Chapter 19: Chapter 19

We took a break while I got settled in. I just laid there and looked up at the roof and processed everything that has happened. Like too much is happening all at once and there was no escape from reality. Somedays I wish I was a stupid human all day with a stupid 9-5 job with no worries but trying to make ends meet. Instead, I am dealing with some of the most dangerous supernatural characters. A knock on the door awoke me from my daydreams once again. “Hey, dinner is about to be ready. Or do you prefer a rabbit?” I couldn’t help but laugh at him. “As long as it is a vegan rabbit.” I lifted myself out of bed and followed him out. He led me into a dining room and I am guessing this is his entire family. They all stopped to look at me. “So you met my mom and Alec. This Alias, my dad. There is Mika, Ariel, and the twins are Xavier and Xander. Then probably someone you’d like to meet. This is Max, my grandfather. I looked at him and he looked my age. He stood up, walked over to me, and shook my hand. He walked close to me and began to sniff me. Before he inhaled it and whispered. “Clary.” He took a deep breath and just stared at me. “Thank you for taking care of my grandson. But I can’t be here right now.” Max had walked out the door leaving us completely stunned. Drew had led me to a chair where I was between him and Xander. “I am not her but she hosted in my body. I am sorry if I ruined your dinner.” I announced. “Nonsense. No one forgets about their first love. They are always going to be connected dear.” His mate spoke up. “Well if it makes you feel any better I have one daughter with two men who both want me. And I am on the other side of the country.” It went dead silent. Before everyone broke out into a laugh. After that, it continued to be everything normal. And my stay here for the next week was exactly that. I think I was finally calm.

But every good day comes with a bad one and that was today. I was out on the field just training with Drew because why not? “You really cannot fight.” He joked as he hit me with his elbow but I was able to block him. “I am a dancer, not a fighter. I got mind-linked and ended up with a broken nose. This is not even my real nose honestly.” I went to jab him in the stomach but he was able to flip me with him on top of me. “You seem to be in the position a lot.” He joked on top of me. “Yeah, well I prefer the top,” I said as I bit him and pinned him under me. “Athena.” I looked up and once again I was in for a huge shock. I was looking up at Jack and Vincent. If things weren’t already awkward but Karina and Ryn were with them. I quickly lifted myself up and looked at them. Well, they found me and not in the best position. “Mommy!” Ryn ran into my arms and this was the best moment that I could ask for. I never thought I’d get the chance to see her again. I was joined by Karina who just held me. “Drew, this is my daughter Ryn and my sister Karina. This is Vincent and Jack. My baby daddies.” Vincent had reacted to that comment like he didn’t know what just happened. He reached out his hand and they hesitantly shook his hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you both. It’s nice to put a face to the stories.” I mean I was sleeping with Drew during this time so I am not no innocent. “Alright you two, you both want to go meet a Queen?” They both were overjoyed as the men stood awkwardly. “What queen?” Jack asked. “Do you not know where you are? This is where the Ancient Luna resides.” With that, they changed their whole demeanor.

JACK

We had finally gotten a lead of where she may be and boy were we right. Because we saw her straddling that guy in her workout clothes it left us fuming. We knew she was very promiscuous but was she really that mad that she would hide from us. We looked at the guy and well he was just her type. So it didn’t take a genius to put two and two together. “What do you mean the Ancient Lune lives here? Wait who is that?” I said but that only made her gasp like I should know this stuff. “Luna Vanessa. Hybrid. Rose from the dead after her chosen mate daggered her?” But it was still not clicking to me. Should I know who that is? “If there is one person that the Goddess is scared of then it’s her. She’s immune to all her antics.” Athena spoke of her with such pride and it made it much more real. But I think it was that moment I realized that I loved her. But I couldn’t keep fighting for second place anymore. I looked at her and I looked at Ryn and knew I’d love her and be her dad always. But with Athena, I don’t know if I could do it anymore. The commitment she says she has just doesn’t look so black and white anymore. I’ve had doubts for the longest time and I held on for as long as I could hoping the mate bond would fade and she’d be mine always. But there will always be a part of her that is somewhere else. Maybe if I should have agreed to find my own mate. But could she ever compare to the relationship that I had with Athena? My heart beats for her and our family and I don’t want to look anywhere else. But I know that she doesn’t feel the same as me.

ATHENA

The men followed me into the palace and they had the same reaction as I did. Ryn was in my arms and we made our way in following Drew. He led us into a common area where Vanessa was with Alias and Alec just doing some planning. She said she’d help and she meant it. “Hey Athena, you came just in time. Who are your friends?” She said but barely even took a lookup. “Jack, Vincent, Ryn, and Karina.” And now she finally looked up. Vanessa had walked over and looked at the girls and she was fascinated. She went to Ryn and placed her hands on her head and just stared at her. Until she laid her forehead on hers and it was something magical. “You really are obsessed with this black wolf aren’t you?” Which Ryn nodded excitedly. “That wolf isn’t his you know?” We all look at Vincent and then hers. “What do you mean?” I asked her. “Ryn, do you remember if it was a male or female that said that told you that?” She looked curiously and shook her head. “Come, let me show you what you missed out on in your dream.” She took her by her hand and led her outside and she switched as she mind-linked someone. We followed her back outside and all of her kids met her outside. Including other Alphas from the way it felt. “You see Ryn, you are special to us. Here’s what you missed in that dream.” And one by one they all shifted into their wolves. Each of them was large black wolves. Each bone-breaking and there they were. It was amazing seeing how large the queen was. Ryn ran up to them and one by one pet them. Until she landed on one specific wolf. Xander. She walked up to him and she stayed staring at him. It was then that I knew that when she was older she has a mate. And she will learn that when she becomes of age. But of course, until she is an adult it’ll never happen. I think he was unaware of that but that’s okay he’s way too old. They all darted off into the woods and I am guessing it’s because they didn’t want to scare them. Now off to the next problem.

The night finally came down and after I laid the kids down to sleep. I headed down to the kitchen and found a beer to just unwind. But of course, my men came to join me. I grabbed two more beers and handed it to them. “I know you both want to talk and right now I just want a beer. Because the image of the Goddess naked on top of you is scarring for a decade. And to have you hovering over me waiting until I make a choice I am not with it. Can we just drink a beer? Possibly get drunk and just have a conversation?” They looked at me and just settled for the beer. “Can you just tell me if you were sleeping with that guy?” Jack came out to say. My eyes met the back of my head. “Drew is the guy I lost my virginity to. And yeah we did since I came here. I don’t need your judging looks. I am a girl with needs and two men who can’t get their heads out their asses enough to see there are bigger issues than a relationship.” I chugged down my beer and disposed of it before I cracked another open. “I’m sorry we didn’t include you on the plan that you had originally planned. But you were going through enough and we wanted you to not have to worry about anything.” He continued you. “I was getting my ass beat every day and I was losing all hope! And Vince didn’t bother to come to see me in two weeks while he was getting his dick wet! So don’t you dare talk to me like you were doing me a goddamn favor. But I am not holding it over you. And if I want to go fuck Drew or anyone else for that matter then you bet your ass I will because I am a grown-ass woman who is single and can make my own goddamn bed and lay in it. So don’t try to act so damn angelic when you’re not!” I took the beer and chugged it before I threw it and left. My life has turned into a goddamn soap opera at this point. But I’ll be damned if I have a man tell me what I can and cannot do in my life. I just want to be with my kids and just relax. I don’t want to be committed. I just wanted to be happy.

I headed for the door before I ripped my clothes off to shift into my wolf. I wanted to just run it out because it’s sad to say but I was myself the most when I was just a wolf. Right about now I was wanting some deer. I walked around looking for some prey. I spot a doe nearby and crouched down in the grass to hide from it. I lifted my back legs and slowly wiggled before I darted towards it to be cut off by a black wolf. I quickly shifted back as so did Drew. “Sorry, just didn’t want to see a poor deer get slaughtered when there is food back at the house.” I looked at him with distaste. “Are you really going to suck the fun out of everything?” I joked before I found a seat on the rock. “Those guys didn’t seem too happy when they saw me.” He said joining me. “One is my mate and one is the person I spent the last 5 years with. Now they think they have some kind of hold over me like this is the bachelorette and they’re expecting a rose.” He laughed at my comment. Only because we would watch that together. “So you’re not tied down?” Drew questioned. And it was that question that landed us against a tree taking the air away while completely tongue deep in my mouth. This is what I needed. No attachments just meaningless sex. I think we both knew this agreement.