Alisha
Markian pulled Alisha to the table and sat down on the right side while Mitchell sat on her left. Alisha made Alex and Alia sit down at the table as well.
"But...but we don't like lemonade Alisha, It's yucky! Mrs Lytte can we please go outside and play," said Alex using his large brown eyes to its full effect. Melody melted at hearing Alex speak so politely even if he did say her lemonade was yucky. She smiled seeing both the little cubs looking anxiously at her
"Of course my darling pups. Don't you worry!!... If it's okay with Alisha, that is? I will tell Mrs Roberts to keep an eye on them while we have our drinks and get to know each other" said Melody with her winning smile and her twinkling eyes looking towards Alisha, hoping that she would allow the two cubs to go out and play. Melody wanted to get to know her sons' mate better without any interruptions.
"The same Mrs Roberts who showed us the direction to this cottage? Please, Alisha! Please let us go and play outside. You remember her, don't you? She isn't a stranger then." chimed in Alia knowing that she had won this time.
Alisha knew that there was no way that she was going to be able to say 'no' to the two pups who were gazing at her with adoring eyes."If it's not too much trouble for Mrs Roberts, could you please ask her if she would mind keeping an eye on the cubs?"Alisha said turning her head to look at Melody who nodded in agreement as well.
"It's done. Kids, remember only play while in Mrs Roberts sights....do I have your promise that you will do that?"Melody asked sternly but its effect was lost in the next second as she laughed at Alia's and Alex's scrambling over each to get up from their chairs, nearly toppling them in the process.
Alia and Alex whopped as they left the table and ran to the front door. As they reached the door, they stopped and waved to the group in the kitchen. Before they ran out of the door Alex looked back towards Melody and Alisha "Okay then .We promise only to play in front of Mrs Roberts, Aunt Melody.Alisha when you finish your lemonade just call us alright.....See you later alligator!!" shouted Alex as he ran through the door
"In a while, crocodile!!" replied Alisha, blushing at Alex's goodbye ritual. She shook her head at the retreating figures of the two little cubs.
Melody burst out laughing."Oh dear, I remember doing alligators and crocodiles when your kids were going to school as well. It seems so long ago. Both of you have grown so much, since then. If I m not mistaken, it was Markian who couldn't pronounce crocodile at first. He used to say Co-co-died. Do you remember that Xander? We kept making him repeat it and then laughed hysterically when he did"reminisced Melody glancing fondly at Markian. Xander who had gotten up to get the lemonade jug from the other end of the table, also laughed as he remembered Markian's antics. He slapped his son's back as remember how funny "little Markian's" pronunciation antics were. Mitchell loved the fact that it was this story that his mother decided to the Alisha rather than something that could have embarrassed him as well. Looking at Markian's face, he couldn't wait to add his own punch line to the story
"Oh, for the love of the Goddess mum!! Not that again. I was four years old. Many kids couldn't pronounce the word crocodile. Its a terribly long word for a kid and you guys keep teasing me about that!" Markian said blushing at his childhood memory.
"Hahaha, bud! Do you know what happens when you are a twin, right?? There are two people memories you can base your facts on. Firstly, you were not four, my darling bro...You were nine years old. Secondly, I, who am the younger twin by 6 minutes.....could say crocodile by the time I was five" guffawed Mitchell at Markian's obvious discomfort.
This time Markian blushed even a deeper red as he heard what Mitchell said. Xander and Melody burst out laughing but quickly tried to recover as they noticed Markian's face becoming as red as the patchwork patterns on the table cloth. He stammered in embarrassment looking at Alisha and then glared at Mitchell who was still grinning evilly.
"Now then boys....don't start your squabbling here again just because of what your mother said" interrupted Mr Xander knowing that this argument could stretch till the next day if they were allowed to do so. He poured the lemonade into Alisha's cup with a fatherly smile, ruffled Markian's hair and then settled down on his chair beside Melody. "We are not here to listen to the two of you arguing again.
I want to know more about my daughter in law! So my dear, why don't you tell us more about yourself" he said
Melody looked at Alisha with expectant eyes."Yes Alisha, do tell us all about yourself" she said
Alisha looked up from her plate. Her eyes clouding over. She didn't know how much to tell Melody and Xander. They were the parents to her mates but...this was so new that she was still trying to digest her two-mates situation. Alisha looked to Markian and Mitchell for help. She didn't know how to respond to the question that Melody and Xander had put forward.
"Wait! Before you tell us about your life, let me tell father and mother about how we met" Markian said, rescuing Alisha from the awkward pause she had been drowning in. Markian reached for Alisha's hand under the table, lifted it up to his lips and kissed it. From her left side, she felt Mitchell nuzzle her neck and whispered into her ear "Calm down baby...They are family. Mum and dad are not going to hurt you. Just relax"
Xander saw this exchange and smiled. He looked towards Melody and winked, mindlinking her"Wow!The kids really work fast, don't they? The mate bond grows stronger by the minute as they remain together" he said softly." I am not surprised Xander.The apples don't fall very far from the tree" she replied through their link as she smiled smugly looking at Xander slowly blushing. Both of them were jarred out of their private conversation as Mitchell loudly explained where the twins had met their mate.
"Dad! Do you know the lake at the edge of Starfall? Well! That's where we found Alisha and the kids. They were in the lake swimming. Markian and I decided to check it out as we were patrolling there. To our surprise, we saw this beautiful girl there so we decided to watch her" Mitchell replied
"Stalker much boys!!" commented Melody with a stern look towards the twins. Xander tried to maintain a stern exterior but he started laughing as well." I see that, truly, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" he replied using the same thing that Melody had said to him during their mindlink just now. It was Melody's turn to blush as her husband explained what he meant.
"Did I ever mention to you all, about how I met your mother? I stalked her while she was at her school dance. She was the most beautiful girl there, and thankfully my wolf knew on sight that she was mine"he said taking Melody's hand into his and kissed it.
"Do you remember how we met, Melody? You were out on a date with that other guy....what was his name anyway??"Xander continued looking deeply into Melody's eyes
"Uhm...His name...Oh, my goddess!! For the life of me, I can't remember what was my date's name. I remember he came to my house and picked me up. He then drove me to the dance, but I didn't even manage to dance a single dance with him. Your father saw me enter the hall, came straight towards me and shouted" "Mate" in my ear.He growled at my date and any other male wolf who came near me. We danced the whole time and he hasn't let me leave his side since then" she replied. The love she felt for Xander could be seen shining through her eyes." You are my mate my darling!As soon as I saw you, I knew that my life wouldn't be complete without you. So I stalked you till I got you" growled Xander as he inched closer to his wife before pulling her off the chair and into his lap.
"Xander! What are you doing? Put me down this instant!" she raised her voice sternly but spoiled the effect by laughing as well."You incorrigible!!" she said before kissing him fully on the lips.
Mitchell smiled and winked at Alisha as if to say that as his father also stalked his mother before they met, it was natural that Markian and he also, for the lack of a better word, stalked their mate before meeting her. The image of Alisha coming out of the lake with only her swimsuit on flashed into his eyes and his body reacted instantly. He remembered wanting to hold her down on the mat and licking the globules of water that trailed down her body. Mitchell shifted uncomfortably in his chair trying to hide the fact that he was aroused at the image his mind had conjured up.
Alisha blushed furiously on hearing that her mates had been watching her play with the kids. She turned to look at Mitchell and realised that he was looking at her so intently that she began to feel a fluttering in her stomach and her breath hitched as she felt a slow throb starting between her legs.
Alisha looked at Xander and blushed even more as his eyes were crinkling with merriment at what was taking place in front of him between his son and future daughter-in-law. "Mitchell...do you want us to leave? You look like you have different plans for Alisha" he said laughingly knowing fully well where Mitchell's thoughts were heading
"Actually.....no!Mitchell.....I need to speak to the Alphas of Starfall before they make up their minds that Alex, Alia and I, are rogues and need to be killed. You see, Mr Lytte, I really didn't know that the lake was on Starfall territory. I was under the impression that it hadn't been claimed so I decided to bring the kids for a swim not knowing that I would be trespassing Starfall land."Alisha confessed starting to get worried as she imagined what horrible things could the monstrous Alphas of Starfall do to her and the cubs when they found out what they did
"Speak to the Alphas of Starfall you say...Uhm well!! Let's see how we can do that" nodded Melody looking at Markian and Mitchell who had stopped smiling and grown quiet. Both Markian and Mitchell refused to look up and meet their parents' gazes.
Alisha became even more worried, seeing the troubled gazes on her mates' faces. She had heard that the Alphas of Starfall was cruel and did atrocious things, like drink the blood of little babies who cried too loudly at night. She initially didn't believe that anyone could be so scary, and horrible but now, when it was her and the kids lives on the line, she didn't know what to think anymore...
Would the Alphas kill her for trespassing?? What of the kids? No!! She wouldn't let them! Nobody would kill Alex and Alia. She wouldn't let them as long as she lived and breathed.
Alisha's eyes welled up with tears. She knew that the punishment for trespassing was death. She couldn't let that happen to Alex and Alia. It wasn't their faults. It was hers!! Only hers!
She turned toward her mates and whispered" Its okay! If your Alphas kill me for trespassing its okay!! I want you to make sure that Alex and Alia don't get punished as well. Please! You have to promise me that you will not let your Alphas punish them as well. Markian will you promise me, please? Mitchell as well...Please promise me that you will take Alia and Alex back to their pack safely" Alisha mumbled while trying her hardest not to cry in front of Melody and Xander
"Boys! This is getting too much...Tell her or I shall. Can't you see that Alisha is really worried?" cried Melody while she stood up and reached over to give Alisha a motherly hug
Markian and Michell got up and awkwardly held on to Alisha who was already having a red nose as her tears flowed freely in the comfort of Melody's hug
"Alisha! Please don't cry. Nothing is going to happen to you. Neither is it going to happen to the kids. We promise...Please my darling! Don't cry" murmured Michell while he stroked her hair
"You can't promise that Mitchell! Haven't you heard what your Alphas do to rogues? They don't care if their victims are just kids. They kill first and ask questions later. In fact, I heard one of them slit a baby's throat and drank its blood in front of its parents just because the child cried at one of their dinners" hiccuped Alisha as she buried her head on Melody's shoulder
"What did you say?? The Alpha slit the throat of a baby! In front of the parents!! And then drank the baby's blood" Melody said angrily while she tried to pat Alisha back. Alisha realised that Melody was getting angrier and angrier at every passing sentence. As her pats were becoming more like blows to Alisha's back
"This is your fault, Xander Lytte!! I told you to stop spreading these horrid lies about our sons. Now, look at what you have done!! Alisha thinks that they are going to drink the blood from babies? Fix it now or you will be sleeping in the packhouse tonight...I promise you"Melody raised her voice in anger.
Xander looked to Alisha, his eyes full of remorse" I am sorry Alisha. We didn't mean to scare you. I mean...Yes, we wanted to scare other packs but not you. You are different. We didn't mean to make you worried! Markian and Mitchell would never do such a thing. They were innocent of all the rumours. We just made it up to prevent wolf packs from attacking our pack!! It was all done in good fun, I promise you."
Alisha looked up in confusion. She didn't know why Melody was angry with Xander and why was Xander apologising to her. Why was she different? Why was Xander saying Markian and Michell were innocent. Questions were rushing through the brain until suddenly she stared at the two men who were looking away with guilt flowing through every orifice of their body
"You! You both are the Alphas of Starfall, arent you??!! You didn't tell me that you were the Alphas! You let me believe that the Alphas were going to kill the kids and me for trespassing on Starfall land. Oh!? How could you?" she shouted after her mind pieced the information from Xander's and Melody's outbursts