Sunrise

Chapter 4

The couple went upstairs to their bedroom.

The largest among the five bedrooms in their house, it boasted a large bed framed in deep red mahogany wood with four long and sturdy-looking posts that nearly reached the high ceiling. Like most furniture around the house, it was almost a hundred years old, built when outlaws ruled the wild deserts. Its colour and design matched the large wardrobe that took up almost half the left wall carved in delicate floral designs. It also matched the two nightstands beside the bed, which were also mahogany and carved with designs of flowers and leaves. Each had three drawers with round knobs made of brass and a lamp that was also more than seventy years old. Many trinkets lined the shelves, from photographs to miniatures depicting angels, wolves, and family life. Despite their age, they glowed under the light, a testament to Margaret's excellent home management skills. She always liked her home to be spotless.

The matriarch of the McIntyre family sat on the supple mattress and watched as her husband began to change.

"James," she said to her husband. "You don't need to work yourself up over this."

James ignored her and busied himself with unbuttoning his shirt. His mind was on fire as it went through several hundred things at once.

"Honey, I'm talking to you," his wife sighed exhaustedly. "You don't have to work yourself up over this. We've been through much worse."

James turned to face his wife, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Maggie, are you listening to what you're saying?" he asked incredulously. "How can I not work myself up over this? It's a disaster!"

His hands shook as he tried to restrain himself from throwing a fit. His denial of his grandson's bitter reality prevented him from thinking about anything else but the possible courses of action to deal with what was in his hands. His wife, on the other hand, went up to him and put her hand on his chest. She felt his heart race and his blood gush through his veins as his emotions raged like a storm. Her hand then slowly slid to his powerful back and up behind his thick neck before holding his head and slowly bringing it down. With her other hand, she pulled her husband's arm to her waist and put her head on his big chest.

James leaned against the wardrobe as he held onto his wife and inhaled her scent, which smelled like roses because of the shampoo she used. Her slender yet powerful body was warm against his skin, engulfing him with her strong feminine energy. He didn't know how long they held each other, but it was enough for him to eventually calm down. His tense muscles relaxed, and he allowed his wife to pull him to the bed and sit him down while she stood in front of him, like a teacher giving a lecture.

"Listen, James," she said. "I've been married to you for a very long time. We've been through so much together, and we've always managed to come out of it in some way or the other. And we didn't do that by ignoring our reality and getting upset when things didn't go our way!"

James looked up at his wife, who continued her talk.

"Our grandson has lost his powers," she said as she pointed to her left. "We have to be there for him no matter what. If you think that it is bad for us, think about how it would be for him!"

She paused as she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. She, too, was upset about her grandson's situation. She, too, wanted to scream and cry as she went through the painful ordeal. However, she had to hold it together. At least one person had to be sane and calm enough to take care of him, and it so happened to be her.

"We are his family," she whispered. "We have to be there for him."

With that, she let herself fall onto her husband's lap and weep. Her tears were her pent-up frustration from the last six months. She had wanted to cry several times before, but she had pushed her feelings down for the sake of her grandson and her family. As the Alpha of her pack and his grandmother, that was expected of her. However, she was a woman, and she could only push so hard until she exploded.