His Deal

The Announcement: Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Natasha's grandfather was second in line to get a piece of cake. He had pulled her grandmother in front of him as he wanted to make sure that his mate was taken care of first before himself. As the rest of us males with mates were also doing, so I could only lightly laugh at his actions while holding onto the waist of my own mate. Her grandmother could only roll her eyes at his actions. Natasha and I with rest of her family moved to line up for cake as well as her Aunt Audra Lakes served the cake that her Uncle Vane Lakes, Alpha and older brother to my mate's father, cut into pieces.

"Thank you, sweetheart. You've always been a doll." Natasha's grandmother said with a smile to her aunt. Luna Audra Lakes just smiled at her in response.

"She's right. You're our sweet, beautiful gem." Natasha's grandfather agreed. Her aunt couldn't help smiling wider at him for the compliment. "Thank you, sweet girl." He thanked her before sitting down with his mate, and Natasha's grandmother, glued to his side. Natasha had once told me that ever since her grandparents had met her aunt and uncle, they have considered her like a second daughter to them. Apparently, her aunt had a rough past, and her grandparents wanted her to feel at home with them. They honestly feel that her cousins, siblings, and Natasha are all their full grandchildren, despite that only her siblings and Natasha are their only actual grandchildren, because they care so much about Luna Audra.

The rest of us got our pieces of cake before everyone was seated around the living room, some of Natasha's cousins were even occupying the floor, and all of them were focused on me and what I would have to say. I was stood next to the couch closest to the doorway of the living room. Natasha was seated on the arm of the couch next to me. Her delicate and soft hand slipped into mine as I prepared to tell everyone what was going on and what trouble my own dad was causing, or was believing in at the moment.

Taking a deep breath, I looked around the room at everyone. "Thank you all for coming today to celebrate my mate's twentieth birthday." I thanked all of them with a smile. They all smiled in return. "Today should be a happy day, and I hope that in future years it will be again. Sadly, I have to share some unfortunate news." I announced looking around at all of them again.

I looked at my fiery little female for confidence. She gave me an encouraging, yet strained, smile in return. Breathing deeply again, I looked around the room again at all of my mate's family. "Eleven years ago, I didn't show up to my mate's birthday. It wasn't because I didn't want to; I didn't come because my mother had gone missing and we found her. She was torn up like a small group of wolves had attacked her. So my father moved us away because he somehow got it into his head that you are the ones who did it." I explained. There were heartbroken looks on the faces of Natasha's aunt and mother, pain clear in their eyes at the new of my mother. "I know, as I have always known, that none of you or your packs had anything to do with this. My father won't listen because he believes I am too blinded by the mate bond that I have with Natasha to see clearly." I continued.

"You never told me that." Natasha whispered as a look of hurt cross her face. I trailed my fingers down her cheek softly.

"That's because I know that it wasn't true. Yes, we have a mate bond, but it isn't clouding my judgement. I only have to look at your family and you to know that you didn't hurt my mother, and none of you would have." I told her softly. She sighed deeply in relief at my words and nodded for me to continue. "I believe that someone is manipulating my father into believing that you're the ones at fault for some ulterior motive. But it doesn't change the fact that my father is coming here to destroy your packs. He'll be here in two weeks to try to ambush your packs at night. He plans to surround your homes before he bargains to get you to come out to him. Then he plans to have you incapacitated so that he can kill your pack while you watch, knowing that you won't be able to do anything." I explained.

"Why two weeks?" Mason asked. Nick nodding beside him.

"Why didn't you inform everyone that he was back and that he was here with me?" Natasha jumped in annoyed. I couldn't help the smile on my face at her annoyance. They had told us that they would inform the alphas and lunas of my presence, but they seemed to have forgotten resulting in their father and uncle trying to attack me.

"We forgot to tell them because we too focused on what his father was planning to do." Mikal spoke as he rolled his eyes.

"Plus, this is so not the time to be scolding us about our forgetfulness. We have a delusional, angry alpha trying to kill our family's packs." Nick replied back at Natasha. Natasha just scowled back at him in return. "No offense to you, Roman." He added.

"None taken." I mumbled before squeezing my mate's hand. She turned to look at me and huffed before gesturing that I continue. "My father knows how much this tradition meant to my mother and I, so he doesn't want to mar the week or the tradition by attacking. He knows I'd do something drastic if he did." I answered.

"He's talking about killing your mate's family and their packs. Why would he believe that you'd be perfectly okay with that?" William, one of Natasha's cousins, asked.

"He believes that I'll have come to my senses about you all killing my mother that I'll be perfectly fine with it. But that would never be true, ever." I answered honestly.

"If he's coming to kill our packs, then what about your mate? These are her packs as well." Alpha Vane Lakes, Natasha's uncle, asked as his younger brother nodded in agreement.

"I had asked my father that when he'd first said something about attacking your packs to get revenge. He told me that if I met a female to replace Natasha that it wouldn't matter, I promptly told him that that was a BS thought to ever have as I'd never even think of trying to replace Natasha, and he told me that that being the case meant that she would be spared. My mother was my father's mate. He loved her for a year before he married her. He would never make me watch as Natasha, my mate that I have loved for over eleven years, were killed." I explained. Natasha's hand gripped tightly to mine.

I smiled sadly down at her. I know my father was acting insanely, but this was all I could think to do to stop him. "Plus, I don't think he would have ever actually hurt Natasha regardless. He's always seen her as a daughter, and my mother loved Natasha like one. My father couldn't never hurt my mother by killing someone that she loved as her own." I spoke further. Natasha smiled sadly at me. Her mother and aunt looking heartfelt as I closed their eyes, most likely looking back on their memories with my mother.

My attention was drawn to the two alphas in the room as they stood up, their hands still clutching their mates' hands, and they looked at me. "What do you suggest we do to prepare our families and our packs for your father's impending arrival?" Alpha Oliver Lakes of the Obsidian pack, father to my beautiful mate, asked.

"I say we gather your packs together; anyone who is able to fight should begin to train hard as a plan B should we need it, while we try to pull as much evidence as we can to prove to my father that none of you had any hand in the death of my mother." I suggested strongly. They looked to their mates before looking to each other. When they looked back to me, they both nodded in agreement to my suggestion. "This is going to be a long two weeks." I stated aloud.

***

I hope that everyone is enjoying these chapters!! I'm really liking where this story is going now. I like that I remember what I wanted to do with this story.

What theories do you have? Favorite part? How do you feel about Roman's father? Do you think he has a valid reason for wanting to kill them or is he just insane?

Thank you for the support! I promise I will try not to be a stranger!

~SoulTwinGirl