Chrysalis (Book 1.5 in the Wolfen Brethren Series)

Royalty

21 Years old
Septem

My mouth hung impossibly wide as my body naturally tensed in preparation for this awkward meeting.

"Yavan" he called, frustration ringing in his voice as he chastised the little boy beside me.

His feet crunching angrily through the grass as he headed towards us. He had tunnel vision, his eyes solely focussed on his son. It had to be his son, now that everything was clicking together and we were out from under the shade, I could see little resemblances. Like the golden curly hair on their heads, the matching grey eyes. The straight nose, this little boy called Yavan had hardly any traces of his mother.

"What have I told you about sitting outside in the cold all day?" He was angry, furious even, I could tell by the fire that churned beneath his eyes. The way his jaw clenched, but his tone did not show that he was. His tone was hard but soft at the same time, demanding but gentle. It was that parent tone that told you off but bathed you in reassurance at the same time. It was odd to hear it from him.

"Sorry papa, me and Mr..." he stopped for a minute and then twisted his head to face me. "I never got your name-"

"Vanya" the words were so quiet, so hushed I could almost pretend it was the wind churning around us but when he repeated my name I couldn't pretend any longer.

Clearing my throat thoroughly, I called his name in nothing but the strongest voice I had

"Carson."

I couldn't belie how out of sink I was, how disjointed I was feeling at seeing this mini replica of him and knowing that this was his son. The son that everyone had never met and assumed was long dead.

The son of Nelly. Where was that female now that Niko had left her? I knew she would come crawling back to him and I had no illusions that he would take her back. So why was he out here alone?

"It's- uh- n-n-nice to see you, uh Vanya" he was stammering, his hand gripping at his neck in that gesture that always showed how nervous he was.

"I didn't know you had a son" his throat bobbed as he tried to swallow down his nerves, his eyes wide as he understood exactly what the unsaid meaning was. I was telling him I couldn't believe he had this beautiful little boy from the rest of us! What a selfish, spiteful, little-

"Yes, this is my son Yavan,"

"Yeah, or sometimes papa calls me Yanky when I'm good or Yavan-Kaiser manashhh, when I'm bad."

His chest was puffed out proudly, a large grin spread across his face as his lisp completely dismantled his surname. His smile was adorably endearing but still I struggled to smile back because my mind was still whirling from his middle name.

Kaiser?

He had called him Kaiser.

My soul stricken eyes shot up to him, I was spitting bolts of fire, hurt and betrayal at him all the while he shook his head as if he could explain his way out of this.

"That's a lovely name Yavan, I'm Vanya" I bent down and stuck my hand out to shake his but he wrapped his little arms around me and hugged me tight.

"Papa, can I play with Vanya tomorrow?" He questioned as he ran over to his father's side and pulled at his pant leg.

"Me and Vanya will discuss it later, okay Yanky? Now let's go inside" his eyes implored me to give him a chance, swirling pools of grey trying to convey a message that I didn't want to see or hear.

I waved them a tight lipped goodbye before I marched off towards the compound, the sounds of their voices drowned out.

Of course we would be talking and it wouldn't be about whether his son and I would have play time together, it would be about his name.