Mikkeli POV
The more I think about it, the more I don't believe it. I'm sure something just isn't right.
I think that something is coming, that there is just a bigger picture, and right now, I can't see it. My wolf is restless and out for blood, so I spend most of my time in the training area trying to blow out my steam. The last three days brought us some answers but also as many questions. Tony did his job greatly, and Steve told us what he knew. The only problem was he didn't know much.
He was paid to memorize the scent of James and Jason. That day when he was with others on our territory, his task was to find them, but he didn't know for what purpose. The problem was the guy who was talking with their client died during the attack.
Hayden went back to Maddie's hometown and took care of finding some info about the Simon guy. He, of course, confronted Simon and left him after this half-dead on the street.
Simon testified that someone was helping him with the money for about two months in exchange for information about Maddie and her husband. That he invited Steve to the gathering because he was asked for that and that he had never met the guy, he could only give us his number, which of course, turned out to be a dead end.
But it's a solid suspicion that Maddie's death wasn't an accident, especially since the hit and run had happened in a secluded area with no witness and the preparator wasn't identified, which made Hayden furious. After he came back home, I caught him spending half of the night looking at sleeping boys and Rosie and Hannah.
The boys seem OK. They also spend some time with me on the training grounds and take their practice pretty seriously. Thank goodness Hannah hasn't pulled any stupid pranks and has listened to me spending most of the time in the house with Kyle, occasionally Gideon and Becca, and Tony and his family.
And right now, I'm sitting with Hayden, Rose, and of course, the feisty one in my office, telling her the results of our investigation.
"Do you think my parents were murdered?" she asks, looking at Hayden.
"I don't have any solid proof yet, but I think it can't be a coincidence. I think during the gathering, Maddie probably detected Steve's wolf. That's why you came back so quickly to the house. Two days later, they're already dead, and two weeks later, Steve is on our pack territory with a mission to find your brothers. I don't believe in coincidence."
"You do realize it has to do something with you. No one was interested in my brothers for 11 years, and suddenly my parents are dead, and we are targeted here at your territory," she says slowly.
I swear to Goddess, if she intends to blame my brother for this, I will spank her, I would treat her as the spoiled child she is.
"I'm not saying it's your fault, but it has to do something with them being your sons. Do you have any enemies?"
Well, I guess no spanking today, I think, hearing her talk.
"I have plenty of enemies," Hayden responds, "but none of them knows about boys. That's why I'm afraid whoever staged this must be someone pretty close. Hannah, I know I promised you that you could go back home, but that was before we realized that someone knew about boys' heritage. I think it would be better if you stayed here permanently. Even if we find who is a threat to them, I think sooner or later, more people will figure out the truth. Especially after Jason's wolf manifestation, my pack members aren't stupid; they may understand that Jason must be the alpha's blood...."
"And because you spend so much time with them, they will soon add two to two," she finishes, sighing.
"Stop pampering her," I feel I'm losing my patience "you will stay here because it's safe; you will become a member of this pack because it's good for your brothers and it's good for your sister. You don't want to stay. Fine, you are free to go, but boys and your sister belong here with their kin!"
"You will not get rid of me. Try as much as you can," she hisses." You will never separate me from my siblings!"
She looks me straight in the eye, challenging as always. I growl; I don't snap because Hayden sends me a death glare.
"Let's make this straight," she finally says after a long moment of silence," I do not trust you, Hayden, for sure I do not trust you" she looks in my direction, "but I trust my father, and I will continue to trust him."
"What do you mean?" Rose asks.
"My father left a letter for Maddie in case anything happened to him. He was a firefighter; he risked his life for a living, so probably that's why he wanted to be prepared for anything. I have this letter, I read it the same night you brought us here, and that was the only reason I didn't try anything," she gives me a stern look.
"What did he write?" Hayden doesn't look at her, and he looks at the floor.
"Mostly how much he loves her."
I want to do something to her if she keeps torturing my brother like that. Maddie was his mate. He did wrong, I get it, but she really doesn't have to emphasize on every occasion how much Maddie loved another man.
"But he also wrote that if anything happened to him, she shouldn't have been afraid of coming back home. He wrote that you were not a threat to her, that you could be trusted, and if necessary, you would protect us. I don't know why he wrote this, but if you managed somehow to convince my dad to trust you, well, let's say I've decided to trust him".
"So you are staying, like, permanently?" Hayden tries to make sure.
"You are also right about the boys. I can't help them control their wolves; if I take them out there, it will be a constant struggle. As much as I'm not happy with it, here is their family, but I have my conditions. I will have the final say in everything regarding their upbringing until adulthood. And I will decide when and how we will tell them the truth."
"You want them to know the truth?" Rose asks, and she seems very surprised; well, not only she.
"I don't get your werewolf's family dynamics," Hannah sighs, "but in my family, we always were truthful with each other. We can have secrets, but we will never have lies, and boys are not stupid either. Sooner or later, they will ask, and then I will tell them the truth because they deserve to get the truth, and there will be the same with Rosie. When we figure out what happened with my parents, we will also tell them the truth."
Hayden gently places his hand on Hannah's hand and whispers, "thank you."
"Well," I finally decided to say something, "that means that you will soon become a member of my pack officially, which also means that you will obey me. You will recognize me as your Alpha, and you will obey. Do we have that clear?
She looks at me. I can see that she's not happy, and honestly, I don't mind a minor quarrel. I smirk, but she seems to be lost in her thoughts.
"I can obey you as my Alpha," she finally says. "I can obey your pack rules, I can show you the respect you deserve as a leader, but I also demand the same from you. The same respect you give all your pack members. But let's make this straight, I don't like you, and I'll probably never will."
"I can live with that now; if we finish, the Full Moon pack will be here soon. So please leave my office, oh and Hannah," she stops walking and turns to me, "you will start training fighting with my she-wolf warriors, just basics I request from every omega. And Rose will assign you your chores, your time as freeloader here has finished".
"Well, my grandma is the omega, my mum was an omega, and my sister is probably an omega. It's a good ranking, and regarding how not interested you are in any interactions with omegas, this suits me very well." I can hear the venom in her voice.
After the door is closed after her and Rose, Hayden gives me a death glare... again.
"Do you have to be so mean to her? You don't talk with her. You only bark at her all the time. Seriously what is your problem?"
"And your problem? You care too much about her! I have also seen you with Rosie, I understand the attachment to the twins, but why are you so much into the daughters of the guy who took your mate away from you".
"Because he saved Maddie's life," he says with anger, "because he saved my sons' lives, because he gave her security and good life, and because he brought up my sons. They are wonderful, kind and brave, and every reason for me to be proud, and they are like that because Maddie and he raised them to be that way. He looked after them for 11 years; he loved them for 11 years. Doing the same for his daughters is at least I can do. Blood is thicker than water, little brother, but you should know that blood is not everything, and especially, you should know that sharing the blood doesn't mean you will be treated fair."
I snarl; I hate it. I don't like when Hayden brings up our childhood. I don't like when he speaks badly about our father, probably because no matter how much I want to deny it, he's right, but fortunately, I have no time to argue with him because of the beta of Full Moon Pack and his men are here.
The meeting is very unproductive; they apologize and claim that details of their patrol routes were leaked by one of their pack members who has a drinking problem and that he has already been punished severely.
I'm thankful Connie hasn't come with them, she's Alpha's only daughter, and her father and she are set on making her Luna of my pack one day. I won't be lying that I haven't considered that option. Our pack merge would be very profitable for both of us, plus she's quite attractive, the only problem is she keeps irritating me, and right now, with the situation between our packs, somehow, I don't feel so sure about it.
After they leave, I decide to go for a run, a very long run. When I come back home a couple of hours later and enter the living room in the packhouse, I can see them all. Honestly, it is a very adorable look. Hayden is sitting on the couch, Rosie is sleeping on his chest, and the twins, Hannah, Rose, Kyle, and the pack doctor Gideon, are playing some board games. Well, it's good to have some peace and quiet from time to time. I relax against the door frame and think about the annual gathering of pack allies, which should happen in a couple of weeks.