5. Thor

Thor's POV

"Thor, your father is on the line for you." Eric, my best friend and assistant said. I look up from the vegetables and pieces of fruit I was adding to the blender to see him walk towards me with a phone in hand.

I ignore the phone and continue with what I'm doing

"You can tell Vlad, The Impaler, I'm not home or he could go fuck himself, I don't give a shit either way!" I coldly reply.

I'm about to add another vegetable to the smoothie I'm making when I hear my old man's angry voice blaring out of the phone's speaker. My hand freezes midair over the blender with the kale I'm about to put in it

"You scoundrel, son of a gun!... 'Vlad, The Impaler!?' Really!?... I might not be the best father in the world but I am still your father, stupid and I hope you've not forgotten that!?... I expect you back home in California by tomorrow evening! And when I say tomorrow evening, I mean tomorrow evening Thor! This is the last time I will be asking you so don't force my hand into doing what we will both live to regret for the rest of our lives!" He finished talking in annoyance and promptly end the call.

"You bastard!" I said, looking at Eric with a raise brow. I wonder why he didn't tell me the phone was on speaker mode. 'Did he do that deliberately?' I wonder since I can see that he's trying his damnedest best not to laugh. I stuff the kale in my hand inside the already full blender, press a button, and the machine whir to life.

My father is the Alpha of The Silver Moon pack, which is the largest pack in North America. He and I were never close when my mother was alive. And when she died when I was thirteen, I blamed him for her death which further drove a bigger wedge between us. I lived in his pack for about a year after my mother's death, with little or no communication between us before he decided to send me to live with my Alpha uncle in Denmark.

Since I turned twenty-five, three years ago, he has been demanding I come back home. I never took him seriously since I already let him know my stand on the topic. I don't know why he kept insisting when he knew I would never change my mind. California is no longer my home. The city is a constant reminder of what my mother went through and the gruesome manner she and Eric's parents were murdered.

"You scoundrel, son of a gun!" Eric mimic my dad's voice and guffawed "How come you never run out of nicknames to call your dad?... Oh, man! I knew he would catch you in the act one day!" He added as he pull a stool out from under the kitchen island and sat opposite me

"And how come your incompetent ass didn't know to warn me the phone was on speaker mode!? Or did you deliberately set me up!?" I ask with irritation. Even though Eric and his pranks had always been a pain in the arse, to me no one is more experienced to be my assistant than him and

I know nobody has my back more than him

"I swear I didn't know. My fingers must have unknowingly pressed the button but boy, am I glad you were caught?" He said and laugh again

"Yeah, like I care" I reply as I stop the blender. I detach the large jug from the machine before pouring the content into two large glasses.

"Breakfast is served," I said and push one toward him

"Thanks." He replied

I gulp down my smoothie in one go.

"So why was Shrek asking me to come home this time?" I ask as I walk toward the sink to wash my glass.

"Why is who asking?... Who is Shrek?" For a moment he looked confused before he realized who I was referring to and laugh out loud again.

Thor, my god, you're crazy man!.." He said and couldn't stop laughing. "I'll call home and make inquiries about the new happenings." He added after he finally stopped laughing. He finished drinking the rest of his smoothie and take his glass to the sink to wash. "I'll inform you when I find out what happened." He said and leaves the kitchen

The day is a public holiday in Denmark where we are. Since we won't be going to the office, I go to my study to get some work done. I didn't know for how long I'd been working when I hear a knock on the door...

"Yeah, come in," I say and Eric entered, going straight to the swivel chair in front of my desk to sit, turning this way and that on it.

"So?... What did you find out?" I asked impatiently when he didn't say anything after some seconds that he had sat down

He exhaled

"I'm afraid our going back to California is inevitable this time. We have to go!"

"Inevitable?... Eric, you of all people should know how I feel about this..."

"Your dad is sick, Thor! So we have to go!" He replied in a matter of fact tone

"My dad is sick?" I repeated stupidly since I've always seen the old wolf as the kind who never gets sick. I've always pictured him as solid as a mountain.

"Why couldn't he just tell me he's sick?" I ask. I might not have the kind of father-son relationship with my dad, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be concerned for his health.

"Maybe because he's as proud and stubborn as you are?..." He replied with a raised eyebrow. "According to my findings, his sickness is not the life-threatening kind, but of old age. He's getting too old to be responsible for a pack as big as the Silver Moon. He wants to retire"

"Then he should retire! He didn't need to shoulder the responsibilities all by himself! I don't understand why his retirement now becomes my business. He has another son from his Luna, didn't he? Couldn't his son take over from him? Isn't Justin capable enough to be the Alpha of the largest pack in the whole of North America!?" I asked sarcastically. I know I'm being insensitive towards my dad's feelings but I don't care at that moment. All I could think of is my mom and what she went through after he abandoned her.

"And you think he didn't remember he has another son before asking you to come home?"

"Whatever man! I'm still not going!'

"Thor!..."

"Let it go, Eric!" I shouted. "Stop insisting! I am not going! Read my lips!"

"And why!?... You're the first son, why won't you go!?" He replied calmly not minding the fact that I just shouted at him.

"I am the first son by just a few hours! I am also the bastard son that people made fun of! He abandoned my pregnant mother immediately after he found his mate and never bothered to check on her!? If it wasn't for your parents that were always there for her..."

I sigh.

"I thought we already passed that phase!? We are werewolves, Thor! Even if you and I haven't found our mates yet, I thought we understood the bond between a wolf and his mate quite well!?"

I couldn't comment on that since I know Eric was right but it still doesn't make me feel better about the fact that the old wolf never bothered to check on us. I got to be closer to his Beta, Eric's father, who he would always send to us than to my own father.

"I have my own company and responsibilities to look after now! I can't just pack and leave everything behind just because he demanded it!"

"Common man!" He exclaimed and eye roll me "At least give me a better excuse than the one that will make a seasoned businessman look stupid."

"Okay, here's a better excuse... I am comfortable. A very rich man as a matter of fact. I don't have to be his successor. I don't want him handing me the Alpha position simply because he's guilty about the way he treated me and my mother."

"And who told you he's handing anything to you? You are going to fight Justin for it in a duel and your dad knows you can easily win this duel. He knows you're more capable to lead the Silver Moon Pack. He trusts you."

I looked at Eric with frustration since it seems no matter what excuse I gave, he was always ready with the right answer to counter them.

"C'mon, man! I know this is not about the Luna, your stepbrother, or about you not getting along with your father. We've been friends since cradle and I know you more than anyone alive. So now, are you gonna tell me your real reason for not wanting to go back?"