10. JELLY BEAN

ATHENA POV

“Baine, where could she have run off to?”

“We will find her, honey. All of the warriors are out looking for her now.”

“It’s been five hours since she left the coven house. The rogue activity has been at an all-time high for the last couple of months, they could kill her!”

“Athena!” My husband grabbed my shoulders, holding me in place.

“That is very far from the truth and you know it! Our girls may be young but they are fighters, they have trained their whole lives to protect themselves.”

“Don’t you dare snap at me!” I pushed myself out of my husband’s grip.

“My child is missing and the only thing you have to say is that she can take care of herself!”

“I’m sorry to tell you buddy boy, but training to fight and fighting are two completely separate things!”

Baine rubbed his face and took a deep breath before he spoke.

“Yes, honey, I know and I’m sorry, but I’m just as scared for her as you but worrying to death isn’t helping either one of us.”

I knew he was right, but I would never admit it willingly.

“You better find her Baine! If I have to find her, I can’t promise I will leave everyone alive in my wake!”

I turned on my heels to go find the rest of my girls.

BAINE POV

Man, that woman drives me up the wall.

How was I supposed to know exactly where our teenage brat ran off to?

I love my girls, but man, oh man, do they have their mother’s smart-ass mouth and stubbornness.

I was sure Melia was just cooling down somewhere.

We dropped a lot of unsettling information into her lap and we both knew it wasn’t something that any of the girls were just going to readily accept.

For goddess sake, their whole world just got turned upside down.

They learned that I, the man that they have known their whole life, isn't their biological father.

They learned that they are most likely wolves because of their Alpha wolf sperm donor.

They are now supposed to leave their coven and their lives to live with a strange man in his pack whom they know nothing about.

We didn’t prepare them for this!

I knew we were being selfish for keeping this secret hidden for so long, but Athena was so sure that the goddess would give Alpha August a second chance to mate, just like she had been blessed with.

That way he could have a new heir to his pack and he would leave our girls here with us.

But we were wrong and now look at this mess.

The Alpha just comes bursting into our territory whenever he wants.

Maisie was having a mental breakdown, Melia was nowhere to be found and then there was Athena and she might rip some poor sap's head clean off their shoulders.

Believe me, I've seen her do it!

Why hadn't I just been blessed with boys?

ATHENA POV

That man was going to be the death of me! 

I cursed my husband silently as I stomped my way up the coven house stairs.

"Why in the goddess's name do we have so many gosh damn steps?

When I finally reached the girl's room, the fight had all but been drained out of me and all I had left with was sadness.

How did I let this get so far?

"Masiana!" I knocked as I stepped into her bedroom.

Without a response, I climbed into bed with her, wrapping her in a full-body hug.

At first, she tensed but quickly relaxed against me.

I buried my face into her neck and silently we stayed like that for a very long while.

***

When Maisie finally wiggled out of my embrace and turned around to face me, she kissed me on the nose.

"You know your hugs are the best types of hugs even if you are like an octopus with your arms and legs twisted all around me," she said with a giggle.

"I know! It was the only way I was able to calm you girls down when you had nightmares after your aunt's passed. I honestly thought you would grow out of them by now but I'm glad you haven’t".

"Mama, I don't know if we ever really will."

I kissed my sweet girl on the forehead.

"Tell me what is going on behind them, beautiful sapphire blue eyes, jelly bean?"

Maisie sucked in a deep breath and puffed her cheeks out before she spoke.

"Why did you wait so long to tell us that dad isn't our dad? That some man we have never met is and he turns into a dog."

"First of all, your dad will always be your dad, and second, Alpha August is a good man jelly bean. In another life, he was the love of my life and he gifted me with the most beautiful little girls I have ever seen. I know this is all very scary for you girls, but he has waited eighteen years to see and hold his only children. It's going to take some getting used to but just give him a chance. He is going to teach you about this whole other part of yourself that you didn't even know existed. I may have only been a wolf for a short while, but it was the only time I ever truly felt free in my whole life. Like I could finally just be me."

"Wait and see jelly bean! You have no clue what life has in store for you, but you can't hide under these covers forever."

"I'm scared mom."

"You're supposed to be jelly bean. I was too, but that's what makes it an adventure."

"Do I have to go?"

"Maisie, I won't force you to leave your home, but you should think about what you're missing out on. Eventually, your wolf will come and I will be unable to teach you about that part of yourself."

She opened her mouth to protest.

"Just think about it, jelly bean. I have to go check if anyone has located Melia." I interrupted her.

"What do you mean, where did she go?"

"I'm not sure, she ran out of the house six hours ago and no one has heard from her since."

"What!" Maisie jumped from the bed.

"We have to find her, it's going to get dark soon."

"Calm down Maisie, all the warriors are out looking for her as we speak. I have to go find your father, but I will be back soon. Stay put, I mean it!" I warned my daughter as I made my way out of her room. 

MELIA POV

"MELIA, PLEASE. PLEASE WAKE UP. MELIA, NOW!"  a voice was screaming at me.

When I lifted my head to try and clear out all the fog in my brain, I was met with piercing red eyes staring back at me. 

Startled, I jumped to my feet. 

"Hello, they're beautiful! What are you doing out here all alone?" An eerie-looking man smirked as he turned his head to the side like he was trying to get a better look at me. 

My skin automatically crawled and I shuttered.

He reached his hand out to me and I jumped back before he could touch me.

"Hmm, a unique little thing, aren't you?"

"If I can't compel you to come with me, then I'll just have to take you by force." The man twisted his face into a vile sneer.

"Don't touch me!" I warned.

As he started to circle me, he tapped his long skinny finger on his ghostly pale chin. 

"Only the very old and most powerful of our kind can not be compelled by me. You must have ancient blood running through those veins of yours to be so young and yet so powerful. Yes, very special indeed!"

"I can't place your scent little one, you're like nothing I have ever smelt before, almost intoxicating."

For just a split second, he tensed his shoulders and I knew he was going to try and pounce. 

I stepped to the right, barely missing his assault. Quickly, I extend my hand palm side up, creating a large fireball, forcing space between the two of us.

"You're a witch! It can't be." He hissed.

"You have to the count of three to walk away or I promise that only one of us will be walking away from this fight alive and it isn't going to be you." I spat at him as I raised my other hand, causing the fireball to grow larger. 

Satisfied with the fact that he wasn’t able to take me alive, he did the next best thing. 

"I'll be back little one, you haven't seen the last of me just yet." He threatened.

As he stared at me with those vile blood-red eyes and a stomach-twisting smirk that screamed serial killer, he slowly backed away from me, retreating deep into the forest. 

My whole body shuttered with disgust before my knees gave out.