69.

-HER-

Everyone is very surprised by dad’s reaction towards Jake but I am not complaining. After that, everything resumes as usual in our household. Surprisingly, dad doesn’t bother me much later by asking about him.

I spend my days studying and nights talking to him over the phone. He visits us a couple of times before Christmas. As promised, he went out golfing with dad and Agnus one day. Although they soon realized that it was a bad idea because golfing isn’t Jake’s cup of tea. But the pool proved to be just better as an alternative for them.

He’d come to see me often as well. We’d spend time in my room, talking for the most part. Everything seems too good to be true sometimes. Soon, the day comes for me to visit his pack again. I don’t meet any restriction from dad this time and Jake picks me straight from home.

Dad would always make sure to talk to him whenever he’s at your house to meet me. It seems surreal to me every time but I am glad that they met soon.

“Alpha and Luna are back,” Jake tells me when we get into the car to leave finally. I’d be staying over for the weekend again. Although, I have to be back home before Christmas Eve.

“When did they arrive?” I ask him as he drives away from my house.

“Last night,” He nods at the road, “They’re waiting to meet you,” He informs me. As expected, I’m anxious to meet the Alpha couple but Jake does his part of cheering me up well.

“You’re going to stay for a week, right?” He asks.

“Not this year, Jake. I’d have to be back before the Christmas Eve. My grandparents will be visiting,” I tell him and he nods in understanding.

“My sister is here too,” He tells me next, “Her whole family is here, in fact,”

“Does she have kids?”

“Yeah. She has three girls. The eldest is nine and then there are twins. They’re four,” He tells me.

“Your family seem to have more twins,” I couldn’t help but notice. He nods at this, “Yeah. We’ve had at least one pair of twins in each generation, except for my father’s,” He informs.

“Agnus and Agatha are the first one in our family,” I tell him. An unprecedented smirk climbs on his face as he suggests, “That makes the probability of us having twins quite high,”

I couldn’t stop the blood rushing to my cheeks at this, “Yeah, might be,” I mumble while I sink deeper into my seat. Everyone already seems to be waiting for us when we arrive at the pack.

Jake’s mother is very happy to see me and so is the rest of his family. I notice a man with platinum blond hair sitting in the living room with a woman who closely resembles June. I am soon introduced to them. The man with the platinum blonde hair is the Alpha Andrew, Alpha of the River Red in Alaska and the woman is Jake’s sister, Erika and Andrew’s mate. Andrew nods at me in acknowledgement while Erika gives me a welcoming hug.

I am soon introduced to their daughters as well. The elder and one of the twins look just like their father- platinum blonde hair and silver eyes while the other twin has all of her mother’s traits. The latter’s name’s Nefret and the other twin’s name’s Grace. The eldest daughter’s called Phoebe.

Out of the three, Nefret catches my attention right away by her witty and outspoken nature for a four-year-old. She generally comes off as the one to get into a lot of trouble. While my stay at Jake’s house, I could always hear Erika shouting after her miniature self. While the other two girls seem well behaved and good with social skills.

When Jake has to leave my side to attend to some pack matters, I find myself with Erika’s daughter. Brooke and Davis are also missing for some reason. Although I have a feeling that they’re up to something private so I choose not to go looking for them and spend the time with the girls.

“Can you read?” I ask Grace while we are in the small study attached to Jake and Davis’ room. The girls are with me. Grace nods before she reads out the alphabets in the picture book. I applaud her before it’s Nefret’s turn.

She looks at the book with a troubled look before she tells me, “I don’t feel like reading,”

“That’s because she doesn’t know how to read,” It’s Phoebe who speaks up for the first time. She was mostly silent before, absorbed in the video game.

“I can read!” Nefret exclaims, crossing her arms on her chest and glaring at her sister. Even though she is just a four-year-old, there’s something about her actions that seem far mature. I couldn’t help but stare at her.

“She is lying again,” Phoebe tells me, “She always lies. You don’t believe her,”

“No, I don’t,” Nefret mumbles but her sisters ignore her and continue to talk about her, “Yes, she lies a lot,” It’s Grace this time, “She says she saw Arles,” Accuses Grace while pointing a finger at Nefret.

“I did see him,” Nefret argues back this time, “I saw Arles,”

“Arles doesn’t exist,” Phoebe argues but this makes Nefret even more determined before she screams, “Don’t you say that. Arles is real. I saw him!”

“Nefret!” Erika is instantly in the study with a deep scowl, “Why do I hear you scream?” Inquires her mother sternly.

“She is lying about seeing Arles again, mom,” Phoebe complains. While all this unfolds, I am sitting back and watching with silence and confusion. I don’t know who they’re talking about but I am definitely surprised by Nefret’s capability of fighting with her sisters single-handedly. She is bold and strong spirited.

“I am not lying,” Nefret yells.

“Stop it!” Erika interrupts finally before she turns to Nefret, “Time out! Go stand by the stairs and don’t you dare move from there until it’s lunchtime,” Her chilling tone is enough for the little girl to leave the room silently.

I instantly feel bad at this but I don’t want to come off as rude by making remarks on Erika’s parenting skills. After she leaves, I find Nefret sitting by the stairs, alone by herself. She glares at me when I approach her. I am surprised by the amount of resentment she stores for a four-year-old.

“Why are you here?” She grumbles. I smile at her before I sit down by her side, “I am here to talk to you,” I tell her and she turns her head away immediately. I don’t think it’s good for her to store so much resentment at an early age. She’ll be a wreak in her teenage years.

“Your mum is too strict,” My words are enough to gain her attention, “Do you think that?” She asks me with huge innocent eyes. The look of surprise hangs on her face. It’s as if she has finally been understood. It kind of makes me feel bad for her.

I nod lightly at her and instantly see her lowering her guards before she offers me a toothy smile. I continue to ask her next, “Who’s Arles?”

“You don’t know him?” She frowns. I shake my head at her, “Why? He’s the king of the wolves. I saw him once. He said he doesn’t have a mate. I said I’d be his mate and gave him a rose but he left,” She frowns.

I have to suppress a giggle at her words but I continue to listen to her rant with my full interest and attention.

“But you know what?” She continues.

“What?” I ask.

“Grace and Phoebe are jealous of me. I got to see Arles and they didn’t,” She says proudly. I don’t think a four-year-old could ever have a personality like her. Before we realize it’s time for lunch.

**...
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