Unrejected Mates

Chapter 22: "Tears"

Celia POV

"Mommy, why is Hank taking care of us?" Kathy asks.

I take a sharp breath; for sure, I wasn't ready for this question. I guess I have been sure that my daughter has just accepted our new situation and living in a pack and hasn't wondered too much about why it had happened.

"He is a werewolf like you, Kathy, so that's why the Black Moon Pack took us in," I say.

"Yes, but why do we live with Hank? You told me that uncle David is your mother's brother, and Danny is your friend's son, but you haven't told me who Hank is. And why have we been living so long not here if I'm like all from here?"

I know that look on her face; she doesn't intend to let it go. I turn away my eyes from her; I'm not ready for this. I'm not ready to tell the truth; I don't want to tell her the truth.

"Mommy, don't ignore me; I want to know," she shouts to get my attention.

"Kathy, don't be rude to your mother."

I hear a calm voice; I don't have to look in its direction to know it's him. How come he is always so close to us and always shows up at the right moment?

Hank motions for Kathy to come to him, and she does.

"We will explain everything to you soon, I promise, but right now, neither mommy nor I are ready for that. And about why you weren't living here, your mum is a human, and humans don't know where packs live. She didn't know where Black Moon was, and we didn't know where you were living. We managed to find you when you were attacked some weeks ago and took you here. I hope you like it here, Kathy?"

"I do. I want to stay here forever!"

"And you will stay here, I promise you that, but there are still things mum and I have to figure out, ok? Probably, we will tell you when you are older?"

"Like mum's scars?" she asks innocently, and I flinch, "Mum told me that she would talk with me about them when I get older."

I see his eyes darkening at her statement; he sends me a quick look and nods to Kathy. She doesn't seem happy, but I guess she accepts his explanation. I release a huge breath I've been holding.

Thankfully, Kathy doesn't ask more questions because Rosie enters the living room and begs her to play with her and some other girls, which Katy does immediately. Hank behaves like he wants to say something more, but he doesn't because his eyes glisten. I know now that it's a sign that someone mindlinked him.

"I need to step outside for a moment," he says.

I follow after him, leaving the girls to play alone. Hannah is standing at the entrance to the pack house, resting her hand on her now quite big belly. Mikkeli left again for second territory this morning, so she and Hank are again in charge of the pack.

Hank stands in front of her, and I also see some warriors surrounding the packhouse, some in their wolf form. Hayden and Marc are also present; they all seem to be waiting for something. Soon, I see them emerging from the forest. It's a big group of wolves. Some of the walkings are surrounded by the rest, or at least that's how it looks to me.

When they come closer, I see that I am right, especially that two of the seven wolves that are surrounded have the red, feral eyes of rogues. Only one of the shifts; the rest stays in wolf form, just like most of the pack's warriors.

"I am a Beta of this pack. Why were you on our lands?" asks Hank.

The one who shifted looks around; he looks nervous.

"We meant no harm; we usually trade with someone from Full Moon pack; that was our standard place of exchanging."

"Trade what?" asks Hannah.