Chapter 4

As I look at her a bit stunned and feeling like I know her, but I have never met her. I speak to her. “Hello, nice to meet you. I am Iniko and you are?”

She keeps her sweet smile as she answers me. “I am so proud of you. You have grown up to be such a gentleman. I’m your mother, Iniko. My name is...mom, for now. I am sorry I can’t tell you my name. If I am found here, I am in big trouble. Iniko, I need to know what the Alpha, Luna and Beta have told you?”

Confused as to why she is being so secretive I answer her in a general way. “They only told me they need me to stay here for the protection of the pack. I shifted last night alone being assisted by two warriors who are not sure if they are my friends or not, but the Alpha just said the same thing, but he said something of my father and a curse?”

Her worried face replaces her sweet smile “Iniko, I am so sorry. I owe you a lifetime of spoiling, but right now I can't even do half of the things I really want to do. Those boys are not your enemies yet, hopefully.”

I shrug my shoulders “He did say my dad will be here. Is my dad here?” She nods her head at me which makes me smile.

“Yes he is, we lied telling him only your father will be going. Son, know that we did not give you up. He took you from us and challenged your father. He said if we didn’t give him the title he would hurt you. We could not imagine a world without you so your dad was lost and in exchange. You were raised by him and his mate.” She sounded so broken as she told me this.

“Is that why I was never allowed to roam around or attend school with the rest. I have homeschooled my entire life in the packhouse. He was keeping me as a prisoner. My entire life was just a big cage.”

Wanda looks around her as she is starting to get ready to leave. “You must believe me….the others were asked to be in a meeting and he commanded them as the new Alpha that no soul would talk about what happened that day….”

“Went where?”

Wanda nods at me. “We left the island to the only other place we could live in peace… a girl we have been protecting her coven… Her name is Rebbeca, she says you are her mate. Son, that is the curse we need to find a way to beat….”

I raise my eyebrows and my eyes grow big. “Ree? She is a real person? I thought she was just my imaginary friend. Nobody could ever see her… why is that?”

“She wants you as her own. We know she is not your mate if she does appear to you. Do not leave with her. Please do not go with her or anyone she knows!” She tells me as she holds my shoulders tight.

I step back for her to get off me. “She said she was coming to my party if you know her can’t you stay and talk with her?”

Wanda let’s go of me. “I can't because her father is the one in charge of the coven. We live in the only house that the cemetery holds. He has no idea we left because it's morning. Promise me this and I promise to go swimming together… please?”

From her motherly ways as she treats me and how she is still willing to have me around. I become very uneasy at knowing she has to leave soon. “Will I be able to be with you… I… I don’t want you to leave…. Please…”

“I am sorry…. Soon we will meet again… I promise….”

She holds my cheeks, I feel like she is leaving me as a choice. I don't want my mom to leave. I don’t think I can leave her. She cups my face and gives me a kiss on my forehead. I feel drops of tears on my shirt and I don’t realize there are my own and my mom's. I don't want her to leave me again. I understand this was for my own good, but I can't accept them leaving. Maybe if I go with Ree I can be with them, but mom said not to, what do I do?

As she moves away she says. “Stay safe until we come back to stay. You will need to train to take back the leadership, to be the true Alpha of this place.”

“The what?! I can't be Al-”

My mouth is covered and my mom comes into my room, closing the door. She moves away to the bathroom in my room. The door starts to wiggle, in comes Kealan. Great, now I have more people. I need my mom out of the house so she can go to Dad. She will come back, I know there's so much to do, but there is a hope that I will be with my family!

“Hey, can we talk….” He says with a sad tone.

Turning to see him, I sigh. “Depends, you acted pretty confidently as a warrior to protect your pack from a monster like me.” I say as I play with my fingers.

“No, that's not true. Look bro I am your friend, but you know no one can go against the Alpha unless one is an Alpha.”

That hit me, I never heard the Alpha give me a command, he always only asked politely. Is it because he knew I was the real Alpha. Evergreen Pack always had a strict Alpha. Well at least the current one, but then again I don’t know my dad, but I would like to. I always wanted my family back. I am not heartless, I know there is always a choice and I want to learn theirs.

“Look I am going through a lot dude. I don’t want more on my plate. Just back and have fun, isn’t that why you are here?”

Kaelan answers a bit disappointed in me. “Just because you shifted doesn’t make you better.”

“I know I am not good enough for anyone. You think I don’t know that from everyone who is constantly around me? Like I am some kind of curse?”

He raised his eyes “You know?”

“Yeah I know that was what I was told before I shifted by the Alpha himself, but I have no idea what it is. Why is it a curse or what does it do?”

Kaelan scratches his cheek. “I don't know either, but I am here to help. Just don’t hold it against me if I am ordered in Alpha’s voice… truce?”

He places his hand in front of me waiting for me to shake it. I spit on my hand and shake it. Now he has no shot at leaving my furry butt behind. He smiles and laughs with me, we give a manly hug.

“Dude I am driving myself nuts that I have a house, can ya help take care of the guests? I have no idea who will be here.”

Kealan’s huge smile is as clear as day. “I bet, yeah see ya downstairs party animal!”

He closes the door, I go and take the small present the Luna gave me and open the door where my mom was putting my stuff wherever they go. I chuckle at her acting like my mom, my mom.