Roberto growled. Jim smirked. Roberto said,"Wipe that smirk off your face, boy."
Jim squared his shoulders and stood tall, pushed out his chest and laughed loudly, "Who is going to make me, old man?"
Crap, Belinda knew that was NOT a good thing for a mere human to say or do to a werewolf...an old, traditional Alpha werewolf at that. Roberto growled and his eyes went black.His wolf was taking over. Rodney grabbed his father's arm and Belinda began to rub her grandfather's back. Roberto closed his eyes and composed himself, pushing his wolf back. Juan now stepped one step forward towards Jim and Louisa. "And who might you be?" he inquired as calmly as he could under the circumstances. Jim cocked his head towards Juan, pointed to Belinda who was just able to be seen between Rodney and Juan and said arrogantly, "Her ex boyfriend. And you are, pretty boy?"
Juan glared, lowered his voice about 2 octaves and slowly said, "Her husband."
Belinda blinked but did not argue. She knew that really was the best way to describe to a human what a mate was. It just sounded so ...well...it sounded actually really wonderful. Belinda now had her hand on Juan's back to keep him calm. She knew he wanted to rip Jim apart just on principle. Rodney and Roberto glanced at Juan.Juan was smirking now. The three men face the punk human fiercely ready to eliminate him from the face of the earth. Louisa stood there stunned.
"Husband? Husband? HUSBAND?" Louisa kept.repeating the word and escalating her voice.
Juan said,"Yes. Belinda's husband." and stepped back and brought Belinda into his chest possessively. Just then Anne and her father, Romero appeared. Louisa finally took notice of the house.
" Mother, there is a huge freaking hole where the door was! What happened?"
Anne looked over her shoulder at the hole and chuckled. "My father happened." she said with a proud smile. Roberto hugged her and smiled back.
Louisa was stunned again. Jim was now silent. Four huge men built like muscle machines overwhelmed even his smart mouth.
Jim turned to Louisa, "Louisa, I will call you later. I have to let my dog out."
"You have a dog?" Louisa asked.
"Bye." and Jim fled. Juan laughed. He looked down at Belinda, "Your ex?"
"Not exactly. Long story." she said.
Anne said, "That would be my doing."
Belinda was now stunned. Her mother just owned up to arranging Jim for her? "I may have been a bit controlling of Belinda." Now Belinda was sure she was dreaming or hallucinating, one or the other. Roberto laughed,"Well, like father like daughter I guess."
Anne's mouth dropped open. Did her father just admit he was controlling?
What universe was she in. She starred at him. He just chuckled and hugged her.
Louisa shook her head. "I do not understand. Who...where...why?"
Amme stepped up to her youngest, Belinda's half sister...a human through and through. Louisa carried no werewolf mutation at all. Anne knew she couldn't tell her about them yet. Maybe never. Anne addressed Jim while looking at Louisa. "Jim, please take Louisa to your parent's home for a few days." She
now looked at Jim."I know you love her."
"Mother!" screamed Louisa. She was embarassed. "That I do." Jim hugged Louisa. "Thank you for releasing me to be with her." Louisa and Belinda were baffled. "I ... well...I owed your mother a favor. No, I owed her my life. She asked me to keep Belinda here. It was ..." Jim started to explain.
"It was me. Belinda, I knew you were planning on leaving here awhile ago. Jim was asked ...no, ordered...to befriend you. Evee wonder why he never made a move on you? It wasn't because he respected you too much, dear. It was because he was and is in love with your sister." Now it was Juan who was found smiling ear to ear. That meant Jim had never touched his mate! He was overjoyed. The three older men chuckled. They understood. Belinda was just plain shocked.
"So, Jim loves Louisa." she said it as more of a statement,nit a question.
Louisa jumped into Jim's arms and Jim laughed. He nodded towards Anne and took Louisa away.
Anne closed the front door and went to sit on the sofa. The four men moved to allow Belinda to walk in front of her mother. "Mother, please explain to me.why you lied to me. Please explain to them why you ran away. Please? So many people have been hurt by your ddcisions."
Anne did not look at Belinda. She actually just sat there and stared out the front room window. After a minute of silence, Anne spoke. "I can't. I can't explain. I see now I.was selfish." She sighed and tears began to fall again.
Belinda stood there not sure what to do or say.
Romero spoke now. "Anne. Let's go home. Your mama needs to see you. The pack is needing you. Let's go home. ok?"
Anne looked down at floor. How could she go back now after all these years. How?
Belinda squatted down and took her mother's hands in her own. "Mother? You are needed there. Come with us." In all of Belinda's life she had not expressed this much emotion to her mother. But the mother before her now was different. Was it as simple as her wolf being released? Who knew. Whatever the reason Belinda felt actually drawn to her mother. "I have never seen your wolf, Belinda. What is she like?"
Belinda stood back up. "Do you want to meet her? See her? Artemis is powerful, beautiful, strong...she is an Alpha wolf, mother. She is white."
"White?!" Anne gasped.
"Yes. White. No markings at all."
Juan stepped along side Belinda and pulled her to his side. "She is gorgeous."
Romero looked at Roberto and the two.older men smiled.
"It is true. She is the white wolf." Rodney told Anne.
" 'THE' white wolf?" Belinda asked.
Juan held her close and whispered in her ear, "Later,my love. I will explain later. Ok?"
Belinda nodded.
Anne looked at her daughter as if she was sewing her for the first time. "Show me? Shift, please."
Bonds looked.to her Father, Grandfathers, then her mate for confirmation. They all nodded. Ronda took her mother's hand and pulled her up and walked out the back hole where the door should be. They walked.back to.the tree line and stepped inside the forest. Belinda smiled at her mother. Stepped behind a tree and shifted smoothly. She stepped out and Anne put her hand over her mouth and fell.to her knees. There before her was a majestic, stunning, powerful white wolf. Artemis stood proud and regal. The men had casually walked out to join them. Juan was smiling ear to ear and itching to shift himself. The others had stopped in their tracks. They did not fully realize what Juan had been saying about her wolf. She was other worldly. All three men bowed to her. Only Juan remained tall as she was his mate. Belinda nosed her mother. She encouraged her to stand. Juan offered a hand to Anne and she took it. Rising she stood still just taking in her daughter's wolf form. She stepped forward and put her hand out. Artemis nosed her hand. "Oh my. You are beautiful. Father, it is true. All of itbis true."
"Yes, my child." Romero said softly and in awe of his granddaughter.
"My Goddess! Look at you!" Rodney said.
Roberto had tears runningbdown his face, "The white wolf of legend. I never ..."
Artemis lifted her heard high and blew everyine away when she spoke, "I am Artemis. I am Belinda's wolf and I am my Mother, the Moon Goddess' child sent to unite all werewolves. The time is coming ww.must be one or die separate."
All of them lay prostrate before her. Flat out on the ground. Even Juan was flat on the ground. Artemis was now glowing with white light. Her eyes were bright purple. Her voice exuded power. It seemed.to Juan she was even larger than when he first saw her. She was growing in authority.
"Belinda is the Alpha female of three packs. She is the only vessel powerful enough for me. She has the strength of three Alphas. Mated to an Alpha only strengthens her power. I am her wolf and together with her mate and his wolf we will unite our kind and soon."
Juan stood...the only one to stand...and walked towards Artemis. She acknowledged him. He shifted into Ramos, his wolf. Ramos bowed his head to his mate. She liked his face. Ramus was as large as she was but black, solid black. He was yin to her yan.Together they completed one another and complimented one another.