The Greyback Manor

Chapter eleven

Before we left I spotted Connor outside of the manor in the garden. Alexandria was with the children as they had taken to running around in their wolf forms.
"Now Cedric I've told you not to roll in the dirt it gets stuck in your white fur." She said. The twin seemed to bark with delight and jumped on their mother. I gasped when she got knocked over by the two pouncing.
"Don't worry she's fine they just like to play attack a lot." Connor explained. I looked over again to see Alexandria had recovered and shifted herself. Unlike the two wolf forms I had seen with Connor, Alexandria's was pure white. Crystal blue eyes peeked out accompanied by red lines.

"She does look very lovely and a bit graceful than you, but she still looks fierce despite the slight size difference." I said. This earned a laugh from the wolf man while his wife and pups tackled each other.
"You have no idea, those red lines are actually scars she got from a fight." He responded.
"What thats where they came from? I thought all Kitsunes had them." I said. Connor laughed at me again and I wished my paranormal would save me from this embarrassment.
"You study our kind don't you?" He asked.
"How did you know?" I asked instead of answering. He looked back at his family that now were involved in a game of chase. There was a glint of parental protectiveness in his eyes.

"Because before I met Alexandria she spent a lot of time doing the same." He explained. I rolled my eyes a bit since she had been a hunter so it was obvious. "Don't roll your eyes at me, that is childish behavior." He said before I could respond. Well now my cheeks were red from embarrassment at his father like tone.
"Sorry I am very blunt." I said.
"Oh I know that so am I which means I should say that I hate your outfit." He responded. I gasped at his words than saw the smirk on his face.
"You ass!" I laughed. He just give me a look of disapproval at my words which made us both laugh.

"With that kind of language around here you would get your mouth washed with soap." He said. It was nice to see him relaxed at least to a certain degree since he was always on edge. I fake laughed at his comment than looked back at the garden. Cedric was now after a mouse he had spotted while Lana collected some twings. Their conversation with Alexandria was all howls so I had no idea what they were saying. Yet I had fun with all the possibilities in my head.
"So are you okay with the whole Victor thing?" I asked. "I know that you are worried about Hyde I am to but..."
He shook his head then shushed me as he watched everything.

"Take a look at them Clara, my family what do you see?" He asked. A genuine question so I looked around for the answer. A few logical answers came to me but that wasn't what he wanted to hear.
"Well I see a devoted mother and mischievous children." I said.
"That is not what I see, I see my everything and my second chance to be a better man. Yet the world would never accept them so I have to protect them." He responded. It was then I recalled his words at the hotel where his love for his family was beyond words. I nodded as I understood and thought about my own parents.
"I'm sure they will appreciate it, even if they won't admit it." I said.

There was that same sense of father like instinct from him. The look in his eyes of someone who was battle hardened yet felt he had to do more.
"There is always a reason to keep fighting, people just have to find it." He responded. "Which is why I can't come with you to find Victor." All that came out of my mouth was babble as I tried to say that we needed him. "I have somewhere else I need to be, this all started at the hotel so it should end there."
A lot of bold statements and all I could do was nod in response. After everything he just wanted to protect his family.
"I understand and I can't say anything to prove it just please don't do anything rash." I said.

He never gave a reply as he shifted into his wolf form to join his family. Alexandria nuzzled him when he came over to play. Connor licked her face and the couple had a private conversation while grooming the other. I heard Alexandria whine a bit and Connor consoled her with another nuzzle. She whimpered then licked his face to show her affection. It seemed that the new arrangement was out so now it was time to find Victor.
"Clara I picked this for you." Lana said. She ran up to me in her black wolf form then dropped a bunch of purple flowers at my feet.
"Aww these are so sweet." I responded. She shifted back and I gave her a tight hug. "Thank you Lana, you are like the little sister I always wanted."