Innocence

05 Family

Cedric's POV

"I have some questions for you." The man says and I nod. Can't be to bad right? He just wants to know about me.

"How old was your brother?" He asks.

"Eight... almost nine." I answer.

"And he was born in a cell?" He asks and I nod.

"When did your mother die?"

"Months ago." I curl up not wanting to look at him. I miss Ma.

"Do you know what pack she came from?"

"No." I whisper.

"What about her name? Family? Anything?" He pushes.

"She said her mom was beautiful. That her dad was strong. She had a brother who was her best friend. She said brothers protect each other... she talked about Ace's daddy. I was always jealous of Ace. Ma said his daddy was the strongest man ever and that Ace looked like him. She said he was funny and best friends with her brother." I rant. I loved her stories about her family. I wish I had a daddy like Ace.

"The poem you said in the car... where did you hear it?" He asks.

"Ma told me... she repeated it a lot." I tell him.

"Describe her to me."

"She had brown hair like mine and green eyes like you. She was smaller than everyone else I saw. She would smile even when things were bad. She had these." I say pointing to the dips in my cheeks when I smile. The man smiles at that and I point to his face. "You have them too!"

"They are called dimples...you never answered if you know her name." He asks again.

"She said her brother called her GG... that's why Ace called me CC." I tell him and his jaw drops.

Alpha Raymond's POV

GG my baby sister. Everything he said. This is my nephew! And Ace... oh my! She had to be talking about Zane. Zane had a pup. How do I tell him that? How will he respond to Cedric?

"Let me tell you about myself." I start, trying to figure out how to tell him. "My name is Raymond. My dad was the Alpha here before me he is strong. My mom is beautiful. I had a little sister. Everyone told me how alike we looked. Same eyes, same hair, same dimples. She was taken away years ago. Her mate felt her die six months ago. She was my favorite person. My best friend. Her name was Genny. She wrote a poem she would say to remind us to find good in everything "Start each day with the sun's bright ray and sleep beneath the moons warm glow. Enjoy the summer's scorching heat. And always roll in winter's snow." I loved my sister... my little GG."

"Ma." He whispers and I nod.

"Yea... your Ma."

Cedric's POV

"My ma... was your sister?... you're her brother?" I stammer.

"She was... are you okay?" He asks. I ignore the question.

"So you are Uncle Ray?" I ask. Ma said he'd find us one day... he did... my uncle.

"I am." He says as he wraps his arms around me.

"What about Ace's daddy? Ma said you were best friends. She said he was the best man ever. She wanted us all to come home to him... do you think he will like me? Can I meet him?" I ask. I know he's not my daddy but Ma said he could be. He was Ace's daddy. He was Ma's mate she loved him. Uncle Ray said he loved her... will that extend to me?

"You can meet him later. Let me tell him about your mother first. He doesn't even know he had a pup... how about you meet your mother's parents. Your grandparents." He suggests and I nod.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'

"Oh my!" A lady yells as she runs at me. I tuck myself behind my uncle and she stops with a sad look on her face.

"Cedric this is your grandma Ruth." Uncle Ray says pulling me in front of him with his hands on my shoulders.

"Hi." I squeak looking down at the ground.

"I figured where better to give the boy a meal than my amazing mom's place?" Uncle Ray says pushing the conversation forward.

"Of course!" The lady says with a big smile as she leads us in.

"This the boy?" A man ask as he is seated at the table in the kitchen.

One look at him and I yelp hiding behind my Uncle again.

"Dad, this is Cedric Genny's boy. Cedric this is your grandpa." He introduces us.

"Sir." I acknowledge him with my head bowed. I can feel my body trembling as this man looks at me.

"Come out here boy. Let me look at you." The man orders. Uncle Ray squeezes my hand as he leads me to stand in front of the man. I keep my eyes on my shoes as he speaks.

"He looks like a mini you Raymond." He says. It makes me feel better. Accepted... that is until he continues. "To bad he's a rapist's bastard." I bite my lip and step away from him.

He is not the first to call me a bastard but it hurt more this time. Ma said her family was amazing... but I'm not good enough. I grab Uncle Ray's pant leg as I start to cry. He picks me up and I bury my head in his shoulder.

"That's enough Dad! He is GG's pup and your grandpup! She loved him no matter his father!" He yells at his father.

"You don't know that! My real grandson is dead! You told me as much! He is only here because Gennifer isn't! Have you told Zane that the product of his mate's torture is sleeping in your house?" The older man yells.

"Both of you shut your mouths and sit down! I want to meet my grandson and I wont let you two ruin this!" My grandmother yells.

"Mom, I think I should take Cedric home." Uncle Ray says but his mom gives him a stern look.

"Table now." She growls and we all sit.

Uncle Ray and I sit on one side, grandma Ruth across from us with the mean man between them at the head of the table.

"The food is lovely as ever mom." Uncle Ray says as we eat. I keep my head down not touching the food. "Eat pup." He encourages me when he sees my full plate. I start to pick at the food and he nods looking back at his parents.

"So when ate you going to tell Zane about his pup?" The man asks.

"In the morning. I want to tell him in person and give him a chance to see the boy before the burial." Uncle Ray answers.

"Too bad the pure one died." I hear him say under his breath. I grip my fork tight and my Uncle growls.

"Well I'm glad he will at least get to see the boy." Grandma Ruth says ignoring the men.

"And were stuck with the mutt." The man adds and I growl throwing myself at the large man.

I sink my fork into his shoulder and aim my teeth for his throat but am pulled away before I can sink them in.

"Enough!" I feel Uncle Ray's chest vibrate through my back as he roars.