Howler

Chapter XLVI

It took Malachi till March to recover both psychically and mentally. He was young so firstly his healing had taken long in that respect and whatever the knife was dipped in severely hindered the healing process. Then there was the fact that Malachi wouldn't speak about it.

Not to anyone.

I felt like I couldn't help him and that killed me but Malachi usually insisted he was okay and left himself to his sketchbook. A solace only Malachi could understand.

Then there was the issue about my parents having another child and not telling me about it. I hadn't confronted them in nearly two months but I knew that I had to soon.

Otherwise I'd go crazy.

Eventually one afternoon when Ric had taken Mal out to get his mind off the attack I was left with my parents and I knew this would be a good time I suppose. They would have probably dodged the question of my brothers were around.

"Mum? Dad?" I walked into their room where they were both sitting and reading. "What is it Abby?" My mum sat up and I think she could tell something was bothering me. I hope they didn't think I was pregnant. Because to be perfectly honest I hadn't actually slept with Harry since that first time mainly because I was so anxious about Malachi and then I managed to get sick from being the hospital for so long and I had gone into heat but it probably blended into the roaring fever I had so I didn't feel it as badly.

I know what a cop out.

"I want to talk to you about something... and please don't lie to me okay?"  They gave each other a look then they nodded. "I want to know about the son you lost..." I saw the surprise written all over their faces and whatever they were expecting it was not that.

"How did you-"

"I heard mum say it at the hospital" I said and I sat down on the edge of the bed and they gave each other another worried look before Dad took a deep breath. "What was it Storm...twenty years ago?" I watched my mother nod sadly. "Twenty years ago, a rogue pack attacked us and well it took us by surprise and then we had a son... Alec Hale Gilbert, he was three" I cocked my head in surprise I don't remember an attack. "I was pregnant with you at the time, about eight months or so. When the pack attacked us..." I watched my mother get chocked up "he was taken and we had barely blinked and they took him, perhaps they didn't know he was the kings son or maybe they did...either way a week later we-" she stopped and turned to my father.

"We received a bloody teddy bear, the one he always carried as proof of his death" my father continued and I gasped, I couldn't help it. I had never previously known that wolves would resort to killing children even rogues. "Well originally we were going to call you Violet but instead we picked Abigail because it sounded like his original full name...eventually people moved and we did to in sorts but we will never forget him but it didn't stop us from wanting a big family and we feel blessed by what we have but we are sorry Abby we didn't tell you or brothers before..."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing but I suppose I could understand their reluctance to tell us, it was hard enough to go through it but to relive it if they told us before they were ready may have just broken my parents.

"I'm glad you told me..." 

My parents enveloped me in a hug and I could tell it was more for them than for me. Maybe this was the closure that they needed...

But it also make me feel ill because how would they feel if they found out that the reason they almost lost their youngest was because of me? Because some unknown entity had a vendetta against me I still couldn't work out.

I don't think my parents deserved that.

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I know it's a short chapter but I felt that this needed to be done as a chapter for itself.

But now you all know that Abigail had an older brother who was killed and maybe it's brought the family closer together.

L xx