Aaron Ch. 30-35

"She was. She left." The small boy pulled on his brother's hand. "We were too slow. We didn't get to tell her."

Luna walked over to where the boys stood and knelt beside them. "She hasn't gone. She just needs a moment. She got a bit of a shock seeing you. You look just like her. What is your name?"

"I am Gabriel, this is Michael. Michael looks like Kate?"

"Oh yes, I think we have some photos of her at about the same age and if she didn't have pigtails they would have got mixed up. Her hair is a darker red now, but she still has freckles and beautiful green eyes. Like your eyes too Gabe."

"Nobody has ever called me that." The tone was serious and uncertain.

"Oh I'm sorry. I have a terrible habit of being too friendly and shortening people's names." Luna apologised.

"You're the alpha you don't apologise. Besides I like you." He paused, "I like the name too. I might use it more."

"What will you call me?" Michael touched Luna's hand and then quickly drew his fingers back. "Oh you're so nice. Your babies are going to be so lucky."

"Michael shhh." Their father quickly silenced him and then rushed on, "Where are your gloves?"

"I took them away. He doesn't need to hide any more. He doesn't need to pretend." Gabriel stood ready to defend his brother against the whole room. But before anyone else could speak the door flew open and Kate ran in crying and wrapped him in her arms.

"She came. You knew she would." Michael looked at Luna and smiled. "I'm sorry I touched you, I wasn't trying to look I just couldn't help it."

"Mickey, you cute little mouse never change a thing. You and your gifts are welcome here."

"Mickey Mouse? I get a nickname?"

"You definitely get a nickname. We are going to be great friends and all my friends have nicknames. Your sister may stop clinging to Gabe long enough to say hello soon, and we'll ignore how terrible she looks after running all the way here, because usually she is very beautiful I promise."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Kate finally moved back a little and looked at her brother. "I didn't know."

"Neither did we, but we will be okay now." He grinned, "I'm Gabe, it's lovely to finally see you Kate."

"Gabe, I'm your big sister, call me Katie." She wrapped him in another hug and then turned to her youngest brother. "Gifts you say, special, secret, super awesome gifts? Are hugs in the list?"

"Nope." The cheeky little guy grinned at her and then launched into a laugh so filled with goodness she felt the weight leave her heart. "But snuggles are." Then he threw himself in her direction and she couldn't believe how healing it was. "The added bonus of feeling better, I'll throw in for free every time you hug me." He whispered in her ear.

"Wow, Michael that is one heck of a gift."

"It's Mickey. Gabe and Mickey." Michael pulled Gabe forward. "I don't think you should say it now."

"Say what?"

"We had a speech ready, but you weren't here and now you are, the speech is the wrong one." Gabe explained. "We were a bit wrong about how this would go even with Mickey's gifts."

"What about your vision?" Michael whispered. "Where's the other man?"

"Okay I think maybe the three of us need to go out to the lake and just hang out, we will let Thorn and Luna get your dad settled and I will take you back to him later." Kate sent to Gabe, "Can you hear me brother? If you don't want to be alone with me I understand but I feel we will do better if it is just us. What do you think?"

"Oh thank goodness. I can hear you. Michael and I were so scared when you weren't here, then luckily he felt you. I was ready to give up. Dad is a good man but I want to talk to you and Michael has said more already than in the past six months so clearly he likes you."

"I like Luna too, I like it here." Michael popped into the conversation, "Hey Katie, is there a boat? I've never been in a boat."

"No boat today. We will go on a boat next time. Today we can just sit and learn about each other. I asked so many times to meet you. I thought she... never mind."

"You thought she loved us, and not you." Gabe stood and took her hand in his, "Other hand Mickey." Gabe looked at his dad, the two alphas, "I think Katie is right we will spend the day together. Thank you Alpha Thorn, Alpha Luna. Dad will you be okay?"

"Gabriel, I'm the parent I should be asking if you'll be okay."

"Dad, we both know I'm better at this game than you. So just tell me you'll be alright and I'll leave."

"Okay ratbag I'll be fine. Don't say anything to make her run today. You want to put the best foot forward at least the first day." He teased his son.

"No way, we're going to tell her all the worst things so she knows how much fun we'll be to have around. Then she will ask us to stay. I like Luna. I want to stay." Michael announce. "I want her to be my alpha."

"Yeah everyone wants Luna, no love for poor old Alpha Thorn anymore. Not since everyone met my bride-to-be."

"Mickey, deep breath little mouse. I'll tell you a secret." Luna leaned in, "You will be staying, its in my book."

"Luna! You said you hadn't seen anything in your damn book."

"Gee guess I need to work on whispering more quietly now I live with werewolves." Luna laughed and then moved to stand beside Thorn who was laughing with her.

"You let me keep worrying and freaking out about if they would hate me, blame me, if they had come to..."

"You thought that we came to seek justice?" The man that looked like Gabe but with dark brown eyes wobbled slightly. "I'm so sorry I never thought to explain further I just didn't think about how you would see this visit. I should have realised, but well the boys were so eager to get here and between the visions and Michael finally started talking..."

"Started talking?"

"I just realised we've not even said hello. I can't believe I mated with your mother and never met her daughter until now. I am so sorry for that. I'm Craig. Oh back to Michael, he hadn't said a word for many months and then he started speaking in his sleep. Next minute he was calling for you. When he woke he kept talking, and well he's barely stopped since."

"Quiet as a mouse, squeak, squeak." Michael looked at Luna, "Always playing hide, never playing seek. Always the mouse."

"Not here. Mickey the mouse can roar like a lion here."

"Nope. Mickey the mouse will howl at the moon like a wolf should." He declared. "I think we should all howl tonight. Great big happy howls. We've found our home. She is here."

"She is." Luna nodded. "So fucking adorable Katie. I love this kid. You are his home. You hear that. Not a place. You."

"Shit, like I need that kind of pressure. I'm an unemployed doctor. I've only just made peace with my wolf. I have a mate who is still avoiding me, so doesn't even know that I love him, and am ready to be his, totally. Emily arriving in a couple of hours, who doesn't even know she's about to get an extended family. Now I'm his, little precious Michael's, home." Kate breathed deeply. "Best fucking day of my life."

"Yeah well make the most of it because tomorrow is seriously all about me. Don't you forget, or I'll be seriously pissed." Luna laughed.

"Run along you three, I'll look after things here. Just a tip boys, next time remember to stroke Thorn's ego and tell him you like him more than me, he's feeling insecure at the moment."

"I think he loves you so much he wouldn't care if you were all he had." Gabe spoke quietly but confidently. "One day I'll have a mate I love that much and I'll feel as lucky as he does."

"Welcome to the pack Gabe, Mickey, we will see you at dinner and you can meet your other sister Emily." Thorn gestured for Craig to take a seat.

"We have another sister?" Gabe looked confused.

"I'll explain." Kate walked forward her brothers with her. Kate sent a quick text to Aaron.

"Aaron I know you're still not talking to me, I just wanted to say I'm spending the day with my brothers down by the lake. I'd like to introduce you if you're free."

"Are you texting your mate? Does he make you sad?" Gabe asked as soon as she put her phone away.

"No. I love him. I'm sad because I was confused and hurt him. I don't know if he will forgive me."

"Because you were hurt for so long." Gabe nodded. "I hurt people too. I yelled at my dad and told him it was his fault she hurt us because he wasn't paying attention he was too busy following the alpha like a puppy dog. I told Michael if he stopped using his gifts we would get in less trouble. I told him to stop talking." Gabe wiped the tears from his eyes. "I was really stupid."

"Me too. But you got smart and helped your dad. You told Michael to be himself and you protected him. Things are better now, yes?"

"Yeah. I can feel it here. Feel the good. But I can feel your hurt, your pain, too. Do you want me to talk to your mate?"

"I would love you to meet him. Michael too. He is good. He thinks he isn't good enough but he is. He was a bit of a rascal when he was little and got in lots of trouble and then he was girl crazy until we found each other again, but he is good and I love him."

"Take it easy Katie, we're kids you know. Enough of the mushy stuff." Gabe laughed when he saw Katie get embarrassed. "So tell us everything and don't forget to tell us about Emily."

"You'll love Emily. She hasn't known her wolf very long. Aaron, that's my mate and I went on a mission to help some people and Luna. While we were there we kicked lots of bad guy butt and rescued Emily. She never knew her mum and dad, and didn't know she was a werewolf. She got a bit of a shock when we went all fur and fangs on her but she quickly became one of the family. She's sixteen so I'm sure she'll become another big sister for you both."

"Well she's a human big sister but her wolf is a little sister so we'll just boss her around when she's wolf, to make up for her bossing us around when she's on two feet." Michael decided, "Where is she?"
"I wouldn't be too bossy she makes the most amazing cheesecake and her cookies are the best ever. She's on her way. She and I live in the city usually, she goes to school and works in a café owned by our pack, and I have just qualified as a doctor and need to find a job."

"So we'll live in the city and just visit Luna a lot. I can do that. As long as you hold up the deal with the boat. I really want to go on a boat."

"Dad may want to stay here with the pack."

"Nah, you heard him. He will do whatever we need him to do. As long as we're happy and he feels we are safe."

"What did Craig do in the pack?" Kate asked.

"He was one of the alpha's advisors, I think he might be good with money because he sucks at fighting." Gabe grinned. "I won our last play fight easily."

"I'm sure Thorn will be able to help find him a job. You guys can get into school. Our place isn't big enough for you guys to stay but there are some empty apartments the pack own you could use until you find something more permanent."

"Where will you be moving?"

"I don't know yet. Aaron and I discussed moving here but I don't think he or I can work here as easily as we can in the city. Then there's Emily. I want her happy too."

"She has us. We'll make sure she's happy. That we all are. When I touched Luna's hand I saw us all. We were having a big party but it wasn't here. It was really pretty. There was a waterfall and a little dark haired boy jumped from the top and screamed happily. His dads and his mum laughed and we all jumped into the water too."

"That sounds fantastic. Dads, as in two?"

"Yeah, weird right and they weren't wolves. I think they were cats."

"No way. Cats? Wolves be friends with cats, are you crazy?"

"I'm your brother, it's in our blood to be a bit crazy." He laughed. "I like cats. I think I'm going to marry a cat one day. One that just loves me and purrs only for me."

"You've dreamed you mate with a cat?" Gabe jumped up and down. "Have you dreamed of my mate too?"

"As if anyone would mate you Gabe. Nobody is that desperate." Michael winked at Kate as his brother gave chase. "Aghhhh not in the lake I can't swim."

"If you want to go in a boat you need to learn." Gabe threatened advancing quickly.

"Stop. Tossing him in the lake is not the way he will learn. Let me tell you how my fear of S.W.A.N.S. started, I won't have my brother afraid of water."

"You're joking, nobody is afraid of swans."

"Never ever say that word." Kate shrieked.

"Okay this story better be good because otherwise I'm going to think I have a chicken for a sister."

"Tonight we can all change and go for a run and then come here and howl at the moon as it rises over the lake. Then you'll see I'm not a chicken."

"Yeah, yeah, tell us your big scary story then."

***

Kate looked around the table and loved seeing Emily and the boys chatting away. Luna met her eyes across the room and she smiled, "Best fucking day ever."

"Now if only you could get Aaron to get with the program. Is he still sulking?"

"He has every right to. I've been the worst mate in history. Poor bastard has been through hell. I've contacted him a few times and left myself open mentally but nothing. Has he spoken to any of you?"

"Only that he'll be here for the wedding but to give him some space."

"Yeah well I will tackle him after the wedding. Your day tomorrow LJ. Your day will be drama free I swear."

"Yeah what could go wrong? A few hundred moody werewolves, alcohol and ten there's my friends and family. I'm not even going to consider all the possibilities or I'll have a total panic attack."

"It will be perfect." Kate looked at her little family, "Okay I'm full, let's run?"

"Aren't you meant to wait half an hour before changing?"

"That's swimming silly."

"What about at least waiting till after dessert?"

"That's for after the run. You get hungry with all that running and howling."

"I can't wait to try the famous cheesecake."

"Better get a move on then, the quicker we run the quicker we're back."

Chairs scraped and they stood together all turning to Luna and Thorn and lowering their heads slightly before pushing their chairs in to leave. "I think your brothers are going to get a huge kick out of this run Kate." Thorn sent silently a smirk on his lips.

"So am I."

"Yes I think you will." Thorn didn't elaborate.

Kate, Emily, Gabe and Mickey ran for about half an hour and then gathered at the lake's edge they as one threw back their heads and howled in happiness. The howls cut off in surprise when suddenly wolves joined them along the water's edge howling with them. "Our family is bigger than us. Never forget you have a family and a pack that love you." Kate looked across the water and saw a wolf on the other side of the lake and called out to him, her loneliness and love echoing across the flat surface. "I love you Aaron. I miss you. I'm sorry. I am ready. Ready whenever you are."

He howled and then turned and moved back into the shadows. Kate cried out but then felt her brothers and Emily gathering with her and tried to focus on them.