The Hidden Alpha (Stryders #4) - HOLD

Chapter 29: Family Drama

Mom's role right now was Dad and Grandpa's combined into one. Meaning, in her already busy schedule, she was wearing thin.

After seeking comfort in the hot tub, taking about an hour to just lounge around, I jumped on my king sized bed, completely decorated like it was in a Victorian era - just how I liked it. I added some modern touches like a MacBook on top of the fancy floral table that was supposed to be for makeup. 

Looking at my huge closet didn't make me jump for joy like it normally would. I had rows of shoes- mainly high heels. Shelves decorated in all the designed purses didn't make my heart warm and happy. So I went to sleep earlier than usual. It's been a long day for me. Seeing Lainey was just the icing on the cake of an already horrible one. 

Morning time, I ran downstairs, and I paused at the entrance of our home was a huge portrait of my Grandma, Serenity Stryder. I'm a spitting image of her. 

I paused, thinking, I hope I make her proud today. Would she love me like Grandpa loves me? I knew she would. I knew she would love to go shopping with me and be into all the fashion like me.

Walking into the kitchen, there was a note on the fridge in my Mom's neat handwriting. She couldn't reach me on my phone, so she ordered me a new phone. Even when Mom has zero time, she managed to help Erico and I out with breakfast, cutting up strawberries, mango and pineapple in a bowl and left out our favorite milk bread to eat with Nutella if we wanted to splurge.

Doing all her motherly duties while trying to keep the Council vampire in check.

Mom was literally my superhero.

Not wanting to wake up Erico, I ate without him, and after a while, I knew he wasn't even going to try to eat breakfast. He had to be up. Arranging the breakfast for him, I went up the stairs to where his room was- opposite of the hallway of mine. Hearing him speak to his online friends, shouting something.

I kicked open his door, holding the tray of food and orange juice. Erico glanced briefly back, and I glared making him pause his game. "You're a growing boy. Get off playing League of Losers and eat your breakfast."

"League of Legends," Erico corrected me, swiveling on his black computer chair, putting down his headset. "You and Mom always mess it up."

I rolled my eyes, putting the tray on his white computer desk. "Talking about Mom...How's Mom been doing since you got back? I'm missing her absence already."

Erico picked on his food for a second before answering. "She's been busy nonstop. Grandpa told her that he would stay after he helped West out with his own problem, but Mom insisted that he go with Dad. We know she can handle it, but it's taking all of her time. You know how she is, she'll never tell us how lonely she is or not. Hopefully Dad comes soon so she doesn't have to do this for long."

"I wish we could help her somehow," I sighed, plopping on his bean bag chair. "Maybe she needs a spa day soon."

"Are you sure you're not talking about yourself?" Erico asked, smiling, and I blinked. His resemblance to Dad was uncanny sometimes. Mom hated that both her children looked exactly like Dad's side and not at all hers.

I was going to spend the day with Uncle Kenshi or Aunt Lou, but they were out of town so there went my plan. Reggie wasn't here either, so I couldn't bother him.

West and Wyatt were home. It was a three hour drive, but I wanted something to take my mind off this feeling I was having ever since I got back home. 

"They're here," Erico said, nodding. "They haven't visited us yet, but I think it's because they were handling their own troubles and didn't know we were back with Grandpa. They've been busy too."