Ivan's Queen

Chapter 2

Chapter Two - Vacation Vibes

"Keep going!"

"No!"

"Do it!"

"No!"

"Amelia!"

"Father!"

My Dad glares at me murderously, his icy blue eyes narrowed at my crossed arms that imitate his own. I tilt my chin upwards, refusing to back down as I stare into his eyes. His resolve crumbles, hopefully out of love and concern for his eldest daughter, and he nods tersely.

"Stubborn girl!" He growls, making me roll my eyes.

"I'm not a werewolf, I can only do so much before my body tires." I huff, relaxing when he takes hold of the oars and starts to row.

At six in the morning, my Dad had woken up me up for our usual training session. When I thought I could sleep in after I finally graduated from school, I was dead wrong. Although I trained last Summer too, I was hoping for a bit of leeway this time. But no, my Dad is equally as stubborn as I am.

"Two laps around the territory after this." He states, daring me with his eyes to argue before adding, "And I'm coming with you."

I smirk at him, remembering how I didn't do my laps yesterday and instead, sat by the lake and slept for a while because my body was so exhausted. Of course, my Dad was not a happy camper when he found me after an hour.

"Fine." I agree, causing him to smile in satisfaction before it disappears. "Can I have a rest day tomorrow then?"

"Rest is for the weak!" He raises his voice, puffing out his chest.

"You're such a dork." I roll my eyes but a laugh escapes me anyway.

He rows us back to the river's edge where we started from and I hop out onto the steep edge of the grass. Tying the rope to the wooden plank, Dad and I start walking back home. The river isn't that far from the pack house, a fifteen-minute walk at least but that's not what I'm thinking about. Instead, my entire focus is on trying to act as natural as possible because my Dad has forgotten about the two laps I had to do.

"So..." He trails off, making me look at him suspiciously. "I've been meaning to ask..."

"Yes?"

"Have any boys come up to you again? Asked you out on a date?" He blurts, a protective glint in his eyes.

"Not after I let them know you'll hunt them down with your shotgun." I reply dryly, wrapping my arms around myself as we walk.

"I actually do have a shotgun, why do you kids never believe me?" He frowns as we walk over a small wooden bridge.

"You mean Grandad Winters' fake shotgun?" I retort, smirking at his stunned expression.

"Who told you that –" I raise a brow, confirming that my guess is correct. "I-I mean...no?"

"Busted!" I grin cheekily, crying out in surprise when he lunges at me.

Laughing, I run all the way home and just when I'm about to climb the steps, he catches me. Chuckling breathlessly, I tease him about how he's getting old. He waves me off, telling me that he gave me a head start. Scoffing, I shove him lightly before we walk inside.

Dad bought this house when he first moved to Berlin, before he even met mom. It's hidden behind a treeline and is made of wood and stone, surrounded by a garden with a stream to the side. As soon as you open the door, you're greeted by a large open space that is made into a living room and a kitchen at the back. The kitchen is my favorite part of the house with its rustic design. The best part are the beams on the ceiling with thick ropes draped and weaved around it which are also attached with light bulbs.