Decker POV:
"Sir, Decker Donafrio is here to see you," Giano's secretary, Robin, said over the intercom.
"Ah, good. Send him in."
"Yes, Sir. Would you like me to bring in any beverages?"
"Bring in a couple of bottles of water, one spring, one soda, and some ice spheres."
"Coming right up," Robin said sweetly.
"Thank you, Robin, I appreciate it."
A couple of minutes later, I followed Robin into the office and put the water and ice on the table. "Can I get you anything else?"
"No. Have a good weekend. Be safe going home. Tell Pat I said hello."
"Of course. Have a nice weekend yourself, and say hello to Angela." Robin closed the door behind her.
I shook Giano's hand and sat down in the large leather chair.
"Drink? Water or Scotch and soda?"
"I'll take the Scotch."
Giano opened up the cabinet in the corner of his office and pulled out a bottle of Scotch.
"I hope it's the good stuff," I said. "God knows I need it."
"Always," He said with a smile. Giano poured us a very generous glass.
"Rocks ?"
"Neat is fine." I took the glass from him.
"You said we need to talk." Giano took a desk behind his large cherrywood desk. His presence was commanding and intimidating.
I didn't know where to start. "Sir, I'm here because something is going on with Wrenly."
"Beyond what's going on with her already? What more could there possibly be?" Giano pinched the bridge of his nose. "Start from the beginning. Tell me what you know, son."
"The beginning?"
"Yes, the beginning." Giano took a large gulp of the scotch he had a feeling that he was going to need it.
"As you know, I've known her since we were kids."
"When I said the beginning, I didn't mean the actual beginning."
I felt my cheeks turn red. "Oh, yeah. As I am sure you know, I wasn't very nice to her back when we were kids, so fast forward to a couple of months ago when we ran into each other at the bar; again, I wasn't very nice to her. I didn't know it was her. But that shouldn't have made any difference. No matter who she was, I shouldn't have treated her that way. I show up here and find that girl I was rude to works here. I didn't know she was your daughter, Sir. I remember a skinny little girl you called Little Bird. I don't know if I had ever heard her real name. If I did, I didn't remember."
"I remember what your name for her was." Giano's tone was not very comforting. I had a feeling he was going to hit me, but thank the Goddess he didn't.
"Like I said, Sir, I wasn't very nice to her, and I admit that I was an asshole, but I was also a little kid."
Giano shook his head. "I know that your father taught you better than that."
I was embarrassed; he was right. If anything, my mother taught me better than that, but when she died, I lost the kindness she instilled in me. I think it was out of spite.
"I have apologized to her. I believe that she has forgiven me. I hope she has. If not, then I should prepare myself to be rejected."
"I wouldn't go that far. Yes, what you did was... douchy, but if your apology was sincere, I am sure she will give you the benefit of the doubt. Now, continue."
"When we went to dinner with you and Dad, she had a little too much to drink, and I made sure she got home safe. Now, during all this, Dawson, my wolf, has been communicating with Wrenly's wolf, Wrigley. Dawson said that Wrigley has been communicating with her. Most likely because she and I have been in such close proximity. Unfortunately, Wrenly thinks that she's hearing voices and not in talking to-your-wolf kind of way. More like a Thorazine drip kind of way."
"That answers some questions. I have noticed that she has seemed... different lately."
"There's more. She was able to mind link with me."
"She what!" Giano exclaimed. Clearly, he was shocked.
"She tapped into a mind link."
"Who was linking her, Decker?" He glared at me.
I knew this was not great, but I didn't think it was a bad thing. It means that Wrigley is coming forward and getting Sunshine prepared for what's to come.
"Well, Dawson thought since he was in contact with Wrigley, maybe she could mind link."
"Jesus Christ, Decker, that was reckless of you. Wreckless of Dawson."
"I didn't think it would work, Sir. I mean, I wasn't sure if it would work."
Giano grabbed the bottle and brought it back to the desk. He poured another drink. I was hoping he would give me a top-off, but he didn't. "Is there anything else? Goddess, I hope there isn't anything else."
"I- I know about the rape, I know who did it, I know he's getting out, and I know she needs to be marked so she has the strength of her wolf. If he comes back, she needs to be able to, well, rip his throat out."
"How did you find out? Did she tell you?"
"No."
"Who told you?"
I swallowed the Scotch. "You're right. This is very good."
"Decker. Who told you? It was no one but my daughter's story to tell."
Oh, fuck. I hope Teddy has a passport so he can flee to a nonextradition country. "My Beta told me."
"Really?" His face was unreadable. It was not good. "And who told your Beta?"
Maybe I shouldn't have brought this part up. He is getting very pissed. Good job, Decker. "I really don't want to reveal my source."
Giano's fist hit the desk. "You're not a fucking reporter Decker! Who told Theodore!"
I'm going to get that poor boy killed. Tell him! I don't want to die, either.
"Trevor." Decker flinched
"Oh, of course, he did. Why would he do that? It's not a normal topic of conversation."
"Something happened between Wrenly and me, so it seemed like information they thought that I should know. It answered a lot of questions."
Giano lept to his feet. "Did you force yourself on my daughter!"
"No. No Sir. Goddess. I would never hurt her. She is my fated mate. I would kill for her; I would die for her. She is my Sunshine. She has made me a better person."
Giano sat back down. "I'm sorry, son. The entire situation fucking pisses me off. That fucking prick drugs, kidnaps, rapes, then leaves her for dead in an alley like a piece of trash. Then because his father is Senator Preston Burton, his goddamn kid serves a year and a half for raping my baby girl. Fucking vamps. What happened after Theodore told you? What did Wrenly say."
"Nothing; because of the situation that happened, she has been avoiding me like wolfsbane. I can feel her pain. She needs me. Wrigley needs Dawson. I need to mark her. I have to protect her. She needs to know she is my forever."
"I understand your frustration, but--"
I interrupted him. "Then something happened this morning that could only be described as... odd."
"I'm not sure I can take much more. What happened this morning?"
"I followed her and Maria to the Starbucks across the street. I thought maybe I could get her to talk to me."
"It didn't go well, I presume."
I lifted my glass, and Giano finally refilled it for me. I took a long drag of scotch. "She threw me into a wall, Sir. She didn't trip me. I didn't trip over my own feet. She tried to push me to get to the door, which I was subsequently blocking. She got very angry at me. She tried again, and boom, the back of my head is kissing the wall."
"I'm sorry. Can you repeat that?"
"She got angry and pushed me out of the way to leave and throttled me into the wall."
"Oh God, her powers are manifesting. I thought Angela banished them when she suppressed her wolf. Her wolf and the mind link would break the spell at the time of marking, but the powers should have been removed at the time of the suppression." He was talking more to himself than me.
"Powers? Giano, what are you talking about? What kind of powers? I thought that the wolf and link weren't going to present till she was marked because Angela was human."
"I'm about to tell you something that very few people know. Your mother knew. Theodore's parents know since his father is your father Beta. Your Aunt Vicki knows because she is our Luna and, of course, your father.
"What are you talking about? Knew what?"
"Angela, my wife is only part human
"Part human? What is the other part? Fairy? Nymph? Sprit?"
"No, Decker, she's part Witch."
I felt my eyes pop open and my jaw drop wide. I briefly lost the capacity to speak.
What the fuck did he just say? He said Wrenly's mom is part witch. But that means... Sunshine is part witch. The pack will never let a witch, no matter what she's mixed with, be their Luna. I think I'm going to be sick.
"She's part witch? How is it possible that a werewolf and a witch... that is blasphemy? Goddess, that means..."
"Yes, Angela is part witch, and be careful what you say. That woman is my wife, not some sort of black demon."
"I'm sorry, Sir. I am just confused. Why would you suppress Sunshine's werewolf?
"In order for us to banish her magic, we had to suppress her wolf and ability to mind link first. We didn't want to accidently banish her wolf. Angela cast the spell in such a way that when she met her fated mate, her wolf would surface when he marked her, and the mind link would open."
"But you were certain at the time you cast the spell that when I met Wrigley and marked her, her wolf would surface, and the link would open?"
"I can't say that we were 100 % certain it would happen. We had to wait and see. We could have possibly banished everything. We didn't know. No one had ever tried the spell before."
"You could have banished her her wolf? The other half of her? Was it that important to rid her of her magic?"
"We couldn't let her powers develop. Yes, we had to. It was the only way for the spell to work. You have no idea how powerful she could have been."
"Don't you mean could be. Well, guess what? You went through all that trouble, and it failed. Her wolf is out, she can mind link, and she can throw a grown man into a wall when she gets pissed off."
"Don't sass me, Decker Donafrio. Remember who you are talking to!"
"I'm sorry, Sir. Then why did you and Dad bring us together? If you had never brought us together, the spell would have, in theory, never been broken. You would have had nothing to worry about."
"We knew she was your mate. We all agreed that we would not deny you your mate. You're the alpha, and the pack needs a proper Luna. Your Aunt Vicki has done a wonderful job since her sister, your mother, passed, but she can't be Luna after your father passes. When you become Alpha King, you need your fated Luna Queen; she will be a stronger Luna than if you had a chosen mate."
"How did you know she was my mate? You said you got us together because you knew I was her mate. Only I should have known she was my mate, and that wouldn't have happened till I met my wolf. By then, you had split us apart."
"Angela did a spell that showed her a premonition of Wrenly's future. We wanted to know if the banishing and suppression spell was going to last till she was marked, but instead, she saw who her mate was. Trust me, we were all surprised to find out it was little Decker Donafrio. Our best friend's son, the young boy that my Little Bird spent so many summers with. That's why we took her away from you, even if you couldn't mark her till you were eighteen."
My head was spinning. "I- I think I might understand. But I'm not sure I completely understand. If this is this confusing to me, I can't begin to imagine how she's going to feel."
"Decker, I want you to come over tonight for dinner. Little Bird will be there. I think it's about time she finds out who she really is. Who you are to her. "
"I don't know, Sir. She really doesn't want to have anything to do with me. After the night in her apartment, it's like she can't stand the sight of me, let alone be around me."
"I think she's scared. From what you have told me, she thinks she's going insane and hearing voices; whatever happened between you two that night at her place, she is most likely scared and perhaps embarrassed. I don't want to know what happened between the two of you, but if she let you in the way I think she did, then she knows deep down she can trust you. Don't worry about my daughter, I'll handle it."
"Sir, what if she rejects me? I don't think I can take it; I want my fated mate, not my chosen mate. I want my Luna to be strong, and I want my Sunshine. I love your daughter, Sir. I know what the pull of the mate bond feels like. I can feel that, but the fear of losing her is beyond her rejecting the mate bond. It's rejecting the love I have for her that scares me."
Giano looked at me with understanding. "You love her?"
"I do. I never believed in love till I met her. Even when we were little, I liked her, and my friends kept telling me that girls were gross and that we should make fun of her so she would go away. I should have never gone along with it. It hurt me to see her cry. Then, when I saw her at that bar, I felt something the minute I saw her. I just didn't know exactly what it was, and it scared me. I don't get scared."
"I said I would handle it. You will have your fated mate. She will be your Luna Queen. Our Luna Queen."
"The pack will never let someone with the blood of a witch, even a white witch, be Luna."
"If she is Luna, who will be her Alpha?"
"Me, of course."
"Does the Alpha hold no power?"
"You and I both know Alpha holds all the power."
"Then you don't need the pack to let her be Luna. You tell them she is their Luna. No further explanation is needed. If anyone has an issue, then they can challenge you for Alpha. And from what I have heard, no one will be able to beat you."
"Thank you so much, Sir. I will keep your daughter safe no matter what the future holds. I will always protect her."
"You don't need to kiss my ass, Decker. I accept you as my daughter's mate. I have had a long time to come to terms with it."
He smiled, and I relaxed a bit.
I think he just gave you his permission to mark, marry, and mate his Little Bird. Sweet.
I felt my chest squeeze. Dawson was right. If we can get through tonight and she is able to process what the hell is going on with her, then it should be smooth sailing. If she ever lets me touch her again.
"One more question."
"What is it?"
"How were you able to marry Angela? A werewolf and a witch is unheard of. They are our sworn adversaries."
"Well, luckily, my best friend was about to become Alpha King, and what he said was law if it was ever questioned. Your father knew Angela for years and knew she was a good person. She's an excellent white witch; she has helped the pack out many times over the years, and no one was the wiser. She is one of the best white witches our world has ever seen."
"Were you ever going to tell me? I am the future Alpha King. I think that I would have the right to know. And what about our children?"
"Your father was going to tell you when he did the transfer of power. So, you would have found out sooner than we all thought."
Sometimes, I forget that my father is sick. I already lost my mom; when my father is gone, I am an orphan. But I will have my Sunshine, and I hope we will have a family of our own.
"What about children?" I asked. I need to know that she and I would be able to have healthy pups.
"I can't tell you because I don't know. That is something that you and Wrenly will have to talk about. I have a feeling, though, that your children will be strong and amazing at everything they do. And I am looking forward to being a grandfather, just so you know."
"Now, how about you come home with me? We can take my car. It's waiting for me out back."
"I would be happy to make you a grandfather."
Jesus Decker, you basically just said, I will be happy to screw your daughter and spill my seed in her. Ew.
"I just have a bad feeling about this. I had a bad feeling before all the witchcraft, suppression, and spells came up."
"Decker, you let me handle my daughter. Things will work out."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Just trust me on this. You and Little Bird will be just fine."
"Yes, Sir, I trust you. One more thing we need to do is invite Trevor and Teddy to join us."
"Why? This isn't an intervention."
"We need them there."
"Both of them?" He cocked his eyebrow.
"Yes, just trust me on this."
"All right, give them a call."
"I think Maria should be there too."
"Maria? Wrenly's assistant? What does she have to do with this?"
"She's good friends with Sunshine and umm..."
"And umm, what? Out with it, boy."
"I have a strong suspicion that Maria is a wolf."
"Ah. You also smelled cotton candy?"
"So you know?"
"I had my suspicions. I wasn't sure if it was her hair products or if it was truly her scent."
"I think she's still in the office. I will see if I can catch her." I volunteered.
"I'll call Angela. She's going to have to put another roast in the oven. She's going to be pissed at me."
"It's for the greater good."
"We'll pick up a few bottles of good wine on the way home. That'll help with the cause, and I have a feeling we are all going to need it."
Sorry this took so long to get out. I hope you are enjoying Wrenly and Decker's story. How do you think Wrenly