Shapeshifter

Chapter Thirty-Two: Welcome Back Disaster

Mum, Cindy and a few other women rushed around in the kitchen - pots and pans clattering together as they hurried to make food. I shook my head and turned to my brother. "Is this necessary?"

He held his hands up. "Mum's idea." I sighed and watched my mother in her frantic everything-must-be-done mode. She was a nightmare in this state. "Take it up with her. Not me."

"You're the boss, dumbass. That means you give the final word whether things go ahead or not."

"Do you want to tell her that the food she's spent the last half hour cooking, isn't needed anymore, especially when she's like this?" I pursed my lips. "Exactly what I thought. Suck it up, princess. We're throwing you a welcome back dinner."

"Can't we just have a welcome back slumber party, emphasis on the slumber? No partying, just sleeping?" I asked, my face dropping, showing my exhaustion. "I just want to sleep." 

Cal chuckled and wandered off, leaving me alone. I heaved a heavy sigh and looked around, making the mistake of looking at Mum. "Cj!" Oh boy.

"Yes, Mum?" I asked with regret. She'd put me to work for sure.

"Come give us a hand! I know it's your dinner, but please?" She pleaded with her eyes too.

With a sigh, I walked over. "Sure. What do you need me to do?"

"Peel the potatoes, please. Thanks, Honey." I grabbed the bowl of potatoes and another one - full of water - and a peeler, and started my chore of peeling potatoes for my own welcome home dinner. The guest of honour put to work.

Another few hours droned on and soon we were finishing up in decorating the desserts. Sam came downstairs, smiling when he saw me. "Oh, Margery!" Mum said to an older lady helping cook. "This fine young man here is Cj's mate. A werewolf! Can you believe it? But he's a gentleman. He's going to be Alpha of his pack! Isn't that just amazing?" The old lady smiled and nodded, focusing on the task of decorating cupcakes with chocolate icing.

I looked back at Sam. His face had gone stone hard. Frowning, I watched him with concern. He was tense, certainly far form relaxed. "Hey Mum, can I be excused from manual labour for a little bit?"

"Manual labour? This is hardly manual labour!"

"Dearest Mother. Oh, working with you, it certainly is." I kissed her cheek and walked to Sam, grabbing his hand and leading him upstairs to our room. I sat on the bed, patting a spot next to me. "Sit." He sat and reminded silent. "Talk to me."

He looked at me and his eyes made my heart drop slightly. Fear. He was scared. "I'm scared, Cj." I grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"About what?"

"Becoming Alpha. What if I'm not cut out to be Alpha? What if I fail? What if I disappoint Mark and my father?"

"Hey, you'll do great. Believe in yourself. And if you don't, I do." I said. "And Mark will be proud as long as you rule everyone right, for their gain as well as yours. You have to balance your needs and theirs. You are cut out for this. And your Dad won't be disappointed either, and he'll be there to help you and you can turn to h-"

"He's dead, Cj." I froze, my brow furrowed. He was alive, he was at the pack just before we left.

"But-"

"My real father. He was Alpha before Mark." He said, cutting me off again.

"Your biological father is dead? Oh, my god! I am so sorry." I gripped his hand tighter.

He didn't look at me. "He took his own life."

"Sam, you don't have to-"

"He was turned against Mum and he attacked and hurt her. He hated her, told her things that were so cruel. When he realised what he'd done, he couldn't live with himself and he..." He trailed off, everything becoming deathly silent. "He killed himself." He finished in a whisper.