan to put a tracker in him and then let him escape. We had some of the warriors chase him, but at a distance, howl now and then so he wouldn’t suspect anything. He had a large area of terrain to cover before he would encounter the first sign of civilization so we were in no rush, he would at least get to spend a couple of nights in the forest. The little information he had given us so far I had shared with Tony. He asked for them to take care of it, which was perfectly fine with us, I had no need to be around hunters in the near future. However, I had some demands, I don’t care what they do with the hunters, what I would have a problem with is that children were injured. I got his word that if it came up, he would personally protect the children.
I left Maya and Reece in the kitchen, they seemed to forgotten that I was present anyway and only had eyes for each other, hands and lips too for that matter. I had dragged it out, but knew I had to talk to my mom, we had been going around the subject like a cat around hot porridge since I got back. The subject that was my father.
I found her outside on the porch, drinking a glass of wine, reading a book.
“Hi mom…”
“Oh, hi sweetie” I was hoping to get some time with you today. Come sit down with me for a while. How is my little grandchild, can you feel anything yet?”
“No, not yet, but Luna can and she is calm so everything is okay.” I sat down beside her and leaned my head on her shoulder.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so occupied, I promise I will have more time soon.”
“Don’t be silly, I have plenty to do! There is actually something I want to talk to you about…I mean, I have given it some thought and…you see, you are here and you have this incredible new life and my first grandchild is on the way. It would feel both wrong and strange to leave you.”
“Why would you leave us?” The idea of no longer having her here did not sit well with me.
“I have the house for example..but I thought maybe I’ll sell it? Move here full time and use the money to buy a small shop down in the mall?...What would you say about that?”
“I would love it! You can open your own little pottery shop!” We hugged and stayed like that for a while, just enjoying each other’s company, just the two of us.
“Mom…there is something else we need to talk about.” I could see her expression change, but at the same time she didn’t seem questioning or surprised, rather that she knew what it was all about and that we couldn’t put it off any longer.
“Your father…he’s the one you want to talk about right?”
“In a way, but still not. Mom, you have to understand, the man who held me captive, the one who wanted to perform the horrible experiments on me, keep both me and my child to drain us of blood..the one who wanted to kill Luna…that’s not my father, that man is a monster. As far as I’m concerned, my father died the day he left us.” She didn’t answer, her gaze lost somewhere in the distance.
“Mom...we will soon be able to locate the Sons of the Sun, we are getting closer and I need to know that you understand what will happen when that day comes.”
“You will kill him, you and Luna will kill him...” She was right...sure, I could pass the information to Ambrogio, he seemed to be in dire need of eliminating hunters right now, I could also let Callum, Reece and the warriors take care of it...I could but I wouldn’t. No, Mr. Bugatti, the monster that fathered me was mine to kill and I couldn’t see it ending any other way. What he did and wanted to do to me was a big part of it but I could also still feel Abigail’s heart breaking when his predecessor cut Laura’s throat. As long as he lives, the Sons will remain and I take it upon myself that that outcome will not be, I wanted to burn the table and put an end to the hunters once and for all.
“How do you feel about it?” My biggest fear was that she would see me as a abomination, I mean, what normal twenty-two year old wanted to kill her father and asked her mother to be okay with it? She kissed my forehead before looking into my eyes. She smiled sadly and stroked my cheek before her eyes hardened and she answered me.
“If you don’t kill him, I will.”