-Seth-
I stare at the mass of kids standing outside. Technically, only three of them should be here. Well, if we’re being very precise, none of those three should be here.
My oldest son, Andrew, was given research from my grandmother about the wolves' powers failing. It’s not her handwriting, and while sometimes she makes sense when you talk to her, I don’t trust it enough to believe what she says. She laughed when I asked her questions and told me just to let Andrew watch her memories. The problem with that is that Andrew isn’t entirely comfortable with it. His magic isn’t fully controlled, and since she’s so old, he’s afraid he’ll hurt her.
Whoever wrote the notes had a theory that the alpha training was created to hide the alpha’s weaknesses. Then the Royals started sending the heir, but that only messes up their plan for three years while the heir was there.
But now Benjamin has created a whole damn army of kids who need training. I have five children now. Only three are males, and only one is the heir to the throne, but both my daughters will revolt if their brothers are trained and they aren’t. My own mate, Molly, would have quite a bit to say about it, too.
Molly’s brother, Calvin, has four children with Alpha Ada. Given that their eldest child snagged control of a pack as a small pup, we have no clue whether the pack will pass to Katya or their oldest son, Atticus. That leaves their two other children, who are stronger than most alpha’s kids.
Ada’s brother, Anthony, holds his own pack and has three kids who are all as strong as our kids. Since Benjamin is mated to Ada and Anthony’s mother, we consider them family. They’re Benjamin’s stepkids, and that’s family enough for us.
Molly’s brother is an alpha all the way across the kingdom, but they’re family. If we’re going to start our own training here, it only makes sense for Rob’s kids to join ours.
There is so much to figure out, like at what age we should even start with them. How old do they need to be to live here? I should have planned this better, but I thought Andrew would get control of his magic by now.
Olivia, Oliver and Michael’s daughter, whom they adopted, runs up and links arms with my Emily. They’re such good friends, having lived in the palace together. I watch as Benjamin smiles at the girl. She’s as much his grandchild as Anthony’s kids are.
It’s been astonishing to watch Benjamin become PopPop. I’d never heard a good word about him, and then when I met him, so angry and frail, I didn’t know what to think. He tried to gain a pack when he realized his daughter would be the queen, but that day Molly brought him back to life, something in him changed. Molly will always tell you it’s just who he is deep down, but I swear she gave a little part of herself to him, and it made him become a decent man.
“This is a terrible f*****g idea,” I tell my dad as Atticus takes Andrew to the ground. It’s a miracle none of them have killed each other while together over the years. It’s rare that we have this many together, though. It may be what accomplishes the feat.
“Or the best idea,” Dad says. “We will be able to cover much more of their training this way. We all have unique strengths, and with David, we now have a research department.”
Mason uses his magic and rips a tree down, almost smashing poor Oscar with it. I’m about to go to them, but Molly beats me to it. They’re all excited, but this is out of hand.
“They’re too young,” I say. Mason and Oscar are only ten and eleven years old. Training isn’t supposed to start until fifteen, but the research we now have from Grandma Cora has left me a bit rattled. “This was a bad idea.”
Dad shakes his head as Benjamin goes out into the middle of the kids. His shirt is off, and he’s ready to wrestle. He’s always ready to wrestle the kids. It’s probably why he’s their favorite.
“Someone should tell Benjamin that he’s old now,” Dad chuckles as he lifts Emily, my youngest daughter, onto his shoulder.
“He’s making up for the years that he lost his strength. Between that and finally being marked, he thinks he’s twenty years younger than he is.”
Andrew stands alone off to the side, taking in the mess. Calvin approaches him, and as they stand beside each other, the resemblance slaps me in the face. The two could be twins, but more than their looks, they even act the same. I didn’t think I’d met someone more observant than Calvin until Andrew got older and I could see it in him.
“It’s a wonderful plan, son,” Dad smiles. They aren’t all his grandpups, but don’t dare tell him that. He loves them all as if they are. “You can’t send Andrew to training with his powers as they are, anyway. Training all the kids ourselves will be the best thing for them in the long run.”
I nod. “And when I replace the weaker alphas with them, do you think the kingdom will take issue. They are the strongest wolves, and they are my nieces and nephews. Hell, they’re my own kids.”
“We’ll worry about that when we get there.”
I walk over to my eldest son and brother-in-law, crossing my arms as we watch the kids all pile on their beloved PopPop.
“Was Mom mad that I didn’t shift?” Andrew asks.
“What? Of course not,” I say, furrowing my brow. “Why would you think that?”
Andrew shrugs. “She was so excited the first time, and then nothing happened.”
“Your mom would like to still think that you’re five years old,” Calvin tells him. “She’ll be a crying mess when you do shift.”
Andrew nods once as Calvin looks uncomfortable. Last night ended well for Andrew, and we cleared the air a bit, but there will always be doubts there for him. For now, it’s about shifting. Once that happens, he’ll find something else.
“Listen, I talked to Ada,” Calvin says.
Andrew nearly panics. “I shouldn’t have said it. I know Aunt Ada likes me, I just get treated differently than everyone all the time and…”
“Stop,” Calvin tells him calmly. “She understands. She’s always felt bad about it. With your parents’ permission, she’d like to talk to you and show you some memories. She thinks it’s time that you learn about the twins.”
I tense. “Is that wise?”
Calvin shrugs. “That’s why she wants your permission, and for you to be there.”
Andrew sighs. “I wasn’t trying to make things difficult, but I did.”
Celeste approaches and gives Andrew a big hug before kissing his cheek. Instantly, his cheeks turn pink, and he steps back, a sure sign he accidentally saw another memory.
“I’m sorry, CeCe,” he says.
“Oh, honey, it’s my fault. I forgot,” she tells him, her own cheeks pink.
Shit. He definitely saw something he shouldn’t have. It used to only be an occasional occurrence, but puberty hit, which makes your wolf begin to rage as a male, but it made his magic spiral out of control, too. Testosterone rises, and your anger increases. I was ready for that. But for Andrew, things started flying through the house.
The worst part is that he feels bad about it. Molly wants to help him but doesn’t know how, because magic is different for a man. He has to find it in himself and tame it, but that isn’t happening.
Cora’s magic calmed as she got older. Molly can tell her to do something, and it simply works for her, which creates more frustration for Andrew. I want so badly to help him, but I don’t understand enough of it to do anything. Even his brother Tyler has tried, but then puberty hit him, too, and they’re both raging magical messes.
Andrew sighs. “I’m going inside.”
“Hold on,” my dad calls after him. “I’ve got something to show you.”
The two of them go inside. Dad reaches out for his arm, but Andrew jerks away quickly.
“Was what he saw that bad?” I ask Celeste.
She looks nervous. “It wasn’t GOOD. He didn’t see much, but it was enough for him to realize that he didn’t want to see it.”
Aksara