quadrival (fxmxfxm poly)

CHAPTER 2

CLEO'S POV
"Come on," I encouraged, grasping at Kynan's shoulders, standing him up and tucking him into my side. "Let's go inside." His arms still had a vice grip over my shoulders, not wanting to loose contact. Having no trouble with his weight, I walked us into the house. Behind, I could vaguely hear Domenic greeting his family and leading them to the guest housing. Most of my attention was focussed on the weeping boy leaning heavily on me, his sobs mostly reduced. Moving into the house, Athrav began to gravitate towards us, but I quietly gave him a signal, not yet, with a sombre smile. I received a nod in response. At the signal, the rest of the pack took a few steps back, making a path to the blue room - our cosiest, calmest room. I held my hand out for him, and he took it eagerly, his fingers twitching, wanting to hold tighter. So I willing did so. Walking through the corridors can Kynan didn't look up, his gaze glued to our hands. 
The blue room's quite small, with a number of blankets, pillows and beanbags to lounge on quietly. I plonked on a beanbag and pulled Kynan down on the one beside me, keeping our hands connected, but guiding his head so he was partially lying down.
"Hi." I almost cooed, brushing his dark hair off his face, eliciting a purr-like sound to escape him, making me giggle. We sat there for a while, my hand carding through his hair, his eyes peering into mine. A constant smile was on my face. At some point, Joel slipped in some water bottles and some snacks. Eventually, his purring stopped, snapping out of his semi-trance-like state. Able to pull himself out of the present moment, he whined loudly.
"I can't believe I cried!" He wailed, his face pinkening slightly.
"Don't worry," I couldn't help but laugh a bit at his misery. "That's how most the reunions turn out. Worse has happened though."
"Worse than bawling your eyes out upon first sight?" He deadpanned.
"Yep," I nodded. "Domenic straight up fainted."
A snort escaped him.
"Alright, this is what can happen today," I began. "But if it seems too much we can always do it tomorrow or next week." I assured, getting a cute smile in response. "So, I'll give you a tour of our house and land while also introducing you to everyone. Then, tonight, we have planned a little feast in your honour. You can probably smell the barbie that Inayat's just put on. But tonight is for you to wrap your head around anything. And we can do a run if you feel comfortable. For the next week, you'll hang around me. Doing this means we'll get to know each other better, strengthening the innate bond between us to the point that you can be added to the mind link. After this week, will be your induction night. This will be your night for you to ask anyone, anything, and vice versa. Does that all seem okay to you?"
He nodded, a bit overwhelmed.
"Well, we'll start with tonight. Are you up for the feast and the run?"
"The run?" He questioned timidly.
"A run in our wolf forms." I could practically see his metaphorical tail begin to wag. "To carry over to dinner, eat this." I passed Kynan the banana Joel had dropped off and the water bottle with Kynan's name. Seeing his name on the bottle caused tears to well in his eyes once more, but not falling. While he ate, I spoke more about our pack members avidly.
"One last thing before we start the tour." Moving to grab the banana peel to take to the kitchen. "Do you suffer from any mental health problems?" He hesitantly shook his head: my smile disappearing with the seriousness of the matter. "Do you have any trigger words that we should be aware of?" He went to shake his head again before pausing, hesitating. "It's alright, throughout this week I'll learn all about you and our pack and I will be here to comfort you whenever you need."
"I have a thing with the m word." He eventually confessed. At its mention, I rubbed a hand over the scar of the word carved into my chest.
"You wouldn't be the only one." I returned with a sad smile. "Alrigh!" Standing up and clapping my knees, I held a hand out. "Let's get this your tour started, shall we?" I hauled him up but kept my hand in his.
"Okay so, this room is the blue room. Used if you want some peace and quiet-" the tour continued to the kitchen and living area spaces, crashing into some of the pack as we moved through. Despite being embarrassed by his initial reaction, Kynan displayed a large grin at all times, even if slightly his brown skin tinged red with old embarrassment.
"The green room is also the office used for pack matters; so you may find me in there quite a bit-" going through all of the different coloured rooms we had passed most of the pack.
"How many people are there?" Kynan queried.
"You make 37." I smiles back. My chest panted at the reminder; our subspecies is endangered. Out of the whole country, almost 27 million, we've only accumulated to 37. There are still a few we're waiting on, but not many. Finishing the shared areas, we moved upstairs.
"How do you pay for all this stuff?" Kynan asked, standing on the small balcony overseeing the living areas, including the dining space to seat us all and guests.
"It's a bit complicated," I started. "First off, with the reestablishment of the pack, grants from extremely old vamps arrived. They were stored away as they remember our service to the community all those years ago, and wanted to pay us back. The money was multiplied through their companies and trades and successors. That cash helped us get on our feet, helped me renovate this abandoned pack house." Turning to meet his gaze, Kynan looked surprised. "And then, we have our own company and occasionally the pack like to chip in a bit of their own earnings, but that is not necessary." I stressed.
"A company?" His eyes widened with curiosity.
"Yep!" A proud smile bloomed across my face. "I started the company when I was 18. I run a Werewolf Awareness program. Schools and workplaces hire us to run these programs. Usually we have to reach out first, but most are onboard with the notion. It goes through the history of werewolves, the injustice we have been dealt and how to contribute making a better future for all subspecies." Kynan looked amazed. "Across this week, at some point I'll give you the speech," I nudged him softly. "Come on, let's keep going."
We moved through the corridors lined with doors. "This is where all the rooms are, as well on the next level." As I expected our numbers to grow, the vacant rooms far surpassed the occupied. "And this my room." Stopping in front of my opened door, allowing him to peer into my perpetually organised mess, causing me to give him a sheepish smile. My room is in the centre of the house, to allow for everyone to reach me if they ever need. "This on the door-" I grabbed the flippable red and green sign. "- is the indicator of my night. When flipped to green, anyone is welcome to join me in my room and sleep beside me either in wolf or human form. And the red is when my room is not open for casual sleepovers."
"Everyone needs some alone time."
"Exactly." A fond smile appearing on my face.
"For the first night, you'll stay here with me, and in a couple of nights, I'll open it up to the others to join us. After your induction night you're free to do as you please." Walking further down the hall, we pass Athrav's room, where he's plonked on the two seater couch, scrolling through his phone. The room adjacent is plain white, with build it cupboard and white bed sheets. Each of the rooms were the size of a small apartment: each with a small bathroom, very basic kitchen and enough space for a bed and a small living space.
"This is your room." Kynan walked forward almost cautiously, when his eyes began to well up once again. A harsh exhale broke through him.
"I can't believe I'm here."
"Exactly where you're supposed to be." He composed himself promptly before glancing around the room some more. "We can jazz it up a bit more was your settled. Min's a fabulous painter and will gladly paint your room however you would like." Looking around, he seemed to be mapping out a design. "Oh, and also, these doors lock." I said, gesturing to the door we'd just walked through. "But know, if we fear for your safety, either mentally or physically and you are not responding, the beta's and myself have master keys." Nodding aimlessly to my words, he tilted his head, turning to me once more.
"Beta's?" He questioned.
"Second in commands. Scout, Inayat, Ryan and Thou are our current Beta's, they'll make sure to introduce themselves at dinner, so you know who they are. If you ever need anything, and I'm not around, they can help you." I finished with a smile. "Ok!" I clapped. "Onwards!" We moved out of the room, my hand clamped on his wrist. As we went to move away, something twanged inside me, taking my breath shortly. "Actually, let's meet your neighbour." I pulled Kynan into Athrav's doorway.
The moment there's eyes met, their breaths caught. I almost laughed at Athrav's wondered gaze and Kynan's jaw opening slightly accompanied by flushing cheeks. Athrav could only give a small wave before, I was moving on. "Alright, let's keep moving." Putting a bit of effort in to pull Kynan out of the doorway, I sent Athrav's a wink with a Cheshire grin on my face. His amazed face turned into disbelief at my expression, making me cackle quietly.
"I'll show you the guest house tomorrow. Basically where family and paying visitors stay, similar to this but smaller. I should probably meet your parents at some point. Kinda left them hanging in the driveway. " Kynan wasn't listening anymore as I babbled, caught in his thoughts. "Yes, he's very pretty but I think you should be listening." I teased, receiving no response. "Or I can take you back to Athrav and dack you." The fog in his eyes seem to break at the mention, his light hazel eyes widening. "Alright, now I have your attention," I snickered. "Let's go see your parents." Said family could be found in the kitchen below, chatting to some other pack members, mostly cheerfully.
Like Kynan, his parents had brown skin with Latin origin, emphasised by their 'Vanderas' last name, with one parent from Argentina and the other with Chilean grandparents. I did my research, sifting through Kynan's family files to make him feel more at home. The rest of his family was fae, their pointed ears poking though their dark hair. His father was speaking animatedly with Beaux, who sat leaned forward, invested in the conversation. His brother sat by the pair with a bored looked on his face, only slightly older than Kynan, by about 2 years. His mother, however, sat stiffly in her seat. As I appeared, all the wolves glanced up at me with a smile. Walking to the table with Kynan on my tail, Kynan's family stood.
"Lovely to meet you all, my names Cleo." I held my hand out enthusiastically. Kynan's father, Paul, shook my hand with equal enthusiasm.
"This place the amazing!" I blushed slightly at the compliment and bowed my head in thanks. This place and the people in it is, and forever will be, my greatest achievement, the thing I am most proud of. Marcus, Kynan's brother, shook my hand, looking more interested this time, a pleasantly curious look on his face. Almara, Kynan's mother, refused my hand with a disappointed look on her face.
"How are you supposed to protect my son?" She looked disdainfully at my small and battered statute. The metaphorical hackles began to rise of the other wolves in the room, even Kynan, the air immediately thickening dangerously.
"Mrs. Vanderas I swear on everything I love, that I will protect Ky-" she cut me off swiftly.
"Mmhmm," she hummed sarcastically. "And how exactly would you do that, huh? 'Kill them with kindness'." Her accent thickened in her sarcasm. A smile was still on my face, lacking the genuinity previously. Growls started to rumble around me.
"Mrs. Vanderas, I'd advice you to-" she once again cut me off.
"What sort of 'Alpha' are you supposed to be?" My smile flickered before returning. Kynan's growl began behind me, shocking his mother into disbelief.
"Mrs, Vanderas, I assure that I am compeletly capa-" I didn't last long once again.
"Don't growl at me, boy!" Kynan's growl dampened but didn't stop. An innate conflict occurring between his loyalty and respect to either his mother or pack, causing confusion and panic to run through his system. Feeling his growing discomfort, I reacted.
I took a deep breath, initiating a low, quiet rumbling and releasing my aura. The aura of dominance could cripple anyone at full exposure, even other alphas if on our land. For this matter, only a fraction was needed.
"Mrs. Vanderas," the combination of my sterner voice and the waves of dominance I was releasing onto her, she finally stayed quiet. Despite being a similar height, I could tell she recognised I was bigger, her eyes wide and lips together tightly. "If you insult or disrespect Kynan or our pack again, I will have to ask you to leave." My smile gone, I assured she received the message, waiting for confirmation. The silence didn't last long. She nodded frantically.
"Now," my smile returned but aura and growl stayed in tact. "I understand you are worried for your son, but I can assure you that I do everything in my power to make sure all of my pack is happy and thriving. If you still question my ability to protect, I'd advice you to speak to any of the pack members that will graciously tell you my achievements. I understand that it is the love for your son that is accumulating in anger, but I suggest you get a hold of yourself before speaking again."  She then did something none of us expected and hugged me, halting my rumbling swiftly.